Top Ten Tuesday Spooky Christian Fiction

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is a Halloween Freebie. I've hated Halloween since I was diagnosed with Epilepsy on October 31, 1994. I don't exactly enjoy being scared, but I do like books that spook me, and not like horror movies, more like showing how satan works against God; yet God always wins.

 

These are some of my favorites. If you've never read Frank Peretti before I highly recommend the books listed. House that he wrote with Ted Dekker is like a double dose of spookiness, and you'll walk away knowing who God is.

Jamie Jo Wright is great for people who enjoy things that go bump in the night, as is Jessica R. Patch.

I'm not quite finished with Wicked is the Hollow but for me it's gentle spooky, if that makes sense.

Hide and Squeak (Gabby St. Claire Mysteries #1) by Christy Barritt

 

Title: Hide and Squeak

Author: Christy Barritt

Series: Gabby St. Claire Mysteries #1

Source: Publisher

Format: E-book

Some stains don’t wash out. Neither do certain secrets.

Twenty years ago, Gabby St. Claire Thomas cleaned crime scenes for a living—and had a habit of solving the murders behind them. These days she runs Squeaky Clean Restoration from behind a clipboard, juggling a crew, a husband, three kids, and the nagging sense that the old Gabby—the funny, fearless one—got lost somewhere along the way.

When Gabby brings her fifteen-year-old daughter along on a restoration job, she expects a quiet lesson in bleach and boundaries. Instead, they discover a dead woman’s journal hidden inside an air vent—and come face-to-face with a masked gunman who demands they turn it over.

Florrie Erlander’s fall down the stairs was ruled an accident. But Gabby’s old instincts are already stirring. When the gunman threatens Max, staying out of the case is no longer an option.

Now Gabby must uncover the truth behind Florrie’s death and stop a killer before someone she loves becomes the next victim.

Amazon|| BookBub

My Thoughts: I haven't beta read in quite awhile, and I forgot how fun it is.

This story takes the reader inside the profession of crime clean-up. When Gabby takes her daughter Max on a job site, she had no idea what would happen.

This is the first Christy Barritt book I've read, don't throw rotten tomatoes at me. Ms. Barritt took me back to the Hampton Roads area where I lived for eight years. It was so fun knowing where these places were. Within this book she created so many red herrings that it kept the guessing. The relationship between Max and Gabby was strained, but as the story went along the reader watches that relationship grow as the crime is solved.

The relationships in the book is really what kept me reading, besides wanting to solve the crime.

It was a great beginning to this series.

About Christy Barritt:

USA Today has called Christy Barritt’s books “scary, funny, passionate, and quirky.”

Christy, a USA Today bestselling author, writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year.

She’s married to her prince charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious–but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.

Christy currently splits her time between the Virginia suburbs and Hatteras Island, North Carolina. She has more than a hundred books published with over four million copies sold. Two book series are currently in development for film.

You can follow Christy on these following social media sights.

Facebook || Instagram || Website

Top Ten Tuesday - Things That Make Up My Perfect Day

 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of the weekly blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is Things That Make Up My Perfect Day. 

1. Having my husband, Mark, off from work. 

                                         

2. Not having a seizure. 

3. Spending the day with my kids and grandkids.

4. Having nothing to do so I can read.

5. Being able to relax and color.

6. Absolutely no Dr.'s appointments

7. Absolutely no phone calls regarding the guardianship and conservatorship of my mom. I have lived on the phone some days. 

                                                

8. Going to the beach, either Florida or Hawaii. I need to scrunch my toes in the sand and hear the waves.

9. I don't think this will ever happen while I'm on this side of Heaven. A day when I don't miss my dad. 

10. Absolutely no snow. I'm not a fan. 

I'm sure I'll wake up in the middle of the night tonight and say I should've added this or that. This was a fun non-bookish top ten. I'll be interested to see the others.

Have a great day!

Top Ten Tuesday Memorable Feel Good Books

 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of a blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl.

I hope you guys are having some enjoyable weather, and your football team(s) are winning. We're still having 80+ degree weather with hope's of fall weather. We need rain badly, so we're hoping. 

Where the Red Fern Grows - my 5th grade teacher read this to us after lunch and it's one book I'll never forget. One of my daughter's loved it too, which has been fun.

Are You There God? It's Me Margaret - I read when I was ten and couldn't figure out what all the hoopla was regarding getting our periods. I was fine with not having it. Haha

Iscariot - When I was in college I had to write a paper about Judas, and for me, Tosca Lee's book solidified my nineteen year old thoughts regarding him.

All's Fair in Love and Cupcakes - This was my first Betsy St. Amant Haddox's novel and it was just a fun rom-com.

The Mistress of Tall Acre - Was so good, and the first review where the author said I made her want to read her own book.

This Present Darkness - Our Sunday School Class in California read this together and discussed it, which made this an experience.

Piercing the Darkness - I'd always known that prayer was important, but this book showed me that if we're not praying the angels can't do their job as effectively.

The Memoir of Johnny Devine - I love old movies, and this book was like watching one. 

The Wedding Chapel - All of the intricacies around the small town that Rachel Hauck placed in this novel made me want to move there.

Stealing Adda - This is literally a fun, and cozy book you can curl up with and relax.

I tried a different layout, and I'm not sure about it because it's a LOT of work. LOL

I'm interested to see your lists this week. I hope you have a great Tuesday and thanks for stopping by!

A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman Reviewed

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: A Whim and a Prayer 
Series: The Cousins O'Connor #4 
Author: Julie Lessman 
Publisher: Independent 
Release Date: September 8, 2026 
Genre: Historical Romance

She’s a former orphan desperate to protect her heart. 
He’s a best friend who protects her from the start. 
Till prayer protects them both from a true love torn apart. 

Discarded like so much trash on the steps of an orphanage at age two, seventeen-year-old Winifred Dennehy thinks God has it out for her. Abandoned by abusive parents and born cross-eyed to boot, she spent the first four years of her life battling bullies and verbal abuse. Deliverance came in the form of one Beckett Campbell, the ten-year-old orphan who became her best friend and guardian angel for life, along with an orphanage volunteer by the name of Mrs. D. When Mrs. Charity Dennehy adopts Winnie into her family, has her crossed eyes fixed, and secretly arranges for Beckett to be fostered and then adopted by elderly neighbors down the street, Winnie figures her luck has changed. But instead of attributing it to God like Beckett does, she’s inclined to believe it’s her own grit, charm, and spontaneity that has paved the way. 

From the moment twenty-four-year-old Beckett Campbell saw the tiny, cross-eyed orphan who reminded him of the sister he lost, he wanted to love and protect her forever. Best friends from the start despite over five years apart, Winnie’s naïve spontaneity for wild hairs and whims keeps Beck’s mature responsibility busy and happily so. Until the little girl he wanted to protect suddenly becomes the young woman he wants to love. When Winnie insists on protecting their friendship from the fear and risk of anything more, Beck has a decision to make. Friendship forever … or a life apart from the best friend he loves. Praying that Winnie will change her mind, Beck doesn’t hold out much hope for that day. But when an unexpected turn of events alters both of their lives, it puts “a whim and a prayer” on a collision course that just might make a way.  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

More in This Series

My Thoughts:

The O'Connor Clan is the best big family. There are so many people that you could hide in a closet and not really be missed. That's not true. You would be missed, and looked for thoroughly.

This book focuses on Mitch and Charity Dennehy and their adoptive daughter Winnie. Don't fret all of the O'Connor clan make an appearance.

At 19 and going into college, Winnie is a handful. She doesn't mean to be, she was teased at a small age for many different reasons, yet excelled on the stage.

What I love about Julie Lessman's books, and I believe I've read them all, is that she creates a troubled character and shows them the way to Jesus.

I can identify with parts of Winnie's story, because I'm adopted, and you go through who do I look like, will I ever be good enough? My adoptive mom got upset each time I got pregnant. Found through counseling that she was jealous that I could and she couldn't. Adoption is beautiful, but it can be a sticky widget of fish if some of those things we know about ourselves aren't dealt with, and we can use a little nudging.

While this is book four of The Cousin O'Connor Cousins series it can be read as a stand-alone, but it's much more fun reading the previous three.

I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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About the Author

A lover of all things Irish, Julie Lessman writes close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together. Award-winning author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, Heart of San Francisco, Isle of Hope, Silver Lining Ranch, and The Cousins O’Connor series, Julie was American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and has garnered over 24 Romance Writers of America and other awards.

Voted #1 Romance Author in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Reader’s Choice Awards, Julie also made Family Fiction magazine’s Best of 2015, 2014, and “Essential Christian Romance Authors” 2017-2021, 2023, as well as Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and Borders Best Fiction. 

In addition, Julie has written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets, and What’s the Story, Morning Glory: A Memoir Devotional with a “Novel” Approach to Practical Christianity. Contact Julie through her website at www.julielessman.com.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 21, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 28, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Top Ten Tuesday My Fall TBR

Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday a weekly blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is books on my Fall TBR. I actually needed this because I had just finished A Whim and a Prayer by Julie Lessman which will be reviewed on Thursday.

I'm currently Wicked is the Hollow. I looked through my TBR and chose books that fit the season.

Of course here in Idaho the weather can't decide if it is Summer or Fall. I'm kinda tired of changing three times a day.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

 I really hope I read through these. What are you wanting to read this Fall? Do we share any of the same titles? Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday - Author"s I Have Met

Happy Tuesday and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is author's I've met. I had the immense privilege to attend Christian Fiction Readers Retreat in 2019, where I met so many amazing authors. 

Mesu Andrews

Toni Shiloh, Sarah Monzon, Janet W.Ferguson, and Suzie Waltner who was my roommate.

Melissa Tagg

Stephenia H. McGee

Jen Turano

Mary Connealy

Mikal Dawn

Bethany Turner and Kristi Ann Hunter

Rachel Hauck, and Susan May Warren
 

Angela Ruth Strong

On my bucket list are Julie Lessman, Laura Frantz, Heather Kaufman, Jessica R. Patch, Rachel Dylan, Becky Wade, Kristy Cambron, and Jill Eileen Smith; and probably tons more.

Have you met any of these authors? What authors have you met? Tell me in the comments.