2014 Goals Update (March)

You can find my goals post from the beginning of the year HERE.

Personal:

• I got back into the job-hunting swing a bit toward the latter half of this month. Mostly with this one place I feel good about. Of course, they're not currently hiring...but I believe I shall politely and professionally hound them. ;) The person I spoke with there said to keep checking in, so I plan to! I actually have jury duty this week (unless it's canceled), so maybe it's for the best that my schedule's still open. If everything works out, this will be my first-ever jury duty experience. Could be interesting!

• Books...ummmm.... I totally went over my self-imposed limit in both departments (reviews and purchases). I think I acquired almost twenty new reads in March. See, I received a gift card, so that accounted for several purchases. (Honestly, gifts don't really count anyway, right? ;)) I visited a local bookstore and couldn't leave without buying a couple of books. I scouted out some interesting review opportunities and had a couple fall in my lap. And then Kindle books - so many great deals and new releases this month! I basically just let my addiction take over. So, the book-acquiring got a little out of control. Which has led me to decide that next month I will not acquire any new books - with a couple of exceptions. (You know there's always an exception...) If Karen Witemeyer's next release comes up for review, I plan to snatch up that opportunity! It just sounds and looks so wonderful, and I really enjoy Karen's stories. The book is set to release in June, so I wouldn't receive it until May anyway. :) And I have to add that if I'm gifted any books, that's a different story. ;) On the plus side of all this, hopefully you'll have some fun reviews headed your way! LOL. (By the way, if we're not already friends on Shelfari or Goodreads, you can connect with me on those sites to keep up with my reading habits and view the latest titles I've acquired - or you can check out the widgets in my sidebar to see what I plan to read and what I'm currently reading!)

• I'm doing all right with the reviews. There were a couple of books I finished that I chose not to review, and I have one I just finished yesterday that I need to review sometime. Otherwise, it's coming along!

• Exercise... Seriously, this month's updates are a little embarrassing. I didn't keep up with my goal of exercising four times a week. I did get in a few workout video sessions, though, and there were a couple of square dances I attended this month (love those!), so I didn't completely fail...

• There was one week where I didn't send any letters, but otherwise I got at least one letter out to friends/giveaway winners each of the other weeks. :)

Publishing:

• It was a fun month on the publishing front! While I didn't get as far as I wanted to in starting Morning Glory, I've at least started on that project. (You can meet the main characters HERE.) I received my Forget Me Not paperbacks, and the book is now available to purchase in that format. I published Bellflower & Fairy Slippers as a $.99 combo ebook and did a release-day promotion. I offered the Kindle version of Forget Me Not for free for a week, which got some good visibility and has led to much better sales this month. I also ended the month with a book giveaway (still going on!) in celebration of my 4th blogoversary. 

March was kind of a crazy month. (Do I say that about every month?) In addition to all my own book marketing, I had two blog tours for clients (so fun!), a client's book release and cover reveal (which was especially stressful because the Internet went out the worst possible time! But God is good, and it all worked out. :)), and planning for client projects coming in the next two months. We also had our choir concerts, and since our semester was so short and our director has a rather long commute, we had a week of back-to-back practices that took up a lot of time. But it was a lot of fun, and the songs were very special and beautiful. (I especially loved performing "Blessings" by Laura Story.) Then there was St. Patrick's Day, my sister's wonderful Irish dance performances (two of them!), my mom falling and hurting her knee and ankle at the beginning of the month :(, visits to my grandpa at the care home, taxes... Yeah. There's been a lot of drama, but also a lot of reminders of God's faithfulness and provision.

How was March for you? What are you looking forward to in April?

4th Blogoversary and Book Giveaway!

So... Maybe I should have a big blogoversary party every other year, and a fun little giveaway for the in-between years? Because that's how the blogoversaries have gone down so far. ;)

Alas, this is one of those years where I don't have a huge bash planned. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't exciting things lined up for the coming months! In fact, I've been rather preoccupied this week with upcoming publicity projects for clients that are going to be a ton of fun. We've got everything from an NA fantasy cover reveal and blog tour, to a romance tour, to a devotional book tour with a cat theme. Be sure to check out those pages and mark your calendars!

As for today, I thought I'd celebrate my 4th blogoversary by giving away some of my own books. Can't believe I can do that! I was still in the process of getting Bleeding Heart (my debut) ready for publication during my last blogoversary. It's been a crazy year!

Since Forget Me Not just released in paperback, I'm giving away a signed copy to one US resident. And for my international readers, I'm giving away an e-copy of any of my three books in "The Heart's Spring" series: Forget Me Not (Book 1), Bleeding Heart (Book 2) or Bellflower (the short-story collection). If you already have all my books, I'd be happy to gift a copy to someone for you if you win. :) You can enter using the form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you all so much for your readership! I'd love to hear what you enjoy about the blog and what you might like to see more of in the next year before my 5th blogoversary. (For example, do you like having my publicity clients' blog tours hosted here? Do you miss the devotional posts or author interviews? Do you want more reviews?) Blessings and *group hugs*!

My Review of Pilgrimage of Promise

Here's a description of the book from the author's website:

"Broken promises, enduring love…

A dusty stack of unopened love letters forces Bo and Mona Beth Miller to revisit a part of their past they’d rather leave buried–especially in the face of death. Only as they retrace history will they learn the truth about the shattered promise that threatens to come between them. But can their relationship endure the deception and sabotage they unearth, or will the experience compel them to trust more fully in the promises that never fail?

 Book Four in the Miller’s Creek Novels"

My Rating

Spring/Summer

My Review

Reading Pilgrimage of Promise constituted my favorite visit to Miller's Creek thus far, as its heartfelt message touched me deeply. Despite all the hardships and misunderstandings and trauma that befall Bo and Mona Beth - in the past and in the present - an overall sense of healing and hope pervades the pages. That ending... Lots of tears!

Back to the beginning, though. Bryant does a great job of weaving past scenes with the present. The scene depicting how Bo and Mona Beth first met is too cute! Once again, Bryant includes a lot of sensory details to engage readers and settle them in homey Miller's Creek, Texas.

But all the memories explored are not happy ones. Sometimes it felt like too much - knowing that miscommunications were coming and the "happy ending" wasn't all that the characters would have wanted it to be. In some ways, it felt unfair to have to experience those painful scenes, knowing the outcome as the reader does. And yet, those scenes made the reference to Isaiah 54:5 leave that much greater of an impact on me. The ending was all the more poignant and beautiful because of the repetitive reminder that God is faithful, even while humans break their promises and cause one another grief.

From the young love of high school to family drama and the tragedy of the Vietnam War, Pilgrimage of Promise takes the reader back in time through two beloved characters' lives. It's not always an easy journey, but it's still full of smiles and unexpected blessings, and it includes a very worthwhile, moving, and inspiring ending. This would be a great choice for book clubs (there are some thought-provoking discussion questions in the back of the book) or for anyone who's searching for a reminder of hope in life's disappointments.

*With thanks to the author for providing me with an e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Reviews for Other Miller's Creek Novels

• A Path Less Traveled (Book 2)
• The Way of Grace (Book 3)

Coming Soon!

My Review of The Ransom + Winner Announcement

Here's a description of the book from the author's website:

"Port Royal, Jamaica 1692

Living in a city deemed the wickedest in the world is no easy task for Miss Juliana Dutton. To make matters worse, with an ailing father and a drunken fool for a brother, she is forced to take over the running of the family business in order to survive. When a meddlesome suitor threatens to discover her secret and cast them all onto the streets, she agrees to a spurious engagement with the town buffoon, Lord Munthrope. She only hopes the man is trustworthy.

Alexander Hyde, son of the infamous Captain Edmund Merrick Hyde, is the most feared pirate in Port Royal. Disillusioned with the religion of his parents and the pleasures of the world, Alex staves off his emptiness by leading a dual life as both the pretentious dandy, Lord Munthrope, and the feared Pirate Earl.

A long-time enemy is out to destroy Alex and take Juliana for his own. Yet could their problems be a Divine hand leading them down a path of escape? Or when an earthquake strikes, will they be doomed with the rest of Port Royal to be swallowed up by the sea?"

My Rating

Spring

My Review

I was so thrilled to learn that MaryLu Tyndall was writing a sequel for the "Legacy of the King's Pirates" series - the trilogy that introduced me to her work and made me fall in love with her writing. The Ransom is a great sequel to the series, as Tyndall never fails to pen engaging stories full of adventure and heart.

At the beginning, I confess I was a little put off by the dialogue. I'm not sure it's all that different from her first books, but for some reason it hit me the wrong way this time, like it was trying too hard to define itself as historical. But as the story moved along, I got caught up in the happenings, and the dialogue was no longer a big issue.

And what interesting happenings! Captain Merrick's son leads a very strange life as half-lord and half-pirate. I loved how he used both roles to woo Juliana, though - really rather cute, if buffoons and pirates can be called such! And his fascination with the sea - his longings to revive his father's ways and times - resonated with me. History is so romanticized for us historical-romance lovers, and there is a certain desire to bring back or visit "better," more exciting times.

As for Juliana, I really did like her character overall. She's sweet. She has a big heart. She takes care of her family and isn't afraid to stand up to others. I confess she did come across as rather foolish (in some of her actions) and rather naive (she seriously didn't get Alex's secret for that long?), but it all contributed to an intriguing plot, nonetheless.

The connections to the book of Ecclesiastes were thoughtful and well-suited for the characters. Love how Tyndall weaves Scripture into her stories. And the dramatic conclusion was fitting for the series. I do hope the way it all ended means there are more books about this family to come?? The Ransom is a must-read for Tyndall fans, although it can be enjoyed without having read the first three books in the series, as they're only loosely connected. Bring on more seafaring stories, MaryLu!

*With thanks to the author for providing me with an e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Winner Announcement!

In honor of the official release of Bellflower and Fairy Slippers as a combo ebook, I gave away a bookmark. And the winner is...

Jan H!

Jan has been e-mailed and has responded. Congratulations, Jan!

If you really liked the looks of the bookmark, I hope you'll check out Belle on a Budget on Etsy. She has so many lovely pieces - from bookmarks to necklaces to earrings! I always enjoy shopping at her site. And don't forget that you can pick up an e-copy of Bellflower (+ Fairy Slippers) for only $.99 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords!

Bookish Cheer!

Happy weekend, dear readers! I've got a couple of bookish things to share with you today. (I'm sort of addicted to the word bookish now - sorry it keeps showing up on my social media sites, LOL.)

Love's Promises

Let's start with the Love's Promises cover reveal conclusion. First, on the giveaway form we asked entrants which of Sandra's covers (between the three pictured below) was their favorite. Here's the breakdown...

Out of 17 votes:

• 12% preferred Love's Miracles
• 29% preferred Love's Refuge
• 59% preferred Love's Promises 

When chatting with others on Twitter and participating blogs, it seemed like Love's Refuge was especially loved, but Love's Promises also seems to be adored by readers - and, I mean, who can resist the hero's smile? ;) So happy for Sandra, that all of her new covers this past year have been gorgeous! (Thanks to designer Lena Goldfinch!)

And now, for the winner of the journal giveaway from the cover reveal! And the winner is...

Jennifer!

Congratulations, Jennifer! Gotta love a new journal - so much potential and promise with those blank pages. :)

Jennifer has been e-mailed and has responded. For those who didn't win, though, there's going to be a super awesome giveaway for the Love's Promises blog tour in April, so stay tuned!

Speaking of the blog tour... If you're a blogger interested in participating in the tour by reviewing or spotlighting the book, interviewing the author, or posting some special feature, sign-ups are still open! Just fill out the form on the blog tour page, and I'll be in contact via e-mail. We're looking at the week of April 21-25 for the tour dates. Hope you'll join us - it's going to be a lot of fun!

And don't forget that you can purchase the Kindle version of this book now on Amazon!

Forget Me Not

 

As many of you know, I offered the Kindle version of Forget Me Not (Book 1 in my "Heart's Spring" series) for free this past week. I thought it would be a neat way to celebrate the official release of Bellflower & Fairy Slippers as a combo ebook, as well as see how a freebie promo would do now that I have other books for sale. (The other freebie promo I did last fall for Bleeding Heart was before any of my other books had been released.)

Well, I am pleased to pronounce it a success! Here is the total for how many times the book was downloaded Monday through Friday (March 17-21):

14,564

That, my friends, is a lot of potential new readers!! I'm so thrilled by the interest in Forget Me Not (and I know Lena's gorgeous cover design had to be a big part of that), and I hope people are blessed by the story.

Throughout the week, Forget Me Not remained on Amazon's Best Sellers list for Free Kindle books, usually hovering on the second or third page (between #31 and #50, or thereabouts). Forget Me Not also made some free best sellers lists for certain genres. Here are some highlights:

#1 in Historical Romance

#1 in Western Romance

#2 in Inspirational Romance

Forget Me Not (#3) and Laura Frantz's Courting Morrow Little (#1) together on Historical Romance list! (Pic courtesy of Melanie)

Keep in mind that these lists are updated hourly, so these are just snapshots (literally, ha!). And forgive my rather unprofessional highlighting and circling - I was playing around with this new-to-me tool and having too much fun. ;)

Despite all that, though, Forget Me Not stayed #1 or #2 in Western Romance for most of the week, and it was so fun to see Elizabeth on the charts! 

I consider the freebie promo a success for several reasons: the potential new readers, the visibility, and the sales - as this time I had other books in the series available for purchase, so my sales for Bleeding Heart and Bellflower increased! Since sales weren't doing too well this winter, any boost is good news in my book. ;)

HUGE thanks to all of you who helped spread the word on Twitter, Google +, Pinterest, on your blogs, and elsewhere! It truly made a difference, and your help and support are greatly appreciated. *Hugs* all around, dear friends, and thank you for all you do!!

If you missed Forget Me Not's freebie promo, it's only $2.99 for Kindle - and only $8.09 for the paperback. Happy reading!

My Review of The Art of My Life

Here's a description of the book from Smashwords:

"Cal walked out of jail and into a second chance at winning Aly with his grandma’s beater sailboat and a reclaimed dream of sailing charters.

Aly has the business smarts, strings to a startup loan, and heart he never should have broken. He’s got squat. Unless you count enough original art to stock a monster rummage sale and an affection for weed.

But he’d only ever loved Aly. That had to count for something. Aly needed a guy who owned yard tools, tires worth rotating, and a voter’s registration card. He’d be that guy or die trying.

For anyone who’s ever struggled to measure up. And failed."

My Rating

Spring

My Review

Despite the difficult issues the characters face in The Art of My Life, there's a breezy, sweet relief to the story. The setting with its small businesses and its sailboats at dock...the honest, head-on presentation of struggles both universal and typical for new adults...the final baring of souls and revealing of secrets... All in all, it's an engaging, character-driven read.

I really liked the fact that there were two main romances, and might I add that the characters have some great names? Cal, Aly, Fish (nickname), Missy, Evie, Starr, Henna, Leaf, Van Gogh (the dog)... All very distinctive, fitting, and fun! The plot itself is a little too angst-ridden to be called "fun," but the moments of suspense toward the middle of the novel, as well as the coastal setting and some sweet romantic scenes, make it an overall enjoyable reading experience.

For those readers who are sensitive about content, there is some language throughout the story, and there's an emphasis on the physical in the romantic relationships. (Nothing overly explicit - mostly just a general focus on how the other looks and wanting the other person in a physical way, although there is kissing and general talk of sex.) That was one thing that kind of frustrated me about one of the romantic relationships, especially - so much emphasis was placed on wanting to be able to be together physically. But the overall message of the main romance transcends that.

As I previously noted, the story is very character-driven. In some ways, I definitely loved that, because the characters are very endearing and intriguing with their quirks and flaws and authentic grappling with love and life. But there were times when it caused the story to stretch out a little long. The climactic moment suspense-wise happened about 3/4 of the way through, I believe, and so the resolution of all the issues - while inspiring and important - went on a little longer than I would have preferred. And it seemed to take the characters so long to realize that all they had to do to resolve their differences was simply open up about what was really bothering them. (But that's not so much a complaint about the book as it is about human nature, I guess!)

For a heartfelt and hopeful NA (new adult) romance with well-drawn characters, The Art of My Life delivers. And for all my fellow bloggers out there, the blog quotes/entries at the beginning of each chapter are an added creative treat, going along with the thought-provoking title and theme.

*With thanks to the author for providing me an e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Covers!

So I've come across two sets of covers for this "New Smyrna Beach" series, and I was curious...which do you like better? I didn't realize there were ones with people (vs. the art ones) until after I finished the book, and I had thought the covers might look neat redone. And they do! I especially like the new version of Kicking Eternity. At the same time, though, the art cover for The Art of My Life is so fitting for the story, and I think the art covers really do go well the series. What do you think?

A St. Patrick's Day Surprise! (Fairy Slippers)

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I don't have any four-leaf clovers for you...but I do have some fairy slippers, which are also a rare and lovely find. :) (Well, at least the flower is - hoping you'll find the story to be sweet, too!)

Yes, Fairy Slippers - the short-story sequel to Bleeding Heart featuring Zachary Taylor the cook - is now available! Instead of publishing it as a separate ebook, which was my plan earlier this year, I was inspired by my cover designer's latest project, Take a Picture. The way she so sweetly combined her two short stories made me want to do the same for "The Heart's Spring" short stories, especially since both stories are such quick reads (about 6K words for Bellflower and 5K for Fairy Slippers).

So the cover for Bellflower got a makeover - with a brighter background and a note at the bottom about the extra short story being included. And now the combo ebook is available for $.99 at the following sites!

Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes & Noble (Nook) | Smashwords

Here's some more information about the ebook...

"The Heart's Spring" Short-Story Combo eBook 

BELLFLOWER: Short Story Prequel to Forget Me Not 

Spring 1880 

Annabelle knows only one way of life. Jacob knows only one way to feel secure. When their paths cross in a Western mining town, can they find a way for love to bloom? Discover the story behind two hurting hearts in this short but sweet retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

FAIRY SLIPPERS: Bonus Short Story Companion to Bleeding Heart 

Spring 1888 

Margaret is fragile. Zachary is tough. Both are lonely. Will a dance in a redwood lumber town bring them together—or drive them apart forever? Discover the continuing story of the cook from Bleeding Heart in this short but sweet retelling of Cinderella. 

• Visit the page for both short stories on The Heart's Spring blog.
• Add the book on Goodreads. (I ended up combining Bellflower & Fairy Slippers there to reflect the new ebook format - I apologize to those of you who had only marked Fairy Slippers as "to-read"!)
• View character/setting images and more on the Fairy Slippers Pinterest board. (There's also one for Bellflower.)

If you've already read Bellflower because you subscribe to my newsletter or you got it for free on Smashwords, I hope you'll still find Fairy Slippers to be an encouraging little afternoon diversion for a buck. :)

***

To celebrate the official ebook release day, I've got a couple of special offers for you!

Forget Me Not is Free for Kindle!

Today (March 17th) through Friday (March 21st), Forget Me Not is FREE in Kindle format! Click HERE to pick up your copy. Bellflower is the prequel to Forget Me Not, so this is the perfect chance to read both together for only $.99! You can actually read the whole series (minus Book 3 - Morning Glory - which should hopefully be released this summer) for less than $4!! The paperback versions of Forget Me Not and Bleeding Heart are also both available now for only $8.99 each.

All that to say... If you've been waiting to pick up your copies of these books and dive into "The Heart's Spring" series, now is the time! ;)

A Cinderella Giveaway!

I've been holding onto this horse & carriage beaded bookmark from Belle on a Budget for a few months now, waiting to use it for a Fairy Slippers giveaway - isn't it just darling? Even though there are no horses or carriages mentioned in Fairy Slippers, I think it's perfect to celebrate a Cinderella-themed story. I hope you agree! This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, and you can enter via the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 ***

St. Patrick's Day Spotlight Participants

Check out these super sweet bloggers who are helping me spread the word about all this bookish news today!

• A BookLover's Heart
• Bluerose's Heart
• Christian Bookshelf Reviews
• Christian Novels
• Fictionally
• Inspiring Daring
• Labor Not in Vain
• Literary and Lace
• My Favorite Pastime
• The Curried Nut
• The Wonderings of One Person
• To Be A Person

One last note: If you're interested in learning more about fairy slippers (the flower) or the setting for Fairy Slippers (the story), be sure to visit The Heart's Spring series blog today! I'm sharing a little bit of the story behind the story in honor of release day, and I've got some neat YouTube videos for you to check out. :)

What do you think of the updated combo cover? Do you enjoy getting to learn about secondary characters in a series through short stories?