Saturday, September 01, 2007

And the Winners Are...

First off, a big THANKS to everyone who visited my blog and played along in the One Night in Boston trivia contest this week. I'm hoping you enjoyed getting to know some of the characters in my novel and will read on to find out what unfolds for them next!

Congratulations to the 2 big winners:

First, BethRe wins the free download of One Night in Boston. Beth, email me at allieb@allieboniface.com to confirm the details.

And second, Dru Ann wins the $50 goodie basket!! Dru, email me your snail mail address so that I can get that off to you!

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For anyone else who's still interested in winning a free download of my novel, here are two more chances for you:

1. Maya Banks at Writeminded Blog is hosting a block/blog party right now, and every day readers have a chance to win something new. I've donated a download of my novel, so you'll have to check in with her each day to see when it's up for grabs.

2. One Night in Boston is being featured at The Romance Studio's Book-a-Day Giveaway on September 8. Write down the date, and stop by then to enter the drawing. You never know...you could be the next winner!

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Have a wonderful (and safe!!) Labor Day weekend, for those of you in the States. And a happy Saturday-Sunday-Monday to those of you who aren't!

Friday, August 31, 2007

Friday's Feast

Here it is, the last day to enter the One Night in Boston contests!

Friday's Trivia Question:
Neve, Maggie's office assistant, has a secret. What is it? [Hint: You can find the answer in Chapter 3]

Email your answer to allieb@allieboniface.com, and you'll be in the running. And make sure to check back here tomorrow to find out the winners of the $50.00 goodie basket AND the free book download!

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Friday's Feast


Appetizer
Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?
Really, it depends on the subject. Either my husband, my sister, or my best friend from high school.

Soup
If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?
Easy: Rome. Who wouldn't??

Salad
What is the most exciting event you’ve ever witnessed?
Hmm...there are lots (it doesn't take much to get me excited): my niece's first steps, my students' HS graduations, my own wedding, the Boston Marathon, my favorite baseball team winning in the bottom of the 9th during playoff season...

Main Course
If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?
Probably something strange like fly around the country in a hot air balloon strewing flyers on how to be more green/environmentally conscious. I know, not nearly as exciting as giving my toddlers Coke in their bottles or crashing my Benz after a night of partying, though those stunts would be much more effective in getting press...

Dessert
What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?
Old enough to know what a life-changing decision it is, but not too old that that knowledge scares you off...

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Thursday's Trivia

OK, here we go! Only 2 days left to enter the One Night in Boston contests: if you have (or if you buy here) a copy of the book, you can answer today's trivia question and be entered to win a goodie basket full of books, gift certificates, and sweet stuff...worth more than $50! Or, if you'd like to win a free download of the book instead, just post a comment on my blog to be entered into that drawing.

Ready?

Thursday's Trivia Question:
What is Dillon Murphy's relationship to Maggie Doyle? [Hint: You can find the answer in any chapter 1-3]

Email the answer to allieb@allieboniface.com to enter the contest! Winners will be announced Saturday, September 1st.

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Mel tagged me for this meme a few days ago:

MIDDLE NAME MEME

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.

2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of their middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.

3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.

4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.

5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.


Since I write under a pen name, I'm not using my real middle name. I'm going to use the middle name that my mom and my sister share, since they're 2 of the most important women in my life. Here goes...

E - Energetic. I'd like to think that despite the calendar that's hurtling me toward middle age, I have energy levels to rival my high school students. :)

L - Literary. C'mon, I had to work that one in. I majored in English, I teach it every day, and I love to read.

I - Inquisitive. I like knowing the answers to things. Period.

Z - Yikes. OK, I'm going with zealous, with its positive connotations.

A - Amiable. I'm a pretty nice person, I think. Ask my friends.

B - Blue, as in the True Color that describes me. Actually, I'm gold too, but blue is a close second.

E - Enthusiastic...about life in general. I love my job, my second job (writing), the world outside my window...

T - Take Charge kind of personality. Yeah, that's me.

H - Happy. Most days, there's nowhere (or no one) else I'd rather be. I sort of wish more people could feel that way.

I'm not tagging anyone, so if you wanna play, just borrow the meme and let me know!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Writers' Wednesday

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Here's the Wednesday Trivia Question for my One Night in Boston contest:

Wednesday's Trivia Question:
Who is Paige Webster? [Hint: You can find the answer in Chapter 2]

Remember, email your answer to allieb@allieboniface.com to be entered into the goodie basket drawing at the end of the week! Thanks to everyone who entered yesterday...it's shaping up to be a great contest.

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Although I will usually post an author interview or a "how to" article on Wednesdays, today I'm cheating and pointing you to 2 other links (both by/about me, though...how greedy, I know) :)

My article "Using Commas Without Getting Hurt" is featured on The Long and the Short of It, if you'd like to take a gander at that (it's an adaptation of a post that appeared here a while back).

Also, my cover for One Night in Boston is being featured today on the Judge a Book by Its Cover blog, so if you're interested in finding out a little more about the cover design, take a peek.

And don't forget: if you'd like to be entered into the drawing to win a free download of One Night in Boston, post a comment!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

It's Time for Some Trivia!

OK, here we go, the first One Night in Boston trivia question. Email the correct answer to allieb@allieboniface.com, and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a goodie basket worth more than $50!! (books, GC, sweet stuff...don't you wanna play?)

Tuesday's Trivia Question:
Maggie Doyle lives in what town? [Hint: you can find the answer in Chapter 1]

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In other news, hubby and I joined some friends Sunday night and went to a fantastic concert at Bethel Woods, the outdoor stadium that was built 2 years ago on the original Woodstock site. I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed by how beautiful it is. There's an open air stadium that seats about 5000, and then a huge curving lawn area that's designed to seat another 12000 or so. And all this in the middle of farmland, with lush lawns and curving paths and a monument to the 1969 event as well. It was gorgeous. If anyone lives or visits near downstate NY, I'd definitely recommend going to a concert. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

The weather was perfect, and everyone had their lawn chairs and their blankets and their picnic dinners and was just dancing and singing along and enjoying the music and the crowd. A near-perfect evening, really.

P.S. Remember that if you want to win a free download of One Night in Boston, just leave a comment on my blog this week to be entered into the drawing. Or, if you already have your copy :) I'll give the winner his/her choice of a $5.00 MBaM gift certificate instead.

Monday, August 27, 2007

It's Here!

It's here - the grand debut of The Long and the Short of It website!!! My good friends Marianne and Judy have been working like crazy to put it all together, and I'm thrilled with the end result. Go ahead, take a visit over there, but then come right back and find out what you can win this week here on my blog...

Because, since I'm a featured author at their website this week, I'm featuring not 1 but 2 contests!

First, TODAY ONLY, you can buy my new release, One Night in Boston, at 10% off the retail price. Go to this link and enter the code OneNightinBoston0807 when you check out. Then, stop back and visit my blog each day this week for the trivia question of the day. [Yes, you need the book to answer the question. No, you don't have to have read the whole thing. I will hint liberally about where you can find the answers :)]

Email the answer each day to allieb@allieboniface.com, and if your answer is correct, you'll be entered into a drawing for a goodie basket worth more than $50.00. What's in the basket? I'll only say books (of course), a gift certificate, and something to please your sweet tooth, along with some other fun stuff. Doesn't that sound yummy?? So tune in right here, tomorrow, for the first question!

Or, if you're not in the mood to buy the book and try to win $50 worth of goodies, I'm also offering the chance to win a free download of One Night in Boston. Every time you post a comment on my blog this week, your name will be entered into the drawing. So comment away!

Both winners will be announced Saturday, September 1. Good luck!

Sunday, August 26, 2007

A Reading Meme

Stole...uh...borrowed this meme from Alice. Thanks!

What Are You Reading Meme

What are you reading right now?
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It's a fascinating, sometimes painful memoir about the author's childhood with parents who moved from town to town and spent more time drinking (him) and pursuing an art career (her) than raising their 3 kids. A good read, so far.

Do you have any idea what you’ll read when you’re done with that?
I still have 6 books on my summer TBR list: The Red Tent, What is the What, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, The Book Thief, Nineteen Minutes, and A Thousand Spendid Suns. (Has anyone read any of these? Want to make a case for which I should read next?)

What magazines do you have in your bathroom right now?
Hmm...Body and Soul, People, and my college alumni magazine. Hey, I like a variety.

What’s the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
Forced? I enjoy reading, period.

Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don’t they?
Not by name, but maybe by face...

What’s the one book you always recommend to just about everyone?
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon. It's a terrific story told from the POV of an autistic teenage boy. Great stuff.

Do you read books while you eat? While you bathe? While you watch movies or TV? While you listen to music? While you’re on the computer? While you’re having sex? While you’re driving?
While I'm having sex? Are you joking? Mostly, I read before bed. Magazines get more attention, sometimes over a meal or during a movie/TV show that doesn't really hold my interest. I wish I had more time to read...

When you were little, did other children tease you about your reading habits?
I never got teased about it, no, but all my friends and classmates knew I read fast and loved to write. And I won all the spelling bees at school, so they couldn't tease too much :)

What’s the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down?
Hmm...have to think on that one.