Guest Author Post & Book Giveaway: Trafficked by Kim Purcell

Giveaway Has Now Ended as of 3/1/12

Modern day slavery is alive and well and often going on right in front of your eyes. When I was presented with the opportunity to read this book, I couldn't say no! Check out the description of Trafficked by Kim Purcell...

A gripping thriller, ripped from the headlines!

Hannah believes she's being brought from Moldova to Los Angeles to become a nanny for a Russian family. But her American dream quickly spirals into a nightmare. The Platonovs force Hannah to work sixteen-hour days, won't let her leave the house, and seem to have a lot of secrets - from Hannah and from each other. Stranded in a foreign land with false documents, no money, and nobody who can help her, Hannah must find a way to save herself from her new status as a modern-day slave or risk losing the one thing she has left: her life.

The author has personal experience in helping a victim of human slavery to escape. A tremendous amount of research went into creating this book and that's probably why it's so heart-poundingly awesome. Let Kim Purcell tell you about it in her own words:

And the Winner of a signed copy of Gathering of Waters is....

Thanks to those who stopped in. I won't delay this momentous occasion any longer...lol...the winner of Gathering of Waters is...

Janiera!!

Congrats! Please email me your contact info so I can pass it on to the publisher and they can get the book out to you. Enjoy!

Toodles.

In honor of Black History month, a review and signed book giveaway of Gathering of Waters by Bernice L. McFadden

Giveway has ended as of 2/26/12
 
I became familiar with the writing of Bernice McFadden a couple of years ago when I read her prior novels, Sugar and Glorious. The writing is outstanding and Glorious received accolades from a number of sources, including the New York Times and Oprah's magazine. I was quite intrigued when I was offered the opportunity to read her newest novel, Gathering of Waters. Check out the blurb on the cover of the book...

Gathering of Waters is a deeply engrossing tale narrated by the town of Money, Mississippi--a site both significant and infamous in our collective story as a nation. Money is personified in this haunting story, which chronicles its troubled history following the arrival of the Hilson and Bryant families.


Tass Hilson and Emmett Till were young and in love when Emmett was brutally murdered in 1955. Anxious to escape the town, Tass marries Maximillian May and relocates to Detroit.

Forty years later, after the death of her husband, Tass returns to Money and fantasy takes flesh when Emmett Till's spirit is finally released from the dank, dark waters of the Tallahatchie River. The two lovers are reunited, bringing the story to an enchanting and profound conclusion.

Gathering of Waters mines the truth about Money, Mississippi, as well as the town's families, and threads their history over decades. The bare-bones realism--both disturbing and riveting--combined with a magical realm in which ghosts have the final say, is reminiscent of Toni Morrison's Beloved.

I've never thought of myself as a connoisseur of historical fiction, but I find myself eagerly awaiting McFadden's books. Gathering of Waters was different than what I expected--in a good way. The two books of McFadden's that I read were firmly rooted in reality and totally engrossing. I wasn't sure if I could get into a story that had a magical realism thread, but the it dídn't take long to pull me in. This is an author that has a true gift for dialogue and description. As a reader, you feel that you are right there in the scene--And believe me--some of those scenes will have you covering your mouth and shaking your head!

The world of Gathering of Waters is intricate, rich and finally nuanced. It's a story that keeps you reading. You have to know how it's going to turn out. If you'd like to recieve a signed copy for yourself, just leave a comment that tells me what historical novel you've read or story the includes magical realism. If you haven't read any that's fine, just say so. Don't forget to include your email so you can be contacted. That is all.

The giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada at publisher's request. It ends Sunday, February 26. 2012.

Toodles!

And the Winner of The Summer I Turned Pretty series is...

Thanks so much for dropping in, girls. I wish I had enough books to give to each of you. This series is truly a good one. I'm happy to give it away and let someone else experience it. The winner of The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han is...

Kathy Ann Coleman!!!

Congratulations, Kathy. I know you're going to love this story. Please email me and send your contact information so I can get the books out to you. If I don't hear from the winner in 72 hours, another winner will be randomly selected in her place.

Toodles!

A Very Special Giveaway: The Summer I Turned Pretty series by Jenny Han

                                                                    
   This Giveaway Has Now Ended As Of 2/21/12

Jenny Han at her release party in New York City



Book One

 In honor of reaching over 1000 followers and because this is the month love gets extra attention, I'm giving away the entire New York Times bestselling trilogy, The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han. I was drawn to the first book because of the lovely, breezy, summery cover. I figured it was a light weight read. I couldn't be more wrong. That book, this series is totally awesome! I'm not kidding. It is poignant, heart wrenching and unputdownable (is that a word?! Lol...) Han is an author with amazing writing talent. She doesn't have to depend on the fantastical or paranormal to keep you engaged and absorbed in her story. There are no creatures of any kind in these books, just good old-fashioned storytelling of young love, devotion, devastation and the pain and pleasure of coming-of-age.

When Han had a release party and book signing of the third book, It's Not Summer Without You, last spring in Books of Wonder in Manhattan, I had to be there. I love this series so much, I bought one set for myself to keep, bought another to give away and had Han sign all six books! Now the time has come to give away that set. I can't wait to get it into someone's hands so she can enjoy it as much as I did

Book Two

Book Three

                                                                                    

If you're interested in entering the giveaway, leave a comment telling me the name of a romantic story you've read that you love. I haven't done this in a long time, but you must be a follower of this blog to have a chance to win. I am not doing this to get more followers. I'm quite pleased to reach the number I have and have no interest in using gimmicks to get more. Part of the reason for the giveaway is to celebrate those who helped push me to the 1000 mark and beyond. It only seems fair to limit the giveaway to those folks who follow. Don't forget to leave your email in case you're the winner.

The giveaway will end on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. It's open to residents of the US and Canada only. (shipping three books can get expensive!)

Jenny Han signing one of your 3 books!

Toodles!

Listen to an Audio Clip of Tempest by Julie Cross!

Did you know that Tempest, the first book in the new YA time travel thriller by Julie Cross is available in audio form? You can test it out here. Click on the link to hear the first six minutes of the story. What do you think?

In My Mailbox...

Stash from EgmontUSA

I was fortunate to receive some cool books over the last couple of weeks. I was really surprised to get a nice sized package from EgmontUSA. It included Savage Grace by Bree Despain, the last book in the Dark Divine series. I'm looking forward to finishing this trilogy. The second book left off at a big cliffhanger and I can't wait to see how it all ends.

I read the e-galley of Wither and loved it. I'm very happy to have a physical copy of Fever, book two in the series. I'm almost finished reading it and...what can I say, it's a great read: somber, dark and intriguing. I've just peeked at the pages of Cinder. It looks good and I'm fascinated by the cover.

I read The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter a couple of years ago, and if you haven't read it, you need to! It was cover love that drew me in. She was so sweet and kind to send me a signed copy of the hardcover edition. I'm happy to receive an Arc of her next book The Humming Room. I'm not a usual reader of middle grade novels, but if Ellen has written it, I'm in! When I read Insatiable, it was the first book I'd ever read by Meg Cabot. I thought it was YA, but it's an adult book. She jumped on the vampire wagon and did a good job of it, I'd say. Overbite is the sequel and I was stoked to get it. It wasn't clear that there was going to be a follow up book, but I'm sure glad there is.

I went to a writer's conference a couple of weeks ago, and Cassandra Clare was one of the speakers. She talked about what else? The ubiquitous love triangle in YA and how to do it right. She's pretty quirky and a little on the kinky side...lol...I've never read her books, but they've been on my TBR list, so I figured this was as good a time as any to pick them up. I spent money on these and purchased the first trilogy she wrote to get me started.

What did you receive this week?

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Partials by Dan Wells

Waiting on Wednesday is one of the best ways to learn about new books coming out. It was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. This week, I'm going dystopian. There is something about the stark, crisp design of the cover image that draws me in. I'm looking forward to reading this story. Check out what it's about...

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials - engineered organic beings identical to humans - has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them - connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question - one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.
 

From what I understand, romance doesn't factor into this story in anything close to significant. I admit, I was kind of put off by this, 'cause I'm a total romance junkie, but I'm willing to stretch myself and try something different. The premise sounds really good and like I said, I love that cover. Anybody else going to take a chance on it? We won't have to wait long.

Partials releases February 28, 2012.

Toodles!

And the Winner of Tempest by Julie Cross is...

Thanks to all who entered and supplied the names of some very interesting time travel books. I have some of them on my shelf and didn't even realize they had a time travel element! Ha! Well, on to the winner. The winner of Tempest is...

Carrie at in the hammock blog!!!

Congratulations, Carrie. Please email me your address so it may be passed on to the publisher. The winner was selected randomly. If she doesn't respond in 48 hours, a new winner will be selected in her place.

Toodles!

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: The Savage Grace by Bree Despain

Long time no see, guys. It's been a while since I participated in this. Life rears its head and sucks up the time, but I'm glad to be back this week! Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine and I depend on it to learn about the new books coming out.

This week I'm waiting on the third and final book of a trilogy: The Savage Grace, a Dark Divine novel by Bree Despain. I'm really looking forward to reading this. The second book ended on a very exciting note! I won't mention it in case you haven't read it, but I kind of screamed [in a good way :-)] and it left me anxious for the conclusion. I was blessed this week when I received the ARC in the mail! This was a total surprise. I thank the publisher, EgmontUSA for their generosity. I had been thinking about this book and to receive it was a true blessing. At some point, I think I'm going to have a giveaway of the entire trilogy, so stay tuned for a future announcement about this. Check out the summary of this final book...

Grace's life is a mess. Daniel is still a werewolf, Talbot can't be trusted, and Caleb is still out there. With Sirhan's impending death, war seems imminent. Will Grace give in to the wolf to save her family? What will happen to Daniel . . . and can their love survive one last test?

Who else has read this series?

The Savage Grace will release March 13, 2012 by EgmontUSA .

Toodles!

Book One

Book Two