Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Tools of Change in Publishing: Conference Fee Giveaway

Once again, Smart Bitches is a media partner for the 2012 O'Reilly Tools of Change Conference, and as part of my media sponsorship, I talk about the conference (which I totally would do anyway because it makes my brain explode with the happy creativity every year). There's a conference! It's brainful.

If you'd like a 15% off discount code for registration, you can visit the TOC website and use code toc12sbtbc.

But there is no denying that Tools of Change, if you are an individual, is an expensive prospect. Conferences like these are not cheap. And so I also have a code good for a complimentary admission to the conference to give away - yay!

ETA: We have a winner! Thanks to the random integer generator, the winner is: Jill Shultz! Thank you to all who entered, and congrats to Jill!

Knock Knock Helps Us Do Over

Winner time! First, your entries were so inspiring I re-read that thread (ha! do-over!) several times yesterday.

Thanks to the random integer generator, the winner is:

#26: Michelle Harlan!

Michelle, please send your mailing address to me at sarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOROTHYcom. 

Thank you to everyone who entered, and I hope your weekend is free of any need for a do-over! 

I received an email from Knock Knock about doing a giveaway, and it made me so giddy, I bounced on the sofa. I love Knock Knock - I use their "All Out Of" grocery list pad every week, and it's a lifesaver in so many ways. Saves me money, too. I love a LOT of their stuff, so I was really excited that they wanted to give some away here.

Since it's nearly Valentine's Day, they want to send one lucky winner a sampler of their products, including a Personal Library Kit, complete with datestamp, self adhesive pockets and checkout cards for your books, 'Sweet Nothing' post-it notes, and a… read more »

Lisa Kleypas Rainshadow Road Winners!

Did you read the thread of t-shirt slogans? Y'all have hilarious apparel. That was totally fun to read.

And now: winners! The following folks have won a copy of Lisa Kleypas' Rainshadow Road. Please email me at sarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOTcom with your mailing addresses.

As deteremined by Random.org, here are the winners: 

#289 Laurie F

#102 Nnekacharles718

#17 Holly

#156 Patricia M.

#430 michelle

#253 gob

#134 Barbara Studer

#96 Renee

#114 Awgee

#338 Turtle

Thank you to everyone who entered, as you all have excellent taste in shirts! 

Lisa Kleypas’ Rainshadow Road: An Interview and a Giveaway!

Lisa Kleypas' Rainshadow Road comes out in February, and her publisher has offered 10 finished copies to give away. Whoo! And not only do we have books to give away, but Lisa Kleypas was kind enough to answer several inane questions from me via email. Hooray - bonus interview!

Rainshadow Road has magical realism while Friday Harbor did not. Why add it to this novel? Did you plan to go this way all along with the series? 

Well,  when I first visited Friday Harbor with Greg and the kids a couple of years ago,  I really felt a sense of "otherness" or magic in the air. It's a misty Brigadoon-type place--but you're probably too young for that reference,  unless you're a show tune queen like me. San Juan Island is unique place--a mixture of steep hills and bluffs, forests, rolling farmland, sandy beaches,  and all of it is protected by the Olympic mountain rainshadow. And I'd read and loved so much magic realism in the past,  including "Like Water For Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel,  and "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen,  that I really saw… read more »

One More Hanukkah Winner!

Forgot one of the contest winners - my bad! 

The winner of the Kindle Touch from day 6 is: librarygrrl64, who, like me, shares a shuddering reaction to the 'Christmas Shoes' song.

Congrats, librarygrrl64 - email me with your mailing address and I'll get your prize in the mail. 

Thank you again - and my apologies for not posting this earlier today! 

Final Hanukkah Winners!

Time to announce the last two winners of the Hanukkah eight days of madness! 

Winner of the iPod Touch: Michaelene, who liked Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt most of all this past year.

Please email me with your mailing address at sarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOTcom and I will dispatch your prize!

And the winner of the $100 gift certificate to the bookstore of his or her choosing is Rij, who says the best snack for reading time is salmiakki, aka salty licorice. This sounds VERY intriguing.

Please email me with your bookstore of choice and your email address for gifty-type certificating.

Thank you to all of you who participated in the Hanukkah giveaways, and congratulations again to the winners! I hope you all had marvelous holidays this year, and I wish you the best of reading in the new year.

Hanukkah, Day Eight - More Touching Reading!

It's the last day of Hanukkah, and the last day of our week of giveaways. WOO! Are you a little overwhelmed by the nonstop partay? I am!

The final gift I have for you is an 8GB black iPod Touch, suitable for reading many, many things, like books! Yay books!

To enter, just leave a comment and tell me the best book you read this year. Easy, huh? Just one book. Heh heh. If you're like me, this type of question makes your brain go all jittery.

No, it does not have to have been published in 2011. It could be from 1911 if you'd like, or earlier!

Standard disclaimers apply: I am not being compensated for this giveaway. In other words, I have not been paid (*snrk*) an 'insertion fee' (splutter) for this promotion. (Oh, gosh, few things make me snortlaugh like the term "insertion fee.") Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. Open to those 18 years of age and older driving tractor trailers with the windows down. International entries welcome. Word hard at what you do and… read more »

Hanukkah Day Seven: Book Buying is Fun!

The madness continues! Today's Hanukkah gift is another $100 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice! That ought to buy enough books to last you about a week, right? Maybe 10 days? 

Just leave a comment with a link or recipe for your favorite snack to eat while you're reading.

My favorite cookie: Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies, one of the "Best of" from Martha Stewart Living Magazine. A bit more labor intensive than other cookie recipes, but I make them every year as a gift for Hubby, at his request. They are amazing with milk or tea, and a book to read. I cannot wait to find out your favorite snack while reading! Share share!

All the delicious disclaimers apply. I am not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited, and must be over 18 eating bonbons to win. Animal print pants are always out of control. Substantial penalty for early withdrawal. Any similarity to actual opinions, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas and Happy Week Before New Year's! Let's snack!

Winnerly Winners!

The winner of the nook Touch is: Rosa E!

Please email me at sarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOTcom with your mailing address, Rosa, and congratulations!

And the winner of the $100 bookstore gift certificate is: Cyclops8!

Please email me at sarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOTcom with your bookstore of choice, and congratulations to you!

The festivities continue for two more days. Right now, you can enter to win a Kindle Touch. Happy Hanukkah everyone, and Happy Boxing Day!

Hanukkah Day Six: Touchable Hanukkah!

Sorry for the delay in today's Hanukkah giveaway! I totally thought this went live this morning but it didn't. My bad! Blame all the fried food I've been eating - makes me sleepy!

Anyway, today's present for you from me is a chance to win a Kindle Touch! Yay! All you have to do is leave a comment with the one holiday song you are SO LOOKING FORWARD TO NOT HEARING ANYMORE. 

ETA: I goofed! I want to be clear: this contest is for a Kindle Touch 3G with Special Offers! I linked to the WiFi-only model, but it's the 3G/WiFi/Special Offers model. My bad!

Me: "All I Want for Christmas is You," which for some reason I have heard six millionity times this week, and "Jingle Bell Rock," which makes my eyeballs twitch. 

Standard disclaimers apply: I'm not being compensated for this giveaway. (I have to say, I'm amused at the idea of even asking someone to sponsor all this crazy. Imagine that conversation!) Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited by law. Must be over 18 and wearing slippers to… read more »

Hanukkah, Day Four - It’s Nook Time!

Merry Christmas Eve, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Traveling and Eating Day for Everyone! I hope you have time to read today. 

The Fourth Day of Hanukkah brings: NOOK! A nook Touch, all for you. 

Now, sometimes, I have heard, if you bring your nook into a local Barnes & Noble, coupons magically appear. So, tell me, which coupon would you MOST like to appear (feel free to Get Insane here, because it's not like BN's Coupon Development Team is going to take this seriously) on your nook, and you're entered to win. 

Usual disclaimers apply. I'm not being compensated for this giveaway. Your mileage may vary. Wear a helmet. Void where prohibited. Must be 18 and over and wearing a touque to win. My understanding is that the nook does not work outside the US/Canada, so unless you plan to hack it and make it work in your locality, I think this has to be US/Canada only. My apologies. 

You've got about 24 hours to enter, so let's get coupon crazy. My coupon choice: "You are eligible for ALL OF THE… read more »

Hanukkah, Day Three - Puzzle Bugaloo!

Hey, look! Puzzles! Harlequin VINTAGE puzzles! How fun is that? 

I have a secret love of doing jigsaw puzzles. I rarely have the time to sit and do one, but once we get started I have the best time. So imagine my glee when Harlequin sent me a collection of their new Harlequin puzzles. 

See? Aren't they cute? 

Each one is 1000 pieces, and each features some awesome old-skool Harlequin art, like the covers for Where the Wolf Leads and Murder Man - and my fave, Message from a Corpse.

So today we have THREE prizes. Three winners will get a puzzle, AND a $50 gift card to the bookstore of their choosing. You know, so you can read and do puzzles at the same time, because that totally works. 

I do ship internationally, so overseas entries are welcome. Void where prohibited. Must be over 18 to win. Call toll free before digging. PC LOAD LETTER.

Terrarium, lamp, and clown toy in picture not included (how the hell would I mail a terrarium, I do NOT know). 

All you… read more »

Hanukkah, Day Two - More Digital Reading!

Hey, want a Sony Reader? Sure, why not? 

Time for Day TWO of the Hanukkah Madness, wherein there's eight days of mayhem up in here, and you can win prizes. Eventually I'm going to get to the end of my prize stash and someone will win a box of blank CDs and a post it note or something - but not today!

Today the prize is a Sony Reader WiFi, known by its friends as the PRS-T1RC, or "The RC" for short. The RC stands for Really Cool. Among the other Sony Readers, the PRS-T1RC is the one who stands a bit aloof, is always dressed in the most sartorial elegance, and is the first to get invited to any group party, even if they're all going to Big Lots to buy Cat Litter.

It is... the MOST INTERESTING DIGITAL READER IN THE WORLD*. 

*It doesn't always drink beer, though. In fact, it doesn't have a mouth so it doesn't drink beer. 

But the PRS-T1RC can be yours if you leave a comment and tell me which book gets loaded on first.… read more »

Happy Hanukkah with FIRE!

It's Hanukkah! Eight crazy nights of dreams come true! And since I usually do gifting round here, let's get started!

Want to win a Kindle FIRE? I has one. You can has it. Just leave a comment.

Look! Eight Pieces of Information!

1. I am not being compensated for this giveaway.
2. Void where prohibited, and winner must be 18 years of age while driving a tractor, possibly.
3. I will ship internationally! However! I do not make! Any guarantees! About the Fire's Behavior! Once it leaves US Borders!
4. That was my supply of exclamation points for the week, y'all.
5. Your mileage may vary.
6. No shirt, no shoes, hell yes I still get service.
7. Winner announced tomorrow morning.
8. Happy Hanukkah!

That's it. Leave a comment, you're entered to win a Kindle Fire. And yes, there will be more contests and celebrations for each day of Hanukkah.

Let's party! And eat latkes!

A Bite Before Christmas: The Winner!

THAT was a fun hour! My server hates me.

But! The winner of the Coach bag, the $50 gc, and a copy of A Bite Before Christmas is:

TamiBates

Tami, please email me at sarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOTcom to claim your winnings - and congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who entered, and most especially for the hilarious answers. Clearly, the sexiest thing in Canada is Tim Horton playing hockey with a beaver, a Mountie, a toque, while surfing Niagara Falls!