COUNTERFEIT FARM GIRL BOOKS by SUSAN MCCORKINDALE!

Congratulations to

Buttah!

Please email me your full name and address to stephanieelliot@gmail.com

and I'll send you your books!

Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl
 and 500 Acres and No Place to Hide 
by Susan McCorkindale


Today we’ve got two for the price of one! Which basically means BOTH OF THE BOOKS ARE STILL FREE!

Many of you may have already heard of the fabulous counterfeit farm girl – Susan McCorkindale, who moved from New Jersey to a farm in Virginia, and then wrote two memoirs about her experiences. Well, I’m honored to be giving away a set of her books here on MaNiC MoMMy.

Her first is Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl:

At her husband’s prompting, suburban mom and New York career woman Susan McCorkindale agreed to give up her stressful six-figure job. Together, they headed down south to a 500-acre beef cattle farm, and never looked back. Well, he didn’t look back. She did. A lot.

From playing “spot the religious billboard” on the drive to rural Virginia, to planning bright-orange hunter-resistant wardrobes for the kids (“We moved here to get away from the madness of Manhattan only to risk getting popped on our own property”), Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl is her hilarious account of how a city girl learned the hard way that Manolos and manure just don’t mix.

The second book is 500 Acres and No Place to Hide:

In this charming, poignant, and uproarious follow-up to Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl, Susan McCorkindale chronicles the continuously harrowing journey of what happens when you leave the big city for the land of wide-open spaces.

When Susan’s husband dragged her from the ‘burbs to the back of beyond, she thought she’d never live to see hers sons approach redneck status—and be happy about it. But after four years of living among the cows and goats instead of fashionistas and Wall Street tycoons, Susan has almost adjusted to life on the farm—even if she does miss the occasional grande soy mocha latte.

But “City Suzy” hasn’t gone completely country. In fact, she’s made farm life fit her, not the other way around. That’s why you’ll find her attempting to put pink collars on her sons’ bull calves, and campaigning hard for pair of Hampshire hogs (“They have black bodies with white ‘belts’ around their shoulders. Pretty snazzy for swine, no?”) She’ll never be a real farm girl, but as you’ll see from her sidesplitting confessions, she’s faking it just fine.

Just watch this video of Susan and the struggles she’s been through to go from city girl to farm girl – you’ll discover she is simply AMAZING!



To enter to win a set of Susan’s memoirs, tell me if you would consider yourself a city girl or a country girl. I would say I definitely have a hard time in the country as I’m not very outdoorsy, but I’m also not very good in heels and dressing up and doing the ‘city thang’ … so I don’t know what I’d call myself! More of a city girl I guess! Your turn to share!

WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER by KARYN BOSNAK

Winner of What's Your Number is:
AC MORRIS

Please email me your full name and address at stephanieelliot@gmail.com so I can send you your book!

What’s Your Number?


By Karyn Bosnak

*this is #2 of four books in a row I'm blasting to you this week in the Fall Fab Book Giveaway- 

be sure to enter them all!

I KNOW many of you are already excited about seeing the movie What’s Your Number, but I’m not sure if many of you are aware that it first was a book called Twenty Times a Lady written by Karen Bosnak, famous author of Save Karyn, same famous person who started the blog, SaveKaryn.com who was way in debt and thought of a brilliant way to get out of debt by being funny online and asking complete strangers to give her money on her website.

And yes, Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I wrote that whole above sentence and I didn’t get a huge red squiggly line underneath it.

So anyway, Karyn was like the first person ever to come up with the concept of blogging for bucks! And because she was so savvy, she got herself out of $20,000 of debt!

Her first book, Save Karyn is AWESOME.

And now her second, also awesome book, What’s Your Number (previously called Twenty Times a Lady) is coming out THIS weekend on THE BIG SCREEN!

Here’s the movie trailer: What’s Your Number movie trailer.

I am so flippin’ happy for her you have NO IDEA! I would say Karyn and I became pretty good internet friends once I stalked we started chattin’ it up online. Then I won her Love, Sex, & My Ex contest and if you want a good laugh, you MUST go here and read my entry. It’s about how I gave a boy my underwear one night, and what happened a few years later. I was a naughty girl in my younger days. Just a bit. Here is the story:

I won Karyn's Love, Sex & My Ex Contest Because I Wrote About THIS incident!

But OK, back to Karyn and What’s Your Number. You can win the book HERE. You don’t have to tell me your number and I won’t tell you mine. All I want to know is if your first time was worth it or not with a YES or a NO in the comment section. If you FEEL you must offer more details, then I’m ALL about hearing them!

I will tell you that my first time was a big fat NOT WORTH IT and on my parent’s bedroom floor while they were out of town. But I will also tell you I was 18 and the last virgin left on the face of the planet and about to go away to college and I needed to get rid of it like it was A POISON.

What had to be done had to be done. I know. Horrible, horrible.

So, yep, the next book up for grabs, What’s Your Number. Win the book here by telling me if your first was a YES or a NO. And get out there and see this movie! I can’t wait to!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check previous book features to see who the winner is -- that's how you'll find out if you've won or not, and you can still enter if there's not a winner's name posted on the top and highlighted! I usually choose a winner for each book anywhere from 3-7 days after I post a feature!

Thanks for checking out the Fall Fab Giveaway – we’ve got TONS more books coming your way through mid-October and then. I'll be featuring 2-3 each week. At the end of ALL the individual books featured and given away, one or two lucky winners will win the WHOLE batch of the books.

If you’ve got particular questions on how the Giveaway works, check the ORIGINAL POST HERE, or feel free to email me! Thanks!

Good luck everyone! And I really enjoy your comments too!

Thanks for reading and being a part of this promotion! To find out all the details on how to participate throughout the whole promotion click the previous link!


I also blog at Real Moms Guide if you'd like to read some of my other work.


If you're new here, check out the rules and all the books at in the promotion HERE.

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment 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.

IT'S HARD NOT TO HATE YOU by VALERIE FRANKEL

Winner of It's Hard Not to Hate You is:
Logan Collins

Please email me your full name and address so I can get you your book! Thanks! Congrats!

It’s Hard Not to Hate You

By Valerie Frankel



From the author of THIN IS THE NEW HAPPY comes a hilarious new memoir about embracing your Inner Hater. In the midst of a health and career crisis, Valerie uncorks years of pent up rage, and discovers you don't have to be happy to be happy. You don’t have to love everyone else to like yourself. And that your Bitchy Twin might just be your funniest, most valuable and honest ally.
I fell in love with the memoir, It’s Hard Not to Hate You, by description and cover alone. And then when I got into the very first few pages and I realized it begins with the trauma of bitchy friends in junior high, well, author Valerie Frankel won me over.

I give her a ton of credit for being so brave to write this book. It’s kind about letting go of the hate WE ALL HAVE INSIDE but in a different way. Expulsing yourself from all the hate from within. But with humor that will have you busting out laughing because you sooo know these types of people. You’ll be laughing like crazy and saying, “YES! That’s so true!”

In the book, Valerie was advised by a doctor to reduce stress. To do so, she discovered that the hate had to come out. She goes on a mission of “emotional honesty, vowing to let herself feel and express all the toxic emotions she’d long suppressed or denied: jealousy, rage, greed, envy, impatience, regret.”

In her personal History of Hate, Valerie covers everything from mean girls in junior high, selfish boyfriends in her twenties and old professional rivals. In her current life, she deals with things many of us combat daily: snobby neighbors, rude cell phone talkers, scary doctors and helicopter moms (ugh, my favorites). You’ll have to read It’s Hard Not to Hate You to see if you’re as brave as Valerie is when it comes to confronting these spiteful people in your own life!

She even counts the ways she hates her husband in the book, but fortunately, there are only three!

In the end, Frankel discovers that her trip down Hate Lane proved to be an authentic emotional experience for her and there are “no wrong emotions, only wrong ways of dealing with them.”

To enter to win Valerie Frankel’s It’s Hard Not To Hate You, share with me one or two things you really, really hate. Here are a couple of things I really hate:

When people write: NOM NOM when they are saying something tastes good instead of like yum yum or yummy.

When people in the grocery line are talking on the cell phone instead of being polite to the person checking them out. HOW RUDE IS THAT? Get off your effing cell phone and say hello to the person checking you out! Ask them how their day is! They are doing you a service for crying out loud!

Also, I haven’t gotten to the part of the book where Valerie reveals the three hates about her husband but I’ll tell you one of mine: I hate when my husband walks around the kitchen without his shirt on. GROSS!

Two more books up for grabs this week if my internet doesn't die on me again!:

Lisa Tucker’s The Winter’s In Bloom

Karyn Bosnak’s What’s Your Number

Check previous posts for winners - they have been announced!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For future posts, just so you all know, you can always go back to previous book features to check to see who the winner is -- that's how you'll find out if you've won or not, and you can still enter if there's not a winner's name posted on the top and highlighted! I usually choose a winner for each book anywhere from 3-7 days after I post a feature!

Thanks for checking out the Fall Fab Giveaway – we’ve got TONS more books coming your way through mid-October and then. I'll be featuring 2-3 each week. At the end of ALL the individual books featured and given away, one or two lucky winners will win the WHOLE batch of the books.

If you’ve got particular questions on how the Giveaway works, check the ORIGINAL POST HERE, or feel free to email me! Thanks!

Good luck everyone! And I really enjoy your comments too!

Thanks for reading and being a part of this promotion! To find out all the details on how to participate throughout the whole promotion click the previous link!


I also blog at Real Moms Guide if you'd like to read some of my other work.


If you're new here, check out the rules and all the books at in the promotion HERE.

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment 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.

WHERE'S MY WAND by Eric Poole

Winner: Lizett34

Please email me your address at stephanieelliot@gmail.com so you can get your book!

Where’s My Wand

By Eric Poole

What’s a Blast-O-Books Giveaway without some Memoir in the mix? We’ve got Eric Poole’s Where’s My Wand? One Boy’s Magical Triumph Over Alienation and Shag Carpeting coming your way today, and already I’m loving the first few pages because yes, I have a bit of shag carpeting in our new home. We actually call it the ‘70s Black Porn Rug for those of you who haven’t personal gyrated on it. I loathe it and cannot wait to get rid of it.

(I’ll note here, it’s not really from the ‘70s and it’s not really Porn carpet. It’s actually probably really nice, but it’s just not my style, and I don't gyrate on it. And I haven't put a black light against it either. I don't want to know what's been there before.)

Back to the book: Where’s My Wand is for any of you who have ever read and loved David Sedaris or Augusten Burroughs. People magazine has said this:

“Poole’s memoir of growing up gay and Baptist in the seventies would be worth reading if it were just gut-splittingly funny. But Wand is also a deeply moving account of a boy’s attempt to control his world with his own brand of magic.”

And for you Brady Bunch fans, Florence Henderson wishes she could have had Eric for a Brady Boy! I have no idea why, or what she would have done to him, but, well, I guess that would have really made for some exciting Brady Bunch episodes, don’t you all think? “Bobby, Peter! What ARE you doing with Eric’s WAND???!!!” Hahah, Yes, I continue to CRACK MYSELF UP!

Book Blurb:
From the age of eight through early adolescence, Poole sought refuge from his obsessive-compulsive mother, sadistic teachers, and sneering schoolyard thugs in the Scotchgarded basement of his family’s suburban St. Louis tract house. There, emulating his favorite TV character, Endora from Bewitched, he wrapped himself in a makeshift caftan and cast magical spells in an effort to maintain control over the rapidly shifting ground beneath his feet. But when a series of tragic events tested Eric’s longstanding belief that magic can vanquish evil, he began to question the efficacy of his incantations, embarking on a spiritual journey that led him to discover the magic that comes only from within.

TO WIN:
So, if you’re looking for a little bit of ‘70s, a little bit of closet-gayness, and a whole lotta magic, tell me something you like about the seventies. And if you WEREN’T ALIVE DURING THE SEVENTIES, GO ASK A FAMILY MEMBER! Or just tell me you’re still a baby, and make me cringe!

Really though, I was barely part of the seventies, and only 11 by the time I got out of that decade, so I’m really not that much ahead of all you young ones! But I do remember those flare jeans. Maybe it’s because they have already been around two or three times since then. OK, I’ll tell you something! I remember they had these RECORD STORES, that sold RECORDS. Like vinyl. The stores were called The Record Bar. And my sister and I had gift certificates to get a record album. I chose a K-Town one. With like Knock-Knock-Knock on Wood, and I Will Survive on the album. Kind of like a mixed tape type of record album. Totally ‘70s right?

And my sister picked up this one with a black dude on it. It was called, Off The Wall. His name was Michael Jackson. I looked at her and said, clear as day, and I regret this to this day. I said, “Stacy, I don’t know if you’re going to like that record album.” Want to know why I said that to her? My preconceived idea that the singer was black so he wasn’t going to be good! HOW HORRIBLE AND WRONG WAS I? Thank GOD she bought the album anyway! Long live Michael Jackson! So there! There is my seventies story! Tell me one of yours to enter to win Where’s My Wand by Eric Poole!

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

I also blog at SheKnows.com Real Moms Guide.

Don't forget to enter yesterday’s book, The D Word! I will most likely be choosing all the winners for the week over the weekend so do check back then! 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!

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!

PERFECTION by Julie Metz

Winner Announced!

Congratulations to:

BUTTAH!

And check this out! Buttah won previously in the contest, so it just goes to show you how random this really is! It didn't matter when you posted or how often you posted or what you said or how you said it. And this just means that each one of you has just as much of a chance at winning the grand prize which is coming up very soon! And there will be TWO of you to win the books! Congrats Buttah! I still have your address so I'll just send the info to the author for you!

Book: Perfection, A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal

Author: Julie Metz

Website: http://www.perfectionbook.com/index.html

Julie Metz had her Oprah moment, but she probably didn’t expect it would come about the way it unfolded.

Married and living the seemingly happy life, with an adorable six-year-old daughter in the suburbs, Julie’s life changed forever when her husband unexpectedly collapsed and died in their kitchen.

You’d think that’d be the worst the world would give you, right? Not for Julie. Months later, she discovered a betrayal that would have her question her whole marriage. Her husband had been leading a separate life and had been, in fact, having affairs with not one, but multiple women (at least five), and one of them being a very close friend of Julie’s.

Perfection is the story of how Julie overcomes the betrayal and rebuilds her life and identity after becoming a widow and finding out her husband had been an adulterer. It’s a moving memoir and Julie is a testament to all women who face any kind of adversity in their lives!

Read an excerpt here.

And here’s a wonderful video of Julie describing some moments in her life and also some FAQs you might be wondering about regarding her experience.

If you’d like to try your shot at winning Perfection (the very last book of this month-long promotion!) please leave a comment here on what YOU think is absolutely PERFECT! Can’t wait to read your answers!

Thanks for a great month, and come back tomorrow for details on how we’ll proceed to the grand prize drawing, and YES, I do have to still draw names for books from Friday, March 25 on, so if you didn't enter to win those, there's STILL TIME! Get on over to those posts and leave your comments!

*****
Please leave a comment, and all those who do will qualify to win Perfection! 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!

TWO KISSES FOR MADDY by Matt Logelin

Winner Announced!

Congratulations to:

Michelle Mierczewski

You have won Two Kisses for Maddy!

Please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com - send me your full name (well, I guess we got that already huh!? LOL!) and your address and I'll get your book to you! Congrats!

Book: Two Kisses for Maddy

Author: Matt Logelin

Website: http://www.blogger.com/www.mattlogelin.com

This one is a heartbreaker but it’s also a story of inspiration and survival. A book I purposely left for close to the end. One that I want to start reading but that I need to find the quiet time in my schedule to be able to sit down and just really be ready to read.

I’m not sure how many of you know the story of Matt Logelin or follow his blog, but it’s an intense story of how he experienced life and death of the two most important women in his world in a matter of hours. I have goosebumps just writing these words. His blog and his life and how he’s getting through it is an amazing story and if you don’t win this book, you’ve got to read it. This man, oh my gosh, is seriously a pillar of strength, and in his humbleness, he would probably just say to anyone, “I was just doing what I had to do.”

You can watch this video, but, warning, it will probably make you cry. It’s beautiful, and like it says about the book below, it’s “heartwarming and heartbreaking” both at the same time.

Here’s what his book, which is not published until April 14 (but I do have Advanced Reader Copies here), “Two Kisses for Maddy” is about:

Matt and Liz Logelin were high school sweethearts. The pair settled together in Los Angeles and they had it all: the perfect marriage, a beautiful new home, and a baby girl on the way. But just twenty-seven hours after they welcomed Madeline into the world, Liz suffered a pulmonary embolism and instantly died, without ever holding the daughter whose arrival she had so eagerly awaited.

Faced with devastating grief and the responsibilities of a new and single father, Matt coped by returning to the small blog he had created to keep friends and family updated on Liz's pregnancy, which today has become a place for him to share with over a million curious readers the day to day of two lives bound by loss and love. But there is more to his story than just raising a daughter alone: Matt Logelin is an extraordinary human being. Having been sustained through tragedy by the kindness and generosity of strangers, he is now dedicated to helping others in difficult situations by reaching out and inspiring those facing loss or adversity.

A heartwarming and heartbreaking story punctuated by beautifully recollected-- and often humorous-- memories and anecdotes, Two Kisses for Maddy unquestionably has something to offer any reader who has experienced grief, and has sought the courage to live again.

To be entered to win Two Kisses for Maddy, just tell me something nice you plan to do today! Our friends are in town still and Mr. MaNiC is taking the day off and we’re all going to go somewhere fun! Not sure where we’ll end up, but being together is good enough for me! Happy Friday everyone!

*****
Please leave a comment, and all those who do will qualify to win Two Kisses for Maddy! 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!

FALLING APART IN ONE PIECE by Stacy Morrison

Winner Announced:

Jen, who was one of the last ones to post, is the winner of Falling Apart in One Piece.

Jen said she needed "Book, prayers, sleep and hope." Jen, I'm giving you (along with the help and generosity of Stacy Morrison!) the book, and also sending prayers, and thoughts for sleep and hope! I want to thank everyone very much for your kindness especially about how we handled the giveaway for this book. (And all who commented are entered on this day so not to worry!) It's a fabulous book and I do hope you'll all take the time to read it because Stacy taught me more than I could have ever imagined about the human spirit through her story. Jen, please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com. Send me your full name and address and we'll get the book out to you.

Book: Falling Apart in One Piece

Author: Stacy Morrison

Website: http://www.fallingapartinonepiece.com/

Winner Announced Here

I can’t even begin to tell you how much Stacy’s book impacted me. Even now, long after I’ve read it, I think of it so often. Hers is a book that will stay with you for a long time. Her spirit and ability to see the good in all is truly amazing. I will tell you it begins as a story of divorce but it’s so not the main focus. Anyone can read it, so don’t let the fact that it’s based on her divorce stop you from checking it out. You will close this book and sit there and think. It’s that kind of book.

Stacy is as generous and kind off the book page too. The former editor-in-chief of Redbook, she has reached out to her readers on Facebook and the internet, and she also now has a website that helps women going through what she has been through at http://www.fallingapartinonepiece.com/.

Through her site, she wants to create a safe, compassionate, and hopefully occasionally funny environment, to help people find their inner reslience. Check out her BLOG here. Falling Apart was also just named one of the top six books on Divorce on Huffington Post, so if you are going through this struggle, it is definitely a book that will bring healing to you during this time in your life. If you've been through divorce, it is also a must read.

Here’s what I wrote about Falling Apart in One Piece after I read it.

Even if you are in a happy marriage, this is a must read for all women. Stacy Morrison tells the story of her personal journey through her unexpected divorce; how one day her husband of 10 years walks in and decides for the both of them that it's over. He decides he's done with the house, the marriage, and their baby. Stacy is left to pick up the pieces and figure it all out on her own, and she does this with a kind of grace I don't know many women would have. I certainly wouldn't. She has a sense of calm in her writing and never places blame on her ex, which again, I don't know if I could be that kind of woman.

Through her ordeal, a broken home (literally and figuratively), floods, fire, tears and self-doubt obstruct Stacy from finding peace; and she is also in charge of doing most of the difficult and thankless parenting duties on her own. Stacy manages to keep it together, and she and her ex maintain a beautiful parenting relationship for the good of their son. She learns more about herself, and in the end, prevails, making Falling Apart in One Piece a beautiful love story to whom it matters most, her son, Zack.

IMPORTANT!
I've thought about this particular book and realize that while it's a beautiful book and I want to share it with everybody, some of you may need to read Stacy's words more than others. It can be a life-changing book for some of you. So here's what I would like to do:

If you are in a happy stable relationship and think someone else might better benefit from winning Falling Apart in One Piece, you can write PASS in your comment and I'll still enter your name today for the final drawing at the end of the month.

If you are struggling in your marriage or have divorced and feel you need Stacy's words now more than ever, simply write NEED, and you'll be entered to win the book today.

Either way, all of you who comment will be entered for the grand prize of all the books at the end of the month. Thank you for understanding! And if you'd like to add more in the comment, feel free to share something GOOD that has recently happened to you. For me, this Book-A-Day Giveaway has been amazing. I love reading about each and every one of you and discovering something new about you guys! It's becoming a fun little community and I really don't want it to end!

*****
Please leave a comment, and all those who do will qualify to win Falling Apart in One Piece! 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!

IF YOU WERE HERE + WINNER'S CHOICE! by Jen Lancaster

Winner Announced!
Liz!

This is so there is no confusion of who the winner is because I just so happen to have her profile picture! Congrats Liz! Please email me your full name, mailing address and your other book of choice by Jen Lancaster and I'll get you your ADVANCED READERS COPY of IF YOU WERE HERE and the other book as soon as I can!

Book: If You Were Here

Author: Jen Lancaster

Website: http://www.jennsylvania.com/

Winner Announced Here

This is one I know many of you have been waiting for, me included! Jen Lancaster’s debut FICTION! I know because of the generosity of Jen, many of you are here today. I owe her a lot because of the success of this giveaway so if you happen to pop on over here Jen, thank you, thank you, thank you! Maybe if I keep typing Jen Lancaster, Jen Lancaster, Jen Lancaster, her google alerts will explode and she’ll stop on over and comment, what do you say guys, how about if I make all of you just comment JEN LANCASTER for this one! Hahah. That’ll be good!

Anyway, the book today is IF YOU WERE HERE, by none other than … say it with me, JEN LANCASTER, memoirist-now-fiction writer, and I know you’re all dying to read it. It’s not even due out until MAY, and I’ve got a hot little copy RIGHT HERE that I promise to mail out early. One thing is, I do not know if this one will be in the grand prize lineup (sidenote, some others may also not be, but that’s a post for another day, along with another question – there are so many books—should we have two grand prize winners?)

Back to today’s book! Along with winning IF YOU WERE HERE, I’m also going to throw in another Jen Lancaster book because we all love her so much, and I think I’ll make it Winner’s Choice! So, whoever wins can tell me which other Jen book you’d like and I’ll send that one to you too.

Cool huh?

Do you want to know what IF YOU WERE HERE is about? Okay then, here goes:

Told in the uproariously entertaining voice readers have come to expect from Jen Lancaster, If You Were Here follows Amish-zombie-teen-romance author Mia and her husband Mac (and their pets) through the alternately frustrating, exciting, terrifying-but always funny-process of buying and renovating their first home in the Chicago suburbs that John Hughes's movies made famous. Along their harrowing renovation journey, Mia and Mac get caught up in various wars with the homeowners' association, meet some less-than-friendly neighbors, and are joined by a hilarious cast of supporting characters, including a celebutard ex- landlady. As they struggle to adapt to their new surroundings- with Mac taking on the renovations himself- Mia and Mac will discover if their marriage is strong enough to survive months of DIY renovations.

I love the fact that from page 4, Mia uses Jen’s trademark footnotes in her storytelling too! A classic!

You’ll love this book you guys!

And if you haven’t already checked out some of my archives with Jen, here’s a bunch – you’ll have to scroll through, but some of it’s pretty entertaining, like a video where I annoy her during her Pretty in Plaid book tour.

So to win, I’m making this so easy, comment, “JEN LANCASTER … (FILL IN THE BLANK).”

Miss ya Jen! So glad you're coming to Scottsdale / Phoenix!

*****
Please leave a comment, and all those who do will qualify to win IF YOU WERE HERE! 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!