"Coming Up For Air" Giveaway

Due to popular demand for this book, and because the author and the publicist were kind enough to offer more copies of this book for a giveaway, I am hosting another giveaway for this title that is SO close to my heart!!!

Synopsis 

Ellie Calvin is caught in a dying marriage, and she knows this. With her beloved daughter away at college and a growing gap between her and her husband, she doesn’t quite seem to fit into her own life. But everything changes when her controlling mother, Lillian, passes away. Ellie sees her ex-boyfriend, Hutch, at the funeral, and learns that he is in charge of a documentary that involved Lillian before her death – and he wants answers to questions that Ellie’s not sure she can face.

As Ellie and Hutch start digging into Lillian’s history, and speaking for the first time in years, Ellie’s closed heart slowly begins to open. Using both a hidden diary that Ellie found in her mother’s things, and a trip to the Summer House, a mysterious and seductive bayside home, they gamble that they can work together and not fall in love again. But in piecing together a decades-old unrequited-love story, they just might uncover the secrets in their own hearts…

My Review

"Coming Up for Air" by Patti Callahan Henry is a beautiful story about reconciling your past with your present. Ellie's mother Lillian has passed away, and while Ellie is taking care of, and sorting through, her belongings she comes across her mother's journal locked away from the eyes of the world. This discovery raises many questions for Ellie who, in order to find answers for them, decides to leave her home and husband in Atlanta to travel to Alabama to stay with her mother's best friend, Miss Birdie. In the meantime, Ellie's ex-boyfriend, and her first-love, surprises her by showing up at her mother's funeral - it turns out that he is doing a documentary on ten women and Lillian, Ellie's mother, is one of them.

So together Ellie and Hutch try and uncover the real Lillian, before she was a mother and a wife, who she really was. And in trying to uncover the mysteries of her mother's past, Ellie learns a lot about her own self, her marriage and her life. It is this journey within her own self, and coming to the conclusions that she does, that results in Ellie's "Coming Up For Air".

Patti Callahan Henry is indeed, as the blurb suggests, a tour de force. When I won this novel, and looking at it's cover, I thought it would be a sugary sweet, rot your teeth out sweet, kind of a novel. But I was pleasantly shocked to find out that it is nothing of the sort. Although author Patti Callahan Henry sure knows how to spin a romantic tale, she knows its place in the narrative, and never forces the romance beyond its bounds. Although, I must admit, this author definitely knows how to characterize the dynamics between different relationships. And although the narrative deals with the Civil Rights Movement, ethics and social inequities, it never ends up being preachy or tedious. I also love that this tale is set in the South - anywhere else, and this story may have fallen flat. I love the dialect, the way of life, and the tales/stories that emerge from the South - they have a culture of their own down there, and it is absolutely beautiful to read about.

All in all, "Coming Up For Air" really was like coming up for air for me. My past few reads have been really fast-paced thrillers. This books incorporates some mystery into its narrative and is very well-paced, but it is far more about the characters within the novel, than it is about the mystery to be uncovered. I loved being able to connect with Ellie on various levels, and at times with Lillian as well. This book was a breath of fresh air, and I am really looking forward to more by author Patti Callahan Henry. It's a beautifully written novel, and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about family dynamics, family secrets, the Civil Rights Movement, or generally about "the South". Enjoy! :)

My Rating : 5/5 Stars

More Info

But before I go further into the giveaway, I wanted to tell you about a NEAT, NEW and SUPER AWESOME fact about the book - it has an app that was just recently launched that goes hand in hand with the book, "Coming Up For Air" by Patti Callahan Henry. Yes, you read correct...and APP, that co-relates to the book! How COOL is that, right!?!?!? It's a wonderful book, and I wanted to be able to remember which parts influenced the app, so here I am reading it again!

Just a little info on the app: it is called "Wildflowers" by Patti Callahan Henry, and is created by Wildflower Wishes LLC. The app is inspired by a gorgeous garden scene in the book, and was commissioned especially for this Patti Callahan Henry's novel "Coming Up For Air", as it was released on paperback on May 22, 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin. Here's a FUN FACT: If you buy a paperback copy of "Coming Up For Air" by Patti Callahan Henry, (click on the book cover below) it features the QR code to the app on the cover of the book!!!!

The FREE app comes with five special wildflower icons, each with a designated meaning (I'm sorry; I love you; Good luck, etc) which can be send to friends or loved ones via email, to fellow Wildflower Wishes users or to Facebook friends, along with a personalized heartfelt message - with ONE click, you could make someone's day. Additional wildflowers (icons) can be purchased for a mere $0.99. You can use it for birthdays, anniversaries, or (my favorite reason), just because! It's FREE, what have you got to lose? Just click on the shot of the app below, and it will take you straight to the app store on iTunes. 

 

 A screenshot of the cover of the main screen or cover of the app - isn't it beautiful?

A screenshot of the actual app - with a wildflower icon. Again, isn't it absolutely ADORABLE? 

Also, here is a list of flowers available to you through the app, and more will be added along the way, for special occasions, and such.

Infinite Love -- Bellflower

I Am Grateful -- Bluebells

Sending Encouragement -- Black Eyed Susan

Thinking of You -- Zinnia

A Mother's Love – Impatiens

Pure Loyal Love -- Daisy

Bond of Love -- Honeysuckle

I am sorry; Please forgive me -- Purple Hyacinth

Don't forget me -- Forget Me Not

I will never forget you -- Everlasting

Sending Protection -- White Heather

Sending Cheer -- Crocus

Sending Courage and Daring -- Edelweiss

Sending Good Luck -- Clover

Sending Perserverance -- Chicory

Farewell -- Sweet Pea

Secret Love -- Acacia

Love at First Sight – Gloxinia

Now, THE GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the immense generosity of the author Patti Callahan Henry, and the Emily LaBeaume of Wunderkind PR - I have 4 copies of "Coming Up For Air" up for grabs. 

That's right...you read that right... FOUR. AWESOME. COPIES!!! Which means FOUR. LUCKY. WINNERS!

Unfortunately, this contest is limited to US readers. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~Tempest Blog Tour - Guest Post & Giveaway~

Hi guys, 

I know I've been MIA for a while now, but what better way to make a come-back than with an amazing book such as "Tempest" by the brilliant author Julie Cross. 

Title: Tempest (Tempest #1)

Author: Julie Cross

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Expected Publication Date: January 17th, 2012

Links: Website / Twitter / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

"Tempest" by Julie Cross is a brilliantly constructed, and immensely thrilling, novel chronicling the life of Jackson Meyer who is a normal guy in all respects - except the fact that he can time travel. But unlike the time travel of movies, his time-tumbling escapades come without consequence. That is, until the day some strangers alight on him and his girlfriend, and in the struggle that ensues, his girlfriend Holly is fatally wounded.

Now Jackson travels back to the year 2007 in order to save his girlfriend, but finds himself stuck there, unable to travel back to the present. "Tempest" is story of his attempt to understand and actualize his abilities in order to save Holly from her fate, and in the process he comes to term with his abilities, learns secrets about his father, finds out about the "Enemies of Time" and discovers much about his own self.

~Teaser Quote~

September 15, 2007 (8:00 a.m.)

I attempted to look angry. "First you assume I want to go out with you, and now you're assuming I want  get in your pants."

Which I do and have.

~Five Facts about "Tempest"~

Have I piqued your interest, yet? If not, well, here are FIVE FACTS from Book#2:

• The setting takes place in more than one country.
• Chapter 5 contains a red dress and a card board cut out of Miley Cyrus (you don't want to miss this!).
• Something bad happens in a castle (how deliciously cryptic!).
• Jackson in a tux! (swoon-worthy)
•  Hollywood might not have gotten everything wrong about time-travel.

Don't forget to check out all the other blog posts in the BLOG TOUR for Julie Cross's "Tempest" - just click on the blog tour banner at the top of this post, and it will take you straight there. A big THANK YOU to all the other bloggers participating in this blog tour; not just for being part of the tour, but for also making this easy on me, and for helping me every step of the way. This was my second blog tour, and this book was a brilliant one to continue my journey with! :)

Would YOU like to win a copy of "Tempest" by Julie Cross? Make sure to enter for your chance to win 1 of 5 signed copies by Julie Cross. Fill the FORM to enter - Giveaway ends on January 6th, so HURRY! Also, you must leave a comment to enter...so get to it! :)

The "Supernaturally" Awesome Giveaway by Kiersten White

Kiersten White is the tiny, albeit infinitely adorable, author of "Paranormalcy" and her book "Supernaturally" is out next month! In honor of the release, Kiersten is giving away THREE copies of "Supernaturally" to three lucky winners! :) 

All you have to do is look at this GORGEOUS cover of "Supernaturally", and write a FAKE SYNOPSIS of 150 words of less, about what YOU think this book would be about. Now, remember, this is a fake synopsis - not a guess at what is really happening in this book! 

Make sure to check out the rules and guidelines, and to enter the contest, over on Kiersten's blog. You can read the ACTUAL synopsis for the book here. And without further ado, I present to you, MY synopsis of "Supernaturally" by Kiersten White.

"Supernaturally" by Kiersten White

The clock is about to strike 12:00 midnight, and Kierra is stuck in this unkempt field of flowers, waiting on Prince Charmin (he's the prince of the toilet paper conglomerate, duh!) - who is three hours late. She's tired, she's hungry, and she's uncomfortable in this dress fashioned out of her stepmother's drapes. To make matters worse, she has a mysterious rash on her neck which she isn't sure is because of the dress, or because she's allergic to perennials.

Will her Prince arrive before her glass slippers turn to furry bunny slippers? Will he kiss her passionately, and will his kiss release her from indentured servitude to seven really tiny men? Will it be a kiss of true love? Or one of mild, easily-fizzled-out infatuation...and how will she tell the difference?

~Giveaway: "Wither" (ARC) by Lauren DeStefano~

  Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy #1) by Lauren DeStefano

So I recently reviewed "Wither" by Lauren DeStefano which has been hailed by many as one of the best Dystopian and/or Young Adult novels of this year. I was completely desperate to read this book, and was lucky enough to win an ARC of the novel (Thank you Rachel of Parajunkee Book Blog) - and at the same time, a dear friend (I love you Angela - my Reading Angel!) also sent me a copy of the ARC, so I suddenly had not one but TWO (ARC) copies of an amazing novel! 

And although the novel has debuted, and I dearly encourage you all to buy yourself a copy, I really wanted to giveaway my extra ARC of Wither, so I am hosting this giveaway - ESPECIALLY since the blog has finally hit 100 Followers *Yay*. 

Giveaway Rules:

 

1) You must be a Blog Follower (either via GFC or a Confirmed Email Subscriber). Make sure you leave a valid email address for me to be able to contact you in case you are chosen as a winner.

2) You must leave a comment on this post about which actor/actress you think ought to play Rhine (or any/all of the characters). Even if you have not read the book, and are not familiar with the characters - you can read my REVIEW here and choose whichever actor/actress comes to mind. There's NO right or wrong answer - just get creative! :)

3) Giveaway is open to US and Canada only. (Sorry my International friends - I love you guys, and I promise I will try and make the next one International!)

4) The contest closes at 12:00 AM PST Friday June 3rd, 2011. Winner will be selected using random.org on Saturday, June 4th and winner will be notified by email.

 

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Legal Disclaimer

1. I am not responsible for items lost or damaged in shipping or items shipped from 3rd party sponsors. 
2. Winners are chosen using a random number generator based on the comment number.
3. Any cheating or misuse of information, or harassing of other parties, or bullying of any sort will not be tolerated. Please respect the blog owner and all participants and/or followers.  
4. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me from the time that I email them - if they do not respond, another winner will be chosen.

~Sunday Stew - May 1st, 2011~

Sunday Stew is a Weekly Meme hosted Here at Books Devoured

Bookmark of the Week:

 

Okay, so my photography is obviously as bad as my memory. First of all, I cannot, for the life of me remember which blogger sent me this AMAZING bookmark. And I SO BADLY want to remember, because I do want to give them due credit, and thank them! So, dear, blogger who sent me this, if you see my post, please DO send me a virtual SLAP! to remind me of your generosity! And second of all, I keep forgetting to take my pictures of the bookmarks during the day, and then end up taking them at night - and since my bedroom has really dim lighting (a personal choice, perhaps I am a Vampire!?!? *wink wink*) they turn out to be quite crappy, as you can see. But Alex Pettyfer STILL manages to look completely beautiful, doesn't he? How freakin' GORGEOUS is Alex Petryfer? I mean, look at that manly Adam's apple - you know why they call it that, right!?!? Because it's SO gosh-darn tempting! *Rawr*

Around The Web:

I know you're wondering why it is that I keep posting these links to "Blog Hops", well, I want to clarify as to why. First of all, I want all my readers/followers to be able to avail the wonderful opportunities that these blog hops present - not just to win prizes, but to come across some WONDERFUL blogs that you may otherwise have ignored. The point of these blog hops is not merely to win stuff, it is really to promote the bloggers that so generously offer such magnanimous giveaways! :D 

This wonderful "Spring  Blog Carnival" is an extremely fun blog hop hosted by Pure Imagination, Reading Angel and Candace's Book Blog (love these ladies), with some other amazing bloggers hosting fun carnival challenges such as Reading Teen, The Mod Podge Bookshelf, Lovely Lit, The Book Swarm, Actin' Up With Books, Awesomesauce Bookclub, Books R Us, Colloquium, Minding Spot & Miss Remmer's Review.  Make sure to check the blogs out, and be gracious to these immensely generous bloggers. In fact, I am so inspired by these bloggers that are so big-hearted, I've decided I'm going to be participating in a blog hop soon! So thank you, fellow bloggers, for being such an inspiration - and also for being so generous and wonderful.

Around Me: 

First of all, I got my first blog award. I have seen many sites be "award-free" sites because they cannot do the awards justice, or cannot keep track of them. I do not have that problem yet, because I most certainly will be gracious every day of my life for this amazing honor, and also because I don't have very many that I may lose track of them! LOL :P That being said, my first blog award, was presented to me by the ever-lovely, unbelievably generous, sweet and kind Margaret at Lovely Lit Blog. When this darling lady is not generously hosting giveaways (check out the amazing giveaways on her blog), she is creating AMAZING widgets (she created this lovely widget for "The Eternal Sea" on my page of ~Upcoming Books~) or making wonderful awards, one of which she awarded me, for which I simply cannot thank her enough. THANK YOU Margaret. Here is the beautiful award (you can also see it on my sidebar, as well as on the ~Blog Awards~ page)

 

Okay, onto the next order of business. I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Laurel Ann Natrress of Austenprose - A Jane Austen Blog (If you're a Jane Austen fan, this site will become your personal haven, please do visit & follow!). Some time ago, she hosted an amazing contest on her blog, a "Z" Day Celebration in honor of the release of "Dreadfully Ever After" by Steve Hockensmith which required for the participant to write a short essay saying why it was that you deserved to win. Ms. Nattress specified "Creativity counts. I will pick the winners based on your partial and prejudiced replies." The prizes being offered were either a copy of "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies", "Dawn of the Dreadfuls" or "Dreadfully Ever After" and (the jackpot), a limited press item which was a Pride & Prejudice & Zombies Apothecary Kit (the picture will take you to the actual Etsy store it was bought from):

I decided I was going to channel my (almost non-existent) creativity, and instead of providing a reason why, I would write a fictional account of how medicine, and especially an apothecary kit, helped me assuage the pain of a loved one in need. I am presenting my entry to you:

It was the late hours of the night, and the early hours of the morning – the time when the sun, swallowed whole by the darkness of the night, is ready to escape its confines and greet the world. Slivers of sunlight had begun to brighten the horizon and stream though the curtains, creating shadows on his face. A beautiful, angelic face now marred by rotting flesh, and scars – I held his hand tight, and caressed his cheek soothingly. 

How helpless was I, not being able to do a thing more for the love of my life! I could not leave the house, for I knew that the moment my foot hit the threshold, I’d be faced with those monsters – a horde of savage, brutish beasts controlled only by the virus streaming through their blood, making them desire nothing more than the flesh of another human being, turning them into zombies. I wanted to run for help, but I knew that the doctor himself had been contaminated. I had no hope, and I had no choice, I could either let him turn into a freak like them, or end his misery. 

I lifted his head up so that he could sip the herbal tea that I had made him. Fennel, licorice and ginger root when boiled together made for a medicinal tea, known for its analgesic and anesthetic properties – I’d learned this while I was an apprentice for Dr. Dashwood. I’d added peppermint because I knew he loved peppermint tea best, but unbeknownst to him, I had also been adding small amounts of arsenic to my concoction. As he sipped the tea he elicited a sigh, the sound of which sounded exactly the same as my heart breaking. 

“Help me, Lizzie!”, he cried out in pain. “Oh, Darcy,Darcy,Darcy.”, I said, cradling his head in my lap, bending down to kiss his feverish cheek, while I could smell his breath beginning to smell faintly of garlic. I did not know how else to alleviate his pain, so I picked up my favorite book, “Pride & Prejudice” and read to him. The sun had finally, come up now, and I could hear his breathing getting shallower. I held his callused hands in mine and tried to keep him with me, hoping the romantic words would make his last few moments pleasant – that such beautiful words were what he would remember me by, always. 

When the moment finally arrived, I recognized it. But I was not alone, I could tell by the look in his eyes, so had he. He pulled me close, and hoarsely whispered these words into my ear, words I’d just earlier read to him, “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” – and as a silent tear escaped my eyes, trailing down my pale cheek, he closed his eyes, and was gone.

~The End~

As fortune may smile upon me, I won! I won, I won, I won *dances around with glee*, and darling Laurel Ann sent the beautiful Apothecary Kit to me. I cannot thank her enough for her generosity, and I will always cherish this present. I received it and have had it for a little while, and it sits proudly atop my small bookshelf. It brings me such joy, especially since (as most of you may know) I am a student of Medicine - I thought I'd share the pictures with you. 

On a completely random side note, the "Unmentional Preparedness Kit" was listed on the Etsy shop on November 19th, 2010 which, coincidentally happens to be my birthday! Funny coincidence, huh? :)

Okay, so I went overboard today, and completely bombarded you with all this stuff. I am sorry the post was so long, but I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave me any comments/feedback you may like. I hope you have a glorious Sunday, a blessed rest of the week, and that you'll continue to visit! :)

~Sunday Stew - April 17th, 2011~

 

Sunday Stew is a Weekly Meme hosted Here at Books Devoured .

Bookmark of the Week:

Since I'm reading "The Liar Society" by Lisa & Laura Roecker I am using the bookmark that the author sent me with a copy of the book. I am so thoroughly enjoying the book, and I love the bookmark, because not only is the "pink hair" so exciting, I also love that it has a blurb by other awesome authors, Kimberly Derting (author of "The Body Finder" series) and Mandy Hubbard (author of "Prada and Prejudice"). Plus, its signed, which is another thing that makes me go "squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" (yes, just like that!). 

P.S - If you want a chance to win "The Liar Society" you can enter the contest for a copy on Goodreads (make sure to add it to your "to-read" list, ok?). 

Around The Web:

Okay, so Ann Aguirre's "Enclave" was released on April 12th, 2011 - and it seems the world has gone "Enclave" crazy, overnight! I, for one, am really psyched for to read this book. So, since I've been seeing the book everywhere, I thought I'd share my excitement with you and share some of the contests/giveaways that are offering "Enclave" as a prize! :D

• Ends 04/17 - Win "Enclave" by Ann Aguirre Giveaway by For What It's Worth
  

• Ends 04/19 - The Bookish Type is giving away "Enclave" by Ann Aguirre as part of "The Cornucopia of Dystopia" Giveaway Event

I wish you all the best of luck! Also, since April is "National Autism Awareness Month" I'd really appreciate it if you would read my post on Autism Awareness

Also, in my (vile) attempt at shameless self-promotion (it's for love, really) I'd urge you to consider entering my "Happy Birthday Mr. Enamored Soul" Giveaway - you could win your choice of either, The Notebook or A Walk To Remember (Nicholas Sparks), This Lullaby (Sarah Dessen) or The Body Finder (Kimberly Derting). 

Around Me:

So last night, I babysat a 4 month old BEAUTIFUL baby boy. And as I held him, and rocked him to sleep in my arms, he hung on to my shirt. He didn't let go, the ENTIRE night. And as his tiny fingers clung to the tortuous creases in my shirt, I realized how badly I want to be a mother. I know, I sound like a complete sap - but I honestly cannot explain the way I feel every time I hold a child in my arms. On most days, I feel like I'm in a fugue, in a constant haze and not knowing where I am or what I am doing - but as soon as a child finds their way into my arms, I always feel like I'm right where I ought to be. I know I have a LONG way to go before I'm going to be a mom, but seeing this beautiful baby folded into my arms like a half moon lying in a hammock, I was overwhelmed with emotion, and my heart filled with joy. I just thought I'd share that with all of you. 

Also, I really wanted to thank Shannon Pearcy of Books Devoured for being patient with me, and giving me the chance to participate in the Sunday Stew. I really enjoyed writing this post, I hope you'll enjoy reading it! :D