Wednesday, November 30, 2011

THE BEST OF ME: A NICHOLAS SPARKS REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED 
THE BEST OF ME 
BY NICHOLAS SPARKS

ABOUT THE BOOK:
In the fall of 1984, high school students Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole fell deeply, irrevocably in love. Though they were from opposite sides of the tracks, their love for one another seemed to defy the realities of life in the small town of Oriental, North Carolina. But as the summer of their senior year came to a close, unforeseen events would tear the young couple apart, setting them on radically divergent paths.

Now, twenty-five years later, Amanda and Dawson are summoned back to Oriental for a funeral. Neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever changed their lives. Forced to confront painful memories, the two former lovers soon realize that everything they thought they knew-about themselves and the dreams they held dear-was not as it seemed. And in the course of a single, searing weekend, they will ask of the living, and the dead: Can love truly rewrite the past?



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nicholas Charles Sparks was born in Omaha, Nebraska on December 31, 1965. As a child, he lived in Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Grand Island, Nebraska, finally settling in Fair Oaks, California at the age of eight. He lived in Fair Oaks through high school, graduated valedictorian in 1984, and received a full track scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.

After breaking the Notre Dame school record as part of a relay team in 1985 as a freshman (a record which still stands), he was injured and spent the summer recovering. During that summer, he wrote his first novel, though it was never published. He majored in Business Finance and graduated with high honors in 1988.

He and his wife Catherine, who met on spring break in 1988, were married in July, 1989. While living in Sacramento, he wrote his second novel that same year, though again, it wasn't published. In 1990, he collaborated on a book with Billy Mills, the Olympic Gold Medalist and it was published by Feather Publishing before later being picked up by Random House. (It was recently re-issued by Hay House Books.) Though it received scant publicity, sales topped 50,000 copies in the first year of release.
TO FINISH READING ABOUT NICHOLAS SPARKS, VISIT THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP WEBSITE HERE!
You can subscribe to Nicholas Sparks' Newsletter HERE!

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
Having read almost all of Nicholas Sparks' novels, I was thrilled to get a copy of THE BEST OF ME. I am reading it now and loving it, especially on the long car trip part of my holiday. I will post my review with an opportunity for you to get BONUS ENTRIES prior to the end of the giveaway. Be sure and watch for it and I think the review will be positive but books can turn this way and that so we shall see. Thanks for your patience as I finish up this one! 

GIVEAWAY 
THANK YOU TO BRAD AND THE GOOD
FRIENDS AT HACHETTE BOOKS FOR A 
COPY OF THE BEST OF ME THAT I
AM ABLE TO OFFER AS A GIVEAWAY TO
ONE LUCKY READER OF MY BLOG
 
--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 ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ AND SAW ABOVE ABOUT THE BEST OF ME  THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING ABOUT AUTHOR NICHOLAS SPARKS BY CHECKING OUT HIS WEBSITE HERE! PERHAPS YOU CAN FIND ANOTHER SPARKS TITLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ OR HAVE READ

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY YOU HAVE ENTERED ON MY BLOG. IF YOU HAVE ENTERED MORE THAN ONE GIVEAWAY, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY ON EACH TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, DECEMBER 20
GOOD LUCK!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

LET'S GET COZY: WHO DO VOODOO? A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY


 GIVEAWAY ENDED
WHO DO, VOODOO?
A Mind for Murder, New Series
BY ROCHELLE STAAB

ABOUT THE BOOK:
When Liz Cooper's friend Robin Bloom finds an unusual tarot card tacked to her front door, Liz writes it off as a prank. Robin refuses to ignore the omen—her late husband drew the same card, the three of swords, in a reading the night before he was killed in a car accident. As more cards and darker threats appear, Liz realizes someone very dangerous is upping the ante.

Liz turns to her brother's ex-college roommate, occult expert Nick Garfield. As Nick leads her into the voodoo community to locate the origin of the deck, she can't ignore their attraction to each other. Then a woman is found murdered and Robin becomes the prime suspect. Determined to clear her friend, Liz joins forces with Nick to unravel otherworldly secrets and seek help from beyond—or risk being outwitted by a cunning killer...

AN EXCERPT FROM WHO DO, VOODOO?:
Wait until the third date to fool around? Is that another one of your superstitions? What if there is no third date?" I turned my car north off Ventura Boulevard toward Robin's house.

"You have to make a man desire you, Liz. The longer you make him wait, the more he wants you." Robin folded her arms. Point made.

"That's just a game. If a man didn't want me, why would he be dating me?" I said.

"Your stellar personality? Wait a minute." Robin leaned forward from the passenger seat, eyebrows up with anticipation. "Is there a guy? Did someone ask you out?"

"Hell no. Purely hypothetical. Where would I meet him? I spend my social time with you. Although I love you dearly and your homemade brownies are orgasmic, I wouldn't mind a little first-date fun with a real live man again."

"Let me know how that works out for you, Liz. Josh and I waited, and we . . ." 

I looked over at her. A tear tumbled down her cheek.
To finish reading this first chapter excerpt from WHO DO, VOODOO? visit Rochelle Staab's website HERE. 

PRAISE FOR WHO DO, VOODOO?:
“Didn't need my crystal ball to see into the future of this wonderful debut.  A sexy, funny, and engaging whodunit set in Tinsel Town, Who do, Voodoo? is a winner.” ~ Lesley Kagen, NY Times Bestselling author of Good Graces

"A spellbinding blend of voodoo and tarot traditions, Who Do, Voodoo is a superlative supernatural mystery." ~ Cleo Coyle, author of the national bestselling Haunted Bookshop and Coffeehouse Mysteries

“Whoo hoo! Smart, sophisticated and utterly spellbinding.  This magical mystery is captivatingly clever, completely charming, and compelling from its irresistible beginning to its unpredictable end. (Who do loves it? I do!)” ~ Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony and Macavity winning author 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rochelle Staab is a Los Angeles mystery writer who can be found most afternoons at her computer, plotting fictional murders and breaking fictional curses.

Rochelle displayed a flair for the dramatic early in life. As a child in Milwaukee, she performed pop music by microphone (a hairbrush) and built a personal library filled with a diverse selection of titles (comic books and Nancy Drew mysteries.) She appreciated the nuance and influence of small screen cinema (television.) She also loved school. Her front row desk was her stage; her textbooks served as her script. She recited each line to perfection, but repeating the words of others was not enough. She dreamed of becoming a novelist and informed everyone who would listen that one day she would write books.

But, as all creative types know, Rochelle had other things to do first. 

Rochelle loves pop music. 
One of Rochelle's first jobs out of school was as Programming Department secretary for a Top 40 radio station in Milwaukee—her dream job and first taste of the entertainment business. Hard work and experience led to a promotion and a move to the station's chain headquarters in New York. Within four years Rochelle was named National Music Director and then became Vice-President of Programming for the group of Top 40 radio stations, the first woman and youngest person to earn the title. 

Still in her twenties, she moved to Los Angeles to program KIIS-FM, eventually segueing into a marketing position at Warner Bros. Records, the most successful music label on the West Coast. Throughout her career at the label, she had the honor of working with a multitude of talented WB artists and accumulated gold and platinum album awards as part of the marketing department. When she was named Vice-President of Advertising at the label, the campaigns Rochelle and her team produced for artists earned awards for both creative excellence and innovation. 

Rochelle is fascinated by the supernatural. 
Rochelle's interest in the mystical was sparked as a child when she overheard her Mother and Aunts whisper behind closed doors about trips to a fortuneteller—a scandalous taboo in their devout Catholic family. As a teen, she and her friends dabbled in the occult until a rainy afternoon at the Ouija board scared them straight. After Hurricane Katrina, a tour of the New Orleans French Quarter with a voodoo priestess inspired Rochelle to weave elements of the supernatural into her writing. 

Rochelle loves mystery. 
Rochelle's dream to become a novelist came true in the UCLA Writers' Program—a "do it or quit talking about it" challenge she gave herself. While in the Writers' Program, she started Who Do, Voodoo?, her first mystery novel. After completion, Who Do, Voodoo? won a Conference Choice Award at the San Diego State University 2010 Writer's Conference, was a 2010 RWA Golden Heart finalist in the Contemporary Serie
—Mystery/Adventure/Suspense category, and sold to Berkley Prime Crime. Who Do, Voodoo? is now available!

Rochelle is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters In Crime, International Thriller Writers, NARAS, and Mensa.
 
GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO KAITLYN AND THE GOOD 
FOLKS AT BERKLEY/NAL, I HAVE ONE
COPY OF THIS NEW SERIES MYSTERY,
WHO DO, VOODOO?,TO GIVE AWAY
 
--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 ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT WHO DO, VOODOO? THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT ROCHELLE STAAB'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY ON EACH TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, DECEMBER 20
 GOOD LUCK!

Monday, November 28, 2011

LET'S GET COZY: TO CATCH A LEAF - A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
TO CATCH A LEAF
A FLOWER SHOP MYSTERY 
BY KATE COLLINS
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Flower shop owner Abby Knight is aglow with happiness now that she’s officially engaged to her longtime beau, Marco Salvare. Nothing can possibly dampen her joy—until wealthy dowager Virginia Newport is killed, and Abby’s assistant Grace Bingham is the prime suspect. The plot thickens when they stumble upon mysterious stolen art and a missing cat, all part of an elaborate heist. Before Abby can throw her bouquet, she’ll have to save her friend and throw a killer and a thief in jail...
 
MORE BOOKS FROM THE FLOWER SHOP SERIES:
   
   
   
   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kate Collins is the author of the best-selling Flower Shop Mysteries.

Her books have made the Barnes & Noble mass market mystery best-sellers’ lists, the Independent Booksellers’ best-seller’s lists, as well as booksellers’ lists in Australia and England.  All of the books are available in hardback, large print editions both in the U.S. and in the UK. An Indiana native, Kate graduated from Purdue University with a master's degree in education.  She taught elementary school for six years, but after the birth of her first child, gave up her teaching career to pursue a long-time dream of putting her stories to paper. After writing short humorous stories for children’s magazines and working part-time as a legal secretary, she sold her first historical romance novel in 1995. Since then she has published seven historical romantic suspenses and eight mysteries. Kate is currently working on the ninth book in the Flower Shop series, with a release date of February, 2010.When not growing roots at her computer, Kate loves to grow flowers and vegetables in her garden. Other passions include  yoga, exploring the Greek Isles, decorating, power walking, spending time with family and friends, sampling great wines and dark chocolate, and enjoying every moment of life. The author lives in Northwest Indiana and Key West, Florida.
 
GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KAITLYN AND THE GOOD 
FOLKS AT BERKLEY/NAL, I HAVE ONE
COPY OF THIS EXCITING MYSTERY,
TO CATCH A LEAF,TO GIVE AWAY
 
--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 ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT TO CATCH A LEAF THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT KATE COLLIN'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY ON EACH TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, DECEMBER 20
 GOOD LUCK!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

FOUR FERN MICHAELS TO BE THANKFUL FOR GIVEAWAY: PART FOUR

 GIVEAWAY ENDED
WIN FOUR BOOKS FROM
THE SISTERHOOD SERIES!
IN MY "FOUR FERN MICHAELS TO 
BE THANKFUL FOR" GIVEAWAY,
YOU CAN WIN ALL 4 OF THE FOLLOWING:
 
#4 The Jury
#5 Sweet Revenge
#16 Deadly Deals
#17 Game Over
 
DURING THESE FOUR DAYS, I AM FEATURING
EACH BOOK FOR YOU TO COMMENT ON. YOU 
MUST COMMENT ON EACH BOOK AND POST!
TO FIND A WINNER, I WILL CHOOSE 
FROM ALL FOUR POSTS SO BE SURE
AND ENTER EACH ONE! 
THE MORE ENTRIES ON EACH DAY, 
THE BETTER YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING! 
 TODAY'S POST TO ENTER IS ABOUT:
GAME OVER
#17 from THE SISTERHOOD Series
BY FERN MICHAELS

ABOUT THE BOOK:
With yet another successful assignment behind them, the ladies of the Sisterhood have enjoyed a relaxing break together and celebrated the wedding of Myra and Charles on Big Pine Mountain. But as soon as the newlyweds return from their shortened honeymoon, they are hit with some exciting yet unsettling news…

It seems their dear ally Lizzie Fox, recently ensconced as Chief White House Counsel, is rumored to be near the top of the short list for a soon to be vacated seat on the Supreme Court. While the Sisters are thrilled for Lizzie, they are concerned about her being ripped to shreds in the approval process, partly due to her connections with the Sisterhood. They also fear it will delay or even derail their long-awaited pardon promised to them by President Martine Connor. It will take a masterful plan, and loyal friends aiding them at every turn, for the Sisters to succeed in protecting Lizzie while securing their own freedom at last.
 
ABOUT THE SISTERHOOD SERIES:
HERE ARE THE COVERS OF ALL THE SISTERHOOD SERIES. GO TO FERN MICHAELS' WEBSITE HERE AND READ ABOUT THEM AND SEE IF THERE ARE SOME YOU HAVE READ OR WOULD LIKE TO READ. IF YOU COMMENT ON JUST ONE BELOW, IT WILL COUNT AS AN EXTRA ENTRY.
 
GIVEAWAY 
I HAVE ONE SET OF FOUR FERN MICHAELS
BOOKS TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY 
WINNER AND TODAY'S PROFILE IS ABOUT 
GAME OVER, #17 IN "THE SISTERHOOD" SERIES
  
  --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 ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOUT GAME OVER THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK OR COMMENT SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT FERN MICHAELS' WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

 
+1 OR MORE ENTRIES: COMMENT ON ANOTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED. FOR EACH ONE THAT YOU COMMENT ON SEPARATELY, IT WILL COUNT ON ANOTHER ENTRY
REMEMBER! 
BE SURE...
YOU ENTERED THE FIRST POST FOR THE JURY HERE!
AND THE SECOND POST FOR SWEET REVENGE HERE!  
AND THE THIRD POST FOR DEADLY DEALS HERE! 
AND THE FOURTH POST FOR GAME OVER HERE!
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT 
6 PM, EST, DECEMBER 20
GOOD LUCK!
CLICK HERE TO
SEE MY POLICY