Christmas Countdown Winners

It’s 2011 and the Christmas Countdown individual giveaway winners have been chosen...

Are you one of them?

Day 1: Signed The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith:

 

There were 281 entries!

Winner: #86 – Brodie

Day 3: Signed Prophecy of Days, Book One: The Daykeeper’s Grimoire by Christy Raedake

There were 172 entries!

Winner:  #18 – Lexie

Day 5: Signed Finished Copy of The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder + Swag

There were 227 entries!

Winner: #211 – Buddyt

Congratulations to the winners! Thank you to everyone who joined the contests and commented on the posts! The winners have been contacted via email. Please respond within 48 hours!

The other winners will be posted by Kai of Amaterasu Reads. So watch out for her post!

If you didn’t win, there’s still a chance to join our Huge Prize Pack Giveaway!

It ends on January 10, 2011. 

2 winners, 10 books (5 books each), open internationally! Remember you have two chances of winning. You can join both my contest and Kai’s contest. It’s separate!

 If you have questions or concerns, please contact me.

Christmas Countdown: Day 14: Huge Prize Pack Giveaway

We’ve finally come to the end of Christmas Countdown. This post was supposed to go up yesterday but due to some things that happened - I was out with my bestfriend - it was delayed!

Remember every comment counts! Just comment on any post and you’ll get an extra entry for this giveaway!

For the line-up of all the posts of Christmas Countdown, click the button below.

Prize Pack Giveaway

There will be two winners of this giveaway: one international winner and one winner from the Philippines. Winners will be chosen using random.org. And let me remind you. There are two chances of winning. You can also join Kai’s contest!

What’s in the prize packs?

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers (signed) + swag

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Deadly by Julie Chibbaro (signed ARC)

Revelations by Melissa dela Cruz

Two sets of Every Girl’s Guide Trilogy by Marla Miniano

Rules:

Must be a follower.

Comment with your email address.

Open internationally.

Ends on January 10, 2011!

Extra entries (if you like – not required):

Spread the word:

+2 tweeted (with direct link)

+2 sidebar (please leave link)

+4 blog post (please leave link)

+3 post Christmas Countdown button on your blog

+2 follow Amaterasu Reads

Remember that your comments in the other Christmas Countdown posts will count as an extra entry to this giveaway.

Here are the other giveaways that you can join:

The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith (signed)
Picture of the Dead by Adele Griffin (signed) + shirt
Prophecy of Days, Book One: The Daykeeper’s Grimoire by Christy Raedake (signed)
Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala (signed)
The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder (signed) + swag
The Candidates by Inara Scott (signed)
The Sapphire Talisman by Brenda Pandos

Thank you so much for participating in our first ever blog event! Special thanks to all the people who helped us with Christmas Countdown – Bernadette Cruz, Sarah Smith, Simon & Schuster, Adele Griffin, Christy Raedake, Holly Cupala, Amy Holder, Inara Scott, Brenda Pandos, Julie Chibbaro, Lauren Oliver, Melissa dela Cruz, Summit Media, Marla Miniano, Lisa Desrochers and Kimberly Derting!

Christmas Countdown: Day 13: Interview w/ Marla Miniano + Giveaway

It’s Day 13, the second to the last post. This is my last interview post for Christmas Countdown. Me and Kai interviewed a Filipina author whose trilogy we’ll be giving away along with several books and swag. Her name is Marla Miniano, a chick lit author and a magazine editor.

Can you tell us what your book is all about in 140 characters (Twitter version)?

Young girl wants love, finds it not just in cute boys but in good friends and family and dreams, too. All you really have to do is be yourself.

What or who inspired you to write Every Girl's Guide Series?

Working for Candy magazine and constantly being around amazing teens. My work keeps me young—I never run out of opportunities to put myself in a young girl’s shoes: What is she thinking? What does she worry about? What makes her happy? What and who does she love? I think it also helps that I’ve always been such a big fan of young adult fiction.

What lessons will readers get from your novels?

That possibility is the best part of growing up. The happiest people are the ones who can surprise themselves—by finding friendship in someone completely unexpected, by taking a risk and reaping the rewards, by transforming into a better version of themselves. I think all three girls in the Every Girl’s Guide series got their happy endings by embracing some sort of change, no matter how awkward or difficult or emotional that change was.

What is it like being a Filipina author and knowing that you influence young Filipinas?

Young Filipinas are smart, insightful, and extremely talented, and knowing that I get to be a (mostly) positive influence on them through my words is a huge deal for me. It warms my heart every time I receive an e-mail or a Facebook message from a girl who read and liked my books—every day something like that happens is a good one.

Does your family have Christmas traditions? What are these (if any)?

My mom forces us to wear matching outfits every year! We wear all read one year, all green the next, then all red again, and so on. She’s very particular about it, too—I wanted to wear a silk top last year but apparently that was maroon, not red. Haha! There are eight of us in the family, so it’s pretty amusing stepping out of the house, going to mass, and having lunch in a restaurant with everyone looking at us like they’re expecting us to burst into song any minute. And of course, we pose for cheesy family portraits, where at least one person is frowning, has his eyes closed, or is looking away.

If you were to gift a book to someone this Christmas, what book would you gift and who would you give it to?

I’d love to give Vanessa Hudgens a copy of Every Girl’s Guide to Heartache. Kidding! (I do feel really bad about the Zanessa split, though.) I think I’d probably want to get lots of copies of Melissa Bank’s The Wonder Spot and distribute it to all my singe girl friends. She’s such an amazing writer, and I love how her happy endings are never what her characters or her readers expect them to be.

Thank you Marla for sharing!

Remember every comment counts! Just comment on this post and you’ll get an extra entry for tomorrow’s giveaway!

For the line-up of all the posts of Christmas Countdown, click the button below.

Christmas Countdown: Day 11: Interview w/ Lisa Desrochers + Giveaway

So…I know it’s Day 12. I just woke up and I realized that I forgot to post an interview yesterday!

Lisa Desrochers is the author of Personal Demons, Original sin (2011) and Hellbent (2012).

What or who inspired you to write Personal Demons? Why?

I never would have written anything if it weren’t for my daughter. I wrote Personal Demons for her because she enjoyed other paranormal YA novels, so I wanted to write her something along those lines. The name Lucifer Cane popped into my head one day and I thought to myself, what a fun name for a demon. He started telling me a story and I took dictation. The rest flowed from there.

What lessons will readers pick up from your book?

The Barnes & Noble reviewer described it this way: “The profoundly deep questions raised in Personal Demons (about the existence of God, the inanity of organized religion, the healing power of forgiveness, etc.) make it a forceful read.”

Why do you write for teens?

I write for my daughter. My daughter is a teen. Ipso facto…

How do you prepare for Christmas?

Lately, I don’t. This Christmas as last, since I’ve started writing, we haven’t even had a tree. I know! Bah humbug! But, the truth is, we travel to family for Christmas, so we’re not home anyway. My Christmas preparation consists of buying plane tickets in June and shopping for gift certificates on line. Very festive. O_O

As an author/writer, are you doing something special this Christmas?

Not really. We’ll be in Atlanta with family, and my tour hasn’t taken me to Atlanta, so I’ll probably sign stock in a few stores there. 

Does your family have a Christmas tradition?

We switch off every other year with my husband’s or my families. This is my husband’s family’s year. They are French Canadian, so some traditions have carried through—mostly food related. After Christmas Eve mass, there are always meet pies, and in the turkey, instead of bread stuffing, there’s meet stuffing.

Do you take advantage of the Christmas vacation and write?

Yes. I’m hoping to have Hellbent (Personal Demons #3) finished by the end of the year, so I will definitely be writing.

As a writer, do you think it would be better to gift books for Christmas? why?
Have you ever done this before?

Of course! I think books are a wonderful gift for any occasion. What other gift could take the recipient on an adventure to somewhere they’ve never been before, then take them by surprise. I gift books all the time.

If you were to gift one book to any person, what book would it be?

Choosing one book is always hard, but right now I’d say, If I Stay, by Gayle Forman.

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Tomorrow is Christmas Day which means it’s Prize Pack Giveaway Day. It includes a signed copy of Personal Demons + signed bookmarks and some tattoos that say Personal Demons with wings and stuff!

Remember, every comment counts! So just leave a comment and get an extra entry for the big contest on Christmas!

Click the button below to see the line-up of our event!

Christmas Countdown: Day 11: Review: Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers + Giveaway

Book Description via Goodreads:

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance—-even her closest friends—-and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him. 

What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy—-all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.

Source: Lisa Desrochers (Thanks!)

My Thoughts:

Frannie was troubled, unable to really trust and let people get close. She felt that only one person could get her, someone who was not with her anymore. I was really interested in her relationship and past with this person. It was sweet of her to remember him for years, no matter how she chose to do so.

The concept of soul tagging and soul collection for two teams – Heaven and Hell – was intriguing. I’m a Christian girl and I have firm beliefs about the soul so all of this rattled me in a good way. Frannie seemed like the kind of girl who was in between – not that good but not that bad either. Imagine the tug-of-war this created when an angel and a demon came to earth to secure her soul for both of their sides. To add to the tension, Frannie found herself attracted to both Gabe and Luc.

Luc was a demon. He could phase anywhere, possess humans, push his power on them and smell what a person feels. I really liked this part. For ever feeling there was a corresponding scent. This showed Luc’s animalistic side which was perfect what with his being a demon.

The rivalry of Heaven and Hell was shown here in as much craziness as possible. The mythology surrounding these two realms was fantastic. I loved it. Desrochers made a very vivid and believable story world, complete with all the details. The angelic and demonic characters from these two realms made the story more exciting. The wild goose chase in this novel was filled with suspense, action and surprise.

The love triangle was crazy! But Frannie’s feelings were directed more towards Luc despite his being not trustworthy. He was hot, passionate and tempting – the opposite of Gabe who was peaceful, pure, calm and full of love. Most of the romance bordered on one of the seven deadly sins – lust. I wished it revolved more on the love part. There's a big chance that this could be made better, as in a wow amazing book. If there was more dialogue or if it was more profound, it would have worked.

Personal Demons is addicting, enjoyable, humorous and liberated. The hottest and sexiest YA debut of 2010. I recommend this to fans of paranormal romance, specifically to the ones who want to read a hot and sexy story with demons and angels.

Rating:

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Just one more day guys and girls! I’m so excited because on the 25^th, me and Kai will finally be posting the photos of the books in the two prize packs that two winners will get - which includes a signed copy of Personal Demons + signed bookmarks and some tattoos that say Personal Demons with wings and stuff!

Remember, every comment counts! So just leave a comment on my review of Personal Demons and get an extra entry for the big contest on Christmas!

Click the button below to see the line-up of our event!

Christmas Countdown: Day 9: Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver + Giveaway

It’s Day 9! We’re getting closer to the big giveaways at the end of our event. Today, I have a review of one of the best reviewed and most loved book of 2010.  

 

Book Description via Goodreads:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

Source: Lauren Oliver (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

Samatha Kingston was a bitch. She was far from perfect, far from nice and far from the good type. She was one of the popular kids, the ones who get away with things that average kids can get punishment for. That was how she rolled. Until after Kent McFuller’s party. Until the accident. After that she lived the same day – the day of her death - seven times.

I could not blame Sam for what happened. But I also could not say that she did not contribute to what happened. Life is a series of cause and effect, a domino effect of things, people and actions interconnected. Sam’s circle interacted with the people outside of their circle with an advantage, an edge, a superiority that was there long before any of her friends were even born. It was just something expected out of them. Popularity and bullying were two things that were connected. Popular kids bully other kids. Bullied kids hater popular kids and vice versa. Here in my country, I’ve seen bullying too. But I guess it wasn’t as extreme as the level of bullying in other parts of the world. I didn’t know what it was like to be bullied because I never experienced it. It’s not like I bullied other people too. No. I was just out of that loop. I refused to be involved in those kinds of things. For this reason, I never expected that I’d come to feel for Juliet Sykes. She  was more than just ‘Mellow Yellow’ or ‘Psycho Killer,’ she was a person who deserved to be respected and considered as living, breathing human being.

After losing everything (knowing she won’t get to experience what it’s like living again), Sam learned to appreciate things that she usually takes for granted. She also found out about the weight of the consequences of all of her actions, whether she deliberately intended a certain effect or not. Since she was given seven chances to experience her last day on earth, she tried to avoid death itself, make the wrongs right and save two lives.

Oliver wrote a masterpiece. Honestly, I wanted to berate myself for not reading this as soon as it hit the shelves! It was probably the best Chick Lit-ish/afterlife read I got my hands on this year. Oliver’s writing was very descriptive, a bit nostalgic because it made me think of bittersweet memories, and above all, it was fun. The dialogue was very realistic. The characters were scrutinized with their best and their worst, their flaws, their rights and their wrongs. They were not perfect but they were not so bad either. They were party-loving, rose-seeking and rose-giving, sarcastic and humorous teenagers.

The plot was amazing. It was like reading the same story over and over again but at the same time, it was also like reading an entirely different story every time! It never ever ever became the same and boring. Far from it. With each day, the events became more and more interesting and I realized at the end, how much secrets, history and dirt were unearthed in those seven days. The strengths and weaknesses of Sam’s friendship and her family ties were unraveled. There was a second look into the personalities of her friends. They were imperfect but they were hers and she loved them for who they were.

Sam and Kent’s interactions were cute, sweet and a little awkward at times. Kent Mcfuller was far from popular. He was the editor-in-chief of the Tribulation and he was Sam’s childhood friend. And the guy who gave her her first kiss. As it turned out, he still liked Sam despite the distance between them. He was more caring and more deserving of Sam’s feelings as compared to Rob – the boyfriend. It was so sweet when Kent and Sam got to show and tell their feelings to each other. It all made me smile.

Before I Fall is a powerful and entertaining mind-tickler debut. Wonderfully written with just the right amount of humor, drama, romance, regret and surprise, this made me smile, laugh and almost cry.

Rating:

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For this post, there's no required comment because there's no individual giveaway for the featured book. But you will earn an entry for each comment you leave on any of the posts of Christmas Countdown. There will be a prize pack of signed books up for grabs soon - on Christmas Day.

If you missed any of the posts, click the picture below to see the line-up for the event.

We're giving away signed copies of The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith, Picture of the Dead by Adele Griffin, Prophecy of Days by Christy Raedake, Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala, The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder and The Candidates by Inara Scott.

Christmas Countdown: Day 7: Review: Deadly by Julie Chibbaro

Book Description via Goodreads:

A mysterious outbreak of typhoid fever is sweeping New York.

Could the city’s future rest with its most unlikely scientist?

If Prudence Galewski is ever going to get out of Mrs. Browning’s esteemed School for Girls, she must demonstrate her refinement and charm by securing a job appropriate for a young lady. But Prudence isn’t like the other girls. She is fascinated by how the human body works and why it fails.

With a stroke of luck, she lands a position in a laboratory, where she is swept into an investigation of the fever bound to change medical history. Prudence quickly learns that an inquiry of this proportion is not confined to the lab. From ritzy mansions to shady bars and rundown tenements, she explores every potential cause of the disease. But there’s no answer in sight—until the volatile Mary Mallon emerges. Dubbed “Typhoid Mary” by the press, Mary is an Irish immigrant who has worked as a cook in every home the fever has ravaged. Strangely, though, she hasn’t been sick a day in her life. Is the accusation against her an act of discrimination? Or is she the first clue in a new scientific discovery?

Prudence is determined to find out. In a time when science is for men, she’ll have to prove to the city, and to herself, that she can help solve one of the greatest medical mysteries of the twentieth century.

Source: Julie Chibbaro (Thanks!)

My Thoughts:

Deadly was not how I expected it to be. First and foremost, I read it fast. In a day and a half – and I was in school in these days, reviewing for exams. Second, it was engrossing. The narrative of Prudence a curious mind seeking answers in a world full of questions, in a historical fiction like Deadly, I appreciated this. We always strive to know more, to discover and to have our questions answered.

Deadly follows the story of Prudence, a Jewish girl who lives in the US. The death of her brother and the disappearance of her father are mysteries to her. These two unfortunate events left silence and emptiness in her house. The concept of death struck her as something so mysterious and tragic that falls upon everyone. She wanted to find out why death happens.

Deadly was written diary-style with brief but detailed entries and drawings from time to time. It was a reflection of a child-like mind, musing and questioning life, and at the same time it was a reflection of a simple teenager going through the stage of adolescence, encountering people and problems. Prudence was so reserved, prim and proper, and refined. It was refreshing to encounter another character like her after all the modern characters I have met.

The mystery of Deadly intensified as more and more people fell ill. Typhoid was spreading fast, taking the lives of people and creeping quick through the hands of people. The only link to all of these cases was Mary Mallon, an Irish immigrant who was branded dirty. Prudence and Mr. Soper struggled with the unproved theory of healthy carrier. But with Mary Mallon unable to accept this concept, will they be able to solve the mystery of Typhoid Mary before an outbreak happens? Reading through the process of investigation and acquisition of data made me anxious and eager, as if I was watching one of those crime TV shows.

Being a teenage girl in the time of Prudence was hard and a bit unfair. At that time, science was only for men, which showed gender inequality. After dropping out of Mrs. Browning’s School of Girls, she was plunged deep into the world of scientific facts.

The romance in Deadly was very subtle. It was sad to see something like that bloom only to be hidden away and controlled. Prudence, a girl who had never fallen in love, found inspiration in her new field of work. I wish there was more romance though or maybe a more defined love triangle between Mr. Soper, Prudence and Jonathan.

Deadly is a historical novel propelled by the mystery of contagion and how it affected the lives of the people it touched. I recommend this to historical fiction fans, to the fans of science, medicine and facts, and maybe to the people who like Grey’s Anatomy.

Rating:

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For this post, there's no required comment because there's no individual giveaway for the featured book. But you will earn an entry for each comment you leave on any of the posts of Christmas Countdown starting today. There will be a prize pack of signed books up for grabs soon - on Christmas Day. Guess what? A signed ARC of Deadly is included in that prize pack!

Check out my interview with Julie Chibbaro.

If you missed any of the posts, click here to see the line-up for the event.

We're giving away signed copies of The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith, Picture of the Dead by Adele Griffin, Prophecy of Days by Christy Raedake, Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala, The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder and The Candidates by Inara Scott.