*Update: Comments are now closed! And I’ve decided that y’all have some of the best hypothetical books around. You had me laughing out loud! Check back soon for our ten winners!
The weekend before last (I know, take a minute to figure that one out. It is Monday after all.), I drove myself to Katy, Texas. (While that may sound like I actually ventured out on a road trip, it really just means I drove 30 minutes across town.) (Also, I’m really into the parenthesis today.)
(I’m currently humoring myself and no one else. I know. Forgive me.)
The reason for my 30-minute road trip was because a sweet lady named Big Mama, I mean, Melanie Shankle, was doing a book signing at the Books-A-Million for her new book, Sparkly Green Earrings. You may have heard of her? Grin.
(By the way, if you’re curious as to why she refers to herself as Big Mama, you’ll be relieved to know she explains her alias in the first chapter of her book. But I’ll leave that story for her to tell. A little suspense is a good thing.)
Melanie has been blogging since before blogging became the thing to do, and her blog was one of the very first blogs I read. (How many times can I use the word blog in one sentence?) It was really love at first sight, or read. A few reasons I’ve loved Melanie’s blog are because she’s hilarious, real, a good writer, sarcastic and she loves Jesus. Need I say more?
Also, she does a really fun post every Friday called Fashion Friday, and I don’t know about you, but my materialistic side is really into fashion, and there is always something she’s finding online that’s adorable that I then put into my mental wish list.
Anyway, last Saturday I got lucky and both she and her equally hilarious daughter, Caroline, signed my copy of the book.
Truth be told, I love to read, but for the past week the book has sat on my bedside table. That is until I picked it up yesterday and devoured the first five chapters before I realized I would be late to church and miss prayer time unless I left right then.
(Y’all. I didn’t set my alarm yesterday morning, slept in, and went to our evening service. I don’t know, but I feel like a new woman. It was heavenly. But that has nothing to do with Sparkly Green Earrings. But I did feel sparkly. Whatever that means.)
You know those books that you pick up and they’re just easy to read, charming and you want to keep going because you’ve entered into their world without even knowing it? That’s how I feel about Sparkly Green Earrings. I realize I’m only five chapters in, but I can guarantee you it won’t take me longer than a week to finish it. Honestly, I was a little skeptical at first, not because I don’t love Melanie or her writing, but because it’s a book about motherhood, and, well, to state the obvious, I’ve not ventured into the land of motherhood, nor am I close, so I wasn’t sure if it would apply to me. But alas, it is so much more than motherhood, it is her story of motherhood and it is a sweet one. In fact, she talks about her best friend from the start, and I really resonated with that as I thought about my best friend, and our friendship, especially since she just walked through pregnancy and has her first baby girl that is my current obsession.
I say all of that to say this, our friend Melanie, and her whimsical book, made it on the NY Times Best Seller list this week. Listen, I’m no author, nor have I published a book, but I say that’s a pretty big stinkin’ deal and deserves a celebration.
Need proof? Here’s a picture.
So, to celebrate, I thought it would be really fun to give away ten signed copies of Sparkly Green Earrings! Through a series of unplanned, or planned, events, we have those copies in our possession and they make me incredibly happy. Thank you, Amanda and Melanie, for making the signed books a reality. I know y’all had nothing better to do this weekend. Grin.
Here’s a look in the book.
How about this cover? I’ve tried endless times to get my ponytail looking like that.
Signed, sealed and (almost) delivered. Grin.
Someone else we all know and love also loves this book and the author!
And here is a picture of Nancy and me at the book signing with Melanie. The only thing I’m regretting right now is the fact that Caroline isn’t in the picture with us. Watching Caroline sign the books brought me pure delight.
(Notice the leg pop both Melanie and I are doing. That makes us cool.)
To win your own copy of Sparkly Green Earrings, simply leave a comment with your first and last name. (Side note: I know some of you don’t like your last name on the internet for the world to see, so if that’s you, your last initial would be so helpful. I don’t know if you realized there are A LOT of names on this blog, and not shockingly, A LOT of duplicates.)
For fun, if you’re feeling super creative, you can also tell us hypothetically what the name of your book would be called if indeed, you were to publish a book.
And I’m not even going to pretend like I know what my book would be titled. I’ll just start with “Lindsee Lou”.
How’s that for original? Catchy?
Okay, enough about my non-book.
I’ll leave comments open until mid-Wednesday morning!
Ready, set, go win a book!
Karla Fore
“The Best is Yet to Come” 🙂
Wrapped in His loving Arms!
Jaime Garrett
My book would probably be called…
Rags to Redeemed….With a Few Stumbles Along the Way
It’s all about the Journey.
Renee Whitener
“Double Nickel Ain’t That Bad . . .”
I am making myself wait to read it on a long drive next month! Can’t wait!
Guess my book will be called “When God Moves”.
Tracy Drake
Fort Mill, SC
Brittany B.
Kaylee Schlabach
I’m totally trying to think of something super original that would make every reader and or commenter stop and laugh or cry (or stir emotions of the sort)… But I just can’t. (Sorry for wasting your time with an unnecessarily long comment with nothing juicy). The end.
Shelly DeFauw
Laughing While Learning to Overcome
or
Laughing Along the Way
or
Coffee Dates and Diapers
or something
Julie Anderson
Susan M. from Indiana
Toni Arms, Greer,SC. “Southern Saved”
Choosing Joy would be the title of my book.
Andrea Walker
If I ever wrote a book it would be titled “This Crazy Road I Call Life”
Heidi Freeman
Tammy Mashburn from Spartanburg SC…my book would be titled “Relentless Pursuit”
Janet B.
My book would be called ‘A Bump in the Road’.
My name is Jillian Samples and the name of my book would probably be The Not So Crazy Cat Lady 🙂 haha
Lynn U – “Tapestry Threads”
Nicole Wilkens. “How Does She Do It, Every Hair’s Out Of Place”.
Girl, Ash is not your color!
Get out of the ashes and start living.
If I wrote a book it would be called ” Welcome to the Wonderful and Crazy World of a Military Wife” I’ve have been a military wife for 20 years and have lived all over and had so many great friends and adventures.
Rachel Grigg
Irene Talaasen and I would love to win this book! If I wrote a book it would be called Trust in the Hard Times.
I would love to get this book!! Love the blog!!
Robin Bleezarde Keeping the Faith in Difficult Times would be my book title.
My book would be “His Story: My Life:Your Legacy.” I would leave my journals for my children to see God’s thread of grace and love passed down to them.
Things they never told me
Aisha Vanden Heuvel …. Thank ya! 🙂
Already published “God is in the Laundry Room.” Working on book 2
If I were to publish a book it would be called “Nothing is Impossible”. Thanks for the chance of winning this book!
I would love to win!!!
Mollie Moore
My book would be called ‘Just Jesus’
Marlene Derstine
Shanti H =)
I would name my book ‘A Year of No Fear’ based on the blog I’ve written about believers overcoming fear and anxiety. 2 months after I started writing it, I was diagnosed with cancer. God taught me in a very physical way how to rely on Him.
http://www.ayearofnofear.blogspot.com
Blessings!
Laura 🙂
Colette Pellegrino 🙂
Thank you for the opportunity to receive one of these books. My book title would be, “Faithful to the End.”
Working for the King
Casey Andrews. The name of my book would be, “Kids, Cooking, Cleaning, Caring, and Craziness”
Berni Sivage
Maybe my book should be titled:
I’m a Girl!(my name just sounds like a nice Jewish boy)
Lori Mack in SC, “Keepin’ It Classy””
I just finished my first novel, which just has a working title. The one I am working on now is called Sidewinders.
Someone recommended this book to me, and my library didn’t HAVE it. I’d LOVE to win it! *fingers crossed*
TerraD
Hmmm… Wish I could think of something good but… Enjoying reading everyone else’s 🙂
A Miracle In Spite of Myself
“That’s Just Not Fair”
Fun! It would be called Abundant Life.