The Growing Season Fight, Flee, or be Funny by Jiffy Day

The Growing Season is a story set in the '60s and '70s in Southwest Virginia. Interested in a time gone by? You'll love this book! Jiffy Day takes you back to the drugs, drama, and first love in a season of growing and changing. Zach, a white boy, has fallen in love with Piper, a black girl in a time and place before this was accepted. Their love story intertwines throughout this story of the growing season: growing love, growing marijuana, and growing relationships.

Zach invites Tim, his Vietnam buddy, to spend the summer with him and Zach introduces him to his life in Southwest Virginia. If you lived here during this time, you'll recognize places where events took place. If you haven't seen the area, you'll wish to come visit. From the mountains to the fishing holes to the sights and sounds of Zach's hometown, you'll feel a part of the story and won't be able to put the book down.

This book will pull you from one page to the next. From Zach and Tim's time in Vietnam to Tim spending the summer with Zach to their antics hiding marijuana from the police, Jiffy weaves real places in beautiful Southwest Virginia, the people who lived during this turbulent time in history, and events that may or may not have happened, making it hard to put this book down until you finish. Will Zach and Piper get together? Will Bobby find his way down the path his grandmother has pointed out toward Christianity? You'll have to pick up this book to find out.

This book is different from most of the books I read and review. There is adult content, language, and a sweet romance. Bobby's path to Christianity, Zach and Piper's romance, and Tim's time learning about Zach's way of life will have you turning the pages until late at night to see what will happen next. I cannot wait to read more by this author. Look for his next book to continue this great story.

http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Season-Jiffy-Day/dp/0692543465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453065832&sr=8-1&keywords=jiffy+day+the+growing+season

After 2 by Joy Ohagwu

Another great inspirational book by Joy! Blossom struggles with leaving everything in God's hands. But what happens when everything is out of her control and she has to trust God?

Circumstances put Josh in the right place at the right time to save Blossom's life. Both move out of their comfort zones to accomplish what God has set for them. This story is full of trust, hope, love, and showing God your gratitude, especially during the rough times. Then, God will show you His faithfulness to perform His promises. Check out this great book!

This book is second in the series. Reading the first one will be helpful, but is not required to enjoy this one.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

5 Editors Tackle the 12 Fatal Flaws of Fiction Writing by C S Lakin

Every author needs this book on their shelf. From nothing happening to too much backstory to body parts behaving badly, this book has it all and tells you how to fix it with examples you can follow. Don't have the money to hire an editor for your novel? Use this book, one of several in the Writer's Toolbox Series, to mark your own book up in red. The fun part of this book is being able to read each entry and then determining what is wrong with it before you read the answer. Not quite sure what is wrong? That is okay, because the fatal flaw is fixed right before your eyes.

Each of the editors tackles a part of each flaw in each section. It's like having a personal conversation about your writing flaws with C S Lakin, Christy Distler, Linda Clare, Rachel Starr Thomson, and Robin Patchen. At the end of each flaw section, is a checklist, so you can go through your own manuscript and eradicate those flaws before an editor ever sees them. And as part of the checklist, a passage for you to apply what you learned. The 12 fatal flaws are presented in a conversational tone to make learning fun and engaging. This book is a great tool to bring your writing to a higher level.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Love's Dream Song by Sandra Leesmith

I loved this story by Sandra Leesmith. A suspenseful mystery, a romance, mixed heritage, a drug smuggling ring, and the discovery of artifacts, make for a great page turning story.

Autumn is working on an excavation site. She wants to get to know the Navajo that are her family. Jess is part Apache, but running from his heritage. Someone is smuggling drugs and Jess suspects Autumn is part of the ring. He owns the ranch the excavation is located on and has set up barriers to keep him and Autumn from getting involved again.

The professor makes a discovery and someone sets off dynamite. Jess must protect Autumn while protecting his heart and proving whether or not she is part of the drug smuggling ring.

Autumn is trying to find out what happened to her mother and protect the artifacts. Will she find out why Jess decided they couldn't be together anymore? Will she find out the truth about her family roots?

If you're looking for a story that will keep you turning the pages to see what will happen next, this is the book for you!

This story has sensual scenes and some curse words. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cherished Memories by Raine English

I loved this story by Raine English. Zoe Goodwin lives in her childhood home. Ryan Cooper wants to buy up all the properties in her neighborhood in a money making project. She's set against him buying the property. He can't understand what she has against making money.

Zoe and two of her friends own a flower shop. Only one of them has been lucky in love. Zoe has been hurt and she's not about to trust Ryan. But the chemistry between these two characters can't be denied. She sets out to save her neighbors from Ryan's conquest. Will she be able to protect her heart in the process? Or will she be taken in by his charm?

Pick up this great book today! Cherished Memories is the second book in the Love Always series. You do not need to read these books in order to follow what's going on. But once you read one, you'll want to read them all!

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Saving Laurel by Raine English

I loved this short story by Raine English! A devastating past, a ghostly presence, and a possible future collide at Bronson Manor, Laurel Todd's childhood home. She is an actress who decides to head back there for some peace and quiet to learn her lines, but will her past confront her in the form of ghostly occurrences? While in high school, her boyfriend, Ashley, died in her arms at Bronson Manor during a Christmas party. Her parents had been killed a few years earlier and she hadn't been back since.

Lucas Kensington, Ashley's best friend, brings back painful memories. Can she let go of her past to embrace the future? Lucas was invisible in high school. He stood in the shadows behind Ashley. He didn't mind, but he had a crush on Laurel. Now he's getting a second chance to make an impression. Can he help Laurel put her past behind her and see him as the guy for her?

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

N: The Beginning by Joyce Swann

This is a great start to a new series! N: The Beginning is a short story and the first in a futuristic young adult series. Christianity has been outlawed. Christians are hunted down and arrested. Kids are rounded up and put in a re-education program. Petra Bordeaux leads a band of children, keeping them safe and spreading the news of what the National Council is doing.

How strong are you in your faith? If you were targeted for being a Christian, would you stand firm? Brother and sister, Petra and Artiss Bordeaux, are in such a position. A group of teens in North Texas are fighting for their freedom while escaping capture and imprisonment in a federal re-education center. Seamus shows up and tells Petra it has begun. He leads the way when there seems no way. Do you have faith that God can take care of you? Do you try to take things into your own hands, to help God out? Though friends, family, don't follow God, will you follow the truth on your own? It's your own decision. Not something you do just because your parents did. You have to make the choice. What will your choice be?

I look forward to more books in this series. With the way things are in the world today, this a very timely subject. Even after reading the story, I'm still thinking about how it impacted me. How serious am I about my faith? Would it withstand persecution? Will you be a part of N?

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.