Get busy with your entries because the stakes just got higher.  Besides the prizes that I am giving away each day in January, there are two grand prizes that will be given away on February 1 to someone who has entered throughout the month.

You don’t need to have Prince Charming to get your magic slippers.

Oka b Shoes

WIN A Pair of OKA b Shoes.

Your choice of their inventory.  Check out the OKA b web site for all the choices. I own two pairs and I’ve  raved about these shoes in my Ten Perfect Gifts list. They are GREAT multi-purpose shoes/slippers for travel. (And yes, they have some men’s shoes, also.)

Oka b Mini Mule

WIN A Shawshank Redemption Prize Package

Show your fandom of this powerful movie with an “official” movie fan T-shirt and a book bag with the Shawshank Redemption Trail logo.

Tell me more! How do I win??

If you commented on each new post in January, you would get 19 chances. 19 more if you tweeted @pen4hire announcements every day, 19 more if you mentioned or commented on a post by Vera Marie Badertscher at Google +. and 19 more if you subscribed on the first day of the contest, or if you were a subscriber already and told me that you wanted to be counted for an extra chance every day. First name drawn on February 1 will win the Shawshank Package and the second name drawn will win a pair of Oka b Shoes.

Now, honestly, NOBODY is going to get that many chances, but I just want you to know that you can really stuff the ballot box by entering often. It is not too late to start. Although each person is only entitled to one daily prize, the  daily winners’ names are put back in the pool for the final grand prize drawings. Please see the page cleverly titled Contest Rules for all the fine print.

Now please read Family Travel Friday and enter the contest to win two books to help on a road trip.

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©2012 A Traveler's Library. All Rights Reserved.

Please help a blogger in distress!

I have no trouble deciding to sponsor prizes for Passports With Purpose, where this year travel bloggers are raising money to build TWO libraries in Zambia with Room to Read. After all, A Traveler’s Library is ALL ABOUT far off places and BOOKS.

I have no problem asking sponsors for those prizes, because the sponsors (Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Interlink Books and MacMillan Audio) are happy to be associated with such a great program.

I have no problem spreading the love by tweeting, posting on Facebook, Google + and by writing blog posts at A Traveler’s Library about Passports With Purpose.

I have no trouble deciding to put a widget on my blog that shows you the progress in fund raising.

I have no problem budgeting to contribute several $10 bids on fantastic travel prizes in order to help Passports With Purpose reach its goal.

What I DO have a problem with is deciding which of the wonderful prizes to choose. Do I go for broke and put all my tenners on ONE prize? Do I go for all the ones I crave the most, $10 at a time? Do I try to play the odds and bid on ones that may not be quite as popular?  Do I let Ken have a vote? What a dilemma!

Hawaii Big Island

In case you haven’t visited Passports With Purpose to check out the fantastic list of prizes, yet, here’s a run-down on ten that are jerking my chain.

Home Away $1000 voucher from one of the four cupcakes who dreamed up Passports With Purpose, Nerd’s Eye View. We stay in apartments whenever we can, and this would guarantee a nice trip.

110,000 Hyatt Gold Points good world wide. (YEP! I didn’t add zeroes–that’s actually what it is) from Boarding Area, is worth $2640. (Ken’s pick)

Two Nights at Grand Hyatt Kuaui, worth $1000. Donated by No Vacation Required. The one island we HAVE visited in Hawaii, and we loved it SO much. (Ken’s Pick)

Two Nights lodging at any Ohio State Park resort, worth $450. Now how could I resist the chance to return to the state park where I honeymooned? This one is donated by Road Trips for Families (for whom I have written a few pieces.)

Five nights at Big Island Hawaii Resorts.  This year’s prizes include several Hawaii resort stays, and they all are tempting, but I have not been to the Big Island, and it is definitely on my bucket list.  This one, worth $1692,  is donated by another of the cupcakes who thought up Passports with Purpose, Wanderlust and Lipstick.

Five Day Tournament of Roses and L.A. tour.  Even before knowing who is playing in the Rose Bowl this year, Ken picked this one. We’ve never made it over there when our own Ohio State Buckeyes were playing (and this is definitely not their year). The prize does not include game tickets, but does have the hotel, tours and the rose parade. Worth $1696 and donated by Mira Terra Images. Yes, this is a Ken pick.

A Nine-Day Costa Rica Tour. Now there’s a place that’s definitely on my wanna-go list. It was actually the first prize to catch my eye. Donated by G Adventures of Wanderers in Residence, this prize is worth just shy of $1000.

4-Day Raft Trip on the Salmon River with O.A.R.S. We rafted the Colorado through the Grand Canyon with O.A.R.S. and that ranks as a top experience of a lifetime. Would love to do another river. Sponsored by river guide Joslin Fritz of Wander Lust and Lipstick.

5-Night Stay in Budapest. We won an apartment stay in Budapest once before (in a different drawing)–why not again? Worth $796, this prize is sponsored by Inspiring Travellers. A Ken pick.

One- Week apartment stay in Umbria. Ahhh, we only visited Assisi last time, but we could be persuaded to see more of Umbria! Worth $798, this prize is sponsored by Why Go Italy. A Ken pick.

Well, considering that I left all the travel gear off my list (like the Bamboo Blend Traveler’s Pack sponsored by Wandering Educators), and we do not really need the FIVE Kindles or the Nook Tablet from various sponsors–my list is actually pretty reasonable. But it is stretching my budget–particularly if I put more than one ten on an individual prize. You see the problem?

And of course, when YOU bid, you will also be tempted by the prizes sponsored by A Traveler’s Library–a THREE night stay at the gorgeous Hotel Monteleone in exciting New Orleans; $300 worth of books that take you to far off places from Interlink Books; or $100 worth of audio books from MacMillan Audio to listen to on your next road trip. But I cannot win those, so good luck to you–I’d really like to see one of my readers win the prizes I sponsored.

SO–Advise me on how I should allocate my money–which prizes should I bid on? All on one, or $10 each?  HELP! And Hurry, because the bidding ends on December 16. And we want to help kids like this keep reading.

Literacy Day in Zambia

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©2012 A Traveler's Library. All Rights Reserved.

GRAND PRIZE WINNERS:

5/25: WINNER OF DU PONTS HOUSES AND GARDENS IN THE BRANDYWINE: CONNIE ONG

5/28:Grand Prize Number Two: Inge Morath’s Iran: Kerry Dexter

Grand Prize Number Three: Coast to Coast: Mark Heers (He lives in Australia but met the requirements of the contest by having a U.S. Address.)

Grand Prize Number Four, the beautiful A La Carte Map : Laura Baran.

Cafe Tempest, Adventures on a Small Greek Island went to Lorri, who was the first to comment on the extra prize.

The Great Big Travel Literature Giveaway II

Ken is really getting tired of stumbling over this big box of books on the floor of our shared office. The box holds the Already-Read-and-Reviewed-books. (As opposed to the To-Be-Read-Right-Away- Books, the To-Be-Read-Some-Time-Soon-Books, and the Already-Read-but-Can’t-Part-With-Them Books that are on the shelves, tables and bedroom floor.) So here comes the second Great Big Travel Literature Giveaway.

If your name is drawn for a prize, you will get your choice of one (or pair) of the books remaining at that time. Once a book has been chosen, I will post the information, and remove it from this list.  I am sorry if you don’t get your first choice, but you will have to move on to your second choice. (Isn’t life like that?) All of the books have been read but are not marked or dogeared or damaged.

FIRST WINNER: Edie Jarolim

SECOND WINNER: Dara Llewelyn

THIRD WINNER: Christa Joy

FOURTH WINNER: Rebecca Waer

FIFTH WINNER: Lily Kahn

SIXTH WINNER: Colleen of Slow Trav

SEVENTH WINNER: Mark Heers

EIGHTH WINNER: Carl Hoffman

NINTH WINNER:  Winner never responded with address–so the prize will carry over.

TENTH WINNER: Zoe Zolbrod, author of the Thailand travel book, Currency

THE PRIZES

(Will be Available in Next Contest) Culture Smart Cambodia (Reviewed for Indie Travel PodCast) A really nifty little easy-to-pack book that will help you travel in Cambodia.

Won by Zoe Zolbrod (TWO-FER) Kid’s book: We’re There Rhode Island and just in case you won’t be going to Rhode Island right away, the author has kindly offered to send you a city of your choice from the other books she has written. See review for list of her books and explanation of books.

Cafe Tempest (unreviewed)This is a thinly disguised memoir that humorously  describes life of two Americans one summer on a Greek island.

CHOSEN by Edie Jarolim: Dogtown by Elyssa East A little known place in Massachusetts launched our Great American Road Trip. Odd place, a little murder mystery, a little art, a little nature. Nifty book.

Chosen by Christa Joy The Invisible Mountain by Carolina DeRobertis I really hate to give this away, because it is my absolute favorite of all books read this year. A beautiful novel about Uruguay.

CHOSEN by Rebecca Waer. Lobster Chronicles by Linda Greenlaw. When the Great American Road Trip visited Maine, we went out to a little island and learned about lobstering. A warm and humorous and honest book. And hey, its lobster–that’s a good thing.

CHOSEN  by Lily Kahn.  City on the Edge by Mark Goldman. Our Great American Road Trip visit to Buffalo, New York. Goldman tells the sometimes tempestuous history of Buffalo, and discusses hopes for the future.

CHOSEN by Dara Llewellyn.  Literary Trips , Ed. Victoria Brooks.  Reviewed quite a while ago, this out of print book has wonderful articles about the home ground of many famous writers that encourages the reader to travel. I am only giving it away because I got a second copy that I can keep! (I’ve been trying to find Volume II of this set, with no luck. If you see one, let me know.)

CHOSEN by Carl Hoffman. (TWO-FER)Two finalists in the 2010 Edgar Awards. The Odds by Kathleen George.  Pittsburgh mystery novel AND A Beautiful Place to Die, by Malla Nunn,  South Africa mystery novel.

CHOSEN by Mark Heers.  (TWO-FER)Norah Lofts The Lute Player and the same author’s Eleanor the Queen.(to be reviewed in the future) When I read The Lute Player, I wanted more about Eleanor of Aquitaine, and I got it in the next book, which I only recently read. If you like historical novels, these are for you.

CHOSEN by Colleen. (TWO-FER)Lady Vernon and Her Daughter, by Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway,based on an Austen short novel. I interviewed the mother-daughter authors. AND I’m including a new Jane Austin book Writing Jane Austen, about an author inspired by Jane Austin. Written by Elizabeth Aston. (to be reviewed in the future) Calling all Jane Austen fans.

PLUS AND  –A LA CARTE MAP OF THE CITY OF YOUR CHOICE FROM THEIR WEB SITE.

THE WAY IT WORKS Worked

1. Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday and Friday  from May 5 through May 31,  I will give away a book (or pair of books).
2. One winner will be chosen by random drawing each contest day.
3. Unlike the contest in January, winners will be given a chance to choose which book (or pair) they want, EXCEPT the Three BIG Books and a Secret Prize will be given away in the last four days of the contest (May25, 26, 28 and 31) strictly by random drawing.

WHAT YOU DO TO WIN

1. COMMENT. For one chance: leave a comment on any Traveler’s Library post . You may comment on as many different posts as you wish. You will get another chance when you comment on a 2nd or 3rd post, but only one comment PER post will count toward the daily prize and toward the grand prizes. Comments  left between May 3 and May 31, 2010, count for the contest, but the comments may be on any post on the blog.
2. TWEET. For another chance each day: Tweet this message: @pen4hire has a free travel literature giveaway at A Traveler’s Library http://wp.me/pxThu-1jB
3. SUBSCRIBE. For TWO extra chances at the grand prizes, sign up for an e-mail subscription to A Traveler’s Library here. If you already have an e-mail subscription, I’ll automatically give you two extra chances at the grand prize.RULE CHANGE FOR GRAND PRIZE, Because of difficulty in getting response from current subscribers, only comments, tweets and NEW e-mail subscriptions will count in the grand prize drawings. Entries open until midnight May 31.
   
4. OBSERVE DEADLINE Entry time for all eligible actions for each day’s drawing is between the close of the previous drawing and midnight MST of the day of the new drawing.
5. REPLY TO NOTIFICATION. When your name is drawn, I will e-mail you and you can tell me which book you want to receive, out of those that are available. You can see the entire list of books here and I will announce books that have been given out. (If a winner does not reply within 48 hours of notification, I will draw another name.)
6. REPEAT. Winners will not be eligible to win again until the last four days. Everyone will be eligible for the final four prizes, whether they have won before or not.
7. See general contest rules here.

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©2012 A Traveler's Library. All Rights Reserved.

GRAND PRIZES:

WHERE TO GO WHEN BOOK : Susan Reiners

PERISCOPE BOOK LIGHT IN A BOOK COVER: Bethany Blue

USA BOOK: Richard Mussler Wright

YAK PAK TOTE BAG: Laura Baran

DAY ELEVEN (Deadline MidnightMST Sunday Jan. 24) American Fugue by Alexis Stamatis. Winner Janet M.

DAY TEN (Deadline midnight MST, THURSDAY Jan. 21) Strange Maps by Frank Jacobs. Winner: Bob Keck. Second Win!!

DAY NINE (Deadline midnight MST, Tuesday Jan. 19)Moon Handbook: Fiji by David Stanley (autographed copy) Winner: Richard Mussler-Wright

DAY EIGHT (Deadline midnight MST, MONDAY Jan. 18) If the World Were a Village by Shelagh Armstrong. (This is written for children, but enjoyable by the whole family.) Winner: Laura Baran (AGAIN!–she comments EVERY DAY)

DAY SEVEN (Deadline Sunday, Midnight Jan. 17.) Decoding the Lost Symbol by Simon Cox. Winner: @Paris Buff (Marlys Schurmann)

DAY SIX (Deadline Thursday, Midnight Jan. 14): Heart of the Buddha by Elsie Sze. Winner:  Laura Baran

DAY FIVE (Deadline Midnight Jan. 12): Weird World. Winner: Casey Freeland

DAY FOUR (Deadline Midnight Jan. 11): Win Book on Korea, Calligrapher’s Daughter, by Eugenia Kim. Winner: Libbie Griffin.

DAY THREE (Deadline Midnight Jan. 10): TWO people win copies of Surviving Paradise. Winners: Kris Bordessa wins one.  2nd copy: Bob Keck.

DAY TWO: WIN A COPY OF GAELLIN QUIN’S THE LAST ALOHA. Winner: Meredith Resnick

Day One: WIN A COPY OF DAVID FARLEY’s IRREVERENT CURIOSITY. WINNER: Stephanie Stiavetti

Celebrate!

Happy New Year. This month marks the first birthday of A Traveler’s Library, and to celebrate I’m going to give YOU gifts (with the help of some very generous partners). The books in this giveaway were provided to me as review books by the publishing companies. Two of the Grand prizes are not books, and they were provided by the manufacturers. Today you can win a copy of

popular, informative, and very funny An Irreverent Curiosity by David Farley. Surprising, revealing historic novel about our 50th state, The Last Aloha by Gaellen Quin.
Surviving Paradise, a year on a South Pacific Island. (TWO COPIES-TWO WINNERS)

A family saga set in Korea during Japanese occupation and war with U.S., The Calligrapher’s Daughter by Eugenia Kim.

Weird World, a book of photographs of unbelievable finds around the world. Full of silliness.

Heart of the Buddha, by Elsie Sze, a new novel which recreates the exotic world of Bhutan.

Decoding the Lost Symbol by Simon Cox, who explains all the mysteries in the Dan Brown book based in Washington D.C.

Moon Handbook: Fiji by David Stanley. An autographed copy of a guidebook to a dream location

Strange Maps by Frank Jacobs. A must have book for map lovers.

American Fugue by Alexis Stamatis. Thriller and road trip across America.

HERE’S THE DEAL

1. Each week day from January 5 through January 22, (skipping Thursdays) I will give away a book (or pair of books).
2. One winner will be chosen by random drawing each contest day.
3. All entrants (from all days of the contest) will be entered in a random selection drawing for chances at 4 Grand Prizes, which will be announced on January 12 through January 15 (again skipping Thursday). You don’t have to do anything extra to win a Grand Prize.

Here’s What YOU Do To Win

1. For one chance: leave a comment on any Traveler’s Library post and (ATTN:)mention the travel literature or travel book in THAT day’s giveaway. (People are forgetting that part!)You may comment on as many posts as you wish. You will get another chance at the grand prizes when you comment on a 2nd or 3rd post, but only one comment PER post will count toward the daily prize and toward the grand prizes.
2. For another chance: Tweet this message: @pen4hire has a free travel literature giveaway at A Traveler’s Library http://wp.me/pxThu-10g
3. For THREE extra chances at the grand prizes, sign up for an e-mail subscription to A Traveler’s Library here. If you already have an e-mail subscription, I’ll automatically give you three extra chances at the grand prize.
4. See general contest rules here.

TODAY, YOU CAN WIN:Grand Prizes (listed at top of page), Deadline January 29 midnight MST.

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©2012 A Traveler's Library. All Rights Reserved.

Books: You Buy ‘em!

Boy With a Flute in Cambodia

Because the Khmer Rouge routinely slaughtered anyone in Cambodia who was educated, the country needs to restore literacy to its nation, but how can that happen when children are wandering the dusty roads instead of going to school? It is heart breaking. But you can help.

Passports With Purpose: Build a School in Cambodia

As I explained last week, I have joined an effort by a group of travel bloggers to raise money to build a school in Cambodia. Dozens of bloggers will be participating. The money raised goes directly to AAfC, American Assistance for Cambodia’s Rural Schools Project, to build a school.

What You Can Do

For each $10 in donations that you make to AAfC, you will will be entered to win a prize (or prizes) of your choice. The raffle opens on today, November 30th and closes on December 21. (Complete rules appear on the Passports With Purpose website, and you can see all of the prizes offered at that same addresss) 100% of all donations go directly to AAfC a 501 (c)(3) charity. And if you want to see first hand how the project works, see this video from ABC News.

What A Traveler’s Library is Offering for a Prize

Although I encourage you to go to the Passports with a Purpose website and contribute for lots of chances on various items, I know you’re really going to like what I came up with here. TWO NIGHTS AT THE:

Hotel Monteleone

YEP! TWO NIGHTS AT THE 4-star HOTEL MONTELEONE in the FRENCH QUARTER in exciting NEW ORLEANS. VALUE $600!

You have heard me rave about the Monteleone before, when I talked about Literary New Orleans here, and at Girls Getaway. I think of the Monteleone as my home in New Orleans, and if you win this prize, you will find out why I love it.

Fine print:

Two (2) night, two (2) persons stay in deluxe accommodations as guests of the historic Hotel Monteleone in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans. This offer is for room charges only and excludes Friday and Saturday nights. This offer is valid from December 1, 2009 – November 30, 2010 and does not apply during Special Events such as Sugar Bowl, Mardi Gras, French Quarter Festival, Jazz Fest, Bayou Classic, etc. Total value $600.

This prize is available only to residents of the United States. (Sorry Canada, but you have different laws).

A COMBO PRIZE: LIGHT UP YOUR READING LIFE AND READ A GOOD BOOK:

Periscope Book Cover and Built-in Light

And so that you won’t be looking at a blank leather cover:

Mistress of the Sun

You can read more about the Periscope Book Cover here (it is number 3), and my review of Mistress of the Sun here. The Periscope Book Covers come in various sizes, but this one will wrap your standard hard back or trade paper back book in soft brown leather. An ingenious double lamp (an LED) on a periscoping arm, pull up out of the “spine” of the cover to illuminate both pages so you can read in bed without bothering the person on the other side or read in a darkened airplane cabin. You can fit your favorite book in the cover, but if you like historic fiction, or love France, you’re going to love the book I’m sending to go with your book cover. I will ship a copy of the book to the winner, and Periscope will ship their book cover directly to you.  Value $59.95 for book cover; Mistress of the Sun $26.00 list price.

This combo prize is available only to residents of the United States. (Sorry Canada, you have different laws.)

LAGNIAPPE

On your trip to New Orleans, you learn about lagniappe, that little something extra. Here’s the little something extra from A Traveler’s Library.

Since we are all about libraries here, I am pledging to contribute a bookshelf full of books to AAfC when Passport With Purpose hits the goal of $13,000. That is a $150 contribution to AAfC, and with your help, I would like to send more than one bookshelf. Would you like to contribute another bookshelf? Think about getting your book club, or your family to pitch in, and e-mail me directly at vmb @ atravelerslibrary.com, since this is a complement to Passports with a Prupose and will not show up on their web page. But please make your $10 donations to Passport With a Purpose first!!

Now run on over to the Passport With Purpose web site and choose the gift or gifts that your $10 donations are going to go for. I know my two are fabulous, but there are others just as wonderful in the total list.

Read more about the Rural Schools project in a personal account of participation in the program by the NYTimes columnist Nicholas Kristof.

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