Thief's Mark by Carla Neggers - TLC Book Tour

About Thief’s Mark

• Series: Sharpe & Donovan (Book 8)
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: MIRA (August 29, 2017)

A murder in a quiet English village, long-buried secrets and a man’s search for answers about his traumatic past entangle FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan in the latest edge-of-your-seat Sharpe & Donovan novel 
As a young boy, Oliver York witnessed the murder of his wealthy parents in their London apartment. The killers kidnapped him and held him in an isolated Scottish ruin, but he escaped, thwarting their plans for ransom. Now, after thirty years on the run, one of the two men Oliver identified as his tormentors may have surfaced.
Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan are enjoying the final day of their Irish honeymoon when a break-in at the home of Emma’s grandfather, private art detective Wendell Sharpe, points to Oliver. The Sharpes have a complicated relationship with the likable, reclusive Englishman, an expert in Celtic mythology and international art thief who taunted Wendell for years. Emma and Colin postpone meetings in London with their elite FBI team and head straight to Oliver. But when they arrive at York’s country home, a man is dead and Oliver has vanished.
As the danger mounts, new questions arise about Oliver’s account of his boyhood trauma. Do Emma and Colin dare trust him? With the trail leading beyond Oliver’s small village to Ireland, Scotland and their own turf in the United States, the stakes are high, and Emma and Colin must unravel the decades-old tangle of secrets and lies before a killer strikes again.
New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers delivers the gripping, suspense-filled tale readers have been waiting for.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Carla Neggers

Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 60 novels, including her popular Sharpe and Donovan and Swift River Valley series. Her books have been translated into 24 languages and sold in over 35 countries. A frequent traveler to Ireland, Carla lives with her family in New England. To learn more and to sign up for her newsletter, visit CarlaNeggers.com.
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Connect with Carla

Website | Facebook | Twitter

My Thoughts:

I started off the book being completely confused.  The reason for that is that I felt like from the get go, I was thrown into the middle of an on going story of which I had no information or understanding.

It was a bit frustrating for me to stick with it because like I said above, I had no clue what was going on.  I did a bit of research and found out that this was the 7th book in a series.

The author did a pretty good job of explaining and setting the novel and honestly after my initial frustration, I just kept going and decided to enjoy the story for what it was.  And enjoy I did.

I felt like I was able to travel all over England, see beautiful places, meet interesting people and also go o a bit of an adventure with MI5 and the FBI. 

We are following the story of Oliver who is an art thief, and Emma and Colin, newly married FBI agents.  What ensues is a  thirty year old murder mystery come to light with Oliver having to rehash some of the most difficult moments of his life.

Quite an interesting story and it did make me want to go back and look up the previous 6 installments in the series.

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter - TLC Book Tour

 

About The Good Daughter

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (August 8, 2017)

The stunning new novel from the international #1 bestselling author — a searing, spellbinding blend of cold-case thriller and psychological suspense.

Two girls are forced into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. One is left behind…

Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn's happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father — Pikeville's notorious defense attorney — devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night.

Twenty-eight years later, and Charlie has followed in her father's footsteps to become a lawyer herself — the ideal good daughter. But when violence comes to Pikeville again — and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatized — Charlie is plunged into a nightmare. Not only is she the first witness on the scene, but it's a case that unleashes the terrible memories she's spent so long trying to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime that destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago won't stay buried forever…

Packed with twists and turns, brimming with emotion and heart, The Good Daughter is fiction at its most thrilling.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Photo by Alison Rosa

About Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 36 languages, with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her sixteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and the instant New York Times bestselling novel Pretty Girls. A native of Georgia, Karin currently lives in Atlanta. Her Will Trent series, Grant County series, and standalone novel Cop Town are all in development for film and television.

Find out more about Karin at her website and connect with her on Facebook.

My Thoughts:

Wow what a book, what a story, what an edge of your seat novel this was.

If you love crime, psychological, intense thrillers, then this is the book for you.  This was my first Karen Slaughter book and it won't be the last, I can tell you that for sure.

The story opens with two girls, sisters who have been through a horrible tragedy of losing their family home, and all of their belongings.  Their father is a rough tough lawyer who dabbles in cases of high importance and those sure to ruffle feathers and anger the crowds.

In retaliation for one of these such cases, their family home is set ablaze and the family is left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

As they try to restart their lives and get back on their feet, they are once again hit with tragedy, this time in the form of two masked men who storm into their house when it's just the girls and their mother at home.  What follows is one of the most horrific crimes you could imagine culminating in the two girls being led into the woods and one of the girls running for her life, while the other is buried alive.

I don't want to give it all away, I certainly don't want to give anything that will spoil the story for you, but this is such a good white knuckle, what is happening next story that will leave you wanting for more.

It's dark, it's full of twists and turns, and vivid descriptions of crime scenes and horrible memories told from two different perspectives.  If you're easily upset  or affected by vivid descriptions, you may not want to read it, but I implore you to look past that and give it a go. 

 

A day at the Lake

There used to be a time when, family get togethers or even day trips, were always done with my husband and I and both kids.  As time has gone by, as the kids have grown up and become adults and young adults, I find that family outings are very few and far between.

More often than not, nowadays, you will see me and hubby trotting along doing whatever we need to, and very seldom will we have one of the kids with us.

Jasmine is 18, she's an adult, she does her own thing and from the two I would say she is more inclined to come out with us here and there.  Nicholas is 14 and like other 14 year olds these days, his life revolves around video games, youtube videos and spending time in his room taking naps.  Family get togethers are not one of his favorite things to do, he is quite shy and doesn't like big gatherings.

It makes it difficult to plan anything but it's also giving Curt and I the opportunity to start getting used to an empty nest.

The annual family reunion was this weekend, and it was held at the lake.  Everyone stayed in the cabins for 2 days, but we couldn't stay overnight, mainly because they don't allow pets and we have a puppy and an elderly dog.  Secondly, Nick wasn't feeling well for a few days and didn't go, Jasmine then decided not to go either and rather stay home and watch him and take care of whatever he needed.  Perks of having an 18 year old around :)





So Curt and I headed out Saturday morning to spend the day with the family.  It was a quiet reunion, not many could make it, there wasn't much going on aside from chatting, playing card games and eating some barbecue.

I always enjoy being at the lake, there's something about water that I find immensely relaxing and calming.   While everyone either swam, or talked or played, I took a few minutes to walk down to the shore and just stand and take it all in.

I mulled over a lot of things, plans we have for the future, current financial burdens, my children growing up, family issues and so on.  It's not like staring out at the water you get the immediate answers, but I think what it does is calm you enough  to where you think clearly and maybe consider certain aspects that you wouldn't otherwise, especially when you're stressed and your mind is clouded.

After about 20 minutes, I walked back up to join everyone.

We left around 9PM, we're only 45 minutes from the Lake and I was in contact with my kids constantly throughout the day.  It's hard for me to get used to the idea that I have an adult as a child already, and even though I trust her, I'm the kind of mom that feels uncomfortable being away from her kids so long.

It's been a pretty relaxing long Labor Day weekend, and I've enjoyed every second of it.  But tomorrow it's back to full hands on deck, back to homeschool and housework, jam making and bread baking, menu planning and picture taking and blog writing.

Days that start before the sun has begun to rise and are packed to the brim with the busyness of a family.

Today I'm taking it easy, relaxing on the couch with Curt as he binge watches Supernatural Season 12.  I've seen it but I love the show so don't mind sitting through it again.   I've taken this time to put up my book review, today's Happy Homemaker Monday and a few recipes up on the food blog.   I need to catch up on so much around here, I was just thinking this morning that I haven't even finished my Blog Book for 2012.

Well friends, whatever you're doing today, I hope it's filled with love and surrounded by family.

Happy Labor Day!!!!

Happy Homemaker Monday - 09/04/2017

Happy Monday everyone, and Happy September too!!!

Gosh how did we get here so fast, didn't this year just start?
Life has been once again quite busy for me and I find myself with less and less time to blog, it's frustrating to say the least.  But guess what, I'm not going to go on about it like I always do, because frankly that's a little annoying, even for myself.

Let's just crack on with a new month and see where it takes us :)

The weather:::
We've had quite humid weather around here, a sprinkle of rain here and there (not much) and gorgeous warm days.  We'll be staying in the 80s all week through.  Definitely feeling the change in weather, and I'm happy for that because I do love Fall.
 
Right now I am:::
Sitting down and getting this post up.  I'm very behind on my blogging and computer work, just haven't had time.  I put up a book review this morning, go on over and check it out if you enjoy Rachel Hauck.
I am sipping on my coffee with Hazelnut creamer and playing here and there with Marley.  He brings me his toys so I can throw them for him.
 
On my reading pile:::
Thief's Mark for review on Friday, and also To Wager Her Heart.  I've become quite good at reading two books at once, it used to confuse me at first, but not any more and that's a good thing because I usually have so many reviews going.  I do love my reading though :)  

Movies or Shows I watched this weekend:::
I caught up on last years The Great British Bake Off.  I had only watched the first two episodes, but when I saw that the new Season had started, I remembered how much I love this show and went back and watched them all.
 
On my TV:::
General Hospital
American Supernatural
Paranormal Survivor
Haunted Towns
Vlogs

On the menu for this week:::
Only have plans until Friday, that's when I'm grocery shopping.  I'll be working on the new menu sometime this week.

Monday
Roast Chicken Legs, Garlic and Butter Spaghetti     
Tuesday
Fish Fillets, Tomato Rice and Salad      
Wednesday
Feijoada (Portuguese Bean Stew)
Thursday
Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Veggies   
Friday 
Cheesy Garlic Pizza, Wings     
Saturday
     
Sunday
 

On my to do list:::
Kitchen......Empty the dishwasher, reload.  Sweep and Mop.
Laundry.....Laundry is all done, ironed and put away.  I just have one load of hubby's work pants to iron and put up.

House......Just need to pick up in the living room because Marley's been playing and has toys everywhere. 
Homeschooling......No school today but Nick has a Sign Language project he needs to send in. 

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
On the last row of Part 15 for the Mandala Madness, so hoping to finish it today and get started on Part 16.  There's only 18 parts so I'm quite eager to get it all finished. 

Looking around the house:::
I can hear the birds chirping outside through my open screen door.  The house itself is clean because I did most of it yesterday, but there is one pile of clean kitchen towels on my couch that I need to put away.  It's neat and tidy so I don't have much to do thankfully. 

From the camera:::
My father in law has a small little boat that he brought to the reunion for anyone to go on.  I wanted to go but ended up not having time to do so, bummer. 

What I'm wearing today:::
Shorts and a tshirt.  

One of my simple pleasures:::
Researching recipes from centuries ago.  I find it fascinating seeing how they used to cook and what they cooked with.  

Inspirational Quote, Bible verse, anything you want to share:::
Let's all be pineapples.....

The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck - TLC Book Tour

 

About The Writing Desk

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (July 11, 2017)

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress comes a new captivating novel of secrets, romance, and two women bound together across time by a shared dream.

Tenley Roth’s first book was a runaway bestseller. Now that her second book is due, she’s locked in fear. Can she repeat her earlier success or is she a fraud who has run out of inspiration?
With pressure mounting from her publisher, Tenley is weighted with writer’s block. But when her estranged mother calls asking Tenley to help her through chemotherapy, she packs up for Florida where she meets handsome furniture designer Jonas Sullivan and discovers the story her heart’s been missing.

A century earlier, another woman wrote at the same desk with hopes and fears of her own. Born during the Gilded Age, Birdie Shehorn is the daughter of the old money Knickerbockers. Under the strict control of her mother, her every move is decided ahead of time, even whom she’ll marry. But Birdie has dreams she doesn’t know how to realize. She wants to tell stories, write novels, make an impact on the world. When she discovers her mother has taken extreme measures to manipulate her future, she must choose between submission and security or forging a brand new way all on her own.
Tenley and Birdie are from two very different worlds, but fate has bound them together in a way time cannot erase.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Rachel Hauck

Rachel Hauck is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of The Wedding Dress, which was also named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and two pets and writes from her ivory tower.

Connect with Rachel

Website | Facebook | Twitter

My Thoughts

The Writing Desk was a phenomenal book.  I loved every single page.

I never used to like books that jumped between present and past, mainly because I felt I couldn't quite keep track of the story and got lost between the two.  But when it's written the right way, it can be one of the most interesting ways to tell a story, and it gives you that connection that you need between the two eras to make you fully understand what the characters are doing.

The story jumps between Birdie and Tenley.  Birdie is from the gilded age and what she truly really wants is for a publisher, any publisher to grab one of her writings and go with it, something that is not happening.  She is also dealing with a very strict and overbearing mother who is intent on controlling every single aspect of her life, right down to who she will marry.  It makes life quite difficult for Birdie especially when her heart is set on one man, and her mother is set on her marrying another.
As we watch her move through life, romance, and writing and everything else that the time period threw at her, I came to absolutely love Birdie.  Then again it might have been because I'm a huge fan of period pieces and anything from the past.

Tenley on the other hand is the quintessential young woman from modern times.  She's quirky and she's determine but also a little annoying at times.  I didn't like her quite as much as I did Birdie.  Tenley already has a published novel and is hoping to get another, truly on the outside she has it all, money, a published novel and a handsome man who has just proposed.  But Tenley is struggling with demons from the past, mainly her mother abandoning her and the family when she was little.  Now out of the blue she gets a call from her asking to please come and help as she goes through chemotherapy.  Tenley drops it all to help her mother and to try and repair the damage that was done so many years ago.

Like I said above, I loved every single minute of this book, it was fascinating, it was beautiful and raw in some parts and the biggest lesson that jumped out throughout the pages was the fact that we have to have Faith.

Brilliant story.