Jamie Farrell's Blog, page 15
July 10, 2014
The Husband Games Cover Reveal Day!!!
Truth: I have been sitting on the cover for The Husband Games since last September.
It. Has. Been. Killing. Me.
But today, I finally get to share it with you!!
Want to see it? Go check out these blogs:
For the Love of Books by Jaime
Confessions of an Unsuspected Bookworm
While you’re there, comment to enter to win a signed, uncorrected, advanced copy of The Husband Games! Winner announced here on Saturday!
And if you want another chance to win a limited edition ARC, head over to Goodreads! Add The Husband Games to your to-be-read list, and enter to win!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Husband Games
by Jamie Farrell
Giveaway ends August 01, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
So, to review:
1. Go visit these blogs to see the cover of The Husband Games (coming August 7!!).
2. Comment on the blogs to enter to win a signed, uncorrected advanced copy of The Husband Games.
3. Go to Goodreads, put The Husband Games on your To-Be-Read list, and enter to win a second signed, uncorrected advanced copy of The Husband Games.
The Husband Games will be available August 7!! Woot!!
This month, once again I’m giving a surprise to one blog commenter! It might be a signed copy of Southern Fried Blues or Mr. Good Enough, or it might be some extra-special book-themed swag, or it might be an early copy of The Husband Games. You just never know! Want to enter? Just comment on any blog that I post in the month of July. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win! Limit one entry per post, though feel free to comment as much as you wish! And as always, my newsletter subscribers are eligible for a separate surprise giveaway! Sign up for my newsletter here! Full contest and giveaway rules here.
July 9, 2014
Squeaker vs. The Yellow Light
Squeaker has hit the age where he understands red means stop (no matter how far you are from the stoplight), green means go, and yellow means… something.
The other day, we were driving somewhere, and he was narrating the stoplights for me. “Red, Mama. Red. You stop.” (Side note: in Squeaker-talk, red has three syllables. Thank you, northern Florida and Alabama.) “It green! You can go, Mama!” “Orange, Mama! It orange!” (Seriously. And he says it for both red and yellow.)
And eventually, the inevitable happened.
I drove through a stoplight that changed from green to yellow after I was at the point of no return. And Squeaker was watching.
“Green, Mama. No! Mama, yellow! You got yellow, Mama! You went through yellow!”
Yes. Yes, I did. I’d been through this stage with Munchkin too. I had a good idea that a stern talking-to was about to come my way. Instead, I got a hearty, “Good job!”
But we don’t stop there. Oh, no. No, there’s more.
Because eventually, the other inevitable happened.
I pulled up to a red stoplight.
“Red, Mama,” Squeaker said. “Stop on red.”
I stopped. I looked left. Glanced right. Looked left again.
And then I turned right on red.
Once again, I braced myself. Rightly so, because I could hear in Squeaker’s breathing that he was getting excited. “It red, Mama! You went on red! Good job!”
On a related note, the kids and I are staying with my parents for a couple weeks. Can you do me a favor and not mention this to them? Because I suspect Grandma’s reaction to Squeaker’s rules of the road will be somewhat priceless.
Set a reminder, folks! Cover reveal for The Husband Games is tomorrow!!!
This month, once again I’m giving a surprise to one blog commenter! It might be a signed copy of Southern Fried Blues or Mr. Good Enough, or it might be some extra-special book-themed swag, or it might be an early copy of The Husband Games. You just never know! Want to enter? Just comment on any blog that I post in the month of July. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win! Limit one entry per post, though feel free to comment as much as you wish! And as always, my newsletter subscribers are eligible for a separate surprise giveaway! Sign up for my newsletter here! Full contest and giveaway rules here.
July 8, 2014
Hi, I’m Jamie. I Have Weird Dreams
When I was little, I had a recurring dream that I was driving off a bridge. And also one that I was living in a tree with tree-people and I knew the secret door that led to a tumble-tunnel that could let me out of the tree. As I got older, the dreams got weirder. I can’t change them, so I embrace them. My favorites of all-time include the dream where I was an intergalactic princess (which is also a favorite of one of our former neighbors from Georgia, who still calls me The Intergalactic Princess when we talk on Facebook), any dream where I ninja the bad guys (yes, Squeaker comes by his ninja tendencies honestly), any dream where I flap my arms and take off in flight (those are the best, and I could really go for one of those about now), and the dream where I was flying an inflatable plane and the bad guys were shooting at me, but I realized I could control the bullets with my mind and went all Matrix on them.
If you’re still with me, I had a fun one the other night.
It was like Four Weddings and a Funeral, but instead, it was Thirteen Weddings and a Graduation. Except the graduation was first, and I don’t remember who was graduating. And the weddings were back-to-back, but first the couples had to complete a challenge. The first couple had a famous groom (it wasn’t Axl Rose, but I keep thinking it was), and he and his bride donned world map body paint and had to do an interpretive dance.
After they’d gotten hitched (that part’s a little hazy), the second couple was up. The church was transformed into an obstacle course maze thingie with peanut butter sandwiches and peanut butter crackers hidden throughout, and this couple had to find the peanut butter sandwiches and crackers and smear them all over each other before they could get married. I guess the point was that if neither of them cheated, or if they made it through without one of them calling the wedding off, then they were destined to be together.
And then George Clooney showed up.
You can’t go wrong when George Clooney shows up in your dreams. You just can’t. So I woke up about then. And I have absolutely no regrets.
So tell me – do you remember your dreams? Any favorites?
This month, once again I’m giving a surprise to one blog commenter! It might be a signed copy of Southern Fried Blues or Mr. Good Enough, or it might be some extra-special book-themed swag, or it might be an early copy of The Husband Games. You just never know! Want to enter? Just comment on any blog that I post in the month of July. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win! Limit one entry per post, though feel free to comment as much as you wish! And as always, my newsletter subscribers are eligible for a separate surprise giveaway! Sign up for my newsletter here! Full contest and giveaway rules here.
July 7, 2014
A Year of Happy Mondays – Overheard On Vacation Edition
In mid-June, my family and I left Alabama to move to the DC area. We stayed about a week for SuperHubby to get a few things squared away with his new job, then we took off to drive to Kansas to visit family.
You know what that means, right?
Lots and lots of opportunities for fun.
So this week, in honor of all of us surviving over three weeks of living in hotels and driving over 2,500 miles in June and July, I present to you this week’s Monday Smiles -
Ten Things Overheard On Our Road Trip
10. “We can have lunch at Mathew’s Arm.” (Said in reference to a camping/picnic area in Shenandoah National Forest.)
9. “Why did you just honk at a cow?” (Munchkin to SuperHubby, who hit the horn “accidentally” just as we were passing a single cow in southern Virginia.)
8. “Can I kick the great ball of fire?” (Squeaker, after SuperHubby tried the exclamation, “Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!” when the boys got overly excited about something silly.)
7. “Guys, Buttercup is asleep. Can you be quiet too? That would be a great plan.” (Said by Squeaker, who is, without question, the loudest member of our family.)
6. And the next day, Squeaker was sleeping in the car. And snoring. And every time he snored, Buttercup growled back at him. (She does a wicked awesome growl.)
5. Me to Buttercup at lunch time: “Please don’t squeeze my legs with your peanut butter hands.”
4. Me, at the zoo: “Look, boys! It’s a chipmunk!”
Squeaker: “No, it’s not. It’s a lion.”
(It most definitely was not a lion. Just for the record. But I give him eleventy-billion imagination points.)
3. We walked into a lush green forest in the Smoky Mountains to hike up to Mingo Falls, and Squeaker immediately belted out, “Ewoks! Ewoks!” And he was very disappointed when no Ewoks appeared.
2. “I love you very much, but I don’t need a picture of your nostril.” (Note: Six is the age at which you should no longer trust a boy with your camera. Because I suspect it only gets worse from here.)
1. “We are so excited! We’re going on a road trip, and we’re going on vacation, and we’re going to see Grandma, and we’re homeless!” (Munchkin, to a stranger on an elevator. And then again to a stranger at a hotel pool. And again to a stranger on the hike up to Clingman’s Dome in the Smoky Mountains. And… you get the point.)
Have a great Monday! 
This month, once again I’m giving a surprise to one blog commenter! It might be a signed copy of Southern Fried Blues or Mr. Good Enough, or it might be some extra-special book-themed swag, or it might be an early copy of The Husband Games. You just never know! Want to enter? Just comment on any blog that I post in the month of July. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win! Limit one entry per post, though feel free to comment as much as you wish! And as always, my newsletter subscribers are eligible for a separate surprise giveaway! Sign up for my newsletter here! Full contest and giveaway rules here.
July 4, 2014
My Top Ten Patriotic Goals
Since my family is moving to the Washington, D.C. metro area, I’m making a resolution to visit these awesome sites in and around my new hometown sometime before next July 4th. On my own, I know I could do all this in about a month. But with Squeaker and Buttercup (and Munchkin, when he’s not in school), I suspect it might take the whole year. I’m determined, though, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to expose my little ones to so much rich history!
10. Mt. Vernon, home of George Washington
9. The Jefferson, Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorials
7. The U.S. Bureau of Printing and Engraving
6. The Vietnam Veterans, World War II, and the Korean War Memorials
5. The US Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Army Memorials
Some I’ve been to before, others will be new experiences, and I plan to visit a lot more than just what’s on this list, but in any case, I’m excited to learn more about the history of my country by living in its capitol. Happy Independence Day!
Do you ever play tourist in your hometown? What’s the coolest thing your home has to offer?
This month, once again I’m giving a surprise to one blog commenter! It might be a signed copy of Southern Fried Blues or Mr. Good Enough, or it might be some extra-special book-themed swag, or it might be an early copy of The Husband Games. You just never know! Want to enter? Just comment on any blog that I post in the month of July. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win! Limit one entry per post, though feel free to comment as much as you wish! And as always, my newsletter subscribers are eligible for a separate surprise giveaway! Sign up for my newsletter here! Full contest and giveaway rules here.
July 3, 2014
Squeaker vs. Ladies First
Because I’d like my sons to be gentlemen when they grow up, I’ve been working with Squeaker on the concept of Ladies First. At snack time, Buttercup gets her juice and cheese stick first, and when I hand it to her, I look at Squeaker and say, “Ladies first.”
So lately, he’s started saying it back to me. “Ladies first, Mama. Ladies first. Because Buttercup is a lady.”
Except the other day, he took it a step further. “Ladies first, Mama. Buttercup is a lady, Mama. And you’re not.”
I think Squeaker needs some good quality time with Jackson Davis.
p.s. One week until the cover reveal for The Husband Games!!
This month, once again I’m giving a surprise to one blog commenter! It might be a signed copy of Southern Fried Blues or Mr. Good Enough, or it might be some extra-special book-themed swag, or it might be an early copy of The Husband Games. You just never know! Want to enter? Just comment on any blog that I post in the month of July. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win! Limit one entry per post, though feel free to comment as much as you wish! And as always, my newsletter subscribers are eligible for a separate surprise giveaway! Sign up for my newsletter here! Full contest and giveaway rules here.
July 2, 2014
Munchkin and Squeaker vs. The Time-Out Chair
Squeaker’s gotten into a habit of getting right into Buttercup’s face and yelling, “NO, Buttercup! Nnnooooo!!!” anytime she does something he doesn’t like or doesn’t want her to do.
Which also means Squeaker’s been spending a lot of time in time-out.
The other day, he was serving his sentence, but he was being quite vocal about it. Yelling, screaming, crying… generally being his threenaged self. But then he switched tactics.
“Muuunnchkiiiinnn!” he cried. “Munchkin, I want you!”
Munchkin came strolling into the room with a grown-up sigh. “I got this, Mom.”
Before I could pick my jaw back off the ground, Munchkin went to the time-out chair, gave Squeaker a pat on the back, and said, “It’s okay, buddy. You just can’t yell at Buttercup, okay? I still love you though.”
Squeaker gave a brave sniffle, then giggled. “Okay, brother.”
“Sit here for your time-out,” Munchkin told him. “Then I’ll make you a spaceship.”
They drive me nuts on a regular basis, but I have some pretty awesome kids.
This month, once again I’m giving a surprise to one blog commenter! It might be a signed copy of Southern Fried Blues or Mr. Good Enough, or it might be some extra-special book-themed swag, or it might be an early copy of The Husband Games. You just never know! Want to enter? Just comment on any blog that I post in the month of July. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win! Limit one entry per post, though feel free to comment as much as you wish! And as always, my newsletter subscribers are eligible for a separate surprise giveaway! Sign up for my newsletter here! Full contest and giveaway rules here.
July 1, 2014
Happy Middle Of The Year!
Y’all!! We’re halfway through 2014. How did that happen?! And it’s the first of July, which means it’s time to announce winners for June’s monthly contests! Woot!! (Keep reading – they’re listed below, along with the announcement of what they’ve won!)
With this being the first day of the second half of the year, I decided to check in on my goals for the year. I listed them here on this post, and so far, I’m doing pretty good. We’ve survived half our move (and SuperHubby is doing the heavy lifting for the rest of it), I’ve posted 260 things that make me smile with Happy Mondays, I’ve given away lots of books, I celebrated my birthday with the surprise release of Mr. Good Enough, and my children have continued to entertain you.
I foresee a few character interviews coming in this half of the year, and I’m still working on Jackson Davis’s Guide To Being A Southern Gentleman. And–the biggest news of the year–The Husband Games is coming in August (cover reveal in 9 days!!). Even on vacation, I’m diving into copy edits, which means review copies will be available soon. (Bloggers and reviewers: you can sign up here to get an ARC!) And y’all, I have a whole big document chock full of deleted scenes from The Husband Games, so you know I’ll be sharing those with you too! I hope you’re having just as awesome of a 2014 as we are!
And now, what I know you’re all waiting for…
JUNE WINNER ANNOUNCEMENTS!!
Things are still a little crazy with our move and temporary living and heading out on vacation (we’re currently on a really cool little farm in Kansas), but I still made time to draw winners this morning! Gretchen won the monthly blog giveaway, and Crystal N. won the monthly contest for my newsletter subscribers!
Want to know what they won?
And as a newsletter subscriber, Crystal will get a couple little bonuses thrown in her package, including a signed copy of Southern Fried Blues!
Congratulations, Gretchen and Crystal! Email me at jamie @ jamiefarrellbooks . com (no spaces) with your mailing address, and I’ll get your prizes sent off to you as soon as I can (which will be another week or two, since they’re currently sitting in a box in Illinois, where I’m not. Yet. But I will be. Soon.). Happy July, y’all!
This month, once again I’m giving a surprise to one blog commenter! It might be a signed copy of Southern Fried Blues or Mr. Good Enough, or it might be some extra-special book-themed swag, or it might be an early copy of The Husband Games. You just never know! Want to enter? Just comment on any blog that I post in the month of July. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win! Limit one entry per post, though feel free to comment as much as you wish! And as always, my newsletter subscribers are eligible for a separate surprise giveaway! Sign up for my newsletter here! Full contest and giveaway rules here.
June 30, 2014
A Year of Happy Mondays – Squeaker’s Threenage Meltdown Edition
You know what I love about three-year-olds? I love how the smallest things can cause them to have epic meltdowns. (Yes, that’s sarcasm.) But because I know so many of you will chuckle at this, and I like to spread the joy on Mondays, here are ten things Squeaker throws a fit about Every. Single. Day.
10. “But I didn’t want that spoon!! I have my own spoon!”
9. “No, I get to sit by Buttercup!”
8. “I want the PURPLE vitamin!”
7. “I don’t want go potty!!”
6. “Munchkin locked his door!” (Said, obviously, before we got on the road, but I expect it to start again as soon as we’re settled again.)
5. “But I want you come with me every time I go potty!”
4. “I can’t do it! I can’t put my sock on!” (Note: He can. He just doesn’t like it to be crooked. And by “crooked,” I mean with the gray part of the heel anything less than completely symmetrical around his ankle.)
3. “But I want you feed me in my mouth! I can’t! I can’t do my spoon!”
2. “That’s my blue blankie and monkey! Give it back!!” (Said after a conversation that goes something like this: “Squeaker, blue blankie and monkey are not weapons. Quit flinging them at your brother and sister.” “But, Mama, they are weapons.”)
1. And a bonus, one thing guaranteed to make Buttercup melt down: “Squeaker’s crying, so I must have to too!”
Parents of teenagers: I salute you. Parents of threenagers: wine-o’clock is at my place today. Stop by anytime.
In the month of June, my family and I are moving! But I love you guys, so I’m giving away a surprise to one blog commenter. I don’t know what it will be (yet), but it will be fun, and it could be anything! (I’m thinking it might be related to THE HUSBAND GAMES.) Want to enter? Just comment on any blog that I post in the month of June. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win! Limit one entry per post, though feel free to comment as much as you wish! Full contest and giveaway rules here.
June 27, 2014
Friday Funnies, Southern Boy Style
This one’s for Jackson Davis (hero of Southern Fried Blues) and Will Truitt (hero of The Battle of The Boyfriends, Misfit Brides of Bliss Book Two, which I promise I’m working on in my spare time). I don’t think Jackson would do this, but Will definitely would. And that’s why I love each of them.
It’ll be a while before you can get Will’s book, but Jackson’s is available now!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play | Smashwords
Have a great weekend, y’all!
In the month of June, my family and I are moving! But I love you guys, so I’m giving away a surprise to one blog commenter. I don’t know what it will be (yet), but it will be fun, and it could be anything! (I’m thinking it might be related to THE HUSBAND GAMES.) Want to enter? Just comment on any blog that I post in the month of June. The more blogs you comment on, the more chances you have to win! Limit one entry per post, though feel free to comment as much as you wish! Full contest and giveaway rules here.
