Rainy Day Ramblings

New Blog Look

As many of you may have noticed, I debuted a new blog design and I wanted to tell you a little more about it.  The design is by Regina Wamba from Mae I Design.  Some of you may remember I featured her work on a guest post a few weeks back.  If you missed it check it out here.  Make sure you watch the video it is amazing!  I announced back then that Regina was going to be doing a new banner for me.  I can't tell you how thrilled I am with the way it turned out.  I sent Regina an email with a bunch of jumbled thoughts and she came back with this.....Granted I had her do some tweaking, and she was ever so patient with me while we worked to get it perfect.  I think it turned out absolutely gorgeous!  I can't praise her enough.  She was fast and great to work with as well.  If you are needing any type of graphics Regina is your girl.  She does bookcovers, enhanced photos, banners, you name it she can do it.  To find out more information visit her website.  You can also follow her on Twitter and like her Facebook page.  Make sure you watch her FB page for contests and discounts.  You can email her: Regina@maeidesign.com and you can see more of her work at

www.maeicreateart.com and www.maeidesign.com

Thank you Regina for making my blog shine! Now onto Friday Forecast! 

Charade Tour Stop with Cambria Hebert and Giveaway!

Today I am excited to welcome back an important friend to Rainy Day Ramblings.  Many of you know that Cambria is an important part of this blog. I participate every week in her weekly meme Tell Me Something Tuesday.  I am happy to say that she has become a good friend over the last few months. I reviewed her latest book, Charade yesterday you can check out my review here.  For those of you meeting Cambria for the first time here is a bit more info on her: 

  Author. Blogger. Latte Sipper.
Cambria Hebert is an author who wrote her first book at the age of fifteen. It was terrible. But the passion for writing never went away so years later when she opened her laptop and started typing she worked until she wrote a book – Masquerade - that she hopes everyone will be as excited about as she is.

Cambria is obsessed with werewolves and is terrified of chickens (they are creepy!) She is an animal lover that would choose coffee over food and her favorite TV show is the Vampire Diaries (Hell-O Damon!)

When she isn’t writing you can find her stalking the young adult aisles at Barnes and Noble.

Cambria writes a fun little blog you should visit and check it out.  She is the author of two full length novels and three novellas. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In additon to being an author and blogger, she is also a busy wife and mother.  You can find her on her blog, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. Right now you can catch her all over the blogosphere on her current Charade Tour.  Really, check it out!  Not only has she written some great guest posts, she is also doing a tour of Italy coming up in June. It is going to be spectacular and different.  You don't want to miss it.  Along the way she is doing some awesome giveaways, including the one at the end of this post.  

Cambria also has a fear of chickens.  Last time she was here, she did a fun post about Zombie Chickens!  Today she is following it up with another story I like to call Revenge of the Zombie Chickens.   So without further delay, here is Cambria:

Stranded 

Stranded. I never gave much thought to his word before. I never gave much thought to actually being this word before. 

Until tonight.

Being stranded really smacks a girl in the face. In all my thirty years of living I have never felt stranded. I have never been stranded. But, here, now, on the side of this country road, stranded is exactly what I am. Never mind the fact that my husband is here with me. That just makes him stranded too. Never mind the fact that I guess we aren’t technically “stranded” but the twisting in my belly and the fine tremor in my hands says different. 

Of course, the trembling could be from cold. Because it is cold. And dark. Of all the times to get stranded, we would have to be so when it is cold, dark and on a back country road with no flashlight.

And a busted tire. 

Whatever we hit back there was one nasty piece of trouble because in less than two minutes the white SUV began to sag as air rushed from the tire. I find it ironic that our house is maybe one mile away, in a sub division that is well lit. But looking around… a girl could forget that safety and warmth is so close because here there is nothing but cold and darkened unfriendly houses perched along a winding two lane road.

“I’ll change the tire. It will only take a minute,” Shawn says, lifting the back hatch up.

“In the dark?” I ask, doubtfully. 

“I got skills,” Shawn says and reaches for the false bottom of the trunk to get out the spare.

“I’ve got an iPhone,” I retort and quickly install a flashlight app. I don’t know how people possibly live without an iPhone. I clicked the light on and it shone brightly in the dark, down into the place where the spare was supposed to be. I gasp. “They forgot to put a spare in! Oh my Gosh, what are we going to do now?” I say dramatically, the light wavering in my hand. “You think you get quality when you buy a brand new car and look at what you get.”

“Cambria, the spare is strapped under the car,” Shawn says, blandly.

“Oh. Well how was I supposed to know that?”

Shawn just shakes his head and gets to work with some tools I don’t know anything about, lowering the tire from underneath the car. In my opinion, the people who put it there could have left a note. 

As I stood there holding the light and shaking with cold, I looked around. There was no need to watch Shawn with the tire because there was no way I would ever need to change a tire. That’s what my iPhone was for: calling people to change them for me.  I snickered at the thought as I glanced at the ground.

I froze.

I squinted down at the ground, littered with white specks. No, it couldn’t be.

I bent down to get a better look, turning the flashlight toward the objects of my attention. Behind me there was a sound and then a muffled curse.

“Oops! Sorry!” I said and shined the light back to where he was working.

I didn’t listen to his reply because I was busy freaking out. Turns out what couldn’t be—was.

Chicken feathers. There were fluffy white chicken feathers littering the ground all around us. I shuddered. Chickens were nasty. Added to the fact that I kept dreaming about chickens and an angry, vile emu… well… I briefly considered locking myself in the SUV and letting Shawn hold the flashlight himself.

But I was being silly. Yes, my fear was real, but I could be scared and still stand out here in the dark. Who cares if there are chicken feathers everywhere? Who cares that we got stranded just yards from a chicken farm. I looked behind me and across the field where a long, silver building sat. It had a metal roof. 

The chicken shack.

I’m sure the farmer had a much more business-like name for the place, but to me it was shack that housed chickens. I shuddered, picturing the large screen panels along the sides of the shack. Those panels were far too flimsy in my opinion. One tenacious peck of a sharp beak could set the nastiness free.

A vision of chickens swarming out a hole in the screen had me gagging.

Shawn paused in the tire changing. “Are you all right?”

“There are chicken feathers on the ground.”

“They probably took a truckload to wherever they take them and the feathers blew out.”

  I let out a breath. “Yeah, that chicken shack is probably empty.” I looked at his handy work. He had the car jacked up into the air and was using some long metal thing to take the bolts off the ruined tire.

“Almost done,” he said.

Just then a rooster crowed. There was answering gaggle from some chickens. 

Apparently, the chicken shack was not empty. 

“Hurry up!” I said to my husband.

He laughed. “Can’t rush a man, Cambria.” I bit back the many sarcastic retorts on my tongue while he continued to dig himself a hole. “Who is scared of a little chicken?” he said, not really asking because he already knew who.

Clearly, he wasn’t afraid of chickens, but he perhaps he should be afraid of the lady with the flashlight.

All of a sudden, I noticed how very dark it was. I looked up to the sky. The moon had been hidden by a large drifting cloud. There were hardly any stars outside… the brightest things besides my phone were the white feathers on the ground. A light wind picked up and blew against me, pulling at my hair, and sending the feathers blowing toward me. I side stepped them and began shivering with cold. 

“Why don’t you get my sweatshirt out of the car?” Shawn said, noticing the way the light seemed to jerk with my shivering.

I handed him the phone and went around to the passenger side, reaching in to find the shirt. I pulled it on, grateful for the warmth. Then, I shut the door and turned around.

Not two feet from where I stood was a chicken. 

Okay, that doesn’t sound very frightening. But it really is, see the visual aid below for proof:

 You’re scared now, aren’t ya? 

So anyway, this is what was standing there and it was making this sound… this horrible sound. A cross between a cluck and a moan.

Adrenaline and fear slammed into me, knocking me backward to come up against the side of the SUV, which was still jacked up. The force of my bump sent it teetering. 

“What are you doing?” Shawn called.

I didn’t answer. I was too busy watching the zombie chicken prowl closer. Its sharp, pointy toes clawed into the ground as it went, making little ripping sounds in the grass.

Then, another zombie chicken popped out from beneath the car and lunged at my shoes.

I began screaming, and I kicked it, hearing the sick sound of rattling bones as it knocked into its friend. It gave me a moment to get free. 

I began to run.

“Run, Shawn!” I yelled over my shoulder. I wasn’t going back for him. He was a Marine; he’d be okay. Maybe he would catch up. 

Out of nowhere, a gaggle of nasty chickens began to chase me. They were in various states of decay. Some still had their feathers and some were bald. A few were missing their wings… have you ever seen a wingless chicken? You don’t want too.

There were a few with holes in their beaks and they all had red, crazed eyes. They darted across the ground, chasing me, giving me doubt that I would be able to outrun them. 

One ambitious zombie chicken caught up and began yanking on my shoe laces.  I screamed and stumbled. My knee hit the ground, but I bounced back up, allowing myself to be overcome by zombie chickens was unacceptable.

Another caught up and began pecking at my ankles. Panic bubbled within me. “Shawn!” I screamed. I probably shouldn’t have left him behind. 

Sweat ran down my face and I pulled at the sweatshirt, swiping it over my head and holding it by one of the arms. I stopped and turned. Zombie chickens swarmed around me. There were five or six. I started swinging the shirt, hitting them right and left, trying to get them to back off. 

Out of the darkness ran Shawn, coming toward me, gripping that long metal thing he used to change the tire. He began sending the chickens sailing through the air away from us. When they were all gone (for the moment), he turned to me.

“Tire’s done.”

“Seriously? That’s what you have to say?”

“There’s a chicken behind you.”

I screeched and jumped forward, grabbing his shirt and shoving him forward. He laughed. There was no chicken. 

“That’s what you get for leaving me behind.”

I wondered if there was another iron tool in the car. Then I noticed that in my haste to get away from the zombie chickens I had run toward the chicken shack. (Hey, I never said I was bright.) 

“Let’s go. There is something wrong with those chickens. There might be more.”

As we turned to leave, there was a great ripping sound from the chicken shack and I watched, completely horrified, as a gaggle of blood-thirsty zombie chickens raced out of the rip. They ran right for us.

Yup, I screamed again and took off running. Shawn caught me around the waist and hauled me off to the side, behind a dense bush. Most of the zombie chickens weren’t very bright and kept heading straight, passing us. There were a few though that followed. Shawn used his tired iron to whack them. 

Once the herd of hungry beasts had gone by, he pulled me toward the shack.

“Are you crazy?” I whispered.

“You want to go back that way?” He pointed to where the chickens went. A vision of angry zombie chickens taking over my car filled my eyes.

“Fine,” I said and we crept toward the chicken shack.

It was smelly here. It smelled of poop (just keepin’ it real), blood and some other fowl odor I could not name and wouldn’t want too. There were a few clucks coming from inside the shack so I knew it wasn’t completely empty. 

“Hey, look,” Shawn whispered, pointing ahead. At the end of the long shack sat a dirt bike. “We can take this to the house and come back tomorrow for the car.”

I snorted. I wasn’t gonna drive that zombie-mobile ever again. As we crept toward the dirt bike, I made the mistake of looking inside the shack. It was dimly lit so I was able to see this:

No, I am not making this up. I tripped over an empty bucket and sprawled over the ground. My clumsiness alerted the zombie chickens and they began flying at the screen. Their bodies made gross thudding sounds as they hit it.

I scrambled to my feet as the dirt bike roared to life. 

“Come on!” Shawn yelled and I jumped on the back just as the chickens ripped through the screen and rushed us. We tore across the ground, the wind whipping through my hair as we traveled at break-neck speed through the trees and across the uneven grass. He didn’t go back toward our car, but headed instead up the road toward our neighborhood.

The entrance to the neighborhood came into view, and just as I thought we were home free, something burst from the trees with incredible speed.

It was an emu and it was growling and spitting with an alarming tenacity.  This thing was exactly the thing from my nightmares.

As you can see, it practically unhinged its jaw to take a bite out of my body, so I grabbed the tire iron and jammed it in its mouth. That slowed it down considerably as we sped through the street and into our driveway.

Shawn stopped the bike, and I leapt off and rushed toward the front door. He followed and I turned waiting for him.

“Who’s afraid of chickens now?” I asked.

“Those things weren’t chickens. Those were zombies.” He said it like it was something we encounter every day.

“Give me the keys,” I said, holding out my hand.

“I thought you had the keys,” he said.

We both froze, staring at each other through the darkness. 

“You left the keys with the zombie chickens?” I finally asked.

“I thought you had them.”

“I was busy not getting eaten!”

He actually rolled his eyes. “Let’s go back and get them.”

“Let’s?” It was almost cute he thought I was going back there.

He shrugged. “Okay. You stay here. Alone.”

I watched as he went and picked up the dirt bike, firing it up. He turned back to me, a devilish grin on his face as he revved the engine.

I sighed. I wasn’t about to stay here alone. I reached behind the giant rose bush by the front door and pulled out a long wooden rod. What? Like you don’t stash weapons outside, too. 

I heard Shawn laugh over the rumble of the engine and I ran to jump onto the back, flinging my free arm around his waist as we sped down the driveway.

Zombie chickens here we come.

 A big thanks to Cambria for stopping by today and sharing her fun little story with us!
 Now for the good stuff: the giveaway!  Today, Cambria is offering a signed copy of Charade, a bookmark featuring Sam and a magnet featuring Sam.  You know you want it! 

Contest is open to everyone.  Read Contest Policies (yeah right, I know you all aren't going to read it) and fill out the Rafflecopter and cross your fingers and toes! Good Luck! If you don't win here, be sure to check out the other stops on the tour she is giving away more goods!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One more thing...This Friday, June 1st, Cambria is having a FB party to celebrate the release of Charade.  Make sure you like her FB page and watch that day for some spectacular giveaways from numerous authors.  I will even be hosting an hour.  I hope to see you there.   

Cornerstone (Cornerstone #1) by Misty Provencher Tour Stop and Giveaway

Nalena Maxwell has been branded ‘The Waste’ at her new school, due to her mom's obsessive paper hoarding. Nalena desperately wants something to change in her life, but when she receives a sign (and it's the wrong dang one) inviting her into a mysterious, ancient community, too much changes. What she knew of her family, what she thought of her life and what she believed about her future, is no longer applicable. Seventeen years worth of family skeletons come crashing into Nalena's life and it is the boy...the one that smiles at her like he wants to hear everything she'll ever say...that already knows her powerful secrets. But it is only Nalena that can choose between protecting the life that is already crumbling beneath her feet and the one that might sacrifice everything she could ever have.
 Kindle Edition, 219 pages
 Published November 7th 2011

 

Five Stars: This is an indie book that you must read!

Nalena walks home from school.  She shifts her heavy backpack on her shoulder as she struggles to balance the three reams of paper in her other hand.  She detests paper day.  Every week she stops at the office supply store to pick up three packs of paper for her mother.  Despite the fact that her home is filled with stacks and stacks of paper.  Everywhere you look, including the oven and the furniture there are piles of papers.  Nalena hates that her mother hoards paper, but she can't say no to her, either.  Her mother is her rock and together they face the world and weather the storm.  Even when they lost their home due the stacks of paper, they managed.  Even though the paper hoarding has earned her the nickname "The Waste" at school, Nalena loves her mother and stands by her side. At night, Nalena goes to the library to study.  It is the only place where she can spread out and be free from the paper.  She is all settled at her quiet, hidden away table when a handsome boy approaches and sits down.  She expects that he is there waiting for someone.  He refuses to leave despite her repeated requests.  

The next night he is back.  On a return trip from the bathroom, she hears Garrett arguing with the pretty head cheerleader, Jen.  She admonishes him for hanging out with "The Waste", but he refuses to listen and even defends Nali.  Nali can't take it anymore. She flees the library leaving her things behind.  In the darkened woods without her flashlight, she loses her way.  A hand clamps onto her in the woods and a man in a mask tries to attack her.  He strikes her arm and pain envelopes her.  Suddenly, Garrett is there, rescuing her.  Garrett rushes her home to get her mom and then they head to the hospital.  Soon Nalena's view of the world comes crashing down as she learns that her mother has been keeping some big, important secrets, and that there may be more to the paper than meaningless scribbles.  What is the purpose of the paper? 

What I Liked:

• I love finding fantastic indie books.  I know it often feels like trying to find a needle in the haystack, but when you do find one that astounds you, it makes the search worth the time.  Cornerstone is one of those magical finds.  If you like indie books, read this one.  You won't be disappointed, especially since you can get a copy on Amazon right now for $.99.  This book will amaze you.  Not to mention it is properly edited and you would never know it was a self pubbed book. Truly, I can't imagine a publisher not wanting to snatch this one up.
• I was blown away by this book.  It starts out focusing on Nalena and her mother's paper hoarding.  Once Garrett shows up and Nalena is attacked, the book takes a big turn and the story heads in a completely new direction that surprised me.  I was expecting to read a book about a girl suffering from the endless ridicule because of her mother's habit and what a got was a riveting read with an interesting paranormal twist.  I had no idea the book would take such an interesting direction.  I was completely glued to this book!
• Garrett, ladies let me tell you if you are looking for a swoon worthy adorable male lead, Garrett is it!  He is absolutely wonderful.  Not only did I love Garrett, I also adored his brothers, especially Sean.  I found it particularly funny that at Garrett's house there are four hot boys so at their house, the phone is always ringing and the girls are often too shy to speak, so the boys have a funny, unique way to answer the phone. 
• Toward the end of the story, a guru type gentleman is introduced known as the Addo. This guy is exactly the opposite of what you would expect from a wise old man.  He wears sweats, tube socks and sandals, and eats an exorbitant amount of cookies, while giving his own brand of sage advice.  I loved this character. 
• This book has one of those romances that keeps you guessing, it is a slow builder filled with sparks and tension and when it finally blooms it is magic.  If you are tired of insta-love and love triangles you will enjoy this one. 

And The Not So Much:

• I have very few criticisms for this book.  I only wished that I had a better grasp on the secret society.  How big and widespread is it?  Has it always existed?  Are people only born into it or can they be recruited?  I wanted to know a bit more about the other types of people besides the Contego, the Alo and the Addo.  
• I was curious as to why all the records by the Alo were recorded on paper instead of computer and what happened to all the information?  Did it just stay in storage? I needed just a touch more clarification on this. 

If you are in a bit of a reading rut and you are looking hungrily for something exciting, I highly recommend Cornerstone.  It is a book that has an imaginative an unexpected storyline, along with terrific characters.  The secondary characters are just as engaging as the protagonists.  The ideas presented in this book left my head spinning.  I can hardly wait to dive into book two.  Go get a copy of this right now on Amazon will you can still snatch it up for $.99! 

Favorite Quotations: 

"My dad's just a frozen smile in a brushed-brass frame on our living room wall."

"The windows are only covered with a film of milky dust and the porch is as rickety as an old man's mouth."

"Maybe the only things he hears about is the stuff that directly concerns him, like cheerleader breeding rituals or soccer stats."

"I try to listen to them talk.  I'd like to hear every word that Garrett says, but  my thoughts drift like feathers in a fan."

"His touch is a color.  Indigo.  It is more gentle than the fluid sky of his eyes and warmer than the midnight ink of his hair."

"I wait with the ache deepening every second that the heat of his mouth scribbles across my cheek."

"Following rumors with the truth is like having a banana split for dinner and broccoli for dessert."

"The music begins with the muted chords of a guitar; the beat as deep and dark as shadows."

"There's no way for Garrett to know that she's probably got enough padding her bra to stuff a mattress."

"His kiss kiss is a color too.  Silver.  Like raw wires held together until they explode in sparks."   

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

I was approached a couple of months ago by fellow blogger, Candace.  She told me about this extraordianry book and asked me to be part of the tour and I am so glad she did.  This book is extraordinary.  Misty is currently on tour.  Click on the banner to check out other stops.  You can find Misty on her blog, FB, Twitter and Goodreads.  Be sure to head to her blog and enter to win her grand prize giveaway.  While you are there you can read the first five chapters for free. Today she has generously allowed my to host a giveaway on her behalf.  She is offering for one lucky U.S. entrant a signed paperback copy and one Ebook for International entrants.  Big thanks to Misty!  Enter the Rafflecopter to enter.  See Contest Policies for all details!  Good Luck!

 

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Night Sky by Jolene Perry

Girl I’ve loved, girl I’m falling for. Now that they’re both in view, the problem is clear. After losing Sarah, the friend he’s loved, to some other guy, Jameson meets Sky. Her Native American roots, fluid movements, and need for brutal honesty become addictive fast. This is good. Jameson needs distraction – his dad leaves for another woman, his mom’s walking around like a zombie, and Sarah’s new boyfriend can’t keep his hands off of her. As he spends time with Sky and learns about her village, her totems, and her friends with drums - she's way more than distraction. Jameson's falling for her fast. But Sky’s need for honesty somehow doesn’t extend to her life story – and Jameson just may need more than his new girl to keep him distracted from the disaster of his senior year.
ebook, 247 pages
Published March 1st 2012 by Tribute Books

 

1/2

Three and half stars: A book that takes you through the emotion of losing a love and finding a new great love.

For Jameson the night of the dance seems like the end of the world.  The past three years he has spent countless hours mooning over a girl, Jenny, who considers him to be nothing more than a best friend.  He is hopelessly in love with her, but has never once told her of his feelings.  Tonight he watched the girl who holds his heart kiss another boy. Depressed he heads home, but decides to take a drive instead.  The Vegas night rushes around him as he drives in his dad’s convertible.  On the corner, he sees the most beautiful, girl with striking exotic features.  Without thinking, he offers her a ride.  She unexpectedly accepts.  The beauty is named Sky and she just happens to be living down the street with her grandparents.  Jameson turns heartbreak into hope as he slowly lets go of Jenny and falls head over heels in love with Sky.  This is the story of a boy on the brink of adulthood.  He falters as he lets go of the childish crush he has nurtured and moves into the complex world of adult relationships and adult problems.  He teeters on the threshold as he learns to live and love again, but will this new love come at a great price?

What I Liked:

• I admit I don’t read many contemporary books, but this is definitely a case where I am glad I strayed outside my normal reading zone.  This is a book filled with all the complexities and emotions that come with adulthood.  Jameson as a senior in high school is on top of his game, but soon his world comes crashing down as he loses his childhood crush and his family.  I loved watching him grow and change as he transformed into an adult. Books where characters show a marked growth are among my favorites, and this one certainly charts a big change. 
• I really enjoyed having the story told by a male protagonist.  Most contemporary YA books are via a female voice.  I liked being in Jameson’s head as he endures the painful lows and the butterflies in the stomach highs as he falls in love.  Jameson is pensive, compassionate, funny and a boy, meaning he thinks like any teenage boy hyped up on hormones does.  I thought Ms. Perry did a fantastic job of conveying his emotions and thoughts.  If you are tired of the normal, female main characters you will enjoy the departure with Jameson.
• At first glance, this book appears to have a love triangle but it is different in two ways, first, in that for once you have a male conflicted over two girls.  Second, it really isn’t a triangle because when the books opens Jameson has already lost Jenny to another boy and the book deals with him coping with the heartbreak.  This book really focuses more on the emotional roller coaster of losing someone and then taking those hesitant steps into a new relationship.
• I liked that this book takes on numerous issues, such as Jameson and his love life, the break up of his family and the anger and resentment he has toward his father, the difficult issues that plagued Sky in her past and most of all finding an identity as you move into adulthood. 
• I liked Ms. Perry’s quiet, easy writing style.  No frills or fancy descriptions, just simple straightforward good story telling.
• Can I just say I am a big fan of the cover.  It is stunning!

And the Not So Much:

• I completely enjoyed the story and watching Jameson evolve but there just wasn’t much action or anything super exciting in the book.  No big twists or shockers just a simple story, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you are a fan of contemporary books, I guess I am more of an adrenaline junkie and I was expecting something big and profound.
• I liked the story line that follows the break up of his parents marriage.  Jameson is angry and even hostile towards his father; he can’t have a conversation with him without yelling.  For me, this conflict never fully resolves.  I was expecting a scene where Jameson and his father sit down and have a frank discussion but that never occurs.  It instead is two men being angry, yelling and avoiding the issue.  Perhaps that is why the author wrote it that way, men don’t tend to really sit down and thoroughly discuss feelings and issues.  

Night Sky is a book that takes you through the lows of heartbreak to the butterflies in your tummy and flying feelings that come with a new relationship wrought on the heels of heartbreak.  It is a book about a boy who over the course of couple of months grows into a man. This is a wonderful book that will remind you of what it like to fall head over heels in love with the one destined to be your other half. 

Favorite Quotations:

“ I slide in my ear buds and blast Nirvana’s Nevermind as loud as I can stand it.  It’s old, as old as me---but good.”

“I can feel the line of water slide across my skin as I jump in.”

“I miss Sarah.  I want Sarah to call.  Sarah calls.  I wish Sarah hadn’t called.”

“A corner of my mouth pulls up into a smile---something that seemed impossible only a few moments ago.”

“When she turns to face us, a look of pure happiness is still all over her face.  It dances in her eyes and weaves its way through her body.”

“She doesn’t laugh, but there’s laughter on the edges of her words.”

“One thing I know is---everyone has impulses, but you don’t have to act on them.  At some point, you make a decision and that decision means you meant to do something.”

“Sarah’s becoming more of a memory now than anything else.”

“There’s always something we can be angry about, but it’s how we react that counts.”

“It’s just bringing it all to the surface again, like dragging my heart over sandpaper.”

“The problem is that when a relationship really means something, it messes with your head.”

A big thank you to Tribute Books for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

As part of the Night Sky Tour today, I am lucky enough to be able to offer you all a chance to win an ebook copy of this great book.  Please see Contest Policies for details and fill out the Rafflecopter.  

For more information on the author, Jolene Perry, you can visit her on her blog, the official Night Sky website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Ebook copies can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and the iBookstore.  Make sure you check out Tribute Books for more exciting and affordable titles. 

Destined by Allison Kraft Tour Stop Giveaway and Review

Today as part of The Destined Tour, I am happy to introduce Allison Kraft, author of Destined, a time travel romance that places two vampire hunters on board the doomed Titanic.  This week marks the centennial of Titanic's ill fated maiden voyage.  Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912 and after just four days at sea, she collided with an iceberg at 11:40 P.M. on the night of April 14.  By 2:20 A.M. Titanic was beneath the ocean waves, gone.  Except her legend lives on.  After one hundred years, the public is still fascinated by the doomed liner.  The Unsinkable Ship sank on her first sea crossing.  Was it a slap in man's face for daring to think he could conquer nature?  Whatever the case may be, Titanic will forever be an unsinkable legend.  Ms.  Kraft, a Titanic enthusiast, shares her love for this great ship in her novel, Destined.  If you are interested in Titanic, you will enjoy her book.  Allison's meticulous attention to detail is carefully woven into her story.  Today, I am pleased to invite Allison Kraft onto the blog to share a piece on Titanic's second class.  Please make sure to stick around at the end for her giveaway and my review of her book.  Here is Allison:

First, I want to thank you for hosting me today during my blog tour. It’s great to be here, and I’m excited to meet everyone! I was asked to write something about the Titanic today, and chose a topic that is a big part of Destined: the ship’s second class.

The Titanic’s Second Class

By now, it’s hard not to know something about the Titanic. There are enough books and movies out there depicting her maiden voyage and tragic sinking that you’d have to live in a cave to have never heard of it. But one thing many of those books and movies don’t mention very often is the second class. They weren’t the glamorous wealthy, nor were they poor immigrants. The second class were sort of like today’s equivalent of flying in Coach. They were the people who could afford to travel comfortably, but couldn’t (or didn’t feel the need to) upgrade to the luxurious accommodations of the first class. They were businessmen, families on vacation, single women traveling to meet up with fiancés or family. Basically, they were regular folk like you and me. (That isn’t to say there weren’t regular folk in other classes. Not all of the steerage passengers were broke or downtrodden, and not all of first class were millionaires.)

When writing Destined, I made the choice to set my Titanic story in second class. Everyone writes about the luxury in first and the hardship in third, because those are more dramatic. I wanted to do something different, and since my characters wouldn’t have been able to afford to travel in first class, second was the logical way to go. It let me shine a light on an area of the ship that’s usually in shadow and feature some of the passengers no one’s ever heard of, but who had stories just as interesting as those of the Astors or the Strauses or “the unsinkable Molly Brown.” (Who, I might add, was never called Molly while she was alive. The only nickname she went by was Maggie.)

It was said that on the Titanic, the second class traveled in a luxury nearly equal to the first class of most other ocean liners. While they didn’t have much space on the ship (about 1/3 or less than the area the first class was given), they had comfortable cabins with running water and heaters, nicely-appointed public spaces and even had their meals prepared in the same kitchen that made the first class fare. The men had a richly-paneled smoking room, the women a large, bright lounge/library. There was a covered promenade deck for cooler weather that unofficially became the children’s play area, and they had their own elevator that would take them from deck to deck. In other words, they had it pretty good.

There were a few notable passengers in the second class, although they only became known after the disaster. Some of these had brief cameos in Destined. Lawrence Beesley, a teacher from England traveling to visit the U.S. and Canada, would go on to write a book about the sinking that became a staple among Titanic historians. Eva Hart, who was 7 years old when she boarded the ship, would later become one of the more outspoken survivors, often interviewed in Titanic documentaries and active in the fight against allowing salvagers to dive to the wreck. Edwina Troutt was another second class passenger who was later featured in many interviews and became a frequent and beloved speaker at conventions and other Titanic-related functions. She was 27 at the time of the voyage, and died in 1985 at the age of 100. And, of course, the famous band were traveling as second class passengers. Sadly, they all perished.

The band weren’t the only casualties, unfortunately. Out of the 284 people traveling in second class at the time of the sinking, only 118 survived (about 41%), and most of that 41% was made up of women and children. All 24 of the children were saved, while only 13 of the 97 second class women on board died. In a dramatic contrast, only 14 men out of the 167 traveling in second class made it off the ship alive. Of all the classes and crew, second class had the lowest percentage of men saved, at 8%. Even the third class men had a higher survival rate at 13%. The moral of the story? If you were a man traveling on the Titanic, the worst place you could have been on April 14 was second class.

On that cheerful note, if you’d like to read more about this section of the ship, there’s a post over at my blog with more details and photos of some of the rooms: Titanic Tuesdays Second Class.   You can also find Allison on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Shelfari.

Click on all the banners for more details on the tour.  Allison is offering a Grand Prize to celebrate her tour consisting of a $25 gift card from Amazon and a signed copy of her novel, Destined.  For your chance to win leave on comment on this stop and visit the other participating tour stops for more chances to win this great prize: 

I am happy to offer you a chance to win an ebook copy of Destined as well.  Please fill out the Rafflecopter to enter.  You can read my review of this great book below.  A big thank you to Allison for being here today and for offering a chance to win a copy of her book. 

Until Next Time Tour with Guest Post by Amy Lignor and Giveaway

Yesterday I reviewed the lastest book from author, Amy Lignor, Until Next Time.  If you missed it you can check out my review here.

Today I am pleased to welcome Amy to Rainy Day Ramblings for a guest post.  

Welcome Amy! Here are Amy's thoughts on a supernatural fight club!

The Divine Fight Club

One of my most vivid memories is of my grandmother at Sunday dinner.  She owned one of those cookie-cutter faces, and her food - Holy BeJeezus! - we are talking the food of the gods atop the Acropolis.  But when it was time to cut dessert her serving knife would’ve made Jack the Ripper look like a poor pickpocket.  She would stand above the delicious ending of the meal, wave that scythe around and say, in her cute little voice, “WHO WANTS PIE?!”  (This is the point where the cat would leave the room in fear for his life.)

 

That memory brought to mind the Divine Fight Club that’s coming to pass.  The vampires were the ones who began this wave, and series after series has taken us into all the high schools and woodsy, barely lit, rainy areas that this world has to offer.  However, there were ‘glimpses’ of a lighter being on the horizon a couple of years back. 

Although angels have been mostly ‘fallen’ or, God forbid, worked for the ‘other side,’ they all had one thing in common; they protected the chick in order to attain that broken-hearted love match we all know so well.  They also all have an enemy who they need to stop in order for everyone to live happily ever after.  Dead, perhaps, but happy nonetheless.

Angels are slowly taking over, but as a writer I always wanted to know…would they even bother?  What would the ‘fresh’ angels right off the line really do if they were suddenly faced with humanity and told to solve issues.  Would they?  And when these Divine beings get into warrior mode, who could kick whose butt the fastest?  Would the ‘winged ones’ be totally turned off by the emotions like jealousy and anger that happen down here?  And what if the angel’s Divine partner wanted to fight for humans but the angel didn’t?  And the biggest question remains:  Could a ‘halo’ destroy a ‘fanged one?’  Well…for this one I’m gonna have to give the edge to the Divine.  After all, they do come from pretty good stock, not to mention the wings, bright lights and their backup defense really helps.  

From YA novels to the movies, there are many exciting battles to think about.  Could Edward Cullen outsmart Indiana Jones?  Could Patch from Hush, Hush take out the Vampire Academy?  And just think about Optimus Prime versus a vampire.  It would be really hard to bite Prime.  Perhaps you could shatter him into pieces, but chances are Bumble Bee would be right behind him and that fire he could shoot would turn a vamp to dust.  Imagining the best battles is fun.  Who do you think would make the coolest ‘Fight Club’ match imaginable? 

 

And I also hope you enjoy the new ‘take’ that Until Next Time has to offer.  If not, I may turn towards the Stephen King genre, and the next knock on your door could just be my grandmother.  As another movie hero once said, “Now, that’s a knife!” 

Until Next Time, Everybody.

 

And now for the giveaway!  Amy is giving away one ebook copy of her book Until Next Time.  Contest is open to all entrants U.S./International 13 years and older.  Please see Contest Policies, for additional information.  Fill out the rafflecopter to enter.  Good Luck!

 

Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum Tour Stop with Stephen Prosapio and Giveaway

Yesterday on Rainy Day Ramblings I reviewed the book Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum by Stephen Prosapio.

If you missed it check out my review here.

Stephen's book follows two ghost hunting teams as they investigate a haunted asylum for their ghost hunter television shows.

If you have any interest in Ghost Hunting you will love this book. It is filled with mystery, ghosts and more. Best part is you can pick up a copy of this book on Amazon for $2.99. 

Now here today as part of the Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum Tour, I have Mr. Prosapio to shed some light on where ideas from books come from. 

Why Ideas Mean Bullsh*t!  (Part I)

Imagine if you will, a dark alleyway downtown. Wrong-side-of-the-tracks downtown.

Shady Character:  Pssssssssst. Hey buddy…c’mere.

Newbie Author:  Who me?

Shady Character:  No. Da’uhdder guy with the notepad and pocket protector. Yeah you!

Newbie Author:  (shuffles over)

Shady Character:  You look like a guy who knows what to do with a golden idea. Am I right?

Newbie Author:  A golden idea?

Shady Character:  Did you fall off the Blue Moon beer truck yesterday? A golden idea. One that gets you atop the NYT best-seller list. I’m talkin’ 19^th century circus train ideas. I’m talkin’ ideas about hidden meanings in Renaissance artwork and how the Catholic Church is corrupt.

Newbie Author (dumbfounded):  You mean you came up with the ideas for “Water for Elephants” and “The DaVinci Code”?

Shady Character:  Heh. Heh. Heh. Just a couple of my satisfied clients. I come from a long line of Idea Men. My dad sold the mafia family idea to Mario Puzo. My grandpa? Think—Kansas Girl Meets a Tornado.

Newbie Author:  The Godfather?!?! Wizard of Oz?!?!? Well, I sure want one of those kinds of ideas!

Hopefully the “moral” to the above story is obvious. There are no “ideas” that are destined to be best-selling novels. I bet that a whole psychology book could be written as to why our brains in hindsight judge a successful piece of fiction “better” than an unsuccessful one. And of course there are good ideas, but it’s only after having read the whole novel or viewed the entire film that our mind suspects in hindsight the “idea” was amazing. It’s in the execution of a good idea—the hundreds, if not thousands—of little ideas required in writing a novel or a film that makes something a quality piece of work. 

In this series of blogs, I’ll take a look at various aspects of what I call The Idea Obsession. Somewhere along the way I’ll share with you all of the “Golden Ideas” I keep in my Idea Journal…and why I’m not afraid to share them.

 Thanks Stephen for stopping by.  You can catch more of this dialogue on upcoming stops on the Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum Tour.  Click the banner for further details.  Don't forget to head over to Amazon and pick up your copy of Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum.

Now for the giveaway. Stephen, is offering an ebook copy of his novel, Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum, along with a signed bookmark and postcard.  Please see Contest Policies before entering.  Fill out the Rafflecopter and Good Luck! 

Apocalypse Gene Tour Guest Post and Giveaway

Yesterday I reviewed the book, The Apocalypse Gene by Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark.  

Today I am excited to host the authors here at Rainy Day Ramblings, for a guest post.

Wait! What's that? The authors are not able to be here today? Oh, okay, today I am pleased to present in place of Suki and Carlyle, their cat, Koniferous Clark, also known as Kona.

 

A Demon Imp of The Apocalypse Gene

That strikingly attractive creature on the left is me, Koniferous Clark, known as Kona to humans. Yeah, I know I look like an ordinary tortoise shell housecat, but I’m actually a member of species Impus Demonicus (or Demon Imp). I worship the mischievous and merciless Goddess Mawroo.

I have two Familiars who do my bidding. I am fond of them, as long as they stay in line, though I often dream of how wonderful their livers must taste. The female is a lesser goddess when compared to Mawroo, but she is divine in her own right. Her name is Suki Michelle. I refer to my male Familiar simply as “The Oaf”. His name is Carlyle Clark. My Familiars make offerings to me in the form of fish-pellets they get from a bag. It’s not as good as antelope heart or rabbit brain, which I was born tasting, but it is acceptable fare. 

The Familiars seem to enjoy my vocal worship of the Goddess Mawroo. My voice is beautiful when I call Her name.  It is a bit baritone, a low-pitched plaintive wail. “Mawroo? Mawroo!” I say, and She answers in a voice only Demon Imps can hear.  I plead to Mawroo for the chance to roam the sacred hunting grounds in the wetlands behind this dwelling, but the Familiars don’t understand. They never let me out, but I do escape sometimes . . . 

Once the Goddess Mawroo presented an opportunity. She magicked the Familiars, compelling them to leave the door ajar. I was gone for three days. I brought back a gift for the Familiars, a warrior mouse killed by my own two paws. The female made a screeching noise, and the Oaf put the offering in that sweet-smelling can filled with something called “garbage”. Ingrates!  I will plunder that can if I ever figure out how to open it, and offer its contents to Mawroo. 

Mawroo has rules, which I follow relentlessly.  For example, if an unattended cup filled with liquid is NOT knocked over, this is blasphemy.  All bottle caps and other small objects must be batted into cracks and crevasses or under the refrigerator. Mawroo doesn’t care where as long as they are rendered irretrievable. There is another cat living here, an obese orange and white thing that cares only for fish pellets and naps. I want to kill it, but Mawroo has forbidden this. She is partial to all felines, whether they worship her or not.

I sometimes overhear my Familiars talking about a book they wrote called, The Apocalypse Gene. They say it is complex and that it’s not your typical YA deactivate-your-gray-matter type of book and that some love it and some don’t. There’s a beautiful boy in the book, ain’t there always? And a fierce girl named Olivya who sees auras. Of course, I see auras too, but the Familiars are unaware of this. Their auras are rather lovely, I must admit.

The Apocalypse Gene has no angsty, pasty vamps, or emotional werewolves. I heard the Familiars say that some think YA should be simple, but my familiars think that being young doesn’t mean you’re stupid. Then there’s this whole hazy, crazy near future world with a Pandemic running wild, and ancient secret clan, whose powers are the source of all the world’s myths of magicians and monsters. 

I listen carefully when the Familiars talk about The Apocalypse Gene. If they had had the audacity to include the Goddess Mawroo as part of the story, I would be duty bound to suck their souls out as they slept and offer them, humbly and with great terror, to the Goddess Mawroo herself. Thankfully, She’s not in there, which is a great relief. Good Familiars like mine are not easy for a Demon Imp to come by. I’m glad I can let them live, though I do sometimes think fondly of their livers . . .

There you have it folks! Straight from the cat's mouth! A big thanks to Suki and Carlyle for allowing me to feature them on my blog today.  For more information on the authors and their book they can be found:

Website: http://www.ApocalypseGene.com

Blog: http://www.theapocalypsegene.com/cy-chi/

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/TheApocalypseGene

Goodreads: Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark.

Books available to purchase at Amazon and Smashwords.

The Apocalypse Gene Book Trailer can be found here.

The Apocalypse Gene Giveaway:

I am pleased to offer to one lucky winner an ebook copy of The Apocalypse Gene.  Please fill out the rafflecopter below to enter. Contest ends Thursday January 19, 2012.  See Contest Policies for further information. 

Masquerade Tour Stop with Cambria Hebert and Giveaway

At last I am so excited that it is finally here. This event has been in the works for over two months.  It all began in October when I was browsing my favorite Goodreads Group called Bookspark  hosted by my friend Ana.  I ran across a post by an author, Cambria Hebert looking for some bloggers to review her book and host her on her tour for her upcoming debut novel Masquerade.  


 

At the time I was busy planning my blog and I already had a mounting TBR pile and several commitments so I thought I would pass.  For some reason the notion kept niggling in my brain.  A couple of days later I answered her and a friendship was born.  We began exchanging emails.  She told me about her upcoming short stories I recounted my efforts to build my blog and baking my failed Martha Stewart chocolate cookies.  Many emails flew back and forth and here we are a few months later.  My blog is finally a reality and her debut novel is now in print! I am pleased and proud to host her here on my blog and the best part of all, is that I consider her to be a good friend.  Congratulations Cambria! You are an amazing person and I couldn't be happier for you.  Here is to your continued success and many more novels.  Many of you may already know Cambria since you have been following the tour but for you new comers let me tell you  a little bit about her! This is Cambria opening her box and seeing her book in print for the very first time. The sheer joy on her face is priceless! 

Now a few tidbits about her. First she suffers from:

Alektorophobia -Fear of Chickens

Yes you heard it correctly.  She is horrified by those cute little feathered birds that lay eggs! 

She also has an insatiable thirst for lattes. Anything carmel flavored and you can count her in.  She claims that Starbucks is the best coffee around but I think if I got her to visit the Pacific Northwest, I would change her mind. Since we have some amazing coffee out here, such as Dutch Brothers and Stumptown!  She spends her days sipping lattes and typing away at her novels.  Not! She is a wife and mother. So cooking, cleaning, shopping, hauling kids around, answering emails comes first and then she might have a few moments to sneak in some time to write! 

She is married to a marine and is the mother of two adorable kids. When she isn't busy writing and drinking coffee she blogs; you can find her at her newly redesigned website cambriahebert.com 

Please pop by and check out her site. She is running an awesome contest for a skeleton key pendant.  Wait no scratch that,  stop by and visit her site but don't enter that contest.... I have my heart set on that necklace! It is gorgeous! (no I am not inserting a picture here of that necklace).

You can also find her chatting with members of her Goodreads group, that she moderates called Creative Reviews. Feel free to head over there and meet many of her friends.

In the near future she will bring us three more books in the Heven and Hell series.  The next will hopefully be out Spring of 2012.  After that she hopes to publish a novel about her other favorite topic werewolves! 

Ok you are probably wondering when I am going to be done rambling and want me to get to the good stuff,i.e. Cambria and the giveaway right?

Well I have a treat for you folks today.  Instead of an interview or post about Masquerade,  I decided to pick Cambria's brain and make her do something outside the box.  

You are in for a surprise! Mrs. Hebert agreed to my request and she is going to come by and tell us a little tale.  So welcome Cambria! Please have a seat.  Just move Smokey Joe aside, he shouldn't be sitting on my nice, white blanket.  I left you some coffee and cookies make yourself at home and tell us your little story.

Zombie Chickens by Cambria Hebert

I awoke to an odd sound. I didn’t want to get up lying beneath the sheets and burrowed under the comforter. My body’s internal clock was telling me it was so early that it wasn’t even natural for me to be awake.

But the sound was so odd that I couldn’t ignore it and drift back to sleep. I turned my head toward the single window in the room, it was still so early no light from the morning sun shone around the edges of the blind. 

The sound was for sure coming from outside – in the dark – not really the dark of night but not yet of morning. It was that odd time of day – the transition from night to day. 

The sound was constant – a sort of moaning whine. It changed in pitch off and it was going from loud to low but it sounded kind of lazy. It kind of sounded like crowing… a muffled, drawn out – drugged out – kind of crowing the rooster did in the morning when the sun was beginning to rise…

But that was crazy because rosters didn’t crow in the dark. 

Unable to shake off the sound and the uneasy feeling it gave me I tossed off the covers and rolled out of bed pointing my sleep heavy body toward the bathroom. I was awake (sort of) and I had to pee. I shuffled into the bathroom not bothering with the light – I had been in here a thousand times before and knew what to navigate around. 

I was only wearing a nightshirt so I pulled down my panties and sat down, flinching at the coldness of the hard toilet seat. I thought nothing of the splash I heard in the bowl beneath me – I was peeing after all. 

Something sharp sunk into the flesh of my buttocks and I screeched and jumped off the seat. Something came with me and slapped the back of my thigh. I screamed again and flicked on the light.

There was a giant green snake hanging from my butt! I screamed again and this time the snaked hissed and unlatched its fangs from my behind. I took the chance and sprang away tripping because my panties were around my ankles. I looked back as I yanked up the pink and red cloth and noted the green snake slithering on the floor, a wet trail behind it. It had to be a good 3 feet long…

I thought toilet snakes were a joke.

I reached around, shoving my hand down where I had bitten and felt a stab of pain. I held my fingers up in front of my eyes – they were bloody. Were toilet snakes poisonous??

The snake hissed and I noted it was closing the distance between us.

I screamed and raced from the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I stared warily at the crack beneath the door wondering if the snake would squeeze beneath it. 

“Go back to the toilet!” I hollered. As far as I was concerned I was never using that potty again. 

The odd moaning sound distracted me and I went to the window and lifted the blind. I stared down into the yard – which was barely lightening with the first morning rays. 

Every single chicken from the coop was out and wandering around in the yard. It was an odd sight because they stared straight ahead as they moved. They didn’t peck at the ground or look for food. They didn’t even look at one another. They stared off making that odd sound…

I raced down the stairs, sparing a quick look at the bathroom door. No sign of the toilet snake. I pushed open the kitchen door and ran out into the yard, the wet grass sticking to my bare feet. I slowed as I reached the chickens who were still staring off and making that not quite crowing sound. 

Suddenly they all stopped. Silence reigned for mere seconds then all hell broke loose.

The spindly brown legs they stood on seemed to stretch and spin, their feathered, dirty wings reached out and they all turned toward me. That’s when I noticed their beady eyes. Hungry. 

They let out a cawwwwww and then charged. I screamed. I had no idea that chickens moved so fast.

They came racing at me, snapping their beaks and scratching their pointy toes. Feathers began flying and my heart began hammering in my chest. I raced toward the bag of corn hoping to distract them with a snack. 

They pecked at my feet and ankles as I reached into the bag, one tried to fly and hit me in the back, ripping my shirt with its nasty beak. I cried out and flung the corn onto the ground.

I had one moment of relief – a moment that was only me thinking I was safe. The chickens didn’t care about the corn. They ignored it. They kept pecking away at the fragile skin of my legs and feet. They didn’t seem to know what they were doing – only trying to satisfy their hunger.

They were hungry but not for feed. For me.

They were zombie chickens. I was going to get pecked to death by these nasty little creatures. I had a vision of myself falling to the earth and them pecking out my eyes and scratching away my skin. The warm trickle of blood on my legs seemed to shake me out of my paralyzing fear.

 I looked around. 

I found a weapon.

It was a metal rake with a long wooden handle. I began swinging it. The chickens began flying.

“Take that you feathered freaks!” 

I kept flinging them as I moved toward the door of the house. I would take my chances with the toilet snake over a pack of crazed zombie chickens any day.

I ran into the house taking the rake (now covered in feathers) with me. I slammed the door and sagged against it. 

A hissing sound brought my head up. There was no longer one toilet snake…. There were ten. And with them was an angry Emu that was growling….

I screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

My eyes flew open and I sat up with force. I was in bed. The sheets were sticking to my sweat soaked skin. It had been a dream.

Just a dream. A nightmare.

I shivered. 

That was the last time I eat a meatball sub before bed. After my heart rate returned to normal I climbed out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. Once there I stood for a nano - second before switching on the light and staring down into the empty toilet. It was safe to pee.

Once my task was complete I left the bathroom, going back out into the bedroom… I would just peek outside to see what the chickens were doing…

I never made it to the window. 

An emu taller than me was in the center of the bedroom and it was growling.

It charged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now wasn't that a charming little story folks? 

Okay now what you all have been waiting for and the reason many of you came to my blog today. The Giveaway!

I am lucky to be able to offer you fine people a spectacular prize pack.  You can enter to win a signed copy of Masquerade, a bookmark and key chain.  Sound good? Wait there is more. Cambria also brought along a whistle necklace, for those of you who have read the book you will understand the meaning of the whistle.  Here is a picture of the loot! 

Pretty good stuff right? Well now you have to enter to win! So fill out the rafflecopter form make sure to follow the directions! Contest ends December 28,2011.  I will email the winning entrant within 48 hours at the end of the contest.  Contest open to U.S. residents 13 and older (international followers and I am so sorry there will hopefully be one more international giveaway at the end of the tour) see Contest Policies for all the details. 

Thanks again to Cambria Hebert for stopping by.  Make sure you check her blog (click the tour banner) for the next stop on her tour! Good luck!

One final shout out to the ladies in the Bookspark Masquerade buddy read. You girls, (Lila, Veronica, Ana, Ali, Danielle, Becca, Michele, Alexandra and Stephanie)are amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book with you! Veronica thanks for helping me with the zombie chicken!

You can read my reviews for all of Cambria's current works: Whiteout, Christmas Lites, Before and Masquerade.  Happy Reading everyone and thanks so much for stopping by! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway