Patricia's Particularity's Halloween Bash: How KatnissEverdeen would celebrate Halloween & GIVEAWAY!

I'm proud to say that I am fortunate enough to participate in Patricia's Particularity's Halloween Bash. She'll be hosting giveaways & guest posts throughout the month of October. Be sure to check out the schedule of spooktacular fun!

I chose to explore how our favorite Hunger Games tribute would celebrate Halloween in her world. I'll be describing how I think she would participate in the Halloween festivities before we meet her in The Hunger Games.

Katniss Everdeen, our 16 year old heroine, will think that she has outgrown the kiddie faux-holiday that is Halloween, but will be obligated to take her little sister Prim around the neighborhood to collect their meager gifts. Over the years, more and more houses have stopped leaving their lights on to let the kids know that there are treats available. Even more kids have stopped going out because their families simply can't afford the luxury of a costume. Luckily Katniss & Prim's mother is a miracle worker & pulls together a simple, yet cute owl costume for Prim to wear made from old clothing scraps.

As they get ready to head out, Prim decides that Katniss needs to dress up too. Sure to please the young one, Katniss grabs a few bags of herbs from her mom's storage area to tie around her belt. When she returns announcing she's read to go, Prim exclaims that Katniss still isn't dressed. Katniss is sure to inform her that she is dressed as an apothecary, complete with medicinal herbs.

Gale shows up then to escort them around the neighborhood. There's really not much to see in The Seam since all the families here are coal miners, but there are a few houses where people are generous enough to spare an apple or slice of bread. The real score is in town at the merchant families' houses. While no one really has an easy life in District 12 (one of the farthest districts from The Capitol) the merchants seem to be doing better than everyone else because they have an actual product to sell. The miners just get what they can based on the hours in their shifts.

Prim starts to get quote excited to see all the other kids running around giddy & hyper because it's one of the few times she gets to interact in such a jovial manner. Things are quite regimented in the districts with lots of runs that must be followed. Prim enjoys just getting to be a kid. While everyone thinks she is oblivious to what's really going on around her, she knows that Katniss is doing a lot more than she should have to in order to provide for the family. Prim just wishes she could be more like her big sister.

As they wander the streets, moving from house to house, they come upon the Mellark family bakery. Despite having beat her son when he gave away their bread to a starving family, Mrs. Mellark is handing out warm sweet rolls to all the children stopping by. They smell divine & Katniss can't help but think back to the night that Mrs. Mellark's son Peeta saved Katniss's family by giving her some bread. Even now she looks around for him & finds him hard at work inside the bakery making the next batch of sweet rolls. Each of them takes a roll & thanks Mrs. Mellark right before the announcement is made that the curfew has not been extended & all citizens should return to their homes.

Gale walks the girls back to their mother thinking about how this wasn't the "huge waste of time" that Katniss had predicted. Actually, he rather enjoyed the respite from the daily grind of hunting, foraging & trading at the Hob. It was nice to think about what it will be like when he & Katniss get to walk their own children around the district.

So how about it folks? Do you think I hit the nail on the head with that dream? I sure hope so. It was a lot of fun to imagine myself as Katniss & to think about her emotions in such a serious way. I don't do much fiction writing, but after this I may start to think about taking it up as a hobby. There are a few stories I have started over the years (from English & Creative Writing classes), but nothing that I've thought about it years.

Now on to the real reason you might have stopped by. :D There will be 4 winners in this contest.

Grand Prize:
A Hunger Games wordle t-shirt from ParamountPacific on etsy.com
It comes in sizes Small to XL

Three runners up win:
Hunger Games bookmarks from sotheysay on etsy.com

To enter, go to Patricia's Particularity's Halloween Bash page. There are several giveaways going on, so be sure to enter as many as you'd like!!

Patricia's Particularity's Halloween Bash: How KatnissEverdeen would celebrate Halloween & GIVEAWAY!

Winner of All These Things I've Done!

Congratulations are in order for Jasmyn who has won the copy of All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin. Your information has been submitted to the publisher for book mailing.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway. I'm hoping to have a special giveaway coming up soon, so stay tuned!

Winner of All These Things I've Done!

Giveaway & Book Trailer: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Today I'm quite excited to bring you a giveaway & book trailer of Gabrielle Zevin's inventive debut All These Things I've Done. It just sounds so delectable that I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

"In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty.think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family."

Contest is now closed.

Giveaway & Book Trailer: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Blog Tour & Interview: The 2011 Book Blogger's Cookbook!

I am deeply honored to be a stop on the blog tour for The Book Blogger Cookbook! Christy Dorrity from Dearest Dreams got the craziest idea in her head to put together a cookbook with recipes & blurbs related to books!

The Book Blogger’s Cookbook has 25 different book reviewers from every corner of the blogosphere. It bridges the gap between author and reader—putting you in touch with book reviewers who can separate the 5 star books from the mediocre.

The Book Blogger’s Cookbook showcases great reads and provides an interactive experience with links to author and book reviewer websites. The cookbook is created for those who like to experience what they read long after they’ve closed the book.

The Book Blogger’s Cookbook tells why each recipe complements its companion book. Recipes and books combine to make the reading experience satisfying and entertaining.

Your's truly is one of the lucky 25 reviewers whose opinions are included in this wonderful book! I've even got Christy here for an interview:

1. How did you stumble upon book blogging? Did your blog start out as something else & become about books or has it always been book-centered?

When I found an online community full of people who read and write about what they read, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to combine my loves of reading and good food in one blog and from the very first book review, I began giving books a recipe. When food and reading fuse together, the reader can experience the world of the book in their real life.

2. What’s your favorite part about the book blogging community?

I am continually amazed at the generosity of book bloggers. They read books, and write reviews about them with no compensation other than a review copy of the book. Their willingness to share doesn't end with the book reviews. Book bloggers swap books with each other, hold giveaways and author interviews, attend book signings and cross promote each others' blogs. I've never seen such an amazing group of people who are willing to share and help each other out.

3. If you could have known only one thing that you know now, that you didn’t know when you started blogging, what would it be?

I think I've learned to pace myself. In order to maintain a blog, a writer needs to have consistent content, but it doesn't have to be a daily chore. I aim for at least a post per week and try not to feel guilty if other things in my life need more attention. One other thing I have learned is to record notes on a book as soon as I finish it, even if I don't write the actual review until later. You'd be surprised how fast you forget what you liked/disliked about a book.


4. You’ve recently published The Book Blogger’s Cookbook. What made you want to put that project together?

When I came up on my one year blogoversary I thought it would be fun to put together a simple PDF cookbook that included all of the recipes on my blog. The more I thought about it, the larger the project grew. I wanted to try my hand at self publishing and The 2011 Book Blogger's Cookbook was the right project to try it out on. Including books and book reviews in the cookbook was a natural progression. I am so happy with the way the cookbook turned out and the many wonderful friendships that I've forged in the book community.

5. Describe your book in three words.

Reads. Eats. Reviews

6. What’s your favorite recipe in the cookbook?

Now that's a hard one. Today I am in the mood for "Poor Dyer's Bread", the companion recipe to The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal. And with all of the fresh fruit available right now, I am inclined to make "Tadpole Soup" from Kersten Hamilton's Tyger, Tyger. Each recipe in the cookbook is one of my favorites.

A BIG thank you to Christy for stopping by to let us in on this fun, blogger-driven book! You can purchase the book on Amazon & don't forget to enter for a chance to win a Kindle!!

Grand Prize Giveaway: Kindle, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" (the kind without the ads)

Plus Five Copies of The 2011 Book Blogger’s Cookbook

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post or any of the great blogs that are participating. Then, if you want more entries into the contest, Tweet, Facebook, or blog about the cookbook and leave a separate comment telling me what you did. You can say something like: Win a Kindle at the launch tour of The 2011 Book Blogger's Cookbook http://tinyurl.com/3vurm3a #bbcb Winners will be drawn using random.org on July 21st.

Blog Tour & Interview: The 2011 Book Blogger's Cookbook!

Ruby Red Winner!!

And the winner of a most fabulous book is: Lauren R.!! I've already submitted your information to the publisher, so you should be receiving the book soon! Thank you to all who participated. I'm hoping to get a few more giveaways going soon. Keep an eye out!

Ruby Red Winner!!

Giveaway & Book Trailer: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

I've been perusing this book for a week or two now & it really is quite fascinating! A new kind of time-travel book for a great genre. I'll post my thoughts in a few days, but for now, here's a sneak peak & a chance to win a copy!

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

The contest has ended!

Giveaway & Book Trailer: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Author Interview & Giveaway: Sherry Shahan with Purple Daze

Today I'm happy to present an interview with the amazing Sherry Shahan! She is the author of the phenomenal YA novel Purple Daze. Without further adieu:

1. Purple Daze is a very unique concept, combining personal accounts with historical events & context documentation as well as verse. Did you choose to write the story this way or is this just how it came out?

While cleaning out a closet, I found an old shoe box filled with letters from a friend who was in Vietnam during the mid-1960s. I spent hours rereading the gut-wrenching accounts of his physical and emotional nightmare. I can’t believe I kept his letters nearly 50 years.

Since his letters inspired Purple Daze, I decided to use that form of expression for his character. At the same time, I started writing character sketches about other high school friends. Once I began scribbling, I was living in a constant flashback. Bam, bam, bam. Memories slammed me twenty-four-seven.

During a later draft, I ran across factual events that I wanted to include. In 1965, for instance, the Pentagon authorized the use of Napalm B in Vietnam. That year the FBI launched an all-out campaign to discredit Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. These entries are juxtaposed against musical references, such as concerts and the story behind Arlo Guthrie's song,“Alice's Restaurant.”

2. What parts of yourself, if any, do you see in your myriad of characters?

It’s not a coincidence that Cheryl’s name is so close to my own. Like Cheryl, I used to crawl out my bedroom window at night to meet friends. Sometimes six of us would pile into a car and hit the streets of Skid Row in Los Angeles. We’d walk around at 2 A.M. for no particular reason. During the Watts Riots we drove the freeways looking for a break in the National Guard barrier. We wanted to see the fires and devastation up close. We were such adrenaline junkies.

In one of Ziggy’s pieces, a teacher discovers a hot dog wearing a condom. Yep, that really happened.

Ziggy

Mrs. St. Johns faints in Home Economics

when she opens the refrigerator and sees

her Oscar Mayer wearing rubbers.

I mean, grow up!

3. You’re well versed in writing for several different types of audiences, from small children to adults. Was there a change in your writing style for your YA novel?

Most contemporary YA novels are written from the point of view of a single character. But I wanted my readers to be as close to Phil (in a trench Viet Nam) as to Cheryl (in a high school classroom). I wanted them to have access to the private thoughts and feelings of all six characters.

Each character demanded his or her own story arc -- with a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end -- yet I had to weave each story smoothly into the whole. It was quite a challenge.

Because of this unconventional story form, white space played a significant role in shaping emotional content.

Phil

Mick has no class,

treats Ziggy like trash.

I don’t know why she

puts (out) up with it (him).

This entry is only four lines. Yet they sum up Phil’s feelings about how Ziggy is treated by her boyfriend. Perhaps better than if I’d written it in margin-to-margin prose. Fewer words on a page tend to stand out. It’s as if the white space is framing what’s important.

4. What’s the next big adventure on the horizon?

I’m in a long-term relationship with a man who served in Vietnam in the 1960s. At eighteen he was hauling fuel in a 5,000-gallon truck over a highway bobby-trapped with land-mines. We’re planning a trip from Cam Rahn Bay on the coast, zigzagging to Qui Nhon and onto Anh Khe, one of his driving routes during the war.

5. If you could only take three things with you on your next adventure, what would they be and why?

Camera, because a picture really is worth a thousand words. Corkscrew, because life’s too short to drink wine from a box. Down pillow, just because.

Thank you so much to Sherry Shahan for stopping by to give us an inside look into her wonderful YA novel Purple Daze. You can read my thoughts here. And because Sherry's so awesome, she has even offered up a copy of her fabulous book for a giveaway!

Official Rules:

• You must completely fill out the form.
  
• You must be 13 or older to enter.
• You must be a US resident.
  
• CLOSED.
  

Author Interview & Giveaway: Sherry Shahan with Purple Daze

Winners from The Vespertine Week!

I want to give a big thanks to everyone who came by during The Vespertine week here at Tattooed Books! A very special thanks goes to Saundra Mitchell for writing such an amazing book & offering up such wonderful help & guidance during this process.

On to the winners! Your item will be shipped out within the next week. Please let me know if you do not receive it by March 18th (some winners are international, therefore the extended date).

Pendant: Zombie Girrrl

Signed Book: Savs

Bumper Stickers:
Lawral
Alyssa D
Rachel Y
Anne A
Karen W
Sara L
Stephanie (IN)

Again thank you for everyone who helped make this a success!

Winners from The Vespertine Week!