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.
This is book one inauthor’s new series. It is a completely clean, Christian romantic suspense.
Since cyber criminals have targeted the U.S. Marshals’ WITSEC program, FBI special agent Sean Nichols is tasked with working with Deputy Taylor Mills. Taylor’s main consideration is keeping her witnesses safe in spite of having their program hacked into. Sean wants to catch the criminal who did the hacking, an evil entity known only as the Phantom. The Phantom not only hacks into secure programs but is also responsible for multiple murders. The chase to find the Phantom takes Taylor, Sean and the team to some very dark corners, in the city and in their own minds. The action is fast-paced, the romance is simmering under the surface, and the twist is unbelievably good! Fans of romantic suspense and mystery will enjoy this new Christian fiction by Sleeman. This is a clean read with plenty of action! 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.”
My rating is based on how entertained I was by the book and how clean it was since I enjoy reading clean fiction.
Available now online and at your local bookseller!
Most days when I awaken, I am reminded that I am alive by the pains that shoot through various parts of my body. But that realization leads me to thankfulness, being grateful that I am alive to feel any pain and thankful beyond belief about how well God put me together. I read online that when I was born, I had about 300 bones in my body, but as I grew, some fused together. So as an adult, you and I have 206 bones. (theschoolrun.com). Attached to those bones are about 700 muscles that help our bodies to move. (painscience.com) Of course, the most important muscle is probably the heart, or at least that’s what keeps us alive. All of that being said, don’t you think it’s wonderful how well we are put together? By chance? By evolution? NOT AT ALL! We were planned and created by a loving God who knew just how to make us so that all of our parts fit together.
Photo from Pinterest.comPhoto from Pinterest.comWow! Isn’t God amazing?
I was made to think more about God’s creation when I received an email from Answers in Genesis. Mankind is not the only thing in creation that is wonderfully made. My favorite creation of God is a butterfly. Simple, beautiful and enticing to me. But I had never thought much about how God created the butterfly until I got the email that explained how the butterfly’s wings work.
Check out this article that Answers in Genesis sent me to read this week:
We cannot deny God’s design when we acknowledge how carefully He paid attention to each detail in each creature. The God who created the beautiful birds and butterflies also created the weird looking (to me) platypus and the entertaining kangaroo.
Photo from dailyverses.net
Thus, here I am again, in my favorite chair, looking out the window at God’s marvelous creation. And I wonder how awesome God is and how glorious it will be to stand in His presence in Heaven!
Blessings and prayers for each of you today as you awaken and are thankful for who you are and for what God made you. He created me and you and said that this creation was “very good.” What an awesome God we serve!
Bestselling author Allison BrennanI am pleased that to be chosen to participate in the Harlequin Winter Mystery/Thriller Blog Tour.My rating is based on the entertainment value for me. The book does have one sexually graphic scene and numerous violent scenes.
I absolutely love Allison Brennan’s Lucy Kincaid and Max Revere series, so when I got a chance to read this first book in her new series, I snapped it up! What a wild and exhilarating ride! The main characters are the ambitious and on so intuitive FBI special agent Matt Costas, the leader of the new Mobile Response Team, and a detective on vacation who discovers the dead body, Kara Quinn. The interactions between the two of them was electric and their dialogue was mesmerizing. The story begins when Kara discovers a dead body at Liberty Lake, in a rural community. The MRT is mobilized to assist since the murder may be the work of the Triple Killer, a serial killer who comes out of hiding every three years and kills victims on March 3rd, 6th and 9th. The story was fascinating and uniquely Brennan, with a fast pace and a complicated story that drew me into its web and wouldn’t let me go. The suspense was ratcheted up throughout the story and the book was an action-packed thriller that did not let me down in my expectations. My favorite characters were Catherine, the profiler, and Ryder, the techie. Catherine has a mystery in her past dealing with her dead sister Beth and I really want to know more about that and her. Ryder seems to be a young, highly intelligent geek who was raised to respect his superiors and is a perfect addition to the team. Again, I look forward to learning more about him. In short, I look forward to more, more Allison Brennan for sure and the next MRT book will be on my TBR list as soon as I hear about it. I loved this book and cannot recommend it highly enough for fans of suspense thrillers!
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.”
What a wonderful and heartwarming story of three elderly women, a young pregnant teen and a soldier suffering from PTSD! Ginger is pregnant and trying to get to the Pacific Ocean with her unborn child. She runs out of funds in the little Texas town of Rooster. There she is invited to stay with Kate, Betsy and Connie Carson at their homestead, the Banty House, for as long as she needs to stay. She is given chores to do and earns money doing them. Kate, Betsy and Connie are more than generous paying her, just as they are generous with their handyman and neighbor, Sloan Baker. Sloan shows up daily to help out doing whatever the sisters cannot do, like take care of the cornfield or clean the car weekly. Kate uses the corn to make her own moonshine in the basement. Betsy grows and smokes her own weed. Connie dusts everything in sight, so the house is sparkling clean. Into this home comes Ginger, a frightened and displaced pregnant teen. All of the characters have a history to share, and it is their sharing of their history that I was engaged and enthralled by the story. The eccentric Carson sisters are unbelievably unique but still believable. Sloan and Ginger are dealing with demons from their pasts and depending on the sisters and each other to come out on the other side. I really enjoyed learning about these characters and would look forward to seeing them again in another book. They were amusing and they taught a lesson about how each of us should treat others. 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.”
My rating is based on the fact that this a sweet, clean romance that tugged at my heartstrings.This sweet book will be available at your local bookseller and online on May 20, 2020.
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.”
My rating is based on how enjoyable the book was. It is NOT a completely clean read, since there are sex scenes and some expletives included.Coming on July 7, 2020 to a local bookstore near you and online!
I am delighted to be participating in the Harlequin Blog Tour for this book.
My Review
Anytime I get a new Debra Webb book to read, I get excited because I know that I am in for a treat of tautly written suspense as well as romance that captures my heart. WITNESS PROTECTION WIDOW presents the suspense and the romance in just the right mixture to intrigue fans of both genres. Allison has married into the powerful and ruthless Armone family, unaware that her husband is part of a major Atlanta crime syndicate. Barely escaping with her life after her husband is killed, now Ali is ready to testify against her father-in-law, if she can just stay alive to do so. U.S. Marshall Jaxson Stevens has the enviable task of protecting the new widow until she can get to court. Jax and Ali have a shared past that plays well into the whole intriguing and compelling plot. Fans of romantic suspense will not want to miss out on this one!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author. 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 on how entertaining it was and what a quick-paced, keep me on the edge of my seat it was. There is a hint of sex, but there are no really sexually explicit scenes that would have turned me off. Author Debra Webb is just as kind and generous as anyone you could ever meet. She has a Facebook page and a street team. Go check them out!
Book description
WITNESS PROTECTION WIDOW: Can the witness protection program keep her identity secret?After Allison James finally escapes her marriage to a monster, she becomes the star witness in the case against her deceased husband’s powerful crime family. Now it’s up to US Marshal Jaxson Stevens, Ali’s ex-boyfriend, to keep the WITSEC widow safe. But as the danger escalates and sparks fly, will Jax be able to help Ali escape her ruthless in-laws?
About the author
Debra Webb: DEBRA WEBB is the award winning, USA Today bestselling author of more than 150 novels, including reader favorites the Faces of Evil, the Colby Agency, and the Shades of Death series. With more than four million books sold in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood on a farm in Alabama. Visit Debra at http://www.DebraWebb.com
EXCERPT: She shivered. The fire had gone out. She kept on her jacket while she added logs to the fireplace and kindling to get it started. Within a couple of minutes, the fire was going. She’d had a fireplace as a kid, so relearning her way around this one hadn’t been so bad. She went back to the kitchen and turned on the kettle for tea. Bob growled low in his throat and stared toward the front door. She froze. Her phone was in her hip pocket. Her gun was still in her waistband at the small of her back. This was something else Marshal Holloway had insisted upon. He’d taught her how to use a handgun. They’d held many target practices right behind this cabin. A creak beyond the front door warned that someone was on the porch. She eased across the room and went to the special peephole that had been installed. There was one on each side of the cabin, allowing for views all the way around. A man stood on the porch. He was the typical local cowboy. Jeans and boots. Hat in his hands. Big truck in the drive. Just like Marshal Holloway. But she did not know this man. “Alice Stewart, if you’re in there, it’s okay for you to open the door. I’m Sheriff Colt Tanner. Branch sent me.” Her heart thudding, she held perfectly still. Branch would never send someone to her without letting her know first. If for some reason he couldn’t tell her in advance, they had a protocol for these situations. She reached back, fingers curled about the butt of her weapon. Bob moved stealthily toward the door. “I know you’re concerned about opening the door to a stranger, but you need to trust me. Branch has been in an accident, and he’s in the hospital undergoing surgery right now. No matter that his injuries were serious, he refused to go into surgery until he spoke to me and I assured him I would look after you, ma’am.” Worry joined the mixture of fear and dread churning inside her. She hoped Branch wasn’t hurt too badly. He had a wife and a daughter. She opened her mouth to ask about his condition, but then she snapped it shut. The man at her door had not said the code word.
You can get this book in paperback form as well as e-book. Check out the links below to purchase:
Like many of you out there in the blogosphere, I am a planner. I keep multiple calendars, including a master calendar of mine and my husband’s activities and appointments and a calendar on my phone and my computer. The latter two are very useful since they give me notification reminders. However, no matter how much I plan, sometimes things don’t work out for me to accomplish what I had planned that day.
In my Bible study for the last week or so, I have been reading about Job. I read with horror as he was serving and praying to the Lord, and then he lost everything he owned. Today, in my devotional before the Bible reading (it’s in the YouVersion Bible App and it’s the devotional by Nicky Gumbel), I read that even from the beginning of Job’s troubles, God had a plan. I had never thought of that before. God knows what we will go through and He already has a plan. Kind of mind-blowing, isn’t it? It also helps me to relax more when things are going wrong, or at least in a direction that I think is wrong. God is taking care of His plan and I’m a part of it! Hallelujah!
These are two versions of the same verse. One is the NIV version and the second one is the GNT. I think I needed both of them to understand what God was saying to me. His plans cannot be stopped. He carries them out no matter what obstacles there are. Even in the life of Job that seemed that it would be a mercy for the Lord just to let him die, God had a plan, and a much better one at that! I am convinced that God has a plan for me, a better one than mine could ever be. So, friends, today, I go in to the hospital for a spinal epidural injection. Prayers are appreciated, but I am confident that God has a plan for my life and He is carrying it out. God is in control, and I can rest in Him, and so can you! Blessings for a great day and the realization that God has a plan for YOU!
Honestly, I did not think that loving my enemies was a problem for me. After all, each time someone comes to my mind with whom I have a difference, I pray for them, asking God to bless them. Then, it happened. I saw a clip this morning of Speaker Nancy Pelosi showing her ripping up the President’s State of the Union address. What utter disrespect and animosity she demonstrated! The anger in my heart rolled. I did not pray for her; I wished for her to lose her office, her fortune, her health, whatever she could lose. But then, in the middle of my mental wrath, I was reading my emails and got the latest one from Dr. Denison. Stopped in my tracks!
Now, I am praying for Nancy Pelosi. She isn’t my enemy. She is not the enemy of the people. She is just a sinner who needs to be saved by grace in spite of the fact that she touts to everyone that she is a Christian. Just like many of us. Maybe she really is a Christian. I don’t know. I’m not the final judge. I do know that she should repent of her attitude towards the President, but I don’t think that will happen. Nevertheless, the only person whose attitude I have any influence over is me! So, that’s the one I am working on this morning.
Finally, whoever is bothering you enough to make it so you can’t even pray for them, the one who is always “yanking your chain”, that one is the one that you need to forgive and pray for because they are controlling your emotions. I don’t want to be controlled by anyone here on earth, so I am letting go and letting God work on them while I work on me. Blessings for a good day, filled with love and forgiveness for all!
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 