FIVE FANTASTIC FINDS!

I #lovetoread. Always have. I grew up surrounded by violence and beset by poverty. Reading saved my life. That love of reading has never left me.

Today I would like to share five books that I have enjoyed. Perhaps you will, too.

1. The Reluctant Cowboy by #ElizabethGarcia.  (literary, romance, gay) (http://www.westtxwriter.wordpress.com)

As a lesbian woman, I found The Reluctant Cowboy all too real. The issues faced by Jed Petersen are heartbreaking, yet the way he overcomes them reminds me of courageous people in the #LGBT community that I have known.

I highly recommend this book for its honesty and its integrity. It does not gloss over reality, but takes those realities and creates an inspiring story of love and courage. And Elizabeth Garcia does all of this while weaving an intriguing story. I stayed up all night reading it.

2. The Value of Life  by #AndyCrowson (thriller)(http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/andycrowson)

Young boys are kidnapped. Josef Lindahl , a rookie #detective with a psychology degree, is brought into the case. A ransom note arrives, but there is no monetary amount. That is left up to the parents to decide. Josef believes he knows what the kidnapper wants, but it is guaranteed to cause trouble at police headquarters.

A unique twist to a well-known story line. I love finding books like this.

3. Anathema: Causal Enchantment Series, Book 1 by #K.A.Tucker (paranormal, vampires)(http://www.facebook.com/K.A.Tucker.Author)

Evangeline, a young woman with emotionally distant foster parents and no friends, meets a beautiful older woman, Sofie. Sofie offers what Evangeline craves the most: to connect with someone. She is even willing to overlook Sofie’s erratic and violent behavior, monstrous dogs and terrible nightmares of white-eyed monsters. But what she doesn’t understand could very well get her killed.

Tucker has built complex and interesting characters that I rooted for even when I didn’t like them. I have all three books that are available in this series and anxiously await the final book.

4. The Heat of the Moon by #SandraParshall (Book 1, Rachel Goddard Mysteries)(http://www.sandraparshall.com)

Rachel Goddard, a young veterinarian, is slammed back in time when a client’s dog is hit by a car during a thunderstorm.Flustered, the client leaves her three-year old daughter alone in the clinic’s reception area. The child is  crying, “Mommy! I want Mommy!” when Rachel finds her. The child’s cries trigger a flashback of Rachel with her baby sister, Michelle, abandoned during a thunderstorm at night. Haunted by baffling memories, Rachel seeks the truth behind the flashbacks. Her psychologist mother battles to prevent Rachel’s quest. The heart breaking truth Rachel uncovers forces her to make an unthinkable choice.

Sandra Parshall is a new discovery for me. I am enjoying her books: good  writing, well-developed characters, solid plotlines.

5. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (philosophy)

Published September, 1923, this book is considered Gibran’s masterpiece. I discovered it at age 15. For me, it is not so much a masterpiece as it is a book of meditation, a book that forces me to view the world with a different perspective, a book that always enriches me.

One of my favorite passages deals with Gibran’s philosophy about work.

“Work is love made visible.

And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.”

Gibran’s words sit on my heart every time I lay my hands on the keyboard and begin writing. My novels, short stories and poems have indeed been ‘love made visible’.  I hope others find not only entertainment in my work, but also words to take away with them, to turn over in their minds and to perhaps discover a different perspective.

What books do you love?

I would love to hear. Leave a comment here or join me on facebook and share your FANTASTIC FINDS.

Find Aya’s novels at:    http://www.amazon.com/author/ayawalksfar

Sketch of a Murder: The Avenger is killing wealthy prominent men. Sergeant Nita Slowater must work with her  contentious superior, Lieutenant Williams, to stop the killer before an innocent man dies.

Dead Men and Cats: Megan Albright and Janie Sampson, a lesbian couple, must stop a murderer who is targeting gay men and cats.

Good Intentions: Bev Ransom’s best friend and employer, Rene, dies unexpectedly. In her quest to learn more about Rene’s mysterious past, Bev uncovers a twenty-year old secret that devastates her. Who can she trust when no one is who they seem to be?

Visit with Aya on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/ayawalksfar

Be sure to stay tuned to Aya’s  blog for updates on novels, author interviews and all things write:  http://www.ayawalksfar.com