"Fatal Frost"

(Defenders of Justice #1)

by Nancy Mehl!
GIVEAWAY!

Description

Mehl Ramps Up the Suspense in This Brand-New U.S. Marshals Series!
Mercy Brennan followed in her father's footsteps in a law enforcement career, but she has no interest in any other connection to him. A U.S. Marshal in St. Louis, Missouri, she's assigned to a joint task force with the St. Louis PD that puts her back into contact with her father and in the sights of St. Louis's most powerful gang.

When the gang has reason to believe Mercy has possession of some highly sensitive and incriminating information, her boss assigns Mark St. Laurent--a Deputy U.S. Marshal and Mercy's ex-boyfriend--to get her out of town until they can guarantee her safety.

Initially unaware of the danger she's in and uncomfortable working with Mark, Mercy's frustration escalates when she discovers the extent her boss and Mark have been keeping her in the dark. It isn't until a freak ice storm hits, stranding them at a remote location and out of contact with the district office, that the full severity of their situation becomes clear. As the storm worsens, the forces of nature combine with a deadly enemy closing in to put their lives at imminent risk. Can they survive long enough for help to arrive--if help is even coming at all?

Biography

Nancy Mehl is the author of 22 books, including the Road to Kingdom and Finding Sanctuary series. She received the ACFW Mystery Book of the Year Award in 2009. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. Nancy writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their Puggle, Watson. Visit www.nancymehl.com to learn more. 






My thoughts ~

The main characters in Fatal Frost are very well developed, and I loved all three of them. They are very different personalities, but with roles that attract the reader's attention. Their relationships are connected to the past. Although Mark and Mercy are no longer connected by their past love for one another they find they can work together when life gets tough.

Descriptive and pictorial, as well as frightful scenes take the reader to the location, and draw the reader into the plot. This is one unpredictable suspense novel that was hard to put down. I've read other books written by this author, and this one even tops the rest in my estimation. I look forward to the next book in this series! Pick up a copy and enjoy a fast paced trip through the underworld of drugs and deception!

Disclaimer: The publisher sent me a copy of this book but I was not required to write a positive review. All expressed opinions are my own. 
 

CONTEST GUIDELINES: Please leave a comment and your email address using [at] and [dot] to protect your email address. Giveaways are limited to residents of the continental US only, please. I am not responsible for loss or damage through the postal service. Winners have one week to claim their prizes. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I appreciate all of your comments!

Optional: For additional chances to win this giveaway, share this contest through either Twitter or Facebook, and sign up to follow my blog. Please let me know what you did for extra chances to win. Deadline for this giveaway is Friday, 11-25-16.
 

"Waves of Mercy"

by Lynn Austin!
Review & GIVEAWAY!

Description

Austin Returns with a Multi-Generational Historical Novel

Geesje de Jonge crossed the ocean at age seventeen with her parents and a small group of immigrants from the Netherlands to settle in the Michigan wilderness. Fifty years later, in 1897, she's asked to write a memoir of her early experiences as the town celebrates its anniversary. Reluctant at first, she soon uncovers memories and emotions hidden all these years, including the story of her one true love.

At the nearby Hotel Ottawa Resort on the shore of Lake Michigan, twenty-three-year-old Anna Nicholson is trying to ease the pain of a broken engagement to a wealthy Chicago banker. But her time of introspection is disturbed after a violent storm aboard a steamship stirs up memories of a childhood nightmare. As more memories and dreams surface, Anna begins to question who she is and whether she wants to return to her wealthy life in Chicago. When she befriends a young seminary student who is working at the hotel for the summer, she finds herself asking him all the questions that have been troubling her.

Neither Geesje nor Anna, who are different in every possible way, can foresee the life-altering surprises awaiting them before the summer ends.

Biography

Award winning author Lynn Austin was a former teacher who now writes and speaks full time, has won six Christy Awards for her historical fiction. One of those novels, Hidden Places, has also been made into a Hallmark Channel movie. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and make their home near Chicago, Illinois.
Favorite Verse: Isaiah 40:31 -"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as EAGLES they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."






My thoughts ~

Waves of Mercy is reminiscent of a very significant family history regarding my own ancestors. Every aspect of this book is filled with memories of my own family who immigrated to West Michigan from The Netherlands. 

Lynn Austin has done a spectacular job of recreating the plight of those immigrants and their very difficult encounters both during the immigration process, and starting anew in an underdeveloped locale. I had a little trouble keeping timelines and characters straight at the beginning of the book, but with the development of those characters I began to feel a part of their story. Names mentioned throughout the book are still familiar to this locale.

The setting for this novel is very familiar, and it was an early journey through my own lifelong home in Michigan. Description was a highlight, as well as the development of each of the characters. The research for this book is very well done. The locations described are accurate and particularly sentimental.

I highly recommend this latest release from Lynn Austin. Her previous novels are some of my favorites, and this one was no disappointment.   

Disclaimer: I purchased a copy of this book, and was pleasantly surprised when I received a gift copy from the publisher. My expressed opinions are my own, and I was not expected to post a positive review.

CONTEST GUIDELINES: Please leave a comment and your email address using [at] and [dot] to protect your email address. Giveaways are limited to residents of the continental US only, please. I am not responsible for loss or damage through the postal service. Winners have one week to claim their prizes. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I appreciate all of your comments!

Optional: For additional chances to win this giveaway, share this contest through either Twitter or Facebook, and sign up to follow my blog. Please let me know what you did for extra chances to win. Deadline for this giveaway is Tuesday, November 15th.


  

"Forgiveness"

by Marianne Evans!

Description

Country music bad boy, Chase Bradington is on the comeback trail. Fresh from rehab for alcohol addiction and transformed by the power of Christ, Chase is battling to rediscover the music he loves and a career he nearly ruined. Then he meets up-and-comer, Pyper Brock and instantly sparks ignite. Despite her rampant attraction to the handsome and talented icon, Pyper knows of Chase’s reputation and soundly dismisses his romantic overtures. No way will Pyper make the mistake of falling for a man whose done battle with the bottle. What happens when Chase’s quest to win Pyper’s love breaks down chains of resentment and eases the long-buried wounds of her childhood? And what happens when Pyper’s father shows up in Nashville, clean, sober and seeking a chance to apologize? Can Pyper follow a pathway to peace when it comes to her father? Can she fully trust Chase? Above all, can a sin-damaged past be released in favor of forgiveness?

Biography

Marianne Evans is an award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create.

Her Christian fiction debut, Devotion, earned the prestigious Bookseller’s Best Award as well as the Heart of Excellence Award. Forgiveness earned a covered 4.5-Star, Top Pick review from Romantic Times Magazine. Hearts Communion earned a win for Best Romance from the Christian Small Publisher's Association. She is also a two-time recipient of the Selah Award for her books Then & Now and Finding Home.

Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan and an active member of Romance Writers of America, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President.

Connect with Marianne at: www.marianneevans.com 


My thoughts ~

Country music singer, Chase Bradington and Pyper Brock are both haunted by ghosts from the past. Chase nearly crashed his career when a wild ride with alcohol and loose women rocked his world. Pyper's early years held frightful memories of a formidable alcoholic father who beat both her and her mother, and before Pyper's 5th birthday he kicked them both out of their home.

Both Chase and Pyper are very strong characters, as are supporting characters throughout this moving story. Chase discovered God while in rehabilitation, by support of his sponsor, a man Chase had learned to love like a brother. 

Pyper's faith is a strong aspect of her character. Her mother and adoptive father taught her about God's love and forgiveness. 

Forgiveness is the essence of this powerful and inspiring story of brokenness and despair. The poignancy throughout this book brought me to tears as the past became the present. Faith, tolerance, love and acceptance lead to new directions in the path to healing. A song named "Forgiveness" played a significant role throughout this story, and I wish I could hear the melody that accompanies the beauty of the words that portray the true meaning of forgiveness.

The author has once again created a very touching, heartrending and inspiring tale of life at its lowest point and the healing process developed through faith and redemption. I highly recommend this very sensitive and powerful book!

Disclaimer: I received this book as a gift from the author with no expectations of a positive review. All expressed opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.