It's Monday! What are you Reading April 11, 2011?

This meme starts at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

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 good week reading although not much luck with visiting since I played catch up at work most of the week.
I finished three books and posted four reviews with Giveaways; a Help Me Pick "won book" Giveaway; Enquiring Mind Meme, Sunday post and winner posts.

I hope to visit better this week.

These were last week's posts plus Winner posts not listed.

•  It's Monday What are You Reading? April 4, 2011.

• Blog Tour Announcement for Eternal Rider.

• Book Review and ARC Giveaway of Legacy by Jeanette Baker; Historical Romance; my rating 4.5. Ends 4/15.

• Book Review and Three Copies Giveaway of Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione; Paranormal Romance; my rating 4.5. Ends 4/22.

• Book Review of The Healing Code by Alexander Loyd and Ben Johnson; Non Fiction; my rating 4.5.

•  Sourcebooks eBook Specials Announcement.

•  Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway April 8, 2011. Ends 4/14.

•  Review and ARC book lists for future Giveaways.

• Help Me Pick "Won Book" Giveaway.  Ends 4/22.

• Book Review Audible; Print Giveaway of Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein; Paranormal - Vampire; my rating 3.5. Ends 4/22.

•  Enquiring Minds Meme Week #32 with Comment Giveaway.  Ends 4/15.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement April 10, 2011.

Finished Reading:

Print: 

Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance)

by Larissa Iona

Review and Hachette giveaway
linked above.

Print and Kindle:

   A Race to Splendor

by Ciji Ware

This read is a splendor.

Review and Author Guest Post

to be posted Wednesday 4/13.

Kindle:

Woman of Honor (Kingdom of Arnhem, Book 1)

by Nicole Zoltack

A sweet historical romance.

I will post the review on Tuesday.

Line Edits/Releases:

Working on final edits and formatting of Silicon Self by Kirtimaya Varma.

Currently reading:

Print: 

Max On Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions

Max Lucado

I will start this today.
Reading for Thomas Nelson -
Book Sneeze Blog Tour on 4/18.
Product Description

We have questions. Child-like inquiries. And deep, heavy ones.
In more than twenty-five years of writing and ministry, Max Lucado has been the receiving line for thousands of such questions. The questions come in letters, e-mails, even on Dunkin Donuts napkins. In Max on Life he offers thoughtful answers to more than 150 of the most pressing questions on topics ranging from hope to hurt, from home to the hereafter.
Max writes about the role of prayer, the purpose of pain, and the reason for our ultimate hope. He responds to the day-to-day questions-parenting quandaries, financial challenges, difficult relationships-as well as to the profound: Is God really listening?
A special addendum includes Max's advice on writing and publishing.
Including topical and scriptural indexes and filled with classic Lucado encouragement and insight, Max on Life will quickly become a favorite resource for pastors and ministry leaders as well as new and mature believers.

Print:

Shiver of Fear (The Guardian Angelinos) 
by Roxanne St. Claire

This is for Hachette Review & Giveaway

with two books 4/20. Author Q&A also.

Product Description

The legacy that haunts her . . .

The mystery she must solve . . .

A man who threatens to reveal her secrets . . .

and break her heart.

Burned by a failed marriage, former FBI agent Marc Rossi wants back in the investigation game with no emotional strings attached. Taking an assignment for his enterprising Angelino cousins, he heads to Northern Ireland to pry a key piece of evidence from a missing socialite-any way he can. But when the ice queen turns out to be warm, beautiful, and on a secret mission of her own, the job becomes a passionate reminder of what happens when duty and desire mix. The daughter of an infamous fugitive, Devyn Sterling has survived betrayal only to find that her mother has mysteriously disappeared. When her search uncovers secrets, lies, and threats, Devyn and Marc must trust each other when every instinct says they can't . . . and a terrorist wants to make sure they won't live to try.

Face of Danger (Guardian Angelinos)

by Roxanne St. Claire

This is the second book for Hachette Review, Giveaway

and Author Q&A on 4/20.

Product Description
Private investigator Vivi Angelino loves living life on the edge, but stepping into the shoes of a movie starlet to bait a serial killer isn't just a thrill . . . it's a ticket to the big time for her fledgling security firm. That is, as long as a certain risk-averse FBI agent stays out of her way-and out of her fantasies.

Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colton Lang isn't above using his well-worn rulebook to stop Vivi's latest walk on the wild side. But when they learn her client is involved in something far more insidious than bad acting, Vivi and Colt must work together despite the electrifying attraction arcing between them. For each new clue is bringing them closer to a high-profile crime with a dark and deadly truth at its core . . . and a cold, calculating murderer with nothing left to lose.

Audio:

Maeve Binchy Value Collection: 

The Copper Beach, Circle of Friends, The Glass Lake.  

I only have two discs left so will finish this week.

Superb storytelling.

Guess I may wait till I finish the third one to post the reviews.

Audible:

One Second After by William R. Forstchen

This is slower than I expected but
I am two thirds completed on this apocalyptic
story so it will be done this week too.

Audible: 

I am listening to The Listener's Bible NIV 

read by Max McLean. I am at Deuteronomy 26 and Psalm 68 and Matthew 24.

Line Edits: Next will work on finalizing formats on Soylent Red by Jamieson Wolf.

Review books Scheduled for April:

4/13 Sourcebooks Review, ARC Giveaway and Author Guest Post: A Race to Splendor by Ciji Ware.
4/18 Max On Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions by Max Lucado - reading for Book Sneeze.
4/20 Hachette Review and Giveaway: Shiver of Fear (The Guardian Angelinos) by Roxanne St. Claire;  AND Face of Danger (Guardian Angelinos)
4/22 Hachette Review and Giveaway: Never a Gentleman (The Drake's Rakes series) by Eileen Dreyer.

Unscheduled for April:
Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain (Elizabeth I Trilogy) by Margaret Irwin (Sourcebooks)

I have several older reviews I hope to post with giveaways this month.
I have posted the Help Me Pick "won" books Comment Giveaway.

Sunday Words of Encouragement April 10, 2011

What a great service this morning. We had a guest pastor who is a wonderfully fun speaker.
Psalm 9:10 reads:
¹⁰ Those who know your name trust in you,
   for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
This requires "knowing" or having personal experience with God; then "trusting" Him with assurance.
Pastor distinquished "knowing" God, "believing" in Him and"trusting" Him. Pastor gave the example that we might know what a bullet proof vest is, we might believe it can protect but are we willing to put one on and let another person shoot at us? That would reflect trust.

Pastor identified several names of God. One which I found particularly interesting was Counselor (Is 9:6).

A counselor does not FIX things.  He listens, empathizes and gives good instructions or advice. The question then becomes... do we follow the instructions or advise?

I had a hard time chosing from the many good videos for this song.

I liked the song version by Kari Jobe as well as the Hillsong version.

Several of the Jobe versions did not have words so 

I decided I liked the images on this video with the words.

The Healer.

A Verse for Today:

Proverbs 3:5 (New International Version, ©2011)

 ⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart

   and lean not on your own understanding;

I prayed this morning for healing for many and, more importantly, to strengthen trust for many.

Enquiring Minds - Meme Week 32 PLUS Comment Giveaway + Winner

I wasn't sure if people would be too modest to answer last week's questions - guess not. :-)
A greater number of us shower but more bathe or shower in the evening not morning, which surprised me. Tooncesmom's Japanese tub sounds pretty nice.
Not too many hot tubs or pools and even those of us who have pools don't use them as much as we should/could.

The Winner from Enquiring Minds Week #31 is: #19 TrueBookAddict. TrueBookAddict- please pick a book from the Love Books List for Giveaway or remaining Christmas Giveaway Books and let me know your choice, your address and a choice of bookmarks if desired. Or let me know what credit you want or book you want from Book Depository if international.

This meme is hosted by Dollycas Thoughts for Thursdays - which are hard for me to make.  The goal is to get to know our fellow bloggers and visitors better. Each week Dolly asks some questions for us to answer and then link up. I am late doing the post but I am trying to to participate as I would like to learn more about blogger and follower friends.

WEEK 32 QUESTIONS

1. Do you eat breakfast every morning?

I believe eating breakfast is healthy so I try to eat every morning. 

Usually bacon and eggs. If not at home then I make an omelet and bacon at the office.

2. What is your favorite breakfast cereal?

I hardly ever eat cereal except for hot cereals like oatmeal, cream of wheat or bran.  I used to like Frosted Flakes as a kid when I could eat all that sugar.  Last time I ate cereal it was Special K - with fruit.

3. What is your favorite brand and flavor of yogurt?

I am not particularly picky about the brand but buy the lower price. I prefer lite varieties.

My favorite flavor is strawberry and banana OR french vanilla with some fruit.

Your turn to share: Do you eat breakfast?; What is your favorite cereal? What is your favorite Yogurt?

Enquire Comment Winners can choose a selection from  Valentine and "Love" books or the remaining Christmas Giveaway Books. 

Rules: a) Must be a follower; b) Share a comment on any (or all) of the three 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 by Friday, April 15 at 10PM central. 

Winners: ARCS of I Am the Chosen King and Highland Heat

Thank you to everyone who entered.

CONGRATULATIONS

to the Winner of ARC

I Am the Chosen King

by Helen Hollick

CONGRATULATIONS
to the Winner of ARC
Highland Heat
by Mary Wine

I will email Jules and Shannon to get mailing addresses.

Book Review Audible; Print Giveaway: The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein

A fair story although I found the narration difficult.  Try it in print rather than audio.
The Becoming (The Anna Strong Chronicles, Book 1) by Jeanne C. Stein

• Audible Audio Edition
• Listening Length: 7 hour(s) and 40 min.
• Program Type: Audiobook
• Version: Unabridged
• Publisher: Audible Frontiers (February 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0037TSE7W

     Genre:  Paranormal - Vampire
     My Rating:  3.5 (4.0 for story; 3.0 for narration.)

Product Description
Anna Strong is trained for anything-until she's attacked one night, only to awaken in a dark world that exists between the living and the dead. Here, Anna struggles with her love for the two men who inhabit the realms of each: Max, a human DEA agent, and Avery, a Night Watcher who joins Anna in pursuit of the vampire who changed her life.

Now, as her two worlds collide, fate plunges Anna into the ultimate battle between good and evil where survival is not just for the living.

Review: An interesting vampire tale with a strong heroine.
Anna Strong is a bounty hunter with her equally strong partner, David. They can handle most anything but one night their target turns on them and she suffers an attack that changes her to a vampire. She doesn’t even know what happened until her handsome doctor, Avery, reveals her condition. He explains that she will need someone to show her the rules of the vampire society and he will be that person.  Anna resists the explanation and the training at first until she is attacked by a group of corrupt vampire hunters.  When she heals overnight she acknowledges that she is different and she doesn’t want to tell her partner or her lover, Max, what has happened.  She agrees to accept Avery’s help and mentoring.

Avery is an old vampire, wealthy doctor and respected suave man in the community.  He slowly seduces Anna, trying to convince her that he has waited years to find someone like her and that she is meant for him. Meanwhile, Anna’s home is burned down and David disappears.   Anna insists on trying to find David and protect him from the attacker who may have come back for him or her.  Avery calls in the Chief of Police to help answer questions but Avery's real attitude is that Anna needs to leave her past and the lowly humans behind her. Anna is torn between her growing attraction to Avery, her disquiet at Avery’s prejudice and her unsettled feelings that there is a conspiracy working that she needs to figure out.

I enjoyed the story which had a good plot and a good bit of action.  Anna’s character is strong and resilient. I liked her friend/partner David and would like to know more about Max. The story is told from the first person view point of Anna as she describes the circumstances that result in her “becoming” a vampire.  Unfortunately, I found the narration on the Audible to be very monotone and emotionless so it really put a damper on the characters and story. I may choose to read the second in the series to see if it overcomes the lack of emotion in the first book which may have been emphasized by the expressionless narration.  If you want to try this book I recommend reading the print version, not listening to the audio.

xxx

I won the print copy a year or so ago.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR THE PAPERBACK COPY:

1.Mandatory entry: Visit the author's website and tell me something of interest you find there.
Please leave your e-mail!


2.   For an extra entry tell me if you have read this author or this series and what you think about it.  If you have already read this book tell me about it and if you win this giveaway you may pick from the review or ARC books and I'll award this book to another winner.

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

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

(Five total entries possible.)
It is not necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.

* This contest is open to US and Canada only. (So sorry this can't be international. The book is available at Book Depository though.)
* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.
* This contest will close 10:00 PM (Central) on April 22, 2011.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.