Winners!

 

Somewhere Along the Way - won by Laura H.

 

Oogy - won by Michele and rubynreba

Simply Irresistible - won by Sandy Jay, mbreakfield, and donnas (already won) so new winner is Shaiha

Two Lethal Lies - won by Cheryl F. {The Lucky Ladybug}; Leslie @ Under My Apple Tree, and ossmcalc/Christine

Katie Up and Down the Hall - won by headlessfowl, Benita, and Karen

All winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond to claim their books.  A new winner will be chosen at that time.  Thanks!

Wonderful new Book from Debbie Macomber - Hannah's List - Giveaway!

Hannah's List

by Debbie Macomber

Book Synopsis: A grieving widower receives an unexpected gift of love from his late wife on the anniversary of her death in HANNAH’S LIST, the emotionally powerful new novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber. Connected to her bestselling Blossom Street books (SUMMER ON BLOSSOM STREET, TWENTY WISHES, BACK ON BLOSSOM STREET, SUSANNAH’S GARDEN, A GOOD YARN and THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET) this story continues her moving exploration of the complex relationships among family and friends.

In the year since his wife, Hannah, passed away, Dr. Michael Everett has been inconsolable. Unable to carry on living any semblance of a normal life without her, Michael has avoided contact with friends and family and filled his empty days with work. So he’s shocked when his brother-in-law, Ritchie, hands him a letter Hannah had written before she died; apparently she’d instructed Ritchie to deliver it to Michael on the first anniversary of her death.

In it she reminds him of her love and makes one final request: she asks Michael to marry again and become the father he was meant to be. Knowing his reaction, Hannah gives him a gentle push by suggesting three women—each of whom, she says, would make an excellent wife and companion.

Michael’s heart isn’t in it, but he decides to carry out Hannah’s final wish by contacting each of the women. He soon discovers that he is not the only person dealing with a broken heart.

The first woman on Hannah’s list is her cousin, Winter Adams, owner of the French Café on Seattle’s Blossom Street. Winter is passionate about three things—food, cooking and fellow chef Pierre Dubois. But Winter and Pierre—both uncompromising perfectionists—have had a stormy on-and-off relationship and are currently in the “off” phase. Winter’s miserable with and without Pierre. Maybe Michael will provide an alternative…?

Leanne Lancaster is the next woman on Hannah’s list. Leanne is the oncology nurse who cared for Hannah in her last months. Like Michael, she is coping with her own sense of loss over the dissolution of her marriage. Her husband, Mark, embezzled $25,000 from a charity organized by the hospital where Leanne works. With Mark sentenced to a prison term and unwilling to explain his actions to his wife, Leanne felt she had no option but to ask for a divorce. But what Leanne really needs most is closure. Without understanding his motives, Leanne is unable to reconcile with Mark or move on without him.

The final name on the list is Macy Roth. Macy is everything Michael is not—artistic, spontaneous, eccentric and always late for appointments. Hannah felt that Macy’s effervescent personality might encourage someone as serious as Michael to learn to laugh again. Macy is a collector of strays—cats, dogs and even people. Michael can’t believe Hannah added Macy to her list; the only way he’d fall for her is if opposites really do attract.

As he spends time with each woman, Michael realizes that Hannah’s list may end up saving four lives, not just one.

Author Bio: Debbie Macomber, the author of 92 Pacific Boulevard, 8 Sandpiper Way, Summer on Blossom Street and Twenty Wishes, has become a leading voice in women’s fiction worldwide. Her work has appeared on every major bestseller list, including those of the New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publishers Weekly. She is a multiple award winner, and won the 2005 Quill Award for Best Romance. More than a hundred million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. For more information on Debbie and her books, visit her Web site, http://www.debbiemacomber.com/.

In celebration of her new book release - Big Honcho Media is sponsoring a giveaway right here!

Grand Prize winner will receive:

• 
  
  A $25 VISA gift card to enjoy additional titles by Debbie Macomber.
• 
  
  Copy of Hannah's List

Two additional winners will receive:

• 
  
  A copy of Hannah's List 

To enter - just leave me a comment telling me you would like to win - along with your email address.  This giveaway is open to U.S. mailing addresses only (International readers can enter if they have someone in the U.S. that this can ship to.)  This giveaway will end May 7.

Additional entries (each in their own comment please)

+2 - If you are a Google Friend Connect Follower or sign up to be one (2 comments)

+1 Twitter and leave link

+3 Own Blog Post - leave link (3 comments)

+1 Sidebar of blog or posted with other giveaways - leave link

Special Additional Entries!

+5 - Visit Hannah's List and tell me something you have learned. (5 comments)

(I received a review copy of Hannah's List in support of this post)

Happy Earth Day Giveaway! Green Like God by Jonathan Merritt

Green Like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet

by Jonathan Merritt

In GREEN LIKE GOD, Jonathan Merritt gently and insightfully observes that the bible has a lot to say about environmental problems like unclean water, material waste, over consumption, air pollution, and global warming. In fact, Jonathan writes that "in the book of Genesis, God went green and never looked back." Relying heavily on scripture, Jonathan gives the case for green living, but not because it's trendy and hip. Rather, it's part of living rightly as a believer. It's an act of obedience to our Creator-God.

GREEN LIKE GOD is at once practical, prescriptive, and conversational in tone. The author looks at a number of trends with tips to help the reader wade into the world of creation care living. An appendix includes suggestions of things we can do. In addition, the book includes interviews with everyday Christians to tell the story of the journey to environmental stewardship among people of faith.

This is the book that Christians are longing for and need today. Written for a new generation of Christians who are struggling with how to deal with the important issue of creation-care and green living, GREEN LIKE GOD is both highly relevant and theologically sound. It will have a profound impact on how Christians live and interact with the world today.

GIVEAWAY!

I have 3 copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books!  For your first entry, please tell me if there is anything you have started in the last year to make your household "more green".  It is okay if you don't have anything to share - maybe this book will help you get started! (Must leave a comment with email for your first entry).

For additional entries:
1. Become a Google Friend Connect follower or let me know that you already are. (2 entries - 2 comments)
2.  Follow me on twitter and tweet this (leave link) or blog about it (leave link)

Each entry must have its own comment to get full credit. Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S./Canada - no PO boxes.  It will end on May 6.

New Giveaway! --- I Has a Hotdog by Professor Happycat

I Has a Hotdog

by Professor Happycat

I HAS A BWAIN!!1!

An you thawt we dint! Now Professor Happycat tells you what's in it and, from I HAS A HOTDOG.com and beyond, lets over 200 LOLdogs loose on the world, all barking the truth about kibble, toys, and bad kitties. This collection of favorites and never-before-seen photos will have you barking for more!

For all you hoomins, a LOLdog is a kay-nine picture with a funny, misspelled caption.

 

Visit I Has a Hotdog online to see what the book is all about!

 

GIVEAWAY!

I have 3 copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. Easy to enter - just leave a comment with your email address!

For additional entries:

1. Sign up to follow through Google Friend Connect (old GFC followers count also) this is good for 2 entries - leave 2 comments.

2. Follow me on twitter and tweet about it. Please leave link in comment.

3. Post it on your blog - leave link in comment.

Each entry must have it's own comment (or two). This giveaway is for U.S./Canada - no P.O. boxes. It will end May 6.

Glaen by Fred Lybrand - Interview and a Giveaway!

Glaen

by Fred Lybrand

Annie is a college grad-student who is stumped about love. Her mom and dad are in the throes of a divorce, her teenage sister is obsessed with how her boyfriend makes her look, and her closest friend Jennaah is on a continual ride of running off every guy she dates.

Friendships, dating, romance, and marriage -- it's all confusing to Annie until the day a white-haired stranger appears in her life. Glaen is an unusual professor with an unusual name. Her white-haired unconventional mentor guides Annie on a path of discovery that unlocks the secrets of real relationships in a world gone phony. By abandoning herself to learn, Annie discovers the mystifying affect of how learning to tell the truth changes everything in friendship, family, and love.

The solutions Dr. Lybrand offers in this book will astound and free you to quit doing the very things that take away your ability to find the love and friendship you want. More importantly, you'll discover a fresh path to the possibility of greater connections with those you care most about. You'll want everyone you know to read this book. . .twice!

Watch the video.

Enjoy this interview with Fred Lybrand courtesy of TBB Media.

Q: The story of Glaen takes on a unique format. It’s not your everyday self-help book, but it isn’t just a novel either. Tell us about your approach to this book.

The thing I’ve finally taken note of as a writer is the simple fact that if someone doesn’t read the book, then he can’t benefit from the book. In thinking this through, it became obvious that people read fiction all the way through because it provides a story. Most of us don’t read non-fiction completely through unless it is exceptionally well written, or we have an I-must-complete-everything neurosis! Additionally, we tend to pass along fiction we enjoy.

So, Glaen is teaching, but it is teaching through a fictional story about a young lady on a quest to find the answers to healthy relationships. More to the point, I wrote it more as a movie. There are no chapters, as such; instead it moves through a series of scenes as the story unfolds.

Q: What do you hope Glaen will accomplish in re-thinking our approach to relationships between men and women?

Well, I’m thinking all relationships could use the principles uncovered in Glaen, but men-to-women relationships are where communication issues glare. My hope is that people will begin to recover genuine relating with one another—which can only come about by telling each other the truth. You know, most of us are busy with a bit of a “dance” where we are trying to get the other person to like us. This temptation turns us into somebody else in order to manipulate the other person.


There is a fresh power that comes into relating and finding the right partner when we are true to ourselves. Glaen is all about recovering and exploring the power of being true and truthful. Also, there is a bonus! When you are true to yourself, then the people who will like the “real you” will be attracted to you. We find the best mate when we don’t try so hard...that’s part of my hope for the book.

Q: You have five children, so you probably wrote something for them to read. But what is your broader hope for this book?


Well, handing off a perspective to help my children in their relationships is a big motivation, but there’s more. With my interactions in counseling, churches, and the business world, I can tell you that we need a heavy dose of truthfulness and genuine relating with one another. Hollywood continues to give us the false impression that just cheating and “cycling through” relationships is the way to go. I know everyone won’t change, but imagine the health that could come about if we had an outbreak of honesty and truth in relating with one another? Finally, an epidemic I’d like to be a part of.

Q: It takes the divorce of Annie’s parents to cause her to really take a deep look into relationships. Why do you think it takes dramatic circumstances to force people to honestly look at relationships?

I think we all share in this kind of experience. Who hasn’t had a crisis help her rethink what is happening with her life? I think we basically seek comfort, which I don’t think is wrong in the least. In fact, a comfortable healthy relationship should be enjoyed not “fixed”. God seems to use discomfort to invite us to learn, grow, help, and act. Just look at Haiti and the outpouring of kindness since the earthquake; before the discomfort not many people thought much about Haiti. Well, relationships are much the same...but why wait for the earthquake? Everyone knows there’s more to enjoy with better relating.


Q: Is there really much hope given the disposable attitude toward marriage we hear about all over the news? Don’t they say 50% of the marriages fail these days?

It seems to me that hope is always birthed in a context of what we don’t have. The disposable attitude toward marriage inspires me for something better. A few years ago, Mr. Gallup pointed out that the divorce rate really isn’t 50% (it’s more like 25%) because statistics tend to be misused by so many. Nonetheless, don’t we all know that a 1-in-4 chance of your long-term relationship failing is a crummy statistic anyway? On the one hand, be encouraged and go for marriage if it is what you want...but on the other hand, why not get a copy of Glaen and get on the path to healthy relating?

Q: Glaen is big on telling the truth. But, it seems no one is really free to express truth within relationships. Why is that so? Why is it so hard to be honest?


Honesty is hard because we aren’t being honest for the right reason. I’ve noticed so often that people tend to complain at how others react when “they’re just being honest.” Why complain? What does someone’s reaction have to do with your honesty? You see, being honest is about a value of being true to yourself. But, it is also about a value of respecting the freedom of others. As long as someone has to like whatever you say, then you are on the hook to say it for them rather than for the truth...and, worse yet, they are on the hook to say they “like” what you say...even if they have to lie.

Basically, it’s hard to express the truth because we all act like we’re at a dinner party trying our best to be nice and to be loved by everyone there. Wow...sometimes it really is just too fake out there, isn’t it?

Q: Asking God for direction in every area of our lives is key to much of what takes place in Annie’s story. In fact, her whole story is an answer to a prayer. Do you think people overlook including God’s guidance in relationships?


I actually think people spend time at the beginning asking God for guidance, but after they are in a relationship, it usually isn’t until the end that they seek God’s help. You know, the Bible says, “Pray without ceasing”—sounds like a really good idea concerning your relationships and what you could learn.

Q: In the area of dating, you spend some time showing that there are problems with “serial dating” and “courting.” Why, and what do we tell our kids?

I don’t want to overstate the case, but generally there are two extremes out there. One is serial dating, where we go through relationships like a serial killer. Courting comes along as a counter to this problem. However, in most approaches to courting, the couple is trying to guarantee the success of the relationship...and, in fact, often make a commitment to one another before they really know each other. The truth is that we can’t guarantee a successful relationship...but we can put the odds in our favor, and Glaen seeks to do just that.


Q: You say there are two things that make for a good marriage—chemistry and basis. What are these and how do they help?

Chemistry and basis are terms I believe we all understand. Chemistry is the obvious one. I mean, does the person do it for you or not? Are you attracted or do they gross you out (sorry)? In a free society, I can’t make much sense out of trying to have a relationship with someone you aren’t attracted to. Yet, if we stop with just chemistry it will be pretty shallow indeed. Basis means that we have a foundation, or basis, for building a life together. It is much better to find out that there are deal killers before you make a long term commitment. It is hard to imagine how one who will never live in the city can build a life with someone who will never live in the country. Glaen helps you begin to think these sorts of things through.

Q: You state in the opening of the book that this idea was born out of discussions “a couple of dads had.” Can you elaborate on the birth of this unique book idea?


Between the two of us we have 11 children. As we talked over the years it became apparent that we were saying things that we really hadn’t heard anywhere. Essentially, we basically learned things the hard way. As dads we really wanted our kids to skip our mistakes, challenges, and struggles. Even today, we want them to go even further than we can ever make it in healthy relationships. So, with all that on the line, working on a book made sense.

Q: Clearly today’s society needs to take an honest look at marriage through the lens of God’s design, but how will stories like Glaen be a catalyst for change?

I have this simple idea that it is really hard to think straight and walk crooked. With that in mind, what literature like Glaen can do for us is to open our minds to better possibilities. Glaen is a tool to invite folks to re-think their assumptions about relationships and relating. Amazing things happen when we think things through...we can actually change for the better!

Giveaway!

I have one extra copy of Glaen to giveaway - courtesy of TBB Media.  To enter - just tell me who you would like to win this book for - is it for you? a child? a friend?  Leave your email address also.  This giveaway is for U.S. only. It ends May 18.

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith - Audiobook Giveaway!

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

by Seth Grahame-Smith

read by Scott Holst

Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy. . ." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "Henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion, I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose. . ." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving the Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Seccret Journal of Abraham Lincoln and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time -- all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

Listen to an Excerpt.

Join the Undead Book Club.

 GIVEAWAY!

I have 3 copies of this audiobook to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS BEFORE ANY OF YOUR OTHER ENTRIES WILL COUNT) you are going to need to use your imagination.  Come up with a title that would be a paranormal remake of another book - classic if you can.  If your creative juices aren't flowing - that's ok - you can still enter.  Please leave your email address.

For additional entries:

1. Sign up to follow through Google Friend Connect (old GFC followers count also) this is good for 2 entries - leave 2 comments.

2. Follow me on twitter and tweet about it. Please leave link in comment.

3. Post it on your blog - leave link in comment.

Each entry must have it's own comment (or two).  This giveaway is for U.S./Canada - no P.O. boxes.  It will end May 18.

Win 100 Custom Brochures! Ends Apr 28!

For all you bloggers out there this one is for you!  What better way to promote your blog than with custom brochures?  I know that I recently attended a craft fair and I would have loved to have these available to hand out!  Of course this is not limited to just bloggers - anyone can enter! (As long as they are in the U.S.)

They even have a design service to help you design your brochure!

This is what you would win:  100 Brochures (1 winner) - They will be 8.5 x 11 with your choice of folds (Half fold; Tri-fold/Letter fold; Z-fold; Accordion - 4 panels; Roll fold - 4 panels).  There will be 4 color printing on BOTH sides on 100 lb gloss text paper!  These will FREE UPS Ground Shipping to U.S. only.  You must be 18 years old to enter.


If you have jumped over brochures printing online - take a look around now!  I think you will be happy that you did!

What would you use these brochures for?  Just leave me a comment letting me know and you will be entered - it's that easy!  Be sure to leave me an email address so I can get in touch with you though!  Please note this contest ends Apr 28th so spread the word!

The Host by Stephanie Meyer - GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Host

by Stephanie Meyer

Now available in the trade paperback edition: New Bonus Chapter and Reading Group Guide, including Stephenie Meyer's Annotated Playlist for the book.

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

Giveaway

I have three copies of this paperback book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT)and I am going out on a limb here and guessing you must be a Twilight fan to want to win this - so Which book from the Twilight series was your favorite - or do you like the book or movie version better of either Twilight or New Moon?  Please leave your email address.

For additional entries:

1. Sign up to follow through Google Friend Connect (old Google followers let me know) - 2 entries for this one. (leave 2 comments)
2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about it. Please leave link in your comment.
3. Post it on your blog - please leave link in your comments.

Each entry MUST have a separate comment - would hate for you to miss out on all of your entries if you group them all in one. This giveaway is for U.S./Canada only - no PO boxes. It will end on May 4.

The Art of Choosing - by Sheena Iyengar - Audiobook Giveaway!

The Art of Choosing

by Sheena Iyengar

Read by Orlagh Cassidy

Every day we make choices. Coke or Pepsi? Save or spend? Stay or go? Whether mundane or life-altering, these choices define us and shape our lives. Sheena Iyengar asks the difficult questions about how and why we choose: Is the desire for choice innate or bound by culture? Why do we sometimes choose against our best interests? How much control do we really have over what we choose? Sheena Iyengar's award-winning research reveals that the answers are surprising and profound. In our world of shifting political and cultural forces, technological revolution, and interconnected commerce, our decisions have far-reaching consequences.

Listen to an Excerpt

View the Video

About the author: Sheena Iyengar's groundbreaking research on choice has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Security Education Program, as well as by private institutions. In 2001, she received the Presidential Early Career Award and in 2005 she was invited to serve as a fellow at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study. She holds degrees from UPenn, The Wharton School of Business, and Stanford University (from which she also received the prestigious Best Dissertation Award in 1998, for her work "Choice and its Discontents.") She is a professor at Columbia University.

Iyengar's work is regularly cited in the media, in periodicals as diverse as Fortune and Time magazines, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, as well as on National Public Radio and in books such as Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. She lives in New York City.

Giveaway

I have three copies of this audiobook to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT)what is the hardest decision (choice) you have ever had to make (but only if you feel like sharing)? Otherwise, just tell me you would like to win. Please leave your email address.

For additional entries:
1. Sign up to follow through Google Friend Connect (old Google followers let me know) - 2 entries for this one. (leave 2 comments)
2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about it.  Please leave link in your comment.
3. Post it on your blog - please leave link in your comments.

For a Bonus entry - follow Sheena Iyengar on Twitter.
 
Each entry MUST have a separate comment - would hate for you to miss out on all of your entries if you group them all in one.  This giveaway is for U.S./Canada only - no PO boxes.  It will end on May 4.

Heart of My Heart by Kristin Armstrong - Giveaway!

Heart of My Heart:

365 Reflections on the Magnitude and Meaning of Motherhood

A Devotional

by Kristin Armstrong

Whether God is using Kristin to raise children or the children to grow Kristin, He is present in every moment and every page. This warm, real, and insightful devotional celebrates the journey of growth mothers take with their children. Since their births, Kristin realized she has "discovered more about myself and my God in the pursuit of discovering my children." Each entry in this 365-day devotional contains a Bible verse and a personal reflection from Kristin. It is on this intimate, daily walk that mothers can gain the courage to rely on God and emerge as a better woman.

Read an excerpt

Giveaway

I have three copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT)do you have a favorite Bible verse?  Please leave your email address.

For additional entries:
1. Sign up to follow through Google Friend Connect (old followers let me know) - 2 entries for this one. (leave 2 comments)

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about it. Please leave link in comments.
3. Post it on your blog - please leave link in your comments.

BONUS ENTRIES:  Follow Kristin on Twitter or her blog Mile Markers.

Each entry must have it's own comment. (Seven entries total.)

This giveaway is for U.S/Canada only - no PO boxes.

It ends May 3.

Eat the Cookie. . . Buy the Shoes (and win the book!)

Eat the Cookie. . . Buy the Shoes:

Giving Yourself Permission to Lighten Up

by Joyce Meyer

Engrained in our culture is the belief that unbending discipline is the only sure way to success. You must go to the gym five times a week, never order the dessert, and don't even think about buying that dress you keep staring at in the store window. Breaking from such a regimented lifestyle is a sign of weakness, right? Wrong!-and Joyce wants to tell us why...

Though setting rules in our lives are important, it's just as important that we break them from time-to-time. Structure is a powerful tool, but when diverging from your own goals is seen as catastrophic, it can have a hugely negative effect on us. Balance is a core value in life and every once in awhile we deserve to indulge in a guilty pleasure or two. So don't feel bad about straying from your goals every once-in-awhile and in fact, embrace it: eat the cookie and buy the shoes!

Listen to an excerpt

Giveaway

I have three copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) how do you give yourself a break? Do you ever do anything special just for you? Please leave your email address.

For additional entries:
1. Sign up to follow through Google Friend Connect (old followers let me know) - 2 entries for this one. (leave 2 comments)
2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about it. Please leave link in comments.
3. Post it on your blog - please leave link in your comments.

BONUS ENTRY: Fan Joyce Meyer Ministries on Facebook and/or Twitter!

Each entry must have it's own comment. (Seven entries total.)

This giveaway is for U.S/Canada only - no PO boxes.

It ends May 3.

Interview (and Giveaway!) with the Charming Ladies who comprise Lydia Dare

I would like to welcome "Lydia Dare" to Books and Needlepoint today.  Her latest book, A Certain Wolfish Charm, came out April 6.

Thank you so much for having us! You heard right. I said “us”. Two of us make up the writing team Lydia Dare. We’ll try to make it clear which of us is speaking.

1. That is a surprise!  Hopefully I can interview you again in the future and talk about the difficulties/advantages of collaboration!  If someone would have told you 10 years ago that you would be a published author - what would you have said?

Lydia/Jodie: I would have thought they were crazy! Ten years ago I had already given up my writing to raise my son. My creativity just disappeared one day. It wasn’t until just a few years ago, that I picked up a pen once more.


Lydia/Tammy: I probably would have said something like “You really think I could?” I actually had a coworker around this time read something of mine and say “You are in the wrong profession!” And that comment has stuck with me from that moment forward. (I probably should tell her she was right at some point.)

2. Jodie - I know what you mean about having your creativity disappear when you have kids - I didn't needlepoint for YEARS after my first child was born!  Do you have a job outside of being an author?

Lydia/Jodie: I work a day job as a meeting planner and travel manager for an IT consulting firm.


Lydia/Tammy: I have been self-employed for about six years. I love working for myself and really consider myself to be incredibly fortunate to be able to earn an income, set my own schedule, and work from home. Jodie and I both have the hardest jobs on earth as well as working full time – we’re both moms. There’s no job more rewarding or more challenging.

3. Tammy - You are very lucky to be self-employed and able to work from home!  I would love to find something where I could work from home!  Where is your favorite place to write - and do you need anything special while writing?

Lydia/Jodie: My favorite place to write is in a local coffee shop. Unfortunately, I don’t get there as often as I’d like, and I end up writing at home more often than not.


Lydia/Tammy: I need quiet. That’s my only requirement. No TV. No radio. No kids. Aside from that, I could write in a wind tunnel, I think. Unless it’s a noisy one.

4. Jodie - I like the coffee shop idea.  I have thought about going there to blog occasionally, but have not done it yet! What would you tell a beginning writer?

Lydia/Jodie: My best advice for a beginning romance writer is to join your local RWA chapter if there is one in your area. I know that I wouldn’t be sitting where I am today without the Raleigh Chapter – Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.


Lydia/Tammy: The best advice I could give is to find other like-minded people who have similar goals, but try to find a group with writers at all stages of their career. Our local RWA chapter is full of brilliant minds we picked throughout the writing process, the selling process, and now we’re on to marketing. I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat down with one of the members and said “Hey, can I ask you a question?” And I don’t think anyone has ever turned me down. While writing is somewhat a solitary pursuit, you’ll get much farther if you find people with similar goals. Some day, it could be you who’s mentoring a new writer.

5. Do you have plans to write any other genre?

Lydia/Jodie: I’m pretty stuck in the Regency era. Tammy likes to joke that I live in the 19th Century and in a lot of ways she’s right. So if I wasn’t writing paranormal Regencies, I’d be writing Regency Historical romance.

Lydia/Tammy: I don’t know if I could not write romance. But if I did, I’d like to try teen fantasy. I like to build worlds and change the rules a bit, stepping outside the norm.

6. Well, I am sure my readers will agree with me, that we love you both writing paranormal romance!  I love the covers of your books! Did you get to have any input on them or the titles?

Lydia/Jodie: Thanks! We’re really happy with the covers too. We have had some input on covers and titles.

Lydia/Tammy: The folks at Sourcebooks have a fabulous team that asks for our input and then builds on it. They turned out great!

7. What were your favorite books growing up?

Lydia/Jodie: I think like most regency lovers – I have to say Pride and Prejudice, but I was also a huge fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.

Lydia/Tammy: When I was really young, I read every book at the school library. There wasn’t one piece of fiction in elementary school that I hadn’t turned the pages on. When I was a little older… Oh, my mother’s romance novels! The ones with the really scrumptious covers, I snuck those away long enough to devour them and then returned them. I think she always knew, though.

8. Do you have any books on your nightstand right now?

Lydia/Jodie: I have research books on my nightstand. The one I thumb through often is Ian Gordon Lindsay’s Georgian Edinburgh.


Lydia/Tammy: My books are my night stand. I have a pile of them beside the bed and they’re stacked up about 10-tall. There’s usually a cup of water that sits precariously on the top.

9. Tammy - I like the idea of using books as a night stand!  Get rid of the furniture and get more books! Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know?

Lydia/Jodie and Tammy: We had the BEST time writing this series, and hope readers have as much fun reading the books as we did writing them.


10. Thank you Lydia and congrats on your new series!

Lydia/Jodie and Tammy: Thank you, again, for having us!

A CERTAIN WOLFISH CHARM

by LYDIA DARE—IN STORES APRIL 2010!

He gets crankier and crankier as the moon gets full…
The rules of society can be beastly—especially when you’re a werewolf and it’s that irritating time of the month. Simon Westfield, the Duke of Blackmoor, is rich, powerful, and sinfully handsome, and has spent his entire life creating scandal and mayhem. It doesn’t help his wolfish temper at all that Miss Lily Rutledge seems not the least bit afraid of him, and in fact, may be as untamable as he is…


A woman whose charm is stronger that the moon…
When Lily’s beloved nephew’s behavior becomes inexplicably wild, she turns to Simon, the boy’s cousin and guardian, for help. But Simon’s idea of assistance is far different than hers, and Lily finds herself ensconced in his house and engaged to the rogue.

They both may have bitten off more than they can chew when each begins to discover the other’s darkest secrets…

About the Author

Lydia Dare is the writing team of Tammy Falkner and Jodie Pearson. Both Tammy and Jodie are active members of the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and live near Raleigh, North Carolina. They are working together on their next paranormal historical trilogy as Lydia Dare, which will be released by Sourcebooks Casablanca in Spring 2010! For more information, please visit http://www.lydiadare.com/.

You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.


A Certain Wolfish Charm - available Now!
Tall, Dark and Wolfish - available May 2
The Wolf Next Door - available June 6
The Taming of the Wolf - available Nov 2

Now for the Giveaway!

Thanks to Danielle and Sourcebooks I have 2 copies of A Certain Wolfish Charm to share with 2 lucky readers!  This giveaway is for U.S./Canada only and will end May 3.

Let's show these authors some love - for your first entry, please either friend them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter! 

For an additional entry, sign up to be a Google Friend Connect follower - or let me know if you already are!

God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours - GIVEAWAY!!!

God Never Blinks:

50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours

by Regina Brett

Already an internet phenomenon, these wise and insightful lessons by popular Cleveland newspaper columnist, Pulitzer Prize finalist, and cancer survivor Regina Brett will make you see the possibilities in your life in a whole new way.

When Regina Brett turned 50, she wrote a column on the 50 lessons life had taught her. She reflected on all she had learned through becoming a single parent, looking for love in all the wrong places, working on her relationship with God, battling cancer and making peace with a difficult childhood.

It became one of the most popular columns ever published in the newspaper, and since then the 50 lessons have been emailed to hundreds of thousands of people. Brett now takes the 50 lessons and expounds on them in essays that are deeply personal. From "Don't take yourself too seriously-Nobody else does" to "Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift," these lessons will strike a chord with anyone who has ever gone through tough times--and haven't we all?

Regina Brett has been a newspaper columnist for fourteen years, eight of them for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where her column appears three times a week and where she was a finalist in 2008 and 2009 for the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary. She also hosts a weekly radio show, "The Sound of Ideas," on the Cleveland NPR affiliate and speaks regularly to companies and not-for-profit organizations.

Find Regina Brett on Twitter and Facebook.

Giveaway

I have three copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) are there any life lessons that you have to share? Please leave your email address.

For additional entries:

1. Sign up to follow through Google Friend Connect (old followers let me know) - 2 entries for this one. (leave 2 comments)
2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about it. Please leave link in comments.
3. Post it on your blog - please leave link in your comments.

Each entry must have it's own comment. (Five entries total.)

This giveaway is for U.S/Canada only - no PO boxes.

It ends Apr 27.

Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz - Giveaway!

Admission

by Jean Hanff Korelitz

For years, thirty-eight-year-old Portia Nathan has hidden behind her busy -- and sometimes punishing -- career as a Princeton University admissions officer and her less than passionate relationship.  Then suddenly, the piece of her past that she has tried so hard to bury resurfaces, catapulting her on an extraordinary journey of the heart that challenges everything she ever thought she believed.  Soon, just as Portia must decide on the fates of thousands of bright students regarding their admission to Princeton, so too must she confront the life-altering decision she made long ago.

Admission is at once a fascinating look at the complex college admissions process and an emotional examination of what happens when the secrets of the past return and shake a woman's life to its core.

Jean Hanff Korelitz is the author of The White Rose, The Sabbathday River, and A Jury of Her Peers, as well as a children's novel and a poetry collection.  She was a part-time reader for Princeton's Office of Admission during the 2006 and 2007 admissions seasons.

Grand Central Publishing's interview with Jean on Blog Talk Radio.

You can find here a Reading Group Guide for Admission.

Giveaway

I have three copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) let's talk about colleges - If you went to college - where did you go? Or do you have kids in college now? (I attended Cornell College in Iowa, Sand Diego City College in San Diego and Barat College in Illinois) Please leave your email address.

For additional entries:

1. Sign up to follow through Google Friend Connect (old followers let me know) - 2 entries for this one. (leave 2 comments)

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about it. Please leave link in comments.

3. Post it on your blog - please leave link in your comments.
 

Each entry must have it's own comment. (Five entries total.)

This giveaway is for U.S/Canada only - no PO boxes.

It ends Apr 27.

Giveaway of The Cradle by Patrick Somerville

The Cradle

by Patrick Somerville

Early one summer morning, Matthew Bishop kisses his still-sleeping wife Marissa, gets dressed and eases his truck through Milwaukee, bound for the highway. His wife, pregnant with their first child, has asked him to find the antique cradle taken years before by her mother Caroline when she abandoned Marissa, never to contact her daughter again. Soon to be a mother herself, Marissa now dreams of nothing else but bringing her baby home to the cradle she herself slept in. His wife does not know-does not want to know-where her mother lives, but Matt has an address for Caroline's sister near by and with any luck, he will be home in time for dinner.

Only as Matt tries to track down his wife's mother, he discovers that Caroline, upon leaving Marissa, has led a life increasingly plagued by impulse and irrationality, a mysterious life that grows more inexplicable with each new lead Matt gains, and door he enters. As hours turn into days and Caroline's trail takes Matt from Wisconsin to Minnesota, Illinois, and beyond in search of the cradle, Matt makes a discovery that will forever change Marissa's life, and faces a decision that will challenge everything he has ever known.

Elegant and astonishing, Patrick Somerville tells the story of one man's journey into the heart of marriage, parenthood, and what it means to be a family. Confirming the arrival of an exuberantly talented new writer, THE CRADLE is an uniquely imaginative debut novel that radiates with wisdom and wonder.

Reading Group Guide

Giveaway


I have three copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT)if you have children, was there anything that you REALLY wanted when you brought your baby(babies) home from the hospital?   Please leave your email address.


For additional entries:

1. Sign up to follow through Google Friend Connect (old followers let me know) - 2 entries for this one. (leave 2 comments)

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about it. Please leave link in comments.

3. Post it on your blog - please leave link in your comments.

Each entry must have it's own comment. (Five entries total.)


This giveaway is for U.S/Canada only - no PO boxes.
It ends April 26.

Forget Me Not - Blog Tour and Giveaway! (tour Apr 12 - 16)

Forget Me Not

by Vicki Hinze

Touring Apr 12 - 16

 

A mother who cannot face her future.

THEIR ELUSIVE ENEMIES TOOK EVERYTHING. NOW THEY WANT MORE.

Crossroads Crisis Center owner Benjamin Brandt was a content man—in his faith, his work, and his family. Then in a flash, everything he loved was snatched away. His wife and son were murdered, and grief-stricken Ben lost faith. Determination to find their killers keeps him going, but after three years of dead ends and torment, his hope is dying too. Why had he survived? He’d failed to protect his family.

Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help—a victim who eerily resembles Ben’s deceased wife, Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith—and Susan’s necklace.

The connections between the two women mount, exceeding coincidence, and to keep the truth hidden, someone is willing to kill. Finding out who and why turns Ben and the mystery woman’s situation from dangerous to deadly. Their only hope for survival is to work together, trust each other, and face whatever they discover head on, no matter how painful. But will that be enough to save their lives and heal their tattered hearts?

Vicki Hinze is an award-winning author of twenty-three novels, three nonfiction books, and hundreds of articles. Selected for Who’s Who in America in 2004 as a writer and educator, Hinze is active in Romance Writers of America and serves as a Vice President on the International Thriller Writers Board of Directors. Vicki lives in Florida with her artist husband, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel.

I have one extra copy of this book to giveaway so just leave me a comment if you are interested.  Please leave your email address.

This giveaway is open to U.S. only and will end April 26.

Just Let Me Lie Down - Book Give Away!

This book is for moms who work, moms who work from home, and moms whose work IS home.

Just Let Me Lie Down

by Kristin van Ogtrop

Kristin van Ogtrop has a nice career, a dependable husband, and three healthy kids who occasionally make their beds. You could say she is average, but lucky. You could also say she is half-insane -- but just try to name one working mom who isn't.  Like all of us, van Ogtrop needs a bit of guidance from time to time. Yet when she searched the bookshelves for something to help put a little order into her average/lucky/chaotic life, she came up short. And so she had an idea.

In Just Let Me Lie Down, van Ogtrop providces a new lexicon for the half-insane working mom. Using experiences and insights from her own life, she presents terms and concepts to illustrate the highs (children who know where their soccer cleats are, coworkers who never hit, "Reply to All," dogs who helpfully eat whatever falls from the table) and lows (getting out of the house in the morning, getting along with everyone at work, getting dinner made before everyone starves, getting willful kids into bed) of trying to combine work and family in the same life.

Filled with essays, lists, poignant observations, and more than a few embarrassing stories, Just Let Me Lie Down shows that if you can't laugh at the nonsense that is daily life for the working mom, then you might need to reconsider your entire existence, or at least take a nap.

Kristin van Ogtrop is the editor of Real Simple magazine. Her essay "Attila the Honey I'm Home" appeared in the New York Times bestseller The Bitch in the House, and her blog, "Adventures in Chaos," appears on RealSimple.com. She lives outside New York City with her husband, a dog, and three children, whom she loves very much, even though they insist on playing too many sports.

Giveaway


I have three copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) just leave me a comment. Please leave your email address.


For additional entries:

1. Sign up to follow through Google Friend Connect (old followers let me know) - 2 entries for this one. (leave 2 comments)

2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about it. Please leave link in comments.

3. Post it on your blog - please leave link in your comments.

BONUS ENTRY:  Sign up for the NING Group - Just Let Me Lie Down

Each entry must have it's own comment. (Six entries total.)

This giveaway is for U.S/Canada only - no PO boxes.
It ends Apr 26.

Moms - I have a giveaway for you!

Mommy Power:
Discovering Your Mommy Strength

by Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman

Many women struggle with being mothers. The great joys of parenting are hindered by harsh self-doubt and a chronic lack of physical and emotional energy. In MOMMY POWER, Sheila Schuller Coleman helps women understand that while they really don't have the power or strength to handle the demands of motherhood alone, they don't have to. Mommy strength, Sheila says, comes from asking God to lend some of His, knowing He will never fail to provide. God will enable anyone who asks to become a powerful mother who loves strong, forgives strong, and models a strong faith.

Author Bio: Sheila Schuller Coleman has a doctorate in educational leadership and administration. For over a decade she has worked in both the public and private school arenas, mentoring schoolteachers, principals, and preschool directors. Sheila is currently senior pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Jim, and they are the parents of four children. You can contact Sheila and read her column at www.crystalcathedral.org/Sheila.

Giveaway

I have three copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. For your first entry (MUST DO THIS ONE FOR ANY OTHER ENTRIES TO COUNT) other than God's power - for fun, what super power would help you be a better mother? Please leave your email address.

For additional entries you can sign up to follow (old followers let me know), Twitter or post it on your blog. Each entry must have it's own comment. (Four entries total.)

This giveaway is for U.S./Canada only - no PO boxes.
It ends Apr 23.

My Own Personal Interview with Libby Malin and Giveaway!

Hi Libby, Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for me today!  Let's get right to it.

1. You have written romantic comedies, mysteries for young adults and one historical - is any genre a favorite over any other?

Whatever I’m writing at the moment is my favorite! When I’m writing romantic comedies, I start thinking to myself, “Wow, I should just write these all the time.” Then I get an itch to write something more serious, and I start thinking, “Hmm, this is where my strength is, in these brooding tales.” Maybe I need to see a psychiatrist!

2. I don't think you need to see a psychiatrist!  I think it is great that you love whatever it is you are writing - I think this is reflected in your books! You are trained as a singer and performed on stage before becoming a writer - if money were not an issue, what would your dream job be?

If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would still write fiction. When I came to that realization years ago, I knew I had found my calling.

3. What do you feel your strengths are and how have they helped your writing?

A vivid imagination, a sense of humor, some keen powers of observation, and, of course, my stunning physical beauty – these are all my strengths. Seriously, the first three items in that list help me as a writer for obvious reasons. I think being able to observe people and puzzle out motivations helps an awful lot. I also think being able to think of “what if” questions (vivid imagination) helps launch stories. Other than that, writing is a craft and it takes lots of practice to hone one’s skills. I also do some freelance editing and that has helped me tremendously—seeing what does and doesn’t work in other manuscripts.

4. What do you feel your weaknesses are as a writer and how have you overcome them?

My weakness as a writer is I care too much. Seriously, my weakness is probably a tendency to “gild the lily.” By that I mean to overwrite, to use two adjectives when one (or none) would do. Often when I edit, I end up cutting a lot of “gilt” from the book. I need to perfect the art of gilt-free writing.

5. If you could have written any book in history, what would it be and why?

Oh, that’s a tough one. I have some favorite books, books that I’ve read and re-read because I absolutely adore them. But to think of having written them myself seems so. . . presumptuous, I guess. Here’s one that I re-read last year and recommend highly – the Pulitzer-prize-winning Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Such a beautiful book, filled with inspiration and serenity and, well, godliness. It’s not a comedy but a serious book, a trip through memory. As a writer, when I finish a book like that, I do sigh and think, “I wish I could write like this.”

6. Has there ever been a book that you have "faked" reading?

Please do not tell my high school teachers, but I did not read Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness or Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. But that didn’t stop me from writing papers about them.

7. While writing, do you have any "must haves" or favorite places that help to facilitate the process?

I’m fortunate to have a small office in my house that overlooks the back yard where we have a garden complete with bird bath. I love to sit at my desk and watch the birds frolic in the bath. My office also contains various mementoes that cheer me – framed copies of my book covers, funny little gifts from my kids, three very romantic prints of pre-Raphaelite paintings. That room is my favorite and most comfortable writing spot. But I can pretty much write anywhere if the muse visits me with inspiration. My only “must have” is a computer. I can no longer write longhand. I become too impatient.

8. What question have you never been asked in an interview but wished you were?

Question: Why should I buy your books?
Answer: Because they’re engrossing stories about people you’ll recognize—folks with the same insecurities most of us have faced at one point or another—who go on incredible personal journeys of self-discovery—sometimes funny, sometimes difficult and filled with sorrow—but always ending up the better for their struggles. And. . . if you don’t buy my books, I will be very, very, very sad. Extremely sad. And my publishers will be sadder. And when they’re sad, they don’t like to buy manuscripts from me. That have this amazingly silly preoccupation with numbers—numbers of books sold. I know, I know—it’s preposterous. But that’s the way of the publishing world. So if you want to see more books from me, well . . . please, oh please oh please oh please, buy a copy of My Own Personal Soap Opera. And other books by me. Buy multiple copies. Give them away as gifts. Leave them on subways or trains and buy fresh copies. Thank you.

Okay readers - We want to make Libby's publishers happy - so get out there and buy her books!

MY OWN PERSONAL SOAP OPERA

BY LIBBY MALIN

IN STORES APRIL 2010

Is life stranger than fiction, or vice versa?

Frankie McNally has found the perfect solution for life’s perplexing problems: as head writer for the daytime soap Lust for Life, she works them out on the air!

Meanwhile, Frankie’s being courted simultaneously by the dashing older man sent in to save the show’s sagging ratings and by the soap’s totally hot leading man. And just when Frankie thinks the plot couldn’t get more complicated, a jewel thief starts copying the show’s storyline-a development that could send the show’s ratings soaring, if it doesn’t get Frankie arrested first...

In her signature blending of the hilarious with the poignant, Libby Malin’s latest light-hearted novel combines the best of life and of fiction into an entertaining and incredibly satisfying read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Libby Malin is published in women’s fiction, including Fire Me, and is an Edgar nominated YA mystery writer. She’s worked in public relations, as an education reform advocate, and was a member of the Vermont Commission on Women. She lives with her husband and three children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. For more information please visit http://www.libbysbooks.com/.

Ok - I can hear all of you asking - What about the giveaway? 

A big thank you to Danielle and Sourcebooks for allowing me to giveaway 2 copies of My Own Personal Soap Opera!  This giveaway is open to US/Canada and will end Apr 23. 

To enter:  Please visit Libby at one of the following places - Libby's Books, Libby's Books Blog, Lunch Reads or her daughter's blog - Bedford Square, and tell me something you learn.  Please leave an email address with your comment.  Must do this to enter.

For an additional entry, sign up to be a Google Friend follower (and if you already are - just let me know).