Guest Post by Tally Adams

Shadow Pact by Tally Adams – Blog Post

I learned at a young age my imaginary friends weren't like everyone else's. Mine didn't go away as I got older, for example, and they were always running around in the back of my mind in 'what if' scenarios. In my preteens, I learned to channel them into words and gave them delightful tales to get them out of my head for a while. By the time I was 11, I'd begun to enter adult writing competitions and managed to win a few. Stories of adventure and overcoming all odds held my attention, and I started reading about heroes in mythology. (How can a person ever go wrong with Hercules?) Before long, I couldn't get enough! I spent the next few years reading everything I could find on mythology from all over the world.

Then, sometime in my teen years, I discovered Johanna Lindsey and her Fabio-laden book covers. For a while, mythology was all but forgotten as I disappeared into romance. It didn't take long to realize different writers had very different takes on what makes a good romance. Some of them had the classic wilting-flower heroine, while others portrayed women who were adventurous and daring. Eventually, I found Laurell Hamilton and realized both of my passions could exist in a single story. From there, Shadow Pact was off and running.

I would soon learn, however, that finding a publisher who was willing to tackle a new no-name writer was far more challenging than writing. Since my imaginary friends were already stirring and the next book was coming together in my head, I decided to self-publish Shadow Pact and move on in the series.

Before I knew it, Amazon wasn't able to keep up with the orders and I found myself needing to produce faster than the print-on-demand model could offer. After a little thought (okay, a lot of thought), I decided to find a small print press in Dallas and have a number of copies made. Brown Books came up on my search for phone numbers and I called them to place an order for distribution. I explained what I needed and why and was told by the receptionist there was someone I needed to talk to. That's when Tom Reale (President of Brown Books) got on the phone. I rattled off my situation and asked for a price on a print run. He started to laugh and said, "I'm not a print press. I'm a publisher, and I want to see this book." The next thing I knew, Brown Books had taken me under their wing and Shadow Pact was released nationally, reaching far more readers than I'd ever dared to hope. Now, with the backing of a terrific team, Shadow Pact is gaining in popularity and starting to carve a place for the rest of the Immortal Romance Series. For anyone who loves adventure, a dab of magic and a dose of romance, check out Shadow Pact!   

Reviews and blurbs for Shadow Pact

“Shadow Pact is a dark fantasy about Emily's quest to find her missing sister Amber, which embroils her in an ongoing supernatural conflict between vampires and werewolves. The handsome vampire-werewolf hybrid William rescues Emily from a dire situation, but far greater dangers await - a sinister vampire queen, a blood-crazed Coven, a werewolf king greedy for power, and more. Exciting to the very end, Shadow Pact is a ‘must-read’ for connoisseurs of the genre, highly recommended.”

-          Midwest Book Review

Tally Adams lives in Texas with her husband and four children (and one big, fat English bulldog). She's been writing all her life, realizing at a young age the characters just swirl around maddeningly in her head if she doesn't put them on paper. She began participating in adult writing competitions before she even hit her teens. Years later, she worked as a nurse and continued to write. Finally, she decided to move forward into the world of publication and share her imaginary friends with the world.

Website URL: https://www.tallyadams.com/

Blog URL: https://www.tallyadams.com/blog

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tallyadams618

An Unexpected Escapade by Kandi J. Wyatt

Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The Opinions expressed here are my own.

The only fantasy animal besides dragons I would love to find are unicorns. I remember as a child when my sisters and I would play pretend outside and make up stories, we would have dragons and unicorns. Kandi Wyatt has taken us from dragons into the world of unicorns. In actuality, the unicorn entered the human world. Ana and Daisy become very close to the unicorn. They understand that the unicorn wants to go home. They need to find a way to help it, while making sure that those who would like the unicorn for unsavory reasons are kept at bay. Add into all of this Ana’s parents being hospitalized and you have a set of teens who definitely are in over their head. The feeling of being overwhelmed will ring true with middle school age children. Before anyone says anything about how this would be a great read for girls let me set the record straight. When we do narrative writing in my classroom it is often the boys who write unicorns into their stories. I think both boys and girls will enjoy this story. Since my students already enjoy Kandi’s dragon series  I am sure they will love her new Myth Coast Adventure Series.

An Unexpected Adventure by Kandi J. Wyatt

Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy

Source: I purchased a copy. The Opinions expressed here are my own.

Kandi J. Wyatt is one of my favorite authors. There are many reasons for this. One she writes books that my students want to read. I teach middle school and finding books for this in-between group of teens is often difficult. Another reason she is one of my favorites is because no matter what she writes, it is so realistic I have to do some research.  The premise of this story is that four teens are searching for thundereggs on a beach when they find a dragon’s egg.   I immediately had to look up thundereggs to see if they were real, and if so, what they were. My husband and I spent thirty minutes researching thundereggs. We realized we had actually seen these things at shows, but never knew they were called thundereggs.  I loved the trust relationship Kandi built between the kids and their science teacher. Believe it or not, a lot of students will trust their teachers with secrets than they would their own parents. For me this was very true to life.  I love the worlds Kandi creates with dragons. She is one of the best when it comes to this subject matter. It makes everyone who reads her books want their own dragon. In this story the kids have a dilemma. They are trying to protect the dragon from those in higher positions.  The interactions between the kids and the dragon, and with each other develop throughout the story. There is something there that every child who reads this will be able to relate to.  Like all of her other books this is a great beginning to a new series. I am looking forward to the second one which comes out April 9^th.

Final Cycle by Elaine L. Orr

Genre: Adult, Mystery
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I have found a new mystery author to love. Mystery is my favorite genre. It has been since I was in elementary school. When we are preparing for state testing, I usually agree to guest posts only. So why take on a book by an unfamiliar author? I read the premise of the book and was intrigued by a body found in a dryer. Especially since she was not well liked.  Then there is the mention of a second murder. I needed to know how they connected, if they did. This author is so talented that I had the wrong person pegged all the way through.  The characters are well thought out. I would recognize them on the street from the way they are portrayed. The setting is so realistic I asked my husband if it was a real place, then looked it up online. It could be any number of small towns in southern Illinois. To me this is a author who has definitely done some research to make the reader feel a part of that world. This is the second book in the "Logland Mystery Series". I have not yet read the first one, "Tip a Hat to Murder." It is next on my reading list. You don't have to read them in order as they read well as stand-a-lone books.  The third one in the series, "Final Operation", comes out June 7th. This will make a nice and early birthday gift to myself. Yes, I did pre-order it. I look forward to checking out some of this author's other books.

Elaine L. Orr

 Elaine L. Orr writes three mystery series. The Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series, set at the Jersey shore, includes "Behind the Walls," which was a finalist for the 2014 Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem Awards. In the River's Edge mystery series, Iowa nice meets murder. "From Newsprint to Footprints," was followed by "Demise of a Devious Neighbor." The latter was a 2017 Chanticleer finalist. "Tip a Hat to Murder," the first in the Logland mystery series, was followed by "Final Cycle." A police procedural with a cozy feel

Elaine also writes plays and novellas, including the one-act, "Common Ground," published in 2015. Her novella, "Biding Time," was one of five finalists in the National Press Club's first fiction contest, in 1993. "Falling into Place" is a novella about family strength as a World War II veteran rises to the toughest occasion. "In the Shadow of Light" brings the tragedies of the U.S. Mexico border to life through the eyes of children and their parents.

Elaine conducts presentations on electronic publishing and other writing-related topics. Nonfiction includes "Words to Write By: Getting Your Thoughts on Paper" and "Writing When Time is Scarce and Getting the Work Published."

A member of Sisters in Crime, Elaine grew up in Maryland and moved to the Midwest in 1994. She graduated from the University of Dayton with a BA in Political Science and from the American University with an MA in Government. She worked for GAO and the National Academy of Public Administration for many years, and for two Iowa members of the U.S. House of Representatives -- one Republican and one Democrat.

Elaine did some journalism course work at the University of Maryland and has taken fiction courses from The Writer's Center in Bethesda, MD, the University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival, and Georgetown University's Continuing Education Program. She is a regular attendee at the Magna Cum Murder in Indianapolis and the Book Bums Workshop in West Liberty, Iowa. She has served as a preliminary judge for the Raleigh Fine Arts high school literary awards (2016-19).

Dr. James Baird Guest Post: Epigenetics & Genetic Happiness

ISBN-10: 1793389004

ISBN-13: 978-1793389008

Independently published

Paperback: 276 pages

January 8, 2019, $13.99

Genre: Health/nutrition

Also available for Kindle

 The science of epigenetics has shown us that genes aren’t destiny. Now we know that you are in far more control of your own physical and emotional well-being than was once believed possible. Dr. James Baird’s newest book reveals how to use those research results to increase your personal happiness. Written for the general reader, Epigenetics & Genetic Happiness explains the science behind feelings, thinking processes, self-esteem, relationships, conflicts, love, and other important aspects of human life. This book explains why so many of our efforts to achieve happiness fail and provides therapies you can use to improve your own physical and emotional well-being.

Introduction

These days, there’s a lot of interest in your genes. Multiple services offer to trace your genetic background for you and tell you where the genes you’ve inherited came from. Medical companies race to improve DNA testing that will indicate your vulnerability to physical disorders and identify mutations in your genes that may cause illness or disease.

There’s also a growing interest in the study of mechanisms that can switch genes on and off. Although you can’t control your genes directly, you can have some control over which genes are dormant and which are active. That science is called epigenetics.

The word epigenetics was coined back in the 1940s to refer to the influence of genetic processes on human development. It took a while for the topic to attract much attention but in 2006, over 2,500 articles about epigenetics were published.

Then interest grew. By 2010 - the year that I brought out my book Happiness Genes: Unlock the Positive Potential Hidden in your DNA – that number jumped up to over thirteen thousand publications. Unlike many of those, my books have always been designed to make topics clear to everyday readers.

In 2012, the International Journal of Epidemiology declared “Epigenetics: the next big thing.” By then, I had published Obesity Genes and their Epigenetic Modifiers, offering applications for the new discoveries.

Interest continued to grow, and in 2013, there were over seventeen thousand publications on topics related to epigenetics. In 2015, I published Behavioral Genes: Why We Do What We Do and How to Change based on the abundant research at that time.

Now new research findings regarding human lives and cultures have led to this new book, Epigenetics and Genetic Happiness How to Increase Your Well-Being. We’ll look into ways that you can actually bring about changes in your biological mechanisms to shape the sense of well-being that’s so basic to your personal happiness.

Dr. James Baird

  

James D. Baird, Ph.D. has more than forty years of experience as a successful inventor and graduate engineer. A pioneer in the new science of ultrasonics, Baird has earned several patents and as a successful entrepreneur founded Dynasonics, Inc. a design and manufacturing company of ultrasonic sensors and computers. 

His inventor background instilled in him a persistent curiosity about how things work, translating from mechanisms to life. His passion for understanding the bioengineering that makes us human combined with his religious and spiritual beliefs has led him to research the subject of happiness for more than 20 years, and in the process, earned him a Ph.D. in Natural Health.

As a natural health advocate with an inventor's curiosity, he was intrigued by the paradox that "diets don't work." In an effort to uncover the reasons and provide an answer, he wrote his third book, The Mindful Meals Diet (iUniverse 2007), which explained how genetic factors are the basis of unhealthy eating habits that lead people to become overweight. His program incorporated self-hypnosis and mind/body strategies to develop healthy eating habits (www.mindfulmealsdiet.com). 

From his research of genetics in diet evolved the understanding that humans have a spiritual nature and that faith is genetic. This confirmed his belief that the expression of spirituality is genetically motivated and results in natural happiness. Results from researching genetic behavior and the new science of epigenetics inspired Baird to write the HAPPINESS GENES.

Intrigued by people's behaviors, Baird used his 20 years of researching in behavioral genetics to write BEHAVIORAL GENES- why we do what we do and how to change. [published 2/13/15] This book describes the genetic roots of our most common behaviors providing understanding of why we do what we do. While other books note that the genetic heritability component of behaviors is unchangeable, Baird shows that genes aren't destiny. Using evidence that epigenetic modalities, such as: meditation, mindfulness, and cognitive therapy can modify behaviors, practical therapies are described in the last chapter of the book.

Guest Post by Frankie Y. Bailey

Dining with Murder

By Frankie Y. Bailey

            When my Lizzie Stuart mysteries were published by Overmountain Press, the authors writing under the imprint, were asked to contribute a recipe to a small collection that could be offered to readers as a giveaway. I had an obvious choice. In Death’s Favorite Child, the first book in my series (being reissued by Speaking Volumes), the victim dies after eating a lethal substitute for the “yummy balls” her aunt made for her. I asked a friend to come up with a recipe (see my website) for the nonexistent snack I had described. But this was not the only appearance of food in that book. Lizzie was on vacation in Cornwall, England. I drew on the research I’d done in London and in the coastal town where a friend and I met for a holiday.

            In that book, Lizzie shares meals with her best friend, Tess, and the other guests at the private hotel. These are the people who will be among the “the closed circle of suspects” common in whodunits. She also has dinner with Philadelphia homicide detective, John Quinn. Like Lizzie, Quinn is on holiday in Cornwall. Like Lizzie, he is drawn into the murder investigation.

            In A Dead Man’s Honor, Lizzie has moved to Gallagher, Virginia, the fictional city that will become her home base. In this book, I introduce readers to “Miss Alice,” a woman who knew Lizzie’s grandmother when they were both children. Miss Alice continues to reign over the Orleans Café. As a crime historian, Lizzie spends time in libraries reading old newspapers and going through archival collections looks for clues. But she also knows the value of oral history interviews. Miss Alice is her source when she has a question that she is not able to answer or when she needs more context (See recipes from the Orleans Café on my website).

            In A Dead Man’s Honor, there are other characters with whom Lizzie shares intriguing conversations during meals -- including the soon-to-be victim and John Quinn. It is giving nothing away to say that as the series has evolved, Lizzie and Quinn have gotten to know each –and shared both romantic moments and conversations about murder as they ate. In Book Six, they will be in Santa Fe for Thanksgiving dinner before coming home to Gallagher.

Brief bio and links:

Frankie Y. Bailey is a professor in the School of Criminal Justice at the University at Albany (SUNY). Her areas of research are crime history, and crime and mass media/popular culture and material culture. She is the author of a number of non-fiction books, including local histories and books about crime fiction. Her mystery novels feature Southern-born crime historian, Lizzie Stuart, in five books, beginning with Death’s Favorite Child and A Dead Man’s Honor. The books are being reissued by Speaking Volumes. Frankie’s two near-future police procedurals feature Albany police detective, Hannah McCabe in The Red Queen Dies and What the Fly Saw (Minotaur Books). Frankie has also has written several short stories, including “In Her Fashion” (EQMM, July 2014), “The Singapore Sling Affair” (EQMM, Nov/Dec 2017), and “The Birth of the Bronze Buckaroo” (The Adventures of the Bronze Buckaroo, 2018). She is currently working on a nonfiction book about dress and appearance in American crime and justice, a historical thriller set in 1939, and the plots of the next Stuart and McCabe books. Frankie is a past executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America and a past president of Sisters in Crime.

www.frankieybailey.com

Website URL: www.frankieybailey.com

Twitter:  @FrankieYBailey

Amazon: A Dead Man’s Honor

https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Honor-Lizzie-Stuart-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07FTYK444/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539976642&sr=8-1&keywords=dead+mans+honor

Amazon: Death’s Favorite Child

https://www.amazon.com/Deaths-Favorite-Lizzie-Stuart-Mystery-ebook/dp/B078FQT4XD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536271507&sr=8-1&keywords=death%27s+favorite+child

Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: Young Adult/Adult, Memoir
Source: I purchased a copy

I often wondered how Laurie could write such raw, emotional and spot on books. After reading Shout I understood how her writing has evolved. The authentic voice in each book came out of her own pain and experiences. Shout is one of those books that reaches inside of you and grabs your guts and twists them. It is painful yet for some of us it is also a release. You know that someone has grabbed hold of your guts to help untangle them. That  is what this book does. I met Laurie years ago at an English conference. I stood in line with her book "Speak" to get it signed. I handed it to her but would not look at her. She held on to the book as she handed it back forcing me to look up at her. Then she said, "You're Melinda." My lip quivered as tears slid down my face. She hugged me and and for the first time I felt the strength to do something.  Laurie never knew how she helped me.  My abuser was a family member.  My meeting with her gave me the courage to put myself into counseling. The next time I saw that family member I pulled them aside.  They had long ago sought counseling for the incident. At the time I felt so dirty and ashamed that I didn't want anyone to know. and I didn't want anyone to talk to me about it. My mantra was, "God forgave them so it's done and over with." For me it wasn't. On that day I walked up to them and told them. "God forgave you and so have I, but I haven't dealt with it. I'm doing that right now. Understand there will days that I hate you as I go through this process. There are days you can't talk to me or hug me or anything else. I hope you will respect that."  They sidestepped and said they would do whatever to help me heal." That was not what I expected. Healing is a long process. If you read Laurie's book you will understand it. We all have to find our path and our voice.

Laurie's book is raw. It takes you through her painful life. It takes you through the events that led up to her getting her voice back. I read and thought about the different people and events in my own life that paralleled hers. My family life unlike hers was not as volatile.  My parents were very strict Christians. This is one reason I suffered so long. As Christians we were told you  don't talk about certain things. You let things go and let God handle it.  I walked through each painful moment with her.  When she is accepted as an exchange student she became a new person. She was away from her old life and was given  the opportunity to see what a healthy life is like. She was given the strength to grow and become the person she is today. This event put her on the path to healing. It is never done and over but you gain the strength to move on.

I know of no other author who's books have helped both students and adults as much as Laurie's books. I highly recommend her book "Shout".  It explains so much about the other books. 

The Curse of Halim by Alfred M. Struthers

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery
Source: I received a copy from the author to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I have not found a single one of this author's books that I didn't fall in love with.  I love the idea of a bookcase that pops out books with clues  to solving a mystery. In this book a drawer in the bookcase pops open and Nathan finds a slip of paper. His friend and cohort Gina has been banned from hanging with him because of the danger they found themselves in the year before. Nathan is determined to solve this mystery even if Gina can't or won't help. When she see that he is up to something, she can't help but try to find out what it is. There is another issue at stake, a reporter who had lost her standing for her last coverage. She knows something is going on with these two kids and is determined to get the scoop to get back in her bosses good graces.

Nathan meets one of his grandfather's dearest friends and his daughter. This gentleman know all about the bookcase as does his daughter. There are secrets that even they are hiding from Nathan. Near the end of the book  Nathan learns his mother had a sister and she was murdered.  What if any is the connection to the bookcase?  You have got to read this to find out. 

A Drop of Hope by Keith Calabrese

Genre: Middle Grade,  Fantasy

Source: I Received an ARC from the author to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Whenever I approach a new book to review for middle grade students and my shelves at school I look at it through two different lenses. The first is that of a middle school teacher. Is this something that I would recommend to my fellow teachers? Is it a book I would recommend to my students and put on my shelves? Most importantly, is this a book that I can talk about with students because the message within is important?  The second lens I look through is that of a grandparent. Is this a book that my grandchildren will enjoy and thus pass on to their teachers, and class-mates.  This book goes above and beyond what I would normally recommend.

I have often spoke of the school I teach in. We are an IB school. We have several “Learner Profiles” that are a major part of our teachings.  One of them is being “caring”.  We require our students to complete community service in every grade.  So, the idea that you have a group of students who set about to change the lives of people in their town made this a worth-while book.  The book takes place in a small town named Cliffs Donnelly. Many of the major businesses in the town are closing. Two boys out exploring a tunnel realize, by accident, they have walked underneath the city’s wishing well. When they hear a class-mates wish a decision is made to help make it come true. 

I loved that this book is told from multiple perspectives.  I know that this will drive many people nuts. This has been their number one complaint of my own book. There are many more like me who love the different perspectives. I felt in this case it made the issues and secrets in the story, that are discovered within the town, more well-rounded.  We learn that we can’t always judge a book, or bully by its cover. Things aren’t always what they seem. We also learn what one act of kindness can do and how it can be carried forward.  These are lessons that we as teachers, parents, and grandparents want our kids to learn. There is no better way to learn this than through a book.  I believe that many students will be able to relate to this book in a variety ways.  I place this up there with one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. I really can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

This book comes out February 26^, just two days away. This is a must read book so get ready to get your copy.

About the Author from Scholastic website

Keith Calabrese is an author and screenwriter who holds a degree in creative writing from Northwestern University. A former script reader, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife, kids, and a dog who thinks he's a mountain goat.

Death March Escape: The Remarkable Story of a Man Who Twice Escaped the Nazi Holocaust by Jack J. Hersch

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir
Source: I received an advanced copy from Netgalley. The opinions expressed here are my own.


I have never been able to read a book about Holocaust survivors without getting emotional. As an eighth grade English teacher we have a unit that touches on the Holocaust. When I taught ninth grade English we read Night and other stories about the Holocaust. I have over the years met only one survivor. The only part of her story that stuck with me was the death march she was taken on. To me this is more terrifying than the camps. You may wonder why. In this case the author’s father had the realization that they would soon be freed by the allies. How many of them lost all hope when they were removed from the camp and taken on these long death marches?

The author’s father was like many survivors who talked about their imprisonment, treatment and survival while leaving out so much. I have always wondered why they did this. Were they trying to spare their family the pain that they still felt?

After learning from a relative that a picture of his father at a  death camp was up on a website, Jack sets off on a journey to fill in the blanks of his father’s life.  He eventually walked the same path his father took. He wanted to understand his father’s experiences. It is my opinion that you can walk the path your parent’s took and learn so much more than you  originally knew. I also believe that unless you were actually there that there is no way you can completely understand the horrors.  This is a non-fiction story that I highly recommend. We need more voices to tell these stories as the survivors are all beginning to die off. Who will be left to speak for all those who lost their lives during these horrible year?

Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro

Genre: Middle Grades, Fantasy, Adventure

Source: I received an advance reader copy to facilitate my review. The opinion expressed here are my own.

I love reading middle grade books because I teach middle grade students. This is one that will be on my shelves the day it comes out.  Who wouldn’t love a story that had middle school age kids with all of their issues, monsters, a spooky house with talking animals?  On top of that there is a monster in the woods called the Garr.

The book opens with Lucy Tinker sitting in the display window of her dad’s clock repair shop. She is sitting there because she is in trouble. Her brother is trying to help her father. As they begin to close up a gentleman enters and makes a proposal that seems too good to be true. Mr. Quigley wants Mr. Tinker to repair a cuckoo clock in an old house he has recently acquired. He throws down a large amount of gold as an advance.  Up to this point the family has had it financially tough. It doesn’t help that their mother had died from cancer two year before. Lucy seems to be the one who is often impulsive yet seems to be the glue holding them all together. 

Mr. Tinker agrees to move to the house and fix the clock. It seems that Mr. Quigley didn’t tell them everything they should have known. The house is very peculiar. There are talking animals. The woods seem to be alive with something evil within.  Lucy can tell that something is not right. There father is thinking about how far the money would go.  Trouble is not that far away. This book definitely takes you on a journey. The characters are very well done. My students could easily identify with them.   Some of the problems they face are the same problems my own students face each day.  This has easily become one of my favorites of this year.  The adventure, magic, overall story will draw you in and hold you there for some time.  I highly recommend this book.

The Shaker Murders by Eleanor Kuhns

Genre: Adult, Mystery

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Synopsis:

Fresh from facing allegations of witchcraft and murder, travelling weaver Will Rees, his heavily pregnant wife Lydia and six adopted children take refuge in Zion, a Shaker community in rural Maine. Shortly after their arrival, screams in the night reveal a drowned body ... but is it murder or an unfortunate accident? The Shaker Elders argue it was just an accident, but Rees believes otherwise.

As Will investigates further, more deaths follow and a young girl vanishes from the community. Haunted by nightmares for his family's safety, Rees must rush to uncover the truth before the dreams can become reality and more lives are lost. Yet can the Shaker Elders be trusted, or is an outsider involved?

My Thoughts:

Mysteries are one of my favorite genres, and has been since I was in elementary school. Eleanor Kuhns is a master at writing mysteries that hold your attention from the very first page.  Will and his wife Lydia have gone back to the Shaker community they had once been a part of because his wife Lydia was still wanted, accused of witchcraft.  When people in the village start going missing, then turn up murdered, Rees is sure it is someone in the village. How safe is his family?  The events just kept me turning the pages.  Like all of her books, the action keeps rolling at a great pace. The end was just as suspenseful. I kept trying to guess who the murderer was. Each time I thought I had it figured out something else would happen to lead me in a different direction.  I highly recommend this series.

Spark by J.T. Bishop

Genre: Adult, Suspense

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads

Eve Fletcher is on the run. She’s hiding from the men who’ve killed her boss. But she’s not alone. A man she barely knows is with her, and she must decide whom to trust. But Eve has more than her life at stake. She’s protecting secrets too. Secrets that if exposed could risk not only her, but her entire family. But everyone has secrets, including the man who refuses to leave her side. 

With time running out, Eve must choose whether to bring her boss’s murderers to justice. But she’s falling for the mysterious man with his own suspicious motives. Can she risk loving him or will his presence threaten the family she’s trying so hard to protect? 

Family whose survival depends on keeping secrets

My Thoughts

I had not read any of her other books, that is being corrected. It didn’t  create any confusion by starting with this book. I liked Eve and her independence. I also like Benny who took care of Eve like she was his own daughter.  Adam was the icing on the cake.

Watching Eve who wants to be so independent have to decide to pair up with and rely on Adam was at times humorous. The author keeps the suspense going from the very beginning. I couldn’t put the book down.  This was a new author for me. The way the book ended tied everything up neatly, but left just enough suspense to want to know what will happen next to these characters.  This is a book I highly recommend to those who love suspense.

The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray by E. Latimer

Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: I received a copy form LibraryThing to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Bryony Gray is an orphan who lives with her aunt and uncle. Her mother died when Bryony was very young and no one will speak about her father. She is locked in her aunt and uncle's attic where she spends her time painting portraits. She is quite the young prodigy. Lately, there have been terrible news articles connecting her paintings with the disappearance of those who sit for her. Considering her father was considered cursed, and no one wants to speak of him, Bryony must draw her own conclusions. She has a patron who sends her all kinds of painting supplies. She has come to believe that her father is truly alive, and he is in fact her benefactor. One day during a sitting Bryony throws a tantrum that sets evil into motion.  While painting a lady who is acting spoiled and impatient; and having her aunt stand over her shoulder yelling at her, Bryony has had enough. She destroys the painting by ruining it with her paints. This sets into motion an evil like the city has never seen. Realizing she can leave the house, Bryony goes to the museum to discover that the paintings have come to life in a horrible way. She also discovers her neighbors who become her friends. Will they live long enough to figure out what the curse is all about and how to break it? Is it possible that there is something even more evil behind the evil destroying the city?

I loved this book. It was creepy, there were several different story lines going that all connected smoothly at the end. I would definitely read more by this author.

The First Bear by Felicity Hansen

Genre: Children's Picture Book
Source: I purchased a copy

This is a cute story about how the first teddy bear came to be. The great bear in the sky watched over the children on earth below and saw how lonely they were. He took a cloud and fashioned it into a bear. he held it next to him to bring it to life and sent it to earth to become a companion to a child. The small bear was told when the child grew up it was to return to him to become a star. The little bear didn't listen. What was the great bear so afraid of?

This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves bears. It is beautifully illustrated and the story telling is superb. This will make a great gift for a child.

Whisper Me This by Kerry Anne King

Genre: Adult, Realistic Fiction
Source: I purchased a copy

This was a great and complex book.  Maisey Addington has little confidence in herself. As a single mother she believes that is the only thing she has ever done right. She receives a call about her mother being in a coma. They suspect her father had something to do with it since they found him sitting on the bed with her.  He had failed to call for help. He claims she wanted to die. They all realize there is something else going on with him.  Maisey had a strained relationship with her mother. She has no way to prove her mother wished to die because her mother’s papers were destroyed by her father. It had been quite some time since she had seen her mother.  He destroyed the paper telling her last wishes while he was trying to protect a long-held secret. Maisey discovers she has a twin sister named Marley. At her daughter’s urging she sets out to find her twin. What she learns is that her sister has known about her all along and their lives went in completely different directions.  Both of them have misconceived ideas about how things happened. Maisey remembers the trauma. This interaction gives both girls the opportunity to stand up to an abusive person in their lives.

This book was a great and realistic look at how an abusive situation can affect someone not only long term, but also generation after generation. The author took a sensitive topic and wove hope into all of it.  This is a book I would highly recommend to anyone.