Smoky Mountain Escape by Rhonda Starnes

 Smoky Mountain Escape

Book Summary

Two killers on the loose

and threats around every corner…

Sheriff Heath Dalton accidentally stumbles upon two gunmen trying to hide a body in the Smoky Mountains and barely escapes with his life. And when traveling nurse Kayla Eldridge finds herself stranded in the stormy wilderness with Heath, she now has a target on her back. They must work together to navigate the treacherous terrain and evade the criminals who are tracking their every move. Can they outrun their merciless hunters before they both lose their lives?

My Thoughts

Smoky Mountain Escape by Rhonda Starnes is an engaging suspense novel.  I like that the action started at the beginning.  I was drawn into the story, and, for the most part, my attention was held.  There were some slow parts here and there.  I liked the main characters, especially Heath Dalton.  He is a strong, caring, and thoughtful man.  I could tell that there was more to Kayla Eldridge’s story.  After checking out the author’s other books, I discovered that Kayla was in another book along with a couple of the other characters.  I wish the books were listed as a series (it would make them easier to find plus it would allow me to read the books in order which is my preference). 

I felt for Kayla who fell for the wrong man and suffered for it. I could understand why being in the forest would be difficult for her. The author’s picturesque descriptions allowed me to envision the settings.  I like how faith was integrated into the story.  Smoky Mountain Escape is a suspenseful story with a hiking holiday, a deceased chap, kinsmen with guns, an accidental car accident, a waterfall shelter, and fighting fear. 

Smoky Mountain Escape comes out Tuesday, April 29 and it can be preordered from Amazon.  You can find Rhonda Starnes other books here.  Thank you for joining me today.  I enjoyed working in my garden yesterday.  I look forward to seeing what pops up in the coming weeks.  I will return on Tuesday, April 29 with Climbing in Heels by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas.  I hope that you have a happy and relaxing weekend.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Written in Stone by Paige Shelton

 Written in Stone

Book Summary

Written in Stone, the tenth installment in the Scottish Bookshop series by Paige Shelton, set in a specialty bookstore in Edinburgh called The Cracked Spine.

When Delaney wins a special Hidden Door Festival invitation to artist Ryory Bennigan's studio, she isn’t sure quite what to expect. What she finds is an elusive fellow obsessed with the Picts—complete with his own versions of their blue tattoos and vibrant red hair—recreating the stones they left behind. She also meets a visiting paleontologist, Dr. Adam Pace, from the University of Kansas attempting to sell an artifact that might just explain what the Picts' language really sounded like.

Or at least that’s what he claimed the artifact was for. Before the deal can close and Ryory can get a closer look at it, Dr. Pace is found dead.

With the police dragging their feet in the investigation, Delaney takes it upon herself to dig into Dr. Pace's past. Her research goes murky as she quickly discovers Pace’s shady background—selling fake dinosaur bones and running into some 3D-printing trouble back in Kansas. Could his past have come back to bite him in Edinburgh? And what does his questionable background mean for the mysterious Pictish artifact he was trying to sell to Ryory? Delaney will have to dust off her magnifying glass to uncover the truth behind this case… or risk becoming a pile of bones herself.

My Thoughts

Written in Stone by Paige Shelton has Delaney Nichols meeting a new artist, delving into the history of the Picts, and digging into a new mystery.  It was great to catch up with Delaney, Tom, Rosie, Edwin, Hector, and the rest of The Cracked Spine crew.  I found the artist Ryory Bennigan fascinating.  I wish we had learned more about this mysterious artist (maybe in a future book).  I enjoyed hearing about the local history and about the Picts (what little we know about them) plus there are beautiful descriptions of the local architecture (Delaney is so lucky).  The mystery was the weak link in the story.  It was not at the forefront.  I felt that the motive was shoved into the shadows and the author hoped that no one would notice that the killer’s intent was not fully addressed.  The ending was abrupt and left me with lingering questions.  

Written in Stone is the tenth A Scottish Bookshop Mystery.  It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series.  While I liked parts of Written in Stone, it is my least favorite book in the series. I loved the special gift Delaney received from her boss.  I am quite envious.  Written in Stone is a Scottish cozy mystery with a reclusive artist, colorful tattoos, a sick assistant, Pict history, a curious crime, an exceptional present, a printing production, and a special bookstore.

Written in Stone is available from Amazon.  You can find the other A Scottish Bookshop Mysteries here.  You can find Paige Shelton's other novels here.  Thank you for dropping by today.  I have been busy getting tasks outside before the heat and humidity settle in for the summer (it is already in the 80s).  My California poppies are dying out (because of the heat), so I  adding new plants and seeds to my raised garden beds. 

California Poppies still blooming in my garden

I have begonia's, sunflowers, marigolds, salvia, Mexican heather, coleus, and a couple of other flowers in bloom.  I am adding other varieities of marigold and coleus (I found some unique types) as well as cosmos, vinca, zinnia's. I am adding Clary Sage this year.  I enjoy working in the garden.  I get to spend time with the neighborhood cats (they all come down to visit, gets pets, and treats) plus it is relaxing.  The doctor says it is good exercise. Do you enjoy gardening?  What are your favorite flowers?  I look foward to hearing from you!  I will return tomorrow with Smoky Mountain Escape by Rhonda Starnes which will be out on Tuesday, April 29.  I hope that you have a pleasurable day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter

 The Summer of You and Me

Book Summary

Maggie Reynolds is finally ready for love again—until the past shows up in the form of someone who may or may not be the late husband she thought she'd lost.

Five years after her husband's death, Maggie is finally ready to let go of him and the dreams she had for their future. A summer at Seabrook, where she and Ethan first became childhood sweethearts, seems the perfect time and place to find closure. Plus, she gets to spend time with his family, the Reynoldses, whom she loves like her own.

Unbeknownst to Maggie, her brother-in-law, Josh Reynolds, has been in love with her since they first met all those years ago. But his brother ultimately won Maggie's heart, and Josh's unrequited love has ruined all his relationships. If Maggie is ready to move on, then Josh is ready to lay it all on the line and come clean about his true feelings for her.

But his plans soon get put on hold when, shortly after Maggie returns to Seabrook, she runs into a man who could pass for Ethan's twin. But he disappears into the amusement park crowd before she can confront him.

The event rattles Maggie, stirs up impossible questions, and sends Josh and her on a quest to discover the man's true identity. But their search ends up raising more questions than answers—and soon Maggie isn't sure she wants those answers after all.

My Thoughts

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter has Maggie Reynolds and her daughter returning to Seabrook Island, South Carolina for the summer.  I found the premise for The Summer of You and Me interesting, but the book failed to draw me in.  The story was overly dramatic in places and unbelievable in others (I rolled my eyes more than once).  It is an emotional story.  Maggie’s feelings ran the gamut as she deals with the grief over her husband’s death (he has been dead for five years) and the new feelings for Josh, her brother-in-law and friend.  I wanted to tell her to pull it together (she has a daughter who needs her and knows when her mother is upset).  I felt the drama with Maggie’s mother was unneeded (there was enough going on). Maggie’s mother behaved like a child, and I do not know why Maggie fell for her mother’s schemes each time.  

The storyline with the deceased husband’s double was predictable thanks to a tidbit the author tossed in that did not flow with the rest of the story.  I tried but I was unable to connect with the characters and it did not help that the story moved at a leisurely pace. The Summer of You and Me is a clean, Christian story (attending church, prayer, no swearing or intimate situations).   I did not feel that the title fit the story because it was not just Maggie and Josh.  There was Maggie’s daughter and Josh’s family (Maggie is staying in her in-law’s home).  I have been branching out to try different authors and genres to get me out of my reading rut.  Unfortunately, The Summer of You and Me was not my cup of tea. While it did not suit me, if the premise appeals to you, I encourage you to download a sample to check it out for yourself.

The Summer of You and Me is available from Amazon.  You can find Denise Hunter's other novels here. The images today are of Seabrook Island, SC where The Summer of You and Me was set.  Denise Hunter has The Second Story Bookshop coming out October 7. Thank you for joining me today.  I hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter. My mother and I had a quiet day. She loves her Snoopy Easter Bunny that does the bunny hop and the little woodstock in a decorated egg costume.  Tomorrow, I will be sharing my thoughts on Written in Stone by Paige Shelton.  It is the tenth novel in A Scottish Bookshop Mysteries. I hope that you have a an uplifting day.  I am heading out to run a couple of errands. Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly

 Dead Post Society

Book Summary

The seventh in the House-Flipper mystery series set in Nashville, TN, where the real estate market is to die for.

This year's honor roll is killer...

Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are no strangers to murder. After all, they’ve encountered corpses on their properties before. But this is the first time they’d decided to take a chance on a property where two suspicious deaths have already occurred. Most buildings on the former boarding school property will be repurposed for an upscale retirement community, but the developer has no use for the headmaster’s house given its violent history. The headmaster and his wife were killed there decades earlier, their deaths remaining unsolved to this day.

Still, it seems a shame to see the beautiful Victorian give way to decay or the wrecking ball, even if many claim the unsettled souls of the victims still wander its halls, seeking retribution and justice. Can Whitney and Buck exorcise the structure’s demons, solve the cold case, and give the building new life? Or will ghosts from the past seek to silence them forever?

My Thoughts

Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly is an entertaining cozy mystery.  I always look forward to catching up with Whitney, Buck, and Sawdust in the latest A House Flipper Mystery.  While Dead Post Society is the seventh A House Flipper Mystery, it can be read as a standalone (but you will want to read all the books in this cute series).  Whitney and Buck have purchased a brick Victorian to flip, but it has a history.  Whitney finds a bullet in a decrepit porch post and then bullet holes in the house that line up with the bullet’s final location.  Whitney does some digging and learns about the crime that occurred in the Victorian many years ago (this is a very cold case). 

There are strange shadows and noises in the house. I suspected who the guilty party was early on but enjoyed following Whitney in her quest for the truth.  I like Whitney who is smart and caring plus she has a husband who loves and understands her (she also loves cats).  Whitney is also an excellent carpenter who rocks a pair of overalls.  The ending is sweet, and fans of the series will love it.  There is a poem at the beginning of each chapter that ties in nicely with the books title.  I love the chapters from Sawdust’s point of view.  The author really captures cat behavior and, I think, how they think (I laugh at Sawdust’s thoughts).   Dead Post Society is a cute cozy with a decrepit Victorian, a bullet in a post, a cold case, a clever cat, and a cheerful couple.

Dead Post Society is available from Amazon.  The next A House Flipper Mystery is The Barn Identity which will be out on March 31, 2026 (such a long wiat).  You can find the other A Housse Flipper Mysteries here.  If you follow Diane Kelly on Amazon, they will send you an email when she has a new book release.  Thank you for popping by today.  I will return on Tuesday, April 22 with The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter.  I hope that you have a a very Happy Easter. I have my mother's Snoopy in a bunny costume and woodstock wearing a decorated egg costume ready to go inside her Easter basket (they are adorable). We will have a traditional Easter meal on Sunday (brown sugar ham, a sweet potato for my mother, and rolls).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Land of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling with Kiersti Giron

 

Land of Dreams

About the Book

Book: Land of Dreams (Home to Green Creek Series Book One)

Authors: Lauraine Snelling with Kiersti Giron

Genre: FICTION / Christian / Historical

Release date: April 1, 2025

From Norway to America, they must strive for resilience amid unpromising new beginnings.

On the ship to America, Norwegian immigrant Amalia Gunderson makes a solemn promise to a dying mother, vowing to watch over her five-year-old daughter, Ruth. Together, Amalia and Ruth trek to Iowa to claim the farm and former boardinghouse that Ruth has inherited, despite opposition from a difficult cousin. Struggling with an empty house and scarce resources, Amalia resolves to return the boardinghouse to its former purpose, aided by the kindness of strangers and the resilient spirit of her young charge.

As Amalia and Ruth fight for their new home, a trail of orphans shows up on their doorstep, and Amalia makes a promising friend in Absalom Karlsson, the magistrate’s son. With each challenge they face, Amalia and Ruth find hope in believing that faith and determination can overcome even the most daunting of trials.

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Lauraine Snelling is the award-winning author of more than one hundred books, fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold more than five million copies. She makes her home in Tehachapi, California.

 

More from Lauraine

Different stories come about different ways.  One of the things I’ve learned through these years of writing is the value of slowly waking up and paying attention to what was going on in my mind. I saw a young woman standing at the railing of a ship tossing on rough seas. A gray day. And I heard the splash as her father’s body sank into the waves. I sniffed, mopped my eyes and settled back, hopefully to sleep awhile longer. But the dream, if that was what it was, continued. A little girl named Rut, or Ruthie, joined Amalia at the rail, slipped her hand into the young woman’s and asked if she could please come, her mother wanted to see her. And my internal game of what if continued for these people on a cholera attacked ship from Norway to Amerika.

I knew a new story had begun but had no idea where it was going. As I said, I treasure that time between sleeping and waking when I can part the curtains to my subconscious mind and see what it has been playing with. What a gift God has created in us.

Around about the same time, something brought a story that one of my aunts on my father’s side told me when I asked her what she remembered of her growing up years. Auntie Harriet chuckled and asked, “Have you heard of the rutabaga years?” I shook my head and settled in to listen. They were a family of eleven children, my dad being the eldest, they lived in a big two story house with a huge garden, a flock of chickens and bad weather. Late spring freeze, early fall freeze and much of the produce killed off. All but the root crops, and rows of rutabagas. Many were dug and stored in the cellar, lots left in the ground, to be dug up later. Rutabagas can be fried, boiled, mashed, grated, turned into soup and stew, mixed with other vegetables, added to pancakes, even turned into pie. Ah, yes, the rutabaga years, Auntie Harriet said she didn’t particularly care for rutabagas for a long time after that. But in the mean time, they became part of Amalia and Ruthie’s new life at a big house Ruthie inherited in Green Creek. North and West of Decorah Iowa in 1819. Come join a delightful cast of characters in Land of Dreams.

My Thoughts

I enjoyed reading Land of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling with Kiersti Giron.  I began reading and I was quickly drawn into the story.  The characters are developed.  I liked that they were realistic with strengths as well as flaws.  They will need to be strong and have faith if they are to overcome the obstacles thrown their way.  I like that there were twists along the way that kept things interesting.  I cannot imagine traveling from Norway to America.  It was a long journey that would require various modes of transportation.  I enjoyed the lovely setting.  I could visualize it thanks to the author’s picturesque descriptions.  Faith was beautifully woven into the story, and I felt that it enhanced it.  One of my favorite moments was when one of the ladies had to deal with a difficult individual.  I like how she behaved and her comment afterward, “Why couldn’t everybody just be nice?” is something that I often wonder as well.    I like how people befriended Amalia.  They helped her settle into the town and boardinghouse.  They also supported her as she dealt with the difficult Miss Berg.  There was one struggle after another with Miss Berg.  I appreciated the author’s note at the end.  Land of Dreams is a story about new beginnings, compassion, trust, friendship, loss, and faith.  I cannot wait to read the next book in the Home to Green Creek series.  

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lauraine is giving away the grand prize of a $25 gift card to the Baker Book House website and paperback copy of the book! Be sure to comment on the blog stops (including this one) for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54198

Land of Dreams is available from Amazon.  The next book in the Home to Green Creek series is At Morning's Light which will be out on December 2.  You can find Lauraine Snelling's other novels here.  Kiersti Giron helped Lauraine Snelling write the Leah's Garden series.  Thank you for joining me today.  I really appreciate it.  I am still recovering from my fibro flare up (my mother keeps saying that she told me not to overdue it).  The people that run our village are going around on golf carts looking for minor violations and leaving notes on people's doors. 

My neighbor received one of the notes stating her garden needed to be weeded and her little pond needed to go.  She broke her hip a couple of months ago and is still unable to get around.  I offered to take care of the garden for her. It is looking good.  I may have added a few extra elements (a cute welcome sign with a solar light, an herb garden, ferns, marigolds, and a wind spinner).  She should have known that when she told me that sprucing it up was fine that I would run with it. Wee are enjoying some lovely spring weather which makes it a pleasure to be outside in the garden. On Thursday, April 17, I am featuring Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly.  It is the seventh A House-Flipper Mystery.  I hope that you have a day filled with laughter (laughter can help lessen stress, depression, and anxiety plus it makes you feel happier).  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 12

Devoted To Hope, April 12

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 13

Texas Book-aholic, April 14

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 14

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 15

lakesidelivingsite, April 15

The Avid Reader, April 16

Girls in White Dresses, April 16

Pens Pages & Pulses, April 17

Bizwings Book Blog, April 18

Leslie’s Library Escape, April 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 19

Stories By Gina, April 20 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 20

Betti Mace, April 21

Books You Can Feel Good About, April 21

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 23

For Him and My Family, April 23

Cover Lover Book Review, April 24

Holly’s Book Corner, April 25

Jeanette’s Thoughts, April 25

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Not up to snuff!

 

Hello!  I'm sorry, but I will not be sharing a new book with you today.  I over did things this weekend which triggered a fibromyalgia flare up.  I just need to rest (aka sleep) and relax (stay still) which is hard for me to do.  I will return on Wednesday, April 16 with Land of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling with Kiersti Giron. I hope that you have an enjoyable day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader