Thursday, September 13, 2012

Samantha Hoffman plays it smart, plus a book giveaway

**Giveaway is now closed**

Today we welcome debut author Samantha Hoffman and her recently published novel "What More Could You Wish For." Samantha is a writer, runner, reader, film buff, tech geek, blogging queen, personal assistant, wine enthusiast, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteer, animal lover, sister, friend, lover of life.

To learn more about Samantha, visit her website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press we have FIVE copies of "What More Could You Wish For" to give away to some lucky readers anywhere in the world!

Best year of school and why:
My best year of school would have to be kindergarten. Miss Hassensal (who wore long straight skirts and orthopedic shoes) read us stories, then we played games and painted, then we ate graham crackers and took naps. The perfect day. Oh, hmmm...did I just describe my future in the old-age home?

Samantha in 3rd grade
Favorite teacher, and why:
Mrs. Allen in third grade, who read my first short story aloud to the class and made me feel like a real writer.

Favorite message you received in a yearbook:
"To the smartest kid in the stupidest class with I don't know what for a teacher. Good luck. You need it."

Did you go to summer school? If so, for what class?
Never went.

Favorite book about school:
"Educating Esmé" by Esmé Raji Codell

Did you ever have a crush on a teacher?
I had a crush on my high school French teacher. I'm still a sucker for a French accent.

Favorite sport to watch or play:
Running. I'm an 8-time marathoner.

You would be voted most likely to:
To say aloud the thing everyone else is thinking.

Special thanks to Samantha for her humorous answers to our questions and to St. Martin's Press for sharing "What More Could You Wish For" with our readers.


How to win "What More Could You Wish For":
Please comment below with your e-mail address. (Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.) 

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: Have you reunited with a past classmate (whether it's a crush, someone you dated, past friend, etc.)? Was their life anything like you thought it might be?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)

5. Follow us on Twitter and/or Pinterest.
6. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.


Giveaway ends September 19th at midnight EST.

29 comments:

EFC Chrissy said...

This sounds like a great book!

I have not reconnect with any high school classmates...sure, I'm "friends" with some on Facebook, but I don't really keep in touch with anyone...except relatives who went to my school. ;)

everyfreechance@gmail.com
I follow the blog, of course!

Marthalynn said...

I haven't reconnected lately, but with social media it feels like everyone keeps tabs on each other. It's a very shallow connection, though.

I follow!

marthalynn16 at gmail

Cyndee said...

Some of my classmates and I had dinner last year. What a fun time talking and laughing about our lives now. The girls looked older but they were still pretty. The guys had some gray hair and put on some weight. We keep in touch various ways. Reunions,Fb,phone calls etc..
I follow: FB Group member, Pinterest,RSS and Goodreads.
Cyndee Thomas
cyndee dot thomas0 at gmail dot com

Rita Wray said...

I haven't connected with any classmates because I went to school in Australia.
Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

Pascale said...

pascale(dot)poitras(at)verizon(dot)net

Sounds like a wonderful book. Yet another on my to read list!

I do follow the blog, every day,and it gets expensive because I buy so many darn books!

I reconnected with some high school AND college friends via facebook: because we aer all over the map, it seems quite superficial, which makes me a bit sad.

Kritters Ramblings said...

I had dinner two years ago with a friend from high school, but it was awkward and weird our lives have gone in two different directions.

kdurham2@gmail.com
i am a fan on facebook
i follow via gfc

Eline said...

Thanks for the contest!

elinetackAThotmailDOTcom

1. I'm a reunionlover :p I found lots of old friends (from kindergarten, primary school,...) on facebook and a year or three ago we started hooking up again and we meet again like 4 times every year now :D
Not all of them have the life I thought they would had, but they all turned out to be great persons so I'm glad I found them again ;)

2. I'm already a follower of the blog :D

3. I mentioned this contest on Twitter https://twitter.com/elinetack
and my blog http://flavia-books-and-more.blogspot.be/

4. I'm a follower on facebook too. Even an oldy :p

5. I follow chicklitcentral on twitter :D

Kind regards,
Eline

Jessica said...

1. No, I haven't reconnected with any of my high school classmates, unfortunately.
2. I follow this blog through GFC.
3. I posted this on twitter.
https://twitter.com/xxpaperhearts/status/246338306273595392
4. I'm a member of Chick Lit Central on facebook.
5. I follow you through twitter and pinterest. twitter acount= xxpaperhearts


Thanks so much!
-Jessica M
walkingcorpse11@hotmail.com

karenk said...

yes, i have reunited w/ a past classmate.

i'm a follower

thanks for the chance to read this deligtful novel

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Stephanie Ziegler said...

I reunited with a classmate after 10 years. It was amazing, like we were never seperated, until she started dating my brother...

stephaniezieglerATyahooDOTcom

Mary said...

We recently had a reunion and I met up with many old friends and classmates. With the advent of Facebook, we've all kept in touch and for the most part, their lives are pretty much what I would have thought but there are a few who have taken different paths.

I follow your blog!

mryward(at)yahoo(dot)com

Nova said...

Sparkle40175@hotmail.com
I follow your blog.
I liked CLC on facebook.
haven't reconnected with anyone in person but a lot through facebook : so different to see them now cause you remember them from before. :)

Linda Kish said...

I haven't reconnected with anyone. The last class reunion I went to was the 25th. I didn't like them anymore then than I did in high school. The 45th is coming up next month and I really have no plans to go. Why pay a bunch of money to see people that the only thing you have in common with is that you went to high school together and you are old?

I am a GFC follower

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Maureen said...

I haven't seen any classmates for many years.
I follow on GFC
tweet: https://twitter.com/MaureenCE/status/246411005121409024
mce1011 AT aol DOT com

Literary Chanteuse said...

Yes I have been in touch with a old schoool friend. In fact the first friend I ever had. She was my neighbor. She's now a mother of four girls and sadly widowed for the past three years now.

-blog follower
-tweeted
-member of CLC group on fb
-follower on both twitter/pinterest

Margaret
singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

This books looks great! Love to read it.

A group of 15 classmates and I meet twice a year for lunch and to catch up on each other's lives. We have a blast!

I am a follower.

Like you on Facebook.

pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

susieqlaw said...

Thank you for volunteering via CASA! You rock!

sendsusanmail AT gmail DOTcom

I have reunited with so many for my childhood friends through Facebook. It is great to see how their lives turned out!

I follow the CLC blog, Facebook, and twitter. I tweeted about this #giveaway @susieqlaw

Kristen said...

I think Facebook makes it all too convenient to run into former classmates! :)

I follow on FM and email.

kly(dot)327(at)gmail.com

Erica said...

Yes, I reunited with a friend who has the very life I want. Self employed living in the south of France.

I follow of GFC, twitter, Facebook, email.

wordywon at gmail dot com

bn100 said...

The book sounds good.

No, I haven't.

I follow via email.

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Mary Preston said...

I moved around too much as a child to know where to begin to reconnect.

GFC & FB: Mary Preston

Email Subscriber:

marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Bridget O'Neill said...

When I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, an old classmate (went to preschool, grade school, middle school and high school with her!) contacted me. It was wonderful to reconnect with her. She was a great friend years ago (and still is), and she now has a wonderful family and great job that she loves. She's so deserving of all of that!

I follow the blog

I'm a member of CLC on Facebook.

bjoneill@hotmail.com

Bonnie K. said...

I've reunited with a male elementary school friend on facebook. My mother actually found him first because she had kept in touch with his parents. LOL He's still a nerd which is fine by me. :)

bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

I'm a follower of your blog.

Shared on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/bonnie.karoly/posts/103412856481478

I've already joined Chick Lit Central on Facebook.

I follow on twitter. @grobiemum

Sherry said...

I reconnected with one of the people from my high school years and it has been great though neither of us are doing what we thought we would be at this stage in our lives

StereoQueenBee said...

1. Please tell us: Have you reunited with a past classmate (whether it's a crush, someone you dated, past friend, etc.)? Was their life anything like you thought it might be?

The only thing I can think of is that the guy I had my first crush on has gone missing lately and it makes me sad because everyone is so worried.

2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).

Am already a follower.

3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.

Facebook - Sabrina-Kate Eryou
Twitter - stereoqueenbee

4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)

Already a member.

5. Follow us on Twitter and/or Pinterest.

Follow on Twitter - stereoqueenbee

queenofcrunk@gmail.com

Dolly said...

Thanks for the interview!

I think I have the shortest FB 'reunion' ever. I had been chatting on FB with a guy I knew slightly from HS (this was over 30 years ago), and a girl I knew from then sent a friend request. I accepted and she proceeded to talk, then insinuate I was 'after her man', then rip me to shreds, at which point I unfriended her, and she continued in private messages!! This was all under an hour! Lesson learned - if I didn't know and LIKE the person in school, I don't 'Like' them now.

I'm a FB/email/blog stalker.

jcsites2002 at hotmail dot com

Nina said...

I reunited with an all old good friend in the strangest of circumstances--we were both receiving treatment for cancer, same time, same place! The good news? We are both now 5 years cancer free, and of course remained close both during and after the experience!
nina565(at)aol((dot)com

Tiffany Drew said...

I haven't reconnected with any old classmates in a long time. The last time I tried was may four years ago and sadly the girl (who was a best friend for many years) still hadn't changed out of her bad ways. I decided to just let it go and give up the friendship that was lost.

GFC follower Tiffany Drew

Facebook member Tiffany Drew

Tweeted: https://twitter.com/enterthedrew/status/247861613363867648

jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net

Anonymous said...

Please enter me to win.
Kat Duncan
k_duncan21 at yahoo dot com