Friday, July 31, 2009

JULY 31 WINNERS-3 BOOK GIVEAWAYS



MISSING MARK


By Julie Kramer


WINNER


THE WINNER OF
MISSING MARK AND STALKING SUSAN
HAS BEEN EMAILED AND HAS UNTIL
NOON, AUG. 2, TO SEND ME THEIR
NAME AND ADDRESS

TO WIN, YOU HAD TO FOLLOW
ALL THE DIRECTIONS IN BOTH
POSTS AND THAT MADE A
TOTAL OF BOTH POSTS OF 94 ENTRIES

THE WINNER IS....

#30 post one, #20 post two

MJ


CONGRATULATIONS AND ENJOY BOTH BOOKS!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THE CROWNING GLORY OF
CALLA LILY PONDER
BY REBECCA WELLS

WINNER

THANKS TO KYLE AND THE GOOD
PEOPLE AT HARPER COLLINS. I
HAD THREE COPIES OF THIS
DELIGHTFUL BOOK TO GIVE AWAY!

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
BY EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON,
AUG. 2, TO SEND THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS

THE WINNERS ARE:

#29 Kat Bryan

#42 Beth

#17 holdenj


CONGRATULATIONS!
ENJOY YOUR BOOKS!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I CAN SEE YOU
BY KAREN ROSE

WINNERS

THANKS TO MIRIAM AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP FOR
SPONSORING THIS GIVEAWAY


THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
BY EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON,
AUG. 2, TO SEND THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS

THE WINNERS ARE:

#30 Marjorie

#13 elaing8

#28 Belinda M

#14 Lisanne624

#33 Rebecca N.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL
OF TODAY'S BOOK WINNERS

TODAY'S AUDIO BOOK WINNERS
WILL BE POSTED LATER BUT SOON!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

HACHETTE RITA GIVEAWAY #2

2009 RITA® Finalists from Hachette Book Group
GIVEAWAY ENDED!


Romance Writers of America
Writing Awards

THANKS TO ANNA AND MIRIAM
AND THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP,
THESE RITA AWARD NOMINEES
CAN BE YOURS!

Each day, one of the 5 available Nominees
will be posted to enter to win. If you enter
each day, on the last day you will have a
chance to comment for a chance to win
ALL FIVE OF THE BOOKS!

I HAVE FIVE COPIES OF
THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY

"RITA GIVEAWAY" #TWO
2009 RITA Finalists for
Contemporary Single Title Romance


OUT OF TIME by Samantha Graves

SHE'S GOT THE SIGHT
For museum curator Jillian Talbot, her ability to see an object's history is her little secret. She never expects it to land her in the middle of a deadly battle for money and power between dangerous underground elements. The object of their greed: an ancient crystal lens that can unlock mysteries from the past... but only for someone with the sight. The one person who doesn't seem to want her dead is a cynical tomb raider who Jillian can only hope is worthy of her trust...
HE'S IN TOO DEEP
Simon Bonner has paid the last of his debts and is out of the looting game...until the lens lands on his doorstep. The other half of the crystal's secret is locked inside the eyes of a straitlaced psychic who still believes in doing the right thing. Now he must track the mystery deep into Mexico, where his desire to stay alive and his growing passion for the sexy seer make every move a dance with danger.
OUT OF TIME
Tomorrow could be history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Samantha Graves

When I was a child, I used to sit in my backyard at night and pray for aliens to come and take me away. It's not that I didn't like my life; I just always wanted to see what was "out there." Over the next hill. On the other side. I found adventure in books, mostly fantasy, science fiction, comic books and my brother's Mad magazines. Turns out, that's the makings of a writer. Who knew? Many years later, I discovered romance and writers like Jennifer Crusie, Jayne Ann Krentz, Linda Howard, and Nora Roberts. On June 8, 1998, I decided that I was going to write my own novel. I had no idea what I was doing but boy did I have fun, and I haven't stopped since. Sometimes, you can't wait for the adventure to come to you. Sometimes, you have to make own.

Samantha resides in a small town in Central New York with her family and cat, and works as a technical writer when she's not writing fiction or looking skyward.



RULES:
I HAVE 5 COPIES TO GIVE AWAY
U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
NO P.O. BOX, PLEASE
INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT BELOW BY GOING TO AUTHOR SAMANTHA GRAVES' WEBSITE HERE AND THEN NAME AN AWARD SHE HAS WON OR A CONTACT'S NAME

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT BELOW BY BLOGGING OR TWEETING ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND THEN COME BACK AND LEAVE THE LIINK

ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY
6 PM, EST, AUGUST 30

HELP THE CHILDREN, TAKE THE CHALLENGE & WIN AUDIO BOOKS!

By Nelson Mandela

Read by Desmond Tutu, Alan Rickman, Whoopi Goldberg, Matt Damon, Parminder Nagra, Forest Whitaker, Sean Hayes, Charlize Theron, Benjamin Bratt, Scarlett Johansson, Ricardo Chavira, Debra Messing, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Hugh Jackman, Gillian Anderson, CCH Pounder, Blair Underwood, LeVar Burton, Samuel L Jackson, Jurnee Smollett, Sophie Okonedo, Helen Mirren, Don Cheadle, Alfre Woodard

Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales is an audiobook benefiting children orphaned and impacted by HIV/AIDS in South Africa, featuring Gillian Anderson, Benjamin Bratt, LeVar Burton, Ricardo Chavira, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Hayes, Hugh Jackman, Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Debra Messing, Helen Mirren, Parminder Nagra, Sophie Okonedo, CCH Pounder, Alan Rickman, Jurnee Smollett, Charlize Theron, Blair Underwood, Forest Whitaker and Alfre Woodard with a special message from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Original Music by South African legends by Johnny Clegg and Vusi Mahlasela, Directed by Alfre Woodard. The audiobook was a truly international affair recorded in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, London, and Johannesburg. The stories were chosen by the Nobel Laureate himself, from every region of Africa.


**Please visit
MandelasFavoriteFolktales.com/ for more information and to listen to fabulous clips from the audiobook.
**The site also features activities for kids that you can download for endless hours of fun.
**I encourage you to post about this audiobook and grab the badge above to help the children in South Africa impacted by AIDS/HIV.
***One last thing... can you spot all 8 of Anansi?


BLOGGERS: TAKE THE
BINGO CHALLENGE BELOW!

TAKE SOME TIME FOR THE CHILDREN
JOIN NELSON MANDELA FOR THIS WORTHY CAUSE

PLEASE READ ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL AUDIO BOOK OF FAVORITE AFRICAN FOLKTALES

ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO BUY
A COPY IS THERE.
HOWEVER......
ONE LUCKY AUDIO BOOK WINNER
WILL WIN A COPY FROM BINGO!

I HAVE PURCHASED A COPY AS THE
MONEY GOES FOR THE CHILDREN
AND I AM DONATING IT AS A VERY
SPECIAL PRIZE FOR ONE VERY
SPECIAL WINNER!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
BELOW YOU SEE THREE GREAT AUDIO BOOKS
FOR MY GIVEAWAY. THANKS TO ANNA AND
THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP I HAVE 3 OF
EACH AUDIO BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

DECIDE WHICH AUDIO BOOK YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY FOR AS YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE. THEN COMMENT BELOW ON THE ONE AUDIO BOOK YOU WOULD LIKE THE MOST.

WHEN THE WINNERS ARE CHOSEN, THOSE
NINE NAMES WILL GO BACK INTO "THE HAT"
AND ONE WILL COME OUT AND THEY WILL
ALSO WIN THE NELSON MANDELA FOLKTALE
AUDIO BOOK TO HELP THE CHILDREN'S OF
SOUTH AFRICA WHO ARE IMPACTED
BY THE AIDS/HIV.

THE RULES ARE AS ALWAYS:
U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
NO P.O. BOXES PLEASE
YOU MUST LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN

DEADLINE TO ENTER IS AUGUST 31!
NOW CHECK OUT THE AUDIO BOOKS:
THE CASTAWAYS, RAVENS, AND DANIEL X!

THE AUDIO BOOKS
CHOOSE ONE ONLY IN YOUR COMMENT

THE CASTAWAYS
By Elin Hilderbrand, read by Katie Hale
Greg and Tess

MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.




RAVENS
By George Dawes Green,read by Robert Petkoff & Maggi-Meg Reed

When Shaw
McBride and Romeo Zderko drive into the small town of Brunswick, Georgia, their only thought is to fix their car's leaky right tire and continue on to Key West, Florida, away from their dead-end jobs as computer technicians in Ohio. But when Shaw discovers that the 318 million dollar Georgia State Lottery has just been claimed by an ordinary Georgia family, he sees an opportunity - he and Romeo will blackmail the Boatwright family for half their winnings and ditch their deadbeat lives for good.



By James Patterson, Ned Rust, read by Milo Ventimiglia

A terrifying outlaw has just arrived in town, with the goal of throwing it into chaos--and filming the pandemonium for the fellas back home. Only one person can stop him and his thugs from destroying the city and everyone living there. Daniel X assembles an all-star team of his own creation, but not even he could imagine the enormity of this made-for-TV-villain's powers.


THE BINGO CHALLENGE
For this worthy cause I would like to challenge my
fellow bloggers to buy the Mandela FolkTales AND
donate it to one of their giveaways!

If you accept the challenge, please come back
and comment here and grab the challenge
badge I made up...it is for a great cause!

THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

DANIEL X-WATCH THE SKIES and AMATEUR BARBARIANS WINNERSB

MORE
WINNERS TODAY



THANKS TO MIRIAM AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP

FOR THE FIVE COPIES OF

DANIEL X
WATCH THE SKIES

WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY EMAIL
AND HAVE UNTIL NOON, AUGUST 1 TO
SEND THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS

WINNERS ARE:

#37 Lee

#27 Emma

#65 Rebecca N

#40 ChristyJan

#61 cabadov

CONGRATULATIONS!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

AMATEUR BARBARIANS
BY ROBERT COHEN



THANK YOU TO
SIMON & SCHUSTER
FOR THE COPY OF
THIS NEW YORK TIMES
CURRENT BEST SELLING BOOK!

THE WINNER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED
BY EMAIL AND HAS UNTIL
NOON, AUGUST 1 TO RESPOND
WITH THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS


THE WINNER IS....

#20 Beth


CONGRATULATIONS!!
!

ROADSIDE CROSSES and THE STORY SISTERS Winners

DOUBLE
GIVEAWAY
DAY
WINNERS

CLICK HERE TO
SEE DANIEL X
AND
AMATEUR
BARBARIAN WINNERS


THANKS TO KELLY AT
SIMON AND SCHUSTER FOR
ROADSIDE CROSSES AND TO
PRIYA AT CROWN PUBLISHING
FOR THE STORY SISTERS

ALL WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND HAVE UNTIL NOON
AUGUST 2 TO REPLY WITH THEIR
NAME AND ADDRESS

THERE WILL BE ONE WINNER FOR
ROADSIDE CROSSES
BY JEFFREY DEAVER
THE WINNER IS:

#29 JenniferB

THERE WILL BE ONE WINNER FOR
THE STORY SISTERS
BY ALICE HOFFMAN
THE WINNER IS:

#6 Sheila DeChantal



AND AS PROMISED, ONE WINNER
FOR BOTH BOOKS, SENT FROM ME
TO THE WINNER VIA BARNES & NOBLE.COM
ROADSIDE CROSSES
AND
THE STORY SISTERS
BOTH GO TO....

#3 Cindy
(from The Story Sisters, and she
had all the info so she gets both!)


CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS AND THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED

PLEASE CHECK OUT ALL THE GIVEAWAYS
IN MY RIGHT HAND COLUMN AND COME
BACK AND BLOG WITH BINGO AGAIN SOON!

HACHETTE RITA GIVEAWAY #1

2009 RITA® Finalists from
Hachette Book Group
GIVEAWAY ENDED!

Romance Writers of America
Writing Awards

THANKS TO ANNA AND MIRIAM
AND THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP,
THESE RITA AWARD NOMINEES
CAN BE YOURS!

EACH DAY, ONE OF THE 5 NOMINEES AVAILABLE WILL BE POSTED TO ENTER TO WIN. IF YOU ENTER EACH DAY, ON THE LAST DAY, YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO COMMENT FOR A CHANCE TO WIN ALL FIVE OF THE BOOKS!!!!

I HAVE FIVE COPIES OF
THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY

"RITA GIVEAWAY" #ONE
2009 RITA Finalist for Best First Book and
Contemporary
Single Title Romance


YOUR ROOTS ARE SHOWING by Elise Chidley

Lizzie Buckley has a life many women dream of - a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home and darling (when they're not fighting) three-year-old twins. But ever since the birth of her children, she's had a fantasy about locking herself in her bedroom for twenty-four hours with a good book and a box of chocolates.

Unfortunately, her husband James doesn't understand her feelings. And when Lizzie unburdens herself in a flaming email to her sister Janie, then hits send at the wrong moment and accidentally shoots it off to James instead, her fairytale life gets a big dose of reality. With the word "divorce" ringing in her ears, Lizzie finds herself moving out and embarking on a totally different life - working hard to reinvent herself as a runner, a gardener, and a writer of children's books.


But despite transforming her body, her neglected career, and her libido (courtesy of the local landscape gardener), Lizzie can't get over her soon-to-be ex. As Lizzie discovers, sometimes the fairytale ending is just the beginning of the real story.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ELISE CHIDLEY

I grew up in Swaziland, southern Africa, on a farm on the brow of a hill, eating vegetables from my mother’s garden, drinking spring water, collecting eggs in a basket, running about barefoot in homemade clothes, and generally behaving like a flower child. (This was quite accidental; my parents scoffed at hippies.) With no TV, we were forced to talk to each other quite a lot, and to read a huge number of books. We moved to South Africa when I was ten, and I finished my schooling and undergraduate degree there. I had the travel bug pretty badly, and began applying for every overseas scholarship I could find. Edinburgh, Scotland, seemed like a really romantic place to do my Master’s in literature, but I hadn’t realized I’d be so cold there that I’d have to sleep in a woolly hat. I returned to South Africa to take up my first job as staff writer on a national women’s magazine. I thought the glamour would make up for the laughable pay, but it didn’t, so I tried my luck first as an English lecturer, then as a public relations manager. I came to America with my husband (then boyfriend) to study at Penn State, where I got my MFA. We liked it so much in the US that we stayed on, and now here I am in Connecticut in a fixer-upper of a house from the sixties, spotting deer and woodpeckers from the window. One day that damn woodpecker is going to peck right through some vital piece of rotten timber, and the whole place will come tumbling down around our ears! Oh, and I forgot to mention—I’m finally doing what I said I’d do when I was five years old. I’m writing books.

RULES:
I HAVE 5 COPIES TO GIVE AWAY
U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
NO P.O. BOX, PLEASE
INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT BELOW BY GOING TO AUTHOR ELISE CHIDLEY'S WEBSITE HERE AND THEN NAME SOMETHING ELSE SHE HAS WRITTEN

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT BELOW ABOUT IF YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG AND WHERE OR HOW

ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY
6 PM, EST, AUGUST 30

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

SUMMER HOUSE BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY


GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!
SUMMER HOUSE
by NANCY THAYER
VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR
and GIVEAWAY

July 29-31

Book Description:

At thirty, Charlotte Wheelwright remains the dreamer she’s always been. But when she begins an organic garden on a portion of her grandmother’s land, Charlotte learns to plant her feet in solid ground and begins to build a new life.
More often than not, ninety-year-old Nona Wheelwright contentedly spends her time reminiscing about days gone by. But with her family’s annual reunion and financial meeting looming, Nona must give up her days of quiet solitude to soothe her easily riled up family. For decades Charlotte’s mother, Helen, who married into the illustrious Wheelwright family, has been pressured to adhere to their way of life. But when, during the course of the family’s annual summer retreat, she discovers her husband’s betrayal, Helen wonders if she sacrificed her dreams for the wrong reasons. Artfully written and set on the glorious island of Nantucket, Nancy Thayer’s Summer House is a vibrant and stirring novel about family, love, and daily choices that affect entire lives.


About the Author:


Nancy Thayer is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Hot Flash Club, The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again, Hot Flash Holidays, The Hot Flash Club Chills Out, and Moon Shell Beach. She is also the author of a new June release, Summer House. Nancy lives on Nantucket. You can visit her website at www.nancythayer.com.

MY REVIEW OF SUMMER HOUSE by Bingo

The three generations of Wheelwright women weave a story that would sound familiar in summation but is not so in reading. Yes, the one woman, Charlotte who is 30 years old has finally found her place in life, living with her grandmother in 90-year old Nona's home year round on the island of Nantucket but then the yearly trek to the summer house by the entire family upsets her organic apple cart. Nona has been a little forgetful of late and reminiscing a bit too much so that some of the family feel she needs taking care of. Meanwhile, when they all arrive, including Charlotte's mother, Helen who is married to Nona's son, the family decides to take stock of things so that when Nona is gone, all will be taken care of in a nice tidy package. Everyone wants to be sure that Nona's obvious favorite, Charlotte, doesn't get more than her share!
So there is the story we all think is familiar...I know I have read it before but then I read Nancy Thayer's SUMMER HOUSE and realized this WAS a different story. Each of the main characters alternates parts telling the story and with Nona intertwining among the stories with tales from her glorious past, it makes for a delicious family saga. Many characters are not fully developed that spend time in the house but they need not be as the three women themselves are so full and rich that it made me hate for the story to end.
The story is not all sugar and spice. Helen finds her husband cheating on her and her children not what she had hoped for, thus questioning her parental ability. Meanwhile Charlotte still is trying to atone for her past while growing pure and healthy organic vegetables and fruit in her garden there on the island. And with the family having descended upon her home, poor Nona has her whole peaceful routine thrown askew. This is a fine family story with just the right amount of drama to make it interesting but not overbearing. I noticed that there are several books out this summer about Nantucket so it must be THE place to go and to be. Either way, it certainly was a great backdrop for this finely written novel by Nancy Thayer.

SUMMER HOUSE GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO DOROTHY AND PUMP UP
YOUR BOOK PROMOTION, I HAVE TWO BRAND
NEW HARDBACK COPIES OF THIS WONDERFUL
BOOK TO GIVEAWAY TO THE RIGHT PERSON.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU
ARE THE RIGHT PERSON?
IT IS EASY!

FOLLOW THE RULES:
(YOU SHOULD KNOW THEM BY NOW)

U.S. ONLY (Sorry but I have no funds to ship internationally

NO P.O. BOXES, PLEASE

LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN
GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU!

THE GIVEAWAY STARTS TODAY AND
RUNS UNTIL 6 PM, EST, AUGUST 16!

ENTER BY LEAVING A COMMENT ABOUT A
FAVORITE SUMMER VACATION SPOT FOR YOU
AND YOUR FAMILY. THAT AND YOUR CONTACT
INFO IS ALL IT TAKES....PRETTY EASY, RIGHT?
GOOD LUCK!

ONLY ONE COMMENT NEEDED PER PERSON
THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

TRIPLE "SCHOOL BOOKS" Giveaway & Reviews


TRIPLE
"SCHOOL BOOKS"
GIVEAWAY

AND REVIEWS




I USED TO KNOW THAT by Carolyn Taggart

This small but mighty collection will trigger your memory with fun facts you learned in school from adverbs to the Pythagorean Theorem. Witty, engaging, entertaining book you all pick up again and again.

Author Caroline Taggart discovered two things while researching this book and talking with other people: One, everybody had been to school. And two, they had all forgotten entirely different things. Contained in this handy little book are the facts that you learned in school, but may not remember completely or accurately. Covering a variety of subjects, this book features all the most important theories, equations, phrases, and rules we were all taught years ago.

Rediscover:

*History: The first president to occupy the White House was John Adams in 1800

*Religion: The seven deadly sins and the names of the twelve apostles

*Literature: In which Shakespearean play The quality of mercy speech appears

*Science: The periodic table of elements devised by a Russian chemist in 1889 includes the symbol for lead (Pb), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), and gold (Au)

*Nature: How photosynthesis works

The information presented in easy-to-retain, bite-sized chunks is accurate and up-to- date. It will touch a chord with anyone old enough to have forgotten half of what they learned at school. Here is a perfect gift for every perennial student.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I BEFORE E EXCEPT AFTER C by Judy Parkinson

Here is an amusing collection of ingenious mnemonics devised to help us learn and understand hundreds of important fact as children and can continue to resonate with us as adults.

Featuring all the mnemonics you’ll ever need to know, this fun little book will bring back all the simple, easy-to-remember rhymes from your childhood—once learned, fix the information in the brain forever—such as learning to count by reciting “One, Two, buckle my shoe, Three, Four, knock at the door.” Packed with clever verses, engaging acronyms, curious—and sometimes hilarious—sayings that can be used to solve a problem or cap an argument.

Take a trip back to the classroom, and rediscover the assortment of practical memory aids covering a range of different subjects, including spelling, time, mathematics, history, general trivia, and much more. The information is organized in short snippets by category such as:

* Geographically Speaking: Remember North East South West by reciting Never Eat Slimy Worms or Naughty Elephants Squirt Water.

* Time and the Calendar: “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November; All the rest have 31 excepting February alone; And that has 28 days clear; With 29 in each leap year”

* Think of a Number: Know the Roman numerals by remembering “I Value Xylophones Like Cows Dig Milk”

* World History: “In fourteen hundred, ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue, And found this land, land of the Free, beloved by you, beloved by me”

The clever verses, engaging acronyms, curious sayings are endless.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

MY GRAMMAR AND I by Carolyn Taggart

Avoid Grammatical Minefields with This Entertaining Guide

Confused about when to use "its" or "it's" or the correct spelling of "principal" and "principle"? My Grammar and I . . . Or Should That Be Me? is a refresher course for anyone who has ever been stumped by spelling confusion, dangling modifiers, split infinitives, or for those who have no idea what these things even are.

Clever, informative, and fun, this delightful little handbook offers practical and humorous guidance on how to avoid falling into language pitfalls.

  • Sentence Structure: Let's ponder the subject or object: Is it "I" or is it "me"?
  • Parts of Speech: Is it "whose" or "who's"? "Which" or "that"?
  • Punctuation: So where does that comma go, anyway?
  • Spelling and Confusables: There are times when the spelling "rules" confuse.
  • Elements of Style: You'll find there's lots more to know about grammar.
  • . . . and for the grammar know-it-all, there are entertaining "Smart Aleck" tidbits throughout.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My Review of these three books:

Simply, as a just retired 37 year teacher, these books are GREAT! So often, the normal things that we know when we are in school, actually can and will be forgotten when now used. Think about the simple math problem a child will need help on for homework and you stumble over it and yet you had all that math. However, when you don't use it...you lose it!

Carolyn Taggart, as well as Judy Parkinson, present so many small rules and facts that everyone should know but also they need to reminded of. Sometimes, they also need to be given an easy way to remember them and both authors do that. I think these are invaluable books for every home. When you sit there and can't remember where an apostrophe goes in a certain possessive noun, here's the place to look. I think the winner of these three books is going to be very lucky. And for those of you who don't win, I strongly suggest you run out and buy them right away....not just if you have children in school but even if you don't! Now let's see how to win them!

TRIPLE "SCHOOL BOOKS" GIVEAWAY!

ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL WIN ALL THREE OF THESE BOOKS!

HOW WILL THAT WORK? AGAIN, VERY SIMPLE!

FOLLOW THE RULES....AND YES WHEN THEY SHIP
TO ME AND I HAVE TO MAIL THEM,
UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO LIMIT IT
TO THE U.S. ONLY...SORRY CANADA ET AL

PLEASE NO P.O. BOXES

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

DEADLINE TO ENTER IS 6 PM, EST, AUG. 16

FOR YOUR ENTRY:
TELL ME WHAT WAS YOUR BEST
AND WHAT WAS YOUR
WORST CLASS IN SCHOOL
...MEANING ACADEMICALLY WHAT
DID YOU DO BEST AND WORST IN!

INCLUDE THAT EMAIL ADDRESS
AND YOU ARE FINISHED!

THANKS AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

BENNY & SHRIMP GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!
BENNY & SHRIMP
BY KATARINA MAZETTI

ABOUT THE BOOK:

An international sensation, this addictively readable tale asks the question: Why is it so impossible to get a relationship between two middle-aged misfits to work? The answer lies in the story of Shrimp, a young widowed librarian with a sharp intellect and a home so tidy that her jam jars are in alphabetical order; Benny, a gentle, overworked milk farmer who fears becoming the village’s Old Bachelor; and an unlikely love that should not be as complicated as it seems. Reminiscent of the works of Carol Shields, this quirky, humorous, beautifully told novel breathes new life into the age-old conundrum that is love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Katarina Mazetti was nominated for the Prix Cevennes in France in 2007, and has worked as a journalist, teacher, and author of books for readers of all ages. For twenty years she lived on a small farm in northern Sweden, an experience that became the basis for Benny and Shrimp, her first adult novel.

GIVEAWAY FOR
BENNY & SHRIMP

THANK YOU TO CAITLIN AND FSB ASSOCIATES FOR SPONSORING THIS GIVEAWAY!

I HAVE TWO COPIES OF THIS BEAUTIFULLY
WRITTEN NOVEL THAT YOU WILL REALLY
WANT TO WIN AND READ!

TO ENTER: PLEASE FOLLOW THE RULES!
U. S. RESIDENTS ONLY
NO P.O. BOXES, PLEASE
INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT

+1 COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THINK THIS BOOK
WITH THE UNUSUAL TITLE COULD BE
ABOUT AND WHY YOU WANT TO READ IT

+1 COMMENT IF YOU BLOG OR TWEET
ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A
LINK IN YOUR COMMENT HERE


PLEASE COMMENT BY 6 PM, EST, AUGUST 15

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

THE MOON LOOKED DOWN and TAMED BY A LAIRD WINNERS


ROMANTIC
READS
WINNERS



THANKS TO ANNA AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP,
I HAVE 4 WINNERS OF EACH
OF THE ABOVE BOOKS AND

ONE LUCKY WINNER
WILL WIN BOTH BOOKS!


WINNERS OF
THE MOON LOOKED DOWN
by Dorothy Garlock are:

#26 catss99

#35 lag123

#9 DarcyO

#47 Lee

WINNERS OF
TAMED BY A LAIRD
by Amanda Scott are:

#40 Emma

#16 throuthehaze

#27 Beth

#24 CherylS22

THE WINNER OF BOTH BOOKS IS:

#10 elaing8

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!
ALL WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY
EMAIL FOR THEIR NAMES AND ADDRESSES

WINNERS HAVE UNTIL NOON, JULY 29
TO RESPOND WITH THEIR "ADDY"

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!
PLEASE CHECK THE RIGHT COLUMN OF ALL
CURRENT GIVEAWAYS NOW!



GIVEAWAY COMING ATTRACTIONS

NEW GIVEAWAY COMING
THURSDAY, JULY 30


Romance Writers

of America

Writing Awards

In 1980, the newly formed Romance Writers of America identified contests and conferences as key activities to promote the romance genre. The association promptly organized contests with two major divisions: one for published books and the second for manuscripts by unpublished writers. Co-founder Rita Clay Estrada named the contest for published books the Golden Medallion.The Golden Medallion award became the RITA award in 1990—RWA’s tenth anniversary. RWA held a contest in which members were invited to design a statuette to represent the RITA and excellence in published romantic fiction. The winning design was submitted by Marilyn Clay from the Dallas area. The contests have represented excellence in romantic fiction for nearly 30 years.

2009 RITA® Finalists from
Hachette Book Group

Romance Writers of America® announces the finalists for the 2009 RITA Awards®. The 2009 RITA honors romance fiction published in 2008, and more than 1,000 novels and novellas were judged in 12 categories.


2009 RITA Finalist for Best First Book and Contemporary Single Title Romance
YOUR ROOTS ARE SHOWING by Elise Chidley

Lizzie Buckley has a life many women dream of - a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home and darling (when they're not fighting) three-year-old twins. But ever since the birth of her children, she's had a fantasy about locking herself in her bedroom for twenty-four hours with a good book and a box of chocolates.
Unfortunately, her husband James doesn't understand her feelings. And when Lizzie unburdens herself in a flaming email to her sister Janie, then hits send at the wrong moment and accidentally shoots it off to James instead, her fairytale life gets a big dose of reality. With the word "divorce" ringing in her ears, Lizzie finds herself moving out and embarking on a totally different life - working hard to reinvent herself as a runner, a gardener, and a writer of children's books.
But despite transforming her body, her neglected career, and her libido (courtesy of the local landscape gardener), Lizzie can't get over her soon-to-be ex. As Lizzie discovers, sometimes the fairytale ending is just the beginning of the real story.


2009 RITA Finalists for Contemporary Single Title Romance
OUT OF TIME by Samantha Graves

SHE'S GOT THE SIGHT
For museum curator Jillian Talbot, her ability to see an object's history is her little secret. She never expects it to land her in the middle of a deadly battle for money and power between dangerous underground elements. The object of their greed: an ancient crystal lens that can unlock mysteries from the past... but only for someone with the sight. The one person who doesn't seem to want her dead is a cynical tomb raider who Jillian can only hope is worthy of her trust...
HE'S IN TOO DEEP
Simon Bonner has paid the last of his debts and is out of the looting game...until the lens lands on his doorstep. The other half of the crystal's secret is locked inside the eyes of a straitlaced psychic who still believes in doing the right thing. Now he must track the mystery deep into Mexico, where his desire to stay alive and his growing passion for the sexy seer make every move a dance with danger.
OUT OF TIME
Tomorrow could be history.


2009 RITA Finalists for Contemporary Single Title Romance
TALL TALES AND WEDDING VEILS by Jane Graves
Accountant Heather Montgomery is a planner. So never in her wildest dreams did she think she'd run into sexy charmer Tony McCaffrey in Vegas, play lady luck, and celebrate his jackpot with a champagne-soaked night. And she certainly never expected to wake up the next morning married! How could this good girl pick a man whose fridge is empty and whose apartment is a disaster zone, yet still drives her so crazy with lust she can't see straight?
Quickly hitched and happily ditched, Tony can't wait to get back to his playboy ways. But when Heather's family is thrilled that their no-nonsense daughter is finally in love, he proposes a plan: stay married for a month to repay his good luck charm, even though she sterilizes his toothbrush and forbids anything between the sheets. But Heather is more than he bargained for--a sharp-witted, passionate woman who just might turn his near miss into wedded bliss!



2009 RITA Finalist for Historical Romance
TO SEDUCE A SINNER by Elizabeth Hoyt
Jasper Renshaw, Viscount Vale, has a problem: he needs to marry and produce an heir to the title. All Jasper wants is to find a lady who will put up with him long enough to wed so he can retreat to his life of debauchery--a life that keeps the haunting memories of his past at bay. Knowing that Jasper is under pressure to marry, Melisande Flemming grasps her fate with both hands and volunteers to wed him. Although Jasper is initially only interested in producing an heir, he soon becomes entranced by his wife--prim and proper by day, wanton by night-- and vows to learn her secrets.
Melissande, however, is determined to keep her husband at a distance. She has loved, and lost, before, and will do anything to keep him from learning her terrible weakness: she's secretly been in love with him for years. But to her chagrin, her husband pursues her, wooing her as if she were a paramour, not his lady wife. As Melissande and Jasper embark on a passionate game of cat and mouse, secrets from the past begin to resurface.... threatening to tear them asunder.


2009 RITA Finalist for Romantic Suspense
SCREAM FOR ME by Karen Rose
For her exciting debut in hardcover, New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose delivers a heart-stopping suspense novel that picks up where DIE FOR ME left off, with a detective determined to track down a brutal murderer.
Special Agent Daniel Vartanian has sworn to find the perpetrator of multiple killings that mimic a 13-year-old murder linked to a collection of photographs that belonged to his brother, Simon, the ruthless serial killer who met his demise in DIE FOR ME. Daniel is certain that someone even more depraved than his brother committed these crimes, and he's determined to bring the current murderer to justice and solve the mysterious crime from years ago.
With only a handful of images as a lead, Daniel's search will lead him back through the dark past of his own family, and into the realm of a mind more sinister than he could ever imagine. But his quest will also draw him to Alex Fallon, a beautiful nurse whose troubled past reflects his own. As Daniel becomes attached to Alex, he discovers that she is also the object of the obsessed murderer. Soon, he will not only be racing to discover the identity of this macabre criminal, but also to save the life of the woman he has begun to love.

THURSDAY, JULY 30
WATCH FOR THIS NEW GIVEAWAY
HACHETTE GROUP RITA FINALISTS

HAPPY TAIL BOOKS: LOST SOULS: FOUND! Review and Giveaway!


GIVEAWAY NOW OVER!
WINNERS ANNOUNCED SOON!

ABOUT HAPPY TAILS:

Do You Love a Good Story with a Happy Ending?

We do! Happy Tails Books collects thought-provoking stories from people who have participated in dog rescue or dog adoption, and compiles them into books that educate and entertain readers! These books also raise awareness about people working to end animal cruelty and provide a source of funding for dog rescue groups. Do you have a great story to share about your adopted dog? We are collecting stories on purebreds and mixed breeds for our upcoming dog books. Our first book, "Lost Souls: Found! Inspirational Stories of Adopted Boston Terriers" is now available for pre-sale!


ABOUT THE BOOK:

LOST SOULS: FOUND! INSPIRATIONAL STORIES OF ADOPTED BOSTON TERRIERS

“When I came home from work my Boston Terrier Dylan was so overwhelmed with excitement that he would jump up and bite me. To protect myself without killing his enthusiasm I got inventive and shoved a toy in his mouth when I arrived from a bucket I kept outside my door. After a month Dylan began arriving at the door with his own toy in his mouth. On one occasion, I entered the house expecting to find my overly excited Boston with a toy in his mouth and instead he sat there ready to hand me the cordless phone! It turns out it was the only toy he could find. Some may have gotten upset about the slobber on the buttons but knowing how timid he was in the past, I considered it “making progress!” Jami David, Mid America Boston Terrier Rescue

My Review of LOST SOULS FOUND:

In this book, you find over 30 short accounts of people who have a rescued Boston Terrier. Some stories are fun and some serious. Several stories relate the awful thing about "puppy mills" and what happens to dogs there where they are used to breed purebred dogs and then they either die, or are abandoned or worse, once they are no longer of any use to the people who run these awful places. Many of the stories are heartwarming and funny. All in all, the stories give people the idea of how wonderful these little dogs are and how important it is that everyone remembers that there are so many dogs that need to be rescued and adopted.

One of the stories, "Eyes Only For You", tells about how an owner connects with his rescue dog just from the friendly eyes he sees when he meets her. In a sad story with a happy ending "Foster Failure" tells of a dog that nobody wanted and was taken in at a foster puppy home only to find the foster parents fell in love with the dog and wound up adopting him. This family gave a home to the poor dog who had lived such an awful life in a puppy mill. A few pages such as "A Snort Break" give a few sentences telling happy tails or funny moments about different Terriers.

I believe that a book like this would open any one's eyes to the importance of choosing a rescue dog when the opportunity arises. As different books on different breeds are written and read, I imagine even more breeds of dogs will be better off and more dogs adopted. Perhaps you might have a rescue dog story of your own or may want to adopt a rescue dog after reading about these great animals and all they go through.




THANK YOU TO KYLA
AND HAPPY TAILS BOOKS
FOR SPONSORING THIS GIVEAWAY!

I HAVE TWO COPIES OF THIS CHARMING
BOOK THAT ANY DOG LOVER ESPECIALLY
WOULD LOVE TO OWN!

TO ENTER: PLEASE FOLLOW THE RULES!
U. S. RESIDENTS ONLY
NO P.O. BOXES, PLEASE
INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT

COMMENT ON IF YOU HAVE A DOG, WHAT
KIND, AND HOW YOU GOT YOUR DOG OR
WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT DOGS IN GENERAL

PLEASE COMMENT BY 6 PM, EST, AUGUST 2


CLICK HERE TO
SEE MY POLICY