4 days until summer!
I’m a 63 year old mother of three and grandmother of two who writes, and writes and writes. I have always loved living in alternative realities, starting when I was growing up in a very dysfunctional home. Now I use my writing as an excuse to live my dreams. Just returned from Florence where I spent 3 glorious weeks retreating and writing and taking that wonderful city into my bones. My book is called The Only Way To Paradise. Plotted my next Alex and Briggie book in Florence as well. That will be coming out in the fall. As with the other 5 in the series, it will be a genealogical mystery. If you care, am a graduate of Stanford (BA) and George Washington U (MA). Have taught college and held many jobs in finance. The atonement of Jesus Christ is the most important principle in my life.
G.G. is the author of 12 books including Foggy With a Chance of Murder (May 2011) and The Only Way to Paradise (June 2011).
Visit G.G.’s website: www.ggvandagriff.com and her blog: Embracing Abundance.
Follow G.G. on Facebook: G.G.Vandagriff-Author and Twitter: @ggvandagriff
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?
GG: That’s hard, because I read romantic suspense, women’s fiction, mysteries, and historical epics, along with non-fiction history. However, right now, I would probably finish reading Emily Giffin’s womens’ fiction Heart of the Matter.
LDSWBR: What book(s) do you look forward to reading the most this summer?
GG: The Rise and the Fall of the House of Medici and the biography of Lorenzo il Magnifico (the patron of the Renaissance). These are research essentials for my next Crazy Ladies’ book and my Alex and Briggie book.
LDSWBR: How would you describe the perfect summer day?
GG: The perfect summer day would be swimming in the Mediterranean off the Greek Island of Corfu with my grandsons and the entire rest of my family (husband, daughter and son-in-law, and two sons, hopefully married by then, and maybe more grandchildren?) The water off Corfu is turquoise and so clear you can see the sand beneath. It is also warm!
LDSWBR: Sounds heavenly. Thank you so much, G.G.!
Foggy With a Chance of Murder (Deseret Book; May 2011) is available for purchase at Deseret Book. The Only Way to Paradise is available on Amazon.
If your perfect summer day could happen anywhere in the world, where would it be?
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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.
- Follow LDS Women’s Book Review on Facebook
- Follow @LDSWBR on Twitter
- Subscribe to LDSWBR by email (see top right sidebar on website)
- 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.
- Follow the author’s blog (if they have one)
- Follow the author on Twitter (if they tweet)
- 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!