vvb32 reads

Winners for January pt1

2012-01-30T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended January 29, 2012
during the YA Faeries & Fantasy event

Thanks to all contestants!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Winner: Rebecca

Lifting the Wheel of Karma by Paul H. Magid
Winner: AimeeKay of Reviews From My First Reads Shelf

Tower of Parlen Min: Volume 1 (The Narrow Escapes of Ves Asirin) by Matt Xell
Winner: Rachel

Yesterday's Daughter by Sallie Lundy-Frommer
fyi: if you didn't already know, the author commented on lots of your comments
Winner: Barbara

more winners for this event to be revealed later this week

~*~
* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses this week.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

Let's Ask the Caterpillar

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

Could be the caterpillar knows where Alice can be found...

WHO is Alice?

WHO are YOU?

WHO do you think I am - a directory service for Boogie Wonderland?

No?

Well, maybe you can find your answer in one of these...

Tower of Parlen Min: The Chapter Commentaries Ep 1:

Tower of Parlen Min: The Chapter Commentaries Ep 2:

Tower of Parlen Min: The Chapter Commentaries Ep 3:

Tower of Parlen Min: The Chapter Commentaries Ep 4:

Tower of Parlen Min: The Chapter Commentaries Ep 5:

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
Tower of Parlen Min
Volume 1 (The Narrow Escapes of Ves Asirin)
by Matt Xell

WIN a copy of this ebook!

for 10 winners

Offer ends: January 29, 2012

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. WATCH one of the videos above.

2. TELL me which video you watched and something that caught your eye or ear.

AND include your email (if I don't already have it)

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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* image source caterpillar

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Does the White Rabbit Know?

2012-01-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

I've searched high
I've searched low
and haven't a clue
as to the whereabouts of our Alice

Perhaps, the white rabbit yonder may know.

He beckons us to follow.

We stumble across this...

Railroad
by Tonia Brown
Volume 1 - currently available for 99 cents at Amazon or Smashwords
Volume 2 - currently available for 99 cents at Amazon or Smashwords
Volume 3 - currently available for 99 cents at Amazon or Smashwords

OR enter the January contest to win one of these...

First Prize:
An ink sketch of the Sleipnir crew, signed by artist David Naughton-Shires.
A print copy of the Railroad! omnibus, signed by the author Tonia Brown.

Second Prize:
A poster print of the Railroad! omnibus cover, signed by the artist David Naughton-Shires.
A print copy of the Railroad! omnibus, signed by the author Tonia Brown.

Third, Fourth and Fifth Prizes:
An E-copy of the Railroad! omnibus.

~*~
NOW, don't go in THAT direction, unless you want this...

Badass Zombie Road Trip
by Tonia Brown
get your free kindle copy at Amazon
Jonah has seven days to find his best friend’s soul, or lose his own, dragging a zombie across the country with a stripper who has an agenda of her own, while being pursued for a crime he didn’t commit...
...and dealing with Satan.

2,000 miles.

Seven days.

Two souls.

One zombie.

Satan.

Also Includes:
Preview: Gary Brandner’s - The Howling
Preview: Gary Brandner’s - The Howling II
Preview: Gary Brandner’s - The Howling III
Preview: James Roy Daley’s - Terror Town
Preview: Matt Hults’ - Husk
Preview: James Roy Daley’s - Into Hell
Preview: Paul Kane’s - Pain Cages

~*~
* image source white rabbit

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

An Interview with a Vampire from Sallie Lundy-Frommer

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Daughter
by Sallie Lundy-Frommer
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Sallie Lundy-Frommer
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Sallie Lundy-Frommer, “I’m thrilled to have this chance to interview you, Sapphira. Everyone seems to think I’m an expert on all things Sapphira, but that isn’t the case. Your fans are anxious to know more about your relationship with Malachi. ”

Sapphira laughs softly, “I suppose they are. I’ll share as much as I can, but some things are for Malachi’s eyes and ears only. And, thanks for having me Sallie, but I have to admit, I’m a little nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“Not to worry, we’re your admirers and fans, so you’re in safe hands.”

“Thank you.”

“Alrighty then, here we go. Malachi’s and your story has generated more notoriety than any love story in some time. Every time one of your fans writes or calls about you and Malachi, they gush like crazy. So tell me, you two were apart for a long time before finding each other, what really happened? It there more you can tell than what we read, Sapphira?”

“This is hard, really hard to talk about. I wanted to put all this behind me.”

“I know this difficult but your fans really want to know. Go on, it’s okay...”

“We...we were kept apart and it took a long time for Malachi to find me. He...”

“How long did take and what exactly kept you apart, come on...the devil is in the details...”

Sapphira takes a deep sigh before continuing softly, “Death kept us apart or tried to. That is, most people believed I was dead. But, Malachi didn’t, thank God.”

“Oh, that’s so tragic...”

“Yes, yes it is.”

“Okay, neither the fans nor I want to upset you. I see tears in your eyes. Let’s move onto happier times. How did you meet Malachi?”

“Oh, it’s kind of funny and scary. He just showed up like the Holy Ghost. One second I was alone and the next, he was just there. Scared the heck out me, at first I thought he was a home invader. It took him a while to convince me that he wouldn’t hurt me. Then he explained a lot of stuff to me, including what I am, a vampire. It was scary then, but when I think about it now, it’s one of the best days of my life.”

“And you believed him, that you’re a vampire?”

“There’s a lot of back story that you don’t have time for; but yes, after a while, I believed him. It’s hard to explain, but his words triggered something in me. Let’s just say, it was the beginning of my awakening.”

“And, now you’re married. How’s married life?”

“Amazing, sublime, and eventful. The ceremony was like something out of a fantasy. I still can’t believe Malachi is my life mate. He’s been so patient and loving and let’s not forget he is the most beautiful vampire in the world, both inside and out. I guess my prejudice is showing here.”

“Quickly, Sapphira, you said it was eventful. Anything you can share?”

“Ahhhh...too much to be quick. I’ll just say, if it weren’t for Malachi, I wouldn’t have survived our adventures.”

“Well, that’s it, we’re out of time. Sapphira, thanks for stopping by and say hello to Malachi.”

“Thanks for having me, Sallie.”

~end

Guest post created by Sallie Lundy-Frommer, author of Yesterday's Daughter
© 2012. All rights reserved.

Visit Sallie:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Shelfari
Twitter

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Sallie Lundy-Frommer
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

PeekAbook:

READ more about this world…

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--
Yesterday's Daughter
by Sallie Lundy-Frommer
An emotionally laden paranormal vampire romance novel woven with layers of betrayal, love and loss.

Grace Stone, who later learns her true identity is Sapphira, is a loner who survives abuse in the foster care system after being abandoned as a child. A brilliant student, she escapes from her brutal foster parents as a teenager and creates a life for herself. But, her life is little more than existence; plagued with questions about what she really is, a family that she has never known and the never-ending need to keep her differences hidden.

She is alone and lonely, believing it will always remain so until Malachi appears in her life. Malachi, a Guardian of the vampire communities, has searched for his life mate, Sapphira, for decades. He refuses to cease searching for Sapphira even though she is believed dead by all. Conflict arises over the decades between Malachi and his family because of his refusals to accept another mate. But his very soul drives him on to continue his search, knowing that he could not exist if Sapphira were not in the world, somewhere.

WIN a copy of this book!

Open to US and Canada only.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ONE of these:

ADD this book to your Goodreads

or

ADD this book to your Shelfari

or

TWEET this: (or click the twitter button on this post)
Giveaway: Yesterday's Daughter by Sallie Lundy-Frommer http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2012/01/interview-with-vampire-from-sallie.html

2. AND, let me know in comments what you did along with your email (if I don't already have it)

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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Check out the Yesterday's Daughter blog tour for more details and goodies about this book!

The Moon Coin by Richard Due

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Moon Coin
by Richard Due

Visit Richard:
Book Excerpt
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Shelfari
Twitter

Published: 2011
Publisher: Gibbering Gnome Press
Genre: Fantasy, YA
ebook
Rating: 4

The Moon Coin, by Richard Due, is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the iBookstore for $0.99.

OR win a copy here.

Gibbering Gnome Press Presents a Tale of Epic Fantasy for All Ages

"Are you going to tell us a story, Uncle?" asked Jasper.

"No. Not tonight, I think." Jasper's small shoulders slumped. "But if you think you're up to keeping another secret, I might be willing to tell you a tale."

"There's a difference?" asked Lily.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes. You see, a story can be made up as easily as you please, or not. But a tale, now that's a moon of a different color. A tale is an account of things in their due order, often divulged secretly, or as gossip. Would you like to hear one?"

Once upon a time, Lily and Jasper Winter had an uncle named Ebb. He liked to tell tales of a place called the Moon Realm, where nine moons swirled around one another, each inhabited by strange and wondrous beings: magical lunamancers; undersea merfolk; wise birds; winged dragons; and Lily’s favorite, the heroic, leonine Rinn. Uncle Ebb had quite the imagination.

Now, nine years after the tales began, he’s missing. Soon, so is Lily, transported to the Moon Realm by a mysterious coin.

But this Moon Realm is different, no more than a dystopian shadow of the storied worlds in Ebb's bedtime tales. Here, a villain named Wrengfoul, along with his evil minions, is attacking the other moons, stripping away what little magic and happiness remain. Had her uncle just been spinning tales of how he wanted things to be? Where did Ebb’s fantasy end and the real Moon Realm begin?

Separated from her brother, dodging fresh dangers on every new moon, Lily desperately sifts through Uncle Ebb’s shattered bedtime tales for shards of truth. Will she piece together enough clues to find her way home, or will she remain trapped in a faery tale gone mad?

Featuring twenty-two stunning full-color illustrations by Carolyn Arcabascio. Volume One of the young adult fantasy adventure series The Moon Realm.

Series:
The Moon Coin
The Dragondain - tba 2012
The Murk - 2013
The Ninth Embasea - 2014

PeekAbook:

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): travel
A magical adventure, indeed! Lots of action and new worlds to discover.

One of the characters reminded me of my kitten who was recently added to the household. Similar coloring and looks based on the illustrations. Funny how coincidental things can pop up in books.

I liked how the bulk of this story had a focus on a female heroine - makes for an empowering story for girls to read.

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
signup to win this ebook

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Hatter by Daniel Coleman

2012-01-19T21:15:00.000-08:00

Hatter
by Daniel Coleman
Published: 2011
Genre: Action, Fantasy
ebook
Rating: 5

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Shelfari

There’s nothing wrong with a touch of madness. – Cheshire Cat

In a kingdom that doesn’t need saving, a young man ignorant of social norms is the unlikeliest of heroes. And despite his extreme dislike of confrontation, Hatta knows his destiny is to mend a rift that doesn’t exist.

On the other end of the spectrum is Chism, a young Elite soldier who thrives on conflict. How will this rash, obsessive soldier aid the child-like Hatta in his journey?

Throw in the Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts and other familiar characters as they emerge to fill their eminent roles in the tangled ascent into madness of literature’s most lovable lunatic.

Series:
Jabberwocky
Hatter

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): loyalty
Loved this story that tells the tale of Hatter (before Alice comes into the picture). I must say I became smitten with Chism who has a stint as the Red Knight.

Find out about the "Mad" in Hatter's name...

--~ eBook Giveaway ~--
signup to win this ebook

~*~
* meet this Hatter in Daniel's guest post

* review copy courtesy of author

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Maybe the Nightingale Knows

2012-01-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

Indeed, where did our Alice go off to???

Perhaps, the nightingale knows...

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by David Farland
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Reading in the Future

Imagine that you put on your “reading glasses.” The glasses are dark, fitted with lasers and high-quality stereo earbuds, so that as you put them on, your entire field of vision is captured. A laser inside the glasses flashes a novel title on the interior surface of your eye.

Of course, the book you see is my book (why not, it's my fantasy). The letters start small, off in the distance and they quickly draw closer to you, but they don't stop, they wash right over you and just when it seems they're all around you, they explode in a burst of light, “Nightingale, by David Farland.” You can hardly imagine what life was like before 3D. As soon as you read the last word, a laser with a computer link that tracks your eye movement cues the background music, and images begin to flash in your eye—a holographic video-clip of the character of Bron, as an infant, being abandoned outside the door of a cheap hotel in the Utah desert. The camera pans up to the face of his mother, Sommer, bitter and broken, with tears in her eyes. We flash to the prologue, where Sommer runs through a forest at night, her breathing deep, while dogs snarl and bark as they give pursuit. Fireflies rise up around her.

Words to the novel appear on screen, as background music continues, and you begin to read. As Sommer twists her foot and falls, the lasers pace your reading and insert a sound-effect—the thud of a body falling, the hiss of breath knocked from Sommer’s throat. The dogs bay more excitedly. A man’s heavy footsteps can be heard tromping through the brush behind the reader, and a startled mewling cry escapes Sommer’s throat. . . .

Welcome to the future of reading, where text, images, sounds and music forge a collage. That’s the vision I have that led me to become a co-founder of East India Press.

The technology to do this already exists. The use of heads-up displays in fighter jets was pioneered in the 1960s, and that technology has now gone public. Though readers now are using the iPad2 and the Kindle Fire, I’m looking forward to the devices we’ll have five years from now, or ten years.

How can reading technology be better than with current books?

We don’t want to replace reading. We don’t want to make movies. Reading often engages the audience’s imagination in ways that movies fail to. We want to keep it that way. We want the reader to be a partner with us in bringing a tale to life.

At the same time, we hope to ‘enhance,’ the story, help readers become more fully involved with it, yet keep budgets reasonable. With film clips, animations, illustrations, background music, and sound effects, we can create something that fuses a lot of storytelling tools.

Creating e-books has become cheap and easy. This year, it is estimated that three million people will be putting their own e-books up for sale. That’s a staggering number. If you spend twelve hours a day just examining those titles, and spend only ten seconds studying each e-book put up this year, you wouldn’t be able to glance at even 1/100th of all the books that will be published—much less read one!

Readers are being deluged, often with books that aren’t any good. Most of those books, unfortunately, wouldn’t have made it past an editor. The author just wasn’t ready. Sure, there will be a few diamonds among all of that coal, but no editor will have time to sort through it.

I've had my share of sorting through manuscripts. For nearly a decade I was the first judge for one of the world’s largest writing contests. A funny story, once an editor of a major publisher asked me to help pick a book to give the “big publicity push to” for the next year. I read through thirty books and selected a book that the marketers thought was “too-long” for its intended audience. I pointed out that the book was also written several grade levels too high for its intended audience.

But it was a great book, so I urged them to push it despite the book’s apparent
problems. It was called Harry Potter.

Even though authors can publish their own works, we’re going to need editors in the future who understand how to green-light a novel, who can recognize what will please an audience. But once a work is selected, the editor will take the role of a producer—assembling a creative team of composers, musicians, illustrators, animators, directors, sound-effects engineers, and so on.”

Distributing enhanced books won’t be expensive. After all, it will be done electronically. There are no copies to print, ship, or store. But creating them will be expensive and time-consuming.

Still, it will be a lot less expensive than making a movie. To create a really great movie with a lot of special effects can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and it will only give the viewer an hour or two of entertainment. But by meshing technologies, we can create a similar experience with novels, spending perhaps only a hundred thousand or two—and it will give a reading experience that might last for twenty or thirty hours or more! Novels have a unique ability to let us achieve deep penetration into the minds and emotions of a character, much more so than with a film. I’m excited about the possibilities.

In fact, I am so excited about the possibilities that I went indie with this next novel. I didn't have to by any means. I'm an award-winning New York Times bestseller. Instead, I decided to start my own publishing company for enhanced novels. I see potential. Nightingale is the first young adult novel I’ve written, outside of a little work with Star Wars and the Mummy. I knew it could be a hit, but I wanted to do something . . . unique with it. I've trained dozens of other #1 international bestsellers, people like Brandon Sanderson and Stephenie Meyer, and I've learned to spot “good,” whether it's someone else's work or my own. Nightingale has it.

Now that it’s done, this is a first step toward creating a more-engaging form of novel, the kind that kids who are reluctant readers might devour. I’m looking forward to see what we can do in ten or twenty years. But Nightingale is a step toward that future.

Nightingale is the story of a young man, abandoned at birth, rejected from foster home after foster home. People see that he’s brilliant and talented, but also “strange.” He’s the ultimate loner until he meets Olivia, a marvelously gifted teacher, who recognizes that Bron is something special, something that her people call a “Nightingale,” a creature not quite human.

I was excited to see how it would be received. I was even more excited when the first reviewer said, “I devoured the novel. It was absolutely incredible! . . . I struggled to explain just how much I enjoyed it in my review. . . . After reading Nightingale, I don't think I will even be able to go back to reading regular e-books again. Like it says in my review, reading the enhanced Nightingale felt like an ‘experience.’ It didn't feel quite like a book or a movie. It initiated all of my senses. . . . enhanced ebooks are actually a real deal.” That's what we were hoping people would see in it. The future of books is beginning now.

Best of all, East India Press has created a new web simulation technology that mimics how the book appears on the iPad, so you can see and hear it for yourself for free at www.nightingalenovel.com.

~end

Guest post created for YA Faeries & Fantasy event by David Farland, author of Nightingale
© 2012. All rights reserved.

Visit David:
Website for book
Website for David
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Shelfari

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by David Farland
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

READ more about this world...

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
Nightingale
by David Farland
Nightingale launches a marvelous contemporary fantasy for young adults, a grand adventure overflowing with wonders. Alternately laugh-out-loud funny and terrifying, there’s a sweetness and passion to this novel that keeps readers up long into the night.

Currently, Nightingale is available as an “enhanced novel,” with its own sound track, illustrations, animations, and author interview; as a lovingly crafted hardcover; as an audiobook; e-book; and has its own soundtrack.

WIN a copy of this ebook!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012--> extended to Jan 31

TO DO:

VISIT David's site and tell me something interesting you found there.

AND, include your email (if I don't already have it)

~*~
* image source nightingale

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Alice leaves Boogie Nights

2012-01-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

All the while, the Fae continue to their eternal dancing every night...

Dance with the boogie get down
'Cause boogie nights are always
The best in town
Got to keep on dancing
Keep on dancing
Got to keep on dancing
Keep on dancing

-Boogie Nights by Heatwave

Where did Alice go?

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
Finding Alice
by Andrea DiGiglio
Release date: February 2012
Cursed with an intense version of empathy Alice runs from a wasted life to start a new one somewhere no one will know her; Hell, Michigan. Alice works at a hole-in-the-wall bar in the middle of nowhere mostly keeping to herself to avoid the overwhelming emotions of those around her. Alice allows her best friend to convince her into taking a few college classes without realizing it would drastically change her life forever. From her first day of class she was hooked on him; his scent, his eyes, the way he talked to her inside her head.

Throughout her struggles she learns about true love, true pain and the truth of her own heritage. Alice must quickly find out who she is because after all everyone else is out to find her. With Angels and Bounty Hunter’s in constant pursuit she finds protection within a group of Fallen Angels. These Fallen Angels vow to do anything to protect her; for it is their belief she will save their kind and all of mankind.

WIN a copy of this book!

for 2 winners

1 - Print version for US only.

1 - Ebook available for all.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012--> extended to Jan 31

TO DO:

VISIT Andrea's site and tell me something interesting you found there.

TELL me if you want print (for US only) or ebook.

AND, let me know your email (if I don't already have it)

~*~
* image source dancing fae

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Alice meets Asenath

2012-01-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

Our Alice's trip down the rabbit hole takes her out of Boogie Wonderland, but lands her in a place - not quite home...

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Anna Patricio
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
The thirteen-year-old girl trailed alongside the other priestesses in the inner sanctum of the Temple of Atum-Re. They had just finished one of the daily rituals, and were now making their way through the sacred near-darkness.

Torches cast a flickering red-orange light on stiff, two-dimensional portraits of the sun god in his many forms: the hawk Re-Horakhty, the scarab Khepri, and the man Atum who sailed upon his glorious Boat Of A Million Years each day. Around the portraits were marble altars bearing offerings: flowers, plates of food, and bowls of bittersweet incense.

The priestesses then passed through the forest of lotus columns, which separated the god's sacred home from the world of rekhit - the common people. A sudden flash of sunlight nearly blinded them, their greeting back into the ordinary world. They then descended the temple's wide marble steps and dispersed throughout the courtyard.

Asenath waved a farewell to her parents, the high priestly couple of Heliopolis, before heading towards her litter, which waited to take her home. She was looking forward to a quiet afternoon in the garden, with just her pets and scrolls of poetry.

A little while later, she had just finished her lunch of beer, onions and bread and was about to take up some scrolls to read, when she heard a rustling outside the garden pavilion. She ignored it, thinking it was merely a bird or a gardener. But then, the rustling grew persistent, followed by a human's voice, "Oh!"

Asenath's head jerked up. She then rose and headed towards the edge of the pavilion.

Sprawled out on the grass below her was a girl with a face as pale as those of the Libyans, or even from those who dwelt in lands across the Great Green Sea. Her dress was the strangest Asenath had ever seen - it was not a straight sheath dress if the Egyptians, neither was it one of those colourful woolen cloaks that the people from Babylon or other such lands donned. She could not figure out what origin it was from.

The pale girl looked up and shrieked, startling Asenath as well. "Oh, I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry...." the girl stuttered.

Asenath relaxed, seeing that as strange as the girl looked, she was harmless. "It's all right," she said.

She descended the pavilion's steps and approached the girl, who was struggling to her feet. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," the girl said. She leapt up and brushed some grass from her skirt, which ballooned as if propelled by some great wind - though, to Asenath's fascination, it never deflated. She stood to her full length, almost the same height as Asenath.

"Who are you? What is your name?" the girl asked.

"I am Lady Asenath," Asenath replied. "And what is your name? Where did you come from and how did you get here?"

"I am Alice. I fell through a rabbit hole and... er, never mind. It's a long story."

"Rabbit hole?" Asenath echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Er, well it was a magical rabbit hole."

"Ah." Asenath nodded, understanding somewhat, seeing as the priests of Ancient Egypt practised magic arts. This girl must have been sent by the rabbit god Unas.

Alice gasped. "Is this Egypt?"

"Why, yes," Asenath said, a bit baffled. How could the girl not understand where she was...

Alice let out a squeal of delight. "Ohhh, I have always wanted to go to Egypt! Are the pyramids close by?"

"Sort of," Asenath said, now amused by Alice's enthusiasm. "As a matter of fact, we have a view of them from the roofdeck. Would you like to have a look?"

"Sure!"

Later, the two girls stood on the roofdeck, looking towards the great monuments rising in the distance. In the heat, the pyramids and sphinx seemed to dance slightly.

Alice shaded her eyes. "They're glorious," she said.

She then turned to Asenath. "How wonderful it must be to wake up every morning to the pyramids."

"It is, quite," Asenath said. "I haven't always lived here though. I mean, I have lived in Egypt all my life, but not always in Heliopolis."

"Oh?" Alice said.

"Yes. I am originally from a fishing village by the Nile. I was orphaned when a group of invaders raided the village and murdered my parents."

"I'm sorry." Alice lowered her eyes in sympathy.

"My best friend and I were then brought here to Heliopolis. I was adopted by the high priest and his wife, and my best friend went to study magic arts in Thebes. Now, I serve as a priestess of the sun god."

"The sun god, I see...."

Speaking of which, Asenath knew she had better offer the utmost hospitality to a god's messenger. "Would you care for some sherbet and dates?" she asked her strange guest.

"Why certainly!" Alice replied. "That would be lovely."

As the girls reentered the garden, Alice said, "I can't tell you how thrilled I am. Egypt is such an ancient, fascinating place and..."
Suddenly, the ground opened up and Alice fell in. Asenath reached out to help her, but the hole immediately closed up.

Asenath blinked at the strangeness of this all. Then she closed her eyes and murmured, "Hail to you, great god Unas, for sending me your messenger."

As she returned to the pavilion, memories of her happy childhood by the Nile returned to her......

AN EXCERPT FROM THE NOVEL, ASENATH

CHAPTER ONE

Egypt 1554 B.C.

The Nile had just flooded, leaving the ground moist, rich and black. The children of our riverside village, I among them, frolicked about in the cool, gooey earth. In the distance, the ancient river circled the land, glittering with a thousand tiny dancing lights from the sun-god's Boat of a Million Years. A breeze blew, rustling the branches of the palm trees that surrounded our home.

"Kiya!"

No sooner had I looked than a mud ball pelted me hard across the stomach.

"I'll get you for that, Menah." I bent down to gather mud in my hands when another ball landed on my back. He was a quick one, my best friend.

I had just formed a mud ball and was about to raise my arm when Menah suddenly charged forward and pounced on me.

"Now you'll get the tickle torture," he said in a mock evil voice.

"No, Menah. Please, no." But I was overcome by uncontrollable laughter.

"Menah! Kiya!" voices called out, interrupting our playful wrestling.

Our mothers approached.

"Come out now," my mother called. "It is time to prepare for the Feast of Hapi."

Covered in mud from head to toe, Menah and I scrambled toward them.

Mama shook her head, smiling. "You're such a mess."

She led me back to our hut.

"What is going to happen tonight, Mama?" I asked. "I mean, after we pray to Hapi? Will there be games?"

Mama's blue eyes twinkled against her brown skin. "I see no reason why there shouldn't be."

"And lots of food?"

"All the food you could ever want."

"May I wear my lotus necklace today?"

Years ago, when I was very young, Mama had given me a beautiful carved lapis lazuli lotus pendant strung on a simple piece of coarse rope. She told me it had been in her family for many generations and that her grandmother had received it from Hapi himself.

She ruffled my hair. "Of course. Today is, after all, a special day."

As we entered our mud hut, which had been my home since birth, I saw my father mending one of his fisherman's nets. When he saw me, he pretended to cower in fear.

"A mud monster has entered our house."

I laughed. "It's just me, Papa."

He leaned forward and squinted, as if trying to get a good look, though the gesture was comically exaggerated. "Is it? Let me see. Ah yes, it's my little Kiya."

He leapt to his feet, picked me up and swung me around, ignoring the mud that soiled his hands. I squealed with delight.
"Nakhti," Mama said. "I have to get her ready."

"Yes." Papa set me down. He gave me a gentle slap across the back, motioning for me to return to Mama.

"I get to wear the lotus today, Papa."

He smiled. "I am sure you will look very pretty."

Later that afternoon, four priests from a nearby town passed by our village. They shouldered on poles our patron god's idol, which nestled upon a bed of water lilies. A ray of sunlight bounced off the golden image and it flashed with brilliance. Behind the god was a small train of dancing priestesses. They rattled sistrums and twirled around, their white dresses billowing out like clouds.

My fellow villagers and I were assembled outside our village, awaiting the god's arrival. When he appeared, we fell to our knees and touched our foreheads to the sandy ground.

"Glorious Hapi," my father intoned. "We thank you for once again allowing your water to flow and give life. We thank you for nourishing our land and our people. We pray your sacred pitchers never cease to flow. We thank you, great god of the Nile."

My heart swelled with pride. Papa was the most renowned fisherman in our village. Though he was quite an old man - many years older than my mother - he possessed skills and strength that surpassed even those of the younger generations. Everyone thus hailed him as the favoured of the river god.

"Praise be to you, Hapi," I echoed along with the rest of my fellow villagers.

As the idol trailed away, we rose to our feet and gathered up the amulets and flowers, which we would be tossing into the Nile as offerings. It was sunset now and sheer red-orange skies cast a fiery glow upon the river's rippling surface. From a distance, we heard the warbling of river fowl and the screeching of monkeys.

We approached the riverbank. It was still soft and muddy from the inundation. We tossed our offerings in. All the while, Papa chanted hymns of praise. Afterward, we returned to the village for what we children had been anticipating the most - the games.

A kind, respectable widow named Mekten, whom everyone called "Village Mother", held a game called the "statue dance." She played a reed flute while we danced and would stop at random moments without warning. We had to freeze as soon as the music stopped. Those who were still dancing were out of the game.

My friends and I loved it so much that Mekten held several rounds of it. Unfortunately, I always lost, as I always got so caught up in the liveliness of the game. However, she awarded me a small spinning top as a prize for being the best dancer.

I danced so much that I could barely keep my eyes open as we later sat down to the feast. Papa picked me up and carried me back to our hut. I was too tired to protest. As soon as he lay me down, I fell into a deep sleep.

That night, I dreamt I was on a great winged barque sailing along the Nile. It was a bright day, with the white-golden Egyptian sun shining gloriously and flocks of ibises and herons gleaming against the clear blue sky. A group of friendly monkeys, like those who usually wandered near my family's hut, kept me company on the deck, entertaining me with their hilarious antics.

Suddenly, the skies darkened and the water began to thrash against the barque. The monkeys leapt up and down, screeching frantically. I grabbed onto the rail.

Thunder rumbled. Fierce white waves threatened to haul us overboard. The barque tipped to a dangerous level and I began to scream.

~end

Guest post created for YA Faeries & Fantasy event by Anna Patricio, author of Asenath
© 2012. All rights reserved.

Visit Anna:
Blog
Goodreads
Shelfari
Twitter

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Anna Patricio
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

READ more about this fantasy world…

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
Asenath
by Anna Patricio
signup for giveaway here

~*~
* image source pyramids

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Giveaway: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--
WIN a copy of this book!

Open to US and Canada only.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012

TO DO:
TELL me, if you were in the world described above, would you be want to be a HUMAN or ANDROID?

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Alice does the Boogie Oogie Oogie

2012-01-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

Our Alice is back on the Boogie Wonderland dance floor.

She shuffles to the left.

She slides to the right.

The music keeps her movin' to the groovin'...

just like how all fae love dancin', she is simply taken...

If you're thinkin you're to cool to boogie,
Boy oh Boy have I got news for you,
Everybody here tonite must boogie, let me tell ya
you are no exception to the rule.

So get on up on the floor cuz were gonna boogie
oogie oogie till ya just caint boogie no more

-Boogie Oogie Oogie by A Taste of Honey

Before the next song starts, our Alice spies this...

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
Nikolas and Company:
A Creature Most Foul
by Kevin McGill
illustrated by C Carlyle McCullough
“The Rones lie about their true intent. They enter the city of Huron at the peril of us all. Save me steward.” – The Voice of Huron Nick hears a woman’s cry for help. He soon discovers that every city has a voice, and this one calls him steward.

Nick and company are transported from sometime in the near future to a mythic past when Earth is tethered to the fantastic world of Mon, or as we have come to call her, the Moon. He arrives at the city of Huron, where he encounters fire-breathing winged lions, volcano-born nymphs, automaton-legged mermaids, and so much magic you can smell it.

As steward of Huron, Nick Lyons suddenly finds himself responsible over the cradle of all magical civilization. There’s only one problem. Nick Lyons. When Nick gets involved, things tend to go awry—burning down the neighbor’s greenhouse kind of awry. And so no one believes him when he claims that the Rones brought an evil to Huron, which now lurks under the cobblestone streets.

To make matters worse, while aboard the Mottle Craw his best friend, Xanthus is infected by a mysterious creature. Pretty soon, Nick realizes that Xanthus' mysterious creature and the evil lurking through the streets of Huron are one and the same. Never one for responsibility, Nick is tasked with finding a cure for an infected Xanthus while protecting the city of Huron from the mysterious creature most foul.
WIN a copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012--> extended to Jan 31

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ONE of these:

ADD this book to your Goodreads

or

ADD this book to your Shelfari

or

TWEET this: (or click the twitter button on this post)
Giveaway: Nikolas and Company by Kevin McGill http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2012/01/alice-does-boogie-oogie-oogie.html

2. AND, let me know in comments what you did along with your email (if I don't already have it)

~*~
* image source disco ball

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Winner of Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

2012-01-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended January 12, 2012

Thanks to all contestants!

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Winner: Randi M

~*~
* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses this week.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current YA faeries and fantasy giveaways on my sidebar

Alice and the Moon Coin

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Our Alice takes a breather from dancing in Boogie Wonderland.

She sits among the flowers as faeries continue to swirl and twirl with the rhythms and beats of fantastical fae music in the air.

Our Alice then spies a shiny coin...

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Richard Due
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

Gibbering Gnome Press Presents a Tale of Epic Fantasy

For Lily and Jasper Winter, the Moon Realm began with a single secret bedtime tale. As the children grew older, Uncle Ebb enthralled them with thrilling tales of the Dragondain riding horse-sized, catlike Rinn; mysterious tales of peerin-wielding lunamancers manipulating the magic that lies just beneath the surface of reality; exciting tales of flying dragons, swimming merfolk, stomping giants, and troublesome faeries. But as the magic of their childhood faded, so too did the tales. Eventually, they were just . . . good stories.

Or were they?

Now, nine years after it all began, Uncle Ebb is missing.

Lily and Jasper search for clues, but their uncle's mansion is full of distractions. A Tesla generator thrums in the basement. Prismatic electrimals flit around walls resembling underwater reefs. Then a most unexpected friend comes to their aid, leading them to a hidden room where they find a mysterious coin—the moon coin. Before the night is out, Lily is transported to the real Moon Realm. But the moons are in trouble. The Rinn of Barreth are under siege, and the lunamancers of Dain are beset by the very dragons they once loved. Most horrifying of all, the moon Darwyth has fallen to a villain named Wrengfoul, whose creeping evil now threatens to overshadow all the Realm.

Are Lily and Jasper too late to save the Moon Realm, or will they have enough time to write an ending of their own?

Featuring twenty-two stunning full-color illustrations by Carolyn Arcabascio. Volume One of the young adult fantasy adventure series The Moon Realm.

From Sketch to Chapter Art, an Illustrator at Work

For me, getting to work with Carolyn Arcabascio was a dream come true. On The Moon Coin, we worked from a master list of scene options, with Carolyn picking out scenes she liked and making sketches. For the prologue, Carolyn drafted three options. All three were great, but two in particular were spectacular. I first went with option 3 (one of my scene suggestions). I think we spent more time on this sketch and subsequent color drawing than on any other piece. But it never seemed right. At the eleventh hour, I asked Carolyn how hard she’d hit me if I suggested scrapping the thing and instead going with the pinky promise scene you see below (one of her scene suggestions). Carolyn responded: "There would be no hitting involved!" and told me it wouldn't be a problem. You sure can't ask for better than that.

From the Prologue: Bedtime Tales.

Richard: Did you make all these sketches in the same location, Carolyn?

Carolyn: Yes, I do all of my work at a drafting table that's situated in a little nook of my apartment in Acton, Massachusetts. There's a bookshelf to my right and a wall of "inspiration" to my left, where I hang prints of other artists' and illustrators' work. On either side of my drafting table are drawers of supplies, and stacks of sketchbooks and old paintings. The drafting table faces a window overlooking a quiet street and the woods beyond it.

From Chapter Two: A Coin of the Realm.

Richard: Do you use models when you're sketching?

Carolyn: I use a combination of models and photo references. If I need to work out the nuances of a character's posture and really understand the perspective of it, I'll ask whatever friend or family member is handy to pose for a sketch. Often, I'll get into the position myself or mimic the facial expression I want to portray in order to get the feel of it. And sometimes, if there's a character being portrayed multiple times across scenes, I'll make a rough model of their head out of clay so I'll have it to refer to.

From Chapter Four: To Barreth.

Richard: When drawing fantastical creatures, do you use bits and pieces of real animals for inspiration, or have you actually seen a wirtle and you're just not telling us? ;)

Carolyn: No wirtles native to Massachusetts, fortunately! When figuring out the look of fantastical creatures, I use photo references of different animals to understand the way the anatomy might work, and then combine features as I see fit and as the story calls for. To understand the wirtle's legs and paws, for example, I referred to a series of photographs of show dogs leaping over hurdles. The severely arched, scruffy back was influenced by photos of hyenas on the prowl. The bone-structure of the face ended up being something of a cross between a cow and a warthog, and I wanted the snout to be bare—kind of gross and raw-looking. Add it all up and, voila! We have a wirtle.

The Moon Coin, by Richard Due, is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the iBookstore for $0.99.

❍

Copyright © 2011 by Richard Due. All rights reserved.
Gibbering Gnome Press, A Division of Ingenious Inventions Run Amok, Ink™
The Moon Realm™

~end

Guest post created for YA Faeries & Fantasy event by Richard Due, author of The Moon Realm

Visit Richard:
Book Excerpt
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Shelfari
Twitter

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Richard Due
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

READ more about this fantasy world…

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of author ~--

WIN a copy of this kindle ebook!

FOR 5 winners!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012--> extended to Jan 31

TO DO: (2-parts)
1. ONE of these:

ADD this book to your Goodreads

or

ADD this book to your Shelfari

or

TWEET this: (or click the twitter button on this post)
Giveaway: The Moon Coin by Richard Due

2. AND, let me know in comments what you did along with your email (if I don't already have it)

~*~
* image source Alice created by the Strangeling, sketch1, sketch2, sketch3

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

PeekAbook: Tempest by Julie Cross

2012-01-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Tempest
by Julie Cross
- YA fantasy
Release date: January 17, 2012
The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

PeekAbook:

Whaddya think?

I'm a sucker for time travel and heroes - so definitely adding this to my TBR pile ;-D

Alice and Boogie Shoes

2012-01-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Upon the arrival of our Alice in Boogie Wonderland, the sounds of music surround her.

Her toe begins to tap.

Her fingers snap.

A faery flutters by and presents her with...

I Want To Put On
My My My My My
Boogie Shoes

-Boogie Shoes by KC and The Sunshine Band

As our Alice dons on her boogie shoes, she spies something shiny...

--~ Craft Giveaway courtesy ~--

The MAD crafter (could be related to the MAD Hatter ???) has been at work and has created a special YA fairy & fantasy related item for one lucky winner.

It could be Y O U !
Open to US only.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012

TO DO:

VISIT fellow book blogger, MAD, and become one of her followers.

Come back here, let me know you did the deed along with your email (if I don't already have it).

~*~
* image source fairy shoe, surprise box

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Alice in Boogie Wonderland

2012-01-11T06:25:00.000-08:00

On a cold and frosty morning, our Alice walks aimlessly about the room as her mother and sister sit next to the fireplace with noses buried in books. Alice sighs and looks out the window. She is delighted when she spies a whirling and swirling delight.

Alice manages to escape the confines of the house for a brief moment. She bundles up with proper hat, coat, scarf, muffler and boots.

Helloooooooooooo our Alice calls out to the snow dancer.

How do? replies the lady in white.

A fine morning, is it not? Alice asks.

Indeed. Come join me...

With a blink of an eye, our Alice is transported to...

All the records are playing
And my heart keep saying
Boogie wonderland, wonderland

Dance, boogie wonderland
Dance, boogie wonderland

-Boogie Wonderland by Earth Wind and Fire

As our Alice is magically whisked away she comes across this...

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
The Dig
by Audrey Hart
-fantasy
Out of time and out of her element, teenager Zoe Calder finds herself in ancient Greece, battling against the power of the Olympians and the vengeance of a scorned goddess—all for the strange and mysterious boy she has come to love.

WIN a copy of this ebook!

Open to US only.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012--> extended to Jan 31

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ONE of these:

ADD this book to your Goodreads

or

ADD this book to your Shelfari

or

TWEET this: (or click the twitter button on this post)
Giveaway: The Dig by Audrey Hart http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2012/01/alice-in-boogie-wonderland.html

2. AND, let me know in comments what you did along with your email (if I don't already have it)

~*~
* image source snow fairy

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Alice and Hatter from Daniel Coleman

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Daniel Coleman
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Years after her Wonderland experiences, Alice, contracts a horrid flu. In her fever dreams she encounters an old friend from Wonderland. But as is always the case, it goes nothing as she expects.

The turtle-shell patterned hat, magenta coat and yellow-striped trousers are unmistakable, but for some reason the man wearing them is utterly out of place in the sitting room of Alice’s house, but she can’t figure out why. No matter.

“Why it’s my dear friend, the Hatter!” she says.

The man who turns to look at her is indeed the colorful oddball she’d met in Wonderland, but he is years younger than she remembers. Decades possibly.

No signs of recognition register on his face, but he smiles nonetheless. “What a brilliant idea to be dear friends before meeting. We can dispense with hours or months of tedious acquaintanceship and jump straight to dear friend.” His smile takes on a hesitant air and he says, “Methinks people would usually do it the other way round. No?”

“But of course we’ve met,” objects Alice. “I met you when I was a young girl. You’re the ma…the Hatter. But you are much younger than I remember.”

Relief shows in his smile and the Hatter says, “Well that would explain it. If you are much older now, then I would have to be younger, now wouldn’t I?”

“But that doesn’t explain anything.”

“It’s simply a matter of math, my dear child. If one of us is older, than the other must be younger. There must be balance, after all.”

The logic made very little sense to Alice, but she never was one to argue. “If you don’t recall meeting me then perhaps I should introduce myself.”

With an apologetic smile, the Hatter replied, “I believe I should be the one to do the introduction.”

“But I already know you.”

“How do I put this? You are older than you were when we met, but I am younger than I will be when we do meet.”

Finally he made sense. “Yes,” said Alice.

“So I have already met a younger version of you, a person who has happened. But the person you claim to have met who is me is a person who does not exist and never has though he may someday.”

“I suppose that’s logical.”

“So I already know a younger you, but you know someone who is not and has not been me.”

“You can’t very well know somebody before you meet them,” objected Alice.

“On the contrary, what better time is there to know somebody?”

While Alice tired to make sense of the idea, the Hatter went on. “Speaking of meetings, shall I tell you of the time I met the Cheshire Cat?”

“The Cheshire Cat! Why he’s a character even more curious than you are, or will be if I’m being accurate.”

“Now I think you’re getting it, my girl! Do let’s sit and I’ll tell you of when I met my friend Cheshire.

EXCERPT from Hatter:

To his delight, a fork appeared in the road a couple hundred paces past the first trees. Hatta hurried to the split in the road, but didn’t see anything resembling a cat so he said, “Good day?”

“Good day, yourself,” said a tenor voice low in the trees. A large-headed cat, with an even larger smile, emerged from behind a tree. It jumped into the fork of a pale tree and lounged along a branch. The gray fur with black stripes had blended into the mat of dead leaves, but stood out vividly against the bark.

“Mr. Cat? I’m Mr., um…,” Hatta hadn’t thought far enough ahead. “Well you see, I don’t actually have a surname.”

“Feel free to use mine if you like. And please, call me Cheshire.” The animal’s voice was high like an eleventeen-year old boy, giving the impression of mischievousness.

Hatta tried the cat’s surname but wasn’t comfortable with it. “Hatta Cat doesn’t seem to fit, but I thank you just the same. Would you be a cat, perchance? Or merely by name?”

“I’m no more a cat than a prairie dog is a dog or a titmouse is a mouse.”

Hatta nodded and Cheshire continued happily. “Guinea pig, mongoose, catfish.”

“As I understand it, a catfish is a fish.”

“Ah, but it is most definitely not a cat.”

Sound logic. But the non-cat’s name still puzzled Hatta. “Why are you called ‘Cheshire Cat’, if you are a Cheshire Cat?”

“Why not?”

“They don’t call me ‘Man’, or ‘Human’.”

“But if you were the only one, I wager they would.”

Cheshire’s argument made sense. Hatta was shocked how easy it was to talk to the creature, even about things on which, at first, they didn’t see eye to eye.

“You are entirely delightful,” Hatta said. “How is it that you talk?”

Cheshire tilted his head and smiled wistfully. He trilled, “How is it that other animals don’t?”

“Oh, but they do! Some of them helped me find food on my way to Palassiren, and a rath spoke loudly at a wedding I went to.”

The smiling creature nodded. “All animals talk in their way. It’s people that don’t listen.”

“I’m going to save the kingdom some day,” blurted Hatta. He felt so comfortable with Cheshire that he didn’t mind telling him.

“Of course you are,” Cheshire said confidently.

“I am? Sometimes people act oddly when I tell them.”

“As you can see, I am not people. You are more important than even you know, Hatta.”

He had never received such optimistic praise, and was reluctant to trust Cheshire. Believing too much in his destiny could very well get him in trouble. “How do you know it? Because sometimes I wonder if mad thoughts make me think it.”

Cheshire considered for a moment then answered, “How do you know when an animal is comical, or hungry, or bored when most people have no idea?”

“Sometimes I can just tell things.”

“Ah,” said Cheshire, nonchalantly satisfying an itch on his neck against the bark of the tree. “So can I.”

~end

Guest post created for YA Faeries & Fantasy event by Daniel Coleman, author of Hatter
© 2012. All rights reserved.

Visit Daniel:
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Shelfari
Twitter

Note from Daniel: I've recently launched a podcast for aspiring aritists in all disciplines called CREATE OR DIE. We put up weekly episodes, and it's available on iTunes and at www.createordie.podbean.com.

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Daniel Coleman
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

READ more about this fantasy world…

--~ eBook Giveaway ~--
Hatter
by Daniel Coleman
WIN a copy of this ebook!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012--> extended to Jan 31

TO DO:
VISIT Daniel's blog and view his various costume posts. Tell me which costume you liked.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

fyi: being partial to zombies, you can tell which one i liked ;-D

~*~
* image source Alice created by the Strangeling

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Winner of Switched

2012-01-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended January 8, 2012

Thanks to all contestants!

Switched by Amanda Hocking
Winner: morgaine24 of Vickie's Knitted Things

~*~
* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses this week.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

Greetings from others

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, a centaur (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι – Kéntauroi) or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse. In early Attic and Boeotian vase-paintings, they are depicted with the hindquarters of a horse attached to them; in later renderings centaurs are given the torso of a human joined at the waist to the horse's withers, where the horse's neck would be. -per wikipedia

~*~
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the Chinese dragon, with counterparts in Japan, Korea and other East Asian countries. -per wikipedia

~*~
Pegasus (Greek Πήγασος/Pegasos, Latin Pegasus) is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing when his mother was decapitated by Perseus. -per wikipedia

~*~
--~ Book Giveaway ~--
with centaurs: Centauriad #1: Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo
Malora knows what she was born to be: a horse wrangler and a hunter, just like her father. But when her people are massacred by batlike monsters called Leatherwings, Malora will need her horse skills just to survive. The last living human, Malora roams the wilderness at the head of a band of magnificent horses, relying only on her own wits, strength, and courage. When she is captured by a group of centaurs and taken to their city, Malora must decide whether the comforts of her new home and family are worth the parts of herself she must sacrifice to keep them.

Kate Klimo has masterfully created a new world, which at first seems to be an ancient one or perhaps another world altogether, but is in fact set on earth sometime far in the future.

with dragons: Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
Wilde Island is not at peace. The kingdom mourns the dead Pendragon king and awaits the return of his heir; the uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is strained; and the regent is funding a bloodthirsty witch hunt, hoping to rid the island of half-fey maidens.

Tess, daughter of a blacksmith, has visions of the future, but she still doesn't expect to be accused of witchcraft, forced to flee with her two best friends, or offered shelter by the handsome and enigmatic Garth Huntsman, a warden for Dragonswood. But Garth is the younger prince in disguise and Tess soon learns that her true father was fey, making them the center of an exciting, romantic adventure, and an ancient prophecy that will bring about peace between all three races - dragon, human, and fairy

with pegasus: Pegasus by Robin McKinley
Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pagasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own Pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication.

But its different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close-so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo-and possibly to the future safety of their two nations.

New York Times bestselling Robin McKinley weaves an unforgettable tale of unbreakable friendship, mythical creatures and courtly drama destined to become a classic.

WIN a copy of one of these books!

Winner gets to pick!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012--> extended to Jan 31

TO DO: (2 parts)

1. IF you could travel with one of these creatures (centaur, dragon or pegasus) who would you pick and where would you go?

2. Tell me which book you want - must pick ONE.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

~*~
* image source centaurs, dragon, pegasus

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

In My Mailbox - 1.08.12

2012-01-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. A post where we share books acquired via mailbox, library, store, etc.

~*~

For Review and future giveaway:

Lily in the Snow
by Christine E. Schulze
stay tuned: giveaway in March
enter to win this thru Jan 31 at Goodreads here

IN MY EMAIL:

Author giveaways:

Epic Kindle Giveaway
from Scott Nicholson
January 11-13, 2012
Bestselling paranormal and thriller writers J.R. Rain, Aiden James, H.T. Night and I are giving away $1,000 worth of prizes from Jan. 11-13, including four Kindle Fires.

stay tuned my link for the offer goes live Jan 11

Wanna join in? details here

~*~
PeekAbooks for giveaways:

Lifting the Wheel of Karma
by Paul H. Magid
signup for this giveaway: here

~*~

Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
stay tuned: giveaway offer later this week, possibly
fyi: January 9th the author is having a Facebook/ Twitter party at 7:00 EST
Visit: Marissa Meyer for details Blog | Facebook | Twitter

~*~

Tower of Parlen Min
Volume 1 (The Narrow Escapes of Ves Asirin)
by Matt Xell
stay tuned: giveaway coming soon
fyi: Tower of Parlen Min: The Chapter Commentaries videos will be posted on Youtube. These 21 videos will include Book Excerpts, Q & As and Trivia for the first 16 chapters of the book topic by topic (without giving away too much of the book of course).

~*~
* get a heads up on free or discounted ebooks from Books on the Knob

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways to you

* image from Leafcutter Designs - world's smallest postal service and you can get a letter kit at Chronicle Books

Salutations from others

2012-01-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

A fairy (also faery, faerie, fay, fae; euphemistically wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair folk, etc.) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural. -per wikipedia

~*~
Vedui' il'er
(greetings everyone)
An elf (plural elves) is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings (wights, vættir) endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind. In medieval Norse mythology, they appear to have been divided into light elves and dark elves, difficult to delineate from the Æsir (gods) on one hand and the dvergar (dwarves) on the other. -per wikipedia

~*~
Atrast Vala
(greetings)
In Germanic mythology, a dwarf (Old English dweorg, Old Norse dvergr, Old High German zwerc and gitwerc) is a being that dwells in mountains and in the earth, and is associated with wisdom, smithing, mining, and crafting. Dwarfs are also sometimes described as short and ugly, although some scholars have questioned whether this is a later development stemming from comical portrayals of the beings. -per wikipedia

--~ Book Giveaway ~--

with fairies: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn’ darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…
To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl—smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end—a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

with elves: The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood’s father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane.

But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin—even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect.

with dwarves: Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbott
Long ago, Vran led his people to a new land, driving off the hated “monsters” (dwarves, centaurs, fauns) who had lived there for generations. Abisina has been outcast in Vranille for her “dwarf dirty” coloring since birth. Her mother’s status as the healer keeps her safe until Charach, an evil, charismatic leader, comes to cleanse Vranille of the unworthy. Abisina’s only hope is to find her father in distant Watersmeet, but to get there, she will have to travel with one of the “vile half-men,” Haret, a dwarf.

During their dangerous journey, Abisina and Haret learn to trust each other, and they find a home in Watersmeet, where all creatures live together under the leadership of Abisina’s father. This new sense of place is threatened when the Vranians move to destroy all nonhumans. Abbott’s debut fantasy centers on Abisina, who learns in small, realistic ways to let go of her deeply rooted prejudices to see the worth in all creatures, including herself. While the sudden, peaceful resolution strains credibility, this is otherwise a hopeful, nuanced story. --Krista Hutley

WIN a copy of one of these books!

Winner gets to pick!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012--> extended to Jan 31

TO DO: (2 parts)

1. Tell me an elf joke.

2. Tell me which book you want - must pick ONE.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

~*~
* image source fairy, elf, dwarf

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

Book Nooks - 4

2012-01-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

Book Nooks
*Every weekend*
Founder: Sasha Soren (Random Magic)
Show us something pretty!

~*~

In keeping with the Faeries and Fantasy theme, we find ourselves amongst bookshelves.

Oops, pulled an all-nighter...

~*~

~*~
*image source bookshelves

Welcome from the Winter Queen Faerie

2012-01-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

GREETINGS blog travelers to my winter world!

walk with me awhile
dally if you will and spy
treasures and trinkets

LO, here be one...

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
Asenath
by Anna Patricio
Two Destinies...One Journey of Love

In a humble fishing village on the shores of the Nile lives Asenath, a fisherman's daughter who has everything she could want. Until her perfect world is shattered.

When a warring jungle tribe ransacks the village and kidnaps her, separating her from her parents, she is forced to live as a slave. And she begins a journey that will culminate in the meeting of a handsome and kind steward named Joseph.

Like her, Joseph was taken away from his home, and it is in him that Asenath comes to find solace...and love. But just as they are beginning to form a bond, Joseph is betrayed by his master's wife and thrown into prison.

Is Asenath doomed to a lifetime of losing everything and everyone she loves?

WIN a copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012 --> extended to Jan 31

TO DO:

1. ONE of these:

ADD this book to your Goodreads

or

ADD this book to your Shelfari

or

VISIT the author's blog and leave her a comment.

or

TWEET this: (or click the twitter button on this post)
Giveaway: Asenath by Anna Patricio http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2012/01/welcome-from-winter-queen-faerie.html

2. AND, let me know in comments what you did along with your email (if I don't already have it)

~*~
* image source fairy

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

YA Faeries & Fantasy: Book List

2012-01-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Complete list of books featured and mentioned:
there will be more... final list will be updated at the end of the event

AND

giveaway links will light up when available

Asenath by Anna Patricio
signup for giveaway: here

Badass Zombie Road Trip by Tonia Brown
signup for giveaway: here

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
signup for giveaway: here

Centauriad #1: Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo
signup for giveaway: here

The Dig by Audrey Hart
signup for giveaway: here

Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
signup for giveaway: here

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
signup for giveaway: here

Finding Alice by Andrea DiGiglio
signup for giveaway: here

Hatter by Daniel Coleman
signup for giveaway: here

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
signup for giveaway: here

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
signup for giveaway: here

The Moon Coin by Richard Due
signup for giveaway: here

Nightingale by David Farland
signup for giveaway: here

Nikolas and Company: A Creature Most Foul by Kevin McGill
signup for giveaway: here

Pegasus by Robin McKinley
signup for giveaway: here

Railroad by Tonia Brown
signup for giveaway: here

Tower of Parlen Min: Volume 1 (The Narrow Escapes of Ves Asirin) by Matt Xell
signup for giveaway: here

Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbott
signup for giveaway: here

Yesterday's Daughter by Sallie Lundy-Frommer
signup for giveaway: here

***~*~*YA Faeries & Fantasy schedule *~*~***

YA Faeries & Fantasy: Schedule

2012-01-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

YA Faeries & Fantasy
a virtual book event
January 2012

Schedule of events:

January 6
YA Faeries & Fantasy HOP: includes a whole lotta Young Adult Faeries & Fantasy related books - simply divine!
includes:
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

January 7
Book List - includes links to G I V E A W A Y S

in which we meet the Winter Queen Faerie and we find a treasure - Asenath by Anna Patricio

January 8
in which we meet various Fae
includes:
The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbott

Book Nooks with Fae

January 9
in which we meet magical creatures
includes:
Centauriad #1: Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo
Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
Pegasus by Robin McKinley

January 10
in which Alice meets Hatter from Daniel Coleman, author of Hatter

January 11
in which Alice (in Wonderland) encounters a Faerie and is transported to...
includes:
The Dig by Audrey Hart

! ! ! BOOGIE WONDERLAND ! ! !

January 12
HOP giveaway ends

in which we find Alice and Boogie Shoes - and the MAD Crafter makes a giveaway offer

PeekAbook: Tempest by Julie Cross

January 13
in which we find Alice and the Moon Coin - dialogue of Richard Due and Carolyn Arcabascio

January 14
in which Alice does the Boogie Oogie Oogie and spies Nikolas and Company: A Creature Most Foul by Kevin McGill

January 15
Appearance of Cinder - giveaway of Cinder by Marissa Meyer

in which Alice meets Asenath

January 16
in which Alice leaves Boogie Nights
includes: Finding Alice by Andrea DiGiglio

January 17
Where's Alice?

January 18
in which Maybe the Nightingale Knows
includes: Nightingale by David Farland

January 19
Review: Hatter by Daniel Coleman

January 20-22
blog sleeps

January 23
Review: The Moon Coin by Richard Due

January 24
in which there is An Interview with a Vampire from Sallie Lundy-Frommer
includes: Yesterday's Daughter by Sallie Lundy-Frommer

January 25
in which Maybe the White Rabbit Knows
includes:
Badass Zombie Road Trip by Tonia Brown
Railroad by Tonia Brown

January 26
in which We Ask the Caterpillar
includes:
Tower of Parlen Min: Volume 1 (The Narrow Escapes of Ves Asirin) by Matt Xell

January 27

January 28

January 29
End Credits

~*~
* image source fairy event badge

YA Faeries & Fantasy HOP

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

YA Faeries & Fantasy HOP
January 6 -12, 2012
hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
and vvb32 reads
complete HOP list

The Faerie Ring
by Kiki Hamilton
Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen's son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief--all must work together to secure the treaty...

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--
WIN a copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: January 12, 2012

TO DO:

In keeping with the ring theme, send me a link to a picture of a RING.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

Participant entries... (partial list)

vvb's pick:

Angela said...

Aparna Singh said...

April said...

Brenda said…

Christina Fiorelli said...

TheDaydreamer3 said...

debbie said...

Enchantedbooks said...

FairyWhispers said...

Fi said...

Gabbie said...

janhvi said...

jen7waters said...

Jenn @ Under the Covers said...

Jessica ( frellathon ) said...

KaylaBeck said…(bath tub ring)

Krisz said...

lilis said... (belly ring)

Linda said...

Martina Koleva said...

morgaine24 said...

Nedraw said...

oriana said...

Randi said...

Sarika said...

Sophia Rose said...

Sullivan McPig said...

Veronica Morfi said...

Yiota said...

zoey said...

who's next?

~*~
NOW, on to some hopping...

~*~
* image source raven ring all other ring sources from participant entries are listed in comments

AND, feel free to signup for more of my giveaways on the sidebar!

FYI: more fae and fantasy coming to vvb32 reads this coming week

Lifting the Wheel of Karma by Paul H. Magid

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Lifting the Wheel of Karma
A Profound Spiritual Journey
of Extraordinary Healing and Redemption
by Paul H. Magid

Published: 2011
Publisher: Point Dume Press
Genre: Spirituality
Paperback: 194 pages
Rating: 4

Amazon | Barnes&Noble

Joseph Connell is a gifted high school athlete from Montana, loved deeply by his family, yet tormented by nightmarish visions he can neither explain nor escape.

He believes the answer to what threatens to crush him can be found in the knowledge possessed by a mystical old wise man, who lives deep within the remote Himalayas of India.

If Joseph is ever to find the peace he so desperately seeks, he must get this wise old man to reveal what he truly knows, but that will not be easy...for this sage knows far more than he admits.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): destiny
Interesting read that gives a kind of perspective into life, what was life and how to move on with life. Gets you thinking of reincarnation and its workings.

I especially liked how this read took me to different landscapes and cultures throughout the journey.

Visit Paul:
Book Excerpt
Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Shelfari

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--
WIN a copy of this book!
-3 winners

Open to US ONLY.

Offer ends: January 29, 2012

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ONE of these:

ADD this book to your Goodreads

or

LIKE this book on amazon.

or

TWEET this: (or click the twitter button on this post)
Giveaway: Lifting the Wheel of Karma by Paul H. Magid http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2012/01/lifting-wheel-of-karma-by-paul-h-magid.html

2. AND, let me know in comments what you did along with your email (if I don't already have it)

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

* part of Lifting The Wheel of Karma tour - check out the other stops for more details on this book and goodies

Giveaway: Switched by Amanda Hocking

2012-01-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

START the new year off with this...

Switched
(Trylle Novel)
by Amanda Hocking
Paperback release date: January 3, 2012

Amanda Hocking is an indie publishing sensation whose self-published novels have sold millions of copies all over the world. Switched is the book that started the phenomenon. Prepare to be enchanted….

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--
WIN a copy of this book!

Open to US and CANADA only.

Offer ends: January 8, 2012

TO DO:

ANSWER me this:

If you were whisked away into a magical world, what would you like to see or encounter? (image link - optional)

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

I'll start off by saying that I would like to meet a (good) fairy.

krysykat says... phoenix

phastings says... unicorn

~*~
* image source fairy, sources for participant entries are in comments

Zombies - for freeeee!

2012-01-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

The Dishonored Dead:
A Zombie Novel
by Robert Swartwood

ATTENTION: Kindle zombie readers...

Head down this aisle...

The free promotion has begun ...

In a not-so-distant future, the world has devolved and most of the population has become the animated dead. Those few that are living are called zombies. They are feared and must be hunted down and destroyed.

Conrad is one of the animated dead. A devoted husband, a loving father, he is the best zombie Hunter in the world. But when he hesitates one night in killing a living adult, his job is put in jeopardy. Instead of being outright dismissed, he is transferred to a program so secretive even the Government would deny its existence -- and where Conrad soon learns a startling truth about how his own son might be in danger of becoming a zombie.

As living extremists become more emboldened and blow up a Hunter Headquarters, as a power-hungry Hunter becomes more enraged and will stop at nothing to gain absolute power, Conrad begins to question not just his profession, but his own existence. And before he knows it he is on a journey of self-discovery, remembering a past he was forced to forget, and soon finding himself not only a hunted man, but a man who must now save both his son and the entire world.

GET it: US Kindle Store

GET it: UK Kindle Store

The novel will remain free for the next few days.

In My Mailbox - 1.01.12

2012-01-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. A post where we share books acquired via mailbox, library, store, etc.

~*~

Free from Kindle: beware some free offers are limited

In the Shadow of the Moonlight
The Awakening
by J. J. Bidell
-paranormal
Thanks for the heads up MAD!

For Review and giveaway:

Lifting the Wheel of Karma
by Paul H. Magid
-spirituality
for tour
courtesy of publisher, Tribute Books
Thanks Nicole!

The Dig:
Zoe and Zeus
by Audrey Hart
-fantasy
Thanks Audrey!

The Moon Coin
by Richard Due
illustrated by Carolyn Arcabascio
-fantasy
courtesy of author
Thanks Richard!
stay tuned: featured in January

Vamplayers
by Rusty Fischer
-vampires
courtesy of author
Thanks Rusty!

The Book of Lost Fragrances
by M. J. Rose
part of tour
-gothic, historical
Thanks Amy!

The Psychology of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Robin S. Rosenberg, PhD and Shannon O'Neill
courtesy of publisher, Smart Pop
Thanks Heather!

~*~
Gifts:

Santa Claus visited!

Beautiful Chaos
by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
-paranormal YA
Thanks MAD!

Jane Bites Back
by Michael Thomas Ford
-vampires
Thanks MAD!
i have the US cover, but wanted to share this cover for Brazil

Sinterklaas from Holland visited!

Ganymede
by Cherie Priest
-steampunk
Thanks Sullivan McPig!

~*~
* get a heads up on free or discounted ebooks from Books on the Knob

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways to you

* image from Leafcutter Designs - world's smallest postal service and you can get a letter kit at Chronicle Books

Winner of Guys and Molls

2011-12-29T21:58:00.000-08:00

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended December 15, 2011
during the Guys and Molls event

Thanks to all contestants!

AND

Flashcards and DVD
Winner: momkelly2003

~*~
* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the event title link

* I will email winners for mailing addresses this week.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

After Xmas Gifts from Scott Nicholson

2011-12-26T13:00:00.001-08:00

Did you get an ereader for xmas?

wooooooot! for you!

How about adding some paranormal activity to your reading in 2012...

--~ eBook Giveaways courtesy of author ~--

GRAB kindle ebooks listed below!

Open to all.

Offer ends: per day specified

Monday/Tuesday:
Duncan the Punkin color children's book great for Kindle Fire families here

Tuesday/Wednesday:
The Skull Ring suspense thriller here

Tuesday/Wednesday:
As I Die Lying psychological thriller here

Wednesday/Thursday:
October Girls YA paranormal fantasy here

Friday/Sat/Sunday:
Head Cases horror story collection here

~*~
Creative Spirit
by Scott Nicholson
fyi: the giveaway for this ebook (without bonus) - loved this cover version
is still open - thru Dec 31 - here

~*~
* image source from cover of Chronic Fear by Scott Nicholson

PeekAbook: Switched by Amanda Hocking

2011-12-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

Switched
(Trylle Novel)
by Amanda Hocking
Paperback release date: January 3, 2012
Amanda Hocking is an indie publishing sensation whose self-published novels have sold millions of copies all over the world. Switched is the book that started the phenomenon. Prepare to be enchanted….

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

PeekAbook:

Winner of Austen's Birthday Soiree

2011-12-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended December 23, 2011
during the Austen Soiree event

Thanks to all contestants!

Jane Austen's Little Instruction Book
by Jane Austen and edited by Sophia Bedford-Pierce
Winner: Sophia Rose

~*~
* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses this week.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

Happy Steamy Christmas

2011-12-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

Macy's NY Make a Wish Foundation fundraiser windows features 3-D animation and a touch screen design-your-own-ornament mechanism. Definitely has that steampunk look!

~*~
* image source first spotted at This Illustrated Life

Songs of the Season vvb's takes

2011-12-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

Songs of the Season
Event production by
Random Magic Tour
Sasha Soren (Random Magic)
Dec. 10-25, 2011
Music Hop Menu
with my takes on the songs

Dec 10: Beyond Strange New Words
All I Want for Christmas is You
performed by Glee Cast
listen here
my take: cool and catchy beat
weeeeeee for gleeeeeee ;-D - can't go wrong with their tunes

Dec 11: Book Bunny
Angels We Have Heard On High Lyrics
performed by Brian McKnight Feat. Josh Groban
listen here
my take: sweet one with wonderful intermixing of voices

Dec 12: vvb32 reads
Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)
performed by Vince Guaraldi Trio
listen here
my take: classic jazzy tune that is simply groovy

Dec 13: The True Book Addict
Amid the Falling Snow
performed by Enya
listen here
my take: mmmm, always love Enya tunes so it was not hard to like this one

Dec 14: A Backwards Story
Holiday Lament (The Fruitcake Song)
From the original holiday musical revue THAT TIME OF THE YEAR
listen here
my take: LOL - cute! love the hats and must confess, i like fruitcake ;-D

Dec 15: Snowdrop Dreams of Books
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas
performed by Burl Ives
listen here
my take: rudolph is such a cutie! this is my favorite burl ives xmas song so it's a must to listen to!

AND

Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
Sleigh Ride
performed by Amy Grant
listen here
my take: lovely, warm and fuzzy

Dec 16: Geeky Fairy Tales
At Christmas, Merry Christmas Baby, Christmas Means to Me My Love
performed by Hanson
listen here
my take: young long blonde haired cutie patooties with a rockin' xmas tune

Dec 17: Rachel Superbook (vlogger)
Why Couldn't It Be Christmas Everyday?
performed by Bianca Ryan
listen here
my take: teeny bopper xmas, cute

Liana's Paper Doll Blog
Long Way Around The Sea
performed by Low
listen here
my take: somber and mellow, lovely

Dec 18: Splash of our Worlds
All I Want For Christmas Is You
performed by Glee Cast
listen here
my take: more Glee, wheeeeeee

AND

Let Them Read Books
PAST THREE O'CLOCK
Old English Carole
performed by George Ratcliff Woodward
listen here
my take: love the sounds of classics, cheery and upbeat

Dec 19: Maat's Feather of Truth
Yule
performed by Lisa Thiel
listen here
my take: magical

AND

Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf
Christmas Lights
created by Holdman Christmas
listen here
my take: spectacular! rock out with this light show!

Dec 20: The Book Addict
Silent Night
listen here
my take: nice classic

AND

Susan K. Mann
Carol of the Bells
performed by John Williams from the Home Alone Soundtrack
listen here
my take: fun round to hear and sing

Dec 21: Reviews from my First Reads Shelf
Christmas Wrapping
performed by The Waitresses
listen here
my take: cool, very waitresses sound

Then suddenly we laughed and laughed

Caught on to what was happening

That Christmas magic's brought this tale
To a very happy ending!
AND

Amanda Makepeace
White Christmas
performed by Bing Crosby
listen here
my take: bing! love this one from the dreamy crooner!

Dec 22: Assortments
Carol of the Bells
performed by August Burns Red
listen here
my take: emo and goth flavor

AND

Funny Wool
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
performed by Frank Sinatra
listen here
my take: finger-snapping action with this crooner's rendition

Dec 23: Bookish
Let it Snow
performed by Vonda Shepard
listen here
my take: soulful

Dec 24: Songs and Stories
Mary, Did You Know?
performed by Hayley Westenra
listen here
my take: beautiful

Dec 25: Random Magic Tour
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
performed by Casting Crowns
listen here
my take: touching
based on a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, whoa, reading the backstory and history of this song, whoa

~*~
Random Magic
by Sasha Soren
Event production by Random Magic Tour
Find Random Magic: Print | Kindle
Explore Random Magic: YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter
Interested in reading this?
Let me know in comments along with your email (if I don't already have it).

Stocking Stuffer: mystery

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Holiday gift ideas are in the air.

Here's a possibility for mystery...

Death Cloud
Sherlock Holmes: the Legend Begins
by Andrew Lane
It is the summer of 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen.

On break from boarding school, he is staying with eccentric strangers—his uncle and aunt—in their vast house in Hampshire. When two local people die from symptoms that resemble the plague, Holmes begins to investigate what really killed them, helped by his new tutor, an American named Amyus Crowe.

So begins Sherlock’s true education in detection, as he discovers the dastardly crimes of a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent.

~*~
Review copies are currently available at NetGalley for...

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
by Arthur Conan Doyle
More unforgettable Sherlock Holmes mysteries for fans of the hit movies.

Sherlock Holmes, the world's best-known and most-loved fictional detective, is more popular today than ever. This collection presents many of the most familiar cases Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson, ever solve, including "Silver Blaze," "The Greek Interpreter," and "The Musgrave Ritual."

As Holmes's fame grows, it brings him notoriety that piques the ire of London's criminal underworld, who begin to scheme against him. It is in "The Final Problem" that Dr. Watson relates the grisly, fatal, and shocking tale of how Holmes finally meets his match, encountering the diabolical Professor Moriarty in a terrible struggle at Reichenbach Falls.

SEE a Sherlock Holmes movie this month...

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
directed by Guy Ritchie
starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes
Jude Law as Dr John Watson
Jared Harris as Professor James Moriarty

Another one for me to watch during the holiday break.

How about you? Any movies in the theatre on DVDs to watch in between parties?

~*~
* part of my mini series of stocking stuffer book-related ideas

* image sources: victorian christmas stocking

Winners for December pt1

2011-12-19T22:30:00.000-08:00

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended December 16, 2011

Thanks to all contestants!

for SFR Holiday Blitz 2011:

Steamrolled by Pauline Baird Jones
Winner: DeAnn of Butterfly Books

Dreamspell Steampunk by Pauline B. Jones, Heather Massey, Linda Houlse and Chris Samson
Winner: MamaElk of My Life in Fantasy

for Romancing Christmas Giveaway HOP:

Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley
Winner: Robin of Bee's Knees Reviews

~*~
* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses this week.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

Austen’s Birthday Soiree

2011-12-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Austen’s Birthday Soiree
hosted by November’s Autumn
and
My Jane Austen Book Club
on Jane Austen's Birthday - December 16, 2011!
A haiku for Jane...

two hundred three six
how do you keep yourself so
time stands still for you

Some eye candy for Jane, a certain Mr Lefroy...

And cake, must have cake...

--~ Book Giveaway ~--

Jane Austen's Little Instruction Book
(Charming Petites)
by Jane Austen
edited by Sophia Bedford-Pierce
illustrated by Mullen & Katz
introduction by Barbara Paulding
''There is no enjoyment like reading!

How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!''

''A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment.''

''One cannot have too large a party.''

Fans of Jane Austen will love this delightful ''Charming Petite,'' filled with the author's wit and wisdom on women, men, relationships, and life.

Elegant little gift book features floral borders and silhouette-style images throughout, a ribbon marker, and a 24K gold-plated charm. 80 pages. 3-1/4 inches by 4 inches high.

WIN a copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: December 23, 2011

TO DO:
Visit one of the fellow blog hop participants listed below and leave them a comment.

Come back here and tell me who you visited.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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~*~
Hop along to fellow bloggers...

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE JANE AUSTEN’S BIRTHDAY SOIREE

Sharon Lathan of Sharon Lathan
Giveaway : Miss Darcy Falls in Love

Emily Snyder of O! Beauty Unattempted
Giveaway: Letters of Love & Deception

Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose
Giveaway: signed copy of Jane Austen Made Me Do It

C. Allyn Pierson of SemiTrue Stories
Giveaway: Mr Darcy Little Sister (open worldwide)

Cindy Jones of First Draft
Giveaway: a signed copy of “My Jane Austen Summer” and a package of Lily Berry's Pink Rose Tea by Bingley's, Ltd.

Farida Mestek of Regency stories set against the backdrop of Regency England
Giveaway: I was Jane Austen Best Friend by Cora Harrison

Marilyn Brant of Brant Flakes
Giveaway : A canvas ACCORDING TO JANE tote bag and a pair of A SUMMER IN EUROPE luggage tags.

Prue Batten of Mesmered’s Blog
Giveaway : Anna Elliot’s “Georgiana Darcy” (Kindle book)

Erin Blakemore of The Heroine’s Bookshelf
Giveaway : a set of Potter-Style Pride and Prejudice notecards

Velvet of vvb32 reads
Giveaway: see above
Jane Austen's Little Instruction Book (Charming Petites) by Jane Austen
edited by Sophia Bedford-Pierce

Karen Doornebos of The Fiction vs. Reality Smackdown
Giveaway: 2 Jane Austen Candles and 2 signed DNMD books plus drink coasters and tea!

Regina Jeffers of Regina Jeffers's Blog
Giveaway: An autographed copy of “Christmas at Pemberley “

Alyssa Goodnight of Alyssa Goodnight
Giveaway: Jane Austen Action figure

Deb of Jane Austen in Vermont
Giveaway: JASNA 2012 calendars from the Wisconsin JASNA Region

Laura Hile, Susan Kaye, Pamela Aidan, and Barbara Cornthwaite of Jane Started It!
Giveaway:
• One copy of Young Master Darcy: A Lesson in Honour by Pamela Aidan
• One set of Frederick Wentworth, Captain (Books 1 and 2) by Susan Kaye
• Two copies of Mercy's Embrace: So Rough a Course (Book 1) by Laura Hile
• George Kinghtley, Gentleman (Books 1 and 2) by Barbara Cornthwaite.

Juliet Archer of Choc Lit Authors’ Corner
Giveaway: a copy of “Persuade Me” and one of “The Importance of Being Emma”

Jane Greensmith of Reading, Writing, Working, Playing
Giveaway: a copy of “Intimations of Austen”, and Sense & Sensibility (Marvel Illustrated)

Jenny Allworthy of The Jane Austen Film Club
Giveaway: a copy of Northanger Abbey DVD starring Felicity Jones and JJ Feild (The winner will choose region 1 or 2 DVD)

Sitio Jane Austen of El Salón de Té de Jane
Giveaway: - Spanish edition of Sense and Sensibility for the 200th Anniversary + A DVD package with adaptations of Jane Austen
(It's only zone 2, but it's in Spanish and English ) + blu-ray of the BBC's Emma with Romola Garai

Kaitlin Saunders of Kaitlin Saunders
Giveaway: “A Modern Day Persuasion”

Becky Rhodehouse of One Literature Nut
Giveaway: selection of Austenesque Reads

Patrice Sarath of Patrice Sarath
Giveaway: A copy of The Unexpected Miss Bennet

Adriana Zardini of Jane Austen Brasil
Giveaway: DVD - Sense and Sensibility (1995) - English / Portuguese subtitles

Jane Odiwe of Jane Austen Sequels
Giveaway: a mug with one of Jane Odiwe’s illustrations and a copy of her “Mr Darcy’s Secret”

Courtney Webb of Stiletto Storytime
Giveaway: Noble Satyr by Lucinda Brant (Regency Romance)

Jennifer Becton of Jennifer W. Becton
Giveaway: An ebook of the Personages of Pride and Prejudice Collection, which contains all of my Austenesque works: Charlotte Collins, "Maria Lucas," and Caroline Bingley. The giveaway will be open internationally.

Vera Nazarian of Urban Girl Takes Vermont
Giveaway: a copy of Vera Nazarian’s gift hardcover edition of her inspirational calendar and diary, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

Abigail Reynolds of Pemberley Variations
Giveaway: a signed copy of “Mr. Darcy's Undoing”

AustenAuthors
Giveaway: Georgette Heyer's Regency World by Jennifer Kloester

Katherine Cox of November’s Autumn
Giveaway :$10 B&N Gift-card (US only)

Maria Grazia of My Jane Austen Book Club
Giveaway : A selection of Austenesque reads

~*~
* image source jane austen minicake

Holiday Dessert

2011-12-15T06:15:00.000-08:00

What is one of your favorite holiday desserts?

Various freshly baked home-made xmas cookies with their various shapes, sizes and flavors top my list.

Magic Cookie Bars

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish).

Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture.

Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.

Press down firmly with a fork.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool.

Cut into bars or diamonds.

Store covered at room temperature.

-recipe source

Creative Spirit by Scott Nicholson

2011-12-14T00:07:00.000-08:00

CREATIVE SPIRIT
A paranormal thriller
by Scott Nicholson
"Scott Nicholson explores the dark legends of the southern end of the Appalachian mountain chain, a nightmare country that ends in Stephen King's yard."-- Sharyn McCrumb, author of The Ballad novels

After parapsychologist Anna Galloway is diagnosed with metastatic cancer, she has a recurring dream in which she sees her own ghost at Korban Manor. She’s compelled to visit the historic estate to face her destiny and the fate of her soul.

Sculptor Mason Jackson has come to the manor to make a final, all-or-nothing attempt at success before giving up his dreams. When he becomes obsessed with carving Ephram Korban's form out of wood, he is swept into a destructive frenzy that even Anna can’t pull him from.

The manor itself has secrets, with fires that blaze constantly in the hearths, portraits of Korban in every room, and deceptive mirrors on the walls. With an October blue moon looming, both the living and the dead learn the true power of their dreams.

View or sample it at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Kobo, Smashwords, BN.com, or Goodreads. Look for Liquid Fear and Chronic Fear from Amazon’s Thomas & Mercer imprint.

--------------
CREATIVE SPIRIT is Scott Nicholson’s revised edition of the 2004 U.S. paperback THE MANOR. Scott is Kindle bestselling author of 12 novels, including THE RED CHURCH, DISINTEGRATION, LIQUID FEAR, and SPEED DATING WITH THE DEAD. Connect with Scott on Facebook, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Twitter, blogspot, website or Amazon page

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
WIN a copy of the ebook screenplay version of the novel!

Open to all.

Offer ends: December 31, 2011

TO DO: (2-parts)

1. ONE of these:

ADD this book to your Goodreads

or

ADD this book to your Shelfari

or

TWEET this: (or click the twitter button on this post)
Giveaway: Creative Spirit by Scott Nicholson

2. AND, let me know in comments what you did along with your email (if I don't already have it)

Have A Holly Zombie Christmas

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

E. Van Lowe is celebrating this holiday season Zombie Style!

To do that he is hosting his very first Holly Zombie Giveaway!!

He is giving away a Swag Bag full of zombirific goodies any serious zombie fan will love!!!

Click on the video link for a taped presentation of the awesome goodies:

~*~
Don't you just love it!

zombies... Zombies... ZOMBIES...

~*~
This giveaway is available Internationally.

The rules to enter are simple:

To enter you must sign up for E Van Lowe's newsletter at http://evanlowe.com. The sign-up link is in the left hand column on the home page

bonus I: entry if you sign up for his blog (1 entry)
bonus II: follow him on Twitter (1 entry)
bonus III: like his facebook fan page (1 entry)
bonus IV: leave a comment on his blog telling him on whose blog you found the contest (1 entry)

-offer ends Dec 16

Songs of the Season

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Songs of the Season
Event production by
Random Magic Tour
Sasha Soren (Random Magic)
Dec. 10-25, 2011
Welcome to the Songs of the Season music hop!

You're invited to join us every day from December 10-25, to enjoy a virtual round of caroling.

You can visit another blog each day to find another wonderful music selection, handpicked by a great host - Schedule

Here's our selection for your enjoyment!

Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental)
performed by Vince Guaraldi Trio
Available at: Amazon

This classic jazzy tune is simply groovy.

The ivory is tickled and the bass is plucked just so... makes you sway.

~*~

If you've enjoyed your visit, please feel welcome to click on any of the badges below, to find another great tune, selected especially by the host to share with you for the Songs of the Season music hop.

If you have a favorite song, feel free to share in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by, and hope you have a chance to enjoy a cup of cocoa on the way to your next stop on the hop!

~*~
Random Magic
by Sasha Soren
Event production by Random Magic Tour
Find Random Magic: Print | Kindle
Explore Random Magic: YouTube | Tumblr | Twitter
Interested in reading this?
Let me know in comments along with your email (if I don't already have it).

~*~
* come back on the 24th to read my takes on all the songs selected for this music hop

* image source: victorian carolers

SFR Holiday Blitz 2011

2011-12-11T00:03:00.000-08:00

Win free science fiction romance ebooks at the 2011 SFR Holiday Blitz!

A number of bloggers and authors have teamed up this holiday season so you can enter for a chance to win a variety of science fiction romance ebooks.

LIKE this...

Steamrolled
by Pauline Baird Jones
With all of time at risk, it's a bad time to fall in love...
unless it's the only time...

Robert Clementyne is going on a transmogrification machine hunt. He fears finding the machine will be as difficult as pronouncing the name. How can the steam-powered device perform as advertised, and how useful can any information be, coming from a steampunk themed bowling alley/museum?

It's pretty crazy, but he's been there, done that, and thinks he can handle it. And then he meets the proprietor/curator...Emily Babcock. Emily grew up in crazy, still lives in it-hey, it's her freaking zip code. So no worries when Robert and his team walk into her bowling alley.

The first visitors ever to her museum. But neither of them is prepared for what happens when they open the door to the past...and the future.

With a side trip through Roswell...and a face-to-face meeting with an evil genius/wannabe-who is on his way to becoming evil overlord-of-everything...

AND this...

Dreamspell Steampunk
Volume 1
by Pauline B. Jones
Heather Massey
Linda Houlse
and Chris Samson
Enjoy four Steampunk stories:

Steam Time by Pauline B Jones
The man formerly known as Tobias Smith hadn’t planned to ride along with Dr. Everly and his Medicine Show. Grifters gave him a pain their elixirs couldn’t heal. But he was headed to Marfa, too. And Everly’s son turned out to be a really a fine looking damsel—one in distress when the ghost lights of Marfa bump them into an alternate reality complete with an automaton gang and airships. Could he be the good guy? Be the hero, save the day and get the girl?

The Prometheus Engine by Chris Samson
When an airship is shot down over the desolate Kashmir landscape, seven survivors of disparate backgrounds must band together to escape. As a swarm of marauders approaches, the survivors’ only hope lies in the untested Prometheus Engine.

Steambot Rampage by Heather Massey
On the eve of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, a no-nonsense secretary and an intrepid reporter join forces to battle a bizarre automaton on a rampage.

Angelina by Linda Houle
Valerie is fascinated with an antique ruby and diamond pendant. Where did it come from and why was it hidden in a makeshift wall safe? An old log cabin on her new husband’s ranch holds the answers and a lot more, but once Val goes through a secret door will she ever find her way back home?

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of authors ~--
WIN a copy of these ebooks!

2 - winners: one for each
Winners can choose from the following formats: PDF, Mobi, or ePub.

Open to all.

Offer ends: December 16, 2011

TO DO:

1. Send me a link to a picture of something steampunk - holiday themed.

2. Tell me which ebook you would like.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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Participant entries:

I couldn't resist. Here's my pick, a steampunk reindeer from Urban Threads...

AimeeKay's pick...

Bookwyrm's pick...

DeAnn's pick...

Ilona's pick...

Laurie's pick...

Lena's pick...

Liz's pick...

Mama Elk's pick...

Marta's pick...

Sullivan McPig's pick...

Teressa's pick...

who's next?

~*~
NOW, visit these participating Holiday Blitzers for more prizes:

Alien Romances

CONTACT – Infinite Futures

Love Romance Passion

SFR Brigade

Smart Girls Love SciFi & Paranormal Romance

SpacefreightersLounge

The Galaxy Express

vvb32 reads - this is the post for it ;-D

Romancing Christmas Giveaway HOP

2011-12-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

The Romancing Christmas Giveaway Hop
hosted by Reading Romances!

What you can win here:

Dating Mr. December
by Phillipa Ashley
Excerpt:
Chapter 1

'Excuse me, love,' said the bearded man in the front row, ever so politely, 'did you say naked?'

Emma Tremayne clutched her folder of proposals tighter and smiled a smile that went no further than her cherry-scented lip gloss. 'That's right, Bob. Naked.'

Bob, bald, ruddy-faced, and fifty-something, nodded as if she'd just confirmed the price of a cheese scone in the local café. 'You mean without any clothes on?' murmured a whippet-like lad whom Emma recognized as a local builder. 'That's the general idea of a nude calendar, Jason, yes.' Smiling sweetly, she fixed her eyes on him, then regretted it as a blush spread to the roots of his hair, competing with his red curls for color.

Now that was odd, she thought, as a dozen faces tried terribly hard not to look in her direction. If she'd known how easy it was to turn a roomful of hard-bitten men into quivering jellies, she'd have tried it years ago. Unfortunately, right now it was exactly what she didn't want.
read the rest here

How to enter:

1. Do ONE of the following...

FOLLOW me (on sidebar).

SUBSCRIBE via email to my blog (on sidebar).

SUBSCRIBE to one of my Event Alerts here.

2. Tell me what you did in comments.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

Open to: US only

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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HOP along to view more prizes...

The Portrait Gallery from Sasha Soren

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

WELCOME, sweet guests.

If you enjoyed Books and Brioche, we request the pleasure of your company for an informal stroll through a private portrait gallery at Witherspoon Manse.

And where might this be?

Well, in the pages of Random Magic, by Sasha Soren:

As the witching hour tolls away on the great clock, it’s clearly time for a madcap round of games among the, shall we say, late sleepers among the house party.

A spirited gambol on the roof ensues. Sporting groups of ex-someones emerge with ghostly cricket bats and crumbling croquet hoops, enjoying deafening rounds of bocce in the sealed-off attic, leaving the wretched, sleepless guest to wander through portrait galleries of infamous dark beauties whose eyes follow one round and round the room as if one were a tennis match at Wimbledon.

Ah, never mind, that’s at Castle Marlybone or Castle Greylaudanum isn’t it? Someplace horribly spooky.

A page or so over and a county or so away.

We don’t want to linger over coffee and claret at either of those great homes. Not after dark, anyway.

No, it’d be ever so much nicer to spend a marvelous early afternoon at Witherspoon Manse, enjoying the hospitality of the charming Lady Witherspoon:

A startlingly lovely woman glided into the room in a swish of red and gold silk underskirts, like an upended hibiscus. […] Lady Witherspoon was French by birth…

As an elegant exile from her homeland, Lady Witherspoon brings a hint of la vie parisienne to her surroundings just by virtue of being herself. Her Gallic sensibilities in all manner of lovely things are sometimes subtle, but always near at hand. Even in the remote reaches of the English countryside, she has a way of conjuring up French delicacies, perfumes, fashions - and art.

Tea will be served in the next hour - there’s just time enough for a lovely stroll to view some charming portraits by French painters, stored lovingly away like jewels in a velvet-lined strongbox.

Are we ready?

Then let’s have a quick peek into the private portrait gallery.

This way, please…

First, down a quiet set of stairs, rarely used…

To stop at an otherwise unmarked set of doors, with an otherwise unremarkable look - apart from one slight eccentricity…

And, then, into a library filled with books and statues and lovely carpets - and secret rooms filled with lovely paintings, to soothe the heart of a countess in exile.

One more pleasant detour…

We’ve almost arrived.
Kindly be careful of the steps on the way down…

And here we are, dear guests.

Which portrait is most appealing?

If you don’t have a preference, perhaps we can start on the far side of the gallery, then continue in sequence and work up an appetite for some light refreshments upon our return.

~~*~~

Title: Presumed to be a portrait of Beatrice Portinari
Artist: Elisabeth Sonrel
(source)

About the portrait:
Beatrice Portinari (1266–1290) was the muse of poet Dante Alighieri. She was the inspiration for Dante's Vita Nuova, and the Divine Comedy (La Divina Commedia).

Dante claims to have met her only twice, but was so affected by the meetings that he carried his love for her throughout his life, even after her death in 1290 at the age of 24.

Following their first meeting, Dante was so enthralled by Beatrice that he later wrote in La Vita Nuova,

‘Ecce Deus fortior me, qui veniens dominabitur mihi.’

‘Behold, a deity stronger than I;
who coming, shall rule over me.’
-Via: Wikipedia

~~*~~

Title: Albaydé
Artist: Alexandre Cabanel
(source)

About the portrait:
A lush and sensual tableau, depicting an enigmatic woman, whom we gradually realize has already died. Curiouser still, she’s never actually lived; the portrait is based, not on a real woman, but a character - Albaydé. She appears in writer Victor Hugo’s book of poems, Les Orientales (1829).

The character of Albaydé is mentioned in ‘Les tronçons du serpent’ (‘Sections of the Serpent’).

The narrator of the poem pities a snake torn into pieces, but - somewhat surreally - the dying serpent speaks to him, saying:

Ta plaie est plus cruelle
Car ton Albaydé dans la tombe a fermé
Ses beaux yeux de gazelle.

Your wound is more cruel than mine
because in the tomb has your Albaydé closed
her beautiful eyes, that were like
those of a gazelle.

~~*~~

Title: Self-portrait (1789)
Artist: Marie Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
(source)

About the artist:
‘In the history of portrait-painting in France,’ says art aficionado Andre Michel Jouin, in Les chefs-d’oeuvre (Masterpieces), ‘there is a period...which may be said to belong to that charming woman (artist Marie Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun).’

He continues: In those last years of the 'old regime,' the fashionable world of Paris adopted for its painter Élisabeth Vigee. There was so close, so intimate, a connection between this painter and her models that although she lived well into the nineteenth century, she yet remains in the history of French art the portrait-painter par excellence of the court of Marie Antoinette. Upon the approach of the Revolution, she fled from France.

If we would catch in an attitude or in a look the moral reflection, so to speak, of an epoch, if we would read the thoughts or...guess the secrets of those hearts, sometimes full of tenderness, again light and flippant, concealed beneath transparent muslin fichus, it is to the works of Madame Vigée Le Brun that we must turn for answers to our queries.

~~*~~

Title: Portrait of Marie Antoinette (1783)
Artist: Marie Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
(source)

About the portrait:
The work shown above is a portrait of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and Navarre from May 1774 until her execution in the early 1790s. As recounted in a brief biography on the artist, Masters in Art: A series of Illustrated Monographs (Bates and Gould Company, Boston, 1905):

In 1779, Madame Vigée Le Brun painted the first of her many portraits of Queen Marie Antoinette, whose favorite painter she became and with whom she was always on a footing of affectionate intimacy. We are told of the duets that were sung by the royal model and the painter at the close of the morning séance, for the queen dearly loved music and Madame Le Brun had a charming voice.

Le Brun herself left Paris for Italy in October 1789, just before the full fury of the French Revolution and attendant Reign of Terror erupted, and it was while in Italy that she received word of the sad fate of Marie Antoinette and other friends and acquaintances who'd lost their lives to Madame Guillotine. A return home to her native France was out of the question, and Le Brun spent over a decade in exile, making her home in Italy, Russia and Austria.

On her return to Paris in 1800, she made only one or two lengthy trips outside the borders of France, having ‘acquired an inclination for rest.' She spent the rest of her life at her country seat at Louveciennes, near Paris, acquired by her own means, through her own success as a painter.

She outlived her husband, brother and daughter, all of whom died within the space of seven years (1813-1820). In her later years, she wrote a memoir, Memoirs of Madame Vigée Le Brun. With the ghosts of a lost age to keep her company, Le Brun quietly continued her work for the next 20 years, before dying peacefully in 1842.

Details of this 1783 painting and some notes on the sitter, seen through the appraising but affectionate eye of the artist who painted her, are given here:

Madame Vigée Le Brun painted between twenty and thirty portraits of Marie Antoinette, of which one of the most charming is this picture in the Palace of Versailles, where the queen is represented in a garden tying up a bouquet of flowers.

Her dress is of gray taffeta trimmed with delicate lace, she wears a hat of gauze decorated with ostrich plumes, while around her throat and wrists are strings of pearls.

Le Brun describes Marie Antoinette as 'tall and with a fine figure. Her arms,' she says, 'were superb, her hands small and perfectly formed, and her feet charming. She had the best walk of any woman in France, carrying her head erect and with a dignity that stamped her queen in the midst of her whole court; and yet this majestic mien in no wise diminished the sweetness and gentleness of her expression.'

Of all the ghosts of Le Brun’s lost age, we have here before us a particularly sweet and melancholy one, in this portrait of a doomed queen captured during a quiet moment of contentment.

Note: Text source referred to for Le Brun quotes or period detail is Masters in Art: A series of Illustrated Monographs (Bates and Gould Company, Boston, 1905).

~~*~~

Title: Venezia bella, regina del mare (1893)
Title (trans.): Venice the Beautiful, Queen of the Sea (1893)
Artist: Edmond-François Aman-Jean (1858-1936)

About this portrait:
The personification of Venice, Italy, as a beautiful woman - although the tableau is painted in dark and melancholy colors. This is probably apt, depicting Venice in both her glory and fall. A long-established city, she’s seen wars, plagues and the constant danger of being consumed by floods, vanishing into the Adriatic Sea forever.

Venice was always a city of secrets. But even with the darkness, intrigue and danger, artists of all kinds have been irresistibly drawn to this beautiful city - writers, painters, musicians, artisans like the glassblowers of Murano.

Yes, a beautiful city, even though the subtle ravages of time are evident. Ah, but so is the city’s glory, particularly during Carnival, as the hidden streets and waterways spark to life to become a living theater.

Beauty has never been forgotten, here - come what may.

~~*~~

Title: Portrait of Joachim Murat (Date unknown)
Artist: (Attr.) Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson
(source)

About the portrait:
Joachim Murat, the Dandy King, has the curious distinction of being one of the most lion-hearted figures in history, but also one of the most vain.

To explain: Murat came to the notice of future Emperor of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte, when young general Bonaparte needed someone to take charge of artillery salvage operations before a critical battle.

Through several strategic victories, Murat eventually became one of the most famous cavalry generals of the period; he was just as well known for his decorative and flamboyant dress uniforms and evening attire, and impeccable manners and style.

After Napoleon took the throne of France, he made Murat King of Naples. Later, the fortunes of both men turned. Napoleon lost his kingdom and spent his last days in exile.

Murat lost his throne as well. He tried to retake it in 1815, assembling an army of 600 in Corsica, Italy. But his attempt to regain
kingship over Naples ended in a sadder fortune; he was captured and sentenced to be executed by firing squad.

Courageous until the very end, Murat refused a blindfold and himself gave the order to fire, on October 13, 1815.

Vain until the very end, he told the firing squad to spare his face and aim instead at his heart.

His last words, reportedly, were:

‘Soldats! Faites votre devoir!
Droit au cœur mais épargnez le visage. Feu!’

‘Soldiers!
Do your duty!
Straight to the heart but spare the face. Fire!’

~~*~~

Title: Léopoldine au livre d'heures
Title (trans).: Léopoldine with a Book of Hours
Artist: Auguste de Châtillon
(source)

About this portrait:
Painted by Auguste de Châtillon in 1836, on the day of Léopoldine Hugo’s first communion. Léopoldine died only a few
years later, in 1843.

Léopoldine Hugo was the daughter of writer Victor Hugo; now a name instantly recognizable as the author who created classic novels Les Misérables and Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame).

Léopoldine died in a boating accident at Villequier, at the age of 19.

Via Wikipedia: Victor Hugo was devastated when his oldest and favorite daughter, Léopoldine, died shortly after her marriage. She drowned in the Seine at Villequier, pulled down by her heavy skirts, when a boat overturned. Her young husband Charles Vacquerie also died trying to save her. Hugo describes his shock and grief in his poemÀ Villequier (excerpt):

Hélas ! Vers le passé tournant un oeil d'envie,
Sans que rien ici-bas puisse m'en consoler,
Je regarde toujours ce moment de ma vie
Où je l'ai vue ouvrir son aile et s'envoler !
Je verrai cet instant jusqu'à ce que je meure...

Alas! Turning an envious eye towards the past,
inconsolable through any earthly means,
I keep looking at that moment of my life
when I saw her open her wings and fly away!
I will see that instant until I die...

He wrote many poems afterwards about Léopoldine’s life and death; at least one biographer claims he never completely recovered from the loss. His most famous poem is probably Demain, dès l'aube (Tomorrow, at dawn), in which he describes visiting her grave:

'Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées...et le jour pour moi
sera comme la nuit.'

'I will walk, my eyes seeing only the visions of my mind...and the day
for me will be as night.'

Note: Excerpted - full poem maybe be read here and additional poems here.

You can listen to an audio reading of Demain, dès l'aube here.

~~*~~
Lastly, so that we should not be too unhappy in the hearing of some melancholy tales from the lives of great men - and women - perhaps we can rest for a moment before a last series of portraits.

These are women whose names are lost to time. Portrayed here without a history, without even a name - but perhaps their names aren’t as important as the fact that they are all instantly recognizable.

Surely you recognize them, yourself. All of these small moments; of joy, of melancholy, of anticipation, of thoughtfulness. A thousand small pains, and a thousand small kindnesses, difficulties and agonies, happiness and delight, moments of exhaustion because of overwhelming fatigue, and moments of blissful indolence - just because.

These moments don’t belong only to one woman, but to all women. These nameless portraits aren’t just one woman, they are all women. And all men. And all humanity - fleeting, small, individual moments that nonetheless touch eternity.

After joy, sadness; and after sadness, joy.

And so it goes…

Title: Pierrot's Embrace
Artist: Guillaume Seignac (1870-1924)
(source)

~~*~~

Title: Jeune femme pensive tournée vers la gauche (1900)
Title (trans.) Pensive Young Woman Turned Towards the Left (1900)
Artist: Edgar Maxence (1871-1951)
(source)

~~*~~

Title: A Beauty in Violet
Artist: Paul Francois Quinsac (b. 1858)
(source)

~~*~~

Title: Isolde (or Iseult)
Artist: Gaston Bussière (Attr.)
(source)

Note:
Depiction of Isolde, based on the legend of Tristan and Isolde, but sitter is unknown. One of Gaston Bussière’s best-known works, a depiction of shield maiden Brynhild, also springs from legend, this time the Völsungasaga and the Poetic Edda.

~~*~~

Title: Dolce far niente
Note on this phrase: Dolce far niente
Artist: Auguste Toulmouche (1829-1890)
(source)

~~*~~

Title: Jeune femme de Pompeï sur une terrasse
Title (trans.): A young woman of Pompeii on a terrace
Artist: Guillaume Seignac (1870-1924)
(source)

~~*~~
And now, perhaps we might indulge ourselves; a marvelous light repast lies in attendance.

Adieu, shades of the past…

Now, then, on to brunch.

Thank you for your good company. We hope you’ll be pleased with the assortment of celestial sweets, and depart contented.

À table!

~~*~~
If you’ve enjoyed this stroll through the portrait gallery and would like to spend some more time with your gracious hostess, Lady Witherspoon, here are some details about Random Magic, by Sasha Soren. You’re quite welcome to browse them all, if you like.

The cover art for Random Magic is, in fact, also an original painting. If you already own your own copy of the book, you’ll be able to see the fine attention to detail in the vivid portrait of one of the characters from the book. There’s also a secret message to the reader hidden away in the cover.

Shown above: Book trailer for Random Magic, by Sasha Soren

Find Random Magic: Amazon | Kindle

Explore Random Magic: Twitter | YouTube

If you love portraits and interesting stories, please feel free to browse the Reading Women series on Tumblr: Visit the gallery

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
Extra Goodies - Win this cute book and sticker gift

Shown above: Portrait of Madame X (1884)
by John Singer Sargent
(source)

We also have one more lovely treat to send you on your way - a historical novel about one of the most striking portraits ever painted - Portrait of Madame X, by John Singer Sargent.

The portrait scandalized Paris on its unveiling, and it was only in later years that it was recognized as one of Sargent’s finest works.

I Am Madame X
by Gioia Diliberto

About: When John Singer Sargent unveiled Portrait of Madame X - his famous portrait of American beauty Virginie Gautreau - at the 1884 Paris Salon, its subject's bold pose and provocative dress shocked the public and the critics, smashing Sargent's dreams of a Paris career.

In this remarkable novel, Gioia Diliberto tells Virginie's story, drawing on the sketchy historical facts to re-create Virginie's
tempestuous personality and the captivating milieu of nineteenth-century Paris.

Excerpt: I heard nothing from her for months. Then one day she sent me a package containing several hundred typed pages. Inspired by my visit, she had dictated a memoir to one of her maids. She wanted history to remember who Madame X was…

I can still see her as she looked then, on the night I first met her. She was tall and slim, her green eyes glittering in that porcelain face, and her silvery laughter floating across the table as she reached for a champagne flute with a long, shapely arm. How could anyone forget? (Browse this book)

Bonus: Great Self Portraits sticker set will be included with the book.

About: More than a reflection of the artist's likeness, self-portraits also show how artists interpret themselves. The 16 stickers in this mini collection include reproductions of self-portraits by Picasso, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Goya, Hopper, and 10 other artists.

TO DO:

1 - Browse this fun list: Top 10 Characters in Random Magic. Tell us which character you think would make the best subject for a portrait, and why.

2 - Pick your favorite portrait from the gallery above, and tell us why it appeals to you more than any of the others.

3 - (Leave email address)

4 – (maybe) One extra entry for blog post or Twitter mention with link to this post.

Offer ends December 31. Open to all.

~*~
* Notes: Image shown at header of feature is The Mask, generally attributed to Joseph-Désiré Court.

* image source: stairs, handle, bookcase door, blue door, spiral stairs

Stocking Stuffer: steampunk

2011-12-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

Holiday gift ideas are in the air.

Here's a possibility for steampunkers...

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity.

But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy.

A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

Peek inside:

SEE the movie this month...

Hugo (2011)
directed by Martin Scorsese
starring Asa Butterfield as Hugo
Chloë Grace Moretz as Isabelle

I plan on watching this clockworks-filled flick during the holiday break.

How about you? What holiday movies will you be catching in the theatre?

~*~
* part of my mini series of stocking stuffer book-related ideas

* image sources: inside Hugo, victorian christmas stocking

Book Nooks - 3

2011-12-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

Book Nooks
*Every weekend*
Founder: Sasha Soren (Random Magic)
Show us something pretty!

~*~

In keeping with the Jane Austen theme, we find ourselves at Northanger Abbey.

I imagine even reading in the brightly lit plush hallways would be as comfy as on a couch.

Were I in this room, I would take reading breaks looking at the artwork in the room or out the window at the gardens.

And who do we see?

Why it's Catherine! She's reading the latest gothic novel don't you know.

~*~

Take it: Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb by MJA Ware

2011-12-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb
by MJA Ware
When life gives you lemons, kill zombies — turns out lemon juice neutralizes the undead.

After a failed attempt at running away, best friends Nathan and Misty return home expecting to face angry parents. Instead, they discover the military has destroyed the bridges out of their rural town and everyone's fled—except a small horde of the living dead.

The stress of flesh-eating zombies may be more than their already strained relationship can handle. Even with the help of the town geek and lemonade-powered Super-Soakers, there's not enough time to squeeze their way out of this sticky mess. Unless the trio eradicates the zombie infestation, while avoiding the deadly zombie snot, the military will blow the town, and them, to pulp. Their only shot is something with a lot more punch. Something like the Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb. But even if their friendship survives, there's another problem: Someone has to lure the undead into the trap.

--~ eBook Giveaway courtesy of author ~--
If you are an Amazon reviewer, or have a blog feel free to contact the (mikejware at gmail.com) about a review copy.

Stocking Stuffer: zombies

2011-12-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Holiday gift ideas are in the air.

Here's a possibility for zombie fiends...

Zombtivities
The Zombie Coloring and Activity Book
by Britnie Drettwan of It's On Random
sneak peek here
on sale here with a holiday discount!
I'm getting one for my nephew... a fellow zombie fiend ;-D

~*~
* this post kicks off my mini series of stocking stuffer book-related ideas

* image source victorian christmas stocking

PeekAbook: Breathers by S.G. Browne

2011-12-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

PeekAbook:

--~ eBook Giveaway ~--
Breathers
by S.G. Browne
Meet Andy Warner, a recently deceased everyman and newly minted zombie. Resented by his parents, abandoned by his friends, and reviled by a society that no longer considers him human, Andy is having a bit of trouble adjusting to his new existence. But all that changes when he goes to an Undead Anonymous meeting and finds kindred souls in Rita, an impossibly sexy recent suicide with a taste for the formaldehyde in cosmetic products, and Jerry, a twenty-one-year-old car-crash victim with an exposed brain and a penchant for Renaissance pornography. When the group meets a rogue zombie who teaches them the joys of human flesh, things start to get messy, and Andy embarks on a journey of self-discovery that will take him from his casket to the SPCA to a media-driven class-action lawsuit on behalf of the rights of zombies everywhere.

Darkly funny, surprisingly touching, and gory enough to satisfy even the most discerning reader, Breathers is a romantic zombie comedy (rom-zom-com, for short) that will leave you laughing, squirming, and clamoring for more.

WIN a kindle version of this ebook!
-for 3 winners

Open to all.

Offer ends: December 15, 2011

TO DO: (2-parts)
Visit S.G.'s blog post on 24 Writing Related Things for Which I’m Thankful here and tell me one item he is thankful for.

And, leave your email (if I don't already have it).

PeekAbook: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith

2011-12-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

PeekAbook:

Want it?

Pride Prejudice and Zombies
Dreadfully Ever After
by Steve Hockensmith

Sign up to win this book here if you haven't already.
-offer ends Dec 15

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies: The Interactive Book App

2011-12-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

Awesome, eh !???!

Ebooks to a new level!

Meanwhile, why not enter to win this...

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Deluxe Edition
by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
signup for giveaway here
-offer ends Dec 15

Zombie Chat with Britnie

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

To kick off a few days of December Zombies, you will find an interview
of me with Britnie of It's On Random here!

After you read a bit about me, come back for more zombies Dec 2-4.

And...

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies:
A Book of Zombie Christmas Carols
by Michael P. Spradlin
This book takes over two dozen of our most beloved Christmas carols and shreds them limb from limb, rewriting them from a zombie's point-of-view. Tiny tots' eyes are no longer aglow - they're in a bowl. And Mommy's not kissing Santa under the mistletoe - she's chewing his face. Nobody - not Rudolph, Old Saint Nick, or even those three Wise Guys who traveled afar - is spared when the undead come knocking.

WIN a copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: December 31, 2011

TO DO:

Tell me in comments something you learned about ME (at the interview with Britnie) and you will be eligible to win the book below.

And, include your email (if I don't already have it).

PeekAbook:

~*~
* special thanks to Britnie for having me as her guest ;-D

Demon Bait by Moira Rogers

2011-12-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

Demon Bait:
Children of the Undying, Book 1
by Moira Rogers

Visit the authors:
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Shelfari
Donna's Twitter
Bree's Twitter

Just released: November 2011
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
ebook
Rating: 3

Amazon | Barnes&Noble

His mark could bind her forever—or finally set her free.

Children of the Undying, Book 1

Fifty years after a demon apocalypse devastated the world, summoners still bear the bulk of the blame. Marci lives in secret, hiding the gifts that could cost her a secure spot in one of humanity’s underground cities, and access to their virtual world. After all, her chances of avoiding the genetic-testing lotto are better than her chances of surviving topside.

The bastard son of a terrifying incubus, lust heats Gabe’s blood and sex fuels his magic. Innate charm and charisma help him navigate the cultural gap between the outcast town he calls home and the human settlements he infiltrates for trade. His latest mission nets him an unexpected asset—a summoner strong enough to soothe his darkest needs.

Trust a half demon, especially one who uses a lockdown to trap them together? Not in this lifetime. Yet Marci can’t resist Gabe’s offer to see her safely to a selective outcast settlement where she can live without fear. The journey alone is as dangerous as the way Gabe makes her heart race, but it could be her one hope of a real life.

If only she could be sure Gabe’s telling her the whole truth…

Warning: Contains a virtual world where humans flee to escape the demon-infested earth, a dangerously seductive half demon with sex magic to burn and a network-hacking summoner brave enough to make herself vulnerable to him.

Series:
Demon Bait
Hammer Down - Jan 2012

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): his eyes
The relationship building and romance were good and solid. The world building was unclear and not as interesting as expected.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

Mahna Mahna

2011-11-30T19:54:00.001-08:00

Book Bloggers Holiday Card Exchange 2011

2011-11-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

Book Bloggers Holiday Card Exchange 2011
hosted by Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog
It's not too late.
Signups open until Nov 30!

details and signup here

The twist with this exchange is that...

Since it’s a book-lovers card exchange you have to include something book-related in your card. Some ideas:

a. Write about a book you’ve read recently.
b. Give a few book recommendations to your partner.
c. Tell a book-related story.
d. Something else book-related that you think up yourself.

Winner of Gratitude HOP

2011-11-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended November 27, 2011
during the Gratitude HOP event

Thanks to all contestants!

Random Magic by Sasha Soren
Winner: Katie of Book Bowl

~*~
* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses this week.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

Pemberley Ball: Epilogue continued

2011-11-28T05:00:00.001-08:00

At the sound of the alarm, the Bennet sisters assemble into formation to defend the Pemberley estate from the unmentionables.

Lord Swineberg the 3rd
See!!!! I was right! There were zombies at the ball!

Lady Blodeuedd
Feels like a wallflower as she has spent much of her time at the ball lurking behind a flower. She is horrified by what Lord Swineberg the 3rd exclaims and quickly gathers her belongings while running towards the nearest carriage.

Miss Tabiadora Jensen
Tis true tis true - I am a zombie! I carry the plague! Will hurt but for a moment - then you will feel no pain evermore! Come into my bone gnawing embrace my dears.

I do believe the Duchess de Borde might be able to do me harm - not some Lord Swineberg the 3rd. Pish posh

As for the Duchess de Borde, she takes a fortifying swig from her flask and replaces it within her décolletage and...

*Harumph* exclaims the mildly intoxicated Duchess! First there were waving tentacles to be dodged and now a grim melee of disenchanted dead to be dispatched posthaste.

Of course, by all appearances the valient Lord Swineberg & his rapacious rapier were doing a magnificent job all on their own.

Daintly stepping across a body carelessly placed between her and the buffet, the Duchess popped a cherry between her lips while she studied the rum-cake with a contemplative eye.

Well, as the saying goes 'too many cooks spoil the broth' - thus the Duchess saw no pressing need to offer her services in the depatching department. A tentacle whipped out from beneath the buffet and snatched the last slice of rum-cake.

*HARUMPH* snorted the Duchess as she brought her flask down hard upon the offending alien. Bad manners, no matter how other worldly, were simply NOT to be tolerated!

~~!~~!~~!~~
READ more about this DARCY world…

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--

Pride Prejudice and Zombies
Dreadfully Ever After
by Steve Hockensmith
When we last saw Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy—at the end of the New York Times best seller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies—they were preparing for a lifetime of wedded bliss. Yet the honeymoon has barely begun when poor Mr. Darcy is nipped by a rampaging dreadful.

Elizabeth knows the only acceptable course of action is to promptly behead her husband (and then burn the corpse, just to be safe). But when she learns of a miracle antidote being developed in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save her true love—and for everyone to live happily ever after.

Complete with romance, heartbreak, martial arts, cannibalism, and an army of shambling corpses, Dreadfully Ever After brings the story of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to a thrilling conclusion.

WIN a copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: December 15, 2011

TO DO: (2-parts)
1. ONE of these:

ADD this book to your Goodreads

or

ADD this book to your Shelfari

or

TWEET this: (or click the twitter button on this post)
Giveaway: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2011/11/pemberley-ball-epilogue-continued.html

2. AND, let me know in comments what you did along with your email (if I don't already have it)

~~!~~!~~!~~

~*~
* see Pemberley Ball epilogue part one

* image source Bennets

~~- Pemberley Ball schedule -~~