Sunday Post #21- Having fun on my Virtual U.S. Road Trip

The Sunday Post was created by Caffeniated Book Reviewer this is a post where we recap on the going on's on the blog the week previous and the week coming up as well as the awesome books we have received, bought or been gifted for review!

So my Virtual U.S. Road Trip kicked of on Wednesday and I am having so much fun with it. Here's what has happened so far:

Our first stop was in Alabama with author Ginny Gallagher, and Ginny sold me Alabama , I want to get on the first plane out there. Ginny also offered a giveaway. You can check out the post here

We then hit Alaska with author Jolene Perry, you can check out her post here

On Friday we where in Arizona and I took the task on writing that post and I found out some awesome things about Arizona. I didn't know so many famous people came from Arizona. Check out the post here

Yesterday we had two stops. First we where in Arkansas and I took on that task again as Arkansas is one of my top places to visit in the U.S. I also offered a giveaway with the post which you can check out here We then had a special stop in Texas with author Rachel Caine. I was so excited to have Ms Caine on my blog and with the post was an amazing giveaway, you can check it out here

And finally, today we are in California with blogger Stacee which you can check out here

This weeks tour schedule: 

July 6th- Colorado- tour guide, author Devin O Branagan

July 7th- Connecticut- tour guide, author Kourtney Heintz & Giveaway

July 8th- Delware- tour guide, Booktuber- Samantha @ thoughts on tomes & Giveaway

July 9th- Florida- tour guide, author Michelle Madow

July 10th- Georgia- tour guide,  author srjohannes

July 11th- Hawaii- Me ( for some reason I couldn't find any authors or bloggers here)

July 11th- Idaho- tour guide- author Coutney J Pearson

I should have some other non related road trip posts up this week but am not sure which yet. 

I just wanted to show you guys this as I want it is bad. It released earlier in the week and this is the description from Harper Collins UK's website

J. M. Barrie’s classic children's story is reimagined in this delightful full-color deluxe edition filled with all-new illustrations and ten removable features specially designed by MinaLima, the award-winning design studio behind the graphics for the Harry Potter films........

.....Peter Pan is packed with a lush array of colorful illustrations and interactive removable features, including a detailed map of Neverland, multicolored tri-folds, and a pouch of fairy dust. Beautiful and captivating, filled with breathtaking artwork, this stunning book is sure to become a treasured keepsake for fans of all ages.

I want this so, so bad!!

Books I got this week:

I got the above proofs from Chicken House, I love Chicken House's proofs they all look the same then you get the covers as post cards. Crow Mountain releases in September and Darkmere releases in August.

I got a netgalley copy of LOL last week but I saw this paperback cheap so I picked it up. I won an ebook of Fever VIA Michele @ 

The Billionaire wins the game was a kindle freebie and I got Never Always Sometimes on Netgalley. I have heard amazing things about this book.

Finally Has to be love I picked up on Netgalley and it releases in September .

How was your week?

Virtual U.S. Road Trip- Day 4 (Extra stop) Texas & #Giveaway

Today we are in both Arkansas and Texas, it's Independence Day so why not visit two awesome states.

 We are making 489 miles trip from Arkansas ( You can check out the Arkansas post & giveaway here ) to Texas to see author Rachel Caine. I am so excited to have Rachel on my blog. Check out her post below and an awesome giveaway below.

Top 3 places only a native Texas person would know to visit

Big Bend is a lovely state park that is really worth visiting; it's got beautiful views, great hiking, and if you're the outdoorsy sort, it's a great place to go! 

The wonderful thing about Texas is that it is larger than most other states, and it has a wide variety of climates. We've got forests (East Texas), hill country (Central), coastline (South), plains (North) and desert (West) all in one place. The one thing we're a bit short on is mountains. If you want to visit our local edition, go to the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas, which is near El Paso. It's beautiful.

Not the outdoorsy sort? We've got that covered! Talking just of Dallas/Fort Worth has the Nasher Sculpture Garden in downtown Dallas, two world-class art museums (Dallas Museum of Art and The Kimball in Fort Worth), and an array of other great cultural centers, like a wonderful concert and opera hall, and the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Kalita Humphreys Theater. The Dallas Arboreteum and Fort Worth Japanese Gardens are both worth strolling. And, of course, we've got SPORT. The new Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium in Arlington is a wonder, and gives tours! Plus, hockey (Dallas Stars), basketball (Dallas Mavericks), and baseball (Texas Rangers ballpark in Arlington).

And that's just Dallas. You can make just a long a list for Austin (don't miss Sixth Street and the Congress Avenue bridge bats!), San Antonio (Alamo and Riverwalk), El Paso (Chamizal National Memorial, the Tramway) ... as the travel bureau says, "Texas is a whole other country!"

What is some Texas "meals" we should try that aren't in any other places in the US?

We're best known for three things: steakhouses, Tex-Mex food, and barbecue. You can find steakhouses and barbecue in other states, but Tex-Mex is a thing that is pretty specific cuisine. Make sure you stop in at a really good restaurant and have some down-home enchiladas, tacos, and fajitas. And a margarita OF COURSE, if you're of legal age. (My recommendation? Mariano's in Arlington, in business since 1975, and the inventor of the world's first frozen margarita machine!)

Which Towns should we visit within Texas and why?

You really can't be bored visiting Texas. I didn't mention Houston above, but it's a world-class powerhouse of a city, and has a really gorgeous arts district, with great museums and cultural attractions. Galveston has wonderful coastline and history. El Paso is a very old city (in American terms), and has one of the oldest working Spanish missions in the country -- the Ysleta mission, which is still a working church, and is very worth a visit. It's beautiful and historic.

But really, you could go anywhere and find fascinating things. We have towns that were built by German immigrants and retain that cultural history, so you can even go have a bratwurst and dunkelbier at Oktoberfest!

What does Texas have to offer for a book addict, on a road trip?

Two hours outside of Dallas is a tiny little town called Archer City ... it's a one-stoplight hamlet that happens to be the birthplace of legendary US writer (and Pulitzer Prize-winner) Larry McMurtry. Mr. McMurtry bought most of the disused buildings in downtown Archer City about 15 years ago and created a bookstore out of them that specializes in rare and used books of all kinds. For book lovers, it's heaven! http://www.bookedupac.com/

What book should we read driving though Texas?

I'd recommend Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry! On the way to Archer City, of course. (And also, just a tip: you really must drive in Texas, or take a bus. There's virtually no train service, and the distances (and weather) are not conducive to biking it!

Thanks for having me in to talk about the great state of Texas -- I've hardly even scraped the surface. It's a rich and varied state full of wonders and warm, friendly people. Come see me!
Rachel Caine

http://www.rachelcaine.com

@rachelcaine

Facebook: rachelcainefanpage

Wow I want to go to Texas it sounds awesome. Thanks Rachel for being on my blog and telling us more about your state. What do you think of Texas? Leave me a comment below.

Note:

Rachel's new book Ink and Bone release's in the U.S. on Tuesday and in the UK July 22nd. It sounds awesome. You can find out more about the book here.

Tomorrow we will be in California with blogger Stacee @ Adventures of a book Junkie.

You can follow all the virtual tour posts here

Giveaway

Rachel's wonderful UK publishers, Allison & Busby has offered 10 paperback copies of Rachels stand alone book Prince of Shadows, which is a retelling of Romano and Juliet. Yes guys 10 COPIES. This gives is open to anyone in the UK & Europe. Giveaway Ends August 4th 2015.

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Virtual U.S. Road Trip- Day 4- Arkansas & #Giveaway

Happy Independence Day

Today we are in Arkansas, formerly known as The Land of Opportunity and currently known as The Natural State according to Wikipedia. Today I am your tour guide. Arkansas is one of the states I want to visit so I thought I would tell you some of the places and things I have found that I want to check out. 

Check out yesterday's stop in Arizona here

Arkansas is located in the Southern Region of the United States and, so naturally I want to visit it as I want to go to all the Southern States.

Things to do in the state of Arkansas:

North Central Arkansas: Blanchard Spring Caverns these caverns stay 56 degrees all year round.

Upper Delta: Parkin Archaeological State Park this is a native American park dating back to 1000 AD.

Lower Delta: Bayou Bartholomew - you have to visit a Bayou, so why not the longest Bayou in the world.

Check out more places to visit in Arkansas here

Places to eat:

I love my food so of course am going to check out all the best places to eat. And what's better than Southern Cuisine.

Whole Hog Cafe world champion barbecue

Jammin Java Downtown

Local Flavor

Famous people from Arkansas:

Former President Bill Clinton

Johnny Cash

That's just a little insight into Arkansas, it's a big state but it's one I hope to visit one day.

Today we have an extra stop over in Texas with author Rachel Caine.  After you've entered the giveaway why not hop over and check out the post here

Tomorrow we will be in California with Stacee at Adventures of a Book Junkie 

You can follow all the road trip posts here

Giveaway

A £10 amazon.co.UK gift card open to anyone who can receive gift cards from Amazon.co.UK. Ends 23rd August.

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Virtual U.S. Road Trip- Day 3- Arizona

Day three and we are in Arizona. Today I am going to tell you about all the things I discovered about Arizona when I "googled" it.  Check them out below.

You can also check out yesterday's post in Alaska with author Jolene B Perry here

Where to visit?

Grand Canyon- Yeah guys am not even a very out doors person and not much of a hiker but I am heading here.

Phoenix- You have to head to check out central Arizona and why not have it be the capital.

Hoover Dam- Why wouldn't you not visit here.

Famous People from Arizona

Emma Stone (actress)

Joe Jonas (singer)

Stevie Nicks (signer)

Stephanie Meyer (author)

Diana Gabaldon (author)

Dick Van Dyke (actor)

Jordin Sparks (singer)

Have you ever been to Arizona? Do you live in Arizona? What do I need to know? Leave me a comment below.

Check out Day 4  in Arkansas here & giveaway and an extra special stop in Texas with author Rachel Caine here  and am amazing giveaway.

Follow all the road trip posts here

Virtual U.S. Road Trip- Day 2 Alaska

 

Welcome to are 2nd stop on our U.S. Road Trip. Yesterday we where in Alabama with Ginny , you can check out the post here along with a giveaway. 

Today we are in Alaska with author Jolene B Perry. So let's see what awaits us in Alaska.

So. Virtual roadtrip. I looove this idea.

I'm from Alaska. Born here. Raised here. Left for college and some living. Came back...

I love Alaska about 2/3 of the time and the other 1/3, I really wonder why I chose to move back. 

Now when people ask me where I'm from, I always hear Sandra Bullock from The Proposal saying, "Alassssska..." When she's caught totally off guard after telling Reynolds they're engaged.

And nowwwww, on to the good stuff:


PLACES TO VISIT AND EAT, since they often go together.

Yes, most of them are food, don't judge. I like food. We need it to survive.

1. ANCHORAGE - Moose's Tooth Pizza. Worth the wait. And there's always a wait. Bear Tooth Restaurant and Theater Pub. Yes, they're owned by the same evil cooking geniuses.

2. The end of Northern Lights Blvd. You can see over the ocean to the city, watch planes land, and walk the trail and beaches along the water. Win. Win. Win.

3. WHITTIER (an hour south of Anchorage). First off, the drive is gorgeous. Second, you'll get to drive through the largest tunnel in the Western Hemisphere (at least it used to be) and third, it's the home of FANTASTIC homemade fudge, and Swiftwater Cafe, which makes the best fish and chips I've ever eaten. There's an abandonned housing building left over from WWII, and like 90% of the town's population lives in the other building left over from WWII. If that's not a book waiting to happen, I don't know what is.

4. Hatcher's Pass near Palmer and Wasilla. These are the mountains I see behind my house and where I play with my kids all summer. April Bowl Trail is my favorite - follows a small waterfall to a lake where I sit in the sun and the kids get soaked.

5. If you're in Wasilla, and need food, The Grape Tap is a house turned French restaurant. I dream about their appetizer nuts. Sounds weird, but they're dream worthy.

QUIRKY THINGS ABOUT ALASKA:

(Yes, this picture is real)

Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the US combined. In the northern-most parts of Alaska they have over a month in the winter where they never see the sun, just get twilighty dimness, and then in the summer, the sun never goes down, just circles overhead. It's not quite that dramatic where I live, but the sun is still up for 20 hours, leaving no time of day where I'd need a flashlight to read a paperback outside. Alaska also has a smaller percent of white people than any other state. You can't drive to the Alaska state capitol. You need a boat or a plane - as is true of a lot of Alaskan cities.

There are no snakes in Alaska. No lizards in Alaska. No scorpions or dangerously poisonous spiders. Everything that can kill you, you can see or smell coming ;-)

FAMOUS PEOPLE FROM ALASKA:

Tommy Moe - was famous for the olympics. He used to come over and jump on my cousin's trampoline when I was small and was totally the rudest kid there.

Sarah Palin - Um... I'm not even sure famous is the right word. 

Wyatt Earp - Unexpected, right? He came up for the goldrush like soooo many other peoples.

Chris Kuper - Go Broncos! (not really)

Holly Madison - famous for being with Hugh Hefner and... not much else.

AUTHORS AND/OR BOOKS SET IN ALASKA:

Well, I set two in Alaska, does that count? Out of Play and Has To Be Love.

Marc Cameron writes suspense novels.

Boone Brux writes romance.

Most of the books I know about that are set in Alaska, are total "Alaska" books and not great for commercial consumption, lol.

This was so fun!!!! THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME!!

You can find Jolene:

On her website

On twitter

Very Official Author Facebook Page

On Amazon

Thanks Jolene. I am a food loving girl myself so I would love to check out all your foodie places. What do you all think of Alaska? Leave me and Jolene a comment below.

Check out Day three's stop in Arizona

You can follow all the road trip posts here

Virtual US Road Trip- Day 1 Alabama & #Giveaway

Welcome to the first stop on our virtual road trip around the U.S. I am so excited for this tour and I hope you all enjoy it. The U.S is my top place to visit and within the U.S a few particular states which I will tell you all about later on in the road trip.

Today we are arrive in Alabama and our tour host today is Ginny from Ginny Gallagher .com formerly known as Gin's Book Notes. Enjoy your day in Alabama! 

Hi everyone! Welcome to Alabama the 30th largest state in the U.S. I live in the Southeast portion of Alabama also known as LA (lower Alabama). My area borders North Florida and South Georgia, which is nice because the Florida white sandy beaches are within an hour or two drive. 

You will need to pack some shorts, sunscreen, and mosquito spray for this trip. It’s going to be HOT and HUMID! Be prepared to sweat. 

While you are in Alabama you might want to visit…

Huntsville, AL – Home to the U.S. Space and Rocket Centre (Space Camp anyone?)  and the Huntsville Botanical Gardens

Mobile, AL – USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park

Gulf Shores AL - Beautiful beaches with pure powder white sand. 

Birmingham, AL - Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and McWane Science Center

You can check out the Alabama Travel Sites for more must visit places in Alabama. 

There’s only one thing we Alabamans love more than football and that’s eating. You will find plenty of down home southern style food establishments to satisfy your hunger along with any other style food that might make your taste buds dance.

Saw’s Soul Kitchen in Birmingham, AL

The Hungry Owl in Mobile, AL

Po Boy Factory in Huntsville, AL

Famous people from Alabama:

Channing Tatum

Courteney Cox

Martin Luther King, III 

Rosa Parks

Helen Keller

Nat King Cole

Authors or books set in Alabama 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg

Forest Gump by Winston Groom

A.G. Porter, indie author of The Darkness Trilogy calls Alabama home.

Susannah Sandlin – author of Penton Legacy, Omega Force, and The Collectors Series. 

I will soon be able to add my name and book one of The Cauldron Series to this list! 

Thanks Megan for offering me the opportunity to share a little about the place I call home with you and your readers. I know I’ve missed many wonderful authors, books, restaurants, etc. but I hope that I’ve shared enough to stir your interest in Alabama. 

Ginny Gallagher – formerly Gin’s Book Notes 

Website/ Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

Thanks to Ginny for sharing all about Alabama. I really want to check out the beaches and try some of Saw's Soul Kitchen Food. 

Check out Day two in Alaska with author Jolene B Perry here

You can follow all the road trip posts here

Giveaway

Ginny has kindly offered a giveaway with her post of a $10 Amazon Gift Card. This is open to anyone who can receive Amazon.com giftcards. The giveaway ends August 23rd 2015.

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Waiting On Wednesday #39

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're excitably anticipating.

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J.K. Rowling illustrated by Jim Kay

Prepare to be spellbound by Jim Kay’s dazzling depiction of the wizarding world and much loved characters in this full-colour illustrated hardback edition of the nation’s favourite children’s book –Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Brimming with rich detail and humour that perfectly complements J.K. Rowling’s timeless classic, Jim Kay’s glorious illustrations will captivate fans and new readers alike. 

When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he’s the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord’s curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers, which could be valuable, dangerous – or both. An incredible adventure is about to begin.

Taken from Harry.potter.Bloomsbury.com

Expected Publication: October 2015 VIA Bloomsbury

Why am excited?

It's Harry Potter, illustrated. Enough said!