Book: Tangled Secrets: A Suspense Thriller (Mirror Esate Series: Book 3)
Author: S.F. Baumgartner
Genre: Christian Suspense Thriller
Release date: April 29, 2024
Two women. One targeted by an unknown enemy. One being accused of murder. Will they overcome their obstacles?
The twenty-five-year-old schoolteacher Grace Benson is living a quiet life until she receives a threatening note. Her life turns upside down when the FBI becomes involved.
The middle-aged wedding planner Sheila Mitchell comes home to find her husband dead before she’s knocked out. When she comes to, the murder weapon’s in her hand.
Will Grace survive? And will Sheila’s ex-husband, an FBI agent, clear her name? Who is targeting these women?
S.F. Baumgartner is a Christian suspense thriller author. She graduated from the University of Hawaii and the University of Cincinnati. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her cats, staying active, and binge-watching crime TV shows. She lives in Ohio with her family.
More from S.F.
Crafting “Tangled Secrets” was an exhilarating experience, as it brought clarity to several unresolved mysteries within the series. The enigmatic question of a leak or mole introduced in “Living Secrets” – specifically, the mystery surrounding how Lily’s secret was discovered – finds its resolution in this latest installment. Moreover, “Forgotten Secret” cast a shadow of suspicion over characters like Rook and Uncle Bill, whose motives and truths are finally unearthed in “Tangled Secrets.”
Inspiration for this narrative complexity came from diverse sources: a television episode sparked the concept of a daughter relinquished for adoption, while a film suggested the thrilling double life of a secret agent. These ideas were not only incorporated but also transformed to enrich the tapestry of the story, intertwining with elements of chaos and confusion to enhance the intrigue and excitement.
This series, starting from the prequel, has been a journey of dropping subtle hints and planting seeds that would flourish into the full narrative of “Tangled Secrets.” The series is a vast landscape of potential stories, each more compelling than the last. I hope “Tangled Secrets” not only captivates and satisfies but also invites readers deeper into its intricately woven world. Enjoy the latest dive into our unfolding saga.
Holy hot weather this week for many of us in the U.S.! I hope you are all staying cool and calm wherever you are. Or warm if you are in the southern hemisphere.
My daughter and I have been locked in the house all week, partially because of the heat and partially because she has had a cold that is now getting better.
Our portable AC units (the only ones we can use because of our windows that open out) have barely been able to keep up with the heat but we’ve been managing okay. We’ve been drinking a lot of water and eat popsicles and even taking cold baths and showers to cool ourselves down and so far it is working.
The first time I have to leave the house this week is Friday when I have to take my son to his friend’s house for his friend’s birthday.
How have all of you who are dealing with the heat handling it?
I’m so glad you are here and taking part in our weekly link-up of family-friendly, fun, educational, interesting, crafty, fashionable, and whatever else posts. I hope you’ll tell your followers about our post (feel free to copy and paste the graphic) and visit the blogs in the link-up. I know I have met some very fun bloggers that way!
And here are my three highlights for the week (again, it was hard to only pick three – I enjoyed so many of them so please go back last week and click through the posts. You are still able to do that, even if the party is closed.)
Now it is your turn to link up your favorite posts. They can be fashion, lifestyle, DIY, food, etc. All we ask is that they be family-friendly. You can link up posts from last week or even from years ago. We are always looking for additional hosts so let us know if you want to help out and we are also looking for more links from fashion bloggers so let your fashion bloggers know!
Also, please take the time to visit the other blogs on the link-up and meet some new bloggers!
The Secret of Shadow Ranch is the fifth book in the original Nancy Drew series. This was, so far, one of my favorites that I have read. I felt like it was more of a cohesive story than past books.
Nancy travels to Shadow Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona to meet up with her friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne for what is supposed to be a relaxation vacation. When she arrives, though, she finds out there have been some weird things going on at the ranch, mainly the appearance of a ghost horse, and now Bess’s aunt and uncle, the new owners of the ranch, don’t think any of the girls should stay for a visit.
Nancy, though, likes a mystery and she is even more intrigued when she finds out that locals think that Dick Valentine, an outlaw who was killed at the ranch years ago, is haunting the ranch. Dick Valentine was in love with the previous owner’s daughter and it was the previous owner who killed him.
Now Nancy is being pulled into a mystery that involves romance, danger, and treasure.
I enjoyed the way this one was written with it feeling much more well-rounded than previous books. I know some readers didn’t like that Nancy’s previous friend Helen Corning disappears in this book and rarely returns in future books before totally disappearing, but, in my opinion, Bess and George are absolutely an upgrade.
Bess is funny, bubbly, and boy-crazy (she can’t wait to tell Nancy abut the handsome cowboys she’s met at the ranch) and George is described as “tomboyish with short brown hair.”
I listened to a podcast recently where the podcaster didn’t like that Bess is described as slightly plump in this book and others and felt that the writer (Mildred Wert Benson — later rewritten by Harriet Adams) was fat-shaming her or saying she was inferior because of her larger size. I respect the podcaster’s opinion and do see where she was coming from, but I respectfully (sincerely respect) disagree.
I felt that the author was simply describing Bess to show that not all their characters were skinny minnies. I’m overweight and I’d prefer to be called pleasantly plump like Bess was, to be honest. I think the fact that she was included at all was a sign of progress in books because characters were fairly cookie-cutter thin back then from what I’ve seen.
The mystery in this one was interesting, Nancy was flirted with by a handsome cowboy, Nancy’s boyfriend Ned was mentioned for the first time, Bess and George were introduced and added a fun element to the story, and there seemed to be more thought put into the story overall.
Some readers could see the introduction as a Native American in the story as problematic but I did not because she was not stereotypically portrayed. The fact she was simply owning a store and being part of the community and not seen at a Pow-Wow or something similarly stereotypical was actually very nice. I didn’t really have a problem with Nancy and her friends wearing traditional Native American garb, but like the podcaster I listened to, I didn’t like that they called it “squaw dresses,” because the term squaw sounds derogatory to me.
After a search online I learned that these dresses were made popular in Arizona and developed by Dolores Gonzales (a Mexican-American designer) and Cele Peterson,
The dresses incorporated Native American designs to pay homage to Native Americans, not to steal their designs or to mock Native Americans, and Native Americans from a variety of tribes designed and wore them, but I can see how some would see them as a negative representation of the Native American community. The name of the dresses were later changed to patio or fiesta dresses to be more culturally sensitive.
Anyhow, back to the book — as always, these books are a product of their time but they are a fun distraction in this chaotic world.
This week we were asked to list the books on our Summer 2024 To-Read List.
I actually have a list this year but whether I stick with it remains to be seen.
I also want to add some lighter books to this mix so if you have any suggestions let me know.
I have more than 10 books on my summer reading list but I’m going to just list 10. It doesn’t mean I’ll only read these, but I’d like to read these at some point this summer.
This list is in no particular order and, as always, is subject to change. It’s actually already changed in the last week. Ha!
Lord Edgware Dies: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie (already started and enjoying)
2. The Clue of The Whistling Bagpipes by Carolyn Keene
3. Little Men by Louisa May Alcott (a late edition)
4. Dandelion Cottage by Carol Watson Rankin
5. Ever Faithful by Karen Barnett
6. The Cross County Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini
6. Trouble Shooter by Louis L’Amour
7. The Bobbsey Twins On Blueberry Island by Laura Lee Hope
9. An Assassination on the Agenda by T.E. Kinsey
10. The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father by Jim Wight
Additional books I’m reading or will, most likely read, A Sentence to Death by Anthony Horowitz (already started), Summer By The Tides by Denise Hunter, Return to Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright (already in the middle of this with Little Miss and it’s a perfect summer read), and The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene.
Since I am a mood reader, I am sure some of these books will get pushed back to fall or winter.
Do you have any books you hope to read this summer?
It’s time for our Sunday morning chat. On Sundays, I ramble about what’s been going on, whatthe rest of the familyand I have been reading and watching, andwhat I’ve been writing. Some weeks I share what I am listening to.
I wrote about our semi-busy week last week in my blog post yesterday. After that busy week, I had to spend most of yesterday with my leg propped up to try to get the swelling in my injured knee to go down.
I am currently reading four books – but let me explain. I’m reading some in one book and switching to another on another day and then whatever book I start to get into more than the other ones takes precedence until I finish it. That’s sort of how I roll some months.
So the book I am reading the most right now is Lord Edgware Dies: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie. The Poirot books are usually quick reads so I’ll probably finish it this week.
I also started The Sentence is Death (A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery) by Anthony Horowitz.
In between those two I am reading, The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father by James Wight and Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery. I’m reading Rilla because I felt like I need something fairly light or old fashioned in between the murder mysteries.
Just Finished:
A Death At A Scottish Christmas by Lucy Connelly. This was a bit of a disappointment. Well written in some ways and ridiculous in others and a fairly predictable ending. Predictable isn’t always bad but I was a bit disappointed with this one.
Soon to be read:
Joanna by Donna Stone.
Nancy Drew: The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipers by Carolyn Keene
What We watched/are Watching
Last week I watched a couple episodes of Lovejoy, two or three episodes of Lark Rise to Candleford, and with the kids I watched Onward and Mulan.
My daughter said she liked Onward but said she never wants to watch it again. I forgot part of the movie and we ended up sobbing through part of it. The Husband was at work so the kids couldn’t hug them like they wanted to. The Boy was very emotional the last two times he saw the movie so he bowed out.
We tried to watch Chicken Run but Little Miss said she found it boring so we didn’t finish it and instead watched Mulan.
The Boy and I have seen Chicken Run a few times and he said, “kids today need to get an attention span,” which cracked us both up since he was on his phone while watching the movie.
What I’m Writing
This week as I was thinking about where I want to sell my books, I thought about how a lot of readers don’t know how the subscription services at larger retailers work.
They save readers money but really take money from the authors.
One thing I don’t know if readers know is that if an author’s book is in Kindle Unlimited they are only paid .004 (less than a cent then) per page read and it’s Amazon that decides what constitutes a page. They don’t tell anyone what their formula for deciding what constitutes a page either – especially the authors. In addition, the ebook can’t be sold or shared anywhere else (including with a library) in ebook form while it is listed in Kindle Unlimited if the author is publishing the book on their own. If they are traditionally published the same rules don’t apply. Traditionally published books (by big publishing houses) can have their ebooks in Kindle Unlimited and still sell them on other retailers. So they get to make money in a variety of ways.
Most authors will make more when you buy the book (say if it is $3.99) than if you read it in KU.
This is not necessarily a negative thing to share – just letting readers know how things work. Sometimes KU helps authors and sometimes it doesn’t. In my case, it has helped me some months and hasn’t helped me others, but even if it helps me, I feel good that I’ve pulled my books out of KU so I can share them wherever I want.
People may not read them as much but at least I know what fee Amazon is taking from my sale versus not knowing what they decide is a page when it comes to paying me for what is read if my book is in KU.
I am almost done with Around the World in 80 Days so that’s what I’ve been listening to.
Photos from Last Week
Now it’s your turn
Now it’s your turn. What have you been doing, watching, reading, listening to or writing? Let me know in the comments or leave a blog post link if you also write a weekly update like this.
A temperature in the mid to high 60s is perfect for sitting under a blanket and reading a book and that is where our temps were most of this week despite it being summer. I have absolutely loved it.
It’s made me want to jump up and down, but I can’t since my knee is still healing. I have, instead, been doing some dancing in place while grabbing my grandma’s blanket and running to the couch with my Kindle.
If you didn’t read my Sunday Bookends, post, you might not know that I fell on my sidewalk last week while trying to take groceries into the house. My foot caught on the curb, I went flying, and my left knee took the full brunt of the impact. When my knee made contact, I had a horrible feeling that this was not going to be one of those falls you shake off and move on from.
So far it hasn’t been. I’ve been stiff and sore all week. My entire body reacted to that fall, and I’ve been a bit of a sore mess all week. Not a big of enough mess that I couldn’t have a fairly good week, though.
No ER visits this week despite that fall so that’s one good thing.
There were other good things about the week, though.
Little Miss attended an art class all week with the local 4-H group. Well, Tuesday through Friday.
On Monday, the kids and I drove 45 minutes north to visit with our homeschool evaluator and family friend. She learned about our school year and interviewed the kids and then wrote evaluations for both children for me to hand in to our school district to show they had a good education this past year.
On Tuesday we started the art class which was for four hours a day.
It was only a week long but there will be other 4-H events throughout the summer, including the horse and pony club which meets a couple of times a month, and a baking club which will be meeting every Monday in July. I also found out yesterday that there will be another art class like this one in August.
The building the classes were held in is an old shoe factory that built in the 1940s. It now houses a state representative office and offices for various community or county organizations.
My grandmother once worked at the shoe factory. She’s been gone since 2003 and was two weeks shy of 94 when she passed, so that gives you an idea how old the building is.
The building has, obviously, been remodeled and I love the mural that is on the walls when you first walk in.
The mural was painted by Kat Badger, who paints murals all over the world, but was thrilled, according to an interview with the local TV station (WNEP) to paint a mural in her own hometown. The mural features all the different aspects and features of Sullivan County – the waterfalls in the state park near here, the covered bridge in a tiny town near us, the people who worked in the shoe factory.
It’s truly beautiful.
The building is only about eight minutes from our house and all the other parents left their children there, but I was somehow asked to pick up the lunches each day, so I stuck around and mainly sat in the car and read books or worked on my book. In other words, it was relaxing in many ways, sans having to get lunches.
The plants outside the building in interesting “pots.”
On Friday I usually get our groceries, but I had to drive to the town we live in to take Little Miss to class, then back to where we live to pick up lunch. The problem was that when I got there, the business that was supposed to provide lunch never made it, saying their manager had denied the request to make a lunch for the local 4-H group. They did not, however, let the local 4-H group know this so at the last minute the local, family-owned supermarket was called and made subs for the group like the small town heroes they are.
After having to wait another half hour for that order then going back and waiting another hour and a half for the class to end, and then driving back home, I was glad I had decided to wait until today to pick up our grocery order since it is a 40-minute round trip to do that.
Next week, so far, looks to be a lot slower week. It is supposed to get very warm so we will probably be inside or in the sprinkler most of the time.
My dad has had a lot of health issues this year, so we haven’t been able to get the pool at his house going. Some things are going to have to be laid to the side this year, I think. There aren’t a lot of public pools near us but maybe we will find one to go to later in the summer.
There is a lake but Little Miss insists something touched her leg last time we went so she resists visits there. I still insist it was just some seaweed-like material and not some sort of lake monster but she doesn’t want to believe me.
I did enjoy looking at our wild roses this week. I was disappointed that some of our peonies didn’t bloom, but I think the frost at the end of May might have destroyed one of them. I missed their hot pink blooms but I was able to admire the dark pink blooms of the other peonies. Sadly, my knee issue didn’t let me get as many photos of the flowers as I wanted this week but I was able to get a few of the roses at least.
How was your week last week? Do anything interesting, exciting, or simply relaxing? I’d love to know.
The end of the homeschooling year could not come fast enough for me this year.
That’s not to say that I have not loved homeschool in many ways but this year has been a tough one in many ways. It was an easier year for Little Miss (my 9-year-old daughter) and me but it has been a bear for me and The Boy (my 17-year-old/junior son).
So on Monday after meeting with our evaluator we all felt a mix of emotions including relief, shell shock, and drained. It wasn’t until later that night that the euphoria of knowing we don’t have to do “formal education” for the next three months set in.
The Boy snatched up a pair of comfy sweatpants, giggled, and ran upstairs to curl up under a blanket and take a nap since it was a chillier summer day.
Little Miss – well, she was just Little Miss. She went to talk to her friends on her phone and play some games with them.
I just fell onto the couch in a slump and pondered my battle wounds.
The week before I had been in the ER (doing okay), fell, and slammed my knee so bad I thought I cracked the kneecap (I’m recovering well and not in constant pain, thank the Lord – literally), taken my mom and dad to a doctor appointment (Dad has a pinched nerve in his back and is in a lot of pain and there aren’t many options right now), dealt with some financial issues and concerns, and cried while I put together my son’s homeschool portfolio because he’s a good kid but I felt like he ignored a lot of the assignments I gave him this year because he has totally checked out of school in general.
He had a difficult time adjusting to the new schedule of getting up early to attend a local vocational school because he is a night owl like me.
He also dealt with some health issues – severe allergies, sickness, and anemia.
So, in some ways, his checking out wasn’t all mental. A lot of it was legit medical reasons, especially the anemia. It was making him so tired and apathetic.
That’s one reason I couldn’t push him as hard as I might have other school years.
Despite feeling frustrated with him/school/whatever, we did get through quite a bit this year and learned a lot about several subjects.
This year we used CTC Math again for math and he also had to do math at the technical school he attended for Building and Construction. He has one more year in Building and Construction and then he will have the certifications he needs to go right into the work force in the construction field, if that is what he ends up wanting to do. Right now he isn’t sure what he wants to do after school and that is okay. He has plenty of time to decide and even if he doesn’t go into a construction related career he will be able to use what he’s learned there for a lifetime.
Broken door in the house? He can fix it.
Lights need to be replaced or rewired. He can do it.
He actually helped my dad rewire and fix lights in his house a few months ago. He also installed lights over the sink at my parents that Dad has been saying he would install for the last 20 years. So, he’s already using what he’s learned in a practical way.
As for science for him for this past year we used an older forensic science textbook. Forensic science was something he expressed an interest in but I’m not sure he really wanted to know that much about it all.
History was literature based so we tried our best to read the books it suggested but, again, it was a rough year of adjustment so that didn’t happen as much as I wanted to.
Little Miss and I studied a wide variety of subjects from a wide variety of sources. We used The Good and The Beautiful for English and Math (in conjunction with CTC Math). We also used one of their unit studies for science. We supplemented English by reading several books together throughout the school year. Some of those books focused on historical situations and some were just for fun.
For history we used Story of Our World, which uses a narrative or storytelling style for lessons.
We also studied several artists this year, watching videos about them or reading books and then attempting to copy their styles or simply doing our own styles while listening to stories about them.
In our state we are required to at least expose our children to music during elementary school so we did that through lessons on various instruments and, of course, I always offer the kids lessons on an instrument if they want to do that. We can find someone in our area to teach them whichever instrument they might want to learn or there are options online.
Our school years are also filled with field trips (we visited a reptile zoo twice this year), library trips, some meetings with homeschool groups (oddly, I was taken off the mailing list for our local homeschooling group so I may look for a new one this upcoming year), 4-H, and Kid’s Club, which is a youth program at a nearby church.
Getting involved with 4-H will be a bit of a game changer this year as it will allow Little Miss to have even more interaction with children of all ages. I used to think that 4-H was only for farming but they offer classes or meetings on so many different sources now. We have attended one horse and pony club meeting through 4-H and there are five more throughout the summer. This week we are attending a week-long art class through them and in July there will be a beginning cooking class.
There is also a first-responder club that we can join through 4-H and in the fall they will be offering a Lego club.
From what I am understanding about the modern 4-H, various clubs are held and some of those clubs meet once a month, some once a week, or some for a limited time to meet hour requirements for various badges.
We aren’t working toward badges, but instead are focused on having more experiences and maybe making more friends and finding activities we are interested in. Okay, by “we” I really mean Little Miss.
It is a “we” in some ways since I am the one taking her to the various classes.
What’s been nice about the art club this week is that she goes in for about four hours and I sit outside and read or work on my books, blog posts, etc.
In past years I have started planning for the next school year as soon as the current school year is over, but this year I am taking some time to decompress before I prepare for next year. I already have ideas about what curriculum I want to use and in some cases, I already have the curriculum.
The Boy has most of the credits he needs to graduate so we will only be doing a couple of subjects and then he will be attending the vocational school.
As always I am looking forward to the new school year even if this school year was a little rough. I love learning with the kids and watching their knowledge grow in a variety of subjects.
This week we are supposed to list ten books that are on our book wish list. Some people are buying for each other but you don’t need to do that. I’m just leaving links for anyone who might want to add these books to their lists too.
This one was a bit hard because I have a lot of books on my wish list but some of them are by authors I haven’t tried yet so I could end up hating them. Ha! For now, though, this is my wish list.
Description: This exclusive authorized edition from the Queen of Mystery gathers together in one magnificent volume all of Agatha Christie’s short stories featuring her beloved intrepid investigator, Miss Marple. It’s an unparalleled compendium of murder, mayhem, mystery, and detection that represents some of the finest short form fiction in the crime fiction field, and is an essential omnibus for Christie fans.
Described by her friend Dolly Bantry as “the typical old maid of fiction,” Miss Marple has lived almost her entire life in the sleepy hamlet of St. Mary Mead. Yet, by observing village life she has gained an unparalleled insight into human nature—and used it to devastating effect. As her friend Sir Henry Clithering, the ex-Commissioner of Scotland Yard, has been heard to say: “She’s just the finest detective God ever made”—and many Agatha Christie fans would agree.)
Why It’s On My Wish List:
I read my first Miss Marple book, the first in the series actually, Murder At The Vicarage last year and enjoyed it. I would love to read a selection of short stories about her so I put this on my wish list.
Miss Jane Marple is such a funny, quirky character. I love how she is just taking everything in and filing it all away so she can just solve it all in the end. All the while, though, everyone else in the book thinks she’s just off her rocker.
Taking a curtain call with a live snake in her wig…
Cavorting naked through the Warwickshire countryside painted green…
Acting opposite a child with a pumpkin on his head…
These are just a few of the things Dame Judi Dench has done in the name of Shakespeare.
For the very first time, Judi opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra. In a series of intimate conversations with actor & director Brendan O’Hea, she guides us through Shakespeare’s plays with incisive clarity, revealing the secrets of her rehearsal process and inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans.
Interspersed with vignettes on audiences, critics, company spirit and rehearsal room etiquette, she serves up priceless revelations on everything from the craft of speaking in verse to her personal interpretations of some of Shakespeare’s most famous scenes, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour, striking level of honesty and a peppering of hilarious anecdotes, many of which have remained under lock and key until now.
Instructive and witty, provocative and inspiring, this is ultimately Judi’s love letter to Shakespeare, or rather, The Man Who Pays The Rent.)
Why It’s On My Wish List:
I don’t read a ton of non-fiction but I heard about this book shortly after I saw Judi Dench recite a Shakespeare sonet from memory on the Graham Norton Show. Her relationship with the bard is a deep one and I think if anyone could write about him and his relationship to her life and make it interesting, she could
When a man is poisoned by tea, Charleston shop owner Theodosia Browning must prove her innocence and track down the real killer…before someone else takes their last sip.
Meet Theodosia Browning, owner of Charleston’s beloved Indigo Tea Shop. Patrons love her blend of delicious tea tastings and Southern hospitality. And Theo enjoys the full-bodied flavor of a town steeped in history—and mystery.
It’s tea for two hundred or so at the annual historical homes garden party. Theodosia, as event caterer, is busy serving steaming teas and blackberry scones while guests sing her praises. But the sweet smell of success turns to suspense when an esteemed guest is found dead—his hand clutching an empty teacup. Trouble is brewing, and all eyes are on Theo….
Why It’s On My Wish List:
I can’t remember where this one was recommended, but I believe it was in a cozy mystery forum I am in on Facebook. This looks like a super cozy which is my favorite so I am really looking forward to it.
When a body turns up on the boardwalk outside Everly Swan’s iced tea shop and café, she becomes the number one suspect in a murder case. Can she bag the culprit, prove her innocence, and dish up the real killer before it’s too late?
Hitting All the sweet-tea spots, this series is:
A delightful Tea Shop and Café Culinary Mystery
The ideal cozy beach read
Perfect for fans of Laura Childs and Kate Carlisle
Life hasn’t been so sweet for Everly Swan over the past couple of years, but now she’s back in her seaside hometown of Charm, North Carolina. The proud new owner of Sun, Sand, and Tea―a café right on the beach―Everly thinks that things are finally starting to look up. Until a grouchy customer turns up dead on the boardwalk with a jar of one of her specialty teas lying right next to him! When an autopsy reports poison in his system, things don’t look good for Everly or her tea shop.
As the townspeople of Charm, formerly so welcoming and homey, turn their back on Everly, she fights to dig up clues about who could have had it in for the former town councilman. With the maddeningly handsome Detective Grady Hays discouraging her from uncovering leads and a series of anonymous attacks on Everly and her tea shop, it will take everything she’s got to keep this murder mystery from boiling over.
Why It’s on My Wish List:
I have heard so much about this modern cozy mystery series that I just knew it was time for me to give a try. I have watched YouTube videos on it and seen it recommended several places, including on Facebook, blogs, Instagram and on TikTok during my very brief visit there. I’m looking forward to delving into this one – maybe later this summer.
Description: Partly autobiographical, this is the second title in Judith Kerr’s internationally acclaimed trilogy of books following the life of Anna through war-torn Germany, to London during the Blitz and her return to Berlin to discover the past.
Why It’s On My Wish List:
I read the first book in this middle grade series – When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – last year and was blown away by the subtle beauty of it. The story is geared toward younger children but there are definitely adult themes within the pages. I am hoping to continue …. ‘s story and find out how her family continued their lives after being forced to leave Germany.
James Herriot’s timeless, heartwarming, and perceptive stories about animals and people have charmed millions of readers around the world, and millions more have watched the popular PBS series All Creatures Great and Small, which is based on his four books. The Wonderful World of James Herriot excerpts the best of his stories to shape the larger tale of his life, his family, and his world, illustrated with evocative drawings and family photographs, including a special introduction written by his two children Rosie Page and Jim Wight.
With astute observations and boundless humor, Herriot captures the spirit of the Yorkshire Dales and of rural communities on the cusp of change, before tractors and machines had taken over and modern medicines and antibiotics transformed veterinary work. Herriot’s unforgettable portraits of farm animals and the people he served as a country veterinarian are moving, dramatic, warm, touching, and profound. This beautiful book is the perfect gift for Herriot readers of all ages.
Why It’s on My Wish List: I have loved reading through the books by James Herriott and watching the two TV series based on his life. Seeing that there is another, very pretty, book with his stories and some photos in it related to him was very exciting to me. I would love to escape into its pages.
Description: No one was more surprised than Andrew Klavan when, at the age of fifty, he found himself about to be baptized. The Great Good Thing tells the soul-searching story of a man born into an age of disbelief who had to abandon everything he thought he knew in order to find his way to the truth.
Best known for his hard-boiled, white-knuckle thrillers and for the movies made from them–among them True Crime and Don’t Say a Word–bestselling author and Edgar Award-winner Klavan was born in a suburban Jewish enclave outside New York City.
He left the faith of his childhood behind to live most of his life as an agnostic until he found himself mulling over the hard questions that so many other believers have asked:
How can I be certain in my faith?
What’s the truth, and how can I know it’s the truth?
How can you think, live, and make choices and judgments day by day if you don’t know for sure?
In The Great Good Thing, Klavan shares that his troubled childhood caused him to live inside the stories in his head and grow up to become an alienated young writer whose disconnection and rage devolved into depression and suicidal breakdown.
In those years, Klavan fought to ignore the insistent call of God, a call glimpsed in a childhood Christmas at the home of a beloved babysitter, in a transcendent moment at his daughter’s birth, and in a snippet of a baseball game broadcast that moved him from the brink of suicide. But more than anything, the call of God existed in stories–the stories Klavan loved to read and the stories he loved to write.
Join Klavan as he discovers the meaning of belief, the importance of asking tough questions, and the power of sharing your story.
Why it’s on my wishlist:
I am very fascinated with the connection between Judaism and Christianity and having heard Klavan speak about this in a short video, I would like to know the full story.
Description: Meet the Moffats. There is Sylvie, the oldest, the cleverest, and-most days at least-the responsible one; Joey, who though only twelve is the man of the house…sometimes; Janey, who has a terrific upside-down way of looking at the world; and Rufus, who may be the littlest but always gets in the biggest trouble. Even the most ordinary Moffat day is packed with extraordinary fun. Only a Moffat could get locked in a bread box all afternoon, or dance with a dog in front of the whole town, or hitch a ride on a boxcar during kindergarten recess. And only a Moffat could turn mistakes and mischief into hilarious one-of-a-kind adventure.
Why It’s on My List:
My daughter and I read The Middle Moffat a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it so now I want to go back to the beginning of the series.
Description: From L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, comes another beloved classic and an unforgettable story of courage and romance.
Valancy Stirling is 29 and has never been in love. She’s spent her entire life on a quiet little street in an ugly little house and never dared to contradict her domineering mother and her unforgiving aunt. But one day she receives a shocking, life-altering letter―and decides then and there that everything needs to change. For the first time in her life, she does exactly what she wants to and says exactly what she feels.
At first her family thinks she’s gone around the bend. But soon Valancy discovers more surprises and adventure than she ever thought possible. She also finds her one true love and the real-life version of the Blue Castle that she was sure only existed in her dreams…
Why It’s on My List:
I’ve heard a lot about this book and simply wanted to try something by L.M. Montgomery other than the Anne of Green Gables books.
A bold, heartfelt tale of life at Green Gables . . . before Anne: A marvelously entertaining and moving historical novel, set in rural Prince Edward Island in the nineteenth century, that imagines the young life of spinster Marilla Cuthbert, and the choices that will open her life to the possibility of heartbreak—and unimaginable greatness.
Plucky and ambitious, Marilla Cuthbert is thirteen years old when her world is turned upside down. Her beloved mother dies in childbirth, and Marilla suddenly must bear the responsibilities of a farm wife: cooking, sewing, keeping house, and overseeing the day-to-day life of Green Gables with her brother, Matthew and father, Hugh.
In Avonlea—a small, tight-knit farming town on a remote island—life holds few options for farm girls. Her one connection to the wider world is Aunt Elizabeth “Izzy” Johnson, her mother’s sister, who managed to escape from Avonlea to the bustling city of St. Catharines. An opinionated spinster, Aunt Izzy’s talent as a seamstress has allowed her to build a thriving business and make her own way in the world.
Emboldened by her aunt, Marilla dares to venture beyond the safety of Green Gables and discovers new friends and new opportunities. Joining the Ladies Aid Society, she raises funds for an orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity in nearby Nova Scotia that secretly serves as a way station for runaway slaves from America. Her budding romance with John Blythe, the charming son of a neighbor, offers her a possibility of future happiness—Marilla is in no rush to trade one farm life for another. She soon finds herself caught up in the dangerous work of politics, and abolition—jeopardizing all she cherishes, including her bond with her dearest John Blythe. Now Marilla must face a reckoning between her dreams of making a difference in the wider world and the small-town reality of life at Green Gables.
Why It’s on My List
Continuing my love for all things Anne of Green Gables (or most things), I thought this would be a fun book to read, even though it isn’t written by L.M. Montgomery.
Would you rather go camping in a camper (your pick on the style) or stay at a five-star resort? Ummm…of course I would rather stay at a 5-star resort. I am not a camping person. I like the comfort of my own space and I don’t want my own space to include the possibility of being bitten by scary bugs, stung by bees, or eaten by a bear. I love nature and I love being in it, but not necessarily overnight
2. Would you rather watch a movie in the backyard of a good friend or go to your favorite band’s concert with your worst enemy? I would definitely rather watch a movie in the backyard of a good friend. See, as I mentioned above, I like the outside as long as I am not sleeping in it. As for going to the concert of my favorite band with my worst enemy – no thank you. I’d rather listen to my favorite band and not deal with the crowds and the urge to kill said enemy.
3. Would you rather have chub rub because you forgot your protective gear or a big blister on your heel because you’re wearing cute but new shoes? I had to look up the term “chub rub” as I had never heard it before but after looking it up and finding out it is essentially chaffing of body parts, I decided I’d rather have the blister. I could move my foot around or slide the shoes off the heel and still manage to wear them but with the chaffing, there isn’t much you can do until you can get some cream or ointment on it.
4. Would you rather meet your great-great-grandparent or your great-great-grandchild? If I can live longer and meet my great-great-grandchild then I would go with that answer but I truly would like to meet my great-great-grandfather, especially on my dad’s side because I need him to tell me who his dad was and which part of Scotland he came from so I can finally make that connection in our family tree on Ancestry.com
5. Would you rather be hot and sweaty in the humid outdoors or cold and shivering in an overly air-conditioned room? Definitely cold and shivering. I hate being hot and sweaty or hot at all. I would rather be cold and since this question doesn’t say whether we can have a blanket or not I am going to say I’d rather have a blanket in the room with the AC on full blast! Being all chilly makes me feel like it is autumn which is my favorite time of the year because it is perfect for curling up under a blanket with a good book.
6. Would you rather eat a melted candy bar or a piece of cold pizza? I don’t mind cold pizza at all and sometimes I find it tastes quite good if the sauce is good but I’d probably choose the melted candy bar as long as it was pure chocolate. I don’t care if chocolate is all melted and gooey, I’ll eat it anyhow.
7. Would you rather go for a day without access to any social media or emails or would you have to remain on social media all day long? Oh I would rather go for a day without access to social media and email for sure. I’ve mentioned on here before how much social media stresses me out. I use it to promote my books and connect with other writers and some friends and family but a day without it? Bring it on. I know my anxiety level reduces immensely when I am off social media, even if I normally post positive and fun things.
8. Would you rather dress like a person from the 1950s or the 2050s? Marsha, Marsha, Marsha. What were you smoking when you created these questions? *wink* Seriously, 1950s because I have a feeling that outfits in the 2050s are going to get super, super weird.
9. Would you rather eat ice cream covered in pizza sauce or a pizza covered in chocolate sauce? Both of these sound so gross but I am going with number two because Marsha didn’t say the pizza had to be a savory/traditional pizza. Hee. Hee. I’ll make one with chocolate chip cookie dough covered with chocolate sauce.
10. Would you rather fly like Superman or swim like Aquaman?
I would rather fly like Superman because there are all kinds of dangers underwater – sharks and Man O’ War jellyfish (or whatever they are called) and gross seaweed and oil spills. I could get hit with a plane while flying like Superman but I’ll take that chance. I was watching the first Superman movie from the 1970s with Christoper Reeve the other week with The Husband and thinking about what a huge crush I had on Christopher when I was a kid. I would have loved to have flown with him if he had really been Superman – and he kind of was one in many ways.
