And the Winner Is..............................

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The winner of The Summer Son goes to ...........

stacybuckeye said...

I've been reading such good things about this one. Please enter me! stacybooks at yahoo

Congrats to Stacy, I'll be forwarding  Mr. Lancaster your email address.

Who's watching The Superbowl tomorrow and who are you rooting for??

Happy Super bowl Sunday!!

  

The Summer Son by Craig Lancaster - Book Tour, Guest Appearance, Giveaway, OH MY!

Craig Lancaster does not disappoint readers with his second novel The Summer Son.   A powerful, moving story that is intense at times and keeps the readers attention the whole way through.

The story begins with Mitch as an adult, receiving mysterious phone calls from his dad. His life is in a quandary and spiraling fast out of control. After much deliberation with his wife, he goes to his dad to find the missing puzzle pieces to the jigsaw of his life. 

Throughout the story, there is a mystery to what is going on and the author gives slight hints but you don't really know until the end and  WOW!!!! You don't see it coming! 
I absolutely loved loved this book and will probably rave on and on about it.

And now from Craig  Lancaster:

FATHERS AND SONS
By Craig Lancaster

Had I consciously picked a theme for my second novel, “The Summer Son,” I would have been hard-pressed to come up with one more frequently examined in art than that of fathers and sons. Fortunately for my overall sanity and my fleeting hold on my insecurities, I didn’t pick a theme; I tried to tell a story, and if it’s one that plays out against a familiar set of family circumstances, it’s only because so much of what binds us as human beings exists there.

The relationship between men in a genealogical line often comes with built-in points of conflict. Our fathers give us names we must rise to, or ones we must live down. They give us examples to follow – or, as is too often the case, they are in absentia, leaving us longing or angry or determined to do better by our own offspring.

It’s against this latter backdrop that my story takes place. Mitch Quillen has arrived on the back end of his thirties with little to show. His career is stuck in neutral, his marriage is fraying, and he has accumulated plenty of losses already, and he blames those losses on his estranged father, Jim. When Jim calls out of the blue – only to hang up and then repeatedly call again in the days that follow –Mitch’s wife, Cindy, takes the initiative and compels him to confront his father at last and come to terms with the deep divisions between them, a relationship seemingly so far beyond repair that she doesn’t even know where it went wrong.

The result is a first-person trip through the present day, as Mitch and his father collide over past injuries and the lingering raw feelings, and backward through Mitch’s memories of a summer nearly thirty years in the dust, an alcohol-soaked time of violence for which Mitch blames his father without necessarily understanding all that was at stake. As the two storylines converge, there is hell to pay and, perhaps, a route to reconciliation.

Here’s an excerpt from the book, as the 11-year-old Mitch lies in bed, listening to his father and stepmother fight across the hall:

The words were quieter now, delivered in low tones so as not to rouse me. It was a senseless consideration. I lay in the dark, my eyes open, and took in every syllable.

“I hate it here,” she said. “I hate being with you out there. I deserve better.”

“This is the deal,” Dad said. “You knew it when you married me.”

“I didn’t know it would be like this.”

“That makes two of us.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t keep up. You’re bleeding us dry, gallivanting around. I come home and find you in Billings –“

“I was just having fun.”

“It looked fun, you and that guy.”

“He’s just a friend. Not that you’d know –”

“He was friendly, that much was clear. He can be friendly with a busted nose.”

“Oh, yeah, big man Jim. You can’t understand it, so you’ve got to hurt it.”

“Whore.”

“I didn’t do anything that you didn’t do first.”

“Lying whore.”

I turned over, wrapped the pillow around my head and said a silent prayer that it would end soon. It seemed to me, as I lay there in the dark, that Jerry had made the only sensible decision.
He had gotten out.

With a novel like this, written in first person and covering such emotional ground, I often get asked if it has autobiographical underpinnings. The answer, I’m afraid, isn’t so simple as a yes or a no. Jim and my father share a profession, and Mitch and I share some worldviews, but the emotional center of the story comes from a much darker place than anything I’ve experienced with my dad. We’ve had our struggles, mostly due to separation (I was raised primarily by my mother and stepfather) and interests (we have little in common), but those are distances we’ve been equal partners in trying to bridge, particularly in my adult years. The fiction I choose to write helps me purge many things, but I would be at loose ends if I tried to parse what is intensely mine and what is simply a function of trying to understand people and their motivations.

Did I succeed at getting below the surface of a difficult relationship in “The Summer Son”? I hope you’ll read it and judge for yourself.

credit: Larry Mayer

“The Summer Son,” which was just released by AmazonEncore, is Craig Lancaster’s second novel. His first, “600 Hours of Edward,”  was a 2009 Montana Honor Book and the 2010 High Plains Book Award winner for best first book. 
His website is CraigLancaster.net. 

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of “The Summer Son.”

Must be a GFC or email follower to enter.

US/Canada - Winner will be picked February 5, 2011.

Thank you Mr. Lancaster for the opportunity to read your wonderful novel and wishing you much success!!

Yep, We Finally Have A Winner!! Sorry For The Late Post.

The  winners of the Ebook The Weight Of Glass goes to..........

Sharon/MoonRae

Scoot

Alice

 Congrats to the winners and thank you everyone for entering!

Book Review - The Weight of Glass by Stuart Heatherington and a GIVEAWAY!

The Weight of Glass by Stuart Heatherington

Wow! So emotional, passionate and heart wrenching!!  

This book was hard to put down! I couldn't stop, I had to know what would happen next.

It's a story of how  2 people who survived horrific abuse at the hands of their stepfather and they relive the past, telling about the abuse they suffered and what they did to try to stop it.

The story is written so beautifully, at times poetically.

There were parts where I was on the edge of my sitting, praying this boy would tell someone about his abuse and there were parts where I was hoping something would happen to the stepfather, and something does a couple of times! I don't want to give to much away, it's an amazing story and  you really have to read the book!!

Description from Amazon:

“Long ago my childhood became a graveyard for the shipwrecks of memory. Broken masts lay compressed along its shoreline. Like inverted crosses rising from the water, the emotional events of youth scuttled upon shallow rocks and slipped gently into its currents. Throughout the years I found forgetting an acceptable form of therapy; my demonstration of its ability masterful.

But then I’m sure the children who suffered as we did, seek out love affairs with razor blades and the comfort food of pills and wine. Anyone can tell you reminders fade away, but honestly, it’s easier forgetting when you’re dead. Because if we seek hard enough to stir the clouds of memory, those things we learned to drown below the surface, every now and then they find a way back. And it’s only then the realization is made. Sometimes dead is better.”


Hidden in the haunted words of Amy Macon’s indelible memoir, as much a work in progress as a survival guide for a torturous childhood, is the need to stitch together her brother’s dark secrets, those terrible mysteries surrounding the destruction of their family, ones she knows shaped the fabric of all their lives.
For Lee Macon, growing up was painful; he can’t forget waking up inside his mother’s coffin or, sometimes, the image of the man that put him there. Even after three decades, he hasn’t stopped drowning every godforsaken memory in a bottle.
It is here, torn between the lines of a sister’s unfinished manuscript and the darker truths of a desperate brother, that the beautiful pull of Fripp Island comes alive in Stuart Heatherington’s page-turning novel, THE WEIGHT OF GLASS.
Amy, Lee’s sole surviving sister, plans to meet him at Rabbit’s Hole, the family’s old beach house, to scatter their baby sister’s ashes where they belong. Even though it’s been years since Darla went missing, Lee still doesn’t know why the hell it matters; they already buried her once before. But a promise made is a promise kept. Besides, it’ll help Amy erase some of the scars from her psyche, if not the memory of the ones on her wrists. And he needs it too. If anything, Darla died because of him.
Back then, years ago as a battered teenager, Lee decided to take revenge on Warren Tucker, their abusive stepfather and the minister of the local town, by stuffing the hymnals with evidence of his corruption. Half out of his mind, Lee wasn’t sure which, or maybe he just didn’t care. All the same, he was throwing a match on a volatile situation. But enough was enough. Warren’s violent nature had only worsened in the wake of Lee’s mother’s death, and he and his siblings had been scarred forever.
Now only the two of them remain alive. And over the course of three days, Lee will find himself blindsided by his sister’s resolve, drug through the past by the corners of a broken heart and forced to remember a decade old pledge. Amy tells him it’s time to dig up the dead; she needs to finish writing her memoir, and only Lee can help find the bones buried the deepest. But if there’s any hope of absolution, for burying the past Amy means to exhume in her book, they must find a way to save each other first. Because it may be the last chance they get.

The author has generously offered to 3 lucky winners  The Weight of Glass Ebook!

To enter, please comment with a valid email address.

For extra enteries (be sure to leave an email address in each comment)

Tweet - "The Weight of Glass by Stuart Heatherington giveaway www.thebookinn.net @nataliew2"  -leave a link.

 Blog/sidebar about the giveaway.

Join me on Facebook and post about the giveaway- leave a link.

US only, thank you. Ends at midnight October 23, 2010

My Photo Book Experience with Shutterfly and a Giveaway!!

I have been a Shutterfly customer now for about 5 years and I love them! I can upload all of the photo's from my camera and select the ones that I want printed. I really like that when I select the picture, it will let me know what size it recommends that I order. They have matte or glossy finish and you can also print custom messages.

My orders are always shipped fast and the pictures are beautiful. 

I have also created a Photo Book.   The process was very easy. I was able to select the layout that I liked and I could drag and drop the pictures where I wanted them.  If the pictures did not fit in the selected frame, it will let you know which is very helpful. I'm getting one of these for my parents for Christmas. This is what a couple of the pages look like of my book : 

 

Shutterfly also has Holiday Photo Cards, Halloween Photo Cards,  
how cute would that be to have your child's Halloween picture on a card to send to Grandma & Grandpa. How about Halloween party invitation? Thanksgiving party invitations?  They also have supplies for digital scrapbookers!

Don't miss on the special savings. Right now they are offering

20% off cards and photo books!

Now for the giveaway!

Shutterfly has graciously offered to 3 lucky winners - 1 set  of 10  5x7 flat stationery cards. 

 To enter: Tell me what you would do with the cards.

For a second entry: Go to Shutterfly.com and come back letting me know what other item you would order.

Giveaway ends October 8.

Shutterfly on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Have fun ! 

http://cmp.ly/0/jnm8h1

I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein.

I reserve the right to edit or revise this offer.

Wind Warrior Blog Tour Giveaway! Enter Now....

Wind Warrior Blog Tour Giveaway

Sept 1 ~ Sept. 30

Cynthia Roberts, author of her debut historical romance, Wind Warrior has something pretty darn dynamic for all of The Book Inn visitors, friends and subscribers ... one of the largest blog tour promotional giveaways ever attempted.

Breaking into the world of romance fiction is a challenge unto itself but more so, when you’re a newly published author. The Book Inn is excited to participate in this venture with Cynthia and help introduce Wind Warrior to the world of romance readers. The bonus … every one has the chance to compete for not one, but five pretty extraordinary prizes which will include:

1. Romantic Two-lid willow picnic basket with deluxe service for two ~ $125.00 value

2. Succulent Godiva Chocolate Tier ~ $75.00 value

3. Exquisite Pearl & Crystal Necklace ~ $50.00 value

4. Amazon Gift Certificate ~ $25 value

5. Amazon Gift Certificate ~ $25 value

To view the gifts and read further descriptions visit her website at http://www.romanceauthorcynthiaroberts.com.

Contest Rules Are As Follows

1. Leave a comment at the end of this post

2. Tweet the following text: Wind Warrior by Cynthia Roberts. A story of longing, of a wanton need to survive all odds ; a love so strong it conquers human evil. On sale now at Amazon, Borders & Barnes and Nobel.

3. Post the same tag on your Facebook and/or Myspace Profile

4. Become a fan/follower/subscriber of the blog you visit

5. The list of participating blogs are registered on Cynthia’s website and you may enter to win on every one, however, only one family member may do so in a household.

6. Open to ALL not just the US & Canada

7. Each participating blog will randomly choose five entrants to compete for the grand prize pool where the final 5 winners will be randomly selected

8. Winners will be chosen on Sept. 30th and notified via email by Cynthia

9. All finalists must provide their email, name and official delivery address at the time of finalist selection to The Book Inn.

10. All prizes will be shipped no later than Oct. 30th directly from the distributor

11. The steps above will be checked to determine your eligibility.

Wind Warrior ~ The Iroquois Series ~ Book One

Leslie Michaels is a visionary, and only those close to her know of her special gift and the visions that come when her mind and body surrender to sleep. Fate has a way of righting many wrongs, and for Leslie it is a destiny that changes her life dramatically. But not before she is forced to flee into the wilderness to escape a murderous trapper bent on claiming her for his very own. Faith and a strong will to survive are her only companions, until she encounters Winnokin, the handsome Seneca war chief who first came to her in her dreams. Not only does he prove to be her rescuer and protector, he teaches her that tragedy can breed happiness and the passion to live and love deeply once again.

Wind Warrior plunges readers into the intimate depths of a relationship that unfolds like a live drama before their eyes while painting an insightful and intriguing portrait of Native Indian life in the 1800s. It is a story of longing, of a wanton need to survive all odds, and a love so strong it conquers human evil. Wind Warrior expresses with cunning words the simple, raw human emotions that hold readers spellbound and captivates their hearts.

On Sale Now at Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Nobel ISBN# 978-1-61663-162-8. Read more than a dozen reviews on her website at http://www.romanceauthorcynthiaroberts.com.

Don't miss out on this amazing giveaway!
Thank you Cynthia !

Winner of $20 Gift Certificate

The winner of the $20 gift certificate to Readingglassesshopper.com  goes to........

Suko!  

Congrats Suko, enjoy your glasses.

Thank you everyone for entering!

Winner of The Lotus Eaters!!

So sorry for the delay in announcing the winner!   

Winner of The Lotus Eaters goes to ........

Cindy W! 

Thanks everyone for entering!

Guess What? Another Awesome Giveaway from CSN !

CSN has offered a $40 gift certificate to one lucky winner!

  

I was so excited when I received an email asking me if I would like to have a giveaway! 

CSN has over 200 online stores to choose from with top brand names like Kohler, DaVinci, Rachael Ray, Serta and many more. CSN stores was founded in 2002 in Boston Massachusetts.

They have a huge variety of items  from Recessed lighting to shoes! 

For readers, these are some of the items I think will interest you.

I'm thinking about getting a book light. Some nights I like to read but don't want to have all the lights on.  This one looks lightweight and I like that its flexible.

Now for the giveaway details! 

Must be a follower and comment with a valid email address.

You can Tweet, Facebook, post about the giveaway but must include a link.

Open to US & Canada - ends June 19th.

Good luck !

Winner!

The winner of Journal Buddies goes to.....

Lynette!! 

Congrats to Lynette and please email me within 24hrs.

Thanks to everyone who entered and stay tuned I have more awesome giveaways coming up, hopefully in the next few days.

The Winner!!

The lucky winner of the 100 custom postcards goes to :

SUKO!!

Congrats!

Journal Buddies and Giveaway!!!

I was very excited to see what Journal Buddies was all about . I told my son about it and he just groaned. The subject he struggles at the most in school is writing. He does not like to write at all. We have to really work with him to practice his handwriting and making sure he writes his letters/numbers correctly.  He also struggles with imagination. When it comes time to write a report, letter or even draw a certain type of picture, he cannot think of anything to write or draw, his mind is blank.

So when we received Journal Buddies, he was actually very interested and dove right in. I was so surprised !

This is what he had to say bout Journal Buddies:

With Journal Buddies - there are pages that gives you idea's on what to write.
Here are a couple of pictures I took. I tried to get a close up so you could read the writing.

From Journal Buddies website:

Creating a journal together creates a cherished self-esteem building keepsake that may be reflected upon – time and again – by both you and your special girl.

With Journal Buddies, you take the simple and fun self-esteem building activity of sharing what you admire and love about your girl and you make the time to formalize it once a day for 30 days in a journal.

I have never seen a journal that was geared toward a boy and Journal Buddies has a book for a girl or a boy! 

About the author:

Jill Schoenberg is the author of the award winning books Journal Buddies: A Girl’s Journal for Sharing and Celebrating Magnificence and Journal Buddies: A Boys Journal for Discovering and Sharing Excellence.

Jill Schoenberg was born and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Youth Studies and Sociology from the University of Minnesota. She is passionate about creating tools for kids to help them develop their self-esteem. And she loves creative journaling!

Her professional experience includes more than seven years of working directly with young people — helping them to understand and strengthen their self-esteem, creative talents and life-skills.

Please visit www.JournalBuddies.com for more information about Jill and her books.

Now, the creator and author of Journal Buddies has kindly offered to 1 lucky winner a copy of Journal Buddies!

To enter, you must be a follower,  go to Journal Buddies and comment on what you found interesting about Journal Buddies.

For extra entries:

Follow @Selfesteem on Twitter.

Add me as a friend on Facebook

Like Journal Buddies on Facebook

Tweet about this giveaway- don't forget to leave a link.

Post about the giveaway (sidebar is fine too)- be sure to leave a link

Anything else you do just be sure to leave a link!

Giveaway ends June 2nd. US only. 

Good Luck!!