Book Review: The Love Thief novella by Daisy Jericho

The Love Thief
Daisy Jericho

Novella!
.99
Prism Book Group

From the Publisher:
When the jewelry gallery she works at is robbed, Sandra is not just the prime suspect; she is the only suspect. Desperate to clear her name, she reluctantly agrees to work with sexy former jewel thief, Alex Daniels, to recover the jewelry and catch a thief. 

He reminds her of the men who lounge half-naked across Ferraris in fragrance ads, aloof and confident in their looks. Alex can't believe anyone as naive and trusting as Sandra can be for real. Thrown together to solve the robbery, Alex feels his heart begin to thaw towards Sandra. As his feelings become stronger, Alex must ask her to rekindle a romance to her recently paroled ex-boyfriend, who holds the key to solving the robbery. 

In the end, Sandra must decide if it is more important to clear her name or follow her heart.

My Review:
The Love Thief author Daisy Jericho is from my home state, so of course I had to try it. A young lady with a boyfriend who set her up as a patsy in a past theft wants to keep her name clear when the jewelry store she works at is robbed. The consultant who works with a detective assigned to the case has a troubling history as well, and sparks fly when the young lady and the consultant match wits to catch the thief.

I enjoyed this quick read; the characters were fun, the story moved along quickly and the ending satisfying. Those who enjoy novellas--vastly different from full-length books-- and romances--which by nature are predictable--will enjoy Jericho's book. Enough twists and fun snarkiness, and a dog! to keep the reader enjoying each turn of the page.

Venture into Faeraven with Janalyn Voigt - special pricing today

Just seeing the cover of Janalyn's first book, DawnSinger, made me want to jump onto a wingabeast and fly into Faeraven. Naturally I was devastated when that first story came to an end. But now WayFarer is come! And hop on over to AuthorCulture for a special lesson about the fantasy creatures on Faeraven on January 8.

Amazon Kindle

Barnes and Noble Nook

Pelican Books e-book

 

Books paperback

DawnSinger: A headstrong young princess and the guardian sworn to protect her fly on winged horses to the Gate of Life above the Well of Light in a desperate bid to release the DawnKing, and the salvation he offers, into a divided land. Will they each learn in time that sometimes victory comes only through surrender?

 

 

 

WayFarer: When an untried youth ascends to the high throne of Faeraven, his mistakes tear kingdoms apart and allow just one chance at redemption. He must humble himself before the man he banished.

 

 

 

Enjoy the Trailer

 

 

About Janalyn Voigt

As children, my older brother and I would beg my father for bedtime stories, and he would give them.  His deep voice rumbled against my ear at his chest as he unfolded stories of exotic places like Oz and Neverland. My imagination carried on with the tales even after he closed the book for the night. When eventually he stopped reading stories, I began creating my own.

Within a few years I’d become storyteller of my neighborhood. The other children would gather in a circle on our lawn while I invented stories to entertain them. No one, including myself, thought of this as anything unusual. It wasn’t until my sixth-grade teacher pointed out my ability to spin a tale that I and my parents took note. This is how at the age of twelve I decided to become a novelist. At it turns out, the fulfillment of that dream took a few more years than planned. 

Find out more about Janalyn, her closet writing office, and her books at the author website for JanalynVoigt.

CrossReads Book Blast: Serenity to Accept by Elizabeth Maddrey

Serenity to Accept By Elizabeth Maddrey

About the Book

Karin Reid has never had much use for God. There's been too much pain in her life for her to accept that God is anything other than, at best, disinterested or, at worst, sadistic. Until she meets Jason Garcia. After his own mistakes of the past, Jason is committed to dating only Christians. He decides to bend his rule for Karin, as long as she comes to church with him. As their friendship grows, both will have to decide if they'll accept the path God has for them, even if it means losing each other.

LINK to KINDLE | LINK to PAPERBACK | LINK TO AUDIOBOOK

 

 

 

Elizabeth Maddrey Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace. Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys. She invites you to interact with her at her website www.ElizabethMaddrey.com or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey

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This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!

Kiddy Lit Steampunk! Leonardo Ramirez and the Jupiter Chronicles

Jupiter Chronicles

The Secret of the Great Red Spot

By Leonardo Ramirez

A Steampunk Children’s Series

C. 2012 Leonardoverse

ISBN: 978-0615633336

Leonardoverse.com

 Ebook 1.99

Pbook 5.99

Buy
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

 

About the Book, from the author:

Book One of a Steampunk Children'’s Adventure Series

Witness the dawn of Steampunk!

It is the year 1892 and Ian and Callie Castillo have had to suffer the hardships of a single parent family since their father went missing five years ago. Since then Ian has refused to use the last gift that his father left the wounded boy; a telescope that sits collecting dust in the attic.

When Callie decides to peer through its murky lens it activates the device and sends the Castillos to the steam-powered floating cities of Jupiter to rescue their father and save the Jovians before the Martians launch their attack.

What follows is the beginning of an era that will forever be known by its strange name...

. . .Steampunk.

Combining Children’s Science Fiction with Fantasy, this action-packed Chapter Book series takes you on an adventure into the world of Steampunk chronicles the birth of a new era!

Join the adventure now!

 My Review:

Ramirez enjoys his world, it’s easy to tell. There’s enough steam engines and gadgets, gears and wishful thinking for any young reader to love in The Jupiter Chronicles, without too many details over the head of nine to eleven-year-olds.

Young readers join Callie and Ian as they blast off in a mystery mission to Jupiter where they encounter the false lizard emperor, robots, and other cool gadgets. The gadgets and creatures not only help them learn the secret of the red spot, something that Ian’s wondered about since his dad disappeared five years ago, but save that world.

A nice read, a little less than a hundred pages, geared toward middle graders, Ramirez also packs in some fun facts about real people like Nikola Tesla and some art from the book. What might these machines have looked like? The story is told from the children’s viewpoint, and keeps the reader turning pages with nice action. Those who enjoy quest stories, gadgets, space travel, and bloodless shoot ’em up video games will like this story. Beautiful cover. The date of the setting is mentioned in the book description on the author’s website and online retailers, but not in the book.

Ramirez’s website is packed with fun things to do, and a guide for educators who might want to schedule a visit. Children are also invited to send in artwork.

 

About the Author:

Leonardo Ramirez is a writer whose joy first comes from being a husband and a dad and enjoying life with his family.

He’s the author of the Haven: The Graphic Novel and Haven of Dante.

Web: http://www.leonardoverse.com

Love One Another--how to develop close friendships, by Michael Reynolds

This is a great workbook, as well as for reading, especially for small groups in any setting. ~Lisa

 

 

 

Love OneAnother?

 

Kindle 4.99

Paperback 8.99

 

Michael Reynolds

See search resultsr this author

Are you an authorGod created you with an inner desire to have close friends who encourage you throughout life’s ups and downs. More than that, Jesus commands you to love other followers of Christ with the same intimate love that he pours out on you. How amazing is that? This is the kind of command I want to follow! Love One Another explores the meaning of this beautiful command and how obeying it can transform your life in exciting new ways. Michael gives practical ways to deepen the friendships God has given you and explores how living this kind of life draws you closer to Christ.

In a busy and fast-paced culture, we can find ourselves settling for friendships that are convenient and shallow. God desires us to experience extraordinary life-changing friendships that reflect the love he has for us. Following this one command is essential if we are to grow in our love for God, in our love for others, and become a more appealing image of Christ to everyone else. Christ’s love is intimate and deep, sacrificing his own life to save ours. Can you imagine someone saying that about you? Love One Another will start you on this journey towards deep friendships that will change your life. Are you ready for such an adventure?

 

Book review: Sarah and the Widow's Mate by Gay N. Lewis

Sarah and the Widow’sMate

Gay N. Lewis 

Prism Book Group

November 2013

ISBN: 978-1940099279

$3.99 ebook; $14.99 print book

Inspirational fantasy

 

From the publisher:

Widow Beth Marsh is not only beautiful, but wealthy enough to buy a third-world country. When she enters the dating arena to find companionship, two men profess an interest in her...but is it Beth they want, or are they out to get her money? Watching from the Heavenlies, the Superiors dispatch Heaven’s Little Love Angel to Houston during the Christmas holidays. Sarah’s mission is to help the lady determine which of her suitors is the genuine article. Is black-haired Bryan Wingate the real deal? Or is good-looking Charles Chadwick the more earnest suitor? When Beth invites human-disguised Sarah to attend a wedding, the delighted angel looks forward to an opportunity to wear a beautiful formal gown, and maybe—at long last—red stilettos! But Sarah’s mission becomes deadly serious when she discovers Beth’s life is in danger. If Sarah fails in her mission, Tomas, the Warrior Angel, will intercede. Determined to keep her human charge safe from gold diggers and save Tomas the trouble, the little love angel steps up her efforts. But Sarah wouldn’t be Sarah without a few bungles along the way...

 

My review:

The adorable love angel, Sarah, is on her next assignment. After successfully running interference in encouraging Laney and Cannon’s romance and marriage in Sarah: Laney’s Angel, Sarah, aka Annie Wingspand, is tasked next with guiding Beth Marsh. Beth has been widowed a few years, and is being courted by three different gentlemen, one of whom means her harm. Sarah is charged with helping Beth choose the right one.

Who couldn’t love angel who adores food, high heels, whose favorite exclamation is poopty doopty, and giving lost people a little help, even when those sidetracks aren’t part of her mission. I appreciated that about Lewis’s story; even her description of heavenly messengers with different missions.

Told from Sarah’s point of view, those who enjoy fantasy stories about what angels might be doing, hanging around us, will find much to love in this story. Those who enjoy Mignon Ballard’s August Ballard will love Sarah. One of my favorite parts was those rumbles from above whenever Sarah entertained less than charitable thoughts. I tried to practice that on myself—imagining those rumbles. I’ll report back later when I don’t end up soaking everyone around me with thunderstorms.

 

Note: The first book, Sarah: A Mission of Love, is on sale for Kindle, .99

Brave New Century, new historical romance anthology

Brave New Century

Inspirational Historical Romance from Prism Book Group

Stories of four young women who are each braving challenges at the dawn of the 20^th century in the big city. Will they overcome their hardships and find love?

Available from your favorite bookseller, Amazon Print, Kindle

Smashwords eBook

ISBN: 978-1940099255

Print: $13.99

Electronic: $3.99

Three Rings for Alice by Lisa Lickel

Love and respect in 1899 Milwaukee is as close as a phone call.

Forgiven by Paula Mowery

When Henry and Jessie meet it seems to be classic love at first sight until a shocking revelation tears them apart.

The Pocket Watch by Kathleen Rouser

Searching for the past an orphan and a young doctor find love for the future.

Flames of Hope by Teena Stewart

Love ignites in the midst of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.

 

More about Three Rings for Alice:

Our opening story, Three Rings For Alice, shows Alice Smith’s struggles to be a modern woman at the turn of the twentieth century in America. Orphaned, she must make her own way in an age when women are just coming into the workforce. Despite a proposal of marriage from a long time friend, she determines to marry for nothing less than love, even if her love is a voice over the telephone.

About the author: Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin writer who lives in a hundred and sixty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain. A muti-published, best-selling and award-winning novelist, she also writes short stories and radio-theater, is an avid book reviewer, blogger, a freelance editor, and magazine editor. Visit LisaLickel.com.

 

 

 

 

More about Forgiven:

Henry Smith has little interest in the plans his parents have for him when it comes to his career and who he will marry. His world is turned upside-down when a shoot-out ends in fatalities. 

Jessie Lee Capelle and her sister strike out from the orphanage their father mysteriously abandoned them at to make a life for themselves. Shamed by her background, Jessie struggles with Henry's attention. 

Just as Henry and Jessie decide on a life together a shocking revelation could force them apart unless true forgiveness can be found. 

About the author: Paula Mowery is a published author, speaker, and acquisitions editor for Prism Book Group. Her articles have appeared in Woman's World, The Christian Online Magazine, and the multi-author devotional blog, Full Flavored Living. She reviews Christian fiction for several authors. She is a member of ACFW and on their author interview team. Paula is a pastor's wife who lives with her husband and daughter in East Tennessee.  Find her at www.paulamowery.blogspot.com or connect with her through her author page on Facebook.

More about The Pocket Watch:

Isabel Jones, an orphan, receives a ruby ring left by the mother she never knew and wants more than ever to find her roots. When a young physician, Daniel Harper, rescues her from an oncoming automobile and she finds his pocket watch in a puddle, her circumstances take a turn. She begins to consider what life outside the orphanage could be like. Daniel’s heart has been broken before and the attractive young lady who finds his treasured timepiece wouldn’t be deemed suitable by his social climbing parents.

When Isabel and Daniel work side by side, caring for the orphanage children during an influenza epidemic, she becomes gravely ill. Compelled to redeem the time by helping her find the past, Daniel finds a buried truth that creates an unbridgeable chasm between them. Where will they find hope in a hopeless situation?

About the author: Kathleen Rouser has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. The Pocket Watch is Kathleen’s debut novella. She has been published in Homeschool Digest and An Encouraging Word. She currently enjoys interviewing authors for the Novel PASTimes historical fiction blog. Her desire is to bring to life endearing characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. She lives in southeast Michigan with her hero and husband of 31 years, Jack, who not only listens to her stories, but also cooks for her. Find her at: www.kathleenrouser.com, www.novelpastimes.com and https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser

 

 

 

More about Flames of Hope:

Young San Francisco police officer Gideon Light is smitten the moment he sees Lily McMinn rolling down the awnings on her father’s mercantile. Lovely, petite, and spunky, Lily had to grow up quickly after her mother passed away. She not only oversees the welfare of two younger siblings, she also helps run her father’s business.

Gideon and Lily are immediately attracted to each other and soon become good friends. It doesn’t take long before Lily realizes her feelings for Gideon have changed to something far deeper. He secretly harbors dreams of advancing in the force to earn a substantial enough income to make Lily his wife.

Before either has a chance to pursue each other, however, an earthquake of unthinkable magnitude shatters their world. With a raging fire fast in its wake, tragedy and triumph await as Gideon, Lily, and her family flee for their lives with little more than the clothes on their backs.
Set during the time of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, this tale of great loss, incredible human courage, and sweet romance, will inspire and warm your heart.

About the author: Teena Stewart is a published author, an accomplished artist, and a ministry leader. In addition to Brave New Century, her recent published books include Mothers and Daughters: Mending a Strained Relationship and The Treasure Seeker: Finding Love and Value in the Arms of Your Loving Heavenly Father. Brave New Century represents Teena’s first fiction inclusion in a book. She and her husband Jeff are involved in “out-of-the-box” organic church ministry in Hickory, NC. For more info on Teena visit www.teenastewart.com