Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality Giveaway Extravaganza!!

Guess what's coming out in a few short weeks? Did you guess Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality? Then you're not only smart, but awesome! To get ready for the release, I'm going to be doing a giveaway EVERY weekend in February (and I'll sign it). Yep. And that's not all! The last weekend will give you THREE chances to win a copy (and don't forget you can read the first two chapters here). So that's SIX chances to win the book before it comes out! And I'm spreading the love over this blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

Here's the rundown of what to expect so mark your calendars!

NOW! (until February 4th at 10am EST)

On Twitter simply tweet the link to this blog post using #RGGPgiveaway hashtag, I'm making it even easier by drafting a tweet for you: "Want a chance to win @ElizEulberg's REVENGE OF THE GIRL WITH THE GREAT PERSONALITY? Go here for details: http://www.elizabetheulberg.com/blog/?p=1321 #RGGPgiveaway" (And it's 140 characters without the quotes OR you can do your own tweet, just be sure to include #RGGPgiveaway!). I’ll pick one winner from random on Monday, February 4th at 10:00 a.m. EST (as I’ll be busy watching Beyonce, I mean the Super Bowl).

FEBRUARY 8th-10th

Facebook time! I’ll be doing a giveaway over on my Facebook Page, so be sure to “like” it for details on how to win.

FEBRUARY 15th-17th

I’ll be doing a blog post on Friday, February 15th that you’ll need to submit a comment to be entered. I’ll make the question easy, honest!

FEBRUARY 22nd-24th

TWITTER TRIVIA CONTEST Think you know my books? I’ll be posting a trivia question at the times below* and the first person to get the question right wins!

Friday, February 22 at 8pm EST: The Lonely Hearts Club trivia question

Saturday, February 23 at 2pm EST: Prom & Prejudice trivia question

Sunday, February 24 at 6pm EST: Take a Bow trivia question

*I’ll be traveling that weekend so I may need to change the times, but will be sure to update this and send reminders out on Twitter if this changes!

Contest rules: all winners will be chosen by random (EXCEPT the Twitter trivia contest, see above), winner has 48 hours to get back to me before a secondary winner is selected. And I’m VERY sorry, but this is US only. I’ll do a worldwide contest later, when I have time to wait at the post office for an hour to fill out custom forms! I know it’s not fair, but I am on deadline AND jury duty. THAT’S not fair!  ;-)

GOOD LUCK! XOXO, Elizabeth

Guest post: Abby McDonald's #GettingOver Playlist plus GIVEAWAY!

Hello all! In honor of the paperback release of Getting Over Garrett Delaney, the fabulous Abby McDonald has shared her #GettingOver playlist. As someone who counts K. Clark's "Since U Been Gone" as her go-to-jam, I love a good break-up song (see my list over on Abby's blog). Take it away, Abby!

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A great playlist isn't just a collection of songs, it's a journey. And when you're trying to get over somebody, that journey can take you from where you are -- sad, wallowing, sprawled on the sofa cramming chips into your gaping mouth while watching Food Network (or is that just me?) -- to where you so desperately want to be: happy, functional, free. And awesome, obviously. So, cue up the right songs, settle in, and prepare to kick your crush for good!

#GettingOver playlist.

Part One: the wallow.

1. 14th Street by Laura Cantrell. -- a sweet ode to unrequited crushing, Laura meets her object of desire on the street, and pines. Simple, but oh, we've all been there: "You've got nothing to lose/ but I'm losing sleep."

2. Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield. -- Yes, the cheesy classic in all it's unrequited glory. Perfect for bouncing around, yelling out, "I wish that I had JESSIE'S GIRL".

3. You Belong with Me by Taylor Swift. -- We've all been there, lord knows I have. Your crush is going out with someone else, when the perfect person is right in front of him all this time! She doesn't get him, and you're the one who winds up offering advice and support. THE WORST.

Part Two: the fight back.

5. Bye Bye Bye by N*SYNC. Yes, I went there. Why? Because of awesome, that's why! (It aint' no lie). Stamp the floor and pump your arms with this boyband classic.

6. Survivor by Destiny's Child. Because you are.

7. Gunpowder and Lead by Miranda Lambert/ Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood.Nobody does breakup empowerment like country music, and this is a double hit of lyin'. cheatin'. no good payback. Because revenge fantasies are totally healthy!

Part Three: Moving on songs.

8. Hold On When You Get Love by Stars. A lovely, hopeful, sweet reminder of the fact it's always worth trying.

9. Begin Again by Taylor Swift."I've been spending the last eight months/ thinking all love does is break/ and burn/ and end/ but on a Wednesday/ in a cafe/ I watch it begin again."

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Thanks Abby!

GIVEAWAY TIME! And now you get a chance to win your very own paperback copy of Getting Over Garrett Delaney! All you have to do is comment with your favorite #GettingOver song! I'll pick one person from random at 8:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 6th. US only. (And please note, I do have to approve comments of new people, so it may take a couple hours for it to show up.)

Good luck! XO, Elizabeth

UPDATE: The contest is closed, thanks to all who entered and congratulations to Anastasia!

2012 Reading Challenge: I DID IT!

Happy 2013, everybody! My new year's resolution for 2012 was to read 50 books in 2012...and it wasn't easy, but I did it! 50 books and I blogged about them all! Phew! I'm exhausted and I will NOT be making the same resolution this year. It's hard to get a lot of reading done when you're writing a book. I will say that I did learn a lot this year reading all these books (click on the 2012 Reading Challenge tag below to see all of the posts) and I think I'm a better writer for it. 

So here they are, the last six books I read! (Click on the title to learn more about the book!)

 

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT by Sarah Mlynowski (coming March 2014, that's right 2014!)

Brag on me time! Sarah asked me if I'd be willing to read a draft of her YA novel coming in 2014. Um, YEAH! I don't want to give too much away since it's not coming out for over a year (and I'll be singing its praises a ton then), but I LOVED this book. It's funny, it's fast-paced, it's super original, and oh yeah, it's about a group of teens who get ESP! This book also made me so grateful that no one knows what goes on in my head. That's some scary stuff, people!

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Sara Zarr

I was at Little, Brown when Sara's first novel, Story of a Girl, came out. I was immediately impressed with this debut author's writing and storytelling abilities. Fast forward nearly six years and three books later, Sara keeps getting better and better (how is that even possible?!?!?). How to Save a Life was thought-provoking, it was powerful, it was compelling, it was just plain awesome.

EVERYTHING CHANGES by Jonathan Tropper

I've been hearing about Jonathan Tropper's books for years, so a friend lent me Everything Changes. Halfway through the book I realized that, with the exception of Nick Hornby, I don't read contemporary fiction from male authors. Jonathan Tropper and his amazing book made me realize what I'm missing out on. So I'm adding his other books, and looking for similar male authors to my already insane to-read pile for 2013.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE by Jennifer E. Smith (coming April 2013)

Like pretty much the rest of the reading world, I adored Jen's The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, so I was especially excited to read this book. It did not disappoint. What always impresses me with Jen's books are the many different layers the story and characters have. There's always something unexpected, which makes reading her books so fun and rewarding. Plus, it has some hilarious lines, one which caused me to snort VERY LOUDLY in the Newark airport waiting area. Toward the end, I had a huge smile on my face, which is EXACTLY what happy looks like for me!

JUST KIDS by Patti Smith

My to-read pile is out of control, but what did I do before I went home for Christmas? Bought this book because I've heard so many wonderful things about it. I'm so glad I did. Smith's writing is beautiful and her memoir chronicling her relationship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe was inspiring. I loved reading about the camaraderie of struggling artists at the Chelsea Hotel in the 70s. It really took you back to that time, and made me listen to her music and discover Mapplethorpe's photography. 

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger

I've wanted to re-read this book for a really long time, so I promised myself that it would be the last book I read in 2012. I originally read this when I was in high school and I remembered being especially impressed by the voice and vivid personality that Salinger gave Holden Caulfield. All these years later, I'm even more taken with the voice and narrative. I see Holden Caulfield through adult eyes now and it moved me even more. With so many new books to read, I rarely re-read, but I know that I'll be revisiting this book again. And for those who haven't read it, do! Young adult books wouldn't be what they are today without this novel. 

I'm off to take a well-deserved nap... Did you stick to your 2012 resolution? 

XOXO, Elizabeth 

Best of 2012!

Happy holidays everybody! Since "best of" lists are so popular this time of year, I've decided to do my own! So here are a few things this year that made me laugh, cry, sing....

BEST MOVIE (AND ONE YOU PROBABLY NEVER HEARD OF): The Intouchables I read about this French film in Entertainment Weekly and then stumbled upon it at my local movie theater. I'm so glad I did. This is one of the most life-affirming movies I've ever seen. I can't recommend it highly enough. I thought it was going to be sad, as it's about a quadriplegic and the young man from the projects he hires to take care of him. But it wasn't. I smiled so much while watching this movie. Seriously, add it to your Netflix queue, you can thank me later. (Here's the trailer, but I'm glad I didn't see it before I watched the movie as one of the funniest bits is in it). Honorable mentions: Argo, Les Miserables, The Avengers, Pitch Perfect, Moonrise Kingdom, The Queen of Versailles

BEST NEW TV DRAMA: Homeland Yes, Homeland technically debuted last year. But I didn't see it until the first season came out on DVD. I was hooked right away (and later wasn't surprised to find out the people behind 24 are responsible for this show). I was so worried about spoilers for season 2 that I spent two days at my sister's house watching the entire season on demand. The acting is superb, the twists and turns are going to eventually give me an ulcer. But it's totally worth it. Bring on season 3! Honorable new drama mention: Nashville and fav drama series Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.

BEST NEW TV COMEDY: Happy Endings Yep, Happy Endings is in its third season, but I didn't start watching it until this year. I watched the first two seasons and caught up on the third season within three months. I love this ensemble show and adore the characters. My personal favorites are Max and Penny (they're ah-maaazing). Other favorite comedy shows: Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock, New Girl, Modern Family, Cougartown (Yes, it really is a great show with a horrible name)

BEST ALBUM: Of Monsters and Men, My Head is an Animal Also one of my favorite concerts of the year. It's so hard to pick just one album, but this was the one that I listened to the most. And while I bought it because of their hit "Little Talks," I adore every song. It will be an album I'll be writing to for years to come. Other favorites: The Avett Brothers, The Carpenter; Ed Sheeran, +; fun., Some Nights; Imagine Dragons, Night Visions; The Lumineers; Mumford & Sons, Babel; The Shins, Port of Morrow; The Hunger Games soundtrack; St. Lucia EP; Taylor Swift, Red

BEST SONG: Taylor Swift, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together I love this song. When I first heard it, I bought it immediately and then a week later when I synched my iPhone it already had 75 plays. I would seriously have it on repeat as I walked to the gym. We've all been there and I always love a good break-up song. Plus, this is so much fun to do karaoke to. It seriously is the best. Like ever.

Since I went to 40(!!!) concerts this year, I've done a separate post on concerts. And I'm going to pass on naming a favorite book as I did blog about every book I read this year (Check out my 2012 Reading Challenge). Since so many books were written by friends (brag on me!), it would be really hard to pick one book. So basically, I'm being a wimp. 

So those were my favorites - what did you love in 2012?

XO, Elizabeth