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.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/23192/day/2
Life may really be hard at times. In fact, it can be hard a lot of the time. But we can still be thankful that God has rescued us from a life without knowing Him, from a hopeless life to a hope-filled life, from a faithless life to a faith-filled life. I am thankful that God saw me and rescued me and I pray that you are thankful, too.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
Title: The Garden Girls
Series: Strange Crimes Unit: South Division
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: April 23, 2024
Genre: Christian Psychological Thriller
On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past.
FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape.
Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger.
As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive…
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop| BookBub
I don’t recall the last time that a psychological thriller made me cry, but this one did. The characters are so real and relatable that they became like friends and I hated the thought that evil was all around them, waiting to destroy them. The SCU team travels to the Outer Banks, a setting I am familiar with, so I enjoyed the setting. They are there to find a serial kidnapper who is taking women and tattooing them with flowers, then discarding them at a local lighthouse. I loved having the team all together working on solving the crime. My favorite SCU members are always Owen, because of his sense of humor and joking attitude, and Violet because she is so intuitive that it’s just weird. These are the characters that I would like to invite to dinner and have them entertain me with their wit and intelligence. The pace of the book is at a breakneck speed, racing from one twist and red herring to another and ultimately arriving at the surprising conclusion. Fans of psych thrillers who enjoy the films and books of the late Alfred Hitchcock will be enthralled with the SCU, their crime solving abilities and the way the author portrays each of the members as real people with a life outside of solving crimes. Crying at some parts and gasping at others, I made it to the end and then I just wanted another SCU book to read already. Faith plays a foundational part in the story, but it does not overwhelm or take over the story. It is an important part of some of the character’s lives and that added to the depth of the story. The addiction is real…the quest for justice is real. And these books are amazing! This book is part of a series but it can be read and thoroughly enjoyed as a standalone.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author 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.”
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(1) winner will win a signed paperback copy of Her Darkest Secret and A Cry in the Dark and a $25 Amazon card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 15, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 22, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for print. Ebooks available if winner is Canadian. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
ISBN-13:9781493444755. Publisher:Baker Publishing Group. Publication date:03/19/2024. Pages:288
Ginny Masters manages a popular boutique hotel in Seattle and manages it with aplomb. But the daily challenges and irritations of a fast-paced job and a demanding boss are starting to get to her. Jacqueline Potter manages her grandfather’s fishing lodge in Idaho because it was the only job she could find after graduating with her hospitality degree. She’s grateful for the work but longs for a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan life she’s just not going to find in this backwoods town.
The solution to both their problems seems obvious. Just for the summer, they’ll swap jobs and lifestyles. But they never anticipated swapping love interests . . .
In this fabulous new twist on an age-old fable, award-winning and bestselling author Melody Carlson introduces you to two career-focused women who are about to discover that there’s more to finding happiness than just switching up the scenery.
Ginny and Jacqueline have similar occupations, both managers of very different places. Ginny manages a boutique hotel in Seattle and is under the thumb of a demanding boss who treats her more like her personal servant than a valued employee. Jacqueline, feeling displaced by her mother’s new choice of a husband, flees that situation to manage her grandfather’s fishing lodge in a beautiful rustic setting. Jacqueline wants to do bigger and better things with her life, so she is not happy with fish, smelly fishermen and log cabins. Since neither young woman is happy, the perfect solution is for them to swap jobs for the summer. This is an amusing story with some deep undertones about finding happiness within yourself instead of expecting circumstances to always go your way. Once the young women switch jobs, Ginny continues to be a stellar employee, looking for ways to improve the lodge and to make everyone as happy with the setting as she is. Jacqueline, on the other hand, has taken her demanding and self-centered personality along with her and manages to alienate the other employees at the hotel while enraging her new boss. The two young women have several conflicts, some drama and a lot of fun finding out what their strengths and weaknesses are and discovering how to be their best selves, no matter where that may take them. I enjoyed the characters, especially the fishing guide Ben at the fishing lodge and the grandfather Jack. Both are common sense, no nonsense men who have learned to cope, adapt and adjust with changes. All of the characters are fully developed and fun to get to know. Even spoiled and entitled Jacqueline ended up having some redeeming qualities, making her one of the most dynamic characters in the book. The plot was well-paced, perfect for a rom-com with some drama mixed in. With life lessons about moving forward, taking chances and learning from mistakes, this is a book not to be missed by fans of entertaining and engaging reads.
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 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
www.bible.com/reading-plans/23192/day/1
There is always a reason to give thanks, not the least of which is that I woke up up this morning and God is still in control. He loved me enough to create me, loved me enough to draw me to Him and loves me enough to speak to me each day through His Word. We don’t need to do more than focus on God’s awesome power and His mighty love to have a reason to give thanks.
ISBN-13:9781956683325. Publisher:Sdg Words, LLC. Publication date:04/25/2024. Series:Guardians Unleashed ,#4. Pages:430
This K-9 team is trained to eliminate threats. This threat could eliminate them.
Being a loner is getting old. Jazz Lamont still can’t fit in at the Phoenix K-9 Agency, and she’s losing her best friend. At least providing security with her K-9 partner at the Tri-City Fair will mean revisiting the only place where she once belonged. But a series of accidents threatens her beloved fair and puts lives at risk.
Thriller author Hawthorne Emerson suspects foul play after the first “accident.” Moonlighting as fair security to investigate the death of his sister’s boyfriend, he’s eager to find the truth. He doesn’t expect the task to lead him to the cult he escaped.
Finding the culprit behind the sabotage is personal for Jazz and Hawthorne. But someone else has a personal stake, too. Someone who wants Jazz dead. When everything she thought was true is dismantled, can Jazz risk trusting others-including God-to survive?
I raced through the story of Jazz Lamont with my heart in my throat and my fingers drumming anxiously as I read all of the threats that were coming Jazz’s way and her calm way of “taking care of business as usual.” Jazz, as a member of Phoenix K-9 Protection and Detective Agency, is accustomed to danger, but she is not ready for the danger to explode in her personal life. The assignment seems like a normal one, to guard and protect the Tri-City Fair that has had a few weird events there lately. Since Jazz’s aunt is the manager of the fair and Jazz spent her childhood summers there, she is attached to the good memories she has and more than willing to participate in protecting it. The threats continue to ramp up, the danger gets closer and more deadly, and Jazz is eager to work alongside author and temporary security guard Hawthorne Emerson. (Swoon!) I really enjoyed the nail-biting suspense because I never knew when or how another attack would occur, either at the fair or to Jazz personally or even to Hawthorne. The story is a gripping tale of escalating tension which features crisp writing and a sparkling, low-key romance. This is a rich story that is infused with spiritual truth, adding to the realism of the characters and the danger they constantly face as well as their close relationships with each other. There are several mysteries to be solved in the storyline, with intricate plot threads masterfully woven together to make one very riveting and action-packed tale. The multiple layers flow together and keep the intrigue and intensity of the plot moving quickly and brilliantly. I really enjoyed the edginess that persisted throughout the story as well as the characters with their complicated personalities and individual strengths. Of course, I loved the canines because they are so intuitive and well-trained that I was confident that they could protect their owners from whatever threat suddenly manifested itself. This head-spinning book had me captivated from beginning to end and I loved every minute I spent getting to know Jazz’s backstory and why she made the choices she did. This cleverly written page turner has me already wanting the next book in the “Guardians Unleashed” series. Addictive and book coma inducing, this book is one of the best romantic thrillers I have ever read and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants engaging entertainment that will keep you intrigued and guessing.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. 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.”
www.bible.com/reading-plans/44313/day/2
Perspective, perspective, perspective. How you look at things is how you approach them to try to solve them. A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to see a Christian movie in town and as we were leaving the theater complex, we had to stop at a red light. Looking across the way, my husband got very concerned because there was a caravan of emergency vehicles, lights flashing and totally stopped. I saw the same thing my husband did, but with a different perspective. I could see that the vehicles were stopped on the right shoulder of the road. To my husband, who has cataracts and really needs surgery that he refuses go get, the fire truck, which was the vehicle in front of all the others, was totally blocking our lane. I assured him that was not the case and he would see that when he actually turned and could get a better perspective. He argued with me a minute or so, but when he turned, he got quiet because I was right. I saw things the way they actually were, not the way I feared they would be.
Sometimes, I am like my husband when I am approach problems or challenges of any kind. I see them as totally blocking my path instead of actually not being in the path at all. I know that God can change circumstances, but I don’t really expect that to be the norm in my life. My perspective is one of independence and planning a solution myself instead of leaning into God, especially for the big things. I know that I really need to have a God’s-eye view of the situation and, using His perspective, I can see things more clearly and have a better idea of how He wants me to approach things. I can’t sit at the red light forever waiting for the big truck that isn’t even in my way to move. I have to move first and then I will see things more clearly and with the vision of how things really are. Trust means stepping out and having your perspective get clearer as you move closer to God.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/44313/day/1
“Trust” is my faith word for the year and I had an inkling when I prayed about it and chose it that this would lead to some testing. Well, of course, it has, but that is okay, because it has also led to my pressing in closer to God and being more willing to wait for Him and to listen for His voice. Trust isn’t an easy thing for me, but I am learning what it means to trust and planting seeds of trust along my journey of life’s challenging and bumpy road.
In the days of waiting for test results, surgery, more results and appointments, I have to confess that the peace that I needed to feel just weren’t present. When I talked to Isaac last night, that peace finally burst forth…like I was holding my breath and I was finally able to exhale.
Isaac saw the oncologist yesterday and I think his final decision is to have testing every two months, although he has until mid-May to give the oncologist his decision about preventative chemotherapy. I am not feeling peace about his decision necessarily, but I am feeling peace that this chapter seems to be coming to a close and he is moving to the next one.
Prayers are appreciated for wisdom for him to make the decision best for his life and health and for him to have a closer relationship to God. This experience seems to have embittered him and that breaks my heart, but God knows his heart and I am at rest knowing that God will continue to work with Isaac and meet him right where he is.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/13952/day/24
How often do we pray, wait impatiently for a few days for an answer and then seek our own solution? I have read the story of the Israelites looking for help in Egypt many times, but this is the first time that I applied it to my own life. I want God to work in my life, but then I try to help Him out or prod Him to use the solution that I have already worked out in my own mind. I need to rely on God, step back and just be willing to wait. When I do wait, the answer is always exactly what I need even though it may lead me in an unexpected direction. Trusting that God wants and knows what is best for me is hard because I am a controlling type personality. But leaning on God takes the pressure off of me and allows me to see His awesome love for me and His power at work on my behalf.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/13952/day/23
This devotional really spoke to me about not being wrapped up in circumstances but rather clinging to the hope that we find in God. Yesterday was a tense day around our house since we knew Isaac was seeing his specialist and getting his test results back. Our son Scott called as soon as Isaac was done at the doctor’s office and we were all on speaker discussing what the doctor had said.
First, the good news. Isaac’s CT scans and bloodwork were clear, showing no malignancy currently present. So, there was rejoicing when we heard that.
The doctor presented three options for treatment because the cancer they removed is extremely aggressive. According to the doctor, this type of cancer most often attacks the abdomen and all of the organs there. The first option is testing every two months. Isaac will have to have bloodwork and or CT scans every two months, regardless of whether he chooses to do the other options or not. The second option is preventative chemotherapy. Of course, there are numerous side effects. Isaac plans to discuss this option with the oncologist when he sees him tomorrow. He is leaning towards just option one and hoping (praying) for the best outcome. The third option is very radical in that they would do surgery and remove his lymph nodes in his abdomen as well as part of his intestines, the area that they think the cancer would head for next. The doctor did not recommend that but he said that if what the cancer attacks is no longer there, it cannot survive, so it is an option. Isaac definitely does not want to do surgery again unless it is necessary. He is still suffering from being sore from the first surgery.
So, in the good news department, clear tests and more to follow. Apparently, this cancer does not just disappear as the doctors had originally reported. So, vigilance is key. Isaac will talk to the oncologist tomorrow and listen to his recommendations before he makes the final decision, but he is leaning towards just getting tested every two months and dealing with the cancer problem if it rears its ugly head again. I would prefer the preventative chemo, but that does interfere with his normal routine and I can understand why he doesn’t like that idea.
Isaac is handling this well, if a bit stoically. He is resigned to whatever comes next and needs a big faith boost. I would like to spend more time with him feeding him with the Word and prayer, but so far, he has no time or interest. His “why, me” attitude has not turned into bitterness, just a resignation that somehow he is under a dark cloud that he cannot escape. I should say here that Isaac had a tough childhood because his sister is non-verbal autistic and from the time he was six, Iris became the priority. So, this is another blow for him and I want to be able to reassure him that God loves him all the time, in all ways and that He didn’t send the cancer to punish or pick on him. Please pray that my husband and I get the time to share truth with Isaac and that God will open his heart to hear and accept it. He has always been curious about our faith, so I pray God will open the door and let us in to help him through this.
I appreciate all of the prayers so far; your love and caring have helped me to face each day’s new challenges. I will post what Isaac finds out from the oncologist and what he recommends once I know anything. I am not enjoying this journey, but I am so thankful that I am not taking it alone.
By the way, my son sent me a nice photo of Isaac in the doctor’s office, looking out the window and wearing his eclipse glasses. He got to see part of the eclipse anyway. And he is really looking forward to his trip to Austin the first week of May. I am happy that he has something to look forward to that will be fun for him. God is good, even when the situation stinks.
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 