The King's Legacy by Jim Stovall (Book Review) and Giveaway!

Title: The King's Legacy
Author: Jim Stovall
Publisher: David C. Cook

First sentence: Once upon a time, there was an enchanted kingodm in a land far, far away.

My thoughts: This book was a very quick read. It reminded me of a fable (as the first sentence sort of reveals). It is about a King who wishes to leave a legacy so future generations will remember him and the people he ruled. His wise men are called upon to suggest what a good legacy would be. They suggest great architecture, coin with his face, or a statue in his likeness. However, the last wise man suggests he delcare a proclamation of the Wisdom of the Ages.

After much thought, the King agrees that the proclamation would be the way to go. When his wise men cannot agree as to a way to sum up what the Wisdom of the Ages should be or say, the King opens up his court to hear from his subjects. Anyone who feels they can contribute to what the Wisdom of the Ages should bbe can be heard.

A diverse group comes forward - one a day - to share their thoughts. To name a few -they ranged from a farmer, a mother, and a teacher, to a physician and a judge. Each one comes forward with their own thoughts for the King to contemplate.

This book was well written, and contains a good message, but I have never been a big fan as to this style of writing (fables/fairy tales). If this book sounds interesting to someone out there though, I would love to send it on (U.S. only please/no P.O. boxes). Just leave a comment below with your email and I will draw a winner next Tuesday, June 30.

Please watch for the First Wild Card Tour tomorrow to read the first chapter!

About the author: Jim Stovall has been a national champion Olympic weightlifter, a successful investment broker and entrepreneur. He is Co-Founder and President of the Narrative Television Network, which makes movies and television accessible for our nation's 13 million blind and visually impaired people and their families. Although originally designed for the blind and visually impaired, over 60% of NTN's nationwide audience is made up of fully-sighted people who simply enjoy the programming.

Jim Stovall hosts the Network's talk show, "NTN Showcase." His guests have included Katharine Hepburn, Jack Lemmon, Carol Channing, Steve Allen, and Eddie Albert, as well as many others. The Narrative Television Network has received an Emmy Award and an International Film and Video Award among its many industry honors.

NTN has grown to include over 1,200 cable systems and broadcast stations, reaching over 35 million homes in the United States, and NTN is shown in 11 foreign countries.

Jim Stovall joined the ranks of Walt Disney, Orson Welles, and four United States presidents when he was selected as one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Americans" by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce. He has appeared on "Good Morning America" and CNN, and has been featured in Reader's Digest, TV Guide and Time magazine. He is the author of a previous book entitled You Don't Have To Be Blind To See, as well as his new book Success Secrets of Super Achievers. The President's Committee on Equal Opportunity selected Jim Stovall as the 1997 Entrepreneur of the Year. (from Barnes and Noble website)

The King's Legacy
Publisher/Publication Date: David C. Cook, June 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4347-6593-2
160 pages

Wonderful Win: Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos

Publisher: Harper Collins

I won this book from Mari at Bookworm with a View. You can always find great reviews and giveaways over at this blog!

About the book: Cornelia Brown surprised herself when she was gripped by the sudden, inescapable desire to move to the suburbs with her husband. Her mettle is quickly tested by her impeccably dressed, overly judgmental neighbor Piper Truitt - the embodiment of everything Cornelia feared she'd find in suburbia. With Lake, another recent arrival, Cornelia shares a love of literature and old movies - as she forms an instant bond with this warm yet elusive woman and her perceptive, brilliant young son Dev.

Acclaimed bestselling author Marisa de los Santos's literary talents shine in the complex interactions she creates between three unforgettable women, deftly entangling her characters in a web of trust, betrayal, love, and loss that challenges them in ways they never imagined. (from the back cover)

About the author: The bestselling author of Love Walked In, Marisa de los Santos is an award winning poet with a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing. She lives in Wilmington, Delaware, with her husband and children. (from the back cover)

Belong to Me
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Collins, April 2008
ISBN: 978-0-06-14028-7
400 pages

ARC Arrival: The Death of a Pope by Piers Paul Read

The Death of a Pope by Piers Paul Read

Publisher: Ignatius Press

I received this book from the author and Bostick Communications.

About the book: Juan Uriarte, a handsome and outspoken Spanish ex-priest, seems to be the model of nonviolence and compassion for the poor and downtrodden. So why is he on trial, accused of terrorist activities? His worldwide Catholic charitable outreach program is suspected of being a front for radicals. The trial is covered by Kate Ramsay, a young British reporter, who sets out to uncover the truth about Uriarte and his work. She travels with him to Africa to see his work first hand but soon finds herself attracted to him.

Meanwhile an international conspiracy is growing, one that reaches into the Vatican itself. When the death of Pope John Paul II brings about the conclave that will elect Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, a terrorist plot involving blackmail, subterfuge, and mass murder begins to fall into place . . . a plot that could spell disaster for the Catholic Church and the world.

Piers Paul Read's powerful tale combines vivid characters, high drama, love, betrayal, faith, and redemption in a story of intrigue, church espionage, and an attempt to destroy the longest continuous government in the world - the Papacy. The Death of a Pope races towards an unexpected and unforgettable conclusion. (from the back cover)

About the author: Novelist and playwright Piers Paul Read was born in Beaconsfield, England on March 7, 1941. He was educated by Benedictine Monks at Ampleforth College, York and also at St. John's College, Cambridge. His non-fiction includes Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, an account of the aftermath of a plane crash in the Andes - which has sold five million copies worldwide and was later adapted as the the film Alive; The Templars, a history of the Crusades; and Alec Guinness: The Authorised Biography, a profile of the acclaimed late actor.

His first novel was published in 1966. More recent novels include On the Third Day, A Patriot in Berlin, and Alice in Exile.

Piers Paul Read is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and a member of the Council of the Society of Authors. He has also written a number of television plays, and several of his novels have been adapted for film and television. He lives in London. (from the back cover)

The Death of a Pope
Publisher/Publication Date: Ignatius Press, May 2009
ISBN: 978-1-5861-295-4
215 pages

Wonderful Win: A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal

A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy by Thomas Buergenthal

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company/Hachette

I won this book from Bingo at Booking with Bingo. Bingo always has great giveaways going on and her blog just seems full of energy!

About the book: Thomas Buergenthal, now a judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, was not quite six years old when he and his parents were forced into a Jewish ghetto in Poland. For the next four years they struggled there and in two labor camps, until they were placed on a train bound for Auschwitz. Separated first from his mother and then from his father, ten-year-old Thomas managed by his wits and some remarkable strokes of luck to survive Auschwitz and the infamous death march. Eventually liberated from Sachsenhausen, Thomas found himself the unlikely mascot of a Polish Army regiment, witnessed the fall of Berlin, and spent a year in an orphanage. Miraculously, he was reunited with his mother almost three years after last seeing her at Auschwitz, and in 1951 he emigrated to the United States to start a new life.

Poignant and inspiring, A Lucky Child demonstrates the sheer force of will and determination that even the youngest victims of the Holocaust evinced. Buergenthal writes his story with a simple clarity that highlights the stark details of unimaginable hardship as well as the small wonders of childhood. From teaching himself to ride a bike belonging to an SS officer, to sneaking a heavenly sip of milk, to delighting in the pony given to him by his army comrades, he demonstrates that beauty is present even in the face of the greatest adversity. Filled with the stirring and true insights of a child, this book reminds us of the power of grace and the resilience of the human spirit. (from the book jacket)

About the author: Thomas Buergenthal has devoted his life to international and human rights law. He received law degrees from New York University Law School and Harvard Law School and is currently the American judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. He has served on the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, U.N. Human Rights Committee, U.N. Truth Commission for El Salvador, and President's Commission on the Holocaust, and has also acted as chairman for the Committee on Conscience of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. Co-recipient of the 2008 Gruber Foundation International Justice Prize, he lives in The Hague, Netherlands. (from the book jacket)

A Lucky Child
Publisher/Publication Date: Little, Brown & Company, April 2009
ISBN: 978-0-316-04340-3
256 pages

ARC Arrival: Millie's Fling

Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell

Publisher: Sourcebooks

I received this ARC from Danielle at Sourcebooks. I have loved her 2 previous books and can't wait to read this one!

About the book: Millie's life is about to turn around. . .

Bestselling romance author Orla Hart decides to make her friend Millie Brady the heroine of her next novel, even though Millie doubts that her boring life will inspire a steamy page-turner. But whatever excitement doesn't happen to Millie naturally, Orla is secretly determined to stir up. . .

While Millie faithfully recounts the hilarious mishaps of her friends and family, Orla schemes to match Millie with the perfect romantic hero to really spice things up. But Orla doesn't know that Millie has deliberately left out the juiciest recent development. . .(from the back cover)

About the author: Jill Mansell lives with her partner and children in Bristol, and writes full time. Actually, that's not true; she watches TV, eats gum drops, admires the rugby players training in the sports field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marveling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she's completely run out of ways to procrastinate does she write.

Millie's Fling
Publisher/Publication Date: Sourcebooks, September 2009
ISBN: 9781402218347
512 pages

Operation Kid-to-Kid

Operation Kid-to-Kid Brings Comfort to Kids in Crisis

Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX—What do think about when you read headlines about economic hardships, natural disasters, and politically charged conflict? Circumstances like these set families and entire communities reeling, and few people are affected as profoundly as the children involved. How do the littlest victims cope with the changes and uncertainty around them? And what can the church do to reach out specifically to these little ones?

Group Publishing, the premier publishers of children’s Bible curriculum including Sunday school and VBS, believes that some of the best ministers to children experiencing disaster and hardship are other children. That’s why they have created a program called Operation Kid-to-Kid (OK2K), which partners with nondenominational Christian ministries like International Bible Society and World Vision to provide opportunities for children in North America to share God’s love with other children in difficult or disastrous situations. Since its inception ten years ago, Operation Kid-to-Kid projects have impacted millions of kids all over the world.

“Operation Kid-to-Kid is a great way to teach kids compassion and service,” says Joani Schultz, cofounder of Group and OK2K. “Children learn by doing. It’s one thing to drop a nickel in the offering plate, but when kids make a gift with their own hands, when they can be creative and personal, this leaves a real impression on both the givers and the receivers.”

This year’s OK2K project features two easy to make (no sewing required) Comfort Critters—small plush turtles with a sewn in pocket for exchanging pictures or notes of encouragement and hope. After they make the turtles, each child will keep one and send the other to a child in need. With a cute little turtle as a friendly and safe messenger, children will understand and communicate Christian compassion and the hope of Jesus. . . and they’ll have fun doing it. Group offers many other resources for OK2K initiatives, including an affordable booklet entitled The Survivors: For Kids in Tough Places.

Over the years, OK2K has become one of the largest forces mobilizing children in serving other children around the world through gifts of school supplies, Bibles, hygiene kits, Christmas gifts, Bible coloring books, and socks and shoes. Between recent natural disasters and the global economic crisis, there are more opportunities than ever for children to show the love of Christ to other children—and not just for a VBS event. Operation Kid-to-Kid can mobilize service projects any time of the year.

Group is also starting a new venture between OK2K and Lifetree Adventures, an organization that combines unique vacations with meaningful service projects. This new venture will be the “follow through” option for those who feel called to take the VBS OK2K effort to the next level. For 2009, Operation Kid-to-Kid will sponsor a trip to New Orleans for children’s leaders to deliver the Comfort Critter turtles to Katrina victims.

“There is still much to be done in New Orleans after the nation’s largest natural disaster. You saw the horror of Hurricane Katrina where over 1,500 people died,” says Group VBS Senior Editor Jody Brolsma. “But did you know Christians have led the way, quietly rebuilding and cleaning up after the disaster? Now you can help minister to the children of the 7th Ward, where flooding caused massive destruction. Take your passion for Jesus to kids who have lived through challenging times.”

This trip is open to adult volunteers, but space is very limited. Service activities will include painting, cleanup, and repair of a volunteer center and homes in the 7th Ward and connecting with kids after school.

Plan now to connect with Jody and reach out with love to the kids and families of New Orleans, November 8-13, 2009. Visit www.lifetreeadventures.com or call 1.800.747.2157 to review the itinerary and reserve your trip.

www.ok2k.org

Come back tomorrow for more information on how to get involved in this wonderful program! What a great thing to do with any little ones you are involved with over the summer.

Blog Tour - Beyond the Code of Conduct

Beyond the Code of Conduct by KM Daughters

About the book: FBI Agency brass and Sullivan family connections force Special Agent Bobbie Leighton into an undercover operation with inactive Homicide Detective Joe Sullivan. Posing as a wealthy Texas cattleman and his arm-candy wife the two are assigned to infiltrate Bradley Sterling's black-market operation. Suspected of baby trafficking, Sterling may be connected with Jimmy Sullivan's murder. How do Bobbie and Joe adhere to their professional code of conduct living under the same roof? Can they forget their personal history, ignore their volatile feelings for each other and ensnare their target when they might be next on Sterling's victims list. (from Barnes and Noble)

Read an excerpt of Beyond the Code of Conduct.




Beyond the Code of Conduct
Publisher/Publication Date: The Wild Rose Press, April 2009
ISBN: 9781601545442
180 pages


Check out these other tour stops:

June 1 –Divine Caroline
http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22311/74833-talking-books-romantic-suspense-authors

June 2 - Blogcritics
http://blogcritics.org/books/article/interview-with-km-daughters-authors-of/

June 3 - First Chapters
http://www.firstchapters.wordpress.com

June 4 – Moonlight, Lace & Mayhem
http://www.moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com

June 5 – Beyond the Books

June 8 - Girls with Books
http://www.girlswithbooks.blogspot.com

June 9 – The Writer’s Life
http://www.thewriterslife.blogspot.com

June 10 – The Writer’s Life
http://www.thewriterslife.blogspot.com

Yankee Romance Reviews
http://www.yankeeromancereviews.blogspot.com

June 11 – First Chapters
http://www.firstchapters.wordpress.com

June 12 – The Book Connection
http://www.thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com

June 15 – The Story Behind the Book
http://www.thestorybehindthebook.wordpress.com

June 16 – Café of Dreams
http://www.cafeofdreams.blogspot.com

Chasing Heroes
http://www.chasingheroes.blogspot.com

June 17 – Introducing WRITERS Radio Show with Kim Smith (podcast)
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kims

Caridad Pineiro
http://www.caridad.com/blog

June 18 – Blogger News Net
http://www.bloggernews.net

June 19 – Books and Needlepoint
http://www.booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com

June 22 – Paperback Writer
http://www.rebecca2007.wordpress.com

American Chronicle
http://www.americanchronicle.com

June 23 – The Nearsighted Bookworm
http://www.thenearsightedbookworm.blogspot.com

June 24 – As the Pages Turn
http://www.asthepagesturn.wordpress.com

Lori’s Reading Corner
http://www.lorisreadingcorner.blogspot.com

June 25 – A Book Blogger’s Diary

Lori’s Reading Corner
http://www.lorisreadingcorner.blogspot.com

June 26 – Book Escape
http://www.nbbaker1102.wordpress.com

Beach Trip by Cathy Holton - Blog Tour (Book Review)

Title: Beach Trip
Author: Cathy Holton
Publisher: Ballantine Books

First sentence: Lola was engaged to Briggs Furman, so her roommates were stunned the evening she came home and told them she was in love with a boy named Lonnie.

My thoughts: After almost 25 years, four college friends plan a trip to the beach to try to rekindle their friendships and put the past behind them once and for all.

Lola is the trip planner and it is to her house on Whale Head Island, off the banks of North Carolina, that the four friends are headed. For one week they will get to enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other's company. Lola was always sort of the scatter-brained one in college and generally needed looking after. Captain Mike and April are Lola's hired help and they do a good job of taking care of her - because even after all these years - she still seems to be the fragile one. After college she had married her mother's pick of men - and left the man she loved behind. For the last 20 years he has kept her medicated so she would remain 'happy'. She has successfully raised one son who is soon to be engaged.

Annie was the housekeeper of the bunch. She always appeared to walk the straight and narrow. Her friends refer to her lovingly as being anal-retentive or as having OCD tendencies. She raised two sons who have left the nest and she has been at loose ends.

Sara and Mel had been best friends, as close as sisters - and just as competitive, before college. All this even though they came from vastly different backgrounds. Mel was the only daughter of a self-made millionaire who tried to make up for with money what he lacked in parenting skills. Sara came from what she deemed a normal household - middle-income, hard-working parents. She loved the time she spent at Mel's with their many arguments and the unending wealth. Mel went on to become a novelist after college and has been unlucky in love. Sara went on to become a lawyer and married the love of her life.

What secrets have these four women been keeping from each other since college? How will these secrets be revealed - and will they tear them apart - or make their bonds stronger?

I loved this book. It sort of helped me to evaluate my own life as I just recently went back to my 25 year high school reunion. It is set in the present time, telling the years since they were college seniors up to the beach trip in flashbacks throughout the book. Little by little the women's lives unfold and their secrets are slowly revealed. You are left holding your breath until the very end for confirmation of what the true secrets are and how they have effected each woman over her lifetime - and how it will affect their friendship now.

Beach Trip would be a great beach/vacation read. It is full of heartaches, true loves, loyalty lost and found and the deep bonds of girlfriends!

About the author: Cathy Holton, the author of Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes, was born in Lakeland, Florida, and grew up in college towns in the South and the Midwest. She attended Oklahoma State University and Michigan State University and worked for a number of years in Atlanta before settling in the mountains of Tennessee with her husband and their three children. (from Barnes and Noble website)

Visit Cathy's blog - The Surly Wench or read an excerpt of Beach Trip.

Beach Trip
Publisher/Publication Date: Ballantine Books, May 2009
ISBN: 978-0-345-50599-6
432 pages

Cathy Holton’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, June 2nd: S. Krishna’s Books

Thursday, June 4th: Books & Cooks – Lisa

Tuesday, June 9th: Pop Culture Junkie

Thursday, June 11th: Educating Petunia

Friday, June 12th: Bookworm with a View

Monday, June 15th: Caribousmom

Tuesday, June 16th: Books on the Brain - Summer Reading Series Discussion

Wednesday, June 17th: The Tome Traveller’s Weblog

Thursday, June 18th: Books on the Brain

Monday, June 22nd: Books and Needlepoint

Tuesday, June 23rd: The Book Faery Reviews

Wednesday, June 24th: Thoughts of Joy

Thursday, June 25th: Books and Cooks-Tara

Friday, June 26th: Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, June 29th: It’s All About Books

Tuesday, June 30th: Bermuda Onion

Mailbox Monday 6-22-2009

Mailbox Monday is hosted at The Printed Page or In Your Mailbox at The Story Siren. Please stop by those posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week! Don't forget to check out my giveaways!

This week's Mailbox post is going to encompass the last 2 weeks as I was out of town last Monday.

ARC Arrivals

1. Acne for Dummies by Dr. Herbert P. Goodheart - I received this from FSB Associates.
2. This Lovely Life: A Memoir of Premature Motherhood by Vicki Forman - I received this from the author.
3. Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant - I received from Random House via Shelf Awareness.
4. The Adventures of Snip in Oregon by Betty Moir - I received from the author through Bostick Communications.
5. Becky by Lenore Hart - I received from St. Martin's Press Reading Group Gold's Early Access and Sweepstakes program - so I guess this could also be a win.
6. How to Train a Rock by Paul Steven Stone - I received from the author and Bostick Communications.
7. Surviving a House Full of Whispers by Sharon Wallace - I received from the author.

Wonderful Wins

1. Dad, Dog & Fish by Charles F. Emery III - I won at A Bookish Mom.
2. Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow - I won at My Reading Room.
3. Obama's Blackberry by Kasper Hauser - I won at Bella's Novella.
4. The Brass Verdict (audio) by Michael Connelly - I won at J.Kaye's Book Blog.
5. Best Intentions by Emily Listfield - I won at Find Your Next Book Here.

What books came into your house this week?

Scared byTom Davis (Book Review)

Title: Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World
Author: Tom Davis
Publisher: David C. Cook

I read this for the First Wild Card Tour earlier this week. It was one of those books that needed some time to sink in before I felt I could write the review. If you missed the tour, you should go back and read the first chapter.

First sentence: Ten years ago I was a dead man.

My thoughts: This book is truly inspiring and eye-opening. It is a work of fiction based on fact and reads like a true story. I try not to read a lot of info about a book before I start it, so as not to have any preconceived notions - but I was so moved after reading the first chapter I had to go back and find out whether or not it was true!

This book tells the story of two vastly different people. Adanna, a young girl living in Swaziland, and Stuart, a photographer for the New York Times.

Adanna's life has been anything but easy. Her father left 4 years before her story starts. People in her village are dying of AIDS. Her mother soon becomes ill and dies and she is left to tray and care for her younger brother and sister. In a land where there is no food, no clean water, and no protection, Adanna still manages to look out for her siblings as well as other orphans in the area. Despite all the troubles that avail her, she has a good heart.

Stuart has taken pictures of some of the most devastating acts you can imagine. One of which won him a prestigious award. He still feels regret that all he could to was stand by and take pictures. He has been sent to Swaziland to find a picture to try to revive his career. He finds much more than that.

I love the way this book is written in alternating chapters - first Adanna, then Stuart, then Adanna - until their two stories and lives slowly merge.

If you do not want to have your eyes opened to what is happening in other parts of the world - If you do not want to feel the heartache - then I recommend that you do not read this book. If you are ready to see what is really going on and try to find out how you can help - read Scared and visit Children's Hope Chest. Let's start changing the world one person at a time.

About the author: Tom Davis is the accomplished author of Red Letters and Fields of the Fatherless. He holds a business and pastoral ministry degree from Dallas Baptist University and a master's degree in theology from The Criswell College. He is the president and CEO of Children's HopeChest, a Christian-based child-advocacy organization helping orphans in Eastern Europe and Africa. Tom and his wife, Emily, have seven children, including two adopted from Russian.

Scared
Publisher/Publication Date
ISBN: 978-1-5891-9102-0
283 pages

Beach Trip Blog Tour w/ Cathy Holton

Cathy is touring the month of June with her May release - Beach Trip.

About the book: A reunion between four friends becomes a cathartic journey into the past in Cathy Holton’s luminous new novel. Mel, Sara, Annie, and Lola have traveled distinct and diverse paths since the early 1980s and their years together at a small Southern liberal arts college. Mel, a mystery writer living in New York, contends with the aftermath of two failed marriages and a stalled writing career. Sara, an Atlanta attorney, struggles with guilt over her son’s illness and her own slowly unraveling marriage. Annie, a successful Nashville businesswoman married to her childhood sweetheart, can’t seem to leave the regrets of her youth behind her. And Lola, sweet-tempered and absent-minded, whiles away her hours and her husband’s money, on little pills that keep her happy.

Now the friends, all in their forties, converge on Lola’s idyllic North Carolina beach house in an attempt to relive the carefree days of their college years. But as the week wears on, and each woman’s hidden story is gradually revealed, they find they must inevitably confront their shared past; a failed love affair, a discarded suitor, a betrayal, and a secret that threatens to change their bond, and their lives, forever. (info from Cathy's website)

Be sure to stop back on Monday to see my review!

Cathy Holton’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, June 2nd: S. Krishna’s Books

Thursday, June 4th: Books & Cooks – Lisa

Tuesday, June 9th: Pop Culture Junkie

Thursday, June 11th: Educating Petunia

Friday, June 12th: Bookworm with a View

Monday, June 15th: Caribousmom

Tuesday, June 16th: Books on the Brain - Summer Reading Series Discussion

Wednesday, June 17th: The Tome Traveller’s Weblog

Thursday, June 18th: Books on the Brain

Monday, June 22nd: Books and Needlepoint

Tuesday, June 23rd: The Book Faery Reviews

Wednesday, June 24th: Thoughts of Joy

Thursday, June 25th: Books and Cooks-Tara

Friday, June 26th: Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, June 29th: It’s All About Books

Tuesday, June 30th: Bermuda Onion

The Friday 56 6-19-2009

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.




If they find out who you are, they could take you hostage, too. I don't think terrorists respect neutral countries any more than they do anyone else. (from H.R.H. by Danielle Steel, p56)









H.R.H.
Publisher/Publication Date: Dell, October 2006
ISBN: 978-0-440-24204-8
383 pages

Friday Finds: 6-19-2009

Here are my finds this week!

Roadside Crosses by Jeffrey Deaver

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

About the book: On the heels of Jeffery Deaver's bestseller, The Sleeping Doll, comes a twisted new case for body language expert Kathryn Dance. Someone is leaving roadside crosses beside Monterey highways. . .not as memorials, but as announcements of intent to kill.

Aided by Deputy Michael O'Neil, Kathryn follows leads to Travis Brigham, a troubled teen who has been attacked in a popular blog for his part in a car accident that killed two high school girls. Is Travis bent on revenge against the cyberbullies and the blogger whom he believes has destroyed his life? Kathryn isn't convinced. . .a doubt that will put her career on the line as she goes up against politicians, paranoid parents and an Internet culture as insidious and vicious as the killer himself. (from Bookspan/BOMC newsletter)

About the author: Wisely taking the advice given to him by legendary mystery writer Mickey Spillane -- "People don't read books to get to the middle. They read to get to the end" -- Jeffery Deaver has earned a reputation for prodigious pacing and slick suspense with his string of bestselling Lincoln Rhyme thrillers.

Abandon by Blake Crouch

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

About the book: December 28, 1893: a mule skinner resides into the mining town of Abandon, Colorado. Instead of the usual hustle and bustle, he finds the place deserted - with meals left to freeze and belongings forsaken. No trace of foul play . . . or of the gold from the mine. Now, 116 years later, journalist Abigail Foster joins her estranged father, Laurence, a renowned history professor, on a trek to the mysterious ghost town. With them are two backcountry guides, a psychic and a paranormal photographer.
They're not the first to undertake this journey. Years back, another group set out to investigate Abandon - but they haven't been seen since. Will Abigail and her father fall prey to the same fate? (from BOMC newsletter/Bookspan)

About the author: Blake Crouch attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated with degrees in English and Creative Writing. 2004 and 2005 saw the publications of his first two novels, DESERT PLACES and LOCKED DOORS. Blake lives with his family in southwest Colorado, where he is at work on a new book. (from Barnes and Noble website)

What great books did you find this week?? Stop over at Should Be Reading and share yours!

Roadside Crosses
Publisher/Publication Date: Simon & Schuster, June 2009
ISBN: 9781416549994
416 pages

Abandon
Publisher/Publication Date: St. Martin's Press, July 2009
ISBN: 9780312537401
416 pages

Knight of Desire - New Giveaway!!!

I have 5 copies of Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory to giveaway thanks to Hachette Book Group!

About the book: His surcoat still bloody from battle, William FitzAlan comes to claim the strategic borderlands granted to him by the king. One last prize awaits him at the castle gates: the lovely Lady Catherine Rayburn.

Catherine risked everything to spy for the crown. Her reward? Her lands are declared forfeit and she is given this choice: marry FitzAlan or be taken to the Tower. Catherine agrees to give her handsome new husband her body, but she's keeping secrets, and dare not give him her heart. As passion ignites and danger closes in, Catherine and William must learn to trust in each other to save their marriage, their land, and their very lives.

MARGARET MALLORY recently surprised her friends and family by abandoning her legal career-and her steady job-to write tales of romance and adventure. At long last, she can satisfy her passion for justice by punishing the bad and rewarding the worthy-in the pages of her novels, of course. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two college-age children. KNIGHT OF DESIRE is her first book so she would dearly love to hear from readers.











RULES

1. Only residents of U.S. or Canada
2. No PO Boxes
3. Five (5) books being given away - giveaway ends July 10th.
4. Leave a comment w/email address to enter. (may leave all entries in one comment)
   
5. Follow my blog +1 or if you already do - let me know
   
6. Post about it on blog or any social network - leave me a link +3.
7. If someone says they found me on your recommendation - I will give you another +3!
   
8. Total possible entries - 8
   

Characters We Hope You Enjoy Knowing - Guest post by KM Daughters

Please join me in welcoming Pat and Kathie to Books and Needlepoint today. They are currently doing a virtual book tour with their latest release - Beyond the Code of Conduct.

Characters We Hope You Enjoy Knowing

by KM Daughters, authors of Beyond the Code of Conduct

Our team writing process focuses heavily on character development. We spend a great deal of time discussing our characters – their physical appearance, their history and motivations. Family ties and birth order play a significant role with our Sullivan heroes. Life experiences, how they interrelate with the family, and what obstacles they have and need to overcome to give their hearts to our heroines (and conversely for our heroines) are huge parts of the equation. Whether we use these life stories as back-story in each book or not, we know each character’s life story before we begin plotting the book. Therefore our characters are larger than life for us, real people of whom we’ve grown extremely fond. Amazing how determined they are to do things their way as we write their stories.

As writers we relish exploring the diverse personalities of the Sullivan boys and the women who are their matches. In Book 1, Danny and Molly epitomize a second chance at love, reconciling past pain and tragedy. In Book 2, Beyond The Code of Conduct, Joe and Bobby wrestle with the possibility of a second chance with each other. And wrestle is an appropriate word. Where Molly and Danny are subtle and mature in dealing with conflict, Bobbie and Joe conflict with physicality and dishes literally fly. Readers will see when Book 3 opens (release date not available yet) that Bobbie and Joe are still very assertive in conflict. Brian Sullivan nudges out the rest for a role in the spotlight and sultry Matty Connors is his karma.

We hopes this translates into a sensory experience for our readers and produces relatable, real people characters they can visualize, hear and touch. Reach out and run your fingers over those abs, ladies, or sigh as strong arms encircle you. Try to out think the villains, gentlemen, and team up with the Sullivans to capture the bad guy and the girl.

With athletics as the excuse, the Sullivans pound the daylights out of each other at family gatherings – the only forum where the behavior can pass as acceptable under the watchful eye of matriarch, Jean, and their soft-touch dad, John. United by their chosen careers to protect and serve in law enforcement and a fierce loyalty to and love for each other, the siblings couldn’t be more different.

Family ties are at the heart of the Sullivan Boys series and at the heart of who we are as writers. Since we’re sisters with a fierce loyalty to and love for each other, the Sullivan family springs from our shared values. And like the Sullivan Boys, we couldn’t be more different. Except that we’re delighted to share our author experience equally with no nudging our pounding the daylights out of each other.

K.M. Daughters is the multi-published writing team of sisters Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. Their penname is dedicated to their parents Katherine and Michael, the “K” and “M” in K.M. Daughters. Their author career began in January 2008 with contracts from The Wild Rose Press for an inspirational romance, Jewel of the Adriatic, and a romantic suspense novel, Against Doctors Orders, Book #1 in The Sullivan Boys Series. Beyond The Code of Conduct, Book 2 in the series, is rated 4-stars, compelling, page turner, by Donna M. Brown, Reviewer for Romantic Times Book Reviews (June 2009 Issue #304). A contemporary romance, Past, Present and Forever is available in E-book from Sapphire Blue Publishing. Residing in Illinois and New Jersey, the sisters continue to work on The Sullivan Boys Series. Book #3 will release later this year and two additional books are anticipated to complete the series. You can visit their website at www.kmdaughters.com. Follow them at http://twitter.com/kmdaughters!

Wonderful Win: Best Intentions

Best Intentions by Emily Listfield

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

I won this book at Find Your Next Book Here. And if you ever need some ideas for a book to read - this is the blog to check out!

About the book: What happens when you think you know the person you love -- and you're dead wrong?

From the acclaimed author of Waiting to Surface comes the story of four college friends whose reunion reawakens old desires and grudges -- with fatal results.

After tossing and turning all night, thirty-nine-year-old Lisa Barkley wakes up well before her alarm sounds. With two daughters about to start another year at their elite Upper East Side private school and her own career hitting a wall, the effort of trying to stay afloat in that privileged world of six-story town houses and European jaunts has become increasingly difficult, especially as Manhattan descends into an economic free fall.

As Lisa looks over at her sleeping husband, Sam, she can't help but feel that their fifteen-year marriage is in a funk that she isn't able to place. She tries to shake it off and tells herself that the strain must be due to their mounting financial pressures. But later that morning, as her family eats breakfast in the next room, Lisa finds herself checking Sam's voicemail and hears a whispered phone call from a woman he is to meet that night. Is he having an affair?

When Lisa shares her suspicions with her best friend, Deirdre, at their weekly breakfast, Deirdre claims it can't be true. But how can Lisa fully trust her opinion when Deirdre is still single and mired in an obsessive affair with a glamorous photographer even as it hovers on the edge of danger?

When Deirdre's former college flame, Jack, comes to town and the two couples meet to celebrate his fortieth birthday, the stage is set for an explosive series of discoveries with devastating consequences.Filled with suspense and provocative questions about the relationships we value most, Best Intentions is a tightly woven drama of love, friendship and betrayal. (from Barnes and Noble website)

About the author: Emily Listfield is a former magazine editor in chief and author of five novels, including the New York Times Notable It Was Gonna Be Like Paris and Waiting to Surface. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Harper's Bazaar, Redbook, Self, Ladies' Home Journal, New York magazine, Parade, and many other publications. She lives in New York City with her daughter.

Best Intentions
Publisher/Publication Date: Simon & Schuster, May 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4165-7671-6
352 pages

Wonderful Win: The Brass Verdict audio book

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly (read by Peter Giles)

Publisher: Hachette Audio

I won this audio book over at J.Kaye's book blog. J.Kaye had a wonderful blog - full of great reviews, giveaways, challenges and all kinds of book information. This blog has been a "must read" blog for me since I started blogging myself.

About the book: Things are finally looking up for defense attorney Mickey Haller. After two years of wrong turns, Haller is back in the courtroom. When Hollywood lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered, Haller inherits his biggest case yet: the defense of Walter Elliott, a prominent studio executive accused of murdering his wife and her lover. But as Haller prepares for the case that could launch him into the big time, he learns that Vincent's killer may be coming for him next.

Enter Harry Bosch. Determined to find Vincent's killer, he is not opposed to using Haller as bait. But as danger mounts and the stakes rise, these two loners realize their only choice is to work together.

Bringing together Michael Connelly's two most popular characters, The Brass Verdictis sure to be his biggest book yet. (from Barnes and Noble website)

About the author: A former Los Angeles Times crime reporter, Michael Connelly's familiarity with the seamy side of L.A. adds a steamy kind of street cred to his hardboiled, gritty detective novels -- especially his bestselling series of mysteries featuring dark detective Hieronymous Harry Bosch.

The Brass Verdict audio book
Publisher/Publication Date: Hachette Audio, October 2008
ISBN: 9781600244018
5 CD's - 11.5 hours

ARC Arrival: Surviving a House Full of Whispers

Surviving a House Full of Whispers by Sharon Wallace

Publisher: Modern History Press

I received this book from the author. Thank you Ms. Wallace!

About the book: Sharon suffered continual physical and sexual abuse from her stepfather for seven years. Unfortunately, no one would listen to her or believe her story. At age 16, she finally finds the courage to flee from her tormentors. Social Services find her the first of a string of temporary jobs between which she cris-crosses England trying to find a safe haven.

However, she cannot escape her "night devil" completely until she comes to terms with her past. Sharon's growth and recovery from abuse and learning to accept love would be a long road to travel, taking nearly forty years to achieve. She had to learn to trust and love herself before she could another.

Faced with society's judgments against her, Sharon stood alone against the people who abused her for seven years. The truth is, we don't start to heal when taken from an abusive situation; we only start to digest and relive its emotional content. Many go on to live their lives with tortured souls and an inability to trust and love their own children.

Equally, many of us find the inner child that God intended; we pull that child past the empty adult left by years of mutilation of our childhood souls. I was a no-hoper, unjustly cast out into a world of desolation and loneliness that pulled at my heart like a lead weight. I self-harmed and mutilated parts of my mind and body to try and erase memories.

Eventually, I learned that healing was within me and could never be found under that largest or smallest boulder. I have walked the road of hope and desire and looked into the pool of my future. I did not want to be the mother they had raised, or the wife they had created. Slowly, I started to rebuild my life and my wish is that this book offers the same hope to you. (from the Amazon website)

Surviving a House Full of Whispers
Publisher/Publication Date: Modern History Press, April 2009
ISBN: 978-1-932690-90-3
168 pages

ARC Arrival: How to Train a Rock

How to Train a Rock by Paul Steven Stone

Publisher: CreateSpace

I received this book from Bostick Communications and the author. Thank you Mr. Stone!

About the book: A collection of 'short insights and fiction flights' culled from over 20 years of the author's newspaper columns. Each one a highly polished gem. These short pieces are often funny, occasionally profound, generally insightful and always creative. Stone knows how to surprise the reader with twist endings, unexpected points of view and more narrative styles than a roomful of writers. You will be delighted. (from Amazon website)

Visit www.PaulStevenStone.com for more information on the author and his blog.

How To Train A Rock
Publisher/Publication Date: CreateSpace, April 2009
ISBN: 978-1442117211
200 pages

Winners and winners and more winners!

I am so late posting these winners! I was at my mom's house for a week and over the weekend attended my 25th class reunion. It was a lot of fun and I was glad that I went. Was able to see some people that I literally had not seen since graduation! A lot of us have linked up now on Facebook so they could possibly be reading this! (Leave a comment and say hello!) But anyway. . . my mom's computer was r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w so I didn't get much posting done. That and I had forgotten to take my spreadsheets of all the entrants to the giveaways.

But am home now and hoping to get caught up on posting about those books that have arrived - start a few of the weekly memes - need to get caught up on book reviews and also tell you all about my 8th graders dance and graduation! I also want to post the speech that she gave at the commencement!

But let's get down to the business of this post - Winners! I have winners of the 4 audio book giveaways and also the book, Night Watchman. You might actually see this post before they get emailed, because I wanted to get them up here first.

So - The first 5 winners of the audiobook The Scarecrow are:
Nicole
Karin
Dawn M
Belinda M
Lady Roxi

The 5 winners of Cemetery Dance audio book are:
Hil'Lesha
ossmcalc
Belinda M
Cindy
Alexa

The 5 winners of The Secret Speech audio book are:
Cheryl S.(already won)
Gaby317
Hil'Lesha
Sue W.
LoveMyCoffee
Alexa

The 5 winners of The Way Home audio book are:
MJ
Kitten22
Cindy
Scottsgal (already won)
Jake L
Valorie

The 1 winner of Night Watchman is:
A Reader

I will go get everyone emailed (and hopefully no one has won these yet!) and they will have until Sunday morning to get back to me or I will have to randomize some new names!

Congrats everyone and thanks for reading my blog!

Wonderful Win: Obama's Blackberry

Obama's Blackberry by Kasper Hauser

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company/Hachette

I won this book at Bella's Novella! Bella's Novella is hosted by Holly and Ashley - and not only are they friends, they are also sister-in-laws. They have many diverse reviews, blog tours, giveaways, you-name-it. Give them a visit and tell them I sent you!

About the book: When Obama stated that if elected, he would keep his Blackberry, debate echoed through Washington and among the ranks of the Secret Service. What would it be like to have a president who could Twitter, send text messages, and navigate the web with ease? What would it be like to receive a text message from inside the Oval Office and, most importantly, what would it say?

Now, for the first time, We The People are privy to our new leader's epistolary back-and-forths on his wily hand-held device. We're about to discover that his emails (and the replies, from his wife and daughters, Biden, Palen, Rush, Hannity, the new first puppy, and even Bush) are so tuned in to the language of electronic correspondence they come hilariously close to the brink of legibility.

This giftable, imagined glimpse into Obama's beloved Blackberry traverses the mundane and momentous contours of the Commander in Chief's life, from security briefings to spam, basketball practice to domestic bliss, and the panic of oops-I-hit-reply-all, to, of course, the trauma of dealing with the First Mother In Law.

To wit:

BidenMyTime: Hey U, whatcha doin?
BARACKO: M rly busy
BidenMyTime: Right :( Can I lv at 4:45?
(from Barnes and Noble website)

About the author: Kasper Hauser is a San Francisco-based comedy group. They are the authors of Weddings of the Times, a parody of the New York Times wedding pages, and SkyMaul, which the San Francisco Chronicle called "wicked funny," and Salon.com called "the perfect sendup." The Kasper Hauser Comedy Podcast has been called "brilliant" by New York magazine and "wonderfully realized" by The Times of London. The group's members have written for HBO and appeared on "Comedy Central" and "This American Life." (from Barnes and Noble)

Obama's Blackberry
Publisher/Publication Date: Little, Brown & Company, June 2009
ISBN: 978-0-316-07435-3
137 pages

ARC Arrival: Becky

Becky by Lenore Hart

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

This book's arrival was a surprise! I received it as part of the St. Martin's Press Reading Group Gold's Early Access and Sweepstakes program!

About the book: Becky Thatcher wants to set the record straight. She was never the weeping ninny Mark Twain made her out to be in his famous novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. She knew Samuel Clemens before he was "Mark Twain," when he was a wide-eyed dreamer who never got his facts straight. Yes, she was Tom's childhood sweetheart, but the true story of their love, and the dark secret that tore it apart, never made it into Twain's novel.

Though she's married Tom's cousin Sid Hopkins, Becky's never forgotten the maddening, sweet-talking, irresponsible boy who stole her heart as a little girl. As her life winds its way from the steamboats of the Mississippi to the rebel camps of the Ozarks to the gilded streets of San Francisco, Becky must grapple with ghosts of her past. Can she forgive herself, or be forgiven, for the lies she's told to the men she's loved? And when she is old, and Tom and Sid and Twain are only memories, whose shadow will lie beside her?

About the author: Lenore Hart is the author of Ordinary Springs, Waterwoman, and other novels. She teaches creative writing at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania and Old Dominion University in Virginia. She lives on the eastern shore of Virginia with her husband, novelist David Poyer, and their daughter.

Becky
Publisher/Publication Date: St. Martin's Press, March 2009
ISBN: 978-0-312-53965-8
400 pages

ARC Arrival: The Adventures of Snip in Oregon

The Adventures of Snip in Oregon by Betty Moir, Yumi Vong - Illustrator

Publisher: BookSurge, LLC

I received this book from Bostick Communications and the author. Thank you Mrs. Moir!

About the book: Author Betty Moir in The Adventures of Snip in Oregon recounts the tale of a lovable shaggy dog as he wanders into the hearts of the Moir Family and their daily lives in the peaceful countryside. Ms. Moir paints a colorful portrait of "home life" in the Northwest during the 70's in these first five chapters introducing Snip.


This is the first in a sequel about this lovable black shaggy dog named Snip who is a half malamute and poodle cast away dog. Snip teaches family values and love.

Snip captures your heart as he teaches driving, chases away skunks and raccoons and
engages in daily mischief. Snip loves to visit neighbors and spend time with the nesting duck named Lucky who lives by his owner's front door steps. This children's book offers pictures of family life on a small farm in Oregon showing how a family weaves their lives together with love and mutual respect and work with Snip and the family animals. Snip's adventures seek an audience of young children readers. (from publicity information from Bostick)

About the author: Betty S. Moir was born in Columbus, Kansas, married in Hilo, Hawaii, journeyed to the Philippines for many years, then around the world, and finally settled in Eugene, Oregon with her family. After 15 happy years in the Northwest, Betty and Jim encompassed the Bay area, Honolulu, Guam and the West Pacific with their businesses. She now resides in Honolulu and is a Sensei for Sogetsu while volunteering for the community and the Honolulu Art Academy. Betty continues to reminisce about Snip and the family in Oregon and plans on sharing more adventures. (from the back cover)


About the illustrator: Yumi V. Vong was born in Paris, France, raised on the East Coast and has also journeyed around the world, landing in Honolulu, Hawaii. She met Betty at a local art fair in Waikiki and they have been good friends and book partners ever since. (from the back cover)

The Adventures of Snip in Oregon
Publisher/Publication Date: BookSurge Publishing, December 2008
ISBN: 978-1439220207
42 pages