Hollywood 1942. When attorney Audra Schaeffer’s sister disappears, Audra flies to Hollywood to find her.
Any day Audra might have been flattered by the friendly overtures of Robert Garfield, a real-life movie star. But on the flight from Indianapolis to Hollywood, Audra can think of little else than finding her missing sister. When Audra arrives in the city of glitz and glamour, and stars, and learns her rising starlet sister has been murdered, all thoughts of romance fly away.
Determined to bring the killer to justice, Audra takes a job with the second Hollywood Victory Caravan.
Together with Robert Garfield and other stars, she crisscrosses the southern United States in a campaign to sell war bonds. When two other women are found dead on the train, Audra knows the deaths are tied to that of her sister.
Could the killer be the man with whom she’s falling in love?
Contest: Lots of opportunities to win and great prizes, and the grand prize contains some of Cara’s favorite classic movies as well as all of her WWII novels: Launch Contest!
I graduated from high school at sixteen, college at 20, and completed my law degree when I was 27.
My writing journey started in 2005 when I decided to write my first novel. Now I have eleven books published with more on the way.
People say I’ve accomplished a lot and that I must have life by the proverbial tail. Hardly! I grew up as a home schooled kid when home schoolers were misunderstood and oddities.
I struggle with balancing my writing and law career, plus being a good mom and wife.
I often fear people won’t like my books.
I’ve walked through the deep pain of miscarriage.
Really, I’m just like you – I don’t have it all together and have gone through tough times. But in His strength, I’ve discovered a strength I never knew I had. A strength I want you to discover, too.
In the end I’m just an ordinary mom who has seen God do some wonderful things as I’ve been obedient to step into the calling He’s led me into.
Stars in the Night Background
Stars in the Night was an idea that had begun to percolate in my mind. I’d written two World War II series and was actively looking for my next setting. My husband, a huge World War II history buff, and I were kicking ideas around, and I’d decided Hollywood was probably the next place for me. I’d gone to the library and gotten a stack of research books when I got the call. An editor I knew but had never worked with wanted to know if I might be interested in a new line they were starting. As we talked, I got so excited. And then she emailed me their guidelines, which listed that Hollywood was a location they were interested in setting books.
Only God could have known ahead of time. But because I followed His prompting I was ready to run with an idea. Stars in the Night is the result.
Det. Roland March is a homicide cop on his way out.
A missing girl. A corrupt investigation. They thought they could get away with it, but they forgot one thing:
Roland March is BACK ON MURDER…
Houston homicide detective Roland March was once one of the best. Now he’s disillusioned, cynical, and on his way out. His superiors farm him out on a variety of punishment details. But when he’s the only one at a crime scene to find evidence of a missing female victim, he’s given one last chance to prove himself. Before he can crack the case, he’s transferred to a new one that has grabbed the spotlight–the disappearance of a famous Houston evangelist’s teen daughter.
All he has to do? Find the missing teenage daughter of a Houston evangelist that every cop in town is already looking for. But March has an inside track, a multiple murder nobody else thinks is connected. With the help of a youth pastor with a guilty conscience who navigates the world of church and faith, March is determined to find the missing girls while proving he’s still one of Houston’s best detectives.
Battling a new partner, an old nemesis, and the demons of his past, getting to the truth could cost March everything. Even his life.
I would love to tell you my thoughts on this book, however I haven’t received my copy yet. If I do receive it, I’ll be sure to let you know what I think since the book sounds very intriguing.
On September 4, 2009, I shared the following words with my online friends …
Four years and almost 1 month to the day after I stood before God and pledged my life to my husband, I woke up to find him gone. For good. Not coming back. Ever. That happened in early July. Since then I’ve grieved, learned to deal with the pain of rejection, went to my first divorce hearing, found out how amazing and gracious God really is, and discovered I have some of the best friends in the world.
Today marks the one year anniversary of that day when my former husband walked out of my life permanently. My perspective last year at this time was one of grief and my world crumbling down around me. Tears poured from my broken heart. The tunnel was really dark and seemingly had no light at the end.
Little did I know how dramatically my life would change within a year. I am truly amazed at how much God has done and how He has healed my heart.
Today my ex and I are casual friends. We’ve been divorced for over 8 months, and are both in committed relationships with other people. (While growing up I was taught that divorce is bad and is not an option in a marriage, yet I’m here today to say that I am incredibly thankful for my divorce. In a way, it was a relief and allowed me to finally emerge from that dark tunnel.)
My heart truly rejoices as I look back and see how God orchestrated the events of my life to bring me to where I am today.
He provided work exactly when I needed it, and in fact I am continuing to do work that I love. Initially my biggest fear was that I’d have to get an office job somewhere to make ends meet and give up the passions in my life. Not at all. I did work part-time for a couple of places, but there was always enough money for my needs and I had complete control of my own schedule. Only God could’ve done that!
God has also given me someone that I know I will spend the rest of my life with without a doubt. When I think in reflection, I’m often reminded of the Rascal Flatts song “Bless the Broken Road.” While my road has been broken and rough, I wouldn’t change a thing that has brought me to where I am and who I am today.
I do want to say a very deep heartfelt “thank you” to those of you who walked portions of my broken road with me. You know who you are and I will forever cherish you as true friends.
Jonathan Trestle is a paramedic who’s spent the week a few steps behind the angel of death. When he responds to a call about a man sprawled on a downtown sidewalk, Trestle isn’t about to lose another victim. CPR revives the man long enough for him to hand Trestle a crumpled piece of paper and say, “Give this to Martin,” before being taken to the hospital.
The note is a series of dashes and haphazard scribbles. Trestle tries to follow up with the patient later, but at the ICU he learns the man awoke, pulled out his IVs, and vanished, leaving only a single key behind. With the simple decision to honor a dying man’s last wish, Jonathan tracks the key to a nearby motel where he finds the man again–this time not just dead but murdered. Unwilling to just let it drop, Jonathan is plunged into a mystery that soon threatens not only his dreams for the future but maybe even his life. He must race for the truth before the Angel of Death comes calling for him.
I was curious to read this book for two reasons. First, it was something out-of-the-ordinary for me and not in my typical historical fiction genre. Second, author Shawn Grady is compared to one of my all-time favorite authors - Dee Henderson.
I enjoyed the book and, in fact, read it in entirety during a lazy weekend afternoon. Was it spell-binding? Yes and no. I didn’t have to read it all at once, but I was intrigued by the mysterious note and exactly what would happen to Jonathan and his friends.
In a way, the storyline is a mix of CSI and the new show on tv called Miami Medical. At least that’s what I thought after the first couple of chapters.
The action is fast paced, and the characters are interesting, but not necessarily memorable. The story is written from the first person point of view, meaning we as readers only know and feel what the main character (Jonathan) knows, feels, and observes. Does first person POV work in this story? Definitely. It adds to the suspense and also the intricate details of Jonathan’s life as a paramedic. (For those who may get queasy at medical stories, there’s a lot of medical description in this book.)
Would Dee Henderson fans enjoy Tomorrow We Die? Probably. To me, the suspense level and romance between the characters wasn’t as strong as Dee’s stories, but the comparison between the two authors is reasonable.
From reading reviews by other readers, Tomorrow We Die is labeled as better than Shawn Grady’s first book, Through the Fire.
A special thank you to Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Bethany House Publishers for sending me a copy to review. The words under My Thoughts are entirely my own and contain no affiliate links.
At the end of April I started training for the US Census, and for the next two months I was one of those people that knocked on doors. Lots of doors.
As I drove hundreds of miles on country back roads, I learned a few things about life in West Virginia and life in general.
One of the first things I learned was that anything not 100% necessary in my life had to go. What that meant was if it didn’t help pay the bills or put food on the table, I had to think twice about it. Juggling the census and my work with Two Lane Livin’ became a very delicate balancing act. Throw in some book reviews and things got interesting. Blogging (as you well know) didn’t happen very often.
By weeding out the unnecessary things, I learned what was important to me and what I needed in my life to be happy. Those things have been added back in now that this phase of the census is over. The unimportant stuff is left in my past to collect dust.
While spending hours driving around and knocking on doors, I discovered that West Virginia has some of the nicest, most helpful peoplethat you’ll find. So many offered information on how to get from Point A to Point B and avoid hazardous road conditions like rocky low water crossings, 4-wheel drive ruts, creek bed roads, and gigantic potholes (seriously, I’ve seen a few that could swallow my car). Others offered advice on neighbors – who worked and who didn’t and when the best time was to catch them at home. I learned family history as well as who lived in the hollow the longest, where the old homesteads were, who was related to who, and tons of other fascinating stories.
Another thing I discovered is that there are passable back roads. To the average person who doesn’t live in West Virginia that might not make sense, and to those of you who do live in WVa., I think I hear you snickering. West Virginia is ranked as one of the better states for interstate highway systems. The problems start when you exit off the interstate to a rural road. The state roads are maintained at an okay level. Patched areas are prevelant as the state attempts to control the potholes, but most state roads can be navigated safely at 45-55 mph. Turn off of a state road on to a county road and … well … things go from okay to risky. Top speed is 25 mph on a “paved” road and 15 mph on a gravel (aka dirt) road.
Driving for the census taught me that the shortest distance in miles, not necessarily time, between Point A and Point B is often the gravel road. Any time you take a gravel road in WVa. you are taking a risk. Many gravel roads used to be main thoroughfares years and years ago (think horseback riders about 20 years ago). Sometimes the road is still there and according to maps and the GPS it is a viable road. After venturing up more roads than I can count, I learned to ignore the map and rely on what the indicators told me. I got pretty good at guessing if a road continued through or if it was too rough for a car to pass or if it just plain ole’ stopped at a gate. I also perfected my 3-point turning skills and backing-up-down-a-hill skill. With my newfound knowledge, I feel safer knowing I can take backroads with confidence and make it home with my car still in one piece.
Another thing I learned is that so many old homesteads are just left to ruin. It’s really sad. West Virginia has some gorgeous old farmhouses that have been restored. But for every one that has been restored, I’d guess there’s at least 5 that are rotting away. I’m talking about homes with real hardwood floors, two-story porches, and beautiful lattice work, all with farmland and views to die for. My understanding is that most of these homes belong to families that just can’t get along. The patriarch of the family left the family homestead to the kids, but they can’t agree who gets to live in the house, so no one lives in it or maintains it. It really is quite sad to see so many pieces of architectural history just deteriorate because of some family squabble. I’d love to live in and restore some of these old homesteads. New job in my future? Probably not.
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