Tag: Jo Barrett

Contest Winners: Don’t Let It Be True by Jo Barrett.

Posted March 17, 2009 by Rowena in Giveaway Winners | 3 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins


The winners for the Jo Barrett giveaway are:

Cursing Mama
Rachie G
Ruth

CONGRATULATIONS!

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest, we appreciate the support. To the winners, if you could send your snail mail addy’s to us here at contests[at]thebookbinge.com, we’ll get your books sent out to you just as soon as we can.

Thanks again to everyone who made Jo Barrett feel extra special that day and stick around there will be plenty of other opportunities to win some more books from some other fantastic authors.

Best,
Rowena, Casee and Holly

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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Guest Author, Jo Barrett Visits Book Binge!

Posted March 9, 2009 by Rowena in Promotions | 15 Comments


Jo Barrett is the author of three novels, The Men’s Guide to the Women’s Bathroom, This is How it Happened and tomorrow’s release, Don’t Let it Be True. She’s done a good job of entertaining me with two books. You can read my review of the first book I read by her here. As you can tell, I really enjoyed this book and was looking forward to her new book. I finished her new release and was delighted that I enjoyed that book as well.

I am now eagerly awaiting her next release….hint, hint, Jo! =)

After reading Don’t Let it Be True, I wanted to meet a Texas boy but then realized that duh, I have a Texas boy. Jo Barrett’s writing made me wonder what kind of woman she was because her books are so likable and I knew that she would be likable as well. I wasn’t disappointed. She is such a sweet woman and I’m glad that she’s here with us today. So please lend a welcoming hand to Jo Barrett.

She was kind enough to answer each and every question put to her and I asked quite a few questions so here it is for your viewing pleasure….a look into the life of Jo Barrett, enjoy!

On Her Writing:

Book Binge: Are you a plotter or a fly by the seat of your pants kind of writer?

Jo Barrett: Fly by the seat of my skirt!

Book Binge: What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Jo Barrett: Watching the printer churn out a few hundred pages when I’m finished!

Book Binge: What is your least favorite thing about being a writer?

Jo Barrett: Sitting for hours a day in front of a computer screen eating cookies and more cookies.

Book Binge: Tell us how your reaction was when you got the call that your first book was going to be published.

Jo Barrett: I was in St. Petersburg, Russia at the time and I celebrated at a Russian nightclub that evening.

Book Binge: What are you working on now?

Jo Barrett: A book about all of the ex’s in my life – (P.S. I’m not sure whether it’s a comedy or a tragedy)

On Don’t Let It Be True:

Book Binge: What can readers look forward to with DLIBT?

Jo Barrett: I do something different by blending Texas High Society with a bit of the Wildcatter oil culture which pervades Texas.

Book Binge: What is your favorite part of DLIBT?

Jo Barrett: The marriage proposal where Dylan asks Kathleen to marry him on a rock in the middle of a river. It’s funny and poignant at the same time.

Book Binge: What do you hope the readers will get by reading DLIBT?

Jo Barrett: A glimpse into the life of a Texas oil heiress and her longtime boyfriend who—like many men these days– refuses to commit. I also wanted to explore issues of women who have trouble getting pregnant, and my main character, Kathleen Connor King has this issue in her life.

Book Binge: What kind of research did you do for DLIBT?

Jo Barrett: I’m a Google Fiend, but I also happen to know several true Texas wildcatters, and many of my characters are inspired specifically by these colorful men.

Book Binge: What made you want to write about the high society of Texas?

Jo Barrett: Texas Society is never what it seems. It’s fun to peel back the layers to see what they reveal.

Random Questions:

Book Binge: What are you watching on TV these days?

Jo Barrett: I love Top Chef on Bravo. It’s my favorite show because I always want to challenge myself to see whether I could cook like this.

Book Binge: What’s your favorite song right now?

Jo Barrett: The “My Dick” song from the movie: Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay. This song is utterly trashy and you can’t help but sing along.

Book Binge: What are you reading right now?

Jo Barrett: I just finished One Fifth by Candace Bushnell, and it was excellent.

Book Binge: Who is your all time favorite author?

Jo Barrett: John Irving

Book Binge: What is your all time favorite book?

Jo Barrett: A Widow For One Year, by John Irving.

I’m so gonna have to check out this My Dick song. I luh-oved the first Harold and Kumar movie but have yet to see the second one, this has definitely boosted it up on my to be watched list. Thanks so much for stopping by Jo and we here at Book Binge wish you nothing but the best in your writing career. I’ve had a blast reading two of your books and I know you’ll be around for a long time.

To keep the party going, we’re going to be giving away some books by Jo Barrett and if you want to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this here post and you’ll be entered in the drawing to win some free books.

Thanks again Jo and read her books!

Don’t Let It Be True is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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Review: Don’t Let It Be True by Jo Barrett

Posted March 9, 2009 by Rowena in Reviews | 5 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins


Hero
: Dylan Grant
Heroine: Kathleen King
Grade: 4 out of 5

A few Texas society gals are hiding sordid pasts as strippers, pole dancers, call girls, Democrats . . . But socialite Kathleen Connor King’s secret is far, far worse. The flamboyant oil heiress, philanthropist, shopaholic, and hostess of the city’s most prestigious annual gala, Kathleen King has a skeleton in her closet that, if revealed, will obliterate her good name and cherished social standing: She’s broke!

Her longtime beau, Dylan Grant, is similarly busted, ever since his now-deceased father lost the last of the family’s oil properties to A-List wannabe Bo Harlan in a poker game. So Kat and Dylan have a plan, and with the help of a small cadre of loyal friends and allies, they’re ready to resort to outrageous tactics—not all of them legal—to keep up appearances, win back the lost Grant oil money, elude a psycho Vegas mobster…and solidify their lofty positions among the crème de la crème.

Last year, I read my very first Jo Barrett book and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it so much that I was looking forward to reading this book as well. I kind of worried a little bit on if I’d enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed, This Is How It Happened but I feared for nothing because I enjoyed the heck out of this story.

This story is about Texas living and the dirty little secrets that everyone has…most especially, the secrets of Kat King and Dylan Grant. It’s a story about two people who are fighting to keep the life they’ve always known and learning to deal with the blows that life throws at them. It’s about oil and family and proving to yourself that you’ve got what it takes to make something of yourself and Jo Barrett did a fantastic job of writing Dylan and Kat’s story.

What I liked most about this book is that it was more than a romance story because when we meet Dylan and Kat, they’re already together and they’re already blissfully in love with each other…and have been since they were children. This story shows how they deal with all of the problems that are falling down around them together as a couple. It shows the strength and the trust that these two had in each other and it warmed my heart to read through this story.

Kat is one of those strong heroines that you can’t help but admire. The work she did for her Children’s Hospital Foundation made me like her more and more as the pages wore on. The way that she ran that foundation and the way that she loved those children made you root for her as an individual because she was so far from being perfect. She did a lot of things that made you think, NOOOOO but none of those things took away from the way that you cared about her. None of those things made you want to throw the book at the wall and that’s what I loved most about this book.

Nobody was perfect in this book. Not the heroine, not the hero and neither was anyone else in this story. Not even the “perfect girl” was perfect. Everyone was flawed and it was okay because they were perfect in their flaw-ness. Each character brought something to this story whether it was big or small, each character played a roll in this story and we saw it. It was front and center and I enjoyed that about it.

The hero, Dylan Grant was a great hero. He wasn’t one of those to do for heroes that we all fall in love with but he was a hero that everyone would recognize as someone they knew in their real life. He was that star football player with the heart of gold that you had a crush on in high school, he was the hottie construction worker that is working on the hotel down the street from your work, he was someone you’ve had a crush on at one point in your life. He was real and I loved that about him. Sometimes he did boneheaded things but sometimes he surprised you with how thoughtful he could be. I very much enjoyed getting to know him and though he wasn’t a hit you in your face with his sexiness, his sexiness came from getting to know him. The more you read about him, the more you got to know him…the more you thought, damn, I want!

What a treat this book turned out to be, there was only a slight drag for me in the beginning but once you got over the beginning hump the book picks up and the laughs start and the sighing ensues. It’s a great read for those days when you want to lose yourself into a quick, witty read. Kudos to Barrett for writing a wonderfully witty book about the people of Texas. I love Texans!

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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SEP WINNER and GUEST AUTHOR ANNOUNCEMENT!

Posted March 8, 2009 by Rowena in Giveaway Winners | 5 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins


The winner for the free copy of What i did for love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is:

RENEE!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered the giveaway and for everyone who made SEP feel welcome while she was here. It’s a lot of fun for us to give away books so we appreciate everyone wanting to be apart of it!

Renee, please email us at contests@thebookbinge.com with your snail mail addy and we’ll get that book sent out as soon as we can!


Next up in some Book Binge business, tomorrow we have a new to Book Binge guest author stopping by to talk about her new book (which will be reviewed tomorrow as well). Author Jo Barrett will be here to answer a few questions we put to her and if you’ll remember…last year I read and loved Jo Barrett’s last book, This Is How It Happened and so you’ll want to stop by and hopefully win a copy of the new book, Don’t Let It Be Happen.

Stop by and hang out with us…you know you want to! =)


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Book Watch: Don’t Let It Be True by Jo Barrett.

Posted February 1, 2009 by Rowena in Promotions, Reviews | 4 Comments

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins

A few Texas society gals are hiding sordid pasts as strippers, pole dancers, call girls, Democrats . . . But socialite Kathleen Connor King’s secret is far, far worse.

The flamboyant oil heiress, philanthropist, shopaholic, and hostess of the city’s most prestigious annual gala, Kathleen King has a skeleton in her closet that, if revealed, will obliterate her good name and cherished social standing: She’s broke!

Her longtime beau, Dylan Grant, is similarly busted, ever since his now-deceased father lost the last of the family’s oil properties to A-List wannabe Bo Harlan in a poker game. So Kat and Dylan have a plan, and with the help of a small cadre of loyal friends and allies, they’re ready to resort to outrageous tactics—not all of them legal—to keep up appearances, win back the lost Grant oil money, elude a psycho Vegas mobster…and solidify their lofty positions among the crème de la crème.

From the acclaimed author of This Is How It Happened (Not a Love Story) and The Men’s Guide to the Women’s Bathroom comes a hilarious tale of love and deception in the world of the Texas oil uppercrust.

Last year, I read and reviewed my first Jo Barrett, This Is How It Happened: Not a Love Story and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it so much that I am super excited to read this latest book which comes out next month on March 10th. I’m definitely going to read this one so be sure to look for my review on this one but if you guys enjoy books that are super funny, I’m sure you’ll want to put this author on your radar, she’s pretty good.

This book is available from Avon. You can pre-order it here.


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