Free now: Inspirational fiction from faith-based publishers, includes a young adult novel
Always confirm price before purchase. Many free and reduced books are offered for a limited time only and only in some geographical regions.
Our review of The Christmas Bus:
The Christmas Bus, written by Melody Carlson, centers on Edith Ryan, a pastor’s wife who has converted the family home into the Shepherd’s Inn in the town of Christmas Valley. Normally upbeat, Edith is feeling the weight of a dwindling congregation, rumors that her husband should retire, and her children and grandchildren not coming home for the holidays. Then the Partridge Family-style bus with a young couple expecting their first child rolls into town and has engine trouble. Then Myrtle, a quirky and bossy guest, arrives at the Inn.
The storyline is predictable, but charming and warm. Reading this story will remind you that people come into our lives to teach us again the meaning of Christmas. Before the holiday has come and gone, Edith realizes again that Christmas is about family, just not the way she has always thought of family.
Our review of A Simple Amish Christmas:
We just can’t help it — we love Christmas!
A Simple Amish Christmas by Vannetta Chapman has the romance and delight of a holiday story, with the crisp, fresh feeling of a visit to Amish country.
Annie Weaver has followed the tradition of rumschpringe and moved away from home and the Amish lifestyle as a young woman. Annie used this rebellion period to earn a nursing degree and work in a children’s hospital. As Christmas nears, however, she finds her heart longing for the simple ways of home.
When she receives word that her father has been injured in an accident, she returns home to care for him. Annie encounters Samuel, who provides basic medical care to the Amish community. Annie and Samuel immediately clash over the care for her father. But they find themselves coming together to care for the needs of their kin.
Annie becomes attracted to Samuel, but her complicated feelings for the widower make Christmas not so simple.
This full-length story presents characters that are impossible to resist. Annie was especially engaging as she tried to help her people with her medical skills, while also respecting their traditions.
Free now: The Messenger by Siri Mitchell – Inspirational fiction from Bethany House, a faith-based publisher.
Always confirm price before purchase. Many free and reduced books are offered for a limited time only and only in some geographical regions.
Our book review:
In The Messenger, Siri Mitchell explores the American Revolutionary War and brings to life an exciting element of history.
As a Quaker, Hannah Sunderland feels caught between sides. Her father insists the family remain completely neutral, even as British soldiers occupy the city and take over the family’s home. Hannah’s twin brother Robert signs up with the rebels and is taken prisoner. Though her father 
forbids visiting him, Hannah wants to do something to ease the starvation and deprivation the prisoner are facing.
She encounters Jeremiah Jones, the local tavern owner. Jeremiah lost an arm while serving as in the British Army. Revenge compels him to send covert messages on what he overhears from soldiers visiting his tavern. When he needs to sneak a message into the prison, he develops a plan to secure a pass for Hannah if she delivers the message.
The characters are very well-developed. Hannah was especially intriguing as she tried to come to terms with her faith, her father’s instructions, Jeremiah’s pressure and the questions in her heart. Jeremiah was an unlikely but engaging hero. His injury, and his frustration with it, figured prominently in the story. I was surprised, however, that the story did not move more quickly. For a spy novel, more suspense and danger would have been expected.
Mitchell brings extensive research and a well-written story together to create a compelling read. Click here to purchase The Messenger
I received this book free as part of Bethany House’s review program. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book.
Frank Tuttle is one of those authors I turn to when I need a book I can count on. The twists and turns of his plots always delight and The Cadaver Client was no exception. Even the title intrigued me. With a title like that, you know this is not going to be an ordinary walk down pulp fiction lane.
Even though The Cadaver Client is labeled book four, Frank Tuttle’s author page advises starting with it. I’d already read Dead Man’s Rain (£1.80 novella) and enjoyed it, so even though I was reading out of order, I happily forged ahead.
Good stuff, five star all the way. Tuttle builds atmosphere, plot and characters in layers – you don’t know what will be in the middle: a gotcha, humor or a twist. Markhat, the detective, needs work like any PI, but he tends to get his cases from Mama-Hog; a witch down the way. This isn’t always the healthiest place to pick up jobs.
The Markhat books are pulp fiction with a lot of humor, a touch of noir and a lot of adventure. The pacing is quick. The setting is somewhere between medieval and urban fantasy; it’s a world not that far from our own with magic and not a lot of modern.
The Cadaver Client starts out as a sad tale; a ghost wanting to leave his wife some money, money he never bothered to give her while alive. So why not when he was alive? Well, Markhat has a devil of a time figuring it out–he gets beaten up, chased and even ends up in a casket over this one. He has the ever-strange Mama-Hog to help get him into trouble and a woman who speaks to the dead to make matters even more complicated.
It’s a fun ride; a great afternoon read. Highly recommended for fantasy or urban fantasy readers. If you like ghost stories, spooks and odd characters, you’ll love Markhat and his friends. You can buy this fantasy today for only £1.80.
Review courtesy of Maria Schneider, the author of Executive Lunch (£1.91), the first book in a humorous whodunit series.
Free now: Operation Bonnet: A Novel – From David C. Cook, a faith-based publisher
Always confirm price before purchase. Many free and reduced books are offered for a limited time only and only in some geographical regions.
Our book review of Operation Bonnet:
Can’t get enough Amish fiction? Or maybe you can. Either way, Operation Bonnet makes for a fun read.
Twenty-year-old Nellie Monroe is an aspiring private detective. Her boss at her summer job at a golf course hires Amos, who used to be Amish. He enlists Nellie to help him find out how his old flame is doing. She dons a bonnet and sets out in search of details. Naturally, things don’t go as planned. 
Not your traditional Amish romance, the book was filled with humor and beautiful writing. Nellie was a delightful character with plenty of personality. She’s also dealing with her distant, wealthy parents; a grandmother in the early stages of dementia; and a guy friend who seems to have gotten handsome overnight. Because of her age and the sweet romance, this book could easily be classified as young adult literature, but it also makes for a light read for adults.
I occasionally just cannot finish a book. Sometimes it is poorly written; sometimes it just isn’t catching my attention; sometimes it is just too smarmy. This is one of those books, now selling for only £0.72 . I paid more when the book was sold by a publisher, but at this price . . . . no, I still wouldn’t like the book.
Written by Kate Angell, Squeeze Play is the first book in a four-book set about the Richmond Rogues, a world-champion baseball team. The players, team management, the girlfriends and/or wives and more are introduced. The book gets crowded with so many people. And the names! They are names for pets – Risk, Zen, Psycho, Chaser, and Stevie (a woman). Many of the scenes are at the coffee shop where the coffee, sexual innuendo and more flow freely. It all seemed rather sophomoric.
Ms. Angell’s writing style is fine. To me the characters and their relationships were confusing and if the men weren’t playing baseball, they were playing the women. The reviews average 4.5 stars, so some readers enjoyed this light read. In the U.S., it has 4.2 stars from 44 reviews.
The remaining three books in the series are selling for £2.49 each. Maybe with enough sales the team will be able to afford jerseys.
When I posted the long list of free inspirational fiction and non-fiction earlier today, I neglected to post our review of one of the titles. Always confirm price before purchase. Many free and reduced books are offered for a limited time only and only in some geographical regions.
In The Messenger, Siri Mitchell explores the Revolutionary War and brings to life an exciting element of history.
As a Quaker, Hannah Sunderland feels caught between sides. Her father insists the family remain completely neutral, even as British soldiers occupy the city and take over the family’s home. Hannah’s twin brother Robert signs up with the rebels and is taken prisoner. Though her father forbids visiting him, Hannah wants to do something to ease the starvation and deprivation the prisoner are facing.
She encounters Jeremiah Jones, the local tavern owner. Jeremiah lost an arm while serving as in the British Army. Revenge compels him to send covert messages on what he overhears from soldiers visiting his tavern. When he needs to sneak a message into the prison, he develops a plan to secure a pass for Hannah if she delivers the message.
The characters are very well-developed. Hannah was especially intriguing as she tried to come to terms with her faith, her father’s instructions, Jeremiah’s pressure and the questions in her heart. Jeremiah was an unlikely but engaging hero. His injury, and his frustration with it, figured prominently in the story. I was surprised, however, that the story did not move more quickly. For a spy novel, more suspense and danger would have been expected.
Mitchell brings extensive research and a well-written story together to create a compelling read. Currently, this book is currently free in the Kindle Store.
Click here to purchase The Messenger
I received this book free as part of Bethany House’s review program. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book,
Helen Smith has written a very entertaining work that is also piercing in its insight in her book Being Light.
The satire about “Cool Britannia” opens with Roy Travers inflating a bouncy castle at a charity carnival. The castle gets caught in the breeze and takes flight. Roy continues to float until the castle loses air and lands on a bucolic farm. When a woman informs him he is Paradise, Roy concludes that he has died and gone to heaven.
He is, in fact, in the hideaway of a former circus performer who is concealing a stolen elephant. Meanwhile, Roy’s wife Sheila is convinced Roy has neither died nor run away with another woman and she is picking up signals from aliens about his location.
Being Light is populated by a large but manageable cast of characters whose relationship with one another is slowly revealed throughout the book. They include the Mrs. Ellington, the private investigator Sheila hired to help find Roy; a famous animal trainer; jaded journalist Jane Memory; Jeremy, a dedicated young activist who is trying to stop the traffic.
With a light touch, Smith exposes some sad truths of modern life. One character is obsessed with classifications and labels, vowing, “If I know as much as possible about everything then every choice I make will be informed.”
She also deftly weaves issues of animal rights and the role of men in modern society into the surreal mystery. One character notes that men aren’t necessary any more and will only be valued as long as they are exotically different from women.
The plot feels a bit disjointed at times and I was hoping for more of crescendo at the end. But for this genre which was not my usual fare, I found it quite enjoyable. It is available for only £0.77 today in the Amazon Kindle store.
Click here to purchase Being Light
Smokey, the very loud purring cat, tells her story with charm, wit and patriotism. When she learns the BBC will interview her, she says, “I was purring for England.” She may belong to England but she purrs her way to the hearts of the world.
After being returned to an animal shelter a heart breaking number of times, Smokey finds her purrfect family. And loudly purrs her way to a Guinness World Record while promoting spaying and neutering to save lives. Smokey’s book begins with introductions by the RSPCA, Larry “The Downing Street Cat”, and the Guinness World Record Editor — who shares the history of Guinness World Records’ creation. I don’t want to include spoilers so I’ll just say Guiness World Records began, as great stories often do, in a pub.
I recommend Smokey to anyone who loves the story of a heroine triumphing over adversity by a special attribute.
Smokey The Very Loud Purring Cat is available for the Kindle for £3.42.
Mary Matthews is the author of Emeralds, Diamonds, and Amethysts (£1.30), a roaring Twenties crime novel.
I just read this book and am delighted to tell you it is being offered for £1.99 on the Kindle.
If you believe in fairy tales, or just enjoy the magic of romance, you’ll love Melanie Dickerson’s newest book The Merchant’s Daughter.
This Christian fiction is loosely based on the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. Like her first novel, The Healer’s Apprentice (£1.99) inspired by Sleeping Beauty, this story is set in medieval Europe, this time in England.
Anabel is the daughter of a merchant, but after his death her family does not fulfill its obligation to work in the lord’s fields. She is forced to become an indentured servant for three years at the home of Lord Ranulf le Wyse. Rumors swirl about the irritable Lord le Wyse, who lost an eye and the use of his hand when he was mauled by a wolf. 
Anabel longs to join a nunnery, so she can read the Bible and escape marriage to Bailiff Tom, which her brother is trying to force upon her.
When Lord le Wyse protects her against the bailiff’s advances, a fragile friendship grows between them and Anabel believes he may not be the beast the servant girls whisper that he is.
This is an enchanting story with engaging characters, although at times I was frustrated with Anabel’s indecision. This is actually Christian fiction for young adults, so it reads quickly and the romance is tender, yet I thoroughly enjoyed it. A very interesting part of the story explored the challenges for people who didn’t have access to the Bible and priests who did not preach the word.
The Merchant’s Daughter is SuperCheap at just £1.99 on Kindle.
Today is Remembrance Day, a day to remember the men and women who have served in the military around the world. The two ladies who run this website are proud of their father, an American veteran. Please allow us to tell you about him.
Dad began his military service in February 1942. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps based in Kunming, China, as a mechanic on B-24 aircrafts. The China-Burma-India Theatre fought the Japanese who were attacking China. The only way to deliver supplies to the troops fighting in China and north of the Himalayan Mountains was to fly over the Hump, a perilous journey on any day. The planes that carried the supplies were the B-24 airplanes my dad serviced. He returned to the United States in October 1945.
Last week my father and 62 other WWII, Korean, and Vietnam veterans participated in an Honor Flight – a non-profit organization whose mission is to take every able veteran to Washington, DC, to see the national monuments which honor their service. Just a few weeks shy of his 92nd birthday, my father took his first commercial flight ever, spent a whirlwind day with comrades and volunteers touring the capital city, and returned to a 200-member motorcycle escort and a thousand well-wishers. The top picture is Dad at 22; the lower picture nearly 70 years later.
Only my father could get me to read military fiction. As Remembrance Day was approaching, I began searching the Kindle Store for a book about where my dad had served. Last Known Position is just the book. Written by William L. Heath, the book was published in 1949. Mr. Heath received the Distinguished Flying Cross for service in the CBI Theatre and flying the Hump.
The book is short. The story is powerful. Four young men, the flight crew of a B-24, must deliver fuel to troops stationed north of the Hump. Each of them could be someone you
know – a nephew, a neighbor, the young man working in a store you frequent, your son. They have been thrown into a war and, even though they don’t understand all the implications of the world struggle, they know their responsibilities and perform them well. Each has a method of escaping the present to cope with the stress of war.
The story requires detail of the plane and the flying process. This is all woven into the story and doesn’t read like a technical manual. The story is suspenseful and I whispered a prayer for these young men, hopeful all would end well yet fearful that it wouldn’t.
Dad read the book on his Kindle. He said it is factual and that he knew the places in the book. I strongly recommend this book this Remembrance Day. You will meet four young men who fought to preserve freedom in the world and you will remember that freedom isn’t free. God bless every man and women who has served to protect the world.
Book description: The planes these men flew were called tankers – B-24’s with the guns and turrets removed and four large containers of gas in the bomb bays instead of bombs. They flew these planes with a minimum crew of pilot, copilot, radio operator, and engineer; and they went out on their missions unescorted and defenseless, crossing the dangerous mountain terrain day and night in all forms of weather, most of it bad.
It was not as bad a war as some men fought, but there were times when it was bad enough. And since the real adversary was the weather through which these men flew, their most gallant campaigns aloft were reduced to lonely, private struggles for survival. The book is available today for £2.14.
