Border Crossings ~ Michael Weems

Two worlds collide when the corruption and crime from one of Mexico's most violent cartels spreads over the border. Taylor Woodall, a sophomore at the University of Texas, has been kidnapped in Cancun while on spring break. Private investigator Catherine James is on the case, but when the evidence begins pointing to violent drug gang and the cartel puts out a hit on our heroine, she turns to the only man she knows she can trust... her former flame Matt, a war veteran with whom Catherine shares a complicated past. Meanwhile, Yesenia Flores is a young, adventurous woman from Mexico who seeks a better life across the border. But no sooner does she set out on her trek than she becomes entangled in a web of violence and crime. Escaping the cartel's clutches but a witness to a murder, Yesenia is running for her life. North and South their stories run parallel until their dramatic collision and conclusion ~ Amazon.com

This book actually comes with a warning: Caution: Book contains adult content (violence and language). 

I think this book should be made into a movie! 

Full circle ~ Mona Ingram

Bella has just found out she is pregnant but on the day that she plans to tell Jeffrey, he tells her that he is marrying someone else. Willow Bend is a small town; the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else's business. Falling pregnant out of wedlock is certainly frowned upon - and gossiped about - but adoption is not an option for Bella and so she sets out on her own to start a new life somewhere else.

In Santa Monica a beautiful friendship is forged for life. Sophia - at five months pregnant - has lost her police officer husband in a shootout and have converted his hobby room above the garage into a small, cozy apartment - perfect for Bella and her expected baby. Two single mothers with limited funds and a background in sewing starts making little outfits for their daughters. Over the next few years their survival skills / hobby turns into something neither of them could have dreamed.

The Lonely Mile ~ Allan Leverone

I find that I write best - and enjoy it most - if I write while I'm feeling the excitement of what I want to say, and I am very excited!

After having read a few soppy romance novels, The Lonely Mile by Author Allan Leverone was a very refreshing nail biter.

"The I-90 killer" - Martin Krall - is a ghost amongst sheep. He has been kidnapping young teenage girls from rest stops along the I-90 highway, raping, torturing and (initially) killing them, until he realized that it could be profitable instead. Now he uses his skills for a human trafficking operation. He counts on people brainlessly going about their own business - not looking left or right - in predictable patterns of behavior (like sheep) and takes full advantage of this, having abducted one girl after the next for near four years.

At Risk (Steve Cline Mysteries) ~ Kit Ehrman

If you love horses you might enjoy this book - perhaps more for the horses than the mystery, though.

At Foxdale Farm jumping is the name of the game. They host jumping competitions, coach the art of show jumping and provide boarding facilities for the horses. The beautiful - even though not that profitable - farm is on prime land and someone is greedy; someone who will stop at nothing to satisfy their greed.

Steve Cline - an ambitious 21-year old - is Foxdale's barn manager. He dropped out of college two years ago for refusing to live his father's dream. His independence did not come cheap but his desire for freedom was worth the sacrifice. The horses is his life now - about 200 of them - at least till he figures out what he wants to do with his life.

A routine check on a colic horse in the early hours of the morning gets Steve into deep trouble. His narrow escape sets a whole series of events into motion and time is running out quickly as he tries to piece the mystery together.

A very special delivery ~ Linda Goodnight

Thankfully Molly McCreight had prepared well for the ice storm raging outside - food and water supply stocked and firewood chopped and stacked. No one should be out in that storm but Ethan Hunter didn't have a choice; if he couldn't get the old man's medication to his secluded cabin on time, he could die. Not having anyone to look after his infant daughter, he had to risk taking her with for the ride. In the end, though, he has no choice but to make a different plan. If he knew anything about Molly he might have reconsidered but his "mistake" is about to change several lives for good. By the time  the storm is over and the Hunters are ready to return home, Molly discovers that they'd be leaving with a piece of her heart; it is too late to go back to the way things used to be no matter how she tries to convince herself that it is what she wants. It is time to face the demons from her past so that she may finally be free to embrace the future that she's been secretly craving for way too long.

This was a wonderful feel-good read. I loved how the characters evolved - the characters in the end is very different from those that you meet in the beginning. It is a tale about overcoming the failures of your past and facing your fears so that

The Secrets They Kept ~ Joanne Tombrakos

I've just finished reading The Secrets They Kept - a debut novel by author Joanne Tombrakos.

The very first time I heard about Joanne's existence is when my eye caught her comment on a friend's blog mentioning that she has just self-published her first novel. I've never met Joanne in person. Being in the process of getting my first book published I decided to support Joanne in buying her book just as I would like for others to buy mine when it is available. The story sounded interesting but I didn't really have a clue what to expect.

Joanne, I am so very pleased to say: I was blown away! I read all 287 pages of it in one day! I just couldn't put it down. You had me hooked from around... oh, page ONE.

In short, the book is about Elena, a Greek-American lawyer living in New York City, who thought she knew all there was to know about her family but then all of that changes the day the police arrive at her front door to inform her of the death of a person whom she never even knew existed but who had her name down as his next of kin. Suddenly

Amazon Kindle: Meet my newest BFF

I can only think of one way to start this new section of Postcards and Pictures off right: an introduction to my new Kindle of course!

Ain't she pretty?

A while ago I was doing some writing for a publisher with a view to promote digital reading. I had been doing this for a few months already at the time, but it wasn't until that first flight to the US that digital readers really showed up on my radar. I remember the lights being dimmed for bedtime but right throughout the cabin there were passengers continuing to do something from their handheld screens of some sort. I was curious but I had no clue. I only realized later that they were reading. How cool! I thought.

Once I had a clue I really wanted to have one. Finally, a year later, my sweetie got me one for Christmas - Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! One of the best gifts ever - in white, of course!

I have always enjoyed reading but now I simply love it! I've read in excess of ten books on my Kindle so far - like a hot knife through butter.

What do I love about it? Everything! Let me count the ways... ha-ha