The Saturday Six

One.

Listen here

You might remember that earlier this summer, I went to a writing and speaking conference in Michigan. My friend Sarah Forgrave was the one who invited me to go, was kind enough to let me carpool with her, and was one of my roommates! I'm excited to celebrate with her at the release of her brand new book, Prayers for Hope and Healing. (I shared my review of it a couple of weeks ago on the Saturday 6.) This week, Sarah spent about a half hour talking with me about the book and how it can help those who are facing illness or injury and those walking alongside people with health battles. Hope you enjoy our conversation!

Two.

 Last week my dad gave me his olllllllllllllld typewriter. I'm using it for some decor in our house, and I'm completely smitten with its vintage look. I was hunting on Pinterest for staging ideas, and I stumbled upon this vintage-inspired keypad for current devices. The article is from this past spring, and it says it was going into Kickstarter mode, and when I checked for an update, it looks like they're doing pre-orders for a new round. Just sayin'...

Three.

Wanted to share with you an article of mine that was featured on the Annesley site a few days ago. If you're not entirely a lover of change, this is for you! (Also...shout out to you, Lois! You  make a cameo!) 

Four.

My friend Marie sent this to me and said it had my name written all over it. I got a little nervous when I saw that the title was "I judge in church," but WATCH THE THING. (It's short.) "I don't want to move to the middle." YES! YES YES YES!!!! 

Five.

I thought I would leave you with a funny for the week (before I let you see a new book for your reading stack)! I haven't mentioned it for a while, but I think most of you know I take a couple kids to school every day. One day this week I picked them up right after my workout, so I had my gross clothes on and my hair was in a semi-messy ponytail. The five year old got in the car, touched my ponytail and said, "BEKAH! Your hair is so soft! It's as soft as your other hair!" (ha ha ha! I must switch them out without even knowing!)

Six.

Source

I read Irene Hannon's brand new release, Dangerous Illusions, several weeks ago in preparation for podcast interview, and I just realized that in my intent to hang onto my review until the book had officially released, I forgot to post it at all! If all goes as planned, I'll be talking with Irene next week and sharing that podcast on next week's Saturday Six, so if you like fiction, come back for that!

I first read Irene Hannon as a small-town-romance-book author and still adore her in that genre. But she is also a gifted suspense writer, and Dangerous Illusions falls into that category. This book actually kicks off a brand new series called Code of Honor, and it's a nail-biter all the way through to the end.

To say that Trish Bailey's life is full is an understatement. Teaching school takes up more than the classroom hours. Lesson plans and late evenings add up quickly, and it seems whenever she's not working, she's caring for her ailing mother. But when Trish comes home one night to find her mother dead in their home, she realizes some eyes are on her as the culprit.

Detective Colin Flynn isn't convinced Trish is behind the mysterious death of her mother, but he also can't deny the odd facts before him, which certainly don't put her in a positive light. He's also not fond of Matt, the Bailey family's accountant who seems to be semi-dating Trish. But when Trish's own life becomes endangered, Colin realizes he's more than just intrigued as a detective. He has real feelings for the troubled, grieving teacher.

Like I said, I've read Irene's suspense before, so I knew this would be a twisting, turning book, but it went beyond the norm! The twists had twists, and that's what caused me to forget breathing for a while. And yet woven into the suspense is a clear and gentle faith, which I always appreciate from Irene's writing. She doesn't hide from the reality of our world's depravity, but she also doesn't hide the reality of God's grace.

Faith, romance, relationships, suspense, intrigue...there's a little bit of all of it within these pages! The nail-biting took me clear to the final page. I'm excited to read book two whenever it releases! (Tomorrow? Can it be tomorrow?)






** I received an advanced copy of this book from Revell; all opinions are my own! **