New Book Giveaway for overworked moms and those who love them: JUST LET ME LIE DOWN

This is a great book to encourage those who are hardworking moms. Life can get overwhelming and there are definitely not enough hours in the day to do all that needs to be done. Reading Just Let Me Lie Down by Kristin van Ogtrop, the editor of Real Simple magazine, assures you you are not alone.

There will be three - count em, three winners for this giveaway. If you're not a follower, please become one, post a comment and a way to contact you and that's it! You're in like flynn. Even if you're not a super busy mom, you can enter and give the book to someone who is.

The contest will end Friday March 5 at midnight.

 Open only to residents of the US or Canada. No PO boxes.

 Thanks to Anna Balasi from the Hachette Book Group for making this book available.

And the Winner of LIPSTICK JUNGLE is...

Before I announce the winner of Lipstick Jungle, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who entered the giveaway and who has become a follower, both past and present. When someone chooses to follow this blog, I don't take it for granted. I really appreciate it and strive to make it interesting and helpful to all who visit. At this time, there is only one winner, but don't despair. I'll be giving away Candace Bushnell's most recent release shortly. Keep your eyes open and enter to win that one.

New Book Giveaway! Try a little Chick Lit. Check out the LIPSTICK JUNGLE by Candace Bushnell

Here we go again! You've heard of Candace Bushnell  haven't you? Well if you haven't, I know you know her work. She's the author of Sex and the City, the basis for the HBO hit. I'm offering one of her books as a giveaway.

I'm giving away a copy of Lipstick Jungle. This book was the inspiration for the NBC television series of the same name. It's substantial at 435 pages. It is Bushnell's fourth book. Lipstick Jungle brings the reader into the lives of three powerful New York City women, each at the top of her field, each navagating her way through work, relationships, success and scandal.

Nico O'Neilly is the ultimate executive - glamorous and always in control-until her marriage loses steam, and she is tempted to find refuge in the arms of a younger man. Wendy Healy, president of Parador Pictures and mother of three children, may not be able to save her most important production - her family. And Victory Ford, a wildly successful fashion designer and girlfriend of a billionnaire, begins to question love and money - why shouldn't a woman be as rich as a man? 

For a chance to win, become a follower if you're not already and leave a comment. Make sure you leave your email address or some way to get in touch with you. That's all! The giveaway is in effect until Wednesday, February 24 at five pm. Good luck guys and thanks so much for stopping by!

Open only to residents of the US and Canada.

Toodles!


                           

AND THE WINNER IS...

The winner of the Valentine's Day Book Giveaway is Paula. Thanks to all who entered and became followers. I'll be posting more giveaways in the future. If the winner does not reply by 12 noon tomorrow February 20 with her address, a runner-up will be choosen. The winner was selected using Random.org.

Toodles!

Valentine Book Giveaway: Indulge in a little romance!

If you're a lover of sweeping historical romance, you'll like this book. If you're not, this is your free opportunity to find out what the fuss is all about. In honor of Valentine's Day, I'm giving away a copy of THE SCANDALS of an INNOCENT by Nicola Cornick. The cover blurb tells it all:

Miss Alice Lister feels anything but respectable. Bad enough that she is a maid-turned-heiress. Now the insufferably attractive Lord Miles Vickery is certain he can gain her fortune by blackmailing her into marriage - even though it was his deceitful charm that broke her heart once before. But she's positive the terms of her inheritance will prove an impossible task. After all, what rake could be completely honest for three long months?

A Surprising Peek at a Slice of Life: Tips for Writers

As I work on my novel, I let some people at work read it to get their feedback and reactions. The other day, one of my co-workers ran to me all excited. "You just wrote a scene right out of my life!"  She was the second person at work to tell me this. It was a scene that depicted three generations: A grandmother, daughter and granddaughter.

My co-worker said the scene exemplified a scenario that had played out in her own life, right down to the characters reactions. She said, "If you can get people to identify with the characters, make it personal to them, they're really going to get into the story and be compelled to read it. If my daughters read this, they would say 'Oh my goodness, that's you and grandma!' My co-worker continued. "You did exactly what I teach my students!"

Keep your eyes open for this one! THE ETERNAL ONES: A Book Review

Title: The Eternal Ones
Author: Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)
Genre: Young Adult
Format: Advanced Reader Copy (ARC/Galley Proof) from Publisher
ISBN 978-1-59514-308-2
$18.99, 432 pages
Release Date: August 24 2010

I received this ARC from Ben Schrank, president and publisher of Razorbill an imprint of Penguin during the Winter Conference of the Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators (SCBWI) in New York. He was gracious enough to make a few available and I am grateful that he did.

Prior to receiving this ARC, I was unfamiliar with the author, Kirsten Miller. I am now aware that she has written a critically-acclaimed series called Kiki Strike which seems worthing of checking out. I believe THE ETERNAL ONES is going to be her break out novel.

Wow. Where do I begin. This book is chocked full of so many delicious twists and turns, it will keep you riveted to your seat, and quickly turning the page to get to the bottom of all that is going on. Let me begin with the blurb on the back of this galley proof.

Haven Moore has always lived in the tiny town of Snope City, Tennesse. But for as long as she can remember, Haven has experienced visions of a past life as a girl named Constance, whose love for a boy called Ethan ended in a fiery tragedy.


One day, the sight of notorious playboy Iain Morrow on television brings Haven to her knees. Haven flees to New York City to find Iain and there, she is swept up in an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Is Iain her beloved Ethan? Or is he her murderer in a past life? Haven asks members of the powerful and mysterious Ouroboros Society to help her unlock the mysteries of reincarnation and discover the secrets hidden in her past lives and loves before all is lost and the cycle begins again. But what is the Ouroboros Society? And how can Haven know who to trust?

You want to be a member of this club! THE SURVIVORS CLUB: A book review

We live in a world that gets scarier by the minute it seems. Disasters, both natural and man-made are everywhere. One never knows when something truly awful or terrible is going to happen, whether it's on a personal level or a massive scale. Some people beat the odds, survive and even thrive. Others surrender to the forces around them, give up and even die. If you're interested in increasing your odds of making through to the other side of catastrophe, you'll want to read THE SURVIVORS CLUB: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life by Ben Sherwood.

This book, substantial at 373 pages, details a number of personal stories and scientific research into what are the secrets of the world's most effective survivors. More than once, my hear was pounding as I read through some of the stories. I was amazed to discover how resilient the human body is and how much your will to live and the ability to control your emotions can make the difference between life or death.

I began to read this book before the earthquake in Haiti. People were pulled alive from the rubble many days after it was thought it was impossible to live. I thought of THE SURVIVORS CLUB and realized these people clearly shared some of the attributes described.

Do yourself and your family a favor and read this book. Keep it as a reference. You may find yourself in a situation in which you'll be glad you did.

Toodles!

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators-NY: A Crystalizing Moment

I attended the Winter Conference of the SCBWI in New York City this weekend. It was one of the best conferences I've attended since I began this journey toward becoming a published author. I participated in a Writers Intensive. It consisted of reading your first 500 words (two pages) of your manuscript to a group of fellow writers and an agent or editor. In the morning, Kate Sullivan, editor at Little Brown lead the group and Tina Wexler, literary agent at International Creative Management (ICM) led a different group in the afternoon.

I left the Intensive knowing I was on the right track. I received very positive feedback from both groups. If you've read some of my other posts, you know this has not always been the case. I had a lot to learn and that is the point.