Sunday Words of Encouragement March 22, 2015

Our Wednesday night women’s study has been doing a study by Beth Moore called Children of the Day, 1& 2 Thessalonians. I was enjoying the study about Paul’s dedicated efforts to preach the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. Even though he had been hindered by men and Satan, (Thessalonians 2: 14-16 and 18), suffered greatly for his efforts (2 Corinthians 11:23-28), he pressed on with every opportunity and did find times when he could proclaim and teach “with openness and unhindered” (Acts 28:30-31).

Paul and his friends exhorted the Thessalonians to proceed with the work of faith, labor of love and endurance of hope. 1 Thessalonians 1:3. Even when Paul had not yet met the people he cared for them and shared the love of Christ. This same message should speak to us today and encourage us to stand together, be bold, walk a steady course and speak out the message of the gospel of Christ.

(I am behind in the study now having missed several weeks due to travel and preparation. I may ask to watch the videos when I return and I will have to discipline myself to complete the study.)

I found this song that fits perfectly with this message since we are children of the day 

and we are the light of the world!

We Are by Kari Jobe

A Verse for Today:
1Thessalonians 5:5 (NIV)
You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

Prayer: I thank you Lord for providing in depth study of your word by other devoted Christians. Help me to take in the teaching and use it to spread the word of your glory and redemption. Help me to be a child of the light and of the day, sharing Your love in a darkened world.

Notice: Delay for Sharing Beyond Books

There will be a delay in posting SBB this week. We are set up in our camp site for this week but having some electric breaker issues. We took a family vacation (to Orlando, Disney World) with all the kids to join us soon! I will post this as soon as I can.

Book Review: Echoes (A Harp Security Novel) by Laura K. Curtis

This is a very good romantic suspense with the emphasis on action and suspense.

Echoes (A Harp Security Novel)

Laura K. Curtis

• File Size: 1075 KB
• Print Length: 282 pages
• Publisher: InterMix (March 17, 2015)
• Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
• ASIN: B00NGZOH6O

Genre: Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: March 17, 2015
Who is she?
A single photo of herself as an infant on a beach, taken before the date on her birth certificate, throws everything Calliope Pearson knows about herself into question. Hoping to find answers, she takes advantage of her job as a travel writer to make a reservation at the Caribbean island resort in the picture.
Resort security chief Mac Brody distrusts Callie on sight. After all, she looks exactly like his deceitful missing wife, Nikki, who owns half the resort. But when Nikki’s found dead, Mac's facing murder charges, and he’s sure that Callie must hold the key to proving his innocence.
The deeper Callie and Mac dive into the mystery of her past, the more bodies surface. And they’ll have to learn to trust each other, or become victims of a dark danger neither could've imagined….
Praise for TWISTED:
“Sexy small town suspense, with finely drawn characters that will tug at your heart and keep you up at night turning pages.”—Bestselling Author Dee Davis
Laura K. Curtis has always done everything backwards. As a child, she was extremely serious, so now that she’s chronologically an adult, she feels perfectly justified in acting the fool. She started teaching at age fifteen, then decided to go back to school herself at thirty. And she wrote her first book in first grade. It was released in (notebook) paperback to rave reviews and she's been trying to achieve the same level of acclaim ever since. She lives in Westchester County, New York, with her husband and a pack of wild Irish Terriers, which has taught her how easily love can coexist with the desire to kill.

Review:
Callie is a bright, secure professional young woman. She was raised by her father who was part journalist and part diplomat. He taught her many skills to help keep her safe during their many travels. Callie is now a freelance journalist who often reviews resorts for travel magazines. This provides the perfect cover when she travels to a lush, private resort on St. Martin. She found an old picture of her mother and herself as an infant on the island that has raised her strong curiosity. As soon as she arrives at the resort she gets strange looks and a strong reaction.

Mac is infuriated when he first sees Callie. He thinks his soon to be ex-wife, who has been missing for over a week, is playing some manipulative game. Callie could be Nikki's twin although they have different body types and different attitudes. Nikki is a model thin, spoiled party-girl while Callie is more natural and, as he soon learns, very capable of living a normal life.
“Normal” at least until it becomes clear that someone is rifling her belongings and even trying to kidnap her. Mac is very impressed at how well Callie handles herself when they start racing from the police and finding themselves hiding from authorities and dodging bullets from goons.

This is a very good romantic suspense with the emphasis on action and suspense. There is good sexual tension between Callie and Mac and a few steamy encounters, but most of the story is tied up in two intersecting plot lines. A twisted serial killer has been killing young women and others who seem to have a connection to the father of the resort owner, and a connection to Callie. There also are leads to am arms dealer that has old army buddies of Mac flying to the rescue and commandeering the search for answers. The secondary security characters have interesting background, skills and resources - and will be good material in other stories I’m sure..

I really enjoyed the fast paced action and danger even if some might consider the plot a stretch on reality. But it could happen. I would have liked a little more wrap up on details acknowledging that Mac was no longer a suspect on the run from authorities. Since one major villain is still on the loose, I hope for more adventure with these characters. I would definitely read more from this author and recommend this book to readers who enjoy action-packed romantic suspense.

I received this book through Rock Star PR for an honest review. This will qualify for new author.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway March 20, 2015

Happy Friday. I hope everyone had a lucky St. Patrick's Day. I have been super busy at work since we got home on Tuesday. It has been very rushed. 
I did get the new list up and mostly linked but I am ready to crash now. And I realize I am behind in updating the giveaway links but I think that will have to wait as I am too tired to do more right now.  

TO ENTER:

US Entrants: Leave a comment and tell me WHICH BOOK you would like to get from the Friday Pick lists.
INTERNATIONAL: Leave a comment indicating "Gift Card" (see further comments near the end of the post.)

CUT OFF TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 9:00 PM CENTRAL so I do not have to stay up to late 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 without other people asking for that book during those weeks.

Thank you to all who entered the March 13 Pick. There were three 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 was one title blocked.
LindaK gets Daisy's Back in Town
Karina gets The Da Vinci Code
Booklady gets Touched by Fire

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from March 13 Pick:
Di gets Angel's Peak

Dr. Wright gets Stuart Woods Pair

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.}

Green books work fine for me. :-)

Image found at St Patrick's Day 2015

New Book Group #56 March 20, 2015
(I'll try to get the rest linked another day.)

PAIRS:
Dick Francis: A Jockey's Life and Proof (spine creases)
Catherine Lanigan: Tender Malice and Elusive Love (spine creases)
Parent Trap Anthology, Dallas Schulze, Lisa Jackson, Kasey Michaels
Madison Avenue Marriage (Silhouette Desire #129) by Cassandra Bishop
The Sweetheart Dance by Patti Ann Colt
Ain't Myth-Behaving by Kate MacAlister
Death at Play by Nancy Gotter Gates
Where is He Now? by Jennifer Greene
Raintree Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones (spine creases)
Aphrodite's Secret by Julie Kenner
Virtually His by Gennita Low
Dead Even by Brad Metzger
Mommy Midwife by Cassie Miles
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks


New Book Group #55 February 5, 2015
(I'll try to get the rest linked another day.)

PAIRS:
Virginia Henley: The Pirate and the Pagan (spine creases) and The Falcon and the Flower
James Patterson: London Bridges and Roses are Red (both spine creases)
SINGLES:
Pale Kings and Princes by Robert Parker Audio Cassette Tapes
Hour Game by David Baldacci (spine creases)
If I Had You by Deborah Bedford
The Girl With the Golden Spurs by Ann Major
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You by Kasey Michaels
Dark Possession by Christine Feehan
Daisy's Back in Town by Rachel Gibson
The Man Who Ate the 747 by Ben Sherwood
Paradise Bay by James Michael Pratt
The Last Two Bachelors by Debbie Macomber
Exclusive Anthology by Fiona Hood-Stewart, Sharon Kendrick and Jackie Braun
Duets Romantic Comedy: Lady and the Scamp by Candy Halliday & The Doctor Dilemma by Dianne Drake

New Book Group #54 December 26, 2014

PAIRS:
Lisa Gardner: Alone and Gone
Janet Evanovich: Eleven on Top and Twelve Sharp
Stuart Wood: L.A. Dead and Fresh Disasters
SINGLES:
Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card - Tape Cassettes
New Blood by Gail Dayton
Except the Dying by Maureen Jennings
To Collar a Killer by Lee Charles Kelley
Dead I Well May Be by Adrian McKinty
‘Til There Was You by Elizabeth Ann Michaels
The Ladies’ Lunch by Patricia O’Brien
Wild Winds by Janelle Taylor
Shrink Rap by Robert B. Parker - Tape Cassettes
Rescue Me Anthology by Cherry Adair, Lora Leigh and Cindy Gerard


BOX 4 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 47-53)

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty byVickie Kennedy
First to Fight Anthology
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin
Maybe This Time by Victoria Barrett
The Commander by Kate Bridges
The Cinderella Plan by Margaret Daley
The Mr. & Mrs. Happy Handbook by Steve Doocy
A Garden of Friends by Penny Pierce Rose
Intrepid Encounter by Rebecca Ashley
A Stranger's Wife by Maggie Osborne
Richard Paul Evans PAIR: The Looking Glass and The Carousel
Duo Book: Yesterday's Memories by Tara Taylor Quinn and Amanda Stevens
At The Stroke of Madness by Alex Kava
Undateable by Ellen Rakieten & Anne Coyle
Catherine Anderson PAIR: Seventh Heaven and Always in My Heart
Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot
Sleeping with Ward Cleaver by Jenny Gardiner


BOX 3 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 39- 47)

Touched by Fire by Kathleen O'Reilly
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
It All Began at Monte Carlo by Elizabeth Adler
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)
Mariah Stewart PAIR: Priceless and Brown-Eyed Girl
Cattle Rancher, Secret Son by Margaret Way
Whisper on the Wind by Joan Smith
Fulfillment by Barbara Delinsky
Trouble Becomes Her by Laura Van Wormer
Remember Me by Mary Higgins Clark
Diana Palmer PAIR: Diamond Spur, Long Tall Texan
A Lady of Consequence by Mary Nichols
Sweet Talking Man by Betina Krain
Illegal Possession by Kay Hooper


BOX 2 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 24- 38)

Final Justice by Jasmine Cresswell
Thinner by Stephen King
Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov
Mary Higgins Clark PAIR: Let Me Call You Sweetheart and Moonlight Becomes You (SC)
Magic: The Gathering Distant Planes, An Anthology
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Dancing on Snowflakes by Jane Bonander
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
A Courtesans Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley -- 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
Angel's Peak by Robyn Carr
The Millionaire's Daughter by Sophie Weston
Tara Taylor Quinn: Father: Unknown and McGillus v.Wright
The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe
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.
Bride by Command by Linda Winstead Jones
Awaken the Senses by Nalini Singh


BOX #1 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 1- 23)

Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo
The Woman Next Door by Barbara Delinsky
One Eye Closed by Karen Whiddon
The Darkroom by Minette Walters
The Elusive Flame by Kathleen Woodwiss
Prey by Michael Crichton - Audio Tape
On Treacherous Ground by Earl Murray
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester
Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
McNally's Puzzle by Lawrence Sanders
The Undertaker's Widow by Phillip M. Margolin
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone Mystery)
Tender Triumph by Judith McNaught
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Death Angel by Linda Howard

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 five+ years I have posted 54 groups of 16 (864) books to find new homes! (as of February 6, 2015).

I am happy to say that so far about 786+ 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. 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!

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 $7.00 and $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)

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!

Book Review: The Last Heiress by Mary Ellis

This is a lovely romance set in interesting but difficult circumstances of the Civil War.
The Last Heiress
by Mary Ellis

• File Size: 951 KB
• Print Length: 354 pages
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (February 1, 2015)
• ASIN: B00RYB9NHY
• Genre: Historical Romance
• My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: February 1, 2015
Bestselling author Mary Ellis (A Widow’s Hope) presents The Last Heiress, a new romantic standalone that intertwines the lives of a British manufacturing heiress and an American merchant caught in the turbulent time of the War Between the States.

Amanda Dunn set sail from England for Wilmington, North Carolina, hoping to somehow restore shipments of cotton for her family’s textile mills, which have been severely disrupted by the American Civil War. But when she meets Nathaniel Cooper, her desire to conduct business and quickly return to England changes.

Amanda’s family across the sea deems the hardworking merchant unsuitable for the lovey and accomplished heiress. And when Nate himself begins to draw away, Amanda has her own battle for a happy future on her hands.

As the War Between the States heats up, Nate’s brother, a Confederate officer, comes for a visit. Nate begins to think about joining up—not in support of slavery but to watch his brother’s back. Yet will this potentially life-changing decision put the union between him and Amanda she so wishes for in jeopardy?

Review:
Amanda is the remaining daughter of her wealthy mill owning father. Her brother was killed in an accident and her twin sister has been gone several years after running off to marry her sweetheart, an American son of a Wilmington supplier. Amanda convinces her father that she can learn the mill business and be his emissary to negotiate new contracts in America. Reluctantly he agrees and sends her on her way with only a maid.

Amanda is thrilled to reunite with her sister Amelia. She is dismayed to discover that Amelia and her husband are slave owners when they gift a young black slave to serve Amelia. Even Amanda’s maid is in an awkward social position because she is not a slave nor a noble.

Amanda’s initial attempts to broker a contract for cotton are met with disdain by Amelia’s husband and his father. They do not wish to deal with a woman and Amelia’s husband doesn’t appreciate Amanda’s independent nature.

Nate is a young man from the Smoky Mountains who found his way to Wilmington to find work and build a dream. He has worked hard as a grocer saving money to buy land and a home someday. Nate is smitten when he sees Amanda. She is charmed by his natural, open friendliness. Over the many months that Amanda is in Wilmington, their friendship grows in spite of differences in their social status and the objections and obstacles presented by Amelia’s husband.

As the Union Army moves closer to invading Wilmington, the personal dynamics change. Nate begins to feel he must finally join the Confederate Army after discovering his younger brother is alive and in danger as a young officer. Nate tries to send Amanda back to England without realizing the extent of her stubbornness. Meanwhile Amanda’s brother-in-law discovers he has placed his family business at risk to the dangers of war. He also must face a new circumstance as many of his servants run off. There is an ironic twist that results from the dangers that adds to the plot.

I really enjoyed the characters of Amanda and Nate and their gentle verbal sparring. It was interesting to see that they each felt out of place in their society roles and expectations. I also liked the wonderful history and the excellent portrayal of the race, class and social difficulties in the English and young American situations. There are interesting discussions regarding the slave and social issues and comparing the differences in the two countries.

Amanda has a nice faith conviction and there is a nice input of faith from a secondary character that fit with the circumstances and gave strength to Nate as the story progressed. The writing flowed nicely with the rich story and descriptions. There is also a nice set of Discussion Questions at the conclusion.

I would definitely like to read more by this author. I recommend this to those who enjoy historical romance and Civil War settings (like I do).

I received this from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review. It qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge.