Different Hobbies

By Kelly Bridgewater

Of course, we all know I LOVE to read.

If you can't tell, then you need to spend some more time browsing this blog.

I adore a good book where I can get lost and have an adventure right from my living room.

But . . .

I do have other hobbies.

I don't include my day job in this. Even though it can be nice, it can also be annoying.

What do I enjoy doing when I'm not reading a novel?

creativepoppypatterns.com

I really enjoy cross-stitching.

I have cross-stitched Christmas stockings for my entire family.

I cross-stitched my Christmas tree skirt with a Christmas village on it.

I have done a number of baby blankets for my boys, my niece, my nephews, and close friends' babies.

I have done tons of pictures which have been framed around my house, my mother's house, and my mother-in-laws.

It takes a lot of patience, but I find it relaxing and enjoying.

I also liked to write stories, but I don't do that much anymore.

What about you? Is there any hobbies that you have? Do you paint pictures? Do you make quilts? Tell me. I want  to know.

Susan May Warren: Ruby Jane

By Kelly Bridgewater

She loved...and lost.

Ruby Jane never thought she'd meet the man of her dreams while running from the police in Russia. That he'd steal her heart on a train to Siberia. But loving a former CIA officer comes with a price...a life of danger. A life of high stakes.

A life where he simply disappears...

He has no memory of the man he was.

Mack Jones has no memory of his past...just the dark sense that he is hiding. And, he wants to stay that way. Mack likes the life he's built in a small tourist town, tucked away beyond the mountains, and has no desire to dig around in the gray areas of his memory.

When his place of business catches fire and Mack rescues the owner, he makes the news, which of course alerts the past he's hoping to outrun.

The only person who can help him is a mysterious woman he doesn't remember.

But a woman he desperately needs.

The surprising, thrilling conclusion to the Montana Marshall series.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Ruby Jane is the fifth and final installment in the family saga of the Montana Marshall's. In true Susan May Warren fashion, the plot is a high octane chase with plenty of sparks and romance to satisfy any true romantic suspense fan. I have read all of the Montana Marshall brothers' stories, and I couldn't wait to read this one. Warren does a fabulous job at crafting a story with familiar characters and tying up loose ends from the overall story. In Ruby Jane, Warren actually shows how all five stories are intertwined to make one big climatic moment. I really enjoyed spending time with these five characters and can't wait to read the next series from Susan May Warren. I loved this series and can't wait to own all five of them in paperback too, so I can add it to my Warren shelf on my bookshelf.

I received a complimentary copy of Ruby Jane by Susan May Warren from SMW Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Ruby Jane

Denise Hunter: Lake Season

By Kelly Bridgewater

A lost letter, a new love, and old secrets beckon this summer at the Bluebell Inn.

When their parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her siblings pull together to fulfill their parents’ dream: turning their historic Bluebell, North Carolina home back into an inn. The situation would just be temporary—three years at the most—then they would sell the inn and Molly could get back to chasing her own dreams.

Adam Bradford (aka bestselling author Nathanial Grey) is a reclusive novelist with a bad case of writer’s block. Desperate for inspiration as his deadline approaches, he travels to the setting of his next book, a North Carolina lake town. There he immediately meets his muse, a young innkeeper who fancies herself in love with his alter ego.

Molly and Adam strike up an instant friendship. When Molly finds a long-lost letter in the walls of her inn she embarks on a mission with Adam to find the star-crossed lovers and bring them the closure they deserve. But Adam has secrets of his own. Past and present collide as truths are revealed, and Molly and Adam will have to decide if love is worth trusting.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Lake Season by Denise Hunter has a little bit of backflash to show the story that Molly and Adam are trying to find dealing with the letter. The romance was cute. What girl wouldn't want to meet her favorite author, especially if it is a guy writing romantic heroes worth swooning over? Molly and Adam's romance had its up and downs. But they stuck it out and earned their happily ever after. As for the plot, the idea of hunting for a missing letters owner to try to figure out if Benjamin ever heard how LIzzie really felt about him was interesting to see. The story worked itself out by the end of the pages. The idea of grief from losing parents suddenly really hit home for me. I really enjoyed the scene where Molly was crying in her parents' bedroom. The hurt doesn't go away like many authors portray in their novels. We, who have lost a parent suddenly, lost learn how to cope with every day. Not that we don't think of them and miss them all the time. Overall, Lake Season was a fun read that I think fans of contemporary romances will love. It was well-written and a nice way to spend a couple of hours.

I received complimentary copy of Lake Season by Denise Hunter from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Lake Season

About the Author:

From Amazon

 Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 30 novels, including "The Convenient Groom" and "A December Bride" which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 Club and won awards such as The Holt Medallion Award, The Carol Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.

In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn't orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking good coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband raised three boys and are currently enjoying an almost empty nest.

You can learn more about Denise through her website www.DeniseHunterBooks.com or by visiting her FaceBook page at https://www.facebook.com/authordenisehunter (Taken from Amazon.)

Thanksgiving

By Kelly Bridgewater

From Pinterest

Lynette Eason: Protecting Tanner Hollow

By Kelly Bridgewater

Lethal Homecoming
Nolan Tanner never got over Kallie Ainsworth's sudden, unexplained departure. Now when he comes to her rescue after an attempt on her life, all the old feelings come rushing back.

Lethal Conspiracy
When professional fundraiser Lillian Maloney sees her father's campaign manager commit murder, she goes on the run from the men he hires to kill her. A close call brings firefighter Jason Tanner to the rescue, but the killer is closing in . . .

Lethal Secrets
Someone wants Honor McBride dead. When Eli Murphy helps her change a flat tire and discovers the danger Honor is in, he longs to help--but Eli has secrets of his own that could get them all killed.

Lethal Agenda
When Detective Derek St. John rescues a woman he's met only once before--and has never been able to forget--he finds himself falling for her. But he'll have to keep Claire Montgomery alive if they're to have a future together.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Protecting Tanner Hollow is a collection of four novellas by Lynette Eason. Three of them have been previously released in e-book format before while the newest one "Lethal Agenda" is a new addition to the collection. I really enjoyed the first three novellas and how they all feature reoccurring characters in the small town of Tanner Hollow, North Carolina. The plots had plenty of action and quick developing romances that fit well into the novella sphere of space. Getting to know the seven individual characters was nice and comforting. "Lethal Agenda" included Derek St. John, so if readers are familiar with Eason's Code of Justice series than the last name should mean something. He is only child who did not have his story told in that series. While I adore Eason's writings, "Lethal Agenda" seemed to move to quickly for my taste. In the preceding three novellas, the suspense took a while to come to its climactic moment. But in "Lethal Agenda," the story felt like it just started, and Eason threw readers into the climactic moment within pages. The romance felt a little out of place too. As for the unveiling of the villain. I was a little confused. I had to go back and reread the climactic moment a couple of times to fully grasp what happened. Overall, Protecting Tanner Hollow by Lynette Eason is a must-have to add to any fans of Eason library. All but the last one excited me. If readers enjoy Eason's novels, then I say pick this one up too.

I received a complimentary copy of Protecting Tanner Hollow by Lynette Eason from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Protecting Tanner Hollow

Sara Ella: Coral

By Kelly Bridgewater

Taking a new twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved—yet tragic—tale, “The Little Mermaid,” Coral explores mental health from multiple perspectives, questioning what it means to be human in a world where humanity often seems lost.

There is more than one way to drown.

Coral has always been different, standing out from her mermaid sisters in a society where blending in is key. Worse yet, she fears she has been afflicted with the dreaded Disease, said to be carried by humans—emotions. Can she face the darkness long enough to surface in the light?

Above the sea, Brooke has nothing left to give. Depression and anxiety have left her feeling isolated. Forgotten. The only thing she can rely on is the numbness she finds within the cool and comforting ocean waves. If only she weren’t stuck at Fathoms—a new group therapy home that promises a second chance at life. But what’s the point of living if her soul is destined to bleed?

Merrick may be San Francisco’s golden boy, but he wants nothing more than to escape his controlling father. When his younger sister’s suicide attempt sends Merrick to his breaking point, escape becomes the only option. If he can find their mom, everything will be made right again—right?

When their worlds collide, all three will do whatever it takes to survive, and Coral might even catch a prince in the process. But what—and who—must they leave behind for life to finally begin?

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Coral by Sara Ella is an imaginative version of fantasy and discussing a disorder without being too brash. The writing is vibrant and full of sensory details. I love the way she describes the ocean from Coral's perspective. Everything sparkles and shines, bringing this underground world to life. I have never seen the ocean, and honestly, don't like waters, so I'm okay without seeing it, but Ella captured the wonder and the mystery of the ocean in her writing. As for the plot, when I first started the story, I was a little confused with the three storylines. They don't interact, and I didn't understand why the three mental issues were being told this way, but don't worry, Ella ties things up nicely at the end of the story. The plot moves a little slow at certain parts, but overall, it is a story that I believe teenagers would relate to and enjoy. A good gift for a troubling teen. Now I'm curious what else Ella will come up with.

I received a complimentary copy of Coral by Sara Ella from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Coral

About the Author:

Taken from Amazon

Sara Ella is the award-winning author of the Unblemished series and Coral, the upcoming reimagining of The Little Mermaid. She spends her days throwing living room dance parties for her two princesses, raising her little prince to be a king, and conquering realms of her own imaginings with her swoony husband by her side. She may or may not be obsessed with #Bookstagram, which feeds her current addiction to bookish tea and candles. A lover of fairy tales, she believes "Happily Ever After is Never Far Away." (Taken from Amazon.)

Psalm 105

By Kelly Bridgewater

Psalm 105

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord!

Call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples!

Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;

Talk of all His wondrous works!

Glory in His holy name;

Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!

Seek His face evermore!

Remember His marvelous works which He has done,

His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

O seed  of Abraham, His servant,

Your children of Jacob, His chosen ones!"

*Verses come from the New King James Version of the Bible

Lord,

I pray for everyone reading this. Give them peace and a wonderful day. Allow them to have plenty of food and love around the table as we celebrate a day of being thankful. Not that we shouldn't do that every day, but especially today. Allow them to make memories and maybe even share tons of what you have ton so far this year in each individual lives.

Amen.