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First Line Friday — 70 North

7 Oct

Happy Friday! Today I am featuring 70 North, Kimberly Woodhouse‘s thrilling conclusion to the Alaskan Cyber Hunters series and her FORTIETH book! Woo hoo! Kimberly will also be a participant at the Turning A New Page Book Festival January 25, 2025 in Perry, Georgia. If you are anywhere in the vicinity, you need to make plans to attend.

Here’s the first line:

He’d killed more people than Pedro Lopez.

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?

Kimberley Woodhouse is the best-selling and award-winning author of more than two dozen books. She is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 2,000 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family’s story have garnered national media attention for many years including ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER, The Hour of Power, The Harvest Show, and over 1,000 other TV appearances and radio interviews.

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First Line Friday — Hope Like Wildflowers

4 Oct

I’ll let you in on a big secret — Pepper Basham will be attending the Turning A New Page Book Festival in January 2025. Squee!! To say I am excited is an understatement. I cannot wait to meet her!

Today I am featuring Pepper’s newest historical romance, Hope Like Wildflowers which released this past Tuesday. Pepper and her family live in Asheville, NC, and as you may imagine are facing some tough days ahead. Their power has been restored, but it will be weeks until they have water again. Please pray for Pepper and all those who are facing such a daunting future. And if you like the sound of this book and want to help her out, put it on your Goodreads TBR list and/or order a copy to read. Sassafras on Sutton is a fabulous indie bookstore with three locations, including Black Mountain, and Waynesville, NC. You can purchase a copy from their online store, not only helping out Pepper, but a bookstore that has suffered a big loss. Click HERE to order.

Here’s the first line:

A high-pitched howl split through the shadowed dusk, echoing against the towering pines of the forest.

An Appalachian Girl Seeks a Place to Belong
 
Return to the mountains of 1910s Appalachia with beloved author Pepper Basham to discover Kizzie McAdams’s story.

Kizzie McAdams spent her childhood longing to see beyond the mountains of home, but when her job as a servant in a landowner’s house results in an unplanned pregnancy, her world tips into uncertainty and heartbreak. Disowned by her father, she seeks comfort in the arms of the man who promises to take care of her, but his support is conditional and inconsistent. She finds acceptance in the home of a nearby family who not only offer Kizzie friendship but point her to a deeper understanding of God’s love.

Despite her change of heart, her status as a social outcast brings with it continued threats and alienation so she flees her past in hopes of starting over in a nearby town. But her new world carries many of the same prejudices as the old. It also brings the unexpected friendship of businessman Noah Lewis, a man who lives with the same desire as Kizzie for helping the marginalized.

Unfortunately, Kizzie and Noah’s attempts to help those in need pit them against Noah’s elder brother, a powerful mill owner who holds control of the family finances. Is Kizzie and Noah’s growing romance strong enough to battle family power, social expectations, and Kizzie’s past to capture their happy ending? And when Kizzie’s first love returns to claim her, which future will she choose? 

Pepper Basham is a best-selling author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. She loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook & Instagram.

You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at http://www.pepperdbasham.com.

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First Line Friday — The Mayflower Bride

27 Sep

Happy Friday! Today I am featuring and oldie but goldie historical novel by Kimberly Woodhouse. The Mayflower Bride is the first book in the popular The Daughters of The Mayflower series. I am so excited that Kimberly will be joining the Turning A New Page Book Festival in January 25, 2025. If you live anywhere near the middle Georgia area or just need a winter road trip, then you need to put it on your calendar.

Here’s the first line:

A splinter of wood pierced Mary Elizabeth Chapman’s thumb as she crept behind her lifelong friend Dorothy Raynsford.

Can a religious separatist and an opportunistic spy make it in the New World?


Mary Elizabeth Chapman boards the Speedwell in 1620 as a Separatist seeking a better life in the New World. William Lytton embarks on the Mayflower as a carpenter looking for opportunities to succeed—and he may have found one when a man from the Virginia Company offers William a hefty sum to keep a stealth eye on company interests in the new colony. The season is far too late for good sailing and storms rage, but reaching land is no better as food is scarce and the people are weak. Will Mary Elizabeth survive to face the spring planting and unknown natives? Will William be branded a traitor and expelled?

Kimberley Woodhouse is the best-selling and award-winning author of more than two dozen books. She is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 2,000 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family’s story have garnered national media attention for many years including ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER, The Hour of Power, The Harvest Show, and over 1,000 other TV appearances and radio interviews. She lives and writes in the Poconos with her husband of thirty years. kimberleywoodhouse.com

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First Line Friday — Husband Auditions

20 Sep

Happy Friday! Today I am beginning a series of FLF posts to spotlight the authors who will be attending the Turning A New Page Book Festival on January 25, 2025. Today’s first line comes Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong. I am so excited to have her and other rom-com authors attend. If you live anywhere near middle Georgia, then you will want to be there!

Here’s the first line:

I hated My Best Friend’s Wedding.

How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?

In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group. So when she’s handed a strange present at the latest wedding–a 1950s magazine article of “ways to get a husband”–she decides there’s nothing to lose by trying out its advice. After all, she can’t get any more single, can she?

Her brother’s roommate sees the whole thing as a great opportunity. Not to fall in love–Kai Kamaka has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. No, this is a career jump start. He talks Meri into letting him film every silly husband-catching attempt for a new online show. If it goes viral, his career as a cameraman will be made.

When Meri Me debuts, it’s an instant hit. People love watching her lasso men on street corners, drop handkerchiefs for unsuspecting potential beaus, and otherwise embarrass herself in pursuit of true love. But the longer this game goes on, the less sure Kai is that he wants Meri to snag anyone but him. The only problem is that he may not be the kind of husband material she’s looking for . . .

With droll comic timing, unbeatable chemistry, and a zany but relatable cast of characters, Angela Ruth Strong has created a heartfelt look at the reality of modern Christian dating that readers will both resonate with and fall for.

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first romance novel in 2009, and her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been a finalist for the Christy, won the Cascade Award, and become Amazon bestsellers. Her book Finding Love in Big Sky released as a movie in 2022. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she blogs for Inspy Romance and My Book Therapy. Get to know her even better at http://www.angelaruthstrong.com.

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First Line Friday — Cold Vengeance

13 Sep

Happy Friday! My book club read Cold Vengeance by Nancy Mehl last month, so I am a bit late posting the first line. But because this book is so good, I couldn’t not post! If you are a fan of romantic suspense, with emphasis on suspense, then you need to check out the whole series.

Here’s the first line:

Her will to fight was fueled more by fear than resolve, but it was all she had left.

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?

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First Line Friday — Lethal Standoff

6 Sep

Happy Friday! Lethal Standoff, the newest suspense novel by favorite author DiAnn Mills released this week. I will be posting my thoughts on this thrilling read in the coming weeks, but I wanted to share the first line of the novel today. If you are a fan of suspense, you will want to check this book out.

Here’s the first line:

My role as a hostage negotiator often plunged me into the evil designs of the human mind.

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 dot com.

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First Line Friday — Something Borrowed

30 Aug

Happy Friday! Today I am featuring the third and final story in the historical romance novella collection, Something Borrowed. A Daffodil in The Dress by Susie Finkbeiner brings the saga of a wedding dress full circle in this story set during the Vietnam War.

Here’s the first line:

We decided to cut through Washington Square Park, Eloise and I, the way we often did when the weather was agreeable.

In this brand-new novella collection, three renowned Christian historical fiction authors trace generations of wartime romances through a special wedding dress with love sewn into its seams.

“A Heart in Disguise” by Rachel Scott McDaniel

Clara Westlake loves her job as a seamstress in the US “Camouflage Corps,” sewing suits for snipers and contributing to the war effort. But when she overhears a threat against her beloved New York City, the Great War comes too close to home–except no one believes her forewarning. She must recruit Marcus Reeves, a childhood friend searching for his purpose after suffering a devastating war injury. As they search for answers together, they may also uncover a love that lasts.

“A Letter to Eli” by Allison Pittman

Bette and Alice are lifelong friends, trying to make a good life for themselves in New York City while World War II rages. It’s never far away from their thoughts–not with Alice’s fiancé serving at sea, in danger every minute. That’s a worry Bette doesn’t envy. Then a secret letter reunites her with her soldier ex-boyfriend, now wounded and back in the States. But can the innocent love these two had before the war be rekindled in the face of tragedy?

“A Daffodil in the Dress” by Susie Finkbeiner

Kate Becker and Ike Finch have worked together at his family’s bookstore since Kate’s husband died in the early days of the Vietnam War. She has her daughter, Eloise, to take care of and bills to pay, and this job was a godsend. A second love is not in the cards, especially not with the world still teetering on the edge of insanity. But when Ike brings little Eloise special flowers one spring day, Kate begins to look at him as more than an employer. Is falling in love again worth the risk?

Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of The Nature of Small Birds, Stories That Bind Us, and The Pearl Spence Series. Her novels The All-American and All Manner of Things were both selected as Michigan Notable books.

Susie and her husband have three children and live in West Michigan.

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First Line Friday — Something Borrowed

23 Aug

Happy Friday! Today I am featuring the second story in the historical romance novella collection, Something Borrowed. A Letter to Eli by Allison Pittman is set during WWII and is again anchored by a wedding dress.

Here’s the first line:

Nobody else on the street seemed to have any place pressing to be.

In this brand-new novella collection, three renowned Christian historical fiction authors trace generations of wartime romances through a special wedding dress with love sewn into its seams.

“A Heart in Disguise” by Rachel Scott McDaniel

Clara Westlake loves her job as a seamstress in the US “Camouflage Corps,” sewing suits for snipers and contributing to the war effort. But when she overhears a threat against her beloved New York City, the Great War comes too close to home–except no one believes her forewarning. She must recruit Marcus Reeves, a childhood friend searching for his purpose after suffering a devastating war injury. As they search for answers together, they may also uncover a love that lasts.

“A Letter to Eli” by Allison Pittman

Bette and Alice are lifelong friends, trying to make a good life for themselves in New York City while World War II rages. It’s never far away from their thoughts–not with Alice’s fiancé serving at sea, in danger every minute. That’s a worry Bette doesn’t envy. Then a secret letter reunites her with her soldier ex-boyfriend, now wounded and back in the States. But can the innocent love these two had before the war be rekindled in the face of tragedy?

“A Daffodil in the Dress” by Susie Finkbeiner

Kate Becker and Ike Finch have worked together at his family’s bookstore since Kate’s husband died in the early days of the Vietnam War. She has her daughter, Eloise, to take care of and bills to pay, and this job was a godsend. A second love is not in the cards, especially not with the world still teetering on the edge of insanity. But when Ike brings little Eloise special flowers one spring day, Kate begins to look at him as more than an employer. Is falling in love again worth the risk?

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First Line Friday — Something Borrowed

16 Aug

Happy Friday! I am so excited by the historical romance novella collection, Something Borrowed by Rachel Scott McDaniel, Allison Pittman, and Susie Finkbeiner. For the next three weeks I am going to spotlight the stories set on the home front during wartime and anchored by a wedding dress. Today’s first line comes from A Heart in Disguise by Rachel Scott McDaniel.

For the sake of the Allied powers, Clara Westlake pretended to be a rock.

In this brand-new novella collection, three renowned Christian historical fiction authors trace generations of wartime romances through a special wedding dress with love sewn into its seams.

“A Heart in Disguise” by Rachel Scott McDaniel

Clara Westlake loves her job as a seamstress in the US “Camouflage Corps,” sewing suits for snipers and contributing to the war effort. But when she overhears a threat against her beloved New York City, the Great War comes too close to home–except no one believes her forewarning. She must recruit Marcus Reeves, a childhood friend searching for his purpose after suffering a devastating war injury. As they search for answers together, they may also uncover a love that lasts.

“A Letter to Eli” by Allison Pittman

Bette and Alice are lifelong friends, trying to make a good life for themselves in New York City while World War II rages. It’s never far away from their thoughts–not with Alice’s fiancé serving at sea, in danger every minute. That’s a worry Bette doesn’t envy. Then a secret letter reunites her with her soldier ex-boyfriend, now wounded and back in the States. But can the innocent love these two had before the war be rekindled in the face of tragedy?

“A Daffodil in the Dress” by Susie Finkbeiner

Kate Becker and Ike Finch have worked together at his family’s bookstore since Kate’s husband died in the early days of the Vietnam War. She has her daughter, Eloise, to take care of and bills to pay, and this job was a godsend. A second love is not in the cards, especially not with the world still teetering on the edge of insanity. But when Ike brings little Eloise special flowers one spring day, Kate begins to look at him as more than an employer. Is falling in love again worth the risk?

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First Line Friday — A Fabled Earth

9 Aug

Happy Friday! Today I am sharing Kimberly Brock‘s upcoming release, A Fabled Earth. I was so blessed to receive an ARC of this highly anticipated novel. There is so much to love about it — dual timelines, historical details, family dynamics, and the fabulous setting of Cumberland Island, Georgia! Check out all the details below.

But first, here’s the first line:

The East River, sometimes shining, a mirror to the lucent blue firmament above, was laid out for Cleo Woodbine’s sharp green eyes, with nothing moving over its calm surface on this morning but her, a reeling seabird, a passing fishing boat.

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.

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