This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger ~ My Thoughts #ThisTenderLand

This Tender Land

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Print and e-book, 464 pages
Published September 3rd 2019 by Atria Books

For fans of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdads Sing, a magnificent novel about four orphans on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression, from the New York Times bestselling author of Ordinary Grace.

1932, Minnesota—the Lincoln School is a pitiless place where hundreds of Native American children, forcibly separated from their parents, are sent to be educated. It is also home to an orphan named Odie O’Banion, a lively boy whose exploits earn him the superintendent’s wrath. Forced to flee, he and his brother Albert, their best friend Mose, and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy steal away in a canoe, heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own.

Over the course of one unforgettable summer, these four orphans will journey into the unknown and cross paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic, This Tender Land is an en­thralling, big-hearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams, and makes us whole.

My thoughts about This Tender Land ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Albert named the rat. He called it Faria."

This Tender Land takes the reader on a roller coaster ride, along with the four young orphans, as they set out on their own to escape the lives they have found themselves in. There are plenty of ups and downs along the way but they are resourceful and loyal to each other, so somehow they get by.

This is a beautifully written story that follows the adventures of these four amazing young people. You will be rooting for them, crying with them, fearful for them, and celebrating their victories as they journey along their way.

William Kent Krueger has written an exquisite piece of literature that I highly recommend. I loved every word of it!

I received a copy of This Tender Land from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review. 

About the author

Raised in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, William Kent Krueger briefly attended Stanford University—before being kicked out for radical activities. After that, he logged timber, worked construction, tried his hand at freelance journalism, and eventually ended up researching child development at the University of Minnesota. He currently makes his living as a full-time author. He’s been married for over 40 years to a marvelous woman who is a retired attorney. He makes his home in St. Paul, a city he dearly loves.

Krueger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe. His work has received a number of awards, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. His last nine novels were all New York Times bestsellers.

Ordinary Grace, his stand-alone novel published in 2013, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition for the best novel published in that year. The companion novel, This Tender Land, is scheduled for publication in September 2019. ~ Author's website

Connect with Kent

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

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Book Spotlight Giveaway! The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow #TheSecretDiamondSisters

I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures.

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This week, I have a copy of The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow. I read and reviewed this book in 2014 and loved it! It was wonderful to escape into the rich world of these sisters. You can read my thoughts here. 

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

The Secret Diamond Sisters

The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow
Series: The Secret Diamond Sisters #1
Paperback, 382 pages
Published February 25th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

Three sisters. One billionaire father. What could go wrong?

Savannah. Courtney. Peyton.

The three sisters grew up not knowing their father and not quite catching a break. But it looks like their luck is about to change when they find out the secret identity of their long-lost dad -- a billionaire Las Vegas hotel owner who wants them to come live in a gorgeous penthouse hotel suite.

Suddenly the Strip's most exclusive clubs are all-access, and with an unlimited credit card each, it should be easier than ever to fit right in. But in a town full of secrets and illusion, fitting in is nothing compared to finding out the truth about their past.

Check out the whole series here.

About the author

Michelle Madow is a USA Today bestselling author of fast paced fantasy novels that will leave you turning the pages wanting more!

She grew up in Maryland and now lives in Florida. Some of her favorite things are: reading, traveling, pizza, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Michelle

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood ~ My Thoughts #KeepingLucy #NetGalley

Keeping Lucy

Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood
Print and e-book, 320 pages
Published August 6th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

From the author of Rust & Stardust comes this heartbreaking story, inspired by true events, of how far one mother must go to protect her daughter.

Dover, Massachusetts, 1969. Ginny Richardson's heart was torn open when her baby girl, Lucy, born with Down Syndrome, was taken from her. Under pressure from his powerful family, her husband, Ab, sent Lucy away to Willowridge, a special school for the “feeble-minded." Ab tried to convince Ginny it was for the best. That they should grieve for their daughter as though she were dead. That they should try to move on.

But two years later, when Ginny's best friend, Marsha, shows her a series of articles exposing Willowridge as a hell-on-earth--its squalid hallways filled with neglected children--she knows she can't leave her daughter there. With Ginny's six-year-old son in tow, Ginny and Marsha drive to the school to see Lucy for themselves. What they find sets their course on a heart-racing journey across state lines—turning Ginny into a fugitive.

For the first time, Ginny must test her own strength and face the world head-on as she fights Ab and his domineering father for the right to keep Lucy. Racing from Massachusetts to the beaches of Atlantic City, through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to a roadside mermaid show in Florida, Keeping Lucy is a searing portrait of just how far a mother’s love can take her.

My thoughts about Keeping Lucy ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Later she would blame the moon. That full blood moon that pierced the night sky like a bleeding bullet hole."

Keeping Lucy grabbed me from the very first sentence and I was totally captivated by the characters and the story-line. This was a book that I didn't want to put down—I became that interested in what was happening and wanted only the best for them.

What happened to Ginny and her daughter when she was born was fairly common during the time period that this story takes place. Ginny's strength takes her on the fight of her life, for herself sure, but most of all for her daughter and other's like little Lucy. I was cheering loudly for Ginny and Lucy as they tried to take down the system.

This was a wonderful, heartwarming story that will definitely stick with me for along time. What a beautiful story demonstrating the power of love.

I received a copy of Keeping Lucy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review. 

About the author

T. Greenwood is the author of thirteen novels. She has received grants from the Sherwood Anderson Foundation, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and, most recently, the Maryland State Arts Council. She has won four San Diego Book Awards. Five of her novels have been BookSense76/IndieBound picks. Bodies of Water was finalist for a Lambda Foundation award. Her thirteenth novel, Keeping Lucy was just published.

She teaches creative writing for San Diego Writer's Ink and online for The Writer's Center. She and her husband, Patrick, live in San Diego, CA with their two daughters. She is also a photographer. ~ Goodreads

Connect with the author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let this be a day to indulge in friends, 

family, good food, and good books!

Happy reading everyone!!  

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Book Blitz! Distant Memory by Maureen A. Miller ~ an Excerpt and a Giveaway! #DistantMemory

Distant Memory

Distant Memory by Maureen A. Miller
Publication date: November 25th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

From USA Today bestselling author, Maureen A. Miller comes this romantic thriller.

Whose life does Hollie Musgrave recall? Is it even her own?

Dreams of a house Hollie has never been to plague her. They haunted her since childhood when her mother used to joke about reincarnation. Now, as an adult, the dreams have returned. Desperate for relief she seeks out a hypnotist to pry any clues from her latent memories. One notion leads her to a farmhouse hundreds of miles away.

Todd Hewitt bought the farmhouse in Pennsylvania in search of seclusion after the drama of the past three years. When a woman shows up on his doorstep he assumes she is just another reporter looking for an interview, however, her tale is too absurd to be a hoax.

Together they try to piece together her missing past.

And someone has been waiting for that.

Someone has been waiting for Hollie to remember.

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Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

EXCERPT

“You should go.”

The words were husky. Uttered from a woman who was struggling to maintain her composure. Skin that was normally effused with sunshine was pulled taut across high cheekbones making the shadows below her eyes more prevalent.

He considered her warning. Seriously considered it.

“I should,” he hedged. “But I won’t.”

Solemn eyes rose to meet his.

“For God’s sake, why? You don’t need this. It was a big mistake to come down here. I was a fool to encourage you.”

Setting aside any reservations he might have, he couldn’t stand to see her fighting to hold herself together. Someone was tormenting this woman and it ticked him off.

“Look,” he set the note down, watching her eyes follow the motion. “I could point out that it’s not just about you. Whatever is going on, whatever these warnings are–they clearly deal with the house I’m living in. Everything that has happened to you happened directly after visiting my home. That makes it personal for me.” He paused. “Yeah, there’s that–or–” deep breath, “–I could admit that for the first time in three years I’ve met someone I’d like to know more about–that I’d like to spend time with.”

A shrug that didn’t come easily hefted his shoulders. “And you’re right. I have to decide if my desire to spend time with you is strong enough to deal with these threats–this stalking that you’ve been subjected to. Do I really want that sort of conflict in my very quiet, very private life?”

Hollie’s face pinched in pain and she looked away from him. “I guess I know the answer to that.”

“Do you?”

About the author

USA Today bestselling author, Maureen A. Miller worked in the software industry for fifteen years. She crawled around plant floors in a hard hat and safety glasses hooking up computers to behemoth manufacturing machines. The job required extensive travel. The best form of escapism during those lengthy airport layovers became writing.

Maureen's first novel, Widow's Tale, earned her a Golden Heart nomination in Romantic Suspense. After that she became hooked to the genre. In fact, she was so hooked she is the founder of the Just Romantic Suspense website.

Recently, Maureen branched out into the Young Adult Science Fiction market with the popular Beyond series. To her it was still Romantic Suspense...just on another planet!

Connect with Maureen

Website | Goodreads | Facebook

 Twitter | Instagram

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? November 25, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading


Stay
by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Pub date 12/3


The Memory Child
(Memory #1)
by Steena Holmes
Narrated by Amy McFadden

What I recently finished

One Night at the Lake
by Bethany Chase

Dead Before Dying: A Shadow Valley Manor Novel
(Shadow Valley Manor #1)
by Kerry Schafer
Narrated by Teri Clark Linden


I'll Be Gone in the Dark
by Michelle McNamara

What I am going to read next

Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes)
by Lorna Landvik

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Release Day! In the Heart of Windy Pines by Holly Tierney-Bedord #InTheHeartOfWindyPines

Happy Release Day!



Congratulations Holly

on the release today of

In the Heart of Windy Pines!

In the Heart of Windy Pines: a Mystery Novella by Holly Tierney-Bedord
Published November 24, 2019

From the author of Kindle Unlimited All-Star winner Sweet Hollow Women comes a new novella featuring characters from Murder at Mistletoe Manor, Carnage at theChristmas Party, and The Port Elspeth Jewelry Making Club!

Klarinda Snow is the innkeeper of Mistletoe Manor in beautiful, remote, Windy Pines, Idaho, where she brings her unique brand of hospitality to the tiny mountain town.

When she finds her inn unexpectedly fully booked on a snowy Tuesday night in November, it brings back memories of a tragedy years before. Before she knows what hit her, she and her trusty team of employees (Myrtle, Pierre, and her new night manager, Josephine), have found themselves back at the task of solving another mystery at Mistletoe Manor!

While this book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novella, if you plan to read the books in the Windy Pines Mystery series or The Port Elspeth Jewelry Making Club, it's highly recommended you read those first, as this book contains spoilers that could affect your ability to enjoy them.

I read Murder at Mistletoe Manor (actually I listened to it, same thing, right?) and loved it. The characters are wonderful, interesting, and fun and I loved spending time with them. You can read my thoughts here. I love how Holly writes and I love reading her stories. I'm excited that In the Heart of Windy Pines is out now so I can travel back to Windy Pines.

About the author

Holly Tierney-Bedord is the author of over a dozen novels and novellas, including Sweet Hollow Women, Surviving Valencia, Right Under Your Nose, Bellamy's Redemption, and Murder at Mistletoe Manor.

She is also the creator of mid-century dollhouse flipping blog www.flipthisminihouse.com and the author of several dollhouse and miniature how-to books. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Holly

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter

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Book Spotlight Giveaway! Silence by Deborah Lytton

I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures.

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This week, I have an ARC of Silence by Deborah Lytton. I read and reviewed this book in 2015 and loved it! You can read my thoughts here. 

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

Silence

Silence by Deborah Lytton
ARC, 320 pages
Published January 6th 2015 by Shadow Mountain

Love is blind, but it's also deaf. Stella was born to sing. Someday Broadway. Even though she's only a sophomore at a new high school, her voice has given her the status as a "cool kid." But everything changes when a tragic accident renders her deaf. She can't hear herself sing not to mention speak. She can't hear anything. Silence. What happens when everything you've dreamed of and hoped for is shattered in a single moment?

Enter Hayden, the boy with blond curls who stutters. He's treated like an outcast because he's not "normal." And, yet, Stella feels an attraction to him that she can't explain. As Hayden reaches out to help Stella discover a world without sound, his own tragic past warns him to keep a distance. But their connection is undeniable. Can the boy who stutters and the girl who's deaf ever find a happily-ever-after? Silence is a story of friendship and hope with a lesson that sometimes it takes a tragedy to help us find and appreciate beauty and love in unexpected place.

About the author

I love writing books for middle grade and teen readers. My goal is to take readers on an emotional journey along with my characters. Thanks for reading! ~ Goodreads

Connect with Deborah

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Book Blitz! Tasting Her Christmas Cookies by Alina Jacobs ~ Excerpt and a Giveaway!

Tasting Her Christmas Cookies by Alina Jacobs

Publication date: November 19th 2019
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Winter is coming—and unfortunately it’s bringing Christmas with it.

I loathe the holiday. I hate holiday parties, fragrant decorations, and hokey movies. If I had my way it would be winter all year round and never Christmas.

Nothing burns like the cold—except a hot oven.

That’s right; against my better judgment I agreed to let The Great Christmas Bake-Off film in my tower.

And St. Nick help me but I even agreed to be a judge.

Holly

Christmas is like the perfect sugar cookie—it slowly melts in your mouth, sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever.

I love Christmas. I love the cheerful music, the fun sweaters, and the holiday lights. Most of all I love Christmas Cookies.

A begrudging bake-off judge, I refuse to let grouchy billionaire Owen Frost hate Christmas. The man is overworked, his employees are uninspired, and his life is seriously lacking in Yuletide cheer. I want to stuff his stocking with sugary goodness to put him in a very festive mood.

So I dressed up as a sexy elf and gave Owen a taste of something extra special. You should have seen his eyes roll back in his head when he bit into the perfect sugar cookie!

I can’t let Owen Frost be a distraction. Things are insane enough without a sexy billionaire.

My baking subscription service is in the death throes.

My Christmas-ruining step sister is trying to sabotage me in the bake-off.

I’m being stalked by elves on the shelf come to life.

Ok that last one is a little weird, but welcome to my disaster of a life.

I need to win The Great Christmas Bake-Off to pay of my debts and launch my baking career. Sleeping with one of the judges is going to ruin my chance for a merry Christmas. Owen with his washboard abs and big Christmas package is a bad idea. It’s best to keep that all wrapped under the tree.

But when he said in that deep, sexy voice, “Can I have another taste of your Christmas cookies?” Well, let’s just say I’m unwrapping one particular Christmas present early!

Tasting Her Christmas Cookies is a standalone holiday romantic comedy. If you love Christmas desserts, like to laugh out loud at holiday innuendoes, and want Santa to put a tall, good-looking guy under your tree, then pick up this full-length, steamy romance novel! There are no cliffhangers but there is a very happy (Christmas!) ever after!

Goodreads | Amazon

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EXCERPT

“We are having a Christmas bath scene in the near future,” I said to the camera, “with holiday bath bombs and themed cocktails. But unfortunately, it won’t be tonight. The bake-off starts tomorrow, baking fans!”

I looked longingly at the bathtub. Then, making sure the phone was definitely not recording, because I did not need to be that kind of Instagrammer, I took a quick shower. I seriously could not get over how huge the bathroom was. I could live in it. With a toaster and a mini fridge, I would totally be good.

After wrapping myself in the robe, I tied a T-shirt around my hair. I had frizzy hair on a good day; keeping my curls manageable was a perpetual struggle. I applied a gingerbread-cookie-scented moisturizer while my videos uploaded. Because I was busy scrolling through my phone and answering comments as I came out of the bathroom, I didn’t notice the half-naked man until he swore.

I looked up and screamed.

“Help! Help! Stalker!” I shrieked and ineffectively pointed at the stranger. Between the rippling muscles, the washboard abs, and an ass I could bounce a quarter on, I hoped he wasn’t actually here to hurt me, because he could do some damage. Pointing and shrieking wasn’t going to stop him. Fortunately, he looked more shocked and horrified than angry and violent.

“Stop screaming!” he bellowed. A freezing breeze blew into the room. It was as if the man had brought the rage of winter into the master suite with him. He looked like it, too, with his ice-blue eyes and silver-white hair. “This is my penthouse. You are not authorized to be here. That makes you the stalker!”

I stopped screaming. It clearly wasn’t helping anything. I also couldn’t help but notice that the bathroom wasn’t the only thing that was huge in the room. With him wearing nothing but boxer briefs, I could tell Santa had brought the handsome man a very large Christmas package indeed. The breeze blew in from the balcony, swirling the strange man’s clean and masculine scent around the room. I forced myself to ignore it.

“Get out of my house,” Big Christmas Package said flatly.

“You get out!” I shrieked. “I’m a bake-off contestant. This isn’t your room!”

“What the—” he grabbed his clothes, tugging on his pants. “The Great Christmas Bake-Off? I cannot have Christmas invading every element of my life. This is ridiculous. Christmas is ridiculous. It’s such a stupid, childish holiday.” He punctuated his words by snatching up articles of clothing.

“Hey now!” I said, hands on my hips, fear subsiding. “Christmas is never ridiculous. It’s the best holiday ever. And if you can’t see that, well then, you’re just a grinch, aren’t you?”

He advanced on me. I was suddenly very aware of how large he was. Christmas package notwithstanding, this dude was tall, broad shouldered, with rippling muscles. He could probably split me in two.

Yes, please.

“You’re some stupid little baker who never outgrew the childish fantasy of Christmas,” he sneered.

My nose was inches away from his chest. He glowered down at me. I was too angry to be aware of his half-naked body. Okay, maybe I was like fifteen percent aware. But the majority of my energy was focused on being offended on behalf of Christmas.

“Don’t insult baking,” I said, giving him my best “I want to speak to the manager vibe,” though it was ruined by the fact that I had to crane my neck up to see him and that I was completely naked under the robe. “And never insult Christmas!”

His nostrils flared slightly.

“Men like you constantly belittle the work that women do to keep cultural traditions like Christmas alive,” I continued, poking him in the chest.

“We decorate homes to make them cozy.”

Poke.

“We cook holiday dinners and bake festive desserts.”

Poke.

“We host parties that bring families and friends together.”

Before I could poke him again, he grabbed my hand in his much-larger one. Then, realizing what he’d done, he quickly released it.

“I will not stand for your bad attitude!” I declared.

He glared down at me, strong jaw clenched, eyes cold as a frozen lake. “I can’t even believe this,” he finally snarled. He grabbed his briefcase and stormed out, still shirtless.

“Oh my God!” Fiona exclaimed, wide-eyed, as she ran into the room. She hugged me then pushed me to sit on the bed. “Are you okay? Who was that? Why was he in here? Someone call the police!”

“I knew it! You’re trying to steal my boyfriend,” Amber yelled at me, rushing into the room. “That’s Owen Frost, and he’s mine!”

If you like steamy romantic comedies with a creative streak, then I'm your girl!

Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books...

Sign up for my mailing list to get the free novella, After His Peonies, along with special bonus content, giveaways, and more! http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html

Connect with Alina

Website | Goodreads | Facebook
Twitter | Bookbub | Instagram

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Heartfelt Memories Collection: Three Book Set by Deanna Lynn Sletten

Heartfelt Memories Collection

Deanna is one one of my drop-everything-and-read authors and I get so excited whenever she publishes a new book. I first read her book Memories back in 2012 and have been hooked on her stories ever since. I have read all of her books and the stories in this collection will touch your heart. I loved all three of them and know you will too. Links to my review posts are listed below each book. 

Heartfelt Memories Collection: Three Book Set by Deanna Lynn Sletten

Kindle Edition
Published August 13th 2019 by Deanna Lynn Sletten

Three emotionally charged stories that will stay with you long after you’ve read them.

Memories

Do you believe in second chances at love?

Michael DeCara came home from the Vietnam War a wounded man, both physically and emotionally. He tried putting his life back together, but found civilian life difficult after all he’d experienced. Raising his young daughter by himself after his wife left, he struggled to commit to one job or one woman. Then he met a Dani who made him feel whole again and adored his daughter as well. But when a family tragedy occurred, he had to leave without a word to Dani, believing he was doing what was best for her. Now, years later, she has walked back into his life and he believes they may have a second chance at love–except she hates him and he doesn’t understand why.

Danielle Westerly fell in love when she was only eighteen and her heart was broken when he suddenly left her. Her heartache intensified when she made a fateful decision that would alter her future, and she blamed him for her loss. Years later she is single and has built up a successful career when she accidently runs into the man who was responsible for her past pain. Yet, their chemistry is undeniable. Can Dani give up her anger and let go of the pain of the past and once again love the man who’d hurt her?

Read my thoughts here

Sara’s Promise

Do you believe in soul mates?

William Grafton had the perfect life with his lovely wife, Sara, and two wonderful children. But one day his perfect forever was shattered when Sara died suddenly, leaving him alone to raise his children and wonder how he would ever get through life without his soul mate. Five years later, he finds himself looking into a familiar pair of blue-green eyes that remind him of Sara. But after a few strange occurrences, he begins to wonder–are these just coincidences or has his Sara come back to him as she once promised in the form of this new woman?

Annie Paxton doesn't believe in soul mates or fate. She had watched her father die of a broken heart after her mother passed away and has since cast away any fairy tale ideas of love. Then she meets the man who has been haunting her dreams and she begins to see love in a whole new light. But her dream man is still tied to his deceased wife, and Annie doesn't know if he will ever be able to break away from his past. As strange occurrences unfold, Annie wonders if William could ever truly love her for herself and not for the traits that remind him of Sara.

Were William and Annie brought together by fate, destiny, or by Sara keeping her promise?

Read my thoughts here

Widow, Virgin, Whore

Three very different women−one house−one devastating diagnosis.

When recently widowed Katherine Samuals purchases a home to share with her son, Christopher, and her best friend, Denise Richards, the last thing she expects is to include Denise's outrageous sister, Darla, into the household. But Katherine agrees because she adores Darla's daughter, Chelsea, and feels this is a good opportunity to give the young teen a real home.

Living with Darla isn’t easy. She parties too much, sleeps around, and speaks her mind without apology. To conservative Katherine and shy Denise, Darla’s behavior is intolerable. Then, Darla is diagnosed with AIDS, and the household is turned upside-down. Katherine finds herself thrown into Darla's life, first as her caregiver, then as her companion as she explores the devastating lives of AIDS sufferers. Katherine's fledgling writing career flourishes as she shares the experiences of Darla's AIDS group in newspaper articles across the country.

Read my thoughts here

   

About the author

Deanna Lynn Sletten is the author of Maggie's Turn, Finding Libbie, One Wrong Turn, Miss Etta, and several other titles. She writes heartwarming women's fiction and romance novels with unforgettable characters. She has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime. Deanna believes in fate, destiny, love at first sight, soul mates, second chances, and happily ever after, and her novels reflect that.

Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing on the lake in the summer.

Deanna loves hearing from her readers. 

Connect with her here—

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? November 18, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

**************************************

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading


One Night at the Lake
by Bethany Chase


I'll Be Gone in the Dark
by Michelle McNamara
This is our book group read this month. True crime - not my usual reading material.

Dead Before Dying: A Shadow Valley Manor Novel
(Shadow Valley Manor #1)
by Kerry Schafer
Narrated by Teri Clark Linden

What I recently finished

Keeping Lucy
by T. Greenwood

Love is a Rebellious Bird
by Elayne Klasson
Read my thoughts here.

What I am going to read next

Secrets of the Chocolate House
(Found Things #2)
by Paula Brackston

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!