Favorite Summer Reads Blogfest

It's time for my second blogfest of the week, the Favorite Summer Reads fest, hosted by Cherie at Surrounded by Books.

Since Cherie is hosting this Blogfest to celebrate the first anniversary of her book review blog, Surrounded By Books Reviews, I wanted to say Happy Blogoversary to Cherie before I get to my summer reads choice. Congratulations, Cherie!! :)

Now, to the fest, I couldn't really think of a particular book that I would consider my favorite summer read, so I decided to pick the book series I spent most of this summer reading, the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.

I first tried reading this series back when I watched the first season of True Blood. Before that, I had never even heard of the books or of Ms. Harris. When I tried to read the first book I didn't care for it at all, and I don't think I even finished it. I quickly gave up on the idea of reading the books.

But this summer I decided to try them again, as I've continued to watch the show and wanted to give the books another shot. I picked up the fourth book in the series, Dead to the World, and started from there. I admit, my primary (okay, maybe only) reason for starting the books again was because I have a great deal of affection for the vampire Eric Northman.

I ended up reading the rest of the series, up to the most recent installment, which is the eleventh, and to me the books were all what I would consider a perfect summer read. Not great literature by any means, but they are fun stories with likeable and quirky characters, and they are quick reads. And, best of all, they have Eric Northman. :D

So that's my summer read. Thanks to Cherie for hosting this fun fest!

Six Month Anniversary Giveaway!

June will be my sixth month of blogging, and I decided to do a giveaway to mark the occasion. I have participated in giveaways on other sites, and had a great time doing it, so I thought it would be fun to host my own. I have enjoyed my time in the blogosphere so much, I wanted to do something to celebrate that. And, this is my way of saying THANK YOU to everyone who has followed, left comments, or visited my blog in the past six months.

I also learned that my first paid article will be published in June, so I'm beyond thrilled about that. I'm just feeling good about life in general, and I wanted to have a little fun with a contest. I hope you'll join me!

Here are the details:

In addition to being a milestone month for me, June is also the season premiere of True Blood, and I decided to tie that in to my giveaway. I am a fan of the show, in large part because I think the vampire Eric Northman, played by Alexander Skarsgard, is to die for. :D

Hello, Gorgeous!

So since I love vampire tales, and True Blood has me in a vampire state of mind, I thought I would give away some vampire books. In addition, I am giving away an Amazon gift certificate, so there is something for everyone, even those who aren't vampire fans!

The prizes:

Grand prize:

A $25 gift certificate for Amazon.com




First prize:

The Sookie Stackhouse TV Tie-In Box Set, featuring the first three Sookie Stackhouse novels, by Charlaine Harris









Runner-up prize:

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King









I'm a King fan, and I wanted to include a darker, classic take on the vampire mythology in addition to the more modern True Blood.

So there will be three winners all together, drawn at random.

The books are all new paperbacks that have never been read. As I am new to all this, I don't know if it's necessary to list any disclaimers, but suffice it to say I am not affiliated with Amazon, HBO, True Blood, Ms. Harris, or Mr. King. I just bought the books myself and want to share them, I'm not being compensated in any way.

Entering the contest couldn't be easier. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and you're in! It's not necessary to follow me to enter, although of course I would be thrilled if you did, and I would gladly follow back. It's also not necessary to tweet or post about this contest, but again, I would be most grateful if you want to help get the word out.

The contest is open to anyone who visits and chooses to leave a comment on this post, so you do not have to be a current follower to enter. The only requirement is that you leave me your blog address or a valid e-mail address so that I can contact you if you are one of the winners. Anonymous comments will not be accepted or entered into the drawing.

While I live in the United States, the contest is not limited to those in the US. I am happy to ship the books anywhere, and will send the Amazon certificate via e-mail. I won't take responsibility for any restrictions Amazon places on ordering, but I will be glad to send the certificate anywhere it can be used.

The deadline to enter is Saturday, June 11th at midnight, eastern standard time.

I am very excited to reach this blogging and publishing milestone, and I hope you will help me celebrate! :)