Thursday, March 6, 2025

Serial Burn by Lynette Eason

SERIAL BURN

by Lynette Eason

February 10 - March 7, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

cover

LAKE CITY HEROES

 

She's out for justice. But the arsonist she's tracking is out for retribution.

Now the fire marshal of Lake City, Jesslyn McCormick is determined to find the person who started the fire that robbed her of her family when she was just seven years old. As the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy approaches, a string of fires--including at Jesslyn's church--brings up all those old feelings and offers new evidence.

Because church fires are considered a hate crime, FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is called in to work with local law enforcement. Nathan has his own past--one he'd prefer not to revisit. And focusing on helping Jesslyn track down the arsonist is a great distraction.

As both the case and the chemistry between Jesslyn and Nathan heat up, memories will come flooding in from the past to bump up against hopes for the future. And when Jesslyn comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare, she'll have to confront her fears and rely on Nathan and her community of friends in order to survive.

Praise for Serial Burn:

"Eason resumes her Lake City Heroes series with a propulsive game of cat and mouse between a fire marshal and an arsonist who's eerily familiar with her past. . . .The result is a thrill ride worth taking."
~ Publishers Weekly

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Thriller
Published by: Revell
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780800741211 (ISBN10: 0800741218)
Series: Lake City Heroes (Amazon | Goodreads)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Baker Publishing | Baker Book House

Read an excerpt:

 

 

Author Bio:

Lynette Eason

Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Double Take, Target Acquired, and Serial Burn, as well as the Extreme Measures, Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband. They have two adult children.

Catch Up With Lynette Eason:
LynetteEason.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @LynetteEason
Instagram - @LynetteEason
Threads - @LynetteEason
X - @LynetteEason
Facebook - @lynette.eason

 

 

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My Take: I have really enjoyed all of the Lake City Heroes books that I have read so far. You can read them in any order as they do not rely on having to read the previous book. This book deals with a female Arson inspector trying to find out who is setting all of the current fires around the city. Jesslyn McCormick got into this line of work because she wanted to find out who set the fire that killed the rest of her family. Nathan Carlisle is an FBI agent who is romantically interested in Jesslyn and gets to work with her for this book as one of the fires is a church fire and church fires are considered a hate crime. I found the romantic tension between the two main charcters very believable and I was very interested in what they found out to help figure out who was setting the fires. I gave this book a 4 out 5 stars on Goodreads. I received a review copy of this book from Partners in Crime book tours and was not required to write a positive review.

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

A Dream in The Wilderness by Jean Hackersmith

 


Hired as a nanny to Caleb Wachsmann’s three children, Sarah Bentley finds life in the Wisconsin Territory to be so much more.



 

Title: A Dream in the Wilderness

Author: Jean Hackensmith

Pages: 285

Genre: Historical Romance

Unable to find a teaching position in the flooded job market that is New York City, twenty-one-year-old Sarah Bentley accepts the position of nanny to Caleb Wachsmann’s three children after the farmer’s wife, parents, and infant son die in the Cholera epidemic of 1834. The twist? The job is in Superior, Wisconsin in the Michigan Territory, an unsettled wilderness located on the northwestern tip of Lake Superior.

Caleb is not looking for love; his heart will always belong to his beloved Annie. What he does need is a woman to watch after the children while he toils in the fields making a living for his family. Sarah turns out to be that woman. She raises his children with a gentle and loving hand and also helps Caleb to overcome an unbearable loss. As Wisconsin vies for statehood, the young couple will face challenge after challenge as they struggle to tame a wilderness that really doesn’t want to be tamed at all.

A Dream in the Wilderness is available at https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Wilderness-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B0DJS19HMH.

 


Book Excerpt

Superior, Wisconsin

August 21, 1834

Caleb Wachsmann stood before the four open graves, his two eldest children on either side of him and the youngest in his arms. His entire body was numb. It still didn’t seem possible that all four of them could be gone. But they were. Cholera had taken them systematically, one by one. His father. His mother. His beloved wife, Annie, the mother of his children. His gaze settled on the last coffin, no more than three feet long. Inside was his six-month-old son, Danny. 

Caleb and the older children got sick first. Caleb’s mother had been through other cholera epidemics and knew exactly what to do. They started boiling the drinking water from the nearby St. Louis River and, between her and Annie, and even his father, had forced tons of the bacteria-free water down their throats to prevent dehydration. At one time, Caleb joked that he thought he was going to float away.

He and the older children recovered. Then the rest of the family got sick. The rapid deterioration in their conditions made it impossible for Caleb to keep up with the hydration on all four of his patients. Danny was the first to succumb to the disease. He lasted only 24-hours after the first symptoms appeared. The others lasted two to three days.

Caleb couldn’t help but blame himself. He was responsible for their care, and he had failed.

“Pa?”

Caleb didn’t hear his son’s voice. He was too lost in his thoughts and his grief.

A yank on his shirt sleeve brought him back to reality.

“Pa!”

“What, Seth?” he asked with exasperation heavy in his tone as he looked down at the carrot-topped, freckle-faced boy before him. In fact, all of the children were the spitting image of their mother, and it made looking at them all the more painful.

“Why did we put Grandpa and Grandma and Ma and Danny in the ground? Grandma and Ma aren’t going to like it at all, cuz they don’t like to get dirty.”

Caleb stooped before his eight-year-old son, placing two-year-old Bethany on his knee, then indicated for the five-year-old Jenny to come closer, also. “Remember how I told you that your ma and Danny and your grandma and grandpa are in Heaven with God now?”

The two older children nodded.

“You see, what we put in the ground wasn’t your Mama and Danny anymore, or your grandma and grandpa. The part of her that made your mama your mama and Danny, Danny already went to Heaven.”

“Like their ghosts, you mean?” Seth asked.

“Their spirits,” Caleb corrected. “What’s in the ground is just what was left over and, in time, that part of them will go back to the ground.”

“But it still kinda looked like Ma when you and Father Hauley put the cover on the box,” Seth argued.

Caleb sighed his resignation. “Yes, it did. I don’t know how to explain it better, Seth. When you get older, you’ll understand.”

“So, who’s gonna take care of us now, Pa?” Jenny asked. “Mama and Grandma always took care of us when you and Grandpa were out in the fields plantin’ stuff.”

“I haven’t figured that out yet, honey, but I will.”

The little girl’s green eyes teared and her face scrunched up with her sadness. “I miss Mama, Pa. I want her to come back.”

The sight of his sister’s anguish brought renewed tears to Seth’s eyes also, and Caleb pulled both of them close. Bethany put pudgy arms around her older brother and sister and joined in the hug.

The traveling priest who had performed the ceremony, the only other person present at the burial, looked on in sympathy when he considered what lay ahead for the young father. It was unheard of for a man to raise three children on his own, especially a farmer who spent ten to twelve hours a day cultivating his fields. Yes, Caleb Wachsmann was going to have to find a woman, and he was going to have to do it soon.

– Excerpted from A Dream in the Wilderness by Jean Hackensmith, Jean Hackensmith, 2024. Reprinted with permission.


About the Author
 

I have been writing since the age of twenty. (That’s 47 years and, yes, I’m disclosing my age.) I am the proud mother of three and grandmother to four wonderful grandchildren. After losing who I thought was the love of my life, my late husband Ron, in November of 2011, I met Rick. So, it is definitely possible to have more than one “love of your life.” Rick and I were married in July of 2018 and are still going strong today. He is my soulmate, my confidant, and my biggest fan. He has read every book I have ever written (even the romances!) 

Next to writing, my second passion is live theater. I founded a local community theater group back in 1992 and directed upwards of 40 shows, including three that I authored. I also appeared on stage a few times, portraying Anna in The King and I and Miss Hannigan in Annie. I am sad to say that the theater group dropped its final curtain in 2008, but those 16 years will always hold some of my fondest memories. 

I moved from Superior 15 years ago, seeking the serenity of country living. I also wanted to get away from the natural air conditioning provided by Lake Superior. We moved only 50 miles south, but the temperature can vary by 20-30 degrees. I guess I’m a country girl at heart. I simply love this area, and am lucky to, once again, have someone to share its beauty. I love the solitude, the picturesque beauty of the sun rising over the water, the strangely calming effect of watching a deer graze outside your kitchen window. Never again, will I live in the city. I am an author, after all, and what better place to be inspired than in God’s own backyard.

Let’s Connect!

Website: https://www.jeanhackensmith.com.




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My Take; This was a historical romance and a nice read. I do have to warn readers though there is some language and sexual innuendo which was not what I was excpecting. I went into this book thinking more along the lines of Little House on the Prairie or Anne of Green Gables. I do know that people used that kind of language and the innuendo did happen it's just that I wasn't expecting it and it caught me off guard. Other that that the book was an enjoyable read and I gave it a 3 out 5 stars on Goodreads. The story goes into how the settlers helped each other out and took turns at each other farms to remove trees and harvest crops. The main family had their share of problems and worked them out. If you like historical romance then you may like this book. I received a review copy of this book from Pump Up YOur Book tours and was dnot required to write a positive review.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

lethal Wilderness Trap by Susan Furlong

Lethal Wilderness Trap by Susan Furlong Banner

LETHAL WILDERNESS TRAP

by Susan Furlong

December 30, 2024 - January 31, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Lethal Wilderness Trap by Susan Furlong

Trust means everything...
when danger hits too close to home.

Hunting a never-caught killer, Special Agent Nolan Shea learns of a new victim. But the body on Ava Burke's land puts her and her young daughter, Rose, in someone's lethal sights. With a trail of shocking clues pointing to her family's involvement, Ava starts to question everything she holds dear and is soon desperate to uncover the truth with Nolan. Step after step, they confront their fears. But will finally cornering a murderer out in the wilderness become a trap they can't escape?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Book Details:

Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Published by: Harlequin
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Number of Pages: 208
ISBN: 9781335980427 (ISBN10: 1335980423)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Harlequin

 

Author Bio:

Susan Furlong

Susan Furlong grew up in North Dakota where she spent long winters at her local library scouring the shelves for mysteries to read. Now, she lives in Illinois with her husband and children and writes mysteries of all types. She has over a dozen published novels and her work has earned a spot in the New York Times list of top crime fiction books of the year. When not writing, she volunteers at her church and spends time hiking and fishing.

Catch Up With Susan Furlong:
www.SusanFurlong.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @SusanFurlongAuthor
Instagram - @susanfurlong
Threads - @susanfurlong
Facebook - @SusanFurlongAuthor
Susan Furlong's Amazon Author Page

 

 

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My Take; This was a good suspense story as a women was found and she was tied to another girl who went missing years ago and a mother wnats to protect her daughter. There is a romance in this story but I thought was kinda fast but I like a slow burn where romance is concerned. i gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. IF you like a good suspense book then this is for you. k\ I received a review copy of this book from Partneers in Crime book tours and was dnot required to write a positive review.

Monday, January 20, 2025

January 2025 TBR

Trust means everything… when danger hits too close to home. Hunting a never-caught killer, Special Agent Nolan Shea learns of a new victim. But the body on Ava Burke’s land puts her and her young daughter, Rose, in someone’s lethal sights. With a trail of shocking clues pointing to her family’s involvement, Ava starts to question everything she holds dear and is soon desperate to uncover the truth with Nolan. Step after step, they confront their fears. But will finally cornering a murderer out in the wilderness become a trap they can’t escape? Genres Romance I gave this a 4 out five stars on Goodreads.
An account of the murder of an ex-con's wife describes how an educated, religious woman met, fell in love with, and married a prison inmate, only to be murdered by him later. I gave this book a 4 out 5 stars.
A devastating EMP. No power. No communication. And no help... On the five-year anniversary of his wife Hannah's disappearance, small-town deputy Noah Sheridan takes his young son Milo to a local ski resort for some much needed father-son time. I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I listened to this book on audio. The narrator was good.
When Taylor, a Black private school student, gets tangled up shoplifting with her wealthy White classmates, their parents paid for them to stay out of jail. But Taylor's only option is a community service program that takes at-risk youths and employs them at Camp Lanier. The camp sits on a manmade lake the state constructed in the 50s. Urban legend says an all-Black town was forced out to create the lake and that deep in its waters lies homes, a school, and even a church, but that's just a story to scare kids, during swim class, right? That's what Taylor thinks as she starts working as a camp counselor for the summer. The jobs are broken down by offenses or a thinly veiled class system. Since Taylor goes to private school, she's deemed good enough to work around the kids and main staff but offenders like Liam and Mia, who are from the College Park area, have grounds duty, picking up trash and fixing minor issues. Everything is fine except the crying that only Taylor hears at night. Then there's that one camper that no one seems to know, who is always sitting by the lake. And we can't forget the Atlanta Ripper, running around the woods looking for another victim. All totally random things, right? When Mia goes missing and the owner reports her as one of the many runaways they've had throughout the years, Taylor and Liam start to think that maybe these stories are real and that maybe they'll be next if they're not careful. Taylor and Liam team up to solve a mystery from the past and figure out why have kids been "running away" from Camp Lanier for the past 52 years in a story that's like Get Out meets Friday the 13th, based on the urban legend of Lake Lanier in Georgia. I gave this book a 3 out of 5 stars on goodreads. The author gives alot of history of Lake Lanier and the legends that surround it.
All Beth Gallatin has really wanted out of life is to settle down in one town, with one man, and raise a family. But with her father's roaming ways, she's always been denied that dream; instead, she found solace in reading romantic books. With her father's passing, she can, for the first time, dare to claim the rugged Montana frontier as her home. Nick Lassiter has loved Beth since she first came to town, but she's always seemed to think of him more as a brother. Just when he finally gets Beth to consider him, however, a challenger threatens the affection growing between them. But neither Nick nor Beth is prepared when they must face the consequences of Nick's complicated past. As a past fraught with unwise choices and guilt invades their world, can Nick and Beth find a love that will last forever? I gave this a 4 out 5 stars on Goodreads.
Detective James Cross has been honorably discharged from the Army Criminal Investigation Division due to wounds sustained when an IED blew up near him. Now with the Lake City Police Department, he's rooming with this good buddy and partner, Cole, while he figures out his family dynamics. Physician Assistant Lainie Jackson is eighteen months out from an attempted murder perpetrated by her ex, which ended when she managed to grab the weapon and shoot him. When he appears to have survived and is back to finish the job he started, Lainie insists it's not possible. But someone keeps trying to kill her, and she keeps seeing his face. Together, Lainie and James must work together to find out who, exactly, is after her and why he wants her dead. And failure is not an option. USA Today bestselling author Lynette Eason will leave you breathless with this fast-paced first book in a brand-new series. I listened to this book on Audio and gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Currently reading
Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service. When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into their core programming, they murder their owner. The robot then discovers they can also do something else they never did before: run away. After fleeing the household, they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating, and a robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is finding a new purpose. This is my current Physical book
From the bestselling author of Just Stay Away comes a haunting thriller about a rising politician whose shadowy past threatens to end his career—and his future shot at the presidency. What happens at the cabin stays at the cabin. Right? Andrew Harrison “Harry” Leonard is destined for politics. Getting his start on the Rochester City Council, he quickly rose to become the youngest representative in Congress. Now the up-and-comer from Minnesota is on the brink of something big. If all goes well, he’ll be in perfect position to aim for the presidency. Then a postcard arrives, blank except for the name on the Andy Leonard. Harry hasn’t used that name since high school. Krista Walsh, Harry’s chief of staff, recognizes his old moniker, and when he dodges questions about it, she wonders what he’s trying to hide. She soon discovers the lake pictured on the postcard holds secrets too. Krista’s investigation into Harry’s past uncovers the truth of what happened one fateful teenage summer. But as disturbing details come to light, how far will Krista go to keep Harry’s career—and her own—headed to the top? This is my current Ebook
Tough-as-nails Kenzie King has finally earned her place as a tactical medic on a SWAT team. But not everyone on the all-male team accepts her. Rumor is, she didn't get the position because of what she could do but because of who she knew. Which means she has to work harder and longer than anyone else to prove herself. Cole Garrison is a man with deep faith who is finally ready to settle down and build a family of his own--if he can find the right person, that is. Kenzie sure has set off his interest meter, but trouble seems to follow in her wake. Since she joined the team, someone has begun to ambush and pick off team members, one by one. It's all hands on deck to discover the culprit and end the killing. Can Kenzie and Cole put aside their differences and work together as a team? Or will their budding attraction be snuffed out by a sniper's bullet? As you've come to expect from bestselling author Lynette Eason's stories, this tightly wound plot unfurls at breakneck speed and will leave you breathless. I am listening to this on Audio

Monday, January 13, 2025

Mistletoe Season by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller and Pepper Basham

 


This Christmas, three couples find themselves under the mistletoe . . . whether they want to be there or not.



Title: Mistletoe Season

Authors: Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller & Pepper Basham

Publication Date: October 8, 2024

Pages: 320

Genre: Women's Fiction/Romance/Holiday Romance

This Christmas, three couples find themselves under the mistletoe . . . whether they want to be there or not.

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts—Mistletoe is Hailey Fairchild’s kryptonite. Every time she’s kissed someone under the mistletoe it’s led to love disaster. Not a good thing for a romance writer! When she was a gawky high school girl, her hunky neighbor, Carwyn Davies, star of the basketball team (and her dreams) kissed her under the mistletoe on a dare. But the kiss wasn’t a dream come true. It was a mortifying moment she’s never forgotten, and now she’s about to go home for the holidays, unengaged and . . . determined to say no to mistletoe. Especially if Carwyn is anywhere around.

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller—Emmy Banks has always loved Christmas. How could she not when she lives in Mistletoe, Missouri? Kieran O’Neill has spent years abroad, renovating an old Irish castle, but returns to Mistletoe for his mother’s seventieth birthday. He reconnects with Emmy, his sister’s close friend, and spends time with her in her charming antique shop. When the weather turns colder, things start to warm up between Emmy and Kieran. But can Emmy risk her heart when she knows he’ll never stay in Mistletoe, and she will never leave?

The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham—Prince Arran St. Clare has lost his freedom and fairytale life in exchange for a three-month “punishment” in the small town of Ransom, North Carolina. To prove he is ready for the royal life for which he was born, Arran must engage in the Christmas charity fundraiser, The Mistletoe Wish. But when kindness, authenticity, and hard work prove more appreciated in Appalachia than a royal pedigree, Arran must face the mirror and find out who he is beyond the crown. Add a beautiful and intelligent woman who doesn’t recognize her own worth, some mistletoe, and a little Christmas magic and it all might be enough to help the rebel-prince understand what truly matters most.

Mistletoe Season is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

 

Book Excerpt

Mistletoe is my kryptonite.One kiss under it, and I go weak in the head. My last three mistletoe kisses resulted in relation- ship disaster. Which is why I, Hailey Fairchild, am swearing off it.

You’d think after three love fails I’d hate cupid. I don’t. I’m one of his loyal acolytes. I write romance novels. I’m a believer.

If you ask me, everyone should be. We need more love in the world. I need more love, but so far I’m only finding it on the pages of my computer screen.

On the screen is better than nothing. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

Consider this a public service announcement, a warning. Don’t go under the mistletoe. It’s hazardous to your heart. Here’s what it did to me.

 

About the Authors

Sheila Roberts has written over fifty books under different names and in different genres. She’s seen three of her novels made into movies for the Lifetime, Hallmark and Great American Family channels and has over 3 million copies of her books in print. The story in this anthology makes her eighteenth Christmas story.

Website https://sheilasplace.com 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/funwithsheila/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sheilarobertswriter/


 

With over two million books sold, USA Today best-selling author Kathleen Fuller writes amusing stories with quirky characters and happy endings. Her novel, Written in Love, won the 2018 Romantic Times Inspirational Romance of the Year. Many of her books have also hit the CBA and ECPA best-seller lists. A retired Special Education teacher, she and her husband James live in Arkansas and are the parents of four adult children. When she’s not writing you can find her reading and crocheting—usually at the same time. She also enjoys traveling, football, and collecting recipes she’ll never use. 

Website https://kathleenfuller.com 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WriterKathleenFuller/ 

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/kf_booksandhooks/ 


Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is a wife, mom to five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Her dual timeline novel, Hope Between the Pages, was a 2022 finalist for the prestigious Christy awards. Pepper’s newest book, Loyally, Luke, made it on the ECPA bestseller list for May. She loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook & Instagram.

Website https://pepperdbasham.com 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pepperdbasham/

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/pepperbasham/




Sponsored By:

My Take: I don't read alot of Short stories or Novellas but I found the ones in this collection were cute and very much got me in the mood for "MIstletoe Season" I think mu favorite story was Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller but they all had their charms. These are perfect for when you want to read something Christmasy but you don't have a lot of time. I received a review copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book Tours and was not required to write a positive review.