"Ice Cold" by Tess Gerritsen

Rizzoli and Isles, two women bent on solving crimes and seemingly unstoppable when together. But, what happens when Maura Isles goes to a conference in Wyoming and doesn't come back on time? Maura left for the conference after a disagreement with her lover, Daniel (a priest), so her mind wasn't really in the best place to make decisions. After meeting up with an old friend, she agrees to go on a quick trip with him and three others. Little did they know that the snowstorm they drove into would cause there untimely arrival at "Kingdom Come." Oddly there are no people, but there are signs that they had left quickly. What happened to them? Meanwhile, as Jane Rizzoli is working on the case of a body found in a freezer, she finally pays attention to the concerns Daniel has been expressing. When her group reaches Wyoming, they are met with unsettling news. What has happened? The answers to this question and so much more await you within the pages of this book.

I love the series, "Rizzoli and Isles," and as good as they are, I find so much more in the books. Tess Gerritsen has a wonderful way to pull her readers into the story and have you loving or hating the characters. If you enjoy mystery, suspense, and/or police type books, these books are right for you. I can't wait to read more!

"Mornings With Jesus" Blog Tour

"Invite Jesus to take the muddy struggles of your life and sculpt a blessing from that humble clay." --Sharon Hinck  pg. 96

Quiet time, time alone with God. Precious time spent in prayer, Bible study, and devotion. These precious moments are always accentuated with wonderful daily devotionals such as those found in "Mornings With Jesus." Through the collaboration of authors, Guideposts offers this book which 365 daily readings that provide encouragement, hope, and food for our souls. Each day has three parts: Scripture passage, devotional, and a faith step (one of my favorites it the one on the top of this blog post). They are quick and easy to read, and will set your day on the right path. 

This is a wonderful devotional and will make a great gift. It is perfect to read with my morning coffee, while I have time in the Word and prayer. I highly recommend it and will be giving copies as gifts. Many thanks to the Litfuse group. I am very happy to be part of the blog tour for this book!

About the book:

"Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence. For those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day life. With a warm and friendly voice, 365 short devotional writings on the character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing near to Him and inviting His presence into their day. Spend time with Jesus at the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way throughout the year. Each day’s selection includes: • a Bible verse • an entry based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity • a “faith step” that will inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives

 

Link to buy the book:  http://ow.ly/8BbyO   

 

 

Blog tour schedule:  http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452857)

"Superman's Cape" by Brian Spangler

Tragedy and loss wear many faces, and Sara Connely can attest to that. Life has thrown so much at her that many times she doesn't think she can make it. Her husband was murdered in front of her sons, she loses her home and car, money is very tight, and life has totally shifted. How will she and the boys make it? Will it ever get better? While these thoughts run through her mind, Sara knows she has to go on because of the boys. Then, fate throws her another cruel twist when she finds that her twelve year old son, Kyle, is lost in the forest and a hurricane is approaching. As she races to find and protect her son from the many dangers and experiences neither of them are accustomed to, Jacob Hanson enters the picture. Can he help? How are their lives intertwined? This story is filled with situations that will keep you reading and wanting to know more.

Wow! This well-written book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotion. There were times I had to put the book down because of the tears in my eyes. From the scene of the murder, through life in the trailer, and the search in Croatan National Forest, I was tied to this family. When Kyle felt anger, I understood; when Sara battled depression, it was palpable. I highly recommend this book to readers who love connecting with the characters and storyline. It would also make a wonderful selection for book club discussion.Congratulations to Brian Spangler!

"Beyond Molasses Creek" by Nicole Seitz

Ally Green has been running for a long time, but has to return home to bury her father. Many memories and old relationships fill her heart and mind, and probably the most complicated it the relationship with Vesey Washington. Their friendship had brought her  happiness and pain; love and separation. Her running led to many mistakes, like an affair that produced a child. Then, as she was traveling in Nepal, her child was kidnapped. Now that she is 60, will she be able to come to grips with her life choices? Will her friendship with Vesey grow again? And, who is Sunila? Come along and discover how life can begin at any age.

This is a wonderful story of love, loss, and forgiveness. Nicole Seitz crafts a story that draws the reader in with vibrant characters and realistic situations. I enjoyed getting to know Ally, Vesey, and Sunila. I recommend this book to individual readers, but also to book groups. There are many topics to discuss. Beware, however, you may need to have some tissue handy!

Blog Tour information for "Beyond Molasses Creek"

About the book:

Three lives are bound by a single book . . . and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.

Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.

As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.

A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.

About Nicole:

Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels - The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, and The Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books. Visit her at @NicoleSeitz, Facebook and www.nicoleseitz.com for more information. 

Link to buy the book: http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595545050&title=Beyond_Molasses_Creek

About the party:

Nicole is celebrating the release of Beyond Molasses Creek with a fabulous "Friendship" Facebook party! She'll be giving away a ton of great stuff (KINDLE TOUCH, some of her own beautiful artwork, a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies of the book for your small group/book club and a Live Skype Chat with Nicole), and more!

 Blog Tour Schedule:  http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13454766)  

"The Sound of Red Returning" by Sue Duffy

Music often "calms the savage beast," and for Liesl Bower, it is a way to deal with death. But she is haunted by memories she can't quite touch until she sees someone in a concert that unnerves her. As the memories of the murder of Dr. Devoe come rushing back, Liesl discovers that she is the object of interest by both the CIA and the Russians.Why? What did Dr. Devoe have to do with either and how did that involve her? Liesl has a piece of music that he had altered, but she had no idea that it contained the clue everyone was looking for. Will Liesl know who to trust and be able to stay alive? How do Cade and Ian fit into the picture? Come along and help Liesl solve the mystery of a murder that happened fifteen years ago, with consequences for her today.

This is the first book in a new series by Sue Duffy, and it has me hooked for the rest! I really enjoyed the characters, suspense, and story. They seemed realistic and the story flowed nicely. I love the double-agent twist that leaves you with questions and concerns. This book is great for readers of suspense and for book groups that enjoy multi-layered discussions. I received my free review copy from Litfuse and am happy to be part of the blog tour.

About the book:

After losing everyone she loves, concert pianist Liesl Bower has nowhere to go but to escape into her music. Searching for the peace she usually finds in her concertos and sonatas, Liesl can’t shake the feeling that she is being haunted by her past . . . and by someone following her. When she spots a familiar and eerie face in the audience of a concert she’s giving for the president in Washington, DC, the scariest day of her life comes back to her with a flash. It has been fifteen years since Liesl watched her beloved Harvard music mentor assaulted on a dark night in Moscow and just as long since the CIA disclosed to her that he’d been spying for Russia. She had seen that man--that eerie face--the night Professor Devoe was attacked. And now he’s back--and coming for her.

On the run and struggling to rely on the protection of CIA agent Ava Mullins and handsome newspaper reporter Cade O’Brien, Liesl learns she is the prey of an underground cell of Russian KGB agents determined to restore their country to its former Soviet might. But what she doesn’t know is that she is in possession of something--a piece of sheet music--that Russian intelligence is now frantic to find. Inside that music is a secret code, the hidden transcriptions of her deceased mentor, that clearly identify a Russian mole operating inside Israel’s Department of Defense, a mole with enough power and access to execute a daring assassination that no one would see coming.

Caught in a deadly conflict between American and Russian undercover agents, this innocent young pianist is just trying to survive her own personal trauma. Through it all, Liesl must learn that no matter how dark her world grows or how fiercely her enemies pursue her, God is still in control--if only she can yield herself to His grace. Read an excerpt here: http://www.sueduffybooks.com/#!vstc1=books 

 

About the author:

 

Sue Duffy is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in Moody Magazine, The Presbyterian Journal, Sunday Digest, and The Christian Reader. She is the author of Mortal Wounds (Barbour, 2001) and Fatal Loyalty (Kregel, 2010). Sue has also contributed to Stories for a Woman’s Heart (Multnomah). She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children.

Find out more at www.sueduffybooks.com. 

 

Link to buy the book:  http://ow.ly/8B9HT

 

About the giveaway and party:

Sue and her publisher, Kregel Publications, are giving away a “Red Returning” prize package worth over $200 to one lucky winner!!!! (1/23-2/11)

Enter the Sue Duffy’s Giveaway today and you could win:

* A brand new Kindle Fire with Wi-Fi

* The Sound of Red Returning by Sue Duffy

To enter click one of the icons below. But, hurry! The giveway ends on 2/11.  Sue will be announcing the winner of the “Red Returning” Giveaway on February 13th on the Litfuse website!

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. 

 

Blog tour schedule:  http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452833 

"Alienation" by Jon S. Lewis

 If you haven't checked out this book, now is the time! Here is the link to my review AND to my giveaway!

 

 http://bookworm56.blogspot.com/2012/01/alienation-by-jon-s-lewis.html

 

 http://bookworm56.blogspot.com/2012/01/giveaway.html

 

About the book:

After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don't even scratch the surface.

Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?

As the alien invasions increase in frequency and force, C.H.A.O.S resources are taxed to the limit and they're forced to utilize the new recruits. In the midst of battle, Colt will discover some startling revelations . . . about himself, his friendship with Oz, and why he has been chosen to defeat this alien attack against earth.

 

About  Jon:

 

Jon S. Lewis is the coauthor of the Grey Griffins trilogy (over 500,000 books in print) and the upcoming Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles. He also writes for the DC COMICS family of publishers. He resides with his family in Arizona. 

For more about Jon and the series, visit www.chaosnovels.com. 

 

Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/8wW4O

 

About the giveaway and party: PLEASE USE HTML POST ATTACHED – ALL GRAPHICS, WORDING & LINKS ARE EMBEDDED!

The invasion was only the beginning! Jon is celebrating the next adventure in his fast-paced series with an explosive giveaway!

One thrill-seeker will receive:

iPad2 with Wi-Fi

Copies of the C.H.A.O.S. novels, Invasion and Alienation

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 7th. Winner will be announced at the Alienation Facebook Party on 2/7. Jon will be hosting an Author Chat, giving away copies the books and gift certificates to iTunes and Amazon.com! Don't miss a second of the intrigue!

Grab your copy of Alienation and join Jon on the evening of February 7th for an author chat, spy training (How much do you know about alien invaders?) and lots of giveaways. 

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 7th!

 

Blog tour schedule:  http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13451655