5 days until summer!

Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and romance novels. After meeting her husband online, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed houseplants. Melanie is a former English teacher and a popular speaker who loves to laugh and make others laugh. In her down time (ha!), she writes romantic comedies for Covenant and maintains her humorous slice-of-life blog. Her first novel, The List, hit shelves in March.

Melanie’s next book, Not My Type: A Single Girl’s Guide to Getting It All Wrong, another romantic comedy, will be released in October.

Visit Melanie on her website: melaniejacobson.net and blog: Write Stuff.

Follow Melanie on Facebook: Melanie Jacobson, Author and Twitter: @Writestuff_Mel.

LDSWBR: If you had an entire day to read (on the beach, at the lake, by the pool, etc.), what book(s) or genre would you reach for first?

MELANIE: Contemporary YA fiction, preferably something with a dose of romance. I just read Anna and the French Kiss and loved it. That’s the genre I’m feeling right now.

LDSWBR: What book(s) do you look forward to reading the most this summer?

MELANIE: I’m looking forward to 10 Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have) by Sarah Mylnowski. I’m also twitchy to get my hands on Pumpkin Roll from Josi Kilpack. And whatever Sarah Eden puts out next.

LDSWBR: How would you describe the perfect summer day?

MELANIE: I’d get to sleep until 9, browse blogs and news feeds without interruption, eat a delicious sandwich for lunch, and then lounge at the beach for three hours of uninterrupted reading while my husband watched the kids in the water. EXCELLENT.

LDSWBR: Thank you so much, Melanie!

The List by Melanie Jacobson (Covenant; March 2011) is available for purchase in paperback from Deseret Book and for the Kindle from Amazon.

Would sleeping in be a part of your “perfect” summer day?

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***Countdown to Summer 2011 Contest***

LDSWBR will hold a drawing on June 25, 2011 for a $50 Amazon gift card, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors featured in the Countdown. This will be a raffle-type drawing, so more entries means more chances to win. There are several ways to enter the Countdown to Summer 2011 contest. See details below.

Book prizes generously donated by the authors:

• The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley

• Gifted by Karey White

• Bumpy Landings by Donald J. Carey

• Captive Heart by Michele Paige Holmes

• The Perfect Fit by  Michele Ashman Bell

• River Whispers by Kathi Oram Perterson

• Hazzardous Universe by Julie Wright & Kevin Wasden

• Hearts Through Time by Marie Higgins

• Double Deceit by Stephanie Humphreys

• The List by Melanie Jacobson

• The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum

• The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden

• Blackberry Crumble by Josi S. Kilpack

• **Bonus Prize** An autographed copy of BLOODBORNE by Gregg Luke (released August 2011)

Do ANY of the following to enter:

• Post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Summer 2011 author posts. Comments can be added on any of the author posts anytime during the contest period (June 1, 2011 through June 24, 2011). Only one comment per person per Countdown to Summer author post will be entered into the drawing. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you’d like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.

• Send LDSWBR an email to ldswbr AT gmail DOT com telling us which of the following you have completed. If you already do these things, email us and let us know. Each item gets you 1 entry.

1. Follow LDS Women’s Book Review on Facebook
2. Follow @LDSWBR on Twitter
3. Subscribe to LDSWBR by email (see top right sidebar on website)
4. Follow LDSWBR with Google Friend Connect (right sidebar beneath “Follow LDSWBR”)

• On each Countdown to Summer author post, leave a comment telling us which of the following you completed or already do. Each item gets you 1 entry.

1. Follow the author’s blog (if they have one)
2. Follow the author on Twitter (if they tweet)
3. Follow the author on Facebook (if they have a Facebook page)

• Tweet this message each day. One entry per day. Just copy and paste into your twitter message window to send it (LDSWBR must be able to see the tweet): LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2011 – Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card & great summer reads! http://bit.ly/kZ5jXw @ldswbr

• Blog about this contest on your blog then send us the link to your specific blog post. You can find the Countdown graphic badge/button to include in your blog post here. (5 entries)

• Post the following on your Facebook page (3 entries) then send us an email (ldswbr AT gmail DOT com) telling us that you did: LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2011 – Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card & great summer reads! http://bit.ly/kZ5jXw

Here are the rules:

• Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MDT on June 24, 2011.
• Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MDT on July 2, 2011 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
• Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.
• LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a “thoughtful” comment.

Let’s keep counting down to summer with some great reads!