Spotlight: Rise of the Iron Eagle by Roy A. Teel, Jr.

by Carol1 Comment
Excerpt from the opening of Chapter 8: John walked into Starbucks at the corner of Topanga and Lassen just before six thirty a.m. He got a coffee and a copy of the Daily News, and the headline said it all, “‘Billy the Kid,’ Crips Gang Member and Serial Rapist, Body Found in Legion Park: Iron Eagle Said to Be Killer.” He shook his head, “I should really start looking for the people who leak this stuff.” He walked to a flower shop a few doors down to purchase a dozen long-stemmed red roses. His truck was parked in front of Country Deli, a local landmark for nearly fifty years. He knew the area very, very well, but he knew it for all the wrong reasons. He pulled out of the lot and headed west through the neighborhoods of oak and eucalyptus trees, following Lassen as it turned from a busy thoroughfare into a quiet neighborhood of post-World War II homes and...
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Excerpt from A Twist of Fortune by Mike Martin

by Carol1 Comment
Excerpt: The schooners made the Banks Fishery possible and created one of the most remarkable and profitable fisheries ever seen in the world. For nearly a hundred years crews would venture out for three or four trips from May to October. Then they’d bring their fish back to Grand Bank for onshore salting and drying. People thought both the cod and the Banks Fishery would last forever but technological changes and greed would alter that projection. By the mid 1900’s, there had been a shift from the sailing schooners to more mechanized vessels and more effective methods for catching codfish. The vessels used enormous nets that hauled in large numbers of fish but devastated the cod population. Then the fish companies developed trawlers that swept up everything in their path and dragged the bottom of the ocean. By the 1980’s they were dredging the waters, scooping up everything. Soon they were joined by floating factory ships that caught and processed the fish...
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Give Books, Not Roses Giveaway

by Carol3 Comments
The Sunday before last, I think it was, I woke my husband up with "Happy Almost-Valentine's Day." Yeah, he was a little confused. But Valentine's Day is coming up and I'm happy to host the "Give Books, Not Roses" Giveaway. The prize is two books, Love Gently Falling and Keys of Heaven, and a bar of chocolate. You can keep them, which is probably what I would do, or give them to a friend or family member you appreciate. The entry form is after the letter from the books' editor. A winner will be chosen on Valentine's Day. (US only. Sorry.)   Dear Reader, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! The crisp, cool air feels a little sweeter and stores are filling their shelves with greeting cards and candies. But instead of sharing the usual gifts, the way to someone’s heart can be through a story (and maybe a little bit of chocolate). Hachette Book Group is offering a “Give Books, Not...
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Jesus Daily: 365 Interactive Devotions by Aaron Tabor

by Carol1 Comment
I was not familiar with the Jesus Daily Facebook page before receiving this book for review, although several of my friends "Like" it. I guess this devotional comes as an outreach of that page, but is good as a stand alone too. Jesus Daily's a dated devotional, starting on January 1 and working through the year. Each day includes a scripture, a brief selection expanding on it and an "interaction," a way to connect the day's lesson with an actual action. Some of the interactions suggest going to JesusDaily.com, but those can be adjusted if going to the website is not something you want to or can do. I think that's what makes this special. It asks you to go beyond reading to doing, whether it be through asking for a prayer request, donating, showing other how much you appreciate them. The devotionals themselves are brief and fairly basic. It's easy to read and understand. I'm planning on using it throughout 2015. Here's the...
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Book Blitz: The Murders at Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr

by CarolNo Comments
Book Excerpt: Prologue November 2002 – Astaire Castle, top of Spencer Mountain, Deep Creek Lake, Maryland Shivering, Rafaela turned up the fan for the heater in her old Plymouth. The weather channel was calling for snow. With an eye on the storm clouds heading straight for Spencer Mountain, she picked up the speed a notch. Her car bumped along the worn road cut through the trees and rock to take her to Astaire Castle. The notion of being trapped at the castle by a winter storm made her curse the day she had accepted the job as housekeeper at the Astaire estate. The young illegal immigrant thought her prayers had been answered by landing the job at the luxurious estate. Not only was it prestigious to work in a castle, but lucrative since Damian Wagner was paying almost twice her normal hourly wage. What a gem to put on my housekeeping resume! To be hire by only one of the world’s most famous authors of...
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Books to Movies Giveaway Hop

by Carol2 Comments
Who doesn't love a good movie- sitting in the darkened theater, watching the big screen, eating popcorn? But I do love a good book more. Today, happily, I'm participating in the Books to Movies Giveaway Hop - a perfect hop for those of us who enjoy both. Earlier this year I watched The Monuments Men and really enjoyed it, perhaps a bit more than most people, at least based on some of the reviews I saw at the time. I do think that the book is probably even better; they usually are. So, I'm giving away a copy of The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edseil with Bret Witter. The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History At the same time Adolf Hitler was attempting to take over the western world, his armies were methodically seeking and hoarding the finest art treasures in Europe. The Fuehrer...
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