This morning two technicians from Aliant swung by and set us up with a new modem – and now we are back online. But having the bit of downtime made me realize I was being a bit unrealistic, expecting to blog regularly while on holidays. I will definitely keep blogging, but won’t stress myself about missing a day here or there.

Much as I love Twitter, I suspect I’ll also be mostly absent from the Twitterverse while on holidays (I admit, IF my new-to-me BlackBerry hadn’t died on me, and IF we had cell reception here, I’d probably be tweeting regularly …)

The Strain

I read the The Strain, by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan yesterday – I started it in the afternoon and found I couldn’t put it down. I finished it last night before going to bed. It was such a good read, and yes, I can definitely see it as a movie.

It’s got such a lovely mix of ingredients: science, vampires, zombies, evil mastermind plot, rag tag band of heroes … the kind of thriller I like to read. I know it’s billed as a horror, but it felt more to me like an action-packed thriller that just happens to have zombies/vampires in it. You definitely want to clear a chunk of time for it, because it is an extremely exciting read and if you’re like me, you’ll find it hard to tear yourself away for mundane things like dinner.

On Writing

I won’t be working on NANTUCKET while I’m away – most of my files are on my desktop, and I think I’m in need of a break from it anyway. Instead, I have this dream that I might actually finish HARPER. I need to rewrite it from the beginning anyway, since I’m changing the tense of the sections that are in first person narrative. I’m aiming for 60,000 pages, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that I might actually be able to write 6,000 words a day …

I won’t stress out about it, but I’m definitely going to write every day, so keep your fingers crossed for me and HARPER!

The Touristy Stuff

The sun is fighting a battle with the clouds right now – it’s likely to be cloudy and rainy for much of the time we’re here, although we knew that when we booked our holidays. But it’s more warm than not, and since we just lived through a heat wave in Toronto with a broken air conditioner, the weather actually feels rather perfect to me. Spring and fall are my two favorite seasons, and it definitely feels spring-like.

I’ll post more pictures later – I’m just lazing around right now, having my coffee and enjoying being online.

We arrived yesterday at the beach house we rented in Nova Scotia – we are on the South Shore, right on the scenic Lighthouse Route. The house is beautiful – there’s a screened in veranda so we can sit outside at any time and not worry about bugs. We’re about 100 metres from the ocean (my husband tells me that’s about 300 feet), so the beach is just a short walk away.

The only glitch to our holiday? We’re supposed to have high-speed Internet access. The beach house has a router with a DSL connection but that beautiful little light on the router marked Internet? It flashes on and off.

So I’ll only be able to post sporadically instead of regularly as I’d hoped. I blog using Windows Live Writer, so I’ll keep writing my posts and saving them as drafts, and then when we go into the nearby small town for provisions, I’ll be able to upload my posts (with thanks to our USB modem – unfortunately, our location is so remote we don’t have cell phone access either).

My brand new hand-me-down BlackBerry (my sister got a new one so she gave me her old BlackBerry Curve 8310) also died (the Universe is telling me, I think, that it’s time for a break from everything online – what do you think?); in the few days I’ve had it, I’ve come to really like it, so I will miss being able to access my emails and Twitter as we’re driving about!

As to what to do about three teenagers who had been promised their MSN and Xbox Live abilities during the two weeks we’re away (they’re not particularly outdoorsy kids …), thank goodness the girls have their camcorder, my son has Sims 3 on his laptop, there’s a gorgeous ocean and beach in front of us, fresh seafood galore and satellite radio and TV, and we brought a ton of board games for family fun.

Currently Reading

During our nineteen hour drive (which we split over two days), I finished Mad Mouse and Whack-a-Mole by Chris Grabenstein on audio. I get motion sickness if I read in the car, so the audiobooks are perfect.

Today is our first full day, and the weather is cool and foggy, so it’s a perfect setting for reading The Strain! I am very glad I packed so many books – over the next two weeks I expect to be able to get through a lot of them. We will do a little bit of sightseeing, but mostly we are here for rest and relaxation, which to me always means tons of reading.

Pictures

I haven’t had much time to take pictures – it’s cloudy and chilly outside right now and we arrived late in the evening last night; here are some shots of the view from the veranda (you’ll be seeing the view through the mesh):

Ocean View

The Side Yard

Posting Schedule

I should be able to upload posts every few days; I will definitely miss being able to check out everyone’s blogs, though – not to mention Twitter.

And of course, there’s always the possibility that Internet access will be fixed!

I’ve finally pared down my vacation reading list – room is limited, unfortunately, so I had to be very selective. Here’s what I’ll be taking with me on holidays.

Print books:

Audiobooks:

Ebooks:

I’m probably not going to be able to read all of these books, but I figure I’ll have something for nearly every reading mood that strikes me.

What’s on your reading list this summer?

I got tagged last week by J. Kaye for the What’s On My Desk Wednesday meme. My heart kind of sank because the state of my desk when I got tagged was really really dismal. (I actually had to move a stack of books in order to see the little date thing in the bottom right hand corner of my monitor. It’s better now, but no worries – I didn’t cheat. I took my pic on the day I got tagged. And it’s not a picture of my desk, either.)

I realized there was a loophole (can you guess what my post-graduate degree is in?) - here are the rules, from Sassy Brit’s blog (I added the bolding to highlight the nice little loophole):

Grab a camera and take a photo of your desk! Or anywhere you stack your books/TBR pile. And no tidying!

Add this photo to your blog.

Tag at least 5 people!

Come back here and leave a link back to your photo in the comments section.

That’s it.

Since I have several TBR piles on the go all around the house, I realized I was saved. I could still play and NOT take a picture of my extremely messy desk.

In the interests of full disclosure (ah, another hint about the life I was supposed to lead), I do admit that I took something like 30 different shots of this TBR pile before picking this one as being the tidiest looking one:

This is a picture of the TBR stack that resides on the floor to the left of my desk. In case you’re wondering, the two separate piles of papers are work-related manuscript proofs. There’s also a box of file folders in there. Behind the two stacks on the right hand side is another shelf stuffed with more TBRs. The box that you see in the lower right front corner is from Harlequin – I’ve decided to give romance a try (mainly because of this blog), but haven’t gotten around to opening the box yet.

In the shelf above the two stacks on the right hand side is my shelf of notebooks. Yes, in addition to being a book-aholic, I’m also a notebook junkie. I admit it.

Embarrassing, isn’t it? But nowhere near as embarrassing as my desk!

I hereby tag the following bloggers – these are the bloggers whose desks/TBR piles I’d love a glimpse of!

Diane at The Book Resort. Diane is my cozy mystery guru, and she reads and reviews so many books, I’m dying to see what her TBR piles look like (and maybe catch a glimpse of some upcoming reviews).

CarrieK at Books and Movies. Carrie’s “book lists” are really impressive - she has excellent taste in books and I trust her recommendations absolutely, another good reason to catch a glimpse of her TBR pile.

Debbie at Debbie’s World of Books. Debbie has such a wonderful style in her book reviews, and offers an eclectic mix of reviews. A sneak peak at what’s coming up next would be wonderful.

Joanne at The Book Zombie. Joanne has done more than her fair share in terms of adding to my list of books to search out; I have several graphic novels that I’m trying to pin down and get a hold of because of her excellent reviews. I figured, it’s payback time.

Rebecca at I’m Lost In Books. I love reading Rebecca’s blog because she has such a wonderfully eclectic taste, and I’m sure to find something interesting every single time I visit her blog. It all adds up to one thing: I really want to see your TBR pile, Rebecca!

and (I know this is a little strange) Dennis Denis, husband of Cathy of Kittling Books.

I don’t know if this kind of thing is actually allowed within the parameters of the rules, since Dennis Denis isn’t a blogger, but I thought I’d give it a shot. Dennis Denis, you are free to decline! But Cathy’s husband is definitely a reader (Don’t you think Cathy is so lucky? My husband cooks, but he doesn’t read. Even more impressive, Cathy’s husband likes Deborah Crombie’s books. And I won’t even mention the netbook he recently surprised her with) and most importantly, Cathy and I recently had a Twitter conversation about messy desks; she says her husband’s has to be the messiest of all time, but I personally think my desk has his beat. (I would tag Cathy, but she was actually tagged in the same round as I was … that’s my excuse, anyway.)

Today’s word count: 857 words

NANTUCKET total word count: 61,731 words

HARPER total word count: 5,435 words

I’m going to slow down a bit for the next little while. I’m really enjoying getting ready for my vacation, and I plan to write a lot while I’m away. But in the meantime I’m going to write something every day, but I’m not focusing on meeting my word count. I just want to stick with this writing every day habit, not let it slip away just because I’m experiencing a change in routine.

So I’m considering my writing goal met as long as I do sit down and write something. Maybe not 2000 words, no, but something.

Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow of your life …

Yesterday’s word count: 0

NANTUCKET total word count:  60,874

HARPER total word count: 5,435 words

I didn’t make my writing goal yesterday; I didn’t even attempt it. At 1:30 am I was still working on my deadline, and the choice was there: keep plugging away and be free and clear for the next three days, or put the assignment away and write. I decided it would be better all around for me and my stress levels to have three days to clean the house for the housesitter (now I understand those of you who clean your house in preparation for your cleaning person) and get ready and packed for our road trip.

********************************

So I’ve been wondering – whether you like to write or just like to read books, do you keep a journal?

Journaling is something I’ve never been able to do consistently. But with my recent success at writing my novel every day (well, nearly everyday), I’ve been thinking about giving journaling a try again.

Sometimes I think it would be lovely to have notebooks all lined up on a shelf in chronological order, documenting my life through the ages. On the other hand, I know this would never work for me. I have a wonderful life, but let’s face it: it’s kind of boring.

Where the real excitement happens is in my mind. I always have lots going on in there. I think that’s why I had such success writing Morning Pages, the exercise in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I wrote Morning Pages every day for eight years. The reason why this was so successful for me was because you’re not supposed to read your Morning Pages, ever: it’s just a brain dump.

From there I moved on to what I called my “spiritual” journal. This was a couple of years ago, and I only kept it for about two months, but I have gone back and re-read this journal several times and it always gives me a lift.

So I’ve decided to begin a journal that will be all about whatever happens to be going on in my mind. I’m going to commit to writing in it every morning, because that’s what I did with my Morning Pages and getting things off my mind was a huge help to my day. But unlike Morning Pages, I want to go back and re-read this journal, so it will be more like my spiritual journal.

And what perfect timing – I ordered some Moleskin journals over the weekend. They arrived today!

What about you? Do you keep a journal? Do you record the events of your life in it, your thoughts, or a combination of both? How long have you been keeping a journal. Do you have any tips for me, on how to become a dedicated journal writer?

Incoming! is a feature at Ms. Bookish that chronicles new books that have arrived in the Ms. Bookish household. Here’s one of the latest new arrivals:

Excuses Begone!, by Wayne Dyer

About the Book:

Within the pages of this transformational book, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer reveals how to change the self-defeating thinking patterns that have prevented you from living at the highest levels of success, happiness, and health. Even though you may know what to think, actually changing those thinking habits that have been with you since childhood might be somewhat challenging.

If I changed, it would create family dramas … I’m too old or too young … I’m far too busy and tired … I can’t afford the things I truly want … It would be very difficult for me to do anything differently … and I’ve always been this way … may all seem to be true, but they’re in fact just excuses. So the business of modifying habituated thinking patterns really comes down to tossing out the same tired old excuses and examining your beliefs in a new and truthful light.

In this groundbreaking work, Wayne presents a compendium of conscious and subconscious crutches employed by virtually everyone, along with ways to cast them aside once and for all. You’ll learn to apply specific questions to any excuse, and then proceed through the steps of a new paradigm. The old, habituated ways of thinking will melt away as you experience the absurdity of hanging on to them.

You’ll ultimately realize that there are no excuses worth defending, ever, even if they’ve always been part of your life – and the joy of releasing them will resonate throughout your very being. When you eliminate the need to explain your shortcomings or failures, you’ll awaken to the life of your dreams.

First line: It’s been said that old habits die hard, implying that it’s next to impossible to change long-standing thought patterns. Yet the book you hold in your hands was created out of a belief that entrenched ways of thinking and acting can indeed be eradicated.

Where I got this book: Bought this at Costco

Why this book?

I believe that our lives are shaped by our beliefs. My life is a reflection of whoever it is I believe I am, and that’s a choice I’m always making, whether I know it or not, in every second of every moment of every day.

It’s been a while since I’ve picked up any of Dyer’s books, but when I saw this one, I decided to get it. Just knowing you have a belief you don’t want doesn’t guarantee that you can let go of it and go on to one you do want. So I’m very interested in reading what Dyer has to say about how to go about releasing an old, unwanted belief, and adopting a belief you really do want to have.

Related Links and other Fun Stuff

Where to buy Excuses Begone!: U.S. (Amazon.com) | IndieBound | Canada (Chapters) | UK (Amazon.co.uk)

Today’s word count: 2,278 words

NANTUCKET total word count:  60,874

HARPER total word count: 5,435 words (but I’m almost ready to start back on it)

Today the writing went much more smoothly. I also started a little bit earlier than I normally do, and I think that helped, too.

And today, I’m also getting a much clearer sense that I’m slowly building this novel scene by scene. I even think in terms of scenes, individual sections moving things forward, little by little.

Yesterday, when I was so tired and wrote so little, I stopped in the middle of a scene – but I think that was the first time I’ve done that. I normally stop when I’m finished a scene. Or, if there’s time, and I feel up to it, I begin another scene – but I won’t if I feel like I won’t complete it in that sitting.

How do you build your novel? Do you write scene by scene, chapter by chapter, or paragraph by paragraph? How do you pick the moment to stop writing?

The past two days definitely flew by. I didn’t accomplish everything on my Bloggiesta list, but then again, with a couple of deadlines hanging over me (one down, one to go!) I didn’t really expect to.

I found that just making my Bloggiesta to-do list was helpful, and I will likely be making my way through the list for the rest of this week, getting everything ready for when I leave for vacation!

So here’s my list – I’ve crossed off the things I did manage to get done:

• write and schedule as many Incoming! new book arrival posts as possible.
• update my writing blogs links page. It is woefully behind, in comparison to the book blogs one.
• figure out how to copy all of my existing blogging templates from my desktop to my netbook (this one is very very important)
• create master printed list of usernames and passwords for handy reference while I’m away
• begin compiling my Sunday giveaways post before tomorrow night (I’ve been falling into the dreadful habit of doing it all last minute, and it can take me three or four hours!)
• upgrade existing plugins
• upload and activate new plugins

I also did some template tweaking that I hadn’t contemplated: I added gravatars to the comments section. And I now have threaded comments! I’m pretty thrilled about that one.

I also completed the following mini-challenges:

The Book Lady’s Blog: Clean up your feedreader

Fizzy Thought’s challenge: Go forth and comment!

And I did one that I hadn’t thought I’d have time for: Ruth from Bookish Ruth - You’re going to analyze what? My score? 97/100. I was pretty happy with that.

As you can see, I’ve been quite the Bloggiesta slacker compared to a lot of you. I kept up with everyone’s tweets through #bloggiesta and many of the participants were up to some awesome stuff. Debbie from Debbie’s World of Books and Diane of The Book Resort both put up brand new templates (and Debbie actually switched over to her own domain!)

Natasha (MawBooks) has The Bloggiesta: Finish Line post up, so you can check out how (and what!) everyone did over the past 48 hours.

Welcome to the Big List of Book Giveaways, which I post every Sunday in conjunction with The Sunday Salon.

As always, the giveaways are sorted into genres so that you can see what giveaways correspond to your reading interests. I have included eligibility restrictions, if I see any - sometimes I miss them though, so make sure when entering a giveaway that any restrictions stated won’t rule out your entry.

There’s also a chance to win a Sony E-reader – it’s listed in the Miscellaneous Book-Related section at the end of this post. Not all the giveaways are limited to US and Canada; there are a handful of international ones this week, too.

If you’re on Twitter, I’d love it if you could help spread the word by tweeting about this giveaways list post. There’s a little “TwitThis” button at the end of this post which hopefully should do the trick. Or you could just copy and paste the following:

RT @msbookish Big List of Book Giveaways: http://msbookish.com/big-book-giveaways-list-jun21

This list is not a comprehensive list, so if I’ve missed your giveaway, please feel free to add it in the comments section. This giveaways round-up post is a regular feature here at MsBookish so if you’re holding a book giveaway, let me know and I’ll include your giveaway in my next giveaways round-up post. Thank you to everyone who emailed me details about their giveaways – it is always very much appreciated!

Note: all links open up in a new tab or window, depending on your browser.

FICTION GIVEAWAYS

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

The Night Gardener, by George Pelecanos, at Starting Fresh (ends June 30, US and Canada)

The Last Child, by John Hart, at Rhapsody In Books (ends June 30, US and Canada)

One Scream Away, by Kate Brady, at Book Reviews by Bobbie (ends July 13, US and Canada)

The Cemetery Dance (audiobook), by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, at J. Kaye’s Book Blog (ends June 27, US and Canada)

Dixie Divas, by Virginia Brown, at J. Kaye’s Book Blog (ends June 26, US and Canada)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson, at Bluestalking (ends June 24)

Fantasy/SF/Paranormal

Dust and Moonlight (ebook), by Keta Diablo, at J. Kaye’s Book Blog (ends June 26)

Prey, by Rachel Vincent, plus the necklace Faythe wears on the cover, at Rachel Vincent (ends June 23, worldwide)

An autographed novel off of Shiloh Walker’s backlist, at Literary Escapism (ends June 23, worldwide)

My Forbidden Desire, by Carolyn Jewel, at Book Reviews by Bobbie (ends July 20, US and Canada)

Choice from selection of five books, at Libri Touches (ends June 21 – today!, worldwide)

The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns, by Elizabeth Leiknes, at A Reader’s Respite (ends June 28, worldwide)

Bloody Good, by Georgia Evans, at Popin’s Lair (ends June 30, US and Canada)

The Host, by Stephenie Meyer, at Hey Lady! (ends June 30, US and Canada)

The latest book from the Alien Huntress series, by Gena Showalter, at Anna’s Book Blog (ends June 30)

The Host, by Stephenie Meyer, at A Circle of Books (ends June 27, US and Canada)

Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson, at Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin’ News & Reviews (ends July 3, worldwide)

Chick Lit/Romance/Romantic Suspense

One Deadly Sin, by Annie Solomon, at Chick With Books (ends June 28, US and Canada)

Wicked Burn, by Beth Kery or Wicked Ties by Shayla Black, at Beth Kery (ends June 23)Mating Rituals of the North American WASP, by Lauren Lipton, at Melissa C. Morris (ends June 26, US and Canada)

How to Score, by Robin Wells, at My Guilty Pleasures (ends July 9, US and Canada)

SISTERCHICKS in Wooden Shoes, by Robin Jones Gunn, at I’m Losing It (ends June 30, continental US)

Historical/Historical Romance/Western

Knight of Desire, by Margaret Mallory, at Book Reviews by Bobbie (ends July 6, US and Canada)

The Texicans, by Nina Vida, at Book Reviews by Bobbie (ends July 20, US and Canada)

Knight of Desire, by Margaret Mallory, at Books and Needlepoint (ends July 10, US and Canada)

YA

Airhead, by Meg Cabot, at Black-eyed Susan (ends June 25, US only)

David Inside Out, by Lee Bantle, at Shooting Stars Mag (ends June 29, US and Canada)

The New Kid, by Temple Mathews, at Teen Libris (ends June 30, US and Canada)

Geektastic, edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci, at Presenting Lenore (ends June 30, worldwide)

Giving Up the V, by Serena Robar, at Today I Read (ends June 30, US and Canada)

The Impostor’s Daughter, by Laurie Sandell, at Eclectic Book Hoarder (ends June 30, US and Canada)

Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick, at Simon and Schuster (ends June 30, US only) – and Steph at Reviewer X has a great review of this one (it’s on my wish list, but this Simon & Schuster’s contest is US only, unfortunately)

TMI, by Sarah Quigley, at Pop Culture Junkie (ends July 6, US only)

Suite Scarlett, by Maureen Johnson, at The Compulsive Reader (ends July 9)

Rampant, by Diana Peterfreund, at Sharon Loves Books and Cats (ends July 1, worldwide)

Nikki’s purses book gift pack, including The Demon’s Lexicon, by Sarah Rees Brennan, at Reviewer X (ends June 23, US only)

Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr, at Linus’s Blanket (ends June 29, worldwide)

Destroy All Cars, by Blake Nelson, at J. Kaye’s Book Blog (ends July 25, US and Canada)

The Impostor’s Daughter, by Laurie Sandell, at At Home With Books (ends July 6, US and Canada)

Bad Girls Don’t Die, by Katie Alender, and a signed bookplate and patchwork coaster (BGDD colors) & something extra made by Katie Alender, at Fantastic Book Review (ends June 27, US only)

Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead, at Debbie’s World of Books (ends July 7, US only)

Shooting Stars Mag is also hosting a YA Book Carnival - giveaway hosts (YA books only) can leave their link with Mr. Linky, while the rest of us can have a great time entering the giveaways!

Children’s Fiction

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowlings, at Write for a Reader (ends July 6, US only)

Dork Diaries: Tales from a NOT-SO Fabulous Life , by Rachel Renee Russell, at Red Lady’s Reading Room (ends June 30, US only)

Brimful of Curiosity has a list of kids’ book giveaways here.

All Other Fiction

Stand the Storm, by Breena Clarke, at Chick With Books (ends June 27, US and Canada)

Stand the Storm, by Breena Clarke, at A Circle of Books (ends June 26, US and Canada)

Into the Beautiful North, by Luis Alberto Urrea, at Bermudaonion (ends June 29, worldwide)

Dune Road and The Beach House, by Jane Green, at S. Krishna’s Books (ends June 28, US only)

The Painter From Shanghai, by Jennifer Cody Epstein, at Peeking Between the Pages (ends July 5, worldwide)

Hedge Fund Wives, by Tatiana Boncompagni, at Julie’s Jewels (ends June 24)

NONFICTION GIVEAWAYS

Memoir/Biography

Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, by Julie Powell, at Eclectic Book Hoarder (ends June 30, US and Canada)

The Sitting Swing, by Irene Watson, at The Writer’s Life (ends August 1)

Losing Mum and Pup (audiobook), by Christopher Buckley, at J. Kaye’s Book Blog (ends June 26, US and Canada)

The Blue Cotton Gown: A Midwife’s Memoir, by Patricia Harman, at Frugal Freebies (ends July 3, US and Canada)

Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, by Julie Powell, at At Home With Books (ends June 29, US and Canada)

The Education of an American Dreamer, by Peter G. Peterson, at Readaholic (ends July 1, US and Canada)

Heath Ledger-Hollywood’s Dark Star, by Brian J Robb or Heath Ledger:His Beautiful Life And Mysterious Death, by John McShane, at True Crime Book Reviews (ends June 30, one to an international winner, one to Canada/US)

New Age

Law of Connection: The Science of Using NLP to Create Ideal Personal and Professional Relationships, by Michael Losier, at Starting Fresh (ends June 30, US and Canada)

Soul Survivor, by Ken Gross, Andrea Leininger and, Bruce Leininger, at Vivian Deliz’s Blog (ends July 25, US and Canada)

Financial/Success/Work

The Richest Man In Town: Twelve Comandments of Wealth, by W. Randall Jones, at Starting Fresh (ends June 30, US and Canada)

How Successful People Think, by John Maxwell, at Starting Fresh (ends June 30, US and Canada)

I Hate People, by Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon, at Starting Fresh (ends June 30, US and Canada)

How Successful People Think, by John Maxwell, at Book Reviews by Bobbie (ends July 6, US and Canada)

I Hate People, by Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon, at Book Reviews by Bobbie (ends July 13, US and Canada)

Right On the Money (audiobook), by Pat Robertson, at J. Kaye’s Book Blog (ends June 26, US and Canada)

The Sassy Ladies’ Toolkit for Start-Up Businesses, by Michelle Girasole, Wendy Hanson and Miriam Perry, at All In a Mom’s Life (ends July 5, US only)

I Hate People, by Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon, at Readaholic (ends June 29, US and Canada)

All Other Nonfiction

The Modern Mom’s Guide to Dads: Ten Secrets Your Husband Won’t Tell You, by Hogan Hilling and Jesse Jayne Rutherford, at A Simple Kinda Life (ends June 30, US only)

Winning the Battle Within, by Glen Albaugh, at Barefoot Mommies (ends June 21, worldwide)

The Social Cause Diet, by Gail Johnston, at 29 Day Giving Challenge (ends June 25, must be member of site)

Dirty Bow Wow, by Cheryl and Jeffery Katz, at Family Review Network (ends June 25)

MISCELLANEOUS BOOK-RELATED GIVEAWAYS

Cowboy Up 2007 Ellora’s Cave Card Deck, a sexy card deck showcasing the art and authors of Ellora’s Cave and Cerridwen Press, at The Book Resort (ends June 24)

A Sony eBook Reader plus the Chuck Palahniuk ebook collection, at Chuck Palahniuk (ends July 22, US only)