Sunday, June 27, 2010

Book Giveaway-The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

The Periodic Table is one of man's crowning scientific achievements. But it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. The infectious tales and astounding details in THE DISAPPEARING SPOON follow carbon, neon, silicon, and gold as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, war, the arts, poison, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them.

We learn that Marie Curie used to provoke jealousy in colleagues' wives when she'd invite them into closets to see her glow-in-the-dark experiments. And that Lewis and Clark swallowed mercury capsules across the country and their campsites are still detectable by the poison in the ground. Why did Gandhi hate iodine? Why did the Japanese kill Godzilla with missiles made of cadmium? And why did tellurium lead to the most bizarre gold rush in history?

From the Big Bang to the end of time, it's all in THE DISAPPEARING SPOON.






I have two copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment below to enter. This is open to US and Canada and winners will be chosen on July 28.

Audiobook Giveaway-When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead by Jerry Weintraub

Maverick movie producer Jerry Weintraub's hilarious, autobiographical account of what it takes to make it to the top, in life and business: a de facto primer in the Art of Persuasion.








I have three copies of this audiobook to giveaway. Please leave a comment to enter. This is open to US and Canada and winners will be chosen on July 27.







Audiobook Giveaway-Hitch 22 by Christopher Hitchens

The life story of one of the most admired and controversial public intellectuals of our time, in his own voice.





I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment below to enter. This is open to US and Canada and winners will be chosen on July 23.







Audiobook Giveaway-Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

The hip, iconoclastic CEO of Zappos shows how a different kind of corporate culture can make a huge difference in achieving remarkable results — by actually creating a company culture that values happiness — and then delivers on it.





I have three copies of this audiobook to giveaway. Please leave a comment below to enter. This is open to US and Canada and the winners will be chosen on July 22.








Audiobook Giveaway-The Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace

The "dazzling, exhilarating" (San Francisco Chronicle) debut novel from the bestselling author of Infinite Jest, available for the first time as an audiobook.

At the center of The Broom of the System is the betwitching (and also bewildered) heroine, Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman. The year is 1990 and the place is a slightly altered Cleveland, Ohio, which sits on the edge of a suburban wasteland-the Great Ohio Desert. Lenore works as a switchboard attendant at a publishing firm, and in addition to her mind-numbing job, she has a few other problems. Her great-grandmother, a one-time student of Wittgenstein, has disappeared with twenty-five other inmates of the Shaker Heights Nursing Home. Her beau (and boss), editor-in-chief Rick Vigorous, is insanely jealous. And her cockatiel, Vlad the Impaler, has suddenly started spouting a mixture of psychobabble, Auden, and the King James Bible, which may propel him to stardom on a Christian fundamentalist television program.

Fiercely intelligent and entertaining, this debut novel from one of the most innovative writers of our generation explores the paradoxes of language, storytelling, and reality.

I have three copies of this audiobook to giveaway. This is open to US and Canada, please just leave a comment below to enter. Winners will be chosen on July 21.







Audiobook Giveaway-Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Objective by Eric Van Lustbader

The final novel in a special 3-book story arc in Robert Ludlum's bestselling series written by New York Times bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader.






I have three copies of this audiobook for giveaway. Please leave a comment below to enter. This is open to US and Canada and winners will be chosen on July 20.







Audiobook Giveaway-Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson

New York Times bestselling author Joshilyn Jackson returns with a gripping new novel, in trademark Jackson style, that follows one woman's struggle to evade certain death at the hands of her abusive husband, all the while uncovering the family secrets that have held her captive.









I have three copies of this audiobook to giveaway. Please leave a comment below to enter and this is open to US and Canada. Winners will be chosen on July 19.







Saturday, June 26, 2010

Audiobook Giveaway-Private by James Patterson

PRIVATE (Unabridged)
by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
read by Peter Herman

PRIVATE, the world's most powerful investigation firm, takes on three twisted, almost unsolvable, crimes. James Patterson's most electrifying series yet.







I have three copies available for giveaway. This contest is open to US and Canada, just leave a comment below to enter. Winners will be chosen on July 16.

Audiobook Giveaway-The Lion by Nelson DeMille

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille delivers THE LION, the much-anticipated sequel to THE LION’S GAME.

John Corey, former NYPD Homicide detective and special agent for the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, is back. And,
unfortunately for Corey, so is Asad Khalil, the notorious Libyan terrorist
otherwise known as "The Lion." Last we heard from him, Khalil had claimed to be defecting to the US only to unleash the most horrific reign of terrorism ever to occur on American soil. While Corey and his partner, FBI agent Kate Mayfield,chased him across the country, Khalil methodically eliminated his victims one by one and then disappeared without a trace.

Now, years later, Khalil has returned to America to make good on his threats and take care of unfinished business. "The Lion" is a killing machine once again loose in America with a mission of revenge, and John Corey will stop at nothing to achieve his own goal— to find and kill Khalil.





I have three copies of this audiobook up for a giveaway. This is open to US and Canada, please leave a comment below to enter. Winners will be chosen on July 15.

Giveaway-The Body Shop by Paul Solotaroff

As a scrawny college freshman in the mid-1970s, just before Arnold Schwarzenegger became a hero to boys everywhere and Pumping Iron became a cult hit, Paul Solotaroff discovered weights and steroids. In a matter of months, he grew from a dorky beanpole into a hulking behemoth, showing off his rock hard muscles first on the streets of New York City and then alongside his colorful gym-rat friends in strip clubs and in the homes of the gotham elite. It was a swinging time, when "Would you like to dance?" turned into "Your place or mine?" and the guys with the muscles had all the ladies--until their bodies, like Solotaroff''s, completely shut down.

But this isn't the gloom-and-doom addiction one might expect--Solotaroff looks back at even his lowest points with a wicked sense of humor, and he sends up the disco era and its excess with all the kaleidoscopic detail of Boogie Nights or Saturday Night Fever.

Written with candor and sarcasm, THE BODY SHOP is a memoir with all the elements of great fiction and dazzlingly displays Paul Solotaroff's celebrated writing talent.


I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment below to enter and this is open to USA and Canada. Winners will be chosen on July 14.








Book Giveaway-The I Hate to Cook Book by Peg Bracken

"There are two kinds of people in this world: the ones who don't cook out of and have NEVER cooked out of THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK, and the other kind...The I HATE TO COOK people consist mainly of those who find other things more interesting and less fattening, and so they do it as seldom as possible. Today there is an Annual Culinary Olympics, with hundreds of cooks from many countries ardently competing. But we who hate to cook have had our own Olympics for years, seeing who can get out of the kitchen the fastest and stay out the longest." - Peg Bracken

Philosopher's Chowder. Skinny Meatloaf. Fat Man's Shrimp. Immediate Fudge Cake. These are just a few of the beloved recipes from Peg Bracken's classic I HATE TO COOK BOOK. Written in a time when women were expected to have full, delicious meals on the table for their families every night, Peg Bracken offered women who didn't revel in this obligation an alternative: quick, simple meals that took minimal effort but would still satisfy.

50 years later, times have certainly changed - but the appeal of THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK hasn't.

This book is for everyone, men and women alike, who wants to get from cooking hour to cocktail hour in as little time as possible.











I have two copies of this book for giveaway. The contest is open to US and Canada but no PO Box Addresses. Please post a comment below to enter. Winners will be chosen on July 13.

Friday, June 25, 2010

European Vacation

Have you been dreaming of a European vacation? Have you always wanted to experience for yourself the history and beauty of Great Britain? Well, now you can. A very good friend of mine is leading a trip that will include England, Ireland, and Wales and I would like to invite you to come along. The trip will begin on May 17, 2011 and the price is between $2900.00 and $3500.00. The price is dependent on which airport you fly out of and if you choose to include optional visits and the extension to Paris. You can sign up now for only $95.00 and make monthly payments until right before the date of the trip. I have included some basic information below but feel free to email me for the complete trip brochure that will give extensive details about each day of the trip and any questions you may have about the tour. You can leave your email in the comments below so that I can contact you if you have an interest or you can email me at laura.leahj@gmail.com


The trip includes:
*Round trip airfare, bus transfers, ferry
*7 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms (9 nights if you choose to include the extension)
*4 dinners (1 extra dinner if you choose to include the extension)
*Full time EF Tour Director
*2 Sightseeing tours led by licensed local guides: Dublin and London
*3 Sightseeing tours led by your tour director: Ring of Kerry, Stratford, and Oxford
*7 Visits to special attractions to include: Blarney Castle, Book of Kells, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Welsh Castle, Shakespeare’s birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s cottage, and Brasenose College
*An optional visit to Windsor Castle

Daily Schedule:
Day 1: Overnight flight to Great Britain
Day 2: Shannon and County Kerry
Day 3: County Kerry
Day 4: County Kerry, Cork, and Dublin
Day 5: Dublin
Day 6: Dublin and North Wales
Day 7: North Wales, Stratford, and Oxford
Day 8: London
Day 9: Return Home
Extension:
Day 9: London and Paris
Day 10: Paris
Day 11: Return Home

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The CSN Store

The CSN Store has graciously offered me a gift certificate so that I can try one of their products and share the details with my blog readers. I am excited as they have over 200 stores to choose from with thousands of items. I have been considering some type of new light that will work well with all the reading I do. You can follow the link on the word light above to help me make a decision.

Have any of you bought a product from CSN before? I would love to hear about your item and suggestions for what item I should try. Please leave a comment below to share with me.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Blog Tour: Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives by Josie Brown

Synopsis from the publisher:
Lyssa Harper should have warned divorced DILF du jour Harry Wilder before she invited him to meet the mommies of the Paradise Heights Women's League Board. At least he brought cupcakes. Since taking the former Master-of-the-Universe turned stay-at-home single dad under her wing, Lyssa has been his domestic Sherpa, teaching him the ins and outs of life inside their gated community. She never dreamed her friends would bombard him with casseroles, leopard-print bikini briefs, and offers to rearrange his kitchen cabinets.

But Harry's presence soon stirs up trouble in paradise: if Harry and his wife, the neighborhood's "perfect couple" can call it quits, what does that mean for other so-called happy couples, like Lyssa and her husband, Ted? When Harry sets boundaries with his new fan club, he is exiled from the ladies'clique. But Lyssa refuses to snub him. What she never expects is the explosicve impact her ongoing friendship with Harry will have on her close-knit pals-and on her marriage.







Monday, June 21, 2010

One Year Blogiversary

It is hard to believe that one year ago today, I posted my first entry for this blog. I have made some great book and blogger friends, posted some reviews, and given away tons of books. I want to thank all of my readers and followers that you continue to read what I post here and make comments and participate in giveaways. I want to give a HUGE thank you to the contacts at the different publishing companies that generously provide so many great titles each month and allow me to receive free review copies and to share in giveaways with my blog readers and followers. It is my dream to work in publishing and until that happens, this blog is my little piece of feeling like I am connected to the industry in some way. I love books and I have since I first learned to read and I can't ever seem to get enough of them. And on that note, I would like to share my love with all of you. I could not make up my mind on what books to give away or what the criteria would be to win some books. So, I think I will just make it simple. Here are the rules: You must be a follower of my blog to be eligible to win. Leave a comment below with your email address. The contest is international, if you are the winner, I will mail to you wherever you are in the world. One winner will be chosen on June 30. Now, for the really good stuff. Here is what you will win:

Kill For Me by Karen Rose
The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer
Obama's Blackberry by Kasper Hauser
Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are by Alex and Brett Harris
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand
When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris
Swimsuit by James Patterson
Any Minute by Joyce Meyer
The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith

Monday, June 14, 2010

Blog Tour-The Art of Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin














Synopsis from the publisher:
The secluded beaches of a sun-drenched Mediterranean island are the perfect playground for young Sebastian and Adora. Emotionally adrift from their mother. Adora shelters her sensitive older brother from the cruelties of the world. Sophie does not question her children's intense need for one another until it's too late. Her beloved son's affections belong to Adora, and when he drowns in the sea, she has no one else to blame.

Still heartbroken years later, Adora fills her emptiness with Genevieve, the precocious young daughter of her husband's business associate and his jealous wife, Miranda. Thrilled to be invited into the beautiful and enigmatic Adora's world, the child idolizes her during their summers together. Yet, as the years progress, Genevieve begins to suspect their charmed existence is nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion. Soon, she too is ensnared in a web of lies.

Stuningly told in the tragis voices of four women whose lives are fatefully entangled, The Art of Devotion is evocative and haunting, a story of deceit, jealousy, and the heartbraking reality of love's true power.

About the Author:
Samantha Bruce-Benjamin was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she earned a master's degree in English literature from the University of Edinburgh. A former BBC editor, she began her editorial career at Random House. She now lives in New York.

Book Giveaway-Wrong:Why Experts Keep Failing Us by David H. Freedman















I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment with your email address to enter. The contest is open to US and Canada only. Winners will be chosen on July 12.

Synopsis:
Our investments are devastated, obesity is epidemic, test scores are in decline, blue-chip companies circle the drain, and popular medications turn out to be ineffective and even dangerous. What happened? Didn't we listen to the scientists, economists and other experts who promised us that if we followed their advice all would be well? Actually, those experts are a big reason we're in this mess. And, according to acclaimed business and science writer David H. Freedman, such expert counsel usually turns out to be wrong--often wildly so.




Book Giveaway-The Age of the Unthinkable by Joshua Cooper Ramo

















I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment with your email address below to enter. This is open to US and Canada only. Winners will be chosen on July 9.

Synopsis:
Today the very ideas that made America great imperil its future. Our plans go awry and policies fail. History's grandest war against terrorism creates more terrorists. Global capitalism, intended to improve lives, increases the gap between rich and poor. Decisions made to stem a financial crisis guarantee its worsening. Environmental strategies to protect species lead to their extinction.

The traditional physics of power has been replaced by something radically different. In The Age of the Unthinkable, Joshua Cooper Ramo puts forth a revelatory new model for understanding our dangerously unpredictable world. Drawing upon history, economics, complexity theory, psychology, immunology, and the science of networks, he describes a new landscape of inherent unpredictability--and remarkable, wonderful possibility.









Reading Group Guide:

1. In The Age of the Unthinkable, Joshua Cooper Ramo argues
that we are in a revolutionary age with a global order that is
changing around us exponentially faster than ever before.
What does Ramo think has caused the global landscape to
shift over the course of the past century, and how large a role
do you think technology has played in this transformation?
Does Ramo believe that this change was inevitable? Do you
agree or disagree?
2. Consider the signifi cance of Louis Halle’s observation that
“foreign policy is made not in reaction to the world but
rather in reaction to an image of the world in the minds of
the people making decisions” (page 13). In light of Ramo’s
argument, what is the fundamental problem with this
approach to foreign policy?
3. What does Ramo mean by “We Won the Cold War!” illusions?
Discuss some reasons why this mode of thinking
could prove detrimental in a revolutionary era.
4. Explain the implications of Friedrich August von Hayek’s
1974 acceptance speech, “The Pretence of Knowledge,” for
the Nobel Prize for Economics.
5. What was radical about Per Bak’s theory of a sandpile and its
avalanches, and how does Ramo use “the sandpile effect” to
further his argument? Can you think of some recent events
in our history that exhibit similar patterns?
6. Ramo discusses the excessive provisions that governments
often take to protect their countries from every possible
danger — even going as far as to say that such small- scale
efforts make countries more vulnerable to disaster than they
had previously been. What, according to Ramo, is the difference
between “resistance” and “resilience,” and which does
he think should be adopted in today’s changing world?
7. Does Ramo believe that the chaos of the past decade —
terrorism, war, recession — has had any kind of positive
infl uence on our society? If so, what form has it taken?
8. What does Ramo mean by the term mashup and how does
it relate to luminaries such as Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso,
Michael Moritz, and Shigeru Miyamoto, about whom he
writes? What do they all have in common?
9. History, both personal and collective, is a subject that necessitates
a particularly careful balance in the minds of world
leaders and individuals alike. In two instances Ramo writes
that “history became data; the future became output” (page
23) and that “there is fi nally no way to walk away from history
or stick it behind glass like some diorama” (page 258).
In order to think and act like a revolutionary, to master an
“instinct for cataclysm,” what role does history play in our
ability to adapt and move forward? Which aspects of the
past must we bring with us, and which must we forsake?
10. What does Ramo think that this revolutionary age demands
of each of us? Discuss his ideas about how we can learn to
anticipate the unexpected and begin to live more resilient
lives.

Book Giveaway-Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea

















I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment with your email below to enter. The contest is open to US and Canada. Winners will be chosen on July 8.



Synopsis:
Nineteen-year-old Nayeli works at a taco shop in her Mexican village and dreams about her father, who journeyed to the US when she was young. Recently, it has dawned on her that he isn't the only man who has left town. In fact, there are almost no men in the village--they've all gone north. While watching The Magnificent Seven, Nayeli decides to go north herself and recruit seven men--her own "Siete Magníficos"--to repopulate her hometown and protect it from the bandidos who plan on taking it over.

Filled with unforgettable characters and prose as radiant as the Sinaloan sun, Into the Beautiful North is the story of an irresistible young woman's quest to find herself on both sides of the fence.




Book Giveaway: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment below with your email address to enter. This contest is open to US and Canada. Winners will be chosen on July 7.




























Synopsis:
Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.

Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life.

Book Giveaway: April and Oliver by Tess Callahan

I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment below with your email address. The contest is open to US and Canada only but no PO Box addresses. Winners will be chosen on July 6.

Synopsis:
Best friends since childhood, the sexual tension between April and Oliver has always been palpable. Years after being completely inseparable, they become strangers, but the wildly different paths of their lives cross once again with the sudden death of April's brother. Oliver, the responsible, newly engaged law student finds himself drawn more than ever to the reckless, mystifying April - and cracks begin to appear in his carefully constructed life. Even as Oliver attempts to "save" his childhood friend from her grief, her menacing boyfriend and herself, it soon becomes apparent that Oliver has some secrets of his own--secrets he hasn't shared with anyone, even his fiancé.

















Reading Group Guide:
The prologue of April and Oliver depicts the fatal car crash of April’s brother, told from his point of view. What does Buddy’s perspective add to the story?
At the end of Chapter 2, why does Oliver fail to return the lost button from April’s dress?
The novel contains many flashbacks. How does the history between April and Oliver affect their current relationship?
What is your opinion of T.J.? Why do you suppose April goes back to him after getting the protection order?
What shift takes place during April and Oliver’s Christmas Eve conversation in front of the fireplace? How does their exchange that night affect the dynamics between them the following day?
Why does Oliver react so strongly to the revelation that he used to play piano?
The narration shifts between the points of view of April, Oliver, and occasionally other characters. Why does the author use this device, and how does it feel to be privy to each character’s thoughts?
What do you make of April’s relationship to her father, and how do you think it affects her present life?
Do you think April should mail the fabricated love letter to Buddy’s old girlfriend? Why do you suppose she wants to do so?
After Christmas, April has the opportunity to meet Al in New York rather than go to see T.J. Why doesn’t she?
Why does April bring Kenny, of all people, to Oliver’s barbeque? There is quite a bit of external drama that takes place that day, but there is also an inward shift for April. How would you describe this change?
What does April mean on page 143 when she says, “If I were a killer, you’re the one I’d kill”? How does this alter the energy between them?
Were you surprised when Al confronted T.J. in Hal’s backyard? Do you think he did the right thing? Did you believe in T.J.’s desire to make a fresh start?
After the stabbing, why does April go to her grandmother’s house instead of the hospital? How does the incident become a breaking point for Oliver?
Do you sympathize with Bernadette? What would you do if you suspected your partner had feelings for someone else?
Were you surprised when T.J. waded into the river? Do you think he made a conscious choice?
What kind of father is Hal? How has he influenced Oliver?
Why does Oliver behave so uncharacteristically at the beach house? If April hadn’t gotten hurt, would he have gone through with his attack? How does the energy between them change mid-scene?
How does Dubious affect their relationship? Do you think the dog is a good idea or not?
Why does Oliver take April up the mountain in the middle of the night rather than to the diner? What happens between them there, and why does it take that particular environment to let it happen?
Do you believe that Oliver loves Bernadette? Can someone be in love with two people at the same time?
What do you think of Nana’s character? How does she influence April’s life?
Near the end of the story, why do April and Oliver agree not to speak for six months? Is this a good idea?
What does Oliver find in his travels that he didn’t possess before? What does April find on Nahant? How have they changed?
Why doesn’t Oliver write anything on the postcard? What do you suppose will happen next?

Book Giveaway: Oil:Money, Politics, and Power in the 21st Century by Tom Bower

I have one copy of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment below with your email address to enter. The contest is open to US and Canada only but no PO Box addresses. The winner will be chosen on July 5.

Synopsis:
A groundbreaking, in-depth, and authoritative twenty-year history of the hunt and speculation for our most vital natural resource. OIL Money, Politics, and Power in the 21st Century Twenty years ago oil cost about $7 a barrel. In 2008 the price soared to $148 and then fell to below $40. In the midst of this extraordinary volatility, the major oil conglomerates still spent over a trillion dollars in an increasingly frantic search for more. The story of oil is a story of high stakes and extreme risk.


A groundbreaking, in-depth, and authoritative twenty-year history of the hunt and speculation for our most vital natural resource. OIL Money, Politics, and Power in the 21st Century Twenty years ago oil cost about $7 a barrel. In 2008 the price soared to $148 and then fell to below $40. In the midst of this extraordinary volatility, the major oil conglomerates still spent over a trillion dollars in an increasingly frantic search for more. The story of oil is a story of high stakes and extreme risk.




Book Giveaway: Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

I have three copies of this book to giveway. Please leave a comment below with your email address. This contest is open to US and Canada but no PO Box addresses. The winner will be chosen on July 2.

Synopsis:
Pay brand-new employees $2,000 to quit
Make customer service the responsibility of the entire company-not just a department
Focus on company culture as the #1 priority
Apply research from the science of happiness to running a business
Help employees grow-both personally and professionally
Seek to change the world
Oh, and make money too . . .
Sound crazy? It's all standard operating procedure at Zappos, the online retailer that's doing over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales annually. After debuting as the highest-ranking newcomer in Fortune magazine's annual "Best Companies to Work For" list in 2009, Zappos was acquired by Amazon in a deal valued at over $1.2 billion on the day of closing.

In DELIVERING HAPPINESS, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh shares the different lessons he has learned in business and life, from starting a worm farm to running a pizza business, through LinkExchange, Zappos, and more. Fast-paced and down-to-earth, DELIVERING HAPPINESS shows how a very different kind of corporate culture is a powerful model for achieving success-and how by concentrating on the happiness of those around you, you can dramatically increase your own.

To learn more about the book, go to www.deliveringhappinessbook.com.






Book Giveaway-A Maze of Grace by Trish Ryan

I have one copy of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment below with your email address to enter. The contest is open to US and Canada but no PO Box addresses. The winner will be chosen on July 1.

Synopsis:
In her first book, Trish Ryan chronicled the ways in which finding faith lead her to the happily-ever-after ending that had eluded her for so long. Only it wasn't an ending. It was a beginning.

In A MAZE OF GRACE, Ryan picks up where she left off, sharing the early years of her marriage, and the challenges that both shaped and startled her: temptations regarding fidelity, the anxiety of shifting body image, the awkward nature of following Jesus in a decidedly secular family and city, and struggles (depression, trying to conceive) that made her wonder if God had lost her file.

With appealing candor, Ryan sweeps the reader into her life and ponders questions and issues that we all face, dropping nuggets of wisdom along the way that are sure to inspire, encourage and help readers from all walks of life.




Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Book Review and Giveaway-What's Really Hood

I have 5 copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment below with your email address to enter. This contest is open to US and Canada but no PO Box addresses. Winners will be chosen on June 19.

My review:
I did not enjoy this selection. I am not sure if it is just that I do not usually read books in this genre and it was a little different for me but it was hard for me to get through each story. The writing seemed a bit lacking and I didn't get excited or drawn into any of the included short stories.



READING GROUP GUIDE
BLACK IS BLUE
1. Did you already know Kaseem was a snake?
2. What was your response to Desiree and Polo getting
together?

THE P IS FREE . . .
1. Do you think that Wiz overreacted when he saw
the guy (Moo) at the car talking to his girl?
2. Do you think he should have chased a crackhead
(Crystal) and wifed her?

THE LAST LAUGH
1. Should the best friend find out that BoBo was
involved in her sister’s death? And if so, should she
take vengeance on his baby’s mother, her now love
interest?
2. Should the gang send someone after them, and how?

ALL FOR NOTHING
1. Do you think that Tiffany, the woman Jihad messed
with on the run, should come up pregnant? If so,
should she see his downfall on the news and go after
his real family?
2. Do you think Jihad, being on the run, should have
gone to see his son, or should he have put together a
visit the way he did with Monique before he left?

MAKIN’ ENDZ MEET
1. What do you think about the relationship between
Nina and Reese from NY?
2. Do you think Nina should have left without getting
her child back?

Urban Lit Blog Tour-Wahida Clark




Life in the streets take on a whole new meaning in this urban anthology of "hood" tales compiled by New York Times bestselling author Wahida Clark.

WHAT'S REALLY HOOD!

Black Is Blue by Victor L. Martin delves into the life of a corporate woman who falls
in love with a thug and finds out just how easy it is to stray from the
straight and narrow.

Eighteen and hungry Wiz's only addiction to drugs is the money it made. But Crystal changed all of that and
shows him just how powerful a woman can be in The P is Free by LaShonda Teague.

In The Last Laugh by Bonta, Bobo, a member of the infamous Eight-Trey street gang, learns
that gang life isn't all it's cracked up to be as "street wars" take on
a whole new meaning.

Shawn "Jihad" Trump tells the story of loyalty, love and honor, when The Point Blank Mob is brought to its
knees leaving the crew fighting for their lives and freedom in All for Nothing.

And New York Times bestselling author, Wahida Clark, introduces Nina, a woman tired of
being disrespected by men who takes revenge to the ultimate level in Makin' Endz Meet.

About Wahida Clark:
Wahida Clark was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey. She is no stranger to the hard work and sacrifices that breeds success. This Jersey girl owned and operated multiple businesses in Trenton, NJ and Decatur, GA. She decided to write street fiction while incarcerated at the women's Federal Prison Camp in Lexington, Kentucky.

She was crowned the Queen of Thug Love Fiction by Nikki Turner, the Queen of Hip Hop Fiction. Wahida's style of writing is the 'TEMPLATE' for street lit. So much so, that the Triple Crown Author, Keisha Erving copied her style, words and even used her characters names. Go to gorillaconvict.com and urbanbooksource.com for more on this deceit called plagiarism.

But when you read her novels, they are so real you are convinced of one of three things: you know the characters, you want to know the characters, or you a character. Her Essence, Don Divas and Black Issues Book Reviews, bestselling novels include: the trilogy Thugs and the Women Who Love Them, Every Thug Needs a Lady, and Thug Matrimony, Payback is a Mutha, and its highly anticipated follow up “Payback With Ya Life.” All published by Kensington/Dafina Books.

Wahida is the first Street Lit author to land multiple publishing deals with two major publishers all while serving an eight and a half years federal prison sentence. She says it wasn’t easy.

At press, she has just completed the follow up to Payback is a Mutha, entitled, Payback With Ya Life and is now working on ‘Thug Luvin’, part 4 to her ‘Thug ‘ Series. She is also Vice President of the non-profit organization, “Prodigal Sons and Daughters,” a re-entry program for those previously incarcerated, as well as support group for at-risk youth. Anyone interested in offering assistance to this life changing program can contact them at....

Visit her at www.myspace.com/wahidaclark, www.wahidaclark.org or write her at P.O. Box 8520, Newark, NJ 07108.


Other Contributing Authors:
Victor L. Martin is the author of four published novels: A Hood Legend, Menage's Way, For the Strength of You, and Unique's Ending. He is currently incarcerated in a North Carolina prison.

LaShonda "L.L.Dasher" Sidberry-Teague is a Wilmington, North Carolina native, coming into her own as an up-and-coming author. She is the wife of author Kwame "DUTCH" Teague, one of the hottest street writers, and the mother of five children. She has found her calling in writing, and has her first novel coming soon, entitled Kiss. LaShonda lives by the motto...be a blessing and you will be blessed.

Bonta was born and raised on the mean streets of Chicago's southeast side. After graduating high school and a brief stay in the U.S. Army, he answered the streets' calling. His cost of chasing the mirage of fame and fortune was a 151-month federal sentence. While there, the legendary Joe Black inspired him to get serious about writing. Since then, he has written two novels and a few short stories.

Shawn "Jihad" Trump was born in Pennsylvania. In November 1999, Shawn was arrested and subsequently indicted by the federal government and sentenced to 84 months in prison. During his time there he learned to channel his emotions through writing. Since being released, Shawn continues to write and is also the partner of an up and coming indie label, South of the Burgh Entertainment. Shawn is married with two daughters.

Click on the links below of all the participating blogs to get more info, reviews, and giveaways.
www.amusingreviews.com 6/8/2010 Giveaway
http://bookswithcoffee.wordpress.com/ 6/8/2010 Feature, Giveaway
http://thebooktree.blogspot.com 6/9/2010 Feature, Review, Giveaway
http://cuzinlogic.wordpress.com 6/9/2010 Review, Giveaway
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com 6/10/2010 Giveaway
http://armsofasister.com 6/11/2010 Review, Giveaway
http://www.rhodesreview.com 6/13/2010 Feature, Review, Giveaway, Q&A
www.tarmyblogspot.blogspot.com 6/14/2010 Review, Guest post
www.justjenniferreading.blogspot.com 6/14/2010 Giveaway
http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com 6/14/2010 Review, Guest Post
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com 6/11/2010 Review, Giveaway