Book Recommendation - Until the Mountains Fall

Connilyn Cossette is one of my go-to authors for Biblical Historical fiction. She began with the Out of Egypt series that followed the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and beginning the battles for the Promised Land. The follow-up series is the Cities of Refuge series that speaks of the cities of refuge in the Old Testament that were set up in the newly established Israelite territory for those who had accidentally killed someone to flee from the next of kin, or avenger of blood. Until the Mountains Fall is the 3rd book in the Cities of Refuge series. It follows the story of Rivkah, a young widow, and Malakhi, her late husband's brother. They are betrothed in a Levirite marriage in order to carry on her dead husband's name, but Rivkah cannot stomach the thought of marrying the boy who has tormented her from her youth, and so she runs. This story has a great "prodigal son (or in this instance, prodigal daughter)" message to it. I enjoyed the Biblical cultural aspect and chronology, seeing how the territories fell apart after the death of Joshua and seeing Malakhi and Rivkah's love story play out. Everything that Ms. Cossette has written has been nothing short of fabulous and this book follows suit with that. It rates up there in the top 2 or 3 of hers for me!

Being part of the author's launch team gave me access to some interview questions. I've shared some here for you to give you an inside scoop on some of the nuances of this story!

1. Is there a favorite character or one you’ve felt connected with the most in this book or the series?

I think because Moriyah is really the core of the Cities of Refuge series, I’ve felt most connected to her character long term. It’s been interesting to follow a character from the age of thirteen all the way through her life journey until she is a great-grandmother and to explore how her life and witness has affected those around her. I hope that readers see Moriyah as an example of what it is to be a light to the world, even when your influence is relatively small.

2. What was your inspiration for starting this series?

I began this series because I wanted to explore what happened after Jericho and found myself fascinated with the Cities of Refuge and what life might have been like within the walls of such a unique place. I also just really fell in love with Moriyah in Wings of the Wind and felt that she was demanding that I tell her story. 

3. Did anything happen during the writing of this book that changed the trajectory of the story?

I had a fairly firm grasp on this story from the beginning, when I was plotting it with my plotting group but I did find some fascinating research about Edrei, which is one of the cities in which a portion of the story takes place. I read about an amateur archeologist and explorer named Gottlieb Shumacher who claimed to have visited the historical site in current day Daraa, Syria well over a hundred years ago with the help of local guides and discovered a series of tunnels and caves below the city. There is of course no certainty that this site he explored is actually the city of Edrei but the description was compelling to me and stirred my imagination. So the scenes that take place in and below that city are because of this captivating bit of information I just happened to stumble across. 

4. What’s one thing you wish readers would take away from this book?

I hope that readers are reminded that our Father loves us with boundless, everlasting love and that no matter how far off we’ve wandered, He is always waiting for us, arms outstretched, and our names written on his scarred hands. 

5. Will we see Rivkah and Malakhi again in future books?

We will definitely visit these two in Like Flames in the Night, which takes place eight years after the close of Until the Mountains Fall. There is more to tell about Moriyah and Darek’s family so fear not, I haven’t left you hanging without resolution to some of your burning questions. 

Until the Mountains Fall releases on July 2, 2019. For more information, check out the following links:
Connilyn Cossette's website:https://www.connilyncossette.com/
My full review:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2546332594

Book recommendation - Yours Truly, Thomas

I recently had the pleasure of reading this lovely historical romance novel. Inspired on a post office tour, author Rachel Fordham was intrigued by the dead letter office, which is where mail went that couldn't be deciphered. Clerks in the dead letter office would open the letters and search for clues as to where they should go. If sufficient clues were found, the letters could be forwarded along. If not, they were tossed out. Since these days, it is a federal offense to read someone else's mail, even if you do work at the post office, this process was fascinating to me as well! It was through the intrigue of the dead letter office that the idea for "Yours Truly, Thomas" was born. In this novel, Penny, who has a deep affection for written correspondence, works in the dead letter office in Washington DC. One day, a letter comes across her desk from a man named Thomas to a woman named Clara, and Penny's heart aches for the tender emotion he expresses. She longs to see Thomas and Clara have a happy ending and goes above and beyond to try to see that through. Meanwhile, Thomas is running from his past and ends up in Azure Springs, Iowa. Fans of Ms. Fordham will recognize that as the city where her debut novel takes place. Though both novels are stand-alone, we see a few recurring characters and I was ever so glad to see them again!

 

Being a part of the book's launch team, I was afforded a fun look at some trivia from the writing of the book. Here are some fun facts that the author shared with us:

The prologue was written during editing. My editor suggested I play around with an opening that would give us a glimpse of her past or his and I decided to go with hers. i had my reasons for not wanting to show his.

The last chapter was originally all a letter to Dinah. In editing they suggested I write it in real time and we see which we like better.

In my very first draft penny’s mom was the nicest woman alive and she passed away and that’s what initiates Penny’s quest. Everyone felt it was too tragic an opening (I must say it was a string death scene) so I needed another reason for her to leave.

There was no dog in the first draft. She came later and was named Lulu after a cat we have. But it was changed to honey later. I’ve never owned a dog so I was nervous writing one but ended up enjoying having her around.

The time before penny leaves DC was originally about 25 pages longer. But everyone wanted them meeting sooner.

The pie scene originally had Thomas taking bites out of each pie and my editor said all she could think about was the germs so I changed it but in my head he still does that!

Penny’s last name is Ercanbeck which is a modge podge name made from an old family name and my maiden name squashed together.

I took my oldest two boys to DC and we spent a lot of time at the Postal Museum. It’s amazing the time and energy that was put into returning letters that were lost in the mail. Some favorite pieces of trivia learned from research were that more women than men worked at the dead letter office at the time and the envelopes they saved because they were proud they were able to do the “detective work” to return them.

The quote I chose to include at the beginning that I believe captures the “message” of the book is, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” by C.S. Lewis. I took a course on Lewis in college and have loved the ways he describes things ever since.

Yours Truly, Thomas releases on July 2, 2019. For more information, check out the following links:

Rachel Fordham's website: https://rachelfordham.com/

My full review of Yours Truly, Thomas:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2544287746

Book review - Fire Storm

My most recent read was Fire Storm by Nancy Mehl. This is the second book in the Kaely Quinn Profiler series. While I enjoyed the story line, some of the emotional depth and conversation was a bit stilted for my liking. However, I would still recommend this one (and book 1 - Mind Games) to lovers of inspirational mystery and suspense.

Here's the back cover blurb:

When FBI profiler Kaely Quinn's mother is diagnosed with cancer, Kaely takes time off work to go to Dark Water, Nebraska, to help her brother care for their mother. Upon her arrival, she learns of a series of fires in the small town, attributed by the fire chief to misuse of space heaters in the frigid winter. But Kaely is skeptical, and a search for a pattern in the locations of the fires bolsters her suspicions.

After yet another blaze devastates a local family, Kaely is certain a serial arsonist is on the loose. Calling upon her partner from St. Louis, Noah Hunter, and her brother's firefighter neighbor who backs Kaely's suspicions, Kaely and her team begin an investigation that swiftly leads them down a twisted path. When the truth is finally revealed, Kaely finds herself confronting a madman who is determined his last heinous act will be her death.

For more information, check out the following links
Author's website: http://nancymehl.com/
My full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2853425344?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Fire Storm releases on August 6, 2019!

Book Recommendation - The King's Shadow

If you enjoy Biblical Historical fiction, Angela Hunt is an author you don't want to miss! Most recently she has written a series called "The Silent Years" that take place during the 400 year gap between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. This series covers the Maccabeean revolt, Cleopatra and Mark Antony, the Hasmonean Dynasty and the reign of Herod the Great. This book and subsequently, the series, ends just after the birth of Christ.

Here's a summary of King's Shadow:

The fourth and final volume in The Silent Years series.

Two women occupy a place in Herod’s court. The first, Salome, is the king’s only sister, a resentful woman who has been told she is from an inferior race, a people God will never accept or approve.

The second woman, Zara, is a lowly handmaid who serves Salome, but where Salome spies conspiracies and treachery, Zara sees hurting people in need of understanding and compassion.

Powerful and powerless, Idumean and Jew, selfish and selfless–both women struggle to reach their goals and survive in Herod the Great’s tumultuous court, where no one is trustworthy and no one is safe.

For additional information, check out the author's website: https://www.angelahuntbooks.com/
And her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angela.e.hunt/
See my full review of the book here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2642867487?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Book Recommendation - Living Lies

I was recently invited to help launch a debut novel by author Natalie Walters. Since mystery and suspense is my genre of choice, I jumped at the chance to read this one in advance. I mean, just look at that cover! I was absolutely floored that this was a debut novel. It was so well written and had a great deal of depth in the story-line, the characters and emotions. In addition to the mystery/suspense element, there was also a sweet romance.Normally, I don't like the romance aspect of romantic suspense, but I thoroughly enjoyed Lane and Charlie's story. There was also a strong faith thread throughout that was not at all preachy, but got to the heart of the matter.

One of the things that struck me was the raw reality of the mental health aspect. The heroine struggles with depression and there's another character with PTSD. Their feelings and thoughts were definitely true to life.

Here's the back cover blurb in case you need more to entice you:

In the little town of Walton, Georgia, everybody knows your name--but no one knows your secret. At least that's what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.

Lane must work with Walton's newest deputy, Charlie Lynch, to uncover the truth behind the murder. But when that truth hits too close to home, she'll have to decide if saving the life of another is worth the cost of revealing her darkest secret.

Debut novelist Natalie Walters pulls you to the edge of your seat on the first page and keeps you there until the last in this riveting story that will have you believing no one is defined by their past.

Being part of the author's launch team meant that I had access to ask a few questions of my own.

1. Do you relate particularly well to any one of the characters in this book? Why or why not?

I feel like there’s a little bit of me in all of the characters so it’s hard to pick one that I relate to most but if I had to pick my favorite (Charlie and Lane not included) it might be a toss-up between Bane and Ducky! But there are little nods in a few of the characters to my grandparents. Ms. Byrdie is named after my grandmother and Pops loosely resembles my paternal grandfather.

2. Where did the idea for the story-line come from?

The story line for Living Lies actually blossomed from one of those murder mystery shows like Dateline or 20/20. There was a murder case that struck as me as so cold my heart immediately wanted to find justice for the victim. I used that emotion as the catalyst to help me plot a murder, an antagonist, and a motive.

3. This book had a very realistic element of mental health. As a person with a hormonal imbalance who has entertained suicidal thoughts during various changes (and someone who sat beside a friend as she threw the pills she was going to take to end her life down the toilet), I totally related to Lane's thinking. It felt personal, especially since you also included a character with severe PTSD. How did you become so intimately acquainted with depression?

Lane’s story started during a time of support for my daughter who was suffering depression and anxiety. Watching her struggle was difficult. I didn’t realize how severe the stigma was surrounding the disease and it broke my heart to learn how many suffer in silence because of that. Writing this story was a way I could open up a conversation in a way that I hope comes across as genuine and authentic.

4. As you were writing, did anything in the story end up surprising you?

Lane’s sister, Meagan. I feel like she epitomizes the façade of perfection…well, perfectly. I didn’t know until I began writing how her story was going to connect with Lane’s but I loved the way that it did.

5. What are you most hoping that readers glean from this book?

I hope more than anything readers will learn a little more about the stigma behind mental health and that conversations will happen. If there are readers who are suffering from mental health I hope they know they are loved and supported.

6. Any other fun facts you'd like to share?

One of my least favorite things to do is name characters and recently it was pointed out that one of the characters (I won’t say due to spoilers) is named very fittingly. It was a happy coincidence, I guess. I’d love for readers to let me know if they catch it!

The town matriarch is named after my grandma, Byrdie Sue. There’s a lot about Ms. Byrdie’s character that remind me of my grandma and I think if my grandma were here she would be pleased to have such a kind, generous character named after her. *There are also several other nods to my grandparents throughout #LivingLies 💕⁣⁣
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There’s a scene in Living Lies that I had to be sure could actually happen making me approach a random police officer outside of Kroger’s to get his opinion…this led to a lengthy and helpful conversation that I’m 98.9% sure was really just the police officer’s way of assessing MY potential threat level. 🤣⁣
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Cinnamon rolls play a major part in this story and appear in #DeadlyDeceit and #SilentShadows and for the life of me I have no idea how that particular pastry became Lane’s specialty…I must’ve eat one or something when I started writing?? Who knows??

7.Since my copy indicates that this is "Harbored Secrets Book one", I'm assuming there is more to come! Will we see more of Lane and Charlie? Tell me a little about what is next and when we can expect it!

You will see more of Lane and Charlie! Yay! But they will be playing secondary roles as Deputy Ryan Frost and the tenacious reporter, Vivian DeMarco are the leads in Deadly Deceit, book 2 of the Harbored Secrets series. Vivian, unfortunately finds herself back in Walton, and at the center of an investigation into the sudden and unexpected death of her boss. Ryan’s career is set…as long as he keeps a certain reporter from interfering in a case that brings the town of Walton back into the headlines. Deadly Deceit releases November 2019.

I, for one, am looking forward to what comes next! November can't get here soon enough!

Some additional links for more information:

Natalie's website: https://www.nataliewalterswriter.com/ (or check for her on Facebook under Natalie Walters, Writer) - you won't be sorry - she's hilarious!

Living Lies Pintrest page (for all you visual people):  https://www.pinterest.com/nakeliwalters/living-lies-harbored-secrets-series-book-1/?sender=74520706242580147&invite_code=a0f14231475b4c99b21c05ea0ea7f863

My full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2566828371?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Book Recommendation - The Number of Love

Roseanna M. White is well known for her historical fiction that includes adventure, mystery and romance. This one is no different from that. One of the things I love best about historical fiction are the tidbits I learn about history that I never knew before. This book examines the work of the cryptographers in London's infamous Room 40. Margot, the main character, is an exceptionally gifted mathematician and one of the city's top cryptographers, which was highly unusual for a woman. The main male character, Drake, is an intelligence asset who reports to the same command as Margot.

I thoroughly enjoyed not only the story-line, but the character of Margot, who sees the world in mathematical equations and trusts in God because "He is the only one that she knows for a fact is smarter than she is". I loved how Drake responded to who she is in how he pursued her and I loved that God spoke to Margot in numbers. This book touched on the true measure of love as well as how personal God is in how He communicates in addition to telling a stellar story and bringing WWI history to life.

Here's the back cover blurb:

Three years into the Great War, England’s greatest asset is their intelligence network—field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack every German telegram. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, for the first time in her life numbers aren’t enough.

Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy that just won’t give up. He’s smitten quickly by the too-intelligent Margot, but how to convince a girl who lives entirely in her mind that sometimes life’s answers lie in the heart?

Amidst biological warfare, encrypted letters, and a German spy who wants to destroy not just them, but others they love, Margot and Drake will have to work together to save them all from the very secrets that brought them together.

Additional information:
Author's website: http://www.roseannamwhite.com/
My Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2556651888

Book Recommendation - Sweet On You

Sweet On You is the last book in the Bradford Sisters series and follows the story of the youngest sister, Britt Bradford. While romance has never been my genre of choice, and I especially shy away from contemporary romance, Becky Wade has won me over with her witty characters, fun writing style and in-depth story lines that go beyond just the romance story. The romance portion is believable as well, and not at all eye-roll-worthy as many romance books are (to me, at least). While I didn't enjoy Britt's story as well as her other sisters, I think it's because Britt's severe independence reminded me of myself and I didn't like what I saw there. Characters that share a negative quality with you always turn you off just a little, but are often the mirror you need to see.

Here's the back cover blurb for anyone who is interested:

Britt Bradford and Zander Ford have been the best of friends since they met thirteen years ago. Unbeknownst to Britt, Zander has been in love with her for just as long.

Independent and adventurous Britt channels her talent into creating chocolates at her hometown shop. Zander is a bestselling author who’s spent the past eighteen months traveling the world. He’s achieved a great deal but still lacks the only thing that ever truly mattered to him–Britt’s heart.

When Zander’s uncle dies of mysterious causes, he returns to Merryweather, Washington, to investigate, and Britt is immediately there to help. Although this throws them into close proximity, both understand that an attempt at romance could jeopardize their once-in-a-lifetime friendship. But while Britt is determined to resist any change in their relationship, Zander finds it increasingly difficult to keep his feelings hidden.

As they work together to uncover his uncle’s tangled past, will the truth of what lies between them also, finally, come to light?

Still unsure? Here's a link to read an excerpt:

https://www.scribd.com/document/401223171/Sweet-on-You

For more information about the author and her books, check out her webpage:

https://beckywade.com/home/

For my full review of Sweet On You: 

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2546963982