Obsession

 Title: Obsession

Series: Natchez Trace Park Rangers #2

Author: Patricia Bradley

Genre: Christian Suspense

Publisher: Revell

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Natchez Trace Ranger and historian Emma Winters hoped never to see Sam Ryker again after she broke off her engagement to him. But when shots are fired at her at a historical landmark just off the Natchez Trace, she's forced to work alongside Sam as the Natchez Trace law enforcement district ranger in the ensuing investigation. To complicate matters, Emma has acquired a delusional secret admirer who is determined to have her as his own. Sam is merely an obstruction, one which must be removed.

Sam knows that he has failed Emma in the past and he doesn't intend to let her down again. Especially since her life is on the line. As the threads of the investigation cross and tangle with their own personal history, Sam and Emma have a chance to discover the truth, not only about the victim but about what went wrong in their relationship.

My Review:

Obsession is the second book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series by Patricia Bradley. While it can be read as a stand-alone book, I HIGHLY recommend reading the first book, Standoff, before beginning this one. Brooke, the main character in Standoff, makes several appearances in this book, just as Emma (main character for Obsession) made several appearances in Standoff. Obsession is the second book that I have read by Bradley; I look forward to reading more books by this author.

 

This book caught my attention from the beginning. It is fast-paced, intense, with quite a bit going on. Emma has shots fired at her when she goes back to work after hours, to pick up a file that she had left behind. She heard some heavy machinery that should not have been running at that time of night. The events lead to her trying to figure out what is going on in the slave cemetery. 

 

Sam arrives at the scene and is scared to death that something had happened to Emma. They had not seen each other in years, but the thought of her getting hurt was more than he could imagine. He ends up snapping at Emma for being at work after dark by herself. Emma and Sam are both fiercely independent individuals and they go head-to-head several times in the story. Emma seems to be very naive about the danger she is in, and her independent nature gets her into trouble. 

 

I loved this book. The characters are well developed, the plot is intriguing, with several twists and turns, and the book ends well. Not everything is as it seems, making it hard to predict what will happen next. I enjoyed the theme of forgiveness that was woven into the story as well.

 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense books with light romance. Fans of Irene Hannon, Dee Henderson, Lynette Easton, and Cara Putnam will enjoy this author as well. 

Thank you to Revell and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review but was happy to do so. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Reviews

 Two books that I had an opportunity to review in December released today. I thought I would share them here:

Title: Hepburn's Necklace

Author: Jan Moran

Genre: Women's Fiction

Synopsis:

 A vintage necklace. A long-hidden secret. A second chance for love.
A dual-timeline story of love and second chances at any age from a USA Today bestselling author. Escape to the film set of Roman Holiday and the sunny shores of Lake Como, Italy, in an intriguing family saga.

A long-hidden secret threatens Ruby Raines, a Texas-born Hollywood legend who began her career with Roman Holiday. When her sister dies and her great-niece, costume designer Ariana Ricci, leaves her groom at the altar, Ruby must reconcile her family before it’s too late. While opening yellowed, 1950s letters postmarked Italy, Ariana discovers relics from Ruby’s unknown past, including an intriguing vintage necklace that Audrey Hepburn gave her during the filming of the movie. Aching for a fresh start and the chance to resolve an unfinished story, the two embark on a journey to the sun-dappled shores of Lake Como, Italy, that will illuminate secrets of a bygone era and offer second chances to each of them—if they are bold enough to seize them.

My Review:

 New York Times bestselling author, Jan Moran’s newest release is Hepburn’s Necklace, is a dual-timeline story of love and second chances. Moran has written quite a few novels, series and stand-alone, that have been translated into multiple languages. Hepburn’s Necklace is a stand-alone historical fiction novel, with a beautiful cover design that illustrates the story remarkably well.

Full review here:  https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/hepburn-s-necklace-jan-moran#review

Title: Lyla's Encore

Author: Mary Meyer

Genre: Christian Fiction

Synopsis: 

 Lyla's Encore is an entertaining, light-hearted read about a couple of famous retirees: maturing movie star, Lyla Fontaine, and senior pro golfer, Smith Kennedy, who find themselves unexpectedly hiding out in the same less-than-spectacular retirement community. Laugh along with the two aging celebs on a rollicking adventure to uncover whodunit in the Retirement Village. Laying aside common sense and defying age limits Lyla and Smith discover that real life begins just when you think it’s over. There is always adventure ahead!

Written with undertones of Christian principles and squeaky-clean humor this is a book anyone will enjoy.

My Review:

 Lyla’s Encore written by Mary Jackson Meyer is a humorous Cristian fiction book. This is a debut novel for Meyer, although you would not know it from her writing. The plot line is sound, the story flows well, and the editing is meticulous.

Full review can be read here: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/lyla-s-encore-mary-meyer#review

 If you go to the full review, feel free to "like" or "upvote" the book, it helps the authors out :)

Fabulous Friday 1/29/21

 Happy last Friday of January!! I can't believe this month is almost over. I hope that you all are doing well. I am super thankful that today is Friday, I am looking forward to sleeping in a little bit tomorrow!

Things that I am thankful for this week:

Getting better

 Junior is getting into a routine

We are getting back into a school routine

Matt went back to work today (good news/bad news 😂)

Matt got the outside playpen set up this week

Matt put an outside light up this week

Kayla went back to school this week

Family time

Laughter

Silly puppy

Got a gift card to Amazon today!

Spent gift card to Amazon 😂

Caught up on laundry

Finally got 2 workout's in this week

The sun is out

The ground is finally drying up

Junior is in the middle of a good nap

Quiet time

Good dog training videos

Elijah is enjoying Junior

Junior is starting to get the hang of his training

Elijah and I enjoyed playing with Junior outside this afternoon

My morning devotions

Good music

What is making this week/Friday great for you? I would love to hear from you. Have a great weekend friends!!

 

The Moonlight School

Title: The Moonlight School

Author:

Publisher: Revell

Publication date: February 2, 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction; Christian Fiction

Synopsis: 

Haunted by her sister's mysterious disappearance, Lucy Wilson arrives in Rowan County, Kentucky, in the spring of 1911 to work for Cora Wilson Stewart, superintendent of education. When Cora sends Lucy into the hills to act as scribe for the mountain people, she is repelled by the primitive conditions and intellectual poverty she encounters. Few adults can read and write.

Born in those hills, Cora knows the plague of illiteracy. So does Brother Wyatt, a singing schoolmaster who travels through the hills. Involving Lucy and Wyatt, Cora hatches a plan to open the schoolhouses to adults on moonlit nights. The best way to combat poverty, she believes, is to eliminate illiteracy. But will the people come?

As Lucy emerges from a life in the shadows, she finds purpose; or maybe purpose finds her. With purpose comes answers to her questions, and something else she hadn't expected: love.

Inspired by the true events of the Moonlight Schools, this standalone novel from bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings to life the story that shocked the nation into taking adult literacy seriously. You'll finish the last page of this enthralling story with deep gratitude for the gift of reading.

My Review:

I absolutely loved this story! I loved that it is based on the true story of Cora Wilson Stewart, who started the "Moonlight Schools" in September of 1911. Her goal was to teach illiterate and semi-literate adults how to read. These mountain people were being taken advantage of because of their lack of education. They would have to sign contracts that they could not read. Cora's mission to help these adults would change their lives and the lives of future generations.

Lucy is pretty much all of us. We take what we know for granted until confronted with a situation that challenges our thinking. Lucy is from a wealthy family and when she encounters the mountain people she is appalled by their living conditions and lack of education. She is quick (just like we are) to draw conclusions without all the information. Lucy was ignorant of poverty until she saw it first hand, she couldn't imagine adults not knowing how to read, or parents not sending their children to school. Lucy did not understand that not all parents can afford to let their kids go to school because they are needed more at home. 

As Lucy and Wyatt visit with the mountain people, gaining their stories, understanding their conditions, it turns into soul-seeking mission for Lucy. She must confront what she has always believed by what is right in front of her. As time passes Lucy really begins to understand and admire Cora's passion for the mountain people and their education.

There is quite a bit going on in this multi-layered story. There are several  surprises and quite a few tender moments. Fisher's writing is engaging, the characters are real, and I had a hard time putting down this fantastic book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Historical Fiction! 

Thank you to Net Galley and Revell for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to give a positive review, but am happy to do so. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Crying over dog poop

 I got up this morning and hurriedly got dressed, and as I put on my workout shirt, the corner of my watch broke! It's one of those health mate watches where you track everything (BP, weight, exercise, heart rate etc.). Matt got it for me for Christmas, so I have literally had it a month. I don't even know how it broke, it's not like I was being rough, or that I have been rough with the watch. I didn't have time to process my upset and disappointment, because I needed to get moving, I have a lot going on today, and have a lot of things that I need to do.

After that I headed quietly downstairs because I didn't want to wake the puppy....no such luck. He started whining immediately, so I grabbed my coat and went over to him and noticed that he had just pooped (didn't realize he was actually pooping), so I picked him up and took him outside to his bathroom area where he peed. I was like, okay, all is good. I took him back inside, cleaned up the puppy pads and proceeded to make my coffee and grab my breakfast. I had given him his chew toy, thinking he would be happy and quiet. Nope, he kept whining because he wanted me. After I settled at the table to do my devotions he finally settled down a bit too, just occasional whining to let me know he still wanted my attention. After a bit Matt came down and started getting his stuff ready too. Junior started the whole whining thing again, so Matt took him out and he used the bathroom again. Once Matt brought him back in he set about trying to be mischievous in his space. We ignored him. After a while he started whining again, so I took him back outside. Once I came in and got him back in his play area, I turned and stepped lightly on something, it was already squished poop 😖. So, Matt and I set about trying to clean it up, and figure out where it had come from. He checked his shoes and socks, they were clean. I only had one sock on, because I had just taken off the one that had landed in the poop. I went and sat back down at the table and thought about where it had come from. That is when I realized that I had picked him up in mid-poop the very first time I had taken him out this morning and that some had landed on the floor. When I had brought him back in, that is when I had apparently squished it with the one sock I was still wearing😡😫😭 and then proceeded to walk ALL over my kitchen and dining room floors in complete ignorance. At this point, I had had it. I just put my head down and started crying, it was just too much. Now, my rock star husband, proceeded to go upstairs and get the mop bucket and mop the entire floor, to be sure that it was all cleaned up.

Now, I was not really crying over the poop, I was crying for a multitude of reasons and that was just the straw that broke the camels back, so to speak. I have been sick for a while and am still recovering, so I am extra fatigued. I am not sleeping well and last night was no exception, so I was not ready to get up when the alarm went off at 4:50am. My blood pressure has been out of whack since around June, it's either too high, or too low, and both make me fatigued with lots of headaches, and at times cranky. We are adjusting to a new puppy, we are adjusting to Kayla having gone back to school over the weekend, we are adjusting to Matt having been home for weeks and going back to work tomorrow. We have really been trying to get back into our FULL school routine this week. I taught youth group again last night for the first time in a few weeks. People are putting expectations on me that I am not sure I can or should even try to handle. Plus, just dealing with some other stuff that I can't mention right now, right here. So, I let myself cry for a minute or two, wiped my face and got up to go take my shower.

Once I got upstairs I plugged in my Alexa and I was like "I don't know what kind of mood I am in and what will be the best thing to listen to while I get ready." Then the song "Goodness of God" popped into my head (I am sure God put it there), so I listened to it on repeat while I was getting ready this morning. As often happens when I am in the shower, I could feel God speaking to me (because I am alone with no distractions), through the song and in general too. I started to worship and praise God because I KNOW that God has ALWAYS been faithful to me, and that was what I was focusing on in that moment, trying to improve my mood.

Anyway, I took the time to clip my nails this morning, such a small thing, but I am so good at taking care of other people, but not as good at taking care of myself. Again, clipping nails is such a small thing, but something I have not taken the time to do, because I was so busy doing other things, for other people. As I was clipping my nails, the verse "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)." flitted through my head. I know this was from God. If I am not taking care of my body, even in the small ways, how can I take care of my body in the big ways? If I want to serve God fully, and I do, then I need to do better with managing my self-care. Obviously, this is my own fault, and it is something I need to recognize and fix. 

So, then the words of the song really started penetrating my subconscious (third time through), and I started to cry again. Here are the lyrics:

I love You, Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days, I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
And in darkest night You are close like no other
I've known You as a Father
I've known You as a Friend
And I have lived in the goodness of God, yeah

And all my life You have been faithful, ohh
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God, yeah

'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me, oh-ohh
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
Your goodness is running after, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now
I give You everything
'Cause Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me

And all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna sing
'Cause all my life You have been faithful
And all my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God
Oh, I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God 

The line that is bolded is when I started crying again. Because, again, I felt the Lord speaking to me once again. The first thing you should know is that SURRENDER is the word that the Lord gave me for 2021. I have been meaning to write a blog post on it, but with so many things going on, I just haven't had the time. The second thing you should know is that I haven't been surrendering to the Lord, and that is why it hit so hard. I have not surrendered my fatigue, my health, my frustrations at the things that I have not been able to do, my frustrations of the expectations that people have put on me (either real or perceived), the feelings of lack of control when the dog poops (lol) where we don't want him to, I have not surrendered my all. AND that is what brought me to tears again. I needed to surrender this stuff to Him, instead of trying to carry this heavy load that I was not meant to carry.

Maybe I sound crazy, and that is okay, but this is where I am at today. I am going to do some self-care, in the areas that I can. This looks like not working together with Elijah with school today, he will only do his independent work, because my emotional health is very unstable and if we get into math and he gets frustrated, I am going to cry. It looks like putting more of Junior's care on Elijah today. It looks like going to the dentist, even though I don't want to, to get a filling fixed that has cracked. It looks like taking a nap this afternoon and finding another pocket of time to just be alone and do something that I enjoy doing. It also looks like surrendering some (all) of the junk that I am holding on to. What does self-care look like for you today? Are you taking care of your emotional, mental, physical health? Do you have things that you are carrying around that you need to surrender? Can I just give you a bit of advice? Take some time for self-care today (and every day) and figure out what you need to surrender, or you just might find yourself crying over dog poop.

Fabulous Friday 1/22/21

 Well, it has been a crazy, busy, sick week for me. I am sad that I have not had an opportunity to blog this week, but I refuse to let today get away without saying what I am thankful for. Before that, I just want to do a quick update of where we are and what is going on. Obviously, if you have seen my posts on Instagram or Facebook you know we have gotten a new puppy. We are adjusting to him, but he has now moved into the "testing" phase, especially with Elijah 😞 He senses the weaker link (insert eye roll here). Overall, he is doing pretty good. (I wish you could hear his yawn (Junior), it sounds like a cat and is hilarious)! He is consistently letting us know when he needs to go out, he is doing well with me with sit (testing Elijah), he is working on leave it, and learning his name. I feel like there is so much to teach him and not enough time! However, I am super thankful that I stumbled across Zac George's teaching/training videos! They have been very enlightening. I could literally sit and watch them all day!

Matt has been working from home since we both got sick. He has been feeling great since Monday, but his work is making him quarantine for 10 days from that day, to ensure that he is not sick and doesn't have Covid (his test was negative). He goes back to work on January 29th. I think he is ready as it has been hard for him having the distractions of a new puppy, us trying to do school, and he could only work in the living room because his work computer had to be plugged straight into the router. But, he is a trouper and has handled it really well.

Kayla was supposed to go back to school 2 weeks ago, but we got the call from Matt's work ON OUR WAY to Ohio that he was quarantined. Long story short she has been quarantining at home with us the last 2 weeks. I think it was a good decision and I think she is emotionally and mentally more prepared to go back to school. Especially after having several internet issues this week 😜 I think it made her first week and a half easier to be at home, eating home cooked meals, having someone else continue to do her laundry, and getting that extra time with us. It also makes the semester just a little shorter. Matt and Elijah will drive her back to Ohio tomorrow, and then they will come back home on Sunday. Pray for them for safe travels, and pray for Kayla as she tries to get back on the school routine.

Elijah is doing good, despite all the choas. We both thrive on our routines and he was upset that Kayla didn't leave when she was supposed to. (He loves her and loves being with her, but it was another disruption to the schedule. He is sad she is leaving tomorrow and is really going to miss her). We had a plan and it literally got changed at the last minute. So, he has had to adjust to dad working from home, Kayla schooling from home, the new puppy, me and Matt both being sick at the same time (which literally never happens), trying to get back on a school schedule (not working great), having to have his music lessons online since Matt and I were both sick and adjusting to the responsibility of taking care of a puppy. Tonight he broke another bracket on his braces (the second one in 2 months and he's only had braces for about 6 months, LOL). I will have to call the orthodontist first thing Monday morning to get him an appointment. Kayla never had any issues with her braces or brackets, I told him his orthodontist is just going to know him better, lol.

My blood pressure has been out of whack since we traveled to Ohio to get Kayla in November. I was off medication and have had to go back on it. With being sick, my BP is all over the place, so it is hard to know if the new meds are working or not. I have been sick for 13 days, but I finally feel like I have turned the corner today. I am still exhausted, but I feel like I actually had some energy today. I have also been trying to adjust to all the changes and trying to go with the flow, but it has been hard. I would not recommend getting a puppy when you are sick, but I don't regret it. We feel like this is the right one, the right time. We have good moments and frustrating moments, but we are trying to focus on the good. 

So, if you are still reading, thank you, lol. I will now say what is making this Friday/week fabulous:

We do not have Covid

I do no have pneumonia

Matt is better

I am getting better

Kayla and Elijah are healthy

Junior makes us laugh

Junior gives good cuddles

Our Church has online services so we are able to watch from home

We have gotten some school work done this week

I was able to help Kayla pack up her stuff

I got the laundry done

I am finally sitting on the couch

Laughter

Family time

A friend calling to check on me

Chats with friends this week

Grocery pick up

That God's mercies are new every morning

Funny videos

That Kayla gets to go back to school tomorrow, I know that is where she is supposed to be 

Talking to my mom this week

Training videos

Uninterrupted quiet time

Good books to read

Able to give a gift this week (in the mail, not in person)

Matt helping around the house (he always does!)

Matt putting up an outside light in the backyard

Answered prayers

Friends and family who will pray with us and for us

Facebook (helps me stay connected to friends near and far)

That the election is finally over

How is your week going? What are you finding to be thankful and grateful about? I would love to hear from you!

Fabulous Friday 1/15/21

 Happy Friday to you!! I hope that your week has gone well and you are enjoying your Friday. Mine has been a bit busy with getting a Covid test this morning, trying to do some school with Elijah, coordinating the kids getting the new puppy to the vet, then multiple phone calls with the vet...I could go on, but you get the point 😂 Here are the things, in no particular order that are making this week/day a fabulous Friday:

Covid test, so will know soon whether that is what I have or not 😷

Matt also got Covid test today

New puppy 🐕

The vet caught Junior's ear infection and a few other things early

Some time to read this week 

Kayla's first few days online have gone well

Time in the Word

Phone call with my mom

Texts with my sister

Phone call with a friend

Another friend calling and checking up on me

Sister-in-law checking to be sure we had food

Prayers

Answered prayers

Elijah is enjoying the puppy

Some school has gotten done 😜 

I know the list is short today, I am having trouble thinking and concentrating. I know I have more to be thankful for, but at the moment, they slip my mind. I am blessed beyond measure and thankful for each and every day that God gives me. What are you thankful for this week?