It's Monday! What Are You Reading? January 28, 2013

This meme starts at Book Journey!

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've spent the weekend in bed with a cold (not flu, thank goodness). Hope to be back on my feet tomorrow, especially as we have our annual church tea tomorrow night. I will set my table tomorrow and hope I don't pass the bug to anyone else. :-\

Meanwhile I had a good reading week. I finished five books and  posted four reviews.  two with giveaways. There were also two Giveaway links and one print giveaway posts. I posted Friday Pick Giveaway, Saturday Snapshot, Sharing Beyond Books Comment Giveaway and Sunday Words.
I did good visiting last Sunday evening but little after that. Since I'll be sleeping off the cold soon I'm not sure if I will get to visit much this week.
Thanks again to all the nice people who visit me too.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday What are You Reading? January 21, 2013.

• Mailbox Monday 1/21/13.

• BookBlast with Giveaway Link - $75.00 GC: daynight by Meghan Thomason. Open Worldwide. Ends 2/3/13.

• Book Review: The Blessed and The Damned by Michael Wallace; Thriller; my rating 4.25.

• Guest Post by Michael Wallace. Child Lost, Writer Found.

• Book Review with Giveaway Link $50.00 GC: daynight by Meghan Thomason; YA Dystopia; my rating 4.0. Open Worldwide. Ends 2/7/13.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway January 25, 2013.
  Open Worldwide. Ends 1/31/13.
  

• Book Review and Giveaway: Every Perfect Gift by Dorothy Love; Historical Romance; my rating 4.25. Print copy to US Only. Ends 2/1/13.

• Saturday Snapshot (1/26/13) Dec Visit to the Big Island Hawaii.
  

• Audio Book Review: Ashes of Twilight by Kassey Tayler; YA Dystopia; my rating 4.5.
  

• Sharing Beyond Books #84 Comment Giveaway 1/26/13. Ends 2/1/13.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement January 27, 2013.

Finished Reading:

1. eBook/Kindle 

daynight
by Megan Thomason
Engaging YA Dystopia. Review linked above.

2. Print

The Officer Breaks the Rules (Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful)
by Jeanette Murray
This is good for romance.
I'll post a Review and ARC giveaway this week.
Reviewing for Sourcebooks.

3. Audio/MP3

The Lost Flower Children
by Janet Taylor Lisle (Author),
Caitlin Davies (Narrator)
Interesting and intriguing. 
I will post a review this week.
I am reviewing for AudioGO through AudioBook Jukebox.

4. Print

Journey to Forgiveness
by Laurean Brooks
This is a delightful story with great history.
I pulled this from my Won TBR.
I'll post a review and giveaway this week!
Book Description
Publication Date: January 9, 2009
When Jenny Hinson's abusive father deserts the family, the responsibility of the family's Tennessee farm falls to Jenny and her mother. Four years later, in 1938, boll weevils infest the cotton crop, plunging the Hinsons into dire financial straits and Jenny takes the train north to find work. Electricity has yet to reach rural Chicory Valley. But, not only is the young woman introduced to it in its tapped form in Chicago, but also encounters a few jolts along the way when she challenges the infuriating Austin Grant over a luggage mishap.

Sparks fly outside the Kankakee train station when Jenny discovers her missing vanity case under Austin's arm. She immediately labels him a thief. And after Austin coaxes money from her aunt's congregation, Jenny determines to find enough evidence to expose him and his nefarious deeds. Why did Austin pull money from the mission strong box and stuff a sizable roll into his pocket? Wasn't this just the proof Jenny needed? Then why was she reluctant to report the theft? And why did her heart race at every encounter with the notorious Austin?

Jenny's personal convictions would never allow a relationship where trust was blatantly missing. Can Jenny muster enough courage to ask Austin the tough questions that will ultimately make or break their relationship? Can she forgive her father's brutality? Find out as you follow Jenny's struggles in "Journey To Forgiveness."

5. eBook/Kindle

One More Winter: A Short Story
Rebecca K. O'Connor
Genre: Fiction My Rating: 4.0
This is a well written, somewhat surprising story on handling grief. Or more accurately, years of a wife of a MIA not accepting death and then finding a way to accept and bring closure to herself and her daughter. 
It is fiction but based upon a real loss. I like the gentle sadness shared and I would read more by Ms. O'Connor.
This is a short free Kindle from my TBR that I squeezed in for January.
Book Description
Publication Date: May 27, 2011
Grief is a personal animal. Mary knows this from experience and a lifetime of waiting for permission to let go of her MIA husband and find closure for both her and her daughter, Teresa who is now an adult. Grief has its own course however and closure comes in unexpected ways.

O'Connor is an award-winning writer who writes about the natural world, the human-animal relationship and the bonds that join us all.

Line Edits/Releases:
I have two children's titles that I expect to upload this week.

Currently reading:
1. eBook/Kindle 

Immortal Craving
by Kendra Leigh Castle
Ohh - really better than I expected!
Reviewing for Forever Romance. 

2. eBook/Kindle

An Amish Kitchen Anthology/Collection
by Beth Wiseman (Author), Amy Clipston (Author), Kelly Long (Author)
I am looking forward to starting this.
Reviewing with giveaway for Thomas Nelson.
Book Description
Publication Date: December 18, 2012

The Amish Kitchen is the Heart of the Home – and the Ideal Setting for Stories of Love and Hope.

Fall in Paradise, Pennsylvania always brings a brisk change in the weather. This time also provides unexpected visitors, new love, and renewed hope for three women.

Fern has a green thumb for healing herbs and flowers, but longs for love to bloom in her life. The next-door neighbor’s oldest son Abram comes running into Fern’s kitchen seeking help for his little sister. The crisis soon leads to a promise of romance—until an incident threatens to end their growing attraction.

Nearby, Hannah runs her parents’ bed and breakfast, Paradise Inn—but her life feels nothing like Paradise. She longs for a man of integrity to enter her life, but never expected him to knock on the front door looking for a room. Will she be able trust Stephen with her future once she discovers his mysterious past?

When a storm blows a tree onto Eve’s farmhouse, she has little choice but to temporarily move her family into her parents’ home. Outside of cooking together in the kitchen, Eve and her mother can’t agree on anything. But this may be just the recipe for hope in healing old wounds.

Three Amish stories—each celebrating love, family, and faith—all taking place in a tight-knit community where the kitchen truly is the heart of the home.

3. eBook/Kindle
 

Jack Templar Monster Hunter: The Templar Chronicles: Book One
by Jeff Gunhus
This sounds like a fun read. I will be posting a BookBlast Giveaway this week and my review on 2/4/13.
Book Description
Publication Date: October 17, 2012
If you're not a monster hunter, don't read this book!

Seriously, this book is not meant for you. By reading it, you run the risk of attracting monsters to your position and being attacked. So, unless you are willing to join the fight...just walk away.

Still here? OK, don't say I didn't warn you. Let me introduce myself. I'm Jack Templar and I'm an orphan.

Recently, I discovered that I came from a long line of monster hunters. You know, vampires, werewolves, zombies, you name it. Turns out there was some kind of truce between monsters and the hunters that kids under fourteen were off-limits. I didn't find out about all this until the day before my birthday. Yeah, you guessed it, my fourteenth birthday. So, all bets were off. The monsters were coming to get me.

Not only that, but I also found out that if monsters around the world could choose one human to kill, it would be me. Why? I haven’t a clue, but the hunters I've met talk about a prophecy and that they think I'm the One...whatever that means. I’d like to find out some day, but for right now, I’m just trying to stay alive.

If you want to hear a story that will scare you, gross you out and forever change the way you look at the world around you, then you came to the right place.

But, if you want to keep the illusion that the world is a safe and orderly place, then get out of here and stop wasting my time.

Do your duty, come what may.
JT
"Gunhus brings young readers a monster-filled romp...complete with action, cliff-hangers and surprise reveals." -Kirkus Reviews.

4. eBook/Kindle

The Escape Diaries: Life and Love on the Lam
(A Loveswept Contemporary Romance)
by Juliet Rosetti
This looks like a fun romance.
Reviewing for Random House.
Book Description
Publication Date: December 10, 2012
Introducing the hilarious new heroine, Mazie Maguire, in Juliet Rosetti’s irresistible debut novel that follows the outrageous adventure of a woman on the run.

Wrongly convicted of killing her philandering husband, Mazie Maguire is three years into her life sentence when fate intervenes—in the form of a tornado. Just like that, she’s on the other side of the fence, running through swamps and cornfields, big box stores and suburban subdivisions. Hoping to find out who really murdered her husband, Mazie must stay a few steps ahead of both the law and her mother-in-law, who would like nothing better than to personally administer Mazie the death penalty via lethal snickerdoodle. With the Feds in hot pursuit and the national media hyping her story, Mazie stumbles upon a vast political conspiracy and a man who might just be worth a conjugal visit—if she survives.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: The Devil’s Thief, Paradise Café, and The Perfect Catch.

I continue to listen to The Listener's Bible NIV read by Max McLean. [Reading and listening on MP3.]  I am studying with the Tyndall One Year Bible this year, hoping to read daily along with my DH.

Line Edits: I'll be back to conversions this week now that my appeal brief is filed.

I had listed 16 books for January with Audios to be added. I have completed reading 19 with three reviews to do this week. I expect I'll read at least two more for the week.  One title will move into February.

Scheduled for January

1/28 Book Blast: Jack Templar: Monster Hunter by Jeff Gunhus

Unscheduled (dates after the author indicate the release date):
Sourcebooks - read, review to post


Hachette
Immortal Craving by Kendra Leigh Castle (1/29/13)

NET GALLEY
      Random House:
           The Escape Diaries by Juliet Rosetti (12/10/12)

     Thomas Nelson (Hope to post with Giveaways)
         An Amish Kitchen Anthology/Collection (12/18/12)
         Waiting for Morning (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch Series) by Margaret Brownley (1/8/13)

Audiobook Jukebox (more to be received)

Authors - Done

Ladies Book Club (Done)

(I'm thinking I'd like to do a title with January or Winter in it for one of these)
TBR Collection + Won book: Journey to Forgiveness by Laurean Brooks - review to post
Won Book -  (Broken Pieces)
Free Kindle/Nook or Smashwords - One More Winter - done

Sunday Words of Encouragement January 27, 2013

We didn't make it to church this morning. I woke right before my alarm at 7:30 but went back to bed after taking a morning round of juice, Mucinex and Ibuprofen. We didn't wake again until 10:30! So I guess we needed the sleep.  I took another round of 'meds' a few minutes ago and thought I'd do a bit of a post while drinking some nice hot tea.

As noted on my What Are You Reading? posts each Monday, I am reading The One Year Bible (NLT). I was a little behind but I covered the readings for 1/26 and 1/17 today. I marvel at little lines in the old testament that identify and foretell of Jesus! Also, it is warming how well the four readings fit together. Today the readings are:
Exodus 4:1 - 5:21 The Lord has heard the suffering cries of his people, Israel. God has to convince Moses to go to Pharaoh to seek the release of the Israelite people.
Matthew 18:1-20 Jesus tells his disciples that we must be humble, like little children, to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Verse 7 He says: "What sorrow awaits the world because it tempts people to sin."
Psalm 22:19-31 David evokes praises to the Lord from all the descendants of Israel for God did not turn His back on the needy. "His righteous act will be told to those not yet born. They will hear everything He has done." Verse 31.
Proverbs 5:15-21 We are admonished to share our love only with our spouse; not be tempted by immorality for the Lord sees clearly what a man does.

I love to see the thread of God's love and righteousness and His provision of salvation - for all who call on Him - that runs from beginning to end in His Word, the Bible.

I found this song a week or two ago and it goes well for today.

Not that I feel forsaken because I never do, but I am thankful that I can seek His healing touch.

Verses for Today:
Psalm 107:19-21 (NLT)

19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
    snatching them from the door of death.
21 Let them praise the Lord for his great love
    and for the wonderful things he has done for them.


Through all of the passages above I see a Great and loving God who will never abandon His children. Though I am not one of His original chosen people, I was chosen to be adopted through the Grace of His love and the gift of His son, my savior, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.

Sharing Beyond Books #84 Comment Giveaway January 26, 2013

Hello, Welcome to SBB and Welcome to 2013!
Helllloooo all! :-) I got through my week and my appeal but the stress helped weaken me and I caught a cold. So far not the flu - Thank goodness! But still I am ready to crawl to bed now.
Thank you to all who shared last week.

Five of us haven't had a series fizzle. A couple named the same series and some of you keep reading even though you might not be as enthralled as when it started. :-) And then there are those long series that sometimes we give up on or just keep plugging on as we can.

It's wonderful to know that seven of  you do make crafty items. A couple used to and some hope to in the future. I'm glad my daughter is doing crafts with her kids. :-)

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #83 comments is: #3 miki. (Oh how I love when new visitors win!) There are still 4 'love' books to pick from and new Christmas choices. miki please choose a book (or GC if international) from the remaining five Love Books List for Giveaway, the new Christmas Giveaway Book list, OR pick from the Updated ARC/Review List and let me know your choice, your address and a choice of bookmarks by completing the WINNER FORM.   [I hope to add some additional Christmas books, Valentine titles and ARCs to the books available in the next week or so - Oh -rats - being sick yesterday and today I forgot again! :-(]

WEEK #84 Questions

Q1. Marjorie asks: Do you have a tattoo??

A:  No. Don't really believe in them although some are quite nice. My daughter has a small one on her ankle - that she got without our permission. :-) The article with the picture below asks if you would "wear your love of books." BUT - take a look at all the designs at this site.

Image found at Art Beats.

Q2. My Question this week: Do you like and/or participate in book scavenger hunts??

A: I actually love scavenger hunts if they don't get too big. Twelve sites is good 30 maybe too many. This question is relevant as I will be a scavenger stop in February. :-)

Image found at Woodloch Edge

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! I STILL HAVE A GROUP OF QUESTIONS AVAILABLE BUT THEY ARE FROM ABOUT FOUR PEOPLE SO SOME OF YOU MAY WANT TO ADD A QUESTION OR TWO! We can always use fresh questions. January questions were shared by FH&CT, Elizabeth, Carol L and Marjorie. The Winner is #2 Elizabeth.

Your turn to share:

1. Marjorie asks: Do you have a tattoo??

2. My Book Question this week: Do you like/participate in book scavenger hunts??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the remaining Valentine and "Love" books (4 left) or the new Christmas Giveaway Books. Also I have added the Updated ARC/Review List now.

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on any (or all) of the two/three questions above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.

I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made by Friday,  February 1, 2013 at 10 PM central.

Winners Last Chance Christmas and The Publicist

CONGRATULATIONS

TO WINNERS

Giveaway: Last Chance Christmas

JOSIE H.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway: The Publicist

Meghan - Print
Mary P - eBook! (sorry, almost forgot)

Josie, Meghan and MaryP Please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and I will arrange the mailing, and advise the author.  Please reply within 72 hours!
Thank you to all who entered these giveaways. 

Audio Book Review: Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Tayler

Fans of The Hunger Games won't want to miss this engaging YA dystopia!
Ashes of Twilight
by Kassy Tayler (Author)
Nicola Barber (Narrator) 

• Audible Audio Edition
• Listening Length: 9 hours and 24 minutes
• Program Type: Audiobook
• Version: Unabridged
• Publisher: AudioGO
• Audible.com Release Date: November 14, 2012

Genre: YA Dystopia
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Wren MacAvoy works as a coal miner for a domed city that was constructed in the mid-19th century to protect the royal blood line of England when astronomers spotted a comet on a collision course with Earth. Humanity would be saved by the most groundbreaking technology of the time. But after nearly 200 years of life beneath the dome, society has become complacent and the coal is running out. Plus, there are those who wonder: Is there life outside the dome? Or is the world still consumed by fire?

When one of Wren's friends escapes the confines of the dome, he is burned alive and put on display as a warning to those seeking to disrupt the dome’s way of life. But Alex’s final words are haunting. "The sky is blue." What happens next is a whirlwind of adventure, romance, conspiracy, and the struggle to stay alive in a world where nothing is as it seems. Wren unwittingly becomes a catalyst for a revolution that destroys the dome and the only way to survive might be to embrace what the entire society has feared their entire existence.

Review:
The city was built with glass domes and air filters to shelter humanity from the fire expected to burn up the surface when, in 1878, a comet was on collision with earth. The society was set up to protect the bloodline of the royals in England. The various classes are restricted by their duties to preserve the lifestyle and line of the pampered royals with their arranged marriages.  The coal miners live below in caves, providing coal to keep the fans running. Above ground, workers maintain the giant fans and clean the domes; others serve as gardeners, bakers, weavers and the various merchants who sell wares in the markets. Enforcers , called “blue coats”, guard the privileged royals from all the lower classes. Although the system was set up without criminal expectation, through the 200 years that have passed, a group of evil thugs, the filchers, dwell on the fringes and prey on those they can snatch in the streets.

Wren is an underground worker, a “shiner”, tending the ponies who pull the coal carts. She is now sixteen and has always had a bit of a crush on Alex but he is focused on Lucy. That leaves Wren stuck with her best friend’s brother, James, who is impetuous and sometimes cruel. Wren is a bit of a dreamer who sneaks up to the dome each day to watch the sunrise. She stares at the dome and wonders if there is really fire outside as the leaders say or if the world outside has returned to the green earth it used to be.

Alex and a few of their friends have started to gather as “seekers.” The group includes members across the class structure, including some royals who do not want to be forced into marriage. Suddenly the world as they know it is plunged into uproar. Wren witnesses a burned-alive Alex declaring with his last breath that “the sky is blue.” Alex had made a run for the outside but the blue coats dragged him back to let him die in the streets. Wren is chased by a blue coat, Pace, who has seen and heard more than he should. Soon the two are in hiding, wondering about the secrets beyond the dome and wondering what their future may bring. The younger miners want to investigate further but the elders are reluctant to cause trouble.

The story starts with Wren wondering about the Bible and the Heaven she knows little about. I enjoyed Wren’s faithful courage, steady determination and inclination to do the right thing even if that means seeking answers and freedom that could bring danger. Pace is a good match for her as he too is loyal, ready to protect her and ready to fight ‘the system.’  I also like how they both care for animals - the ponies and the canary Pace names Pip.

This is an engaging YA dystopia with wonderful world building and some good surprises. There is a good blend of action and ideological dreams.  I recommend this as a good read for those who like The Hunger Games and Divergent. I like that there is less senseless killing than in Hunger Games, although there is violence through the revolution that occurs. I will be interested in the sequel when released.

Audio Notes: Ms. Barber does a great job giving emotional input to Wren’s tale. She conveys her wonder, her frustration, her fear and sorrow. She presents the other characters equally well.  My only concern was that the narration was very soft making it hard to hear. Although that might have been the fault of my MP3, I realized the problem exists with the Media player too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wren has to make a decision when escape becomes possible:

"....yet, everything and everyone I love is still inside and something is desperately wrong in there. I can’t leave him....Dreams are nothing unless you have someone to share them with." End of Chapter 27.

I received this for review from AudioGO through AudioBook Jukebox.

Saturday Snapshot (January 26, 2013) Dec Visit to The Big Island, Hawaii

The third day of our cruise we visited the The Big Island. We picked up a small van tour in Hilo for a three and a half hour tour with lots of sites!

1st stop: Rainbow Falls - not big but pretty

2nd Stop Big Island Candies.

We sampled shortbread and coffee while watching them make the goodies!

We got some great decorating ideas at the candie shop.

So gorgeous!

3rd stop: Buildings full of all varieties of good smelling orchids

Learn how to grow orchids in the greenhouse.

The next site was Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
but I will post those pictures next time.

The last stop was The Mauna Loa
Macadamia Nut Company.
You can sample many flavors - Yumm!

Next week I'll show pics of the volcano area.

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Book Review and Giveaway: Every Perfect Gift by Dorothy Love

I found this story quite delightful.

Every Perfect Gift (A Hickory Ridge Romance)

by Dorothy Love

• File Size: 613 KB
• Print Length: 312 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (December 4, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• ASIN: B008GVYWC2

Genre: Historical Romance, Inspirational
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 2012

Series: A Hickory Ridge Romance (Book 3)

Ethan and Sophie long to share a future together. But the secrets they’re not sharing could tear them apart.

Sophie Caldwell has returned to Hickory Ridge, Tennessee, after years away. Despite the heartaches of her childhood, Sophie is determined to make a home, and a name, for herself in the growing town. A gifted writer, she plans to resurrect the local newspaper that so enchanted her as a girl.

Ethan Heyward’s idyllic childhood was shattered by a tragedy he has spent years trying to forget. An accomplished businessman and architect, he has built a majestic resort in the mountains above Hickory Ridge, drawing wealthy tourists from all over the country.

When Sophie interviews Ethan for the paper, he is impressed with her intelligence and astounded by her beauty. She’s equally intrigued but fears he will reject her if he learns about her shadowed past. Just as she summons the courage to tell him, Ethan’s own past unexpectedly and violently catches up with him, threatening not only his life but their budding romance.

“Pure Southern delight! Dorothy Love weaves a stirring romance . . . that uplifts and inspires the heart.” —Tamera Alexander, best-selling author of The Inheritance and A Lasting Impression

Review:
Sophie was dropped at the orphanage at four with unknown, therefore questionable, parents. She was 10 when  a local couple took her in and taught her the ropes of the local newspaper. The ‘family’ moved to Texas but after college Sophie decided she wanted to re-open the newspaper in her home town of Hickory Ridge. She knew it would be lot of work, especially facing the past and being a female in business in 1886.

Hickory Ridge is a small, dying town but it is being revitalized by the luxury resort being built in the mountains above the town. Sophie sets up an interview with the resort manager, Ethan. They are immediately attracted to each other, but Sophie is afraid that Ethan will reject her if he learns of her unknown parentage. Ethan has secrets and bitterness from his own past that return for him to face.

Sophie isn’t afraid to speak out and support her friends. Gillie is determined to get the town to help her open a medical clinic in town to serve those who can’t wait for the doctor to visit or can’t afford treatment. By supporting Gillie, Sophie angers the owner of the resort. He puts pressure on the town folk to ban their patronage of the newspaper making her struggles even harder.

The story has a good combination of romance, drama and a little action, to keep it interesting. There are conflicts that make it hard for Sophie to be honest and feel free to love Ethan. Ethan is unsettled with his bitter past creating a stumbling block for his future. I enjoyed the building of their sweet romance and the heart changes needed to overcome their conflicts.

I liked how the author presented historical issues involving racial prejudices and treatment of the laborers. The story also shows the difficulties resulting from one powerful businessman lording over a community. I greatly like the theme of gifts, emotional and tangible, that runs through the story. It encourages the reader to focus on blessings, not hardships.

The pacing was a bit slow in the middle and a few times I felt there were unnecessary details and scenes. Yet overall I really enjoyed the historical aspects, the surprises and the warmth and charm of the sweet romance.  There is inspiration shared in soft messages and there is a nice Group Reader Guide at the end. I will seek to read more from Ms. Love in the future.  If you like warm, feel-good, historical romance I recommend this book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sophie has to face the voices of her past:

...shivering in the sharp wind that seemed to whisper long-past taunts. Mutt, Muddlebones. Mongrel. And worse.  Location 54.

Sophie worries over her unknown heritage:

But how was it possible to be truly at peace inside when there was so much she didn’t know, might never know, about who she was and where she came from? Location 607.

Her childhood friend, Robbie, has the answers:

“Maybe what you really need is the courage to believe that you are a perfect creation, just as you are. That our Creator knew what he was doing when he made you.”  Location 1418.

I received this book, through NetGalley, from Thomas Nelson.

This is set in Tennessee for my 2013 Where are You Reading list. This is also a New Author for me.

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY FOR PRINT COPY FROM PUBLISHER - US ONLY.

ENTRY FORM HERE

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.

* This contest is open US Only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on February 1, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on February 2, 2013.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway January 25, 2013

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

Happy Friday! Hi folks. How is everyone this week? I  had an appeal that took a couple of days and really tired me. I am a bit wiped at the moment. :-)

Thank you to all who entered the January 11 Pick. There are no automatic winners this week (those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks). There were three titles blocked this week.

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from January 18 Pick:

Texas Book Lover wins the Tom Clancy Pair.

Di wins Pearl Beyond Price .

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 or sexy and I have a new supply of sweet bookmarks.

 Has anyone had lots of snow?
Not sure why it's on the law books though.
Hope you have better books to read. :-) 
Image found at More Intelligent Life.

New Book Group #35 January 11, 2013
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing 

Pairs
Beverly Barton:
    Downright Dangerous and What She Doesn't Know
Heather Graham Pozzessere
    Renegades (Western Anthology) and Everytime I Love You (The spine is creased.)
Mary Baxter
    His Touch and One Summer Evening

Singles-- I found a couple of boxes of romances (a lot of Harlequins) that I haven't gotten to read over the past 8 years so... I will send them off to others to read!
Flashpoint by Linda Barnes
Across a Thousand Miles by Nadia Nichols
Lady Beware by Fayrene Preston
Secrets of the Outback by Margaret Way
Never Say Never Again by Tori Carrington
*Merger of Fortunes by Peggy Moreland
*Married to His Business by Elizabeth Bevarly
*The Banker's Convenient Wife by Lynne Graham
*Chance Adventure by Kelly Eileen Hake
* The Millionaire's Daughter by Sophie Weston


New Book Group #34 December 7, 2012.
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

Pairs:
Fern Michaels
    Payback and Full Me Once
Luanne Rice
    Silver Bells (spine wear) and True Blue
Janet Evanovich
    Full Tilt and Full Bloom
Singles:
Captain's Woman by Merline Lovelace (This is a favorite author and book of mine)
*Death in High Heels by Christina Brand
*Mrs Mallory and the Silent Killer by Hazel Holt


New Book Group #33 October 27, 2012
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

PAIRS:
Dick Francis:
     10 LB Penalty and Risk
Tom Clancy:
     Op-Center State of Siege and Op-Center Mission of Honor
SINGLES - CHRISTMAS TITLES (Better sizes for international) 
*Deck the Halls by Arlene James (slight spine creasing)
*A Holiday Prayer by Deb Kastner  (slight spine creasing)


New Book Group #32 October 5, 2012

- Oops upside down book! NOTE This book has dog bite damage; it is missing half back cover and the edges of pages in the back third of the book... it does not effect the text but I will understand if no one wants this one - A Courtesans Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley
The Gift by Constance O'Day-Flannery
Please Remember This by Katleen Giles Seidel
Twice Upon Time by Nina Beaumont
Heart of the Hawk by Justine Dare
The Boy's Tale (Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries) by Margaret Frazer
Calculated Revenge by Jill Elizabeth Nelson


New Book Group #31 August 31, 2012
I pulled some more books from several of my boxes.

An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
Beautiful Dreamer by Elizabeth Lowell

New Book Group #30 July 27, 2012
This time I pulled some books from one of my older boxes.
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Wild Escapade by Lisa Bingham
Dancing on Snowflakes by Jane Bonander
Mistress by Amanda Quick - Audio Cassettes
*Long Time Coming by Sandra Brown

New Book Group #29 June 29, 2012
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books possibly suitable for international mailing

Magic: The Gathering Distant Planes, An Anthology
*One is the Lonliest Number - Tom Clancey's Net Force

New Book Group #28 May 18, 2012
*asterisks indicate lighter, smaller books suitable for international.

Wanna Get Lucky? by Deborah Coonts
Sleeping Alone by Barbara Bretton

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

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

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

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

New Group #23 Pick Books October 14, 2011
I tried to pick some books that would be good for October -
Halloween or dark minded.
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Emily's Good Nightmare by Cosmic Debris Cosmic

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

New Group #21 of Pick Books July 29, 2011
Mallory's Oracle (Kathleen Mallory Novels) by Carol O'Connell

May, 2011 New Group of Pick books Group #20
Luciano's Luck by Jack Higgins - Audio Cassettes

3/25/11 I did get to set up a new group of books: Group #19
Primary Colors - audio tapes
*Note of Peril (black strip on cover)

2/19/11 Book Group #18- Pairs!---(All gone).

I have finally updated the intro and Entry paragraphs here:

If you saw the pictures posted of my bookshelves and boxes you know I do have lots of books! And that doesn't include the other eight or so boxes at my office!! And more books as I find deals too good to pass up! I am sharing my book bounty by these Friday Pick Giveaways.

I started Friday Pick in November 27, 2009 and in three years I have posted 33 groups of 16 (528) books to find new homes! (November 2012)

I periodically update the lists - deleting those won. You can still go to the Friday Pick list link to see older posts and the older lists book pictures if you want! I am happy to say that so far about 464 books have found new homes! YAY. I have to update my print out to check the exact number sent out - a few were never claimed.

Note rules here regarding international entries.

Because postage to overseas can be prohibitive I am willing to give a $5.00 book certificate to international winners - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, ARe, TWRP, ClassAct Books, eTreasures, Desert Breeze, etc....you tell me where and I'll set it up. So for my overseas visitors your comment may indicate a smaller book and I'll check postage or note your choice of gift card.

I learned that The Book Depository does not ship to everywhere. The postage for some of the books to far away places runs between $5.00 and $6.00 and up. Since I would award $5.00 for The Book Depository to an international winner, as an alternative you may choose a smaller book and we will hope the postage will not exceed $6.00. If the postage is more, or if you want to pick a larger book and you are willing to pay any extra postage beyond the $6.00 I will work with you on that. This may not make a difference to many but if it helps one or two of you to give one of my books a home that will make me happy too. :o)

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment and tell me WHICH BOOK you would like to get from the Friday Pick lists.
CUT OFF TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 10:00 PM CENTRAL so I do not have to stay up past midnight to do the winner post!
I will randomly pick two winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.
Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks.
WINNERS PLEASE CHECK THE WIN POST ON FRIDAYS AND fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads@gmail.com. [I will confirm receipt of the addresses- well I realize I haven't always done this. But if you filled out the form and don't get the book within two weeks nudge me with an email please!] If I have the winners e-mail I will send a reminder in a week or so....

Thanks for helping these books find new homes!!

Repeating this helpful blog tip: You can right click on a link and you will be given the choice to open the link in a new window or tab so you do not navigate away from the screen you are on!! I use this all the time!

1/14/11 New List #17--- (All gone)

12/3/10 Book Set: #16
Sleight of Hand by Robin Hathaway
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

List #15---(All gone)

List #14---(All gone)

Here is set #13 of Used books! ---(All gone)
Pearl Beyond Price by Claire Delacroix

Group #12---(All gone)

Group #11
Cat's Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester
Looking Back by Belva Plain

List #1
Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo

Pick #2---(All gone)

Pick #3---(All gone)

Pick #4
Talking God by Tony Kellerman
Everything to Gain by Barbara Taylor Bradford
The Shadow by Shelley Munro (PA)

Pick #5
See Jane Lead by Lois P. Frankel
Cold Hit by Linda Fairstein - Audio Tapes

Pick #6---(All gone)

Pick #7
Prey by Michael Crichton - Audio Tape
Princess Charming by Jane Heller (slightly creased)

Pick #8
(sc) = slightly creased on binding otherwise all in good shape
The Jury by Steve Martini - Audio Tapes
No Safe Place by Richard North Patterson - Audio Tapes

Pick #9
On Treacherous Ground by Earl Murray
Guardian by Dee Henderson - Audio Tapes
Time to Hunt by Stephen Hunter - Audio Tapes

Pick #10---(All Gone)

Book Review and Giveaway Link:daynight by Megan Thomason

This is  unbelievable at times, but mostly captivating with a unique plot of entangled characters and societal corruption.
daynight
by Megan Thomason

• File Size: 655 KB
• Print Length: 325 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1480226556
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Genre: YA Dystopia
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: November 12, 2012
“Sure to win over YA readers looking for a dangerous, dystopian adventure story” —Kirkus Reviews

"Gripping young adult dystopian novel; compelling conflicts; high stakes; powerful narrative; surprises keep coming; strong writing; page-turner; engaging characters; Readers will be hungry for the sequels.”—BlueInk Review (starred review)

Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Earth’s benevolent non-profit by day, Thera’s totalitarian regime by night. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Life(TM). Reality: the SCI subjects Second Chancers to strict controls and politically motivated science experiments like Cleaving—forced lifetime union between two people who have sex.

Meet Kira Donovan. Fiercely loyal, overly optimistic, and ensnared by the promise of a full-ride college scholarship, Kira signs the SCI Recruit contract to escape memories of a tragedy that left her boyfriend and friends dead.

Meet Blake Sundry. Bitter about being raised in Exile and his mother’s death, Blake’s been trained to infiltrate and destroy the SCI. Current barrier to success? His Recruit partner—Miss Goody Two Shoes Kira Donovan.

Meet Ethan Darcton. Born with a defective heart and resulting inferiority complex, Ethan’s forced to do his SCI elite family’s bidding. Cleave-worthy Kira Donovan catches his eye, but the presiding powers give defect-free Blake Sundry first dibs.

Full of competing agendas, romantic entanglements, humor, twists and turns, daynight is Megan Thomason’s debut young adult dystopian novel and first in the daynight series.

Review:
Kira is a character I really like. She is young and often scorned as a ‘goody-too shoes’. She is loyal and determined to stand on her own and make right choices. She has set her goals on a full college scholarship by signing up to serve as a Second Chance Institute (SCI) recruit for a year. The year will also give her time away from the tragic explosion that killed her betraying boyfriend and best friend along with another 100 or so partying teens. That night has a lot of memories for Kira. She also met a truly wonderful young man, Ethan, who gave her butterflies.

Kira travels to the SCI station to begin her training. There she discovers that things truly are not as they seem and she’s “not in Kansas anymore.” She learns that she is on a planet, Thera, where conditions are opposite of earth. The climate is hostile with a burning sun. Everyone sleeps during day and trains or works at night.  She believed SCI to be a place that gave troubled souls a second chance to succeed. It sort of does that. They bring the dead back to life with no memory of their past and set them in a world of strictly dictated and enforced rules. You either following the regulations or you get cast out into exile.

Blake was a strange, aloof boy in her school. Now he is assigned to be her roommate and apparently he is one of the ‘pure darks’ who might be suitable for her to cleave with (marry). The plan of the SCI leaders is to pair a Kira, a pure light with a pure dark to be the mother and father of the next generation. The second choice as a possible mate is the handsome and charming Ethan who turns out to be the son of the horribly brutal dictator.

The author creates an interesting world of ugly dictatorships with corrupt leaders. Blake is the son of an exiled leader who wants to bring down the government. Blake feels he owes it to his father to spy for him even if he doesn’t agree with his militant ways.

There is a lot of conflict throughout the story that keeps it interesting. The ideology struggles, the intrigue and possible alliances were enough to keep me going when a few scenes became just too ridiculous. Most of the details and connections are nicely wrapped up by the end, with the scene neatly set for a sequel.  But there are a few items left unexplained (ie. who was the party girl in the first chapter?)

I enjoyed the style of alternating chapters between the primary characters, Kira, Blake and Ethan. Occasionally the scenes had to backtrack for the other view which created minor confusion until I became accustomed to the technique. I also noted but was able to get beyond a handful of editing errors and a good deal of telling rather than showing to reveal the back story. Fortunately that was spaced in between the action so it didn’t allow the story to drag.

I felt poor Kira’s dilemma at loving one young man who might chose a cause over her and loving a second young man who might not have the freedom from his parent/masters to commit to her. I liked the twists of surprising relationships that are revealed near the end. I appreciate the extra intrigue and mystery that surround Dr. Christo and his son, Jax. The continued conflicts and intrigue make me interested in the next book.

I received this book from the author, for an honest review, as part of BookBlast Tour.  There is a Giveaway below and a Giveaway at the BookBlast post.

Tour Schedule

Blog Tour Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card

Signed copy of Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Signed copy of daynight

Ends 2/7/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post by Micahel Wallace, Author of The Blessed and The Damned

Child Lost. Writer Found.
by Michael Wallace

When I was eight, I got lost in the Fiery Furnace while hunting lizards. Caught in the maze of fins, spires, hoodoos, and other weird sandstone formations in Arches National Park, I realized I’d taken a wrong turn and backtracked, only to come upon a gorge scoured in the slickrock that I hadn’t crossed. I followed a set of footprints in the sand, which vanished, and then scrambled up a sandstone fin, hoping to catch a glimpse of the edge of the maze. It didn’t work. Everything I tried seemed to take me deeper into the labyrinth. The search party found me three hours later, thirsty and dehydrated. I don’t remember being particularly frightened.


That incident in the Fiery Furnace lingered in my memory and emerged twenty-five years later when I started to write The Righteous, the first book in my series set in the polygamist enclave of Blister Creek, Utah. There is a sandstone labyrinth called Witch’s Warts in Blister Creek that serves as a secret entry in and out of the valley, as well as a focal point of violence and other weirdness. It is a strange, otherworldly landscape, and I’ve had readers write to ask me if such a place could be real.

The wilderness of southern Utah may be an alien place to most of my readers, but to me, it sends me to my childhood and makes me think about my father. He would take me into the desert armed with a guidebook of roadside geology to dig up trilobites and fossilized shark teeth or to look for geodes—hollow, spherical stones packed with crystals. We went to a ghost town in a dry canyon once and returned with 19th century medicine bottles turned lavender in the sun. On another occasion, we camped on the desolate edge of a sand dune wasteland and listened to a murder mystery that came in and out of focus from a distant AM station. The stars were so bright under the thin desert atmosphere that it felt like I was clinging to the skin of the earth as it hurtled through the universe.

The desert was a cornucopia of cool stuff to discover: arrowheads and potsherds, topaz and other valuable crystals, and of course snakes and lizards. My brother and I once cornered a Gila monster that hissed and lunged as we tried to figure out how to get the venomous lizard into a can. It disappeared when we ran back to camp to get our father. Mom was relieved; we already kept a rattlesnake in a locked cage in the shed.

I’ve seen zillions of rattlesnakes and scorpions—have you ever watched a death match between a scorpion and a dozen angry soldier ants?—and that stuff doesn’t frighten me. Sandstone cliffs with thousand foot drops like Angel’s Landing or Dead Horse Point? Yes, that’s scary stuff. Of course, I don’t take foolish risks like I did as a boy, but whenever I’m back in the desert I find myself thinking about how I’d get food, water, and shelter if I were lost.

The same thoughts come to my mind whenever I revisit the polygamist community of Blister Creek. The desert wilderness is a good place to drag characters if you want their struggles to play out against a beautiful, deadly canvas, where civilization remains distant and weak. And it’s a good place to dig up memories of my own childhood, stir them up with pure imagination, and set them loose on the world.

Michael Wallace Website

Please see my Review of the fourth book The Blessed and the Damned.