It's Monday! What Are You Reading? March 5, 2012

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.

I'm not quite sure why I was short on reading this week only completing two. I do have three in progress though. And I did get five reviews posted with two Giveaways.  I also posted my regular Friday Pick Giveaway, Saturday Sharing Beyond Books and the Sunday post. 

Thank you to the nice people who visited me last week. I got to visit back on Thursday night.
These were last week's posts plus a Winner post not listed.

• It's Monday What are You Reading? February 27, 2012.

• Book Review: The Rogue Pirate's Bride by Shana Galen; Historical Romance;  my rating 4.5. 

• Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Bleed For Me by Michael Robotham; Crime Fiction; my rating 4.25.

• Book Review: Deliver Me From Darkness by Tess Hilaire; Paranormal Romance; my rating 4.5. 

• Book Review (with blog tour Giveaway): Keeper of My Heart  by Darcy Flynn; Contemporary Romance; my rating 4.25. 

•  Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway March 2, 2012.  Open Worldwide.  Ends 3/8.

• Book Review: The Night is Mine by M.L. Buchman; Military, Romantic Suspense;; my rating 4.75. 

• Sharing Beyond Books #38 Comment Giveaway.  Open Worldwide. Ends 3/9.

•  Sunday Words of Encouragement March 4, 2012.

Finished Reading

1. eBook/Kindle
 

Keeper of My Heart

by  Darcy Flynn

Review (with Giveaway) linked above.

2. eBook/Kindle 
 

 

Shadow Boxing [Family Heirlooms Series Book 2]

by Karen Wiesner

This is a nice Christian romance story. Read for the author; I will be posting a review soon.

Product Description - click on title for full description link.

WRDF Top Read of Excellence!

1st Place winner in the contemporary romance category of the 2010 Love Romances & More Golden Rose Award!

5 Hearts Award - The Romance Studio

Line Edits/Releases: I hope to get a print book out this week.

Currently reading:

1. Audio CD (in car)

 

Lothaire

by Kresley Cole

I am midway on this and sort of struggling.
I'll push on one disc at a time.

Reviewing for Simon & Schuster through AudioJukebox

Book Description - Click on title for full description.

2. Print

 

The Snow Child 

by Eowyn Ivey

I am a little more than half way. This is beautifully written and I am curious where the tale will end. 

Reading for Little Brown & Co.

Book Description -Click on title for full description.

3. ebook/Kindle
 

Kicking Ashe

by Pauline Baird Jones

I am excited to read another in this series.

This is already "snarky."

 I am highlighting the Project Enterprise series this week.

Product Description
With hearts and lives on the line, a kiss may be all they have time for...
Time has dumped Ashe on a dying planet and she needs to figure out why before she ceases to exist. Or gets vivisected by some Keltinarian scientists. Or worse.
Vidor Shan might help—since someone somewhere is trying to hose him, too—if she can convince him to trust her. Probably shouldn’t have told him that only someone he trusts can betray him. Also wouldn’t mind if he kissed her on the mouth.
Vid would love to kiss the girl, but his brother is lost, he’s got hostile aliens on his tail, and the stench of betrayal all around him. Can he trust the woman who told him to trust no one?
Then a time quake hurls them to a nasty somewhere and some when...

4. eBook/Kindle 
 

Home

by Karen Wiesner

New release I am reading for the author.

Description:

Small-town girl Ayodele "Della" Flynn lives in a city she abhors, where danger seems to be lurking around every corner. When her husband dies very unexpectedly, she's confronted with figuring out where her home is with her young son River and trying to come to terms with the loose ends her husband left their lives in.

5. Kindle/NetGalley 
 

True Highland Spirit 

by Amanda Forester

Review and Author Guest blog to post on 3/15.

I will be reviewing this for Sourcebooks.

Product Description

A HEATED RIVALRY...

Morrigan McNab is a Highland lady, robbed of her birthright and with no choice but to fight alongside her brothers to protect their impoverished clan. When she encounters Sir Jacques Dragonet, she discovers her fiercest opponent...

IS GETTING EVEN HOTTER...

Sir Jacques Dragonet will give his life to defend Scotland from the English. He can't stop himself from admiring the beautiful Highland lass who wields her weapons as skillfully as he does, and endangers his heart even more than his life...

I am again listening to The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. 

[Reading and listening on my new MP3.]

Instead of studying with the Tyndall One Year Bible this year I am studying with Through the Bible in One Year by Alan B. Stringfellow. It is a Study that I used for teaching back in around1989 so I will enjoy it again.  This week is 1st Samuel.

Line Edits: As soon as reports are finished I will be back to continuing to work on print releases and making special arrangements for a children's book.

I have finished three carry overs from February and caught up the week of reviews.
I still have 14 books to read and review for March so it is going to be another busy month.
March:
Scheduled:

3/5-9 I will be reviewing Kicking Ashe by Pauline Baird Jones; highlighting the Project Enterprise series including: The Key, Girl Gone Nova, Steamrolled, Tangled in Time with author interview and book giveaways.
3/15 True Highland Spirit by Amanda Forester with Guest Post (Sourcebooks)
3/19 The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing by Calvani and Edwards (Bewitching Blog Tour)
3/20 Assassins in Love by Kris DeLake with Guest Post (Sourcebooks)
3/22 The Day of First Sun by Sheryl Steines  (Novel Publicity)
3/24 Love to Water My Soul (Dreamcatcher Series #2) by Jane Kirkpatrick, review (my Ladies' Book Club)

Sourcebooks
Believe it or Not by Tawna Fenske
A Light on the Veranda by Ciji Ware

Author Reviews:
Promise Me by Dee Julian
Echo Falls by Jamie McDougall
An Irish Rogue by Suzanne Barrett




[To be posted - I am setting these up soon for interview/feature days.
These were read and ready for reviews for Authors.
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.]

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.

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.