Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop

Welcome to Banned Books Week! I love reading banned books. My favorite banned book is The Color Purple by Alice Walker. I don't know if  it's because of the mystique of the book being banned or is it just the rebellion in me to go against the grain. So what's all the hoopla with Banned Books Week?

Well, September 30th through October 6th, marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week which is an annual endeavor to bring awareness to the issue of censorship. The occasion is sponsored by various organizations, including booksellers, The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, The American Library Association and the American Society of Journalists and Authors. People all over the country will observe this special observance in many ways, including discussions, panels, forums, public readings and yes...blog hops.

In my support of Banned Books Week, I'm participating in a giveaway. It runs from September 28 - October 6th, 2012. It's open to U.S. residents and international participants.

Rules:
Fill out the rafflecopter form.

Up for grabs:
(1) $20 Amazon gift card or up to $20 in purchases from the Book Depository.

Thanks to I Read Banned Books and I'm A Reader, Not a Writer for hosting this hop. Don't forget to hop on over to the other blogs participating and hosting their own giveaway. There are nearly 150 blogs offering free items for their giveaway. For a list of the blogs participating, click HERE. Or scroll down for a complete list. a Rafflecopter giveaway

BlogFest 2012 Giveaway Hop

Today marks the 3 day event of BlogFest. It's a hop where blogs come together and go from blog to blog discovering new bloggers. And each time you go to a different blog, there is a chance to win a giveaway or prize. The difference between this hop is each blog links to the five blogs listed below them on the hop list and we encourage you to visit atleast those five if not all on the list. It's really a lot of fun and a great way to learn about new blogs.

Up for grabs:
I'm giving away a $10.00 Amazon gift card or up to $10 in purchases from the Book Depository. Giveaway runs from September 28-30, 2012.

Who can enter: 
Giveaway is open to U.S. and international participants.

How to enter:
Fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Next five blogs on the list:
Lille Punkin
1099 Mom
Lyn Styles
Star Shadow Blog
Life on the Edge...Appalachia

For a complete list of ALL the blogs participating in the hop click HERE. The more blogs you visit, the more chances you'll have to win a great prize. Please check out the other giveaways that I have on my blog as well. Links to those giveaways are in my sidebar, just click on the photos.
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Wordless Wednesday w/ Linky

                                           

Would you play tennis this high up? In 2005 a helipad 650 ft above the ground on top of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates was temporarily converted into the world's highest tennis court.

Don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday photo to the linky below.

Sheer Good Fortune with Toni Morrison...I'm Going!

Remember when I said I'd explain later why I was rereading all of Toni Morrison's books? Well, I'm headed to the Sheer Good Fortune celebration at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA on October 16, 2012. I'm overjoyed. I cried, I did a happy dance, I clapped like a two year old at a birthday party. I did it all! But wait...there's more. This event is being hosted by none other than Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni. Yes, reread that again, while I have a praise dance moment.












There are three people in this world that I've always wanted to meet, Oprah, Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. I had four which included Nikki Giovanni, but I've met her several times since then, so that dream has come to fruition. But being able to see two more amazing women I admire is overwhelming to say the least. Let's just pray Oprah makes a surprise appearance. That would definitely be a cause for an additional praise dance at the event.

For all of you that may not know, Toni Morrison is an American novelist, editor, and professor. Among Morrison’s best-known novels are “The Bluest Eye,” “Sula,” “Song of Solomon,” and “Beloved.” She won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993 and in 1988, the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for “Beloved,” which was adapted into a film starring Oprah Winfrey in 1998. In 2006, a survey of writers and literary critics by The New York Times ranked “Beloved” as the best work of American fiction for the past 25 years.

(clockwise) Joanne Gabbin, Nikki Giovanni and Maya Angelou

I was fortunate enough to get extra tickets and I'm taking nine of my beautiful girlfriends. So we are going on a girls road trip, some are driving and others are flying in. And we are going to have ourselves a grand time. I will also be able to ask Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni and professor Joanne Gabbin some questions, along with the other media. So what I want you all to do is post questions in the comment section that you think I should ask. I'll admit, I'm extremely nervous and I don't want to forget to ask something I'll later wish I had.

Of course, I'll report back on how the event went. Of which I'm sure I'll have all great things to share. What are the odds of ever seeing these three women in the same room at a public event again? I'm still in shock. Wish me luck! I'm just praying I don't get tongue tied.

When Seasons Change Giveaway Hop

One of my favorite seasons is Autumn. I love to see the fallen leaves in hues of orange, red and brown scattered across the lawn. The smell of pumpkin spice and apple cider wafting through the air brings a sense of comfort to me. So to celebrate the seasons changing, I'm participating in the When Seasons Change Giveaway Hop. It's open to U.S. residents and International participants. I like to give away gift cards so people can choose what they like and since the holidays are approaching I figured I'd add Target and Walmart to the list for U.S. residents. Giveaway runs from September 21- October 4, 2012.

Rules: Fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Up for grabs: (1) $25 Gift card to Amazon, Target or Walmart or up to $25 in purchases from The Book Depository.

Fun fact for Autumn: Many people think that the leaves turn color but this is not true. The leaves are actually the colors we see in the fall. The reason that the leaves are green is because they are full of chlorophyll.

Thanks for stopping by and good luck in winning. Don't forget to hop on over to the other participating blogs in this giveaway hop. Each blog hosting a giveaway has a gift with at least a $25 value. That's a great gift, so hop on by and increase your chances of winning something, it could make a great holiday gift for you or someone else. For a list of participating blogs, click HERE or scroll down to the bottom of the post for a complete list. Thanks to And the Little Ones Too and Taking Time for Mommy for hosting this hop.
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Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop. Since the theme is stuck in a good book, I'll share what book I'm currently stuck happily reading. I'm currently reading Home by Toni Morrison. I've always enjoyed reading Toni Morrison's novels and this one is no exception. My goal is to reread all of her books within the next couple of weeks, I'll explain why in an upcoming post. But this is a worthy reading challenge and I'm up for the task. So in honor of my being stuck in Toni Morrison books, I'm participating in Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop.

Rules:
Fill out the rafflecopter form. All options on the rafflecopter are optional.
Giveaway is open to U.S. residents and international participants.

Up for grabs:
(1) $10 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of a Toni Morrison book OR up to $10 in purchases from The Book Depository.

Don't forget to hop on over to the over 120 other blogs participating in this hop. Click HERE for a list of the other blogs are scroll down to the bottom for a complete list. Special thank you to Stuck in Books and I Am a Reader, Not a Writer, for hosting this hop.

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Wordless Wednesday w/ Linky

By Slawek Milanowski

This photo evokes so many feelings for me. I can remember being a single parent with my oldest daughter and walking to the grocery store because my car had broken down. I walked a mile to the grocery store, carrying my 18 month old toddler on my hip and three or four bags in my other hand. It's amazing what moms and dads go through for daily survival. And now when I look at my daughter, who is now a college sophomore, I get overwhelmed with joy and elation. She probably has no inclination to the trials and tribulation I faced as a young, newly divorced single mother, but I think that's what good mothers do, we shield them from the harshness of our everyday struggles and we give them the best we have to offer. I also look at myself and think girl....we have come a mighty long way. :)

So what do you get from this week's photo writing prompt?

Don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday post to the linky below.

KaPow! I'm a 5 Time Black Weblog Award Nominee

I've been happy dancing for some time. As I mentioned before, I was on hiatus this past summer due to health reasons. But in the midst of my recuperation a lot of positive things happened. I was nominated for an African American Literary Award for my book, If I Had My Way. I won't find out if I've won until the awards ceremony being held in New York on September 27, 2012. Keep your fingers crossed and wish my good luck. I also want to thank ALL of you that took the time to vote for me. I truly appreciate the love and support.

I have also been nominated five times for the Black Weblog Awards. I am nominated in the following categories: Best Book or Author Blog, Best Blog Post Series, Best International Blog, Best Personal Blog and Best Blog for Writing. You can win an award two ways, by judges vote and by public vote. Public voting began on September 15th and you can cast your vote for me on the Voting Ballot.

The BWA was founded in 2005 to give recognition to Black bloggers (and those of the African diaspora) which were largely overlooked by other Internet award events online. What started out as a barely-known event has now grown into an international showcase. With participants from over 90 countries, the Black Weblog Awards stands out as one of the most widespread Internet award events for Black bloggers.

To date, the Black Weblog Awards has recognized nearly 180 blogs in over 30 categories. The Awards has also been featured in several mainstream and online media outlets, including NPR, CNN, and others. Winners of the Black Weblog Awards have also went on to appear in other media outlets, like MSNBC, the Huffington Post, BET, and many others.

A big thank you to those that nominated me, those that voted for me and those that will vote for me. I couldn't have gotten this far without your support. A humongous hug from me to YOU!!!

Fall Into Books Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Fall into Books Giveaway Hop. This hop runs from September 17 -30, 2012. Each blog participating is hosting their own giveaway with a minimum $10 value. So join us as we hop from blog to blog, entering giveaways and increasing our chances of winning.

Rules:
Giveaway is open to U.S. residents and International participants.
Just fill out the rafflecopter form to enter. You can fill out as many options as you like or as few. All entries are optional.

What's up for grabs?
(1) $20 Amazon gift card or up to $20 in purchases from the Book Depository.

Don't forget to hop on over to the other blogs participating in the hop. For a list of other blogs, click HERE. Or scroll down to bottom of the post. Thanks to Literary Addicts for hosting this event.


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Thanks for participating!

Finding Time to Blog When You Don't Feel Like It

I know some bloggers who blog only when they get the creative urge. This may not be the best way to have a healthy blog however. So what do you do when you know you need to blog but you don't feel like it? Well, this past summer I felt just like that. I physically could not blog due to health reasons but once I began to feel better, I didn't have the urge to blog. I had lost my mojo. :(

But then I thought about my readers and all the effort I had put into my blog. I've only been blogging 18 months and I've made some good headway. Did I really want to throw all that hard work away? Heck no! So I started slowly with my Wordless Wednesday posts. How hard could it be to post a picture once a week? I didn't need to write lengthy paragraphs or new catchy titles each post, I just had to find inspiration in a photo. And when I found that inspiration, it began to inspire me to get back to writing and blogging.

There are times when we have to do things we don't want to do. Blogging can be one of those things. If you wait for motivation, you may be waiting a very long time. My suggestion is start slow, ease back into it if you have to. Just write something. You can also try scheduling your post in advance. When you do get the urge to blog, write until you have exhausted your creative mojo. Make it work for you. Sometimes I'll sit in a cafe and I'll write up to six posts in a day and I'll schedule them over a two week time period. This helps because "life happens" in the midst of my daily routine and I like to be prepared. It helps alleviate the stress of feeling like I'm rushing or that I'm failing in my endeavors if I happen to skip several days without blogging.

Beware, sometimes your readership may dwindle due to your absence, but I want you to blog anyway. Once you get back into the habit of being consistent, your readers will know that you are back to business and hopefully they'll come back. You can also gain your readership back by stopping by their blogs and saying hello or just commenting on one of their recent posts. It's let them know you have come back to the blogosphere.

So my best advice as to what to do when you've lost your blogging mojo? Find it. And while you'll searching for it, visit other blogs and continue to blog anyway.

Wordless Wednesday w/ Linky

I know this is Wordless Wednesday, but I was reading this New York Times article and had to share.  I think this photo and this invention is amazing and I was truly touched at the advancements made in technology to help others.

This is a photo of a woman in Africa using the LifeStraw. A water purifier that makes dirty water clean.  According to the New York Times article, LifeStraw, produced by the Swiss company Vestergaard Frandsen, was designed for the poorest of the poor. The personal version works like a chunky drinking straw and can filter about 1,000 liters, enough to keep a person hydrated for a year. The family version — which looks something like an IV drip that ends in a water cannon — can purify 18,000 liters, serving a typical family for about three years.

Until now these filters have mainly been given away through aid groups aftersuch disasters like the Haitian earthquake and in chronically poor countries like Mozambique and Myanmar. Nearly a million of the family-size LifeStraw have been donated in Kenya alone this year. In exchange, the company will receive carbon credits for reduced emissions from wood-burning fires often used to boil water.

Now this photo can still be used as a writing prompt. When I first saw it I was inspired to write and began writing a short story. I instantly thought this has got to be life changing for her and her family. What did this do for her community or village? Just so many questions. 

What are your thoughts?

Don't forget to share your Wordless Wednesday photo by linking up below.

Books to Movies Giveaway Hop

My name is Lena and I'm a bookaholic. I'm also a movie addict. Add the two together and on any given weekend you have a certified couch potato. I have many favorite books to movies, but my favorite would have to be The Color Purple. I can literally quote the entire movie or perform a one woman show of the movie with proper dialect and costume changes if need be. My other favorite books to movie would be Forrest Gump, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Hunger Games, Sophie's Choice, Push (titled Precious for film) and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf (titled, For Colored Girls for film). So to highlight my favorite books to movies I'm participating in the Books to Movies Giveaway Hop, it will run from September 11-17, 2012.

For this giveaway I'm offering:

(1) $20 Amazon gift card and one copy of any of the film titles I listed above. 

If you are an international participant, you can choose up to $20 in purchases from the book depository, but your selections must be books that have been made into movies. 

Rules: Fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Giveaway is open to U.S. residents and international participants.

There are nearly 100 other blogs participating in this giveaway hop with their own giveaways up for grabs. Hop on over and enter their giveaways as well. Click HERE for a list of the other blogs participating. A special thank you to Sweeping the USA and I Am a Reader, Not a Writer for hosting.

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Carmen Davenport Interview by Author Vogue

Vogue, born April L. Blanding, is a 2007 graduate of Winthrop University possessing a Bachelor's degree in Social Work. Born and raised in Greenville, SC, Vogue moved to Rock Hill, SC in 2003 to attend Winthrop University and decided to make it her home after graduating.

Upon entering college, she began focusing her attention on songwriting, but eventually birthed the idea of The Diamond Collection. In 2003, she challenged herself to write ten novels with the first being Diamonds in the Rough, which was not completed until 2007.

In March of 2010, Vogue signed with Passionate Writers Publishing to release her first novel, Diamonds In The Rough. Currently, she is writing and editing Black Diamonds, the fourth book in the series.

Carmen Davenport is living the American dream. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she has anything that a twenty-one year old college student would want. This includes an inheritance to one of the most lucrative clothing companies in New York. The only thing missing is love until she lays eyes on Jay Santiago, a Puerto Rican drug lord. During their courtship, Carmen learns that Flame, Inc. is headed towards a downward spiral. Too ambitious to allow her dream to go down the drain, Carmen begins pulling at all lifelines to save her company. Putting aside everything she’s ever believed in, Carmen soon finds herself entangled in a web of lies, betrayal, and crime.

Character Interview with Carmen Davenport

Vogue: When we are first introduced to you, you come across as a sheltered young woman with strong values and morals until you become romantically involved. Why do you believe that some women, including yourself, allow themselves to sink so far into a relationship that they sometimes lose themselves?

​Carmen: Well, first off, I don’t believe that the decisions that I made were a direct reflection of the relationship I was in. My boyfriend was a drug dealer, but he wanted to protect me from his business not get me involved. Being twenty-one years old, I know right from wrong and am able to make my own decisions even if I don’t always make the right choices. However, with some women, there is the fear of being alone, which forces them to stay in unhealthy situations. Everyone wants to be loved and feel accepted, which is why some women believe that a part of a man is better than no man at all. Those are the women who run the risk of losing themselves because of their relationship.

Vogue: So what kind of influence did your boyfriend have on you if you don’t think it was negative? Let’s keep in mind that you were dating Jay Santiago who ran one of the biggest drug cartels in America.

​Carmen: Jay showed me a different side of life. My parents kept me protected from everything. I grew up in a wealthy neighborhood and all I knew was school and church. When I met Jay, he shared things with me that I thought only happened in the movies. He had seen so much starting at an early age that a lot of things were second nature to him. It is because of his childhood that he has anger and trust issues. When I betrayed him, these issues just went to a level ten. To be honest, I had more of a negative effect on him than he did on me.

Vogue: Well, did he influence you business-wise? You both are entrepreneurs. You inherited your mother’s clothing store, Flame, and he owns a club, Sapphire, which are both located in Brookstone, New York. What advice do you give to people who are looking to be their own boss?

Carmen: ​The first thing I generally tell people is that you have to be an ambitious and determined individual. That is a given. That is also something that Jay taught me. He wanted to see me work harder for the store, which is why he refused to give me any money or become a silent partner. You also have to know your market. Fashion and trends change all the time. You have to keep up with it and study your craft. As long as you keep giving quality product and service, the people will come.

Vogue: Inheriting a failing business that was headed to bankruptcy had to be hard. You said that all you knew growing up was school and church. Where was your faith during this time? Was it nonexistent?

Carmen: ​You can describe it as being nonexistent. I was blind during that time. All I saw was the goal I was trying to reach and I got lost in this new world I was experiencing. There were times when I did think about what I was doing and I told myself that I was going to stop. I just never did until it was too late. Now that I think about it, I didn’t have any faith. I took matters into my own hands instead of waiting on God. From going through that experience, my faith has definitely grown. If it wasn’t for God, I wouldn’t have made it out.

Vogue: What do your parents say about your current situation?

​Carmen: Initially, they were very upset because they knew they raised me better. They had moved to Dallas so they were unaware of everything I was involved in. My mother did have her suspicions, but she never expected for things to end like it did. Since, I’m their only child, they supported me, but I knew I had disappointed them. Right now, I’m just working to gain back their trust.

Vogue: Speaking of trust, you said your actions affected your boyfriend’s trust issues. Where does your relationship stand right now with Jay? Are you working to gain back his trust?

Carmen: Due to our current situation, we do not speak. We don’t have any communication. I would like to apologize and have a conversation with him, but at the moment, it is not possible.

Vogue: What do you want people to get from your story?

Carmen: I don’t want people to view my story as the answer to how they need to reach their goals and dreams. I don’t want people to make the same mistakes that I did. I don’t have any regrets because all of my experiences have helped me to make me a better person, but I will never people to do what I did. I want people to see my ambition, take that, and use it in a positive manner.

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What do you think of Carmen Davenport? 

Diamonds in the Rough can be purchased from:
Passionate Writer Publishing
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Books A Million
Vogue’s official website: www.simplyvogue.net

Raymond Clark Interview by Denise Turney w/ Giveaway

Denise Turney, has over 36 years of writing experience. She is a full-time writer whose works have appeared in: Essence, Ebony, The Network Journal, Madame Noire, Bahiyah Woman, Today's Black Woman, Parade, Sisters In Style, Your Church Magazine, and Modern Dad Magazine to name a few. Denise has spoken at major festivals, conferences, colleges and universities, including Black Herstory, Spelman College, Emory University, Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Philadelphia Bible College and the Philadelphia Community College. She is a newspaper and magazine columnist and the editor of the literary periodical  The Book Lover's Haven  which you can subscribe to by clicking Subscribe BLH.
Denise host the international radio program Off The Shelf which airs on Blog Talk Radio live from 11AM-12PM on Saturday and 24/7 throughout the rest of the week. She has interviewed  New York Times  bestselling authors like Zane, Francis Ray, Roland Martin, Omar Tyree and Tracey Price Thompson and Grammy Award nominee, Awiatka.

Interview with Raymond Clarke, of Love Pour Over Me

Denise: How are you able to love Brenda so deeply considering the fact that your mom, the most important woman in a man’s life, left you?

Raymond:  If you’ve ever known something was right deep in your gut, you’ll understand when I tell you I knew, I instinctively knew, Brenda was my woman. Despite all we went through, nothing could disturb that.

Denise: Did you ever go looking for your mother? 

Raymond:  (Sigh). No. I thought about her a lot, especially when I was a kid, but I never took off and starting looking for my mom. I wouldn’t even have known where to start.

Denise: Why did you choose UPemb? 

Raymond:  Coach Carter (he’s probably the closest thing I had to a loving father) and the school’s awesome track and field program. Track is my passion. Thank God, I’ve been very good at the sport since I was a kid. Plus, I got a scholarship to UPemb and with Coach Carter’s help I know I can earn a gold medal in the Olympics.

Denise: You hang out with a cool group of friends. What do these guys mean to you? 

Raymond:  Oh, man. Anthony, Patrick and Doug, these three dudes are my brothers. Sure. We’ve had our close calls, especially me and Anthony. The two of us have damn near cheated death and more than once. But we always work things out. I love those dudes. They’re like family. (shaking his head) We have some good times together! Our ladies get along pretty good with each other too, well. . . most of them.

Denise: Do you keep in touch with your friend from high school, the guy you ran with back in the day?

Raymond: If you’re talking about Paul, no. We don’t see each other that much. I don’t even know if I’d recognize him if I saw him today. Life happens so fast, you know.

Denise: What’s Anthony up to these days? 

Raymond:  (chuckles) Aw, he’s doing his thing in the NFL. He always had it in him. Too damn bad we had to keep that secret for so many years. It got to be a heavy weight, but, yeah . . . to answer your question, Anthony’s good. He even got married.

Denise: Still go big dreams, Raymond? 

Raymond:  Yeah. I definitely want to marry Brenda and have a family. And after the Olympics, I’d love to run Master’s Track. It’s in my blood. But, we’ll see. Already so much has happened sometimes I wonder how I get through many days. But, yeah, I’ve still got big dreams. The hard times aren’t gonna beat the life out of me. I’ll keep pushing . . . I’ll keep pushing forward. God, Brenda’s love and my boys . . . it’s enough. I swear it is.

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To stay up to date with Denise Turney visit her at the following: 

Official Website:  

Blog 

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble  

Ebookit

What do you think of the character Raymond Clarke?

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To Enter the Giveaway:
Just fill out the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents and International participants.
*If you decide to Tweet about the giveaway, you do not have to copy and paste the url back into the Rafflecopter form. It's a hassle and not necessary, I will receive a notification once you tweet it anyway.*

What's up for grabs?
(1) Grand Prize: $25 Amazon gift card or up to $25 in purchases from the Book Depository.

(5) Runner Up Prizes: Each will receive one copy of Love Pour Over Me. If you are an international winner, you may receive a Kindle version copy depending on your location and shipping costs.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reading Clean Giveaway Hop

As a mother of five children, I do love it when I can find books that are clean and suitable for my children's ages. There are times when I've had to read the book beforehand to make sure it was appropriate for my kids. Some of my favorites books that we all could enjoy were The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan. So in honor of reading clean, I'm participating in the Reading Clean Giveaway Hop, hosted by Clean Teen Fiction, One Librarians Book Reviews and I Am a Reader Not a Writer.

This hop runs from September 6-12, 2012. It's open to U.S. residents and International participants.

Rules: No rules. Just fill out as many or as few options as you like on the Rafflecopter form. I would love for you to join my blog if you're not already a follower though. That would be great!
If you decide to Tweet about the giveaway, there is no need to copy and paste the url of the tweet. I will get a notification once you tweet it. I think it's a huge hassle to copy and paste the url..

What's up for grabs for this giveaway? 
(1) $20 Amazon gift card or up to $20 in purchases from the Book Depository.

Also stop by and enter my other giveaway, The Love Pour Over Me Giveaway for a chance to win another Amazon gift card, value for $25 or up to $25 in purchases from the Book Depository
There are over a 100 other blogs participating in the Reading Clean Giveaway hop as well, please take time to hop on over to their blogs and enter their giveaways too when you get a chance. That's more opportunities for you to win something great. Click here for a list of other blogs participating in this hop.

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Wordless Wednesday with Linky

Photo by Astro Twilight

Is this not a great writing prompt? Who is this person? Where is he going? Is he hiding behind the glasses and the hat? Hmm. The creative juices are flowing. Now type away!

We're All in This Together by Jessica Scott

Today we have a guest post by author, Jessica Scott. She has written two contemporary romance novels, titled Because of You and Until There Was You. Please help me welcome Jessica Scott as she shares her wisdom on how we as authors, bloggers and readers can hang in there together in this literary world. Make sure and leave her a comment. :-)

Bio: Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats, three dogs and two escape-artists hamsters, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She has commanded two companies, served in Germany, Korea, Fort Hood and Iraq, and been lucky not to get fired. She is a terrible cook and an even worse housekeeper, but she’s a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

You can find her online:

Website

Facebook

Twitter and Goodreads 

It seems like every other week,  there has been a huge dustup between authors and bloggers or readers and authors or bloggers and readers. It’s rather sad and depressing because I think - or at least I’d like to think - that we’re all book people.

I’m an author but I’m a reader first and foremost. Nothing hurts my heart more than picking up a book I thought I’d love and having it lose my interests. But what do I gain by going on Goodreads or Amazon and telling the world how another author couldn’t write their way out of a paper bag? What I try to do instead is figure out what didn’t work for me. I don’t need to tear another author down because, here’s a little secret: we’re all crazy. :-) I don’t need to make another author crazier by telling people why I didn’t like their book. Posting something on goodreads is not the same as working with another author to beta read their stuff.

Constructive criticism vs public flogging. See the difference?

So in the interest of talking about something positive, let’s talk about what authors, readers and bloggers can do to work together to build a community around what we all love: books.

Authors:
The first thing we authors need to do is accept that everyone is not going to like our books. Nora Roberts said it best at RWA 10: Person A is going to love your book for the same reason Person B is going to want to burn it. Get over it (that was me not Nora). At the end of the day, don’t try to defend your book. It’s cool if people enjoy your book. If someone writes a review, feel free to like that review. But do not, I repeat do not, go on Goodreads, Amazon or any other site and take on readers.

Do, however, try to interact with your readers. Pick a forum. Pick an venue. But do something to interact with the people who buy your books. We’re not simply a means to a sale. We’re all people, looking for good stories to share.

Bloggers:
There is nothing better than finding a book blog that shares what they love about great books. A blog that helps foster community. If you like an author the best thing you can do is tell your friends because in the age of noise of scioal networks, the best way for authors to break out of the pack is to help them be heard.

Readers:
If you love an author, write them a note. Not everyone can answer an email but speaking for myself, when I get an email or a tweet or a facebook post, I do my best to answer it. It makes my day. Another great way to support your favorite authors: write a review. if you truly enjoyed a book, tell your friends. Share the good book awesomeness because ultimately, it’s what my friends tell me about a book that they enjoyed that makes me pick it up.

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Jessica's current book Because of You is available now and her upcoming book, Until There Was You, is available October 8, 2012 and available for pre-order. Jessica is currently running a giveaway on her website for a $25 Amazon gift card and free signed copies of her books. Please stop by and enter TODAY! Click HERE to enter.