Mother's Day Double Giveaway: Secret Daughter & Original Sin

In honor of Mother's Day falling this Sunday, I've decided to do a double giveaway this week, of two books that deal with the subject of what it is to be a mother very differently.  Intriguingly, they're both set in San Francisco, where I live, but that's where the similarity ends.  Of Original Sin, Library Journal says:

McMullen's debut introduces Lucy Hamilton, stay-at-home mom by day, spy by night. After giving up a stellar career as a government agent (code name: Sally Sin), Lucy finds herself drawn back into the underworld when her old nemesis, an arms dealer, resurfaces—and she's apparently the only one who can bring him to justice. High-spirited fun that will appeal to readers who enjoy sassy mystery heroines.

This book won't be released until July 12, 2011, so this is a trade paper pre-publication galley I'm giving away.

Secret Daughter, on the other hand, is full of exotic locations, culture, and melodrama.  In the Washington Post, Wendy Smith wrote:

Shilpi Somaya Gowda strikes a pleasing balance in her first novel, which draws upon the hot-button issues of female infanticide and overseas adoption…Secret Daughter tells a nuanced coming-of-age story that is faithful to the economic and emotional realities of two very different cultures…Gowda doesn't neaten up the messy complications of family life as she warmly affirms the power of love to help people grow and change.

This novel was published in hardback last year.  I am giving away a finished trade paperback.  You do not need to have given birth to a child in order to win (but if you have, that's a bonus).  Other than that, the usual rules apply:

• The winner of this giveaway is welcome to choose either or both of these titles.  If the winner wants only one, a second winner will be chosen, until both books are in the hands of someone who will enjoy them.  Other than that, the regular rules apply:
• The giveaway is open to anyone with a U.S. mailing address ('cause I'm footing the postage).
• To enter, all you need to do is post a comment below by Wednesday, May 11, 2011.
• At my discretion, if there are less than five respondents, I can cancel or extend the giveaway.
• Winner will be chosen by me with the help of a random number generator, and will be announced in the comments section of this thread.
• Please check back to see if you've won. If you have left a way to contact you, I will do so.
• The winner has one week to respond to me at suetu@yahoo.com with a mailing address, or I will choose a new winner.
• If a second winner fails to respond, the book automatically goes to the lovely members of my face-to-face book club.
• Previous giveaway winners are welcome to enter.
• Finally, if at all possible, please comment below only if you're entering the giveaway.

Good luck, happy reading, and happy Mother's day to all the moms out there!

Mailbox Monday: The Tuesday Edition

Mailbox Monday seemed like such a good idea when I started it.  I always enjoy seeing this sort of post on other people's blogs.  And, I definitely enjoy it when readers take the time to comment.  No, Mailbox Monday is still a good idea, I just have to get back in the habit of adding the books all week as they come in.  Otherwise, it's just a huge job on Monday.  I'll do better!

Original Sin
by Beth McMullen
Release date: 7/12/11
Source: paper galley from publisher

This looks like a cute, light summer read.  I've got a couple of copies, so this is likely a future Humpday Giveaway.

The Soldier's Wife
by Margaret Leroy
Release date: 6/28/2011
Source: paper galley from publisher

A drama, possibly heavier than I want to read.  I think I'll wait to hear more buzz before deciding.  I already gave away a copy this weekend in my face-to-face book club.

Love You More
by Lisa Gardner
Release date: 3/8/2011
Source: finished hardback from the publiscist

I just started reading this.  It's been years and years since I've read a Gardner, so I'm essentially reading this 5th in the series as a stand alone.  So far, it's off to an excellent start.

Secret Daughter
by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Release date: 4/5/2011
Source: trade paperback from the publisher

This is so not my cup of tea.  Some other reader will really enjoy it.  It's definitely going to be a future blog giveaway.

Crunch Time
by Diane Mott Davidson
Release date: 4/5/2011
Source: finished hardback from publisher

Yes, there were a couple of duplicates this week.  The generosity of HarperCollins knows no bounds.  Perhaps I'll just look over the names from the last giveaway and choose the most enthusiastic commenter?

Lowcountry Summer
by Dorthea Benton Frank
Release date: 6/15/2010
Source: trade paperback from the publisher

Ditto what I said above.

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives
by Lola Shoneyin
Release date: 6/29/2010
Source: finished hardback from publisher

I vaguely remember when this novel was first published last year.  I'm assuming the publisher sent a copy because the trade paperback is about to be released.  Do you ever want to read a book, just because of the format of it?  This is a petite hardback without a jacket.  It looks just like the photo to the left.  There is something so absolutely inviting about it, that I'm ready to pick it up and read.  Kudos to the designer!

Death by Midnight
by Carolyn Hart
Release date: 3/29/2011
Source: finished hardback from publisher

I've never read Carolyn Hart, have you?  I enjoy a good mystery.  Should I read this?

Come and Find Me
by Hallie Ephron
Release date: 3/22/2011
Source: finished hardback from the publisher

Hallie is the sister of Nora, Delia, and I believe one more writing sister?  In this case,  did read her debut thriller, Never Tell a Lie.  I found it to be a quick, entertaining read, but a mediocre, predictable book.  When I saw she had a new book out, I was certainly willing to consider reading it, but then saw a very unflattering review in PW.  It did not inspire me to pursue the book further.  Now that it's sitting in my hands, I may have to revisit the matter.

Winged Obsession : The Pursuit of the World's Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler
by Jessica Speart
Release date: 4/5/2011
Source: finished hardback from publisher

This non-fiction book is being compared to The Orchid Thief for obvious reasons.  It sounds quite interesting and the author is attending Thrillerfest.  For all of these reasons, I am hoping to read it in the near future.

Cry of the Phoenix
by J. G.
Release date: unpublished
Source: the author

This image will serve as a spaceholder for this novel in progress, my latest editorial job.  I need to put down the other books and get crackin' on this one! 

The Breach
by Patrick Lee
Release date: 12/29/2009
Source: mass market pb picked up at book group

If Mr. Lee Googles himself and discovers this post, he will be very pleased to learn that I finally accepted a copy of this book because it was highly recommended to me by authors James Rollins and Boyd Morrison independent of each other.  Patrick, chase them down for a blurb!  I could have grabbed a copy of this when it was first published, but the science fictiony premise was somewhat off-putting to me.  We shall see.

Innocence
by David Hosp
Release date: 7/11/2007
Source: mass market pb picked up at book group

This was another of the thrillers that Maya was sharing the other day.  Thanks, Maya!  I've socialized with David Hosp, but I've never read him.  We have many friends in common, so I expect to see more of him.  Perhaps one of these days I'll check this out. 


There may have been a few other books last week, but who can remember at this point.  I need to wrap this up and begin listing this week's books, LOL.  I can tell you that so far this weeks books are fewer, but they're quite exiting!


Books finished in the past week:

The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey

Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid by Wendy Williams  - I also went to hear her speak last week.  She was great!  We had a really lovely discussion afterwards.

Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx by James Rollins


Currently reading:

Love You More by Lisa Gardner

So, what books did you acquire in the past week?  What are you reading?  Please let me know in the comments!