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First Line Friday — Sour Lemon And Sweet Tea

2 Aug

Julane Fisher, author of YA and MG fiction, will be joining my hometown’s second annual Turning A New Page Book Festival scheduled in January 2025. Today I am spotlighting Sour Lemon And Sweet Tea, one of her MG novels set in a rural Georgia town.

Here’s the first line:

Secrets, bees, and bullies had a lot in common the summer I turned twelve.

For fans of Because of Winn-Dixie, Pippa Park Raises Her Game, or The Lemonade War comes a heartfelt story of courage, hope, and forgiveness.

“A beautiful story about forgiveness and self-discovery, characters are relatable and real.” —Readers’ Favorite

Lille and Ellie Liles are best friends and identical twins. But their plan for summer break is full of opposites. Lillie plans to play baseball on the diamond in the middle of the front yard. Ellie hates being dirty. Lillie wants to be a detective. Ellie thinks Lillie should quit spying. Weeks before their twelfth birthday, their world turns upside down.

Farms in Triple Gap, Georgia face bankruptcy and fueling stations run out of gasoline. Lille must forfeit baseball to feed chickens that peck at her legs, grow vegetables she hates eating, and dodge insults from the richest and snobbiest girl in middle school. Then a stranger comes to town that changes everything.

When Lillie turns her habit of spying into serious detective work, she discovers the stranger harbors a buried secret, one she’s determined to unearth. But nothing prepares her for the truth. Can Lillie unravel the mystery in time to save her home?

Julane Fisher is the author of the award-winning Sour Lemon Series. Sour Lemon and Sweet Tea is a humorous portrayal of life before cell phones and social media, emphasizing positive family values. Her latest novel, The Text, explores a near future where technology not only governs citizens, it controls them. Julane lives in north Georgia with her husband, twin boys, and their two mischievous Labrador retrievers. Be the first to know when she releases a new novel and sign up for her newsletter by visiting http://www.julanefisher.com.

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First Line Friday — To Love A Falcon

26 Jul

Happy Friday! Today I am spotlighting a 1940s-era novel based on a Russian fairytale. Sound intriguing? I think so too! I haven’t read To Love A Falcon by Nancy C. Williams . . . yet. Let me know if you have and what you thought.

Here’s the first line:

Mikhail paced along the packed gray sand at the beachfront, scanning the harbor for the tender, a small boat that would return him to his ship.

When life already seems bleak, the Russians send her deeper into Siberia.

Aircraft mechanic Katya Morozov longs for her beloved Mikhail, a Russian naval officer, to return from war. But when an unwanted work assignment takes her far from her home into remote Siberia, Katya faces threats—perhaps because she and her father were engaged in covert protection for persecuted Christians.

A chance encounter with charming test pilot, Yuri Sokolov, turns into more than a passing acquaintance…igniting the flames of a conflict between Katya’s faithfulness to Mikhail and her growing attraction to the enigmatic pilot. Will messages from a mysterious woman in the woods give her the wisdom and strength she needs?

Yuri, who has hidden battles of his own, must likewise make a decision—does he follow his dreams or pursue the lovely mechanic who has captured his heart?

To Love a Falcon, a retelling of the Russian fairy tale “Finist the Falcon,” takes readers into the intrigues of Russian operatives, the stark landscape of Siberian winters, and the courage of those who risk death for faith and love.

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First Line Friday –Mt. Moriah’s Wake

19 Jul

Happy Friday! I am continuing spotlighting books that my friends have recommended with Mt. Moriah’s Wake by Melissa Norton Carro. This book is indie published Southern fiction endorsed by Amy Grant! Check out the details below.

Here’s the first line:

For every person, there is a place.

Orphaned at age eight, JoAnna Wilson was raised by her eccentric aunt in the bucolic southern community of Mt. Moriah. Now a twenty-six-year old would-be writer, JoAnna faces several crossroads: in her marriage, in her career, and in her faith. She left home for Chicago in 1997 immediately following the murder of her best friend, Grace. Now she comes back to Mt. Moriah for the first time in four years to attend her aunt’s funeral—and realizes that she must confront both the profound sorrow she feels over Grace’s death and the mysterious guilt she carries. She must finally grieve.

A hauntingly sweet story of love and loss that alternates between JoAnna’s childhood in Mt. Moriah, her life in Chicago and her present encounters upon returning home, Mt. Moriah’s Wake ponders deep questions: When we experience unspeakable tragedy, do we see ourselves as victim or survivor? Is it possible to regain happiness in the face of such? And how do we find our faith again, once it is lost? 

As her past and present worlds collide, JoAnna grapples with these questions—and her journey moves toward an unexpected conclusion.

A native southerner, Melissa Norton Carro has over twenty years of experience in marketing and communications, including her own business, Norton Carro Communications. She has edited textbooks and been a non-fiction ghostwriter, as well as a regular copyeditor for Gannett Publishing. She received her Bachelor of Arts, with Honors, from Vanderbilt University, where she currently works. Carro was a closet fiction writer for years while raising three daughters, and Mt. Moriah’s Wake is her first novel. She writes a weekly blog, In the Middle, about life in the sandwich generation and is currently working on another novel, Bagels at Nine. She lives in Nashville with her husband and blue heeler.

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First Line Friday — Yonder: Going Home Is Complicated

12 Jul

Happy Friday! Today I am sharing a novel by indie author Larry E. Ninas. If you like small town stories, then you need to check Yonder out. One of my friends found the references to real places in Georgia to be a fun aspect of the book. Read all about it below.

In the meantime here’s the first line:

“Bark!”

Going home is complicated. In a small town full of love and joy, James Robert Owens takes us home to Yonder. Here, the simple pleasures are kept simple, and the simple people are revealed to be something more. Whether you are dropping in on Tubs at Smoky Toes BBQ or having a ‘Gunny Special’ with Teal’c at The Diner, anyone can find a familiar face and a welcoming smile in the town of Yonder. Follow this Christian family as they survive the “Not So Great” chicken raid and the cave incident while leaning on love, friendship, and their faith in God. And if you stay awhile and listen, you might learn something about life and yourself. James Robert Owens, known by his friends in Yonder as Jim Bob, comes to understand what it truly means to walk with God.

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First Line Friday — A Flight of Arrows

5 Jul

Happy Friday! In honor of the 4th of July that we celebrated yesterday, I am featuring a historical novel set during the first years of America’s fight for Independence. A Flight of Arrows by Lori Benton is set on the New York frontier. It is a story of two families separated by culture but united in love and faith.

Here’s the first line(s):

Satahuhsiyost — Listen. Open your ears to a story I will tell you.

Hearts are Divided 
Loyalties Will Be Tested
The Fates of Two Families Hang in the Balance
 
Twenty years past, in 1757, a young Redcoat, Reginald Aubrey stole a newborn boy—the lighter-skinned of Oneida twins— during the devastating fall of Fort William Henry and raised him as his own. 
 
No one connected to Reginald escaped unscathed from this crime. Not his adopted daughter Anna. Not Stone Thrower, the Native American father determined to get his son back. Not Two Hawks, William’s twin brother separated since birth, living in the shadow of his absence and hoping to build a future with Anna. Nor Lydia, who longs for Reginald to be free from his self-imposed emotional prison and embrace God’s forgiveness— and her love. 
 
Now William, whose identity has been shattered after discovering the truth of his birth, hides in the ranks of an increasingly aggressive British army. The Redcoats prepare to attack frontier New York and the Continentals, aided by Oneida warriors including Two Hawks, rally to defend it. As the Revolutionary War penetrates the Mohawk Valley, two families separated by culture, united by love and faith, must find a way to reclaim the son marching toward them in the ranks of their enemies. 

Lori Benton was born and raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back to the 1600s. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God’s transforming grace.

Lori’s debut novel, Burning Sky, earned the 2014 Christy Award for First Novel, Historical, and Book of the Year.

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July Book Club Pick — On Moonberry Lake

1 Jul

I am excited for my book club to read a new-to us author. I have heard so many great things about On Moonberry Lake by Holly Varni — including that it is LOL funny! Have you read it? We would love to know your thoughts. If not, find out all about it below.

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.

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First Line Friday — A Different Kind of War

28 Jun

Continuing with spotlighting books that have been recommended by my reading friends, today’s First Line Friday comes from A Different Kind of War by Jennifer Purcell, a historical novel set in post-American Civil War Georgia. I am always on the lookout for books set in my home state, so this one is on my TBR list.

Here’s the first line:

Marjorie Willoughby never should have started reading the letter aloud.

The war isn’t over for everyone. Will these two weary hearts ever find peace?

After Marjorie Willoughby lost her father and brother in battle and her mother to a fever, she cobbled together a new family. But a lingering debt endangers their future.

Gregory Cartwright’s Union allegiance and pacifist beliefs forced him to leave his home, and now he’s looking for a fresh start among his fellow Unionists in Bradford, Georgia. But first he needs a piece of land.

When Gregory approaches Marjorie with a possible solution that benefits them both, the two find they have more in common than they first thought. But then Gregory makes a decision that threatens to upend Marjorie’s world once again. Will Gregory be able to make up for his mistakes, or is this a battle he’s destined to lose?

If you love small towns and heartwarming romances that don’t shy away from real-life struggles, then you’ll love A Different Kind of War.

Jennifer Purcell is a Georgia native who loves to write about faith, family, and romance. She is an ACFW First Impressions contest winner and a semi-finalist in the ACFW Genesis contest.

When Jennifer’s not writing, reading, or blogging, she enjoys watching movies and daydreaming about happily-ever-afters.

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First Line Friday — Secondary Target

21 Jun

Happy Friday! A weekend road trip to see family calls for a book that will make the miles speed by! So I am taking along the debut romantic suspense by Angela Carlisle, Secondary Target. This one is getting rave reviews, and I am really looking forward to getting lost in this book!

Here’s the first line:

Security alarms shattered the autumn morning’s tranquility.

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.

Angela Carlisle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is represented by Books and Such Literary Agency. An editor and proofreader by day, Angela prefers to spend her free time reading, writing, and drinking insane amounts of hot tea. Her flash fiction pieces, including the prize-winning “Mansion Murderer,” have appeared in Splickety and Spark Magazines.

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First Line Friday — In High Cotton

14 Jun

Happy Friday! Today I am featuring another book recommended by a friend. In High Cotton by Ane Mulligan is an historical novel set in Georgia in 1929. Rural south Georgia is already suffering economic woes, so what else can the Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression bring? I look forward to reading about the women who survive and thrive.

Here’s the first line:

Sadie always says, “Southern women may seem as delicate as flowers, but we’ve got iron in our veins.”

While the rest of the world has been roaring through the 1920s, times are hardscrabble in rural South Georgia. Widow Maggie Parker is barely surviving while raising her young son alone. Then as banks begin to fail, her father-in-law threatens to take her son and sell off her livelihood—the grocery store her husband left her. Can five Southern women band together, using their wisdom and wiles to stop him and survive the Great Depression?

While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, Ane Mulligan has worn many different ones: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that’s a fancy name for a lobbyist), drama director, playwright, humor columnist, and bestselling novelist. Her lifetime experience provides a plethora of fodder for her Southern-fried fiction (try saying that three times fast).

Ane firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. Her passion when she isn’t writing her Southern-fried Fiction is Community Theatre. She’s Chairman of the Board of Players Guild@Sugar Hill, a non-profit Community Theatre company, where she and her husband act, direct, build sets, and are chief go-fors.

Contributor to the award-winning literary site, The Write Conversation, Ane resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband, her chef son, and a rascally Rottweiler.

You can find Ane on her website and blog: http://www.anemulligan.com.

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First Line Friday — Unintended Target

7 Jun

Happy Friday! Unintended Target by D. L. Wood has gotten rave reviews from my friends. I love a good suspense, and this one is said to keep a reader guessing. I can’t wait to read it, but in the meantime . . . .

Here’s the first line:

“He’s done it again,” groaned Chloe McConnaughey, her cell held to her ear by her shoulder as she pulled one final pair of shorts out of her dresser.

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.

Unintended Target is the 2016 ILLUMINATION BOOK AWARDS GOLD MEDAL WINNER FOR CHRISTIAN FICTION EBOOK and the American Christian Fiction Writers Association Book Club May 2019 book selection.

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.

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