Sarah Sundin: Anchor in the Storm

By Kelly Bridgewater

One Plucky Female Pharmacist + One High-Society Naval Officer = Romance--and Danger

For plucky Lillian Avery, America's entry into World War II means a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The challenges of her new job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg's attentions only annoy--even if he is her brother's best friend.

During the darkest days of the war, Arch's destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves--and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions for sedatives Lillian has filled? The two work together to answer that question, but can Arch ever earn Lillian's trust and affection?

From Amazon

 My Review:

I'm going to fan gush here for a minute because Sarah Sundin is one of my favorite writers. All of her eight books and one novella have struck gold with me. I missed the opportunity to meet her at the ACFW Conference in Texas last year, but I hope to one day actually meet her and talk over a cup of coffee. It would definitely make my day. With Anchors in the Storm, Sundin doesn't surprise me with another hit out of the park.

Sundin writes with such clarity that I always feel like I have transported back to the 1940's and am walking through the dilemma of World War II. Sundin does so much research before she writes her stories, and it shows in the final product. I wish I could write as well as her. I really couldn't wait to jump right in and read Anchor in the Storm.

In Anchor in the Storm, I really enjoyed watching Arch and Lillian tell their love stories. Lillian is a brave woman pharmasist who suspects there is a perscription drug ring affecting the naval soldiers, so she goes undercover and hunts for the supplier. With danger, Lillian invites Arch to help her hunt down the top commanders in the drug ring. As an avid reader of suspense and mysteries, I really think Sundin handled the situation quite well. I couldn't wait to find out who was behind the trouble. It kept my attention glued to the story.

As for the romance between Arch and Lillian, it was paced quite nicely. Lillian has her reservations about men and for good reason. She has a hard time allowing men or anyone for that matter to come close to her heart. I admired her courage and really enjoyed her as the heroine. As for Arch, I really enjoyed him too. He came from money, but he saw what power money allowed people to hold over others by making them do things they normally wouldn't do. He wanted none of that. He saw the good in Lillian and loved her for her personality. I really enjoyed watching their romance blossom.

With the correct amount of research, Sarah Sundin crafted another hit in the World War II romance genre with enough tension and lovable characters to grab any ones attention.  I anxiously wait for book three where I can learn more about Quintessa and Dan Avery, Lillian and Jim's brother.

I highly recommend Anchors in the Storm to fans of Cara Putnam, Liz Tolsma, and Kristy Cambron. A great addition to the popular genre.

 I received a complimentary copy of Anchors in the Storm from Revell Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5  out of 5 Stars

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How to You Attempt to Say Goodbye

By Kelly Bridgewater

How to you say goodbye to the person who introduced you to the love of reading?

How to you say goodbye to the person who handed you your first journal and encouraged your love of writing?

How to say goodbye to your number one supporter?

If someone knows the answer to this, please share with me. As of today, I still haven't figured that out yet.

Six months ago, on Halloween, I woke up to a life changing phone call. My Daddy stopped breathing, and they have been working on him for the past 45 minutes. I dashed out of bed and started getting dressed. I knew I had to get to Indy as soon as possible. I live an hour and a half away. About to walk out the door fifteen minutes later, they said he passed. My world came crashing down. I didn't know what to do. My legs became rubber, and I couldn't see because of the avalanche of tears cascading down my face.

How do I say goodbye to the man who meant so much to me?

To a man who took me to a Waldenbooks when I was seven and told me to pick out any book I wanted. I choose Dawn on the Coast, number 23 in The Baby-sitters Club Series by Ann M. Martin. Hence, started my love affair with books. Daddy and I would travel to Lafayette Square Mall every two weeks on his payday, and he would buy me a new book. Either an addition to my Baby-sitters Club series or the Sweet Valley High Series. (I still have every single book in both those series. Hard to let go!). Sometimes we traveled to Borders in Castleton, a thirty minute drive from our house. We would stop and have lunch on the way. If it was McDonalds, we would order the chicken nugget combo with fries and a diet coke. Taco Bell, it was three hard tacos with double the meat and double the cheese with no lettuce. As I got older, he realized I liked steak, so we went to Lonestar Steakhouse or Oven, a little restaurant in Avon, Indiana. Indianapolis got a store called Media Play, it didn't last long, but Daddy and I would go on a Saturday and spend hours there. There was a cafe, huge sections for books, movies, kid toys, CD's, and VHS tapes. Daddy and I loved doing these times together.

I was in honors classes in high school, so I earned good grades. I remember when Jack Frost, the movie about the snowman with came to life with Michael Keaton and Kelly Preston, came to the theaters. I was a junior in high school. I mentioned to Daddy that I wanted to see it, so he took me out of school one day, and we went to movies together. We shared a large Diet Coke and a large popcorn. It was great. When that movie came on this past Christmas, I cried.

As I got older, married, and had kids, my Daddy always knew that education, reading, and writing meant a lot to me. So when I returned to pursue my Bachelor's and Master's, my Daddy was my greatest cheerleader. He would call me every week and see how my classes went, what did I learn, and to make sure I send him copies of any essays I wrote. My Daddy had a number of binders with all my writings when I was in college and graduate school.

Because my husband and I really didn't make a lot of money, my Daddy told me to keep him in the know of any new books that I wanted. My Daddy would keep the list on his Amazon wishlist, and once a month, he would buy me a book from the list. He had it shipped to his house, wrote a note in the front, and gave it to me next time I saw him. He, still, is the only one that buys me books for Christmas and my birthday. My Daddy was an intelligent Army man who loved nonfiction. He told me once, "I never understand your fascination with reading and writing fiction. I can't get into that genre." A couple of weeks later during one of our conversations, he said, "I prayed to God to help me to understand your fascination with fiction. God showed him how fiction can reach others when the Bible and non-fiction won't. That God has a plan for me(Kelly) to use fiction for his Glory." It made me tear up. (Now too!)

My Daddy encouraged me to join ACFW and helped fund my membership the first year. He listened to me rant and rave about my first conference. He encouraged and loved when I talked about writing or books that got me flared up. It said it was nice to see  and hear my passion.

When I graduated with my Bachelor's degree, my Daddy came to the ceremony. When they announced my name, my Daddy's cheers rang out above the crowd. Same thing, during my Master's ceremony, my Daddy was there and cheered me on. He always wanted me to earn a Ph.D. There is still time.

My Daddy and I had a special connection. Not to put anyone down, but my mother has a learning disablitity where she can't read, write, or comphrend things that well. She shared these traits with my brother and sister. So my Daddy and I would talk about books, movies, and other things that interest us. Our phone calls would be two to three hours long. I valued my time with him.

For the last six months, I have missed that connection. No one else in my immediate circle reads as much as me. No one asks about my writing anymore. No one asks about what I have read. I feel invisible. Like when my Daddy left, a part of my existence went with him. My passions are still my heart's desire, but there is no one to share them with.

No offense to my husband who supports me unconditionally. He doesn't read or write, so when I talk to him, he just nods, but I know he tunes me out.

So with Daddy having such an influence on who I turned out to be, how do I say goodbye?

I really don't want to.

I miss you, Daddy!!!

Until we meet again. 

Kara Isaac: Close to You

By Kelly Bridgewater

From Amazon

A disgraced scholar running from her past and an entrepreneur chasing his future find themselves thrown together—and fall in love—on a Tolkien tour of New Zealand.

Allison Shire (yes, like where the Hobbits live) is a disgraced academic who is done with love. Her belief in “happily ever after” ended the day she discovered her husband was still married to a wife she knew nothing about. She finally finds a use for her English degree by guiding tours through the famous sites featured in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. By living life on the road and traveling New Zealand as a luxury tour guide, Allison manages to outrun the pain of her past she can’t face.

Jackson Gregory was on the cusp of making it big. Then suddenly his girlfriend left him—for his biggest business competitor—and took his most guarded commercial secrets with her. To make matters worse, the Iowa farm that has been in his family for generations is facing foreclosure. Determined to save his parents from financial ruin, he’ll do whatever it takes to convince his wealthy great-uncle to invest in his next scheme, which means accompanying him to the bottom of the world to spend three weeks pretending to be a die-hard Lord of the Rings fan, even though he knows nothing about the stories. The one thing that stands between him and his goal is a know-it-all tour guide who can’t stand him and pegged him as a fake the moment he walked off the plane.

When Allison leads the group through the famous sites of the Tolkien movies, she and Jackson start to see each other differently, and as they keep getting thrown together on the tour, they find themselves drawn to each other. Neither expected to fall in love again, but can they find a way beyond their regrets to take a chance on the one thing they’re not looking for?

My Thoughts:

I am a huge Tolkien fan, so I couldn’t wait to read a story that took place in New Zealand where all six films where created. But that was not the case with Kara Issac's story.

One of my favorite parts of Isaac’s writing is the dialogue. Isaac does a good job at creating voices for the characters that actually match what the characters would do. Her dialogue shines on the pages of the novel.

The characters had me cringing mostly throughout the whole book. From the first moment Allie meets Jack, she’s determined that he is a fake and hates him without truly getting to know him. She keeps doing these mean things to him. Not things that hurt him physically, but she makes him dress up, knowing that he isn’t going to like it. Jack, on the other hand, fools his uncle and everyone else into believing he is a huge Tolkien fan to try to earn the money to save his parent’s farm. Yes, his motives were pure, but it was still kind of sticky to lie.

Allie and Jack’s relationship reminds me of a teenager learning how to cope with their raging emotions. It goes from hate, anger, childlessness, like, anger, love, hate, and back to love. The relationship is totally predictable, which is normal in a contemporary romance. Their relationship drove me nuts and made me skim through a number of pages.

The item from the synopsis that grabbed my attention was Tolkien. Yes, the story does feature a lot of Tolkien head knowledge and trivia, but the tour, which is the main part of the story, is not really described in the setting. I felt like I was never there traveling to all these places where the Lord of the Ring films were recorded.  The setting has many repetitive scenes filled with a slow moving plot.

For me, Kara Isaac’s debut novel, Close to You is a slow moving, predictable romance with a whiny teenage romance, but the dialogue is top notch for the contemporary romance.

I received a complimentary copy of Close to You from Howard Books and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

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Scene and Structure: Jack M. Bickham

By Kelly Bridgewater

In two past blog entries, I have included two of my favorite writing books. Story Trumps Structure by Steven James and On Writing by Stephen King. Today, I want to talk about a book that I am still working with on a daily basis and hopefully soon, I will master. Most writers do not enjoy mathematics in school or in daily life. But I’m an exception. I really enjoyed Algebra, Trigonometry, and Calculus. Besides reading in class, I loved figuring out math problems, not story problems; I can’t do those.

From Amazon

As a budding writer, I have a hard time understanding how a scene goes together. Why internal dialogue? Why do you need to know the other character’s facial and body expressions to understand the story? When reading, I understand it completely. But as the writer, I have a hard time including that in my writing. I create the emotions from the main character’s perspective for each scene, but the Stimulus-Internalization-Response sequence confuses me. I have a really hard time with Deep POV too. I have read and studied Jill Elizabeth Nelson’s book on the subject. But once I sit down to include it in my writing, it doesn’t happen.

In Scene and Structure, I have many, many underline parts and post-it notes. I have even done the exercises over and over. I have taken the exercises to Susan May Warren and Steven James’ books, trying to figure out how this works. The analytical side of my brain doesn’t comprehend how this flows together. As I enter contests, the biggest comment I receive from the judges is that I don’t do Deep POV well, but I can’t get my brain to understand this. I need someone to mentor me in this because I sure can’t understand this.

Anyways, Bickham includes weaving subplots into the main story line. He uses examples from popular literature. Even if you aren’t familiar with the story, you will be able to understand his examples.

Some writers may find this book to complex, but I really enjoy reading and studying this book. It is more detailed and explained than most writers probably want when reading a writer book to improve their craft. I just wish there was more like this.

Did you enjoy math in school? Have any suggestions or clues to help this Deep POV struggling writer to figure this out? I would gladly start a discussion on this and take advice. 

Laura McNeil: Sister Dear

By Kelly Bridgewater

All Allie Marshall wants is a fresh start.  But when dark secrets refuse to stay buried, will her chance at a new life be shattered forever?

Convicted of a crime she didn’t commit, Allie watched a decade of her life vanish – time that can never be recovered. Now, out on parole, Allie is determined to clear her name, rebuild her life, and reconnect with the daughter she barely knows.

But Allie’s return home shatters the quaint, coastal community of Brunswick, Georgia. Even her own daughter Caroline, now a teenager, bristles at Allie’s claims of innocence. Refusing defeat, a stronger, smarter Allie launches a battle for the truth, digging deeply into the past even if it threatens her parole status, personal safety, and the already-fragile bond with family.

As her commitment to finding the truth intensifies, what Allie ultimately uncovers is far worse than she imagined. Her own sister has been hiding a dark secret—one that holds the key to Allie’s freedom.

From Amazon

My Review:

When I read and reviewed Center of Gravity by Laura McNeil,  I really didn't know what to expect. The synopsis seemed interesting and unique, so I took a gamble and read the book by the debut author. Boy, am I glad that I did. The plot was interesting and filled with some many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. It made me mad. It made me happy. So when I found out McNeil was writing another book, I knew I wanted this copy.

Like Center of Gravity, Sister Dear has a unique idea that I haven't seen before in contemporary fiction with a hint of mystery. The plotline features two sisters Emma and Allie. Allie is the perfect sister who was headed to medical school, but then got arrested for murder and wasted ten years of her life in jail. While on the other hand, Emma, her sister, worked really hard at school and still never got the praise or recognition like her sister. This is something that I believe every pair of siblings can relate to. I have a little sister, but I was the one that sailed through school in all the honor classes without really struggling, while she took normal classes and struggled.

The story gripped me from the first chapter. Being inside Allie and Emma's head, I truly understand their struggles. Allie, wanting to come back to life and right the wrong that was done to her ten years ago. Emma, who wanted to keep Carolina, her niece and prove her self-worth. The chapters do jump around in time for the majority of the book from present day all the way back to 1999, but McNeil labeled the chapters when she time jumped, so I never got confused that I was reading something that happened in the past or when we jumped back into the present time period. I'm amazed that McNeil could write a story with that much back-story and still tie the plot up with a nice ending. I admire her for her writing skills. I would love to have her explain how she did this. Did she write the past chapters and figure out how to include the present chapters around the incidents in the past? Or something else?

In conclusion, Laura McNeil's second novel, Sister Dear is a thrilling tale of not harboring anger toward anyone. Even though I had a pretty good idea who did the actual murder, McNeil kept dangling me above the motivation until she finally explained it to me.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. I LOVED it!!!

I received a complimentary copy of Sister Dear from Thomas Nelson and the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars

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Mary Ellis: What Happened on Beale Street

By Kelly Bridgewater

What Happened on Beale Street is an exciting addition to the Secrets of the South Mysteries from bestselling author Mary Ellis. These standalone, complex crime dramas follow a private investigator's quest to make the world a better place...solving one case at a time.

A cryptic plea for help from a childhood friend sends cousins Nate and Nicki Price from New Orleans to Memphis, the home of scrumptious barbecue and soulful blues music. When they arrive at Danny Andre's last known address, they discover signs of a struggle and a lifestyle not in keeping with the former choirboy they fondly remember.

Danny's sister, Isabelle, reluctantly accepts their help. She and Nate aren't on the best of terms due to a complicated past, yet they will have to get beyond that if they want to save Danny.

On top of Danny's alarming disappearance and his troubled relationship with Isabelle, Nate also has to rein in his favorite cousin's overzealousness as a new and eager PI. Confronted with a possible murder, mystery, and mayhem in the land of the Delta blues, Nate must rely on his faith and investigative experience to keep one or more of them from getting killed.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

I enjoy mysteries of any form. Some mysteries are more mysterious and filled with non-stop action. Mary Ellis is a writer who normally creates in the Amish romance genre, and since I avoid that genre completely, I haven't read anything by Ellis. But when she wrote a cozy mystery, I thought why not? 

 As for her Secrets of the South Mysteries, I think she did a good job.

The story starts with a phone calling begging Nicki to travel to Memphis to help an old friend named Danny. As Nicki travels to Memphis, she becomes wrapped up in a mystery when Danny's body is found in a river. Ellis keeps me interested, and I couldn't wait to see what happened with Danny.

I really enjoyed reading the story with returning and familiar characters. Ellis brought back Nate, Nicki, and Hunter from the first book to join forces and solve the crime. It was nice seeing Nicki and Hunter's relationship bloom from the first book.

The plot was just what I expected with a cozy mystery. A mystery thrown into a middle of a budding relationship. There were lots of moments where the story doesn't even focus on the mystery; it focuses on the lives of the characters. But Ellis knows the conventions of the cozy mystery genre and sticks to it.

Mary Ellis created a cozy mystery that fits right in the genre with Christy Barritt and Lorena McCourtney. Fans of these writers will enjoy this book.

I received a complimentary copy of What Happened on Beale Street from Harvest House Publishers and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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How do cozy mysteries compare to mysteries, suspense, and thrillers? Which genre do you enjoy the best?

Don Brown: Code 13

By Kelly Bridgewater

A billion-dollar contract for the sale of drones to the Navy, the largest drone contract in history, puts two Navy JAG officers in the gun sights of a mysterious killer.

Caroline is just getting her feet wet at the prestigious Code 13, but is thankful for at least one familiar face—old flame, PJ McDonald. He loops her into the assignment he is currently working on—the legality of a proposed drone-sharing contract with Homeland Security that would allow the sale of drones for domestic surveillance. The contractor wants a legal opinion clearing the contract for congressional approval. But the Mob wants the proposal dead-on-arrival.

But when McDonald is gunned down in cold blood and a second JAG officer is killed, one thing becomes clear: Whoever is ordered to write the legal opinion on the drones has become a target. Which is exactly why Caroline goes to her commanding officer and volunteers to write the legal opinion herself. She is determined to avenge PJ’s death and trap the killer, even if that means making herself a target.

It is a deadly game of Russian roulette for the sake of justice. But Caroline is determined to see it through, even if it costs her life.

From Amazon

My Review: 

I enjoy books that honor our heroes that serve our country. Besides Don Brown, Ronie Kendig is another top author that comes to my mind. When reading a story about our military, I really want to find an author that really knows there stuff. Their research has to be spot on, and the plot has to surround a certain area that is important to the United States. Brown did a good job with Code 13. He covers all these areas and more.

First, Brown really uses is skills from working at the Pentagon and the Navy to create a realistic story. I had no problem understanding and completely dwelling in the world of the Navy. Anytime Brown wrote something that happened or a certain way the government accomplishes things, I jumped right on board and followed the story right along.

This story features the idea of drones and the invasion of privacy. This is a hot topic in the news today because a lot of America citizens don't want some machine flying above, spying on everything we do. I completely agree, but Brown used the drone in a completely and different way in Code 13. It actually does some good, and I could totally jump on board with his idea, but it is still a tricky area.

As for the characters, they really fit in with the world of the Navy. Caroline, the female JAG member that we meet in the first couple of chapters, is a brave heroine who places her life on the line after watching the man she loves be shot in board daylight. There are a number of male characters who dominant the story, so it is hard to narrow down on one character. The villains were awful, and Brown showed the underside of blackmail industry.

The plot moves at a good pace and kept me intrigued. I never really felt overwhelmed by the Navy explanations. It was a complete unique and original story that could have been ripped from the headlines of the latest newspaper.

Heroic to the core, Don Brown's second installment Code 13 creates a realistic look into the world of the Navy without overwhelming the reader. Fans of Ronie Kendig and other Don Brown books will enjoy Code 13.

I received a complimentary copy of Code 13 from Thomas Nelson publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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