Are You Up for a Game of Catch-Up?

The start of a new year (or month or week) is always a fitting time to get yourself organized and begin anew, right? So this afternoon I want to take a bit of time to catch up on a few things and let you know my bookish catch-up plans for 2015...

Winners

From Lena Goldfinch's Christmas giveaway, we had four winners!

1. Grand Prize (paperback + earrings): bn100
2. Runner-Up (ebook): Wendy N.
3. Runner-Up (ebook): Merry
4. Runner-Up (ebook): Shelley S.

And everyone's a winner with a romantic short story for only $.99, right? :) Congratulations, winners!

Regarding a previous giveaway winner, I have a big, shameful confession to make. While talking with a friend this weekend about where authors get character names, I mentioned that some authors hold contests for readers to help name their characters. A spark of memory went off in my head. Wait... Didn't I do one of those?

Ummm...yes, and to my great embarrassment, I went back and looked at that post today and realized that I hadn't included the winning name in How a Star Falls. So I offer my sincerest apologies to the winner (Carissa), and will do my utmost not to forget to include the lovely name Rose in my next published story!

Books

I really ought to review more of the books I read, even if a lot of them are "just for fun." I mean, as an author, I know that the more reviews, the merrier! They can be both helpful and encouraging. So I hope to try harder to review most of the books I read this time around. I have some scheduled reviews coming up over the next few months for books I've agreed to review, but be on the lookout for some snack size reviews for some of for-fun books, too. :) (And don't forget that you can always check out my ratings for books on Shelfari or Goodreads.)

Also, I came across this super cute and clever reading challenge that seems very doable and addresses another reading problem I have: the never-ending TBR that just keeps on growing.

I'm joining the {Something Old, Something New} Challenge hosted by PidginPea's Book Nook! I'm going to stick with the two-book plan. Even though I'll hopefully get to read more than that amount each month (not including work-related reading or for-review reading), I like the idea of picking two books from my shelves to commit to and enjoy.

For the purposes of more often turning to my current collection for reading material, I'm going to have both the "something old" and "something new" options come from my TBR shelf - the difference being that "something old" will be a book I acquired a year or more ago, while "something new" will be a book I acquired within the past year. Hope that makes sense!

My January 2015 picks are...

{Something Old}
Acquired Fall 2010

Can a Canaanite harlot who has made her livelihood by looking desirable to men make a fitting wife for one of the leaders of Israel? Shockingly, the Bible's answer is yes. Pearl in the Sand tells Rahab's untold story. Rahab lives in a wall; her house is built into the defensive walls of the City of Jericho. Other walls surround her as well—walls of fear, rejection, and unworthiness. A woman with a wrecked past; a man of success, of faith...of pride. A marriage only God would conceive! Through the heartaches of a stormy relationship, Rahab and Salmone learn the true source of one another's worth and find healing in God.

Amazon | Goodreads

{Something New}

Acquired Winter 2014

From Award-Winning, Young Adult author Rajdeep Paulus comes the sequel to Swimming Through Clouds, a powerful reminder that life is a battle you don't fight alone.

"I live in the in between. Between yesterday and forever. The way forward haunts me. The gap I must cover daunts me. And hope beckons, 'Run to me,' but I just learned to walk."

After a lifetime of abuse, the Vanderbilt siblings flee their home, finally free to pursue new dreams while running from yesterday's nightmares. Once bed-ridden Jesse navigates the Chicago streets, concealing his identity and planning revenge. A chance encounter in the rain introduces a girl who offers Jesse a glimpse of a sunnier future, but how will he weather the growing storm inside himself?

Separated from her Post-it note prince, Talia hides at a safe house for survivors of domestic violence while her father turns the city upside-down to find her. Surrounded by women fighting their own demons, Talia faces her past at every turn.

Amazon | Goodreads

***

Watch for my reviews later this month! And please check out PidginPea's Book Nook if you'd like to join this fun challenge. :)

Conclusion of the How a Star Falls Blog Tour!

I'm always blessed by the friends and bloggers I get to work with for blog tours. And I'm doubly blessed to have the people who supported my historicals so kindly assist me in spreading the word about my first contemporary! No fallen star has ever received a warmer welcome in the blogosphere, to my way of thinking. ;)

Just as a reminder, How a Star Falls is now available in both Kindle ($1.99) and paperback ($6.64) formats! Read on for more end-of-tour news...
  
(I'm including some quote cards for How a Star Falls throughout the post, which were created in the pre-order phase using PicMonkey. If you've read my new novella, do feel free to share a favorite quote in the comments section! I'd love to hear what lines stood out to you.)

Winners!

We have three winners for this blog tour, and I'm very excited about the prizes. Hope the winners are, too! You can read/see more about the prizes in the initial tour post and in my updates post. Now, drumroll please...

The winner of Remember Sunday (DVD) and a signed copy of my novella is...

Amber M.!

The winner of An Airplane Carried Me to Bed (CD) and a signed copy of my novella is...

Hannah B.!

The winner of the seaside necklace, star earrings, and a signed copy of my novella is...

Maxie A.!

Congratulations to all of the winners, and thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and commented on the tour posts! Winners, be sure to check your inboxes and respond to my email in order to claim your prizes. :)

P.S. If you would like another opportunity to win a paperback or Kindle copy of How a Star Falls, Rissi's giveaway is open for a few more days!

Writing Update

There really isn't a whole lot to report this time around on my other writing projects, as work and the promotion for this book have been keeping me busy! But keep your eyes on my Pinterest boards for my Secret Future Writing Project and Secret Future Writing Project 2, if you'd like to see what ideas are currently swirling around in my mind for upcoming stories. 

And don't forget to sign up for the quarterly Seasons of a Story newsletter to stay in the loop via email!

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Shantelle, Jaye, Serena, Julie, Meghan, Laura, Amber, Britney, Faye, Meagan, Miranda, Kara, Rachelle, Courtney, Carissa, Rissi, Jansina, and Brooke. I'm so grateful to each one of your for your time, enthusiasm, and encouragement as you've helped me promote How a Star Falls. ♥

A very happy and joyful Thanksgiving to each one of you! May you be surrounded by hope, loved ones, and yummy food. :) 

Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too Tour Winners!

Well, it's finally time! May has come to a close, as has the giveaway for the Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too blog tour. (You can click HERE and scroll down to get an overview of the tour, if you missed it!)

Readers submitted their reviews of Cindy Vincent's cat-themed devotional to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads as entries for the special giveaway, and it was awesome to see all the positive remarks. Cindy's sweet and simple words of encouragement, including quotes from Scripture and stories about her cats and their dependence on her, has struck a chord with cat-lovers. :)

Out of those who submitted their review links via the Rafflecopter form, we have three winners, thanks to Cindy's generosity!

Winner of the Swarovski cross necklace is...

Allison R.!

Winners of the Buckley & Bogey Cat Detective Capers sets (two books for each winner) are...

Jean F. and Faith/Faye O.!

Congratulations to all the winners! I will be sending you all emails shortly. :) 

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the book, and all who helped spread the word about the tour and giveaway. You made the tour a success by taking the time to share your thoughts and spread the kindness! ♥

If this is your first time hearing about Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too, you can learn more and pick up your own copy on Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Resistance is Coming...

Just popping in to announce the winners of the Resistance cover reveal giveaway, and to make a quick announcement regarding the blog tour! The winners of the bookmark giveaway are...

Kim P.

&

Katherine L.

Congratulations to the both of you! I've sent you an email, and you have until next Wednesday to respond before another winner is drawn. 

If you didn't win but are still interested in owning something crafted by Jaye L. Knight, be sure to check out her Etsy shop! I bought a few jewelry items from there a few months back, and they are very lovely and delicate. She has pieces that correspond with her books and ones for writers. :)

Also, plans are coming together for the Resistance blog tour, headed your way May 20-27!

You can check out the tentative schedule (subject to tweaking) and grab a button on the blog tour page. For those of you who are signed up for the tour, I'll be in contact shortly with more information!

It's time to join the Resistance...

All in for the Win! (Winners and Morning Glory)

Happy Sunday, everyone! Let's start this "winning" post with a winners announcement. :) For my 4th blogoversary, I gave away a signed paperback copy of Forget Me Not and an e-copy of one of my books.

The US winner (for the paperback) is...

Amy C!

The international winner (for an ebook) is...

Rochella D!

Congratulations, ladies! I've sent you both emails, so be sure to check your inboxes. :)

Thank you all so much for your interest in "The Heart's Spring" series, and for your support of "Seasons of Humility" these past four years! I'm so blessed to have the chance to share with you, interact with you, and become friends with you. I've absolutely loved my blogging experience so far, despite the time commitment. I mean, what did I even do with myself before blogging?? LOL. Thank you for joining me on this journey and for making it such a wonderful one for me!

Now, some of you follow me on The Heart's Spring series blog, so please forgive the repetitiveness - but I wanted to share with all my readers here about my progress with Morning Glory. It's been a bit of slow going, and March wasn't as productive as I wanted it to be. But I've signed up for Camp NaNoWriMo for this month, and I'm hoping I can finish the first draft of the book - or at least make a very sizable dent in my goal! - by the end of April. 

You can check out my camper profile HERE. (Camp NaNoWriMo totally brings back happy memories of Camp Humility! Any long-time followers remember that event??) Anyway, if you check out my profile and click on the tab "Novel Info," you can read my working synopsis for Morning Glory, as well as a brief, unedited excerpt from Chapter 1!

For those who don't want to venture into the wilds of camp, here's that synopsis:

***

The depths of fear. The dawning of hope.

Summer 1887

Felicity Lute's family is on the run from scandal and sorrow, but their "vacation" isn't bringing Felicity and her sister, Helen, together the way it should. Hope - or at least distraction - comes in the form of Myghal Tamblyn, a Cornish man wandering the West. When he joins them on their journey to Crater Lake, Felicity begins to believe her heart and her dreams will heal. Just as long as she and her two sisters can keep their secrets hidden.

Myghal has fallen in love - and been forced to let go of love - twice. He's intrigued by the flirtatious and flamboyant Felicity, but he's also wary of the obvious tension in her family, despite their welcome. An adventure with new friends might be just what his lonely heart needs, or it could be the path to a third and final heartbreak.

When tragedy plunges Felicity and Myghal into the very depths of their fears, will they find anything strong enough to help them rise again?

Inspirational Historical Romance

***

It's not necessarily the final version, but what do you think? Does it make you want to read the book?

I'll let you in on a few little secrets, too...

• I currently have a third POV in play for the story (beyond Myghal and Felicity). Not sure yet if I should tweak the synopsis to mention more about her - guess that will be a question to run by my editor(s)! She's going to play a very pivotal role, from what I can tell so far. 

• I've been doing a lot of my brainstorming for the story on Pinterest. It's been very fun to have ideas sort of leapfrog one another as I find new visuals to inspire me. I just hope it all makes sense when it comes together!

• And speaking of secrets and Pinterest... You might have already come across these boards or overheard me chatting about "genre hopping" on Twitter, but if you want to catch a little glimpse at what I'm brainstorming for books to work on after Morning Glory, check out Secret Future Writing Project and Secret Future Writing Project 2. I'm not really sure why I'm attempting any secrecy, LOL. The title for the first one is pretty set, and Lena's actually already designed the first cover. But I guess since I haven't written the stories yet, I kind of want to wait until the right moment to share more. ;) I will tell you that I'm contemplating trying something more contemporary. We'll see how it goes! Be on the lookout in the coming months for title announcements and cover reveals, Lord willing. "I make you no promises, I tell you no lies" - but I am very excited about these projects, so I hope to pursue them!

Anyone else participating in Camp NaNo or working on writing projects? Let's go for the win and get some stories on paper!

Conclusion of Lena's Sweet Spring Reads Tour!

It's always a pleasure to spread the word about my awesome cover designer/mentor/friend's fabulous books! And it was so fun having some wonderful bloggers join me by posting their reviews this past week. I loved seeing the enthusiasm for these sweet stories via the blog posts, comments, and giveaway entries! Remember that you can learn more about Lena Goldfinch on her website, and you can purchase the books reviewed this past week on Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble, Google Play, iTunes, and Kobo.

Lena's YA fantasy romances: The Language of Souls, Aire, & Songstone

Winners!

We've got two winners to announce today (with the first prize being open to US/Canada only and the second prize open internationally).

The winner of a paperback copy of any of Lena's books (winner's choice of The Language of Souls, Aire, Songstone, Haunting Joy, or Take a Picture) is...

Angel H!

And the winner of an e-copy of Take a Picture is...

Aerykah!

Congratulations to you both! I'll be sending you an e-mail, and you have until Wednesday (March 19th) to respond before I pick another winner - so be sure to check your inboxes. :) Happy reading!

Lena's YA contemporary/paranormal stories: Take a Picture + Chain Reaction, Haunting Joy, & Haunting Melody (releasing later this year)

Acknowledgements

It was awesome to see the eagerness on the part of the bloggers to read/review/promote Lena's stories! Lena and I are both very grateful for each of these bloggers and their thoughtful, insightful, and fun reviews:

• Elizabeth (Songstone)
• Rosie (The Language of Souls, Aire, & Songstone)
• Abbi (The Language of Souls, Aire, Songstone, Haunting Joy, & Take a Picture)
• Brooke (The Language of Souls)
• Grace Thorson (Songstone)
• Ella (Songstone)
• Amber (The Language of Souls, Songstone, Haunting Joy, & Take a Picture)
• Kara (Aire & Take a Picture)
• Miranda (The Language of Souls & Aire)
• Carissa (Haunting Joy)
• Hannah (Aire)
• Jennifer (The Language of Souls & Haunting Joy)
• Grace (Songstone)
• Emily (Aire & Songstone)
• Kelly (Aire)
• Penelope (Haunting Joy)
• Rebekah (Aire)
• Meagan (The Language of Souls, Aire, & Songstone)
• Julie (Take a Picture)

Be sure to click the links to check out any reviews you might have missed!

Paperback Announcement

Paperback-lovers give a cheer! Lena decided to make Take a Picture - her new collection of two sweet short stories - available in paperback format! Check out the full cover:

Isn't it so cute?? I love it! And you can have this lovely little double-feature grace your shelf for less than $6! (That doesn't include any shipping expenses, though, just as an FYI.) Here's the link:

Take a Picture Paperback

Thank you all for following this sweet almost-spring tour! Don't forget to subscribe to Lena's newsletter to keep up-to-date on all her latest author news. :)

Conclusion of The Paris Connection Blog Tour!

How a vacation can fly by when you're having fun! Hard to believe The Paris Connection blog tour has already reached its end... I hope you had a great time taking a virtual trip to Paris with Cerella, all the participating bloggers, and I. I had a wonderful time organizing the tour with Cerella - she's such a sweet person who writes such sweet books! If you haven't yet had the chance to read The Paris Connection or her previous two releases (Gentle Persuasion and Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania - both of which I recommend!), you can find purchasing info/links on Cerella's website HERE.

And just because this tour is over doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to Cerella! Visit Cerella's website to find all the ways you can connect with her online - and be sure to subscribe to her newsletter to stay in the know regarding any upcoming releases!

Winners!

And we have our winners!

For the "Bon Appétit" prize pack (which included a signed copy of Cerella's book, lots of sweet Parisian treats, and a dishtowel with a Paris scene made in France), the winner is...

Laurie I.!

For the "Bon Voyage" prize pack (which included a signed copy of Cerella's book, Paris-themed travel items, and a journal), the winner is...

Stephanie K.!

Both winners have been contacted and have responded - congratulations, Laurie and Stephanie! Enjoy your new "journey" to Paris through those fun prizes! :)

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaways!

Acknowledgements

A blog tour is obviously nothing without bloggers willing to participate! Cerella and I are very grateful for the time, effort, and enthusiasm of the following bloggers:

March 3rd Bloggers:

• Meagan @ The Curried Nut
• Kathryn @ Kathryn Cooper: Writing and Reviewing Clean Fiction
• Molly @ Reviews by Molly

March 4th Bloggers:

• Vonnie @ Vonnie's Reading Corner
• Ashley @ Wandering the Pages

 

March 5th Bloggers:

• Lydia @ The Overweight Bookshelf
• Jill @ Books, Cats, and Whimsy
• Bluerose @ Bluerose's Heart

March 6th Bloggers:

• Brooke @ i blog 4 books
• Abbi @ Christian Novels

March 7th Bloggers:

• Renee @ Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot
• Serena @ Edgy Inspirational Romance

March 8th Blogger:

• Kathy @ I Am A Reader (Bonus Review!)

If you missed any of these fun reviews/spotlights/interviews/features, be sure to click the links, as they'll take you directly to their tour posts!

I'd also like to thank Cerella for the opportunity to work with her and promote her latest book. It's been an absolute pleasure - not only getting to learn about the Harlequin Heartwarming line, but getting the chance to reconnect with Cerella, chat with her about writing and life, and share this latest leg of her publishing journey. As one blogger also said, I can't wait for the chance to host Cerella on the blog again! Her stories are sweet treats romance-lovers won't want to miss, and her kindness is true and exemplary.

Thank you all for joining us for a virtual week in Paris! Have a lovely weekend!

Conclusion of The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks Blog Tour!

The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks blog tour was a special one for me, because it included so many things I love: cats, mysteries (including murder mystery parties!), and a book I thoroughly enjoyed editing! I hope you had just as much fun following the tour, learning more about this sweet book, its awesome author and heroes, and what readers have to say about it.

Want more? Be sure to check out Buckley & Bogey's website, and don't forget that you can get both books on Kindle for less than $10! (Book 1: The Case of the Cat Show Princess; Book 2: The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks)

Winners!

We have tons of winners from this blog tour, thanks to Cindy Vincent's generosity! We'll start with the winners from the Pinterest contests:

Pin the Cover Contest

Grace Thorson won Lies, Spies and Allies from Mysteries by Vincent!

Pin Your Cute Cat Pic Contest

Michelle Tuller won her choice of Diamonds Are For Eva or Lies, Spies and Allies from Mysteries by Vincent, for having the most votes for her cute cat pic! (That's Max above.)

Sandra Smith won the remaining game from Mysteries by Vincent for entering the contest! (That's Boo, the cat with the glow-in-dark eyes. *wink*)

And now for the big book giveaway winners...

Prize Pack #1 ~ Sandra W.

Prize Pack #2 ~ Melanie B.

Prize Pack #3 ~ Jillian H.

Prize Pack #4 ~ Hannah

Congratulations to all of the winners! Everyone's been e-mailed and has until December 28th to respond and claim their prizes before another winner is picked. Claims are dependent upon the winners having U.S./Canada mailing address, as per the rules of the contests/giveaway.

Acknowledgements

Cindy and I would like to thank the following bloggers for their participation in the tour: 

• Rissi @ Dreaming Under the Same Moon
• Amber @ The Wonderings of One Person
• Paris @ CatTipper
• Diane (and her daughter!) @ That's What I'm Here For
• Kate @ Too Read or Not Too Read
• Kara @ A BookLover's Heart
• Hannah @ The Writer's Window
• Kristin @ Take It From Me
• Miranda @ To Be A Person
• Samantha (and Lauren!) @ West of Newbury Street

The tour wouldn't have gone anywhere without them, and we appreciate their hard work and enthusiasm. Be sure to click the links above if you missed any of their stops - there are some neat reviews and interviews in there! And if you weren't one of the book giveaway winners but still want a chance to win a copy of The Case of the Crafty Christmas Crooks, don't miss the giveaway at Take It From Me (open for 9 more days)!

I'd also like to thank Cindy for being such a sweet, fun, and generous client! It's been a blast working with her, and I'm sure this won't be the last you all will hear of Buckley & Bogey on this blog!

Conclusion of the Haunting Joy Blog Tour!

Happy Halloween! What better way to kick off the day than announcing some winners, wrapping up the tour, and inviting you all to join us for a Twitter chat? But first, if you haven't yet read Haunting Joy, this is the perfect day to pick up a copy! The spooky black & white paperback version is available at Amazon, and the e-book with the pink & purple cover (currently only $.99!) is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo. This sweet and meaningful little story is the perfect Halloween treat!

Winners!

We have three winners for the tour-wide giveaway:

1. The winner of the glass heart necklace is Bailee!

2. The winner of a signed paperback copy of Haunting Joy is Cynthia Clubbs!

3. The winner of an e-book copy of Haunting Joy is Shelby Mead!

Congratulations, winners! I've sent you an e-mail, and you have until Monday (Nov. 4th) to respond before I pick another winner. Thank you to everyone who participated in the spooktacular giveaway!

Acknowledgements

Lena and I are grateful to the following bloggers for their participation in the blog tour. The tour couldn't have happened without them! We appreciate their time, creativity, and enthusiasm.

• DelSheree Gladden
• Lena Coakley
• Julie G.
• Kelly Hashway
• Amber M.
• Brooke D.
• Michael L.
• Lisa Gail Green
• Brooke M.
• Jennifer R.
• Serena Chase

(If you missed any of the stops on the tour, you can click the names above to be taken to their tour posts!)

I'd also like to thank all of the readers who followed the tour, as well as Lena herself, who is an amazing person and a delight to work with! ((Hugs))

Halloween Fun!

If you're reading this Halloween morning, I'd like to take this moment to remind you that we're concluding the tour with a fun Twitter chat! Join @SeasonsHumility and @lena_goldfinch on Twitter from 12:00 - 12:30 pm EST (9:00 - 9:30 am PST), using the hashtag #HauntingJoy, to chat about Lena's light paranormal release and other ghostly things, perhaps! (And if you're new to the "chat" thing...so are we! So no need to be afraid - we'll do this thing together. =))

Also, I'll let you in on a fun little secret... The cover for the next book in Lena's "Haunting" series (Haunting Melody) is up on her website!

Besides chatting with us on Twitter (*wink*), what are your plans for Halloween? Hope you have a good (and safe) one!

A Harvest of Winners!

I have a list of winners to announce today - such a fun time! 

The first is the winner of the handmade Kindle bag, which was the prize Sandra offered in conjunction with her latest cover reveal last Friday. If you missed the cover (or you just love to look at cover pretties!), here it is again:

So sweet!

And the winner of the Kindle bag is...

Melanie!

Congratulations! I've sent you an e-mail, and you have until Wednesday, October 2nd to confirm your entry and claim your prize.

(Speaking of cover reveals, I have to add that there will be another one on Tuesday, October 1st. Two fun things about this reveal: 1. The author is also the cover designer. 2. It's a special edition cover, and that cover design will only be available in paperback format!)

And now, on to the list of winners from the Autumn Bash 2013! (Click on the button below to see all of the autumn bash posts - there are some great interviews worth checking out if you missed them when they were originally posted!)

The following winners were chosen randomly using the List Randomizer on Random.org. They have until Wednesday, October 2nd to respond to my e-mail and claim their prizes before new winners are drawn - and they must be from the eligible countries (dependent on the particular giveaway) in order to claim their prizes.

• Carissa won a copy of Love's Awakening by Laura Frantz!
• Anne Elisabeth Stengl's cover reveal winners will be announced on her blog in a couple of days!
• Amy C. won a copy of Made to Last by Melissa Tagg! 
• Danie Walther won a copy of Dark Road Home by Elizabeth Ludwig!
• Barbara Thompson won a copy of The Outcast by Jolina Petersheim!
• Melody won a copy of Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta!

Congratulations, winners!

Huge thanks to the authors for their time and generosity - and to all you readers for supporting them and sharing the enthusiasm this past week! I hope you all had a lovely time at the bash. =)

More cover reveals and blog tours and reviews to come! I'm behind on my reading still, but on the plus side my sweet aunt taught me an easy way to knit hats! I'm so excited to know how to do something crafty like this (besides cross-stitching, which my grandma taught me), and who doesn't love a handmade hat this time of year, right? My family and friends' heads will be kept warm this fall, hehe. ;) Hope you all are enjoying the start of this delightful season!

Conclusion of the Bleeding Heart Blog Tour!

Well, these past two weeks have been awesome, if you don't mind me saying so! A little crazy, but definitely in a good way. ;) And today I have lots of exciting things to share as we bring the Bleeding Heart blog tour to a close - so do get comfortable! (But not too comfortable, so you can quickly jump up and dance around the room should the need arise! Yes, I'm a big dreamer, LOL.)

(I'm including some quote pics from Bleeding Heart throughout the post. The pics are ones I took in Northern California or Oregon and edited via PicMonkey. If you're read Bleeding Heart, do feel free to share a favorite quote in the comments section, if you have one! I'd love to hear what lines stood out to you.)

Winners!

I have 2 winners to announce today!

The first is the winner of the Bleeding Heart "Journey to the West" prize pack, which includes a signed coy of Bleeding Heart when it's available, a copy of Falk's Claim: The Life and Death of a Redwood Lumber Town by Jon Humboldt Gates, a redwood bookmark, Pacific Northwest playing cards, and a wooden train whistle from Virginia City, Nevada. And the winner is...

AMY C!

Congratulations!! Be on the lookout for my e-mail! I hope you enjoy your "Journey to the West" via these items. =)

Now for the winner of the $10 Amazon.com gift card! I included the names of those who guessed the correct title of the sequel to Bleeding Heart (which I'll announce in a moment), as well as the names of those who suggested an actor to portray Zachary Taylor (I'll announce my choice for that in a moment, too!). And the winner is...

MARISSA!

Congratulations!! I appreciate you and all those who participated in the series-extras games. Hope they were fun! I enjoyed reading all of your guesses and suggestions. =)

As for the other book giveaways at other blog tour stops, they'll be announcing their own winners, so be sure to check in with them!

News!

So...anyone curious about that title and actor??

Sequel 

There were actually 7 people who guessed the correct title for the sequel to Bleeding Heart (assuming I don't change it between now and when I actually write it, LOL). And that title is Morning Glory! I love what Julie said as an explanation for her guess:

It sounds so spiritual and uplifting after the tragedies that have befallen the characters. 

I thought so, too! We've got the first title, Forget Me Not, which connotes feelings of longing, wistfulness, and fear. It's an uncertain thing, but also full of tremulous hope. Then we've got the sequel (the first published book), Bleeding Heart. Very dramatic, sorrowful, and poignant, suggesting tragedy but also hinting that a heart that can bleed is also a heart that can be healed. And finally, there's the third in the series - Morning Glory. I've already heard about a potential "Myghal petition" to make sure he gets an HEA. ;) While I can't guarantee what will happen to the characters in that book (I'm generally a "pantser" who likes to see where the story goes and how I grow during the writing process), I really do hope that a third book will be one that that has a dawning hope - an embracing of joy after trials, and an eye-opening perspective on life and eternity. We'll see what happens!

Short Story

In case you missed the update, my current writing project is Fairy Slippers, a companion short story featuring Zachary Taylor (the cook) from Bleeding Heart. You can learn more in a previous post. In that post I asked for some suggestions to help me give a fact to Taylor - and of those suggestions, I decided to go with Richard Armitage, suggested by Jaguar Hero. (Surprise, surprise, given my love of North & South!) But I had to find just the right picture to kind of suggest darker looks, a fuller face, a piercing gaze, a strength born of experiences and self-confidence, but also a depth - a well of gentleness beneath it all. Take a look at the pic I found:

Fairy Slippers Pinterest Board

What do you think?? It might not be a perfect likeness, but I think the "feeling" might be right. Would love to hear your thoughts! 

I'm looking forward to finishing this Cinderella-themed story within the next few weeks, hopefully. It's been fun so far! After that, I plan to move on to Forget Me Not...

Prequel

If you haven't already seen the links I've splashed all over Twitter, you can learn more about Forget Me Not on the new site (my cover designer made me a new header, which is so pretty!). You can also check out the Pinterest board and add the book on Goodreads.

And here's a super exciting update: Lena Goldfinch has already started on the cover design! SQUEE!! (Such a FUN part of the process!) Poor Lena... I found a few pins to add to our secret board on Pinterest the other night, mainly for reference, and Lena promptly got sucked into the cover-design process. We were planning on working on the cover design in November, haha! As it is, I'm absolutely in love with where the design is going, and I can tell you that, as far as it looks now, it will be an absolutely beautiful companion and complement to the cover of Bleeding Heart!

So here's a potential schedule for Forget Me Not stuff:

~ Mid-October: cover reveal!
~ Late November/early December: e-ARCs sent out to reviewers
~ January: e-book release and blog tour
~ February: paperback release (oooh, maybe a Valentine's Day release??)

If you're interested in being part of the cover reveal, do let me know!

Bleeding Heart

I still have some news about Bleeding Heart, too!

1. If you haven't yet picked up a Kindle copy of the book, it's on sale for $.99 this weekend! Celebrate Labor Day weekend with an inexpensive trip to the Old West. =)

2. I've ordered my proof copy of Bleeding Heart, which should be arriving this next week or early the following week!!! SQUEE again!! I'm sure I'll share a picture of me and my first paperback! And as soon as I get my copy and approve it, it should hopefully be available for order on Amazon and CreateSpace! Huzzah! Links to come soon... 

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Melissa Tagg, Serena Chase, Diane Estrella, MaryLu Tyndall, Rissi, Julie Graves, Miranda Uyeh, Kara, Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Audrey, Ariel Wilson, Rachelle Rea, Jana Grissom, Renee Chaw, Lydia, Casey Herringshaw, Faye, Vince Mooney, Abbi Hart, Melanie, Kate, Michelle, Melanie B., Lena Nelson Dooley, Rebeka B., Sherida Stewart, Meagan Davenport, Rel Mollet, Carissa, Kav, Alyssa, Michelle Griep, Samantha Jo, Grace, Amber M., Rebekah Gyger, and Ganise. You all made my blog tour so epic - there would be no tour without you! Thank you so very much for your support, your posts, your tweets, your reviews, your time, and your encouragement. ♥

As you can hopefully tell from the "news" section above, the fun is far from over! Beyond my writing projects, I also have an "Autumn Bash" coming in late September featuring 6 fabulous authors - as well as some exciting publicity projects throughout the fall. So stay tuned, old followers and new! A new season is upon us. =)

Conclusion of the Love's Miracles Blog Tour!

What a fun experience this has been! I've loved being a part of it - seeing the success of the book's freebie promotion, reading readers' reviews, enjoying Sandra's interview responses. It's all been a blast, and I so appreciate the participating bloggers' enthusiasm, as well as the excitement of Sandra's author friends and her new readers!

It's bittersweet to see the blog tour come to an end. But we have happy news: winners' names! And I'll share some of the results of the blog tour, as well!

Winners!

In addition to the big prize pack, Sandra also offered some giveaways in conjunction with a couple of interviews. Did you catch them? Sandra offered a copy of The Price of Victory on Carolyn's blog, and winner's choice of The Price of Victory or Current of Love on Kara's blog. 

Carolyn's winner: Sherida!

Kara's winner: Karen and Gerard (one blogger name)!

Congrats, Sherida and Karen & Gerard! Be looking for my e-mail! Sandra noted that she can sign the winner's book to whomever the winner wants, so if you already have a copy, you can share one with a friend. =)

And now for the winner of the blog tour prize pack (three books, gift card, bookmark, and tote - see more detailed descriptions in this post)! Can we get a drumroll please?

And the winner is...

Kamila Moe Borkowska!

Congratulations!! Be on the lookout for my e-mail, and enjoy all of your goodies!

Acknowledgements

A blog tour is definitely a community thing, and Sandra and I are so grateful for the following people...

• All of the participating bloggers: Carolyn, Vince, Kara, Kav, Renee, Tammy, Sherida, Julie, and Virginia. (If you missed any of their posts, do be sure to check out these links!) There would be no blog tour without bloggers, so thank you for all you do!! We appreciate your time, your thoughtfulness, and your enthusiasm tremendously!

• Christy of Belle on a Budget, for making such a beautiful bookmark especially for our giveaway! 

• Friends of Seekerville and other readers who shared the blog button, visited the blog posts, downloaded the book, and spread the word in various ways. Word of mouth is crucial, and you all have been such a big help!

• Green Beans Coffee. I doubt anyone at your company has any idea about this blog tour, but I'm grateful for your Cup of Joe for a Joe program, and I hope that including one of your totes in our giveaway might help others learn of it. =) Keep supporting troops and doing what you do!

• Sandra, for taking a chance on me and letting me share this journey with you. It has been a wonderful experience so far, my friend, and I look forward to our future projects!

Results

Before I sign off and officially say goodbye to the tour, I wanted to let you all know a few stats:

• Over 2600 copies of Love's Miracles were downloaded during the Memorial Day weekend freebie promotion.

• Love's Miracles made it onto the "Top 100 Free" Kindle books list for two genres: "Historical Romance" and "Thrillers."

• The stats change hourly on Amazon, and Love's Miracles lingered between the 20s and 40s on those two lists during the weekend. But on the last night of the promotion - before it went back to $2.99 - Love's Miracles made #15 on the "Top 100 Free" list for "Historical Romance" and  #9 for the "Top 100 Free" list for "Thrillers."

• The blog tour Rafflecopter giveaway garnered over 200 entries (not all from different people, but all for different types of entries). This caused Sandra to gain more fans on Goodreads, more followers on Twitter, etc.

• There are 5 reviews up on Amazon so far (4 and 5-star reviews).

Beyond numbers, though, I believe the success of the blog tour is also shown in the reviews that shared how the book impacted the reviewers, in comments of support and eagerness, and in the general enthusiasm with which Sandra's book was received. Freebies can possibly lead to negative reviews by those who were expecting something different, and it's hard to say how far the freebies go in building up sales. And yet, I think Love's Miracles' re-entry into the world has been quite a happy one so far, and I'm so grateful to have been a part of it and to watch all of you show Sandra such love and support. Book bloggers rock! And that is all she wrote. ;)

3rd Blogoversary Party ~ Winners!

Today is officially my third blogoversary, and what fun these three years have been! Thank you to all of my wonderful, sweet, encouraging, inspiring readers for making blogging such a joy for me, and for making this party a blast! And thank you to our awesome guests this week - Lena, Rachelle, and Sandra. I'm so grateful to know and work with you three, and I'm wishing you the best with your writing!

And now, here are the winners of the blog party book giveaways:

 Jill Stengl won an e-book version of Aire

 Julie Graves won The Price of Victory

 CentralEast2 won Current of Love

Congratulations, winners! I'll be sending you an e-mail, so be sure to check your inboxes! And thank you to Lena and Sandra for your generosity!

Hope you all have a great Saturday! I'll be re-posting an Easter devotional tomorrow. =)

Celebrating Crafts and Christmas ~ Winners!

I've had such a fun time "Celebrating Crafts and Christmas" with you all this week! Huge thanks to all of this week's guests: Christy Janes, Abigail and Maggie Vogts, and Casey Herringshaw. It was awesome to hear about your crafts and the talents God has given you!

Our guests offered some gifts this week, and with the help of the "List Randomizer" on Random.org, here are the winners: 

 Bookmark hand-crafted by Christy: Jill Stengl

CD featuring music by The Vogts Sisters: Anonymous (Knusbaum@mchsi.com)

Bracelet hand-crafted by Casey: Bluerose

Congratulations to all of the winners! E-mails have been sent to the winners, and they have through the weekend to respond before I choose another winner.

I hope you all have a great weekend! Anybody have any crafts (of any kind) they'll be working on? =)

Yay for Winners and Sparkly Stars!

It was a lot of fun hosting several giveaways this past week! Thanks to Dusty Crabtree, Zondervan (along with Litfuse Publicity), and Merge PR for providing the prizes! And now, on to the winners (chosen using the "List Randomizer" on Random.org)...

 Winner of Shadow Eyes e-book: Julie Klein!

 Winner of The Memory Jar: Marissa Ehresman!

 Winner of Christmas: God With Us CD: Karen K.!

The winners have all been contacted via e-mail, and they have the rest of this week to get back to me before I pick another winner. Congratulations to all three of you ladies, and thank you to everyone who entered the drawings and shared their enthusiasm for books and Christmas music!

And since we're on the subject of winners and what-not, guess what my mom and I recently achieved??

 

Yes, we earned all 5 stars on the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game!! And not just 5 plain old stars, which we earned a while ago, but 5 sparkly stars! Care to see them up close?

OK, we're slightly obsessed... But after months and months of playing the game, it was pretty awesome to complete everything (all the main levels, all the "secrets," all the star coins, the secret level, and the star coins in the secret level)! (And we discovered - thanks to some guy on YouTube, I believe - that in order to earn "sparkly" stars, you have to beat everything without having Luigi come and help you. If you play with more than one player, though, this is never a problem, which is cool!)

Anyway, most of the credit goes to my mom - she's become quite skilled at this game, let me tell you! ;) It's fun to have something you can play together and use to challenge yourself. 

Any other fans of Super Mario Bros. Wii out there? What types of games do you enjoy playing with your family?