Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Sunday Words of Encouragement March 4, 2012

This was another morning - or really a weekend - where God's message was affirmed in several venues. At our Ladies' retreat our leader reinforced that our theme this year is to be an "intentional woman." We are to be intent on doing God's will in our lives, to serve His purposes.

This morning our substitute Sunday School teacher shared insights from the Conference Educational seminars last weekend. He shared a message that said our lives are not about us, but rather we were created for God's purposes - to serve His pleasure.

Our Pastor's message was "Lessons From the Ant." Look at ants: they are social creatures, they communicate, they labor in divisions; they each have a task but work together to accomplish their common goals. They care for their young and train them to grow, develop, learn their tasks to take the place of their elders. They know what they want - food and work - and that is what they do.

God has a design and a purpose for man. We were created for God's pleasure and purposes. We each have a task to do in service to God's plan. Ephesians 4:11-13 (see verses below video.) We are to be motivated and do our part to help all mature and attain the full measure of Christ in our lives, fulfilling God's Will and Plan.

This is a beautiful song and seems right for the messages.

Are we willing to be molded and used for His purposes?

Verses for Today:

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

I pray that I am willing to be used for God's purposes and that He will give me clear direction of those purposes.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Sharing Beyond Books #38 Comment Giveaway March 3, 2012

Welcome to another Saturday SBB. I had another busy week and am relaxing a bit tonight after an enjoyable ladies retreat ...except the outlet shopping got rained out.

Thank you to all those who commented last week.
Looks like the largest group (eight) picked their current, cozy and comfy bedrooms, as their favorite. Three picked childhood bedrooms. The others varied, including two who liked the bedroom when they first moved from home, mother's bedroom (miki), when first married and Ricki chose her parent's guest room which sounds like a nice mini-apartment.

I enjoyed learning what books you had given for fun and as gifts and the varied recipients: family and friends.There were self-help books, non-fiction, fiction and children's books. Happy giving!

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #37 comments is: #12 bn100. There are still 8 'love' books to pick from and 2 Christmas choices. bn100 please let me know if you want a GC (if you are international) 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 #38 Questions

Q1. This week Marjorie asks: Do you think some blogs are going overboard when they request so many enteries now into giveaways??

A: I have seen blogs that have tons of ways to enter and it seems like too much. I don't know how people feel about my usual requiring the entrants to visit the author's site but I do that since it is my goal to promote the author and book. I especially think it is important to limit entries when on a giveaway hop! Also it is somewhat annoying during a giveaway hop to have to fill out captcha (which I have to do twice 2 out of 3 times) but I can understand wanting to protect your site. That is why I use the moderation option.

Image found at http://instantnoodlecomics.com/

Q2. My book related question this week: Do you like ratings (1-5 or other) and do you rely on them??

A: I do like rating systems and I love the creative designs some us. (Someday I maybe get one created for me.) Although I am sometimes impressed by a 1-10 system or a 100 point variety, I think the 1-5 is simplest. I do refer to the ratings but I do not rely on them because it is more important to check the reviews to know why someone liked, or did not like, the book. Since we like different genres and styles it is important to recognize that we will often not rate the same book at the same level.

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. :-) The question list is being replenished! Thanks for sending in questions!

Your turn to share:

1. Marjorie asks: Do you think some blogs are going overboard when they request so many enteries now into giveaways??

2. My book related question this week: Do you like ratings (1-5 or other) and do you rely on them??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the remaining Valentine and "Love" books or the remaining Christmas Giveaway Books - there are still about 10 books available to choose from. Also I have added the Review and ARC Box now.

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, March 9, 2012 at 10 PM central.

Winner of My Sparkling Misfortune

CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNER OF

Giveaways Ending March 2

My Sparkling Misfortune - ebook

Tore please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form to confirm the win and I'll send your email to the author. Please reply within 72 hours!
Thank you to those who entered.

Book Review: The Night is Mine by M.L. Buchman

Great action and romance story!

The Night is Mine

by M.L. Buchman

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402258100
ISBN-13: 978-1402258107

Genre: Military, Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2012 | Series: The Night Stalker

NAME: Emily Beale

RANK: Captain

MISSION: Fly undercover to prevent the assassination of the First Lady, posing as her executive pilot.

NAME: Mark Henderson, code name Viper

RANK: Major

MISSION: Undercover role of wealthy, ex-mercenary boyfriend to Emily

Their jobs are high risk, high reward:

Protect the lives of the powerful and the elite at all cost. Neither expected that one kiss could distract them from their mission. But as the passion mounts between them, their lives and their hearts will both be risked...and the reward this time may well be worth it.

Review: This book has strong characters, a suspenseful plot and fast pacing to make a very entertaining read.

Captain Emily Beale has had to fight her way to be counted as a valued member of the SOAR (Special Operations Aviation Regiment) elite flying team. She has proven herself in many missions, pulling through with skill and guts. She works hard to be even better than the men she works with so she isn’t exactly happy when a news crew focuses on her unique cooking skills in the field instead of her flying achievements. But those skills pull her out of her unit to a special undercover assignment as chef, personal pilot and protector to the First Lady. Emily doesn’t like the woman much but can’t really refuse the orders since they come from the Commander in Chief himself who happened to be her childhood “boy next door” crush.

Major Mark Henderson recognizes Beale as one of the best pilots under his command. He has tried to treat her equally with the guys but it has been hard as his admiration for her keeps expanding. He is furious to learn she has been pulled from his team with no explanation. He realizes he wants her back... and for more than her military skills. Although fraternizing with a lower ranking officer could lose them both their jobs, Mark can’t resist a kiss right before she is shipped out. That taste has him chasing after her to find what she is up to and make sure she is safe.

Emily and Mark end up expanding her undercover scheme to include him as her high power boyfriend in order to help ferret out the secrets of who is attempting to assassinate the First Lady. As they play their roles they lose the battle of trying to resist the chemical pull that they now acknowledge between them but is such a danger to their careers.

There is lots of intense flight action to kick this off. As the book progresses there are fun cooking details, trouble in the first family, challenges with the Secret Service, explosive helicopter rides, traumatic eye injury, and jealous misunderstandings. The plot was a bit outlandish but it was different and fun.

Emily is a fabulously dedicated and skilled pilot - a great, strong heroine with brains and determination. Mark is equally tough and strong with a sense of humor thrown in to add a little fun. The writing is especially crisp in the action scenes, giving the tempo an extra punch. The romance is sensual and sexy without being graphic. This was a fast read in pacing and because the excitement and suspense levels kept me glued to the action.

I happened to see this appropriate comment under the Product description:

Booklist (Starred review!)
"Readers who enjoy Suzanne Brockmann, Vicki Hinze, and Merline Lovelace as well as those who like good romantic suspense, military or otherwise, will enjoy the first book in the Night Stalkers series."

Those are three authors I love and I will add Mr. Buchman to the list if he produces more good reads like this. I'm ready for more in this series!

~~~~~

Some 'romantic' observations:
By Mark:
And when Captain Emily Beale flew ten tons of armored attack helicopter into battle, it was absolutely the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. Location 437.
By Emily:
Could she have found a more unlikely guardian angel than Major Mark “The Viper” Henderson? And who knew angels could make her feel so d**n happy. Location 1791.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing this book through NetGalley.

This was set primarily in Washington, D.C. for my Where Are You Reading Challenge. I will also add it to the ARC and New Author lists.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway March 2, 2012

[** If you are new to Friday Pick Giveaway - Welcome! Scroll down a bit (below book group #19) for instructions on how to enter.]

Well this week has been a bit calmer for me. But I have a busy weekend with ladies' retreat starting this afternoon. I'll be driving to Destin to enjoy time with a group of ladies from church.

I finally got the new book sets up. I decided on pairs instead of threes.

Thank you to all who entered February 24 Pick. There was ONE Automatic winner this week (those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks). The Wedding Wager was blocked again :-(

Carol M choose Midnight Come Again for four weeks with no block.

CONGRATULATIONS

to Random.org picked Winners from February 24 Pick:

Nathalia chose Foundation (a classic!)
and

Maria chose A Far and Deadly Cry

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.

Let's start March with a Tea Party -

But don't spill on the book!
Art by minitreehouse (Charles Santoso)

New book Group #26 March 2, 2012
These are Paired sets - two per author.
Four are parts of series the others are just singles by the same author.
Winners get both books if you pick these.

Cathy Maxwell - Marriage Series

Married in Haste (#1) and The Marriage Contract (#3)

Maggie Shayne - Wings of Night Series

   Demon's Kiss (#1) and Lover's Bite (#2) or #13 and #14 in the larger series
Jude Deveraux - The Velvet Series
   Velvet Song and Velvet Angel
Sabrina Jeffries - The School For Heiresses Series
   Only a Duke Will Do (#2) and Beware a Scot's Revenge (#3)
Nora Roberts
     Inner Harbor (#3 Cheasapeake Bay Series) and Blue Dahlia (SC) (#1 In the Garden Trilogy -(nice trilogy!)
Mary Higgins Clark
   Let Me Call You Sweetheart and Moonlight Becomes You (SC)
Dick Francis
     Smokescreen (SC) and Field of Thirteen
James Patterson
   Sam's Letters to Jennifer and The Beach House

New Group #25 January 12, 2012

*Smaller books on the right would be okay for most international mailing.

~~Endless Chain by Emilie Richards~~

~~Baby and All (3 Novels in 1) by Candace Camp, Victoria Pade and Myrna Mackenzie~~

Leopards Kill by Jim DeFelice

~~Thinner by Stephen King~~

Category 7 by Bill Evans and Marianna Jameson

Dangerous Lady by Amanda Scott

November of the Heart by Lavyrle Spencer

Long Way Home (Friends Romance Series) by Wendy Corsi Staub

Hell's Belle by Jane Holleman

~~Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov~~

The Firebird Deception (Silhouette Bombshell) by Cate Dermody

*Shadow Rider: Apache Sundown by Jory Sherman

*Prime Time by Sandra Brown

*Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark

*Out of the Blue (Allegheny Hopes) by Janice A. Thompson

*A McKaslin Homecoming by Jillian Hart

New Group #24 Pick Books November 25, 2011
(The only Thanksgiving title I found is a Harlequin I'd like to read someday so no Thanksgiving titles for November.)

~~After Dark by Beverly Barton(spine wear)~~

~~The Shattered Rose by Jo Beverley~~

Final Justice by Jasmine Cresswell

Green Calder Grass by Janet Dailey

~~Praying for Sleep by Jeffery Deaver~~

~~Sunset Bay by Susan Mallery~~

The Wedding Wager by Cathy Maxwell

~~Moon Racer by Constance O'Banyon~~

Destiny Unleashed by Sherryl Woods

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

Witch by Barbara Michaels (spine wear)

Emily's Good Nightmare by Cosmic Debris Cosmic

Death Angel by Linda Howard

New Group #22 Pick Books September 2, 2011

Singles:

Tender Triumph by Judith McNaught

~~A Far and Deadly Cry by Teri Holibrook~~

~~Blackwater Sound: A Novel (Thorn Mysteries) by James W. Hall~~

New Group #21 of Pick Books July 29, 2011

There are eight mysteries and I have asterisked nine books that are smaller and would be good for oversea choices if so desired.

~~Coffin Underground (Inspector John Coffin) by Gwendoline Butler~~

Mallory's Oracle (Kathleen Mallory Novels) by Carol O'Connell

* I. O. U by Pickard, Nancy (spine creased)

Stand by Me Anthology with Dallas Schulze, Roberta Leigh and Linda Randall Wisdom (spine creased)

May, 2011 New Group of Pick books

Group #20

Singles

Luciano's Luck by Jack Higgins - Audio Cassettes

3/25/11 I did get to set up a new group of books:

Group #19

Singles

~~Disguised Blessing~~

~~Rhapsody: A Love Story~~

Primary Colors - audio tapes

Note of Peril (black strip on cover)

2/19/11 Book Group #18- Pairs!

Not all of these are two from a series but several are. Each pick gets two books.

Patricia Cornwell Pair:

Cruel and Unusual

At Risk (Win Garano)

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 in November 27, 2009 and in two years I posted 26 groups of 16 books to find new homes! (March 2012)

I have 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 314 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 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 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

Moonfire by Judith Redman Robbins
Saving Faith by David Baldacci (Audio Book)

12/3/10 Book Set:

#16

Best Of Enemies by Taylor Smith

Sleight of Hand by Robin Hathaway

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

~~Uneasy Alliance (Famous Firsts) Jayne Ann Krentz (slightly worn)~~

List #15

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

List #14

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

Lines of Defense by Barry Siegel
Gospel Truths by J.G. Sandom

Here is set #13 of Used books!

Pearl Beyond Price by Claire Delacroix

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

~~Double Jeopardy by William Bernhardt~~

~~The Genesis Code: A Thriller by John Case~~

Group #11

Cat's Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown

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

List #1 Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo

Pick #2