I have so much to catch up on.
I have challenges to sign up for.
I sort of changed my blog name for the new year as well.....
Here's to changes in the new year!
12/31/09
12/30/09
Waiting On Wednesday
Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine and is a wonderful tradition.
Captivate by Carrie Jones
Product Details
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (January 5, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599903423
ISBN-13: 978-1599903422
Product Description
Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.
A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.
About the Author
Carrie Jones is an award-winning author who recently graduated from Vermont College's MFA program. In addition to penning Need, she is the author of the YA novels Girl, Hero; Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape); and Tips on Having a Gay (Ex)-Boyfriend, which was nominated for a YALSA Quick Pick and won the Maine Literary Award as well as the Independent Book Publisher Award (the IPPY) . Her upcoming picture book Moe Berg, the Spy who Played Baseball (from David Godine) is being illustrated by Barry Moser. Carrie lives in Ellsworth, Maine.
www.carriejonesbooks.com
http://www.needpixies.com/
12/29/09
Doxie Moxie: Little Dog, Big Attitude by Melissa Sovey (Book Review 222)
ABSOULTELY LOVED IT
This little book is just like the dachsunds it is about. It uses the alphabetical word to describe each characteristic of my favorite breed.
The best thing in the whole book is a quote from Freud:
"When rejected by his father he became industrious and motivated; when rejected by his mother he became proudly independent; when rejected by his siblings he became deeply compassionate; but when rejected by the family dachshund he became a complete nut case."
Product Description
Guts, spunk, nerve, grit - all describe the short-statured and decidedly spirited dachshund. Herr Schnappsie, a venerable doxie with moxie in his own right, relates what being a dachshund is all about accompanied by hilarious color photographs of every type of dachshund. Photos are paired with text on being plucky, dauntless, and as tough (and sweet) as a doxie.
About the Author
Melissa Sovey is the author of Horse Wisdom, HorseWomen, 101 Uses for a Horse, and the award-winning If I Had A Horse.
Product Details
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Willow Creek Press (September 10, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595436391
ISBN-13: 978-1595436399
Obtained From: Christmas Gift
Secret Society by Tom Dolby (Book Review 221)
REALLY LIKED IT
The plot revovles around a New York private school and of course a secret soctiety that promises to make you successful. I know I have read stories like this in the past and this one did a good job of suspense and building the story, but I just couldn't shake the feeling of deja vu.
I really liked most of the characters, even the ones that were borderline redeemed themselves, although the whole thing seemed a little flat towards the end. There is enough alcohol in the book to make a frat boy wince and a few drug references. Nothing more than a few kisses, so no worries in that department. Overall, a decent read that I am sure a teen would love to get their hands on.
Product Description
Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone. . . .
An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York's wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about.
They didn't ask to be Society members. But when three of them receive a mysterious text message promising success and fame beyond belief, they say yes to everything—even to the harrowing initiation ceremony in a gritty warehouse downtown and to the ankh-shaped tattoo they're forced to get on the nape of their necks. Once they're part of the Society, things begin falling into place for them. Week after week, their ambitions are fulfilled. It's all perfect—until a body is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks except for an ankh-shaped tattoo.
Tom Dolby makes his teen fiction debut with this riveting novel about a dangerous society so secret that once you get in, you can never get out.
About the Author
Tom Dolby is the author of the novels The Sixth Form and The Trouble Boy. He was born in London, raised in San Francisco, and now divides his time between Manhattan's West Village and Wainscott, New York. He is a graduate of Yale University, where he received his BA in the history of art. This is his first book for young adults.
Product Details
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen; 1 edition (September 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006172162X
ISBN-13: 978-0061721625
Obtained From: FR book ring
Nanny Returns: A Novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (Book Review 220)
Nanny Returns: A Novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
LOVED IT
The plot is a little far-fetched, but a pleasant distraction. I was glad to see Nan finally stand up to Mrs X, although it took most of the book to get her back bone. You can easily see how giving people like Nan end up falling into the same trap of over compensating for something that isn't her responsibility. It did have the requisite happy ending!
Product Description
Now she's back. After living abroad for twelve years, she and her husband, Ryan, aka H.H., have returned to New York to make a life for themselves. In the midst of getting her new business off the ground and fixing up their fixer-upper, Ryan announces his sudden desire to start a family. His timing simply couldn't be worse.
To compound the mounting construction and marital chaos, her former charge, Grayer X, now sixteen years old, makes a drunken, late-night visit, wanting to know why she abandoned him all those years ago. But how can she explain to Grayer what she still hasn't come to terms with herself? In an attempt to assuage her guilt, yet against every instinct, Nan tries to help Grayer and his younger brother, Stilton, through their parents' brutal divorce, drawing her back into the ever-bizarre life of Mrs. X and her Upper East Side enclave of power and privilege.
After putting miles and years between herself and this world, Nan finds she's once again on the front line of the battle with the couture-clad elite for their children's wellbeing.
With its whip-smart dialogue and keen observations of modern life, Nanny Returns gives a firsthand tour of what happens when a community that chose money over love finds itself with neither.
The Nanny Diaries was made into a major motion picture.
About the Author
Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin are the authors of The Nanny Diaries and Citizen Girl. They live and work in New York City. Please visit their website at http://www.emmaandnicola.com/.
Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Atria (December 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416585672
ISBN-13: 978-1416585671
Obtained From: Public Library
New Year - New Blog Design Contest | Parajunkee's View
New Year - New Blog Design Contest | Parajunkee's View
Pretty cool, right? I would love a new design.
Want a new look for the New Year??
Enter the New Year - New Blog Design Contest right here at Parajunkee's View.Pretty cool, right? I would love a new design.
12/27/09
Mindful Musings: 400 Followers Giveaway! (International)
Mindful Musings: 400 Followers Giveaway! (International)
Go check this out, you can win your choice of several books and the contest is open worldwide!
Go check this out, you can win your choice of several books and the contest is open worldwide!
12/26/09
Squirrels win in Canada....oh noes.....
Published December 24, 2009
LOCAL NEWS
Bylaw to stop dogs from chasing squirrels, seagulls
Jenny Wagler/Staff Writer
Sechelt dogs that "without provocation" chase any animal — be it a rat, squirrel, seagull, bear or cougar — would violate a dog licensing and control amendment bylaw that passed three readings at the Dec. 16 council meeting.
The first draft of the bylaw, prepared by District of Sechelt staff, would only have stopped dogs from chasing, biting or attacking domesticated animals. But at committee of the whole Dec. 9, Coun. Keith Thirkell suggested expanding the bylaw to include wild animals and birds as well. Thirkell argued that this would bring it in line with provincial and federal legislation that protects various wild animals, including migratory birds and endangered species.
Councillors Fred Taylor and Alice Janisch voted against the bylaw.
"People have given me examples where their dog has run after seagulls and that would be a crime [if we pass this bylaw]," Taylor said. "One individual has talked to me about their dog chasing a rat in their yard. That would be a crime. People have talked again about bears in the park and how their dog ran after the bear to defend them and save them from being attacked. That would be a crime. I just think we're unnecessarily criminalizing behaviour in our community."
Coun. Ann Kershaw said the clause "without provocation" was key, and that she hoped common sense would guide how the bylaw gets enforced.
"I've thought it over and I think that if a coyote was in my yard, then I think that's provocation in itself," she said. "It depends on your interpretation of provocation. And a bird fluttering away in front of a dog, that's provocation."
Thirkell asked staff to clarify if the bylaw would be enforced differently for incidents that occurred on people's private property.
"If you look at it from practical terms, it's highly unlikely our bylaw enforcement officer would be as concerned with something occurring on somebody's private property, because there's a good chance nobody would be complaining about it," District director of corporate services Jo-Anne Frank said. "But if somebody saw a dog chasing a bird and had an issue with it, and it says in our bylaw that that's an offence, then theoretically our bylaw enforcement officers would be reacting to that complaint and enforcing the provisions of the bylaw."
© Copyright 2009, Coast Reporter
Story URL: http://www.coastreporter.net/article/20091224/SECHELT0101/312249977/-1/SECHELT0101/bylaw-to-stop-dogs-from-chasing-squirrels-seagulls
LOCAL NEWS
Bylaw to stop dogs from chasing squirrels, seagulls
Jenny Wagler/Staff Writer
Sechelt dogs that "without provocation" chase any animal — be it a rat, squirrel, seagull, bear or cougar — would violate a dog licensing and control amendment bylaw that passed three readings at the Dec. 16 council meeting.
The first draft of the bylaw, prepared by District of Sechelt staff, would only have stopped dogs from chasing, biting or attacking domesticated animals. But at committee of the whole Dec. 9, Coun. Keith Thirkell suggested expanding the bylaw to include wild animals and birds as well. Thirkell argued that this would bring it in line with provincial and federal legislation that protects various wild animals, including migratory birds and endangered species.
Councillors Fred Taylor and Alice Janisch voted against the bylaw.
"People have given me examples where their dog has run after seagulls and that would be a crime [if we pass this bylaw]," Taylor said. "One individual has talked to me about their dog chasing a rat in their yard. That would be a crime. People have talked again about bears in the park and how their dog ran after the bear to defend them and save them from being attacked. That would be a crime. I just think we're unnecessarily criminalizing behaviour in our community."
Coun. Ann Kershaw said the clause "without provocation" was key, and that she hoped common sense would guide how the bylaw gets enforced.
"I've thought it over and I think that if a coyote was in my yard, then I think that's provocation in itself," she said. "It depends on your interpretation of provocation. And a bird fluttering away in front of a dog, that's provocation."
Thirkell asked staff to clarify if the bylaw would be enforced differently for incidents that occurred on people's private property.
"If you look at it from practical terms, it's highly unlikely our bylaw enforcement officer would be as concerned with something occurring on somebody's private property, because there's a good chance nobody would be complaining about it," District director of corporate services Jo-Anne Frank said. "But if somebody saw a dog chasing a bird and had an issue with it, and it says in our bylaw that that's an offence, then theoretically our bylaw enforcement officers would be reacting to that complaint and enforcing the provisions of the bylaw."
© Copyright 2009, Coast Reporter
Story URL: http://www.coastreporter.net/article/20091224/SECHELT0101/312249977/-1/SECHELT0101/bylaw-to-stop-dogs-from-chasing-squirrels-seagulls
12/23/09
Another Dog Calendar Giveway! Ends 1.1.10
I have one more small dog calendar to give away. This is really cute and can be used as a mousepad. Sorry, no pic yet.
Please leave a comment here with a way to contact you.
Additional entries and please leave one comment for each entry.
+1 Follower
+1 post this someplace and leave a link (one entry for each post)
+1 leave a comment each day...
+1 whatever you can think of!
OPEN WORLDWIDE....
Please leave a comment here with a way to contact you.
Additional entries and please leave one comment for each entry.
+1 Follower
+1 post this someplace and leave a link (one entry for each post)
+1 leave a comment each day...
+1 whatever you can think of!
OPEN WORLDWIDE....
War vets, shelter dogs heal together in program
A nice story for the day --
War vets, shelter dogs heal together in program from MSNBC
updated 10:14 a.m. PT, Wed., Dec . 23, 2009
WASHINGTON - Dave Sharpe was troubled by thoughts he could not share after he returned from a tour in Iraq. "I found myself waking up in the middle of the night, punching holes in walls, kicking and beating the refrigerator door," he said.
Then one day, the former Air Force senior airman went with a friend to a local pit bull rescue and took home a puppy, Cheyenne. Next time he found himself kicking something, "I saw this puppy, cocking her head, looking up at me, like, what are you doing?"
Finally, Sharpe had someone he could open up to. "I froze, I put down my drink, I picked her up and laid with her in my bed," he said. "I cried and I told her the whole story. I didn't feel judged."
The experience inspired Sharpe, who lives in Washington's Virginia suburbs, to start Pets2Vets, a group that pairs veterans with homeless pets by arranging adoptions of shelter animals. It has made two or three matches a week since its start in October.
One of the goals of Pets2Vets is to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder. Sharpe says that while a few groups provide veterans with service dogs, many PTSD and traumatic brain injury patients do not qualify for these programs. Even when they do, because of the stigma still attached to psychological problems, they may hesitate to apply.
A reason to go on Cheyenne showed, however, that even a "regular" dog can work miracles, Sharpe believes, and former Army Staff Sgt. Will "Ace" Acevedo agrees. Acevedo took Xena, a Jack Russell mix puppy, home to North Carolina at the beginning of December.
"She's done wonders for me," he says.
Diagnosed with PTSD in 2003, Acevedo says medication can do only so much. Xena gives him something else to think about instead of feeling sorry for himself, and with an energetic puppy in a house with brand-new carpets, he has plenty to concentrate on.
"Instead of you focusing on yourself and your battle wounds, you focus on the dog," he says.
And like Sharpe, he says, "I talk to her. I tell her how I feel. She looks at me like, `Don't worry buddy, everything's going to be all right,' and she licks my face."
Currently, veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the DC VA Hospital are adopting pets from the Washington Animal Rescue League, where staff help make the right match. Ray Crook of suburban Maryland says that when he visited the shelter and talked about what his family wanted in a dog, the staff brought out Meyer and "it was love at first sight."
After just a few weeks, Meyer, a medium-sized shepherd-Akita mix, "feels like he's been part of my family for a very long time," he says. The dog loves the grandchildren, but he's also especially attached to Crook, who says "I should have named him Shadow — he follows me everywhere."
Donna Crook, left, her grandson Rico, center, and her husband former Army sergeant Raymond Crook, play with Meyer, a 3-year-old Shepard/Akita mix.
Crook, a former Army sergeant who has diabetes, says his long walks and talks with Meyer are good for his health.
"I take my medication for depression, but he's really healthy for me mentally and spiritually," he says.
Washington Animal Rescue League director Gary Weitzman says the partnership with Pets2Vets was an ideal fit for their organization, which has in the past worked with veterans at nearby Walter Reed on an individual basis. Pets can be matched with vets up to two months before their discharge date and make weekly visits with them; there also are volunteer opportunities, to spend time with shelter animals, for soldiers who cannot yet be matched with pets of their own.
Plans to expand across the country
It is a win-win situation for the shelter and the vets, Weitzman says: "We provide them a healing environment, to continue their recovery, but they also help our animals, many of which are recovering from traumas themselves."
With the success of their pilot program, Pets2Vets plans to expand early next year to additional shelters in the DC area and then across the country in partnership with local veterans organizations.
Sharpe says his long-term goal is to extend the program to police, fire and rescue personnel and victims of natural disasters and other traumas. While helping the estimated 10 to 12 million cases of PTSD in this country, he says, "imagine saving the lives of that many dogs and cats."
Of course, Sharpe would add that it is not just the animals who are being saved.
"She saved me," he said, talking about Cheyenne.
War vets, shelter dogs heal together in program from MSNBC
updated 10:14 a.m. PT, Wed., Dec . 23, 2009
WASHINGTON - Dave Sharpe was troubled by thoughts he could not share after he returned from a tour in Iraq. "I found myself waking up in the middle of the night, punching holes in walls, kicking and beating the refrigerator door," he said.
Then one day, the former Air Force senior airman went with a friend to a local pit bull rescue and took home a puppy, Cheyenne. Next time he found himself kicking something, "I saw this puppy, cocking her head, looking up at me, like, what are you doing?"
Finally, Sharpe had someone he could open up to. "I froze, I put down my drink, I picked her up and laid with her in my bed," he said. "I cried and I told her the whole story. I didn't feel judged."
The experience inspired Sharpe, who lives in Washington's Virginia suburbs, to start Pets2Vets, a group that pairs veterans with homeless pets by arranging adoptions of shelter animals. It has made two or three matches a week since its start in October.
One of the goals of Pets2Vets is to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder. Sharpe says that while a few groups provide veterans with service dogs, many PTSD and traumatic brain injury patients do not qualify for these programs. Even when they do, because of the stigma still attached to psychological problems, they may hesitate to apply.
A reason to go on Cheyenne showed, however, that even a "regular" dog can work miracles, Sharpe believes, and former Army Staff Sgt. Will "Ace" Acevedo agrees. Acevedo took Xena, a Jack Russell mix puppy, home to North Carolina at the beginning of December.
"She's done wonders for me," he says.
Diagnosed with PTSD in 2003, Acevedo says medication can do only so much. Xena gives him something else to think about instead of feeling sorry for himself, and with an energetic puppy in a house with brand-new carpets, he has plenty to concentrate on.
"Instead of you focusing on yourself and your battle wounds, you focus on the dog," he says.
And like Sharpe, he says, "I talk to her. I tell her how I feel. She looks at me like, `Don't worry buddy, everything's going to be all right,' and she licks my face."
Currently, veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the DC VA Hospital are adopting pets from the Washington Animal Rescue League, where staff help make the right match. Ray Crook of suburban Maryland says that when he visited the shelter and talked about what his family wanted in a dog, the staff brought out Meyer and "it was love at first sight."
After just a few weeks, Meyer, a medium-sized shepherd-Akita mix, "feels like he's been part of my family for a very long time," he says. The dog loves the grandchildren, but he's also especially attached to Crook, who says "I should have named him Shadow — he follows me everywhere."
Donna Crook, left, her grandson Rico, center, and her husband former Army sergeant Raymond Crook, play with Meyer, a 3-year-old Shepard/Akita mix.
Crook, a former Army sergeant who has diabetes, says his long walks and talks with Meyer are good for his health.
"I take my medication for depression, but he's really healthy for me mentally and spiritually," he says.
Washington Animal Rescue League director Gary Weitzman says the partnership with Pets2Vets was an ideal fit for their organization, which has in the past worked with veterans at nearby Walter Reed on an individual basis. Pets can be matched with vets up to two months before their discharge date and make weekly visits with them; there also are volunteer opportunities, to spend time with shelter animals, for soldiers who cannot yet be matched with pets of their own.
Plans to expand across the country
It is a win-win situation for the shelter and the vets, Weitzman says: "We provide them a healing environment, to continue their recovery, but they also help our animals, many of which are recovering from traumas themselves."
With the success of their pilot program, Pets2Vets plans to expand early next year to additional shelters in the DC area and then across the country in partnership with local veterans organizations.
Sharpe says his long-term goal is to extend the program to police, fire and rescue personnel and victims of natural disasters and other traumas. While helping the estimated 10 to 12 million cases of PTSD in this country, he says, "imagine saving the lives of that many dogs and cats."
Of course, Sharpe would add that it is not just the animals who are being saved.
"She saved me," he said, talking about Cheyenne.
Waiting On Wednesday
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
The third and final book in the paranormal teen series that includes The New York Times bestseller Wake and Fade.
About the Author
Lisa McMann is also the author of Wake. She lives with her family in the Phoenix area. Read more about Lisa at http://lisamcmann.com or be her friend at http://www.myspace.com/lisamcmann.
Product Details
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (February 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416979182
ISBN-13: 978-1416979180
12/20/09
Giveaways extended until 1.3.09!
Please keep entering for the giveaways posted on the side of my blog...you can post a comment everyday to enter!
AND THE WINNERS ARE:
For the Mystery Box:
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net.
Nancy won these Advance Reader Copies!
And the ARCs are:
The winner of the puppy calendar is:
christinbanda at yahoo dot com
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net.
Nancy won these Advance Reader Copies!
The winner of the second group of ARCs is
lovemykidsandbooks AT gmail DOT com
And the ARCs are:
The winner of the puppy calendar is:
christinbanda at yahoo dot com
12/19/09
worst. week. ever.
Last Sunday morning I got the call that all parents dread, no not the jail one, the one that says "Mom, something is really wrong, my chest hurts". This was 9:45am and the health center at school opened at 10am so I told my son to head over there and as he was walking across campus, the pain got worse and he called me back. I told him to call 911. So he got paramedics and a trip to the ER....because...his lung collapsed! OK, he is a really healthy kid with nothing wrong with him except skateboard injuries. He is 21, tall and thin and according to the doctors this is more likely to happen in that body type. No reason for it--it just happens. The full medical name for this is: Spontaneous Pneumothorax. So he had a vaccuum tube stuck in his chest for the last five days to capture the leaking air from his lung. He had it removed yesterday and two x-rays later, he is back to somewhat normal. He has to have one more x-ray next week to make sure it is truly healed.
12/18/09
Additional book giveaway -- THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS BY KELLY GAY
I have another copy of The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay to a lucky winner courtesy of Sarah at Pocket Books.....go here to enter
Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!: Day Eighteen: Maze Runner contest!
Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!: Day Eighteen: Maze Runner contest!
Stop on by and enter -- I just did!
Stop on by and enter -- I just did!
12/17/09
GIVEAWAY The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay (Book Review 220)
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
I was so excited to get my hands on this book and it was everything I wanted: Intricate world building that was such a pleasure to read and I loved how the author slipped in details along the way. Great characters that made me want to spend more time with them. (I am sooo buying the second one in the series the minute it is released!) And a plot that follows through. For a debut, this one is amazing. Charlie Madigan is right up with Jazz Parks for me.
Product Description
Atlanta: it's the promised city for the off-worlders, foreigners from the alternate dimensions of heaven-like Elysia and hell-like Charbydon. Some bring good works and miracles. And some bring unimaginable evil....
Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. She's recently returned from the dead after a brutal attack, an unexplained revival that has left her plagued by ruthless nightmares and random outbursts of strength that make doing her job for Atlanta P.D.'s Integration Task Force even harder. Since the Revelation, the criminal element in Underground Atlanta has grown, leaving Charlie and her partner Hank to keep the chaos to a dull roar. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash. Charlie is determined to uncover the source of ash before it targets another victim -- but can she protect those she loves from a force more powerful than heaven and hell combined?
About the Author:
http://www.kellygay.net/
Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Pocket (November 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439109656
ISBN-13: 978-1439109656
Obtained From: The Publisher
NOW THE GOOD PART:
You can enter to win this book from ME!! (my gently read copy)
AND -- another lucky winner will get a copy direct from POCKET BOOKS!
US and CANADA ONLY ENDS 1.3.10 PO BOXES ARE OK for my copy, NO PO BOXES for the one from Pocket!
Here is what you have to do:
Leave a separate comment for each entry, I know it is a pain but I am making you earn it!
+1 Leave a comment! (be sure that I can contact you)
+2 New Follower
+1 Follower
+1 Stop by every day just to say hello!
+1 For each Tweet that you leave a link for daily
+1 For each Post about this on any social site or your blog that you leave a link.
+3 Sign up to follow Kelly Gay at her blog HERE
Better Part of Darkness Blog Tour -- stop by and check out the other stops on the tour!
My Life in Not So Many Words: http://www.ziarias.blogspot.com/
Parajunkee’s View: http://parajunkee.blogspot.com/
Crazy Books & Reviews: http://lindsayphotobook.blogspot.com/
The Book Tree: http://thebooktree.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
Poisoned Rationality: http://lastexilewords.blogspot.com/
Found Not Lost: http://jmomfinds.amoores.com/
A Book Bloggers Diary: http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/
Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
My Adventures in Mommyland: http://musingmainiac.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
All About {n}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
Jen’s Book Talk: http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Chick with Books: http://www.chickwithbooks.blogspot.com/
Reading with Tequila: http://readingwithtequila.blogspot.com/
Pick of the Literate: http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/
Books Gardens & Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Revenge of the Booknerds: http://booknerdextraordinaire.blogspot.com/
You Wanna Know What I Think?: http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com/
Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm: http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/
Patricia’s Vampire Notes: http://patricias-vampire-notes.blogspot.com/
SciFi Guy: http://www.scifiguy.ca/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
Book Soulmates: http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/
Still looking for that perfect gift for a beer drinking dog lover?
Bark4Beer makes the world’s best dog collar: a retractable bottle opener and dog collar in one. That’s right, a bottle opener and dog collar in one. That means, no more searching for a bottle opener around your house, or at a pool party, bbq, or even at the beach — just call over your favorite four-legged friend. Add “fetch me a beer” to your dog’s bag of tricks. Our Bark4Beer dog collar makes a great gift for you, your loved one, fraternity brother, college roommate, hunting friends, tailgate posse and of course your dog. Bring out your inner party animal today.
I don't remember "fetch me a beer" discussed in Hollywood Barks, but I could imagine this would be a popular trick at frat parties.
12/16/09
Waiting On Wednesday
Life as I Know It: A Novel by Melanie Rose (Paperback - Feb 16, 2010)
Product Description
What if you had the chance to live someone else’s life? Full of heart and soul, here is a captivating novel about the choices we make for family and love—and how sometimes a total stranger is the person we really need to be.
Jessica Taylor is walking her dog in the rain when she meets the man of her dreams—only to be struck by lightning moments later. When she wakes up in the hospital, the doctors insist she’s someone else: Lauren Richardson, wife and mother of four.
Lauren’s husband wants nothing more than for life to get back to normal—complete with a well-organized house and very properly behaved children. But Lauren’s kids haven’t been allowed to have much fun, and one of them has special needs. Can Jessica embrace this family of strangers and become the wife and mother they need? As she struggles to find her way in this new life—and the way back to her old life—she reconnects with Lauren’s estranged sister and discovers a secret that could rip the family apart.
Now, torn between Lauren’s responsibilities to her family and Jessica’s chance at love, one woman is about to find out whether the road not taken leads to happiness—or to heartbreak.
About the Author
Melanie Rose was an avid reader from an early age and found herself looking at the world around her and wondering “what if?” She began writing as a teenager, progressing to short stories and articles for magazines and newspapers. She trained as a nursery nurse and later became a play therapist on the children’s ward at the Royal Marsden Hospital, continuing to write in her spare time.
Her first novel was voted one of the favorite reads of the year by listeners of Britain Radio 4’s Open Book program.
She now lives in Surrey with her husband and four sons, who, along with many of the children she has cared for, provide much inspiration for her books.
12/15/09
phoDOGraphy --- cool book shelves!
I saw these online and thought they were the coolest thing. I am starting a weekly post about cool dog pictures I find. They kinda look like dachshunds, don't they?
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥Princess Bookie♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: Last Call!!!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥Princess Bookie♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: Last Call!!!
There are always fantastic giveaways on Cindy's site and I am using this post to test a new gadget thingy I just installed on Firefox -- let's see if this link works...
So by now you've heard of the 12 blogs of Christmas, or at least you better have! HAHA!
This is the last call for extra entries until Saturday (my day, day 8). But since this is a one time deal, heres the way to get extra entries....
For those who want the extra entries, you can blog (it must be a blog post) about this upcoming contest for 10 extra entries into contest. If you do this, please leave a comment with the link in the comments section here, so I can add it into the entry form on Saturday. (If you did this a few weeks ago, you still got the extra entries, this is a whole other way to get entries).
A Little Hint On One Of The Books Included In The Contest.
From the minute Lani meets Jason, she can't deny the intense connection they share. It feels like she's known him forever. She's not sure if he feels it, too. But it doesn't matter. Because Jason is Erin's boyfriend.
Want The 10 Extra Entries? All You Have To Do Is Blog About It and Link To Me! Easy!
There are always fantastic giveaways on Cindy's site and I am using this post to test a new gadget thingy I just installed on Firefox -- let's see if this link works...
So by now you've heard of the 12 blogs of Christmas, or at least you better have! HAHA!
This is the last call for extra entries until Saturday (my day, day 8). But since this is a one time deal, heres the way to get extra entries....
For those who want the extra entries, you can blog (it must be a blog post) about this upcoming contest for 10 extra entries into contest. If you do this, please leave a comment with the link in the comments section here, so I can add it into the entry form on Saturday. (If you did this a few weeks ago, you still got the extra entries, this is a whole other way to get entries).
A Little Hint On One Of The Books Included In The Contest.
From the minute Lani meets Jason, she can't deny the intense connection they share. It feels like she's known him forever. She's not sure if he feels it, too. But it doesn't matter. Because Jason is Erin's boyfriend.
Want The 10 Extra Entries? All You Have To Do Is Blog About It and Link To Me! Easy!
12/13/09
GIVEAWAY-- FALLEN BY LAUREN KATE ends 1.3.10
YOU WANT IT, RIGHT?
You can win my ARC copy, gently read. I use bookmarks! This contest is open to US and Canada and PO Boxes are OK. I am paying for shipping.
Product Description
There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.
About the Author
Lauren Kate recently finished her M.A. in Creative Writing at UC Davis, where she also teaches. She lives and writes in an old farm house in Winters, California. Her first novel, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove goes on sale one month before Fallen.
Please use a separate comment for each entry:
+1 Leave a comment! (be sure that I can contact you)
+2 New Follower
+1 Follower
+1 Stop by every day just to say hello!
+1 For each Tweet that you leave a link for daily
+1 For each Post about this on any social site or your blog that you leave a link.
12/12/09
Win The Little Giant of Aberdeen Country
All About N is giving away a copy of this wonderful book -- go check it out HERE
You have to read this rescue tail.....
Esme over at Chocolate and Croissants has a very heart warming tale about a traffic ticket turning into a kitten rescue....Check it out HERE
12/11/09
Hollywood Barks! by Kathryn Segura, Kyla Duffy, and Lowrey Mumford (Book Review 219)
THIS WOULD MAKE A PERFECT GIFT FOR THAT DOG LOVER IN YOUR LIFE. Order it HERE.
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
First of all, this book is a wonderful format as a training guide as well as the inside scoop on how trainers get dogs to do all those amazing things that you see on film. The guide is full of simple things that actually work! I tried several of these with my dachshund and I actually got her to do quite a few with the methods in this book. She can now belly crawl, but then again for a low to the ground dog, that is not so hard. I don't know if she is ready for her close up yet, but I am going to keep trying.
Product Description
Hollywood Barks! gives readers a unique opportunity to peek behind the camera into the real life of Hollywood dogs. This humorous account tells of revered studio wrangler Kathryn Seguras experience training dogs for television, print, and movies, such as Indecent Proposal and Theres Something About Mary. From a brief history of dogs in Hollywood to the dos and donts of setiquette, readers are taken on a journey so vivid you will feel as if you were working on the set yourself. Each chapter is accompanied by a lesson for a trick or behavior you can try with your dogs.
About the Author
After a childhood full of dog shows and a stint in the high fashion make-up industry, Kathryn Segura found her niche in Hollywood as a studio wrangler/animal trainer. Through her company PHD Animals, she has helped cast and train every creature imaginable: from cats to dogs, horses to zebras, and even lions, tigers, and bears (Oh, my!). With a resume chock full of experience in print work, TV shows and series, commercials, and major motion pictures (such as the blockbuster hits discussed in this book, Tin Cup, and The Addams Family), Kathryn continues to be called upon to bring life and depth to anything Hollywood. Recently, Kathryn has melded her passion for animals with her experience in fashion and make-up to create Take 1 Products, which makes specialized animal skin and fur care products.
Product Details
Paperback: 112 pages
Publisher: Happy Tails Books, LLC; 1st edition (November 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982489552
ISBN-13: 978-0982489550
Obtained From: Publisher
OMG -- A Dog - Book Related Giveaway at Books & Things
Here is what you can win.....
Go HERE for more details....
I Drink for a Reason by David Cross (Book Review 218)
LOVED IT
This is a collect of essays that are easy to read and intelligently written. The emails between David Cross and Dave Eggers for an interview are just hilarious. I don't keep many books, but I think I am going to save this one. That says a lot right there.
Product Description
After a decade spent in isolation in the Ugandan jungles thinking about stuff, David Cross has written his first book. Known for roles on the small screen such as "never-nude" Tobias Funke on Arrested Development and the role of "David" in Mr. Show With Bob And David, as well as a hugely successful stand-up routine full of sharp-tongued rants and rages, Cross has carved out his place in American comedy. Whether deflating the pomposity of religious figures, calling out the pathetic symbiosis of pseudo-celebrity and its leaching fandom, or merely pushing the buttons of the way-too-easily offended P.C. left or the caustic, double-standard of the callous (but funnier) right, Cross has something to say about everyone, including his own ridiculous self.
Now, for the first time, Cross is weaving his media mockery, celebrity denunciation, religious commentary and sheer madness into book form, revealing the true story behind his almost existential distaste of Jim Belushi ("The Belush"), disclosing the up-to-now unpublished minutes to a meeting of Fox television network executives, and offering up a brutally grotesque run-in with Bill O'Reilly. And as if this wasn't enough for your laughing pleasure in these troubled times, some of the pieces splinter off with additional material being created online in exclusive video and animated web content created solely for the book-a historical first (presumably)!
With a mix of personal essays, satirical fiction posing as truth, advice for rich people, information from America's least favorite Rabbi and a top-ten list of top-ten lists, I DRINK FOR A REASON is as unique as the comedian himself, and cannot be missed.
About the Author
David Cross is a two-time award winner as well as a three-time award winner. He was part of Mr. Show and Arrested Development. He has done, and still does, stand-up comedy. He is a jew/atheist originally from Atlanta. He speaks four languages, and three dialects. He writes, loves, and eats in the NYC area. He is a Red Sox fan. In fact, he has a dog named Ollie Red Sox. He is a true patriot and a great American.
Product Details
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (August 31, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446579483
ISBN-13: 978-0446579483
Obtained From: Bookmooch
Need a last minute gift for a dog lover? Check out Happy Tails Books
HAPPY TAILS BOOKS
They have just added a rush delivery option for each of their heartwarming books about the best dogs in the world. Select it, and your gift will arrive wrapped within 2-3 business days of your order (via Priority Mail).
I have given a few of these as gifts and they were much appreciated. I have two special books to highlight in the next day!
I really want to know how the artist got all three dachshunds to sit at once.
12/10/09
How to Be Famous by Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (Book Review 217)
How to Be Famous: Our Guide to Looking the Part, Playing the Press, and Becoming a Tabloid Fixture by Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt
IT WAS OK
I supposed this was meant to be tongue in cheek, at least I hope it was. This duo better leave the actual writing to Lauren Conrad. I really enjoyed her book LA Candy. If you enjoyed reading the National Enquirer, then you will more than likely get a kick out of reading this.
Product Description
From braving the wilds of Los Angeles to the Costa Rican jungle, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have learned a thing or two about reality...television, that is. But while dominating the airwaves and tabloid covers every week may look like all fun and mind games, Speidi is here to tell you: becoming wildly famous requires hard work and a no-fail blueprint for success. Now, for the first time ever, Heidi and Spencer invite you behind the scenes as they reveal the ten-step plan that took them from nobodies to notorious! You will:
Learn how to say I hate you without opening your mouth--Heidi's exclusive tutorial
Increase your capacity for evil with Spencer's "Villain-o-meter"
Discover why getting and talking about plastic surgery is a must
Unlock the secrets of celebrity couple math (e.g. Speidi > Heidi + Spencer)
Mesmerize the media with outrageous behavior
Bow down to the power of the paparazzi
...and much, much more!
With Heidi and Spencer as your personal coaches, you, too, can transform yourself into a red-carpet-ready superstar!
About the Author
HEIDI MONTAG and SPENCER PRATT are famous.
Product Details
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (November 16, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446555916
ISBN-13: 978-0446555913
Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
Obtained From: Blog Giveaway at Wendy's Minding Spot
The Christmas Cookie Club: A Novel by Ann Pearlman (Book Review 216)
The Christmas Cookie Club: A Novel by Ann Pearlman
REALLY LIKED IT
This is the perfect book for the season and I did copy a few of the recipes out of the book because they sounded really wonderful. I really enjoyed the way these women's stories were told through the use of cookie recipes. If you enjoyed the Friday Night Knitting Club, you will probably enjoy this one as well.
Product Description
Mark your calendar. It's the Christmas Cookie Club! Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather in the evening with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dish, a bottle of wine, and their stories. This year, the stories are especially important. Marnie's oldest daughter has a risky pregnancy. Will she find out tonight how that story might end? Jeannie's father is having an affair with her best friend. Who else knew about the betrayal, and how can that be forgiven or forgotten, even among old friends such as these? Rosie's husband doesn't want children, and she has to decide, very soon, whether or not that's a deal breaker for the marriage. Taylor's life is in financial freefall. Each woman, each friend has a story to tell, and they are all interwoven, just as their lives are.
On this evening, at least, they can feel as a group the impulses of sisterly love and conflict, the passion and hopefulness of a new romance, the betrayal and disillusionment some relationships bring, the joys and fears of motherhood, the agony of losing a child, and above all, the love they have for one another. As Marnie says, the Christmas Cookie Club, if it's anything, is a reminder of delight.
The Christmas Cookie Club is about the paths Marnie and her friends have traveled, the absolute joy they take in life and love despite the decisions they've regretted, the hard choices and amends they've had to make, and the sacrifices along the way. Ultimately, The Christmas Cookie Club is every woman's story. As you read about Marnie and her friends, their struggles and triumphs, what makes them laugh and what has made them cry, you'll see yourself and some of the ingredients of your own story. Celebrating courage and joy in spite of hard times and honoring the importance of women's friendships as well as the embracing bonds of community, Ann Pearlman has written a novel that speaks to us all.
About the Author
http://www.annpearlman.net/
Product Details
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Atria (October 20, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439158843
ISBN-13: 978-1439158845
Obtained From: Public Library
Fallen by Lauren Kate (Book Review 215)
Fallen by Lauren Kate
LOVED IT
The story of a fallen angel in love with a human hit the mark for me unlike Twlight. Yes, the first 100 pages are a set up for the rest of the story, so it would have been perfect had that been condensed a bit. I found the characters interesting enough, yet a little vague, although it all made sense by the time I got to the last 100 pages. The story really took off and kept me turning the pages. I can't wait for the next one.
Luce and Daniel create such a dynamic couple towards the end. There is enough good and evil to keep this battle going for a while between the fallen angels. This is probably best for teens since there is some underage drinking and a few kisses here and there.
FYI -- I did read Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and loved that one as well.
Product Description
There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.
About the Author
Lauren Kate recently finished her M.A. in Creative Writing at UC Davis, where she also teaches. She lives and writes in an old farm house in Winters, California. Her first novel, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove goes on sale one month before Fallen.
Product Details
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (December 8, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385738935
ISBN-13: 978-0385738934
Obtained From: The Publisher
Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr -- read the first chapter!
Over at Melissa Marr's blog you can read the first chapter of Radiant Shadows. There is also a contest to create a trailer for the release and you could win a signed copy!
12/9/09
Waiting On Wednesday
I Don't Care About Your Band: What I Learned from Indie Rockers, Trust Funders, Pornographers, Felons, Faux-Sensitive Hipsters, and Other Guys I've Dated by Julie Klausner (Paperback - Feb 2, 2010)
Product Description
In the tradition of Cynthia Heimel and Chelsea Handler, and with the boisterous iconoclasm of Amy Sedaris, Julie Klausner's candid and funny debut I Don't Care About Your Band sheds light on the humiliations we endure to find love--and the lessons that can be culled from the wreckage.
I Don't Care About Your Band posits that lately the worst guys to date are the ones who seem sensitive. It's the jerks in nice guy clothing, not the players in Ed Hardy, who break the hearts of modern girls who grew up in the shadow of feminism, thinking they could have everything, but end up compromising constantly. The cowards, the kidults, the critics, and the contenders: these are the stars of Klausner's memoir about how hard it is to find a man--good or otherwise--when you're a cynical grown-up exiled in the dregs of Guyville.
Off the popularity of her New York Times "Modern Love" piece about getting the brush-off from an indie rock musician, I Don't care About Your Band is marbled with the wry strains of Julie Klausner's precocious curmudgeonry and brimming with truths that anyone who's ever been on a date will relate to. Klausner is an expert at landing herself waist-deep in crazy, time and time again, in part because her experience as a comedy writer (Best Week Ever, TV Funhouse on SNL) and sketch comedian from NYC's Upright Citizens Brigade fuels her philosophy of how any scene should unfold, which is, "What? That sounds crazy? Okay, I'll do it."
I Don't Care About Your Band charts a distinctly human journey of a strong-willed but vulnerable protagonist who loves men like it's her job, but who's done with guys who know more about love songs than love. Klausner's is a new outlook on dating in a time of pop culture obsession, and she spent her 20's doing personal field research to back up her philosophies. This is the girl's version of High Fidelity. By turns explicit, funny and moving, Klausner's debut shows the evolution of a young woman who endured myriad encounters with the wrong guys, to emerge with real-world wisdom on matters of the heart. I Don't Care About Your Band is Julie Klausner's manifesto, and every one of us can relate.
All About N is giving away Cleaving by Julie Powell (audio book)
Check out her contest:
http://bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/2009/12/giveaway-cleaving-audiobook.html
http://bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/2009/12/giveaway-cleaving-audiobook.html
12/8/09
New Giveaway at Linda Weaver Clarke's Blog!!
FROM LINDA WEAVER CLARKE
Christmas is a season of giving, so I would like to show my thankfulness to all my friends by giving a few books away for Christmas. "Melinda and the Wild West" and "Edith and the Mysterious Stranger" are the first two books in this series: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho. I will pick three winners and whoever is picked will have a choice of which book they prefer. To find out what each book is about, visit my website and read the synopsis and a sample chapter at Make Believe. (To have your name put in the hat twice, become a follower of my blog.) I will announce the winners on December 16th.
Christmas is a season of giving, so I would like to show my thankfulness to all my friends by giving a few books away for Christmas. "Melinda and the Wild West" and "Edith and the Mysterious Stranger" are the first two books in this series: A Family Saga in Bear Lake, Idaho. I will pick three winners and whoever is picked will have a choice of which book they prefer. To find out what each book is about, visit my website and read the synopsis and a sample chapter at Make Believe. (To have your name put in the hat twice, become a follower of my blog.) I will announce the winners on December 16th.
20 Questions for Dogs... the answers according to BJ!
BJ (that is short for Black Jack) lives with Suzanne over at Chicks With Books and is our guest dog today!
Stop by and read her wonderful blog today and don't forget to enter the puppy calendar giveaway at the end of this interview.
1. What breed(s) are you?
I'm a Keeshond!
2. Favorite place to sleep?
My favorite place to sleep is the bottom of the bed. It's a sleep number bed and I sleep on the 45 side!
3. Favorite food?
My favorite food is chicken! Although I was getting a bit fat and now I'm on a diet food ;(
4. How did you find your home?
I researched all parents seeking a cute fuzzy Keeshond and found one in Connectictut. I flew all by myself from Indiana to Connecticut and found them waiting for me when I got off the plane.
5. Favorite thing to chew?
My favorite thing to chew is mean kitty... it's a clothe doll with a squeeky...
6. Indoors or Outdoors?
Definitely outdoors!
7. Are you embarrassed by dog outfits?
I am mortified by my winter coat. You see my mommy thought since I have a hair loss problem on my sides, that I would be cold and bought me a coat. I try to make the best of it...
8. Dog Trainers: Friend or Foe?
Dog trainer was for my mommy- I had my own ideas!
9. Hair cuts or the natural look?
Definitely the natural look!
10. Do you like baths?
I hate baths! Don't really like getting wet and boy do I smell funny afterwards!
11. Favorite place to watch your territory from?
My favorite place to watch my territory from is MY little porch off the bedroom. It's on the second floor and high enough for me to see everything! Especially those deer!
12. What cute thing do you do for a treat?
All I have to do is smile and that's enough cuteness for me to get a treat!
13. What most do you like to bark at?
I bark like crazy at all the deer in the woods! Sometimes they think about coming into the yard, but I usually set them straight before that happens.
14. Cats: Take them or leave them?
I'm not so sure about cats... I see one every once in a while, but it runs away usually, so I figure it knows its place and that makes it Ok in my book.
15. Would you chase a squirrel right now if you could?
I would definitely chase a squirrel right now!
16. If you catch something, what do you do with it?
I once cornered a woodchuck in my yard (it was the closest I ever came to catching something) and wasn't really sure what to do next... my mommy helped me out. She escorted me inside the house.
17. World domination or too much work?
World domination... tends to be easy when you have a cute face.
18. Do you prefer to walk or go for a car ride?
I prefer long walks. Sometimes when I go in the car it's to this place where I get shots in my rear. So I prefer walks!
19. If you could do one thing right now, what would it be?
If I could do one thing right now it would be to run through the woods and bark at those deer!
20. What book would like to chew the cover off?
I would chew the cover off and the book itself of Training Your Dog: The Step-by-Step Manual by Joachim Volhard! Who does he think he is writing a book like that!
Anything else to bark about?
Just want to bark a thank you your way for the chance to bark my mind! Woof!
This contest is open worldwide and is for one calendar with cute little puppies on it (not the one pictured)
Leave a separate comment for each entry:
This contest ends on 12/19/09
+1 Comment with a way to contact you.
+1 Follower
+2 New Follower
+2 Follow Suzanne's blog Chicks With Books
+1 Tweet about this and leave a link
+1 Post about this on your blog or social network and leave a link.
I won an award!
Well, this award is from a group of dog bloggers and you can see it here. It is from Dog Health Problems for discussing Blue's issues.
He is improving and getting around better. This is nothing like the first time it happened, although I think I was prepared and knew exactly what to do this time.
He is improving and getting around better. This is nothing like the first time it happened, although I think I was prepared and knew exactly what to do this time.
12/7/09
GIVEAWAY -- EXIT MUSIC BY IAN RANKIN Ends 1.3.10
Thanks to Hachette Publishing I have a copy of Exit Music to Giveaway
Book Description From the Publisher:
It's late in the fall in Edinburgh and late in the career of Detective Inspector John Rebus. As he is simply trying to tie up some loose ends before his retirement, a new case lands on his desk: a dissident Russian poet has been murdered in what looks like a mugging gone wrong.
Rebus discovers that an elite delegation of Russian businessmen is in town, looking to expand its interests. And as Rebus's investigation gains ground, someone brutally assaults a local gangster with whom he has a long history.
Has Rebus overstepped his bounds for the last time? Only a few days shy of the end to his long, controversial career, will Rebus even make it that far?
About the Author: Ian Rankin is a #1 international bestselling author. Winner of an Edgar Award and the recipient of a Gold Dagger for fiction and the Chandler-Fulbright Award, he lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with his wife and their two sons.
Usual rules apply -- US and Canada only, no PO Boxes.
Please use a separate comment for each entry:
+1 Leave a comment! (be sure that I can contact you)
+2 New Follower
+1 Follower
+1 Stop by every day just to say hello!
+1 For each Tweet that you leave a link for daily
+1 For each Post about this on a social site or your blog that you leave a link.
CALENDAR GIVEAWAY -- ENDS 12.19.09
Another Cute Puppy Calendar!!!
Sorry no picture of this one, but comment on any of the puppy profiles listed under the DOGTOURAGE column and you could win. Old entries will be counted and you can enter again as well! Again, please leave a separate comment for each entry.
+1 Comment with a way to contact you
+2 Follower
+1 Stop by and say hello daily!
+1 Comment here as well!!_
I have two new puppy profiles to post in the upcoming days!!!
Providing I have internet access.....stupid weather....we aren't supposed to have weather -- this is California.
Sorry no picture of this one, but comment on any of the puppy profiles listed under the DOGTOURAGE column and you could win. Old entries will be counted and you can enter again as well! Again, please leave a separate comment for each entry.
+1 Comment with a way to contact you
+2 Follower
+1 Stop by and say hello daily!
+1 Comment here as well!!_
I have two new puppy profiles to post in the upcoming days!!!
Providing I have internet access.....stupid weather....we aren't supposed to have weather -- this is California.
GIVEAWAY -- MYSTERY BOX ends 12.19.09
I have a bunch of advance reader copies sitting here. They are mostly mysteries released in the last 6 months, so whatever will fit into a recycled amazon box will be sent to the lucky winner. You won't know what you have won until you open the box!
UPDATE
When I get to 100 comments, I will add another box as a consolation prize....full of ARCs from 2008!
Please leave a new comment for each entry:
+1 Leave a comment (with a way to contact you)
+3 New Follower
+2 Current Follower
+1 Stop by and say hello daily
+1 Tweet about this daily and leave the link here each time
+1 Repost this on a social site or your blog and leave a link here (one entry for each post)
US AND CANADA ONLY AND PO BOXES ARE OK!
12/6/09
THE SINFUL LIFE OF LUCY BURNS interview with Elizabeth Leiknes
You read about my gushing over this book here
You can order this book at Amazon here
Visit Elizabeth's website here
This would make the perfect gift for that paranormal reader in your life.
About the Author
Elizabeth Leiknes grew up in rural Iowa and can make thirty-seven different dishes featuring corn. She attended The University of Iowa as an undergrad, and The University of Nevada, Reno for her Masters. Her most recent accomplishments include publishing an article entitled “Writing Spaces: Expanding the One Story House” in The Quarterly, and completing two other novels, Black-Eyed Susan, and The Understory. Lucy Burns was “born” somewhere between a third and fourth helping of Captain Crunch in Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy with her first child, but the majority of Lucy’s story was written during her maternity leave somewhere between debilitating bouts of new-mother panic attacks, and squirting milk in various inappropriate locations about town. Elizabeth has a love/hate relationship with great white sharks, and a slight penchant for speaking in hyperbole, which she says she never does. She now lives and teaches English near Lake Tahoe with her husband, two sons, and mentally ill cat.
And now the author has stopped by to play 20 Questions:
1. Bookmarks or dog ears?
Definitely bookmarks. (As long as they don’t have pictures of sunsets or sappy declarations about how we’re supposed to live. Those kinds of bookmarks make me hostile.)2. Dust jacket on or off when reading a hard back?
On. That way, if you can’t find your bookmark (or in my case, if you’ve become agitated by it) you can use the little book jacket flaps to keep your spot.
3. Favorite author?
Probably Alice Hoffman.
4. Favorite genre’?
I’m a fan of short stories, actually. The more surreal the better.
5. What is the best book you have read in the last year?
My favorite from the last year would be The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken. I was jealous of about every line in that book.
6. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Okay. Not to sound self-absorbed (too late), but mine! I’ve always thought Lucy Burns would be so great on the big screen, and I hope to see her there someday.
7. If you could only take one book with you to a desert island, which would you bring?
Do I get to bring a cell phone? If so, a phone book.
8. What book have you read that you think is overrated?
With all due respect to Shel Silverstein, I’ve always thought The Giving Tree was overrated. I mean, it’s teaching what NOT to do. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. Don’t take more than you give, but kids are pretty straight-forward. When a toddler hears this story, he just wonders whose tree he can cut down.
9. What are you reading right now?
Right now I’m reading An Abundance of Katherines by John Green and Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. (I love this book!)
10. What is the last book you bought?
Just last night I bought Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, and Looking for Alaska by John Green. (I hardly ever read young adult novels, but lately I can’t stop.)
11. What is the last book you received in the mail?
It was one of those read along TAG books for my son Hardy.
12. What is the number of books you own?
Who knows, but I know I have seven on my bedside table right now.
13. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?
I thought I was so cool when I finished Little Women all by myself. I’ll refrain from the obvious metaphor.
14. Do you have a favorite place to read?
I often like to read on my couch so my children see me and will subconsciously recognize our household as a literate one. Is that bad?
15. What is next for you, publishing-wise?
I have written two other books (in addition to The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns) so I’d love to see them get published at some point. Also, I’m in the middle of writing a young adult novel and I’d love to publish something my students could actually read.
16. Is Lucy based on a real person or composite or?
Lucy’s character was the result of a graduate school writing prompt (What job would you hate to have—to which I answered 1) Dental assistant and 2) Someone in charge of deciding people’s fates) which later turned into a short story called “The Furnace.” I didn’t think Lucy sounded or acted like anyone in particular until my friends read the book and said, “Oh, my God, you’re Lucy!” which was both flattering and frightening.
17. Do you have any pets (real or imaginary)?
I have a very, very unusual black cat named Mocha. ‘Nuf said.
18. The last thing you Googled?
Lately, I’ve become obsessed with how to make those cool gourmet cookies you see in bakeries and fancy online cookie shops, so I’ve embarked upon a quest to make some Christmas cookie-gifts for my son’s Montessori teachers. I’ve made two batches so far (not so great) and so last night I consulted Google for how to make the perfect royal icing for sugar cookies.
19. What one thing would you save in a fire (other than people or animals)?
Pictures of my children.
20. What makes you cringe?
Judgmental people. And mushrooms.
Thank you so much for your time Elizabeth! I can't wait for your next book.
.
Here we go again....
Blue will be 14 years old on December 24. He was rescued from a pet store since he hadn't sold by six months and would probably have been -- well you know. In the last few years we have had a lot of health issues. There have been four surgeries to remove mast cell tumors that weren't supposed to return, but they did. He has one that split open and will never heal, so that has to be bandaged and pretty much looks like a diabetic wound. The only other option to fix this would be to amputate his leg. I didn't think that would be appropriate given his age and how much it would cost.
Then in March, he was hit by geriatric vestibular syndrome which does something to his inner ear and makes him walk like he is really drunk. His balance is completely off, although this time he is not vomiting. The vet had told me that it could return to his other ear and yesterday it came back. I hope he recovers like he did the first time it happened.
UPDATE -- 12/9/09
He recovered again! This dog is just full of miracles. Blue is still a bit wobbley but is up and about demanding treats again. His head is now cocked a bit to the right instead of left...maybe it will all even out.
12/5/09
AND THE WINNER IS: (dog calendar)
The winner of the pictured puppy calendar is esterried -- those extra entries were worth it! I have sent you an email.
Please click on the other dog profiles and leave a comment to win one of the other three calendars up for grabs as well. I will leave this contest open for another week! You can enter everyday!
12/4/09
Sherman Alexie on Stephen Colbert
The comments by this author are quite interesting...
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Sherman Alexie | ||||
| ||||
12/3/09
Winners for the calendars will be announced tomorrow.
I caught cold somewhere along the way and I had to do this drawing the old fashioned way without Random.org
A writer to watch.... KAREN WINTERS SCHWARTZ
Check out this new blog from writer Karen Winters Schwartz. I really enjoyed the stories she has posted so far and she has a book to be released next year titled Where are the Cocoa Puffs?
Where Are The Cocoa Puffs
by Karen Winters Schwartz. This funny, heart wrenching and heart warming novel deals with what happens to a family when the teen age daughter develops bipolar disorder.
This is going on my wishlist now!
Where Are The Cocoa Puffs
by Karen Winters Schwartz. This funny, heart wrenching and heart warming novel deals with what happens to a family when the teen age daughter develops bipolar disorder.
This is going on my wishlist now!
12/1/09
AND THE WINNER(s) ARE:
Defenders of the Scroll was won by #5 CraftyRia (email sent)
The $10 Amazon eGift card went to #63 Sarah Emmerson (email sent)
The Secret of Joy was won by #16 akreese (email sent)
The Rising Sea went to #18 chocolate and croissants (email sent)
Ring of Desire (ebook) was won by TracyD (email sent)
Please respond in 72 hours to claim your prize!
Monthly Recap for November
NOVEMBER TOTAL READ: 19
196 Dying Bites DD Barant 4
197 Ash Malinda Lo 3.5
198 The Truth About Melody Browne Lisa Jewell 4
199 One Nation Under Dog Michael Shaffer 3
200 Defenders of the Scroll Shiraz 3.5
201 The Rising Sea Orrin Pilkey 3
202 You Better Not Cry Augusten Burroughs 4
203 The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins 4.5
204 Soulless Gail Carriger 3.5
205 The Secret of Joy Melissa Senate 4
206 Hot for the Holidays Lora Leigh 3
207 Catching Fire Suzanne Collins 5
208 Knit The Season Kate Jacobs 4
209 Wicked Lovely Desert Tales #1 Melissa Marr 4
210 Over My Dead Body Michelle Bardsley 3.5
211 Unmasked (Michael Jackson) Ian Halperin 3
212 The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns Elizabeth Leiknes 4.5
213 Ghost Huntress #2 Marley Gibson 4
214 High On Arrival Mackenzie Phillips 3
196 Dying Bites DD Barant 4
197 Ash Malinda Lo 3.5
198 The Truth About Melody Browne Lisa Jewell 4
199 One Nation Under Dog Michael Shaffer 3
200 Defenders of the Scroll Shiraz 3.5
201 The Rising Sea Orrin Pilkey 3
202 You Better Not Cry Augusten Burroughs 4
203 The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins 4.5
204 Soulless Gail Carriger 3.5
205 The Secret of Joy Melissa Senate 4
206 Hot for the Holidays Lora Leigh 3
207 Catching Fire Suzanne Collins 5
208 Knit The Season Kate Jacobs 4
209 Wicked Lovely Desert Tales #1 Melissa Marr 4
210 Over My Dead Body Michelle Bardsley 3.5
211 Unmasked (Michael Jackson) Ian Halperin 3
212 The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns Elizabeth Leiknes 4.5
213 Ghost Huntress #2 Marley Gibson 4
214 High On Arrival Mackenzie Phillips 3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)