damppebbles.com turns TWO! #blogiversary 🎉🎂 #giveaway #damppebbles #bookblogger #amreading

/ damppebbles

Today is a very special day for me (eek!).  I stopped being excited about my own birthday years ago.  Apparently, that’s what happens when you get OLD so be warned you youngsters!  (As a side note, I have a BIG birthday coming up this year so if you can’t find me in August, then you now know why!).  But that doesn’t mean that I can’t get excited about my little piece of the internet having a birthday, oh no!  Two years ago today I stepped, with trepidation, into the world of book blogging.

What I didn’t realise at the time was how one little hobby was going to completely change my life.  I didn’t realise how much I could fall in love with book blogging and how my love for books and reading would continue to grow and grow.  But most of all and the one thing I really didn’t expect was that I would make real, lifelong friends.  If you’re considering starting your own book blog and you feel you have the time (oh.my.gosh. I promise it will take more time then you’re expecting) then I, as a stroppy, cantankerous, self-centred two-year-old, urge you to do it.  I’ve not regretted starting damppebbles.com for one moment in its two-year existence.

I’ll stop blathering on now.  Two thousand and seventeen was a great year for damppebbles.  More and more people managed to get the name of the blog right (damppebbles, not Damp Pebbles nor DampPebbles).  In fairness people also managed to get it very wrong but hey, there was an improvement which is the important thing.

I won an award!  An actual, real-life award at the Bloggers Bash 2017 where I was named Services to Bloggers winner for 2017.  Thank you so much to everyone who nominated me and then voted for me.  I got this very lovely badge for the blog and this totally gorgeous cup for the coffee:

 

I went to the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate which has been a dream for several years now.  It was an incredible experience and one I hope to repeat in the future.  I don’t think I shared any photos with you after the event so here are a few now (some familiar faces):

And I have to share my Harrogate book haul with you because it was a little on the epic side:

haul.jpg

I’ve been quoted in a few books here and there, including on the back cover of AJ Waines’ Lost in the Lake (here’s a picture of the book in real life to prove it):

20180113_154240.jpg

All in all, it’s been a pretty wonderful year for damppebbles culminating in something which began as a small idea and grew into something quite huge; R3COMM3ND3D2017.  I published my final post first thing this morning, followed by the after-show party post which you can read by clicking here.

| GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED |

Anyway, I’m sure someone at some point mentioned a giveaway.  And what a giveaway I have for you, you lucky things!  I have a mega book bundle which one lucky UK winner will receive to say thanks for following damppebbles.  If I could send you all books I would but let’s face facts, that would probably bankrupt me and I have a young family to support!  So without further ado, here is what’s on offer…

Paperbacks which will be sent from damppebbles HQ…

Dancers in the Wind by Anne Coates (Hannah Weybridge #1) SIGNED!
Dead Man’s Prayer by Jackie Baldwin (DI Frank Farrell #1) SIGNED!
Deep Blue Trouble by Steph Broadribb (Lori Anderson #2)
CWA Anthology of Short Stories edited by Martin Edwards HARDBACK!
House of Spines by Michael J. Malone
The Puppet Master by Abigail Osborne
Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski
Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughn
Hydra by Matt Wesolowski (Six Stories #2)
Beneath the Skin by Caroline England

A SIGNED COPY!
A SIGNED COPY!

The copies of Dancers in the Wind and Dead Man’s Prayer have been signed by the authors (thank you Anne and Jackie)!

An eBook copy of The Ghost and the Railway by A.C. Hutchinson which will need to be downloaded by the winner via SmashWords:

the ghost and the railway.jpg

And coming directly from Fahrenheit Press are these beauties:

Plus the obligatory stationery and chocolate:

20180113_161606.jpg

It’s my giveaway and I’m still completely bowled over by what’s on offer here.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank some incredible people for their very kind and generous donations to this prize package; Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books, Jackie Baldwin, Anne Coates, Abigail Osborne, A.C. Hutchinson and Fahrenheit Press.  Thank you all so much for supporting my little blog.

To win this uber book bundle all you have to do is be following damppebbles.com – either via email or the WordPress reader.  Click on the Rafflecopter link below and follow the instructions!  One UK winner will be selected at random as the winner.  There is no cash alternative.  The winner will need to provide their address and I expect the package will be sent via courier rather than through the post.  I will also need to pass the winners address to Fahrenheit Press so they can send a second package containing the Derek Farrell books and the Jacqueline Chadwick books.  All entries will be checked to make sure they are accurate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Any questions then please do give me a shout!

Thank you so much to all of my gorgeous fellow book bloggers, the incredibly talented authors, the brilliant publishers and the dedicated book addicts who follow damppebbles.  If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have lasted the two years I have!  You have made every moment brilliant.  When I first started the blog I didn’t expect anyone to follow me and now, here I am with nearly 7,000 twitter followers, just over 700 blog followers, nearly 750 Facebook followers.  It’s a dream come true and I am thankful every single day.  Thank you!  I can’t wait to see what the bookish world has in store for us in 2018!

giphy (6).gif

41 thoughts on “damppebbles.com turns TWO! #blogiversary 🎉🎂 #giveaway #damppebbles #bookblogger #amreading”

  3. Happy blogiversary my lovely, wonderful friend!! Can’t believe it’s only 2 years, damppebbles feels like it’s been around forever (in a good way)! Xxxxx

    Like

    Reply

  6. Wow brilliant achievement in two years but you work very hard so it’s no accident, thank you for your tireless support & sharing of other blogs including my own and sending you happy birthday bubbles xx

    Like

    Reply

  11. Congratulations! 2 years… wow… you’ve really rocked the WP space in 2 years and that’s mighty 🙂 Here’s to further success and… I have to say- that bookhaul picture? It freaking is an epic haul 😀

    Like

    Reply

  14. Happy Blog Birthday, Emma! I’m shocked that it has only been two years. Here’s to many more! Congratulations on everything that you have achieved! 😀🎉🎉🎉

    Like

    Reply

  17. Happy blog birthday Emma. Wow 2017 was an amazing year for you. How fab to quoted on those books. Thank you for a totally amazing giveaway too. There will be one very lucky winner.
    Amanda

    Like

    Reply

  26. Congrats on two years! 🎂🎊🎉👏🏻📚
    As a new blogger this is very inspirational! Here’s to many more years for you and your blog!
    💕Berit

    Like

    Reply

  32. Happy 2nd Blogiversary, Emma. You’re a truly wonderful book blogger and you deserve all the luck in the world. Here’s to many more years of blogging. 😊🎈🍸💜📚 xx

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment