In My Mailbox (April 2, 2012)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Each week participants share the books they've received in the mail, purchased or borrowed and link up with The Story Siren.  It's a terrific method of keeping track of our incoming books and finding among the participating blogs great new potential for our ever-growing wish lists.

This week I am catching up on a couple books that arrived recently but haven't been recorded 

In My Mailbox.  Here's the parcel including this week's new books:

The Earthquake Machine

by Mary Pauline Lowry

(Check back for my upcoming review where I reveal the new cover - it's stunning!)

(a copy was provided by the author and Bostick Communications)

The book every girl should read; 
and every girl’s parents hope she’ll never read.

The Earthquake Machine tells the story of 14 year-old Rhonda. On the outside, everything looks perfect in Rhonda’s world, but at home Rhonda has to deal with a manipulative father who keeps her mentally ill mother hooked on pharmaceuticals. The only reliable person in Rhonda’s life is her family’s Mexican yardman, Jesús. But when the INS deports Jesús back to his home state of Oaxaca, Rhonda is left alone with her increasingly painful family situation.

Determined to find her friend Jésus, Rhonda seizes an opportunity to run away during a camping trip with friends to Big Bend National Park. She swims to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and makes her way to the border town of Milagros, Mexico. There a peyote- addled bartender convinces her she won’t be safe traveling alone into the country’s interior. So with the bartender’s help, Rhonda cuts her hair and assumes the identity of a Mexican boy named Angel. She then sets off on a burro across the desert to look for Jesús. Thus begins a wild adventure that fulfills the longing of readers eager for a brave and brazen female protagonist.

The Island Horse

by Susan Hughes

(this is a children's novel)

(a copy was provided by the author and Bostick Communications)

It's the early half of the 19th century in coastal Nova Scotia, and almost ten-year-old Ellie is adjusting to the recent death of her mother.  But just when she finally begins to feel happy again, Ellie and her father move to remote Sable Island, a tiny, windblown crescent of grass and sand in the Atlantic.

While her father works, Ellie explores the island, feeling alone and furious with her pa for making them leave their beloved home.  Even meeting a spirited island girl named Sarah does little to dispel her anger and grief.  Then one afternoon, Ellie encounters a wild stallion grazing on the dunes, and slowly forges a secret connection with the beautiful horse she names Orchid.  But Ellie soon learns that Orchid and his family are threatened, and it may be up to her to save them. 

Living Without Reservations:

a journey by land and sea in search of happiness

by Barbara Elaine Singer

(a copy was provided by the author and Bostick Communications)

After divorce and the sudden death of her fiancé, Barbara Elaine Singer was deflated.  Her only child was off to college and the excitement and allure of her successful corporate career with all its trappings - a fancy house, car and boat in Orlando, Florida - was gone.  At age 47 Barbara was alone with absolutely no idea what she needed or wanted or even how to go about finding it.

The Last Plea Bargain

by Randy Singer

(a copy was provided by Tyndale Press)

Plea bargains may grease the rails of justice, but for Jamie Brock, prosecuting criminals is not about cutting deals. In her three years as assistant DA, she’s never plea-bargained a case and vows she never will. But when a powerful defense attorney is indicted for murder and devises a way to bring the entire justice system to a screeching halt, Jamie finds herself at a crossroads. One by one, prisoners begin rejecting deals. Prosecutors are overwhelmed, and felons start walking free on technicalities. To break the logjam and convict her nemesis, Jamie must violate every principle that has guided her young career. But she has little choice. To convict the devil, sometimes you have to cut a deal with one of his demons.

Defending a King: His Life & Legacy

by Dr. Karen Moriarty

(yes, this is Michael Jackson's story)

(a copy was provided by the author and Bostick Communications)

...With previously unknown revelations, the King of Pop is disclosed as a complex and vulnerable man who lived and struggled at the pinnacle of human existence.  

In the wake of the disturbing manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray....Dr. Moriarty helps readers understand the unique struggles of this inspirational genius and worldwide humanitarian.  (this is the first published book that covers the Conrad Murray trial, including the sentencing hearing on November 29, 2011)

The Sins of the Father

by Jeffrey Archer

(a copy was provided by the publisher)

"Only Time Will Tell, the first book in Jeffrey Archer's highly anticipated Clifton Chronicles, was an instant New York Times bestseller and had reviewers raving...

Now the #1 international bestselling author returns with The Sins of the Father, the stunning continuation in Archer's most ambitious work of epic storytelling -- a multi-generational, five-part saga of love and war, family and fate.

Only days before Britain declares war on Germany, Harry Clifton joins the merchant marines to escape his past.  But his ship is sunk by a U-boat.  Rescued by an American cruise liner, Harry steals the identity of an American who has died in the night.  Unfortunately, he discovers that the man he is pretending to be is in grave danger.  Now, far from home, with no one to prove his innocence, Harry's life is about to take a stunning turn that will change his fate forever."

Healthy Hair Rehab Now

by Jacqueline Tarrant (HealthyHairRehab.com)

(a copy was provided by the author and Bostick Communications)

"Don't underestimate the impact of a 'bad hair day'.  For many women, hair is an essential part of style, identity, and self-esteem.  Everyone has experienced a 'bad hair day,' but what do you do when a bad hair day becomes a bad week, month or year?  Healthy Hair Rehab takes an informative, approachable look at the causes and solutions for problem hair. ... You'll learn about how your physical health affects hair, and many surprising factors that can play into your hair's health.  From hair-healthy nutrition to the best haircut shape for your face, Healthy Hair Rehab is an indispensable reference guide from a professional with uniquely valuable experience to share.

Borrowed:

...time will tell

by Julie Coulter Bellon

(Julie is my son's best friend's step-sister.  Julie's father proudly lent me a copy to read.)

Jason Wright is selling his country’s secrets to the highest bidder and if he is successful, his actions will set off a chain of events with worldwide repercussions. Andrew Blythe, a Canadian CSIS agent, races against time to stop the exchange, knowing that a dangerous terrorist organization is using Jason to try to gain control of the Baku oil leases in the Caspian Sea. If they win, the terrorists will have a controlling interest in the world’s energy market and be able to finance a weapon of mass destruction.

In his darkest hour he meets Ashton Carlson, a woman who is grieving the loss of her missionary son and trying to overcome the trials she’s been given. Through this chance encounter with Andrew, Ashton becomes a terrorists’ target and is swept up in the sinister world of espionage. Andrew will have to stay one step ahead of the game to keep Ashton alive and the terrorists from carrying out their plan before time runs out and all is lost.

From the rugged terrain of Turkey to the River Thames in London, this novel will take you for the ride of your life. Click here to read the Prologue and Chapter 1.  

Your turn:  What's in your mailbox?