Alice in Whatsitland Challenge giveaway

Alice in Whatsitland Challenge
March 7-14, 2010

Prize:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
written by: Lewis Carroll
illustrated by: Camille Rose Garcia



Description from the amazon:
Down,
down,
down.
Would the fall never come to an end!

Since its publication in 1865, Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has delighted the world with a wildly imaginative and unforgettable journey, inspiring children of all ages to suspend disbelief and follow Alice into her fantasy worlds. This new gift edition presents Carroll's tale fully unabridged with a unique visual interpretation by renowned artist Camille Rose Garcia.

Camille Rose Garcia talks about the challenge of illustrating Alice in Wonderland:



* part of Alice in Whatsitland (see schedule)
week

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Are you ready?

Open to all.

The challenge:

Must create at least one blog post on anything Alice in Wonderland-related on your blog with a link back to this challenge post.

Deadline:
Send me your links in comments by March 15, 2010.
The winner will be announced March 17, 2010.

Earn extra points:

+2 post your Alice and Wonderland (directed by Tim Burton) movie review

+1 additional Alice-related posts

links for posts mentioned below will appear as available (dates tentative):

+1 Comment on Elizabeth's post (March 8)

+1 Comment on Charlotte's post here or here (March 11)

+1 Comment on Misty's post (March 12)

+1 Comment on Sasha's post here and here (March 13)

Spread the word:

+1 tweet, facebook or other social network

+5 place the challenge button on your sidebar

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Alice in Whatsitland challenge links:

Alice in Wonderland film reviews
Titania86 of Fishmuffins of Doom
Heather at Gofita's Pages
Shana of Kreating Insecurities
Margaret of The French Bear

Alice crafts
m'Alice - Malice, the Marauder created by icitea
m'Alice with clothes by icitea
Alice Drink Me doll by Shana of Kreating Insecurities
Alice keychain by Shana of Kreating Insecurities
Alice inspired wrist warmers Margaret of The French Bear

Alice collections
Shop on Satuday - Alice in Wonderland
by Amanda Leigh of Not-really-southern Vamp Chicks

Alice music
Almost Alice soundtrack
by Shana of Kreating Insecurities

Alice games
American McGee's Alice
by Titania86 of Fishmuffins of Doom

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Contest has ended - winner will be announced, March 17, 2010

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Stumpwork Rose dress

If books were dresses...

(a weekly post where I create fashionable wear with book cover art)

Published: 2008

The Stumpwork Robe
by Prue Batten




Description from author's site:

A magnificent robe . . . minikin journals hidden in the embroidery.

Eldritch wights and murder.

Tragedy and revenge.

Adelina the Traveller’s sanity is cobbled together with fraying stitches as she is held captive and must embroider a gown which may eventually conceal the keys to immortality . . .


The Last Stitch
(sequel)
by Prue Batten

A hob, a Faeran and a mortal stitcher.

Veniche and the Days of the Dark . . .

For Adelina, revenge should be her salvation.

But those who love her wonder if it will be her damnation.

Adelina says to her readers: ‘If you touch the book then you will quite simply die.’

Are you game?

~*~

My blog was recently visited by Prue and when I went to visit her blog in return I was treated to these miniature books.

What are miniature books?

Books under 3" tall are considered miniature books. They're generally readable with the naked eye, and easily handled, like regular sized books. Micro-miniature books, on the other hand, fit the 1"=1', or 1/12 scale, used by most dollhouse makers. These tiny books can still be read (if you're as nearsighted as I am), but illustrations seem to come through much better to full-scale human eyes.

Doesn't that sound adorable? Perfect size for fairy-like stories, eh?

I'm curious. If any of you have read stories in this format, do tell what you thought of them.

Just found out...

A masked ball is going down at Mesmered's (aka Prue) Blog.

The Direttore and the Board of Governors of
The Museo di Veniche
invite you to attend a

Masked Ball
hosted by the Charmed Circle
(Pat, Prue & Rebecca)

Saturday
May 1, 2010
8pm - 10pm

- Music by the Veniche Symphony
- Prizes for quests
- Supper at 9:30 before the final dance

here's the invite

RSVP in her comments and be eligible to win a signed set of The Stumpwork Robe and The Last Stitch by author, Prue Batten.

For one point: describe your absolute ‘must have’ in your Ball reticule.

+1 What dance would you like to step to and what music?

+3 Invite others, tweet and let mesmered know.

+5 Invite others and post on your sidebar, letting mesmered know of course.

+10 Invent a short backstory of your character and send it via RSVP to the blog.

Winner will be judged by Pat, Rebecca and Prue and will be announced at the Ball.

view sample rsvp here

I'm planning on attending. How about you?

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*on my want list ;-D

*if you would like to learn how to make your own Book Fashion silhouette, let me know in comments with your email

*source for silhouette

Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Jane Austen and Steve Hockensmith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies:
Dawn of the Dreadfuls
by Jane Austen and Steve Hockensmith

Release date: March 24, 2010
Genre: Zombies
Paperback: pages
Rating: 4

Description from Quirk:
In this terrifying and hilarious prequel, we witness the genesis of the zombie plague in early-nineteenth-century England. We watch Elizabeth Bennet evolve from a naïve young teenager into a savage slayer of the undead. We laugh as she begins her first clumsy training with nunchucks and katana swords and cry when her first blush with romance goes tragically awry. Written by acclaimed novelist (and Edgar Award nominee) Steve Hockensmith, PPZII invites Austen fans to step back into Regency England, Land of the Undead!

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): zed word

Yup, I'm pretty excited with this book. I was looking for more zombies in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and hooo-eeee, did I get a dose in this zombie gem of a book!

I like reading about the birth of heroines in the Bennet clan. Their training sessions were amusing.

What are they wearing?

Are those swords?

The Bennets have always been eccentric, but now they've gone quite mad!

Holy Father, what hast Thou loosed in fair England?

-various whispers from the community, chapter 9

The book is filled with fight scenes and zombie gnashing.

Flickers of romance and creepy guys appear and get quelched.

The only thing I was hoping to read was more about Master Liu. But maybe that will be in another book.

Fun read! But really, zombies are serious business as all they want are brains and flesh and etc. So along with reading this book you it would be helpful to read a zombie survival guide.

Hmmm, would love to read a guide written by Elizabeth Bennet or better yet Catherine de Bourgh. How did she hook up with ninjas?!?


Amusing quote:
I imagine some mad maiden aunt or idiot son spent many a year up here," Dr. Keckilpemningy said. "It's what one does in the best families. I've found. You're not considered a true aristocrat until you've got at least one daft relations howling away up in the attic.
- Dr Keckilpenny, chapter 28, page 194

Series:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - my review
Dawn of the Dreadfuls (prequel)

The fun starts now for all of you who would like to read this...

*** Giveaways ***

from me 2 copies of Dawn of the Dreadfuls
(one sent from Quirk) -ends March 24

from Quirk up to 50 Quirk Classics Prize Packs
(retail value of prize packs are up to $100) -ends March 5

All-Out-Worldwide-Zombie-Blog-Explosion 2010 pack includes:

- An advance copy of Dawn of the Dreadfuls

- audio books of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

- audio books of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

- a password redeemable online for sample audio chapters of Dawn of the Dreadfuls

- an awesome Dawn of the Dreadfuls poster

- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Journal

- box set of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Postcards

* whew *
lots-o-good stuff, eh?

*review copy received - Thanks to Tiffany of Quirk

Winners - February Giveaways

Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended February 28, 2010.

Thanks to all contestants!

Winners were selected with random.org.

I will email winners for mailing addresses.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email.

~!~
Virtual Valentines
Princess V's Valentine's Weekend giveaway



*** Grand Prize ***

Princess V's Valentine Fairy
with desired book
Vampire Diaries:
The Awakening & The Struggle
by L.J. Smith

Winner: Fredamans of Freda's Voice

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*** Runner Ups ***

O, Juliet
by Robin Maxwell

Winner: Misty of Book Rat
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My Zombie Valentine
by Katie Macalister, Angie Fox, Marianne Mancusi, and Lisa Cach

Winner: Mary Ann of Mary Ann DeBorde Writes

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Breathing
by Cheryl Renée Herbsman

Winner: YA Vampire Books

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Steamed
by Katie MacAlister

Winner: SiNn of † Everyone loves a SiNner †
~*~
First Steamed giveaway offer
Steamed
by Katie MacAlister

Winner: Bethie of Political Mom

I would love to see how people get around in a steampunky world.

If you were thrown into a steampunk world, what one steampunky item would you like to see, hear or touch?

Answers received:

aether gun

clockwork man

interest in transportation:

airships
-blimp
-dirigible
-zeppelin

steamboat

Most amusing answer:

I want a decently crafted sword-cane, with a brass handle for a good counterweight and clever construction.

Reasons? I have a few.

1) A Gentleman should never go unarmed.

2) Most sword-canes are of inferior construction and ill-balanced

3) The ornate design Steampunk affords allows for a proper grip, basket, pistol or French-style, which would be incongruous in less... Dignified settings.

4) As a serious fencer, anything less than bespoke weaponry is an insult to my sensibilities.

Regards;
Pip Hunn

~*~

* Princess V's Valentine Fairy created by svb

Steampunk Weekly - 03.01.10

In diner slang of yore,
what would you be served if you ordered Zeppelins in a fog?
(answer is below)

According to wikipedia:
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899. Given the outstanding success of the Zeppelin design, the term zeppelin in casual use came to refer to all rigid airships.

and

The most important feature of Zeppelin's design was a rigid metal alloy skeleton, made of rings and longitudinal girders. The advantage of this design was that the aircraft could be much larger than non-rigid airships (which relied on a slight overpressure within the single gasbag to maintain their shape). This enabled Zeppelins to lift heavier loads and be fitted with more and more powerful engines.

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Steamboy (2004) movie - my review

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Heads up!

The Book Smugglers will be presenting some steam...

Save the dates: March 7-13 and April 11-17, 2010



* trivia answer: sausages and mashed potatoes
from my trivia calendar
Thanks EvL!

* image source zeppelin

* check out my sidebar for blogosphere giveaways

*my weekly post on things steampunk (Victorian sci-fi/fantasy)

*totally inspired by steampunk posts written by Celia of adventures of cecelia bedelia