we have a winner (i think)!

May 21, 2012May 20, 2012 ~ jama ~ 8 Comments

So, I was very excited to see who would win a copy of Jo Knowles’s fabulous new book, See You at Harry’s (Candlewick, 2012).

But a strange thing happened when I entered the kitchen.

hatley — “Greetings! Mr. Generator at your service, Miss.”

As you may know, recently I’ve called upon the very reliable, ever steady Mr. Random Integer Generator to pick giveaway winners to avoid any ~~jealousy~~ ~~riots~~ ~~strikes~~ ugly kerfuffles involving the furry kitchen helpers. They all love giveaways and they all want to pick the winners.

Calling upon Mr. Generator therefore makes perfect sense. He is perfectly objective and does not wear fur, nor does he ever hold a grudge. Usually it is easy to spot him in his meticulously groomed mustache and stylish bowler hat.

But I don’t recall Mr. Generator ever sporting moose antlers (I did like that he called me, “Miss,” ever so polite). Before I could question him further, I was confronted with this:

bears — “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Generator reporting for duty!”

And then this:

Mr. Generators crawling out of the woodwork!

Wait! (I came to my senses.)

If any of you really are Mr. Generator, where are your bowler hats??!!

“We took them off. It’s impolite to wear hats indoors.”

Hmmmmm. Good point.

Then one of them tried to bribe me with this:

He looked strangely familiar. Excellent mustache.

I decided to ponder further while eating the bribe.

I knew that if I singled out any one of these rascals I’d have a riot on my hands for sure. Oh, Mr. Generator, the real Mr. Generator, please give me a sign!

Knock knock!

Why, hello. Yes, a nice mustache AND a bowler hat. Thank goodness you’re here at last, Mr. Generator!

I gave our wayward guest the names of all the entrants and their ice cream flavors. The information was processed with an extra helping of panache. After precisely 4 minutes and 28 seconds, one lucky commenter was selected.

*Drum roll, please!*

I’m happy to announce that the winner of a brand new copy of See You at Harry’s is —

WOO HOO!! CONGRATULATIONS, KELL!

Please send your snail mail address to: readermail (at) jamakimrattigan (dot) com, so we can get your prize out to you.

A BIG THANKS to everyone for entering the giveaway. Great choice of ice cream flavors — I imagine all of them are available at Harry’s. ☺

pad — “Hey, wait a minute! That’s not Mr. Generator. That looks like my Aunt Lucy!”

Oh no, here we go . . .

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soup of the day: see you at harry’s by jo knowles (and a giveaway)!

May 8, 2012May 12, 2012 ~ jama ~ 88 Comments

Why hello!

You’re just in time to help us celebrate the official release of See You at Harry’s (Candlewick, 2012), a brand new middle grade novel by the lovely and supremely talented Jo Knowles!

I’ve been really excited about this book ever since I first heard about it a couple of years ago, not only because I’m a big fan of Jo’s writing, but because this particular story was inspired by her childhood experiences of growing up in the restaurant business in Laconia, New Hampshire.*swoon*

keller's — Keller’s was the first of several restaurants owned by Jo’s family in New Hampshire.

Could there be anything better than having your family own a restaurant that’s also an ice cream factory?! Bring me Apple Orchard Pancakes and a Spanish Omelette for breakfast, a Knickerbocker Sandwich for lunch, Stuffed Hamburg Casserole for dinner (extra cheese, ham and mushrooms, please!), and of course, a hot fudge sundae, root beer float or strawberry ice cream cone every day after school. Yum — my idea of culinary heaven! It had to have been fun getting to know some of the customers, helping out with odd jobs, and seeing how large quantities of ice cream was made.

strawberry — Lick your screen. You know you want to.

But where are my manners? Before I give you the full scoop on this wonderful book, a few delectable party favors.

Continue reading →

soup of the day: jumping off swings!

August 11, 2009July 25, 2011 ~ jama ~ 22 Comments

Jo is beautiful inside and out.

Hip hip hooray! What a glorious day!

I’m swinging high above the trees, and the view is amazing. I plan to stay up here awhile. Want to join me? It’s the perfect way to celebrate the official release today of Jo Knowles’s brand new young adult novel, Jumping Off Swings (Candlewick, 2009)! WooHoo!

      JUMPING OFF SWINGS by Jo Knowles
      (Candlewick Press, 2009), 240 pp.
      Young Adult Fiction

*loving the fresh air blowing through my hair*

Continue reading →

get into the swing!

July 20, 2009 ~ jama ~ 4 Comments

photo by kko19652001.

Have you heard?

Uber talented author Jo Knowles is celebrating her soon-to-be-released young adult novel, Jumping Off Swings, with a cool contest!

There are lots of ways to enter — by submitting a picture of you jumping off a swing or sitting on a swing, by helping to spread the word via your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc., by telling your librarian or friend about the book, or by leaving a comment at the contest post. Each thing you do = one entry.

Jo will be presenting three lucky winners with a set of both her books — Jumping Off Swings and a paperback edition of her first novel, Lessons from a Dead Girl, which will also be released on August 11th!

Get thee over to her blog right now to read all the details. She’s posted a great slideshow of lots of entrants swinging. Wanna be one of those swingers? Send Jo your photo by the contest deadline of August 10, 2009.