BOOK BEGINNINGS: STILL LIFE by LOUISE PENNY 27.5.16

~ STILL LIFE by Canadian author, Louise Penny
Publisher: Sphere / Hachette UK
1st published 2005 ~ My FRIDAY BOOK BEGINNINGS 
feature for this final Friday of May! The opening sentence or two of my book of choice?
~ " Miss Jane Neal met her maker in the early morning mist of Thanksgiving Sunday.  It was pretty much a surprise all round. Miss Neal's was not a natural death , unless you're of the belief everything happens as it's supposed to.  If so, for her seventy-six years Jane Neal had been walking toward this final moment when death met her in the brilliant maple woods on the verge of the village of Three Pines. " ~
Thoughts?
At last.  I have finally received the first in series of Chief Inspector Gamache. I was ready to go back to the beginnings with this novel.
And I became more connected to the residents of the rural Quebec village in Canada as I joined in their
Thanksgiving celebrations, art show  preparations, and village life.
Moving on through the series will benefit from these
character introductions.  Looking forward to the storytelling... ~ Find many more Friday Book Beginnings at Gilion's
Rose City Reader linkup and add yours. ~ 
*  And... `

*
at Carrie's First Line Fridays
Leaving your book's First Line in comments - super easy!

~*~
Freda's Friday 56 linkup features any quote from page 56 [or 56%] of any book. #Friday56
I'm posting from STILL LIFE as above.
" This village was old, and you don't get to be old without knowing grief.  And loss. "
~*~ I've found these Book Beginnings and Book quotes to be avenues of introduction. Whether new finds or not,
a great way to explore and possibly discover new books and their
book blogging readers.  Have you participated in these or similar book introductions? What's the fav part of your experience?    
~*~ Looking for weekend reading companions?
Jenna is hosting Sat 28th through Monday May 30th What am I reading? Find it  HERE

 #tbysreadathon to stay connected on twitter
~*~ Then ready your reading list for 20 Books of Summer

June 1 - Sept 5 with Cathy of 746 Books
My list of twenty HERE.  Choose 10/15/20 to suit
your personal schedule. * A FuN SPRING themed BOOK TAG on NOW 
You're Invited! Play HERE

~  Summer Tag not far ahead ... * ~ SHARED WITH ~
| Book Blog Discussions | Book Nook | First Line Fridays |

~*~ FIND MORE FHC on BOOK DEPOSITORY | PINTEREST | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | NETWORKED BLOGS | LIBRARYTHING | Follow |

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MONUMENTS MEN #1: SHADOWED BY GRACE by Cara Putman

Posted a week prior to Women's History Month, I am adding this to the series due to Cara Putman's intriguing story of Rachel. A young American woman pursuing her craft as a photographer, Rachel longs to photograph WWII activity overseas. Her desire is granted when her newspaper employer agrees to   relocate her for a frontlines position in Italy. Unusual for a woman of her time, this story is worthy of inclusion in this series... SHADOWED BY GRACE [STORY OF MONUMENTS MEN #1] by Cara Putman "Shadowed by Grace "is a dramatic story inspired by the Monuments Men of World War II by acclaimed author, Cara C. Putman.
Desperate to save her dying mother, Rachel accepts her newspaper's assignment to travel to Italy to capture images dangerously close to the front lines of WWII. Her real motive - to find the father she never knew -- an artist she hopes can offer the comfort and support both she and her mother need to survive.  In her quest, Rachel becomes involved with what will become the Monuments Men effort to save great monuments and works of art from the Third Reich. Soon enough she will find more than she ever imagined--in war, in love, and in God.  
*
Pages: 352 pb Publisher: Broadman and Hollman Books
Published: Dec 4.13 and Jan 1.14 * Author, Cara Putman's thoughts :
*

Books are born many ways. Shadowed by Grace started when I walked by a display at our local library the summer of 2010. There a new non-fiction book stood cover out.

The photo on the front piqued my interest: a clearly WWII soldier standing with a large painting. The stories I read in that book, Monuments Men, by Robert Edsel, intrigued me and made me want to learn more. Before long, characters and story ideas filled my mind, and I began fleshing out the story that became Shadowed by Grace.

The idea of an elite, tiny group of soldiers who were tasked with saving Western civilization fascinated me. Their task was compounded by the fact that WWII was the first war that involved constant aerial bombardment.

What challenges would they face?

What would they fear? 

Then I started looking for unique roles American women filled on the European front. The idea of a war correspondent who was a photo-journalist seemed the perfect fit. An artist in her own right, she would understand the importance of saving art. Rachel Justice and Scott Lindstrom were born and became the heroine and hero in Shadowed by Grace.

* My thoughts?
Cara Putman's WWII novel explores a variety of plots and subplots,
ever increasing levels of wartime intrigue and human interest. Rachel is conflicted in caring for her ill mother whilst pursuing her desire to find the father she's never known.   In a bid to gain the finances that will help fund the health treatments that could save her mother's life, Rachel gains approval for overseas travel to photograph frontlines of the war.  Though her mother is adamant in dissuading her, Rachel remains single minded in her pursuit to find her unknown father.
The journey to attain her goal is treacherous and self-affirming.  Rachel grows in her art of photography, relationships, and faith  even as she is both captured and captivated by the intrigue of the journey. Historical details of the time and Monuments Men's mission specifics well researched and intriguing, 
I did not want to put this story down.   The horrors of the war scenes encountered were realistic and emotionally engaged me even as the relational interludes offered relief in the story's ebb and flow. Descriptions were colourful.
Pacing kept the story alternately moving and standing as the main characters experienced
wartime realities of siege and retreat.  I found the story filled with enlightening historical detail and rich in relational interactions.
The blossoming romance was drawn with many emotionally lovely touches.
Putman created an intelligent hero of worth and honour with intriguing past connections  to the monuments he was sent to protect.
Suspense regarding these efforts was superbly sustained
and concluding revelations dramatic enough to please even this reader. Definitely a pleasing entry for my first experience with the writing of Ms Putman. A welcome addition to libraries of WWII historical readers . I look forward to more reading opportunities from Cara Putman in the near future. *

About this author

Cara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She’s an attorney and a teacher at her church as well as lecturer at Purdue. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. She loves bringing history and romance to life.

An honours graduate of the University of Nebraska and George Mason University School of Law,
Cara left small town Nebraska and headed to Washington, D.C., to launch her career in public policy. 
Find Cara Putman HERE  for all online links  @ cara_putman twitter



* *Appreciation to B&H Books for providing an ecopy for reading and review. *

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Brambleberry Cottage TIME TRAVEL

Rosemary Cottage : Review - author Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble's 'ROSEMARY COTTAGE' releases July 9th

Book 2 of the Hope Beach series follows Tidewater Inn published by Thomas Nelson it releases July 9.13

 The cottage by the sea offers Amy a refuge to mourn her brother’s death. But what if Ben’s death was no accident?
Rosemary Cottage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina has been in Amy Lange’s family for generations and offers her a haven within its peaceful walls. There she hopes to discover what really happened to her brother, Ben, even as she tries to come to grips with his death in the ocean months before.
She hopes the Coast Guard team will help her find closure, but they are quick to dismiss her concerns of foul play. Everyone in Hope Beach regards the suspicious e-mail she received as a vicious prank. When it seems discovering what happened to Ben will take longer than she expected, Amy moves her midwifery practice to Hope Beach.
Coast Guard officer Curtis Ireland may hold the key to many of her questions, but he also hides a secret that will change her world forever. And her own secrets could tear apart the fragile love developing between them. Will Amy have the courage to put down her mask and let Curtis love her for who she is? Can they both weather the dangerous undertow that threatens to destroy the most precious thing in their lives?                            -Goodreads

* My Thoughts?
I Could not put this book down until the last page read!

Mystery Suspense fans, get it on your wishlist for a great 
Summer Read!
To be released July 9.13.

Gripping. This novel had me from first to last. Atmospheric descriptions set the mood as we're introduced to Ms Coble's well drawn characters for this 2nd of the Hope Beach series. 

Seeking respite in the comfort of the family cottage, Amy Lang is grieving the unexpected loss of her brother, Ben. Experienced and familiar, could this water accident be more than the law and locals accept it as?

Amy is soon to discover appearances can, and have been, more deceiving than she's prepared for...

Exceptional suspense novel.  Unique and engrossing, Ms Coble's timing and delivery are pitch perfect.  A lovely side of romance adds to the mix and the mystery.  Definitely a 'do not miss' addition to your summer's reading.

*

*Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing the ecopy to read and review without obligation. *

* Colleen Coble has more than 2 million books in print.
*

Best-selling author Colleen Coble writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. 

Her novels have won or finalled in awards ranging from the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, the Booksellers Best, and 

the Best Books of Indiana.

Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at colleencoble.com.

*

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Moonlight Masquerade : Regency Review - Author Ruth Axtell

Moonlight Masquerade Author: Ruth Axtell [click to link directly] Publisher: Revell Mar 1.13 * French-born Lady Celine Wexham is perfectly placed to collect political secrets from the highest circles of London society but finds herself in danger of falling for the man sent to discover where her true loyalties lie.- Revell
* Loved it! 
A Regency with suspense, espionage, ruses and red herrings enough to keep me reading for more. 

Surprise revelations, gorgeous settings, precise timing, excellent characterization of protagonist and antagonists,  secondary characters, both French and English, high speed horseback and carriage chases,  midnight escapades and masquerades, romance and intrigue, all made for above average reading pleasure. 

Rees Phillips, delegated butler, is delectable.  Sent unsuspected from the British Foreign Office , he is intelligent, responsive and willing to take necessary action!   But his attraction to Lady Celine must be shaken if he's to fulfill his raison d'etre.  Learning more of Lady Celine's past and its formational effect on setting her up for espionage gives readers the information Rees is lacking.  Intense scenes where I often wondered,  "What would I do now?"  What would I have done in the situations presented...? 

The story definitely lived up to its book cover! No disappointments. The ending is delicious.. A do not miss invitation to Ms Axtell's next novel!

*

Ruth Axtell [also Ruth Axtell Morren] wrote her first spy thriller at 12, her practice having paid off with Moonlight Masquerade a result.                                               Much delightful information on her well-travelled life at her name link  and the opportunity to discover many more of her novels.

"Ruth's inner journey of faith parallels her outward journey--seemingly circuitous, sometimes wandering in the desert--yet ever-guided by the Good Shepherd."- Goodreads

*



*With appreciation to Revell for providing a reading and review copy without obligation. ~~~~~~~~~~~ * ~~~~~~~~~~

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Review: Grace's Pictures: An Ellis Island Novel -by Cindy Thomson

Grace's Pictures
an Ellis Island Novel by Cindy Thomson

* Grace's Pictures Book 1 of Cindy Thomson's Ellis Island Series
Published June 2013
Tyndale House Publishers
 * Author Cindy Thomson's intriguing thoughts that initiated the novel:   The legacies of those who came before us has always enthralled me.  I am interested in history and how the events impacted us.  In Grace's Pictures the introduction of the Brownie Camera changed photography forever.  Now everyone had access and could snap pictures at will. What if that got someone in trouble?

*

Grace McCaffery hopes the bustling streets of New York hold all the promise the lush hills of Ireland did not. As her efforts to earn enough money to bring her mother to America fail, she wonders if her new Brownie camera could be the answer. But a casual stroll through a beautiful New York City park turns into a hostile run-in with local gangsters, who are convinced her camera holds the first and only photos of their elusive leader.

A policeman with a personal commitment to help those less fortunate finds Grace attractive and longs to help her, but Grace believes such men cannot be trusted. Spread thin between her quest to rescue her mother, do well in a new nanny job, and avoid the gang intent on intimidating her, Grace must put her faith in unlikely sources to learn the true meaning of courage and forgiveness. - Tyndale House Publishers backcover

*

Fascinating look into the life of Grace, a newly arrived Irish immigrant to America, at the turn of the century in 1900-1901. The effects of her father's emotional and psychological abuse have long lasting and far reaching effects. At nineteen she is still dealing with the emotional scars and valiantly battling the lies that rise to confront her every step into her future in this new land.

I longed for Grace to make the right choices. To stand up strong. To learn to trust. To believe God's truth about her, so well put in her mother's mantra, "I am smart. I am important. I am able." that sustains her, until the final revelation in her ma's song over her as a child. From Be Thou My Vision, " Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one".  The final recognition that her earthly father's constant criticism didn't determine her worth. Her heavenly Father's perspective is what mattered.

Leaving behind a life spent in the workhouse, longing for safety in her new country, Grace finds a haven at her home provided by the Benevolents.  But not outside that home. Greed of landlords taking advantage of immigrants' housing needs, corruption amongst the police force, predators on naive and needy newcomers. Grace's own belittling experiences during hiring and poor treatment by employers whilst working as a maid; finding her way in every new area of life - massive adjustments, relational misunderstandings, confrontations, and losses, yet Grace perseveres. 

And we're treated to the inside story of her courageous journey.

Her fascination with being photographed upon entry at Ellis Island leads to personal growth and joy once she pursues the hobby. A mailorder magazine ad offering the Kodak Brownie camera for $1 definitely brings it within her reach.  With the instruction book included along with 2 rolls of film, Grace is set. Yet this too proves unsafe when she photographs the wrong members of NY society. Stalked, pursued and harassed Grace faces dangerous consequences. 

No, definitely not the safe country she hoped for and believed she'd found.

One insightful moment in the book  grabbed me personally.  

Irish policeman, Owen's, revelation on 'waiting'.

Whilst taking comfort in Psalm 106, Owen read of the Hebrew ancestors who wouldn't wait for Adonai's counsel, coming into trouble as a result .  This settled his own responses to confusing life choices . 

It impacted me likewise in the reading.

A full story of Grace's experiences, suspense, and subplots.  

All bring the story to the loveliest romantically subtle closing. 

I re-read it several times just to repeat the enjoyment!

Great summer reading addition for those who like their historical stories with realistic details, authentic characters, and a side of romance... 

*




*Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for providing an ebook copy to read and review without obligation.

*Reviewed for the TYndale Summer Reading Program  and  * Tyndale Rewards Program of Free books and audiobooks.  Receive your 1st 25 Rewards points FREE by joining HERE *

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Bound By Guilt : Review - author CJ Darlington

Welcome to the unique and unusual antiquarian book world of author, CJ Darlington! *

*

C. J. is the award-winning author of Thicker than Blood, Bound by Guilt, and Ties that Bind (June 2013). She has been in the antiquarian bookselling business for over fifteen years, scouting for stores similar to the ones described in her novels before co-founding her own online bookstore.

In 2006 C. J. started the Christian entertainment Web site TitleTrakk.com with her sister, Tracy, and has been actively promoting Christian fiction ever since. She is a regular contributor to Family Fiction Digital Magazine and NovelCrossing.com. A homeschool graduate, she makes her home in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs, a cat, and a Paint horse named Sky.  - [Goodreads]

Visit her website CJ Darlington for more info.

                                                              Follow-up to Darlington's 'Thicker Than BLood', 

'Bound by Guilt' contains enough explanatory history allowing for an engaging stand alone read. On the other hand, it was like old home week comfort to catchup with characters from the first novel.
*
Darlington's novels centre in the unusual setting of the antiquarian book world.  Her novels  are filled with  interesting book facts inspiring a broader understanding of the business of books and their value. * This particular book prominently features  F. Scott Fitzgerald's , The Great Gatsby, first edition. A timely focus with the newest movie released this last month.
* "Roxi Gold has been shuttled from one foster home to another for most her life. She longs for a family and will do anything to fit in even if it's against the law. Soon she's traveling the country in an RV, stealing rare books from unsuspecting bookstores. She knows it's wrong, but if she refuses, she'll be put out on the streets. Police officer Abby Dawson has seen the worst of society, and not just at work. Her ex-husband wrested her daughter away from her in a bitter custody battle. The job she once loved has become a chore, the world isn't any safer, and there's no joy in her life. One fateful night a man's innocent blood changes both Roxi's and Abby's lives forever. One searches for justice; the other finds herself on the run until a first edition of "The Great Gatsby" catches up with her. Will the power of forgiveness set them free, or will they both remain bound by guilt?" - Goodreads
* My thoughts: Darlington's writing is filled with quick wit, creative expressions, and a consistently unique voice that adds to the charm of reading her novels. My emotions and attention are fully engaged by Darlington's writing. Every sense is affected. From the aroma of the morning coffees, flavours of the cinnamon raisin bagels, whispered cell phone messages, to descriptive indoor or outdoor settings.
*
The story itself is intense with an increasing pace that had me laying the book aside at times to relieve the tension. Suspenseful drama, mystery, adventure, intrigue, all realistic in culturally relevant contemporary settings. Well developed growth and maturing of likeable characters; strong emotionally influential features of disliked characters. Generational variety in characters who come to life in the reading, exhibiting believable actions and reactions.
*
Enough twists to keep the reader guessing and unsettled enough to keep reading.  *

I recommend Ms Darlington's 'Bound By Guilt' as readily as her debut, 'Thicker Than Blood'.

*


Not only did I enjoy a fantastic read, I earned points toward another book by being part of 
the Tyndale Publisher Rewards program. Receive Free Bonus 25 points by using this LINK to join. Your opp for Free books and audiobooks.  Join me?
*

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