Contest Monday Banners Due Tomorrow!

Everyone who wants to enter the Contest Monday Design-A-Banner contest, your entries are due by midnight tomorrow! Today is also your last day to enter the Wings contest.

Full details for the banner contest can be found at the original post, but the winner will get a free book of your choice from my very long list of prizes to give away! Every entry will get four free entries into the Contest Monday of your choice, even if you don't win. You can send up to 3 different designs for the contest.

Here is a list of the entries I have recieved so far. My email had a little hiccup, so anyone who submitted something make sure your name is here. If not, email your designs to me again.

Good luck to everyone! The entries have been fantastic so far! Everyone else, get ready to vote for your favorites.

Banners recieved from:
Deltay (3)
Karen K. (3)
Melanie F. (3)
The Bookworm (2)
Liyana (2)

If I'm missing anyone, resubmit your banners please!

A Disney Diversion

So if you've been around this blog long enough, you probably know I'm a Disney nut. And if not, well, now you know. I know this is a book blog, but I'm so super excited about this, I just have to share.

The trailer for the new movie The Princess and The Frog just came out:


I'm so excited for this movie, I can't stand it. If you'd like to read more of my thoughts on the trailer, you can catch them over at my Disney blog. (Ha! Some of you didn't know I had another blog, did you?) And poke around if you've never been there before. There's some interesting stuff I wrote from last summer.

Contest Monday: Win a Copy of Once Dead

I hope everyone had a fantastic Mother's Day. My mom sure got pampered. I slaved away all day in the kitchen. :-) But now that it's Monday, that means it's time to give away a free book! This week's prize is an ARC of Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison, due out on May 26th. So you can get it early!

About the Book (From the author's website): "Madison's prom was killer—literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper—yeah, that kind of reaper—intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.

Now she's stuck on Earth—dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.

With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe . . . ), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.

Well, if she believed in that stuff."

How to Enter: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post. Or, if you can't leave a comment, send an email to shadyglade (AT) mail (DOT) com with the subject line "Once Dead Contest" and include your name, your email address, and the correct subject line.

How to earn Extra Entries:

1. Post about the contest on your blog or website. Post a link in the comments, or email the link to me.
2. Become a follower of this Blog (post a comment to let me know).
3. Come up with and post your own Contest Monday (post a comment with the link).

Rules: The contest is open until Monday, May 18th, 2009. Everyone in the US and Canada is eligible, even if you've won a contest in the past. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. One free entry per person allowed. See above for instructions to earn extra contest entries. Questions? Post a comment or email and ask.

And don't forget the all the other things we got going on in the world of contests! The contest for Wings is open until Thursay (since I posted it late), and the winner will be announced this Friday. And this week is your last chance to enter theDesign a Contest Monday banner contest. And last, but certainly not least, there's a new poll over in the sidebar to vote on.

Good luck to everyone! I'll announce the contest winner of this book on Tuesday, May 19th. Look for an announcement on Friday for past week's winner.

Once Dead, Twice Shy will be released on May 26th, but you can pre-order your copy from Amazon.com right now:

Some Thoughts on Contests

So I've been kicking around a few ideas lately about contests. Would you like to see more of them? Here's some ideas:

1. Contest Monday- I think I'll be keeping this one. It's my normal contest staple.

2. Contest Roundups- Would you like to see lists of contests featured here? I know a lot of blogs (and I do mean a lot) feature lots and lots of constantly updated book contest lists. So I haven't really pointed out many of those contests myself. But would you like to see more of those lists.

And here's a few I've been considering adding:

3. Random Commenting Giveaway- Once a month I'd pick a random winner out of a someone who commented on the site.

4. A "books to buy" monthly contest- This is similar to what The Compulsive Reader currently does, or like the recent Willow contest. I'll have a list of books each month, and if you send proof you bought one you are entered for a prize for that month.

So what do you think? And here's another question while I've got your attention: Would you like to see prizes other than books? If so, comment with some examples (I'm not that creative...).

I'll even make it easy for you to weigh in. Check the right sidebar for a poll and vote. Choose as many as you'd like.

As always, questions, comments, ideas, concerns are welcome. Post a comment below!

A Change of Focus

So it probably sounds like I've been complaining a lot lately. I promise I'm not this negative all the time! It has been hard with the move, being sick, and my computer crash, and I notice a lot of my posts over the past two weeks have started with some sort of negative thought.

I'm going to try and change that today. Today, I will post about 5 things I'm grateful for, despite all the nasty and inconvenient things I've had lately. After all, life is always hard, but it's about how you look at it.

5 Things I'm Grateful For Right Now:

1. Family- My family is great. I don't think I could have done this without their help and support. In a time when everything (and I do mean everything) is changing in my life they are my one support.

2. Pets- My two cats to be specific. Nothing relieves a little bit of stress like a purring kitty curled up on the foot of your bed.

3. Books- Talk about escapist behavior! I don't have to focus on my own problems when I can read about someone else's. :-)

4. Internet- I probably depend too much on the internet. I'll be the first to admit that I'm wayyyyyyy to addicted to checking my email. But even though my internet is only working part of the time, at least I have it when it does work!

5. Good health- Despite a few sniffles here and there, and some allergy woes, I am in fairly good health. I don't have cancer or a tumor, and I'm doing much better than my brother, who has a broken toe.

See? I feel better already. So what are you thankful for this week?

Winner of Contest Monday: Generation Dead

Just as I think my life is settling down, my internet connection dies. Oh well. It's time to get back on track. So after two weeks of anticipation, it's time to pick a winner! So without further ado, congratulations to:

Genevieve

You're a winner! Email me with your mailing address and I'll get your copy of Generation Dead in the mail to you ASAP. Everyone else, don't forget to enter this week's Contest Monday for another chance to win. And for those of you who didn't win this time, you can order your own copy of Generation Dead from Amazon.com:

People's Choice Voting Open

Ack! I can't believe I forgot to post this! This is one of the horrible, horrible things that happens when you move. You forget all sorts of things, and lose all sorts of emails!

Now that nominations are closed, it's time to cast your votes for the People's Choice YA Book Blog Awards. Here's a little more about the words from Hey, Teenager of the Year, the award's founder:

"The People's Choice YA Book blog awards is about recognising all book bloggers for their effort, and showing our appreciation to bloggers we admire. Every book blogger makes a huge effort on their blogs, and I hope you are all giving yourselves a pat on the back. Once you're done with that, vote! Voting is open until May 15th."

So go vote! Yes you. Go now.

Contest Monday: Win a Copy of Wings

Whew! So we're in the new house and finally got the internet connected today. Ugh. I never want to move again...

But I digress. So here's this week's Contest Monday post, even though it's a day late. Sorry! But you'll have extra time to enter (details below). This week's prize is an ARC of Wings by Aprilynne Pike (just released today!).

About the Book (From the author's website): "Pike's Wings is the first of four books about a seemingly ordinary girl named Laurel who discovers she is a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon. When Laurel is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to each world. In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever."

How to Enter: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post. Or, if you can't leave a comment, send an email to shadyglade (AT) mail (DOT) com with the subject line "Wings Contest" and include your name, your email address, and the correct subject line.

How to earn Extra Entries:

1. Post about the contest on your blog or website. Post a link in the comments, or email the link to me.
2. Become a follower of this Blog (post a comment to let me know).
3. Come up with and post your own Contest Monday (post a comment with the link).

Rules: The contest is open until Thursday, May 14th, 2009. Everyone in the US and Canada is eligible, even if you've won a contest in the past. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. One free entry per person allowed. See above for instructions to earn extra contest entries. Questions? Post a comment or email and ask.

And don't forget the Design a Contest Monday banner contest. Entries are due by May 15th, so you've still got plenty of time to enter!

Good luck to everyone! I'll announce the contest winner on Friday, May 15th. Look for an announcement in two days to find out who won last week's contest.

Wings is also available for order from Amazon.com:

A Monday Update

I've tried hanging on to this blog like normal for as long as I could... but I don't think I can anymore. Come here, lemme tell you a secret. I'm moving right now! I have been for about a week. Despite the fact that I should be packing now, I've been trying to post something most days.

But I'm technically supposed to be out in three days. So things might be a little dead around here in the next few. Maybe not. I'm not sure yet. Depends a lot on when my internet gets disconnected.

Meanwhile, you now have another week to enter to win a copy of this week's Contest Monday prize. From my recent poll I gather you prefer to have a new contest every week, but I really do have to push this one back.

So wish me luck! My bed gets moved today...

Wow!

I got a large response from my post asking for help with a Contest Monday banner. I can't possibly pick just one, so we're going to turn this into a contest, and you get to help me!

So here's the low down. If you want to enter, email your design(s) for a Contest Monday banner to me at shadyglade AT mail DOT com. As soon as I get everyone's designs, I'll post them up on the website and we'll have a vote to pick one. The winner will get their banner displayed every Monday for the new Contest Monday posts, ending adoration from me, and pick their own free book from my very, very large stack of books I have lying around. Everyone who enters will get four extra entries into the Contest Monday post of their choice.

So here's a few rules:

1. If you've already emailed me, please comment again so I know you're still interested in participating. Some of my emails got eaten, and I want to be able to respond to you personally!
2. If you haven't emailed me, post a comment (or send an email) to let me know you want to participate. This contest is open to international participants too!
3. You can submit up to three different designs per person.
4. The only requirements are that the words "Contest Monday" must appear somewhere on the graphic. Any text beyond that is up to you!
5. The entry part of the contest is open from now to Friday, May 15. That should give you plenty of time to enter! Email me your designs by then to be eligible.

I think that covers everything. If you have questions, post 'em below. Thanks and good luck!

This is Why I Blog...

Well, one of the reasons anyway.

I got this fantastic email the other day. I hope they don't mind me sharing it with all of you. If you do mind, let me know (you know who you are).

"Hi Alyssa,
I wanted to thank you for the recommendations you post on your book blog. I purchased The Amaranth Enchantment and The King's Rose after you recommended them. I also purchased Princess Ben. My 15-year-old daughter read 2 out of 3 within 24 hours. She really enjoyed them and asked me to pre-order a Kiss in Time for her. Thanks for all the reading you do and the information you put out."

I can't express how extremely touched I am when I get notes like these. They make all the difference in the world. This happened to come when I was having a really bad day, and saying it cheered me up magnificently would be an understatement.

I love to read, and I hope that what I post here helps encourage that love in others. I jump for joy when I hear stories like these. So thank you, everyone who reads this blog. It is a labor of love, and I certainly don't think I could keep going without the support and comments I get from you every week.

Okay, I'm done being sappy now. You can get on with your day. :-)

I Need Help...

...From someone who's good at creating graphics. I'd like to do a Contest Monday banner, but when it comes to creating graphics, I'm not very talented.

So maybe one of you, dear readers, could help me out? Anyone who's interested in creating a Contest Monday banner for the blog, email me at shadyglade (AT) mail.com.

Not only will you get seemingly endless praise and recognition on this blog, but I'll also give you a prize of your choice from my LARGE stack of free books. If I get more than one entry, we'll make a contest out of it. If you have ideas for a graphic (but don't want to make one) go ahead and comment below. Even ideas are appreciated.

So here's my last desperate plea: HELP!

Waiting On Wednesday: 4.22.09

So I had an interesting post about Waiting on Wednesday last week that sparked some discussion. Essentially, I tried to explain why you've probably already heard of most of the books I feature. But I think this is one you might not have heard of. At least I haven't seen anyone do it yet!

Cathy's Ring by by Sean Stewart & Jordan Weisman

*SPOLIER WARNING* If you haven't read Cathy's Book, the following description may have a tiny spoiler in it. Your choice. Choose wisely...

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Cathy cannot manage to find more than a few days to relax in her hectic (and mortal) life—she barely has time to put the mystery surrounding her father to rest before she finds herself targeted by a group of Ancestor Lu’s professional killers!

Recognizing she is a serious threat to everyone in her life, Cathy makes plans to leave town. But her friends, Emma, Pete, Victor, and, surprisingly, Jun, unite to convince Cathy that they must finish Lu once and for all to have any chance at peace—mortal or immortal. In order to defeat Lu, the friends must come together in a way they never have before.

Meanwhile—unbeknownst to Cathy—Victor has made the ultimate sacrifice hoping it will bring him closer to a normal relationship with Cathy. But when Victor is seriously wounded and Cathy finds herself attracted to another mortal with similar feelings for her, Cathy’s world turns upside down and she is forced to make a decision about her future with Victor, while his life hangs by a thread. What will Cathy decide, and how will their epic battle with Lu play out? Find out in the newest adventure-packed installment of the Cathy story!"
*End Tiny Spoiler*

So I just finished Cathy's Key, which is the book that comes right before this one (yeah, yeah, I know it came out almost a year ago...). I really enjoy this series, though for the life of me I can't explain why. Either way, I'm looking forward to reading this one soon.

Cathy's Ring with be released on May 4th, and is currently available for pre-order from Amazon.com:

Winner of Contest Monday: Reality Check

After two weeks of anticipation, it's time to pick a winner! So without further ado, congratulations to:

Nora (wishonstars13)

You're a winner! Email me with your mailing address and I'll get your copy of Reality Check in the mail to you ASAP.

Everyone else, don't forget to enter this week's Contest Monday for a chance to win a brand new book, one that you voted for!

And for those of you who didn't win this time, you can pre-order your own copy of Reality Check from Amazon.com:

Contest Monday: Win a Copy of Generation Dead

Welcome to a very special edition of Contest Monday! Those of you who are regulars around here will remember the poll I posted asking you to choose the next Contest Monday prize. Well, the votes are in, and the winner has been chosen! This week's prize, with 27% percent of the vote, is a brand new hardback copy of Generation Dead by Daniel Waters.

About the Book (From Amazon.com): "Phoebe Kendall is just your typical Goth girl with a crush. He's strong and silent...and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. But when they come back to life, they are no longer the same. Feared and misunderstood, they are doing their best to blend into a society that doesn't want them.

The administration at Oakvale High attempts to be more welcoming of the "differently biotic." But the students don't want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn't breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the "living impaired" from the people who want them to disappear--for good.

When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids, no one can believe it; not her best friend, Margi, and especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has feelings for Phoebe that run much deeper than just friendship; he would do anything for her. But what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?"

Generation Dead is a 2008 Fantasy/Sci Fi Cybils nominee!

How to Enter: To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post. Or, if you can't leave a comment, send an email to shadyglade (AT) mail (DOT) com with the subject line "Generation Dead Contest" and include your name, your email address, and the correct subject line.

How to earn Extra Entries:

1. Post about the contest on your blog or website. Post a link in the comments, or email the link to me.
2. Become a follower of this Blog (post a comment to let me know).
3. Come up with and post your own Contest Monday (post a comment with the link).

Rules: The contest is open until Monday, April 27th, 2009 when the new contest will be posted. Everyone in the US and Canada is eligible, even if you've won a contest in the past. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. One free entry per person allowed. See above for instructions to earn extra contest entries. Questions? Post a comment or email and ask.

Good luck to everyone! I'll announce the contest winner on Tuesday, April 28th. Look for an announcement tomorrow to find out who won last week's contest.

One more thing. You may have noticed a new poll over in the sidebar (--->). I'm wondering if it would be better to extend all Contest Monday entries by two weeks, so more people have a chance to enter. So weigh in and let your voice be heard!

Generation Dead is also available for order from Amazon.com:

Vote for the People's Choice Blog Awards

This is what I love about having a book blog. Getting emails like the one I just got from Hey, Teenager of the Year about the new People's Choice YA Book Blog Awards. It's time to show some blog love!

Nominations are now open. Here's the quick rundown of the categories:

Best Interviewer: That blogger who asks authors all the tough questions
Best Reviewer: Whose reviews are almost better than the books?
Best Newcomer: A new, fabulous YA book blogger (Six months blogging or less).

The Golden Book Blog Award: This award is for the long-time blogger who deserves recognition for their commitment to making a star blog. The blogs that inspired you to start book blogging, the pioneers of YA book blog land. They know who they are.

Rules:
You can nominate for one category, or you can nominate for all four. You cannot nominate more than four times, and you can’t nominate yourself. You can nominate someone who has already been nominated, though.

Nominations are open until the end of April. If there are more than ten nominees in each category, the most popular will be up for the awards. From there, I’ll make up polls – this is a people’s choice award. Head over to the contest post to nominate your favorite blogs.

From the comments already, it looks like The Story Siren is the running for the Golden Book Blog Award. That would be such a cool award. So what are you waiting for? Get nominating!

Poll Almost Over!

You have 13 hours (as of this post) left to vote in the current poll in the sidebar (over there --->). This is your chance to choose your Contest Monday prize for tomorrow (April 20th) so let your voice be heard.

This is also your last chance to change your vote. Based on the current results, the top contendors are Generation Dead, Touch, Moonstone, and Eon: Dragoneye Reborn.

So who will it be? Find out here tomorrow!

How I Choose My Waiting on Wednesday Posts

While I was drafting my Waiting on Wednesday post yesterday, I started to think about the process which I go through to pick my Wednesday features. No idea if this will be of any interest to any of you, but it seems as though Thursdays are my rambling days. Haha. So the process goes something like this:

I spend wayyyyyy to much time on Amazon looking at upcoming releases. As soon as I hear about a book that interests me, it goes on my wish list. I organize them by release date, and when drafting my posts I simply choose the next one on the list.

Many of the posts you see here probably feature books you've heard about already. But Waiting on Wednesday posts are a way to help me keep track of the books on my wish list, which is why I feature them anyway. I also don't like doing posts too far in advance, because then I forget when the book comes out. Which is why you usually won't find books here more than one month before the release date.

One more note I thought mention. I tend to pick books that I don't have a copy of. There have been a few posts I've planned and then I received an ARC of the book in the mail. It's not that I don't want to feature these books anymore, but I figure they will get their spotlight in a review after I finish them.

Anyway, that's it for the rambling this week.

Waiting on Wednesday: 4.15.09

So I'm posting this a little late in the day, but I was trying to finish my taxes. Procrastinator, I know. But let's change the subject to something more fun: books! Today's post is about:

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Talia fell under a spell . . . . Jack broke the curse.
I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic. . . .
I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.
I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss.
I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.
Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!
Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels. . . . The good news: My parents will freak!
Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all—even time?"

Yeah, three reasons I want this now. 1. Retold fairytale, a given. 2. Sleeping Beauty is probably my favorite fairy tale. 3. Okay, I know I gush about covers a lot, but look at it! Isn't it pretty. I want that dress! And in all honesty, I've heard great things about Alix Flinn. I've been dying to get my hands on a copy of Beastly for ages. The storyline kind of reminds be of Enchantment by Orson Scott Card, which is another book you should check out.

A Kiss in Time will be released soon (April 28th) and is available for pre-order on Amazon.com:

More Contest Monday Love

In addition to my Contest Monday post, here's a few more "Contest Monday" entries you might be interested in.

Katie is giving away a SIGNED copy of The Shape of Water by Anne Spollen. Head over to her blog to enter soon, as it ends tomorrow (April 15th).

Kathleen Elizabeth is giving away a copy of Mira, Mirror. This one has been on my to-read pile for a while, but it looks REALLY good. Ends April 20th at noon.

So ahead and check those out. I think it would be fun to get a whole bunch of bloggers giving away stuff on Mondays. Books, bookmarks, cards, anything! Oh, and if you have ideas for things you'd like to see given away by me (other than books, since I've got plenty of ideas for that!) leave me a comment.

Here's to Contest Monday!