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Sunday, December 11, 2011

It's Monday What are You Reading? December 12, 2011

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.

Two books went really fast while the others were slower.  Again I finished three and am 2/3rds through two.  I posted three reviews, and three giveaways, including a Flash Giveaway.  I also posted my regular Friday Pick Giveaway; Saturday Sharing Beyond Books, and Sunday posts. 

I didn't get the fourth review in last week so I may have to add an extra this week.

I am disappointed to have to say that I didn't get to visit at all last week. Each time I started to go online to visit I was interrupted by work - of all things!  I hope I can do better this week.
My assistant took an extended weekend so she won't be in until Wednesday. I expect to have another busy week - a mixed blessing. :-)
These were last week's posts plus Winner posts not listed.

Finished Reading:
1. ebook
 
This is the first book I selected at NetGalley. 
Review linked above.  

Anthology includes:
Crime Wave in a Corset by Stacy Gail
This Winter Heart by PG Forte
Wanted: One Scoundrel by Jenny Schwartz
Far From Broken by JK Coi



2. Print (Kindle)
 

by Catherine Mann
I zipped through this great action romance. I'll post a review and ARC giveaway this week. 
Read for Sourcebook.





3. Print (Audible)

by David Baldacci
I started this and it was 
another very fast action thriller!
I will post a review and giveaway this week.
Read for Hachette.
Product Description
Publication Date: October 31, 2011
From David Baldacci-the modern master of the thriller and #1 worldwide bestselling novelist-comes a new hero: a lone Army Special Agent taking on the toughest crimes facing the nation.

And Zero Day is where it all begins....

John Puller is a combat veteran and the best military investigator in the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigative Division. His father was an Army fighting legend, and his brother is serving a life sentence for treason in a federal military prison. Puller has an indomitable spirit and an unstoppable drive to find the truth.

Now, Puller is called out on a case in a remote, rural area in West Virginia coal country far from any military outpost. Someone has stumbled onto a brutal crime scene, a family slaughtered. The local homicide detective, a headstrong woman with personal demons of her own, joins forces with Puller in the investigation. As Puller digs through deception after deception, he realizes that absolutely nothing he's seen in this small town, and no one in it, are what they seem. Facing a potential conspiracy that reaches far beyond the hills of West Virginia, he is one man on the hunt for justice against an overwhelming force.

David Baldacci is one of the world's favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 110 million copies in print. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at www.DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at www.WishYouWellFoundation.org, and to look into its program to spread books across America at www.FeedingBodyandMind.com.



Line Edits/Releases: 

I uploaded the Brides and Dark Secrets Anthology
Also I am waiting for approval on print release of Love From the Ashes.


Currently reading:
1. Print
by Billy Coffey 
This is slow but that is okay as it is worth savoring.
I am 2/3rds done. Reviewing for Faith Words
Book Description
Series: A Novel | Publication Date: November 9, 2011
Andy Sommerville seems no different than others in his rural Virginia community, but what sets him apart is that his best friend is an angel. The angel is God's answer to a childhood prayer Andy offered to a twinkling star that his deceased mother once called "the door to heaven." The first angelic proclamation instructs Andy to find the wooden keepsake box in his grandparents' attic. Over the years, he directs Andy to fill it with apparently meaningless objects from twelve people with who Andy randomly crosses paths.
Andy's world is turned upside down when a brutal attack leaves Andy burned and the boy he loved as a son dead. At this crucial juncture, the angel abandons him to loneliness and pain. All that remains is the wooden box Andy has always kept safe, and a new angel, who will use its contents to reveal truth to him as a result, he discovers the defining truth of his life, new hope in the community he loves, and greater trust in the God who sustains him.
The story is told from Andy's hospital bed, where he awakes feeling God has abandoned him. Without being preachy or saccharine, the author brings the small town to life and reveals a spiritual secret--the presence of angels--that helps a wounded man discover the defining truth of his life, place new hope in the community he loves, and trust totally in the God who sustains him. (2011)


2. Print (Audible)
I started this and it has moved quickly.  
I am 2/3rds in on this interesting mystery.  
Reading for Little Brown & Co div of Hachette.
Book Description
Publication Date: October 6, 2011
Tracy Waterhouse leads a quiet, ordered life as a retired police detective-a life that takes a surprising turn when she encounters Kelly Cross, a habitual offender, dragging a young child through town. Both appear miserable and better off without each other-or so decides Tracy, in a snap decision that surprises herself as much as Kelly. Suddenly burdened with a small child, Tracy soon learns her parental inexperience is actually the least of her problems, as much larger ones loom for her and her young charge.

Meanwhile, Jackson Brodie, the beloved detective of novels such as Case Histories, is embarking on a different sort of rescue-that of an abused dog. Dog in tow, Jackson is about to learn, along with Tracy, that no good deed goes unpunished.


3. Kindle
I will start this in a day or two. 
Reading for Sourcebooks. 
Book Description
Series: Demons Unleashed | Publication Date: December 1, 2011
Serah SanGermano runs a successful catering company in a Midwestern town. After she inadvertently helped her friend unleash a legion of demons, she's been trying to hide her own newly discovered powers. Matthias Ambrose, a mysterious demon mercenary sent to protect her, has his own secret- one that will embroil them both in the scandal from hell.

  

I am also listening to The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. 
I am at Obediah 1 and Revelations 7.

Line Edits: I am still finalizing two Novellas for release and continuing to work on Smashword and print releases.


December - I have 11 or so books to read for review plus more to post if I get all the 'pendings' posted. So it looks like another busy month!

Scheduled events:
12/12 Loveswept Giveaway Post
12/21 thru 12/27 Mid Winter's Eve Giveaway Hop

Unscheduled
Sourcebooks
     Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley
     Demons Like it Hot by Sidney Ayers

NetGalley - Holiday Kisses Anthology

Additional Publisher Books Coming Up
Hachette
     Three Day-Town by Margaret Maron

Little and Brown:
     Help for Writers by Roy Peter Clark 

Remaining Author Selections - I do plan to finish these this month/year!
Karen Wiesner -Souls on (B)oring Street [Denim Blues Mysteries Book 3]
Nathan Patrick Hardt - The Second Sonata

[To be posted:
These were read and ready for reviews for Authors. I am sending out interviews for these. I hope to post them all soon.
Quest for Magic by Jean Hart Stewart - Read; review to be posted with interview.
Seeing for the First Time (What You See is What You Get) and To See (What You See is What You Get) by Nicole Zoltack - Both Read; setting up author interview with reviews.
Steamrolled by Pauline Baird Jone. Read; review to be posted with author interview.]

Sunday Words of Encouragement December 11, 2011

This morning we welcomed the third week of Advent with the "Shepherds Candle", the candle of Praise.
Sometimes in this season we get lost in thoughts of gifts and parties when really Christmas should be a time to remember and give praise for God's greatest gift: the birth of a Saviour to redeem us from our sins.

 This candle reminds us of the importance of praising God for the wondrous things He has done for us in our lives.


I tend to think of praise songs as the lively songs and worship songs as the soft songs. Here is a worshipful praise song that I think fits for the Advent message today.

Verses for Today: 
Luke 2: 8-15
 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 

We enjoyed the children's program this morning. I pray that we might enjoy the true gift of Christmas with the enthusiasm of a child. 

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Sharing Beyond Books #26 December 10, 2011

Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books!  Happy Holidays- Counting down now 13 days until Christmas. 
Thank you for commenting last week.

There was a wider variety of all time favorite meals and favorite holiday dish. Sweet potatoes, in several recipes, seemed well liked for holidays. I like the sound of marybelle's mother's Port Wine Trifle! Abby has the most different holiday dish- crabmeat and veggies.

Fully decorated trees got the most votes for the favorite decoration. I can't imagine mamabunny's 500 ornaments - that must be a huge tree! I had to look up scottsgal's favorite "D56" which is collectable villages - nice.

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #25 comments is: #6 scottsgal. There are still 9 'love' books to pick from, 4 Christmas choices and 2 Summer titles below so scottsgal please 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 #26 Questions

Q1. This week winnie asks a book Q:  Do you prefer to read stand-alone books or books in a series and why?? 
A:  It is hard to say I prefer one to the other.  But I do really like series.  Extensive series, like the Eve Dallas series in the 30s, can be intimidating but series of three to ten I definitely like. In addition to many of the newer authors I have been reading I have some older favorites. I have enjoyed several series like this one by Mary Balogh:  

The Bedwyn Saga

six books

 



Also I loved the

eight books in The Bridgerton Series

by Julia Quinn



Q2. Are you ready for the holidays (a) cards sent (b) gifts bought (c) decorations up??

A:  I am sooo totally not ready. (a) The music CD cards I ordered in late October have not arrived - usually we mail them the week of Thanksgiving. (b) I have looked at gifts but not bought any serious ones. Fortunately my daughter has bought the gifts we agreed upon for the kids and my DH has bought some gifts on the internet. I still need to get his. (c) I have put out the table cloth, decorations and candles. Other than that we haven't done any. We are planning on celebrating at our daughter's house so she gets to decorate. :-)
~~~~
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 FormAt 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. :-)

Your turn to share:

1. This week winnie asks a book Q: Do you prefer to read stand-alone books or books in a series??


2. Are you ready for the holidays (a) cards sent (b) gifts bought (c) decorations up??

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.

My copy is a paperback from 2006
with a different cover.



A Summer Affair (Calhoun Chronicles)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, December 16 at 10PM central.

Winners Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish, In Winter's Shadow and The Highlander's Heart

Congratulations 
to Winners of Giveaways Ended December 9


Glittery text maker
Chi (Beckie)



Glitter text
Na



Glitter text
Jane



ALL WINNERS please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form so I can mail the books out and let Publishers know to mail books to winners.  Please reply within 72 hours! 

Book Review: A Clockwork Christmas - A Steampunk Christmas Anthology

Happy ticking! Four stories with mechanical gear work and Christmas cheer.

A Clockwork Christmas - A Steampunk Christmas Anthology
Authors:  Gail, Stacy; Forte, PG; Schwartz, Jenny; Coi, J.K.
  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 692 KB
  • Publisher: Carina Press (December 5, 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B005Z1C47Q
ISBN:         9781426892752
Genre:  Sci Fi, Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0
   
URLs:        
Publisher Website : click here http://ebooks.carinapress.com/8944228A-4DD7-4023-88F7-DDB1510B0C59/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID={A0A6E711-1982-40B9-AD94-47256F4D3B04}
We Wish You a Steampunk Christmas

Changed forever after tragedy, a woman must draw strength from her husband's love. A man learns that love isn't always what you expect. A thief steals the heart of a vengeful professor. And an American inventor finds love Down Under. Enjoy Victorian Christmas with a clockwork twist in these four steampunk novellas.

Anthology includes:

Crime Wave in a Corset by Stacy Gail
This Winter Heart by PG Forte
Wanted: One Scoundrel by Jenny Schwartz
Far From Broken by JK Coi

Stories also available for purchase separately. 117,000 words
Review: All four stories are fun and different, engaging reads. Sometimes it is hard to get a full story in the shorter works of an anthology. These stories are all nice lengths that allow completion for each tale and a good feel for the voice of the authors. I would enjoy more stories by any of these authors. 

Crime Wave in a Corset
by Stacy Gail
Setting: Turn of the Century, Boston
Cornelia is a sleek, sexy thief preparing to celebrate Christmas. She didn’t decide on that career at school but rather as the result of childhood training and limited options.  She is a survivor from a life as a street pick pocket. She has a kind heart and tries not to hurt people who can’t afford to lose things but she still is a first class thief who steals from the rich.

Roderick is a Professor of Engineering at Cambridge University. He has made a point to capture Cornelia to make her return a Faberge egg she stole from his family. He shackles Cornelia with a timepiece that will explode in seven days, midnight Christmas eve, if she doesn’t steal back the egg and return it in time.

Roderick works with Cornelia as she locates the egg and formulates a plan for the heist.  His contempt for her profession begins to turn to respect for her intelligence, survival instincts and ingenuity - not to mention being drawn to her sexually. He helps her build the airship they will use for the dangerous plan. A twist of irony reveals that the egg is now in the possession of a sick child. When it comes time to steal the egg will Cornelia be able to pull it off or will she sacrifice her life?

This story has good intrigue, vibrant characters and some light “naughty” fun. Rating 4.0


This Winter Heart by PG Forte

Setting: 1870, Santa Fe.
Ophelia Winter is the daughter of a brilliant inventor. Dario was interested in her father’s work and willing to invest in his projects. When Dario met Ophelia it was love at first sight. They were  soon married but shortly after the wedding Dario leaned the devastating truth about Ophelia. He demanded that she get out of his life since she had lied to him and she would never be able to provide the family he desired.

Eight years later Ophelia dares to return with a her son, Arthur, in tow. Ophelia’s father has died and her step-siblings refuse to honor her share of the inheritance. To protect Arthur and give him the things in life he deserves she determines to introduce Dario and convince him to provide for his own son. Ophelia is disappointed to return to the estate and find the magnificent mechanical garden that had been built for her totally abandoned and in disrepair.

Dario hasn’t celebrated Christmas, or much of live at all since he cast Ophelia out. He has had a lot of devastating deaths in his family.  Dario is still drawn to the beauty of Ophelia but doesn’t believe that Arthur is his son and doesn’t believe that Ophelia can give either of them true love. Will it cost the life of one of them for Dario to recognize the strength of her love? Once he realizes Ophelia’s true feelings what steps can he take to convince her that he will never doubt her again?

I really liked the strong emotional tugs and revelations in this story. Ophelia is a surprise but her emotions are clearly genuine. This is a nice “reunion” love story. Rating: 4.25


Wanted: One Scoundrel by Jenny Schwartz
Setting: 1895 Swan River Colony, Australia
Suffragette Esme doesn’t want a man for a husband. What she needs is a scoundrel who can pose as a gentleman to be accepted in society and to go into the men’s clubs where she cannot enter. He must be willing to argue her views in her stead.

Esme’s Uncle introduces her to Jed as just the man, a card shark, fresh from America.  Jed immediately notes Esme’s remarkable beauty. Before long he is appreciating her independence, fairness, kindness, determination and other admirable qualities. He enjoys having her show him the community and explaining the Christmas holidays that occur even though it is summer in Australia.

Esme is being pursued by an arrogant, social snob, Bambury, who thinks he could tame her to be a quiet and acceptable wife. Jed isn’t about to let Bambury succeed in his advances even before he determines that he might have to convince Esme that he would be the right man for her after all. Jed is a hero on more than one occasion and is able to use some abandoned inventions to save the day.

I thoroughly enjoyed the history of Australia and political arguments woven into this story. The story flows easily. I loved the characters and the sweet romance. The underlying humor is a hoot!  Rating: 4.5


Far From Broken by JK Coi


Setting: Manchester, England
Jasper is a spymaster but he had hidden that part of his life from is wife, Callie, a beautiful ballerina. Callie is captured by Jasper’s enemies and brutally beaten. She has survived with the help of government doctors who have patched her together with mechanical limbs and implants. She is not sure she is glad to be alive in this condition.

Jasper has been away for four months tracking down the monsters who attacked his wife. But Callie thinks his absence was a rejection of her broken body. The government has invested a lot in her recovery and they have plans to use her as a new weapon. 

Jasper still loves his wife and doesn’t want her to be a tool of the war office. How can he convince her of his continuing love and help her overcome her physiological trauma that has kept her house bound? He had failed to protect her once. Can he accept her new strengths and protect her when they come under attack together?

I liked how this story pulled me into the horror and fear of Callie’s situation right from the beginning descriptions. Although I didn’t agree with Callie’s depression you can feel her pain. I liked Jasper’s warm love and how he was determined to help Callie move beyond the tragedy and rebuild their life together.

This is an entertaining story with fast action and a renewed love that brings the strong characters  together as a team. Rating: 4.25.

Learn more about the book and authors at: http://www.facebook.com/AClockworkChristmas

I received this book through NetGalley for an unbiased review. 

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