Morning Meanderings…Winners and Cat-Dogs

Happy Saturday everyone!  Did you know this is my favorite day of the week?  Saturdays are the one day each week I can linger a bit more in the morning without rushing out the door.  If I can, I keep them fairly open, non commitment filled… I like the options of choosing what I do with my day, at least once a week

I hope you had a chance to stop by yesterday to my annual Blogiversary Party.  It is always fun that it lands shortly after BEA so I can give away a few books and swag.  If you have a few minutes, it is well worth just reading the imaginative comments that make me smile, and occasionally laugh out loud.  (I challenge everyone to let me know how they arrive at the party and what virtual food item/or gift they brought with.  Lets just say it is going to take me weeks to get the crumbs out of my blog side bars and pretty sure there was a little cake on the header this morning too I had to clean up. 

SO now…. for my winners!  Using random.org, here are the winners of the packages:

Package 1 goes to:  Kaye (comment #61)

 

Package #2 goes to Julie at Read Handed

 

Package #3:  A Book Dragon’s Lair

 

Package #4:  Lydia from The Lost Entwife

 

The $10 Amazon Gift Card:  Joan (comment #45)

 

Congratulations everyone!  As soon as I have your addresses I will be able to mail out – email me at

journeythroughbooks @gmail.com

 

Ok, now that the business portion of this morning post is done I do have a picture – yes, one picture (so unlike me) for Alyce’s Saturday Snapshots.  This one I took the other day while sitting outside on the deck with a friend and my to dogs…. we were sitting in the tall chairs at the tall table and Bailey, decided to climb up on the deck table… while that was shocking enough, Sam… climbed from the deck, to the table, to the chair, leaped up on the deck railing and sat there…. like a cat. 

Be sure to stop by Saturday Snapshots at At Home with Books to see what other people are taking pictures of!

One last little “housekeeping” item… I am running a blog survey this week (see upper right side bar) and I would love it if you could take a minute or two to give me some feedback.  Next week after it is complete I will post the results and offer up a $10 gift card to one of the participants in this survey. 

Enjoy your Saturday, I am about to write a guest post for a friend and a post for later today…. then… I think I will be outside – it is gorgeous out today and I want to take full advantage!

Blogiversary!!!!!!! Year Three – And You Get The Gifts!!!

Woo hoo!!!!I have officially hit the year three mark, as of June 9th I have been book blogging/reviewing/chatting/gushing for three years!  THREE YEARS!!!

When I started blogging I had no idea it would one day lead me to:

• Not one, not two, but three trips (so far!) to New York to the Book Expo!

• I would not only make great friends who love books as much as I do – but in some cases I was able to meet them!

• Writing reviews for a local magazine

• Connecting with our local library

• and stretch my reading palate to try books I never thought I would enjoy and found out in many cases I did! 

I can hardly remember what life was like before I started writing posts (this one by the way is number 2,192!)

For those of you who have come to my party last year or the year before, the basics are pretty much the same… to be entered for the great giveaways (pictured below), simply leave me a comment here telling me how you traveled to the party, and what virtual gift or food item you brought with you:  For example, you may have rode a pogo stick to the party and brought with you jalapeno poppers laced with jumping beans… (really be as crazy as you want… I love the fun imaginative comments!) For a little bonus if you would like to share how long we have known each other (blog or otherwise) and if you are brand new to the house of Book Journey – feel free to share that too!  I love new friends! 

My party will go for 24 hours so this post will go up at 12:01 am on June 15th (central time) and stay up until midnight.  Every comment will be entered into the random drawings and winners (using random.org)will be announced here on Saturday morning.

Here is what I will draw winners for:

*Personal thank you to publishers who gave me copies of these books to give away for this event.

One more “bonus” side giveaway – you will see on my right sidebar that I have a Book Journey survey going on.  This is a quick survey to help me analyze what you like or what brings you to Book Journey.  If you would be so kind as to take a couple of minutes and fill out the survey for me, it will assist me to be a better blogger.    This survey will be up for one week and then I will draw from the participants a winner for an Amazon gift card.

Thank you readers of Book Journey -  You make me smile with your comments, nod in understanding, and occasionally I laugh (snort) out loud.  I am so appreciative of all of you!!!

Let’s get this party started!!!!  I hear knocking at the door… who could it be….

*opening the door – look of surprise!*

Mark Your Calendars! Save The Date!

 

Blogiversary – year 2 and I want to party with you!!!

Oh I am just giddy with excitement!!!  Today officially marks my two-year anniversary of my step into the book blogging world.  Whoever thought that this day would come?  I sure didn’t!  When I first discovered book blogging I would never have dreamed what a life changing experience it would be… I did not know that by chatting books I would:

• start having conversations with authors

• be part of a Minnesota book event panel

• Go to New York – not once, but twice for BEA

• meet many awesome book bloggers throughout this wonderful and crazy hobby

• and of course, get to chat with all of you

Life is really not as it was before I book blogged. 

This party is to really celebrate you, because honestly…. if I was talking to myself every day…. I know I would not do this blog, at least not to the extent and to the love that I do now.  SO please, come on in!

You may drop your coat at the coat check (be sure to get a claim number), and help yourself to the beverages and snacks.  Excuse me a minute while I get the music going…

*runs into other room*

*runs back*

There.  Nothing like a little cheesy 80′s background music. 

At this party – the gifts are for you!  It’s easy to participate – simply leave a comment on this post about how you arrived at the party (have fun with this) and what virtual gift or food item you brought with you, such as you rode your scooter and brought flaming shish kabobs.  (I did this last year and the sheer imaginative comments had me laughing for days after…. )

This giveaway is open for today only – tomorrow morning I will announce the winners using random.org on my Morning Meandering post.  If you have a preference (package 1,2,3, or 4) you can say that in your comment and if your name is drawn that will be yours if not already won by someone else – otherwise no need to say which as you will be eligible for all. 

Ok… let’s get to the good stuff:

An advanced reader copy of Forever by Maggie Stiefvater, Between by Monica Warman, Camerons Coffee (Caramel Brownie), Ghiradelli Chocolate, and a Mysterious Benedict Society puzzle

Nazareth Child by Darrell James, Ghiradelli Chocolate, Cameron’s French Vanilla coffee, The Soldiers Wife by Margaret Leroy, and Crooked Letter Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin.

The Art Of Choosing (AUDIO!), Dark Legacy and Secret Legacy by Anna DeStefano, Lethal by Sandra Brown, Lindt Truffles, Cameron’s Cinnamon Sugar Cookie coffee

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly, The Taker by Alma Katsu, The Sandalwood tree by Elle Newmark, Ghiradelli Chocolate, and Java delight Hazelnut Creme Coffee

*Personal thank you to publishers who gave me copies of these books to give away for this event.

Thank you readers of Book Journey -  You make me smile with your comments, nod in understanding, and occasionally I laugh out loud.  I am so appreciative of all of you!!!

Let’s get this party started!!!!  I am opening the door….