Blog Tour Featuring The Hero's Lot by Patrick W. Carr; Giveaway $25.00 GC/PP

My review was to post today and I apologize to the author and tour host that I am not ready to post the review. I am 60% complete and very much enjoying the danger and intrigue that Errol and his "team" are facing. I feel it wouldn't be fair to write the review until I finish. So I will post the review in the next day or so.
Thanks for understanding. Meanwhile, enjoy this excerpt and enter the blog tour Giveaway below!

Excerpt:

Sweat, hot and salty, flowed into Errol’s eyes in the sticky heat of the early fall afternoon. He forced a quick blink to shed the distraction, not daring to risk the split-second it would take to wipe his brow. A welt as long as his hand burned his left ribcage. Its twin worked to numb his right shoulder. The staff in his hands blurred and buzzed like an angry insect, nearly invisible, but as yet he had managed only a single strike against his opponent.

And he was tiring.

The man opposite him, stronger and fresher, darted like a snake, the blade of his sword disappeared as his arms corded and he struck. Errol parried at the last moment and flowed into a counterattack. The clack of staff against sword filled his ears like the sound of a drummer’s rim beats.

For a moment he dared hope that he would penetrate his opponent’s defense, but the attack exhausted itself and he retreated to defend against those cursed whip-like strokes of the swordsman’s counter.

Pain blossomed in his side as the sword found its mark. It was no use. Four weeks of food and rest had almost restored him to complete health after Sarin’s attack against the kingdom. But ‘almost’ was insufficient against such an opponent.

The Hero's Lot
Riveting Sequel from Christian Fantasy's Most Talented New Voice.

When Sarin Valon, the corrupt secondus of the conclave, flees Erinon and the kingdom, Errol Stone believes his troubles have at last ended. But other forces bent on the destruction of the kingdom remain and conspire to accuse Errol and his friends of a conspiracy to usurp the throne.

In a bid to keep the three of them from the axe, Archbenefice Canon sends Martin and Luis to Errol's home village, Callowford, to discover what makes him so important to the kingdom. But Errol is also accused of consorting with spirits. Convicted, his punishment is a journey to the enemy kingdom of Merakh, where he must find Sarin Valon, and kill him. To enforce their sentence, Errol is placed under a compulsion, and he is driven to accomplish his task or die resisting.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Hero's Lot is the Sequel to A Cast of Stones

A Cast of Stones

An Epic Medieval Saga Fantasy Readers Will Love.

In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.
Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Tour Schedule

Author Patrick W. Carr

Patrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last five years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.

Website * Facebook

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 8/14/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway July 26, 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 Friends!! It is surprising that July is almost over. The time flies by! I hope everyone is having a nice summer (or winter for those of you on the other side).

[UPDATED NOTE - US entrants I prefer, please, that you pick a book as that is the first purpose of this giveaway - to find new homes for books. The GCs are for the  international entrants because postage has jumped up.]

Thank you to all who entered the July 19 Pick. There were three Automatic wins this week which is nice :-). (Automatic winners are those who requested the book four times and I did not note other people asking for that book during those weeks). There were three blocked titles - one selected by several people.
Carol NW gets Cat's Eyewitness
Di gets Sin and Scandal in England
bn100 gets Shadow of the Sun

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from July 19 Pick:

Booklady gets The Highland Pair  
Highland Treasure by Amanda Scott and Highlander Unbound by Julia London

Linda gets a Gift Card

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. {The form is new because Google changed their forms and the old one wasn't letting me print out the responses.}

When we travel by RV I love to exchange books at campsites.

Do you ever leave a book behind on your travels?!

Image found at Dominica News Online.

New Book Group #40 June 28, 2013

Pairs:
     (Highlands) Highland Treasure by Amanda Scott and Highlander Unbound by Julia London
     (Angels) Not Quite An Angel by Bobby Hutchinson and An Angel for Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad
Singles:
What Sarah Saw by Margaret Daley (Cover has black line across where bookstore crossed it for clearance)
Her Last Chance by Terri Reed  (Cover has black line across where bookstore crossed it for clearance)
The Clairvoyant Countess by Dorothy Gilman
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes
Mission: Irresistible by Lori Wilde
Sin and Scandal in England by Melody Thomas
Dance With Me by Luanne Rice
A Mother's Day Anthology - three stories
Rising Moon by Lori Handeland
Star Light, Star Bright by Katherine Stone
Another View by Rosamunde Pilcher
Promise Forever by Marta Perry


New Book Group #39 May 31, 2013 - Plenty of "summer" titles!
Oops - I never added all the links last month so no promises on these either.

Pairs:
Hannah Howell
     Highland Hearts and Highland Destiny
Catherine Anderson
     My Sunshine and Blue Skies
Elizabeth Lowell
     Remember Summer and Too Hot to Handle
Singles:
Touched by Fire by Kathleen O'Reilly
Playing with Fire by Gena Showalter
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
That Summer by Joan Wolf
Shadow of the Sun by Tammy Hilz
Dark Summer by Iris Johansen
Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
Summer by the Sea by Susan Wiggs
Shadow Beach by Barbara Freethy
It All Began at Monte Carlo by Elizabeth Adler


New Book Group #38 April 20, 2013
Here is a group with many mysteries.  Links to be added as I get time.

Pairs:
Amanda Scott
      Abducted Heiress and Highland Bride
Sandra Brown
     Texas! Chase and Exclusive (spine wear) (not the covers as on the links)
A Murderous Yarn by Monica Ferris
Deadly Advise by Roberta Isleib
Dial Emmy for Murder by Eileen Davidson 
On Deadly Ground (Love Inspired Suspense) by Lauren Nichols
Happy Never After by Kathy Hogan Trocheck
Female Intellignece by Jane Heller
Improper English by Katie MacAllister
Sheer Dynamite by Jennifer Skully
Golden Chances by Rebbecca Hagen Lee
Caitlin's Guardian Angel by Marie Ferrarella
Burning Alive by Shannon K. Butcher
Awaken the Senses by Nalini Singh


New Book Group #37 March 22, 2013

As I am linking these titles it is clear to me why they were in my TBR boxes and it is really hard to let them go but I have soooo many. Better that they find good reader homes than sit on my shelves, or in a box, and collect dust. 
Pairs:
Singles:
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.

To Tame a Rebel by Georgina Gentry
While Passion Sleeps by Shirlee Busbee
The Admiral's Bride by Suzanne Brockmann

Lady Ice by Joan Hohl



New Book Group #36 February 15, 2013

Pairs:
Tara Taylor Quinn
     Father: Unknown and McGillus v.Wright
Singles:
Timeline by Michael Crichton

The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe



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

*Merger of Fortunes by Peggy Moreland



New Book Group #34 December 7, 2012--- (All gone)

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

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


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)


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 (postage too much - replaced with GC)

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 (All gone)

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


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! (as of 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 530 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 $7.00 and $6.00 $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)

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  (postage too much - replaced with GC)

List #15---(All gone)

List #14---(All gone)

Here is set #13 of Used books! ---(All gone)

Group #12---(All gone)

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

List #1
Circle of Stars by Anna Lee Waldo

Pick #2---(All gone)

Pick #3---(All gone)

Pick #4
Talking God by Tony Kellerman

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)

Audio Book Review: The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel by Gregory S. Slomba

This is a fun adventure - perfect for middle schoolers and more.

The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel
    by Gregory S. Slomba
    Narrated by Jimm Singer


 LENGTH    5 hrs and 17 mins
    RELEASE DATE    01-16-13
    PUBLISHER    Gregory S. Slomba
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy Adventure
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Twelve-year-old Eric Scott is called by Stig, a talking owl, to journey to another world to save a fishing village from a band of bloodthirsty pirates. Once there, Eric discovers that delivering the town is but one of the problems he'll have to solve.

Can a 12-year-old boy, a talking owl, a headstrong girl and an outcast dwarf save a village, much less an entire world? Find out as they set out on the journey of a lifetime to defeat an immortal pirate, face their fears, and fulfill an ancient prophecy.

Review:
Eric is a sweet twelve-year old boy who holds himself responsible for the death of his father even though a young boy wouldn’t be able to hold a man falling off a mountain. One afternoon Eric is approached by an owl who speaks to him and tells him that he is being called on a mission. Stig, the talking owl, explains that the mission isn’t in the world as Eric knows but through a secret door to another world. Eric isn’t sure how a young boy like him can help but he agrees to go.

A guardian of the gates delivers them to the world where they are to help a fishing village fight oppressive pirates.  They are welcomed by Kate, the mayor’s daughter who immediately declares them to be the deliverers promised in an long ago legend!

An outcast dwarf joins the three friends as they help the townspeople plan a way and find the courage to face the villainous Pirate Sharky and his band of cutthroats. Each offers different skills including  wisdom, strategy and fighting expertise. The small team journeys through the dwarf lands in the mountain, to seek aid, even though big folk aren't welcome. Then they proceed (through choice of execution or going forward) out the locked doors to the forbidden wasteland beyond where no one has returned. Eric realizes that only together can they make the mission a success.

The story is wonderfully plotted with messages of friendship, bravery, sacrifice, forgiveness, second chances and more. It is a fun listen with lots of ‘magical’ characters and full of action.  I think this would be a fun story for families to listen to together so they could discuss the characters, the action and the lessons shared.

Audio Notes: Jimm Singer does a really fine job of making the characters come alive. His voices for the children are good and his accents for other characters, the stuffy British owl, Stig, the despondent, rough dwarf, and others, add wonderful depth and make the listening fun.

I received this from the author through Audiobook Jukebox.

Winners: The Woman He Loved Before and Haven Creek

CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNERS!

Giveaways Ended July 19 2013

Giveaway: The Woman He Loved Before

WINNER: Becky W


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

ARC Giveaway: Haven Creek (A Cavanaugh Island Novel

WINNER: Suzanne (Suzieq)

Becky and Suzanne please fill in the (NEW) Winner's Acceptance Form or email me at mesreads AT gmail.com to confirm the win and I'll get the book mailed and/or notify the publisher of your win.  Please reply within 72 hours!  

MBS 2013 Lazy Days of Summer Spontaneous Giveaway Hop

Happy Summer everyone!

Thanks to Burgandy Ice & I Am a Reader, Not A Writer for hosting another 'spontaneous' Hop.

My Giveaway is open Worldwide:

$10.00 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Credit.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Now you may happily hop along to enter more giveaways at these participating sites:

Book Review: West Palm Part 1: The Undertaker's Apprentice by Joss Cordero

This is a quick suspense/mystery seen from the eyes of the creepy psychopath.

West Palm I: The Undertaker's Apprentice
by Joss Cordero

• File Size: 891 KB
• Print Length: 58 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Star (June 3, 2013)
• Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00ADMR044

Genre: Mystery
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: June 3, 2013
The first in a four-part, fast-paced serialized psychological thriller, from a talented author who captures quirky South Florida in the bestselling tradition of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen.

Zach often hears his great aunt Emmy’s hauntingly sweet voice singing in his head. His calling has been to make the dead look beautiful. As a security guard at a West Palm funeral parlor, he strolls alone among the corpses, artfully decorating them…Zack knows the spirits of the dead need his help as they transition to the netherworld. But when his bizarre rituals are discovered, he flees. Not deterred, he comes upon a tall, beautiful woman alone on a yacht and knows she needs the kind of help only he can provide...

With its taut pacing and sly humor, Cordero’s West Palm serialization is relentlessly addictive, peopled with a South Florida psychopath, a burnt out police detective turned P.I., and one gorgeous but tough woman, in a city where trash mingles with class.

Review:
Zack is a manic, psychotic ‘nerd’ who obsesses over his “angels” - dead women whom he likes to make beautiful. He is currently working as a security guard for a funeral parlor where he thinks he is helping the spirits of the young women to transition as he decorates the corpses for the holidays. When his boss stumbles upon him lighting the corpses Zack knows he will have to move on...again.

While Zack ponders where he will work next he spots a beautiful young woman on a yacht in the marina. He is sure she is to be one of his angels – even if he has to help the process by delivering the woman to the morgue.

This was an interesting albeit creepy beginning to the mystery. I liked the different perspective of knowing from the beginning who the psychopath is and seeing the scenes from his warped mind and eyes. I particularly enjoyed that this was set in familiar grounds for me since I lived in Palm Beach County for many years. The writing is crisp with an underlying feel of suspense. It was an easy, quick read.

I recommend this to mystery buffs who don’t mind seeing the story from the twisted view of the killer. Also I warn you that you will probably need to plan to get the next novella(s) in the group so you don’t get stopped in the midst of pursuit as happens in this novella. The four book set won't be released until December.

I picked this title up at NetGalley.

BookBlast Giveaway: The Hero's Lot by Patrick W. Carr

The Hero's Lot

Riveting Sequel from Christian Fantasy's Most Talented New Voice.

When Sarin Valon, the corrupt secondus of the conclave, flees Erinon and the kingdom, Errol Stone believes his troubles have at last ended. But other forces bent on the destruction of the kingdom remain and conspire to accuse Errol and his friends of a conspiracy to usurp the throne.

In a bid to keep the three of them from the axe, Archbenefice Canon sends Martin and Luis to Errol's home village, Callowford, to discover what makes him so important to the kingdom. But Errol is also accused of consorting with spirits. Convicted, his punishment is a journey to the enemy kingdom of Merakh, where he must find Sarin Valon, and kill him. To enforce their sentence, Errol is placed under a compulsion, and he is driven to accomplish his task or die resisting.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Hero's Lot is the Sequel to A Cast of Stones

A Cast of Stones

An Epic Medieval Saga Fantasy Readers Will Love.

In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.

Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Author Patrick W. Carr

Patrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last five years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.

Website * Facebook

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 8/11/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mailbox Monday July 22, 2013

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.
For JULY: the Mailbox Monday Tour host is Tasha @ Book Obsessed.
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) but is now hosted at Mailbox Monday and through various blog hosts.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I received one print review book and picked up the free audio titles from SYNC YA. 

Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

I received one print titles: 
Sourcebooks For October Review


My Lady Quicksilver (London Steampunk #3)
by Bev McMaster

Won

I've haven't been entering any contests that I recall. :-)

Purchased

None

Free

Audios:

I downloaded this past week's free pair from SYNC YA July 18 – July 24, 2013:

Grave Mercy
Robin LaFevers
Read by Erin Moon
Published by Recorded Books
This Download Only Available to US and Canada Listeners
 ”Narrator Erin Moon ably handles this twisty tale of intrigue.” –AudioFile Magazine
In the fifteenth-century kingdom of Brittany, Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts.

and

Hamlet
By William Shakespeare
Performed by a Full Cast
Published by L.A. Theatre Works
“This American-accented Hamlet is a churning, turbulent production with many fine moments . . . ” –AudioFile Magazine

Shakespeare’s classic play about an indecisive Danish prince urged on to revenge against his uncle by his murdered father.

I joined a new group that shares free books and giveaways: Bookfun
I didn't have time to download any free Kindle Titles this week
linked through Free Par-tay, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle Review.

It's Monday What are You Reading? July 22, 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.

This was a good reading week but I didn't get as many reviews posted as I would have liked.  I finished four books and am well into two more.  I posted three reviews; two Giveaway links. I also posted the weekly Mailbox Monday meme, Friday Pick Giveaway, Saturday Snapshot, Sharing Beyond Books Comment Giveaway and Sunday Words.

I did get to visit some this past week, but I want to do more.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• It's Monday What are You Reading? July 15, 2013.

• Mailbox Monday July 15, 2013.

• BookBlast Giveaway: Blood and Bone by Don Hoesel $50.00 GC/PP. Ends 8/4/13.

• Book Review: Quest for the Scorpion's Jewel by Amy Green, Fantasy Adventure, Inspirational; my rating 4.25.

• Audible Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy, Post Apocalyptic; my rating 4.25. 

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway July 19, 2013. Open Worldwide. Ends 7/25.

• Book Review and Giveaway Link: Blood and Bone by Don Hoesel, Triller; my rating 3.75. 

• Saturday Snapshot July 20, 2013 - Rainy Day Images
  

• Sharing Beyond Books #109 Comment Giveaway 7/20/13. Open Worldwide. Ends 7/26.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement July 14, 2013.
  

Finished Reading:

1. Audio/Audible

The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel
    by Gregory S. Slomba
    Narrated by Jimm Singer
This is a fun adventure. 
I will post a review this week;
reviewing for the author through Audiobook Jukebox.
Click on Title for full book description.

2. eBook/Kindle

Blood and Bone
by Don Hoesel
This has lots of action. 
My review and a Giveaway link is linked above.
Click on Title for full book description.

3. Audio/Audible

The Maiden Flight of the Rio Grande
by Michael Coorlim
Narrated by Wayne Farrell
I enjoy these very quick mysteries!
Reviewing for the author
through Audiobook Jukebox.
I'll post a review this week.
Publisher's Summary
The Bartleby and James Adventures steampunk mystery series follows the cases of consulting detectives Anton Bartleby and James Wainwright through an alternate Victorian history. Their latest adventure takes them high above the greatest city in the world.

Brilliant but socially-awkward inventor and engineer James Wainwright has been accused of murder most foul, and only his savvy partner, Alton Bartleby, can clear his name. The clock is ticking, though, as the true murderer's sabotage threatens to crash the world's largest airship into the teaming streets of London below.

Who are Bartleby and James?
Alton Bartleby is a social savant, the scion of a once pround and noble bloodline, working to restore his family's name. James Wainwright is a brilliant engineer and inventor. Together they take on the cases that Scottland Yard cannot or will not handle.

4. Print

Flight of the Raven (Mysteries of Sparrow Island Series #2)
by Ellen Harris 
I enjoyed this light mystery. 
Our Ladies' Book Club meeting was postponed until July 26 so I'll share the review with giveaway then.
Click on Title for full book description.

Line Edits/Releases:
Next Monday I hope to link the two new links.

Currently reading:

1. Print

Crazy Little Thing Called Love
by Molly Cannon
I am 60% in and enjoying this.
Reviewing for Hachette/Forever.
Click on Title for full book description.

2. Audible

The Overton Window
    by Glenn Beck
    Narrated by James Daniels
This has been hard to put down.
Since I will be reviewing book two (The Eye of Moloch) I decided to read the first book.
Publisher's Summary
A plan to destroy America, a hundred years in the making, is about to be unleashed...can it be stopped?

There is a powerful technique called the Overton Window that can shape our lives, our laws, and our future. It works by manipulating public perception so that ideas previously thought of as radical begin to seem acceptable over time. Move the Window and you change the debate. Change the debate and you change the country.

For Noah Gardner, a 20-something public relations executive, it's safe to say that political theory is the furthest thing from his mind. Smart, single, handsome, and insulated from the world's problems by the wealth and power of his father, Noah is far more concerned about the future of his social life than the future of his country.

But all of that changes when Noah meets Molly Ross, a woman who is consumed by the knowledge that the America we know is about to be lost forever. She and her group of patriots have vowed to remember the past and fight for the future - but Noah, convinced they're just misguided conspiracy-theorists, isn't interested in lending his considerable skills to their cause.

And then the world changes.

An unprecedented attack on U.S. soil shakes the country to the core and puts into motion a frightening plan, decades in the making, to transform America and demonize all those who stand in the way. Amidst the chaos, many don't know the difference between conspiracy theory and conspiracy fact - or, more important, which side to fight for.

But for Noah, the choice is clear: Exposing the plan, and revealing the conspirators behind it, is the only way to save both the woman he loves and the individual freedoms he once took for granted.

After five back-to-back number-one New York Times best sellers, national radio and Fox News television host Glenn Beck has delivered a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that seamlessly weaves together American history, frightening facts about our present condition, and a heart-stopping plot. The Overton Window will educate, enlighten, and, most important, entertain - with twists and revelations no one will see coming.

3. eBook/Kindle

The Hero's Lot
by Patrick W. Carr
I have started this and am enjoying the story
as it is developing.
I will be posting a Giveaway 7/22
and the review on 7/26 as part of BookBlast.
Book Description
Publication Date: July 1, 2013
Riveting Sequel from Christian Fantasy's Most Talented New Voice
When Sarin Valon, the corrupt secondus of the conclave, flees Erinon and the kingdom, Errol Stone believes his troubles have at last ended. But other forces bent on the destruction of the kingdom remain and conspire to accuse Errol and his friends of a conspiracy to usurp the throne.

In a bid to keep the three of them from the axe, Archbenefice Canon sends Martin and Luis to Errol's home village, Callowford, to discover what makes him so important to the kingdom. But Errol is also accused of consorting with spirits. Convicted, his punishment is a journey to the enemy kingdom of Merakh, where he must find Sarin Valon, and kill him. To enforce their sentence, Errol is placed under a compulsion, and he is driven to accomplish his task or die resisting.

4. Print

Flirting with Texas 
by Katie Lane
I am reading this for Hachette/Forever.
Book Description
Release date: July 30, 2013 | Series: Deep in the Heart of Texas (Book 5)
YOU'RE A LONG WAY FROM HOME, COWGIRL
On her own in the Big Apple, Jenna Jay Scroggs can handle herself when trouble arises. But when she tries to rescue a horse, the passionate do-gooder ends up on a runaway Central Park carriage ride with a hunky stranger. With his sexy drawl and well-worn Levis, Beauregard Cates is doing his darnedest to make Jenna homesick for the small western town she's spent years trying to forget. And it's working: She's dangerously close to falling head over boot heels for the rugged rodeo star with hair the color of moonshine.

Beau came to the big city to escape his past and live life to the fullest. Yet the leggy blonde with eyes as blue as a western sky causes a real hitch in his giddy-up. So when the well-meaning folks of Bramble plot to bring Jenna home, Beau will need to convince her that she won't ever get Texas out of her blood - or one good-time, ever-lovin' cowboy out of her heart.

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: Still working. Several more releases being prepared for the next few weeks. I am still doing more Smashword conversions in between print formatting.

I have several print books carrying over from June to July and new ones added. The new additions push the total beyond what I wanted so we'll see how things go week to week. Looks like I will not get everything done in July and several will roll into August.

July Scheduled:

7/22 Book Blast The Hero’s Lot by Patrick W. Carr
7/26 Review The Hero’s Lot for Book Blast

Sourcebooks
    (none scheduled unless I pick up at NetGalley)
Hachette - Forever
    A House Divided by Kimberly Lawson Roby
    Flirting with Texas by Katie Lane (reading)
    Guilty as Sin by Jami Alden
    Revenge by Debra Webb

NetGalley: (July and early August)
      The Companions, The Sundering, Book I by R. A. Salvatore
      The Godborn, The Sundering, Book II by Paul S. Kemp
      Windshift by Joyce Faulkner

AudioBook Jukebox (July and early August)
      The Eye of Molech by Glen Beck, Narrated by Jeremy Lowell

Author Books received at March EPICon
     Convict Dad by P. Ryan Hembree

Author Review titles:
     Click: An Online Love Story by Lisa Becker 
     Double Click by Lisa Becker

From TBR Collection - TBD
Won Book - TBD
Free Kindle/Nook or Smashwords: TBD

Sunday Words of Encouragement July 21, 2013

We had a good Sunday School message with an exploration to find the True Mount Sinai. The point being that every archealogical discovery that is consistent with the Bible is one more evidence of the Truth of God's Word!

Our service atmosphere was particularly sweet and Pastor's message was titled: God’s Glory in Us.

The scripture tells us that we are complete in Him.  Colossians 2:9-10.  But when we look at our actions we might question: “If I am righteous, why are my actions unrighteous?” This is not a new dilemma as Apostle Paul wrote of the same questions and struggles in Romans 7:15-18.
Another way to ask the Question might be “If I am complete in God why do I still need work?”

Pastor compared our spiritual righteousness to a holy marriage. In a legal marriage there are loop holes that allow one or other, or both, to break the bond. In a spiritual marriage the two are directed to "become one" and that makes the bond much more difficult to break. We are to have such a oneness with the Holy Spirit.

When we accept God we do so by belief and faith, accepting that Christ shed His blood to cover our sins. But our bodies are still flesh and sin in our bodies still has possession or control. It takes a lot of power to conquer the flesh (and sin) that is our nature from birth. We really do not have that power without the help of the Holy Spirit – God living in us – bonded to us. We are bonded by belief and faith to the triune God but our transformation from fleshly being to spiritual being is a work in progress.  Hopefully we walk and grow with God which helps our struggling earthly desires to grow toward righteousness.  We are being transformed – changed – by glory on glory...step by step.  2 Corinthians 3:18.

We are on a journey and must continually seek God’s help through prayer for righteousness and deliverance rather than just giving in to the flesh or our sin. Are we allowing the world to direct our behaviors rather than Spirit? We need to reflect the Spirit of God in us rather than the world around us. The Key is being under the Spirit-- yielding.

Fortunately, even at the early stages of our belief and faith, once we accept the sacrificial gift of Christ’s death, God sees only the blood covering of Jesus and no longer sees us in sin. Colossians 2:13-14.

I could not find this song with lyrics on a video
but the words fit today’s message and these images are lovely.
I Stand in Awe...Let me be changed....

A Verse for Today:
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Thank you God for seeing righteousness in me; for allowing Your Glory to grow in me. Please let me be changed by Your presence!

Sharing Beyond Books #109 Comment Giveaway July 20, 2013

Hello again on Saturday night and Welcome to SBB, Sharing Beyond Books.

For some reason I am very tired tonight so I am getting this post up and then heading to dreamland. (I'll post winners of book giveaways tomorrow or Monday.)

Thank you to all who shared last week.

Many of us, 8, like to read both Cowboy and Highlander; 7 prefer Highlanders and 5 prefer cowboys. And one doesn't read either. :-)
 
Only three of us have actually gone geo-caching. Many had never heard of it so I am glad I could tell you of a fun activity to try. Apparently the majority of the locations are in US but there are a couple in UK.

~~~~

The Winner from SBB #108 comments is: #16 Liss who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the ARC/Review titles, Christmas titles or Love titles - all linked near the end of the post.  Please let me know your choice by completing the (new) WINNER FORM.

WEEK #109 Questions

Q1. Nikki asks: Do you read Japanese/Korean manga (comic books)??

A: A few years ago I would not have known what 'manga' was but thanks to blogging I do know. However - I haven't read any. 

This is credited as the first manga magazine.
Image found at Wikipedia.

Q2. My non-bookish Question to go along with Q1: Do you watch anime movies??

A: I have seen some anime movies -- thanks to my son! I guess the one that comes to mind is Princess Monoke,  a 1997 Japanese animated epic historical fantasy.

Image found at HD Wallpaper Pics.

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! We can always use fresh questions. I do have a group of questions from the same submitters so if you have a question don't be afraid to ask!

Your turn to share:

Q1. Nikki asks: Do you read Japanese/Korean manga (comic books)??

Q2. My non-bookish Question to go along with Q1: Do you watch anime movies??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Valentine and "Love" books , the Christmas Giveaway Books, or the June 2012 Newly Updated ARC/Review List.

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, July 26, 2013 at 10 PM central.

Saturday Snapshot July 20, 2013 Rainy Day Images

I am enjoying capturing shots of nature. These images are a rainy morning two Saturdays ago when I went to the office to work.

It was not raining when I got in the car but within a mile I was driving through rain.
This is a shot on main street after I parked.

Looking across the street from my office, across the four lanes, 
the Courthouse is blurred by the rain.

I was hoping to get the 'rooster tail' of water from one of the passing cars 
but it didn't really come through in the picture.

I had to exit my car and dash up the steps to get into my office.
See the rain pouring off the awning to the right?
I waited about ten minutes then made the dash.
Even with an umbrella I got soaked!

That was a week of rain; then we had several hot days.
I hope you are staying dry if it is raining where you live. :-)


Thanks to all who stop by and visit.

A big Thank You to Alyce at Alyce of At Home With Books who has hosted this meme for a number of years. She is taking a summer hiatus at her blog and the new host will be Melissa at West Metro Mommy. Thank you to Melissa for picking up the responsibility. 

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 being hosted this summer by West Metro Mommy. 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 Link: Blood and Bone by Don Hoesel

This book has lots of mystery and danger but it didn't quite click for me.

Blood and Bone

by Don Hoesel

• File Size: 728 KB
• Print Length: 321 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0764209264
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (July 1, 2013)
• ASIN: B00B85M58Q

Genre: Thriller

My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2013

More Archaeological Adventures from Popular Suspense Writer Don Hoesel

A decade after Serpent of Moses, Jack is married to Espy and back teaching at Evanston University. They have two sons, one of whom has cystic fibrosis. Despite this challenge, life is comfortable. But that all changes when the CIA, while combing through the papers of the late Gordon Reese, uncovers the secret of Elisha's bones. Jack's world is then turned upside down by an urgent call from his old friend Duckey, who's been alerted to the CIA's probing by one of his former contacts. Jack and his family escape from their home just ahead of the CIA, and he decides to do what he should have done long ago: recover the bones and destroy them. Except the bones aren't where he left them.

So now Jack is in a race, for the last time, to find the bones. And he's not the only one. Pitted against both the CIA and an organization that will kill to protect their secrets, Jack and Espy follow hard-to-decipher clues across the globe before arriving in the catacombs of Paris for a final showdown that will either save their family--or tear apart everything they hold dear forever.

Review:
Jack and Espy met when Jack was a young adventurer and relic collector. Now he is a professor and they live a quiet life with their two boys. Suddenly their world is disrupted by a corrupt, rogue CIA operative, Mckeller. Mckeller’s wife is very ill and he knows that Jack and Espy had located the bones of Elisha ten years before. The bones are rumored to be able to raise the dead, as described in the Biblical story.  Jack knows they work (an event from a prior book) but he and Espy had buried the bones rather than turn them over to a corrupt man years before. Mckeller wants the bones and he kidnaps the boys to use as leverage.

Jack and Espy head off globe hunting trying to get the bones. They fly from South America to Australia where the bones were buried only to determine that they have been removed. They follow faint clues seeking to uncover members of the secret organization that was designated to guard the bones. Their search for the new location takes them to London, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Paris. Along the way they uncover puzzles, with Espy’s language skills and Jack’s logic skills, that lead them to investigate cemeteries, basements, prison cells and catacombs.

Jack and Espy meet two of the head members of the powerful organization.  Jack takes a risk and calls in the help of the Israelis who would have an interest in recovering the bones.  Now they are dodging not only the CIA man who is trying to keep tabs on them but someone who is trying to kill them.

Although I enjoyed the action in this story and the various puzzles and solutions were interesting. (Made me think of National Treasure even more than Indiana Jones.) Unfortunately I had some problems with the unrealistic elements and I never really felt engaged with the characters. The couple are racing around the globe with minimal funds and fake passports. They repeatedly lose a tail only to have assassins attack them in their hotel or on the streets. It was a week or so before they even got to talk to their sons to make sure they were okay. It just was hard to swallow. I did like the conflict between the power hungry leaders and I also liked Jake’s solid faith, even accepting the illness of one of his sons. Come to think of it, I liked the irony at the end too.

The ending pulls together in a satisfactory, if not totally surprising, fashion. There is plenty of suspense and danger for those who like mystery and thrillers. There are many more favorable reviews so other readers clearly enjoyed the action and weren’t effected by the implausibility issues.

I received this title through NetGalley and the author for an honest review as part of BookBlast. See Giveaway below and Giveaway at the BookBlast post.

Buy Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Author Don Hoesel links: Twitter * Facebook * Website

Tour Schedule

Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 8/4/13

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.

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