Ronie Kendig: Brand Of Light

By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book

Book:  Brand of Light
Author: Ronie Kendig
Genre: Christian Fiction, futuristic, space opera,
Release Date: December 3, 2019

From Celebrate Lit

There’s a price on her head, and it has everything to do with the brand on her arm.

Tertian Space Coalition has blessed every planet in the quadrants with high technology, save one: Drosero. But in spite of their tenuous treaty with the ruling clans, TSC has plans for the backward planet. And they’re not alone.

After a catastrophic explosion, Kersei Dragoumis awakens in a derelict shuttle, alone, injured, and ignorant of the forbidden technology that has swept her into a nightmare. The brand she’s borne since childhood burns mysteriously, but the pain is nothing to that when she learns her family is dead and she is accused of their murders.

Across the quadrants, Marco Dusan responds to the call of a holy order—not to join them, but to seek a bounty. Gifted—or cursed—with abilities that mark him a Kynigos, a tracker sworn to bring interplanetary fugitives to justice, Marco discovers this particular bounty has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with prophecy. One that involves the hunter as much as the hunted.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

I'm not a big fan of science fiction novels, but I LOVE Ronie Kendig's ability to tell a story, so I was really excited to read Brand of Light. I had no idea what I was stepping into when I read this novel. Kendig accomplishes the high fast pace of her novels in this book too. She starts the novel with an exciting incident with Kersei and then follows with destruction. The story made me want to keep reading. I wanted to know why Kersei ended up in the situation she was in. Why was it so important? Besides seeing her point of view, Kendig introduces readers to Tigo and Marco. I wandered what they had to do with the overall story. So I kept reading. They do play important parts. There is a hint of romance between Kersei and some guy, no spoilers here. There are a bunch of twists in the last ten percent of the novel, begging me to come back and read book two, which I definitely will be doing. Overall, Brand of Light by Ronie Kendig may take place on unfamiliar planets with different codes than Earth, but I still enjoy the ride to see what was happening and why. I believe fans of Kendig's wriitng should pick up this book. It was a joy to spend time with.

I received a complimentary copy of Brand of Light by Ronie Kendig through Celebrate Lit tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.
My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

About the Author

From Celebrate Lit

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author of over twenty titles. An Army brat, Ronie lives a shot train ride from New York City with her husband, twin sons, and two fur-sons, VVolt N629, a retired military working dog, and Benning the Stealth Golden. Described as an empath by her literary agent, Ronie has used her degree in psychology to write books that have won the coveted Christy Award, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, HOLT Medallion Award, and more. Her books have also hit the CBA Bestseller List multiple times.

More from Ronnie

In November 2005, I lurched into a story that started with one small element—what if a hero could literally smell fear? And so I delved into the story with the characters, and felt like I’d fallen into the vortex. I wrote over 90,000 words in one month, this story just gushing out of me.

But I was a very new writer. And if you saw the first draft that gushed out of me, you’d snicker. I sure have. It’s appallingly bad writing, yet the story’s bones are healthy and intact. So, I teased the story into shape over the last fourteen years. In 2012, I took a hard look at it and tried to shape up the writing. I’d even gotten to know Kathy Tyers, who wrote for the Star Wars franchise as well as the much-beloved Firebird series (*insert reverent pause here*), and I bravely asked if she would take a peek at the first fifty pages or so. Being gracious as Kathy is, she agreed to take a look.
Um, yikes. Haha. Make no mistake—Kathy is a brilliant writer, and I will never write like her, but I learned so much her feedback and took it to heart. Clearly, I still had a long way to go before that story was ready for the world, so I delved into honing my craft and deepening this story. Honestly, I was afraid show Brand of Light to anyone again, because I love this story so much and did not want to see “her” fail. Nore correctly—I did not want to fail this story.

About three years ago, I sensed a deep conviction that it was time to stop hiding and, as an act of faith and obedience to what God had given me, to send Brand of Light out into the world. As I write this, she is still 1.5 months out from the release, and I’m scared. I want this beauty to be loved, but even if it’s not, *I love this story and know I honored God with my writing and sending her out. I can rest here for a long while, reveling in the gift God gave me with this storyworld and its characters. I’m excited to see her launch out into the deep now. As Marco and the hunters always say, For Honor.

Blog Stops

Through the Fire Blogs, December 14

April Hayman, Author, December 14

Hallie Reads, December 14

amandainpa , December 15

Inside the Wong Mind, December 15

Christian Chick’s Thoughts, December 16

Wishful Endings, December 16

Pause for Tales, December 16

A Reader’s Brain, December 17

Faery Tales Are Real, December 17

Simple Harvest Reads, December 18 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 18

Where Faith and Books Meet, December 18

Texas Book-aholic, December 19

Mia Reads Blog, December 19

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, December 20

Betti Mace, December 20

Books, Life, and Christ, December 20

Just the Write Escape, December 21

Britt Reads Fiction, December 21

Blogging With Carol , December 22

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, December 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 23

All-of-a-kind Mom, December 23

The Artist Librarian, December 23

Emily Yager, December 24

mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 24

Bakerkella, December 25

Worthy2Read, December 25

janicesbookreviews, December 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, December 26

Just Your Average reviews, December 26

Inklings and notions, December 27

Splashes of Joy, December 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Ronie is giving away the grand prize package of a Tinted Prose edition of Brand of Light, Galaxy Tumbler, “Kersei” Dio Adorable Candle, 3 Character Cards (to include Marco, Kersei, Tigo), and 2 Maps (to include Drosero and the planetary map)!!

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/f2e2/brand-of-light-celebration-tour-giveaway

Susan Sleeman: Seconds to Live

By Kelly Bridgewater

When cybercriminals hack into the US Marshals' Witness Protection database and auction off witnesses' personal details to the highest bidders, the RED Team led by FBI Agent Sean Nichols begins a high-stakes chase to find the hacker. But before he can even get started, the first witness is targeted and barely escapes with her life. Sean believes Phantom, an obsessed hacker who previously outwitted the top minds in the field, is behind the attack, and Sean needs this witness's help, as she's the person who has come closest to discovering Phantom's identity.

Trouble is, she's a witness under the care of US Marshal Taylor Mills, and Sean is reluctant to work with the captivating marshal who knows his deepest secrets. But Phantom claims he knows where the witness is hiding and will kill her, so to stop the hacker, Sean and Taylor must work through their personal pain and learn to trust each other. . . . The seconds are ticking down before someone dies.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Suspense is my ultimate genre of choice. I love when a story keeps me guessing from page one. Susan Sleeman's first novel with Bethany House Publishers' Seconds to Live captured my attention from the first page. Sleeman thrusts readers into the suspense with a shove and a chase through the town. The procedure to find the Phantom is detailed and makes readers trust the hero and heroine as they work together to follow the clues. The plot was wonderfully woven together. The only issue I had with the plot is that the Phantom is introduced in the first chapter to start the action, but I wanted and needed more background on what he has done. Maybe a actual scene of when he butchered his previous partner I kept waiting for a scene where the Phantom showed his feelings. Something to give me a moment to empathize with the villain. The romance sprinkled a little as the story progressed into the predictable ending. Overall, Seconds to Live by Susan Sleeman is a fast pace glance into the world into the dangers of computer hacking while showing the inner workings of a hunt for a killer.

I received a complimentary copy of Seconds to Live by Susan Sleeman from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Seconds to Live

About the Author:

From Amazon

SUSAN SLEEMAN is the bestselling author of over thirty-five novels with more than one million books sold. She writes romantic suspense novels that are clean with inspiring messages of faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real.
In addition to writing, Susan also hosts TheSuspenseZone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.
 

To learn more about Susan's books sign up for her monthly email that includes exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and other goodies. http://www.susansleeman.com/susans-newsletter/ (Taken from Amazon.)

Most Anticipated Books Spring 2020

By Kelly Bridgewater

I do this type of blog post a number of times throughout the year, and I enjoy doing them.

This post refers to the books coming out from January 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020.

There are a lot of GREAT books being published for the first part of the year, and I can't wait to start reading them and adding them to my shelves.

How about you? Is there any of these books that you are looking forward to reading? Is there any you would add that I didn't include?

(*All book covers come from Goodreads, unless noted.)

 The Thief of Lanwyn Manor by Sarah E. Ladd

The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin

The Brightest of Dreams by Susan Anne Mason

Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason

Children of the Stars Mario Escobar

The Socialite by J'nell Ciesielski

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson

The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck

The Way of the Brave Susan May Warren

Kings Falling by Ronie Kendig

Julie Klassen: The Bridge to Belle Island

By Kelly Bridgewater

After a humiliating mistake, lawyer Benjamin Booker resolves to never again trust a beautiful woman. When an old friend is killed, the senior partner isn't satisfied with Bow Street's efforts and asks Benjamin to investigate. Eager to leave London for a while, Benjamin agrees. Evidence takes him to a remote island on the Thames, a world unto itself, shrouded in mist and mystery. Soon he finds himself falling for the main suspect--a woman who claims not to have left the island in ten years. But should he trust her?

On Belle Island, Isabelle feels safe and leads a productive life, but fear keeps her trapped there. When Mr. Booker arrives with news of her trustee's murder in London, Isabelle is stunned. She has not left the island, yet she has a recurring dream about the man's death. Or is it a memory? She had been furious with him, but she never intended . . . this.

When a second person dies and evidence shockingly points to her, Isabelle doesn't know who to trust: the attractive lawyer or the admirer and friends who assemble on the island, each with grudges against the victim. Can she even trust her own mind? While they search for the truth, secrets come to light and danger comes calling.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen is a Regency Mystery Romance. While the story centers around Belle Island, the story actually focuses on the hunt for a murderer and the idea of Isabella Wilder and her ability to not be able to leave the island. Isabella Wilder has a kind heart, just like most heroines in this period are written. She is afraid to leave the island since the death of her parents on the main land. The story starts with a dead body collapsing on a desk in an office. The rest of the story continues for the hunt for who killed the man. Since it isn't a modern story, the foresenics isn't up-to-date as readers are used to. It was more of paying attention to details and finding clues to hunt for the murderer. The way a mystery should read. Even though the story reads like a Regency novel complete with the setting and the characters, I really enjoyed the mystery element Klassen threw in. It sparked my mystery-loving mind. As for the spiritual elements, I can't really recall anything that stood out to me. The transformation of Isabella was the most memorable thing about the characters. Overall, The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen fits right into the Regency Romance category with a hint of an overarching mystery. The mystery is subtle but just enough for fans of cozy, safe mysteries. Fans of Klassen's previous works or Sarah E. Ladd pick enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Bridge to Belle Island