Happy Tuesday! Today is a Freebie day for Top 10 Tuesday. I am going completely random today with fiction chosen from the shelves in my house — as opposed to those on my NetGalley shelf and Kindle. 😉 I organize my shelves in a way that makes sense to me. Fiction is organized by genre and then alphabetically by author. I keep series in order of publication. If it’s Biblical or historical fiction, I organize chronologically and by location (example: European vs American. Old Testament and then New Testament). And then there is my Austen knock-off shelf which contains a variety of genres, but all tie into one of Austen’s novels. That’s alphabetically by author. I even have a shelf for signed books. So if I am in the mood for a mystery, I know which shelf to head to.
Confusing? Probably, but it works for me. At least I don’t divide my mystery into historical or cozy, etc. I’m not that obsessive or am I?
I am.
In the spirit of transparency, the books represented today are on shelves at my primary residence. We have a house in the woods that boasts a very small library. That’s where it really gets tick-y. That’s where the mass market cozy mysteries reside. Likewise, all the Grishams. Then there’s my husband’s western fiction, the American historical fiction/non-fiction that revolve around major events. Think Revolutionary War, Pearl Harbor, etc. I have a shelf for veterinary fiction. Yes that’s a thing. Small town fiction like Jan Karon. A shelf where humorous fiction (P.G. Wodehouse) coexists with short story collections. And last but not least, the shelf with North Georgia authors. Too much? LOL!
While this month’s book club pick, A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble, was not one of my favorites, others in my book club enjoyed this easy romantic suspense. I did really like the characters, and the Jekyll Island setting was a treat for me. It is definitely one of my favorite places to visit in person or in fiction.
If you liked A Stranger’s Game, here are a few more reading recommendations for you.
Romantic Georgia Island Vibes
For The Love of Joy by Janet W. Ferguson
Is he married or isn’t he?
Years ago, a Dear John letter and then an IED explosion overseas rocked Davis Donnelly’s world and left him unclear about his marital status. He’d signed divorce papers, but broken mentally and physically, he’d never bothered to find out if his marriage actually ended. Now that he’s about to start a new position as an outreach minister, it’s time to settle things once and for all. At the moment he tracks down his wife — or former wife? — she takes a tumble while chasing a little boy. Her son. And that’s when life flips upside down.
Joy Jennings Donnelly made her share of mistakes. But one thing she never considered a mistake was her child, and she’ll do anything to protect him. Even keep his paternity a secret.
When she’s suddenly injured with not a soul to help her or her son, Joy is forced to rely on the man who has the most reasons to hate her.
Suspenseful Georgia Island Vibes
Cape Refuge by Terri Blackstock
A gripping tale from New York Times bestselling suspense author Terri Blackstock. When the kindest couple in Cape Refuge is found murdered at their church, their daughter will have to find the killer . . . before her own husband is convicted.
Wade and Thelma Owens run a halfway house on the small island of Cape Refuge that caters to wayward souls just out of prison. So when Wade and Thelma turn up brutally murdered, the town goes into shock, concerned that one of the Hanover House residents is a murderer who could strike again.
Shattered by her parents’ deaths, Morgan Cleary struggles to keep Hanover House running while her husband, Jonathan, has been arrested for the murder.
As the killer runs free, a lethal race against time ensues, with far more than the halfway house at stake.
Family Secrets . . . On A Georgia Island 😉
Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks
A powerful family with dark secrets.
After personal tragedy, Piper Boone retreats to her childhood home—a secluded mansion for the wealthy Boone family, who are practically American royalty. When catastrophe strikes, her family is put in the spotlight, and the line between victim and suspect gets blurred.
A forensic artist with his own haunting past.
Tucker Landry is drawn to Piper in the midst of the trauma, but the connections being made to her family might prove to be their undoing. With a hurricane beating down on the private island, there isn’t much time to find answers.
The truth will determine whether she lives or dies.
Welcome to the Blog Blitz for The Christy Award Finalists organized by ECPA and hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! We extend our sincere and enthusiastic congratulations to The Christy Award 2022 Finalists!
The Christy Award Finalists 2022
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter (Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong (Kregel Publications)
FIRST NOVEL
All That Is Secret by Patricia Raybon (Tyndale House Publishers) Recorder by Cathy McCrumb (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media) Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom (She Writes Press)
GENERAL FICTION
The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin (Thomas Nelson Publishers) The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group) Under the Magnolias by T. I. Lowe (Tyndale House Publishers)
HISTORICAL
Between the Wild Branches by Connilyn Cossette (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) Drawn by The Current by Jocelyn Green (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) The Widows of Champagne by Renee Ryan (Love Inspired) Yours is the Night by Amanda Dykes (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham (Barbour Publishing) Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group)
MYSTERY/SUSPENSE/THRILLER
Aftermath by Terri Blackstock (Thomas Nelson Publishers) The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group)
SHORT FORM
A Texas Christmas Carol (in Under the Texas Mistletoe) by Karen Witemeyer (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group) Mr. Nicholas: A Magical Christmas Tale by Christopher de Vinck (Paraclete Press) False Pretense by Heather Day Gilbert (WoodHaven Press)
SPECULATIVE
A Time to Seek by Tracy Higley (Stonewater Books LLC) Dark Intercept by Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson (Tyndale House Publishers) Recorder by Cathy McCrumb (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media) Windward Shore by Sharon Hinck (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media)
YOUNG ADULT
A Gentle Tyranny by Jess Corban (Wander, an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers) Realms of Light by Sandra Fernandez Rhoads (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media) Shadow by Kara Swanson (Enclave Publishing, a division of Oasis Family Media)
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive print copies of The Christy Award finalist titles from one category of their choice!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight November 3, 2022 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on November 10, 2022. 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.
Art of Writing on November 17, 12:30-5 pm at Lipscomb University in Nashville $99 A conference for writers, storytellers, and publishing curators.
The Christy Award Gala on November 17, 7-9 pm at Lipscomb University in Nashville $89 Celebrate this year’s finalists and winners with authors, editors, publishers, and readers!
Bundle the Art of Writing Conference & The Christy Award Gala $139
The Christy Award® is a program of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) and is the foremost award honoring and promoting excellence in Christian fiction since 1999. For more information about ECPA, visit ECPA.org. For more information about the Christy Awards and Art of Writing conferences, visit ChristyAwards.com or email TheChristyAward@ecpa.org
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Congratulations to all the fabulous authors who are 2022 Christy Award Finalists. I’ve read several of these books, including 4 that were my book club’s choices. All look so good! You are welcome for the additions to your TBR pile! 😉
Romance
All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese
Bookshop by The Sea by Denise Hunter
Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong
First Novel
All That Is Secret by Patricia Raybon
Recorderby Cathy McCrumb
Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom
General Fiction
The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin
The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery by Amanda Cox
Under the Magnolias by T. I. Lowe
Historical
Between The Wild Branches by Connilyn Cossette
Drawn by The Current by Jocelyn Green
The Widows of Champagne by Renee Ryan
Yours Is The Night by Amanda Dykes
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Aftermath by Terri Blackstock
The Barrister And The Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson
On The Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright
Speculative
A Time to Seek by Tracy Higley
Dark Intercept by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson
Recorder by Cathy McCrumb
Windward Shore by Sharon Hinck
Historical Romance
As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin
Hope Between The Pages by Pepper Basham
Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen
Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin
Short Form
A Texas Christmas Carol by Karen Witemeyer (in Under The Texas Mistletoe collection)
This week’s TTT topic is favorite books written over ten years ago. I decided to revisit bookclub selections from 2010. I was pleasantly surprised that our picks that year would still be on a recommended list. I’ve included all twelve — there’s plenty to choose from.
For more nostalgic reading recs, visit That Artsy Reader Girl.
Book Club Picks from 2010
Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble
Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl and April Henry
Greater Love by Robert Whitlow
Her Daughter’s Dream by Francine Rivers
Her Mother’s Hope by Francine Rivers
Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs
The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall
Listen by Rene Gutteridge
The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir
Predator by Terri Blackstock (now free with Amazon Prime)
Happy Tuesday! This week’s Top 10 Tuesday topic is books read in one sitting. It’s funny that now that I am retired and have no children at home it takes me longer to read a book than it used to. Maybe in my *ahem* younger and busier years I knew that my available reading time was limited. Who knows? While I no longer read books in one sitting, I do read some faster than others. These are usually in my favorite genre — mystery/suspense — and just naturally keep me turning the pages. My list today includes recent reads as well as those from years ago that I really did read in one sitting, many of which are part of a series (more good reads!). I hope you find one that will keep you turning those pages too. 🙂
Title: Aftermath Author:Terri Blackstock Publisher: Thomas Nelson Release Date: May 11, 2021 Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense/Thriller
This gripping new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Terri Blackstock will leave you on the edge of your seat.
A devastating explosion.
Three best friends are at the venue just to hear their favorite band . . . but only one of them makes it out alive.
A trunk full of planted evidence.
When police stop Dustin with a warrant to search his trunk, he knows it’s just a mistake. He’s former military and owns a security firm. But he’s horrified when they find explosives, and he can’t fathom how they got there.
An attorney who will risk it all for a friend.
Criminal attorney Jamie Powell was Dustin’s best friend growing up. They haven’t spoken since he left for basic training, but she’s the first one he thinks of when he’s arrested. Jamie knows she’s putting her career on the line by defending an accused terrorist, but she’d never abandon him. Someone is framing Dustin to take the fall for shocking acts of violence . . . but why?
Taylor Reid’s phone flashed as she snapped the selfie with her two friends, their heads touching and their backs to the stage. The shot from the third row, with the lead singer in the background and the three of them in the foreground, was perfect. No one would believe their seats were so close.
They turned around to face the band, dancing to the beat of the song they’d been listening to in the car on the way to Trudeau Hall.
Taylor quickly posted the pic, typing, “Ed Loran targets nonpoliticals for his rally with band Blue Fire. Worked on us!”
She put her phone on videotape and zoomed onto the stage.
“I don’t want it to end!” Desiree said in her ear.
“Me either!” Taylor yelled over the music.
“Maybe they’ll play again after his speech,” Mara shouted.
The song came to an end, and the crowd went crazy, begging for one more song before the band left the stage.
But an amplified voice filled the auditorium, cutting off the adulation. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the next president of the United States, Ed Loran!”
The crowd sounded less enthusiastic as the band left the stage and Ed Loran, the Libertarian celebrity magnet, made his entrance. Taylor kept cheering and clapping, letting her enthusiasm for the band segue to him.
It happened just as the candidate took the stage. The deafening sound, like some confusing combination of gunshot and lightning bolt, a blast that blacked out the lights and knocked her to the ground. Smoke mushroomed. Screams crescendoed—shrieks of terror, wailing pain, shocking anguish . . . then sudden, gentle silence, as if she were underwater. A loud ringing in her ears filled the void.
She peered under the seats, choking for breath as dimmer lights flickered through the smoke. Even from here, she could see the fallout of whatever had happened. Blood pooling on the ground, people hunkering down as she was, feet running . . . What was happening? An explosion? A crash? She looked around and couldn’t see her friends.
She clawed her way up and looked over the seat. Smoke and fire billowed from the stage into the crowd, and heat wafted over her like some living force invading the room. Muffled, muted sounds competed with the ringing.
Get out! Now! She dropped back down and crawled under two rows of seats until she came to someone limp on the floor. She felt herself scream but couldn’t hear her own voice. Scrambling to her feet, she went to her left to get to the aisle, but her foot slipped on something wet. She grabbed the seat next to her to steady herself, then launched into the frantic crowd in the aisle. The room seemed to spin, people whizzing by, people under her, people above her, people broken and ripped and still . . . She stepped and fell, crawled and ran, tripped and kicked her way to the bottlenecked doorway, then fought her way through it.
The ringing in her ears faded as she tumbled downstairs, almost falling into the lobby below. The sound of crying, coughing, wretching, and the roaring sound of pounding feet turned up as if some divine finger had fiddled with the volume.
She set her sights on the glass doors to the outside and pushed forward, moving through people and past the security stations they’d stopped at on the way in. She made it to the door and burst out into the sunlight.
Fresh, cool air hit her like freedom, but at first her lungs rejected it like some poison meant to stop her. At the bottom of the steps, on the sidewalk, she bent over and coughed until she could breathe.
After a moment, the crowd pushed her along toward the parking garage until she remembered that her car wasn’t there. She had parked on the street, blocks away. She forced her way out of the flow of people and ran a block south. Where was it?
She turned the corner. Her car was here, on this block. Near the Atlanta Trust Bank. Wasn’t it? Or was it the next block?
Sweat slicked her skin until she found her silver Accord. There!
She ran to it and pulled her keys out of her pocket, wishing she hadn’t lost the key fob. Her hands trembled as she stuck the key into the passenger side lock and got the door open. She slipped inside on the driver’s side, locked it behind her. Instinctively, she slid down, her head hidden as if someone were coming after her.
What just happened?
One minute they’d been taking selfies and videotaping the band, and the next they were on the floor . . .
Where were Mara and Desiree? She hadn’t even looked for them! Should she go back for them?
No, that would be insane. She could smell the smoke and fire from here. They would know to come to the car when they got out.
Call the police!
She tried to steady her hands as she swiped her phone on.
“911, what is your—”
“An explosion!” she cut in, her voice hoarse. “At the Ed Loran rally at Trudeau Hall!”
“Where are you now?” the woman asked in a voice that was robotically calm.
“I got out. There’s fire . . . People are still in there. Please send ambulances!”
“Ma’am, did you see what exploded?”
“No . . . the stage area, I think. I don’t know where my friends are. Please . . . hurry!”
“We’ve already dispatched the fire department and police, ma’am.”
She heard sirens from a few blocks away and cut off the call. She raised up, looking over the dashboard for the flashing lights. She couldn’t see any, but the sirens grew louder.
She knelt on the floorboard, her knees on her floormat and her elbows on her seat, and texted Desiree.
I’m at the car. Where are you?
No answer. She switched to a recent thread with Mara and texted again.
Got out. At car waiting. Where are you?
Nothing.
She dictated a group text to both of them.
Are you all right?
They were probably running or deaf, fighting their way out like she had. She tried calling them, but Mara’s phone rang to voicemail. When Desiree’s phone did the same, she yelled, “Call me! I’m waiting at the car and I’m scared. Where are you?” She was sobbing when she ended the call.
My Impressions:
Many times a reviewer says that a book starts out with a bang. In the case of Aftermath, Terri Blackstock’s latest suspense novel, that is literally the case! I was hooked from the beginning, furiously turning the pages to find out whodunit. The book focuses on the results of a bombing at a political rally — the suspect and his attorney and one of the victims. It is filled with twists and turns and never-saw-it-coming moments. I loved the main characters, Jamie and Dustin who were childhood friends now thrown together again by the circumstances of Dustin’s arrest. Their quest to uncover the truth was great. But I have to say that the perspective of Taylor, a survivor of the bombing, was fascinating. Taylor has some issues that are exacerbated in the aftermath. She has a small but pivotal role in the investigation and outcome of the book that I thought was a wonderful addition to what could have been just another romantic suspense novel. All three characters, plus some supporting characters were believable. The faith element is strong and natural with Dustin, especially struggling with maintaining his trust in God. I really, really liked this book. I think it is one of my favorites from Blackstock, and that is saying a lot!
For past-paced suspense, a twisting plot, and characters to cheer for, Aftermath cannot be beat.
Highly recommended.
Audience: adults
(Thanks to JustRead and the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Terri Blackstock has sold over seven million books worldwide and is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist. She’s the author of If I Run, If I’m Found, and If I Live, as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, Moonlighters, and the Restoration series. Visit her website at www.terriblackstock.com.
(3) winners will receive a print copy of Aftermath by Terri Blackstock!
Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 11, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 18, 2021. 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.
After a slow reading year in 2020 and a busy wedding schedule this year, I am trying to get my reading groove back. It’s been a slow process, but I think I am hitting my stride again. That being said, I’m sharing my most recent reads for Top Ten Tuesday this week. Have you read any of these books?
Well, my TBR list just got bigger! So excited for the 2020 Christy Award nominees. I have read some of these books (and they are great), and now have many more to get on with. A big congratulations to all the talented authors!
Contemporary Romance
Just One Kiss by Courtney Walsh
Now And Then And Always by Melissa Tagg
Sweet on You by Becky Wade
First Novel
A Long Time Comin’ by Robin W. Pearson
The Means That Make Us Strangers by Christine Kindberg
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
General Fiction
All Manner of Things By Susie Finkbeiner
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels
Historical
The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts
The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke
Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson
My Dearest Dietrich by Amanda Barratt
Historical Romance
The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin
The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White
The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Echoes Among The Stones by Jaime Jo Wright
The Girl Behind The Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker
Smokescreen by Terri Blackstock
Short Form
A Christmas Haven by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall
A Flood of Love by Tracie Peterson
Intrigue A La Mode by Regina Jennings
Visionary
Cry of The Raven by Morgan L. Busse
Hidden Current by Sharon Hinck
The Story Raider by Lindsay A. Franklin
Young Adult
The Means That Make Us Strangers by Christine Kindberg
The week’s Top 10 Tuesday prompt is authors I have read the most books by. I am tweaking a bit with a list of the authors my book club loves — the ones we always read whenever they have a new book release. I have included two of my favorites from each author. I hope you find one to love from our list.
Many of the books I review are provided to me free of charge from publishers, authors, or other groups in return for a review. The opinions expressed in the reviews are mine and mine alone. No monetary consideration is given. This disclaimer is in accordance with FTC rules.
I am an Amazon.com affiliate, which means that I earn a small percentage of the sales from products purchased through links on my site. I NEVER recommend a book in order to receive a profit. Proceeds from affiliate sales help to defray operating costs of the blog.
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