One of my favorite gifts to receive are books. What can I say? I love to read. Likewise, I love to give books as holiday/birthday gifts to others, too. Even if someone isn’t a huge reader, you can always find a book they’ll appreciate. If they don’t like fiction, you can find a non-fiction title related to something they’re interested in–golf, wood-working, cooking, you name it.
Another reason I love gifting books is because it supports authors, and I especially love to buy titles by new or lesser known authors. Authors aren’t rich, ya’ll. Statistics say most make ten thousand dollars or less per year on their books. Giving books as gifts is a great way to get the titles into hands of people who may otherwise never hear about them.
For instance, last year, I gave someone my friend, Melanie Sue Bowles’ book, The Horses of Proud Spirit. This the perfect read for anyone who loves horses or even animals, in general. Melanie and her husband run an animal sanctuary, so book sales help to support their cause. (She also has The Dogs of Proud Spirit for you dog lovers out there!)
Last Christmas, I also gave another friend (Jeff South’s) book, Kilroy Was Here, as a present. It’s a hilarious young adult sci-fi (you can read an excerpt here) which pretty much anyone would enjoy. Really, this book will make you laugh. I promise.
This year, I’m giving my friend, Heather Meadows’ memoir, Transforming Tragedy, to someone (not gonna say who!) because I know this person will appreciate it. I’ve just started reading it myself, and this book is special. Heather’s an amazing person who’s dealt with hardships beyond what most of us can even imagine. She’s truly inspiring, and so is her book.
My mom likes us adult children to make an Amazon wishlist every year so she knows what to get us for Christmas. Of course, I always have books on my list! So to give you an idea of some books I’ll be reading in 2019, here are a few titles I have on my list this year:
The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn (suggested by a friend)
The Coldest Girl in Cold Town by Holly Black (I’ve heard it’s great)
See All the Stars by Kit Frick (a Pitchwars mentor and author I follow on Twitter)
YA Book Giveaway!
And now for the fun part! I happen to have an extra copy of another friend (Cindy Dorminy’s) sweet, young adult romance, Tuned Into You, so I thought I’d do a giveaway!
Here’s the Amazon blurb:
A summer party is the last place Lydia Flowers wants to be. Beer pong? Stupid, foot-wrecking shoes? Random hookups? No thanks. Lydia would rather be in her cleats practicing her bat handling skills. Enter Abe Fischer, the Nashville Teen Idol superstar. He’s a lip-syncing party animal with a short fuse; or at least that’s what the tabloids say. Except, Abe turns out to be nothing like the guy Lydia’s read about online. He’s sweet, and the way he talks to his horse…sigh. Then life throws Lydia and Abe a curveball. They are wrongfully arrested for destruction of property. Their choices? Either work on the Fischer Farm for the summer earning nothing more than blisters and a sunburn, or have the arrest go on their records, which would ruin Lydia’s shot at a softball scholarship. It’s a no-brainer. Lydia picks up a pitchfork, pulls out the SPF 40, and prepares for the worst two months of her life. When the press gets wind of a big secret Abe’s family has been keeping, things become even more complicated. Now Lydia has another choice to make
: stick around for Abe’s messed-up life in the spotlight, or go for the scholarship of her dreams.
Tuned Into You would make the perfect gift for a teenage girl or really anyone who loves contemporary young adult romance. To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is like and share this blog post on Facebook or Twitter! I’ll pick a random winner next Tuesday, December 4th (entries limited to the U.S., please).
Good Luck and happy reading this holiday season!