Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

New Release and Giveaway: The Emotion Thesaurus, Second Edition by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi


As writers, we all have our favorite writing methods. For instance, some swear by Scrivener, while others write in Word or Google docs. Some prefer to draft longhand, using colorful gel pens and notebooks.

Most of us have a favorite writing book (or ten), too. These books have helped us understand storytelling better, demystifying certain aspects of writing. Well, today I'm taking part in welcoming a new writing guide into the world: The Emotion Thesaurus (Second Edition).

You may have heard of The Emotion Thesaurus before, or even have a copy. The original's lists of body language, thoughts, and visceral sensations for 75 unique emotions made brainstorming character expressions and reactions so much easier. It quickly became a bestseller.

Now, there's a bigger, better second edition. Angela and Becca have added 55 NEW emotions such as Euphoria, Vindicated, and Schadenfreude. (And that's not all that's new, either...the book is almost twice the size as the original.)

Anyway, if you're interested in checking it out, you can read some of the reviews on Goodreads or find information here.

One more thing to tell you about...are you ready for this?

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Wish you could attend a free writing retreat, go to a conference, snag a seat at a workshop, or have your professional membership to a writing organization paid for? Of course you do!

Well, at Writers Helping Writers, one lucky winner will get one of the above, up to a $500 US value.

This is the giveaway of a lifetime, so hurry over to enter!

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Authors in Bloom Blog Hop with Giveaway: The Joy of Gardening Plans



This is the 7th Annual Authors in Bloom Blog Hop and we are thrilled to be part of it. Today I am going to talk about how much easier life becomes when you discover garden plans.

When we first moved into our newly constructed home nineteen years ago, it was a blank slate. This girl with one of the brownest thumbs ever had to figure out what to plant and where. There was lots of trial and error. I planted shady plants on the sunny side of the house. Plants that needed sun on the shady part of the house. I walked through Home Depot looking at bushes and plants and thought they would look nice in my yard while giving no thought to how large they would get or how they would look best.

Then I stumbled upon Better Homes & Gardens list of garden plans on their website. Using a plan, I planted a mailbox garden. Then used similar plants to decorate the opposite side to hide the utility boxes. Found a great plan for the shady side of the house and made that side beautiful. While the yard is still a work in progress--the voles ate most of my hostas last year--there is enough beauty to make this gardener in training happy.

What are some sites you use for garden plans? Any tips for this gardener in training?

GIVEAWAY

I am giving away a $25 Amazon gift card open to any follower of the blog hop. 

  1. Must be 18 years or older to participate.
  2. To have a chance to win you must leave a comment with a valid email address.
  3. Extra point if you follow @ccmalandrinos on Twitter. Leave a comment to let me know you followed. 
  4. Tweet "I entered to #win in the Annual Authors in Bloom Blog Hop https://bit.ly/2EYZzP7 #giveaway #AuthorsinBloom" for 5 extra points. Leave a comment to let me know you followed.
  5. Prize will be emailed to winner. 
  6. Giveaway ends April 27, 2018 at 11:59 pm (EST).
  7. Host not responsible once prize has been emailed. 
  8. Void where prohibited.
In addition to this prize, other hosts are giving away prizes and the GRAND PRIZE is a Kindle Fire and a second prize of a $25 gift card. Only those visitors who visit EACH and EVERY stop are eligible for the grand prize ereader and gift card. Eligibility will be verified by hop’s end.

Visit more hosts for more chances to win. Good luck!




Friday, July 29, 2016

Book Review & Giveaway: A Simple Vow by Charlotte Hubbard

Charlotte Hubbard has done it again! With A Simple Vow, she has created a story of faith, love, and forgiveness that will tug at your heartstrings.

Edith Riehl lives with her sisters and dat Cornelius, who is the new deacon in Willow Ridge. Having been left unable to conceive from an early age, its a true blessing when a set of twins is left under her care.

She's not quite sure what Asa Detweiler's story is, but she knows she is as taken with him as he seems to be with her. With one simple vow, Edith and Asa's destinies are intertwined. But her dat will have none of it. Will God bring their hearts' desires to fruition?

If you love Amish fiction, you simply can't go wrong with a book by Hubbard. She knows her genre and she masterfully tells her stories, drawing you in from beginning to end.

When her Seasons of the Heart series ended, I was so sad. I had come to love many of the residents of Willow Ridge and couldn't believe I wouldn't be reading about them again. The Simple Gifts series is somewhat of a continuation of that series. Its focus is slightly different, but it's still set in the same place and many of the characters that readers are familiar with appear. I can't say I've ever seen this done before. I love it!

What I have always appreciated about Hubbard's style is that she creates real characters. They are sinners...just like me. They doubt...just like me. They stumble and fall, but through the grace of God find what they need...just like me. With this novel you even get a surprising plot twist too.

If you enjoy Amish fiction and haven't read Charlotte Hubbard's work yet, make a plan to change that soon. You won't regret it.

Series: Simple Gifts
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Zebra (May 31, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420138693
ISBN-13: 978-1420138696

I received a free digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Excerpt:

Edith stood beside her bed gazing down at the twins in awe. So small they were, and so sweet—like little angels—now that they’d eaten and fallen asleep. She’d arranged them in large cardboard boxes padded with towels, and finding them beds and more clothing was her first priority. Will’s box of supplies had included a very short stack of cloth diapers, half a dozen onesies, a blanket apiece, a half-used canister of powdered formula, and a few baby bottles—not much, considering she had two babies to look after. Molly had probably been too ill to sew for them, and not able to nurse them because of her cancer.

What a heartache that must’ve been for Molly—and for Will as he watched her weaken and die. Edith sighed. So much about Will’s situation and these children was a sorrowful mystery.

I’m watching out for your best interests, Daughter. You entered into this agreement without considering the long-term consequences.

Edith frowned as her father’s words taunted her. Dat was right about her tendencies to nurture hopeless souls and underdogs, but wasn’t that what the Bible urged Christians to do? What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? The verse from Micah had been one of the earliest Edith had committed to memory—the watchword of her faith. Even as a child she’d rescued little birds that had fallen from their nests and had bottle-fed baby rabbits and deer after their mothers had been hit in the road.

Edith sighed. What future would these poor motherless children face if she didn’t care for them? She had to find a way around Dat’s refusal to keep them in the house . . . in her life. Already her heart swelled with love as she gazed at Leroy and Louisa.

The clatter of footsteps downstairs alerted her to her sisters’ arrival and she hurried down the hallway. “Shh!” Edith insisted as she leaned over the stairway railing. “I just got the babies to sleep!”



Many moons ago—like, in 1983 while she was still a school librarian—Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. This launched her into writing around seventy of those “true confessions” stories over the years, and she’s been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. Over the course of her writing career, she has sold nearly 50 books—most recently, Amish romance series she’s written as Charlotte Hubbard or Naomi King.
Charlotte lived in Missouri for most of her life, so her Amish stories are set in imaginary Missouri towns. These days she lives in St. Paul, MN with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Ramona.

WEBSITE www.CharlotteHubbard.com

Facebook www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Click on these links to buy this book now!


• Amazon.com •• Barnes & Noble •• The Book Depository •• B-A-M •• Chapters •• IndieBound •• Powell’s •• Kensington Books •


Ebook: • Kindle •• Nook •• Kobo •• iBooks •• Google Play •• Kensington •


Charlotte will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina


02_Madame Presidentess

Madame Presidentess
by Nicole Evelina

Publication Date: July 25, 2016
Lawson Gartner Publishing
eBook & Paperback; 400 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

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*Winner: U.S. Women’s History category – 2015 Chaucer Awards for Historical Fiction

Forty-eight years before women were granted the right to vote, one woman dared to run for President of the United States, yet her name has been virtually written out of the history books.

Rising from the shame of an abusive childhood, Victoria Woodhull, the daughter of a con-man and a religious zealot, vows to follow her destiny, one the spirits say will lead her out of poverty to “become ruler of her people.”

But the road to glory is far from easy. A nightmarish marriage teaches Victoria that women are stronger and deserve far more credit than society gives. Eschewing the conventions of her day, she strikes out on her own to improve herself and the lot of American women.

Over the next several years, she sets into motion plans that shatter the old boys club of Wall Street and defile even the sanctity of the halls of Congress. But it’s not just her ambition that threatens men of wealth and privilege; when she announces her candidacy for President in the 1872 election, they realize she may well usurp the power they’ve so long fought to protect.

Those who support her laud “Notorious Victoria” as a gifted spiritualist medium and healer, a talented financial mind, a fresh voice in the suffrage movement, and the radical idealist needed to move the nation forward. But those who dislike her see a dangerous force who is too willing to speak out when women are expected to be quiet. Ultimately, “Mrs. Satan’s” radical views on women’s rights, equality of the sexes, free love and the role of politics in private affairs collide with her tumultuous personal life to endanger all she has built and change how she is viewed by future generations.

This is the story of one woman who was ahead of her time – a woman who would make waves even in the 21st century – but who dared to speak out and challenge the conventions of post-Civil War America, setting a precedent that is still followed by female politicians today.

Amazon | iTunes | Kobo | Smashwords



Nicole Evelina is an award-winning historical fiction and romantic comedy writer. Her most recent novel, Been Searching for You, a romantic comedy, won the 2015 Romance Writers of America (RWA) Great Expectations and Golden Rose contests.

She also writes historical fiction. Her debut novel, Daughter of Destiny, the first book of an Arthurian legend trilogy that tells Guinevere’s life story from her point of view, was named Book of the Year by Chanticleer Reviews, took the Grand Prize in the 2015 Chatelaine Awards for Women’s Fiction/Romance, won a Gold Medal in the fantasy category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and was short-listed for the Chaucer Award for Historical Fiction. The sequel, Camelot’s Queen is out now.

Nicole is one of only six authors who completed a week-long writing intensive taught by #1 New York Times bestselling author Deborah Harkness. Nicole has traveled to England twice to research the Guinevere’s Tale trilogy, where she consulted with internationally acclaimed author and historian Geoffrey Ashe, as well as Arthurian/Glastonbury expert Jaime George, the man who helped Marion Zimmer Bradley research The Mists of Avalon.

Nicole is a member of and book reviewer for The Historical Novel Society, and Sirens (a group supporting female fantasy authors), as well as a member of the Historical Writers of America, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Romance Writers of America, the St. Louis Writer’s Guild, Women Writing the West, Broad Universe (promoting women in fantasy, science fiction and horror), Alliance of Independent Authors and the Independent Book Publishers Association.

Her website/blog is http://nicoleevelina.com and she can be found on Twitter as well as on Pinterest, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and Tumblr.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, July 25
Tour Kick Off at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, July 26
Spotlight at Just One More Chapter

Wednesday, July 27
Spotlight at Broken Teepee

Thursday, July 28
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books

Friday, July 29
Spotlight at A Bookaholic Swede

Monday, August 1
Review at History From a Woman's Perspective

Tuesday, August 2
Guest Post & Excerpt at The Silver Dagger Scriptorium

Wednesday, August 3
Review at The Book Junkie Reads

Thursday, August 4
Interview at The Maiden's Court

Monday, August 8
Review at The Book Connection (First Chapter Review)

Tuesday, August 9
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

Saturday, August 13
Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Tuesday, August 16
Review at First Impressions Reviews

Wednesday, August 17
Review at Creating Herstory

Thursday, August 18
Spotlight at What Is That Book About
Guest Post at Creating Herstory

Friday, August 19
Review at Diana's Book Reviews

Monday, August 22
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Spotlight at To Read, Or Not to Read

Tuesday, August 23
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Wednesday, August 24
Review at Book Nerd
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Thursday, August 25
Review at Bookramblings

Friday, August 26
Review at A Bookish Affair

Giveaway

To enter the Madame Presidentess Giveaway for a paperback of the book and/or Victoria Woodhull Bumper Sticker, please see the GLEAM form below. 3 winners will receive a copy of the book and a bumper sticker. 7 winners will receive the Victoria Woodhull Bumper Sticker.

Victoria Woodhull Bumper Sticker
Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on August 26th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Madame Presidentess

04_Madame Presidentess_Blog Tour Banner_FINAL



Monday, April 13, 2015

Mailbox Monday - April 13

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

After two Easters--Greek Easter was yesterday--I am looking forward to a less busy weekend coming up. It is, however, always wonderful to spend time with the family. Everyone was together this year, which made it especially nice.

I'm not reading as much as I would like, but I did receive a whole bunch of kid's books recently, which I am going to give away since they were unsolicited.


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What did you receive?

WIN THESE BOOKS!


TERMS AND CONDITIONS!

* Contest runs 4/13/15 - 4/30/15.
* Winner must be 18 years of age or older and reside in the United States.
* Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to claim their prize. Then a new winner will be selected based on qualifying entries.
* Prize will be shipped via USPS.
* The Busy Mom's Daily is not responsible for items lost or damaged in shipment.
*VOID WHERE PROHIBITED!

a Rafflecopter giveaway