In an Instant Tracy Wainwright

In an Instant

Tray Wainwright

c. July 2019

Prism, an imprint of Pelican Book Group

$5.99 ebook

$15.99 Print

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About the Book

The Clock is Ticking...
Julie Montgomery left for work but never arrived. Her husband, Luke, reports her disappearance, but Officer Terrence Cooper isn’t convinced anything’s amiss. As he looks into the case, he discovers that not only are Luke Montgomery’s fears warranted, but that Julie had been hiding a dark secret.

Julie vanished in an instant. By the time Terrence unravels the truth, will it be too late to get her back?

My Review

Set in lush fall east coast rural America, Wainwright’s Christian suspense shows how all things must work together in order to save a missing woman.

At the start, a young husband’s report of his bride’s disappearance seems uncomplicated at best, suspicious at worst. Luke knows only that although his wife’s car arrived at work, she didn’t show up at her historical interpretation position in the Colonial Williamsburg historical complex. Since it’s only been a couple of hours, Officer Cooper has nothing but gut instinct to go on when he agrees to check things out. As he gets deeper into the troubling situation, he begins to unravel a secret of despair that Luke’s wife, Julie, and mother-in-law are desperate to keep in the past.

Our past not only haunts us, it returns upon occasion to remind us that we are all imperfect creatures and secrets hurt and betray. When Julie decides to stomp the ugliness of her youth into the ground and share her newfound normalcy with joyous abandon when she marries Luke, her past rises up in an attempt to regain control of her life. Officer Cooper, a loner on the force, learns he must use the expertise of those around him, even if he doesn’t respect their intent or beliefs. Julie’s mother and husband must rely on the only course of action they have to help Julie, which is deep prayer, and the prayers of friends. Julie and Luke both understand that in desperate situations, they do the best they can and then rely on the One who is truly in control.

A few clever distractions briefly hide the depth of the crime, and overall good dialog and characters keep the reader turning pages. Those who love their crime stories interwoven with Christian prayer and moments of Christian gathering to soften the moments of violence will find much to appreciate in Wainwright’s newest book.

About the Author

Tracy is the author of books and multiple local and national magazines articles. She enjoys writing in a variety of genres and has works in the categories of Bible Studies, adult fiction, young adult, children’s fiction and nonfiction. Her latest nonfiction book, A Transformed Mind is the first in a series of twelve mini ebooks devoted to life transformation. Tracy works in her writing around being a wife and homeschooling mom of four, women’s conference director, women’s ministry leader in her church and speaking. She loves Jesus, other people and both the written and spoken word.

James Andrew debut novel WEST

West book review

James Andrew

11.99 paperback

9.99 ebook

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Paperback: 164 pages

Publisher: Rising Star Studios, LLC.; First edition (May 1, 2016)

ISBN-13: 978-1936770724

About the book:

All is not well with Christopher Wilks. Nor is all as it seems. For one thing, he is ill-equipped for the mind-bending journey he is about to undertake. Hitching a ride in a strange fifties-era station wagon driven by an even stranger couple of elderly eccentrics he calls The Mister and Missus, Christopher finds his life unwinding along with the countless miles—all into the WEST. Is the journey real? Most certainly. But when is the natural actually supernatural? He’s not quite sure. Mystical campsites, impossible visitations, shattering memories come-to-life...the roadside attractions he encounters are incredible and exhilarating. James Andrew's WEST straps the reader in for a thrill ride through landscapes both painfully real, and wildly fantastical.

My review:

I loved the opening line of Andrew’s description of his quirky little novel. It’s not quite cliché, and it sets the tone for this ride of a lifetime.

Seeing one’s life before one’s eyes is not nearly as much fun as this clock-less journey with quaint and occasional surprising guides as Christopher visits his past. Where are we going? he asks after some time, when he’s had the time to recover from acute hopelessness in the gentle but unexpectedly fun  and poignant care of his hosts. Camping out, the endless supply of food, convenient pull-outs never seem to be a cause for question until Christopher’s hauntings, so to speak, begin to rouse him. From the innocuous question of how did they know my name, to passing through the eye of the needle in painful accusations to meeting people long gone from his life, the journey is more than allegory, and the destination coming quickly.

Told through Christopher’s eyes with gentle splashes from The Mister and The Missus, WEST is an interesting look at one interpretation of—without giving anything away—a reflection of a life not so well-lived. I never thought about needing to prepare for such a journey, but as I read I thought, why not? Those intrigued by spiritual things will enjoy this story. A few grammatical and punctuation issues made this editor stop a couple of times to make a mental fix, but the casual reader shouldn’t be bothered. Nicely done.

About the Author

Artist, Designer and sometimes writer, James Andrew lives and works on Hayden Island on the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon. WEST was written during the long hospitalization of his wife Irene, who’s been faced with the challenge of recovering from several disabling strokes.

Grace in the Flames by Michelle Massaro, giveaway

Debut Release by Michelle Massaro:

Grace in the Flames

"I couldn't put it down, consider yourself warned."

~ Amazon reviewer

About the book:

Three people. One God of grace.

John Douglas thought he knew the future God had for him--raise a family and grow old with his bride, Hannah. But then a deadly house fire incinerates his faith, destroying the man he’d been.

Worship leader Jenni Dupont conquered her demons years ago and has the scars to prove it. But temptation strikes when her world is shattered, and this time she's not sure if God can carry her through.

Bar waitress April Johanson lives with the secret trauma of an abusive past. Desperate to stay off the streets of Vegas, she’ll do whatever is necessary to pay the rent.

When their lives intersect, God will ask them to do the impossible. To love Him even if…

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>>Buy on Amazon<<

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What readers are saying:

• "intense"
• "I was hooked from the first chapter"
• "outstanding debut novel"
• "couldn't put it down"

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Enter a drawing for a free copy--comment by Wednesday, March 16, noon Central

Tweet or otherwise post online about the book with the Amazon link (http://amzn.to/1Y8EcPA) and be entered to receive a free digital copy of the book. (suggested tweetables provided at end of this post.) Then, share a link to your post in the comments section of this blog, and tell me what your favorite Easter tradition or song is. Mine: The End of the Beginning (David Phelps)... chills every time!

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Michelle, what made you write this story?

The story premise came to me as I was just pondering my faith, asking myself how deep does it go, would it survive if truly challenged? The characters wrestle with some of life's toughest questions—How could God let this happen to me? Where is God when my heart is breaking? I believe in God, but my hurt is so big I’m not sure He’s enough. These are all thoughts that I've encountered in my life as well.

But even when life is unbearably hard, God is right there placing our tears in a bottle and inviting us into His arms to carry us through. I hope readers come away with a better sense of that truth when they read Grace in the Flames.

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What's next?

I’m about to release my second novel, a fun dual-genre story I co-wrote with the amazing April W Gardner called Better than Fiction. It’s a Women’s fiction wrapped around a historical romance set in 1916 Corona during the height of its auto racing glory. The short description is:

While creating a fictional romance between her 1916 heroine and a reckless racecar driver, a novelist falls prey to an emotional affair with the man who inspires her handsome hero.

Corona, California is my hometown and it’s been a blast to dig into our rich history. The release will coincide with the town’s 100th anniversary of the final race, and we are so excited! We have a Facebook page set up for the book: www.facebook.com/betterthanfiction2016 and will be offering a free digital copy to subscribers, so check that out, too!

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About the Author:

MICHELLE MASSARO writes contemporary fiction soaked in grace. She makes her home in Southern California with her husband of over two decades and their four children. She’s dabbled in homeschooling, teaching Creation Science, and leading worship. When she isn’t tinkering with words, Michelle enjoys old Rogers and Hammerstein movies, making kefir, and Sudoku. A new lipstick and a good French roast always make her happy.

Sign up for bonuses and insider info:

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Connect with her online:

Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

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Tweetables:

"I was hooked from the first chapter" Check out Grace in the Flames! #NewRelease #ChristianFiction http://amzn.to/1Y8EcPA

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"intense" Grace in the Flames is now in the #Kindle store! http://amzn.to/1Y8EcPA

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"couldn't put it down" ~ check out new #Christian #novel Grace in the Flames! http://amzn.to/1Y8EcPA

K Dawn Byrd and Amazing Love, her newest book

K Dawn Byrd's New Release! Amazing Love

K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational novels in several genres, including, historical, suspense, romance, and young adult. Some of her favorite things are chocolate, cars, and her pets. Her hobbies include reading, writing, and riding down country roads in the passenger seat of her husband's Corvette Stingray. When asked why she writes, her response is, "For the simple joy of placing words on the page!"

 

 

About the book:

Amazing Love, the modern-day story of Hosea and Gomer from the Bible, speaks of God's unconditional love, mercy, and grace and how much loving someone that much can cost.

Gabe Knight, a pastor in a small coastal town, finds his life is turned upside down when Dee Dillow arrives and hires him to remodel an estate she's inherited from her aunt. Dee dashes his plans for wedded bless when on a drunken binge, she divulges that she's the highest paid call girl in Nevada and part-owner of the ritziest brothel in the state.

 

Gabe falls in love with her, but can't believe he's hearing the voice of God when a still, small voice tells him to marry her. After much questioning, they marry and he is deliriously happy. Until, Dee betrays him.

 

Gabe soon discovers just how hard it is to have the unconditional love God calls him to have for his wife, the kind of love God has for his children. When faced with losing her, Gabe realizes what true love is, how much it hurts, and just how much God loves and is willing to sacrifice for his children.

 

 

Excerpt from the prologue:

Prologue

Dee signed the letter with a flourish and then read it aloud.

Maggie:

 

For the longest time, I blamed myself. There must be something terribly wrong with me, something so bad that even a mother couldn't love me. After years of therapy, I've learned that it's not me, it's you, Maggie. You're not capable of loving anyone. That's a terrible thing to say about a mother, but it's true.

Even here at Carpe Diem, I've continued therapy via technology. Today was a hard day because it's my birthday. As was expected, I never heard from you. Like my therapist said, it's not my fault you didn't call. It's a choice you made, Maggie, like so many other bad choices.

 

I used to dwell often on the things you allowed to happen to me. You had to have known that John was visiting my room almost nightly. You chose to ignore it even though he was your husband. And then, he sold me to his wealthy friends and you stood back and allowed it to happen. Whoever had the most money. That wasn't the life I would have chosen if given a choice. Even now, I long for a life of normalcy. A husband, a couple of children, and a picket fence is just a dream.

 

There are times I hate you, but I realize you have demons of your own. Something has happened to you to cause you to be so selfish and full of anger. That's why I try to overlook your hostility and lack of love toward me. You need a good therapist.

My therapist recommends that I write letters to you when I'm angry. It helps. This is letter 642. I've kept them all. You'll probably never read them, but they're not really for you. They're for me.

 

Your daughter, Dee

 An Interview with the Author

Why did you choose to write this book?
A couple of years ago, I was the story of Hosea and Gomer in the Bible and the thought came to mind that it would be fun to retell the story in a modern setting.

What did you learn while writing this book?
I learned that even though the Bible gives us stories about individuals who lived in Bible times, it's vague at times about specifics. This give a fiction writer a lot of leeway to let their imaginations run wild.

 

Tell us what you think readers will enjoy about it.

 

Amazing Love is the modern story of Hosea and Gomer. It was a tough story to write because my heroine suffers severe consequences for her sins, but it was necessary to portray how low we can go and how much God still loves us through it all. I hope readers will take away the fact that no matter what we do, God loves us with an unconditional love and is ready to accept us back into His loving arms.
 

 

Tell us a little more about yourself , with three things not many people know about you.

I have a masters degree in professional counseling from Liberty University.

I'm an animal lover. I own two hairless Chinese Crested dogs, an African Gray parrot, three ferrets, and several aquariums in my home.

I love sour foods. I'd rather have olives, pickles, or dilly beans than something sweet sometimes.
 

What are you working on right now?

I'm working on a thriller about a serial killer. It's a difficult story because there are several twists and turns and I have to be careful how I write it for everything to fall into place correctly.
 

What's next for you?

I have three releases in 2012, all young adult. Something Beautiful in January. The Hot Line Girl in June. Luck of the Draw in November.