I am soooo excited to have the opportunity to host this giveaway!! Thanks go to Sarah Daily at Terra Communications for offering up a copy of Garth Stein’s reissue, Raven Stole The Moon. Sarah does ask that the contest be limited to residents of the U.S. and Canada. I sure hope the person who wins this book loves it as much as I did! The story is really great and unexpected.
I want to make this contest a little challenging so when you leave your e-mail address in the comment section of this post also let me know what your favorite myth or folk lore legend is. Raven Stole The Moon is centered around a Tlingit Tribe spirit, the Kushtaka myth. One of my favorite stories from American folklore is the Legend of Sleepy Hallow and the Headless Horseman. So, share with us your favorite story and leave your e-mail address with it in the comment section of this post by Friday, March 19th at Midnight EST to win Raven Stole The Moon. Good Luck, Happy Reading & Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
Congratulations ladies! You have each won a copy of Philippa Gregory’s new novel, The White Queen. Please e-mail me your mailing addresses and I will forward your info to Kelly, Ms. Gregory’s publicist, so she can send your books to you. planetbooksworldwide@gmail.com
To the rest of you lovely people who stopped by Planet Books and took time to enter in this giveaway, THANK YOU. Keep checking back here because there are more book giveaways to come. (I used the list randomizer function on Random.org.)
Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.
The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills. – This text refers to theAudio CD edition.
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory kicks off a new series by the best selling and beloved author. This time the focus is on the famed “War of the Roses” or “The Cousins’ War.” The Houses of York and Lancastor battled for the throne of England between 1455 and 1487. At the time “The White Queen” takes place, King Edward IV of York’s reign. He privately married our heroine, Elizabeth Woodville, after a short courtship.
The historical fiction that Gregory produces is wonderful. It’s rich with storytelling and fact that has been blended perfectly together. I have never read any of Gregory’s novels before but I can say that she has struck a positive chord with this new book as she introduces her readers to a new reign in England’s history.
From the beginning, I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth. Her thoughts are strong and well written and her adventures from widow and mother to Queen of England and beyond held my attention. Kind Edward was five years Elizabeth’s junior and because he married for love (or lust, because Elizabeth wouldn’t go to bed with him until he married her) and not for an alliance between countries, this caused weakness in his personal and professional relationships that make for good drama. Of course there is heartbreak, romance and all the great aspects that are expected in a Philippa Gregory novel (I’ve read the reviews and seen the film adaptation of “The Other Boleyn Girl”). However, I did feel that the flow felt a bit like a non-fiction work at times but for the most part The White Queen was a good read.
Thank you so much to Philippa Gregory’s publicist Kelly at Touchstone-Fireside Books for inviting me to read and review The White Queen and for sending me my beautiful copy of the book. The cover art is exquisite! Kelly has also offered to giveaway two copies of The White Queen to two lucky winners/readers here at Planet Books. Please leave your name, e-mail address and the name of your favorite Philippa Gregory book so far for a chance to win. This contest will conclude on Friday, August 21st at Midnight, EST. Good luck!! You can check out Philippa Gregory’s websiteHERE.
The only guy who entered the giveaway has won the signed copy of Takako and the Great Typhoonas well as a little something extra I am throwing in. A pair of Shisa Lion Dog statues (small and perfect to set on a night stand or desk). Dave, I hope you, Mel and your sons enjoy Takako’s story!! I’ll send everything off to you by the end of the week.
Thank you to the rest of you who stopped by, read my Q&A with author Kelly Garcia and entered the contest. (I used Random.org’s List Randomizer to get the winner.) Remember that if you want to buy a copy of Takako and the Great Typhoon you can order it at www.ShisaStory.com.
I am so excited and pleased to introduce my friend, Kelly Garcia, and her new, independently released children’s book, Takako and the Great Typhoon. Kelly has lived in Okinawa, Japan with her husband for three and a half years. One year ago they welcomed their adorable baby boy into the world and with motherhood, Kelly set out on a literary adventure. The outcome is Takako and the Great Typhoon.
Kelly has joined us here at Planet Books for a Q&A session and has also donated a signed copy of Takako and the Great Typhoon for a giveaway. Due to the length of our interview, I am breaking up the Q&A into two posts. They will publish simultaneously.
First of all, Karen, since I know your passion for music I should share w/ you my play list as I sit responding to your interview questions:
Single Ladies, Freedom (George Michael), Smells Like Teen Spirit, Papa Loved Mama, Nuthin’ But a G Thang, Thank You (Dido), Praying for Time, Womanizer, Sabotage, What is Love? (Haddoway…remember that?!), Say It Loud, I Like (Montell Jordan), Say It Ain’t So (Weezer), Kenny Chesney.
Should give you an idea of what generation I’m coming from anyway. Okay, and onto the interview!
PB ~ I am so excited for you and your independent release of Takako and the Great Typhoon! Would you please tell us what the story is about?
Kelly ~ It’s the story of these two shisas (shisas being the lion-dog statues you find absolutely everywhere in Okinawa) that are brother and sister. Their names are Takako (Tah-kah-koe), the little girl shisa, and Nobu(No-boo) the little boy shisa. They live on a rooftop and it is their job as shisas is to stand guard at all times protecting their house from danger. But who the heck wants to sit on a boring ‘ole roof all the time? Not Takako. She sees all of these wonderful things going on in the village below and wants to jump in and join the fun. Nobu warns her that she would be breaking the Shisa Rule of working together and guarding the home if she left. (Boo! What a party pooper!) But Takako can’t resist temptation, follows a butterfly into the village and has a fabulous day…until, of course, something bad happens. The typhoon! That’s when the adventure really begins!
PB ~ How did this idea first develop and what made you think you could really make this happen?
Kelly ~ To be honest, I can’t remember how the genesis for the storyline originated, of the brother-sister shisas and Takako’s day in the village and the great typhoon. (Although I should mention my friend Kay gave me the idea of how to have Takako save the day in the end. Thank you Kay!) My real focus was to create a story showcasing the little moments that are representative of everyday life in Okinawa, Japan. In a way, the book is really selfish ‘cause it captures a very personal experience of Okinawa. For example, the tree on the back cover is a tree down the street from my house. The barbershop is around the corner. And the scene where Takako chases the pickup truck is the view from the back of my house.
It might sound silly, but I LOVE these little things. After I had my son, making the book a reality became more important to me because I knew that he would have no memory of any of this. We are living in Okinawa as a result of my husband’s work and our time here is limited to a few years. In fact, we are leaving this summer. I really wanted to be able to capture the feeling of love that this place has shown my son and my family, so that’s what this book is about. But, it’s an exciting adventure story too, not all mushy-mushy sentimentality, so I hope that even folks who’ve never heard of Okinawa can enjoy it!
I’m digressing from the question! –
Okay, when I began sharing the book idea with people and was met with such a sincere, enthusiastic response, I felt this project could happen. (Especially from my awesomely supportive husband!) When Carmen, the illustrator, signed onto the project I KNEW it would happen.
Karen @ Planet Books made this Shisa pair when she moved to Okinawa in '05 and took a pottery class.
PB ~ For those readers out there who haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Okinawa and may not be familiar with its culture, what is a “Shisa Dog?”
Kelly ~ It’s a statue that you see pretty much everywhere here. I can’t exaggerate the popularity of this figure to Okinawa. More popular than Starbucks in an American suburb, if that’s possible! In my neighborhood you can find them at every turn: on rooftops, on gateposts, by doorways, etc. They look like a mixture of a lion and a dog and often they come in pairs. When they are paired, one has a closed mouth (keeping in the good luck) and one has an open mouth (scaring off evil.) One is a male and one is a female. www.wonderokinawa.com has excellent information about shisa lore and history. It’s actually pretty interesting stuff. Also on my website, www.shisastory.com I’ll be posting a VERY amateur walking tour video of my neighborhood with tons of examples of shisas in it if you care to have a look.
(For the rest of our interview and the chance to win a signed copy of Takako and the Great Typhoon, check out the next post on Planet Books.)
{This is a long, lost review that I forgot to post in 2008}
Summary ~ Bachelor Degree:From Publishers Weekly In this brassy sophomore effort from Marks-White (Seducing Harry), divorced New York gallery associate Samantha Krasner, 38, has always been overshadowed by her rich, twice-widowed, art collector mother, Madeleine Krasner-Wolfe. To Madeleine’s delight, Samantha hits it off with artist de jour Blake Hamilton, though she urges Samantha to put the long-distance affair on the back burner and get things brewing with much-gossiped-about hottie gynecologist Spencer Gould. Madeleine sets her sights on Spencer’s also-gyno father, and schedules appointments for them (and a niece, too, for good measure)-with unexpected results. As Blake’s debut exhibit approaches, secrets and lies are unleashed that test all concerned. Though Samantha, who narrates, is meant to be witty and acerbic, she comes off as hard. And in light of the book’s theme of looking for love in the big bad city, the third-act scandal almost seems like a tacked-on after-thought. Marks-White does do a sterling job of name-checking the hangouts and proclivities of affluent New Yorkers (“When I dipped my fork into my lobster seasoned with vanilla and set on a cauliflower puree, I actually gasped”), which brings her brand of Manhattan to life.
Author Judith Marks-White has done it again. Her latest novel, BACHELOR DEGREE, is a fun romp in the chick-lit genre and offers the reader a glimpse into the sophisticated, cutthroat and appealing art scene of New York City. Samantha Krasner is an intelligent, highbrow and sexy woman who works for the most sought after art gallery in the city. After agreeing to show the new hot, up and coming artist, Blake Hamilton’s NYC debut show, she seals the deal by starting a hot and orgasmic filled relationship with the gorgeous British artist.
Working through the stresses of a long-distance relationship and then the equally challenging cross-town one, Samantha also has to contend with an overbearing and against-the-grain mother who only wants the best for her daughter, and herself, but has very odd ways of showing it. As the character get more and more entwined in each other’s lives, some people turn out not to be as they first appeared.
With twists and revelations that will shock the reader, BACHELOR DEGREE takes an interesting shift that makes it a unique read. It will grab your attention from the very beginning. Taking you on an insider’s tour of New York City’s finest restaurants, sometimes it felt like the meals where characters in their own right, the inner workings of putting together an all out gallery bash and place you right into Manhattan, one of the sexiest, most amazing cities in the world.
{Rating ~ 3.75 out of 5}
I am giving away my copy of Bachelor Degree. I received this book through Elle Magazine’s Reader’s Prize book review feature. My review of Bachelor Degree was submitted to Elle for possible publication and though it was not published, I still enjoyed the experience and opportunity of reading Bachelor Degree. If you would like a chance to win this book, please leave your name and e-mail address in the comment section of this post by Sunday, January 11th at midnight, EDT.
Congratulations Bebe! You have won a signed copy of Natahsa Bauman’s THE DISORDER OF LONGING. (I used Random.org to get the winning name.)
To everyone else who entered, and there were a lot of you, thank you so much for your readership here at Planet Books and for entering my contests. I wish I had a copy of the book for everyone.
This weekend was a good one for reading and stampin’. My knee has been killing me over the last few days so I’ve been laying low lately. I injured my knee in college while holding the position of goal keeper on the Shenandoah University Women’s Lacrosse Team for one season, and have been bothered by it ever since. A fall a couple of years later didn’t help things either. Well, I don’t know if its been the hot and humid Okinawa weather (that is FINALLY making way for cooler temps) or if there is a new problem I’m dealing with but I’m a hobbling mess this weekend. I had a few hours of relief yesterday, thanks to my amazing acupuncturist, but when I woke up this morning I realized that relief was short lived and the pain was back. Thanks to a friend I got my hands on some heat rub which has helped a little bit. Aleve is my new best friend too.
I know what you are thinking. “Why don’t you go to the doctor Karen?” Well friends, I did go on Thursday morning and was declined a referral to the Orthopedic doctor. Apparently in the military system (remember Hubby and I are civilians living in a military world) the only reason to see an Orthopedic doctor is to prep for surgery. At least I was granted the opportunity to get X-Ray’s taken, too bad they won’t be read till at least Tuesday due to the long weekend, and I will get copies of them and my medical records. I go home to D.C. for a friend’s wedding in two weeks and have made an appointment with an Orthopedic doctor (without a referral mind you!) and we’ll see what is going on in there.
In the mean time, I’ve been elevating my knee, reading Home Girlby Judith Matloff and working on my Christmas cards this weekend. I also posted a new signed book giveaway contest that you can check out HERE.
Did you do anything exciting this weekend? Please let me live vicariously through you until I’m back to normal, walking without a crutch, literally, and living life to it’s full potential again.
I have one signed copy of this intruiging novel to giveaway to a lucky winner this week. If you would like to enter to win The Disorder of Longingby Natasha Bauman, please leave a comment including your e-mail address below. This giveaway will conclude on Saturday, October 18th at Midnight, EDT. To be eligible for a second chance to win, just blog about this giveaway and include in your comment below the link to your post. If you do not have a blog, please e-mail three people about this giveaway and cc me on it. My e-mail address is PlanetBooksWorldWide@gmail.com. I promise not to use your friends e-mail addresses and will delete your e-mails as soon as I mark that I received them.
To read the first chapter of The Disorder of Longing and learn more about Natasha Bauman you can check out her website HERE.
Happy Hump Day! So, I’ve got another signed book to giveaway and this week it is The Summer of Naked Swim Parties by Jessica Anya Blau. Many of you may remember my reviewand Jessica’s hilarious guest post titled Motherhood & Celebrity Penises. Well Jessica kindly sent me a signed copy of her novel for this giveaway.
To enter this giveaway contest, please leave a comment on this post including your e-mail address. In addition please tell us a funny memory from the summer when you were fourteen. It can be short and sweet or you can take this opportunity to write about a memorable moment that has been haunting you or that you love to tell and elaborate on it. I will let Jessica know about this additional requirement in order to be eligible to win her book so she can stop by and check out your comments.
I will run this contest through next Wednesday, October 1st at Midnight EDT. I can’t wait to read your stories. Remember short and sweet or type till your hearts content!
Planet Books 
