Books That Changed Me: 2024 Spring Edition! @MaeClair1 @JanSikes3 @Sandra_Cox #writingcommunity #whattoread #springreading #mustread #readinglist

Title: 2024 Books that changed me spring edition with flowers in background

Happy Spring (—or Fall)!

The sun is shining here after a normal season of rain, although not snow. I won’t complain though after the over-achieving snow year before. I love when the flowers peek out and the birds have returned. It’s the time of renewal and to get out into your garden.

If you aren’t out enjoying the flowers or warmer weather, you might want a good book to curl up with. You have already seen my reviews, so now I’m sharing the blurb and where to purchase them. If you add one to your reading list, you will have some fantastic reading ahead!

Here are my three top spring reading picks in no particular order:


keeping place book cover

In the town of Hornwood, the past is always present . . .

Nicole Seabrooke has been wracked with guilt since the night of her younger sister’s disappearance ten years ago. Her mother, Glory, tasked her with watching over Janie. Instead, Nicole dragged her to a high school party, then failed to keep an eye on her. Police believed she drowned, but her body was never found.

A decade later, her remains are discovered.

Nicole returns to Hornwood when new evidence indicates Janie’s death may have been a homicide. With the help of Detective Vin McCain, her high school boyfriend, Nicole begins to piece together what took place the night her sister disappeared—a task that further complicates her relationship with Glory and places Nicole in the crosshairs of a killer. One who will do whatever it takes to keep the truth about Janie’s death from being revealed.

Even if it means killing again.

UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK


A shocking proposal that changes everything.
Desperate to honor his father’s dying wish, Layken Martin vows to do whatever it takes to save the family farm.
Once the Army discharges him following World War II, Layken returns to Missouri to find his legacy in shambles and in jeopardy. A foreclosure notice from the bank doubles the threat. He appeals to the local banker for more time—a chance to rebuild, plant, and harvest crops and time to heal far away from the noise of bombs and gunfire.
But the banker firmly denies his request. Now what?
Then, the banker makes an alternative proposition—marry his unwanted daughter, Sara Beth, in exchange for a two-year extension. Out of options, money, and time, Layken agrees to the bargain.
Now, he has two years to make a living off the land while he shares his life with a stranger.
If he fails at either, he’ll lose it all.

UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK


There’s a new sheriff in town.
Instead of chasing bounties all over the state, Keeper Tyree has taken the job of sheriff of El Dorado.
Everything is going well. He’s tamed the town and now he doesn’t have to knock more than a few heads together a day, and has no more than one or two occupants in the calaboose at a time. Then a stranger comes to town. A stranger bent on vengeance and the man he wants to bring down is Keeper.
Mitchell Jordan holds Keeper personally responsible for his dad being hung. He believes in an eye for an eye and he’s out to even the score. A family member for a family member.
Keeper is tough and fearless, except where his loved ones are concerned. They’re his one weakness and there’s nothing he won’t do to keep them safe. No matter which side of the law he has to come down on. There’s no right or wrong, there’s just taking care of his own. And now they’ve been threatened.
Jordan leads Keeper out of El Dorado down a winding trail of danger and deceit, and that trail won’t end till one of them is lying boots up six feet under.

UNIVERSAL AMAZON LINK


Embrace your inner child, read a good book! Happy Spring, D. L. Finn

New Release! The Destination Harbor Pointe Series Book 3 @dlfinnauthor #harborpointeseries #writingcommunity #whattoread #halloween #halloweenpics

Hooray! Tomorrow is the release day for The Destination. I am also sharing some fun pictures since tomorrow is Halloween.

Since I don’t have a review for myself I’ll pick the first one posted on Goodreads.

Blurb

The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.

It’s 1967, and best friends Lacey and Sandy are enjoying a beach vacation, completely unaware of the danger that is lying in wait outside their door. Their room is quaint, with an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean and an old lighthouse, but a killer is stalking their next victim. Powerless, Annie the ghost watches, knowing there’s nothing she can do to help—not even her parents, the innkeepers. Who will survive their stay at the Harbor Pointe Inn, where the edge of evil lurks within the shadows?

Review by Staci Troilo

First, Oscar and Felix. Then, Thelma and Louise. Now, Lacey and Sandy.

Lacey and Sandy are the best of friends, closer than sisters. But they couldn’t be more different. Lacey is a free spirit, adventurous, always chasing fabulous experiences. Sandy is a people-pleaser. She does what’s expected of her because she loves the calm… even if that means sacrificing her happiness to maintain it. Many of us have probably been a Lacey or a Sandy in a friendship. I know I have been. (And no, I won’t share which one.) It’s because these two diametrically opposed personalities are so familiar that these characters are so relatable. Opposites attract, right? These two have a soul-deep bond, and it leaps off the page.

I absolutely love this friendship, and it carries the story to new heights, but it’s not the only thing that caught my attention. Danger lurks. Residents of Harbor Pointe may have a guardian angel, but the two friends are slightly out of her purview. She does what she can to help, but I held my breath until I saw if it was enough. And I promise, the evil is unparalleled. There’s a real-world reference to someone so malevolent, readers can’t help but fear the worst for the characters.

Whether you believe in guardian angels or not, I invite you to imagine having one. One who’s invested, involved, and goes above and beyond to intervene for your safety. That’s the premise in The Destination, and it will have you thinking “what if…” the whole way through. What if Annie doesn’t see the source of the danger? What if Annie doesn’t keep her parents at the inn? What if Annie isn’t powerful enough to save the visiting friends?

I won’t answer those questions. But I challenge readers not to race to the end to find the answers. Paranormal fans won’t want to miss this one. Highly recommended.

Thank you, Staci!
Now on to Halloween. Here are some fun pictures from past and present.
And this year:
Embrace your inner child. Happy Halloween 🙂 D. L. Finn

 

Books That Changed Me—2023 Fall Edition @Sandra_Cox @HowellWave @Virgilante #writingcommunity #whattoread

Welcome to autumn—or almost. I’m posting this a day early since it falls on a Saturday. This is a favorite time for me. The landscape is changing into a rosy glowing sunset. Animals are making final preparations for the coming cold weather and I’m enjoying it all, including the cooler weather. It does make for cozy reading.

Although you’ve seen these books reviewed here, I felt they were worthy of another look—or some of my top reads. Here are the books and their blurbs for fantastic fall reading.

Once Upon a Time in the Swamp

By C.S. Boyack

BLURB

Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

 

Return to Silverhills

By Sandra Cox

BLURB

A Western with strong romantic elements:
The Wades’ saga continues as Alex and Brandon return to Silverhills, bringing Alex’s friend Lisa with them.
They arrive home just as Jeff Wade, Brandon’s younger brother, is about to head a trail drive across the Chisholm Trail. But there’s a problem, the cattle drive cook has a broken arm.
A week later, Lisa sets out on the drive as the camp cook along with the Silverhills’ cowpunchers and a thousand head of longhorn. Trail drives are always dangerous, but this one has more than its share of perils. Snowstorms, flashfloods, hot lead and rustlers are just a few of the dangers they encounter.
And if that’s not enough for the trail boss to be dealing with, he can’t ignore the white-hot attraction he feels for the petite, lovely blonde who drives the chuckwagon like a seasoned camp cook. Jeff is very much afraid that falling in love could prove more fatal than the bullets flying along the Chisholm Trail.

 

The Last Drive

By John W. Howell

BLURB

In the sequel to Eternal Road – The final stop, Sam and James are reunited to look for two souls, Ryan and Eddie. Ryan was killed in Afghanistan, trying to avoid a schoolyard with his crippled plane. Eddie Rickenbacker, Ryan’s hero, is to guide Ryan to his Eternal Home, and now both are missing.
The higher-ups believe that there has been some interference in Ryan and Eddie’s journey by Lucifer, so Sam and James have the task of finding Ryan and Eddie to get them back on the road despite the evil interference. Unfortunately, the machinations designed to prevent Ryan and Eddy from completing their journey takes the pair to horrifying testing grounds. The places visited represent the best work of the Devil. They are the trenches of World War I in France, gladiators at the Roman Coliseum, the sinking Titanic in 1912, Hiroshima 45 minutes before the bomb, and the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943.

This book is for you if you like plenty of action, strong characters, time travel, and a touch of spiritual and historical fiction. So, join Sam and James as they try to find the missing souls while staying one step ahead of the Prince of Darkness, who is determined to destroy all that is good.

 

Embrace your inner child by reading a good book! D. L. Finn