Chat with Your Favorite Authors During This Easter Fiesta!

Are you on Facebook? Then gather up your burning questions for writers, actors, and other artists you admire, because my dear friend Miranda is hosting a fabulous chat celebration! Be in the know and discover all the details below. ;) And be sure to pull out your planner so you can note the conversations you want to join!

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About the Fiesta:

TBAP’s (To Be a Person) Easter Fiesta is a social media event where the professionals of the literary and entertainment industries give back to the audience that has supported them over time, by chatting with the audience through TBAP’s social media on a set date/time. For 2016, it’s TBAP’s Facebook page! The professionals are drawn from the following categories: authors, actors, alliances. music artists.

Meet Your Host:

Miranda A. Uyeh is the author of To Die Once: Child of Grace #1, a book/entertainment blogger, and a Mogul Global Ambassador. She’s passionate about all these and even found herself to be shortlisted as one of the Inspy Awards’ Judges in 2014. You can connect with Miranda on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube and Pinterest, or visit her corner of the web, TBAP!

Meet the Featured Guests:

• Julie Lessman (Author)
• Cheryl McKay (Screenwriter/Author)
• Rene Gutteridge (Screenwriter/Director/Author)
• DiAnn Mills (Author)
• Michelle Griep (Author)
• Rich Swingle (Actor)
• Kirk Fernwood (Film Critic/Entertainment Blogger)
• K. Victoria Chase (Author)
• Brenda S. Anderson (Author)
• Heather Manning (Author)
• Melica Niccole (Author)
• Bill Ewing (Producer/Director/Screenwriter)
• Doc Benson (Director/Producer/Actor)
• Rebekah Cook (Actress/Casting Director/Script Supervisor)
• Francine Locke (Actress)
• Jody Thomae (Author/Music Artist)
• Juli Tapken (Actress/Producer/Director)
• Katie Pavao (Actress)
• Bronwyn Angley (Actress)
• Apolonia Davalos (Actress/Filmmaker)
• Irene Santiago (Actress)
• Sharon Wilharm (Director/Producer/Screenwriter)

When You Can Chat with the Guests:

• March 17th, 2:00-3:00pm Pacific Time – Julie Lessman, Cheryl McKay, Rene Gutteridge
• Today! → March 18th, 2:00-3:00pm PT – DiAnn Mills, Michelle Griep
• March 19th, 3:00-4:00pm PT – Rich Swingle, Kirk Fernwood
• March 20th, 2:00-3:00pm PT – K. Victoria Chase, Brenda Anderson
• March 21st, 2:00-3:00pm PT – Heather Manning, Melica Niccole
• March 22nd, 2:00-3:00pm PT – Bill Ewing, Doc Benson
• March 24th, 5:00-6:00pm PT – Rebekah Cooke, Katie Pavao
• March 25th, 2:00-3:00pm PT – Jody Thomae, Juli Tapken
• March 26th, 2:00-3:00pm PT – Francine Locke, Bronwyn Angley, Apolonia Davalos
• March 27th, 7:00-8:00pm PT – Irene Santiago, Sharon Wilharm

How to Share the Fiesta with Your Friends:

Tweet at @Rini_MAU and use the hashtag #TBAPFiesta, or update your Facebook status by using the hashtag #TBAPFiesta and tagging your post with Miranda Afa Uyeh or Miranda’s To Be A Person. You can also post directly on TBAP’s Facebook page.

P.S. For some lovely inspirational messages from some of the guests (just for you!), check out TBAP’s official YouTube channel!

Don't miss this opportunity to talk with talented individuals who have made a name for themselves in the book and entertainment industries! All the chats will be happening on the TBAP Facebook page.

To Die Once: Upcoming Release Announcement and Endorsement

It's an exciting time to see a friend's book baby being introduced to the world! Miranda Uyeh has been a dear blogging friend of mine for quite a while now - she shares very thoughtful and insightful reviews and posts over on her blog, To Be A Person. Her debut is special for several other reasons: I had the pleasure of editing it last fall; my proofreader and freelance buddy, Rachelle Rea, proofread the book this spring; and Lena - whose cover designs we all know and love - designed the stunning cover.

Let's just pause and talk about this cover for a moment.

1. If you're familiar with Miranda's online presence (her blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc.), you know the font style/color choices are perfect! Love that Miranda's rockin' the brand. :) 
2. The endorsement is very fitting for the story. Yep, mystery, intrigue, and romance abound!
3. The model is a great match for the heroine, Jennifer: sophisticated, stubborn, lovely, wounded, and headstrong. And that expression - so intense.
4. The roses! They play a prevalent role and serve as a strong symbol in the story, so of course they needed to be on the cover. So perfect that the one by the title appears almost dead in spots, and yet looks like it's about to bloom.

This cover is a bit more "glamorous" than you generally see with inspirational romance books, but I think it works well with the tone and unique elements of the story. What are your thoughts?

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Now, as for the story itself, here's a description of the book from Miranda's blog:

"Two men, one woman, a rosebush … 
… a terrible past, an uncertain future 

Jennifer, a woman unexpectedly trapped in a path of love and passion against everything she believes.

Rodrigo, a man set to get what he wants at the cost of what matters most.

Stefano, a man with a past, a story to tell and passion to offer.

Chidi, a friend in need, a friend indeed. Or not?

From a culture where good girls follow the norm and live as they’ve been told, Jennifer is no different from any other girl until by happenstance, she meets and falls in love with Rodrigo, a man who’s handsome, rich and foreign. Different. She has no idea who he is or what he does, and is swept into a world of romance and passion. It is not long before she discovers a shocking truth that shakes both her world and his.

Then he is gone.

Stefano shows up at a time when Jennifer has made up her mind about the rules of life. He thinks she’s beautiful and is in love with her. In a bid to convince her to give him a chance in her life, old memories once buried are brought to life. And the events that follow don’t leave anyone unaffected by the truth of the past that was left unsettled.

Meanwhile, Jennifer with her friend Chidi, find themselves on a self-discovery journey that has one of them raising questions.

Some just have to ask, where is God in all this?

… an inspirational romance, from Lagos to Italy."

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Here is my official endorsement:

"Miranda Uyeh has penned a novel full of heart. To Die Once is a story alternately thorny and tender that tackles the various forms of love - romance, friendship, and faith - in unique settings and situations. Often surprising, consistently intriguing, Uyeh's debut is a bold start to her blossoming writing career." 
~ Amber Stokes, Author of "The Heart's Spring" Series

Less officially...

It was a pleasure to be one of the editors of this book and to get an early glimpse at such a complex and touching read! The book blurb didn't quite prepare me for the scope of the story - the diverse locations, the intense and surprising twists and turns, and the vast emotional landscapes. Miranda holds nothing back with her debut, blending her own personal touch with the writing lessons she's picked up on her reading journey.

I came to appreciate the fact that Miranda knew what she wanted to convey with this story and stuck to it - not just the romance, but the essence of friendship and the call of faith. For those who are searching for something different in inspirational romance - something that still offers heart, a strong focus on relationships, and a beautiful redemption theme - To Die Once is your train ticket to a satisfying and poignant adventure. Come discover what it means to die once in a lifetime...

To Die Once on Goodreads

Blog tour sign-ups

(The tour runs through May 21st.)

Will you be signing up for the blog tour or purchasing the book when it becomes available? Which intrigues you the most - the cover, the blurb, or the endorsements?