February 22, 2022
If you’re looking for a fantastic, fast-moving suspense to read quickly, this is it. I love Dana Mentink’s books, and her new one is every bit as good as her past ones. Check out my review:
Death Valley Double Cross is the third book in Dana Mentink’s Desert Justice series but can certainly be read as a stand-alone. Just like the great preceding stories in the series, this one is definitely a winner, too.
Pilar Jefferson left her groom at the altar to protect him, but her action might have been in vain. Now that her father has been released from prison, his former partner is out to get what he thinks belongs to him and doesn’t care who has to hurt to get it. Believing Pilar is the key to finding the missing stolen money, he threatens her and everyone she cares about.
Austin Duke has been nursing a severe shoulder injury and a grudge. He has never gotten over the way Pilar ran out on him. When he is thrust back into her life, he must confront his demons while trying to protect her. Will he ever be able to forgive her and trust her? Can they work together to keep their loved ones safe and themselves from getting killed?
Death Valley Double Cross is not only a great romantic suspense, but it’s also a book about people who must face the past and rise above it; who must look inside themselves to admit their shortcomings and institute change; who must decide to forgive, let go of grudges, and trust again. The characters are so believable. They experience the gamut of emotions we all experience at different times in our lives. They live, they learn, they grow—something we all must do.
The plot is riveting and fast moving, and the descriptions put you in the thick of the action, but it is the character development that I found so moving. This book easily earns five plus stars. It is a story of people who learn to trust, forgive, and love while fighting for survival and justice. Kudos, Dana Mentink!
October 20, 2021
Wow! What a great book! A true page-turning romantic suspense!
Dana Mentink has a way of drawing readers into the story on the first page and keeping then in the thick of the action until the very end. Good guys, bad guys, police dogs, Alaska, and reindeer. What more could a reader ask for?
Kate Kapowski is an assistant to the Alaska State K-9 Unit but returns home to her aunt’s reindeer ranch when an uncle she never knew threatens her aunt and the animals. Immediately, she, too becomes a target. Trooper Brayden Ford, not Katie’s favorite person, and his K-9 partner, Ella, are assigned to protect her. As the danger escalates, Brayden and Katie must resolve their differences and work together before they fall prey to a killer.
Yukon Justice is a very fast-paced story with likable, plausible characters who struggle with very real emotions, The scenery is described in such a way that the reader can easily imagine being right there. I “saw” the reindeer and the police dogs. I “felt” Katie’s fear and her determination to face that fear and move beyond it. I “experienced” Brayden’s frustration as he struggled to save people he cared about.
Yukon Justice is the seventh book in the Alaska K-9 series but can easily be read as a stand-alone. I’ve enjoyed all of the previous books, but this book has been my favorite. If you want a story that you can’t put down and that combines action, suspense, faith, romance, and a touch of humor, this book is it! I give it a five-star rating. Easily!
June 13, 2021
I just read a yummy new cozy mystery, and I just have to share my review of it!!
I have always loved Dana Mentink’s romantic suspense novels, and I have to say that I am equally thrilled with Pints of No Return, the first cozy mystery in her new Shake Shop Mystery Series. It is a fun, fast-paced story that will keep you turning pages and analyzing clues with heroine, Trinidad Jones.
When Trinidad’s husband deeds her a store in Upper Sprocket at their divorce, she finds herself living in his hometown where his other two ex-wives also live. She decides to fulfill her dream of owning her own business and prepares to turn the old store into the Shimmy and Shake Shop, featuring delectable “Freakshakes” concocted from her homemade ice cream.
Just before the Fourth of July grand opening, Trinidad finds the body of a neighboring shop owner in his own huge popcorn kettle. One of the other ex-wives is jailed for the crime, and Trinidad plays sleuth to help clear this woman who has become a friend.
The characters are quirky, fun, and totally realistic. Plot twists and turns will keep you guessing along with Trinidad until the very end. Dana Mentink has written another winner, and she has even included a yummy Key Lime Ice Cream recipe! Kudos, Dana. I can’t wait for Book Two!!
January 3, 2021
Happy New Year!
Let’s face it, 2020 was a very tough year, but we made it through. We learned to do things in whole new ways. We learned to do without some things that we always considered essential. Many of us had to say goodbye to loved ones. We had to learn to work from home. We had to visit numerous grocery stores just to find some of the basic items on our lists and improvise when we couldn’t find them. But we did these things.
In all the hardships, I’ve tried to remain positive and to count my blessings. My family and I have remained healthy; I’ve published some books (one even made the USA Today Bestseller List!!); I moved into a smaller place right before the pandemic hit; and I can still communicate with folks, though perhaps not in person. I am reminded of a song we sang at church years ago. The words included: “Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God has done.” My goal is to strive to do this every day and to focus on the good in life.
Wishing you all a safe, happy, healthy new year. May we be able to return to some semblance of normal soon!
September 27, 2020
I am so excited to share a recent conversation with author Laurie Stroup Smith. Laurie writes Amish and contemporary romance with the aim of inspiring her readers to serve others. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband and her two daughters.
Laurie, can you tell us about your most recent release?
Pockets of Promise, Book #1 in The Pocket Quilt Series, was released on April 30, 2020. It is the story of a young Amish woman who is torn between two worlds and two men. She travels to Pinecraft where she receives wisdom and guidance from secret letters tucked into the pockets of a special quilt.
What inspired you to write this story?
I got the idea for this book from an image of a “Love Letters” (“Love Notes”) quilt that I saw on Facebook. I started writing the story about a seventh-grade girl who needed to rely on her faith to get through a tough time. When I pitched the idea to my agent, she strongly suggested that I consider telling the story from the point of view of a young Amish woman during her rumspringa instead. I’m so glad I followed her advice!
Is there a particular Scripture verse that inspires you to continue writing?
Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Growing up, I played soccer. My dad worked with me and often illustrated his helpful tips on the backs of envelopes. He’d tell me to “keep knocking, someone will answer the door,” which meant to keep shooting the ball, and I would eventually score. Since then, these words have inspired me in other aspects of both my personal and professional life.
What has been the hardest part of your journey toward publication?
Waiting to hear what editors think about my writing has been the toughest part of this journey toward publication. While praying for the right manuscript to land on the right desk at the right time, I have continued to knock on their doors. I was writing my seventh manuscript when Vinspire Publishing opened the door and offered me a three-book contract, the first of which was Pockets of Promise.
Lauries’s next book, Pockets of Purpose, Book#2 in The Pocket Quilt Series, will be released on June 30, 2021. In this novel, Dixie Yoder travels from Pinecraft to Holmes County with hopes of a future with Gideon Petersheim. Surgical complications leave the auctioneer searching for purpose as she yearns for his love.
Thank you, Laurie, for giving us a glimpse into your life and writing world. You can connect with Laurie at:
https://www.facebook.com/lauriestroupsmith
April 21, 2019
Book Review: An Amish Reunion by Kelly Irvin, Kathleen Fuller, Amy Clipston, and Beth Wiseman
How lucky can a person get? Four fantastic Amish stories by four bestselling authors all in one book! An Amish Reunion makes perfect vacation reading, bedtime reading, or anytime reading.
I was so glad to catch up with Hannah Kauffman from Kelly Irvin’s Every Amish Season Series. At age eighteen, Hannah made a terrible mistake. Her family and community forgave her, but she continues to bear the shame as she raises her daughter, Evie, alone. When Evie’s father, Thaddeus, returns to seek forgiveness and acceptance back into the community, Hannah must decide if she can trust him again of if Phillip, who has stood by her for the past two years, would be a better choice.
Can an elderly matchmaker find a match of her own? In Kathleen Fuller’s A Chance To Remember, Cevilla shares memories of the past with Richard, an acquaintance from her former English life. Will they simply remain friends or, at this point in their lives, will a shared past morph into a shared future?
In Amy Clipston’s Their True Home, Marlene’s life has been topsy turvy since her mother’s death. Back in her hometown after ten years away, she begins working in the hardware store owned by the father of Rudy, the boy she had a secret crush on years ago. Dare she hope for more than friendship between them as they get to know one another again or will another sudden turn of events crush her hopes?
Ruth and Gideon Beiler experienced every parent’s nightmare in Beth Wiseman’s A Reunion of Hearts. Their grief has driven them from each other, their families, and their faith. Unknown to each other, they both return to their home town for a family reunion,. When they meet, will they be able to relinquish their grief and forge a new relationship or have time and tragedy created a permanent barrier?
If you’ve ever read books by these talented authors, you will find their novellas every bit as compelling and touching as their full-length novels. You will laugh and cry with the characters and hope for their “happily ever after.” Once you begin reading, you will need to continue until the very end. Thank you Kelly, Kathleen, Amy, and Beth for such wonderful stories!
April 23, 2017
Book Review: Upon a Spring Breeze by Kelly Irvin
Kelly Irvin’s Upon a Spring Breeze is one of the most touching books I’ve read in while. I could actually feel Bess Weaver’s pain at losing her young husband, Caleb. One minute she is working in the kitchen waiting for Caleb to come home and thinking about their first baby due soon. In the blink of an eye, she becomes a young widow and will be a single mother. Her whole world is turned upside down. The baby who should bring her joy instead serves as a reminder of her loss.
In her struggle to find a new normal, Bess begins working at an English-owned bed and breakfast and finds herself attracted to the owner’s son. Caleb’s best friend, Aden, has tried to help Bess but finds the love he has always repressed has grown stronger. Now two men vie for Bess’ affection while she still mourns her loss.
Several widows in the Amish community take Bess under their wings, offering her help, support, and friendship. Will they be able to help her find hope ,joy, and even love again?
As in all of her novels, Kelly Irvin writes rich descriptions and situates well-developed characters in a fast-moving plot. Thank you for such a beautiful story, Kelly. We have all experienced loss of some sort, and we have all struggled to find our way at times. How wonderful to read a story that puts these feelings into words and also offers hope.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough!