Called Home: Two Hearts Answer by Gloria Schumann

My Review:
4 STARS

(maybe more like 3.5)

My skin is crawling!! Ahh!! Called Home was filled with suspense and mystery!! This was about two adults that had moved away from their hometown but had decided to return for different reasons. David is a mystery author and decides to move back to the small home town after spending some time in NY making a name for himself as a best-selling author.  Emma is an Elementary teacher that moves back home to help her mom pay for the farm and help her out!  These two have interesting ways of meeting and things continue to get more complex as the story progresses.  They find themselves in the middle of a mystery and it'll either tear them apart or push them together.

There were some great things about this story!! The best thing was the romance, the passion and the stolen kisses were just fantastic!! I'm all for a good kissing scene and there was plenty of those in this book to go around.  The plot was pretty unique and I thought I had the ending figured out but I sure was surprised at what enfolded.  I loved the mystery and was really freaked out at times.

The things I didn't like about the book were small but maybe worth mentioning; I got confused a few times as to what perspective and voice we were reading.  One minute you were hearing what Emma was thinking then all of sudden it was David and it was at times a bit hard to follow but really didn't distract from the story because I did understand what was going on. 

I also struggled with liking Emma but she really grew on me as the story progressed.  At first I just wanted her to stop being so stubborn but then I felt like she was learning to lean on others as time went on and I really did enjoy her change of attitude.

I really enjoyed the character David; he was dreamy in the sense that he was buff and extremely handsome but also put a lot of value in his family and he loved to look out for his neighbors and help Emma deal with her past and her current problems.

Those that like to read my reviews to find out whether a book is clean or not should know that I feel this is a pretty clean book. There are a lot of kissing scenes, but they are done tastefully and there is no sex, which is great.  I also have a lot of readers that read Christian only and I wanted to express that this is not a Christian romance but just a clean romance.

I received this book free from the author in exchange for my personal and honest review.  All opinions are my own!

Book Blurb:

Emma Benson's view of life was crafted by the death of her brother as a child, abandonment by her father and later, the man she trusted she would marry, until David Schlosser-back in town after years in New York writing best-selling novels-threatens her neatly tended life. Romance blooms. Emma and David eventually persevere in the face of tragedy, refusing to leave their dreams behind. 

Buy Called Home: Two Hearts Answer!

  

When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley

My Review:
4 STARS

This book has me wondering just how common these sort of harsh religious beliefs are and how close they are to my neighborhood.  When Sparrows Fall is about young widow Miranda who belongs to a church with these harsh beliefs and when things get to be too twisted she decides it is time to break away! Before she can do that though she gets severely injured and her husband’s half-brother Jack shows up to help!!  There is so much more that goes on but I will not reveal any secrets!!

There were a lot of moments in this book where I wanted to just scream and say “this is not God”!! The actions of the pastor and the husbands had me on the edge of my seat.  Meg Moseley painted a gripping yet compassionate view!! 

The characters were all great, especially Jack and the children.  I loved Jack because he just seemed so real about who he was and what he believed in. He wasn’t afraid to admit that he was a sinner yet he knew how to lead a life worthy to be called a Jesus follower! He might have drunk one or two drinks or smoked a cigar but I felt that just made him more genuine.  I have kids the same ages as some of the kids in this book and I felt the author really captured their innocence and energy!

The only thing that bothered me is that I felt like the beginning got off to a rough start.  I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not and had mixed opinions about Miranda all the way until about half way through the book.  However, it did pick up nicely and I’m glad I continued reading.

I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for an honest review.  

Book Blurb:

Freedom. Safety. Love. Miranda vows to reclaim them--for herself, and for her children.

A widow and mother of six, Miranda Hanford leads a quiet, private life. When the pastor of her close-knit church announces his plans to move the entire congregation to another state, Miranda jumps at the opportunity to dissolve ties with Mason Chandler and his controlling brand of “shepherding.” But then Mason threatens to unearth secrets only he knows, and Miranda feels trapped, terrified she’ll be unable to protect her children. 

University professor Jack Hanford is more than surprised when he gets a call from his estranged sister-in-law’s oldest son, Timothy, informing him that Miranda has taken a serious fall and he has been named legal guardian of her children while she recovers. Quickly charmed by Miranda’s children, Jack brings some much-needed life into the sheltered household. But his constant challenging of the family’s conservative lifestyle makes the recovering mother uneasy and defensive—despite Jack’s unnerving appeal.

As Jack tries to make sense of the mysterious Miranda and the secrets she holds so tightly, Mason’s pressure on her increases. With her emotions stirring and freedom calling, can Miranda find a way to unshackle her family without losing everything?

Buy When Sparrows Fall:

  

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

My Review:
5 STARS

My heart is won!! How does Karen Witemeyer create characters that so melt my heart right from the start?! I love her heroes and heroines and I can't imagine them any better than she creates them!!

In To Win Her Heart we meet her latest hero Levi and oh does he sound great!! He is a big muscular man who recently is released from prison but is on the track to walking God's way and he meets our heroine Eden. Eden is passionate about literature and has her own library and she has also been hurt by a man in the past so she is extra cautious to guard her heart.

I loved To Win Her Heart as much as Karen's other books or maybe even more! The characters are all genuine and you really feel like you know who they are. I was little frustrated with Eden and how she seemed so shallow at times but then I loved to watch her listen to her heart and to God and to grow in an amazing way!

Levi has to be one of the most lovable characters in the story. I love how he never falters or changes throughout the story. He has a dark past and frustrating issue he deals with all the times but even in the face of temptation Levi holds strong to being good! And of course Karen has created Levi to be the perfect picture of a romantic man - yum!!

As always with Karen's stories there is multiple lessons weaved throughout. The one that stood out to me the most was that He who judges anyone is casting stones and should be stopped. Who are we to judge people by their pasts or their looks, etc? This was a great reminder to live a life for God!!

Thank you Karen Witemeyer for bringing this to life and for creating engaging and romantic characters while teaching a lesson on love and forgiveness! I look forward to more of Karen's writing!

Book Blurb:
Having completed his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father's knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past. But small towns leave little room for secrets...

Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she steels herself against the attraction he provokes. His halting speech and hesitant manner leave her doubting his intelligence. Yet as the mysteries of the town's new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.

Levi's renewed commitment to his faith leads Eden to believe she's finally found a man of honor and integrity, a man worthy of her love. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian's affections?

About Karen Witemeyer:

Karen Witemeyer is a deacon's wife and mother of three who believes the world needs more happily-ever-afters. To that end, she combines her love of bygone eras with her passion for helping women mature in Christ to craft award-winning historical romance fiction. Her first manuscript, Fire By Night, won top honors in the 2007 Romance Writers of America Hearts Through History contest. Her second, Cloud By Day, was an ACFW Genesis finalist in 2008.

After growing up in California, Karen moved to Texas to attend Abilene Christian University where she earned bachelor and master's degrees in Psychology. It was also there that she met and married her own Texas hero. He roped her in good, for she has lived in Texas ever since. In fact, she fell so in love with this rugged land of sweeping sunsets and enduring pioneer spirit, that she incorporates it into the pages of her novels, setting her stories in the small towns of a state that burgeoned into greatness in the mid- to late1800s.

In January, 2009, Karen signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers for three inspirational historical romance novels, and she is thrilled to announce that her first book, A TAILOR-MADE BRIDE will be released in June 2010.

Behind the Badge by Susan Sleeman Book Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of Susan Sleeman's Behind the Badge and a $50 Amazon gift card!

Susan Sleeman here. Behind the Badge, my second romantic suspense book for Love Inspired Suspense will release on June 6th and in honor of all of you, the readers, I am hosting a special contest on my website for the month of June.

Let’s face it. Without you, the wonderful readers, books would not exist and I wouldn’t be able to wake up looking forward to a job that is fresh and exciting each and every day. Praise God for this incredible opportunity!

Now back to the contest. All you have to do is read the excerpt below then go to my WEBSITE and answer the following question. That's it. You're entered to win.

If you'd like to sign up for my mailing list to learn of other contests in the future you can do that at the same time, too. Full contest rules are on the entry page. Remember only one entry per person.

QUESTION: What is the full name of the man murdered?
?
?
?

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a best-selling author of romantic suspense and mystery novels. She grew up in a small Wisconsin town where she spent her summers reading Nancy Drew and developing a love of mystery and suspense books. Today, she channels this enthusiasm into writing romantic suspense and mystery novels and hosting the popular internet website TheSuspenseZone.com.
Her books include Nipped in the Bud, High-Stakes Inheritance, Behind the Badge, and The Christmas Witness. Also watch for the first two romantic suspense books in her Justice Agency series coming from Love Inspired suspense in 2012 and featuring a private investigations firm specializing in helping those who traditional law enforcement has failed.
Susan currently lives in Florida, but has had the pleasure of living in nine states. Her husband is a church music director and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law and an adorable grandson.
To learn more about Susan visit her website, Facebook , or Twitter.

The Morgan Brothers - Bk 2 Love Inspired Suspense June 6, 2011 ISBN-10: 0373444478 ISBN-13: 978-0373444472

"YOUR SISTER IS NEXT!" A killer is threatening the life of rookie cop Sydney Tucker's sister-unless Sydney turns over evidence from a drug bust. But she doesn't have the evidence. Not that the thug believes her. Now she and the sibling in her care are under the watchful eye of Logan Lake police chief Russ Morgan…but will his protection be enough? The killer is closing in, picking off the people and places that mean the most to Sydney. A list that now includes Russ. To protect her loved ones, will she pay the ultimate price-her life?

---

READ AN EXCERPT:

Chapter One

Gunshots split the inky darkness.
Deputy Sydney Tucker hit the cold ground, a jagged rock slashing into her forehead on the way down. She reached for her service weapon. Came up empty handed. She'd stopped after work to check on the construction of her townhouse and left her gun and cell phone in the car.
Dumb, Sydney. Really dumb. Now what're you gonna do?
Inching her head above knee-high grass, she listened. The keening whistle of the wind died, leaving the air damp and heavy with tension but silence reigned.
Had she overreacted? Could be target practice. But at night? Maybe. Hunters did crazy things sometimes.
Footfalls pounded from below like someone charging through the brush. No. Two people. Maybe a chase. One person after another. A loud crash, branches snapping.
"What're you doin', man," a panicked male voice traveled through the night. "No! Don't shoot! We can work this out."
Three more gunshots rang out. A moan drifted up the hill.
Not target practice. Someone had been shot.
Sydney lurched to her feet, dizziness swirling around her. Blood dripped into her eyes. She wiped it away, blinked hard and steadied herself on a large rock while peering into the wall of darkness for the best escape route.
Heavy footfalls crunched up the gravel path.
"I know you're here, Deputy Tucker," a male voice, disguised with a high nasally pitch, called out. "We need to talk about this. C'mon out."
Yeah, right. Come out and die. Not hardly.
Praying, pleading for safety, she scrambled deeper into the scrub. Over rocks. Through grass tangling her feet. Her heart pounded in her head, drowning the prayers with fear.
"I'm losing patience, Deputy," he called again in that strange voice. "You're not like Dixon. He had it coming. You don't."
Dixon? Did he mean the man she arrested for providing alcohol to her teenage sister and for selling drugs? Was that what this was about?
Rocks skittered down the incline. The shooter was on the move again. No time to think. She had to go. Now!
Blindly she felt her way past shrubs, over uneven ground. Dried leaves crunched underfoot. Branches slapped her face and clawed at her arms, but she stifled her cries of pain.
"I hear you, Deputy."
She wrenched around to determine his location. A protruding rock caught her foot, catapulting her forward. She somersaulted through the air. Her knee slammed into the packed earth and she crashed down the hill. Wrapping arms around her head for protection, she came to a stop, breath knocked out of her chest, lying flat on her back in a thick stand of weeds.
"So you want to play it that way, do you Deputy? Fine. Just remember, you can run, but you can't hide. I will find you. This will be resolved one way or another." His disembodied laugh swirled into the night.
The darkness pressed closer. Blinding. Overwhelming. Terrifying.
She was easy prey. Even with her bulletproof vest, a few rounds fired in her direction would take her out. She had to get up.
She rose to her knees, but pain knifed into her knee, keeping her anchored to the ground.
Lord, please don't let me die like this. Give me the strength to move. I need to live for Nikki. She's only seventeen. She has no one.
Sydney uncurled and came to a standing position. Taking a few halting steps, she tested the pain. Nearly unbearable. But she could-no she had to do this for her sister.
Thinking of Nikki, she gritted her teeth and set off, moving slowly, taking care not to make a sound.
Out of the darkness, a hand shot out. Clamped over her mouth.
Screams tore from her throat, but died behind fingers pressed hard against her lips.
A muscled arm jerked her against a solid chest and dragged her deep into the brush.
God, please, no.
She twisted, arched her back, pushing against arms like iron bands.
She dug her heels into the ground, but he was too strong. He kept going deeper into the brush before settling them both on the ground behind a large boulder.
"Relax Sydney, it's Russ Morgan," Logan Lake's Police Chief whispered, his lips close to her ear.
Russ Morgan? What was he doing here?
"Sorry about the hand." His tone said she was nothing more than a stranger instead of someone she'd known for years. "I didn't want you to alert the shooter with a scream. I'm gonna remove my hand now. Nod if you understand me."
She let all of her relief escape in a sharp jerk of her head. His fingers dropped away.
"Once the shooter rounded that curve, you would've been a goner," he whispered while still firmly holding her. "Good thing a neighbor reported gunshots."
Sydney started to shiver and breathed deep to steady her galloping pulse. Air rushed into her lungs. She was alive, but barely. No thanks to her own skills.
"You okay?" he asked, his breath stirring her hair.
"Yes." She willed her body to stop shaking and eased out a hiss of disappointment in her performance as a deputy. "How long have you been here?"
"Long enough to hear the shooter claim he's hit Dixon and is coming after you next," he whispered again, but urgency lit his voice and rekindled her fear. "This have to do with your arrest of Carl Dixon the other day?"
"I don't know," she whispered back. "I just stopped to check on the construction of my townhouse on my way home from work."
"Off duty, huh? Explains why you don't have your weapon drawn."
"I left my duty belt in my car." She waited for his reaction to not carrying, but he simply gave a quick nod as footfalls grated against gravel.
"Shh, he's about to pass us." Russ leaned forward and drew his gun with his free hand, but didn't release his hold on her.
Crunching steps came within a few feet of their location. Halted.
"Can you feel me breathing down your neck, Deputy? I'm inches from finding you." He didn't know the accuracy of his words.
She felt Russ's breathing speed up, upping her concern and washing away the brief blanket of security his arms provided. Adrenaline urged her to move. To keep from panicking, she focused on Russ's unwavering weapon.
The shooter took a few steps closer. Her heart thumped, threatening to leave her chest. Russ tightened his hold as if he knew she wanted to bolt.
The shooter spun sending gravel flying then headed up the path.
As his footsteps receded, she tried to relax taut muscles. The warmth from Russ's body helped chase out her fear and the chill of the night. Thank God Russ was here. If he hadn't come.
She refused to go there. God had watched over her. Provided rescue, just not in the form she'd have chosen.
Not only was Russ an officer from the city police force-a team often in competition with the county sheriff's department where she worked-but a man she'd had a crazy crush on in high school. A man whose rugged good looks still turned women's heads.
She let out a long sigh.
"I know this's awkward," he whispered, "but hang tight for a few more minutes. We need to wait for him to head back down the hill."
She wanted to protest and suggest they flee now, but not Russ. He thought clearly. Taking off now gave the killer the advantage of higher ground, making them moving targets. They'd have to sit like this until he passed them again.
If they made it out of here, which the approaching footfalls told her wasn't at all certain.
They pounded closer. The shooter moved at a quick clip this time as if he thought she'd gotten away and he was fleeing. Or maybe he was heading to her car to lay in wait for her.
As the footsteps receded again, she felt Russ's arm slacken.
"Time to roll," he whispered. "Stay here."
"But I-"
"You have a backup?" He referred to a back up gun officers often carry.
She shook her head.
"Then wait here." He gave her the hard stare that'd made him famous around town and crept toward the path.
She leaned against the boulder and wrapped her arms around the warm circle on her waist where he'd held her. Without his warmth, she couldn't quit shaking. The reality of the night froze her inner core.
She should listen to Russ. Lay low. Wait until he apprehended the killer.
That was the safe thing to do.
The easy thing to do.
The wrong thing to do.
Not for everyone, but for an officer of the law, letting a shooter escape without trying to stop him wasn't an option. Even if that shooter had her in his sights, she'd make her way to her car for her gun and help Russ stop this maniac before he hurt anyone else.
*****
Near the ditch, Russ came to a stop and fought to catch his breath. Taillights on a mud splattered dirt bike roared up the trail. He'd warned the suspect to stop, but short of shooting him in the back, Russ couldn't stop him from fleeing into the dark.
At least he'd accomplished his primary objective. To protect Sydney and keep her alive. Now he needed to alert his men and the sheriff's office to the suspect's whereabouts.
He lifted his shoulder mic and ordered a unit from his office to stake out the end of the trail for the motorcycle and an ambulance in case Dixon survived. Then he asked dispatch to patch him through to the county sheriff's department to make sure they knew he'd taken charge of the scene so none of their hotshot deputies arrived with the hope of usurping control.
He turned on his Maglight and headed up the hill. The beam of light skipped over gravel and lush plants lining the winding path. Midway up, rustling brush stopped him cold. He'd left Sydney higher up. Nearer the lake.
Was a second shooter hoping to ambush him?
He flipped off his light and sought protection behind a tree. His breath came in little pulses in the unusually cold air for a typical Oregon fall. Adrenaline with little time to ebb away came roaring back, but even as the noise grew louder, he resisted the urge to take action
Maybe it was Sydney. The Sydney he used to know wouldn't have listened to his directive and stayed put. She'd trounce down the hill, her chin tilted at the same insolent angle as when he told her he didn't return her crazy crush her freshman year of high school. Not that he'd wanted to send a beautiful, lively girl like her away. He could easily have dated her, but he was four years older, in college. With their age difference, it wouldn't have been right.
Bushes at the path's edge shook then parted. Slowly, like a sleek panther, Sydney slipped out. He watched until she stood tall on those incredibly long legs he'd admired since she was sixteen before lowering his gun and aiming his flashlight at her.
She jumped. Peered up at him, an impudent look planted on her face. This was the Sydney he'd known as a teen and heaven help him, in less than thirty minutes, she'd sparked his interest again.
"Care to shine that somewhere other than my face." She perched her hand over her eyes, warding off the glare.
He moved the light but not before he caught a good look at a gaping wound running from her hairline to eyebrow, covered in congealed blood. He lifted his hand to check out her injury, but stopped. He wouldn't probe a wound on one of his men's faces. As a fellow LEO-law enforcement officer-he wouldn't treat Sydney any differently.
"I told you to stay put." He infused his words with authority.
"I wanted to help. Wish I'd listened. I tripped over the body." She held out blood-covered hands. Her eyes watered as if she might cry.
Man. Don't do that. Don't fall apart. He couldn't remain detached if she started crying. He'd have to empathize, maybe give her a reassuring pat on the arm. Maybe feel her pain and resurrect all the reasons he'd left his homicide job in Portland.
He changed his focus. Nodded at the brush. "Show me the body."
As a faint whine of sirens spiraled in the distance, she limped into tall grass, a grimace of pain marring her beautiful face. He followed, illuminating the area ahead of her. About ten feet in, she suddenly stopped. He shone his light a few feet ahead of her.
Diffused rays slid over a young male lying on his back. Russ swung the beam to the man's face landing on open eyes staring into the blackness above.
Sydney gasped and swung around him. She rushed toward the main path. Even though Russ knew it was a lost cause, he bent down to check for a pulse. No question, this man hadn't made it and no question about his identity. Carl Dixon, a man every LEO in the area knew from his frequent blips onto the police radar and the most recent arrest for selling drugs.
All that ended with three gunshots to the chest at close range from what Russ could see with his flashlight. Once they thoroughly processed the scene, he'd know better. But first, they needed to vacate the area before further contaminating the scene.
He found Sydney near the path, gaze fixed in the distance, hands clasped on her hips and exhaling long breaths as if trying to expel what she'd just seen.
Haunted eyes peered at him. "He's dead, right?"
"Yeah."
"And what about the killer?"
"Couldn't catch him. He took off on a dirt bike."
Disappointment crowded out the fear on her face. "Did you at least see him?"
"From the back. He was my height or a little taller, but lean. Wore a black stocking cap. The bike has a plate so it must be street legal. I caught the first few digits."
"That's something, then."
Russ didn't want to tell her it would do little for them in terms of searching DMV records as three digits would return thousands of bikes, but he didn't think she could take any more bad news so he kept quiet. "Let's head down to the parking lot."
He gave her the flashlight and urged her to take the lead down the steep hill. Once on solid concrete, she handed it back to him. Holding it overhead, he watched her closely for dizziness or other impairments from her fall. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, but a head injury could mean a concussion. He'd have the EMT's check her out when they got here.
He pointed at a rough-hewn bench. "Maybe you should sit down."
"I'm fine " Her voice cracked and she seemed embarrassed over reacting to the murder.
"It's okay to be upset, Syd. A horrible thing happened tonight."
"I'm fine really. I'll be back to a hundred percent by morning."

Text copyright © by Susan Sleeman
Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A.

FEEDBACK & GIVEAWAY

I have been writing reviews now for only a few months and I'm interested in some feedback to help make my reviews better and I would love your advice fellow readers and author friends!!

What are you looking for when you read a review?

Does a short summary of the book help or hinder the review?

Is there anything you dislike reading in a review?

Would you add anything to my blog posts? I usually do the book blurb, my review and the author bio along with a book pic, an author pic and an amazon link! Any other ideas?

Any suggestions to make my blog or my reviews better?!!

GIVEAWAY

Here is the prize for your feedback..... I received two of the same book recently so I would like to give my copy away to one lucky commenter.  Leave a comment with your e-mail address and I will draw a name for the book on June 23rd!!
INDELIBLE BY KRISTEN HEITZMANN - READ MY ORIGINAL BLOG POST HERE!

THANK YOU!!

Fractured by Cheri Schmidt

My Review:
5++ STARS

Wow!! If I had any doubts that the Fateful trilogy was like Twilight they got squashed as soon as I started reading Fractured!! Cheri Schmidt has created a unique twist to the common vampire story and I loved the new ideas!! I was taken on an emotional roller coaster and the ride has left me thinking of the book hours after I finished it!! I loved Fractured even more than Fateful!!

You must read Fateful in order to read Fractured and please do not read this review unless you've read Fateful- I don't want to kill the surprises! Now that Ethan and Danielle are cured everyone is after them and a war is brewing!! Ethan is mortal and fears he can no longer keep Danielle safe so there is a lot of tension! Plus on top of the struggles of just staying alive, Ethan and Danielle are struggling to keep their relationship pure...which reminds me so much of the struggles most of us would face when we are in love and trying to do the right thing!!

Again I say Wow!! Cheri has created this enchanting love story with Ethan and Danielle that there were times I felt the tug on my heart when there was bumps along the road!! Thank you Cheri though for not adding a love triangle!! Sometimes I get bored with all the stories that have love triangles in them and it just refreshing to read about a relationship that has the same two people!

The passion in Fractured left me breathless at times! I could not devour it fast enough! There are so many surprises throughout this book that I couldn't even begin to let you in on any of them...you must read to find them out!

What makes Fractured even better as that as the love story progresses so does the new and dangerous threats of war and the breaking of the curse!! This book has so much to enjoy; passion, love, danger and excitement, with a unique ending that will leave you begging for more!! How can I wait for book 3?? Cheri is a very gifted writer and I think there are more amazing books to come!

I received a free copy of Fractured by the author for my honest and personal opinion of the story!! I honestly wouldn't recommend this book if I didn't think you'd like it!!

Book Blurb:
The Fateful Trilogy continues with Fractured. No, it’s not called Fractured because Ethan and Danielle break up...in case you were wondering.

They had thought they’d escaped most of the danger surrounding them, when in truth they’ve made it worse by unintentionally sparking a civil war amongst vampires. Many vampires want to protect them for discovering the cure to the curse binding their kind. However many more want to destroy them for that same discovery.

Ethan’s and Danielle’s struggle for survival intensifies while they sink deeper into the midst of this danger. The romantic fairytale bliss they once had will soon fracture under the pressure of the curse....

About the Author:

Cheri is a mother of four beautiful girls, a wife to a loving computer geek, a writer, an artist, a photographer, a lover of words, and a lover of reading books.

Cheri went to Brigham Young University in 1988 where she majored in photography and design. She has worked as a portrait photographer and artist for twenty years. She has only recently realized that she can share the stories constantly playing through her thoughts, and added writing to her list of creative endeavors. She always did well in English, but never realized she could write as her other talents seemed to overshadow that hidden skill.

She has always had an interest in fairies, mermaids, vampires, witches, and, in truth, just about any type of fantasy or myth. She started out in elementary school drawing mermaids, fairies, and witches, and has since sold paintings of them on eBay. As computer technology advanced, she began digitally enhancing photographs into those magical creatures as well.

When stories of these beings continued to entertain her thoughts, to the point of almost haunting her, she decided it was time to start writing them down. FATEFUL was her first finished work, though other stories had come to her before that. She has seven other books in the plans, including: some on vampires, some on fairies, and all of them with a romantic twist.     

Buy the book at Amazon:
  

Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann

My Review:
5 STARS

Is Trevor an Archangel or just a local hero?

That is the question I asked myself throughout Indelible.  Trevor is former Olympian who now teaches skiing/hiking and surviving skills to kids along with whitewater rafting and rock climbing.  On the side he is a local hero who is always helping local police find the missing or injured along the mountainside.  He rescues his new neighbor Natalie's nephew from the jaws of a lion and that is how they meet each other.  Natalie owns the art gallery next to Trevor's store.  Natalie has a gift (or disability) for sculpting but it doesn't come without a cost.

I really enjoyed Indelible even though there were moments I was completely freaked out! Total Page-Turner!! I knew there would be some mystery involved but I never thought I'd literally get the chills reading this book. This book reminded me a lot of a favorite show of mine, Criminal Minds where you are seeing things from multiple angles.  You are in the mind of the evil right from the start and at times I didn't understand what was going on but it all made sense the more you read.  You also got to see things through the main characters point of view along with the detectives and police force as well. I could not read Indelible fast enough!!

I loved the unique story line the most.  I had never heard about this sort of disability with Natalie before and I was fascinated with her story.  I also really enjoyed being in the mind of the evil. The ending is unpredictable and I never knew what was going to happen next.

The characters were so compelling and passionate.  Both Trevor and Natalie were dealing with some pretty awful history and hated a lot of things about themselves but as this story unfolded I loved seeing them grow and mature in to accepting who God made them to be. I was immersed in their stories right from the start.

Not only was this about learning to happy with yourself, this is also about family, love, and forgiveness all wrapped up in a thrilling mystery which a romance woven in throughout! This book was fascinating and I will be thinking about the characters and the story for a while!

I received this book from WaterBrook Press's blogging for books program for free. In exchange I give my honest review of the book.

Please take a moment to rate my review!!

Book Blurb:

In a clash of light and darkness, the tenacity of love is illuminated.
When Trevor MacDaniel, a high country outfitter, rescues a toddler from the jaws of a mountain lion, he can’t foresee the far-reaching consequences of his action, how it will entwine his life with gifted sculptor, Natalie Reeve—and attract a grim admirer.

Trevor’s need to guard and protect is born of tragedy, prompting his decision to become a search and rescue volunteer. Natalie’s gift of sculpting comes from an unusual disability that seeks release through her creative hands. In each other they see strength and courage as they face an incomprehensible foe.

Drawn by the heroic story of the child’s rescue, a twisted soul sees Trevor as archangel and adversary, and threatens their peaceful mountain community—testing Trevor’s limits by targeting their most helpless and innocent.

About the author:

Kristen learned to read at age four in the sit-on-the-floor school her father taught at home. That was the start of her love affair with stories. Skipping kindergarten, she went to first grade at five and dove into learning with a passion. In elementary school, she wrote and illustrated her own miniature books and the highlight of the week was the mile and a half walk to the book mobile.

A bit of a tomboy, she and her brother played numerous make believe games of cowboys and Indians. She played the Indian because the toy bow really shot arrows (a distinct advantage over caps.) Other early interests were catching frogs and exploring, playing baseball and football, and any form of art she could put her hand to. She studied violin from age seven to seventeen, taught herself piano, guitar, recorder and tambourine.

Of her three main interests, art, music and writing, she chose to study English at the University of Colorado and thrived on Creative Writing and Literature classes. She married her husband Jim, and turned her energy to building a family. They have four children whom they have home schooled for all or most of their education. Kristen is a music minister with the ecumenical covenant community People of Praise.

Once she realized the stories in her head were truly a calling from the Lord, she made writing not just a passion, but a ministry. She has written seven historical fiction novels as part of the The Rocky Mountain Legacy series and the Diamond of the Rockies series. Most recently, she has written seven contemporary fiction novels: Twilight, A Rush of Wings, The Still of Night, Halos, Secrets, Unforgotten, and Freefall.

Writing is not only a passion for Kristen, it is a commission, her way of sharing the themes of grace and forgiveness and dependence on Christ. She believes God gave her a voice, and she joyfully uses the talent for His glory.   

Buy the book at Amazon: