Tuesday, April 30, 2013

WINNERS ANNOUNCED on EMILY GIFFIN & OTHER GREAT BOOKS!



Thank you all so very much for participating in the recent giveaway! If you shared on Facebook and posted on Twitter, you were entered into the drawing extra times and Random.org has chosen five winners. Here is a sampling of the books I have here that will be sent to you - each winner will receive a mixed batch of some of the books here, and some others not shown. Every winner will receive a signed copy of WHERE WE BELONG and an e-book of WHAT SHE LEFT US (by me, pimp, pimp, pimp!). You will also each receive a copy of a novel by Amy Hatvany, Katherine Center, Anita Hughes and Gwendolyn Gross. A few more books will be tossed in for fun! Congrats to you all. Your names are listed below, and please send me an email at stephanieelliot@gmail.com letting me know your full name and address so I can mail you your books. BUT WAIT! If you didn't win, please don't worry… BECAUSE on Wed or Thursday, I will be highlighting Jennifer Weiner's THE NEXT BEST THING and offering a signed copy, and after that, I will be featuring WHEN SHE WAS GONE by Gwendolen Gross, and it's AH-MAZING! So stick around, there are so many more awesome books here on Booking with Manic for you to win!  

 


Here are the winners, chosen by Random.org:



*Lizett Torres (lizette34)

*Absolutahnie

*A.C.


*Na S. (Cambonified)



Thanks again to all who participated, and come back around -- more great books coming up later this week for you to win!

Monday, April 15, 2013

EMILY GIFFIN Signed Copies of WHERE WE BELONG & SO MUCH MORE!!!

Winners announced (see next post for details):
*Lizett Torres (lizette34)

*Absolutahnie

*A.C.

*Bookaholic (aka pigsrcute)

*Na S. (Cambonified)
 

Let's Celebrate Spring and Books & Fabulous Authors!


We've got some great things happening at Booking with Manic today, first and foremost, we are giving away FIVE SIGNED COPIES of Emily Giffin's book WHERE WE BELONG which is out now in paperback!

THERE. IS. MORE...


How is THAT for exciting! I am also kicking off this giveaway with a brand-new segment I'll be adding to all the features called THESE THREE THINGS (Triple Tees), in which the authors will share something personal either about themselves or their book.



Here are Emily's "Triple Tees!" and they all have to do with her book, WHERE WE BELONG:

So, take it away Emily!



1.  The original working title for the book was SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE, which was my favorite option! Ultimately, my publisher shot it down because of the Kelly Clarkson song, and I've since come around to WHERE WE BELONG (SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE just doesn't sound right anymore!)...


2.  There is a very brief shout-out tucked into the book to my high school (and early college) boyfriend -- the only time I've ever directly referenced a past relationship of mine in one of my books. Incidentally, we are still great friends and he is a TV writer out in Hollywood who provided a lot of advice and professional insights into Marian's career.


3.  Marian's high school character is, in part, based on a girl I was friendly with in high school, who went through something very similar before graduation. How she chose to deal with the situation is reflected in Marian's choices in the book, though they are not perfectly identical (thankfully!). I've always both admired and wondered about how she cameto the decision she did, which is something I really wanted to explore with Marian's character. If you read the book, you'll know what I mean!

Thank you so much Emily for sharing a bit more about your personal experience with writing Where We Belong in the very first segment of THESE THREE THINGS!



Along with FIVE winners receiving WHERE WE BELONG SIGNED COPIES, each of those winners will also receive an e-book copy of WHAT SHE LEFT US, my newly released book. (of course I have to pimp it, right?) And if you already bought it, well THANK YOU, and in that case, you may choose an e-book of that same cost on amazon, and I'll send that one to you instead!



But THERE'S MORE! (Of course there is because I'm MANIC!)


These five winners will ALSO each receive books from these amazing authors in their batch of book goodness:




The lucky FIVE winners will ALSO get some surprise books from some of these authors and they will be mix-and-match, so you won't know which books I'll send to you:


Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Leslie Daniels, Bethenny Frankel, Susan McBride, Hilary Reyl, , Patricia Harman, B.A.Shapiro, JillKargman, Julie Klam, Erin Duffy, Kristyn Kusek Lewis, Natasha Solomons and more.



So to recap, FIVE winners will receive a SIGNED copy of Emily Giffin's WHERE WE BELONG and either my new book, WHAT SHE LEFT US or another same priced e-book. AND, each of you will also get books from Amy Hatvany, Gwendolyn Gross, Anita Hughes, and Katherine Center! Plus in your prize pack, you will get a random selection of books from other authors listed above plus some more that I haven't even named here!



So, who wants to win some great books? Here's what you'll have to do…



TO GET ONE ENTRY: Enter HERE in the comments by just typing "EG ROCKS" and leave your email address or make sure you leave an identifying original name/contact info.



GET ADDITIONAL ENTRY BY TWEETING (just copy and paste this tweet):

  Win signed copies of Emily Giffin WHERE WE BELONG & other great books here!



GET THIRD ENTRY BY SHARING THIS BLOG POST ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE and MAKE SURE TO tag me and Emily (if you and I are not friends, friend me at https://www.facebook.com/StephanieSteinElliot)

You can only enter a grand total of THREE times (on blog, by tweeting and via FB. Tweeting or extra FB shares do not get you more entries, but ARE very much appreciated! :)



Sound easy!?!? It's SOOO easy, and so much fun! Jump on it folks, there are so many great books out there waiting for homes! And thank you so much for stopping by Booking with Manic!

If you have ANY questions, leave them here in the comment section. You must come back to the blog to see if you've won - I will list winners in a separate post during the week of April 29!

Thank you to Emily, Amy, Gwendolen, Anita, Katherine, (Stephen & Kate too, and everyone else's awesome publicists) for making this giveaway possible and to all of the great authors who write the wonderful books I'm able to share here on Booking with Manic! You're all amazing and I'm so grateful I get to give books to everyone -- I LOVE doing this! 

Some small but important details you should probably read:
If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!



Sunday, April 14, 2013

Winners of THE BEST OF US by Sarah Pekkanen & Upcoming SURPRISE on BLOG!!

Announcing the winners of THE BEST OF US!!!
 
But first,  
DO NOT MISS A HUGE SURPRISE GIVEAWAY
on TUESDAY!! 
Make sure to stop by!


Congrats to:

Emma S. - who wants to travel to Fiji or Australia

and

Kimmi who wants to go to Italy

You each have won a copy of Sarah Pekkanen's new book! Please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com with your full name and address so I can send you your book!

Remember, come back to the blog on Tuesday for some exciting fun giveaway!

And, have you heard about a little book called What She Left Us by me? Check it out on amazon if you haven't already! Thanks!
 

Huge fun great awesome giveaway on Tuesday, and if you read this far and need an extra clue -- here are two words for you... Emily Giffin...

Monday, April 08, 2013

THE BEST OF US by Sarah Pekkanen

LATEST WINNER: Winner of the "Let's Hear It For The Boys" $10 Amazon Gift Card goes to Bridget T aka Iambtinrb... please email me at stephanieelliotATgmail.com with your full name and address!





Hey there! So I've had a lot going on recently, which I will be telling you more about in the coming week or so, but in between a little thing called What She Left Us, I've also been double-time reading two great books and one of them debuts this week and one has already debuted. I'll share the one that already debuted later this week or next week … it's When She Was Gone by Gwendolyn Gross and it's STUNNING!... as is the one I bring to you right now…


… which is by the FABULOUS Sarah Pekkanen who you all know I have loved since her first book The Opposite of Me. Her fourth book is out tomorrow, April 9 and it's called The Best of Us.


In The Best of Us, Sarah weaves the story of four couples as they embark on all-expenses paid vacation to Jamaica to celebrate one husband's birthday, only to be in the midst of a hurricane during their trip.


I love stories like this one in particular because I always jump into them thinking, "How am I going to keep all of these characters and their stories separate from one another," and Sarah just writes it so I can easily compartmentalize them in my brain!


Each character, from organized and put-together Allie, to stressed-out-mother-of-four Tina… to Savannah, who is trying to have it all while things are falling apart in her life, and Pauline, who doesn't know the others that well and is trying to host the event … are defined perfectly… Sarah vividly draws the picture of each woman and I felt compassion and understanding for each women's struggles, desires and personal issues.


Here is the full synopsis:


An all-expense-paid week at a luxury villa in Jamaica—it’s the invitation of a lifetime for a group of old college friends. All four women are desperate not just for a reunion, but for an escape: Tina is drowning under the demands of mothering four young children. Allie is shattered by the news that a genetic illness runs in her family. Savannah is carrying the secret of her husband’s infidelity. And, finally, there’s Pauline, who spares no expense to throw her wealthy husband an unforgettable thirty-fifth birthday celebration, hoping it will gloss over the cracks already splitting apart their new marriage. 

Languid hours on a private beach, gourmet dinners, and late nights of drinking kick off an idyllic week for the women and their husbands. But as a powerful hurricane bears down on the island, turmoil swirls inside the villa, forcing each of the women to reevaluate everything she knows about her friends—and herself.

If you could take an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you want to go? I definitely would want to go to Bora Bora or Tahiti (is that even the same place? I am horrible at geography!) and stay at one of those over-the-water rooms where the floor is glass and you can see the fish swimming. I love the beach so much so ocean destinations are my go-to dream destinations! How about you? Share your dream all-inclusive destination for a chance to win The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen! We are giving away TWO books this time! Thank you to Sarah and her publisher! 

If you wanna play with Manic, you gotta read this:
If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!


 

Thursday, April 04, 2013

What She Left Us by Stephanie Elliot

I'm no good at keeping secrets... 
available in e-book form on amazon.com... click the link below.




Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Let's Hear it for the Boys!

LATEST WINNER: Winner of the "Let's Hear It For The Boys" $10 Amazon Gift Card goes to Bridget T aka Iambtinrb... please email me at stephanieelliotATgmail.com with your full name and address!




First off, we have the winner of HEART LIKE MINE - Congrats to NOVA, aka sparkle40175. Please email me your full name and address at stephanieelliot(at)gmail.com so we can send you your book! Also, so many of you are fans of Mexican food! And second runner up: Olive Garden! Who knew! Thanks for sharing your fave restaurants with me. Now I'm hungry! Now, onto today's post, which is…

Let's Hear it for the Boys!

I don't highlight men authors enough on Booking with Manic so I thought I'd do a post showcasing three authors you have GOT to get your hands on. Check these authors out and the books they have written. You will be surprised and delighted. I love when I find a good man (author!) and am excited to share some of them with you here:

Many of you are familiar with Harlan Coben and I have heard of him for years but never read him. When this book was brought to my attention, I knew I wanted to check him out!
 
Fast-paced with short chapters for quick reading, which I LOVE, Six Years will have you racing through the pages to get to the final thrilling ending.

Jake watched the love of his life Natalie, marry another man, and for six years he's been miserable knowing he let the woman of his dreams get away. When he reads Natalie's husband's obituary in the newspaper, he decides to attend his funeral. Hoping beyond hope to reconnect with Natalie, imagine his shock when at the funeral, the grieving wife is not Natalie. This spurs Jake on an adventure to find Natalie and to discover what happened to her.

Debut author Jon Harrison is one to watch! His new book,The Banks of Certain Rivers has been called a "jewel-box of a novel", mixing humor and drama. James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces, (love him or hate him -- he's a brilliant writer, and I personally love him!) says of The Banks of Certain Rivers that it is "Urgent, real, and often very funny."
 
The Banks of Certain Rivers
Personally, I love any story where social media is weaved into the plot and as you'll read in this blurb, the secret gets out via YouTube in the "worst possible way."

Neil Kazenzakis is barely holding his life together: ever since an accident left his wife profoundly disabled, he's been doing his best as a single dad and popular high school teacher. He's also been dealing with Lauren Downey, his sort-of girlfriend of the past two years who's pushing for a commitment—and for Neil to finally tell his son Christopher about their secret relationship.

Neil's carefully balanced world begins to fall apart when some questionable footage of him is anonymously posted to YouTube...just as Chris learns about Lauren in the worst possible way. Doubting his own recollection of the events in the online video as he's threatened with the loss of his job and the ability to care for his wife, Neil must find a way to prove the truth to his family, his community, and himself as he struggles to regain the splintered trust of his son.

David Klein is an author I've had my eye on for a while and I'm really sorry I haven't highlighted him here sooner. There are two books of his that I really want you to check out!

A riveting tale of psychological suspense about a woman who finds herself in an impossible situation.
Clean Break
Lured by the hope of a better life for herself and her son, Celeste Vanek must deal with the emotional and physical resistance of her compulsive gambler husband when she asks for a divorce. Though she hopes she is on the verge of making a clean break, her husband demands his family back, and things get violent. Jake Atwood, who witnesses the shocking scene between Celeste and her husband, struggles with his own emotional and ethical issues while attempting to help Celeste escape her marriage. At the same time, Jake is involved with Sara, a married and childless police detective who has a private agenda to pursue when a crime is committed that links all of these characters together and changes their lives forever. With heart-pounding suspense and brilliant psychological insight,
CLEAN BREAK will leave readers breathless.

Gwen Raine is a woman readers will instantly recognize: an attractive, thirtyish stay-at-home mom who lives in the kind of tranquil suburban community where the wives spend their days ferrying the kids to and from school and music lessons and nature camps and where the husbands work long, grueling hours at stressful white-collar jobs in order to maintain the upscale standard of living to which the whole family has become all-too-accustomed. It’s a milieu in which everything seems to be right—yet so much can go wrong.
 STASH David Klein
And it does—starting with a seemingly minor decision that turns Gwen’s perfect life upside down. It’s a typical Friday morning in late summer and Gwen is anticipating a long-awaited weekend away at the lake with her overworked husband, Brian, and their two small children. After dropping her daughter off at swim class, Gwen drives across town to purchase a small bag of marijuana from an old flame. She’s counting on the pot to help her unwind later that night in those precious private moments with Brian after the kids are asleep. Then, on the way home, Gwen gets into a car accident—an accident that leaves her bruised and somewhat battered but leaves the other driver (an elderly man who crossed over into her lane) dead. The local police know the accident isn’t her fault, but when they find the marijuana in Gwen’s car, they throw the book at her. There have been problems with drugs in the schools and they want to crack down on abusers, whoever and wherever they are. Before long, Gwen is in legal hot water—and the temperature keeps rising. Finally, under pressure from the police, her attorney, and her own husband, she reveals her source’s name.
Meanwhile, Brian is embroiled in a moral and legal dilemma of his own when the big pharmaceutical company he works for markets an anti-anxiety drug for "off-label" use as a weight-loss aid, only to discover that it can have deadly consequences. And Gwen’s former lover Jude, a local restaurateur and the supplier of the stash of the title, has gotten in way over his head with his little side business.
Told from multiple perspectives and revolving around a diverse set of vividly imagined characters, this rich, ambitious, and deeply satisfying novel takes a mordant look at our society’s ambivalent and often hypocritical attitude toward all manner of mood-altering substances, legal and illegal. Paced by psychological suspense and an ever-thickening plot, Stash ultimately is about the moral complications that arise when a modern woman’s fierce determination to do the right thing collides head-on with human fallibility and desire.

Share with me who is one of your favorite male authors and the winner will receive a $10 amazon gift card FROM me so you can purchase the book of your choice--hopefully you will choose one of these amazing books by one of these very talented authors I've highlighted here!! 

If you wanna play with Manic, you gotta read this:
If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!