Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway December 14, 2012

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

Happy Friday! Counting Down! - 10 days to Christmas! This Friday we are visiting Kauai, Hawaii. We have been enjoying the cruise with tours one day and light shopping the next. It has been a very nice week. We have a new granddaughter! Victoria was born on Tuesday 12/11 - we are anxious to get back to meet her. 

Thank you to all who entered the December 7 Pick. There were two automatic winners this week (the first and last comments (those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks). Once again, three titles were blocked picks this week; one was won!

Miki chose The Mistletoe Wager (which was actually won in November but never crossed off the list. Since I think it was mailed out last week to international address I will make another arrangement for Miki)
Carol M chose Shattered

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from December 7 Pick:

Spav gets a GC

and
Natasha won (through the block) All I Ever Wanted

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.

Image found at Good Books for Young Souls.
I love this sentiment!

New Book Group #34 December 7, 2012.
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

Pairs:
Fern Michaels
    Payback and Full Me Once
Luanne Rice
    Silver Bells (spine wear) and True Blue
Janet Evanovich
    Full Tilt and Full Bloom
Linda Howard:
    Duncan's Bride and Again Forever
Singles:
Dark Desires After Dark by Kresley Cole       
All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins
Savage Thunder by Johanna Lindsey (Cover is loose)
Angel's Peak by Robyn Carr
Captain's Woman by Merline Lovelace (This is a favorite author and book of mine)
*Death in High Heels by Christina Brand
*From Doon With Death: The First Inspector Wexford Novel by Ruth Rendell
*Mrs Mallory and the Silent Killer by Hazel Holt


New Book Group #33 October 27, 2012
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

 PAIRS:
Gena Showalter:
     The Darkest Kiss and the Darkest Night
Mary Balogh:
     Simply Perfect and A Summer to Remember
Tami Hoag:
     Ashes to Ashes and A Thin Dark Line (Both have spine creasing)
Dick Francis:
     10 LB Penalty and Risk
Tom Clancy:
     Op-Center State of Siege and Op-Center Mission of Honor
SINGLES - CHRISTMAS TITLES (Better sizes for international) 
*A Gift of Murder by M.D. Lake  (slight spine creasing)
*The Mistletoe Wager by Christine Merrill
*Deck the Halls by Arlene James (slight spine creasing)
*A Holiday Prayer by Deb Kastner  (slight spine creasing)
*A Family for Christmas by Kate Welsh  (slight spine creasing)
*A Regency Christmas Anthology - Lyn Stone, Carla Kelly and Gail Rainstorm


New Book Group #32 October 5, 2012

 Demon's Fire by Emma Holly
- Oops upside down book! NOTE This book has dog bite damage; it is missing half back cover and the edges of pages in the back third of the book... it does not effect the text but I will understand if no one wants this one - A Courtesans Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley
The Gift by Constance O'Day-Flannery
The Days of Summer by Jill Barnett
Tangled by Mary Balogh
Please Remember This by Katleen Giles Seidel
Twice Upon Time by Nina Beaumont
Angel of Midnight  by JoAnn Power
Heart of the Hawk by Justine Dare
[One for the Money by Janet Evanovich]
Touchstone by Linda Hilton
Restless Hearts by Marta Perry
Rogue Stallion by Diana Palmer
The Boy's Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries) by Margaret Frazer
Calculated Revenge by Jill Elizabeth Nelson
A Delecate Deception by Jenna Jones


New Book Group #31 August 31, 2012
I pulled some more books from several of my boxes.

In the Presence of Enemies by William J. Coughlin
Shattered by Dick Francis
Shadow Fires by Dean Koontz
Hard News by Jeffrey Deavers
Palindrome by Stuart Woods (spine creases)
Afterimage by Jay Brandon
Tall, Dark and Cajun by Sandra Hill
Hot Streak by Susan Johnson
When Lightning Strikes Twice by Barbara Boswell
Ice Blue by Anne Stuart
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
Thunder Creek by Jill Gregory
His Lady Mistress by Elizabeth Rolls
The Body They May Kill by Audrey Stallsmith
Beautiful Dreamer by Elizabeth Lowell
Summer Light by Luanne Rice

New Book Group #30 July 27, 2012
This time I pulled some books from one of my older boxes.
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)

A Dangerous Devotion by Barbara Kyle

An Independent Woman by Candace Camp

Wild Escapade by Lisa Bingham

Dancing on Snowflakes by Jane Bonander

Mistress by Amanda Quick - Audio Cassettes

*Long Time Coming by Sandra Brown

New Book Group #29 June 29, 2012
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

 

Magic: The Gathering Distant Planes, An Anthology

Winning Ways by Barbara Boswell

Gifts from the Heart by Jillian Hart

*One is the Lonliest Number - Tom Clancey's Net Force

*Close to Home by Carolyne Aarsen

New Book Group #28 May 18, 2012
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books suitable for international

Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts

Sleeping Alone by Barbara Bretton

*Love and Other Four Letter Words by Caroline Mackler

*The Carousel by Rosamund Pilcher

New book Group #27 April 13, 2012
Some of the books on the right end are smaller and suitable for overseas mailing. :-)

Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris (spine damage)

*The Dream Horse by Virginia Campbell Scott

New book Group #26 March 2, 2012--- (All gone)

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.

New Group #25 January 12, 2012---(All gone)

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

*Shadow Rider: Apache Sundown by Jory Sherman

New Group #24 Pick Books November 25, 2011---(All gone)

(The only Thanksgiving title I found is a Harlequin I'd like to read someday so no Thanksgiving titles for November.)

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

Emily's Good Nightmare by Cosmic Debris Cosmic

New Group #22 Pick Books September 2, 2011---(All gone)

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.

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

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

Primary Colors - audio tapes

*Note of Peril (black strip on cover)

2/19/11 Book Group #18- Pairs!---(All gone).

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 three years I have posted 33 groups of 16 (528) books to find new homes! (November 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 445 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--- (All gone)

12/3/10 Book Set:

#16

Sleight of Hand by Robin Hathaway

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

List #15---(All gone)

List #14---(All gone)

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---(All gone)

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

List #1
Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo

Pick #2---(All gone)

Pick #3---(All gone)

Pick #4

Talking God by Tony Kellerman

Everything to Gain by Barbara Taylor Bradford

The Shadow by Shelley Munro (PA)

Pick #5

See Jane Lead by Lois P. Frankel

Misfortune by Nancy Geary

Cold Hit by Linda Fairstein - Audio Tapes

Pick #6---(All gone)

Pick #7

Prey by Michael Crichton - Audio Tape

Princess Charming by Jane Heller (slightly creased)

Pick #8

(sc) = slightly creased on binding otherwise all in good shape

The Jury by Steve Martini - Audio Tapes

No Safe Place by Richard North Patterson - Audio Tapes

Pick #9

On Treacherous Ground by Earl Murray

Guardian by Dee Henderson - Audio Tapes

Time to Hunt by Stephen Hunter - Audio Tapes

Pick #10---(All Gone)

End of the World Giveaway Hop Dec 14 - 21

This isn't to predict the end of the world - but it is another good reason for a fun giveaway!

End of the World Giveaway Hop

December 14th to 21st

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & My Life With Books

12/21/12 The Mayan Calendar Ends!  Does it mean the end of the World?  Probably not but just in case...
Which books would you save if the world was coming to an end?  My # one pick of a book to keep with me would be The Bible.

Assuming the world is still spinning, Winners will have a new book just in time to start the new year right!

Since I am limited on internet time I am plugging this in for TWO Winners who will get their Choice of a title about the end of the world. (Value up to $15.00)

ENTER THROUGH RAFFLECOPTER

a Rafflecopter giveaway



If you think you'll make it through, hop along!

Audio Book Review: Karma's Law by Kristi Lamb

This is an interesting mystery - definitely tangled.
Karma's Law
by Kristi Lamb
Narrated by Jim Meskimen
Amazon Link
Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 12 hours and 53 minutes
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Spoken Word Inc
Audible.com Release Date: May 16, 2012
Language: English
ASIN: B00843QJYG
Genre: Mystery
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

A Tangled Tale of Murder, Malice, and Revenge
Charming Tate Sawyer, a serial Casanova, is found murdered off a popular hiking trail. As the investigation unfolds, Lieutenant Greg Kennedy and his team discover that Sawyer left behind an embittered string of wealthy women, each harboring her own motive for ending his life.
Family secrets and sibling rivalry further complicate this dark mystery.
Who was this man? Is he destined to a bitter, deceitful legacy, or is there more than meets the eye? Karma’s Law is a tale so tangled it resembles the twisted cypress of its Pacific Northwest and Alaskan setting.

Review:
The body of Tate Sawyer is found in the woods and a pick up truck is seen leaving the parking lot. Lieutenant Greg Kennedy and his team begin the investigation. They  methodically interview Tate’s family and a long string of ex-girlfriends who Tate used and went through. They learn that Tate had plenty of people who had reason to dislike him. Now the police have to determine who hated him enough to murder him and who had the opportunity.

Along the investigation, money is discovered in Sawyer’s storage shed and it is apparent that someone is trying to access the unit. The clues led the police to suspect one young person but it isn’t long before they realize it is someone else. Kennedy steadfastly follows the forensic evidence until it leads him to the murderer. The quick confession of the suspect doesn’t sit well with  Kennedy and his gut tells him something isn’t right.

The mystery is solid and has good twists. Even though I suspected the killer it was interesting getting there. This story is told in rather a documentary fashion (sort  of "just the facts" styling) yet Ms. Lamb gives a good portrayal of the characters.  I liked how the personality of Kennedy and his team are disclosed by their skills and actions as I also enjoyed the way the investigation reveals the not so likeable character of the murder victim.

AUDIO Notes: The narrator does a fine job keeping the pacing and momentum even with the methodical fashion of the story.  At first the book seems a bit slow and plodding but soon I was completely caught up in the story and the strong narration that enhanced the story.

If you enjoy mysteries I recommend this title. I think the Audio version might make it a bit more enjoyable - but then again, I love Audios. 

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

A phrase I noted that I really liked:

Sawyer was destined for an early grave.  His frenzied life and battered friendships were short-lived to be sure but Kennedy had a job to do. Thinking about the evidence they didn’t have and the information they’d learned so far they didn’t have to wonder who’d want to hurt Tate Sawyer. It was a question of who finally snapped.

I received this MP3 from Spoken Word, Inc. Audiobook through AudioBook Jukebox for an honest review.

This story is set in Seattle for Where Are You Reading Challenge. I will also add it to my New Author and Audio lists.

Book Review with eBook Giveaway: In Bed With The Opposition by Stephanie Draven

This is an engaging, easy, sexy, and fun romance.

In Bed With the Opposition
by Stephanie Draven

File Size: 408 KB
Print Length: 165 pages

Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Indulgence) (August 22, 2012)

Language: English
ASIN: B0091GYTRY
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: August 22, 2012
Armed with a sassy haircut, a sharp wit, and a personal list of rules for all life's exigencies, Grace Santiago has everything under control. At least until Ethan Castle walks back into her life. Grace hasn't forgotten their disastrous affair in law school, but she can't resist his bad boy charm.

When Grace learns that Ethan has been hired by the other side, her loyalties—and her heart—are torn in two. Though their sexual chemistry can't be denied, they find themselves deadlocked. Ethan believes that all is fair in love and war, but he won't give up the fight—not even to win Grace's heart. So what can a good girl like Grace do, but learn to play dirty?

Review:
Grace Santiago has trust issues about men. Her father left when she was a little girl and she was blackmailed by a male student which resulted in her flunking out of law school. On top of those issues, her child, teen, and present ‘crush’, Blain, isn’t responding as favorably to her as she would like.

Now the man with whom she had a wild college fling, Ethan Castle, shows up to upset her well-ordered, controlled with rules life.  The chemistry between them is as hot, if not hotter, than it was in college. She thinks it is in her best interest-politically, career wise and personally-to stay away from him. But he is just too handsome and sexy to resist for long.

Ethan is a successful and confident campaign manager who travels all over the country. He is the sort of man who has no trouble finding women. He has never understood why Grace disappeared from college and refused to answer any of his emails or phone calls. Now that he sees her he not only wants answers, he wants her in his bed.

Ethan isn’t willing to take on the campaign for Grace’s boss, Senator Holliwell. Instead, so he can stay in the area and pursue Grace, he takes on the campaign of an obscure candidate who has one major issue to promote. Grace is reluctant to get involved with the enemy camp but even her Senator approves.

The romance heats up as does the campaign. Building their relationship through the cold, calculated, ruthless world of politics is difficult enough. But can it survive the threat of disclosure of past secrets?

These are very interesting characters with good strengths and some unpleasant traits as well. I was frustrated by Grace’s lack of confidence and her clinging to a young girl’s love interest that clearly didn’t exist for the guy. Fortunately, being with Ethan brings out the strength in Grace to be confident being herself.  Ethan is almost too arrogant at first but Ms. Draven gives him just enough vulnerability to make him likeable after a bit.

The writing flows well in an easy, light read with good pacing. The romantic relationship is sexy and fun without being lewd or uncomfortable in any way.  I liked the plot with the realistic, but unusual, conflicts that the characters face and I enjoyed their final reconciliation. Altogether this is an engaging, easy, fun, sexy romance and I would enjoy reading more books by this author.

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

Ethan falls for Grace:

She was a maddening, kooky, frustrating woman...and he was falling in love with her. Location 1895.

Grace acknowledges her love for Ethan:

In the movies, love was always sudden and certain.  With Ethan it was fits and starts, very emotionally untidy. Could love possibly be this messy, and if so, how was she going to cope?  Location 2122.

I received this from Entangled Publishing for and honest Review.

This is set in Maryland for my Where Are You Reading Challenge. I will also add it to ARC and New Author Challenge lists.

About Stephanie Draven:

Stephanie Draven is currently a denizen of Baltimore, that city of ravens and purple night skies. She lives there with her favorite nocturnal creatures–three scheming cats and a deliciously wicked husband. And when she is not busy with dark domestic rituals, she writes her books.

Stephanie has always been a storyteller. In elementary school, she channeled Scheherazade, weaving a series of stories to charm children into sitting with her each day at the lunch table. When she was a little older, Stephanie scared all the girls at her sleepovers with ghost stories.
She should have known she was born to hold an audience in her thrall, but Stephanie resisted her writerly urges and graduated from college with a B.A. in Government. Then she went to Law School, where she learned how to convincingly tell the tallest tales of all!

A longtime lover of ancient lore, Stephanie enjoys re-imagining myths for the modern age. She doesn’t believe that true love is ever simple or without struggle so her work tends to explore the sacred within the profane, the light under the loss and the virtue hidden in vice. She counts it amongst her greatest pleasures when, from her books, her readers learn something new about the world or about themselves.

Stephanie also writes historical fiction as Stephanie Dray and has a series of forthcoming novels from Berkley Books featuring Cleopatra’s daughter.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for an eBook 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 WORLDWIDE.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on December 21, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED on December 22, 2012.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Book Review: First Time: The Legend of Garison Fitch

This is a truly superb time travel that makes one ponder possibilities!
First Time: The Legend of Garison Fitch
By Samuel Ben White

• File Size: 618 KB
• Print Length: 407 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1591094658
• Publisher: Cottage & CO Press; 1 edition (July 22, 2008)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001D2Z5LS

Genre: Time Travel
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: July 22, 2008
"What if history didn't happen that way ... the first time?"

Garison Fitch was a scientist and something of a celebrity in the Soviet Americas in the early 21st century until dropping off the map to pursue his theories in the remote La Plata Canyon. Living in a log home he built himself (which was too close to the Empire of Japan (30 miles to the west) and the Republic of Texas (15 miles to the south), Garison began to experiment with interdimensional travel.

An experiment with such travel surprised him when he landed him in 1744. There he discovered a primitive world of somewhat suspicious people, but a freedom he had never experienced before--which may have been most frightening of all. As he was trying to discover how to return to the future, he met and fell in love with Sarah, a beautiful young woman who is an outcast due to the fact that it was never known who her father was. They married and had three children and he decided to stay in the past and raise his children with the woman he loved.

When he tried to rid himself of his time machine by sending it into the future, however, it took him with it. Now, he finds himself back in the twenty-first century where a woman (Heather) he has never met claims to be his wife and the country he grew up in is gone, replaced by something called “The United States of America”. He quickly realizes that something he did in the past has changed the future but he doesn't know what until he stumbles across a strange item in Heather's purse.

Should he live in this new world, or try to travel once more through time and return the world to “normal”? As he becomes convinced he can’t return to Sarah, he’s not really sure if he can live in this new world he created, either.

Review:
The book blurb does a good job of summarizing the story so I won’t repeat that. This is a fascinating story just filled with time travel anomalies and paradox. There is a wonderful portrayal of the differences between Colonial living, with it’s harsh yet simpler times of freedom, and modern life in America with it’s societal laws, regulations and complexities. Added to those two is the contrasting world of communism where Garison was living in Russia America.

The courtship between Garison and Sarah is old-fashioned, sweet and innocent, fitting into the Colonial time frame. The actions of the characters, like playful romance interaction, are completely natural and realistic.

I loved the discussions of faith and accepting belief in God. I especially liked how the story shows that not all of life is within our control...thus we have to rely on faith. The author also explores several  philosophical thoughts of life. I noted that there is so much jammed into this story that made me think. This is excellent entertainment and well worth the read!  I recommend this to anyone and especially those who like time travel paradox stories.

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