Giveaway Winner : Coffeehouse Angel

There are altogether 133 entries for this giveaway! Thank you so much to all participants, especially to those who are willing to spread the word about this giveaway!

According to the Random Number Generator, the winner of this beautiful signed hardcover copy of Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors is...

#1 Vera!!!

Wow! No. 1 wins! This rarely happens! Anyway, congratulations to Vera for winning a signed hardcover copy of Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors. Vera, please respond to my e-mail within 3 days with your name and mailing address or I will have to pick another winner. I hope you enjoy Coffeehouse Angel like I do!

Lovely Surprises from Hungary (and US)!

I have been very busy lately, but since it's Saturday, I decided to make a blog post! This Friday (28th January), I received a package of goodies from my internet pal, Mary, who's from Hungary. It was meant for my birthday, but arrived a little bit late. However, I am still delighted because I really love the goodies! THANK YOU, MARY! :)

Let's see what I got from her:


~ A packet of Győri Édes JóReggelt* biscuits ( *= good morning)


~ A Győri Étcsokoládés Balaton szelet, 30g


~ Chantelle Orange Oil & Vitamin C Peel Off Face Masques 2 x 6ml

~ A 30ml Mariella Rossi Body Lotion

~ A kézi készítésű zappan* (* = handmade soap)

~ A Maybeline Lip Gloss

~ A pretty hairband with golden sparkles

~ 2 pieces of Hungarian chocolates

~ A big bar of Bocl chocolate

~ Two cute, little sweets, snatched immediately by Alice and Jack

~ A packet of Nivea Smooth Sensation Cream

~ 2 packets of Cadeavera Milk & Honey face mask

Thank you so much, Mary! I'm so glad to have known you via the internet! :)

****************************************
I'd also like to thank Rebecca Orr for sending me the books I won from various giveaways in the US! Thank you so much, Rebecca! I hope you enjoy the goodies from Rosa's Fudge! Let's see what I got from her:


The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (Audiobook)

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (Audiobook)

Patterns and Progress by Amber Stockhon
- This one was supposed to be a gift for Rebecca, but she sent it to me anyway.


A Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay


Boys that Bite (The Blood Coven) by Marianne Mancusi


Stake That (The Blood Coven) by Marianne Mancusi


Girls That Growl (The Blood Coven) by Marianne Mancusi

I can't wait to read these books! Thanks again, Rebecca!

Book Review : The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine

The Morganville Vampires (2-in-1 edition) by Rachel Caine

Product details:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (November 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 045123054X
• ISBN-13: 978-0451230546

The first two novels in the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires series together for the first time in a new trade paperback edition.

Synopsis:
Morganville is a small college town in the heart of Texas—not a place that exactly screams “hotbed of creatures of the night.” But college freshman Claire Danvers is about to discover why, in Morganville, you should never, ever stay out after dark…

Glass Houses
College freshman Claire Danvers moves off campus and into an old house in the small town of Morganville. Her new roommates have her back when the town’s deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood…

The Dead Girls’ Dance
Claire may have a great roommate and a new boyfriend, but when she’s invited to the Dead Girls’ Dance all hell breaks loose—literally. Because this time, the living and the dead are ready to tear up the night…

Review:

First impression: I was immediately attracted by this book. Somehow, I feel connected to the protagonist, Claire Danvers because of her geeky (and a little bit nerdy) style. I'd also like to compliment the cover - it's really eye-catching

My thoughts: Rachel is really good at delivering the story, because she makes me feel the anger, worries and fear of the characters in the story. The characters are well-developed and I can get an exact idea of their personalities. You will find out that you must keep on reading to unravel the mystery behind all the strange, unusual happenings. And when you do, somehow you'll feel like there's more to come. I didn't realize the who bad guy was at the beginning, because he seems so bright, cheerful and warm. I guess we can't judge a person by his appearance. Rachel also introduced vampire politics, in which influential vampires have great power and high statuses. Humans (such as cops) actually have to put themselves at the vampires' disposal. Now this is something new to me. In The Dead Girls' Dance, there are some dangerous situations. Shane is wrongly accused of killing a vampire and is to be burned to death. Claire and her friends has to race against time to find a way to rescue Shane. I'm really impressed when I read about how Claire fought back when she was nearly raped by a gang of good-for-nothings, even when she was drugged at that time. I'm curious to see what will happen next!

In a nutshell : This novel is suspenseful, fast-paced and exciting. Highly recommended to teenagers who love reading about the undead.

Rating: 9/10

I'd like to thank Rachel Caine for sending me a signed paperback copy of The Morganville Vampires for this review! Thank you, Rachel!

.:Buy The Morganville Vampires (Paperback) from Amazon:.

~Visit Rachel Caine's Website~

Sing Me To Sleep Blog Tour + Contest!

Hi readers, Angela's latest novel, SING ME TO SLEEP is going to be released on March 4, 2010! I'm sure you're as excited as I am! SING ME TO SLEEP is a sad, beautiful love story that is sure to touch your heart. I love this book! You can read my review for Sing Me To Sleep to know my thoughts about it. You can pre-order the book at Amazon US or Amazon UK.

INTERVIEW

1. How did you come up with the characters and storyline?

When I write a novel, it's like a giant tidal wave hits my life. It takes all the people I've known, places I've been, books I've read, movies I've seen, news I've watched, history I've poured over, and breaks all this experience up into tiny pieces. I sift through them until one gets stuck in my brain--starts to haunt me. I ask myself what if? The answer to that question emerges as a voice that becomes a character. Sometimes the guy arrives on the scene first. Sometimes the girl does. When I get them both, they start talking in my head. I jot down those conversations.

The storyline emerges from their whispers to me and is shaped by the hero's journey archetype. My characters have to do more than fall in love. They are always on a coming of age journey, so they must face tests, overcome obstacles, learn to trust each other and themselves. And they usually have to come to grips with what love really is.

2. The story takes place mostly in Lausanne, London and Michigan. Are any of these places special to you in some way?
We lived in London, Ontario, Canada. While we lived there, my daughter sang with the Junior Amabile Youth Singers--a girls choir. I got to travel with them and loved the competitive choir scene. It was great to get to use that setting. And their boys choir is every bit as amazing as I portray them in the book.

When we moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, my daughter was fourteen and heartbroken. Her friends in Amabile kept in touch and kept her sane. It was great to get to use some of my favorite places in Switzerland for SING. We actually stayed in the mermaid hotel Beth's choir stays in.

I put Beth in Michigan so she'd be close to Derek. We used to shop in Port Huron and fly out of the Detroit airport, so I'm familiar with the area, but I had to do research to be able to write about it convincingly. YouTube was my best friend. You'd be amazed at what people post. I also went on real estate sites and found Beth's house and researched the local high school. I call it "Port" in the book to make it fictitious--I like how that sounds better, too.

3. Derek's secret is very serious. Why do you choose to write about that particular difficulty?
Derek was inspired by my daughter's dear friend, Matt. He was one of those London friends who kept her going when she was so miserable in Switzerland. SING is dedicated to him. His mom is a good friend and helped me so much with this book. I can't let you know too much about Matt or it will wreck Derek's secret. After you read SING, be sure to read the Author's Note in the back. I will have more about Derek's secret posted on my website after SING launches. But I promise to mark it with a great big SPOILER ALERT. I hope SING generates a lot of conversations about this issue--AFTER readers have read the book.

4. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I want readers to find their own messages. I don't think about theme and message when I write. I'm always touched when readers tell me they feel love and hope as they read my work. That experience is what I want them to grasp.

5. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I am awful at plotting. My editor is amazing at it. Working with her has helped me grasp it a lot more.

6. Please tell us about your next book and when will it be available.
This fall I wrote the sequel to TAKEN BY STORM, my 2009 debut novel. It's called UNBROKEN CONNECTION. Penguin hasn't signed it yet, so I can't tell you when it will be available.

SING ME TO SLEEP is out March 4, 2010, and the paperback for TAKEN BY STORM launches February 4, 2010.

I also have a romantic coming of age historical novel about a Scottish coal miner, who has to leave the love of his life to emigrate to North America that my agent is marketing called, MY ONLY LOVE.

Check in with me on my ChatSpot blog on my website for updates on both UNBROKEN CONNECTION and MY ONLY LOVE.

7. Do you have anything special that you want to say to your readers?
Only that I love writing for them and love hearing from them. I hope they all know how wonderful and amazing they are. Protect and cherish that. Don't let anyone stomp on you and your dreams. If they do, pick yourself, bandage your wounds, and keep going. You are a gift--remember that!

Thanks for taking your time to answer my questions, Angela! I hope Sing Me To Sleep will be a huge success!

CONTEST

To celebrate the release of Sing Me To Sleep, Angela has decided to giveaway a SIGNED hardcover copy of the novel to a lucky reader! Everyone can enter, no matter where you reside! In other words, this contest is international!

To enter:
Please leave your name and e-mail address in a comment.

Extra entries:

+1 Name Angela's debut novel
+1 RT this contest (sample below)*
+1 Link this giveaway anywhere else (Facebook, Plurk, etc.)*
+2 Comment on my review for Sing Me To Sleep
+2 If you are a new follower
+3 If you are a old follower
+3 Put the trailer on your blog. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivJoBStwJhM*
+5 Blog about this contest*
+10 Pre-order a copy of SING ME TO SLEEP

Sample tweet:

"Sing Me To Sleep Blog Tour + Contest on Friends & Family! Contest is open worldwide and ends 23/2 http://bit.ly/70tiYd"

*Links should be included in your comment or else it won't count.

Notes:
All the entries can be left in one comment, since I will jot down every entry. A winner will be chosen via Random.org. Remember, please leave your e-mail address or you will be disqualified. You can use this format to prevent spammers: aikychien at yahoo dot com

Contest ends 23rd February, 2o1o @ 8 pm Malaysian time. (Open internationally)

Lovely links:
Angela's Website :: Angela's Facebook Page

I'm also having another giveaway on my blog:
Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors (US ONLY)

Sing Me To Sleep Trailer

SING ME TO SLEEP's trailer is live on AngelaTheAuthor's YouTube Channel.The song is ACTUALLY "Beth's Song," from the novel! If you LOVE it, you can buy the single on iTunes SOON!

The brilliant composer, Harriet Bushman, wrote the music and arranged it for the AMABILE YOUNG MEN'S ENSEMBLE to perform. Yes, they are the choir the novel is about. A beautiful soprano, Shayna Follington, from their girl's choir counterpart, the Amabile Youth Singers, sings Beth's part. You can find more about them at www.amabile.com! ALL proceeds from the sale of the single go to Amabile's 25th Anniversary Fund-raising Campaign. Watch for it.

Visit Angela Morrison's Website

職場生涯，像乘坐一台公車。。。

在大公司的職場生涯，像乘坐一台公車。

我們知道它有起點和終點，卻無法預知沿途的經歷。

有的人行程長，有的人行程短。

有的人很從容，可以欣賞窗外的景色。

有的人很窘迫，總處於 推搡和擁擠之中。

然而與懸掛在車門上、隨時可能掉下去的人相比，似乎又感欣慰。

獲得舒適與優雅，座位是必不可少的機會，因此總被人們爭搶。

有的人很幸運，一上車就能落座。

有的人很倒楣，即使全車的人都坐下了，他還站著。

有時別處的座位不斷空出來，唯獨身邊這個毫無動靜。

而當你下定決心走向別處，剛才那個座位的人卻正好離開。

為了坐上或保住座位，有的人漠視良心，甚至傷害他人。

有的人卻因為這樣那樣的原因，不得不將到手的座位讓給他人。

有的人用了種種的方式，曆了長長的等待，終於可以坐下。

但這時他已經到站了。

下車的一刻，他回顧車廂，也許會為區區一個座位而感慨，自以為大徹大悟。

其實即使重新來過，他依然會去爭搶，因為有時如果不坐下，連站的位置都沒有。

除非你永遠不上車，而這並不由自己決定。

到站的人下了，車上的人還在。

依然熙熙攘攘，依然上上下下

祝愿我们共同学习，一起成长。
加油！！！

Some Great News!

Hi readers! I'm going to take part in the SING ME TO SLEEP blog tour! Just a little reminder here, I will post the author interview on 23rd January (Saturday) and there will be a contest for a SIGNED hardcover copy of Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison. And the great news is, it's open to everyone! So please stay tuned! :)

Visit Angela's Website

***********************
By the way, here are some great giveaways that you might want to enter:

Handle Like Hendrix is giving away Betrayals by Lili St. Crow.

This contest is INTERNATIONAL and will end on February, 9th 2010.

ENTER HERE

Delightful Reviews is having a 50 Followers Bash! You could win a copy of Beautiful Creatures & swag!

ENTER HERE

I Should Be Writing is having a giveaway for the following books:

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder
Night Runner by Max Turner
When It Happens by Susan Colasanti
The Pace by Shelena Shorts
Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
The Hollow by Jessica Verday

ENTER HERE

Melissa Marr is giving away 60 or so books that were a big inspiration in her writing, AND most of them are signed/with bookplates. Good luck!!

ENTER HERE

Win a copy of PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTING THIEF

OBS wants to know ‘Who is your favorite character in the series and why’? Just name one of the countless interesting characters, and give a summary as too why you consider that person; interesting, brave, funny, strongest, etc. Everything that appeals to you, what ever the character does that sticks out in your mind, when you read or watch this interesting story!!!

Only rule are that your summaries, can only be up too 300 characters!!

Enter here

Giveaway : Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Synopsis:

When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother's coffee shop, she leaves him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over, never expecting this random act of kindness to turn her life upside down. The adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is actually a guardian angel on a break between missions, and now he won't leave until he can reward Katrina's selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Fame and fortune seem like the obvious requests, but after two botched wishes, Malcolm knows Katrina is hiding something from him. But how can she tell him the truth, when her heart's desire has become Malcolm himself?

*****Giveaway*****
{Open to US residents only}

Suzanne Selfors has decided to giveaway a signed hardcover copy of Coffeehouse Angel to a lucky reader of mine! To enter, you just have to leave a comment with your e-mail address.

Extra entries:
+1 Tweet this giveaway (link)
+2 Be a follower of this blog
+2 Comment on my review
+3 Link to your blog sidebar
+4 Make a blog post (link)

Sample tweet (You may copy and paste this):
Win a SIGNED Hardcover Copy of Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors on Friends & Family! {US only} Ends 1/28 http://bit.ly/7Uvt09

A great THANK YOU to dear Suzanne for sponsoring this giveaway!

Giveaway ends on 28th January, 2010 @ 8 pm Malaysian time. Open to US residents only. International readers may enter if you have a friend in US to receive the book on your behalf.

Buy Coffeehouse Angel on Amazon
Read more about Coffeehouse Angel
Coffeehouse Angel Facebook Fan Page

Feature & Review : Patch First Shop

Have you ever heard of PatchFirstShop? It belongs to a creative Thai-based jewellery designer - Patch! Patch is adroit in creating jewellery from pearls and swarovski crystals. Each piece is made with great attention to detail with high end craftsmanship. I won a Flora Pearl Necklace - Luxury Collection worth $60.00 USD from Patch's blog back in December 2009.

I wanted to present it to my mother as a gift, and Patch kindly offered to wrap it when I told her the recipient will be my mother. The necklace arrived today and my mom was surprised to get something in the mail. Patch used a pretty envelope with red hearts on it. When she opened the package, she was even surprised because the gift box looks exceptionally classy and elegant. When she untied the white satin ribbon and saw what's inside, she actually gasped. Obviously, she was stunned by the beauty of the necklace. The Flora Pearl Necklace is made from Swarovski Teardrop Crystals and Pearls together with Unique Flower 18K Gold Spacers. See the other items in this collection ~ Bracelet :: Earrings

In my mom's own words:

This necklace is gorgeous! The harmonious and lustrous shimmer of the pearls is really eye-catching. I'm sure everyone will take notice of them easily. I'm satisfied with the excellent craftsmanship! I love this necklace and I will wear it always. Thank you, Patch!

Champaign Teardrop Pendant with Sterling Silver Necklace $28.00 USD
This necklace is for those who love the classic style. The Champaign Teardrop Pendant is timeless, elegant, and ladylike. Made from a Champaign Swarovski Teardrop Crystal Pendant on a 18" Sterling Necklace. See the complementary earrings in the collection here.

Star Flower Hairpins - 1 pair $30.00 USD
I really like these pretty, dainty hairpins! They are made with Swarovski Crystals and Rhodium Hair Pins.

Diamond Dust Ear Clips $20.00 USD
Made from unique Diamond Dust button attached to Rhodium Ear Clips. See other items in this collection ~ Hair Pins :: Hair Comb

Amelia Collection - 2 strands PEARL necklace $70.00 USD
The Amelia Collection features a Romantic Masterpiece - a 2 strand pearl necklace made from Swarovski Glass Pearls with unique silver-plated filigree clasp. See other items in this collection ~ Flower Brooch

Elegant Pearl Bracelet - 3 Strands and Spacers $30.00 USD
This Pearl Bracelet is made from Swarovski Cream Pearls (6mm and 8mm) and Clear Crystal Golden Spacers. They are traded meticulously with elastic cords.

All orders will be packed in a handmade velvet bag with clear plastic box. Patch is offering free international shipping on all items in 2010. If you have any questions regarding the jewellery in Patch's shop, please feel free to contact her at patchfirstshop[at]yahoo.com / puk793[at]hotmail.com or send her a message via Etsy convo.

Patch's other shops:
Jewelry shop on ArtFire :: Supply shop on Etsy :: Vintage clothing shop on Etsy

Life Is Hard...

I'm really sorry for not updating this blog more often. School has just started and I'm quite busy. I hope the situation will ameliorate in the future. After passing a challenge, we will face another. That's what we call life.

Here are some thought-provoking quotes which I'd like to share with everyone:

“To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.”

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.” ~ Tom Bodett

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.”

Feature : The Crafty Tortoise

Today's featured Etsian is Melissa from The Crafty Tortoise. She loves to crochet various items, like hats, facial scrubbies, baby booties etc. Custom orders are welcomed. Melissa also provides free pdf pattern on her blog. You can follow her on Twitter @CraftyTortoise.

I won a $10 gift certificate to use at The Crafty Tortoise, and Melissa sent me the Girly Gift Pack Facial Scrubbies and Washcloth, which consists of 3 Hot Pink Facial Scrubbers (3 inches in diameter) and 1 Oversized White Washcloth (Approx. 11 inches by 12 inches).

You can use the washcloth to clean/wash your face, because it naturally rids face of excess oils, dirt and build-up. The hand crocheted face scrubbies are ideal for facial cleansing because they cleanse deeply, and gently exfoliate your skin. You can also use them to remove makeup. These products are made from 100% cotton yarn in a smoke free, clean home.

Here are some of my favourites from The Crafty Tortoise:

Monkey Ear Flap Baby Hat 4 sizes Newborn - 24 months PDF Pattern $4.00

If you prefer to buy a handmade Custom Hat Beanie, you can get it for $22.00. This listing is for a custom hat size child through adult. You get to design your own hat by choosing the style, color and applique (flower, ear flaps).

Chocolate Obsession Clutch with Gold Lining $30.00
How gorgeous is this?

Chocolate Flower Beanie Adult Size $22.00
This is quite pretty. I like it! :)

These Baby Boy Booties are size 3 and will fit a 6-9 month old baby. The price is $10.00

If you want to buy your friend a present, but you're not sure what to give him/her, you can just purchase a Gift Certificate. This is listed as $10.00, but can come in any amount. So feel free to contact Melissa to discuss the amount.

For more, please visit The Crafty Tortoise.