BEA'S BOOK NOOK "I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." C. S. Lewis “If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Showing posts with label blog hop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog hop. Show all posts

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Charity Sunday: Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative


Charity Sunday is a monthly blog hop founded by author Lisabet Sarai at her blog, Beyond Romance. The idea is to support a charity, or non-profit. For each comment other than mine on this post, over the next 30 days, I will donate $2 per comment (excluding my own) for a total of $50 to Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Red Hot Cajun Nights Blog Hop

CajunNights-bloghop

Red Hot Authors

Present

Red Hot Cajun Nights Blog Hop

February 1 - 7

This Mardi Gras Season, Let the Sinful Good Times Roll!

Let your imagination take you all the way to New Orleans for Carnival season as eight sexy romance authors, including one of my faves Jodi Redford, bring you eight fabulous $.99 books to warm your winter. 
~ website: http://redhotauthors.com/red-hot-cajun-nights/ 
~ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RedHotAuthors

Come check out our blog hop, with Grand Prizes of:
1) A Kindle
2) A box of paperback books
3) Swag from each author


Additionally, each author has more prizes to give away at their blog. Start here by hopping to each of their blogs and entering the Rafflecopter contest, then leave a comment on the blog for your chance to win that author’s prizes:

Desiree Holt at www.desiremeonly.com
Magen McMinimy at http://www.magenmcminimy.com/
Jodi Redford at http://jodiredford.blogspot.com
Randi Alexander at http://randialexander.com/blog-3/
Christin Lovell at www.christinlovell.com
Rene Folsom at www.renefolsom.com
Sable Hunter at http://sablehunter.com/
Shyla Colt at www.shylacoltsstraightshot.wordpress.com

Want to win even more prizes? They’re having a huge Mardi Gras Facebook Party on Tuesday, February 17. Click on the link then Join the party to hang out with them on Mardi Gras Day. There will be some sinfully awesome giveaways! https://www.facebook.com/events/1401340946828665/

Good luck, and be sure to come and read about their brand new Mardi Gras books as well as every book from each of their Red Hot holiday collections: http://redhotauthors.com/red-hot-cajun-nights/

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop!


It's the start of this year's Banned Book Week, an annual event sponsored by American Booksellers Association; American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression; the American Library Association; American Society of Journalists and Authors; Association of American Publishers; Comic Book Legal Defense Fund; the Freedom to Read Foundation; National Coalition Against Censorship; National Council of Teachers of English; National Association of College Stores; PEN American Center and and Project Censored. It is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

The idea is to call attention to the censorship, banning, and attempted banning that occurs every year in the US and to showcase the value in unfettered access to information. Books across the spectrum of fiction and non-fiction are challenged each year, including children's picture books. The reasons vary - religious beliefs, morals, disrespect to authority, language, etc. 

Friday, July 25, 2014

Meet & Greet Social Blogger Giveaway Hop

    Welcome! Get a drink, put your feet up, move the cat if need be (watch out, he's shedding), and get ready to learn a little more about myself and the Nook. Come Meet & Greet your favorite bloggers and find a few new ones to love too! Enter the Grand Prize Giveaway then hop around and visit all of the Social Bloggers and learn some fun facts about them! There will be individual giveaways at some of the blog so don't forget to stop by and say hi!

    There's a good variety of blogs participating so take notes, cuz there's a quiz at the end.

    Kidding, just kidding! No quiz. Although it was a tempting thought. :D

    Monday, May 12, 2014

    Children's Book Week Kid Lit Giveaway Hop



    Welcome to my stop on the Children's Book Week Kid Lit Giveaway Hop, hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews and Youth Literature Reviews. I'm a toddler and pre-school teacher, an avid reader, a children's advocate, a reviewer, and an editor. I believe in reading, love reading, and think everyone could enjoy it, if they had the right book or reading material.

    Thursday, March 20, 2014

    Blog Hop for Virna DePaul's TURNED

    http://www.romanceatrandom.com/sign-up-now-turned-blog-hop-320-41-details-here-free-books/

    If you like paranormal romance, this is the blog hop for you. Romance at Random is celebrating the release of  "Turned" by Virna DePaul with a big giveaway.

    Prizes (must be 18 or older with a US mailing address to participate):


  • 10 Preview copy winners of TURNED by Virna DePaul
  • 5 Preview Copy winners of WANTED by J Kenner
  • 2 Preview eBook copy winners of A Vampire’s Salvation by Virna DePaul
  • 2 Preview eBook copy winners of Arrested by Love by Virna DePaul
  • Grand Prize of $20 Gift Certificate to eRetailer of choice!!

  • Stop back on Saturday for a teaser from the book and another chance to win a copy of "Turned".

    Sunday, January 26, 2014

    Evernight Teen Anniversary Bash Blog Hop




    EVERNIGHT TEEN turns one this month and we’re helping them celebrate during their 1st Birthday Blog Hop!  It’s EVERNIGHT TEEN’s birthday, but you get the presents. Enter below for a chance to win a $100 iTunes gift card!

    EVERNIGHT TEEN books feature fresh teen fiction that’s raw, gritty and real. Whether paranormal, contemporary, sci-fi or suspense, EVERNIGHT TEEN stories are about real issues and pack a strong emotional punch. You’ll find cutting edge fiction that today’s young adults can relate to and will keep you turning the pages long into the night. Upper Young Adult titles, include…

    Saturday, January 4, 2014

    Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop

    clear your shelf january


    Welcome! It may be freezing winter here but I'm doing a bit of cleaning and giving away some books from my shelves.  Right before Christmas I donated a bunch of books to a local shelter but I still have a few gathering dust. There are two books, going to one winner. US only, sorry. This is a blog hop so at the end of the post you'll find a linky list of other particicipating blogs. There's a range of books being given away so be sure to visit some of the other blogs.

    The Books ~

    Click on the image to go to the book's goodreads page.

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12245809-dancing-on-broken-glasshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13114670-the-book-of-summers

    Thursday, December 12, 2013

    "Warm Your Heart" Christmas Blog Hop from Astraea Press


    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Astraea Press! We love this time of year and our catalog reflects it. We have lots of Christmas/holiday/winter books we'd love for you guys to check out.

    Is it the cooler weather? The fires in the fireplace? Family gatherings? Or our sweethearts under the mistletoe (yeah, I'm guessing mistletoe too ;) ) Whatever the cause, we want to celebrate Christmas and this holiday season with you. This is the third stop on a two week tour. Check out the rafflecopter for a chance to win a free Astraea Press Christmas book of YOUR choice (eep!). There is also a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!

    I want to thank Bea and all the other blogs who have offered to help. All of their facebook pages and/or twitter are on the rafflecopter. I hope you get a chance to visit them all.

    So... MERRY CHRISTMAS from Astraea Press and our authors. We love our readers! Thanks for a great year.

    ~Kelly from AP

    Disclaimer:  I am an employee of Astraea Press. I am not being compensated for putting up this post or participating in the blog hop. ~ Bea

    Thursday, October 24, 2013

    Halloween Hunt & Giveaway Hop



    Welcome to the Halloween Hunt and Giveaway Hop organized by Anna at Herding Cats and Burning Soup. Authors and bloggers have gotten together to offer some great prizes. We are going to make you work for it but  not too hard. From now until Halloween hop around and visit blogs, enter giveaways and collect the Halloween Hunt "words"! Hunt words will make up different Halloween quotes and earn extra entries in the grand prize giveaway! Happy hunting!

    The grand prize is the Kindle paperwhite plus an Amazon gift card. Enter using the widget below. Giveaway ends October 31st. Be sure to visit all the blogs and see what they're offering in addition to the grand prize.

    Tuesday, October 1, 2013

    It's Evernight Publishing's 3rd Birthday! Blog Hop, Giveaways, & Excerpt from "One Last Shot"!




    Celebrate like a ROCK STAR because Evernight Publishing is THREE!
    In three short years, Evernight has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to readers like you! Evernight is pulling out all the stops and throwing an extreme BIRTHDAY BASH BLOG HOP in your honor!
    That’s right! It’s Evernight’s birthday but YOU get the presents…
    Prizes include:
    Samsung Galaxy Tab
    Kindle Paperwhite
    Kobo Touch
    $100 Evernight and Amazon Gift Certificates
    Mega Evernight Swag Pack
    Plus, each author on the hop will offer his/her own special prize!
    I’m excited to share a taste of Evernight with you! 

    Monday, August 20, 2012

    Blog Hop Discussion: What Do You Look For You In A Review?

    Nat at Reading Romances is hosting another discussion blog hop, this time around the topic of reviews. All of the participants will discuss what they look for in a review: Whether you're writing or reading one, there are certain things you always look for. What are those? What do you think are the most important elements you think the reviewer should include? What would you like see more? Less? What is the role of a review? How important is it? 

    review

    So, what do I as a reader look for? There are 4 basic types of information that I want:

    1. Is the story well written? For instance, are there plot holes, inconsistencies, grammatical issues, are the characters believable? Is the plot banal but the writer has a gift for language or story telling? Does it hold your interest or does it start off slowly then grab you? Is there an excess of details? A dearth of details? Is it original? A well done take on a old theme?
    2. A brief recap or synopsis of the story. However, the recap should not be the bulk of the review. I have no use for reviews that are 90% recap and 10% review. Use examples from the story to illustrate points or show off the author's writing, sure, that's excellent. But if your "review" is mostly story recap, I won't be back.
    3. What worked and didn't work for the reviewer and why? What did they love? What did they hate? It may be that what worked for the reviewer pushes one of my buttons and vice versa.
    4. And, because it's one on my pet peeves, how well done is the copy editing and proof reading? If it's done well, with no problems or only minor ones, then I don't expect to see it mentioned in the review. But it constantly amazes me when I read a book with huge editing and proof reading issues yet when I look at reviews, there's no mention. I've read books where I have had to untangle and rewrite sentences, or whole paragraphs, to make sense of them and yet, there is NO MENTION in the review. I am not your beta reader nor should I have to untangle your mangled spelling and grammar to understand a sentence. As you can see, I get very cranky. There's a reason I work as a copy editor. :D

    Those are the main things I look for. I also enjoy some humor in a review, even some mild snark, but no meanness and no attacks on the author. I also like to know why a reviewer chose a book but it's not essential. One of my personal criteria for a good book, at least the genre ones, is whether or not I'd read it again. However, not everyone enjoys re-reading so while I like to see a reviewer mention if they'd re-read it, I don't need it. Also, I don't want spoilers; unless, it's a book I probably won't read, then I don't care. In general though, I avoid blogs if their reviews typically contain spoilers. I don't do spoilers usually in my own reviews; when I do, it's to illustrate a point, or it may be a book in a series and discussing it would spoil an earlier book. In those cases, I'll post a spoiler warning so readers can decide to continue reading or skip that review.

    Now the role of a review. Well, at it's most basic it's a critique of the book; the writing, the story, etc. But reviews are no longer limited to print sources such as newspapers and magazines. These days, we have blogs, goodreads, twitter, facebook, tumblr, etc. They are more casual and have immediate impact. To an extent, these have both replaced and complemented the traditional personal recommendations that we used to get from friends and family. Now, we have extended our circle of friends to include all these online resources. So, some reviews are "I really liked this. The story is fun and character X is hawt." while others are more critical and some read like traditional print "serious" reviews. So, a review is an opinion as well as a critique. If four bloggers/reviewers whose opinions I trust tell me to stay away from a book, don't waste my time; I'm going to listen and pass on that book. I may share that info with others who ask me about that book. Because these opinions and critiques are online, they have the potential to reach thousands of readers and they remain available for as long as that blog or site is online. That affects the buzz around a book, and even the sales. So, a review can share information about a book, praise a book, trash a book, sell a book or steer away a potential buyer. It's a recommendation, a critique, a sharing of information, a sales tool. It's a way for a reader to learn about a book, to gather information and decide if they want to invest their time, money or both in reading it.

    How about you? What do you look for? What are your must-haves and what are the things you'd like to see but don't require? What do you think is the role of reviews?






    Saturday, September 24, 2011

    Banned Book Week Giveaway Blog Hop


    This hop was organized by Kathy from  I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Jen from I Read Banned Books.

    Every year, the American Library Association, in conjunction with other organizations, sponsors Banned Book Week, a week for highlighting books that have been banned or challenged and encouraging discussion about banning and censorship. For more info, see this post.

    Over 200 participating blogs are offering a banned book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. (See links at bottom of post.) The hop runs from Saturday, September 24th through Saturday, October 1st.

    As part of the hop and in celebration of Banned Books Week, I have organized a series of guest posts and a couple of guest reviews of banned books by various authors. Additionally, many have generously donated books or gift cards. Please take a minute to stop by their sites or send them an email and thank them for participating this week. Of course, you can also buy their books. :P

    Giveaway Details:

    To enter the giveaways please 1) follow this blog, then 2) comment below. One comment will enter you in all of the giveaways for which you are eligible. Please note that some giveaways are international and some are limited to the US or Canada. All of the gift card giveaways are international. Please note in your comment what country you live in so I know which giveaways to enter you in, AND leave a way for me to contact you if you win.

    ETA: Please DO NOT USE Kontactr to enter. You need to comment on the post. You should only use Kontactr if you do not want your contact info posted publicly. ALL other entry info MUST be in your post comment. I have many people who have incorrectly entered via Kontactr and whose entries will not count.

    Each giveaway has one winner unless otherwise specified.

    The Last Day to Enter is 10/1/11, 11:59PM EST.

    See my Giveaway Policy

    Optional Extra Entries:

    +1 Be or become my friend on Goodreads.  (if you'd rather, you can just follow my reviews, it will still count)
    +1 Follow on Twitter
    +1 Have a confirmed email subscription

    If you choose to do any of the optional extra entries, please note them in your comment and include a link to your profile. You only need to comment ONCE - put all of your entry info in your comment. Thanks :)
    **********************************************************************************

    Giveaway #1 International

    From the blog, one winner can choose any one of the banned books listed below and I will order it from The Book Depository. As long as you live in a country that they ship to, you can enter this giveaway. 

    1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Hard to read but gripping)
    2. Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (I like this series)
    3. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
    4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (I love this series)
    5. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (one of my all time favorite books)
    6. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George 
    7. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
    8. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
    9.  Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
    10. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

    Giveaway #2 US & CA

    Paranormal Author Kelley Armstrong, author of "Women of the Otherworld" and "The Darkest Powers", has generously donated 5 books from the ALA's 2010 "most frequently challenged" list. There will be one winner for each book, so five winners total. This one is open to US residents only.

    1. The Absolutely True Story of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, paperback 
    2. Twilight: The Twilight Saga Book 1 by Stephenie Meyer, mass market paperback 
    3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, paperback
    4. Lush by Natasha Friend, paperback
    5. Crank by Ellen Hopkins, hardcover

    Giveaway #3 International

    PNR & UF author, Keri Arthur, is kindly donating an Amazon gift card in the amount of $20 US, 20 UK or 20 Aust. (winners choice)  :)


    Giveaway #4 International

    Erotic romance author Morgan Ashbury has generously donated a $30 gift card to Amazon. 


    Giveaway #5 International

    YA authors Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman, are donating a $25US Amazon gift card. 


    Giveaway #6 US

    PNR Author Yasmine Galenorn is donating a copy of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

    Giveaway #7 International

    Speculative Fiction author Laura Anne Gilman is donating a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card.


    Giveaway #8 International 

    UF author Nicole Peeler is donating a banned book of the winner's choice, up to $15US, shipped from Amazon.                    

    Giveaway #9 US & CA 

    Urban Fantasty author Linda Poitevin, whose debut novel Sins of the Angels, releases on the 27th, is donating "And Tango Makes Three". 



    Giveaway #10 International 

    PNR author D.B. Reynolds is donating a banned or challenged book - winner's choice, shipped directly from Amazon.  


    Giveaway #11 US



    Giveaway #12 International

    Mystery and YA author Kari Lee Townsend is donating a $25US Amazon gift card.




    Tuesday, August 23, 2011

    I'm Getting Excited About Banned Books Week.



    Banned Book Week is a month away and I've been busy planning events for the week long celebration. The 8 day celebration and blog hop are going to be busy days here. I've lined up guest posts by authors and bloggers, there are a couple of reviews of banned or challenged books, and giveaways! The giveaways are a mix of book and gift cards; some are US only and others are international.

    I've been pestering asking authors and publicists to participate and have gotten a very good response. Only one author so far has turned me down, I'm waiting to hear back from a few people and the following people have generously agreed to donate their time, banned or challenged books, or gift cards. In no particular order, participants currently confirmed are:

    Authors

    Kelley Armstrong
    Angela Addams
    D.B. Reynolds
    J.A. Campbell
    Morgan Ashbury
    Nicole Peeler
    Laura Anne Gilman
    Kari Lee Townsend
    Charlotte Bennardo
    Keri Arthur
    Mike Mullin
    Linda Poitevin
    Krista D Ball
    Chris Redding

    Bloggers

    Drosdelnoch from The Falcata Times
    Ceilidh from Book Lantern

    Don't forget that you can get out and do your part too - attend meetings when a book is challenged at your local school or library, help organize or run a local event in honor of our right to choose our own reading material, donate time or money to organizations that support literacy and reading. Get involved, and don't forget to read!


    Thursday, July 28, 2011

    Banned Book Week 2011 - What Are YOU Doing To Celebrate?




    Last year, I did a week long giveaway and several posts for Banned Book Week, a week here in the US that celebrates and honors books that have been banned somewhere in the US at one time or another, or that someone has tried to ban. I don't believe in banning a book (or movie or cd, etc). I think an individual should gather as much information as they can about that item and then make an informed decision. If they choose not to read it, fine. If they choose not to let their child read it or to read it with them, fine. But do not take away another person's right to make those same choices and decisions.This year, Banned Book Week is from September 24th to October 1st.

    Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, the American American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Library Association(ALA), the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Association of College Stores. The Library of Congress Center for the Book endorses it.

    I'll be advocating for banned books again this year, but this year there is an organized blog hop relating to Banned Book Week and I happily signed up to participate. Details will come later, but there will be a giveaway of some sort, involving one or more banned books OR a gift card to a book vendor, either Amazon or The Book Depository. I haven't decided yet, but it will be smaller than my event last year.

    What can you do? Well, you can also participate in the book blog hop, co-hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and I Read Banned Books. You can work with your local libraries, book stores and schools to set up an event, help publicize both Banned Book Week and any and all local events relating to it, donate a copy of a banned book to your library or school, etc. There are many ways to participate. One way, though, is to video yourself reading from a banned book. Publisher's Weekly Daily had an article about this and I think I may do it.

    From the PW Daily article -

    For Banned Books Week (Sept. 24-Oct. 1) this year, booksellers and their customers can proclaim their support for free speech on the Internet by joining a worldwide read-out of banned and challenged books. For many years, Banned Books Week has featured readings from challenged titles in bookstores and libraries. This year people can participate no matter where they are–in bookstores, libraries and their own homes–by posting a video of themselves reading their favorite banned book on a special YouTube channel.

    Readers can select any banned or challenged book, and excerpts can be up to two minutes in length. Alternatively, people who have worked to defend banned or challenged titles can describe their battles in videos of up to three minutes in length. Booksellers will send the videos to the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), which will edit them, add the names and logos of the bookstores where the filming occurred and then post them on YouTube. The videos will also be tagged to make it easy for bookstores to feature them on their websites, blogs, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts.
    For further information, e-mail info@abffe.org.
     So spread the word and come back during Banned Book Week to talk about what you are doing for BBW and see what I will be giving away.