Sweeping Me

#Facebook Friday’s – #Giveaways to Enter

April 25, 2014 by Johannah Leave a Comment

This week finds me thinking… SPRING …finally! Looking out into our yard, it’s like the trees all became green overnight. The front yard has more hostas and lilies and other plants coming up all at once than we’ve ever seen. In fact, my hope is that the deer will not get to them before they actually get to bloom – fat chance, but there is always hope.

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Universal Orlando® Resort Getaway
Wicked #Changed for Good
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Prize: A Four (4) day, three (3) night trip for Winner and up to three (3) Guests to Universal Orlando® Resort in Orlando, Florida. ARV $3,240.68
**Watch the video for the answer…. which is FOUR times!
One Entry; 50 US and DC, 21+; HURRY ends 04/28/14

Unforgettable Trip
Back to Nature Snacks
ENTER

Prizes:
(1) GRAND PRIZE: (4) day/three (3) night stay for two (2) people at either The Nature Conservancy’s Mashomack Preserve in Pine Plains, NY or The Nature Conservancy’s Muleshoe Ranch in Wilcox, AZ (winner’s choice) and $1,400 in cash to purchase airfare and/or pay for personal expenses at sole discretion of winner ARV $2,000
(6) FIRST PRIZE WINNERS: a GoPro Hero3, $50 cash and a one (1) year supply of back to NATURE snacks, awarded in the form of fifty two (52) free product coupons. ARV $499.

Daily Entry, 50 US and DC, 13+ Ends 06/27/14

**Limited to NY, NJ and PA
$500 Gift Card.
Meenan’s Spring into Summer
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**Limited to NY, NJ and PA
Prizes: (1) Lowe’s $500 Gift Card
One Entry, 18+ ends 05/15/14

$100 Gift Card.
Kidecals Spring Sweepstakes
ENTER

Prizes: (1) Lowe’s $500 Gift Card
Daily Entry, US, 18+ ends 05/08/14

*AOM = Age of Majority
*ARV = Approximate Retail Value

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A word about the Facebook Giveaways – they do require you LIKE their page, and maybe even their post to enter, and to win. Some require you to keep liking them through the entire contest to be declared a winner, some don’t. I always stay liking them at least for the duration of the contest, and beyond because I find they usually continue to have contests to enter.

Disclosure: Facebook contests are not associated in any way with Facebook itself — and you are providing your information to the giveaway sponsor. Additionally, I am not paid to do these listings, nor am I influenced by any person as to which ones I chose – all of the information provided here is unbiased and totally 100% my opinion.

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See you again next week with more!!! Comment if you’d like to see certain types of sweepstakes (cash, gift cards, multiple prizes, food, clothing, etc). And if you want to get a look at 5 New Sweepstakes a day… Here’s a great place to find them : http://www.yesuwon.com

Filed Under: My Things

#Book Review: ARC of Amity by Micol Ostow @Netgalley #Horror #Teen #YA

April 24, 2014 by Mary Leave a Comment

Title: Amity
Author: Micol Ostow
Publisher: Egmont USA
Publication Date: August 26, 2014
Length: 368 Pages
Genre: Teen, YA, Horror
Source: ARC from Netgalley
Purchasing Links: Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, The Book Depository

Blurb:
For fans of Stephen King and American Horror Story, a gruesome thriller suggested by the events of the Amityville Horror.

Connor’s family moves to Amity to escape shady business deals. Ten years later, Gwen’s family moves to Amity for a fresh start after she’s recovered from a psychotic break.

But something is not right about this secluded house. Connor’s nights are plagued with gore-filled dreams of demons and destruction. Dreams he kind of likes. Gwen has lurid visions of corpses that aren’t there and bleeding blisters that disappear in the blink of an eye. She knows Amity is evil and she must get her family out, but who would ever believe her?

Amity isn’t just a house. She is a living force, bent on manipulating her inhabitants to her twisted will. She will use Connor and Gwen to bring about a bloody end as she’s done before. As she’ll do again.

Alternating between parallel narratives, Amity is a tense and terrifying tale suggested by true-crime events that will satisfy even the most demanding horror fan.

My Opinion:
An awesome horror for YA/Teens! It was spooky without being overly so and although it gives you the creeps, it doesn’t invoke nightmares! I enjoyed how creepy this was and how the author ended it. Which I think left me a little bit shuddering… I totally liked how we were taken on different perspectives and saw the house through different eras and teens. Very enjoyable read. The story flowed smoothly and I liked the spin on the old Amity house. Instead of seeing it through an adults perspective it was a great change to see it thorough the teens. Conner is the creepiest of all. He goes through the most but the disturbing thing is he likes it and even thrives on the evil in the house. Gwen is another of my favorites she is the one person the house hasn’t gotten a hold of it seems. I also loved that their could be more to this than meets the eye and maybe another book in the works. Which would be awesome! Anyway, I really liked the book and it’s a great read for a horror fan especially a new one.

I give Amity by Micol Ostow 4.5 of 5 Stars!

About the Author:
The only thing Micol Ostow enjoys more than reading and writing is being scared out of her ever-lovin’ wits. When she was 12, her father gifted her with a copy of “Helter Skelter.” Needless to say, it made an impact. Her forthcoming novel, “family,” (Egmont/May 2011), is a contemporary exploration of cult dynamics loosely based on the Manson Family murders of 1969. Micol lives and works in New York City with her filmmaker husband and a finicky French bulldog. Visit Micol at: www.micolostow.com.

Connect with the Author:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Disclaimer: No one sponsored or endorsed this post. All opinions are my own. All information on the book and author can be found at the authors website. I was given a copy of the book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Filed Under: Book Spotlights, Horror/Thriller Challenge, Reviews

#Book Spotlight: The Husband Maker by Karey White & #Giveaway!!

April 23, 2014 by Mary Leave a Comment

Coming July 15th from USA Today Bestselling author Karey White

The Husband Maker

Charlotte’s a girl with nicknames. She may not love being called Charles or Chuck, but the hardest nickname to take is the one she was given in college, the one that’s followed her now for too many years. They call her “the husband maker” and sadly, it fits. Every guy she’s dated since high school has become his next girlfriend’s husband. Not hers. Not three girlfriends down the road. The next.

Is she doing something wrong or is she just cursed?

When Kyle Aldsworth enters the picture and sweeps her off her feet, Charlotte begins to hope that maybe she’s not destined to be single forever. A senator’s son with political aspirations of his own, Kyle’s wealthy, handsome, and in need of a wife. Will Charlotte be disappointed yet again, or will she finally be able to make a husband for herself?

Author Karey White

Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 5/15/14

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Book Spotlights, Guest Posts, My Giveaways

Welcome to the #Fairy Tale #Giveaway #Hop!!!

April 22, 2014 by Mary 87 Comments

This hop is in conjunction with the 4th annual Fairy Tale Fortnight.
Fairy Tale Giveaway Hop
Hosted by
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
The Book Rat &
A Backwards Story
April 22nd to May 3rd

Welcome to Sweeping Me!

Here’s a few modern day fairy tales that might spark your interest:

Blurb:
Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Blurb:
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison–even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Blurb:
Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated; that is until she saves her crush’s life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her new found fame brings misfortune in the form of an old family curse come to light. For Mina is a descendant from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her its’ next fairy-tale victim.
To break the fairy tale curse on her family and make these deadly occurrences stop, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.

Of course you don’t have to choose any of these, you get your choice of book from The Book Depository or an eBook from Amazon or Barnes & Nobles. Your choice!

Fill out the form to enter!
Open WW – Ends 5/3
Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to hop along to the other blogs participating – HERE

Filed Under: Blog Hops, Book Spotlights, My Giveaways

#Book Spotlight: Life in the Palace by Catherine Green & #Giveaway!!!

April 21, 2014 by Mary 1 Comment

Life in the Palace by Catherine Green

“We need to talk,” Tal said. Then I knew it was going to go badly. ‘We need to talk’ is the conversational equivalent of walking into your basement without turning on the light, on a dark and stormy night, when a known psychopath is on the loose. You might as well cut to the chase and slit your own throat.

Chloe Diaz assumed three things: that when Tal said that she was one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance, it was code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo;’ that the gorgeous Seth Wilks would never be her soul mate and that she’d never have to choose between them. Chloe was wrong.

Now the future of the world is in her hands, but what if price is too great to pay?

Download a FREE copy now!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Chloe on Facebook * Seth on Facebook

This is a brief description of the plot:

After a lifetime in the shadow of her sister, Chloe is severely phobic of the chronically cool. Seth is everything she avoids; a pre-med philosophy major who works in a bar, plays in a band and is so good looking that grown women stare at him in the street. But it’s hard to say no to your soul mate. Thinking she’s maxed out her supply of destiny, Chloe settles down to enjoy the happily-ever-after.

Tal says that she’s one of The People sent from heaven to maintain the cosmic balance. Chloe assumes this is code for ‘I’m a pamphlet distributing, incense burning, religious weirdo.’ Actually Tal’s main extracurricular activity is fighting the forces of Oblivion. The People never need to hide what they are because no one ever believes them. Until Chloe does.

Chloe sets out to help Tal and The People as much as she can as an outsider. Seth says as long as no one wears their underpants on the outside Chloe can do what she likes. What he doesn’t say is that he’s also one of The People, although non-practicing. But as the Final Battle draws nearer, Chloe realizes it’s time for Seth to go collect his regulation sword. The only thing standing in his way is her. Seth says he’ll give up his place in heaven to stay with her. Chloe must choose between Seth’s soul and her own happiness.

Praise for Life in the Palace

An interesting take on the paranormal romance genre. …..While other books in the genre have unrealistic buy in to the acceptance of someone from the outside entering a “new world” Life in the Palace handled it from both the main character looking in and the dwellers of the Palace looking out at this person trying to enter their world. …….I am so happy to hear that there are more books in the series! – Yonit on Goodreads

I loved this world that Catherine Green created. I happily lost myself in the life & deep love between Chloe & Seth …..I loved the attention to detail, the fleshing out of the world around them, the obvious growth of all the characters… Even the heartbreaking choices made at the end.
Book two I cannot wait to read! – Ebon Darkmyth on Smashwords

Loved it, great story line, fun characters and after reading it and thinking deeply about the duality of our lives, it made my prayers come alive! – Rebecca Wittenstein on Amazon.com

This book introduces you to a whole host of characters that you want to meet in real life. ….The action keeps you reading, while the budding love between Seth and Chloe makes you breathless. A great read. – Cypora Cohen on Amazon.co.uk

Tour Schedule

Author Catherine Green

Catherine Green writes fantasy books featuring religious characters in a brazen attempt to make the people in faith communities seem less weird. She lives with her husband, children and three marginally neglected goldfish. When she’s not writing, or pretending to be one of her characters on Facebook, she has been known to cook dinner.

Website * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/15/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Book Spotlights, Guest Posts, My Giveaways

Week 11: #STS – What’s New To My Shelf!! #Books #Reading

April 19, 2014 by Mary 44 Comments

Thank you Tynga’s Reviews for hosting!

I hope you had a good week of reading. I have been busy getting ready for Easter and all that includes. This week was busy so I didn’t get much time to purchase anything new but I did get a couple from Netgalley. Anyway, have a Happy Easter if you celebrate and if not have a great day anyway!

Netgalley:

Blurb:
The Ring meets The Exorcist in this haunting story about an American boy whose last hope for protection lies with a vengeful ghost

Okiku wants vengeance…and she gets it. Whenever there’s a monster hurting a child-the same way she was hurt 300 years ago in Japan-her spirit is there to deliver punishment. But one American boy draws her like no other. The two are pulled into a world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from the American Midwest to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan. The boy is not a monster, but something evil writhes beneath his skin, trapped by a series of intricate tattoos. Can Okiku protect him? Or is her presence only bringing more harm?

Blurb:
“I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.”

Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains, and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea. And he must do it all with only one good hand.

The deceived will become the deceiver.

Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.

The betrayed will become the betrayer.

Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.

Will the usurped become the usurper?

But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy.

So that’s my week!

How did yours go? Let me know so I can come check it out!

Mary

Filed Under: Blog Hops, Book Spotlights

#Facebook Friday’s – #Giveaways to Enter

April 18, 2014 by Johannah Leave a Comment

Welcome Everyone!
For those wondering about the medical drama that I was thrust into a few weeks ago… I really have no news. NO ONE has called me about the remainder of the MRI results. Seems my own Dr. had a family emergency and the Dr. who called for her about my neck MRI’s hasn’t called about these. This just reinforces my reading of the results on the “patient portal” – that everything looked just fine (I think the words were more like “unremarkable for a person of this age”). I am now about 3+ weeks without one of the killer headaches. As I write that, I have been having allergy symptoms and some of that included “regular” headaches but nothing like the reasons for those MRI tests.

I also just survived a weekend with my grandson who is a 2.5 year old. He was wonderfully behaved and fun, fun, fun. I was surprised that when told it was nap time, he went in and took one (I think it helps we have a “room” for him here at our house) – and bedtime… no problem – out like a light in a few minutes. Eating, no issues, he ate everything I cooked — breakfast, lunch and dinner. That kid was amazing. Tired me out, but still amazing! And I have to admit, I just love it when he calls me gam ma!

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Missouri Beef Council
SweepSTEAK your Spring
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**This contest seems to require a tweet. Twitter accounts are free.

Prizes: $150 Gift Card to Kansas City Steak Company!
One Entry; 50 US and DC, 18+; ends 04/30/14

FarberWare Cookware
Spring into New Traditions
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Prizes:
Grand Prize: Farberware New Traditions Aluminum Nonstick 12-Piece Set, in Aqua or Red
Bonus Prize: Farberware New Traditions Aluminum Nonstick 4 Qt. Covered Sauté, in Aqua or Red
Bonus Prize: Farberware New Traditions Aluminum Nonstick 11.25″ Deep Skillet, in Aqua or Red

ONE Entry, US & DC 18+ ends 05/15/14

And…Millennius .
Samsung Galazy S5 Giveaway
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Prizes: (1) Samsung Galazy S5 16GB Mobile Phone
One Entry, 18+ ends 05/02/14

*AOM = Age of Majority
*ARV = Approximate Retail Value

Filed Under: My Things