Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Wonderful Win: THE MIDNIGHT GUARDIAN by Sarah Jane Stratford


THE MIDNIGHT GUARDIAN
by Sarah Jane Stratford

A contest win from The Story Siren. Thanks, Kristi!

I don't read  many of the current vampire books, but this one has such an intriguing premise, I couldn't resist. Besides, it has a gorgeous cover and just might be the first in a series.

Description (from the publisher):
It’s 1938, and the tentacles of Hitler’s terrifying Third Reich have commenced their stranglehold on Europe. The Nazi empire will soon be clean of all bloodlines deemed tainted or undesirable…including vampires.

London’s ancient tribunal of vampires is aghast at the destruction taking place on the Continent. Though vampires try not to interfere with human politics, Hitler’s terrible plans force them into action. They resolve to send five of their most formidable vampires to Berlin— millennials that have lived over 1000 years and whose age and wisdom make them close to invulnerable— to infiltrate, disrupt, and destroy the growing Nazi war machine.

The brilliant and beautiful millennial Brigit is loath to go, but her powers are needed if the mission is to have any chance of success. She must summon all her strength to endure the separation from her lover Eamon, whom she made almost eight centuries ago, but whose lack of millennial status makes him an unacceptable choice for this operation. Though he longs to join her, his duty to Brigit is best served from afar, by nurturing their deep psychic connection and reinforcing her spirit with his fierce devotion and memories of his tender embrace.

But as the millennials attempt to penetrate and sabotage Hitler’s armies, they discover that the Nazis are more capable than any human force they’ve yet encountered and more monstrous than they'd ever imagined. Forced to take bolder, more dangerous steps, they soon attract the attention of specially trained vampire hunters loyal to Hitler and his vision of a vampire-free Europe. Exposed, deep inside enemy territory, with vicious Nazi officers and hunters at her heels, Brigit must attempt a daring escape from the Continent, guarding precious cargo that marks the only hope of salvaging their mission.

Book Giveaway: 7th HEAVEN by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro


Thanks to the generous folks at
Hachette Book Group,
I have been authorized to
 giveaway five (5) copies of
7th HEAVEN
by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.

Rules for entering this giveaway are at the bottom of this post.


by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Fiction, Suspense & Thrillers
Format: Mass Market T
Publish Date: 12/1/2009
Price: $7.99/$9.99
ISBN: 9780446536240
Pages: 400
Size: 4-3/16" x 6-3/4"

Description (from the publisher):
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.

Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to visit James Patterson's website.

About the authors (from the publisher):
Not making any bones about his bid for success, James Patterson once declared he wanted to be known as “the king of the page-turners.” While that may seem like a pretty grand ambition, Patterson is as worthy of that title as any author working today. 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.

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

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com

You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

• You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

• Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

• Tweeting about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry. I've added a Retweet button at the bottom of every post.

• Stumble this blog, Digg it, or Technorati Fave it, whatever, and leave a separate comment for another entry.

• Winners must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. Hachette is unable to deliver to P.O. Boxes.

Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, December 11, 2009.

• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from a winner, I will draw another name.

Thank you to Valerie
at Hachette Book Group
for making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Blog Tour and Book Review #29: THE SECRET OF JOY by Melissa Senate


by Melissa Senate
 is released in paperback today!


by Melissa Senate

Pub. Date: November 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
Format: Paperback, 352pp
ISBN-13: 9781439107171
ISBN: 1439107173
 
Description (from the publisher):
As 28 year old New York paralegal Rebecca Strand's widowed father lays dying, he confesses a secret: he had an affair 26 years earlier when Rebecca was just a toddler. Now he wants Rebecca to deliver the secret stash of letters he wrote, but never mailed, to the daughter he fathered. Rebecca's lawyer boyfriend, Michael, is adamant that she forget the woman exists. He's sure the woman will be an opportunist who will demand half of Rebecca's father's million-dollar estate. But Rebecca, now without any family in the world, can't help but wonder about her one living relative. With her relationship with Michael in tatters, Rebecca drives from New York City to Maine to find Joy Jayhawk, who operates a Weekend Singles Tour service out of an orange mini-van that her regulars dub "The Love Bus." Enter a cast of lovable, colorful characters, from Joy's eccentric mother to the singles on The Love Bus, and a sexy carpenter for whom Rebecca finds herself unexpectedly falling in love...

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars -- a pleasant and enjoyable read.

My Thoughts:

THE SECRET OF JOY by Melissa Senate is such an enjoyable read, I wanted to pack up my bags and move to Maine. It's mostly set in a quaint little seaside town which is populated by a close-knit and supportive cast of quirky characters. By turns funny, poignant, and romantic, it is so engaging I became thoroughly engrossed in this story and looked forward to settling down each evening with my "new friends."

The title of this book with its cute double meaning is like a foreshadowing of the story. Rebecca Strand thinks she's only on a quest to find and connect with her half-sister, Joy, of whose existance she has just become aware. Her father confessed to a long ago secret affair on his deathbed. Between coming to terms with the death of her father and attempting to forge a bond with her sister, Rebecca also has to determine just what it is she wants out of life -- how to create her own joy. In fact, it could be said that all the characters in this novel are either in pursuit of their own personal bliss, or they've found it, are living it, and subtly guiding others toward finding their own.

This is Melissa Senate's eighth novel, and her experience and skill as a writer are evident. The book is smoothly written with great descriptions and terrific dialogue. I liked the variety of characters Ms. Senate created. No one was completely perfect and no one had found perfect happiness, but everyone was at varying stages in their quest for joy. I also appreciated her deft handling of the complex issue which confronts the character of Joy -- after being ignored by her father for her entire life, his other daughter is suddenly thrusting herself into Joy's life. This theme could be explored in a much heavier and very different kind of novel. Ms. Senate keeps things light but realistic enough to give the reader something to think about. 

I also like that the main character, Rebecca, doesn't equate finding joy only with being with the right man. She does want the right man but she also wants the bonds of her extended family. And she wants to find the work that will give her the most satisfaction and make use of her interests and skills. I like that she thoughtfully explores which aspects of her life have been fulfilling and are worth maintaining.  

I really liked THE SECRET OF JOY. I've already recommended it to my sisters and several friends. It's a great choice for anyone wanting to escape into a story that is upbeat but not fluffy. Personally, I plan to work my way through all of Melissa Senate's novels.    

Click here to visit the author's website.

Click here to read an interview with the author.

Click here to read the Reading Group Guide.

About the author (from the publisher):
Melissa Senate is the author of eight novels, including the bestselling See Jane Date, which was made into an ABC Family TV movie and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. She's published short pieces in Everything I've Always Wanted to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, It's a Wonderful Lie, Flirting with Pride and Prejudice, and American Girls About Town. A former romance and young adult editor from New York, she now lives on the southern coast of Maine with her son.

Thank you to Sarah at Pocket Books for supplying me with my review copy.

Monday, November 16, 2009

2009 Holiday Reading Challenge




Ho! Ho! Ho! I'm signing on for the 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge hosted by Nely at all about {n}. The challenge runs from Friday, November 20th, through Thursday, December 31st. You're not limited to winter holidays and you don't have to read many books. Click here to get all the details and sign up.

I'll be reading:

1. A HOME FOR CHRISTMAS by Deborah Grace Staley
2. SILENT NIGHTS by Anne Perry
3. THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CLUB by Ann Pearlman

Mailbox Monday - November 16, 2009




Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. If you'd like to join in, stop by Marcia's and leave a link - or just browse through the comments to see what new books have been showing up.



Ivy & Bean

From the publisher for review and Blog Tour






Runt Farm Book 1
Under New Management

From Author Marketing Experts, Inc. for review.







Runt Farm Book 2
Beatrice and Blossom

From Author Marketing Experts, Inc. for review.





Scarecrow Finds a Friend

From Author Marketing Experts, Inc. for review.







The Possibility of Everything

from Pump Up Your Book Promotion for Blog Tour








Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe - Audiobook

from Hachette Book Group for review.






Brief Interviews with Hideous Men - Audiobook

From Hachette Book Group for review.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Giveaway Winners: IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT by Lisa Dale


!!  CONGRATULATIONS !!

The 5 winners of copies of the book
 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT by Lisa Dale are:

#7 Amy a/k/a aimala127 {AT} gmail {DOT} com
#23 scottsgal a/k/a msboatgal {AT}aol {DOT} com
#49 Booklogged a/k/a booklogged {AT} gmail {DOT}com
#51 goalmom a/k/a teamjones {AT} yahoo {DOT} com
#98 Belinda M. a/k/a bluebelle0367 {AT} hotmail {DOT} com


All winners are confirmed!

 

- Thank you to everyone who stopped by and entered. If you weren't one of the lucky ones in this drawing, click here to hop on over to the contest page at Hachette Book Group for listings of other blogs hosting book giveaways.

- Be sure and check my sidebar for other ongoing giveaways here and at other blogs.

A big thank you to Anna and Hachette Book Group
 for making this giveaway possible.


Book Review #28: ONCE UPON A SATURDAY written and illustrated by Leslie Lammle




written and illustrated by

Pub. Date: January 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Hardcover, 32pp
Sales Rank: 654,472
Age Range: 5 to 8
ISBN-13: 9780061251900
ISBN: 0061251909

Description (from the publisher):
It's Saturday at last—no school, no homework, no lessons. The days belongs to June. She can search for wild animals, learn how to fly, or maybe even discover long-lost treasure. But before she is free to enjoy her day, June must face one big problem: her list of chores! Luckily, the only thing bigger than June's list of chores is her imagination, and she finds that with a little ingenuity even humdrum activities like eating her breakfast, sweeping the leaves, and cleaning her room can become an adventure.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

My Thoughts:
ONCE UPON A SATURDAY is a delightful picture book about a little girl overwhelmed by her Saturday list of chores and anxious to get to the part of the day when she can do what she wants to do. She wakes up early, full of excitement for a day of no school, and thinks of all the things she would like to do -- search for wild animals, learn to fly, find lost treasure. But her list of chores must be completed first and, every time she looks at that list, it seems to grow . . . and grow . . . and GROW! Little June doesn't shirk her duties, though. As she industrially tackles each chore, she uses her wild imagination - the one that makes each task seem insurmountable, to cut that monstous chore down to size. During the course of her work, she actually does encounter wild animals, learns to fly, and discovers lost treasure.

My 6-year-old niece and I both fell in love with this book. Its sweet and fun, and the illustrations are wonderfully colorful and detailed. E-Girl-G enjoyed studying the pictures and seemed to discover something new upon each reading. We borrowed our copy from the library and she kept asking if it was a book we got to keep. I told her, No, but I've heard that Santa Clause is coming to town . . .

Sweet and imaginative -- highly recommended.



Browse Inside this book
Get this for your site



Leslie Lammle is an artist whose primarily watercolor and pencil illustrations have appeared frequently in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and various magazines. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.


Click here to visit the author's website.

Not My Giveaways!!


Here are a few giveaways from around the blogosphere. I've entered them -- maybe you will, too!


White Picket Fences
by Susan Meissner

at Chocolate & Croissants

Ends 11-30-09  International






Kissing Games of the World
by Sandi Kahn Shelton

at Jo-Jo Loves to Read

Ends 11-30-09 -- U.S. only


Crossed Wires
by Rosy Thornton

at The Tome Traveller's Weblog

Ends 11-30-09 -- Worldwide


Saffron Dreams
by Shaila Abdulla

at Savvy Verse & Wit

Ends 11-17-09 - U.S. only


The Gift
by Ceclia Ahern

at Bookin' with Bingo

Ends 12-02-09 @ 6 p.m.


Beautiful As Yesterday
by Fan Wu

at Luxury Reading (gently read copy)
Ends 11-30-09


Choose one of three books
at The Eclectic Reader
Ends 11-30-09


The Christmas Magic
and The Nutcracker & the Mouse King
at Write for a Reader
Ends 11-23-09  U.S/Canada only


Deadly Little Secret
by Laurie Faria Stolarz

at Bloggin' 'bout Books

Ends 11-24-09  International


The Stolen One
by Suzanne Crowley

at Addicted to Books

Ends 12-29-09 International

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Book Review #27: PALE MALE: Citizen Hawk of New York City by Janet Schulman; illustrated by Meilo So



illustrated by Meilo So

Pub. Date: March 2008
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Format: Hardcover, 40pp
Sales Rank: 20,592
Age Range: 6 to 12
ISBN-13: 9780375845581
ISBN: 0375845585

Description (from the publisher):
The birdwatchers of Central Park were buzzing–a young red-tailed hawk had been spotted, would he stay? The bird they dubbed Pale Male not only stayed, he became one of New York City’s most famous residents. Pale Male and his mate built their nest near the top of one of Fifth Avenue’s swankiest apartment buildings. Nine years and 23 chicks later, Pale Male’s fame had grown so large that a CBS newsman named him Father of the Year! But Pale Male was less beloved by the residents of the building, and in 2004 the owners suddenly removed the nest–setting off an international outcry on behalf of the birds.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

My Thoughts:
We loved this book! PALE MALE: CITIZEN HAWK OF NEW YORK CITY tells the true story of how both a creature of the wild and so-called civilized humans adapted and came to live peaceably among each other. It's a wonderfully entertaining and informative picture book for older kids.

Red-tailed hawks are notoriously shy animals, so when one took up residence on the roof-top of a ritzy Fifth Avenue apartment building, most New Yorkers were thrilled and excited. They named him Pale Male and often gathered by Central Park to watch him build his nest and hunt for food. The apartment dwellers, however, were not so thrilled. As Pale Male found a mate and started a family, the fall-out was rather offensive -- literally! The human residents complained of bird droppings and the remains of dead animals from the hawks' feedings falling from above and littering the sidewalk in front of their building. They began a campaign to oust the family of hawks from their rooftop. By this time, Pale Male was becoming quite popular and also rather famous. He and his family had a lot of supporters, and they fought every effort to evict the hawks from their home.

Much of this book is the story of how, after many years of battling the hawks, their fans, the Audubon Society, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the human residents of 927 Fifth Avenue eventually gave up their fight and accepted that the feathered family would be staying in the neighborhood.  We also learn quite a bit about the habits of red-tailed hawks and why settling down in New York City is both extraordinary and logical. An Author's Note  gives a little more detail about the background of the story as well as further developments which an adult can use to aid in a discussion with children about events in the book. A reference of selected sources for further study is also included.

The story of Pale Male would be fascinating if it were strictly text, but the accompany illustrations in this book are amazing. Beautiful watercolor paintings convey the grandeur of the hawks as well the gritty truths of New York City. The details of Meilo So's illustrations reveal the wide variety of people who came to love and appreciate the hawks as well as somewhat humorously demonstrating the very real aggravations and frustrations of the human residents of the building.                    

As I said at the beginning, we loved this book! It's entertaining and informative, colorful and fun. Highly recomended!

Click here to visit a site dedicated to Pale Male.

  About the Author and Illustrator (from the publisher):
Janet Schulman is a renowned editor and publisher of children’s books. She lives in New York City.

Meilo So has illustrated many acclaimed and award-winning books. She lives in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Click here to visit her website.

My review copy of this book was borrowed from the Portsmouth Free Public Library.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Friday Finds: Food, Fables, and Fiction


FRIDAY FINDS is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.
What great books did you hear about / discover this past week?
Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!





HIDDEN BUDDHAS
by Liza Dalby

Found at Shelf Awareness
(From the publisher):
According to Buddhist theology, the world is suffering through a final corrupt era called mappô. As mappô continues, chaos will increase until the center can no longer hold. Then the world will end. In Japan, many believe that Miroku, Buddha of the Future, will appear and bring about a new age of enlightenment.

From this ancient notion of doom and rebirth comes a startling new novel by the acclaimed author of Geisha and The Tale of Murasaki. Hundreds of temples in Japan are known to keep mysterious "hidden buddhas" secreted away except on rare designated viewing days. These statues are not hidden because they are powerful-their power lies in their being hidden. Are they being protected, or are they protecting the world?

In this novel, one Buddhist priest struggles with the dictates of his inherited orthodoxy, while another rebels. An American graduate student begins to suspect the mysterious purpose of the hidden buddhas, just as he falls in love with a beautiful Japanese artist who is haunted by an aborted child. The weaving of karma that brings these two together results in a tech-savvy half-Western, half-Japanese child who text-messages her way through the profane world to enlightenment.

Tracing the lives of its characters through the late twentieth century to the present, from Paris to Kyoto to California, Hidden Buddhas turns a cosmopolitan eye on discipline and decadence in religion, fashion, politics, and modern life.

Liza Dalby is an anthropologist and writer specializing in Japan. She lives in Berkeley, California.



APPLES FOR JAM: A Colorful Cookbook
by Tessa Kiros

Found at Chocolate & Croissants

(From the publisher):
Tessa Kiros has circled the globe working in restaurants in Australia, Greece, Mexico, and London. Her extensive travel and multicultural background lend authenticity to more than 200 recipes, which are grouped by color and presented alongside vibrant photographs, sound cooking advice, and heartwarming anecdotes about friends, family, and the whimsies of childhood.

Kiros shares a bevy of diverse and easy-to-prepare dishes playfully themed in colored chapters. An index references both specific foods and recipes. With memories of daisy chains, ice cream cones, circuses, and four-leaf clovers, Kiros shares her belief that good food sparks cherished memories that intensify life's melting pot of flavor. A sampling of the flavors includes:

·Sage and rosemary mashed potatoes
·Pecan butter cookies
·Roast rack of pork with fennel & honey
·Pomegranate sorbet
·Roasted zucchini and tomatoes with thyme
Pan-fried sole with lemon butter

Born to a Finnish mother and a Greek-Cypriot father, Tessa Kiros grew up learning about diverse cultures and tastes. She has traveled the world—living in London (where she worked at the famous Groucho Club), South Africa, Australia, Greece, and Mexico. She currently lives in Tuscany, Italy.


BUT WHO WILL BELL THE CATS?
by Cynthia Von Buhler

Found at Book Blogs post by E. Crawford

(From the publisher)
Finally, the solution to Aesop’s age-old question: Who will bell the cats?

Mouse and his friend, Brown Bat, are determined to get out of the basement and into the banquet hall to join the fun and frolicking there.  But escape won’t be easy with the cats blocking their efforts . . .

It will take many attempts and a surprising solution for Mouse and Bat to succeed.

Cynthia von Buhler’s enchanted upstairs/downstairs world shows readers the rewards of determination, bravery, and creativity—and reminds them of the uncomplicated power of kindness.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Wonderful Win: THE LAST DICKENS by Matthew Pearl


THE LAST DICKENS
by Matthew Pearl

I campaigned hard to win a copy of this book -- what can I say? I'm on a tight budget! I was thrilled to win and ever more thrilled when it showed up in my mailbox!

Thanks to everyone who hosted author Matthew Pearl on his blog tour and especially to Kathy at the Brain Lair who hosted the giveaway which I won. Matthew Pearl wrote some wonderful guest posts on his tour with TLC Book Tours last month. Click here to see the list of sites he visited and to locate his posts. Thanks Matthew!

Audiobook Giveaway: BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN


Thanks to the generous folks at
Hachette Book Group,
I have been authorized to
 giveaway three (3) audiobook copies of
BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN
by David Foster Wallace.
Rules for entering this giveaway are at the bottom of this post.



BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN
by David Foster Wallace

Publisher: Hachette Audio
Category: FICTION
Format: AUDIO BOOK
Subformat: CD (AUDIO)
Edition: Unabridged
Publish Date: 9/8/2009
Price: $24.98/$29.98
ISBN: 9781600247378
Pages: 0
 
Description (from the publisher):
David Foster Wallace made an art of taking readers into places no other writer even gets near. In his exuberantly acclaimed collection, BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN, he combined hilarity and an escalating disquiet in stories that astonish, entertain, and expand our ideas of the pleasures that fiction can afford.


About the author (from the publisher):
David Foster Wallace (1962-2008) is the author of Infinite Jest, The Broom of the System, and Girl With Curious Hair. His essays and stories have appeared in Harper's, The New Yorker, Playboy, Paris Review, Conjunctions, Premiere, Tennis, The Missouri Review, and The Review of Contemporary Fiction. Wallace received the Whiting Award, the Lannan Award for Fiction, the Paris Review Prize for humor, the QPB Joe Savago New Voices Award, and an O. Henry Award.

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com

You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

• You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

• Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

• Tweeting about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry. I've added a Retweet button at the bottom of every post.

• Stumble this blog, Digg it, or Technorati Fave it, whatever, and leave a separate comment for another entry.

• Winners must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. Hachette is unable to deliver to P.O. Boxes.

Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, December 6, 2009.

• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from a winner, I will draw another name.

Thank you to Anna
at Hachette Book Group
for making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Giveaway Winners: Audiobook of NINE DRAGONS by Michael Connelly


!!  CONGRATULATIONS !!

The 3 winners of copies of the audiobook
 NINE DRAGONS by Michael Connelly are:

#1 Jo-Jo a/k/a joannelong {AT} gmail {DOT} com
 (a special WHOOO HOOO for winning
with the first comment posted!)

#12 Anonymous a/k/a bgccs {AT} yahoo {DOT} com 

#23 Lag123 a/k/a lag110 {AT} mchsi {DOT} com

- I have sent everyone an email.

- Please contact me with your snail mail address A.S.A.P.

- Remember, the sponsor will only mail books to U.S. and Canadian street addresses and no P.O. Boxes.

- If I have not heard from you by 6:00 p.m. EST on Friday, November 13, 2009, your win will be forfeit, and I will contact the next commenter on the list generated by Random.org.


- Thank you to everyone who stopped by and entered. If you weren't one of the lucky ones in this drawing, click here to hop on over to the contest page at Hachette Book Group for listings of other blogs hosting book giveaways.

- Be sure and check my sidebar for other ongoing giveaways here and at other blogs.

A big thank you to Anna and Hachette Book Group
 for making this giveaway possible.

Audiobook Giveaway: A SEPARATE COUNTRY by Robert Hicks


Thanks to the generous folks at
Hachette Book Group,
I have been authorized to
 giveaway three (3) audiobook copies of
A SEPARATE COUNTRY
by Robert Hicks.

Rules for entering this giveaway are at the bottom of this post.


by Robert Hicks
Read by Sherman Howard, Isabel Keating, Kevin T. Collins

Publisher: Hachette Audio
Category: Fiction
Format: Audio Book
Subformat: CD (Audio)
Edition: Unabridged
Publish Date: 9/23/2009
Price: $39.98/$49.98
ISBN: 9781600247620
Pages: 0

Description (from the publisher): 
A Multi-Cast Production / Set in New Orleans in the years after the Civil War, A Separate Country is based on the incredible life of John Bell Hood, arguably one of the most controversial generals of the Confederate Army--and one of its most tragic figures. Robert E. Lee promoted him to major general after the Battle of Antietam. But the Civil War would mark him forever. At Gettysburg, he lost the use of his left arm. At the Battle of Chickamauga, his right leg was amputated. Starting fresh after the war, he married Anna Marie Hennen and fathered 11 children with her, including three sets of twins.

Click here to listen to an excerpt.

Click here to watch the video.

Click here to visit the author's website.

About the author (from the publisher):
Robert Hicks has been active in the music industry in Nashville for twenty years as both a music publisher and artist manager. The driving force behind the perservation and restoration of the historic Carnton plantation in Tennessee, he stumbled upon the extraordinary role that Carrie McGavock played during and after the Battle of Franklin. He is the author of The Widow of the South.

RULES FOR ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a comment on this post telling me you would like to win. Include an email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you do win. Use a spam-thwarting format such as geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com or geebee.reads [at] gmail [dot] com

You must leave an email address in order to qualify. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

• You can earn an extra entry by being or becoming a Follower or Subscriber of this blog and telling me about it in a separate comment.

• Blog about this contest and provide me with the link to the post in a separate comment, and I'll give you yet another entry.

• Tweeting about this contest and providing me the link in a separate comment will get you one more entry. I've added a Retweet button at the bottom of every post.

• Stumble this blog, Digg it, or Technorati Fave it, whatever, and leave a separate comment for another entry.

• Winners must provide a U.S. or Canadian street address. Hachette is unable to deliver to P.O. Boxes.

Deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, December 4, 2009.

• Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email announcing that they have won; if I don't hear from a winner, I will draw another name.

Thank you to Anna
at Hachette Book Group
for making this giveaway possible.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Waiting on Wednesday: THE CROSSING PLACES by Elly Griffiths


"WAITING ON WEDNESDAY"
is hosted by Jill from
Breaking the Spine.

Join in and tell us . . .

What are you waiting for?
by Elly Griffiths
Pub. Date: January 05, 2010
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Format: Hardcover, 304pp
ISBN-13: 9780547229898
ISBN: 0547229895
 
Description (from the publisher):
When she's not digging up bones or other ancient objects, quirky, tart-tongued archaeologist Ruth Galloway lives happily alone in a remote area called Saltmarsh near Norfolk, land that was sacred to its Iron Age inhabitants - not quite earth, not quite sea.

When a child's bones are found on a desolate beach nearby, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson calls Galloway for help. Nelson thinks he has found the remains of Lucy Downey, a little girl who went missing ten years ago. Since her disappearance he has been receiving bizarre letters about her, letters with references to ritual and sacrifice.

The bones actually turn out to be two thousand years old, but Ruth is soon drawn into the Lucy Downey case and into the mind of the letter writer, who seems to have both archaeological knowledge and eerie psychic powers. Then another child goes missing and the hunt is on to find her. As the letter writer moves closer and the windswept Norfolk landscape exerts its power, Ruth finds herself in completely new territory - and in serious danger.

THE CROSSING PLACES marks the beginning of a captivating new crime series featuring an irresistible heroine.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Not My Giveaways!!


Here are a few giveaways from around the blogosphere. I've entered them -- maybe you will, too!



The Tome Traveller's Weblog

2 copies / End 11-20-09










The Tome Traveller's Weblog

2 copies / Ends 11-20-09










Nely at All About {n}
is giving away these three wonderful books by Kate DiCmillo
to one lucky winner!
Ends 11/20/09


Ends 11-27-09

Nikola's Book Blog
Ends 11-09-09 HURRY! Ending soon!








At Home with Books

5 copies / Ends 11-22-09

Mailbox Monday




Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. If you'd like to join in, stop by Marcia's and leave a link - or just browse through the comments to see what new books have been showing up.




From FSB Media

THE WEIGHT LOSS PLAN FOR BEATING DIABETES
by Frederic J. Vagnini, M.D and Lawrence D. Chilnick



From Sourcebooks for review:

DEATH IN THE STOCKS
By Georgette Herery






From Simon & Schuster for review:

THE SECRET OF JOY
by Melissa Senate

From Hachette Book Goup for review:





SEVEN: The Number for Happiness, Love, and Success
by Jacqueline Leo








THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER
by Kathleen Kent



ANGELS: A Pop-Up Book
by Chuck Fischer






LONE STAR LEGEND
by Gwendolyn Zepeda