Lisa Harris: The Catch

 By Kelly Bridgewater

After a harrowing attempt on a judge's life at the courthouse, Deputy US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are tasked with finding a missing woman and an endangered child in connection to the murder of the judge's wife. What seems like a fairly straightforward case becomes hopelessly tangled when the marshals discover that the woman they are searching for is in witness protection and the Amber Alert put out for the missing child has put two lives in danger.

Madison and Jonas are forced into a race to find the woman and the child before the men who want her dead discover her location. And in a final showdown that could cost her everything, Madison will come face-to-face with the person who murdered her husband.

 

My Thoughts:

The Catch by Lisa Harris develops three mysteries in one novel. With a quick run for their lives, someone accused of murder, and someone else trying to figure out a crime that took her husband, there is plenty of action firing across the pages of the story. The heroine, Madison, has been the same heroine for all three novels in this series, which I really liked. It gave Harris plenty of time to dive deep into character and find what motivates her. Also, the romance between her and Jonas had plenty of time to spark and wonder if anything was going to develop. As for the plot, as I mentioned before, there was three mysteries to untangle. Harris crafted the novel where Madison would focus on one aspect of one of the novels, then the next one would rear its ugly head and take her away from the first mystery.  The moved along quickly, but did allow some downtime for the characters as they rushed from keeping their victims lives safe. Overall, The Catch featured a satisfying conclusion to the mystery in this page, and readers will be happy to see the overall mystery that featured Madison is finally brought to life. I can't wait to see what Harris will craft next.

I received a complimentary copy of The Catch by Lisa Harris from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Catch

Good Friday

By Kelly Bridgewater 

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, 'Prophesy! Who is the one who struck you?' And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him." Luke 22: 63-65

"Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate." Luke 23: 9-11

"There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.  . . And they divided His garments and cast lost. And the people stood looking on. 

But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, 'He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.' The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine and saying, 'If you are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.'

And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS." Luke 23: 32- 38

"Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, 'Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit.' Having said this, He breathed His last." Luke 23: 44-46

What a horrible scene! What a blessing this will turn into. I hope you remember all the pain and torture our Lord and Savior endured so we could be with him.

Tabitha Bouldin: Madness in Wonderland

 By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book

Book: Madness in Wonderland

Author: Tabitha Bouldin

Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk, Christian

Release date: March 8, 2022

Wonderland is in trouble.

Under the rule of the Red Queen, Wonderland is under constant threat. In fear for her throne, children are taken into the queen’s army and only the strongest survive.

Alice is nothing but a pirate, but with the help of Hatter, they hatch a plan to sneak into the Red Queen’s palace to free Hatter’s sister. After all, Alice has always wanted to fly an airship.

Dr. Frank N. Stein has created an army of automatons to serve their queen. Of particular note: a prototype soldier. Part man. Part machine. The best of both worlds.

Doc’s monster is a threat to everything they know, but Alice sees something in the man that begs she look beyond what he’s done and search out the heart of the beast for the better of the realm.

He’s their only hope of survival, but how can a monster learn to love when all he’s known is hate?

 

My Thoughts:

Madness in Wonderland by Tabitha Bouldin is a mixture of steampunk, Alice in Wonderland, Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. A lot of madness just like the title suggests. The familiar characters from Alice in Wonderland are present, but in a different situation. Bouldin does a wonderful job at crafting phrases and sentences that pay homage to this wonderful Lewis’ classic. The depth of the individual characters really captured my attention. I really felt invested in all of their lives, and I wanted nothing bad to happen to them. Another twist was the steampunk ships and clothing. It was a unique, yet tastefully done aspect of the plot. Speaking of the plot, it was definitely something that was different, yet in a good way. I had a really hard time putting the novel down. Betrayal, death, and romance sprinkled the plot, allowing for the ability to lose oneself in the pages of the story. Madness in Wonderland is the first book in a series, and I am looking forward to any other books that are in this series.

I received a complimentary copy Madness in Wonderland by Tabitha Bouldin  from Vellum Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Madness in Wonderland

About the Author

Tabitha Bouldin has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has been writing since 2015. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, you’ll find her curled up with a book. Tabitha’s genre of choice is Contemporary Christian Romance which she describes as: Adventure with heart.

 More from Tabitha

Madness in Wonderland is a story of found family, good versus evil, rambunctious heroines and strong heroes who are not afraid to leap across airships for their people.

Trust me when I say I’ve tested their loyalty.

I put the Wonder’s crew through so much I started feeling sorry for them. Then I had another airship shoot at them with their cannons. That’s when I knew this story was not only a source of entertainment for me, but it was also challenging me. Madness forced me to become a better writer. Each page demanded my full attention if I wanted to have any hope of catching the true vibes of the story and bringing them to the page.

When I first started writing Madness, I had a rough idea of what I wanted. Evil Queen. Check. Alice as a tough but loving heroine. Check. Frankenstein’s monster. Check. (What’s Wonderland without a little havoc?)

Then the characters took over the story.

Frankenstein’s monster didn’t want to be a monster.

Hatter wanted to be more than a mad side character.

Alice wanted everyone to get along without losing another crew member.

Meeting their demands was a challenge and the story shifted from a whimsical fairy tale to something more. It dove deeper than I planned and showed me that I can do hard things too.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, April 5

Where Faith and Books Meet, April 6

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 6

Inklings and notions, April 7

By the Book, April 8

For Him and My Family, April 8

deb’s Book Review, April 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 10

April Hayman, Author, April 10

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, April 11

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 12

Snark and Sensibility, April 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 13

Simple Harvest Reads, April 14 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, April 14

Tell Tale Book Reviews, April 15

Christina’s Corner, April 15

cats in the cradle blog, April 16

Mary Hake, April 16

Sylvan Musings, April 17

Back Porch Reads, April 18

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tabitha is giving away the grand prize package a $25 Amazon gift card and a 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/1c57b/madness-in-wonderland-celebration-tour-giveaway

Jaime Jo Wright: The Souls of Lost Lake

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Wren Blythe has long enjoyed being among the Northwoods, helping her father with programming at a youth camp. But when a little girl in the area goes missing, an all-out search ensues, reviving the decades-old campfire story of Ava Coons, the murderess, who still roams the woods. Joining the search, Wren stumbles upon the Coons cabin ruins and a rotting porcelain doll. But even more terrifying is seeing her name etched on the doll's foot like a sinister omen.

In 1930, Ava Coons has spent the last ten years carrying the mantle of mystery since she emerged from the forest as an eight-year-old girl, spattered with blood, dragging a logger's axe. She has accepted she'll never remember what happened to her family. When a member of the town of Tempter's Creek is murdered, rumors spread that Ava's secret is more malicious than previously imagined.

Both women discover that to save the innocent, they must face an insidious evil.

 

My Thoughts:

The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright is all the creep factor with the cleanliness of a good story. I love how she started the story like kids sitting around a campfire learning about Ava Coons. It was interesting. Right away, I wanted to know what happened to Ava’s family. Did she kill them? Did someone else kill them? I was intrigued and kept flipping through the pages. I could not put the story down. Of course, this story is a time-slip novel, so readers have two timelines to adjust to. I have heard that some readers have a hard time with keeping the two eras correct in the imagination as the story moves from chapter to chapter. With Wright’s stories, I do not, personally, have this problem. Most time-slip novels, I usually favor one time period over the other, but in The Souls of Lost Lake, I actually enjoyed both time periods. The past with Ava Coons ties nicely with Wren in the present. One of my favorite elements is Wright’s ability to craft a foggy lake with the possibly of dead bodies in the lake and a burnt-out cabin with a hidden cellar. The wording sets the tone. Nothing too graphic, but her word choices make goosebumps raise on the arms. If readers are interested in a good spooky story without all the blood and graphic details, then this is a book to pick up. I will definitely be owning this novel. I am glad that the world of Christian publishing is making a name for itself in the spooky genre, then the simple, play-it-safe romantic suspense novels. Not that there is anything wrong with them. I do read a lot of romantic suspense novels too. Anyways, I highly recommend readers who enjoy to be a little scared when reading but enjoy novels that must be read in one sitting to pick this book up.

I received a complimentary copy of The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright  from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

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Happy National Atheists Day!

 By Kelly Bridgewater

April 1^st is widely known as the April Fools Day!

But my husband and I along time ago, heard that it is actually National Atheists Day. Sounds good to me.

Unfortunately, Atheists are fools for not believing in God, so it works.

I wonder if you can still do pranks on them, but include a Godly message along with it.

 

www.clipart.info.com

How about you? Ever heard this before?

Cathy Gohlke: A Hundred Crickets Singing

 

By Kelly Bridgewater

In wars eighty years apart, two young women living on the same Appalachian estate determine to aid soldiers dear to them and fight for justice, no matter the cost.
1944. When a violent storm rips through the Belvidere attic in No Creek, North Carolina, exposing a hidden room and trunk long forgotten, secrets dating back to the Civil War are revealed. Celia Percy, whose family lives and works in the home, suspects the truth could transform the future for her friend Marshall, now fighting overseas, whose ancestors were once enslaved by the Belvidere family. When Marshall’s Army friend, Joe, returns to No Creek with shocking news for Marshall’s family, Celia determines to right a long-standing wrong, whether or not the town is ready for it.

1861. After her mother’s death, Minnie Belvidere works desperately to keep her household running and her family together as North Carolina secedes. Her beloved older brother clings to his Union loyalties, despite grave danger, while her hotheaded younger brother entangles himself and the family’s finances within the Confederacy. As the country and her own home are torn in two, Minnie risks her life and her future in a desperate fight to gain liberty and land for those her parents intended to free, before it’s too late.

 

My Thoughts:

A Hundred Crickets Singing is a standalone novel, but I highly recommend readers reader the first book Night Bird Calling, so the back stories that are hinted at are familiar and help tightening the elements during the Civil War era. Right away, it was nice to see Celia again. She is a returning character, but she is not a little girl anymore. She has grown into quite a young lady. I love her as a character. She is strong, forceful and stands up for what is right no matter what others think or might do to her. Reminds me a lot of me. I do like how readers will see her compose letters to Joe, a friend of Marshall, while he is serving overseas during World War II. I do enjoy the peeks into the letters in the story. They deepen the story, not subtract from the overall action. There is some romance in the present story line too. Of course, this did happen during World War II. On the other hand, the Civil War era story really gripped my heart. I agree with Minnie, her father, and her older brother Elliot. I really hated her younger brother, Grayson. I wanted to see him get his just rewards. He was a spiteful character filled with plenty of hate and anger. I do enjoy how Gohlke tied the two stories together nicely and had me happy in the end. Overall, I am not a fan of Civil War era stories, but Gohlke does a wonderful job at the story that I forgot I was reading a part Civil War story. I highly recommend everyone read this story.

I received a complimentary copy of A Hundred Crickets Singing by Cathy Gohlke from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase A Hundred Crickets Singing

I'm Living a Sitcom

 By Kelly Bridgewater

As a child, I really enjoyed Full House and Boy Meets World.

I wanted to be friends with my siblings like Stephanie, D.J, and Michelle. I always wanted to be DJ Tanner. They had such a fun life for so many people in their home.

I was smart like Topanga and wanted a boy like Cory Matthews to fall in love with me and love me forever. I wanted a full ride scholarship. I thought English was my dream job since I LOVE to read, but after life experience, I should have been an FBI detective or a criminal lawyer.

I wanted to a marriage with a man who could make me laugh like Jill Taylor.

But . . .

www.slashfilm.com

Now that I am an adult. I am a little of a couple of sitcoms.

I feel like Jill Taylor the most. My husband is handy at working on cars and working on fixing on things around the house when he wants to. He does not blow things up, but he is handy. The trick is to get him to do them.

I have three boys. I attended college with three boys. My boys, unfortunately, were a lot younger than the Taylor’s boys when Jill went back to graduate school to earn her MA and Ph.D. in Psychology. Mine was in Writing.

I also find myself like Bill Cosby when he complains and instructs the five children in his life. I have laughed at the same things that I have told my children over and over again. I do not have the romance and laughs all the time like these shows display.

Marriage and parenting is hard.

Not a lot of laughs.

I like things to have a purpose and in their place.

My husband is a messy person who collects EVERYTHING. We might need it in 30 years, so I want to hang on to it. My mother didn’t want it, so I brought it home. Not that we need it, but I own it now.

DRIVES ME CRAZY!

 This is what most of our argument is over.

With God’s grace, we have been together for 21 years and counting.

Ignore the small things. Marriage is better than that.

What about you? What family sitcoms mirror your current life?