Gabrielle Meyer: Across the Ages

By Kelly Bridgewater

Caroline holds a deep secret. Living in 1727 and 1927 simultaneously, each night she goes to sleep in one life and wakes up in the other. In search of answers to her unique existence, Caroline stumbles upon a letter from her mother hinting at her own experiences as a time-crosser, sending Caroline on a daring quest to uncover the truth. In 1727, Caroline disguises herself as a cabin boy and joins a ship sailing for the Bahamas, her mother's last known location, where she crosses paths with a ruthless but handsome pirate and is caught in a web of secrets, deception, and unexpected alliances.

In 1927 St. Paul, Minnesota, Caroline grapples with her other life as the daughter of a renowned preacher. Her two older brothers have fallen prey to the corruption rampant during Prohibition, and Caroline struggles to keep their involvement hidden to save her father's career. As her search for answers about her time-crossing leads her to the dangerous yet exciting world of speakeasies, Caroline enlists the help of a childhood friend who is now a police officer. But with her family's future at risk and their loyalties tested, Caroline faces a life-altering decision that could reshape her destiny.

 

My Thoughts:

Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer is a unique, yet thrilling story set in 1727 and 1927. This time the storyline features pirates and the 1920's with a Billy Sunday vibe. If readers have read her other stories, then there will be a few returning characters from the previous books. They will interact in ways that will make readers smirk as they know the truth behind their time crossing. I love how Meyer takes two totally different historical time periods and make them interact through one character. This time, Caroline, gets to make the decision about which path to follow. She is the daughter of a time crosser that is mentioned in one of the previous stories, but her story is not flushed out. It is a glimpse on the page. Readers who are familiar with Meyer's stories know how hard it is for each heroine to decide which timeline to stay in and what timeline to leave. The struggle on the surface is harder than we could ever imagine. These characters need a supportive cast in order to help them make the correct decision. Caroline is no different. Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer is another wonderful addition to this series. I can't wait to read the next two books that are still coming.

I received a complimentary copy of Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Customer Service

By Kelly Bridgewater

Have you ever worked in a job in Customer Service?

I started a job at Meijer where I bagged groceries and brought the shopping carts back to the store. Then I was moved to being a cashier.

Easy.

Really did not have a lot of angry people.

Maybe once in a while something would ring up wrong. We had a certain percentage of the product that we could change without seeking managerial assistance.

I was a Customer Service Manager at a Bookstore.

Really never dealt with anyone that became upset.

Then I went to Fast food because I was newly married with a son, and my husband did not have a job. I worked for two years there.

Not bad, but there were some customers that you knew were lying to get free food. Who orders 3 Grande combos, which consisted of 10 tacos and a Mexican Pizza, and we screwed it up? We would have remembered an order that big.

The job was not awful. I was the Assistance Manager. I just didn’t like people lying to get free food ALL THE TIME. One family came in every week with the same complaint. Higher-ups said to just keep making the food for them. Must be nice to have FREE food all the time. I don’t think they ever bought anything ever.

Now I currently work in a call center, at least it feels like one, for Financial Aid complaints at a local University.

Entitlement runs rampant.

Parents did not plan to send their students to college, so they saved no money. Parents send their students out of state, so it costs more. Parents do not want to take out a loan. They’ll send their kid all the way across the country to attend college and have no idea or care if their bill will be paid. Students and parents do not do their homework and look for scholarships.

I have been yelled at because we do not offer more FREE money. Does not want to burden their student or themselves with loans.

Get that.

Then the child needs to wait a couple of years to attend college, work, save money, so they can pay for college up front.

Maybe attend a community college close to home to get the Basis aka Foundational classes out of the way, then return to the “Big” university.

I have been told that my university begged him to come, so the school should be covering his bill. Talk to Admissions. We don’t beg students to come.

Now there are videos where waitress and waiters want a minimum of twenty percent tip when you go to a restaurant.

No!!!!!

Not from me.

I pay enough for the food.

If I plan to go out to eat, I am not paying extra for your tip. Most tips are lucky to be ten percent. I will NEVER go above that.

If you do not like that, then find a new job.

I know inflation is high.

I don’t work for much money either, and I have a BS and a MA degree.

Still not a reason to tip twenty percent or feel entitled and treat the person working in Customer Service like trash.

We are working to pay our bills just like you do.

Something to keep in mind next time you go anywhere.

EVERYONE, NO MATTER THEIR POSITION, DESERVES RESPECT.

Jennifer Graeser Dornbush: Frozen Lives

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Dr. Emily Hartford is back in Frozen Lives, the next thrilling mystery from Jennifer Graeser Dornbush.

Chicago surgeon Emily Hartford has never quite shaken off the dust of her hometown in Michigan. She may be a professional success and have a princely boyfriend in the Windy City, but she can’t seem to let go of being “the coroner’s daughter” from Freeport.

Once again, she finds herself pulled back upstate during a wintery late March when Jeremiah—the eleven-year-old son of her best friend, Jo—goes missing on the frigid shores of Lake Michigan.

To everyone’s relief, Jeremiah turns up days later, alive and unharmed. But tensions remain high, and suspicions of every sort continue to grow. Jeremiah’s account of his abduction doesn’t add up, and Emily worries about Jo’s unraveling marriage. Jeremiah’s recovery, it turns out, is not the end of their terrifying tale. It’s just the beginning …

For moving among them is a devious, malevolent force. Sowing panic while seeking to fulfill his own twisted needs, this wolf in sheep’s clothing leaves a trail of rack and ruin, heedless of the damage in his wake … and the bodies he leaves behind.

Emily solidifies her role as the coroner’s daughter when she puzzles out this madman’s chilling machinations. Risking everything dear to her, Emily is determined to go the icy distance and end his killing spree.

 

My Thoughts:

Frozen Lives by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush was a book that I could not put down. Dornbush showed who the villain is pretty early on in the novel. Normally, I do not like this when reading a suspense novel. But the way she crafted the novel, it was like watching a car wreck happen, and then stick around for the aftermath. You knew it was horrible, but you wanted to know how it played out. I wanted to know the villain’s mental issues. Why was he doing what he was doing? How long would the horrors happen before the rescue? Dornbush does a good job at leaving little clues and pushing the victims harder and harder. Emily and Brandon had to come to terms with where their relationship might be headed. If readers are familiar with the previous books, they would understand this plot line. As a word of Caution, there are some cuss words in the story, but they were spoken when a character was angry, so I just them and kept moving forward with the plot. It does help cement the anger of the person. Dornbush does leave the story in a cliff-hanger. Now I need the next book as soon as possible. I need to know answers to this ending. Overall, Frozen Lives by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush was a wonderful suspense novel. I think it was the best book in the series. I recommend this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Frozen Lives by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush from Blackstone  Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Irene Hannon: Over the Edge

By Kelly Bridgewater

Trauma survivor Lindsey Barnes hasn't fully recovered from the ordeal that almost took her life, and now she's in the middle of another crisis. Not only is she the sole witness in a high-profile murder case, but someone is also pushing her to question her sanity.

Police detective Jack Tucker doesn't know what to make of her story, especially when her elusive enemy leaves no evidence behind to lend credence to her claims. Yet the more he gets to know the appealing personal chef, the more he's convinced someone is targeting not only her sanity, but her life.

And unless they can figure out who is behind the campaign to undermine her credibility, a murderer could slip away--leaving more than one body in his or her wake.

With her signature spellbinding style, the bestselling and award-winning "queen of inspirational romantic suspense" (Library Journal) delivers another riveting tale that will keep you turning pages long into the night.

 

My Thoughts:

Over the Edge by Irene Hannon is a suspense novel that plays with the heroine's mind. The plot was a little slow going. About sixty percent into the novel, it picked up and became a much better suspense novel. The slow building of the romance between Jack, the hero and detective, and, Lindsey,  the heroine felt right for the type of story that it was. I really liked the concept of the villain. I figured out who the bad person was pretty soon. No surprise for me there. As for the setting, it is a typical town with a murder running loose and the cops trying to solve the mystery. I did enjoy seeing Jack trying to solve the mystery. I do enjoy the concept of three foster siblings, and Hannon does a good job at showing their relationship in this novel too. Overall, Over the Edge by Irene Hannon does check off the lists of what a romantic suspense novel needs. A good read for someone who enjoys their suspense novels with a slight edge.

I received a complimentary copy of Over the Edge by Irene Hannon from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Publish Over the Edge

Happy Halloween

By Kelly Bridgewater

freepik.com

 

Happy Halloween!

I love the spookiness of the season.

Cooler temperatures.

Costumes.

Candy.

Watching the Halloween episodes of Roseanne. Even though I have seen them a million times, I look forward to seeing all of them during Halloween.

Have a great weekend!

  

Kimberley Woodhouse: A Hope Unburied

By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book

Book: A Hope Unburied (Treasures of the Earth Book Three)

Author: Kimberley Woodhouse

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: September 24, 2024

In the bustling world of paleontology in 1916, Eliza Mills defies societal expectations to pursue her passion. Having published her early groundbreaking papers anonymously, she has finally earned her place at the Carnegie Museum and seizes the opportunity to work at Dinosaur National Monument with a renowned paleontologist. But things in Jensen, Utah, aren't what they appear. When Eliza gets the chance to dig up bones at a ranch with a dark history, it sparks a chain of events that will rock the very fabric of her carefully constructed world.

Devin Schmitt, Eliza's closest friend since childhood, harbors unspoken feelings for her but knows he will never be able to win her heart. Just as he vows to give her up for good, Eliza begs him to visit her in Utah for another grand adventure. He reluctantly agrees, and within a few days of his arrival, he and Eliza find themselves entangled in a web of danger where the stakes are much higher than they ever anticipated. In a race against time, Devin and Eliza must hold on to God as their hope as they navigate a treacherous terrain of betrayal to unbury the truth and save Eliza from those who wish to see her fail.

Bestselling author Kimberley Woodhouse sweeps you away on a breathtaking journey through the perilous landscapes of the Bone Wars era, where love and ambition collide.

 

My Thoughts:

A Hope Unburied by Kimberley Woodhouse capture my historical imagination and let it fly. I really loved the love story. I love  a story where the couple are best friends, then they realized they have feelings for each other. I especially love it when the guy realizes first. Woodhouse did  a wonderful job at showing how Devin fell and fell hard a long time ago. I loved the mystery element of the plot. I love how excited Eliza is about her job. I love how Eliza finally comes to some realization about her life, and she decides to face those issue head on. I love the idea of the Dinosaur hunt. I love the setting. Woodhouse is a wonderful writer that had me flipping through the pages fast as I couldn't see what happened. This is how Historical romance should be written. Plenty of history. Vibrant characters. Little bit of romance to tie the characters together. This has been a different, yet intriguing series that I really want to own. I'm really interested to see what she writes next. Overall, A Hope Unburied by Kimberley Woodhouse was a wonderful way to end the series. She charmed with the first book, and I devoured all three of them.

I received a complimentary copy of A Hope Unburied by Kimberley Woodhouse from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase A Hope Unburied

About the Author

Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than forty fiction and nonfiction books. Kim and her incredible husband of thirty-plus years live in Colorado, where they play golf together, spend time with their kids and grandkids, and research all the history around them.

 

 

 

 

More from Kimberley

A couple of years ago, I asked readers on my Facebook page what they were interested in reading in Christian fiction. When one reader and friend suggested I write about the Bone Wars, I was intrigued and instantly excited. I had no idea how much of a blessing writing the Treasures of the Earth series would be.

I traveled all over western Colorado, eastern Utah and southern Wyoming, looking at the incredible displays of bones of magnificent creatures of our past. Stopping at every tiny museum along the way, and even driving miles and miles into the middle of nowhere to find just the right setting for The Secrets Beneath. But it was going to Dinosaur National Monument in Jensen, Utah that truly helped these three books come to life.

The monument was established in October 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson. The 80 acres encompassed the Carnegie Quarry, where paleontologist Earl Douglass was digging, trying to find intact dinosaur skeletons to send back to Carnegie’s museum in Pittsburgh. Eventually, President Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded the park to encompass more than 200,000 acres.

But this monument wouldn’t exist without the determination of one man: Earl Douglass. I had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with Diane Douglass Iverson, his granddaughter, during one of my research trips. She was generous with her time and memories as she shared her grandfather’s journals and memories with me. The longer we talked, the more the idea for what would be the third book of this series took shape. Though Earl is not a primary character in Eliza’s story, his presence and impact on the science of paleontology is felt through the pages.

In fact, each chapter of all three books has a quote from the book his son created out of his journal entries, titled Speak to the Earth and It Will Teach You. I am grateful to Diane for the opportunity to share his struggles, hopes, and dreams with my readers.

With this last book, I hope you enjoy Eliza’s joyful spirit, as well as her struggles to find her place in this world. She’s a spirited young woman with a passion for fossils and how God has created this incredible planet. You’ll get to visit Dinosaur National Monument with her, seeing the founding of this great national treasure through her eyes. I hope you love visiting there in your imagination and that you get the opportunity to visit on your own someday. But even more than that, I pray that, like Eliza, you find joy and confidence where God has placed you in His story.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 21

Bigreadersite, October 21

lakesidelivingsite, October 22

Where Faith and Books Meet, October 23

Lighthouse Academy, October 23

Daylong Reflections, October 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 25

For Him and My Family, October 25

Texas Book-aholic, October 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 27

Jeanette’s Thoughts, October 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 28

Connie’s History Classroom, October 29

Mary Hake, October 29

Holly’s Book Corner, October 30

Cover Lover Book Review, October 31

Pause for Tales, October 31

Book Looks by Lisa, November 1

Lily’s Corner, November 2

Live.Love.Read., November 2

Labor Not in Vain, November 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kimberley is giving away the grand prize of a $20 Amazon gift card and a paperback set of the Treasures of the Earth series: The Secrets Beneath, Set in Stone, and A Hope Unburied!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5473/

Naomi Stephens: The Burning of Rosemont Abbey

By Kelly Bridgewater

1956: In the quiet village of Wilbeth Green, the smoldering ruins of Rosemont Abbey set the residents' tongues wagging, and everyone is quick to accuse troublemaker Paul Everly of being the arsonist. Paul has vanished without a trace, leaving only his twin sister, Louisa, certain of his innocence. Fueling her conviction is an inexplicable connection--she felt her twin's death an hour before the abbey went up in flames.

Knowing no one will believe her, Louisa embarks on her own investigation, challenging the skepticism of her neighbors and the disdain of her aunt and uncle. Even Inspector Malcolm Sinclair, once Paul's closest friend, is torn between his duty and a lingering loyalty to Paul and warns Louisa to abandon her pursuit. But Louisa is determined to solve a murder no one else believes was committed, even if it means unraveling secrets that could shake Wilbeth Green to its core.

Award-winning author Naomi Stephens presents a gripping whodunnit--reminiscent of the beloved Agatha Christie tales--of love and redemption set in a quaint British village.

 

My Thoughts:

The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens crafts a world of historical mystery during the 1950's. While I really wanted to like this story, I had a hard time enjoying it. The plot does not move forward at all. The characters were really never in danger. While the mystery had the potential to be a bigger, mysterious idea, it did not turn out that way. A number of cozy mysteries have the heroine trying to solve the mystery. This time the concept was no different. But I honestly did not care what happened to her. Yes, it is her twin brother that is being thrown on the chopping block, but it felt weird. The setting and time period of the novel had nothing unique about it that made me believe I was in 1950. I honestly kept thinking I was in the Victorian era. Her aunt and uncle were in charge of her. Her money. Her dating life. When I think of 1950's, I think of sock hops, school dances, beginning of rock and roll, and classic cars. A couple of times, Stephens did mention musicians, but music was such a HUGE part of the 1950's world, but it did not affect the heroine at all. Why did she not hang out with her friends at the local malt shop and talk over the clues of the case with a trusted friend there. She did some sleuthing, but not enough for my taste. Overall, The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens was dated in 1956, but I had a really hard time buying. The plot was not that interesting, and I wanted more from the main heroine. Not a book that I could recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Burning of Rosemont Abbey