It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday April 20, 2015

This meme starts at Book Journey! My prayers continue for Sheila's family.


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.

Last week was a bit of push - having to finalize taxes and juggling tasks at work. We've had rain which is good for our dry areas.   

I enjoyed my reading again last week even though I only finished one eBook and one audio. But I am almost finished another eBook and a couple hours into an audio.  I posted three reviews (one with a giveaway) so I stayed up to date. I also posted the usual memes. :-)

I visited blogs early in the week but never got back with my pushy feeling schedule.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday April 13, 2015.

• Audible Book Review: Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt; legal Mystery, dogs; my rating 4.5.

• Book Review and Giveaway: Before the Scarlet Dawn: Daughters of the Potomac - Book 1 by Rita Gerlach; Historical Fiction, American Revolution; my rating 3.5. 

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway April 17, 2015. Open Worldwide. Ends 4/23/2015.

• Book Review: Shadow Study (Soulfinders) by Maria V. Snyder; Fantasy; my rating 4.5.

• Sharing Beyond Books #199 Comment Giveaway 4/18/15; Open Worldwide. Ends 4/25/2015.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement April 19, 2015.

Finished Reading:
1. eBook/Kindle

Shadow Study (Soulfinders)
by Maria V. Snyder
This was wonderfully entertaining. The post is linked above.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/ MP4

Blood for Ink: The Scarlet Plumiere Series, Book 1
Written by: L. L. Muir
Narrated by: Jim McCance
I selected this through AudioBook Jukebox 
This was a fun listen.
Click on book title for full description.

I did watch another book made into movie this week: 
Divergent the movie
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Currently reading:
1. eBook/Kindle

The Fire Sermon
by Francesca Haig
I am 85% completed in this book and will probably finish tonight or Monday morning. The review will post this week.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible

Trident's First Gleaming:
A Special Operations Group Thriller
Written by: Stephen Templin
Narrated by: Brian Troxell
There is lots of action in this story which
I received through AudioBook Jukebox
Publisher's Summary
Former SEAL Chris Paladin leaves SEAL Team Six to become a pastor, but CIA spook Hannah Andrade pulls him back into Special Operations Group, the ultra-secret unit that SEAL Team Six operators and others served under to eliminate bin Laden. Chris and Hannah are joined by Delta Force’s Sonny Cohen to stop a new terrorist threat from launching a deadly cyber-terror against the United States.
©2014 Stephen Templin Recorded by arrangement with the author c/o Trident Media Group LLC (P)2014 ListenUp Production, LLC.

3. eBook/Kindle

Fringe Benefits (The Ladies Who Lunch)
by Sandy James
This is a small town romance from an author I enjoy.
My review with giveaway for blog tour blitz will post 4/23.
Book Description
Publication Date: April 21, 2015
When life gets tough and love is hard to find, four friends take their troubles to lunch. High school teacher Danielle Bradshaw deserves a happily ever after, and the Ladies Who Lunch are determined to deliver Mr. Right. 
HOT FOR TEACHER
As the new head of the English department, Dani doesn't have much time for anything but lesson planning and literature. Romance-or even sex? Forget about it. But then the principal introduces her to last-minute hire Nate Ryan. Finding time to mentor a new teacher won't be easy, especially when his incredible body and equally disarming charisma are enough to make her heart skip a beat . . .
Nate may be fresh out of school, but he's confident in his teaching skills-and in his feelings for Dani. But while she's everything he's ever wanted, he knows his place on her staff-and his age-may be problematic for his sexy boss. How can he convince her to ignore the gossip mill currently in full swing in the teacher's lounge and surrender to what's meant to be?
"Sweet, endearing and delightful...Sometimes you just need that heartfelt, hometown romance and Fringe Benefits hit the spot." ~ Beth, Tome Tender, 5 stars

4. eBook/Kindle

Sinfully Yours (The Hellions of High Street)
by Cara Elliott
I enjoyed the first book and grabbed this one to read and share too!
Book Review and Giveaway will post 4/28.
Book Description
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
THE HELLIONS OF HIGH STREET SERIES CONTINUES WITH SINFULLY YOURS...
Proper young ladies of the ton-especially ones who have very small dowries-are not encouraged to have an interest in intellectual pursuits. Indeed, the only things they are encouraged to pursue are eligible bachelors. So, the headstrong Sloane sisters must keep their passions a secret. Ah, but secret passions are wont to lead a lady into trouble . . .
SINFULLY YOURS
After an eventful Season, Anna Sloane longs for some peace and quiet to pursue her writing. Though her plots might be full of harrowing adventure and heated passion, she'd much prefer to leave such exploits on the page rather than experience them in real life. Or so she thinks until she encounters the darkly dissolute-and gorgeously charming-Marquess of Davenport.
Davenport has a reputation as a notorious rake whose only forte is wanton seduction. However the real reason he's a guest at the same remote Scottish castle has nothing to do with Anna . . . until a series of mysterious threats leave him no choice but to turn to her for help in stopping a dangerous conspiracy. As desire erupts between them, Davenport soon learns he's not the only one using a carefully crafted image to hide his true talents. And he's more than ready to show Anna that sometimes reality can be even better than her wildest imaginings . . .

I am reading The One Year Bible again along with my husband and others from our church. I am also listening to the companion commentary online. -- Really enjoying my Bible reading. It seems my eyes are open to more details and meaning. To go a step beyond the Bible reading I am also reading Jesus Daily 365 Interactive Devotions.

April Scheduled -
4/23/15 Fringe Benefits by Sandy James - Blog Tour Review
4/28/15 Sinfully Yours (The Hellions of High Street) by Cara Elliott - Blog Tour Blitz
4/30/15 The Brass Giant: A Chroniker City Story by Brooke Johnson - Blog Tour

I am still focusing on reading NetGalley titles and TBR titles for the next couple of months.

I posted three reviews last week so I am still up to date. :-)
I am (very) slowly reading the waiting NetGalley titles in between the new ones.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

I received three ebook titles for blog tour reviews and picked up an additional title on NetGalley.
Surprise! Not. I downloaded more free kindle titles to my library.
(Although I have gotten to a couple, I still have many author requests, old and new ones, to consider and reply to.)
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

I received three ebooks for Pump Up Your Book Blog Tours:
These Two books through Edelweiss:

Review date 4/30
The Brass Giant: A Chroniker City Story
by  Brooke Johnson
"Sometimes, even the most unlikely person can change the world."

Review date 5/28
The Clockwork Crown (Clockwork Dagger Novels Book 2)
by Beth Cato
"Rich in atmosphere, imagination, and fun, the action-packed, magic-filled sequel to The Clockwork Dagger is an enchanting steampunk fantasy, evocative of the works of Trudi Canavan and Gail Carriger."

I received this title from NetGalley

Review Date 5/27
Grey (The Romany Outcasts Series, Book 1)
by Christi J. Whitney
"But when strangers arrive in town, Sebastian soon realizes that his world is nothing at all what it seemed. Secretive gypsies surround him, shadowy figures stalk him, and the girl he’s been dreaming about turns up at school."

This book I found at NetGalley while downloading The Grey:

Letters to the Lost
by Iona Grey
"I promised to love you forever, in a time when I didn't know if I'd live to see the start of another week. Now it looks like forever is finally running out. I never stopped loving you. I tried, for the sake of my own sanity, but I never even got close, and I never stopped hoping either."

Won

None

Purchased

Okay - It's past April 1 so officially the TBR Double Dog Dare is over and I can permit myself to buy books again. I fell off the no purchase wagon to buy these five bundles at $.99 each:

The Big Book of Time Travel Romance

Sarah Woodbury, Cassidy Cayman, Ranay James, Angeline Fortin, Monique Martin, E.B. Brown

Magnificent Medieval Romance

Catherine Kean, Kathryn Le Veque, Anna Markland, Laurel O'Donnell

Medieval Masters of Timeless Romance (Medieval Masters Collection Series)

Kathryn Le Veque

Swept Through Time: 7 Bestselling Time Travel Treasures

Tamara Gill, Brenda Hiatt, Callie Hutton, C.A. Szarek, Clover Autrey, Laura Marie Altom, Louise Clark

Hiatt Regency Classics 1, 2 & 3: Gabriella, The Cygnet, Lord Dearborn's Destiny

Brenda Hiatt

Free

Over the past week I added only 41 free Kindle titles to my library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.