Sunday Words of Encouragement August 2, 2020

We still decided not to go to in church service yet. Hubby just too cautious. We can take best precautions at our office to minimize risk but going out exposes him more, even if it is just me going and returning home. So we are still worshipping online.

Pastor continued the sermon series Resolute Road in the second half of Romans 3.
All of us have received undeserved grace at some point during our lives. We didn’t get a ticket when we should have or we had a near accident miss or our house survived a disaster.
Our God has always been a God of second chances and often more than just two chances!
Man judges in ranges or degrees, like grades A to F or surveys 1 to 10.
God doesn't judge that way. God sees totality. People are lost or saved. No degrees. Sinful or righteous. Romans 3:21.

Our acquittal is based on grace through faith. The law has no power to save. You break it once, then you've broken it. You stand as a sinner no matter how good the rest of your life may be.
If you start a race but fall before the finish line then you don’t finish. But there is someone who will help you over the finish line. We all fall short of God's glorious standard. Our sin separates us from God.

BUT (v23-24) Through Grace, God gives the opportunity for total renewal.
God restores us to right standing as soon as we accept and confirm our belief in Christ; our faith in His sacrifice. We are returned to the position of God's greatest creation, those made in His image.

The Point: God's grace and total atonement is the hope our world needs.

We are closer than ever to the return of Christ. The end is already written.
We may try to share messages on social media but Facebook, Twitter, and others may not share our Christian posts beyond those already identified as Christians. We have to continue our message one on one. We have to continue to share our individual testimony of grace whenever and wherever we can.

We live and love in hope because God is in control!

I like this song of Grace:

Verses for Today:
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

#NetGalley Book Review: The Queen Bee and Me by Gillian McDunn

This is a good MG story that addresses peer pressure and bees!

The Queen Bee and Me
Gillian McDunn

File Size: 5935 KB
Print Length: 288 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books; 1 edition (March 3, 2020)
Language: English
ASIN: B07WC3TKR4
Genre: Bees, Children, Peer Pressure
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

From the highly acclaimed author of Caterpillar Summer comes a heartfelt story about the sweetness and stings of middle-school friendship.
Meg has always found comfort in her best friend Beatrix's shadow. Self-assured Beatrix is the one who makes decisions, and the girls have been a pair since kindergarten. But middle school has brought some changes in Beatrix, especially when Meg tries to step outside her role as sidekick.
A special science elective is Meg's first step away, but when she's paired with quirky new girl Hazel, Beatrix steps in to stake her claim on Meg. Meg is taken aback at how mean Beatrix can be--and how difficult it is to stand up to her friend. But as Meg gets to know Hazel while working on their backyard beehive project, she starts to wonder: Is being Beatrix's friend worth turning down the possibility of finding her own voice?
This pitch-perfect exploration of middle-school friendship dynamics brims with heart and hope, and will resonate with readers of all ages.

Review:
Meg has a nervous nature. She and Beatrice have been friends for years. As they enter middle school, Meg is excited to be accepted into a special science class. She just doesn’t know how to tell Bea who will want Meg to join her in dance class as usual. Meg has felt Bea’s ‘freeze’ attitude before and doesn’t want to experience that again.

A new girl has moved into the neighborhood. Hazel is quirky and, to Meg’s horror, Hazel keeps beehives. Hazel and her mother attend a local party hosted by Bea’s mother. When Hazel unexpectedly becomes the center of attention, Bea quickly becomes jealous and starts to make fun of Hazel. When it slips that Meg is taking science Bea is angry that Meg didn’t tell her. Things get worse when Hazel becomes Meg’s science lab partner.

Meg’s mother encourages Meg to become friends with Hazel. But Meg is afraid of the bees that Hazel is so excited about. Meg is in a quandary caught between her childhood friend and the possibility of a making a new friend. Meg wants to stand up to Bea and her entourage who are making fun of Hazel and being mean to Meg too.

This is a story of middle-grade peer pressure and growth. I could feel Meg’s anguish and I didn’t care for Bea and her friends. I felt sorry for Bea too as she is willing to lose a good friend over her own self-importance. Hazel has her own emotional issues that children can relate to. I also loved the science of the bees and how the girls used that creatively in their science project and even in response to an effort to ban the beehives from town. I think this is an appropriate book for middle graders to read to understand the impact their behaviors can have on children who are new or different.

Source: Title from the publisher and NetGalley 2020. This qualifies for 2020 NetGalley goal.

Audible Book Review: Written in Red: A Novel of the Others by Anne Bishop

This is very good so now I will be into this series.
Written in Red
A Novel of the Others
By: Anne Bishop
Narrated by: Alexandra Harris

Series: The Others (Bishop), Book 1
Length: 18 hrs and 33 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 03-05-13
Language: English
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Genre: Shape Shifters, Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 5.0; Narration 5.0.

Publisher's Summary
No one creates realms like New York Times best-selling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities - vampires and shape-shifters among them - who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.
As Cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut - a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg's Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard - a business district operated by the Others.
Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she's keeping a secret, and second, she doesn't smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she's wanted by the government, he'll have to decide if she's worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.
©2013 Anne Bishop (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Review:
This unique fantasy takes place in a world where humans and Others have negotiated a truce after years of battling with the humans suffering as ‘clever prey’ under the view of the Others. The Others consist of non-human beings like vampires, elementals (Winter, Air, etc) and many shape-shifter creatures from birds to bears, horses, and wolves. The humans are now living mostly securely on certain lands known as "reservations while the Others live in Courtyard communities observing the ‘prey’.

Meg is a rare Cassandra Sangue, a blood prophet who is able to see the future when her skin is cut in precise control. She has escaped from the very secret owner/organization who exploits these women, keeping them in confinement and limiting their knowledge except as needed to make profit from selling their prophecies.

As she was fleeing in a snowstorm, Meg stumbled into an Others Courtyard. The Others district leader, Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard, is reluctant to give shelter to a person on the run but the community desperately needs a Human Liaison. Simon recognizes that Meg is not just ‘prey’ like normal humans. He decides to give Meg a trial run especially as it helps him avoid the pestering of a young woman who keeps throwing herself at him and begging for the job. To everyone’s surprise, Meg quickly shows that she cares about the postal office job even as she tries to learn how to act in society. The humans are comfortable with her professional approach to the clerical (but important) task and the Others are entertained and cheered by her friendliness and caring gestures. The Others come to care for Meg and are determined to protect her especially as they learn that outside, human forces are intent on kidnapping her.

Although some might see Meg as frail, she has an inner strength that is revealed as events unfold. She may be cautious of the clearly powerful Simon, but she won’t kowtow to even him. She has seen visions and knows that danger is imminent. Meg is intent on protecting Simon’s damaged but emerging nephew, “pup” Sam.

I like stories with ‘otherworldly’ creatures and they abound in this story. I loved the relationship between Meg and the Others. There is no overt romance but clear budding friendships that may have future growth.

The world-building is wonderful and the story full of tension and suspense. The characters are engaging and even the villain is well developed. This first volume has a logical conclusion spot but clearly, there is plenty to come. I'm a few years behind getting to this series but now I’m hooked. I will be continuing with the series and I recommend this to readers who enjoy intriguing urban fantasy.

Audio Notes: Alexandra Harris does a very fine job with the narration. She provides different accents for the many characters and her voice for Meg fits well. The narration carries through on the good pacing and emotion. I enjoyed the audible performance.

Source: 4/28/19 Audible Whisper Sync title for $7.95 less $5.00 Credit so it cost me only $2.95. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goals.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway July 31, 2020

Happy Friday!
Yikes! We are at the end of another Month - goodbye to July.

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 July 24, 2020 Pick. There was one automatic win this week. Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times without other people asking for that book during those weeks. There was no title blocked.
CAROL gets On Thin Ice (my records show 4 weeks).

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from July 24, 2020 Pick:
RUBYNREBA gets The Missing Heir
and
MARIJANA 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.}

 I fall for books hook, line, and sinker! How about you?
Image found at Pinterest, uploaded by All Things Kindergarten.

New Book Group #90 June 19, 2020
Quite a few mysteries in this box. 

PAIRS:
Mary Jane Clark:  Hide Yourself Away and Do You Want to Know a Secret
Maggie Shayne:  Embrace the Twilight and Colder Than Ice
SINGLES:
On Thin Ice by Cherry Adair
Siren's Song by Trish Albright (personally autographed)
Cutting Edge by Allison Brennan
Summer Skies by Judy Christenberry (I apparently had a duplicate of this title)
Alias by Smy J. Fetzer
Angel Face by Suzanne Forster
Stalking the Puzzle Landy by Parnell Hall
Hunting Fear by Kay Hooper
Statute of Limitations by Tamar Myers
The Missing Heir by Gail Rainstrom
Hot Sex by Janet Evanovich (Audio cassettes)
The Warrior by Frances Richey (poetry - hardcover)


New Book Group #89 March 6, 2020

Pairs:
Brenda Joyce: Firestorm and Innocent Fire
LaVyrle Spencer: Morning Glory and Bitter Sweet
Singles:
Open House by Elizabeth Berg (Hardback)
My Surrender by Connie Brockway
What the Heart Knows by Kathleen Eagle
Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman
How to Tame a Modern Rogue by Diana Holoquist
Angel Creek by Linda Howard
Montana Mavericks - Big Sky Grooms Anthology
Shadow and Silk by Ann Maxwell
Tempting Fire by Carla Neggers
Suicide Club by Gayle Wilson
Phoenix by A.J. Scudiere
Through the Years - Three Novels, Linda Howard, Fern Michaels and Debbie Macomber


New Book Group #88 November 8, 2019

PAIRS:
Stella Cameron: Body of Evidence and Fascination
Singles:
A Lady Never Tells by Candace Camp
Dawn of Redemption by Starla Childs


New Book Group #87 August 23, 2019

SINGLES:
Captain's Paradise by Kay Hooper
Open Season by Linda Howard AUDIO CASSETTES


New Book Group #86 June 7, 2019
Another group of variety from my shelves.

SINGLES:
Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze
Show No Fear by Marliss Melton
A Question of God's Balance (Vol 1) by Joseph Thek
King by Right of Blood and Might by Anna L. Walls


New Book Group #85 March 22, 2019
A variety from my shelves.

SINGLES:
Summer Skies by Judith Christenberry
Windfall (two stories) by JoAnn Ross
Daddy's Little Cowgirl (two stories) by Judith Bowen and Kimberly Raye
The Forever Year, Cold Pursuit, Lover's Lane and Temporary Sanity (Reader's Condensed)
ToxiCity by Libby Fischer Hillmann

New Book Group #84 December 15, 2018
Here are some Christmas titles to pick from.

SINGLES:
A Family for Thanksgiving
On this Holy Night
Christmas Haven
King Harold's Snow Job


New Book Group #83 November 30, 2018

(Starting bottom left and continuing up then down)
SINGLE
Seductive Secrets by Lynne Connolly
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich - Audio Cassettes
A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein Audio Cassettes
Three Reader's Digest Condensed Books - each hardback:

Cold Harbour and The Courtship of Peggy McCoy
The Things We Do for Love, Three Weeks With My Brother, The Murder Artist and Night Train to Lisbon
Follow the Stars Home, Hunting Badger, The Quiet Game and Second Wind

New Book Group #82 November 9, 2018

Stella Cameron: Key West
SINGLES:
Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
Killing Time by Linda Howard
The Wedding Night by Barbara Dawson Smith

New Book Group #81 August 17, 2018

SINGLES
Best Laid Plans by Allison Brennan
Darkness Tell Us by Richard Laymon
Cooking Most Deadly by Joanne Pence


New Book Group #80 August 17, 2018

Note: The Final Judgment and
The Book of Fate are Audio Cassettes
SINGLES:
Summer’s Moon by Lacey Baker
The Final Judgment by Richard North PattersonAudio Cassettes
Firebird by Janice Graham
No Getting Over a Cowboy by Delores Fossen
The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer Audio Cassettes


New Book Group #79 July 13, 2018
I found this box of books buried under some other boxes.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lenox by Maggie O’Farrell
P.S. by Helen Schulman
Her Sexiest Surprise by Dawn Atkins (personally autographed)
Dakota Child by Linda Ford
Calling the Shots by Ellen Hartman
Promises, Promises by Amber Miller
This Time for Keeps by Jenna Mills
A Daughter’s Legacy by Virginia Smith
Another Man’s Baby by Kay Stockham


New Book Group #78 April 27, 2018

SINGLES
Blackberry Bush
Breaking Point
A Tangled Affair
Too Wicked to Love
Roses are Red Audio Cassettes


New Book Group #77 February 16, 2018- All gone

New Book Group #76 November 3, 2017
13 books remain of the original 37:

I finally Have them Listed!
Boots & Booties by Kristine Rolofson
Saucer the Conquest by Stephen Coonts
The Scorpion Seducer by Bonnie Vanak
Hell On Earth by David L. Porter
White Night by Jim Butcher
Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton
Crisscross by Harmon Henkin
Maelstrom by Anne McCaffrey
Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker
101 Commonsense Rules for the Office by John R. Brinkerhoff


This shelf of 35 books are what is left from Groups #1 (11/27/09) through Group #75 September 29, 2017

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 14 titles.)
Rehabilitation
Secret Blessing
Named of the Dragon
Daring by Jillian Hart
Aunt Erma's Cope Book
JoAnn Ross: Confessions
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Bound by Destiny by Rayka Mennen
Rainbow Mars by Larry Niven

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 21 titles.)
Plan of Attack by Dan Brown
(*Three more very old books from my Gothics box.)
*The Man in the Garden by Paule Mason (1969 - yellowed)
Fire Dancer by Ann Maxwell
*Four books are very old; pulled from a box of gothic novels I found.
*Maggie – Her Marriage by Taylor Caldwell (1953 very old, yellowed pages, some stain damage doesn't effect reading)
First Things First by Stephen R. Covey- Audio Cassette
Trilogy Of Mysteries Audio Book Shadow Prey, There Was A Little Girl, Smokescreen Audio Cassettes (NOT CDs)
Raintree Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones (spine creases)
The Shadowing by Joan Overfield
The Sweetheart Dance by Patti Ann Colt
BOX 4 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 47-53)
Undateable by Ellen Rakieten & Anne Coyle
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty by Vickie Kennedy
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)
BOX 3 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 39- 47)
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
BOX 2 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 24- 38)
The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe
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
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov
BOX #1 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 1- 23)
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester

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 NINE years I have posted 88 groups of 16 plus an additional 21 totaling 1,429 books to find new homes! (as of November 8, 2019).

I am happy to say that so far about 1,323+ books have found new homes through this feature! YAY. [A year or so ago I posted I had reached 2000 books given away. As I calculated the numbers 11/2/17 I realized that had to be an error. I realized I went from 1098 to 2001 instead of 1101. Guess I was tired; sorry for the error.] 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 faraway 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!

Audible Book Review: Conflicted Home: The Survivalist Series by A. American

This is a good continuation of a strong post-apocalyptic, survival series.

Conflicted Home
By: A. American
Narrated by: Duke Fontaine

Series: The Survivalist Series, Book 9
Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 04-10-18
Language: English
Publisher: Podium Audio
Genre: Action & Adventure, Dystopian Fiction, Survival
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
The only possible thing that could make Morgan's world even more difficult happened. The Japanese fleet off the coast of California was wiped out. An even that Morgan and friends and family only knew about because of the radio broadcasts from the Radio Free Redoubt. So far removed from them it barely warranted notice. That is until the Chinese retaliated by launching a nuclear counter-strike against Mac Dill Air Force base. This, did warrant their attention and had the potential to profoundly impact their lives.
As bad as the fear of nuclear fallout was, it wasn't the only threat still haunting northern Lake county. With proof the Russians had pathfinder units on the ground, at a minimum, in the state and discovery of Cuban forces cooperating with them, something had to be done. After encountering armored units and realizing they were ill equipped to deal with the threat, the old man called for help. The call was answered, but would require a near impossible trip by truck to Eglin Air Force base. America was certainly on the ropes, but she wasn't down yet.
All Morgan wants to do is protect his family and friends. To restore a normal sense of life. To see to it Mel and his girls are safe and protected. He doesn't want to get involved in these military actions. He's more focused on trying to restore power to town. But his desires are, to use a military term, overtaken by circumstances, and, once again, Morgan and his friends are compelled to get involved. And this time, it will cost them.
©2017 A. American (P)2018 Podium Publishing

Review:
Morgan is back home recovering from injuries suffered at the end of Home Invasion. The biggest concerns though come from two major threats. A nuclear bomb has been dropped on an air force base in Tampa which is only 100 or so miles away from Morgan’s community in Eustis, Florida. Meanwhile, Russians joined by Cuban forces have invaded Florida to the south and are moving north. In order to protect their home and the neighboring community which includes US troops, Morgan joins the immutable Sarge and his handful of men take a road trip to Eglin Air Force Base (near Pensacola) which is roughly six hours away in normal days.

This episode of the series is very much a ‘days in the life of’ journal. Like the last book, Home Invasion, this book has less battle action and more life experiences. I actually enjoyed the relationship developments and the living details including foods and medical treatments. The story moves along well and the quiet portions get a punch with action engagement along the journey to Florida Panhandle. Then Morgan and his friends suffer a brutal surprise attack after the crew returns with supplies to share.

I will say that the rough ‘male humor’ continues (again see my review of Home Invasion) especially among Sarge and his special forces team. I’m not really in favor of that language but, fortunately, it didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the story overall. I also like the fact that the setting in Florida is well known to me. I recommend this series to fans of the post-apocalyptic survival genre.

Audio Notes: I am glad that Duke Fontaine continues to narrate this series. He delivers the story with good energy and distinct voices. His narration successfully contributes to making this an entertaining listen.

Source: 7/16/19 Audible 2nd June Credit. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020Audiobook goal.