The Story Guy Blog Tour + Giveaway

Yesterday I posted a review for a fantastic new novella I just discovered: The Story Guy by Mary Ann Rivers. Annnnd...today I am excited to be part of the Blog Tour for The Story Guy. So scroll on through -- not only will you find an exclusive excerpt from The Story Guy but a chance to win your very own eBook copy of The Story Guy!

In case you missed my review, here's the skinny on The Story Guy:

In this eBook original novella, Mary Ann Rivers introduces a soulful and sexy tale of courage, sacrifice, and love.

I will meet you on Wednesdays at noon in Celebration Park. Kissing only.

Carrie West is happy with her life . . . isn’t she? But when she sees this provocative online ad, the thirtysomething librarian can’t help but be tempted. After all, the photo of the anonymous poster is far too attractive to ignore. And when Wednesday finally arrives, it brings a first kiss that’s hotter than any she’s ever imagined. Brian Newburgh is an attorney, but there’s more to his life . . . that he won't share with Carrie. Determined to have more than just Wednesdays, Carrie embarks on a quest to learn Brian’s story, certain that he will be worth the cost. But is she ready to gamble her heart on a man who just might be The One . . . even though she has no idea how their love story will end?

*****

Fun right? Well, just to whet your appetites, here's a sneak peak at what you'll find in The Story Guy...

I finish the email, only trembling a little.

To: 100474@metrolink.com

From: librariansdeweyitbetter@villagemail.com

Subject: Wednesdays Only

I’m certain you’ve filled the position, but it’s late (or very early) and I’m intrigued despite the judgment I should possess staring into the second half of my third decade.

My IM handle is “lieberries” on villagemail.

When I send it, my breath comes out in a whoosh and my heart is pounding in my ears. I don’t really expect him to answer, but I open my villagemail account anyway and turn my laptop’s volume up so I can hear the IM chime. I can’t quite work out why I answered him.

Sure, he’s pretty, and maybe I’ve gotten a little comfortable with things, or maybe the insomnia is getting the better of me. It’s been a long day that has stumbled into a sad and quiet morning. I can’t stop thinking about stupid things. My dad’s arm around my mom’s shoulders while she takes pictures of the Alaskan coast. Will and Shelley kissing in their tiny urban goat shed, their homemade cheese in their old beer fridge. I look at my thumb, where the sliver has made it red and swollen.

I pull my T-shirt over my bare legs. Sit up straight and try to think straighter. Practically speaking, meeting a MetroLink stranger for anything, but especially kissing, is not entirely safe. I touch my throat, where a blast of heat burns in the hollow.

Is it really something bad to have a life that’s safe? To wear skirts at a sensible length, to let a friend walk you home from the bar, to meet a man for coffee in a busy diner days before you’re alone with him on your stoop?

I look at his picture, how his cuffs bunch at his forearms.

While I value my contentment, I do apparently have a little fight left—for adventure, for capital “R” romance, for the certain curesthat Shelley teased me about—somewhere deep in my lizard brain. At least the part that, say, motivates happy sea turtles to leave their familiar waters and heave themselves up on the scary beach and lay eggs. Not that my eggs have anything to do with this.

I resolve to at least lean back against the pillows and rest before I have to get ready for work, but as soon as I set the laptop on the nightstand, my IM calls out.

In the quiet room, my gasp sounds totally Victorian.

When I spin the screen toward me, the IM box is as real as can be, and the handle is no one I recognize.

GearTattoo: I haven’t filled the position. Still interested?

THE STORY GUY on Goodreads

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBookstore  |  Google Play  |  Other Retailers

About Mary Ann Rivers

Mary Ann Rivers was an English and music major and went on to earn her MFA in creative writing, publishing poetry in journals and leading creative-writing workshops for at-risk youth. While training for her day job as a nurse practitioner, she rediscovered romance on the bedside tables of her favorite patients. Now she writes smart and emotional contemporary romance, imagining stories featuring the heroes and heroines just ahead of her in the coffee line. Mary Ann Rivers lives in the Midwest with her handsome professor husband and their imaginative school-aged son.

Connect with Mary Ann:  Website  |  Twitter |  Facebook

THE STORY GUY Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bitterblue Winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered my Bitterblue giveaway hosted by Penguin! 

The winners of a copy of Bitterblue are:

Shelfworn

&

Charlotte

Please send me your address and I'll make sure a copy gets on it's way to you!

Bitterblue Giveaway!

Thanks to Penguin today I have TWO copies of the newly released Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore to give away. This book is one of my most anticipated reads for 2012 seeing as I totally devoured Graceling and Fire. I'm sure you all want to get your hands on a copy of this lovely book too, right? 

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me which Grace you'd like to have if you lived in the Seven Kingdoms. Please be sure to leave a contact email as well.

All prizing provided by Penguin.

Giveaway open to US addresses only, open until May 28, 2012.

About Bitterblue:
Bitterblue is the long-awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire.

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

Find out more!

Graceling Realm trailer http://youtu.be/S4CxMgsppEw

Graceling Realm website: http://www.gracelingrealm.com

Kristin’s website: http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/
Graceling Realm Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/gracelingrealm
Excerpt: http://www.scribd.com/doc/88018992/BITTERBLUE-by-Kristin-Cashore-sequel-to-GRACELING

Thirteen Reasons Why Winners

Thanks again to all those who entered the Thirteen Reasons Why giveaway.

And the winners are...

Annie Lanning

&

Justine Wang

Thirteen Reasons Why Giveaway!

After enjoying an enormously long hardcover printing (four years folks!) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher has finally been released as a paperback book. To help celebrate the release of the novel and the launch of the new Penguin site, www.13RWproject.com, I have two copies to giveaway today. Yay! I was absolutely riveted to this affecting story so trust me when I say you'll want to enter this one for sure. To enter, fill out the form below. Giveaway ends Monday, June 27th -- US/Canada residents only.

If you have a moment, I also recommend that you take a moment to check out the new website www.13RWproject.com, a dedicated site for anyone to post reviews or feelings about the book - if you've read the book, include your thoughts there - alongside many other readers' (including yours truly). Here's what the publisher has to say about the site:

On May 12, 2011, Penguin launched the 13RW Project at www.13RWProject.com, as a place for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why to record their thoughts, stories, videos and photos relating to the book, and to view what other readers from all across the country have shared.

A bit about the book itself or you can read my review here:

Thirteen Reasons Why is the story of a girl named Hannah Baker who takes her own life. But before she does, she records several cassette tapes explaining why and sends them to the people she feels pushed her toward that decision. The story is told from the point of view of Clay Jensen who spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah’s voice as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah’s pain, and learns the truth about himself—a truth he never wanted to face.

The anti-bullying anthem was published in hardcover in October 2007 by Razorbill, and quickly became a word-of-mouth favorite among teenaged readers with fans claiming, “This book changed my life.” The novel has been on the New York Times children’s hardcover bestseller list for 65 weeks, foreign rights have been sold into 30 countries and it has been acquired by Universal Pictures and will star Selena Gomez.

Ruby Red Winner!

Thanks to all those who entered my Ruby Red giveaway!

and the winner is...

Sabrina McClure!!

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier Giveaway!

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Talk about your book buzz! I've been hearing some mighty good things about the German bestseller Ruby Red and am so happy to see it finally making its way to this part of the world. It's the first novel in a new time travel trilogy that I, for one, am anxious to sink into.

Lucky for you I've got one copy of Ruby Red to giveaway. To enter, fill out the form below. Giveaway ends Monday, June 13th -- US/Canada residents only.

Official Ruby Red website

Two Moon Princess Winner!

A big Thank You to all those who entered the Two Moon Princess giveaway. 

And the winner is..

Kristin!

Congrats and thank you again to Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban for stopping by.

Interview with Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban & Giveaway

Today I am happy to welcome author Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban, here to talk about her wonderful time-travel book Two Moon Princess. Since I won't be reviewing the novel here on the bloggy until later next week, here's a quick look at the story:

In this coming-of-age story set in a medieval kingdom, Andrea is a headstrong princess longing to be a knight who finds her way to modern-day California. But her accidental return to her family's kingdom and a disastrous romance brings war, along with her discovery of some dark family secrets. Readers will love this mix of traditional fantasy elements with unique twists and will identify with Andrea and her difficult choices between duty and desire. [via Goodreads]

*****
Welcome Carmen! What sort of music do you listen to while you write (if any)? Does Two Moon Princess have a soundtrack?

I never listen to music when I write. I find it distracting.

When I was writing Two Moon Princess my children were little and I didn't have much time to write. But the characters and their story were always in my mind especially while I was driving. And I remembered listening to a tape (it was that long ago) called Kids Songs Sleepy Heads by Nancy Cassidy. It included children's songs and old Irish ballads. Among them Somos El Barco.

This song sets the mood perfectly for Two Moon Princess because two scenes between the main characters take place in a boat, and because the song is both in English and Spanish. And also because it is a love song and although Andrea doesn't know it, she is falling for her prisoner.


Andrea has the chance to live in two completely different worlds – modern California and the medieval-esque land of Xaren-Ra. If you had to choose between the two worlds which would you pick?

Modern California, no doubt about it.


Let’s pretend you get sucked through Andrea’s portal back into Xaren-Ra. What are the three things from modern life that you just wouldn’t be able to live without?

Electricity. Candles are very romantic but not very practical.
Running water. I can't do without a hot shower in the morning.
Computer. No internet connection? Are you kidding?

I hear a sequel to Two moon Princess, The King in the Stone, is in the works. Can you give us any hints about what you have in store for Andrea (and Don Julian)?

**Spoilers Alert**
The King in the Stone reprises the story just after Two Moon Princess ends. As the story starts, instead of the happy ever after they expected, Julian and Andrea realize their plans are incompatible. Andrea wants to stay in California. Julian, to return to Xaren-Ra as soon as he learns how to irrigate the dry lands of his kingdom.

To complicate things, after their argument, Andrea goes to Spain with John making Julian jealous. Then, before they can work out their differences, the full moon opens a door in the mountains and sends them into the past.

The King in the Stone is told from both Andrea and Julian's points of view so we'll see more of Julian this time.


Is there a particular book (or movie for that matter) you wish you had written?

Apart from Harry Potter? For if I had, I would be rich and could write anything I want and get my books published. And that is any writer's fantasy.

As for movies, I loved Pan's Labyrinth.


What books do you find yourself recommending over and over and over again?

~ The Shamer's Chronicles by Lene Kaaberball. The four books in this series are amazing and not well known. A shame (pun intended). You can read my review of The Shamer's War here; if interested.

~ The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. Another great series.

~ The Saxon Tales by Bernard Cornwell. He is the best in historical fiction.

~ Rosemary Sutcliff's novels. The Eagle of the Nine, Song for a Dark Queen among many others. Rosemary Sutcliff writes beautifully and her plots are clever, her characters historically accurate, no XXI century characters in period clothes.

Yay! Another Megan Whalen Turner fan! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today Carmen. 


As part of the Two Moon Princess blog tour, I also have one copy of the book up for grabs. You know the drill, fill out the form below and I will pick a winner Monday, April 18th. US residents only please.

Jane Eyre Winner

Mucho thanks to everyone who entered my Jane Eyre giveaway this past week. I can't tell you how fun it was to read about all your favorite scenes from the book that you hoped would make it into the newest Jane Eyre flick. And now for the winner...

Liviania

Who said she most wanted to see Rochester cross-dressing like a gypsy! 

Now if I could only find a theater near me actually showing the movie, I'd be a happy camper. 

Jane Eyre Giveaway!

Well do I ever have something exciting for you today! Many of you already know of my deep and long lasting love for the story of Jane Eyre - all that tension and drama just gets to me every single time. Which is why I was so excited when the kind people at Focus Features contacted me about doing a giveaway in conjunction with the recently released drool-worthy film, Jane Eyre. I haven't seen it yet (since I'm in one of those unlucky areas where it isn't showing yet), but you can be sure it's currently topping my list of must-see flicks. Just check out this lovely trailer...

Now onto the good part: Thanks to Focus Features, I have some great prizes in store for one lucky winner:

• Soundtrack sampler
• Bookmark
• Journal
• Pencil
• Copy of the book, Jane Eyre, movie tie-in edition

All you need to do, dear reader, is to leave me a comment telling me what scene(s) from the novel you will be forever crushed if they don't include in the movie. Please be sure to leave me your email address. Contest will run until March 30th and is open to US residents only.

Jane Eyre - The Official Website
Facebook page
Jane Eyre Goodreads Challenge

Bull Rider Winner!

Congrats to Serena who won a signed copy of Bull Rider!!

I've already got your address so hopefully the book will be on it's way soon. Thanks again to everyone who participated in the giveaway and in the book tour and to the author for stopping by.

The Lighter Side of Life and Death Winner!

And the winner of The Lighter Side of Life and Death by C.K. Kelly Martin giveaway goes to....

Brooke!

Congrats! I've already got your addy so I'll have those items shipped off to you pronto.

The Lighter Side of Life and Death Interview & Giveaway

Happy Monday everybody! Today I'm happy to be the first stop on C.K. Kelly Martin's three book blog tour for The Lighter Side of Life and Death, One Lonely Degree, and I Know It's Over. I recently read and really liked The Lighter Side of Life and Death and am now pleased to have Mason - the main character of The Lighter Side of Life and Death here to answer a few questions.

To give you a quick introduction to Mason and the year he's been having, here's a brief synopsis of The Lighter Side of Life and Death courtesy of Goodreads.

Sixteen-year-old Mason Rice is having the night of his life. He's just delivered an incredible performance in the school play, basked in celebratory afterglow vibes at the party of the year, and lost his virginity to one of his best friends—the gorgeous but previously unobtainable Kat Medina. His dreams are coming true, and the future looks golden.

Unfortunately, Kat sees things very differently. Crossing the friendship line was a big mistake, and all she wants is to forget it and move on, even if that means forgetting Mason altogether. What's a guy to do? Well, if you're Mason, you hang your hopes on the first attractive twenty-three-year-old you cross paths with. At first Mason wonders if he's imagining the chemistry . . . until Colette invites him over to her apartment. Suddenly Mason's living in a whole new world.

*******

At the outset of The Lighter Side of Life and Death, you are wrapping up a performance from a school play, which leaves you on an incredible high. Can you put into words why you love acting so much?

Acting is like getting the chance to live multiple lives. You feel all the intensity that the character feels and get a chance to try to express that to an audience. It’s a natural high to feel like you did a character justice and it’s addictive. I don’t think I could stop now. I want to put everything I can into acting.


For a long time it was just you and your dad, together. What's the hardest part about adding in a stepbrother and stepsister? The best thing?

Burke is hilarious. The stuff he says kills me. So having a little brother is the best thing about this. But it’s weird having so many people around the house all the time. It feels like there’s no space, no privacy. When something happens (like with me and Colette) it’s not just my dad that finds out about it now – it’s Nina too and that sucks. The absolute hardest part, though, has been dealing with Brianna. It’s like she had it in for me from day one and I didn’t choose this situation anymore than she did.


If things hadn't gone so far south between you and your best friend Kat, do you think you would have ever had the courage to pursue Colette, an older woman?

No. I don’t think it would have occurred to me that it was even possible for anything to happen between us if Kat and I hadn’t been together first (I would’ve felt like too much of a kid for Colette). And part of being with Colette in the beginning was that I really needed a distraction from all the Kat stuff. So I think we would’ve flirted a little in my kitchen the day of the shower and then Colette would’ve given me a ride home from The Java Bean that time and the only other time I would probably even run into her would be at my dad’s wedding.


Do you think the fact that you had to keep your relationship with Colette a secret made it more exciting?

In the beginning, yeah, definitely. But then I started to hate it because I knew Colette would be embarrassed for anyone to know we were together. That’s not a good feeling. So instead of it being this fun little secret it was as though we were in hiding.


What is one thing your friends would be surprised to learn about you?

The ones that don’t know about Colette would be pretty surprised about that! Usually I’m pretty open but I never really talked about how much I hated the modeling stuff my mom got me into as a kid. My friends know that I didn’t like it but they don’t know the extent of it. By the time I stopped I felt like a performing monkey or one of those trained dancing bears. I really don’t think anyone should steer their kids into modeling or even let them do it until they’re older and only then if they’re totally begging to do it. It’s just not good to have so much focus on how you look.

******

As part of the tour, I'm also hosting a GIVEAWAY for a signed copy of The Lighter Side of Life and Death and winner's choice of a TLS t-shirt or tote bag. This contest is for US/Canada only and will run through Tuesday, November 30th. Just fill out the form below for a chance to win.

Purchase C.K. Kelly Martin's books:

Amazon 

Borders 

Barnes & Noble 

IndieBound

Killbox Winner!

and the winner of the *signed* copy of Killbox by Ann Aguirre is...

Trin Rimes

Thanks again to Ann Aguirre for stopping by and for all you awesome folks who entered the contest!

Dairy Queen Winner!

The randomizer gods have spoken! A big thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway for a well-loved copy of Dairy Queen.

The winner is...

lasrisas

Go ahead and email me your address within the next 48 hours and I'll get this book off to you soon.

Dairy Queen to a Good Home! psst.. it's a giveaway!

Hello my pretties! So in my own obsessive-compulsive (if not highly predictable) book-buying way I've managed to obtain two copies of the ever-so funny YA novel Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. I heart this book so much and would love to pass my copy along to another reader since I now have two gracing my shelves.

Alas, this book is not exactly in perfect condition which is why I'm offering it here in the first place. It's a former library copy so it has all the expected stamps etc. and the spine has been broken (see below pic). I can't donate it to a library due to the stamps and brokenness, but I didn't want it to just disappear into the land of lost books.

So.

I'm sure this isn't something everybody would be interested in, but if YOU would like a well-loved copy of the hilarious Dairy Queen, just leave your name in the comments (and a way to contact you) before July 1st and I'll send it off to you with lots of love. Sadly to say, this giveaway is only for US folks.

Simone Elkeles Winners!

And the winners are...

Jill of the O.W.L. Blog who asked for Rules of Attraction

&

Becca who asked for Perfect Chemistry

Congrats to both ladies!! I've sent you both emails, so please be sure to send me your address within the next 48 hours. And a big thank you once again to Walker Books for sponsoring this giveaway! 

Interview with Simone Elkeles & Giveaway!

With some extreme giddyness and more than a small dash of excitement, I'm pleased to welcome the always hilarious author Simone Elkeles. I became a supreme fan of her work after stumbling across Perfect Chemistry last year and have been eagerly awaiting the sequel, Rules of Attraction ever since. Simone's here today to celebrate the recent release of Rules of Attraction (which I loved) and to dish on her books and characters. Welcome Simone!

First off, how do you pronounce your lovely name?

Simone is (Sim-own) and I always tell people Elkeles is “Not Elk-uh-more, it’s Elk-uh-less!” Or you could do it as El-kel-ess. Seriously, it’s not easy on the tongue to say Elkeles. Everyone gets it wrong, so I’m used to it.

I’ve seen before that you weren’t necessarily planning on writing a ‘sequel’ to Perfect Chemistry. What made you decide to write Rules of Attraction after all?

Ever since I wrote Perfect Chemistry, I thought it would be amazing to write about all three Fuentes brothers. When I sold Perfect Chemistry, though, I wasn’t sure I’d get to write a trilogy or even a sequel/companion novel. When my editor Emily Easton at Walker said that fans definitely wanted another Perfect Chemistry novel and weren’t ready to let my characters go, I was so excited. I didn’t want to have Brittany and Alex be the main characters because their story was already written – I wanted to let Carlos and Luis have their own stories. I’m so happy to announce that it will be a trilogy, so all three brothers can have their own story!

In your opinion, what makes Carlos and Kiara work so well as a couple?

They like challenges, and they both challenge each other. Kiara surprises Carlos, which is what he needs in a girl. And Kiara needs a guy who is going to pull her out of her shell. Carlos definitely does that!

Do you feel like you connect more with certain of your characters than others? As an author, how much of your own personality do you put into your characters?

There is definitely a part of me in every character I write. To be honest, I have a sarcastic attitude and connect more with the snarky and sarcastic side of my characters more than anything else. I totally “get” my male characters. I allow them to be rude jerks at first – which totally entertains me as a writer. By the end of the book, though, that attitude has been squashed because they are totally humbled by falling in love with the right girl. Yes, it’s fiction ha, ha. Amy from the How to Ruin books is more like me than any other character. On the other hand, Maggie was the toughest character for me to write, because she’s the total opposite of me. In the sequel (Return to Paradise), we get to see a totally different side of Maggie.

What’s it like to write a book with two distinct and unique voices? Both Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction alternately switch between a male and female narrator. Do you ever find yourself having a hard time switching gears?

I love switching point of view between chapters. It lets me give my readers insight into both my hero and heroine and what they’re thinking. I don’t have a hard time switching, but maybe that’s because I’m switching from male to female characters. Sometimes I feel I have writers ADD because after a while I have a hard time focusing on a chapter and have the urge to switch. It’s refreshing to change gears and switch to another character.

Do you listen to music while you write? Is there a Rules of Attraction soundtrack?

I don’t listen to music while writing, but I do have a Rules of Attraction soundtrack that will be posted probably this week (it's up now)! Go check it out. The soundtrack for Perfect Chemistry is already posted there.

Is there a particular book (or movie for that matter) you wish you had written?

I loved the movie The Cutting Edge. It’s an amazing romance and every time I see it I find more things to love about it. It’s a classic romance. I also cry every time I watch Rudy. It’s not a romance, but it’s an amazing story about success due solely to heart and perseverance. If that movie doesn’t teach you that anything is possible if you work hard enough at it, nothing will!

What books do you find yourself recommending over and over and over again?

I loved Flipped, The Hunger Games, Rainbow Boys, and Wicked Lovely a ton!

So many books come out each year, but are there any in particular that you are really looking forward to reading?

I’m really looking forward to the third book in the Hunger Games series.

Are you currently working on another project? And if it’s the next Perfect Chemistry novel, what can you tell us about Luis?

I just finished Return to Paradise, the sequel to Leaving Paradise. Now I’m doing research for the third Perfect Chemistry novel. It will be about Luis, Alex’s youngest brother. Luis is a good boy who doesn’t live with the angst that his big brothers have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams. When he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he’s never known to try and save her from herself. Just when he thinks he’s got life all figured out, Luis learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father? Oh, I can’t wait to sit down and write it! The sequel to Leaving Paradise is coming out in September and the third Perfect Chemistry novel is coming out in 2011!

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by Simone! I was more than a little giddy at the chance to chat with you about your books! And for some strange reason I'm suddenly feeling the strong urge to go and track down The Cutting Edge...

***************

Thanks to the marvy folks at Walker Books for Young Readers, I have a copy of both Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction to giveaway to a couple of lucky readers. For a chance to win one of these truly awesome books, just tell me who your favorite bad boy/good girl couple from literature (or film) is. Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you if you win and which book you'd prefer if picked. Sorry, but this contest is only open to residents of the US. Giveaway is open until Sunday, May 16th 23rd at Midnight.

Sorry, giveaway is CLOSED.

Literary Love: Winners!

And... welcome back to the Literary Love extravaganza finale! Whew! What a couple of romantical weeks we've had here at See Michelle Read - so many of you truly excellent folks nominated and voted for a positively awe-inspiring array of unforgettable bookish duos. Seriously, I am astounded. Although many of your votes were expected, there were quite a number of highly unexpected, yet totally perfect, nominations. Like Miss Scarlet O'Hara & Rhett Butler! And (my personal favorite) Junie B. & Hugh! I seriously want to give an award for the person that chose those two. And lots of love also goes to our marvy guest bloggers: Angie, Aimee, Brenda, and Rhiannon. I told you they would be terrific, didn't I?

So now onto the good stuff. You told me who you loved best* and believe you me, I listened. The Literary Love Winners from each of the following categories are...

::drumroll::

Classic fiction: Elizabeth Bennett & Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice
General fiction: Jamie & Claire from Outlander
Urban Fantasy: Kate & Curran from the Kate Daniels series
Young Adult: Gen & Attolia from the Thief seriesAnd your favorite couple of ALL TIME? The honors goes to Elizabeth Bennett & Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice

::thunderous applause::

The random number-izer has also spoken and the Winner of Ash by Malinda Lo is:

Chris of Book-a-Rama

Thank you, thank you (thank you!) to everyone who stopped by to make Literary Love just so astonishingly frickin' awesome - I know I had a blast and I hope you were able to sigh over some old favorites and discover some possible new ones too. I wish you all a supremely Happy Valentines Day full of chocolate, the best books, and excellent friends.

Happy Valentines Day!

*Want to see my super scientific method of tallying results? It's called the 'I'm up way too late writing shorthand on my kid's white-board' method.