And the winner is!

I tucked all the entries into the closest I could come to Barnyard Bookstomp, in honor of this weekend's SCBWI Miami theme.

Most of the commenters were Floridians!

But the winner of A THUNDEROUS WHISPER by Christina Diaz Gonzalez is

TA-DAH!!!

Virginia Butler!

A fellow Mississippian, I do believe. Virginia, send me your address via FB message or email.
Congrats to you. I know you're a fan of historical fiction. Let us know what you think.

Florida Writers: Christina Diaz Gonzalez

 I'm a fairly new member of this esteemed group but let me tell you, Florida supports its writing community. Next weekend, we'll be gathering at our annual Miami SCBWI event.

(Meanwhile, other writer friends of mine will be down the road a piece at the amazing Eckerd College Writers in Paradise week. For more about that, click here)

Today, I'd like to share- literally! I'm giving away my copy!-
Christina Diaz Gonzalez's latest novel. A Thunderous Whisper follows on the heels of her highly successful The Red Umbrella, which I truly loved. This new book is also historical fiction but set in a time and place I'll bet not that many young readers are familiar with.
That's one of the spectacular things about this book.

The Spanish Civil War, Guernica, the Basque people. The book is filled with great details. And the story is a page turner of an adventure.

I feel the need to apologize to this wonderful book. It arrived just before the holidays, and I was very excited. Then I got distracted, put it down, and sadly, my pile grew taller. But I'm so glad I unearthed it and finished it because it was well worth the read.
I learned a lot, and I loved the characters so much.

My favorite quote from A Thunderous Whisper:

"Mama had been wrong. People don't always abandon you...even if they have to leave."


(I also love the hints at the end that the story could continue. There's so much more to tell! Are you listening, Christina?)

BLOG READERS, LISTEN UP.
This could be your LUCKY day. I'm giving away the copy that Random House shared with me. If you enter and win, and IF you are coming to Miami with us, I'll bring the book and you can have Christina sign it for you. (You can win even if you aren't coming to Miami, but there's still time to register if you've been on the fence.)

Just leave me a comment, here or on the Facebook post, and I'll draw one name by next Wednesday, January 16.

It doesn't matter if you've ever, recently, or never won a book giveaway here or anywhere. This is open to anybody who'd love to read A THUNDEROUS WHISPER.


Here are a few links to some of Christina's writing wisdom.

Since I'm hugely fascinated and love reading about character names, I loved this one:
http://themodpodgebookshelf.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-character-of-names-with-christina.html


Although this giveaway has ended, the interview is excellent.
http://www.thestorysiren.com/2012/10/author-interview-christina-diaz-gonzalez-giveaway.html

We Have a Winner!

Because so many of you entered my Giveaway for the GLORY BE Advanced Reader Copy, I decided to part with two of them. I'm saving one forever and have one to share with my Tampa Bay critique group who guided me through most of the revisions. (Thanks, Teddie, Sue and Melissa!)

It's drizzling outside so I didn't photograph the drawing this morning. But I tapped into my completely unbiased neighbor's goodwill and the lucky winners are...

PAT CASEY

and

CHRISTINA DIAZ GONZALEZ

I know how to find Pat. Christina, I'll look for a message on Facebook with your mailing address, please. 

Thanks, everybody, for your enthusiasm. Pat and Christina, I hope you like GLORY BE!

Heading to the Bookstore

The bricks and mortar kind. On Sunday, I tried my local Borders, but the line was out the door and I gave up. A good sign for us booklovers? I hope! Today I'll visit "Florida's largest bookstore"- Haslam's-  for the few gifts remaining on my list. If you're not finished shopping, check out these  suggestions. Happy reading everybody!                                                                             

Although right this minute, I can't think of anyone to give one of my new favorite holiday novels to, if you have a teen reader, or even older, may I suggest DASH AND LILY'S BOOK OF DARES. Told in alternating voices, these two teens send readers on an adventure that's great fun. A mysterious notebook! A girl and a boy! New York  at Christmas! Here's Lily, on spending the holiday alone: "In the future, I decided I would tackle the solitude thing more enthusiastically, so long as solitude meant I could also walk in the park and pet a few dogs..."

Another book, already purchased and presented- Brian Lies' BATS AT THE BEACH. I've already written about this new picture book, but it was road-tested at our house this weekend. (When the grownup reading it continues the story even after the two-year-old lapchild wandered off, you know the book's a winner.)

I've read so many middle-grade novels this year that it's impossible to choose a favorite. But for gift-giving, I know just the kid who'd love The Red Umbrella, which I reviewed for The Christian Science Monitor this summer. Oddly enough, the only vacation my family ever took when my siblings and I were very young was to Havana, Cuba, pre-Castro. Although I was too young to remember many details, my mother's budding skills at the movie camera produced a record of the trip that we still smile about. Cuba made a big impression on me. I couldn't have imagined a more exotic place. Christina Gonzalez's account of the children whose parents sent them away from their homes to live in the United States, via "Operation Pedro Pan," is compelling and highly readable.

So Ho Ho Ho to all. I'm bundled up and off to shop!