NOT THIS TIME by Vicki Hinze

 

 ABOUT THE BOOK

 A BLOOD-SOAKED MATTRESS. A TERRORIST ATTACK.  AMONG THEM, A TRAITOR.

BETH DIDN’T TRUST ROBERT.  NOW HE’S MISSING AND BETH IS BEING BLAMED.

 

Sara and Beth built a multi-million dollar business and act as anti-terrorism consultants.  Now their business and friendship are strained because Beth is leery of Sara’s husband.  When he goes missing and is verified kidnapped, authorities consider Beth their prime suspect.

Then their hometown, Seagrove Village, Florida, is rocked by an act of terrorism, and Beth doesn’t know who to trust. Someone close to her is connected to the attack, but who? Is there a connection to Crossroads Crisis Center? In the midst of the confusion and fear, Beth finds herself attracted to a man from her past, the former Shadow Watcher, Joe. She knows she shouldn’t fall in love with him–she can’t resist or even explain their bond. And as her world unravels around her, she wonders…

Will the truth set her free or ruin her life?  Is it possible to be pushed beyond redemption?

“Vicki Hinze has… talent for transforming the unlikely into something beautiful.” –Publishers Weekly

 ABOUT VICKIE HINZE

Vicki’s first published novel, a romantic suspense, was a bestseller that sold in nearly a dozen foreign countries. Since then, she’s shifted writing focus several times. After co-creating the first single-title open-ended continuity series, she turned to military life and has been credited with a Career Achievement Award for being one of the first to write military romantic suspense, military romantic intrigue, and military romantic thrillers. Recently, she has shifted focus to Christian fiction. Her willingness to take risks and blaze trails has won her many prestigious nominations and awards, including:

About

Over 1 Million Books In Print

Vicki’s first published novel, a romantic suspense, was a bestseller that sold in nearly a dozen foreign countries. Since then, she’s shifted writing focus several times. After co-creating the first single-title open-ended continuity series, she turned to military life and has been credited with a Career Achievement Award for being one of the first to write military romantic suspense, military romantic intrigue, and military romantic thrillers. Recently, she has shifted focus to Christian fiction. Her willingness to take risks and blaze trails has won her many prestigious nominations and awards, including:

RT Reviewer’s Choice:

•Best Faith-Affirming Thriller of the Year (Forget Me Not)
•Best Romantic Suspense Novel of the Year (Lady Justice,
•Shades of Gray, Duplicity )
•Best Romantic Intrigue Novel of the Year (Lady Liberty)
•Best Romantic Adventure Novel of the Year (Her Perfect Life)
•Best Mainstream Suspense Novel of the Year (All Due Respect)
•Best Time-Travel Novel of the Year (Festival)
•Career Achievement Award for Best Series Storyteller of the Year (Lady Liberty)
•Career Achievement Award for Best Romantic Adventure of the Year (Her Perfect Life)
•RT Gold Medal Awards (Lady Liberty, Acts of Honor, All Due
•Respect, Shades of Gray)
•RT Top Pick Awards (Shades of Gray, Duplicity, Acts of Honor, All Due Respect, Lady Liberty, Lady Justice, Her Perfect Life)
And
•RITA™ Award Finalist–Best Mainstream (HER PERFECT LIFE)
•RITA™ Award Finalist–Best Romantic Suspense (BODY DOUBLE)
•Blether Gold Awards (LADY JUSTICE)
•Blether Silver Awards (ACTS OF HONOR)
•The Beacon Award (LADY LIBERTY, BODY DOUBLE)
•The Golden Quill Award, Best Mainstream/Single Title Contemporary Novel of the Year (DUPLICITY)
•The Maggie Award of Excellence (MIND READER, ACTS OF HONOR, BEYOND THE MISTY SHORE)
•Holt Medallion Award (BODY DOUBLE, (HER PERFECT LIFE)
•Daphne du Maurier Best Contemporary Novel of the Year (DUPLICITY, ACTS OF HONOR, ALL DUE RESPECT)
•Daphne du Maurier Best Suspense/Mystery Novel of the Year (ACTS OF HONOR, LADY LIBERTY, ALL DUE RESPECT, DUPLICITY)
•Outstanding Achievement Award, Affaire de Coeur
•Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year, Affaire de Coeur (UPON A MYSTIC TIDE)
•Laurel Leaf Award, (MAYBE THIS TIME))

Vicki holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and a Doctorate in Philosophy, Theocentric Business & Ethics. She actively lectures on writing craft and technique and philosophy.

Her articles have appeared many respected publications and ezines (Novelists, Inc., Romantic Times, Romance Writers’ Report, The Outreacher, The Rock and others) and have been extensively reprinted in as many as sixty-three foreign markets. She has coordinated and/or judged national and international writing competitions, served on various writers’ association committees, has been honored by Romance Writers of America with their National Service Award and in 2004 was named the first PRO Mentor of the Year.

Vicki is a charter sponsor of International Thriller Writers (ITW) and served on its Board of Directors. She’s a member of The Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, Novelists Inc., Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Published Authors Network, Emerald Coast Writers, ACRA, Deep South Christian Writers and other writing organizations. She’s also a member of As a Mom: Sisterhood of the Mommy Patriots and Book Club Network.

VISIT HER WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Not This Time the last of this great series by Vicki and it's a great book. Very suspenseful and one great ride! I really try to figure out who the bad guy is before he or she is revealed and I was unprepared for this one. With strong characters, as usual, Vicki led me on the merry chase of catching the wrong-doer and cheering on the those who were going after him/her.

I love visiting Seagrove Village and all of it's charming characters and when the story opens with a terrorist attack there I was as shocked as the rest of them. Who would harm those lovely people?

Beth, one of the main characters is one of my favorite people. Probably because I could relate to her dilemma. She didn't trust her best friend's husband and that put a huge strain on their relationship. I didn't trust my best friend's husband either. But when Sara starts getting all cryptic and weird... well that didn't help things at all, especially with all of the crazy stuff happening there in Seagrove village.

And who wouldn't wish for someone like Joe in their life? Strong, mysterious, and compassionate. He sounds almost better than my favorite dark chocolate truffles. I say almost because it takes a lot to beat out my dark chocolate truffles.

Not This Time is a great story to end the series. Or is it really at an end? Well, you will just have to read it and find out for yourself. You won't be disappointed and may find yourself revisiting the series again. 

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

  

MORTAL FIRE: The Secret of the Journal by C.F.Dunn

About the book

Twenty-nine-year-old, independent, and self-assured Cambridge history professor Emma D'Eresby has one obsession in life: the curious journal of a seventeenth-century Englishman, a portion of which was left to her by her late grandfather.

When an unexpected opportunity to study the journal in its entirety presents itself, Emma finds herself leaving Cambridge to take up a year-long position at a prestigious university in Maine. Anticipating a quiet year of research, Emma quickly discovers her work impeded by a range of unforeseen complications. 

From the start, there is the well-intentioned matchmaking of her vivacious Russian colleague, Elena Smalova, and the unexpected jailing of one of her post-graduate students. More troublesome, however, are the unsolved, brutal night attacks on women near the university and Emma's suspicion that they might be linked to the sinister English professor, Kort Staahl. But, most diverting and disconcerting of all, is Emma's growing attraction to the strikingly handsome Dr. Matthew Lyons, whose kind but deliberately distant demeanor puzzles her.

Suspense and dread mount when Kort begins to take a persistent and unsettling interest in Emma. What are Kort's intentions, and what is he capable of? And the mystery surrounding Matthew only deepens when Emma discovers a link between him and the journal. What is Matthew trying to hide?

Read Chapter One here

C.F.Dunn runs a specialist dyslexia and autism school in south east England, and writes in the south west.

Here is the link to C.F. Dunn's website

My Review

I am always excited to receive a package in the mail. Invariably it contains a new book for reviewing. I usually have a few books going at the same time in the review process, so I will let a new one wait until I get the others finished. Can't get too many books going at once. 

However, today when I received the review copy of Mortal Fire, I knew it was a book that couldn't wait to be read. The cover alone was intriguing. Dark and mysterious, old books in the foreground and an eye surrounded by wisps of smoke. Very intriguing, indeed. But the best part lay in-between the pages. 

Once I began reading this book, I couldn't put it down. I only stopped because my dogs wouldn't stop pestering me to take them outside. I had to know what was going to happen next. 

Extremely well-written, strong, bold characters and a plot so tight with suspense I found myself holding my breath more often than not.

Emma D'Eresby, a visiting History professor from England, is on a journey, a quest, searching for a lost journal. The people she meets at Howard's Lake College in Maine, USA, are a cast of characters in and of themselves. Sam Wiesner, the "lady's man;" Elena Smalova, intelligent and excitable, and Matthew Lynes, mysterious, strong, and maybe even something more.... just who is he?

Mortal Fire is a book you want to read with the lights on and during the day. But if you are like me.... you won't be able to put it down.

You can purchase your copy here: 

http://store.kregel.com/searchproducts.cfm

www.amazon.com

This review was made possible by Kregel Publications providing me with a free review copy. I am under no obligation to write a positive review.