Monday, September 26, 2011

The Doll by Daphne du Maurier

The Doll is a short story written by Daphne du Maurier that was lost for over 70 years.  According to The Guardian, it was first published in 1937 and hadn't been published again until recently.

Dr. E. Strongman finds a mysterious diary washed up on the shore.  The author of it is unknown and some of it is illegible and has some pages missing.  However, Dr. Strongman writes a paper on it.

It is most certainly written by a man obsessed with a woman named, Rebecca.  We learn that she is a violinist and met the unknown man at a party.  He later starts coming to her flat. 
"Before I left she showed me round her tiny flat. There was a little scullery place she used for a kitchen, a poky bathroom, and her own small bedroom which was furnished like a nun's cell, quite plain and bare. There was another room leading from the studio, but she did not show me this."
Rebecca does eventually show him the other room, to introduce him to Julio.  He turns out to be a very evil looking mechanical doll.  The he persistently asks Rebecca why she has this doll, she never tells him.  He becomes more and more obsessed with her and the doll.
This is a pretty creepy story about obsession.  Very well written and great character development.  I highly recommend it, especially for those who can't get enough of Daphne du Mauier.  Click on The Guardian to read it.
Also reviewed by:
Short Story Monday is hosted by John at The Book Mine Set.


Saturday, September 24, 2011

Winners: In The Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda

Thanks again to Liz Leong of Doubleday for making this giveaway possible.
 
The winners are

Ann
Holden

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

Winners: Loose Diamonds by Amy Ephron

Thanks again to Andy Dodds of William Morrow for making this giveaway possible.

The winners are

Patricia
Holden

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

Friday, September 23, 2011

Winner: Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Thanks again to Lisa of TLC Book Tours and the author, Jesmyn Ward for making this giveaway possible.

The winner is

Ann (No response)
Darlene

Congratulations!  Please respond to my email within 2 days to claim your book.

Winner: The Last Seal by Richard Denning

Thanks again to the author, Richard Denning for making this giveaway possible.

The winner is

Patricia N.

Congratulations!  Please respond to my email within 2 days to clain your book.

Winner: Call Me When You Land by Michael Schiavone

Thanks again to Allison Kirby of JKS Communications and Michael Schiavone for making this giveaway possible.

The Winner is

Margie

Congratulations!  Please respond to the email I sent you within 2 days to claim your book.

Winner: Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey

Thanks again to Lisa of TLC Book Tours and to Juliet Grey for making this giveaway possible.

The winner is

Colleen

Congratulations!  Please respond to the email I sent you within 2 days to claim your book.

Giveaway: Following Atticus by Tom Ryan

Thanks to Chelsey Emmelhainz of William Morrow, I am giving away one copy of Following Atticus.

Book Description:

Following Atticus is the remarkable true story of a man and a dog embarking on the challenge of a lifetime. This is author Tom Ryan’s inspiring tale of how he and his miniature schnauzer companion, the “Little Buddha” Atticus M. Finch, attempted to scale all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s four thousand foot White Mountains twice in the dead of winter. It is a story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human and animal spirit that’s as thrilling as Into Thin Air and featuring the most endearing and unforgettable canine protagonist since Marley and Me.

About Tom Ryan:

Tom Ryan is the founder of the Newburyport, Massachusetts, newspaper the Undertoad and served as its publisher and editor for more than a decade. In 2007 he moved to the White Mountains of New Hampshire with miniature schnauzer Atticus M. Finch. Over the last five years, Tom and Atticus have climbed more than 450 four-thousand-foot peaks. After raising thousands of dollars for Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, the pair was inducted into the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Hall of Fame. Tom currently writes the popular The Adventures of Tom & Atticus column in the Northcountry News and Mountainside Guide, and the blog The Adventures of Tom & Atticus. Tom and Atticus live in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

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.)
+4 for filling out the  Tour Host Interest Form (please do this if you have a book blog and you are serious about wanting to be a tour host)
+ 5 if you have been a tour host for Premier Virtual Author Book Tours (please specify which tour)
+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 36 or more possible entries! Sorry, this giveaway is only open to U.S.
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, October 7th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.


Giveaway and Review: Help for Writers by Roy Peter Clark

The subtitle of this book is 210 Solutions to the Problem Every Writer faces.  I decided to accept a review copy of this book to see if there were any tips that a book blogger could use in writing reviews.

Though there wasn't a specific chapter dedicated to writing book reviews, there were a lot of useful tips.  The book is divided in to seven steps of the writing process.  The most useful step for me was step four: Looking for Language.  If I am searching for a word to use, the first place I usually go to is a thesaurus or dictionary.  However, there are so many other great places to find words.  For instance, one I know some of you book bloggers already do is to keep a list of new words you come across in your reading.  There is even a meme going around for that.

I often catch myself writing in cliche' and wonder if it is really appropriate Clark says it's okay to have some.  He does suggest "When tempted by a cliche', give yourself one minute to think of an alternative."  To help with this write it down and then write down alternative words and phrases.

This book is full of ideas for writers.  If you are a writer you may very well find this book helpful.

About Roy Peter Clark:

Roy Peter Clark, a Ph.D. in medieval literature, is Vice President and Senior Scholar of the world-renowned Poynter Institute. The author or editor of 14 professional books, he is founding director of the National Writer's Workshops, regional conferences that attract 5,000 writers annually. His 50 tools, published in abbreviated form on the Poynter Website (www.poynter.org), have already gained foothold worldwide. 

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

1-10 people who enter = one copy
11-12 people who enter= two copies
13 or more people who enter= three copies

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.)
+4 for filling out the  Tour Host Interest Form (please do this if you have a book blog and you are serious about wanting to be a tour host)
+ 5 if you have been a tour host for Premier Virtual Author Book Tours (please specify which tour)
+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 36 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 Friday, October 7th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.

Giveaway: Hustle by Jason Skipper

Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Summie, I'm giving away one copy of Hustle.

Book Description:

In this powerful debut novel, an alcoholic ex-con man grandfather, his restless, philandering seafood salesman son, and his hopeful musician grandson struggle to make up for their past and somehow set course for the future. In the past, the grandfather has hustled for money; now he's hustling for redemption. The son has hustled for women; now he's hustling for love of a different sort. His son, Chris, is hustling to be a famous musician with enough money to solve his family's unsolvable problems. Chris's coming-of-age story explores the ways people struggle to fulfill their wants and desires-and what they are willing to sacrifice to feel free.

About Jason Skipper:

Jason Skipper studied in the Master’s program at Miami University and in the PhD in Creative Writing program at Western Michigan University, where he was fiction editor of Third Coast. His stories have appeared in numerous literary journals, including Hotel Amerika and Mid-American Review, and have won awards and recognition from Zoetrope: All-Story, Glimmer Train, and Crab Orchard Review. In addition, he is the recipient of grants from Artist Trust and the Vermont Studio Center. He teaches creative writing and literature at Pacific Lutheran University and now lives in Tacoma, Washington.

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.)
+4 for filling out the  Tour Host Interest Form (please do this if you have a book blog and you are serious about wanting to be a tour host)
+ 5 if you have been a tour host for Premier Virtual Author Book Tours (please specify which tour)
+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 36 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 Friday, October 7th, 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. The winners will be notified by email. Winners must respond within TWO days or will be disqualified.



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