Elffolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis Giveaway

Back to School Giveaway Week, Day Five:

Want to know the secret of making great connections and meeting people at Blogher and other larger-scale blogging conferences?

Ride the elevator.

Yes, it’s true (those of you who have attended Blogher can back me up, I’m sure). Some of the most meaningful conversations and some of the best (and most unexpected!) connections were made in the elevator, squished against the other bloggers and brands packed tightly into the small compartment. There’s nothing else to do but start up a conversation, and for better or for worse, you are stuck….at least until you arrive on your destination floor.

On one particular elevator ride, I bumped into a cute woman named Tina. She told me about her children’s book, Elffolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis and asked if I’d like a copy for my kids. Since I’ve got a house full of book lovers, I was more than willing to give it a try.

About the book:

Action-packed and highly imaginative, Elffolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis is a novel for readers ages 7 to 10, revealing the power of our thoughts, expectations and beliefs. A quick and easy read, it tells the story of Enna and Nissa and their adventures in the mysterious caves of legendary Atlantis.

“Thousands of years ago, on the island of Atlantis, there were signs of a coming disaster. The very first omens were the earthquakes…. When an earthquake strikes the village of Elffolk, an elderly elf becomes trapped in the crystal caves. Two young elves, Enna and Nissa, must save her. But their rescue mission won’t be easy. A dark magic lurks within the caves, stirring up danger at every turn and leaving nothing as it seems.”

About the Author

Tina McFadden’s writing career began at age six. A dreamer by nature, with a vivid imagination, she would lose herself in the stories of Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. By age nine, she had written a whole series of mystery novels. Now a full-time writer and editor, Tina has published articles in magazines, newspapers and on the web, as well as short fictional stories for children and adults. Elffolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis is her first published novel.

Tina was born in British Columbia, grew up in Ontario and currently resides in Calgary, Alberta with her husband Vlad. When she’s not writing about the adventures of fictional characters, she enjoys real-life adventures like hiking in the mountains and traveling abroad.

To see more about Tina and her book, visit elffolk.com

My 2 cents: Tina was completely authentic when I met her at Blogher, and her authenticity shines through in her work. Her novel is easy and pleasant to read but not childish (another person described it as not being “dumbed down.” I love that description!). The kids and I were able to enjoy it equally. Honestly, some of my favorite books of all time have been children’s and young adult novels. I think there is an innocence and a sense of values in many children’s novels that is an extremely welcome change from most adult stories. Elffolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis certainly had that sense of optimism and positive message to go along with it. These are the kinds of heros that I want my kids to admire!

The giveaway:

Tina has offered one lucky reader a copy of her book, Elffolk and the Crystal Caves of Atlantis ($10.99 value). I’m also throwing in a free create-your-own custom binder from Zazzle.com (an additional $18.95 value, with free shipping). I made one, too. I love it.

To enter:

**Tell me what your favorite genre of book is. Or what kinds of books your kids like to read.**

The extras:

Follow me on and Tina_McFadden on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can do this once a day. Sample tweet:
- Win a copy of @tina_mcfadden‘s book & a custom binder from Zazzle with @1momof5 Back to School #giveaway http://betterinbulk.net/elf
Follow my blog via Google friends connect.
Subscribe to my blog’s RSS feed or get email updates when I post
For every open giveaway that you enter on Better in Bulk, you can get an extra entry. Just let me know which ones you’ve entered!

The fine print:

The author personally sent me a signed copy of her book after meeting her at BlogHer. The opinions and experiences are my own. I also received a free custom binder from Zazzle at the Social Luxe party at BlogHer for myself, and somehow ended up with an extra one to give away. I am under no obligation to Avery or Zazzle. I just thought Id share the love a little.

This giveaway will end on Friday, September 10, 2010 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. A winner will be chosen at random and notified by email. Good luck!