The New Year Blog Hop & Giveaway!

The New Year Blog Hop!

Vanessa Kelly writing as VK Sykes

Today, over 60 authors are talking about their favorite New Year’s memories! What does that mean for you folks who are stopping by the blog today? Well, these authors are giving away gift cards, books, and other swag goodies throughout the day, and that includes me!  Each author will chose her own winner – so that means over 60 winners! And you can win on multiple pages, which is really cool.

And the best thing? The authors have put together TWO fabulous grand prizes.  One being a Kindle Fire to a lucky winner!

Our second grand prize is a $80 Amazon gift card!

So what am I giving away?  Two people who comment on the blog today will win one of my books:  one person will win My Favorite Countess, and another person will win a copy of my VK Sykes contemporary romance, Hardball.  Plus some fabulous chocolates to go along with the books!  All you have to do to be entered is tell me what your favorite New Year’s memory is.  Then, do the blog hop links at the bottom of this post and enter on as many other pages as you want.  The more blogs you leave comments on, the greater your chances of winning one of the grand prizes.

 

So, what’s my favorite New Year’s memory?  I think it had to be when I was still in grad school, studying English Lit.  I went to stay with some friends in New York City and we decided to throw an impromptu party on New Year’s Eve.  We called around, left some messages, got in some food and alcohol, and hoped for the best.  Really, though, we didn’t expect many people to show.  To keep ourselves from feeling like complete losers, we hit on a silly but amusing party game – trying to figure out which celebrity we thought each of us most resembled.  Once we assigned ourselves those roles, we decided to stay in character for the rest of the evening.

I should add here that most of my friends worked in theatre or film at the time, so role-playing came naturally.  Anyway, we also decided that for each guest who arrived – if they arrived – we would assign that guest a celebrity persona too.  After a few glasses of bubbly or a few beers, this seemed like a really great idea.  So when other people actually did start arriving we tagged them with the appropriate designation:  movie star, stage actor, musician, politician, even a few historical figures thrown in for good measure.

Much to our surprise, every new arrival seemed to think this silly game was a great idea.  Soon we had an apartment packed to the rafters with a bunch of party-goers acting out their new personas.  Maybe we’d all had a little too much to drink or maybe we were better actors than we gave ourselves credit for, but by the end of the night you would have sworn you were actually talking to Al Pacino, King George III, or Marilyn Monroe.  Okay, the libations were flowing very freely, but for one night it was great fun to pretend to be someone else.  Years later, I still remember that party with a great deal of fondness.

Oh, and what was my celebrity identity that night?  I was Sigourney Weaver.  No wonder I had such a great time at that party!

Now, tell me about your favorite New Year’s memory, and start the blog hop at the links just below.  Good luck!

119 thoughts on “The New Year Blog Hop & Giveaway!”

  1. New Years Eve will always be special since it was the night my hubby proposed. After 35 years together, so glad I said yes.

    caity_mack at yahoo dot com

    Reply
  2. My favorite New Years memory is huddling up with my family to watch the fireworks. It was a big deal to stay up so late.

    Reply
  3. My fav memory was when I was a teen & we had a small fireworks party at our house with family & a few close friends. It was loads of fun!

    Books & choc! That’s some hard to beat combination 🙂

    Reply
  4. My favorite had to be last year (New Years Eve 2010… or is that 2009?). Had a bunch of friends over and we drank cheap wine and played Disney Scene-It all night. XD

    Reply
  5. My favorite New Year’s memory is from three or four years ago. My friends and I threw a swing dance on New Year’s Eve and went back to a house to watch the ball drop, etc… Since none of us really get to swing much, it was fantastic!

    Reply
  6. I think it’s my daughter shouted Happy New Yr. She just watched Max and Ruby and was horribly excited about it being a new yr.

    Reply
  7. Hi Vanessa,

    My favorite memories that I have of New Years is celebrating my Mum’s birthday on New Years Day. We always had a huge family get together for her. She’s been gone a long time now, but it helps to remember how happy she used to be having all of her family around to celebrate her special day with her.

    Reply
  8. My New Year’s Eves have been pretty quiet, I spend them at home with family. We get a variety of appetizers to heat, pick out a couple of movies we’ve wanted to see for a while and put a bottle of Asti Spumante in the refrigerator to cool. Then at midnight (or when we can barely keep our eyes open), we open the champagne and toast the New Year.

    Thanks for the giveaway

    ringpop2010 at gmail dot com

    Reply
  9. Usually end up working on New Year’s Eve so try to go straight home to watch the ball drop on tv.
    linze_e at hotmail.com

    Reply
  10. My favorite memory of New Years…. every year for the last 13 years I have watched the ball drop on tv by myself. Everyone else has fallen asleep “trying” to stay awake. The last time I went out was 16 years ago and I had too many glasses of champagne and passed out. No wonder why I stay home to drink and pass out 🙂

    Reply
  11. My favorite New Year’s will always be 2000. Most others were spending their time worrying about the Y2K crisis, while I was celebrating starting off this century by being a new bride. It just got better from there 😉 richnkathy718 (at) msn (dot) com

    Reply
  12. I wish I could give you an example, but I truly can’t. Guess I’ve been deprived of this growing up. Even when I was single I never attended a party. Of course, now that I’m married w/ kids and closer to 40 than ever before….now I want to do all those cool things younger people do. *laughs*
    Thank you so much!

    Reply
  13. I don’t have a fav new year’s memory. I like to spend my new year’s eve at home with my family. There were years when I went out, partied, danced the night away, but they aren’t the ones that stand out for me 🙂 Nice and quiet all the way.

    Happy new year!

    mihoxli at gmail dot com

    Reply
  14. I have worked most every new years eve. I don’t mind. i love being the sober one, with all the other drunk fools. That is one night that I am glad I am sober. People do crazy stuff when they are drunk, expecially on new years. I should write a book about it.
    Thanks for the chance to win.

    Reply
  15. This year was a great one I spent the evening playing beer pong with close prizes.. having a great hubby to kiss when the balled dropped and them munching on unhealthy pizza in the early AM! haha

    Dprissypunk(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  16. My memory is from my childhood and my parents were having a big New Years Eve party at our home. It was fun to be around all the adults and ring in the new year.
    penfield716(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

    Reply
  17. My favorite New Year’s memory may seem weird. It was the first one spent with my husband, then fiance. We had each spent Christmas with our respective families, but he came to my mom’s for New Year’s Eve and the days after. Only he came very sick. Was running a temp of 104 and I spent most of it worrying, holding his hand, calling his brother, and taking him to ER. It was quite something! But it was our first together, so still very special. Like an male, he does not handle being sick well. Fortunately he was delirious for most of it!

    Reply
  18. My favorite New Years Eve had to be the Y2K New Year. I had just turned 21 so I was finally “legal” for one of the biggest New Years ever. I did overindulge a bit and felt like crap the next day. But that night was awesome!!

    izzyabbysmom2006 AT yahoo DOT com

    Reply
  19. I spent this past New Years trying to put the kiddo down even though there was a party next door. So, not loads of fun, but hey, there was nowhere else I’d rather be.

    Reply
  20. All my favorite new years memories are the same; it doesn’t matter were I was as long as i’m with friends and family 🙂

    ~jennifer

    wocaworld{at}gmail{dot}com

    Reply
  21. My favorite NYE memory was my first one in Chicago. The fireworks downtown were gorgeous especially when they were reflected in Lake Michigan.

    Reply
  22. What a memorable NYE, and a great party idea, thanks for sharing, mine is not that memorable, just staying home with the family, watching the countdown on tv 🙂

    Reply
  23. I have never been one to stay awake to bring in the New Year – but when I was 21 years old, my best friend drug me out with her husband and friends to a pub to a New Year’s Eve party that was really quite fun, so I’d have to choose that one, since it was my only experience *chuckle*
    Thank you so much for participating in this hop and for the great giveaway chance!

    I hope 2012 brings you wonderful and great things!

    Reply
  24. My NYE are always spent with family. This year I spent it with my sister and 2 of her kids, hanging out and watching a zombie marathon on TV. It was goofy but fun!
    manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

    Reply
  25. I posted this on another blog but I’ll share it here as well.

    My most memorable New Years Eve was this year, no doubt. My family all got together and went to church where they were doing their annual game night to ring in the New Year. It started at 6 pm, and about 8:30 my mom comes up to me asking me where the bathroom is. I showed her where it was and then went back to my game. A few minutes passed and I noticed she hadn’t come out yet, so I started to go check on her when I saw her come out. She comes up to me and sits down beside me, whispering, “I locked myself in and couldn’t get out.” After questioning her a little, I found out she had locked the stall door (not the main door) and had to crawl beneath the door to get out. I asked her if she was okay, and she said, “Yeah! The preacher’s wife came in while I was crawling under. She helped me up.” *Sigh* I went in there to crawl back under and “Unlock” it…only to discover I have NO idea how she managed to do it. (My family has big chested women, lol) So I came back out & got my nephew, who is 21. He went in there with me and I stood at the door so no one would go in there. He crawled under and unlocked it. Just as he was walking out the door, a little boy (about 5) came up to the door and said very loudly, “Samuel! What are you doing in the girls bathroom?” Then he just started laughing. That’s when I found the humor in the situation and I began laughing along with him, while Samuel was turning beet red. 🙂

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    May God bless,
    Trisha Wilson
    TrishaWilson79@gmail.com

    Reply
  26. Most of my New Year’s memories are about my family. I usually spend the night with my family watching TV and just being together.
    sstrode at scrtc dot com

    Reply
  27. Hi Vanessa! My New Year’s tend to be very low-key and simple but what I do remember best is always spending them with the people who mean most to me -my family. I hope you had a lovely one.

    Reply
  28. So mine starts off a little odd. I was working as a waitress and I ended up working a double shift from open to close without more than a two minute break periodically. I was pretty mad about that because I’d scheduled time off to be with my then boyfriend. Anyway so I worked all day and while the tips were great the people not so much, especially after about 9. So anyway we closed early that night and I got how around 11pm. I took a shower and climbed into bed and just as I was falling asleep my phone rings. I’m cussing up a storm and questioning the parentage of the person on the other end and it turns out it’s the boyfriend. He waits for my little rant to end and then before I can start up again blurts out “Will you marry me.” I’m so tired my brain doesn’t seem to understand him and I go “what?” so he politely repeats himself and then tells me to get my ass outside. I dropped my phone and ran out the front door to him standing there with two dozen of my favorite flowers on one knee 🙂 Best New Year’s EVER! We’ll have been married three years this may. I don’t know if we kissed in time to ring in the new year but it was still pretty epic.

    a_breen87@yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  29. Well my birthdays New Years eve so I could tell tons of stories from that! LOL But one of my most memorable would probably have to be last year just for how funny it was. My friend was 9months pregnant. Due any time and she decided that she wanted to play ‘Just Dance’ on my wii. So she seriously got into it. It was insane watching her dance with her big belly. I have it on video. Probably the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. 🙂 Thanks!
    -Amber
    goodblinknpark@yahoo.com

    Reply
  30. I think my favorite memory would be when my grandparents got a new colored television. It was a big deal. We never had a colored tv before. We all sat around watching Guy Lombardo waiting for the ball to drop.

    e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

    Reply
  31. Every year, my best friend and her husband throw a massive NYE party. After almost everyone leaves, I sit around with some of my best friends, (we don’t see each other nearly as much as we’d like to),and we just talk about the year just past, good memories — it’s just a wonderful way to celebrate, and we’ve made it an annual ritual.

    Thanks for the giveaway and have a Happy New Year!

    elizabeth @ bookattict . com

    Reply
  32. We usually spend the evening inside with family and friends, lots of good eats…playing cards (poker) and listening to music until the ball’s about to drop. Then the wine is poured, toasts made, kisses shared…and then the party usually continues for a little while longer. Those that drank a little too much, or came without a designated driver snuggle in for the night…that’s just how we play. Better safe than sory. 🙂 Happy 2012!

    barbbattaglia@yahoo.com

    Reply
  33. This new years was my favorite. My family stayed home and watched movies. We had tons of fun! We ate snacks and toasted the new year. It was great! Thank you for sharing! Happy new year!
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  34. My birthday is NYE and one of my sisters is NYD so we have a combined birthday party at midnight.
    snulfers at hotmail dot com

    Reply
  35. My favorite memories of New Year’s is spending time with family and friends, but this last New Year’s eve there is a memory that I will never forget. Me and my family spent the day at my boyfriend’s house. I wasn’t feeling so good that day. As we are all watching TV waiting for the new year’s ball to come down,my cousin somehow sat on something that made an explosive sound. When she went to see what it was she had sat on one of my Maracas and she exploded it..All the beads went all over the place.It was so funny I couldn’t stop laughing.She made my day..

    Reply
  36. i don’t like celebrate that much, so I usually have dinner with friends, but I loved NY when I was a kid because i could stay up late, sip champagne and watch fireworks!

    aliasgirl at libero dot it

    Reply
  37. Vanessa-
    I hope you’ll forgive me if I don’t post my fav memory because I’ve posted it multiple times already.
    I wish everyone a happy 2012. Even those posters who are driving me nuts because they can’t construct a sentence.
    Sorry, I’m being snarky but I’m on my second glass of wine . Cheers.
    mcv111 at hotmail(dot)com

    Reply
  38. fav memory would bee first n ew yrs i spentw ith my better half were all we did was talka nd talk and relaly get to know eachother was so fun and great

    mortalsinn(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

    Reply
  39. My favorite NYE memory is the one I spend with my now husband. We went out with my best friend and her (then) husband. It was horrible. They fought the whole night but at one point during all that craziness he leaned over and told me that he loved me.
    Thanks for the great giveaway!

    areeths at new dot rr dot com

    Reply
  40. Fav memory was several years ago having a bon fire and my kids staying up to join other family and friends to ring in the new year!

    brbalways(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  41. I LOVE the cover of Hardball. YUM!

    I got married on New Year’s Day (1988) so that was my most memorable New Year–by far!

    Cheers,
    catherinelee100[at]gmail[dot]com
    @capefearlibn

    Reply
  42. I stayed home spent New Years eve with my Mom watched movies! Thank you so much for taking part in this fun blog hop! Great giveaway and Happy New Year too year!
    Latisha D
    tishajean@ charter.net

    Reply
  43. No big special memories. I usually have a drink and a quiet evening to ring in the new year 🙂

    christinetoney (at) hotmail.com

    Reply
  44. What a great memory! Sounds like such fun! Thank You for sharing that!!

    Happy New Year to you and yours!

    thewildtwo @ sbcglobal (dot) net

    Reply
  45. It’s not really a “memory,” but it’s a tradition that I still follow from back in my home country of Brazil. For New Years, the color of your clothing represents what you want for the new year. For example, many Brazilians wear white for peace and inner calm, but you see a few wearing red for passion or pink for love, some wear green in hopes of earning more that year as well. Every year i’m excited to see what colors people decide to wear on New Years, and I love getting together at the end of the year to see if their wishes came true.

    Reply
  46. One of my favorite NYE memories was building a fire at midnight in our outdoor fire pit. It was the night of the blue moon in 2009. The husband and I were outside in the 10 degree cold drinking Champagne.

    Lori

    knitrix29 at gmail dot com

    Reply
  47. My best NYE – We had a party for our friends and family. We could see the high school fireworks from our backyard. We all had a great time being together. Almost all the food was gone and the drinks…well there weren’t any left..lol Those who needed to spend the night found a piece of floor and blankets and we had breakfast the next morning…some not so much LOL

    Great Blog Hop. Hope you will blog at KP sometime.

    Mary Keith
    mary@keithpublications.come
    http://www.keithpublications.com

    Reply
  48. This year… After 3 years we found a Doctor who will help me get help for my heart problem. So there will be many more,,,hopefully.

    Pamela Jo
    pmjg(at)E-jama(dot)net

    Reply
  49. My family parties at home with lots of good food and we watch the ball drop in Times Square.

    Thank you for the wonderful contest.

    I hope you have a very prosperous New Year.

    orelukjp0 at gmail dot com

    Reply

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