I’ve cracked the dam, and there’s no holding the water back! I can’t believe how many books I’ve read this year JUST by making it a priority (I love you “Kids Baking Championship,” but there are books to read). Some have certainly disappointed, but some have been brilliant surprises! I have a short list to share here, though I’m sure (I hope!) I’ll read more between now and my next update. Here’s a look at what’s on deck: (I’m on a bit of a speculative fiction bender right now)

For Pleasure:

Song of Leira by Gillian Bronte Adams

The Song bids her rise to battle.
Reeling from her disastrous foray into the Pit, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, retreats into the mountains. But in the war-torn north, kneeling on bloodstained battlefields to sing the souls of the dying to rest, her resolve to accept her calling is strengthened. Such evil cannot go unchallenged.

Torn between oaths to protect the Underground runners and to rescue his friend from the slave camps, Ky Huntyr enlists Birdie’s aid. Their mission to free the captives unravels the horrifying thread connecting the legendary spring, Artair’s sword, and the slave camps. But the Takhran’s schemes are already in motion. Powerful singers have arisen to lead his army – singers who can shake the earth and master the sea – and monsters rampage across the land.

As Leira falters on the verge of defeat, the Song bids her rise to battle, and the Songkeeper must answer.

From the Frozen Depths by Gloria Clover

An island at war. A determined commander…and a princess frozen in frustration.
Padar Lacer receives a chilly reception on the island of Dharani, home to a people solidified in their beliefs of caste and karma. Upon her arrival, Padar agrees to treat a dying soldier, but when she discovers it requires more than her medical training, can she do the unimaginable to save his life?

Jym Fountayn wants to stop the war at all costs, even using a foreign princess to further his cause. After all, he warned her from the beginning that he was no prince. But when Padar’s talk of a King who can shatter frozen thinking ignites the entire island, Jym begins to wish he was the chosen prince and not just a warrior destined to kill or be killed.

Deception falls as thick as the swirling snow, and Jym and Padar must pierce hidden motives to end the civil war and reunite the families of Dharani under the King of kings. 

The Children of the King series weaves the past and future together in these inspirational tales of hidden islands. With a touch of fantasy, the charm of historical fiction, and a faith message that will stir your imagination and heart, you won’t want to miss these adventurous romances!

Forsaken by Gina Detwiler

Nine months have passed since Grace Fortune saw the boy she loves, Jared Lorn, die before her eyes. But Grace’s suspicions have her wondering if Jared really dead. Along with her friends, she sets out to find answers, and the investigation leads to an unexpected place: Silo City, an abandoned silo complex that houses as many dark secrets as it does forsaken people.

Very much alive, Jared’s on a mission to save the girl he loves by collaborating with the enemy—a young, brash rock star named Lester Crow who fronts the punk metal band Blood Moon. Jared’s “deal with the devil” will take him on a cross-country journey into the heartland of darkness. The music of Blood Moon is a weapon against God, and Jared must wield this weapon while trying desperately to preserve his mind and soul from its power.

Jared and Grace are desperate to be reunited, but first, they must defeat the demonic forces arrayed against them. And pray that Jared, a Nephilim forsaken in God’s eyes, has a chance at a future.

For Review

Glory Road by Lauren K. Denton

Nearly a decade after her husband’s affair drove her back home to South Alabama, Jessie McBride has the stable life she wants—operating her garden shop, Twig, next door to her house on Glory Road, and keeping up with her teenage daughter and spunky mother. But the unexpected arrival of two men makes Jessie question whether she’s really happy with the status quo.

When handsome, wealthy businessman Sumner Tate asks her to arrange flowers for his daughter’s lavish wedding, Jessie finds herself drawn to his continued attention. Then Ben Bradley, her lingering what-could-have-been from high school, moves back to the red dirt road, and she feels her heart pulled in directions she never expected.

Meanwhile, Jessie’s fourteen-year-old daughter, Evan, is approaching the start of high school and navigating a new world of emotions—particularly as they relate to the cute new guy who’s moved in just down the road. At the same time, Jessie’s mother, Gus, is suffering increasingly frequent memory lapses and faces a frightening, uncertain future.

In one summer, everything will change. But for these three strong Southern women, the roots they’ve planted on Glory Road will give life to the adventures waiting just around the curve.

That’s it for me — what are you reading this spring?