Monday 29 October 2012

$15 Gift Card Giveaway and Guest Post: Where the Greener Grass Grows

Original Title: Where the Greener Grass Grows
Author: Lin Brooks
Publisher: Isolibris Publishing
Release Date: September 7th 2011
Genre: Women's Fiction



Sending the children off to college is never easy. For Lacey Marchand and Cara Myers, an empty nest is enough to drive them a little crazy -- but sometimes, a little crazy is just what the doctor ordered.
Now that their daughters have left for college, Lacey and Cara have too much time on their hands. With nothing else to do, Cara decides to help single-mom Lacey get a life. And what better way to get a life than a few blind dates?

Lacey, however, can't think of a worse way to spend her weekends. She has her own ideas for curing their empty nest problems -- Cara needs a new career. And a career just happens to be what Lacey understands best.

For Cara and Lacey, coping with the empty nest means reinventing their lives without losing their sanity. Where the Greener Grass Grows is the story of two mothers learning to live, to laugh and to let go.

THE FEEL OF A HARDCOVER BOOK

- Guest Post by Lin Brooks

Books fascinate me. I love the feel of them. In an electronic age where most books, including my own, are just bits and bytes in a computer program, there's something about the paper that still appeals to me. I love that musty smell of a really old book. I love having a favorite author's autograph scrawled across the title page. And I love relaxing in bed, turning page after page until I realize it's three in the morning and I have to get up early for work in the morning. I have a ton of audiobooks and eBooks, but for the really good ones, I still want the paper. There are at least five books that I have in all three formats. Because you never know.

So I decided to build a library.  My mom ran out of eggs once and decided to build a hen house and raise chickens. True story. This isn't quite the same thing, but you get the idea. The women in my family are like that. We get a wild idea, and off we go. There’s no stopping us. All our men can do is shake their heads and get out of our way.

The problem is my house is very normal. When I say “normal” I mean it doesn’t exactly have room for three stories of floor to ceiling, wall to wall bookshelves surrounding a reading couch (and a wine closet. I do have my standards.).  In fact, it really doesn’t have room for one story of floor to ceiling, wall to wall bookshelves. Space is a commodity here. I have one bathroom (yeah, I know. We have teenagers. This is a problem.)  But I can dream, right?

Since I can’t have a real library, I decided a “sort-of” library would be close enough. For starters, I mentally commandeered a section of my living room. I have measured the space, designed the layout in my head, and tested the paint colors (my living room is now eight different colors, but I think I have it narrowed down). There is a temporary bookshelf there now that is overflowing with books, more in my room, and even more in huge boxes in storage. I’m not exactly new at building shelves. I built a pantry in our kitchen, built-in linen shelves in our bathroom, and an entertainment center for my stepson. However, that doesn’t mean this is quick job for me. The shelves have to be level. That’s important. This means I have to reattach each shelf at least three times (and repair the damage I cause by taking them apart). So, alongside a law practice in two cities that are separated by three hours of driving, teaching part time at the law school, raising a husband and keeping up with two stepkids at home and a daughter in college, there is precious little time left for writing, much less swinging a hammer.

But all of those books!  They deserve a good home. They should be carefully placed, not haphazardly tossed, two deep and three high, on a shelf that is too small. They should be out where I can see them, pick them up and reread them, instead of stuck in a dark box in a storage shed. I suppose if I would just rely on the trusty iPad, I wouldn’t have this problem. But I’m a book junkie. I can’t help myself.

So the library is a worthy cause, even without the wine closet. And when I’m finished, I’m sure it won’t be long before I’m looking for more shelf space. I’m not giving up my reading. I guess I’ll just have to keep on building. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lin Brooks is a lifelong Southern girl who lives in Mobile, Alabama with her family. Lin is a lawyer, runner, mother, home improvement enthusiast and an avid reader with a bucket list that includes visiting Australia, running a marathon and trying every kind of margarita ever made.

AUTHOR ONLINE @ Blog | Amazon

GIVEAWAY

Lin will be awarding a $15.00 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a $15 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn host.

So, all you have to do, to enter this giveaway, is COMMENT.

Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and ends November 9th 2012!


25 comments:

  1. I hope to have a library in my house one day as well. *fingers crossed*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you can, too! Mine is definately on the "one day" list the way things are going at the moment. On the other hand, with my living room half painted, I think I'm going to have to give up a few hours of sleep a night to get it done! My husband is, fortunately, a patient guy.

      Delete
  2. A library is an essential part of my home, now my daughter also struggles to find enough shelf space in her student share house, books are such an essential part of our lives and always will be.
    (I seem to be having some problems with using your site, not sure why it is probably at my end but just thought I should let you know).
    I would love to take part in your giveaway and really a comment is all we have to do?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Arabella

      Its nice seeing you here!

      If you can please let me know the site issues specifically, I would be able to change (if its on my side).

      Yes, a comment in this post is all you have to do - to enter this giveaway. And you have already done it.

      Thanks for visiting my blog!

      Delete
    2. I'm jealous...I have a friend that turned a guest room into a library and I was inspired. It's a neat place to just go and sit. My daughter is in college, and I built her a bookcase before she moved off. It was pretty cool-it rotates and has a mirror on the back. She had it full the second she moved into her apartment.

      Delete
    3. Turning the guest room into a library was one of best decisions I made when I built my house! It's a lovely relaxing shade of orchid with floor to ceiling shelves that are packed full. Have now gone on to restoring bookcase that belonged to my father for my bedroom. This involves stripping over 3 layers of 40 year old paint, but the bare wood underneath is gorgeous!

      Delete
  3. I love to hold a book in my hand and after I finish reading it goes in my bookcase. Your library sounds great. Where the Greener Grass Grows sounds like a fun read.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. It was a fun write, too! There's nothing quite like a collection of good books. It's just not the same to have them on an electronic bookshelf.

      Delete
  4. Thanks for having me today! I look forward to reading your comments and talking to you today.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lin...I'm also a Southern Girl (in NC) and I have a HUGE Library...because I'm a librarian! That had led me to be much less compelled to have a home library. Every day, I come to work and think, "All of these books...THEY'RE ALL MINE" followed by a slightly sinister laugh.
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com
    @capefearlibn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha...I love it! That just adds a whole new element to having a library!

      Delete
    2. That is almost the way I feel when I enter my library (even though it is an elementary school library). I walk in and think ....THEY'RE ALL MINE TO SHARE! Then I feel like the luckiest lady in the world.

      Delete
  6. As a mother I think I can really relate to their story of figuring out what do when your nest empties. Thanks for sharing

    fencingromein at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My daughter was an only child and we are very close. When she went to college, it was a big adjustment for me, too. Still is.

      Delete
  7. This one hits a little too close to home...my whole house looks like a bookstore exploded.

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, I have to admit to a little bit of that myself. I have a bookshelf in my bedroom with the books in progress (that is, the ones that are either being read or waiting in line to be read soon), the one in my living room, the two boxes in storage, and another shelf in the guest room with overflow.

      Delete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm wanting to build a library on to my house! Having over 1,000 it's needed, ya know? I can't bare to get rid of them! Never! ;-)

    justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I know what you mean about space. I used to have over a thousand books, mostly hardcover. When I moved I gave up about two thirds. It was hard and when I go to the shelf to reread something, occasionally I find I miss one of my books.

    I find I am unable to stop myself from collecting more. LOL

    Thanks for the giveaway.

    sherryfundin69(at)netscape(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  11. I guess you could say my whole house is a library, I have bookshelves in every room. Carin
    mawmom at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. My books have overrun my house...someone asked me if they could check out books from 'the library'!
    ivegotmail8889@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. my dorm is too small for all of my books, so i rely on a kindle now. it's very portable, but the experience just isn't the same. thanks for the giveaway. :)

    julylightningATyahooDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  14. i love the feel of a book - I wish I had a library in my home too :) this book sounds like a great read

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm 15 but my house is full with my books.:)

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...