Today on TTT, bloggers are charged with listing books that conjure up good memories. I’m going a step further and listing books with memory/memories in the title. Of all the books on the list that I have read (a few are still on my TBR shelves), I have very fond memories of wonderful writing. I hope you find one that will keep you remembering.
The Spring in Trulee Holler by debut author Jana Hutcheson is magical. You can apply that to the autumn setting of the small Alabama town of Trulee, or the romance between main characters Jess and Silas. Or, you can settle into the magic that is the spring that is rumored to be the fountain of youth. Or is that just God being God? You’ll have to decide for yourself, but I found the book totally enchanting and a recommended read.
Jess Lockhart thought she’d fought her hardest battle when she beat a rare form of lymphoma. But months into remission, it’s fear of the unknown-especially of cancer’s return-that’s stealing her future. Once an aspiring fashion designer, she’s lost her drive to create and now spends her days working at her father’s hardware store in rural Trulee, Alabama.
When a young botanist rents the barn-loft apartment on her family’s property, Jess thinks she’s finally found something to take her mind off her mortality. Not only is Silas Haney strikingly handsome, but he’s irresistibly mysterious. His cryptic remarks and odd behavior suggest he’s hiding something. Then an accident exposes his secret: Silas once drank from a spring that made him immortal. Now he’s searching for the spring once more, hoping the tree that legend says grows from it can reverse the eternal youth he now sees as a curse. And that spring lies hidden in the woods behind her house.
Convinced the spring is the answer to her problems, Jess blackmails Silas into taking her along on his quest. But as forced companionship turns into affection, Jess begins to question whether escaping the fear of death is the same as truly living. When a crisis arises, Jess must decide: Will she trust God with her future or scoop destiny into her own hands?
Jana Hutcheson lives and teaches in the same small Alabama town where she grew up. A public-school teacher for over thirty years, she holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in elementary education from the University of North Alabama. The Spring in Trulee Holler is her debut novel. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found taking long afternoon walks, reading on her patio bed swing, and spending time with her family.
My Impressions:
I am so impressed with the debut novel The Spring in Trulee Holler by Jana Hutcheson. This general fiction offering with a good dose of magical realism is so well-crafted, I couldn’t believe it was the first of what I hope is many more great books. Hutcheson crafts a mythology surrounding the small Alabama town of Trulee. There’s the legendary Goat Man and the rumored spring that brings those who taste its waters immortality. This reader can just imagine the tales being told on long summer evenings on the porches of local houses or around the campfires of autumn. When main character Jess is actually confronted with the truth of one of her hometown tales, she must decide if she can take control of life or whether she should trust God for his best for her. That is the main question of the novel, and one that this reader dwelt upon long after the last page. If we trust God, do we trust Him all the way, or only for those things we think He will handle correctly. Jess is struggling with the unknown — will her cancer return, will she have the life she used to dream about, or will fear take the reins? When confronted with Silas, a young man who is afraid he will never die, Jess must change her way of thinking and living. The Spring in Trulee Holler is a love story, an homage to small Southern towns, a myth come true, and a testament to God’s sovereignty. But don’t worry, this book isn’t preachy — rather it takes very believable (and lovable) characters on a faith journey that allows questions and doubts.
I got to read this book while at my cottage in the woods — the crisp night air and the sounds of barred owls made the reading a little sweeter. It’s perfect for fall reading, but really, you will love this book anytime you pick it up. Which should be soon. 😉 You should probably grab a reading buddy too — you are definitely going to want to talk about this book!
Highly Recommended
Great for Book Clubs
Audience: Adults
(I bought the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Sanctuary and Sabotage by Lori DeJong, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About The Book
Title:Sanctuary and Sabotage Series:Guarded Hearts #2 Author: Lori DeJong Publisher: Scrivenings Press Release Date: September 15, 2026 Genre: Romantic Suspense
The greatest threat isn’t the enemy outside—it’s the secrets between them.
Protection Specialist Trevor Paxton returns to his Texas hometown carrying the weight of a mission gone wrong. Seeking sanctuary at his family’s ranch, he never expects danger to follow him into the life of Dr. Kinsley Talbot, the once-freckled tomboy now fighting to save her family’s land and the veterinary clinic that is her future.
When Kinsley’s clinic is sabotaged and her barn goes up in flames, Trevor’s instincts tell him she’s in danger. But Kinsley refuses his help, determined to protect her family’s legacy without revealing the secret that could bring it all down.
As threats close in and old feelings rekindle, Trevor makes a quiet choice that could cost him her trust. To save Kinsley, he’ll have to expose his own subterfuge—and convince her that love sometimes means standing guard, even from the shadows.
Excerpt
“What do you mean you’re not accepting this?” Trevor hesitated before taking the letter his boss held out to him across the desk. “With all due respect, Blankenship, you don’t have a choice.”
With a sigh, Colton perched his hands on his hips. “You might be right. But, with all due respect, I still refuse. What happened Wednesday is still too fresh. Too raw. Not a good time to make a life-altering decision. Like quitting a job you were made for.”
“Apparently not.” Trevor stuck the resignation letter in the inside pocket of his suit coat. The letter he’d penned yesterday on the way to Houston from Nashville on the company plane. “I got a fellow operative killed. Why aren’t you firing me?”
Colton gestured for Trevor to take a seat in front of the desk while he took his own behind it. “Mack and I discussed Wednesday’s unfortunate outcome, and we both agree you’re not to blame. Neither of us considered terminating your employment. You’re a top-notch protection specialist. Great instincts. Intelligent. Cool under pressure.”
Trevor’s gut clenched, and the bowl of cereal he’d forced down that morning churned in his stomach. He hadn’t slept much after accompanying his co-worker’s body to the morgue last night … and holding on to a distraught newly minted widow after the sight of her husband on a cold, stainless-steel table.
Lori DeJong (pronounced DeeYung) is an award-winning contemporary Christian romance author who enjoys penning stories full of grace and the redemptive power of God’s love that inspire others to hope regardless of circumstance, find joy in the moment, and grow in their faith.
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Lori arrived in Texas in 2005 and dug those roots right in. She currently resides in beautiful Georgetown, north of Austin, with her husband of thirty years. Other than their two fur-babies, their nest is empty, as their daughter and son-in-law are settled in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
Lori loves to write about love and romance with a touch of suspense, with a firm foundation of faith. Clean but sassy, sparkly, and even goose-bumpy romance, with God in the middle and characters seeking and learning and changing, couldn’t be more heartwarming or spine-tingly.
Lori is an ACFW Genesis Award winner, four-time Selah Award finalist, two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist, has been awarded an Angel Award, and placed second in the FHL Reader’s Choice Awards. She’s also a member of several organizations, including ACFW, Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers, Novel Academy, CenTex Christian Writers, among others. You can visit Lori at https://loridejongwrites.com and sign up for her newsletter for writing updates, book recommendations, a monthly giveaway, and more.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card plus a signed copy of both Mistletoe and Malice and Sanctuary and Sabotage!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 5, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 12, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Happy Friday! Today I am featuring another 2026 Christy Award nominee in the mystery/suspense/thriller category — TheAccused by Cara Putman. The Accused is a good choice if you like courtroom drama. The author is an attorney and law school professor, and her two main characters have those careers in common. It’s another twisty mystery in the Secrets to Keep series.
Here’s the first line:
Margeaux Robbins sprinted from her parked Sonata toward the Loudoun County Courthouse, miles from her comfortable office on the Monroe College campus in Kedgewick, Virginia.
When a popular college student is murdered, her international roommate, Anneliese, becomes a prime suspect. But law professor Margeaux Robbins doesn’t believe that the quiet, lonely German girl in her class is the killer.
Chase Crandall is a burned-out defense attorney ready to extricate himself from the grind of criminal law. After he loses a client to tragedy, he’s ready for an in-house corporate position.
When Chase is assigned to Anneliese’s case, Margeaux is horrified. She doesn’t want him to provide legal counsel—not after what happened to his past client. And not with the evidence incriminating Anneliese.
Despite their mutual misgivings, the lawyer and professor pair up to find the killer and prove Anneliese’s innocence. Will they be able to untangle the mystery—and navigate their growing interest in one another—before the wrong person is charged with murder?
In addition to writing, Cara Putman is a mom of four, an attorney, a Clinical Associate Professor at a Big Ten university who also runs a center, and an all-around crazy woman. Crazy about God, her husband, and her kids. She graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go Huskers!), George Mason Law School, and Purdue University’s MBA program. You can learn more about her books on her website, which is easy to find because it’s simply her name dot com.
Title:Watched Series:Windy City Westons #3 Author: Jerusha Agen Publisher: SDG Words, LLC Release Date: September 24, 2026 Genre: Christian romantic suspense
His mind is a steel trap. He didn’t know it could trap him.
Robert Weston became a psychiatrist to heal people’s minds. He can’t lose his. But if the strange occurrences of forgetfulness and confusion continue, he may not be able to hide the truth much longer. When his psychological issues put his life in danger, he must face the reality that the genetic nightmare he fears inheriting has seized him.
Attorney Monty Montgomery doesn’t trust Robert Weston. His expert testimony once ruined her client’s case. She didn’t realize the psychiatrist isn’t only wrong but also completely unreliable. How can she defend him against a malpractice suit for the insurance company that hired her when he’s clearly incompetent?
Robert and Monty have bigger problems than they know. Someone has a mission. A mission that won’t be stopped until somebody ends up dead.
Is everyone a pawn in the lethal game, or is Robert’s failing mind playing tricks on him? Even with the help of the Weston siblings, Robert and Monty may need a mind smarter than theirs—the mind of God—to escape this twisted game alive.
Excerpt
He touched her hand on the railing, the contact zinging a jolt all the way up her arm. “I really like you, Monty.” He tilted his head toward the view but didn’t look away from her face. “As beautiful as this waterfall is, it can’t hold a candle to your beauty. But what I like about you most is that you have brains.” He grinned then. “You might be one of the few people who can keep up with me intellectually.”
He closed his hand gently over hers, the warmth of his touch infusing her with tingling awareness that traveled through her whole body.
He’d done what her siblings would say was impossible. Rendered her speechless.
But what could she say? She couldn’t lie and say she didn’t like him. And given the electricity shooting through her, she couldn’t deny an attraction either.
Still, she couldn’t possibly date him, even if she wasn’t representing him. He deserved to know why.
Jerusha Agen is a Christy Award finalist who imagines danger around every corner but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes romantic suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. Jerusha loves to hang out with her big furry dogs and little furry cats, often while reading or watching movies. Find more of Jerusha’s thrilling, redemptive stories at JerushaAgen.com.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a signed paperback copy of Watched, a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, and a Watched mug, notebook, and magnet!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 28, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 5, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
How is it October already?! While it’s still early for sweater weather, I have spent the last week in the glorious north Georgia mountains. With highs in the mid-70s to low 80s and the lows in the 40s and 50s, I have been reveling in the cool temps and bright blue skies. It’s been a perfect time for R&R&R — resting, relaxing, and reading! Two books completed, and I am back on a reading roll.
My book club’s selection for this month is The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter, a book perfect for fall reading. I can’t wait! Isn’t the cover gorgeous? If you have read it, please let us know what you thought.
She inherits the bookshop of her dreams . . . But she has to run it with the ex she vowed never to speak with again. “Book lovers, book clubs, and anyone who’s ever dreamed of owning a bookstore will adore this cleverly interwoven story” (Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shelterwood). Full of fall vibes, The Second Story Bookshop is perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Gilmore Girls.
Shelby Thatcher adores working in the charming small-town bookshop her grandmother opened years ago. Since high school she’s helped Gram turn the shop into a community hub for book lovers in the lakeside town of Grandville, NC. When her beloved grandma passes away, Shelby inherits the bookstore. But to her shock, Gram leaves half ownership to Gray Briggs, the man who broke Shelby’s heart years ago.
Grandville residents have been vilifying Gray as long as he can remember. After graduating high school he couldn’t skip town fast enough, even though it meant leaving the girl he’d fallen deeply in love with and alienating her family once and for all. Now he’s back, the beneficiary of his elderly friend’s will. Facing the town’s animosity is difficult, but seeing Shelby again is sheer torture. No one could ever stir his heart the way she did.
As the adversaries are forced to work together, Gram’s beyond-the-grave scheme is working–Shelby’s old feelings for Gray begin to resurface. But the problems that destroyed their relationship before still remain, and a new one surfaces–one that threatens Gram’s beloved bookshop. Is their love doomed to fail again, or will they find a way to make it work this time around?
If you’re looking for an enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance set in a cozy lakeside bookshop brimming with healing, heart, and Southern charm, The Second Story Bookshop is your perfect, feel-good escape. Let Shelby and Gray’s tender journey remind you that sometimes the path back to love starts at the front step of a bookstore.
Denise Hunter is the internationally-published bestselling author of more than forty novels, three of which have been adapted into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 Club and been featured in Southern Living and Woman’s World.
Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories, peopled with layered characters who have real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.
In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!
When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling, drinking chai lattes, hiking, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband raised three boys and are currently enjoying an empty nest and four beautiful grandchildren.
My book club unanimously liked Spies, Lies, And Alibis by Natalie Walters. We met her in person at a book festival in our small town. After hearing from her in person we knew we needed to read this rom-com/suspense novel. It is as delightful as she is! If you haven’t read it yet, we recommend you do. And if you have and want more espionage in your reading time, please check out the four books I have recommended.
Book with Spies!
The Bachelor Spy by Pepper Basham — historical mystery with humor mixed in.
Midnight on The Scottish Shore — WWII spies
The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal — a modern day spy novel inspired by the Book of Job
To Outwit Them All by Peggy Wirgau — the real life story of George Washington’s spy ring
Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT prompt is a fall freebie. I have taken that quite literally. 😉 My list includes books with titles containing fall, falls, and falling. I’ve done this for a previous fall freebie, but these book have been read since then. You’ll find that a fall occurs quite often in suspense novels. And one group of books gets extra points for their series name — Gossamer Falls! I hope you find one to love.
Welcome to the Takeover Blitz for The Christy Award Finalists 2026 organized by ECPA and hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! We extend our sincere and enthusiastic congratulations to The Christy Award 2026 Finalists & Winners (announced on November 6th)!
You are Invited
The Christy Award Gala Friday, November 6, 2026 | 7:00 PM Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel Nashville, Tennessee Featuring Michelle Shocklee, Amanda Cox, Nicole Deese, Amanda Dykes, Susie Finkbeiner, J.J. Fischer, Rhonda McKnight, Jamie Ogle, Amanda Wright, Jaime Jo Wright, and other distinguished 2025 winners—bringing a meaningful connection between past and present excellence.
This is our year to gather together in person to celebrate and honor the best Christian fiction of the year. The Christy Award Gala will be held the evening of Friday, November 6th and will feature a premiere cast of the industry’s authors to announce The Christy Award winners in nine categories, The Christy Book of the Year, and The Amplify Award for Christian Fiction.
This year’s gala features a keynote address from Michelle Shocklee, recipient of The Christy Book of the Year for her acclaimed novel All We Thought We Knew. Her story and perspective will set the tone for an evening rooted in faith, creativity, and impact. Continuing Christy tradition, recent honorees will present category awards, including Amanda Cox, Nicole Deese, Amanda Dykes, Susie Finkbeiner, J.J. Fischer, Rhonda McKnight, Jamie Ogle, Amanda Wright, Jaime Jo Wright, and other distinguished 2025 winners—bringing a meaningful connection between past and present excellence.
The Christy Award Finalists 2026
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE – tie
Echoes of a Silent Song by Amanda Wen (Kregel Publications) Hearts on the Fly by Toni Shiloh (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group) Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group) The Voice We Find by Nicole Deese (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
FIRST NOVEL
In the Light of the Sun by Angela Shupe (WaterBrook, an imprint of PRH Christian)) The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz Tyndale House Publishers) Where Stillness Speaks by Chelsey Welwood (Chelsey Welwood)
GENERAL FICTION
South of Somewhere by T.I. Lowe (Tyndale House Publishers) The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group) When the Road Comes Around by Katie Powner (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
HISTORICAL – tie
From the Valley We Rise by Elizabeth Musser (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group) Splendor of the Land by Connilyn Cossette (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group) The Daughter of Rome by Angela Hunt (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group) The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron (Thomas Nelson Fiction)
HISTORICAL ROMANCE – tie
Mists Over the Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin (Revell/Baker Publishing Group)
The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz (Revell/Baker Publishing Group)
The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White (Tyndale House Publishers) Through Water and Stone by Karen Barnett (Kregel Publications)
MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER – tie
Final Approach by Lynette Eason (Revell/Baker Publishing Group) Girl Lost by Kate Angelo (Revell/Baker Publishing Group) Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)
The Accused by Cara Putman (Kregel Publications)
SHORT FORM – tie
A Very Merry Matchup by Becca Kinzer (Tyndale House Publishers) One Nine by Sara Davison (Sara Davison) Planning for Nickie by Tasha Hackett (Tasha Hackett) To Reveal a Reckless Love by Robin Lee Hatcher (RobinSong, Inc.)
SPECULATIVE – tie
Every Hour until Then by Gabrielle Meyer (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group) Heir of Light by Niki Florica and Jill Williamson (Sunrise Publishing) Maxine Justice: Public Offender by Daniel Schwabauer (Enclave, a division of Oasis Family Media) Of Dawn and Embers by Gillian Bronte Adams (Enclave Escape, a division of Oasis Family Media)
YOUNG ADULT – tie
Illuminary by Chawna Schroeder (Enclave Escape, a division of Oasis Family Media) Sons of Day and Night by Mariposa Aristeo (Enclave Escape, a division of Oasis Family Media) The Outsider by Katy Morgan (The Good Book Company) The Star-Blessed by Angie Dickinson (Enclave Escape, a division of Oasis Family Media)
Register for The Christy Award 2026 Events
Join us in Music City for a vibrant, can’t-miss gathering of the Christian fiction community.
Beyond the Books Add-On: Meet the finalist authors at this special morning gathering of authors and readers.
The Art of Writing conference will bring together writers, storytellers, and publishing professionals for an afternoon of relevant topics and networking.
The Christy Award Winners Gala celebrates this year’s finalists and winners with authors, editors, publishers, and readers!
The Christy Award® is a program of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) and is the foremost award honoring and promoting excellence in Christian fiction since 1999. For more information about ECPA, visit ECPA.org. For more information about the Christy Awards and Art of Writing conferences, visit ChristyAwards.com or email TheChristyAward@ecpa.org
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive their choice of The Art of Writing registration OR print copies of The Christy Award finalist titles for one category!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight September 25, 2025 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on October 2, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Happy Friday! Today I am featuring another 2026 Christy Award nominee — Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse by Jamie Jo Wright. This dual timeline novel is a twisty, spooky, gothic mystery/suspense with a married couple in the modern day storyline. I loved that! If you haven’t read it, what are you waiting on?!
Here’s the first line:
This great water will be my sepulcher.
Where the lighthouse no longer illuminates, ghostly lore and legends emerge . . .
1874 A battered woman awakens atop a forgotten gravesite by Lake Superior’s southern shore. Identified only by the locket around her neck inscribed with the name Rebecca, she seeks refuge with an elderly lighthouse keeper. But as Rebecca struggles to remember who she is, she finds herself haunted by the lingering memories of Annabel, a mysterious woman who perished in the lake’s unforgiving waves years earlier. With the spirit of Annabel seemingly reawakened, and an unknown adversary on the hunt to silence Rebecca once and for all, more is at stake than reclaiming her own memories. Rebecca must reclaim Annabel’s as well.
Present Day Author and researcher Shea Radclyffe escapes to the lighthouse outside a historic Michigan mining town to seek clarity about her failing marriage. Instantly drawn to the lighthouse’s landlord, Shea contends with the legend of Annabel’s vengeful ghost and a superstitious community that has buried the truth about a current murder. As the secrets harbored around Annabel’s lighthouse unravel, Shea must navigate a fight between torn loyalty, self-discovery, and the haunting forces of love.
. . . demanding vengeance for secrets that should have drowned a century before.
Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.
Many of the books I review are provided to me free of charge from publishers, authors, or other groups in return for a review. The opinions expressed in the reviews are mine and mine alone. No monetary consideration is given. This disclaimer is in accordance with FTC rules.
I am an Amazon.com affiliate, which means that I earn a small percentage of the sales from products purchased through links on my site. I NEVER recommend a book in order to receive a profit. Proceeds from affiliate sales help to defray operating costs of the blog.
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