2012 Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop!

I'm baaaaaack. Mostly. More on that later.

For now, I am thrilled once again to be participating in the Mid-Winter's Eve Blog Hop hosted by I am a Reader Not a Writer and Oasis for YA.

Several authors have generously offered to give away copies of their books. This blog hop is open from December 21-27. Hundreds of bloggers are participating, so there's definitely something for everyone!

Ten Books You Should Read

Hop on over to Cookie's Chronicles today to read my list of the
Ten Books You Should Read.


See the full list of ten at Cookie's Chronicles.

Showers of Books Giveaway Hop! New books by André Jute and Dakota Franklin

Spring is in the air! And I have TWO great giveaways for you, both courtesy of Cool Main Press.

I'm linking up with I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and One A Day Y.A to offer you a chance to win one of three copies of each of the following two books:

AN ELECTION OF PATRIOTS 

by André Jute

REQUIEM AT MONZA 

by Dakota Franklin

Be sure to check out the hundreds of other bloggers participating in this blog hop for more great prize opportunities. The list is included at the end of this post.

Interview with Sarah Winman author of WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT PLUS a GIVEAWAY!

I had the privilege recently to ask a few questions of Sarah Winman, author of The Sunday Times bestseller When God Was a Rabbit.

Sarah was also kind enough to request a giveaway copy of her book. I am grateful to Carrie of Bloomsbury for agreeing to the request.

Headline UK Cover (the copy I read)

From the back cover of the UK copy:

This is a book about a brother and a sister. 

It's a book about childhood and growing up, 

friendships and families, triumph and tragedy

 and everything in between.

More than anything, 

it's a book about love in all its forms.

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop!

Today, I'm excited to bring you another giveaway from author Donna Fasano.

I'm teaming up again with Kathy @ I am a Reader not a Writer and Yara @ Once Upon A Twilight for the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop! Be sure to check out all of the other great giveaways happening along with this hop. You can find the links to the other bloggers at the end of this post.

Now onto today's giveaway from Donna Fasano!

It's Read an E-book Week!

March 4-10 is Read an E-book Week! 
(In Canada, the whole month of March is Read an E-book Month!)

Visit the Read an E-book Week website for details on the challenge and the contests they are hosting. It sounds like there may even be an opportunity to win an E-reader!

Here's what I'm reading this week:

Free E-Books of the Month: March 2012 Free E-Book Offerings

As mentioned in my post, Locating reasonably priced and free e-books, there are a couple of publishers that offer a free e-book each month. Here are their selections for March, 2012.

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Each month Pheonix Pick, an imprint of Arcmanor.com, offers a free science fiction ebook. The free ebook for March is Leigh Brackett’s The Big Jump.

From Phoenix Pick:

About the Author:

Leigh Douglass Brackett (December 7, 1915 – March 18, 1978) was an American author, particularly of science fiction. She was also a screenwriter, known for her work on famous films such as The Big Sleep
(1945), Rio Bravo (1959), The Long Goodbye (1973) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

Experience the 2012 Iditarod!

Want to experience the Iditarod?

A special invitation from Andre Jute, author of "Iditarod - a novel of The Greatest Race on Earth":  

You (yes, even if you haven't read any of my books) are cordially invited to come racing with me. 

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is 1246 miles long, running behind a team of a sled dogs a stone's throw from the Arctic Circle in Alaska. 

Alaska is that place where men are men — and women win the Iditarod, regularly. It is perhaps the most dangerous, and certainly the most exciting race in the world. It is definitely the only race in the world that can presume to call itself the successor to the Marathon of the Greeks. 

Author CJ West is in a Generous Mood!

Guess what?

CJ West's gripping suspense thriller, The End of Marking Time, is free today and tomorrow in the Amazon Kindle Store. 

A token of my gratitude. Blogiversary Giveaway!

Today is the anniversary of the day I began Cookie's Book Club! What a year it's been!

I've met some superb authors and I have discovered some fantastic reads that I would not have if it weren't for my Kindle and this blog. I have ventured into the world of independent authors, and have found some really good books that I would not otherwise have ever heard of.

In celebration of my Blogiversary, and as a small token of my appreciation for you, my friends and followers, I am giving away one of my favourite books from this past year!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day: Feel the love!

Warm up by the fire with one of these romantic reads:


The Notebook ~ Nicholas Sparks
From Amazon.com: Every so often a love story so captures our hearts that it becomes more than a story-it becomes an experience to remember forever. The Notebook is such a book. It is a celebration of how passion can be ageless and timeless, a tale that moves us to laughter and tears and makes us believe in true love all over again... At thirty-one, Noah Calhoun, back in coastal North Carolina after World War II, is haunted by images of the girl he lost more than a decade earlier. At twenty-nine, socialite Allie Nelson is about to marry a wealthy lawyer, but she cannot stop thinking about the boy who long ago stole her heart. Thus begins the story of a love so enduring and deep it can turn tragedy into triumph, and may even have the power to create a miracle...

What Should I Read Next? February 2012 Edition

Good day readers! I have a massively huge TBR - so many books to read and review - it's hard to decide what to read next. I need your help!

I've selected five books from the pile that I'm looking forward to reading. Now you get to pick which one I'll read next!


In Search of the Fuller Brush Man

Sean Marcum is driven to find the meaning of his mother's swan song. The last words she wrote in her journal were, "Fuller Brush Man". She always communicated life's most important lessons via riddles, and he is convinced this is her finale. Sadly, Sean was never good at solving riddles, and his quest turns into an obsession, nearly costing him his marriage, and his life.

Free E-Books of the Month: February Free E-Book Offerings

I mentioned in my post, Locating reasonably priced and free e-books, that there are a couple of publishers that offer a free e-book each month. Here are their selections for February, 2012.

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Each month Pheonix Pick, an imprint of Arcmanor.com, offers a free ebook. The free ebook for February is Stephen Leigh’s The Shape of Silence. Stephen is also the author of Dark Water’s Embrace. The Shape of Silence, like Dark Water's Embrace, is a book about first contact with a truly alien race.

Playing With Fire, Kindle Fire Giveaway! January 17-31, 2012

THIS is exciting!

Today I am partnering with a group of bloggers to offer the BIGGEST giveaway yet!

Grand Prize: One lucky reader will win a Kindle Fire ($199 value!), complete with Wi-Fi, apps, and more!

$100 Amazon Gift Code Giveaway! January 16-31, 2012

It's time!

Enter to win a $100 Amazon gift code! 

The Prize:

One lucky reader will win a 

$100 Amazon Gift Code!

Thank-you and Happy New Year!

Just want to say a quick thank-you to all of my new fans and followers and to the authors who provided such fun and enlightening guest posts over the holidays as well as some fantastic giveaway prizes!

Congratulations to all the winners!

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all the best in 2012!

Stay tuned for more book reviews, author interviews, 

guest posts, tips and, of course, more giveaways.

WIN a $100 Amazon Gift Card! 

(COMING SOON: Jan 16)

Win a KINDLE FIRE! 

(COMING SOON Jan 17)

Playing with Fire Giveaway Sign Ups

BLOGGERS:

Are you looking to gain followers on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, email subscriptions and more? 

hosted by Freckleberry Finds 

Want to host a big giveaway on your blog? 

Giveaway events are an awesome way to boost your followers, as well as offer a stellar prize to your readers! Don’t have a ton to spend? This event is affordable at only $5 for two links! You can even purchase two additional links for $3 each. 

Giveaway Details 

Dates: January 17-31 

Cost: $5. This gets you two links. You can purchase up to two more links at $3/each. 

Grand Prize: One lucky entrant will win a Kindle Fire ($199 value!), complete with Wi-Fi, apps, and more! Sweet! 

Sign Up! To join this event, fill out this form (http://svy.mk/wit4Ae). Once you do, you will receive an email with a link to the Facebook group where you can receive updates about the event, along with other important information. 

Payment Details: Make payment via PayPal to ashley@freckleberryfinds.com as a GIFT. In the notes section, include your blog name in order to see who has paid :). Want to get in to the event for free? The blogger who refers the most blogs will have their entry fee refunded! True story! Here’s how you can promote this event: Tweet and Facebook: “Playing With Fire Kindle giveaway event sign ups are open! $5 buy in! Make sure you say ***YOUR BLOG NAME*** sent you! http://bit.ly/xJ4gZu” Sign ups will close January 15. Once you fill out the form and submit payment, you'll receive an email with important information. 

I hope you'll join me! Don't forget to say Cookie's Book Club referred you!

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast Sign Ups

BLOGGERS:

Be a part of the $100 Amazon Twitter Blast at Kobiso.com!

What is a Twitter Blast? 

Bloggers can join for $1 and link up one Twitter account. 

Kobiso will provide the prize - a $100 Amazon code.

What do you need to do to join? 

• Post about the event with the button linking back to this post. (Right click save the image)
• Fill out this form - sign ups close Jan 14th at 9 AM EST. Be sure to say COOKIE'S BOOK CLUB sent you!
• Post the Rafflecopter on your blog and your Facebook page for the event. You can get it here
• Then schedule the giveaway post to go live on Jan 15 11:59 PM EST to Feb 1 12:01 AM EST
• You can post on every blog you have, one post per twitter account.
• You will receive an email on the 14th to remind you.

Free E-Books of the Month: January Free E-Book Offerings

I mentioned in my post, Locating reasonably priced and free e-books, that there are a couple of publishers that offer a free e-book each month. Here are the selections for January, 2012.

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Each month Pheonix Pick, an imprint of Arcmanor.com, offers a free ebook. The free ebook for January is Charles Sheffield’s Georgia on My Mind and Other Places. This is the complete anthology (the lead story was offered as a free novelette in a previous month). This is really an outstanding collection of short stories by a master of hard science fiction (and the Georgia on my Mind, the story, won both a Hugo and a Nebula).

The coupon code for January is 9991325 and will be good from January 2 through January 31. Download your free e-book at http://www.PPickings.com. Select the format that suits you (PDF, Mobi, EPub, PDb or Lrf).

While you're there you can elect to sign up for monthly mailings, and check out great deals on books.

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The January free e-book selection at The Chicago Press is Collections of Nothing by William Davies King. William Davies King collects something, but what he collects is of no clear value to anyone but himself. Is he collecting or hoarding? Is it obsession or artistry? “What makes this book, bred of a midlife crisis, extraordinary is the way King weaves his autobiography into the account of his collection, deftly demonstrating that the two stories are essentially one.… His hard-won self-awareness gives his disclosures an intensity that will likely resonate with all readers, even those whose collections of nothing contain nothing at all.” — New Yorker

Get your free e-book edition of Collections of Nothing. Enter your email address and instructions will be mailed to you. NOTE: Grayscale Kindle e-ink devices unfortunately will not be able to open this ebook. You should be able to read it on most other devices, assuming you have the correct software application installed. More info can be found on the download form.

Again, you can elect to sign up for email notices so you'll be informed of future free e-book of the month selections.

Giveaway: Northlight by Deborah Ross PLUS In case you missed it: Review of Northlight and Interview with Deborah Ross

Earlier this year I reviewed Northlight and interviewed the author, Deborah Ross. Deborah returns today to offer four lucky readers a copy of Northlight. One reader will win a paperback copy of the book, and three others will win electronic copies of the book. You can tell me in the comments section which one you would prefer and I will try to accommodate those requests.

In case you missed it, here again is my review of Northlight and interview with Deborah Ross, originally posted April 22, 2011.

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Review of Northlight by Deborah Ross

If you like a strong female lead character and beautiful landscapes, you'll love Northlight by Deborah J. Ross, "a tale of healing and adventure and some very cool horses" (Northlight Introduction).

Northlight is a science fiction/fantasy novel by Deborah J. Ross (writing as Deborah Wheeler). Ross cares deeply about her characters, and this is clear in her writing. The main protagonist Kardith is a tortured but beautiful soul that your heart will ache for. Kardith and her beloved gray mare take us on a journey through rich landscapes and deeply experienced life-altering events.

Stepping into the Light Guest Post from Donna Fasano PLUS a Giveaway!

Today, Donna Fasano visits Cookie's Book Club for the third time! Highly appropriate then that she should be the first to guest post in 2012. Donna, thank-you for your continued support. I wish you all the best in this new year!

Below is the story Donna contributed to the anthology Indie Chicks: 25 Independent Women, 25 Inspiring Stories. All proceeds of this inspiring anthology will be donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation to forward the battle against breast cancer.

Today, Donna is giving away FIVE copies of Indie Chicks: 25 Independent Women, 25 Inspiring Stories. Be sure to enter the contest following Donna's guest post! (NOTE: Prize is an e-book for Kindle or Kindle app only.)