Month: October 2023

Review of INTO THE FIRE by Irene Hannon

On By vickleaIn Book Review1 Comment
Many thanks to Revell for the ARC to read and review!!!!!!!!!!!

About the Book

ISBN-13:9780800745158

Publisher:Baker Publishing Group

Publication date:10/03/2023

Series:Undaunted Courage

Pages:400

My Thoughts

This first book in a new series by Irene Hannon is a heart-pumping, edge-of-your seat read from the first page to the satisfying conclusion. Bri Tucker is a former smoke jumper turned fire investigator and when one of her former colleagues is killed in a fire, Bri takes on the responsibility of investigating his death as well as others that he was investigating when he died. Assisted by swoonworthy hero and ATF agent Marc Davis, Bri can’t seem to avoid danger. In fact, she seems perfectly content confronting it, much to the consternation of Marc and her siblings Jack and Cara. All of the characters were realistically portrayed and relatable, but none more so than the vulnerable Bri who was hurt in the past and not looking for more pain in her present. The plot moves along at a fast and fiery pace, with head-spinning twists and riveting revelations along the way. There are red herrings and false trails galore, plenty to keep the mystery buff in me totally happy and reading long into the night. I loved the action and suspense, but I was completely enamored with the characters and their willingness to face danger in order to pursue truth and justice. This book is addictive and held me spellbound, so I’m already anticipating the second book in the series! Irene Hannon is a master storyteller who expertly crafted this tale that I would categorize as high-octane thriller and sparkling romance, too.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Clean Christian Read, probably a PG because of intense suspense and conflict

About the Author

Irene Hannon is a bestselling, award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of 10 with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.
Okay…maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her “official” fiction-writing debut!
Since then, she has written more than 60 romantic suspense and contemporary romance novels. She is a seven-time finalist for and three-time winner of the RITA award—the “Oscar” of romance fiction—and a member of the Romance Writers of America elite Hall of Fame. She has also received a Career Achievement award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work. Her many other awards include Daphne du Maurier, Carol, HOLT Medallion, National Readers’ Choice, Retailers Choice, Booksellers’ Best, and Reviewers’ Choice from RT Book Reviews. She is also a two-time Christy award finalist.
Irene, who holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full time. She is happy to say she has no regrets!
In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening and singing. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous musicals, including “South Pacific,” “Brigadoon,” “Oklahoma” “The King and I” and “Anything Goes.” She is also a soloist at her church.
When not otherwise occupied, Irene and her husband enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri. For more information, go to the author’s website at https://www.irenehannon.com

Purchase Links:

Baker Book House

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Google Play Store

Books-A-Million

Powell’s

Target

Walmart

Amazon

Review of DREAMING OF WATER by A.J. Banner

On By vickleaIn Book Review2 Comments

About the Book

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BPJNQ14P
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lake Union Publishing (October 10, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 10, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 263 pages

My Thoughts

This book presents a complicated and emotional story of a family in turmoil after a young girl drowns in a neighbor’s reflecting pool. Almost two decades have passed and Astrid, the older sister of young Nina, is loathe to return to Heron Bay but does so when her aunt urgently summons her. The action really begins to pick up and keeps a fast pace once Astrid arrives in Heron Bay and confronts her past and all of the ghosts that haunt her dreams. There is an eerie feeling that something is missing from her memory and Astrid is determined to discover the truth about Nina’s drowning, a tragedy for which Astrid blames herself. As Astrid delves deeper into mysterious letters typed on an old manual typewriter, I was fascinated with the research into how the letters matched the typeset and the expertise of Astrid as one who verifies documents. The entire story flowed seamlessly, even with multiple characters and flashbacks into an illusory, dreamlike past. I enjoyed the mystery and suspense, but I especially liked the clever character development which was slowly revealed and so brilliantly written. The plot was compelling and multi-layered, with secrets hidden by most of the characters and plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing. The drama is intense, the characters are dynamically unique and the entire book is a well-crafted dive into the waters of what you think you know because your subconscious tells you it is true. As the story progresses to the climax, it fairly crackles with tension that captivated me all the way to the stunning conclusion. For fans of suspense that does not waiver and authentic details that are riveting, this novel is perfect!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated PG

About the Author

As a child, A. J. Banner loved reading everything from Nancy Drew to Tolkien to her parents’ spy novels, borrowed from their bookshelves and hidden beneath her pillow. She wrote her first thriller, Mystery at Crane Corner, at the age of 11. She drew her own cover art and bound the pages with staples.
Born in India and raised in North America, A. J. graduated from high school in southern California and received degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. She tried various professions after college, including a stint in law school and a memorable job at a veterinary clinic, since she loves animals, but eventually she returned to writing.

Q and A with A. J. Banner

1. What was the most interesting (or most frightening) thing you learned in the research you did for this book?

A letter written in blood.

A typewriter used to type threatening notes.

During my interviews with a forensic document examiner and a former police detective, I learned that people act in extreme and unexpected ways. Reality is stranger than fiction, seriously! It’s true: a forensic document examiner (not the one I interviewed, but someone she knew) was once asked to analyze a letter written in blood! And the former detective told me about a case in which a man stalked his ex‑girlfriend and typed her sinister letters on a typewriter. He thought that if he used a typewriter, he could remain anonymous, but he didn’t know what each typewriter has a particular “fingerprint.” The typewriter in his possession was identified and matched to the letters, and he was arrested.

 

2. What was your favorite part of writing this book/series?

I always love typing my first drafts on my collection of manual typewriters! A typewriter is like a percussion instrument. I find the clacking sound extremely satisfying, and I can see the print appearing on the page as I type! I cannot go back and edit what I’ve typed. No distractions, no digital notifications. I have to set aside perfectionism and simply keep going, wonderfully liberating!

 

3. Did anything in the story end up surprising you or changing trajectory?

My stories always surprise me and change direction! In my first draft, I presented the entire story in chronological order, beginning with Nina’s drowning 17 years ago, the aftermath (about 100 pages in that early draft), and then moving forward in time to Astrid in the present day. But I ended up completely restructuring the book and opening with Astrid’s arrival in Heron Bay in the present day, with occasional flashbacks to her sister’s drowning. Also, the final revelation changed! It was entirely different in the first draft. No spoilers.

 

4. When and how did you know that you wanted to be an author?

From the time I was about eight years old, growing up in a small Canadian town on the shores of the Winnipeg River, I knew I wanted to be an author. I typed stories on a toy typewriter, drew cover art, stapled the pages together and wrote little copyright notices inside the front covers. When a little boy in town self-published his stories, and they appeared in a box set in our local library, I remember feeling incredibly envious of him! I also thought that having a book published was an impossible dream, like shooting for the moon. But eventually, my dream came true.

 

5. What is your writing process like?

When I’m writing a book, it always feels like the first time. I’m full of fear, joy, pain, worry, self‑doubt, and I feel as though I’m writing garbage. Then I love what I’m writing. Then I hate it. Then I love it again. I tear down the story and rebuild it again multiple times. Whoever said writing was easy? It’s extremely difficult, but it’s also wonderful. In the end, I’m the only one who cares if I ever complete a writing project. So I need incredible self-discipline and inner drive.

 

 

6. What would be your advice to new authors?

If you’re an unpublished, aspiring writer, I suggest reading a lot, writing a lot, treating writing as a lifelong endeavor, and learning the craft. Respect the profession. Find a mentor.

 

7. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not writing or reading a book?

I enjoy antiquing and discovering vintage stationery and typewriters. I regularly exchange typed letters with wonderful type pals all over the world. I love walks in the woods and on our wild Pacific Northwest beaches. I also play piano, take care of rescued cats, and I love photographing the wildlife in our garden, which is a certified wildlife sanctuary.

 

8. Is there anything else you would like your readers to know?

I hope my readers enjoy Dreaming of Water and reach out to me with comments and questions! Thank you for a wonderful interview.

Purchase Links

Amazon

Amazon-CA

Barnes and Noble

Powell’s

Target

Books-A-Million

Indiebound

This is an amazing book and I sincerely hope that all of you will grab a copy and enjoy it as much as I did!

The Road We Want

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Look at the action verbs in this Scripture: Stop, Look, Ask, Walk, Travel, and Find. There is a progression here in making wise choices. First, we have to stop, pause long enough to hear the voice of the Lord and not the clamor of the world all around us. Look around—examine the choices before you. Ask—the Bible says that we don’t have because we don’t ask. Before you make a choice, ask what the way that God wants you to take is. Then, walk that path. God doesn’t promise that it will be easy or without some challenges along the way, but he does tell us to travel along that path and there our souls will be able to rest. Why? Because we are following the purpose, the plan, the path that God established for us. Unfortunately, too many of us turn the wrong way, saying that the road we want is different than the one God has set up for us to take. God will allow us to make our own choices, but then we will suffer the consequences of traveling the wrong way. Like a good GPS system, God will look at the road we are on, the one where we took the wrong turn, and He will recalculate a new path for us. It may take us longer to get to where He wants us to be and we may miss some blessings along the way, but God will not give up on us. His purpose and plan will still be fulfilled, often in spite of us because we didn’t carefully stop, look, ask walk, travel and find. God wants us to find that rest that He has promised, both here on earth and in eternity with Him.

Claim Your Blessings

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

If you knew that someone had started a bank account in your name with, say, a million dollars in it, would you just leave it there and never touch it or use it? Or would you go to the bank, present the appropriate ID, sign the forms they require and start using your unexpected wealth? I’m pretty sure most if not all of us would do the latter. But did you know that we are daily not claiming gifts from God?

God’s Word is filled with blessings for His people, yet there they sit, unclaimed, either because we don’t know about them or think that they cannot possibly be for us. In today’s world of selfishness and each one out for himself, it’s hard to fathom that God is our advocate, in our corner at all times and has provided for us before we even ask. So, today, I leave you with a blessing to claim and a challenge to look for other blessings in the Bible that are yours if you would only see them, claim them and praise God for them. Now, just a disclaimer: I do not belong to the “name it and claim it” group of prosperity-driven Christians. I am just saying that if you have a prayer that needs to be answered and find a blessing in the Bible that fits that need, then claim that blessing as an answer to your prayer. Sometimes, we are still praying when God already sent the answer and we didn’t notice yet.

Don’t forget to say “Thank you” to God for all of His rich blessings that He gives us every day!

A Thought about Gratitude

On By vickleaIn Quotation and Citations, Scripture3 Comments

Remember the Biblical story of the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus, yet only one came back to thank Him? How many times have you been the one who remembered to give thanks instead of continuing on your merry way and forgetting quickly what God has done for you?

We don’t need to give God thanks because He needs to hear it. Our hearts need to be open to the relationship with God that becomes fuller and more complete when we give Him thanksgiving instead of taking His love for granted.

Look at that very small and very important word “all.” When things are going well, be thankful. When things are not going great, be thankful. Getting into the habit of having an attitude of gratitude will open our hearts and minds to hear from God and be blessed by Him, even in the midst of trying circumstances.

Sunday Prayer

On By vickleaIn prayer, Scripture2 Comments

Sunday is a day of reflection, spending time with God and other Christians at church and also with my husband just talking. So, I don’t have a lot of time to spend on writing my blog. When I prayed about what to do for my Sunday posts, God said to just pray. Thus, here is my prayer for you today.

In Jesus’s Name. Amen!