Tag Archives: Books

Giveaway: Three Father’s Day Books from Chronicle (ENDS 6/16)

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I was recently given the opportunity to host this giveaway for Chronicle. It includes three Father’s Day books.

Dear Dad By Geoff Blackwell
The book is a tribute to one of life’s most fundamental relationships. Packed with photographs of grandfathers, fathers, and the children who adore them, this book will warm any dad’s heart and inspire families everywhere to capture those sweet moments with dear old Dad. Click on the link above to get a closer look at the book!

Handy Dad 25 Awesome Projects for Dads and Kids By Todd Davis
This book is perfect for the handy Dad or the one who strives to be! Its chock full of ideas and step by step directions to create Skate ramps, zip lines, go-carts, and more! In this super-fun book, Todd Davis-extreme sports athlete and host of HGTV’s Over Your Head-presents 25 awesome projects for dads to build with their kids. Busy dads can choose projects that range from simple to challenging and take anywhere from five minutes to a full weekend. Readers are given all the directions they need to grab materials that can be found around the house or at the local hardware store and get to work banging up a sweet BMX ramp or half-pipe, building a tree house or tire swing, or throwing together a slip-and-slide or tie-dye station for an afternoon of fun. With plenty of color photographs, easy-to-follow instructions, and detailed illustrations, Handy Dad is chock-full of creative and inexpensive ways to keep kids (and dads) entertained for hours.

Memento: The Gift of a Lifetime By Michael McQueen
After the unexpected death of his father, Michael McQueen faced the daunting task of sorting through his father’s papers and belongings. At the bottom of a desk drawer Michael found a well-worn notebook, a gift he’d given his father the previous year. He had hoped-but never really expected-that his father would use the questions to write about his life. When Michael opened the book, he discovered pages filled with his father’s handwriting. Stories, advice, memories that had never come up in family conversation filled page after page-it was truly the gift of a lifetime. From this experience, Memento was born. A beautiful gift across the generations, this incredible journal is meant for someone you love. The simple, thought-provoking questions will coax the life stories from loved ones and become a keepsake to be cherished for generations to come.

I love the books, each and everyone!

I actually received the Mother’s version of Dear Dad, called Dear Mom. I absolutely loved it! I will also admit I cried when I saw read my sons had inscribed on the pages. The photos in the book represented all the wonderful, generous and loving aspects of a mother, just as the “Dear Dad” book does for fathers. I also believe that “The Memento: The Gift of a Lifetime” By Michael McQueen is worth its weight in gold! It gives you a beautiful journal to log down your father’s history. Something that will be treasured for many years to come!

As for the “Handy Dad 25 Awesome Projects for Dads and Kids” By Todd Davis, I’m keeping that for myself! I love crafts and this is definitely a book that I will put to use with my sons.

I am delighted to say that ONE Latinalicious reader will have the opportunity to win the three books noted above! Give it to that person who represents all Dad is to you or keep it for yourself (as I’m doing with one of the books), just don’t miss out on these amazing books! 

Good Luck! / ¡Suerte!

 

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MANDATORY ENTRY- YOU MUST DO THIS BEFORE YOU CAN RECEIVE ANY EXTRA ENTRIES:

Click on the links above to look over the books, then let me know why you would like to win! 
 

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. Subscribe via email, follow my blog and/or fan my Facebook page for 1 entry EACH. If you’re already do, let me know! NOTE: Unvalidated e-mails will be disqualified.

2. Follow @MsLatina on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway, stating the below. Provide me with the tweet url in a comment. One tweet per day till the giveaway ends, so go ahead tweet away! 

Enter to win a Father’s Day giftpack from Chronicle! http://tiny.cc/GW29 #GIVEAWAY #MsLatina #Dad #Mom #book

3. Blog about the giveaway, linking back to this post, and provide me with the url for 5 extra entries.

4. Add my giveaway to any blog giveaway linky. Leave the linky url in a comment. Each linky add-on gives you  3 extra entry!

5. Leave a comment on a non-giveaway related post for 3 extra entries. Note the post in your comment and don’t forget to enter each in a separate comment! Wouldn’t want you to miss an entry!

6. Share this post and/or another post you enjoyed using any ”Share and Enjoy” submission  (Example: Digg, Facebook, Technorati, MySpace, Stumble Upon, etc.).  Each post shared gives you 3 extra entries. Just let me know which post you shared and your username, if applicable!

7. Enter any other giveaway for 3 extra entries. Each additional giveaway entered gives you 3 extra entries.

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GIVEAWAY ENDS June 16, 2010 at 11:59 P.M. EST

Open to US residents

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As always, I will use random.org to select the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. Also, don’t forget, in order for random.org to count all of your entries a separate comment must be entered for each item that is completed. Random.org will not count it otherwise 

Disclosure: I received the same products being given; however, this in no way influenced my post.

Blast Off with Allison Maslan

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Allison Maslan, author of “Blast Off!”. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was recently given the opportunity to learn more about Allison Maslan, the author of  Blast Off!: The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams into Reality, available on Amazon. I have to admit I was impressed! In her early twenties, Allison was Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Barali Group, a full-service advertising and public relations firm. The companies client list included Supercuts, Allstate Insurance, Merrill Lynch, Charlotte Russe and MCI. She also co-owned  a hair salon and was a successful real estate investor, managing several properties and teaching others how to do the same. She currently speaks at business and inspirational seminars, inspiring and motivating others to reach higher levels in their own career and personal life.

Those unable to attend her speaking engagements, can purchase Allison’s book as of  January 19th, 2010 on Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble websites for $24. It can also be purchased  in all other major bookstores, as well as online at Amazon.com for less than the brick and mortar price. At the time of posting, the book had received fifteen 5 star reviews and was selling for $16.47. It was also eligible for free shipping with Amazon Prime. 

Knowing that another woman has accomplished so much in her short life, inspires me to strive for higher levels within my own life! 

 

Visit my sponsor: Blast Off!

FREE Harlequin Books

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Snowbound

 In honor of Harlequin’s 60th Anniversary, Barnes and Noble is giving away 16 FREE downloadable Harlequin books! The Harlequin books are from different categories. Although they all  feature romance they range in genres. You will find some from the super romance category, suspense books or even the Nascar series. You can download one or all. The option is yours!

To download your FREE Harlequin Books click HERE.

Happy reading!

Raul Ramos y Sanchez: America Libre Q & A

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Jo Ann of Bronze World recently inquired if I would host a Question and Answer session with Raul Ramos y Sanchez, the award winning author of AMERICA LIBRE. Of course I said YES! There was no way I could pass up probing this author’s mind!

Before I bring on the Q & A, let me bring you up to speed on the author and book.

Raul (Can you believe we are on first name basis?!) is Cuban born, but has resided in the US for many years. He is a talented and gifted writer, director, producer and businessman. He has also been featured in various television, radio, print publications and social media sources. Click HERE to learn more about this multi-faceted author.

AMERICA LIBRE, the first of a trilogy, is set in the near future. In this future, Latinos have grown in population but not wealth. They struggle to feed their families, obtain jobs, and maintain a sense of dignity in a harsh and unjust world. Tensions escalate when cops accidentally shoot an innocent Latina during a drug bust. A revolution eventually ensues, escalating into a Civil War. Over his wife’s protests decorated ex-Army Ranger and family man, Manolo “Mano” Suarez, decides to join the melee. While trying to bring about change, he encounters a beautiful Latina radical. Mano eventually realizes that the battle he is facing is not only in the streets but within him! Will he choose love of family and country or the beguiling and beautiful Latina and revolutionists? Read this page turner to find out!

 

Blog Q & A

1. As a romantic, I have to admit I am very interested in the love story between Mano and his wife. He’s her knight in shining armor, a devoted family man and a hard worker. What made you portray him as such?

Mano is the kind of guy all men should want to be: loyal, kind, strong, responsible. I wanted readers to like and admire Mano. In a lot of ways, he represents the best of the entire Latino community. So when Mano is drawn into the revolution, I wanted readers to understand how prejudice, hatred and violence could drive even a very decent guy into becoming a rebel.

2. Mano is later tempted by a beautiful Latina. I have to ask, why did you give her features which are not normally considered Latino (ex. natural, not from the box, straight blonde hair)? Doesn’t this promote the myth that Latinos prefer non-Latino features?

You raise a good point about Josefina’s appearance. She has honey-blond hair and blue eyes. In most people’s minds, she is not a typical Latina. But in reality, she is. In the U.S. we have been conditioned by the media to believe there is a Hispanic/Latino “look.” For one thing, this makes it easier for advertisers to choose models when selling products. Hollywood also tends to typecast Latinos. But when a Hispanic actor does not fit the stereotype, they are often cast in non-Latino roles. Martin Sheen (Ramon Estevez), Charlie Sheen (Carlos Estevez), Frankie Muñiz (Malcolm in the Middle), Eddie Cibrian, Majandra Delfino and Sarah Ramos are just a few examples. In truth, people from Latin America have very different looks because, just like the U.S. population, they come from all over the world or are indigenous. (I also included the Afro-Latino character Jesus Lopez in AMERICA LIBRE to underscore that more people of African descent in the Americas speak Spanish than English.) With Jo’s character, I wanted to shatter a number of stereotypes, not just with her appearance but also with her attitudes. Throughout the AMERICA LIBRE, I wanted to paint a more diverse picture of Latinos than is commonly perceived.

3. The books love’s story is not just between Mano and his wife but also between him and the United States. When he meets the beautiful Latina and the revolutionists he doubts all that he held sacred and true. Without spoilers, do you believe that love can conquer all? How did this influence the outcome of the book?

Love is universal. Every culture on the planet celebrates love – and every person feels it. But human love is not perfect. All of us are also tempted. How we deal with those temptations is what makes for drama in a book, a movie or a play. As you noted, Mano is seduced by Josefina and by her revolutionary ideology. Will he succumb to these temptations? I hope you’ll read AMERICA LIBRE and find out.

4. Although I have focused on the book’s love story, it is also an action packed thriller. It brings attention to immigration plights that are either unknown or pushed beneath the rug. Did you intend to bring the reader’s attention to the dissatisfaction found in many of today’s Latin communities? If so, could this not cause more harm and discord?

As Tupac Shakur said: “No one knows my struggle. They only see the trouble.” I’ve tried to show the plight of everyday, hardworking Latinos and the difficulties they face. At the same time, I’ve also tried to show the consequences of prejudice and hatred. The U.S. is experiencing conditions which are ripe for exploitation by extremists. I hope that AMERICA LIBRE is a wake up call about these dangers.

5. I recently discovered that your book may be made into a movie! How Latinalicious is that?! Are you considering any particular actors/actresses? Would you consider unknowns or only established artists?

Well, an author on a movie set is usually there for PR value—if at all. The producers and director make all the casting decisions. So my speculation on actors to the play the roles in AMERICA LIBRE is mostly for fun. That said, readers can join in the fun and vote for the star they’d like to see play the characters in AMERICA LIBRE on my website: www.RaulRamos.com. Just scroll down a bit in the left column and you’ll find a link to vote or write in your favorite star.

6. I love the fact that you were featured in USA Today and Latina Magazine, as one of the top summer reads. It brings me great pleasure to see that you are accepted by what others consider “serious” and “light” readers, as well as mainstream and Latino communities alike. That is quite an accomplishment! Felicidades/Congratulations! With that said, do you feel like a trendsetter?

Thank you for your kind words! I’ve been very fortunate in the progress of AMERICA LIBRE so far. And I owe it all to other people, starting with my agent and my editor at Grand Central Publishing who put their faith in my work. The publicity team at GCP has also done a terrific job in spreading the word about my novel. In addition, many wonderful people like you in the Latino community have been very generous with their support and encouragement. I must admit that I don’t feel like a trendsetter. I’d rather think what I’m doing is offering a unique perspective on Latino culture.

 

Raul, it’s been a great pleasure having you here on Latina On a Mission. You are truly a “Latino On a Mission” that is inspiring and empowering so many around you! Sigue pa’ delante!/Keep on keeping on!

I also need to thank Jo Ann of Bronze World for making this possible! Gracias Jo Ann!

You can read the first chapter of AMERICA LIBRE by clicking HERE. Enjoy! And don’t forget to let me know what you think!

 

FREE Young Adult Book: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

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Scott Westerfeld, a New York Times best selling author, is offering one of his earlier books for free. The book, called the “Uglies”, is the first in a series. It also includes the first chapter of Leviathan, his newest book.

Below I pasted and copied the review from Amazon.com.

Playing on every teen’s passionate desire to look as good as everybody else, Scott Westerfeld (Midnighters) projects a future world in which a compulsory operation at sixteen wipes out physical differences and makes everyone pretty by conforming to an ideal standard of beauty. The “New Pretties” are then free to play and party, while the younger “Uglies” look on enviously and spend the time before their own transformations in plotting mischievous tricks against their elders. Tally Youngblood is one of the most daring of the Uglies, and her imaginative tricks have gotten her in trouble with the menacing department of Special Circumstances. She has yearned to be pretty, but since her best friend Shay ran away to the rumored rebel settlement of recalcitrant Uglies called The Smoke, Tally has been troubled. The authorities give her an impossible choice: either she follows Shay’s cryptic directions to The Smoke with the purpose of betraying the rebels, or she will never be allowed to become pretty. Hoping to rescue Shay, Tally sets off on the dangerous journey as a spy. But after finally reaching The Smoke she has a change of heart when her new lover David reveals to her the sinister secret behind becoming pretty. The fast-moving story is enlivened by many action sequences in the style of videogames, using intriguing inventions like hoverboards that use the rider’s skateboard skills to skim through the air, and bungee jackets that make wild downward plunges survivable — and fun. Behind all the commotion is the disturbing vision of our own society — the Rusties — visible only in rusting ruins after a virus destroyed all petroleum. Teens will be entranced, and the cliffhanger ending will leave them gasping for the sequel … –Patty Campbell

 

The book came out to rave reviews! It received  4 1/2 stars out of 5 on Amazon and is a best seller. The free downloadable book can be read as a pdf on your computer, on Sony e-Readers or Kindles! Perfect for our tech savvy young adults! Click HERE to download your copy.

Click here for Pretties (Uglies Trilogy, Book 2) and Book 2: Specials (The Uglies)

Click HEREto see a Bibliography of Scott Westerfeld’s book.

Enjoy!

Oprah’s Free Book: Let the Great World Spin

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Oprah is giving away a FREE book,  Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann. The book, featured on Oprah’s 2oo9  25 best summer reads, sells in stores for about $25. The free book is available until August 5, 2009, 10:59 p.m. EST to registered Oprah members. If you are not registered, you are asked to register, for FREE, before downloading the book.

Below is the book’s blurb obtained from Oprah’s website.

 

It’s 1974, and a man is dancing on a tightrope between the towers of the World Trade Center—risky business, but as Colum McCann reveals in Let the Great World Spin (Random House), so is simply living day to day. This novel, with its web of disparate but connected characters—including a God-battered Irish monk, a swashbuckling prostitute, an artist with a guilty secret, a mother grieving her war dead—is an act of pure bravado, dizzying proof that to keep your balance you need to know how to fall.

Click HERE to go directly to the free giveaway page.

SCARED: A Novel On the Edge of the World

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Scared – A Novel on the Edge of the World from Children’s HopeChest on Vimeo.

Intriguied? Interested?  Great! Now get it for FREE by clicking  HERE.

Note: In order to receive the book you must send an e-mail to three others telling them about the book. You will also receive periodical e-mails from the author once you agree to download the book. The author is hoping to raise awareness of his book in this manner. You can always unsubscribe after the initial e-mail message and keep the book for FREE.

May you be inspired!

“Jantsen’s Gift” Book Review and Giveaway

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I was recently given the chance to select and  review several books. “Jantsen’s Gift”  by Pam Cope, with Aimee Molloy, was the first book that I was able to read.  You can browse inside the book by clicking below. 

 

Jantsen’s Gift was based on a true story of one mother’s battle and ultimate renewal after the death of her son. It was such an inspirational book because we all must go through a death in our lives before we can begin anew. This is true when any relationship ends, in a lay off, and even in the loss of a home!  These problems, or deaths, just mean that our lives are now open to a new beginning but only if we are able to let go. At first, Pam Cope could not let go. She handled the death in her life as many of us would have and sometimes do. She burrowed into a cocoon; however, in that cocoon she grew and she changed. Ultimately, becoming a better HER just as we can become a better US!

One particular part in the book stood out for me so much, I highlighted the passage. It was during Pam’s mourning period when she was still in her cocoon. Her friends who had also suffered a loss of their own consoled her, telling her the following:

You need to know something. You are going to be sadder and your life is going to be harder than you ever thought. But it’s also going to be richer, too, and much deeper. You will feel things you have never felt before, and have a perspective you would never have otherwise had. It’s going to be very bad but it’s also going to be unbelievably great.

Jantsen’s Gift will inspire you to reach beyond yourself, to that unbelievable greatness that we all have. It will reinforce just how valuable you are and how much power you can wield when you just believe in yourselves.

Ready to be inspired?! Then I’m happy to tell you that one lucky reader can win a FREE copy of this book here on Latina On a Mission!  Here are the rules…

 

MANDATORY ENTRY- YOU MUST DO THIS BEFORE YOU CAN RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES:

1.  Tell me about an inspirational moment in your life or provide me with an inspirational quote.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. Subscribe via e-mail or feed. Subscription options can be found on the right-hand side. Already a subscriber then note it in a comment!
2. Follow me on Twitter.
3. Follow Anna Balasi on Twitter, to find out about other upcoming books. Leave your twitter name for verification in the comment!
4. Blog about the giveaway and provide me with the url.
5. Grab my Button, shown on the righthand side, or add Latina On a Mission’s url to your Blogroll.
6. Twitter about the giveaway saying ” Enter to win JANTSEN’S GIFT Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/l6vqeg @MsLatina @annabalasi RT “.  You can tweet once per day till the giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on June 28, 2009, so go ahead tweet away!

 

Don’t forget – Leave separate comments for each entry!  

 

 

Have you picked up your FREE Harlequin Books?

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I probably wouldn’t admit this in person but I’ll post it here … when I was younger I used to absolutely love, love, LOVE reading Harlequin books! As soon as I finished one, I would have another one waiting for me. In fact, my mom brought me a mail-order subscription without realizing just how steamy they were. Hmmm maybe thats why I am such a sucker for romance AND the “good” bad guy…

Harlequin, in a marketing ploy that is sure to entice readers, is now offering not one, but SEVENTEEN (17), full downloadable eHarlequin books, valued at $60 U.S. dollars! They may not provide much intelletual enlightment but they will definitely be easier to carry when you’re riding that train next to the funky underarm man on your way to the beach! Not to mention, they’ll keep you out of jail since you won’t be able to clock him over the head with them while asking him to move!

Click HERE to download yours books today

Happy reading!

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program

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I love going to Barnes & Noble during the weekend. You can browse through books, grab a coffee and lounge in the store, enjoying their AC and the atmosphere of fellow book readers. I usually go with my sons and make a day of it. Big K gets some free time from me and I go with Little Man to the kids section to have him read aloud to me. Its a great FREE way to spend the day with the boys.

I recently found another Latinalicious deal to add to the mix. Barnes and Noble is offering kids in grades 1-6, a FREE book and a chance to win an Autographed Percy Jackson Novel, when they read any eight (8) books of their own choosing. The children have to write the books they have read on a Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Journal to receive this freebie. Its offered in English and Spanish (love it) and is valid between May 26th & September 7th, 2009.

Its a great way to get your child to read during the summer. Hope you can take advantage of this offer!

To find out more info and download the Summer Reading Journal click  here —>Summer Reading Program

Happy Reading!

P.S. If you win the Autographed Percy Jackson Novel you can easily sell it on eBay to bring in some extra money. Perfect for that college fund!