The Forgotten Locket Winner

I. Am. A. Bad. Blogger.

I ran a contest last week. The deadline was Saturday night. And yet, I still haven't announced a winner. *facepalm*

It's not because I don't have the follow-through, or because I don't want you all to know who wins, or even because I don't want to give away the book (cuz, I still get to keep my copy). There is a reason, and not just that I-forgot-and-I'm-so-sorry (even though, temporarily, the announcement thing obviously did slip my mind).

Did you know that google docs in the form of a spreadsheet are really hard to read on a netbook? And since my desktop is in the computer hospital, when I originally went to pick the winner, I couldn't scroll to the bottom of my spreadsheet without switching computers. That's when I got distracted and forgot.

But. I intend to rectify that issue right this minute. I have entered all the numbers into my handy-dandy random generator (scroll down on the sidebar, you'll see it) and it has drawn--of all numbers--13.

Lucky number 13, you ARE the winner of the signed copy of The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum.

cheerclapclapclapclapdancecheerscreamclapclapclap...

Wait. You don't know who that is. I bet you want to, don't you? Okay, fine. Lucky number 13 is...

Mariah O!

Congratulations! Please email me at writenichole @ gmail . com so I can get your deets today. (If I don't here from you by Thursday at 5:00 pm, I'll draw an alternate winner.)

For all the rest of my participants, thanks for playing, and better luck in my next contest (which MIGHT be tomorrow, just in case you're wondering).

Scorching June--Another Hot Release (and another giveaway!)

Okay you guys, seriously, I’m thinking June is turning into the BEST month for book releases. Or, at least it is this year. Cuz, not only is Possession coming out on the 7th, but then two days later, The Forgotten Locket, third book in The Hourglass Door series by Lisa Mangum, comes out on the 9th. Do you have any idea how EPIC this is? It’s summer reading gone wild.

 And check out this trailer.


If you haven’t read The Hourglass Door and The Golden Spiral yet, I’m shocked and ashamed. Your life is not complete. Not even a little. You should get on that. In fact, hurry and order them online, right now. I’ll wait. (Not sure what these books are about? I reviewed The Hourglass Door here and you can find another great review here.)

*twiddles thumbs* Doot ,do, do.

Okay, now that you’ve done that, let’s talk about the final book in the trilogy, The Forgotten Locket. Oh. My. Gosh. I know I’ve said it before, but Lisa Mangum is a writing genius. Not only is this story brilliantly crafted, expertly plotted, and absolutely tight—but people, it’s poetry. Pure and simple poetry.

I have a tendency to figure out what happens at the end of a book or series somewhere before midpoint of book one, but not so in this story. I never once guessed what was going to happen, so I believe bonus points are in order.

Wanna see the blurb?

The future is uncertain. The battle to control the past has begun.

The final book in the riveting Hourglass Door trilogy begins when Abby steps through the black door, and she doesn’t dare look back. Though it means leaving Dante–wounded, bleeding, and possibly blind–she knows it is the only way to save her family and stop Zo from manipulating the river of time and throwing the future into chaos. In the end, Abby must face a final confrontation that will take her to the very origins of the hourglass door.

Awesome, right? Oh believe me, it is. I just finished reading it. Yes, I know—you’re all totally jealous right now. But don’t worry. You, too, will have the opportunity to WIN a free Hardcover copy of The Forgotten Locket.

But Nichole, you say, how can that be? The book is not out yet, and no one is giving them away yet. Well. Ahem.

I am.

And YOU can enter to win. All you have to do is two things.

1. Be a Random-ish follower (See the icon in the sidebar? Just click follow and complete a few easy steps.)

2. Fill out this form, telling me what you love most about this series OR why you want to read it so badly AND why you deserve to get a free copy. (Your answers will likely be forwarded to the author, just so ya know.)



3.*Optional* Help spread the word so others can enter too. (If I hit 400 followers, I may have to find another fun prize and draw two names. And if I do draw a second name, the prize will be equally excellent. Just sayin.) So, tweet, Facebook, blog—whatever. The more entries I get, the more prizes I’ll give. I’m just nice like that.

After the deadline, I will enter everyone into a random generator and draw a name (or two, or three—depending on the number of entries). You have until midnight on Saturday, May 28 (that’s this Saturday, and mountain time) to enter.

Don't forget to fill out the contest form.

Go. Enter. Spread the word. Good luck, and happy reading!

Book Review: "The Hourglass Door" by Lisa Mangum

By Nichole Giles

I wasn’t actually asked to review this book. But I was lucky enough to get an advance readers copy, and I’d heard such good things about it that this was first on my list after the writer’s conference last month. If you’d seen the bags (yes, plural) full of books I brought home, you’d know that means a lot. I was so excited to read it.

Of course, because the writing was so engrossing, the story so well told, I read it within two days. (Two only because I was suffering from a terrible headache and couldn’t read it all in one sitting—but even suffering, I couldn’t leave it alone for long.) The story is beautiful, full of human emotion and the characters seemed very real to me.

Lisa Mangum has a way with words that make them sound poetic and lovely, and the storyline is enchanting. Seriously, I truly loved this book.

I felt a little bit sad at the end, because I didn’t want the story to be over. But, really, it isn’t. There will be a sequel, and I’m already looking forward to it, knowing it’s one I’ll snatch as soon as I can get my hands on it. (Hopefully before the release date again, because I’m dying to see what happens next!)

Here’s a taste of the cover blurb:

His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time?

Abby’s senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He’s mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she’s ever met before. Abby can’t deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

Now, the question is, can I actually wait until summer 2010 to read more? I certainly hope so. Lisa Mangum is sure to be a huge hit. Go Lisa! (And please hurry and finish the next installment—pretty please with sugar…)