Sunday Post May 15, 2016/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday May 16, 2016

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading now at The Book Date.
Thank you to Sheila for the years that she handled this meme.
Thank you to Kathryn for taking up the baton.

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 another busy week; not so much traveling but lots of office work. We spent the weekend away visiting our son and d-i-l and celebrating the "gender reveal" party for their twins: one of each!  The weather was beautiful.


I got a lot of reading in but not as many reviews as I hoped. I finished five books: three ebooks and two audios. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I enjoyed visiting other blogs early in the week but then didn't get back to do more.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post May 8, 2016/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday May 9, 2016.

• Book Review: Much Ado About Highlanders (The Scottish Relic Trilogy) by May McGoldrick; Scottish, Historical Romance; my rating 4.5.

• Book Review: Pack: A Paranormal Romance Novelette by Jeaniene Frost; Paranormal Romance; my rating 4.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway May 13, 2016. Open Worldwide. Ending 5/19/2016.

• Book Review: Hold Your Breath (Search and Rescue) by Katie Ruggle; Sci Fi, Fantasy; my rating 5.0.

• Sharing Beyond Books #252 Comment Giveaway May 14, 2016. Ending 5/21/16.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement May 15, 2016.

Finished Reading:

1. eBook/Kindle (NG)

Hold Your Breath (Search and Rescue)
by Katie Ruggle
I really liked this.
My review is linked above.

2. Audio/MP3 (Author)

Redfall: Freedom Fighters: American Prepper Series, Book 2
Written by: Jay J. Falconer
Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann
I enjoyed this sequel. My review to post this week.
Click on book title for full description.

3. eBook/Kindle (PBG)

Carnations in January
by Clare Revell
Nice writing but, sadly, I didn't care for the heroine.
My review to post this week.
Click on book title for full description.

4. eBook/Kindle (PBG)

Violets in February
by Clare Revell
This one, about a missionary doctor in the jungle, I really liked.
My review to post this week.
Click on book title for full description.

5. Audio/MP3 (Narrator)

Making Amends
Written by: Melinda Clayton
Narrated by: Michelle Babb
This is more drama than suspense. 
Quite engaging. 
I hope to get my review posted this week.
Click on book title for full description.

Currently reading:
1. eBook/Kindle (Author)

First Fruits
by Brad Duncan
I am liking the beginning of this and interested to see how it develops.
I received this from the author for an honest review.
Pastor Patrick Spakes is a huge success in the eyes of the world. He's the husband of a beautiful wife, and dad of two healthy kids, and leads a large growing church. It appears he's living a happy and blessed life, but appearances can be decieving. Serving the church has drained him to the point his family feels abandoned.
Christy Spakes loves her husband, but feels tired and lonely as her husband makes the church his priority.
Deacon Joe Smith loves the power and prestige he has acquired in his church being best friends with the church's pastor.
What happens when the popular Pastor of a growing church is faced with a crisis of belief? When life spirals out of control where will he place his faith? How will his well-to-do congregation respond to the challenge of sacrificing for God? First Fruits is the inspiring story of what happens when everyday people are challenged to give their very best to God.

2. Audible/MP3 (TBR)

Old Man's War
Written by: John Scalzi
Narrated by: William Dufris
I pulled this from my Audible Library for a TBR and "O" read.
Publisher's Summary
John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First, he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.
The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce - and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So, we fight, to defend Earth and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.
Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.
John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea of what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine. And what he will become is far stranger.
©2005 John Scalzi (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC

3. eBook/Kindle (Author)

Embattlement: The Undergrounders Series Book Two 
(A Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Novel)
by Norma Hinkens
I enjoyed book 1 and am looking forward to continuing this conflict. I received this from the author.
The Undergrounders prevail. The Craniopolis falls. But victory proves bittersweet.
Against all odds, Derry and a handful of survivors escape the malevolent Doctor Lyong’s clutches, but no one knows if Owen is dead or alive. The shaky plan to rescue him falls apart when the Council splits over rumors of Owen’s ties to the Craniopolis. Forced to find new recruits Derry makes the treacherous journey to Shoshane City, home of the mysterious riders. Mutiny and sabotage is afoot and Derry finds herself caught up in a desperate struggle to save the city from being destroyed by The Ghost, a man who swears allegiance to no one. Time is running out to save Owen, and tensions are rising between Jakob and Sven, who may turn out to be a deadly distraction.
Will Derry emerge victorious from the showdown at the Craniopolis, or will the price of freedom mean sacrificing the man she loves?
Embattlement is the second book in The Undergrounders Series, a sci-fi dystopian thriller trilogy. If you like captivating apocalyptic tales, gritty complex heroines, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love this fast-paced, end-of-the-world adventure!

May 8, 2016 - Current with Reading The One Year Bible again along with my husband and others from our church. I will also be listening (sometimes) to the companion commentary online.

I only posted three reviews last week. I have five reviews to post coming into this week.

I am finally getting to  the five nine, now seven nine (again) author ebook reviews committed with no specific dates.
My NetGalley shelves are down to four which I will continue to work on next week.

A Tale of Two Prom Dates

Evie Alexis
This 'prom' short story has been added this week to eTreasure's NetGalley titles.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

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) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

This week I didn't receive any review titles although I am expecting some audio titles to come in.
I needed to resist some offers so I can get caught up on the ones in queue.
I picked up only one kindle title for $.99.
I added more free kindle titles to my library. Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

I picked up one title for $.99:

Footsteps in Time (The After Cilmeri Series Book 1)

Sarah Woodbury

I have another time travel by this author who I keep eyeing. I want to try this series.

Free

Over the past week I added another 44 free Kindle titles to my library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement May 15, 2016

(We were away in our RV again this weekend for a family event. I had trouble getting the internet to work on my computer when we arrived home so this is particularly late. But -- better late than never.)

A month or so ago the Brother we are helping in Haiti shared words about the BOB’s (Band of Brothers) ministry to Haiti. When the men went to Haiti to build the church/school with the supplies that were donated and sent by the cargo ship, that showed the love of Christ to others. When we share the Bible, especially in action, we share the message and hope of everlasting life.

We are blessed in our country and sometimes don’t recognize the needs beyond. There are children who have no school to attend and have limited food and clean water. Our God is omniscient; Psalm 139. He prepared our Haitian Brother to teach. He was hungry for learning and now he leads by taking care of his brothers and sisters first. Acts 11:27-30.

The church/school we helped can only take 100 children to start. They already have a youth club with 175 youths!

Our Brother noted that we all have fingers that are different. They are short and long but together they function as a hand that can work. It is our privilege and blessing to help each other and pray for each other. We do God’s work, not by our own power but by the Spirit.
God is the source of provision but He uses men as a conduit to share the water and the word of God. We must be careful not to stop up the pipeline of provision by our disobedience.
He noted the top five needs for the people he is ministering to in Haiti:
1. God
2. Education
3. Health / food
4. Water
5. Sanitation
Please help us by praying for this ministry.

I found this song for today's message:

Live Like That!

Verses for Today:
Acts 11:27-30
29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Lord-- please use me to help spread Your Love and the word of Your salvation.

Sharing Beyond Books #252 Comment Giveaway May 14, 2016

Hello again and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB!
My work week was busy. We had a lovely day with family today with a "gender reveal" party for our daughter-in-law. We are having fraternal grandchildren - a boy and a girl!! :-)

Thanks to everyone who commented last week and "Welcome" to some new visitors.

 All eighteen of us agree that it is not appropriate for an author to ask a reviewer for a rating above a certain point. Only a few had this type of experience. Several reviewers had tour leaders ask them not to post a negative review during the tour and that was acceptable.

~~~~~

The Winner from SBB #251 comments is: #16 Mariska 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 #252

(One Question.)

Nikki asks: Do you have any celebrity crushes? Please share a few. And, have you ever noticed some similarities between those crushes??

I have never been much of a one for crushes. Although years ago I really liked Kevin Costner (when we were both a bit younger - ha ha). There have been a couple of foreign actors I liked although I had to look up their names so I doubt that would qualify as a crush: Gerard Butler and Viggo Mortensen from LOTR.

Image from fanpop.

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:
Nikki asks: Do you have any celebrity crushes? Please share a few. And, have you ever noticed some similarities between those crushes??

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 May 21, 2016 at 5 PM central.

Book Review: Hold Your Breath (Search and Rescue) by Katie Ruggle

This is romantic suspense just as I like it: strong on suspense, convincing characters and a passionate, but not graphic, romance.

Hold Your Breath (Search and Rescue)
by Katie Ruggle

File Size: 1553 KB
Print Length: 386 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1492628174
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 5, 2016)
ASIN: B017HX13DA
Genre: Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0

An Amazon Best Book of the Month!
“Sexy and suspenseful, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—Julie Ann Walker, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
“Chills and thrills and a sexy slow-burning romance from a terrific new voice.”—D.D. Ayres, author of the K-9 Rescue Series
In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...
When captain of Field County's ice rescue dive team, Callum Cook, meets new diver Louise "Lou" Sparks, his orderly existence is obliterated in an instant. Lou is a hurricane. A walking disaster. And with her, he's never felt more alive...even if keeping her safe may just kill him.
Lou’s new to the Rockies, intent on escaping her controlling ex, and she’s determined to make it on her own terms…no matter how tempting Callum may be. But when a routine training exercise unearths a body, Lou and Callum find themselves thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a killer who’ll stop at nothing to silence Lou—and prove that not even her new Search and Rescue family can keep her safe forever.

Review:
Lou Sparks is a smart, strong minded young woman who chose to escape the control of her family by moving to a remote community in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She is training on the Search & Rescue dive team where the divers work in freezing lakes instead of sunny, warm island waters of recreational diving. As the only woman on the team she has to work doubly hard to assert her independence and to gain the confidence and trust of the team.

Callum Cook is the strong, intense and obsessively controlled team leader who is struggling to maintain his control around this new, spontaneous team member. Although her exuberance is sometimes alarming to him, the rest of her he finds totally alluring.

There are other men in town who appreciate Lou’s beauty and strengths. During training Lou kicks up a submerged body making her feel invested in determining the identity of the victim and solving the murder. The local sheriff, Rob, is prepared to investigate and warns Lou not to ‘stick her nose’ where it doesn’t belong. Meanwhile, someone is out there who is stalking Lou. First it is ugly pranks like cutting her tires. Then the threats begin to escalate; even more so when the stalker realizes that Callum is stepping in to assert a protective mode over Lou.

I enjoyed the characters and plot in this from beginning to end. There are other male characters to tempt Lou and make the reader wonder. There is consistent action in the dive training even before real accidents and the stalker increase the suspense.

The romance develops with nice tension and no need to be graphic, which made me even happier with the author. The suspense element is the primary focus of the story with the add on of a nice, strong but sweet romance. This is just the way I like my romantic suspense and I will look to read more by Ms. Ruggle.

I received this title through NetGalley. It qualifies for my NetGalley challenge and H for Alphabet Soup.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway May 13, 2016

Happy Friday!
This week didn't seem to fly by so much but I sure was busy. I am not sure how much computer time I will get Friday and Saturday as we have family events. I'm hoping to get a few posts ready early.
I hope everyone is doing well and planning a break for summer which will soon be here - for this side of world anyway.

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 May 6 Pick. There were two automatic wins 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 title.
bn100 gets Fallen
and
Rita gets A Lady of Consequence

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from May 6 Pick:
Mariska gets a GC

Linda gets a GC

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.}

Here is a good thought for May... or anytime!

Image found at Bookishly UK at Etsy.

New Book Group #65 April 29, 2016

PAIRS:
Jayne Ann Krentz: Gift of Gold and Man with a Past (spine creased) 
Linda Howard: Cover of Night and Strangers Night
SINGLES:
A Dangerous Fancy by Tracy Cozzens
The Bodyguard and the Snitch by Christy Tillery French (autographed)
When Dashing Met Danger by Shana Galen
The Champion by Heather Grothaus
Never Marry a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath
Just The Way You Are by Donna Jordan
The Second Chair by John Lescroart (hardcover)
What a Rogue Desires by Caroline Linden (spine creased)
Violets are Blue by James Patterson
The Bequest by Candice Proctor
A Perilous Attraction by Patricia Francis Rowell (spine creased)
So Wild A Kiss by Nancy Richards-Akers


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

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!

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 959+ 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!