Book Blogger Hop No. 77: My Giveaway Format

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

 What format do you use to set up your

giveaways -- Rafflecopter, Google,

leave a comment for an entry,

or some other style?

(submitted  by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

My Answer

When I first started blogging, I didn't feature giveaways as part of my blog. After some time, though, I decided to do so. I figured this would help put my blog on the map! 

The first couple of giveaways I did were a LOT of work for me, as I had no idea that  there was an easier way. At that time, I simply asked people to comment on a chosen topic. Then, at the end of the giveaway, I would actually type out, in Word, all the contestants' names, print out the list, and then go through the laborious process of actually cutting out all the names! Lol. I would then fold each little piece of paper, and place it into a hat, which I would shake. After that, without looking, I would reach into the hat to pick out the winner! Hahahaha!! I kid you not -- this was the actual process I used in order to find my giveaway winner!

This state of affairs didn't last long, however. I knew I couldn't possibly do this every single time I ran a giveaway! It was MUCH too time-consuming! So I did some blog browsing to see how other bloggers ran their giveaways. That was how I discovered Rafflecopter, and now I use this very convenient widget to run all of my giveaways. Compared with my old-fashioned method, this is way faster, and much more convenient! Lol.

It's no trouble at all to copy and paste the widget code into my posts, and the selection process is truly random, as well as automatic. I can announce the winner right on the widget, too.

In short, I've been using Rafflecopter ever since, and never looked back! I've noticed that the blog tour companies I work with also prefer this method. It's simply the best one I have found so far! No more pulling names out of a hat! Lol.       

  

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

Please leave a comment!

If you're participating in this meme,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!! 

Book Blogger Hop No. 60: Books as Gifts

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

What to Do

1.) Post on your blog answering this week's

question:

Do you give books as gifts?

(submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

2.)  Enter the link to your post in the

Linky list on Billy's blog.

3.)  Visit other blogs on the list and

comment on their posts. 

4.)  Be sure to find out next week's

question when you visit

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

My Answer

Unfortunately, not very often. This is not because I don't want to, but because there are very few people in my life who love books as much as I do, sadly enough..... The one person I know will always appreciate receiving a book as a gift is my mother, but even then, not all the time. She does like other things, as well.

Throughout the years, I've noticed that people tend to give gifts that they themselves would like to receive. Therefore, I've received things like perfume, or earring and necklace sets, for either birthdays or on Christmas Day. Now, it's not that I don't appreciate such gifts, because I certainly do. But they don't drive me crazy with delight the way a book would. There's absolutely NO present in this world, for me, that could ever compare with a book! However, in the past, even when certain people have KNOWN how much I love to receive books as gifts, they've still given me things they thought "more appropriate", meaning, of course, "more appropriate for a female", which is totally ridiculous. Why would a book NOT be appropriate for a woman as a gift? This has sometimes happened to me when I've participated in "Secret Santa" events held in office jobs during the Christmas season.

I always try to find out what types of things a person would like to receive as a gift. I never assume that, because I love to receive books as gifts, other people will, too. Only another bookworm like me would really appreciate receiving a book as a gift. But even then, though, I do try to find out what type of books people enjoy reading. That will avoid the awkwardness of giving a murder mystery to someone who enjoys romance novels, for instance. Lol.

Of course, I do give books as prizes whenever I host giveaways. That's not quite the same thing, but it's still giving someone a free book, which I know they will treasure, especially when I host giveaways in which entrants get their choice of book.

I sometimes feel sad that I'm not surrounded by "book people".....but then, I have friends here on the blogosphere who share my love of books. It would be so nice if I could interact with you guys in person, but oh, well.....at least we can meet and discuss books here on the Web.

I'm looking forward to future giveaways here on my blog, so that you can all get a chance to win the book of your choice!     



What are your thoughts on

the opinions I've expressed here?

Please leave a comment,

and I'll go check out your post!

Giveaway Winners!!!!!!!

Here are the winners for my two

recent giveaways!!

 This giveaway was for the blog tour of 
the Angelorum Twelve Chronicles,

by L.G. O'Connor!

And the winner is.....

Vivian Vereeke!!!!!

CONGRATS TO VIVIAN!!!

This is her prize, which she

has already claimed!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The second giveaway was the Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop! 

And the winner is......

Isa @ Chasing Quills!!

CONGRATS TO ISA!!!!

This is her prize, which she

has already claimed!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A great BIG "thank you" to all 

who participated in 

these two FAB contests!!

Be sure to enter my current giveaway, 

where you can win 

the book with your favorite cover,

or $15.00 in PayPal cash!!

 Simply click HERE, or 

scroll down to the post below!!

  

Blog Tour: Interview/Giveaway!! E. Van Lowe, author of the Falling Angels Saga

Welcome to this stop in the 

Falling Angels Saga Tour, 

sponsored by 

Bewitching Book Tours!!

E. Van Lowe

Author Interview

Maria:  Have you always wanted to be a novelist, or did you decide to become one after doing other kinds of writing, such as your work for famous TV shows?

E.:  I've wanted to write books since I was ten years old.  Throughout my career in TV and film I always knew I was going to return to my great love one day.  Now I'm back to writing books, and it feels great.  Home at last!

Maria:  Do you feel that your TV, play, and screenwriting experience has influenced your novels, and/or vice versa?  If so, how?

E.:  Working in TV definitely influenced my ability to write the way I do today.  Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to write for Bill Cosby and "The Cosby Show".  It was there I learned how to interject humor into story-telling.  I knew how to tell a good joke before then, but writing humor was new to me.  If you've read any of my novels, you know how humorous they are.  I learned that very important skill writing for "The Cosby Show".

Maria:  How do your characters present themselves to you?  Do they suddenly appear, full-blown, in your mind's eye, or do they whisper in your ear, letting you know that you have to follow them down the yellow brick road if you want to get to know them better?

E.:  My characters appear as strangers at first.  It's as if I get a glimpse of them across the room and our eyes meet, and we both know we have to get to know one another.  I always think I know them much better than I do when we first meet.  Even as the creator of these characters, I'm often surprised by the differences in them as I get to know them.  Part of the fun for me is getting to know them just as you (the reader) are getting to know them.

Maria:  What prompted you to choose the young adult genre?

E.:  I wasn't planning on writing YA.  The genre kind of chose me.  In 2001 I developed a show for the Disney Channel -- "Even Stevens".  I discovered during the process that I remembered my teen and pre-teen years as if it was yesterday.  Not so much the actions of those years, but the intense emotions.  After "Even Stevens", I came up with an idea for another TV show that Disney didn't buy.  I tried to sell it to Nick At Night, but there was no interest there, either.  So I decided to write it as a novel.  A third of the way in, I abandoned the idea, and wrote Never Slow Dance With A Zombie (an idea that came to me out of the blue).  I've been writing paranormal YA with humor ever since.  By the way, I never went back to the original idea.

Maria:  What wild and zany adventures would you enjoy having, if you could?

E.:  While wild and zany things may happen to my characters, I, on the other hand, like to keep things pretty calm.  Lying on a beach with a tropical drink in my hand is my idea of adventure.  I'll restrict the zany adventures to my characters for others to enjoy.

Maria:  Do you think it's important to balance drama with some humor, in novels with a predominantly dramatic plot?

E.:  I believe every good story needs what I call a dramatic underpinning.  This underpinning has more to do with a character's emotions and emotional needs than a plot line.  Plot and humor must come after this.  If you don't make an emotional connection with readers, humor won't matter.

Maria:  While writing these novels, did you at any point find yourself asking a character, "Now WHY did you that?"  If so, did the character give you a good reason for their behavior?

E.:  I've never asked that question.  I'm kind of an observer.  However, I can't tell you how many times I've stopped and said, "I wish you hadn't said or done that."  Because sometimes my characters do or say things and I have no idea what comes next.  This can be frustrating, but it's also what keeps the journey interesting for me.

Giveaway Winner!! The Wedding Favor, by Cara Connelly

 

The winner of the novel,  

The Wedding Favor, featured in the  

Bewitching Book Tours giveaway, 

is.....

Brittany H.!!

CONGRATULATIONS, BRITTANY!!!

She has already claimed her prize!

For more information about this book, 

just click on the cover.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much to those who entered, and please do 

stay tuned, because there are 

more giveaways

coming up soon!!  

Novel Publicity Book Tours Event!!

Support an awesome author and enter to WIN a Kindle Fire, a $50 Amazon Gift Card and an autographed copy of The Midwife's Revolt

We'll be doing an event every hour on the hour with prizes throughout as well as a day long giveaway for a Kindle Fire! Each event will have clues for extra entries so check back in often. So hop over to GoodReads between 10AM and 8PM EST! Come back throughout the day to get more inside info about Jodi, The Midwife's Revolt and have some fun!

Join us on GoodReads

The Midwife's Revolt is rated 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon this novel is rich in detail, character and intrigue! The Midwife’s Revolt takes the reader on a journey to the founding days of America. It follows one woman’s path, Lizzie Boylston, from her grieving days of widowhood after Bunker Hill, to her deepening friendship with Abigail Adams and midwifery, and finally to her dangerous work as a spy for the Cause. A novel rich in historical detail, The Midwife’s Revolt opens a window onto the real lives of colonial women.

"A charming, unexpected, and decidedly different view of the Revolutionary War." -- Publishers Weekly

We have a lot of fun things planned So come on over!

Time	Event
10am	10 things you didn't know about Jodi
11am	Trivia Game #1
12noon	Q&A #1
1pm	Picture Caption Contest
2pm	Excerpts -w/ Discussion Questions? #1
3pm	Trivia Game #2
4pm	Excerpts w/ Discussion Questions? #2
5pm	Cooking Discussion
6pm	Contest
7pm	Q&A #2
8pm	Announce Winner!

About the Book: The Midwife’s Revolt takes the reader on a journey to the founding days of America. It follows one woman’s path, Lizzie Boylston, from her grieving days of widowhood after Bunker Hill, to her deepening friendship with Abigail Adams and midwifery, and finally to her dangerous work as a spy for the Cause. Much has been written about our founding men. But The Midwife’s Revolt is unique in that it opens a window onto the lives of our founding women as well.

About the Author: Jodi Daynard is a writer of fiction, essays, and criticism. Her work has appeared in numerous periodicals, including The New York Times Book Review, The Village Voice, The Paris Review, Agni, New England Review and in several anthologies. She is the author of The Place Within: Portraits of the American Landscape by 20 Contemporary Writers (W. W. Norton). Ms. Daynard’s essays have been nominated for several prizes and mentioned in Best American Essays. She has taught writing at Harvard University, M.I.T., and in the MFA program at Emerson College, and served for seven years as Fiction Editor at Boston Review. The Midwife’s Revolt is her first novel.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can learn more HERE, then sign-up HERE.

Hey!  Don't miss the fun next time around!  Join us as an official
blog tour host for free review copies, blog content, and lots of prizes!

Innovative Online Book Tours: Excerpt from Shadow Moon, by Marilee Brothers, plus Giveaway!!

Welcome to this stop on the

Shadow Moon tour,

sponsored by

Innovative Online Book Tours!!

Shadow Moon

(Unbidden Magic #4)

Marilee Brothers

Trade Paperback, 230 pages

Bell Bridge Books

November 11, 2011

Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy,

Young Adult Fiction

Goodreads Synopsis

Allie Emerson is hoping for a few quiet months to catch her breath after a summer that included the discovery she is not only a twin and of faery blood, but also destined to play a pivotal role in faery world. School has barely begun when Allie must kiss her hope of a normal year goodbye.
She can't escape her unfinished business with the fae, the Trimarks, or Junior Martinez, who is making it clear he plans to win her back. Signs, portents and whispers are pushing Allie to "find the girl" before it's too late. Hoping her twin can help her solve the riddle of their destiny, Allie uncovers old secrets and begins a cross-country journey that puts her in more danger than ever before. If she succeeds, she may just find the answers that can save everyone she loves.

Here's a sneak peek at

this exciting YA novel!! 

Jessie held out a hand to Sammie.  "Come forward, child," he ordered.

Obediently, Sammie slid off the stool, still holding her guitar.  As she approached Jessie, Sammie's gaze skimmed over the crowd.  Allie, are you out there?

Huh?  Startled by the clarity of her voice inside my head, I almost stood and waved my arms.  Had I imagined hearing Sammie's words?  One way to find out.

I'm here, Sammie.  Last row.  To your left.  I thought the words and willed them to reach her.  When her gaze swung to the back row, she smiled.  Glad you're here.  A shiver slithered from the base of my neck down to the bottom of my spine.  Before I had a chance to analyze what just happened, Jessie started his rant.  He pointed out the pentagram tattoo on Sammie's neck.  "Ladies and gentlemen, do you understand the significance of this tattoo?"

I heard people mutter "Black magic", and "Satanism".  The color rose in Sammie's face.  My cheeks warmed up in response.  A tsunami of emotions flooded my mind.  Embarrassment.  Simmering rage.  Frustration.  Shame.  I clenched my fists and pressed my lips together to keep from crying out.  How could this be happening?  How could I feel what Sammie was feeling?  Hear her thoughts?  How could she hear mine?  Above all, what did it mean?