Weekly Wrap-Up 5-7-17

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Hosted by Tynga's Reviews

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

LAST WEEK ON THE BLOG

• Book Tour + Review - Til Dirt Do Us Part by Teresa Trent
• Top 10 Tuesday - Favorite Covers
• Release Blitz - All About the D by Lex Martin and Leslie McAdam
• Discussion - What's Your Reading Style?
• My TBR List - May 2017 - Voting
• Review - Eclair and Present Danger by Laura Bradford

THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG

• Interview with author Ginna Moran
• Book Spotlight for Bad to the Bone by Linda O Johnston
• Bout of Books 
• a couple reviews hopefully
• My TBR List poll winner 

BOOKS IN MY MAILBOX

Kindle - Bought

Bed and Breakfast and Murder - Patti Larsen

Betting Off Dead - Tonya Kappes

Dial P for Poison - Zara Keane

On the Chopping Block - Jenny Kales

Kindle - Freebies

 The Case of the Screaming Beauty - Alison Golden

Death at the Zoo - Nancy McGovern

Hunted - Alison Golden

Lethal Latte - Jinty James

Kindle - For Review

Rise of the Sea Witch - Stacey Rourke

Twisted in You - Fabiola Francisco

Paperback - Bought

Caught Read-Handed - Terrie Farley Moran

Pies and Prejudice - Ellery Adams

Edge of Brotherhood - Molly E Lee

Paperback - For Review

Title Wave - Lorna Barrett

Paperback - Gifts

Side Effects Book One: First Days - Dusti Dawn Rose

My youngest son has a penpal whose mother just published her first book about a month or so ago.  She sent me a signed copy of her book.  :) 

Death on Eat Street - J.J Cook

A Dark and Stormy Murder - Julia Buckley

I signed up for a gift exchange in a book group that I'm in on Facebook.  This is what my partner sent me.  :)  She even included an adult coloring book featuring tons of authors and bloggers, along with some colored pencils.  

OFF THE BLOG

Chris brought this picture home from school on Monday.  Close to the end of each school year, all of the classes at his school decorate their classroom door in a book theme to celebrate books.  Chris' class chose to decorate their door in a Harry Potter theme and his teacher took these photos to put up along the door frame.  I thought that was so neat and creative!  I absolutely love how it turned out.  Chris loves the Harry Potter books so he thought that was pretty neat, too.  His teacher told him not to smile, so he made the perfect "mugshot" face!  Ha!  

Chris will be starting middle school in the fall.  On Thursday we went to the middle school for the open house they were having that night.  We got to meet all of the 6th grade teachers and we watched a presentation about their rules, policies, and different classes and clubs that are offered for 6th graders.  While we were there, the band and orchestra was holding sign ups for next school year, and Chris signed up for the band.  He's so excited about it and has decided he wants to play the drums.  

Chris will be having his 5th grade graduation in a few weeks and I'm fairly certain I'm going to be a blubbering mess.  I can't believe it's this time already.  Before I know it he'll be off to college!  :(  

I was supposed to be starting classes in the fall but my financial aid has somehow ended up in some kind of cyber black hole limbo.  FAFSA is saying there's nothing they can do on their end and the college is swearing up and down they don't have any financial aid on file for me.  It's so frustrating!  I'm stuck and not really sure what else I can do.  Hopefully it'll all get straightened out soon because sign ups are already happening for the summer and fall semesters.  

WEEKLY FUNNY

I think we have probably all done this at least once, right?  I can't be the only one who has a fierce determination to finish the book before I go to bed.  ;)  Sometimes I win.  Sometimes sleep wins. 

Will you do me a HUGE favor and vote on this poll for me?  I'm participating in the My To-Be-Read List meme where you get to choose my next read!  I'd love to have some more votes.  Right now there is a tie between two books.  I'll be announcing which book won next week.

*Review* Éclair and Present Danger by Laura Bradford

Synopsis:

The first book in the delicious new Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery series from national bestselling author Laura Bradford.

With her rent rising faster than her pie crust, bakery owner Winnie Johnson had hoped to be rescued by an inheritance from her wealthy friend and neighbor Gertrude Redenbacher. Instead all she inherits is the widow’s hostile hissing tabby, Lovey, and a vintage ambulance, restored by Gertrude’s late husband. As her dream crumbles, Winnie makes her final delivery—a peach pie to an elderly widower. But she finds Bart Wagner lying on his kitchen floor, smothered by a pillow.
 
To comfort her frightened and grieving neighbors, Winnie comes to the rescue with her baked goods—and an idea is born: dessert delivery via her ambulance and a new business called the Emergency Dessert Squad. When she’s not speeding to the scenes of dessert emergencies, Winnie is also racing to track down Bart’s killer—before she needs to call a real ambulance for the next victim...

My Review:

4 of 5 stars

★★★★☆

I absolutely love the idea behind the Emergency Dessert Squad. How unique! The names of the desserts that Winnie and Renee came up with were fun and very creative. I loved getting to know Winnie, her neighbors, and her best friend Renee. They are all such great people with fun and quirky personalities. I've never had neighbors that stick together like that people who live on Serenity Lane do. It's such a tight-knit loving group.  I also love that a couple of the desserts that were mentioned in the story were listed with their recipe in the back of the book.  I'll definitely be checking those out - they sound delicious! The mystery behind the murder really had me stumped. Once I thought I figured out who the killer was, suspicion was thrown back to someone else. I love that it was able to keep me guessing until literally the last part of the book. My only complaint is I wish a little bit more time had been spent investigating the murder and that there had been more of a police presence in the story. I loved this book and am looking forward to reading more about these characters. I already have the next book in this series and will be reading it soon! Book Links: Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Google Play Author Links: Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest

My To-Be-Read List: May 2017 - Voting

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Because Reading is Better Than Real Life where at the beginning of the month visitors can choose which book I’ll be reading this month. On the first Saturday of a month the poll will be up, then on the second Saturday of the month, I’ll announce the book that won and on the last Saturday of the month I’ll post my review of the book.

This is my first time linking up with this meme and I'm super excited to be participating!  Here are my choices for the month of May.  

Paige Landry

I finally made it. I graduated nursing school, and I found the perfect job. Things were great until a tornado blew through the emergency room, turning my life upside down. I don’t know if I can ever go back to the way things were before. Tornado survivors have a choice to rebuild, or pack up and move away. I’m twenty-two, and I know that one day I want the American dream: a husband, 2.5 kids and a white picket fence. But that’s the thing with rebuilding. What happens when the next tornado hits?

Will I be blown away again?

DH Rhoads

Adrenaline. It’s fueled me since I was thirteen. It’s what I discovered while I chased tornadoes across Oklahoma. It’s what I craved on combat missions in helicopters in Afghanistan. It’s what I lived for, until one day when everything changed. Now, adrenaline is my drug. It numbs me when the memories become too much to bear. It reminds me that I don’t deserve a wife, 2.5 kids and a white picket fence. I’ve seen what tornadoes do to white picket fences. It’s ugly.
I’m the tornado. I’ve already destroyed one family. Don’t chase me.

Claire Weatherly found the simple life she always wanted when she opened a gift shop in Heavenly, Pennsylvania—a small town in the heart of Amish country. But when murder disrupts her Heavenly home, it’s up to Claire and Detective Jakob Fisher to find the not-so-simple truth. 

The quiet town of Heavenly is buzzing with excitement over the latest guests at the local inn, Sleep Heavenly. Toy manufacturer Rob Karble is in town to meet the members of the Amish community who will soon be crafting a new toy line for his company. But when word gets out that Karble intends to use the Amish designs without employing the Amish to make them, someone sends the interloper to his final reward.

No one wants to believe anyone from the Amish community could commit such an act, but as Claire and Detective Fisher have learned, no one is above sin—or suspicion.

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

*Discussion* What's Your Reading Style?

What is your reading style like?  Do you have a schedule that you go by?  Are you a mood reader?  Or are you a little of both, an organizer and a mood reader?  

I'm a little bit of a mixture of both.  

I definitely have a schedule that I go by.  The majority of the books that I read are ARCs that have a specific date that the review is due.  I have a planner just for my blog where I keep track of all of my ARC books and the dates that the reviews are due.  I read through all of my ARCs first in the order that they are due.  If I get through all of the ARCs due for that month, I'll take a break before I start on the next month's ARCs. 

Once I get to that point, I'll choose some books to read just for myself (which I still review, of course).  This is where my mood comes in to play at times.  I'll scroll through my kindle and add books to my "Recent" screen that I'm interesting in reading.  Once I get that screen filled with books, I'll look through them and choose one to read.  If I've read a lot of romance lately, I'll more than likely pick a mystery to read.  Or, vise versa.  

So, feel free to leave me a comment and tell me about your reading style.  I'm interesting in seeing what other people do.

*Release Blitz* All About the D by Lex Martin and Leslie McAdam

Title: All About the D

Authors: Lex Martin & Leslie McAdam

Genre: Standalone Romantic Comedy

Release Date: May 2, 2017

Blurb

A sexy new romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Lex Martin and bestselling author Leslie McAdam…

ALL ABOUT THE D

I'm known for being formal. Meticulous. Professional. 

So you’d never suspect I spend my nights photographing my impressive junk for a NSFW blog. Don’t roll your eyes. I’m not bragging. I have millions of followers who’ll tell you they live for my posts. 

I’m like a superhero, saving humanity one dick pic at a time. 

Except leading a double life means I need someone to help me protect my anonymity, so that no one, especially my family, ever discovers my online celebrity. 

When I call one of the most respected law firms in town, I expect quality legal advice and confidentiality. Not a sinfully sexy attorney whose dangerous curves and soul-piercing gray eyes make me want to personally demonstrate my particular skill set. 

I shouldn’t be tempted. 

Especially when she knows all of my best-kept secrets. But everyone has a breaking point. And I’ve met mine.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Trailer

Lex Martin

Lex writes contemporary romance, the sexy kind with lotsa angst, a whole lotta kissing, and the hot happily ever afters. When she's not writing, she lives a parallel life as an English teacher.

She loves printing black and white photos, listening to music on vinyl, and getting lost in a great book. Bitten by wanderlust, she's  lived all over the country but currently resides in the City of Angels with her husband and twin daughters.

Lex is represented by Kimberly Brower of Brower Literary & Management.

AMAZON
WEBSITE

NEWSLETTER
FACEBOOK GROUP

FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM

Leslie McAdam

Leslie McAdam is a California girl who loves romance, Little Dude, and well-defined abs. She lives in a drafty old farmhouse on a small orange tree farm in Southern California with her husband and two small children. Leslie always encourages her kids to be themselves - even if it means letting her daughter wear leopard print from head to toe. An avid reader from a young age, she will always trade watching TV for reading a book, unless it's Top Gear. Or football. Leslie is employed by day but spends her nights writing about the men you fantasize about. She's unapologetically sarcastic and notoriously terrible at comma placement.

Always up for a laugh, Leslie tries to see humor in all things. When she's not in the writing cave you'll find her fangirling over Beck, camping with her family, or mixing up oil paints to depict her love of outdoors on canvas.

AMAZON

WEBSITE

NEWSLETTER

FACEBOOK GROUP
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER

Giveaway

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*Top 10 Tuesday* Top 10 favorite covers

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish

This week's theme is about covers so I will be sharing my top 10 favorite book covers.  

These are listed in no particular order. 

1. #Bae by Cambria Hebert

Goodreads     Amazon

I'm at book 5 in this series now, and Romeo and Rimmel have really grown on me.  I love the two of them!  I think it's really neat to get to see the author's inspiration for the characters on the cover.  <3  

2. Laws of Attraction by R.C Boldt

Goodreads     Amazon

I just love the way this cover looks.  The beach in the background, the couple looking lovingly at each other.  It just makes you *swoon*.

3. Edge of Chaos by Molly E. Lee
Goodreads     Amazon

This cover is amazing to me!  I absolutely love the stormy background.  It goes so well with the setting and theme of the book.




4. A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole
Goodreads     Amazon

This cover is very fitting to the story with the jar and the heart kiss inside of it.  The colors look really pretty together also.




5. Operation Prom Date by Cindi Madsen
Goodreads     Amazon

This is a super cute cover!  I love the way it looks.




6. Eyes Turned Skyward by Rebecca Yarros
Goodreads     Amazon

Eyes Turned Skyward is my favorite book in the Flight and Glory series, so it makes sense I guess that this is my favorite cover.  I just love the way it looks.



7. Switch by Adriana Locke
Goodreads     Amazon

This cover is just gorgeous.  I've loved all the covers for this series but this one is my favorite.  The couple looks great together.



8. Silence of the Flans by Laura Bradford
Goodreads     Amazon

I love looking at all the different details on cozy mystery covers.  You see the overturned chair, the inside of the bakery, the Emergency Dessert Squad truck in the background, and lots of other little things.




9. Change of Heart by Jennifer L. Allen
Goodreads     Amazon

This cover is so pretty to me!  The couple standing together and the hearts in the background.  <3



10. Bearly Departed by Meg Macy
Goodreads     Amazon

This is such a cute cover!  Look at all the teddy bears. ♥♥ What's not to love?!  :)

What are some of your favorite covers?

*Book Tour + Review* Til Dirt Do Us Part by Teresa Trent

Synopsis:

Not everything stays buried. When Betsy, a notorious brown thumb gets roped into a gardening contest sponsored by the Pecan Bayou Gazette, she finds herself digging up more than weeds. She is ridiculed by the garden club ladies, and now her heart breaks for a newly single mom whose world has just collapsed. The Happy Hinter is back so take some time to revisit the cozy little town Pecan Bayou, Texas. Grab a glass of sweet tea before you turn the dirt in the garden and sit a spell with all your favorite characters who dole out heartfelt caring and compassion with a side of humor. Till Dirt Do Us Part includes bonus recipes and helpful hints from Betsy’s column!

My Review:

4 of 5 stars

I haven't read the previous books in this series, but I didn't feel confused at any point or like I was missing any information.  This was a quick, enjoyable read.  The characters are likable and well developed.  I really liked Betsy's character.  She seems to be a lot like me when it comes to gardening so she was easy to relate to in that sense.  The mystery behind the murder kept me interested and engaged in the story.  The reveal of the murderer took me by surprise since it wasn't someone I was expecting.  It's always nice when the author is able to keep you guessing until the end of the book.  I especially liked the recipes and the helpful hints and tips included in the back of the book.  

Teresa Trent lives in Houston, Texas and is an award-winning mystery writer.  She writes the Pecan Bayou Mystery Series, is a regular contributor to the Happy Homicides Anthologies. Teresa is happy to add her Henry Park Mystery Series to her publishing credits with Color Me Dead, the first book in the series. Teresa has also won awards for her work in short stories where she loves to dabble in tales that are closer to the Twilight Zone than small town cozies. When Teresa isn’t writing, she is a full-time caregiver for her son and teaches preschoolers music part-time. Her favorite things include spending time with family and friends, waiting for brownies to come out of the oven, and of course, a good mystery.

Author Links
FACEBOOK:   https://www.facebook.com/teresatrentmysterywriter
TWITTER:   https://twitter.com/ttrent_cozymys
BLOG:   https://teresatrent.wordpress.com/
WEBSITE:   http://teresatrent.com

Purchase Link
Amazon

Tour Participants
May 1 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
May 1 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
May 1 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 1 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW
May 2 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW
May 2 – Bookworm Mom – REVIEW
May 2 – Babs Book Bistro – REVIEW
May 2 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 3 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW
May 3 – Rainy Day Reviews – REVIEW
May 3 – Books,Dreams,Life –  REVIEW, INTERVIEW
May 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
May 4 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT
May 4 – Sleuth Cafe – SPOTLIGHT
May 4 – The Self-Rescue Princess –  CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 4 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
May 5 – Valerie’s Musings – INTERVIEW
May 5 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 5 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 5 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT