Sunday, July 13, 2014

International Author's Day -Extravaganza of SIX giveaways!

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Giveaway Hop hosted by Book Reviews.  

So, to best understand my giveaway, you first get a little history lesson on my "Quest to Read" as I like to call it.  Please enjoy my Tale as I have many reward opportunities available after. 

It all started back in first grade.  Just after the holidays my family moved my halfway across country.. New School in the middle of the year.  Yuck!  Well I get to school and within a week my parents are called in...Apparently I was WAY behind the reading level of my fellow classmates.  Well, my previous school focused more on basic word recognition (Such as our name, our parents names, etc) but did not actually get to reading and phonics yet.  I was given what no child wanted to get.  Exra homework!  Thats right, I had to get me reading up to speed and FAST!  So every night without fail my parents read to me, with me and made me read to them until I could easily read by myself comfortably.  Now, at the time, I HATED the extra work.  I wanted to go play outside with the other kids, not be stuck sounding out icky words at the kitchen table!  

Second grade rolls around.  Not only am I caught up, but ahead of my classmates!  Guess all that summer reading paid off!  With this came a special privilege... Full access to the school library.  Normally we were stick picking and choosing from a very limited selection of books.  But since I was ahead, I could now read any book I wanted so long as I felt it was not too hard.  This opened up so much for me!  I loved the options to choose the types of stories and genres I might enjoy best.  

Third Grade was another turning point-I made a best friend named April.  Now April was younger than I was.  She had actually skipped a grade!  And she comes in and bumps me from my #1 spot....   Now we were friends so I didn't hold that against her, but I am very competitive and the idea of anyone being a better reader than me bothered me to no end.  So I pushed myself to read tougher and tougher books.  This continued over the next several years.  I read some amazing books during Third-Sixth grade.  Including The Chronicles of Narnia. The Chronicles of Prydain, Nancy Drew, Animorphs, Sweet Valley,   and many others.  Mainly fantasy and mystery were what I loved.

Seventh Grade- April was gone from my life (I still miss her and wish we had not lost contact) as her family moved away the year before.  However this year was a pivotal turning point in my reading.  That year I had the BEST English teacher EVER.  Ms. Schweinfurth.  She saw my love for the written world.  I guess staying after class reading or walking down the hall with a book in my face kind of gave things away... I do not remember when things heated up that year.  I think it must have been Christopher Pike.  I remember telling her I liked Fantasy but I also liked a good thrill.  That year, she introduced me to two amazing authors (well, their books at least.  Sadly I have yet to meet either one).  Anne Rice and Dean Koontz.  They gave me a love for the detailed world, the horror genre, and the psychological thrillers.  
A confession interruption:   At the time, I never fully realized what Ms. Schweinfurth did for me.  I just took it for granted.  I was in no rush either.  I htough I had time.  But when I left middle school, that year the district created a new rule that past studenst could not be on school premises for ANY reason without a parent.  Well, my parents would never take me back to my middle school.  So I never got the chance to thank you.  So even though I doubt she will ever see this- THANK YOU MS. SCHWEINFURTH, WHEREEVER YOU ARE!  YOU WERE AN INSPIRATION TO ME!

That summer, I also started reading John Grisham, John Saul and Stephen King.   From that year forward for many to come, I never (with 1 exception) voluntarily picked up another teen book again.  I was all into Adult books now.  Ones that can mess with you mind especially!  The other thing I came to love in middle School were Star Wars books!  I read 1 by Kevin J Anderson in sixth grade and within a year read his whole mini series, Timothy Zahn's trilogy and a few others.  To this day my Star Wars novels are a prized collection of mine.

The exception:  at the end of my Ninth grade, someone was talking to me about Harry Potter.  Now I knew nothing about this Harry Potter thing yet but he was reading The Prisoner of Azkaban.  I dind't know the title then but I remember him describing the Dementors.  Well, it sounded so interesting I just had to break my rule and give it a try...  I fell in love with the series starting that summer.  My parent bought me book 1 for me to read while visiting family.  By the time I got off the plane, I had finished and was begging my grandmother to take me to a bookstore for the next book!

Years pass, every time a new Harry Potter book came out I read it.  But otherwise, no teen books for me.  Adult or nothing!  I must be a "mature" reader (or so I thought at the time).  When I was 20 I made another exception.  Manga.....  I had enjoyed anime for years but I friend gave me a graphic novel saying I had to read it...One was not enough! Soon, I was addicted.  They were super fast to read and so much fun!

More years pass.  A couple friends hand me some books to read, literally begging me to read them.  One was Eragon, one Twilight.  These books started to draw me back into The Young Adult realm.  I was now mostly over my craze of having to read Adult only books.  Yet still embarressed about the idea of reading a book High Schoolers would read.  I mean, I am in my mid-twenties!  Why would I be reading Y.A?!  Or so I thought. 

And so the battle began.  And ended upon my intoduction to a new genre.  I was given a copy of The Hunger Games... Oh, dystopian fiction, how I fell in love with you!  And so I broke all my old rules and gave YA a real shot.  And never looked back!

Now I will read books for all ages.  Who cares how old I am?!  I read what I like.  One month may be lots of YA, the next adult horror and the next graphic novels.  And anything and everything in between.  The only rule I have now is to enjoy whatever it is I am reading and to try to share that love and passion with others!

And so as my story comes to a close (at least for the time being) I have several giveaways to share with you.   Basing these on my past interests that I bolded for you, I now have prizes to offer! 

Prizes are international as long as the book depository ships to you or I can get you an ebook copy of the book you want.  Prizes must qualify for the cost limits set for each prize.  

 Rules for the giveaways:
As always-Be Honest.  Entries will be verified-false entries will result in complete disqualification and I do check.  I am in between jobs so time is not an issue.  I cannot stand cheating!

Any comments or likes must be made on date of entry (previous actions do not count).  No unliking something to re-like it later!!  I keep very detailed spreadsheets of previous giveaway entries so I do know who has done what for the most part.  
Also be sure to include your rafflecopter name or email when you comment if it is different from your comment name.  So I know who you are.

Likes and comments:  If you enter for liking a review on goodreads, amazon, etc or enter for commenting on another post 1 like per day, 1 comment etc works for all 6 entries.  So if you go on Goodreads and like a review I wrote, enter that 1 review for all giveaways for that day.  Just be sure to like a different one the next day you enter.  Same with comments, etc. So, ultimately the giveaway entries can be used for all 6 of these on most entries! :)
 


The chosen winners will have 48 hours to respond once I have emailed them to claim winnings.

Please note: Their are SIX giveaways below plus a link list of other participating blogs!
HAVE FUN!! And be sure to check out my other giveaways 
(see upper right column for full listing)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 a Rafflecopter giveaway
  a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

65 comments:

  1. My favorite genre is mystery!!!

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  2. I'd love to choose Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. Thanks for the chance.

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  3. My all-time favorite genre is chick lit. Thanks for the second chance.

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  4. I experienced a major turning point in reading when I turned 10. My parents bought me J.K.Rowling's first Harry Potter book. After that, I know one can get lost in another world written on pages.

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  5. Star Wars' Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite. Thanks for the 4th chance.

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  6. "Cowboy Bebop" anime series the one of my biggest childhood memories. I'm still rewatching it from time to time.

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  7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green has been my favorite YA read this year. Thanks for the 6th chance.

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  8. Thank you for joining in the Celebration of IAD!

    My turning point in reading came when my parents introduced Satyajit Ray's works to my.

    Fantasy and mystery/thrillers are my favourite genre.

    If I win the middle grade giveaway, I would probably by THE FALSE PRINCE

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  9. I would pick a book by Tamora pierce but i'm not sure which one yet^^, also i was always a advanced reader as well ( but not sure what i read i middle grade as i can't be sure what it is in my country, teh system is different so i'm a little lost) i did read Bilbot the hobbit at 6^^;; ( and the official reads at school tened to make me hate reading as it was mandatory reads that were quite dark and depressing ( never one happy ending)

    my favorite starwar film is IV A New Hope

    honestly apart those you cited i can't think of a YA series i have read... i do think Divergent is YA ( but i still have to read book 1)

    and no matter what age we should always read what make us happy be it a children book when adult or a advanced read when a child.... it depends on everyone

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    1. i forgot to say that the genre i loved for the longest is urban fantasy ( fantasy) now i had paranormal romance as well sinexc i'm older^^
      thank you once again for your generosity

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  10. Besides mentioned, some of my favorite YA series are Divergent, Grisha, Vampire Academy, Unearthly (Cynthia Hand); The Darkest Minds (Alexandra Bracken), Daughter of Smoke & Bone..
    Thanks for a giveaway! :)

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  12. My all time favorite genre is fantasy! I love nearly all the sub-genres of fantasy but my favorite is probably high fantasy :) I loved Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking Trilogy which is a little more dystopian sci-fi than fantasy but it's by far my favorite YA series. The series that began my love for fantasy was Terry Goodkind's Truth Seeker series.

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  13. The genre that really changed things for me was Dystopian, I cannot stop reading books from this genre. I do have one question though, what do you mean in the first giveaway with Middle Grade book?

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  14. In middle grade, I really loved the Thoroughbred series! I love horses.

    I really love The Mortal Instruments series!!

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  15. I'm going to answer for the 3 I am going to enter in the same post.

    I'm not sure if this is my final answer, I plan on doing some quick research if I win, but the middle grade fantasy book I would ask for would be the first book in the percy jackson series...I have never read them...

    My absolute favorite manga series (is still ongoing) is Skip Beat!. I own every single book to date. I fell in love with the Kyoko, Ren, and all of the rest of the characters. I haves watched the anime of skip beat and enjoyed it, but I do wish they would continue it. I heard they were not going to...(T^T)
    My favorite anime is Inuyasha. I first discovered it at the library. They had the first 4 dads which is like the first 12 eps I think? So in my desperate need to finish, I suddenly found myself embarking on a 167 episode journey with the discovery of episodes online. Inuyasha was my entry into the amazing world of anime. Because of anime, the entirety of my 8-14 years are spent on the computer morning to night watching anime. I have watched over 200 full series of anime. Many of them pretty obscure. Because of how much I watched/watch many are surprised that I haven't watched the most popular like Naruto and Bleach.

    My favorite YA series is Tamora Pierces Protector of the Small Quartet. Hook. Line. Sinker. Fell in love and never looked back. Really wish I could have read in order though. When I picked up the first in that series I didn't realize the relations with the others, like the Song of the Lioness, which comes before Protector of the Small.

    Sorry for a huge post. I got carried away on the anime part...^^;

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    1. My favorite genre is romantic, and favorite YA serie is Hoppeles.
      My best starwar movie is Shatterpoint :)

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  17. I love both manga and anime ^_^
    Because I'm simply love anything about Japan..
    My current favourite is Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)

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  18. The Hunger Games also introduced me into dystopian and when I was younger I also read Harry Potter, Narnia and Twilight.
    I would choose... well, I'm not sure, I'd probably ask you for recommendations.

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  19. I don't really have a specific favorite genre, but I love summer/beach reads. I will read anything that includes a beach! :)

    The author that was a turning point for me was Bailey White. I love her books and have read most if not all of them!

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  20. I love to read too much to have only one specific genre as a favorite. Basically, paranormal romance, fantasy, dystopian- those are my favorites.

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  21. I love to read, so my favorite genre is probally paranomal but i like many types, i read adult and ya and anything really.
    My favorite ya series is Twilight but I can't use that so next is one I just read and really liked and is Alice in zombie land by Gena Showalter. last book comes out in september and has been great so far.
    I guess reading has always been big for me but there was two turning points for me first when i read Dean Koontz The Watchers, That was the first book I was so hooked on that I just could not stop reading and then became a reader like crazy.
    next was twilight series because it is what got me into paranomal and that i love now. I have not read the more current Dean Koontz books and would love too, or stephen king and have also not read hunger games yet so these giveaways are so great thank you

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  22. My favorite genre is young adult. The author who changed reading for me was VC Andrews. I was young when I started reading her books, and they are what made me advance to such books as The Color Purple and The Suitcases. Those books were life changing for me.

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  23. Hmmm...I have more than one so I hope that is ok. I love horror (especially zombies, although they freak me out with the moaning and numbers) urban fantasy, paranormal romance. I will read any YA that falls under these categories. I AM NOT ASHAMED!

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    1. A major turning point was VC Andrews Flowers in the Attic. I was in 7th grade, and I don't think my mom realized how adult that book was. Prior to that I read mostly light romantic fiction like my mom, but once I read Flowers, that was it! My mom had never censored me on what I read or what movies I watched, and for that I will be forever grateful. Love and miss you momma!

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  24. My all time favorite genres are paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Thanks for the great giveaway!

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  25. The Harry Potter series was my favorite read in Middle School.

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  26. A turning point in my reading happened when Anne Rice introduced me to paranormal romance with her novel Interview With a Vampire.

    My favorite Star Wars movie was the first, Star Wars Episode IV.

    One of my favorite YA series is the Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

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  27. I like the manga series SHOUT OUT LOUD!, and I miss the American manga ATHENA.

    Trix, vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com

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  28. M/M romance is my favorite genre!

    THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is my favorite STAR WARS movie (though I do love Ewan McGregor).

    Discovering m/m romance was a big turning point, since romance novels never appealed to me before that.

    LM Montgomery's EMILY OF NEW MOON series is a classic!

    Trix, vitajex(at)Aol(Dot)com

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  29. In the middle grades, I liked humorous books and mysteries!

    Trix, vitajex(at)Aol(Dot)com

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  30. In junior high, I was obsessed with Twilight, I had shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, the books. For my Christmas gift, my grandparents took me to Forks (since I live in Washington). This led my to reading paranormal YA and many vampire books.

    One of my favorite YA series is The Girl of Fire and Thorns.

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  31. Harry Potter! Read it every year, and everyone made fun of me for it!

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  32. l started taking reading seriously after Harry Potter during middle school

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  33. I have been reading and watching One Piece religiously

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  34. I did like Twilight; right now I'm reading The Testing series. Its been spectacular.

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  35. Mine would be the Vampire Academy series :)

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  36. Which Star Wars movie was my favorite... wow that is ALMOST like asking a mother to pick her favorite child... I will have to go with New Hope... my answer will change if you ask later though haha!

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  37. Stephen King was actually a major turning point for me, once I got into my first book of his I started devouring books

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  38. I grew up with a love of books and dragons thanks to The Hobbit! Another favorite was (and still is) Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris!

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  39. Don't really read YA, so no fav

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  40. like Pokemon
    Star Wars return of the Jedi
    Jane Austen
    I like contemporary books.
    I liked Jane Austen books in school.

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  41. I'm more into anime and one of my favorites is Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.
    bituin76 at hotmail dot com

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  42. If middle school you mean by around 12 or 13 I used to love Enid Blyton!

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  43. What is your all time favorite genre(s)?
    My favorite genres are Paranormal, PR romance and Erotica :D

    -Sam Harlow

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  44. Favorite anime or manga series? Let me know if it is anime or manga or both that you like.
    I prefer Manga over Anime, but I do like both. My favorite Anime is Inuyasha and my favorite Manga is Keroshitsuji -- Black Butler.

    -Sam Harlow

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  45. What is a favorite YA series of yours (besides any mentioned in this post)?
    Well, besides HP and HG I've also really liked the Witch and Wizard series by James Patterson.
    -Sam Harlow

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  46. One of my favorite series is Shatter Me. I also love Curse Workers as well.

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  47. The original Star Wars, Episode IV, was my favorite.

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  48. James Patterson is the one author that changed my reading.

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  49. My favorite Star Wars movie is Attack of the Clones.

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  50. I loved any Sharon Creech book when I was in middle school.

    My favorite genre is definitely fantasy romance.

    The author that made a turning point in my life was Libba Bray. The Gemma Doyle trilogy was my first young adult series that I felt could really make the genre special.

    My favorite Star Wars movie is probably the Clone Wars movie.

    I think my favorite comic series is Shazam/Captain Marvel by Geoff Johns.

    One of my favorite YA series is the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.

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  51. My favorite genres are new adult and paranormal. Major turning point in my reading was Twilight. I started reading paranormal books after that. I used to only read contemporary young adult novels before.
    Stars Wars movie was my favorite one.
    My all time favorite manga was Sailor Moon, but I prefer anime version.
    My favorite young adult series is The Vampire academy (Richelle Mead).

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  52. "What is your all time favorite genre(s)? Full sentence please!"
    I love Romance and all the subgenres in it. Currently really loving New Adult and Dark Romance

    "What author or genre was a major turning point for you in reading? Or when in your life did you experience such a thing"

    That would be JR Ward, it really got me loving paranormal romances.

    "What is a favorite YA series of yours (besides any mentioned in this post)?"

    My fav is Vampire Academy!!

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  54. My favorite genre is fantasy, i love books like harry potter or percy jackson or more epic fantasy like brandon sanderson or neil gaiman, love too Juliet Marillier or Tamora Pierce

    I Middle School I love all about Harry Pottter and The Chronicles of Prydain, love you live Prydain too, not many people know about the saga u.u

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  55. I love either horror or dystopian. Dean Koontz is a favorite author of mine.

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  56. I love reading middle grade, my favourite books are The Percy Jackson Series and The Hero's Guide series by Christopher Healy. I think my turning point in reading was stumbling on young adult, John Green played a huge role in introducing me to the genre as well as book blogs and goodreads. Anime series I love: Fullmetal Alchemist, both series and the manga as well as Gintama, Monster, Death Note, Kuragehime, Cousin, 7 Seeds and Beelzebub manga. I've read so many manga, I've lost count.

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  57. I in middle school I loved to read the Harry Potter series. I'm not sure which middle grade book I would pick but maybe Percy Jackson.

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  58. My all time favorite genre would probably be YA paranormal romance.

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  59. Stephanie Meyer and her books were a major turning point in my reading. Her books got me hooked on YA paranormal which is now my favorite genre. I first read Twilight back in high school before the Twilight craze came about. I'm not ashamed to say that I still love these books!

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