Book Beginnings + Friday 56: Storm Surge (Lantern Beach Mysteries Book 3) by Christy Barritt

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring Storm Surge by Christy Barritt. Ms. Barritt is doing quick releases for this series and I am loving it! It's so great not having to wait a long time for the next installment.

About the Book

A storm is brewing hundreds of miles away, but its effects are devastating even from afar.

Laid-back and light: that's Cassidy Livingston's new motto. But when a makeshift boat with a bloody cloth inside washes ashore near her oceanfront home, her detective instincts shift into gear . . . again.

Seeking clues isn't the only thing on her mind-romance is heating up with next-door neighbor and former Navy SEAL Ty Chambers as well. Her heart wants the love and stability she's longed for her entire life. But her hidden identity only leads to a tidal wave of turbulence.

As more answers emerge about the boat, the danger around her rises, creating a treacherous swell that threatens to reveal her past. Can Cassidy mind her own business, or will the storm surge of violence and corruption that has washed ashore on Lantern Beach leave her life in wreckage?

Book Beginning

Cady Matthews froze in the dingy hallway.

The sound of a whiny hum mixed with a faint tapping - so faint that Cady thought she'd imagined it. Yet something about the noise seemed to beckon for attention, to whisper of urgency.

Friday 56 (56% on my Kindle)

With her new supplies loaded into her truck and a few minutes to spare before she needed to start her route, Cassidy pulled out her phone.

What have you been reading lately?

Review: The Assault: Cycle Two of the Harbinger Series by Billy Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, & Alton Gansky

About the Book

The Next Wave of Stories in the Harbingers Series Arrives

Cycle 2 of the Harbingers series continues the story of four gifted strangers brought together to fight a growing darkness.

In Bill Myers's "The Revealing," the team finds themselves in Rome trying to retrieve the mystical spear Hitler once owned--the very spear that pierced Christ's side. This task will take them from hidden chambers inside the Vatican to a mysterious seaside cave with powers they could never expect.

Frank Peretti's "Infestation" unleashes a microscopic evil on the world that deceives, blinds, kills, then spreads. The Harbingers team must confront a monster bent on seducing and destroying mankind.

In "Infiltration" by Angela Hunt, the team is wounded and barely holding together. Forced to split up, they realize their investigations have led them into dangerous waters.

Alton Gansky's "The Fog" unleashes a supernatural mist unlike any other. There are vicious things in the fog that kill whatever they find. One team member realizes that the ultimate sacrifice may have to be made.

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

The Assault: Cycle Two of the Harbingers series was just as strange and spooky as the first cycle, maybe even more so. These stories were hard to put down and had me reading them as fast as I could. They were immensely compelling.

In The Revealing, the gang is in Rome and tasked with finding the (real) Spear of Destiny. I was extremely intrigued with this story. So interesting!

Well, Frank Peretti certainly knows how to write a truly chilling story! In Infestation there's more trouble with the animals... and it seems to be escalating quickly.

Infiltration was a bit of a slower read for me, but still very interesting. Most of the gang's researching and trying to find out more about The Gate. Andi is studying a mysterious orb and seeing a psychiatrist to help deal with fallout from the previous episode. 

The Fog starts off a little slow, but then...WHAM... the action picks up and my goodness... it was STRESSFUL! I couldn't read it fast enough. 

I am fully invested in these characters' stories and can't wait to start Cycle Three!

Four Stars

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Story Peddler (The Weaver Trilogy #1) by Lindsay A. Franklin

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm featuring  The Story Peddler (The Weaver Trilogy #1) by Lindsay A. Franklin releasing May 1, 2018.

About the Book
Selling stories is a deadly business

Tanwen doesn’t just tell stories—she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.

During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king’s guard hunts her down . . . and they’re not known for their mercy. As Tanwen flees for her life, she unearths long-buried secrets and discovers she’s not the only outlaw in the empire. There’s a rebel group of weavers . . . and they’re after her too.

Why I Need It
When I first saw the cover, I was instantly intrigued. And then I read the synopsis and became super excited. I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting fantasy. I can't wait to dive into this one!

What book are you eagerly anticipating?

Review: Paint the Town Dead (A Silver Six Mystery ) by Nancy Haddock

About the Book

From the national bestselling author of Basket Case comes the second mystery starring the crafty and cantankerous Silver Six.
 
Leslee Stanton Nix—aka “Nixy”—thought moving to small-town Lilyvale, Arkansas, would be about as thrilling as watching paint dry. But keeping up with her retired Aunt Sherry and her troublemaking housemates—collectively known as the Silver Six—has proven to be as exciting as it is exasperating.

To kick off the grand opening of their craft shop, the Handcraft Emporium, Nixy and the Silver Six invite Doralee Gordon to teach a gourd painting class. Doralee’s spirit gets squashed when her ex-husband crashes the class with his new fiancée, but things really get messy when the bride-to-be later turns up dead. Now it’s up to Nixy and the Silver Six to use their melons to find the killer—before someone else gets painted out of the picture...

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

I loved the first book in this series, so I was really looking forward to Paint the Town Dead. It was great! The Silver Six were just as amusing as ever. It's fun to watch their antics and see Nixy try to reign them in, but in the end, just join in on the fun.

It took a little bit for the mystery to get going, but once it did I was fully engaged. There were quite a few suspects, so that kept me guessing. I had my suspicions, but was never 100% sure.

Paint the Town Dead was a great addition to the Silver Six mysteries and can be enjoyed even if you haven't read book one.

Four Stars

Connect with author Nancy Haddock on her website, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: Dominion (Life After #3) by Julie Hall

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring Dominion by Julie Hall. It's the conclusion to the Life After series and WOW... what a conclusion it is! It's such a powerful story of the Ultimate Good overcoming  Ultimate Evil. It has it's serious moments, but it's got lots of laugh-out-loud moments too. This is a series I'd recommend even to people who aren't normally fans of this genre. It's just that good!

About the Book

Nothing comes without a cost.

After defeating the red dragon’s legion of bloodthirsty demons, Audrey can finally settle into the afterlife with the knowledge her family is safe. But her quest for a perfect existence shatters the moment Logan is kidnapped in an attempt to bend her to Satan’s will.

Audrey must now travel to the one place no hunter has ever ventured to save the man she loves . . . Hell.

Savage demons, desiccated corpses, life sucking zombie trees, and a land of death and rot await Audrey and her friends as they battle through the fiery realm.

But Logan’s freedom comes with a price . . . the destruction of Audrey’s happily ever after.

As Satan schemes for dominion over all the realms, Audrey learns that some acts may be beyond redemption.

Fans of The Mortal Instruments, Buffy, and Supernatural won't want to miss out on all the twists and turns in the conclusion of this YA Fantasy journey.

Book Beginning

I coughed for the hundredth time. Hell was... well, hot as Hell. As clichés went, this one was turning out to be extremely accurate.

We'd only been here for an hour, tops, and I was already dying to leave.

Oh look, I made a funny.

Friday 56 (56% on my Kindle)

The next days were some of the happiest and darkest of my existence.

What have you been reading lately?

Review: Finding Evergreen by Jennifer Rodewald

About the Book

He thought he’d found the thrill of his life; she, the romance she’d hadn’t dared to hope for. Falling in love had been easy. Being married? Totally different story.

Married within a year of meeting, Ethan and Brandi add a foster daughter to their newly established family. Their story is enchanting—inspiring. Except when the fairytale fails. The stresses of unmet expectations and wounds from their pasts knife into their marriage, severing what they believed would be forever.

Hope for a broken marriage. Healing for their wounded spirits. It would take both to find evergreen. Are they brave enough to try?

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

Finding Evergreen was an emotional read. It was heart-wrenching and raw and painful. But it was also breathtaking and authentic and oh so good. It was full of hardships, ups and downs, faith, redemption, and grace.

I was instantly pulled into this story and completely invested in Brandi, Ethan, and So-J's lives. These characters were hurting. There were misunderstandings and assumptions and things got misconstrued. Things got difficult, really difficult. Life's not always easy or rainbows and sunshine. Plans don't always go the way they're expected and maybe they weren't realistic in the first place. This book is real life and so very compelling. I felt like I was reading about real people and their very real struggles.

I can't recommend Finding Evergreen highly enough! Rodewald is firmly cemented on my favorite authors list. There is always something in her books that resonates so deeply with me. I leave feeling as though I've encountered something profound. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

I received a copy of this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

Five Stars

Connect with author Jennifer Rodewald on her website, Facebook page, and Twitter.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Stone Girl's Story by Sarah Beth Durst

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm featuring The Stone Girl's Story by Sarah Beth Durst releasing April 3, 2018.

About the Book

Exploring the power of stories and storytelling, Sarah Beth Durst presents the mesmerizing adventure of a girl made of living stone who braves unforeseen dangers and magical consequences on a crucial quest to save her family. 

Mayka and her stone family were brought to life by the stories etched into their bodies. Now time is eroding these vital marks, and Mayka must find a stonemason to recarve them. But the search is more complex than she had imagined, and Mayka uncovers a scheme endangering all stone creatures. Only someone who casts stories into stone can help—but whom can Mayka trust? Where is the stonemason who will save them?

Action and insight combine in this magical coming-of-age novel as the young heroine realizes the savior she’s been searching for is herself. 

Why I Need It

I'm a big fan of Sarah Beth Durst. ICE, her retelling of East of the Sun West of the Moon is one of my faves. So I'm always excited when she has a new release coming out.

What book are you eagerly anticipating?