Freebie Friday for Mystery Fans!

 

If you enjoy mysteries, Christy Barrit's book, Hidden Currents is free today! Looks like a great weekend read!

Get your free copy here

Here's the back copy:

You can take the detective out of the investigation, but you can't take the investigator out of the detective.

A notorious gang puts a bounty on Detective Cady Matthews’s head after she takes down their leader, leaving her no choice but to hide until she can testify at trial. But her temporary home across the country on a remote North Carolina island isn’t as peaceful as she initially thinks. 

Living under the new identity of Cassidy Livingston, she struggles to keep her investigative skills tucked away, especially after a body washes ashore. When local police bungle the murder investigation, she can’t resist stepping in. But Cassidy is supposed to be keeping a low profile. One wrong move could lead to both her discovery and her demise.

Can she bring justice to the island . . . or will the hidden currents surrounding her pull her under for good?

New Podcast is Up!

The Authors Off the Page January podcast is live! I'm so excited for our second season. We added a new book spotlight feature and our first spotlight is Accidental Text by Becky Monson. You'll get all the behind-the-scenes scoop of how that book came to be. 

We are also discussing everything "new" like goals, writing projects, movies, gadgets and games and a sneak peek when we read excerpts of our new books. 

So cozy up with your favorite soft blanket and come laugh with us!

The Best News Ever!

 

We've got some really big news at our house! My little grandson was born yesterday and I love this sweet boy already! He weighed in at TEN pounds! His chubby cheeks are so kissable, am I right?

I love new babies and I love seeing my children take on the role of parenting. These precious little spirits straight from heaven give me hope for the future. I can't wait to snuggle him!

Book Review: The Accidental Bride

I've really enjoyed Carolyn Twede Frank's western series set in Craig, Colorado, and I was excited to see another installment! 

In His Accidental Bride, we meet Dorothy who is desperately trying to escape her con-man brother and his schemes. A sympathetic woman on the train named Wilhemina gives her a way out---deliver a letter to the man she was supposed to marry as a mail-order bride. Dorothy agrees, but once she gets to town, everyone mistakes her for Wilhemina, even Ronald, the man who was expecting his mail-order wife. Dorothy and Ronald hit it off and soon, she can't seem to find the words to tell Ronald who she really is.

Dorothy has a lot of inner turmoil going on and she's constantly trying to figure out a way to get out of the situations she finds herself in. Ronald is the one bright spot in her life and he's definitely not a typical hero. He's quiet, reserved, and doesn't trust easily. He falls in love with Dorothy, but her past soon catches up with her. I did enjoy their slow-paced romance like a little bit of sunshine on a cold day. I thought the author did a great job with the setting and it was fun to revisit characters from previous books. I had a hard time with the ending because right when we were about to get some resolution, the author skips ahead six months and then the reader is just told what happened, which really sucked away the tension and pacing. But I was glad to see Dorothy and Ronald get a happily-ever-after and I'm hoping there will be more books in this series.

Get your copy here

Here's the back copy:

Dorothy Bednar is living a life she despises. Forced to work as a double-dealing saloon girl, Dorothy has finally had enough. The next train out of town is her ticket to freedom, and Dorothy jumps aboard without a thought for where she’s going—until she meets a kind woman aboard the train. Her fellow passenger was originally traveling to Colorado to marry a man she’d never met, but her cold feet offer Dorothy the perfect opportunity to set up roots somewhere new. Dorothy soon finds herself posing as the mail-order bride—after all, marrying a stranger can’t be worse than what she left behind.

Young Colorado lawyer Ronald Smith is astonished when he spies the lovely woman who comes to greet him—the woman who is to be his wife. Dorothy is beyond Ronald’s wildest dreams, a kindhearted partner eager to be a homemaker and mother. To Dorothy, Ronald is the most gentlemanly man she’s ever met—a man who makes her feel safe and cherished. What begins as a deception soon deepens into true love, but too soon, Dorothy’s secret past threatens the beautiful life she’s built—a life that feels truer than anything she’s ever known.

Dancing in the Aisles

 

At the grocery store this morning, the song, It's the End of the World by REM was playing. The guy at the other end of my aisle started totally jamming out to it. Some people were walking by with smiles, some with puzzled looks, but the man who was dancing didn't even give them a second glance. He was lost in the moment, enjoying a song.

It was just such a fun, who-cares-who-is-watching moment. I usually care way too much about what other people think and after seeing that today, I really want to be more like that guy. Just finding the joy in something simple and celebrating without even noticing who is watching! 

Criticism and Motivation

I have a question for you. 

Last night, former basketball player Shaquille O'Neal was doing an after game interview of Donovan Mitchell, a young player on the Utah Jazz team. Donovan looked excited to talk to Shaq at first, but then Shaq said to Donovan, "you are one of my favorite players, but you don't have what it takes to get to the next level. I said it on purpose and I wanted you to hear it." 

Donovan's face kind of fell and he responded with, "All right." He did add that he's been hearing that since his rookie year and he's just going to keep doing what he does. It was truly an awkward moment, especially since Donovan had just scored 36 points in the game he'd just played and led his team to a win. 

Some have said that Mr. O'Neal was just "motivating" Donovan with his criticism and that's how they did it back in the day. So now Donovan can "prove" to Shaq that he *does* have what it takes.

So here's my question: Does criticism ever motivate you? Does it make you want to prove to the person criticizing you that they are wrong?

Book Review: Georgana's Secret

 

I was very excited to read this author's romantic adventure on the high seas. I'd read a few of her fairy tale retellings and enjoyed her writing style.

In Georgana's Secret, we find Georgana disguised as a cabin boy named George on her father's ship. She has escaped an abusive situation, but now must live her life with a very big secret. But when Lieutenant Dominic Peyton takes an interest in the "boy" things start to change. Suddenly her longing for freedom becomes more urgent when she dreams of maybe finding love. But can she take the risk?

I really enjoyed this detailed adventure romance. It had a little bit of everything---pirates, ship battles, illness, exotic destinations, and even a mutiny! Of course having all of those things made the pacing a bit uneven, but the detail and depth to the characters as they underwent all the trials made it easy to overlook that. I loved Dominic as our hero, his kind heart and tenderness toward Georgana is swoon-worthy. Georgana has a difficult time of it, trying to overcome a past and reach for a future. She was definitely a relatable character and I was rooting for her to get her happily-ever-after. I also loved the secondary characters, especially the French doctor aboard the ship. I would love to know more of his backstory! But the relationships among the crew and main characters were really well-done and give a perspective of life at sea in that time period that felt real. I will definitely be looking for more from this author!

You can get your copy here

Here's the back copy:

1811, HMS Deborah

Georgana Woodall dreams of freedom—freedom from her past and freedom from her secret. She has been living on her father’s ship for years, disguised as a cabin boy named “George.” But hiding her true self is becoming more difficult, and she yearns to break free of her life on the sea.

Lieutenant Dominic Peyton has no time in his life for love, not with his dedication to His Majesty’s Royal Navy claiming his full attention. Determined to prove himself to his new captain, he strives to be an exemplary officer and leader. When he sees the captain’s cabin boy being harassed by the crew, he immediately puts a stop to it and takes the boy under his wing.

Georgana quickly loses her heart to Dominic’s compassion and care, but needing to maintain her disguise as a cabin boy, she is convinced nothing can come of her affection.

Georgana’s Secret is about two hearts yearning to find a safe harbor, and possibly, a lasting love.