Z Resurrected The Zombie Blog Tour [Interview with Dana Fredsti & Giveaway]

Today I’m excited to be part of the blog tour for a new zombie anthology Z Resurrected! This anthology is cool because it takes characters from the authors’ previous zombie books sometime after the books were set for an all new story! We’ve got 6 authors, 6 stops with author interviews or excerpts, and a bunch of zombie books to give away! Today I’m hosting Dana Fredsti, author of the Ashley Parker series, for an interview!

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Describe yourself in 6 words: 

Sword-slinging crazy cat lady wino.

Describe the book the story was based on in 6 words:

Buffy Meets the Walking Dead

How long after the book is your short story set? 

With the aid of flashbacks, part of it is set during the same period as Plague World, the third book in the series, and the rest a few days after the end of the same book.

What was it like to revisit the characters from your books?

I really enjoyed the chance to dive back into Ashley’s world. JT is one of my favorite characters in the series and there were scenes I wanted to write for the original trilogy that just didn’t fit the overall story arc (or the word count), so I was delighted to have a chance to tell one of those stories and get back into the heads of Ash, JT and Griff.

Are you ever frightened by the things you write? Do they keep you up at night?

Nope.  The sort of things that keep me up at night are more along the lines of not being able to pay rent, afford cat food, losing a family member to cancer… stuff like that.  Very little horror actually scares me any more, although I occasionally creep myself out.  More normal for me is writing something really disturbing (like the scenes with Jake) and giggling.  My husband worries about me.

What’s your favorite zombie movie/book?

Favorite movie is Dawn of the Dead (original) followed closely by Shaun of the Dead and The Dead. Favorite book would be Dead City by Joe McKinney, which was the first really good zombie novel to come out back before zombies were the new darling of the monster world, and the Book of the Dead anthologies edited by John Skipp and Craig Specter. My favorite series (giving you way more info than you asked for, I know…) are the Benny Imura YA books by Jonathan Maberry. I could really go on and on as far as books…

How about your favorite “bad” movie/book (your bio says you’re addicted to bad movies)?

Favorite bad movie as far as zombie movies… it’s a bad/good movie called Zombi by Lucio Fulci.  It’s got some incredibly bad acting/writing/camerawork, but it also has some of the most iconic and unforgettable shots and images out there.  I also love City of the Living Dead (another Fulci movie).  Favorite bad NON zombie movie?  Oooh, it’s a toss-up between The Room and Troll Two. 

Tell us about Ash Parker (for new readers, she’s the heroine in the Plague Town series).

At the start of the series, Ash is a 29 year old who’s been dumped by her college professor husband for one of his 19 year-old students. She decides to go back to college, and is trying to fit in with a younger crowd when the zombocalypse starts. She’s bitten, but instead of dying, she survives and becomes a wild card.  Wild cards are a very small percentage of the population who, if they survive the initial attack, are not only immune to the zombie virus, but also have enhanced senses and physical skills.  This makes them uniquely qualified to be in the front lines of the fight to save humanity. 

What’s your favorite part of writing about zombies?

There really is no downside. The whole experience is fun.  I’ve been a fan of the zombie genre since I saw the original Dawn of the Dead and its predecessor, Night of the Living Dead (before zombies were cool, thank you very much!). So writing about my favorite monster is like full time play time. 

What would your role be in the zombie apocalypse?

Hopefully a survivor.  Heh. I was on a panel with a fellow author, Mark Allan Gunnells, and he was asked the same question. His answer was “I’d be the guy who’s been bitten and hides it and then dies and turns inside the safe house.”  Our nickname for him is “BiteMark.”  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dana Fredsti is an ex B-movie actress with a background in theatrical combat (a skill she utilized in Army of Darkness as a sword-fighting Deadite and fight captain). Through seven plus years of volunteering at Exotic Feline Breeding Facility/Feline Conservation Center, Dana’s had a full-grown leopard sit on her feet, kissed by tigers, held baby jaguars and had her thumb sucked by an ocelot with nursing issues. Her other hobbies include surfing (badly), collecting beach glass (obsessively), and wine tasting (happily).She’s addicted to bad movies and any book or film, good or bad, which include zombies.

She is the author of the Ashley Parker series, touted as Buffy meets the Walking Dead, as well as what might be the first example of zombie noir, A Man’s Gotta Eat What a Man’s Gotta Eat, first published in Mondo Zombie edited by John Skipp, and more recently published as an eBook by Titan books. She also wrote the cozy noir mystery Murder for Hire: the Peruvian Pigeon, and is the co-author of What Women Really Want in Bed. She guest blogs frequently and has made numerous podcast and radio appearances. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and fellow author David Fitzgerald, their dog Pogeen, and a small horde of felines.

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Amazon

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Z Resurrected

Authors: Dana Fredsti, Tom Leveen, Joe McKinney, Eric A. Shelman, Mark Tufo, & T.M. Williams

Genre: Short Stories, Anthology, Horror, Zombies

Publication: Half Light Publishing; October 14, 2015

In this anthology, six horror authors revisit some of their most infamous zombie characters, resurrecting the undead. Contributing authors to Z Resurrected are some of horror’s best, who have each carved a distinct path in the world of zombies: Dana Fredsti, Tom Leveen, Joe McKinney, Eric A. Shelman, Mark Tufo, and T.M. Williams.

Find Out More:

ZResurrected.com
Goodreads | Amazon

THE GIVEAWAY

Dana is giving away a set of her Ashley Parker series paperbacks and you’ll also get a paperback copy of Z Resurrected. US only. Ends 11/5.

Check out the other tour stops!

Tom Leveen
Host: Tika @ Fangirl Confessions

Joe McKinney
Host: Ashley @ Books Blogging Beauty

Eric A. Shelman
Host: Emily @ Emily Reads Everything

Mark Tufo
Host: Nicole @ Boundless Bookaholic

T.M. Williams
Host: Bex @ Aurelia {lit}{geek}{chic}

Guest Post: Nicola Yoon, author of Everything, Everything (& Giveaway)

I am SO excited to bring you this super fun guest post from Everything, Everything author Nicola Yoon! If you haven’t heard the news, the rights to Nicola’s amazing debut have been optioned for film by MGM!! So freaking exciting! I asked Nicola if she’d tell us some of the songs she’d like to see on the soundtrack to the film. Plus, Nicola was nice enough to sign the copy of the book I bought when I met her at the Decatur Book Festival (she is SO nice) AND donated a copy of the EE audiobook for the giveaway, so you should definitely stick around to end of the post and enter to win it!

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I don’t listen to music while I’m writing​,​ but music definitely influences​ me​​​​. Usually when I’m writing a book, there are just a handful of songs or albums that I’m listening to on repeat. I’m a total lyrics person, so a particularly good lyric can really inspire me. For example, when I was writing EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING, ​I kept coming back to ​a few lines in Noel Gallagher’s “If I Had a Gun”​:

Hope I didn’t speak too soon
My eyes have always followed you around the room
‘Cause you’re the only God that I will ever need
I’m holding on and waiting for the moment for my heart to be unbroken by the sea

I love all​ the​ lyrics​ in this song, but it’s the “waiting for the moment for my heart to be unbroken by the sea” part that really gets me. It’s epic​. ​It’s a little bit mysterious. It speaks to a big, big love that can only be moved by something as vast as the sea. For me, it really encapsulates Olly​’s​​ feelings for Maddy.

I’ve always said if I could write a book that made you feel as intensely as a four minute song​ can​, I would be a very happy writer. Hopefully, I’m getting closer to this the more I write. Any type of art can influence any other, and inspiration can come from unexpected places. For me, music is definitely one of those places.

THE PLAYLIST

“​If I Had a Gun​”​ by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
​”​Pieces​”​ by Andrew Belle
​”​Four Minute Warning​”​ by Radiohead
​”​Videotape​”​ by Radiohead
​”​I Need My Girl​”​ by The National
​”​Graceless​”​ by The National
​”​Hannah Hunt​”​ by Vampire Weekend
​”​Rehab​”​ by Amy Winehouse
​”​This Place Is A Prison​”​ by The Postal Service
​”​Mezzanine​”​ by Massive Attack
​”​Angel​”​ by Massive Attack
​”​Extraordinary Machine​”​ by Fiona Apple

Unfortunately, the two Radiohead songs are not on Spotify, but you can find them on YouTube – listen to “Four Minute Warning” and “Videotape” for the full experience!

ABOUT NICOLA

Nicola Yoon grew up in Jamaica (the island) and Brooklyn (part of Long Island). She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and daughter, both of whom she loves beyond all reason. Everything, Everything is her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Goodreads

THE GIVEAWAY

There are two prizes (a signed hardcover and the audiobook); the first winner chosen by Rafflecopter will have their choice of the two and the second winner chosen will get the second prize.

Terms & Conditions:

• This contest is open to US residents only.
• The giveaway will run until October 22, 2015 at midnight CST.
• You must be 18 years or older, or have parents’ permission to enter.
• I will check all of the entries for the chosen winner. If any of them have been given and you haven’t actually done them, you will be disqualified.
• If the winner does not respond to my e-mail within 48 hours, I will choose another winner.
• I am not responsible for any items lost in the mail, and I cannot replace anything that is lost. I’m sorry.

Local MS Author Interview: Justin Harrison (& Giveaway)

Hi, lovelies! Today I’m featuring local, to me, author Justin Harrison, who self-published his debut novel SKUL last year – which is full of werewolves, soldiers, and lots of action! Check out the interview and let Justin tell you a little more about himself, his book, and his experiences self-publishing a novel. After you read the interview, be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY (yay giveaway!) to win a signed copy of SKUL. Also, don’t forget to check out SKUL on Goodreads and see what it’s all about!

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Describe yourself in three words. First off, Stefani, THANK YOU for the opportunity to talk a little about myself and my book, SKUL. I’ve been a fan of this blog for quite some time and have found several “next reads” while perusing your articles.  Secondly, ahhh, describing myself in three words is incredibly difficult, and I’ll not be throwing out any quirky words here that will force your readers to google their meanings.  I’m also assuming you don’t want something as mundane as short, fat, and bald?  Considering, how about 1) loyal, 2) unfiltered, and 3) dedicated.  And, of course, that’s not in any particularly order.

Describe your book in three words. Again, all but impossible, but I’ll try: 1) thriller, 2) spec-ops (I know, I’m taking a liberty with the word count here by using my friend, the hyphen), 3) werewolves.

Obviously, I could spend ALL DAY talking about SKUL as it excites me, and I believe in it.  But, you wanted three, so there they are.

Tell us how you got into writing. To be honest with you, there was not any one thing. It was a gradual process that started way, way back when I was in junior high, really.  I’m 39 now, so I’ve got some miles on me…not as many as some but definitely more than others.  You and some of your readers may remember the old gaming system, Nintendo?  I’m not talking about the stuff they have today, but the original system.  Not long after it hit the market, they produced a game called The Legend of Zelda.  By today’s standards, it is an archaic game, but the story that came with it sucked me in and never let go.  I can still remember sitting in class and trying to “write” a fantasy-type story to match Zelda.  They were horrible.  I mean, really, really bad, but I just enjoyed it in a strange way.  My writing that I do today is still influenced in some way, shape, and form by that first “game” story.

What was it like to self-publish a novel? What?  No word count?  I kid, I kid.  Self-publishing was both an awesome experience and one of the most nerve-shattering ventures I’ve ever undertaken.  Because it’s yours from cover to cover, you can either look like a champ or a chump when you release it to the public.  That bit of knowledge sat in my gut like a sliver of molten lead and forced me to do everything I could to do the best job possible.   Two very important things I did was get a group of beta readers to help with the editing and storyline along with finding an artist to put together my cover and blog art.  My friends James Madaris and Leighton Tate played an incredible hand in making SKUL as readable as it is.  Additionally, my friend and cover artist Marc Lee (look him up on Facebook as Coffee and Perspective) absolutely KILLED the cover.

To be good at your craft – whatever that may be – you have to study it, which I did in spades.  I read as many self-published works as I could.  There are a TON of great writers out there going the self-publishing route nowadays, so this wasn’t that hard.  The thing I found, however, was that many otherwise awesome works were hard to read for various reasons.  Most of these would have required simple fixes to greatly improve readability.  I worked hard to mitigate those mistakes.  SKUL ain’t perfect, no doubt, but I’m proud of what one man and a group of willing friends were able to accomplish.  My beta readers who I lovingly refer to as the Red Ink Army kick mucho booty.  Lastly, self-publishing and writing anything for anyone is a very humbling if not terrifying experience.  You’re basically splaying yourself open and showing the world your soul in a lot of ways.  I had to learn to accept the bad reviews for what they were – a chance for my craft to mature into a better product.

What were the best and worst things of the writing process? Best – without a doubt, developing the characters. The core group of five SKUL operators – Dane, Jed, Twitch, Tweeker, and Toad – I have come to know like old friends.  Creating their lives, dealing with their faults and short-comings, and intertwining their interactions as friends and teammates in a hierarchal, militaristic setting is, without question, the most rewarding part of the whole process.  Worst?  If I may take yet another liberty, can I use the term Hardest?  There’s really not a “worst” part of writing, in my opinion; but, there is a hardest part.  The hardest part for me is keeping the storyline both colorful yet crisp and fluid.  You may have noticed, but I don’t write anything short.  I can literally turn an old beer can in the woods into society’s microcosm of bilious wretch, eating away at its shell from within.  That’s pretty extreme, and I don’t really write like that, but you get the point.  

Tell us about your day job. By day, I’m a Bone Marrow Transplant pharmacist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. What that basically means is that I make a LOT of chemotherapy for patients throughout the hospital ranging from both solid tumor disease states to those with hematological/blood disorders such as ALL.  Not to be flippant but some of the stuff we have to mix/make kinda feels like you’re in Post-O.W.L.s Potion’s class.  How’s that for a tip o’ the hat to my main man, Harry Potter?  To be sure, it’s a great job albeit one filled with both sadness and elation in equal measure.  Honestly, there are a lot of days that I’d like to be out of that job; because if I am, that means we’ve finally kicked cancer’s ass.

Which writers inspire you? All of them. Seriously though, it’s really a smattering of the usual suspects – Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, and J.R.R Tolkein – plus some lesser known but equally righteous authors like Jim Butcher, Will Scott, Larry Correia, and Stephen Michael Fuchs. But, really, ALL OF THEM inspire me to some extent.

What’s been your best experience as an author so far? The first time (and, the countless times since) I was asked to autograph a book that I wrote was pretty damned cool. Stuff like that along with having folks from all walks of life come up and engage you in a conversation regarding your book, what you were after at ____ point in the book, or to simply ask when the second one will be published make the late nights, early mornings, and mere minutes of free time taken up with writing absolutely worthwhile.

What’s your favorite book? C’mon, Stefani…that’s like asking what’s better Miller Lite or Bud Light, New York or Chicago style pizza, Chevy or Ford when we all know the answer is a craft beer IPA served with a whooooole lotta “yes, please” to either style pizza. But, I do have a Ford with nearly 300,000 miles currently having its transmission rebuilt, so take all that with a grain of salt.  Really though, I can’t answer the question with any sincerity.  There’s just too many good-to-completely-awesome books out there to pick just one.  What I will say is I’m a certified Star Wars NERD and think of the Harry Potter series as ground zero for completely imaginative writing.  I know, I know, but here me out.  I grew up with the original Star Wars saga (don’t talk to me about how bad they missed the mark on the latest bunch).  When my friends were wanting to be Superman, Spiderman, or something equally ridiculous, I wanted to be a Jedi Knight.  Still do, as a matter of fact; so much so, I’ve read nearly all the Star Wars stuff out there and think the Darth Bane trilogy is an unknown gem with regards to the Old Republic ; particularly in reference to the dark path Sith Lords go down.  Ok, I admit revealing that might have cost me some cool points.  Likewise, what Rowling did time and time again – that being capture an entire world audience with her writing – simply amazes me.  And, I think she’s about to do it again.  Sooner rather than later, and I Can. Not. Wait!

Any advice to other self-published authors? Yeah…just write the damned book. What I mean is, don’t get bogged down and intimidated by sales or being told “no” by books stores.  They have a bottom line to meet, and with all the virtual media outlets these days, they aren’t prone to give a newbie a cut until the book is vetted by the public.  This is tough to do, and I’ve fallen prey to it, myself.  I’m not sure what I really expected with all this.  I mean, I know what I wished for – books flying off Amazon’s virtual shelf so fast they couldn’t keep up – but, that’s not realistic.  Not for a first-time author with no publishing house machine.  So, just write the damned book.

Write YOUR book, and take satisfaction in the fact you’ve done something a huge portion of the public would never – could never – do.

Oh…and, don’t skimp on the cover.

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SKUL is available to buy on Amazon!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justin Harrison is the author of the new militaristic thriller/paranormal fantasy series, SKUL. Long considered a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, he’s desperately hoping to change the trend with his writing.

He lives in Brandon, MS, with his beautiful wife, two awesome children, and two hard-headed Labrador retrievers; all who manage to tolerate his mindless ramblings and incoherent gibberish well enough to be labeled saints.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAY

Click on the photo below to enter the giveaway. It will run from July 30 – August 20 at midnight. Open to US residents only! I’m sorry but this book is HUGE and would cost like a million dollars to ship internationally!

Every Day a Hope by Marci M. Matthews + Giveaway

Every Day a Hope is an interesting little book. I really love what the book tries to get the reader to do. Here’s what Goodreads says it’s about:

Through tiny stories and illustrations, Every Day a Hope encourages and empowers readers to examine emotionally difficult issues, while instilling confidence, introspection, and creativity. In each page, Marci M. Matthews addresses familiar concepts in a unique manner, designed to evoke thoughts, feelings, changes in perspective, and the ability to embrace the positive. The concepts in Every Day a Hope are taken from Matthews’ work with survivors, but the book is accessible to anyone who wants to find new ways to approach life with a positive outlook. Accompanying pages encourage readers to embark on their own explorations by asking questions and providing space to draw, write, keep lists, and create in whatever ways inspire them the most.

In my own words, I’d describe Every Day a Hope as an interactive, coloring-book style, inspirational journal. Every other page or so, the reader/writer is given a prompt to write about – your hopes and fears, the things that make you happy or upset, things you want to change, etc. It’s written in a way to help you along your path to recovery or finding a new way to look at life.

Overall, I thought the book was really cool, but there were a few things that were weird. As a lover of language, I really don’t like when there is no capitalization in books. Not a single word in Every Day a Hope was capitalized and I wanted to cry. Thankfully, there’s punctuation. Some of the stories and illustrations felt a little cheesy, but I was mostly using the book for the prompts anyway.

These are two of my favorite pages because you guys know how much I love travel and I believe in learning at all times.

    

I was inspired by the book’s title to write a list of hopes for the coming year. I turn 25 this week, which just feels like a big year; I’m not sure why. Here are a few things I hope to accomplish before I turn 26:

– Move out. I don’t care if that means moving out of the state (which is what I really hope for) or just out of the house. I need to do it for me.
– Visit 5 places I’ve never been before.
– Learn a new skill. Last year I learned slash am still learning archery. The year before that was sewing. What can I learn this year?
– Volunteer somewhere. I used to do this a lot more than I do now. Find time to do it.
– Be kind. To everyone. No matter what.

GIVEAWAY TIME:

I’m giving away a copy of Every Day a Hope. I’m making it SUPER easy to enter. All I am asking you to do is comment on this post with a hope YOU have for the next year. Do you want to take a road trip? Read 50 books? Go to a book event? Learn something new? Finish school? Whatever it is you hope to accomplish in the next year – I want to know! You can gain an extra entry by tweeting about the giveaway – just leave a link to your tweet in the same comment as your entry, and I’ll enter your name twice when I do the random drawing!

US only (I’m really sorry, international friends!). Ends July 31, 2015 at 5 p.m. CST.

NOTE: I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Mindbuck Media for sending this book my way!

Caught Read Handed’s first blogiversary! (+ Giveaway!)

I’m so excited to announce that Caught Read Handed has turned 1! I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I started this blog, but I haven’t looked back once. I started Caught Read Handed during a need to stay occupied, but it was more than that. I have always reveled in talking about books (duh) and connecting with people over the books we’ve read and loved, and I can’t put into words how much I appreciate the community and people I’ve found through blogging. I’ve made some amazing friends, whether or not I’ve met them in person. You guys are my heart and getting to know you has been incredible. Here’s to another year of reading amazing books, discussing those books, meeting wonderful people, and all the other crazy, stressful, brilliant things that come out of book blogging.

I know that a lot of people usually share some stats in this section of their blogiversary post, but honestly, those stats always make me compare myself to others and I don’t want to do that to  myself or to you. Each blog is different and no one (no matter if you started at the same time) will have the same stats. So, instead, I’ll tell you that I’ve published roughly 102 book reviews, including novels (adult, young adult, and middle grade), audiobooks, comic books, and children’s books. I’ve participated in 48 Top Ten Tuesday posts and (I think) 40 Waiting on Wednesday posts. I’ve started the Bloggers’ Book Club, the #ReadingMyLibrary Challenge, and (along with Rachel and Brandie) the Babes and Books Reviews feature. I have an incredible support system in all of you, and I cherish every single one of your comments, likes, shares, and follows.

I started this blog for me, but I couldn’t imagine doing it without you. So I want to show you how much I love all of you by doing a giveaway! Two winners will each win a book of their choice from The Book Depository up to the value of $15 (USD), which means that this is an international giveaway as long as TBD delivers to you (you can check that HERE)! The giveaway will end on Sunday, April 26 at Midnight CST, so you have a whole month to enter!

Bout of Books Challenge – Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt

I am so excited to be hosting one of the first challenges of Bout of Books 12! This challenge is only open to read-a-thon participants, so make sure you’ve signed up!

It’s a bookshelf scavenger hunt!

Find a book with the following criteria on a bookshelf:
1. Find an author with the same initials as you
2. Find a book with the color yellow on it
3. Find an author’s name with the letter “S” in it
4. Find a book with a female protagonist
5. Find the longest book you own
6. Find a book with a map in it or on it
7. Find a book with a face on it (photograph or illustrated)
Bonus: Find something on your shelf that isn’t a book.

Here are my finds so you can see an example:

1. Samantha Shannon – My initials are SS. 2. Saints of the Shadow Bible. 3. J. J. Abrams – also, book is called S. Double win. 🙂 4. Isla from Isla and the Happily Ever After. 5. The Instructions at 1030 pages. 6. Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid. 7. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater. BONUS: My TARDIS. Also, my fairy lights. 🙂

YOUR TURN!

You can take your own pictures or use images you find online. Up to you. Stack ‘em up, lay ‘em all out, make a collage, use Goodreads, whatever. Find a book for at least four (4) of the prompts to be eligible for the giveaway. You can post on your blog, FB, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, etc. Then post the link, list, whatever in the comments of this post and enter the giveaway! Use hashtag #BoBScavengerHunt if you talk about your findings so we can see what everyone found!

If you have any questions, feel free to tweet me – @StefaniSloma

GIVEAWAY: One random winner will get a book of their choosing from The Book Depository for $15 or less. Giveaway is international as long as The Book Depository delivers to you. You can check whether TBD delivers to you HERE. The challenge and giveaway will close after 24 hours (12 AM CST on Tuesday January 6, 2015). I’ll contact the winner that day. Winner will have 72 hours to respond, after which I’ll have to choose another winner.

Make sure you check out today’s other challenge, New Year’s Resolutions, on The Book That… and have fun reading!

P.S. If you want another chance to win a book, why not enter my other giveaway for My True Love Gave to Me or $15 to TBD? 🙂

My True Love Gave to Me – GIVEAWAY

I am a big fan of giving. I like buying presents for people all year round, but obviously, this time of year brings out the giving in everyone. So I want to give something to you guys, who have given me such wonderful and really, really appreciated support on my blog. I love you all.

I’ve decided to do a giveaway for a copy of My True Love Gave to Me, which I reviewed on my blog through a series of mini reviews of all twelve stories. Here’s the links to all of my mini reviews from the book. Make sure you stick around for the giveaway at the bottom!

Rainbow Rowell’s “Midnights” – Such a wonderful way to start off the book. One of my favorites.

“The Lady and the Fox” by Kelly Link – Somewhat annoying writing style but pretty cool story

Matt de la Peña’s “Angels in the Snow” – This one kind of felt like a Lifetime made-for-TV movie. Just kind of cheesy and lots of drama and all that jazz.

Jenny Han’s “Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me” – A cute story with a sweet, hopeful ending but a whiny and spoiled main character

Stephanie Perkins’ “It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown” – SWOON. That is all.

David Levithan’s “Your Temporary Santa” – This story kind of made me feel melancholy even though it’s about Santa and Christmas.

Holly Black’s “Krampuslauf” – I liked the characters, the story, the magic, the uniqueness, the writing style, everything. One of my favorites.

Gayle Forman’s “What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?” and Myra McEntire’s “Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus” (in one review) – Surprisingly, I liked Gayle Forman’s story. Myra McEntire’s wasn’t one of my favorites but was still enjoyable.

Ally Carter’s “Star of Bethlehem” and Laini Taylor’s “The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer” (in one review) – “Star of Bethlehem” was forgettable and kind of stupid. “The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer” was one of the stories I loved the most for the epic fantasy aspect, but it did have its problems.

Alright, here’s the giveaway! Click on the picture below to be taken to Rafflecopter to enter. The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as long as The Book Depository delivers to you. Yay! You can check whether TBD delivers to you HERE. The giveaway will END on January 7, 2015 at Midnight CST. Also, because I know some of you have already read/own My True Love Gave to Me, you can still enter. If you win, you can choose a book from TBD/Amazon for $15 or less! ❤ you guys.

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY: A signed copy of Anna and the French Kiss

I am so excited to be doing my first ever giveaway on the blog! Recently, I went to the Decatur Book Festival, where I met Stephanie Perkins! She was lovely, and she signed a copy of Anna and the French Kiss for me to give away (Don’t worry. I checked that it was okay!) If you haven’t noticed, I loved all three books in this series: Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and Isla and the Happily Ever After – and by love, I mean completely fangirled over each book. The opportunity to possibly have someone else fall in love with them through this giveaway makes me so happy.

The giveaway will run until 5 p.m. CST on Monday, September 22, 2014 – three weeks from now. See below for how to enter!