Review: A Trail of Crumbs by Susie Finkbeiner

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About the book:

"I believed it would have been a sin to stay inside when God had sent us such fine weather. According to Pastor Ezra Anderson, sin was the reason we'd got in the dusty mess we were in. The way I saw it, that day was God's way of letting us know He wasn't mad at us anymore. Just maybe He'd seen fit to forgive us."

Pearl Spence has been through more in her young life than most folks could handle. But through it all, her family has been by her side. They may not be perfect, but they love her and they all love each other, come what may. That's one thing Pearl no longer questions.

But the end of her beautiful day signals the beginning of the end of her secure life.

Now her family is fleeing their Oklahoma wasteland. Pearl isn't sure she'll ever see home or happiness again. Are there any crumbs powerful enough to guide her back to the dependable life she once knew?

 

The strong narrative voice of Finkbeiner's young protagonist from A Cup of Dust returns in this gritty yet hopeful sequel, sure to please her many fans.

My Thoughts:

A Trail of Crumbs continues the story of Pearl Spence and her family about four months after the events that took place in A Cup of Dust.  Again we see life through young Pearl’s life, a ten year old girl growing up in the time of the dust bowl, the Great Depression, a time of desperation for most people.  I thoroughly enjoyed the first novel and looked forward to their continuing story.

Wow.  There are some things that happen in this book that really took me by surprise.  The author knows this time period and writes it as if this family is real and we are reading the diary of this young girl with all the fears and raw emotions she has.  Pearl and her family have faced one tragedy after another and to some it has made them stronger and others it has made them weaker.  The author writes about a difficult path and shows us timely lessons where grief can weaken us and make temptation all that stronger to turn away from. Again I appreciate the author’s sensitivity to history and writes the facts in a way that feels very authentic. 

I am not sure how I feel about how this story left off.  I am anticipating the next in the continuing story of Pearl and her family- hopefully certain story lines will be resolved and I would like to see how Pearl turns out as a young woman after all she has been through.  I also liked how Pearl had to remember what was True and what was a lie in regards to her and her family’s love for her. I think all of us can take that to heart when we are faced with lies that want to sneak in versus the Truth we know deep down about our heavenly Father’s love for us. Impressive story-telling.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher.  I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.

Review: A Cup of Dust by Susie Finkbeiner

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About:

• Where you come from isn't who you are
  
  

  Ten-year-old Pearl Spence is a daydreamer, playing make-believe to escape life in Oklahoma's Dust Bowl in 1935. The Spences have their share of misfortune, but as the sheriff's family, they've got more than most in this dry, desolate place. They're who the town turns to when there's a crisis or a need--and during these desperate times, there are plenty of both, even if half the town stands empty as people have packed up and moved on. 

  
  

  Pearl is proud of her loving, strong family, though she often wearies of tracking down her mentally impaired older sister or wrestling with her grandmother's unshakable belief in a God who Pearl just isn't sure she likes. 

  
  

  Then a mysterious man bent on revenge tramps into her town of Red River. Eddie is dangerous and he seems fixated on Pearl. When he reveals why he's really there and shares a shocking secret involving the whole town, dust won't be the only thing darkening Pearl's world. 

My Thoughts:

A Cup of Dust is not really my normal read.  I am much more of a romance reader so reading through the eyes of a ten year old girl was different for me.  However, it was a read that captured my full attention and pulled me into the pages of the book.  In the middle of the dust bowl, Pearl lives with her Daddy, the sheriff, her Mama, older sister Beanie (who has some mental disabilities), and her Meemaw.  As Pearl lives her life with her family, we see how the town has been decimated with all the dust; the way of life that was as it was, and how people tended to mind their own business even as abuses took place and refused to take charity as it shamed them.  I appreciated how the author incorporated fascinating facts during that time and I still find it amazing how those peopled lived with all the dirt and dust storms.

I quickly became very fond of this family and as certain mysteries are revealed to Pearl, I liked watching her childlike comparisons of what a true family is.  Daddy and Mama are characters that I enjoyed reading about especially their love and generosity that they showed to all of their neighbors throughout the novel.  I valued that the author stayed true to the thinking and prejudices of the day making the story more authentic.

The childlike faith that Pearl had in Jesus was especially poignant as well as her love of fairy tales.  This was an intelligent and thoughtful read and I look forward to reading more by author Finkbeiner.

I received a copy of this book for free through Bookfun, Inc.  I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.

Review, Giveaway, and More: Deep Extraction by Diann Mills

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About:

A pacemaker should have saved oil and gas magnate Nathan Moore’s life. Instead, it provided his killer with a seemingly perfect means of execution.

A bombing at one of Nathan’s oil rigs days earlier indicates his death could be part of a bigger conspiracy, a web Special Agent Tori Templeton must untangle. But her first order of business is separating the personal from the professional—the victim’s wife, her best friend, is one of the FBI’s prime suspects.

Clearing Sally’s name may be the biggest challenge of her career, but Tori finds an unexpected ally in the newest member of the task force, recently reinstated Deputy US Marshal Cole Jeffers. As Tori and Cole dig deeper into Nathan’s personal and business affairs, they uncover more than they bargained for. And the closer they get to finding the real killer—and to each other—the more intent someone is on silencing them for good.

My Thoughts:

Deep Extraction was a very detailed and gripping thriller that was hard to put down for any length of time.  We have a family tragedy that from the outside looks like an accident, but digging deeper the facts are coming out and suggesting murder.  In steps Cole Jeffers, a US Marshall, and Tori Templeton, FBI, who both happen to be very close friends to the murder victim, Nathan Moore and his family.  Those two had yet to meet, they are now meeting for the first time as a team to clear this family’s name and uncover the real culprits.

This story was definitely an emotional one as this family is not only dealing with the death of their husband/father but finding out that he was not always who they thought he was.  I felt for his wife, Sally and their two teenage sons as the outside trappings of their father was peeled away and they must come face to face for the first time with the type of man he was.  And they really had no way to confront him on this side of heaven to get some closure for what he did and to try to restore the relationships.

I enjoyed watching the sparks fly between Cole and Tori, at first due to distrust, then later attraction. They made a great team together, not only their banter but the fact that they had each other’s backs too.  I thought this novel had just the right pacing; short enough chapters to keep us on our toes and wanting more and yet gave us time to catch our breath.  This was a rather complex mystery with a lot of moving parts that the team really had to dig through, even while more victims were piling up and they were fighting for their lives as well. 

This was a well done romantic suspense and I think my favorite so far by author Mills.

I was provided with a copy of this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to give a positive review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway:

Giveaway and FBI Quiz

Review: Home by Ginny L. Yttrup

About:

Novelist Melanie Vander runs away—from conflict, from pain, from reality. When Melanie finds herself faced with a looming deadline, she decides it’s time for an escape to a novel-worthy locale. Call it research. Maybe a bit of distance will inspire her husband to appreciate her again, too, she reasons. But once she’s away, she further distances herself from reality as she becomes obsessed with the male character in the story she’s writing. When hit with a dose of reality, Melanie must choose whether she’ll check out completely, or allow her characters to lead her home.

My Thoughts:

Home was a book that was a pretty gripping story of grief, temptation, illness, and what keeping secrets can do to a family.  Mostly though this was a story about grief, all kinds, and how we need to face it, a human emotion and a necessary next step in the moving on of our lives.  Whether it is a loss of a loved one, dream, career, or financial security grief must be faced head on.  We as human beings need to go through the stages no matter how painful.

The author masterfully told this story through three different viewpoints; Melanie the author, her husband Craig, and her best friend and next door neighbor, Jill. We are also given two of the characters viewpoints in the novel that Melanie is writing. All of these characters felt like they were my friends too. This story made me think and brought tears to my eyes, but in no way is it depressing.  This is my very first book Ms. Yttrup, and her writing this story in the way she did simply moved me.  It was lovely and a soul stirring novel not to be missed.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher.  I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.  

Review: A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander

About:

Despite her training as a master violinist, Rebekah Carrington was denied entry into the Nashville Philharmonic by young conductor Nathaniel Whitcomb, who bowed to public opinion. Now, with a reluctant muse and a recurring pain in his head, he needs her help to finish his symphony. But how can he win back her trust when he’s robbed her of her dream?

My Thoughts:

What a treat it was for me to read this latest in author Alexander’s series, A Belmont Mansion Novel.  This book is over 400 pages but went so quickly for me as the writing and the characters pulled me into their world for a while and I had a hard time coming back out of it.  Taking place shortly after the Civil War, Rebekah Carrington has been called back from Vienna to her home in Nashville, Tennessee after her beloved Grandmother has died.  Reluctant to come back home to a mother who does not understand her and to a step-father who is a rather evil man, Rebekah becomes desperate for a job and other living arrangements.  She lives in a time where it was very much frowned upon to have a woman play in the orchestra.  That however is Rebekah’s dream job and she is a very gifted musician.  It was frustrating to see the pigheadedness and the political mechanisms that kept women in their so called place, and I am so thankful I live in the time that I do.

Enter Maestro Nathaniel Tate Whitcomb who sees talent in Rebekah (and more) but bows to the confines of the culture; understandably so, but no less frustrating.  Tate was a very likable character with a depth about him that we get to see as the layers of his life are pulled back, and we like Rebekah get to know him.  His storyline took me by surprise and I enjoyed getting a much more in depth look at both his and Rebekah’s lives.

This story was very romantic and had me in the mood for classical music.  I liked that the author brought in a real person in history that tied this series together.  As always I appreciate the author notes and I am very interested in learning more about the Belmont Mansion and the lady herself, Adelicia Cheatham.   This moves to second place of my favorite books by author Alexander.  To Win Her Favor is still my favorite, but this is a very close second.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher.  I was not required to give a positive review.  All opinions and views expressed are my own.  I highly recommend this beautiful story.

Review: Because You're Mine by Colleen Coble

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About:

Amid the beauty of Charleston, not all is as it seems.

When her husband Liam is killed by a car bomb while their Celtic band is on tour in Charleston, singer and Irish beauty Alanna doesn’t quite know where to turn. Her father-in-law is threatening to take custody of the baby she carries, but Alanna knows she can’t lose the only piece of Liam she has left.

Alanna’s manager offers her a marriage of convenience to obtain U.S. citizenship and allow her to escape her father-in-law’s control. It seems like the perfect solution until she arrives at the family home of her new husband—a decaying mansion with more questions than answers.

Strange things begin happening that threaten Alanna’s life and the life of her child. Are they merely coincidences? Or is something more sinister at work?

A mysterious painting, a haunting melody, and a love stronger than death leave Alanna questioning where darkness ends and light begins.

My Thoughts:

This book intrigued me from the start and I would consider it a modern day take on a gothic story.  The mysteriousness of the storyline compelled me to continue to turn the pages long into the night.  I could not quite connect with the character of Alanna.  I somewhat understood why she did what she did, especially when her life took such an unreal turn.  Pregnant and alone and receiving no help from family made her decisions more realistic.  Her background was also a reason that made some of what I felt were poor decisions, more in line with her character.  As I was reading this I was unsure of what and whom to trust.  Everyone seemed distant and untrustworthy. 

Ms. Coble definitely throws in some twists that make you think and second guess as Alanna, Jesse, and their bandmates did.  However, some of the conclusions that they came up with were doozies and I was not sure what to make of them.  At times I couldn’t wrap my mind on why they were thinking the way they were when a believable solution was not that far out of reach.  For what it was, along the lines of a gothic novel, it was interesting and at times a creepy read.  I just had to keep reality suspended.

I received a copy of this book for free.  I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.

Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Such A Tease by Chautona Havig

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About the Book

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Book: Such a Tease
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical/Mystery
Release Date: March 21, 2017

Madeline, with a little assistance, discovers her old adversary is gaining a following in Rockland! Can she expose him for the fraud she’s sure he is?

In book two of the Meddlin’ Madeline series, Madeline Brown has a new endeavor to occupy her time. But is it to keep her out of the way or a reward for her work in Sweet on You? With the help of her young friends, Madeline discovers her old adversary is gaining a following in Rockland! What’s a girl to do?

But her new position also gives her opportunities to observe, and what she sees sets more than one new investigation in motion. What does her old suitor, Delbert Jackson, know? Why is Mr. Merton giving important papers to that scoundrel, Vernon Smythe, and whatever happened to poor Abigail Cooper?

Add to these intriguing questions Henry Hardwick’s continued attentions, Edith’s newfound devotion to the temperance movement and Madeline’s determination to find her a more reliable suitor, and strange behavior from her Aunt Louisa and things heat up as summer fades from Rockland.

Her dear friend, Russell, busy with an important project at work, finds himself unable to help keep her out of trouble and away from danger. Is Madeline going too far? Will her meddling get her in serious trouble this time, will it destroy her reputation irreparably, or will she rid Rockland of a scoundrel once and for all?

My Thoughts

In Meddlin’ Madeline book two Such a Tease, Madeline Brown is up to her old tricks again, so too, it would seem, is her rival Vernon Smythe.  Madeline is appalled to learn that everyone has seemingly forgiven Smythe despite the fact that she proved him to be a dishonest cad in the last book.  He is now gathering supporters for an electrical project that he claims will help everyone in town.  But why would a man like Vernon try to help other people?  Madeline determines that he must have some ulterior motive for this electrical project and sets out to figure out just what he is up to, and perhaps prove Vernon to be a fraud once and for all.

Madeline’s life is complicated and secrets abound in this cozy mystery.  The stakes get higher and higher when a body is found in a lake and houses begin exploding.  I found this book to be considerably more interesting than the first book was, and the mystery certainly kept me guessing. The historical content was fascinating and on a whole I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I look forward to the next books in this series.

I received a copy of this book for free.  I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.

Reviewed by Nicki

About the Author

Author of the Amazon bestselling Aggie, Past Forward, and HearthLand series, Chautona considers herself blessed to live in California’s Mojave Desert with her husband and five of her nine children. When not writing, which she admits isn’t often, Chautona enjoys blogging, paper crafts, sewing, smocking, photo editing, and old (read: before her parents’ time) music.

Guest Blog Post from Chautona

Leon Czolgosz is my new nemesis. He’s dead, but he ruined my book. No, really. The guy totally destroyed the opening pages of Such a Tease.

Now, these days, not a whole lot of people remember the name of Leon Cozolgosz. I didn’t. But I’ll never forget him now (although I may never remember how to spell his name).

Who is he? Only the guy who shot President McKinley. Why am I annoyed with him over a hundred years later? The idiot did this thing on September 6, 1901. You know, four days after this book opened? Yeah. Couldn’t he have done it on say… January 6, 1901? Even January 6, 1902 would have served my purposes.

Look, I’m not as callous as I appear. Truly. But if President McKinley had to die, did his murderer have to do it when it would completely mess up my book?

How did it mess up my book you ask?

I’ll tell you. I left it out—the whole assassination thing. There I was, fixing a wedding date for one of the characters, when a thought occurred to me. She could be married on Flag Day—if Flag Day was a thing then. I didn’t think it was. I really thought Wilson was responsible for that—you know, creating holidays in between his notes to Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany or something like that. But I hoped. Somehow—just maybe. I mean we had Labor Day from Cleveland, why not Flag Day from McKinley. But noooooo. He didn’t. What did he do?

He got shot. Four days after my book opened. And there wasn’t a single word about it in the story.
Like I could ever get away with that. This was news! Big news. And nothing about it in the life of a daughter of a politician? I think not.

Not only did this Leon Czolgosz (no, really. It’s spelled correctly) shoot the president on September 6^th, but he didn’t do a good job of it! Look, I think I’ve established that I didn’t want President McKinley killed. But if the guy with the unpronounceable last name had to do it, couldn’t he have done a good job of it? Couldn’t he have shot the president in the head? McKinley suffered for eight days before he died. Eight days! They thought he was getting better and then gangrene killed him.
It would have been a mercy had Leon just shot McKinley in the head or the heart. Why the abdomen? Cruel, if you ask me, even for an anarchist.

And it made adding the whole affair to my book even more problematic. No, really! Think about it. I couldn’t have the newspapers announce the death of President McKinley on September 7^th and then have a few mentions of the bank being affected or something. No… no… now I had to have a headline event, give false hope, and then add the death on top of it all.

Look, I do an obscene amount of research for my books. No, really. Keen was slang in 1901. Woohoo! Look up “peachy keen”? Yeah. Can’t use it. 1950s. The telephone? Can Madeline expect to use one in a burgeoning city in 1901? Considering there were over 850,000 telephones in use, yes. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that a photographer who works for a local paper might have a telephone in order to receive calls requesting him to come photograph some big event—like the Mayor’s speech on the death of President McKinley, perchance?

Yep. Somehow, I almost missed one of the biggest events in US history. Research saved the book—and ruined my timeline. All at the same time. Gotta love history. Or not.

And Leon Czolgosz? Yeah. Thanks for nothing.

Blog Stops

March 21: Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses

March 21: Jeanette’s Thoughts

March 22: Bibliophile Reviews

March 22: Captive Dreams Window

March 23: Blogging With Carol

March 23: A Greater Yes

March 24: Carpe Diem

March 24: A Baker’s Perspective

March 25: Reading Is My SuperPower

March 26: Back Porch Reads

March 27: Splashesofjoy

March 28: Christian Bookaholic

March 29: Lots of Helpers

March 29: The Scribbler

March 30: Neverending Stories

March 30: Bigreadersite

March 31: With a Joyful Noise

March 31: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

April 1: Pause for Tales

April 1: Avid Reader Book Reviews

April 2: Ashley’s Bookshelf

April 2: A Room without Books is Empty

April 3: The perfect beginning

April 3: His Grace is Sufficient

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away a Reader’s Teaser Package

that includes:
A paperback copy of both Sweet on You and Such a Tease
A “Tea-for-One” teapot
A Tin of loose-leaf tea of your choice (six options available from our local tearoom)
A pound of assorted See’s chocolates
A set of six handmade antique-inspired note cards
A $25 Amazon Gift Card
And, for the teaser… the winner will also receive the exclusive short story (usually reserved for pre-orders) The Fate of Abigail Cooper!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/b2b8