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Category: Giveaways

Giveaway: The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri

[ 36 ] May 15, 2012

I have 3 copies of The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri to give away!

About the book

Is it possible to navigate life’s uncharted waters and find your own happiness? Acclaimed novelist Heather Barbieri, author of The Lace Makers of Glenmara and Snow in July, explores this question and more in her terrifically smart and engaging new work of women’s fiction The Cottage at Glass Beach.

40-year-old Nora Cunningham has it all: a handsome husband, Malcolm, the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts’ state history, and daughters, Annie, 7, and Ella, 11. That is, until she learns of Malcolm’s affair—and his refusal to give up his lover, turning their lives upside down.

At the height of the scandal, Nora receives an invitation to visit her maternal aunt, Maire. To escape the growing political storm and gain perspective on her marriage and complicated past, Nora packs up her daughters and heads to Burke’s Island, a remote island off the coast of Maine, originally settled by Irish immigrants. Nora hadn’t been there since age five, the summer her mother disappeared and she and her father moved to Boston, never speaking of the matter again.

One night, while sitting alone on Glass Beach, below the cottage where she spent her childhood, Nora lets down at last. Her tears flow into the sea, where, according to local legend, they might call a selkie, to console her. Not long afterward, Owen Kavanagh, a fisherman with a mysterious past, is shipwrecked on the rocks.

As the weeks pass, Nora finds more questions than answers on Burke’s Island, regarding her relationships, her mother’s fate, and her own identity. And, as she deals with her headstrong daughters and their needs, and her own wants and desires, Nora finds the courage to chart her own course, and that the secrets surrounding that long ago summer finally come to light.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: In My Father’s Country by Saima Wahab

[ 23 ] May 14, 2012

Please join Saima Wahab, author of In My Father’s Country, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours.

Don’t forget to enter to win a copy below!

Reviewed by Vera Pereskokova 

Saima Wahab was just a child when her father was taken away in broad daylight – likely sold out to the Soviets by his neighbors – never to return again. Although Saima and her two siblings had an amazing father figure in their Baba (grandfather), they grew up among flying bullets and mortar shells, in constant danger.

When Saima was fifteen, two uncles from Portland, Oregon sponsored her, her brother and sister, and three other cousins to come to the United States. Saima’s father, and later her grandfather, always told her that she was destined for something greater than the typical life of an Afghani woman, and she saw the move to the U.S. as a step towards that destiny.

In 2004, with a bachelor’s degree under her belt, Saima decided to return to Afghanistan as an interpreter, and to try and fulfill the destiny her father had in mind for her. He knew the risks but openly spoke out against the Soviet invasion and Saima thought that if she could help her people in some way, she could also understand his devotion to the country.

At the time of her arrival, Saima was the only college-educated female Pashto interpreter. She was also one of the very few females, American or Afghani, allowed into meetings with high ranking officials on both sides. Many interpreters claimed to know Pashto, but really spoke Farsi, only contributing to the misunderstandings between the U.S. soldiers and the Pashtun, who make up 40% of the population.

As a native of Afghanistan, Saima had the unique opportunity to bridge the gaps between the proud Pashtun and the soldiers who were often bewildered by their new surroundings. For example, few Americans on the ground knew of Pashtunwali, a way of life that extends to how Afghans treat their guests, their women and each other. Saima believed that winning the hearts of Afghans was just as important as military power, and worked tirelessly to improve the relations between the two groups.

Even as an interpreter, Saima was always risking her life and I applaud her courage, and her willingness to share her experiences in In My Father’s Country. I think she started her journey hoping to learn more about her own roots but the resulting book will bring a greater understanding of Afghanistan to many readers.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Crown. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Giveaway: Sacred Rose Organic Herbal Tea

[ 17 ] May 11, 2012

I have a special giveaway for all of you – and it’s open worldwide!

One lucky winner will receive a box of relaxing Inner Peace tea from Sacred Rose!

Inner Peace® – a relaxing medley of chamomile, sage and passion flower that assists the emotional and physical bodies to calm.

Each Sacred Rose® blend inspires and activates a specific physical, mental, emotional and spiritual pattern for those who drink these healing blends. Herbal tea infusions offer a great alternative to chemically processed beverages. Sacred Rose® Organic Herbal Teas are caffeine free and made with the highest quality organic herbals. You can enjoy these teas hot or cold.

Sacred Rose® provides loose leaf organic tisanes to the emerging herbal tea aficionado and the conscious consumer.

More about Sacred Rose: Website | Blog

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Most Creative/Prolific Contributor Award!

[ 5 ] May 10, 2012

As promised, on the 10th of every month, I give away an item of their choice to the most creative/prolific contributor to Luxury Reading! This month, the winner is…

The Super-Unbeatable Carol Wong!

I heard a rumor that Carol might be unable to comment for a short while – so it’s anyone’s game!

Please post a comment here with your item selection. Remember, you can now pick any item from Amazon.

The contest started over on May 10th. I will be announcing the new winner on June 10th. There is no limit to how many times you can win and remember, you can comment on any post, not just new ones.

Remember, frequency of commenting counts, but so does the quality – a creative and relevant comment will get you more points than something like “sounds great”. Every month, I will pick a winner and post their name, as well as send them an e-mail.

Get commenting!

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Guest Post & Giveaway: Kat Lieu, author of Maid for Me

[ 23 ] May 4, 2012

Please welcome author Kat Lieu, author of Maid for Me - and enter to win a copy of the book below (I have 1 paper and 5 eBooks to give away)!

by Kat Lieu

Thank you very much, Vera, for providing me with an opportunity to guest blog.

Back in 2009 when I had a break in between two jobs, I wrote my Amazon Kindle bestseller, Maid for Me, in two weeks. I wrote everyday from morning to night and took breaks only to eat and perform other necessary humanly functions. Inspiration had struck me and words just flowed from my brain to my typing fingertips. I didn’t think, plot, or plan. I just wrote.

I find that when I don’t spend too much time over-thinking about a writing project, I tend to reach my goals and self-set deadlines. I remember how I had sat down one night in 2006 to write a short story to enter into the Annual Seventeen Magazine Fiction Contest. I just thought about how I wanted to spend my summer vacation as a high school student and quickly penned “The Bike Ride” in less than two hours. I printed the ten pages I had just written and faxed them over to Seventeen Magazine. Months later, I had already forgotten about writing the short story when Whitney Joiner, a Senior Associate Editor of Seventeen Magazine at that time, called me to congratulate me on winning Third Place in the Fiction Contest.

Surprise hit me like a Mack truck. I cried tears of joy and screamed thank you’s happily into Whitney’s ear over the phone. I have to say, that moment was one of the happiest moments I had during my young life.

Nowadays, I believe I draw inspiration from everywhere. My evil characters are representations of my brilliant poodle, Musd. My chubby and plain-looking characters are representations of the high-school version of me. Sad events in my stories are often inspired by real life happenings. Lucky for us authors, inspiration is everywhere and free, especially in an amazing city such as New York.

To the aspiring writers out there, I wish you the best of luck. When you’re stuck or need some inspiration, just look around you. Use yourself as an inspiration. Happy writing and reading, everyone!

About Kat Lieu

Kat Lieu was born in Montreal, Canada many moons ago. At present, she is a busy New Yorker with a passion for writing young adult romantic comedies. Since 2009, her novella, Maid for Me, has been an Amazon Kindle category bestseller. Winning Third Place in Seventeen Magazine’s Annual Fiction contest in 2006 sparked her love for writing.

Kat received her doctorate in physical therapy in 2008 from SUNY Downstate. Currently, she educates physical therapy students across multiple New York universities and is also a national lecturer on the topic of lymphedema. During the daytime, she works as a healthcare recruiter. By night, she runs her popular teen/tween online empire, Nummyz Productions.

Kat is a triple-threat in the publishing world (she writes, self-publishes, self-markets), and a rising star. Stay tune for her upcoming publications, MAID FOR ME, TOO and a paranormal YA novella.
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Giveaway: Calico Joe by John Grisham

[ 31 ] May 4, 2012

I have 2 copies of John Grisham’s latest, Calico Joe, to give away!

About the book

In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records.

Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…

In John Grisham’s new novel the baseball is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes Calico Joe a classic.
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Giveaway: The Singles by Meredith Goldstein

[ 58 ] May 2, 2012

Just in time for the wedding season, I have 3 copies of The Singles by Meredith Goldstein to give away! 

Check out my review on SheKnows.com

About the book

In Meredith Goldstein’s anticipated debut novel – The Singles (currently in script development with actress Jami Gertz’s production company Lime Orchard Productions) – five single people experience their uniquely entertaining trials of heartbreak, loneliness and relationship disasters amongst a joyous occasion: Hannah is the dejected bridesmaid pining over her ex; Vicki is an addict of V.C. Andrews’ novels; Rob lives a lonely life in Austin…with a dog; Phil is the type of mama’s boy women don’t like; and Joe – the brides estranged uncle – thinks a chance meeting with a one-night-stand could change his life for the better.

With the looming nuptials as their backdrop, these singles’ stories are cleverly weaved together as the couple says their “I-Dos”. Extremely funny, kinda romantic and so unpredictable, The Singles, will take readers into the wedding festivities where the guests take center stage.
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Giveaway: Helen Keller in Love by Rosie Sultan

[ 44 ] April 30, 2012

Enter to win a copy of Helen Keller in Love by Rosie Sultan!

About the book

Sultan, fascinated by Helen Keller since she was eight years old, was inspired by a brief note found in the Helen Keller Archives at the American Foundation for the Blind in a file labeled “Peter Fagan.” The note, from Fagan’s grown daughter, read: “I remember my father…showing us a lovely photograph of you, and beneath it a penciled note in your handwriting…I would certainly appreciate it very much if you remember him and would care to send me whatever recollections you have of him.” Helen never wrote back.

Helen Keller in Love begins when Helen is in her thirties and Annie Sullivan falls too ill to keep up with their grueling schedule on the lecture circuit. Annie’s estranged husband, John Macy, sends a young, ambitious reporter named Peter Fagan to step in as Helen’s private secretary. Their interactions—signing into hands and lip-reading with hands and fingers—soon blossoms into the full-fledged romance for which Helen has long yearned.

Finally liberated from the physical and moral constraints she has been forced to live under, Helen and Peter find their affair met with stern disapproval from both Annie and Helen’s family. With Helen already struggling to maintain crowds at her events and cash in her accounts, her new relationship ratchets up tension between those she holds most dear, most keenly with Annie Sullivan, the guide who led her journey from darkness to light.

A captivating love story of triumph and imaginative sympathy, Helen Keller in Love takes us into the mind and heart of an American icon.
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