Sunday Words of Encouragement October 21, 2012

We had a sweet service this morning. Pastor is continuing his series on the Holy Spirit and this morning's message was entitled "Power for Living."
(Reminder - I add my own expansion and interpretation to our Pastor's messages.)

We can be infilled with the Spirit so that we can have power beyond our own abilities; power to do God's Will and be His witnesses to others. The key is that we must be willing to yield to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. Think about it, when we are asked to pray, do we yawn? When we are asked to give, do we say "later"? When we are asked to get up, do we roll over and go back to sleep? These are all areas where the Spirit speaks to us and we must decide if we will yield and be obedient. (Throughout the Bible God is really looking for obedience, not sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22.)

The Holy Spirit will give gifts to each. Some might ask which gift is best? The answer is: the one that is needed. The next question is will we be open, yielded and obedient?

Listen to these nice words as you watch this gorgeous video.

A Verse for Today:
Luke 11:13 (NIV)
13 "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

My Prayer: Lord, Spirit, help me to be yielding; help me to use Your gifts wisely and allow me to be a witness for you.

Sharing Beyond Books #71 Comment Giveaway October 20, 2012

Welcome to another SBB!

Hello again on Saturday Night. It's mid-October already! The year keeps flying by. How is everyone doing?

Thank you to all who shared last week.

It looks likes we get a wide variety of recommendations although several of you mentioned recommendations of paranormal authors. Mentioned more than once were: Nalini Singh, JR Ward, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It appears that several of us get recommendations from Goodreads but many get recommendations from bloggers! Isn't that nice that we share with each other. :-)

Looks like people use different media for different purposes: games, contests, family and friends, etc.. I think I have to agree that FaceBook is good for staying in touch or, like me, at least getting news about family and friends. Twitter may have more purpose to follow specific discussions -- nrlymrtl mentioned a movie group at http://booksnobbery.wordpress.com/ and Michelle mentioned TuesBook Talk. Many seem to use Goodreads for book media.  I learned two new places:  Elizabeth mentioned Foursquare and Texas Book Lover mentioned fictfact. I am with Anubha that I try to check my email each day for blogger posts too. 

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #70 comments is: #12 Michelle There are still 5 'love' books to pick from and 1 Christmas choice (see my note above about adding more titles to that list soon). Michelle please choose a book (or GC if international) from the remaining five Love Books List for Giveaway, the new Christmas Giveaway Book list, OR pick from the Updated ARC/Review List and let me know your choice, your address and a choice of bookmarks by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #71 Questions

Q1. mamabunny13 asks: If you were going to a halloween party what would you go as?? Ok - I think we have asked similar Qs at this time a year but it is sort of fun so I'm going to expand this. I know some of your countries don't celebrate halloween at all, so (A) please tell us if you don't celebrate, why (ie. country doesn't or personal choice) and (B) please play imagine and answer mamabunny13's Q even if it is hypothetical OR share a favorite costume you have seen. :-)

1(A): I don't really celebrate halloween because the churches I have been with don't celebrate this. We do however try to have a Fall Festival or Hallelujah party so the kids have an alternative place to go and still get candy.

1(B)I can't really (or maybe don't want to) imagine dressing up anymore. But one of my favorite costumes my mother made my sister and me (we are 16 months apart)as kids was as a pair of dice. Actually a fairly easy costume. My mom also made one brother an upside down man one year.

I found these images at Coolest Homemade Costumes

Q2. Here is a book question -- How do you handle your TBR shelves/piles??

A: My simple answer is: Not well! I have gone through the boxes of "won" books and put ten or so in one box but I have only gotten through two of the print books this year. The only way I have gotten to read some of my Kindle Library is to pick titles that work for the Just For Fun reading and I pick ones that I have had for more than a year so that I am pulling from the older TBR. (Sometimes I run giveaways to let commenters help me pick a title. I love to do that.) Other than that I really haven't gotten to much of my TBR and my favorite author collections have been left to gather dust. *sigh* I have managed to read at least one TBR book per month this year but I want to do better. I have a plan to implement for 2013. So we will see if that helps!

Oh just imagine! I found this image at The Book Garden Spot - Thank you Birgit!

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. mamabunny13 asks: If you were going to a halloween party what would you go as?? I expanded to (A) please tell us if you don't celebrate, why (ie. country doesn't or personal choice) and (B) please play imagine and answer mamabunny13's Q even if it is hypothetical OR share a favorite costume you have seen. :-)

2. Here is a book question -- How do you handle your TBR shelves/piles??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the remaining Valentine and "Love" books (5 left) or the new Christmas Giveaway Books. Also I have added the Updated ARC/Review List 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, October 26, 2012 at 10 PM central.

Winners HEA Hop, Tears Water the Seeds and Everybody Loved Roger Harden

Congratulations to Winners
From Giveaways ending this week:

Happily Ever After Giveaway Hop
Ended 10/14/12
Each Winner gets Fairy Tale or Happily Ever After Book selections with total value $15.00
Pick books from The Book Depository
Winners are:

Entry #20 Linda K.

Entry #678 LisaC

Entry #62 miki

(There ended up being three instead of two winners)

Giveaways ended 10/19/12

Tears Water the Seeds of Hope

Holly L

 Everybody Loved Roger Harden 

Kiki

All Winners: Please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and I will notify the publisher/author and or send the books.  Please reply within 72 hours!

Thank you to all who entered these giveaways.

Book Review with ARC Giveaway: Sultry with a Twist

"Ho-o-ly...sugar!" as June would say. This was a fun read!
Sultry with a Twist (Sultry Springs)
by Macy Beckett

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (October 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402270364
• ISBN-13: 978-1402270369

Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Rating:  4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Release Date: October 2, 2012 | Series: Sultry Springs
When Mae-June July Augustine hightailed it out of Sultry Springs, Texas, with her heart in pieces, she swore she'd never return. But nine years later, one thing stands between June and her dream of opening an upscale martini bar: a month of community service under the supervision of the devilishly sexy Luke Gallagher, her first love and ex-best friend. As lust turns to love, June must decide where she belongs: in the glorious anonymity of Austin or back in Sultry Springs with the man who intoxicates her like no other.

Review:
June has worked nine years and scrimped and saved to fulfill her dream. Now she has sold her condominium and has six weeks to finalize touches for the opening her own upscale bar in downtown Austin, Texas. But before they will issue the liquor license there is the minor problem of a warrant back in her home town of Sultry Springs, Texas.

Mae-June, as she is known at home, has to answer for a youthful indiscretion. The Judge, an old family friend, sentences her to a month of community service and county ‘arrest’ living with her Grandmother with whom she hasn’t spoken in nine years. Grammy Pru was a strict disciplinarian. Having lost her daughter who was known as a town drunk, Grammy was intent on controlling June. June was intent on escaping through college studies to become a psychologist. But June discovered, while working for her school expenses, that she loved bartending and creating new drinks.  Grammy was appalled and issued an ultimatum at which point June cut ties.

Now June not only has to face her Grammy but she has to cope with her first love, Luke Gallagher, her partner in the youthful indiscretion. June had always loved Luke but he had headed out to the army as soon as he was able. The next she heard was he married a woman while in Germany. Now June, who has never fully overcome her heartbreak, has to work with Luke. 

Luke has his own difficulties and issues, having been abandoned by his mother as a young boy and struggled as an angry teen whom Grammy had to try to manage. Luke ran into problems while in the service and lost the career he longed for. He is now a successful contractor with a nonprofit company because he was given a second chance. Yet he doesn’t believe in love and apparently doesn’t think he is worthy to be loved.

Now June has to risk her own heart and see if she can convince Luke that he is a good guy worthy of love. Can she stick it out in the face of his pushing her away?

These characters are really likeable. June is so determined,  brave and full of love. Luke is so vulnerable. I was rooting for them all through the bumpy relationship. The romance is sweet and sexy. The writing is smooth, descriptive and sultry - very nice, easy reading.

My final thoughts: this is a story full of fun with lots of heat and tension. There is some language on the edge. It is a good book for romance lovers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early description I liked:

A breeze stirred, and a familiar high, metallic tinkle of wind chimes sang out from above. Page 17.

Luke and June’s early view of Grammy:

Luke had once said, “Before Freddy Krueger goes to sleep at night, he checks his closet for your grandma.” Page 18.

June recognizes the risks of loving Luke:

But with Luke, she’d be risking more than just money.  Cash lost could always be earned again, but the pain of heartbreak lingered for years. Page 147.

I received this title for review from Sourcebooks.

This is set in Texas for the Where Are You Reading Challenge. I will also add it to my New Author Challenge List.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for the ARC Copy.

ENTRY FORM HERE

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit  the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.

* This contest is open US and Canada.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on October 26, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED on October 27, 2012.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Saturday Snapshot - Our Alaskan Cruise Days 1-3

I meant to post this early today but ended up busy cleaning around the house.

I have been wanting to participate in Saturday Snapshot and hope it's okay that I show case our Alaskan cruise through this forum.  I plan to do a group of pics in a slide show over the next weeks before we head off to Hawaii.
This first set is Day One and Day Three. ( I must have been reading and relaxing because no photos on day two.)

Several of these photos look like postcard images the days were so beautiful.

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.