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*LEAVE COMMENT: AS IN THE SYNOPSIS, DO YOU

THINK YOU COULD AND/OR WOULD DO ANYTHING

TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY, EVEN KILL?*

*INTERNATIONAL–EBOOK EDITION*

**HONOR SYSTEM**
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Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading 

Today’s question:
Have you ever found a book out of the blue, read it, and then had it be surprisingly good — one that stuck with you for years? If so, what book was it?

My response:
Many years ago, I would say approximately 20 years when my sons were small, I remember picking up a book at our local library during one of their liquidation sales.  I remember the author but not so much the story since it was so long ago.  I had never heard of or read any of the author’s books but  remember thinking that the synopsis on the back cover sounded interesting.   The book was by Emilie Richards and I remember that after I read it, it was an author that went on my list of authors to read.  One of the reasons that it comes to mind is that after reading the book, I went back to the library to borrow some of her other books but there were none on the shelves.  So one day, I put the boys in the car and we hit a few of the used book stores in our area on the hunt for her books and I found one.  It stands out in my mind because I vividly remember that day that the boys and I went on our mission.

What about you?  Has a book that you picked, by chance, stayed with you for years?

March is being hosted by Diary of an Eccentric 

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.
According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”

Doubleday

……….of Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop

1st PLACE WINNER

56 Nata ArtistaDonna Be a Public Follower of ‘CMASH Loves to Read’

2nd PLACE WINNER

53 GR Hovorka Be a Public Follower of ‘CMASH Loves to Read’

An email has been sent to the winners and they have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to all that entered.

Facebook link

Reading:
This past week wasn’t a week that I spent much time reading, which disappointed me.  I did finish one book, Calico Joe by John Grisham, an ARC from Doubleday which I did enjoy and started Darkroom by Joshua Graham, also an ARC, for Partners In Crime Tours.  I just didn’t seem to have the time to pick up a book.  I was on a roll reading 2-3 books a week and was hoping for the same this past week but RL , Partners In Crime Tours and blogging kept me busy.   By the time I did pick up up my current read, it was right before going to bed but sleep took over after reading for approximately an hour.  It just wasn’t a productive week but I hope to rectify that this week because I don’t want to get into that type of routine.

Blogging:
Something very exciting, which I also felt it an honor, did happen to me this past week, It falls under both categories of reading/blogging, but will tell you about it here.  I received an email a couple of weeks ago from the V.P. of Marketing at Doubleday asking if I would read and review Calico Joe by John Grisham (see above).  I was a bit skeptical since I thought it was going to be about baseball, which I am not one that follows sports.  To my surprise it was much more than just baseball.  You can see my review here.  I finished the book in 2 days, wrote and posted my review and then sent the link to the contact person.  Right after posting my review, I went out and was gone most of the day.  When I arrived home and checked my email,  much to my surprise, I had received a response from the person who requested that I read the book.  He thanked me and then went on to say that he had posted my review on John Grisham’s FB page.  My review!!!  Me!!  Just your average blogger/avid reader from the smallest state, my review on the page of one of the great authors of our time.  I was definitely doing the happy dance, I was so thrilled, excited, overwhelmed and humbled.  Then I couldn’t believe how many hits it received.  Again me!!!  Me who didn’t even know this world existed until 2 years ago.  I never ever thought that could happen to me!!  Needless to say, I started texting my sons, family and friends to share my news.  My phenomenal sons were so happy for me, they even went to the site to see my name and texted me back with “Awesome, Mom” and “Wow..that’s great”.  That definitely was the highlight of my week!!

Real Life:
Boring…the usual daily household chores…laundry, grocery shopping, appointments, etc.  And on Wednesday, another day of working with an estate liquidation woman at my Mother’s house.  More progress made, but not done yet.  And on Thursday attended a Family and Friends afternoon at the assisted living my sister resides at.  She is severely handicapped but it is such a comfort to see how well she is doing after losing our Mom in September and her being “on her own”.  She didn’t stop talking telling me everything she is involved with, what she did and what committees she’s on.  I really am so proud of her.  I now call her the “social butterfly” and she laughs because every time I try to call her, she is never in her, as I call it, “her apartment”.  My Mom had told her that I would be in charge, even though my sister is older than me, and she knows that she is to call me at least every other day, which she does, except her “social life”  usually lasts after my bedtime lol.  Good for you Sis!!!

And that was my week.  How was your’s?

………..of CALICO JOE by John Grisham

63 Tam Sweeps “Like” the Blog Post

48 Paul Sallmen Follow @CherylMash on Twitter

An email has been sent to the winners and they have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address of another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to all that entered.

THE NINTH STEP by Barbara Taylor Sissel
Published by Author
ASIN: B005KDCOCE
At the request of the author, a digital edition was supplied, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.

  Synopsis (borrowed from Amazon): Livie Saunders is fluent in the language of flowers; she taught the meanings to her fiancé, Cotton O’Dell, but then Cotton vanishes without explanation on their wedding day forcing Livie to learn the language of desolation. Heartbroken, she buries her wedding gown beneath a garden pond and resolves to move on, but there are nights when she slips . . . into a sequined red dress and a pair of stiletto heels, a stranger’s bed, a little anonymous oblivion that is not without consequence. Still, she recovers a semblance of ordinary life and imagines she is content. But then, six years later, Cotton returns and her carefully constructed world shatters. The old questions bite like flies. Questions that Cotton O’Dell prays he can answer. He prays that Livie, whom he has never stopped loving, will be moved to forgive him. But there is more than Livie to be concerned about. There is Cotton’s act of cowardice that caused him to become a fugitive in the first place . . . that crime he committed for which the legal clock is still ticking. That thing he did that will shock Livie to her core once she learns of it. Livie is desperate to trust Cotton, but then he goes missing again. Time telescopes, avenues of escape close, and as lives hang in the balance, choice dithers between mercy and revenge. And a decision that will take only a moment will carry the consequences of a lifetime.

THE NINTH STEP is a story of redemption, of being brought to your knees in the sober light of day to face a monstrous error and yet somehow finding the strength to stand up, to try and make it right. Even if that decision breaks your heart, endangers your freedom and ultimately threatens your life.

  My Thoughts and Opinion: The 9th step in AA’s 12 step recovery program is to make amends to those that you have hurt while in the throes of one’s alcohol addiction period.   But just think how hard it is to ask forgiveness when we do things that may hurt others by our words or actions when sober.   And then magnify that because of what alcohol does to the mind and body.

I enjoy reading books that have realistic relationship dynamics between characters, characters that are created by the author and then brought to life by the dynamic writing skills.   Characters, whereas, you feel that you know them personally, feel their emotions, become their friends and turning the pages to see what happens but then not wanting the book to end because so does the friendship.   One of the main characters, Cotton, after being gone for 6 years returns, wanting to make those amends for what he had done.   (Vague begins here to avoid spoilers).   What he did was awful, however, it is hard to despise this character.   The same goes with other characters in the book.   They are all flawed in some ways, all need to make amends, alcohol induced or not.   The suspenseful portion of the book also had me turning the pages, would he, could he admit to what he had done? What were the consequences going to be?   Definitely (again vague for omission of spoilers) not what I thought!!   The ending was disappointing in a way that I felt it was left with a cliff hanger because of the connections I made with the characters.   Maybe a sequel?   I hope so!!!   An engrossing read!!

(2012 Challenges: EBook, Off The Shelf, Just For Fun, Free Reads, Where Are You, A-Z, 52 in52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

Hosted by An Island Life 

From An Island Life:
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

MY QUESTION:
Favorite spring flower?

MY ANSWER:
Lilacs

QUINN by R.C. RYAN

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