He Journeys With Me

Genesis 24:42
When I came to the spring today, I said, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come.” 

Who is on your journey?

The other day, Tim and I took a road trip. We traveled to three bookstores in the Cincinnati area. The first stop we made was to a little shop in Madeira. The owner had kindly kept my books on the shelf for several months, a few had sold, but she was ready to return the others to me. After we picked those up, Tim drove to Mason, and I visited the lovely Belong Christian Bookstore. In case you aren’t aware, Christian bookstores are few these days. I chatted with the owner and showed her my books, with hope of a possible connection in the future. On our last stop, I browsed a Barnes & Noble, found a few stocking stuffers, and discovered they only do author events every six months or so. Some might say I didn’t have success promoting my books, but I made connections.

On the drive, Tim and I noticed a semi on the highway with the word JOURNEY imprinted on the side. That got me to thinking. Who travels on my journeys with me? On our trip, Tim and Rosie (she loves to ride) were in the Jeep with me, and the Holy Spirit buckled up and rode shotgun. The Holy Spirit led us to Belong Bookstore at the exact time the owner stood behind the counter. Due to illness, she isn’t there often. I’m thankful for the opportunity to meet her and talk about my books, and I call that success.

In Genesis, Abraham asked his head servant to travel back to Abraham’s homeland to find his son, Isaac, a wife. Concerned he might fail, the servant turns to the One who brings him hope. He asked the Lord to grant success on the journey. I love the servant took God on the journey with him, and if you read the rest of the story, he found Isaac a wife, the beautiful Rebekah.

When I travel through this life, I want God with me. The Holy Spirit dwells with me day and night, and I know on my journeys, He stays by my side.

Who goes with you on your journey? Have you asked God to join you?

Cozy Mystery Review: The Unwelcome Wagon (Book & Mug Mysteries 1) by Michelle L. Levigne

Book Description:
Saundra Bailey has a rough few first days after moving to Camden Township to be the new children's librarian. First a strange man who smells of cheap cigars tries to get into her apartment, then she’s caught between two Welcome Wagon teams, which results in her feeling rather unwelcome. When Cigar Man later tries to steal her purse, she meets Kai, owner of Book & Mug, a coffee shop and bookstore. Cigar Man tried to break into the building Kai owns with his cousins, Eden and Troy, after trying to hire Eden, an investigator, to find lost family documents.

As Saundra settles into her new job and home, she learns about the political and social feuds and alliances in town. Then Cigar Man breaks into the Book & Mug building in the middle of the night, falls from a fire escape, and dies. The hunt is on to figure out what he was looking for, who was the other man with him when he fell, and whose side the mysterious accomplice is on.

Head Trustee Roger Camden, descendant of a founding father, has a growing list of grudges against the cousins and gets in the way of their investigation. Their building used to belong to his family. He accuses them of being in league with Cigar Man, who apparently was seeking Camden family documents. The foursome scramble to put together clues and identify Cigar Man’s accomplice before he hurts more people and makes more evidence and clues vanish.

My Thoughts:
The Unwelcome Wagon is filled with quirky characters, including new to Camden Township, Saundra. She moved to town as the children's librarian and ends up in the middle of a mystery. I liked the cousins, Kai, Eden, and Troy and hope to learn more of their story throughout the series. The township is laced with turmoil when a man breaking into places dies. Saundra, with the help of her new friends, and an old friend, sleuth about town until they find the truth. I enjoyed Michele Levigne's storytelling as she wove together clues, red herrings, and humor. If you're a cozy mystery reader, you'll want to check out this new series. I'm looking forward to the next one. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Available April 1, 2022, and now up for preorder from major book sellers.

Fiction Book Review: Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay

Book Description:

After fleeing her hometown three years earlier, Alyssa Harrison never planned to return. Then the Silicon Valley start-up she worked for collapsed and turned her world upside down. She is broke, under FBI investigation, and without a place to go. Having exhausted every option, she comes home to Winsome, Illinois, to regroup then move on as quickly as possible. Yet, as friends and family welcome her back, Alyssa begins to see a place for herself in this small Midwestern community.

Jeremy Mitchell moved from Seattle to Winsome to be near his daughter and to open the coffee shop he’s been dreaming of for years. Problem is, the business is bleeding money—and he’s not quite sure why. When he meets Alyssa, he senses an immediate connection, but what he needs most is someone to help him save his floundering business. After asking for her help, he wonders if something might grow between them—but forces beyond their control soon complicate their already complex lives, and the future they both hoped for is not at all what they anticipated.

With the help of Winsome’s small-town charm and quirky residents, Alyssa and Jeremy discover the beauty and romance of second chances.

My Review:
What a delight to return to Winsome, Illinois, the home of quirky folks and a cozy bookshop. In the previous novel, The Printed Letter Bookshop, we met Madeline who inherited her aunt's bookstore along with eccentric employees, Claire and Janet. The bookshop is running well when Janet's daughter, Alyssa, returns to Winsome. As much as she doesn't want to, she moves in with her mom. As Alyssa tries to come to grips with the mess called life, she meets Jeremy. He needs a friend and some good business advice. Reay's Of Literature and Lattes is another charming story of hurt, hope, and healing. I've enjoyed every one of her books. I look forward to the nod to literary references she sprinkles through her stories, as well as her lovable characters. A little bonus, her books have gorgeous covers. I hope she'll visit Winsome a third time. I'd love to catch up on more of the folks from this lovely town. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Fiction Review: Words Between Us by Erin Bartels

Book Description:

Robin Windsor has spent most of her life under an assumed name, running from her family's ignominious past. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary in her rather unremarkable used bookstore just up the street from the marina in River City, Michigan. But the store is struggling and the past is hot on her heels.

When she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father's scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the long-lost summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. That book--a first edition Catcher in the Rye--is soon followed by the other books she shared with Peter nearly twenty years ago, with one arriving in the mail each day. But why would Peter be making contact after all these years? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she's about to be exposed all over again?

My Review:
Words Between Us is a coming of age story told from two perspectives. Robin's past and her present collide in this literary gem. Erin Bartels' literary prose wrap around the heart as she delves into the classics and their relationship with the reader. Part mystery, part romance, all fascinating. This story of redemption, realization and forgiveness is well written and worth the time to savor. Bartels' unique perspective and writing have a distinctive flair in the field of inspirational literature. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Church Building Repurposed

I love church buildings. And ironically, I attend church in a high school. This one inspired the idea for the cafe/bookstore in Peace, Love, and Mashed Potatoes. Turtle Creek Cafe and The Book Nook are housed in a repurposed church.