I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
Author: vicklea
I love to read! I’m a retired teacher with a spouse of 45 years, three amazing children and nine wonderful grandchildren. I am blessed!
This is a domestic drama with some hints of psychological thriller and suspense, but the latter two elements never really got there for me. The domestic drama was well-written with a narrator who is self-centered and who tells the story from her own point of view, without noticing her own weaknesses. Marie, Camilla, Charlie and Nina go on vacation together and one of them dies there. That’s the beginning of the mystery, but it really isn’t one for long as Marie tells us quickly what she surmises had happened. Marie is extremely jealous of Nina and her life as a mom with a perfect family. That obsession is the foundation of the story. I really didn’t sympathize with any of the characters unless it was the children who had to put up with such nonsense from the adults. Nevertheless, the plot was cleverly written with just enough twists to keep me reading. Fans of domestic drama with a hint of mystery and thriller will enjoy this new book by Karen Hamilton. 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. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I would consider this book for mature audiences only because of its subject matter and content.
Author Bio:
Karen Hamilton spent her childhood in Angola, Zimbabwe, Belgium and Italy and worked as a flight attendant for many years. Karen is a recent graduate of the Faber Academy and, having now put down roots in Hampshire to raise her young family with her husband, she satisfies her wanderlust by exploring the world through her writing. She is also the author of the international bestseller The Perfect Girlfriend.
These are troubling times, no doubt about it. But we who belong to the Lord should not be going around with sad faces or an attitude of hopelessness. For our hope is in the Lord God who made everything and He is able. My devotional this morning was about King Hezekiah who was facing the great army of Sennacherib and had basically been told just to give up because his cause was hopeless. But, God was with him, so he was able to prevail. No, we cannot fight this battle alone. Everyone’s battle is different these days, but God is the same for all of us. He will be with us; He is always for us. He fights for us, no matter what we are facing. So, with that said, I can be glad because He gives me hope.
When I was a child, I often disregarded what my parents were saying and chose to do what I liked instead of what they were warning me to do. I remember my mother grabbing my chin and forcing me to look her in the eyes and telling me, “You need to listen!”
Well, today, we as a nation need to listen to God. There are dark forces surrounding our nation and waiting with anticipation for it to fall into the hands of the enemy. Our once great nation that called upon the name of the Lord upon our founding is floundering because we have been stubborn and have not listened. My devotional this morning was about listening.
This Scripture is my prayer today for our nation. That we would listen and that God would subdue our enemies. There is no need for the senseless burning, destruction and killings. That is the enemy at work and when we listen to God and follow His ways, then GOD subdues our enemies.
This is our condition today. As Americans, we have “stiffened our necks” against God and refused to listen, thinking that we know better. We have glorified LGBTQ and BLM movements and not the Lord, our God. We are determined to set our own path, without the Lord. And He will let us because He created our free will. But when we end up totally destroyed and unrecognizable as the once great and powerful nation we once were, I hope that we Christians will remember that we are wherever we end up because we did not listen.
The warning is there. It is never too late to repent and turn to God and listen, fully and completely listen. Just listen for His voice and follow His ways. It doesn’t sound hard, but it must be because we have passed many years, perhaps an entire generation, without acknowledging God for our success as a nation. It’s time to give Him the glory and to just be still and listen. He will direct our paths!
This is a contemporary romance that is unlike any other book in this genre that I have ever read. It was light, humorous, mysterious and just plain fun to read! Joy Evers is going on a cross-country road trip from CA to NYC when she meets Dylan Westfield at a small diner in Arizona. Dylan’s car has broken down, and on the spur of the moment, Joy invites him to share her ride with her. They establish rules for their road trip that were spontaneously made but which made a big difference in their 10-day road trip acquaintance. Rule 1: No last names. Rule 2: Whenever one wants to go on a side trip, then they both must agree to go. Rule 3: What happens on the road stays on the road.
I really enjoyed the two points of view, that of Dylan and that of Joy. I looked forward to both equally because both added to the story in such an imaginative way! There were also two timelines, during the road trip (called before) and after the road trip. The books is not just a fluffy love story either since it makes you think. Do you need to plan out your life, and what if your plans change? Should everyone have a bucket list? Joy was using her deceased sister Judy’s bucket list when she met Dylan. Fate or accident? The entire plot was woven together so intricately well that the two stories of the main characters meshed perfectly. This is the perfect read for laughing, thinking and listening to some good music along the trip down life’s road, with unexpected turns and stops that will have you wanting more, even at the end!
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. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
This book made me laugh out loud, but I would have to rate it at least a PG-13 because of the sexual content. The scenes were tasteful and well done but may not be appropriate for all ages.
I loved this book! I really enjoy police procedurals and this one with Detective A.L. McKittredge and his partner Rena Morgan is one of the best that I have ever read. The story is a compelling one since five year old Emma is missing from her daycare. Her grandmother insists that she dropped her off with her teacher. Her teacher denies ever seeing her that day. Her mom is late to pick her up, so she is missing all day without anyone’s ever noticing. The clues are there, but there are also the red herrings that kept me guessing. The ending was unpredictable for me which added to my enjoyment of the book and led to the five-star rating. The bonus in the book was learning more about the private lives of the investigators, with details that flowed into the main story line. This is an outstanding police procedural with a fast-paced, relatable plot and characters that were well-developed. By the end of the story, I felt like I knew A.L. and Rena well and I was rooting for them to find the little asthmatic girl before it was too late. This is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. With themes of family drama, lies and lack of communication, I highly recommend this book to fans of gripping police procedurals. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
My rating is based onthe entertainment value that I found in the book, but it is not a clean read since there are multiple expletives used in the content.
EXCERPT:
One
With a week’s worth of mail in one hand, A.L. McKittridge unlocked his apartment door with the other. Then he dragged his carry-on suitcase inside, almost tripping over Felix, who had uncharacteristically left his spot by the window where the late afternoon sun poured in. He tossed the collection of envelopes and free weekly newspapers onto his kitchen table and bent down to scratch his cat. “You must have missed me,” he said. “Wasn’t Rena nice to you?” His partner had sent a text every day. Always a picture. Felix eating. Felix taking a dump. Felix giving himself a bath. No messages. Just visual confirmation that all was well while he was off in sunny California, taking a vacation for the first time in four years. I can take care of your damn cat, she’d insisted. And while he hadn’t wanted to bother her because she’d have plenty to do picking up the slack at work, she was the only one he felt he could ask. His ex-wife Jacqui would have said no. His just turned seventeen-year-old daughter, Traci, would have been willing but he hadn’t liked the idea of her coming round to an empty apartment on her own. Baywood, Wisconsin—population fifty thousand and change—was generally pretty safe but he didn’t believe in taking chances. Not with Traci’s safety. She’d been back in school for just a week. Her senior year. How the hell was that even possible? College was less than a year away. No wonder his knees ached. He was getting old. Or maybe it was flying coach for four hours. But the trip had been worth it. Tess had wanted to see the ocean. Wanted to face her nemesis, she’d claimed. And she’d been a champ. Had stood on the beach where less than a year earlier, she’d almost died after a shark had ripped off a sizable portion of her left arm. Had lifted her pretty face to the wind and stared out into the vast Pacific. She hadn’t surfed. Said she wasn’t ready for that yet. But he was pretty confident that she’d gotten the closure that she’d been looking for. She’d slept almost the entire flight home, her head resting on A.L.’s shoulder. On the hour-plus drive from Madison to Baywood, she’d been awake but quiet. When he’d dropped her off at her house, she hadn’t asked him in. He wasn’t offended. He’d have said no anyway. After a week together, they could probably both benefit from a little space. Their relationship was just months old and while the sex was great and the conversation even better, neither of them wanted to screw it up by jumping in too fast or too deep. Now he had groceries to buy and laundry to do. It was back to work tomorrow. He grabbed the handle of his suitcase and was halfway down the hall when his cell rang. He looked at the number. Rena. Probably wanted to make sure he was home and Felix-watch was over. “McKittridge,” he answered. “Where are you?” “Home.” “Oh, thank God.” He let go of his suitcase handle. Something was wrong. “What’s up?” he asked. “We’ve got a missing kid. Five-year-old female. Lakeside Learning Center.” Missing kid. Fuck. He glanced at his watch. Just after 6:00. That meant they had less than two hours of daylight left. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
The Lakeside Learning Center on Oak Avenue had a fancier name than building. It was a two-story building with brown clapboard siding on the first floor and tan vinyl siding on the second. There wasn’t a lake in sight. The backyard was fenced with something a bit nicer than chain link but not much. Inside the fence was standard playground equipment: several small plastic playhouses, a sandbox on legs and a swing set. The building was located at the end of the block in a mixed-use zone. Across from the front door and on the left were single-person homes. To the right, directly across Wacker Avenue, was a sandwich shop, and kitty-corner was a psychic who could only see the future on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A.L. took all this in as he beached his SUV in a no parking zone. Stepped over the yellow tape and made a quick stop to sign in with the cop who was at the door. everybody who entered and exited the crime scene. Once he was inside, his first impression was that the inside was much better than the outside. The interior had been gutted, erasing all signs that this had once been the downstairs of a 1960s two-story home. There was a large open space to his right. On the far wall hung a big-screen television and on the wall directly opposite the front door were rows of shelves, four high, stacked with books, games and small toys. It was painted in a cheery yellow and white and the floor was a light gray tile. There was plenty of natural light coming through the front windows. The hallway he was standing in ran the entire length of the building and ended in a back door. There was a small office area to his left. The door was open and there was a desk with a couple guest chairs. The space looked no bigger than ten feet by ten feet and was currently empty. He sent Rena a text. Here. A door at the far end of the hallway opened and Rena and a woman, middle-aged and white, dressed in khaki pants and a dark green button-down shirt, appeared. Rena waved at him and led the woman in his direction. “This is my partner, Detective McKittridge,” she said to the woman. She looked at A.L. “Alice Quest. Owner and director of Lakeside Learning Center.” A.L. extended a hand to the woman. She shook it without saying anything. “If you can excuse us,” Rena said to the woman. “I’d like to take a minute and bring Detective McKittridge up to speed.” Alice nodded and stepped into the office. She pulled the door shut but not all the way. Rena motioned for A.L. to follow her. She crossed the big room and stopped under the television. “What do we have?” he asked. “Emma Whitman is a five-year-old female who has attended Lakeside Learning Center for the last two years. Her grandmother, Elaine Broadstreet, drops her off on Mondays and Wednesdays between 7:15 and 7:30.” Today was Wednesday. “Did that happen today?” “I have this secondhand, via her son-in-law who spoke to her minutes before I got here. It did.” The hair on the back of A.L.’s neck stood up. When Traci had been little, she’d gone to day care. Not at Lakeside Learning Center. Her place had been bigger. “How many kids are here?” he asked. “Forty. No one younger than three. No one older than five. They have two rooms, twenty kids to a room. Threes and early fours in one room. Older fours and fives in the other. Two staff members in each room. So four teachers. And a cook who works a few hours midday. And then there’s Alice. She fills in when a staff member needs a break or if someone is ill.” Small operation. That didn’t mean bad. “Where are the other staff?” “Majority of the kids get picked up by 5:30. According to Alice, she covers the center by herself from 5:30 to 6:00 most days to save on payroll costs. Emma Whitman is generally one of the last ones to be picked up. Everybody else was gone tonight and she’d already locked the outside door around 5:45 when the father pulled up and pounded on the door. At first, she assumed that somebody else had already picked up Emma. But once Troy called his wife and the grandmother, the only other people allowed to pick her up, she called Kara Wiese, one of Emma’s teachers, who said that Emma hadn’t been there all day. That was the first time Alice had thought about the fact that the parents had not reported an absence. She’d been covering for an ill staff member in the classroom that Emma is not assigned to.” Perfect fucking storm.
Author Bio: Beverly Long’s writing career has spanned more than two decades and twenty novels, including TEN DAYS GONE, the first book of her A.L. McKittridge series. She writes romantic suspense with sexy heroes and smart heroines. She can often be found with her laptop in a coffee shop with a cafe au lait and anything made with dark chocolate by her side.
Think about it. I mean, really think about it. This broken world that we live in is not our true home. We are only here for a little while and then we go to our true home, in Heaven, with our Father and all of our brothers and sisters in the Lord. In the meantime, here we are in this valley with so much sin and destruction and ungodly thinking all around us. I think sometimes that this is the worst that any generation has ever had it. Then I remember my history and the Crusades and the destruction and turmoil then. I recall the Inquisition and the deaths that were part of the desire to rout out all dissension from whatever the current belief was. No, we don’t have it so bad, do we? Yes, there is little acceptance of Christians and our beliefs these days. There is mocking from our friends, family and the media. But I remind myself and you that this is NOT our home. And since we were put on earth for a reason, we need to find that purpose and work at fulfilling it. Jesus knew His purpose, His destiny if you will, from His first moment on earth. We, however, need to seek our purpose. We need to find out why God put us here and then do our best to follow His plan for us. I’m not here at this time and in this place solely because of my choices. I am here because God wants me to be here. I could have died from a stroke five years ago. I lived. So, why? Because God was not finished with me here on earth yet. This world is a broken one, and we don’t belong here, but we have to do our work here before we can go home for the Great Dinner that God has prepared for us. I recall that when I was working, I worked hard at my school all day, from the moment I arrived until I locked my door and headed out to my car. I sighed with relief most days when my work was done and I could go home and sit and relax at dinner with my family. That’s how I see my life on earth now. I’m working for God and I haven’t finished my work; God is preparing a place at His dinner table for me, but He isn’t ready for me to come home yet. In the meantime, I know that there are two worlds and I long for my Heavenly home. At the same time, I also long to see my grandchildren grow up and establish their own relationship with the Lord. So, two worlds. While I wait, I will continue to be as good a witness as possible here on earth. I will state my beliefs clearly even when they are not acceptable or popular. I will not compromise my standards because I am basing them on Biblical principles as I understand them. Yes, I am a citizen of two worlds, and I am expected to be a good citizen of both.
I read an article by Dr. Denison this morning that inspired this post and made me think about life and all of its current corruption.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/9155/day/5
www.bible.com/reading-plans/17704/day/183
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 