More Christmas in October Winnings!

Until I get a chance to read some of these books, I'll be featuring them in groups here. I'm thrilled to have the chance to share my winnings with you. Hope you find something to enjoy the holiday season or give as a gift. I also hope  you'll visit Penny Estelle's blog. She originally featured all these books during her Christmas in October giveaway.

Lola’s not pretty. Lola’s not popular. Lola wishes she could disappear … and then one day she does just that... For seventeen-year-old Lola Savullo, life is a struggle. Born to funky parents who are more in than she could ever be, Lola’s dream of becoming a writer makes her an outsider even in her own home. Bullied and despised, Lola still has the support of her best pal Charlie and Grandma Rose. Not only is she freakishly tall, Lola’s a big girl and when forced to wear a bathing suit at her summer job as a camp counselor, Lola’s only escape from deep embarrassment seems to be to literally vanish. Soon after, she discovers the roots of her new “ability”. Slowly, with Charlie’s help, Lola learns to control the new super power. The possibilities are endless. Yet power can be abused, too… Then, when tragedy strikes, Lola must summon her inner strength, both at home and at school. She has to stand up for herself, despite the temptations and possibilities of her newfound super power. A coming-of-age story that will warm the heart.

Was there a toy mouse before Walt Disney's 'Mickey?' If there was, what happened to it? During the 1920s two men, one from the world of toys and one from the burgeoning world of moving pictures produced very unique toy characters. The history of these two visionaries and how their characters occurred at nearly the same time provides a unique mystery about which speculation lives vibrantly to this day. In tracing the struggle of the toy company's steadfast president, Torrence Dietz, this absorbing book covers the history of the toy company, its wondrous toys, and why people think of Walt Disney when they see the toy company's enigmatic wooden mouse named, 'MICKY.' Since the question of whether these men crossed paths in the marketplace is a key element to the mystery, the author has tried to objectively address the questions of how, when and why an encounter should have ever happened.The development of Torrence's career and the growth the toy company are reconstructed and intertwined with world events. In the quest to explain the toy company mystery the author has brought together documents and history never before assembled in one place. The in-depth documentation of the wooden toys manufactured by the Performo-Toy Company makes this book a valued reference for collectors and, from a historical sense a valued resource. The book presents numerous toy pictures, toys now considered collectibles, as well as patent and trademarks related to cartoon and toy characters of the late 1920s and early 1930s. The reader interested in the history of Walt Disney and in particular, the formative period of 'Mickey Mouse' will find rare background information.

Julia is nine, and she lives in two very different worlds. One is the real world. The other is the life she lives in her dreams. In her dreams, she and Nana encounter a baby deer that can talk. They discover that the baby deer was born with clubbed hooves and will need an operation if he’s ever going to run and play with the other deer.

The Dreamer is a touching story of a young girl who sometimes has trouble distinguishing between reality and the world of her dreams. In her dreams, she helps Baby Deer learn to believe in himself. It’s a story that will challenge every young person’s concept of reality—and make them wonder if their own dream worlds might be just as real.

At Pembroke Castle in medieval Wales,11-year-old Prince Gavin, 13-year-old orphan Philip, and 15-year-old blacksmith's apprentice Bryan, brought together in friendship by the one they call The Wild Man, embark upon a quest to save The Wild Man’s life when he is accused of murder and robbery. If they have any hope of succeeding, the three will have to confront their fears and insecurities, and one of them will have to disclose the biggest secret of all. But it is the arrival of King Arthur and what he reveals that surprises characters and readers.

Talk about the worst first date ever! Lara lets her friend Carrie talk her into a blind date, only it turns out the handsome stranger waiting for Lara after work isn’t Carrie’s cousin after all. And, when they’re chased through a portal to another world, Lara realizes Rhys really is out of this world.

Rhys believes Lara’s alternate in his dimension, Lyra, has left clues in her subconscious to the whereabouts of the Book of Secrets which explains the mystery of time travel. Power-hungry telepaths pursuing them will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means breaking Lara’s mind. To complicate matters, Lara gets tangled up in her feelings for Rhys while exploring her connection with Lyra.

With Rhys as her guardian, a bear of a man named Azle to guide her, and the spirit of Lyra haunting her dreams, Lara must find the Book of Secrets before it falls into the hands of those who want its power. Only then can she return to her world safely.

From this author, I received a hand-crafted fairy godmother wand. It makes a great conversation piece in my office. I only wish I could unlock some magic with it. LOL!

Here's more about the book:

A dead cellphone calls with a job offer and a promise of dragons.

Imagine if Terry Pratchett sat down with Kathy Bates to make up fractured fairy tales for Edward Everett Horton to read aloud: You'd get Maven Fairy Godmother: Through the Veil.

Down and out, Maven Morrigan is ready to give up what's left of her self-esteem for a cup of coffee when her last chance to redeem her life comes as a job offer as a fairy godmother.

But Faery is shrinking, the other fairy godmothers have disappeared, and nothing she does turns out right.

Can she gather her strengths and experience to put together the happily ever after for of her clients wants before her boss feeds her to a troll?

In their first encounter, Isabella becomes infatuated with Marc a handsome young man who makes fantastic potato chips. Fifteen years later while Isabella purchases a picturesque Victorian house she discovers Marc is the seller. His magnetism stirs her emotions and pulls her into his troubled world.

Soon Isabella realizes her new house, nestled deep in the woods, is haunted. By communicating with the house’s spirit, she hopes to learn secrets, which can help Marc resolve his conflicted past and move him into the future. During the process, her love for him intensifies. As Christmas approaches, Isabella longs for Marc to return her affection.

Disheartened about not being able to find “Mr. Right” on the London dating scene, best friends Jodie Lynch and Louise Hewson create a blog to not only document their disastrous dates with the numerous “Mr. Wrongs” and “Mr. Okay-for-nows” but also to help those going through the same experiences and to see where they’re going wrong. How will they deal with everything the dating scene has to throw at them — planned or otherwise?