Giveaway Updates & What’s Next

I’ve been really bad about announcing the winners of things. Going forward, I’ll be better.  Winners of everything through July have been notified. If you didn’t win, please know that I appreciate your comments, re-tweets and Facebook likes/shares.

Here are the winners of the last three giveaways.

The Hummingbird, by Stephen P. Kiernan goes to Marcia.

After Alice, by Gregory Maguire, goes to Selena.

Finding Fontainebleau, by Thad Carhart goes to Anne.


I’ll be launching a giveaway for Vanishing Time by Katharine Britton on Tuesday, August 2nd. This is a very special giveaway as the book will be signed by the author herself.

About the book, Vanishing Time Vanishing Time by Katharine Britton

 

  • Paperback: 306 pages
  • Publisher: Brigham Books; 1 edition (June 8, 2016)
  • Language: English

Cama Truesdale’s ex-husband and young son leave Boston for a fishing trip in South Carolina’s Low Country. In the early morning hours, Cama is jolted awake by a phone call. There’s been a fire on board the boat. Her ex-husband is dead. Her son is missing and presumed dead. As she sets off for South Carolina, Cama’s belief that her son Tate is alive is unwavering. But her frantic search soon stirs up painful memories that send her reeling back to her childhood and the mysterious car crash that killed her black mother and white father. As the clock ticks down, exhausted, haunted by dreams, and stymied by the police and local community, she enters a world in which she must rely on instinct over fact, and where no one and nothing is what it seems—not even the boundary between the living and the dead.

 

 

 

Introducing: Runabouts by P.J. Jenkins

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Join P.J. Jenkins, author of the parenting/bullying book, Runabouts, as she tours the blogosphere September 9 – September 20 on her first Book Blast with Pump Up Your Book! P.J. will be giving away a $25 Amazon GC/Paypal Cash to one lucky winner! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form on the participating blogs below and good luck! If you would like to host P.J., please email Tracee at tgleichner (at) gmail.com.

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RunaboutsABOUT RUNABOUTS

Runabouts is a story about friends having fun together, as well as dealing with unpleasant situations. Sunny is a very good friend and tries to make sure that his friends are not taken advantage of by bullies. He also shows us how we can make choices for our own behavior even if others don’t want to change their behavior. Sunny could leave Sharky stuck in the mud or he could choose to help him. What would you do? Enjoy the fun of zooming through the water and feeling the water spray over your face. I hope it will make you anxious to enjoy the water and warm weather just like Sunny.

Purchase your copy:

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ABOUT P.J. JENKINS

I’m married and have two daughters, and seven and a half grandchildren. We enjoy spending time with our grandchildren and love to take them for rides on our boat. We are lucky to live in Michigan where lakes are plentiful as well as beautiful. I taught elementary school for over 35 years. Reading books is such a joy for children. Life often brings problems dealing with different kinds of people, and children need to now that they choose how they want to behave regardless of what others do. I hope they can see other options as well as enjoy a fun story.

Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate or Paypal Cash.
  • This giveaway begins September 9 – September 20.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on Saturday September 21, 2013.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

book blast schedule

Monday, September 9

Margay Leah Justice

Offbeat Vagabond

Minding Spot

Tuesday, September 10

The Writer’s Life

Blooming with Books

Literary Winner

Bookhounds

Wednesday, September 11

As the Pages Turn

Bookworm Lisa

Day by Day in Our World

Confessions of a Reader

Thursday, September 12

Beths’ Book Review

Literarily Speaking

Socrates’ Book Reviews

Book Reviews by Dee

Friday, September 13

Mary’s Cup of Tea

Authors and Readers Book Corner

Crystal’s Many Reviews

Monday, September 16

Icefairy’s Treasure Chest

Between the Covers

Tuesday, September 17

The Phantom Paragrapher

Beyond the Books

Wednesday, September 18

Literal Exposure

Inside BJ’s Head

Book Marketing Buzz

Bibliotica

Thursday, September 19

Review From Here

Redroom

Emeraldfire’s Bookmark

Friday, September 20

Queen of All She Reads

I Love to Read and Review Books

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Pump Up Your Book

Spotlight on Running Against Traffic by Gaelen VanDenbergh

Join Gaelen VanDenbergh, author of the contemporary women’s fiction novel, Running Against Traffic, as she tours the blogosphere September 2 – September 27, 2013 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

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Running Against TrafficABOUT RUNNING AGAINST TRAFFIC

Paige Scott spent her childhood shuffled between relatives who ignored her, and her adult life hiding in her crumbling marriage to wealthy David Davenport. When David suddenly thrusts her into a remote, impoverished world, Paige is forced to face the betrayals of her past – not to mention the colorful townies of her present. Unexpected friendships and her discovery of running propel her on a jagged and comical journey toward learning how to truly live.

Purchase 2

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Add to Goodreads:

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ABOUT GAELEN VANDENBERGH

I am a writer, runner, reader, compulsive list-maker, mother and zookeeper (it feels like it, anyway). I grew up in Philadelphia, moved around a bit – Maine, Boston, NYC, back to Philly – and I have lived here for the past twelve years. I live with my husband and daughter, a fat cat, several fish, and a one-eyed dog.
socialize

 

http://gaelenvandenbergh.com/home/

Twitter

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Pump Up Your Book and Gaelen VanDenbergh are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

$100 Amazon Gift Card

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $100 Amazon Gift Certificate
  • This giveaway begins September 2 and ends September 27, 2013.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on Monday, September 30, 2013.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

blog tour schedule

Wednesday, September 4 – Book featured at Margay Leah Justice
Thursday, September 5 – Interviewed at Literal Exposure
Monday, September 9 – Book featured at Sweeping Me
Tuesday, September 10 – 1st chapter reveal at Books and Needlepoint
Wednesday, September 11 – Book featured at Soctrates Book Reviews
Friday, September 13 – Interviewed at Review From Here
Monday, September 16 – Guest blogging at The Writer’s Life
Tuesday, September 17 – Interviewed at Book Marketing Buzz
Wednesday, September 18 – Book featured at Mary’s Cup of Tea
Thursday, September 19 – Interviewed at I’m Shelf-ish
Friday, September 20 – Book featured at Confessions of a Reader
Monday, September 23 – Book reviewed at My Devotional Thoughts
Tuesday, September 24 – Book featured at Jody’s Book Reviews
Tuesday, September 24 – 1st chapter reveal at Literary Winner
Wednesday, September 25 – Guest blogging at Literarily Speaking
Thursday, September 26 – 1st chapter reveal at moonlightreader
Friday, September 27 – Book reviewed at All Grown Up?

 

Running Against Traffic Book Publicity Tour Schedule

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Coming Soon!

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Pump Up Your Book

200 Bloggers, 200 Books

On Nov 10, at 1 p.m., 200 bloggers will simultaneously publish reviews of 200 books printed on eco-friendly paper to raise consumer awareness about considering the environment when making book purchases. Participation this year has doubled from 2009.

EcoLibris

Green Books Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 03, 2010 – On Wed., Nov. 10, at 1 p.m., 200 bloggers will simultaneously publish reviews of 200 books printed on environmentally-friendly paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using greener methods, Eco-Libris aims to raise consumer awareness about considering the environment when making book purchases. This year’s participation of both bloggers and books has doubled from the event’s inception last year.

The 200 books to be reviewed are in a variety of subjects including cooking, poetry, travel, green living, and history, and come from 56 publishers from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. that are participating in the Green Books Campaign. This diversified group of publishers includes both small and large presses who all print books on recycled and/or FSC-certified paper.

Participating publishers include among others Penguin Group, Scholastic, Barefoot Books, McClelland & Stewart, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, Sterling Publishing, DK Publishing, Harvard Business Press, Island Press, North Atlantic Books, McGraw-Hill, ABRAMS and Picador.

“Although there’s so much hype around e-books, books printed on paper still dominate the book market, and we want them to be as environmentally sound as possible,” explains Raz Godelnik, co-founder and CEO of Eco-Libris. “Their share is still relatively small, but you can find a growing number of books printed responsibly and we hope this initiative will bring more exposure to such books. Through this campaign we want to encourage publishers to increase their green printing options and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.”

Doug Pepper, president and publisher of 100-year-old publishing house
McClelland & Stewart, says he is delighted to participate in a program that ties in with the company’s mission. “The Eco-Libris Green Books Campaign’s positive “take action” message perfectly reflects our consistent use of recycled papers and our commitment to sustainable publishing as a whole,” Pepper says.

Among the bloggers who will review the books there are many who participate in the campaign for the second time. One of them is Kim Allen-Niesen of the blog ‘Bookstore People‘. “Participating in the Green Books Campaign was such an education in green reading. I didn’t have any idea how many publishers and writers are committed to creating books with as small an impact on the environment as possible. I discovered unique books because they were printed on recycled paper and I learned that books I’ve read for years are printed in a low impact manner. I’m looking forward to more surprises during this year’s campaign, “Allen-Niesen says.

This year’s campaign is supported by Indigo Books & Music, the largest book retailer in Canada, as part of its efforts to draw attention to the need for more environmental paper in book publishing. This is a core goal of Indigo’s environmental program, reinforced by Indigo’s industry leading environmental paper policy.

Michelle White, Director, Sustainability at Indigo Books & Music said, “Indigo has a strong forest conservation mandate and we believe that physical books printed on environmental paper are a sustainable choice. We commend Eco- Libris for reinforcing this message and engaging and motivating readers to take this issue into consideration when purchasing books. In fact, Indigo provides information online and through in-store kiosk that allows consumers to make informed decisions about where the paper content of their book comes from”. Learn more at http://www.chapters.indigo.ca.

Learn more about the Green Books Campaign and find a list of all participants at http://www.ecolibris.net/greenbookscampaign2010.asp

# # #

Founded in 2007, Eco-Libris (http://www.ecolibris.net) is a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices in the industry, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. To achieve these goals Eco-Libris is working with book readers, publishers, authors, bookstores, and others in the book industry worldwide. So far Eco-Libris has balanced out more than 150,000 books, resulting in more than 165,000 new trees planted with its planting partners in developing countries. To learn more visit http://www.ecolibris.net

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EcoLibris: Green Books Campaign 2010

Green Books Campaign

Eco Libris Green Books Campaign

From the EcoLibris website:

On Wednesday, November 10, 2010, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time 200 bloggers will take a stand to support books printed on environmental paper by simultaneously publishing reviews of 200 such books.

Launched in 2009 by Eco-Libris, this campaign is aiming to promote “green” books by reviewing 200 books printed on recycled paper or FSC-certified paper. Our goal is to use the power of the internet and social media to promote “green” books and increase the awareness of both readers and publishers to the way books can be printed printed in an eco-friendly manner.

You can learn more about the campaign, or read the lists of books and bloggers, by following this link.

Otherwise, check back here on November 10th to read my review of Dave Thompson’s book Bayou Underground.

The Ever-Expanding To-Be-Read Stack

Every real book addict has a TBR stack – the pile of books that are yet to be read, but that seems to grow bigger daily, even when you read nonstop. Mine is so bloated at the moment, that I’m considering slipping weight loss supplement reviews inside the covers of some of the thicker tomes as a sort of subtle hint…but only considering it. Knowing me, I’d find them later, and just assume it was more to read.

From time to time, I post the titles that are waiting to be read. Here are the next few books I’ll be reading.

  • The Wedding Gift, by Kathleen McKenna
  • Once Wicked, Always Dead, by T. Marie Benchley
  • Key Lime Pie, by Josi S. Kilpatrick
  • Apathy for the Devil: a 70s memoir, by Nick Kent
  • Becoming Jimi Hendrix: the Untold Story of a Musical Genius, by Steven Roby and Brad Schreiber
  • Kiss My Tiara: How to Rule the World as a Smartmouth Goddess, by Susan Jane Gilbert

There are actually other books on the TBR stack, but these are all the books I’ve agreed to review, so are moved to the top of the list by default. Well, the last one isn’t a review book – it’s actually a birthday gift, but I want to get to it sooner rather than later.

It’s a good thing I work from home, and have the ability to take a book to every room.

Coming Soon! (What’s on my TBR stack?)

If you’ve read my main blog, you know that I’m turning 40 on Tuesday, and I had a lovely party last night. It didn’t include any atv riding, but there was yummy food, good cake, excellent company, and copious amounts of Mike’s Peach Margarita.

As is usual for me, books were in evidence…specifically four new additions to my TO BE READ stack.

They are:

  • A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style, by Tim Gunn with Kate Moloney
  • The One Hundred: a Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, by Nina Garcia
  • The Little Black Book of Style, by Nina Garcia
  • Kiss My Tiara: How to Rule the World as a SmartMouth Goddess, by Susan Jane Gilman
  • The Wedding Gift, by Kathleen McKenna

The first three have been on my WANT list for a while, and are part of a project some friends and I are working on, the ‘Tiara’ book was on my wishlist of birthday inspirations, and the last is a new book by a woman who contacted me via this blog. She seems like a great person, the premise of her book seems right up my alley, and I’m looking forward both to reading it, and to getting to know her better – but all of these books made me grin, or laugh, or inspired me…

Isn’t reading just GRAND?

What I’m Reading

I haven’t finished a book in a while, but I have one or two in progress, and one I’m anxiously awaiting, so thought I’d share.

The Summer Kitchen, by Karen Weinreb – This novel is proof that choosing books is somewhat akin to employment screening, and I’m not always good at it. I mean, the premise of this novel is good, and the book itself isn’t badly written, or anything, but I’ve owned it for over a year, and haven’t managed to finish it. Maybe it’s because I have no deadline for reading it, but I seem to be unusually willing to set it aside for any other book that floats into my awareness.

Twelve Rooms with a View by Theresa Rebeck – I just received this yesterday, and it doesn’t go on sale til the first week of May. This is one I’ll be reviewing at All Things Girl, but I’m really intrigued by it, anyway, and can’t wait to crack it open later tonight.

Coming Soon

While the top two books are in my possession, those which follow are novels I’m eagerly anticipating:

  • The God of the Hives, by Laurie R. King – this is the latest installment in the Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell series, and I’m eagerly waiting for it, since the last one ended with “to be continued.”
  • Roast Mortem, by Cleo Coyle – more coffeehouse mysteries – yum! And it’s due out just a few weeks before my birthday, in August.
  • Dead in the Family, by Charlaine Harris – yes, more Sookie Stackhouse is a good thing…due out next month.
  • Changes, by Jim Butcher – because I haven’t caught up with Harry Dresden in a while. It’s out already; I just don’t have it yet.

Nothing to Read?

For me, bookstores are as much fun as orlando vacations, but I haven’t had a chance to visit one in weeks, and my TBR (to-be-read) stack is dwindling. Sort of.

I mean, I have all but the first two Aurora Teagarden books left to read, but the problem here is that I’m leaving on Thursday, for vacation, and I can’t take someone else’s books with me. It’s just wrong.

I did find a Christopher Moore book I hadn’t read yet – it had somehow ended up beneath bed. So what book is it? The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove.

Now, normally I love Moore’s work. I mean, I want to BE Moore – well, with breasts – and finding one of his novels I hadn’t read lurking in my own house would be a boon.

Except…

Except I’m ready for crisp weather, and creepy stories. I want something like The Historian, but I’ll settle for something like Dracula or The Southern Vampire Mysteries. I want something long, mysterious, and satisfying. I want a novel I can sink into, that sets a tone so perfect that even if it happens to be sunny, I’ll feel like it’s not, and I’ll keep glancing behind me to see who’s there.

I want something as amazing as The Eight, or as chilling as Stephen King’s early work – although I prefer clown-free stories.

I want…shadows, and suspicion and surprises.

What do YOU want to read?

Coming Attractions: Drinking with George by George Wendt

Drinking with George: A Barstool Professional’s Guide to Beer
George Wendt
Get it at Amazon >>

One of my favorite parts about my work with online magazine All Things Girl is that I often get to review books before they come out, so that I can interview the authors.

Recently, George Wendt, whom most people probably recognize as “Norm” from “Cheers,” wrote a book that was half memoir, half ode to beer. I was given a galley so I could prep for an interview, and spent all night last Tuesday reading it. The interview was Wednesday evening, and both the book and the man were delightful: funny, smart, and totally engaging.

Let’s face it: beer is as important to American culture as novocain is to a Plano dentist, but it’s not something we generally read about. In the case of Drinking with George, however, skipping the book would be a literary sin, not because it’s high art, but because it’s the real story of a real guy’s love of the brew.

The fact that the book is filled with interesting beer factoids doesn’t hurt, either.

Look for Mr. Wendt as the All Things Girl Man of the Moment in October, and look for my review of his book in the ATG blog sometime after the first of the month.