While We Sat Back Comfortably... Sendong Swept Away Hundreds of People

While we were all sleeping in the comfort of our homes, or while sitting back on the sofa with our feet up eating popcorn and watching dvd or a television show, or while dining with our loved ones or while arguing with our best friend about odd little things ... hundreds of people in Cagayan De Oro and Iligan City (in the Philippines) were swept away by flash flood brought by Typhoon Washi's torrential rain (locally called as Sendong).

It broke my heart when I saw the news on BBC World News. I didn't even realize that there was typhoon in the Philippines because it hardly rained in Manila so it really came as a shocking news for me.

They need our HELP! If you could send help in any possible means, please do so. Please donate anything or any amount that you can. One way to send help/donate for the survivors of Typhoon Washi is through World Vision.

God Bless Us All!

Kindle Fire Giveaway for Silver Smoke, the First Novel in the Seven Halos Series

To celebrate the release of a new novel to the Seven Halos series, author Monica Leonelle is doing a Kindle Fire giveaway for Silver Smoke, the first novel in the series! Silver Smoke is the highly-rated (4.8 stars on Amazon) debut novel about the Hallows and the Nephilim, the descendants of archangels and humans. Here's a description of the book:

Brie van Rossum has fame, fortune, and beauty, but there's one thing she doesn't have--the name of her mother's supernatural killer.
The Hallows, descendants of the archangels, don't think Milena was murdered.. but can Brie trust them when their government, the New Order, wants her dead?

She'd better figure it all out soon...

... because when Brie finds out who she really is, the hunt will begin.

And Milena might not be the only casualty.

Like mother, like daughter...

Contest dates:

December 15th thru December 31st (a little more than 12 days, but who's counting?)

Easy ways to enter:

1. (3 entries) Blog about this contest and forward a link to monicaleonellecontests@gmail.com (see copy + paste instructions for the contest below)
2. (3 entries each) Share a sentence about the book with your Facebook or Twitter followers, and include a link to the book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble (you pick). One entry per social media account per day during the contest. Forward a screenshot or link of your sentence+link to monicaleonellecontests@gmail.com. The links are available below:
   
   • Amazon ($0.99): http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Smoke-Seven-Halos-ebook/dp/B004MMERZ6/ref=sr_1_2
   • B&N ($0.99): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/silver-smoke-monica-leonelle/1103721670?ean=2940012105332&format=nook-book
3. (10 entries each) Write an honest Amazon and/or B&N review of Silver Smoke and send a link to monicaleonellecontests@gmail.com

PRIZES!!!

Grand Prize Winner: Kindle Fire (or cash-equivalent Amazon gift card)
2nd Place (two winners): Kindle Touch (or cash-equivalent Amazon gift card)
3rd Place (three winners): Kindle (or cash-equivalent Amazon gift card)
Special Bloggers-Only Winner* (for blogger entrants - must enter via the web form): Kindle Fire (or cash-equivalent Amazon gift card)

Winners will be selected using Random.org on January 1, 2012 and announced on How To Be An Author by January 2, 2012.

*To enter the Bloggers-Only drawing (in addition to the regular drawing), you must forward a link to your post to monicaleonellecontests@gmail.com AND add your name to this bloggers-only email list (not for promotional purposes... just an easy way to distribute promised items): http://forms.aweber.com/form/99/1958024899.htm