"Where Hope Prevails"
by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

Elizabeth Thatcher has just returned to Coal Valley after a long summer with her family back East. Jack has not proposed yet, but she knows what her answer will be. If he will just ask the question. But things are not as she left them. She has been displaced from her place of living. She doesn’t even get to teach school by herself. But Elizabeth is not happy with the new teaching arrangements. Her fellow teacher doesn’t even believe in God and he is making Elizabeth’s life miserable. Elizabeth attempts to do her best with each obstacle she faces, but good intentions do not always lead to good results.
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I can well imagine how forsaken Elizabeth must have felt to arrive in town just a few days before school was to start to find that she has to share teaching duties with a man who is full of far-fetched teaching ideals. Plus this man has also taken her room at Molly’s. Even though this was a challenge, Elizabeth handles the problem very well.

Although I enjoy Janette Oke books very much, because there are differences between the TV show it is a little confusing to follow the books. For example the names of characters especially the main characters are different. I do realize that the TV show is based on these books, but it is hard to follow the two and keep them straight.

I do hope that there is a fourth book because we are sort of left hanging after Elizabeth and Jarrick are marries. Life doesn’t end with the wedding. There will be many more trials Elizabeth and Jack have to face together. I am looking forward to many more adventures with Jack and Elizabeth.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

"Without Warning"
by Lynette Eason

Katie Singleton is a member of the Elite Guardians Protection Agency. She is on her way home from completing a job when she sees police cars outside of a restaurant. She stops to see what is going on because she knows the owner of the restaurant. While the police and Katie are investigating the mysterious circumstances at the restaurant, another restaurant, in the same chain, across town is set on fire. Upon further investigation it appears that someone is trying to harm Daniel Matthews, the owner of the restaurant. The niece’s owner wants to hire Katie to protect her uncle from whomever is trying to kill him, but he is reluctant to have a bodyguard.

Daniel Matthews is not convinced that he needs a bodyguard, but when his niece insists that he needs protection, Daniel agrees to hire Katie. Will he and Katie be able to figure out who is behind the attacks before it is too late or will the killer strike again?
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Here are some interview questions that Lynette Eason answered for Revell to promote her new book:
1. Without Warning is the second book in your ELITE GUARDIANS series. Tell us about this series and how you came up with the idea.
This has been such a fun series to write. I came up with the idea of the all-female bodyguard agency when I was researching different ideas and things I might like to write about. I came across the Athena Academy  in Athens, Greece, and immediately thought, Aha! That's what I want to write about. And so the Elite Guardians series was born. In Without Warning, I knew I wanted to incorporate an old coin, an airplane, archaeology, and a restaurant. From there, I brainstormed some ideas with friends , and Without Warning came to be.
2. The ELITE GUARDIANS series specialized in suspense. What do you like about being a suspense writer?
I really enjoy solving the puzzle. Writing suspense is like gathering scattered pieces of a puzzle together and figuring out where they fit. It's fun, it's challenging, and it's often a pain in the neck, but I love it. And I especially love seeing the finished product.
3. Tell us about your research process.
I research as I write, mostly. If I come across a topic I'm not familiar with, like the value of antique coins, I'll stop writing, do the research, and insert what I need in the story. Then I keep writing. I also have a number of professionals in my email or phone contact list. Whenever I have a question about a profession, I can generally shoot off an email or text and have my answer within hours. Sometimes within minutes. That's always a very nice thing!
4. Without Warning  begins with a twist in the very first chapter. Was the first scene the most difficult one to write?
Believe it or not, the first scene is usually the easiest scene out of the entire book for me to write. I think it's because I visualize it in its entirety before I even type the first word. That's not to say I don't go back and tweak as needed, but my first scene generally stays the first scene. I've only had a couple of books where I've scrapped the first scene and started over. Not too bad considering I have almost forty stories under my belt!
5. Are the characters in Without Warning and the ELITE GUARDIANS series based on people you know?
No. I try not to do that – unless a person has asked to be in a book and has signed a waiver. I might use characteristics of people I know, but I also make the character different enough that those people wouldn’t think, Hey, she’s talking about me!
6. Introduce us to Katie Singleton, who works for the protecti0n agency. How did this job begin for her?
Katie Singleton is a quiet person. Except when she gets to know you. She’s carrying a lot of guilt from an incident in her past, and her family is a bit estranged from her because of it. Not that she wants it that way, she doesn’t know how to bridge the gap. So she avoids the situation. Her job keeps her busy enough that she doesn’t have to think about it much. Until she gets involved with Daniel and his niece. Then she learns the true meaning of forgiveness and what facing the past entails.
7. Tell us more about Daniel Matthews and his niece Riley.
Daniel is a go-getter. He’s never been one to let the grass grow under his feet. He’s loyal and family oriented and a savvy businessman. His eighteen-year-old niece lives with him because her parents (his brother and sister-in-law) were killed by a drunk driver. Daniel was in the military and knows how to take care of himself pretty well. But even he has trouble staying alive with the killer who is after him. Riley is an amazing young lady (based partly on my daughter). She’s witty and funny, compassionate and loyal. She has a heart for the less fortunate and lovers her uncle fiercely. She’s also spiritually mature and loves God. She shows some of the adults how best to love and how to forgive even when people do the unforgiveable.
8. Your novels are full of diverse and realistic characters. How do you keep them all straight when you are writing a novel?
I do keep a spreadsheet of characters and their descriptions and their role in the story, but mostly I just keep them in my head. They’re people to me and I know them. Therefore, it’s not hard to keep them straight.
9. What faith message do you most want readers to take from your book?
I want readers to take away the message that they are not beyond redemption. I want them to see God at work in the lives of my characters and somehow be able to relate that to their own lives. To know that this is not just fiction – that God wants a personal relationship with each person and He’s ready to work in their lives if they’ll just let Him. I want readers to see characters facing hard stuff and coming out victorious because they placed their faith in God and allowed Him to work through them.
10. Will there be another book in the ELITE GUARDIANS series?
Yes, there are two more books in the series: Moving Target and a fourth book that hasn’t been titled yet.
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“Without Warning” is book two in the Elite Guardians series by Lynette Eason. Lynette Eason is an expert at weaving suspenseful stories. “Without Warning” is full of action and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. I must admit that I figured out the culprit fairly early on, but the reason why was a mystery to me. Even though I knew the culprit, I still enjoyed this story with all of the many twists and turns along the way. I was disappointed though about the lack of interaction from the characters in book one. Yes, the other members of the Elite Guardians were present, but the comradery seemed to be missing. Overall I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

"Silent Sabotage'
​by Susan Sleeman

 
Emily Graves is spending a nice relaxing day shopping with her Aunt Birdie, when suddenly they ear gunshots. They cannot believe that somebody would be shooting at the flea market, but they do their best to hide from the gunman. Emily is completely surprised when she recognizes the gunman as someone from her Oregon Free meetings. When the gunman spots Emily, he becomes even more violent. He demands that Emily put on a vest filled with explosives. Emily does not know why her old friend is shooting up the flea market or why he has strapped an explosive vest to her, but she soon learns that he is trying to get back at her for the death of his sister.

Archer Reed is on his way home, when he hears an active shooter report come over his radio. Knowing that it will take other law enforcement officers too long to get to the crime scene, he heads to the flea market. Once he arrives, he grabs his gear and goes in to try and stop the shooter before anyone else gets hurt. What he didn’t expect to find is a woman strapped to a suicide vest in front of the gunman. Archer uses his skills as a negotiator to try and end the standoff peaceably without anybody else getting hurt.  

Emily is relieved when Archer arrives on the scene. His presence gives her the extra confidence and strength she needs to stand up to the gunman. While they are trying to negotiate a peaceful ending, the gunman lets it slip that the “accidents” that have been happening to Emily were NOT accidents, and that she will never be safe again. Even after the gunman is taken into custody, Emily is still worried about the safety of her aunt and herself; especially after hearing the gunman’s threats. Archer does not want anything to happen to Emily and her aunt, so he appoints himself as their bodyguard. Archer will do anything to keep them safe, but will he be able to keep his heart safe as well?
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This 5th book, “Silent Sabotage”, in the First Responders Series is another explosive story by Susan Sleeman. While this story is focused on Archer, one of the negotiators on the FR team, we get to visit again with the members of the team. I love how the FR team stands up, supports, and are always there for each other. From the very beginning of the story, I was held riveted. I was also reminded that we cannot rely on our own strength and wisdom, but we must rely on God’s strength, protection, and wisdom to help us get through the day.
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 Susan Sleeman is a master at creating an intriguing, edge of the seat stories with characters that you will fall in love with. Her stories are action packed and filled with heart stopping adventure, nail biting suspense, and swoon worthy romance. If you are looking for an exciting, good, clean read, then this book is definitely for you.
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.