Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway December 20, 2013

[** If you are new to Friday Pick Giveaway - Welcome!  Scroll down a bit (below book group #19) for instructions on how to enter.]
{NOTE: Most books are out in the mail and GCs will be gifted Friday or Saturday.}
NOTE TWO: Per my note last week, and as a holiday special: Any winner from December 6 - 27 can choose a book (even for International) or GC (even for US). 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! TO ALL Friday Pick visitors!!  Only five days to Christmas and I am so NOT ready. At least I have tried to focus on the real reason for the season and I'm not stressing about the rest. I just hope everyone else can understand my attitude. :-)

{More good health news: the additional biopsy came back negative. Another doctor consult tomorrow but we still may not have a plan of treatment until next Friday when I see the second (chemo) oncologist. }

[UPDATED NOTE - US entrants I prefer, please, that you pick a book as that is the first purpose of this giveaway - to find new homes for books. The GCs are for the international entrants because postage has jumped up.]

Thank you to all who entered the December 13 Pick. There were TWO Automatic wins again this week.   (Automatic winners are those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks). There were two titles blocked and again one was won.

Anita gets Caught in a Bind
bn100 gets Deceptions & Dreams

CONGRATULATIONS
[I picked an extra winner for Holiday gifting. :-)]
to Random.org picked Winners from December 13 Pick:
Sue gets Dove in the Window (after several weeks blocked)

LindaK gets Never Tell
marjorie gets a GC

All winners please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me to confirm your win, send your snail mail address information and let me know if you would like bookmarks - sensual or sexy and I have a new supply of sweet bookmarks. {The form is new because Google changed their forms and the old one wasn't letting me print out the responses.}

 Image found at hypable. 

New Book Group #44 December 14, 2013

PAIRS:
Hannah Howell
     My Valiant Knight and Beauty and the Beast
Rachel Lee
     A Conrad County Homecoming and Boots & Badges
SINGLES:
Honor Among Thieves by Jeffrey Archer
Renegade Heart by Madeline Baker
The Fall by Claudia Dain
The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver
Shades of Scarlet by Linda Fallon
Legendary Warrior by Donna Fletcher
Found Money by James Grippando - Abridged Cassette Audio
Every Whispered Word by Karyn Monk
A Lady of Consequence by Mary Nichols
Hawk's Pursuit by Connie O'Banyon
Tides of Passion by Tracy Sumner
Guarded Secrets by Rebecca York and B.J. Daniels

New Book Group! #43 November 1, 2013

Pairs
Mary Higgins Clark
     Before I Say Good-bye and Where Are the Children
Suzanne Enoch
     Lessons in Love The Rake and Sin and Sensibility
Diana Palmer (Choose any two)
    Lawless, Diamond Spur, Long Tall Texan and Brides to Be (spine creased)
Kate Wilhelm
     Desperate Measures and No Defense
SINGLES:
Never Tell by Karen Young (spine torn)
Father for Keeps by Ana Seymour
Crimson Rain by Meg O’Brien
Dove in the Window by Earlene Fowler
Cutwork by Monica Ferris
A Woman Named Damaris by Janette Oke

New Book Group #42 September 27, 2013

Singles:
Deceptions & Dreams by Debra Deir (spine creases)
Something Extra by Janet Dailey

New Book Group #41 August 2, 2013

Singles:
Wicked and Wonderful by Valerie King
Tabitha in Moonlight by Betty Neels
The Nightingale's Song by Jo-Ann Power
Caught in a Bind by Gayle Roper
Cattle Rancher, Secret Son by Margaret Way
White Heather by Jaclyn Reding

New Book Group #40 June 28, 2013

Pairs:
      (Angels) Not Quite An Angel by Bobby Hutchinson and An Angel for Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad
Singles:
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes
Dance With Me by Luanne Rice
A Mother's Day Anthology - three stories
Star Light, Star Bright by Katherine Stone
Another View by Rosamunde Pilcher

New Book Group #39 May 31, 2013 - Plenty of "summer" titles!
Oops - I never added all the links last month so no promises on these either.

Singles:
Touched by Fire by Kathleen O'Reilly
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
That Summer by Joan Wolf
It All Began at Monte Carlo by Elizabeth Adler

New Book Group #38 April 20, 2013
Here is a group with many mysteries.  Links to be added as I get time.

Sheer Dynamite by Jennifer Skully
Golden Chances by Rebbecca Hagen Lee
Awaken the Senses by Nalini Singh

New Book Group #37 March 22, 2013

As I am linking these titles it is clear to me why they were in my TBR boxes and it is really hard to let them go but I have soooo many. Better that they find good reader homes than sit on my shelves, or in a box, and collect dust. 
Pairs:
Singles:
Anthology: Something Borrowed, Something Blue - this book has spine creases and minor water damage...I thought I had read it and liked it but now I realize it was another anthology I read with Elaine Barbier.
Lady Ice by Joan Hohl

New Book Group #36 February 15, 2013

The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe

New Book Group #35 January 11, 2013 (All Gone)

New Book Group #34 December 7, 2012--- (All gone)

New Book Group #33 October 27, 2012


SINGLES - CHRISTMAS TITLES (Better sizes for international) 
*A Holiday Prayer by Deb Kastner  (slight spine creasing)

New Book Group #32 October 5, 2012
- Oops upside down book! NOTE This book has dog bite damage; it is missing half back cover and the edges of pages in the back third of the book... it does not effect the text but I will understand if no one wants this one - A Courtesans Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley

New Book Group #31 August 31, 2012
I pulled some more books from several of my boxes.
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)

New Book Group #30 July 27, 2012
This time I pulled some books from one of my older boxes.
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Wild Escapade by Lisa Bingham
Dancing on Snowflakes by Jane Bonander (postage too much - replaced with GC)

New Book Group #29 June 29, 2012
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing
Magic: The Gathering Distant Planes, An Anthology
*One is the Lonliest Number - Tom Clancey's Net Force

New Book Group #28 May 18, 2012--- (All gone)

New book Group #27 April 13, 2012--- (All gone)

New book Group #26 March 2, 2012--- (All gone)

New Group #25 January 12, 2012---(All gone)

New Group #24 Pick Books November 25, 2011---(All gone)

New Group #23 Pick Books October 14, 2011
I tried to pick some books that would be good for October -
Halloween or dark minded.
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser

New Group #22 Pick Books September 2, 2011---(All gone)

New Group #21 of Pick Books July 29, 2011---(All gone)

May, 2011 New Group of Pick books Group #20
Luciano's Luck by Jack Higgins - Audio Cassettes

3/25/11 I did get to set up a new group of books: Group #19
Primary Colors - audio tapes

2/19/11 Book Group #18- Pairs!---(All gone).

I have finally updated the intro and Entry paragraphs here:

If you saw the pictures posted of my bookshelves and boxes you know I do have lots of books! And that doesn't include the other eight or so boxes at my office!! And more books as I find deals too good to pass up! I am sharing my book bounty by these Friday Pick Giveaways.

I started Friday Pick on November 27, 2009 and in four years I have posted 43 groups of 16 (688) books to find new homes! (as of November 2013).

I periodically update the lists - deleting those won. You can still go to the Friday Pick list link to see older posts and the older lists book pictures if you want! I am happy to say that so far about 605+ books have found new homes! YAY. I have to update my print out to check the exact number sent out - a few were never claimed.

Note rules here regarding international entries.

Because postage to overseas can be prohibitive I am willing to give a $5.00 book certificate to international winners - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, ARe, TWRP, ClassAct Books, eTreasures, Desert Breeze, etc....you tell me where and I'll set it up. So for my overseas visitors your comment may indicate a smaller book and I'll check postage or note your choice of gift card.

I learned that The Book Depository does not ship to everywhere. The postage for some of the books to far away places runs between $5.00 $7.00 and $6.00 $10.00 and up. Since I would award $5.00 for The Book Depository to an international winner, as an alternative you may choose a smaller book and we will hope the postage will not exceed $6.00. If the postage is more, or if you want to pick a larger book and you are willing to pay any extra postage beyond the $6.00 I will work with you on that. This may not make a difference to many but if it helps one or two of you to give one of my books a home that will make me happy too. :o)

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment and tell me WHICH BOOK you would like to get from the Friday Pick lists.
CUT OFF TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 10:00 PM CENTRAL so I do not have to stay up past midnight to do the winner post!
I will randomly pick two winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.
Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks.
WINNERS PLEASE CHECK THE WIN POST ON FRIDAYS AND fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads@gmail.com. [I will confirm receipt of the addresses- well I realize I haven't always done this. But if you filled out the form and don't get the book within two weeks nudge me with an email please!] If I have the winners e-mail I will send a reminder in a week or so....

Thanks for helping these books find new homes!!

Repeating this helpful blog tip: You can right click on a link and you will be given the choice to open the link in a new window or tab so you do not navigate away from the screen you are on!! I use this all the time!

1/14/11 New List #17--- (All gone)

12/3/10 Book Set: #16
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown  (postage too much - replaced with GC)

List #15---(All gone)

List #14---(All gone)

Here is set #13 of Used books! ---(All gone)

Group #12---(All gone)

Group #11

Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester

List #1
Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo

Pick #2---(All gone)

Pick #3---(All gone)

Pick #4---(All gone)

Pick #5
See Jane Lead by Lois P. Frankel
Cold Hit by Linda Fairstein - Audio Tapes

Pick #6---(All gone)

Pick #7
Prey by Michael Crichton - Audio Tape
Princess Charming by Jane Heller (slightly creased)

Pick #8
(sc) = slightly creased on binding otherwise all in good shape
The Jury by Steve Martini - Audio Tapes
No Safe Place by Richard North Patterson - Audio Tapes

Pick #9
On Treacherous Ground by Earl Murray

Pick #10---(All Gone)

Book Review: Traitor's Knife (Five Gems) by E. Kaiser

This is an easy reading, action packed adventure tale.
Traitor's Knife (Five Gems)
by E. Kaiser

• File Size: 704 KB
• Print Length: 271 pages
• Publisher: Hearth Books; 1 edition (December 18, 2013)
• ASIN: B00DUEEVBC

Genre: YA Fantasy, Adventure
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: July 8, 2013
When the loyalist cause enlists the mountain house into a weaponry, apprentice Fia is confronted with three refugee children, a disturbingly upstart former messenger, and accidents happening everywhere. Are saboteurs out to nix the weapons works... or is it the incognito crown prince they're after?

Traitor's Knife continues where Jeweler's Apprentice ended, and nearly seventeen year old Fia Brithin from the foothills still has a lot to learn about the mountains, and the people now in them.

Review:
Fia is a young lady who has been given a rare position as an apprentice jeweler under the royal household. She has developed a special friendship with the beleaguered royal family and especially their sole surviving son, Ilido. Now it is important to keep Ilido safe, in disguise and hiding as a commoner.

Fia travels with other refugees, befriending small children who lost their father and have to leave their mother behind with a sick infant. There is also a ragged looking former messenger, who tries to charm Fia into friendship.  Willex will rival Ilido but the reader suspects that he is more rogue than charmer.

Arriving at another stronghold, Fia rejoins old friends and her jeweler mentor determines that Fia has a knack for serving as a spy as well as an apprentice. It seems that Fia is a good listener and few would suspect her of watching and listening for secrets. One of Fia’s sisters shows up asking too many questions and they distract her by convincing her to use her healing skills to help the injured. The children continue to help Fia and offer sweet amusement.

The king’s supporters try to rebuild their resources to stand against the armies of the Barons who are expected to come up the mountain but accidents are obstructing the project. Fortunately Fia is always in the right place to help save Ilido from repeated assassination attacks. There is intrigue, sneaking thieves, spies, traitors and danger. There are strong characters to like, some to question as to motives and then dislike as true villainy is revealed.

The story reads easily and moves along well for the most part. It opens with a good hook and I enjoyed the steady story and action. The setting has a medieval feel and there are wonderful, full descriptive scenes.  There is also a bit too much minutia of activity that lengthens the story without adding to the plot.

This is a second in a series and although there is some hint at intrigue that placed Fia and her sisters in connection with the royal family it is never clearly explained. There is also a scene involving a special mountain gem which seems like it should be more developed since the series is called 'Five Gems'. Traitor's Knife is still interesting and engaging despite this and I would be interested in reading the first book and then continuing to follow Fia’s adventures. I recommend this to readers, young and old, who enjoy good story telling with warm characters, secret intrigues and adventure.

I received this from the author for an honest review.

Book Blitz Feature and GC Giveaway - The Double Life of Incorporate Things by Leanna Renee Hieber

The Double Life of Incorporate Things
by Leanna Renee Hieber
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal (gaslamp fantasy)
ISBN: 9781494324551

Summary

"Just when we think our nightmares are over, the Society has invented a new horror. Around every corner a shadow, behind every whisper a demon. If we don't end what the devils began, we will die haunted..."

The Magic Most Foul saga takes a deadly turn as The Master’s Society unveils its next ungodly avenue of paranormal experimentation. First, souls were split from bodies. Then the dead were reanimated. Now, a mind-altering chemical has been unleashed in Manhattan. Demonic trauma and terror escalates for the dashing Lord Denbury and brave, feisty Miss Natalie Stewart. Together with their stalwart friends and unlikely heroes, they take the fight directly to the Denbury estate, where a collective evil has awakened. But are Natalie and Jonathon prepared for all the sacrifices that shall be asked of them? With their very lives and the sanctity of their mortal souls at stake, these lovers are past the point of no return...

Excerpt

I set the paper down slowly enough to see the thin edges shake as the full, personal impact of the newspaper article hit me.

"Natalie, what is it?" Jonathon asked, staring at me with those eviscerating blue eyes of his. I opened my mouth but no sound came out. Damn my unpredictable, inconstant voice.

For the past many months now, I'd been pummeled by one strange event after another, pulled into the center of a paranormal whirlpool. At least in this case, we had an inkling, some sense of the next onslaught. Still, a foreshadow was hardly a comfort. We couldn't have guessed the scope.

Now it wasn't just myself or Jonathon Whitby, Lord Denbury in danger, with the occasional collateral victim. Now it was a crowd. I knew the Association. I adored them. They weren't hooligans or criminals, they were gentle souls, artistic and individual. Overdramatic, yes, but a threat? Hardly. This maligning was the work of The Master's Society, turning lambs into lions in ungodly experiments, leaving them for fodder in sensational, indelicate journalism. It could only get worse. Exponentially worse.

"It's begun," I finally managed to reply quietly, sliding the paper across the lacquered console table behind the sofa toward Jonathon's reach. "Another phase. They've gone after the Association. And the papers will vilify those poor dears, every last one of them. Jonathon, the demons won't give up..."

Social Networking Links

Website - http://www.leannareneehieber.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LRHieber

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Leannarenee

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1651952.Leanna_Renee_Hieber


Buy Links

Amazon -  http://amzn.to/19mdmN0
Barnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1cG5C9o

GIVEAWAY $50.00 GC

Ends 1/6/14

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mailbox Monday December 16, 2013

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) but is now hosted at Mailbox Monday and through various blog hosts.
For DECEMBER: the Mailbox Monday Tour host is Gilion @ Rose City Reader

[Starting September, Bob of Beauty in Ruins will be the new back-up host for Mailbox Monday.]

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I didn't get any review books this week but I did purchase two Kindle books.

Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

I am so utterly behind in responding to review requests. I have to figure out how to handle this. (I need an assistant! Ha!)

Won

None this week.

Purchased

While downloading free Kindle books I came across one Christmas mystery that looked cute and a boxed paranormal romance set, each at $.99.

Silent Night (Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries)

Nina Decker (paranormal romance boxed set)

Free

I downloaded about 32 free Kindle Titles this week, linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Free Par-tay, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

It's Monday What are You Reading? December 16, 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 had a busy week with several closings in the office and having to drive out to doctor appointments twice. I am still waiting for results of the new biopsy but we got good news that neither my sister nor I have the mutated cancer gene. 

I only finished four books (six if you count the two novellas in Lucky Harbor.  I only posted three reviews, (squeezing the third in today), and I posted a Bookblast Giveaway and a print Giveaway. 
I also posted the regular weekly memes and posts (except the Saturday Snapshot): Mailbox Monday, Friday Pick Giveaway,  Sharing Beyond Books Comment Giveaway and Sunday Words.

I finally did a little visiting earlier today. I have to keep working on that.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday What are You Reading? December 9, 2013.

• Mailbox Monday 12/9/13.

• BookBlast Feature with Giveaway: Silver White
  $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
  Ends 12/31/13

• Book Review and Giveaway: Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carson,  Inspirational Fiction; my rating 4.25. Ends 12/18.

• Book Review: Unfinished Business, An Angela Panther Novel by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson, Paranormal (Ghosts), Chick Lit; my rating 4.5. 

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway December 13, 2013. Open Worldwide. Ends 12/19/13.

• Sharing Beyond Books #130 Comment Giveaway 12/14/13. Open Worldwide. Ends 12/20.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement December 15, 2013.
  

• Audible Book Review: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncleby Arthur Conan Doyle, Mystery, Classic; my rating 4.5.

Finished Reading:
1. eBook/Kindle

Lady In Disguise (The Langley Sisters)
by Wendy Vella
A sweet Regency romance with a bit of sizzle.
I'll post my review this week. 
Click on book title for full description.

2. eBook/Kindle

Christmas Wishes
by Wendy Vella
I enjoyed the other book so much
I jumped straight to this one.
This is a quick Christmas delight.
I'll post a review for this one this week too.
Book Description
Publication Date: December 8, 2013
Miss Hero Appleby distrusts noblemen, especially self-indulgent rakes like Lord Caruthers, however she was desperate for money to support the orphans in her care this Christmas, so it is to him she must go. Perhaps it had been wrong of her to point out his many faults so boldly, but the man drove her to distraction and all thoughts of lady-like behaviour disappeared in his infuriating presence.

Max didn't remember much of his first meeting with the annoying Miss Appleby, thanks to the after effects of one good drink too many. But he vaguely recalled he'd promised her something, just to get her out of his house so he could suffer in peace. Unfortunately peaceful was the last word to describe her as he found out the next day. She was unlike any woman he knew - opinionated and rude certainly, but she worked selflessly to provide for children that were not even of her blood. Max had believed himself incapable of emotion yet Hero was making him feel things that he had believed were long dead. Could his long forgotten Christmas wish really come true?

3. Print

Christmas in Lucky Harbor:
Simply Irresistible/The Sweetest Thing/
Two Bonus Short Stories
by Jill Shalvis
Shalvis delivers fun conflict as usual in the novel and two short stores. 
I'll post a review with giveaway later this week.  
Click on book title for full description.

4. Audio/MP3

Title: The New Space Opera 2
Editor: Gardner Dozois, Jonathan Stahan
Author: Various
Narrator: Various
I am on the last story;
About an hour left so I'll probably done
by Monday morning.
I hope to post a review this week.
Publisher/Date: Blackstone Audio, 09/01/13
Click on book title for full description.

Line Edits/Releases:
I have several print files to upload as soon as I get cover flats and final proofs.
Enter the bi-monthly drawings at eTreasures Publishing Facebook page.
This week's giveaway link: Gift Cards for the Holidays!

Currently reading:
1. eBook/Kindle
 

The Innkeeper of Bethlehem–The Story of Santa Claus 
by Scott Roloff
I am a third into this and so far it is an interesting fictionalized rendition of the birth and childhood of Jesus.
Reviewing for the author.
Book Description
Publication Date: September 28, 2013
A Christmas book for children, families, and anyone who has ever wondered how Santa Claus came to be. This book will permit you and your family to enjoy Santa Claus and the other secular customs of Christmas within the Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth. For little children, Santa Claus becomes a real person delivering presents to them from Jesus. Each Christmas season, reading a chapter a night will become a holiday tradition for the entire family.
[Description continues at link.]

2. eBook/Kindle

 

The Wanderers
by Cheryl Mahoney
I picked this title to read.
It is written by a blog friend author.
Book Description
Publication Date: November 13, 2013
Any wandering adventurer hoping to survive needs rules—and Jasper has many. There’s Rule #2: Never make plans; Rule #20: Never make a Good Fairy angry; and the surprisingly challenging Rule #18: Always travel alone.

The talking cat breaks Rule #18 badly enough. The witch’s daughter, desperate to escape her horrible mother, is even worse. Between them, they up-end Jasper’s previously simple life (when all he had to worry about was an occasional giant or dragon), and prove that sometimes, rules are no help at all.

You might recognize the countryside and you may think you know what to expect. But whether it’s a refined ogre, a youngest son in need of lots of questing help or a very dangerous Good Fairy, things here rarely go quite as the Brothers Grimm would tell it.

You’ve strayed beyond the tales…

3.eBook/Kindle

Silver-White (The Great North Woods Pack #1)
by Shawn Underhill
I featured this in BookBlast and it sounded interesting.
Book Description
Publication Date: December 18, 2012
“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
~ Robert Frost

*Evie’s family has been holding out on her …
Big time.
On an unexpected visit to her grandparents’ house in New Hampshire’s secluded North Woods, the sixteen-year-old literally runs into the truth of the long-hidden family secrets, and finds herself thrust without warning into the clandestine world of the Great North Pack—a wild and exhilarating world of rugged beauty, heart-pounding adventures, and long nights running under a sea of stars … but as she’s set to discover, a world also fraught with potential dangers lurking in the shadows.

I am really lagging but still listening to The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. [Reading and listening on MP3.] I have been remiss and not keeping up with daily reading with my DH.

Line Edits: I will still be finalizing four print releases/waiting for more cover flats.

I want to keep enjoying adding stories from my own TBR. :-) I have added a few titles to my current line up for December.
I didn't get caught up last week but my backlog for review is now four books and I hope to post four or five this week and then I'll be up to date again.

December Scheduled- done

NetGalley:
  couple requests pending

Authors
   The Wanderers by Cheryl Mahoney - blog friend author (reading)
   Christmas on Main Street Anthology  - picked up at Kindle
   The Innkeeper of Bethlehem–The Story of Santa Claus by Scott Roloff  (reading)

AudioBook Jukebox 
    more being requested

From TBR Collection - Angel Christmas Anthology
Won Book - Carving Angels by Diane Stringam Tolley
Free Kindle/Nook or Smashwords: TBD