Giveaway!

It’s Contest Time! 

Sailing by Starlight has now been out for over a month; have you had a chance to read it? If so, you could win a $50 gift certificate to the book vendor of your choice: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or an indie bookstore near you! Just write a review of Sailing by Starlight on Facebook or Instagram or post one at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or GoodReads.com and then send me the link. (The review need only be a couple of sentences in length, and you can cut-and-paste the same review at more than one site. Send each link for multiple chances to win!) 

Books by authors such as Rod live and die by reviews; the word-of-mouth is what helps sell books and keep going them going. Rod really appreciates all of your kind words, and if those kind words are made public, they're even more impactful! 

Remember: Multiple entries means multiple chances to win! Two $50 winners will be selected. Contest ends January 31st.

Giveaway!

As you all may know, my husband has recently published a new book (Leveling the Playing Field). He is currently running a contest on his blog (The Geekly Weekly), as well as his Facebook page. Here are the details:

So, my ace marketing team (i.e., Lesley) noticed that we have seen several photos of people holding/reading/standing near their copies of Leveling the Playing Field, and this gave us an idea for another giveaway! This time it’s worth $50 at your favorite retailer! (As long as your favorite retailer is either Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.) See the rules and fine print and such below:

NEW GIVEAWAY! Enter to win a $50 Barnes & Noble or Amazon gift card (your choice). Post on your Facebook wall a photo of yourself, your spouse (or S.O.), or a pet reading Leveling the Playing Field. (Photos taken in a bookstore don’t count.) :) Don’t forget to tag me, so I’ll know that you posted, and for a second chance to win, share THIS post with your friends. Winner to be announced on Sept. 30th. Thanks again for all your support. The “likes” and “shares” really help get the word out!

Notice that the contest ends September 30th. That’s so you’ll be able to attend the book signing (SouthPointe B&N, September 24th at 2:00), get your book signed, and still have time to enter the contest.

Also, don’t forget that you can get a second entry in the drawing by sharing my Facebook post.

Thank you all again for your help. It’s been a great journey so far, and it wouldn’t have been possible without your support.

So there you are. Good luck and thanks for all your support, friends!

6 Years!

Good friends
and
good books --
things
we want to
hang on to
forever.

Last Wednesday marked the 6th anniversary of Lesley’s Book Nook (now known as Prairie Horizons).

Really? Six years?!

When I first started blogging about books, I never imagined I'd stick with it for all these years. I have two other blogs that I no longer post to and my poor, pathetic cooking blog that is rarely ever added to. (And which is in desperate need of a makeover with all new photos!) Over the years I grew weary of the pressure to write reviews and got bored with my template, often considering ditching the whole thing for more time to read, but I could never bring myself to say goodbye to all the great friends I’ve made over the years. Andi, Heather, Nat and Nancy, you guys are probably the bloggers I’ve known the longest. We met on a couple of Yahoo sites prior to blogging and I think it was Andi who convinced me to give it a try. Since then, I’ve seen other online friends join in on the book chatter (Nan & Kay) and while some have left for good (if you’re reading this, please know that I miss your posts*), others have quit and returned (much to the joy of this reader). Many of you are like sisters to me (Bellezza, Wendy, Joy and SuziQ) and I hope we get a chance to meet some day. Some of you share my enthusiasm for travel (Stephanie & Iliana), cooking & photography (Pam), and many others are simply faithful readers, virtual friends with whom it's a pleasure to stay in touch, discussing whatever arises (Staci, JoAnn, Kelly and Kathy). And then there are bloggers whom I’ve recently met (Linda & Trish) who feel like kindred spirits. You all enrich my life every single day. What a great community of which to be a part! Why in the world would I want to leave? Especially now that I’ve found my blogging mojo with this new template and discovered how easy it is to change up my header and sidebar. Life in the blogosphere is very good.

Getting nostalgic as I started to compose this post, I glanced back on my previous blogiversary posts (somehow, I missed the 5th!) and thought it might be fun to repost a little bit from each.


Year One:

Today marks the one-year anniversary of this blog. I can't believe how quickly the time has flown since I first posted my review for Barbara Kingsolver's Small Wonder.

It's been quite a year of emotional healing. I owe a lot to all my new friends who share my joy of reading (and kitties, inclement weather, cooking, gardening and random musings). I love reading all your comments and visiting your blogs.

I'm thankful for the warmth of friendship I've discovered within the blogging community and treasure each and every one of you. I look forward to many more years of writing and fellowship.


Year Two:

It’s important to have a sense of place. To feel that you belong somewhere, to feel committed. For some people, place begins with another person and everything – from friends to the Japanese maple in the yard – grows from that. But sometimes, it works the other way. You find a place where you belong. And the people find you. Gathering mussels, picking beans, eating blackberry pie. (author unknown)

During the past two years, I have found a place where I belong. I love sharing my thoughts about the books I've read, the places I've visited, the beauty in nature, and the new music I've discovered. And, I've discovered so many new authors and books thanks to all of you fabulous bloggers. My life is richer since I began blogging and I've met so many intelligent, funny, and kind new friends. I simply can't imagine ever giving this up! So here's to many, many more years of friendship and books.


Year Three:

Blogging has been such a rewarding experience and, although there have been times when I've felt too busy to post, I can't imagine my life without my blog and blogmates. Thank you all for helping to enrich my life. I've enjoyed each and every enthusiastic comment, felt each tender virtual hug in times of need, and am grateful for every one of you.


Year Four:

I've been busy catching up on my book reviews and just realized that my blogiversary came and went (yesterday). Have I really been blogging for four years?? I had to double-check to be sure. The time has certainly flown by! I want to thank each and every one of you who take the time to stop by and read my reviews, leave comments, and hang in there when I get quiet.


Keeping with the tradition of blogiversary give-aways and as a thank you for your loyal readership and comments, I would like to offer a gift of appreciation. Leave a comment between now and February 29th, indicating you’d like to be included (you must include your email address), and I’ll draw a winning name to receive a box of a dozen gently used books (including one audiobook) from my shelves. Due to the size and weight of the box, I will have to restrict this give-away to the U.S.

Human beings are meant to connect.
Laughter and good wishes
are an appropriate response to new adventures,
and gratitude for what has been
often walks hand in hand
with joy in new possibilities.
Whether it’s a traditional house-warming
or a modern blog-warming,
the point is the same:
life is better in community.
~ Linda, at The Task at Hand

* the other Lesley, Marcia, Robin

Winners

Congratulations to...

Sandy Jay who wrote:

This sounds like a book I'd like to read.

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

and...

Kay @ My Random Acts of Reading who wrote:

Yes, I'd love to read this one. I concur about music therapy being useful with Alzheimer's patients. My Dad's care center used it extensively. It's a very curious thing.

Absolutely enter me. :-)

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

I’ve sent you an email, Sandy. Please respond to that with your snail mail and I’ll get your book off to you later this week. Kay, I already have your address. Hope this helps pull you out of your reading slump!

Happy reading!

Giveaway!

And the winner is... Beachreader! Congratulations!

I would like to offer my beautiful hardcover copy of Wench to one of my visitors. You don't have to have a blog to win. Just leave me a comment, telling me what your favorite book is so far for 2010. Since this is a hardcover book (and, thus, more expensive to ship), I'm going to limit the contest to residents of the United States. Be sure to include your email address! I will select the lucky winner on May 16th.

Blogiversary Winners!!

No, I didn't forget. I simply haven't had time to announce the winners of my blogiversary giveaway. Thank you all for being patient with me. And now to the winners' circle...

Lee wins a copy of Mudbound by Hillary Jordan!!

Melanie wins a copy of The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn.

Tara wins a copy of Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg.

Sara wins a copy of Saving CeeCee Honeycut by Beth Hoffman.

I will get in touch with the four of you later this evening to confirm your mailing addresses. Melanie, I need your email address!

Congrats to all of you. I hope you enjoy the books!

4 Year Blogiversary!

I've been busy catching up on my book reviews and just realized that my blogiversary came and went (yesterday). Have I really been blogging for four years?? I had to double-check to be sure. The time has certainly flown by! I want to thank each and every one of you who take the time to stop by and read my reviews, leave comments, and hang in there when I get quiet. To show my appreciation, I'd like to offer a book to four (yes, you read that correctly!) visitors. Just leave me a comment with the title of a book I've reviewed here on my blog. I'll draw four names on March 1st and send you that very book! Be sure to include your email address so I can get in touch with you, should you be one of the lucky winners.

Book Give-Away Winner!

Yikes! I almost forgot about the book give-away I was hosting. I was going to announce the winner on my daughter's birthday (December 10th), but the time got away from me. So, instead, I'll announce it on my birthday... today!

And the lucky winner of Erin Noteboom's The Mongoose Diaries is....

DEBBIE of readerbuzz!

I'll be in touch to get your snail-mail address, Debbie. Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did. Thanks for joining in on the fun.

Book Giveaway!

Earlier this week, I received the loveliest email from Ashley, with Wolsak and Wynn Publishers in Hamilton, Ontario (Canada). Apparently, they found my blog through my review of Erin Noteboom's Mongoose Diaries and liked my blog so much that they've decided to highlight it on their website! How cool is that?!

In addition to this flattering honor, they've offered to send me a copy of Erin's book so I may offer it in a giveaway. I won't make you jump through any cute hoops or limit it to U.S. deliveries. Just leave me a comment with your email address and I'll draw a winner next week. Let's say, December 10th, since that's my daughter's birthday and this book is primarily about motherhood.

Good luck and a big thanks to Wolsak and Wynn for their generosity!

And the winners are...

Lee wins a copy of
Cody McFadyen's latest book,
The Darker Side.
Congratulations, Lee!

and...

Booklogged (from A Reader's Journal)
wins a copy of
The Face of Death
(second in the series).

Congratulations, Booklogged!

Drop me an email with your mailing addresses and I'll get your books off to you in a couple of days. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

The Darker Side

The Darker Side by Cody McFadyen
Thriller
2008 Bantam
368 pages
Finished on 8/28/08
Rating: 4.5/5 (Terrific!)



Publisher's Blurb:

Cody McFadyen has shocked even the most jaded suspense fans with Shadow Man and The Face of Death. Now comes a thriller that outdoes them all, featuring a psychopath on a perverse crusade of murder. And the one woman who can stop him may have to cross the line to do it.

A lie, a long-ago affair, a dark desire—what secret was a very private young woman keeping that led to her very public murder? That's the question FBI special agent Smoky Barrett and her handpicked team of experienced manhunters are summoned to answer by order of the FBI director himself. Brilliant, merciless, righteous, the killer Smoky is hunting is on his own personal mission. For in his eyes no one is innocent. Soon Smokey will have to confront a flawless killer who knows her flaws with murderous intimacy.

McFadyen has done it again. He's written a gritty, disturbing thriller that kept me wondering what kind of person writes about such horrific killings, and perhaps more importantly, what kind of person reads them?! The Darker Side reads a bit like true crime (although my experience with that genre is limited to Helter Skelter), full of tension and edginess that invades my thoughts and dreams. As with all my favorite series, it's the characters that keep me coming back. Smoky's an intriguing heroine and I enjoyed learning more about her and her co-workers, curious to learn more about the life of an FBI agent.

On murder...

The murdered move me. Good or bad, they had hopes and dreams and loves. They once lived, like all of us, in a world where the deck is stacked against living. Between cancer or crashes on the freeway or dropping dead of a heart attack with a glass of wine in your hand and a strangled smile on your face, the world gives us plenty of chances to die. Murderers cheat the system, helping things along, rob the victims of something it's already a fight to keep. This offends me. I hated it the first time I saw it and I hate it even more now.

One of my frustrations with series of this genre is the need to outline the back-story of previous books. Often I'll find myself a bit annoyed and bored when an author spends too much time reminding the reader of significant events from an earlier work. This was not the case with The Darker Side. McFadyen writes like a veteran, deftly laying out all the necessary details without falling into the trap of overstating the obvious or padding the story with unnecessary commentary. I was immediately drawn into the narrative; the pacing is consistent and riveting, and the situations and dialogue completely believable. And, yes, in spite of the nature of these thrillers, I'll be one of the first in line to buy Cody's next book.

And now for a couple of give-aways! I have a brand new mass market copy of The Face of Death (Cody's second book in this series), as well as an ARC of The Darker Side. Leave me a comment with the title of the book you're interested in and I'll pick the winners in one week.

If you're like me and curious as to how Cody can create such evil villains (and how this affects him), check out his guest appearance here and here.

Better yet, Cody now has a blog! You can find it (and pictures of his dogs, aka "The Black Forces of Destruction") on his website.

Note to Cody: I like this title much better than Secret Sins!