Double Exposure by Susan Sleeman

It has been years since Jennie Buchanan walked out of Ethan Justice's life taking his heart with her. Jennie is getting ready to open a showing of her photographs to raise money for her charity Photos of Hope. Someone is determined that she not open her show and has threatened to kill Jennie. Ethan Justice and his siblings have been hired to protect Jennie.

Having spent years trying to forget her, Ethan's family is worried that he will once again have his heart ripped out and they are not going to let that happen again. From the beginning Jennie tries to keep the walls up around her heart but is it time to let her guard down and allow people to care for her?

As the threats on Jennie's life increase Ethan realizes that he is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her and that his heart never stopped caring for her. Will his love and skill be enough to keep Jennie safe and to show her what Christ's forgiveness is all about?

This is the first in the Justice Agency books and as usual it seems for me I have read the series backwards! I read the 3rd one first, then read the 4th book and now have read this one. Thankfully each story can stand alone although having read the last two books I did know who Ethan would end up with. I really liked this story in that it has a lot of suspense, but it also has a great message of God's forgiveness along with our need to also forgive ourselves. The story was well developed and fast-paced and I never found myself ready to put the book up for the night. I read this during vacation so unfortunately I did have to put it up at times but was eager to pick it back up and get immersed in the story once more. In fact my husband had to do without my company for several miles of our drive today so I could finish! I'm looking forward to reading book 2 Dead Wrong soon.

My review of book 3:

No Way Out

Book 4 Thread of Suspicion comes out October 1, 2013. My review will be up October 2, 2013.

I purchased my copy of Double Exposure from Amazon and was not required to give a review.

Nominated for the Liebster Award

Melanie at Christian Bookshelf Reviews nominated My Favorite Pastime with the Liebster Award last week. Sorry Melanie that it has taken me a while to get to it!

The rules:
- Link back to the blogger that tagged you.
- Nominate ten others and answer the questions from the blogger who tagged you.
- Ask ten questions for the bloggers you nominate.
- Let your nominees know of their award.


My Answers to Melanie's Questions:


1. Who is your favorite author and why?

There are so many! But if I see any of these names on a book I am going to grab it:
Julie Lessman
Dee Henderson
Lori Wick
Lisa T. Bergren
Ally Carter
Marissa Meyer

And so many many more!
2. What made you want to become a blogger?
I became a blogger because I was an assistant in a middle school library. The librarian(my friend Karin) and I would keep track of the books we read for the students. She has always been the one to push me where social media is concerned. She got me hooked on texting, blogging, facebook etc. etc. If it was new she had me signing up too! Basically my blog is for my own purposes of reminding me of what I have read. If others read my blog that makes me happy! I've met several authors and bloggers through blogging that have truly blessed my life so that is a bonus. And lots and lots of FREE books is always a plus!
3. Is there a book you didn't think you'd like, but you ended up loving it?
You will laugh, but YES! Again my librarian friend Karin up to her old tricks! When I first moved from working in an elementary school library to a middle school library Karin kept talking about this book called TWILIGHT. She kept talking about vampires blah blah blah. Finally I said to her "you do know that there are no such things as vapires right?" She slapped the book in front of me and told me to read it and then we'd talk. I read it, I was hooked and YES it is a guilty pleasure of mine to read it at least once a year. And yes, I do own all of the movies.
4. What would be your ideal vacation spot?
One year my parents rented a house on the ocean. It was absolutely beautiful! My husband and I had the upstairs suite and each morning we woke up to this incredible view of the ocean out of these HUGE picture windows. I want to do that again someday...but stay longer!
5. How many books are on your TBR shelf?
Enough to give me heart palpitations every time I look at it! I am a person that wants to cross things off of my list and looking at that pile of books that never seems to shrink causes me much stress. Not to mention all of the books on my Kindle. Being an adult and having responsibilities really stinks when all I want to do is read! My house gets neglected a lot, and sometimes dinners are pretty lame. I'm afraid though that having a huge TBR pile is going to be a fact of life for me for a long time to come.
6. Where is your favorite spot to read?
Isn't everybody's favorite spot their bed? Mine is! Also my recliner in the living room if the TV is off and I can sit in quiet.
7. Which blogger has been your biggest inspiration?
Oh I kind of like to do my own thing. I love other blogs, but not to imitate. I want to read what I want to read, do things the way I like to do them. That's not to say that I don't have my favorites that I visit on a regular basis. They know who they are because I comment ;)
8. Do you prefer stand-alone novels or series?
I'm a series fan. But I also like there to be an ending to the series. I'm thinking 6 books in a series is pretty good. After that my bank account is crying because I just have to have the WHOLE series!
9. What are your other hobbies (besides reading)?
I crochet. You can check it out at http://myotherpastime.blogspot.com. I have grandchildren now that recently moved near us so I get to have my daughter, her husband and the kids over for meals(our standing evening per week is Thursdays). I like crafts, I just don't have time for them like I used to, sewing, cross-stitch, ceramics, scrapbooking have all gone by the wayside in recent years.
10. What's one of your biggest book pet peeves?
 Never ever never fold the corner of the page to mark your spot! That is just wrong! Treat a book with love, I dislike it when books are folded backwards. Yes, I was a library dragon! I have seen books kicked down the hall, stepped on, abused and it drives me crazy! Typo's drive me crazy, you would think I would be used to them since I get so many books from NetGalley. But in my opinion by the time they get there you should pretty much have all of the glitches out of them.  Now if I am proofreading for an author that is a different story. I am happy to read and point out mistakes if asked to do that. :)

Part of the "rules" is to pass the nomination on to 10 other blogs. But as always I'm going to cheat. If you would like to answer any or all of these questions feel free to do so in the comments or link to your blog and I'll go and read there. I think this one has been passed around pretty well to all of the bloggers I know. Thanks once again Melanie for the nomination!

The Last Present by Wendy Mass

Grace, Connor's sister has gone into a catatonic state and nobody knows why. Connor has no idea about Angelina D'Angelo's interaction with some of his friends in Willow Falls. Angelina has given every child born in Willow Falls words to keep them safe throughout their life. When Grace was born though she was unable to speak the entire set of words because she was interrupted. Angelina has tried for 10 years to make the situation right and has failed. Now Angelina has called on Amanda and Leo to go back in time to each of Grace's birthday parties to find out why Angelina's attempts have failed.

Amanda and Leo find out more about Angelina's past and begin to understand all of the secrets that she keeps from them. In THE LAST PRESENT Amanda, Leo and their friends are now 13 and relationships are starting to change. Amanda and Leo are moving from being best friends into exploring a new relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend.

I've enjoyed all of Wendy Mass's books that I have read, but I did miss the book before THE LAST PRESENT which was 13 GIFTS. I'm afraid I was a bit lost in this book, but I did go buy 13 GIFTS and am looking forward to reading it. THE LAST PRESENT reveals Angelina and Willow Falls history and answers many questions for the reader as well as for Amanda and Leo. I've loved reading this series and reading about the friendships that have developed. Add in a bit of time travel and you have a fun/sweet series that made me smile.

I received my copy from the publisher Scholastic through NetGalley.

Stranded by Dani Pettrey-Sweepstakes and Review

Summary:
In Stranded, Book 3 in author Dani Pettrey’s acclaimed Alaskan Courage series, reporter Darcy St. James knows something is wrong when her friend vanishes from her job on a cruise ship. Everyone else believes Abby simply left of her own accord, but something isn’t lining up, and Darcy knows the only way to find the truth is to put herself in Abby’s position.

Gage McKenna has taken a summer-long stint leading adventure excursions for the passengers of various cruise lines that dock in Alaska for a few days of sightseeing. He’s surprised to find Darcy onboard one of the ships, working undercover as a reporter.

Something sinister is going on, and the deeper they dig, the more they realize they’ve only discovered the tip of the iceberg.

To celebrate the story, author Dani Pettrey and Bethany House Publishers are pleased to present the ALASKAN ADVENTURES Sweepstakes, and your chance to win one of three fabulous prizes connected with the story!

 This giveaway starts September 2, 2013 and ends September 19, 2013 @ 11:59 pm (PST). Winners will be selected Friday, September 20, 2013, and announced at DaniPettrey.com.

How to Enter:

Go to http://www.danipettrey.com/alaskan-adventures-sweepstakes/ and complete the entry box, anytime between September 2 and September 19.

Book Info & Sample Chapter:
Can be found at http://www.danipettrey.com/books/

 My Review:
Darcy has left undercover investigative journalism. But when her friend Abby calls her to come help her in her investigation of a cruise line Darcy cannot turn her down. Before Darcy gets a chance to meet up with Abby she disappears. Darcy is now determined to find what has happened to her friend. 

Gage and his family have been hired to lead adventure tours for the same cruise line that Darcy is now investigating. Gage and Darcy have not seen each other in several months. Gage is determined to not lose his heart to Darcy. Still bitter about his former wife and the loss of his son, Gage wants nothing to do with God or a woman who has no problem lying and deceiving others to gain the information she needs. 

Reluctantly pulled into Darcy’s investigation in order to protect her, Gage finds his heart softening both towards Darcy and the God whom she serves.  Darcy knows her heart has chosen Gage, but she has doubts that Gage will ever turn to God and she fears that she has fallen in love with a man that will never share her faith. 

The closer that Darcy and Gage get to what has happened to Abby the more they learn the evils that some people will succumb to for money. 

My Thoughts:

Once again Dani Pettrey has written an excellent novel filled with suspense and romance. I loved Gage and Darcy’s story! Even when Gage is determined not to care for Darcy he still can’t help but protect her. Darcy manages to get herself into some scary situations in order to find Abby, and each step of the way Gage is there to help her through. I’m now looking forward to the next book in the series which I hope will feature Kayden and Jake. We learned a bit about Jake in STRANDED and now it is time for these two to have their story.

I received my copy of STRANDED from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion. 

The Limpopo Academy Of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

There is just something about The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series that I absolutely love. Maybe it is the simple practicality of Mma Ramotswe. Or the steadfastness of her husband J.L.B. Matekoni. Or her associate Mma Makutsi who has an opinion about everything. Whatever it is I have enjoyed every book in the series and hope to have many more books to read about Mma Ramotswe and her detective agency.

In this installment we have Phuti and Mma Makutsi just starting out in their married life. They are excited to be building their first home. Mma Makutsi has some misgivings about their builder and before too long so does Phuti.

Mma Ramotswe has been having a dream where a man she has never seen comes to visit the detective agency. When a surprise visitor shows up both she and Mma Makutsi are star-struck.

Mma Potokwane, matron of the orphanage has been fired by the board because of her refusal to support the idea of a central cafeteria instead of family homes for the orphans.

Fanwell, one of J.L.B. Matekoni's apprentice mechanics gets himself into trouble with the law because he trusted a so-called friend.

All of these circumstances call for Mma Ramotswe's ability to detect and find out what is behind people's motives, who is being truthful and who is lying. With many cups of tea Mma helps the people in her life by lending a listening ear and dispatching sage advice when needed.

Set in Botswana, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection is a cozy read that takes the reader to a simpler time and place where we find that human nature is still much the same. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you have never read any of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books I highly recommend them!

Guest Post by Amber Stokes and review of her book BLEEDING HEART

I was so excited when Amber asked me to be a part of her blog tour for her debut novel BLEEDING HEART. I read the book with much enthusiasm and enjoyed it very much. I asked Amber if she would be interested in doing a guest post and she was gracious enough to accept. My review for BLEEDING HEART will be at the end of this post. And now...here's Amber!

Three Signs You’re in Love – And What To Do About It (Novel Settings)

By Amber Stokes

Human characters don’t have to be the only ones to fall in love! The settings of a novel are characters all their own – or at least that’s how they’ve been for me. And while I don’t approve of their faults (and there are faults in characters of any sort), there’s something about the settings I love that prompts me to look deeper, to lean close and listen to their heartbeats and their stories.

For a writer, what are the signs of a blossoming setting-romance? (While Bleeding Heart has two main settings, I’m going to reference Virginia City, Nevada in my examples, as I just had the pleasure of revisiting the town while on vacation.)

1.      Tell Me Everything. You’ve just met, and you can’t get enough of hearing about their past. You want to know what the other enjoys, what bothers them, where they come from, and what their passions are.

Every little detail I learn about Virginia City fascinates me. When I was working on the prequel to Bleeding Heart (Forget Me Not), I loved incorporating little historical tidbits – like adding a Cornish character after visiting an archaeological dig, where it was noted that the uppermost street of the town used to be where the Cornish miners lived. Back in high school (when my setting-crush first began), I even chose to write an extended essay on the town’s history. And you know what? It didn’t make me tired of the history – it only fueled my love of the place. When visiting the town again this summer, I still felt the urge to take pictures of informative signs in order to record historical details I might have missed that I might want to use in the future. I can’t get enough of the place!

2.      You, Too?? It sends a little thrill through your heart each time you find you have something in common. You love to discover the things you share.

What might a lawless-turned-tourist old mining town and I have in common? I guess that’s the fun part – discovering the things that work for us both! The summer before my senior year of college, my family and I stayed at Seven Mile Canyon Ranch, in a canyon below Virginia City. That summer I was wooed by the wind through the canyon, the rugged beauty of the place and the mysteries that spoke to my soul. I learned then and have since learned that Virginia City (then and now) and I share a love of history, an appreciation for community, flaws and inconsistencies between our hopes and our actions, a desire to find and hold onto the beautiful, and tenacious, big dreams.

3.      Can’t Wait For More. The future feels bright, and you look forward to the coming days when you’ll get to write your own story together.

Yes, Virginia City is no longer the size it once was back in the bonanza days. Yes, Virginia City has had to adapt into a tourist town in order to survive. But yes, it lives on in my imagination and in the imaginations of all those who take an interest in its history – and in the hearts of those who call it home. I’d say that Virginia City has a bright future with all of its fun events and the secrets it has yet to share. Visiting the town again made me excited to dive into edits for Forget Me Not!

For some reason, when visiting Bodie, California (a ghost town and a state park) during this trip, I didn’t feel the same connection. I bought a couple of info packets just in case a spark might someday arise and a story take root in my heart, but it definitely didn’t give me the same feeling Virginia City has given me. I guess the contrast helped me realize that each writer/author/reader won’t fall in love with every setting… And that’s what makes an obvious passion for a setting something special – something to be cultivated and cherished.

So if you have the signs of setting-love, what do you do? Well, I guess what you would do in the beginnings of any relationship:

1.      Spend Time Together. Immerse yourself in the history. And, if you get a chance, visit the place. Get a feel for the atmosphere that will make your story one that readers can really get into.

2.      Talk – And Listen. Tell your setting your ideas. (Not literally, of course. But figuratively set the stage in your mind and tell the story as you walk along through the actual setting or through the history you learn. Let your imagination play!) However, be sure to listen, too – the setting might have secrets to share and ideas of its own that you might not pick up on unless you’re paying attention.

3.      Give It Time. Give the setting time to win you over. There might be more than one story there! Let yourself mull over all that you discover, and don’t rush into a setting-relationship that isn’t making you excited. You might need to give it time, yes, but realize you can’t force a passion you don’t feel.

How about you? Have you had a setting-romance as a reader or writer? 

Here are a few pictures of Amber's recent trip to Virginia City, Nevada:

 

Today is the first day of the blog tour for BLEEDING HEART. If you would like to follow the blog tour and see what other bloggers are saying about Amber's book follow this link to the blog tour page: http://www.bleedingheartnovel.blogspot.com/p/blog-tour.html

About Amber:

Amber Stokes has a Bachelor of Science degree in English and a passion for the written word - from blogging to writing poetry, short stories, and novels. After her brief time at college in Oregon, she is now

back home among the redwoods of Northern California, living life one day at a time and pursuing her passion via freelance editing and self-publishing her debut novel, Bleeding Heart.

You can also visit Amber at her blog Seasons of Humility. I'm sure she would love to have you visit!

About the Book: 

Five bleeding hearts. One profound journey.

Summer 1886

Sally Clay’s livelihood has been snatched away, but in its place arises an opportunity to escape from her sordid past and an unrelenting, unwanted suitor. Boarding a train with a heartsick rancher and an enigmatic miner, she leaves Virginia City behind and heads to Northern California, waiting for the chance to make right what went wrong three long years before.

But the road to revenge is far from smooth. Sally soon learns that the jagged pieces of a broken heart can far too easily wound the hearts of others – and hers isn’t the only heart that’s broken. Tragedy and fear dog her steps as she flees from the redwood forests to the high desert and back again. Will her bleeding heart ever find a way and a place to heal?

A desperate soiled dove. Three men who come to care for her. One man determined to claim her.

All on a journey that will show them what true love really involves.

To purchase BLEEDING HEART: 
Amazon

AMAZING GIVEAWAY!

“Journey to the West” Giveaway! One U.S. resident (randomly drawn) will receive a signed copy of Bleeding Heart and a collection of items from the story’s settings, handpicked by the author.

 

 


 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  And now my review of BLEEDING HEART:

Desperate to escape the life that she has been living, Sally Clay swallows her  pride and begs Joe and his friend Myghal to take her with them wherever they are going. Having been rejected by a man she thought loved her Sally had been forced to support herself in a brothel. Sally knows the only man that will ever want her now is a man she must escape at all cost. 

Having lost the woman he loved to another man Joe plans on heading to California to find work in a logging camp. When he agrees to allow Sally to travel with them he has no intention of allowing his heart to be broken by another woman. 

Sally is determined to find her lost love and make him pay for abandoning her. Once more when her heart is broken Sally turns to Joe and Myghal to help her through her loss. Will their mutual bleeding hearts find the love they so long to have in this life? 

Bleeding Heart is definitely not a light and fluffy romance. Its characters are filled with deeply hurting hearts and suspense is woven throughout the pages. I couldn’t help but become invested in each character. Amber has a way of writing that drew me into the story and had me turning pages until the very end. I think my favorite character may have been Myghal. I would definitely love to read his story in future and find out about his past and continuing story after Bleeding Heart. 

Final Note:

Having gotten to know Amber through her blog and through emails I have seen her love for the Lord shine through in her blogging and in her writing. I look forward to many more books from this talented young woman!