TREASURE ME by Christine Nolfi WINNERS!

I know that I've been slacking on posting the winners, so I do apologize for that. It's been a crazy week!
The winners of TREASURE ME are:


WindyCindy and Julie S


Thank you to everyone who entered! I will be doing a review and giveaway either tomorrow or Friday for the novel ACROSS THE DESPERATE MILES by Patrick Michael Murphy. It's an amazing book, full of adventure, and I really think that that a reader of any genre of books will love it! 


I will make sure to post the review and giveaway this week! Thanks to everyone for entering this giveaway! I appreciate you all! 

Guest Post by author Christine Nolfi and BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Christine's Bio:

Christine owned a small public relations firm in Cleveland, Ohio. Her articles and press releases have appeared regionally in Ohio. Her short story, Night Hour, appeared in Working Mother magazine.

Christine closed the firm fifteen years ago after she traveled to the Philippines and
adopted a sibling group of four children. She has been writing novels fulltime since 2004.

Treasure Me is the first book of the Liberty, Ohio series, available at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Me-ebook/dp/B004XMOP9I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1304016571&sr=1-1

The second book in the Liberty series, Second Chance Grill, will be released June, 2011.

Contact Christine at
http://christinenolfibooks.blogspot.com/
and christinenolfi@gmail.com

Q&A:

What was the inspiration behind Treasure Me?

Treasure Me is the only novel I’ve ever written that simply arose from my subconscious. I awoke one morning with this very amusing image of a young woman—a thief—dangling from a window trying to escape from the man whose pocket she’d picked. I’d already written Second Chance Grill several years earlier, and knew that this new book would also take place in the small town of Liberty. So the supporting cast was immediately in place: the town’s feisty matriarch, Theodora, who carries a Blackberry and a pistol; her nemesis, the fluttery Ethel Lynn, and all of the other characters who are an integral part of the town’s only restaurant, The Second Chance Grill.

What would you like readers to take away from the novel?

That “family” isn’t so much something we’re born into as something we create and nurture. The people you choose to love and who love you—day in and day out—are life’s only treasure.

You’ve written four other novels. Can you tell us about them?

Second Chance Grill will appear on Amazon in June. It’s a “prequel” of sorts depicting the love story of Dr. Mary Chance, the town’s doctor, and Anthony Perini, a single dad with a very precious daughter. Of course the feisty women of Liberty—including Theodora—will be featured. You’ll learn a little more about the “bad blood” between Theodora and Ethel Lynn. Their battle was “fur and feathers” in Treasure Me. In Second Chance Grill, they’re even wilder.

The third novel in the series, The Impossible Wish, will arrive on Amazon in late autumn. It’s the story of Birdie’s infamous mother, Wish Kaminsky. The hero and heroine of that novel are nothing like Birdie and Hugh: think “clutzy female scientist” and “Mad Greek.” And, heaven help us, the evil Wish kidnaps Theodora. Don’t make me give anything else away. I’m striving for laugh-out-loud comedy from start to finish.

The other two novels are stand-alone books that will appear on Amazon this summer. I’d tell you the titles but I keep changing them as I polish the chapters.

What are the pros and cons of releasing a novel in e-format?

I can’t speak for other writers; my greatest difficulty has been the allocation of time. Many hours are now spent promoting my novels. Those long, lovely mornings, when I woke at dawn and spent hours writing, have disappeared. At least for now.

The greatest benefit? Reaching out to readers directly. Receiving virtually immediate feedback. Already some of the comments I’ve received on Treasure Me have impacted the books I’m polishing, and my new work-in-progress.

Who is your favorite author?

It’s impossible to choose a favorite. Sue Monk Kidd, Nora Roberts, Fannie Flagg, J.K. Rowling, Toni Morrison, Sarah Gruen—the list of remarkable talent is varied and virtually endless. I’m not a “genre” reader. If a novel is good, it’s in my TBR pile.

What prompted you to start your writing career?

I can’t recall a time when I didn’t write. When my mother was alive, she swore I taught myself to read at the age of two. Now, I’ve met enough toddlers to know that’s unlikely.

Still, writing was always an obsession. I completed my first novel at the age of nineteen. Today the 600-page tome sits dusty and unloved in my basement. Later on, when I worked in PR, I was always striving to reach the day when I’d write fiction. In 2004, I decided it was now or never.

What led to your decision to self-publish?

After I finished my first novel I worked with two agents, each for about eighteen months. Random House was very interested in Second Chance Grill. A division of Penguin considered bringing out Treasure Me, and the other Liberty books, in hardcover. Then Wall Street melted down. The interest fizzled, and I decided to self-publish. By then I’d read enough success stories to realize that New York no longer had a monopoly on the publishing game.

If I may, I’d like to tell young writers: Believe in yourself. The world is made all the more beautiful by literature’s wide variety of voices. Find critique partners you can trust to help you nurture your distinctive brand of fiction. When you write that first draft, turn off your internal editor—it’s more important to get your idea down on paper. Later, revise. And revise. And revise until you’ve polished your manuscript to a diamond-bright brilliance.

Readers can reach Christine at http://christinenolfibooks.blogspot.com/

I recently read and reviewed this great read by Christine Nolfi, and she was kind enough to offer my readers TWO copies of her novel TREASURE ME. If you would like to read my review just go to: http://historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/2011/05/treasure-me-by-christine-nolfi-review.html

ALL you have to do to enter is:

+1 Leave your name and email...you must be a blog follower!

For any extra entries:

+1 Follow me on twitter

+1 Tweet my giveaway!

Two Book Giveaway WINNER!!

The winner of my Rainy Sunday Book Giveaway is, ruthhill74!!
Congratulations on winning SIGNORA DA VINCI and THE WILD IRISH by Robin Maxwell!

I will be setting up another giveaway later this week for the book TREASURE ME by Christine Nolfi. I know this is a book a lot of my followers will like!! Make sure to check back this week!

Thanks to everyone who has entered my contests, and who is now following me! I appreciate it so much!

TWO Days Left for My TWO Book GIVEAWAY! And a GIVEAWAY Sneak Peek!

Only two days left to enter to win TWO amazing books by Robin Maxwell:

• THE WILD IRISH
• SIGNORA DA VINCI

Check out the contest page and make sure to enter!

http://historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/2011/05/rainy-sunday-book-giveaway-two-books.html

GIVEAWAY SNEAK PEEK:

Shortly following my Robin Maxwell giveaway, I will be having ANOTHER book giveaway, and there will be TWO lucky winners!
I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Christina Nolfi's novel TREASURE ME.  She graciously offered to provide TWO of my followers with copies of her novel!
Make sure to check back next week for an opportunity to win this awesome novel!
Please check out my review of her book TREASURE ME. It is definitely the type of novel that anyone can enjoy, regardless of what your favorite book genre is!


My Review of TREASURE ME:


http://historicalfictionobsession.blogspot.com/2011/05/treasure-me-by-christine-nolfi-review.html

TREASURE ME by Christine Nolfi: Review

I was sent the e-book and a request by the author, Christine Nolfi, to review this book for her. She has also published numerous articles in regional publications. Her short story, Night Hour, appeared in Working Mother Magazine. 

Christine has a special place for me, because she is the first author to request that I read and review a book 
for them! lol 


Here's the blurb for the novel:

Petty thief Birdie Kaminsky has arrived in Liberty, Ohio to steal a treasure hidden since the Civil War. She’s in possession of a charming clue passed down in her family for generations: Liberty safeguards the cherished heart.

The beautiful thief wants to go straight. She secretly admires the clue’s author, freedwoman Justice Postell, who rose above the horrors of slavery to build a new life in Ohio. According to family lore, Justice left South Carolina at the dawn of the Civil War. Heavy with child, she carried untold riches on her journey north. As Birdie searches for the treasure, she begins to believe a questionable part of the story: a tale of love between Justice and Lucas Postell, the French plantation owner who was Birdie’s ancestor.

If the stories are true, Justice bore a child with Lucas. Some of those black relatives might still live in town. Birdie can’t help but wonder if she’s found one—Liberty’s feisty matriarch, Theodora Hendricks, who packs a pistol and heartwarming stories about Justice. Birdie doesn’t know that investigative reporter Hugh Schaeffer will trip her up—as will her conscience when she begins to wonder if it’s possible to start a new life with stolen riches. Yet with each new clue she unearths, Birdie discovers a family history more precious than gems, a tradition of love richer than she could imagine.

My Review:

When I first began this novel, I was a little iffy about whether or not I would like it. It seemed a little cliche to me at first, and also I had trouble connecting to the characters, especially the hornball, Hugh. However, as the story went on, I fell for this book. Once I realized what type of people Birdie and Hugh really were, and how their tough exteriors were really just a facade to hide their insecurities, I really began to feel for them.

My favorite character was most definitely Theodora. She was a gutsy, little old lady who carried a pistol around with her. One quote from her that actually made me laugh out loud is, "Stop worrying yourself into a tizzy. He's a man. All men are fools, but the stupidest among them can find his way home." I could actually picture this wrinkled old lady biting Birdie's head off when she said this! Another awesome Theodora moment is when she pulls the gun on the nosy reporter from Akron! She was actually a wonderful, caring person, but she said what was on her mind to whoever would listen! 

The story line was really great. I love how the characters grew emotionally and learned about themselves as the book went on. 

I also thought that the mystery of the rubies was written well. It kept me guessing throughout the novel, and I loved the way all the characters ended up being connected in some way! I thought it was great how Nolfi was able to write about this exciting mystery, and connect everyone involved at the same time. The idea of the treasure wasn't some far out idea, it was feasible, and you never know, something like that could actually happen!

The sexual tension between Hugh and Birdie was so thick you could probably cut it with a knife, I just wanted them to get it over with and scr**! There were enough characters in this novel to make it interesting, but not to make it confusing. Nothing annoys me more than when there are 30 characters in a book, and I have to look back every other chapter to figure out who is who! 

All in all I would definitely recommend this novel. The genre of books that I normally go for is historical fiction, but I was able to set aside the historical books I was reading and completely immerse myself in this one. This was the first novel by Christine Nolfi that I have read, and I would most definitely read another one by her. Her writing style is fabulous, and I was entertained the entire novel. Really, the only negative comment I have, is that it took a little while for me to really get into the story, but when things started coming together I couldn't put it down! 

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars, and definitely recommend it to readers of any genre of books!


http://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Me-ebook/dp/B004XMOP9I/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304614958&sr=1-2