Saturday, March 19, 2011

Winners: Death of a Chimney Sweep By M. C. Beaton

Thanks to Brianne Beers of  Hachette Book Group for making this giveaway possible.


The winners are:
Sarah (already won)
Lori
Patricia
Susan (already won)
PoCoKat

Congratulations!  Please respond to my email within two days to claim your book.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 2:27 PM 0 comments  

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Friday, March 18, 2011

Giveaway: Welcome to Last Chance by Hope Ramsay

 Thanks to Anna Balasi of Forever Romance, I am giving away up to 2 copies of this book.
  
Book Description: 


Dear Reader,

Yes, our town is way off the beaten path, but strange, wonderful miracles happen a lot around here.

I've owned the Cut 'n' Curl beauty shop for years, and I've seen folks come for a visit, then stay for a lifetime. Take Jane-that pretty firecracker of a girl who just arrived in town. I would swear she's running from something. She came with only five dollars in her pocket but she's worked real hard to make a fresh start. She's turned my son Clay's life upside down without even realizing it.

And thank goodness for that! Ever since Clay left his country western band, he's played everything too safe. He needs to take a chance on Jane. Besides, the more he tries to keep his distance, the more he'll realize that he and Jane are singing the same tune.

But I should quit ramblin' and go check on Millie's permanent wave. Next time you're in Last Chance, be sure to swing by. We've got hot rollers, free coffee, and the best gossip in town.

See you real soon,

Ruby Rhodes
 
The number of entrants to this giveaway will determine how many copies of this book I will giveaway:

1-10 entrants= 1
11-or more entrants = 2

To Enter:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:  (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).

+3 Old or new follower of this blog.
+3 Old or new follower on Twitter ().
+2 Tweet about this Giveaway (Up to 1 time per day)
+3 Be my friend on Facebook (Teddy Rose).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy).
+3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+2 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)

That's 24 or more possible entries!

Sorry, the giveaway is only open US and Canadian residents only.
The winner’s mailing address: NO P.O.Boxes.
Only one entry per household/IP address
 
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.

This giveaway will end on Friday, April 1st , 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.


Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:01 AM 49 comments  

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

An Evening with Jodi Picoult in Vancouver

On Sunday, March 13th I had the pleasure of attending An Evening with Jodi Picoult.  It was a multimedia experience with her friend, Ellen Wilber, who wrote the lyrics and sings on the companion CD to Jodi's book, Sing you Home. 

Ms. Picoult did two separate readings of Sing You Home and Ellen performed 3 songs from the CD.  Jodi explained that she wanted to give her main character, Zoe a voice and for the reader to hear it, that is why there is a CD with the book.  Each song on the CD corresponds with a chapter in the book and Jodi recommended that the reader listen to the song and then read the corresponding chapter to have the best experience.  One of the songs that Ellen sang, was Sammy's Song, named after Jodi's daughter, of the same name.  Sammy is also a character in the book.

Sing you Home is wanting to have a child, more than it is about sexual orientation.  However, Jodi decided to write a book about gay rights because she views it as the last human right we haven't tackled in North America.  While writing the book, her son came out and told his parents that he was gay.  According to Jodi, shis was actually no surprise to them.  Her hope for her son and others is that they don't have to jump through extra hoops just to get married and have kids.

When Jodi said that it was time for questions from the audience, I asked, "I understand that Zoe would want her own child but wouldn't it be easier for Vanessa to have a baby with a sperm donor?  Jodi said, "Zoe tried for ten years to have a child while married to Max through in vitro and there were 3 fertilized embryos there to be used.  (for those who haven't read the book, Max was  an anti-gay activist and would not give permission to Zoe to use the embryos, which were fertilized with his sperm).

Another audience member asked what Jodi's favorite book was that she wrote.  Jodi answered, "Second Glance, about racial hygiene in the U.S. before Hitler.  She was also asked who her favorite author was and she answered, "Alice Hoffman."  

Jodi Picoult is the author of 18 novels, published in 34 countries, and in 4 languages.  I have only read one of her books, My Sister's Keeper.  I don't often read real commercial authors like Jodi Picoult but I really enjoyed the evening and may read more of her books in the future.  I am quite interested in Second Glance.

Jodi was gracious enough to let me have a photo taken of the two of us together to share on my blog.  (see above). Thanks Jodi!

Have you read any Jodi Picoult books?  What is your favorite?


Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:29 PM 6 comments  

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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Teaser Tuesday

Hosted by Jenn at Should Be Reading

The Book: The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

I have two quotes to share:  
 " She put her head charmingly to one side as if she was trying to remember. “They said they would dig up the body of Ebenezer Macbean and make a pie of his head and feet and hands.” Page 83

"The Devil himself was there! I saw the two of them as they left their wicked Sabbath. Elspeth and the Evil One. Conjoined. His eyes red like fire. There was a — a wailing, like the souls of the damned screaming from Hell.” Page 85
(Note:  This is from an e-book so the page may not be exact.  It is also an Advanced Readers edition).

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:31 PM 8 comments  

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Monday, March 14, 2011

Maibox Monday

MailBox Monday now has it's very own blog, Mailbox Monday.  It is also on tour and is being hosted by I'm Booking It in March.

I received this book in my mailbox:

Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love by Andrew Shaffer.
I won this from The Girl From the Ghetto.











I received the following books (in my Inbox, rather than my mailbox).  They were all courtesy of Sourcebooks during their Celebration of "Read an ebook Week":

 This was a really score for me, I have been wanting it ever since it was released!








I  have never read a Howard Fast book but have heard great things about this series.  This is the first book in the series.




I'm not sure about this one but it is a book of short stories about the Civil war.  I thought it might be worthwhile.








What did you get in your mailbox?



Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:11 PM 9 comments  

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All That by David Foster Wallace


I reviewed  The Broom of the System by David FosterWallace back in January.  I was impressed by the variety of quirky characters and Wallace's sharp sense of humor but was underwhelmed but the story and plot.

When I recently came across this short story, I thought to myself, "why not try one of his short stories."

The unnamed narrator, received a toy cement truck as a young boy.  It was mad of wood with a string to pull it.  His parents told him it was a "magic" cemnt truck.  When he walked with it, pulling the string the cement mixer drum spun like a real one, but only when you didn't watch it.
"months were henceforward spent by me trying to devise ways to catch the drum rotating. Evidence bore out what they had told me: turning my head obviously and unsubtly around always stopped the rotation of the drum. I also tried sudden whirls. I tried having someone else pull the cement mixer. I tried incremental turns of the head while pulling (“incremental” meaning turning my head at roughly the rate of a clock’s minute hand). I tried peering through a keyhole as someone else pulled the cement mixer. Even turning my head at the rate of the hour hand. I never doubted—it didn’t occur to me. The magic was that the mixer seemed always to know."
His parents were intellectuals and his father use to tell him stories about his own childhood and the research he dd, such as trying to catch the tooth faerie. Eventually the narrator summed up the toy as,
"The toy cement mixer is the origin of the religious feeling that has informed most of my adult life."  
From there, the story took an abrupt turn and focused on the narrator's philosophy.  He also mentioned that he attended seminary school.

This story started out well, some of the way the boy tried to catch the cement drum move, had me laughing out loud.  However, after that it turned into a philosophical essay.  To be honest, I had trouble keeping my eyes open.  It wasn't what I expected, nor really wanted from the story. 
It makes me wonder if all of his writing is like this.  With great memorable characters and humor but with no real story or plot.  Mr. Wallace committed suicide in 2008, so we will never will be able to ask him any questions about this. Perhaps, I should hold off judgment and try another of his stories? 
You can read All That, here.

Have you read anything by David Foster Wallace?  What did you think?  

David Foster Wallace: Birth: February 26, 1962  Death: September 28, 2008


Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:42 PM 8 comments  

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Saturday, March 12, 2011

Summer Berry Cobbler with Vanilla Whipped Creme

Many of my blogger buddies have been participating in this cooking meme.  I've been wanting to do it for awhile now, so I decided to try it out this weekend.

I do a ton of cooking and baking, all vegan style.  That means no animal products what so ever.  Vegans and non-vegans both love it when I cook and bake for them, which just goes to show that vegans eat very well.

Tonight, for desert I made Summer Berry Cobbler with Vanilla Bean Whipped Creme.  It does not have to be summer to enjoy this treat.  In fact, hubby and I like to have it when it's still warm. I always buy flats of berries when there in season, and freeze them so I can make this recipe and others, year round.  I got this recipe, here.

I must confess that I forgot to take a picture of them with whipped creme on top but the good news is this makes 4, so we have 2 left.  Heres a photo without the whip. 

I do a couple things a bit different than the original recipe does:

For the sugar/berry mixture, I use 1/3 cup sugar instead of 1/2 cup.  I followed the exact recipe the first time I made it and we thought it was way too sweet.

Tip:  When using frozen berries, I find it easiest to make if the berries are slightly thawed, rather than thawed all the way.

I don't sprinkle any almond milk or sugar on top.

For the Whipped cream:
First let me say, that this is the best vegan whipped cream recipe out there, by far!  I have tried a lot of other ones but they all pale in comparison.  

I use two heaping tablespoons of the powdered sugar, rather than 2/3 cup.  
I use a teaspoon of organic pure vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean.
I like this best in ramekins, rather than the 8X8 pan but I use 4 ramekins instead of 8.  Just be sure to place them on a cookie sheet to bake, in case they boil over a bit.

If you want to eat them warm, be sure to let them cool for a good half hour first or you will burn your mouth.

The way I make this recipe, there are 4 bigs servings rather than 8 small servings. :)

If you give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know how you likes it.  I actually served this as one of the desserts at Christmas and my family begged for more.  Seriously, and they are not vegans like hubby and I.


Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:52 PM 6 comments  

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Win a Free e-reader of Your Choice!

Monica of The Bibliophilc Book Blog is giving away the e-reader of your choice.  Enter here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 6:17 PM 0 comments  

Giveaway- Nerve: Poise Under Pressure, Serenity Under Stress, and the Brave New Science of Fear and Cool by Taylor Clark

Thanks to Anna Balasi of  Hachette Book Group, I am giving away up to 3 copies of this book.

Book Description:

Nerves make us bomb job interviews, first dates, and SATs. With a presentation looming at work, fear robs us of sleep for days. It paralyzes seasoned concert musicians and freezes rookie cops in tight situations. And yet not everyone cracks. Soldiers keep their heads in combat; firemen rush into burning buildings; unflappable trauma doctors juggle patient after patient. It's not that these people feel no fear; often, in fact, they're riddled with it.

In Nerve, Taylor Clark draws upon cutting-edge science and painstaking reporting to explore the very heart of panic and poise. Using a wide range of case studies, Clark overturns the popular myths about anxiety and fear to explain why some people thrive under pressure, while others falter-and how we can go forward with steadier nerves and increased confidence.
The number of entrants to this giveaway will determine how many copies of this book I will giveaway:

1-10 entrants= 1
11-20 entrants = 2
21-or more entrants = 3

To Enter:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:  (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).

+3 Old or new follower of this blog.
+3 Old or new follower on Twitter ().
+2 Tweet about this Giveaway (Up to 1 time per day)
+3 Be my friend on Facebook (Teddy Rose).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy).
+3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+2 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)

That's 24 or more possible entries! Sorry, this giveaway is only open to U.S. and Canada.
The winner's mailing address: No P.O. Boxes
Only one entry per household/IP address

Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.

This giveaway will end on Sunday March 27th , 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified. 


Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:01 AM 38 comments  

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Friday, March 11, 2011

Giveaway: Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Thanks to Brianne Beers of Hachette Book Group, I am giving away up to 2 copies of both Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing and Waking Up in the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo.

Book Descriptions:

Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing
Scarlet Santana is never happier than when creating fabulous fashions for women of all shapes and sizes. Now, after years of hard work, she finally has the chance to live her dream and study under the hottest designer in New York. To raise money for her move, Scarlet opens an after-hours sewing school in a local record shop, teaching a type-A working mom whose rigid parenting style is causing her family to unravel and an enigmatic seamstress with a mysterious past.

Waking Up in the Land of Glitter
With glue guns, glitter, twigs, or yarn, the ordinary can become extraordinary . . . especially at La Pachanga. Owned by Estrella "Star" Esteban's family, the restaurant has a rep for two things: good food and great art. La Pachanga brings people together-even when it looks like they couldn't be further apart.One ill-fated evening, Star jeopardizes her family's business, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her future career. To redeem herself, she agrees to participate in a national craft competition, teaming up with her best friend, Ofelia-a secretly troubled mother whose love for crafting borders on obsession-and local celebrity Chloe Chavez-a determined television personality with more than one skeleton in her professional closet. If these unlikely allies can set aside their differences, they'll find strength they never knew they had, and learn that friendship, like crafting, is truly an art form.



The number of entrants to this giveaway will determine how many copies of this book I will giveaway:

1-10 entrants= 1
20 or more entrants= 2

To Enter:
Leave a comment with your email address, so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries:  (please leave a separate comment for each, for instance you you are a follower, leave 3 comments that you are a follower).

+3 Old or new follower of this blog.
+3 Old or new follower on Twitter (@teddyrose1).
+2 Tweet about this Giveaway (Up to 1 time per day) 

+3 Be my friend on Facebook (Teddy Rose).
+3 "Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook
+3 Be my friend on Goodreads (Teddy).
+3 for Joining my Books Won Reading Challenge (be sure to follow the rules and then let me know you joined here.)
+1 for each comment on a book review I have done. (Be sure to tell me which ones).
+1 for clicking to give free food at The Animal Rescue Site (tell me you did it).( Up to 1 time per day)
+1 for clicking to give free books at The Literacy Site (tell me you did it). ( Up to 1 time per day)

That's 24 or more possible entries!
Sorry, the giveaway is only open US and Canadian residents only.
The winner’s mailing address: NO P.O.Boxes.
Only one entry per household/IP address
 
Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the book.

This giveaway will end on Friday, March 25th,11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.


Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:01 AM 53 comments  

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