By: Tara Chang,
on 6/7/2013
By: Laura A. H. Elliott,
on 5/16/2013
Hey all I’m 50 today! It’s freaking crazy 
How did I get here…in the middle of things? “One day at a time,” my hubby said. LOL! Yes, that’s true. And now that I’m here, in the middle of things, I realize I have to get my butt in gear and do a lot of things I want to but haven’t. I’m going to make time this year to cross a bunch of things off my list 
I’m starting today by doing two BIG things I’ve always wanted to do #squeeee. More about that later! But, today, what better to way to celebrate then to read about some great authors and their books and one thing on their bucket list! So exciting to have these fabulous, talented authors celebrate with me today! So, pour a tasty beverage and join in the fun!
Save 50% on this great book & enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post!
“I want to take my dad to Ireland. We need to explore our roots.” – Author Amy Harmon
(Details on how to enter at the end of this post!)
(Can we call it something else? Got any good ideas of what to call this list? Maybe a Dream Come True List? Or, Gotta Get it Done List?)
Here’s what’s up for grabs on this BUCKET LIST GIVEAWAY & the authors share what’s on their list too Enjoy!
“I want to see at least 2 of the seven wonders of the world.” – Author, Quinn Loftis
enter to win her book:
The last few days have been the darkest of Sally’s life. After experiencing the joy of finding her mate, she now suffers the pain of losing everything she holds dear. Both the Romanian and Serbian packs have been captured, ripping Sally’s soul mate away from her almost as soon as she had found him. Her best friend and the emotional glue that usually holds Sally together, Jacque Pierce, lies writhing in a restless coma, having been put down by Desdemona’s dark magic. Jennifer Adams, the unshakable one, has revealed to her friends and her mate that she is pregnant, but the Fates have marked her unborn baby for death. Though she rails against the darkness, deep inside Jen knows that Decebel’s baby must die as payment for her own life, and the knowledge is tearing her soul to pieces. Cypher, King of the Warlocks, has claimed Jacque’s mother as his mate and agreed to help Desdemona open a door that would release a horde of demons from beyond the Veil….
“I want to design & build an off the grid house” - Stacey Wallace Bienefel
He stole her lipstick…and her heart.
Twenty-year-old Dani Walker can’t believe her luck when she’s paired up with the gorgeous Liam Garrett as her Acting I scene partner – or when he ends up in her bed. Being a Plain Jane with a mouth on her hasn’t exactly served Dani well in the guy department. In fact, she’s had nothing but one night stands. Still, she lets go of her insecurities and falls for Liam, despite feeling like he’s holding something back.
When Dani finally discovers Liam’s secret, she must learn the true meaning of accepting the ones we love for who they are, or risk losing the best thing that’s ever happened to her.
BONUS MATERIAL: Excerpt of TOUCHING MELODY by RaShelle Workman
I want to spend a week in Greece! - Adriane Boyd
Twenty -five year old Coraline Renfro is in mourning. She and her long time boyfriend, Blake Parrish, have broken up and Cora hasn’t been dealing with it well. She’s shut herself off from the world around her, and buried herself in her work. Tired of being alone, Cora accepts a date from a colleague, and slowly begins to move on. When Blake comes calling again, will Cora take him back or will she show him how it feels to have a door slammed in his face and his hopes and dreams of a future with her dashed?
“I want to go to take a trip to Ireland” -Bethany Lopez
“I want to eat gelato in Italy” - Heather Self
Mary Anne Moore doesn’t know what she is. She can’t explain why she has lived so long. Or why she never gets sick. Or why the dreams she has come true. She has hidden herself as a lowly servant to the households of Dublin’s English elite for decades, until the night that changes her life. Now her sole purpose is the child she never expected to have. She will do anything in her power to keep the black-eyed monsters from discovering him and turning him into one of them. For Kieran Moore the dark is an ever-present parasite, waiting to devour his humanity. His mother’s love and the girl in his dreams has kept it at bay for years, but the more time that passes—the longer he has to wait for her—the more it grows. When tragedy strikes, it is all he can do to keep from being consumed by the darkness that infects him. He must continue to hold on to the hope of peace her presence will bring him, because it’s not just his fate on the line, but that of the entire world.
“Travel with my parents back to England so my Mum can see her homeland one more time. Will break my heart but it will help hers.” -Carol Kunz
I’m so excited to be a part of Laura Elliot’s Birthday celebration on her blog. She wants me to talk about my Bucket List. For those that don’t know my story, I’ve already accomplished #1 on my list. Three years ago Adam, my son, came to me and told me we were going to write a book together. He knew I’ve always wanted to write a book and to date we have written three, The Childe and Dark Days, the first two books in The Childe Series and The Modified, the first book in The Biotics Trilogy. So #1 on my bucket list has definitely been taken care of!
“I want to be able to write full time” -Adam Kunz
I’m so happy to be on Laura’s blog today. My Bucket List, I can’t believe I need one at my age but my mom told me Laura requested it and I will do anything for Laura. (**Laura here….see we should really call it something other than a bucket list, right?** )
Kenley Grayson is all too familiar with these questions.
After Earth is thrust into its first intergalactic war with an unknown race called the Bringers, our military forces begin to suffer heavy losses. Desperate for a solution, the Allied Federation issues a worldwide draft for every able seventeen year old to enlist. As Kenley turns seventeen, she finds herself thrown into the very war that took her older brother’s life.
This year’s draft is a little different than in the past though. A new program, known as the Magnus Project, has been introduced, and only the best and brightest qualify. Kenley is amongst a select few whom are chosen to join this elite group of soldiers, and as a part of this project, undergoes a modification procedure that leaves her and her peers endowed with powers beyond their wildest dreams.
As Earth continues in its struggle against the Bringers, Kenley is transported to a high-tech training facility, the Magnus Academy, to prepare for the major battle that lies ahead. It’s here that she meets the California heartthrob, and son of a legendary war hero, Landon Shaw. As unexpected feelings toward Landon begin to develop, Kenley wonders if this is the right time or place for romance to bloom, especially when those feelings start to interfere with her training.
With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Kenley is constantly reminded of how important she and the rest of the Magnus cadets are to the fate of humanity. She is one of the Modified, Earth’s last line of defense against utter destruction.
“My dream just came true, No Attachments placed in the top ten on Amazon!”
Ashton Garrison walked away from a privileged life in order to hide from the one thing she’s not willing to face. She knows she left behind a trail of pain, but in the long run, her betrayal will hurt less than the truth. She now has one goal: Live life to the fullest with no regrets and no attachments. She has high hopes that a move to new surroundings will provide the escape she desires, but what Ashton doesn’t count on is how fate always seems to find a way to screw up any good plan. Sometimes, when love comes knocking, the pull is too strong not to answer. Suddenly, what she thought she wanted to escape from is what Ashton now wants more than anything.
Nathan Lockton has one mission: find his target and complete the task he was hired to do—no attachments and no emotion necessary. He’s done it over and over again. What he thought was a typical lost-and-found job has turned into a life examining moment as Nathan is forced to deal with something he has always ignored–his feelings. Now faced with a decision, Nathan must choose to either follow his heart or complete the job.
Love can come when you least expect it. The question is: If the odds are stacked against you, how far are you willing to go for the one you love?
SO…you want to win ALL these fabulous books? Of course you do! It’s easy Just comment on this post with one thing from your bucket list! And you’re entered! I’m even throwing in a copy of Transfer Student & Shadow Slayer:D
Now the BIG REVEAL? What have I wanted to do for nearly 50 years that I haven’t done yet? Well, as you read this, I’m sailing the Caribbean and have anchored in The Bahamas. Hubby and I have been married for 27 years and whenever we’d get a little extra cash, we always said….Great, now we can go to The Bahamas. Well…not so much. With kids, jobs, ya’ know the story. It never happened…UNTIL TODAY! Woot! So I’m crossing off two things. A cruise. And a trip to The Bahamas. So, if you don’t hear from me for a while…you’ll know I’ve been captured by pirates, or something like that! Hee-Hee!
But you’ve made my biggest dream come true by reading and sharing my stories. It’s my dream to be a novelist. Thanks so much for making my dream come true and for all of your support. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.
So…what’ on your bucket list, my friend? MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!!!!!
GOOD LUCK! THE BUCKET LIST GIVEAWAY IS OPEN UNTIL 12 PM MAY, 26th PST! OPEN INTERNATIONALLY.
By: Emily Smith Pearce,
on 5/8/2013
Can you say it three times fast?
Sorry I haven’t been around much in the last week or so. Now that a certain girl’s coronation birthday weekend week is over, I’m coming up for air.
We did it, folks. We survived a sleepover birthday party (plus days of other celebratory activities) and lived to tell the tale. I’m not exactly sure how she hypnotized talked us into the sleepover. All told, it went pretty well, though, and thankfully, the girls got along.
One highlight of the party was “Pass the Parcel,” which our daughter learned from her British (and half-British) friends in Germany. It’s really a fun, sweet game, and you can organize it so that everyone feels like they’ve won.
Basically, you have a small prize wrapped up in layers upon layers of wrapping paper. You pass the parcel around while music plays, and each time the grown up stops the music, the person holding the parcel gets to unwrap a layer. Ideally, each layer holds a tiny prize (in this case, Jolly Ranchers) and there’s at least one layer for each player.
We got distracted a bit while wrapping our parcel, and some layers—oops!—were empty. Nevermind, the girls were gracious and divided the candy evenly at the end.
At the center, we placed a collection of polymer clay beads and linen string, so each kid could make a necklace, bracelet, or key chain thingy. I had them pass the bead collection around and let each child choose a bead until they were all gone. Thankfully, there wasn’t much fuss about who got what colors. They’re all pretty, right?
Then each child strung the beads into the desired shape. So fun.
My kids and I had made the beads months earlier, with no thought of a party. I was inspired by this lovely post, which includes instructions, but I couldn’t figure out a way to string them in a way that suited me, so they sat around for months. I think I’ll try making some for me again—we have more clay.
Anyway the beads were a hit, and the activity was just enough—not too long, not too frustrating. We may have to make “Pass the Parcel” a party staple!
By: Jennifer E. Morris,
on 4/3/2013
By: Tara Chang,
on 2/4/2013
Birthdays have always been anticlimactic for me.
When I was in school, all of my classmates were three years ahead of me, so as they got to drive, I got to see PG-13 movies… They got to drink, and I got to vote – yay for me. I was afraid to celebrate them simply because, they had been “done” before by all my friends. So, I stopped really celebrating them for a long, long time — I am talking dog years.
Which brings me to a certain little one that is turning four today, (or is that 28?).
Today is Puppicasso’s Fourth Birthday!
Well, at least that’s what I’ve declared, (he’s a rescue, so he is constantly misplacing his birth certificate, and can’t stand paperwork.)
I had a mini celebration for him:
Happy (not so)
Puppi Birthday
He was not amused.
He doesn’t liked to be fussed over, besides he has gone through seven years in a day.
He turns to his bottle:
I wonder what is in his black skull bottle.
Oh, it must be shame.
He kept drinking for a long time.
Moon Shine Eyes.
But at some point the drinking did the trick. He was over himself. He got out of his self-absorbed stupor and got to partying.
He celebrated his new year with a noise maker.
He kept blowing into his noisemaker, and he made me stop worrying about my birthday too (hard to worry with all that racket).
He keeps wanting me to save my date, like saving a future memory.
I don’t dare go against him, after all I think he has some moonshine left for me.
So April 5th, here I come.
By: Anna Boll,
on 1/25/2012
Thanks so much for visiting. I'm taking the day off for my birthday. Book Review Wednesday will return next week.
Please feel free to check out the review archives especially the post for Melissa Sweet's, Balloons Over Broadway which just won the Nonfiction award at the ALA Mid-Winter conference.
On Monday I'll post a round-up of the SCBWI New York conference.
Have a great weekend!
Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.
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By: Maryann Yin,
on 2/7/2012
Google has created a Google Doodle in honor of beloved author Charles Dickens’ 200th birthday.
The image embedded above features several of Dickens’ most iconic characters, including Ebeneezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol and Pip from Great Expectations. When users click on the image at the Google homepage, they are taken to a page with Google Books listings for Dickens’ works including A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield.
Here’s more about the birthday from The Washington Post: “Prince Charles [is] expected to visit London’s Dickens Museum. Actors who reportedly are scheduled to give readings Tuesday in Britain include Ralph Fiennes (who will play Abel Magwitch in the upcoming film of Dickens’s Great Expectations), Gillian Anderson (TV’s Great Expectations) and Sheila Hancock (Bleak House), as well as Simon Callow (Christmas Carol: The Movie) performing in Dickens’s birthplace of Portsmouth, Hampshire.”
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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By: nicole,
on 3/15/2012
so, i'm thinking grandma may have *yielded* and bought little noah his much coveted green geiko galoshes....;)
By: Hazel Mitchell,
on 5/22/2012
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By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 7/1/2012
By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 7/11/2012
By: Maryam Tabatabaei,
on 12/7/2012
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By: DIANE SMITH,
on 1/20/2013
A busy Saturday taking a group of seven giggling, sugar infused 10 year olds to the bowling alley for a belated birthday celebration (September is bad time for birthdays in our family - soccer season followed by the holidays...next thing you know, you're having a birthday party in January).
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| Top: The "I'm growing weary of these toys" look Bottom: Sleepyhead |
We celebrated another b-day this past weekend and Ocee turned 2. He went around all day saying “Happy Day!” Robots were the theme so I used the robot classroom decor I illustrated for Creative Teaching Press as the party decorations. I even use some of it for the cake.
All the food was robot themed too and we also used out metal robot collection for the table too. I knew those little guys would come in handy one day!
Close up of the cake:
By: Kelly Butcher,
on 7/15/2011
By: genevieve,
on 7/20/2011
By: Maryann Yin,
on 7/20/2011
Winnie-the-Pooh will turn 90 years old on August 21st.
The New York Public Library will collect birthday cards to celebrate the occasion. Three to twelve-year-old kids can make cards for Pooh Bear and his friends at a special craft event on Tuesday, August 9th.
Everybody can join the party inside the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Saturday, August 20th. While you’re there, you can take a peek at an original Winnie-the-Pooh & friends doll set.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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By: genevieve,
on 7/21/2011
To celebrate my birthday, I finally put the ice cream cookie sandwich molds to good use.
I made two batches of cookies from scratch: chocolate chip hazelnut & lemon sugar
cookie-cutted cookies!
Place the cookie on the bottom, followed by a scoop of ice cream. In this case it's lemon creme from Scoops :). The chocolate chip cookies had either oreo custard or vanilla rice pudding. YUM!
Another cookie.
SMASH IT!
Tada!!
birthday ring from my boop :).png.jpg?picon=3640)
By: Sara Burrier,
on 8/10/2011
It has officially begun, a new series.
By: nicole,
on 8/11/2011
just a quick little sketch done for ME...for my birthday today! so hard to believe the 40 is around the corner next year! ugghhh....
By: Maryam Tabatabaei,
on 8/25/2011
Wow! It's such a strange feeling...three zero! :)
By: Sara Burrier,
on 9/14/2011
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| "Aster" - Flower of September |
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| My Mama |
By: Laurel Gaylord,
on 10/29/2011
By: Brimful Curiosities,
on 12/1/2011
When passing by all the toys on the store shelves, do you ever wonder about where they were made and where they'll end up? Just think of all the stories toys could tell! From the factory, to home, to an attic or basement and beyond, tracing the journey of a toy is an interesting thought. Walter Wick takes readers on the life journey of a toy train in his newest picture book, Can You See What I See? Toyland Express.
Can You See What I See?: Toyland Express: Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve
Book Source: Review copy provided by publisher
Wick is a genius at creating and capturing incredible, imaginative scenes -- so many fabulous trinkets and toys are all captured in his photographs. The beauty of a Walter Wick search and find puzzle book lies in the dizzying variety of objects and the impressive sets. What my kids wouldn't give to live in his studio and play with all those elaborate sets!
Like Wick's other books, Toyland Express is full of all sorts of delightful finds. Besides the Toyland Express train, readers get a chance to search for more than 250 hidden objects in this fun, photographic adventure that portrays the life of a little blue toy train. The train is created and painted in a workshop. Then it goes from store window display on to become a beloved birthday gift. Later, forgotten in the attic, it finally ends up in a yard sale and finds another loving home. The toy train storyline unites all the photographs in the book and gives the book an interesting fictional depth.
Toyland Express is the first Can You See What I See? series book my family has read, though we've read many of his I Spy books together. We really enjoyed watching the story of a toy train unfold in the photographs. We also learned about a new-to-us Wick character, a "bead boy" named Seymour! Seymour is a cute character that Wick hides in all the Can You See What I See? books. (Here's a little fun tidbit: Seymour is *gasp* "naked" (devoid of paint) in parts of the Toyland Express book!)
1 Comments on Biiiirthdayyyy!, last added: 7/22/2011
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURA!!! Woop Woop!!
I love all these Gotta Get It Done (!) lists… especially the Ireland ones. I’d LOVE to go to Ireland (I bought the holiday guide years ago). But I would have to say… I want to do a road trip across America with my gorgeous hubby.
Wish you a very happy birthday, Laura! I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip.
This post has been awesome. I loved reading what everyone had to say. On my bucket list… Well, I want to go to France! I’m learning French and honestly, I dream of having my picture clicked at the Eiffel Tower. Thank you for the super cool and generous giveaway!
Happy Birthday!!
Mine would be travel too. I’d like to take a year to travel throughout Great Britain and Europe.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
To go to Scotland, Greece and New Zealand. I’ve already done part of my bucket list which was traveling to England and Sweden.
Thanks for the giveaway!
mestith at gmail dot com
I want to live in another country. Even if just for a few months. I want that experience.
Happy Birthday! One thing on my bucket list is to write my name on Juliet’s Wall in Verona.
Woot! I hope we see you here in America my friend! Thanks for the birthday wishes…back on dry land. I loved being out at sea!
Sarika I can’t wait until you snap that photo under the Eiffel Tower! I love that you want to go to Paris. What a great trip you’ll have. So excited you’re learning French too. I think it’s the most beautiful language I’ve ever heard
I have to laugh when I try and speak it. Thanks for the birthday wishes…I just got back to The States 
Good luck in the giveaway!
Mary, Thanks so much:) It was fabulous. That sounds like a fun trip! I have an aunt that live in London. I love it there. Here’s to your future year of travel! Good luck in the giveaway!
Nice! Good for your for crossing things off your list
I’ve never been to Scotland, Greece or New Zealand…sounds like a great adventure. Good luck in the giveaway! *keep on dreaming*
AFS….stands for America Field Service !
Excellent! Are you in high school? If you are, there’s an organization called AFS that is fabulous at placing kids abroad for a few months in the summer. You might want to look into it! I hope to hear all about your experience soon! Good luck in the giveaway
How romantic! I love it
Take a picture when you do, I’d love to see your dream come true! ((hugs)) Good luck in the giveaway!
I’d like to drive across the country with my man. Also, base jumping (not sure where, but somewhere scenic like the desert or mountains).
How amazing! Thanks for sharing…I LOVE road trips. Winnemucca, a small-town fairy tale, is a story about an enchanted road trip
You’re a daredevil, *knees knock saying the words base jumping* Good luck in the giveaway Megan!
Happy Birthday Laura – and have a wonderful time on your trip of a lifetime.
I have a bucket list I’m trying to work my way through. My list includes riding in the teacups at Disneyland, throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain and staying in a castle – to learning to juggle, ride a mechanical bull and adopt an animal…..plus so many more.