April is Showering Reviews, Interviews, and Giveaways!

Just thought I'd give you all a "Heads up" at what's coming "down" in April! I have lots of WONDERFUL books to Giveaway! It looks like another busy month!

I don't have dates pinned down yet but these are some of the activities and giveaways to be posted.

Review and Giveaway of the ARC for
An Earl to Enchant by Amelia Grey.
A very lovely historical.

Review and Giveaway of Three copies 

of Death Mill Mansion by Will Hartzell-Baird.

Plus I will give my copy away to the
first person who claims it who is willing
to post a review for the book. :)

A bizarrely funny murder mystery!

Interview with Karen Weisner and
Giveaway of Waiting for an Eclipse,
Book Two of the Wounded Warrior series.
This was a wonderful romance series!

Interview with
Pauline Jones Baird and 

Giveaway of a copy of The Key with a key charm. 

(I really like my key charm which is on my purse.)

Great sci-fi Romance.
I loved this book and the sequel,

Girl Gone Nova.

Review and Giveaway of the ARC of The Highest Stakes by Emery Lee.
I've just started this historical but it looks good and has started very nicely!

Hachette Giveaways:

Three copies of God Never Blinks 

by Regina Brett

 and

Three copies of
The 8th Confession
by James Patterson

So stayed tuned as I will start posting these Giveaways VERY soon!

Comment Tuesday - Giveaway; Topic: Being Homeless

TUESDAY

The review posted today is Hearts of Compassion by Eryn Grace.  The story revolves around a homeless shelter.

I have never been homeless but I always try to be mindful that "there, but for the grace of God, go I."
My husband and I did “downsize” at one point to get a handle on debt and maintain our family when I unexpectedly lost a good paying job.  We went from a $150,000.00 home to a $55,000.00 home and were able to be debt free except for the mortgage within three years.

I have had occasion to work with people (clients or church friends) who have had to struggle when they lost their jobs and couldn’t keep their homes.  I have also seen people who refused to downsize and ended up losing everything.

For this week's Comment Drawing, please comment on the review or share an experience you have had regarding the homeless or downsizing. A comment on either post will be counted as an entry and a meaningful comment on both will be two entries.  The winner will get to pick a book from the Friday Pick lists or a gift card if international.

I have been doing Tuesday comment Giveaways now for several weeks.  I have decided to extend the drawing deadline from Tuesday's post to the following Monday at 10pm Centeral with winner to be announced (hopefully) on the next Tuesday. This will hopefully allow a few more people to comment who might not be able to get to the post right away.

Review - Hearts of Compassion by Eryn Grace

Title: HEARTS OF COMPASSION
Author:  Eryn Grace
Publisher: Red Rose Press
Mainstream Romance: Contemporary, Inspirational, Holiday (Christmas)
ISBN: 978-1-60435-490-4
Pages: 388
Release Date: December 03, 2009
Price: $5.99

Rating: 4.25

Blurb:  Rylee Fitz, lonely daughter of a millionaire, is forced to work at a homeless shelter in up-state New York as a team building exercise for her job.

Ben Colson, the homeless shelter's lawyer who was fired when he has been working for Rylee's father, teaches Rylee that money doesn't get the work done and makes her do manual labor. When he takes the time to actually treat her like a human being and teaches her about the love of Jesus, Rylee finds herself falling for Ben. She just hopes he finds it in his heart to deal with her problems and forgives her family for treating him badly.

Review: This is a wonderful story that is not limited to Holiday reading. It really opens the readers’ eyes to the plight of the homeless.  It also points out the difference between being driven to personal success and being successful by helping others in need.

Rylee has chosen to seek success without relying on her family wealth.  She works hard in her marketing position at an interior design firm but often her co-workers try to undermine her or take credit for her work.  When her team goes to work for a homeless shelter she is surprised at the expectations.  However, she puts forth the effort to do her assigned tasks thoroughly. This gains her respect from Ben and others at the shelter but puts her at odds once more with her co-workers.

Ben initially sees Rylee as a spoiled, rich girl. He seems a little rough on her at first but his own compassion and warmth soon seeps through.  He gains respect for Rylee’s integrity in her honest efforts.  He also sees that she has been reluctant to accept help from others and she hides behind her loneliness and drive to succeed.

The author gently reveals the stories of those who have come to the shelter due to circumstances beyond their control.  Rylee learns to begin to reach out and help while allowing them their dignity.  Little does Rylee realize that when she returns to New York her own circumstances are going to tumble her out of work, out of her apartment and onto the streets!  How did this happen to her and how is she going to manage without seeking help from others?

The plot is full of twists that keep you waiting to see what will happen next. The characters are well developed and “humanly” flawed.  Through Rylee’s experiences and with Ben’s gentle leading, she learns to see the need for forgiving “grace” not only to strangers but to her own family.  This story is relevant to the hardships of the current economy. Ms. Grace has written an engaging and warm tale that made me think twice about my own attitude towards the homeless.  I heartily recommend this book for an inspirational read that is more than just a sweet romance.

xxx

Thank you to author Eryn Grace for providing this eBook to read and review.

This is my Sweet and Sensual Romances group review post today.

Winners of Easter Packages!

Thank you everyone for commenting and sharing your Easter/holiday traditions.  It is so interesting to learn about other traditions and customs. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE EASTER GIVEAWAY!

#1 QUACK the DUCKY 

(who quacks when you push the patch on his chest!)

with a candle, a dish towel and treats

#2 MISSY BUNNY
(a cute old fashion look!)

with a ceramic bunny house
decoration that opens,
Easter window decals/stickers
and treats

#3 CARROT BUNNY (so soft and plump)

with a bunny bell, a dish cloth and treats

And for the International Gift Certificate:

Please try to get your snail mail addresses to me right away so I can send the packages out as soon as possible!  mesreads@gmail.com

Mailbox Monday March 29, 2010

This Meme starts with Marcia at The Printed Page

These are books I got last weeks.

I won The Stranger's Secrets by Beth Williamson at Ann Aguirre's Hell Fire Lottery.  Thank you Beth and Ann!


Betrayed By Her Own Heart
Sarah Spalding has learned to forge her own way and never to trust anyone—least of all a Yankee. But when her companion abandons her while on a train to Colorado, Sarah begrudgingly accepts the help of Whitman Kendrick—a Yankee, yes, but one with the most bewitching green eyes. Allowing Whit to be her traveling escort is one thing, taking him as a lover is another—even though she’s tempted beyond reason…
Whit Kendrick isn’t quite sure what to make of the sharp-tongued, sassy woman sharing his train compartment. All he knows is that Sarah is refreshingly different from most women—and his urgent, primal attraction for her is unlike any he’s experienced. Breaking down Sarah’s wall of defense won’t be easy. But Whit is determined to prove to Sarah that they’re more alike than different—and loving each other is all they need…

I also won Bound by Temptation by Lavinia Kent at another Coffee Time Romance chat!  Thank you Lavinia and CTR!

Clara, the Countess of Westington, is one of the ton's most scandalous women.
Jonathan Masters has spent his life striving to be one of its most respected members.
Of all the beds in London, she had to wind up tied to his.

Clara was trying to be respectable. But when a misunderstanding puts her newly laid plans in jeopardy, she will do anything to keep the incident quiet—even if it means aiding a man she finds utterly infuriating.
Masters has spent his life surrounded by scandalous women. All he wants is a sweet, biddable wife who will help him restore his tarnished family name – not a dark-haired beauty with a wicked reputation who questions his every move.
Yet soon they are bound by temptation, desperate with desire, and swept into a reckless affair – and a love more than worth the price of impropriety.