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Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Audible Book Review: Mail-Order Brides of the West: Trudy by Debra Holland

This is a delightful, sweet historical romance with excellent setting details. 
Mail-Order Brides of the West: Trudy
Written by: Debra Holland
Narrated by: Lara Asmundson
Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
Series: Montana Sky, Book .75
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:06-27-14
Publisher: Debra Holland
Genre: Historical Romance
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0


Publisher's Summary
The well-educated daughter of a lawyer, Trudy Bauer arrives at the St. Louis based Mail-Order Brides of the West agency full of excitement for an adventure of a lifetime. She befriends the agency's maid, Evie Davenport, and the two form a strong and lasting friendship. They vow to stay in contact through letters when Evie takes hold of her destiny and arranges a marriage on the sly. Each brave young woman is ready to face whatever an unknown groom and life in Montana can throw her way.
In Holland's book, bride-to-be Trudy Bauer rides the train to Sweetwater Springs, in a Montana Sky Novel. In Fyffe's novel, house servant Evie Davenport travels by stagecoach to Y Knot, Montana in a McCutcheon Family Novel. Through their correspondence, the friends keep each other abreast of their hardships, trials, and tribulations - some of heartbreak, some of love.
©2013 Debra Holland (P)2014 Debra Holland


Review:
Trudy, aged 24, waited until her younger sisters were securely married before she put into action plans for her own future. She seeks travel and adventure and has decided the best way to accomplish this is to become a Mail-Order Bride through a reliable service. The service requires the women to show their homemaking skills and makes sure the grooms come with a Pastor’s recommendation and a few special conditions.

Seth, aged 28, feels that he has laid enough of a foundation for his farm to seek a wife. His heart is set on a local, dark-haired saloon girl but when he arrives in town he learns she has run off with a dashing stranger. At the pub, Seth allows himself to be goaded into boasting about the woman he is expecting to marry, describing her red-golden hair and blue eyes. His neighbor and nemesis challenges the story and a friend bets that Seth will be married within two months.

Seth has to act quickly and will have to change some negative habits in his life to qualify for a mail-order bride.  He is willing to commit to the arrangement but he struggles to put his saloon girl sweetheart out of his mind. Although Trudy’s original plan was for adventure, not romance, she soon realizes that she wants love after all and she’s not sure she can win her husband’s heart. Will Seth realize what a really special bargain he made in choosing Trudy before he loses her?

The story is pretty straightforward, in a good way, and flows easily. The characters are warm and I liked Trudy’s brave and giving personality. Seth had strong qualities too. There is good, natural tension between the newlyweds enhanced by light suspense in the expectation that trouble will eventually hit when truths are revealed.

The time period setting is described with wonderful detail, including a Memory Garden which is something I don’t recall ever hearing before. The story has a lovely, gentleness that evoked smiles while I was listening. There is a secondary story set up for Evie, the maid from the Mail-Order Bride home who is befriended by Trudy. Apparently there are more stories that cover several other brides and give some update on Trudy and Seth. I recommend this to readers who enjoy sweet, historical romance. I plan to keep this series in mind when I feel the desire for a another dose of sweet, light romance.

Audio Notes: Lara Asmundson does a very nice job with the narration. The voices are easy to follow and her narration makes this a clean, easy listen. I will look to listen to more in this series and more by Ms. Asmundson.

I selected this title from my Audible library (2015). It qualifies for Audiobook Challenge and M in Alphabet Soup Challenge.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Audio SYNC 2015 Has Started!

I forgot to include these in my Mailbox Monday. SYNC has started!
What is SYNC?
SYNC is the audiobook publishers’ and AudioFile Magazine’s commitment to introducing the listening experience to your young adult audience.
SYNC audiobook titles are given away in pairs. A Young Adult title is paired with a related Classic, thematically paired Young Adult title or Required Summer Reading title.

The YA Novel and Summer Reading Classic program has started at SYNC with a great pairing to download for free!  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP. Get Week 1 (ends 5/13) and find out what other great titles will be available over the next 13 weeks!

Encourage Young Adult readers to text syncya to 25827 to receive text alerts about all the featured titles.
Sign-up to “Join the SYNC Newsletter” for title alerts.

SYNC Returns ~ Summer 2015!
YA Novel & Summer Reading Classic pair from SYNC
It's a dreamy, supernatural SYNC Week 1!

with
LISTEN TO A CLIP
00:00
00:00
Rebeccaby Daphne Du MaurierRead by Anna Massey

Sunday, May 10, 2015

It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday May 11, 2015

This meme starts at Book Journey! My prayers continue for Sheila's family.


What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I had a nice week, but as always I have plenty of work to do. I hope every mother had a nice Mother's Day. My DH bought me flowers and a pair of sketchers casual shoes. 

I enjoyed my reading and just barely finished the two eBooks.   I posted three reviews (one with tour giveaway). I also posted the usual memes. :-)

This week I did visit the beginning of the week and more at the end of the week.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:
  • Audible Book Review: The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen; Fairy Tale Thriller, my rating 3.5.
Finished Reading:
1. Audible/MP4


Mail-Order Brides of the West: Trudy
Written by: Debra Holland
Narrated by: Lara Asmundson
This was lovely!
I'll do a review this week.
Click on book title for full description.



2. eBook/Kindle


Cassidy (Big Sky Dreams Book 1)
by Lori Wick
This is another lovely story. I will do a review with giveaway this week.
Click on book title for full description.



3. eBook/Kindle


The Shadow Cartel (The Dominic Grey Series)
by Layton Green
There is excellent writing in this thriller
which I enjoyed. I will post a review this week.
Click on book title for full description.




Currently reading:
1. Audible
When Death Loved an Angel | [Cheree L Alsop]


When Death Loved an Angel
Written by: Cheree L Alsop
Narrated by: Michele Carpenter
This is Very intriguing!
I received this title through Audiobook Jukebox.
Publisher's Summary
Death loved his existence. He charmed women, completed his list, and was content until the day he tried to kill Gregan Parker and came face to face with Gregan's guardian angel. She fought for the man's life, challenging Death the way no angel ever had. In the face of her defiance, he felt his heart do something it hadn't for centuries; it beat. Death found himself falling for the angel, but she already loved Gregan, a man who had never seen her.
Watching Nyra love a man who didn't know of her existence could terminate Death's heart when it had just begun to beat, but taking away the one thing she cared about would destroy any chance he had with her. Could Death truly put himself last and risk letting his love slip through his fingers, or would he figure out a way to save both his heart and the angel who stole it?
©2013 Cheree Alsop (P)2014 Cheree Alsop



2. Print


The Cancer Solution: Taking Charge of Your Life with Cancer
by Jack C. Westman M.D. M.S.
I just started this. The writing is very direct.
I received this for review through The Cadence Group.
Book Description
Publication Date: February 8, 2015
This book should be read as a requirement for anyone diagnosed with cancer. It will serve as a tremendous practical guide for cancer patients and their families.
—Thomas N. Seyfried,
Professor of biology at Boston College and author of Cancer as a Metabolic Disease: On the Origin, Management, and Prevention of Cancer.
...



3. Kindle


Letters to the Lost
by Iona Grey
I am looking forward to starting this.
Book Description
Publication Date: May 26, 2015
An accomplished novel from a talented writer, Letters to the Lost is a stunning, emotional love story. Iona Grey's prose is warm, evocative, and immediately engaging; her characters become so real you can't bear to let them go.
I promised to love you forever, in a time when I didn't know if I'd live to see the start of another week. Now it looks like forever is finally running out. I never stopped loving you. I tried, for the sake of my own sanity, but I never even got close, and I never stopped hoping either.
Late on a frozen February evening, a young woman is running through the streets of London. Having fled from her abusive boyfriend and with nowhere to go, Jess stumbles onto a forgotten lane where a small, clearly unlived in old house offers her best chance of shelter for the night. The next morning, a mysterious letter arrives and when she can't help but open it, she finds herself drawn inexorably into the story of two lovers from another time.
In London 1942, Stella meets Dan, a US airman, quite by accident, but there is no denying the impossible, unstoppable attraction that draws them together. Dan is a B-17 pilot flying his bomber into Europe from a British airbase; his odds of survival are one in five. In the midst of such uncertainty, the one thing they hold onto is the letters they write to each other. Fate is unkind and they are separated by decades and continents. In the present, Jess becomes determined to find out what happened to them. Her hope--inspired by a love so powerful it spans a lifetime--will lead her to find a startling redemption in her own life in this powerfully moving novel.



4. Audible


Written by: Steve Umstead
Narrated by: Ray Chase
I enjoyed the free prequel so I got book one.
Publisher's Summary
"A cast of interesting and believable characters and a plot that kept me listening…I enjoyed the author's take on technology and the political landscape of the future. Definitely recommended!" (Michael R. Hicks, bestselling author of the In Her Name science-fiction/adventure series and the bestselling thriller Season of the Harvest).
North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel was dishonorably discharged after a disastrous mission on a far off world called Eden. He's spent the last five years hiding from his past, from those responsible for the failed mission, from those responsible for running him out of the Navy, and from those originally responsible for making him into who he was - a highly-trained, physically and mentally augmented Special Forces soldier.
Two mysterious visitors appear unannounced at the door of a Gabriel's seedy hotel room in the slums of Jamaica. His past has finally caught up with him. From the decaying Caribbean to politically charged South America, from the back alleys of Mars to a tiny colony on a planet 600 light years from Earth, Gabriel's Redemption is a near-future military science-fiction story of a personal journey seen from the perspective of a soldier who has lost everything - one who desperately needs to redeem himself not only in his government's eyes, but also his own. Interstellar action and political intrigue mix with one-on-one battles on the surface of a frozen planet in Book One of the science fiction-adventure trilogy.
©2011 Steve Umstead (P)2013 Podium Publishing



5/3/15- I am up to date on Bible reading but not the daily Devotions. I am only reading those sporadically.
I am reading The One Year Bible again along with my husband and others from our church. I am also listening to the companion commentary online. -- Really enjoying my Bible reading. It seems my eyes are open to more details and meaning. To go a step beyond the Bible reading I am also reading Jesus Daily 365 Interactive Devotions.

May Scheduled -
No specific date: The Cancer Solution by Jack C. Westman
5/27/15 Tour Book Review Grey (The Romany Outcasts Series, Book 1) by Christi J. Whitney
5/28/15 Tour Book Review The Clockwork Crown (Clockwork Dagger Novels Book 2) by Beth Cato


I posted three reviews last week which leaves one to add to the three titles for this week.
I am reading another NetGalley title this week, which gives me two for tours and two separate selections.  I choose a new audible but next week I will get to a TBR title.


Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. 

I added one audio review title, seven audible books and one ebook purchase this week.
Of course I downloaded more free kindle titles to my library.
(Although I have gotten to a couple, I still have many author requests, old and new ones, to consider and reply to.)
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles
I received this title through Audiobook Jukebox.
When Death Loved an Angel | [Cheree L Alsop]

When Death Loved an Angel 
by Cheree L Alsop
Narrated by: Michele Carpenter
Death falls in love with a guardian angel.


Won
None

Purchased
I selected seven books at Audible, two with my subscription and five at $1.99 or less with a $10.00 credit awarded in April.
Gabriel's Redemption

1. Gabriel's Redemption: Evan Gabriel Trilogy, Book 1
by Steve Umstead

by Peggy L Henderson

Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson

3. Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson 
by Patricia Briggs

Into the Black: Odyssey One

by Evan Currie
Swarm: Star Force, Book 1

5. Swarm: Star Force, Book 1 
by B. V. Larson



by D.V. Berkom
No Easy Hope: Surviving the Dead, Volume 1

7. No Easy Hope: Surviving the Dead, Volume 1 
by James N. Cook

I purchased another Kindle title for $.99:

The Watchman
V.B. Tenery
Christian Suspense


Free

Over the past week I added 65 free Kindle titles to my library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement May 10, 2015 Mother's Day

This is very late because we met friends for lunch after church and then took a nap.
We had a great video in Sunday School which I will share another day.

Pastor’s Sermon today was (for mother’s of course), entitled: A Mother’s Influence.
Influence: is the process or power of impacting actions of others.
A well known example of motherly influence in the Bible is in the life of Timothy. The Godly faith of his grandmother was passed through his mother to Timothy. 2 Timothy 1:1-5.
Here are some areas of influence that a mother has:
Protection - Mothers are known to be fiercely protective of their children. They need to watch over them with clarity and firmness, protecting the soul as well as the body. Matthew 23:27, Matthew 10:28. Mothers need to set parameters because children need boundaries , just as adults need too. Parents also need to equip their children with an internal GPS (global parenting system) for their lives. Proverbs 22:6
Prayer: There is great power in the prayers of mothers. We always need to remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood or this world - it is a spiritual struggle. Ephesians 6:12.
Possibility: We train our children and Mother’s can encourage their children to build and tale a chance to dream. Philippians 4:13.

Thank You Mom Poem
Verses for Today:
1 Peter 3:3-4  NIV
3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

I give thanks to God for my lovely mother and thanks too for my daughter and daughter-in law who are beautiful mothers.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Sharing Beyond Books #202 Comment Giveaway May 9, 2015

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

I work and work but always have more to do. I suppose that is normal life. The weather is beautiful although a bit warm - made it to 94 yesterday.

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.
It is nice that many of us share our unwanted books with others. At least six people share and swap books with friends and family. Eight or so donate books to the library, hospitals, and institutions that help others. Five people give books away. One person trades at used book stores and one person is still looking for an outlet.
~~~~

The regular Winner from SBB #201 comments is: #10 Di who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated ARC/Review titles or (not yet updated) Love titles - all linked near the end of the post. I'm hoping to update the book choices this week. Please let me know your choice by completing the (new) WINNER FORM.

WEEK #202 (One Question.)

Q1. Mary asks: If you could own any car ever made what would you choose??
A: We have purchased good, used sedans for the past 10 years so we don't have any car payment. :-) I like the idea of a future flying car. As far as real life - I have always wanted a Jaguar. HOWEVER- I also wanted a Mercedes and my husband and I had one for a year or so. The cost of tires and repairs was ridiculous. So right now we are sort of interested in a smart car that we could use with our mobile home. And I think it would work for my four mile drive to work. I'm just not sure how safe I might feel in such a small car.

Image found at SmartUSA

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 still have a supply of questions but from the same people so hopefully others will send more in -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify to use.

Your turn to share:
Q1. Mary asks: If you could own any car ever made what would you choose??

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

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on either of the two 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 through Saturday May 16, 2015 at 5 PM  central.

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