Non-Fiction Review: Knits for Nerds

 Reviews  4 Responses »
Feb 192012
 

In which Kia reviews a non-fiction book. This doesn’t happen often. But when she found this book, that is such a cute point on the knitting/nerd fandom Venn diagram, she just couldn’t resist requesting it from NetGalley and thus giving you, reader, a review. 

Knits for Nerds is a non-fiction book of nerdy knitting patterns by Joan of Dark, aka Toni Carr. It will be available for purchase on 2-21-12. Buy it. You will want to MAKE ALL THE THINGS.

The Blurb

[via NetGalley]

The best of science fiction, manga, and animaguiri meets knit one, purl two as knit siren and part-time roller derby girl Joan of Dark offers up an out-of-this-world assortment of knitting nerdiness inside Knits for Nerds. The patterns for 30 iconic clothing and accessory items inspired by popular TV shows, books, films, comics, and more—including Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Firefly—are presented alongside full-color photographs showcasing completed projects, such as:

  • Lieutenant Uhura’s sexy Star Trek minidress
  • Hobbit feet slippers
  • Firefly-inspired scarf, socks, hat, and jacket
  • Tank Girl socks
  • Hermione Granger’s secret beaded bag
  • Manga-inspired leg warmers
  • The Big Bang Theory-inspired his and hers sweater-vests
  • Lord of the Rings-inspired shrug

In addition to a wardrobe of costume finery, hobbyists will also find instructions for practical projects such as an e-reader cover or a laptop bag crafted of checkered fabric that serves double-duty as a chessboard and carryall, as well as patterns for plush toys inspired by Star Trek, robots, and the comic book Squee! Wear (and knit!) your nerdiness on your sleeve with Knits for Nerds.

My Review:

The introduction to this book says, “[T]hese patterns have something for every kind of nerd!” and that’s no lie. This book has knittables from Star Trek to Firefly, from American Gods to Tank Girl - and, of course, The Lord of the Rings.

Honestly, all they had to say was “Tank Girl,” and I was sold. Sadly, this is one of the patterns that is “inspired” by the original instead of being built straight from it. That will not, however, stop me from knitting them… just as soon as I finish a couple of other projects!

In fact, there are several things I’d like to complete from this: the “Secret Beaded Bag,” based on Hermione’s magic purse from the last Harry Potter films; the “Aim to Misbehave Brown Jacket” is gorgeous, even while I’m not a Firefly fan; the “Creepy Bunny” is both cute and creepy, as promised; and – of course! – the Tank Girl socks! In this book, I see lots of projects to make for friends as gifts, and several more I’d like to have all for my own!

The only project I’m not interested in making would be the hobbit slippers. Because knitting up something that looks like big hairy feet? Ew. Just – ew. As funny as the idea is, I can’t imagine a single person who would want that. At least, that’s what I keep repeating to myself. (I think the thing really freaking me out is that I probably DO know people who would be excited to receive a pair of these and that’s just… It freaks me out, okay?)

In short: Awesome book. Great patterns. Useful tool in the arsenal of all nerdy knitters out there. And fun, too. Which is really the whole point of the thing, isn’t it?

I plan to buy a hard copy of this as soon as it releases,  because I’ve found that working patterns from an epub file is not as easy as it might sound! To facilitate my getting started on all the great projects that I’m planning because of this book – and to celebrate my upcoming birthday Kiaras Festivus, I’d like to do a giveaway of something made from one of these patterns. In the “Science Fiction” section, there’s a pattern called Troublesome Toy. The resulting object looks something like this:

Photo from pg 59 of text.

Kind of looks like a tribble, doesn’t it? It also looks like a quick and fairly easy pattern to make, so I’m offering up two of these, made by my own two little hands (in varying colors that probably won’t match the photo at all) to those who enter by commenting on this post. Sadly, I will have to offer these to US-only mailing addresses, as international packages cost more than I make on this website. (P.S. – For the record, I don’t make anything on this site.) Comments will be closed at midnight in the US Eastern time zone on 2/24, after which I will choose two winners.

So get to commenting. This may be your only opportunity to win something this rare. ;)

Kiaras Festivus: Author Focus – Leanna Renee Hieber (w/ Giveaway!)

 Books, Featured  6 Responses »
Feb 092011
 

Sometime back in 2009, I received a review request via email from an author. She introduced herself quite politely, identified herself as a fellow Southwest Ohioan, and asked that I give her book an honest review. Having less than a year of book blogging under my belt, at that time I never turned down a review (I’ve since learned better), and I readily agreed. I’m sure any book blogger out there could tell you that sometimes these review requests turn out well, and other times they do … not.

This is one of those times that it turned out very, very well and today I’d like to introduce you to her and her beautiful, haunting work.

Meet Leanna Renee Hieber, author of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker, and the upcoming The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess (out May, 2011).

Photo: www.taraleigh.com

She is not only an award-winning, best-selling author but also an actress and a playwright. Further, she co-founded Lady Jane’s Salon, a romance fiction reading series in NYC whose proceeds go to organizations that benefit women in need. She is a Renaissance Woman, by talent — although it seems she is Victorian Gothic by temperament.

I won’t re-hash my reviews of her work. You can find them here and here. However, I will say that if you would like a dark Victorian romance with a hefty helping of Greek mythological figures, ghostly hauntings, and dangerous situations then you should give this series a try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To facilitate that, the author has most generously donated 2 copies of the first book in the series, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker for me to give away. The contest will open today and will end at midnight February 28th. Comment here to enter. Any comment on this post will be an entry. If you’d like an extra entry, follow Leanna Renee Hieber on Twitter. For a second extra entry, like her Facebook page as well. Make sure you note in your comment that you have done these things, so that all your entries can be counted. Winners must have a United States shipping address. (Sorry, international folks.)

For more Gothic Victorian goodness, come back this Friday for my review of Strangely Beautiful #2.5 – the novella A Christmas Carroll. And be sure to check back on Monday, for the crown jewel of our Kiaras Festivus celebration — an exclusive new Valentine’s Day short featuring two of our (okay, my) favorite Guard characters!

Kiaras Festivus Year 2

 Featured  2 Responses »
Feb 012011
 

Hello, darlings, and welcome to the kick-off of my 2nd annual Kiaras Festivus party, also known as “Melissa likes to celebrate her birthday for a whole entire month!”

Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I do. And I’m hoping you’ll be excited to celebrate with me because I have so much awesome stuff in store for you this year! That’s right — as usual, we’re going to be celebrating MY birthday, but YOU’RE the ones who get the presents!

I’ll have some new authors to introduce you to, lots of great reviews, a half dozen or so giveaways, and best of all – NEW fiction from award-winning author Leanna Renee Hieber! That’s right. We’ll have a shiny new short piece featuring my favorite Guard couple going up just in time for Valentine’s Day! I hope you guys get even halfway as excited about this as *I* am right now, ’cause boy am I psyched.

On top of that, our first guest review and giveaway will go up THIS AFTERNOON, so stay tuned.

It’s time to PARTY!

Diana Rowland 'Impromptu Contest' Winner

 Books  2 Responses »
Jun 132010
 

I apologize for the delay, as I said I would draw the winner on Tuesday. And I completely forgot.

This is what working 6 days/50 hour weeks at Ye Olde Day Job (henceforth to be known as YODJ) does to me.

To choose the winner, I numbered each entrant’s comment (skipping over any replies). By my count, we had 5 unique entrants.

So, according to Random.org, our winner is:  *brazen fanfare, please* (Drumrolls are so ’80′s.)

Commenter #1 or jacabur1. Congratulations, Jackie B, you are our winner! Please email the address where you’d like the book sent to kiara [at-squiggle] waitingforfairies [dot] com.

I  hope the rest of you will stay tuned, as I know I at the very least have an extra copy of Mark Henry’s Battle of the Network Zombies to give away as well! (And probably more than that – I need to check my shelves again…)

Impromtu Contest: Vent Here to Win a Diana Rowland Book

 Books  12 Responses »
Jun 052010
 

Okay, folks. Diana Rowland is posting some gems over at her Twitter feed tonight, and she’s inspired me. So I’m holding an impromptu contest. I have an extra copy of her latest Blood of the Demon (Review here.) and I’m giving it away.

All you have to do to win is vent here. It can be about anything. What’s frustrating YOU lately? Get it off your chest and maybe win a free book*.

*Anyone can vent but I can only ship to within the US. Sorry. I’m poor & international shipping is expensive.

Edit: Contest will stay open through Monday evening EST.

Kiaras Festivus WINNERS!

 Books, Featured  3 Responses »
Mar 042010
 

Okay, folks. Now that the dust has cleared, the hangovers are cured, and I’ve passed a milestone of birthdays we can now announce the winners of our Kiaras Festivus giveaway. Which author took the lead and was most requested? We’ll soon find out!

Our winners were chosen via the ultra scientific ‘Put-Names-In-A-Hat’ method and my dear husband was present to ensure there were no shenanigans. (There was a margarita or two involved, but it was my birthday after all!)

Winner #1 is: @jacabur1 aka Jackie B who chose Rob Thurman’s Roadkill as her prize.

Winner #2 is: Zombie Joe who also chose Rob Thurman but went with Madhouse. Apparently he has some reading to catch up on! :)

Winner #3 is: Joanna who’s our oddball (with excellent taste!) and chose Jaye Wells’ Red-Headed Stepchild as her prize!

That’s right. No love for Diana Rowland in this contest, but that’s okay folks. We’ll be running a special Demon-ized contest next month (after I’ve had a chance to build my prize fund back up again!).

I hope you all had fun reading up on some under-rated authors. If you didn’t win, I urge you to give one (or more!) of these authors a try anyway. If you are one of our winners, your prize has been ordered and is on its way to you!

I hope you’ll all join us again next time for another contest!

Kiaras Festivus: Author Focus – Jaye Wells

 Featured  3 Responses »
Feb 222010
 

Well, we’re up to our final post in our Kiaras Festivus party. In less than a week, the Dreaded Event* will occur and I will console myself with red meat, margaritas, and fried cheesecake. But before that, I would like to introduce you all to the talented Jaye Wells.

Urban fantasy author Jaye Wells is a self-proclaimed ‘plantser‘¹ who lives in Texas with her “saintly husband and devilish son”, the latter of which she fondly refers to as ‘Spawn’. Read the rest of her bio here. Ms. Wells’ second book will be released on April 1st, 2010. Amazon has it listed as March 30th – which is why she fits in with our February/March party. That, and because it’s my birthday and I’ll invite whoever I want!

I very recently re-read the first book in the Sabina Kane series: Red-Headed Step Child, and – while my husband still pokes fun at the title – it’s still quite possibly my favorite vampire story of all time. In Sabina’s world, vampires are descended from Lilith and carry the mark of Cain in their red hair. Continuing with the Biblical theme, these vamps are highly allergic to apples (Much more pleasing to the nose than garlic, in my opinion!) and can be killed with a stake of apple wood to the heart.

There also seem to be (so far) three other varieties of supernatural creatures in this world: fairies of assorted flavors, mages, and demons. The mages are the vampires’ rivals; any unions between the two races are forbidden. Which explains why half-vampire, half-mage Sabina Kane has such a terrible temper.  (You can read what I thought of Red-Headed Step Child here.)

My final word on this series? It’s worth the read just for Giguhl, the sarcastic, home shopping addicted, shape-shifting demon in (hairless) cat form.

*The ‘Dreaded Event’ being my 25th + n birthday.
¹ A correction, with a hat tip to the author herself.

A look at RHSC:

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn’t really fit in. And being an assassin – the only profession fit for an outcast – doesn’t help matters. But she’s never brought her work home. Until now.

Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she’s on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal …

This time, it’s personal.

Read the 1st chapter of RHSC here.

But at Indiebound or Barnes & Noble.

The new release: Mage in Black

Sabina Kane doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, leader of the vampire race, wants her dead. So when she arrives in New York to meet her mage relatives, the reunion puts the fun in dysfunctional. Not only is mage culture completely bizarre, but everyone seems to think she’s some kind of ‘Chosen’ who’ll unite the dark races. Sabina doesn’t care who chose her, she’s not into destiny.

But the mages aren’t Sabina’s only problem. In New York’s Black Light District, she has run-ins with fighting demons, hostile werewolves and an opportunistic old flame. Sabina thought she’d take a bite out of the Big Apple – but it looks like it wants to bite back.

Pre-order Mage in Black at Barnes & Noble.

And check out the cover for the next release at Jaye Well’s blog.

Follow the author on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jayewells

And just for fun follow Giguhl the demon, too. http://twitter.com/giguhl

Don’t forget that you can comment on this post for an entry into our Kiaras Festivus giveaway! Details on this post.

Writer's Resources for January 31st through February 20th

 Writer's Life, Writer's Resources  Comments Off
Feb 202010
 

These are writers’ resource links I’ve found helpful and/or interesting for January 31st through February 20th:

Kiaras Festivus: Author Focus – Rob Thurman

 Books, Featured  2 Responses »
Feb 152010
 

With seven books and an anthology under her belt – and 2 of those books releasing this year – you’d think that Rob Thurman would almost be a household name by now. But nay, gentle reader, this is far from the truth. Ms. Thurman – and it is Ms. Thurman, sorry to disappoint you – needs our help! I’d say this is probably the most under-rated author in the urban fantasy genre today. She does amazing work, folks, and she’s not getting the exposure she so justly deserves – so spread the word!

She’s also offering a sneak peek at chapter 1 of the next book (currently in progress), #6 of Cal & Niko, if you purchase book 5 at a brick-and-mortar store between the release date on March 2nd and March 6th. Jump on this, folks. It’s exceedingly rare to get a peek at a work that hasn’t even made it to the galley stage yet! Also remember that you can win a copy of book 5, Roadkill, from me at the end of our Kiaras Festivus contest!

Please note that if you win my contest and choose Roadkill as your prize, I will do my utmost to make sure the book is purchased from a brick-and-mortar store and to provide a receipt so you’ll be eligible for the sneak peek! (No guarantees, sometimes life gets in the way. But I’ll try my best.)

Now, let’s take a look at her back list, shall we?

Book #1 of the Cal & Niko Leandros Brothers series: Nightlife

There are monsters among us.   There always has been and there always will be.  I’ve known that since I can remember, just like I’ve always known I was one…


…Well, half of one, anyway.


Welcome to the Big Apple. There’s a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park,  and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse  on  the  Upper  East  Side—and  that’s  only  the beginning.  Of  course,  most  humans  are  oblivious  to  the preternatural nightlife around them, but Cal Leandros is only half human.


His  father’s  dark  lineage is the stuff of nightmares—and he and  his  entire otherworldly  race  are after Cal.  Why?  Cal hasn’t exactly wanted to stick around long enough to find out.

Click here to read blurbs for books 2, 3 and 4. You can also read the blurb (and chapter 1!)  for Thurman’s Trickster novel, Trick of the Light here.

Now that we’re all introduced. Here’s the blurb for Book 5 – Roadkill. Releasing March 2nd!

Niko could have died because of her.  I don’t forget things like that…not ever.  I wanted a little payback for those she’d cheated in the past.  For those she’d cheat in the future.


For what she’d allowed to happen to my brother.


For good old fashion revenge.


Once, while half-human Cal Leandros and his brother Niko were working on a case, an ancient gypsy queen gave them a good old-fashioned backstabbing.  They barely made it out alive.
Now, as their P.I. business teeters on insolvency, guess who shows up with a job?


The gypsy crone wants them to find a stolen coffin. Cal would rather help her into one, but this coffin contains an evil known as the Plague of the World–and it makes the Black Death seem like a fond memory.
But the thief has already left town, so the Leandros brothers are going on the road.


And if they’re very, very lucky, there might even be a return trip…

So, as you can see, there’s some awesome stuff here to read. I’ve personally been pushing the series on all my Supernatural fan friends. With the disclaimer that I’ve never seen more than 2 episodes of the show myself, I have been assured that though both stories have two brothers who kick some evil monster ass (and both are “awesome!” says my friend), the books really aren’t that similar to the show. (In my experience, Cal is much snarkier and foul mouthed than anything they could show on TV. Which just makes it better, in my opinion!) But my point is: fans of the one have been known to be fans of the other. Just sayin’.

Other items of interest: My review of Trick of the Light.

*Remember! You can comment on this post for an entry into our Kiaras Festivus contest!

[Giveaway] It's My Birthday So I'm Giving YOU Presents!

 Books  20 Responses »
Feb 012010
 

Welcome to Festivus Kiaras - or the Festival Known as the Month-Long Celebration Before My Birthday! Yes, that’s right – it’s my birthday and I’m hitting a milestone this year. Although. I’m still maintaining that I’m turning 25 (for the 5th time, of course). Shh… I won’t tell if you won’t.

And in grateful recognition of no one mentioning my real age, I’m going to give away a few books. Yes, that’s right. It’s my birthday but I’m going to give you the gifts!

I also thought it was high time that a few authors I feel are under-appreciated are given the spotlight. They all have new releases coming out this month or next, and we’re going to pour on as much publicity for them as we possibly can this month. Then, after the heady glow of my new birthday presents has worn away*, I’ll be giving away copies of YOUR CHOICE of book from each author’s stable.

*This means on or about March 1st or 2nd. I reserve the right to be hung over for far longer than that, though. It is, after all, my birthday. (My birthday being the 28th of February, of course. I keep forgetting it’s not a national holiday.)

The authors are:

  • Diana Rowland (@dianarowland) who’s 2nd book, Blood of the Demon is due out February 23rd.
  • Rob Thurman (@Rob_Thurman) whose new release Road Kill (Leandros Brothers Book 5) is coming March 2nd.
  • Jaye Wells, (@jayewells) also with a book #2, Mage in Black, releasing on March 3oth.

Here are the rules:

  • Contest is open to those with an available continental US address only. I know. I’m very sorry, ye olde International Readers, but I don’t have the funds to ship overseas. However, if you have a friend who’s available inside the US to forward your winnings to you, then more power to ya.
  • I will draw three names at random from the eligible entries on or about March 1st, 2010 to win one book each.
  • If you’re chosen the winner, you may choose any one (1) book from any of the three authors as your prize. Yes, that includes their newest releases – but you will need to wait until the book’s release date. Sorry, but I don’t have an in with the authors or the publishers. (I have to wait on my copies, too, you know!)
  • Your book will be purchased from the online retailer of my choice and then shipped directly to you. Once the item is purchased, I am no longer responsible for ensuring the item reaches you.
  • Your email address, mailing address, etc. will not be used for anything but this contest.
  • I decide what constitutes an eligible entry. Don’t like that? Go play in someone else’s sandbox.

How to enter:

  • Post a (well written, contributing, not-spammy) comment on any post on this website with a ‘Posted on’ date in February 2010. Including this one.
  • Write a review of one of these authors’ books and post it anywhere. (Some suggestions: your blog, Amazon, B&N.com, GoodReads, Shelfari, etc.) Then come back here to either this thread or one of the ones that will be posted for each other and leave the link to your review. (Review must have been posted after Jan 1st, 2010.)
  • Haven’t read any of these authors? You can also tweet this contest on Twitter or post it on Facebook. These links should trackback automatically, but you might want to come back and link them just in case. (Please don’t Tweet or FB this contest more than once a day. WFF is not about spam.)

And I think that’s it. If there are any questions, please post them in the comments.

Win a Kindle From Fangs, Fur & Fey!

 Books  Comments Off
Nov 122009
 

I’ve been meaning to pass this info along for awhile, but NaNoWriMo has been kicking my butt (Not to mention the Storm Leader event for The Gathering Storm last night! Details to come.).

If you’re not reading the blog Fangs, Fur, & Fey – then what are you waiting for? FFF is a community of several dozen urban fantasy and paranormal romance authors. There are lots of contests, updates, and general fun over there – so hie thyself right on over by clicking here and enter now.

Their contest for the Kindle runs through the end of November 13th (EST) – yes, that’s tomorrow. So hie thyself quickly. Contest is open to US/Canada only. 22 runner up winners will get themselves a $20 gift card to a popular book store.

Updates on The White Queen – including a trip!

 Books, Featured  Comments Off
Sep 042009
 

Good morning, lovelies!

Here are a few updates on The White Queen that I’ve received recently. Enjoy.

To celebrate the success of its release, LivingSocial and Simon & Schuster are giving away a trip to London and other great prizes.  You’ll want to go here to sign up.

Here are the details of what you could win:

Grand prize package [Retailed at about $4,000]:

·        Roundtrip airfare for two to London; hotel accommodations for 3 nights in the Strand Palace, located in the heart of London’s Theatreland

·        Tickets for a dinner cruise on the Thames

·        A day tour of the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral

·        Day trip to Windsor Castle and Runnymede

·        $200 American Express Gift Card

1 first prize winner

·        Will receive an e-reader loaded with The White Queen e-book

1 second prize winner

·        Will receive a leather-bound edition of The White Queen

Sounds awesome, right? I’m already envying the winners! Especially the first prize winner – I am coveting an e-reader bad right now!

As well, here are a couple of new videos for you. The first is a new promo for the book, and the second is from the author herself. Hooray!

THE WHITE QUEEN Giveaway Winners!

 Books, Featured  1 Response »
Aug 242009
 

Okay, the winners have been chosen for the giveaway of two copies (one copy for each winner) of The White Queen by Philippa Gregory! I’m so excited about this I could seriously burst.

The White Queen

The White Queen

Winners were chosen by that timeless standby: Put Everything In A Hat And Draw Out A Name(s).

We had a total of 32 entries, making this WFF’s biggest contest yet.  I’m excited by that and would like to thank you all for entering and for spreading the word. I’m delighted (and kind of stunned) that several of you were dedicated enough to post the contest link every day on Twitter. Wow! And I hope you guys and gals all stick around to read more reviews and to participate in more contests in the future.

Oh. Yes. Right. Speech over.

And now for our winners!

Ye Olde Trustee Ball Cap wisely chose as our first winner…

Joanna

And our second lucky winner is…

@Pallekenl

Hooray to our winners! Please make sure I receive your mailing addresses in the next 48 hours so that I can forward them along to the appropriate parties for mailing of your prizes. I reserve the right to pull  a replacement name if I haven’t heard from you by the deadline.

For those of you that didn’t win, you can still do any of the following:

Follow updates about The White Queen on: Facebook or twitter_standing.

Pre-order the book on Amazon here.

Or read the excerpt here.

Or here’s a lovely book trailer for your viewing pleasure:

I hope you’ll all join us again soon at Waiting For Fairies!

Edit: (Because this info helps!) Note that winners may either send me their mailing addresses via a DM at Twitter (to @kiaras) or via email at kiara [squiggle] waitingforfairies [dottythedog] com. You may also use my Contact page if that works better for you. Please put “White Queen Giveaway” in the subject line of any emails so they don’t hit my spam filter. Thanks!

Win a Copy of The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

 Books, Featured  15 Responses »
Aug 132009
 

We here at Waiting for Fairies are very pleased to take a small break from our usual fantasy and urban fantasy faire to give some much-deserved publicity to an upcoming work from Philippa Gregory called The White Queen. (And to host a contest!)

I’m sure you’ve all heard of Ms. Gregory’s previous novel – the critically acclaimed novel (and movie) The Other Boleyn Girl. I’ve been a big fan of the lurid love life of Henry VIII since my 8th grade history class, so I’m pleased to give some page space to another worthy tale from this author.

Here’s the blurb:

Philippa Gregory, “the queen of royal fiction” (USA Today) Presents the first of a new series set amid the deadly feuds of England known as the Wars of the Roses.


Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.


The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.


With The White Queen, Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series from this beloved author.

Follow updates about The White Queen on:   Facebook or twitter_standing.

Pre-order the book on Amazon here.

Or read the excerpt here.

Or here’s a lovely book trailer for your viewing pleasure:

About the Author

Philippa Gregory is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance. A writer and broadcaster for radio and television, she lives in England.  She welcomes visitors and messages at her website, www.philippagregory.com.

Doesn’t that sound delicious?

Okay, and now for the contest!

We’ve generously been allotted two copies of The White Queen to give away. Even better – the copies are coming straight to your hot little hands (and not through mine), so this contest will be open to our international readers! I’m so excited to be able to give our overseas visitors a chance at one of our contests, so I expect all of you to enter!

How To Enter

There are 3 ways to enter the contest -

  1. Post a comment here stating that you’d like to be entered. That’s it, no tricks or hoops to jump through. Please remember to leave an email address or a link to your Twitter profile so that I can contact you if you win!
  2. For more entries, you can post a link to this contest on Twitter. Please use the hashtag #wffgiveaway so that I can find your entry. Feel free to enter multiple times but I ask that you please limit your tweets to once per day. [We have no love of spam here at WFF.]
  3. If you’re not on Twitter, you can also post a link at your blog or another website [where you have permission to post]. You must provide a link to the post in a separate comment for your link to be counted. (This is for ease of counting entries.)

We’ll run the contest for roughly 10 days or so, to give me time to count up the entries and choose the winners. The contest will end at midnight everywhere on Sunday 8/23/09. I’ll choose winners sometime Monday morning, so be sure you’re entered before then!

In Which There Shall Be Contestery! [Contest]

 Books, Featured  10 Responses »
Jul 132009
 

Due to the kindness of wonderful Ilona Andrews and Ace/Roc, I have gotten my hands on some 2009 science fiction and fantasy samplers.The samplers contain chapters from the newest works belonging to: Faith Hunter (Skinwalker), Mark Del Franco (Skin Deep), Patricia Briggs (Hunting Ground), Rob Thurman (Trick of the Light), Ilona Andrews (On the Edge), Steven R Boyett (Elegy Beach), and Julie Kenner (Tainted). Ilona was even kind enough to sign them all before forwarding to me. Aren’t you lucky? I am giving away three of them right here and right now. I will give away a 4th to one lucky (random*) person when I reach 100 followers on Twitter.

Courtesy of Ilona Andrews

Courtesy of Ilona Andrews

Here are the rules:

  • Just leave a comment. It can be anywhere on the site, if you prefer, but you must come back and leave me a note on this thread telling me you have commented.
  • I can only ship to the continental US. I’m deeply sorry for my Canadian and international friends but I make exactly $0 from this blog and thus don’t have an international shipping budget. (I sincerely wish that I did!)
  • Make as many comments as you wish, but you will be entered into the drawing exactly once.
  • Contest will end in two weeks on July 27th at midnight everywhere. On July 28th, I’ll draw the winners using random.org’s number generator.
  • I will announce winners here at WFF and on Twitter. Winners will have 7 days to claim their prizes before I’ll be forced to draw another winner.

As for the Twitter contest, I will draw one more lucky winner at random using the above method when I’ve reached 100 (non-spammy) followers. Same shipping conditions apply. At least check, that was a mere 10 followers away.

*I am drawing a random follower on Twitter because I don’t believe in the “x-th follower wins” method. That sounds an awful lot like throwing over your old followers in favor of your newest ones to me, an that’s always left a bad taste in my mouth. So I will do a random drawing so everyone has a chance to win! YAY!

Update: The Twitter winner has been drawn! Congratulations @spragujs!

WWBC Hardcover Winner!

 Books, Featured  Comments Off
Apr 052009
 

Ok, thanks to random.org, our lucky commenter is:

True Random Number Generator

2

Commenter #2! Lor, congratulations! I’ll be contacting you via email to make arrangements to send you the book.

Stay tuned for more contest fun at Waiting For Fairies!

WIN a Copy of White Witch, Black Curse!

 Books, News  3 Responses »
Mar 232009
 

Ok, guys and ghouls – I managed to somehow end up with two hardcover copies of Kim Harrison’s newest release, White Witch, Black Curse. Simce I’m keeping one for my greedy self, I’m willing to send my extra copy to one of you.

Here are the rules:

  1. I can only mail the book to continental US addresses. If you’re international and you have a great American friend who’d forward the book to you, then feel free to enter. I’ll send it to you (or your friend) with delivery confirmation. If you’re mailing to a friend, once it’s in their possession, you’re on your own.
  2. Contest will run through 11:59 PM April 1st, 2009. Winners can expect their prize within 1-4 weeks after that (depending on the post office and my own laziness – I won’t lie to you.)
  3. Winner will be chosen randomly.
  4. Duplicate entries will disqualify you.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. Try to make it constructive. Tell me why you like Kim’s books, why you deserve to win, or continue on from the last contest and give me your favorite Hollows swear.

Good luck.

WWBC Contest Winners!

 Books, Featured  1 Response »
Mar 042009
 

Ok, our White Witch Black Curse contest is now over and the winners have been selected! This was done randomly using an internet based random number generator. The numbers were matched to the comments by the order they were posted. The first number pulled was for the Tour T-shirt, and the next two were for the T-4 Angel seeds.

Here were our prizes:

White Witch Black Curse Tour T-Shirt

White Witch Black Curse Tour T-Shirt

And with no further ado… Here are our winners:

The two runner-ups and winners of the T-4 Angel seeds are:

Commenter # 2 – Joanna!

and

Commenter # 7 – ~Lor!

And the Grand Prize Winner of the White Witch Black Curse t-shirt is:

*drumroll please*

….

Commenter # 5

PAIGE!


I want to say a big thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to our winners! Please stay tuned for more WFF contests in the future! Winners will be contacted via e-mail for their personal details so that prizes can be mailed.

Tink's Panties! It's a Hollows Contest!

 Books, Misc  12 Responses »
Feb 222009
 

Waiting for Fairies is pleased and proud to announce our very first contest! In honor of the release of White Witch, Black Curse, the newest volume in Kim Harrison’s best-selling Rachel Morgan/ The Hollows series, we’ve managed to get our tiny little fairy paws on one of the limited edition WWBC Tour T-Shirts!

These shirts were briefly available via Ms. Harrison’s website for purchase outright, but the last orders were due in by February 16th. So, if you managed to miss out – here’s your chance for a do-over!

One lucky winner of our contest will win themselves the shirt, emblazoned with the palm print of Kisten’s killer on the front and the tour cities on the reverse. Two runner’s up will get themselves a packet of T-4 Angel tomato seeds. Grow your own viral tomatoes! Kim herself will be running her own contest regarding these seeds later in the summer – if you’re brave enough to actually grow them! Keep an eye on Kim’s site for more details.

Here’s the swag:

White Witch Black Curse Tour T-Shirt

White Witch Black Curse Tour T-Shirt

And here are the rules for the contest:

  • The headline is a clue: To enter, post your favorite Hollows-themed swear in the comments section of this post. (An example is: ‘Tink’s Panties’ but it doesn’t have to be one of Jenks’ swear words.) Yes, this means you’ll have to have read the books – or at least be able to run a quick Google search – but why would you want to win this if you haven’t?
  • ONE comment per person only, please, or you’ll be disqualified.
  • Because I’m paying shipping out of my own light pockets, I have to limit winners to those with a mailing address in the continental US. *If you have a friend that fits the above who’s willing (and trustworthy enough) to accept it and forward the item to you, then feel free to go ahead and enter at your own risk.*
  • Contest will run through 11:59 PM ET Saturday, February 28th, 2009. The winners will be drawn at random by a web-based random number generator and announced the following week. Winners can expect to have their prizes mailed within two weeks of the announcement. I’ll provide delivery confirmation for the T-shirt for everyone’s peace of mind (specifically my own).
  • If you have questions, please use our contact form.
  • For more information on WWBC, The Hollows, or Kim Harrison, please see the links in this post.
  • Important: This site does have comment moderation turned ON. If your post does not appear right away, rest assured it has been received and will be posted shortly. DO NOT post more than once!
  • Edit: And this should go without saying but just in case – PLEASE don’t list your mailing address in your comment. Winners will be contacted via email for this information.