Mailbox Monday - Tons of Goodies This Past Week!

Mailbox Monday is hosted by a different blog every month. You can find which host when you visit Mailbox Monday and look at the left hand column. Anyone can play along. Just leave a link to your Mailbox Monday post at the Mailbox Monday host blog and follow the links to other blogs to see what books are finding their way to mailboxes around the world. WARNING!! Participation in Mailbox Monday can cause your "to be read" list to grow exponentially!!

This week was a great mail week for me!!

An ARC of:
Road from the West: 
Book 1 of the Chronicles of Tancred
Author: Rosanne E. Lortz
Publisher: Madison Street Publishing
ISBN: 9780983671909

A tale of Courage, Conquest, Intrigue, and Honor.

You've heard of the Knights Templar, you've heard of Richard the Lionheart—now learn the story that started it all with the adventures of the First Crusade.

Haunted by guilt from the past and nightmares of the future, a young Norman named Tancred takes the cross and vows to be the first to free Jerusalem from the infidels. As he journeys to the Holy Land, he braves vast deserts, mortal famine, and the ever-present ambushes of the enemy Turks—but the greatest danger of all is deciding which of the Crusader lords to trust. A mysterious seer prophesies that Tancred will find great love and great sorrow on his journey, but the second seems intent on claiming him before he can find the first. Intrigues and passions grow as every battle brings the Crusaders one step closer to Jerusalem. Not all are destined to survive the perilous road from the West.


Ransom's Quest
Book 3 of The Ransome Trilogy
Author: Kaye Dacus
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
ISBN: 9780736927550

This fast-paced, engaging end to the Ransome Trilogy follows a tale of love and danger on the Caribbean Sea in the early 1800s.

Commodore William Ransome is searching for his sister, Charlotte, who has been captured by Salvador, the infamous "Robin Hood of the West Indies." When word comes that his wife, Julia, has been kidnapped by the evil pirate, Shaw, Commodore Ransome and his crew frantically search the horizon for the two women he loves. After Charlotte is found, she emerges with revelations about Salvador's true identity and his willingness to help search for Julia. It's news that sends shockwaves through the family.

Will Commodore Ransome trust Salvador to help rescue his beloved wife? And what other secrets have been buried like long lost treasure in these waters? Romance, intrigue, and swashbuckling leaps of faith create a wonderfully heroic close to this beloved series.

An ARC of:
Along Wooded Paths:
A Big Sky Novel
Author: Tricia Goyer
Publisher: B&H Fiction
ISBN: 9781433668692

Although proud of living apart from the world, Marianna Sommer's newly relocated Amish family is discovering that life in the remote mountains of Montana requires working together with the Englisch. As Marianna pours her life into helping those around her-and receiving their help-her heart further considers two directions. She's torn between the Amish man from Indiana whom she has long planned on marrying and the friendly Englischer who models a close walk with God like she’s never seen before.

Who should have young Marianna's heart? What is God asking of her through ongoing family struggles and this romantic and spiritual tension? The answer is found along the wooded paths.

 

Review copy in e-book form
Freedom's Sword (Volume 1)
Author: J. R. Tomlin
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781461004158

Before William Wallace... before Robert the Bruce... there was another Scottish hero... In 1296, newly knighted by the King of the Scots, Andrew de Moray fights to defend his country against the forces of the ruthless invader, King Edward Longshanks of England. After a bloody defeat in battle, he is dragged in chains to an English dungeon. Soon the young knight escapes. He returns to find Scotland under the heel of a conqueror and his betrothed sheltering in the hills of the Black Isle. Seizing his own castle, he raises the banner of Scottish freedom. Now he must lead the north of Scotland to rebellion in hope of defeating the English army sent to crush them.

Review copy in e-book form
A Kingdom's Cost:
Book I of The Douglas Trilogy (Volume 1)
Author: J. R. Tomlin
Publisher: CreateSpace (April 28, 2011)
ISBN: 9781463526795

Eighteen-year-old James Douglas can only watch, helpless, as the Scottish freedom fighter, William Wallace, is hanged, drawn, and quartered. Even under the heel of a brutal English conqueror, James's blood-drenched homeland may still have one hope for freedom, the rightful king of the Scots, Robert the Bruce. James swears fealty to the man he believes can lead the fight against English tyranny. The Bruce is soon a fugitive, king in name and nothing more. Scotland is occupied, the Scottish resistance crushed. The woman James loves is captured and imprisoned. Yet James believes their cause is not lost. With driving determination, he blazes a path in blood and violence, in cunning and ruthlessness as he wages a guerrilla war to restore Scotland's freedom. James knows he risks sharing Wallace's fate, but what he truly fears is that he has become as merciless as the conqueror he fights.
 

Review copy in e-book form
Homeward: A Novel
Author: Melody Carlson

From bestselling author Melody Carlson comes this award-winning story of three generations of Lancaster women. For twenty years Meg Lancaster has avoided Briar Hedge, the Lancaster family estate. Now she has been drawn back to her grandmother's home to uncover secrets that have been hidden for decades and to try to regain the family she long ago abandoned.

The Things We Cherished: A Novel
Author: Pam Jenoff
Publisher: Doubleday
ISBN: 9780385594208

An ambitious novel that spans decades and continents, The Things We Cherished tells the story of Charlotte Gold and Jack Harrington, two fiercely independent attor­neys who find themselves slowly falling for one another while working to defend the brother of a Holocaust hero against allegations of World War II–era war crimes.

The defendant, wealthy financier Roger Dykmans, mysteri­ously refuses to help in his own defense, revealing only that proof of his innocence lies within an intricate timepiece last seen in Nazi Germany. As the narrative moves from Philadelphia to Germany, Poland, and Italy, we are given glimpses of the lives that the anniversary clock has touched over the past century, and learn about the love affair that turned a brother into a traitor.

Rich in historical detail, Jenoff’s astonishing new work is a testament to true love under the worst of circumstances.

An ARC of:
Confessions of an Improper Bride
A Donovan Novel 
Author: Jennifer Haymore
Publisher: Forever
ISBN: 9780446573146

Serena Donovan left London six years ago, her heart broken and her reputation ruined by devilishly handsome Jonathan Dane. Now, with her family's future in peril, she reluctantly agrees to return to England and assume her late twin's identity. The price? Marry a man she doesn't love and spend the rest of her days living a lie.

Jonathan Dane, Earl of Stratford, has become an incorrigible rake, drinking, gambling-and trying to forget Serena Donovan. Yet the moment he's introduced to the prim and proper "Meg", he recognizes the sensual young woman who captured his heart. Haunted by his past mistakes, he refuses to lose Serena again. But convincing her to trust him is no easy task. Claiming his lost love means exposing the truth and destroying the life Serena has sacrificed everything to rebuild. With the future of all the Donovans at stake, and their undying passion capable of triggering yet another scandal, how much will Jonathan and Serena risk for a chance at true love? 

River's Song
The Inn at Shining Waters Series
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 9781426712661

Following her mother’s funeral, and on theverge of her own midlife crisis, widow Anna Larson returns to the home of her youthto sort out her parents’ belongings, as well as her own turbulent life.

For the first time since childhood, Anna embraces her native heritage,  despite the disdain of her vicious mother-in-law.

By transforming her old family home on the banks of the Siuslaw River into The Inn atShining Waters, Anna hopes to create a place of healing—a place where guests experience peace, grace, and new beginnings. Starting with her own family . . .

PHEW - that's it for this week. What's in your mailbox?

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Anyone can play along. Just leave a link to your Mailbox Monday post at Marcia's blog and follow the links to other blogs to see what books are finding their way to mailboxes around the world. WARNING!! Participation in Mailbox Monday can cause your "to be read" list to grow exponentially!!

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted, so instead of posting all that I got over that period of time, I'll just post this past week. I had a really good mail week. I can't wait to read and review these, they all look like great books!

The Last Child

Author: John Hart

Publisher: Minotaur Books

John Hart’s New York Times bestselling debut, The King of Lies, announced the arrival of a major talent. With Down River, he surpassed his earlier success, transcending the barrier between thriller and literature and winning the 2008 Edgar Award for best novel. Now, with The Last Child, he achieves his most significant work to date, an intricate, powerful story of loss, hope, and courage in the face of evil.

Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he’d been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is---confident in a way that he can never fully explain.

Determined to find his sister, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown. It is a desperate, terrifying search, but Johnny is not as alone as he might think. Detective Clyde Hunt has never stopped looking for Alyssa either, and he has a soft spot for Johnny. He watches over the boy and tries to keep him safe, but when Johnny uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it, Hunt has no choice but to intervene.

Then a second child goes missing . . .

Undeterred by Hunt’s threats or his mother’s pleas, Johnny enlists the help of his last friend, and together they plunge into the wild, to a forgotten place with a history of violence that goes back more than a hundred years. There, they meet a giant of a man, an escaped convict on his own tragic quest. What they learn from him will shatter every notion Johnny had about the fate of his sister; it will lead them to another far place, to a truth that will test both boys to the limit.

Moonlight Falls

Author: Vincent Zandri

Publisher: R. J. Buckley Publishing 

In MOONLIGHT FALLS, novelist and photo journalist Vincent Zandri asks the question "If you knew your life could end at any moment, how far would you go to prove you murdered your lover? " Albany, New York, is the setting of Zandri's paranoid thriller (in the Hitchcock tradition) about Richard "Dick" Moonlight, former APD detective turned private investigator/massage therapist, who believes he killed Scarlet Montana - his illicit lover and wife of his ex-boss, Chief of Detectives Jake Montana. The problem is ... Moonlight doesn't remember what happened!

Getting In

Author: Karen Stabiner

Publisher:Hyperion

Q: What does a parent need to survive the college application process?

A. A sense of humor.
B. A therapist on 24-hour call.
C. A large bank balance.
D. All of the above.

Getting In is the roller-coaster story of five very different Los Angeles families united by a single obsession: acceptance at a top college, preferably one that makes their friends and neighbors green with envy. At an elite private school and a nearby public school, families devote themselves to getting their seniors into the perfect school-even if the odds are stacked against them, even if they can't afford the $50,000 annual price tag, even if the effort requires a level of deceit, and even if the object of all this attention wants to go somewhere else.

Getting In is a delightfully smart comedy of class and entitlement, of love and ambition, set in a world where a fat envelope from a top school matters more than anything . . . almost.

Havah: The Story of Eve

Author: Tosca Lee

Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

She knew this earth when it was perfect—like her, for a time. Made by God in a manner like no other, she lived in utter peace without flaw in paradise until one fateful decision changed everything. Now, all humanity suffers for her mistake. But what did it feel like then to first sin and be exiled, to see all innocence crumble so vividly, and a strange new world take its place?

Experience the epic dawn of mankind through the eyes and heart of Eve—the woman first known as Havah.

"A passionate and riveting story of the Bible's first woman. Lee's superior storytelling will have readers weeping for all that Havah forfeited by a single damning choice."

Demon: A Memoir

Author: Tosca Lee

Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

 Clayton's life is stuck in the mud. His wife has been cheating on him for years, his literary career is uninspired, and his job as an editor is mediocre at best. But when he walks into a restaurant and finds a mysterious dark-haired stranger waiting for him, his life dramatically changes. The stranger claims to be Lucian, one of Lucifer's fellow fallen angels, come to tell Clay his story of the angels' dramatic fall from Heaven, Adam and Eve's Eden, and Christ's triumph on the cross - from a demon's perspective. This seems just the thing to get Clay's career jumpstarted, but it could mean his ultimate success or failure as Lucian's story seems to become more and more like his own.

Lessons Learned: Loving Yourself as a Black Woman

Author: Tinisha N. Johnson

Publisher: Xpress Yourself Publishing, LLC

As a Black woman, have you ever dealt with insecurities and pressures from the world that made you feel unsure about yourself or life in general? Do you want answers and solutions to your most deepest, darkest feelings? If so, Lessons Learned: Loving Yourself as a Black Woman is a book you should read. It is an inspirational and uplifting book, emphasizing ten life lessons addressing your intimate, personal, and professional life. In Lessons Learned, the author passionately and straightforwardly expresses and lays out the following: --The Q&A Method of problem solving life's problems --Understanding your deepest feelings and using the positive to overcome the negative --Your self-worth is greater than you think, learn why --What women tend to think the definition of true happiness is --The five most common types of Black women --What some Black women say to themselves that they would never say out loud --Why some Black women sacrifice their souls --Balancing children, family, and friends The author thought it necessary to create a book specifically catered to Black women in the self-healing process while laying out techniques on how to gain more self-confidence and strengthen your self-worth and overall life. Life Lessons reminds Black women of the importance of loving themselves first. 

How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly
Author: Connie May Fowler
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

New York Times bestselling writer Connie May Fowler delivers a transcendent novel about one fateful day in the life of a woman on the verge of an extraordinary life change.

Set amidst the lush pine forests and rich savannas of Florida’s Northern Panhandle, HOW CLARISSA BURDEN LEARNED TO FLY tells the story of one woman whose existence until now has seemed fairly normal: she is 30-something, married, and goes about her daily routine as a writer. However, it is soon discovered that ghosts, an indifferent husband, and a seemingly terminal case of writer’s block are burdening Clarissa’s life. She awakes on the summer solstice and, prodded by her own discontent and one ghost’s righteous need for truth, commences upon a twenty-four hour journey of self-discovery. Her harrowing, funny, and startling adventures lead Clarissa to a momentous decision: She must find a way to do the unthinkable. Her life and the well-being of a remarkable family of blithe spirits hang in the balance. Connie May Fowler demonstrates her keen abilities as a storyteller in this remarkably original novel about an unexpected mid-life awakening. This is an empowering story that will resonate and be discussed for years to come


What did you find in your mailbox? Make sure to leave a comment and a link so that I can read all about it!

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Anyone can play along. Just leave a link to your Mailbox Monday post at Marcia's blog and follow the links to other blogs to see what books are finding their way to mailboxes around the world. WARNING!! Participation in Mailbox Monday can cause your "to be read" list to grow exponentially!!


I received 3 review copies this week:

I just finished reading this one this morning. OH!!!! I so want to tell all, but must be a good girl and wait for the blog tour (see sidebar). You don't want to miss this one!



Coming of the Storm by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear

Lowboy was an ER win from LibraryThing. Looks interesting!



Lowboy by John Wray

A GORGEOUS book! I'll be posting my review soon along with a fantastic drawing. Keep on the lookout - you won't want to miss this drawing!



At Home With Laurie Ann by Laurie Ann McMillin Ray


From PBS, I received a book that has been on my wish list for quite a while:



Eight Kingdoms by Michael Pearl

What did you find in your mailbox? Make sure to leave a comment and a link so that I can read all about it!

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Anyone can play along. Just leave a link to your Mailbox Monday post at Marcia's blog and follow the links to other blogs to see what books are finding their way to mailboxes around the world. WARNING!! Participation in Mailbox Monday can cause your "to be read" list to grow exponentially!!


It was a quiet week this past week, with only 3 books showing up and all from Paperback Swap. However, I found a Goldmine of books on Freecycle....



The Tomato Festival Cookbook : 150 Recipes that Make the Most of Your Crop of Lush, Vine-Ripened, Sun-Warmed, Fat, Juicy, Ready-to-Burst Heirloom Tomatoes
Author: Lawrence Davis-Hollander
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 9781580174985

With 150 tempting recipes for those lush, vine-ripened, sun-warmed, fat, juicy, and ready-to-burst heirloom tomatoes, The Tomato Festival Cookbook is the landmark cookbook for America's favorite garden vegetable. Author Lawrence Davis-Hollander presents an exhaustive collection of everything about the tomato--from tomato lore, gardening how-to, expert advice on seed saving and preservation to selecting the right heirlooms for your gardenand your kitchen. With definitive recipes for such classics as Tomato Basil Quiche and marinara sauce to show-stoppers from chefs Alice Waters, Deborah Madison, Daniel Boulud, Rick Bayless, and Melissa Kelly, to name a few.

Whether you grow your own rainbow selection of heirlooms or are thinking of adding them to your garden, Davis-Hollander has the best advice on heirloom growing. As the founder and director of the Eastern Native Seed Conservancy, an organization dedicated to promoting our knowledge of useful plants, especially heirloom food plants, Davis-Hollanderhas handpicked the recipes and the chefs to contribute to this preeminent tomato bible. Along with an impressive background in botany and farming, Lawrence is committed to food preservation, sustainable farming, and the rebirth of the American Farmer's Market. For the tomato lover who does not have a garden full of plump, red heirlooms, this book offers a guide to the local Farmer's Market with a knowledgeable eye and an appetite for Green Zebras, Cherokee Chocolates, Box Car Willies, Omar's Lebanese, and Earl of Edgecombs. With recipes for everything from salsas, risottos, and Chicken Nicoise to tomato tarts and sorbet, The Tomato Festival Cookbook takes the tomato to new culinary heights. For anyone who loves eating, growing, preserving or just admiring tomatoes, The Tomato Festival Cookbook is as essential to the kitchen as the tomato itself.



Gooseberry Patch Comfort & Joy Cookbook
Publisher: Gooseberry Patch
ISBN: 9781931890434

Cinnamon, pine, cranberry and sage…and plenty of gingerbread! Comfort & Joy is filled with a sampling of cozy recipes that are sure to warm your family this winter. Try savory chicken with mushrooms, 3-cheese potatoes and parmesan herb bread. Top off the meal with rich and creamy snow cocoa and farmhouse cut-out cookies. Tips include decorating touches that evoke memories of home and Gooseberry Patch also included an entire chapter of crafts and comforting holiday memories you’ll enjoy all season long.



Daughters of Lancaster County Trilogy
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
PublisherL Barbour Publishing, Inc.
3 Novels in One: The Storekeeper's Daughter/The Quilter's Daughter/The Bishop's Daughter
ISBN: 9780739476635

The riveting story of a kidnapped Amish child is told through three bestselling novels set in Lancaster, Pennsylvania's Amish country. From the beginning, Naomi Fisher blames herself for the family's tragedy and journeys away from home to find a purpose for living. Abby Miller leaves her successful Ohio quilt shop to help the Fisher family, but how long can she continue to put her dreams on hold? Leona Weaver is dedicated to her family and community, but when she falls in love with an outsider, could this friendship bring the haunting tale of a kidnapped boy full circle?

On Friday, I saw a posting come through my local FreeCycle.com group for some Mary Higgins Clark books. I'm a cozy mystery nut, so I emailed and was fortunate enough to get them. Since the lady offering them was right near where my husband works, he stopped and picked them up. To my great surprise, the box held 31 books!!!!!

Mary Higgins Clark:
1. Where Are the Children
2. A Stranger is Watching
3. The Cradle Will Fall
4. Stillwatch
5. A Cry in the Night
6. Weep No More, My Lady
7. All Around the Town
8. I'll Be Seeing You
9. Remember Me
10. Let Me Call You Sweetheart
11. Silent Night
12. Moonlight Becomes You
13. Before I say Goodbye
14. Deck the Halls
15. Daddy's Little Girl
16. The Second Time Around
17. The Christmas Thief
18. Santa Cruise

Others in the box:

Daughters of Eve by Lois Duncan
The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger
The Crush by Sandra Brown
After the Night by Linda Howard
Hide by Lisa Gardner
The Wrong Side of Dead by Jordan Dane
Cut to the Quick: A Novel by Dianne Emley
Hand of Evil (Ali Reynolds, #3) by J.A. Jance
The Death Dealer by Heather Graham
Ransom by Danielle Steel
Critical by Robin Cook
Don't Cry Now: A Novel by Joy Fielding
Walking After Midnight by Karen Robards
The Slasher: A Novel of Suspense by Michael Collins

It felt like Christmas opening the box and finding so many books and new to me authors!! There were a couple of duplicates that have already found a good home with a fellow cozy mystery lover :) Yes, I had to post, because I know you all understand the excitement that comes with a bunch of great books!!