Who doesn't love contests?? *looks at crowd* Exactly! Everybody loves contests! Go forth and enter, peeps:



Yay!

Labels: contest, linkage

You can't win if you don't play!



Get out there and vote, peeps!




Oh, and there's a basketball tournament happening, too. :-D

Labels: contest, silliness, web stuff

First let me explain the method of choosing a winner - I listed the names of the entrants (good odds to win since there were only three!) and decided to draw a card - well, a virtual card with a handy-dandy iPhone app called iChoose - with the high card winning.

The results:

CindyS's card was


JenB's card was


Rowena's card was


That means

CindyS WON!!!!



So, Ms. Winner, send me your snailmail and your book of choice and soon books will be headed your way! :-D

Labels: book stuff, contest, cyber friends, lolcat

I know, I know...I said there would be something fun much earlier than now but I lied was mistaken.

So, here's the deal - my mother arrives tomorrow for a visit so I will be mostly missing in action until Sunday.


In the meantime, I'm having a CONTEST! I know you're surprised! But since I recently won a contest, I want to share the love. Really, though, I suppose it is more like a RAFFLE.
I don't know if I've mentioned how much I enjoy Robin D. Owens' Celta series but it's one of my faves. Most excellent world building, cool psychic abilities and talking animals! What could be better?


So, here's the deal - if you are unfamiliar with this series and would like to be familiar, leave a comment. You have until Sunday, September 21st, at midnight CDT. I'll draw a random winner and announce it Monday (hopefully).

What do you win, you ask? Why you win the first three books in the series -



I figure that will give the winner a good taste of the series but it won't saddle the her with a bunch of unwanted books, if said winner doesn't like the series. Plus, as a bonus, you win a book of your choice (based on availability at Barnes and Noble.com).


I'll be watching! And I'll have help...



C'mon peeps! You can't win if you don't play! ;-)

Labels: 2 cents, book stuff, contest, life, lolcat

I was one of the winners of Cindy's Birthday Week contest! Yay!!



So, for Cindy and Bob -



I know I mentioned that there was something fun and cat-related coming soon here but it isn't happening as fast as it should 'cause I'm lazy. Stay tuned, peeps!

Labels: contest, cyber friends, lolcat

Our friends over at Book Binge are having a contest, peeps! Go enter HERE - you have a chance of winning a copy of Acheron or Breaking Dawn.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go!

:o)

Labels: book stuff, contest, cyber friends

Or should I say goodies?? I won the Karen Rose contest over at Book Binge. :o)



Thanks ladies!

Oh, btw - the scrapbook is about 3/4 complete at this point so I am rocking with the plan. Double yay!

Labels: book stuff, contest, cyber friends, lolcat

So, you may recall I won a copy of North and South from Kristie J. I finally watched it Sunday - Friday was crazy so I had to postpone my viewing. Blah.

I really enjoyed it! :o) Did I love it to the degree Kristie loves it?? Maybe not - but, really, does anyone love it as much as she does? LOL (((Kristie))) I'm playing!

Other than my occasional struggle with the northern accent (apparently my frequent viewing of the first season of Doctor Who didn't help as much as I would have thought), it was lovely. Very atmospheric and romantic without romanticizing, if you know what I mean.

It was touching and uplifting and educational and sad and heartbreaking and happy and a whole lot more. I would recommend it to anyone who's on the fence and wondering if it is worth checking out. Yup, it is. :o) I found myself wondering about locations - especially the cotton mill. Do they really have one sitting around somewhere that they could go film in - with all the old equipment?? Maybe a museum or something. Surely nothing still in use - yikes! But, if they don't have something around somewhere, can you imagine the difficulty in making one from scratch and getting it authentic? Impressive!

What was the best thing about it??



;-)

Add me to the list of Crusaders, Kristie!

Labels: 2 cents, contest, cyber friends, tv

Heh! It arrived in the mail today.




Yay! Friday is my day off and now I have it all planned. :o)

Labels: contest, cyber friends, tv

I'll be joining the crusade soon, I'm sure. :o)

Check it out here!!

Yay!

Labels: contest, cyber friends, tv

...courtesy of the ladies at Book Binge - and it's a contest too! I could win an eBookwise eReader (and, yeah sure, you could too...whatever). Wheeeee!

So, here we go:

1. What is your favorite Christmas romance to re-read each year?
I don't know that I have a favorite but I do enjoy Jo Beverley's Winter Fire. It's a pretty recent release - only a couple of years old, I think. Christina Skye has several books in her Draycott Abbey series that are Christmas-themed, too. I love that series!

2. What is your favorite Christmas movie/show?
The Grinch! The original cartoon, thank you very much...Dr. Seuss+Chuck Jones+Boris Karloff=MUCH WIN and AWESOME! ;-)

3. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
Peanut butter blossoms...best cookie EVAR! Perhaps not particularly Christmas-y but so very yummy!

4. When do you start Christmas shopping?
During the after-Christmas sales, of course! I shop all year long but I still have the last minute panic of having nothing for anyone. Sad, I know...it happens every year.

5. Do you re-gift?
Yup. And I keep the "from" tag on the thing to be re-gifted so I don't give it back. I also have the stack of gifts that may never be re-gifted because I don't know anyone who would want them. Yikes.

6. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Traditional: Joy to the World and It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Modern: All I Want for Christmas is You and Santa Baby

7. When do you get your Christmas tree?
When do I put it up? I start on Veteran's Day weekend...it's huge!

8. Wrapping presents: Love it or hate it?
Love it!

9. Who is the hardest person to buy for?
My dad.

10. Christmas tree: Real or artificial?
Artificial (see #8). I have Christmas-y smelling potpourri, though.

Anybody else want to play? Head on over to Book Binge and check it out!

Labels: contest, holiday, meme

I was chosen as one of Cindy's Share the Love winners! Yay! Go me!! She (and her lovely assistant Bob) captured it all on video, even. So fun!


In other interesting bits - I ran across this over at USA Today:

Ever question an author's plot decisions? Now, romance novel readers will get to hear why Victoria Alexander made the choices she did when Avon Books publishes Lady Amelia's Secret Love (on sale 9/4/07, $3.99). It's an e-book with embedded video starring the author. Much like a DVD extra, as readers makes their way through the downloadable e-book, Alexander will pop up onscreen at various points to talk about the plot’s turning points and her characters.

Fascinating.

Labels: book stuff, contest, cyber friends

The VISIONS OF HEAT meme

1. Which psychic power would you most like to possess?
I would like to be able to be invisible - and fly. Or just fly. Do those count as psychic powers? I guess they are more "special" powers. Hmmm...I'll go with the answer that ties to the next question - see the future.

2. If you could see the future, what would you like to see?
Well, lottery numbers, of course (not that my state has a lottery....grrrr!) and which stocks, etc. were going to skyrocket. Yeah, I shallow and greedy...what's your point?? ;-) Also, dangers, hazards, etc. to my family and friends that I could prevent/help them avoid. And I agree with Cindy, very clear visions, please! No deep symbolism or anything...I would waffle too much about what it might mean.

3. Imagine you woke up one day and could shapeshift - what would you shift into?
Something that flies - but that wouldn't attract undue attention - like a blue jay or cardinal. Nothing that is a nuisance or is tasty and therefore hunted. :o) Or maybe a cat...a very pampered, lazy house cat. Or, if I lived near the ocean, I would like to be a dolphin for a day.

4. What kind of a paranormal creature would you invite over for dinner if there were no limits on who you could ask?
Some werefolk would be interesting, I think. And maybe a vamp or two, if they promised no biting. Think of the stories they could tell, assuming they've been around for a while!

5. Which future innovation do you wish would hurry up and get here already? i.e. flying cars, a transporter, computers with artificial intelligence, an auto chef?
Transporter! I love to travel but it's such a hassle and the actual getting to the location is a waste of time that might be spent actually seeing stuff. And who wouldn't LOVE an auto chef?!

This meme was begun by Nalini Singh to get the word out about her next book, Visions of Heat (releasing March 6). Want to play, too, and enter to win a $50 Amazon voucher plus an ARC? Click here for details.

As you can see from my "Patience is a Virtue" area on the right, I was already excited about this book, so I'm glad to do what I can to get the word out to people. You haven't read any of Nalini's stuff?? Shame on you!!

Labels: contest, meme

Playing With Fire by Gena Showalter

Earth, Wind and Fire aren’t just a band anymore…

Used to be my greatest achievement was holding a job more than three days. Now suddenly I can shoot fireballs, chill your drink, or blow-dry your hair at fifty paces with a blink of my eye!

It all started when this crazy scientist dropped something in my grande mocha latte. Of course I got wicked sick. Next morning I’m waking up with this total hottie bending over me. He tells me 1) his name’s Rome Masters, 2) he’s a government agent and 3) I can control the four elements with a thought.

He seems even less pleased by my (apparently irreversible) transformation that I am. . . because now he’s supposed to kill me. The only good news: I didn’t make this bed of trouble, but Rome sure seems to want me to lie in it. With him.

Read an excerpt

Order your copy from Barnes and Noble or Amazon or Books A Million

And if you’d like a chance to win signed copies of *all* Gena Showalter’s books, all you have to do is post this entry, too. Post the cover, the blurb, the links, and this contest announcement, then head over to Gena’s blog (http://www.genashowalter.blogspot.com ) and let her know you posted the material. A name will be randomly selected on September 3rd from those who do!!

Labels: book stuff, contest

This was already on my TBB list so I'm glad to share the info!

SLAVE TO SENSATION

Nalini Singh

Berkley / September 2006

Welcome to a future where emotion is a crime and powers of the mind clash brutally against those of the heart.

Sascha Duncan is one of the Psy, a psychic race that has cut off its emotions in an effort to prevent murderous insanity. Those who feel are punished by having their brains wiped clean, their personalities and memories destroyed.

Lucas Hunter is a Changeling, a shapeshifter who craves sensation, lives for touch. When their separate worlds collide in the serial murders of Changeling women, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities…or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

Excerpt

I am participating in a blogging experiment hosted at dearauthor.com. To enter the contest, put up this blurb, image, and trackback and you are entered to win the following prize package.

• $200 Amazon gift certificate


• Signed copy of Slave to Sensation


• New Zealand goodies chosen by Singh


• ARC of Christine Feehan's October 31 release: Conspiracy Game

You can read about the experiment here and you can download the code that you need to participate here.

Labels: book stuff, contest, entertainment