Book Spotlight Fridays! The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip

Book Beginnings and Friday56

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader and share a non-spoiler sentence or two.  First Line Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Reading is my Superpower that asks you to share the first sentence of the book you're reading.

This week I'm featuring a Debut author.

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip

About the book:

Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she’s been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who’s just entered hospice care. But there’s more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she’s not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it’s a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that’s just what Mrs. Kip will give her—but she’s going to have to work for it.

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Book Beginnings

Clara Kip had prayed repeatedly to die in São Paulo.

Friday 56

"Mrs. Kip, I'm just here to keep you company," Jimmy said.

"You're here to keep me guarded, honey."

My thoughts so far

The first 47% flew by.  Clara is a spunky 80ish lady and I'm interested to also discover her story along with Aidyn.

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Review: The Heart of the Mountains

The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper D. Basham
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

Rating 4.5

“But I reckon God wouldn’t have given tears to us if He didn’t mean for us to use them now and again.”

With the start of this story, I have met a brave young woman who I quickly realised do no back down at the first challenge. Cora was a character to easily love and connect with. Jeb, the hero, was a strong male character, his strength coming from his fight to choose better and rise from circumstances and memories.

The start of this story was a bit slow for me with a slow build to a more action filled end.

From all the books I have read to date, this author is talented and delivers strong stories fitting to the era and location. This was another enjoyable historical read that took me right along the mountain people and getting to know them and their ways along with Cora.

The author has a beautiful way of penning words.

She looked at him in a way that made him feel like he hadn’t lost half of himself in the trenches of Europe.

I loved how though Cora found the mountain vastly different to expected, she embraced it and the people and learned their ways, using what she learned in her skills. Cora was also not afraid to face the dangerous elements to help others.

Any sound person would likely run off, but thanks to her stubborn streak and some sort of crazy love for. . .crazy, she fell right into the world here.

Fans who love the romance Pepper D Basham always delivers, will not be disappointed. The romance, though not conventional, was smile worthy and there were toe-curling kissing scenes to satisfy all the lip itching.

“Love’s worth being brave, ain’t it? Brave again and again and again.”

For readers who enjoys a bit of danger, suspense, and action, will find scenes to their liking as well.

“Mama’s always said that God uses prayin’ to change us more than us changin’ anything else.”

The Spiritual thread within these pages was strong and there was one of the strongest and emotional redemption stories as well.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.*

Review of book 1 

View all my reviews

About the book:

To escape a forced marriage, Cora Taylor travels from England to the Blue Ridge Mountains in search of her brother, who is working as a teacher in a mission school. She hopes to find a place where her nursing skills and independent ideas will be accepted and appreciated, but nothing prepares her for the wild mixture of isolation, community, brokenness, and hope within these mountains…or in the person of Jeb McAdams.
Returning from the devastation of World War 1 emotionally damaged, Jeb McAdams struggles against the rampant mountain alcoholism to soothe his nightmares. It’s easy to hide within the mountains, or it was, before Cora Taylor arrives. Now, she seems to show up at every turn, bringing her ideas, curiosity, and beautiful eyes with her. Their mutual understanding of the costs of war leads to an unspoken bond that develops into a hesitant friendship. As Cora turns her nursing experience and determination on establishing hygiene and education for women in the Appalachian community while also attempting to rescue Jeb from his own ghosts, Cora and Jeb’s partnership turns into a project of celebrating the gifts within Appalachia. But when the past sweeps back into their lives and an outbreak of scarlet fever threatens the future, will Cora and Jeb find a way to work together – even if it means unplanned matrimony – or will their different lives and brokenness tear them apart.

About the author:

Pepper D Basham has been telling tales ever since she was a little girl. When her grandmother called her a “writer” at the age of ten, Pepper took it as gospel and has enjoyed various types of writing styles ever since. A native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and lover of chocolate, Pepper enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction wherever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she works with kids who have special needs, searches for unique hats, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley.

Can't Wait Wednesday! Deception

 Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

I'm looking forward to the fourth and final book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series, releasing August 2022.

About the book: Deception

When ISB Ranger Madison Thorn arrives in Natchez to investigate a white-collar scheme, she has no idea she will be thrown back into the violent crimes division--or that it will get so personal. She'll have to work with her childhood-enemy-turned-handsome-charmer to unravel the clues before it's too late.

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers That Feel Like Summer

Join in the Top Ten Tuesday fun! Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Since we are in the middle of winter here in the Southern Hemisphere, thinking of summer helps to know this cold weather is only here for a season. ⛄  

Summer for me is beach days, hiking, and anything nature.  So, looking at books I still need to read, here is some that gives me that warm summary feel:

1.  That Certain Summer

2.  The House at Saltwater Point

3.  The Water Keeper

4.  A Distant Shore

5.  The Crushing Depths

6.  Dark Water

7.  Driftwood Bay

8.  Deadly Secrets on Mackinac Island

9.  A Glimmer of Hope

10.  Once Upon a Summer  

Weekend Wrap-up: July 11th

 

 It’s Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Book Date.

This week I'm featuring books from July 1st.

Finished

(Reviews can be found under Book Review tag)

Currently reading

Next up:

I'm not sure yet what I'm in the mood for to start next.  Here is some options.

What are you reading this week?

Blog Posts Recap:

Here is my past week's Blog Posts.

Top Ten Tuesday

Can't Wait Wednesday

Book Spotlight Fridays!

Saturday Series Discovery

Adding to the Bookshelf:

Which Avid Reader do not add to their shelves! I try to limit mine to review books since I have so many owned on my TBR to read.  So did I add to my shelf this week?

Saturday Series Discovery: Rocky Mountain Courage

 Fans of romantic suspense have another series to put on their TBR:

This was the first series and books I've read by Elizabeth Goddard and I enjoyed this series.

I will definitely read more from this author.  Her suspense kept me guessing and with the right twists and turns at the right moments, I had a few breathtaking moments.

I also enjoyed the characters delivered.  The felt real and it was easy to connect with them.

To find out more about my thoughts on the individual books in the series, go to my reviews below:

Review of book 1

Review of book 2

Review of book 3

About the author: 

With over one million books sold, Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today and Publisher's Weekly bestselling, award-winning author of over fifty romance novels and counting, including the romantic mystery, THE CAMERA NEVER LIES--a 2011 Carol Award winner. Four of her six Mountain Cove books have been contest finalists. Buried, Backfire and Deception are finalists in the Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, and Submerged is a Carol Award finalist. A 7th generation Texan, Elizabeth graduated from North Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and worked in high-level software sales for several years before retiring to home school her children and fulfill her dreams of writing full-time.

Book Spotlight Fridays! The Heart of the Mountains

  

Book Beginnings and Friday56

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader and share a non-spoiler sentence or two.

Pepper Basham is an author I've only discovered in the last year or two, but I've come to really enjoy her stories.

The Heart of the Mountains

About the book:

To escape a forced marriage, Cora Taylor travels from England to the Blue Ridge Mountains in search of her brother, who is working as a teacher in a mission school. She hopes to find a place where her nursing skills and independent ideas will be accepted and appreciated, but nothing prepares her for the wild mixture of isolation, community, brokenness, and hope within these mountains…or in the person of Jeb McAdams.
Returning from the devastation of World War 1 emotionally damaged, Jeb McAdams struggles against the rampant mountain alcoholism to soothe his nightmares. It’s easy to hide within the mountains, or it was, before Cora Taylor arrives. Now, she seems to show up at every turn, bringing her ideas, curiosity, and beautiful eyes with her. Their mutual understanding of the costs of war leads to an unspoken bond that develops into a hesitant friendship. As Cora turns her nursing experience and determination on establishing hygiene and education for women in the Appalachian community while also attempting to rescue Jeb from his own ghosts, Cora and Jeb’s partnership turns into a project of celebrating the gifts within Appalachia. But when the past sweeps back into their lives and an outbreak of scarlet fever threatens the future, will Cora and Jeb find a way to work together – even if it means unplanned matrimony – or will their different lives and brokenness tear them apart.

*************************************************************

Book Beginnings

Running away from an arranged marriage to the wilds of the Blue Ridge hadn't gone as Cora Taylor expected.

Friday 56

"Hanging from a tree over a ravine?" her uncle repeated.

"As far as I can figure, Preacher, she was chased up the trail by a painter.  She lost the mule over the edge, but ain't sure what happened to the lion."

My thoughts so far

I'm only 19% in so still lots of reading to do over the weekend, but I'm enjoying Cora.

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