Author: kellyfbarr

Used Book Tour #2

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Last Saturday, my friends and I took our second Used Book Tour and it was just as much fun as the first (well, a little better in one aspect — I was able to purchase more books!).

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This was stop #1. See the rack to the left that says, “Free Books”? Well, I found one book on that rack that will be part of someone’s Christmas present!

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This was stop #2. I didn’t make any purchases here, but the lady running the store was very friendly and helpful, and the photo below is her sweet doggie/sidekick. He was so well-behaved and quiet, I walked past him twice and didn’t see him! His name is Winston.

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T G Books was stop #3 and it was definitely our favorite stop. The two ladies working there were so welcoming and helpful. I purchased quite a few books here (my biggest haul for the day). The photo below is a cute reading corner they have inside the store.

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Of course we had to include a comic store on the tour. I didn’t buy anything here but at least I was dressed for the occasion.    🙂

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Stop #5 was The Book House and the book rack out front had books that were 25 cents apiece or 5 for $1, so one of my friends and I spent quite a bit of time looking through them. Together we came up with 5 books, then we went into the store and were amazed at how full of books it was! I found many treasures, but didn’t actually purchase anything here.

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Our sixth and final stop for the day was The York Emporium, whose looks were deceiving. It looks quite small from the front, but it turned out to be quite large inside and houses upward of 500,000 books! We spent quite a bit of time in this store.

These are my purchases from the day. My friend, Ben, found the Batman Knightfall book for me at TG Books, and I was thrilled. It’s actually a chapter book, not a comic book, based on the comics! Bane is Batman’s nemesis in this story and the author was a DC Comics editor for some time. Yes, I am a huge Batman fan! Ben also found the Speed Racer DVD (brand new, never been opened) at the York Emporium. When we went on our previous book tour, Ben found the first book I purchased on that tour — an historical western book. So, after this tour I told Ben he has to come with me every time I want to go book shopping because he always finds my greatest treasures!  As for the books in the last photo, I collect Maeve Binchy’s books. I love her stories set in Ireland. I also am a recent fan of Lori Wick, since some friends loaned some of her books to me. Sophie’s Heart is my absolute favorite so far, and since that was one that was loaned to me, I was very happy to find my own copy.

 

Flash Fiction Friday: The “Block” Button Part 2

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Photo by Justin Snyder Photo on Unsplash

The “Block” Button – Part 2
by Kelly F. Barr

One week after pushing the “block” button, Theresa found that her credit card had been charged a couple thousand dollars she hadn’t spent. When she called about the charges, she wasn’t able to have them all returned, so the way she understood it, she was now responsible for $1500 she didn’t have.

She knew how those charges had occurred. It had to be him. I guess pushing the block button was the right thing to do. How could he say all those sweet, loving words and take advantage of me like this? The world seemed to have a lot more cruel people than when she was a kid, or maybe it only seemed that way because now she was an adult and more aware of people’s actions. Well, she’d gotten that credit card canceled so he wouldn’t be charging anything else.

December arrived and Theresa dreaded the coming Christmas. Christmas was supposed to be for spending time with loved ones but she was alone. All she could think about were the “what ifs”–What if he hadn’t been a scammer? What if he’d really loved her? What if he’d actually come to town to see her?

She walked through town, cold and alone, hands shoved deep into her coat pockets as couples walked by holding hands, talking, and smiling. She barely looked in the shop windows all decorated with colored lights, Christmas trees, and Santa Clauses. As she approached the steps to her apartment building, she noticed a man standing next to the stairs blowing onto his clasped hands trying to warm them. Would it be safe to enter her building or should she pass like she didn’t live there?

The wind picked up and stung her face. She’d have to chance it. She had nowhere else to go and it was too cold to keep walking. She raised her shoulders, ducking deeper into her coat, and kept her head down as she passed the man.

“Theresa?”

She stopped, turned to look up at the guy. She’d never seen him before. How did he know her name? “Who are you?”

“Roger Altland.” He stared at her, studying her face.

It was him. He was here. But she’d blocked him. “How did you find me?”

“It wasn’t difficult with today’s technology. After all, you’d told me the name of your town and state.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I miss you. You blocked me so I couldn’t contact you through email anymore, and when I went back to Facebook to find you, I couldn’t find your account.”

“I deleted it.”

“Listen, it’s cold out here. Can we go somewhere warm and talk?”

“What’s to talk about? You scammed me and now I have a $1500 credit card bill I can’t afford to pay.”

“I understand you’re hurt and angry, but could you please give me a chance?”

“I gave you your chance and you used it to stab me in the back.” She turned and started up the steps.

“Please. I know what I did was wrong and I’d like to make it right. Besides, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. You were the first woman I attempted to scam with a romance scam. After you blocked me I couldn’t stop thinking about you or the things we’d said to each other. I really did develop feelings of love toward you … please … can we talk?”

She turned and looked him in the eye. “Love doesn’t stay where there is no trust.” She turned and hurried into the apartment building.

Do You Like Connecting with your Favorite Authors?

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FALL IN LOVE WITH A GOOD BOOK

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Photo by Aung Soe Min on Unsplash

That’s what the landing page of Find Christian Books says. Have you heard of “Find Christian Books”? No?

Well, let me tell you about it. It’s a new website, created by JP Robinson, to help both new and already-established authors share their talent and personal stories with the world. It makes it easy for readers to find new authors of Christian Literature, both fiction and nonfiction, or keep up to date with authors you already know and enjoy.

It’s a place where readers and writers can connect, and if you can’t find the author, you’re looking for, on the site right now, keep checking as they’ll be adding new authors in the coming months.

They even have a newsletter you can sign up for that will give you information on promotions, offer you free reads, and more!

The thing I like best about it is that there are direct links to the author websites that enable you to quickly read more about your favorite author or any that are new to you. And, if you can’t find the Christian author you’re looking for, you can contact that author and tell them about “Find Christian Books” and they can apply to have their book(s) listed on the site.

Do you enjoy Christian Literature? Then, what are you waiting for? Go check out Find Christian Books now!

 

The Treasure Map by Tyler Scott Hess

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Book Blurb:

Jack is a 10-year-old boy ready for a joyous Christmas vacation, but as punishment for a poor report card, he is tasked with cleaning out his family’s long-forgotten attic. Inside, he finds a chest with a treasure map and a letter that transports him to another time, place, and existence.

Jack finds himself living the life of a young man named Niko, an enemy of the State of Ariel, a martyr of the Faithful, sentenced to die during the Independence Day celebrations. When an earthquake strikes, Niko finds the opportunity to escape, discovers a guide known only as the Elder, and teams up with a group of the Faithful to change history.

My Review:

I agreed to write this honest objective review and received a complimentary pre-release copy to do so. It is the first Tyler Scott Hess book I have read.

The story changes time and place every few chapters, some chapters revealing 10-year-old Jack’s life working on cleaning up the attic while missing out on some of his family’s Christmas activities and being fascinated by the treasure map and letter. Other chapters take us into the time and place of the treasure map and letter where the Faithful are in trouble, in prison. Then an earthquake strikes and Niko finds the opportunity to escape. He discovers a guide known only as the Elder and finds a small group of the Faithful who also escaped during the earthquake. They concoct a plan to change history.

I enjoyed this story. Jack is a delightful, typical 10-year-old boy, and the story of Niko’s struggle is believabe and a little frightening.

The story grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept my attention until the end. Jack learned a lesson and learned more about his family. Tyler Scott Hess did a good job of tying Jack and Niko’s stories together as well.

This would be a great story to read aloud to your children. It’s a good story that is suitable for elementary age children through adult, although there is one murder/death near the end, but it is not dwelt upon and it is not graphic.

I recommend this book to families and to those who enjoy stories that include Christmas. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Hess’s books.

Flash Fiction Friday: The “Block” Button

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Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash

The “Block” Button
by Kelly F. Barr

Theresa pushed the “block” button to block his messages and felt her heart tear in two. All her friends, and her own head, told her this was the right thing to do, but would her heart … could her heart … survive it?

Yeah, she’d heard all the warnings: “Don’t make friends with strangers on the internet”, reminiscent of the “Don’t talk to strangers” rule her parents had taught her when she was a young child. But didn’t everyone do it? Wasn’t it called socializing?

Maybe, but you weren’t supposed to lose your heart, and that is what she had done. He was so sweet; so romantic. He’d said he loved her.

Had there been red flags? Yeah, small ones at first that her heart brushed aside. Then the red flags began to occur more often—“buy a $100 Amazon gift card and send me a photo of the card and receipt”; “can I have the username and password to your credit card account”? She’d fulfilled a couple of these requests, but she wasn’t made of money.

Then he’d sent her money. So was he really a bad guy?

Theresa got scared and changed all her usernames and passwords to keep him out because of all the warnings she kept hearing in her head. Today, pushing the “block” button was her last act to shut him out. She was listening to her head while her heart shattered, leaving an incredible ache in her chest.

He’d promised he’d never let her go, said he’d fight for her.

Now she wondered, would he … could he? Would he come and find her, declare his love and propose to her as he’d promised?

Or had pushing the “block” button not only severed their connection, but also left him devastated? He had told her he had no one else but her in the world. Was that true?

Unbearable guilt and pain filled her chest. Though she had never met him face-to-face, he’d made her feel more loved than anyone else ever had.

Had pushing that “block” button protected her from someone she needed protection from, or had it shut out her knight in shining armor?