December Book Giveaway Contest

I'm excited to be promoting the upcoming new release of my friend, Liza Palmer — a fabulous writer — for her book "A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents." This book, published by 5 Spot, hits the shelves on 12/23, but you can win your copy here! 

Book Description (from Amazon.com)

Grace Hawkes has not spoken to her previously tight-knit family since her mother's sudden death five years ago. Well, most of the family was tight-knit-- her father walked out on them when she was 13 and she and her two brothers and sister bonded together even closer with their mother as a result.

She's been doing her best to live her new life apart from them, but when their estranged father has a stroke and summons them, Grace suddenly realizes she's done the same thing he had done...abandoned those who need her most. 

And need her they do, for inside the hospital walls, a strange war is unfolding between the pseudo-kindly woman who is their father's second wife and the rest of the original Hawkes clan. Upon reconnecting with her brother and sisters, Grace will find a part of herself she thought was lost forever. As they unravel the manipulative deception of the second Mrs. Hawkes, Grace will finally be able to stand up for her family-- and to remember what a family is, even after all these years.

Not only am I excited about giving readers the chance to win one of three copies of Liza's book, but I'm thrilled to introduce Liza Palmer to readers who haven't yet read one of her books. And let me tell you, I strongly suggest you pick up her previous two books, as well. You won't be disappointed. Liza writes with an equally strong balance of wit and poignancy, drawing you into the characters' lives and their world. 

Following are some questions I asked Liza and her responses, to give you some insight into her process and this book: 

What inspired the plot of this particular story?

I think all my novels are based on this elaborate “What If?” game. I started with an idea of a particularly extreme situation: a family torn apart twenty years ago by a father that abandons them, is torn apart again when their single mother dies five years prior to the book's beginning and is now threatening to tear apart once again when their estranged father has a stroke and summons the children to his bedside. I love the idea of the absolute paradox of grief: that in moments of such extreme sadness there are these hints of the most beautiful glimmers you've ever seen: in your loved ones, in yourself, in the world around you. Therein lies the paradox that is the engine for “A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents.” The absolute wrenching beauty of loss and love and how Grace (and the rest of the Hawkes clan) deals with it.

All of your books have such a strong family dynamic. Do you tend to insert different parts of yourself into each character, and do the characters mirror people you know and your own family dynamics?

My novels never start out as family dramas, but I find myself asking one question about my main character and boom: I'm flipping wildly through their old photo albums. I just don't think you can really know your main character until you dig up all the family dirt and understand where they came from.  

I think to some extent I have to understand every character from the inside out - and certain characters resonate more than others. Grace is definitely a character that is near and dear to my heart, but so is John. And every Hawkes sibling has a trait here and there that I am more than a little friendly with. Jeez, the more I think about this question the less I answer it. Sigh. So, maybe I should just...moooove on before someone gets hurt. 

How did you come up with the title?

The title for this book was definitely a thorn in my side. For my first two novels (“Conversations with the Fat Girl” and “Seeing Me Naked”), the titles came first - but this one was a little more stubborn. I played with the main character's name (Grace) a lot and then quickly realized that a billion other people had already had that idea. As I sat writing one day I was listening to my iTunes and I have it set to show the album cover of the song playing and Chris Walla's Sing Again came on off the Field Manual album. And I just stared at it. That feeling. That tingling, world stopping moment when you actually feel the creative spark - not to be confused with the All Spark. Same idea, but not something desired by Megatron. So, I played with the word Field and really thought about the book - which, by that time, was close to finished. And soon Rubiks Cubed my way to “A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents.” There are obvious concerns when announcing such a title - I get the odd "Is it...uh...non-fiction?" with a furtive glance to my parents.  But, usually it's met with curiosity and a nod to the tongue and cheek humor that needs to be present during such a dark time in one's life.

What do you like the most about your heroine? Would you be friends with her in real life?

I love Grace's ability to tap into her own rage. I know this is a bizarre answer, but it really is what I just love about her. I am more than a little fed up with heroines who are "nice" and "sweet" and someone who is to be protected and bubble wrapped. I love that Grace has no qualms about jumping into the fray uninvited. And then, of course, the lovely underbelly of a character like this is stripping them down and seeing what they're afraid of. What they feel vulnerable against. I loved exploring this with Grace - and by having a character so in touch with her own rage - what that did to the family unit. So, Grace is the rager - where does that leave the other 3 siblings? One of the nurses in the ICU makes a reference to the Hawkes siblings being like the kids in the Narnia books - which leaves our little Grace in Edmund's shoes. I was actually comfortable with this parallel - as it seemed to me that Edmund was the only sibling to really question Peter or authority or really anything. Which is exactly how I see Grace.  

I'd love to be friends with her...I think she'd be awesome to hang out with. Okay...so yes, I'd be hanging out with her to get an introduction to Huston, her ridiculously hot older brother who remains unattached.  

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

What's the hardest part of writing any book - THE WRITING. For real.  Just sitting down every day with this THING in front of you. Blank pages and a made up world to populate and make come alive. All these little threads trailing hither and yon. I mean, it's this perfect way of being for me - writing is this truly flow experience where everything that makes me ME is being utilized to this one end and I feel like the perfect me when I'm writing - challenged and outside of myself and on and on, but some days, that computer screen is the hardest thing to stare at. There are days when I can literally hear the revving of my brain just clicking over like a dead car battery and it's on those days where I play a lot of solitaire and return emails and all that - I still show up at the computer, mind you - but maybe that day isn't going to get quite the word count that the next day will yield. Many an iTunes playlist has come out of those days.  :)

Is there a message in your novel that you want to express to your readers?

I know what I got out of my novel, but it's totally different for each person, you know? That's the beauty of books. They hit you right at the perfect time and speak to you as an individual. Each person will hopefully take something different away from it. At least, that's the goal.  

What are you reading now?

I've got Elizabeth Hoyt's newest one (and last one in the series!!!) on the TBR pile, as well as “Her Fearful Symmetry” by Audrey Niffinegger and “Swan Thieves” by Elizabeth Kostova. Can't wait to crack them open. 

Do you have a specific writing routine that you follow every day?

Absolutely.  I have to. I didn't for awhile and I went a little nuts. I've had to create a whole bribery system to lure me out of my cave (aka house): I took coffee and the internet out of my house. I know. So, this way - to get coffee and the internet I have to go to Starbucks - where I then have to write. I start out at Starbucks in the morning and am allowed to go home when it gets dark so I can walk my dog. I've found that this schedule really calms me down about a lot of stuff. The idea that there are people who are waiting for me somewhat? It helps. The fact that I have to get dressed and not go all feral in the woods with just random scribblings written in my own feces to turn into my editor at the end of the month. You know...it's a good thing.  

What career would you want if you weren’t a writer?

I loved all the chef stuff I researched for Elisabeth Page in “Seeing Me Naked.” She was a pastry chef, but I think I'd lean more towards comfort food, tiny restaurant and just a whole neighborhood feel. I can definitely see myself going that route. I worked in a classroom for several years and loved that. Working with kids is always amazing. Our family is chock full of lawyers - so that whole world is very familiar to me. That might be cool, too. 

What are you currently working on?

I've got Book Four rocking right now - I'm absolutely in love with it. New characters and a whole new story-line. It's going to be a fun book to write. The main character is Frannie and she's just...she's a cool girl who I'm loving spending my days with.  

I'm also working on an original screenplay and an adaptation right now - both projects are fun as hell. I've never been more busy and it's just this invigorating thrill ride where everyday I find myself in awe of what I get to do. What I want to hold on to in all this is the wonder, you know?  I want to just be blown away by all of this every day.  

Speed Round:

Favorite board game? Scrabble - all the way. Boggle is a close second.

Favorite dessert? My brain just exploded.  

Favorite classic movie? Classic... meaning? I can't stop thinking about Major League. Hilarious. Not quite Casablanca, but...how hot was Charlie Sheen though? Tom Berenger?? Ahh, good times.  

Favorite “guilty pleasure” movie? Um...see above.

Favorite childhood hero? My Mom.

Favorite hero as an adult? My Mom. 

Favorite childhood cartoon? We didn't have tv growing up. I know. I've made up for lost time, I assure you. 

Most daring/risky thing you’ve ever done? Thought I could be a writer. 

For your chance to win one of THREE copies of "A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents," just leave a comment on this blog post. I'll be drawing the three winning names the morning of Sunday, December 6th. Please leave your email address, so I can contact you if you're a winner. Only U.S. and Canada entries!

The Augmented Reality of Reading

In the spirit of blending the teen sensation of Twilight with dynamic consumer experiences, Penguin Young Readers Group has unveiled a way to connect its tech savvy teen readers to Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy books in a unique way – through augmented reality – giving them a personalized, interactive virtual experience, which they can then share with their friends through social media outlets. I love to see the innovative ways authors are promoting themselves, especially when they incorporate the elements that most successfully connect with their target audience. 

===========================================

Penguin Young Readers Group First U.S. Publisher to Launch Augmented: Join the Vampire Academy and Experience Augmented Reality

Penguin Young Readers Group Partners with Ogmento to Launch Augmented Reality Application for Vampire Academy Signature Edition on November 25th 

New York, NY - November 24, 2009 - Richelle Mead's novel Vampire Academy will become the first U.S. book to incorporate new Augmented Reality technology into the reading experience. On November 25th, Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, will publish an Augmented Reality (AR) limited edition, signature hard cover of the first book in the New York Times bestselling series, which currently has more than 2.25 million copies in print. Using advanced Augmented Reality technology, the book cover will layer text, images and video to give fans of the paranormal series a unique virtual experience. Penguin Young Readers Group is the first U.S. publisher to use this technology in conjunction with a published book.

Unlike other recent Augmented Reality campaigns, which require black and white geometric markers to trigger the virtual experience, Penguin's campaign will feature a new "image tracking" technology. When fans visit vampireacademybooks.com and hold the cover of the Vampire Academy signature hardcover up to their webcams, the cover will come to life and share a special message from the author. Most notably, this application will have a viral component, as fans will be able to transfer their own photo onto the cover of the book and share that image with friends via email, social networks, and mobile devices. As an added bonus, a secret gesture will reveal the cover image of Spirit Bound, the fifth book in the series, which is due out in May 2010.

Penguin partnered with Ogmento, a company that creates and publishes Augmented Reality games, to create the interactive experience. To promote the campaign, Penguin will run a full-page ad in People Magazine in the December 7th issue, which will also activate the Vampire Academy AR experience.

"When we first discovered Augmented Reality, we were blown away by the possibilities. Teens are incredibly tech savvy. They are constantly talking about their favorite authors, watching and creating book videos, and trading book recommendations online. With Augmented Reality, they can take it one step further and have a personalized, interactive virtual experience with their favorite book," said Don Weisberg, President of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Brian Selzer, Co-Founder of Ogmento commented, "Our vision is to mix fiction and reality in fun and engaging ways. Penguin's team enthusiasm and the Vampire Academy series were a great inspiration to create this unique user-generated augmented reality experience. Millions of fans have already been immersed in the fictional storyline; now they can get immersed in the real book cover - and share it with the world." 

There are currently 2.25 million copies of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series in print. The Daily Beast has dubbed Vampire Academy, "the obvious heir to the Twilight throne." The hardcover signature edition of Vampire Academy will feature Mead's embossed signature on the cover of the book, as well as the first chapter of Spirit Bound. Penguin will release 100,000 copies of the limited edition. 

Holiday Mail for Heroes is back!

Admit it. You look forward to going to the mailbox every day during the holidays. You pull the bundle from the box then quickly file through the pile of miscellaneous catalogs, looking for that bright red, green, silver or white envelope that promises yet another holiday greeting from a loved one. But for our troops spending the holiday ensuring our freedom and helping the world, they are lucky to receive an occasional note from home. So what can we do? Why not reserve a few cards for these soldiers? 

In this season of hope and giving the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have joined forces to invite Americans to “send a touch of home” to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad. In its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is an opportunity to share joy and thanks with our service members throughout the holiday season by way of a greeting card.

Today over 1.4 million men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces and over 24 million veterans have served in the past. The holiday season is the perfect time to honor and extend a warm holiday greeting to those who’ve served and continue to do so.

How Holiday Mail works

They have established an extensive process to ensure all cards sent to service members are safe and arrive in time for the holidays. Holiday cards will be collected through a unique P.O. Box address from now through Monday, December 7*.

First, cards from across the nation must be sent to this address:

Holiday Mail for Heroes

P.O. Box 5456

Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and distributed to participating Red Cross chapters nationwide. Once the cards arrive at the Red Cross chapters, they are sorted and reviewed by volunteers who then distribute them to service members, their families and veterans in communities across the country.

Do...

• Sign all cards

• Entitle cards “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran”

• Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group

• Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes

Don’t...

• Send letters

• Include personal information such as home or email addresses

• Use glitter – excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients

• Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process

 

Childhood Memories of Vampires Past

This year Halloween is not my usual experience. Typically, I love this holiday and this season. The scent of burning leaves lingers in the crisp air, caramel apples release their tangy juices with each bite, the warmth of a plush blanket and the first crackling fire in the fireplace, the mystery that is All Hallows Eve. I love it all! 

But having just had surgery last week, I'm still recovering and not feeling up to donning a costume this year. I'm bummed, but it's better for me. I do have something very easy in mind, though, so I don't feel totally left out at the office tomorrow. I'll post a picture tomorrow of my...ahem...brilliance. LOL! 

In the meantime, I'd like to revisit a past blog post from one of my childhood Halloween memories; one that I'll never forget and not necessarily for heartwarming reasons. Although, it might explain my intrigue with vampires, which seems in so in vogue right now with "Twilight," "True Blood," and "The Vampire Diaries," etc. Little did I know that at five years old, I was so ahead of my time! ;-) 

I invite you to take a brief peek back into my childhood.

So, feel free to read it then tell me, what is your most memorable Halloween childhood experience? :-) 

Huge Local Book Signing Event!

Do you love to meet authors? Are you looking for some new reading material and some new authors to try out? Well, this is your chance! 

On this Saturday, October 10th The Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America chapter is sponsoring a Book Fair at the Bellevue Hilton Hotel. The event runs from 4:30pm-6:00pm in the Skyview Ballroom and includes signing opportunities with more than 50 best-selling and award-winning authors, including Cherry Adair, Susan Anderson, Claire Delacroix, Robert Dugoni, Yasmine Galernorn, Lisa Jackson, Susan Mallery, Bob Mayer, Katie MacAlister, Jane Porter, Christine Warren and many more. 

There's no better way to meet some of your favorite authors right in your own backyard. And with the holidays right around the corner, this is the perfect opportunity to get some books personalized for the readers in your life. Several genres will be represented, including historical romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, young adult, contemporary romance, women's fiction, and more!

This is a free event and open to the public. The Bellevue Hilton is located at 200 112th Avenue SE, Bellevue, Washington. For more information and a full list of authors, click here. 

See you there!

And The September Winners Are...

Thanks to everyone who entered the September contest for Sallie Day's The Palace of Strange Girls. 

If I didn't draw your name, make sure you pick up a copy of your own! 

The three winning names are: 

• Debby Lee 

• Virginia 

• Jenn & John DeCuir

Congratulations to the winners! Be sure to email me at christina@christinaarbini.com with your mailing address. The publisher will then ship your book directly to you within 2 weeks. Keep watching for more contests coming up! 

September Book Giveaway Contest

This month, I'm featuring a blast from the past. The Palace of Strange Girls, from Grand Central Publishing, is a return to the year 1959 and spotlights a family struggling with secrets, passions, and fateful choices that transform all of them. This book will draw you in, stir emotion, paint an evocative picture of a bygone age and infuse thought-provoking symbolism throughout. 

Product Description

Blackpool, England, 1959. The Singleton family is on holiday. For seven-year-old Beth, just out of the hospital, this means struggling to fill in her 'I-Spy' book and avoiding her mother Ruth's eagle-eyed supervision. Her sixteen-year-old sister Helen, meanwhile, has befriended a waitress whose fun-loving ways hint at a life beyond Ruth's strict rules.

But times are changing. As foreman of the local mill, Ruth's husband, Jack, is caught between unions and owners whose cost-cutting measures threaten an entire way of life. And his job isn't the only thing at risk. When a letter arrives from Crete, a secret re-emerges from the rubble of Jack's wartime past that could destroy his marriage.

As Helen is tempted outside the safe confines of her mother's stern edicts with dramatic consequences, an unexpected encounter inspires Beth to forge her own path. Over the holiday week, all four Singletons must struggle to find their place in the shifting world of promenade amusements, illicit sex, and stilted afternoon teas in this touching and evocative novel. 

Author Bio:

Sallie Day was born in Lancashire, England. Her dad worked as a ‘loom overlooker’. After school she applied to College and stayed there one term before dropping out and moving to the other end of the country. The next 25 years were taken up with marriage and children and it was only when the children left home that she decided to take up writing as a hobby. Before she knew where she was, she'd graduated from the amateur writing group to an M.A. course at Manchester University and from there to writing  "Palace," which won the Portico Prize for Literature in 2008. 

To win one of THREE copies of this book, just leave a comment on this blog post (U.S. and Canada entries only, please). Please be sure to include your email address, so I can contact the you if you're a winner. I'll be drawing the three winning names on the morning of Saturday, October 3rd. 

And The August Winners Are...

Thanks to all of you who entered to win this contest! For those whose names I didn't draw, I hope you consider picking up a copy of Belinda Acosta's new release, "Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz." 

The three winners who will each receive a copy of this book are: 

• Lighthouse Sandy

• Andrea

• Melissa King

Congratulations to the winners! Please email me at christina@christinaarbini.com with your mailing addresses and I'll have the publisher ship your copy directly to you. 

Watch for next month's book giveaway contest to be announced soon!

August Book Giveaway Contest

There's nothing more complex than the relationship between a mother and her daughter. Half the time you're best friends, half the time you aren't speaking to each other and, well, all the time you love each other. Personally, I'm blessed to have a wonderful close bond with my own mother. She's my best friend, yet always a caring, generous and loving mother first. 

This month's book giveaway contest, "Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz" by Belinda Acosta, covers all of the nuances of these beautiful, yet sometimes frustrating, relationships. 

Book Description: 

All Ana Ruiz wanted was to have a traditional quinceañera for her daughter, Carmen. She wanted a nice way to mark this milestone year in her daughter's life. But Carmen was not interested in celebrating. Hurt and bitter over her father Esteban's departure, she blamed Ana for destroying their happy family, as did everyone else. A good man is hard to find, especially at your age Ana was told. Why not forgive his one indiscretion? Despite everything, Ana didn't want to tarnish Carmen's childlike devotion to her beloved father. But Ana knows that growing up sometimes means facing hard truths. In the end, Ana discovers that if she's going to teach Carmen anything about what it means to be a woman, it will take more than simply a fancy party to do it...

About the Author: 

Belinda Acosta lives and writes in Austin, Texas where she is a columnist for the Austin Chronicle. Her non-fiction has appeard in Poets & Writers, Latino USA, the Radio Journal of News and Culture, AlterNet, the San Antonio Current, and Latino Magazine. She is a member of Macondo, the writers' collective launched by acclaimed writer Sandra Cisneros. She loves knitting, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, chips and salsa, mariachi (good, make your soul leap from your body, mariachi); conjunto music (todo old school), and given the opportunity, will square dance. Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz is her first novel. 

For a chance at being one of the THREE winners who will get a copy of this new release, just leave a comment on this blog post. I'll be drawing the three winners on the morning of Sunday, 8/30. 

Only U.S. and Canada entrants, please. Also, please post your email address, so I'm able to reach you if you are a winner. 

Thanks, and good luck! Now go post a comment to enter! :-) 

It's Fun To Stay At The YMCA

Well, I did it. I finally got myself back into a regular work-out regime. Okay, technically that "regime" is only a few days old, but hey, you have to start somewhere, right? I recently joined a brand spanking new YMCA around the corner from my house. It's more than time to get back into shape and work off some of this stress I'm carrying around. Oh, I've tried the video work-outs in the privacy of my own living room, but I still manage to spend my evenings parked on the couch. Even when I got the new cable On Demand service and saw they had a channel of free work-outs, I found myself "sitting" and "watching." You know, I had to watch to decide if it was worth a try. ;-) And yes, I do have a nice treadmill out in my garage. But I got tired of staring at my storage shelves holding my old Barbie motor home. I just knew size zero Barbie was laughing at me through the window, along with her BFFs Francie and PJ. Oh, and don't get me started on Ken rolling his eyes at me. Rude and mocking...all of them. ;-)

Soooooooo, I''m now a card-carrying member of the YMCA. I must admit, I was a little disappointed that I wasn't greeted by the Village People. I thought surely the Indian would be giving me my orientation on the circuit training machines. He was probably off teaching a Zumba class. Instead, I got this chap who was probably in his early 20s. He was also one of the personal trainers. Did I mention the free 

12-week personal trainer program they offer? Yes, I will be paired up with one of the "young-un" personal trainers to get conditioned. Go ahead and start calling me Mrs. Robinson now. Sheesh. That's just wrong. Anyone looking at me working-out would think I'm concentrating hard on my strength building, when in reality I'm continuously doing the math in my head to remind myself EXACTLY how much older I am than these trainers. It would have made it a lot easier if the VP black Motorcycle guy was my trainer. He's probably at least 15 years older than me, plus I'm not a fan of the handle-bar mustache. A win-win situation. Although, he's probably get too sweaty in his plether chaps. That wouldn't be pretty at all. 

I've discovered a favorite machine -- the Elliptical. Not just any Elliptical, but the Elliptical Theater. Yes, you can plug in your earphones and watch TV on your own personal screen while working out. But they only have certain channels: FOX news, CNN, AMC, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and the Food Channel. I was told this keeps the viewing "controlled" so people are only watching appropriate shows. As that was being explained during orientation, I pointed out the AMC station was currently airing "Pulp Fiction." Hmm. Not so appropriate. LOL! But I find it ironic that the first night of work-out I was watching a countdown on the best donut shops, and tonight was watching the best beaches around the world. So, instead of Barbie mocking me, I had oodles of bikini clad women and six-pack toting men romping in front of me. I swear that made me work out even harder. ;-) Hey, whatever works, I guess. 

So, that's how it's going so far. I'm working up my endurance before starting some of the cardio classes, but that will happen soon enough. And in the meantime, maybe I'll run into the elusive VP one of these days. Just tonight, I thought I saw the Construction Worker swimming laps in the pool. I know they're around there somewhere!