Book Giveaway~ Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts

Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: 2009-05-04
384 pages

About the Book:
The bestselling author of WHERE THE HEART IS returns with a heartrending
tale of two children in search of a place to call home.
Lutie McFee’s history has taught her to avoid attachments…to people, to places, and to almost everything. With her mother long dead and her father long gone to find his fortune in Las Vegas, 15-year-old Lutie lives in the god-forsaken town of Spearfish, South Dakota with her twelve-year-old brother, Fate, and Floy Satterfield, the 300-pound ex-girlfriend of her father.
While Lutie shoplifts for kicks, Fate spends most of his time reading, watching weird TV shows and worrying about global warming and the endangerment of pandas. As if their life is not dismal enough, one day, while shopping in their local Wal-Mart, Floy keels over and the two motherless kids are suddenly faced with the choice of becoming wards of the state or hightailing it out of town in Floy’s old Pontiac. Choosing the latter, they head off to Las Vegas in search of a father who has no known address, no phone number and, clearly, no interest in the kids he left behind.
MADE IN THE U.S.A. is the alternately heartbreaking and life-affirming story of two gutsy children who must discover how cruel, unfair and frightening the world is before they come to a place they can finally call home.

About the Contest:
Open to US and Canadian address. No PO Boxes please.
Five winners will be chosen on May 23.
A special thanks to Hachette Book Group.
To Win:
Leave a Comment with your name & email address

For an added chance, be a follower!

I will notify the winners by email and on my blog
on May 24th. Please respond within
24 hours with your mailing information!

Book Giveaway!

Caitlin is giving away 5 copies of

Testimony by Anita Shreve!

Hurry over and enter for your chance to win!

Synopsis: At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about tobreak. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

Is it August yet?

My Soul To Take will be the first book released in Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers series, due out in August....Start the count down!

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH KAYLEE CAVANAUGH

She doesn't see dead people, but...
She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.
Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next...
SOUL SCREAMERS
The last thing you hear before you die...

Southern Reading 2009 Challenge

As a new blogger, I was lurking, I mean looking around at other blogs to follow.

I found this reading challenge at Maggie Reads. I think it will be great to get out of my "comfort" reading zone.

Maggie says:
"The time when you pour a glass of lemonade or sweet tea and take your official summer spot on the porch. Lean back in that chase lounge surrounded by geraniums and ferns, and begin the summer long journey into Southern culture."

Here are the rules:"You may choose to read any style of Southern book such as Appalachian tales, Civil War sagas, Gothic myths, Grit lit, and heart-wrenching biographies. Just as long as you read three (fiction or nonfiction) between May 15th and August 15th."

My chosen reads for 2009 are:

The Awakening by Katie Chopin
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest Gaines
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

0 / 3 books- 0% done!

Vision In White~Nora Roberts

This is the first book of NR's new quartet series. The next is: Bed Of Roses, due out in November...

This is a great story about 4 longtime female friends who, as kids played "Wedding Day." They married each other, their little brothers, the dog, cat you name it!
When they grew up, they start their own business helping people have their best "Wedding Day".
Mac (the photographer) is content being single, working with her gal pals, then she meets Carter and her world as she knows it gets turned upside down.

Giveaway! City Of Bones

Just finished this book last night and LOVED it! I liked it so much, I want to share! So, I was thinking if anyone wanted the book (it has been read once) just leave me a comment and I will mail it to you. BUT there are a couple of stipulations:

• you must be a follower
• you have not read the book
• when your finished reading it, you pass it to someone who hasn't read it!

The deadline will be May 15th and the winner notified here on the 16th!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.
Here I will post the books and anything else that I have gotten this week.
It could be books, CD's, anything!!

In Susie's Mailbox This Week:

I actually picked these up at Walmart...

Night World #1 (L.J. Smith)
Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters-they live
among us without our knowledge. Night Workd is their
secret society, a secret society with very strict rules.
And falling in love breaks all the laws of Night World.

City of Bones (Cassandra Clare)
When Clare Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in
New York City, she hardly expects to witness a muder. Much
less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with odd
markings.

City of Ashes (Cassandra Clare)
A murderer is loose in New York City...
and the victims are Downworlder children.
Clary Fray and her fellow Shadowhunters have
a strong suspicion that Valentine, Clary's father,
may be behind the killings.

Vision In White (Nora Roberts)
Wedding photographer Mackensie "Mac" Elliot
is most at home behind the camera, but her focus
is shattered moments before an important wedding
rehearsal when she bumps into the bride-to-be's brother
...an encounter that has them both seeing stars.

Going tomorrow...

to see:

X-Men Origins-Wolverine

YES! I thought I was going to have to wait until next weekend.

But I'm splurging and going on Sunday! Woohoo! You can't see it,

but I am do my bootie dance!

It's my "Hugh Jackson is HOT!" bootie dance!

Oh, you don't believe how hot he is?

Check these out!

See, told ya!

My love/hate relationship with Walmart...

I stopped at Walmart Thursday night on the way home, just to grab my nicotine patches (couldn't believe how much cheaper they were there!). Walked by the book section and just had to stop. Nora had a new book come out Tuesday, Vision in White and I knew there were a couple of others that I was wanting to take a look at and see if they were interesting enough for me to actually buy or see if the UBS had them.

Heres what I walked out with last night:

Vision In White by Nora Roberts
City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare
City Of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Night World No. 1 by L.J. Smith

a cute hobo tote bag on sale for $10!
a Slim Jim with cheddar cheese stick
and the Equate nicotine patches.

Needless to say, I walked out with alot more than I expected! This is why I say I have a love/hate relationship with Walmart. I always walk out spending more than I originally planned. And it can be explained, trust me. Well, the patches are $10 cheaper than they are anywhere else, so that pays for the bag. And I would have to actually drive to the UBS to see if they even have the books that I want, and if they don't then it's a wasted a trip, etc...see? I have a very rational explantion for it. At least its rational in my mind. I go in expecting to spend my $35 and walk out spending over $70. WTH?!? I think they pump something in the air to make you lose all sense.

oh the weather outside is...cold?

I was wearing capris and tee shirts a couple of weeks ago, just as soon as the temp hit 58.Today, it's 60ish and I'm wishing I still had my little space heater at my desk, because I'm freezing! We hit temps around 80 over the weekend, and now I'm cold. (insert sarcasm here please) I love Indiana weather.

I spent the weekend cleaning the yard from all the winter time muck, cleaning off the outside furniture, that sort of thing. It was truly a beautiful weekend! I'm thinking of buying a new gas grill this summer, along with a new patio set for the back yard. Now this is my "dream" grill, but this is what I will probably end up buying. Not that there is anything wrong with the grill that I will be buying, but come on! My dream grill is built in and runs on natural gas! Who wouldn't love that?!? Only crazy people. Yep, I said, only a crazy person wouldn't want the Cadillac of grills!

Hunted by P.C Cast + Kristin Cast

From Amazon:

The good news: Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer. The bad news: Ancient evil with the face of an angel has been let loose – that and various other nasties (whose faces aren’t so angelic). Grandma Redbird is in trouble. Heath is in trouble. The House of Night is in trouble. Okay, let’s face it – Zoey’s whole world is in trouble! But when the trouble comes from a being who appears to be beauty personified, will the world believe it? Especially when only a teenager and a group of misfits are the only ones who really understand the danger he brings. Will Zoey have the strength and wisdom to reveal the truth? Especially when, in the House of Night, the truth is often hard to come by…

Personally, I didn't care for this book as well as the others. I thought there was just too much back story. Not enough "NOW". I'm used to reading series that could be stand alones, where they author tells the story and includes little tidbits from previous books. I still like the gang, but I'm VERY glad I didn't actually buy this book (I borrowed my sons girlfriends copy) since my USB does not take hardbacks in for trade. And if I had bought this book, I would have wanted to trade it in.

American Idol, last night

I can't believe the judges saved Matt! Now, I have watched this show since the first season and decided not to watch this season. I'm still running the office pool, but not watching. I watched last night because of Jennifer Hudson (didn't care for her performance) & Miley (I liked this performance better than the CMA's).

Let me just say, Matt is one lucky guy, because just based on his performance last night, I would not have saved him! I would have waited and possibly not even used the save at all! What if Adam, Allison or Danny are up to go next week? Any one of them should be saved! And now 2 people get voted off next week.

Anyway, just my opionon, but I wouldn't have saved him.

ok, so, well...

I've been reading up a storm (since I'm trying to quit smoking) and have not taken the time to keep up my list of what I've read so far in 2009. I'll try to get that updated soon.

I've been on a Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb kick the last month or so, and I have to say, she is the Queen. No other author that I read can put out about 4-5 NEW books a year. She does many trilogies (which I love) and has the Eve Dallas/Roarke series (In Death) that I read about twice a year, usually when a new book is about to come out. I think there are around 25-26 books in the series so far and she puts out 2 new ones a year. In February it was "Promises In Death" which I will review after I have read it, again. And another due in November, "Kindred In Death".
Well, back to work, I'll do more later!

Today

Today on Lifetime there is a Nora Roberts movie marathon! Yipee!
It starts with Sanctuary(2001) at 11 a.m. ET, and ends with the brand new moive Northern Lights(2009) at 9 p.m. ET.

Servant: The Awakening by L.L. Foster

Well, I finished this today on my lunch hour. It was a slow starter for me. It seemed almost like a "Buffy/Angel" knock off. She is an a*s kicking demon killer, but has no friends, family, she was a complete loner. I almost set it aside but thought I would give it at least the first couple of chapters. Well, I'm glad I did. I still kinda feel as though it's a "Buffy/Angel" combo knock off, I found that I like Gaby & Luther. I can't wait to see what happens with Morty & Ann. Will Bliss be in the second book? I want answers, and I have to wait until payday to find them out.

Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts

I started and finished this book in 1 day. I've read this before but I had forgotten how much fun the characters are. It had me laughing, crying and mad as hell, sometimes within what seemed like just a few paragraphs! Nobody writes a romance better the Nora. She is so descriptive in her scenes that you really feel as though you know New Orleans by the time you finish the book. There are twists that are very unexpected, but you still get the HEA ending that you expect with Nora's work. I would suggest this book to anyone who reads romance!



Lifetime has a movie based on this book, go HERE

So I went to the movies on Saturday...

My son wanted to take his girlfriend to the movies on Saturday, to celebrate their 5 month anniversary (hey, their 16, what do you expect?), so instead of driving, dropping off, driving home and then back to pick them up, I decided I'd just stay and see a movie too. Not the same one of course, don't want to be a party poop, but there was only 1 movie that would end around the same time as theirs. Did I really want to see it? The answer, sadly is, no. But I paid for my ticket, bought the required soda & popcorn, walked in just after the lights went down. THE ENTIRE MOVIE THEATER WAS EMPTY!! Oh boy, bad sign. I guess all the things I'd heard about the remake of Friday the 13th were true! ARGH!!!
Ok, the movie wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. If you go in expecting a remake and knowing it can't live up to the first movie, then it's a great movie! If you've never seen the original, it's a great movie! I wasn't expecting Gone With The Wind, or any other great epic tale, I went in expecting a slasher film, and guess what? Thats what I got.

Laurell K Hamilton

I read alot of customer reviews about Blood Noir, and I almost didn't buy/read it based on those reviews. While I thought it wasn't a "great" book, it didn't totally suck. I catch myself not running out to buy her books as soon as they hit the shelves and it makes me sad.
I picked up Guilty Pleasures at the Half Price Book Store about 5 years ago and I loved it! Started buying up the books wherever I could find them. Then she had to go and change everything! It's all about sex, and some sex is good, but it shouldn't be the focus of every book she writes. I understand that Anita has to have sex, but jesh, skim over it once in awhile. LKH has another Anita Blake book coming out (Skin Trade), and I just don't know if I will buy it. I wish she would get back to her previous style of writing. Not so choppy, not so sex infested, etc. I think I'm almost ready for the Anita Blake series to be over. Unlike J.D. Robb's In Death series, LKH is not keeping it fresh & exciting. Sorry Laurell, but if you read your own work, you would know this.

Nora Roberts Movies on Lifetime

When I found out Lifetime made 4 more movies based on Nora's books, I had to pull them out and reread them before watching the movies. I know, I know, I should NOT read them before watching the movies, they are never as good as the books (Twilgiht). While I wasn't crazy about the 4 movies previously made by Lifetime (they didn't stay as true to the books as they should have) I did watch them.

The movies this year are:

Northen Lights (airs 03/21/09 at 9 p.m. ET)
Midnight Bayou (airs 03/28/09 at 9 p.m. ET)
High Noon (airs 04/04/09 at 9 p.m. ET)
Tribute (airs 04/11/09 at 9 p.m. ET)

I have finished re-reading Northern Lights and I'm excited to see the movie, even though I already know that last names have been changed (to protect their identities maybe?) Nate Burns s/b Nate Burke and Meg Galigan s/b Meg Galloway (sp?).

Northen Lights
(From Lifetime)
About the Movie:

Former Baltimore policeman Nate Burns was hoping to start a new life by accepting the job of chief of police in the town of Lunacy, Alaska. He escapes to the small, remote town in an effort to forget the traumatic death of his partner, for which he holds himself partially responsible. But the moment he meets Meg Galligan, an independent and feisty bush pilot with her own demons, he finds himself falling for her. The town is rocked when the body of Meg’s father, a man who Meg believed had abandoned her and her mother Charlene 16 years ago, turns up in a mountain cave. Nate finds himself in the middle of a high-profile murder investigation and quickly learns the killer is someone in the community. Nate must use his big-city survival instincts to solve the mystery that threatens his new life and new love.

About Me...

I'm the Mom of two, Brittni who is making me a Mimi in August & Matt who will be graduating high school very soon! I love to read and that led to this blog. My favorite series are: The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward, The In Death series by J.D. Robb, The Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. There are others but those are my most current favorites (I reserve the right to add or subtract any series at any time, depending on my mood. I have been known to get pissy when a book doesn't go the way I think it should! LOL!) Some of my other hobbies are: cooking (I'm a fantastic cook, at least in my mind), crocheting, gardening (if you count 3 or 4 tomato plants each season gardening), watching movies and spending time with family & friends. I"m also a member of a book club that meets sporadically during the winter, but during the summer we meet weekly, poolside! I am in no way an experienced reviewer, but my reviews are my own. I might be a little late announcing the winners of the giveaways, but they will be announced! Unfortunately, I am currently looking for a job so I can't concentrate solely on my blog.

You may contact me at: myguiltypleasuresblog@gmail.com