First Line Friday — Taken Without A Trace

7 Aug

I am so excited for the upcoming release of Taken Without A Trace, the newest romantic suspense by Hope Welborn. Hope is a fantastic author, and I can’t wait to dig into this book! It releases on August 25, 2026.

For now, here’s the first line:

He was going to die.

A missing person case . . . or a deadly cover-up?

Georgia Special Agent Cash Brenner gets an anonymous tip on a cold case that’s haunted him for years—but following the lead has him walking into a deadly ambush. He’s saved by his ex, private investigator Maya Reid, who is on a mission to find her missing sister. As eerie similarities between their investigations emerge and Cash grapples with memory loss from the attack, they must put their rocky past aside to find answers. With danger lurking at every turn, Cash and Maya need to act quickly to solve the case and locate Maya’s sister—or risk losing everything they hold dear.

Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. Her manuscripts have won the ACFW Genesis Contest and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundations Awards in romantic suspense.

As a #writerwithadayjob, she spends her lunch hours creating small town characters who face big suspense with faith in a big God. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page.

Hope also serves as editor and web manager for Spark Flash Fiction and is a member of the Suspense Squad.

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Spotlight on Contemporary Romance — A Reason to Live

6 Aug

I am pleased today to spotlight the contemporary romance A Reason to Live by T. K. Chapin. This book features tough issues of grief and loss, with a message of second chances. It’s the first book in the 4-part series, A Reason to Love. Find out more about it and its author below.

Jonathan Dunken is no stranger to heartache. After losing his wife, he submerged himself in his work as an architect and pushed everyone away, including God. Four years after his world crumbled, a surprise visitor in the middle of the night changes his life forever. 

Kylie wants a change in her life, especially a new job. One night, her wish becomes possible when a stranger in the restaurant where she works offers her a job. There’s only one problem. He’s attractive. 

He’s a man who has been broken from his past hurts. She’s a girl who has a heart for her son and God. Can these two hearts find love with one another? Or will their pasts hold them back forever? Find out in the new Inspirational Christian Romance, A Reason To Live, book one of the A Reason To Love series by T.K. Chapin.

More Books in The Series

T.K. CHAPIN is a USA Today Bestselling and award winning Inspirational Christian Fiction author who designs his stories to inspire and tug on your heart strings. He believes that telling authentic stories of faith, love and family helps build the faith of believers while inviting non-believers into the reality of God. Each story highlights how God can work in the lives of those who follow Him.

Chapin gives all credit for his writing and storytelling abilities to God. The majority of his stories take place in and around his hometown of Spokane Washington. Chapin & his wife reside in Southeast Idaho and have three children. When not writing, he enjoys traveling, swimming and spending time with friends & family.

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Top 10 Tuesday — Cover Love Freebie

4 Aug

Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is a Cover Freebie. I went with something very simple — main characters on book covers. While I like lots of cover styles, it is always interesting to see how the publishers/authors envision the main characters. I have heard that traditional publishers vary in the input from authors when it comes to cover art, but we know that with an indie author, what you see is what is in their imagination. The books on my list are from recent reads. I hope you find one to love.

Do you like people on book covers?

For more cover love, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Book Covers Featuring People

Della’s Song by Donna Jo Stone

Last to Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn

Miss Beth Bettencourt by Eva Marie Everson

Mists over The Channel Islands by Sara Sundin

On Living Stone by Heather Kaufman

Secrets Chase Her by Rachel Dylan

Taking A Second Shot by Leslie Kirby DeVooght

Trail of Danger by Hope Welborn

Until April by Janet W. Ferguson

When The Silence Breaks by Elizabeth Goddard

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Happy Release Day — When The Silence Breaks

4 Aug

It’s release day for When The Silence Breaks, the newest romantic suspense novel by Elizabeth Goddard. Wow, is it action-packed! I never knew if the main characters would be swallowed by an avalanche, picked off by unknown assailants, or both. LOL! If you like your suspense fast and furious and your heroes swoon-worthy, make sure to check this one out!

A deathbed confession. A decades-old secret. A mountain that holds the answers–and danger closing in. 

When intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison learns of her grandfather’s deathbed confession connected to her brother’s murder, she’s determined to protect her remaining family. After further investigation, she discovers the disclosed information points to a decades-old government secret buried deep in the Cascade Mountains. With this knowledge, she looks for a guide who knows the terrain like the back of their hand. 

After his father’s death in a tragic mountain accident, former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin no longer guides for the family business. At first, Ryder refuses to help Sarah, but he sees the trouble chasing her and can’t stand by while someone brings danger to his small-town mountain community.

Ryder and Sarah gear up to climb the mountain in a race against time and a looming storm. When the danger escalates, their search for answers shifts to a survival mission. Their only chance to make it through involves trusting each other and confronting the truth no one wants them to find. 

This gripping romantic-suspense thriller set in the Pacific Northwest from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard is a series opener that will sweep you away in a rush of adrenaline.

Elizabeth Goddard is the PW, ECPA, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of over sixty novels, including the Missing in Alaska and Rocky Mountain Courage series. Her books have sold more than 1.5 million copies. She is a Christy Award, Carol Award and Reader’s Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award and HOLT Medallion finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry.

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Book Review: When The Silence Breaks

3 Aug

The first book of a brand new romantic suspense series by Elizabeth Goddard, When The Silence Breaks, releases tomorrow! I had the good fortune to receive an ARC, so I dug in as soon as I could. This novel checks all the boxes for fans of the genre. Find out more below.

A deathbed confession. A decades-old secret. A mountain that holds the answers–and danger closing in. 

When intelligence analyst Sarah Ellison learns of her grandfather’s deathbed confession connected to her brother’s murder, she’s determined to protect her remaining family. After further investigation, she discovers the disclosed information points to a decades-old government secret buried deep in the Cascade Mountains. With this knowledge, she looks for a guide who knows the terrain like the back of their hand. 

After his father’s death in a tragic mountain accident, former Navy SEAL Ryder Goodwin no longer guides for the family business. At first, Ryder refuses to help Sarah, but he sees the trouble chasing her and can’t stand by while someone brings danger to his small-town mountain community.

Ryder and Sarah gear up to climb the mountain in a race against time and a looming storm. When the danger escalates, their search for answers shifts to a survival mission. Their only chance to make it through involves trusting each other and confronting the truth no one wants them to find. 

This gripping romantic-suspense thriller set in the Pacific Northwest from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard is a series opener that will sweep you away in a rush of adrenaline.

Elizabeth Goddard is the PW, ECPA, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of over sixty novels, including the Missing in Alaska and Rocky Mountain Courage series. Her books have sold more than 1.5 million copies. She is a Christy Award, Carol Award and Reader’s Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award and HOLT Medallion finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry.

My Impressions:

When The Silence Breaks is the first book in Elizabeth Goddard’s new Mercy Ridge romantic suspense series. This book has it all for fans of the genre — fast-paced suspense, dangers from all sides, twists/turns/surprises you don’t see coming, and a sweet romance with a swoon-worthy hero. I loved it!

The action starts right away as the main characters are caught up in a mudslide in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State. I have never been to that area of the country, but it was if I was feeling the ground shake and the devastating power of nature along with the main characters. And nature never gave up as the book progressed! A former agent of an unnamed federal agency hires an ex-Navy Seal turned hiking guide to help her uncover a decades old mystery. While the threats from nature are real (which is a great plot device in itself), they are tracked by unknown determined and deadly human assailants. I loved the history behind the mystery, while feeling the tension of the quest with all its risks. The main characters have an immediate attraction that translates into learning to trust each other — something they both needed desperately. As always, the author interjects a faith message that compliments, rather than overwhelms the narrative.

When The Silence Breaks kept me furiously turning the pages even as I wished the story could go on. But luckily, there is more to come in the small mountain town of Mercy Ridge.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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August Book Club Pick — South of Somewhere

3 Aug

My book club skipped in July. I think that’s the first time ever in over 20 years. Even during Covid we met online when we couldn’t in person. But life is busy and a break was needed. In August we will be back at it with South of Somewhere by T. I. Lowe. This book is a personal book for the author, and I know it will definitely spark some great conversation. If you’ve read it, we would love to know what you think. Find out all about it below.

When Juniper Wilder’s grief spiraled into addiction, leading first to an arrest for drunk driving, then jail and court-ordered rehab, she lost the most important thing in her life: her baby girl. Now, sober and on probation, Junie is determined to prove she can be the mother Fern deserves. But she’s burned a lot of bridges, ones that can’t be easily rebuilt.

Not every road is closed to her, however. Exiled to her late grandmother’s South Carolina beach house, Junie starts over, ready to pay off her debts and prove to her brother that he can safely return custody of Fern. She works hard and finds surprising grace in an eclectic recovery community. There’s an unexpected friendship, too—and maybe more—with her neighbor, Henry, a quirky college professor who helps her believe in second chances.

Still, it’s hard for Junie to imagine ever forgiving herself, let alone receiving forgiveness from those she’s hurt . . . particularly when her past rears its ugly head and threatens to undo every bit of progress she’s made.

T. I. Lowe is an ordinary country girl who loves to tell extraordinary stories. She is the author of 21 novels, including the #1 international bestseller and critically acclaimed Under the Magnolias and her debut breakout Lulu’s Café. Her novel Indigo Isle won the prestigious Christy Award in the contemporary romance category and was subsequently named Christy Award Book of the Year. She lives in coastal South Carolina with her husband and family.

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First Line Friday — The Spring in Trulee Holler

31 Jul

Happy Friday! Today I am featuring a novel by a new-to-me author — The Spring in Trulee Holler by Jana Hutcheson. This book has everything that thrills my reader heart — a small, Southern town, tough issues, and an intriguing plot. Give it a look. I’ll be reviewing this book in September.

Here’s the first line:

If you’d asked a few months ago, I would’ve told you Trulee was the most ordinary place on earth.

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.

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Spotlight on Contemporary Romance — A Cowboy to Call Her Own

30 Jul
A Cowboy to Call Her Own JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for A Cowboy to Call Her Own by Cari Lynn Webb, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

A Cowboy to Call Her Own

Title: A Cowboy to Call Her Own
Series: The Bluegrass Blackwells #1
Author: Cari Lynn Webb
Publisher: Harlequin Heartwarming
Release Date: July 28, 2026
Genre: Contemporary Romance

This big-city cowboy
Just swept her off her boots!

Saving his family’s Kentucky racing stables is priority number one for cowboy Asher Blackwell. Love is not on his agenda. But when pretty chef Kelley Munroe pulls him into a clumsy two-step, he’s charmed. And making a deal with her to cater for the stables adds a little sunlight to his days. As a shared love of horses draws them together, and they’re roped into planning the town’s Fourth of July celebrations, the sparks between them blossom into fireworks. Asher wasn’t looking for a fresh start, and his life is in New York. But Kelley’s healing support is cracking open his guarded heart. Could she be the cowgirl he’d always hoped for?

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Excerpt

“A cowboy can’t live on pastries alone,” Kelley teased.

“This cowboy intends to try.” Amusement flashed in his startlingly blue eyes. He moved aside and lifted a large open basket between them. “I was out near the back pasture, checking on our retiree trio and stopped to get you these.”

Kelley glanced at the fresh blackberries, noting that her box from the previous night was carefully tucked inside. “You were up early.” And thinking about her. Not that she was lingering on that minor detail.

“My days always start early at home,” he said, satisfaction in his words. “Besides, my mother taught me never to return a dish empty. You really don’t want to taste anything I bake, so I figured this was the next best thing.”

If they were sharing best things, it was Asher in the diner again, even if it wasn’t for another morning dance. Could you stick around for a while, cowboy? There was something about him that made her feel happy. Scratch that. She was finding that on her own these days. Still, there was a wedding venue where they could dance. For one night.  You game, cowboy. All she had to do was stay in the moment and ask. Kelley opened her mouth.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

Also Available

About The Author

Cari Lynn Webb

Cari Lynn Webb lives in Florida with her husband. She’s been blessed to see the power of true love in her grandparent’s 70 year marriage and her parent’s marriage of over 50 years. She knows love isn’t always sweet and perfect, it can be challenging, complicated and risky. But she believes happily-ever-afters are worth fighting for. She loves to connect with readers.

Connect with Cari by visiting carilynnwebb.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each receive a $25 Amazon gift card and 2 print books by Cari Lynn Webb from the Blackwells Backlist!

A Cowboy to Call Her Own blog tour giveaway JustRead Tours

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight July 28, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 4, 2026. 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.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

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Top 10 Tuesday — Last Week’s Topic

28 Jul

Happy Tuesday! I am going off topic today because I am just not feeling the suggested prompt of today’s TTT. I missed last week because we were in Virginia welcoming grandbaby #4, so today my list includes recently-ish read books that live in my head rent-free. A couple are pretty creepy — I am not sure what that says about my head! 😉 I hope you find one to pique your interest.

For on-topic blogger lists, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books That Were Hard to Let Go

All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee

Between The Sound And Sea by Amanda Cox

The Bookshop of 99 Doors by Jaime Jo Wright

The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch

The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof DeWitt

Mists over The Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin

On Living Stone by Heather Kaufman

Wicked Is The Hollow by K. E. Ganshert

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese

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First Line Friday — All The Suspects on Campus

24 Jul

Happy Friday! Today I am excited to feature Heather Day Gilbert’s upcoming release, All The Suspects on Campus. Heather has been a must-read mystery author for a long, long time! A secret library, an amateur sleuth who loves Agatha Christie — this cozy mystery checks all the boxes. I cannot wait to read it! It releases in January 2027 and is ready for pre-order!

Here’s the first line:

“I find it hard to believe he could love anyone at all.”

A secret library. A murdered colleague. Can professor Jo Blue Oliver use her love of Agatha Christie to solve a case?

Jo Blue Oliver, an outspoken English professor at a small West Virginia college, has made a fascinating literary discovery in her new home: a hidden library tucked behind a secret door. The cozy room is stocked with an entire leather-bound collection of Agatha Christie books—the perfect setting for a private book club with her college-grad daughter, Millie.

Unfortunately, before the first meeting even takes place, fellow English professor Lucas Clements is found strangled in the campus pool. Then a skittish young student named Avery is reported missing. Noticing parallels to one of Dame Agatha’s classics—their first book club pick—Jo Blue can’t resist doing a little sleuthing of her own.

But if there’s one thing any Agatha fan should know to expect, it’s a plot twist—and a rising body count. Jo Blue’s library is just one of many secrets in this college town…and some of them are downright deadly…

Heather Day Gilbert, an RWA Daphne du Maurier Award winner and 2-time ECPA Christy Award finalist, enjoys writing contemporary mysteries with unpredictable twists, much like the Agatha Christie books she read growing up. She also writes Viking historicals. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect those they love. Find out more at heatherdaygilbert.com.

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