Shelley Shepard Gray's Blog, page 29

Galleys and book tours and The Missing, oh my!

I told my husband that today is one of those 'writer days' that I used to dream about having. I'll be working on three different projects today, the first is finishing galleys of Christmas in Sugarcreek. I always get one last chance to reread a book before it goes to print. The whole book is typeset, and this one is so cute…snowflakes decorate the beginning of each chapter! So I've been back in Sugarcreek with Lilly and Anson and Joshua and Judith Graber this morning. By tonight, I'll be visiting the FedEx office to send them off to New York!

I also have a big call with all kinds of people about more information for the book tour. Looks like the dates are pretty firm now…The tour will go from November 10 to the 20th. : )

Finally I'll get to do my favorite actvitiy…write The Missing. It's almost done. Yay!  Hope y'all are having a good day, too.

Shelley

A Texan's Promise

I've been in Lexington, KY for the last two days, going to college orientation with my daughter.  We had a great time together, and it was fun to see the university through her eyes. She figured out her schedule,  got to see her dorm room, and we listened to speakers talk about college life and dining options. I watched her make a new friend.  Through it all, I realized that while I'm going to miss her, she was going to be just fine.

I do have to admit that I played hooky yesterday. While she was in an advising meeting, I skipped the parent meeting and worked on The Missing. I'm almost done with the book, and I'm at that point where the words come fast…I just need to sit down and put them on paper. Now, I'm happy to say that the end of the novel is in site, and that I didn't miss too much at the parent meeting, either. : ) 

For those of you who are curious, The Missing is the first book in The Secret of Crittenden County Series, and it's slated for release in March, 2012. And yes, it's an Amish romance.

When I wasn't writing or wandering around the university, I was checking email. I'm so delighted to share with y'all one of the first reviews I've received for A Texan's Promise!  A Texan's Promise is an inspirational western romance, and is scheduled to go on sale in October. It's available for preorder, though, and Barnes and Noble.com already has two reviews posted.  I know some of you only read Amish novels, and that's just fine with me. I'm delighted you like my Amish books for Avon Inspire.

But if you are interested in another kind of book by me, you might consider A Texan's Promise by Shelley Gray. I'm very proud of it, and the next book in the series, A Texan's Honor, is even better!

So here is one of the first reviews for A Texan's Promise:

 (The Review's site) : http://love2readnovels.blogspot.com/2011/07/texans-promise-by-shelley-gray.html

The Review:

Vanessa Grant has always loved Clayton Proffitt, foreman of her family's ranch, the Circle Z. When Clayton finds Vanessa crying in the barn one night he discovers that her stepfather, Price Venture, made unwelcome advances toward her and left marks on her back with his belt. Remembering the vow he made to her real father to watch over Vanessa, he packs a few things and takes her away that night. As they head West together their feelings for each other grow deeper and deeper. Price and her brother Miles are also heading west in search of them. The journey is long and difficult. Will their love and faith survive all the things they must face along the way?

A Texan's Promise is going down as one of my top favorites! A gritty and realistic tone gave this tale a real authenticity. From the first page until the hair-raising conclusion I was absolutely glued to the pages. I loved everything about this story including the cover. The characters were very well drawn and fully fleshed out. The dialog was totally awesome. The romantic tension between Clayton and Vanessa sizzled. The electricity between them was so strong it lit the room I was reading in. I loved it! One thing I thoroughly enjoyed was that there was lots of interaction between Vanessa and Clayton. Clayton was a swoon-worthy hero! I loved the way he was with Vanessa. Vanessa was a great heroine with lots of spunk but a tender heart. The author tackled the subjects of abuse, trust, forgiveness, war, honor, friendship, love and faith. I especially liked watching the growth of the characters. It really felt natural and not forced at all. God is always with us was the theme running through the story. A good reminder when we face difficult things. I highly recommend A Texan's Promise. It's truly inspiring. This is book one in The Heart of a Hero Series and you can bet I'll be watching for the next installment. Fantastic job Shelley!!! A thank you goes to Abingdon Press for this complimentary copy for my review.

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Abingdon Press (October 2011)

ISBN-10: 1426714599

ISBN-13: 978-1426714597

Book Tour!

One of the most exciting things I did when I was in New York City was visit the Harper Collins Offices. After signing in, I waited in the lobby, then was brought upstairs to one of the conference rooms. There, I met a whole team of people who are responsible for all the promotion and marketing of my books. Lining the hallways of the offices were book covers. Lining the conference room were shelves of books. For a lifetime reader like myself, it was truly book heaven! : )

 It took everything I had not to ask for a tour.

The folks at my publisher are really wonderful to me-and to readers! Right now there's a big contest going on my FaceBook page for a whole library of books.

~And~

They've planned a book tour!

I'm VERY EXCITED to share that in November, I'll be visiting Shipshewana, IN, Lancaster, PA, and Holmes County, OH with fellow Amish authors Vannetta Chapman and Amy Clipston! More information to come over the next few weeks~but already everything sounds very exciting! There will be special promotions to purchase three of our books, signings, speaking engagements…and I even heard a parade is involved!

During this tour I'll be promoting Christmas in Sugarcreek, my October 25th release. I'm so excited to return back to the setting of these books, and share with y'all the further adventures of Caleb and Lilly and Robert and Judith.

Thanks for stopping by today, and who knows? Maybe I'll get to meet some of y'all in just a few months!

with blessings,

shelley

A Few More Photos

Life goes on! My husband and I came home to an injured beagle, papers to fill out for my daughter's freshman year at college, and lots of emails! I'm also just about at that point in The Missing where I won't do anything but write. I rarely say this about a book…but this one is good! I can't wait for y'all to see the new series.

I thought I'd share two more photos with y'all. One is with Jane, one of my reader friends who met me at the RWA signing. There were easily over a 1000 people there. It was very fun and noisy! The second photo is of me and my agent. She took my husband and me out to a fancy Italian lunch last Friday. We sat outside in a courtyard and had the most fantastic pasta…

Thank you to everyone who's been picking up The Protector! I've so enjoyed hearing from you!

with blessings,  Shelley

New York City Memories

Happy Independence Day! I hope everyone will have a safe and happy holiday! It's raining here, and I think that's just fine with me. Tom and I got home last night after spending much of the day in the airport. There's lots to do here…and rain always gives me permission to nap…

I'm still smiling about my trip to New York. I was there almost a full week, but the days just flew by! Here are a few of the highlights…

1)Walking on Times Square with my three roommates, Heather, Julie, and Hilda. (that's them in the photo!) Times Square was crazy! Packed with people, and so very fun to take it all in with three good friends.

2) Meeting Jane at the signing. It was terrific to get to meet a reader I've been 'chatting' with on FB!

3) Going to the Harper Collins offices (all those books!) and getting to meet some of the folks I've been emailing and chatting on the phone with in person.  I'm in awe of everything they do.

4) Going to my publisher's party in Central Park, turning around and seeing Leigh, one of my good friends! Seeing her pretty smile (and catching up)  made my night.

5) Meeting my husband in the city on Friday. We celebrated our anniversary (22 years!) by going out to dinner and to see the play Jersey Boys. 

6) Tom and hopped on the subway and went to the World Trade Center site on Saturday. We also went to Trinity Church and Battery Park and MOMA, and…everywhere, I think! We walked miles and miles on Saturday!

Before I end this note, I want to thank all of you who have picked up The Protector and given it a try. Thank you for your notes and your posted reviews! You made a very good week even better.

Off to do some laundry… and maybe even take a nap. : ) 

Happy 4th!

Shelley

Book Release Day/ Off to NYC

I should have taken a picture of our guest bedroom yesterday about 4:00 pm. Clothes everywhere, all with little Post-It notes on them! Conferences are one of the few things I do that I'm very organized for. Usually, when I go to an RWA conference I'm pretty busy, and if I'm wearing the right thing, it's one less thing to worry about! So I lay out everything by event, check and double check, and then finally put it all in a suitcase.

I'm sure I'll forget something, though. I just hope it's nothing too important. One year for a cruise I was so busy getting my kids packed that I completely forgot a bathing suit. At first I wasn't too upset, after all, we were on a cruise ship, right? Wrong. The only had one very expensive string bikini for sale! I couldn't wait until our first stop to go bathing suit shopping.

Tomorrow, I'm going to visit the Harper Collins offices. It will be fun to be there, since it's book release week for me. Yep, The Protector goes on sale today!

I hope to log in while in NYC with a picture from tonight's signing at the Marriott Marquis!

In the meantime, I'd love to hear any packing stories from y'all. Anyone else ever forget to pack something?

with blessings,

Shelley

Another BIG Contest

My publisher, Harper Collins, is holding a really amazing contest in conjunction with The Protector's release. When you enter, you get the chance to win a Signed Library of my books.  Yep, signed copies of all my novels! All you have to do to enter is go to my Face Book Page, look for the Shamrock under the picture of The Protector, and sign up. Please tell your friends about it, too!

If you've never been on Facebook, click on the icon on my website and give it a try! You don't have to join FB to like an author Fan Page.

Think of all the fun things you could do with a brand new set of books….

1) Finally read The Sisters of the Heart Series (or the Sugarcreek books…)

2) Give the pretty new set of books to your sister or your mom.

3) Or maybe give them the old books and you keep the new ones. : )

4) Or, maybe you want to give a couple to your coworkers who've never given Amish Romance a try…

5) Maybe donate a set to your church!

6) Who knows? Maybe you can share these books with friends who always forget to return your books!

or 7) ___________ ??? 

I guess you can tell I'm having fun with this contest! I'm so delighted Harper Collins is doing this, and I'd love nothing more for someone who's already read my books to have a new set.

So, here's a question for y'all….what would you do with a brand new, complete set of signed books from me? I'd love to hear some suggestions.

Hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend.

Shelley

Getting Ready For RWA

This summer doesn't seem to be slowing down! This week when I haven't been writing, sending out postcards, or organizing contests…I've been getting ready to go to the Romance Writers of America annual conference. I believe this will be my 9th or 10th year to go, and it's absolutely one of my favorite 'writing' things I do.

I started going to RWA before I was published. Then, the only interaction I ever got with published writers was when I volunteered at the Workshop Desk.  Years ago, I would wait in line for free books, go to lots and lots of workshops, and nervously wait in 'holding rooms' for my editor and agent appointments.

Things have certainly changed! This year, I'll be giving a workshop with two other authors, attending two publisher parties, and having lunch with editors, seeing my agent, and visiting the Harper Collins offices! 

My agent is right, miracles really do happen~I feel so lucky and blessed to be a published author.

For me, the best part about the conference is that I've almost always had roommates. Usually, they are my critique partners. And though we see each other every other Friday, there's nothing like sharing a room for four or five days with some of my best friends. It's almost a given that we'll get no sleep and at least one night we'll laugh until we cry. Below is an old picture of me with two of the gals who I'll be rooming with this year-Hilda Knepp and Heather Webber. This photo was taken at a luncheon a couple of years ago and just seeing it makes me smile.

Well, even though we'll all be together next week, tomorrow is critique partner day! That means, of course, I better go get some chapters ready for them to read… Happy Thursday!  

The Protector Drawing Winners

Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter the drawing! Once again, we had a big response! Below are the names that were drawn.  Winners, please email me privately with your correct mailing address. Congratulations! I sincerely hope you enjoy my latest release.

1) Regina Fujitani

2) Julie Turner

3) Jane Rinelli

4) Maria Mast

5) Teresa Kerr

6) Tammy Eubank

7) Melissa Horst

April Tobias

9) Melissa Weaver

10) Nicci Price

11) Chelle Brewer

12) Amber H.

13) Yvonne Valle

14) Donna Vernon

 15) Bonnie Allen

Thank you!

Hi Everyone! I've been so touched and amazed by all of your notes about being a Protector! Thank you for sharing so much of yourselves with me.

There was a bit of glitch with the comment section yesterday (I think we had a huge amount of responses all at once!), so I'm going to wait a few more hours to let people comment.

However, please know if you've written me a note here, privately, or on FaceBook, I've received it.

We should have the 15 winners ready to go by 4:00pm, Eastern Standard Time. I'll list them here.

Again, thank you for your interest in the contest and in my books.

Shelley