Vacay Giveaway Kick Off & Where did July go?

I’m in the middle of packing while I’m writing this post. By the time you’ll read it, me and my love will be on our way! First we’re heading to Belgium where hubs needs to pick up something he bought on ebay and then our next destination is Bretagne in France. From Wednesday on we’re in a rented apartment which has no internet access whatsoever…

In a way I’m actually looking forward to that. I know, it’s weird, because I will really miss blogging and bloghopping! Especially since I haven’t been able to hop for a while now due to the preparation of our vacation and my Vacay Giveaway event, which starts today!
I want to apologize for being absent on most of your blogs the past couple of days, but I’ll be back after my vacation and will read all the posts that I’ve missed! I promise. :)

But I look forward to almost three weeks of reading and relaxing and having all the time in the world and being full time together with hubby. Although that scares me a little too, lol!
I’m really glad that my blog is in good hands with my guest bloggers until I’m back again! Check in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday if you like to, to discover who these guest bloggers are and to show them some comment luv! In return you’ll have a chance of winning one of six wonderful prizes! :) Look below for the contest rules and prizes.

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July was a really slow reading month for me and I was so busy wrapping things up at work and preparing for the vacation (on my blog and at home) that I completely forgot to post my DIK Reading Challenge Review! I did read the book, Islands by Samantha Kane, but forgot to write about it. So, that Challenge is a fail now :(

And here is the short list of only 12 romances I read in July:

1. Double Shot Cappuccino by Stephani Hecht, 4 stars
2. Gay Friendly (G-A-Y, #9) by Kim Dare, 3.75 stars
3. Tempted by Megan Hart, 3.5 stars
4. Seeking Kokopelli by Shelley Munro, 2.75 stars
5. Finding Home (Quinn Security, #1) by Cameron Dane, 3.5 stars
6. Saying I Do (Quinn Security, #3) by Cameron Dane, 4 stars
7. Raising Kane (Rough Riders, #9) by Lorelei James, 4 stars
8. Blinded By Our Eyes by Clare London, 4.5 stars
9. Bus Stop by Pepper Espinoza, 4 stars
10. Islands by Samantha Kane, 4 stars
11. As You Are by Ethan Day, 4 stars
12. Tie 'Em Up, Hold 'Em Down by Carolina Valdez, 2.75 stars

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Although the month flew by, July did have a great final when I met Leontine at Utrecht, a city in the middle of our country, the Netherlands. I can’t tell you how much fun we had! We met at the Central Train Station at 11am, went down town for some coffee. We started talking on our way there and never stopped talking until it was time for Leontine to catch her train home at 6pm! In between we had lunch, ate some ice cream, went to the bookstore and walked around town along the canals, before we ended up at another pavement café for a drink. Leontine brought me a fun bag with all sorts of goodies, like book marks, signed covers and a book from Josh Lanyon! She’s a generous person who never bores you and likes to laugh a lot. When we had to say our goodbyes after 7 hours we felt as if we still could talk for hours and hours! From now on we’re going to call each other and hopefully meet again soon in person!

How was your month? Did it fly by too? Have you read any good books? Did you meet cool peeps?

I look forward to your comments when I come back from vacation, just know that I won’t be here until August 20th to respond as you’re used from me! But my guest bloggers will be.

See you later! Au revoir, mes amies! :)

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Contest rules:

Leave a comment on this and/or any other blog post between August 2nd and 20th for a chance to win one of the six Vacay Giveaway prizes.
A comment on one of the posts from August 2-20 gives you 1 entry for the contest, a comment on 2 of the posts 2 entries, a comment on 3 of the posts 3 entries, etc. So, the more frequent you return to show some luv to my guest bloggers the higher your chances to win one of the six prizes! :)
In the weekend of August 21st I’ll announce who the 6 winners are (selected with random.org); winner #1 can choose first, winner #2 second, winner #3 third, etc. from one of the six prizes. Don’t forget to check back then or leave a way for me to contact you in your comment or profile.

The prizes are, in random order:
• A $15 Gift Certificate from any online bookstore I can buy from
• An ecopy of Daughters of Persephone by Julia Rachel Barrett
• One of Mia Watts’ ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• A book of choice from The BookDepository (of max $10 and only when they ship to your country... sorry)
• One of Bronwyn Green’s ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• An ebook of choice from DreamSpinner Press

With thanks to DreamSpinner Press, Mia Watts, Bronwyn Green and Julia Rachel Barrett for sponsoring this Vacay Giveaway by donating their prizes!