Let's Make A Deal!

Hi everyone, this will be my last post before my BIG exam. I have a deal for my internet pals who are living in the US / Canada. When I enter book giveaways on the internet, some of them state that the particular giveaway is open to US / Canada only. However, if I have a friend who can send the book to me, then I can enter no matter where I live.

So, here's the deal. I will enter all the book giveaways I can find and if I win, I will ask the host to send the book to your address. So, you get to read the NEW book and keep it for 2-4 weeks. Then, you have to send the book to me IF I'm interested in reading it as well. Please note that I live in Malaysia, so the postage may cost a little bit more. You will be responsible for the shipping fees. (I'm still a student, so I won't be able to pay you.)

OK, maybe this sounds a little bit crazy, but you can get some benefits from this deal:
1. You will get new books to read. Maybe there will be a lot, since I'm a giveaway maniac. LOL.
2. You don't have to send me all the books I won. I only want to read certain books, so some of them will be entirely yours for FREE. (As an exchange for the shipping!)
3. If I win 2 books, then 1 will be yours. If I win 4, then 2 will be yours. The list goes on and on...
Of all the books I win, half will be yours.

Requirements:
1. You are a resident of US/Canada.
2. You love to read books.
3. You don't mind to pay for the shipping.
4. You agree to send me the books I wish to read.
5. You are at least 18 years old.

This deal is for November-December 2009.

Please leave a comment here or send me an e-mail at aikychien at yahoo dot com if you're interested. Thank you!

September Giveaway #4 ♥ Sleipnir Designs

Update : Giveaway is now closed.

Origami is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. The goal of this art is to create a representation of an object using geometric folds and crease patterns preferably without gluing or cutting the paper, and using only one piece of paper.

Today's featured seller, Tracy from Sleipnir Designs expertise in the art of Origami. She is interested in folding various pretty paper designs. Now, she has converted her passion for origami into a little business of her own by selling her beautiful artworks on the Internet. She also owns an Artfire store, which has more wonderful Origami to explore. Here are some of my favourite items from her Etsy shop:

Small Origami Ruffle Box - Admire $2.00

These unique and beautiful boxes are folded from a single sheet of paper, with visually appealing ruffled edges. They are extremely lightweight, and a much better way of holding your small trinkets and items than just tossing them down on the nearest surface. Use it as a favor box, candy dish, or to hold little notes or scraps of paper. Place a small photo on the bottom and use it as a unique photo frame. What you choose to use it for can be just about anything!

Origami Star Ornament - Harvest $10.00

This ornament is small, and can be used or displayed in a number of ways. They can be made into ornaments. They can rest on your shelves. They can keep you company at your desk. Bunch them up in a bowl in your living room or dining room for a conversation piece - the possibilities are endless!

♥ MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE ♥

Origami Sea Urchin Kusudama - Pointed Multicolor $80.00

I know what you're thinking - "What on earth is a kusudama!?" A kusudama is a type of modular origami, meaning it is assembled from many similar or identical units to form one larger unit. Kusudama typically come in a sphere or half-sphere shape, and there are MANY different styles of kusudama.

These look wonderful sitting on a shelf, bookcase, desk, or coffee table! They make great conversation pieces! They are extremely durable due to the assembly process they undergo. A lineup of different-sized kusudama models is an eye-pleasing and unique piece of decor in your home or office!

***GIVEAWAY***

Sleipnir Designs is giving a lucky reader a pair of crane ornaments of your choice. To enter, you must complete the mandatory entry, before the extra entries can count.

Mandatory entry (choose one or both):
1. Visit Sleipnir Designs, then come back and tell me which 2 Crane Ornaments you love. (1 entry)
2. Visit Tracy's Artfire store and tell me your favourite item. (1 entry)

Extra entries:

*Heart Sleipnir Designs on Etsy. (1 entry)
*Fan Sleipnir Designs on Facebook. (1 entry)
*Follow Sleipnir Designs on Twitter. (1 entry)
*Follow Sleipnir Designs' blog ~ Creating - One Piece at a Time (2 entries)
*Visit SleipnirDesigns' Flickr page and tell me your favorite photo. (1 entry)
*Become a new follower of my blog. (1 entry)

*Already a follower. ( 2 entries)
*Tweet this giveaway and leave the link. (1 entry)

*Update your Facebook status and leave the link. (1 entry)
*Link this giveaway on your blog sidebar. (2 entries)
*Blog about this giveaway and leave the link. ( 3 entries)
*Post this giveaway on other websites/social networks and leave the link. (2 entries for each site)
*Refer a friend to enter. Your friend must state your name in his/her comment. ( 2 entries)
*Purchase an item from Tracy's Etsy shop or Artfire store. (10 entries)

Please remember to leave your e-mail address. You may leave it in the form (ex: aikychien at yahoo dot com) to prevent spammers.

Tracy's lovely links:

Creating - One Piece at a Time ♥ Twitter ♥ Facebook Fan Page

More treasures at - Sleipnir Designs -


Giveaway ends 2nd October, 2009 at 8.00 pm Malaysia time.

Giveaway is open worldwide. You must be at least 13 years old to enter. The mandatory rules MUST be completed for the extra entries to count. Winner(s) will be chosen via Random.org. The winner will have 3 days to respond, or another winner will be chosen.

Look Who's Lucky Today?

My giveaways have already ended. I used Random.org to do the drawing and here are the results! Please stay tuned for another feature + giveaway --- the last one for the month of September! In October, I will stop blogging for a while due to a BIG exam. However I won't keep all my friends who love giveaways here waiting for too long, because I'm going to have more exciting things to share with you once I'm back!

P/S: Remember to visit my blog around 21st-31st October for a book review + an international giveaway to celebrate Halloween!

Without further ado:

The winner of a 11x14 print from Orange Ink Studio is...

#31 Melanie S!

The winner of a signed paperback copy of The Heretic Queen is...

#77 Just Another Hofeling!

The winner of a signed hardcover copy of Cleopatra's Daughter is...

#23 Queeny!


CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!!!
Winners, please reply my e-mail with your name, mailing address and contact number within 3 days or a new winner will be chosen. Once again, congratulations and have a nice day!

A great "THANK YOU" to Michelle Moran and Erin for sponsoring these giveaways!

If you're not one of the lucky winners, please don't be frustrated. There's a new giveaway now! Hop over to enter now! Maybe this time it's your turn to win!

Good luck, everyone!

Prophecy Of The Sisters by Michelle Zink

Synopsis:

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters.
One good.
One evil.
Only one will prevail…

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become fierce enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in an age-old battle that could have consequences of biblical proportions.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust. They just know they can't trust each other.

Visit the Prophecy Of The Sisters official website here.

♥ More Lovely Surprises! ♥

A mysterious box arrived at my doorstep this morning. Hmm..what's inside?

*Gulps* Look at all these goodies!
I won all these on Miss L's lovely blog:

Shop N' Chomp

It's a great blog about shopping, food, love and more!

Some Japanese sweets, if I'm not mistaken. They're too lovely to eat!

THANK YOU, MISS L!

____________________________________


The gift cards I won at ITE - IN THIS ECONOMY?
arrived last week. How could I ever forget to blog about this?!

Check out the winner announcement here:
And the winner of ITE’s $106 Gift Card Giveaway is…
Me, of course!

About ITE

"In This Economy? is what happens when a small collective of writers, designers and ne’er-do-wells get fed up with the economy and everything that comes with it.

Instead of writing letters to our congressmen complaining about taxes or telling the manager of the local pizza place to f**k himself because he overcharged us, we channel our economic disgust into what you see before you."

My little brother posing with the giftcards, wearing his "fake" smile. *giggles*
He never smile naturally, but he's still cute to me.

Isn't he cute?

His favourite cartoon character:
Spongebob Squarepants!


THANK YOU, ITE!

____________________________________

A mail by Michelle Vivado!

A note and a prize...Yeah!

My gift is beautifully wrapped. I'm very excited to know what's inside!

Here are the 2 pairs of lovely earrings I won at the "Aussie Handmade Giveaway" Blog.

Please visit Michelle's online shops here:

michvanetta | jewellery plus more | Melbourne Australia

koot | Vintage Paper Tags | Beads | Melbourne Australia

0438 843 439

THANK YOU, MICHELLE!

Swoop This Prize!

I'm really sad that the winner of Theme Fragrance failed to leave her e-mail address and didn't contact me to confirm her win. Therefore, I will present this prize to the first person who e-mails me at aikychien at yahoo dot com once this post is published.

Please include :
*Your name and address
*Your choice of perfume

Please remember to leave your e-mail when you're entering any of my giveaways in the future. I hate to redraw and disappoint the sponsor. Please bear in mind that the item they're giving away is something they need to make a living. Thank you!

Note:

Leave your comment here before swooping. Then others will know that the prize is already claimed.

A Special Book Review Contest for Teens!

Hi all, do you know that Michelle Moran is having a review-writing contest for her new novel, Cleopatra's Daughter? The winner will get a $250 gift certificate to Hollister!

CONTEST RULES

• Reviews can be posted on FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, or any blog
• You may enter the contest as many times as you like as long as you provide a different link to a new place you have posted your review. For example, if you have posted your review on Facebook and MySpace, simply fill out the form twice and that will count as 2 contest enteries. The more enteries, the better your chance of winning!
• The contest will be closed to enteries on October 31st at 12pm PST.
• One winner will be chosen and announced here on November 1st!
• The winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. The winner's first name and last initial will be posted here, and two emails will be sent to them on November 1st.

So, what are you waiting for? Enter now!

What Are Your Favourite Books?

The PMR test is just around the corner! I really have to start studying!

Can you recommend me some of your favourite books? I'm going to add these to my book wishlist after the exam if I find them interesting. My all-time favourite genre is historical fiction, and I love ancient Rome and Egyptian stories! Here are a few of my favourite books.

In no particular order:
1. Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran. Read my review here.
2. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Read my review here.
3. Chinese Cinderella - A Secret Story of An Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah. Read my review here.
4. Empress Orchid by Anchee Min.
5. Jantsen's Gift: A True Story of Grief, Rescue, and Grace by Pam Cope and Aimee Malloy. Visit the website here.

Image from uwsp.edu

My Wishlist:
♥ Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

♥ Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen

♥ My Splendid Concubine by Lloyd Lofthouse and Anchee Min
♥ Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
♥ The Last Empress: A Novel by Anchee Min
♥ The Lost Treasure of King Juba: The Evidence of Africans in America before Columbus by Frank Joseph
♥ The Memoirs of Cleopatra: A Novel by Margaret George
♥ The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene: Royal Scholarship on Rome's African Frontier (Routledge Classical Monographs) by Duane W Roller


If you've any worldwide giveaways going on your blog / someone else's blog, please leave the link below. Share the fun with everyone! Don't forget to enter my current giveaways :

September Giveaway #3 ♥ Orange Ink Studio

Book Review & Giveaway : Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Book Review & Giveaway : Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Book Details:
Random House, Crown Publishers
# ISBN-10: 0307409120
# ISBN-13: 978-0307409126
Hardcover, 430 pages

Synopsis:

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s vengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome, but only two—the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander—survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

My review:

In my opinion, Cleopatra's Daughter is a brilliantly-written historical fiction full of twists and turns. Michelle Moran has done a great job in introducing the world of ancient Rome to her readers and leading them to embark on this wonderful journey to the past.

In the olden days, boys were already considered as adults when they reached their 15th birthday, and girls were available for marriage once they reach the age of 15. Selene was afraid of growing up because she feared that Octavian might arrange a betrothal for her to one of the old Senators of Rome. She was also worried that her brother might be killed by Octavian so that Alexander will never have the chance to start a rebellion. (It turned out to be true. Alexander did not live to wear his toga virilis.)

Kleopatra Selene is my favourite character in this story. Although she lost all her next-of-kin (including her twin brother Alexander towards the end of the story) and ancestral kingdom, she managed to cope her sadness and proved herself worthy to Rome in order to fulfill her dreams of returning to her homeland. Selene was extremely talented in architecture and she worked hard as the assistant of Vitruvius, a famous engineer and architect, in order to improve her architecture skills. I'm glad that Selene had a happy-ending in her love life. Her romance with Marcellus, Octavian’s nephew never blossom, but she eventually found her knight in shining armour and lived a blissful life.

The Romans regarded the Gauls as barbarians but I think they themselves were no better. They mistreated their slaves by torturing, and even killing them. In the story, a rich merchant, Pollio wanted to throw an old slave into a pool full of eels to kill him because the old man accidentally dropped a crystal glass. Slaves for sale were locked up in cages like animals. There was another incident in the story which clearly portrayed the injustice in ancient Rome. When Fabius, one of the richest men in Rome was murdered, all his slaves, 200 people of various ages, from young lads to old men, were mercilessly killed. Even the babies were poisoned to death before they had the chance to see the world. This showed that the ruling clans of Rome never really cared and no laws were ever made to ensure the safety of the poor slaves and to champion their rights.

Michelle's decision of making Selene as the narrator of this story is no doubt a perfect choice. As I read through the pages, I felt as if I was in ancient Rome with Selene herself, who was seeking survival in a foreign land full of envy, perils and conspiracies.

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran is truly a remarkable historical fiction. If you enjoy reading stories of ancient Egypt and Rome, then Cleopatra's Daughter is a book you will definitely love!

A million thanks to Michelle for her generosity of sending me a review copy of Cleopatra's Daughter. This book has exceeded my expectations and I really enjoyed reading it. I hope I can read more books by Michelle in the future!

Thank you, Michelle!

Book rating : 10/10 - A perfect score!

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

Now readers, I've a great news for all of you! Michelle has agreed to sponsor a giveaway on my blog! One lucky reader will win a paperback copy of The Heretic Queen and another lucky winner will be getting a hardcover of Cleopatra's Daughter. Both books are autographed copies.

Mandatory entry:
To enter, simply leave a comment telling me why you want to win. ( 1 entry)

Extra entries:

*Visit Michelle Moran's official website and tell me something you've learned about the author. ( 1 entry)

*Sign up for Michelle's Mailing List. (2 entries)

*Become a new follower of my blog. (1 entry)

*Already a follower. ( 2 entries)

*Tweet this giveaway and leave the link. (1 entry)
You may tweet as many times as you like. Every tweet will be counted as 1 entry.

*Update your Facebook status and leave the link. (1 entry)

*Blog about this giveaway and leave the link. ( 3 entries)

*Post this giveaway on other websites/social networks and leave the link. (2 entries for each site)

*Refer a friend to enter. Your friend must state your name in his/her comment. ( 2 entries)

*Leave a comment in any of my September posts other than the giveaways. You may leave as many comments as you like, but only one comment will be counted for one post. (1 entry for each comment)

Can't wait to read Cleopatra's Daughter? Buy it here:

Amazon ♥ Barnes & Noble ♥ Books-a-Million ♥ Borders ♥ Indie Bound ♥ Random House




~Michelle Moran's official website~

CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER: a novel
The death of Cleopatra was only the beginning...

CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER
Excerpt
Cleopatra's Daughter Q&A
Synopsis

Visit CleopatrasDaughter.com
Check out Michelle's blog at michellemoran.blogspot.com

Please remember to leave your e-mail address. You may leave it in the form (ex: aikychien at yahoo dot com) to avoid spammers.

Giveaway ends 23rd September, 2009 at 8.00 pm Malaysia time.

Giveaway is open worldwide. You must be at least 13 years old to enter. The mandatory rules MUST be completed for the extra entries to count. Winner(s) will be chosen via Random.org. The winner will have 3 days to respond, or another winner will be chosen.

Update: Giveaway is now closed.

♥ Lovely Surprises! ♥

Yesterday, I received 3 mail packages from Japan, US and Canada respectively. These are prizes I won from various blog giveaways. Many thanks to Diane from Strawberries And Sushi, Jenna from Artistic Edition and Lindsay from Naturally Hip for sending me these lovely prizes!

1st package:

I won a giveaway on Diane's blog, Monkey Magic about 2 weeks ago. Diane sent me the the Cute pink letter set ($3.50) and the 3D Hello Kitty Stickers - Charmmy Kitty - Bags ($4.95) from her Etsy shop.

Diane sells cute and classic Japanese fabric, stickers, letter sets, and handmade sock monkeys in her shop StrawberriesAndSushi.etsy.com.

♥ StrawberriesAndSushi.etsy.com

______________________________________

2nd package:

Ruby and Silver Rim Edition - Swarovski Hair Snaps (10 Pieces) -- July Birthstone $20.00

These hair snaps are handcrafted with top quality materials. Each snap has a genuine Swarovski Crystal Ruby Rhinestone in a round silver rim setting with a silver snap. Each snap is approximately 1/4" (0.64cm).

They are perfect for brides, bridesmaids, pageants, prom, anniversaries, birthdays or anytime you want to add a little sparkle to your hair.

Visit Artistic Edition for more beautiful Hair Snap Accessories!
______________________________________

3rd package:

Flannel 10.5in Regular Cloth Menstrual Pad - Pink and Brown Dots $8.00

Adorable regular absorbency pad in 'pink & brown dots' flannel with chocolate brown flannel top layer. This may just be the cutest pad ever!! It is an all-in-one pad with built-in waterproof barrier and wings with baby pink polyacetal resin snaps. Snapped up, the approximate size is 10.5"L x 3"W.

Visit Naturally Hip for more eco-friendly Organic Bamboo Velour & Organic Hemp pads.

September Giveaway #3 ♥ Orange Ink Studio

Update : Giveaway is now closed.

Erin is the lovely owner of Orange Ink Studio on Etsy. She has a wonderful collection of beautiful, creative and inspiring prints in her shop. Erin has kindly offered me a free sample print from her shop so that I can offer a first hand testimonial to my readers. The print arrived yesterday in a sturdy, white mailing tube. The print was in a perfect condition. However, I never expected it to be a full-sized 11x14 print! And Erin didn't even charge me a single cent for the shipping!

♥ Thank you so much, Erin! ♥

This ABC Alphabet Poster - Animals - Bright Colors - 11x14 felt very smooth when I touched it. When I pressed my thumb painstakingly against the print, there wasn't a single trace of my fingerprint on it! This shows that it's really fingerprint resistant. However, if you've palmar hyperhidrosis, please don't try this experiment! I really love the bright colours of this print which symbolize both mirth and excitement.

Printed on 11x14 premium MATTE photo paper, this print is of high quality, and is ultra smooth. It has a bright white colour with a matte finish. The paper has a very rich, almost velvety matte texture. Matte photo papers are used because they absorb light rather than reflect it, making colors seem that much more intense.

My print is carefully rolled in tissue paper and shipped in a sturdy white colour mailing tube (as shown in the picture above). Smaller prints will be shipped in a protective plastic sleeve with a rigid backing board and placed in an envelope for delivery.

Here are some of my favourite prints from Orange Ink Studio:

ABC Alphabet Poster - Animals - Bright Colors - 11x14 $22.00

The happy, bright colours of this print can definitely light up your day! This print is one of the bestsellers in Orange Ink Studio. Accented by animal silhouettes, this design features bright primary and secondary colors. This print is perfect for your child's room!

Numbers Counting Print Poster - The Ants Go Marching - Large 11x14 - Twilight Pink Colors $ 22.00

The Ants Go Marching ...
Sing along with your child as they learn to count from 1 to 10 with each little marching ant!
This design features the soft shades of evening twilight with pinks, plums, and gray. Custom colour are available.

Numbers Counting Poster Print - Pink - 10x10 on 11x14 $ 22.00

Counting Fun!
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10!
Simple, modern, and oh-so-much-fun. Using several fun and different font styles, this design features pretty shades of pink, purple, and silver.

GUMDOTS - Retro circles and stripes - Personalized Kids Wall Art $15.00

This fun retro design of wonky circles and stripes will add a splash of color to any child’s room décor, or a great sign to hang on the outside of the door! Available in pink, orange, green, or blue (not shown).

Prints by Orange Ink Studio will last for years because they are printed on high quality archival paper with waterproof, smudge proof, and fade-resistant UltraChrome pigment inks, which are much richer and more enduring than dye-based inks.

Each print is produced in the artist's studio on a professional photo stylus printer to ensure the highest quality of detail and color matching from the original design.

***GIVEAWAY***

Orange Ink Studio is offering a lucky winner a 11x14 print of his/her choice. To enter, you must complete the mandatory entry, before the extra entries can count.

Mandatory entry:
Visit Orange Ink Studio, then come back and tell me which 11x14 print will you choose if you're the winner.

Extra entries:

*Heart Orange Ink Studio on Etsy. (1 entry)

*Become a new follower of my blog. (1 entry)

*Already a follower. ( 2 entries)

*Tweet this giveaway and leave the link. (1 entry)
You may tweet as many times as you like. Every tweet will be counted as 1 entry.

*Update your Facebook status and leave the link. (1 entry)

*Blog about this giveaway and leave the link. ( 3 entries)

*Post this giveaway on other websites/social networks and leave the link. (2 entries for each site)

*Refer a friend to enter. Your friend must state your name in his/her comment. ( 2 entries)

*Purchase an item from Orange Ink Studio. (10 entries)

*Leave a comment in any of my September posts other than the giveaways. You may leave as many comments as you like, but only one comment will be counted for one post. (1 entry for each comment)

Please remember to leave your e-mail address. You may leave it in the form (ex: aikychien at yahoo dot com) to prevent spammers.

Giveaway ends 23rd September, 2009 at 8.00 pm Malaysia time.

Giveaway is open worldwide. You must be at least 13 years old to enter. The mandatory rules MUST be completed for the extra entries to count. Winner(s) will be chosen via Random.org. The winner will have 3 days to respond, or another winner will be chosen.

The winner of the September Giveaway #2 ♥ Theme Fragrance is #44 bekki1829cb
Bekki, please send me an e-mail at aikychien at yahoo dot com with your choice of fragrance within 3 days or another winner will be chosen.