Launch of the Love's Miracles Blog Tour!!!

I'm so excited to announce the beginning of the Love's Miracles blog tour! Sandra Leesmith has been a wonderful client to work with - we've had so much fun figuring out the details and navigating this crazy thing called self-publishing. And Sandra has been very patient with me as I've learned the steps right alongside her!

(I should also take this moment to thank the amazing Lena Goldfinch for her unending willingness to answer my questions, and for designing the beautiful cover! You're awesome, Lena!!)

Now, here's the lowdown about this super cool blog tour...

Schedule

First things first: If you ever feel "lost" at any point during the tour, or if you want to catch up on posts you missed, or if you want to learn how to help us spread the word, visit the blog tour page. Links to all of the participating blogs are there (which will be replaced with direct links once the posts are published), along with other pertinent information, just so we can keep things organized. (I really, really love organization - what can I say?) The blog tour buttons (like the daisy one in my sidebar) all link back to that page, as well.

Here's the schedule, so you can see all the posts we have to look forward to:

• Monday, May 20th ~ Introduction to the tour @ Seasons of Humility (This post!)
• Tuesday, May 21st ~ Interview with Sandra @ Carolyn Hughey/K.T. Roberts
• Wednesday, May 22nd ~ Philosophical Interview with Sandra @ Philosophy of Romance
• Thursday, May 23rd ~ Interview with Sandra @ Flowers of Quiet Happiness
• Friday, May 24th ~ Review of Love's Miracles @ Best Reads (2010-2013)
• Saturday, May 25th ~ Review of Love's Miracles @ Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot
• Monday, May 27th ~ Review of Love's Miracles @ Bluerose's Heart
• Tuesday, May 28th ~ Interview with Sandra and review of Love's Miracles @ Sherida Stewart
• Wednesday, May 29th ~ Review of Love's Miracles @ My Favorite Pastime
• Thursday, May 30th ~ Review of Love's Miracles @ The Things That Last
• Friday, May 31st ~ Conclusion of the tour @ Seasons of Humility

If, for some reason, this schedule doesn't end up going exactly as planned, you can blame me for sending too many e-mails and confusing the bloggers, LOL! But seriously, Sandra and I are very grateful for their participation!

 Giveaways and Freebies!

That's right - lots of goodies for you all during this blog tour! I'll start by showing you the big prize package Sandra's offering to one U.S. resident:

a Rafflecopter giveaway Note: For the "Leave a Blog Post Comment" entry, you can leave a comment on any of the stops along the tour. This same form will be on various blog tour posts, but no matter where you enter, your entries will be counted. If you need further clarification on any of the other ways to enter, please feel free to leave a comment here or e-mail me at amberstokes@corban.edu.

Want to learn a bit more about the prizes?

Love's Miracles

About the Book: "Dr. Margo Devaull came to Dominic Zanelli's mountain retreat confident that she could help this Vietnam veteran overcome the torment that kept him apart from the world. But her training as a psychologist had not prepared her for the tragic, explosive contradictions brewing inside him. For here was a sensitive artist who could be gentle – and a man whose eyes flashed with violence and pain when he told her to leave and never come back. Yet Margo did come back, slowly gain his trust, and awaken the sleeping needs of his heart. Only by reliving her own wounded past and helping Zane confront a terrible memory from the war could she set them both free – and save their last chance for love."

Add it on Goodreads; purchase at Amazon.com.

Current of Love

About the Book: "Janelle Edwards is a sultry singer who's nursing a perpetually broken heart. Everett Jamison, III is a handsome workaholic with no time for love on his busy agenda. Both have sworn off relationships and marriage...but on a cozy steamboat cruise up the Mississippi River, the two keep crossing paths. They try hard to ignore the growing attraction, even as family and friends urge them on. But when danger threatens the ship, Janelle and Rett must make a decision: continue running from their emotions - or let the tides of passion sweep them away. A light Southern romance sweetened with a splash of humor, Current of Love blends brilliant storytelling with endearing characters to make even the biggest skeptics believe in love again."

Add it on Goodreads; purchase at Amazon.com.

The Price of Victory

About the Book: "Sterling Wade, a successful professional cyclist, finds the one thing he's missing in life—a woman to love. But Debra Valenzuela refuses to allow a relationship with any man to interfere with her determination to become a professional cyclist.

When Debra is seriously injured during a race, her ambition and wish to succeed and win her father's love are put to the test. With Sterling at her side during her rehabilitation, Debra learns that love is not a race to be won, but something to be earned. Can Sterling help Debra follow her dream and in the process discover new purpose for his own life? Will they accept the price of victory?"

Add it on Goodreads; purchase at Amazon.com.

Daisy Bookmark

Made by Christy, owner of Belle on a Budget, this bookmark was specially designed for this giveaway. It matches the book's cover, featuring a daisy - which plays an important, symbolic role in Love's Miracles and ties in with the title. (As a side note, I've purchased one of Christy's bookmarks, and I love it! Dainty and very pretty.)

Tote Bag

In addition to the prizes above (and the Amazon.com gift card, which is rather self-explanatory), Sandra will order the winner an "I Love Our Troops!" tote bag from the Green Beans Coffee Custom Store. This fits for three reasons: 1) It's a tote bag - what better way to carry your new books around?? 2) It says "I Love Our Troops" - fitting in with the military theme of the book. 3) Green Beans Coffee has a great program called Cup of Joe for a Joe that we want to draw attention to...

I first learned about Cup of Joe for a Joe on the Seekerville blog, I believe. It was over two years ago when I decided to send a cup of coffee and a note to one of our soldiers overseas. He wrote me back, and we became e-mail pen pals for a short time. (You can read a message he once forwarded to me HERE.)

We didn't stay pen pals for very long, but it was still a special experience for me. I did, however, find a long-term pen pal via K.C. Frantzen (author of the "May the K-9 Spy" books). She introduced me (through e-mail) to the soldier she became pen pals with through the same program, and he and I started e-mailing. Our e-mails have become sporadic, but we're still in touch despite the fact that he's finished his time in the Army. I'm grateful for his friendship, and our fun book swaps. :)

All this to say, all it takes is $2.00 and a little note to brighten a soldier's day and maybe make a new friend. So, if reading Love's Miracles or following this blog tour makes you want to do something for a soldier, I recommend this program!

Other Giveaways and Freebies

Be sure to visit all the stops along the tour during the next two weeks - there might be little surprise giveaways in there!

As for the "freebies," Sandra is offering Love's Miracles for FREE on Kindle during the Memorial Day weekend: May 24th through May 27th. So mark your calendars and spread the word! If you're looking for a Memorial Day read, Love's Miracles - with its Vietnam-vet hero and its sympathetic look at the struggles of war veterans - is a great choice. And you can't beat that price!

Conclusion
Why does it feel like I just wrote an essay? LOL. I hope you'll have fun browsing all of the information above, as well as learning more about Sandra and her re-release at the different stops along the tour. Again, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or e-mail me if you have any questions about the tour!