Interesting Kickstarter Gig!

As most anyone with a small business these days knows, social marketing online is an area that they cannot afford to leave untapped! That's where this gig on Kickstarter comes in:

I donated $1, because I would be willing to read that book!

Let's Get Away for Valentine's Day!

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about travel. I love to travel, though living on a shoestring budget doesn't leave a whole lot of room for it. I also love to learn more about travel, and I'm hoping to start up a travel business.
That inspired a fun little treasury on Etsy:

'Let's Get Away For Valentine's Day...' by ThePotteryYarn

in honor of my big Valentine's Day giveaway at : http://authorjess.blogspot.com/2012/01/sweet-deal-giveaway.html

travel photograph /... shannonpix $28.00	Chez Marie, Paris P... EyePoetryPhoto... $30.00	Custom Handmade Lea... christinemarie... $65.00	Passport Cover. Can... LolaJeans $12.95
Paris Eiffel Tower ... pixiepixels $19.95	Travel Art Turquois... SketchAway $20.00	DIY World Travel Ma... EcoMonster $18.00	TRAVEL THE WORLD, ... plasticouture $32.50
3 in 1 Crossbody Ha... solaWu $66.96	50 Map Travel Theme... dillpicklepicn... $14.00	Red Toile Shoe Bag... HappyGoLucky1 $28.00	Travel luggage tag,... 0namesleft $7.20
travel themed weddi... hellotenfold $10.00	Travel the World. A... lovespelljewel... $11.50	Travel Passport Wal... GracieDesigns $17.00	Travel Art Print, I... HopSkipJumpPap... $20.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

To see it larger, just click on any item and you'll be transported away! :) Also, don't forget about my Sweet Deal Giveaway - you could win a romantic night at the Omaha Hilton Hotel!

A Sweet Deal Giveaway!!

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I'm doing a sweet giveaway here on the blog! As some of you may know, I am trying to raise money for a social entrepreneurship travel venture. So, to help spread the words (and raise some funds) I created a giveaway to thank you for spreading the word!

Here's how it works: the prizes will be cumulative, depending on the amount of money I am able to raise before the end of the contest on Wednesday, February 8th (that gives me enough time to mail out the prizes to the lucky winner by Valentine's Day!). The more money I raise, the sweeter the prize will be to the lucky winner!

If I raise up to $150 or more  (I'm only $48 away from that), I will write an original love poem for the winner to give to his or her significant other and send it to the winner via email.
If I raise $250 or more, I will also mail out his and hers Valentine's chocolate boxes, with Whitman's Chocolates.
If I raise $350 or more, I will also include in the mailed package a beautiful set of Valentine's lights to help set the mood for V-Day.
If I raise $450 or more, your prize will also include your choice of one of the following gently watched movies: Dirty Dancing Ultimate Edition, Princess Bride Special Edition, or Ever After.
If I raise $600 or more, I will also send you a Red Wine and Truffles Gift Box from 1-800-BASKETS.
If I raise $800 or more, your prize will also include a $50 gift card to Outback Steakhouse.
Finally, if I raise $1,000 or more, the winner will walk away with a one night stay on February 14th at Hilton Hotel Omaha, right across from the CenturyLink Center and minutes to the Old Market!! (Transportation to Omaha not included)

So, the more I raise, the better the prize package gets! In order to get the best deal, please donate what you can and also make sure you spread the word - several of the entry options are allowed once per day, which can increase your chances of winning! I will draw the winner on Wednesday, February 8th. Good luck!!

Booksy - Plants vs. Zombies

In this edition of Booksy, I'm skipping wordy descriptions in favor of a little treasury I put together... enjoy!

'Booksy - Plants Vs. Zombies' by ThePotteryYarn

A pictorial representation of mixing a book lover with the popular game Plants vs. Zombies.

Decoupaged Wood Frame with A... RootsinRust $35.00	Zombie Legs in the book. Ant... MyBookmark $25.00	25 Flower Tags Hand Punched ... LoveDoveTradin... $2.50
Repurposed Book Upcycled Dic... StayGoldMedia $6.99	Zombie Hands Art Bookmark - ... AnnaSternik $13.00	Radish Plant, Book Page, Sha... PaperArcadia $8.99
Zombie Love. Brains Cameo Br... feralstrumpet $8.00	gartenkultur varius - very b... mozzato $101.00	Beaded Recycled Plant Marker... idahobeadweave... $7.00
Zombie Book Purse or Wallet BookPurses $15.00	Plant Me Notebook - Plumeria... EmMoon77 $15.00	Army Green Zombie Messenger ... BagChemistry $42.00
Within The Heart OF Chaos: A... Project1134 $15.00	Indoor/Outdoor Plant and Gar... prettytheory $45.00	Zombie Coloring Book PARTYON $4.00
Plants vs. Zombies Earrings PopCycled $11.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Shameless Stuff #4: Waste time.

As far as shameless stuff goes, this one is pretty obvious. I like to waste time in one of the following ways:
1) Reading books.
2) Blogging.
3) Browsing Etsy for cool new stuff to buy. 

So far today, I've only managed one out of three - mostly because between work and school, there's not as much free time as I'd like in my life. Therefore, when I actually manage to get a day off (like today) I generally fill it with homework (check), grocery shopping (check), housework (check), and if able, catching up on my blogging (check). Every once in a while, I manage to sneak in a little bit of time on my XBox (currently working on finishing up my achievements for Plants vs. Zombies) or even watching some tv (mostly on Hulu after the air dates, since I'm not always home in the evenings due to work).

How do you find yourself wasting time? And also, now that I'm thinking about it... I think I might just have to go browse Etsy for one more Booksy post... ;)

Sorta Recommended Read - Wind-Scarred by Sky Corbelli

Wind-Scarred by Sky Corbelli

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The formatting for the Nook was poorly done, making the story look like it was written in short, choppy sentence fragments. That made annoying to read. There were also some grammatical, spelling, and editing errors that could be fixed.

The storyline kind-of felt like a spin on a classic favorite, "Brave New World", but mixed with the magic of "Harry Potter" and the humor and adult subjects of the show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." So, it was a little unoriginal, but the mix made for an interesting enough read. Thankfully, I happen to love all three of the above, which helped me to enjoy this a bit more, despite the fact the the female characters were all one-dimensional and hypersexualized.

I think this would be a series that would attract the male sci-fi/fantasy crowd.



View all my reviews

Recommended Read - Penelope by William C. Anderson

Penelope by William C. Anderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Since this was originally published as a printed book back in 1963, there were some language and concepts presented that were outdated (and I actually had to look a few words up, which doesn't happen very often for me!). There was also a bit of sexism and racism touched on, but considering the time period it was originally published in, I doubt the author would have written the same things today.

This story reminds me of what would happen if "The Odd Couple" mixed with "Flipper" - two cooky bachelors develop a relationship with a sweet dolphin named Penelope. You almost visualize it in black and white with such stars as Marilyn Monroe and other old-time celebrities.

It's a good overall story, with an old-time Hollywood feel.



View all my reviews

Recommended Read - Ennatarian Dreams by Peter Saye

Ennatarian Dreams by Peter Saye

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This cyclical story follows a species known as the Ennatarians, and their struggles to both be peaceful and fight their oppressors, the Delabians. There were a couple of minor formatting errors while reading on my Nook, along with a few spelling and editing errors, but nothing too major. The sentences are a little too long and unwieldy, especially at the beginning of the book - if they were restructured, the book would have a better flow and read easier. It also jumps around a bit so it can be a little hard to follow - perhaps if there were an indication in the chapter titles as to whether it's the past or present it might be a little more clear.

However, the world is created with so much detail that you can practically see, taste, smell and touch it! The action at the end is really heart-pounding, and I love that the story portrays the double-edged sword of embracing versus fighting your past. The cyclical nature of the work shows professionalism, and overall this is well-done.



View all my reviews

Booksy - Fall into Fantasy

I've been in a Fantasy Book Funk lately (pretty sure that is a common malady among those of us who read more than one genre), so to pick me up here's a lovely collection of gifts for the fantasy novel lovers in your life!
 - Fantasy inspires art, and nowhere is that more apparent than Etsy! I especially like this steampunk piece from darklingemily; this library-inspired piece from themonkeyface; and this hilarious, feminist-inspired piece from guiltycubicle.

- When you love fantasy, bookshelves aren't just for holding books! Try this book doll from dollsbydesign; this pocket dragon by aquamoose; and this fairy bookstore from winterdays.

- If your head is in the clouds, you probably like to journal. You could go with a more basic leather from barbwireandroses; a wooden-covered piece of art from bookmason; or an upcycled journal from ivylanedesigns.

- Some fantasy worlds have mini things, and for them you can use a mini wizard book with stand from designsbydeebug;wear your mini auryn  from theclaypony to protect the world; and add to their expanding library of knowledge with the classicly fantastical Chronicles of Narnia mini book set from treefeathers!

- For fantasy gift givers, check out these mad hatter tags by fyreflyhollow; these original art stickers by schin; and these cute fairy rubber stamps by inkandecence.

- Want to add fantasy home decor? This snazzy tray from patchworklaboratory fits the bill! Or check out this really pretty hand/dish towel from embroideryeverywhere.You can also tell the time with this brilliant Alice in Wonderland clock from buckaroosmercantile.

- Reading electronically these days can provide a sad longing for a "real" book - but you can recapture that with this repurposed iPad book cover by rebounddesigns!

- You can even find more fantasy books to feed your addiction on Etsy. Try Union of Renegades from tracyfalbe or Death and Other Inconveniences from bambi007.

- Other great miscellaneous finds include: a fictional places sign post from fictionaldirections; a unisex, dracula-inspired perfume from minasapothecary; and custom painted fedoras from opheliart.