Mailbox Monday's host for September is Amused by Books. In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!
Wishes and Stitches
by Rachael Herron
It has always been Naomi Fontaine's dream to practice small-town medicine -- an ambition that brought her to Cypress Hollow, the charming, tight-knit community her late friend, knitting guru Eliza Carpenter, loved so well. But no matter how hard she tries, Naomi can't seem to fit in here. Then rugged Rig Keller moves in to take over half of Naomi's medical practice, and instantly charms everyone in town. . . including Naomi.
Rig saw what a broken relationship did to his brother, and has no interest whatsoever in getting serious. But the temptation to play doctor with his new partner is just too strong to resist. Any chance they might have of being truly knit together by love, however, depends entirely on what secrets they are willing to reveal. . . and on Rig's willingness to risk his heart and Naomi's desire to open her completely.
Heartstrings and Diamond Rings
by Jane Graves
He's the man of her dreams. . .
In a world full of frogs, Alison Carter is determined to find her prince. Maybe her dating past is more Titanic than Love Boat, but she's seen enough happy marriages to know that true love is possible. No matter what, she won't give up on happily-ever-after. If she can't find Mr. Right, she'll simply hire someone who can.
She just doesn't know it yet
When Brandon Scott inherits a successful matchmaking business, he thinks his prayers have been answered. Set up a few lonely ladies, collect the fee, how hard can it be? No one needs to know he's not really a professional matchmaker -- especially not his first client, the beautiful, spirited Alison. Soon he's falling for her -- and her dreams of kids and carpools. But Alison is getting close to figuring out his secret, and if she learns he's deceived her too, she'll walk right out the door, taking Brandon's heart with her.
Hidden in Paris
by Corine Gantz
In a tale of friendship, self-discovery and love, three women running away from their lives become unlikely friends in a beautiful house in the heart of Paris.
Lost in France, a country she mistrusts, among French people she hardly understands, Annie has trouble venturing away from home since the death of her husband. And since home happens to be a small jewel of a house nestled in the heart of Paris, why would she ever want to? But when bankruptcy threatens her beloved house, her one anchor in life, Annie has no choice but to find renters, and quick.
Leave it to someone socially phobic to phrase a want ad in all the wrong ways. With shimmering promises of 'Starting over in Paris' -- a concept she has no intention of applying to her own life -- Annie attracts tenants with the kind of baggage that doesn't fit in suitcases. A long-legged, cool-headed ex model (everything Annie is not) on the run from her abusive husband, a frail young woman harboring a possible death wish, a mysterious French artist, and an infuriating blue-blooded French man soon threaten Annie's way of life in ways she never anticipated.
But when Annie finds herself reluctantly yet actively engaged in the rescue of her tenants, she discovers that she might just save herself in the process.
In a tale of friendship, self-discovery and love, three women running away from their lives become unlikely friends in a beautiful house in the heart of Paris.
Lost in France, a country she mistrusts, among French people she hardly understands, Annie has trouble venturing away from home since the death of her husband. And since home happens to be a small jewel of a house nestled in the heart of Paris, why would she ever want to? But when bankruptcy threatens her beloved house, her one anchor in life, Annie has no choice but to find renters, and quick.
Leave it to someone socially phobic to phrase a want ad in all the wrong ways. With shimmering promises of 'Starting over in Paris' -- a concept she has no intention of applying to her own life -- Annie attracts tenants with the kind of baggage that doesn't fit in suitcases. A long-legged, cool-headed ex model (everything Annie is not) on the run from her abusive husband, a frail young woman harboring a possible death wish, a mysterious French artist, and an infuriating blue-blooded French man soon threaten Annie's way of life in ways she never anticipated.
But when Annie finds herself reluctantly yet actively engaged in the rescue of her tenants, she discovers that she might just save herself in the process.
The God Girl Bible
Now the popular God Girl Bible is available in a fantastic new color! The perfect companion to the #1 CBA bestseller God Girl, the God Girl Bible merges GW with incredible new material that helps a girl become the woman she was meant to be. Jam-packed with special features created just for them, the God Girl Bible offers teen girls
- Book Intros: including quick facts about author, audience, themes, and more
- God Girl Stories: 26 full-page profiles of women in the Bible
- Know This Devotions: 200 half-page devotions on topics related to becoming a God Girl
- Ask Yourself: sidebars that encourage girls to consider how God's Word applies to their lives on a practical level
- Prayers: 40 timeless prayers rewritten in language today's teen girl understands
- Quick Relief: index of helpful verses on topics and issues teens face
- GodGirl.com: a site where girls can interact with Hayley and other God Girls diving even deeper into their Bible study
REAMDE
by Neal Stephenson
In 1972, Richard Forthrast, the black sheep of an Iowa farming clan, fled to the mountains of British Columbia to avoid the draft. A skilled hunting guide, he eventualy amassed a fortune by smuggling marijuana across the border between Canada and Idaho. As the years passed, Richard went straight and returned to the States after the U.S. government granted amnesty to draft dodgers. He parlayed his wealth into an empire and developed a remote resort in which he lives. He also created T'Rain, a multibillion-dollar, massively multiplayer online role-playing game with millions of fans around the world.
But T'Rain's success has also made it a target. Hackers have struck gold by unleashing REAMDE, a virus that encrypts all of a player's electronic files and holds them for ransom. They have also unwittingly triggered a deadly war beyond the boundaries of the game's virtual universe -- and Richard is at ground zero.
Racing around the globe from the Pacific Northwest to China to the wilds of northern Idaho and points inbetween, Reamde is a swift-paced thriller that traverses worlds virtual and real. Filled with unexpected twists and turns in which unforgettable villains and unlikely heroes face off in a battle for survival, it is a brilliant refraction of the twenty-first century, from the global war on terror to social media, computer hackers to mobsters, entrepreneurs to religious fundamentalists. Above all Reamde is an enthralling human story -- an entertaining and epic page-turner from the extraordinary Neal Stephenson.
In 1972, Richard Forthrast, the black sheep of an Iowa farming clan, fled to the mountains of British Columbia to avoid the draft. A skilled hunting guide, he eventualy amassed a fortune by smuggling marijuana across the border between Canada and Idaho. As the years passed, Richard went straight and returned to the States after the U.S. government granted amnesty to draft dodgers. He parlayed his wealth into an empire and developed a remote resort in which he lives. He also created T'Rain, a multibillion-dollar, massively multiplayer online role-playing game with millions of fans around the world.
But T'Rain's success has also made it a target. Hackers have struck gold by unleashing REAMDE, a virus that encrypts all of a player's electronic files and holds them for ransom. They have also unwittingly triggered a deadly war beyond the boundaries of the game's virtual universe -- and Richard is at ground zero.
Racing around the globe from the Pacific Northwest to China to the wilds of northern Idaho and points inbetween, Reamde is a swift-paced thriller that traverses worlds virtual and real. Filled with unexpected twists and turns in which unforgettable villains and unlikely heroes face off in a battle for survival, it is a brilliant refraction of the twenty-first century, from the global war on terror to social media, computer hackers to mobsters, entrepreneurs to religious fundamentalists. Above all Reamde is an enthralling human story -- an entertaining and epic page-turner from the extraordinary Neal Stephenson.
The Last Blind Date
by Linda Yellin
She is a Midwesterner hurt by marriage. He is a newly separated Manhattan dad. What did they have in common? A guest bed in the home of a mutual friend. . . until she lets herself get charmed by him. Over the telephone. The old-fashioned way.
In a sparkling, witty, and moving memoir, Linda Yellin tells the story of falling in love long distance and staying in love up close.
She is a Midwesterner hurt by marriage. He is a newly separated Manhattan dad. What did they have in common? A guest bed in the home of a mutual friend. . . until she lets herself get charmed by him. Over the telephone. The old-fashioned way.
In a sparkling, witty, and moving memoir, Linda Yellin tells the story of falling in love long distance and staying in love up close.
The "What's For Dinner?" Solution
by Kathi Lipp
It's four o'clock. Do you know where dinner is?
For many people, dread turns to panic around four in the afternoon. that's when they must answer that age-old question, "What's for dinner?" Some resort to another supermarket rotisserie chicken or -- worse yet -- to ordering dinner through a drive-thru intercom.
In the "What's for Dinner?" Solution, popular author and speaker Kathi Lipp provides a full-kitchen approach for getting dinner on the table every night. After putting her plan in to action, you will
- save time -- with bulk shopping and cooking
- save money -- no more last-minute phone calls for pizza delivery
- save your sanity -- forget the last-minute scramble every night and know what you're having for dinner
The book includes real recipes from real women, a quick guide to planning meals for a month, the best shopping strategies for saving time and money and tips on the best ways to use a slow cooker, freezer, and pantry.
With Kathi's book in hand, there's no more need to hit the panic button.
Falling Together
by Marisa de los Santos
It's been six years since Pen Calloway watched her best friends walk out of her life. And through the birth of her daughter, the death of her father, and the vicissitudes of single motherhood, she has never stopped missing them.
Pen, Cat, and Will met on their first day of college and formed what seemed like a magical and lifelong bond, only to see their friendship break apart amid the realities of adulthood. When, after years of silence, Cat -- the bewitching, charismatic center of their group -- e-mails Pen and Will with an urgent request to meet at their college reunion, they can't refuse. But instead of a happy reconciliation, what awaits is a collision of past and present that sends Pen and Will, with Pen's five-year-old daughter and Cat's hostile husband in tow, on a journey across the world.
With her trademark wit, vivid prose, and gift for creating authentic, captivating characters, Marisa de los Santos returns with an emotionally resonant novel about our deepest human connections. As Pen and Will struggle to uncover the truth about Cat, they find more than they bargained for: startling truths about who they were before and who they are now. They must confront the reasons their friendship fell apart and discover how -- and if -- it can ever fall back together.
It's been six years since Pen Calloway watched her best friends walk out of her life. And through the birth of her daughter, the death of her father, and the vicissitudes of single motherhood, she has never stopped missing them.
Pen, Cat, and Will met on their first day of college and formed what seemed like a magical and lifelong bond, only to see their friendship break apart amid the realities of adulthood. When, after years of silence, Cat -- the bewitching, charismatic center of their group -- e-mails Pen and Will with an urgent request to meet at their college reunion, they can't refuse. But instead of a happy reconciliation, what awaits is a collision of past and present that sends Pen and Will, with Pen's five-year-old daughter and Cat's hostile husband in tow, on a journey across the world.
With her trademark wit, vivid prose, and gift for creating authentic, captivating characters, Marisa de los Santos returns with an emotionally resonant novel about our deepest human connections. As Pen and Will struggle to uncover the truth about Cat, they find more than they bargained for: startling truths about who they were before and who they are now. They must confront the reasons their friendship fell apart and discover how -- and if -- it can ever fall back together.
Home Sweet Home
by Bella Riley
Ten years and two hundred miles. That's what separates Andi Powell from quiet, secluded Emerald Lake -- and that's exactly how she likes it. But now her job brings her back to the hometown she's tried so hard to forget. . . and to Nate Duncan, the man she's never been able to.
Nate once looked at Andi with love in his eyes. But that was before she left him in the dust to pursue her big-city dreams. Now he's the town's ruggedly handsome mayor with the power to break Andi's career like she broke his heart. As the two clash over the future of Emerald Lake, the sparks that fly between them rekindle a passion neither of them can deny.
Andi may have left town looking for the life she thought she wanted. But could everything she needs have been in Emerald Lake all along?
Ten years and two hundred miles. That's what separates Andi Powell from quiet, secluded Emerald Lake -- and that's exactly how she likes it. But now her job brings her back to the hometown she's tried so hard to forget. . . and to Nate Duncan, the man she's never been able to.
Nate once looked at Andi with love in his eyes. But that was before she left him in the dust to pursue her big-city dreams. Now he's the town's ruggedly handsome mayor with the power to break Andi's career like she broke his heart. As the two clash over the future of Emerald Lake, the sparks that fly between them rekindle a passion neither of them can deny.
Andi may have left town looking for the life she thought she wanted. But could everything she needs have been in Emerald Lake all along?
All I Want is You
by Sherrill Bodine
She's stealing his heart. . .
Vintage boutique owner Venus Smith is stunned to realize her newest acquisition comes with a larcenous legend. Stolen years ago, the antique mermaid brooch belongs to the Clayworth family. the right thing to do would be to return it, but that means facing Connor Clayworth O'Flynn, the sexy department store heir Venus has had an unrequited crush on since childhood -- and the man who helped ruin her father.
One kiss at a time
Connor knows that Venus has never forgiven him for what happened between their families. But business isn't personal, even though Venus's father's betrayal still cuts him like a knife. So when Venus proposes a deal -- she'll return his family's brooch if he helps clear her father's name -- he reluctantly agrees. As action-packed days turn into flirtatious fall nights, it isn't long before old memories resurface. . . and new desires ignite. Can two young lovers leave the past behind? Or must they first admit that all they've ever really wanted. . . is each other?
E-Books:
Airel
by Aaron Patterson and Chris White
A Slot Machine Ate My Mid-Life Crisis
by Irene Woodbury
Quirky jobs, wacky friends, hot crushes, and an unraveling marriage are all part of this darkly funny novel describing 45 year-old newlywed Wendy Sinclair's life in Las Vegas after she impulsively decides to stay following a bizarre girls' weekend in 2005.
Anything
by Michael Baron
With Anything, Michael Baron again draws readers into a world of deep emotion, compelling relationships, and heartfelt humor, and this time he adds a touch of fantasy. Ken and Melissa are at the dawn of a magnificent life together. A passionate romance has led them to the doorstep of marriage. While searching for the perfect wedding present for Melissa, Ken stumbles into a mysterious shop. There, he is given an extraordinary opportunity – to look in on Melissa when she was a girl. Ken has always wished he could have known Melissa from the day she was born and this seems like an incredible blessing.
Until he discovers a terrible secret in Melissa's past, one so awful she has found it impossible to mention to him.
Now Ken has another extraordinary opportunity. He can go back in time and change the horrible event that has left an indelible mark on Melissa. He can free her of this burden – but doing so could change things so completely that they might never meet.
Ken has repeatedly told Melissa that he would do anything for her. But would he truly do anything?
At once a wildly romantic tale and a compelling human adventure, Anything brings Michael Baron's storytelling to a dramatic new level.
Lure of Song and Magic
by Patricia Rice
Workaholic TV producer Dylan Ives believes former singing sensation Syrene Malcolm holds the clue to finding his kidnapped son. A lost child herself, Syrene cares about the missing boy even though Dylan's personality is nothing short of rude. But Syrene refuses to unleash her dangerous siren's voice, even for a man who is impossible to deny...
A Demon Does it Better
by Linda Wisdom
Bestselling author Linda Wisdom, with 13 million category romances sold, is working to build her single title audience with the hottest new area of the romance category– sexy demon heroes.
Lovely witch Lili Carter takes a job at a paranormal hospital where patients have been disappearing. There she encounters Jared, a dangerously sexy demon on a mission that gets Lili into a world of trouble. Lili can't avoid Jared for long and soon they find themselves creating a whole new kind of magick...
Dreaming of the Wolf
by Terry Spear
Terry Spear's debut Heart of the Wolf was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Known for her research into how wolves live in nature, Spear writes her werewolves as they would behave realistically, including pack dynamics, mating behavior, and hierarchies.
Werewolf pack leader Jake Silver is an acclaimed photographer. He sees a beautiful woman at the art gallery where his photos are on display, and his intrigue turns into wolfish protectiveness. Alicia Greiston has never met anyone like Jake-he's sexy, alpha, and totally irresistible, and he calls to something primal in her soul.
2012: Midnight at Spanish Gardens
by Alma Alexander
On the eve of the end of the world, 20 December 2012, five friends
meet in Spanish Gardens, the cafe where they had celebrated their
college graduation 20 years before. Over Irish coffees, they reminisce
- and reveal long-held and disturbing secrets.
Each friend in turn is given a curious set of instructions by an
enigmatic bartender named Ariel:
"Your life is filled with crossroads and you are free to choose one
road or another at any time. Stepping through this door takes away all
choices except two -- the choice to live a different life, or return
to this one...."
Each in turn passes through the portal and are faced with new lives and challenges. Their decisions show a new life -- or something far worse. Ar the end of the world, it's a chance for redemption, or a chance to learn something about themselves.
International bestselling author, Alma Alexander, mixes a world or possibilities and paths. What if you could change the past -- go right instead of left, fall in love with a different person, change careers or families, or even change your sex. 2012 Midnight at Spanish Gardens brings those choices to life.
PURCHASED:
Now You See Her
by Joy Fielding
From best-selling author Joy Fielding comes a tale of courage, determination, and the power of a mother's love. Fifty-year-old Marcy Taggart is in a bad way. Her husband left her, and her troubled daughter, Devon, drowned in a canoeing accident. Or did she? On a trip to Ireland, Marcy is positive she spots Devon on the streets of Cork. And so begins the riveting story of a woman on a dangerous quest for the truth.
The Peach Keeper
by Sarah Addison Allen
After a rebellious youth, Willa Jackson lives a quiet life. She runs a store in her quaint southern hometown and minds her own business. All that changes when she receives an invitation to a gala that will be held in a supposedly haunted mansion built by her ancestors. Suddenly strange things begin to happen. As Willa uncovers mysteries from the past, she also discovers friendship and romance in the present.
Buried Secrets
by Joseph Finder
Hedge fund manager Marshall Marcus's teenage daughter Alexa has disappeared without a trace, and he calls on private spy Nick Heller to find her. But Nick thinks Marcus is withholding information that would help find his daughter. When a mysterious ransom demand is received, the case quickly becomes a matter of life and death, and Nick is in a race to get the information he needs before it's too late.
The Oracle of Stamboul
by Michael David Lukas
There are signs that Eleonora Cohen is destined for an unusual life. But in 1877 the quiet town of Constanta on the Black Sea is not a place for unusual lives for little girls. It will be in the heart of the Ottoman Empire, in the court of the sultan himself, that Eleonora will encounter her true destiny as intrigue swirls around her. Could she possibly change the course of history? A haunting, lyrical debut novel.
meet in Spanish Gardens, the cafe where they had celebrated their
college graduation 20 years before. Over Irish coffees, they reminisce
- and reveal long-held and disturbing secrets.
Each friend in turn is given a curious set of instructions by an
enigmatic bartender named Ariel:
"Your life is filled with crossroads and you are free to choose one
road or another at any time. Stepping through this door takes away all
choices except two -- the choice to live a different life, or return
to this one...."
Each in turn passes through the portal and are faced with new lives and challenges. Their decisions show a new life -- or something far worse. Ar the end of the world, it's a chance for redemption, or a chance to learn something about themselves.
International bestselling author, Alma Alexander, mixes a world or possibilities and paths. What if you could change the past -- go right instead of left, fall in love with a different person, change careers or families, or even change your sex. 2012 Midnight at Spanish Gardens brings those choices to life.
PURCHASED:
Now You See Her
by Joy Fielding
From best-selling author Joy Fielding comes a tale of courage, determination, and the power of a mother's love. Fifty-year-old Marcy Taggart is in a bad way. Her husband left her, and her troubled daughter, Devon, drowned in a canoeing accident. Or did she? On a trip to Ireland, Marcy is positive she spots Devon on the streets of Cork. And so begins the riveting story of a woman on a dangerous quest for the truth.
The Peach Keeper
by Sarah Addison Allen
After a rebellious youth, Willa Jackson lives a quiet life. She runs a store in her quaint southern hometown and minds her own business. All that changes when she receives an invitation to a gala that will be held in a supposedly haunted mansion built by her ancestors. Suddenly strange things begin to happen. As Willa uncovers mysteries from the past, she also discovers friendship and romance in the present.
Buried Secrets
by Joseph Finder
Hedge fund manager Marshall Marcus's teenage daughter Alexa has disappeared without a trace, and he calls on private spy Nick Heller to find her. But Nick thinks Marcus is withholding information that would help find his daughter. When a mysterious ransom demand is received, the case quickly becomes a matter of life and death, and Nick is in a race to get the information he needs before it's too late.
The Oracle of Stamboul
by Michael David Lukas
There are signs that Eleonora Cohen is destined for an unusual life. But in 1877 the quiet town of Constanta on the Black Sea is not a place for unusual lives for little girls. It will be in the heart of the Ottoman Empire, in the court of the sultan himself, that Eleonora will encounter her true destiny as intrigue swirls around her. Could she possibly change the course of history? A haunting, lyrical debut novel.
by Alexander Russo
by Lesley Kagen
by Carla
by Ian McEwan
by Libby Malin
by Lesley Kagen
by David R. Fett and Stephen Langford
by Jayne Pearson Faulkner
by David
by Laura Lippman
by Markus Zusak 
by Naomi Bulger
by Lynne Hinton
by Ellen Ruderman
by Kelli Sue Landon
by Susan
by Suzanne Slade
by Barbara Mariconda
by Marianne Berkes
by Darcy Pattison
