BOOK REVIEW- WICKED RIDE (Realm Enforcers Book 1) Rebecca Zanetti

Alexandra Monzelle is a hard-fighting, heat-packing Seattle vice cop, and she's not much interested in being protected. Her short skirt and sex-kitten heels are tools to lure her suspects into talking about the deadly new drug hitting the streets. She can take care of herself and then some. Unfortunately, she can't seem to get that through to Kellach Dunne.

Kellach is a fresh import from Dublin, and he's landed at the heart of a vicious motorcycle club that deals in guns, narcotics, and mayhem. He's all male, all rough power—and all interference in her damn investigation. Maybe he's one of the good guys. Maybe not. Lex knows an affair with an immortal like him would risk everything. No matter how delicious he looks...Amazon 4.5 STARS

A really good story with great main characters and plenty of action.  Both sexual action and fighting against evil kind of action.
Alexandra (Lexi) is one tough crime fighting force of nature.  At first she is pretty sure Kellach is one of the bad guys.  And after awhile she is flip flopping back and forth whether she should trust him or not.  She's had enough people betray her starting with her felon of a father. 
She has some good people in her life though.  Starting with her naive mother and her younger musically talented sister.  One man she can trust is her police officer partner, Bernie.  He's had her back almost from the start.  He's helped mentor her and is almost like a second father too.  He's set to retire in about 6 months but he's steady and honorable throughout. 

Kellach was surprise after surprise as the story unfolds.  He causes Lex to have to face somethings that way beyond her comfort zone, supernatural things too.  But that doesn't keep them from having hot sex as things progress.  I did like how the comparison that was made that Lexi and Kellach were both enforcers just in different realms. Kellach brings with him his brothers (Daire, and Adam)  and his don't mess with me cousin, Simone.  All of the secondary characters add a lot to the story.  There are more people like Bear and two detectives,  Bundt, and  Masterson).  The detectives are usually giving Lexi a hard time.  I wasn't overwhelmed by the number of additional people in the book because it just seemed to flow together pretty easily. 
There is a lots of twists and turns to the story with most but not all questions answered.   This is Book 1 in a series so you can choose to finish here and be satisfied or continue on. 

BOOK REVIEW- LOVE ME, LOVE ME NOT? by Victoria Morgan

Corina absolutely loves her life on her family ranch in the Amish town. She enjoys working fulltime on the ranch, loves the outdoors and the mountains nearby. But she clashes with her grandfather when he tries to get her to “not do men’s work.” He also has decided that since his grandchildren aren’t doing their part in finding a spouse, it’s his job to do so. In Corina’s opinion, her grandfather is a prehistoric old man. But when a handsome Englischer comes to town, her grandfather immediately begins trying to set them up. Will he just get in the way of something that could happen naturally or will he be the bridge that brings them together?  AMAZON  3 STARS

This book was just okay. Or maybe I should say, books.  Short story books that is.  
I took a chance when I grabbed this book, I was hoping it was a full story without a lot of mini-stories to follow.  No such luck.  In fact I felt like the first story in the book ended abruptly with just a promise.  It felt like it left me hanging.   
The rest of the story for the most part ended except a few didn't feel finished.  There didn't feel like very much depth to most of them. 
I will say that they were sweet, with most of them facing some kind of challenge when it came finding love.  Are there morals to the story in each one, I'd say yes.  They were clean books perfectly safe for younger readers. 

The Angel's Sword

The Angel's Sword

The Joshua Project Foundation

http://thejoshuaprojectfoundation.org/
Evan and Josh Goldenberg tell the story that led to the The Joshua Project. Starting with a grocery store in Southern California, they want to "Braille the entire universe...and Target, too!"

Josh was shopping with his mom one day during that exciting time in a child's life when he or she is learning to read. Only difference was, Josh was learning to read Braille ... his optic nerve never developed and he was born without sight. As he tried to 'read' the store shelves, his mom Christie Goldenberg told him, "There's no Braille."

"Why?" Josh was confused. How was he supposed to shop by himself one day when he was grown up, if there's no Braille on the shelves? Everyone else can see what's on the shelves, and read it too. Josh couldn't do either thing.

Christie and Josh's dad Evan had no good answer for him. So, they approached their Trader Joe's and asked if they could put some Braille up on the store shelves ... Josh would type out the inventory himself, on his Perkins Brailler. Next, it was Whole Foods. They not only allowed it, but got behind The Joshua Project 100% and put up posters and aisle blades in the Southern California stores Josh visited.

Why isn't Braille in grocery stores (and other stores with shelves, for that matter) a standard? Again, we have no good answers. But leave it to a little boy, learning to see the world in his own way, to ask the questions.

http://thejoshuaproject.eventbrite.com/

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BOOK REVIEW- BIG SKY MOUNTAIN Book 2 of Parable, Montana Series (The Parable Series) by Linda Lael Miller

With his rugged good looks, vast wealth and family name, hell-raiser Hutch Carmody is still the golden boy of Parable, Montana. But he's done some growing up—making peace with his illegitimate half brother and inheriting half of Whisper Creek Ranch, which should have been all his. These days, Hutch knows there are some things money can't buy: like the heart of loving, ladylike divorcée Kendra Shepherd.

Kendra's quiet mansion reminds her of what she wants most—a devoted husband and the pitter-patter of little feet. She can't get Hutch Carmody out of her mind. But a rough-and-tumble cowboy like Hutch, coming home for family dinner? Seems crazy! Then again, crazier dreams have become reality under the vast Montana sky.   AMAZON  4 STARS

Here is the book I was looking forward to reading.  I got a glimpse of it at the end of Book 1 "Big Sky Country".  Of course Hutch Carmody was in the prior book because of the head banging he tried to carry on with his illegitimate half brother Slade.  Kendra was also a part of the prior book as well.
This book however starts with quite a bang.  I'm not going to say how, because what would be the fun in that?  I will say that Hutch is smack dab in the middle of it.  It was fun to see some of the characters from the first book, like Opal.  Tenderhearted gruff churchgoing Opal.  She'd prayed more than one couple through problems so that they could realize that they were meant to be a couple.  Opal was also funny.  Like the time she asked him who ironed his shirt.  A Chimpanzee?  
 Madison is also another interesting addition but again I'm not going to tell you who she is or how she is added.  I will say that she is four years old and of course as cute as a button.  I would like to note though that the author did a really good job with Madison's language skills.  I'm talking about how kids have a hard time with some words and managed to slaughter the pronunciation.  The only time I questioned it was when the name Leviticus came up.  At least once Madison said it perfectly.  I thought, "huh?"  Just in case you are wondering, Leviticus is the dog that adopted Hutch.  
I liked both of the main characters.  They both had their own demons that they were battling and they were painful ones that came mainly from their childhoods.  Even though Hutch came from a rich one and Kendra from a really financially and emotionally poor one.  They both also had  scars in common.  They were told they just didn't measure up.  It also caused both of them to scar each other because of pride.  That pride ended their love many years earlier.  Or did it?   There will be a H.E.A. but it won't be without a fight and it won't be quick. 

I also liked how it was said that the whole town grieved for Boone who is now Sheriff.   It was written exactly that way and that Parable was after all a family.  And Boone like Slade and Hutch was a favorite son. 
It does look like he has his own story in the series.  Book #3 called, 

"Big Sky River"

What I want to know is when is someone going to deal with that nasty Deputy McQuillan?

Embracing the Miracle of Personal Transformation-Graham Cooke

All learning in the Kingdom is very different than it is in the world because Kingdom knowledge requires a relational experience with God.

Everything we learn in the Kingdom is about relational transformation so God can make us in the image of Jesus. This makes all our learning relational both in context and in content.

Context is where the Lord inserts Himself into our situation to teach us how to know and walk with Him. Content is where God touches something in us to inspire, heal and upgrade us so that we become like Him.

Our perception of who God wants to be for us will drive everything in our life because God loves to show us the outcome first and then the process of how we get there.

To embark on this transformational process with God, watch the video above.

BOOK REVIEW- BIG SKY COUNTRY by Linda Lael Miller

No one writes Western romance better than #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller! 

Let her take you to the town of Parable, Montana… 

The illegitimate son of a wealthy rancher, Sheriff Slade Barlow grew up in a trailer hitched to the Curly-Burly hair salon his mother runs. He was never acknowledged by his father…until now. Suddenly, Slade has inherited half of Whisper Creek Ranch, one of the most prosperous in Parable County. That doesn't sit well with his half brother, Hutch, who grew up with all the rights of a Carmody, including the affections of Joslyn Kirk, homecoming queen, rodeo queen, beauty queen—and the girl Slade's never forgotten. 

But Joslyn has come home to Parable under difficult circumstances. Resented by many of the townspeople cheated by her crooked stepfather, she's trying to rebuild her life and repay everyone who lost money because of his schemes. With a town to protect, plus a rebellious teenage stepdaughter, Slade already has his hands full. But someone has to convince Joslyn that she's responsible only for her own actions—and that someone is Sheriff Barlow!    AMAZON 4 STARS

I liked this book although the pace was a bit slower than I normally like.  But as I think about it, it kind of has a laid back feel to it that is similar to one of the main characters.  I'm talking about Slade Barlow, of course.  It was also a good foundation get to know the people of the town and families, kind of book.

I really liked both main characters.  Slade was a rock solid kind of man.  Someone who had been cheated out of a lot of things but grew up strong with a great mom.  Callie was a out of the usual mom but still she wasn't out there that far.  I liked how several people mentioned that Slade was a old-fashioned man, one of those who enjoyed being married.  Even his ex-wife Layne  said so and they managed to remain on a friendly basis.   They understood each other and wanted the best for each other even if they couldn't make it married.  That was refreshing. 

Joslyn was such an honorable young woman who was trying to do penance for the sins of her step-father.  There was so  much that went on that she didn't know about.  And when she did, the shame was overwhelming.  She had left Parable in the dark of night with her mother and housekeeper friend Opal and now she was here back in that same town. She had grown up so much from her spoiled rich days with her step-father.   She did still have one really good friend from her youngest days in Parable, her name was Kendra. And she has quite a story too which was shown just a bit more in the book I mentioned below.

The relationship between Slade and his half-brother Hutch wasn't one.  But what they did have was rocky and tense often just inches from blows.  I kept wondering how would that ever work out if it ever did.  Emotions run high more than once in this story and not just between Hutch and Slade.
I like how the author added some fun descriptive phrases in the book.  
Let me see.  Like, returning to her old home was like, "the place was her emotional Ground Zero" or "from that center-point, the calamity had spread, scorched earth fashion, throughout the community....."  I enjoyed phrases like that but they also weren't overused to my way of thinking.
Yes, there were some unanswered questions but I enjoyed what was answered.

When it comes to reading more in the series, I've already lined up another one.  "Big Sky Mountain: Book 2 of Parable, Montana Series (The Parable Series)  continues the story of Hutch, Slade's half-brother.  At the end of this book, there is a quick and quite interesting look into that book.  It seems like wherever Hutch was, he managed to stir up drama.  Yes, looking forward to that one.