Friday, May 6, 2011

Lips Touch Audio Book Giveaway!



Hey, look what I just got in the mail! Yippee! The audiobook of Lips Touch! It's by Brilliance Audio (writers, they are so awesome to work with; awesome) and narrated by Cassandra Campbell, who also did Silksinger. She does a beautiful job. Oh I love listening to audio of my own books. Some years ago I read on Shannon Hale's blog how for her it was the only way to experience one's own words fresh, and it's so true. After we've read our own books so many times, they sort of flatten out. By the time I've finished, I've practically got the darn things memorized, so it's so hard to read them with any *newness*. But the audio narrator brings the newness! Yay! Love love love!

Anyway, I thought I would share the bounty and give away a couple of copies. Want one? If you do, just leave a comment to this post before next Wednesday, May 11, and I'll plop them into a random name selector or something fancy like that, and that will be that. Okay?



question: How to win?

answer: Just leave a comment to this post!


*note: if you're entering on behalf of a library, say so, with library name, and you'll be entered twice!*


While on the topic of things writey, here's a great post by Libba Bray on the dastardly "I suck playlist," as she calls the insecurities that plague even veteran writers with each and every book. Oh yes oh yes, it's so so true! Read it and come back and discuss :-)  

Every writer I know goes through this, on every book. (Or, if they don't, they are wise enough to pretend they do so the pitchfork mob of the rest of us doesn't go after them.) The thing that makes it better is just that by doing it over and over -- that is, by writing another book and another -- some faith does accrue. In oneself, in the process. It still feels like hell to be caught in what sometimes feels like a vortex -- a part of the book that will not let you go, that sucks and hangs onto you so you can't move past it! But there is some small comfort in believing it will pass. You will not drown there, truly you won't. You will get through it like you always do.

That is, *if* you do. By which I mean, if you do not give up. Giving up is for giver-uppers. It's the lamest thing ever. Your book is just a book; it can't beat you. You are a real live person with will and imagination and typing fingers! You are superior to it in every way. How could it possibly beat you? That's just silly. Of course you'll win

Just keeping going, and take comfort in knowing we are all suffering our own suck. This, recently, from Stephanie Perkins' blog:

For me, first drafts are sloppy and embarrassing and filled with holes and stupidity. And that's okay! They're supposed to be that way! But my perfectionist mind despises cutting a path through the muck. Everything is so messy and unclear. It's humiliating for me to know these early drafts even exist; it feels like I'm stumbling through a crowded public square in my underpants and one flip-flop.

Oh god yes! I read that with a great loud guffaw and feeling of grateful kinship. That is exactly what it feels like. The rest of that post, which is hilarious and has lots of Thom Yorke in it, is here.

Don't forget to comment for an audiobook!!


(of course, the audiobook doesn't include the amazing art, so you'll still want to buy the book if you don't already have it :-)


73 comments:

Jose Eduardo said...

I would love love love love!! to get one!!! <3 <3 <3 I love your books SOOOO MUCH!!! :DDDDD

Amber said...

I simply LOVED the Dreamdark books, and patiently await another adventure there. I look forward to reading Lips Touch and greatly look forward to Daughter of Smoke & Bone. I truly enjoy your blog - giveaways or not!

dawn said...

woo woo! look at you! to be bathed in your own words! glamour....decadence. congrats rockstar!
also, the house looks AWESOME!

Dorine White said...

I'm entering for the Marysville City Library. Thanks, Laini Dorine White (dorwh at aol dot com)

Jeanne said...

My love of audiobooks is really only surpassed by my love of books! (I can listen to audiobooks at work! gotta love that.)

Lauren said...

I would love to win an audio book (:

Camille said...

Yay!. I'd Love to hear Lips Touch through an Audio Book. I've re-read it so many times and every time is such a pleasure and amazing. It's like a discover a new point of view of the stories with each read. I hope this is not open to US-only contest.

Jenn said...

I LOVEDLOVEDLOVED Lips Touch! Thanks for the chance to win!

Chelsey G. said...

I LOVE Lips Touch! I would love to win!! :)

Alison said...

I'm entering for my tiny Green Lake branch of the Seattle Public Library. Audio books are awesome and I'd love to give one to my local branch.

ch3rrybl0ss0m said...

I'm entering for Irving Public Library's Central Library. Thank you! -Allison, Teen Services Librarian

Amber Keyser said...

Very exciting about the audio book. I'd love to have a copy for the Skyline School library!

Anonymous said...

Hi Laini. Thanks for doing this giveaway. I would *love* to win this! I'm in the UK, so may not be eligible, but here's hoping...

Catherine Denton said...

That would be fabulous!! Put me in the hat. :D

It's always good to be reminded that everyone struggles with their suck. Thank you. ;)
My Blog

amy said...

comment! comment! I bought a couple copies for friends (for one 44 year-old woman, and for two lovely teen girls) and OF COURSE would love an audio version!

Rachael said...

I love audiobooks. I loved Lips Touch. The combination of the two seems sublime!!

Also, this post was exactly what I needed right now. I can't let my book beat me down! If I don't write the story, who will?

Anonymous said...

I would love to win an audiobook! I usually don't listen to audiobooks, but this is one I really want.

Thanks for the giveaway!

Nicole S. said...

I want to win an audio book!! I'm so excited because I'm actually just reading the book for the first time now and I can't put it down!!

Ina said...

Just last night I was reading and my eyes were getting tired. I said to my husband that I wished I could read with my eyes closed, to which he promptly responded: "You can. It's called an audiobook!" Ha.

Matthew said...

I'm entering for the Virginia Beach Public Libraries. We have the book in our system and I would love to add the audio. Thanks Laini!

Evie said...

As always, I love your comments on writing. Thanks for the chance to win.

Mindy said...

I love all your books and continue to pray that soon another Dreamdark adventure will arise!

Anonymous said...

Yay yay ya! Entering on behalf of the Uphams Corner Branch Library.

lkoenig (at) gmail

Julie said...

I teach reading in Rapid City, SD, and I have ordered the hard copy of Lips Touch for my classroom library at Central High School. I hope this counts as a library, so that I can be entered twice for the audio! My students are all students with learning disabilities, and it is a GREAT tool to have the student silently read with the audio book.
Julie

Jordan McMakin said...

Thank you I would love to enter!!!! I LOVED Lips Touch and cannot wait for DSB!! You really are the best.

Rhiannon said...

I am quite shamefully not affiliated with a library, but..um.. would still love a chance at the audio book!

I too read Libba Bray's post the other day. I love her magical posts, and the other post you put up had me in tears, must read the rest!

Libba Bray will be signing books at the scholastic books store on the Thursday of BEA, if like me you would love to meet her.
Rhiannon
TheDiaryofaBookworm.com

Sysha said...

Thanks for the chance to win! I found your blog through Stephanie Perkins' blog and have been following your adventures with Clementine for a while now :)

rain_orchid11 (at) yahoo (dot) com

~Michelle~ said...

I am now officially entered into the contest. Weee!

Charlotte said...

I'm entering on behalf of the library that I'm the Friends President for...The one and only East Smithfield Library!

Liana said...

I would ADORE a copy of your Lips Touch audio book!
Yay!

J said...

Your blog makes me feel so much better about writing. :) And the post from Libba Bray was hysterical! Pretty sure I have that playlist on my iPod somewhere... Thanks for the amazing giveaway opportunity! :D

jtfburgess said...

Hello, I'd love the audiobook for Lips Touch. Thank you for offering it. Cheers!

persnickety_jen said...

My mom grew up listening to old radio plays, and she definitely instilled a love of audiobooks in me and my brothers. It's a whole different kind of reading experience!

It'd be awesome to win a copy of Lips Touch, but I kinda hope the audiobook goes to a library instead! :)

Vicky Alvear Shecter said...

Already have the book with the gorgeous art but I would love to listen to it too!

Commander Kip said...

Bonus track: Also, I Hate My Hair

Love Libba Bray.

Jillian Schmidt said...

Yaaaaaay audiobooks! Awesome giveaway.

Also, Commander Kip's comment is hilarious.

Jillian Schmidt said...

...which now I understand was quoting Libba Bray, but that just means I got to laugh at it twice :-)

--jenna said...

I am entering on behalf of the Owen County Public Library in Spencer, Indiana. Where I used to work and it was awesome, until I moved to South America, which is equally awesome except I don't get paid to read books and tell stories anymore. Best "real" job. Ever.

Janette Rallison said...

I love audio books and Laini Taylor. What could be better than to get both?

Anonymous said...

ahhh,, comment to this post! Comment to this post!!
Comment to this post!!

Now the hard part for this ol'woman, choosing an identity, to actually post my comment to this post.

Trying trying, if you see this comment I have succeeded. LOL.
Google - nope
open ID - doesn't seem so.
Name URL - URL???
Anonymus - that's the only one that seems to work for me. hmmmm.

Well heck, if you draw my comment to your post, how will you know who I am if I am anonymus? For pete's sake, ol'women who can't use computers maybe shouldn't comment. But I must try I so love your books and blog!!

here goes - Anonymus.

Christy Goerzen said...

Ooh, yes please! How generous of you. I love your books and would love to win this audiobook. Awesome post, too - I've been having mega doubts about my current WIP, and all of this is just what I needed to hear today. Thank you!

Genevieve said...

I love your blog and all your books! Looking forward to all your future works. Thank you for this giveaway!

, said...

Im entering! Had to leave Lips Touch in australia back in january and I've been without it ever since in the US and London. miss that gorgeous book

Myrna Foster said...

I loved that post of Steph's. First drafts are ugly, but I have to write them before I can move on to the second one.

And thanks for the giveaway!

Adrienne said...

I am a teacher and I loan that book out to students all the time. They bring it back in two days and ask for more recommendations. :) Thanks for creating books that adults and teens enjoy!

Monica said...

I'm going to post on behalf of the Salina Free Library where I work, since really I just consider the library to be the storage place of all my favorite books, etc. ;-) We chose Lips Touch Three Times for one of our books this year for our teen book club, and everyone LOVED it! In fact, I recently set up my favorite fiction books on top of our teen stacks (we're pretty small, so I display wherever I can find space) and one of my teens pulled down Lips Touch and said "Oooh, I know why THIS one is up there!"

Jessica said...

I am audiobook obsessed (I hear that some people listen to music in the car... weird) and I would love to hear Lips Touch because I loved reading it!

amy b said...

I would love an Audiobook and I am entering for my library (Clermont County Public Library in Ohio) my teens love your books so much!

Anonymous said...

I'm just going to stick a long thingie down through your chimney made of hangers, chickens, and prongs and snatch an audiobook for meself. I see the French stuffie in the background. Is Clementine playing with it at all or no?

afunhouse said...

Oh, we have a house full of eager listeners here who would adore a copy of the audio version of your book! Thanks for sharing :)

Vivien said...

Count me in, one of my favorites ever :)

Vivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad to see I'm not the only older adult who loves your books! I couldn't put "Lips Touch" down, so would love a copy of the audio version.

Love your blog too.

Kate

Chelsea said...

Goodness, I would love the audio book! *Fingers crossed*

Thanks for the giveaway!

Connie Onnie said...

So my sister Debsfreckles & I will often have a conversation that starts off with..."Did you see what Lani put on her blog." We have also discussed how we act like we are best friends with you when we say things like..."Did you see Lani in London? How awesome was that for her?". Then today Debbie said did you see Lani linked to your blog. I freaked out with a huge WHAT? Then she explained well to the post where Stephanie linked to your blog.
I bet you did not know you were making a little fantasy for us come true by doing that.
Love your secret best friends Connie & Debbie

Christy said...

Hey, Laini! I love your books on audio. I have both Blackbringer and Silksinger. They are both awesome (although I like the accent of the narrator in Blackbringer better, I think Cassandra is fantastic and will be great for Lips Touch). If you still have some copies left by the time you get to my post, I'd love to have one! If not, I'll gladly buy it! :)

Pagecrawler said...

Fantastic give away Thanks Laini I really hope this is international because I live in the UK (fingers crossed!)

Thanks

andy341339(at)hotmail(dot)com

Paprika Spice said...

Love, love, LOVE Lips Touch. Normally I don't do audio books, but I'll take your writing in any form and cherish it ragged.

Thanks, Laini!

Katie Anderson said...

Well said, Paprika Spice!

I agree.

Put. Me. In!

Ina said...

Oh I'd loooove to listen to Lips Touch while working on my Illustrations! Fingers crossed! Thanks for the chance! :o)

Charlotte Netz said...

It´s my time to win now. Period. I need to go deep into a good story, to find strengh and adventure again, especially since I am about to go through a divorce. I crave this one! Please all mighty random machine/through ALL that is - pick ME! Yes me!

bronwyn said...

I've never tried audio books but would love to try one out. I just finished Blackbringer (LOVED!) and am trying to get my hands on more of your books, audio or otherwise. Can't wait for Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Tinker said...

Am I too late to enter? Hope not, 'cause I have been wanting an audiobook to listen to while working on things and would really love this one! (Though yes, I still totally want/need to get the real deal so I can enjoy Jim's awesome artwork too!)

Jessi said...

Ooh, love audiobooks. Davina Porter was how I was introduced to your books, and I was in love.

And Cassandra was wonderful as well, I'm glad to hear she's reading your works again.

And thanks for the chance :-)

Rachel Stark said...

How delightful! I do love a good audiobook, and your writing lends itself so well to being read aloud. Please do enter me! =)

Joan said...

Fantastic! Fingers crossed. Greetings from Puerto Rico!

S.M. Robertson said...

Loved Lips Touch to death, so definitely hope I get lucky. *crosses fingers* And thanks for the giveaway!

S.M. Robertson said...

Loved Lips Touch to death, so definitely hope I get lucky. *crosses fingers* And thanks for the giveaway!

Anonymous said...

May I ,just say that Laine Taylor is a magnificant writer. The best and I love her works which I have read all of so far. She has the most wonderfully interesting thoughts and the choices she makes in characters is beyond words. KUDOs to the geat new series!!!!!

Kara said...

I've never really listened to audio books, but I have a feeling that this one must be really beautiful spoken aloud, because the writing is so lyrical and generally awesome. Squees!

Jessica said...

I love Lips Touch and I'd love to have the audio book so I could listen to it in the car!

Thanks so much, Laini!

Elizabeth said...

Ooo - I'd love to have your Audio Book for long drives across the Minnesota countryside! (Believe it or not the goblins and trolls still reside in them thar hills!)

Thanks!
-Elizabeth

MoJoKat said...

Wow, how cool would it be to win an audio book of yours! =-)

Mare Freeborn said...

Hi, Laini! I've been reading your blog for about 2 years, but this is the first time I commented. I just borrowed your book from the Ridley, PA library. My husband & I were there last week & I spotted it in the YA section. I told him that I read your blog everyday & couldn't wait to read Lips Touch & I was not disappointed. This is the first of your books that I have read & am looking forward to enjoying many more. It was absolutely GREAT!!! Please enter me in the drawing & wish me luck!
- Mare Freeborn

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