STRANDED Giveaway Info...And a Fun Giveaway On This Blog Too!!

From the first time I've been in love with Dani Pettrey's writing style.

She writes with a combination of great romance and stirring suspense. I've shared her books with my mom and a former co-worker and both can't get enough...just like me. I've got nothing but good things to say about her titles!

Sooooo...it is what makes me VERY excited to share this amazing giveaway she and her publisher, Bethany House are putting together. Talk about some fortunate winners!!

Stranded is on my Amazon pre-order list and I can't wait for it to hit my hot little hands. Check all the fun below... ;-)

In Stranded, Book 3 in author Dani Pettrey’s acclaimed Alaskan Courage series, reporter Darcy St. James knows something is wrong when her friend vanishes from her job on a cruise ship. Everyone else believes Abby simply left of her own accord, but something isn’t lining up, and Darcy knows the only way to find the truth is to put herself in Abby’s position.

Gage McKenna has taken a summer-long stint leading adventure excursions for the passengers of various cruise lines that dock in Alaska for a few days of sightseeing. He’s surprised to find Darcy onboard one of the ships, working undercover as a reporter.

Something sinister is going on, and the deeper they dig, the more they realize they’ve only discovered the tip of the iceberg.

To celebrate the story, author Dani Pettrey and Bethany House Publishers are pleased to present the ALASKAN ADVENTURES Sweepstakes, and your chance to win one of three fabulous prizes connected with the story!

Timeframe & Notifications:

This giveaway starts September 2, 2013 and ends September 19, 2013 @ 11:59 pm (PST). Winners will be selected Friday, September 20, 2013, and announced at DaniPettrey.com.

GRAND PRIZE:

BUILD-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE PACKAGE

In Stranded, Darcy, Gage, and the McKenna family launch into all kinds of adventures: from high-octane ocean kayaking, to rugged island camping beneath the vast Alaskan skies.

Our grand prize winner will have the chance to build their own adventure, with a $300 adventure gear gift card of their choice from either Eddie Bauer or L.L. Bean.

And what would our hero and heroine do if they won the prize? Gage use it towards one of L.L. Bean’s gorgeous ocean kayaks, while Darcy would go for “Glamping” gear:)

SECOND PRIZE:

CULINARY CONQUEROR PACKAGE

Everyone knows Gage McKenna’s campfire cooking is second to none. But inStranded, Darcy discovers that before Gage was a search and rescue hero, he secretly dreamed of attending culinary school.

Our second prize winner will have the chance to fulfill Gage’s dream with a$200 value, 1-year membership to Top Chef University.

Membership includes over 200 video lessons taught by Top Chef contestants, covering everything from soups to desserts.

THIRD PRIZE:

SHIMMER & SHINE PACKAGE

Darcy once gave her missing friend, Abby, a beautiful shell necklace, engraved with a special message that made it one-of-a-kind.

Our third prize winner will receive their very own, one-of-a-kind “Earth & Sea” necklace valued at $100.

Handmade of New Zealand Paua shells, hammered copper, and Tahitian pearls, this necklace is the perfect compliment for a soft sweater and jeans, or a unique finishing touch for a little black dress on a special date night.

Go here to enter! 

AND bonus giveaway!! 

Enter Dani's contest and then leave a comment below...I'm giving away a copy of Dani's book myself! If you haven't read her first title, then I want to get you started on your next addiction! And if you have read her previous two, then I'll be sending you Stranded. 

So go enter and then come back here!! 

Happy Saturday. :-))

FALL Into Love Contest!!

Fall is hanging in the air...it's right around the corner and so is plenty of great new fiction! 

I don't know about you, but I always commit to WAY too many new releases this time of year, because there are so many favorite authors releasing new books. Which is why I had to share this contest update with you about four beloved authors.

Check it out!!

Announcing the FALL INTO LOVE ultimate giveaway!

Join us as award-winning authors Tracie Peterson, Jody Hedlund, Nancy Mehl, Melissa Tagg, and Jen Turano take us on a journey for love in their upcoming novels. To celebrate the September/October book releases, we're hosting FIVE incredible giveaways with ONE fantastic grand prize drawing.  Enter all five contests and receive FIVE entries into the grand prize drawing with additional chances to enter the FALL INTO LOVE ultimate giveaway throughout the month of September!

The Prizes:
ONE GRAND PRIZE winner will receive the FALL INTO LOVE prize package - a $500 value! - containing everything you need to snuggle up with a great book...

• A 16GB Kindle Fire HD for all the books you want, right at your fingertips

• Fall into love as you fall into this beautiful free-standing wooden hammock

• A Sherpa & Micromink cream throw to keep you warm as the weather turns chilly

• A selection of gourmet caramel apples

• A copy of each novel represented Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl, Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund, A Talent for Trouble by Jen Turano, The Miner's Lady by Tracie Peterson, and Made to Last by Melissa Tagg.

FIVE INDIVIDUAL PRIZE PACKAGES!   Fall into love with these beautiful stories from 5 amazing authors, and enter each contest for your chance to take home a meaningful part of their story.  To learn more about each novel and to enter visit www.FallIntoLoveContest.com (link to: http://www.fallintolovecontest.com).

1) The Miner's Lady:   From award winning author Tracie Peterson, comes a beautiful story rich with the comfort of good food, the love of family, and the struggle for faith and forgiveness. Have a seat in Nonni's Italian kitchen with a basket of cultural delicacies and experience both the flavor and heart of Italian America with The Miner's Lady Giveaway!   ENTER HERE…
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 1st!

2) Unforeseeable:   Settle into your favorite reading chair with author Nancy Mehl's delicious story of intrigue, danger, and suspense, all set against the serene setting of the small Mennonite town of Kingdom. Enter the Unforeseeable Giveaway to bring the delicious tastes of Mennonite life right into your home…    ENTER HERE...
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 1st!

3) Made To Last:   From author Melissa Tagg comes the story of Miranda Woodruff, star of a home-building television show who apparently has it all, until it all threatens to fall apart. Read, laugh, and enjoy the hilarious misadventures of a heroine with a tremendous amount of skill, a lot to lose, and even more to discover about her own heart. As part of the Made to Last Giveaway, experience the joy of having the right tools, the right guides, and something beautiful to reward yourself with on a job well done.   ENTER HERE…
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15th!

4) Rebellious Heart:   From Best selling author Jody Hedlund, Rebellious Heart brings the history of 1763 Massachusetts to life with the story of socialite Susanna Smith and poor country lawyer Ben Ross. When Susanna's decision to help an innocent woman no matter the cost crosses with Ben's growing disillusionment with their British rulers, the two find themselves bound together in what quickly becomes a very dangerous fight for justice. Bring the fight for justice and liberty to your home with this meaningful prize package.   ENTER HERE…
AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 15th!

5) A Talent for Trouble:  Set in the early 1900's, Jen Turano's spirited new book,  A Talent for Trouble, will leave you feeling like you have lived in the Victorian era of New York City, strolled through Central Park with your best hat on, and had a hilarious and unpredictable adventure with a new friend. With the prize package for A Talent for Trouble you can continue the adventure and bring some of Felicia's journey home with you.   ENTER HERE…
AVAILABLE OCTOBER 1st!

How to Enter:

Click on one of the banners or visit www.FallIntoLoveContest.com to submit your information. Each week during the five-week contest, we will reveal a new method of entering and increasing your chances for the grand prize.

Week 1: Enter one or all of the individual novel giveaways. For every individual giveaway you enter, you gain one entry into the grand prize drawing. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

Week 2: Like one or all authors on Facebook. Every author liked gains you one entry into the grand prize. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

Week 3: Refer a friend. One grand prize entry awarded per friend, per contest. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

Week 4: Submit a review of any book by one (or all) of the five featured authors. 3 entries awarded per review per author (limit one per author). (Possible grand prize entries: 15) **

Week 5: Pin a picture of you with one of the 5 featured novels. One grand prize entry awarded per picture per novel. (Possible grand prize entries: 5)

To enter via the methods available week 2-5, visit each individual giveaway and submit your information through the entry form. Follow the prompts for completing your bonus entries.
**Reviews can be submitted to Amazon, Goodreads, or your own blog. To enter the contest via this method, paste a URL to the review in the entry form where indicated. Entries will be verified before final grand prize drawing.

More Information:

For details about the contest, prize packages, entry methods, or contest rules, visit www.FallIntoLoveContest.com.

A Love Story ~ Forever Friday by Timothy Lewis ~ Review

I really wanted to fall in love with this story. It combines so many elements that I love in a great novel. Past and present. A dynamitic love story, the tumultuous era of speakeasies, the depression and love at first sight. The first chapter hooked me and the premise kept me reading, but I failed to truly “fall in love” as I thoroughly expected to.

           

It wasn’t that the story wasn’t any good or wasn’t worth my time in reading. But I think too much of the story was “told” to me. Too much description tended to fill up sections between dialogue (which did improve towards the middle to end of the book) and the characters were a wee bit flat. With a bit more refining the book would be there, because like I said, it combines many, many facets to create a fantastic story.

         

   But I don’t want my review to focus all on the negative, because it certainly isn’t a book not worth the reading. It’s one of those love stories you watch in a Hallmark movie come to the pages of a novel. It’s a story that touches the heart of the hopeless romantic in every reader.

           

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

More about the novel...

Ideal for readers of Nicholas Sparks, Forever Friday is the heartwarming a

nd captivating tale of an unlikely couple, a weekly gift of devotion, and a heartbroken man longing to discover the secret to lasting marriage.

After a devastating divorce leaves Adam Colby heartbroken, he is not sure how he can put the pieces of his life back together. He wonders if even God can make sense of the mess that remains-until a package of mysterious postcards that direct Adam to the story of Gabe and Huck Alexander. Drawn by her desire to find a true soulmate, Pearl "Huck" Huckabee breaks a turbulent engagement with her fiancé to marry Gabe Alexander, a man she's known just a few short weeks. Wanting to celebrate and protect their love, Gabe mails her a meaningful postcard every week-beginning in 1926-for the next sixty years. Designed to arrive on Fridays, each postcard not only contains an original poem, but holds precious truths, the sum of which answer the universal question: what makes a marriage last? As Adam begins to uncover the Alexanders' secret, he records Gabe and Huck's extraordinary romance. It's a process that will change his life forever.

Giveaway! Fired Up by Mary Connealy!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Mary Connealy, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Wow, I am such a boring person. Plus any interesting tidbits have been, I am sure, shared multiple times. Thinking….thinking…my very best friend as a child, Joani Kroger, moved into a house across the road from me when she was three and I was four. She was from a family of seven, I was from a family of eight. And the whole mob of us walked to a rural school most every day, one half mile walk on a gravel road, that road was just thick with children. Two other families who lived farther away also walked sometimes.

We all attended a one-room country school with one teacher and 24 kids in eight grades, most of them from our two families. And the teacher handled us all just fine. I went to Kindergarten for two weeks, not a year like now.

Joani is one of the few people in the world who, when I see her, can ask about all my brothers and sisters and actually know who they all are and care how they all are. It’s not that easy keeping track.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

Right now, for some reason…and it’s been going on a couple of years…I am just crazy for Regency romance. I just love them. There’s something so rich about them, the setting and the manners and interesting rules for the Lord and Ladies. So many other books just seem flat to me. I still read widely in all genres, but right now Regency is my first love. I also like to avoid reading in the genre I write, and I don’t avoid it, but I minimize it. I guess I’m afraid to compare myself or borrow from those similar books. Or maybe just writing historical romance is enough immersion for me. As for writing, I love writing Romantic Comedy…with Cowboys.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

There have been so many nuggets but when you asked that the first thing that popped into my head was a contest critique that said, “I don’t like your heroine.” And she added, “Make your characters likeable by having someone like them.”

That just made so much sense to me and I’ve always remembered it. Even a really prickly character has to have a likeable side if they’re with family they love and like, or friends or even a pet.

5 things you love?

I’m going to skip my family because that’s just so obvious.

KLOVE Radio

Apricot Torte from the Lithuanian Bakery in Omaha, NE

Fresh Rosemary

My husband cooking

Tetley’s Earl Grey Tea in the drawstring bags (yes the type of bag matters)

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

This is so easy because I just finished Melanie Dickerson’s The Fairest Beauty and I loved it. I closed that book and just thought, “Melanie is doing something that no one else does. She’s got the whole market and she’s absolutely excellent.” It’s a fun, beautifully told tale full of wisdom.”

Places for readers to learn more about you?

Seekerville
Petticoats& Pistols
MyBlog
MyWebsite
MyNewsletter
I’m on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryconnealy

And Twitter: http://twitter.com/maryconnealy

Thank you for being with us today! 

Readers, here is your chance to enter to win Mary's book!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on September 20th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

ACFW and Barbed Wire Reminders

Photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net

Can I make a completely honest, from-the-gut confession?

I haven't been looking forward to the ACFW Conference. 

I know...I know...to say such a thing is tantamount to declaring chocolate a worthless calorie-saturated addiction. 

Even *I* want to slap my mouth when I think such a thought!

That isn't to say I'm not so incredibly grateful for the gift of going again this year or recognize that there are many, many writers who would love to take my place. That's not to say that I'm not incredibly eager to see my friends and make new ones. And this isn't to say that I don't believe God has something waiting for me there. But...this is to say I haven't been as eager as I have been in the last two years. 

I leave in four days and I'm not nervously ticking down the dates. I'm not madly memorizing my pitches or picking out my outfits or planning the novel to read on the plane. Am I calm about the trip? For the most part. Am I excited? I really wish I could say I was looking forward to it more than I am. 

I'm sitting here typing out this post trying to image not going and what my emotional response would be to that as well and...there really isn't much difference. And for me, that's scary. 

Why God, do I have no true enthusiasm like I feel I should? 

It produces a nervous ache in the center of my stomach to know I'm going all this way and spending quite a bit of money...not sure there is a reason for me going, but certain there must be one. I don't believe I would be headed to Indianapolis without one. 

It's a barbed reminded to sit and think about I will be sitting across from at least one agent and telling them about my story and I don't truly believe the product I have to show them is worth displaying. It's a sharp barb to the flesh to think I might be going all that distance for...nothing.

But then I'm playing God and think I know what He have in store for me. I don't want to seem as though I don't want to go, because I do...can one want both sides of the coin at the same time?

Am I even making any sense?

I'm not sure I even understand if I'm making any sense. 

It's like walking with your eyes closed and not sure where the edge of the field is and the barbed wire will meet your bare knees and scrap your exposed arms. So I'm praying. Because it's all I can do right now. 

Praying that God will show me what He has waiting for me there. And if He doesn't show me right now, that I won't feel as though the time is wasted. Praying that I go with a heart to serve and love on people and bring a ray of light and joy into their lives. Because to spend any such time is never wasted. 

Now to remember that... :-)

What have you done when you're ever not very excited about something you think you should be looking forward to?

TRAPPED! by Irene Hannon ~ Review

It’s a cold night in January when the reader picks up this novel and immediately feels that creepy, here-comes-the-mystery beginning. There is an eerie feeling to every good suspense novel where the story just gets started and you know the villain is right around the corner – you’re sure of it. And it’s all downhill from there…

          

  I wasn’t too sure about the suspense level in this one, to be completely honest – could the premise be sustained through almost 400 pages? It didn’t really kick into high gear until about 2/3 of the way through the book, but boy, when it did, I couldn’t put it down.  I finished the last 150 pages within one evening; it just kept getting better.

          

  Our villain had to be one of the more deceitful villains I’ve read in a novel for some time. There were times as a reader, I knew this guy had to be the one, but on the flip side, I couldn’t marry the two in my mind. Great story crafting for sure!

          

  Dev and Laura are a truly interesting couple, forced into a situation that no one wants to be in the middle of: kidnappings. Romance. Murder. Chilling cold. I felt it all. The second book with the second detective in the Phoenix agency is a worthwhile read…but be prepared to burn the midnight oil to keep reading until the very end…

           

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

          

  **Available September 2013 from Revell, a division of Baker Publishers**

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

More about the novel...

When librarian Laura Griffin's sixteen-year-old sister disappears on a frigid February day, leaving only a brief note behind, Laura resolves to do whatever it takes to track down the runaway teen. That includes recruiting ATF agent turned PI James "Dev" Devlin to help. But the deeper he digs, the more he begins to suspect that something sinister is at work in the girl's disappearance. And the closer he gets to uncovering the truth, the clearer it becomes that the situation isn't just dangerous--it's deadly. 

Chilling and at times terrifying, "Trapped" is the latest thrilling read from Irene Hannon, the queen of romantic suspense. Hannon outdoes herself with this fast-paced tale of fear, deception, and just the right dose of romance.

Giveaway! A Little Bit of Charm by Mary Ellis!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Mary Ellis, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

Probably that I have reached the age many folks retire, and I’m now working harder than at any point in my life. Maybe it’s because I finally found something I really love and feel I’m in the place God wants me to be. I wished I would have discovered inspirational fiction sooner!

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

I love to read historical romances, romantic suspense, and of course, Amish fiction. One of these days, I’ll pick up steam-punk and try something new!

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

Writing is truly about rewriting. A book is never done until it’s on its way to the printers. Don’t be afraid to change “your baby” to make it better or more saleable. At its heart, it will always remain your story.

5 things you love?

Okay, I need to climb from my rut and pick all new favorites! I love wooly caterpillars, lima beans, the month of March, green olives on pizza, and riding around in my Sebring convertible with the top down. (I feel 20 years younger in that car!) I truly do love these, and have never seen them on anybody else’s list!

What novel have you recently read that has stood out to you that both teens and adults will find enjoyment in?

I recently finished Iron Lace by Emilie Richards. This was originally published in 1996 and reprinted by Mira Books. But the story resonates today just as much as it did 17 years ago. Perhaps more so with the recent success of The Help and Lee Daniels’ The Butler. It is set in New Orleans during the Civil Rights era, along with flashbacks to the turn of the twentieth century. I was mesmerized by Emilie’s characters and her storyline.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

I love hearing from readers at maryeellis@yahoo.com or www.maryellis.net  or http://www.maryeellis.wordpress.com/.  Please like my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

Thank you for being with us today!  

Thank you, Casey!!!

Readers, enter to win Mary's book here!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower
~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on September 13th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com