Sunday Words of Encouragement October 30, 2011

Our Pastor continued his message based on 2 Corinthians 9:8.  He encouraged us again to feed the Spirit more than the Physical body. Then he reminded us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. He gave two "laws" to apply.
1. The Law of Concentration - what we think on/focus on is what happens. Always focus on the positive, not the negative.
2. The Law of Substitution - it is not possible to truly concentrate on two things at one time. Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
Blessings come to those who are committed to God's Will by feeding the Spirit through the word (Bible), prayer and obedience.  Pastor asked: What is the level of your commitment?

This song is a good reminder that
when we are weak, He makes us strong;
when we are poor, He makes us rich.
All Things Are Possible --- with God

A Verse for Today:

Romans 12:2

New International Version (NIV)

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I pray that my commitment is strong and will lead me to daily recognition of God's power, love, grace, and renewal.

Sharing Beyond Books Week #20 Comment Giveaway 10/29/11

Once more .... welcome to Saturday Night and Sharing Beyond Books! 
Thanks for your comments this past week.

There were several interesting and catching titles that attracted us.  Most of them seem to be cozy mystery titles. I like Birgit's mention of If Books Could Kill but I think that Llehn's title - Putting Makeup On Dead People  - was the most alarming. :-)

It sounds like the overseas countries do not celebrate Halloween. That is sort of surprising as I thought it was a holiday founded in pagan ritual and I would have thought it was from somewhere in Europe. The only ones who are planning to fully dress are Krystal as a gypsy and Mad Moose as Pinocchio. I hope you both have fun!  And I have to agree with Linda K that it is best to pick candy that you will enjoy if you get  leftovers. :-)

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The Winner from SBB #19 comments is: #5 Birgit. There are still 9 'love' books to pick from, 5 Christmas choices and 2 Summer titles below so Birgit please let me know if you want a GC or choose a book from the remaining Love Books List for Giveaway or remaining Christmas Giveaway Books, the one summer book below OR pick from the ARC box and let me know your choice, your address and a choice of bookmarks by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #20 Questions

Q1. Abby asks a question fitting for Halloween events:  If you  had a choice of being a paranormal character, which would you want to be, and would you change it's characteristics??

A: Hmmm - Another hard question. I'm thinking of choices- vampire, were/shifter, faerie, incubus, succubus, demon, mermaid, zombie... I'm sure there are plenty I'm missing.  I think I will go with a shape shifter.  Now I have to determine if I would want to be a feline - like a tiger - or a bird - like a hawk. I think a hawk might be nice. One thing I would want as a shifter is to be able to remember human thought while in the animal form.

Q2. If you could have any ONE animal (pet) that you wanted, money no obstacles, what would it be ???

When I was young I would have chosen a horse.  But now - if I could only have one animal I would choose a dog - my sweet Princess - for a companion pet.

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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 will draw from the suggestions I used the month before and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions but some of you others might want to get in a question or two as we have a few people submitting most of the questions so far.  Either way - it works for me. :-)

OCTOBER Q submissions were: Jennifer, Faith Hope & CherryTea, Jennifer, Mary P and Abby.

Then pick this time goes to #3 Jennifer.

Your turn to share:

1. If you had a choice of being a paranormal character, which would you want to be, and would you change it's characteristics??

2.  If you could have any ONE animal (pet) that you wanted, money no obstacles, what would it be???

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the remaining  Valentine and "Love" books or the remaining Christmas Giveaway Books - there are still about 14 books available plus 2 left in the Summer titles to choose from. Also I have added the Review and ARC Box now.

The Days of Summer: A Novel

My copy is a paperback from 2006

with a different cover.

A Summer Affair (Calhoun Chronicles)
I love Susan Wigg's historicals!

SBB Rules: a) Must be a follower; 
b) Share a comment on any (or all) of the two/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, November 04 at 10PM central.

Winner of Kiss of Night

Congratulations 

to Winner of the copy of

Kiss of Night

by Debbie Viguie

katpash ---- please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form so I can mail the book out.  Please reply within 72 hours! 

Audible Book Review: Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb

My favorite "In Death" listen so far!

Vengeance in Death: In Death, Book 6 

• UNABRIDGED
• by J. D. Robb
• Narrated by Susan Ericksen

     Genre: Crime Thriller
     My rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Product Description:
He is an expert with the latest technology...a madman with the mind of a genius and the heart of a killer. He quietly stalks his prey. Then he haunts the police with cryptic riddles about the crimes he is about to commit - always solved moments too late to save the victims' lives.
Police lieutenant Eve Dallas found the first victim butchered in his own home. The second lost his life in a vacant luxury apartment. The two men had little in common. Both suffered unspeakable torture before their deaths. And both had ties to an ugly secret of 10 years past - a secret shared by none other than Eve's new husband, Roarke.

Review: 

The serial killer in this book is a brutal, twisted religious fanatic who sees himself as an instrument of God’s righteous vengeance. He is taunting Eve with clues that have her racing to the crime scenes only to arrive moments after the death of the victims.  It is soon clear that the killer is purposefully playing Eve and plans to include Roarke and Eve as ultimate victims in his plan of revenge.

I have always been a bit put off by the antagonism between Eve and Roarke’s friend/man servant, Sommerset.  I really think they should be getting/ trying to get along better since they both have such strong connection and love for Roarke. This story brings their animosity  to a head as the killer twists the clues and events to point to Sommerset.  And there is cause for Sommerset to become the primary suspect when the connection of the victims to Raorke’s and Sommerset’s past lives is revealed to Eve.  Even though Eve is trying to do her job and trying to prove Sommerset’s innocence, Sommerset is not particularly cooperative.

This book is full of the great dialogue I enjoy between the characters.  There is great sensual heat and growing emotional attachment between Eve and Roarke.  There is growing comraderie too between Eve and Peabody. More and more of Peabody’s quirky character is being revealed.

I love how the emotions are “shown” by action.  I can clearly visualize Eve’s anger through this phrase: she...“closed her mouth, teeth first.” The narrator, Susan Ericksen, does a suburb job with the accents, including Eve’s crisp tough cop persona, Peabody’s nasally New York, Sommerset’s uptight, prissy butler tone, Roarke’s cheerful and passionate Irish, Dr. Mira’s fresh and professional female, and various other, particularly Irish, accents of the characters in this story.  Even more impressive is Ms. Ericksen’s fine performance of the emotional action.  She nails the expressions of trembling fear, snarling disapproval, chuckling warmth, frustrated weariness and twisted psychotic venom - just to identify a few.  

One apt quote I jotted down from this Audible was Eve’s summary of the killer’s twisted religious vengeful purpose:
“And the seeds of his faith were sown in blood, rooted in vengeance and bloomed in death.”

I thought this was the best of the series so far. I look forward to listening to book 7, Holiday in Death.
This book was from my own Audible TBR list. Check the review before this one for a chance to win a used copy of Book 5, Ceremony in Death.

This series consists of 33 full length novels plus a few Novellas and a few in anthologies.  If anyone wants to join this challenge let me know and I will set up a linky or we can just share reading along.

Audible Book Review and Print Giveaway: Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb

This is another suspenseful investigation with the wonderful narration that makes this series click for me.

Ceremony in Death: In Death, Book 5

• UNABRIDGED
• by J. D. Robb
• Narrated by Susan Ericksen

Genre: Thriller Suspense
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Product Description
Conducting a top secret investigation into the death of a fellow police officer has Lieutenant Eve Dallas treading on dangerous ground. She must put professional ethics before personal loyalties. But when a dead body is placed outside her home, Eve takes the warning personally. With her husband, Roarke, watching her every move, Eve is drawn into the most dangerous case of her career. Every step she takes makes her question her own sense of right and wrong - and brings her closer to a confrontation with humanity's most seductive form of evil.

Review:  In this fifth installment Eve is intent on investigating the death of a fellow officer. Eve doesn't believe the rumors of corruption and she will have to push to find the evidence of murder in the death that some would pass off as a suicide. Her superiors are only giving her limited time and resources to check out her hunches. There is more strain as she is looking into the death behind the back of her former partner and good friend, Captain Feeney.

The investigation reveals that the officer’s granddaughter was involved with a group of Wiccan. The investigation becomes more intense when the young girl turns up dead and the body of an associated boy is dumped at Eve and Roarke’s gate. The further trail of death leads to a Satanic cult.

Officer Peabody continues to build in character as Eve’s sharp and eager to learn assistant. She is able to share some knowledge of the Wiccan practices. But it is the dark rituals and ceremonies that are dragging Eve into danger, with Roarke butting in of course.

The narrator does a good job with pacing, helping to keep the suspense building.  I wasn’t enthralled with the witchcraft issues but they made for a an interesting, sinister plotline. As usual the dialogue is sharp and an enjoyable aspect of the book.  I am really enjoying the series. Check out the next review of Vengeance in Death which has more detail on my feelings about the emotions and narration.

This series consists of 33 full length novels plus a few Novellas and a few in anthologies.  I am moving on to book 7 now.  If anyone wants to join this challenge let me know and I will set up a linky. or we can just share reading along together.

I listened to the Audible version from my TBR but once again I set aside my used copy of the book to share. :-)
TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR THE USED PAPERBACK COPY of Ceremony in Death:
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.

1.Mandatory entry: I'm not going to make you jog to the author's website each time I read and offer one of these books. So just enter a comment if you are interested and tell me if you have read any of the series yet.

2. For an extra entry tell me if you have a series you like enough to do as a challenge.

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 November 4, 2011.
The WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on November 5. 
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.