Current Giveaways

Word Spelunking’s temporary hiatus is now permanent. All requests are closed and there will be no new content. Thank you to everyone I’ve worked with and everyone who has read and supported this blog. Y’all are awesome!!

Aeicha @ Word Spelunking

Monday, February 29, 2016

5th Annual March MG Madness Begins + a Giveaway


WELCOME TO THE
5TH ANNUAL MARCH MG MADNESS!

Welcome to another amazing March MG Madness, a month long celebration of all things middle-grade! I can't believe this event is 5 years old!! I have a fantabulous line-up of authors, books, posts, and giveaways for y'all...seriously, the schedule this year is spectacular!

I want to thank each author and pub participating and sponsoring giveaways...this event wouldn't be as fun and awesome without each and every one of you! And a big thank you to YOU, yes YOU, all you splendiferous readers!

The fun officially begins on March 1st, and each day in March will be filled with at least one March MG Madness post. Plus, there are a TON of great giveaways! Some giveaways are author/pub run, some are run by me, and many are open worldwide...so be sure to read the rules of each giveaway carefully. And there's a giveaway below for a box of middle-grade books, that will run all month long.

Here's the event schedule, which will be updated each day with links:

3/31 Closing Post


WIN A BOX OF MIDDLE-GRADE BOOKS!
I'm giving away a box stuffed with middle-grade books (arcs, paperbacks, hardcovers). There will be at least 10 books in the box, with many of the titles featured in this event.
(open US only, 3/1 - 4/3)
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Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Hop Into Easter Blog Tour from Put Me In The Story


I'm so thrilled to have the Hop Into Easter Blog Tour stopping by today...

Hippity hoppity Easter’s on its way! Put Me In The Story has some great personalized books for Easter to place in your little one’s basket this year!

Hop Into Easter! Personalized Books for Every Basket

$29.99 personalized book

There’s only one rule in Larry’s book–don’t push the button. (Seriously, don’t even think about it!)
Even if it does look kinda nice, you must never press the button. Who knows what would happen?

Okay, quick. No one is looking... press the button.

Uh, oh.

Larry is a lovable monster, if a bit too curious for his own good. And now, you can join in on his fun adventure!
In the personalized version of this interactive story, your child will discover all the surprises around that big red button. Read, play, and laugh along while your little one investigates just how BIG one little push can be!

$29.99 personalized book

This Easter, take your little one on an “eggs-traordinary” egg-hiding adventure around the world!

As fun and festive as an egg hunt, An Easter Surprise gives your child the chance to plan his or her very own Easter mission! Soaring as high as the moon in a hot air balloon, delivering eggs all over town, and stashing tasty treats all down the streets, your little one will be thrilled at the surprise twist in this Easter adventure!

Make Easter morning extra magical! Personalize this exciting Easter storybook with your child’s name and hometown, along with a special message and photo on the dedication page. A sweet Easter surprise your little one will cherish long after the holiday is over!

$29.99 personalized book

The perfect Easter treat to add to your little “honey bunny’s” basket! I Love You Honey Bunny by Sandra Magsamen is a fun and heartfelt story to remind your little one just how much you love and cherish them. Cuddle up close and enjoy something sweet together!

Celebrate your child by letting them know how they fill the world with love! Personalize this book with your honey bunny’s name, photo, and sweet message on the dedication page. You will also have the option to customize the pronoun in this book to become “I” or “We” Love You, Honey Bunny. A darling tale with a loving message that will stay with your little one forever!



Find more personalized gifts for Easter here

For Easter Delivery from Put Me In The Story…
·         Order USPS/Media Mail by March 9, 2016
·         Order UPS ground by March 14, 2016
·         Order 2nd Day Air by March 17, 2016
·         Order Overnight Shipping by March 21, 2016

Connect with Put Me In The Story:



Put Me In The Story was kind enough to send me a personalized copy of their Easter Surprise title, which I had made for my niece, Aeicha, and both Little A and I absolutely love this adorable and bright book!

In Easter Surprise, your little bunny becomes the Easter Bunny and goes on an 
egg-cellent adventure the night before Easter, delivering and hiding cute eggs all over the world! Told through charming, whimsical rhymes, Easter Surprise flows beautifully and little readers will be captivated by the fun and addicting adventure. Your little reader's furry counterpart stops by to leave eggs in many familiar places your little one will recognize, like the library, park, and even their own house.  

The engaging and sweet illustrations are done in vibrant, eye-catching colors and perfectly capture all the excitement and fun your little Easter Bunny is having. And best of all, your little reader will have a blast finding all the hidden eggs sprinkled throughout the pages.

There's a reason why Put Me In The Story's personalized books have become mine and my niece's favorite: they're simply the best! Put Me In The Story goes that extra mile to make sure each and every book feels truly special and one of a kind, from including your child's name, photo, familiar places and people, etc throughout each personalized book. I love seeing my niece's face light up each time see recognizes her name and sees her face in her books. And this one of a kind experience does wonders for encouraging little readers to become lifelong readers.

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review


Enter Put Me In The Story’s giveaway for a chance to win a personalized 
Easter Book Bundle!
Giveaway ends 3/10/2016 at 11:59pm CST
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Monday, February 8, 2016

Flunked Paperback Release Spotlight Tour {excerpt and giveaway}


I'm thrilled to help celebrate the paperback release of Flunked...


Flunked
(Fairy Tale Reform School #1)
by Jen Calonita
February 2, 2016
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Would you send a villain to do a hero’s job?
Flunked is an exciting new twisted fairy tale from the award-winning author of the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series.
Gilly wouldn’t call herself wicked, exactly…but when you have five little brothers and sisters and live in a run-down boot, you have to get creative to make ends meet. Gilly’s a pretty good thief (if she does say so herself).
Until she gets caught.
Gilly’s sentenced to three months at Fairy Tale Reform School where all of the teachers are former (super-scary) villains like the Big Bad Wolf, the Evil Queen, and Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother. Harsh. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there’s more to this school than its heroic mission. There’s a battle brewing and Gilly has to wonder: can a villain really change?


Praise for Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School
“Spellbinding and wickedly clever.” –Leslie Margolis, author of the Annabelle Unleashed novels and the Maggie Brooklyn mysteries
“A fresh and funny take on the enchanted world. (And, who hasn’t always wanted to know what happened to Cinderella’s stepmother?)” –Julia DeVillers, author of the Trading Faces series and Emma Emmets, Playground Matchmaker
“Charming fairy-tale fun.” –Sarah Mlynowski, author of the Whatever After series
“Fairy tale fans will love this clever and lively tale of magic, friendship, and courage.” –Discovery Girls Magazine
“Gilly’s plucky spirit and determination to oust the culprit will make Flunked a popular choice for tweens” –School Library Journal
“Calonita blithely samples from fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and folklore in this lighthearted first book in the Fairy Tale Reform School series.” –Publishers Weekly
“There’s much to amuse and entertain fans of classic tales with a twist.” –Booklist

Excerpt from Flunked Fairy Tale Reform School

There’s a boy up there, standing on the crystal chandelier! He has slightly curly blond hair and is wearing a uniform—­a navy sweater vest over a white shirt with khaki pants—­but his boots are muddy. He’s stepping on priceless crystals with cruddy boots? Is he insane?

“Jax! What are you doing up there?” Kayla whispers heatedly.

“I’m cleaning the crystal for Flora,” Jax says and rolls his eyes. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m making a break for it.”

Kayla applauds. “Yay! This time I know you can do it.”

I shade my eyes from the light bursting through the stained-­glass window next to the chandelier Jax is perched on. “Busting out? Why?” I ask Kayla. “I thought you said this place was cool.”
Jax laughs loudly and looks at me. I feel slightly stunned. I’ve never seen violet eyes before. “FTRS was fun for a while, but strange things have started happening and I don’t want to be here when something bad goes down.”

Strange things? What kind of strange things? Why does Kayla suddenly look pale?

“He’s exaggerating,” Kayla tells me, but she doesn’t sound convincing.

Drip. Whatever Jax is holding is leaking. Kayla and I move out of the way so we don’t get wet. “Grease,” Jax explains to me. “It lubes the window.” He swings the chandelier, and as it nears the window, he uses a fork to try to pry the window open. “A few more tries and I’ll have it.”
“Then what are you going to do, genius?” I ask. “You’re two stories up.”

Jax’s eyes gleam. “I’ve jumped from higher spots before.”

“It’s true,” Kayla says to me. “Jax once jumped from the gym to the dining hall turret. That was three stories up. We call him the Escape Artist. One time he even managed to break into Azalea and Dahlia’s rooms and borrowed their keys to the indoor pool so the whole dorm could take a midnight swim.”

“Impressive,” I tell him. “And I thought I was good at tricking obnoxious royals.”

“She stole a dragon’s tooth clip from one this morning,” Kayla fills him in.

“Nice,” Jax says. “Your first pull?”

“No, I’ve been doing it for a while,” I brag.

“Me too,” Jax says. “My father is a farmer. You can only get so far trading vegetables. I needed to kick things up a notch.”
For some reason, I don’t think any of us are going to make the transformation Headmistress Flora is looking for. “Why do you want to break out so bad?”

“I’ve got places to see, and Enchantasia isn’t one of them.” Jax swings the chandelier so hard the crystals clang together. The window latch pops open, and I watch Jax leap from the chandelier to the tiny window ledge. I’m in awe. Jax looks down at us smugly before pushing open the window. “Are you sure you two don’t want to join me?”

“There’s no time for us,” Kayla says. “Get out of here. Wait!” Her eyes widen. “You deactivated the alarm on the window, right?”

“There isn’t one,” Jax insists. “If there was, I wouldn’t be able to do this.” But when Jax lifts the window, we hear:

EEEEEE! EEEE! EEEE! Unauthorized exit! Unauthorized exit!

The shrieking sound is so intense that Kayla and I cover our ears. Within seconds, Flora is out of her office and running toward us.

Swoosh!

I feel something brush past me and I whirl around. When I look up at Jax again, a large, muscular man with a long mane of hair is hanging on to the window ledge, his furry hands pulling Jax back by his shirt. How did the man get up there without a ladder?

“Mr. Jax,” the man says in a low growl, “we really must stop meeting like this.”

ALSO BY JEN CALONITA
Charmed (Fairy Tale Reform School #2)
Available March 1, 2016
Charmed is the exciting sequel to the wildly popular Flunked -- second in the brand new Fairy Tale Reform School series where the teachers are (former) villains. "Charming fairy-tale fun." -Sarah Mlynowski, author of the New York Times bestselling Whatever After series.
It takes a (mostly) reformed thief to catch a spy. Which is why Gilly Cobbler, Enchantasia’s most notorious pickpocket, volunteers to stay locked up at Fairy Tale Reform School…indefinitely. Gilly and her friends may have defeated the Evil Queen and become reluctant heroes, but the battle for Enchantasia has just begun.
Alva, aka The Wicked One who cursed Sleeping Beauty, has declared war on the Princesses, and she wants the students of Fairy Tale Reform School to join her.  As her criminal classmates give in to temptation, Gilly goes undercover as a Royal Lady in Waiting (don’t laugh) to unmask a spy…before the mole can hand Alva the keys to the kingdom.
Her parents think Gilly the Hero is completely reformed, but sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. Sometimes it’s good to be bad…


Jen Calonita is the author of the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series and other books like Sleepaway Girls and Summer State of Mind, but Fairy Tale Reform School is her first middle-grade series. She rules Long Island, New York, with her husband Mike, princes Tyler and Dylan, and Chihuahua Captain Jack Sparrow, but the only castle she’d ever want to live in is Cinderella’s at Disney World. She’d love for you to visit her at jencalonitaonline.com and keep the fairy-tale fun going at happilyeverafterscrolls.net 




Win a Fairy Tale Princess Book Pack!
ends 2/29, US/CAN only


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find Me Book Blast {excerpt and giveaway}


ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: FIND ME
Series: Candy Hearts Romance
Author: Cait Jarrod
Pub Date: 2/3/16
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Pages: 71 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance

In Heather Ridge, Virginia, myth has it the lucky recipients of the two FIND ME candy hearts distributed each year are soul mates. 

Too afraid of seeing her one-time trusted friend, good-hearted Lyse Haynes refuses to go to her high school class reunion. But when she receives a second invitation containing the elusive candy heart, she takes an overdue vacation to pursue the dream of finally finding her soul mate. 

Ice cream creator Cooper Schmidt plans to take his product nationwide. His marketing team proposes the perfect destination for his next store. Unfortunately, it belongs to the father of the woman he’s harbored feelings for since high school. He uses her belief in myths and mails her the candy heart to entice her to Heather Ridge, in hopes she will convince her father to sell. 

There’s just one problem. After ten years, his old feelings tumble forward, stronger than ever, and Lyse has a decision to make—discover who has the candy heart companion or follow her heart.

BOOK LINKS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author of award-winning romantic suspense Band of Friends series, Cait Jarrod won Reader Choice Awards for best HEA (Happily Ever After), suspense, and Editor's Choice.

Her heroes have been described as "every girl's dreams," the heroines as "strong, down-to-earth, and likable," the secondary characters "hysterical." The plots are "fast-paced, unpredictable and clever."


AUTHOR LINKS

EXCERPT FROM FIND ME

In slow motion, she recognized what he would do. What she saw and what her mind perceived didn’t connect. His arms opened and wrapped around her. The “you’re crashing” vibe rushed forward in the form of a solid hard body and muscular arms. The embrace removed her anger, eradicated how upset she was with him, and eliminated the shock, just as it had done as a teen, just as he’d done when she was ten trapped in the room searching for her kitty. He soothed her. All the bad disappeared and vanished like a puff of smoke. At least her heart said so, and she allowed it a few moments of bliss, of forgiveness before she remembered her major organ didn’t rule anymore, her mind did.

She had one mission in Heather Ridge, nothing more, to find and meet her soul mate. Okay, yeah, that sounded crazy and didn’t make sense, but the FIND ME candy myth she could believe in, even understand, but not this. Not her arms gripping Coop tighter, not her face burying into his neck smelling his scent that made her eyes roll back into her head.

Hell’s bells, why did her body love pursuing him? Something ripped open inside her, like happiness, comfort, and fulfillment, though she couldn’t put a finger on exactly what. Whatever the feeling, it caused her to soak his shirt with her tears.

If she’d let herself admit the truth, she would confess she missed his touch more than she’d ever missed anything.

His body trembled. Having a quick hug was one thing, but crying over lost time she couldn’t handle. See, her heart didn’t rule. She eased away and wiped a hand under her nose.

Damn him, he didn’t let go. He slid a finger across her cheek. “My God, I’ve missed you.”

This close, she witnessed the compassion in his whiskey eyes reinforcing the tone of his sweet voice. If she’d seen them as a teen when he’d gently spoken, she would have melted, like she wanted to right now. Which she couldn’t do. “I’m mad at you.” He dropped his hand to his side, and she whimpered.

GIVEAWAY
Giveaway is for 4 ebook copies of FIND ME
Open to anyone who can receive and read ebooks
Ends 2/15
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