Mailbox Monday 1-26-2009

Mailbox Mondays is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page so drop by and see what everyone else got in their box last week! I think I have received most of the books that I have requested, so things should start to slow down after this week!

First up is Gallimore by Michelle Griep. I have to feature this first, as the author sent this to me herself and I am so excited to read it!

From the back cover:
When night bends to kneel

at the throne of the sun,

a new realm dawns westward,

bringing all wanderers home.

Jessica Neale's faith is lost the day of her husband's death, and with it, her belief in love. In a journey to find peace, she encounters a gentle, green-eyed stranger who leads her to the ruins of the medieval castle, Gallimore.

On his way to battle, Colwyn Haukswyrth, knight of Gallimore, comes face to face with a storm the likes of which he's never seen, and a woman in the midst of it who claims to live centuries in the future. The Lady Jessica of Neale is an irksome, provoking bit of woman to be sure. And she's about to turn his beliefs on end.

The product of a family rooted in pain and evil, Colwyn has focused on naught but himself--until Jessica. To a mysterious prophecy stitched on tapestry, through the invasion of Gallimore itself, Colwyn and Jessica are bound together by a lesson in forgiveness and love--a bond that might be strong enough to survive the grave.


These next 2 books I was lucky enough to win -


Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter came to me from My Friend Amy's blog.

From the back cover: Playful and smart, a coming-of-middle-age story of a woman not ready to give up on love and life.

He got the second home and the Porsche. She got the kids and a broken heart. Now Jackie, post-divorce and heading toward the big four-oh, is on vacation in sunny Hawaii and staring down her upcoming birthday--alone. But not for long. She's soon falling for Kai, her gorgeous, much younger surf instructor, and the wild passionate fling they have becomes the biggest surprise of Jackie's life.

Back home in Seattle, Jackie has to struggle with single parenthood. . . and memories of Kai. He hasn't forgotten her. Yet thousands of miles of ocean--not to mention an age difference that feels even wider--separate them. And, of course, her friends disapprove. When a choice must be made, can she, will she risk everything for her chance at happiness?

I won Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen from Bookworm's Dinner.

From the back cover: Catherine Morland is a young girl with a very active imagination. Her naivety and love of sensational novels lead her to approach the fashionable social scene in Bath, and her stay at nearby Northanger Abbey, with preconceptions that have embarrassing and entertaining consequences.



I received the next three for upcoming First Wild Card Tours.

Lost in Las Vegas by Melody Carlson

From the back cover: Mix six teenage girls and one '60's fashion icon (retired, of course) in an old victorian-era boarding home. Add boys and dating, a little high-school angst, and throw in a Kate Spade bag or two . . . and you've got the Carter House Girls, Melody Carlson's new chick lit series for young adults.

In a whirlwind, DJ accepts "lonely" Taylor's invitation to join her mom's tour in Las Vegas during Christmas break. DJ soon discovers that the unsupervised Taylor is focused on one thing only--partying with a capital "P." She's invited Eliza too, and DJ is quickly overwhelmed by the behavior of the wild duo. Desperate, she calls on Casey for help and prays for a miracle before Taylor self-destructs.



The Spring of Candy Apples by Debbie Viguie

From the back cover: A promotion to The Zone's Candy Counter means Candace gets to create gooey treats all day long. She is a finalist for The Zone's college scholarship (Florida, anyone?), but things with Kurt are getting really weird, and she's bothered by all the questions about her future. Not unlike the challenge of making candy apples, Candace struggles to resist getting stuck and believe in what is truly at her core.


Gingham Mountain by Mary Conneally

From the back cover: When Hannah Cartwright meets Grant, a disreputable-looking cowboy, she's determined to keep him from exploiting two more orphans. When she gets the job as schoolmarm, she resolves to keep Grant's adopted children in school to minimize their time spent in hard labor on his ranch. Will she succeed in her plans or lose her heart--and the children--to a man she despises?

Grant already has a Texas ranch full of orphans he's rescued, but still he's determined to take on the two brought in by the orphan train. Can he wrangle his growing brood while resisting his attraction to the meddlesome Hannah and keeping clear of Prudence, a designing dressmaker?

When a couple of con artists discover oil on Grant's land, they'll go to any length to steal his ranch, including forcing him into marriage. Will their plans succeed before the secret of oil spills out?

The last three are from Renee at Hachette Books.


Flirting with Temptation by Kelley St. John

From the back cover: Wild child Babette Robinson doesn't do relationships, but she does have a knack for helping other people with theirs. When she opens her own match-mending business and dubs herslef "The Love Doctor," she becomes the biggest name in Birmingham. She even attracts the attention of socialite Kitty Carelle, who hires her to fix her broken engagement to Jeff Eubanks--Babette's ex!
Three years ago, Jeff and Babette's chemistry was off the charts, but though she basked in his sexy charm and wicked wit, she couldn't commit to a deeper relationship. Convinced that all women have wandering eyes, Jeff issues a challenge: He'll do as Babette asks and talk to Kitty, if Babette abstains from all flirting for one whole week. With Jeff doing his best to make her melt in his arms, will this sassy vamp be able to save her business? And after seven tempting nights, will she want to give up the man she once tossed away?


Seeing Red by Susan Crandall

From the back cover: In the hot, sultry South Carolina night, Ellis Greene was the only witness to a vicious crime that left her cousin dead and her community reeling. Now fifteen years later, the man she helped convict is out on parole. . . and hell-bent on revenge.

Once a suspect in that attack, Nate Vance left town with only one person believing in his innocence, his childhood friend Ellis Greene. Now he returns from the shadows to find that Ellis has grown into a strong, beautiful woman who needs his help. As Nate and Ellis try to outwit a ruthless criminal, the two friends become closer than they ever dared to hope. But shocking secrets are starting to emerge from the murky, blood-soaked past. What really happened that horrible night? Will the truth protect them? Or will it send them straight into the trap of a killer?

Marked by Passion by Kate Perry

From the back cover: Rules for the (very) reluctant guardian of the scroll:

1. Don't lose the above artifact you've inherited from your ancestors - no matter how much it starts messing up your life.

2. Do learn how to control its powers. (And, yes, that means putting up with uber-complicated guardian lessons from your father's meddling ghost.)

3. Don't trust anyone. Especially Rhys, the mysterious bad boy who's always one step ahead of you . . . and as irresistible as sin.

4. Do anything to keep the scroll from landing in the wrong hands. Even if that brings on a heartbreaking betrayal, an evil you never saw coming, and a choice you may not live to regret.

Okay - that's it for me this week! What came in your mailbox?