Sunday Words of Encouragement August 3, 2014

Our Sunday School leader taught on the Marriage Supper of the Lamb as mentioned in Revelation 19:6-9.  There isn’t much said there but when Brother G began to study the Jewish traditions of marriage it brought a great wealth of enlightenment to share a wonderful lesson. G presented the lesson in a little more fullness which I have tried to outline here.

• The groom’s father would choose a bride of integrity and purity for his son.
     *God choose the church as the bride of Christ.
• The groom’s father would invite the young lady to visit his home and negotiate the “ketubah” or marriage contract. There is a list of expectations that the bride agrees to perform and a (shorter) list of things the groom agrees to provide in the marriage. If the young lady agrees then the contract is signed. This signafies the beggining of the marriage although it might not be consumated for a year or more.
     *God invites us, individuals who make up the church, to meet and accept His son, Jesus. The New Testament is the marriage contract between Jesus and His bride, the church.
• The signing of the contract is celebrated and sealed by drinking from one goblet, the cup of unity.
     *Our commitment is sealed by Jesus blood and our acceptance of His gift. We are asked to remember this blood of covenant each time we take communion. We are to remember that the groom is waiting for His pure bride to come when He is sent “to take her home as your wife.” (As the angel said to Joseph about Mary in Matthew 1:20.) Jesus says He will not drink of the fruit again until we are together in my Father’s Kingdom. Matthew 26:29.
• The father of the groom gives betrothal gifts to the bride to signify her value and worth. This is called the “mohar” or bride price. The groom too gives gifts.
     *God paid the greatest price, the sacrifice of His son, as the bride price. Jesus gave the gift of His blood and also left behind the gift of the Holy Spirit to be with the believer until He comes again.
• The groom goes away to prepare a bridal chamber in his father’s household where he will bring the bride when his father says it is time.
     *Jesus left saying He was going to build a place for us in His father’s kingdom.
• The bride begins preparations including a bathing or immersion, the ‘mikveh’, which is a ritual bath designed for the Jewish rite of purification.
     *When a sinner accepts Christ they are told to participate in a water baptism to show the cleansing power of their commitment.
• The bride wears a veil to show that she is promised and no longer available to other men. She must continue to be ready, vigilant and pure, until the groom comes.
     *We must put on a spiritual veil to show we are no longer part of the material world. We are told to seek santification, as a process toward being holy and pure. 1 Thessalonians 4.
• Both the groom and the bride wait and anticipate the day with joy, neither knowing the true day or hour of the consumation as it will be the groom’s father who will finally say: “Son, go get your bride!”
     *Regarding the time of Jesus return: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32.
• The event would normally occur at night and the groom’s friends would proceed him in the streets announcing “the bridegroom cometh!” The bride would have to be ready as she would not know when he would come.
     *The faithful church is to be prayed up, repenting continually and always ready like the wise brides rather than the foolish brides who were unprepared. Matthew 25: 1-10. We are to be alert and sober as the return will come like a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11.

This is an old hymn that Brother G shared with the lesson:

We Shall See the King!

Verses for Today:
1 Thessalonians 5:8-11.
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Thank you God for choosing me to be part of the Bride of Christ. Help me each day to be vigilant in casting off worldly things and focusing on love and serving You until the wonderful day You return to claim Your bride.

Sharing Beyond Books #162 Comment Giveaway August 2, 2014

Hello again on Saturday night and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB!
It's been a busy week for me. I am tired but not exhausted.

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.
Sarah attended BEA 2012 (lucky) and Miki has attended a manga convention. How sad that they destroy the books instead of doing giveaways! The other 13 commenters have not attended a convention but most would like to, especially if there was one nearby.

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #161 comments is: #8 bn100 who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the ARC/Review titles, Christmas titles or Love titles - all linked near the end of the post.  Please let me know your choice by completing the (new) WINNER FORM.

WEEK #162 (One Question.)

Q1. Becky asks: 1 Do you use the Library much or is it easier just to buy the book??

A: I have to admit that I have only been to our local library twice in the nine+ years we have lived here. Last time was before I began this blog in 2009. So I read books I get for review, books I download, books I have won or books I purchase, usually at low price for ebook or used for print.

Our sweet, if small, library.
I make a commitment to visit before the end of 2014.

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 draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! We still have a supply of questions but from the same people so hopefully others will send more in -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify to use.

Your turn to share:

Q1. Becky asks: Do you use the Library much or is it easier just to buy the book??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Valentine and "Love" books, the Christmas Giveaway Books (this is the new link), or the June 2013 Newly Updated ARC/Review List.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on either of the two 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 through Saturday August 9, 2014 at 5 PM  central.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway August 1, 2014

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

Ahh- end of the month and it has been full of closings! A really good week at the office but I am tired tonight.
I didn't get a chance to get another box of books together so that will have to be posted next week.

[UPDATED NOTE - US entrants I prefer, please, that you pick a book as that is the first purpose of this giveaway - to find new homes for books. The GCs are for the international entrants because postage has jumped up.]

Thank you to all who entered the July 25 Pick. There were no automatic wins this week.  (Automatic winners are those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks.) There were no titles blocked.

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from July 25 Pick:
Linda gets a GC

Linda K gets Dirty Sexy Knitting

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, sexy or sweet bookmarks. {The form is new because Google changed their forms and the old one wasn't letting me print out the responses.}

It is almost back to school time so this is a nice idea for books for preschoolers.

Image (and recommendations) found at Planet Smarty Pants.

New Book Group #49 June 27, 2014

PAIRS:
Sandra Brown:  The Thrill of Victory and Temperatures Rising
Beverly Barton: The Last to Die and Raintree: Sanctuary
SINGLES:
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
Down by the Water by Caroline Upcher
Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton
Savage Thunder by Cassie Edwards
Miracle by Deborah Smith
Desperate Alliances by Cory Daniells
Never Walk Alone by Paula Detmer Riggs
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin
Running Blind by Lee Child
Dirty Sexy Knitting by Christie Ridgway
The Grey Beginning by Barbara Michaels
The Highlander's Bride by Michele Sinclair


New Book Group #48 May 30, 2014

PAIRS:
Karen Haper:  Black Orchid (spine creases) and Shaker Run
Elizabeth Lowell: Fever and The Color of Death
SINGLES:
After Dark by Phillip Margolin Audio Tapes
Dangerous by Debra Dier
First to Fight Anthology
Full Bloom by Jayne Ann Krentz
Mesmerized by Gayle Lynds
On the Edge by Susan Kearney
Safe by His Side by Linda Conrad
Son of the Sword by J. Ardian Lee
Spring Fancy by LaVyrle Spenser
Tangled Lives by Margot Dalton
Trial by Fire by Jo Davis
Underfoot by Leanne Banks


New Book Group #47 April 25, 2014

PAIRS:
Catherine Palmer: Prairie Rose and A Whisper of Danger
Stephanie Laurens: A Lady of His Own (spine creases) and Impetuous Innocent
SINGLES:
Trey's Secret by Lois Faye Dayer
Midnight Reign by Chris Marie Green
Once Upon a Moon by Julie Kistler
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty byVickie Kennedy



New Book Group #46 March 15, 2014

PAIRS:
   Virginia Henley - Notorious and Insatiable
   Debbie Macomber - Navy Woman and This Matter of Marriage
SINGLES:
Sweet Talking Man by Betina Krain
Penhollow by Georgette Heyer
The Last Heiress by Bertrice Small (spine creases)
Strong Arms of the Law by Vicki Kennedy


New Book Group #45 January 31, 2014

PAIRS:
   Deborah Cooke: Winter Kiss and Kiss of Fate
   Fern Michaels:  Hey Good Looking and Charming Lily
SINGLES:
Out of Darkness by Lynn Erickson
Lord Braybrook's Penniless Bride by Elizabeth Rolls
Contract Dad by Helen Shelton
Hearts Are Wild by Laura Wright

New Book Group #44 December 14, 2013---(All gone)

New Book Group! #43 November 1, 2013 ---(All gone)

New Book Group #42 September 27, 2013 ---(All gone)

New Book Group #41 August 2, 2013

Singles:
The Nightingale's Song by Jo-Ann Power
Cattle Rancher, Secret Son by Margaret Way
White Heather by Jaclyn Reding

New Book Group #40 June 28, 2013

Singles:
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)

New Book Group #39 May 31, 2013 - Plenty of "summer" titles!
Singles:
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford

New Book Group #38 April 20, 2013
Awaken the Senses by Nalini Singh

New Book Group #37 March 22, 2013
Singles:
Anthology: Something Borrowed, Something Blue - this book has spine creases and minor water damage...I thought I had read it and liked it but now I realize it was another anthology I read with Elaine Barbier.

New Book Group #36 February 15, 2013

The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe

New Book Group #35 January 11, 2013 (All gone)

New Book Group #34 December 7, 2012--- (All gone)

New Book Group #33 October 27, 2012---(All gone)

New Book Group #32 October 5, 2012
- 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

New Book Group #31 August 31, 2012
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)

New Book Group #30 July 27, 2012
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Wild Escapade by Lisa Bingham
Dancing on Snowflakes by Jane Bonander

New Book Group #29 June 29, 2012
Magic: The Gathering Distant Planes, An Anthology

New Book Group #28 May 18, 2012--- (All gone)

New book Group #27 April 13, 2012--- (All gone)

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

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

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

New Group #23 Pick Books October 14, 2011
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser

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

New Group #21 of Pick Books July 29, 2011---(All gone)

May, 2011 New Group of Pick books Group #20---(All gone)

3/25/11 I did get to set up a new group of books: Group #19
Primary Colors - audio tapes

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 on November 27, 2009 and in four years I have posted 43 groups of 16 (688) books to find new homes! (as of November 2013).

I 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 691+ 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 $7.00 and $6.00 $10.00 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
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 

List #15---(All gone)

List #14---(All gone)

Here is set #13 of Used books! ---(All gone)

Group #12---(All gone)

Group #11
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester

List #1
Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo

Pick #2---(All gone)

Pick #3---(All gone)

Pick #4---(All gone)

Pick #5---(All gone)

Pick #6---(All gone)

Pick #7
Prey by Michael Crichton - Audio Tape

Pick #8
The Jury by Steve Martini - Audio Tapes
No Safe Place by Richard North Patterson - Audio Tapes

Pick #9
On Treacherous Ground by Earl Murray

Pick #10---(All Gone)

Book Review: Sky Zone: A Novel (The Crittendon Files) by Creston Mapes

This is an action packed thriller with a lead character whose faith is real and tested. 
Sky Zone: A Novel (The Crittendon Files)
by Creston Mapes

• File Size: 3223 KB
• Print Length: 448 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook (June 1, 2014)
• ASIN: B00IZQWZEU

Genre: Thriller, Christian Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: June 1, 2014
A rally for a controversial presidential candidate.
A terrorist threat.
A nightmare of cataclysmic proportions.

Jack and Pamela Crittendon have hit the breaking point. After months out of work as a reporter, Jack is playing Mr. Mom and working part-time at Festival Arena with his survivalist friend Brian Shakespeare. Meanwhile, Pamela has gone back to work full-time while eight months pregnant. Having her recently widowed mother on hand isn't making matters any easier.
With financial pressures boiling, Jack reports for duty at a rally for controversial presidential candidate Martin Sterling where he expects a mindless night on the job. But when Homeland Security picks up intel about a potential terrorist threat, Jack and Shakespeare are thrust into a life-or-death battle to save their own lives--and the lives of thousands of innocent people.

This third book in The Crittendon Files reminds us of the power of family, friendships and faith--and why we are never in as much control as we think.

Review:
Jack Crittendon lost his job as a news reporter and is struggling.  Jack’s friend, Brian Shakespeare, an obsessive survivalist, helped Jack get a part time job as extra security at the local event Arena. Jack’s wife, Pamela, has had to go back to work full time even though she is eight months pregnant. Her mother, Margaret, a recent widow is living with them and beginning to show signs of memory loss and confusion.

Jack has interviewed for a news position that is scheduled to open up if Martin Sterling does well in early polls. Sterling is a presidential candidate who is running on a controversial platform to restrict activities of all Muslims as potential terrorists. Sterling is scheduled to appear at a rally at the Arena and a popular rock musician turned Christian evangelist, Everett Lester, is appearing too.

Homeland Security announces a terrorist threat to the rally function but Sterling refuses to cancel the event. The Arena managers are poorly prepared to deal with the threat and call in a small team of experts as well as local authority. Shakespeare is convinced they have already missed clues as first one Arena guard, then a second disappears. Although the experts waiver, Shakespeare is sure that the terrorists are already in the building hiding in the upper levels known as the Sky Zone. Shakespeare has a weapon stash in his car that he retrieves in order to help protect the Arena guards, Sterling and Lester.

They tried to keep the fans out of the Arena but a couple thousand got in when doors were accidentally open. Shakespeare helps some people escape but among those who get trapped inside with the terrorists are Pam and Margaret. Pam goes into early labor while the terrorists kidnap Sterling and Lester.

There is plenty of excitement in this thriller as well as close character involvement. I did guess some aspects of the terrorist attack but it was fun reading how the truth was revealed. I enjoyed how the author portrays Jack’s true-to-life struggles with his circumstances even as he tries to understand how God is allowing these difficult things to happen out of Jack's control. Jack and Pam must cope with the possibility of health problems with their baby. Jack faces true temptation when doing the “right thing” will likely result in him not getting the news job he wants so badly.

The writing is direct and after a bit of a slow start the story reads at a good pace. This is apparently a third book in a series but I was able to enjoy it as a stand alone. I recommend this to readers who enjoy a thriller that presents Godly faith in the lives of the characters.

I received this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

Book Review and Giveaway: Priceless by Christina Dodd

One of my favorite, collectible authors delivers a 'priceless romance'.

Priceless

by Christina Dodd

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Avon; Reissue edition (January 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006104153X
• Genre: Historical Romance
• My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 2009

Headstrong and adventurous, Bronwyn Edana regularly stuns polite society with her reckless exploits. But there is one type of exploit the fiery beauty has never experienced. Still innocent when it comes to men and their roguish ways, she can barely believe the breathless desire she has begun to feel for Adam Keane, a distinguished nobleman and a man with more than his fair share of liaisons in his past . . .

Now branded by a haunting tragedy, Adam will not rest until he lures Bronwyn to his bed. When a shocking conspiracy threatens their lives, he'll bring her from the dangerous streets of London to the sweeping countryside—for he has seen enough of the world to know that a passion like theirs is priceless.

Review:
Bronwyn is one of the reknowned Edana sisters, but being short, full and blonde, she has always felt clumsy and drab next to her tall, sleek, black haired, stunning sisters. Bronwyn favors scholarly pursuits rather than the “social graces” of needlepoint, music and dance. Bronwyn’s charming, spendthrift father has arranged a marriage to exchange Bronwyn, as an 'Edana bride', for funds to refill his pockets.

Adam Keane is a handsome nobleman who is determined to restore his family reputation. Adam’s father was hanged as a counterfeiter leaving his mother struggling to stay out of the poor house. Adam has worked hard and made smart investments building his wealth. Now he believes a high born bride will help secure his re-entry into society.

Initially Adam is disappointed to meet his fiance who looks like a brown wren wrapped in over-sized clothes and an ugly wig. He is soon pleasantly surprised by her staunch spirit, the sparkle in her eyes and the curves he discovers under her ill-fitting clothes. He is even impressed by her intelligence although he sarcastically belittles that by a comment that Bronwyn overhears.

Bronwyn runs off to stay with a friend who maintains a scientific salon. Madame Rachelle helps Bronwyn uncover her own beauty and she becomes the mysterious, seductive ‘Cherie’. Another young lady is jealous and reveals Bronwyn’s true identity to an enemy who has reason to fear Bronwyn may know his secrets.

Adam has been asked to spy out a plot involving the South Seas Trading Company. He is distracted trying to find Bronwyn and when he locates her he is set to win her in his bed and in his life. Their relationship grows but there are difficulties. Bronwyn’s parents replaced Bronwyn’s more timid younger sister, Olivia, as the promised bride. Adam can’t cry off the wedding without ruining all of their reputations. Even worse, Adam’s reputation is already being muddied by an enemy who has framed Adam as a man passing forged stock certificates.

I loved Bronwyn’s strong, independent character and her transformation from ugly duckling to beautiful swan. I also liked Adam’s fierce integrity and the vulnerabilities he hides behind his brooding countenance. I found the plot wonderfully engaging with the romantic tension, the dangerous stock conspiracy and a strikingly ugly, bitter and vengeful villain. Several of the other characters add to the story too, including Bronwyn’s parents and Adam’s irrepressible mother, Mab.

The reading was smooth and fast paced. I was surprised by the range of ratings for the book at Amazon. It appears that readers either were captivated, like me, or found the book totally lacking. This is one of Dodd’s earlier works so the romance is sensual and not steamy which suits me fine. This reminded me why Christina Dodd is a favorite author of mine and why I collect her titles.

~~~~~~~~~~

Early reactions to each other:

For the first time since she'd lived in his house, he smiled. He smiled at her. Her breath caught. She froze. The man she'd thought of as severe, austere, a maiden's vampire fantasy, transformed himself into a wicked highway-man, waiting to rob her of her good sense. Their eyes locked. Page 61.

Yet he'd never imagined a woman like Bronwyn. From the first moment they'd met, she'd upended his expectations. She'd broadsided him with surprises, and he feared he wasn't the ice man he had previously believed. His mother claimed he wasn't cold, that he wore a mask, and he'd denied it vigorously. Page 109.

I picked this title from one of my collections.

Giveaway:

I can't bring myself to part with my 1992 print paperback so I am going to share an eBook copy.

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY an eBook copy

Kindle, Nook or ebook versions available at Google (priced at or below $6.00)

ENTRY FORM HERE

(Don't forget to fill in the form for entry!

I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.)

For 3 Extra Bonus entries comment on the review, OR

visit THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE and tell me something you like/learned there.

* This contest is open Worldwide for ebook.
* This contest will close 5 PM (Central) August 9, 2014.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after August 9, 2014.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.