Open Call: Helluva Halloween II

Alrighty, October is a-creepin' up, and I am starting to get geeked about Helluva Halloween II.  Last year, it was just an excuse to read and review as many Halloween-y books as I possibly could, but after Jane in June, I realized it could be so much more than that.
So my goal this year is to model it after JnJ a bit and have as much spooktacular stuff going on as I possibly can.  I'm going to do my best to round up some great giveaways and awesome bits for you, as well as reviewing some fantastically spooky things.  But here's where you come in.  Same as Jane in June, I am welcoming guest posts (all sorts), features, giveaways, and whatever delicious creepiness you can come up with.  There will be a link-up page for any HHII randomness you may write up and want to share.  But if you want to get more involved and be featured, then I welcome your participation in a number of ways.

I'm thinking:

• Guest reviews on your favorite Halloween reads, movies, etc
• Featurettes on various Halloween things, like what gives you the creeps, your best Halloween costumes, etc
• Halloween Mad-Libs participants (more on that to come...)
• "It was a dark and stormy night..." chain story participants (more on this as well...)
• Halloween Craft-off (you get the drill ^...)
• [insert your ideas here]

So if you want to get involved, think it over, come up with an idea of what you'd like to do,  and then fill out this form and let me know!

If you want to guarantee yourself a spot on the line-up, as well as a chance at a neato prize pack, I will need your post no later than September 24th (don't stress, that gives you nearly 2 months); sorry for the deadline, but I have to do it to keep everything in order and have it ready to go, as well as to have as little time spent tracking people down.  I promise it will be worth it.

Also, I'm debating whether or not to make a new HH button.  Here is last years, tell me what you think.  Personally, I've grown fond of the witches, but should I go for something new?

All thoughts, comments, and recommendations are welcome, and I hope you'll join me for some Halloweeny fun.  Even if only to say the word "Halloweeny".  Try it.  It's fun.  I'll wait.

Told ya.



Lastly, please note: everything in HHII is not going to be scary, necessarily.  You can post about something simply supernatural or paranormal as well.
(So no worries, all you scaredy cats!)

A little more CSN stores lovin'

So it looks like I'm going to be reviewing something else for CSN -- why?  Because they're awesome.  It's kinda perfect, 'cause I've had this certain bookshelf in my head ever since the last bookshelf I reviewed (you know the one.  You want to win it...)  But I was thinking, since they've got gads and gads of specialized stores, I've probably missed something I'd either really love, or really could use.  (Hello? They have a store devoted entirely to luggage.  This certainly would have come in handy on my ALA trip to the seaside...)

So I'd like a little help, please.  Some assistant shopping, if you will.  Go check out any of the number of CNS stores and tell me what you would get if you could.  Link up the product in the comments and get a bonus entry in either my Blogiversary giveaway or my CSN bookshelves giveaway -- you decide! Just leave your link in the comments, as well as a comment on which giveaway you want to apply your bonus to.

And then make sure you stay tuned for CSN review #2*!
:)


*Yes, I am compelled to add 2 Fast, 2 Furious every time I use the words 'number 2' now.  This time is no different...

Happy Blogday to me, happy blogday to me (etc, etc)

Well, kitties, today is my blogoversary.  Sort of.  I guess technically, it was sometime in June, which is when I started my blog.  One glorious, ramble-filled post of pointlessness, and then nothing for over a month.  When I started back up and stayed consistent with it, I erased that first post and now proclaim my second glorious, ramble-filled post of pointlessness as my first, and this, my blogoversary.

I had every intention of making a big hoopla of it, but that just didn't work out, so then I thought I'd just let it quietly pass -- but what's a blog without a little hoopla?

So here's a look back at my first year of blogging, with a little something something at the end.

Some of my favorite books I've blogged in this past year:

• Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
• all of the Mercedes Thompson books
• The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
• Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
• Soulless and Changeless by Gail Carriger
• Madapple by Christina Meldrum
• A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
• there were so many that I am going to make myself stop (The Hunger Games, Leviathan) here before I do too (How I Live Now, Savvy) many.

Some of the duds:

• Hush, Hush
• Belle and the Beau
• Betwixt
• The Luxe
• PPZ

Top 3 reviews I had the most fun with:

1. Hush, Hush.  Sometimes, it just feels so good to let it out.
2. Savvy.  The book was just a blast to read, so some of that came through in the review.  Plus, any review that has a list of cool words like 'catawampus' at the end makes me happy.
3. Soulless.  I had fun mimicking the tone of the book a bit in the break-down, and it was just plain fun to share with you.

Random good bits:

• This fun end of the year fill in the blank
• The first Helluva Halloween.  (Notice I said the first.  Numero 2 is a-comin'.)  The spotlights were probably the most fun part of that -- and according to Google Analytics, my Spotlight On: Haunted Houses is one of my most visited pages.  Still.  Not sure why, but people randomly love it. 
• All of the Banned Books Week posts I did last year.  I am a big BBW supporter, and I loved  getting a chance to talk about the most ridiculous bannings ever or my love of The Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Participating in the 12 Blogs of Christmas last year, and the Debut YA Book Battle this year.  It was a lot of fun to connect with other bloggers and be a part of something that helps generate blogger buzz and great book buzz.
• And obviously, Jane in June.  Though the work load was, um, yeah... the whole month was a lot of fun, and I can't wait to dive in again next year.  In fact, I had so much fun, I am even thinking of other things I like to do with you, including modeling this years Helluva Halloween after JnJ (ie, inviting your guest posts and general awesomeness, and having giveaways full of fantastic.)

Possibly one of the coolest things of this past year, though, is all of you.  I've had such a blast chatting books with you and getting to know you all.  I love seeing people be passionate about things (especially when those things are books), and I've gotten so many good recommendations that have helped swell my TBR Monster to the gargantuan beast it is.  So I blame you, but I thank you.
I've even got to meet a few of you.

So thanks for a great year!  Here's to many more!






























Oh, you want something, right?  You think, Misty's having a sappy, thanks, guys, moment, and she's bound to give us something.  Curses, you know me too well!

Fill out this form for a chance to dip your hand into the Prize Pool.  It's about time we all jumped in.

Teaser: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

This teaser is from The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa. It is the second book in the Iron Fey series. In this scene, Meghan is confronted by the Queen of the Winter (Unseelie) Fey after she is discovered in a room with the body of the Queen's eldest son, Sage.

Teaser from: 

The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey, #2) 

pages 66-69

pub date: August 1, 2010

Please note: because this reading comes from an ARC, this scene and its pagination in the final edition may differ.

Review of the CSN stores Cube bookshelves + giveaway extension!

You may remember that during Jane in June, I hosted a little contest for CSN stores for an adorable 3 pc cube bookshelf set.  Well, when I got back from DC, I got them up and lookin' pretty, and got all ready to review -- and my camera went AWOL.  I kept putting off posting the review because I wanted to show you what they look like on my walls, but I give.  You can see how cute they are from the CSN picture, and I want someone to win, already (and I'm sure you do, too).

First, let me just say they're adorable.  I am a fan of dark wood, and they have just the perfect chocolate shade, and they have a nice depth to them.  They are slightly smaller than I envisioned, but that is probably due to the fact that I am horrible with dimensions.  Still, you're not going to fit much on these shelves, especially the smaller one.

That being said, I don't think it matters in the least.  They are a fantastic style element in the room, and it's so fun to play around with them.  I am not lying when I say that I sat on the floor with them for hours the day I opened them, just shuffling them around and making the most ridiculous minute adjustments to decide how I wanted them placed on the wall.  I think my family thought I was crazy.  Ironically, I ended up with an arrangement very similar to the one in the picture...  But the beauty of these is that they are small enough and light enough that moving them around isn't much of an issue.  I can work them in with other things, or rearrange them when I get bored.  Next time around, I think I am going to go for a graduated big-to-small look.  The organizer in me loves this.

So all in all, you really can't beat it.  On sale for $29, free shipping, easy to put up, instant modern coolness to the room -- what more could you want?

Oh, you want to win  them.  Silly me.  Well, just for you, I'm extending the contest for 1 week.  You have 7 days to get your entries into this form and win!
Contest ends Saturday, July 31st.
US and Can only.


[Pictured: the Nexxt Cubbi 3 Piece Wall Shelf Set in Black - item # RS203B-INT]    

Question...

How do you break yourself out of a rut (or funk or what have you)?  I am in a rather impressive streak of absolutely-no-motivation-whatsoever, but I need to shake myself out of it.  I am curious what you guys do when this happens.  (I know I'm not the only one.)

Generally, I am a list-maker.  Seeing everything I need to do, and knowing if I do one, I can cross one off -- and god, that's a delicious little feeling.  I sometimes start the list with things that I've just done, just so I have something to cross off.  But that's just between you and me...

So if I were to make a list, this is what it would look like:

• read and review all current review books (this would be split into all of them, but I am behind and there are a lot)
• record teasers for books and schedule
• record a few Kids Corner posts and reviews
• catch up and get ahead on meme work
• write up YA love rant (it's been stewing)
• figure out something for blogiversary -- hey, that's in a couple of days, did you know that?  Had plans, haven't done a damn thing...
• Finish (for the love of god, finish) all Jane in June prizes and send. them. out!
• make schedule of posts for the next few weeks and use as guide

What do you think the chances are of me doing any of this?  That's the other thing about list-making -- sometimes the list itself is enough.*

Part of my current situation is that I don't want to do the things I should be doing because I have stacks and stacks of shiny new books from ALA to read (and 6 more came today, including an ARC of Beautiful Darkness -- which you may recall, I already have.  So guess what got added to the prize pool...) But maybe I just need inspiration, something new to take over my brain.

So I come to you with 2 questions:

1. How do you break yourself out of a funk?
2.  What would you like to see on Book Rat? 

*Which of course made me think of this: "I have seen a great many lists of her drawing-up at various times of books that she meant to read regularly through—and very good lists they were—very well chosen, and very neatly arranged—sometimes alphabetically, and sometimes by some other rule. The list she drew up when only fourteen—I remember thinking it did her judgment so much credit, that I preserved it some time; and I dare say she may have made out a very good list now." (Knightley, Emma)  Jane in June may be over, but you know there's no escaping my Jane.

Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay

Oblivion Road
Alex McAulay

from Goodreads:
Courtney Stanton thinks she's on just another ski trip with her friends -- until a horrific car accident strands them all on an isolated Colorado road during a blizzard. Frightened but alive, Courtney and her companions discover an abandoned vehicle nearby, and seek help. But the vehicle turns out to be a prison van, with the inmates missing, and the guard's dead body in the front seat.
Soon after, a stumbling figure emerges from the snow, a handcuffed refugee from the van. He says he's been in prison for selling meth, but that he once served in the army. Dare they trust him? He pleads innocence about the guard's murder, warns them about the other fugitives, and promises he will help guide them out of the wilderness. But as the group begins a nightmare trek across the frozen landscape, they start to get the feeling he hasn't told them the entire truth, and someone -- or something -- is secretly watching their every move.



I received this book as part of the Other Shelf Tours, and I requested it on pure cover appeal alone -- and since we all know how this typically works out for me, I'll just hold out my hand to be slapped now.

I don't know why I don't learn.  I sort of don't know what to say about this book.  It's not that the writing was awful, per se, it's just that I was completely indifferent for a majority of the book.  This is a suspense novel, and it should have been riveting.  These kids are stranded in a brutal environment with an apparent truckload of maniacs on the loose, and horrible, absolutely horrible, things are happening to them -- and I didn't care.  McAulay never made me feel like Courtney or her friends were real, and even though they were in near-constant danger, I never felt as though they were -- I never had that tension that you should have with this type of book, the tension where you jerk upright and hunch over the book, or literally sit on the edge of your seat in some weird mimicry of the events, as if you may get up and run or fight or whatever the case may be.  Courtney's narration was sort of apathetic and disjointed, which is maybe a realistic shock reaction, but which doesn't lend itself to the excitement of a suspense story -- and this feeling carried over even into the parts where Courtney claimed to be terrified.  I found myself apathetic in the same way, at one point calmly thinking, "Yeah, ___________'s going to die," and moving on like it was nothing.  I should care is a main character is about to bite it.  I have to put this on McAulay -- you can't just say there's terror, you have to prove it.  Make me terrified, make me give a damn.  If brutal, horrific things are happening and I feel nothing more than mild disgust, that's an issue.

There did come a point near the end of the book where I started to feel a little more tension -- when Courtney is finally faced with the decision to confront the situation and be active on her own -- and from then on it was more enjoyable -- but in a 300 page book, to become invested in the last 50 pages is unacceptable.  That's 250 pages of wasted potential.  And even though I felt the tension then, it was too little, too late.  But that point it was too close to the end for me to care who made it out alive, if anyone.  I was over it.  That budding tension should have happened in the beginning and been built upon throughout, so that by the end I was ravenous to know what happened.  That's what a thriller should be. If this hadn't been a book specifically for review, I wouldn't have made it past 50 pages.  I don't even know that I would have made it to 50 pages.  If I don't care enough about the characters by then to worry when they're in imminent danger, then it's too late to make me care.

Prize Pool

Here* are the books that winners will get to choose from whenever I have a contest that references the "prize pool" -- I still have to wade through a lot of books, and there are some that I have a feeling I will want to part with when I finally get around to reading them, so expect the pool to get deeper and deeper...
Everyone got their swimmies on?

 Angels on Sunset Boulevard hardcover

Beautiful Darkness ARC

The Exorsistah paperback

 

Firespell paperback

A Highlander's Temptation paperback

 

Kill the Dead ARC

 Lucan paperback

The Marbury Lens ARC

Mockingjay UK paperback

 

Monsters of Men ARC

 

My Soul to Keep ARC

 

Mysterious Benedict Society paperback

 

Shift paperback

Thirteen Orphans paperback

Up From the Blue ARC

Vanishing, and Other Stories ARC

Violence, 101 ARC

Warbreaker paperback

The Wrong Mother paperback

*please note, this can change at any time according to my every whim, so I don't want to hear any whining about "hey, there used to be such and such" or "but I want blahblahblah" and so on.  If you don't want my free stuff -- Move. Along.



Past Prize Pool Winners:

<--- Sablelexi, who won Plain Kate in the Helluva Halloween Tricks and Treats Grab Bag!

<--- Liz, who won Extraordinary in my 1st Blogiversary Giveaway!





<--- Zombie Girrrl, who won Boneshaker as part of the September Zombies Grab Bag!

<--- Ashley, who won Beautiful Creatures in my November Thankfulness Giveaway!

 

<--- Theresa, who won Dark Song in my November Thankfulness Giveaway!

<--- Mindy, who won I Heart You, You Haunt Me in my November Thankfulness Giveaway!





<--- donnas, who won Beautiful Malice in the Follower Love Blog Hop!






<--- Maureen, who won A Highlander's Temptation in the Follower Love Blog Hop!







<--- Cheryl, who won Vestments in the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop!

<--- Tahleen, who won Savvy in the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop!

In My Mailbox: June: ALA edition

Alright, here's the crazy ALA edition of IMM (you all know who this is hosted by, right?  Moving on.)  I got other stuff this month too, but between all the crazy, I can't really recall what, so there is just a fraction of the non-ALA listed at the bottom.

Note: I tried stacking these in one tower -- it was catastophic.  I realized when I finished restacking that it could never have worked anyway -- it would have gone past the ceiling... Also note: according to color. You get a little preview of what it will (eventually) look like on my shelves.


In Alphabetical Order (Title)
Ares Rising, Bonnie Hearn Hill
Banished, Sophie Littlefield
Beautiful Creatures, Kami Garica and Margaret Stohl (signed)
Beautiful Darkness, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (signed)
(2x) Beautiful Malice, Rebecca James
Blindsided, Priscilla Cummings
A Blue So Dark, Holly Schindler
Boneshaker, Cherie Priest
Brave Girl Eating, Harriet Brown
The Candymakers, Wendy Mass
Catalyst, Laurie Halse Anderson (signed)
The Comet's Curse, Dom Testa
Countdown, Deborah Wiles (signed)
The Danger Box, Balliett
Dark Peril, Christine Feehan
The Dark Rose, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
(2x) Dark Song, Gail Giles
The Dead Boys, Royce Buckingham
End of Days, Max Turner
Eternal Ones, Kirsten Miller
(2x) Extraordinary, Nancy Werlin (1 signed)
Fear, Stine (anthology)
Firelight, Sophie Jordan
For the Win, Cory Doctorow
Halo, Alexandra Adornetto
Handling Sin, Mitchell Malone
Heart of a Samurai, Margi Preus
Hero, Mike Lupica
The House of Dead Maids, Clare B. Dunkle
The Goblin Gate, Hilari Bell
I Am J, Cris Beam
Ink Exchange, Melissa Marr (signed)
Inside Out, Maria V. Snyder
(2x) Kill the Dead, Richard Kadrey
Kiss Me Deadly,(anthology)
The Kneebone Boy, Ellen Potter
Lament, Maggie Stiefvater
The Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet, Myrlin A. Hermes
The Magnificent Twelve, Michael Grant
The Marbury Lens, Andrew Smith
Matched, Ally Condie (signed)
Merlin's Dragon, L.A. Barron
Monsters of Men, Patrick Ness
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Abigail Reynolds (<-- ! For JnJ2!)
(2x) My Soul to Keep, Rachel Vincent
Nerds: Book 2, Michael Buckley
Nightshade, Andrea Cremer (signed)
The Painted Boy, Charles de Lint
Personal Demons, Lisa Desrochers
A Plain and Simple Christmas, Amy Clipston(signed)
(2x) Plain Kate, Erin Bow (1 signed)
Princess of Glass, Jessica Day George (signed)
Ranger's Apprentice, John Flanagan
Rat Girl, Kristin Hersh
The Replacement, Brenna Yovanoff
Sapphique, Catherine Fisher
Savvy, Ingrid Law
Scars, Cheryl Rainfield (signed)
Scumble, Ingrid Law
The Search for Wondla, Toni diTerlizzi (signed)
Secret of Ka, Christopher Pike
(2X) Shift, Rachel Vincent
Sir Seth Thistlethwaite and the Soothsayer's Shoes, Richard Thake
Smudge's Mark, Claudia Osmond
Solitary: Escape From the Furnace 2, Alexander Gordon Smith
The Sorceror of Sainte Felice, Ann Finnin
Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson (signed)
Selling Hope, Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
Spy Glass, Maria V. Snyder
Stolen, Lucy Christopher (signed)
Taurus Eyes, Bonnie Hearn Hill
Thirteen Orphans, Jane Lindskold
Timothy and the Dragon's Gate, Adrienne Kress
Two Moon Princess, Fredereiro Esteban
Up From the Blue, Susan Henderson
Vanishing and Other Stories, Deborah Willis
Vestments, John Reimringer
Violence 101, Denis Wright
The Wake of Lorelai Lee, L.A. Meyer
Waking the Witch, Kelley Armstrong
Warbreaker, Brandon Sanderson
(2x) What the World is Reading (Penguin Sampler)
Will, Maria Boyd
Will Grayson, Will Grayson, John Green and David Levithan (signed)
Wintergirls, Laurie Halse Anderson (signed)
You, Charles Benoit
You Killed Wesley Paine, Sean Beaudoin
tons and tons of swag

Here's my super shaky video of the books so you can see the covers.  I had to lay them out in the hall, and by the time I was done, there wasn't really room to walk, so this is what happens when I take a video walking on my tiptoes...

NON ALA IMM:
For Review:
The Unidentified, Rae Mariz
Manifest, Artist Arthur
Random Magic, Sasha Soren (came with tea, chocolate, and a green rubber ducky.  It was a very happy-making package)

For sheer loveliness:
my very own fairy from vvb along with a host of other goodies that I can't recall at the moment...


And yes, it's a pretty safe bet that the doubles I have are going to end up in the prize pool I keep dangling over your head.  One of these days, I will have both the time and ambition to sort through my monstrosity of books and throw some into the pool.  Someday.

Northanger Abbey: A Reading (Oops, this one escaped)

Not sure how this one escaped being published, as I recorded it weeks ago.  Then again, maybe that's why it escaped...

Why I love this scene: Come on!  How could anyone not love this scene, and not love Catherine and Tilney?!  Enough said.

Also, I am utterly ridiculous in this video.  Why do I turn into a man after the "dropping her voice" bit?

A Very Long List... (Jane in June Winners)

 Okay, I suppose I've kept you in suspense long enough.  Here is an insanely long list of winners from Jane in June, in the order they appeared here on BR:

1. Liz's P&P Pack = Lauren (announced here) 
2. JGs Character Connection Persuasion Packs = Jess and me! (announced here)
3. Persuasion Bookmark from The Antique Fashionista = Crystal B!
4. Maria's Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict + Sanditon giveaway = Eliza (announced here)
5. Maria's Mr Darcy Broke My Heart =  Andye (announced here)
6. Miss Eliza's Giclee P&P print = Allison (announced here)
7. Cube bookshelves from CSN = TBA when my review goes up!
8. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters =  Winner #1: LilMissMolly 
9.  ^  Winner #2: and Mrs Deraps!
10. The Dashwood Sisters card set from The Antique Fashionista = Melissa S!
11. Felicia's Jane Prize Pack = Enbrethiliel! (announced here)
12. Kai's Tea and Biscuits pack = Felicia!
13. First Impressions from Alexa Adams = Masha Laurence (The Antique Fashionista!  Yay, Masha!)
14. Emma Notecard from The Antique Fashionista = Leslie G!
15. Winner's Choice from Natalie = Bhumi, who chose Persuasion!
16. The Bad Girls of Austen bookmark set from The Antique Fashionista = Rhiannon!
17. Custom Jane necklace (made by me) = Miss Eliza! (a necklace will also be going in the Regency Ladies Survival Kit)
18. Catherine Morland Reading bookmark/card from The Antique Fashionista = Theresa M!
19. Jane Card Set (made by me) = Emily L! (a set will also be going in the Regency Ladies Survival Kit)
20. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies regular edition = LAMusing (zombie name: Sweetie) 
21.    and ^  Winner #2:  Melissa S (zombie name: Dead Girl #7)
22. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Heirloom edition = Inoli (zombie name: Red Wroughtflesch), who's opinion on brains I would like to share with you: "Some anthropologists believe that was the first animal protein source for early humans as we had thumbs and learned how to grasp tools to break open the skulls of abandoned carcasses.
    I say why did that ever go out of fashion, let's bring it back and why stop at carcasses."  
23.   and ^and Winner #2: An Heirloom edition will also be going in the Regency Ladies Survival Kit...
24. Signed Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict from Laurie Viera Rigler = Darlyn!
25. Signed Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict from  Laurie Viera Rigler = Milka!
26. Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife = Kate C., who is very adamantly not opposed to the idea of Darcy and Lizzie sexytime...
27. Murder at Mansfield Park = Velvet! (seriously, sometimes I love Random.org -- it somehow knows, because this one couldn't have been hand-picked better...)
28. Bridget Jones pack = Beverly G!
29. Signed According to Jane from Marilyn Brant = Liz A!
30. Lizzie Bookmark from The Antique Fashionista =  Rachel S. (Evening Dress version)
31.    and ^  Winner #2:  Bhumi (Walking Dress Version) 
32.   and ^ Winner #3: The Morning Dress version will go to the winner of the Regency Ladies Survival Kit...
33. Austenesque Reviews Cassandra and Jane giveaway = Katherine! (announced here)
34.  The Other Mr Darcy + The Darcy Cousins pack from Monica Fairview = Freda!
35. Regency Ladies Survival Kit = JG!!!

How's that for a long list of awesome?  Yeah, I know.  But it's still not quite enough for me, so...
BONUS WINNERS!

36. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls = Winner #1: Meredith (aka Mombie Zombie)
37. and ^ Winner #2: JG!
Random Jane Goodies! (ie. necklace, bookmark, card set etc.  It's a surprise!) =
38. Juju!
39.  Rhiannon!
40.  Debbie!
41.  Allison!
42.  Samantha (<--- Jaaaaaains!  ha!)

I may do more!
Side note to all receiving custom made stuff: It's gonna take me some time, especially the necklaces, which have to "cure" -- patience, please! :)
Side note #2: There are many of you with the same name, and I couldn't possibly cross-reference all of the giveaways.  I included a last initial when given, but if you are unsure whether you won or not, email me at mbradenwf@gmail.com and I will clarify.

Finally: again, I am terribly sorry I had to disappear right at the end of Jane in June.  I guess it was just going along a little too smoothly.  I did have to cut some things I really wanted to share, so though some of it will just be saved for next year (when no one in my family is going to: get in a car accident; be assaulted; be diagnosed with cancer*), but some of them I still want to share now -- so I will.
Thanks to all of you awesome lovelies (and there were a lot of you) who sent all of your well-wishes my way.  xo



Hope you all come out to play again next year for Jane in June 2: 2Fast, 2 Furious...
...or something...
;p


*Because, yes, I did come home to all three.

Mockingjay Winner (Kristen's Blogoversary Edition)

I know you all are eagerly awaiting the announcements of the winners from the various Jane in June giveaways (and wondering, where the hell'd she go?)
But I'm still wading through those, so while you wait, let's have the winner of the Mockingjay, Round 2: Kristen's Blogoversary Celebratory Giveaway (<-- I swear, I add to the name every time I say it).

And the winner of a preordered copy of Mockingjay is...

Drumroll please...

#69 Cecelia L. !!!

Congrats, Cecelia, it's been ordered and will be on it's way to you as soon as it's released. :)