All about Ellen....

We here at Brenda's Blog just love Ellen Meister. We also love entering contests. And we love free stuff. So, what could be better than this: Ellen's giving away a free $25 gift card just for signing up for her mailing list!

Ellen has an exciting new book coming out next year and she wants you to know all about it. It's sure to be her breakout novel, so if you loved her last two books, or just want to discover a new author, you should check this out.

Sign up for her mailing list now and you will automatically be entered in a drawing for a $25 amazon.com gift card.

Just click here, fill out the form, and remember to click through when you get the confirmation email. That's it. Ellen only sends out a few updates a year, so you won't be bombarded. Besides, I think you'll want to hear about her breakthrough novel, THE OTHER LIFE (Putnam/2011), which is already getting great early buzz:

"Gripping! A truly fascinating story of love, loss, and a magical place in between."
–Beth Harbison, New York Times bestselling author of HOPE IN A JAR

"Intriguing, stimulating, original, unpredictable, frightening, utterly engaging--THE OTHER LIFE reminded me why I love to read. Ellen Meister is a writer with a limitless future."
–Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author of THE SECOND OPINION and THE LAST SURGEON

"In her riveting breakthrough novel, THE OTHER LIFE, gifted storyteller Ellen Meister doesn’t just peek in on a young mother who straddles between love and doubt, she blows it open with a story of one who straddles two parallel universes, each with its own perilous decisions. It is a brave and honest exploration of the precarious limits of motherhood that will make readers wonder if Meister followed them with a probe and felt their racing hearts and hopes. If you have ever second guessed the biggest decisions of your life (and who hasn’t), THE OTHER LIFE is a captivating homage to the question, does love conquer all?"
–Saralee Rosenberg, author of DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD and FATE AND MS. FORTUNE

"Ellen Meister makes a big leap toward the literary in THE OTHER LIFE, a book where “What if” becomes the most powerful question in the world. This is the thinking woman’s beach read, a love story to the modern family, written with a deep and lovely understanding of mothers and daughters and the sacrifices they’ll make for each other."
–Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING

"THE OTHER LIFE is a provocative and unique tale of the road not taken. Ellen Meister puts a magical, masterful spin on one of my favorite questions: "What if?" What if you took both roads? You won't want to miss this one!"

–Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON

"I loved this emotional powerhouse of a novel that asks a daring “what if…” and manages to be as charming and funny as it is thoughtful and moving. Brava, Ellen Meister!”
–Melissa Senate, author of SEE JANE DATE and THE SECRET OF JOY

The funniest thing about all of these fabulous blurbs is that I am reading THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING as we speak! Seriously. You can even check out my goodreads page!

Anyhoo, I hope you all enter to win the contest. I'm heading over there now!