Beneath His Silence by Hannah Linder

Book Description:  Second daughter of a baron—and a little on the mischievous side—Ella Pemberton is no governess. But the pretense is a necessity if she ever wishes to get inside of Wyckhorn Manor and attain the truth. Exposing the man who killed her sister is all that matters.           Lord Sedgewick knows there’s blood on his hands. Lies have been conceived, then more lies, but the price of truth would be too great. All he has left now is his son—and his hatred. Yet as the charming governess invades his home, his safe cocoon of bitterness begins to tear away.         Could Ella, despite the lingering questions of his guilt, fall in love with such a man? Or is she falling prey to him—just as her dead sister?

My Thoughts:  It's been a long time since I've read a gothic style romance.  And this one did not disappoint.  Of course, this is a new to me author also.

When I first began reading this story it reminded me of Withering Heights. Not the story line just the era.

There's a bit of a mystery involved and relationships.  Difficult relationships.  Relationships that need health and healing.

Ella Pemberton is determined to expose the ruthless man who killed her sister.  Her sister's husband, Lord Sedgwick.  Oddly enough Lord Sedgwick knows he is innocent.  He's not sure when or where the rumors began that he killed his precious wife but he's like to put one end to it.

When the new governess comes to teach his son he admittedly begins to like her.  But she is a handful.

Since Ella has the job of governess she decides once and for all get to the bottom of her sister's death.

This is a fantastic story and well written.  Loved the descriptions of the era and all it entails.

*This book was provided for review by Barbour Publishing*

A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow

 

Book Description:  In a small Georgia town where racial tensions run high and lives are at stake, can one lawyer stand up for justice against the tide of prejudice on every side?

Adisa Johnson, a young African-American attorney, is living her dream of practicing law with a prestigious firm in downtown Atlanta. Then a split-second mistake changes the course of her career.

Left with no other options, Adisa returns to her hometown where a few days earlier a white police officer shot an unarmed black teen who is now lying comatose in the hospital.

Adisa is itching to jump into the fight as a special prosecutor, but feels pulled to do what she considers unthinkable—defend the officer.

As the court case unfolds, everyone in the small community must confront their own prejudices. Caught in the middle, Adisa also tries to chart her way along a path complicated by her budding relationship with a charismatic young preacher who leads the local movement demanding the police officer answer for his crime.

My Thoughts: 

Interesting how an author will write a fiction story about a current event in our world.  I think authors like to voice their opinions through a story.  

In any event, this is quite an interesting story.

Adisa Johnson is a young African-American attorney who enjoys living her dream of practicing law in Atlanta.

However, Adisa returns to her small Georgia hometown where racial tensions are flying high because a white police officer shot an unarmed black teen who is comatose in a hospital.  But Adisa must consider what she believes/stands for because she is to defend the police officer who shot the teen.

And she is in a budding romance with a charismatic young preacher who is demanding that the local police officers make this a crime and punish the police office who shot the black teen. 

This story is more about emotions and how people, no matter what the skin color, can be racist.

This is a think.about.it.read . . .  what one really values and what one really believes is right no matter what ones skin color may be

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0718083032
• ISBN-13: 978-0718083038

Fun Friday

 

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

 

 Easy, make ahead taco salad for a quick lunch.

Brown hamburger with seasonings, place tomatoes, cheese and 

sour cream in individual cartons, add lettuce in a baggie.

Follow picture for put together, refrigerate and grab and go for lunch.

Life In Chapel Springs by Anne Mulligan

  

The Story BehindLife in Chapel Springs

by Ane Mulligan

The most asked question I get is what prompted this story. Why Lacey? Why the accident and reconstruction? I’m a visual writer, so I need photos. When I start out with a new book (in this case the series), I find photos of people who look like the character I’m imagining. I use magazines and keep files of faces I’ve torn out of them. While looking for Lacey, I came across two photos appearing almost like a before and after of the same woman.

The resemblance was striking and sparked the “what if” that became Lacey’s story. Many women have life-altering surgery, whether elective, emergency, or life-saving. My research included interviewing a plastic surgeon and a psychologist, so I could be sure I had the psyche right and the surgery results correct. You see, often—more often than not—women have a difficult time with the results of these life-altering surgeries. A high percentage dislike the “new” self. It doesn’t match the image we women tend to carry inside us.

I still had one problem. The character Lacey was a shy, quiet young woman—so shy and quiet, she wasn’t even talking to me! I had to sit on her story for three years. Finally, after two more Chapel Springs books, Lacey “talked” to me. I understood her and could write her story. Maybe she was ready to tell it. 

What both Lacey and I both hope women will take away from her story in Life in Chapel Springs is that each of us is uniquely made by God, and as Great Aunt Lola used to say, “God don’t make no junk.”

About Life in Chapel Springs:

Life in Chapel Springs has turned upside down and inside out.

Shy Lacey Dawson was happily writing murder mysteries for the community theater with her eye on Broadway. Then, a freak accident results in traumatic injuries requiring facial reconstruction. When the bandages come off, Lacey’s world is tuned inside out. Will Chapel Springs rally behind its own … or will life unravel?

Is it a midlife pregnancy or … cancer? Claire will keep her secret until she’s sure—but it isn’t easy. Neither is trying to buy a home pregnancy test without anyone finding out. Between her twins’ double wedding, the caterer cancelling, a looming nationwide art tour and her health, Claire’s life is upside down. 

Gold has been discovered in Chapel Springs and the ensuing fever is rising. Then Mayor Riley discovers someone has bought the mineral rights to his land. A stranger and his nefarious investors set out to buy all the homes in Chapel Springs and mine the gold. Will life in Chapel Springs become the tailings of a gold mine?

About Ane Mulligan:

While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, award-winning author Ane Mulligan has worn many: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), CEO of a Community Theatre group, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. Ane resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband. You can find her on her website, Amazon Author page, Novel Rocket, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google+.

Labyrinth of Lies, #2 By Irene Hannon

 

 Book Description:  When the daughter of a high-profile businessman disappears from an exclusive girls' boarding school, police detective Cate Reilly is tapped for an undercover assignment. It doesn't take her long to realize that beneath the veneer of polish and wealth, things are not as they seem at Ivy Hill Academy. But the biggest surprise of all? The only man she ever loved is also working at the school.

Zeke Sloan has never forgotten Cate, but now isn't the best time for their paths to cross again. When their two seemingly disparate agendas begin to intertwine--and startling connections emerge among the players--the danger escalates significantly. But who is the mastermind behind the elaborate ruse? And how far will they go to protect their house of cards?

My Thoughts:  I love this story!  I love the characters, the romance and the mystery.  And such an intriguing book cover.  Looks so gothic and suspenseful.

This is the second book in A Triple Threat Novel.  But never fear for these can be read out of order.  

The undercover assignment that Cate Reilly takes on is quite interesting especially since I love education.  But this posh Ivy Hill academy seems a bit sinister and why take a business man's daughter?  This is the mystery.

Cate Reilly is undercover at the Ivy Hill Academy and lo and behold, Zeke Sloan is also working at the posh school.  But why?  And can Cate keep her heart?  This is the romance.

Such a great story with quite a few twists and turns....twists and turns keep the reader's interest.

Fun Friday