Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble

SECRETS AT CEDAR CABIN: Her mother lied about her identity and her husband wasn’t who she thought he was—can Bailey even trust herself anymore?

Running for her life in the wake of her mother’s murder, Bailey Fleming escapes to the only place she can think of—a remote, dilapidated cabin in Lavender Tides. Intending to finally get to the truth behind the lies of her past, Bailey only finds more questions when bodies are discovered near her cabin hideout along with traces of a dangerous human trafficking ring. In an unlikely partnership with FBI agent Lance Phoenix, Bailey races to understand the mystery surrounding her life and circumstances before the murderer tracks her down. 

Meanwhile, Lance is determined to rescue his sister, Ava, who was abducted after running away from home as a teenager. An unexpected lead brings him to the remote cabin, and he wonders if Bailey—with her suspicious past and strange connections to his sister’s case—is really who she claims to be and if she can somehow lead him to Ava. 

Filled with Colleen Coble's custom blend of suspense and romance, Secrets at Cedar Cabin takes us back to the evocative landscape of Washington's coast where nothing is quite as it seems. 

Heidi here. SECRETS AT CEDAR CABIN may be my favorite Colleen Coble book yet! I liked how hurt and afraid Bailey was when we met her, yet she was a strong character. When we meet Lance, we are shown how skilled he is, yet he is deeply wounded by his missing sister that he has spent years trying to find.

There were so many secrets that the author released at just the right moments to keep me wanting to read more. I especially liked how tightly braided the plot and subplots were. Grab your copy of SECRETS AT CEDAR CABIN by Colleen Coble today!

Confessions of a Book Crier

Photo Credit: 123RF photos

Confessions of a Book Crier

by Amber Schamel

I'm not one of those gals that cries a lot. In fact, I tend to cry more often out of frustration than sadness. But I will confess, there have been a couple of books that made me cry. It's a tough thing to do, but it has happened. 

I think the first book that ever made me cry was Beulah by Augusta Jane Evans. It was an old book I picked up at an antique store. As it turns out, it was originally published in 1865. Like many books of its period, Beulah was a story about a plain, hard working, devoted orphan girl. In one of the beginning scenes, Beulah's sister Lillian is adopted by a prominent family, but they don't want Beulah. Lilly is torn from her sister's arms, screaming and begging them not to separate her from her sister. a heartbroken Beulah lets her go, knowing it is for her sister's ultimate benefit, though they may never see each other again. The scene is written in such a way that we feel both sister's anguish, and are already deeply attached to the characters even though this scene occurs in the second chapter. Having three younger sisters myself, this picture tugged at my heartstrings and I confess...I cried like a little girl. 

Whew. There. I said it. First confession out of the way. As an author though, I have another confession to make. Sometimes books make me cry...when I'm writing them. 

My debut novella, The Healer's Touch, is a story about a woman who is banished from her home because of leprosy. Her husband threatens to kill her, and she is separated from her son for over ten years. Life in the leper colony is heartbreaking. When news comes of a man who may be able to heal her, Aaliyah is forced to make a choice: risk her life by going into the city to find the healer, or live out the rest of her miserable existence and die a leper. As I wrote her story, there were a couple of times that I felt her anguish so deep, that it actually made me cry. Rumor is, it had the same effect on some of my readers. 

When writing the sequel to The Healer's Touch, (which just released on Oct 16th!) I found myself in tears for a different reason. This time, it was feeling the character's joy that choked me up. (I can't tell you more than that, or it might spoil it for you.) :D

Okay, so now that I've confessed to being a book crier, it's your turn. What books have made you cry?

If you're an author, have you cried when writing your books?

Best selling author Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest". A homeschool graduate from a family of 12 children, Amber found her calling early in life. First published at age 21, she has continued to hone her craft and is now the author of over half a dozen books. Between ministry, family and working in their family-owned businesses, Amber loves to connect with readers. Find her on the Stitches Thru Time blog, or on any of the major social media sites.  Amber is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Historical Novel Society.

Her new release The Messiah's Sign is on sale for only $.99 for a limited time!

Dreams…they shouldn’t bother him, but when Tyrus’ worst nightmare is vindicated, he has no choice but to face reality. His wife has been unfaithful, and God has punished her with the most feared disease in the land: leprosy. Banishing her to the leper colony, Tyrus struggles to raise their son alone and protect him from a merciless outlaw. But when Malon begins following the teacher from Nazareth, what remains of their business and reputation is at stake. Can Tyrus save his son from the beguiling lies of a false Messiah before he loses the only thing he has left?

 http://www.amazon.com/Days-Messiah-2-Messiahs-Sign-ebook/dp/B00OJ93IB6/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1413400281&sr=1-3&keywords=amber+schamel

I'm celebrating my new release with the Name-A-Character Giveaway! Enter to for a chance to pick the name of a main character in Amber's upcoming book The Christmas Pardon. Terms and conditions apply. 
 

In the aftermath of the Civil War, a young lawyer battles with the U.S. Supreme court. In what seemed to be a Christmas miracle, he had secured a pardon for his friend from Lincoln himself. The army executed the boy anyway. On the fifteenth anniversary of his death, will the lawyer finally clear his friends name and bring justice to his memory?

http://www.amberschamel.com/contests.html

Confessional Friday

I participate in a weekly blog link-up called Confessional Friday, where bloggers share tidbits about their week--things they may not normally share.

So, I thought I'd do a Reader Confessional Friday.

I confess that I often check reviews after reading a book just to see if other people agree with me.

I confess that I currently have 297 books on my kindle to-read list, just waiting for me.

I confess that doesn't count the hundred or so books on my book shelf waiting to be read.

I confess I have a small--okay large--crush on the hero of whatever book I'm reading at the time.

I also confess that I usually forget about said hero (and most of the plot) by the next week. So, when a character sticks out, I know it's a five-star book.

I confess I'm a sucker for a bad boy in a book.

I confess I get annoyed by heroines who are weak or co-dependent. I like feisty, independent characters.

That's it for today.

What's your reader confession?

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into this week's giveaway!

Laura Jackson serves as the librarian of an elementary school and writes YA novels at night. Her first book Worth the Wait released in February, and the second book in the series (Worth the Time) comes out in January 2015. Connect with her on FB, Twitter, or on her website.