Posts Categorized: book giveaway

Best I’ve Read 2011 Day 5- Not My Type #BIR2011

15 Dec, 2011 by in book giveaway, melanie jacobson, not my type 7 comments

Today Fire and Ice is thrilled to host a guest post and giveaway from author Melanie Jacobson as our day 5 of Best I’ve Read 2011. I gave five stars to her newest book Not My Type.
Oh does Melanie know how to write a kiss! You will fall head over heels in love with her characters and the adventures of Indie girl who braves the crazy world of online dating for her job as a local journalist. This is one of the most fun books I’ve read all year. Welcome Melanie Jacobsen author of
Not My Type:
A Single Girl’s Guide to Doing It All Wrong
Paperback, 257 pages
Published September 1st 2011
by Covenant CommunicationsTwenty-three-year-old Pepper Spicer is not living the dream. She ended her engagement at the last minute because her fiance-a musician and soon-to-be reality TV star-wanted her to sacrifice her own career ambitions for his. Now she’s stuck at home sharing a room with her little sister, trying to pay off massive debt for a wedding that didn’t happen, and spending Friday nights Facebook-stalking everyone who has a better life. Her therapist father urges her to choose her career dreams and count her blessings by writing weekly thank-you notes, but gratitude is a tall order when she botches an important job interview and has to settle for writing an undercover dating web-zine column-the last thing in the world she wants to do. Life takes a major upswing as Pepper’s column hits the big time and she tastes the exhilarating thrill of success. But there’s one tiny problem: the intensely hot man she’s falling for is having issues with her job (again). Will Pepper trade her personal ambition for another chance at love?Q&A with the author Melanie Jacobsen:
What things would you have on your bucket list?

There are so many places I want to travel as part of my bucket list. Costa Rica, the Caribbean, Jerusalem, Africa. I also really want to learn to sew. But I’ve been lucky to get a lot of my bucket list done already. Guess it’s time to make a new one!

You review books occasionally, tell us what some of your favorite recent reads are? What about all-time best reads?

Best all time read is To Kill a Mockingbird. My oldest son’s middle name is even Atticus. But some favorite recent reads are My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison and Variant by Robison Wells.

Not My Type is partly about some of the fiascos of online dating…did you had any disaster dates before you got married?

I did. Oh, yes. Oof. The biggest standout is Zipper Pants Guy. He had these cargo pants that you could zip off to become shorts. He stuffed the zipped off legs of his pants into his pockets, along with his camera and a water bottle and a million other things until he walked at nearly a waddle. It was an odd visual. I never recovered enough to commit to another date.

What has been the most rewarding experience you’ve had as an author?

Several women have thanked me for offering them a guilt-free escape from some of their troubles. That makes it totally worth writing.

Do you have a music playlist for any of your books?

I totally don’t, which is so weird because I’m married to a musician. But I can’t read or write with music playing and since that’s what I do the most . . .

Nanowrimo yes or no?

Not this year. But I did it the past two years and I sold both of those novels, so I give NaNoWriMo two thumbs up!
About the author: Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and romance novels. After meeting her husband online, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed houseplants. Melanie is a former English teacher and a popular speaker who loves to laugh and make others laugh. In her down time (ha!), she writes romantic comedies for Covenant and maintains her humorous slice-of-life blog.
Visit Melanie on her website/ twitter or blog. Click here to order Not My Type at 20% off the cover price.

To enter to win a copy of her new novel, Not My Type: A Single Girl’s Guide to Doing It All Wrong, click here and fill out the form.

Best I’ve Read 2011 Day 4- Possession #BIR2011

14 Dec, 2011 by in book giveaway, Possession, simon schuster 19 comments

Possession by Elana Johnson is our pick for Best I’ve Read 2011 Day 4. Elana has written an awesome guest post for us and offered up a giveaway as part of BIR11!

Possession
By Elana Johnson
Published: June 7, 2011
by Simon & Schuster
ISBN 139781442417618
5 stars
Summary: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them…starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous–everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn. This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

I first picked up this book from Simon Schuster as an E-ARC and then last week when I got a paper copy in the mail you know what I did? Something I’ve only ever done with a handful of books…I read it again. The paper in my hands and the awesome cover was too big a temptation to pass up. I loved Possession even more the second time around with it’s layers of meaning and depth. Once you know what’s going on with the main characters and reach the surprise ending, I’m sure you will want to do the same.

I felt an immediate draw to Possession’s protagonist Vi with her sarcastic, fiery personality. She is one strong 15 year old who stands up for herself and isn’t afraid to throw punches. Victoria Schoenfeld is a water worker living in the Goodlands with mom after her father went missing and sister died working in the hands of the government. Vi’s a free thinker who’s had more than one brush with the law. So when she’s caught crossing borders to meet her match Zenn, a newly recruited special forces agent, the Greenies want consequences for Vi. They wish to rule a society where their model citizens, Goodies are “walking paper dolls” devoid of personality. All must plug into transmissions including messages about not lying and sticking to the rules. But Vi has stopped plugging in and has a mind of her own. Those in charge have an upper hand with advanced technology capable of modifying memories, scanning fingerprints and tracking identities. Vi can feel the tech in her bones and though her father invented it, she’s not convinced it’s not all that it seems. In the end it’s a choice for Vi between “control or don’t control, alone or together, Zenn or Jag, duty or death.” (p.366)

Jag…oh Jag. Bad boy who likes to read, leader of the Resistance, lover of wicked hair and distributor of hair gel & illegal tech. He stole my heart with his laughter, calmness, and laid back personality. He’ll snag yours the first time he utters the words “nice” and shrugs his shoulders. But readers beware that Jag is not alone in his efforts to win Vi and freedom, Zenn is fighting behind enemy lines.

Elana Johnson is genius. She’s crafted characters that push and pull you in all directions. There is not a clear cut line between what is bad and what is good. The last 1/3 of the book feels like a choose your own adventure quest for the truth, full of action and suspense. Possession is an ingenious mix of dystopian, paranormal and science fiction that had me thinking long after I finished the book. If you’re a fan of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series, prepare yourself for something even more mind blowing. Control or be controlled? Join the Resistance.

Guest Post by author Elana Johnson: Choose to Conform
Wow, Heather’s hitting me with the hard stuff. She’s asked me to talk a little bit about the pressures teens face today to conform or be controlled (a theme in my dystopian novel POSSESSION).

I think there’s a lot of conformity that takes place during the teen years. As a mother of a teenager, I find myself doing it all the time.

Clean your room. Take out the trash. Get your homework done.

I find myself saying all that. And it’s not like, “Clean your room today sometime.” It’s “Clean your room right now.”

Basically, “Do what I say, when I say it.”

I think they face similar situations at school. They have to be in class by the time the bell rings. They have to take certain classes for graduation. They have to get certain grades to play sports, be a student aide, or participate in the special extra-curricular activities—not to mention the pressure to get into a “good” college and have the opportunity to have a “good” career.

Everything is set up to reward those that conform—and not just as a teen. I believe adults face similar situations at work, college, and life in general.

So yeah. I think there’s a lot of conformity going on. Do I think it’s all bad? Not at all. But I believe a couple of things:

1. There comes a point in your life when you have to decide what’s “good.” Your parents may be pressuring you to go to a certain college. Your friends may be pressuring you to do something you’re not sure about.

Ultimately, you need to take a step back and take a good hard look at your life. What do you believe? Why do you believe that? Who are you listening to? Why is what they’re saying right for you?

Those are the kinds of questions the main character in POSSESSION is constantly wrestling with. I think teens go through a similar period of their lives, and dude! I’m still regularly analyzing my life and where I’m spending my time and making what I do fit with what I believe and who I listen to.

It’s a life-long process, I think, that should be repeated each time you arrive at a cross-roads in your life. And with each decision you make based on your own personal belief system, the more confidence you’ll achieve. Confidence that you can live the best life—for you.

2. We can overcome obstacles by making informed decisions. Don’t just show up to vote because you can. Read and study and make an informed decision about the candidates.

Don’t just go to the same college as your parents. Read and study and make an informed decision, based on what you want to do with your life and the quality of the programs offered.

Don’t just go along with your friends, doing what they do or dressing the way they dress. You have to live inside your skin forever, and the decisions you make determine whether that skin is too tight or just right.

So yeah, I think there’s a lot of people out there conforming to societal rules and regulations. I don’t think they’re all bad. Not at all. But I do think each person has the opportunity to live the best life they can, and in order to do that, they need the freedom to make a few decisions on their own, after truly examining what it is they believe/want and then making life choices to support those things.

When we do choose how we will conform, self-confidence will be won and obstacles overcome.

Choose to Conform

About the Author: Elana’s debut novel, Possession, is available now from Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster). Learn how to spell and say her name.

Elana wishes she could experience her first kiss again, tell the mean girl where to shove it, and have cool superpowers like reading minds and controlling fire. To fulfill her desires, she writes young adult science fiction and fantasy.

Using her boring human powers, she graduated from Southern Utah University with Summa Cum Laude honors in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics. She started her teaching career as an upper grade music and art specialist. After a four-year stint in 3rd grade, she is currently the technology specialist.

In her world, Oreos and bacon would be the only food groups. Everyone would drive 10 over the speed limit. Winter would be eliminated as a season, and Jeff Probst would be President. As it is, she lives with her husband and two kids in central Utah, gets cited when she drives too fast and eats Oreos only on special occasions.

Find Elana on her blog/facebook/ twitter/ goodreads

We have one copy of Possession to give away as part of Best I’ve Read 2011 courtesy of Elana and Simon & Schuster. To enter to win fill out this form. And be sure to check the Best I’ve Read home site for a chance to win Wolfsbane and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer as well.

Twisted Hardback Giveaway

17 Oct, 2011 by in book giveaway, twisted 58 comments

We have another fun giveway going for this halloween season…

Twisted
by Gena Showalter
Hardcover, 564 pages
Published August 30th
ISBN 0373210388
series: Intertwined #3

His vampire girlfriend might have brought him back to life, but he’s never felt more out of control. There’s a darkness within him, something taking over…changing him. Worse, because he was meant to die, death now stalks him at every turn. Any day could be his last.

Once upon a time, the three souls trapped inside his head could have helped him. He could have protected himself. But as the darkness grows stronger, the souls grow weaker—just like his girlfriend. The more vampire Aden becomes, the more human Victoria becomes, until everything they know and love is threatened.

Life couldn’t get any worse. Could it?

To enter to win a hardback copy of Twisted simply comment below. Open internationally, ends October 31, 2011.

Guest Post and Giveaway with Melanie Jacobson

10 Oct, 2011 by in book giveaway, melanie jacobson, not my type 37 comments

Today Fire and Ice is thrilled to host a guest post and giveaway from author Melanie Jacobson. I gave five stars to her newest book Not My Type which I just finished reading. Oh does Melanie know how to write a kiss! You will fall head over heels in love with her characters and the adventures of Indie girl who braves the crazy world of online dating for her job as a local journalist. This is one of the most fun books I’ve read all year. Welcome Melanie Jacobsen author of Not My Type: A Single Girl’s Guide to Doing It All Wrong, Paperback, 257 pages Published September 1st 2011 by Covenant Communications.
Twenty-three-year-old Pepper Spicer is not living the dream. She ended her engagement at the last minute because her fiance-a musician and soon-to-be reality TV star-wanted her to sacrifice her own career ambitions for his. Now she’s stuck at home sharing a room with her little sister, trying to pay off massive debt for a wedding that didn’t happen, and spending Friday nights Facebook-stalking everyone who has a better life. Her therapist father urges her to choose her career dreams and count her blessings by writing weekly thank-you notes, but gratitude is a tall order when she botches an important job interview and has to settle for writing an undercover dating web-zine column-the last thing in the world she wants to do. Life takes a major upswing as Pepper’s column hits the big time and she tastes the exhilarating thrill of success. But there’s one tiny problem: the intensely hot man she’s falling for is having issues with her job (again). Will Pepper trade her personal ambition for another chance at love?

Guest Post from the author: “My mom never made me write thank you notes. For a lot of reasons, it was one of those things that fell through the cracks of my social training. Thanks to a situation in which I mortally offended my new step-grandmother by not writing a thank you note I didn’t know I was supposed to write, I’ve been reformed. Um, mostly.

Actually, I was kind of obsessed for a while. So much so that at one point I imagined writing a note that was going to get me on Oprah, a dream I’ve now had to accept I’ll never realize. Along with the one where I’m invited to be on her favorite things show. But I haven’t given up hope for making it to one of the Ellen twelve days of Christmas.

Anyway, the idea was that I would write a thank you note to someone every week for a year and then record the effects I observed.

That idea disappeared to the same place that has stolen all my best money-making schemes and sure-fire bestseller ideas. In other words, it went into the ether and it’s floating around with all the wished upon dandelion fluff and falling star dust, waiting to coalesce into another dream for Stephenie Meyers.

But I’ve always loved the idea of a year of thank yous. Ultimately, instead of a life project it became a novel, Not My Type, about a girl named Pepper whose father challenges her to write the notes in an effort to snap her out of a self-pity funk. Still, the constant questions I get about, “Where did you get your idea from?” and “Do you write thank you notes?” has reminded me that I owe quite a few to people, so I might as well start catching up right here.

Dear Legos,

Thanks for teaching me the superhuman skill of biting back curses. Every time I have stepped on one of your evil bricks when chasing a half-naked child to wrestle her into a diaper, I have managed to keep the most vile curses behind my teeth. This has translated into me being able to travel the local freeways and merely grunt as I bite back my road rage-induced profanity. Sure, it sounds like I’ve had a stroke. But my kids have learned all their swear words from the church nursery and NONE of it from me. Barefoot Lego damage has prepared me well.

Dear Clothing Manufacturers.

I have gained thirty pounds in the last ten years, but every time I go shopping, I wear the exact same size. I love vanity sizing! Keep up the good work, guys!

Dear Dove Milk Chocolate Squares,

Sometimes you are the only reason my children survive the day. This thanks is really more on their behalf, because seriously, they OWE you one. More than one. They kind of owe you for every Friday afternoon that they’ve survived.

Dear kids,

Thanks for making me laugh, even though sometimes I’m doing it through Lego-induced tears. Love you guys! “

About the author: Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and romance novels. After meeting her husband online, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed houseplants. Melanie is a former English teacher and a popular speaker who loves to laugh and make others laugh. In her down time (ha!), she writes romantic comedies for Covenant and maintains her humorous slice-of-life blog. Her second novel, Not My Type, hits shelves in September. Visit Melanie on her website or blog. Click here to order Not My Type at 20% off the cover price.

To enter to win a copy of my new novel, Not My Type: A Single Girl’s Guide to Doing It All Wrong, I’d love to hear about one thing you’re thankful for that you wouldn’t normally list. You don’t even have to explain your answer. For example, for different reasons, I could and probably should thank the following things: Red Box, kitchen tongs, the neighbor’s dog, and Cheez Its. Good luck!

Leave your entry in the comments below and we will pick a winner on November 10, 2011.

Halloween Spooktacular Giveaway

04 Oct, 2011 by in book giveaway 4 comments

Every year around all Hallow’s Eve Fire and Ice gives away some of the scariest books out there to our readers! This year up for grabs in our bag of goodies is:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Magnolia League by Katie Crouch
Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz
Night World no.1 by LJ Smith
Night World no.2 by LJ Smith
Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers
The Jumbee by Pamela Keyes
Siren Song by Cat Adams
Thirst no.1 by Christopher Pike

To enter to win our Halloween Spooktacular fill out this form. Ten winners. Open to US mailing addresses only. Ends on Halloween October 31, 2011 at midnight. Good luck!

The Last Archangel Book Giveaway

05 Sep, 2011 by in book giveaway 31 comments

The Last Archangel
by Michael D Young
Paperback, 288 pages
Published July 14th 2011
by Bonneville Books
ISBN 1599558947
http://thelastarchangelbook.com/

Xandir has been exiled to earth until the end of time. But when his cherub trainee disappears, Xandir makes a deal with rogue angels and giants that could restore life to the mortal woman he loves and end his assignment as a destroying angel in exchange for helping them bring about the end of the world and all of mankind.

About the Author: Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in German Teaching and a minor in Music. He puts his German to good use by working to build online German courses for High School students. Though he grew up traveling the world with his military father, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and his two sons. Michael enjoys acting in community theater, playing and writing music and spending time with his family. He played for several years with the hand bell choir Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

He is the author of the novels “The Canticle Kingdom” and “The Last Archangel”. He is also the author of the inspirational pamphlet “Portrait of a Mother”. He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Mindflights, The New Era, Allegory, and Ensign.

Fire and Ice is giving away a copy of The Last Archangel courtesy of publisher Cedar Fort. To enter to win simply comment below. Open internationally, giveaway ends October 4, 2011. Good Luck!

Happy Release Day Giveaway- Between

02 Aug, 2011 by in book giveaway, walker 13 comments

Between
by Jessica Warman
447 pages
Published August 2nd 2011
by Walker Childrens
ISBN 0802721826

Elizabeth Valchar — pretty, popular and rich — wakes up the morning after her 18th birthday on the yacht where she’d been celebrating with her closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, she finds her own drowned body is hitting the side of the boat. Liz is dead. She has no memory of what happened to her, and can only observe in horror the fallout of her death.

She’s also soon joined by Alex Berg, a quiet boy from her high school who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The two keep each other company, floating in and out of memories and trying to piece together the details of what happened to each of them.

In her regular life, Liz was a runner. It wasn’t abnormal for her to run 8-10 miles per day. But as memories from closer to her death begin to surface, Liz finds that she’d been running much more than normal, and that she’d all but stopped eating. Liz’s mother, who died when Liz was nine, had battled with anorexia as well, and those around her worried that Liz was following in her mother’s footsteps. But something more sinister was consuming Liz from the inside out…

JESSICA WARMAN is also the author of Breathless, which received three starred reviews and was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and Where the Truth Lies. The idea for Between came from an incident in her childhood, when a local boy went missing after a party on a yacht (he was eventually found, alive). Visit her online at www.jessicawarman.com

To celebrate the book birthday of Between Fire and Ice is giving away one advanced reading copy to our readers. Fill out this form to enter. Must be 16 or older with a US mailing address.

Watched Blog Tour & Giveaway

21 Jul, 2011 by in book giveaway, watched 5 comments

Watched
by Cindy M Hogan
Paperback, 348 pages
Published April 28th 2011
by Createspace
ISBN 1453899154
Source: author
4 stars

It takes more than a school trip to Washington, D.C. to change fifteen-year-old Christy’s life. It takes murder.
A witness to the brutal slaying of a Senator’s aide, Christy finds herself watched not only by the killers and the FBI, but also by two hot boys.

She discovers that if she can’t help the FBI, who want to protect her, it will cost her and her new friends their lives.

Watched is one part suspense, one part action and lots of building first time romance. Main protagonist Christy has never really considered herself a part of the “in ” crowd at school. Back home she’s young for her grade, overly intellectual and socially awkward. But on a summer trip to Washington DC as part of a scholarship for future politicians her life makes an unexpected U-turn. Witnesses to a violent crime she and her group are forced to stick together when they find they are being followed and their lives are in danger. There is a feeling of danger lurking at every corner for Christy. She’s also bombarded with the new and conflicting emotions of being noticed by two guys at the same time…Alex, the cute popular rich boy she’s been eyeing since day one, and Rick who is everything she could ever hope for with both manners and honesty. Sometimes it’s hard to choose, and Christy needs to decide what she stands for.

It felt like there was a lot of self-doubt wrapped up in Christy’s mind. In the wake of all that’s going on, she doesn’t always make the smartest moves. I would have liked the author to explore resolving conflict and taking personal responsibility instead of running away. The only other glitch I struggled with was that the book ending was abrupt-completely open ended, mid scene. I am very curious to see how book two takes shape and I will be picking it up! My recommendation would be a little more editing to smooth out the rough edges. Overall, I enjoyed Watched enough that I stayed up all night to finish it and I’m very glad Cindy asked Fire and Ice to be a part of her blog tour. She’s done a great job getting her book out there.

Content: Recommended for older teen readers due to very graphic and traumatic violence, decisions which involve teen drinking, making out and one reference to the “b” word.

Buy Watched through Brigham Distributing , Barnes and Noble
and Amazon.com

Visit the author’s blogs at http://watched-thebook.blogspot.com/ and
http://cindymhogan.blogspot.com/

Visit all the stops on the Blog Tour
July 18th – Lisa Ann Turner
LDS Women’s Book Review
Sumo’s Sweet Stuff
July 19th Canda’s Inkblast
July 20th Teen Book Guide
July 21st Fire and Ice
July 22nd Star Crossed Book Reviews

The Giveaway: Author Cindy M Hogan has generously offered the readers of Fire and Ice two signed copies of her book, Watched. To enter to win one fill out this form. Giveaway will go through August 21, 2011.

The Perfect Token Giveaway

05 Jul, 2011 by in book giveaway 10 comments

The Perfect Token
by Cathryn Tew
Paperback, 224 pages
Published May 14th 2011
by Cedar Fort
ISBN 1599557940

Brietta has long given up on finding her true love – that is, until she meets John. Charming, handsome, and perfect, he’s everything she’s ever wanted. But her plans go awry when she finds out John may already be planning to propose – to another girl! Filled with humor and a touch of sass, this book reminds you that finding love is a journey of self-discovery.

To enter to win a copy of The Perfect Token, leave a comment below. Giveaway is open only to US residents and ends August 5, 2011.

Learn more about the book at http://theperfecttoken.com/

Book Blow Out ARC Giveaway

03 Jun, 2011 by in book giveaway 14 comments

Here at Fire and Ice, I have a few extra books on my shelves. So I’m sharing my ARC and BEA love with you readers! Here’s what there is to choose from:

ARC of Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
ARC of Those That Wake by Jessie Karp
ARC of Throat by R.A. Nelson
ARC of Human.4 by Mike A.Lancaster
ARC if A Young Man’s Guide To Late Capitalism by Peter Mumford
ARC of Among the Truthers by Jonathan Kay

There will be six winners. Pick your top book choice and fill out this form. Then stay tuned for more BEA giveaways and new ARC tours! This ARC blow out is international and ends July 3, 2011.