Need to Read #23: Fire in Ember

Title: Fire in Ember

Author: DiAnn Mills

Book blurb: John Timmons' life is planned and orderly. He cares for his mother and four younger brothers, and their future depends on him to keep their Colorado ranch profitable. Ember Farrar (Bert) has run away from her law-breaking family in search of a new life. But, when she attempts to return a horse that her brother had stolen, ranch hands believe she is a thief and a boy and they plan to hang her. John, who is also a deputy marshal, breaks up the hanging. After paying for the stolen horse, he takes the boy home to work off the debt. Later he learns Bert is a girl who refuses to tell him who she is and why she possessed a stolen horse. When ranchers report stolen cattle, Bert is a natural suspect. John is touched by Bert's sweet spirit and natural gift of music. Surely she's not a cattle thief. Bert fears for their lives when she is forced to either help her brothers steal or put the Timmons in danger. When John thinks Bert has betrayed him, he ignores God and turns revengeful. Will John learn who Bert truly is? Will their lives ever return back to normal?

Quick endorsement: A girl who is trying to pass as a boy…not something you see in just every book! This one was well-written and a good read, full of exciting adventures and threaded with mystery.

Link to review: http://austenitis.blogspot.com/2011/05/fire-in-ember.html

Cover Focus: Under a Desert Sky

Under a Desert Sky by DiAnn Mills

Book blurb from goodreads.com : “When Eva Fortier's grandfather is murdered, her attorney urges her to leave New York and take refuge in the high desert area of New Mexico. Leaving her life of wealth behind, Eva attempts to make sense of the tragedies in her life. Navajo David Benally has his hands full taking care of his people's medical needs. But when his father asks him to help fulfill a vow made to Eva's father, he has no choice but to oblige. He views Eva as a spoiled rich girl...until he sees her strength in the midst of life-threatening danger.”

Read my review: http://austenitis.blogspot.com/2011/08/under-desert-sky.html

Why I like this cover: You know, my cover is actually different from this cover. Because yes, I own this book, just not with this cover. But I like this one. Probably one of the things that attracts me most about it is the focus that the photographer has on Eva’s hair! It’s an angle and focus that you don’t see very often on book covers. I love that you can see her mouth and a bit of nose, but not her eyes. It adds mystery, I think. And I’m glad that they included that bit of horizon down at the bottom of the picture. It’s perfect…the whole cover wouldn’t be the same without it. All in all, I think this is a really neat cover! And I recommend the book…I liked it.

Under a Desert Sky

Author: DiAnn Mills

Genre: Romance, adventure, a touch of mystery :)

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 320

Time period: 1930's

Main characters: Eva, Tahoma

Exciting events: A killer stalking Eva! Murders, escapes, chases, and much more!

Passage from book: Poisonous snakes come in all shapes and sizes. The one towering above me stood over six feet tall and wore a gray, three-piece suit. He straddled the bullet-ridden body of my grandfather and blew out a contemptuous sigh before bending to reach inside the dead man's suit-coat for his wallet. The killer's right, black polished shoe touched my knee where I'd dropped to help Grandfather. The shoe was neatly tied, the knot and bow perfect. Blood coated the killer's hand, and he wiped it on the ground as though murder were part of every day life. READ MORE HERE!!!

My overall opinion: I enjoyed this one a lot! It was definitely an excellent read. :) An exciting adventure, a sweet romance, a terrible murderer...all the right components. And just for the record...I had a suspicion about who the murderer was from the start. :) Not that anyone will believe me, but hey, I did. :) Read the book to find out just who it was!

**I was provided with a review copy of the book by the author. The opinions I have expressed here are my own. I was not required to post a positive review.**

The Fire in Ember

Author: DiAnn Mills

Genre: Adventure, romance

Series: I believe it's an informal sequel to A Woman Called Sage by the same author.

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 339

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Bert, John, Leah, Evan

Exciting events: A boy turned girl, wicked ranchers, much more

Passage from book: A hanging is no place for a woman. Bert cast a wary glance at the man who lifted a rope from his saddle horn and stomped her way. With her hands tied behind her back and a second man holding her shoulders, she had no hope of freeing herself.

My overall opinion: It was very good and deserved all the good reviews I've read of it! Highly recommended. :) It's a most exciting story, with a few mature elements. However, those things were handled well.