New Blog Look... New Giveaway!

New Blog Look... New Giveaway!

Thanks to EVERYONE who clicked, tweeted and made sure all the links worked from the top of the page ALL THE WAY to the Bottom!

The WINNER is... Debbie (dasuzuki)!

Congrats! I've just sent the email to let her know!

I've been meaning to update the look of Chick with Books for a while now... Add a few things here and there... Have fun changing some colors, fonts etc... Add a little html code and see what happens... So now that I've got things pretty much in place, What do you think?!

Want to help me make sure it's all working? I've got a little incentive for helping... I'm going to give away a $15 Amazon.com gift card to one lucky helper! Here's all you have to do to enter...

• Click on any of the links on the blog (in posts, sidebar, the tabs above, etc.) and let me know in a comment below (on this post) what link you clicked on and if worked (it took you where it's suppose to take you) or if it didn't work.

OR...

• Tweet any of the posts by clicking on the "tweet" button at the end of the post and leave a comment below letting me know what post you tweeted, and if it worked.

*Don't forget to leave your email in your comment too!

That's it! Easy enough? It's a great way for me to find out if things are working (or not working) and a fun way for you to enter to win a gift certificate!... Let's click around the blog until Sept.15th! So, Giveaway ends 11:59pm EST on Sept. 15th. I'll randomly choose one winner from all the comments received! Thanks for the help! And Good Luck!

The Host by Stephanie Meyer... A Giveaway!

The Wanderer invaded Her Soul...

But Melanie Refuses to Give Over Her Mind too...

Congrats to Bethie, Carina & Virginia! They each won a copy of The Host! And Thank you to EVERYONE who joined the fun! Tweeted and Blogged about the Giveaway!

How many of us adults have enjoyed the Twilight series?! Stephanie Meyer's brought us into the world of Vampires & young love and captured our attention. Now enjoy The Host by Stephanie Meyer, who creates a world we feel we can step right into... and a love story we can devour... all for adults!

Back of the Book... Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love...

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

THE HOST debuted at #1 on The New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list and remained there for more than a year. Meyer’s first adult novel was not only a huge commercial success with more than 2 million copies sold, it also brought a whole new audience of readers to Stephenie Meyer. Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST, appeals to rabid Twilight Saga fans and readers of classic literary suspense alike. The Host has also been referred to as "science fiction for people who don't like science fiction". AND Movie rights to THE HOST have been optioned by Nick Wechsler and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz, the team that produced the film of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Andrew Niccol of Gattaca and The Truman Show will write the script and direct.

Originally released May 2008, it is now available in a trade paperback edition WITH a New Bonus Chapter! Here's a link to a peak at the bonus chapter. Plus, there's a Reading Group Guide for book clubs (I've included that below). I've enjoyed the writing of Stephanie Meyer in her Twilight books, and I am enjoying reading The Host! She makes the setting she writes about and the characters so real. I'm not quite done with The Host yet, it's a nice thick book!, so my review is coming... In the meantime, here's the reading group guide, and following that are the details on how to enter to win your own copy of The Host!

The Host by Stephanie Meyer Reading Group Guide...

1. How does the poem “Question” by May Swenson, which appears as the epigraph at the beginning of the novel, relate to some of the important themes in The Host?

2. The souls are described as bright silver ribbonlike creatures with hundreds of tiny tentacles. To some they seem beautiful, while others liken them to “worms” and “centipedes.” Do you think the souls’ physical form suits their nature? If you were to imagine a different form to give the souls, what would it be?

3. There is an ongoing debate in The Host about the true nature of humans. Wanderer refl ects, “The humans were brutish and ungovernable. They had killed one another so frequently that murder had been an accepted part of life” (page 47). Do you think this brutality is innate to mankind? If so, does this make the peaceable souls’ decision to take over the earth more ethical?

4. While most of The Host is narrated by Wanderer, Melanie occasionally takes over the narration to relate important memories. Why might Stephenie Meyer have chosen to tell the story in this way? Did you connect more with one voice than the other?

5. The souls believe they are transforming the vicious human world into a utopia. Is the society the souls construct better than the natural society of humans? Melanie tells Wanderer that humans realized the souls were taking over bodies “when the evening news was nothing but inspiring human-interest stories…when everything morphed into Mayberry” (page 108). How does the society of the souls on earth compare to your image of “a perfect world”?

6. The souls are morally complicated creatures. On one hand, they are “all things good: compassionate, patient, honest, virtuous, and full of love” (page 3). On the other, they survive by taking over the bodies and minds of unsuspecting hosts. Does the parasitic nature of the souls overshadow their virtuous qualities? Did you sympathize with the souls, or did you view them as the clear enemies of humans?

7. When Wanderer is lost in the desert searching for Jared and Jamie, Melanie tells her, “You’ve finally found the place and the body you’d die for. I think you’ve found your home, Wanderer” (page 113). What is the significance of “home” in The Host? Why has Wanderer chosen to move from world to world for so many millennia? Can earth ever really be home for a soul?

8. When Wanderer first arrives in the caves, she reflects, “This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds --- the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions…the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds” (page 141). Are these extremes inevitable? Are our darker inclinations essential to the richness of human experience? Do you agree with the premise that more purely “good” beings like the souls can’t experience life as fully as humans can?

9. The humans in the caves are divided about how to view and treat Wanderer. Do you think it is more reasonable to extend kindness to Wanderer or to ostracize her as a potential threat to the group? If you lived in the caves, how would you greet her arrival?

10. Of everybody in the caves, Jared reacts to Wanderer in a manner that is perhaps the most complex. Does the way he treats her surprise you? What do you imagine is going through his head in the first days after Wanderer’s arrival? What instigates the change in his attitude toward her?

11. When Wanderer /Melanie first arrive at the caves, Melanie is eager for them to explain their situation, but Wanderer insists on staying mute, even if it means being subject to imprisonment and abuse. Why does Wanderer make this choice? Do you think it is a wise one? How might things have played out differently if they had done it Melanie’s way?

12. While Wanderer describes many of the worlds where she has lived in great detail, we learn very little about her birth world, The Origin. How do you imagine The Origin? What would a world populated only by souls be like?

13. Near the novel’s end, Wanda makes a deal with Doc. Do you think she makes the right decision about Melanie’s fate and her own? Were you satisfied with the humans’ response to her decision?

14. Jamie tells Wanderer he chose Pet because “I was looking for someone who looked like you. And I thought this looked like you” (page 605). Do you agree with Jamie? Do you think Pet’s body matches Wanderer’s nature?

15. Imagine a prequel to The Host. Of the different worlds Wanderer lived on before arriving on Earth, which would you be most interested in imagining more fully? Similarly, each of the humans living in the caves during The Host has a back story. Which of these would you be most interested in learning more about?

You can read more about the book at The Host Website. You can also learn more about Stephanie, her books and movies at her website, StephanieMeyers.com. AND Courtesy of Hachette Book Group I have 3 paperback copies of The Host to GIVE AWAY! Here's how to enter...

To Enter this giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the left! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on May 19th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

Memoir Monday... Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman

Graduated from Smith College... Found Herself in Exotic Places...

Landed in Federal Prison!?

Orange Is The New Black

A Memoir by Piper Kerman

From the Publisher... "When Piper Kerman was sent to prison for a ten-year-old crime, she barely resembled the reckless young woman she’d been when, shortly after graduating Smith College, she’d committed the misdeeds that would eventually catch up with her. Happily ensconced in a New York City apartment, with a promising career and an attentive boyfriend, she was suddenly forced to reckon with the consequences of her very brief, very careless dalliance in the world of drug trafficking.

Kerman spent thirteen months in prison, eleven of them at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, where she met a surprising and varied community of women living under exceptional circumstances. In Orange Is the New Black, Kerman tells the story of those long months locked up in a place with its own codes of behavior and arbitrary hierarchies, where a practical joke is as common as an unprovoked fight, and where the uneasy relationship between prisoner and jailer is constantly and unpredictably recalibrated.

Revealing, moving, and enraging, Orange Is the New Black offers a unique perspective on the criminal justice system, the reasons we send so many people to prison, and what happens to them when they’re there."

How does an intelligent young lady who graduated from Smith College end up in a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut? By laundering money for an African drug lord of course. What?! Yes, Piper Kerman reveals her brief life of crime at the beginning of the book, and how she came to her senses before she thought it was too late, started a "new" life, (or got back her old one), but found out how certain things have a funny way of catching up to you...

Lot's of buzz about Orange Is The New Black by Piper Kerman, which was published by Random House earlier this month, and which is on my coffee table right now with a bookmark solidly placed 1/3 of the way through. Her story is fascinating, the writing is good (I had to pull myself away for coffee this morning) and I will have my full review later in the week! For now, you can read an excerpt of the book that is being called "A compelling, often hilarious, and unfailingly compassionate portrait of life inside a women’s prison" at Marie Claire Magazine. And that connection I mentioned in my Sunday Salon post? Well, I happen to have grown up in the town where Piper Kerman was "sent away" to...

Happy Reading! Suzanne...

The Cradle by Patrick Somerville... A Review & Giveaway!

"There are two kinds of people in the world," Marissa said.

"There are people who understand that everything matters and people who don't understand that everything matters."

Congratulations to Linda, Darcy & Ashley who each won a copy of The Cradle! Thanks to EVERYONE who joined the fun, blogged and tweeted!

The Cradle by Patrick Somerville opens with a very pregnant Marissa describing "the cradle" that she was rocked in as a child, that was supposedly from the Civil War, and went missing after her mother abandoned the family when Marissa was 15, and a mysterious break-in occurred shortly there after. Marissa asks her husband Matt to find it. She wants the cradle for her baby, just as she had it as a baby. It is important to her... he wouldn't understand because he was an orphan... What this means is finding Marissa's mother, even though Marissa has no idea where she is... Matt is a hero to her, he's pretty good at finding keys, why should a cradle be so different?

The next chapter fast forwards 10 years to another family, Rene Owen and her husband Bill, dealing with their 19 year old son going off to war. Rene is desperate not to have her son go off to war. The reason is a deep down pain, a lost love in another war many years before, and a secret that she's kept hidden just as long.

How Patrick Somerville weaves these two stories together is what is magical. When I started reading The Cradle, I thought I was in for a light read. What I got was a deceptively complicated story, that surprised and delighted me. When Matt makes the simple gesture of humoring his wife and trying to find the cradle, little does he know that he's going on quite an adventure that will take him all the way to Antarctica! As he follows the trail of the cradle, he stumbles upon long kept secrets of Marissa's family, which stir his own childhood memories and dormant feelings. Rene Owen's story alternates with Matt and his search for "the cradle", and in doing so the anticipation of each story grows. Hints of a connection are sprinkled in both story lines and there are no earth shattering revelations, but that is what makes the story special- the seamless connection you find at the end. Along the way, the author challenges the reader to think about what being a family means, what being a parent means, and what value a human life holds. The characters are believable, the writing is good, and the story innocently captures your attention. Thought-provoking and at times heartbreaking, The Cradle by Patrick Somerville is a very satisfying read in a mere 200 pages. The search may have started out for the cradle, but everyone finds something different at the end of the story. One thing we all find at the end is hope...

The Cradle would make a great reading group pick. There is definitely great material for a discussion! Here's the Reading Group Guide for The Cradle. You can learn more about Patrick Somerville by visiting his website, and Patrick also has a wonderful essay about how the story for The Cradle came about at Hachette Book Group. I want to also thank Valerie of Hachette Book Group for sending me a copy of The Cradle for review!

Courtesy of Hachette Book Group I also have 3 copies of The Cradle by Patrick Somerville to give away! Here's how to enter...

To Enter this giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the right! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on May 8th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson

They say Man's Best Friend is a Dog...

They Must Have Been Talking About Stella!

Last night I went to an author event at my local Indie Bookstore, Books on the Common,to listen to Pete Nelson talk about his new book, I Thought You Were Dead. Funny, engaging and a real down-to-earth guy, Pete talked about the love for his dog Alice (who was the inspiration for Stella in his book), Seedy bars (research material), and how it took 15 years & 1200 pages to tell the story of Paul, a guy whose life seems to be one disaster after another, and his faithful companion Stella, who gives him unbiased advise on practically everything. Oh, and BTW, Stella is half German Shepherd and half Yellow Lab, but that never stops her from sharing her opinions. Of course over time Pete edited the book down to 261 pages, and this week it was finally published! And Independent Booksellers (Indies) have chosen I Thought You Were Dead as an Indie Next List pick for April! I've started to read this and have found myself laughing out loud at some of Stella's great observations. I'll be reading this book over the weekend, but thought I would share this with you before my "official" review. I just love the idea of Stella sharing her wisdom with Paul and with us readers! But there's more to I Thought You Were Dead than a dog who's a great conversationalist... Here's what the publishers have to say about I Thought You Were Dead...

Back of the Book... For Paul Gustavson, a hack writer for the wildly popular For Morons series, life is a succession of obstacles. His wife has left him, his father has suffered a debilitating stroke, his girlfriend is dating another man, he has impotency issues, and his overachieving brother invested his parents' money in stocks that tanked. Still, Paul has his friends at Bay State bar, a steady line of cocktails, and a new pair of running shoes (he’s promised himself to get in shape). And then there’s Stella, the one constant in his life, who gives him sage advice, doesn’t judge him, and gives him unconditional love. However, Stella won't accompany Paul into his favorite dive bar. In I Thought You Were Dead, author Pete Nelson delivers a novel that is all at once heartwarming, heartbreaking, and heart-wrenchingly funny. Most of all, it's a story that proves that when a good dog is by your side—especially one with whom you can have an engaging conversation—life can be full of surprises.

The "Full" Review coming soon... Happy Reading! Suzanne...

Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze... Blog Tour Stop, Review AND Giveaway!

THEIR ELUSIVE ENEMIES TOOK EVERYTHING.

NOW THEY WANT MORE.

Back of the Book... Crossroads Crisis Center owner Benjamin Brandt was a content man—in his faith, his work, and his family. Then in a flash, everything he loved was snatched away. His wife and son were murdered, and grief-stricken Ben lost faith. Determination to find their killers keeps him going, but after three years of dead ends and torment, his hope is dying too. Why had he survived? He’d failed to protect his family.

Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help—a victim who eerily resembles Ben’s deceased wife, Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith—and Susan’s necklace.

The connections between the two women mount, exceeding coincidence, and to keep the truth hidden, someone is willing to kill. Finding out who and why turns Ben and the mystery woman’s situation from dangerous to deadly. Their only hope for survival is to work together, trust each other, and face whatever they discover head on, no matter how painful. But will that be enough to save their lives and heal their tattered hearts?

My Thoughts... Would you give your life to save another? That is the first question I asked myself when I opened the pages of Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze, because that is the first choice someone made in the prologue... "You know what I want..." and the results are deadly for the woman who makes that choice, and it also starts a whole chain of events that make up such a great suspense thriller.

Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze was such a page-turner! The plot was so intriguing- a woman who is left for dead, who has no idea who she is, finds herself at a crisis center and in the presence of a man, whose wife was murdered and who she is the dead ringer for. What is their connection? Who is she? What is going on? Vicki Hinze seamlessly weaves such an amazing story with murder, crosses & double-crosses, mystery & intrigue, and even adds a touch of multinational terrorism. As we are introduced to all the parties involved, the way they fit slowly comes together for a really satisfying read. Vicki even adds a bit of comic relief in there with a couple of thugs whose logic behind their plots and subplots are laughable (but still deadly).

I had never read any novels by Vicki Hinze before, and didn't know what to expect. What I found out was that Vicki is a terrific writer! Forget Me Not grabbed my attention from the start and kept me turning those pages. It's suspense, mystery, thriller and romance all rolled up in one. The plot intrigued me from the start - the thought of not knowing who you are, but knowing you are in such mortal danger; trying to survive, while at the same time trying to find out who you are... This is also considered Christian fiction with choices guided by faith based morals. But the novel doesn't get preachy, and was actually refreshing.

Forget Me Not was addictive. I just couldn't put it down. (I finished it one day!) If you like a good mystery with plenty of suspense, Forget Me Not is one for your nightstand. The story easily flows between characters and settings, building up to a great ending. I want to thank Liz of WaterBrook Multnomah for sending along a review copy! Thanks Liz, it was a wonderful read! Would YOU like to read an excerpt of Forget Me Not? You can learn more about Forget Me Not AND read an excerpt at the publishers site, WaterBrookMultomah.com!

About the Author... Vicki Hinze is an award-winning author of twenty-three novels, three nonfiction books, and hundreds of articles. Selected for Who’s Who in America in 2004 as a writer and educator, Hinze is active in Romance Writers of America and serves as a Vice President on the International Thriller Writers Board of Directors. Vicki lives in Florida with her artist husband, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. Visit www.vickihinze.com to learn more about Vicki’s books, blogs, and writing programs.

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival by Ken Wheaton... A Review

"The pages are "thick with the smell of gumbo"...

As You Crack the Spine of...

The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival by Ken Wheaton

Welcome to the sleepy little backwoods town of Grand Prairie, Louisiana... Father Steve Sibille has taken over the parish in Grand Prairie where the most excitement comes from listening to confessions involving little old ladies taking nips out of their husbands Wild Turkey and trying not to get caught. But things are stirring a little in Grand Prairie... if it weren't enough to have pubescent teenage altar girls instead of altar boys, and a runaway gay priest hiding out at his home, there's also Vicki who stirs Father Steve in ways that make him pray for guidance. Top that with a new preacher, charismatic as all heck, who just moved in across the tracks and who's got on eye on Father Steve's flock. What's a priest to do?! What Father Steve does is seek advice from Miss Rita, who's over 100, loves Crown Royal, and can't get enough cracklins to go with her whiskey...

Miss Rita doesn't say too much about the altar girls, or about Vicki (except she thinks Father Steve needs a woman- even though he's a priest), but she plants the seed for Grand Prairie's First Annual Rabbit Festival...

"You need a fair... A festival or something... Something to keep your people busy with your church so they don't run off to his..."

And so an idea is born and a story that will make you laugh out loud and wonder, "what next!" Ken Wheaton is a great writer. The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival is light-hearted, fun and an adventure in reading. His characters have a certain charm and resilience that just make you love them. You can tell Ken Wheaton writes with a genuine affection for his characters as they deal honestly with the situations handed to them and no one is ostracized for being "different". Gently touching on racism and sexual preference, these issues are part of the big picture of the book, but does not overwhelm the story. Hilarious one moment, tender the next, I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in Grand Prairie. I could practically taste all that great food at the bake sales, Turkey fry, and the "February Surprise", where "a meal so stupendous, so amazing, so colossal, so mouthwateringly delicious, you'll want to SLAP YA MAMA!" If that weren't enough I felt a real attachment to the community and vested in the characters. The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival is great writing, a great story and rich, well developed characters. My reading group just read this and loved it. There is a reading group guide in the back of the book with discussion questions, along with Ken's Cajun Cooking Primer- Gumbo for Dummies (along with a Gumbo recipe) and a recipe for Ken's Crawfish Etouffee, a rich buttery crawfish dish served over rice. Enjoy reading the First Chapter of The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival from Kensington Publishing.

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

Books to Movies... The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larssons

Director Niels Arden Oplev breathes life into The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo

Whenever a favorite book is translated onto the "Big Screen" , you have to hold your breathe... And I was... along with a small popcorn. And I was not disappointed in the least! Director Niels Arden Oplev did a great job of visualizing what Steig Larsson put down on paper. On the screen, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo evoked the stark cold landscape of the Swedish landscape where disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist works to solve the 40-year-old unresolved case of the disappearance of wealthy industrialist Henrik Vanger's niece Harriet Vanger. The casting of the actors was perfect. Noomi Rapace, who plays hacker Lisbeth Salander (my favorite character) is spot on, with her harsh look and tough aloof attitude, but with a certain vulnerability that peeks out during the quieter moments of the movie.

The movie is almost true to the book, with some subtle differences. Without giving too much away, Mikael Blomkvist's character is not the cad he may seem in the book, and the ending was changed just a bit. Both aspects did nothing to hurt the overall enjoyment. And a small warning... the brutal rape scene is in the film.

If you haven't read the book, you can still enjoy the movie. And if you have read the book, you will love the movie! There are rumors of an "American" made version of the film to come. The movie I saw saturday night was a foreign film with subtitles. I can't imagine anyone doing any better than the original film. Read my review of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. And you can read an excerpt at Random House. For anyone not familiar with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it's the first book in a trilogy. Book two, The Girl Who Played With Fire, has been published in the U.S. , and book three, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest, is due out May 25th!

Memoir Monday... Foxy by Pam Grier, A Review and Giveaway!

Foxy by Pam Grier...

Beauty And Brains

CONGRATS to Stpand, RubynReba, and Linda B. ! Thanks for joining in on the fun! By Entering, Tweeting and Following! Check your emails! There's one more person I'm waiting to hear back from... Is it You?!

Beautiful, bold, and bad, Pam Grier burst onto the movie scene in the 1970s, setting the screen on fire and forever changing the country's view of African American actresses. With a killer attitude and body to match, Grier became the ultimate fantasy of men everywhere. But she quickly proved that she was more than just a desirable film goddess. She had the brains, courage, and tenacity to sustain a career that would span more than 30 years. In FOXY, she chronicles the good, bad, and steamy highlights in her life and career.

Courtesy of Anna of Hachette Book Group, I can give away 3 copies! This book will be released on April 7th, so be one of the first to read Foxy! I haven't even received a copy yet, but when I do you can count on a review! In the meantime, read an Excerpt of Foxy...

To Enter this giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the right! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on April 19th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

Memoir Monday... Chickens, Mules and two old fools by Victoria Twead.

Pack up your Bags... and head for a little mountain getaway with Victoria Twead!

Perhaps if Joe and Vicky had known what relocating to a tiny village tucked in the Alpujarra mountains would reallybe like, they might have hesitated...

They have no idea of the culture shock in store. No idea they will become reluctant chicken farmers and own the most dangerous cockerel in Spain. No idea they will be befriended by an 85 year old spliff-smoking sex-kitten or rescued by a mule.

Life is never dull as they embark on their Five Year Plan.

At the end of five years they must decide. Will they stay or return to the relative sanity of England?

Vicky and Joe’s story is packed with irreverent humour, animals, eccentric characters and sunshine.

Chickens, Mules and two old fools by Victoria Twead is a funny, laugh out loud, amazing adventure! All it took was another rainy day in Sussex England to break Victoria's resolve... approaching retirement, her & her husband Joe's children were grown and scattered and there was nothing really holding them back from going to parts unknown- or at least to parts that were warm & sunny! As it happened, both happened- Victoria whose love of Spain drove her to needle her husband (just a bit) to agree to try living in a nice spanish village, where the weather was always sunny and the people were always friendly. They compromised on trying it on for 5 years, after which they would decide if the village life was for them. But vacationing and living in parts semi-known are a bit different, but at least it would be warm and beautiful!

Victoria can tell a great story! This book was a joy to read! When you open the book it's as if Victoria is sitting down with you over a cup of coffee chatting about what funny things happened on the way to Andalucia. Her warm personality floats off the page and you are hooked to keep reading. Victoria's writing is wonderful, funny, and entertaining! And as if the story wasn't enough, there are spanish recipes sprinkled through out the pages. (and the one for gazpacho looks deelish!)

Read what culture shock means in Andalucia and laugh out loud while you do! Hey, you'll even learn about Chicken Dust Baths! And I wouldn't want to forget to mention you'll also be introduced to some "cutely" named chickens with some big personalities! You can read more about Victoria, read a sample from the book, and even enter to win a copy of Chickens, Mules and two old fools for yourself at Victoria Twead's website! I want to thank Victoria for my copy of her book! I won my copy this past December in her monthly giveaway and I couldn't have been happier! Chicken, Mules and two old fools certainly put a smile on my face!