While You're Awake Release Day!

It's here! *throws flower-shaped confetti and sets out a plate of baklava drizzled with honey*

I'm thrilled to introduce to you my new contemporary novelette, While You're Awake. Read on to learn more about the book and find out what prizes are up for grabs in the celebratory giveaway...

Sweet New Adult Contemporary Romance Novelette

There’s no rest for the fearful.

Ava always knew the bees would come. Just when she’s settled into a place of her own, freelance editing and savoring her independence, her rental house is invaded by a swarm of honey bees. And with their arrival, her lifelong fear morphs into a full-fledged panic that steals her sleep—and her peace of mind.

Keegan knows all about fear. When he meets Ava at the coffee shop where he works, he can’t help but come to her rescue. Together with his German shepherds, Sun and Moon, he sets out to break the “curse” that hovers over Tired Girl. But is it possible to conquer nightmares and live a dream while you're awake?

This sweet novelette is a contemporary re-imagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that sheds light on the worries that bind us and the love that leads to peace.

Now available for $.99!

(Don't have a Kindle? No problem! You can download the free app for your computer or other device.)

Giveaway!

Enter to win a little something sweet from Ava, Keegan, and the author (that's me)! One winner will receive a lovely yellow and gold flower necklace & earrings set from Baubles, Beads and Stuff; a $10 Starbucks gift card (delivered electronically); and a Kindle copy of While You’re Awake (can be gifted to a friend, if desired!). Open to US residents only due to shipping costs.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
P.S. Want to see more pictures of the jewelry prize and check out the details of the lovely pieces? Click HERE to see the reserved listing on Etsy!

P.P.S. Baubles, Beads and Stuff is a brand-new Etsy shop run by a dear blogging friend of mine, Rissi of Dreaming Under the Same Moon. Won't you join me in congratulating her on the opening of her shop? :) And please do browse all the pretties!

Fun Extras!

Found on Pinterest

• I love this picture (above) for Keegan and Ava! From a quick Google search, it appears that these actors are from the show Under the Dome. Not really my cup of tea. ;) But I like the pic!

• You can find more character look-alikes, quotes, Sleeping Beauty pictures, and random information about honey bees on the While You're Awake Pinterest board.

• I think this song is fitting for Ava and Keegan's story. :) Plus, it's Owl City - you really can't go wrong listening to an Owl City song, in my opinion! (Can you tell I'm a fan?)

• You can hear the rest of the "soundtrack" I picked out for the story on the While You're Awake "Soundtrack" board.

• And if you would like to try my other new adult contemporary romance novella, it's FREE for Kindle today and tomorrow (October 20-21)! You can get How a Star Falls HERE.

Thank you so much for stopping by to help me celebrate this day! And many thanks to my street team (AKA the Gems) for helping to spread the word on their blogs, as well. ((Hugs))

I didn't set up any author interviews for this release, but if you have any questions you want to ask about this story, the characters, my writing process, etc., please leave a comment. :) And help yourself to another piece of baklava and a big cup of mochaccino!

Honey Bees, Coffee, and an Unexpected Angel... (Cover Reveal of My New Novelette!)

Couple covers are such fun! And I'm so excited to share my second "couple cover" with you today. :) This is for my next release: a novelette titled While You're Awake. (You might have heard of it by its first title, Sting Me to Sleep. Once again, I have been saved from an unromantic title. Gotta appreciate honest feedback!)

While Your'e Awake is about a freelance editor whose rental home is invaded by honey bees. Too afraid to bother her acquaintances and ask for help, but also too afraid to sleep, her panic and insomnia grow exponentially. And then she visits Coffee by Angels, a local coffee shop, and meets someone who sees her fear and can't help but get involved...

A Cover Story

My dear friend and awesome cover designer, Lena Goldfinch, works with me via Pinterest's secret boards to find the right images for my covers. For this design process, I began with pinning some contemporary covers I liked that conveyed a similar mood to this story. I threw in a few bee covers, because honey bees play a large role in the story. (But, as you can see, no bees ended up on the cover. I guess the main characters and the romance play an even larger role than the bees. ;))

Then came the model pictures from the stock image site, Dreamstime. I think the final couple we decided on was actually the first one I posted. There was something about the atmosphere of their shots that resonated. That, and I just love the female model for my heroine! We did look at some other images, though - a lot of really cute outdoor couple scenes.

Lena created two comps with the couple we both liked...and we found pros and cons for each. So I turned to my e-newsletter subscribers for help. :) These are the two cover comps (with watermarks) that they chose between:

While there were a good number of votes for Cover 1, you probably know which one was the winner! (And I confess I was quite pleased. There were some elements in Cover 2 that I wanted to incorporate in the book. I love tying a cover and story together!)

So there you go! This cover came together quickly (because Lena's fab like that!), but this cover story is extra special because my readers joined the process. :)

(If you'd like to subscribe to my author e-newsletter, you can sign up HERE.)

About the Book

Sweet New Adult Contemporary Romance Novelette

There's no rest for the fearful.

Ava always knew the bees would come. Just when she's settled into a place of her own, freelance editing and savoring her independence, her rental house is invaded by a swarm of honey bees. And with their arrival, her lifelong fear morphs into a full-fledged panic that steals her sleep—and her peace of mind.

Keegan knows all about fear. When he meets Ava at the coffee shop where he works, he can't help but come to her rescue. Together with his German shepherds, Sun and Moon, he sets out to break the "curse" that hovers over Tired Girl. But is it possible to conquer nightmares and live a dream while you're awake?

This sweet novelette is a contemporary re-imagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that sheds light on the worries that bind us and the love that leads to peace.

Pre-order for $.99! 

(Releases October 20th)

Add to Goodreads

How Do You Inspire Others? (A Quiz)

Are you Sleeping Beauty, a barista, or an angel? This fun and quirky personality quiz takes some of the personality types from While You’re Awake and offers you a chance to discover how you inspire others. Hopefully you’ll be encouraged to keep being awesome, wonderful you!

*Disclaimer: This is just a for-fun quiz. The results are designed to encourage but not to diagnose! ;)

Cover Reveal Participants

It wasn't just the cover... This whole campaign came together rather quickly! So I'm so very grateful to my "Gems" for being willing to jump on board and help spread the word through participating in today's cover reveal and some release-day fun on October 20th. :)

If you'd like to join my street team, Amber's Gems, you can sign up HERE. And feel free to send me an email at amberstokes@corban.edu if you'd like to review While You're Awake this month!

Here's a list of the lovely gems participating in the cover reveal:

• Alyssa at 1 Six 1 Five
• Carissa at Carissa's Bookshelf
• Melanie at Christian Bookshelf Reviews
• Meagan at Crumpets 'n' Cream
• Rissi at Dreaming Under the Same Moon
• Courtney at The Green Mockingbird
• Amanda at Inklings and Notions
• Rachelle at Inspiring Daring
• Julie at My Favorite Pastime
• Meghan at A Northern Belle
• Sonja at Sunnie Reviews
• Jansina at Rivershore Books
• Faith at Writing, Ramblings, and Reflections

I know I usually do a giveaway with my cover reveals, but since release-day is only two weeks away, I thought I'd save the giveaway for then. It's going to be sweet, though, IMHO. ;) 

Tell me, do you think we picked the right cover/couple? And are you Sleeping Beauty, a barista, or an angel? :)

My Night at a Lighthouse

If you ever wonder where my characters get their impulsiveness from...well, wonder no more!

A few weeks ago when my sister and I visited Heceta Head Lighthouse on the Oregon coast, the lighthouse tour guide told us about the bed and breakfast operating out of one of the former lightkeeper homes. I was delighted at this discovery and definitely intrigued at the possibility of staying the night in such a beautiful location.

My thought was to come back in winter sometime, when the rates are a little cheaper (being off-season). But then last week I saw that one of the smallest rooms remained unreserved for Labor Day. After double-checking to make sure I could get Tuesday off, I promptly booked it.

And I'm ever so glad I did. :)

My comfy bed. (And that pile of papers? That's what I have so far for Where Trains Collide. Per my dear friend Lena's suggestion, I printed it out and read it. I think perhaps Trisha and Paul's story isn't hopeless!)

The breakfast room. (Seven-course meal, friends. Seven. Courses.)

The grand porch, perfect for sunny-evening reading.

See what I mean? (I re-read Daddy-Long-Legs. Once again delightful!)

A peek at the lighthouse.

Sunset glory.

A view from above.

The bed and breakfast.

Last light.

Next morning.

Hello from Heceta Head!

A distant view of the lighthouse (left) and B&B (right).

Such an amazing, relaxing, unforgettable experience! (The lighthouse at night, surrounded by stars? A memory to cherish.) I totally recommend Heceta Head Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast - and even just a visit to the lighthouse. Light is such a magnificent thing, isn't it?

And now that I've finally finished another story (the first draft of Sting Me to Sleep - didn't I tell you? :)) and had a chance to look back on my poor neglected novella, I feel grateful and encouraged and motivated to tackle Where Trains Collide once again. Wish me luck!

(Don't you think that Heceta Head Lighthouse should appear in a future story? Me too!)

P.S. This post was not sponsored by Heceta Head Lighthouse B&B. I just wanted to share some pretty pictures and gush about the beauty of it all!