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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Nobody's Hero Giveaway


Pippa Bradford’s Book of Curious Observations

July 21, Osprey Island, Maine. Latest subjects arrived at 9:17 a.m. on Jonesport ferry.

1. Bald man in trench coat, carrying briefcase, went straight to Whitecap Inn. Does not look like vacationer? (Check guest book for name.)


2. Couple met by Mrs. Sheffield of Peregrine House. Husband short and fat with gray hair and sunglasses, wife (or girlfreind?) tall with blond hair and high voice. Nice dressed, loads of luggage. Departed in silver Mercedes convertible, Mrs. S driving. Graves loaded luggage in pickup truck. House guests? High probabillity.


3. Pretty woman in purple shorts. Backpack. Got bike at Dockside Cycle. Overheard: one-day rental. Tourist--no more observation necessary.


4. Tall man with short dark hair. One bag. Jeans and baseball cap (Bruins). Sunglasses, suspicious limp. Walked to Pine Cone Cottage on Shore Road, took house keys from mailbox. Name on box is Potter. Resident? Future observation required.


Pippa Bradford of the curious observations is the ten-year-old heroine of my book NOBODY'S HERO, a July SuperRomance leaving the shelves any day now (sheesh, did that month go fast!). She's a little bit mischievous, sort of shy, and very nosy. Her ambition is to be a detective like the heroine of her favorite books, Trixie Belden.

When I was writing NOBODY'S HERO, I read a bunch of Trixie Belden books for research. What a trip back in time! The Trixie books were among my favorites as a kid. I never did get into Nancy Drew that much--Trixie seemed more real. I also loved the Borrower books, especially Borrowers Afloat, the Anne of Green Gables series, and All-of-a-Kind Family.

But my absolute favorites? Horse books. The book I loved so much that I just about died when I loaned it to someone and never got it back was Fly-By-Night by K.M. Peyton. After twenty years, I finally got another copy of that book, thanks to the internet. In fact, I have at least four copies of it right now, just to be safe. Never come between a girl and her favorite book!

What's your favorite book from childhood? Do you still have a copy of it? Post the answer to the comments section and you'll be entered in a giveaway for NOBODY'S HERO. I'm giving away two copies, one here and one at Deadline Hellions. Feel free to enter at both blogs and remember to check back tomorrow for the winners.

Happy summer reading!

>>>>>> WE HAVE A WINNER! <<<<<<<

Aideen, by random draw, you are the winner of an autographed copy of NOBODY'S HERO. Congratulations! Please send your address to me at CarrieAlexander2@aol . com and I will put the book in the mail.

17 comments:

Cherie J said...

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein was my favorite book as a child. I still have a copy because the book is that precious to me with the message of love and willingness to sacrifice it contains.

Karen H said...

My all-time favorite childhood book was a large volume of 'Grimm's Fairy Tales'. It contained about 12-15 stories that my mother used to read to me until I was old enough to read them myself. Wish I still had that book, but it didn't make it to my 12th birthday before it fell apart.

EllenToo said...

I was a Nancy Drew lover but also a Trixie Belden lover. But Black Beauty was my all time favorite. Unfortunately I don't have any of them still around. A move to one of the places my daddy was sent took care of that. We were never sure where that particular box ended up.
Oh yeah I have a copy of NOBODY'S HERO and absolutely LOVED it; especially enjoyed Pippa.

Pat Cochran said...

The Secret Garden and no, I do not currently have a copy.

Pat Cochran

LisaB said...

My favorite book was also Grimm's Fairy tales. My aunt had an old copy from the 30s or 40s with beautifully penned illustrations. I still have THAT copy.

cheryl c said...

I loved the Nancy Drew series. I do have a few books that I have saved. One of these days I want to re-read them for old times sake, but that will have to wait until I finish my massive TBR pile!

Wolfy said...

I loved Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden when I was younger. I unfortunately do not have any of those books.

Maureen said...

My favorites were the Little House on the Prairie books and Anne of Green Gables.

Jane said...

My favorite book from childhood is "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. I don't have the book anymore.

Lily said...

I must say Anne of Green Gables, and I have always borrowed it from our local public library.

Aideen said...

My all time favourite book from childhood was Charlotte's Web. I adored that story. My mother read it to me over and over until I learned to read for myself. After that I read that book and many more quietly at bedtime. Except on my birthday. Every year on the eve of my birthday my mother would take us both back in time and read Charlotte's Web from start to finish on this one special night.
I still have the same copy.

Aideen.

robynl said...

by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, Heidi. I have it somewhere.

Dina said...

I also loved Heide and Charlottes Web, but don't have any books from my childhood.

Jodi said...

The only books that I remember really enjoying where the Judy Blume books. Plus, I loved Curious George and Amelia Bedelia! I don't have any of the books as we always checked them out from the library. I have since bought my duaghters some Curious George and Amelia Bedelia books.

Margaret McDonagh said...

Oh, Carrie, a girl after my own heart! I, too, have tried to collect up lost children's books I adored, but I do still have many of my old favourites from childhood.

These include, Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, The Famous Five, the adventure books by Willard Price and HORSE books! The Flicka series by Mary O'Hara, the Jill books by Ruby Ferguson and the prolific output from the Pullein-Thompson sisters, including the Phantom Horse series. A bit later I went on to the nurse books by Helen Dore Boylston.

A magical childhood spent buried in the pages of wonderful books.

Hardly surprising, I guess, that I ended up an animal and nature lover, wanted to work with horses and finally started writing Medical Romance!!

Love,
Mags

Carrie Alexander said...

Mags...my kindred spirit! As Anne of GG would say. :-)

I do have the O'Hara books on my keeper shelf, but I'm sorry I missed the other horsey authors you mentioned. If only I'd known at the time how many more English and Aussie authors there were to be discovered. Did you call them pony books?

Carrie Alexander said...

Thank you, Ellen. I appreciate every purchase. :-)

My sister said that by the end of the book, Pippa was getting a bit annoying!