ENDED Software Giveaway - COREL Paint It!

I received the COREL Paint It! software and could not wait to try it. According to the box: COREL Paint It! takes your favorite photo memories and magically transforms them into unique paintings, right before your eye! Simply choose a painting style and press start. Then add fun effects to make it truly yours. Save, print, frame or share your art creations.

I first installed in on a 64-bit Windows 7 machine. It did install but it did not work, it kept giving me an error upon execution. I uninstalled the software and proceeded to install it on a 32-bit laptop running also Windows 7. It worked perfectly in that environment. Make sure to check which version you have before installing the software.


This software is well suited for scrapbookers, photography enthusiasts, families and creative minds of all ages (including children -- especially small children), Paint it! features art tools and painting presets that are both simple and intuitive. This makes it easier than ever for anyone to use theirown  photos to create unique digital art photos that are perfect for framing or sharing.

I picked a picture of my family and tried all the preset painting styles. I really liked using the software, it was very easy and the results speak for themselves. See below for some samples. The painting styles included are:

• Oil - Transforms an image using a combination of short dabs and longer brushstrokes to simulate the color and texture of oil paint
• Impressionist - Transforms an image by applying short and distinct brushstrokes to create the illusion of movement and light.
• Modern - Transforms an image using vibrant colors and bold brushstrokes to produce an
  
  abstract-looking painting
• Illustration - Transforms an image using a variety of brushstrokes to produce an illustration-style painting
• Watercolor Sketch - Transforms an image by combining drawn lines and watercolor brushstrokes to
  
  

  produce a painting with added depth, texture, and contrast
• Detailed Watercolor - Transforms an image by applying a translucent wash to produce the smooth, soft effect of watercolor paint
• Colored Pencil - Transforms an image so that it looks as if it was hand-drawn using fine-tipped colored pencils

• Pencil Drawing - Transforms an image so that it looks as if it was hand-drawn using a graphite pencil Pen and Ink - Produces a sketch of the image that looks as if it was handdrawn using a pen and black ink
• Pastel - Transforms an image so that it looks as if it was hand-drawn using colored pastels

It has several brushes that you can use to customize your painting:

• Pencil (lets you draw lines on your painting or photo)
• Felt Pen (has a rounded tip that lets you apply realistic, flowing pen strokes)
• Sponge (lets you add color and texture to your painting or photo by using short dabs or long strokes)
• Airbrush (lets you apply a fine stream of color to your painting or photo)
• Spray Paint (lets you apply a wide spray of color to your painting or photo)
• Smudge (lets you blend areas of adjacent color)
• Furry Brush (lets you add a fun, furry effect to your painting or photo)
• Fire Brush (lets you add flames to your painting or photo)
• Fairy Dust (lets you apply a whimsical effect or border to your painting or photo)
• Neon Pen (lets you create the illusion of glowing brushstrokes)
• Leaf Brush (lets you add a series of leaf images to your painting or photo)
• Distortion Brush (lets you distort an area of your photo to achieve a dramatic effect)
• Pattern Pen (lets you add a patterned stroke to your painting or photo)
• Wave Brush (lets you distort an area of your photo to produce a ripple effect)
• Dissolver Brush (lets you blur or soften the details of your photo).

System Requirements:

• Windows XP®, Windows Vista® or Windows® 7 (with latest Service Pack)
• Pentium® IV, 700 MHz or greater
• 1 GB of RAM
• 24-bit color display
• 1024 × 768 screen resolution
• 140 MB of hard disk space for installation
• Mouse 

For a free trial, click on this link.


Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this software
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• Random number generator will be used - 1 copy to give away
• The drawing will last till July 1
• I will post the winners here on July 2
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNER - emdk

ENDED Audio Book Giveaway - Live Long, Finish Strong By Gloria Copeland

In LIVE LONG, FINISH STRONG, Gloria Copeland presents a scripturally sound program to help readers claim the Bible promise of a long and blessed life . . . and a glorious death by "divine appointment." Gloria believes the Bible teaches that God desires for every Christian to live healthily beyond 100. In this book, Gloria reveals that the secret to finding this "Bible-based fountain of youth" is in daily receiving by faith and obedience the life-giving Word of God and allowing it to energize and renew our bodies.

About Author

Gloria Copeland is an internationally known Bible teacher and bestselling author. She holds an honorary doctorate from Oral Roberts University. Gloria and her husband, Kenneth, are the founders of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas (www.kcm.org).

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• The drawing will last till June 30
• I will post the winners here on July 1
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - mrsjohnson1982, desertrose5173, susansmoaks

ENDED Audio Book Giveaway - Moment of Glory By John Feinstein

In 2003, after winning six of the twelve majors from 2000 to 2002, Tiger Woods struggled with his swing, leaving him lagging behind the field at both the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. With Woods out of the picture, the stage was set for a newcomer to claim the top position. Nobody expected that four virtually unknown players would rise to become first-time champions.

In his debut appearance in a major, Ben Curtis became the only player since Francis Ouimet in 1913 to prevail on his first time out. Mike Weir--who was considered a good player but not a great one--triumphed in The Masters, becoming the first Canadian to win a major. In the U.S. Open, Jim Furyk was victorious, and the PGA Championship was claimed by the unknown Shawn Micheel.

But after each player's history-making season, the four have had little further success. 2008 is the first year since that unexpected year, when it will be possible for the four golfers to qualify for the tour. In MOMENT OF GLORY, John Feinstein returns to the unlikely year of 2003 and chronicle the personal and professional struggles of these four players. With great affection for the underdog and extraordinary access to the players, he then looks to the 2008 season, giving readers an insider's look into to how winning (and losing) major championships changes players' lives.

About Author

John Feinstein is the bestselling author of Let Me Tell You a Story, Caddy for Life, Open, The Punch, The Last Amateurs, The Majors, A Good Walk Spoiled, A Civil War, A Season on the Brink, Play Ball, Hard Courts, and two novels. He writes for Inside Sports, Golf, Tennis Magazine, and Basketball America and commentates on NPR and CBS. John Feinstein lives in Potomac, MD, and Shelter Island, NY.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• The drawing will last till June 29
• I will post the winners here on June 30
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - sgibbs58, shundelt, mryward

ENDED Audio Book Giveaway - Innocent By Scott Turow

The sequel to the genre-defining, landmark bestseller Presumed Innocent, INNOCENT continues the story of Rusty Sabich and Tommy Molto who are, once again, twenty years later, pitted against each other in a riveting psychological match after the mysterious death of Rusty's wife.

Back in 1987, Scott Turow's "Presumed Innocent" created a sensation. It had all of the elements that fans of legal thrillers adore: murder, adultery, courtroom pyrotechnics, and a final twist that knocked everyone's socks off. In "Innocent," it is 2007 when Turow rejoins Rusty Sabich, who is now sixty years old and has risen to become Chief Judge of the Third District Appellate Court in Kindle County. He is hoping to run for the State Supreme Court in the near future. Unfortunately, his personal life has been far less successful than his career. Rusty's wife of thirty-six years is a brilliant woman who is afflicted with bipolar disorder. She is prone to uncontrollable rages and devastating depression; medication cannot completely alleviate her symptoms. Rusty and Barbara have stayed together partly to protect their sensitive only child, Nat, twenty-eight, who is about to graduate from law school. When Rusty is tempted by a beautiful thirty-four year old woman who has set her sights on him, he must decide whether he should risk everything to embark on an affair that is bound to end badly.

Twenty-one years earlier, Tommy Molto had been a prosecutor during Sabich's dramatic trial, and the two have a history of both mutual respect and antipathy. Each acknowledges the other's courtroom skills, but neither one can forget how Rusty evaded conviction. Now Tommy, who is acting Prosecuting Attorney, tries Rusty for a new murder--that of Rusty's wife, Barbara. Molto's fiery deputy, Jim Brand, is fiercely loyal to his boss and something of a pit bill. He uses all of his powers of persuasion to convince Tommy that this time, they can nail Sabich and make him pay for at least one of his crimes. What follows is a clash of the titans, since Tommy is not the only powerhouse attorney eager to win this case. Rusty is fortunate to have on his side a top-notch defense lawyer, Sandy Stern who, as he did before, hopes to wield his magic wand and exonerate his high-profile client.

About the Author

Scott Turow is a writer and attorney. He is the author of seven best-selling novels: Presumed Innocent (1987), The Burden of Proof (1990), Pleading Guilty (1993), The Laws of Our Fathers (1996), Personal Injuries (1999), Reversible Errors (2002) and Ordinary Heroes (2005). A novella, Limitations, was published as a paperback original in November 2006 by Picador following its serialization in The New York Times Magazine. His works of non-fiction include One L (1977) about his experience as a law student, and Ultimate Punishment (2003), a reflection on the death penalty.

He frequently contributes essays and op-ed pieces to publications such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Playboy and The Atlantic. Mr. Turow's books have won a number of literary awards, including the Heartland Prize in 2003 for Reversible Errors and the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award in 2004 for Ultimate Punishment and Time Magazine's Best Work of Fiction, 1999 for Personal Injuries.

His books have been translated into more than 25 languages, sold more than 25 million copies world-wide and have been adapted into one full length film and two television miniseries.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• The drawing will last till June 28
• I will post the winners here on June 29
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - ky2here, swt_butterfly, bookswapper5

ENDED Audio Book Giveaway - Fever Dream By By Lincoln Child, Douglas Preston

In "Fever Dream" by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston, Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast is faced with an impossible task--solving the mysterious murder of his wife Helen Easterhazy, a medical researcher, who is ferociously eaten by a lion during their African safari after somebody, loads her gun with blanks. Twelve years later, Pendergast must re-trace the events of that fateful safari and pinpoint Helen's enemies.

Today, he discovers she was murdered.

As Pendergast starts the investigation, with the help of NYPD Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta, he realizes that he never really knew his wife. Returning to Africa, he learns that the lion that ate her was an elaborate set-up and most of the people involved in the original safari have since passed. Back in America, Pendergast and D'Agosta learn of Helen's mysterious obsession with famous painter John James Audubon and his masterpiece known as the Black Frame. The painting was never found, and Audubon's life ended in madness.

As he starts interviewing people from Helen's past, Pendergast learns of her involvement in Project Aves and the scary fates of all those who were a part of it. While Pendergast struggles to find the painting and trace Audubon's connection, the murders start. Tomorrow, he will learn her most guarded secrets, leaving him to wonder: Who was the woman I married? Why was she murdered? And, above all . . . Who murdered her?

FEVER DREAM

Revenge is not sweet: It is essential.

About Author

DOUGLAS PRESTON and LINCOLN CHILD are coauthors of the bestselling novels Relic, Mount Dragon, Reliquary, Riptide, Thunderhead, The Ice Limit, The Cabinet of Curiosities, Still Life with Crows, Brimstone, Dance of Death, The Book of the Dead, The Wheel of Darkness, and Cemetery Dance.

Douglas Preston, a regular contributor to The New Yorker, worked for the American Museum of Natural History. He is an expert horseman who has ridden thousands of miles across the West.

Lincoln Child is a former book editor who has published four bestselling novels of his own.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• The drawing will last till June 27
• I will post the winners here on June 28
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - greenlancer, clc, Aimhigh16

ENDED Book Giveaway - Still the One By Robin Wells

Robin Wells takes us back to Chartreuse, Louisiana, for a deeply moving story of forgiveness and second chances.

STILL THE ONE

After Katie Charmaine's husband is killed in Iraq, all she has left is a closet full of his clothes, a few pictures, and fond memories. She not only lost her love, but her last chance to have the children she's always wanted. Until Zack Ferguson shows up in town . . . with the daughter Katie gave up for adoption nearly seventeen years ago.

Zack Ferguson has never forgotten Katie, or the one magical night they spent together. Seeing her again brings up a tidal wave of emotions: regret over the way he left her, anger at the secret she kept, and desire he hasn't felt in years. But he's in town for Gracie. Their daughter is sixteen, angry at the world, and-worst of all-pregnant. She needs the love of her two parents now more than ever. Can these three forgive the hurts of the past and open their hearts to each other?

About Author

Author Robin Wells is an accomplished romance author, having written over a dozen titles for Harlequin and won the National Readers' Choice Award for her title, Baby, Oh Baby. She has also won the prestigious National Golden Heart Award from the Romance Writers of America, and her novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Before writing romance she was an advertising and public relations executive. Other titles include: Wild About You, Between the Sheets, Ooh La La, Babe Magnet, Plain Jane Gets Her Man, The Wedding Kiss, The Executive's Baby, and Nine to Five Bride.

For more information please visit http://www.robinwells.com/

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.


Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• Random number generator will be used - 5 copies to give away
• The drawing will last till June 17
• I will post the winners here on June 18
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - mryward, caliblue7, lovemykidsandbooks, maryk.marlatt

ENDED Book Giveaway - Montana Destiny By R.C. Ryan

They're the McCords...three rugged, sexy cowboy cousins who'll inherit the family range--if they seek the treasure hidden on it. But even more precious are the women who can tame their wild hearts...

Emergency medic Marilee Trainor likes her freedom and lives for trouble. But when she stumbles upon a clue to the legendary McCord gold, she 's suddenly in a mysterious killer's sights--and the arms of irresistible playboy Wyatt McCord. This McCord cousin has been everywhere, yet the ranch is the only place he feels at home. Now Marilee's courage and independence make him want to protect her, win her heart, and finally settle down. But trust is the one thing Wyatt and Marilee can't easily give. And their survival and everything they cherish depends on whether they can surrender to each other--to fight for their... Montana Destiny

About Author

New York Times best-selling author Ruth Ryan Langan, under the pen R.C. Ryan, has written more than ninety fiction novels, both contemporary and historical in a career spanning more than twenty years. Other titles include: Montana Legacy, Montana Glory, Heart's Delight, Paradise Falls, Ashes of Dreams, Cover Up, Wanted, Passions Law, Angel, Deception, and Nevada Nights. She has also co-authored books with Nora Roberts. She resides in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Quite an accomplishment for someone who, after her fifth child started school, gave herself the gift of an hour a day to follow her dream to become a writer.

In a career spanning more than twenty years, Ms. Ryan has given dozens of radio, television, and print interviews across the country and Canada, and has been quoted in such diverse publications as the Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan. She has also appeared on CNN News, as well as Good Morning America.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• Random number generator will be used - 5 copies to give away
• The drawing will last till June 16
• I will post the winners here on June 17
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - clarkmurdock, ceimusic, Tore923, castings, crazyred61

ENDED Book Giveaway - Ravished by a Highlander By Paula Quinn

FORBIDDEN LOVE

Davina Montgomery is no ordinary English lady. For her own protection, she's been locked away from society, her true identity the Crown's most closely guarded secret. Until a shocking betrayal--and a bold rescue--land her in the arms of a fierce Highlander, a powerful warrior whose searing gaze and tantalizing touch awaken her body and soul.

UNDENIABLE DESIRE
As the firstborn son of a powerful Scottish laird, Robert MacGregor has no loyalty to the English throne, but he's not the kind of man to leave a woman in distress, even if she is English. He vows to deliver Davina to safety, unharmed and untouched. Yet one stolen kiss leaves them both smoldering with desire...and desperate for more. With Davina's secret threatening to destroy his clan, Rob must choose between everything he holds dear and the one woman he can't live without.

RAVISHED BY A HIGHLANDER is an exciting combination of historical fact and fiction. It is a tale of love and passion battling against duty to family and society. Robert MacGregor is a strong, responsible man who has been raised to one day become laird of his clan. In doing so he has put aside finding love and true happiness for himself. Davina Montgomery is a lost soul longing for a simple life of love and a family of her own. Rob and Davina are able to find what is lacking in their lives in each other, if they can only defeat the enemies threatening to destroy them. Ravished By A Highlander is the first of the Children of the Mist series.

About the Author

Paula Quinn has been married to her childhood sweetheart for 16 years. They have three children, a dog, and too many reptiles to count. She lives in New York City and is currently at work on her next novel.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• Random number generator will be used - 5 copies to give away
• The drawing will last till June 15
• I will post the winners here on June 16
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - misusedinnocence, cgclynsg0, ky2here, bloggyig, Jujubee782

ENDED Book Giveaway - The Knight Life By Keith Knight

"Chivalry Ain't Dead"

The Knight Life is a hilariously twisted view of life through the eyes and pen of its creator, community-oriented urban hipster and award-winning cartoonist Keith Knight. The Knight Life deftly blends political insight and neurotic humor in a uniquely fluid and dynamic style, offering a comic strip that's fresh, sharp, topical and funny. Designed for daily newspapers, The Knight Life follows Knight's long-running, 2007 Harvey Award-winning weekly comic strip "The K Chronicles," which appears on salon.com.

An unabashedly provocative political and social satire, The Knight Life tackles contemporary issues like consumer culture, bacon, the media, race, family and everything else, gently mocking the minutiae of daily life with self-deprecating humor, honesty and goofiness-a combination that's perfect for the comics. And The Knight Life's energetic style reminds readers that comics can look funny as well as read funny. The result is accessible yet edgy, compassionate and political-and never preachy. Cartoonist and comic historian R.C. Harvey said, "The Knight Life is undeniably the best new laugh- and thought-provoker on the comics page. Not since Calvin and Hobbes has there been so novel an entertainment in the funnies."

About the Author

Keith Knight is best known for his hilarious semi-autobiographical/self-syndicated comic strip The K Chronicles. The comic strip was awarded the 2007 Glyph Award and the 2007 Harvey Award for Best Comic Strip, where it was nominated alongside the best of the mainstream dailies. The Knight Life comic strip, was featured in a number of publications and websites.

 Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Contest Rules

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• The drawing will last till June 26
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• I will post the winners here on June 27
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - guapo1317, purplepassion126, johnnystruckwash

ENDED Book Giveaway - Babushka's Beauty Secrets By Raya Ruder, Susan Campos

Old World Tips for a Glamorous New You

DON'T SPEND A FORTUNE TO LOOK FLAWLESS

Esthetician to the stars Raisa Ruder learned her time-tested beauty techniques from her Ukrainian grandmother (or babushka, as they say in the old country). Now everyone can discover the all-natural, better-than-botox secrets the Hollywood stars use to shine on the red carpet! Ruder reveals her sought-after beauty recipes that can fight wrinkles, plump lips, and eliminate crow's feet and acne, using inexpensive, everyday grocery items like eggs, honey, vegetable oil and strawberries (and a splash of vodka for freshness!).

At last, by popular demand, Raisa Ruder opens up her babushka's secret pantry and shares her most amazing and effective beauty advice:

• Skin-saving Soufflés - whipped up wonders that shrink pores, brighten skin, and diminish lines
• Chocolate weight-loss wrap- a moment on the hips, tightens, tucks, and nips!
• Hot hair- a cayenne pepper blend that leaves locks silky, soft, and full
• PediPure- a soothing, smoothing foot scrub made with milk and mint
• Lustrous Lashes - a simple castor oil serum that thickens and lengthens
• Perfect Pucker- a mix of salt, green tea, and fruit that plumps up lips naturally
• And much more...

About the Authors

Raisa Ruder was a registered nurse in her native Ukraine when she decided to move to the United States fifteen years ago. For seven years she worked at the famed Anastasia salon doing eyebrows and facials until opening her own West Hollywood salon in 2005. She noticed the large amount of preservatives in American products and decided to introduce her Babushka's old world beauty recipes in her salon. She quickly became LA's go-to-girl. Her clients include: Madonna,Tyra Banks, Molly Simms, Ali Larter, Nicolette Sheridan and others.

Susan Campos is a broadcast and print journalist. She is a former anchor for the national weekend edition of Today. She's reported for Dateline and hosted numerous entertainment shows on MSNBC. She currently writes trend stories on beauty for The New York Times' "Styles" section and its T Magazine, and is a contributing editor for Radar Magazine.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• The drawing will last till June 25
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• I will post the winners here on June 26
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - sylvieanddudes, emdk, mrsjohnson1982

ENDED Audio Book Giveaway - The War Lovers By Evan Thomas

On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine exploded in the Havana Harbor. Although there was no evidence that the Spanish were responsible, yellow newspapers such as William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal whipped Americans into frenzy by claiming that Spain's "secret infernal machine" had destroyed the battleship. Soon after, the blandly handsome and easily influenced President McKinley declared war, sending troops not only to Cuba but also to the Philippines, Spain's sprawling colony on the other side of the world.

As Evan Thomas reveals in his rip-roaring history of those times, the hunger for war had begun years earlier. Depressed by the "closing" of the Western frontier and embracing theories of social Darwinism, a group of warmongers that included a young Teddy Roosevelt and Henry Cabot Lodge agitated loudly and incessantly that the United States exert its influence across the seas. These hawks would transform American foreign policy and, when Teddy ascended to the presidency, commence with a devastating war without reason, concocted within the White House--a bloody conflict that would come at tremendous cost.

Thrillingly written and brilliantly researched, THE WAR LOVERS is the story of six men at the center of a transforming event in U.S. history: Roosevelt, Lodge, Hearst, McKinley, William James, and Thomas Reed, and confirms once more than Evan Thomas is a popular historian of the first rank.

Evan Thomas has been the Assistant Managing Editor of Newsweek since 1991. He is the bestselling author of six works of nonfiction: Sea of Thunder, John Paul Jones, Robert Kennedy, The Very Best Men, The Man to See, and The Wise Men. He lives with his wife and children in Washington, D.C.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• The drawing will last till June 19
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• I will post the winners here on June 20
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - wmknox, jessterlyn, kerrie

ENDED Audio Book Giveaway - God Never Blinks By Regina Brett

Already an internet phenomenon, these wise and insightful lessons by popular newspaper columnist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Regina Brett will make you see the possibilities in your life in a whole new way.

When Regina Brett turned 50, she wrote a column on the 50 lessons life had taught her. She reflected on all she had learned through becoming a single parent, looking for love in all the wrong places, working on her relationship with God, battling cancer and making peace with a difficult childhood. It became one of the most popular columns ever published in the newspaper, and since then the 50 lessons have been emailed to hundreds of thousands of people.

Brett now takes the 50 lessons and expounds on them in essays that are deeply personal. From "Don't take yourself too seriously-Nobody else does" to "Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift," these lessons will strike a chord with anyone who has ever gone through tough times--and haven't we all?

Regina Brett has been a newspaper columnist for fourteen years, eight of them for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where she was a finalist in 2008 and 2009 for the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary. She also hosts her own radio show, "The Sound of Ideas," on the Cleveland NPR affiliate and speaks regularly to companies and not-for-profit organizations.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• The drawing will last till June 18
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• I will post the winners here on June 19
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - garrettsambo, diamond5010, lahlstedt

ENDED Audio Book Giveaway - The Bride Collector By Ted Dekker

FBI Special agent Brad Raines is facing his toughest case yet. A Denver serial killer has killed four beautiful young women, leaving a bridal veil at each crime scene, and he's picking up his pace. Unable to crack the case, Raines appeals for help from a most unusual source: residents of the Center for Wellbeing and Intelligence, a private psychiatric institution for mentally ill individuals whose are extraordinarily gifted.

It's there that he meets Paradise, a young woman who witnessed her father murder her family and barely escaped his hand. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Paradise may also have an extrasensory gift: the ability to experience the final moments of a person's life when she touches the dead body.

In a desperate attempt to find the killer, Raines enlists Paradise's help. In an effort to win her trust, he befriends this strange young woman and begins to see in her qualities that most 'sane people' sorely lack. Gradually, he starts to question whether sanity resides outside the hospital walls...or inside.

As the Bride Collector picks up the pace-and volume-of his gruesome crucifixions, the case becomes even more personal to Raines when his friend and colleague, a beautiful young forensic psychologist, becomes the Bride Collector's next target.

The FBI believes that the killer plans to murder seven women. Can Paradise help before it's too late?

TED DEKKER is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels with a total of more than 3 million books in print. He is known for thrillers that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• The drawing will last till June 12
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• I will post the winners here on June 13
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - moldrites, chrystaljns, mizztuts

ENDED Audio Book Giveaway - Deliver Us from Evil By David Baldacci

In South America a 96-year-old man of great wealth reads a book late one night and an hour later he lies dead in his bed, the secrets of his past starkly revealed. Six months later another mystery man lies dead at the bottom of his pool in a villa in Provence. This time, however, there's a witness at the scene: Shaw, the shadowy operative from The Whole Truth, who barely escapes with his life. Meanwhile, a half a world away, photojournalist Katie James is working on a story of international importance.

David Baldacci lives with his family in Virginia. He and his wife have founded the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. He invites you to visit him at www.david-baldacci.com and his foundation at www.wishyouwellfoundation.org, and to look into its program to spread books across America at www.FeedingBodyandMind.com.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• The drawing will last till June 11
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• I will post the winners here on June 12
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - barracudaron, nfmgirl, johnnystruckwash

ENDED Audio Book Giveaway - 9th Judgement By James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

During an intimate dinner party, a cat burglar breaks into the home of A-list actor Marcus Dowling. When his wife walks in on the thief, the situation quickly teeters out of control, leaving an empty safe and a lifeless body.

The same night, a woman and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down in an abandoned garage. The killer hasn't left a shred of evidence, except for a foreboding and cryptic message: WCF, the letters written in blood-red letters.

With two elusive criminals on the loose, Detective Lindsay Boxer calls on the Women's Murder Club to help her stop them before they continue their spree. But before they can break either case, the Lipstick Killer changes his act and demands a ransom--not for a single victim, but for all of San Francisco. Lindsay puts her own life on the line--but will it be enough to save the city from this deranged killer?

James Patterson is one of the bestselling writers of all time, with more than 170 million books sold worldwide. He is the author of the top-selling detective series of the past twenty years--the Alex Cross novels, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider, both of which were made into hit movies. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the new series of #1 New York Times bestsellers featuring Detective Michael Bennett of the NYPD. He won an Edgar Award, the mystery world's highest honor, for his first novel. He lives in Florida.

James Patterson's lifelong passion for books and reading led him to launch a new Web site, ReadKiddoRead.com, which helps parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians find the very best children's books for their kids.

Maxine Paetro is a novelist and journalist. She lives with her husband in New York.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• The drawing will last till June 5
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• I will post the winners here on June 6
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower

WINNERS - countrybear52, dmkayes, motherabagail531

ENDED Audio Book Giveaway - Men and Dogs By By Katie Crouch, read by Gabra Zackman

In April of 1985, Buzz Legare went fishing. The next day all that was found was his boat and his waiting, faithful dog.

Twenty years later, his daughter Hannah still finds hope in believing, alone among her family, that he's still alive somewhere. She has a smart husband, a thriving business, a beautiful home in San Francisco-and a huge hole in her troubled heart. True to her trademark talent for self-sabotage, she finds herself one starry night climbing up the fire escape in a desperate (and drunken) attempt to win back her own husband--and failing disastrously.

Slightly worse for the wear, Hannah returns to Charleston to salve her wounds. There, old loves, unrepented crimes, and family legends are stirred up from the dust. Hannah's brother Palmer, the stoic with a secret of his own, cannot dissuade her from a manic search to uncover clues to the past, and they will both face shocking discoveries that lead them to reconcile their very different notions of loyalty and blind faith.

As she did so memorably in her bestselling debut, Girls in Trucks, Katie Crouch has created another great voice--spiky, tender, and hilarious--in the screwball heroine Hannah Legare. Much like Julia Roberts in My Best Friend's Wedding, Hannah follows the misguided impulses of a heart that's in the right place.

Katie Crouch grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and studied writing at Brown and Columbia Universities. She lives in San Francisco.

Thanks to Hachette for this giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

• One entry only - Please comment on why you want this book
• Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers - you must have a public profile and listed e-mail to find you
• Only residents of the US and Canada may enter
• Please NO PO Boxes!!!
• The drawing will last till June 4
• Random number generator will be used - 3 copies to give away
• I will post the winners here on June 5
• Winners have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected
• Extra entry - Become a follower 

WINNERS - twoofakind12, thriftycanucks, jesskaufman