It's Monday! What Are You Reading? January 7, 2013

This meme starts at Book Journey!

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I've had a pretty good week. The catch-up was tough with my staff out due to illnesses. Sigh.
I had a good reading week - good reads moving fast. I finished five books. I posted four reviews, one with giveaway and one with Book Blitz giveaway link. I posted the regular Friday Pick Giveaway, Saturday Snapshot, Sharing Beyond Books Comment Giveaway and Sunday Words.
I didn't get as much visiting last week so I hope to get some in this week.
Thanks again to all the nice people who visit me too.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday What are You Reading? December 31, 2012.

• Mailbox Monday 12/31/12.

• Book Review and Print Giveaway: The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren; Christian, Holiday; my rating 4.25. Ends 1/11/13

• Audio Book Review: Christmas in An Elevator by Kay Murky; Holiday Romance; my rating 4.0.

• Happy New Year 2013! 

• Audio Book Review: The Broken Token by Chris Nickson; Historical Mystery Fiction; my rating 4.5.

• Book Blast with Giveaway Link: Dead Running and Dying to Run by Cami Checketts (Ends 1/31.)
  

• Audio Books for Future Giveaways
  

• Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop January 4-10 Ends 1/10.
  

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway January 4, 2013. Open Worldwide. Ends 1/3/13.

• Saturday Snapshot (1/5/13) Maui - The Lavender Farm.
  

• Sharing Beyond Books #81 Comment Giveaway 1/5/13. Ends 1/11/13.

• Book Review: Christmas Promises Anthology by Lynne Graham, Carole Mortimer, Marion Lennox, Holiday Romance; my rating 4.5.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement January 6, 2013.

Finished Reading:

1. Print

Last Chance Christmas
by Hope Ramsay
I really enjoyed this!
I'll post a review and giveaway this week.
 Reviewing for Forever, division of Hachette.

2. eBook/Kindle

The Reluctant Countess: A Loveswept Historical Romance
by Wendy Vella
this is another enjoyable read.
Author Q&A and Review to post 1/9.
Reviewing for Random House.

3. ebook/Kindle
 

Rise of the Fire Tamer (The Wordwick Games #1) (An SAT Prep Dystopian Fiction)
by Kailin Gow
This is a lot of fun.
My review will post 1/10 as part of Book Blast Tour.

4. eBook/Kindle

Broken Pieces
by T.L. Highley
This is a very short story recognizing that we each have brokenness in our lives but their is a way to be restored to wholeness. I enjoyed the mystery quality of the story and the wonderful redemptive message. This was a nice taste and I would like to read a full novel by this author. 
Genre: Inspirational My rating: 4.5.
I received this as a free gift mid 2012 when I joined the author's site/newsletter, The Rosetta Society.

5. eBook/Kindle
 

The Publicist
by Christina George
This is an engaging read.
I will post a review later this week.
Reviewing for the Author.
Book Description
Publication Date: December 3, 2012
Can one woman change an age-old institution like publishing? Probably not, but Kate Mitchell sure wants to try. As a publicist with a large, respected New York publishing house, Kate finds herself at the mercy of a broken publishing system, books that don’t sell, and author egos that are often, well, as big as the island of Manhattan.

Enter the star editor, MacDermott Ellis: Tall, handsome, charismatic, married, and ready to save the day. Then there’s Allan Lavigne, once a revered author—now as forgotten as last year’s bestsellers and his nephew Nick: Tall, gorgeous, sweet, single, and ready to sweep Kate off her feet. Kate wants to do the right thing but her hormones seem to be driving her decisions.

As Kate tries to navigate the landmine of publicity, over-the-top author expectations, and the careful dance of “I’m sorry, your book isn’t on the bestseller list this week,” she also finds authors who are painfully overlooked by a publisher wanting more sex, more celebrities, and more scandal.

Welcome to the world of publishing. The ego has landed.

Line Edits: I am still working on more formats plus outlining upcoming releases!

Currently reading:

1. ebook/Kindle
 

The Blessed and the Damned (Righteous Series #4)
by Michael Wallace
I will start this tonight. I read an earlier book in the series and enjoyed it.
Reading for the author.
Book Description 
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
As the son of the prophet of Blister Creek, a polygamous enclave in Utah, Dr. Jacob Christianson has struggled for years to reconcile his faith with his skepticism about the fundamentalist practices of his community. Nevertheless, when his family and neighbors were threatened, Jacob stepped up time and again to lead the fight against those who would destroy them. Now Jacob and the residents of Blister Creek face a dangerous new challenge to their quiet existence. Taylor Kimball Jr. wants to take over as prophet of Blister Creek—and he wants Jacob’s sister Eliza by his side when he does it. With no room for personal reservations, Jacob forms a tenuous alliance with his father and the FBI. But Taylor Junior is as crafty as he is brutal, anticipating Jacob’s plan and drawing him out to leave Blister Creek vulnerable to attack. And this time Taylor has come prepared, with a horrific new weapon capable of annihilating Blister Creek. If he has any chance of winning this fight, Jacob will have to decide, once and for all, just how far he is willing to go to protect his community. The fourth in Michael Wallace’s riveting Righteous series, The Blessed and the Damned raises the stakes in Jacob’s world to dizzying new heights.

2. Audio MP3
 

Cat Bearing Gifts: A Joe Grey Mystery, Book 18
by Shirley Rousseau Murphy (Author), 
Susan Boyce (Narrator)
This is a mystery story told from the view of the cats.
So far it is fun as the mystery develops.
I received this to review for AudioGo through AudioBook Jukebox.
A car crash, a missing treasure, a dead thief, and a suspicious blond divorcée have feline P.I. Joe Grey and his four-legged cohorts clawing for justice in this lively new entry in the beloved, award-winning series.
Kate Osborne, a divorcée, reappears with a fortune and a strange story about how she obtained it. Meanwhile, a terrible car crash involves tortoiseshell Kit and her elderly housemates, Lucinda and Pedric Greenlaw. The accident is terrifying enough, but then two mysterious men steal the car - and the secret treasure hidden inside its doors. When one of the thieves ends up dead, Joe must discover if the events are connected - and why. With the investigation in trouble, will they find the killer...or be left chasing their tails?

3. Print

The Perfect Match (Hometown Mysteries)
by Janice Hanna
This is a fun, easy read so far.
I am reading it for Ladies Book Club meeting 1/19.
Book Description;
Publication Date: March 1, 2011 | Series: Hometown Mysteries
Join Annie Peterson as she follows the clues to discover who set fire to the local dating service, the Perfect Match. Is the arsonist the financially strapped widow who owns the matchmaking business, a mismatched newspaper editor, an unsatisfied and unmarried forty-something customer, or the new female investigator who, except for her suspicious past, seems the ideal mate for Annie’s son Devin? The race is on—to see whether or not Annie and her cohorts can solve the crime before another building is burned to the ground and before Devin becomes enamored of the woman who may be Ms. Wrong.

I plan to continue listening to The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. [Reading and listening on my new MP3.] I am going back to studying with the Tyndall One Year Bible this year, hoping to read daily along with my DH.

Line Edits: I hope to get in at least two books this week for formats.

I have listed 16 for January with Audios to be added. Reading is going quickly. 

Scheduled for January - NOTE THREE GIVEAWAY HOPS THIS MONTH!:

1/7  Guest Post Jade Kerrion (Bewitching Blog Tour)
1/8  Book Blast: The Fire Tamer by Kalin Gow
1/9  Review and Author Q&A The Reluctant Countess by Wendy Vella (Random House)
1/10 Review: The Fire Tamer by Kalin Gow (BookBlast Tour)
1/15 No Strings Giveaway Hop
1/18 Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop
1/19 Review: Dead Running by Cami Checketts (BookBlast Tour)
1/21 Book Blast: DayNight by Megan Thomason
1/23 Review: DayNight by Megan Thomason (BookBlast Tour)
1/28 Book Blast: Jack Templar: Monster Hunter by Jeff Gunhus

Unscheduled (dates after the author indicate the release date):
Sourcebooks
The Officer Breaks the Rules (Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful) by Jeanette Murray (1/8/13) (Print giveaway)

Hachette
Immortal Craving by Kendra Leigh Castle (1/29/13)

NET GALLEY
      Random House:
           The Escape Diaries by Juliet Rosetti(12/10/12)

     Thomas Nelson (Hope to post with Giveaways)
          Every Perfect Gift (A Hickory Ridge Romance) by Dorothy Love (12/4/12)
         An Amish Kitchen Anthology/Collection (12/18/12)
         Waiting for Morning (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch Series) by Margaret Brownley (1/8/13)

Audiobook Jukebox (more to be received)
Cats Bearing Gifts by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
"Natalie's Journey Back to Love" by E. Jean Beres

Authors
The Blessed and the Damned (Righteous Series #4) by Michael Wallace (carry forward) (10/2/12)

Ladies Book Club (Will post with Giveaways)
(The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren - done)
The Perfect Match (Hometown Mysteries) by Janice Hanna

(I'm thinking I'd like to do a title with January or Winter in it for one of these)
TBR Collection - TBD
Won Book - TBD (Broken Pieces)
Free Kindle/Nook or Smashwords - TBD