Pride & Predjudice 200th Anniversary Party Hop

Happy Happy Anniversary Pride & Prejudice. Can you believe it’s been 200 years? It’s amazing when you think about it that something written so long ago still has such a hold on so many individuals, still inspires such passion in our hearts and minds. I cannot tell you how excited I am to celebrate this milestone and to be able to co-host this fabulous event with author Alyssa Goodnight. Thank you to each and every one of you who are joining us and helping make the Pride and Prejudice 200th Anniversary Party Hop possible.

My love of Jane Austen is something very dear to my heart. This love is something that happened so early on in my life -it has become such an engrained part of who I am as a person and my personality that it’s hard to really remember myself before. Digging further, Pride and Prejudice is an especially personal work for me. I came to love it at the age of 13 when I first read the book…soon after I laid my eyes upon Colin Firth and my Mr. Darcy found a forever face in my mind. It’s also a very very special book for me because of it’s connection to my great great grandmother.

My Granny was a reader. As a child I often spent time with her since she lived only two houses down. She watched me while my mother worked and summers were spent in her care as well. My grandmother was a life-long reader. She owned multiple bookshelves and perusing them became a favorite past time of mine from a very young age. I loved staying up nights reading with her and making my way through her personal bookshelves knowing each book had been read and selected by her. Unfortunately around the age of ten, I was no longer able to spend time with my Granny. She began to suffer from dementia and quickly lost the ability to live on her own, take care of herself and even recognize me. To her the adult Courtney was unconceivable, she pictured me as a little girl and so I stayed away as not to upset her. Needless to say I was devastated. Although she did not pass away until my early twenties…our relationship ended too early and a large hole was put into my heart much before she left this earth. While my grandmother never shared Pride and Prejudice with me personally (I suspect she would have had I reached the age), she did encourage a love of reading that defines me and the path I have chosen in life. When she died I was desperate to revisit our special times and luckily her entire book collection became my very own. By this time I was a devoted Janeite…imagine my joy when I discovered tucked amongst her books her very own copy of Pride and Prejudice.

My Grandmother had a unique habit when she read a book. She would write her name and the year she read it within the cover. However she did not do it to every book she owned. I suspect she started in later in life so her earlier books remained blank.  When I saw that copy of Pride and Prejudice I literally burst into tears but then immediately prayed that it contained her handwritten name as well. As I opened the cover I could not contain myself, inside was her name in the handwriting I will never forget to the day I die. To this day that book is one of most prized and valued objects. It is not only one of my favorite books by my favorite author…it is a link to my Granny. A symbol that she and I are forever linked and so very similar. Though she left me too early, I know she would be so proud of who I have become. For that reason Pride and Prejudice goes so far beyond being just any book. And that one volume means the sun, moon and stars when I hold it in my hands.

Jane Austen Journal Giveaway

Please remember to join in and travel to all our wonderful participants in this hop…some may even have goodies up for grabs. Speaking of goodies, I wanted to give away something Austen themed for this very special occasion. So the lovely Jane Austen journal below will be finding a home with one of you dear readers. I own one myself and love to jot down quotes that jump out for me and even after over 15 years of Austen, I still come across lines that make me think, laugh and smile. So want to add this journal to your collection of Jane Austen items? It’s very easy to be entered…just share a Pride and Prejudice moment or memory with all of us as we share and celebrate on this very special 200th anniversary. Happy Anniversary Pride and Prejudice…here’s to 200 more years and once again “Bravo” dear Jane.

Giveaway ends midnight EST on January 29, 2013. Open internationally. Winner will be notified via e-mail address.

BlogFest 2010

Welcome to Blogfest 2010 at Stiletto Storytime

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog and my giveaway for Blogfest 2010. Please feel free to browse and leave a comment to let me know you visited and what you thought of Stiletto Storytime!

For this event I will be giving away Goodness Gracious Green by Judy Christie courtesy of Abingdon Press

& a Burt’s Bees Travel Kit.

About the Book:

“Will Lois Barker put down roots in Green . . . or will small-town life be too tough? The charming and uncertain journalist is delighted with her decision to keep The Green News-Item and excited about the possibility of romance with her good-looking catfish farmer/coach neighbor and the growth of her fresh faith and friendships. Her second year in Green has scarcely been rung in, though, before Lois is wrung out. The former owners of the paper want it back. The mayor’s dog bites her on the face. A series of fires threaten Lois. And while her friends blossom, Lois feels wilted. Although Lois finds fresh hopes turning stale in her second year in Green, in the midst of challenges and lessons, Lois’s journey still explodes with possibilities!”

So how do you win? It’s simple really…just leave a comment below telling me your favorite book of all time and why. Also remember to leave your e-mail address so I have a way to contact you. This giveaway is for US/Canada addresses only. Winner will be chosen by Random.org on September 13th. Want extra entries?

+5 Become a follower of Stiletto Storytime

+4 Write a blog post about this giveaway and leave me a direct link

+2 Folllow Stiletostrytime on Twitter

+1 Twitter about the Giveaway and leave me a direct link

Don’t forget about the massive BlogFest 2010 grand giveaway!  Head on over to A Journey of Books and click on the Tracking Site link to head to our own exclusive tracking site.  Once there you can register with a valid email address (to be used solely for the purpose of contacting the winner).  This site will allow you to track your progress through BlogFest 2010!  You can log on from anywhere at any time and continue where you left off.  The best part is that every blog that you visit and mark off through this tracking site will give you one entry into the massive giveaway!  We have a great collection of books, goodies and other swag that is looking for a new home!

Thanks to everyone for participating in and sponsoring this great event!

Wanna hop to the next blog: Still Blonde After All These Years

Have Fun & Good Luck to All!

Dystopian Challenge 2010: Wrap-Up & Contest

This year I participated in Parajunkee’s Dystopian 2010 Challenge and I must say it was one of the best challenges I have completed in quite awhile. It was challenging and yet fun since there were so many new books and classics to choose from in the dystopian genre. I found myself constantly enlightened and filling up my book journal with quotes.

For fun as I wrap up to this challenge I thought it might be nice to share some of my favorite quotes from my reading for this challenge. For extra fun…I am going to give the quote but not the book…see how many you can match up to their respective books. My list of books read is below so you have the list to choose from. The person who can match up the most (random generator will choose if there are multiple dystopian geniuses) will win a special little something from Stiletto Storytime! You can also get extra entries by sharing your favorite dystopian quotes that I might not have mentioned! Contest ends at midnight on August 31, 2010. There will be one prize for US/ Canada residents and another (virtual prize) for any international winners. Have fun and please no “googling” for answers! Good luck to all!

My Favorite Quotes from Dystopian Books:

Quote #1: “Past events, it is argued, have no objective existence, but survive only in written records and in human memories. The past is whatever the records and the memories agree upon. And since the party is in full control of all records, and in equally full control of the minds of its members, it follows that the past is whatever the party chooses to make it.” -1984

Quote #2: “Last night I thought about all that kerosene I’ve used in the past ten years. And I thought about books. And for the first time I realized that a man was behind each one of the books. A man had to think them up. A man had to take a long time to put them down on paper. And I’d never thought that before.” –Fahrenheit 451

Quote #3: ” The best books, he perceived, are those that tell you what you already know.” –1984

Quote #4: ” A different life. That was what happened, she knew, when a person had a baby. This strange new being grew inside you and by the time it was all over, you were someone different too.” -The Passage

Quote #5: “People were excited when they first came out with the feeds. It was all da da da, this big educational thing, da da da, your child will have the advantage, encyclopedias at their fingertips, closer than their fingertips, etc. That’s the great thing about the feed- that you can be super smart without ever working. Everyone is super smart now. You can look things up automatic, like science and history, like you want to know which battles of the Civil War George Washington fought in and shit.” -Feed

Quote #6: “Everyone belongs to everyone else.” –Brave New World

Quote #7: “An eighth grade girl was taken today.” –The Limit

Quote #8: “ Images flash through my mind: the spear piercing Rue’s body in the arena, Gale hanging senseless from the whipping post, the corpse littered wasteland of my home. And for what? For what?” -Mockingjay

Quote #9: “Winston stopped reading, chiefly to appreciate the fact that he was reading, in comfort and safety.” –1984

Quote #10: “Mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. But there were also husbands, wives, lovers. There were also monogamy and romance. Though you probably don’t know what those are, said Mustopha Mond.  They shook their heads.” –Brave New World

Dystopian Challenge 2010

Dates: Jan 1 2010 to Aug 24 2010

• Level 1 – Experimental – 5 books
• Level 2 – Addict – 10 books
• Level 3 – Junkee – 20 books

1.) The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle

2.)The Walls Have Eyes by Clare B. Dunkle

3.)Restoring Harmony by Joelle Anthony

4.) Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

5.) The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

6.) This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

7.) The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

8.) The Passage by Justin Cronin

9.) Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien

10.) Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

11.) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

12.) Veracity by Laura Bynum

13.) Jennifer Government by Max Barry

14.) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

15.) The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

16.) 1984 by George Orwell

17.) The Limit by Kristen Landon

18.) Feed by M.T. Anderson

19.) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

20.) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Thanks again to Parajunkee for such a wonderful challenge!

Got Books?

Stiletto Storytime is extremely excited to be taking part in this year’s Got Books? Event. It’s a celebration of all things books! Check out the site for all the details as well as blogger and sponsor spotlights. Also follow on Twitter and look out for details on a Twitter PARTY! There are 100 blogs taking part and the prize list is going to be amazing. Speaking of prizes…here at Stiletto Storytime one lucky reader will win a prize package including:

• Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard (the first book in the hit series)
• An ARC of Sea by Heidi R. Kling with matching bookmark
• An ARC of Runaway by Meg Cabot
• An ARC of Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Leviathan
• Some other fun book related surprise SWAG (not pictured since it’s a surprise)

“This event is to celebrate book bloggers round the world..shine a light on their efforts, spread the word on their sites & have some bookish fun!”

Big Thanks to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers and There’s A Book for creating and hosting this great event exclusively for Book Blogs!

So make sure to visit Stiletto Storytime on July 23-24th for the all the details and a chance to win!

Review & Giveaway: The Starlet by Mary McNamara

Mercy Talbot has it all: undeniable beauty, immense wealth, an Oscar worthy talent and an out of control lifestyle full of sex, drugs and alcohol, which more than likely will end in total self-destruction in her early twenties. She’s the star everyone loves to hate and hates to love.  You know her type she’s the one who has it all but just cannot seem to keep it together. Followed endlessly by paparazzi, Mercy has an entire team dedicated to keeping her in working condition including her overly controlling mother who feeds her drug habit on a regular basis and producers who will do just about anything to get her on camera. As they say with friends such as these who needs enemies?

However after the ”accidental” death of her co-star and lover Lloyd Watson on location in Italy, can anyone really stop Mercy from her path of self-destruction or is she destined to be next in the line of stars gone too early? In a drug crazed state, Mercy finds herself on top of a centuries old fountain contemplating a jump that may very well kill her or at least expose her nude body to the world until magically she is saved by the most unlikely person of all.

Enter Juliette Greyson, a Hollywood celebrity-pleasing pro from L.A. trying her best to get away from “the celebrity craze” while on vacation in Tuscany when she is confronted with the ultimate snap decision. Stand by and watch an inebriated young star jump from a fountain while being egged on by paparazzi or reach out to a girl forever in the spotlight? For someone with a former drug habit, the choice is a no-brainer. And so welcome Mercy Talbot to the life of Juliette Greyson.  And welcome Juliette Greyson to the spotlight, the last place on Earth she would like to be. While trying to cope with her own love life and past, Juliette must now deal with Mercy and her army of staff as they take over the only oasis Juliette knows, her Tuscan family retreat Cerreta.  Did we mention that this army also includes Juliette’s former flame actor Michael O’Connor? Let the drama begin as if it already hasn’t the moment Mercy steps on the scene.

Straight from the pages of US Weekly or the screens of TMZ, Mercy Talbot is the character that embodies all the young girls of Hollywood that we constantly shake our head at but cannot seem to turn away from.  We may not agree with their lifestyle but we have to know what’s going on at all times. A guilty pleasure that is sure to be a hit on the beach this summer, Mary McNamara has hit the nail on the head with this gossip frenzy filled celebrity read that will have readers clamoring for more. In a novel that reads like a celebrity magazine in all the right ways, The Starlet is sure to fill your gossip needs while also letting you indulge in a roller coaster ride of Hollywood proportions. Ready, Set, Action!

But that’s not all….The Starlet doesn’t stop there! Regal Literary will also be giving away two fantastic trips to promote this fabulously guilty pleasure!  The prizes up for grabs include:

• A weekend getaway in Los Angeles, complete with two nights at the Four Seasons, a four-star lunch at the Beverly Hills hotel, a guided tour of Hollywood, and more!
• Four days and three nights in the rolling Tuscan countryside at Spannocchia, Italy, for you and a companion, half price tickets for two from New York to Rome, and more!
• 100 signed copies of The Starlet

Make sure to enter for these fabulous prizes on Mary McNamara’s site! In addition Regal Literary is also allowing me to give away one copy of The Starlet by Mary McNamara to one of my lucky readers! To enter simply leave a comment below with your e-mail address and tell us which star is your Mercy Talbot? Who do you love to hate…or hate to love? Who can you not stand at times but still always find yourself reading the articles about in the check-out line? Come on…be honest! We all do it! Winner will be chosen by random generator. Contest ends on June 21, 2010 just in time for summer beach reading! Good luck to all and Happy Reading!

Blogmania is Here

WELCOME TO BLOGMANIA

And Welcome to Stiletto Storytime! My Blog is 78 of 123!!

You’ve arrived at exactly the right time to explore lots of new blogs, all of which, ARE GIVING AWAY A VERY SPECIAL BLOGMANIA GIVEAWAY (For One Day Only – April 30^th) .

We’ve done all the work for you. No hunting or surfing. Each blog will have a number and each new blog link will have a number. These numbers will allow you to keep track of which blogs you’ve visited and how many are left to visit. Why not take a moment to make a list of blog numbers  1-123 and check off the blogs as you go.

I know you’ll want to visit as many blogs today as you can. So, if you see something that interests you on any of our participating blogs, why not bookmark that site. Later, when you have more time, you can discover all its fabulous treasures.CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

Stiletto Storytime GIVEAWAY and RULES:

Stiletto Storytime will be giving away  a brand new copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith with a snazzy book plate to mark your ownership along with an original hand-made Stiletto Storytime Bookmark….the first ever of it’s kind and some cool magnetic bookmarks great for marking your spot!

This contest is open to those in the United States and Canada. I’m kind of against making people “follow” blogs for chances to win things…so you need not follow me to be entered. If you enjoy the site, I hope you will follow or at least come back later to browse! To enter simply leave a comment below with your e-mail address.

*For an extra entry: tell me your favorite book!

*For five extra entries: Tell me your favorite book and think of a cool spin you would like to seen done on it and create a new title for me and other readers to enjoy! ( Considering the prize…I’m trying to make it fun and interesting!)

The Winner will be chosen randomly by a random number generator. Can’t wait to see who you are!!! As for following if you like Stiletto Storytime I would love for you to follow! Or follow me on Twitter!

(Blog- 1) – HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Between The Pages – http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/

(Blog -2) – CO-HOST OF BLOGMANIA) The Black Sheep Dances – http://www.theblacksheepdances.blogspot.com

(Blog-43) – CO-HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Books, Books Everywhere – http://bookywooks.blogspot.com/

(Blog-3) Writing is a Blessing – http://writingisablessing.blogspot.com

(Blog-25) Que’s Ramblings – http://heknowstheplanshehasforus.blogspot.com/

(Blog-75) Kelly’s Lucky You – http://KellysLuckyYou.blogspot.com

(Blog-103) London’s Boutique – http://londons-boutique.blogspot.com/

(Blog-81) My Overstuffed Bookshelf – www.myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.com

(Blog-114) Books, Books, the Magical Fruit – http://booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com

(Blog-28) A Novel Source – http://anovelsource.blogspot.com