Carrie Ryan Giveaway Winners!

I just figured out who the winners are for my Carrie Ryan Giveaway!

For full details about the contest, click here to read about the great signing I went to!

If you don't remember, first place is winning the following: Hardcover copy of The Forest of Hands and Teeth (signed), Hardcover copy of The Dead-Tossed Waves (signed), The Forest of Hands and Teeth bookmark, and an "Eat. Prey. Love." sticker.



And second place is winning the following items: The Forest of Hands and Teeth bookmark, The Dead-Tossed Waves bookmark, "Eat. Prey. Love." sticker, and CD full of videos and information about The Dead-Tossed Waves and other YA novels and sequels.





Anyway, without further ado....

First place goes to...

Lydia from The Lost Entwife!

And second place goes to...

Lauren from Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf!


CONGRATULATIONS!

I will be contacting you both via e-mail. Please get back to me in the next 48 hours or I will have to pick another winner!

Autographed Carrie Ryan Giveaway!

Earlier tonight I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting author Carrie Ryan at my hometown Barnes and Noble. She is out traveling on a book tour for the recently released: The Dead-Tossed Waves. As soon as I saw she was coming HERE, I knew I had to go and meet her. I loved her debut novel-The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I was told to read it by a bookstore employee I have come to know and trust, and while I was wary, I ended up falling in love.

Carrie Ryan writes beautifully about topics that are deep, dark, and tragic, but still manages to maintain a sense of hope in a world gone evil.

Tonight she explained more about her writing process and the inspiration behind the novels. In addition to reading a portion from her new release, she also fielded questions from the audience and was extremely funny. She was a great speaker and as an aspiring author, I gained a lot of insight from her. After speaking with us, she took pictures with the people who showed up dressed like zombies before settling in to sign books.

While signing my books, she was incredibly friendly. I was just shy (I get that way around new people). The last time I met an author (Markus Zusak) my mother had to get me talking because I didn't know what to say. But Carrie was very friendly and warm!

In addition to getting my own copies signed and personalized to treasure forever and ever, I also picked up an ADDITIONAL hardcover copy of each novel for her to sign. She also gave me some extra swag!

So yes, I am doing a Carrie Ryan Giveaway!

What is up for grabs?

The first place winner will receive the following items: Hardcover copy of The Forest of Hands and Teeth (signed), Hardcover copy of The Dead-Tossed Waves (signed), The Forest of Hands and Teeth bookmark, and an "Eat. Prey. Love." sticker.


The second place winner will receive the following items: The Forest of Hands and Teeth bookmark, The Dead-Tossed Waves bookmark, "Eat. Prey. Love." sticker, and CD full of videos and information about The Dead-Tossed Waves and other YA novels and sequels.

TO ENTER:

• You must comment on this entry and tell me you are interested!
• You must be a "Follower" of my blog!
• If you were an old "Follower" I will give you 1 extra entry!
• If you write about this contest on your blog and link to this post, I will give you 3 extra entries (please provide a link to your post in your comment here or it will not count!)
• You must be a United States resident (sorry, but I cannot ship out of country at this time).

The contest will run until April 1, 2010 (Carrie is getting married that day-no, I'm not a stalker, she told us this tonight!) at midnight.

Good luck!

Thursday Treat #11: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

Last February I was housesitting/dogsitting for my aunt and uncle while they were in Russia. They were in the process of adopting two little boys (now my cousins) and needed someone to hold down the home front.

Since I didn't have access to the internet, I made sure to go stock up on some new reads for the 10 days I was at their house. In between working at school (I was long term subbing back then) and stopping at home for meals, I spent a lot of time on their comfy couch catching up on some great books.

Like always, I made a trip to my local Barnes and Noble to buy a few new things. Karen, a woman who I have come to know over the last few years, found me searching the YA shelves for new titles. She pushed me towards Ryan's debut novel and told me I would love it.

I was skeptical. The cover did not grab me right away and the title made me cringe. Then I read the "blurb" and right away I thought to myself, "zombies? really?" I wasn't sure, but she told me the writing was amazing and if I didn't like it, I could return it to her, no problem. So I bought it.

And I went back to their house, sat on their couch, and didn't get up until I closed the back cover. The book sucked me in from beginning to end and I absolutely fell in LOVE with Ryan's words.

While there are "zombies" of sorts, this is not a horror filled book where the zombies move around slowly and threaten to suck your brains (I'm assuming that is what zombies do). Had it been that, I would have stormed back and yelled at Karen. I am not a horror fan. I am one of those girls who leaves the movie crying if it is at all scary (Example: I almost walked out of Peter Jackson's King Kong because I was scared, freaked out during I am Legend, and slept with water by my bed for weeks after seeing Signs). I am a wuss. And I am proud to be a wuss.

But Ryan's book is not horror. While the premise of the novel is scary, it didn't frighten me.

Mary and her village are fenced in, and have been for as long as they can remember. Around the fence is the forest of Hands and Teeth, a place where the Unconsecrated (zombies) roam and try to break through. As Mary tries to make sense of the violent and heartless world she lives in, the world collapses around her. She is left trying to make sense of it all, and survive.

I have to say, it wasn't the story that sucked me in, but the writing. Ryan tells her story so beautifully that you really begin to care for Mary and pull for her to survive in this world full of death and despair. It pulls at all of your heartstrings.

Just recently (March 9), the companion novel was released. While I have not had a chance to read The Dead-Tossed Waves, I have already bought my copy and it is waiting for me on my desk.

If it is anything like the debut novel, I am sure I will be just as deeply moved.

Now, to tease you...there is a reason why I selected this book for today, BUT you'll have to wait till later to find out!