Half Past Midnight Giveaway Ends Today

You don't want to miss this one, so be sure to enter at the giveaway post!

The Obamas Giveaway Ends Today!

Be sure to get your entry in at the giveaway post!

First Chapter -- First Paragraph -- Tuesday Intros

Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros. This week’s intro is from Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.

For Lucy had her work cut out for her. The doors would be taken off their hinges; Rupplemayer’s men were coming. And then, thought Clarissa Dalloway, what a morning -- fresh as if issued to children on a beach.

First Chapter -- First Paragraph -- Tuesday Intros

Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros. This week's intro is from The Night Sky by Maria Sutton:

When I was thirteen years old, I overheard a conversation that would change my life. The shocking news would lead me on a worldwide search for a stranger with piercing blue eyes and sun-colored hair, lasting forth-three years.

My quest would take me to the dark green hills and valleys of the ancient Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine, where the woody fragrance of birch trees and new-mown hay fills the fresh, crisp air after a heavy rain. Vicariously, I would see a sunrise over Poland obscured by brightly colored swastikas on warplanes and I would then be taken into suffocating cattle cars, lice-infested stalags, and to the Dachau death camp. Further down a country road, I would hear hearty laughter and beer steins clinking with each salute to the Fuhrer's astonishing victories. I would then visit a dark, foreboding, haunted barrack, where disquieting secrets are revealed.

Mailbox Monday -- March 19th!

Welcome to Mailbox Monday which is hosted this month by Anna at a Diary of an Eccentric. Below are the books I received this month:

1) The Night Sky by Maria Sutton. Publisher's Summary. This extraordinary and unflinchingly honest memoir takes us on a riveting journey into the hearts and souls of three enigmatic people whose destinies are forever changed by the events of World War II. The secrets of misguided love and passions are revealed as the author journeys between the past and the present to solve the mystery of a handsome Polish officer with piercing blue eyes and sun-colored hair. Maria Sutton takes us to the dark green hills and valleys of the ancient Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine, where the woody fragrance of birch trees and new-mown hay fills the fresh, crisp air after a heavy rain. Vicariously, we see a sunrise over Poland obscured by brightly colored swastikas on warplanes and then we will be taken into suffocating cattle cars, lice-infested stalags, and to the Dachau death camp. Further down a country road, the hearty laughter and beer steins clinking with each salute to the Fuhrer s astonishing victories can be heard. As Maria takes us on this odyssey to solve a decades-long mystery, she learns the family secrets of untold heroism, quiet courage, and a mother s love and of tragedy, disillusionment, and heartbreak. At the end of her long journey, Maria uncovers a shattering and painful truth. But the secret, however heartbreaking, would also become the greatest gift she would receive.

Thanks to the author!

Girl Land Giveaway Ends Today!

Don't forget to enter at the giveaway post. Good Luck!

First Chapter -- First Paragraph -- Tuesday Intros

Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros. This week's intro is from Daddy, Come and Get Me by Gil Michelini:

"So why does a father of three biological daughters want to adopt from Guatemala?" Vera Saraohn asks, leaning toward me with pen and paper ready to record my answer.

All I want to do is bring my daughter home. Why do I have to justify myself to this woman, or anyone else for that matter?

Mailbox Monday -- March 12th!

Welcome to Mailbox Monday which is hosted this month by Anna at a Diary of an Eccentric. Below are the books that I received this past week:

1) Employed by God by Tracy S. Dietz. Publisher's Summary. In fall of 2009, Tracy S. Deitz abruptly joins the nation’s ranks of 14 million unemployed workers, and the event immediately challenges the very core of her Christian beliefs. In whom does she really trust? After struggling with pride and despair for many months, she finally faces her worst fears. This is when her greatest adventures begin as she encounters unsung heroes and reflects on situations that range from her taking part in a medical mission to Mongolia to working in a maximum-security prison.

What happens when our ideas of destiny collide with God’s invitation to serve? Throughout the whole process of rediscovering God, Deitz comes to a new understanding of how he calls us and what it means to trust in him. Based on the structure of Psalm 23, the chapters in Employed by God: Benefits Packaged with Faith, combine her personal story with Bible passages and include study questions for small-group discussions. How would an unexpected job loss affect your faith? Adults who have faced unemployment, the death of a loved one, or adversity of any kind will be filled with hope as they read examples of how God works in the lives of ordinary people. This truly inspiring book will help renew our gratitude, teach us how to forgive mistakes, and guide us toward personal fulfillment.

Thanks to the author!

2) Forgotten Hostages by Paul Green. Publisher's Summary. Along with 125 of his colleagues, Paul Green faced threats of beheading and death from the Hanafi Muslim terrorists who violently captured the B’nai B’rith building on March 9, 1977. Men and women were shot, stabbed, beaten and assaulted as the attack gained momentum. Across town, from a second attack, the future mayor of Washington, Marion Barry, almost died from a shotgun pellet near his heart and a young reporter, Maurice Williams, was killed. A third location, a mosque, was also attacked with multiple hostages taken. Washington’s first major terrorist incident, with its anti-Semitic vitriol and explosiveness, left more than 150 lives hanging in the balance. With Washington in chaos, the future of all the hostages was in jeopardy. It was the first time local and federal law enforcement authorities faced such a terror attack in our nation’s capital. When three Arab ambassadors became involved in the rush to try and find a way to save the hostages lives, it became an international event. But for the hostages, it was 40 hours of terror, pain,dismay, enlightenment and hope.

Thanks to the author!

3) Someday is not a Plan by Dave Straube. Publisher's Summary. How money works is not rocket science. Someday Is Not a Plan explains the basics of personal finance from compound interest to investing for retirement without using charts, formulas, or confusing financial terminology. Follow along as twenty-something Larry gets financial advice from his retired uncle in a series of casual conversations over coffee. Larry starts out in debt, living paycheck to paycheck, with no hope for progress. But as his education proceeds, he sees that financial security is possible and not as difficult as he had imagined. To his surprise, Larry discovers that both his habits and his thinking have to change. By the end, Larry is transformed from misguided dreamer to master of his future.

Someday Is Not a Plan does not plod from one dry financial topic to another until your eyes glaze over. The conversation between Larry and his uncle is light with lots of back and forth between the two. They do talk real numbers from time to time, but you'll follow along just fine if you can divide by ten and shift a decimal point left or right. Despite the easy-to-read conversational format, serious topics such as interest, credit ratings, investing, real estate, mortgages, taxes, and retirement planning are covered. The focus is always on understanding the financial principles at work. This book does not offer easy panaceas or get rich quick schemes. You have no doubt heard the adage "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." This book will teach you how to fish - financially, that is.

Thanks to the author!

Giveaway -- Half Past Midnight (ends March 31st)

Publisher's Summary: In 1947 the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists created the Doomsday Clock to gauge the threat of nuclear war. The further the hands are from midnight, the safer the world is. The closer they are to midnight, the more imminent the threat of nuclear war.
But what happens after the hands reach midnight? What awaits those who survive the initial days of that nuclear war? What will life be like at Half Past Midnight?

Half Past Midnight is a post apocalyptic thriller – the story of Leeland Dawcett and his family, in the first days and years after the Doomsday War. It’s the story of how one man learns that survival sometimes just isn’t enough, and of friends who help each other through thick and thin while facing the enemies who make life after Doomsday a living hell.

Giveaway Rules. Today I am giving away TWO autographed COPIES of this exciting book!

Entry: For this giveaway, you must be a one of the following: Facebook or Twitter follower of Metroreader (see info below). Comment with your email address in the body of the comment (you can list it as mary123 (at) yahoo(dot)com). If you do not list your email address your entry will not count.

Extra Entries: If you want extra entries sign up to follow my blog (or let me know that you are a current follower); follow me on twitter (DCMetroreader) and on Facebook (Metroreader). NOTE: These extra entries MUST be left in a separate comment or will not count.

The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.
You must be 18 years of age or older.

Giveaway ends March 31st. Good Luck!

First Chapter -- First Paragraph -- Tuesday Intros

Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea hosts First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros. This week's intro is from Far from Here by Nicole Baart:

Danica.

The first time he took me up, I thought I was going to die.

It was an accident, really, a struck of luck or fate or happenstance that lured me into the cockpit that morning. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have touched with the tip of my little toe the small red-and-white Cessna 180 that Etsell used for teaching rookie pilots. But his lesson had been a no-show. And the plane was fueled up and ready to go, waiting on the runway for takeoff.

Mailbox Monday -- March 5th!

Welcome to Mailbox Monday which is hosted this month by Anna at Diary of an Eccentric. Below are the books I received this week:

1) Daddy, Come & Get Me by Gil Michelini: Publisher's Summary. Daddy, Come & Get Me: a dad’s adventure through a Guatemalan adoption tells two stories about one girl. Author Gil Michelini tells the story of how he led his family through the process of adopting a daughter from Guatemala. Using the official Guatemalan adoption documents and assistance by those familiar with the Guatemalan culture, Michelini includes a plausible story of his daughter’s life in Guatemala and how her birthmother came to the decision to relinquish her for adoption. This story is included to illustrate and honor the sacrifice one woman endured for the sake of her daughter.

Thanks to the author!

2) The Testament of Judith Barton by Wendy Powers and Robin McLeod. Publisher's Summary. Judy Barton may be the most-watched and least-understood woman in movie history. Generations of viewers think Scottie Ferguson tells us all we need to know about Judy when he sputters, "You were his girl!" at Vertigo's climax. But what if the woman we've come to sympathize with by the time Ferguson levels his deadly accusation is neither Gavin Elster's mistress, nor a willing accessory to murder?

The Testament of Judith Barton tells Judy's behind-the-scenes side of the story in her own voice. Like Wicked for The Wizard of Oz, it reveals the secret history of a classic film from a mysterious woman's point of view.

Vertigo, with its critical reputation and frequent re-releases, has delighted and disturbed generations of film fans; with its dizzying mix of movie, memoir, and murder, The Testament of Judith Barton will enthrall film and fiction fans alike.

Thanks to the author!

3) The Dad Connection by Scott Hanley. Publisher's Summary: Scott Hanley’s journey as a single parent raising two boys is a wellspring of experience, advice and know-how. Using his own deeply personal notes on the process of raising his children, recorded as their lives unfolded, he determined that love and respect would be the simple base upon which he would build relationships. The Dad Connection: A Bridge to your Child is Scott’s understanding of the love, respect, patience, energy, care, perspective, service and trust needed to build strong and deeply loving parent-child relationships. It is a life-altering lens through which to see, understand and love the relationship you have been blessed to receive.

Thanks to the publicist!