Shell Games by Bonnie Kistler (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of Shell Games by Bonnie Kistler.

What is your favorite thriller novel/show/movie?  I don’t know if I have one favorite, by I know I really enjoyed Gone Girl as it kept taking me by surprise.

Shell Games is a quick moving thriller that I had a hard time putting down.  Kate has built her real estate empire from the ground up and now late in life, she has reunited and is marrying her high school sweetheart.  On their first night of marriage, Charlie tells Kate that he was the Tylenol serial killer in the 1980s.  The police are called, and Kate is convinced that Charlie is trying to gaslight her to be able to take over her fortune.  Kate’s daughter, Julie, is not sure who to believe.  Is her mild-mannered step-father a smooth operator planning to steal her mother’s fortune?  Does her mother have dementia?

My thoughts on this book:

·       I loved the growth of Julie throughout the book.  She has an unhealthy marriage, she feels overshadowed by her mother, and she doesn’t seem to be living life for herself.  Through the book, she learns to be confident and to value herself.

·       I liked the twists and turns in this book.  I’m still thinking about it almost a week after finishing it.

·       Gaslighting is a major theme of this novel.

·       There was a brief snippet this week about this book on NPR’s Book of the Day.

·       I liked the discussion in the book about climate change and the impacts on Florida’s coast. 

·       It’s best to go into this novel not knowing much about the story and just enjoying the ride.

Overall, Shell Games by Bonnie Kistler is an exciting new thriller that is a fun joy ride to read.

Spells and Sandwiches by Kate Moseman

 

Title: Spells and Sandwiches

Author:  Kate Moseman

Narrated by:  Hollie Jackson

Publisher: Fortunella Press

Length: Approximately 5 hours and 57 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley.  Thank you!

What is your favorite type of sandwich?  I really like a ham and turkey sandwich.

Zelda is in New York City to open a deli.  A vampire offers her free rent on her family’s old restaurant if she will repair a magic mirror.  This changes her life path, and she uses her magic to get through many zany situations.

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       Hollie Jackson had a great narrator performance with good voices for the characters.

·       This book was entertaining and amusing.

·       It was a cozy fantasy read.

·       The plot did not really capture my attention.  I needed more world building/explanation.

·       Zelda is a great well-rounded character.  She has a great dog named Jester.  There is another dog in the story named Georginia after Georginia Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

·       This novel was light on the romance.

·       This is the first book in the West Side Witches series.

Overall, Spells and Sandwiches was a cozy read for October.

COVER REVEAL - A Daughter's Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Do you like cozy historical mysteries?  Then you may be interested in a new novel, A Daughter's Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman.  I'm happy to share all that I know about this new novel and reveal the beautiful cover. 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Frances and George are enjoying some well-deserved leisure time in Paris when an old acquaintance from London, Alicia Stoke-Whitney, seeks Frances’s help to investigate a personal matter. Alicia’s daughter is being courted by Carlson Deaver, a wealthy American shadowed by a very suspicious tragedy.

Less than a year ago, Carlson’s wife, a former actress, was murdered, her body discovered in one of the more dubious quartiers in Paris. Though authorities guess it was a robbery gone wrong, no one was ever brought to justice. Until Daniel Cadieux, Inspector for the Sûreté, follows a startling new lead. None other Sarah Bernhardt, legendary icon of the Paris stage, receives a piece of jewelry stolen from the victim, along with an incriminating note: I know what you did.

It opens a new door for the Hazeltons’ investigation, as well. But not a soul believes that the Divine Sarah would become entangled in something so disreputable as murder—even if she and the late Mrs. Deaver did have a history of theatrical clashes. Amid questions of revenge, blackmail, scandals, and secrets, more poisoned pen letters follow, and suspects abound. Now it’s up to Francis and George to infiltrate the most elite social circles of Paris, and find a culprit before another victim faces their final act.

AUTHOR BIO

Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Agatha and Lefty Award winning Countess of Harleigh Mysteries, a two-time finalist for the Macavity’s Sue Feder Memorial Award, and a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She spent thirty years working in corporate accounting and finance and now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband now split their time between Michigan and Arizona. Visit her at DiFreeman.com.

AND THE BEAUTIFUL NEW COVER ....

What do you think?  This eighth entry in the Countess of Harleigh series will be published on June 24, 2025.  I read the 7th entry, An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder, and greatly enjoyed it.  You can read this new novel as a standalone or as the latest in this great series.

The Watsons and Emma Watson by Jane Austen and Joan Aiken

 

Have you ever read a continuation of a classic story or fraction of a book?  I enjoy reading continuations of fragments of Jane Austen’s work.  I always wonder in what direction Austen would have taken the story if she only would have had more time.

Emma Watson has returned home after many years away living with her aunt.  Her aunt has remarried, and Emma has lost her place as her aunt’s heir.  When she returns home, she discovers that her family is in disarray.  Will Emma be able to find her own happiness and place in the world?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the November pick for the JASNA Northwoods Book club.  It was not a book club favorite.

·       The book had a clear break between the Jane Austen fragment and the continuation by Joan Aiken.  It was apparent that this was a first draft from Jane Austen and that she had not polished the work before publication.

·       Joan Aiken’s part did not seem like a Jane Austen tale.  It was very Gothic and contained three shocking deaths in a row.  The storyline seemed scattered and slapped together without a plan.

·       Emma’s love interest was just randomly introduced at the end.  I was hoping she would find love with one of the many eligible men that were already in the novel.  I did not feel invested in her love story at all, or really in any of the characters besides the ones that were killed off.

·       Emily from book club pointed out that there was a Henry Crawford (from Mansfield Park) Easter egg at the end of the novel that was fun.

Are there any better continuations of The Watsons out there that I should read?

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com

Pride and Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley

 

Have you ever not been able to finish a book?  If so, why?

I unfortunately was not able to finish Pride and Prejudice in Space despite multiple attempts.  I love Pride and Prejudice and science fiction so I thought this would be the perfect book for me.  Alas, it did not capture my attention as there was not any world building.  Instead, there was text straight from the original Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen interspersed with a bit of interstellar travel.  Why are the humans of the future speaking in Regency jargon and having balls in space?  I don’t know!  It didn’t quite make sense to me.  The illustrations were beautiful, but I was hoping for an engaging and unique Pride and Prejudice variation set in space and did not find it.

This was my "crazy" variation read for the November JASNA Northwoods Book Club.

Book Source:  Review copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator’s Search for the Unexplained by Stanley Milford, Jr.

 

Do you believe in the paranormal such as aliens, bigfoot, ghosts, other supernatural beings?  I am always curious.

Stanley Milford Jr. grew up in multiple worlds with a Navajo father and Cherokee mother.  He learned native culture and traditions but also grew up in the white world.  As an adult, he became a Navajo Ranger serving the very large (27,000 square miles) area of the Navajo Nation.  Along the way he had many encounters with the paranormal.

My thoughts on this book:

·       I really liked the Navajo creation story and myths that were interspersed between each chapter.

·       There were great pictures of Stanley Milford Jr. throughout his life as well as sketches of paranormal creatures.

·       I found this book to be very interesting.  Milford takes a police perspective to each investigation.  He can determine some are hoaxes, while others have no apparent explanation.  He had an interesting theory that there could be interdimensional travel happening to explain strange appearances.

·       It was interesting that one witness was able to get trail cam footage of a bigfoot and that the DNA analysis of the hair fibers came back inconclusive for the type of mammal.

·       Milford had a LOT of area to cover with not many rangers.

·       The book had an interesting discussion about how perhaps some areas see more paranormal activity than others, such as Gettysburg.

·       Milford was in a few documentaries on paranormal activity and now I want to see them.  He was on Unsolved Mysteries and Beyond Skinwalker Ranch just to name a couple.

·       This book was a good mix of memoir, native mythology, and paranormal investigations.

·       It was a quick read with a good index.

·       It was nice that Milford was able to listen to and help those who “regular” police would typically dismiss with their paranormal experiences.

Favorite Quotes:

“Overall, I found that treating people like fellow human beings instead of being badge-heavy always resulted in more compliance.  I was a member of the community, and that’s how I conducted myself on the job.”

“That’s what was different about paranormal cases as opposed to my usual, everyday ones.  These cases made me wonder What If?  They sent my mind whirring in all directions.”

Overall, The Paranormal Ranger was a very interesting memoir of a Navajo Ranger and his investigations into paranormal activity.

Book Source:  Review copy from William Morrow Books. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Starlets by Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title: The Starlets

Author:  Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne

Narrated by:  Gail Shalan

Publisher: Harper Muse

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 17 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Harper Muse & NetGalley.  Thank you!

Do you have a favorite epic movie from the golden age of Hollywood?  Gone with the Wind is my favorite epic classic movie.

In the summer of 1958, Vivienne Rhodes, has traveled to the Italian island of Tavalli, to star in the new epic movie, A Thousand Ships, about Helen of Troy and the Trojan War.  She is surprised to discover that she will not be the star, but her nemesis, Lottie Lawrence will be the star.  Lottie “stole” Vivienne’s fiancé and Vivienne is still reeling from the heartbreak.  Vivienne and Lottie inadvertently discover a murder on the island and are soon on the run.  Will they be able to find help and solve this mystery?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read about half of this on audiobook and half in the physical book.  I enjoyed both media formats and read this book quickly.  The narrator was engaging.

·       The storyline moved very quickly and kept me on my toes.  I really wanted to know what was going to happen.

·       I loved all the nods to real Hollywood movies and stars from that time period.  I love classic movies and old Hollywood.

·       I enjoyed how the two women were enemies, but were able to put aside their differences, get to know each other, and work towards a common goal.  They became friends by the end.  I loved how their relationship developed.

·       The characters were great.  I loved Vivienne and Lottie, but the other characters on the set were fun and interesting as well.  The villains were very dastardly.

·       I liked the adventure too as the two women fled through Europe. There is a scene involving Ben Hur and a race car that I will never forget.

·       There were great moments of humor in the book as well.

Overall, The Starlets by Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne was a fast-paced historical fiction novel set in the golden age of Hollywood with unforgettable characters.  I loved it and highly recommend it!

 BOOK DESCRIPTION

One perfect island. Two rivals. A star-studded cast. But underneath the glitter, disaster is brewing.

Summer, 1958. Vivienne Rhodes thinks she’s finally landed her break playing Helen of Troy in Apex Pictures’ big-budget epic, A Thousand Ships, an anticipated blockbuster meant to resurrect the failing studio. Naturally, she’s devastated when she arrives on the remote Italian island of Tavalli and finds herself cast as the secondary character, Cassandra—while her nemesis, the fiancé-stealing Lottie Lawrence, America’s supposed “sweetheart,” is playing the lead role instead.

The tension on set, though, turns deadly when the ladies discover that members of the crew are using the production as a front for something decidedly illegal—and that they are willing to kill to keep their dealings under wraps. When the two women find themselves on the run and holding key evidence, Vivienne and Lottie frantically agree to work together to deliver the proof to Interpol, hoping to protect both their lives and their careers.

Staying one step ahead of corrupt cops and looming mobsters, the archrivals flee across the seas. Their journey leads them into Monaco’s casinos, Grace Kelly’s palace, on a road trip through the Alps—even onto another film set, before a final showdown back on Tavalli, where the lives of the entire cast and crew hang in the balance. Vivienne and Lottie finally have the chance to be real heroines—to save the day, the film, maybe even each other—but only if they can first figure out how to share the spotlight.

ADVANCE PRAISE

“A spry and suspenseful crime novel set just after Hollywood’s golden age”— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A sheer delight! This fast-paced caper is fresh, fun, and exactly the escape readers need right now.” — Marie Bostwick, New York Times bestselling author of Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly

AUTHOR BIOS

Jennifer Thorne is an American author of books for adults and young readers who writes from a nineteenth-century Cotswold cottage in the medieval market town of Minchinhampton alongside her husband, two sons, and various other animals.

Born in a small town in Tennessee, Jenn grew up bouncing between her parents’ homes in various other states and countries, with books as her constant companions, before returning to New York as a teen to study drama at NYU. Though acting had been her lifelong dream, she found that she was more fulfilled by writing performance vehicles for her friends than acting in them herself. After a move to Los Angeles, she detoured into writing and never looked back. Connect with her online at jenniferthorne.com.

Lee Kelly is the author of City of Savages, a Publishers Weekly "Best of Spring 2015" pick and a VOYA Magazine "Perfect Ten" selection; A Criminal Magic, which was optioned and developed for a television series by Warner Bros.; The Antiquity Affair, co-written with Jennifer Thorne; and With Regrets.

Her short fiction and essays have appeared in Gingerbread House, Orca, and Tor.com, among other publications, and she holds her MFA degree from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. An entertainment lawyer by trade, Lee has practiced law in Los Angeles and New York. She currently lives with her husband and two children in New Jersey, where you'll find them engaged in one adventure or another. Connect with her online at leekellyauthor.com.

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

Title: Bright Young Women

Author:  Jessica Knoll

Narrated by:  Sutton Foster, Imani Jade Powers, Corey Brill, Chris Henry Coffey

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 58 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you!

Do you like true crime stories?  Bright Young Women is a historical thriller that tells a fictionalized version of the killings involving Ted Bundy.

In 1978, a serial killer attacks a sorority at Florida State University killing two and severely wounding two others.  The sorority president, Pamela Schumaker briefly sees the killer when she goes to investigate a sound.  Will she be able to help put the killer behind bars?

Tina Cannon has been looking for her friend Ruth since she disappeared.  She feels her disappearance has something to do with the serial killer.  Will she be able to find out what happened to Ruth?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I thought this novel was very interesting.  I liked how the story focused on telling the victims story rather than focusing on the killer.  This is a fictional account of the Ted Bundy murders and trial.  It shows how the press and public made Ted Bundy a “sexy” character and imbibed him with smarts and charm that he did not possess.

·       A Florida judge called Ted Bundy a “Bright Young Man.”  The title of this book is a play on this.

·       I had a feeling of dread while reading this novel.  This eventually turned to hope by the end of the novel.

·       I also felt frustrated while reading the novel.  Tina and Pamela were often dismissed because of being women or because of relationships they had in the past.

·       The story is told through multiple point of views which I enjoyed.  The audiobook had different narrators for the different point of views which I thought really added to the audiobook experience.

·       The story also is told in the past in the 1970s when it was experienced as well as in the present as Pamela and Tina work to uncover what happened to Ruth.

·       I thought the overall message on how a crime is portrayed by the media may be vastly different than reality was very powerful.

Overall, Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is a historical thriller that tells the story of the victims that are often behind in the media portrayal of a crime.

The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Emilia Fox

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 26 minutes

Source: Checked out with Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

Do any “famous” people live in your neighborhood?  The children’s author, Patricia Polacco, lives in my hometown of Union City, Michigan.

I read The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side by Agatha Christie last month for #ReadChristie2024.  #ReadChristie2024 has a theme this year of through the decades.  January – March were books published by Agatha Christie in the 1920’s, April through June were books published by Agatha Christie in the 1930’s, July through September were books published by Agatha Christie in the 1940s and 1950s, and October through December were books published by Agatha Christie in the 1960s and 1970s.   The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side was published in 1962 and features Miss Marple. 

Movie star Marina Gregg has moved into Miss Marple’s neighborhood.  The neighborhood is excited when she holds a fundraiser for the local community.  Heather Badcock is excited to meet her idol and tell her a story, but she dies immediately afterwards.  As the murder is investigated it appears that Marina Gregg was the target.  Will Miss Marple solve this mystery?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel is firmly set-in post-war England.  St. Mary’s Mead is growing with new neighborhoods and a grocery story.  The new people have changed the make-up of the community.

·       I liked how Miss Marple is in her 80’s with a nurse and the nurse drives her crazy.  Miss Marple still wants to be about and about solving murder mysteries. 

·       The characters in the novel were great.

·       I was not sure how to feel when the novel had Miss Marple and another lady discussing Hollywood orgies.  That is something I never thought I’d hear Miss Marple talking about.  I think it was Christie’s attempt to make the novel more modern.

·       It was interesting how some of the Hollywood aspects are still true to life.  Marina, the star, has had many marriages.  She always wanted a child but was unable to have one.  She has heard that if you adopt a child, you may be more likely to have a child.  She adopted three children, and then abandoned them a few years later when she was pregnant with a biological child.  The adopted children were taken from their families, raised in privilege, paraded before the press, and then forgotten.  It was cruel.

·       I enjoyed this mystery and its twists and turns.  I thought I had this mystery solved, but I was wrong.

·       I loved the audiobook narrator, Emilia Fox.  She had a nice British accent and great character voices.

Overall, The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side was another great Agatha Christie mystery.

Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Elephants Can Remember

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 5 hours and 36 minutes

Source: Checked out with Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

Do you like to read more than one book at once?  I am usually reading a physical book, ebook, and audiobook at the same time.

I read Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie last month for #ReadChristie2024.  #ReadChristie2024 has a theme this year of through the decades.  January – March were books published by Agatha Christie in the 1920’s, April through June were books published by Agatha Christie in the 1930’s, July through September were books published by Agatha Christie in the 1940s and 1950s, and October through December were books published by Agatha Christie in the 1960s and 1970s.   Elephants Can Remember was published in 1972 and was the last novel written to feature Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver.  Curtain:  Poirot’s Last Case was published after this but was written in the 1940s.  This is the December selection for #ReachChristie2024, but my hold came in October so that was when I read it!

Author Ariadne Oliver is at a literary luncheon when a strange woman, Mrs. Burton-Cox states that her son Desmond is engaged to Ariadne Oliver’s goddaughter, Celia.  She wants to know, did Celia’s mother kill her father or did her father kill her mother?  Both were shot with a revolver, found between them, with both of their fingerprints, and none other on them.  This sparks Ariadne’s curiosity, and she starts to investigate the cold case.  Will she be able to solve it using other’s memories from twelve years ago?  Will her friend, Hercule Poirot, be able to help her out?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I like how Ariadne is the primary investigator in this novel with help from her friend, Hercule Poirot.

·       The phrase “elephants can remember” comes up a lot.  People state it discussing how elephants remember everything.  This novel deals with memories and how they play into being interviewed, and oral testimony.

·       Always trust the dog, the family dog bit Celia’s mother the month before her death.  Why?  I liked that the mystery was partially solved by the actions of the dog.

·       This book features twins.  I always like when twins are in a mystery.

·       This book again brings up adoption and “real parents” and “real kids.”  This type of language made me uncomfortable.

·       This time I did mostly figure out the conclusion, but I still enjoyed the journey and explanation from Hercule Poirot.

·       Hugh Fraser is a great narrator for Agatha Christie’s novels.

Overall, Elephants Can Remember was an interesting Agatha Christie mystery dealing with memory set in the 1970s.

Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Title: Across the Ages

Author:  Gabrielle Meyer

Narrated by:  Rachel Botchan

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 56 minutes

Source: Audiobook Purchased from Audible. Thank you @gabrielle_meyer @bethanyhousefiction @austenprosefor the review copy of the paperback version of Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer.

If you could pick, would you rather live as a pirate in the 1700s or as a young lady in Minnesota in the 1920s?  I think I would pick Minnesota in the 1920s if I lived somewhere with modern plumbing.

Caroline lives in both 1727 and 1927.  She will live a day in 1727 and fall asleep. When she wakes up again, she is in 1927.  She has lived two lives as she nears her twenty-first birthday.  In 1727, she runs away from a forced marriage on her grandfather’s plantation in South Carolina and joins a ship as a cabin boy to try to find her mother.  When her ship is captured by pirates, she finds herself now an unwilling pirate.  She starts to have feelings for the captain’s adopted son whom she serves. Will she find her mother?  Will she find love with a pirate?

In 1927, Caroline is the daughter of a prominent minister who is a leader in the prohibition movement.  She feels the weight of being the “perfect daughter” on her shoulders.  Her two brothers are living lives of sin involving adultery, prostitutes, and running illegal alcohol.  Caroline wants answers on why she travels through time, but looking for these answers with her childhood friend Lewis brings them into dangerous situations.  Will Caroline find the answers she seeks, and will she find love with Lewis?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is the fourth novel in the Timeless series.  I have read books 2, 3, and 4 now and I’ve really enjoyed them.  I still need to read the first book.  You can read this novel as a standalone, but it is fun when characters from the previous novels pop up in this story. 

·       It’s a fun love triangle to have the two different men in two different timelines and lives.

·       The two different time periods in this novel, the 1920s and the 1700s are equally intriguing to me. 

·       I liked how Caroline met famous people in the 1920s such as Charles Lindburgh and Ernest Hemingway.

·       I loved the descriptive detail of Caroline’s clothing in both timelines, but especially the 1920s.

·       The book had a great theme of redemption in both timelines.

·       This is a clean read.

·       The novel had a great historical note at the end that described the real history as well as sources to read more about it.  I had not idea that St. Paul was a “sanctuary city” for gangsters in the 1920s.

·       It was fun when Caroline in the 1920s visited real Minnesota landmarks that I have visited such as the Como Park in St. Paul.

·       There is a great sneak peak at the next novel in this series, Every Hour Until Then, which will be released in May 2025.

·       The audiobook was riveting and great listening experience.  The narrator had a wonderful voice brought the story to life.

Overall, Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer was a great historical time travel romance set in two fascinating time periods, the pirate age in 1727, and the roaring 20’s in 1927.  I greatly enjoyed it and the rest of this series, and I highly recommend it.

 BOOK DESCRIPTION

Caroline holds a deep secret. Living in 1727 and 1927 simultaneously, each night she goes to sleep in one life and wakes up in the other. In search of answers to her unique existence, Caroline stumbles upon a letter from her mother hinting at her own experiences as a time-crosser, sending Caroline on a daring quest to uncover the truth. In 1727, Caroline disguises herself as a cabin boy and joins a ship sailing for the Bahamas, her mother's last known location, where she crosses paths with a ruthless but handsome pirate and is caught in a web of secrets, deception, and unexpected alliances.

In 1927 St. Paul, Minnesota, Caroline grapples with her other life as the daughter of a renowned preacher. Her two older brothers have fallen prey to the corruption rampant during Prohibition, and Caroline struggles to keep their involvement hidden to save her father's career. As her search for answers about her time-crossing leads her to the dangerous yet exciting world of speakeasies, Caroline enlists the help of a childhood friend who is now a police officer. But with her family's future at risk and their loyalties tested, Caroline faces a life-altering decision that could reshape her destiny.

AUTHOR BIO

Gabrielle Meyer (GabrielleMeyer.com) is an ECPA bestselling author. She has worked for state and local historical societies and loves writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events. She currently resides along the banks of the Mississippi River in central Minnesota with her husband and four children. By day, she's a busy homeschool mom, and by night she pens fiction and nonfiction filled with hope.