By Kelly Bridgewater
FALL!!
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| pinterest.com |
Love
the orange, brown, yellow, and red on all the trees.
Cooler
temperature.
Bonfires.
Pumpkins.
Holidays.
Covered
Bridge Festival.
Trail
rides.
Halloween.
S’mores.
Baking
Homemade goodies.
What
about you? Have anything that you look forward to?
By Kelly Bridgewater
In this compelling
new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family’s castle in
the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams
up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once
and for all.
1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely
in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York’s gilded society in
their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is
found dead in his smoking room.
1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy’s castle, now in
ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists
and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from
her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl
named Emma shows up on Chloe’s doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered
scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at
Chloe’s store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help
him dig into a past she’d thought best left buried. The haunting truth about
Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma’s life, so Chloe and Logan must work
together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle.
My Thoughts:
The
Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson took my
breathe away. I love how she creates a pathway that readers might think be the
solution to the missing Poppy, but then Dobson threw another twist into the
story. I love how "Poppy" has a redemption plotline. The modern,
Chloe, character took in a little girl with no question asked. Dobson does a
wonderful job at bringing readers into the setting. I would have loved to visit
this castle and roam the expansive setting. The hidden passages filled with
jewels was never really explored. I would have loved to have seen Chloe stubble
across a pathway with many of the jewels left by Amelia. The two timelines
mixed and mingled nicely. I kept flipping through the pages of the story. I
could not wait to see what happened to Poppy and what this has to do with
Chloe. The historical mystery and the contemporary mystery wrapped nicely at
the end of the story. I LOVED this story, and I can't wait to have a physical
copy on my bookshelf.
I received a complimentary copy of The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie
Dobson from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
My
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Purchase The Wings of Poppy Pendleton
By Kelly Bridgewater
I
work in a Financial Aid office at a university.
I
see students that take debt because they have no plan to pay their academic
year bill.
Their
parents did not save anything. They attend colleges all the way across the
country where the student is paying complete out-of-state rate, which is
usually two times as a resident of that state.
Or
students who live in town of the college, but they want that college
experience, so the parents want them to live on campus and pay out for room and
board. At our university, it is $12000 a year.
That
is A LOT of money to live across town.
All
of these students and their parents are willing to take out loans.
I
see some students that do not want to take loans out, but they have no idea how
to pay their bill.
I
see Physician’s Assistants that take out over $50,000 a year in loans because
they have to travel for their clinicals to another state.
None
of these student work.
They
live in the most expensive apartments in town. New cars that they lease but
want all this debt. They are taking them willingly.
So
why as a country should we forgive any loans?
 |
| debt.org |
No
one is putting a gun to their head and making them take these loans.
I
graduated with my BS and MA with no debt.
My
son, who is a current senior at a university, has not taken out any loans. He
still lives at home and goes to work 24 hours a week. Every paycheck is going
toward his bill. He drives his paid for car and pays the car insurance a year
in advance.
Why
should I, as a responsible adult, have to pay more in taxes to pay back YOUR
student loan debt?
If
you took it out, then YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE to pay it back.
If
you do not want to pay it back, then do not take it out. Go to school closer to
home. Work while attending school part time. Live at home.
No
one is picking up my mortgage and wiping it away. I still have to pay that
every month.
Why
should all these people have their loans forgiven?
If
so, then what about the people that have had their loan paid in full, do they
receive a refund check for the amount they paid off?
Wrong!
No student loan debt forgiven!
By Kelly Bridgewater
Some secrets can only stay buried for so long. . . .
Anna Lakeman has spent her life working
alongside her paleontologist father, drawing intricate sketches at every dig.
When they find dinosaur bones near their home in Wyoming Territory, they're
given the opportunity of a lifetime and are swiftly caught up in the
competitive era of the Bone Wars. But after her father becomes sick and Joshua
Ziegler, an old beau, returns for the summer, Anna's world is upended, and the
practical, orderly life she has made for herself shatters.
Medical student Joshua Ziegler left his hometown to forget Anna, the one woman
he truly loved and deeply hurt. But when he returns, time hasn't erased the
feelings they've always had for each other. After Joshua's nephew goes
missing--just like his sister did years ago--and Anna's job is threatened,
tensions mount and dangerous secrets are unearthed.
My Thoughts:
The Secrets Beneath
by Kimberly Woodhouse is a unique story. With Paleontology as the main story
thread, I have never seen this is a story. At least, not in the Christian
fiction market. The story was well-written with plenty of intrigue, romance,
and action to keep the story alive. The one character that I really felt bad
for was Julian. I kept wanting to see what would happen to him. Since I read a
lot of suspense novels, I had a pretty good idea where his part of the story
would end up. I would have liked to have seen what the end result of the
archaeological dig that Joshua and Anna worked on through the whole story would
have shown. Unless Woodhouse plans to keep working on this same dig site in the
second novel, it would have been nice to see the final discovery or the article
with Anna’s pictures and names on them in a magazine. Overall, The Secrets
Beneath by Kimberly Woodhouse was different, thrilling, and had hints of
romance to round out a nicely handled story.
I received a complimentary copy of The
Secrets Beneath by Kimberley Woodhouse from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions
stated are all my own.
My Rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Purchase The Secrets Beneath
By Kelly Bridgewater
depositphotos.com
No reason to talk about this. I believe James
said it the best.
By Kelly Bridgewater
For the past five years, FBI Special
Agent Risa Jacobs has worked in the violent crimes against children division of
the Houston FBI. She’s never had reason to believe there’s a target on her back . . . until now.
When the long-awaited reunion between Risa and her brother, Trenton, ends in
tragedy, Risa is riddled with guilt, unable to cope with the responsibility she
feels over his death. On leave from the FBI, Risa returns to her former career
as an English teacher at a local college, only to see her past and present
collide when one of her students, Carson Mercury, turns in an assignment that
reads like an eyewitness account of her brother’s murder, with details never
revealed publicly.
Alarmed by Carson’s inside knowledge of Trenton’s death, Risa reaches out to
her former partner at the FBI. Special Agent Gage Patterson has been working a
string of baby kidnappings, but he agrees to help look into Carson’s
background. Risa and Gage soon discover their cases might be connected as a
string of high-value thefts have occurred at properties where security systems
were installed by Carson’s stepfather and children have gone missing. There’s a
far more sinister plot at play than they ever imagined, and innocent lives are
in danger.
My
Thoughts:
Facing
the Enemy by DiAnn Mills features two mysteries that
come around and tie together into one eye opening ending. Mills does a
wonderful job at diving into a story that uses a writing assignment and missing
babies and ties them together. The writing assignment was my favorite part. As
a budding author, it felt unique and different. The plot did capture my
attention and did not let go. As for the budding romance between Gage and Rise,
it seemed a little over the top. Yes, the heroine and the hero have a past, but
personally, I wanted a little deeper of a relationship before they dove into
their budding feelings. Mills did a wonderful job at crafting a world that
keeps the readers actively involved in the plot. The element of the missing
babies tugged at my heartstrings. I could not imagine how awful it would feel
to have your baby stolen from you when the baby was under three months old.
Overall, Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills
has some unique, yet original plot ideas; however, the romance was not what I
expected. More backstory that leads to the growing romance.
I received a complimentary copy of Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills from
Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
My
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase Facing the Enemy
By Kelly Bridgewater
At
least, schools are back in session and the pools are closed.
Time
to buckle down and finish those last yard projects before winter.
Time
to put out the firepit for those cool nights.
Time
to put away the sounds of summer.
 |
| wallpaperaccess.com |
Even
though in Central Indiana, it stays warm until about Halloween, so I won’t be
getting too ready currently.
I
have mowed the yard the week of Thanksgiving before because it was still in the
60’s outside.
It
usually stays pretty warm by allowing us to still wear t-shirts and a hoodie
until after Thanksgiving.
Come
on cooler weather.
Bring
it on!
Do
you look forward to cooler weather or do you frown about this time of the year?
If you like warmer weather, please share why?
By Kelly Bridgewater
Book: The Starlet Spy
Authors: Rachel Scott McDaniel
Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
Release Date: August, 2023
Hollywood Star Turns Spy
In 1943, movie producer Henrik Zoltan approaches Amelie Blake under the guise
of offering the Hollywood star a leading part in his upcoming film, but he has
a more meaningful role in mind. Amelie’s homeland of Sweden declared neutrality
in the war, but Stockholm has become the “Casablanca of the North.” When
top-secret atomic research goes missing in Sweden, the Allied forces scramble
to recover the files before they fall into Nazi hands.
The United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) needs someone who’s subtle
enough to spy on the Swedish elite without triggering suspicion. Who better
than the “all beauty, no brains” Scandinavian starlet? Fluent in three
languages and possessing a brilliant memory, Amelie loathes being labeled
witless but uses the misconception as her disguise. She’s tasked with searching
for the crucial files, but Finn Ristaffason keeps getting in her way. Is the
charming shipping magnate after the missing research? Or does he have other
reasons for showing up at her every turn?
With the Gestapo on her heels, Amelie must rely on her smarts in addition to
her acting skills to survive a world of deadly spies and counterspies.
My Thoughts:
The Starlet Spy
by Rachel Scott McDaniel views World War II spy operative working in Sweden who
happens to be a Hollywood starlet. The story opens with a view of Amelie Blake
working on her latest movie. Then readers are taken for a ride as they will
view who she actually is and then have her return home to Sweden to try to
capture a traitor to the American people. There is plenty of action and hunting
for clues throughout the story. Even moments where Amelie has to use her acting
skills in order to infiltrate the enemy lines. A nice scene with a pool table.
As for the characters, Amelie and Finn, Amelie was definitely more relatable
and defined. Readers will empathize with her plight to come up from the ashes
to make a name for herself. Whereas, on the other hand, Finn comes from a lot
of money, and he does not really change for the better or worse throughout the
story. Romance blossoms between the two, but personally, I did not buy it. It
seemed to be there as a plot device. Not any swooning or real sparks flying.
Overall, The Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel promised what would be
a glorious novel with a Hollywood Starlet during World War II. It was a nicely
handled intriguing novel.
I received a complimentary copy of The
Starlet Spy by Rachel Scott McDaniel from Barbour Publishing, but the
opinions stated are all my own.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase The Starlet Spy
Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. Rachel can be found online at www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com and on all social media platforms. Her work is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency. Rachel resides in Ohio with her husband and two children.
Hej! If you’ve ever been to Ikea, then you know that’s the Swedish greeting for Hello! Prior to writing The Starlet Spy, my 
knowledge of the Swedish culture was limited. It seemed I wasn’t alone. Early last year, I held a poll on my social media asking if anyone had ever read a book set in Sweden. A sweeping majority said no.
Since all of my previous books are set in the United States, this is my first novel with an international setting. So I immersed myself into research. I read books about the country, watched videos, followed Swedish Instagrammers to learn more about the language. And let me tell you, I totally fell in love with this Scandinavian world. It is now on my bucket list to visit because it’s just that gorgeous. I wrote The Starlet Spy with a romantic adventure vibe. I wanted to take the reader on a tour of this amazing country, from the classically beautiful Stockholm, to the quaint fishermen city of Malmo, to the ancient streets of Sigtuna—one of Sweden’s oldest villages—to the brilliant Northern Lights in the Lapland region.
Not only did I want to paint the scene of these various places, but I also wanted to introduce the Swedish culture. Tucked within the pages of The Starlet Spy, the reader will find traces of Scandinavian folklore and legends, which was super fun to explore. But to be honest, my favorite inclusion of Swedish culture was incorporating a traditional dance—the Hambo! It’s such an interesting and unique dance, and I may have been trying to coax my husband into trying it with me for an Instagram Reel, but so far, no such luck! Though I have no problem getting him to enjoy Fika with me. Fika, my friends, is a coffee break, or simply coffee. Just as the British favor their tea, the Swedes are adamant about their fika. So I can most definitely relate.
If all this intrigues you, I welcome you to read The Starlet Spy. It’s set in 1943, which was a pivotal time for Sweden during World War II. If you’ve read my previous stories, you know how much I love to weave as much true history into the chapters. This book has by far the most!
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 29
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 29
lakesidelivingsite, August 29
Lily’s Book Reviews, August 30
Where Faith and Books Meet, August 30
Melissa’s Bookshelf, August 31
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 31
Back Porch Reads, September 1
annette_reads_daily, September 1
Texas Book-aholic, September 2
Cathe Swanson, September 2
Book Looks by Lisa, September 2
Locks, Hooks and Books, September 3
Christina’s Corner, September 3
Connie’s History Classroom, September 4
Kristina Hall, September 4
The Book Club Network, September 5
Pause for Tales, September 5
Happily Managing A Household of Boys, September 5
Cover Lover Book Review, September 6
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 6
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, September 7 (Author Interview)
The Book Nook, September 7
Betti Mace, September 8
Labor Not in Vain, September 8
Just Your Average reviews, September 8
Simple Harvest Reads, September 9 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, September 9
A Good Book and Cup of Tea, September 9
Blogging With Carol, September 10
For Him and My Family, September 10
Holly’s Book Corner, September 11
Lights in a Dark World, September 11
Books I’ve Read, September 11
To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon eGift card and a print copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/278bf/the-starlet-spy-celebration-tour-giveaway
By Kelly Bridgewater
In the vein of The Library of
Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick, a priceless manuscript could be one
woman’s key to finding her missing grandmother—and to her own second chance.
It’s not just Ellora Lockwood’s home that’s being emptied as she prepares to
sell—her heart seems to be empty too. Since the mysterious disappearance of her
beloved Grandma June and separating from her husband, Alex, Ellora has felt
adrift. Then comes an invitation from Alex to teach history at a summer program
at Alnwick Castle in England. He’s even found information about the location of
a medieval manuscript that was her grandmother’s obsession before she vanished.
Warily, Ellora accepts Alex’s offer. Surrounded by lush English countryside and
captivating history, she pieces together clues about the manuscript’s
whereabouts—and uncovers new questions. Could someone have been sabotaging her
grandmother’s work? Anonymous threats lead Ellora to suspect she too may be in
danger, but as she and Alex work together, she’s finding strength, new purpose
and the courage to see this quest through, wherever it may lead…
My Thoughts:
The Lost Manuscript
by Mollie Rushmeyer is a contemporary romance lovers dream with a hunt for a
hidden manuscript and a lost grandma. From the first chapter, Ellora is hunting
for her grandmother, who has been looking for this manuscript her entire life.
Right away, readers will be thrown into her world and the struggles that she
has had with her soon-to-be ex-husband. As the story progresses, the mystery
and the hunt for the manuscript takes center stage and drives the reader on a
treasure hunt. However, the left unresolved feelings between Ellora and Alex do
come to a head a number of times when they need to work together to solve a
clue that grandma left behind. As for the descriptions of the setting,
Rushmeyer does a wonderful job at drawing the setting in a way that the readers
imagination can take flight and enjoy the passing scenery. The climactic moment
near the end of the novel ties up the conflict with grandma and the manuscript.
Was it satisfying? Personally, no. Yes, readers will know what happened, but I
wanted a little more of a punch to the moment. The creation of Ellora and her
pain was woven through the character’s journey. Readers will feel her internal
conflict with her marriage and some unresolved issues. However, Alex was not as
much as an open book as Ellora. Overall, The Lost Manuscript is a
romance with a hunt for a hidden historical item.
I received a complimentary copy of The Lost
Manuscript by Mollie Rushmeyer from Love Inspired Trade Publishing, but the
opinions stated are all my own.
My Rating: 3.75 out of
5 stars
Purchase The Lost Manuscript
By
Kelly Bridgewater
ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference is this week.
It
is a blast to go to.
 |
| www.acfw.com |
If
you read Christian fiction, it is a delight to see all the authors that you
enjoy in person.
It
is nice to sit at a table and discuss writing with them. It is nice to have
them autograph your treasured novels.
Every
day, we worship as a unit. It is a nice feeling to see all these Christian
writers thanking and praising God for the gift that he gave us to use for his
glory.
There
is even a prayer chapel around with a number of authors who are more than
willing to pray with you.
I
enjoy the classes. Learning from authors who have accomplished what I want to
accomplish.
Spending
time with friends that I only see at this conference.
I
have not been since September 2016. Covid has ruined that for 2019 – 2021, so
no one went, but it is nice to maybe go again.
How about you? Ever been to a writing conference? What was your favorite part?
By Kelly Bridgewater
My
Thoughts:
The
Girl from the Papers by Jennifer L. Wright is a Bonnie
and Clyde retelling. One of my favorite aspects was the internal dialogue of
the main heroine. She wonders if she is ever good enough to be loved. I can
completely relate. But through the help of Allie who shows her who God is and
how much he loves her just the way that she is, the heroine begins to
understand that God will love her no matter what she has done or will do. The
plot moves at a fast pace and will hold the imagination of the readers. Wright
does a wonderful job at showing why the heroine stayed with Jack even as he
kept doing the horrible things that he did. Made it more easy to empathize with
her plight. Their romance is more of a need to fill the hole in the heroine's
heart. The setting and descriptions were nicely explained and shown to the
readers. The synopsis made me want to read the story, but Wright's take at the
heart issue really kept me glued to the active storyline. Overall, The Girl
from the Papers by Jennifer L. Wright moves the heart, but shows a delightful
story while doing it. I recommend this story.
I received a complimentary copy of The Girl from the Papers by Jennifer L.
Wright from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
My
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase The Girl from the Papers
By Kelly Bridgewater
Here are my Most Anticipated Historical Romance books that will be released from now until December 31, 2023. (All covers come from Goodreads.)
The Wings of Poppy Pendelton by Melanie Dobson
The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky
Against the Wind by Amanda Cabot
Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch
The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt
To Spark a Match by Jen Turano
The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham
A Winter by the Sea by Julie Klassen
What about you? Any other suggestions of novels that I should read?
