If you look down the right hand side of my website, you’ll see a new widget from Shelf Awareness. Use the widget to sign up for Shelf Awareness for Readers, the newsletter with the best news and reviews on the hottest new books, and you could win a signed, first edition copy of Thick as Thieves by Peter Spiegelman! Check out the widget for more details on how to win.

As promised, more Gilbert Gottfried! His new book, Rubber Balls and Liquor, was released this week and if the trailers are any indication, it is very funny indeed. Check back for trailer #3 and a chance to win a free copy.

STEPHEN KING ON GILBERT GOTTFRIED -”More than a national treasure, he’s a secret weapon. If we had had Gilbert Gottfried in World War II, Hitler would have given up in 1942.”

Tuesday seems like a nice day for a dirty joke, doesn’t it? And what else would you expect from Gilbert Gottfried? According to publisher:

Part memoir, part twisted social commentary, part scratches on the bathroom wall, Rubber Balls and Liquor is Gilbert Gottfried’s hilarious first-ever book.

In the early 1970′s, as our nation’s youth railed against every conceivable societal norm, a funny-looking teenage Jew started turning up at open mike nights in various New York City comedy clubs. Surprisingly, he didn’t suck. That funny-looking teenage Jew is now the even funnier-looking middle-aged comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who despite his transparent shortcomings has managed to carve out a hardly- respectable career-and a reputation for shock and awe unrivaled outside the Bush administration. With this scathingly funny book of rants and musings, Gottfried sullies an entirely new medium with his dysfunctional worldview.

Now, be careful — I warned you that this was a dirty joke. No minors, please.

Hopefully, I will soon have a copy of Rubber Balls and Liquor to give away. Check back on Friday for the next video!

There is a party next week and you’re on the guest list!

Make plans to attend the Thread of Sky release party over at BookTrib.com. These nice folks are throwing a party on Tuesday, April 26^th,  to celebrate the paperback release of A Thread of Sky by Deanna Fei. There will be a live chat with Deanna and 10 luck party guests will receive special gift bags filled with handmade goodies!

To help you get psyched for the party, I have a copy of A Thread of Sky to give away. To register, just use the form below – don’t worry, the form is hidden so none of your information will appear in the comments. If you follow me on Twitter, or add this on Facebook or your blog, I’ll be sure you get extra entries. This book is getting great reviews and I look forward to reading it!

Here are the rules:

1. Contest runs through Friday, April 29th at 5:00 pm EST.
2. One entry per person. Additional entries are available if you:
   - Follow me on Twitter
   - Announce this giveaway on your blog or on Facebook
   Please provide links/info on the form below, so I know how many extra entries you’ve earned!
3. US residents only, please.
4. Winners will be announced on Friday and have 48 hours to email their address to claim their prize.

This event should be a lot of fun and you don’t even have to dress up or wear uncomfortable shoes! (You can always supply your own cocktails and snacks.) You are just a click away from a good time and – if you’re lucky – a free book.

If you entered my giveaway for The Sweet Relief of Missing Children, check your email.  One lucky winner has about 48 hours to respond and claim their copy.  Otherwise, I pick a new name.

Okay, you know I love contests and this is one to get you in the holiday spirit!  The nice folks at St. Martin’s Press are offering you the chance to win a signed of Augusten Burroughs’ new book, You Better Not Cry. It’s a story about Christmases past and present, and if the trailer is any indication, it’s going to be very funny:

Now, to enter, just click on the link below and fill out the information. I know that I’m hoping there’s a copy in my Christmas stocking – how about you?

You Better Not Cry Sweepstakes

Good Luck!

I haven’t had any free books here for a while, but I’m going to make up for that today! Today, I’ve got a special promotion – not just one book, but a prize pack of EIGHT books! And not just one winner – TWO winners will receive this bounty of books. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post (you MUST include an email address, so I can contact you). You can read the details below – this promo even has fine print! – and be sure to comment for a chance to win. Add a link to this post on your blog and I will give you a second chance to win (be sure to give me the link in your comment). I am a huge fan of quality books for young readers and I can’t wait to get these into the hands of some future book bloggers!

I bet some of you remember Emily Bryan – I hosted her guest post here for her book, Vexing the Viscount, and she hung around all day, responding to comments from my readers. Well, she has something new coming out, and this sounds like a lot of fun!

Want to see your name on the acknowledgment page of Emily Bryan’s next book? Here’s your chance! Emily is giving her readers an opportunity to name an important secondary character in her upcoming STROKE OF GENIUS. The winner will receive signed copies of Emily Bryan’s entire backlist (including A CHRISTMAS BALL anthology, due out Sept 29th). PLUS you’ll be mentioned on the acknowledgment page of STROKE OF GENIUS. The contest begins June 1st and entries close July 1st. For more information, visit her website, EmilyBryan.com.

Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together? As I was heading over to Random.org to pick my three giveaway winners, I was really hoping that everyone could get their first choice of book – and that’s just how it worked out! The lucky winners this time around are: