Book Giveaways in Blogworld (12-17-11 edition)

NOTE: A reminder that you are free to email me about any giveaways that you are having, if you want me to blog them, and I'll be happy to try to post them even if I am not entering them. Just include a link to the giveaway, what you are giving away, how many copies are being given away, and the deadline in order to assure being included. Email me at nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com.

Here is a list of some giveaways going on in Blogworld*. Please note that new giveaways that were added this week are indented in Blockquotes:

Books: A True Story is giving away your choice out of six books that you can identify. Deadline is December 24. International!

For the love of books is giving away your choice out of four YA books. Deadline is December 31. International!

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away The Other Life. Deadline is December 31. US/Canada only.

Books Like Stars is having a massive "Debut Author" giveaway! US only.

*Courtesy Note: Please keep in mind the many, many hours of work that goes into me compiling this list each week. Please be courteous and thoughtful, and do not steal my text. Either recreate your own list, or link to this list and direct your readers here for giveaway information. Thank you so much for your consideration.

The Weekend Sillies - Christmas Kitty Time!

Time for cats to get into the holiday cheer!

If you are here for the Deja vu Blogfest, go HERE


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
 

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Déjà vu Blogfest

Hosted by DL at Cruising Altitude
On December 16th all of those taking part will re-post their favorite blog offering, or one that never received the exposure it should have.

This post originally appeared May of this year, but as I continue to get hits and comments, I thought repeating it would be good.

Writing From a Male POV  

Writing from the point of view of the opposite sex can be challenging. Viewing the world from another perspective requires that we abandon our natural instincts. Since the books in my series, The Circle of Friends, featured a male lead, I had to understand the differences.

I read dozens of relationship books, seeking to comprehend the distinct qualities of the male gender. The books that provided me with the most insight were Men Are From Mars, Women From Venus and the Connecting With Your Husband/Wife series. Men and women really do view the world through different eyes!

- Men are not detail-oriented, at least not in the area of observation. They are focused on the big picture. When a man walks into a room, it’s doubtful he will notice the pattern on the couch or the smell of flowers by the window.

- Men tend to process information internally. While a woman will discuss her situation with friends, a man will privately think through his problems. Men tend to internalize rather than verbalize when seeking an answer. If he does discuss the situation, he wants answers not support.

- Because men normally do not discuss their problems, they use fewer words than women – by half! They tend to verbalize facts and opinions rather than feelings, too.

- Men focus better than women, who rely more on ‘diffused awareness.’ Once a man selects a course of action, little can distract him. While women multi-task with ease, men tend to focus on one thing at a time.

- Due to the amount of testosterone a man’s brain receives before he is born, he cannot think both logically and emotionally at the same time. Thus, when a man offers a logical explanation, a woman’s emotional reasoning simply doesn’t compute. And when a man grows angry, rationalizing with him is difficult as logic has gone out the window at that point.

- Men are not as emotionally expressive as their female counterparts. They are simply not wired in that manner.

- Last but not least, women seek to connect emotionally while men seek to connect… physically. The stirrings of love in a man come from physical attraction and contact first, emotional attachment second.

While all of that may appear to be stereotyping, it does provide a fundamental base for the male POV. Environment, background, and basic personality type also factor into the equation.

Armed with this knowledge, I found writing from a male perspective much easier. It was refreshing to discard my women intuitions and interpretations and just deal with the basics. I’d say it was almost liberating!

Are you comfortable writing from the opposite sex's POV?

Today is the last day for the Christmas Special Giveaway!

Amazon's KDP Select - Author Beware

Last week Amazon’s KDP Select program was announced to authors and small publishers:

"Here's how KDP Select works:

When you make any of your titles exclusive to the Kindle Store for at least 90 days, those with US rights will automatically be included in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library and can earn a share of a monthly fund. The monthly fund for December 2011 is $500,000 and will total at least $6 million in 2012. If you haven't checked it out already, the Kindle Owners' Lending Library is a collection of books that eligible US Amazon Prime members can borrow for free once a month with no due dates.

You'll also now have access to a new set of promotional tools, starting with the option to promote your KDP Select-enrolled titles for FREE for up to 5 days every 90 days."

Sounds like a good deal, right?

Ah, but there’s always a downside and authors need to be aware they are giving up their rights to distribute their books elsewhere.

The Writers Beware Blog had this to say:

"Also important to consider, if you're thinking of participating: you must be willing to distribute your work exclusively on the Kindle. Here is the relevant language:

1 Exclusivity. When you include a Digital Book in KDP Select, you give us the exclusive right to sell and distribute your Digital Book in digital format while your book is in KDP Select. During this period of exclusivity, you cannot sell or distribute, or give anyone else the right to sell or distribute, your Digital Book (or content that is reasonably likely to compete commercially with your Digital Book, diminish its value, or be confused with it), in digital format in any territory where you have rights.

This is a grant of rights and a non-competition clause all in one, and authors need to think carefully before agreeing to it."

Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords, had this to say on the Smashwords blog:

When authors enroll a title in the program, they're contractually obligated to remove their books from all other distribution channels.

Wow. Most indie authors appreciate their independence. This rule is quite restrictive.

Impact on authors:

* Forces the author to remove the book from sale from the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Smashwords and others, thereby causing the author to lose out on sales from competing retailers.

* By unpublishing a title from any retailer, the author destroys any accrued sales rank, making their book less visible and less discoverable when and if they reactivate distribution to competing retailers.

* Makes the author more dependent upon Amazon for sales. Do you want to become a tenant farmer, 100% dependent upon a single retailer?

Yes, Amazon is the largest online retailer and the Kindle the #1 selling ereader. But B&N’s Nook is tied for second. Apple’s devices are also right behind Amazon’s Kindle. And the Apple IPad accounts for 88% of all tablet sales. 88%!!! Add in the Kobo and all of the other ereaders, and that’s a large slice of the pie you are losing.

Amazon wants to do it all - publish and distribute - and in the end, control. And when one company has total control, it’s not good for consumers, retailers, or the economy.

Authors beware…

REVIEW: First Love: Just Once in a Lifetime: A Memoir by Violeta Barrett

Synopsis

By 1956 Violeta Barrett had been working for a Wall Street investment firm more than a decade. Recently separated from her husband and feeling overworked, Violeta decided to vacation in Mexico. After her plane landed in Mexico City, a stranger with a deep, accented voice introduced himself as her tour guide. Violeta and Jorge had no idea they were about to begin a four-year romance that would endure the test of time and distance.

In her compelling memoir, Violeta shares a nostalgic and emotional journey where principles, love, and obligations collide and force unexpected decisions. Energized by the Mexican culture and Jorge's charm, Violeta is soon caught up in the joy of being loved. But before long she must return to her obligations, leaving Jorge behind. Through the more than seventy love letters she would receive from Jorge for the next few years, the two share a forbidden passion-until the forces of morality prevail.

Nearly fifty years ago, Violeta and Jorge fell in love, changing their lives forever. Their heartfelt story proves that true love is not affected by time. It is ageless. It is eternal.

• ISBN-13: 9781450279932
• Publisher: iUniverse, Incorporated
• Publication date: 2/9/2011
• Paperback, 224 pages

About the Author
from her website

Violeta Barrett, a Brooklyn transplant, moved from Canada to Ft. Myers, Florida, where she resides today, following her second husband's death. She has been published in the anthology Beyond Coping, and her poetry and writings have been printed in her local newspapers. Her passions are classical music, travel, photography, and, of course, love.

Visit her website
Read an article from our local newspaper
Learn more about the author


My Thoughts

Most women dream about finding love. Many do, but for many others, it remains a dream. I was one of the lucky ones, I thought. But love doesn't always come in a nice, neat package; it can truly be both agony and ecstasy. 

Location/Environment:

While the author lived in New York during much of the story, her love affair with Jorge took place in Mexico City and the surrounding area.

At around thirty years of age in 1956, Violeta had already been working for more than ten years at a Wall Street investment firm. During that time, she had also married, but separated from her husband after two years in an unconsummated marriage.

So it was at this point in her life that she decided she'd earned a vacation, and headed down to Mexico. As she steps off of the plane, she is greeted by a handsome Mexican tour guide by the name of Jorge. Over the next couple of weeks, Violeta and her tour companions are taxied around Mexico by Jorge, always charming and informative, if at times a little deceitful with his knowledge, making up what he doesn't know.

...Always eager to learn something new, I hung on to every word. Unlike the others, I didn't ask many questions until I became aware that some of his answers were suspiciously familiar. Out of earshot of the two women, I whispered to him, "Didn't you just use that term to refer to something else?"

He looked at me squarely and grinned. For a second I was puzzled but then I got it. I couldn't help grinning back.

"Why you trickster, you!" I stifled a laugh. "How do you know I won't snitch?"

"You won't do that, will you?" he replied. His eyes sparkled. "Tourists ask many detailed questions. They really don't care what the answer is, as long as you answer." (page 14)

I loved a scene relayed in the book of a time they were approaching a town, and as had become common, children surrounded the car, poor and beggarly, clamoring for money. Initially Violeta and her companions would give the children pesos, until Jorge pleaded with them to stop.

"Please don't make beggars of my people," he said.

Astonished, I asked, "What would you have us do, Jorge? Ignore them? They're children!"

Without faltering, he opened the car window and spoke to several of the boys in Spanish. They ran ahead of the car, clearing the way. Others shouted to their friends, who backed off. I soon realized he had put them to work, finding us a parking spot. One enterprising boy diligently polished the side view mirrors with the tail of his shirt, smiling broadly at us.

Jorge patted him lightly on the head. "Bueno," he said, then called out to the other boys, "Muy bien, muchachos." I learned a lesson that day I never forgot. (page 7)

I loved how, instead of giving out charity, he instilled worth in the children by having them work for what they received. It was payment for a job well done rather than charity.

As the days pass, and the group tours Mexico, Jorge and Violeta's feelings for one another grow. By the time that Violeta heads back to New York, both she and Jorge believe themselves to be in love.

The first 40-plus pages tell the story of their affair, while the other 150 or so pages are of Jorge's letter to Vy over the years, after she returns to New York.

This is one of those stories that is very personal, so it is hard to be critical at all. I am also inclined to feel sensitive towards the author and this story, given that she happens to be a local here in town. You tend to be protective of your own!

There isn't really much to be critical of as far as writing style and the like. The only really critical thing I have to say in that respect is that the timeline wasn't laid out very well, so I had a hard time envisioning how everything happened. I had to sort out her age, am still unclear on how long she was in Mexico, although I think it to be around 2 weeks, and feel that other things were left unclear as well. Like how she found out about Jorge's wife and when he had married. None of Jorge's letters ever mention his marriage, unless it was in one of the few letters not included in the book. Or perhaps he told her in one of their few phone calls over the years? I don't know. So I feel that bits of the story are missing, so I don't have a complete picture.

The love story was sweet, but unfortunately I'm a bit jaded and cautious where love is concerned, so I have to be skeptical of a love born from a brief encounter. I like to think it was genuine and sincere and full, but Jorge's letters smack a little of co-dependency to me. I felt suffocated by the clinginess of them much of the time. But given the way that their love has hung with Violeta all of these years, I have to trust that it was as deep and meaningful to them as a decades-long love affair.

My final word:
Sweet and lingering. If romance is your cup of tea, give this real-life one a try.

Purchase your own copy of First Love.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10


Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review from the author, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel.

Book Giveaways in Blogworld (12-11-11 edition)

NOTE: A reminder that you are free to email me about any giveaways that you are having, if you want me to blog them, and I'll be happy to try to post them even if I am not entering them. Just include a link to the giveaway, what you are giving away, how many copies are being given away, and the deadline in order to assure being included. Email me at nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com.

Here is a list of some giveaways going on in Blogworld*. Please note that new giveaways that were added this week are indented in Blockquotes:

Stuck in Books is giving away $12 to Amazon or Book Depository. Deadline is December 13. International!

Cuzinlogic is giving away a $10 for Barnes and Noble or Book Depository. Deadline is December 13. International!

Review Broads is giving away 5 copies of The Drop. Deadline is December 15. US only.

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away Come Back to Me. Deadline is December 17. US/Canada only. 

Books: A True Story is giving away your choice out of six books that you can identify. Deadline is December 24. International!

For the love of books is giving away your choice out of four YA books. Deadline is December 31. International!

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away The Other Life. Deadline is December 31. US/Canada only.

Books Like Stars is having a massive "Debut Author" giveaway! US only.

*Courtesy Note: Please keep in mind the many, many hours of work that goes into me compiling this list each week. Please be courteous and thoughtful, and do not steal my text. Either recreate your own list, or link to this list and direct your readers here for giveaway information. Thank you so much for your consideration.

WINNER: The Invisible Floating Bookshelf (Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop)

I'm a little slow with picking my winner, as it has been a bit crazy this week, but I've finally got my winner for an invisible floating bookshelf, in honor of the Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop. And the winner chosen by random.org is...

Entry #15  Mariah Overlock

Congratulations, Mariah! I will be emailing you to get your mailing address. There will be more giveaways coming up after the holidays, which I hope all of you enjoy with your family and friends. Stay tuned!