Fall Fab Book Giveaway Is Here!

Update: Since yesterday! Two more books added! See below!

Here it is!  

The Fall Fab Book Giveaway! 

Here's your chance to win 23 books by amazing authors!

For those of you not familiar with how the MaNiC MoMMy Book Giveaways work, let me explain! Every time I feature an author, you'll have a chance to win that book by simply leaving a comment on that post. I usually give 3-5 days to comment on a particular post to win a book. I will leave a "COMMENTS CLOSED" note at the end of the comment thread when that particular book is no longer available.


For every time you comment, that gives you an additional chance to win ALL the books at the end of the promotion as well. Let's say you win "I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship," and that's the only book you win throughout the whole contest, but you continue to comment on every single book I feature. Your name gets put into the hat that many times for the grand prize drawing at the end. Perhaps you don't win a single book, but you comment on all 23 books throughout the whole contest. Your name will be placed into the drawing 23 times at the end of the contest for the grand prize drawing to win all 23 books.

So, you see, it pays to come back and learn about all the great books I'll be featuring throughout September and part of October!

And who knows, some more authors may come forward and bring new books into the promo, so there could be even more fabulous books to offer you!


So far, there are 23 books being offered, and some will be featured as a Daily Double where one of you will win two books on that day. There are some rules, like books can only be shipped to U.S. and Canada (sorry, publishers make up that one, not me), and of course, there's that other rule that says I have to disclose that I get all these books from the authors or the publishers, although sometimes I do purchase them on my own.

You may only enter ONCE per book being featured; and please use a unique identifying USER NAME. There have been times when a winner might have entered her name as "Jen" and she's lost her chance to get a book because I can't say "Jen" won because that's too vague. PLEASE create a specific UNIQUE name if you want to win! Including an email address ensures you as the winner.

Check back to see if you’ve won the book of the day; winner will be listed at the top of the blog entry for the day in the highlighted area.


You must contact me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com to claim your book. Send me your full name, address, email address and the name of the book that you won. I will NOT alert winners. If you don’t contact me before the end of October, you will not receive your book. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com or leave a comment in the comments section and I'll answer them there.

And now, here are the participating authors, in no particular order:

HEADING TO CHI TOWN

Hey everyone, am heading to Chicago but I still have to pick the winners of the last three books. I'll keep the post open through the weekend in case you didn't get a chance to enter yet so go back to the previous post and enter to win any one of the three great books listed! Make sure to check to see if you've won a book throughout June by checking the tops of each post - some people didn't let me know if they've won -- it could be YOU!

Also please note, if you do win a book or if you would like to contact me: My email is stephanieelliot@gmail.com with ONE T. There's another girl out there who spells her last name with two Ts and she's been getting my emails. Fortunately, she's really cool. I have also gotten her emails. In fact, she's hosting a baby shower, and I've gotten her RSVPs. Someone asked me what she could bring to the baby shower. My head was spinning with all sorts of crazy answers - I could say, "Hey, did you know she's having TWINS!?!? Bring a bunch of boy/girl balloons and pink and blue cupcakes, but shhhh, don't tell anyone yet, cuz it's a surprise!" hahahah, I would NEVER DO that, but that's how my fiction-mind works!

Speaking of fiction, my agents have my novel now, and it's in their hands, so I just have to wait patiently! I have done one round of edits for them and I'm hoping that it will be ready soon to go to a bunch of editors and that someone will love the book and want to publish it.

In the meantime, I am putting together a great list of books to do a FALL FAB BLOWOUT GIVEAWAY for you guys, so not to worry, there are plenty of books coming soon, just right around the corner! And when I get back from Chicago, I will do the grand prize drawing which will include some of the books from the June giveaway, and a mysterious batch of other books that I have no idea what they will be. Long story short - since I moved, the new owners have been getting books sent to my old house STILL! I'll be picking them up in Chicago, and whatever books are there, the grand prize winner will be receiving a bunch of them. It's up to YOU GUYS to decide again -- should I split the bunch up? It's definitely going to be around 20 books or so!

I hope you're all having a great summer and reading LOTS! Here are the books I'll be taking along to Chicago with me, and YES, some of them will be turning up in the Fall Fab Blowout Giveaway as well!

Men, Women and Children by Chad Kultgen

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

Always Something There to Remind Me by Beth Harbison

Long Drive Home by Will Allison (getting to this one finally and can't wait!)

Let me know what you are reading!

PeaCe uP!

~MaNiC MoMMy

THE ONE THAT I WANT by Allison Winn Scotch & THE ORPHAN SISTER by Gwendolen Gross

WINNERS:

The Orphan Sister:

Qweska8402

The One That I Want:

JDSTEC

Please email me your addresses at stephanieelliot@gmail.com so I can get your books to you! Congrats!

The One That I Want

By: Allison Winn Scotch

The Orphan Sister
By Gwendolen Gross

TWO separate winners will win ONE book each. However, you only have to post ONCE and you will have the chance to win each of the books.

Allison is one of those authors who takes the time to connect with her fans, and is also willing to help other writers. She's on Facebook and Twitter - she's very fun to follow, if you haven't connected with her online. She's had the opportunity to interview some very hot celebs, and has freelanced for years as well as written NYT bestsellers. Her latest, The One That I Want is out in paperback next week, but you can win it here THIS WEEK!

The premise:

Tilly Farmer is thirty-two years old and has the perfect life she always dreamed of: married to her high school sweetheart, working as a school guidance counselor, trying for a baby. Perfect.

But one sweltering afternoon at the local fair, everything changes. Tilly wanders into a fortune teller's tent and meets an old childhood friend, who offers her more than just a reading. "I'm giving you the gift of clarity," her friend says. "It's what I always thought you needed." And soon enough, Tilly starts seeing things: her alcoholic father relapsing, staggering out of a bar with his car keys in hand; her husband uprooting their happy, stable life, a packed U-Haul in their driveway. And even more disturbing, these visions start coming true. Suddenly Tilly's perfect life, so meticulously mapped out, seems to be crumbling around her. And as she furiously races to keep up with - and hopefully change - her destiny, she faces the question: Which life does she want? The one she's carefully nursed for decades, or the one she never considered possible?

I'm also very excited about her fourth book, which will be out early 2012 called, The Song Remains the Same! Sneak Peek HERE!

And for all you writers out there with any kind of questions at all, don't forget to check out Allison's blog, Ask Allison, where she is always available to answer your writing questions! It's a great blog, very helpful and inspiring!

The Orphan Sister
By Gwendolen Gross

The next book to give away is one that Allison personally recommends, The Orphan Sister, by Gwendolen Gross, which I am completely engrossed in right now. Allison calls it “a gorgeous portrait of life, love, loss and sisterhood.”

I read five chapters while getting my hair colored today and cannot wait until later tonight when I can escape into some quiet time to continue reading. Gwendolen has written three other books, her most recent was The Other Mother, which I also loved and devoured. Her writing is so fluid and full of imagery, and The Orphan Sister is already so suspenseful and such a page-turner.

Here is the book’s premise:

Clementine Lord is not an orphan. She just feels like one sometimes. One of triplets, a quirk of nature left her the odd one out. Odette and Olivia are identical; Clementine is a singleton. Biologically speaking, she came from her own egg. Practically speaking, she never quite left it. Then Clementine’s father—a pediatric neurologist who is an expert on children’s brains, but clueless when it comes to his own daughters—disappears, and his choices, both past and present, force the family dynamics to change at last. As the three sisters struggle to make sense of it, their mother must emerge from the greenhouse and leave the flowers that have long been the focus of her warmth and nurturing.

For Clementine, the next step means retracing the winding route that led her to this very moment: to understand her father’s betrayal, the tragedy of her first lost love, her family’s divisions, and her best friend Eli’s sudden romantic interest. Most of all, she may finally have found the voice with which to share the inside story of being the odd sister out. . . .

To enter to win either one of these awesome books, tell me if you think you can judge a book by its cover? Is there a certain book cover you love? Personally, I love both these book covers. I love the book covers where you can't tell what the character looks like. I always like to imagine for myself who the character is.

Thanks for reading and being a part of June Blast-O-Books.

I also blog at SheKnows.com Real Moms Guide. Please take a look at my posts over there if you get a chance!

Don't forget to enter for any of the previous books that you may have missed. AS LONG AS A WINNER's NAME is NOT posted at the top of the blog post, then that means a winner has NOT yet been chosen so you can still enter to win that book but ONLY ONE TIME per book entry PLEASE!

If you're new here, check out the rules and other stuff for the June Blast-O-Books there under that highlighted link back there, or feel free to leave me a comment always and I'll answer it in the thread, or email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com. It is always at my discretion to change things up, and because of some regulations, I guess I must say that the books I review are given to me by either the authors or publishers or publicists, and I am never paid for my reviews, and they are my own personal reviews, and you know what, because I'm here telling you this anyway, I will also tell you that I never review a book I don't like, because you know what, why waste my time, life is too short to read a crappy book! There. There's my new mantra!

June Blast-O-Books!

Update! We've added MORE books ALREADY!!!

I'M DOING IT AGAIN!

June Blast-O-Books!

OK, I didn’t think I’d be doing this again so soon after the March Madness Book A Day Giveaway, but what better way to kick off summer than with a bunch of fun book reviews, features and giveaways, right?

RIGHT!

So, here’s what we’re going to do for the first part of June: Let’s start giving away some books next week, shall we? Every day until the book offers stop coming through, I’ll give away a book to a lucky reader. And same as last time, if you enter every day, I’ll put your name in to win a grand prize at the end, which will be a batch of books. This time the grand prize will be a random batch of books – some will be a selection of those that I’m giving away in June, and some will be some random extra books I have here. Plus I may toss in a Target gift card or a Starbucks card, and some other fun stuff; we’ll just have to see what I’m in the mood for giving away.

One thing that many of you were confused about last time was that some of you thought that you were not all included as many times as you entered daily. You were. If you leave a comment on EVERY post every time I offer you a book, your name will be entered in the final grand prize drawing THAT many times, whether you win a book or not. Guaranteed. So rest assured that even if you don’t win any of the books for the next 15 book giveaways (or however many I give away), your name will go into the ‘hat’ that many times to be eligible to win the grand prize.

This promo is called the June Blast-O-Books, and for now I’ve got these books committed, and there are possibly more to come, so stay tuned, and we’ll kick this bad boy off on Monday June 6th! However, unlike in March, I will be taking the weekends off! Some of the books being offered this time around will be e-books!

Got Milf? The Mordern Mom’s Guide to Feeling Fabulous, Looking Great, and Rocking a Minivan by Sarah Maizes

Parents Behaving Badly by Scott Gummer

Best Kept Secret by Amy Hatvany

Where’s My Wand? by Eric Poole

Skinny by Diana Spechler

Priceless by Nicole Richie (yep, THAT Nicole Richie)

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

The D Word by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

A Pug’s Tale by Allison Pace

The Silver Boat by Luanne Rice

Momfriends by Ariella Papa

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

Missing Persons by Clare O'Donohue

Chicken in the Car and the Car Won't Go: Nearly 200 Ways to Enjoy Chicagoland With Tweens And Tweens by Melisa Wells

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch

Here are some of the rules we played by from last time:
Sorry, but if you live outside of the U.S. or Canada, we can’t deliver books to you. You’re the lucky one who gets to live somewhere exotic, so that’s the one downfall you’ve got to suffer by not being able to win here.

Enter only once per book, but remember, if you don’t win that day, you will still be entered to win whatever the ‘grand’ prize I choose to make grand at the end of this June Blast-O-Books!

Use a unique identifying name when leaving your comment (JEN is NOT UNIQUE, but JEN36 IS UNIQUE – get it?), and preferably please try to leave a way for me to contact you if you can. Usually I will announce the book winner 3-5 days after I post the book review at the TOP of the post, so it’s important to COME BACK to the post to see if you have won.

You must contact me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com to claim your book. For the most part, I won’t come looking for you to give you your prize.

I use random.org to choose the winners.

Any questions, feel free to ask them in the comment section!

A Night Out With Jen! As in Lancaster.

As promised, here is the winning Haiku from the recent contest to win IF YOU WERE HERE, Jen Lancaster's first novel. It was chosen for the knowledge of Jen Lancaster's brood at home. Also Jen's friends, Tracey and Gina, had input on this Haiku being the winner. Congrats to Crystal717 for winning a personalized copy of IF YOU WERE HERE.

You guys have been so great about hanging out here and being supportive, so I'm trying to do as much as I can to give back a little wherever I can - I purchased an extra copy of the book and randomly chose another winner. That winner is Ally N. who will also receive a book that Jen also personalized.

Here is Crystal's winning Haiku:

Jen, Queen of the house

Loki, Libby, Maisy, Fletch

House full of madness

So, Ally and Crystal, please email me with your full name and address - I have your personalized books signed by Jen herself tonight waiting for you, and if you follow me on Facebook, you probably know I'm dying to go back to the post office so I can jam to some of the tunes they're always playing there!

Those of you who have entered other book giveaways, the winners of The Baby Planner and Here, Hope, Home have not yet come forward. Please check back to see if your name is at the top of those blog posts and contact me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com so you can receive your book. Would love to give those winners their books! Thanks!

And thanks to Jen tonight for a great reading/signing in Phoenix! She is one of my top five authors and is on my SHELF OF FAME in my office. Love her, love her humor, love her books! I'm just really sorry that I gave away a really big plot point of the book during the Q&A tonight! My bad! I hope she's gonna find it in her heart to forgive me.

Also, DO NOT FORGET to enter to win The First Husband by Laura Dave; in fact, CLICK HERE AND GO THERE NOW!! Don't forget to check back on Friday for FIVE DOLLAR FUN FACT FRIDAY. I promise this one for sure is gonna stump you all! And Heidi, I will send you your five bucks you won from guessing Barry Manilow soon! I've been low on the funds! : )

Thanks everyone for being such awesome readers!

PeaCe uP!
~MaNiC MoMMy

THE FIRST HUSBAND by Laura Dave

Congratulations to JEN R. who has NO TATTOOS but might consider a shooting star on the top of her foot has won the copy of THE FIRST HUSBAND! Please email me your full name and address so you can receive your book!

Laura Dave’s third book hit the shelves last week and it’s one of my favorite books, because Laura’s one of my favorite authors, and she can’t write ‘em fast enough. Laura was so generous in answering a few questions about The First Husband, and she’s even offered to give away ANOTHER copy here on MaNiC MoMMy (she gave away TWO sets of ALL her books in March – did you MISS THAT?). Seriously, she is that great!

Laura’s the type of author who makes you fall in love with all of her characters. They’re so real and likeable, even the ones you’re not quite sure you’re supposed to like. Here’s my conversation with her about The First Husband. Check it out and then leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win a copy! Thanks Laura! You ROCK!

MaNiC: Tell me about Roman Holiday - is it really a favorite movie of yours? Has bad stuff happened to you when you watch it? I’ve never seen it? Should I? Of course, I’ve never seen It’s a Wonderful Life or Gone with the Wind either! (I know, isn’t that like a cardinal sin!)

Laura: It is a cardinal sin! Mostly because you are missing out on serious enjoyment. Roman Holiday is a great movie—starring Audrey Hepburn (at her loveable best) as a trapped Princess eager to experience the real world. And, even though Audrey plays royalty, her desire to live life on her terms is highly relatable. And don’t even get me started on Gregory Peck. Wow.

As for my real-life bad luck movie? That would be All The Presidents Men. I love that movie—and my experience with it bringing me bad luck (and no longer watching it due to a misplaced superstition! Don’t judge me!) was what inspired my giving Annie a bad luck movie. Because—like Annie—as much as I love the movie, I will run out of the room if ever it comes on.

MM: Why did you feel the need to include the part in the book about the meeting of Caleb and Annie in the bar? And their attraction? I thought that was interesting but wasn’t sure what it was all about? Was that to trick the reader to think that maybe Annie would forget about both Griffin and Nick?

Laura: For me, the Caleb moment spoke to Annie’s ultimate psychological battle. Because of Annie’s past (her less-than-dependable mom/her nomadic childhood), she struggles to be present—both for herself, and the people who love her—and has organized her life so she can always escape in the name of something better being out there. There is always something exhilarating waiting for her just around the corner—in a new country, in a new part of the world. And Caleb represents the latest possibility.

She has a choice when they meet: she can choose something new and shiny all over again. Or she can choose someone (I won’t say whether I speak of Griffin or Nick, for those who haven’t read yet) who just may be everything.

MM: What I LOVED about The First Husband (among other things of course) is that I truly, TRULY didn’t know until the very end who she would end up with, and I do feel the reader is very conflicted as to who she would be with. Although I knew who I wanted to be with from the get-go!

Laura: Thank you! I’m so pleased to hear that. Early readers keep telling me that they really didn’t know what Annie was going to do, which makes me so happy to hear. I wanted her to have two viable choices. Griffin and Nick represent two sides of what Annie hopes for. But ultimately she has to choose—which side to be true to in herself. (As a side-note, I was happy with the choice she made too.)

MM: Why did you choose an anchor tattoo for Gia and Griffin? If Griffin and Annie were to get matching tattoos, what do you think they would get, and where? Also, do you think Annie is the type of person who would request that Griffin get his anchor tattoo removed?

Laura: That is a great question. It was actually a hand tattoo in the first draft (a tattoo of the hand of hamsa!), but that never felt precisely right to me. So much of Griffin’s life is anchored—anchored to his hometown, anchored to his family, anchored to his passion for his work—that I felt like an anchor was a tattoo choice he’d make.

Plus, Griffin’s ex-girlfriend Gia is both literally and metaphorically Griffin’s anchor. So much so that she almost sinks Griffin and Annie.

Even considering that, Annie wouldn’t ever ask Griffin to have his tattoo removed. It is an important piece of who he is.

But I think if Annie was going to brave it and get a tattoo with Griffin, she would suggest the opposite of an anchor for them. What’s the opposite? Maybe she’d pick a kite or a plane. Something that represents being set free.

MM: Did Jesse remind you of Uncle Jesse from Full House? ; )

Laura: That is hilarious! No, but how cute was John Stamos in his wedding episode? I know too much of that episode by heart to not be a little ashamed of it.

MM: Do you think Gia may ever show up in another book, or are these characters done in your mind? Or how about Nick? They’re all happily ever after?

Laura: I usually leave my characters in the world they’ve inhabited, but I have gotten such a phenomenal response to Annie’s best friend, Jordan, that I think she has the best shot of having her own story told. I try to never say never. So, yes, Jordan and her stepdaughter Sasha may very well appear in another book one of these days.

MM: Does your fiancé have any of the qualities that either Nick or Griffin possess? I know you live in LA, and also that your fiancé is in the TV industry. Nick is in movies and lives in LA … any connection between the two?

Laura: My fiancé, Josh, would definitely say there is. He thinks he’s Nick and Griffin and every other character, including Annie! I’m just kidding (mostly).

But I do recognize there are some outward similarities between Nick and Josh: Josh is a screenwriter (he’s written for a bunch of TV shows including The West Wing and, currently, Fringe, which has totally turned me into a Sci-Fi geek, I’m proud to say). So he certainly has a work life that mirrors Nick’s. But, in reality, he has more in common with Griffin. He has Griffin’s sweetness. And he’s a great cook.

MM: What town did you design Williamsburg (see, I can’t even remember what town it is either, just like the characters in the book!) from? Would you ever survive in a town like that? And would you go there for your husband?

Laura: I lived in western Massachusetts for a year in my early twenties and I loved the idea of setting a novel there: in a place that on the surface is cold and difficult (I mean very cold!), but despite its challenges, it is stunningly special at its core.

As the writing progressed, I took needed narrative liberties, but I loosely designed Williamsburg on the real town of Williamsburg, which was about twenty minutes from where I lived. My future sister-in-law is a professor now at Mt. Holyoake, which gives me a great reason to go back to western Massachusetts and visit. I still have such a fondness for it, and like to imagine Annie living her life there.

MM: Thanks so much Laura! And for you guys out there who would like a chance to win The First Husband, since Laura’s character Griffin has a tattoo, let me ask you this – Do you have a tattoo, and if so, what kind? If you DON’T have a tattoo, what kind would you get/what would it say/what symbol would it be, and where would you get it?

GO!

IF YOU WERE HERE by Jen Lancaster - a Haiku CONTEST!

IF YOU WERE HERE by Jen Lancaster

So sorry that Blogger was sucking and down for like four days so here's the post for today ...

And instead of a Five Dollar Fun Fact Friday for you today (not to worry, I’ve got a good one for you next week!), I decided to do something different for you!

Since so many of you found me through the fabulous Jen Lancaster, I wanted to do something a little special for you guys. Many of you know she’s on tour this month for her new NOVEL, If You Were Here, which is OFFICIALLY A New York Times BESTSELLER! YAY JEN! … and she’s coming to Phoenix on Tuesday. More YAYAYAYAY!

Because NO ONE comes to the desert, which I don’t know why, possibly cuz we’re on the EDGE of the FREAKIN’ earth, and it’s a freakin’ OVEN here four months out of the year, it’s really quite beautiful otherwise...

But anyway, I will get to see Jen on Tuesday, and she has PROMISED me she will personally sign a book for one of you. (Oh yes she did – go read it on Twitter.) She’s no longer mad at me for when I did this to her at her MY FAIR LAZY SIGNING, even though if you can tell, she thought I was a total Asshat and was feeling quite stabby toward me after this episode! Hahah

View Video HERE

Anyway, I don’t know if I will get her to write anything more than Dear _____ Congrats, Love Jen, but I thought to make this fun, I want you to write a haiku and I’ll pick the BEST one and THAT ONE will be the one to win.

Or maybe I’ll pick the best five and let JEN pick the one that makes her laugh most. Or maybe I’ll have Jen’s BFFs choose the winner if they have time (because I’m friends with them on FB too). I’ll figure something out, but I thought this would be TOTALLY fun, right?

You all know how a haiku goes?

APPARENTLY, I FORGOT HOW A HAIKU GOES!


IT'S FIVE SYLLABLES,
SEVEN SYLLABLES,
FIVE SYLLABLES...

I have just made some of my old English and Creative Writing teachers very upset with me ...

SOOOOOO, thank you to JENN3128 for pointing out my GLARING faux pas on this one. I am really ashamed! For those of you who already entered, I'll keep yours the way you wrote them, and for anyone new, whichever way you feel most comfortable creating your haiku, go ahead and do it the way you want. (Make them clever though!)
So, this haiku works if you say “inspire” really fast and don’t say it like it’s three syllables, right?

Now, to enter to win a signed copy of Jen’s IF YOU WERE HERE, make up your own haiku for Jen to sign in your book (maybe, if the line's not too long!) PS, you can’t include “Jenny Lancaster” in YOUR haiku cuz I used that already! Sorry!

Include YOUR NAME as you would like her to WRITE IT IN YOUR BOOK if you win. If you don’t include YOUR NAME how you want Jen to sign your book if she were to sign it EXACTLY, then you can’t be entered, no matter how funny or creative your haiku is. And who knows, if I’m feeling really generous, maybe I’ll choose two of you! You’ve got to enter by Tuesday sometime because I’ll be seeing Jen on Tuesday evening! HURRY!

SERIOUS JEN LANCASTER FANS ONLY PLEASE! (So of course, that means ALL OF YOU!)

Because you guys have certainly been awesome for coming back here to read my blog all the time!

Check out the amazing and hilarious book trailer for IF YOU WERE HERE HERE! If you ever loved ANY movie by John Hughes, you will laugh your head off!

PeaCe uP!

MaNiC Style!

Seven syllables
Five syllables
Seven syllables

So, here’s my example:

Your words inspire every day

Jenny Lancaster

Oh Funny Chicago Girl

THE LAST LETTER by Kathleen Shoop

Congratulations to:

JMitch!

You have won a copy of The Last Letter!
Please email me your full name and mailing address and we'll get you a copy! Congrats!

Yep, you've got it right, another book for you my friends! But first, check back on Fly Away Home and Here, Hope, Home to see if you've won those books! And then, check out ...

Book: The Last Letter

Author: Kathleen ShoopIt’s time to give away another book so how about if we give away one that’s really close to my heart. This one is of the historical fiction genre, which I don’t usually gravitate toward, but I had the immense pleasure of copy-editing it for Kathleen Shoop, the author! I loved collaborating with Kathleen on this book AND discovering that I really do enjoy this genre!

I fell in love with Kathleen’s characters from the get-go! If any of you ever watched and loved Little House on the Prairie, you’ll totally relate to The Last Letter. Reading this book is like going back to your younger years when you would sit in front of the TV glued to Michael Landon, Laura, and crew and wait week after week to see what would happen, although The Last Letter offers so much more than what went on in that little log cabin of the Ingalls and the surrounding prairie land.

The Last Letter is like Little House on the Prairie on steroids in the best possible way! You’ve got infidelity, passion, friendship, love, drug abuse, natural disasters, all in a land of destitute and uncertainty. Page after page, The Last Letter offers heart-racing scenarios in a land of drama and turmoil. And in the center of it all is a strong-willed woman trying to do the best to hold her family together.

The Last Letter was inspired from real love letters written by the author’s great, great grandmother to her husband, Frank. Interestingly, the author chose to keep the main character’s names the same, along with some of the characteristics of her relatives.

Here’s the book blurb:
Katherine wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t found the letter… Katherine Arthur's dying mother arrives on her doorstep, forcing her to relive a past she wanted to forget. When Katherine was young, the Arthur family had been affluent city dwellers until shame sent them running for the prairie, into the unknown. Taking her family, including young Katherine, to live off the land was the last thing Jeanie Arthur had wanted, but she would do her best to make a go of it. For Jeanie's husband Frank it had been a world of opportunity. Dreaming, lazy Frank. But, it was a society of uncertainty—a domain of natural disasters, temptation, hatred, even death. Ten-year-old Katherine had loved her mother fiercely, put her trust in her completely, but when there was no other choice, and Jeanie resorted to extreme measures on the prairie to save her family, she tore Katherine’s world apart. Now, seventeen years later, Katherine has found the truth--she has discovered the last letter. After years of anger, can Katherine find it in her heart to understand why her mother made the decisions that changed them all? Can she forgive and finally begin to heal before it’s too late? The Last Letter is the novel for every daughter who thinks she knows her mother's story.

And I always like to give you all an EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK.

Since the book we’re giving away is called The Last Letter, tell me if you keep old letters? I have all my old letters from my old boyfriends (all three of them!). In fact, while cleaning out my office the other day, I found some from a guy I am now Facebook friends with who I met in Daytona Beach when I was 12! I Facebooked him to tell him I found them and he told me that HE still has the letters I wrote him! They are dated 1982, and I’m sure we corresponded all the way through the time until I met my husband! I was a letter writer!

What about you? To enter to win this book, tell me if you keep letters? (leave an identifying name or email so I can contact you if you win!)

And isn’t it so sad that the art of letter writing no longer exists?

Thanks to BooksparksPR for offering The Last Letter as a giveaway!

FLY AWAY HOME by Jennifer Weiner

Winner: KRYSTAL DYER!

Please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com to receive your copy of Fly Away Home! To those of you who didn't win, I will have an additional copy to give away during Five Dollar Fun Fact Friday this week! : )

Well, well, well what do we have here? A Book Giveaway!

Many of you know by now that my first author crush was on Jennifer Weiner when she wrote Good in Bed ten years ago. She’s a very important reason why I love books so much. Not only did I fall in chick-lit-love with GIB, she also inspired me to start my blog as hers was the very first blog I ever read, and I began MaNiC MoMMy (originally called Manic Mom's Mental Myriads) back in 2004. It was also because of Jennifer Weiner that I was inspired to write my first novel, 40 Weeks (RIP).

And because of Jennifer Weiner and a book signing I attended, I met my BBFF Swishy, who UNFORTUNATELY (ahem!), no longer blogs, but if she did, you would find her here, and love her as much as I do! I can’t believe Swishy hasn’t blogged in almost a year, she had so much wonderful stuff to say. And she still does!

Today, courtesy of Jennifer Weiner, I am giving away a copy of FLY AWAY HOME! And later this week, I might give away ANOTHER COPY! (teaser!)

FLY AWAY HOME is being described as “hilarious, heartbreaking, and insightful” and features a sister duo (I love Weiner’s books with sister combos!) and a politician’s wife. The three women take refuge at the family beach house after Dad’s extramarital affair makes headlines.

I loved all three of the women characters -- each are written so uniquely as only Jennifer Weiner can write them. Fly Away Home boasts strong women, with quirky personalities, and was one of my favorite Weiner books. Read the First Chapter Here.

Win a copy right now – tell me about a quirky/embarrassing personality trait you have that you would rather keep to yourself but you know it will make us all laugh!

To find out if Jennifer Weiner is going to be touring near you, go to jenniferweiner.com/events.

Jen’s next book, Then Came You will be on shelves July 12th! More info here when it’s available! I can't wait for this one!

To find out if you've won, come back here and check at the top of this post where I'll have a name (hopefully it'll be YOUR NAME!) listed at the top! GOOD LUCK, and another book may be popping up for you to win TOMORROW!? Who knows?!?

ONE OF THE MANY REASONS I LOVE BOOKS

Yesterday, I took Ajers to the chiropractor for the first time. He had a basketball injury. I was talking to the receptionist and she mentioned that her son was the doctor, and she and her husband had moved to AZ to be with him, so of course we started talking about how we ended up here, and how long she's been married, how long I've been married, practically our whole life stories, because that's what I do when I go out and start talking to people I meet - I like to learn about them. Her children are here -- her son is 28 (the chiropractor), her daughter is around 26 or so, and they are all from NY. She and her husband just celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary and decided to move here in October, so actually I have lived here longer than she has.

She moved here to be with her kids and semi-retire and help her son in his office and get away from the cold of NY and enjoy her life.

So I asked her how she is enjoying it.

"I love it here," she said.

"And what about your husband?" I asked.

"He went back to New York after a month. He hated it here. He likes hunting and fishing and being near the ocean. He didn't like it here at all."

My mind clicked. And immediately knew that she needed to have Laura Munson's This Is Not The Story You Think It Is. I just felt it in my gut that she was going through that sort of crisis. I didn't know this woman at all. But the look on her face, and what she had just told me in the few minutes that we talked, I could sense it. I had an extra copy at home, and my house is literally, five houses away from the doctor's office. I said to her, "I have a book you need to read, and I'm going to go home and get it for you. I'll be right back."

So I went home, got the book, and brought it to her. I don't know really anything of her personal story, except that she seemed like she might have been lost, and how could you not be? To spend 32 years with someone, and expect to spend the rest of your life enjoying each other, to make a move to be with your children. I feel for her. I wanted to help her in some way, and I really felt that Laura's words will give her some peace. So that's why I brought her the book.

That's why I love words and books so much. That's just one of the reasons that I wanted to share all these books with you all this past month, and that's why I will continue to bring books and stories and authors to you guys. I hope you'll still read. Thanks!

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT by Stacey Ballis

Winner Announced!
Congrats to:

Siobhan!

You have won Good Enough To Eat!
Please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com with your full name and address and I'll get your book to you. Thanks everyone for sharing your favorite part of yourself with me. I can tell you are all beautiful people! This was such a fun post for me to do and for me to imagine what you guys might look like! Think positive about all of your good traits! : )

First of all, THIS IS NOT THE END! I have FOUR more books to offer you guys after today's book, and then we have some housekeeping stuff to figure out! So, don't think this is the last book! It's NOT! YAY!!!

Book: Good Enough To Eat

Author: Stacey Ballis

Website: http://www.staceyballis.com/index.php

I read Stacey’s first book, Inappropriate Men, way back when and probably contacted her online to tell her how much I loved it. Then, when her next book came out, Sleeping Over, she invited me to her book launch party. My first ever book launch party! She was so nice and kind to me, and I was smitten! (What a fun word!) Of course, I’ve been a fan ever since. She’s talented in many ways – with writing and in cooking, and she’s been on the Rachel Ray Show and on CBS countless times.

In the book we’re offering today, Stacey Ballis incorporates her talents in writing and cooking to bring you Good Enough to Eat.

As I’ve not had a chance to read it yet, here’s the review from Booklist:

Melanie Hoffman and her husband Andrew have been happily married for almost 10 years but when Melanie slims down to a trim size 6 after once tipping the scale at 290 pounds, her hubby leaves her for another chubby lady. Now divorced, the 39 year-old finds solace in her successful Chicago restaurant serving healthy gourmet fare. She has a small support group there consisting of her energetic, gay sous chef, Kai, a ballsy part-time cook, Delia, and her new roomie, a 24-year-old whimsical vagabond named Nadia. As Melanie slowly sweeps up the crumbs of fallen love, she finds Nathan and the handsome documentary filmmaker helps her overcome her body image issues. Ballis's (The Spinster Sisters) use of the enjoyment of cooking and eating as a continuous theme with featured recipes in the back is a nice addition, but the heart of her book lies within the jagged mind of Melanie and her daily struggle that most women, fat or thin, endure. Women will savor the brutal honesty of how Melanie sees her body, her battles with food, her failed marriage, and her fear of new love.

If you love to cook and to eat, (and who doesn’t LOVE to eat?!) you’ll especially love Good Enough to Eat because there are a ton of pages of recipes you’ll want to try out at the end of the book!

Since part of this book is about Melanie’s body image issues, I want you to tell me the physical part of you that YOU LOVE BEST. For me, I really like my long legs the best! Your turn!

*****
Please leave a comment, and all those who do will qualify to win Good Enough To Eat! I’ll draw the winner in a couple of days and I will post the winner’s name at the TOP of this post, in the highlighted area.


Come back and read about each book every day in March. Choose the books you'd like to win. Enter for any or ALL the books. Each entry will count as an entry toward the grand prize of winning ALL 31+ books at the end of the month. You can win the book of the day and still qualify to win ALL the books at the end of the month!


PLEASE be specific with your name in the comment section, and IF YOUR NAME is listed as the winner, you must email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com in order to claim your prize. Email me with your full name and address so I can have your book(s) sent to you.


Thanks, and GOOD LUCK! And come back tomorrow to see what book I’ll be giving away then too!


It’s MaNiC MoMMy’s March Madness Book-A-Day Giveaway! Read ALL the Rules and Details Here!


Sorry, only U.S. and Canadian residents only!

THIS IS NOT THE STORY YOU THINK IT IS by Laura Munson

Winner Announced:

Congrats to Carie Casey!

Please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com with your full name and address and I'll get your book to you! And this was one of my most favorite comments from all of you! I loved your memoir titles! I have NO idea what I would call my memoir! You all have such clever ones! Thanks for sharing them with me! Loved them!

Book: This Is Not The Story You Think It Is: A Season of Unlikely Happiness

Author: Laura Munson

Website: lauramunsonauthor.com

Winner Announced Above

Today’s book is an incredibly special one, and so is the author. I had the awesome pleasure of meeting her a while back when she was in town to promote her New York Times bestseller, This Is Not The Story You Think It Is: A Season of Unlikely Happiness

Laura Munson first became famous for her emotionally-charged essay, Those Aren’t Fighting Words, Dear, which was published in The New York Times Modern Love section. The New York Times site crashed because of the overload of comments the essay brought in. You have to click over and read this essay after you’re done commenting here. It’s … I don’t even have the words to tell you how much of an impact it will have on you. It’s THAT powerful.

The essay is about Laura’s husband’s confusion in their marriage at that time and his desire to get out of it. When he told Laura he didn’t love her anymore, her reaction was, “I don’t buy it.”

What powerful words, and what strength Laura Munson had. She writes in her essay that some people might think she was a pushover or that she was weak. I say that she is one of the strongest women I know. To have that kind of power to withstand those words. To stand there in the face of an impending crisis, to look her husband in the eye and tell him that she wasn’t buying it, that she would give him “responsible distance” to figure out whatever was happening in his life, that is a brave woman. To her credit, Laura wasn’t going to give him years to make his mind up – she did put a time limit on how long she would put up with his behavior.

Laura was strong enough to know that what was going on in their marriage was not a “we” thing, but rather a “him” thing, and she was powerful enough to know that she wasn’t being rejected. It wasn’t because of anything she had done.

So she took her knowledge of what she learned and how she faced the crisis, and how she didn’t let it turn her life completely upside-down or ruin her family, and she wrote a book about it.

May we all be this strong when faced with any hardship that may come our way, whether it be in our marriages, with our children, our family, our jobs, our discontent with our personal self-satisfaction, our emotional desire to be something other than what we are. This Is Not The Story You Think It Is. This is a book for all women, and even all men. It’s for all people dealing with a personal crisis. It’s empowering, it’s powerful. It’s a self-strengthening book that everyone can take something away from.

Laura’s book may very well offer you the power you might need in the moment you may least expect it. Her words will strengthen your mind, your heart, and your soul.

So I do say this to you now, this book is NOT about a divorce – Laura and her husband did not divorce, they got THROUGH their crisis. This book is a book to help you through whatever it is that you’re going through in life right now, or maybe what you may be faced with down the road. It may not be the story you think it is, but it’s absolutely, positively one that you’ll want to read.

I love learning about each and every one of you, and I wish there were books for all of you to win! How about this for a question for this comment entry: tell me what the title of your memoir would be.

*****
Please leave a comment, and all those who do will qualify to win Laura Munson's book! I’ll draw the winner in a couple of days and I will post the winner’s name at the TOP of this post, in the highlighted area.


Come back and read about each book every day in March. Choose the books you'd like to win. Enter for any or ALL the books. Each entry will count as an entry toward the grand prize of winning ALL 31+ books at the end of the month. You can win the book of the day and still qualify to win ALL the books at the end of the month!


PLEASE be specific with your name in the comment section, and IF YOUR NAME is listed as the winner, you must email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com in order to claim your prize. Email me with your full name and address so I can have your book(s) sent to you.


Thanks, and GOOD LUCK! And come back tomorrow to see what book I’ll be giving away then too!


It’s MaNiC MoMMy’s March Madness Book-A-Day Giveaway! Read ALL the Rules and Details Here!


Sorry, only U.S. and Canadian residents only!

LONDON, DIVORCE, HUSBAND by Laura Dave

Winner Announced!

Christina L...

who said dessert and wine was sexy is getting ALL THREE of Laura Dave's books and The First Husband isn't even OUT YET! Congratulations! And I loved EVERYONE's answers, and a ton of you said chocolate-covered strawberries were sexy! Guess what I made over spring break? Yup! Chocolate covered strawberries! Hardly sexy though cuz a bunch of kids ate them - actually, they ate the chocolate around the strawberries and left the soggy fruit. Stupid kids! Christina, please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com with your full name and address so you can receive all three of your books! But not to worry everyone, these three books are included in the grand prize giveaway coming up soon!

Books:
London is the Best City in America
The Divorce Party
The First Husband


Author: Laura Dave

Website: http://www.lauradave.com/page.php?category=05

Winner Announced Here

It’s a THREESOME!

Laura Dave is one of my absolute favorite authors and to think I almost missed out on her. Seriously. I almost didn’t read her first book because of the title, London is the Best City in America. I mean, it didn’t make sense to me. And truthfully, I was at some reading stage in my life where I thought it was a book about London and I didn’t really feel like reading a book about London.

Oh, silly silly me.

Thank GOD for my bestest bestest friend Swishy for telling me I HAD TO READ IT. Because I did and OH MY GOSH! Awesomeness. Laura Dave’s writing is AMAZING. You fall in love with her writing style and then also with her characters. And yes, I mean absolute love, with her male characters immediately, and she kind of makes you fall in love with a couple of them at one time so you don’t know who to love more, which makes reading the books all that more exciting. Like, hmmm, should she be with him, or that other hottie? And it just makes for fascinating books!

And yes, I said BOOKS because Laura is so generous and kind she is giving away ALL THREE of her books, and here’s the other thing, her third is NOT EVEN OUT YET!

Is this not the best ever!?

So, Laura’s first book is London is the Best City in America which I read a long time ago, but still, to this day, consider it a fave of mine!

Her second is The Divorce Party, in which I think about every single time I encounter red velvet cake, whether it be cake, cupcakes, frosting, ice cream, frozen yogurt (there is such a thing!), anything with that flavor, I think, “Laura Dave, The Divorce Party, Awesome book!”, and most of the time, I will then FB her and say, “I had red velvet cake this weekend and thought of you and The Divorce Party.” I wonder if she gets sick of hearing that from people or if I’m the only psycho who does that? Now you definitely HAVE to read the book to know where I’m coming from.

Her third book is The First Husband, and is the most recent one I read, and I LOVE IT! The food that comes to mind from that book is eggs and lobster, which I would probably never eat together, but Laura makes it sound divine in the book. Sooo good, and so sexy! But let me say, maybe I’m hungry right now? Since The First Husband is the newest, NOT EVEN OUT UNTIL MAY book, let me give you my review:

Laura Dave has done it again with her third novel, The First Husband. Readers will fall in love with travel writer, Annie Adams, who is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend Nick of five years and now doesn’t quite know where to call home.

Her rebound guy quickly becomes the real deal, and Annie’s First Husband. Griffin is caring, selfless, compassionate, and only wants practically everything good for Annie. She follows him to rural Massachusetts to open his restaurant where she is thrown into a world she is completely unfamiliar with. Griffin’s brother Jesse, his ex-girlfriend Gia, and his overbearing mother all play intricate parts in making Annie wonder if her very real love for Griffin is enough to make her marriage work.

When Nick comes back into Annie’s life, realizing he has always loved Annie, and a new job offer surfaces, she’s even more confused. How can Annie figure out where home is for her, and what will she do to find the comfort she so desperately needs?

Laura’s writing is so genuine and rich; her characters are real and sweet. The men – I’ve always loved the men in her stories! And what I love about The First Husband is that I found myself wondering all through the book, “Who is Annie going to end up with?” And I think whoever she chose, I would have been happy with her decision, because first and foremost, I knew that whatever Annie was going to do, she was going to take care of her own happiness before choosing to be with the absolute perfect man for her.

With all this food talk, tell me a food that you think is sexy and I'll enter you in the book giveaway? I dig crab legs and warm butter! YUM! Ooh, and put me on a beach while eating them. Even better! With a bottle of chardonnay ….


*****
Please leave a comment, and all those who do will qualify to win Laura's books! I’ll draw the winner in a couple of days and I will post the winner’s name at the TOP of this post, in the highlighted area.


Come back and read about each book every day in March. Choose the books you'd like to win. Enter for any or ALL the books. Each entry will count as an entry toward the grand prize of winning ALL 31+ books at the end of the month. You can win the book of the day and still qualify to win ALL the books at the end of the month!


PLEASE be specific with your name in the comment section, and IF YOUR NAME is listed as the winner, you must email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com in order to claim your prize. Email me with your full name and address so I can have your book(s) sent to you.


Thanks, and GOOD LUCK! And come back tomorrow to see what book I’ll be giving away then too!


It’s MaNiC MoMMy’s March Madness Book-A-Day Giveaway! Read ALL the Rules and Details Here!


Sorry, only U.S. and Canadian residents only!

ATTACHMENTS by Rainbow Rowell

Winner Announced!
DaphneSFL!
Congratulations, and Daphne, you better love this book because I DID!! Soooo much! Please email me your full name and address and we'll get your book out to you. I LOOOOOVE this book and Rainbow is a kick-butt author! I'm so happy to have found her! And now you get to have her book too! My email is stephanieelliot@gmail.com! 



Today's Book: Attachments

by Rainbow Rowell!

Please note, yesterday's book got posted late so please make sure to enter to win Stay by Allie Larkin as well too! Also, I promise to pick winners for the previous books Monday or Tuesday--we have company and were at the Grand Canyon!

Book: Attachments

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Website: http://www.rainbowrowell.com/

I absolutely positively LOVE this book. Attachments is NOT even out yet. It comes out on my birthday, April 14! You know who else loves it? Jodi Piccoult loves it. She wrote a blurb about it. So did Haven Kimmel and Claire Cook. So you KNOW it’s going to be a SMASH HIT novel!

I want to write the best review here for you to fall in love with this book as much as I did but I am afraid I won’t do it justice. The story is set in 1999 when email is just coming onto the scene. Two of the main characters, Beth and Jennifer, both who work at a newspaper, correspond with one another through email. The guy whose job it is to monitor email at the company, Lincoln, falls in love with Beth through her emails, never having seen her because he works nights.

The book’s main character is Lincoln, and it is told from his perspective, and he is sweet and darling and you’ll fall in love with him too and you’ll root for him through the whole way as he has to face many obstacles. He really doesn’t like his job as an email monitor (guilt factor), he lives with his mom although he’s in his late 20s and needs to find a place of his own, and he’s in love with Beth, who currently is in a relationship (with a very hot band member, btw, making for some interesting turmoil!).

Jennifer, in the story, has her own troubles, trying to decide if she wants to get pregnant or not, and then dealing with some drama in her own life as well. The ‘dialogue’ between Beth and Jennifer is told throughout the story in only emails, which adds to the coolness of the book. It’s truly an amazing read, and definitely one for those of you who love John Hughes movies, the MTV era, and growing up when the internet phase was just starting out. It’s also a great read for anyone who has ever had a secret crush but didn’t know how to ‘fess up and went around feeling lost and forlorn over the fact that you’d wonder if he’d ever notice you. Really though, Attachments is a wonderful love story that you’ll read and shut, and then want to open up to the beginning and start right over again.

And of course, Rainbow (yes, her real and really cool name!) had me at page two with the mention of ZIMA, which happened to be my favorite malt beverage choice in the late ‘90s!

To win Attachments, tell me about an interesting email correspondence, or if you've ever gotten in trouble for writing an email. If you don’t have one, that’s OK!

*****
Please leave a comment, and all those who do will qualify to win Attachments! I’ll draw the winner in a couple of days and I will post the winner’s name at the TOP of this post, in the highlighted area.


Come back and read about each book every day in March. Choose the books you'd like to win. Enter for any or ALL the books. Each entry will count as an entry toward the grand prize of winning ALL 31+ books at the end of the month. You can win the book of the day and still qualify to win ALL the books at the end of the month!


PLEASE be specific with your name in the comment section, and IF YOUR NAME is listed as the winner, you must email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com in order to claim your prize. Email me with your full name and address so I can have your book(s) sent to you.


Thanks, and GOOD LUCK! And come back tomorrow to see what book I’ll be giving away then too!


It’s MaNiC MoMMy’s March Madness Book-A-Day Giveaway! Read ALL the Rules and Details Here!


Sorry, only U.S. and Canadian residents only!