Audiobook Giveaway: An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin:
Lacey Yeager is young, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. Groomed at Sotheby's and hungry to keep climbing the social and career ladders put before her, Lacey charms men and women, old and young, rich and even richer with her magnetic charisma and liveliness. Her ascension to the highest tiers of the city parallel the soaring heights--and, at times, the dark lows--of the art world and the country from the late 1990s through today.


About the Author:
Steve Martin is a legendary writer, actor, and performer. His film credits include Father of the Bride, Parenthood, The Spanish Prisoner, and Bringing Down the House, as well as Roxanne, L.A. Story, and Bowfinger, for which he also wrote the screenplays. He's won Emmys for his television writing and two Grammys for comedy albums. In addition to a play, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, he has written a bestselling collection of comic pieces, Pure Drivel, and a bestselling novella, Shopgirl, which was made into a movie.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I have 2 audio copies of An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin to giveaway.

Entry rules:
Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
No PO boxes, please.
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule. If you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title. Books will be sent directly from the publisher.
Last day to enter is 1/21/11.

To Enter Please Fill Out This Form:

The Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

March 17th to 20th

Hosted by Books Complete Me 

& I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

What is a giveaway hop?

Simple - Each participating blog hosts a giveaway and then we link up together allowing our followers to hop easily from one giveaway to another.

For followers this means lots of chances to win free books.

For blogs hosting a giveaway it means lots of new visitors and followers.

It's a win-win!

The Lucky Leprechaun Hop is scheduled from 12:01 AM March 17th until 11:59 PM March 20th.

Each participating blog will host their own giveaway. There is no requirement on the minimum or maximum value of your giveaway. It's up to you to decide. You can give away books, swags, amazon gift cards, or anything else you can think of that has to do with books. Your giveaway can be as simple or as elaborate as you want.

All participating blogs will be linked up through a Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway linky. You will be given the linky code to add to your blog so that readers can jump from one giveaway to the next.

Please keep the process to enter your giveaway as simple as possible.

Please no long lists of dozens of different things followers can do to gain extra entries.

Please help spread the word. The more blogs participating the better! It will mean more visitors and new followers for your blog.

Giveaways can be US, US & Canada or International.

Please create your giveaway post before the giveaway starts and then set it to be posted at 12:01 AM EST on March 17th.

More details will be emailed to participants as we get closer to the giveaway.

Questions can be emailed to: toobusyreading at gmail dot com.

The last day to sign up is March 13th.

You may choose which image to use on your blog post:

Image #1

Image#2

Image #3

To Sign Up Please Fill Out the Form. We will add your site to the linky.



The linky list is NOT closed. Just fill out the form and we will add your information to the linky.

Book Review: Winning Mr. Wrong by Marie Higgins

Whoever said the quest for love wasn't comical never met Charlene Randall. Charley is looking for a man who wants to start a family, a man who will take her to the temple. Problem is, she has never dated a man for longer than three months. When she reads an internet article called "Ten Ways to Win Your Man," she decides to try it on her new coworker, Maxwell Harrington. Max was her crush in high school, but the superstar sports anchorman doesn't even remember her. Enter ladies' man Damien Giovianni, Charley's handsome neighbor, who agrees to help her win Max over. What follows is a hilarious tale of mishaps and misunderstandings where Charley learns that what she really needs may be right in front of her.

This was such a fun book!  It kept me smiling and laughing throughout.  For the first time in quite a while I stayed up late reading a book I didn't want to put down.  Yes it was quite predictable.  Just reading the title you know Charley's trying to win the wrong man through the help of the ridiculous Internet article.  And yes the "right man" is so amazingly perfect he couldn't exist in real life, let alone live next door.  But that's what makes this such a fun book.  I kept thinking the article should have been called How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days.

This is an LDS fiction book but it was not preachy at all.  The only thing LDS about it was that Charley wanted to marry someone in the temple who shared her beliefs.  Obviously that desire plays into her choice and view of the men she has the chance to date and the outcome of the book.  If you like cute, clean, fun romance stories this book is for you.

Content: Clean

Rating: 5 Stars

Source: From Publisher for Review

Giveaway Winners: Get Energy

Congratulations to the Winner of my

Get Energy Book Giveaway

The winners were selected using Random.org


Tiffany P.
Susan M.
Kathy P.

Winners have been notified and will receive their book from the puplisher.  Thanks to all who entered.

Audiobook Giveaway: Hell's Corner by David Baldacci

Oliver Stone and the Camel Club return in #1 bestselling author David Baldacci's most stunning adventure yet.

An attack on the heart of power . . .
In sight of the White House . . .
At a place known as . . .

HELL'S CORNER
John Carr, aka Oliver Stone-once the most skilled assassin his country ever had-stands in Lafayette Park in front of the White House, perhaps for the last time. The president has personally requested that Stone serve his country again on a high-risk, covert mission. Though he's fought for decades to leave his past career behind, Stone has no choice but to say yes.

Then Stone's mission changes drastically before it even begins. It's the night of a state dinner honoring the British prime minister. As he watches the prime minister's motorcade leave the White House that evening, a bomb is detonated in Lafayette Park, an apparent terrorist attack against both leaders. It's in the chaotic aftermath that Stone takes on a new, more urgent assignment: find those responsible for the bombing.

British MI-6 agent Mary Chapman becomes Stone's partner in the search for the unknown attackers. But their opponents are elusive, capable, and increasingly lethal; worst of all, it seems that the park bombing may just have been the opening salvo in their plan. With nowhere else to turn, Stone enlists the help of the only people he knows he can trust: the Camel Club. Yet that may be a big mistake.

In the shadowy worlds of politics and intelligence, there is no one you can really trust. Nothing is really what it seems to be. And Hell's Corner truly lives up to its name. This may be Oliver Stone's and the Camel Club's last stand.

About the Author:
David Baldacci lives with his family in Virginia. He and his wife have founded the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. He invites you to visit him at http://www.david-baldacci.com/ and his foundation at http://www.wishyouwellfoundation.org/, and to look into its program to spread books across America at http://www.feedingbodyandmind.com/.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I have 2 audio copies of Hell's Corner by David Baldacci to giveaway.


Entry rules:
Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
No PO boxes, please.
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule. If you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title. Books will be sent directly from the publisher.
Last day to enter is 1/20/11.

To Enter Please Fill Out This Form:

Audiobook Giveaway: Peace and Plenty by Sarah Ban Breathnach

"When money is plentiful, this is a man's world. When money is scarce, it is a woman's world." Unearthed in a 1932 Ladies Home Journal, this quote is the call to arms that begins PEACE AND PLENTY, Sarah Ban Breathnach's answer to the world's-- and her own personal-- financial crisis. As only Ban Breathnach can, she culls together this compendium of advice, deeply personal anecdotes, and excerpts from magazines, books, and newspapers-- particularly those of the Great Depression-- to inspire readers who are mired in today's financial difficulties.

Focusing on her own personal path, Sarah Ban Breathnach will relate never-before revealed details about how she fell from the financial top to the bottom. Readers will immediately see how deeply she understands the plight of those trying to maintain a happy and comfortable home, while at the same time not even knowing if they will be able to make the mortgage to keep that home.

Sarah has proved to be the voice of comfort for years to women who are spiritually bankrupt, and now she will reach to those who are financially strapped, showing them how to pull themselves out of their psychic and fiscal crises while providing deep comfort and reassurance throughout.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Books for allowing me to host this giveaway.

In addition to SIMPLE ABUNDANCE, Sarah Ban Breathnach is the author of THE SIMPLE ABUNDANCE JOURNAL OF GRATITUDE, SOMETHING MORE, and MRS. SHARP'S TRADITIONS. She currently resides in California. Please visit her website at http://www.simpleabundance.com/

2 Followers of this blog will receive an audiobook copy of the book Peace and Plenty: Finding Your Path to Financial Serenity by Sarah Ban Breathnach.

Entry rules:
Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
No PO boxes, please.
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule. If you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title. Books will be sent directly from the publisher.
Giveaway ends 1/19/11.

To enter please fill out this form:

Book Review: My Gift to You by Lori Nawyn

Trish Ingram works hard to maintain the perfect suburban household- or, at least, the appearance of one. By managing her outer world with lavish attention and rigid control, she's able to ignore and conceal the darkness of her inner world, which is plagued by traumatic childhood memories of loss. Her terminally ill sister-in-law, Jamie, sees through the facade and reaches out in love to Trish, inspiring her to seek a more meaningful life and a more authentic self. But the childhood scars run deep, and despite Trish's best efforts, she's unable to be the wife and mother her family needs. Devastated by the departure of her husband and daughter, Trish faces the challenge and opportunity of a lifetime. She desires to move forward in faith, but this desire alone cannot mend her family's shattered trust. The hollow realm of denial and fear has been her safe haven. To confront pain and transcend the shadows of her past will require a level of courage she's not sure she possesses. This gripping and hopeful story of familial love and conflict tenderly reminds us that forgiveness-of self and others-is both a difficult choice and a precious gift.



This book has a powerful message of the importance of unconditionally loving others and ourselves.  Trish appears to have the perfect life but appearances can be deceiving.  This book slowly revealed secrets of Trish's past that she had kept hidden from everyone including her husband and daughter.  As Trish faces her past she learns that some secrets had even been kept from her.  Coming to understand herself and her past helps Trish to find the peace and happiness she was longing for.

My Gift to You is author Lori Nawyn's first novel. This book was billed as a Christmas book but I think it could easily be read year round. It was much more of a family drama set in the month of December than a Christmas story.
Content: Clean

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: From Author For Review

Audiobook Giveaway: Cross Fire by James Patterson

Detective Alex Cross and Bree's wedding plans are put on hold when Alex is called to the scene of the perfectly executed assassination of two of Washington D.C.'s most corrupt: a dirty congressmen and a scheming lobbyist. Next, the elusive marksman begins picking off other crooked politicians, sparking a blaze of theories--is the marksman a hero or a vigilante?

The case explodes and FBI agent Max Siegel battles Alex for jurisdiction. As Alex struggles with the sniper, Siegel, and the wedding, he receives a call from his deadliest adversary, Kyle Craig. The Mastermind is in D.C. and will not relent until he has eliminated Cross--and his family--for good. With a supercharged blend of suspense, action, and deception, CROSS FIRE is James Patterson's most exciting Alex Cross novel ever.

About the author:
The subject of a Time magazine feature called, "The Man Who Can't Miss," James Patterson is the bestselling author of the past year, bar none, with more than 16 million books sold in North America alone. In 2007, one of every fifteen hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. In the past three years, James has sold more books than any other author (according to Bookscan), and in total, James's books have sold an estimated 205 million copies worldwide. He is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children's lists and is the only author to have five new hardcover novels debut at #1 on the list in one year—a record-breaking feat he's accomplished every year since 2005. To date, James Patterson has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times bestselling novels, and holds the New York Times record for most Hardcover Fiction bestselling titles by a single author (59 total), which is also a Guinness World Record.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I have 2 audio copies of Cross Fire by James Patterson to giveaway.
 
Entry rules:

Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
No PO boxes, please.
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule. If you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title. Books will be sent directly from the publisher.
Last day to enter is 1/18/11.

To Enter Please Fill Out This Form:

Audiobook Giveaway: The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent

In the harsh wilderness of colonial Massachusetts, Martha Allen works as a servant in her cousin's household, taking charge and locking wills with everyone. Thomas Carrier labors for the family and is known both for his immense strength and size and mysterious past. The two begin a courtship that suits their independent natures, with Thomas slowly revealing the story of his part in the English Civil War. But in the rugged new world they inhabit, danger is ever present, whether it be from the assassins sent from London to kill the executioner of Charles I or the wolves-in many forms-who hunt for blood. A love story and a tale of courage, The Wolves of Andover confirms Kathleen Kent's ability to craft powerful stories of family from colonial history.

My second novel, The Wolves of Andover, is a story close to my heart. Like my first book, The Heretic's Daughter, it is based in part on Carrier family legends passed down through 10 generations. In this narrative I've chosen to explore the life of Thomas Carrier, husband to Martha Carrier, who was hanged as a witch in 1692, and how these two remarkable people met and fell in love. According to family lore, Thomas lived to the age of 109, stood seven feet tall, and was one of the executioners of King Charles I of England. I am honored to bring you another chapter of the Carrier family history.

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I have 2 audio copies of The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent to giveaway.
 
Entry rules:

Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
No PO boxes, please.
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule. If you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title. Books will be sent directly from the publisher.
Last day to enter is 1/17/11.

To Enter Please Fill Out This Form:

Holiday Book Review: Take A Walk With Me by Marcia Lynn McClure

“Grandma?” Cozy called as she closed the front door behind her. She inhaled a deep breath—bathing in the warm, inviting scent of banana nut bread baking in the oven. “Grandma? Are you in here?”

“Cozy!” her grandma called in a loud whisper. “I’m in the kitchen. Hurry!”
Cozy frowned—her heart leapt as worry consumed her for a moment. Yet, as she hurried to the kitchen to find her grandma kneeling at the window that faced the new neighbors yard, and peering out with a pair of binoculars, she exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Grandma! You’re still spying on him?” she giggled.
“Get down! They’ll see us! Get down!” Dottie ordered in a whisper, waving one hand in a gesture that Cozy should duck.
Giggling with amusement at her grandma’s latest antics, Cozy dropped to her hands and knees and crawled toward the window.
“Who’ll see us?” she asked.
“Here,” Dottie whispered, pausing only long enough to reach for a second set of binoculars sitting on the nearby counter. “These are for you.” She smiled at Cozy—winked as a grin of mischief spread over her face. “And now…may I present the entertainment for this evening…Mr. Buckly hunk of burning love Bryant…and company."
 
This was the perfect book to read on Christmas afternoon.  I started it 3 weeks ago when it was released but have had no time to read since then.  Finishing Take A Walk With Me was first on my list of things to do this afternoon.   
 
I loved this book just as I've loved everything Marcia Lynn McClure has written.  A wonderful holiday romance. Can't wait until this gets turned into a full length book.  Such fun characters in this sweet romance. 
 
I think I need to find recipes for raspberry almonds, mulled cider and orange almond punch!
 
Content: a couple mild swear words
 
Rating: 5 Stars
 
Source: From author for review

Holiday Book Review: The Snow Globe by Sheila Roberts

Discover an unforgettable holiday treasure in Sheila Roberts’ heartwarming tale of love and laughter, magic and miracles, friendship and coming home…


On a blustery afternoon, Kylie Gray wanders into an antique shop and buys an enchanting snow globe. “There’s a story behind that snow globe,” the antique dealer tells her. The original owner, he explains, was a German toymaker who lost his wife and son right before Christmas. When the grieving widower received the handcrafted snow globe as a Christmas gift, he saw the image of a beautiful woman beneath the glass—a woman who would come into his life, mend his broken heart and bring him back to the world of the living. For years, the snow globe has passed from generation to generation, somehow always landing in the hands of a person in special need of a Christmas miracle.


Kiley could use a miracle herself. This year, all she wants for Christmas is someone to love. A hopeful shake leads her on an adventure that makes a believer out of her. When Kylie shares the story of the snow globe with her best friends—two women with problems of their own—they don’t believe it. But they’re about to discover that at Christmastime, sometimes the impossible becomes possible and miracles really do come true.

I loved the idea of this book and really liked the beginning of the story. Kylie buying the snow globe and hearing the story behind how the magic began was a great tale. I was really enjoying Kylie's story of finding Craig and his toy shop through the globe. A little over 1/2 of the way through the book Kylie passes the snow globe on to one of her friend Suzanne and Kylie's story abruptly ends. We then have her friend's story which I didn't enjoy as much. The last 30 pages the snow globe gets passed to a 3rd friend, Allison, and we have a rushed story about her.

I wish this whole book had been expanded and just been about Kylie. Either that or the book should have been much longer to fully develop the stories of her friends.

Even though this book left me wanting more it was still an enjoyable holiday read.

Content: Some language and profanity scattered throughout.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Source: Received a copy for review

In My Mailbox, Mailbox Monday

From Author For Review:

Take a Walk With Me by Marcia Lynn McClure

For Review & Blog Tour:

Island Sting by Bonnie J Doerr

Audio Download:

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

For Review:

Invasion by Jon S. Lewis

From Publisher For Review:

Peace and Plenty by Sarah Ban Breathnach

Gift:

Wild Prairies Roses by Lena Nelson Dooley

For Blog Tour & Giveaway:

How Sweet It Is by Sophie Gunn

For Blog Tour & Review:

Lost on Spirit River by Tommy Batchelor

Bought:

Crash Course in Family History by Paul Larsen

Gift:

Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz

For Blog Tour & Review:


The Goddess Girls Books 1-4 by Joan Holub

Won in a Giveaway on Dan's Journal

Tick Tock by James Patterson

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.

The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox & books bought.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at the Printed Page. December's hops will be hosted by Let Them Read Books.

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.