Sunday Post October 15, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday October 16, 2023

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? now at The Book Date (at Wordpress)

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.

Sorry for last week. I apparently didn't enable comments until Wednesday night.

My office continues to be busy with a good mix of closing contracts and legal work.

My blogging may get sporadic this coming week. I will be driving to Illinois to help my son and d-i-l with my three grandchildren. My d-i-l did not get any good news from the second opinion in NY. She returned home and her regular oncologist put her into the hospital Thursday to start heavy chemo - 5-9 hours for 4 days in a row. Then she goes home on steroids followed by antibiotics so she can regain strength to go through the chemo for five more sessions three weeks apart. I plan to be there two weeks if not longer.

Some of my GFWC Marianna Woman's Club group had fun decorating pumpkins
to deliver to supporting advertising businesses in town.
I was pleased they delivered one to my offices.

My continuing prayers include prayers for more unity in all nations, a calmer social atmosphere, and for revival. We are also continuing prayers for family and church.
Prayers for Israel and all the innocents who will be impacted by this war.

I had the heat on one night a week ago. The days have been beautiful. I expect it to be a little cooler in Illinois. I plan to take warm clothing. 

I finished an two ebooks and six audios and posted two reviews with my memes. 
I am behind posting my September Wrap Up and I am going to be short on time this coming week.

I visited 14 blogs last week.
No Shout out this week.

Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.

• Sunday Post October 8, 2023/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday October 9, 2023.

• MBS 2023 Fraterfest Readathon - #2023FraterfestRAT

• eBTBR: Book Review: Her Kind of Sheriff by Ellen Knightley; Genre: Clean, Historical Romance, Sweet; My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0.

• ATBR: Audio Book Review: Deadbreak by Jorge Sanchez; Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy > Apocalyptic & Dystopian, Horror; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement October 15, 2023 - A Firm Foundation.

Finished Reading:

1. Audible Smartphone (ATBR)

Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Army of Golems: An Unconventional Heroes Publisher's Pack
By: L. G. Estrella
Narrated by: Fred Berman
Series: Unconventional Heroes, Book 1-2
Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
This is fun listening although I'm not sure I wouldn't have enjoyed it more split up.
Source: March 2022 Free Audible Plus.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio App on Smartphone (ATBR)

A Death at Eastwick
Written by L.C. Warman
Narrated by Brooke Myers
Run time: 5 hours and 4 minutes
I was able to get this listen in before staring Fraterfest. I enjoyed the twist in the mystery.
Source: 3/21/2020 Chirp deal $.99.
When John Eastwick, Jr.’s father dies, he finds out about one family secret that will change his life forever. But a murder the night of the memorial service raises the question—what else was his beloved father hiding?
***
21-year-old John Eastwick, Jr., has lived a charmed and cozy life. The sole heir of the Eastwick family fortune, John is on the cusp of graduating from the renowned Montvale University out east before returning home to run his family business. But in late fall of his final year, John’s father dies of heart failure. Days later, his father is named as one of the disgraced moguls who bribed John’s way into his prestigious college.
Kicked out of school, John returns home to his distraught mother at their lakeside mansion to bury his father. There, John’s world continues to crumble beneath his feet: the will that the family lawyer reads bears no resemblance to the last version that the late John Eastwick, Sr. created. In fact, John Eastwick, Sr. has divided his estate not only between his son and wife, but the family chef, their loyal lawyer, his young secretary, and his estranged brother.
John wonders, is his father trying to atone for past mistakes--and what other secrets might he be keeping?
But that night, after the reading of the will, one among the group is murdered. And John Eastwick, Jr., must not only piece together who the threat is, but also face what else his beloved father might have been hiding.

I started #Fraterfest 2023 at 12:01am on 10/12. I got off to a very good start.

3. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR) #Fraterfest #1.

Material Witness: A Joe Ledger Bonus Story
By: Jonathan Maberry
Narrated by: Ray Porter
Series: Joe Ledger, Book 1.2
Length: 1 hr and 16 mins
I enjoyed the military and supernatural elements in this short story.
Source: December 2021 Free from Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's summary
Here is another highly entertaining short story featuring Jonathan Maberry’s compelling hero, Joe Ledger.
This short thriller takes Joe Ledger into the mysterious, troubled town of Pine Deep, Pennsylvania, the setting for Maberry’s chilling Pine Deep Trilogy. In Pine Deep, nothing is what it seems.
©2011 Jonathan Maberry (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

4. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR) #Fraterfest #2.

Deep, Dark: An Exclusive Short Story
By: Jonathan Maberry
Narrated by: Ray Porter
Series: Joe Ledger, Book 1.3
Length: 50 mins
I enjoyed Book 1.2 so much I went straight on to 1.3. This one deals with genetic mutations and is another strong short story.
Source: December 2021 Free from Audible Plus Catalog.
Publisher's summary
This chilling short story is the prequel to The Dragon Factory, the second installment in Maberry’s action-packed Joe Ledger novels.
Before Baltimore cop Joe Ledger goes up against two competing groups of geneticists looking to continue the master-race program in The Dragon Factory, he must battle another foe using human test subjects for his sinister plans.
©2009 Jonathan Maberry (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

5. NetGalley App on Smartphone (NG2023). #Fraterfest #3.

The Messiest Monster on Mill Street
by Sarah Sparks
This is a cute story and was perfect for #Fraterfest!
Source: October 2023 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

6. Kindle App on Smartphone (ebTBR). #Fraterfest #4.

The Tutor: A Ghost Story
By Rod A. Galindo
This is a quick, engaging story and I would be willing to read more in the series.
Source: February 2019 free Kindle.
"The Tutor" is Chapter One of "Claire", WINNER of the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Paranormal category.
Young Max hates Fourth Grade math. His teenage friend Claire is an ace with numbers, and is always eager to help him with his homework. Max adores her, and loves when she visits him in the old house on Hollow Street.
Claire can also weave a ghost story like no one else. But her favorite tale always sends chills down his spine, and hits a little too close to home...

7. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR) #Fraterfest #5.

A Wild Ghost Chase
By: E.J. Copperman
Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
Series: Haunted Guesthouse, Book 3.5
Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
I enjoy this ghostly cozy mystery series.
Source: 11/5/2022 Audible Plus.
Publisher's summary
Phantom PI Paul Harrison from the national best-selling Haunted Guesthouse mysteries returns with a tale of his own in a house full of ghosts, secrets, and spectacular oceanside views.…
Three years ago in a large Victorian house on the Jersey Shore in the town of Harbor Haven, fledgling private investigator Paul and his client, Maxie Malone, were murdered. Since then, recent divorcée and reluctant ghost whisperer Alison Kerby and her 10-year-old daughter, Melissa, have moved in and converted the place to a guesthouse, where Maxie and Paul are now checked in for an eternity and ready to solve any case that comes their way - or at least spook the guests (who love it). Alison’s got a lot on her plate at the moment, however, so when Paul discovers the 300-year-old ghost of a small boy in the house, he decides not to involve her in the case. The boy, named Eagle of the Sun, says he’s searching for his missing mother. Paul’s happy to help Eagle of the Sun find her, though something about the boy’s story doesn’t add up. But why would a lost little ghost lie?
Includes a preview of the next Haunted Guesthouse Mystery, Chance of a Ghost, available February 2013.
©2012 Jeffrey Cohen (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

8. Audible on Smartphone (ATBR) #Fraterfest #6.

The Ghost Hunter Next Door
Beechwood Harbor Ghost Mysteries, Book 1
By: Danielle Garrett
Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi
Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
I enjoyed this ghostly cozy too. I will listen to more in the series.
Source: 11/27/2022 Audible sale $2.99.
Publisher's summary
The first rule of being a ghost whisperer: Don't tell anyone. Seriously. Don't.
Sure, it might sound harmless. A fun party trick, even. I assure you, it's not. How do I know? Well, let's just say that I've had a lot of experience with this sort of thing, and nine times out of 10, it turns into an all-consuming disaster.
Being plagued by needy ghosts 24-7 is one thing; being harassed by a horde of curious - or worse, grieving - flesh-and-blood people is an entirely different circus. I mean really, who wants to hold an impromptu seance in the middle of the cereal aisle? Not me, and the manager of the grocery store probably isn't too crazy about the idea, either.
So, that's it. If you're a ghost whisperer, just keep your mouth shut and act normal. Ghosts? What ghosts?
Now, if only I would start listening to my own advice....
©2017 Danielle Garrett (P)2019 Tantor

Currently Reading:

1. Audio App on Smartphone (ATBR) #Fraterfest #7

Gossip and Gorgons, Book 3 of Manners and Monsters Collection: A Regency paranormal mystery series
by Tilly Wallace
Narrated By: Marian Hussey
Duration: 23 hours 46 minutes
This is a fun series and I am enjoying the third story.
Source: 11/1/2020 Audiobooks.com Credit Purchase.
I had to use a credit before 11/3 and was glad to pick up all three books in this series after enjoying Manners and Monsters.
One look could turn you to stone...
The newly married Lord and Lady Wycliff are cordially invited to a house party--to be mocked and ridiculed as entertainment. Wycliff insists on attending to discuss business with the host, while Hannah longs to hide in the library with its rare volumes on the Fae.
Bound to Wycliff even beyond death, Hannah wonders how she will survive the week--when a guest unexpectedly expires. A notorious cad is discovered turned into a statue in the garden. The dead lord had many enemies, including Lord Wycliff.
Hannah's accord with her husband is tested when a trail of footprints leads to their window. What secret is Wycliff hiding and does he know more about the magical death than he admits? Someone among the house guests has murder on their mind and the newlyweds need to determine who, before anyone else is immortalised as stone...

2. Kindle App on Smartphone (ebTBR). #Fraterfest #8.

The Experience Machine
By Jason Werbeloff
Series: Obsidian Worlds #11
I have just started this, but it is engaging so far.
Source: October 25, 2019 free Kindle.
The skullcap sits to one side of the chair. Its snaking wires and sensors throw a Medusa shadow against the basement wall. I touch its plastic. Stroke its wiry hair.
The Machine gives me everything I want. Or the one thing I want. Life in a woman’s body, under the tangerine glow of the Spiral Arm Nebula. But nothing remains the same for long, not even in the timeless worlds of the Experience Machine.
From the author of HEDON, The Experience Machine is a brutal story of identity found and lost. Plug in, baby. You won’t regret it.

I am picking for #Fraterfest as I go.

3. Kindle App on Smartphone (eBTBR) On Hold until I finish #Fraterfest
unless I decide to count Book 3 (which I haven't started yet) as a #Fraterfest book.

Outage Boxed Set: Books 1-3
(Outage Horror Suspense Series)
by T.W. Piperbrook
Oh boy, this is definitely horror, scary stuff.
I am in Book 2.
Source: 2/28/2013 free Kindle.
Click on book title for full description.

October 15, 2023 - I am doing the daily readings of BibleProject plan: The Full Story - "From the beginning to the Amen". My readings are now in Corinthians with Paul 'lecturing' the church and reiterating the importance of loving others.
I enjoyed the 7 day study: Bolder - The Audacious Faith of Imperfect People.

I finished eight books and posted two reviews.  I was caught up but that is likely to change with eight reviews to do and more to come.

NETGALLEY STATUS--
I have an older audio on my shelf I should listen to soon.
I still have the two old NetGalley ebook titles, one is horror so I hope to read it after Fraterfest.

Other Sources: I have a dozen or so books that I received from Facebook links and newsletter sign-ups, not specific review requests. plus many titles through InstaFreebie over the past few years.

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: Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, me, and newest to the team, Emma at Words and Peace.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

No new review titles this week.
No Purchases but I will be selecting my Audible credits this week.

I picked up more Audible Plus titles but I'm listing the ones from a week ago this week.
One new Kindle titles this week.
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Purchased

NONE

Free

I downloaded these titles from Audible Plus Catalog before 10/8.

Last Command
By: Lindsay Buroker
Narrated by: Kate Reading
Series: Fallen Empire, Book 0
Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins

A Haunting
The Horror on Rue Lane
By: L. I. Albemont
Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins

An Open Spook
By: E.J. Copperman
Narrated by: Amanda Ronconi
Series: A Haunted Guesthouse Mystery Book 4.5
Length: 2 hrs and 32 mins

Lady of Ashes
By: Christine Trent
Narrated by: Polly Lee
Series: Lady of Ashes, Book 1
Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins

The Parting of Ways
By: Glynn James, J. Thorn
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
Series: Dustfall, Book 2
Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins

Joe Ledger: The Missing Files
By: Jonathan Maberry
Narrated by: Ray Porter
Series: Joe Ledger, Book 3.5
Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins



10/14/2023 Kindle title

Hiding From The Sheriff (A Southern Kind of Love Book 1)
by Palmer Jones




One new title added to Kindle library.  Free titles might be found at Bookbub, Book Adrenaline, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, or Kindle ebooks.