Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott Giveaway

At the end of last year, I had the pleasure of reading the latest release from beloved author Elizabeth Scott titled Heartbeat. I was so impressed with this title that I decided to host a giveaway of it. Per Amazon.com, this title releases today January 28. However The Book Depository is currently listing a release date of February 28. Therefore this will be a preorder for an international winner while I will go through Amazon for a US winner.

1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships (or it will be through Amazon if US). So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. To enter, you must merely leave your email; there are extra optional entries for following, tweeting, and commenting
4. Contest ends February 11 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email by February 13 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com. Thanks for celebrating with me :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

4th Blogoversary Post and #giveaway

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." One of my favorite quotes from literature and an apt description of my latest year in the blogging world as I have had a lot of ups and downs. I remember my first year where I didn't really know what I was doing or even wanted to do. My second year saw me complete a lot of reading and feeling very accomplished. My third year saw tremendous growth in numbers but also troubles balancing blogging with full-time work. And now we've reached four full years since I made my first post.

Why worst?

I have lacked so much motivation this year. There have been multiple points when I didn't want to read, write, and/or comment; most frequently I felt like I didn't want to do any of those things. And it's not because of blogging drama or a lack of good books. I think it's partly because sometimes I feel more interested in work or clothes, neither of which I want to be too detailed about on my book blog. It just doesn't seem the place. But it's also some lack of internal motivation that I'm thinking about how I'll want to address in the coming year. I'm definitely thinking less posting but I know that will be a struggle as I feel guilty when I don't post anything. This is a work in progress and I'll keep you informed about what's going on in my life.

Moving on to the best!

First would be the realization and acceptance of myself as a writer. As I shared, I used to think of writers primarily as novelists (not to downplay the work of poets, playwrights, etc.) just because that's what I mostly read. But I do think I can lay some claim to calling myself a writer as I write a lot and am drawn to an elegant turn of phrase, always searching for the perfect words to describe where I am.

Secondly I've gotten to participate in some fun tours and score some amazing ARCs-I tell people in real life all the time about the great books I get to read and have even had discussions about some of them. I appreciate how I feel encouraged to try books I wouldn't otherwise know about without being in the blogging world and being on the cutting edge of trends. That often means reading a book way before it's turned into a movie and gets the attention of the general public.

But the very best is all of you of course! It's kind of cliche to say that the blogging community is the reason for continuing but it has reached that point because it's true. Whenever I confessed my lack of motivation, I received commiseration and encouragement. When I had something exciting to share, I got enthusiasm in return. I am so thankful for everyone who stops by my blog, who leaves a comment, who shares of themselves and their time. I don't always know how to express that appreciation but I value your comments (especially when we differ on a book-our cordial disagreement is something I'm proud of; no screaming matches in my comments!) and knowing that you're there. THANK YOU!

Giveaway:
I'm doing something kind of different; for book choice, you can pick any book I've reviewed here up to $20 at Book Depository or Amazon, depending on winner's location. In four years, that's over 1100 books so you have loads of options across genres and categories. My archives are mostly up to date (arranged here by title and here by author) but you can also search in the side bar.

1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships (or it will be through Amazon if US). So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. To enter, you must merely leave your email; there are extra optional entries for following, tweeting, and commenting
4. Contest ends December 1 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email by December 2 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com. Thanks for celebrating with me :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ramblings and the Week to Come 20OCT13 #Giveaway

Ramblings on 2014:
Although it is only October, I'm kind of already thinking about 2014 and what I want to accomplish personally, professionally, and how reading/this blog will play a part in that. I'm definitely planning to cut back on quantity read (this year's goal is 300 and I feel comfortable that I will reach that achievement). Instead I want to try some longer, more challenging reads. For starters, I want to tackle two dystopian classics 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, inspired by this comic I saw on Pinterest. I've never read either and think it will be fun to finally give them a read. I'm not starting them now because I want to give my full attention to War and Peace and checking that off my list. I also want to read some management/leadership books, partially inspired by Brene Brown's Daring Greatly. It gave me some thoughts about communication and vulnerability that I've been using to think about my career and I want to follow up on that. There are also some other non-fiction books I want to check out. I don't know how that will impact the blog yet but I hope it will prove interesting. Is anyone else planning some changes for 2014 already?

The Week That Was plus Giveaway:
This past week was the week of The Scarlet Pimpernel as I shared thoughts on this classic from Jen Ryland/YA Romantics and me. Wednesday saw her review of Diana Peterfreund's interpretation Across a Star-Swept Sea and then on Friday, I unveiled my giveaway (super easy: open internationally and all you have to do is enter-no endless list of bonus entries!)

My Obsession:
This is more of a rediscovered obsession with a bit of a story. For about four years, I was super into musicals (I liked them before and still do but it's less intense now) and of course that includes those written by the great Stephen Sondheim. Earlier this month I heard one of my coworkers singing some bars from A Chorus Line and found myself doing work that lends itself well to listening to musicals so I dug out files for Into the Woods because I am so so excited for the musical. I adore Anna Kendrick and Emily Blunt, who are two of the stars (also Chris Pine and Meryl Streep) so I hope this is a more pleasing film version than some other musicals as I have not been much impressed in recent years with the film adaptations we've gotten. Does anyone else love musicals or is interested in this forthcoming movie?

Into the Woods cast

Week to Come: I'm pretty excited about this week and hope you'll enjoy what I have planned :)
The Heiresses by Allison Rushby-I've already read this historical fiction about sisters and can promise a positive review of it to come
The Art of Letting Go by Anna Bloom-it's a contemporary NA, part of a tour from CBB Book Promotions; I'm a bit concerned about the potential steam but I love the premise
Truly Madly Deadly by -although I've been disappointed by the reviews I've seen, this is actually a book I bought so I want to actually give it a read.
The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas-I grabbed this from Amazon Vine after seeing some good reviews from bloggers I trust
Invasion by Walter Dean Myers-a WWII YA story looking at Normandy that could prove very intense
Hitler's Secret by Walter Osborne-promises to be cinematic; it looks to be a sequel but hopefully I'll be able to get into the story.

So that's my week; what's up with you?

Giveaway: Across a Star-Swept Sea

Yay-it's giveaway Friday! You've seen my post about The Scarlet Pimpernel and Jen Ryland/YA Romantics' post about Diana Peterfreund's reinterpretation Across a Star-Swept Sea so now it's a chance for you to win a copy for yourself. It's easy-peasy: just enter!

The giveaway will run until October 27th, Midnight, EST and the winner will receive a copy of Across a Star-Swept Sea from The Book Depository if international or Amazon if the winner is US-based. Leave a comment or email me at bookworm1858 AT hotmail DOT com if you have any questions :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jeannie Lin #INT #Giveaway-Your choice of book

Yesterday I reviewed Jeannie Lin's newest release The Lotus Palace and decided that I wanted to host a giveaway of your choice of one of her books. I know I'm mostly a YA blogger but I enjoy breaking out of the YA category and I know several of my readers have expressed interest in reading these books set in the Tang Dynasty as it's not a time period we're necessarily very familiar with.

I prefer print copies so looking at The Book Depository, your choices are (all 5 star books in my opinion):
The Sword Dancer
My Fair Concubine
The Lotus Palace

However these are also available in e-book format through the eHarlequin store-if you would prefer that, I will work with you to make sure you get your copy!

1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. All it takes to enter is to input a valid email address; there is a bonus for following my blog somehow
4. Contest ends August 27 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email by August 29 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, email me at bookworm1858 AT hotmail DOT com.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer of Love Blog Hop

So excited to be a stop on this giveaway hop! The theme is "Summer of Love" so I'm giving you the option to choose between two fun love stories set during the summer, both from the amazing Sarah Dessen. These are two of my favorite books of all time and this is your chance to make sure you have a copy in your personal library.

Prize: Choose either THIS LULLABY or THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER

1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. All it takes to enter is to input a valid email address; there is one bonus entry for following my blog somehow
4. Contest ends July 29 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email by August 2 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Looking for more giveaways? Check out these links below for more Summer of Love fun!

#INT #Giveaway of a "Confessions" Book by @Louiserozett

I was thinking about Molli at Once Upon a Prologue's post about "Authors Behaving Like Rockstars" and was inspired to celebrate a great author by giving you all the chance to win one of her books. That author is Louise Rozett with whom I had a nice exchange on Twitter. I wanted to share the love by letting you choose to win one of her books. Maybe you haven't started the series so you'll want book one or maybe you loved book one but haven't got book two yet; here's your chance!

~My review~

~Goodreads~

~My review~

~Goodreads~

Rules:
1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. You do NOT have to follow although I appreciate it; I have a couple of extra entries because I am experimenting with giveaway requirements but all it takes to enter is to input a valid email address.
4. Contest ends July 27 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email by July 28 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

500+ Followers Giveaway

Sorry this took me so long to get set up because I did in fact reach 500 followers two Sundays ago when I first mentioned it. I want to say thank you to everyone who has ever stopped by my blog. I love writing about books and getting to discuss them with you all.

The Prize: $20 at the Book Depository (so if there are two books you want and each is $9.99, you can get both as a for example)

Rules:
1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. You do NOT have to follow although I appreciate it and you get an extra entry; you can also tweet for another entry, follow me on twitter, and be goodreads friends for additional entries (you can still enter as a goodreads friend if you sent the request; I will approve it when I have a chance).
4. Contest ends April 13 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email on April 14 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com.

~Blog comments are appreciated but do not count as valid entries~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Winners! And the Week to Come

Yesterday, I pulled the winners for my blogoversary giveaways and have listed them below. If you see your name, make sure my email didn't go into your spam filter OR email me at bookworm1858 AT hotmail DOT com.

Winners:

YA Contemporary of Your Choice

Chenise J.

 Romance Book

Christina T.

YA of Your Choice

Michelle S.

Classic

Lilian W.

2012 Release

Antonia J.

Mystery

Veronika

The Big One: $50

Angela B.

I try to put a picture with every post and I know I don't have to worry about copyright issues when I use this handsome guy ;)

Reviews this Week:

--Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn

How did this mystery/thriller set in Japan strike me?

--Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo

This book kind of features a romance between a 15-year old and a 22-year old-did that irredeemably ruin the book for me?

--Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield

What do the mysterious death of one young woman have to do with the college plans and small town life of another? Did I figure it out?

--The Panem Companion by V. Arrow

After adoring The Girl Who Was on Fire, I had to pick up another companion to The Hunger Games-did this one set me on fire too?

--A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Was this another winner from Keplinger? And does that title have anything to do with Shakespeare (spoiler alert: no)?

--The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

Liesl and Po was a huge win for me in 2011; did this second middle-grade novel from Oliver reach similar highs?

3rd Blogoversary Wrap-Up

Reference Post for giveaways:

All are open until November 30, 11:59 PM EST.
All are open internationally; bonus entries include following on GFC and tweeting.

YA Contemporary
Romance Book
Choice of YA Book
Classic
2012 Release
Mystery
$50 worth of books

Thanks for sticking around-I'm shooting for at least another 3 years with you wonderful people. Much love and we'll resume regular blogging tomorrow when I ramble and then reviews for the coming week.

Blogoversary Giveaway #7

So we come to the final giveaway, the BIG one. Today's prize is:

$50 worth of books from Book Depository

Yep, that means absolutely any books you want!

Rules:
1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. You do NOT have to follow although I appreciate it and you get an extra entry; you can also tweet for another entry.
4. Contest ends November 30 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email on December 1 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com.
7. You are free to enter every giveaway this week but if you (somehow) win 2 or more, I will email you to pick one. I want to have seven different winners!

If you missed any giveaways, they're all listed in the sidebar or you can click on the tag "3rd Blogoversary."

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogoversary Giveaway #6

Hello-and welcome to my week of giveaways in honor of my third blogoversary. Every day this week, I will be having a giveaway.

Most will be pretty straightforward-today you have the chance to win:

your choice of Mystery book, up to $15 at Book Depository

When I say mystery, I'm including thrillers and other suspense stories too. The book can be adult, YA, or MG so long as the main focus is on something mysterious. I've include some pictures of books I've reviewed on this blog to give you some ideas.

Rules:

1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. You do NOT have to follow although I appreciate it and you get an extra entry; you can also tweet for another entry.
4. Contest ends November 30 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email on December 1 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com.
7. You are free to enter every giveaway this week (and you definitely should!) but if you (somehow) win 2 or more, I will email you to pick one. I want to have seven different winners!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogoversary Giveaway #5

Today is actually the official 3rd anniversary of me deciding to create a blog. I had basically no idea what I was doing (still don't, let's be honest) but in general I do have a lot of fun. It's ridiculous

The giveaway for today is:

any 2012 release of your choice (no restrictions on genre or category)

I just love sharing pictures of my cat

 Rules:

1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. You do NOT have to follow although I appreciate it and you get an extra entry; you can also tweet for another entry. You can also earn a third entry by leaving me a comment on today's post.
4. Contest ends November 30 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email on December 1 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com.
7. You are free to enter every giveaway this week but if you (somehow) win 2 or more, I will email you to pick one. I want to have seven different winners!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogoversary Giveaway #4

Hello-and welcome to my week of giveaways in honor of my third blogoversary. Every day this week, I will be having a giveaway.

Most will be pretty straightforward-today you have the chance to win:

your choice of Classic, up to $15 at Book Depository.

Personally I have really been enjoying my readalong of Anna Karenina. Through this and other readalongs, I have discovered that not all classics are as intimidating as school made them seem. Even if you don't usually read classics, I encourage you to give them a try. You might be surprised by their accessibility and continued relevance.

Rules:
1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. You do NOT have to follow although I appreciate it and you get an extra entry; you can also tweet for another entry.
4. Contest ends November 30 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email on December 1 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com.
7. You are free to enter every giveaway this week but if you (somehow) win 2 or more, I will email you to pick one. I want to have seven different winners!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogoversary Giveaway #3

Hello-and welcome to my week of giveaways in honor of my third blogoversary. Every day this week, I will be having a giveaway.

Most will be pretty straightforward-today you have the chance to win:

your choice of YA book, up to $15 at Book Depository.

I have included some ideas below but it's completely your choice. By YA, I am also actually including MG and New Adult, because why not?

Rules:
1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. You do NOT have to follow although I appreciate it and you get an extra entry; you can also tweet for another entry.
4. Contest ends November 30 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email on December 1 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com.
7. You are free to enter every giveaway this week but if you (somehow) win 2 or more, I will email you to pick one. I want to have seven different winners!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogoversary Giveaway #2

Hello-and welcome to my week of giveaways in honor of my third blogoversary. Every day this week, I will be having a giveaway.

Most will be pretty straightforward-today you have the chance to win:

your choice of romance book, up to $15 at Book Depository.

I have included pictures below of some options but it's completely your choice. Any book where the main plot is a romance is up for grabs.

Rules:
1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. You do NOT have to follow although I appreciate it and you get an extra entry; you can also tweet for another entry.
4. Contest ends November 30 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email on December 1 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com.
7. You are free to enter every giveaway this week but if you (somehow) win 2 or more, I will email you to pick one. I want to have seven different winners!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogoversary Giveaway #1

Hello-and welcome to my week of giveaways in honor of my third blogoversary. Every day this week, I will be having a giveaway.

Most will be pretty straightforward-today you have the chance to win:

your choice of YA Contemporary book, up to $15 at Book Depository.

I have included pictures below of some options but it's completely your choice.

 

Rules:
1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships. So this contest is international :)
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. You do NOT have to follow although I appreciate it and you get an extra entry; you can also tweet for another entry.
4. Contest ends November 30 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter standards
5. Winner will be contacted via email on December 1 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com.
7. You are free to enter every giveaway this week but if you (somehow) win 2 or more, I will email you to pick one. I want to have seven different winners!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner! @alexandra145

My YA realistic fiction giveaway is over and the winner is: 

Alexandra M 

Congrats-I've sent you an email to discuss the details (be sure to check your spam filter)!

 

#Giveaway: Princess for Hire book by @Lindsey_Leavitt

As part of the blog tour for the conclusion to Lindsey Leavitt's Princess for Hire series, I decided to give away one copy of any of the three books. I know everyone hasn't had a chance to read them all yet so this way you can choose which book you need. You can choose from:

Princess for Hire
The Royal Treatment
A Farewell to Charms

Rules:
1. There will be 1 winner, who must have a mailing address in a country where Book Depository ships.
2. You must be 13 years of age or older or use parental information to enter.
3. You do NOT have to follow although I appreciate it; I have a couple of extra entries because I am experimenting with Rafflecopter but all it takes to enter is to input a valid email address.
4. Contest ends July 15 at midnight, EST per Rafflecopter-does any one know how to change the time zone on Rafflecopter?
5. Winner will be contacted via email on July 15 and will have 48 hours to respond with book selection and address or else I will move on to the next person. I pledge to keep your address confidential and to delete it as soon as I have shipped your book.
6. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at bookworm1858@hotmail.com.

~Blog comments are appreciated but do not count as valid entries~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Supernaturally Giveaway Winners!

I want to start by thanking everyone for entering this giveaway, following me, and leaving comments. I've already made one change and I'm mulling over a few others in order to improve my blog and make it more user-friendly.

Let's see some winners then!

US Winner of Signed Supernaturally

Sakira

US Winner of Signed Wolfsbane

WulfLuva

US Winner of Signed Anna and the French Kiss

Megan Kyser

International Winner is

Rae, 

who chose Lola and the Boy Next Door

Congratulations! I have sent you emails to confirm mailing address (make sure to check your spam filter!); you have 24 hours to respond or I will pick another winner! I am hoping to go to the post office tomorrow or Friday so please respond promptly.