Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
Before getting into this week's post, I would like to take a moment to remember Pearl Harbor Day. May we never forgot those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom.
Things are buzzing around here. The Lil' Princess had a concert at the Festival of Trees yesterday. The lights are finally on the Christmas tree (well, the main tree anyway). Most of the outdoor decorating is done. I have even done a little shopping.
Speaking of shopping, I've picked up several seasonal Kindle books to get me in the spirit. Some were free and others were bargain titles.
Be careful what you wish for
Mele Keahi wasn't looking for excitement when she came to Destiny Bay. She'd just lost her man, her job and her self esteem, and she needed comfort. Instead, she found herself involved in a murder, sparring with a suspicious detective and coming face to face with a ghost from her Hawaiian childhood. Not what she'd bargained for--but then--sometimes you just have to deal with what the cat dragged in.
Holly and Caleb had been best friends as children, growing up on the same street, but as teenagers they couldn't be further apart. When Caleb unexpectedly asked Holly to help him pick out a Christmas gift for his girlfriend, neither of them anticipated where it would lead.
Bubba Snoddy’s got some problems. His family has descended for the Christmas holidays and not in a good way. His cousin wants to own the Snoddy Mansion, decrepit, falling down columns, termites, wood rot and all and isn’t above using manipulative behavior to achieve his ends. Miz Demetrice is up to nefarious and illegal activities while trying to entertain relatives. His cousin’s ten year old son is the personification of a demon and has hobbies of looking at medical photographs, making stun guns from scratch, and causing havoc wherever he roams. The woman of Bubba’s dreams, Deputy Willodean Gray, is still evading his romantic pursuits. Patients from the local mental institute are wandering over the town, ostensibly assisting with the Christmas Festival thanks to a program established by the mayor to cut costs. And Bubba has just found the dead body of a man dressed as Santa in the Christmas scene at City Hall. Oh, Pegramville, Texas is just the best place to be at Christmas if a fella has a bullet proof vest and a linebacker’s helmet. All the folks think Bubba might have done did it…again, even though it was proven that he didn’t done did it the first time, and Bubba has to move quickly in order to catch a murderer.
An epic quest across the sands of Arabia
In the exotic lands of the east, a secret sect of Persian magicians study the night sky for generations.
When the stars announce a strange royal birth, Misha, a first-level mage, is ready to prove himself by chasing down this new world leader.
But then an ancient document surfaces, whispering of an artifact of immense power. The temptation to seize power is too great to resist.
And Misha is not alone in his quest. The king’s general Reza seeks power to fulfill his mysterious destiny, and both he and Misha have their eye set on the Egyptian princess Kamillah, who will do anything to gain the artifact that could break her bondage to the sorcerer Zahir.
The soldier, the mage and the princess each has a secret to protect.
But if they are going to survive the dark forces warring for their prize, they must learn to trust each other—in what will surely be the journey of a lifetime.
This free short story e-romance is an exclusive bonus from The Pebble Creek Amish Series by Vannetta Chapman. Fans of the series will enjoy this chance to briefly revisit Pebble Creek, and new readers will be introduced to an Amish community that is more deeply explored in the three full novels, A Promise for Miriam, A Home for Lydia, and A Wedding for Julia. As a bonus, this free eBook also includes Amish homestyle recipes for chicken and dumplings, green beans, and fresh bread.
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I also snagged this Kindle bargain.
Molly Elliott's quiet life in Tallahassee, Florida, is disrupted when routine errands land her in the wrong place at the wrong time: the middle of a bank robbery. Accused and cleared of the crime, she flees both media attention and mysterious, threatening notes, to move across the country to Cranberry Cove, where she has inherited her Aunt Maggie's bed and breakfast on the Northern California coast. Her new beginning is peaceful - that is, until five guests show up at the inn for a weekend, each with a hidden agenda.
Mix together one blushing honeymoon couple, one flamboyant boutique owner, a deadpan traveling salesman, and a charmingly handsome novelist, and there’s more than scones cooking at Cranberry Cottage Bed and Breakfast. As true motives become apparent, will Molly's past come back to haunt her or will she finally be able to leave it behind?
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I borrowed these next two from the library because I bought the fourth book in the Cedar Cove series at the church's tag sale.
Dear Reader,
If you've been to Cedar Cove before we've probably met. You can usually find me either at home or at the public library, where I work. I've lived in this town all my life and raised two daughters here. But my husband and I—well, about six months ago, he disappeared. Just…disappeared. Where's Dan? Why did he go? Who's he with? Will I ever find out?
My hometown, my family and friends, bring me comfort during this difficult time. Comfort and a sense of shelter. I'm continually reminded that life can and does go on. For instance, everyone's been discussing weddings and babies lately. Justine—the only daughter of my best friend, Olivia Lockhart—impulsively got married a little while ago. My own daughter Kelly recently had a baby. Unfortunately, she refuses to accept that Dan might not return to see his first grandchild. My older daughter, Maryellen, is more realistic. I think she's seeing a new man, but for some reason she won't tell me who it is.
Then there's Jack, who's been pursuing a romance with Olivia, and his son, Eric, and Eric's girlfriend, Shelly (I think she's pregnant), and Zach and Rosemary Cox, whose marriage is reputedly on the skids and… Well, just come on over and we'll talk!
Grace
Dear Reader,
One thing about Cedar Cove — people sure are interested in what other people are doing. Take me, for instance. Everybody in the town knows that my husband, Zach, and I recently got a divorce. Everybody also know that Judge Olivia Lockhard decreed a pretty unusual custody arrangement. It won't be the kids moving between my place and Zach's. We're the ones who'll be going back and forth!
Olivia isn't immune to gossip herself. Will she stay with Jack, the guy who runs our local paper, or will she get back with her ex? Inquiring minds want to know!
But the really big gossip has to do with the dead guy — the man who died at a local bed-and-breakfast. Who is he and why did he show up there in the middle of the night? Roy McAfee, our local private investigator, is absolutely determined to find out. I hope he does — and then I'll let you know! See you soon. . .
Rosie
That's about it from me. Hope you enjoyed your mailbox this week.
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