Lazing by the pool, taking in the delish aromas at a BBQ, perhaps in the park for a summer picnic, reclining on a blanket at the beach, sitting in an air conditioned room with your e-reader, or maybe you’re under the boardwalk…take these fantastic, sizzling, compelling, inspiring summer reads with you.
MARCY G. DYER
Set in the hot west Texas summertime, DOWN & OUT is a fun summer beach novel. It has thrills, laughs, and love. For the scary thrills part of the book, you’ll want the bright sunshine of a beach….As one reviewer said, “Books have to make me react in some way. Whether it be a laugh, a smile, a tear, or even anger, each book that I read has to create some emotion in me or I consider it a so-so story. This one caused me to react in a way that I have NEVER, EVER reacted. It caused me to shudder. Literally shudder. Every time the protagonist of the story, Candace’s stalker, walked onto the page, a pit of fear would form in my stomach. My shoulders would go up to my ears, and I just wanted to get away from him. I felt like a part of the story. I felt like he was after me. Creepy, huh?”
Going home again can be deadly. Suddenly jobless, enterprising Candace Downs returns to the parched and dusty oil-town of Odessa, Texas as a trainee for her cousin’s towing company. Rejecting the romantic obsessions of a maniacal stranger intent on capturing her heart throws her life into a terrifying spiral downward. As the clock ticks, and her hunter ups the ante, the charismatic, handsome security consultant, Josiah Bradley, is determined to keep her alive – at any cost. Will they win this harrowing cat-and-mouse game? Or will the unrelenting stalker bury them both deep in the desert.
OUT FOR BLOOD is another chilling read for summer. It’s set in hot west Texas, but does have some beach time in sunny Southern California. One reviewer said, “The characters are extremely well defined. I don’t want to spoil it for others, but the character known as “the man” really got my attention.”
A thriller, this novel has romance, suspense, and espionage. Out for Blood won’t disappoint as a good, thriller for the beach.
Dialysis nurse, Danielle Battershawn’s, life is turned upside down when her identical twin is murdered. As she strives to deal with yet another death, the killer sets his sights on eliminating her. Can handsome security consultant, Tyler Covington, keep her alive?
NIKE CHILLEMI
Sex, lies, and murder…that’s HARMFUL INTENT. Yet it’s uplifting and hysterically funny…a perfect summer read. ~ ~ Betrayal runs in private investigator Veronica “Ronnie” Ingels’ family. So, why is she surprised when her husband of one year cheats on her? The real shock is his murder, with the local lawman pegging her as the prime suspect. Ronnie is a Brooklyn bred private investigator who has traveled to west Texas, where her cheating husband is murdered. As she hunts the killer to clear her name, she becomes the hunted. Deputy Sergeant Dawson Hughes, a former Army Ranger, is a man folks want on their side. Only he’s not so sure at first, he’s on the meddling New York PI’s side. As the evidence points away from her, he realizes the more she butts in, the more danger she attracts to herself. ~ ~ Sweet, askance romance, warm intimacy, sophisticated themes presented tastefully. Now, only .99 cents.
A terrific swimmer, Lucinda Byrne fears the ocean. Her husband and parents died there. Will she? DARKEST HOUR, is set in July, 1948 on the south shore of Long Island, a summer vacation destination. ~~ A petite widow, secretary and sole support of her son and grandparents, is framed for the murder of her boss. Wealthy village residents conspire with the DA to indict her and stop further investigation. The medical examiner thinks the shooter was a tall individual and when his report is shoved aside, starts snooping trying to clear her and in the process falls in love with her. ~~ Sweet romance, warm intimacy, sophisticated themes presented tastefully.
SADIE AND SOFIE CUFFE, a/k/a The Cuffe Sisters
Why should you read a Cuffe sisters’ book this summer? Well, for one thing, they’re $1.99 on Amazon. People think Maine is mostly about lobsters and clams, but we’re native Mainers and we don’t like either one – ain’t that odd? What we DO love about Maine is the people, not the stereo-typical old duffer wearing a sou’wester and spouting things like, “You cahn’t get theyah from heyah.”
You’ll meet Myra Stanley, shotgun-toting granny in her 80’s who can shoot the wings off a fly at 100 paces. One of our favorite Myra moments comes from WARRIOR’S JOURNEY: Molly’s friend Ashley has just accused Myra of trespassing on private property and told her to leave. Myra, shotgun trained on the offensive Ashely, responds, “Might snotty soundin’ from someone starin’ down iron moose nostrils.”
In ARROW THAT FLIES, you’ll meet Brad Stanley, Myra’s great-nephew. He obviously has the Stanley charm. Maine Forester Jackie Duncan’s thoughts upon meeting him – She might not know a gearbox from a jewelry box, but she knew a dipstick when she saw one. Then there are the twins, Robbie and Rand Adams. Robbie and Jackie are polar opposites. Robbie’s Type-A out the whazoo and Jackie’s about as scattered as you can get, but they’re drawn to each other. Can they trust each other and find the evil archer who is intent on ruining the lives of Stellar’s Ford?
In WARRIOR’S JOURNEY, Molly Stewart thinks Rand Adams is responsible for her husband’s death, but now her 12-year-old son is in a tailspin and needs a good male mentor. Can Rand step up to the plate and convince Molly he’s one of the good guys?
Both books can be read independently of each other, but we suggest ARROW followed by WARRIOR. It’s Maine – the way life should be!
NAOMI MUSCH
Fantasy and Realism in Two Novels for summer reading! ~~ Do you watch Once Upon a Time? If so, or if you’re drawn to fantasy and retellings of famous fairy tales, then you’ll enjoy TREVELYAN ~ A Tale of Beauty & the Beast, a full length novel for the romantic and young at heart. Here’s why this new tale might fit your bill for summer reading:
• It’s Beauty & the Beast! I mean, come on. Best. Fairytale. Ever.
• TREVELYAN has elves and faeries, creatures and magic, and there are swashbuckling heroes — several of them.
• TREVELYAN is “take me away” reading to lead you on an epic adventure through the land of the Great Winter to the lost city of Trevelyan, where legends say a monster lord and his evil faerie wife have usurped a once glorious kingdom. Now evil and madness wait to prey upon the unwary who venture there.
• TREVELYAN answers burning questions about the original tale: What happened to all Belle’s brothers and sisters? How come no one else had stumbled into the beast’s kingdom? What was the deal with the faerie who turned the prince into a beast? Who helped the beast survive those lonely years in his enchanted kingdom? What was the castle really like?
You mean you didn’t wonder? Well, now you surely must. So add TREVELYAN ~ A Tale of Beauty & the Beast to your summer beach reading list!
Do you prefer realism? How about love rediscovered? In PAINT ME ALTHENA artist Ethan Day has been raising his little girls on his own for three years. When he stumbles upon a painting for sale by Althena, he thinks he’s finally found Ava, his runaway wife. But Ethan has begun moving on with the help of lovely widow Jackie. His art has become popular. He’s found a new faith. Ava moved on too, but things haven’t turned out as she’d planned. Now she needs rescue. Though old desires surface, wounds of distrust and conflict between Ava’s search for identity and Ethan’s new faith might break the safety net he offers, making the journey home to love too painful to take. PAINT ME ALTHENA was a 2013 Grace Awards finalist.
TAMMY DOHERTY
August 1890 is already hot in Prophecy, Colorado, and things are about to get hotter! ~~ Abby Finnegan is working hard to make a better life for her daughter while protecting both of them from Abby’s callous & sadistic brother Clayton Bigelow. Secret Service Operative Kyle Lachapelle is working undercover. Kyle can’t deny the attraction he feels toward Abby but she’s too closely connected to his counterfeiting case for him to trust her. Abby wants to trust Kyle, maybe with more than just helping with Clayton, yet his guarded attitude confuses her. When she learns he’s come to arrest her family, her doubts seem justified. Can love overcome their fears?
Counterfeiting, murder, kidnapping & cowboys – CELTIC KNOT has everything you need for great summer reading! In a 5-star review, The Wordsmith Journal Magazine says, “Tammy Doherty hits the mark with this novel. It’s superbly written with vocabulary, language, and phrases appropriate to the period in which it is set. Fast paced and suspenseful.”
Don’t miss the first novel in this series, CELTIC CROSS. Set in 1883 Colorado, Cristeen arrives on the Donovan ranch badly wounded. Matt Donovan and his sister nurse Cristeen back to health but is that enough? Cristeen must learn to trust – in God and Matt – before a madman returns to complete the murder she narrowly escaped earlier. A 5-star Amazon review states, “Wonderful inspirational, historical romance that shows the power of love, trust, and humor to bring healing to troubled lives.” Another reviewer writes, “I was caught up in the characters and didn’t want to put it down.” Sweet historical romance with Western action and characters that hook the reader make CELTIC CROSS a great beach or vacation read!
For one week only, all three novels in this series will be just .99 cents on Kindle
SUZANNE D. WILLIAMS
“Take yourself away” for a couple hours this summer and believe in romance all over again when you read TAKE ME AWAY.
When Celia Boyle asked Gator Lawrence to take her on vacation, she had no idea that such a simple request would become so incredibly complicated. All she wanted was seven blissful days of beach sand, ocean waves, and tropical sun. But now, her sister’s sudden visit, her own misspoken statement, and a threat by Gator’s dad to send him out of town, jeopardizes everything. Unless, they take things in their own hands and go anyway. Yet sometimes life has a lesson to share that only experience can teach, and it could be what they’re both looking for has been with them all along.
Early reviews for TAKE ME AWAY: “A cute female, an honorable man, a chance meeting, and a flirty comment, what could possibly go wrong? Grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and let this book take you away better than Calgon! This is a fun, sweet read that will leave you smiling and believing in love all over again.” ~ “Such a neat, sweet short romance with a bit of adventure and mystery behind it as well! I enjoyed it.” Now, $1.99.
JOY DEKOK
Looking for a new summer read or two? ~~ RAIN DANCE is only .99 cents for the next few days. This is the story of two women who are surprised by a friendship others might consider impossible. I mean think about it – how can a Christian prolifer and an atheist prochoicer agree on anything? Jonica and Stacie discover they are far more similar than they thought possible. Together they struggle to find hope and healing in the tangle of their own hypocrisies, prejudices, and political opinions. Will they succeed or are abortion and infertility impossible to overcome? –Contemporay Women’s Fiction – Gently Prolife
Another option for your summer reading pleasure is BETWEEN THE LIES – Book 1 in the Northern Lights Series. Olivia Morgan was doing just fine, thank you very much. Until the dead guy in the elevator, her lover’s dismissal of her, the loss of her dream job, and an FBI agent who is looking into the past she’s worked so hard to hide. What’s a woman to do when she’s suddenly un-kept, a murder suspect, and has her own personal stalker? Olivia uses her artistic talent to remember and reveal what she knows. Will it save or convict her? This mystery will keep you guessing until the end. –Nail-biting suspense with heart and soul.
Grace Filled Fiction Spotlight 