Sharing Beyond Books #246 Comment Giveaway April 2, 2016

Hello again and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB!
I had a nice week; work was steady but not crazy. A friend of my hubby bought a new RV and visited for three nights. The guys had a great time telling stories and comparing notes. :-)

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.

A lot of us don't get up in time to see sunrises so nine prefer sunsets; five like sunrises (even if they see fewer) and three chose both.

~~~~~

The Winner from SBB #245 comments is: #4 Miki who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated ARC/Review titles or (not yet updated) Love titles - all linked near the end of the post. I'm hoping to update the book choices - maybe the beginning of next year, lol. Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #246

(One Question.)

Carol asks: 1)If an Author you love wrote a book in a genre you never read would you read it??

I will usually try different genres from the same author, like contemporary romance and historical romance. Also romance and fantasy or sci fi. However, it doesn't matter how much I like the author I wouldn't want to read erotica and horror is iffy too.

Image from Mandy Eve Barnett's Official Blog

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! The supply of questions is dwindling so share some if you think of any -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify to use.

Your turn to share:
Carol asks: 1)If an Author you love wrote a book in a genre you never read would you read it??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Valentine and "Love" books or the February 2015 Newly Updated ARC/Review List. (My daughter pulled several of the Christmas titles to give with gift bags we made up for the nursing homes. One of these days I will get together a new box of Christmas titles.)

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on the question 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 April 9, 2016 at 5 PM central.

Book Review and Tour Giveaway: Nobody But You (Cedar Ridge) by Jill Shalvis

There are great characters in this light, sexy romance.
Nobody But You (Cedar Ridge)
by Jill Shalvis

File Size: 549 KB
Print Length: 465 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 29, 2016)
Publication Date: March 29, 2016
ASIN: B0112T4YJA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN . . .
After an overseas mission goes wrong, Army Special Forces officer Jacob Kincaid knows where he must go to make things right: back home to the tiny town of Cedar Ridge, Colorado. All he needs to scrub away his painful past is fresh mountain air, a lakeside cabin, and quiet solitude. But what he discovers is a gorgeous woman living on a boat at his dock.

Sophie Marren has nowhere else to go. She's broke, intermittently seasick, and fighting a serious attraction to the brooding, dishy, I'm-too-sexy-for-myself guy who's now claiming her dock. Something about Jacob's dark intensity makes her want to tease-and tempt-him beyond measure. Neither one wants to give any ground . . . until they realize the only true home they have is with each other.

Review:
Sophie is recovering from an ugly divorce. She really didn’t want anything from her cheating ex, Lucas, but when the Judge pushed her she claimed the one thing Lucas cared about the most – his boat. It doesn’t matter that she gets seasick and now she has to walk or bus to work and pay mooring fees. She keeps moving at night to docks of abandoned cabins until a gorgeous hunk, Jacob, catches her at the dock of the cabin he just rented.

While trying to resist Jacob, Sophie is working all over town as a temp until she can figure out what to do with her life. She is also trying to dodge Lucas who is a big man lawyer about town.

Meanwhile, Jacob is an alpha military man on bereavement leave that has him wanting to heal his personal life. He has returned home for the first time in nine years to face his twin and his half brothers and sister. Jacob expects to be rejected or to at least have to eat humble pie to get them to agree to let him become part of the family again.

Sophie runs into Jacob a couple of times with a clear chemistry zing each time. They soon agree that it might be safe to have a fling. After all, she is off men – mostly, and he is on temporary leave so he can promise not to fall -- so he thinks. But Jacob has never experienced a sassy, sexy domino like Sophie. And Sophie has never had such a capable man give her encouragement to stand on her own. Together they are combustible! Will Jacob commit to returning to make Cedar Ridge his home? Can he convince Sophia to risk her heart again?

This is full of light, fun dialogue and smokin’ attraction plus. I’d say about fifty percent of the story is sexual interaction between Sophie and Jacob which was fun but not what I want to read so much anymore. Fortunately, there is a strong relational story going on within Jacob’s family that adds to the conflict, love and humor.

This is the third book in the series but worked fine as a stand-alone. The characters are wonderfully real and the whole tone, beyond the insecurities, is warm and affirming. I enjoyed this fast paced read and recommend it to readers who are looking for a quick excursion into a light, sexy romance.

I received this title through NetGalley for an honest review as part of a tour event. This qualifies for NetGalley Challenge and N in Alphabet Soup Challenge.

Buy Links

Amazon: amzn.to/1nJOatw 

B&N: bit.ly/250OcyR 

IndieBound: bit.ly/22gObop 

iTunes: apple.co/1TJDOYH 

GooglePlay: bit.ly/1RKiLPz 

Kobo: bit.ly/1QTy644

About Jill Shalvis
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Jill’s Social Media:

Website: JillShalvis.com

FB: Facebook.com/jillshalvis

GR: https://www.goodreads.com/JillShalvis

T: @jillshalvis

IG: @jillshalvis

P: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/

EXCERPT:

   She eyed the bench a long beat but did eventually sit, perching primly as far from him as she could get and yet still be close enough to grab the bottle.
   Smart woman.
   She took the Scotch and drank. Her eyes watered and she coughed as she handed it to him. With a sigh, she leaned back to study the night sky. Her bared throat was slim and creamy smooth. An unexpected temptation. Remembering the flash of pain and vulnerability she’d unwittingly revealed, and that for whatever reason he’d somehow added to it, he spoke. “I’m sorry.”
   She glanced at him as if she’d never heard a man apologize before in her life. “For…breathing?” she asked. “Having a penis? What?”
   “You were upset because you didn’t know I was a Kincaid.”
   She sighed. “That was just me looking for a reason to be mad at you so I wouldn’t…”
   She bit her lower lip, clearly not wanting to go on.
   But now he had to know. “So you wouldn’t what?”
   “Nothing,” she said. “It’s just that I’m trying to make better choices.”
   “Of which I wouldn’t be one.”
   “It’s not necessarily your fault,” she said. “It’s that you’re a man.”
   “Guilty as charged.”
   “And I’m off men right now.”
   “And on…women?” he asked with admittedly more than a little fascination.
   She rolled her eyes. “I’m on no one, but thank you for proving my point on men.”
   “I get that,” he said. “But being off men doesn’t seem to be making you very happy, or sound like a whole lot of fun.”
   “Maybe I don’t need fun.”
   He understood that. He’d felt the same way since Brett died. “What do you need?” he asked, honestly wanting to know more about her.
   Instead of answering, she reached for the bottle. He waited until she met his gaze before letting go.
   “Nothing,” she said a little too quickly. “Everything’s…perfect.”
   “And your glass is half full,” he said. “So you’ve said.”
   But he didn’t believe her. “How about a game?”
   “I don’t play games.”
   Now, that wasn’t exactly true. Whether she knew it or not, she’d been playing with his head since he’d first laid eyes on her. “Three truths and a lie,” he said.
   She stared at him. “As in you tell me three truths and a lie, and I pick out the lie?”
   “Yes.”
   She considered this. “What do I get if I win?”
   “What do you want?”
   For the briefest of beats, her gaze dropped to his mouth.
   Oh, hell yeah, he thought. Want me…
   “My first boyfriend taught me that game,” she said.
   “What did the winner get?”
   “A kiss.”
   Definitely still playing with his head… “Is that what you want, Sophie? A kiss?”
   Again she stared at his mouth before dropping eye contact and wrapping that eye-stopping pink robe tighter around her body. “Do you?” she asked.
   “Hell yes.”
   Her gaze flew to his.
   “Problem is,” he said conversationally, “if I kissed you, I don’t think I’d be able to stop.”
   Her mouth literally fell open. The pulse at the base of her throat jumped. And she seemed to lose her words.
   He went on. “But you should know, I don’t lose. That means you’ll have to tell me three truths and a lie.” And he’d hopefully get to know more about her.
   She closed her mouth to bite her lower lip in what could’ve been indecision or excitement. Obviously he was hoping for the latter. “But hey, if you’re not sure you can handle losing, we can just forget about it,” he said.
   The challenge lifted her chin and put sparks in her eyes. That’s it, babe. Show me what you’ve got.
   “Bring it,” she said.

TOUR GIVEAWAY:

Rafflecopter giveaway for the tour: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Final Update on March 2016 Take Control of TBR Pile Challenge

I am surprised that it is already three weeks into March! The time is flying by.
I thought I would get an update post started for this Challenge so I can keep track!
The month went quickly and I had more than half of the books that were new releases after the 3/1/2016 date. Still, I ended with 7 in this challenge which is satisfactory.

[I have to admit I confused myself on this one. I have been focusing on reading TBRs I received before 2016. This one is for TBRs RELEASED before 3/1/2016 so I actually get to add a few titles received after 1/1/16 (before 3/1/16); but I had to leave out a few I got before 1/1/2016 that didn't release until 3/1 or later.]

Thank you to the host: Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
The basics:

For the entire month of March you focus on reading/listening to books in your TBR pile released before March 1, 2016. They can be eBooks, physical books or audiobooks. Let’s clean off those shelves, finish those series and trilogies and have some fun.

1. Book Review: Talon: Combat Tracking Team (A Breed Apart Book 2) by Ronie Kendig; Christian, Military, Mystery Suspense; my rating 4.5.
2. Audio Book Review: Defects: The Reverians, Volume 1 by Sarah Noffke; YA, Dystopian; my rating 4.0.
3. Audible Book Review: Agenda 21: Into the Shadows by Glenn Beck ; Christian, Sci Fi, Dystopian; my rating 4.25.
4. Book Review: Path of the Bullet by M C Jacques; Mystery, Crime Thriller; my rating 4.25.
5. Audible Book Review: Straits of Hell: Destroyermen, Book 10 by Taylor Anderson; Sci Fi, Alternate History; my rating 5.0.
6. Book Review: Chakana: Encounter In The Sacred Valley by W.E. Lawrence; Action Adventure; my rating 4.25.
7. Audible Book Review: Derelict by LJ Cohen; Sci Fi, YA; My rating 4.0

I had one other book released before 3/1/2016 but it was an audio less than an hour. Since Novellas didn't count I haven't included that one.

Audio Book Review: Northern Lights: A Scorched Earth Novel by Boyd Craven III

This is an entertaining post-apocalyptic with strong survival aspects mixed with good character interactions.

Northern Lights: A Scorched Earth Novel

Written by: Boyd Craven III

Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:03-03-16
Publisher: boyd craven
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Sci Fi
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Tom's a prepper, and with his three friends, they embark on a fly-in fishing trip to northern Canada to have a long, relaxing vacation. Things turn deadly when an EMP leaves them stranded and alone 1,000 miles away from civilization. Winter is coming, and they only brought enough supplies for two weeks.

In a hostile land, there's no room for mistakes or illness. One wrong step can prove to be as deadly as the wildlife that has no fear of humans, and that views them as more than a potential food source. Escape by boat or over land would be near impossible.

So much to do, so ill-equipped, and so little time. Follow the four friends in their journey of survival. Survival isn't just an option - It's life or death.
©2016 Boyd L Craven III

Review:
Tom is a prepper, having been raised fishing, hunting and trapping in some wild land in northern Michigan. Tom and three friends have made plans for a summer vacation of camping. Tom’s friends include an EMT, Jordon, and Tom’s best friend Brian and his wife Tracy. Tom isn’t thrilled to have Tracy along since she happens to be his ex-wife from many years before when they were ‘young and stupid’.

The four friends are flown in shifts into a remote area of Canada for their adventure of fishing and camping. Tom is the last one to be dropped off with his gear. As the pilot heads out, suddenly the plane drops and crashes in the lake. As they attempt to rescue the pilot he whispers that the electronics of the plane have stopped and they realize that his pacemaker has stopped.

Tom is quick to suspect that there has been an EMP strike. He has brought extra supplies but certainly not enough for an extended stay. As time passes they accept that they are stranded and they begin to set up more extended food and living supplies to see them through the coming months and the bitter cold winter.

When a mother bear with two cubs crashes camp, the campers, with limited weapons, must improvise traps from the tools they have. Tom stumbles upon a young woman swimming in a neighboring lake. She engages their help to render medical assistance to her father. The family consists of the parents and two daughters, the younger being deaf.

The new friends pool their resources and talents as they face a serious battle for survival. I enjoyed the prepper details and the relationship tensions and growths. The story is engaging both with the survival aspects and the interactions. It moves at a good pace with interesting challenges to be faced.

Although this is part of a series it can be read as a stand-alone. Reading the first book, Good Fences, explains a little bit more of what happen that the characters in this book don’t know since they have no means of communication. However, the ending of this book adds more information about how the country is managing after the collapse caused by the EMP strike.

I appreciated the fact that Mr. Craven presents interesting stories with tension and some foul language but not overboard. I hope there will be more in this series and I may just have to pick up some of Mr. Craven’s The World Burns series to enjoy until there are more Scorched Earth books.

Audio Notes: Kevin Pierce is a talented narrator. He portrays the different accents well and conveys the fear, intensity and humor of the story. The narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

I received this audio from the narrator through Audiobook Blast It qualifies for Audiobook Challenge and N in 2016 Alphabet Soup Challenge.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway April 1, 2016

Happy Friday!
I find it hard to believe it is Friday again already. The days are flying.
The trees and flowers are beautiful even if we are already dodging the rain. 
I hope everyone has a safe April Fool's Day.

TO ENTER FRIDAY PICK

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 too late to do the winner post! I will randomly pick two winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.

Thank you to all who entered the March 25 Pick. There were two automatic wins again this week. Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times without other people asking for that book during those weeks. There was one blocked titles this week.
Carol NW gets the Lisa Jackson pair
Sue gets The Theft

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from March 25 Pick:
Nikki gets a GC

Elizabeth gets Broken Vows, Mended Hearts

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.}

Happy April Fool's Day! Are you planning any pranks?

Image found at Wordery.

New Book Group #64 March 4, 2016

PAIRS:
Elizabeth Boyle: His Mistress by Morning and This Rake of Mine (The Bachelor Chronicles Book 2)
Kay Hooper: If There Be Dragons and The Matchmaker
Lisa Jackson: Left to Die and Twice Kissed
SINGLES:
The Theft by Andra Kane
Bed of Roses by Katherine Stone
Hope by Len Deighton (1995 paperback)
Short Straw (Ed Eagle Novel) by Stuart Woods Hardcover
First Things First by Stephen R. Covey- Audio Cassette
N is for noose by Sue Grafton -Cassettes
The Fallen by Thomas Sniegoski
Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell
Regretsy: Where DIY Meets WTF by April Winchell


New Book Group #63 January 22, 2016
(I have the picture and will try to get the list up before I crash. Sorry no links right now.)

SINGLES:
Lead Me On by Victoria Dahl
Wayward Winds by Michael Phillips - Audio Tapes
Forgotten Promises by Denise Skelton

New Book Group #62 November 6, 2015
All Gone

New Book Group #61 October 30, 2015
After I noticed the trend I went on a hunt for “bride” titles. I even pulled a couple from some of my long time collections(*). (But they are not getting read on my shelves.)

SINGLES:
Bride of Lochbarr by Margaret Moore (*)
The Ideal Bride by Stephanie Laurens (*)
A Necessary Bride by Debra Mullins
Border Bride by Deborah Hale


New Book Group #60 September 18, 2015
A set of "haunting" tales and a few mysteries for October!

Shannon Drake –  Realm of Shadows (Alliance Vampires#4) 
SINGLES:
The Shadowing by Joan Overfield
The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands
Trilogy Of Mysteries Audio Book Shadow Prey, There Was A Little Girl, Smokescreen Audio Cassettes (NOT CDs)


New Book Group #59 July 31, 2015
A few more summer titles, historicals and mysteries!

ANTHOLOGIES:
Broken Vows, Mended Hearts by Lynn Stone, Gail Ranstrom and Anne O'Brien
SINGLES:
Cruise to a Wedding by Betty Neels

New Book Group #58 June 26, 2015
-- A few summer titles, a few mysteries, a few historicals...

SINGLES:
Servant, The Awakening by L.L. Foster

New Book Group #57 May 1, 2015

SINGLES:
A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl
The Ruthless Greek's Virgin Princess by Trish Morey

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

SINGLES:
The Sweetheart Dance by Patti Ann Colt
Raintree Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones (spine creases)

New Book Group #55 February 5, 2015 -- All Gone

New Book Group #54 December 26, 2014

SINGLES:
Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card - Tape Cassettes


BOX 4 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 47-53)

The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty byVickie Kennedy
First to Fight Anthology
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
The Commander by Kate Bridges
A Garden of Friends by Penny Pierce Rose

Undateable by Ellen Rakieten & Anne Coyle



BOX 3 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 39- 47)

Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)
A Lady of Consequence by Mary Nichols
Sweet Talking Man by Betina Krain


BOX 2 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 24- 38)

Thinner by Stephen King
Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov
Magic: The Gathering Distant Planes, An Anthology
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)

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
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.


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

Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser


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 almost six years I have posted 62 groups of 16 (992) books to find new homes! (as of November 6, 2015).

I am happy to say that so far about 947+ 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!