Finally! Winners of the Jo Nesbo Giveaway

OK, I said I would announce the winners of the Amazing Jo Nesbo Giveaway on August 31.  I'm only two weeks late, and I have no good excuses.

But better late than never!  And it is BBAW so it is a great way to celebrate.  

I was so pleased with the response to this giveaway - 18 entries in total!  

Since it has been so long since my original post, here is what I'm giving away, and the winners (chosen from Random.org):





ARC of Phantom #1:  Melissa (Serenity in Books)


ARC of Phantom #2:  Elisabeth


GRAND PRIZE WINNER (Phantom ARC, plus a copy of The Snowman and The Leopard):  Marie (Boston Bibliophile)

Congratulations everyone!  I'll be contacting you via e-mail and work on getting those books to you.  You are going to love my man Jo!

THE AMAZING JO NESBO GIVEAWAY!

 You all know by now how much I love Jo Nesbo?  Yes you do.  You have all listened to me rant and rave over every Nesbo book I've read over the last year...all six of them.  You may or may not know that he has a new one coming out here in the US in October called "Phantom".  Exciting stuff for this Nesbo junkie, I'll tell you. 


So about two months ago, the lovely fairy godmother Pamela Cortland from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, contacted me about offering all of you the BEST NESBO GIVEAWAY EVAH.  In honor of the upcoming "Phantom" of course.  And in honor of my 20th wedding anniversary, which is today.  (I figure why not pick today for the festivities?  It is a good day when two people have been married to each other for that long!)


But this is not just one giveaway of one book.  I will be offering two ARCs of "Phantom" (in time for you to receive them and read them before the release date).  


But that's not all!  There is a GRAND PRIZE giveaway as well.  The grand prize winner will get an ARC of "Phantom", plus a paperback copy of "The Leopard" and "The Snowman", the two books that precede "Phantom". 

To enter to win, you must live in the US, and express your interest and your e-mail in the comments before August 30.  I will announce the winners on August 31.  I truly wish you luck because if you have never read Nesbo, he is addictive.  If you have read him, you already know he is addictive, and probably that he is quite handsome, and you will need all of these books.  


Just sharing the love, my friends!   

Winner of The Taker Prize Pack!!!!

 My apologies for being a little slow in this announcement, but I am excited to announce the winner for the AMAZING PRIZE PACK that includes:


*  A copy of "The Taker" (guaranteed to make a mark on you)
*  A spoofy wine label of "The Reckoning"
*  Bookmarks
*  Post-it notes
*  A Reckoning ink pen
*  A proof of "The Taker" paperback cover






And the lucky winner, chosen via random.org is...


Jenners @ Life...With Books


(Jenners, just don't blame me if you end up losing sleep after you read this one!)

Winner of the Audiobook "Iron House" by John Hart

Last week, I announced the audiobook giveaway of "Iron House" by John Hart.  This book is all the talk these days, and I was happy to see so many people enter!  Using Random.org, I am happy to tell you that the winner is:

Julie at Booking Mama 

Congratulations Julie!

Attention Audio Addicts: Iron House Audio Giveaway!

Last week, I posted a 4-star review for John Hart's "Iron House" here. Imagine my excitement when I was contacted by Esther from Macmillan Audio informing me that she would offer up one audio book giveaway for this title!  So here is your chance, guys, to get your hands on not only a fantastic and action-packed book, but one that thrills the ears as well.

The audio is narrated by Scott Sowers, a powerhouse in the industry.  He not only narrated Hart's Edgar-winning "The Last Child" but dozens of other best sellers. 

For all interested parties, just leave a comment with your e-mail address by next Saturday, August 20th, and I will randomly choose a winner.  Good luck!
   

Winners of the Audiobook "Fallen" by Karin Slaughter

A long time ago (well, July 5th to be exact) I posted a review of Karin Slaughter's "Fallen", and offered five copies of the audiobook for giveaway.  I've been on vacation, so I'm a little slow on the uptake, but here are the winners, selected by Random.org:

Jackie @ Farm Lane Books

Kathy @ Bermudaonion

Heather @ Raging Bibliomania

Natalie @ Book, Line and Sinker

Stacybuckeye @ Stacy's Books

With the exception of Heather (who I will see at book club next week!), please send me an e-mail with your mailing address, and I will get these out next week when I arrive back at the homestead.  Congratulations!

Last Chance! An Audio Book Giveaway

Earlier today, I posted a first-come, first served giveaway on some audios I had sitting on my shelves. As of 7:00pm this evening, no one has spoken for the following audio:



Got the Look - James Grippando: One of a series of murder mysteries that take place in Florida. In this installment, the bad guy kidnaps a female, then sends a ransom note to the loved one asking for "what she is worth". Narrated by Jonathan Davis. Here is my review.



I will mention that the narrator is excellent (he narrated Shadow of the Wind). While the story is fairly predictable, he is fun to listen to. Any takers?


Also, Gayle spoke for Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Gayle, I need your e-mail in order to get in touch with you and get your address!

First Come, First Served...An Audio Book Giveaway!

It is the fifth and final day of Audio Book Week! Audios are such a huge part of my life, so I will admit, this has been so much fun for me. I've added close to a dozen audio books to my queue at the library from all of the great recommendations. And what better audio to be listening to throughout this week but "The Girl That Kicked the Hornet's Nest"? To close out the week, I thought I would do a little giveaway. I had three audios sitting on my shelves that need a loving home.

This is a first-come, first served giveaway. Simply leave a comment on which audio you would like along with your e-mail, and I will make arrangements to mail it to you! Here are the choices:



Got the Look - James Grippando: One of a series of murder mysteries that take place in Florida. In this installment, the bad guy kidnaps a female, then sends a ransom note to the loved one asking for "what she is worth". Narrated by Jonathan Davis. Here is my review.






The Cemetery Dance - Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: Also one of a series with some pretty intriguing characters. This murder mystery dabbles in the paranormal and the walking dead. Narrated by Rene Auberjonois. Here is my review.







The Unnamed - Joshua Ferris: How does a family cope when a loved one suffers from a disease that has no name and no cure? How far will a wife go to support her ailing husband? This was one book that grabbed hold of me, and is still bouncing around in my head months later. Narrated by the author. Here is my review.



Hope you all had fun this week! Long live the audio!

The winner of Storm Prey (a few weeks late...)

It seems I am a bit late on announcing my giveaway winner! I will blame it on the end of school and vacation. In my review of John Sandford's latest release "Storm Prey" I announced a giveaway of my review copy. Better late than never, I always say. Using random.org, the winner is...

JENNERS!

Congrats, Jenners! I will be in touch to get your mailing address...

Storm Prey - John Sandford

I realize I might begin to be obnoxious by declaring my love for all things Prey, and for Lucas Davenport. But there you go. As a result, I was pretty darned excited to get my hands on the latest installment, and the catalyst for the TLC Days of Prey Tour, Storm Prey. More Lucas, more clothing finery, more high-speed chases in the Porche. Yeah baby!

In the 20th installment of this fine specimen of man-fiction, the focus of attention is, to my delight, Lucas' ballsy surgeon wife Weather. Weather is involved in a high-profile surgery to separate Siamese twins conjoined at the head. One early morning, when she is prepping for the surgery at the hospital, she unknowingly is an eye-witness to a hospital employee escaping the scene of a pharmacy break-in that ended tragically. Paranoia sets in, and the group of miscreants responsible for the theft hires the services of a hit man to take out Weather, and also begin to turn on each other. While the case falls into the jurisdiction of the city and Lucas' old flame Marcy Sherill (aka Titsy in Weather's opinion), Lucas is determined to act as the knight in shining armour to protect his wife. The climax of the story takes place in the middle of a violent winter Minnesota storm (hence the title).

Unlike some of the Prey novels, we know everything about the evil-doers from the beginning of the novel. What is left, then, is the fun of watching the cat and mouse game, and witnessing the organization of said bad guys implode as they begin to distrust each other. The suspense of the novel really lies on the shoulders of the depraved hit man, and the drug-addicted hospital employee, who are the wild cards in the equation.

I have always appreciated the character of Weather. She is probably the only woman that could handle Lucas. She doesn't take any guff from him, has her own successful career, and is no shrinking violet. It is a pleasure when she takes center stage in a Prey novel.

One unique aspect of the Prey novels is that there is usually a major subplot underfoot, that makes each novel distinct and unique. With Storm Prey, it is the surgical separation of the babies. This added a human factor to the chaos and mayhem, and seen through Weather's technical point of view, interesting albeit slightly distracting.

Of course, it isn't a Prey book without some reference to Lucas' fashion obsession, whether it be about Lucas having a fifteen minute discussion with another doctor about loafers, or Lucas complaining about ruining a pair of his $450 Italian calfskin shoes after getting into a scuffle with a steroid freak.

I wouldn't say this is one of the best Prey novels, but with 19 others competing for the title, this isn't a bad thing. The novel is a strong entry into the series, and is highly entertaining for the Prey newbie and veteran alike. The good news is that I will be giving away my copy to one randomly selected winner a week from today, 5/27. Just leave a comment, letting me know if you have read this series yet, and if so, which is your favorite installment?

4 out of 5 stars

Winners of "Home is Where the Wine Is" by Laurie Perry

Using Random.org, I have selected the following five people to receive a copy of the delightful "Home is Where the Wine Is" by Laurie Perry:

Jill @ Rhapsody in Books

Craftymoose

Kim Frazier

Jenners @ Find Your Next Book Here

Dar @ Peeking Between the Pages



Congrats everyone! I will be contacting you shortly to get your mailing addresses!

Winner of "What I Know: Uncommon Wisdom and Universal Truths from 10-year olds and 100-year olds" - Roger Emerson Fishman

Last Thursday, I reviewed "What I Know: Uncommon Wisdom and Universal Truths from 10-year-olds and 100-year olds" by Roger Emerson Fishman. I am so happy to announce that the winner of this precious book is.....

Kathy @ Bermudaonion!!!

I will contact you shortly for your address!

Meggie's Remains Giveaway Winners

I was pleasantly surprised at the great response I received for the giveaway for Meggie's Remains! As a reminder, I am drawing two names from random.org for signed copies of this great novel! The winners are:

Craftymoose Crafts

AND

Bethie


Just shoot me an e-mail with your mailing address and we will get the books mailed off to you soon!

Congratulations!

BBAW Giveaway winners!

Last week, in honor of BBAW, I held a special giveaway of some of my most enjoyable reads so far this year. Using random.org, I selected the following winners:

The winner of Away by Amy Bloom is: Tanabata










The winner of Resistance by Owen Sheers is: Iliana @ A Bookgirl's Nightstand







The winner of The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst is: Anna @ Diary of an Eccentric








A big thank you goes out to everyone that participated, and a congrats to the winners! I will be contacting you shortly for your mailing addresses!

Spotlight on Joanne Sundell, author of Meggie's Remains

I am so excited to be a participant of the Virtual Book Tour for Meggie's Remains, written by Joanne Sundell, and brought to you by Dorothy at Pump Up Your Book Promotions. I will be reviewing the book Thursday, but until then, here is a little sneak peak about the book and its author:

About the Author:

Born in a tiny hospital in rural Virginia, tucked snugly away in a bureau drawer, Joanne ever cherishes her country beginnings. Fond memories of toddling along after her older sisters along the Appalachian Trail, catching tadpoles in the local creek bed, chasing after lightening bugs, or falling asleep to the evening hum of katydids, remain with her still, despite the family move to more urban Arlington where Joanne spent her formative school years, and then on to Richmond for college. Though nursing was her chosen vocation, her chosen avocation has ever been the romance novel. Joanne grew up reading romance, falling in love with heroes and heroines from Regency England to the American West, from London’s pubs to Colorado’s ski slopes, loving that moment when the hero and heroine meet and fall in love. That moment to Joanne is the moment when Jane Eyre meets Edward Rochester, when Elizabeth Bennett meets Mr. Darcy—that’s the heart-stopping, passionate moment for Joanne in romance. That moment is what led Joanne to attempt traditional, old-fashioned, historical romance. Her first sale was in 2005 and since then, she’s sold five more historical romances to Five Star-Gale, Cengage Learning, in their Expressions line. Her books have been reviewed nationally by such notables as Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, and Romantic Times. With her three children grown and off on their own adventures, Joanne now lives part-time in Colorado and in California with her husband and their entourage` of felines and huskies. Joanne’s writing groups include Romance Writers of America, Colorado Romance Writers, Los Angeles Romance Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and Women Writing the West. You can visit her on the web at www.joannesundell.com.

About the Book:

Meggie’s Remains is a romantic suspense unlike any other. Meggie struggles with far more than meeting the man of her dreams. In fact, she’s scared to death when she does. This story could happen to any woman, in any time. It is you. It is me. It is private … but must be told.

Afraid of men, afraid for her sins, afraid for her sanity, and right now afraid for her life, Meggie McMurphy flees Boston once the fiendish terror–so long stalking in her nightmares–surfaces in the light of day. She escapes west to Denver in the wild Colorado Territory, hoping to lose herself among the multitude of townsfolk. The year is 1874.

Twenty-five years old, alone, and near penniless, Meggie struggles to find honest work and to keep the dark secrets of her past just that: a secret. Not so easily done when the handsome, foreboding westerner Ethan Rourke, stumbles upon her on a snowy Denver street. Why it’s as if he’d stepped right out of the pages of her beloved romance, Jane Eyre! Safe to encounter such a man on the romance page, it is certainly unsafe, even deadly, for her to encounter such a man in the flesh. Men belong … six feet under, six feet away … where to stay safe, the devil must stay!

Hired as a teacher, not in Denver, but in an isolated mountain town in rugged Ute country, Meggie is determined to make a home for herself in Hot Sulphur Springs. There she keeps up her masquerade as Rose Rochester, yearning for a normal life–for companionship and even love–all the while knowing it’s only a matter of time until the monstrous changeling from her nightmares will find her, killing any possibility of a life at all.

Giveaway:

I am excited to be able to giveaway two signed copies of this book. If you would like to receive a copy of this book, please leave a comment to this question:

Joanne Sundell mentions those amazing romantic literary moments that hooked her on the genre...when Elizabeth Bennett meets Mr. Darcy, or when Jane Eyre meets Edward Rochester. What is your favorite heart-stopping romantic moment in literature?

If you are a follower, you will be entered a second time in the drawing. I will use random.org to draw a number and announce the winner on October 3rd. Good luck!

War Through the Generations Winners!

I happy to announce the following three winners from the BBAW War Through the Generations giveaway, selected via random.org:





J.T. Oldfield

Barb

Strangelove


Each of you will receive a copy of "War Through the Margins" by Libby Cone. In addition, you will have the fun of participating in one of the greatest challenges out there!

Anna will be contacting you shortly for your mailing addresses! Congrats to all!

A BBAW Giveaway!

What better excuse for a giveaway than BBAW? I must confess, I borrowed the idea from Beth @ Beth Fish Reads but I'm sure she won't mind. The giveaway will run through Saturday September 26, and is open to everyone. Here are the three gently used books I am offering:












Spies of Warsaw - Alan Furst

Back of the book blurb: War is coming to Europe. French and German intelligence operatives are locked in a life-and-death struggle on the espionage battlefield. At the French embassy in Warsaw, the new military attache, Colonel Jean-Francois Mercier, a decorated hero of the 1914 war, is drawn into a world of abduction, betrayal, and intrigue in the diplomatic salons and back alleys of the city. At he same time, the handsome aristocrat finds himself in a passionate love affair with a Parisian woman of Polish heritage, a lawyer for the League of Nations. Risking his life, Colonel Mercier must work in the shadows amid an extraordinary cast of venal characters, some known to Mercier as spies, some never to be revealed.


Here is my review.










Resistance - Owen Sheers

Back of the book blurb: In a remote and rugged Welsh valley in 1944, in the wake of a German invasion, all the men have disappeared overnight, apparently to join the underground resistance. Their abandoned wives, a tiny group of farm women, are soon trapped in the valley by an unusually harsh winter - along with a handful of war-weary German soldiers on a secret mission. The need to survive drives the soldiers and the women into uneasy relationships that test both their personal and national loyalties. But when the snow finally melts, bringing them back into contact with the war that has been raging beyond their mountains, they must face the dramatic consequences of their choices.

Here is my review.











Away - Amy Bloom

Back of the book blurb: An unforgettable, passionate, funny, and moving story of a remarkable young woman's quest across America. Panoramic in sweep, epic in scope, and dazzlingly written, Away moves from the gaudy, harsh world of New York's Lower East Side in 1925 to the adventures and pleasures of the jazz underworld and the Alaskan frontier - as the unexpected heroine, Lillian Leyb, pursues her daughter, and enduring life, and love.

Here is my review.

Just leave a comment letting me know which book you are interested in, and your e-mail address, and you will be entered. If you are a follower, let me know and you will entered twice!

Good luck and happy BBAW!

War Through the Generations Anyone?

As you probably all know, our beloved War Through the Generations 2009 Reading Challenge, hosted by Anna and Serena, was short-listed for the BBAW Awards "Best Challenge". I immediately joined this challenge at the beginning of the year, because I have always been fascinated (bordering on obsessed, if I were to be honest) with anything remotely related to WWII. Any review posted by a participant of the challenge is likewise posted on the War Through the Generations Website, in order to introduce great reading options to the rest of us. Anna and Serena also on occasion will publish guest posts from authors in this genre, newsworthy articles, and other interesting factoids on the website. If you have any interest in this time period, this challenge is where you need to be!

Why the sales speech, you ask? Well, in honor of this most awesome challenge, there will be a special challenge-wide giveaway for anyone who would like to jump on the bandwagon. Even though the challenge started January 1st of this year, there is still time to join before the challenge ends on December 31st, 2009. All you have to do is read five books relating to WWII before the end of the year. You've already read three so far this year, you say? That's great! You can still count them. Just publish a post on your blog with your list of five books (more if you are so inclined), and officially sign up at the War Through the Generations Challenge site. Then, leave a message here telling me you're in! You also don't have to have a blog to join. Everyone is welcome here!


So what's in it for you? If you sign up for this challenge this week, you will be entered into a giveaway for one of three copies of "War on the Margins" by Libby Cone. (See the four-star review of this book by Rob Around Books.) This great opportunity will last all BBAW, and will close on Sunday September 20th at midnight. This is an international giveaway, so come one, come all. What are you waiting for? What's one more challenge?

Winners of "A Better View of Paradise"

A week ago, I posted a review of "A Better View of Paradise" by Randy Sue Coburn, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to give two copies of the book away to my readers! Using Random.org (I love this little doo-hickey...could have used in when I was working in accounting!), I have drawn the following winners:


Melody from Melody's Reading Corner

AND

Amy from My Friend Amy


Congrats guys! I will be contacting you soon to get your mailing addresses!

A Better View of Paradise - Randy Sue Coburn

I received this book via Dorothy at Pump Up Your Book Promotion as a opportunity to participate in the novel's blog tour. When I received it, I see palm trees, ocean, something that looks like sarongs (that would make my hips look big), and a big sticker on the front that says "Redbook Red Hot Summer Read". Well. What that says to me is Chick Lit, right? I'm OK with that. It is good for a woman's soul to read Chick Lit (although I am basically offended by the term). What I found was just a bit beyond something chick-ish, however. Come with me while we dig a little deeper.

Stevie is a renowned landscape architect. She lives in NYC, and has just finished a high-profile job in Chicago. One that could really put her on the map. Instead, she gets raked over the coals by a critic that doesn't like her benches, and her long-term boyfriend dumps her simultaneously. A woman who appears to be crazy approaches her, seeming to know her father, with a DVD of familial linkage. The icing on the cake? Her father calls her from his home in Hawaii. He is dying of lung cancer.

Stevie sweeps up her dysfunctional life and rushes to her father's bedside. Her father has always been an unemotional man, one that insists on picking oneself up by the bootstraps. What she finds is an emotionally raw, vulnerable man, withering away. Stevie begins to attempt to nurture what is foreign to her...her new extended family she never knew about, her father's obsession with baseball and especially the Cubbies (gotta love the Cubs, despite their frailties and the billy goat curse), and a damaged veterinarian with whom she feels an immediate connection.

What we have here is something for everyone...a successful woman in her field who "goes home again". The spiritual mysticism of Hawaii. The healing forces of a dog and a good book. The elusive bond between father and daughter. The religion of baseball. The opportunity to love again, to create life in the face of death, and to rekindle relationships of the soul. While this novel is not unpredictable...we know this story, really...it is the anthem of everywoman. And Randy Sue Coburn captures it beautifully.

Her prose is eloquent, but just a tad hard-nosed. She has done her homework. She obviously understands what it means to have lost, the nuances of being a daughter, a lover and a friend, and struggling to make one's own name. I was swept away with the story, and while predictable, very pleasurable. You love the eccentric characters, and want to adopt them as your own.

You want to hear the best news of all? I have two copies to give away. People, this is my first giveaway. Let's stop and pause for a moment of coolness. Please leave a comment, letting me know where you would go if you could "go home". If you are one of my followers, you will be entered into the giveaway twice. Also, if you please, include an e-mail address so I can contact you. I will draw two names on 8/19 for the winners!

4 out of 5 stars