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Book Review — 70 North

16 Oct

70 North JustRead Takeover + Review Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for 70 North by Kimberley Woodhouse hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

70 North

Title: 70 North
Series: Alaskan Cyber Hunters #3
Author: Kimberley Woodhouse
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Christian Mystery & Suspense

The Cyber Solutions team has managed to stay one step ahead of the madman who has killed so many. From the original 26 Below cyberattack in Fairbanks to the 8 DOWN serial murders in Anchorage and beyond, they matched wits with the killer and stopped him from reaching his ultimate goals.

But final judgment is coming. And this time, there may be no defeating him.

David “Mac” McPherson has a personal stake in making sure this predator stays down for good. His family died in the cyberattack. Mac knows that God says “vengeance is mine”—but surely an exception can be made.

Surgeon Tracie Hunter is determined to stay sober and keep saving lives in Fairbanks, Alaska—even if it means being a little obsessive. After all, that same kind of determination is how she kept Mac alive after the murderer targeted him. And she won’t let Mac run himself into the grave looking for payback; he’s come to mean too much to her.

Then someone hacks into the system at Tracie’s previous job as a medical examiner and frames her in a murder cover-up. There’s no one else skilled enough to create a digital trail this incriminating—the killer is back in action, exploiting cybersecurity weaknesses to destroy lives. Can Mac stay focused and stop the next attack when his own vulnerability is exposed? Or will his need to make someone pay for his pain allow the maniac to pull ahead and win at last?

Excerpt

Two years, twenty-one days, three hours, and seven minutes had passed since that monster—that crazed lunatic—had murdered his family.

Mac winced and shook his head as he leaned over the sink in the tiny restroom and splashed frigid water on his face. When he looked into the mirror, he hardly recognized himself. His cheekbones were sharp. His skin chapped and dry. His eyes hollow and dark. But it was more than just how he looked.

The man David McPherson had been—husband, father, friend—was long gone. 

His faith lay in tatters. His relationships cut off. He didn’t know who he was anymore. Other than the man chasing the monster . . . and failing to find him.


My Impressions:

70 North is the thrilling and chilling conclusion to Kimberly Woodhouse’s Alaskan Cyber Hunters series. Thrilling because once the action ramps up it never stops, and chilling because the terrorist plot seems all too plausible. For those who have read the first two books in the series, 70 North begins 2 years following Griz’s disappearance. Everyone in Alaska has breathed a sigh of relief believing the man behind the 26 Below and 8 Down attacks has been killed. But David “Mac” MacPherson has seen him with his own eyes and lived to tell the tale. Alaska learns the truth as well, and it’s all hands on deck as characters from each of the books work to find and stop the man obsessed with creating chaos.

I loved this whole series, but especially liked 70 North. The two main characters both struggle with loss and overwhelming feelings of helplessness. For Mac it’s the reality of his wife and daughter killed in the original attack, and for surgeon Tracie Hunter, it’s the demons of addiction and perfectionism. I liked that they were flawed and knew it. It made their dependence on God and not themselves more relatable. The strong faith journeys for both characters balanced well with the out-of-control suspense that rocks all of Alaska. As the ending loomed, I was furiously turning the pages. Clear your schedule because you will not want to put this book down!

If you love an adrenaline-fueled suspense, put this whole series on your TBR list. Prepare to binge read them from start to finish. You’re welcome. 😉

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(Thanks to Kregel for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Kregel Publications | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop | BookBub

More Books from This Series:

26 Below 8 Down

About The Author

Kimberley Woodhouse

Kimberley Woodhouse is the best-selling author of more than thirty books and novellas, including A Deep Divide, Bridge of Gold, and The Mayflower Bride, as well as the coauthor of the Heart of Alaska series with Tracie Peterson. Kimberley’s writing has earned a Carol Award, the Christian Market Novel of the Year, the Holt Medallion, and many others. A proud former resident of Alaska, she now lives and writes in Colorado where she’s traded in her hat of “Craziest Mom” for “Nana the Great.”

Connect with Kimberley by visiting kimberleywoodhouse.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of 70 North and a $25 Amazon gift card!

70 North JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight October 16, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on October 23, 2024. 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 the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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

JustRead Publicity Tours

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Book Review: The Fabled Earth

7 Oct

Kimberly Brock writes evocative fiction that brings to life not only her characters but the setting as well. In her newest novel, The Fabled Earth, the reader discovers the importance and impact of story. I am so excited that Kimberly will be joining us at the Turning A New Page Book Festival in January 2025 as a featured speaker. Find out about her book below.

Sometimes the truth is found in a folktale.

1932. Cumberland Island off the coast of Southern Georgia is a strange place to encounter the opulence of the Gilded Age, but the last vestiges of the famed philanthropic Carnegie family still take up brief seasonal residence in their grand mansions there. This year’s party at Plum Orchard is a lively group: young men from some of America’s finest families who come to experience the area’s hunting beside a local guide, a beautiful debutante expecting to be engaged by the week’s end, and a promising female artist who believes she has meaningful ties to her wealthy hosts. But when temptations arise and passions flare, an evening of revelry and storytelling goes horribly awry. Lives are both lost and ruined.

1959. Reclusive painter Cleo Woodbine has lived alone for decades on Kingdom Come, a tiny strip of land once occupied by the servants for the great houses on nearby Cumberland. When she is visited by the man who saved her life nearly thirty years earlier, a tempest is unleashed as the stories of the past gather and begin to regain their strength. Frances Flood is a folklorist come to Cumberland Island seeking the source of a legend—and also information about her mother, who was among the guests at a long-ago hunting party. Audrey Howell, briefly a newlywed and now newly widowed, is running a local inn. When she develops an eerie double exposure photograph, some believe she’s raised a ghost—someone who hasn’t been seen since that fateful night in 1932.

Southern mythology and personal reckoning collide in this sweeping story inspired by the little-known history of Cumberland Island when a once-in-a-century storm threatens the natural landscape. Faced with a changing world, two timelines and the perspectives of three women intersect where a folktale meets the truth to reveal what Cumberland Island has hidden all along.

Kimberly Brock is the award-winning author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare and The River Witch. She is the founder of Tinderbox Writers Workshop and has served as a guest lecturer for many regional and national writing workshops including at the Pat Conroy Literary Center. She lives near Atlanta with her husband and three children.

Visit her online at kimberlybrockbooks.com.

My Impressions:

Storytelling can be full of the fabulous mixed in with the real. That’s what Kimberly Brock explores in her historical/women’s fiction offering The Fabled Earth. Set among the wild and tamed elements of Cumberland Island, this novel tells the stories of 4 women and the island itself. There are 4 points of view: Cleo, Frances, and Audrey, real life women finding their place among the stories of their lives and Fable the truth behind the happenings of the 1932 events that shaped those women’s landscapes in a variety of ways. The three main characters are navigating cultural changes while finding their footing in a very personal reality. Their modern-day is 1959, a time of change for the country, the South, and Cumberland Island. All the storylines are intricately intertwined, but I have to say, Brock’s timeline of 1932 sets the tone and gives substance to the novel. Does this book sound complex? It is! But Brock handles the many storylines, viewpoints, and themes with ease. It did take me a little bit to get into it, but it wasn’t long before I was invested in each of the women’s lives and the island’s rich history.

If you are looking for an evocative novel rich in history and complex characterization and thematic elements, then The Fabled Earth is for you!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(Thanks to the publisher for an ARC of the novel. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Book Review: Unintended Target

3 Oct

Oh my golly! D. L. Wood is going to be a participant at the Turning A New Page Book Festival in January 2025! I will definitely be fangirling when it comes to this mystery/suspense author. Unintended Target has made her an auto-read writer. Find out about this book, the author, and my thoughts below.

Her twin brother is dead. Now they’re coming for her.

Travel photojournalist Chloe McConnaughey knew that her brother—a brilliant programmer—would compromise anything to get ahead. She just didn’t know that included her.

When he dies unexpectedly, Chloe copes by taking an assignment in the Caribbean where she meets Jack, a charming Manhattan escapee who almost has her believing life could turn around. But the illusion is shattered when a series of bizarre incidents leaves them framed for murder and running from killers convinced Chloe is the key to getting what they want.

Suddenly Jack’s timely entrance seems more than coincidental, but with nowhere else to turn, Chloe must trust this man who is not only charming, but also dangerous, and much better at evading capture than he should be.Hunted from the tiny island of St. Gideon all the way to Miami, Chloe desperately searches for evidence to prove her innocence and eliminate her as a target of the shadowy conspiracy that will stop at nothing to make its problems go away. Will she expose the truth in time, or will her brother’s betrayal ultimately cost Chloe her life?

This series is can’t-put-it-down suspense that’ll keep you up to the wee hours. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

If you like riveting intrigue and heroines and heroes you root for, you’ll love USA TODAY bestselling author D.L. Wood’s thrilling suspense laced with romance and faith. Get it now and don’t miss another suspense-filled moment.

D.L. Wood is a USA TODAY and Amazon bestselling author who writes thrilling suspense laced with romance and faith. Her books have won multiple awards and her novel Unintended Target was selected as the May 2019 American Christian Fiction Writers Book Club book.

D.L. writes CleanCaptivatingFiction™- fiction that entertains and uplifts. In her novels she tries to give readers the same thing that she wants: a “can’t-put-it-down-stay-up-till-3am” character-driven story, full of heart, believability and adrenaline. She lives in North Alabama, where, if she’s not writing, you’ll probably catch her curled up with a cup of Earl Grey (light milk, one sugar) and her Westies, bingeing on the latest BBC mystery series. You can stay apprised of D.L.’s releases and promotions (including free and discounted books) and receive a free gift by subscribing to her newsletter on her website at dlwoodonline.com.

My Impressions:

If you need a fast-paced, adrenaline-filled suspense novel to rev up your reading time, then Unintended Target is for you! Author D. L. Wood puts her characters through the wringer as they dodge bullets and evade hitmen as they try to figure out just what is going on. I loved that along with main characters Chloe and Jack, I was kept on my toes. I never knew who to trust — the twists just keep coming. Chloe’s twin brother had high hopes of scoring a big deal to give him and Chloe the lives he dreamed of. Unfortunately, the scheme turned into a BIG nightmare for Chloe. I really felt for her. Betrayal seems to dog her heels, and saying she has trust issues is an understatement. But Jack gives her reason to hope that the God he believes can be depended on in all situations really exists. And remember those twists, they show up to the very end. 😉 Chloe and Jack have two more books in the Unintended series. I cannot wait to dig in.

You have it all in Unintended Target — characters with great chemistry, a mystery/suspense to keep you guessing, and a genuine faith message. You’ve go to read this one!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Book Review: The American Queen

26 Sep

My book club read The American Queen by Vanessa Miller this month. This historical novel is an interesting look at a little known chapter in our country’s history. I am looking forward to hearing my group’s thoughts. See mine below.

There is only one known queen who truly ruled a kingdom on American soil.

Transformative and breathtakingly honest, The American Queen is based on actual events that occurred between 1865 – 1889 and shares the unsung history of a Black woman who built a kingdom in Appalachia as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life.

Over the twenty-four years she was enslaved on the Montgomery Plantation, Louella learned to feel one thing: hate. Hate for the man who sold her mother. Hate for the overseer who left her daddy to hang from a noose. Hate so powerful there’s no room in her heart for love, not even for the honorable Reverend William, whom she likes and respects enough to marry.

But when William finally listens to Louella’s pleas and leads the formerly enslaved people off the plantation, Louella begins to replace her hate with hope. Hope that they will find a place where they can live free from fear. Hope that despite her many unanswered prayers, she can learn to trust for new miracles.

Soon, William and Louella become the appointed king and queen of their self-proclaimed Kingdom of the Happy Land. And though they are still surrounded by opposition, they continue to share a message of joy and goodness–and fight for the freedom and dignity of all.

The American Queen weaves together themes of love, hate, hope, trust, and resilience in the face of great turmoil. With every turn of the page, you will be transported to a pivotal period in American history, where oppressed people become extraordinary heroes.

Vanessa Miller is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.

Vanessa lives in North Carolina with her husband and family. She graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication.

My Impressions:

The American Queen is an interesting look at a little known event set in the American South during the darkest days of slavery and the ensuing aftermath of the Civil War. Author Vanessa Miller discovered the story of Louella Montgomery and with painstaking research gives the reader her story filled with sorrow, anger, betrayal, and ultimately hope. The story begins at the end of the Civil War. Enslaved people have been given their freedom via the Emancipation Proclamation, yet their lives are unchanged. Even when the war ends, they are kept in servitude. Louella and her husband William lead a group of other former slaves to a new land that God has chosen for them. The story really is Abrahamic in its scope. God spoke to both William and Louella, and together they stepped out on faith. The story is a moving account of living faith in the face of extreme hostility, danger, and doubt. Miller does a good job of fleshing out the characters given the limited information available about them and the Happy Land (situated in the Appalachian mountains of North and South Carolina) where they settled. The novel is faithful to the time period, including language that hopefully would not make it into a contemporary work. Miller explains her writing choices, and I think that she does a good job of conveying the people and time without offense.

If you are a fan of historical fiction covering real people and little known events, then The American Queen would be a good choice. I think it will create a lot of conversation with my book club.

Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Mini-Book Review — Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade

16 Sep

My book club, IWBC (Interesting Women Book Club), chose a book about a very interesting woman this month. Interesting, but all but forgotten, Jessie Carson was a librarian who stepped out into the unknown to help bring the love of reading to a war torn world. Her story is told in Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles. I loved this book with all its references to classic literature and the unassuming main character’s unwavering determination. Really, all the characters were great, and I loved that most were based on real life people. I have read my fair share of books set in WWI, but never really read about the life of civilians so close to the front. In a world where women and children lived in bombed out shells of buildings and were exposed to conditions deemed unfit for human habitation, a small but important group of American women made sure that those left near the fighting received as much care as possible. And isn’t it wonderful that a reading life was as important as vegetables to eat and water to drink?! I can’t wait to discuss this book with my group — there really is so much to talk about.

If you love books and reading and libraries and history, then you really need to pick up Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade. Please note this is a general market offering, so there is some adult situations. I skipped over one of those — it really didn’t add or take away from my enjoyment of the book.

Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France. Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, this group of international women help rebuild destroyed French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. Then she disappears.

1987: When NYPL librarian and aspiring writer Wendy Peterson stumbles across a passing reference to Jessie Carson in the archives, she becomes consumed with learning her fate. In her obsessive research, she discovers that she and the elusive librarian have more in common than their work at New York’s famed library, but she has no idea their paths will converge in surprising ways across time.

Janet Skeslien Charles is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Paris Library, Moonlight in Odessa, and Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade (called The Librarians of Rue de Picardie in the UK). Her essays and short stories have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Montana Noir. Her work has been translated into 38 languages. Janet was born and raised in Montana. After graduating from the University of Montana, she got a job teaching English in Ukraine. She later went to France intending to teach for a year, and has been there ever since. Place is at the heart of every story she has ever written. She loves traveling, spending time with friends and family, and researching stories of forgotten people and places. She is currently working on the final installment of her library trilogy.

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Book Review — Lethal Standoff

2 Sep

Lethal Standoff by DiAnn Mills is a twisting suspense story with so many unique elements. I could not put this one down! It’s due out on tomorrow, so you are soon in for a treat!

Justice can be elusive. Family secrets can be deadly. The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking in a volatile criminal case filled with unanswered questions. And Carrington Reed is running short on time to piece together clues that will solve the puzzle.

Hostage negotiator Carrington Reed is called to the scene when reports come in that fifteen hostages are being held by the Kendrix brothers in an abandoned house in south Texas. When she arrives on site, Carrington quickly learns that the brothers are armed and refuse to release their victims, a group of undocumented immigrants, until the local police identify their father’s murderer.

Working closely with Levi Ehrlich, a handsome investigative reporter who has covered some of Carrington’s negotiations in the past, she finds herself being undeniably drawn to him. Carrington digs deeper into the death of the Kendrixes’ father and begins to notice that some details surrounding his death aren’t adding up.

As Carrington investigates the brothers’ claims and tries to piece together their motive for taking innocent people captive, it soon becomes clear that they are trying to hide something and that revenge for their father’s death may not be what they’re really bargaining for after all. To protect the hostages and ensure the brothers don’t carry out the rest of their sinister plot, Carrington must get to the bottom of one family’s secret and the truth they’re trying so hard to hide before time runs out.

Award winning author DiAnn Mills delivers pulse-pounding romantic suspense about secrets, betrayal, and finding a path to forgiveness.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

Learn about all of DiAnn’s books and connect with DiAnn diannmills.com.

My Impressions:

While I always enjoy a romantic suspense by DiAnn Mills, I have to say that her latest novel, Lethal Standoff, hit it out of the park! The uniqueness of the two protagonists — Carrington is a hostage negotiator who goes above and beyond with those affected by the cases she works and Levi is a journalist who puts truth first in his stories — gave the book an interesting perspective. The POV switches back and forth between the first person accounts by Carrington and Levi giving the reader insight into both characters’ personalities and past experiences. Both come from backgrounds in which trust is hard to give another person. They are also on different faith journeys which made their relationship very true to life. The plot revolves around a very difficult hostage situation and its aftermath. There are lots of questions that demand answers, and the main characters work together to uncover the truth and bring closure to the victims. And what a twisting investigation it becomes. I honestly had no idea who the bad guy(s) were — the suprises continue until the end! They face lots of obstacles and find themselves in very dangerous situations. They, and this reader, were kept on our toes!

Lethal Standoff is a perfect choice for fans of romantic suspense. Twists and turns galore, endearing characters, and definite romantic sparks. You are going to love it!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Book Review — Cold Vengeance

27 Aug

Cold Vengeance by Nancy Mehl was my book club’s August selection. Most of us had to read the first two books in the series also, but that’s ok! There’s a lot to love. Find out all about the book, author, and my thoughts below.

When a renowned crime podcaster vanishes without a trace, former FBI behavioral analysts turned private investigators River Ryland and Tony St. Clair are called upon to track her down. As they wade through the evidence she left behind, they unearth a startling connection–she may have discovered the existence of an unknown killer, and he will stop at nothing to carry out a deadly plan.

As the pair delves deeper, they soon find themselves the targets of a relentless enemy determined to silence them. With their lives–and hearts–on the line, can they confront the evil that threatens them before it consumes them both?

Nancy Mehl lives in Missouri, with her husband Norman, and her puggle, Watson. She’s authored over fifty books and is currently at work on a new FBI suspense series for Bethany House Publishing.

All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “It’s a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”

You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: http://www.nancymehl.com. She also is active on the Suspense Sisters: http://www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com and on FaceBook!

My Impressions:

Cold Vengeance is the final book in a 3-part series by Nancy Mehl. Romantic suspense is the genre, and Mehl delivers on both. The novels feature River Ryland and Tony St. Clair, FBI behavioral analysts turned private investigators. The series follows the two as they tackle cold cases. There’s also a serial killer who stalks River through the 3 books — complex plotting reigns! I especially liked Cold Vengeance not only because the mystery that has been present throughout the series is finally revealed, but because River and Tony investigate their hardest case to date — a missing podcaster who also investigates cold cases. Besides looking for April Bailey, River and Tony delve into April’s cold cases. Sound complicated? It is a bit, but I loved how Mehl handled the various story lines — I was never confused and always engaged. The romance side of the story develops naturally. There is chemistry between the two main characters from the beginning, but it’s not rushed, making it feel true to life. Relationships is a big theme in Cold Vengeance. The author looks at the positives and the negatives, showing how every action impacts the growth of an individual. The most important relationship one can have, the one with God, is presented as well. The spiritual themes are strong and woven seamlessly within the narrative.

Of all the books in this series, Cold Vengeance is my favorite. It really should not be read by itself though, so you are in luck — lots of great reading ahead! I’m also hoping this will not be the last we see of River and Tony, and April really needs her own series too!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Book Review — Where Trees Touch The Sky

15 Aug

Where Trees Touch the Sky JustRead Takeover + Review Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Where Trees Touch the Sky by Karen Barnett hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About The Book

Where Trees Touch the Sky

Title: Where Trees Touch The Sky
Series: National Parks
Author: Karen Barnett
Publisher: Kregel
Release Date: August 13, 2024
Genre: Christian Fiction, Dual Timeline

Some secrets have shadows as long as the redwoods are tall.

In the early 1920s, the accelerating destruction of the California redwoods is more than nature-loving Marion Baker can bear. Throwing herself headlong into the work of the Save the Redwoods League, she is shocked to learn that Frank Duncan, a man she’s grown to love, is the son of one of the area’s worst timber barons. Though devastated by the betrayal, she realizes this could also be an opportunity–if only she can convince him to help preserve her favorite grove from his father’s greedy grasp. Is her love strong enough to persuade him to save these precious trees? Or will Marion choose to sacrifice her beliefs to keep Frank by her side?

Nearly fifty years later, in 1972, polio survivor June Turner is deeply proud of the legacy her great aunt Marion has left as a redwood warrior. And despite her disability, June is determined to prove herself capable as a ranger at the recently established Redwood National Park, even if it means taking to the trails with her crutch in hand. What better way to carry on the family tradition of preserving God’s magnificent creation?

When aspiring film student Adam Garner approaches June to help make a documentary about Marion’s life, she swiftly grabs the opportunity to spread her aunt’s worthy reputation. That is, until they unearth a secret that might shatter the family legacy. In the scramble for answers, June may lose not only her family pride but also her own dreams.

Karen Barnett’s beautifully crafted split-time novel, set against the majestic backdrop of a beloved national park, immerses the reader in history that feels as fresh as if it happened yesterday.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | Bookshop

Excerpt

Sitting in the superintendent’s office at Redwood National Park was the answer to a thousand desperate prayers. The only trouble was, they hadn’t been hers. 

June shifted on the hard wooden chair and tapped the toe of her wafflestomper hiking boot, the red laces done up so tight the stiff leather nearly cut off the circulation at her ankles. Most women would put on a dress for the first time meeting a new boss. But since she already had the hiring papers in hand, it seemed appropriate to look the part. Better yet, these wide-legged corduroys completely covered her brace. This job was a huge opportunity—a chance to live out her brother’s dream—and the last thing she wanted was unnecessary distractions. 

A gray-haired man appeared in the doorway, his shoulders drawn stiffly back beneath his uniform. “Miss Turner?”

My Impressions:

Karen Barnett’s National Parks novels are always a treat. I have never been to Redwood National Park, but now after reading Where Trees Touch The Sky, a visit there is on my bucket list. The book shows the author’s love for our country’s treasures and the importance of preserving them for future generations. I really liked the dual timelines that showed the very early beginnings as well the inaugural year of the park. Both stories were compelling in their historical context. But this book was not a documentary — its a novel full of hope, forgiveness, and God’s good grace. Characters in both the 1923 and 1972 stories know God, but they forget that His forgiveness is free — no working to make up for past mistakes or to have value in others’ eyes. This truth is delivered in a natural way, no preachiness involved. I loved how the storylines and the themes progressed naturally. There’s some romance as well, though the happily-ever-afters are up to the reader’s imagination. That suits me — I like to have a part in how relationships end up. 😉

Where Trees Touch The Sky is a good addition to the National Parks series — you are going to love its history, romance, and message. And if you never get to see a redwood in person, this book will make you feel like you did!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(Thanks to Kregel for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Also Available:
When Stone Wings Fly

About The Author

Karen Barnett

Karen Barnett is the award-winning author of eight novels including When Stone Wings Fly and The Vintage National Parks Novels. A former national park ranger, she’s also a hobby photographer and enjoys teaching writing workshops with both Cascade Christian Writers and West Coast Christian Writers. She and her family live in Albany, Oregon.

Connect with Karen by visiting karenbarnettbooks.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Where Trees Touch the Sky and book related goodies!

Where Trees Touch the Sky JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight August 14, 2024 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on August 21, 2024. 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 the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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

JustRead Publicity Tours

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Book Review — On Moonberry Lake

7 Aug

My book club read On Moonberry Lake by Holly Varni in July, and we all loved it! Set in a small town where everyone knows your business and is not afraid to comment on it 😉 , the novel is full of heart and wisdom and some seriously quirky characters and LOL scenes. You are going to love it too!

Cora Matthews’s life is a mess. A broken engagement and the unexpected death of her mother have left her wondering if things will ever return to normal. Whatever “normal” is. 

It certainly isn’t what she finds at Moonberry Lake. After she receives her family’s dilapidated lakefront lodge as an inheritance–with a surprising condition attached–Cora finds her life overrun by a parade of eccentric neighbors who all have something to say and something to teach her. 

As Cora works to put her life back together, she must decide if she is willing to let go of the past, open her heart to love, and embrace the craziest version of family and home she could ever have imagined.

Holly Varni is a native Minnesotan of strong Norwegian descent, who was raised in the Lutheran Church that Garrison Keillor made a career depicting. Between the lutefisk, grumpy grandparents, and the crazy neighbor who mowed his lawn wearing pajamas, the seed to becoming a storyteller was planted. She wants to give readers characters they can connect with, admire, laugh at, and most of all love.

She is podcast host of “Moments from Moonberry Lake,” and author of the “Moonberry Lake” series.

In her personal life, she married a University Professor with the same chocolate eyes as her romantic lead. They live on the Central Coast of California with their three sons. The characters of Moonberry Lake and their unique stories came about as she was trying to survive being a boy mom. When not doing laundry or writing, she has the privilege of being a Hospice volunteer, where she sits with the dying and listens to their stories.

My Impressions:

Have you ever wondered if a book that everyone is raving about can live up to the hype? On Moonberry Lake by Holly Varni is that book! My book club read it and absolutely loved it! It has so much to recommend it. The setting is small town, busy-body central — both annoying and charming and completely fun. The characters run the gamut of wise and wonderful to slightly quirky to all-out ridiculous (check out the cashier at the local grocery 😉 ). The writing is excellent, and the themes of home and belonging resonated with all the members of my group. Main character Cora is untethered and has spent her life since childhood searching for belonging. The death of her mother allows her to return to the last place she truly felt at home, yet there are so many questions that she doesn’t know where to begin to find healing. Fortunately, she is embraced by a community that offers love and acceptance — a family she has always wanted. On Moonberry Lake is never predictable in its plot, but it does offer a very satisfying conclusion. There is a second novel due out this fall, and we are all impatiently waiting to return to Moonberry Lake.

Highly Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Mini-Book Review — Secondary Target

8 Jul

A ruthless murderer. A deadly secret. An unbreakable love.

After the brutal murder of her mother and brother twelve years ago, Corina Roberts built a new life in Kentucky. But when strange things begin to happen, she is thrust into a perilous game of life and death. With nowhere else to turn, her best hope of survival depends on her ex-boyfriend, army veteran Bryce Jessup.

Recently returned from service, Bryce has every intention of staying away from Corina, but when threats close in around her, he isn’t willing to leave her safety to chance. As their search for answers uncovers lethal secrets her detective father kept hidden, Bryce and Corina must untangle the mystery of the merciless killer intent on terrorizing and eliminating Corina’s family before it’s too late.

My Impressions:

I am always up for a new author of romantic suspense. Secondary Target by Angela Carlisle looked like a book right up my alley. I liked that the main characters were not in law enforcement — somewhat unusual for the genre — and that they were given a second chance at love by the author. The premise of the novel — a stalker set to avenge past wrongs — was intriguing too. But I have to say the novel fell a little flat for me. I had trouble with the female MC, Corina, not listening to sound advice and basically repeatedly putting herself in danger. She felt like she had to do it on her own, even though time after time she was proven wrong. I also guessed who the bad guy was early in the action. I like to be kept on my toes, and this book just didn’t do that. But . . . the faith message was strong and their were a few twists I didn’t see coming. So, I guess Secondary Target was just an okay read for me. It is a debut, so I am hoping subsequent books in the series will prove stronger. This novel has pretty strong reviews on Amazon, so I recommend you check it out for yourself.

Audience: Adults.

( I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House. All opinions are mine alone.)

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