July 16, 2012
Contest: Pimp My Read 170
The Contest
Pimp My Read is your chance to win one of four fantastic e-readers, as well as best-selling, super-sexy, fun contemporary romances by authors Ruthie Knox, Sarah Mayberry, Shannon Stacey, and Molly O’Keefe. This week, we four authors bedeck ourselves in (virtual) feathers and gold chains, climb on top of our Pimp Caddies, and sing the praises of e-readers and digital books at four fantastic romance review sites: Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, Smexybooks, Dear Author, and The Season for Romance. At every site, one of us is giving away an e-reader, as well as prizes for runners-up. If you’ve been on the fence about which e-reader to get, or even why you would get one—or if you love your e-reader to bits and are dying to convert a friend or family member to the digital side—this is the contest you’ve been waiting for!
The Prizes
Sarah Mayberry is giving away a Kindle Touch 3G at Smexybooks,
Shannon Stacey is giving away a Nook SimpleTouch with Glowlight at Dear Author,
Ruthie Knox is giving away a Kindle Keyboard 3G at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books,
and Molly O’Keefe is giving away a Kobo Touch at The Season for Romance.
The winner of each e-reader and two runners-up at each site will also receive Exclusively Yours, Undeniably Yours, and Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey, Her Best Worst Mistake and Within Reach by Sarah Mayberry, About Last Night and Ride With Me by Ruthie Knox, and Can’t Buy Me Love by Molly O’Keefe.
Molly O’Keefe Enters the Technological Age: A Love Story
I have a phone that is almost always out of battery. Or, in the moments I need it most, I’ve left it at home. I tell people to call me on my cell phone and then, without thinking, I turn it off. All of this is to say – I have no love of technology (or apparently talking on the phone). So, when e-readers entered the publishing world, I was uninterested. I love books. The way they smell. even the way my favorites have fallen apart. E-readers were for other people.
But, here’s the thing – I live in a city, which you think would mean it would be easy to get books. But I don’t drive. So, unless the book was at my grocery store or drug store, I couldn’t find it. Weekend trips with the family to the bookstore were (and still are) a regular occurrence. But as a reading addict (I’m sure you can relate) there were times I wanted a book NOW! E-readers feed that addiction. The ability to get the book you want, when you went it, almost IMMEDIATELY – holy cats! It’s mind-blowing. We’re all addicts, right? It’s like living in a bookstore!
Do they replace the experience of reading a paper book? No. Does buying on-line replace the experience of going to a bookstore? Not even close. Do I spend a lot more money, going to a bookstore and buying on-line? Unequivocally, yes. Is it worth it? Without a doubt.
If you’re holding out because you love reading and can’t imagine changing the experience, you’ll never have a better chance to give it a try, or better books with which to step into the digital age. Give it a try and perhaps you’ll have your own technological love story.
How To Enter
To enter, leave a comment explaining either (a) why you want to win this e-reader for yourself or (b) why you want to win it for someone else. Please include your e-mail address in the appropriate comment field so we have a way of contacting you if you win. Your e-mail address will not be visible to the general commenting public.
The Fine Print
1. Feel free to increase your chances of winning by entering once at each of the four sites! But please, only one entry per site. Deliberate multiple comments on any individual e-reader giveaway post will get you disqualified.
2. The contest opens on each site when the post goes live and closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, July 20.
3. Ruthie, Sarah, Shannon, and Molly will choose the winners from among the comments on the site where each posts. Feel free to entertain us or tug at our heartstrings — we’ll pick the winners whose comments most effectively sway us!
4. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
5. This contest is open internationally. The e-readers on offer will work in many, but not all, countries. Please be aware that geographical restrictions may affect your ability to use/enjoy your prize.
Jul 19, 2012 @ 23:42:17
I don’t currently have an e-reader, I didn’t really think I needed one, I loved my paperback books. However, due to a huge rainstorm yesterday in NYC (it was raining hail for goodness sake!), my basement flooded and my boxes of books along with the carpenting all got ruined! So sad right now. But maybe this was a sign from above to move on to an e-reader? If you choose me and I win the Kobo touch, I’ll truly start believing in a higher power.
Jul 20, 2012 @ 00:36:06
I have the basic Kindle, but am still working on figuring it out. If I won, I would give it to my oldest daughter. She works long hours and has a one year old. She is lucky to have a wonderful, understanding, and helpful husband both she and their daughter adore. An e-reader would be perfect for her. It is small enough to fit in the diaper bag or her briefcase. She is tech savvy and won’t have any trouble figuring it out. It will allow her to have something on hand to read whenever she has a free moment. With a new baby and medical bills due to her husband’s illness, there budget doesn’t allow for many extras, so I know she won’t be getting an e-reader for herself any time soon.
Thanks for the giveaway.
Jul 20, 2012 @ 00:37:01
Forgot my email address: librarypat AT comcast DOT net
Jul 20, 2012 @ 03:24:17
My first e-reader was a gift to me from my sister, and my goodness what a fabulous gift it was! It’s one of my most prized possessions and I never go anywhere without it. So if I win, I would like to return the favor and give this baby to her.
Jul 20, 2012 @ 04:03:26
Thank you so much for this great contest! We live in a house filled with books. My Mom taught me both the value and joy in reading at a very early age. As a kid who wore a back brace for scoliosis and wasn’t active, books were heaven sent!! I would give this prize to my Mom! We still share a love of books. The books may have evolved from G rated stories to beyond, but the love remains. My Mom and I have been thru so much together including the death of my little sister from cancer. My Mom never asks for anything for herself. She is currently going thru a horrible divorce and is preparing to undergo her third total knee joint replacement surgery. This e reader would be the perfect hospital and subsequent rehab toy. I want so desperately for my Mom to have a little peace these days. Maybe escaping into the worlds of the characters and stories in an e reader would bring her a much needed respite. Thank you for your consideration!
Jul 20, 2012 @ 06:17:41
This page is open on my daughter’s laptop, I saw it when I ask her to do something. It seems like she is planning to join the giveaway. I know why, She’s been bugging me to buy her an e-reader since her old one broke months ago. I know how much she loves to read, but with a tight budget I can’t afford to give her this time. I’m not sure if she submitted an entry already, so I decided to join, If ill be chosen I’ll give it to my daughter (no questions ask.
) maybe this way I could still help her with one of her wishes come true. Goodluck to everyone. Everyone deserves to win and have an e-reader to read more comfortably anytime anywhere.
Jul 20, 2012 @ 09:52:39
I have an e-reader, which I love. I also have three sons who have inherited my love of reading. As a matter of fact, my oldest, who is entering the sixth grade is reading at an eight grade level. He absolutely loves to read! If I win this, I would be giving it to him, as a gift, since he is entering middle this August! Thank you and good luck to all!
Jul 20, 2012 @ 10:15:59
Thank you for such a wonderful contest. I have been reading since I was a child and diagnosed with dyslexia. When I finally learned to read correctly, it opened up a whole new world to me and now I teach that to my kids. My son has severe Apraxia so I am trying to teach him that so many things and places are possible with out saying words. This would greatly help with that, With the economy the way it is, I can not afford many things like this. Contests are wonderful and many books are free now and then with e readers. That would help me since I read every day
..It allows me to be anywhere for a while ( love the magic of reading) ….Good luck to everyone
Allie
Jul 20, 2012 @ 10:16:03
I don’t own an e-reader book and as someone who reads a ridiculous amount of books, I think I should have one already. I just haven’t picked one up because I am used to the comfort of a traditional book in hand. I would love one though and I would be very happy to win one .
Jul 20, 2012 @ 10:32:46
I have an early version of an e-reader by Sony and find that it is nearly impossible to read books on it. Since I have fellow writers with e-version on works, I’d like to be able to read their books without feeling the need to hurl my e-reader across the living room every time I power it up.
Jul 20, 2012 @ 10:45:03
I have a 14 year old son who saved his money from birthdays, mowing and christmas and bought himself a Kindle…this was about 2 years ago. Well, guess who has the most books on it? MOM(me) My poor son is terrified that he will be found out by his friends that he has romances on his kindle. So I would love to win this, so my son can have his.. um, dignity? and I can have my own e-reader!
Jul 20, 2012 @ 10:48:52
Thank you for offering this fantastic contest! I am absolutely in love with ereaders. I am a mother of 5 children, and in my house I have a Nook, 2 Kindles, and 2 Nook Colors. I love being able to load my children up with loads of books at all times and especially appreciate the ability to get a book for them when they are asking for one without having to make a trip to the store. It allows me to get whatever book they want into their little hands before they manage to be distracted by something on television or a video game.
Anyway, my best friend is an avid reader and has to travel frequently for work. She works in IT and is normally all about having the latest in technology or a new gadget, but for some reason she has been extremely hesitant to move to reading on an ereader. I know her well enough to know that once she picks up and tries it, she will be in love! (I have watched her fight with her paperback many times on the treadmill at the gym). I would LOVE to win this for her and bring her over to “the dark side”. We are good enough friends that I will even be able to tell her “I told you so”.
Thank again!
Jul 20, 2012 @ 12:07:42
I love my kindle, but my newly college graduated daughter has no e-reader. So sad! I think she needs to be able to enjoy the wonderful world of e-books!
Jul 20, 2012 @ 13:05:50
Hi Molly! Have to agree completely with you. I will always love print books and browsing bookstores. However, I live in a small town. The nearest book store is 2 hrs away. Even the nearest Walmart is 30-45min away (and then the selections are quite limited and often times don’t have books I’m looking most for), so being able to get ebooks online whenever I want them no matter what they are is awfully convenient and super nice.
There are actually several reasons I’d really love and appreciate a new ereader. I won’t say that mine are better than any other reader via-ing for one. I had a kindle that finally an on its last leg end of the year… it was shared between myself, son, and mom so I think probably just couldn’t stand the stress of literally being powered on about 15 hrs a day
.
I had planned on getting one for my mom and son for Xmas this past year but the company I was doing design work for downsized suddenly and their design budget – as well as my lively hood – was the first to be cut, so we had a very small Christmas (but was still good not complaining we were together and safe). Shortly after, I got really sick bills got behind etc. Things turned up got a new job in Feb, but PC went out in April. I am just now getting to get things back on track with a new pc, job – and designing book covers etc. for authors – so hoping for a great rest of the year.
I can live with reading on my PC and digging through book piles to find my dresser, tv, small dog… I’d like it most for my mom who has poor eye site and carpal tunnel syndrome which make reading print books difficult. Also for my son (13) who had just started developing a true/consistent love for reading and has been withdrawn a bit since he no longer is able to use one (by that I mean he was more talkative, more excited, shared his thoughts on the books and came up with scenarios of his own). He also relied on it for part of his schoolwork. He is homeschooled so we depend a ton on books… with the income change it is a blessing to be able to get ebooks to utlize.
Thanks so much for the chance to win and wishing you and the others a ton of new followers/readers!
Pam S
Jul 20, 2012 @ 13:45:06
I am not a huge fan of ebooks because I want to touch the books, to smell the paper but I would really love to win an ereader for my sister. She has her birthday next week and I know how much she wants one. Of course with one condition that she will borrow it to me once in a while.
Thank you for the great giveaway!
Jul 20, 2012 @ 13:47:28
I would love to win an ereader for my husband so that I can stop carrying multiple books for him in the carry-on when we travel. I’m a voracious reader, and I made the switch a long time ago. Believe me, it’s much better to pack 1 Kindle than it is to pack 5 paperbacks for a trip, and then have to go out while on a trip to find a bookstore to buy more books! Especially when you’re in a nonEnglish-speaking country!! I would love for us each to have our own device.
Jul 20, 2012 @ 15:52:35
I don’t have an e reader yet but obviously I need one! I had no idea how many books were only coming out in “e” versions until very recently. I am unemployed so I can’t afford to splurge and buy one…in fact, I get a lot of my paperbacks from the local book swap shop so I don’t have to pay too much but I really enjoy them. With all the financial issues I’m dealing with, it’s nice to have a completely enjoyable escape valve!
Jul 20, 2012 @ 16:28:06
I must admit I desire an e-reader for purely selfish reasons and solely for myself. Once I got it (and one of those days I will win it in one of those competitions I keep entering and if not – buy. But maybe next year or a year after that) I do not intend to share. Well, maybe only with my youngest brother, who craves to read new books almost as much as I do. Almost. And he is already through most of the books from our nearest library. As am I – only those from another genre. Lately we have ridden to a more remote library, but it is rather new and not so well stocked yet. It will not take very long to read through the books it offers.
There is also a case of buying the books on paper. Here in Poland they are just too expensive. Being a poor student I simply cannot afford them. At least not as often as I would like to. As it is, my shelves are already full and new books after I read them have to go behind the bed – what a pity! I feel guilty for letting them lay in such a place. My owning an e-reader will put an end to the growth of my behind-the-bed-pile. New books will be neatly stored in it. Or not so neatly, judging from the files in my laptop. But nevertheless neater than they are today.
The next thing is my languages learning attempts. It is about five years now that I have started reading books in English (mostly e-books on my laptop or mobile to the endless suffering of my eyes and the batteries – another reason for an e-reader), and I have decided it is high time I return to studying German. I have had four-year break from it now and the first books read in this language is yet before me. I am sure I will not manage reading it in any other form than in ink (or e-ink, as it is). And the studying to be successful cannot end at just one book. Do you know how hard (and expensive) it is to come by a German book in Poland? Amazingly so.
Moreover, the e-reader will be so much easier to carry with me everywhere I go. I move around in the wheelchair and the weight of my bag must be kept to minimum. Being a bookaholic I have this urge to have a book I am currently reading with me all the time. One never knows when and where one will have a minute or two to have a break for a quick or a less quick read. Lately I was reading ‘North and South’ by Elizabeth Gaskell and I had to leave it home when going out – it was simply too heavy.
I hope I didn’t bore you to death with my essay (for me it looks like an essay, but my talkativeness got the better of me) and you will award me with and e-reader. I just want it so much!
Greetings from Poland,
Jadzia
Jul 20, 2012 @ 22:55:11
I’ve been going to Amazon and getting the free childrens book for him because he feels so big when we read it off the kindle lol. But it’s hard keeping up with his books among all of mine. I hope to get him one for himself soon but I’m a single mother going to school and can’t afford one right now. I’m hoping with his own Kindle he will continue reading books and fine a strong love for books as I have!
Jul 22, 2012 @ 10:21:14
I would love to win this ereader! For a very long time, I was a rabid anti-ebook advocate. I could not fathom why anyone would want to read a book, but not be able to enjoy the feel of the paper against fingers, the unique book smell, and (let’s face it) being able to display it (and all the others!) in a bookcase.
Now, I have conceded. I still own over 1000 DTBs, and my absolute favorites are falling apart at the spine because I have loved re-reading them so often. I would love to have an ereader for a variety of reasons, the least of which is that I will not have to see my cherished book fall apart. (Handy, that.) Also, storing my books is getting to be a problem. Having a lot of books is not a bad thing; storing over 1000 is quite often an exercise in futility. Much to my dismay, I am in a position of having to give up my DTBs just because I no longer have the space. While I gave most of them to a local Children’s Hospital, I still mourn the loss. With an ereader, storage is not as much of an issue. Granted, the space is still finite, but not on the same scale. Ereaders can be carried everywhere, and most will store hundreds of books in the same amount of space as a magazine.