Sharing Beyond Books #192 Comment Giveaway February 28, 2015

Hello again on Saturday night and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB!

How is everyone doing? I had a rather busy week with my daughter, primary employee, being out sick. Makes more work for me. I have tons of office work still to get caught up on before I go away in a week for a conference. I hope the weather gets better for you folks with the really cold temperatures and snow! Too bad you can't share some of that with those around the other side of the globe with hot, dry weather.

Thanks to everyone who commented during the short time this week.

I think that as avid readers we are also collectors! There were 23 answers (including my own) and only one was a no with three of us who used to collect but stopped due to too many books, too much cost and too many favorite authors. The other 19 collect although some read through library copies and some collect on ereaders instead of print. I appreciated the good point in holdenj's comment which was "I like to support them and the book industry by actually making a purchase!"

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The Winner from SBB #191 comments is: #1 Becky who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated ARC/Review titles or (not yet updated) Love titles - all linked near the end of the post. I'm hoping to update the book choices this week. Please let me know your choice by completing the (new) WINNER FORM.

WEEK #192 (One Question.)

Q1. Abby asks: Have you ever participated in any treasure hunts or non-book related scavenger hunts? Did you win anything??

A: (This was a fun question since I posted a mini scavenger hunt answer early today.) I always loved little treasure hunts or scavenger hunts with clues when I was young. I remember some were following clues around the house and others were with church youth where you had to go retrieve a list of items. As a young adult I also participated in a road rally hunt where we followed the clues from one stop point to the next. My team did not win that one. As I recall we got lost  mid way! 

Image found at "Party" on Pinterest.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! We still have a supply of questions but from the same people so hopefully others will send more in -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify to use.
Almost forgot the end of month Comment provider winner: February Questions provided by: bn100, Jess1, Marjorie and Becky. Random.org chose 1 - bn100 to get book choice.
Your turn to share:

Q1. Abby asks: Have you ever participated in any treasure hunts or non-book related scavenger hunts? Did you win anything??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the  Valentine and "Love" books or the February 2015 Newly Updated ARC/Review List. (My daughter pulled several of the Christmas titles to give with gift bags we made up for the nursing homes. I still have to go back and update that list with what is left and a few new titles to add.)

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on either of the two questions above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday March 7, 2015 at 5 PM  central.

WINTER COYER Mini Scavenger Hunt

The Book Monster is hosting a scavenger hunt as a mini challenge for COYER.

Keeping with the COYER and TBR Doube Dare theme I am selecting books for this Scavenger Hunt that are in my TBR libraries with source noted by [brackets]:

Book Scavenger Hunt:

1. A Book that begins with “C” (for COYER)

2. A book that has been made into a movie/tv show

3. A series you love

4. An anthology of poems or short stories

5. A book on your TBR shelf, or your full TBR shelves

1. Book that begins with "C"

Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles 
by Marissa Meyer
[Kindle Purchase Feb 2014]

I hope to read this one in March!

2.  Book Made into Movie

I have at least four available: The Soulkeepers [Kindle free book 12/2013] but not yet released in movie; Life of Pi [Audible library 8/2011]; The Book Thief [Audible library 5/2013] (but to be honest, I started this last year and couldn't get into it); 

and the one I am picking: 

The Maze Runner

[Audible 9/2014]

by James Dashner

3. A Series you love

I will choose book 13 in the "In Death" Series:
Now I just have to find my CD version which my daughter may have borrowed or I have stuck on a shelf at home.
Seduction in Death
by J.D. Robb
[CD Audiobook on TBR Shelf -somewhere]

4. Anthology

Vector (The Extraterrestrial Anthology, Volume I: Temblar Book 1) 

[Free Kindle May 2012]

Mark Aragona (Author), Dave Robinson (Editor), Linda Hull (Editor), Andrew Gray (Editor), 3DGarden (Illustrator)

This will fill V in Alphabet Soup too. :-)

5. Book on your TBR -- all of the above are from my TBR shelves! AND I will add one more that I hope to read in March also:

Kiss of Midnight: A Midnight Breed Novel 
(The Midnight Breed Series Book 1)
by Lara Adrian
[Free Kindle May 2009]

Scavenger Hunt Stop and Book Review: Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brustetter

This is the beginning of a serial novel so it is not the complete story.

It's my turn and honor to share in the fun of  the Discovery Saga online scavenger hunt! For full details on the hunt and how you can participate (and possibly win an amazon Kindle) please go to Discovery Saga Scavenger Hunt. Remember that the clues can be found in the ten blog reviews by finding the word that is in all capital letters.

Goodbye to Yesterday: Part 1 (The Discovery - A Lancaster County Saga)

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Barbour Books (February 5, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1616260858
• ISBN-13: 978-1616260859

Genre: Amish Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description

Release date: February 5, 2013 | Series: The Discovery - A Lancaster County Saga (Book 1)

Join Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus, an Amish couple who are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives. Financial struggles. Arguments. A suspected pregnancy. A last-minute trip to South Bend, Indiana. A drug addict on the run. A deadly encounter at a Philadelphia bus station. Will their love and faith be enough to bring them back together again, against all odds?

Review:
Luke Stoltzfus is struggling with having lost his craftsman's job and being unable to find a new job in his community. He is sensitive and moody and his young wife, Meredith, is frustrated as they are not communicating well. Meredith worries as she thinks she may be pregnant but she doesn’t want to stress Luke more.

Then Luke’s uncle invites him to come to Indiana to learn the trade of engraving headstones. Luke will have to invest a good portion of their dwindling savings to buy the equipment but it would give him a skill and a career to secure their future. Although everyone else in the family is excited and supportive of the opportunity, Meredith has reservations. She particularly isn’t comfortable with Luke having to travel to Indiana during bad snow storms.

The day arrives and Luke heads out on the bus to Philadelphia where he will switch buses. Unfortunately the storm is moving in from the west and Luke may be heading straight into it. Before he can face that danger, a rather naive Luke has a very bad encounter with a drug addict. What SEEMED like a God given opportunity to improve his life turns out to be a horrific experience. Meanwhile Merrie is feeling lonely at home waiting for a call to reassure her that Luke has arrived safely.

I enjoyed the characters, the lovely descriptions and Luke's pet dog. The financial struggles and resulting friction between the newlyweds are circumstances that many can relate to and I found it interesting in the Amish setting. I was rather surprised by the stubbornness, pride and worry of the couple as these attitudes don't fit my expectations of the Amish. It is also interesting how Ms. Brunstetter presents the background and mind set of the drug addict.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It is sweet and dear but a very light level read. At times I felt it was written for younger readers, still it was enjoyable. I would be interested to try a full novel by Ms. Brunstetter to see if the writing is the same style.

I didn’t particularly mind the cliffhanger ending but I am not sure I am in favor of spreading a book of this nature over six short novellas, especially considering the price to get the full set. If you like Amish stories with real life issues you might want to try this sweet read.

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A passage I particularly like:

    Meredith smiled and felt herself relax. God’s Word always had a way of speaking to her just when she needed it most. Page 103.

I hope everyone has been having a great time following the clues. 
Okay, Discovery Saga scavenger hunters—the FINAL clue will be posted tomorrow at:  Http://www.perfectisboring.blogspot.com
GOOD LUCK!
Let your friends know about the hunt and invite them to join us while there is still time.

I received this book from the author through Handlebar Publishing for an honest review.

About the Author..

Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of over 60 books with more than 6 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today. Wanda’s books have been translated into four foreign languages.

Wanda’s fascination with the Amish culture developed when she met her husband, Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church, and whose family has a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Meeting her new Mennonite sister-in-laws caused Wanda to yearn for the simpler life. In their travels, she and her husband have become close friends with many Amish people across America. Wanda’s desire to explore their culture increased when she discovered that her great-great grandparents were part of the Anabaptist faith.

All of Wanda’s novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Many of her books are well-read and trusted by the Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.

Make a visit to Ms. Brunstetter's website and you just might hear something surprising!

Discovery Saga Scavenger Hunt Starts February 5!

Goodbye to Yesterday releases February 5! 

A Goodbye to Yesterday: Part 1 (The Discovery - A Lancaster County Saga)  

Wanda Brunstetter

Don't miss this exclusive 6-consecutive-month release of Wanda E. Brunstetter's brand-new Amish serial novel, The Discovery Saga.

To celebrate, Handlebar Publishing is launching the Discovery Saga Scavenger Hunt. Follow the clues from blog to blog each day, and you could win a Kindle loaded with Wanda's books, including The Silence of Winter, the second installment in The Discovery Saga serialized novel. Here are the details about the scavenger hunt: 

The Discovery Saga Scavenger Hunt

Follow the clues to ten blogs, DISCOVER the keywords, and you could win a Kindle, loaded with Wanda Brunstetter favorites!

Check back here at Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf for review and CLUE on February 14.

Also - Check out Handlebar Publishing's Win Books Weekly page for chances to win books!