The Philanthropists Shortread Series is this week’s Reader Friday. My story, The Defender, will release Saturday, December 3, 2022, and is up for preorder! All the stories are in KU and if you have an account, you can read them for free!
Here’s the first line: “Voices rose above the waves crashing into the lonely stretch of Florida beach near Flagler. They’d seen her!
Now for this week’s photo and Scripture verse. I took this photo on a trip to the Caribbean several years ago. I love the way the sunlight reflects off the ocean–it’s so peaceful.
Now for The Philanthropists Shortread Series! I was invited by some amazing authors to join them in writing a shortread book–these are books that are 60-75 pages long. They are stories that you can read in one sitting and lately that’s all I’ve had time to read!
The idea was to feature someone who was wealthy and who used their wealth to help others.
Here’s the cover of my story and then I’ll feature two more and next week I’ll feature the other three. They are all fabulous stories that will grip you from the get-go!
The Defender by Patricia Bradley
Professional photographer Shelby Adams is on a mission to rescue her sister and fourteen other girls from a human trafficking ring. When she’s caught trying to sneak into Jason Bassitt’s compound where the girls are being kept, she barely escapes with her life.
Defender Adrian Marshall is the head of a tactical rescue operation, and he has to stop Shelby before she interferes with his assignment to extract the girls from the compound. If he fails, the girls will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. He offers Shelby a job, but she turns him down because she doesn’t trust him.
That changes when Bassitt’s men capture her, and he comes to her rescue.
Join Adrian and Shelby in THE DEFENDER as they work against time to save fifteen girls from being sold into human trafficking.
The Champion by Mary Alford:
From USA Today bestselling Author Mary Alford comes a chilling installment in The Philanthropists series of engaging reads.
Dr. Aaron Carson’s once promising career as chief of surgery has gone up in flames because the mistakes of his past remind him of the lives he’s failed to save. First his best friend in Afghanistan, and then his wife.
Running away from his failures, Aaron finds himself hiding out from life among the Apache people of northern New Mexico. When a young hit-and-run victim is brought into the clinic where Aaron works, the boy’s death will lead him and Tribal Police Chief Rachel Altaha on a twisted chase into the seedy world of human trafficking to catch a killer.
For Rachel, almost watching a young woman die in front of her is a painful reminder of the one person she hadn’t been able to save. Her best friend from high school. Jasmine disappeared the summer before their graduation and was never seen again. Rachel is even more determined to save the lost young women who have fallen through the cracks of society like she couldn’t save Jasmine.
Working closely with Aaron, Rachel soon learns Aaron is not only her champion but also the one who donated the money anonymously to save the clinic from closing.
Rachel unravels the secrets from Aaron’s past that brought him here. She feels a connection to Aaron she hasn’t experienced since she’d lost her husband to war.
But with a killer on the loose and his victims mounting, she and Aaron must set aside their hopes for the future in order to bring the killer to justice before he disappears once more into the darkness in which he hunts.
The Guardian by Vicki Hinze
From USA Today bestselling author Vicki Hinze comes a chilling installment in The Philanthropists series of engaging reads.
Harper Adams Holt has been kicked in the teeth hard twice in two months. Her brother was assaulted and left for dead and has been in a coma four weeks. He has little hope of surviva. Two weeks after that assault, her husband was murdered. But is he really dead? Or will he return to torment her and their daughter, Maddie, yet again? If only when she’d left him before he hadn’t found her… But he had and he’d issued an ultimatum: return with him and Maddie, or never see her daughter again. Now his former business partner wants her and Maddie dead. Harper has nowhere to turn. Her situation is hopeless. . . until a concerned nurse summons The Guardian.
I’ll be back next Friday with the other three amazing stories!
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Comments 28
The Philanthropists Series looks like an interesting read. I’ll have to add them to my reading stack.
Author
Thanks, Eddie!
I think we could all use the peace of Christ right about now. Lovely photo, Pat.
The “Philanthropists Shortread” looks good. You’ve got me interested.
“Sergeant Tyson Wilkes stared at the rows of bright red X’s he’d marked on his office wall calendar as if they were a detonation timer counting down the days until the Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit faced its demolition.” is the first line of “Explosive Revenge” by Maggie Black. It’s part of the Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit continuity series. All have been good reads so far, and written by well-known authors.
Author
That sounds really interesting, Tim! And I’m glad you like my photo!
The Philanthropists Shortread Series sounds like a cool idea. I’m looking forward to reading your contribution!
Author
Thanks, Vera!
I’m hoping to read The Defender this weekend. Right now I’m in the middle of Hallee Bridgeman’s Honor Bound. First line: Captain Rick Norton crouched near the edge of the dirt road. Ears still ringing from the intense firefight, the smell of gunpowder burning his nose, he looked around, counting team members.
I love that picture. I agree about the sun reflecting off the ocean. Wonderful verse!
Author
Thanks, Edward! And I always enjoy Hallee’s books.
Hope everyone had a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!
The Defender was sooo good. All need to read it!
Author
Thanks, Gail!
Happy Thanksgiving! Hope it was restful.
I’m looking forward to reading that compilation.
My first line this week is from The Blackout Bookclub by Amy Lynn Green:
Avis gripped the ladder as her husband climbed, a thick swath of black bunting draped over his shoulder.
Author
That first line is intriguing, Paula!
This sounds like a fantastic groups of stories. Will be reading The Defender in the next few days.
Author
Thanks, Betti!
interesting books
Author
Thanks, BN!
Love the photo! Each of the three books above sound very intriguing. I’ll have to check out the philanthropist series. Have a blessed weekend Pat!
Author
Thanks, Mary. I think you would enjoy the stories!
Love the concept of the philanthropist series. Sounds intriguing.
Author
I thought it was very intriguing, Sally Jo!
sounds like some great books!
Author
They are, Shelia!
They sound like really interesting books. Thank you for shqring.
Author
I think you would enjoy the novellas, Diana!
Love the scripture. Thank you for sharing.
Author
Thanks, Lucy! I’m working right now on the one for Tuesday. 🙂
Beautiful photo for the scripture, Pat!
The Philanthropists series sound like one not to miss.
Author
Thanks, Caryl!