The Chief's Proposal by Sandra Dailey

Ginny Dearing wants to be a teacher. She has the education but no job. Brett Silverfeather is the sheriff of Three Trees and finds Ginny's ad on the internet. He contacts her about a job at the local high school. Ginny is very interested, but then Brett adds that he would like to marry her too. It seems he is up for election and his opponent is making remarks about Brett's not being married. Ginny takes the job and accepts Brett's proposal, then moves to Three Trees. Ginny wonders how she will fit into her husband's life and what kind of teacher she will be. Brett can not understand his new wife and the things she does like getting arrested for a concealed weapon and also getting into a bar brawl. Then Brett and Ginny take in two troubled teens whose parents have turned their backs on them. Through ups and downs they find a way to make their family work. Ginny and Brett come together not out of love but out of desperation. Ginny for a job and Brett because of his job. This book is a pretty fast read and very enjoyable. It shows the struggle of two strangers getting married within a week and learning to make a life together. The plot is very good and has just the right mix of dialogue and description to keep the reader going. The characters are interesting and very believable as are the situations they find themselves in. Highly recommend this book as a very good romance read and will be looking for more by this author.

Perigee Moon by Lynn Schneider

Kate has been controlling Luke since they were kids. She decided when they would date, when he would pin her and when they would get engaged. Then when he did not set a date, she took matters into her own hands and became pregnant. Kate loved to live beyond their means and finally after buying their second house she decided to become a real estate agent. She started making more money than Luke and used it for her lavish lifestyle not giving a thought to her husband or children. She started staying out late and coming home drunk. After 25 years they began to drift apart and one night Luke was out looking at the Perigee Moon and finally decided to take control of his own life. Kate trumped him by telling him she wanted a divorce to marry someone else. 15 years after their divorce both Kate and Luke attend their high school reunion where Luke reconnects with Abby, a girl who had a crush on him and was in a couple of his classes. Kate is livid when she find out they are dating and tries to break them apart. Luke will no longer let Kate control him and wants to live life on his own terms. At first this book was hard to get into, but after the first couple of chapters it grabs hold and doesn't let go. Luke's transformation from passive child to taking hold of his life is worth the read. Kate is the kind of character that you love to hate, but I found myself feeling sorry for her. Abby is sweet and the soul mate that Luke should have been with. Wonderful story and Luke finds himself and realizes there is more to life than money and things. The author weaves a story that is hard to put down and has the reader rooting for Luke to be the man he is supposed to be. This book is an excellent read and I would highly recommend it. It is one that I will reread from time to time.

The Choice by Lorhainne Eckhart

Marcie is a mule for Dan's drug business. She grows the marijuana and now has transported some to New Orleans. Sam a DEA agent's last bust went bad and he was set up with drugs in his locker. He has come home to think things over. In the airport Sam sees Marcie get robbed and thrown to the floor where she hits her head. Sam takes her in when she has a memory loss and he can not turn his back on her. That chance encounter leads them on a quest to bring down the drug ring that Dan is in and that Sam's late wife was involved with. Along the way Marcie learns to break the hold Dan has on her and to listen to her spirit guides. Sam learns that you can't always get the bad guy, you have to trust someone else to do the job and hold on to what's more important. This is a very good storyline. The author did good research in that everything was very detailed. The plot flowed easily from beginning to end. This book held my interest all the way through and that to me is the mark of a wonderful read. The character's were very entertaining and I enjoyed the by play between Marcie and Sam. Good minor characters with Jesse, Diane, Richard, Maggie and Sam's late wife Elise. The end leaves the reader wanting more and a door open to the next story. Anyone who likes romantic suspense will want to read this book.

Salem's World by T.D. Jones

Salem Richmond's personal life is out of control. She is excellent at running her family's company, but has no idea how to have a personal life. Salem's sister Cassie was in an accident that claimed the lives of their parents when Salem was 25. Cassie was injured and at the age of 30, she thinks she is still 16. Salem goes to Dr. Mark Graves in a last ditch effort to bring her sister back to her. There is an attraction between Salem and Mark immediately. She asks him to spend a month at her family's cabin along with Cassie and try to help her. In the time there she learns a learns what she has to do to make her life more bearable and how to accept Cassie as she is now. Mark is instrumental in helping her find her way. Once I got into the storyline, I really enjoyed this book. Salem dealt with business the way she was taught by her parents with grace. But, she did not have a handle at all when it came to her private life. Very endearing to see how this woman could change from a one night stand destructive lifestyle to one who accepts herself and the hand life has dealt her and her sister. Mark is very strong but also very compassionate as he guides Salem into a new awareness. Could not but love Cassie and feel for her confusion when asked about the past. All three characters were remarkable people in their own right. This is a pull at your heartstrings kind of book and anymore that is a fan of those will definitely like this one.

Vampyre Kisses by Elizabeth J. Kolodziej

Someone has stolen the gem of the werewolves and the gem of the vampires. They know there is a war brewing and so some werewolves and vampires form an alliance to get the gems back. In the middle is Faith a human who learns she is a witch, a vampire Trent whom she falls in love with and Zou Tai a werewolf who has feeling for Faith. Together they much figure out who took the gems and why they were stolen. Faith and Trent go to Gordon who sees that Faith is the answer to what is to come. She finds out that not only was her father in love with a vampire but her mother is a slayer and true evil. Morgan, who was in love with Faith's father and Trent take Faith to someone who can help her come into her powers. She will need all he can teach her for the battle ahead. As a fan of the paranormal genre I was very interested to read this book. The story engrossed me from the first page and didn't let go even at the end. The author painted pictures through the storyline that you could actually see in your mind's eye. “ Faith’s hair blew back while her emerald eyes grew milky. The invisible wind came from Faith, not the earth, and swirled around her like a tornado.” There were several minor characters that were enjoyable like Zou Tai and Gordon. Knowing at the end of the book that there is a next one on the horizon is icing on the cake. Anyone who enjoys paranormals will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Methuselah's Pillar by W.G. Griffiths

Dr. Samantha Conway is an archeologist that specializes in hieroglyphics. John Decker works undercover for the DIA. Tarik is a terrorist that wants to rule the world and is using a virus to get attention. Decker is captured by Tarik when the first swarm of the virus occurs, he was not infected. But when examining the cave where he was kept he and other government agents find part of an ancient pillar. Sam is contacted to see if she can decipher what the artifact says. While working at a government facility her brother is kidnapped and his caregiver is murdered. In order to get her brother back Sam needs to help Tarik with the part of the artifact that he has. Then it's up to Decker to get Sam and her brother Jesse back safely and stop Tarik's madness. This book is a wild ride from beginning to end. It grabs you from the first and does not let go until you are finished. The detailed attention to the virus and how it's constructed was interesting and very believable. Also liked the Biblical references throughout the book. Both the characters of Sam and Decker are very strong, get the job done kind of people. Plus the look into a terrorist's mind set is quite alarming in places. While some of the story was easy to predict the way the author gets you through it keeps the reader going till the story is over. For those who like action books this is a good one.

Angels for Christmas

Four charming stories by four Christian authors.

Strawberry Angel

Delightful story about a young lady who moves back to her hometown. She always tries to change her appearance at Christmas time. This particular year she decided to dye her hair and it came out a very pink color.
She meets an old friend from high school just before she gets ready to go to a party.
When she gets to the party she finds out her mother not only seated her beside the old friend, but bought his services to help build sets for a Christmas play.
They leave to get some air and are found by a couple of children whose mother is ill. The little girl calls Noelle her strawberry angel.
Noelle and Todd take care of the children while their mother is in the hospital.
A real feel good book

Fire Creek by Anne Patrick

Kasey Montgomery has come home for her cousin Beth's funeral. Kasey and Beth were raised by their grandparents after their parents deaths. After thinking long and hard about Beth, Kasey decides that her death was not suicide but murder and sets out to find out the truth. Jimmy Little Raven is sure that Beth's fiance Lewis' death was not an accident but murder. Kasey takes her concerns to the sheriff who disregards them and tells her to keep writing her mysteries and leave the police work to him. Jimmy and Kasey band together to get to the bottom of Beth and Lewis' deaths. Along the way Kasey will learn things about herself and have to face the knowledge that her life had been a lie. God's help and Jimmy presence will help get her through. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The main characters of Kasey and Jimmy were believable, you just could not help but root for them to find their answers. Loved the fact that Kasey wanted to learn about Jimmy's heritage and attended his first dance with his tribe. Jimmy's character had a nice balance between his Native American heritage and his Christianity. Nice to see characters that ask God for guidance in what they want to do. Through their trials God's hand kept Kasey and Jimmy safe. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read a good mystery with a little romance thrown in. I will be looking for more of Anne Patrick's books in the future.