Book Spotlight Giveaway! First Contact by J.M. Dillard

I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures. And sometimes, I find great books on Amazon that I just love to share with you, as well.

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This week I am giving away a book that I received from my daughter when she moved. I'm not a fan of Star Trek but I know a lot of people are. I am excited to offer this book to one of you!

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!



First Contact

First Contact by J.M. Dillard
Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Hardcover, Film novelisation, 276 pages
Published 1996 by Pocket Books

From the deepest, darkest reaches of space came the greatest threat the Federation had ever faced: the Borg. Half organic/half mechanical, the Borg were relentless and bent on conquering and "assimilating" all intelligent life; a single Borg vessel destroyed 39 Federation starships, decimating Starfleet. Only the courage and determination of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew prevented the Borg from striking at the heart of the Federation and Earth itself in the year 2367. Picard and the USS Enterprise were able to score a stunning victory against the Borg.

But all that has changed, and the Borg are back...

Stronger and more dangerous than ever, they are ready to launch a new attack against the Federation, one that threatens its past... present... and future. Once again, Captain Picard, Commander Riker, Lieutenant Commander Data and the rest of the crew must face their greatest foe in a startling confrontation that will take them across time and put them face-to-face with their relentless enemy, revealing the Borg Collective's deadliest secret... and its true face.

About the author

J.M. Dillard (born 1954), is a writer of science fiction and horror. She was born in Florida and studied at the University of South Florida, earning first a BA in Russian and then an MA in Linguistics. After college she taught English as a foreign language at the American University in Washington, D.C., before moving to the West Coast.

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Good Sam by Dete Meserve ~ My Thoughts

Good Sam

Good Sam by Dete Meserve
Narrated by Laurel Schroeder
Audible Audio
Published December 9th 2015

After years covering murders, disasters, and tragedy for Los Angeles TV news, Kate Bradley knows that violence and cruelty are everywhere and that good is hard to find. When she is assigned to cover a story about ten people who have each found $100,000 in cash on their front porch, Kate is intrigued by the anonymous Good Samaritan, dubbed Good Sam, who is behind it all.

As interest in the extraordinary gifts sweeps across the country, Kate finds the elusive Good Sam and her exclusive interview with him thrusts her into the national spotlight. Even as his message captivates viewers and wins ratings, Kate suspects he may not be all he claims to be and that the real Good Sam is still out there.

Searching for answers, Kate unravels the powerful and unexpected reason behind the mysterious cash gifts. The true identity of Good Sam becomes the biggest surprise story of her career, turning her personal and professional life upside down.

Good Sam is only 99¢!!

My thoughts about Good Sam ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"I don't cover soft news. Stories about lottery winners, runaway brides. weight-loss secrets, or how to beat speeding tickets are given to reporters with a talent for covering these gentler topics. Give me a high-speed car chase down the 405 freeway during rush hour, an out-of-control brushfire threatening multimillion-dollar homes in the Hollywood Hills, or a bank robbery shootout with police, and I'll turn in a story that'll keep viewers glued to the TV news instead of their smart phones and YouTube."

Kate Bradley covers the 'hard' news stories for her TV news program. She feels like she is being punished when her boss hands her the Good Samaritan story about someone giving away lots of money to people in need. It's a good story but maybe it's beneath her and should be passed on to one of her other co-workers, someone more suited to cover the 'soft' news, the fluff pieces.

Little did she know that this Good Samaritan story would be the start of her life changing for the better. It allowed her to see her life the way it should be and not the way others thought it should be. She learned so much about herself as she researched this story and as she discovered what truly is important.

Kate is a wonderful character with a good head on her shoulders. I immediately liked her and her tenacity. She is a tough, but fair reporter who just wants to do a good job. I listen to the audio-book of Good Sam, narrated by Laurel Schroeder. I have to give a shout out to Laurel for her wonderful narration and for making Kate come alive for me.

And who doesn't love a feel good story about good people doing good things for others? Hopefully we can all learn from the example of this Good Sam.

Shortly after I finished Good Sam, I discovered that there is a book #2. Kate's story is continued in Perfectly Good Crime. Yay!! I immediately snagged it and it's on my TBR list.

This one's only 99¢ as well!!

About the author

Dete Meserve is an award-winning author who is searching for Good. Like Kate Bradley in the novel Good Sam and Perfectly Good Crime, Meserve is looking for people who are doing extraordinary good for others, sometimes at great personal sacrifice. While most mysteries focus on finding the killer or kidnapper, Meserve focuses our attention on finding the helpers, the rescuers, and the people who inspire us with their selfless acts of kindness.

When she's not writing, she is a film and television producer in Los Angeles and partner of Wind Dancer Films. Meserve lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children—and a very good cat that rules them all.

Connect with Dete

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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The Illusory Prophet by Susan Kaye Quinn ~ My Thoughts

The Illusory Prophet

The Illusory Prophet by Susan Kaye Quinn
Series: Singularity #3
Print and e-book
Published: October 17th 2016

What if you could paint with reality? 

Elijah Brighton can bring a girl back from the dead, travel outside his body, and absorb a lifetime of memories from anyone he touches in the fugue state. Everyone seems to think he’s the prophet they’re waiting for… including the girl he’s falling in love with. The truth is, the fugue is bleeding over into reality, bringing his sketches to life and haunting him with visions of a girl in metal armor. She stabs him with her blade and denounces him as any prophet worth the name—and it’s not like he disagrees.

People who change the world generally aren’t losing their minds.

He just wants to hide out in his tent and kiss Kamali, but a vision of his death and an attack on the Human Resistance Movement convince him something bigger is coming. Maybe Augustus—the power-mad ascender he barely defeated. Maybe the Makers, a tinkering cult with their own kind of ascendance. But when his best friend Cyrus disappears, questions of destiny and prophethood will have to wait—because the fugue is always showing a version of the truth, and Eli must discover that truth before his terrifying visions become reality.

The Illusory Prophet is the third book in the Singularity series. This young adult science fiction series explores the intersection of mind, body, and soul in a post-Singularity world.

My thoughts about The Illusory Prophet ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"So this is what falling in love feels like. Weightless and heart-stopping, like tumbling through air after missing a step."

I fell in love with this series from the very first book. And this series just keeps getting better and better with each part that the author writes. I am constantly amazed at the direction the story goes as it continues to be an edge-of-my-seat read.

The Illusory Prophet has plenty of action and adventure, sweetness and love, and amazing sci-fi imagery to satisfy all sorts of readers' interest. I just love my escapes into this Singularity world! 

READING ORDER 
Singularity Series
The Legacy Human (Book 1) 
The Duality Bridge (Book 2) 
The Stories of Singularity #1-4 (Novella Box Set) 
The Illusory Prophet (Book 3)

Stories of Singularity (novellas)
Restore (Story 1)
Containment (Story 2)
Defiance (Story 3)
Augment (Story 4)

About the author 

Susan Kaye Quinn is a rocket scientist turned speculative fiction author who now uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. Her works range from young adult science fiction to adult future-noir, with side trips into steampunk and middle grade fantasy. Her bestselling novels and short stories have been optioned for Virtual Reality, translated into German, and featured in several anthologies.

She writes full-time from Chicago, inventing mind powers and dreaming of the Singularity.

Chat with her about our coming robot overlords on Facebook.

Find all of Susan's books on Amazon

Click here for a FREE story!

Connect with Susan 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Book Spotlight Giveaway! The Last Dreamer by Barbara Solomon Josselsohn

I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures. And sometimes, I find great books on Amazon that I just love to share with you, as well.

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This week I am giving away is a book that I and my book club read awhile ago. I ended up with an extra copy along the way and want to share it with one of you. You can read my thoughts about The Last Dreamer HERE.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!



The Last Dreamer

The Last Dreamer by Barbara Solomon Josselsohn
Paperback and e-book, 228 pages
Published December 15th 2015 by Lake Union Publishing

Iliana Passing—wife, mother, and former acclaimed journalist—gave up her career to start a family. Almost fifteen years later, despite how much she loves her husband and kids, she can’t help wondering how she ended up with a life spent carpooling and running errands.

Ready to get back into the journalism game, Iliana searches for an exciting lead. When she discovers that Jeff Downs, the heartthrob star of an old TV show and her girlhood crush, now owns a nearby textile company, she thinks she’s found her story: teen celebrity and its aftermath. But as Iliana gets to know Jeff, the two grow closer than she ever could’ve imagined. Now that her teenage dream has walked into her present-day reality, how far will she go to entertain an old fantasy?

 

About the author

Barbara Solomon Josselsohn is a New York-based novelist and freelance writer. Her first novel, The Last Dreamer, from Lake Union Publishing, debuts in December, 2015. Her articles and essays appear in a range of publications, including Consumers Digest, The New York Times, Parents Magazine, American Baby, Westchester Magazine, The Journal News, and Westchester Home, as well as online at BrainChildMag.com, ConsumerSearch.com and GrownandFlown.com.

Barbara also teaches adult writing classes at the Scarsdale Library in Scarsdale, New York, and conducts a magazine writing course for children each summer at the Scarsdale-based JCC-Midwestchester. She is a frequent presenter at local writing workshops for children.

Barbara began her career as a reporter and editor with HFN, a trade magazine covering the home furnishings business. She has a B.A. in English from Binghamton University and an M.A. in English from the University of Connecticut, and has studied fiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College and Manhattanville College.

She is currently working on her second novel.

Connect with Barbara

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog

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Oh, Come On, Be Faithful by Cami Checketts ~ My Thoughts

Oh, Come On, Be Faithful

Oh, Come On, Be Faithful by Cami Checketts
Series: Billionaire Romance Companion Novel
Kindle Edition, 158 pages
Published December 14th 2016 by Birch River Publishing

Former Army security expert Matt Degan is in desperate need of a Christmas miracle. His ex-wife cleaned out his savings account and abandoned their son. Sadly, Matt has no presents stashed.

When he finds a job as a bodyguard for Mikayla Lambert, a billionaire heiress who has been tormented by a stalker for four years, he's caught up in family drama that threatens this beautiful woman he's becoming enamored with, and might also endanger his son. Can Matt protect everyone and save Christmas for his son, or will the stalker succeed at kidnapping Mikayla and destroying any chance at love between them?

Only $.99!!

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line or two.)

First line—"Matt scanned the small brick security building, tilting his chin in acknowledgement as a state-of-the-art camera swept over him."

I am a big fan of Cami's stories and was so excited to see that she had this Christmas story out. I jumped at the chance to read it. 

Matt and his adorable son, Brock captured my heart. I love how Brock is, in a way, responsible for the title of this story. Kids say the darndest things! He is just the greatest little boy and everyone loves him.

Oh, Come On, Be Faithful is a sweet, fun love story with just the right amount of drama. Think The Bodyguard with Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. I love that movie and I found myself thinking about it as I was reading this wonderful little tale. 

About the author 

Cami Checketts is married and the proud mother of four future WWF champions. Sometimes between being a human horse, cleaning up magic potions, and driving boys to lacrosse practice, she gets the chance to write fiction. 

Cami graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Exercise Science. She and her family live in the beautiful Cache Valley of Northern Utah. During the two months of the year it isn't snowing, she enjoys swimming, hiking, biking, running, and water-skiing. 

A portion of the proceeds from Cami's books will be donated to Humanitarian Aid. 

Connect with Cami

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? December 19, 2016

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 an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome 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. And here we are!

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Brrrr! We have had a weekend of frigid temps here in South Dakota. Lows were around -33 with horrible wind to make it even worse. Luckily, I didn't have go out and stayed nice and toasty warm in my home. I spent the weekend baking, listening to Christmas music, and reading. Doesn't get much better than that!

No baby news yet. They may find out more on Wednesday. They are just hoping to not have to spend Christmas in the hospital. The baby will come when she comes, as they always do, but it's making it kind of hard to make travel plans.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a great week and a very Merry Christmas! Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading/listening to

The Fifth Petal (The Lace Reader #2)
by Brunonia Barry
I loved book #1, The Lace Reader


Spinning the Moon
by Karen White
(audio-book)

What I recently finished


I have been binge reading some wonderful Christmas stories over the last week or so, You can take a look at the list here.

My Name is Mary Sutter

by Robin Oliveira

This was our book club pick. It was interesting, for the most part. We had a so-so discussion, too many other things to talk about. 😏

The You I've Never Known
by Ellen Hopkins

What I am going to read next

Lucky in Love (Lucky O'Toole #2.5)
So Damn Lucky (Lucky O'Toole #3)
by Deborah Coonts 
I love this series and I am going to continue on with the next novella and book.

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Christmas Stories Binge Reading

I love reading Christmas stories this time of the year. I always try to keep my review calendar kind of light during the month of December because it's such a busy time. Well this year, I loaded up my Kindle and I have been binge reading through all the Christmas stories I've got loaded on it. 

Here is a look at what I have been up to so far. And who knows, there is still a little time left until Christmas, I may just sneak in a few more. 

How about you? Do you savor all the wonderful Christmas stories this time of year? 

If you want to find out more about any of these stories, click on the covers to go to Goodreads. 

What I've read so far

Christmas Angels: A Novella

by Viola Shipman
Absolutely beautiful story about finding the joy of the holidays again after losing someone you love. And angels. Lots of angels. There was also an excerpt of the author's new book coming out in March. I can't wait! 

The Gift of the Magi

by O. Henry
I have always loved this one. Such a beautiful story about sacrifice and the power of love. 

A Charlie Brown Christmas

by Laurie Baxter
A good lesson to learn - misunderstandings and miscommunications are detrimental to one's love life. 

Mermaid Christmas: A Short Story

by K.C. Wilder

A sweet story about two people who are still grieving the loss of a friend, brought together by that friend, to finally find happiness again.

A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens
A must read classic to enjoy every year. 

Oh, Come On, Be Faithful: Billionaire Romance Companion Novel

by Cami Checketts

This is the one I am currently enjoying. I love Cami's stories and I'll be putting up a review post later this week.

Up next!

A Very Country Christmas (Tippermere #2.5)

by Zara Stoneley


Christmas Stray (Sweet Holiday Romance)
by Rachelle Ayala


It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Chick Lit: A Holiday Anthology
Eleven short and funny holiday stories.


Cozy Christmas Shorts: Holiday Short Story Collection
11 holiday themed cozy mystery short stories.

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Book Spotlight Giveaway! Take it Like a Mom: A Novel by Stephanie Stiles

I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures. And sometimes, I find great books on Amazon that I just love to share with you.

****************************

This week I am giving away a book that I have had sitting on my shelf for quite some time. I am just not getting around to reading it so I thought it was time to let it go.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

Take it Like a Mom

Take it Like a Mom: A Novel by Stephanie Stiles
Paperback, 320 pages
Published July 5th 2011 by NAL

One thing sets her apart from other modern-day superheroes: mom genes.

Annie Fingardt Forster used to be a lawyer who wore dry-clean only and shaved both legs. But things have changed. Now a stay-at-home mom, she wears cargo pants and ponytails and harbors a nearly pathological hatred towards hipster parents.

With a three-year-old and a baby on the way, Annie knows what to expect...at least, she thought she did. Faced with her husband's job loss, pre-school politics, and a playground throwdown with her arch nemesis, Annie realizes that even with her husband and friends by her side, what she really needs is to learn to suck it up-and take it like a mom.

About the author

Stephanie Stiles has been an English professor at Dominican College, where she has been Chair of the department and head of the Creative Writing sequence. Her creative writing handbook, entitled From "Huh?" to "Hooray!": Righting Your Creative Writing, helps writers of all levels and genres sharpen their skills and develop their voice;it is currently available at Amazon.com. Her first novel, Take It Like a Mom, is a humorous look at modern-day motherhood; it's now available in stores, on-line, and on Kindle!

Connect with Stephanie

Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

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