Macking on Indie Bookstores (with a Signed Book Giveaway)

It's 4 AM--that alone wouldn't normally be any sort of precursor to a crappy blog post for me. But I'm currently out of town in Madison, having just attended WisCon 35 and I've had little more than four hours of sleep a night for the last six nights. So. Yeah.*

Assume any typos and limpy wimpy writing are due to extreme exhaustion. Not the topic, which happens to be glorious.

Anyway.

Today a bunch of us are celebrating independent book stores. Because they're awesome, see. If you're not sure why, check out this article by Bruce Somerset, which highlights some of the reasons why we need independent book stores. Comfy and cozy, personable and supportive of communities and authors, indies are like the  doting grandmas of bookstores, except way cool, like the grandmas who also ride motorcycles and play the drums.

I don't frequent any independent bookstores, primarily because there aren't any near to me, so it's impossible to feature a loved local indie without being a liar. But I do know Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL, an indie I'm quickly falling in love with. If it were closer than 3 1/2 hours away, I'd probably wear a hole in their carpet with all my foot traffic.

I first discovered Anderson's Bookshop when the ever so amazing Erica Chapman and I attended Veronica Roth's launch of DIVERGENT*. It's while Erica and I were visiting Veronica that we discovered another major signing would be taking place the following week for Lisa and Laura Roecker (the organizers of the I <3 Indies blog fest), Julia Karr, Leah Clifford, Courtney Moulton, Sara Bennett-Wealer, Sarah Rees Brennan, Saundra Mitchell, and Christine Johnson. So of course we went. Lots of adventures were had, and I walked away having had two new super experiences and a love of indie bookstores. I'll definitely go back again.





Win a SIGNED copy of A TOUCH MORTAL by Leah Clifford


Okay, so in honor of independent bookstores, how about I give away a super awesome book that I purchased in this store? Just for fun? I purchased others there, too, but I'm not ready to let go of all of them yet. For now, I'll just give away a SIGNED copy of A TOUCH MORTAL by Leah Clifford. If you'd like to win, just click on the link below the summary and fill out the short form!



Summary: Eden didn't expect Az.
Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick-up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.


Yeah.


So long, happily-ever-after.


Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.


She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.


And that's only the beginning of the end.

Signed A TOUCH MORTAL by Leah Clifford International Giveaway

This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and ends next Tuesday, June 7 2011.


Oh, and before I forget!! The winner of the SIGNED copy of DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth is:

Michele S.

Congratulations, Michele! Please email me an address where I can send you your book!

************

Be sure to check out the other I <3 Indie Blogfest blogs. A lot of them are having giveaways in celebration of independent book stores.

Lisa and Laura Roecker
Sarah Frances Hardy
Shana Silver
Elana Johnson
Stasia Kehoe
Shannon Messenger
Carolina M Valdez
Mundie Moms
Myra McEntire
Sara Bennett Wealer
Janet Gurtler
Joy Preble
Ty Drago
Kate Walton
Julia Karr
Randy Russell
Adele Griffin
Helen Landalf
Andrea Higgins
Beth Revis
Tess Hilmo
Sheela Chari
Gail Handler
Crystal Allen
Christine Fonseca

If you tweet about the blog fest, please feel free to include the hash tag #Iheartindies and @ reply me with @cvaldezmiller if you want me to see it.



*I'll blog about this con soon, too. Mega fun, and seriously. Made friends I know I'll have the rest of my life. SCORE.
**I intend to fully blog about these trips with Erica very soon. Talk about wild adventures.

P.S. I'll be back on a regular blogging schedule next week. Or you know, maybe not a schedule. But something like way more than not at all. Been missing you guys loads.