FBI:Huston #2

FBI Agent Laurel Evertson's investigation into a scam targeting the elderly takes an unexpected twist when key evidence leads her to Morton Wilmington, a felon she arrested five years ago on her first undercover assignment. That case has haunted her since, and though she's vowed to forget Wilmington--and what she sacrificed to put him away--he is now her best lead. Houston Police Officer Daniel Hilton fears his grandparents may be the scammer's next targets, and he'll do anything to protect his family--even force inter-agency cooperation. But he's quickly drawn to Laurel's empathy and zeal and agrees to follow her lead . . . even if it means teaming up with a felon. As the unlikely trio uncovers evidence suggesting the scam is more extensive and deadly than they imagined, both Laurel and Daniel find themselves in the crosshairs of a killer. Together they must decide if they can trust Wilmington's claims of redemption, or if he's leading them straight into a double cross.

 

Published March 20th 2015

 by Tyndale House Publishers 

5 Stars

 Here is DiAnn telling us about the storyline for Double Cross:

My Thoughts:

This is the second installment in the FBI:Huston series.  This story revolves around Special Agent Laurel Everston and Huston Police Officer Daniel Hilton.   

5 years ago Laurel was on an undercover assignment that put Morton Wilmington away and since then she has been working white collar crimes.  Laurel has a soft spot when it comes to the elderly.  She comes upon some reports from 8 year ago about counterfeit prescription drugs  taking place in Florida, Georgia and Texas, then 6 years ago about funeral plans, 4 years ago about wheelchairs  and remodeling projects, 2 years ago luxurious condos for retirement. The common denominator was the elderly.  

Daniel Hilton is a Huston Police Officer who is doing the best he can right now trying to manage the care of his grandparents and working his job.  When he stumbles up an email about a life insurance policy he becomes concerned they have been taken by a scam.  His grandfather is in the early stages of Alzheimer and he's unsure if anyone will take their complaint seriously. 

Special Agent Everston finds validity in their complaint and upon further investigation it's revealed that the one person who might have a lead is none other than Morton Wilmington.  

    The plot is something that could be ripped from media headlines.  The plot is engaging and flows effortlessly.  This is a story where characters find things more complicated than they ever imagined.  The plot broaches tough issues and resolves those issues realistically. The characters are strong and well developed.  This is the second book in a series but I feel it's definitely a stand alone story.  

This is a book I would recommend to anyone. 

 Available for Purchase:

Amazon  | Barnes & Noble | Books a Million

ChristianBook

Meet the Author:

  

I always dreamed of becoming a writer, but I didn’t have the courage to take the first step. I wrote poetry and stories and even books, but as soon as they were completed, I tossed them into the trash. Looking back, I think some of those early efforts weren’t so bad and maybe I should have kept them. So if I can encourage you in whatever life holds for you, don’t give up on your dreams.

We are all driven by specific callings and goals. I call these passions. Obviously one of mine is communicating through the written word. This challenges me from day to day. I also believe in mentoring serious new writers.

As you consider your personal aspirations, expand your horizons to include the opportunities around you. We’ve all been given gifts and talents to further the kingdom of God. Don’t let them go to waste. Develop your skills and reach out to grasp that which God has purposed for you.

Connect with DiAnn Online:

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The third book in the FBI:Huston series 


Published October 1st 2015
 by Tyndale House Publishers 

Crisis Team #2

Three years after a tragic accident left her a widow, ER nurse Taylor Cabot is determined to move on, checking off one item after another on her survival list. Her relationship with a handsome plastic surgeon even gives her hope for the last point—“fall in love again.” At least until crisis chaplain Seth Donovan steps back into her life, reawakening unanswered questions about her husband’s death.

While in San Diego to train community volunteers, Seth hopes to learn why Taylor is backing away from the crisis team and from their friendship. But nothing prepares him for the feelings that arise when he sees Taylor again . . . and sees her moving on with another man.

When a community crisis hits home and puts lives at risk, emotions run high and buried truths are unearthed. Will hope make the survival list?

 

Expected publication: February 1st 2016

 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.  

5 Stars

In his heart a man plans his course, 

but the Lord determines his steps.

  ~Proverbs 16:9

To say I am a huge fan of Candace Calvert's writing would be an understatement to say the least.  I found her first book years ago and have been hooked every sense.  She brings a story that will weave it's way into your heart and characters that stay on your mind even after you close the last page.  When I saw this book was available on Netgalley I couldn't wait to read it.  

Step by Step is the second book in the Crisis Team series, but this is a stand alone story.  She incorporates familiar characters, but it's not necessary to have read the first book.  Ms. Calvert is a seasoned ER nurse and she incorporates her experience and knowledge into each and every story.  

This story is about a lot of things, but mostly it's about grief.  Grief has it's own timetable and it's not the same for everyone. 

Taylor Cabot has been a widow for 3 years and knows in her heart it's time to move on.  She makes a plan which is basically consists of a list of items that she wants to accomplish by the anniversary of Greg's death.  The very last item is to fall in love. Actually that item was falling into place as she had been dating world renowned plastic surgeon and things had been progressing nicely.  Taylor has decided to step back from the Crisis Team, but a day on the beach pulls her back in quickly.  

Seth Donovan has traveled to San Diego to help train community volunteers for the crisis team and hopes to run into his old friend Taylor Cabot.  Seth has been dealing with the possibility of leaving the Crisis Team all together since the death of his father.  After inheriting his father's business he doesn't think he will have the time or energy to continue with the team,  but he has always felt this was his calling.  

Seth and Taylor's worlds literally collide when a plane makes and emergency landing on the beach.  

This is a very touching story that when bought should be accompanied by a box of tissues.  
Yes, I would recommend this story to anyone.  
I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley for a honest review without bias or outside influence.  

Meet Candace:

Former ER nurse, wife, Mom and proud grandmother, Candace Calvert believes that love, laughter, and faith are the best medicines. Her popular medical fiction offers charismatic characters, pulse-pounding drama, romance, humor, suspense--and a prescription for hope. Think, “Grey’s Anatomy finds its soul.” She is . . .
A Northern California native who spent several years in Hill Country Texas--where she learned to check her shoes for scorpions and plucked an armadillo from her swimming pool. Thinks cruising is the best way to travel: honeymooned in Venice, swam with stingrays, rode a camel at the pyramids, and sang (badly) with a Newfoundland country band. She’s passionate about cooking, loves bird watching, gardening, and gets goose bumps when her handsome husband hits the low notes at karaoke.  She writes inspirational fiction because . . .
God blessed her with a quirky wit, buoyant optimism, and a contagious sense of fun--but she didn’t come to know him until after the Triple Whammy that turned her life into a bad country song. A painful and unexpected divorce, the Northern California floods of 1997, and (just when she was coping like a champ, no problem) an equestrian accident that left her with fractured ribs, a bleeding lung, broken back, neck fractures and a spinal cord injury. She’ll tell you that God took drastic measures to get her attention.
In the months of rehabilitation, Candace healed in body and spirit. And came to fully understand the difference between being a strong woman and a woman of strength. The difference is faith, and that lesson has been her biggest blessing. Her story, “By Accident,” appears in Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul, and launched her writing career. Now . . .
She is honored to bring readers medical fiction that offers exciting entertainment and a healthy dose of hope.

Connect Online:

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A Romance Collection

 Chance of Loving You

An anthology by three bestselling romance authors

For Love of Money by Terri Blackstock
Trying to launch her own design firm while waitressing on the side, Julie Sheffield was drawn to the kind man she waited on at the restaurant last night . . . until he stiffed her on the tip by leaving her half of a sweepstakes ticket.

The Recipe by Candace Calvert
Hospital dietary assistant Aimee Curran is determined to win the Vegan Valentine Bake-Off to prove she’s finally found her calling. But while caring for one of her patients—the elderly grandmother of a handsome CSI photographer—Aimee begins to question where she belongs.

Hook, Line & Sinker by Susan May Warren
Grad student Abigail Cushman has agreed to enter the annual Deep Haven fishing contest. She’s a quick learner, even if she doesn’t know the difference between a bass and a trout. But nothing could prepare her for competing against the handsome charmer she’s tried to forget since grief tore them apart.

One chance for each woman to change her life . . . but will love be the real prize? 



 Published May 1st 2015
 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 
5 Stars

Okay so I know it comes as no shock to say I absolutely love Candace Calvert's writing.  All you have to do is look back through my blog and see that every time one of her books release I am anxious to read it.  So needless to say when she announced she was doing a book collaboration I could hardly wait to read it. Yes, I know I it was released it May and I'm just now reviewing it, but I must admit my TBR stack keeps getting bigger and bigger. Also "darling daughter" came home from college for the summer and we spent time catching up and getting ready for this fall semester.  To say the summer was busy is an understatement.  As summer progressed, very quickly I might add, I found with the start of school that I had more free time to read.  With the "darling boy" starting high school this year and taking chemistry honors and AP Human Geography I'm really not certain how long my free time will last though. 
So with my free time and feeling somewhat lonely I decided to make new friends and picked up Chance of Loving You. Needless to say I couldn't put it down until I turned the very last page.
This is a wonderful collection!
I know everyone who picks up a book usually looks for a good story and I am the same.  These three met all my requirements for a great book.  
-They are all well written.
-The characters are well developed.
-The story lines will readily pull you in and keep you turning the pages. 
-Most importantly they give a good message about faith.

For Love of Money reminded me about trust.  We must always pray for guidance in all we do.  Yes, our faith is important, but we must also trust that God is there walking with us. 
The Recipe reminded me that sometimes what we think is the path to follow is not the path God has planned for us.  If we listen he will point us in the direction he wants us to go.  
Hook, Line and Sinker reminded me about forgiveness.  Sometimes we not only have to forgive others, but also forgive ourselves for something. 
Each story brings us a sweet romance. I would recommend this book to anyone. 

Terri Blackstock

http://www.terriblackstock.com/

Terri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over six million copies sold worldwide. She is the winner of two Carol Awards, a Christian Retailers Choice Award, and a Romantic Times Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, among others. She has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist.

Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in a U.S. Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.

 Candace Calvert

http://www.candacecalvert.com/ 

Former ER nurse, wife, Mom and grandmother, Candace Calvert believes that love, laughter, and faith are the best medicines of all. Her new Mercy Hospital Series for Tyndale House offers readers charismatic characters, pulse-pounding medical drama, romance, humor, suspense--and a prescription for hope. Think, “Grey’s Anatomy finds its soul.” She is . . .

A Northern California native who began her nursing career in rural Oregon, and later moved to Hill Country Texas--where she learned to check her shoes for scorpions and plucked an armadillo from her swimming pool. Thinks cruising is the best way to travel: honeymooned in Venice, swam with stingrays, rode a camel at the pyramids, and sang (badly) with a Newfoundland country band. She loves cooking, dancing the Two Step, bird watching, and gets goose bumps when her handsome husband hits the low notes at karaoke. She’s wild about Beth Moore Bible studies, and recently graduated from The Community of Hope training for lay chaplains. Candace published a series of madcap cruise mysteries in the mainstream market, and now writes inspirational fiction because . . .

God blessed her with a quirky wit, buoyant optimism, and a contagious sense of fun--but she didn’t come to know him until after the Triple Whammy that turned her life into bad country song. A painful and unexpected divorce, the merciless Northern California floods of 1997, and (just when she was coping like a champ, no problem) an equestrian accident that left her with fractured ribs, a bleeding lung, broken back, neck fractures and a spinal cord injury. She’ll tell you that God took drastic measures to get her attention.

In the months of rehabilitation, Candace healed in body and spirit. And came to fully understand the difference between being a strong woman and a woman of strength. The difference is faith, and that lesson has been her biggest blessing. Her story, “By Accident,” appears in Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul, and launched her writing career. Now . . .

She is honored to bring readers a new medical drama series offering exciting entertainment and a healthy dose of hope. In these challenging times, she thinks it’s exactly what the doctor ordered!

 Susan May Warren

 http://www.susanmaywarren.com/

 I can't help be amazed at the gifts God has delighted me with - a wonderful husband, four amazing children, and the opportunity to write for Him.

I've been writing as long as I can remember - I won my first book writing contest in first grade! Over the years, writing has become, for me, a way to praise God and see Him at work in my life.

Although I have a degree in Mass Communications from the University of MN, my real writing experience started when I penned the The Warren Report - a bi-monthly newsletter that detailed our ministry highlights.

Living in Russia meant I never lacked for great material - and those experiences naturally spilled out first into devotionals and magazine articles and finally into my first published story, "Measure of a Man," in the Tyndale/HeartQuest, Chance Encounters of the Heart anthology.

Susan and husbandI grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. My favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota - it's where I met my husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living. The north woods easily became the foundation for my first series, The Deep Haven series.based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. I have to admit - I'm terribly jealous of Mona, the heroine of my first full-length book, Happily Ever After, a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.

Our family moved home from the mission field in June 2004 -- and now we live in the beautiful town I'd always dreamed of! God has amazed me anew with His provision, and blessings -- and allowed me a season when I can write full time for Him.

I 'm delighted you've stopped in to visit. My hope is that you'll be blessed and encouraged by soul-stirring stories of regular people interacting with a God who loves them.