Burying Daisy Doe By Ramona Richards GIVEAWAY!

 No cold case is more important than the one that destroyed her own family

Every small town has one unsolved case that haunts its memory, festering for generations below the surface with the truth of humanity’s darkness. Star Cavanaugh is obsessed with the one that tore her family apart.

Over sixty years ago, Daisy Doe was murdered and discarded outside Pineville, Alabama, buried without a name or anyone to mourn her loss. When Star’s father tried to solve the case, he was also killed. Now a cold-case detective with resources of her own, Star is determined to get to the bottom of both crimes. But she’ll have to face an entire town locked in corruption, silence, and fear--and the same danger that took two other lives. The only people in town she can trust are her grandmother and the charming Mike Luinetti, and both of them trust a God Star isn’t sure she believes in. Can Christians so focused on the good really help her track down this evil?

With an irresistible combination of sharp suspense, faith, humor, and authentic regional flavor, Burying Daisy Doe will draw fans of Terri Blackstock, Margaret Maron, Jaime Jo Wright, and J. T. Ellison.

Pick up your copy here...

Burying Daisy Doe: A Star Cavanaugh Cold Case: Richards, Ramona: 9780825446528: Amazon.com: Books

I come from a long line of storytellers, and I grew up sitting on the front porch listening to my parents, grandparents, and a wide selection of aunts and uncles spinning yarns that would raise eyebrows and disturb sleep. Naturally, I wanted to do it for a living.

I love stories and books and readers and listeners, and I'm blessed to have been able to spend my life around them. These days, I'm a speaker, writer, and editor, and my latest book is My Mother’s Quilts (Worthy Publishing), which is a devotional written about and around the quilts I inherited from my mother. My latest is a small-town crime novel, Murder in the Family. I've written six novels for Love Inspired Suspense, and have devotionals available from Abingdon and Barbour Books.

I'm the associate publisher for Iron Stream Media, although I've been an editor for Abingdon Press, Thomas Nelson, Rutledge Hill Press, and Ideals magazine. I've freelanced for more than a dozen other publishers and have edited more than 500 publications, including fiction, trade nonfiction, magazines, scripts, poetry, Bibles and biblical reference works, study guides, curriculum, and how-to manuals.

Essentially, I'll write or edit just about anything. I'm also a speaker for writer's conferences and women's groups.

I can be found online at Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and my blog is at https://thefridgefront.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ramonapope.richards
@RamonaRichards
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonarichards

My Thoughts...

You will be guessing until the very end. Richards needs to write this genre from now on. She really outdid this story. I was done reading it before i know it. The pages flew by, I had to find out the whole story. I will say it will keep you guessing.

4 stars and I recommend this book. 

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

First Light In Morning Star By Charlotte Hubbard

 

In the second Maidels of Morning Star novel by fan-favorite author Charlotte Hubbard, the five friends who have teamed up to transform an abandoned barn into an Amish marketplace are enjoying the success of their fledgling enterprise. What's even more remarkable is the gift the business bestows upon each of these unmarried women--the unexpected blessing of love as the new school teacher and the bishop find strength in their growing bond.

Leaving Flaud's Furniture to teach at the community's new school is a joy for Lydianne Christner. Old Order Amish, but new to Morning Star, she's grateful that the congregation trusts her with the position--but she panics when handsome Bishop Jeremiah Shetler asks about the life she left behind. If anyone discovers the secret she's hiding, she would, quite rightly, be shunned.

A widower, Bishop Jeremiah admires young Lydianne's youthful energy and skill with the children. He's also curious about her past, and the burden he senses on her heart. When his request to court her is refused, he's stung, and lonelier than ever. It isn't until a crisis prompts a tearful Lydianne to confess to him that Jeremiah is faced with a choice that requires all of his faith--and teaches them both that love and forgiveness go hand in hand.

Pick up your copy here...

First Light in Morning Star (The Maidels of Morning Star): Hubbard, Charlotte: 9781420151824: Amazon.com: Books

Charlotte Hubbard sold her first historical romance in 1990, and she’s been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. As she writes, her stories invariably take on a life of their own, different from the way she proposed them: unforeseen characters and plot twists come along, and they keep her guessing right along with her readers!

Charlotte has lived in the Midwest most of her life. When she’s not writing, she loves touring historic homes, trying new recipes, crocheting, and playing with her Border Collie, Ramona. She’s a Presbyterian deacon, sings in her church choir, and plays in the percussion ensemble. She’s married to a fine man who—bless him—has never once suggested she get a real job!

My Thoughts...

I was so happy to go back to Morning Star. This is the second book in the Morning Star series.

It was just as good as the first book Morning Star. 

Hubbard does not write your typical some ole Amish fiction. It is fresh and different from the rest of the Amish fiction books.

This was such a good read and well don't we all have secrets. Being a teacher has to be very hard and trying at times.

I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend it. It can be read as a stand alone but book one was just as good.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

The Genome Odyssey By Euan Angus Ashley

 

In The Genome Odyssey, Dr. Euan Ashley, Stanford professor of medicine and genetics, brings the breakthroughs of precision medicine to vivid life through the real diagnostic journeys of his patients and the tireless efforts of his fellow doctors and scientists as they hunt to prevent, predict, and beat disease.

Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, the price of genome sequencing has dropped at a staggering rate. It’s as if the price of a Ferrari went from $350,000 to a mere forty cents. Through breakthroughs made by Dr. Ashley’s team at Stanford and other dedicated groups around the world, analyzing the human genome has decreased from a heroic multibillion dollar effort to a single clinical test costing less than $1,000.

For the first time we have within our grasp the ability to predict our genetic future, to diagnose and prevent disease before it begins, and to decode what it really means to be human.

In The Genome Odyssey, Dr. Ashley details the medicine behind genome sequencing with clarity and accessibility. More than that, with passion for his subject and compassion for his patients, he introduces readers to the dynamic group of researchers and doctor detectives who hunt for answers, and to the pioneering patients who open up their lives to the medical community during their search for diagnoses and cures.

He describes how he led the team that was the first to analyze and interpret a complete human genome, how they broke genome speed records to diagnose and treat a newborn baby girl whose heart stopped five times on the first day of her life, and how they found a boy with tumors growing inside his heart and traced the cause to a missing piece of his genome.

These patients inspire Dr. Ashley and his team as they work to expand the boundaries of our medical capabilities and to envision a future where genome sequencing is available for all, where medicine can be tailored to treat specific diseases and to decode pathogens like viruses at the genomic level, and where our medical system as we know it has been completely revolutionized.

Pick up your copy here...

The Genome Odyssey: Medical Mysteries and the Incredible Quest to Solve Them: Ashley, Dr. Euan Angus: 9781250234995: Amazon.com: Books

Euan Ashley is a professor of medicine and genetics at Stanford University. He was born in Scotland and graduated from the University of Glasgow. He attended Oxford University, completing a Ph.D. there before moving to Stanford University, where he trained in cardiology and genetics. After joining the faculty, he led the team that carried out the first medical interpretation of a human genome. Ashley has received innovation awards from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. He was recognized by the Obama White House and received the Medal of Honor from the American Heart Association.

Dr. Ashley’s articles have appeared in many journals, including the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, Nature, and Cell. He appears regularly on local and national radio and TV. He is the founder of three companies and advisor to several well known Silicon Valley companies. With three young children, he spends his spare time trying to understand American football, play the saxophone, and conduct research on the health benefits of single malt Scotch whisky.

My thoughts...

This is not my normal read. I did find it over whelming due to all the medical terminology  and not understanding most of it. But on the other hand what I did understand was that expects in their field are trying to do, everything in their power to find cures for many things right now.

So that alone made this book worth reading.

I gave this book 4 stars, I wish that I was smarter and could comprehend more of this information.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

The Lady in Residence By Allison Pittman

 

Visit historic American landmarks through the Doors to the Past series. History and today collide in stories full of mystery, intrigue, faith, and romance.

Young widow Hedda Krause checks into the Menger Hotel in 1915 with a trunk full of dresses, a case full of jewels, and enough cash to pay for a two-month stay, which she hopes will be long enough to meet, charm, and attach herself to a new, rich husband. Her plans are derailed when a ghostly apparition lures her into a long, dark hallway, and Hedda returns to her room to find her precious jewelry has been stolen. She falls immediately under a cloud of suspicion with her haunting tale, but true ghost enthusiasts bring her expensive pieces of jewelry in an attempt to lure the ghost to appear again.
 

In 2017, Dini Blackstone is a fifth-generation magician, who performs at private parties, but she also gives ghost walk tours, narrating the more tragic historical events of San Antonio with familial affection. Above all, her favorite is the tale of Hedda Krause who, in Dini’s estimation, succeeded in perpetrating the world’s longest con, dying old and wealthy from her ghost story. But then Dini meets Quinn Carmichael, great-great-grandson of the detective who originally investigated Hedda’s case, who’s come to the Alamo City with a box full of clues that might lead to Hedda’s exoneration. Can Dini see another side of the story that is worthy of God’s grace?

Pick up your copy here...

The Lady in Residence (Doors to the Past): Pittman, Allison: 9781643527482: Amazon.com: Books

As far as I know, I have always been a writer. Before I could put words to page, I would dictate stories to my mother. I have always lulled myself to sleep by crafting stories--a new chapter each night. When God called me to write, I was thrilled to answer His prompting. And so it was, after a long conversation with my husband, I left a 20-year teaching career to pursue a new direction. It called for a HUGE step of faith, but God has kept me and our family safe.

I count every single one of my readers as one of God's blessings in my life, and I like to think of my stories as being the first step in a conversation. Please visit my website, www.allisonpittman.com and send me an email. It is one of my greatest joys to hear from you!

My Thoughts...

This is a time-slip fascinating  read. If you love the time-slip novels that it seems everyone is reading then you are sure to enjoy this one.

I was not to sure at the beginning if I was going to fall in love with the characters but ended up really enjoying this. In fact I read it in one sitting.

I gave this book 4 stars. 

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Amid Rage By Joel Burcat

 

A psychotic coal mine operator and cynical neighbors with an anti-mining agenda fight out a strip mine permit battle. Mike Jacobs, a 28-year old environmental prosecutor with Pennsylvania's environmental agency, DEP, is caught between the warring factions, but is ordered to "babysit" the case. All Mike wants to do is to protect the environment and neighbors from certain harm as a result of the proposed mining. Sid Feldman, the Philadelphia lawyer for the mine operator, who oozes power and privilege, offers Mike a job midway through the proceedings. Miranda Clymer, the lawyer for the neighbors, pulls out all the stops to win Mike's affection and assistance. Mike's nearest and dearest friend, Nicky Kane is by his side as his paralegal. Mike must use all of his talents as a lawyer and rely on his discretion and courage to do what is right and not anger the political bosses for whom he works. In the cataclysmic ending, someone will die, but who?

Pick up your copy here...

Amid Rage: Joel Burcat: 9781951556457: Amazon.com: Books

Joel Burcat is an author and environmental lawyer. DRINK TO EVERY BEAST (Headline Books, 2019) was his debut novel. It is an environmental legal thriller about illegal dumping of toxic waste. AMID RAGE (Headline Books, 2021) is his second novel. It is an environmental legal thriller about coal strip mining. He has won awards from PennWriters, New York Festival of Books, Readers' Favorite, ScreenCraft, and others.He has written dozens of short stories (from the best beer he ever had, to horror, to murder for hire) and six have been published. His short stories have also won awards.

"I want my readers to feel they are with my characters in the courtroom, a canoe on a polluted river, or a strip mine. I want them to see, feel, and smell what the characters are seeing, feeling, and smelling. If my characters are scared, I want my readers to be scared too. That is the ultimate goal of a writer."

He was selected as the 2019 Lawyer of the Year in Environmental Litigation (for Central PA) by Best Lawyers in America. He has been designated by both “Super Lawyers” and “Best Lawyers” for environmental and oil and gas law. In addition to his law practice, he has edited two non-fiction books on environmental and energy law and has written numerous professional articles on environmental law.

Burcat lives in Harrisburg, PA with his wife, Gail. They have two grown daughters, a son-in-law and granddaughter.

My Thoughts...

I love legal thrillers. So when asked to review this legal thriller I jump right on it. It was very well thought out. I did read it fairly quickly and it was insightful and doe well.

It is book two in the Mike Jacobs series. I did not read the first book and I think this one can be read as a stand alone. I don't think I missed much from the first one.

I gave this book 3 stars.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Minus Me By Mameve Medwed

 

Annie and her devoted but comically incompetent childhood sweetheart Sam are the owners and operators of Annie's, a gourmet sandwich shop, home to the legendary Paul Bunyan Special Sandwich--their "nutritionally challenged continual source of income and marital harmony and local fame."

But into their mostly charmed marriage comes the scary medical diagnosis for Annie--and the overwhelming challenge of finding a way to help Sam go on without her. Annie decides to leave Sam step-by-step instructions for a future without her, and considers her own replacement in his heart and their bed.Her best-laid plans grind to a halt with the unexpected appearance of Ursula, Annie's Manhattan diva of a mother, who brings her own brand of chaos and disruption into their lives.

Pick up your copy here...

Minus Me: A Novel: Medwed, Mameve: 9781643856438: Amazon.com: Books

First: her name. Though in her adolescence she used to pretend it was French, it isn’t. Pronounced May-Meeve, she is named for two grandmothers, Mamie and Eva.

Mameve Medwed is the author of six novels—Mail, Host Family, The End of an Error, How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life (2007 Massachusetts Book Award Honors in Fiction), Of Men and Their Mothers, and Minus Me (forthcoming in January 2021). Her short stories, essays, and book reviews have appeared in, among others, The New York Times, Gourmet, Yankee, Redbook, Playgirl, The Boston Globe, Ascent, The Missouri Review, Confrontation, The Readerville Journal, Newsday, and The Washington Post. She has taught fiction writing for many years at The Cambridge Center for Adult Education, has been a mentor in the writing program at Lesley University, read papers for the English Department at Simmons College and has taken part in writing festivals across the country, serving on panels and teaching seminars. She has been interviewed on Maine Public Radio, The Voice of America and other radio and TV programs and has been profiled in many newspapers.

Born in Bangor, Maine, where she is considered Bangor’s other writer (Stephen King holds the title!), she resides in Cambridge.

My Thoughts...

This was a  good read. Annie had the right idea in writing this how to manual for her husband. I laughed at times just thinking abut the outcome.

It was a well written story and one that was fun to live inside for a few hours.

You will be entertained and happy that you read this story of love and loss.

I gave this book 4 stars.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Betting On You By Laurie Ruettimann

 

An essential guide for how to snap out of autopilot and become your own best advocate, with candid anecdotes and easy-to-adopt steps, from veteran HR specialist and popular podcast host Laurie Ruettimann

Chances are you've spent the past few months cooped up inside, buried under a relentless news cycle and work that never seems to switch off. Millions of us worldwide are overworked, exhausted, and trying our hardest―yet not getting the recognition we deserve. It’s time for a fix.

Top career coach and HR consultant Laurie Ruettimann knows firsthand that work can get a hell of a lot better. A decade ago, Ruettimann was uninspired, blaming others and herself for the unhappiness she felt. Until she had an epiphany: if she wanted a fulfilling existence, she couldn’t sit around and wait for change. She had to be her own leader. She had to truly take ahold of life―the good, the bad, and the downright ugly―in order to transform her future.

Today, as businesses prioritize their bottom line over employee satisfaction and workers become increasingly isolated, the need to safeguard your well-being is crucial. And though this sounds intimidating, it’s easier to do than you think. Through tactical advice on how to approach work in a smart and healthy manner, which includes knowing when to sign off for the day, doubling down on our capacity to learn, fixing those finances, and beating impostor syndrome once and for all, Ruettimann lays out the framework necessary to champion your interests and create a life you actually enjoy.

Packed with advice and stories of others who regained control of their lives, Betting on You is a game-changing must-read for how to radically improve your day-to-day, working more effectively and enthusiastically starting now.

Pick up your copy here...

Betting on You: How to Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career: Ruettimann, Laurie: 9781250269805: Amazon.com: Books

Laurie Ruettimann is a former human resources leader turned writer, entrepreneur, and speaker. CNN recognized her as one of the top five career advisers in the United States, and her work has been featured on NPR, The New Yorker, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Vox. She frequently delivers keynote speeches at business and management events around the world and hosts a popular podcast focused on fixing work. She lives with her husband and cats in Raleigh, North Carolina.

My Thoughts...

Are you ready to run your life like a business? Run your life like a boss? Then you have got to pick up a copy of this manual. I found so much helpful information in this little book it needs to be a mandatory read for all young adults..

I gave this book 4 stars and I hope that you grab your copy and find many insightful, useful information.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Factor-7 By J.D. May

 

The life of Dr. Sam Hawkins, the head trauma surgeon at Galveston's St. Peter's Memorial Hospital, is changed forever by the cryptic words of his dying friend, Dr. Bill Roberts, and a string of murders and blatant cover-ups that follow his demise. Sam reluctantly teams up with Dr. Rainee Arienzo, an Italian infectious disease specialist, and together they uncover the terrifying truth about Factor-7, a bio-weapon with a 98% mortality rate.

Dr. Roberts's journal tips them off that a clandestine plot for using the virus is about to be unleashed by a secret society, the Keepers Collegium. The Collegium, an international group of rogue intelligence agents, ex-military, and government officials, has a demonic plan to use the pathogen to destroy anyone who threatens their twisted ideology.

Sam and Rainee can't trust anyone. Danger and deceit are around every corner as they travel the world. They soon realize that public exposure of the evil plot would be as dangerous to the world's security as the bio-weapon itself. The fallout could lead to World War III. Therefore, they must not only shut down the plans of the Collegium, but also keep the top-secret information from ever being revealed. But as they work to stop the plot, Sam and Rainee are kidnapped by the largest Mexican drug cartel. The kingpin, who financed much of the Collegium's plot, wants Dr. Roberts's journal because it lists the names of the major players in the Collegium who had double-crossed him. He plans to carry out his special revenge. And he also has his own plans for Sam and Rainee. In order to survive, Sam and Rainee have no choice...they must play with one of two devils or be burned by both.

Pick up your copy here...

Factor-7: May, J D: 9781641118651: Amazon.com: Books

J.D. May is a third generation Texan from the Lower Rio Grande Valley. She loves her band of house cats as well as the large tribe of fat, happy TNR'd feral cats that came with her rural property in a small citrus-growing community. Palm tree-lined roads, natural waterways, and roaming wild animals including alligators, deer, wild hogs, and birds of every color make Bayview a perfect place for a writer and painter. She also loves the beach, rock and roll, Tex-Mex food, cooking, Shiner Bock beer, and she believes wine is a legitimate food group. She shows her paintings at The Laguna Madre Art Gallery in Port Isabel, Texas. J.D. May attended Sam Houston State University, San Miguel de Allende Instituto, and Rice University where she studied drama, art, creative writing and Spanish. J.D. May worked in advertising for most of her career. She is married to a former award-winning surfer and has a daughter and soon to have a brand-new granddaughter.

My Thoughts...

I almost felt like I was reading a Dan Browne novel. It had the same feel. This book was full of action. And I am happy to have found another new author to spend the evenings with. I gave this book 4 stars. The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Trading Secrets By Rachael Eckles

 

BEFORE
Celeste Donovan, a high-powered finance executive, seems to have it all--the penthouse apartment, the supermodel physique with a mathematician mind, and a trail of beautiful men she has loved and left behind.

But when her boyfriend Theodore is killed in a mysterious accident, she discovers Omar, her abusive ex she had hoped would never resurface, is behind his death.

AFTER
Now she's caught in a game of cat and mouse, trying to anticipate Omar's next move, as she realizes he will stop at nothing to get to her. She sets out alone on a whirlwind journey to entrap him, determined to put an end to Omar's destruction.

Soon Celeste is thrust in the middle of the largest financial scandal in decades. This time, however, powerful government officials are in bed with some of the world's most dangerous men.

When she discovers that those she thought she knew best are involved in a secret society warring with Omar and his coconspirators, she must decide how far she will go to avenge Theodore's death and whether she is willing to risk her own life to save everyone she loves.

Pick up your copy here...

Trading Secrets: Eckles, Rachael: 9781734901818: Amazon.com: Books

Rachael Eckles grew up in the Midwest. After graduating from law school, she followed her heart and moved to the east coast. Trading Secrets is her first novel. She currently lives in Manhattan with her puppy, where she is working on book two in the Trading Secrets Trilogy.

She is a board member for The Village Cooperative (www.experiencethevillage.com) and is donating 5% of her book sales proceeds to TVC for programs to empower women, girls, and communities in Kenya, Guatemala, and India.
 
rachaeleckles.com

instagram.com/rachaeleckles

My Thoughts...

 Warning for a graphic rape scene. 

I hate to write a negative review I like to find something positive in each book I read.

So I will say that this is a nice cover and if you are like me great covers a plus.

I was very confused at the ending so I will just say if you like dark reads then give this one a go.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.