Review: Harriett Beamer takes the Bus By Joyce Magnin


Description:

Aging and recent widow Harriet Beamer insists she’s getting along fine with her dog Humphrey in Philadelphia … until she falls for the fourth time, injuring her ankle, and causing her son and daughter-in-law to cry foul. Insisting Harriet move in with them in California, they make a bet that her ankle is broken, and she foolishly promises to move if they’re right. Four x-rays later, Harriet’s ankle—and her heart—are broken. She packs up, ships her huge salt and pepper collection to California, and prepares to move away from the only life she knows. The only catch? She’s doing it her way. Just wait till her daughter-in-law hears Harriet will travel cross country only by public transportation and alternate means. What follows is a hilarious, heartwarming journey by train, metro bus, ferry, and motorcycle. Along the way, Harriet discovers that although her family thinks it’s time for her to be put out to pasture—God has a different plan.  

Review: Harriett Beamer is my hero. She is sweet and spunky and open to others. What a winning main character. I am not a senior yet myself but I want to be an adventurer at heart like Harriett. Rather than going quietly to live with her son and daughter in law in California, Harriett sets out to take her first cross country trip alone. She does it mainly on mass transit. She goes everywhere she has always wanted to visit including her beloved salt and pepper shaker museum. All she needs is her phone GPS Amelia (she names it herself.. too cute) and a little help from some new friends. Along the way she even becomes an internet celebrity. I highly recommend this delicious read.
My Rating:

Review Twisted Innocence By Terri Blackstock



Description:When Holly s secrets backfire, is the mess too big to unravel?

Holly Cramer has worked hard to keep the identity of her daughter s father a secret, shamed and embarrassed by the one-night stand. But when the police knock on her door searching for Creed Kershaw, she realizes his identity isn t as hidden as she thought. The fact that Creed is a person of interest in a recent drug-related murder only increases her humiliation.

When Holly s and Creed s paths cross, Holly is unsure whether to be terrified of him or trust him. His tenderness with their daughter makes her want to believe his story that he had nothing to do with the murder. Then she discovers that Creed has a connection to Leonard Miller who killed both her sister s fiance and her brother-in-law, and kidnapped her nephews and things only become more complicated.

Will Creed lead them to the man who has plagued her family, or become another of his victims?"

Review:Edge of seat reading. All wrapped up neatly at the end. Good job of ending the series without dragging it out to long or without exciting happenings.                  

Hidden Agenda By Lisa Harris



Description:Michael Hunt is alive--and on the run. Presumed dead by friends and family, the undercover assignment he's been working for the past eight months has just been blown. With a hit out on his life and corruption inside the Atlanta police department, Michael finds himself hunted by both the cartel and the law. His only hope is the daughter of the man who wants him dead.

This nonstop chase from taut suspense writer Lisa Harris will leave readers breathless as they race to connect the dots before it's too late.  

	Action packed, poignant story which kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked how she took a quiet, "safe" person and demonstrated what a brave, quick thinking and honorable person they can be in a crisis. Nice family vibe along with the action. Nicely balanced.  My Rating:

Review: Storm Siren by Mary Weber



Description: “I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

Review: Nym has been through a lot to say the least. Everywhere she goes disaster follows because especially when emotional she summons storms and lightning. Her white hair tells the story. All of the elementals like her are supposed to be male but it seems that is an old wives tale, She has accidentally killed her own folks and has become a slave.

When sought out by the government for training as a weapon she learns that she may not be the only one who could be considered weird. She also learns that there are other elementals and she trains with the only others that she has ever met. She discovers early on the sinister things that they fight can take other forms as well and makes other chilling discoveries which add to the fast pacing and quick plot development. The story moves you, has you on the edge of your seat and makes you care about the outcome.

My rating:

A Review of Love Story by Nicole Nordeman



Description:
Love Story is an exquisite narrative that exposes the emotional and human underside of major biblical events, including Adam and Eve’s dramatic fall in the Garden of Eden, Sarah and Abraham’s struggle to have a child, Mary’s surprise at being pregnant with Jesus, Paul’s trauma on the road to Damascus, and concludes with a triumphant picture of the second coming of Christ. This book is a dramatic connecting point for all readers, inspiring them to grasp the poignant nature of God’s immense, all-consuming love.

Review: This was an amazing book. I both read and listened to it as circumstances permitted. It was a rich mix of spiritual insight and personal vulnerability the draws the reader in and then makes you sit and stay. It was written as a sort of companion to the album The Story which contains scripture inspired songs ranging from Old to new Testaments. This is a personal application and really sit and reflect on what this means for me and you type of volume. This being said, it is not a how to book at all with 10 ways to do this or that neither is it full of step by step plans. It is real life and real experiences from a person being her authentic self . This is what really captures you. No formula can take the place of honest revelation of how God relates to you personally in all of the vicissitudes of life.

The authors willingness to be transparent in order to reach others where they live both in her prose and in her music (she is also a recording artist features on the abovementioned album) is refreshing and compelling. I feel that it may appeal to people who have had less exposure to church as it does not come across like I have all the answers and am perfect which is a certain flavor of a few authors within the non fiction Christian genre. I am not certain that they mean to come across that way but perhaps their didactic style lends itself to that vibe. I understand that they are imparting information that it took a time of study and experience to get the full revelation on but folks who are searching or who are revisiting the religious practices of their youth might not. As I said this is faith with flesh on that you can touch and relate to. Well written and well done at the ending I give this

A review of Obsidian Curse by Barbra Annino

 

Description: Reporter Stacy Justice has finally stopped resisting who she really is—a powerfully gifted witch. And now that the Council has appointed her Seeker of Justice, she feels stronger and more attuned to her magic than ever before.



But Samhain—the night when the veil between the worlds thins—is approaching and something strange is brewing. First, a fairy with a sweet tooth appears in town unexpectedly. Then, a mysterious stranger shows up at Stacy’s newspaper, seeking info for a true crime exposé he claims to be writing. But most disturbing of all, a bloodthirsty, sexy demon has escaped the Otherworld, determined to invoke a curse that has plagued Stacy’s family for generations. Fulfilling her role as Seeker and finding out how all these pieces fit together may tear her relationship with her boyfriend apart. But if she doesn’t find answers soon, her love life won’t be the only thing in danger.

Another entry in the Stacy Justice series , this picks up where the last book ends . Stacy is back from the Emerald Isle and has fully embraced being the Seeker of Justice. New challenges appear including an author with both a connection to the community and to the supernatural and a supernatural entity who has it in for Stacy's family. Some other important information begins to come clear about her cousins baby as well. As usual the plot had twists and turns and the ride was entertaining. I will continue with this series.  

                                                                                                                                                                                   

Review of A charming Death by Tonya Kappes



Description: This is a short story in the Magical Cures Mystery Series between books 7 and 8.
The wedding is finally here!
June Heal and Oscar Park's upcoming nuptials are sending the Dark Sider and Good Sider spiritual in a tail spin on this All Hallow's Eve wedding celebration. Aunt Helena wants June to have a Good Sider ceremony, while Aunt Eloise wants Oscar to have a Dark Sider ceremony. When one of the Aunts is poisoned, June and Oscar aren't sure they will have enough time to figure out who is sabotaging their wedding before Mr. Prince Charming walks her down the aisle?   

    A shorter story within the June Heal series but well written and thought out. It provides the necessary plot development to take us to the next level without gaps makes the series flow. This volume is only available in an electronic format. Some of the action involves conflict with the relatives over wedding plans , a theme known well by many from real life. They also.involve the usual elements of magic and mystery readers have come to rely on. Generally well done and worth the read both for the plot development and general entertainment.                   

                                                                                                                                                         

Hazardous Duty by Christy Barritt       Buying a gun to kill your wife: $3,000 Hiring Trauma Care to clean afterward: $1,500 Having that same cleaner uncover evidence that frames you: Priceless On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime scene cleaning business. When a routine cleaning job uncovers a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. But the owner of the weapon is a powerful foe . . . and willing to do anything to keep Gabby quiet. With the help of her new neighbor, Riley Thomas, a man whose life and faith fascinate her, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right person is put behind bars. Can Riley help her before another murder occurs?                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Ok.so you've seen CSI but have you seen crime scene cleaners? Yes this specialty exists and its the work of theism character. A funny thing about being  a crime cbn scene cleaner sometimes perpetrators return to.the scene of the crime and sometimes.they want to destroy  evidence. This makes a lot of scary trouble fire our main protagonist who has some narrow escapes throughout the story. The characters were well developed in this introductory novel. The plot was solid and did not bore me into putting it down for a while. Lots of action and questions that kept me guessing .

Review:A CharmingGhost by Tonya Kappes

 Description : A Charming Ghost is the eighth book in the USA TODAY bestselling Magical Cures Mystery series. Come walk around Whispering Falls for a fun, fantasy mystery with magic and romance. You won't want to leave. Bubble... Bubble... June Heal and Oscar Park are still in the honeymoon stages of their marriage. Things couldn’t be better. The Holiday Bazaar is about to bestow upon the magical village of Whispering Falls and the town is abuzz with the excitement of a spiritual carnival coming to town. Cures and trouble... Patience Karima has a little ghost that just won’t cross over and June has reluctantly agreed to help her figure out what the ghost is holding on to besides Patience’s pet ostrich. Magic stirs... After the head of the spiritual carnival is found dead with one of June’s potions in his clutches, The Elders place June on village arrest until they can clear her name from murder. And troubles double... With the help of her familiars and one particular little ghost, June uses her sleuthing skills and a little magic to try to figure out how to clear her name. One problem, she has to leave Whispering Falls to find the answers. June uncovers deep dark secrets that should be left buried and could leave Oscar a widower.                                                                                                                                                                                                 My Review:                     Good plot develpment here with ties tomthe past for the Whispering Falls residents and a visit to.a.location June would rather forget. There touching and poignant thematic elements involving grief and loss as well as an old rival still trying to getbthe upper hand . Ms. Kappes keeps.you guessing and it doesn't get boring.