Hunting Elf, a doggone Christmas story Ebook By Dave Donelson

A puppy for Christmas! What could be better? Dan McCoy and his capable wife June find out when Santa gives them a frolicsome hairball named Elf, a Silky Terrier on the Christmas wish list of nefarious dog nappers who want to steal him in a murderous scheme to win "Best in Show" at Westminster. Elf foils the plot when he brings Macy's Parade to a tumultuous halt in a comedic Christmas adventure.

I loved this book! I'm sure a lot of dog owners can find something of their dog in Elf.
This book was funny and also touching.You find yourself rooting for Elf (and Dan, poor guy).
I love when Elf is doing the narrating.

I  give this book 5 stars and recommend for animal lovers everywhere.

Hatteras Girl by Alice J Wisler

When Jackie meets the handsome Davis Erickson—who happens to own the perfect place for a B&B—it seems her wishes might just come true. But when some disturbing secrets come to light, threatening her long-held dreams, will she risk it all to find the truth?


This book is a pleasant read, especially since I have spent a lot of time in the area from 1973 to present. Alice has managed to catch the Outer Banks at a time when things were much simpler, Alice has presented a great cast of characters who are likable and believable.

Roast Mortem by Cleo Coyle

Clare Cosi, manager and head barista of the landmark Village Blend coffeehouse, has perfected the pulling of steaming hot espressos. But can she keep New York’s Bravest from getting burned?
After local firefighters pull Clare’s friends out of a blazing café, she saves them from some seriously bad coffee by teaching them the finer points of operating their newly donated espresso machine. But matters really heat up when somebody begins torching more cafés around the city and firefighters begin to die in suspicious ways.
Believing the two events are related, Clare investigates, staking out a five-borough bake sale and sniffing out clues in the pizza ovens of Brooklyn. Soon she's facing off with a strapping, hardheaded FDNY fire captain, who insists that none of his men aided this firebug in his or her crime. Clare isn't so sure. Then her police detective boyfriend, Mike Quinn, is pulled into the fire of a false accusation, and Clare is desperate to put out the flames. But will she be able to come to Mike’s rescue before someone tries to extinguish her?

Cold Dawn by Carla Neggars

It's a new day in Black Falls. The small Vermont town finally feels safe again—until search-and-rescue expert Rose Cameron discovers a body, burnt almost beyond recognition. Almost. Rose is certain that she knows the victim's identity . . . and that his death was no accident.
Nick Martini also suspects an arsonist's deliberate hand. Another fire killed an arson investigator in California months ago. Now the rugged smoke jumper is determined to follow the killer's trail . . . even if it leads straight to Rose. Nick and Rose haven't seen each other since they shared a single night of blind passion, but they can't let memories and unhealed wounds get in the way of their common goal—stopping a merciless killer from taking aim straight at the heart of Black Falls.

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

A story of love, secrets, crime, and compassion, unfolding against the haunted landscape of post-war Germany, The Reader tells the deeply moving tale of a young boy's erotic awakening. 

The writer made this story sound very personal. It was a very compelling story because once again it makes you realize some of the things people went through during WWII.

Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa

Set in the slums of New Orleans, among clusters of crack houses and abandoned buildings, Dirty Little Angels is the story of sixteen year old Hailey Trosclair. When the Trosclair family suffers a string of financial hardships and a miscarriage, Hailey finds herself looking to God to save her family. When her prayers go unanswered, Hailey puts her faith in Moses Watkins, a failed preacher and ex-con. Fascinated by Moses' lopsided view of religion, Hailey, and her brother Cyrus, begin spending time down at an abandoned bank that Moses plans to convert into a drive-through church. Gradually, though, Moses' twisted religious beliefs become increasingly more violent, and Hailey and Cyrus soon find themselves trapped in a world of danger and fear from which there may be no escape. 

This story was well written, but made me a little sad. It made me think about how there are people out there just like the characters.

King of Hearts by Jennifer Stevenson

When she witnesses King Dave’s humiliation at the hands of his ex-wife, preacher’s daughter and waitress, Nadine gains control of King Dave — and becomes his target.

King Dave, son of the president of Chicago’s stagehands, has never been bested. He will stop at nothing to recover his stolen machismo and stay true to his name.

This book was too wordy and preachy. It was hard to follow a straight line in reading. Having to read "King Dave" every other word was annoying. This book should probably be edited again.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

Holland is under Nazi control, thousands of Jewish refugees..

One extraordinary family, an old watchmaker and his two daughters, Corrie and Betsie are simple, ordinary people. Yet these unlikely heroes became the center of a major underground operation: To hide Jewish refugees from the occupying Germans. These kindly, law abiding people broke every rule in the book to save the lives of men, women and children being hunted by the Nazis.

The opened their home as a hiding place, but the cost of their bravery was betrayal, being arrested and the girls being sent to the dreaded Ravensbruck concentration camp.

This book opened my eyes about the things people went through during WWII. I did not expect to like this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, if you can enjoy misery. The writer was descriptive without being morbid. Corrie was an amazing lady, even though she gives all the credit to her sister and God. Corrie went on to do amazing things right up until her death. She showed amazing strength of character.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history, bios or faith.