It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Jan 11

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

We are back to Monday. I hope you had a nice weekend. I worked most of it, but I had fun spending time at a small baby shower. Only ten of us were there, and the rest were on Zoom. I also read a manuscript to consider for publication. I enjoy working in acquisitions.  My hope is to open my own publishing house one day. That is probably at least three years away, but I am tossing it around in my head. 

As far as reading goes, I reviewed the second book in Hubbard's The Maidels of Morning Star series on Wednesday. You can find that review here.

Since I was in a mystery mood, I started this one during the week. 

I will be starting this travel memoir soon. 

Next are these other books for virtual book tours. 

Then I want to dive into the second book in this series.

If I am smart, I won't sign on for any additional book tours. That way, I might be able to tackle one of these. 

 

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

My physical mailbox was empty this week, but I downloaded a bargain e-book that I'm sure I will enjoy.

The heartwarming true story of the family made legendary by The Sound of Music—as told by Agathe, the eldest von Trapp daughter.

The Sound of Music has captivated generations with its inspiring story of courage, love, music, and familial devotion. Audiences the world over have taken the von Trapp family into their hearts, joyfully celebrating their many triumphs and their daring escape from the Nazis.

In this charming, poignant, and unforgettable memoir, Agathe von Trapp, the eldest daughter, shares the true story of her family, the events that inspired the internationally beloved musical and film, and what happened to the von Trapps in the years after. Blessed with impeccable recall, Agathe shares her vivid memories of a childhood spent in an idyllic Austrian home with her brothers, sisters, and gentle, loving father; of the tragic loss of their mother; of the arrival of Maria; and of the bonding of a close-knit group of siblings who achieved great fame and endured great hardship.

Beautifully adorned with Agathe von Trapp's sketches and personal photographs, Memories Before and After the Sound of Music transports readers to a bygone time as it tells the intimate, loving story of a renowned and truly remarkable family.

Have you read this book? Are you a fan of the movie? 

Hope you have a blessed week. 

Bargain E-Book: YOUTUBE Channel Success Secrets For Beginners 2020

In case you want to become a learn more about creating a YOUTUBE channel, there is a book for that.

DON'T STRUGGLE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO START A YOUTUBE CHANNEL, INCREASE VIEWS, SUBSCRIBERS AND MAKE PASSIVE INCOME FROM WHAT YOU LOVE DOING. THIS BOOK IS PREPARED TO GET YOU STARTED WITH ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP YOU AVOID PITFALLS MOST UNINFORMED BEGINNERS TO YOUTUBE ENCOUNTER


YouTube has grown into the most prominent online video sharing platform. And with every passing day, users are creating niche on the platform – from consumers to Youtubers who have turned the platform into a money-making business. What other thing is better than uploading your videos online, and then sit at home only to start making money. It is no brainer that YouTube has created jobs for a large number of people who have carved a space for themselves in the YouTube space. YouTube is more than a platform for making money while uploading videos. A lot of people take to the platform to learn and teach others what they know.

This book arose from the writer’s thirst to guide people - especially beginners – to identify their niche on YouTube, giving them everything they need from start to the end. If you are a beginner willing to learn core concepts of YouTube, this book is for you. Beginners and professionals will benefit immensely from this book, as the writer explained the new way of marketing their brands on YouTube, and further grow their business. Tips about forming a YouTube video idea for beginners as well as professionals are well mapped out in this book.

Anthony took his time analyzing everything about the YouTube search optimization technique and how to use it to grow the YouTube channel.

Do you need a book telling you exactly how to grow your YouTube channel, and giving you why and how each trick works? Then this is the book for you. You only have to take a little time to read and digest the essential tips and tricks in this book.

Some other crucial information you will get when you purchase this book include:

- The Ultimate Equipment Checklist On Becoming a Successful YouTuber
- Secrets to Making Good Content on YouTube
- Secrets to YouTube Algorithm most YouTubers Ignore
- YouTube Tools to Help You Get Viewers
- Steps to Making Your Video
- Tips to make YouTube Videos go Viral Most YouTubers are not using
- Setting up a YouTube channel for success: Things to take note of
- YouTube Video Ideas and Crucial Things You Need to Know
- and lots more



File Size: 4880 KB
Print Length: 67 pages
Publication Date: May 27, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B0899JN1V9
Purchase here!

Bargain Kindle: The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll

NO ONE EVER SUSPECTS THE GOOD ONE.

Brett and Kelly have always toed the line between supportive sisters and bitter rivals. Growing up, Brett was the problem child, in the shadow of the brilliant and beautiful Kelly. In adulthood, all that has changed. Kelly is a struggling single mother and Brett has skyrocketed to such meteoric success, which has been chronicled on a reality TV show called Goal Diggers.

When Kelly manipulates herself onto the show and into Brett’s world, Brett is right to be threatened. Kelly, and only Kelly, knows her younger sister's appalling secret, and it could ruin her.

Still, when the truth comes out in the explosive final weekend of filming, neither of them ever expected that the season would end in murder.

File Size: 2870 KB
Print Length: 385 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (May 15, 2018)
Publication Date: May 15, 2018
Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
Language: English
ASIN: B075RVX7DB


Purchase here!

Pre-order Deal: The Aviary by Emily Shore Only 99 Cents!

Serenity wakes to find she's be sold into The Aviary—an elite museum where girls are displayed as living art by day and cater to the lascivious whims of the highest bidder by night. In this elaborate and competitive world, girls go by names like Raven and Nightingale, and will stop at nothing to become top Bird. To escape would mean losing her parents, but to stay means losing herself.

File Size: 6017 KB
Print Length: 346 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing (March 5, 2019)
Publication Date: March 5, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07L8QR6HS

Pre-order here!

Shelf Control - Feb 6

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves sponsored by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. Here's how to jump on board:

• Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
• Add your link in the comments!
• Link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your own post.
• Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!

Hard to believe it is Wednesday again. I just finished time blocking my calendar. Usually that's a Sunday night thing, but this weekend was hectic. I'm working to stay on top of reviews, but here's a book that is one of my Kindle freebies.

BLURB: Father Ambrose found a simple, worthwhile path leading a secluded spiritual community in Northern California. He spends his days happily focused on guiding the farming and teaching meditation. Then, someone dumps a body in one of their orchards.

Now, the confusion and violence of the modern world have come crashing through the gates. Father Ambrose wants Sheriff Charlie Cormley to believe the body has nothing to do with them, but it’s not that easy.

He reluctantly takes on the sleuth’s role to find the truth and clear New Life of suspicion. He finds himself moving out into the world in ways he never imagined, and life in his community will never be the same.

DATE BOUGHT: 9/30/18

WHY I BOUGHT IT: I love mysteries and I enjoy amateur sleuths that happen to be in religious orders. Crazy, right? I really enjoyed the Father Dowling Mysteries when they were on TV. This also has the modern world invading the peaceful world of New Life, which I find interesting.

What is a book from your TBR pile? Do you think you'll get to read it soon?

Shelf Control - Jan 30

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves sponsored by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. Here's how to jump on board:

• Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
• Add your link in the comments!
• Link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your own post.
• Check out other posts, and…

Have fun!

Well, it's the last Wednesday of the month. It looks like it will be a snowy one here. There were a couple of inches on the ground by the time I went to bed.

Today, another book that I picked up for free on my device. It's only $2.99 right now.

BLURB:

You should never make a bet you can't keep, especially when the bet involves romance.

Sixteen-year-old Samantha Taylor is used to having things go her way. She's head cheerleader and has all the right friends and a steady stream of boyfriends. But when she tanks the SATs, her automatic assumptions about going to college don't appear to be so automatic anymore. She determines that her best hope for admission into a good college is to win the election for student body president. Unfortunately, with her razor wit and acid tongue she's better suited to dishing out insults than winning votes.

When she brashly bets her classmate Logan that she can go two weeks without uttering a single insult, Samantha immediately realizes that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. And when her current boyfriend dumps her, less than three weeks before the prom, it couldn't be a worse time to be forced to keep her opinions to herself. Finding a new boyfriend will be a challenge now that Logan shadows her every move, hoping to catch her slipping back into her old ways. Samantha is determined to win the election and find a dream date for the prom, no matter what it takes. After all . . . all's fair in love and war (and high school!).

DATE BOUGHT: 8/29/16 (not too bad)

WHY I BOUGHT IT: Your guess is as good as mine. I like competition, and acid tongue can be fun every once in a while. The cover is great. Something light and atypical--for me anyway--can be a good change of pace.

Any books from your TBR pile that you dug out recently?

Bargain E-Book: Tangled Webs by F. M. Meredith

What better time to catch up on one of my favorite series. This book is on sale for only 99 cents starting today through January 28.

Officer Gordon Butler and his overanxious trainee Dakota Ayala are dispatched to a scene where they find a woman named Melody White who has been stabbed to death. Gordon is not surprised. He’d been called to that address several times to confront Jacob Hulsey who had stalked the victim. The neighbor who placed the call to the Rocky Bluff Police Department reported seeing Hulsey there the night before. But when another neighbor says Melody’s ex-husband had threatened her, and then one of Melody’s co-workers at the day care center where they worked reported a clash between Melody and her boss, suspects seem to be multiplying like Russian nesting dolls. And to add to the difficulty of sorting it all out, Gordon’s new partner is making moves on Gordon’s wife, and detective Doug Milligan’s daughter Beth has become moody and secretive. At least two of the suspects and maybe some others are weaving tangled webs.

File Size: 736 KB
Print Length: 137 pages
Publisher: Aakenbaaken & Kent (September 27, 2018)
Publication Date: September 27, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07HRKZ927

PURCHASE HERE!

F.M. Meredith is the author of over thirty novels including the Rocky Bluff P. D. crime series. Her many relatives and friends in law help her provide realistic stories of police officers and their families. She is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her online at http://fictionforyou.com

Bargain E-Book: Christmas in Harmony by Philip Gulley

Philip Gulley takes us to Harmony, Indiana, at Christmastime as inspiration strikes the inimitable Dale Hinshaw. Always looking for a way to increase the church's profit margins, Hinshaw brainstorms a progressive nativity scene that will involve the whole town, complete with a map like those for the Hollywood stars. Neither Pastor Sam Gardner nor the other members of the Harmony Friends meeting express any enthusiasm for this idea, but Dale is unstoppable. Meanwhile, Pastor Sam has his own concerns: he's having his annual argument with his wife, and he's worried that the four-slotted toaster he bought for her may be too lavish a gift.

Amidst the bustle of the season, the citizens of Harmony experience the simple joys and sometime loneliness that often go unseen. Sam comes to the realization that Dale, in his own misguided way, is only trying to draw meaning from the eternal story of Christmas. "In this unsettled world, it is good to have this steadiness -- the Christmas Eve service, the peal of the bell. . . .There is a holiness to memory, a sense of God's presence in these mangers of the mind. Which might explain why it is that the occasions that change the least are often the very occasions that change us the most."

File Size: 251 KB
Print Length: 106 pages
Publisher: HarperOne; 1st edition (October 13, 2009)
Publication Date: October 13, 2009
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Language: English


Purchase for only $1.99 from:


HC.com
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Indiebound

Book Spotlight: Merry Christmas, Eve by Stacey Bryant

When Eve Brant is forced to sell the business that has been in her family for over forty years, she expected to face a few obstacles. Starting over on Nicollet Island, a small island located on the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis, brings promise. But it also brings Mason Mitchell, the man who’d put her out of business.

File Size: 1482 KB
Print Length: 65 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publication Date: December 7, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07L7GPDV7


Purchase from Amazon!

Kindle Bargain: My Sister's Intended by Rachael Anderson

For as long as Prudence can remember, it has been understood that her sister will one day wed the eldest son of their nearest neighbor. Such an alliance will benefit both families and bring a great deal of joy to all parents involved.

Unfortunately, Prudence has never been able to feel as joyful. She believes her sister is mad to consider marrying a man she hardly knows, even if he will one day make her a countess. Titles and wealth shouldn't factor into matters of the heart, and as an aspiring romance novelist, Prudence cannot fathom how anyone could even think of settling for less than love. She certainly wouldn’t, and she doesn't want her sister to either.

Unable to stand by and do nothing, Prudence sets out to help the awkward couple discover the best in each other with the hope that they will eventually find love. What she neglected to foresee, however, was the possibility that she might fall in love with Lord Knave herself.


File Size: 3773 KB
Print Length: 257 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: HEA Publishing (March 20, 2018)
Publication Date: March 20, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07BLQHR49

Purchase here for only $1.99!

Coming in November!

Bargain E-Book: Washington by Fergus Bordewich

Washington, D.C., is home to the most influential power brokers in the world. But how did we come to call D.C.—a place once described as a mere swamp "producing nothing except myriads of toads and frogs (of enormous size)," and which was strategically indefensible, captive to the politics of slavery, and the target of unbridled land speculation—our nation's capital? In Washington, acclaimed, award-winning author Fergus M. Bordewich turns to the backroom deal-making and shifting alliances among our Founding Fathers to find out, and in doing so pulls back the curtain on the lives of the slaves who actually built the city. The answers revealed in this eye-opening book are not only surprising but also illuminate a story of unexpected triumph over a multitude of political and financial obstacles, including fraudulent real estate deals, overextended financiers, and management more apt for a banana republic than an emerging world power.

In a page-turning work that reveals the hidden and unsavory side to the nation's beginnings, Bordewich once again brings his novelist's eye to a little-known chapter of American history.


File Size: 1747 KB
Print Length: 402 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0060842393
Publisher: HarperCollins e-books; Reprint edition (March 17, 2009)
Publication Date: March 17, 2009
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Language: English
ASIN: B00188V818

Order at:

HarperCollins
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iBooks
Google
Kobo

Bargain Seasonal Non-Fiction: Christmas on Jane Street by Billy Romp & Wanda Urbanska

The warm, wonderful, real-life tale of the family that brings the Christmas spirit to life on a street corner in Manhattan.

Every holiday season for nearly twenty years, Billy Romp, his wife, and their three children have spent nearly a month living in a tiny camper and selling Christmas trees on Jane Street in New York City. They arrive from Vermont the day after Thanksgiving and leave just in time to make it home for Christmas morning—and for a few weeks they transform a corner of the Big Apple into a Frank Capra-esque small town alive with heartwarming holiday spirit.

Christmas on Jane Street is about the transformative power of love—love of parent and child, of merchant and customer, of stranger and neighbor. The ideal Christmas story, it is about the lasting and profound difference that one person can make to a family and one family can make to a community.

A lovely, lovingly illustrated little gem of a book, this delightful tenth anniversary edition of a beloved Christmas classic tells the poignant, inspiring story of an unforgettable family and the warm, wide circle of friends who have welcomed them to the neighborhood.

File Size: 717 KB
Print Length: 168 pages
Publisher: William Morrow; Reprint edition (May 21, 2013)
Publication Date: May 21, 2013
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Language: English
ASIN: B00CD36164


Order from:

Amazon
B&N
iBooks
Google
Kobo

Day 5 - 12 Days of Clean Romance - Janette Rallison

How I Met Your Brother by Janette Rallison

The best day of his life, the worst day of hers.

Back in college, Marco Dawson never thought of Belle as anything more than a friend. If she had crossed his mind on his wedding day, it was probably only to wonder why she hadn’t shown up to be a bridesmaid. After all, his new wife was her old roommate. Seven years have passed since then, and Belle just found out that Marco is divorced and vacationing with his family in an elegant Cancun resort. She’s not about to let the right man get away twice. She heads to the resort where she plans to casually bump into Marco and ignite some romantic flames.

But Belle hadn’t planned on one thing: Flynn Dawson, Marco’s handsome, charming, and determined twin brother. He thinks Marco and his ex-wife can make amends and he’s not about to let Belle stand in the way.

Part Sabrina, part While You Were Sleeping, romantic comedy readers will eat this book up!

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Praise for How I Met Your Brother

"This is a romantic comedy in one of it's finest hours."

"In true Janette Rallison form, this novel does not disappoint!"

"Love, love, love this book!"

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“Dawson,” she called in feigned surprise. “Is that you?”

He looked up from the map and his blue eyes wandered over her. “Yes.” He must have liked what he saw because a smile appeared on his lips. Not a smile of recognition, just a smile of approval.

She sauntered over, taking slow nonchalant steps. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember me. I haven’t changed that much, have I?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “Tell me who you are, and I’ll tell you how much you’ve changed.”

His lack of recognition should have bothered her a little, but it felt like victory. Proof the mousy unnoticeable girl she’d been was gone. “Perhaps you recall a study group we were in at WSU? Or the fact that I proofread a lot of your papers? You obviously don’t remember telling me that you’d never forget me.”

“Ah,” he said, with understanding. At least now he knew she wasn’t a stranger with a creative pickup line.

“Perhaps you remember me introducing you to Daisy?”

His eyes widened and his expression changed. She couldn’t quite read it. Was it astonishment? Disbelief? Regret? “Isabelle,” he uttered.

She smiled at the way her name sounded on his lips. “I go by Belle now.”

His gaze went over her a second time, stopping on her ring finger—absent of the symbols of marriage. “What a surprise. I don’t know what to say.”

“Most people say something along the lines of ‘It’s good to see you.’ But I’ll settle for a belated, ‘Thanks for all those papers you helped with.’”

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Author Janette Rallison

Janette Rallison is old. Don’t ask how old, because it isn’t polite. Let’s just say she’s older than she’d like to be and leave it at that.

Janette lives in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, five children and enough cats to classify her as “an eccentric cat lady.” She did not do this on purpose. (The cats, that is; she had the children on purpose.) Every single one of the felines showed up on its own and refuses to leave. Not even the family’s fearless little Westie dog can drive them off.

Since Janette has five children and deadlines to write books, she doesn’t have much time left over for hobbies. But since this is the internet and you can’t actually check up to see if anything on this site is true, let’s just say she enjoys dancing, scuba diving, horse back riding and long talks with Orlando Bloom. (Well, I never said he answers back.)






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Also by Janette Rallison

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Giveaway Details

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 12/21/17

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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