Books: The Cheapest Vacation You Can Buy











I am a hoarder of sorts.  A collector, if you will…  of signed books and swag.  I love them, and I love to share them with my beloved readers… so over the past few months, I’ve been collecting (or hoarding) books and swag that I’ve picked up at various conferences… most of which is from UtopYA 2014 (because, let’s face it, that was the most epic conference ever and I can’t wait for UtopYA 2015)!

And today seems like a fine day to run an epic giveaway.  Yes?

Here’s a detailed list of everything you can win:

What you’ll win:

Epic Giveaway

  • Signed paperback of Take Me To Your Reader by Tammy Blackwell, Amy A. Bartol, Amanda Havard, Sarah Ross, Tiffany King, Raine Thomas, Heather Hildenbrand, and C.A. Kunz (signed by all the authors)
  • Signed paperback of The Light Tamer by Devyn Dawson
  • Signed paperback of Blood Debt by Nancy Straight
  • Signed paperback of The One by Heather Self
  • Signed paperback of Soul Survivor by Michelle N. Files
  • Signed paperback of Spirits and Spells by Hollie Westring
  • Signed Tote Bag–Amy Evans
  • Wildflower Seed Packet signed by Elizabeth Sharp
  • Temporary Tattoos: Alien and Spade
  • Tissues from Michelle N. Files
  • Cell Phone Cleaner from Mindy Ruiz
  • Signed Coaster from Amy Miles–Captive
  • Lip Balm–Going Down in Flames by Chris Cannon
  • One Tiny Secret by T.A. Kunz Trading Card
  • The Dark by Heather Self–Card
  • My Endless Endings Pen

PLUS:

Signed Bookmarks from:

  • Maggie Stiefvater—The Raven Boys
  • Brenda Pandos—The Sapphire Talisman
  • Brenda Pandos–Everlost
  • Georgia Cates—Beauty From Surrender
  • Jennifer L. Armentrout—Don’t Look Back
  • Bella Roccaforte—The Ink Series
  • Dani Hart—A Firefighter’s Flame
  • Dani Hart–Reality
  • Casey Peeler—No Turning Back
  • C.L. Foster—Light and Shadows Collide
  • Jon Messenger—Wind Warrior
  • Kristie Cook—Purpose
  • Kristie Cook—The Space Within
  • Becca Vincenza–Healed
  • Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels–Project Ele
  • Devri Walls–Wings of Arian
  • Emma Shade–Finding Obscurity
  • T.A. Kunz–With Hunter Olivia
  • Misty Provencher–Full of Grace
  • Paulina Ulrich–Chosen
  • Kelly Risser–Never Forgotten
  • Stacey Marie Brown–Blood Beyond Darkness

Bookmarks from:

  • Tiffany King—Jordyn: The Final Battle
  • Megan Curd—Steel Lily
  • Stuck in Books
  • Paulina Urlich–Flightless Birds Book Thong
  • Misty Provencher–Stronger

Keychains:

  • Return of the Ascendant by Raine Thomas
  • House of Spades and Poker Chip from Mindy Ruiz
  • Clicks and Dolphin by Amy Evans
  • Dani Hart Bottle Cap
  • Angel Wing

Magnets from:

  • Elizabeth Kirke—Snow Bound
  • Raine Thomas—Becoming
  • Elizabeth Kirke—Semester Aboard
  • A Book Vacation Reviews
  • Miranda Kavi—Rue and Rive
  • P.K. Hrezo
  • Chris Cannon–Going Down in Flames
  • P.K. Hrezo–Diary of a Teenage Time Traveler
  • Amy Evans–Jellybean Kisses
  • Stories About Melissa
  • Krystal Wade

Signed Cards from:

  • Becca Vincenza–Damaged
  • Nely Cab–Forever Begins
  • Georgia Cates–Beauty From Love
  • Courtney Farrell–Bait
  • Kelly Risser–Never Forgotten

Buttons:

  • 5 from Casey L. Bond
  • Lucky Number Four by Amanda Jason
  • T.A. Kunz
  • “I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie”
  • “Keep Calm and Read a Bethany Lopez Novel”
  • “Don’t Eat the Food–Through Glass”
  • “I went to Area 51 and all I got was a stupid implant”
  • Fair Feathered–Paulina Ulrich
  • Curiosity Quills
  • Illusions Begin by N.L. Greene

Stickers:

  • Flightless Birds by Paulina Ulrich (signed)
  • Lucky Number Four Amanda Jason
  • Jordyn by Tiffany King
  • Author Paulina Ulrich
  • Witch Hunter Olivia by T.A. Kunz (signed)

Rubber Bracelets:

  • #ExpandYourClump
  • C.L. Foster—”Ninja in Training
  • Dani Hart—”A Firefighter’s Flame”
  • KristenDayBooks
  • Green and Black

Candy:

  • Blue Sucker
  • 4 Stick Candies from Karice Bolton

Jewelry:

  • Angel Wing Necklace from Devri Walls
  • The Broken Destiny by Carlyle Labuschagne–Pendant
  • Abberant by Ruth Silven–Charm
  • Dark Reflections by Elizabeth Sharp Bottle Cap–Charm
  • Rout of the Dem-Shyr by Raine Thomas–Charm
  • Dolphin Ring from Amy Evans
  • Necklace from Anne Elliot

And breathe…

Excited?

To enter you must:

-Be 18 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

-Fill in the mandatory questions on rafflecopter (extra entries optional)

Click here to go to the Rafflecopter Entry Form!

This contest is open internationally and will end at 12:01am EST on November 20th. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!

______________________________________________________________________

And Don’t Forget to Enter my Other Epic Giveaway:

Win YOUR CHOICE of ONE of these Recent Releases (ENDS November 1) International:

RRG October

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17596261The winner of an ebook of Clicks by Amy Evans has just concluded, and I’m excited to say that the winner has been chosen via Rafflecopter.

And the winner is…

Desiree Putaski

A tweet has already gone out to the winner, and an email will go out later this evening! If I don’t hear from the winner within 48 hours, I will select a new winner using Rafflecopter.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winner… but don’t despair if you didn’t win this round!

Enter to win my other great giveaways:

Win a Recently Released Book of Your Choice: Ends October 1

RRGG September

Win a Signed Paperback of No Attachments by Tiffany King: Ends September 20

No Attachments



17596261From Goodreads: Clicks are the sounds the universe makes when it stops to tell you what’s going to happen next. Truths you hear in your heart that you can’t explain.

For sixteen year old Cami, the clicks won’t stop. They’re telling her to fall in love with the wrong twin, that her family is hiding something, and that Pinhold, her pristine Island home, is in danger.

Born and bred to win, Cami’s family expects her to join a secret society called The Guard, marry one of the two identical twin boys next door, and stay on Pinhold Island for the rest of her life. Home to perfect waves, black sand beaches, and the world-famous Surf Carnival, Pinhold seems deceptively perfect. While visitors are jealous of the few hundred people who get to live there, Cami feels stifled. Thanks to the intense link she shares with her own twin, Mica, she can’t even be alone with her thoughts. While Cami’s more than happy to be a lifeguard, a lifelong commitment to the endless summer feels like a trap.

It should have been a fun summer of surf competitions and beach patrol. But dolphins are washing up on shore and the best swimmers are drowning. Then her twin brother Mica goes down too.

The only thing that can save her brother is the truth that only Cami can learn. But can she trust the clicks?

_________________________________________________________

This is the first YA novel I’ve seen that’s been classified as environmental fiction, and I was so intrigued by that classification that I knew I had to read it, especially because my county is adding an entire unit to the end of 10th grade year in which students study their role in the world and environment.  And, what a great story it is!  Filled with mystery and intrigue, as well as homage to the ocean and dolphins, in particular, Clicks takes a look at the world and what could happen if the environment went out of kilter.  But it’s not just an environmental fiction novel, and it certainly isn’t preachy; it makes you think, and there is romance, adventure, experiments, and cover-ups… all of which Cami must uncover in order to save her friends and family.

This novel takes place on an island off the coast of California where the relationship between mankind and dolphin pods is extremely sacred and revered.  Natives of the island, Cami, her twin, and her group of twin friends understand and acknowledge the rituals and bonds of The Guard, but it isn’t until Cami experiences calling and swimming with the pods that she begins to understand her real connection to them.  But all too soon the bliss of the summer, tourist season, and the Surf Carnival is brought to a halt as people begin drowning and dolphins begin dying.  Shrouded in mystery, Cami must use her wits and her connection to the environment to figure out what is happening to her island, and the secrets Evans weaves into her tale are epic.

I really liked Cami’s character; she’s a self-assured young woman who wants to excel in all, and finding her white dolphin is like a gift come true.  She values and respects the ocean, understanding its power, and her relationship with her dolphin allows her to connect with the environment in a way that she previously was unable to.  Watching her interact with her dolphin was extremely cool to watch, and Evans has a way with writing that puts readers right there with the characters, as if we’re swimming alongside through the pages.  And I loved that the entire novel is cloaked in mystery.  As the plot unfolds, more events happen that send the island off-balance, and healthy young teens lose consciousness without medical reason, spurring the reader on as Cami and her friends attempt to find the reason behind the sudden changes; to find the cure.

While I’ll admit that I figured out the secret behind it all much sooner than the reveal within the novel due to foreshadowing, I still really enjoyed the aspect of the mystery as it lined up and each characters’ involvement was laid bare. As we learn about the island and the plague that tormented the residents of both land and sea in the not so distant past, everything really begins to click (no pun intended), and I really enjoyed Evans’ execution of this entire story.  The sorrow, fear, and resolve was extremely strong throughout the novel, and the added romance made for some swoon-worthy escapades that brought a smile to my face.  Young love can be so beautiful. I highly recommend this to any readers out there curious about dolphins, the ocean, or who are looking for an overall good, clean read.  Four stars.

4 stars

I purchased this novel from Amazon.

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And now for the giveaway!!!

I’m offering up an ebook of Clicks to one reader!!!

To enter this giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

-Agree to HONESTLY REVIEW the novel via a blog (if you have one), or Goodreads, or any other media format you use for book reviews (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.)

-Fill in the mandatory questions on rafflecopter (extra entries optional)

Click this Rafflecopter Link to Enter!

This contest is open INTERNATIONALLY and will end at 12:01am EST on September 15th at 12:01am. Please only enter once. The winner will be announced later on September 15th, and will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!



et cetera
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