Showers of Books Giveaway Hop April 24 - April 30

Showers of Books Giveaway Hop

Open April 24th through April 30

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Books à la Mode

My Giveaway is for ANYONE who can get books from Amazon, Indie Presses, OR Book Depository. OR if Book Depository doesn't ship to you then I will do a PayPal or other gift card for that winner.  So hopefully this really does include EVERYONE.

There will be two winners total; winners will get book choice(s) with value up to $16.00 at The Book Depository, Amazon or Indie Press.

The book(s) can be any format: ebook, hardback, paperback or even audio for a total value of $16.00.

Rule #1 - You must be a follower of my blog in some form.
Rule #2 - ENTER USING THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM!
Giveaway closes 12:01 AM Eastern on May 1. Winners to be chosen through the Rafflecopter system.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share some Showers -- Hop along for more:

Book #Review and Giveaway: Rest in Peace by Frances Devine

This mystery could have been named Restless Peace.

Rest in Peace

by Frances Devine

• Format: Paperback
• Number of Pages: 256
• Vendor: Barbour Publishing
• Publication Date: 2011
• ISBN: 1602603979
• ISBN-13: 9781602603974
• Availability: In Stock
• Series: Hometown Mysteries

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Christian
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0

Product Description

In Cedar Chapel, Where Victoria Storm runs a senior boardinghouse, things are quiet. That is, until she enters the local pet store and finds Clyde Foster, the owner, dead, and his parrot, Watzit, frantically screeching. What clues will this bird reveal regarding a murder most foul? Unable to resist a mystery, Victoria, her fiance' Benjamin, and her senior cohorts begin their own investigation, landing them headfirst in a dangerous adventure. When their friend, Miss Aggie disappears, leaving a blood-stained trail, no one seems safe. Will Victoria live long enough to unravel the clues and tie the knot?

Review:
Victoria Storm runs a senior boardinghouse where she helps care for a group of characters who were her grandmother’s friends.  Victoria goes to the pet store and discovers the body of Clyde Foster. Victoria takes the squawking parrot, Watzit, home to Miss Aggie who is one of the few who people who can calm the bird. Although it appears that Clyde’s death is an accident, Victoria, Miss Aggie and their senior friends do a little investigation on their own and they begin to find clues.

No sooner does the local sheriff declare the death a murder than Miss Aggie packs up in a fluster and races away from the house. Victoria is concerned when Aggie doesn’t call in and doesn’t get to her proclaimed destination. So now the search is on for Aggie as well as the murderer.

Miss Aggie had already been kidnapped in a prior book and there is an outstanding mystery involving missing jewels at her family estate. Victoria jumps to conclusions about possible suspects and tries, unsuccessfully, not to be jealous of the deceased’s attractive granddaughter who is very “catty” and has her claws out for Victoria’s fiancé, Ben. The antics of the seniors as they try to help in the investigation is endearing.

Unfortunately this story seemed contrived.  I got the impression that the author was trying to pull in the events from a prior book, fit them into a new, but continuing mystery and tie them up. Actually the author succeeded in doing that but instead of feeling like an easy flow to move the story forward there was a great deal of ‘fill in’ material. There was a lot of making coffee and tea, checking bedrooms, waxing floors and furniture.  Even the relationship between Victoria and Ben did not feel relaxed although that could have been due to her jealous nature popping up.

I did like the mystery surrounding Jack’s efforts to help protect and smuggle property out of Germany after World War II.  The Book club ladies and I agreed that we didn’t feel warmed up by the characters or message. Although there were some moral and faith lessons shared, the faith and commitment of the characters seemed shallow. And  we all wondered what happened to Watzit who disappeared from the story the same time Aggie went missing!  This was an easy read and perhaps would have had a better response if we had read the prior books.

This was a book picked up for our Ladies' Book Club.

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY FOR PRINT COPY
USE ENTRY FORM HERE

1> US Winner - Two Books: (used) copy of Miss Aggie's Gone Missing and new print of Rest in Peace.
2> Two winners US or Canada get new print of Rest in Peace.

* This contest is open US and Canada Only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on May 3, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on May 4, 2013.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

TLC Tour Book #Review: The Forever Knight by John Marco

This is a different and entertaining story.
The Forever Knight
by John Marco

• Hardcover: 356 pages
• Publisher: DAW Hardcover; 1 edition (April 2, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756407516
• ISBN-13: 978-0756407513

Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Release date: April 2, 2013 | Series: Books of the Bronze Knight
Lukien is the Bronze Knight, beloved by his kingdom and renowned in battle throughout his world. After betraying his king and losing his beloved, he wishes only for death, but rather than die, Lukien is given a chance for redemption: to be the protector of the Inhumans—those fragile mortals who live deep in the desert, far from the prying eyes of their world. These remarkable individuals have been granted magical powers in exchange for the hardships and handicaps life has handed them. And Lukien, now immortal himself, must be their champion. But how can one man, even an immortal warrior, protect hundreds from a world of potential enemies?

Review:
Lukien is a nearly immortal knight who feels guilty for past betrayals and losses. He lives in a community of ‘Inhumans” where spirits help the disabled by providing gifts for the things they are missing, like sight or hearing. Lukien’s spirit, Malator, dwells in the Sword of Angels that Lukien carries and this spirit heals him from what would otherwise be deadly injuries.

Lukien is loved as the Bronze Knight and a protector, but he is bored with his purposeless life. His friend and leader decides to send him out as a knight errant to preform good deeds. Lukien has a young friend, a fourteen old girl, Cricket, who can not remember her past. Lukien agrees to  take her as his squire to the outland kingdom where they think she came from.

Malator tries to tell Lukien that it is too dangerous to take Cricket but Lukien is very stubborn and Cricket is very insistent. As they near the area they pass refugees fleeing the destruction of a terrible King, Diriel, who wants to become Emperor by using an army of dead, mummified soldiers.

Lukien’s fame precedes him and he is led to a neighboring country where he is asked to kill a horrible monster. Although he faces the monster he is unable to kill it. Meanwhile Diriel wants to control the monster and is threatening to march his armies to take over this community too.

Lukien drags Cricket into dangerous and awful situations. She is a brave, bright, fun companion but reckless too. Before the adventure is over Cricket wants to find her memories, Lukien wants to find his purpose and a desperate band of allies will make a last stand against the rotten legions of the madman king.

To be honest I was conflicted as I had a hard time really liking the characters. Lukien has special strengths but he  rushes into dangerous situations without thinking or planning. This behavior works with the possible motive that he wants to kill himself. I also couldn’t embrace Cricket who is self-centered which is not uncommon for a selfish, teenage girl.  Even Malator was not completely loveable as he conveys only partial information to Lukien and often speaks in riddles.

The writing is good and moves well although there were some phrases that did not seem to fit with the world/time period. For example, Cricket saying “let’s make some tracks” seemed out of place. I enjoyed the creative world of beings and the action of the tale. The last 80 pages the story became more focused and I was pleased that Lukien began to accept a purpose and used his head to strategize. Apparently this is a third or fourth book in a series and I wonder if reading the prior books builds a better rapport for the characters. All in all it is an entertaining read especially for those who love fantasy adventure.

I received this book for an honest review as part of TLC book tour;

About John Marco

John Marco is the author of seven previous books.  His debut fantasy series, Tyrants and Kings, earned him a Barnes and Noble Readers Choice Award and has since been translated into numerous languages around the world.  His first three novels of Lukien, The Eyes of God, The Devil’s Armor, and The Sword of Angels have received high praise. In addition to his work as a novelist, he is also a proud and avid nerd and blogs at his website, thehappynerd.com.  He lives on Long Island with his wife and young son.

John’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, April 2nd: The Arched Doorway
Wednesday, April 3rd: Bibliophilia, Please!
Thursday, April 4th: A Daily Dose of R&R
Tuesday, April 9th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Wednesday, April 10th: Poisoned Rationality
Thursday, April 11th: A Daily Dose of R&R
Monday, April 15th: What She Read … - joint review
Tuesday, April 16th: Books Without Any Pictures
Wednesday, April 17th: Ageless Pages Reviews
Thursday, April 18th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Monday, April 22nd: Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf

Tuesday, April 23rd: The Written World
Wednesday, April 24th: Just a World Away
Thursday, April 25th: Beauty in the Ruins
Monday, April 29th: Reading Reality
Tuesday, April 30th: Curling Up by the Fire
Wednesday, May 1st: Dreaming About Other Worlds
Monday, May 6th: Geek Banter
Wednesday, May 8th: In Bed with Books

Mailbox Monday April 22, 2013

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.
For APRIL: the Mailbox Monday Tour host is Mari at MariReads!
Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) but is now hosted at Mailbox Monday and through various blog hosts.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

I only picked up audio titles this past week.
How are your mailbox and TBR piles doing?

What no review titles???

Lots of requests I need to reply to but none received this week. :-)

Won

None this week.

Purchased

I had two Audible credits and ended up picking out two additional on sale. 
By my choices you will see I was in the mood to listen to series I like. :-)
Here are the four I picked up:

Frost Burned: Mercy Thompson Book 7
Author: Patricia Briggs

Hunt the Moon: Cassandra Palmer Book 5
Author: Karen Chance

 

A Royal Pain: A Royal Spyness Mystery 
Author: Rhys Bowen

Heir of Novron:  Riyria Revelations, Book 3

Author: Michael J. Sullivan

Free

Limited time - I downloaded only a few free Kindle Titles linked through Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink and Kindle Review.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? April 22, 2013

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 had a good week and I got to read/listen to some good books.
I finished three books and am nearly done a fourth. I posted four reviews, one with Giveaway and a Sourcebook giveaway too.  I also posted the weekly Mailbox Monday meme, Friday Pick Giveaway, Saturday Snapshot, Sharing Beyond Books Comment Giveaway and Sunday Words.

Once again I visited about ten Monday posts early in the week and Saturday Snapshot posts at the end of the week.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday What are You Reading? April 15, 2013.

• Mailbox Monday April 15, 2013.

• #Giveaway: A Wedding in Springtime by Amanda Forester.  Ends 4/26.

• Book Review: Scorned Justice, The Men of Texas Rangers by Margaret Daley, Christian Fiction, Romantic Suspense; my rating 4.5.
  

• Book Review and Giveaway: An Angel by Her Side by Ruth Reid;  Amish Romance; my rating 5.0. Ends 4/26.

• Audio Book Review: That Night on Thistle Lane by Carla Negers, Contemporary Romance; my rating 3.75.
  

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway April 19, 2013. Open Worldwide. Ends 4/25.
  

• Saturday Snapshot (4/20/13) Magical Birthday Photos
  

• Book Review: Sword in the Stars (Book 1) by Wayne Thomas Batson; Fantasy, Christian Fiction; my rating 5.0.
  

• Sharing Beyond Books #96 Comment Giveaway 4/20/13. Ends 4/26.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement April 21, 2013.
  

Finished Reading:

1. eBook/Kindle

The Sword in the Stars (Book1)
in The Dark Sea Annals Series 
by Wayne Thomas Batson
A great read! Review post Linked above. 
Click on title for full Book Description.

2. Print and Kindle

Rest in Peace
by Frances Divine
Not the best cozy mystery I have read.
I'll post a review and Giveaway this week.
Click on title for full Book Description.

3. Print

The Forever Knight
by John Marco
A different, interesting story.
This is part of TLC book tour; my review will post on 4/22.
Click on title for full Book Description.

4. Audio/MP3

Hunter: A Thriller 
by Robert Bidinotto
I just finished the exciting conclusion.
Reviewing for Robert Bidinotto through Audiobook Jukebox. I will post a review this week.
Click on title for full Book Description.

Line Edits/Releases:
Working on releases for end or month and May.

Currently reading:
1. eBook/Print

The Wolf of Tebron by C. S. Lakin
I have started this and like the fairy tale style so far.  Reviewing through NetGalley.
Book Description
Publication Date: August 9, 2010 | Series: The Gates of Heaven Series (Book 1)

In classic fairy tale style, we embark on an enchanted journey with a young blacksmith—Joran—whose only desire is to live a peaceful, uncomplicated life in his forest village, a desire shattered by the sudden and bizarre disappearance of his wife, Charris. Later, Joran is plagued by nightmares of an unimaginable sea, where Charris remains trapped in a sand castle at the whim of the Moon. The goose woman insists he will find no rest from his nightmares until he solves the riddle of three keys. She tells him to travel the treacherous journey to the house of the Moon to find the answers he seeks.

Unable to ignore the urgings of his nightmares, Joran sets out north seeking the Moon. Leaving a town and family where he never felt truly at home, Joran’s journey becomes more than just a search for his wife. His path also leads inward, for he must face emotions that have tormented him his entire life—feelings of alienation and anger, of despair and hurt. Along the way he rescues a wolf—a huge, imposing creature that becomes a companion, and eventually a trusted friend.

Joran has the uncanny ability to speak with animals, and learns from the wolf, Ruyah, that he can manipulate his dreams to affect the real world. With Ruyah’s humor and guidance, Joran finds the courage and fortitude to press on, despite setbacks and disappointments. With the wolf by his side he endures the darkness at the end of the world and the ravings of the lunatic Moon, who sends him off—more confused than before—to the Palace of the Sun with a seemingly useless gift.

After trekking through a vast, unmerciful desert, Joran arrives at the Palace of the Sun, where he meets the Sun’s mother, Sola. She helps Joran understand part of his riddle and then sends him, with the gift of a sunstone, to the cave of the South Wind, whom, she says, will finally reveal the truth to him about his wife—if he dares hear it. He and Ruyah travel south through jungle, and finally arrive at the cave. There Joran is swept along a vision where he sees his past, and in horror, learns truths that send him into deep despair. The South Wind dismisses him with one last gift—but like the other two gifts, he has no idea what they are for or how they will help him rescue his wife. She tells him to find the sea of his dreams—far west, beyond his imagining.

2. Print

Cowboy Take Me Away
by Jane Graves
I will start this tomorrow.
Reviewing for Forever, Hachette.
Book Description
Release date: April 30, 2013 | Series: Rainbow Valley

FIRST LOVE BURNS HOTTER

Rainbow Valley, Texas, has always been a refuge for animals, and Shannon North, director of the local shelter, intends to keep it that way. But with donations drying up and more pets in need of a loving home than ever before, Shannon's beginning to fear she's not the savior the shelter needs. When a tall, dark, and handsome cowboy from her past comes to the rescue, she knows that accepting his help may come with a high price: her heart.

THE SECOND TIME AROUND

Bad boy Luke Dawson shook the dust from this little town off his boots years ago. He walked away from everything . . . except the memory of the one night of passion he shared with Shannon. Now, a few wins away from becoming the world bull-riding champion, Luke's headed for fame and fortune. But then a crisis calls him back to Rainbow Valley, and Luke is reunited with the good girl who stole-and broke-his heart. As their rekindled relationship deepens into desire, old secrets resurface, and Luke must choose between the future he's always dreamed of and the only woman he's ever loved.

3. eBook/Kindle

Lady of Devices, a steampunk adventure novel (Magnificent Devices)
by Shelley Adina
I am looking forward to reading this book that I won a couple of months ago.
Book Description
Publication Date: May 29, 2011
Book One of the Magnificent Devices series, a novel of 54,000 words.

London, 1889. Victoria is Queen. Charles Darwin’s son is Prime Minister. And steam is the power that runs the world.

At 17, Claire Trevelyan, daughter of Viscount St. Ives, was expected to do nothing more than pour an elegant cup of tea, sew a fine seam, and catch a rich husband. Unfortunately, Claire’s talents lie not in the ballroom, but in the chemistry lab, where things have a regrettable habit of blowing up. When her father gambles the estate on the combustion engine and loses, Claire finds herself down and out on the mean streets of London. But being a young woman of resources and intellect, she turns fortune on its head. It’s not long before a new leader rises in the underworld, known only as the Lady of Devices.

When she meets Andrew Malvern, a member of the Royal Society of Engineers, she realizes her talents may encompass more than the invention of explosive devices. They may help her realize her dreams and his . . . if they can both stay alive long enough to see that sometimes the closest friendships can trigger the greatest betrayals . . .

I continue to listen to The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. [Reading and listening on MP3.] I am studying with the Tyndall One Year Bible this year, hoping to read daily along with my DH.

Line Edits: Several more releases being prepared for the next few weeks. I am still doing more Smashword conversions in between print formatting.

April is going well. I have read ten books for April so far with three to go plus TBRs if I can still squeeze one or two in.

April Scheduled:
4/22 Review: The Forever Knight by John Marco (TLC)
4/24 Showers of Books Giveaway Hop 

Sourcebooks
For May 3: Jack Absolute by C.C. Humphreys

Hachette
Cowboy Take Me Away by Jane Graves

Audios:
Completed for April

NetGalley:
       The Wolf of Tebron by C. S. Lakin

From TBR Collection - TBD
Won Book - Lady of Devices, a steampunk adventure novel (Magnificent Devices) by Shelley Adina
Free Kindle/Nook or Smashwords: TBD