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Fireworks Over Toccoa Contest
I have recently read Fireworks Over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff. I’m working on my review, which will be posted next week. [Sneak Peak: I think people will find this to be a fun beach read this year.]
In the meantime, I wanted to let you know about an incredible contest being held by St. Martin’s Press. It’s underway beginning this week and will be open until March 30, the novel’s publication date.
Here are the details Sarah sent me (emphasis mine!):
Go to the book’s website. There, you will find:
- A note from author Jeffrey Stepakoff
- An enormous online excerpt from the book
- An audio excerpt
- Crazy awesome sweepstakes
- 1 grand prize winner will win a romantic picnic basket for two complete with caviar, crackers & cheese, cookies, chocolates & truffles and MUCH more (see below – doesn’t that basket look decadent??)
- 300 runners-up will receive a copy of Fireworks Over Toccoa.
Now, go and enter the contest. Good luck!
The Lace Reader Winner
My “It’s time to pick a winner” helper is slacking off once again. I completely forgot to draw a winner for my second copy of The Lace Reader. Sorry about that! It got lost in the BBAW shuffle I’m afraid. I came across this copy after reshelving my books after taking the pictures for my True Confessions post. Yet one more thing to feel guilty about. LOL!
Via List Randomizer, the winner is:
Jemima from The Reading Journey!
Congratulations! I hope you enjoy this even half as much as I did. Please send me your mailing address and I’ll send this on your way.
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- #197 ~ The Lace Reader ~ Book Tour and Giveaway (literatehousewife.com)
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Remarkable Creatures Winner!
Thanks to everyone who entered this contest. It was very interesting to read everyone’s views on the debate between science and religion. Unfortunately, there can only be one winner. Via List Randomizer, I drew the lucky winner and she is:
Carrie K from Books and Movies
Congratulations, Carrie! Please send me an email with your mailing address and I’ll send you my second ARC copy your way.
BBAW ~ The Serial Giveaway
One of the best things about Book Blogger Appreciation Week is the giveaways. They are fun to host and they are fun to win. For me, how my giveaway came about is the result of a fluke. Many of you commented on my post I wrote earlier this month on being too unfaithful a reader to get into reading many fictional series. That post was prompted by a discussion that two book bloggers were having on Twitter about The Hunger Games series. I started looking at a particular unread series gathering dust on my bookshelves. I considered making one such series part of my giveaway. I then saw the first two books in The Hunger Games series and found it impossible to not bring them home with me. Later, I found a book bag featuring the first series on clearance. Then I knew that fictional series would be the focus of my giveaway this year. This all expanded on Thursday when another complete series showed up in my mailbox. I call that serendipity. After further combing my bookshelves, I found a couple additional series. Yeah, it’s going to be a serial fiction blowout during BBAW on The Literate Housewife Review.
Here are the complete and partial series I am giving away this week. Details will follow, but you can enter for one, more, or all if you are interested:
The Complete Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
I won a complete set of these novels during Maw Books’ Reading and Blogging for Darfur campaign. Twilight and New Moon are paperback. Eclipse and Breaking Dawn are hardcover. Although I was excited to win them, I’ve personally never been able to work up the enthusiasm to read them. They are brand new, but a little dusty. I know that there are others out there who would love and cherish these books. These books will be sent to the winner wrapped in a black ‘Team Jacob” book bag.
The Hunger Games Series (1 & 2) by Suzanne Collins
Both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire are in hard cover. I will send them to the winner as soon as I read them (early October). I am a most gentle reader with hardcovers, so hopefully you won’t be able to tell the difference. If I don’t start reading them by the middle of October, I will send them to the winner unread. I’m not going to leave anyone hanging. I don’t have a great track record for starting a series. LOL!
The Betsy-Tacy Series (high school years & beyond) by Maud Hart Lovelace
This is the series that arrived in my mailbox on Thursday. HarperCollins is re-releasing this series. There are three trade paperbacks, each containing two novels. They take Betsy from freshman year through her wedding. A special thanks to them for sending them my way. There seems to be a lot of interest in these novels. I’ve never read them, but aren’t the covers lovely? This will make a marvelous prize for one lucky BBAW participant this week.
The Atlantis Trilogy (1 & 2) by Thomas Greanias
The first two books in the Atlantis Trilogy are included in this one trade paperback. The third novel in this series, The Atlantis Revalation, was just released in August. These books are action packed, so if you like your novels fast and thrilling, this would be perfect for you. A special thank you to Pocket Books for sending this book to me.
The Iron Elves Series (1 & 2) by Chris Evans
A Darkness Forged in Fire is in trade paperback. The Light of Burning Shadows is hardcover. This series is labeled as miliatary fantasy. I think the covers are striking. A special thanks to Pocket Books for sending these copies to me!
How do I enter?
So that is just about a little bit of everything, don’t you think? Is there anything here that might interest you? Yes? Well here’s what you need to know:
1) This contest is open to all. If there is more than one international winner, I may need to space out mailing the prizes over time due to the cost of shipping. Several of prizes are quite heavy.
2) Leave one comment for each series you would like a chance at winning. I will be using a spreadsheet to keep track of who leaves a comment for which series. I think that is the only way I will keep sane and I think that would be easier for me if there were separate comments for each entry.
3) This contest is open until Friday, September 18th at 5pm EST. I will announce the winners on Saturday, September 19th.
4) Good luck and enjoy BBAW!
Win a Copy of Ruined by Paula Morris
There is something about fall that makes it feel like the perfect time of the year to read a ghost story. Sure, there is Halloween, but almost as soon as September arrives I’m ready for all things spooky. As if to affirm my feelings, Carl runs the R.I.P. Challenge through September and October. So, when Dina from Big Honcho Media contacted me about Ruined
The best part is that Big Honcho Media has offered to send a copy of Ruined to five of my lucky readers! If you’re also participating in R.I.P. or you enjoy Young Adult fiction, you should enter this giveaway. Giving away 5 copies is a first for The Literate Housewife Review and I’m really excited about it. With six of us reading the book, I would like to coordinate a spooktastic conversation about the book on Twitter for as many of the winners as would like to participate. It’s not a requirement to be entered in the contest, but I sure think it would be fun.
Would you be interested in reading this book along with me? Here is the summary that Dina sent me:
When Rebecca Brown goes to New Orleans to stay with her voodoo-obsessed aunt, she finds the beautiful city haunted by the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Rebecca is also startled to discover a haunting of a different kind: near a graveyard one night, amid the Spanish moss and beneath the moonlight, she meets a ghost girl named Lisette, who has been dead for 150 years. Lisette helps Rebecca unearth an ancient mystery in her aunt’s house, along with some troubling historical truths. Meanwhile, Rebecca must juggle adjusting to her snooty new prep school, developing a serious crush on a handsome boy, and dealing with an elite group of popular girls who may be linked to the ghostly mystery themselves.
If that isn’t enough, check out this trailer. In it Paula Morris discusses the inspiration for this novel. Isn’t the idea that Katrina displaced ghosts interesting? I think so.
The Giveaway
I’ve got my copy of the novel, so I’m eager to get this contest started! To enter the contest, leave a comment here telling me what scares you the most. Also let me know if you would be interested in participating in a Tweet Up at some point in October.
For two additional entries a piece, link to this contest using Twitter, Facebook, or your blog. Just let me know so I can give you your extra entries.
This giveaway will open for two weeks. I’ll draw the winners using List Randomizer and will announce them on Tuesday, September 22. I’ll accept entries until Monday the 21st at 11:59 PM EST.
Good luck!
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Dog Days of Summer Drawing to an End
The Dog Days of Summer is almost over. It was such a fun week for me. I enjoyed sharing your photos and thoughts about dog and the books we read together. Know that I will be a busy bee tomorrow making sure I have everyone’s entries accounted for before spending some good quality time with the trusty List Randomizer.
There is still time to vote in the photo contest, which has been up and running since Monday morning. The polls stay open until midnight tonight, EST. Until then, every vote counts! Vote for your favorite dog. Next year I think I might have to come up with some kind of sash or tierra for the winner. This year, his or her mommy will have to capture all the glory.
Check out this post for all of the other ways to earn entries in my Dog Days of Summer contests.
Before the week is over, I’d like to take some time to thank Sheri from A Novel Menagerie. She is the genius behind the oh, so adorable Dog Days of Summer banner and button. She is such a special blogger friend to me. She hosts fun weekly memes (I love her Monday’s Movie – I would participate more if I ever got a chance to watch a movie – and The Score – Sheri has great taste in music) and contests galore. If you haven’t gotten to know her yet, you owe yourself the favor of checking out her blog. This is her blogiversary month, so now is the right time to stop and take a look. I know she’s busy as can be working on the BBAW committee. Thanks so much for all you do, Sheri!
Have a great weekend and thanks for making the Dog Days of Summer such a wonderful event!
My Favorite Fictional Dog
I have a confession to make. I, Literate Housewife, the creator of Dog Days of Summer week, have never actually owned a dog. In fact, I’ve never even lived with a dog. I don’t even recall ever having babysat for a family with a dog. My parents had a dog before I was born, but after my dad had to to call after “Poopsie” through a conservative church during evening service one summer Sunday, they had enough (their own fault for naming the dog something embarrasing to yell in front of your neighbors). The next time Poopsie ran away (apparently a frequent occurrence), they let him go. As children, my four siblings and I begged for a dog, but we never got one. When the topic of pets comes up, my dad is sure to say, “Every time you kids asked for a dog your mother got pregnant.” LOL!
Now that I am an adult homeowner making a decent salary (with a 6-year-old going around drawing names out of a hat for a dog we haven’t adopted yet), there is no reason why I don’t have a dog today other than fear of additional responsibility. I have seen the beautiful pictures of such beautiful dogs and I know that they are loved and loving. Wow. It just seems like a lot of work to me right now. I guess it’s harder to dive in when you don’t have any practical experience. Going back to the 6-year-old… She’s agreed to name the dog the name I like. I believe she’s discovered the strongest holdout and is currently devising even more ways to break down my resolve. Let’s face it. It’s only a matter of time. 
This does not mean that I don’t like dogs. Quite the contrary! I do – it’s just that they have all come from a book or some other form of pop culture. I guess you can say that all of my dogs have been imaginary. Since my guest post for this week didn’t work out, I thought it might be a good idea to pay tribute to my favorate dog character. It took me a while to decide which ficticious dog is my absolute favorite. Two of the dogs from the books I’ve read for Dog Days of Summer are strong contenders – Lorelei from The Dogs of Babel is a strong and loving dog despite her rocky start and unstable family and Enzo is whitty, smart and observant. Either would make a good choice, but I’ve only known them now for a couple of weeks tops. My favorite dog just happens to be the first dog I remember:
Snoop Dogg? What the? How did you get here? You naughty dogg! You are not my favorite fictional dog, that’s fo shizzle! My favorite dog character of all time is:
Underdog!
I just love him and I always have! He’s cute, charming in a geeky sort of way, brave, vulnerable, and just a tad clumsy. He’s protective of those he loves, but he knows when to pull out his big guns. He makes me laugh and feel happy to be alive. What more can you ask for? Unfortunately, I haven’t been seeing him around much any more (please don’t bring up the movie version – it’s as appealing to me as a Gone With the Wind sequel). American society has all but gotten rid of the telephone booths he needs. What technology taketh away, technology giveth – for there is an Underdog fix waiting for me 24/7 on YouTube!
Ah, the memories. I just loved watching this when I was a kid. They don’t make chartoons like this anymore.
Which dog character is your favorite? What is it about this fictional dog that endears him/her to your heart? Let me know, and you’ll be entered into my last new contest of the week! If you are the lucky commenter selected by List Randomizer, you will win a Dog Days of Summer bookmark and a book about my favorite fictional family in cartoon form ~ The Simpsons. Simpons Comics Hit the Road is 144 pages of comic fun. Their fictional dog doesn’t seem to be present, though. What’s up with that?
Thanks for participating and helping to make Dog Days of Summer so much fun!
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In Memory of Edward Kennedy
Today is the end of an era in America. The last of the Camelot Kennedy brothers passed away from brain cancer.
Edward Kennedy is the only Kennedy I will ever remember. Both John and Robert had been assassinated before I was born. I wish I had known all of the Kennedy brothers before the scandals so that I could have felt what many other Americans feel when they think of the Kennedy family. Regardless, we lost a unique American voice today.
In honor of Edward Kennedy and his family, I have three books to giveaway:
Update (8/28/09)
I now have a total of four copies of Set Your Compass True. Thanks Vanessa!
From HarperCollins: This remarkable collection of quotations by John, Robert, and Edward Kennedy offers a wealth of advice and wisdom on leading a meaningful life. Within the book, the brothers opine, advise, and muse on many of life’s issues and questions, from taking risks to solitude.
At once poignant, witty, and insightful, this small anthology—which includes twenty-four pages of beautiful photography of the Kennedys over the course of their lives—is a treasure for seekers of all ages.
I have a hardcover version. I have skimmmed through it and it has some wonderful pictures and, of course, inspiring quotes.
If you are interested in this book, let me know in your comments. I have four hardcover copies to giveaway thanks to Vanessa at HarperCollins! I’ll use List Randomizer to select the winner(s).
From HarperCollins: The life of Edward M. Kennedy is a chronicle of our country’s past fifty years. An authoritative and wonderfully readable biography, Edward M. Kennedy brings to life one of the most accomplished and fascinating men to walk the halls of Capitol Hill. Drawing on interviews with the Senator and those close to him, Adam Clymer follows Kennedy through his highs and lows—through Chappaquiddick, his public divorce, and his relationship with political figures such as the Clintons, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama—placing Kennedy’s career in a historical perspective and observing how his family legacy has affected his political performance.
If you are interested in this book, let me know in your comments. If more than one request comes in before Saturday, August 29th, I’ll use List Randomizer to select a winner.
From HarperCollins: In this gripping memoir, John F. Kennedy’s closest advisor recounts in full for the first time his experience counseling Kennedy through the most dramatic moments in American history.
Sorensen returns to January 1953, when he and the freshman senator from Massachusetts began their extraordinary professional and personal relationship. Rising from legislative assistant to speechwriter and advisor, the young lawyer from Nebraska worked closely with JFK on his most important speeches, as well as his book Profiles in Courage. Sorensen encouraged the junior senator’s political ambitions—from a failed bid for the vice presidential nomination in 1956 to the successful presidential campaign in 1960, after which he was named Special Counsel to the President.
Sorensen describes in thrilling detail his experience advising JFK during some of the most crucial days of his presidency, from the decision to go to the moon to the Cuban Missile Crisis, when JFK requested that the thirty-four-year-old Sorensen draft the key letter to Khrushchev at the most critical point of the world’s first nuclear confrontation. After Kennedy was assassinated, Sorensen stayed with President Johnson for a few months before leaving to write a biography of JFK. In 1968 he returned to Washington to help run Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Through it all, Sorensen never lost sight of the ideals that brought him to Washington and to the White House, working tirelessly to promote and defend free, peaceful societies.
Illuminating, revelatory, and utterly compelling, Counselor is the brilliant, long-awaited memoir from the remarkable man who shaped the presidency and the legacy of one of the greatest leaders America has ever known.
If you are interested in this book, let me know in your comments. If more than one request comes in before Saturday, August 29th, I’ll use List Randomizer to select a winner.
*****
Many thanks to Vanessa and others at HarperCollins for sending me copies of this book.
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The Dogs Days of Summer Are Almost Here!
Next week The Literate Housewife Review will be hosting its first theme week: Dog Days of Summer. You’ll find nothing but reviews of books that heavily feature dogs and other canine delights. I probably haven’t done as good a job getting the word out about this week, but I’m very excited about it. Marketing is something that doesn’t come naturally to me, but I’ll work on it for next year.
Dog Days of Summer Recap: The Books
Next week I will be reviewing the following dog-related novels:
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn
and possibly…
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
Joining in on the Fun
As dogs are (hu)man’s best friends, I didn’t want to celebrate this week all by myself. I opened Dog Days of Summer up to other bloggers who wanted to review at least one of the books I’m reviewing next week. I am so happy to have four other bloggers coming along for the ride:
A Novel Menagerie
Carolina Gal’s Literary Cafe
Books on the Brain
By Hook or By Book
I will be highlighting their Dog Days of Summer posts next week and there will be prizes! It’s not too late to sign up if you blog and would like to review one of the books listed above – you don’t have to be a book blogger, either. Just create a Dog Days of Summer post and write about your experience reading the book. Just by signing up you’re eligible to grab my cute button (Thanks again, Sheri!) for your blog. I’m still loving it myself. To sign up, click here and use Mr. Linky.
Here are the prizes that participating bloggers will be eligible for:
First Prize: A $15 gift certificate (online location of your choice) & a handmade Dog Days of Summer bookmark
Second Prize: Ten handmade bookmarks designed by Literate Housewife for you to give away to your readers (we’ll discuss design, etc. to fit your contest) & a handmade Dog Days of Summer bookmark
Third Prize: Dog Days of Summer bookmark
Photo Contest
Submit a picture of you, your family, or your pets (not strictly dogs) surviving the Dog Days of Summer. I will post all pictures and create a poll for my readers to choose their favorite photo. Please feel free to use the button (if applicable) and encourage your friends and family to vote for you.
Please submit your photo to me before Monday, August 24th. As of right now I haven’t had anyone send a picture yet. I would like to have at least three photos before actually holding the contest. If you send me a picture and I don’t get enough, you’re guaranteed a prize and I’ll feature the photo next week as well.
Here are the prizes for those who submit photos:
First Prize: A brand-new copy of the Dog Days of Summer book of your choice & a handmade Dog Days of Summer bookmark
Second Prize: Copy of “Marley & Me” book & a Dog Days of Summer bookmark
Third Prize: Dog Days of Summer bookmark
Bring Forth Your Comments
Each time you leave a comment on any of my Dog Days of Summer reviews or posts, you’ll be entered in a drawing as well. If you are also participating in one or both of my other options, no worries. You will still be included in this drawing if you leave comments.
First Prize: My copies of each of my Dog Days of Summer books & a handmade Dog Days of Summer bookmark
Second Prize: Copy of “Marley & Me” book & a Dog Days of Summer bookmark
Third Prize+: 1 of 10 Dog Days of Summer bookmarks.
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Belong To Me Winners!
Last month I held a contest for one of three copies of Marisa de los Santos’ Belong to Me. After a little too much time, I finally have used List Randomizer to draw the winners and they are…
Pam from I Write in Books
Rhapsody from Rhapsody In Book’s Weblog
Kay from The Infinite Shelf
Congratulations to all three winners! Please send me an email with your mailing address and I will pass them on to the publicist!
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Book Blogger Con
Have you heard about the 1st Annual Book Blogger Convention that will be held in NYC during the BEA? You should check it out. I know it will be a fantastic experience. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to family obligations, but I'll be trolling blogs for up to the minute news.
WE Magazine’s A Woman Blogger to Watch
Literate Challenges
What's in a Name? 3
Random Reading Challenge
