Friday, November 25, 2016

2016 Happy Holiday Giveaway! Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card and More!

2016 Happy Holiday Giveaway!

12/25/16 Update:
The winners have been notified and gift cards have been sent out. Winners are:
Brenda H - $100
Amanda G - $25
Gloria W - $25
 
Thank you all for entering. Don't worry if you didn't win - I will have many more giveaways in the future.
 
Update:The contest is now over. Thank you to everyone who entered. I will announce the winners as soon as they have been notified. 

Welcome everyone to my annual

Happy Holiday Giveaway!

In appreciation to all my friends and readers who have encouraged and supported me throughout the year, I want to take this chance to say
Thank You!

And what better way than to give away prizes?

So here it is

The 2016 Happy Holiday Giveaway!

Grand Prize: $100 Amazon Gift Card

2nd Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card

3rd Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card

Use the Raffelcopter below to enter.

Good luck!




Contest Details:

The contest dates are 11/25/2016 through 12/23/2016
United States, United Kingdom, and Canadian Residents are eligible to enter only.
(I adore my readers all over the world and am sorry I cannot expand this to all countries.)
Prizes are in U.S. dollars or equivalent.

Winners will be notified by email and be given 48 hours to respond. If a winner does not respond within that 48 hour time period, another winner will be drawn. No Exceptions.







Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Book Review: Say Goodbye for Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Hi all,

I've said it before but it's worth saying again - I love books by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Her characters are real, flawed, and manage to find their way into your heart. Her latest novel, Say Goodbye for Now, is no different. Here is more about the novel and my review.
 
 
Say Goodbye for Now

Catherine Ryan Hyde

 

Book Description:

On an isolated Texas ranch, Dr. Lucy cares for abandoned animals. The solitude allows her to avoid the people and places that remind her of the past. Not that any of the townsfolk care. In 1959, no one is interested in a woman doctor. Nor are they welcoming Calvin and Justin Bell, a newly arrived African American father and son.

When Pete Solomon, a neglected twelve-year-old boy, and Justin bring a wounded wolf-dog hybrid to Dr. Lucy, the outcasts soon find refuge in one another. Lucy never thought she’d make connections again, never mind fall in love. Pete never imagined he’d find friends as loyal as Justin and the dog. But these four people aren’t allowed to be friends, much less a family, when the whole town turns violently against them.

With heavy hearts, Dr. Lucy and Pete say goodbye to Calvin and Justin. But through the years they keep hope alive…waiting for the world to catch up with them.

 
Publish Date: December 13, 2016

Lake Union Publishing



 

My Five-Star Review:

Four lonely people find each other in a small, Texas town in the stifling time-period of 1959. When Pete finds a hurt dog/wolf on the side of the road, he takes the animal to Dr. Lucy, who lives alone on a small ranch and cares for injured and unwanted animals. Reluctantly, she helps the dog, and soon, her life becomes complicated as she becomes involved in the lives of Pete, his new friend, Justin, and then Justin’s father, Calvin. Normally, this would be a good thing, but in 1959, a white woman befriending an African American man and his son was not very well accepted. And the people of the town make their feelings loud and clear.

 
Author Catherine Ryan Hyde once again brings together a unique cast of characters who aren’t looking for anything or anyone to change their lives and then slowly find each other and can’t help but grow close. She creates perfectly flawed characters who sneak into your heart and make you care about them. And she takes on a tough topic with grace and candor. Say Goodbye for Now is not about perfect people living perfect lives—and that is why it is such an amazing story.

 

About the Author:

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of 30 published and forthcoming books, including LEAVING BLYTHE RIVER, ASK HIM WHY, WORTHY, THE LANGUAGE OF HOOFBEATS, TAKE ME WITH YOU, WHERE WE BELONG, WHEN I FOUND YOU, WALK ME HOME, SECOND HAND HEART, DON'T LET ME GO, and WHEN YOU WERE OLDER.

An avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer, she has released her first book of photos, 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE: PHOTOS FROM A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.

She is co-author, with publishing industry blogger Anne R. Allen, of HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE: A SELF-HELP GUIDE.

Her novel PAY IT FORWARD was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than 23 languages for distribution in over 30 countries. The paperback was released in October 2000 by Pocket Books and quickly became a national bestseller. Simon & Schuster released PAY IT FORWARD: YOUNG READERS' EDITION in August of '14. It is suitable for kids as young as eight. A special Fifteenth Anniversary Edition of the original PAY IT FORWARD was released in December of '14

LOVE IN THE PRESENT TENSE enjoyed bestseller status in the UK, where it broke the top ten, spent five weeks on the bestseller lists, was reviewed on a major TV book club, and shortlisted for a Best Read of the Year award at the British Book Awards. Both BECOMING CHLOE and JUMPSTART THE WORLD were included on the ALA's Rainbow List, and JUMPSTART THE WORLD was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. WHERE WE BELONG won two Rainbow Awards in 2013 and THE LANGUAGE OF HOOFBEATS won a Rainbow Award in 2015.

New Kindle editions of her backlist titles FUNERALS FOR HORSES, EARTHQUAKE WEATHER AND OTHER STORIES, ELECTRIC GOD, and WALTER'S PURPLE HEART are now available. Also available is THE LONG, STEEP PATH: EVERYDAY INSPIRATION FROM THE AUTHOR OF PAY IT FORWARD, her first book-length creative nonfiction.

More than 50 of her short stories have been published in The Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train and many other journals, and in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts and the bestselling anthology Dog is my Co-Pilot. Her stories have been honored in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and nominated for Best American Short Stories, the O'Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have been cited in Best American Short Stories.

She is founder and former president (2000-2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation, and still serves on its board of directors. As a professional public speaker she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with Americorps members at the White House and shared a dais with Bill Clinton.

For more information and book club questions, please visit the author at catherineryanhyde.com

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Enter to Win a $500 Amazon Shopping Spree!

The winner of this giveaway was announced by
The Kindle Book Review:
 
Congrats to Valerie Miller, the winner of our $500 Amazon Shopping Spree
 
Thank you to everyone who entered.
 
 
Enter to win a $500 Amazon Shopping Spree!
 
 

Imagine winning a $500 Amazon shopping spree this year!
 
For a chance to WIN, enter the $500 Black Friday Giveaway at The Kindle Book Review--the #1 site for reader giveaways. This site gives away thousands of dollars in Amazon gift cards and Kindle products all year long! Click here to enter.
 
Contest Dates: November 17th - 27th 
 
 
 
Also sponsored by am array of authors including my novel,
 
Finding Libbie
 
 
Available now on
 
 
 
 
Be sure to enter. Good luck!
 
 
 
 




Friday, November 4, 2016

Nominations for The 50 Best Indie Books of 2016!


Hi all,


Please nominate Walking Sam

I want to ask you a favor. Would you please nominate my romance WALKING SAM for Read Freely's 50 Best Indie Books of 2016? It's easy and quick to do and you do not have to buy anything.

Please CLICK HERE to go to the nomination page. 

 
Nominations end November 18th.
 
 
Here is more about the award and a way for YOU to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card just for nominating my book!
 
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The 50 Best Indie Books of the Year award is one of the most popular and prestigious prizes available to indie authors. It recognizes the very best self-published fiction and, as winners are chosen by popular vote, the best-loved too.

There will also be prizes for 3 lucky readers. We will select 3 voters at random and mail them $50 Amazon gift cards – just in time for Christmas! We’ll also send everyone our newsletter of the best book offers.



Please Nominate Walking Sam!
 
Thank you.
 
Walking Sam

Genre: Romance

Author: Deanna Lynn Sletten