HOW TO BE FAMOUS: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
HOW TO BE FAMOUS
Our Guide to Looking the Part, Playing the Press,
and Becoming a Tabloid Fixture
BY HEIDI MONTAG
AND SPENCER PRATT

ABOUT THE BOOK:

From braving the wilds of Los Angeles to the Costa Rican jungle, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have learned a thing or two about reality...television, that is. But while dominating the airwaves and tabloid covers every week may look like all fun and mind games, Speidi is here to tell you: becoming wildly famous requires hard work and a no-fail blueprint for success. Now, for the first time ever, Heidi and Spencer invite you behind the scenes as they reveal the ten-step plan that took them from nobodies to notorious! You will:

• Learn how to say I hate you without opening your mouth--Heidi's exclusive tutorial
• Increase your capacity for evil with Spencer's "Villain-o-meter"
• Discover why getting and talking about plastic surgery is a must
• Unlock the secrets of celebrity couple math (e.g. Speidi > Heidi + Spencer)
• Mesmerize the media with outrageous behavior
• Bow down to the power of the paparazzi

...and much, much more! With Heidi and Spencer as your personal coaches, you, too, can transform yourself into a red-carpet-ready superstar!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

HEIDI MONTAG

Growing up in Crested Butte, Colorado, population 1635, Heidi Pratt is a story-book example of the small town girl making it big and living the “American Dream” in Hollywood.

Born Heidi Blair Montag on September 15, 1986, Pratt attended one semester at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where she met MTV’s Laguna Beach star Lauren Conrad. It was Conrad who brought her onto the reality TV scene in 2005 during Season 2 of popular reality show when she accompanied Conrad back to Orange County. Her friendship with Conrad and further studies at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) led to a featured role in the spin-off reality show, The Hills.

After leaving FDIM in the fall of 2005, Pratt began working at event production company, Bolthouse Productions. Over the course of two years, she was promoted to event planner, met the love of her life, Spencer Pratt, and got fired and re-hired – all of which was caught on camera. Pratt is currently in her fifth season of The Hills.

In addition to her career in television, Pratt is a musician, fashion designer, aspiring actress and president of her own music label, Heidi Montag Records. She collaborated with producer David Foster on her first single “Body Language” in February 2007 and will be soon releasing her own self-titled album.

In April 2008, Pratt debuted her fashion line, Heidiwood, at the Hollywood and Highland shopping center fashion show in Hollywood, California. Pratt plans to release another line in 2009.

Pratt recently married her manager and The Hills co-star, Spencer Pratt.

SPENCER PRATT

There’s a good chance that at any given moment, MTV, E! or “Extra,” is featuring the new-age Hollywood star Spencer Pratt. But look beyond the entertainment shows and gossip blogs and you will see that Spencer Pratt is more than just a reality show celebrity. He’s a brand. And sales are through the roof.

Born August 14, 1983 in Los Angeles, California, Pratt soon discovered he was destined for stardom. With movie-star looks and relaxed confidence, it was not long before the television cameras were part of his daily life. Shortly after high school, Pratt began producing – and appearing in – the television series The Princes of Malibu, a Fox Television reality show that profiled the entertaining lives of Brandon and Brody Jenner, sons of Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner.

The show was short-lived, but Pratt’s career in Hollywood was just beginning. Best known for his reoccurring role on MTV’s reality series The Hills, Pratt has also appeared on Late Show with David Letterman, The View and How I Met Your Mother.

Not wanting to settle as a television personality, Pratt has utilized his celebrity and talents to develop his career as an entrepreneur. In addition to his executive role on The Princes of Malibu, Pratt is an accomplished music producer and president of Innovator Management, a management company with clients such as his wife, Heidi Pratt and MMA superstar Kevin Casey.

REVIEW:

I will admit I don't watch The Hills, nor do I follow the careers of Heidi Montag and/or Spencer Pratt, but still found this book to be a riot! It is told so tongue-in- cheek like a tabloid, that it was fun. The authors do talk about the obvious of celebrities needed to have drama to report or else they will be out of the people's attention and lost in the mix. Many people may not like this book but I think it will be because they take the whole thing too seriously. I think it was well written and had lots of funny parts that made me laugh out loud. Heidi especially writes about relationships and her friends which was interesting and I thought the ending was somewhat surprising and satisfying. If you want a fun read that actually has some substance to it (sadly as paparazzi are a real thing to contend with as is fame) then this is the book for you).

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ANNA AND
THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP,
I HAVE FIVE COPIES OF THIS
FUN BOOK TO GIVE AWAY!

THE RULES:

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE
IN ORDER TO COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON IF YOU READ ANY OF THE TABLOIDS OR FOLLOW ANY OF THE "CELEBRITY" NEWS SHOWS...IT'S OK TO BE HONEST AS I BET MOST OF US DO ONE OR THE OTHER AT LEAST SOMETIMES!

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 17
GOOD LUCK!
AND

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

DRAW 50 MAGICAL CREATURES: PREVIEW AND "SPEEDY" GIVEAWAY

Lee J. Ames (Author)

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GIVEAWAY ENDED
DRAW 50 MAGICAL CREATURES:
The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Unicorns,
Elves, Cherubs, Trolls, and Many More
by LEE J. AMES
and ANDREW MITCHELL

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Draw 50 Magical Creatures teaches aspiring artists how to draw with ease by following simple, step-by-step instructions. Acclaimed author and illustrator Lee J. Ames shows you how to draw an enchanting variety of mystical creatures and legendary beasts, including a stately centaur, a frightening Cyclops, a playful fairy, a bashful mermaid, and so much more. Lee J. Ames’s drawing method has proven successful for children and adults alike over the past thirty years. The thirty books in the Draw 50 series have more than five million copies in print and have shown everyone from amateurs to experts how to draw everything from animals to airplanes. Even the youngest artists can make these mythical beasts look great. It’s easy when you do it the Draw 50 way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

LEE J. AMES has created more than 27 books in the Draw 50 series, including, most recently The Draw 50 Way. He lives in Mission Viejo, California. Ames says, "I’ve been married to Jocelyn for sixty-four years (either I’m lucky or I must have been doing something right). I have a son, Jonathan (his wife’s name is Cynthia), and a daughter, Alison (her husband is Marty). I have three grand kids named Mark, Lauren, and Hilary. And I dare not omit our two magnificent hybrid canines, Missy and Rosie. All of the above are the makings of my lovely adventure! Me? At eighteen I got my first job, at the Walt Disney Studios. Counting travel time across the country, that job lasted three months. I’ve been cashing in on the glory ever since! I’ve worked in animation, advertising, comic books, teaching, and illustrating books (about 150). I’m the author of more than thirty-five books (mostly the Draw 50 series). All have helped me happily avoid facing reality. We now live in the paradise of Southern California, but I still maintain membership in the Berndt Toast Gang, New York’s chapter of the National Cartoonists Society."

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO THE GREAT PEOPLE
AT BROADWAY BOOKS, I HAVE ONE
COPY OF THIS FUN BOOK TO GIVE AWAY!

RULES:
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!

HOW TO ENTER:

50 CREATURES? BUT....
ONLY ONE SIMPLE WAY TO
WIN A COPY OF THIS FUN
AND CREATIVE BOOK!

COMMENT ON WHY YOU WANT
TO WIN THIS BOOK AND BE SURE
AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!

DEADLINE TO ENTER IS
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 3

RION: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
RION
BY SUSAN KEARNEY

ABOUT THE BOOK:

POWER IN THEIR PASSION
Marisa Rourke is a beautiful, fearless telepath who tames dragonshapers on Earth. Rion is a tall, dark, and sexy space explorer whose home planet is a galaxy away. The attraction between them is undeniable, but Rion is hiding a desperate secret that will change Marisa's life forever.

DANGER IN THEIR TOUCH
Marisa's gift is the only way Rion can communicate with his people, enslaved by a powerful enemy. He knows that kidnapping her is wrong, but saving his planet is worth sparking the fiery clairvoyant's fury. Yet hotter-and more explosive-is the psychic bond growing between Marisa and Rion. Could their passion be the key to freeing Rion's people? Only if he and Marisa can discover how to channel their desire . . . before a vicious enemy destroys them all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

USA TODAY bestselling author Susan Kearney is a native of New Jersey and has a Business Degree from the University of Michigan. Her fifty plus books include contemporary, romantic suspense, historical, futuristic, science fiction and paranormal novels. She resides in a suburb of Tampa-with her husband, kids, Boston terriers and iguana. Currently she's plotting her way through her 52st work of fiction. You can reach her through her web site at www.susankearney.com.

Audio and Video

Five Fun Facts

1. RION, the second book in the Pendragon Legacy Series, came to me while I was writing LUCAN. Rion just showed up in Lucan's book and his eyes might have been haunted by tragedy, he might have been dirty after a long trek through the mountains, but his ripped muscles and a five o'clock shadow made him sexy. And the regal gleam in his eyes automatically told me he was hero material. You know the kind of guy I mean, the kind that kidnaps a heroine and takes her across the galaxy on a save-the-world kind of mission!

2. Marisa is one of those heroines who appeals to me on a multitude of levels. She's smart, kind, vulnerable and thinks fast on her feet. She likes a man with a soft heart and a hard head. In addition, she's a woman with a special telepathic ability--not only can she use telepathy when she's in her dragon form, she's telepathic as a human. Her paranormal ability allows her to train dragons. And it makes her uniquely qualified to help Rion free his people from slavery.

3. Dragons, Dragon, Dragons. Yes, they are huge, powerful and sexy. But did you also know that to survive they need to supplement their diet with platinum? Or that they can mate while flying? And that their babies are really cute--especially when they try to ride dogs?

4. Susan Kearney's favorite color is purple. And that's the same color as RION's cover. In addition, Kearney's kitchen is a dark royal purple with white trim. And the crown molding of her living room ceiling is lavender. But purple is also the color of royalty and Rion... is the King of Chivalry.

5. Paranormal romance is Susan Kearney's favorite genre. And she likes futuristic romance best of all. What's even more fun is tying the future and other worlds to Earth's legends. And while King Arthur may be a legend, his story has inspired movies, television and books. Kearney's version might be a little out there... but the idea of knights, chivalry and honor surviving with humanity as mankind goes into space and explores other worlds has always fascinated Kearney, and she hopes readers will love to go along with her characters into hyperspace for the ride. Each book in the series can be read separately. Lucan, Rion, and Jordan are each a love story in their own right. But together... you can read a space saga. And if by chance you missed LUCAN, it's still in print. RION will be out in late November and watch for JORDAN in March 2010. Read the Pendragon Legacy series and romance around the galaxy will be part of your dreams, too.

REVIEW/REACTION:

Marisa is a dragonshaper and she can actually talk to dragons using her telepathic abilities. Rion needs Marisa to come to his planet to help save his people who have been made into slaves by Unari, the evil one. If Marisa can send the right message, Rion's people will be saved. Rion is afraid that she will not come willingly and so seduces her to get to a transporter where he can kidnap her to finally get back to save the people.

Marisa realizes she has been tricked and she is angry with Rion. However, she finally realizes what is happening to the people--children, women...all are being starved and will die if she doesn't help them shift back to humans. Although she promises to help the people, how will all this effect her relationship with Rion? Will she succeed and if she does, then what?

This is a story I would put into the paranormal/space story genre, and the second in a trilogy. I think reading and closely following the series from the first novel, LUCAN, would have helped me as the first few chapters had so much information I wasn't remembering and I had to go back and reread it to try and figure out what was going on. Once I did, I was able to follow the story but alas, although it held my attention and I could see if someone followed the series, they would be excited by this part of the entire story especially Marisa and Rion's relationship-for me, it just didn't click. I think because it is not the genre I normally read and so although I thought the characters were interesting and the story moved along nicely, it just didn't tempt me to read the rest of the trilogy. I will say that those who do follow, and favor this genre, will most probably be well pleased by the nicely written addition to Kearney's books.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ANNA AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I
HAVE FIVE COPIES OF THIS
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY!

THE RULES:

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON IF YOU READ THE FIRST BOOK, LUCAN, IN THIS TRILOGY OR NOT.

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 16
GOOD LUCK!

KNIGHT OF PLEASURE: PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

KNIGHT OF PLEASURE
BY MARGARET MALLORY

ABOUT THE BOOK:

THE GREATEST PASSION

Lady Isobel Hume is an expert swordswoman who knows how to choose her battles. When the king asks her to wed a French nobleman to form a political alliance, she agrees. But that's before the devilishly charming Sir Stephen Carleton captures her heart-and tempts her to betray her betrothed, her king, and her country.

IS WORTH THE GREATEST PERIL

Sir Stephen Carleton enjoys his many female admirers-until he dedicates himself to winning the lovely Isobel. So when a threat against the king leads Isobel into mortal danger, Stephen has a chance to prove that he is more than a knight of pleasure...and that love can conquer all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Margaret Mallory started out as a Midwest girl. Except for two years in Africa, she grew up in small towns in northern Michigan, where her dad was a county extension agent. She received degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan Law School, and then headed to Washington, DC to save the world. When that failed, she packed up and moved to the Pacific Northwest for no reason except that it was beautiful and far from her last jobs and boyfriends. She admits to having a vague notion of finding herself a park ranger with a dog. The man she met was not a park ranger, but he was willing to get the dog. Marriage and children soon followed.

Margaret spent many rewarding—but rather wearing—years in jobs devoted to improving services for abused children and care for the elderly. Not long ago, she surprised (shocked?) her friends and family by abandoning her legal career—and steady job—to write novels. She is thrilled to spend her days writing stories of love and adventure, instead of going to endless meetings. After all, she has always loved romantic tales, heroic deeds, and happy endings. And, at long last, she can satisfy her passion for justice by punishing the bad and rewarding the worthy—in the pages of her novels.

With her two children off to college, Margaret spends most of her time working on her next books. She loves to hear from readers.

FIVE FUN FACTS FROM ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

from HACHETTE WEBSITE

1. My husband has yet to read one of my books out of fear he might laugh at the wrong parts and not be forgiven.

2. My nineteen-year-old son made me cut out the love scenes — literally, with scissors-so he could read my book “without being traumatized.”

3. A male friend advised me, “If you had a different cover and different title, men might read this book.”

4. My father-in-law STILL thinks it’s funny to say the models on the cover look just like my husband and me — ha,ha,ha,ha.

5. They all love my sexy covers — whether they admit it or not.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ANNA AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I
HAVE FIVE COPIES OF THIS
WONDERFUL BOOK TO GIVE AWAY!

THE RULES:

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON AUTHOR MARGARET MALLORY'S "MUSINGS" ABOUT "THE LANCASTERS", "MEDIEVAL CHRISTMAS COURT", OR "CASTLES" FROM HER WEBSITE HERE!

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 15
GOOD LUCK!

7TH HEAVEN: REVIEW, READERS' GROUP GUIDE, AND GIVEAWAY

7th HEAVEN
BY JAMES PATTERSON
AND MAXINE PAETRO

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Women's Murder Club faces not one-but two-terrifying cases that may tear it apart. The teenage son of California's ex-governor has mysteriously vanished-and the pressure on Detective Lindsay Boxer to find him is overwhelming. When she finally does get a lead, it's devastating. At the same time, Lindsay and her partner, Rich Conklin, must investigate mysterious fires that are destroying some of San Francisco's most beautiful homes-and leaving their owners dead in the debris. But when Lindsay enlists her friends in the Women's Murder Club to help uncover the arsonist, the blazes suddenly rage much too close to home .

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

James Patterson is the subject of a recent Time magazine feature called, "The Man Who Can't Miss," James Patterson is the bestselling author of the past year, bar none, with more than 16 million books sold in North America alone. In 2007, one of every 15 hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. In total, James's books have sold an estimated 150 million copies worldwide. He is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children's lists and is the only author to have five new hardcover novels debut at #1 on the list in one year — a record-breaking feat he’s accomplished every year since 2005. To date, James Patterson has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times Bestselling Novels, and holds the New York Times record for most bestselling titles by a single author (40 total).

Patterson is a champion of reading and the founder of the PageTurner awards, which seek to spread the excitement and joy of books and reading in the United States. James's first foray into family fiction, the critically acclaimed Maximum Ride series, debuted on the New York Times list at #1 and remained there for 12 straight weeks. The series has so far made appearances on The New York Times bestsellers lists 87 times, proving that kids of all ages love page turners.

Patterson is the creator of the #1 new detective series of the past dozen years, featuring "Alex Cross" and including the Hollywood-adapted "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls," starring Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman. He is also the creator of the #1 new detective series of the past five years, featuring Lindsay Boxer and the other members of the Women's Murder Club, from which the ABC television drama series is adapted. He has authored books behind six films on the Hollywood fast-track, including the upcoming Maximum Ride movie from Avi Arad, the producer of X-Men and Spiderman. Most recently, New Regency Pictures has optioned The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, James’s newest family Pageturner due out in July of 2008.

He is the author of novels — from The Thomas Berryman Number (1976) to Honeymoon (2005) — that have won awards including the Edgar, the BCA Mystery Guild's Thriller of the Year, the International Thriller of the Year award, and the Reader’s Digest Reader’s Choice Award.

One of Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100, James appeared as a guest star on the popular FOX TV show "The Simpsons" in March, 2007.

Maxine Paetro is a novelist and a journalist. She lives with her husband in New York.

READING GROUP GUIDE:

1. Arson is a very curious crime to commit. Why do you think someone would be drawn to this crime? Do you believe in Freud’s theory as stated in the book?

2. In your opinion, would Junie’s occupation affect her credibility in the courtroom? Should it? For example, is a lawyer or doctor a more credible defendant/witness than a garbage collector?

3. In trying Junie Moon, Yuki tried to use public sympathy for Michael Campion to turn the jury against the defendant. What do you think of that type of tactic in a trial setting?

4. Conklin suspects Chuck Hanni, the arson investigator, for actually committing the arson crimes in the book. Why do you think serial murderers would choose professions close to their crimes?

5. Junie Moon’s intelligence and self esteem are brought up by the defense as reasons why she could have given a false confession. Do you think everyone who confesses is guilty? Do you believe interrogations should be taped?

6. In Junie Moon’s trial, much of the prosecution’s case is based on spoken testimony. What is your opinion on convicting someone for murder without physical evidence, but compelling testimony?

7. The Moluccan cockatoo Peaches, formerly known as Horndog, was described as depressed when it was living in the pet store. Do you think it is possible for animals to get depressed or have psychological problems like people?

8. Joe voices his worry that Lindsay’s relationship with Rich has become more intimate than the typical office relationship. Do you think Lindsay’s relationship with Rich could lead to something inadvertently? Should she request a change of partner out of respect for her relationship with Joe? Who do you think is better suited to Lindsay?

9. Connor Campion was very controlling of Michael because he feared for his son’s life. How can modern parents set appropriate boundaries with their children in an age where kids have access to cell phones, computers and other devices that allow them to live lives fairly independent of their parents?

10. As prosecutor it is Yuki’s right to believe the Junie is guilty and her duty to try her as such. There is a moral dilemma if a prosecutor feels that a defendant could be innocent or if a defense lawyer feels their client may be guilty. How do you think defense lawyers and prosecutors reconcile these conflicts?

REVIEW:

7th HEAVEN is the latest in the Women's Murder Club series I have read and I feel like I know the characters so well that when they don't act like I think they would in real life, I am a little put off. This novel had two intertwining stories but also what was supposed to be a third that just didn't work well.

The first story dealt with the still missing son of the California governor, Michael Campion. Michael has a serious heart defect and disappeared three months ago and the case was stumping all of them until a tip comes in saying he was last seen entering the house of a prostitute. When this is checked out, the prostitute quickly admits that Michael died in her arms and she was frightened so she got a friend to help her get rid of the body. Of course, Lindsay Boxer and her partner Rich Conklin are investigating the case and with the help of Lindsay's friend Yuki, who is assigned to the case, they are privy to all the gruesome details of the death and the shocking reversal by the prostitute when she takes back her confession!

The second story part deals with the investigation into a case where multiple murders of wealthy couples has everyone demanding the criminal be found. The murders are brutal and the murderer also is an arsonist as he burns down the luxurious homes the victims live in. Readers will see this part from the killer's point of view so are able to see all that happens unlike Lindsay who doesn't have these "clues" to go on.

These two stories keep you interested but for me, the book fell down when what you might call the third part keeps getting in the way. Lindsay who loves and is living with Joe, starts to have an attraction to her partner, Rich. I think this part would have been better off left out as it didn't seem realistic to me and interrupted the two stories. I didn't believe a strong and confident woman like Lindsay who is head over heels with Joe and had just recently moved in with him would so suddenly be looking elsewhere and especially with her partner who she knows on a much different level. I just didn't believe this and therefore it seemed to get in the way of the real story.


If you can forget that and concentrate on the two intertwining stories about Michael's murder and the murder/arsons, you will find an decent and typical page turning Patterson book. But I think the authors just give this storyline too much attention and in fact, it wasn't believable to me so it made me impatient when some chapters about this nonsense came into play. The story is best played out by trying to find out where Michael is and who are behind the murders of the rich people.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO VALERIE AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I
HAVE FIVE COPIES OF THIS
EXCITING BOOK TO GIVE AWAY!

RULES:

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY


HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY:COMMENT ON WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO WIN THIS PATTERSON BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 14

GOOD LUCK!

"WE THREE" WISH YOU...

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND
A HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR
LOYALTY, SUPPORT, AND MANY
KIND WORDS IN THIS FIRST
YEAR OF MY BLOG!

ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY!

BINGO, MR. BINGO,
AND MY BINGO BUDDY, "MS. M"

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
THE HAPPINESS PROJECT
Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing
in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight
Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally
Have More Fun
by GRETCHEN RUBIN

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“This book made me happy in the first five pages.” —AJ Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.

Award-winning author Gretchen Rubin is back with a bang, with The Happiness Project. The author of the bestselling 40 Ways to Look at Winston Churchill has produced a work that is “a cross between the Dalai Lama’s The Art of Happiness and Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love.” (Sonya Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want) In the vein of Julie and Julia, The Happiness Project describes one person’s year-long attempt to discover what leads to true contentment. Drawing at once on cutting-edge science, classical philosophy, and real-world applicability, Rubin has written an engaging, eminently relatable chronicle of transformation.

Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account of that year, Rubin carves out her place alongside the authors of bestselling memoirs such as Julie and Julia, The Year of Living Biblically, and Eat, Pray, Love. With humor and insight, she chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier.

Rubin didn't have the option to uproot herself, nor did she really want to; instead she focused on improving her life as it was. Each month she tackled a new set of resolutions: give proofs of love, ask for help, find more fun, keep a gratitude notebook, forget about results. She immersed herself in principles set forth by all manner of experts, from Epicurus to Thoreau to Oprah to Martin Seligman to the Dalai Lama to see what worked for her—and what didn't.

Her conclusions are sometimes surprising—she finds that money can buy happiness, when spent wisely; that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that "treating" yourself can make you feel worse; that venting bad feelings doesn't relieve them; that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference—and they range from the practical to the profound.

Written with charm and wit, The Happiness Project is illuminating yet entertaining, thought-provoking yet compulsively readable. Gretchen Rubin's passion for her subject jumps off the page, and reading just a few chapters of this book will inspire you to start your own happiness project.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gretchen Rubin is the author of The Happiness Project, as well as the bestselling Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill; Forty Ways to Look at JFK; Power Money Fame Sex: A User’s Guide; and Profane Waste. (She has three dreadful unpublished novels locked in a drawer.)

Her popular daily blog, The Happiness Project, appears on Slate and the Huffington Post and ranks in the prestigious Technorati “Top 2K.” There, she recounts her adventures and insights as she grapples with the challenges of how to be happier. She also blogs for RealSimple.com.

She’s talked to Matt Lauer on Today and to Brian Lamb on Booknotes, has been profiled in The New Yorker’s “Talk of the Town” and Psychology Today, and has done radio shows from the Leonard Lopate Show to Talk of the Nation to Voice of America to the Playboy Channel.

A graduate of Yale and Yale Law School (where she was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal), Rubin started her career as a lawyer, and she was clerking for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor when she realized she really wanted to be a writer. Raised in Kansas City, she lives in New York City with her husband and two young daughters.

REVIEW/REACTION:

With so many people writing help books or memoirs about how they spent a year to change their lives, I believe this it the first book that made some practical sense the I could apply into my own life in an easy and satisfying way. While we have read how to pray, or eat, or walk ourselves into a mental state of Nirvana, this book shows us how to be happier.

Rubin set up general themes for each month and then writes about a few behaviors that are included in that theme. The book itself is not a "how to" but rather a great reference source of ideas that people can try in order to make themselves happy in life. The flow of the ideas is easy to follow and enjoyable to read about. I think it would be very easy and beneficial to incorporate these ideas into our lives.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KYLE AND GOOD PEOPLE
AT HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHING,
I HAVE 3 COPIES OF THIS HAPPY
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT
YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY!

RULES:
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS LISTED ABOUT AUTHOR GRETCHEN RUBIN HERE IN THE "FUN STUFF" SECTION ON THE HARPER COLLINS WEBSITE.

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING THAT YOU DO THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK AND LEAVE A LINK

DEADLINE FOR ENTERING IS
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 10

EXIT MUSIC: PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
EXIT MUSIC
BY IAN RANKIN

ABOUT THE BOOK:

It's late in the fall in Edinburgh and late in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he is simply trying to tie up some loose ends before his retirement, a new case lands on his desk: a dissident Russian poet has been murdered in what looks like a mugging gone wrong. Rebus discovers that an elite delegation of Russian businessmen is in town, looking to expand its interests. And as Rebus's investigation gains ground, someone brutally assaults a local gangster with whom he has a long history. Has Rebus overstepped his bounds for the last time? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, controversial career, will Rebus even make it that far?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

"I grew up in a small coal-mining town in central Scotland. I was always interested in stories. Even though the town had no book stores (and my parents were not great readers), I made full use of the local library. It was mind-boggling to me that (at the age of 11 or 12) I could not gain access to a movie theatre to see such classics as 'The Godfather', 'A Clockwork Orange' or 'Straw Dogs', yet no one stopped me from borrowing these titles from my library. Books seemed to have about them a whiff of the illicit and the dangerous. That was all the encouragement I needed. I went to university in 1978, joined a punk band (on vocals), and continued to write a lot of song lyrics and poems. However, I found that my poems were actually 'telling stories', and so started to write short stories.

A few of these found publication and even won some awards. Then one story raged out of control and became my first novel. It was never published, but that didn't matter: I was now a novelist. I stumbled on Detective Inspector John Rebus by accident while attempting to write an update of 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde': Rebus would be my Jekyll, his Hyde a character from his past. Along the way, I discovered that a cop is a good 'tool', a way of looking at contemporary society, its rights and wrongs. Rebus, I decided, would stick around. Meantime, I finished unviersity, moved to London for four years (where I worked first as a college secretary, later as a hi-fi/audio journalist), then rural France for six years. Both my sons were born in France. By the time the oldest had reached school age, we'd decided to move back to Scotland. I now live and work in Edinburgh, and the Rebus novels have gone from strength to strength in terms of sales and recognition.

My favorite we site is www.oxfordbar.com - the official web site of Rebus's favourite Edinburgh tavern!

Favorite/inspirational books include: pretty much anything by James Ellroy, Ruth Rendell, Raymond Chandler. Plus classics of Scottish Literature such as Robert Louis Strevenson's 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde', James Hogg's 'Confessions of a Justified Sinner', and Muriel Spark's 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'. If I had to choose a few others to take to my desert island, I'd probably opt for Martin Amis's 'Money', Anthony Burgess's 'Earthly Powers', Anthony Powell's 'A Dance to the Music of Time' and Ian McEwan's 'First Love, Last Rites'.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO VALERIE AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I
HAVE FIVE COPIES OF THIS
EXCITING BOOK TO GIVEAWAY!

THE RULES:
--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY


HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY:GO TO THE HACHETTE BOOK SITE WHERE THEY HAVE A SECTION FOR AUTHOR IAN RANKIN'S TWENTY REBUS FACTS. DISCUSS AND COMMENT ON ONE OF THEM.

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 12

GOOD LUCK!

SEVEN: PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
SEVEN
BY JACQUELINE LEO

ABOUT THE BOOK:

What is it about the number seven that has such a hold on us? Why are there seven deadly sins? Seven days of the week? Seven wonders of the world, seven colors of the spectrum, seven ages of man, and seven sister colleges? Why can we hold seven numbers or words in our working memory--but no more? Author Jackie Leo explores everything about this mystical, magical, useful, and fun number in her new book.

SEVEN REASONS YOU NEED THIS BOOK

1. SEVEN is a tool to improve the quality of your life. It is a way to define time, synthesize ideas, and keep your mind performing at top speed in an era of distractions.

2. SEVEN is culturally significant. It pops up everywhere, structuring our world in ways so fundamental, we notice them only when we pause to look. Across the ages and across cultures, the number has acquired a huge scientific, psychological, and religious significance.

3. SEVEN is intriguing. Why, out of hundreds of recipes in a cookbook, do people return to the same seven, over and over? Why, when asked to choose a number between one and ten, does such a large majority of people choose seven? Why does it take seven rounds of shuffling to obtain a fully mixed deck of cards?

4. SEVEN is influential. You'll learn how the number seven shapes our thinking, our choices, and even our relationships.

5. SEVEN is practical. Throughout this book are Top Seven lists covering the best ways to get someone's attention, to build your personal brand, and to put yourself in the path of prosperity and good luck.

6. SEVEN is fun. You'll encounter surprising facts, intriguing puzzles, and hilarious anecdotes.

7. SEVEN is wise. You'll hear stories about the meaning of seven from Mehmet Oz, Sally Quinn, Liz Smith, Christina Ricci, and many others. Artfully designed and full of enough insights to keep you engaged in conversation at the water cooler for years, SEVEN will provoke, enlighten, and amuse.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Media guru JACQUELINE LEO has held a number of high-level positions in publishing and television. She founded and launched Child magazine in 1986, and went on to be editor in chief of Family Circle magazine and editorial director of the New York Times Women's Magazine Group, where she launched Fitness magazine. She was senior producer and editorial director of Good Morning America, editorial director for Consumer Reports, and vice president and editor in chief of Reader's Digest. She is currently director of digital operations for the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. She lives in New York City.

SEVEN CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Just ask ...

-- Mehmet Oz: "I decided to be a heart surgeon at age seven."

-- Christina Ricci: "Every seven years, everything changes: your physical being, your emotional being, the way other people look at you. Everything."

-- Sally Quinn: "I have always had a thing about birthdays with a seven in my age: seven and seventeen and twenty-seven, thirty-seven, etc. I can't wait to be seventy-seven."

-- Liz Smith: "Like Sophie Tucker, I've been rich and I've been poor and believe me, rich is better. It is, as long as you know the difference. And the difference for me was seven years."

-- Jeff Greenfield: "I always thought Mantle would forever be the most memorable 'seven' of my baseball fandom-alas, that was not to be the case."

-- Danny Meyer: "When I opened my second restaurant, Gramercy Tavern, I knew we'd make it. Why? Because we were given the following phone number: GR 7-0777."

-- Jacqueline Novogratz: "Seven was the organizing principle for our wedding, a reference to the wisdom of many religions, our way of bowing to those who came before us."

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ANNA AND THE
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I
HAVE FIVE COPIES OF THIS
WONDERFUL BOOK TO GIVEAWAY!


THE RULES:
--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY


HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHICH ONE OF THE SEVEN REASONS TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE WILL HELP YOU THE MOST IF YOU WIN THE BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JANUARY 11

GOOD LUCK!