Cheryl's Book Nook

At first I did not recognize the name, Amy Finley but after reading Mrs. Finley’s bio, I realized who she was. Amy was the winner of season three of The Next Food Network Star on the Food Network channel. This is funny as this is probably the last season that I watched of this show. Reading this book made me think of Julia Child. This might have been what she and her husband experienced if they had children but of course Julia Child also embraced France. Amy did embrace France and all the food it had to offer but maybe a little too much or I should say her husband did. For example there was the rouille soup incident at Le Rhul. As much as I did like reading about all the different experiences Amy had in France, I was only mildly interested. For one thing, you could tell that Amy was knowledgeable about French cooking and foods but she was not very good about explaining them to the average person. I vaguely remember the judges criticizing Amy for this same thing while she was a competit...

I received an email from author, Rebecca O'Connor. She wrote Lift. Product Description for Lift The culmination of a ten-year career in falconry, Lift is a memoir that illustrates the journey and life lessons of a woman navigating a man’s ancient sport. Captivated by a chance meeting with a falconer’s peregrine as a child, the indelible memory eventually brings the author’s life full circle to flying a peregrine of her own. Exploring themes of predator and prey, finding tribe, forgiveness and femininity, the memoir asks universal questions through a unique backdrop. Lift illustrates the beauty and meaning the sport of falconry can add to a falconer’s life, echoing the challenges and triumphs of being human. In conjunction with LIFT being available on Kindle starting July1st, an accompanying eBook, RISE will be released. RISE is a collection of essays, short stories and poetry that ties into LIFT with more falconry and backstory. It also includes a stand-alone excerpt of my current ...

Hope McNeill works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is caring for her boyfriend’s pug, Max, while he is gone. Tonight in honor of famous celebrity and philanthropist, Daphne Markham; the museum is hosting “Pugs Night”. This will be the first time that “officially” Hope will get to bring Max to the Met. Though, if it was not for this party and the fact that Hope got to bring Max, she would be at home. Hope is more of a home body. After a disastrous situation involving Max and Daphne’s pug, Hope and Max are excused form the party. On her way out of the Met, Hope uncovers a lost painting. It is up to Hope and Max to solve the mystery of the lost painting. I have not read any of the other pug novels by author Alison Pace. Though, I enjoyed getting to know Hope and Max. I felt that Max is the star and Hope is his sidekick. Hope started out timid but as the story progressed, she emerged out of her shell. She was trying to be a modern date Nancy Drew, only her best friend was a pug. Not...

Review by Nancy Cade Williams didn’t do orders; he also didn’t do Rules - especially when they got in the way of his job as a Knight Commander of the Templars. Cade didn’t start out that way but having your wife killed in front of you tends to change your outlook. Sean Duncan headed up the Protectors group of the Templars and is in charge of care of the Preceptor for North America. They are in Connecticut to investigate a Templar group left in ruins, all dead who were there at the time of the event. How did the bad guys get in? How did they create such chaos. Answers are needed and fast! Which is when the Preceptor brings in Cade and Echo Team. Not a popular choice as Cade (aka The Heretic) is known to break any rule in his way to get to the source. He immediately drafts Duncan to replace a team member lost and there the real conflict begins. Good/Evil vs. Good vs Really evil. The winner? We shall see. The Loser? Us if things turn wrong. An excellent beginning to The Templar Chronicles...

Tarryn Cooper Love is a serial killer. His inspiration is Ted Bundy. Only, Tarryn does not want to be like Ted but to surpass him and make his mother proud. Tarryn has the perfect job for getting close to women. He is a taxi driver. Carmen is a trophy wife. She is tried of being mistreated by her husband. When Tarryn picks Carmen up, he is already thinking about his plans for her. This is until, he hears Carmen’s story. Carmen informs Tarryn that she wants to end her life. This is not good for Tarryn and he likes the fear in his victims before he finishes them off. Tarryn is memorized by Carmen and decides to get to know her better and boost her confidence before he strikes. If you are expecting this book to be all gory than you will be a little let down. Yes, at parts, when Tarryn is playing back the memories of his kills and at the end but for the most part this book plays more on the psychological aspects than the actual killings themselves. While Tarryn did show a softer side, as s...

Young, William Karl Ritter was getting ready for school like any other day. Only this day was different. There is something odd about Old Man Pratt, Will’s next door neighbor. His skin seems to be whiter and drier than usual. Though this is not what is different. He is grumpy but that is nothing new. The “dead” giveaway that something is up with Old Man Pratt is the beetles and the rotten flesh smell. Old Man Pratt is a Corpse. Things get weirder when Will arrives at school. The teachers are Corpses as well. Will escapes with the help of another student. Will is brought to a hideout location. This is where Will learns that he has the gift of “sight”. He can see the Corpses. Will is recruited as the newest member of the Undertakers. They are mainly formed by a group of children and they are the only defense against the Corpses. You could tell that this book was written and geared towards younger readers like middle school age. The way Will talked and acted. I like that the children were...

Emily Graham is more interested in fighting for women’s rights to vote than finding a husband. Unfortunately, for her, Emily’s Aunts will not let Emily become a spinster. They aim to find Emily a suitor. Carter Stockton is the pitcher for the Manawa Owls baseball team. He knows Emily but in the past she was always Martin’s sister. Now that she is grown up, Carter is looking at her in a new way…as a woman. Carter plans to show Emily that she needs a man in her life. It is up to Emily to vote for the right choice. A Great Catch is book two in the Lake Manawa Summers series. It can be read as a stand alone novel. Emily would lose her head if I was not attached to her body. She is a klutz. Lucky for her that it worked in her favor. If she had not fallen and Carter was not there to catch her fall at the ice skating pond, than, Emily might not have noticed Carter. I loved Carter. He had this boyish charm about him but at the same time, he was a gentleman. IT was funny to see Carter try and g...

After an incident five years ago, Travis Mays hangs up his police uniform and relocates to the Idaho Mountains. There Travis teaches at the university on the topic of criminology. Travis hires Jessie White Eagle to guide him down the river. It seems that no matter where Travis escapes to, he can not escape trouble. Jessie’s brother, Tommy is missing. Jessie’s father is the police chief. He asks Travis for his assistance. It seems that with Travis’s past comes an enemy who is stalking him. Who will survive this cat and mouse hunt? Revenge: A Travis Mays Novel is the first in this series featuring ex-cop, Travis Mays. Mr. Young does know how to write a good book. Travis is a nice main character. He is sharp, not afraid to speak his mind, and gets the job done. The story moved at a steady pace in the beginning. There was a lot of dialogue going on between the characters. Luckily, the story line moved faster soon afterwards. Mr. Young describes things in detail that it is like walking in T...

Review by Nancy In a world of long lived Catholicism the choices are never easy. When the oldest son, the “Golden Boy” is terribly injured no one knows where to turn except the Church. The Church, as often happens; falls short. By a mile or two. In Shared Emptiness , author John Brinling shows us both sides of the coin. The daughter, outshone on every level by her older brother, who clings to Mass as a life jacket. Mom who has grown up in the Church and feels herself damned for thinking of killing her only son. Dad who isn’t as strict on going to Mass (even if right across the street) but loves to play the horses and loves his family even if he does a piss-poor job of showing it. Then the aunts and uncles and cousins weigh in and they are as torn as the Carters. They have their own issues of pregnancies, dead children, unloved spouses and are getting no answers there, either. Chris Carter somehow kept this whole group connected. He wasn’t a staunch Catholic, either’ but his grins and p...

Salome Field is one half of the famous country duo The Field Sisters. Her other half is Willa. Billie Blotter’s Nashville Notes. He is working on putting together a tribute book on country’s hottest superstars. The book is called Nashville Undressed. Come join Billie as he interviews some of the greatest country stars and gets the dirt on them. I loved Salome. She was definitely a country gal. She talked like one who was raised in the country but who was also a southern gal. For example, while she was talking to Billie she made a comment that I thought was funny like…”You know what they say about talk…”That and a bucket of spit won’t get you much. “ Twang dives behind the scenes of country music. It shows you both the glamorous and not so glamorous life of a country star. You will see where country stars get their inspiration for the songs that they sing. They are living proof of their songs. I could see similarities in the characters in this book with the real life country stars. I w...

Kiria knew that if she was going to vacation in India that she would not go to any of the most popular places. She would go to the southern area of India. Kiria soon realized that she was out of her element. Lucky for her that Santoshi was there to help her. When Kiria learns where Santoshi lives, she comes up with the idea of building a hotel for independent, women like Santoshi. Will Kiria achieve her goal or will the hotel go crumbling down before it is even started? I liked the ethnic feel to the story. I did get a real good outlook of India and all the interesting people that Kiria met there. Kiria was a very personable character. Here she was a wealthy woman that entered another country. She could have flaunted her money around but she didn’t. She was frugal with her money expect where the women’s hostel was involved. While, I did enjoy Kiria and the location, other than this two things and Santoshi, I would not have kept reading this book. I did not find the other characters as ...

First multi-millionaire Jeremy Silverstone is murdered and $250 million dollars are missing. Someone is gunning down people like sheep to the slaughter. Several people are gunned down in a bar. One of the people killed was Karen Easter. She was the wife of Kevin aka Hatch Easter. John “Jack” Slattery is the director of the CIA. He wants the killer stopped before the body count gets too high. With so many suspects from mob don himself, Anthony DiFilippo to possibility, Kevin Easter, it will be one action-packed ride. Warning to readers are there is language used in this book. There was a lot of different characters thrown at me all at the same time. It was a little hard to follow along to the story at first. Especially when so many of them were getting killed off in the next chapter. Where you better watch your back as you never know who your friends and enemies are. Of course, your friends could become your enemies. I did feel like the Bronx/Queens/Brooklyn area was the prefect setting...

Pony Jones was just twenty six years old when she was murdered. Pony had so much potential. She was one of the best rodeo riders. She could even out ride some of the men. Could this be the reason why Pony was murdered? Pony’s father, Titus knew the moment Pony was no longer on this Earth. He saw the signs and a wolf visited him. Jo Beth Dawson used to be a good cop, until her drinking and a failed marriage got the best of her. Jo Beth would rather be left alone but when she found Pony’s body in the field of roses, she knew that she could not just walk away and leave Pony. Sam Donovan is in charge of the murder case. He used to be Jo Beth’s partner. The Tender Mercy of Roses is author, Anna Michaels debut novel. This book did have the feel of the Lovely Bones but it also had its own favor. When Pony would appearance in the story, these were my favorite parts. I got a sense of who Pony was. She was wiser than her twenty six years. Jo Beth was my other favorite character. She started out ...

When Alice was fourteen. Her father, Matt Bliss left for war. He left her, her sister, Ellie and their mom, Angie to care for themselves. Every day after that, Alice would wear her father’s blue shirt as it smelled like him. Their mother dropped out of touch with reality, causing Alice to care for her sister. At first Alice wanted to do things that their father did with them like eat backwards dinner. This was dessert first or send pictures of her and him together in his care packages. Though, the longer that their father stayed gone, the harder it became to hold onto memories of him. Alice Bliss is author, Laura Harrington’s first novel. This book was inspired from her one woman musical titled Alice Unwrapped. I absolutely fell in love with this book and Alice. Every once in a while a book just reaches out and grabs me by the heart and I found that in Alice Bliss! Alice grew up fast. It was a little sad to see that she had to become an adult and not get to enjoy her teen years before ...

Deuce always knew that she was born to be a Huntress, not a Breeder or a Builder. Now, everyone will know Deuce and not look at her as Girl15. Every boy and girl had no name and was just known as boy1 or girl 10 until they turned fifteen. Than, the boy or girl was given a name and put into one of the three groups. One of the most important tasks that a Hunter is responsible for is venturing outside of the enclave and through the tunnels to hunt for food and bring it back. Though, it is not easy. Once you leave the safety of the enclave a hunter can encounter the vicious Freaks. Enclave is book one in the Razorland series. A new series for young adults form author, Ann Aguirre. It is based around an apocalyptic world. I must admit that I have tried this author before and was not so much a fan but with Enclave, I was really getting into this book. Deuce is definitely a leader. Though, she had room to grow and I am sure I will see her grow in the next book. I could image this world that D...

Review by Nancy Lucian Glass has had a hard life. A talented artist, he is rocked by the death of his lover, Solange Jacobs in her father’s gallery. Mr. Jacob restored art and, after closing one evening; someone breaks in and steals a priceless Matisse, killing the girl in the process. Nearly killing Glass as well which might have been a blessing since he obsesses with Solange and cannot find a way to let her go. He is with the FBI Art Crimes Team and researches art theft, fraud, etc. Someone wants a statue that is in the care of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A very, very old statue of Hypnos, the god of sleep. Nothing sleepy going on here, though. A group of folks called Resurrectionists, thinks the statue contains certain gems to help people recall their past lives. They will stop at nothing to get their hands on it, and some folks right in New York also want it for the same reason – it contains what they refer to as Memory Tools. The best way for Lucien to investigate the New York...

In The Case for Falling in Love, Mari helps show readers that everything you read in self-help books can actually sometimes be damaging versus helping you. Yes, you could follow the advice in these books if you want to get a guy or girl but what if you are looking for”love”? I am not talking about the stuff you read in romance novels, though we would all like to have that but I am talking about “real” love. Each chapter starts out with a Myth and a Fact like the following examples: Myth: Men prefer women who let them take the lead. Fact: Many quality men are looking for an equal relationship with a competent and independent woman. Myth: The best way to win a man’s heart is to play into his fantasies of femine desirability. Fact: This is one of the best ways to get your heart broken. I can say that the first myth and fact are true I asked my husband with choice he would prefer and he picked the Fact about an equal relationship. While, the tips in this book were not so new, it was nice ...

Kit Kenyon finds herself in a hostage situation. A husband is threatening to kill his wife because she wants to leave him and take the children. Kit thought she had the situation under control, only to have it end badly. Noah Lambert and Kit are thrust into a string of gruesome murder cases. It seems that this serial killer deals out his own justice. He left the following message on his latest victim that said “Life’s a laugh. How does the death penalty feel? An eye for an eye.” As Noah and Kit track down the killer, it seems that the killer is also watching them. A Killer Among Us is book three of the Women of Justice novels. It can be read as a stand alone novel. Kit was the more dominant of the two. This might have to do with the fact that this series is focused on women in authoritative positions. I liked this. If Kit had been a push over than I would have been turned off by her. You can tell that Kit and Noah have a thing for each other. Though, they do not let their relationship ...

Montezuma’s Treasure and Family Secrets are Themes for Mystery Novel Mysterious events, the search for Montezuma’s treasure, a good-looking rogue, and family secrets! How important is it to learn about the past? Will it make a difference in one’s life and the choices we make? To April, it makes a big difference. Knowing about her parentage changes her perspective of life. With a blend of mystery, adventure, humor, and sweet romance, Linda Weaver Clarke creates a story based upon the adventures of a married couple and their three daughters in “Montezuma Intrigue.” When a leather parchment of Montezuma’s map is found in great-grandfather Evans’ old chest, April and the twins know this summer is going to be a memorable one. The girls want to search for it but their father is against it for some mysterious reason. With Julia’s help, she and the girls convince John to go on a treasure hunt. Is Montezuma’s treasure a legend or reality? Whatever the case, John insists on keeping their little ...

Review by Nancy Panjandrum by J.J. Telly ( book 1 of the Aerolith Adventures ) All good little girls go to bed at night and wake up to see their parents. However…Gelsem was a very good child and it didn’t work out for her. She wakes up in a wooden stall on a Level she’s never been to before. Gelsem’s land is made up of many levels. She was born and partly raised (being only 13) on Level Gee where everything begins with “G”. (Her brother Gary, sister Glory, etc.) Animals begin with G, as does everything else. So, where is Gelsem now? After a bit of looking around she discovers she has been kidnapped and dropped off on Level Pee. AKA Penitentiary Level. Oopsie! Being sent on her way by a stall-keeper at the Market, she immediately gets herself in trouble. She is hungry, lonely, scared and cannot for the life of her find a Toilet. Potty, rather. She meets many odd characters on her journey and is finally picked up by a group of teens called the Parasitic Punks. Best not to ask. They are a...

The evil Teatime Anarchist has just brought destruction to the city again. Hope Corrigan is a normal eighteen year old girl. She was driving along when she was struck by hundred of pounds of concrete. Hope was lucky to survive. Before she can really comprehend what is happening, she is flown away…literally from the accident. Hope’s savior is Atlas aka John Chandler. Atlas is a superhero and part of a network of other superheroes. Hope is recruited and becomes the newest superhero. Just call her Astra, which means star. This book is like a combination of the younger version of the X-Men and the Incredibles. Only these superheroes don’t mind if the public know about them. This book started off with a big bang…literally. While, I liked that the superheroes were made up of all different ages and genders. At times, it felt like there was too much detail. For example, when Hope aka Astra was first learning to become a superhero, I appreciated and understood that there was a lot of training b...

Review by Nancy Passing for “thirty-seven in candlelight” Annie is chaperoning her two children on a country-wide tour with the Phil Klein School of Rock. From Pennsylvania this isn’t really her world. But it was. Once. Annie spent a lot of time when she was seventeen with her dad. Who dealt coke to any and everyone. He was a drugged-out jazz musician from the beginning who didn’t want to be a father, much less a husband. Separated from Annie’s mom, she was sent to NYC to live with him as a wake-up call – and to get her away from Johnny who has suddenly become her soul-mate. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Daddy was dealing to GOD (aka Mick Saunders) and he was Annie’s hero/savior/lust bunny. When Annie goes to help Dad deliver, she stays with God. And then stays for months until her mother becomes ill and she has to return home to care for her and to confront John. Mick was off on tour and it’s been twenty years since they have spoken. The Phil Klein kids are his opening act and they r...

Becky and Jon are a couple. They are heading to Paris for a trip. They invite Charlotte, Adrian and Marco to come along. While dining out, the group meets some locals. The locals offer to show the group around Paris. This is a bad idea as the group will soon discover. I liked the concept of this book. A book that had music to go with each chapter of the book, I never would have thought of that. Though, it did seem a bit disjointed between chapters one and two. Chapter two read like it should have been chapter one. It read with an explanation of how the vampires were reborn and how they feed and than it moved into chapter three which picked up on the story again. Other than this, this book is a quick read. Though for those who have a weak stomach, than beware as the vampires in this book are violet and have no table manners. The only other issue I had with this book is that I didn’t connect with the characters and so when they met their demise, I didn’t care. Predators: A Musical Novel ...

Neverisms is an intriguing book that is filled with interesting facts and sayings. This is a book where it is ok to flip though the different chapters and not sit and read it all the way through. In fact, at times it can read like a text book or dictionary. While I did enjoy learning different facts and tid bits about neverisms, I found myself at times flipping through the pages to read about more neverism wisdom in the form of advice. So what is neverism? Neverism is not a real word but one that Dr. Grothe coined as his own. What it means in a simple term is…When you want to give a warning to someone but the warning starts off with the word “Never”. Examples are: “Never try to reason the prejudge out of a man. It was not reasoned into him, and cannot be reasoned out.” By Sydney Smith. “Never turn down a job because you think it’s too small; you don’t know where it can lead.” By Julia Morgan. “Never board a commercial aircraft if the pilot is wearing a tank top.” “Never, under any circ...

“R” is one of the undead…zombies. His friend is “M”. He is also a zombie. R has come to accept that he is dead, though R may never get over the thoughts of feeling on humans. Yes, it is a way of life but not something that R thrives on. While out on of their many feedings, R and M attack a group of young adults. One of the things about the feedings is that whatever human R feeds on, he gains that person’s memories for a brief while. This time is a young man by the name of Perry Kelvin. Perry has a girlfriend named, Julie Grigio. R feels something while experiencing Perry’s memories. R claims Julie as his own. Soon R and Julie are developing a relationship that one would never expect to blossom. Warm Bodies is a refreshing, exciting, fast read. Warm Bodies is a zombie-fest of fun! I have read many zombie novels and it seems that they are the newest “it” thing. I can tell you that I have not read a book like this. The zombies in this book have depth and personalities. They are not just b...

Glen Bauer would consider himself a pretty good driver. He always stopped at red lights and used his turn signal. Though that all changed all day. A young man talking on the phone and driving a Jag cut in front of Glen, nearly missing hitting him and just kept driving. Glen decided to let the incident pass and take his six year old daughter, Sara home. Glen is approaching their driveway, when he spots the young driver again. This time Glen decides to teach the man a lesson. Glen steers the car towards the man. The man loses control of the car and it flips over heading towards Glen and Sara. At the last moment the car is stopped by a tree. The outcome is not good…the driver who’s name is Juwan Richards is dead. The only witnesses to the accident are Glen and Sara. Glen thinks that he might have gotten away with vehicular manslaughter but Detective Rizzo will not stop until he discovers the true. I read this book in one sitting…literally. I was glued to my chair and could not tear my att...

Unstoppable Excerpt “I will never quit” By Laura Griffin Several years ago I stood knee-deep in the Pacific Ocean, teeth chattering, wondering what on earth would possess a sane man to join the Navy SEALs. I was on Coronado Island that day, and my mission was partly tourism and partly research. I had decided to write a SEAL character in my next book, and had spent the past few months researching what many would call the most elite fighting force in the world. Coronado is a place where young men who aspire to be SEALs suffer through a ruthless training regimen that boggles the mind. For weeks on end, bands of SEAL trainees run with telephone poles, do five-mile ocean swims, undergo “drown-proofing,” endure sleep deprivation. They are systematically broken down—pushed beyond all limits, both physically and emotionally—and if they survive, they’re built back up again. Few make it through, and that is the point. Those who do come out stronger and more deeply committed to their jobs than mo...

Alex Miller is an attorney. He works for Cromwell Altman. While attending his father’s funeral, Alex is approached by a man named Michael Ohlig. Mr. Ohlig wants to hire Alex to represent him. It seems that Mr. Ohlig helped a lot of stock brokers keep from losing a bunch of money, by advising them to sell their shares from a company that was going under. It is Alex’s job to prove that Mr. Ohlig had no prior knowledge that this company was going under. What Alex under covers will bring more questions than answers. While, I did like this book, the characters just didn’t reach out and grab me. I wanted them to. Though, the detail that went into explaining the whole attorney side of things and the process from taking on a client to gathering evidence, putting the case together and the trial was interesting. I did have one somewhat favorite character and that was Michael Ohlig. There was something about him that was mysterious and he had this air about him that he didn’t care. Though, he was...

Jake Daniels was involved in a really bad car accident. One that he should not have survived. It might have been better if Jake had died. Since the accident, Jake has been experiencing some odd symptoms. One is the reoccurring dream that he has of the accident that involves Jake disemboweled from himself and mysterious woman who is trying to tell Jake something. Jake feels a strong pull to learn the truth behind the accident and who the mysterious woman is and her involvement. Jake goes on a road trip to interview the other people who saw or were in the accident like Jimmy Harrison, the driver. Jake is not very religious but he could not deny some of the signs…the blinding lights, the woman, the 911 call prior to the accident. Jake starts researching on the topic of angels. This book had a bit of the Mothman Prophecies feel to it. The movie that featured Richard Gere and Debra Messing. It had a nice, steady, and even pace to the story line. I like seeing how Jake processed all the info...

The warriors have escaped Deirdre’s grasp. Now that she has been defeated for the current moment. While checking for survivors, they come across an injured woman. Hayden for some unexplained reason feels very protective of this woman. Though, when he learns that she is a druid, Hayden’s feelings toward her are still of lust but he also is guarded around her. His family was destroyed by druid magic. Isla is a druid but she was just a prisoner of Deirdre’s as the MacLeods and the rest of the warriors. Isla knows that every moment that she is recovering that Deirdre is as well. Though, there is one upside to staying with the MacLeod’s…Hayden. Isla can not deny the lust she sees in his eyes every time he looks at her. Untamed Highlander is book four of the Dark Sword series. While each book can be enjoyed on its own, these books really should be read in order starting with book one, Dangerous Highlander. It was great to visit with all the warriors and see them band together even more again...

Diana Highsmith has not left her house since her husband, Daniel died. While on a hiking trip in Switzerland, Daniel’s rope came lose and he perished. Diana can remember watching Daniel fall to his death. Since than, Diana has built herself a fortress and the main way that she interacts with people is through a virtual reality world, known as Otherworld. When, Diana’s sister, Ashley goes missing, Diana will have to leave her virtual reality world and venture into the real world. Can Diana survive the real world? I have been wanting to try out author, Hallie Ephron ever since I saw her first novel, Never Tell a Lie. I still had not read this book but decided to start with Come and Find Me. I have to say that while, I did like this novel, it was like I kept waiting for it to pick up and go full speed. It never really got there for me. Though, I did find Diana’s panic attacks intriguing. Not so much that she had them but what she experienced, when she had one. I have never really experien...

The feud between the Wainwrights and the Caldwells has been going on for many years. Now, Sarah and her brothers are caught up helping their father with another scheme to get back at the Wainwrights. This time Sarah is ordered to distract Cord Wainwright, while her brothers and father made off with the Wainwright money. Let’s say that Cord is not pleased. The next day, when Cord spots Sarah in town, he decides to take her to the sheriffs and have her arrested. Unfortunately, the sheriff is out of town for three days. Cord does not plan to let Sarah get away. He kidnaps her and brings her back to his place until the sheriff returns. Sarah grows close to not only one Wainwright brother but also another…Cord’s older brother, Nick. This feud just got more interesting. A Heart Divided is the first book in the Heart of the Rockies series. Sarah had me smiling. She was feisty. Of course with three brothers and putting up with Cord, Sarah needed to be strong and defend herself. I thought it wa...

Review by Nancy (My Friend and Fellow Reviewer) Amanda, budding archaeologist; goes to Italy to assist in what just may be the Find of a lifetime. Or, it just may end her life. When asked by her ex-love Juan Carlos to fly over and assist in reading a set of panels Amanda jumps at the chance to get away for awhile and to see if there is possibly something left of an old flame. The panels are massive but Amanda is able to decipher the lettering and to also solve the puzzle to open the doors. So far so good. Then things get really interesting. She is wandering around in a huge chamber when she begins to have a vision. Not fairies and dragons; not vampires or werewolves. Nope. This is a vision of the life and times of Cain. Yes, THAT CAIN. You thought he killed Abel and just fell off the face of the earth, huh? Well, he certainly didn’t do that. Cain was cursed with eternal life by God. He couldn’t be killed and went on to become an engineer, boat-builder, map maker and numerous other thin...

Olivia Stewart is almost past marriage age. Though, she is only twenty-five, which is not that old, when you live in a society like Olivia, twenty-five is considered a spinster. Olivia and her mother are in desperate need of money. When they learn that Olivia’s sister, Eleanor has drowned prior to marrying her fiancé, Harrison Bennett, this is bad news. Both that Eleanor has died and without Harrison being married, Olivia’s mother has lost rights to part of the diamond mine. Before Olivia can stop her head from spinning, she is offered up to Harrison as his new wife. Olivia has suspicions about Harrison. She believes that he had something to do with Eleanor’s death. She aims to learn the truth. The Lightkeeper’s Ball is the latest book in the Mercy Falls series. It can be read as a stand alone novel. Which is good as this is the first book I have read in this series. I was able to jump right in. I could tell right away that Harrison’s reputation was worse than his real personality. He ...

Do you like adventure,suspense, mystery? If you answered yes to all three questions, than, you are in luck. I am giving away 1 copy of Blood Trust, author Eric Van Lustbader's newest release and 1 one of First Daughter. Open to US and Canada only. No PO Boxes. In order to enter to win, you need to do the following items: Comment with your email address and tell me which books you want to win. If you want to enter for both, than which is your first choice. Giveaway ends May 28th. It was once said that you must trust and believe in people or life becomes impossible . . . Alli Carson has been through her own personal hell. With her father, the President of the United States, recently dead and her mother in a coma from a terrible accident, she has poured herself into her training to become one of the best FBI agents at the Fearington Institute. Her inspiration and solace comes from the one man with whom she has ever felt a kinship, National Security Adviser, Jack McClure. But when Al...