#30Authors: Jenny Milchman talks about Lee Child’s Make Me

Hey ya’ll.. I’m back with another #30Authors post 🙂 🙂 Yay!!! So, when Allison at The Book Wheel asked me to host a second #30Authors post, I was all “Sure lady- no problem!” But when I found out WHO I’d be hosting- well, jazz hands went to a-fluttering because I love, love, love, LOVE me some Jenny Milchman. I first met Jenny back in 2013 at Lemuria Books (and I have to give credit to Allison for that because she was RAVING about Cover of Snow and it intrigued me enough to go visit!) So, I met Jenny. Warm, vivacious, and a complete advocate for books AND book bloggers! Then, later on Rhiannon at Ivory Owl Reviews and I were looking for a book for #BookTalkWithRandT and enter Jenny with Ruin Falls (seriously, if you are looking for suspense-y reads for October- just go add Ruin Falls to your list. Right now. I’ll wait.) When she came back to Lemuria in 2014, I went to see Jenny again- because while she entertains, she also INSPIRES! And in her latest book, As Night Falls, I (along with others) get a mention in the acknowledgements!

(In case you can’t tell- I’m a wee bit excited to have Jenny talking about a book for #30Authors!)

What is #30Authors? Well, here is the scoop on the event straight from Allison at The Book Wheel:

#30Authors is an event started by The Book Wheel that connects readers, bloggers, and authors. In it, 30 authors review their favorite recent reads on 30 blogs in 30 days. It takes place annually during the month of September and has been met with incredible support from and success in the literary community. It has also been turned into an anthology, which is currently available on Amazon and all author proceeds go to charity. Previous #30Authors contributors include Celeste Ng, Cynthia Bond, Brian Panowich, and M.O. Walsh. To see this year’s full line-up, visit www.thebookwheelblog.com/30authors or follow along on Twitter @30Authors. Continue reading →

Cover Reveal: Legacy- An Anthology (plus excerpt)

Today, I have the ultimate pleasure in showcasing this cover reveal of LEGACY: An Anthology.

A little backstory:

Last September- Allison @ The Book Wheel engineered a massive social media campaign called #30Authors. All month long, bloggers were showcasing different authors- who were in turn telling us and our readers about the authors they were reading/enjoying. To Be Read lists were exploding. #30Authors trended on Twitter. It was a massive under-taking and Traveling With T was pleased to be part of it (psst: Here was my small part- Ariel Lawhon talking about Helen Giltrow’s THE DISTANCE.)

But then- something wonderful happened. Allison and Velvet Morning Press teamed up for the new anthology- LEGACY. Many of the #30Authors are represented (along with some new faces!)

Before the reveal happens- here are some links for more LEGACY news- how it happened, who to look for in the anthology, links to their social media: An Inside Look at LEGACY: An Anthology, #30Authors LEGACY Tweeting Event Starts Today, A Month-Long Writing Challenge…And Anthology, and Legacy: An Anthology.

So have it got you chomping at the bit to see this cover?

Cover Reveal happening in 3, 2, 1………………………..

Continue reading →

Literary Friday, ya’ll…….

Hello!!! I hope your weekend is off to a fabulous start. I’m ready to curl up in a blanket with some warm PJ’s! (and a book!)

1. Deep South Mag and their #literaryfriday: Talking about IMOGENE IN NEW ORLEANS, Southern Lit Road Trip to Oxford, MS (where I met up with Erin and Cerith) and much more!

2. Ashley @ Nosegraze talks about “how much of an obligation do book bloggers have?” Thoughtful piece. Continue reading →

Tuesday Mashup….

Tuesday Mashup

Giveaways:

1. Doing Dewey just celebrated her 2 year bloggy anniversary ( yay Katie!) and she’s having a giveaway- an indie giveaway!

2. Traveling With T (that’s me!) also just celebrated a 2 year bloggy anniversary (thank you, thank you!) Here is my 2 year bloggy giveaway (Morning Glory, The Returned, Topped Chef, Murder of a Stacked Librarian, The Goldfinch, Read it and Weep, and Someone Else’s Love Story- SELS is signed!)

3. Other giveaways that Traveling With T is having: Once We Were Brothers– a gripping story about the Holocaust and life after. It’s a mystery/historical fiction. Another giveaway- Turn Up The Heat– a collection of stories by Lori Foster, Christie Ridgway, and Victoria Dahl.

4. I Am A Reader is giving away a 5 star book (you get to choose the book from a collection of books she thought was 5 star worthy!)

5. Closed The Cover is giving away 2 copies of The Brim Reaper (AUTOGRAPHED!)

6. Book-alicious Mama is giving away her favorite things- each item is something that J uses in real life or a business she likes to support.

Other Bloggy News

7. Love at First Book is having it’s weekly Linky Love Party! Link up your best post- ALWAYS a ton of great links!

8. The Book Wheel has posted 9, count ’em, 9 WAYS to help spread the word about your website. Without using the internet. Yep.

9. Ivory Owl Reviews listed her picks for Best Books of 2013- Rhiannon has GREAT taste- so check out her list and see if any of her picks line up with your picks!

10. Traveling With T has some bloggy good news ( to be unveiled soon!)

Thursday Mashup

Hey ya’ll- it’s Thursday Mashup time (pssttt… here’s the button I made 🙂

You know how I like a good mashup- a place where you can stop by for a giveaway, some bloggy talk, and lots of bookish goodness!

Here’s the good stuff this Thursday:

Giveaways

#bookgiveaways

Luxury Reading is giving away a Kindle Fire HD tablet!

Always With A Book is giving away The Wrong Girl by Hank Phillippi Ryan (who I adore- seriously, if you like Sue Grafton, you should def check out HPR!)

#craftygiveaways

Recently- I’ve started following non-book blogs. Why? Because I’m a craft girl at heart- books are my other love- but crafts are also great!

The Thinking Closet is giving away a stocking full of great stuff thanks to herself and other bloggers! Seriously, I could tell you all the good things- but you really need to go check it out! There is def a Starbucks gift card (totally worth entering alone for that!)

H2O Bungalow is giving away a CRICUT. Yeppers, you read that right. My crafty heart just beats faster.

H2O Bungalow is also giving away 600 Visa Gift Card- I could BUY crafty stuff with that 🙂

Bloggy Goodness

Love at First Book is hosting her weekly Linky Love party- River City Reading is co-hosting (so it’s a super-special stylish party y’know!) Link up your best post because if you do, THIS could happen!

Books Speak Volumes is gearing up for a Jazzy January- a Jazz Age that is! Like the 20’s? Been wanting to read a book about that era? Sign up, read a book or more- and you may win a prize! Full details can be found at Books Speak Volumes.

Have you ever wondered about Hanukkah? The symbols and other things that pertain to Hanukkah? Living where I live, I’ll be honest, I’ve not had a first hand experience with Hanukkah- I knew a few of the symbols from reading and TV- but that was my experience. On Twitter, though, I realized I was friends with quite a few Jewish people- and even though I was curious- I wouldn’t ask much because not everyone likes to talk about their personal life. However, Love at First Book guest posted on The Book Wheel about Hanukkah symbols- and it was so interesting, I had to share!

The Relentless Reader shares some bookish gifts that would be so appreciated- just in case you need ideas!

Have you finished your Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2013? My Novel Opinion has! Read on for her stats and tips for next year!

Thursday Mashup

Giveaways and Blog Talk!

#Giveaways

Traveling With T is giving away RELATIVE DANGER by June Shaw. *Note: It’s an e-book!

Traveling With T is giving away THE PERFECT MATCH by Kristan Higgins.

Jennifer Lyn King is giving away a set of greeting cards (and talking about her 5 years of blogging!)

Crystal in Bookland has 3 Giveaways happening: THE PROPHECY, ENTANGLED, and EFFORTLESS WITH YOU + 10 buck Itunes GC.

Great New Books is giving away 3 of Anita Hughes books!

Home Cooked Books is giving away RUMOR HAS IT (audio CD) by Jill Shalvis.

Always With a Book is giving away BEFORE I MET YOU by Lisa Jewell.

Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book is giving away FREEZER I’LL SHOOT by Victoria Hamiliton.

She Reads is giving away 5 Books- CARTWHEEL by Jennifer DuBois, THE RUNAWAY WIFE by Rowan Coleman, THE WISHING THREAD by Lisa Van Allen, LEAVING HAVEN by Kathleen McCleary and THE WHOLE GOLDEN WORLD by Kristina Riggle.

Blog Talk

Book Bloggers International talk about using GIFS- the how and why (and the cons of using them).

Love at First Book and The Book Wheel have kicked off their November Book Club: ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK! Join in!

Thanks to Love at First Book and her Fabulous Blogs (where she gives love and shout-outs to great blogs)- I saw the blog The Thinking Closet. Then when checking out Rebecca’s relatively new Policies page, I saw that she credited The Thinking Closet. So I checked out The Thinking Closet– and saw Lauren’s latest post is about 10 MORE Tips for Bloggers (and also that she had posted a previous 1o Tips for New Bloggers). Reading these tips, I found myself nodding along, already either thinking or doing some of this stuff (but still plenty of other tips that I want to do!) Thanks Rebecca for helping me find The Thinking Closet!

The Book Wheel writes a great post about traffic (and not the bad kind of traffic where you are stuck in your car for hours!) No, Allison writes about the traffic blogs want- Visitors! 8 Simple Ways To Boost Your Traffic is fab (and good for bloggers from 1 day of experience to many years!)

Thursday Mashup

Got many things to report today- get ready!

#giveaways

Kiss and Thrill is giving away a copy of Hank Phillippi Ryan’s latest, The Wrong Girl!

Rachel Hauck is giving away a copy of Princess Bride!

Peeking Between the Pages is giving away a copy of The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden!

Writer’s Corner is giving away a copy of The Good Wife by Jane Porter!

The Book Wheel (thanks to Lithograhps.com) is giving away a lithography!

She Reads is giving away a copy of Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain!

#bookish things

Book-Alicious Mama has posted week 2 questions for Astor Place Vintage! Join in on the fun!

Want help for planning blog posts? Katherine Scott Jones give 5 tips to make your blogging life easier!

Literary Friday ya’ll…..

Friday, Bloggiesta, and lots of reading! What’s your Friday plans?

1. Deep South Magazine and their #literaryfriday: News of James Franco as Faulkner, SoFest of Books in Nashville, 11 scariest mothers in books, upcoming book signings, what Erin is reading now (some good looking books that *may* be on the upcoming Fall Reading list!) and much more!

2. Bloggiesta is happening this weekend! Basically, it’s a 3 day weekend to work on your blog, make connections and visit the other blogs hosting the mini-challenges. It’s blog love, baby! I don’t always participate in Bloggiesta- but I try to do some work when I can during these 3 day blog-love weekends! This time, I’m REALLY trying because 2 of my fav blog buddies- Rebecca @ Love At First Book and Allison @ The Book Wheel are both hosting mini-challenges (Whoo, Rebecca and Allison! Proud of you girls!)

Here are some interesting Bloggiesta-related things I’ve found today:

Love At First Book: How To Host (and participate) in a Digital Book Club & Giveaway!

The Book Wheel: 50 Bookish Things

Always With a Book: Bloggiesta.. My To Do List and Updates

Books Speak Volumes: Ten Things Every Book Blog Needs

3. Did you know that I’ll be co-hosting the Hank Phillippi Ryan chat with Literary New England on September 25th at 8pmEST? You didn’t?! Well, I am! Be there as we talk about THE WRONG GIRL and giveaway some books! Use hashtag #LNEChat to join I the fun! This will be the first of 2 scheduled Literary New England/She Reads chats- and everyone is very excited!

My blogger friend, Always With a Book, got to meet Hank Phillippi Ryan this week (and was kind enough to pick me up a signed book!) Read about K meeting HPR- Author Meet and Greet: Hank Phillippi Ryan

4. This isn’t Bloggiesta related, but Ivory Owl Reviews blogged this week about what she learned in her first year of blogging- and it’s worth a read!

5. #giveaway: Have you heard of The Returned by Jason Mott? The blog-osphere is all a-twitter about this book! And you are in luck! Luxury Reading is giving away a copy! Need more of The Returned? The Book Wheel was lucky enough to get an interview with Jason Mott (that girl is a mover and shaker- folks!)

6. 2 reviews posted this week on Traveling With T: Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand and What A Mother Knows by Leslie Lehr.

7. Holly Goddard Jones, author of The Next Time You See Me, stopped by Traveling With T this week for an Interview and Author Spotlight.

8. Book Lovers Unite September read Astor Place Vintage is still going on at Book-alicious Mama and October’s book has been announced for when it returns to Traveling With T: The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman I’m very excited for this discussion- and I hope you will join in the fun! Reading schedule to be posted next week!

9. Catching up on posting about 2 fab authors I met over the summer: Meeting Anton DiSclafani and Meeting Susan Crandall

10. Another Blogger Made of AWESOME: Drey @ Drey’s Library!

11. My #fridayreads: Astor Place Vintage, Wedding Belles by Beth Albright, and maybe 212 by Alafair Burke! What are you reading for #fridayreads?

Happy Reading and good luck with Bloggiesta if you are participating!

Thursday Mashup

I’m in the process of adjusting some things on my blog- tabs for interviews, author spotlights, finally posting my review policy and more. It’s slow going because of just TIME (and also the whole work thing) but sometime, in the future, (hopefully not in a galaxy far, far away tho) Traveling With T will be a bit more updated!

#reviews

The Sensory Child Gets Organized by Carolyn Dalgliesh

The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal (the real-life version of The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult) reviewed by Love At First Book

Just What Kind of Mother Are You? by Aimee Bender reviewed by Ivory Owl Reviews

#bookclub news

Love at First Book and The Book Wheel are still discussing LEAN IN by Sheryl Sandberg! Still plenty of time to join in!

#bookloversunite September pick is ASTOR PLACE VINTAGE- hosted by Book-alicious Mama this month. Next month is right back here at Traveling With T!

#authorspotlight and #interviews

B.A. Shapiro stopped by Traveling With T for Author Spotlight: B.A. Shapirio. She’s the author of The Art Forger– which you must check out!

Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of THE WRONG GIRL interviews Susan Boyer, author of LOW COUNTRY BOIL on Jungle Red Writers!

Read it Forward interviews Susan Gregg Gilmore, author of THE FUNERAL DRESS

#giveaways

Chick Lit Central is giving away Emily Liebert’s debut novel, YOU KNEW ME WHEN and the Zoya Nail Polish set created foe the book!

Tuesday Mashup

Hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day weekend! Mine was filled with family, sun and fun, bbq-ing, and laughs! Plus, some good book-ish time!

#giveaways

Traveling With T is giving away Emily Liebert’s YOU KNEW ME WHEN + a set of Zoya nail polish specifically created for the book. Book + nail polish set = #winning. Trust me- you WANT this. You really do 🙂

Happy Pub Day to Emily Liebert, by the way! Run, do not walk to nearest book store to get this book. Funny, sweet, and enjoyable- YOU KNEW ME WHEN is a great book to end the summer with and ease into the fall months!

Socrates’ Book Reviews is also giving away a copy of YOU KNEW ME WHEN!

Doing Dewey is giving away a copy of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist! **ENDS TODAY!

Book Club News

Book Lovers Unite is back at Jen S’s blog, Book-alicious Mama for September. Astor Place Vintage is the book- and here is the reading schedule! * Note: We’ll be back at Traveling With T for October- and I have 2 books that I’m trying to decide between- but rest assured, they will be good!

Want a different type of read for September? Maybe something non-fiction? You are in luck! The Book Wheel and Love at First Book have Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg as their book choice! I remember quite a buzz about this book when it was first released and I know Allison and Rebecca will have great comments to guide the discussion along- so if it’s been on your TBR list- check them out!

Did you miss out on The Perfume Collector online discussion last week at She Reads? Good news! I extended it a week due to Labor Day madness! So get over there while we discuss the nitty gritty of the book!

Twitter chats

I’m co-hosting a Literary New England chat with Cindy of Literary New England- Sept 25th! The book will be Hank Phillipi Ryan’s latest, The Wrong Girl! A little bird told me that there will be giveaways and other good things- so don’t miss out! Details: Sept 25th, 8pmEST, use #LNEchat as hashtag!

Other Book-ish news:

Happy pub day to BOTH Denise Swanson author of Murder of a Stacked Librarian AND Emily Liebert You Knew Me When!

She Reads will announce their September selection next Monday! It’s going to be good (but I can’t reveal what it’ll be!)