What is your authentic self?

 About fifteen years ago a social trend emerged that focussed on a person finding their authentic self.  I remember reading self help books with friends and working through the exercises to discover "who" I truly was or was becoming.  At that time my children were leaving the nest, and I felt rather bereft of the person I had been for so many years.  

It's telling to me that now years later, I am actually learning and becoming that authentic person I "tried" to discover so long ago.

Age and life's circumstantial situations are  great teachers.  I have attempted to change myself over the years. Yet my true nature emerges as I move forward in life. 

I am first and foremost a Christian.  I think about our triune God daily, and throughout each day.  I am in conversation and prayer with Him during my days and I live my regular existence praising, thanking, and petitioning Him on any and every need or concern that arises.  It's like drinking water or breathing air to me.  Just an essence that sustains me. I read His word.  I try to stay aware that everything I have, am or will be is only due to his grace and mercy.

Now, that doesn't mean I don't make plenty of mistakes and faux pas.  You show me a Christian and I will show you a person who will be a constant project throughout their existence.  

Next, I am a mom and wife and hopefully a good friend.  Loving others is very essential to me. 

I recently have unearthed another part of myself I thought I had rather lost.  In my past, my raising kids years, I tended to be assertive in multiple roles.  Leadership opportunities just landed in my lap.  I think it's because I am at my core an impatient individual.  I am curious and want answers.  I don't like waiting for them, so I work through problems to discover the answers.  For several years I tried to tamp down this trait. Let others make the decisions and sit on the back burner rather than make waves around me.  I was always feeling a bit lost, but somehow I thought being more meek and biddable would be best for others around me, allowing them to take charge of my environment.   This summer, I changed my mind.  I stopped acquiescing when giving my opinion and became my forthright self again.  Oh boy does it feel good!!!!!   I started working with the city to get city water offered to my subdivision, and I got busy figuring out what improvements I want to add to my home to enjoy here the next twenty plus years.  Taking the initiative is helping me to embrace my true impatient nature. My ultimate authenticity.

What my lifework is showing me is that to be my authentic self I need to first embrace my spiritual connection, Christ, then I need to envelop my God given nature and the gifts He has blessed me with; my organizational, impatient, and earnest self.   So, the big lesson is, you can't change your authentic self and you shouldn't. It's not something to "find" like I thought in the 2010's of my younger self.  It comes from knowing the creator of the person you are, then taking what He gave you and using it. 

My hope is that anyone that reads this can spend some time pondering their own authentic selves and the gifts they have been blessed with from our great God.  💓 Figure out how to use those talents and be the person you were created to be! 😊

  

It Ends Here by Heidi Perks

     Having worked and taught in a Kansas High School for many years I saw my fair share of bullying.  Yes, it is strictly prohibited and when caught it is addressed and  dealt with to the best ability of the educational system, but to be brutally honest much goes without accountability being taken. Sadly that is the society we live in, both in person and online.

As an educator I have used various illustrations to bring the damage bullying can cause to light. The crumpled piece of paper, one that is pristine the first day of school then someone crushes it into a ball and no matter how much a person tries to flatten it back out it carries the damage done to it forever; or the toothpaste tube, when squeezed and the paste is squirted out it can never be put back into the tube again. Both showing how irreparable damage inflicted can not be undone. I have also known those who have been bullied and never fully recovered their confidence after the incidents. So I was anxious to read It Ends Here after seeing it listed on my NetGalley website. 

Heidi Perks's novel, It Ends Here, deals with the tragic aftermath of a student being bullied by a set of high school peers which leaves lasting effects throughout their lifetime.  

Five strangers end up in a diner early one morning at the English seaside, Isle of Wight. A nearby boatman calls the police to report a shot has been fired. Five strangers are then held hostage while the police try to figure out the names of those in the diner and which person is the one holding the gun.  Families are summoned and interviewed. Each family member tries to uncover what is happening and whether their loved one could be the gunman or woman. 

The identity is withheld until the very end, and it is a surprise to find out who they are as well as the motive behind the event.

I was definitely kept in suspense.  I did not figure out the entire ending until the actual end.  That was an enjoyable part of reading It Ends Here.  The only negative comment I have to share is that the book's plot moved slowly.  I really had to work to stay engaged in the story until the end. I was glad that I did, but it was difficult to keep going as the book would not be what I consider a page turner.  I rate It Ends Here with 3 stars because of that fact.  

I do feel that "being bullied" is an important topic to bring forward and Parks does an admirable job of portraying the damage that can experienced; by both being tormented as the one bullied,  and the the regrets of the adults who perpetuated the bullying when they were children.  

It Ends Here by Heidi Perks publishes October 6, 2026 by Poisoned Pen Press. Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Heidi Perks for the Advanced Readers Copy of It Ends Here in exchange for this honest review.

#ItEndsHere #HeidiPerks #PoisonedPenPress  #NetGalley

Enchanted Village by Lily Starling

 Christmas in July? Well it is for me! I just finished reading an enjoyable cozy story  written by Lily Starling. Set in a quirky little hamlet,  Enchanted Village  is about Hex Hollow, a place where witches and wizards live and work that is close to the Emberwind Academy for magical learning. 

Margaret Nettle runs the town pub, started by her grandmother and then passed down through the generations to her mother and now Margaret, The Toasty Owl, serves up specialty drinks to the villagers. The charm in the pub is purely from Margaret as she has the ability to create just the right drink to comfort each and every customer.  Margaret is from a magical lineage, but somehow her magical abilities never manifested. Yet her no nonsense nature and love of all fantastic creatures, especially her resident dragon Bernie,  make her a village charmer.

Silas Birchwood is a non-magical science teacher, recently recruited by the headmaster of Emberwind Academy, Silas's uncle Elliot. Silas's job as a non-magical teacher is to teach the students that tasks can be done without magic as well as with it.  

When Margaret meets Silas, one might say a spark was lit, but actually Margaret's pub was almost destroyed as her overprotective dragon , Bernie, tries to chase off Silas ,while simultaneously breathing fire all over the pub.  In remorse for inadvertently causing the destruction, Silas proves his worth as a handyman using no spell work, just elbow grease and good intentions.

When a stranger moves into town and begins building another bar to directly compete with Margaret's Toasty Owl, all the villagers must help Margaret. Margaret's dearest friend Liza, an incredibly talented witch, encourages Margaret to make some changes to her pub and her life.  Will Silas and Margaret find love outside of magic? Does Margaret save her pub from the ruthless new stranger's enterprise? Ultimately, does Margaret deal with the grief of her mother's loss and find her own magic in living life as the woman she was meant to be? 

Starling does a admirable job of creating characters with depth and warmth.  Her fantasy world of Hex Hollow captures the readers hearts and they in turn become part of her fantasy world through the pages. 

I would describe Enchanted Village as a light read, perfect to pair with a warm drink on a cool fall or winter afternoon.  Even reading it in July was fun as I dreamed of cooler weather and holiday activities.  I rate the story with 4 stars. I found the book very entertaining and highly recommend seeking it out later this fall for the upcoming holiday season. 

Enchanted Village by Lily Starling publishes on October 20, 2026 by Avon and Harper Voyager, a division of HarperCollins.  

Thank you to Netgalley, Lily Starling, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Harper Collins for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Enchanted Village in exchange for an honest review. 

#NetGalley #EnchantedVillage. #LilyStarling  #HarperVoyager #Avon #HarperCollins 

A Recipe for Romance in Brambleton by Fay Keenan

     Finding a fun, light hearted romance is a treat. Finding one with additional books in the series is a full course meal!  

Fay Keenan serves up a new entree in the feast of her Brambleton series,  A Recipe for Romance in Brambleton. 

     In the  small English village of Brambleton, Lauren Hope has created a local favorite, a sweet micro cafe that serves up Lauren's pastries,  perfect lattes and other delights. Lauren is sweetness itself as she cares for all the neighborhood, doing as much as she can for her fellow Brambletons, as well as her mother who has various health challenges. So, when a newly widowed father of twin boys, Liam and Luca, comes to Brambleton and buys the town's historic lake home, Lauren feels it is her duty to help make them welcome, when she finds them entering her little coffee shop.

The father, Marc, and his boys begin to enjoy coffees and hot drinks.  Marc and Lauren slowly take notice of each other and begin to create a relationship together. Their recipe calls for one younger recently unemployed brother in law, and another brother with his pop star singing partner. As Lauren and Marc learn to share and support one another, a possible future enters the mix.  

Having never read any of Fay Keenan's novels, I was pleased to not only find a book with such likable and developed characters but also with more books to read in the future. 

A Recipe for Romance in Brambleton had so many fun British English sayings. Keenan did an excellent job of executing her dialogue. The dialogue was so well done that I felt like I was getting a taste of an English village and it's inhabitants. 

Therefore, I am happy to recommend A Recipe for Romance in Brambleton to any of my friends and fellow readers looking for a little escape reading journey.  I rate, A Recipe for Romance in Brambleton with four stars!  Enjoy!

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Fay Keenan for the advanced readers copy of A Recipe for Romance in Brambleton being published August 16th through Boldwood Books. 

#ARecipeforRomanceinBrambleton #NetGalley

Saint Delilah by Isabelle Spotts

 Creepy.

 I'm really not into tragic horror stories.  When I read the small blurb about a new book being published August 11, 2026 by Berkeley Publishing I saw the description tag of paranormal but for some reason I focussed on paranormal as perhaps timetravel or other forms of paranormal. 

Nope.

Saint Delilah by Isabelle Spotts is not that. It's a good ole' horror story dealing with murder, ghosts, psychics and poltergeists.  Think...."Sixth Sense" with more of an adult flair of evil murder and trauma.  

Delilah, an exotic dancer at the club, "Night Faces" , owned by her longtime friend and protector Magda is violently murdered. Magda also happens to be a psychic who can contact spirits who have not yet crossed over to the afterlife.  Some spirits Magda can help move on towards their destiny.  But violent deaths becken the "keepers", those evil entities that feed on the trauma and consume the souls to turn the ghosts into evil poltergeists. 

Delilah is inherently good, yet the keepers are preying on her in much the same way her killer did, trying to take the last part of her humanity, her soul. Magda enlists a young man, Cross, to help find and kill Delilah's murderer so that Delilah's soul will be released to crossover.  Cross just happens to have psychic abilities also, he can see the physical bodies of ghosts and he falls in love with the enchanting Delilah's spiritual form.  They create an unholy love affair, man and ghost.  Magda's job just got more complicated to save her beloved friend and child of her heart. 

When I first began reading the book and grasped the true content of the story I must say I was turned off.  I just don't enjoy paranormal ghost stories.  However, the further I read into the story I saw several themes emerge.  Mourning loved ones and living through a healthy grief process was one.  In this story many of the characters did not do this, but Magda attempts to help them process and let go.  Embracing a person's life and memories while coming to terms with the loss is essential and the book Saint Delilah illustrates this theme in a complicated thought provoking  way.  Another theme I identified was "actions and consequences."  Every action in life can have a positive and negative consequence and a person must own their response to those actions.  

Spotts is a gifted writer, her characters are intense and well developed. Her writing is compelling, obviously, to hook me into a horror story which is a genre I do not enjoy.  She has a strong voice and excellent plotting skills.  

I hope she explores other genres because I'd like to read more of her writing, but probably won't be choosing another paranormal book.  Saint Delilah publishes August 11th, but I think Halloween would be the time to read this one if you are into creepy, scary literature.  I give Saint Delilah four stars.  It is well done. 

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing group, NetGalley, and Isabelle Spotts for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Saint Delilah in exchange for this honest review. 

#SaintDelilah #NetGalley 

Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage by Della Galton

 We are now in the heat of the summer, and all things light and refreshing are desired. If you are looking for your next read,  then I would offer a new book being published by Boldwood Publishing on August 3,  2026 written by Della Galton.  Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage fits the definition of a light summer escape. 

Galton creates a story that reads simply but involves the reader in a enjoyable set of friends and family that could very well emulate anyone's life.  The main character's; Jade  and Sarah are planning a double wedding with their fiance's Finn and Callum (respectively; along with their shared son between the two couples, Ben. Jade owns a pet rescue sanctuary where pet owners may surrender a pet and the sanctuary works to rehome the animal.  Jade accepts all types of pets which opens the reader to a rich cast of characters and circumstances.  Jade, Sarah and Finn come from complicated family backgrounds.  So Galton has many scenarios and plot lines to create stories from throughout the book.

In  Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage , readers encounter wedding planning, lost pets, the events of meeting long lost estranged family, and rescues. Sprinkle in one temperamental chef,  a boisterous, well meaning son, some potty-mouth parrots and you have an entertaining summer read for a hot sunny day.  Galton has multiple books available to read in a few separate series.  

This is my first book read from the publisher, Boldwood Books, an independent, multi fiction award winning global publishing house.  Boldwood Books is located in the United Kingdom and represents many authors in all forms of publication.  Readers can find their books on major retailers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  

If you are looking for a new light series check out Della Galton and read her newest release  Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage   publishing soon! 

I received the Advanced Reader's Copy of  Perfect Moments at Duck Pond Cottage  by Della Galton and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.  

#PerfectMomentsatDuckPondCottage 

#NetGalley #DellaGalton #BoldwoodBooks

Under The Falls by Richard Russo

 Pulitzer Prize winning author of the novel, Empire Falls, Richard Russo,  is releasing a new novel on August 11, 2026. The book, Under the Falls,  set in the fictional town of Stone Mountain, near the Adirondack mountains of New York state, features country music star Tyler Sinclair returning to his hometown for a benefit concert organized for a childhood friend.  Upon returning to Stone Mountain, Tyler finds that though his life and career has skyrocketed to wealth, fame, and accomplishments, the world he left behind has become stagnant with secrets and the tragic life he escaped when he left without even saying goodbye. 

Some of his friends are excited to see Tyler return to the mountain. But not everyone welcomes him home. At the benefit concert for Tyler's childhood friend "Doc" (who was paralyzed, becoming a paraplegic from a fall at the dam when they were boys) a riot breaks out. The crowd attacks Tyler and the band. When finally, he and his band can leave the town to go back down the mountain,  his limo is a forced off the road and down a steep embankment.  Tyler wakes up to find himself in the hospital with devastating news.  His band manager and the limo driver are dead, his body is broken and his voice, his music is gone.  He must put the pieces of his world back together and discover what secrets of the past have now corrupted his future. 

Under the Falls is a  true crime story embracing the fact that you can't run away from your past, you can only live with the consequences of your actions. 

Under the Falls is the first novel I have read by Richard Russo, and I am eager to discover his other works. That is one of the greatest gifts to a reader...more stories.  Finding a talented author with many prior books is like opening up a treasure chest of precious gems. So many wonderful writings to experience.  I was touched by the emotion he coaxed from his characters. How involved I became in their lives. On top of that, Russo's book was a page turner. It's pacing moved the story along expertly as if the reader was careening down the Stone Mountain with the story, barreling towards the climactic ending, eager to find out the fates of his characters and the world he created. 

I am rating Under the Falls four stars for excellence in storytelling and character development. I look forward to seeing how others respond to the book when it is published by Knopf Doubleday August 11, 2026.  Thank you to Knopf Doubleday, NetGalley and Richard Russo for the Advanced Reader's Copy of Under the Falls in exchange for this honest review.

#UndertheFalls. #NetGalley #RichardRusso

My Last Day by Michael Nohe

 If you found out today that you had only three months left to live, how would you choose to finish out your life here on this side of eternity?  This is the premise of Michael Nohe's book, My Last Day. 

Robert Sanctus, an multimillionaire stock trader living in New York City, is informed by two of the most renowned medical institutions that he has terminal cancer and only a couple months left to live. Rob chooses to not receive treatment for his condition and to die on his own terms. He begins a journal to catalog his last two days of his life.  During those two days as he reflects on his past and pursues to relish his fleeting existence. He comes across a man who panhandles him then precedes to attempt to mug him. Rob stands up to the vagrant and the man runs off only to return to Rob to apologize.  This sets off a series of events that shake Rob's grasp of his purpose during his last couple days.  He meets a nun, a priest, a bar owner and a homeless mother and child. His spirituality and christian beliefs are explored and he grapples with the questions - Is ending his life on his own terms an unforgivable sin? - and- What will he find God and heaven are  like when he dies? 

As with everything in the world, the old adage "Man proposes and God disposes" comes into play.  Rob learns that he must live until he dies.  

My Last Day is told through the main character's journal entries, with Rob, being the narrator of his writings.  In addition to this there is a foreward and epilogue written by his financial advisor. 

I wasn't certain when I chose this book to review, whether I would feel uplifted or depressed upon finishing it.  Thankfully I was encouraged and perhaps enlightened.  Nohe's book inspires the reader to consider how they are currently living their life. If they were gone tomorrow, what are they leaving behind? If you don't like what your legacy would be...can you change your path while there is still time to do so? Do events happen by coincidence or is it all a part of God's eventual path? 

My Last Day is a very quick read, only a little over 100 pages, but well worth the time.  I finished the book and have been mulling the themes and questions brought forth by the writer ever since.  

I think this book would be amazing to read with a friend or as a member of a book club.  After finishing the book, get together and share how you would live your last day, as an itinerary.  What would you do? What would you eat? Who would you talk to? What would you leave behind? 

I give My Last Day a rating of 5 stars! I would rate it higher if there were more stars to give it.  I plan on ordering it on Amazon so that I can share it with friends and family.  Thank you to Micheal Nohe for writing this thought provoking book, NetGalley for the reader's copy to review and BooksGoSocial for promoting small press authors and marketing them for greater impact in the book market.  You can find My Last Day by Michael Nohe on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Bookshop.org 

#MyLastDay. #MichealNohe #NetGalley

The Runner by Scarlet Thomas

 A jumbled mess, that's how I would describe The Runner by Scarlet Thomas.  I know that statement does not sound very kind, but while reading the book, I felt lost and confused through most of the story so this is the most accurate description that I could come up with.  

One of the hardest parts about being a professional reader is the statement, "I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review."  I strongly dislike writing honest reviews that are not complimentary to a particular piece of literature. Yet I say honest review so I must be honest.  Now I love most stories that I read.  I am a very openminded reader and do my best to find the good in each book. However The Runner  by Scarlet Thomas, felt like a disjointed plot with constant changes in scenes and characters that held little substance.  I never felt like I truly knew the main characters, Jay and Ellie.  The were surface characters that never grew to feel real to me.  

Now to say something positive about the novel, because I just have to, I liked the premise of the story.  Jay, is a runner who had a troubled childhood and found that running was one way he could build his self esteem. Through tragic circumstances he becomes the victim of being 'on the run' from assassins who have purchased a contract that was created using bitcoin on the dark web.  The contract had little value when it was created, but due to the nature of bitcoin, it was not cashed in for the past 15 years and has become a literal vast fortune in exchange for proof of his assassination.

Elle has the the contract on Jay but falls in love with him and doesn't want to kill him.

 Sounds like a really good story...but sadly it isn't.  It isn't executed well and I finished it feeling frustrated. The storyline ebbed more than flowed. I found no distinct climax to the story. There were too many tepid characters and nothing ever got overly exciting. I was relieved to finish the book. That being said.  I feel very sad to rate it with 1 star.  My only consolation is that after I post my feedback on the NetGalley website, I will not post this review on extra locations to keep the disappointment I have for the book to a minimum amount of damage.  

The Runner is being published November 3, 2026 by Simon and Schuster. I wish Thomas well with future novels even though this one missed the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced reader's copy of The Runner, by Scarlet Thomas in exchange for this honest review.

#NetGalley. #TheRunner

The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose

 She was the only one who walked away from a terrible accident, killing three others. Would it have never happened if she had only walked away from her abusive husband sooner?  

In bestselling author Karen Rose's latest murder mystery, The One Who Walked Away, Elle Randolph, a former attorney turned bounty hunter finds herself as the center of a serial killer's obsession.  As the body count increases, she must rethink her work and life choices to help find the killer before another innocent is murdered.

Ronan Clarke, a Mendocino police detective has little patience for bounty hunters. Especially when they are hunting a skip through his jurisdiction. Yet in meeting Elle Randolph, he finds he may have a soft spot for a troubled soul.  After spending the last 15 years raising his daughter as a single dad, the smart, troubled bounty hunter reignites his desire for more than his daughter and his job.  But is falling for her the right thing to do when a serial killer that is somehow connected to her is attacking his community?

Rose's novel, The One Who Walked Away, is a fast paced mystery full of intrigue and emotion.  Rose entices the reader to ponder topics including survivor's guilt and victim's ownership of responsibility for events outside of their control.  As a reader I was surprised when I found myself stepping into her heroine's role, which illustrates how well written and developed her characters are.  I empathized with Elle, understanding her misguided feelings of responsibility for other's actions.  I felt anxiety when the tension of the plot tightened, and joy when the final event concluded. 

I believe one of the highest praises for an author is when the reader looks for additional titles they have written upon finishing the book.  I felt this way at the end of Roses's story, The One Who Walked Away.  I was impressed with her book and now I am anxious to read more of her work. I rate The One Who Walked Away with four stars. 

The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose is scheduled to be published August 11, 2026 by Berkley Publishing Group.  I would like to thank NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Karen Rose for the Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley  #TheOneWhoWalkedAway