In Firefly Valley by Amanda Cabot

She's lost her dream job--

But has she found the man of her dreams?

Marisa St. George is devastated when she is a victim of downsizing and has no choice but to return to the small Texas town where she grew up. Though it's a giant step backward, she accepts a position as business manager at the struggling Rainbow's End resort. The only silver lining is Blake Kendall, a new guest who is making her believe in love at first sight. But will her dreams of happily-ever-after be turned upside down when she discovers who he really is?


Publisher: Revell Books, 2015
Cover Design: Peter Gloege | LOOK Design Studio
Cover Photo: Aimee Christenson


My Review

Like the first fireflies of summer, this story brings light to the darkness, brings promises of things to come, and is delightful while it lasts. 

Marisa St. George became successful despite her rough upbringing. So when her employer downsizes, forcing her to return to her hometown of Dupree, Texas, she accepts--a little begrudgingly--a position as business manager at Rainbow's End resort. Blake Kendall--AKA Ken Blake--has lost his creativity. With a deadlines looming, he grasps at straws, doing everything he can to regain his muse. When Blake discovers his friend, Greg, is getting married in Texas at Greg's newly owned resort, Blake heads to Dupree, hoping a change of scenery will renew his spirit. What he doesn't expect is the enchanting Marisa St. George. 

As Marissa's past returns to haunt her, will she forgive those who've wrong her and move on with her life? Can Blake keep his secrets from Marisa and continue his career? 

I recommend In Firefly Valley to anyone looking for a great summer read. I gave this book 4 stars. 

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With both parents avid readers, it's no surprise that Amanda Cabot learned to read at an early age. From there it was only a small step to deciding to become a writer. Of course, deciding and becoming are two different things, as she soon discovered. Fortunately for the world, her first attempts at fiction were not published, but she did meet her goal of selling a novel by her thirtieth birthday. Since then she’s sold more than thirty novels under a variety of pseudonyms. When she’s not writing, Amanda enjoys sewing, cooking and – of course – reading.

Visit Amanda's website at https://www.sff.net/people/amanda.cabot/.

Eye of the Storm

Image courtesy of George Stojkovic
freedigitalphotos.net

The last month has been eventful for our family, to say the least. We've had enjoyable times together, cheering at ball games and track meets, working as a team around the farm. We've also had times of devastation, where an unexpected life event sweeps in like an F-5 tornado and leaves so much debris you don't know where to begin cleanup. Sometimes it takes the tornado to make us appreciate the clear skies, as we tend to take our days for granted. The storm forces us to slow down and reflect, perhaps enlightens us to much needed changes.

I'm blessed to know the One who can calm the storm, the One who holds tomorrow. 

During our difficulty...     Read the rest of this article at Quid Pro Quills.  

~Candice posts twice a month at Quid Pro Quills, a blog she shares with her writing partners-in-crime. For more articles like this one, author chats, and insight into the crazy life of a writer, visit their website. 

A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade

Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake’s childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion’s reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake’s will, Lyndie’s sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he’s built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he’d thought he’d lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?


Publisher: Bethany House, 2015
Cover Design: Jennifer Parker
Cover Photography: Mike Habermann Photography, LLC


My Review
An inspiring journey of beauty from ashes. These characters had my heart from the first chapter and proved how God can take our fragile lives and repair us to reflect His glory. 

Jake Porter is one beautiful disaster. For eight years he's suffered from PTSD, after an IED explosion took the lives of three of his men in Iraq. His thoroughbred racehorses and Whispering Creek Ranch are the only things motivating his dark days and even darker nights. Then Lyndie, his childhood best friend, returns to Holley, Texas, and forces Jake to see the world under a new light. As they pass their days working together to solve the mystery of Silver Leaf's apprehension to race, Jake catches a glimpse of all the things he's missing out on, the life he could lead--if he deserved it.  Though Lyndie's specialty is nursing wounded things back to health, Jake's wounds are seemingly irreparable. But God....

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fresh author who's gifted with insight into the human heart. A Love Like Ours will appeal to horse lovers, as well as readers who're searching for a strong, yet clean, romance. 

I gave this book 5 stars!

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Becky's a California native who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and settled in Dallas.  She published historical romances for the general market before putting her career on hold for several years to care for her three children.  When God called her back to writing, Becky knew He meant for her to turn her attention to Christian fiction.  She loves writing funny, modern, and inspirational contemporary romance!  She's the Carol Award and Inspirational Reader's Choice Award winning author of My Stubborn Heart, Undeniably Yours, Meant to Be Mine, and A Love Like Ours. Visit Becky at www.beckywade.com.