12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 12 Reese's Trees

Today's prize is also one that's handmade.  And it's got a bit of a story behind it too.  One of the things I love about Christmas is Reese's.  I love them, and I always get some in my stocking at Christmas.  This year for my coworkers, I found instructions on how to make little trees out of Reese's candy.  They turned out pretty cute:

So to the winner of today's prize, you will get a pair of handmade Reese's trees.  What's better than chocolate a Christmas, right?  :)

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US only (sorry, since it's food!)  

Good luck to all who enter!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 11 Christmas Bookmarks

Today's prize is a little bit different.  One of my favorite things to do during Christmas is to hand make some of my presents.  Not everything of course (DVDs are kind of hard to manufacture at home :)   But a small gift every once in awhile packs a big punch and always comes from the heart.

So today's prize is a handmade gift to you.  It's a handmade green cloth bookmark with the word "NOEL" stitched on it.  You can choose from either Gold or Silver stitching.  Unfortunately, my camera decided to act up when I was trying to take pictures to post, so you'll have to imagine how it looks.  Although, I posted pictures of a similar "work in progress" a couple years back, which you can see on this post.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.

Good luck to all who enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 10 Holly Claus

With today's prize we've come to the end of our "santa streak".  I'm very excited about this one.  It's a gently used copy of one of my favorite Christmas picture books, Holly Claus: The Christmas Princess by Brittany Ryan.  I love my copy of this book, so I wasn't about to give it away, which is why I was so excited to find another copy so I can share it with a reader who will love it.

I reviewed this book a few years ago, so if you'd like to see my review of it, click here.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.

Good luck to all who enter!

About the Book:
"When young Christopher writes a letter to Santa Claus, he poses a question no one has ever thought to ask before: "Dear Santa Claus, What do you wish for Christmas?"

Miraculously, Santa's longtime wish comes true, and a baby girl is born--Princess Holly Claus. But just as the Land of Forever joyously celebrates her arrival, far away an evil is unleashed. A curse is placed on Holly, freezing her heart in ice so her future will be bound by a world of darkness. And with the Gates of Forever now locked, Santa can no longer spread the magic of Christmas to children everywhere. As soon as Holly finds a way to make a daring escape, she begins an astounding journey to the Empire City, determined to free herself and, once and for all, bring back Christmas.

This extraordinary and beautifully illustrated adventure is an everlasting gift of Christmas enchantment."

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 9 Love Santa

Today's contest continues along with the santa theme for prizes.  We all know Christmas is more about giving presents than getting presents.  There's been several years where our family has participated in a "giving tree" where you can go and buy presents for a less fortunate family or a girl or boy who isn't expecting to get anything for Christmas.  It's a wonderful experience.  Today's prize, an ARC copy of Love, Santa: A Different Kind of Christmas Story by Sharon Glassman is about that kind of experience.  This is a really cute Christmas book that is sure to make you go "aww...."  And it's short too!

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.

Good luck to all who enter!

About the Book:
"In this lighthearted book filled with hip illustrations and children's actual letters to Santa, Glassman shows readers how to become an "undercover Santa" by becoming involved with the U.S. Post Office's Operation Santa Claus."

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 8 How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas

Well, the next few prizes are going to have a "santa" theme it seems.  Today's a gently used copy of How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas by Jeff Guinn.  This sort of a sequel to Guinn's first book, The Autobiography of Santa Claus (which I loved).  But it can stand on its own too.  The thing that's really cool about both books is that they can be used as sort of an advent calendar as you wait for Christmas to arrive.  There's 24 chapters, so if you read 1 chapter a night (they're short) then you'll be finished by Christmas Eve.

This copy was generously donated by one of the blog readers.  Thanks Jennifer!

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.

Good luck to all who enter!

About the Book:
"In How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas, Jeff Guinn combines solid historical fact with glorious legend to deliver another heartwarming holiday book for the whole family.

It's 1620 and Mrs. Claus's dear husband is off in the New World planting the seeds of what will become a glorious Christmas tradition. Meanwhile, Mrs. Claus has chosen to stay in England, where the first signs of a dangerous threat to Yuletide cheer are in evidence. The Puritans have gained control of Parliament and appear determined to take all the fun out of Christmas. But Mrs. Claus knows that it's time for serious action when, in 1647, a law is passed by Parliament that actually punishes anyone who celebrates Christmas. Using as its springboard the actual events of a day in 1647 when ten thousand peasants marched through the streets of Canterbury demanding their right to celebrate a beloved holiday, How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas is rich in historical detail, adventure, and plain ol' Christmas fun."

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 7 Celebrating the Spirit

Well, we're halfway through the contests for this year.  I hope you're enjoying them so far.  :)

Today's prize switches back to the true meaning of Christmas for a bit.  It's a darling gift book called Celebrating the Spirit of Christmas will darling illustrations by Tim Coffey. This book may be little, but it's full of all sorts of fun stories, traditions, songs, etc. about the holiday season. I just love the style of the nativity on the cover.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!). Open to US and Canada only.

Good luck to all who enter!

About the Book:
"Charming nativity scenes, roly-poly penguins, and humorous reindeer reflect the wonder of Christmastime. Traditional holiday hues decorate this gift-worthy collection of literary quotes, joyful sentiments, Scriptures, and delicious recipes, ushering in the season with joy and cheer.

This combination of whimsical images and inspirational content will be the hit of the year as an ideal hostess gift, family reader, and centerpiece for all who adorn their heart and home with the true spirit of Christmas."

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 6 Christmas in My Heart

As I've said earlier this month, I love reading Christmas stories.  So the anthologies that pop up a lot around this subject are totally right up my alley.  That's why I love the Christmas in My Heart books.  There's always a lot of good, warm fuzzies type stories in there.  Today's prize is the first book in the collection, which is called Christmas in My Heart by Joe Wheeler.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!).  Open to US and Canada only.

Good luck to all who enter!

About the Book:
"The riches of master storytellers such as Pearl S. Buck, Madelein L'Engle, O. Henry, and Taylor Caldwell are combined with stirring tales by unknown authors and fascinating folktales to form a priceless treasury of holiday classics. Destined to become part of every family's celebrations, this precious treasury of Christmas stories is a gift from the heart. 20 woodcuts throughout."

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 5 The Shepherd The Angel The Dog

Here's a Christmas story that's perfect for this time of year: The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry.  I read this one last year and absolutely LOVED it.  It's very good.  If you've read a Dave Barry book before, you'll know he's very funny.  Well, I hadn't read one before, so this is a good one to start with I think (because I did :)

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!).  Open to US and Canada only.

Good luck to all who enter!

About the Book:
"In this hilarious (USA Today) national bestseller, Pulitzer Prize winning humorist Dave Barry pens one of the warmest, most delightful Christmas stories ever.

The year is 1960, and the Christmas pageant at St. John's Episcopal Church is a very big deal. Doug Barnes is a shepherd this year, which is better than being a Three King, because you get to carry a stick. There are problems, however. The girl he likes is playing Mary opposite a Joseph who is depressingly smart, athletic, and cute; the family dog is doing poorly, and they have no idea what they're going to tell Doug's little sister, Becky; and his dad's just gotten a flat tire, which means they might not even get to the pageant. But Christmas is a time of miracles. And for Doug and his family, this will be the most miraculous Christmas of all.

A Very Barry Christmas should prove a holiday favorite for years to come!" (Kirkus Reviews)"
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 4 The Penguin Who Wanted to be Different

I'll admit it, my other guilty pleasure besides tween lit is picture books.  But only if they have cute illustrations. Which makes Christmas picture books great, because many of them do have really great illustrations.

Today's prize is one of those books.  A gently used copy of The Penguin Who Wanted To Be Different: A Christmas Wish by Maria O'Neill.  It's a cute book, it's about penguins, and it's about Christmas and Santa.  What's not to like?

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!).  Open to US and Canada only.

Good luck to all who enter!

About the Book (summary's not much to go on though...):
"Dorothy Penguin, disturbed that all penguins look alike, asks Santa to grant her wish to be just a little bit different." 


(told you)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 3 Confessions of a Bitter Secret Santa

So I'll be the first to admit, tween books are my guilty pleasure these days.  And although there's a lot of chick-lit type series around for that 9-12 age group, most of them aren't exactly "quality literature".  But they sure are fun.  So today's prize is a Christmas themed offering from a very fun looking series (hey, it's pink! You know me, can't resist the pink...)  It's a gently used copy of Confessions of a Bitter Secret Santa by Lara Bergen from the Candy Apple series.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!).  Open to US and Canada only.

Good luck to those who enter!

About the Book:
"Christmas . . . bah humbug!

Noel thought Christmas couldn't get any worse. First her parents announce that she wouldn't be taking a cool vacation. Then the teacher announces a class secret Santa drawing - and who does Noel get? A stuck-up new girl she barely knows! And who does her BFF get? Noel's secret crush! Can it get any worse? Yes it can! Because Noel's own secret Santa is the lamest one ever! Now Noel's got visions of Scrooge not sugar plums in her head. . .But Christmas is a time for surprises . . . especially for one bitter, secret Santa."

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-a-Day: Day 2 Joy to the World

One of my favorite things to do is to sit down this time of year and share Christmas stories with my family.  So today's prize is a gently used copy of Joy to the World: A Family Christmas Treasury.  This is definitely a book you can't judge by it's cover.  The stuffy medieval thing it's got going doesn't really work very well.  But inside are some great stories, recipes, and songs all perfect for Christmas.  What else can I say?

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (sometimes it takes a bit to load!).  Open to US only for this one (it's a heavy book).

Good luck to those who enter!

About the Book: 
"CHRISTMAS "A spiritual time. A time for family warmth and closeness. A time for reflection, sharing, and celebration."

"Joy to the World" A Family Christmas Treasury, compiled by Ann Keay Beneduce, with sumptuous and inspiring artwork by the incomparable Gennady Spirin, evokes all the moods of this important and widely celebrated holiday.

Organized around the familiar symbols of Christmas -- the star, the manger, the gift givers, and the tree -- and with a final section focusing on Christmas all around the world, there is something here for every member of the family. Each section begins with a fascinating introduction about the symbol itself, followed by biblical passages, carols, poems, stories, and brief plays, by authors as varied as Beatrix Potter, Langston Hughes, Christina Rossetti, Clement C. Moore, and Truman Capote. The selections -- some familiar, some less well known -- touch on both the spiritual and the secular aspects of Christmas, all woven together with Gennady Spirin's delicate borders and resplendent illustrations. Here is a treasury that will be savored year after year, a rich collection to be shared with little ones, read on its own by older readers, and placed on the piano while everyone gathers to sing "The First Noel," "Silent Night," and "Joy to the World."


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Verry Merry eShort Week

It seems there's a rise of eShorts popping up in the world of YA lately. You know what I'm talking about, those short stories/prequels/companion stories that accompany some of the hottest YA and MG books, but are only available in electronic book format. Well Egmont USA is celebrating these types of books this week with what they're calling the Very Merry eShort Week (you can read more about it on their Facebook page).

Anyway, those of you who've read this blog awhile know that I'm particularly partial to princess stories of all types. So I was super excited to find out that one of the eShorts being released as part of this promotion is a prequel to the book The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal. It's called "A Royal Birthday":

About the Book:
"This e-short prequel to The False Princess will appeal to fans of Shannon Hale and Tamora Pierce, giving them a new author to love and a new fantasy world to enter, a world filled with wizardry, mystery, and just the right touch of romance.

This prequel introduces the court of Thorvaldor, Nalia, its princess, who has reached the magical age of sixteen, and her best friend, Kiernan, the earl's son who loves her but feels he is too far below her in rank to dream of making a match with her."

Sounds very exciting! I, for one, need to get my hands on a copy. If you're a False Princess fan, then you can pick up your copy of this new eShort here. And if you haven't read The False Princess yet, check out the first day of our Giveaway-A-Day for a chance to win a copy in a publisher sponsored contest. :)

Rules for the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-A-Day 2013

Welcome to everyone's favorite part of
A Shady Glade Christmas...the contests!

The 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway-A-Day features a new contest between now and just before Christmas. I’ve got some great stuff planned to give away this year! This year I’m switching to using Rafflecopter to run the contests. I’ve seen it used on a few other sites, and it seems to an easy way to go. The Google form method I used in the past was not always reliable. So since I’m still playing around with the Rafflecopter thing, we’re going to do the easy entry system this year. There will still be ways to earn extra entries, but no creative twists to enter. But there’s always next year…

So how do I enter? Each day, a new giveaway post will be posted on the blog. Each giveaway post will feature a Rafflecopter widget for that day’s giveaway. Simply follow the instructions to enter your name for the contest, and to earn extra chances to win!

Who can enter?
There are only two requirements: you must be a US or Canada resident (sorry international friends!), and you must have a valid email address to enter. Once winners are chosen, you will be asked to provide your mailing address.

Are there extra entries?
Yes! You can earn extra entries on each day’s Rafflecopter post. Details may change from day to day, but in general you can gain extra entries by posting comments, following the blog, and posting links/sharing the contest.

I think that pretty much covers everything. Look for the first contest to be posted tomorrow!

As always, let me know if you have any questions. I will update/expand this post as needed.

Good luck!

Book Battle: The Great Linking Weekend Giveaway

The close of nominations for the 2012 YA Bloggers Fairy Tale Book Battle is approaching soon, and we still need a few more volunteers and nominations for the battle this year. So to encourage those of you who haven’t participated yet, I’ve created:

The Great Linking Weekend Giveaway!

Want to win a book from your wish list? Of course you do!  Because we can always use more books. :)  I will be giving away this as a prize* to 2 very lucky winners.

It’s very easy to enter:

First, you need to nominate a book and/or sign up as a volunteer judge part of the battle. If you’ve already done either step, you’ve already qualified.

 Then, you need to come back to this post (the giveaway post) and leave me a comment with this information:

• Your email address (or another way to contact you)
• What you did (nominated a book or signed up the judge or both)
• Where you heard about the battle (who referred you)

Make sure you include ALL of that information in your comment. Incomplete entries will be deleted and you’ll have enter again. If you don’t want to/can’t comment, please send your entry to me via email to shadyglade(AT)mail(DOT)com (yes that’s just “mail” not gmail, ymail, hotmail, etc.).

 One lucky commenter will win a book of their choice! So where’s the other prize come from? Well, there’s another part to the contest. So if you want to double your chances, here’s what you need to do.

The idea behind this contest is to spread the word through links. So first you will need to blog, tweet, facebook, link, email, etc about the contest. You can also grab the button in the right sidebar (over there ------>) and post it on your blog/website/whatever. If you choose to link, make sure you to this contest post directly.

 That’s all you have to do to double your chances! When others follow your link and enter the contest, you will automatically be entered one time for the second prize (they will have to give your name as the referral). The person who refers the most people to the contest will win the second part. So the more you link, the greater your chances are. ;)

 Depending on how many entries we get, I may toss in a few other random winners as well. I have a stack of fairy tale themed books that I’m planning to give out at some point during the battle, so why not now? If anyone has any questions, please ask. This contest will run until Monday, May 14th. Extended until May 16th!

 Let the linking frenzy begin!

 *Winners will win a book of my choice from their wish list valued at $15 or under. Book may be gently used or new.

Happy Haul-idays from Chronicle Books 2011

Remember last year when I entered Chronicle Books' Happy Haul-idays contest? Well, I didn't win, but it was fun to do so I'm super glad I had a chance to do it again this year. Actually, I made up my list weeks and weeks ago, but it slipped my mind until today that I never did my post. I squeaked in just in time, since the deadline is today.

For those who didn't see me particpate last year, here's the general idea. To enter, create a list of Chronicle titles you would like to win valued at up to $500. One random blog post will be chosen to win.

But wait! You can win too! One random commentor on the winning blog post will also win books. So, you can win too by commenting on this post (*hint hint*).

This year they've added another new feature. They're also giving away $500 of books to the winning blogger's charity of choice. My choice would be our local Friends of the Library branch. I'm a big supporter of libraries, and our county's system has been hit really hard with budget cuts. More and more on upcoming books I see the words "Order cancelled" instead of "Order pending for XXX branch". I think they could really use some new books for circulation.

But anyway, enough about that. Here's my list for this year. You might notice a few repeats from last year, but there's lots of new stuff too. It's filled with Disney books for me, Star Wars stuff for my brother, cookbooks for my mom and a few things for my Dad. Because I can't stand to not share my goodwill (in the very rare chance I do win) with my family too. :)

The Book of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks: A Celebration of Creative Punctuation
By Bethany Keeley

The Art of Tangled
By Jeff Kurtti, John Lasseter, Nathan Greno, Byron Howard

The Art of The Princess and the Frog
By Jeff Kurtti, John Lasseter, John Musker, Ron Clements

Obsessed With Star Wars
By Benjamin Harper

See's Famous Old Time Candies: A Sweet Story
By Margaret Moos Pick

Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes
By Alisa Huntsman, Peter Wynne, Tina Rupp

Eric Carle's Dream Snow Pop-Up Advent Calendar
By Eric Carle

Setting the Scene: The Art and Evolution of Animation Layout
By Fraser MacLean Foreword by Pete Docter

To Infinity and Beyond!: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios
By Karen Paik,Based on Interviews and Research by Leslie Iwerks,Foreword by John Lasseter,and Ed Catmull,and Steve Jobs

Milk & Cookies: 89 Heirloom Recipes from New York's & Cookies Bakery
By Tina Casaceli, Foreword by Jacques Torres

The Star Wars Poster Book
By Stephen J. Sansweet, and Peter Vilmur

Pinhole Cameras: A DIY Guide
By Chris Keeney

Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts: Secrets and Recipes for the Home Baker
By Mark and Michael Klebeck with Jess Thomson

Cake Simple: Recipes for Bundt-Style Cakes from Classic Dark Chocolate to Luscious Lemon Basil
By Christie Matheson

F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers
By Richard Benson

Meow: I Love Cats
Featuring images by Rachael Hale McKenna, Catherine Ledner & Gandee Vasan

Cake Pops: 20 Notecards and Envelopes
By Bakerella

Grand total: $491.49

A Quick Contest Update

We're one week into the Great ARC Giveaway, with just under 3 weeks left to enter.

Right now we're sitting at about 70 entries shy of adding another winner to the pot.

So how do you boost those entries numbers? If you've already entered, wonderful. If you haven't entered, what are you waiting for? And don't forget you can still earn extra entries, whether or not you've entered already.

The easiest way to gain extra entries is to leave comments, but here's a reminder just in case you need it:
+1 For every comment made during the contest period
+3 For posting the Holiday Bookmark Swap button on your blog or website(it's in the right sidebar)
+5 For posting about the Holiday Bookmark Swap
+1 For linking the contest
+2 For posting about the contest

Good luck to everyone!

Winners, Winners, Winners

It's winning time! Yesterday was the last day to enter my blogversary contest, so today means it's time for winners. So without further ado, here we go:

Our international winner is: Wanda B

Our Bookmark Swap winner is: Nicole M., who wins a copy of The Season by Sarah MacLean

Winner of Bright Young Things preview and 4 items from the list: Haleyknitz

Winner of 3 items from the list: Rosie C

Winner of 2 items from the list: Ari

Winner of 1 item from the list: Valerie (lalibrarybug)

And since I got over 60 entries, I'm adding another suprise winner. So our bonus winner of 1 item from the list is: Ann (behapppppppy)

Congrats to everyone! Send me your mailing address to shadyglade(AT)mail(DOT)com within 72 hours to claim your prize. I'll be sending out books based on what you put on your entry form.

Blogoversary Bash Huge Giveaway

It's the moment you've been waiting for! The Shady Glade has been blogging for 4 years, and so it's time to celebrate with a huge giveaway. So I present to you The Blogoversary Bash Giveaway! There'll be 4 winners (one for each year) plus 2 bonus winners. So let's get started!

Rules

• You must fill out the form to enter. Any entries by email or commenting will not count.


• Contest is open from now until September 20th at midnight PDT.


• Winners will be chosen by a random number generator.


• You do not have to be a follower to enter, although it will gain you bonus entries.


• Winners will be responsible for contacting me within 72 hours with their mailing address or new winners will be chosen.


• Winners will be asked to choose their top 6 choices from the list and will be assigned in order of winning.

The more people who enter, the more prizes I add to the list, so help spread the word!


Winners

• 1 international winner will get to pick one book from the list below.
• 1 participant in my new Bookmark Swap will win The Seasonby Sarah MacLean, our runner up winner from the Debut Book Battle (or a book of their choice from the list below)
• Winner 1 will win a sneak peek (7 chapters) ARC of Bright Young Thingsby Anna Godbersen and will also choose 4 books from the list below
• Winner 2 will choose 3 books
• Winner 3 will choose 2 books
• Winner 4 will choose 1 book

So want to know what you're playing for? The list is below. And once you get a look at it, don't forget to fill out the form to the enter the contest.

Good luck to everyone!


PrizesAll books are new or gently used.
After Ever Afterby Jordan Sonnenblick (ARC)
Alphas by Lisi Harrison (ARC)
Avalon: Web of Magic Book 1: Circles in the Streamby Rachel Roberts (PB)
Boys without Namesby Kashmira Sheth (ARC)
Catwalk: Strike a Pose by Deborah Gregory (PB)
Cirque Du Freak 5: Trials of Death/Cirque Du Freak 6: The Vampire Prince2-in-1 Edition by Darren Shan (ARC)
Confessions of a Teenage Hollywood Starby Dyan Sheldon (PB)
Dancing With Ana by Nicole Barker (PB)
Dramaramaby E. Lockhart (HC)
Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger, Jessica Gruner, and Buzz Parker (ARC)
Frenemies #2: Faketasticby Alexa Young (PB)
Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance, and Cookeryby Susan Juby (ARC)
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (HC)
Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedownby Jarrett J. Krosoczka (PB)
My Name Is Jason. Mine Too.: Our Story. Our Way.by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin (PB)
Selloutby Ebony Joy Wilkins (ARC)
The Everafterby Amy Huntley (ARC)
The Once Upon a Time Map Book: Take a Tour of Six Enchanted Landsby B.G. Hennessy and Peter Joyce (PB)
The Vampire Is Just Not That Into Youby Vlad Mezrich (PB)
Tiger Moonby Antonia Michaelis (ARC)
What's Your Status? A Top 8 Novelby Katie Finn (ARC)

OR someone can pick a Beautiful Creatures T-shirt (size large)