Kindle Editions Now Available, including Sariah's Back Door

How happy I am to announce the arrival of my novels and novellas on Kindle, including my new novel, Sariah's Back Door:

When Sariah Brown, a woman with a secret past, finds a skeleton buried in her back yard, she calls upon Dr. Reuben Sands, a renowned archaeologist, to help her unearth it. While Sariah makes contact with a young Native American from the 1500's, she must also determine what her mission is regarding him. As she prepares to begin another journey to ancient America, one question haunts her: Will Reuben join her?

Lured into a web of mystery and danger, Reuben’s heart is torn between his attraction to Sariah and his logic for the laws of nature. Entangled in matters that defy science and sanity, Reuben must learn the truth about Sariah’s Back Door, or die trying. His discovery throws all his previous beliefs into an unfathomable abyss, leaving him shaken to the core. What he does with this newfound knowledge will impact his life in ways he never imagined possible, if only he has the courage to believe . . . .

Sariah’s Back Door is a compelling, inspirational, time-travel mystery-romance.

All of my other novels, written prior to 2008, are also available on Kindle.
Be sure to look for:

One Last Gift, first book in the Gift Series: Kayla Dawn Allen gave up religion ten years ago to pursue a lifestyle completely foreign to her upbringing. When she receives a disturbing telephone call from her father, Mont, she reluctantly leaves her fiancé, her sailboat, and her challenging career in San Diego, and hastens to her childhood home high in the Uintah Mountains. Her return stirs up questions from her past she thought she'd buried years before: Why does Mont tenaciously cling to his faith, regardless of his daughter's denouncement of it? Isn't God just a crutch people use when they don't understand science? Does her mother really live in the Spirit World, as Mont insists? Kayla conquers one issue after another until she faces the greatest obstacle of her life in a desperate race for survival. Will a tragedy turn Kayla's analytical heart back to God, or will it take a miracle? Can lovely Kayla be rescued from her own scientific disposition, her infatuation with Ed Sparkleman, and even more desperate and dangerous elements in One Last Gift? At the supremely satisfying conclusion, you will be left with the question, “What about Ed?”

An Angel’s Gift second book in the Gift Series: Ed Sparkleman meets his match when Alyssa drops in on the Bar M Ranch (literally!) and disrupts his life forever. As ranch foreman, Ed is responsible for keeping his men in order, but with Alyssa around, all the ranch hands begin to act oddly out of character, especially Ed. Is Alyssa truly An Angel’s Gift sent straight to him from heaven? If so, what about his brother, Abbot?

The Tyee’s Gift third book in the Gift Series: Set in the picturesque Pacific Northwest, adventure meets Abbot Sparkleman when he discovers the greatest archaeological site of the century and falls in love with the beautiful and mysterious Bekah. The Tyee’s Gift will bring tears of laughter, joy and heartache while Abbot learns where much is given, much is required.

Charity’s Gift fourth book in the Gift Series: When Hans comes face to face with a ferocious shark, it strikes less fear than vivacious and attractive Charity, who throws his heart into a spiraling nose-dive deep in the Pacific Ocean. The only way he can salvage their crumbling romance is to find her missing father, who's been absent from Charity's life for almost twenty-five years. Charity's Gift will touch your heart forever.

The Refiner’s Gift: the fifth and final novel in the Gift Series, should be read last in order to maintain the continuity of suspense. Tom Sparkleman confessed to a brutal crime eight years ago, and he has been paying the price ever since. Parents shun him and women want nothing to do with him. As Tom agonizes over questions in his mind and heart, he asks the Lord, Am I still a child of God? Is there no miracle in store for me? Then, a raging flash flood sweeps Tom’s tainted world aside . . . setting in motion events that will shape the man Tom is yet to become, and he is astounded at just how much the Refiner is truly mindful of him. In The Refiner’s Gift, Tom learns God carries each of us during our most difficult trials, while giving us courage and strength to lift the burdens of others. The Refiner’s Gift includes the ultimate gift for Tom Sparkleman, a man who let liquor nearly destroy his life five years ago. What miracles the Lord has in store for him, Tom can only dream about, for Tom does not believe he will ever find a woman who will love him regardless of his past. The miracle for Tom will exceed his wildest expectations, and will thrill the Sparkleman and Clark Clans for generations still unborn.

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Gardenia Sunrise: Brandje (pronounced Bran-dee) never considered herself one of the Shepherd’s lost lambs until she learns that she has cancer. Broken-hearted and frightened by the drastic measures it will take to provide even the remotest hope for a cure, she flees to her villa on the west coast of France where she hopes to prepare herself emotionally and spiritually to meet God. Her plans are altered when Nathan, an American with a hot temper, arrives for his annual holiday at the villa, unaware that his reservation has been canceled. Brandje’s remarkable journey of spiritual and romantic discovery touches both heart and soul with enlightenment, hope and inspiration. Gardenia Sunrise is a stand-alone novel and not part of any series or saga.

Excerpt: Nathan pondered the situation carefully as he nudged the door open again with the toe of his shoe. A woman was sleeping in his bed. His bed! His reaction changed from surprise to anger, which frustrated him even more because of his struggle to conquer his quick temper. She had no right! He’d rented the villa legally and she would have to go . . . then Nathan grinned mischievously and arched an eyebrow. This might prove a very interesting situation, he decided at once. Very interesting indeed!

Gentle reader, please be aware that while medical science has expanded far beyond the medical parameters in this novel, Gardenia Sunrise was written when transplantation was in its infancy. It is the author’s hope that current medical knowledge will advance even further. Perhaps in the future a patient may be able to swallow a simple pill and grow his or her own new organs, bones, muscles, etc. Regardless, Gardenia Sunrise gives a message of hope and resilience that may be able to mend even Brandje’s broken heart.

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The Warwick Saga is historical fiction at its very best! Story is complete in two books:

Search for the Bark Warwick: Beginning with the stowaway who interrupts and changes John’s life forever, and concluding with John’s desperate search for his captive son, this historical novel, based loosely on a true story, is a stirring tale of surprise, compassion, love and tenacious devotion to family. The story of a genuine hero in 1630's England, Search for the Bark Warwick will keep you on the edge of your seat, and leave you begging for more.

Search for the Warwick II: Proving once and for all why she is known as the writer of miracles, Sherry Ann Miller’s absorbing sequel, Search for the Warwick II, concludes the search for John Dunton's son who is enslaved in 1630's Algeria, where a generous reward has been offered for John's capture. Now, John must not only find Thomas, he must avoid recapture while he and his devoted crew attempt to out-sail and outmaneuver a horde of evil pirates. Nothing else matters to John or his men . . . not even their own lives.

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Mama’s Lemon Pie ~ a Celebration of Motherhood :
This inspiring biography is condensed from the original story of the author’s remarkable mother and the challenges she overcame. Daughters everywhere are going to love it!

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Scottish Legend: this novella will whisk you from San Francisco to Great Britain and back again, taking your breath away in a fast-paced, action-packed tale of danger, intrigue and edge-of-your-heart romance. When FBI undercover agent, Jacey Munroe, meets legendary Scottish Lord, Rob McLennan, she is disguised as Katie Chester, the spoiled, wealthy daughter of a man standing trial in America for treason and murder.

Rob, however, suspects there is more to this beautiful woman than meets the eye. Jacey diligently prevents Rob from learning the truth about her at every encounter, which not only angers him, it boggles his understanding of women.

To complicate matters, Jacey and Rob are drawn to each other like a flame toward oxygen . . . a situation Jacey cannot allow. Falling in love with someone you are deceiving while working undercover is not permitted in the FBI, regardless of what your heart tells you.

Oregon Flame: This novella opens with a punch, has white-knuckled, page-turning power, and delivers the miraculous impact for which Sherry Ann has earned her reputation. Nicole Travis could easily fall for Wade Reilly’s fiery charm . . . if only she could trust him. But, how can Nicole ever believe Wade’s sincerity? He took advantage of her brother, and destroyed her relationship with her fiancé.

I hope you're as happy about these new Kindle editions as I am.

The Price of Gold by Alison Palmer

Alison Palmer has a knack for pulling a reader into a story and keeping their interest all the way through to the very last sentence. The Price of Gold is such a novel, and it kept me going page after page. Admittedly, I know very little of Egyptian mythology, but learned a great deal while reading The Price of Gold.

An engaging story of two teenagers, Cassie and Met, I felt drawn into Cassie's life more than I had anticipated. She is a very sympathetic character and one I wanted to understand better. Her ingenious way of staying alive, surviving against all odds, made her a loveable person, almost real . . . to me. I ached with Cassie, felt hunger with Cassie, and craved someone to care about me, as Cassie does throughout the story.

Met, the dominant male in The Price of Gold, is the descendant of the ancient Pharoahs and a fascinating example of an Egyptian legend in the flesh. His ability to change from human to bird form I found completely absorbed by, and his interest in Cassie, while bordering on stalking in the beginning, soon revealed something far more worthwhile . . . a budding romance and an eternal compassion for a beautiful girl who wanted nothing more than to be loved and respected, which Met does admirably.

While their relationship starts out a little rocky, mostly because Cassie doesn't seem to trust anyone (understandably so), it soon grows much stronger and steadier, until Cassie discovers Met's secret quite accidentally. Then, she is thrown into a nose dive, and is torn between wanting Met in her life and knowing she doesn't belong in his.

An intriguing tale from start to finish, I read the entire book twice before writing the review and found it equally as fascinating the second time through. Alison's strengths lie in POV, visualization and her keen ability to keep the reader's attention page after page.

While I enjoyed The Price of Gold, it has one serious flaw: it was not well-edited. There were numerous typo errors, which stopped the flow of the story, a problem which Alison will, hopefully, correct with future issues.

All That Was Promised, by Vickie Hall

All That Was Promised by Vickie Hall brought me quickly through its front page to 1847 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. I was immediately interested in this LDS novel because my grandparents were from Llantrisant, Glamorgan, Wales. The backdrop has always fascinated me, which only added to my being "hooked" by Vickie's engrossing tale of conversion and persecution in and around Cardiff. Vickie weaves a beautiful story of love and betrayal within the pages of her book, along with backstory from the point of view of many of her characters. The reader empathizes with the Latter Day Saints plight, struggles as they struggle, rejoices as they rejoice, fear as they fear . . . .

Not only does Vickie have the ability to catch my interest, but she kept that interest in the engaging tale in All That Was Promised. I found danger, humor, concern, anger, laughter, compassion and a multitude of other feelings as she captivated me at each new turn in the road.

Richard and Leah Kenyon are the main characters: a young Methodist minister and his wife, who had already known disappointment and bereavement in the loss of their unborn children. It seemed as though the very gates of hell had opened up its wide mouth to consume them, yet they came through the Refiner's fire with conviction and spirit.

Add to the Kenyon's fiery storms a deranged brother (and his evil wife), a niece caught up in a terrible drama, a missionary whose family suffers tragedy of their own, a barmaid who ultimately cleaves unto the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a deluded murderer who would kill all "Mormons" if given the opportunity, and you have All That Was Promised . . . an engaging story that doesn't let you up from its absorbing pages until the very last word is spilled out.

Would I recommend the book to others? Yes, it was a tale that needed to be told . . . in a beautiful country, the county of my own ancestors.

That said, please be aware that the book is seriously flawed with a multitude of POV changes within each scene, something its editor(s) should have pounced on from the very first page.

Chocolate Never Faileth by Annette Lyon

Annette Lyon has outdone herself this time. From the moment her book, Chocolate Never Faileth, arrived in my mailbox, I have spent hours perusing the book and going over the recipes in great detail, including all the lead paragraphs introducing each recipe. Chocolate Never Faileth opens with important notes on non-chocolate ingredients as well as vital information on chocolate, itself. For goodness sakes, don't skip these two sections as they will be well worth your time.

Afterward, Annette dives right into Chocolate Cakes, one of the most daunting experiences (for me). Making a great homemade chocolate cake is something I've never achieved in my half-century of baking experiments. But, Annette makes it sound so easy; she actually starts this section with Devil's Food Cake and moves on from there to Chocolate Oatmeal Cake, then Cockeyed Cake, which is merely dumping all the ingredients into the baking pan and mixing it well with a fork before baking it (I'm sure I can make this one as it seems so simple a child could easily do it. Just wait until you reach Annette's Hot Fudge Cake (ooh, sounds so yummy!). She doesn't skip out on cheesecake, either, which is a true classic. The 3-Minute Microwave Chocolate Cake, which would be a great holiday gift to give with cute Christmas Mugs (microwave safe, of course), with the dry ingredients already stirred inside, and a little bow with a label that instructs on the wet ingredients to add and the baking/microwave directions.

Don't get me started on the Cookie section in Chocolate Never Faileth, with 14 cookie recipes ranging from delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies to Chocolate Coconut Macaroons, and a dozen more in between. The Brownies, Bars & Other Single-Serving Bliss recipes follows the Cookie Section, and covers Chocoholic Lemon Squares, Gooey Turtle Brownies, and several more heavenly bar recipes that sound so simple to throw together, I know even I can make them.

Annette's directions are clear and precise and the side notes are laugh-out-loud funny, such as on page 73, where it says, "Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but she can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake." So true in my case.

The section on Mousses, Pies, Puddings & Stuff in Bowls is yet another chocolate treasure to lick your way through, and assures the reader: "Countless numbers of people have eaten chocolate for breakfast and gone on to lead normal lives." This section contains recipes like Luscious Chocolate Tart, White Chocolate Filling and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Annette offers Classic Chocolate Mousse in this section and it is positively as yummy as her Easy Chocolate Pudding, which is pretty much foolproof. Chocolate Cherry Cordial Ice Cream is one recipe I plan on trying this summer when we have one of our family get togethers because I've now learned the recipes within the pages of Chocolate Never Faileth are completely trustworthy. And, Annette's pie recipes, of which there are several that tempt me almost too much, including French Silk Pie, are too yummy to even attempt to explain.

Under the heading Snacks & Gifts, Annette gives us a large variety of fudges, including Orange Fudge, and "Symphonic" Peanut Butter Fudge, and of course, the best Perfect Chocolate Milk.

Annette's section on Molded Suckers & Mints will surprise you with the ingenuity and eye-appealing recipes found there, including Cherry Cordial Popcorn, Gourmet Gorp, and Hot Cocoa Mix.

An entire section is devoted to chocolate delights in the form of Pastries, and another for Icings, Toppings & Dips. Annette even includes a section she calls Fancy (But Easy) Bliss, which includes among its many recipes Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries, Chocolate Pizza, and even Chocolate-Dipped Boxes.

The last section, which entirely surprised me, is called Non-Edible Chocolate Bliss, which gives a number of body products such as Body Scrubs, Play Dough, Lip Gloss . . . you get the picture.

Along with the recipes within the pages of Chocolate Never Faileth, Annette Lyon has included many photos of the recipes already prepared, and they are very stylishly done. Sometimes the photo alone tempts me to try the recipe. If all this is not enough, Annette reminds the baker, "While there is chocolate, there is life." I couldn't agree more.

Great work, Annette. Will there be a sequel?

Books by Laurie Alice Eakes

I've been reading Laurie Alice Eakes' novels lately. She writes for Heartsong, and her novels have become rare treasures to my bulging collection.

The first novel of Laurie's that I read was titled, Better Than Gold and tells the story of Lily Reese, who can't wait to escape Browning City, Iowa, for the big city. She can't see the loving family of townspeople around her for the stars in her eyes for something larger and grander. It takes a humble Ben Purcell to teach her to recognize that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. Included within the pages are the rumors of a long-lost cache of gold somewhere in the building where Ben Purcell resides. The readers will soon find themselves face to face with danger and intrigue . . . which melds beautifully into the romance budding between Ben and Lily. Better Than Gold is set back in the 1870's and each scene is reminiscent of that time frame, for Laurie has done her research well. It is such a delightful story, and one I will always recommend.

Next, I read Laurie's novel, The Glassblower, which I didn't believe (at first) could come close to capturing my attention as eagerly as did Better Than Gold, however, I was pleasantly surprised. From the very first page to the very last, I was engrossed and could scarcely put it down. The story is about Meg Jordan, daughter of the wealthy owner of Jordan Glassworks. Meg dreams of becoming a teacher for the poor, local children in Salem County, New Jersey, and not the wife of Joseph Pyle, whom her father seems set on her marrying. Set in the early 1800's, The Glassblower, also known as Colin Grassick, arrives at Jordan Glassworks from Scotland, where he has mastered the art of blowing glass into intricate and beautiful pieces, and he quickly becomes the lead glassblower for Meg's father. When Meg and Colin first meet, it is apparent that he captures her heart as quickly as she captures his. But Colin will never qualify as suitor to Meg because her father has a much wealthier man, Joseph Pyle, in mind for her. But, Meg's heart is quickly stolen by Colin and she begins to see Joseph Pyle in a much more sinister light than she could have imagined. Mystery, intrigue and an enduring romance are all key elements of The Glassblower and it is another of Laurie's novels I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Enter The Heiress, which takes place a few decades later than The Glassblower and I am just now beginning this third novel by Laurie Alice Eakes. With Laurie's two earlier novels under my belt, I'm looking forward to reading The Heiress, with just as much enthusiasm as I did the first two. Somehow, I know I won't be disappointed.

True Miracles with Genealogy, by Anne Bradshaw

Within moments of the book, True Miracles with Genealogy, arriving at my doorstep, I was lying on my bed reading it. Being an avid family history nut, I found the stories Anne Bradshaw compiled both compelling and inspirational. Of course, two of my own stories are found within the pages, which gave me an extra advantage in wanting to read the others. To my delight, I found all of the other stories drawing me in (although I was quite disappointed when each story ended, as I wanted to read more and more from each author).

My only regret is that the volume wasn't a thousand stories long, as I am sure there are many, many more delightful experiences out there just waiting to be told by others.

Anne has a real knack for gathering and compiling stories that touch the heart and enlighten the mind, and True Miracles with Genealogy is no exception. I hope Anne compiles another one just like it, only hundreds of pages longer. I could read such inspirational stories all day long!

Great work, Anne! Thanks for sharing this remarkable little book with the rest of us.

IMPRINTS by Rachel Ann Nunes

I loved the cover for Rachel Ann Nunes new book, Imprints, and quickly found myself unwilling to put it aside for very long. It is a fascinating read and a great novel.

Quoting from the back cover: A young woman is missing. In desperation, her parents turn to Autumn Rain for help. Autumn reads imprints -- emotions mysteriously left behind on certain treasured objects. But will this ability enrich her life or destroy it?

The first two paragraphs caught my attention and the rest of the story kept it. I felt myself drawn to Autumn Rain, a remarkably kind woman with an ability to see the past through objects she touches. Autumn's adventures begin to unravel when she follows her instincts and joins a group she believes has brainwashed two women and is, perhaps, holding them captive against their will. Of course, she hopes to free the women, but how can she fight against the evil Dar and his mob?

Earlier, Jake entered her life. Jake is an uncommonly caring man whose devotion to Autumn is apparent from the very beginning. But, there's also Ethan, for whom Autumn feels a strange and exciting attachment. Will either man be "the one" to make her fall in love, or are both just toying with her emotions?

The chapter endings scream at the reader to "hurry and turn the page," as though the book has imprinted on us and we are lured into the story and absorbed by it. Even with the surprise twist at the ending, Imprints holds the reader to the page much like the spider lures the fly, until we have no choice but to be startled just when everything seems safe and sane again.

Imprints is one book you won't want to start late at night because you won't want to put it down until the very last word. Even then, you'll want to go back for a second read because the story has so many twists and turns that leave the reader breathless.

Two thumbs up for Imprints! Rachel is to be applauded for this truly captivating story.