Showing posts with label tracey garvis graves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tracey garvis graves. Show all posts

Monday, June 10, 2013

Winner of The Glass Wives + more about What She Left Us


 

Hey All, I will have a new book up for you in a couple of days but I wanted to announce the winner of The Glass Wives now. Congrats to Jess Blair who will be receiving a copy of Amy Sue Nathan's book The Glass Wives. Please send me your address so I can get the book out to you. Email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com

A new book will be featured probably Wed or Thursday -- just waiting on some logistics from the author. It's been busy here at the Manic house. My youngest son Luke, who has epilepsy, left for camp on Sunday -- my first child to ever go to sleepaway camp! Waaahhhh! But I did not cry until MONDAY! It was really strange because I'm so happy for him, I know he's having a blast and doing a ton of great things (here he is ziplining on his first day!), but still, he's my baby and I miss him.

I woke up in the middle of the night the first night he was gone, because I WAS CONVINCED he was standing over me, tapping my leg, trying to wake me up as he does sometimes when he's not feeling well, so of course, I laid there awake, thinking, "Oh my gosh, he's awake at camp, not able to sleep, missing me, not feeling well..." And then that's when I got sad.

But, he's fine, I'm sure, and there's nothing to be freaked about. Right? Right.

So, I told myself before he left that I should use this time to concentrate on editing my next book and working on PR for WHAT SHE LEFT US, and what did I do all day today? Slept. Not very productive. But if you haven't yet read my novel, WHAT SHE LEFT US, it's available on KINDLE for less than a grande latte these days, at just $3.99, and here are a few links from some nice peeps who had some nice things to say:
WSLU amazon FINAL COVER FROM SARAH

Chick Lit Central's Review

The Book Chick

The Book Bag

Chick Lit is Not Dead

Even Tracey Garvis Graves, who wrote On The Island and the upcoming Covet, which I LOVED, has read What She Left Us had this to say about it: "This book kept me turning pages because the author does a great job of raising questions I wanted the answer to. It also highlights - beautifully - the relationship between two sisters, and how much they rely on and support each other." 

So, if you haven't yet downloaded What She Left Us and are looking for a book for your kindle, why not check it out? You can get it by clicking here! Thanks for your support and I'll have a bunch more books featured for you here coming soon! XO!





Friday, March 08, 2013

COVET Cover REVEAL by Tracey Garvis Graves

Congrats to FAITH'S PAGE!  
You have won the pre-ordered copy of COVET!! Please email me your full name and mailing address (stephanieelliot@gmail.com) so I can order you your copy of COVET! Congrats!



Seriously.

SERIOUSLY!?!?!?

Need I say more?

If you're a fan of Tracey Garvis Graves do you not LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this cover of her next book? 

OH.
MY.
GOSH!


S T U N N I N G ! ! ! ! 

And can you even IMAGINE what story the inside 85,000 words holds?? 

Here's the synopsis:

What if the life you wanted, and the woman you fell in love with, belonged to someone else?

Chris and Claire Canton’s marriage is on life support. Downsized during the recession and out of work for a year, Chris copes by retreating to a dark place where no one can reach him, not even Claire. When he’s offered a position that will keep him away from home four nights a week, he dismisses Claire’s concern that time apart could be the one thing their fragile union can’t weather. Their suburban life may look idyllic on the outside, but Claire has never felt so disconnected from Chris, or so lonely.

Local police officer Daniel Rush used to have it all, but now he goes home to an empty house every night. He pulls Claire over during a routine traffic stop, and they run into each other again at the 4th of July parade. When Claire is hired to do some graphic design work for the police department, her friendship with Daniel grows, and soon they’re spending hours together.

Claire loves the way Daniel makes her feel, and the way his face lights up when she walks into the room. Daniel knows that Claire’s marital status means their relationship will never be anything other than platonic. But it doesn’t take long before Claire and Daniel are in way over their heads, and skating close to the line that Claire has sworn she’ll never cross.


Here's COVET on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13481759-covet

You'll also be able to read the first three chapters very soon, and yes, here comes another OH.MY.GOSH... because OF COURSE, THEY ARE THAT AMAZING!

I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL SEPTEMBER TO READ THE WHOLE THING! And I know YOU can't either, but we're going to have to. Here's what I'm going to do for YOU though. Even though I'll be featuring COVET again in September with a full-on review and feature, I'm going to buy one of you a pre-order copy on amazon right now -- this means of course, you won't GET your book until it comes out in September, but I'll order it for you and it'll come to your house hot off the press when it's published. Because I love YOU! And I also love Tracey Garvis Graves and her novels! And I thought this would be a fun thing to add to the cover reveal! 

So, tell me very uniquely and creatively... and who knows, maybe I'll pick the best one, maybe I'll let random.org choose, or maybe, MAYBE, I'll just ask Tracey to choose a winner for me ; ) ...

WHAT DO YOU COVET???? Leave your answer in the comment section and one winner will be chosen to win a pre-ordered copy of COVET!  

Right now, I am coveting Tracey's book!  

P.S.... Don't forget to enter to win The Crooked Branch, by clicking here!

P.S.S. ... if you're new here, thank you so much for coming by and please continue to do so! I give away every book I feature and we have lots of wonderful authors and books to share! Thanks!

The fine print you should probably read if you want to enter this giveaway if you've never played the Booking with Manic game before! : 

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

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Summer Book Celebration MAJOR GIVEAWAY





Happy Middle of the Summer Book Celebration!

I'm on vacation and since I didn't want to leave you all hanging, I thought I would offer a fun giveaway while I'm lounging away on a beach. Sounds fun? Well, I hope you enjoy it because I've got a load of great books to offer to ONE LUCKY WINNER!

I decided to put all my new-found-faves into one batch of great reads for you. These are all relatively newly released books from authors I have recently discovered that I think would make great summer reads. Whether they have water themes (some of them do), or just were really great books with characters that I couldn't get out of my mind, I want someone to have a collection of them all. So, thanks to these authors and their publicists, it's going to happen for YOU!

Here is the list of books that are up for grabs to ONE LUCKY WINNER, in no particular order: 

(Click on the title of the book for the full previous Manic review)

Can I Get An Amen - Sarah Healy
I’m in love with Ellen who gets dumped by her husband because of their infertility problems and she finds herself back at home with her very God-loving, God-fearing mom, who spurts phrases about the Lord every other sentence, and suggests that Jesus will show Ellen the way. 


On the Island - Tracey Garvis Graves
People love this book. It's got a great catch to it -- two people are stranded on a deserted island -- a 16-year-old boy who's in remission from cancer, and his 30-year-old tutor. And yep, they get BUSY! But, Tracey doesn't get all Fifty Shades of Grey on us … however, I can guarantee there is some steamy scenes and you'll definitely be thinking about TJ and Anna long after you close the pages of On the Island

The Underside of Joy - Sere Prince Halverson
A stepmom loses her husband to a drowning, and the birth mother comes back to reclaim her two children. A custody battle ensues. It’s not your basic stepmom fights birth mother story – the writing is so lyrical and fluid, and the setting adds so much to the novel in the fictional Elbow, California, with its Redwood trees, the lush forest, and the flowing river that runs through it.

Saving Ruth - Zoe Fishman

 
A near-drowning at the pool occurs and the events that transpire afterward put the whole story into motion – Saving Ruth deals with issues of eating disorders, depression, racial indifferences, marriage problems, sibling rivalry, and family relationships. 



The End of Everything - Megan Abbott
The End of Everything is another one of those books that I read about and I KNEW in my gut I just had to read ASAP. There are very few books like this that I just feel in my soul when I read about it that I just KNOW I have to get my hands on it or I will die won't be able to stop thinking about it. (Megan's got another one I'll be featuring very soon called DARE ME that you'll LOVE as well!)

Attachments - Rainbow Rowell
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 Art of Forgetting - Camille Noe Pagan
I cracked it open thinking I would take a sneak peek and suddenly I was on chapter six dying to know what was happening with the mystery behind Nathan, Marissa’s ex-love, and wondering about the brain injury that her best friend, Julia sustains. I read this book at a super-fast pace and couldn’t recommend it enough! Such a great read!

Monarch Beach - Anita Hughes
This is the one I have actually been savoring to take to the beach with me as a special present to myself to enjoy! Already going into second printing! Yay Anita! 

This is one of those books that I hunted down myself. I saw it on FB or somewhere on another author’s page and I knew I had to get my hands on it so I contacted the author’s publicist and asked for it. The whole mystery of the story caught my eye; the fact that the main character is already gone and her best friend has to put pieces of the mystery together by reading her journals, and the fact that it’s actually two stories in one. I just love journal stories! And I wanted this book!

Spin & Arranged - Catherine McKenzie
SPIN: I loved SPIN because it was a little like peeking into the life of a starlet like Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears in rehab, and the ways that Katie matures during her rehab stint shows that it’s possible for even the most skeptical to gain a little insight in rehab. And yes, there’s also a little love connection going on in rehab too, so you won’t want to miss out on SPIN!

ARRANGED: Anne Blythe has just broken up with another one of her boyfriends and finds a business card in the street promoting what she thinks is a dating company. She keeps the card and eventually calls this ‘dating’ company only to discover they really arrange marriages. Tired of picking the wrong men, and after deep contemplation, she agrees to be matched for marriage. Soon, Anne is on her way to Mexico to meet, Jack, the man who’s the perfect match for her, sight unseen.

So, if you want to receive ALL 11 of these books by these 10 authors to watch for, leave me a comment on what the most exciting thing you've done or will do this summer! 

A random winner will be chosen when I get back from my very own summer week at the beach. 

Please note we can only send winning books to a U.S. or Canada winner!

Thanks, and I hope you've enjoyed this little extra surprise giveaway on Booking with Manic! 


If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please use an identifying name and it's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in about a week or so to see if you've won the book -- I will highlight the winner's name at the top of this post. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

ON THE ISLAND by Tracey Garvis Graves

Congrats to Accidental Gypsy!




I know you're all going to be excited about this book and this is one that I really cannot stop talking about. Or thinking about! On the Island is a smash-hit runaway book that the debut author decided to self-publish after targeting a core group of agents she thought would be perfect for her book. They all sent her back form rejections. Not even bothering with a personal note of why they thought the book wasn't right for them or the market. 

What do they know? 

When none of them bit, she took publishing matters into her own hands, and now she is a true publishing superstar! The self-published edition of On the Island sold more than 350,000 copies and got the attention of movie-makers, agents and publishers and landed on the New York Times bestseller list. All because Tracey believed in her book and her story!

People love this book. It's got a great catch to it -- two people are stranded on a deserted island -- a 16-year-old boy who's in remission from cancer, and his 30-year-old tutor. And yep, they get BUSY! But, Tracey doesn't get all Fifty Shades of Grey on us … however, I can guarantee there is some steamy scenes and you'll definitely be thinking about TJ and Anna long after you close the pages of On the Island

Two people stranded on an island struggle to survive—and slowly fall in love—in the runaway New York Times bestseller, now available with a reading group guide and a letter from the author

Anna Emerson is a thirty-year-old English teacher desperately in need of adventure. Worn down by the cold Chicago winters and a relationship that’s going nowhere, she jumps at the chance to spend the summer on a tropical island tutoring sixteen-year-old T.J.


T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere. His cancer is in remission and he wants to get back to his normal life. But his parents are insisting he spend the summer in the Maldives catching up on all the school he missed last year.


Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahan’s summer home, and as they fly over the Maldives’ twelve hundred islands, the unthinkable happens. Their plane crashes in shark-infested waters. They make it to shore, but soon discover that they’re stranded on an uninhabited island.


At first, their only thought is survival. But as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

Learn more from Tracey:


So, if you'd like to win a copy of On the Island, you have to act like a COUGAR for this one and tell me who you'd want to be stuck on an island with, cougar-style -- pick someone YOUNGER than you are, but of course, LEGAL! Hahah. I'm choosing ZAC EFFRON for my Island LOVER!!

PS.  
The Cell Phone Lot is now available on Smashwords if you weren't able to get it previously because you didn't have a Kindle, you can now download it here for 99 cents, and an excerpt to my full-length women's fiction is also included!

PSS. 
Don't forget to head over to enter to win What I Did if you haven't already, and remember, US or Canadian residents only! Thanks readers! And be on the lookout for Emily Giffin's WHERE WE BELONG later this week too!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

LOTS OF WINNERS RIGHT NOW!!!!

Everybody! It's time to announce some winners, shall we already!

So, in June I posted every day for actually 28 different authors -- almost daily! I took Sundays off and I started at the end of May. I'm SOOO grateful to the authors and publicists who helped make this happen - I was able to give away some AWESOME books! If you were a winner and didn't get your book and it's been three weeks since you gave me your address, please let me know! If you didn't win, I'm sorry, I wish I could give every one of you a book. Keep coming back, I have seen persistence pay off here! I'm a FIRM believer in persistence paying off in life! : )

As promised, there is ONE Grand Prize winner. I also chose a second place winner who will receive a bundle of books as well. 

The Grand Prize winner will receive these books (in no particular order, I'm just yanking them from my floor!): 
The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore
So Far Away by Meg Mitchell Moore
The Rock Star in Seat 3A by Jill Kargman
Keepsake by Kristina Riggle
The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan
Can I Get an Amen by Sarah Healy
Head Over Heels by Rain Mitchell
The First Husband by Laura Dave
Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook
In The Bag by Katie Klise
Between You and Me by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Picture This by Jacquelin Sheehan
Skinnydipping by Bethenny Frankel

There are a bunch of books for the second prize winner but I'm not listing them all so you will just have to be surprised. I have a bunch of books left over so I may just run a random giveaway at the end of the summer. I LOVE SHARING BOOKS WITH YOU ALL!

As for The Cell Phone Lot contest where I asked you to please check out my enovella, The Cell Phone Lot, thank YOU to all who have supported my own writing. I have been REALLY depressed lately on my own publishing journey and I need to focus on that. I won't stop sharing great authors here though, that's a promise I'm going to keep. I'm just hoping that my "pay it forward" will someday come back to good karma for me. So thanks for taking the time to read my work too. I will also list that winner's name below too, and you will receive a gift card for $15 of your choice: Starbucks, Target or iTunes - just let me know!

The winner for Jennifer Weiner's The Next Best Thing is also listed below -- she is the one whom I owe this blog to - through her blog A Moment of Jen, I was inspired to start the original Manic Mommy, which was called Manic Mommy's Mental Myriads. Or something along those lines. There is an archive somewhere. I was really open about my family and my life. Really open. Now it's just books most of the time.

If you don't follow me on Facebook, or on Twitter please, please do! I am ALWAYS letting you know when I have a new post up and when I announce winners. And if you do follow me on Facebook already and haven't seen any updates, it might be because of Zuckerberg effing around with his little system. So go to my Facebook page and hit like or leave a comment on my page to activate it - just to let the people at Facebook know that you're interested in my newsfeed so they'll make sure you get the information ON YOUR NEWSFEED. Why does that guy have to make it sooo difficult for us to read about the friends we want to know about? Sometimes I think his last name should start with an "F!"

Coming up I have INCREDIBLE BOOKS FOR YOU! I have just finished ON THE ISLAND by Tracey Garvis Graves which is an incredible novel about a 30-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy who are castaways on a deserted island - they fall in love - it's steamy and romantic and OH.SO.HOT!

And then I read WHAT I DID by Christopher Wakling - it's narrated by 6-year-old Billy who disobeys his dad one morning and sets the whole story in motion. You'll compare it to ROOM by Emma Donoghue in that they both have young boys as narrators but that's where the comparisons end and this one is another I could not put down. 

And my good real life friend, Amy Sprenger, also known as Snarky Mommy (can you imagine hanging out with MaNiC MoMMy and Snarky Mommy in one room together?) ... well, Snarky Mommy's debut novel came out yesterday and I'll be sharing THAT with you. It's called Baby Bumps, and the subtitle has the word BAT SHIT in it, if that's any indication of what kind of hilarity that will ensue when ready this sort-of-made-up-totally-true-fictional-memoir! Yep, that's what I'm calling Amy's book from here on out -- Baby Bumps, the sort-of-made-up-totally-true-fictional-memoir! 

Damn, I LOVE READING! I've often thought, "put me in a jail cell for just six months so I can catch up on my reading. Oh, and finish up this manuscript I am working on." Also, it feels so good to 'talk' to you all for once about my feelings, and not just report on books. Because you know, I have feelings too! Damn. I kind of miss my old style blogging. I wonder what would happen if I started another blog of just personal stuff... 

OK OK, get to the winner's names ALREADY...

OK, enough of that, here are the winner's names, and if yours is listed, please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com and please be specific in your email as to what you have won.

The winner of THE NEXT BEST THING by Jennifer Weiner is: Rebecca E.

The winner of $15 gift card of your choice is: Janet Stec.

The SECOND PLACE winner of the June Book Giveaway is: Books & Reviews blogger

And the Grand Prize winner of all the books listed above is: Carol5814

Congratulations to you all, and look for the next Booking with Manic book hopefully later this week!

Peace to you all! Happy Summer! Be safe and well!