It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - July 12

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.

Welcome back to Monday. For our family, it is also welcome home! After driving straight through, we are home from the Outer Banks. What a great time we had. Tropical Storm Elsa brought us a bit of wind and rain, but it didn't interfere with our plans too much. 

View from our street

Enjoying frozen yogurt at The Surfin' Spoon

They actually have three books out now

The Elizabethan Gardens

The Elizabethan Gardens

Elizabeth II replica

Beach time

Beautiful sky on the way back from Raleigh

Rainbow after a shower on Wednesday.

Theo isn't much of a car fan

Brought these home for me from The French Door in Nags Head and Mermaid's Purse in Manteo.

While we were away, the 14th anniversary of The Book Connection happened. I really should keep track of these things. 

Thankfully, vacation means time to read. I caught up on the Rocky Bluff P.D. series and a young adult fantasy novel that was overdue for me to review. 

Read my review here

Read my review here

Read my review here

Read my review at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection 

I want to finish this one up, because it has been on my Kindle for a while. 

I am also reading this one, though I might have to break off since I have new books to review for book tours.

These are virtual book tour ones--you know, the virtual book tours I said in January I was cutting back on--coming up in August and September. 

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.

We stopped back in at Book Warehouse in Nags Head. Books at a bargain make me happy. 

I picked up these four historical mysteries by Kerry Greenwood for my mother-in-law. 

Then I grabbed this one for me.

I snagged this Kindle freebie yesterday.

That's it for me this week. Not sure how much reading I will get done since I start back to work early tomorrow. Hopefully, I can keep up a decent pace. 

What are you reading this week? Hope you'll share in the comments below.

Kindle Bargain: Murder Freshly Baked by Vannetta Chapman

The Amish Artisan Village of Middlebury, Indiana, might be the last place you would ever expect to find a murderer. But Amber has been managing the Village for decades and there’s nothing she hasn’t seen. Or so she thought.

When poetic notes begin appearing around the bakery, warning that some of the pies have been poisoned, Amber is as confused as she is concerned. Who poisons pies? And more to the point, who leaves poems of warning after they’ve done it? When Amber decides to help the police track down the sweet-toothed saboteur, she enlists Hannah Troyer for another round of Amish-style detective work.

Can Amber and Hannah help the police before the Poison Poet strikes? Both women will need to draw on their faith to preserve the peaceful community they’ve built in Middlebury . . . and to protect the girls who work in the Amish Artisan Village.

File Size: 2328 KB
Print Length: 340 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
Publisher: Zondervan (June 9, 2015)
Publication Date: June 9, 2015
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
Language: English
ASIN: B00PFBNZQU


Purchase here for only $1.99!

Seasonal Fiction on Sale!

A magical Christmas fairy tale to warm your heart!

A touching story of redemption and forgiveness, The Journey of Joseph Winter: A Christmas Fairy Tale is an uplifting, nostalgic Christmas story in the tradition of It’s a Wonderful Life and A Miracle on 34th Street.

Joseph Winter is a good and gentle man, but he carries with him the pain and regret of a childhood mistake.

When a package mysteriously arrives on his doorstep, he is invited on a path to redemption.

Traveling far from his cozy little home in St. Paul, Minnesota, into the snowy landscapes of the Arctic, his touching Christmas journey takes him in search of the one man who may be able to help him find peace—Santa Claus.

An inspirational family Christmas tale in the style of the classic Christmas stories shared by families every holiday season, The Journey of Joseph Winter: A Christmas Fairy Tale is the inspirational story of a man in search of Santa Claus, his childhood, and ultimately—himself.

Purchase here for only 99 cents!

Last Christmas Ella’s heart was broken.

She had been with sophisticated banker Robbie Newton for six years when they suddenly broke up on New Year’s Eve.

Robbie had left her heartbroken and hurt with nothing but a note explaining he had taken a job in Chicago.

This Christmas Ella is determined to bury her past and start afresh.

She focuses on her career as an artist and organises her debut exhibition in a swanky London gallery.

While shopping for her best friend, Libby Crosley, who is hosting her infamous Christmas party that evening, Ella bumps into a mysterious man in the supermarket.

After a series of awkward run-ins and chance meetings with this stranger, Fergus Lamb, Ella feels the pangs of love again.

Fergus is nothing like any man Ella’s ever dated.

He’s a quirky, smart, bold, and spontaneous war photographer who looks like James Dean.

Just as Ella’s luck is changing, Robbie shows up unannounced at the opening night of her exhibition.

Ella is faced with a choice when Robbie finally offers her what she always wanted…

Who will Ella choose? Her suave and successful ex-boyfriend who she finds so irresistible? Or the exciting new stranger who has just waltzed into her life?

Will this Christmas be a fresh start? Or will she be dragged back to the memories of Last Christmas?


Purchase here for only 99 cents!

Sarah’s committed to her stellar modelling career in New York, but there’s an obligation she needs to fulfil. Harold was a Grandpa to her when she needed him most. Now all Harold wants is one last Christmas in his beloved Waratah Bay Homestead. Sarah’s not that so hot on baking and Christmas seems a bit… challenging… but she’s prepared to fly half way round the world to give it a try.

The only problem is, Harold no longer owns Waratah Bay Homestead. Farming tycoon Max Ramsey owns it now and he doesn’t like company, he doesn’t like Christmas and most of all, he doesn’t like Sarah.

When the two clash, enough sparks ensue to light a Christmas tree. How many enemies does it take to cook one Christmas turkey?

Previously titled Christmas at Waratah Bay.

Purchase here for only 99 cents!

Abraham Schuster only wants one thing for Christmas--to fall in love. Unfortunately, he's just gone through an awful break up and is still trying to pick up the pieces of his life. Is he willing to put himself out there again? Will he be able to find a woman in time to have a Merry Christmas? Or is he destined to go through the holidays with a lonely heart?

Purchase here for only 99 cents!

Bargain Seasonal Novel for Kindle: Mistletoe, Marriage & Mayhem: A Bluestocking Belles Collection

In this collection of novellas, the Bluestocking Belles bring you seven runaway Regency brides resisting and romancing their holiday heroes under the mistletoe. Whether scampering away or dashing toward their destinies, avoiding a rogue or chasing after a scoundrel, these ladies and their gentlemen leave miles of mayhem behind them on the slippery road to a happy-ever-after.

***All proceeds benefit the Malala Fund.***

All She Wants for Christmas, by Amy Rose Bennett
A frosty bluestocking and a hot-blooded rake. A stolen kiss and a Yuletide wedding. Sparks fly, but will hearts melt this Christmas?

The Ultimate Escape, by Susana Ellis
Abandoned on his wedding day, Oliver must choose between losing his bride forever or crossing over two hundred years to find her and win her back.

Under the Mistletoe, by Sherry Ewing
Margaret Templeton will settle for Captain Morledge’s hand in marriage, until she sees the man she once loved. Who will win her heart at the Christmas party of her would-be betrothed?

‘Tis Her Season, by Mariana Gabrielle
Charlotte Amberly returns a Christmas gift from her intended—the ring—then hares off to London to take husband-hunting into her own hands. Will she let herself be caught?

Gingerbread Bride, by Jude Knight
Traveling with her father's fleet has not prepared Mary Pritchard for London. When she strikes out on her own, she finds adventure, trouble, and her girlhood hero, riding once more to her rescue.

A Dangerous Nativity, by Caroline Warfield
With Christmas coming, can the Earl of Chadbourn repair his widowed sister’s damaged estate, and far more damaged family? Dare he hope for love in the bargain?

Joy to the World, by Nicole Zoltack
Eliza Berkeley discovers she is marrying the wrong man—on her wedding day. When the real duke turns up instead, will her chance at marital bliss be spoiled?

File Size: 1767 KB
Print Length: 400 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: The Bluestocking Belles (November 1, 2015)
Publication Date: November 1, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B014OI7M54


Purchase here for only 99 cents!

Bargain E-Book: The Mule Soldiers by Blair Howard

On a balmy day in April 1863, Union Colonel Abel D. Streight, at the head of a brigade of Federal infantry, set out on a 220-mile ride to destroy the Western and Atlantic Railroad at Rome, Georgia. The most fascinating thing about the raid is that Streight’s brigade of four infantry regiments, almost 1,800 soldiers, was mounted on mules, a huge problem in itself; few of his men had ever ridden a horse, let alone a mule. But not only did Streight have almost 1,600 stubborn and wily animals to contend with, he soon found himself being relentlessly pursued by the inimitable Confederate cavalry commander, General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

The raid soon turned into a running battle between Streight’s raiders and Forrest's cavalry. For Streight, it was a long and tortuous journey across Northern Alabama. For Forrest, it was one defeat after another at the hands of the very “able” Abel Streight, even though he, Forrest, had the advantage of home territory and the sympathy and aid of the local populace.

There are some wildly hilarious moments involving the mules and their new masters; or is it the other way around? There's plenty of action and suspense, and an unforgettable cast of characters, real and fictional, animal and human; some you will come to love, some... not so much.

They say that truth is stranger than fiction. This amazing story proves the point, for the end of the story is… well, unbelievable.
The Mule Soldiers is the true story – fictionalized – of Colonel Abel Streight’s Raid into Northern Alabama that took place from 19 April to 3 May 1863. It is an enthralling and bittersweet story that will stay with you long after you have you have finished reading it.

Note: As of 3/23/2015 the book has been reworked and re-edited.

File Size: 1936 KB
Print Length: 296 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00R0AIA1O


Purchase for only $1.99

Musing Mondays - October 6

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme from MizB at Should Be Reading. It asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

My Musing:

As a reader, I enjoy the fact that there are so many bargain books these days. As an author, however, it bugs me that we have gotten to the point where FREE books and books for under $5 are the norm. It's even changed my way of thinking as a reader. I might be willing to pay 99 cents for a book by an unknown author now, when I wouldn't have thought twice about purchasing a paperback by an unknown author for $7 years ago. 

Have your book purchasing habits changed since eBooks and FREE books have become available?

Recent Kindle Downloads

Check out some books I recently picked up for my Kindle.

Piper Anderson has been given a fresh start in the picturesque town of Edenville, North Carolina. But her plans of settling into a normal life are derailed when she witnesses a prominent judge in her community committing a violent assault. Running from her own past and fueled by a passion to make the judge answer for his crimes, Piper is forced to decide if she’ll play by the rules or achieve justice in her own way.

Complicating things further, Piper finds herself fighting a powerful attraction to rookie cop, Bobby Wright. Although she’s increasingly enamored with Bobby, his staunch belief in the justice system is in stark contrast to her own. She may not share his opinions about the effectiveness of the law, but she certainly can’t deny how safe she feels when she’s in his arms or how every kiss leaves her desperate for more.

For Piper, the idea of finally living an ordinary life with a man to love is tempting. However, fate keeps placing the judge, quite literally, in her path. Will she decide the only way to win is to be as wicked as the judge, but with righteous intentions? And more importantly, will Bobby choose to let her go, or follow her as she crosses the line and takes justice into her own hands?

As of right now, listed as FREE!

It's never a good day when an ancient demon shows up on your toilet bowl. For Lizzie Brown that's just the beginning. Soon her hyperactive terrier starts talking and her long-lost biker witch Grandma is hurling Smuckers jars filled with magic. Just when she thinks she's seen it all Lizzie learns she's a demon slayer-and all hell is after her.

Of course that's not the only thing after her. Dimitri Kallinikos a devastatingly handsome shape-shifting griffin needs Lizzie to slay a demon of his own. But how do you talk a girl you've never met into going straight to the underworld? Lie. And if that doesn't work how dangerous could a little seduction be...?

As of right now, listed as FREE!

Actor Drew Jameson is a rising star and a target of the tabloids. When he meets Morgan Dawson, the best libel attorney in the business, sparks fly. But first impressions aren't always what they seem in this sweet romantic short story by best selling author Kathleen Fuller.

Listed right now for only 99 cents!

Free And Bargain Seasonal Kindle Downloads

It wouldn't be Christmas in Keeneston without a party! Everyone's invited, even Santa…

Kenna's court docket is full, Dani's hiding from her in-laws, Paige and Annie are about to burst from pregnancy, and Marshall is breaking up fights at the PTA Christmas Concert. The sweet potato casserole is made, the ham and biscuits are on the table, and men are losing their shirts - and not because of bets placed with the Rose Sisters! All the while, the entire town is wondering one thing: who is the Secret Santa that showed up with special gifts for everyone?

PURCHASE FOR FREE HERE!

SNOWFLAKES ON GOOSE POND:
Ruby Miller is the best ice-skater in the community and Jesse Fisher wants lessons from her so he can attend the Christmas Skate Party. Will Ruby's overbearing cousin, Priscilla, get in the way?

SNOW ANGELS:
Priscilla Miller has no intention of letting anyone get close to her after losing her father and brother in a buggy accident. Will Tobias Fisher and his quest for making snow angels be able to turn her attention from the mischief she's stirring up in the community?

THE GINGERBREAD HAUS:
Eden Fisher has always dreamed of living in a house she'd always called the "Gingerbread Haus". But when it is condemned by the city, will her dreams fall apart if the haus is demolished?

Gabriel Miller had been secretly in love with Eden since grade school. Will he be able to save her dreams from falling to peaces along with the gingerbread haus?

PURCHASE FOR ONLY $2.99 HERE!

Rebecca King has only been married for four weeks when a snow storm threatens to keep her and her new husband, Gideon Stoltzfus apart for their first Christmas. She watches the snow falling from the kitchen window as she helps her mamm prepare the Christmas supper.

Despite being apart, she takes comfort in reflecting on their courtship and marriage, knowing that God will provide for their future. But does Gideon have different plans?

PURCHASE FOR ONLY $1.99 HERE!

Hans Christian Andersen, April 2, 1805 - August 4, 1875) was a Danish author and poet noted for his children's stories. During his lifetime he was acclaimed for having delighted children worldwide, and was feted by royalty. His poetry and stories have been translated into more than 150 languages. They have inspired motion pictures, plays, ballets, and animated films.  

PURCHASE FOR FREE HERE!

Madison Segalle’s Christmas plans became derailed the moment she, her mother and her sisters were hauled into Mall Jail for unsportsmanlike shopping on Black Friday. Armed with a Bible and a Josh Groban Christmas CD, Madison’s father decides it’s time to put the Christ back into Christmas by outlawing all the trappings of the overly commercialized holiday. When Madison falls for a boy with his own religious crisis, can she find the true meaning of the season despite a questionable Christmas pageant with a rent-a-donkey? Some adult language.

PURCHASE FOR FREE HERE!

Prices can change at any time.

Novella Review: Her Handyman by Morgan Mandel

If you enjoy romantic comedies, Her Handyman by Morgan Mandel should be on your electronic device.

This novella length romance finds Jake responding to the penthouse of a rich, quirky artist. A "jack of all trades" handyman who has a penchant for helping people with their problems, he's enjoying his life and looking forward to his marriage to the beautiful Angelina. So why is he so taken with Zoe, an oddball artist who lives like a hermit with her ugly little dog, FuFu?

Her Handyman is a sweet, funny romance. Mandel has a knack for creating characters whose lives you dive right into. Jake and Zoe are perfect examples. Jake is this really great guy who has a lot going for him: a good job, a lovely fiancée, and the admiration of many. People truly appreciate all Jake does for them. Zoe, on the other hand, is this kooky artist-type who changes costume to get into character to paint, doesn't clean her penthouse because she's too caught up in her work, and has this secret fear that all men are bad. While I couldn't relate much to either of them, it still worked because the author created them to be people I wanted to care about; people I wanted to see together.

Knowing that Jake was engaged at the beginning of this, I wondered how Mandel would pull off his doubting his relationship with Angelina. Could the author get Jake and Zoe together and still keep Jake likable to the reader? She did that, and more. By the time this novella is over, you understand Jake's actions and are glad he did what he did. The secondary story of Zoe's relationship with her father Carmen was a nice touch. It helped to round out her character.

What I thought was smart considering the length of this story is that the majority of the novella was focused on the two main characters. There were secondary characters around, but not a lot of time was spent with them, so the reader comes away feeling like she followed these two people on a wonderful journey to discovering each other.

Another A+ for Morgan Mandel. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.



File Size: 282 KB
Print Length: 121 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Choice One Publishing Co. (September 6, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B0097EVXBK
SRP: Only 99 cents at Amazon

I downloaded a paid copy of this book to my Kindle. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.

This is the 61st book I've read for the following challenge:

It is the 37th book I've read for the following challenge:

First Chapter Review: Christmas in Time by Peggy Webb

Christmas in Time is a time travel novella by Peggy Webb. I downloaded it for FREE one day.

BLURB:   Everybody in her family and in the Gulf Coast town of Fairhope views Gilly as a woman whose life is plain and simple, one who has been content to spoil her great-niece Ann while living out her days in Windchime House. Only her best friend Margaret knows the heroic story of Gilly Debeau.

When Ann's Christmas gift of wind chimes catapults Gilly back in time, she finds herself seated at the café Parisiene, having tea with her Papa, whom she had accompanied on a business trip abroad, and enjoying her eighteenth birthday gift - return passage to America on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. As the string quintet entertains the passengers, Gilly can't take her eyes off the handsome, talented violinist from West Yorkshire. Under William's spell, she falls for both the music and the musician. But does an over-protected, unsophisticated girl from Alabama dare defy convention in order to become a woman? And how will she ever explain to Papa that she is planning a future with a man she's known only three days?

On April 14, 1912, Gilly is wrenched away from everything and everyone she loves. Can she survive the icy Atlantic? Can William? Can their love survive a lifetime and beyond?

COVER: I love it. The elegant young woman with the wistful look definitely captures your attention. The sparkling jewelry and the sparkly background makes you think of Christmas.

FIRST CHAPTER: Gilly is decorating Windchime House for Christmas when the phone rings. The elderly woman discovers her great-niece Ann on the other line. After a brief conversation, Ann asks if her present has arrived yet. A distracted Gilly hasn't remembered to check the mail, so she tells a little fib. Soon after their phone conversation ends, Gilly's best friend since elementary school, Margaret Finely, arrives. The women make plans to drive to New Orleans on the weekend. Gilly hopes she's able to hide her secret from her best friend.

KEEP READING: Definitely. Gilly is a likable character from the moment you meet her. She's battling old age, lives all alone in Windchime House, and admittedly talks to herself. Her internal dialogue is funny, and you really want to get to know her better. She has a secret that no one else knows, not even her best friend. Though she's never been married, she gives Ann advice about her fiance. She's just a great character all the way around.

While we see Ann's Christmas gift at the end of this chapter, the time travel incident hasn't happened yet, so the author has created an excellent cliffhanger. I would love to make time to finish this one, because it looks like it will be a blast.

I downloaded a FREE copy of this book for my Kindle. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated for in any.

• File Size: 327 KB
• Print Length: 62 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005R21Z6Y
• Currently 99 cents on Amazon!