Martha's Bookshelf *** Friday Pick Giveaway February 18, 2011

(Oops- I forgot to give it a title.) Since February is associated with Valentines and Valentines are associated with pairs... I have added a new set of books that will be given in sets of two.  There are two books per author so for group #18 please pick the author and you get two books on one pick if you win. :-)
Reminder: The Friday Pick book winners this month will get a cute little heart eraser with their mailed books. 

2/19/11 Book Group #18- Pairs!
Not all of these are two from a series but several are.  Each pick gets two books.

Robert Parker:
Rough Weather (Spenser Mysteries)
Sudden Mischief (Spenser)

Patricia Cornwell:
Cruel and Unusual
At Risk (Win Garano)
John Grisham
Bleachers
The Last Juror
Jack Higgins
Touch the Devil (1983 Signet Edition)
Thunder Point (Sean Dillon)
Judith McNaught
Something Wonderful (note this is an older 1988 Pocket Romance edition; torn binding and mark across front) - but wonderful romance
Almost Heaven (also an older 1990 edition with one mark across front)
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Match Me If You Can
This Heart of Mine
Sandra Brown
Words of Silk
Fat Tuesday (torn cover at binding)
Fern Michaels
Final Justice: Sisterhood Series #5
The Jury: Sisterhood Series #4 (Revenge of the Sisterhood)

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.

So far I have posted 18 groups of 16 books to find new homes!

I am continuing to include the full list updated with chosen books crossed off until I get around to deleting the crossed off books.  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 141 books have found new homes! YAY. I have to update my print out to check the correct number sent out.

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 and $6.00 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. :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 before the next Pick post. 
WINNERS PLEASE CHECK THE WIN POST ON FRIDAYS AND E-MAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS at mesreads@gmail.com.  I will confirm receipt of the addresses.  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

Scavenger by David Morrell
The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger
Wicked Prey by John Sandford
Moonfire by Judith Redman Robbins
In Silence by Erica Spindler
Night Sins: A Novel by Tami Hoag
Dead as a Doornail: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel by Charlaine Harris
Four to Score (Stephanie Plum, No. 4) by Janet Evanovich
No Ordinary Man by Suzanne Simmons
1022 Evergreen Place (Cedar Cove) by Debbie Macomber
Time to Run (Navy SEALs, Book 3) by Marliss Melton
Malice Domestic: An Anthology of Original Traditional Mystery Stories
Taboo by Susan Johnson
Turbulent Sea (Drake Sisters, Book 6) by Christine Feehan
Saving Faith by David Baldacci
Michal: A Novel by Jill Eileen Smith

12/3/10  Book Set:
#16

Adam by Ted Dekker
Best Of Enemies by Taylor Smith
The Proposition by Judith Ivory
Cold As Ice by Anne Stuart
Veils of Silk by Mary Jo Putney
Sleep Softly by Gwen Hunter
Comanche Woman by Joan Johnston (part of a great series!)
Barefoot: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand
Sleight of Hand by Robin Hathaway
Blueberry Hill by Marcia Evanick (small tear on cover)
Through the Grinder (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 2) by Cleo Coyle
Forever, Ashley  by Lori Copeland
She Loves Me Not by Wendy Corsi Staub
Cornered Tigress  by Jade Lee
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Uneasy Alliance (Famous Firsts) Jayne Ann Krentz (slightly worn)

List #15

Double Exposure (Brio Girls) by Kathy Wierenga

Wicked Widow  by Amanda Quick

A Little Magic by Nora Roberts

Imitation in Death by J. D. Robb

A Heart Speaks by LaVyrle Spencer

The Texas CEO's Secret (Silhouette Special Edition) by Nicole Foster

Almost Forever (Sarah) by Linda Howard

Silver Falls by Anne Stuart

Deadly Gamble by Linda Lael Miller

List #14

The Cobra Event by Richard Preston

Proof of Intent: A Charley Sloan Courtroom Thriller by William Coughlin, Walter Sorrels

Blood And Glory (Soldiers Of War) (Soldiers of War, Book 1) byLarson Reed

Off Season by Jack Ketchum

The Color of Law: A Novel by Mark Gimenez
Atlantis by David Gibbins
Depraved Indifference by Joseph Teller
Lines of Defense by Barry Siegel
Must the Maiden Die (Seneca Falls Historical Myster) by Miriam Grace Monfredo
Gospel Truths by J.G. Sandom
The Summons by John Grisham - Audio CDs

Here is set #13 of Used books!

Flamingo Diner by Sherryl Woods
Death Cruise (St. Martin's True Crime Library) by Don Davis
The Angel by Carla Neggers
Anansi Boys by Neil Gairman
The Hellion by LaVyrle Spencer
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Pearl Beyond Price by Claire Delacroix
The Outside Man by Richard North Patterson

This is a group of books I have had for several years but not gotten to read.  Since it doesn't look like I will get to read them for another year (or more!) I am passing them on. Although as I type them part of me still says "But you may want to read that some day!"  Yes, yes; along with the other 700 books I am housing! Must Let goooooo.....
Group #12
The Ripple Effect by Lynn Erickson
First King of Shannara (Shannara Trilogy, Prequel)  by Terry Brooks
Seal Team Oneby Dick Couch
Motion to Suppress by Perri O'Saughnessy
Presumption of Death by Perri O'Saughnessy
Pandemic by Daniel Kalla
Lethal Practice by Peter Clement
The Undertaker's Widow by Phillip M. Margolin
The Burning Man by Phillip M. Margollin
Double Jeopardy by William Bernhardt
The Genesis Code: A Thriller by John Case
The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book 1) by Stephen King

Group #11
Cat's Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown
Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods - CD Audio
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester
Snow in April by Rosamunde Pilcher
Looking Back by Belva Plain
The Ring on Her Finger by Elizabeth Bevarly
Rainmaker by John Grisham - Audio Tapes

List #1 Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo
Almost Single by Advaita Kala

Pick #2
Breaking Point by Suzanne Brockmann
The Crush by Sandra Brown
The Blue Zone by Andrew Gross

Pick #3
One Eye Closed by Karen Whiddon
Isle of Palms by Dorothea Benton Frank

Pick #4
Talking God by Tony Kellerman
Everything to Gain by Barbara Taylor Bradford
The Sixth Sense
The Shadow by Shelley Munro (PA)
The Forgotten by Faye Kellerman
Swear by the Moon by Shirley Busbee
Montana Bride by Barbara Clark (A)

Pick #5
See Jane Lead by Lois P. Frankel
Jake's Return by Liana Laverentz (A)
The Jester by James Patterson - Audio Tapes
The Daddy Spell by Patti Ann Cole
Misfortune by Nancy Geary
False Prophet by Faye Kellerman
Cold Hit by Linda Fairstein - Audio Tapes
A Kiss of Fate by Mary Jo Putney (SC)

Pick #6
Tin Man by Dale Brown
The Marshall Takes a Bride by Renee Ryan *PA*
On Bear Mountain by Deborah Smith
The Edge of Town by Dorothy Garlock
The Healer by Dee Henderson - Audio Tapes
Elusive Love by Catherine Lanigan
Mistletoe and Mischief by Patricia Wynn

Pick #7
In Her Defense by Stephen Horn - Audio Tape
A Perfect Gentleman by Barbara Metzger (slightly creased)
Scarred by William Heffernan (spine creased)
Prey by Michael Crichton - Audio Tape
The Path to Her Heart by Linda Ford (Personally Autographed)
X-Men 2
Hunted by William W. Johnstone (spine frayed at top)
Man of My Dreams by Johanna Lindsey (spine frayed a bit at bottom)
Princess Charming by Jane Heller (slightly creased)

Pick #8
(sc) = slightly creased on binding otherwise all in good shape
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
The Jury by Steve Martini - Audio Tapes
Stormy Weather by Carl Haasen - Audio Tapes
Midnight Come Again by Dana Stabenow (sc)
Into the Forest by Jean Hegland - Audio Tapes (box creased but tapes good)
No Safe Place by Richard North Patterson - Audio Tapes
Vertical Run by Joseph R. Garber (sc)

Pick #9
Spyder Web by Tom Grace - Audio Tapes
The Closers by Michael Connelly
Three Weddings and a Kiss - Anthology
Final Appeal by Lisa Scottoline (spine creased)
The Lost World by Michael Crichton - Audio Tapes
Evil Whispers by Owl Goingback
On Treacherous Ground by Earl Murray
Darkfall by Stephen Laws
Runaway Heart by Stephen J. Cannell
Guardian by Dee Henderson - Audio Tapes
Time to Hunt by Stephen Hunter - Audio Tapes

Pick #10
The Third Twin by Ken Follett (spine creased)
Double Blind by Ken Goodard
Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief by Dorothy Gilman - Audio Tapes
The Trouble with Mary by Millie Criswell
Dreams Gather by Kathryn Collins (sc)

Book Review: Step on A Crack by James Patterson

I really like this new detective character.
Step on a Crack [STEP ON A CRACK 5D] by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge.

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hachette Audio; Abridged edition (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600242790
• ISBN-13: 978-1600242793

Print Pages:  400
Genre: Detective Thriller
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

First there was Alex Cross.
Then there was the Women's Murder Club.
Now meet Detective Michael Bennett, NYPD.
Detective Michael Bennett is about to face the greatest challenge of his career. After the death of a beloved former first lady, the most powerful people in the world gather in New York for her funeral. Then the inconceivable occurs. Billionaires, politicians, and superstars of every kind are suddenly trapped within one man's brilliant and ruthless scenario.

Ten adopted kids.
Bennett–father of ten–is pulled into the fray but is then hit with devastating news: his wife is battling a terrible disease. As New York descends into chaos, he faces the prospect of losing the great love of his life and having to raise his children alone.

The crime of the century to solve.
Day after day, Bennett confronts the most ruthless man he has ever encountered, a man who kills without hesitation. As the entire world watches, Bennett has to find a way out–or face responsibility for the greatest debacle in history.

Review: This is another solid Patterson audiobook.
Michael Bennett is an Irishman Detective. In this story his wife Maeve is dying of cancer so there is great emotional pull for the family of ten adopted children who have all been brought together by the great warmth, love and strength of their laughing and joy-filled Irish mother.  Now they are facing losing her at Christmas time.  It is hard enough that the kids have to deal with a father who works many hours hunting down criminals but now they have to learn to cooperate with a new nanny as well.

The first death that occurs as this story opens is the supposedly accidental death of the President’s wife from peanut allergies. The reader knows right away that it is no accident as we get the view and thought process of the cold-blooded conspirator.  Then at the lavish state funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral there is an attack and thirty or so rich and famous attendees are taken hostage.  Mike is called in to negotiate with the hostage takers.  He has to control his own anger as he juggles the fine line of cooperating to get what the hostage takers want so they will release the hostages safely and alternately planning ways to rescue them from the killers. Because killers they do become.  Unfortunately it seems that the killers are always one step ahead of the police.  When the demanded ransom monies are finally gathered a grand escape chase begins.

I had somewhat guessed the occupation of the hostage takers although not quite as there was a twist there. Also I had the master mind behind the plan down to one of two characters but was leaning to the wrong one. I enjoyed the mystery and I also enjoyed the pathos of the family situation even though there was sadness with Maeve’s illness. I thought the narration was an asset with good voice nuances adding warmth or cold to the personalities.  I look forward to reading more in the Michael Bennett series....especially since I seemed to have gotten a bit burned out on Alex Cross.

xxx

This was an Audio book I picked up and has been selected as a win choice by Ricki. I am confident it will be enjoyed!

A Week Full of Winners

Thank you again for being patient this week as I did not get announcements out for winners.
I do appreciate everyone who enters the giveaways! I will post the winners of the two Hachette giveaways  later this evening.

 CONGRATULATIONS TO LOTS OF WINNERS!

FOLLOWER LOVE GIVEAWAY HOP

Pkg #1 for the JR.Ward Book Collection 

108 entries Winner #78 =  

Holly Wright

Book Depository Pkg #2 for everyone who wanted to enter: 

Two books up to $18.00 value  with the word Valentine, Love, or Cupid.

190 entries Winner #129 = 

Stephanie N

Book Depository Pkg #3 INTERNATIONAL ONLY:

Two books up to $18.00 value  with the word Valentine, Love, or Cupid.
(If not available for delivery from BD than GC $15.00)

55 entries Winner #42 =
Angelshimmery
************

CUPID GONE WILD ANTHOLOGY eBook Giveaway

The favorite cover pick by an overwhelming vote was Love Potion 2-14!
My personal favorite cover is The Boss Wore Red.
Winner
MICHELLE Grayce
************

VALENTINE TREAT GIVEAWAY

Package #1 Puppy Package:
PATRICIAL.
Package #2 Bear Package:
CRYSTAL

International GC $10.00

SARAH

************

 HELP PICK MY NEXT READ

Werewolf Upstairs got the most #1 Pick votes

13, Rue Therese got the next highest #1 Pick votes

WINNER

CAROLEE888

Carol please pick a book 
 from the February Love Books for Giveaway 

OR from the back review and ARC lists. 

Send me your choice plus address info
************

FRIDAY PICK February 11, 2011

#17 Jennifer C choose Atlantis
#6 Mariee choose Taboo
(Friday Pick winners please email me with your addresses and choice of Bookmarks:
sweet and sensual or sexy and erotic)

************

Galley Copy: Sins of The House of Borgia

Thank you to Sourcebooks for this Giveaway
Winner
AMANDA

Friday Pick winners are to send me their info but if any of the other winners see your name before I email you PLEASE feel free to email me with your mailing address! (msereads@gmail.com)

Announcement Rgarding Winners & Friday Pick

I am sorry I haven't had a chance to post winners this week. I had to drive to Jupiter and the hotel stop Tuesday night had lobby email but not room email.
I  was with my client preparing for trial Wednesday and in trial from 10 to 5 today.  Last night dinner with Dad and strep-mom; tonight dinner with Dad, step-mom and nice friends. So only few minutes internet time.
I have to finish preparing closing arguments for tomorrow morning so I don't have time to do Giveaway posts -- I apologize.  I will get all winners posted on Saturday.
Also, Friday Pick will  be delayed and I will post it by Saturday.
Thanks for understanding.

Book Review and Review Giveaway: The Big Show Stopper by Ken Dalton

An old feel PI mystery.
The Big Show Stopper (A Pinky and the Bear mystery) by Ken Dalton

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Different Drummer Press (September 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0578054590
• ISBN-13: 978-0578054599

      Genre: Mystery
      My Rating: 3.25 of 5.0 ... please read the review.

Product Description
The Big Show Stopper opens in a packed concert arena with everyone waiting for the entrance of Brady Blackstone, the richest, and premier concert performer in America. But before Brady sets his foot on the stage, a tragic accident takes his life in front of Bear and a devastated Flo. However, it does not take Bear and Flo very long to question if the death was it an accident or murder?
Once again, in the pursuit of a pile of money and a little justice, Pinky travels to an exotic site while Bear and Flo end up in one of the least desirable locations in California.
The Big Show Stopper brings back Pinky, Bear, Flo, along with a gaggle of quirky characters. A beer swilling wacko. A naked old fart. A couple of downright dangerous folks. And concludes on a dark night with the dynamic trio spread eagle counting down the final seconds of their lives.

Review: This is an interesting mystery but the characters are not my cup of tea.
The lawyer, Pinky, is a big shot guy who has several ex-wives and is more interested in money than relationships or helping his clients.  There are parts of his character that I liked, but maybe more I didn’t like.

Pinky's  PI is a prior client who he got off from a murder charge. Bear is a big guy, to suit his name.  He tends to engage his fists before his brain.  I suppose what really turned me off was Bear’s female companion. Sometimes she is smarter than he is which is fine. But other times she is just a whiny female who seems to be looking for a sugar daddy. Okay...so Bear and Flo seem to have a thing that works for them. It didn’t work for me.

As the concert crew immediately begin to pack up and move on to the next gig, Bear recognizes that the death was not accidental.  He turns to the local cop, Ice, to arrest the prime suspect, Jack,.who happens to be a friend of Bear's.  Pinky agrees to represent Jack at least to negotiate a plea which is all the defense that Jack can afford. Then a female girlfriend shows up and offer a million dollar fee if Pinky can come up with another viable suspect and get Jack released within two weeks. Now the investigation gets really serious and Bear, with Flo in tow, is off to track down other suspects.

I liked the mystery; there was some very good action and the writing flowed well.  I didn’t like Flo's whines and the outrageous expenses that she and Bear ran up as though it was their "due."  Also I didn't like that Pinky fixated on one suspect to drag in for the money instead of thinking it through to the facts.

A lot of this story reminded me of Keystone Cops falling into the right place and the right time to find the right suspect. Since I don’t care for the Keystone Cops none of this worked well for me.  There was a certain amount of fun to the story. That didn’t prevail over the bumbling, sorry, slow, sleasy characters for me. It is a decent mystery that might work well for mystery lovers who do not mind stupid and  bordering on unscrupulous PIs and lawyers.

Please check the tour blog for other reviews.

Blog Tour web site:
http://thebigshowstopper.blogspot.com/

Ken Dalton's web site:
http://www.kendalton.com/

I received this book for review as part of a blog tour coordinated by Tribute Books. 
I am giving away my review copy.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1.   Visit the author's website and tell me something you note of interest. Please leave your email address.

2.  For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For two entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Four total entries possible.) MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL!
* This contest is open to US and Canada only.
* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on March 4, 2011.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.

Book Review: The Taste of Innocence by Stephanie Laurens

A good plot but over shadowed by lengthy sensual scenes.

The Taste of Innocence CD (Cynster Novels) by Stephanie Laurens

• Audio CD
• Publisher: HarperAudio; Abridged edition (February 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061227242
• ISBN-13: 978-0061227240

Print pages: 464
Price: Print $7.99; Kindle $6.99; Audio $29.95
Genre: Historical Romance
My Rating: 3.5 of 5.0

When New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens created the world of the Cynsters, she introduced readers to the glittering ranks of aristocratic British society, where arranged marriages are the norm for securing dynasties, where passion is an art practiced by sophisticated lovers and high-born mistresses, and love is a potentially dangerous indulgence. For no gentleman is this more true than for Charles Morwellan, the 8th Earl of Meredith. Although he's seen the many successful unions of his Cynster connections, he has also watched his father's obsessions nearly destroy his family and fortune, a mistake Charles will not repeat. But as Lord Meredith he must marry, so he offers for Sarah, daughter of his neighbors, Lord and Lady Conningham. She's intelligent enough to run his social life, beautiful enough to grace his arm, and old enough to know the value of his offer.
For most young ladies of the ton, the right marriage is the culmination of years of training, perfect deportment and intricate plans and statagems that would impress a general. But as a lady of independent means with a life of her own, Sarah is unwilling to surrender her independence unless it be for unbounded love.
But Charles always gets what he wants. He convinces Sarah to give him two weeks to win her, after which-if he succeeds-they will marry immediately. And so begins an intense courtship. By day, Charles and Sarah are models of decorum indulging in innocuous walks, polite conversation, sedate waltzes. But each night they steal away to the lush, moonlit gardens where sensual embraces turn to searing kisses, which soon become much more. Both are swept away on a tide of passion and feeling neither can resist.
But after the wedding, despite nights of insatiable passion, by day Charles maintains an aloof distance as if the near-sinful sweetness of their nights exists only in a dream. Sarah battles to prove that true love is a force that can't be contained, a gift worth fighting for, but it's only when she's engulfed in a web of increasingly dangerous incidents that Charles discovers how much he's willing to surrender to protect...the taste of innocence.

Review: This is mostly a nice listen but not overwhelming.
The Product Description tells a lot of the story but not all the subtleties. Charles has known Sarah as a neighbor and chooses her as a “suitable” wife since it is time for him to take a wife.  that is not a great attitude for romance in marriage.  Sarah has had a secret crush on Charles for years so she is inclined to marry him but she has a desire to marry for love and he is offering more a marriage of formality to suit society.

When Sarah agrees to allow Charles two weeks to convince her to marry him the nights of sweet seduction begin. Charles only intends to whet Sarah’s appetite but he did not calculate their flaring passions. Each night their passion grows till it is not clear who is seducing whom.

Once they are married, Charles does not want to be pulled into a romance with his wife so he avoids her by day and strictly indulges their passions at night. Of course it doesn’t take Sarah long to feel used in that arrangement so soon even that stops.  Now their marriage is really growing frustrated and tense.

Meanwhile, someone is threatening the orphanage that Sarah owns and manages. During the courtship Charles was proud of her efforts but after the marriage he says he doesn’t want her to tell him about it or bother him because he doesn’t want to share any time or project with her.  When the accidents accelerate Sarah seeks help from another source.  This infuriates Charles as it makes him feel he is not protecting his own wife... which of course he isn’t.

There are several outsiders who influence Charles trying to make him see the treasure he has.  But when she is kidnapped and her life at risk is it too late for him to embrace their love?

I enjoyed the mystery of the attacks on the orphanage and liked considering which character was the villain.  I also enjoyed the richness of the love between Charles and Sarah although the seduction ran almost two discs of the five so this got to be a bit tedious. Still it was entertaining and an okay listen for a long drive.

xxx

This was an Audiobook I had picked up. It will be in the giveaway box again soon.

Book Review: A New Birth of Freedom

This is a MUST READ if you like the idea of time travel and civil war meets creatures from The War of the Worlds!

A New Birth of Freedom: The Visitor by Robert G. Pielke

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Altered Dimensions (August 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1936021234
• ISBN-13: 978-1936021239

Price:  Print:  $11.66
Genre:  Science Fantasy, Alternate History
My Rating: 5.0

It has taken centuries to recognize that all humans possess certain unalienable rights. There will come a time when we have to consider whether others deserve those rights as well.
That time will come on July 4, 1863.

Review: This was unexpected and a wonderful read.
This story starts in March 1849 with Edwin Blair visiting a young Abraham Lincoln on a train ride as he travels home from Congress to Illinois.  Blair is dressed in strange clothing including Levi jeans and Nike shoes. These create an ice breaker and the beginning of a memorable meeting. Blair asks Lincoln to accept a retainer to provide counsel in the future and then he sets an appointment to meet again on July 27, 1863. Right before exiting the train Blair does one more thing to make sure Lincoln will remember him.

Sure enough they meet again on July 27, 1863.  Lincoln is 14 years older but Blair is exactly the same as though their previous meeting had been the day before! That is only the first “impossible” surprise that Lincoln and his staff are presented with. Blair has to get them to accept that he has traveled through time in order to get Lincoln’s aid to allow him to go to the front lines and meet with the Union AND Confederate Generals.

Blair is a history professor from the future with expertise in details of the Civil War.  He is counting on knowing the thoughts and actions of General Meade and General Lee so he can convince them to cooperate with him.  Blair believes he will need the combined forces of the armies for a surprise attack against an alien force that will otherwise decimate the countryside if not quickly and completely destroyed. It will take just the right words and demonstrations to convince the necessary leaders to stop in the middle of a crucial battle and to work together against a different enemy that Blair calls the Pests.

To Blair’s horror and shock the Army soldiers capture some of the Pests and slowly they begin to communicate. Blair worries about loose Pests while he and some new friends try to determine what the prisoner Pests want.

I happen to really enjoy Civil War stories - a favorite is Killer Angels. I also like sci fi stories such as War of the Worlds and Independence Day. Add to these likes, I love time travel books. So this was an absolute joy for me to read.  The historical detail is accurate and presented from the interesting perspective of a historian from the future.  The characters, other than the historical ones, are rather quirky. Blair himself is sometimes frustrating and not always reasonable.

The writing is clean and easy. It moves very quickly, especially because you want to know what will happen. The only problem I had was the story is ended after another surprising revelation. It is to be continued! I have no idea how the interference of Blair and the Pests have impacted the world as we know it. I am anxious to find out and I hope the sequel will be out sooner than later.

Blog Tour web site:
http://anewbirthoffreedom-thevisitor.blogspot.com/

Robert G. Pielke's web site:
http://www.robertgpielke.com/

Robert G. Pielke's blog:
http://www.bobpielke.com/

Robert G. Pielke's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/robert.pielke

Altered Dimensions Press web site:
http://www.sciencefictionpaperbackbooks.com/a-birth-of-new-freedom

I received this book for review as part of a blog tour coordinated by Tribute Books. 
I am giving away my review copy...although part of me doesn't want to give it away!

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1.   Visit the author's website and tell me something you note of interest. Please leave your email address.

2.  For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For two entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Four total entries possible.) MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL!
* This contest is open to US and Canada only.
* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on March 4, 2011.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.