Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 73
May 13, 2014
Winners for the Giveaway Day 2
I just got these names in and posted them on Facebook, which puts me slightly behind on the entries on this blog.
The three winners for the Day 2 entry are in this order:
First Prize: Lori Harvey
Second Prize: Simi Chatterjee
Third Prize: Judy Lavik
I’ll be contacting them shortly, and there’s plenty of days left to enter for more gifts and books! :D
To enter for Day 3, click on this post for more information about tomorrow’s giveaway.
Facebook Giveaway Party Day 3: Loving Those Heroes
On Facebook, we’re sharing what we love most about heroes. What makes them stand out from other men? What makes them worthy of the heroine’s love? What traits do the best ones have in common?
On this day we’re giving away three things so there will be three winners.
First Prize is a $50 gift card* + Lockets & Lanterns + Bride by Arrangement + 5 books by Ruth Ann Nordin. Winner chooses the gift card (we have to be able to buy this gift card at our local grocery store, so check the list below) and whether they win ebooks or paperbacks.
Second Prize is Lockets & Lanterns + Bride by Arrangement + 4 books by Ruth Ann Nordin. Winner chooses whether they win ebooks or paperbacks.
Third Prize is Bride by Arrangement + 3 books from Ruth Ann Nordin. Winner chooses whether they win ebooks or paperbacks.
Gift Cards We Can Get (If you want one not on this list, we will try to get it. If we are unable to get something that is not on this list, then you will have to choose from this list.)
HyVee
iTunes
App Store
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bed Bath & Beyond
Walmart
Target
Sears
Bass Pro Shops
Home Depot
Lowes
Red Lobster
Olive Garden
Starbucks
Cracker Barrel
McDonalds
Burger King
Red Robin
TGI Fridays
Panera
Applebee’s
Chili’s
Subway
Dominos
Panda Express
Outback Steakhouse
IHOP
Ruby Tuesday
Buffalo Wild Wings
BP Gift Card
Shell Gift Card
Jiffy Lube
Fandango
Regal Entertainment Group
AMC Theatre
Xbox Live
Gamestop
Disney
Groupon
Nordstrom
Kohl’s
Gordman’s
JC Penney
Old Navy
Cabella’s
Office Max
Petco
$50 MasterCard
$50 Visa Card
Winners will be announced May 14 at 8pm CST on this blog and on our Facebook Giveaway Party page.
Fill out this form below to enter:
[contact-form]
May 12, 2014
Facebook Giveaway Party Day 2: Romantic Moments
On Facebook, we’re sharing our favorite romantic moments. It can be from real life or one you read in a book or saw in a movie. Or…if you want to get creative, you can make one up.
We’re giving away three things so there will be three winners.
First Prize is a candle holder in the shape of an old western barrel + Lockets & Lanterns + Bride by Arrangement + 5 books by Ruth Ann Nordin. Winner chooses whether they get ebooks or paperbacks.
Second Prize is Lockets & Lanterns + Bride by Arrangement + 4 books by Ruth Ann Nordin. Winner chooses whether they get ebooks or paperbacks.
Third Prize is Bride by Arrangement + 3 books from Ruth Ann Nordin. Winner chooses whether they get ebooks or paperbacks.
Here is a picture of the candle holder so you know what it looks like:
Here’s another picture of from another angle:
Winners will be announced on May 13 at 8pm CST on here and on our Facebook Giveaway Party page.
To enter, fill out this form:
[contact-form]
May 11, 2014
Facebook Giveaway Party Day 1: Special Guest Rose Gordon!
Day 1: Meet Rose Gordon!
For the first day of the giveaway party, we’d like to introduce Rose Gordon, a USA Today Bestselling Author. Most of you are already familiar with her, but for those who aren’t, she’s mostly known for her Regencies, though she has written some historical westerns as well.
She will also be popping in from time to time during the day at our Facebook party, too!
We will be talking about how we met her, and you can share anything you want about her or ask us questions about her.
For the giveaway, we’re going to be doing something special since May 13th is when her newest book, Desires of a Baron, will be available!
In honor of this event, we will offer 5 ebook copies of Desires of a Baron.
We’re also going to offer five winners the chance to own one of Rose’s completed series. This is for ebooks only. Pick the series you want from this list. Please not that Intentions of the Earl is already free, so we can’t gift you that copy. You’ll have to download it directly. But we can gift you all the other books.
Fill out the form below for a chance to enter the giveaway! We will keep your emails private and will not use them for anything but this particular giveaway.
Winners will be announced here and on Facebook at our Giveaway Party at 8pm CST on May 12.
[contact-form]
May 9, 2014
My Facebook Giveaway with Janet Syas Nitsick
All next week, Janet Syas Nitsick and I will be running a giveaway from May 12-19. That’s eight giveaways, one for each day.
Click here to go to the Facebook page!
We expect it to be a lot of fun. The main thing is that we’re going to hang out on Facebook and just have a good time. We want this to be very informal, so feel free to ask anything that’s been on your mind or share anything you’ve been wanting to tell us. :D
The center of the party will be on Facebook, but some of you aren’t on Facebook, and we want to give you a chance to enter the giveaways, too. So what we’ll do is announce the giveaway at 8pm central US time the night before the winner(s) will be announced. For example, the first giveaway winners will be announced on May 12 at 8pm central US time. We will announce the giveaway entry on May 11 at 8pm central US time. That gives everyone 24 hours to enter the giveaway. Hopefully, this will allow everyone enough time to enter.
Below is the schedule of planned giveaways for the week.
May 12: Special Guest Rose Gordon!
Rose Gordon will be having a Facebook party for her new release, Desires of a Baron. She will be joining us on this day to say hi and answer any questions you have. Also, Janet and I will share how we met her and answer any questions you’d like to ask us. I’m going to dig through my photos and see if I can find a picture I have with Rose.
On this day, Janet and I will be offering a giveaway of Rose’s books/ebooks. It’ll be winners’ choice.
May 13: Romantic Memories
On this day, we will share some of our most romantic memories. They can be real life ones or ones you read in a book or saw in a movie. The giveaway on this day will be a candle holder in the shape of a barrel. We’ll offer paperbacks or ebooks (winner’s choice) from our books.
May 14: Loving Those Heroes
On this day, we will share what we love most in our heroes. A $50 gift card and ebooks/paperbacks will be offered in the giveaway. Winner will choose what the gift card is for and whether to receive ebooks or paperbacks.
May 15: Small Treasures
On this day, we will share something small we own that means a lot to us. This can be a ring, a knickknack, etc. We’re giving away a small rectangular box with the western look to it that you can put small things in. We’ll also offer ebooks or paperbacks, winner’s choice.
May 16: A Hero’s Gift
On this day, we will share the best gift a hero in a book or movie has given the heroine. The giveaway will be another $50 gift card and ebooks or paperbacks. Both gift card and books will be winner’s choice.
May 17: Sweet Surprises
On this day, we will share some of the best surprises we’ve ever had. It could be anything from a surprise birthday party to a surprise gift or maybe even an unexpected compliment you received. We will be giving away a trunk about the size of a bread box that can hold a variety of items. In addition to this, we’ll give away paperbacks or ebooks (winner’s choice).
May 18: Pet Peeves
On this day, we’ll discuss pet peeves in books, particularly those things a hero or heroine does that kills the book for you. We will be giving away a $50 gift card and paperbacks/ebooks. The winner will pick the gift card and paperbacks/ebooks.
May 19: Romantic Getaways
On the last day, we’ll discuss any romantic getaways we’ve been on or read about in a book. The giveaway will include a $50 gift card and paperbacks/ebooks, both winner’s choice.
****************
At 8pm central US time on the day before the giveaway, we will post the information about the giveaway. Winners for the giveaways will be announced on the evening of the giveaway (8pm central US time) on each of the days the giveaway runs. The main hub of the party is at Facebook. But if you don’t have a Facebook account, you can enter on this blog. If you enter on the blog, I fill out the contact form in the post. The form will ensure your privacy so others won’t see your email address.
Hopefully, that all makes sense. But we will make a post every day through the Facebook Giveaway Party, so there’s no need to try to remember everything in this long post. :)
May 6, 2014
The Earl’s Scandalous Wife and The Mail Order Bride’s Deception are Now on Kobo
I try not to post too close back to back with these posts, but since people have asked me when these two books will be on Kobo, I’m going to post the information right away instead of waiting.
In the future, I will be publishing to Kobo directly, so I’ll add the Kobo links when I do the email new release list from MailChimp.
Since both books were up on the Apple iBooks store within a month of publication, I’ll continue to let Smashwords distribute that for me. However, if the time to go live on iBooks starts taking as long as B&N or Kobo ended up being (over two months), then I’ll have to learn how to publish to iBooks directly. I’ll see what the future brings. It’s important that these books get available in a timely manner. Some sites are beyond my control, but those that are, I will do what I can.
To sign up for my new release list:
In the meantime, if anyone would like to be added to my new release list, please fill out the form below and I’ll add you in. What’s neat about MailChimp (and why I use it) is because it allows you to unsubscribe at any time, and I believe this is automatically done for me, which makes it easier for everyone.
[contact-form]
If you want to unsubscribe but are having trouble doing it, I can manually do it, but I need to create a new form in another post since WordPress won’t let me do two forms in this post. I’ll try to remember to put the new form up in the next post.
May 5, 2014
Inspiration for the Book: Eye of the Beholder
Today I thought I’d jump back in time to the first book that got me hooked on writing historical western romances. Before I wrote it, I expected to go back to writing fantasy novels. But this book is why I never ended up doing fantasy. :) Once I wrote it, I knew my course had changed dramatically…and changed for the better. It was also the book that fully launched me into self-publishing my work because I want to blend the sweet romance feel with the spicy content I preferred to read in romance novels.
I wrote this book because I wanted to do a mail-order bride story. I thought the idea of a woman traveling West to marry a man she’d never met was a romantic notion. Granted, in real life, it probably was more about necessity, but in romance, happy endings are guaranteed (which is why I love romance).
The Hero
Originally, I was going to do have Neil be the hero. He was supposed to marry Mary and stand up for her when his brothers put her down because she was plain. But when I got to the train station scene, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be more dramatic if he rejected her?”
So I went back and wrote in the scene where Dave Larson was at the mercantile and happened to find out Neil was on the way to meet his intended at the train station.
The Heroine
Why a plain one? Because it seemed that every single heroine I’d been reading in romance novels were drop dead gorgeous, something I am definitely not. So why not write about a woman who wasn’t perfect? Everyone has a quality that makes them beautiful, even if they aren’t on the outside.
The Plot
I didn’t originally intend to include Cassie (who was beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside). My original point of conflict was between Dave and his brothers. But when I decided that Neil would reject Mary, I decided to give him the bride he wanted–super beautiful. As the story progressed, the plot became more of a “What defines beauty?” theme.
Part of the book was wish fulfillment. While I am happy in my marriage, there are some things I’m not crazy about, and I know my husband can say the same thing. Sometimes books allow a writer to take a part of their lives they’re not crazy about and dream up a scenario where things are different. In Dave was the ideal husband.
As a side note, I will add that no one is perfect. We all have our strengths and our weaknesses. In July, I’ll be married for fourteen years, and I’m happy. But marriage has its ups and downs because people aren’t perfect. That’s why romance is a fun genre to write. You can have the perfect marriage with the happily ever after.
May 4, 2014
Updates on The Earl’s Scandalous Wife and Working on my Website
Last month, someone alerted me to the fact that The Earl’s Scandalous Wife wasn’t on Kobo. Long story short, I uploaded it myself to Kobo today. So that means it should be available in a couple days.
I also published The Mail Order Bride’s Deception directly to Kobo today as well.
I will be publishing all of my future books directly to Kobo from now on. There is no reason why it should take so long for books to go up on these book sites. From what I see, Apple iBooks has all of my books, including The Mail Order Bride’s Deception, up on their site at this link: 
****
Regarding My Website
My apologies. I hit the publish button early. Those of you getting this in your inbox will wonder what the heck happened to the rest of the post. :)
Anyway, I am still updating my website at http://www.ruthannnordin.com. It looks like a lot of people like the idea of every book having an individual book page with a description, excerpt, and any extras. Since I now have 40 romances out, this is going to take some time. Up to this point, I have taken care of all the Regency books. I am now working on the historical westerns. That’s where most of my books are.
Over the course of this year, I will be going back and making posts about the inspiration for the book so I can add them to book pages that don’t have things like character interviews. This is the part that will take more time, especially since I write those posts as I’m inspired to. If I’m not in the mindset to write about the background to a book, it’s almost impossible to write it. I can spend four hours staring at the computer screen with only two or three sentences done. This is also why I don’t do character interviews for every book I write. Some books are easier to do these things for than others.
I hope to be done with the website by the end of this month. In the meantime, if anyone has any other suggestions on how I can improve my website, I’m all ears.
May 1, 2014
Revamping My Website (Anything You Want Me To Put On It?)
Website Stuff
At the moment, I have hired someone to help me revamp my website at http://www.ruthannnordin.com. I want to do something that looks more like this blog. I really like the header I have and always wanted it to be on my website. But since I was dealing with a template, I couldn’t. After having the website for six years, I finally decided it was time to let someone who knows what she’s doing work on it. Why did it take so long? I guess because I was so busy writing, it was easy to keep letting it go.
The sad truth is, if it’s not writing, I have a harder time of getting around to it. :D ButI finally am.
And my question to all of you is, what would you like to see on my website?
The only things I won’t put up is a contact form, my email address, or my physical address or phone number. The reason is because I’ve been on the receiving end of a couple harasses in the past and those four things make it easier for them to stalk me. Not fun stuff.
But I can look into putting up anything else. Let me know and I’ll see what I can do about it. You can leave a comment here or tell me through Facebook. Here’s my Facebook timeline. Just click on send a message and I’ll check to see if anything pops up over there: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ruth-A....
April 27, 2014
The Mail Order Bride is Now Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords
I published this book yesterday and thought for sure it’d take longer before it went live on the three places I uploaded it to, but it was up sooner than I expected. I am letting Smashwords send it to Apple iBooks, Kobo, Flipkart, Scribd, and other sites for me. I talked to several authors, and it sounds like letting Smashwords take care of it is just easier.
As a side note: I will be gifting ebook copies of this book in the May 12-19 Giveaway Party I’m having with Janet Syas Nitsick on Facebook. (I will make a post about this party on May 11 or 12 about it so you’ll get a reminder.) I’d like to be offering a couple paperbacks of this book, too, but that depends on whether or not the proof copy turns out right in time for the giveaway. I did get the “OK” on it today from CreateSpace and have ordered a proof copy which should arrive soon. *fingers crossed it does* I’d love to have a new release to offer. And yes, I will be offering other books I’ve done. It’s basically going to be winners’ choices.
Now for the book description, links on where you can find this book (at the moment), and one of my favorite scenes:
“A hardworking gentleman of 26 years old, 6 feet, owner of a small cabin who lives off the land desires marriage. Lady must be between 18-25 years, have a loving disposition, and be willing to mother a baby boy. Though comforts will be few, would like a happy marriage.” Mail Order Bride Ad Written by Allen Grover on March 20, 1878
It wasn’t until September that Al’s bride came to the Black Hills of the South Dakota Territory. He expected Hazel McPherson. But he got Sadie Miller.
Before Hazel died in Omaha, she told Sadie to take her place as Al’s mail-order bride. Under ordinary circumstances, Sadie would never pretend to be another woman. But in this case, it was her only chance of escaping the prison that had become her life.
And there was no way she could tell anyone the truth. No. Her secret would stay with her to the grave, especially from the one man she was beginning to love.
~~~*~~*~~~
Now for the excerpt. :)
Two weeks passed and Sadie finally finished the shirtwaist and skirt. Excited, she put the outfit on after she bathed and inspected her reflection in the mirror. The high neckline trimmed in lace and accented with a cameo Al had bought for her only enhanced the image standing before her. She pinned her hair back into an attractive style and stood back once more, making sure it was all real—that she wasn’t dreaming.
A smile crossed her face and she turned to make sure she looked as good from the back. And she did. She felt just like a princess in a fairytale. For the first time in her life, she believed she was a lady. An honest to goodness lady. So this was what it felt like to be a wife. No wonder the wives she used to pass in Nebraska were always smiling. Being a wife was an incredibly liberating experience. Dignified, virtuous, pure. Being Al’s wife had made this possible.
A flicker of guilt crossed her reflection, and she couldn’t bear to look at herself anymore. She was an imposter. She wasn’t really a lady. It was all a ruse. She was a prostitute. With a glance at her new clothes, she was tempted to rip it all to shreds. Gripping the edge of her skirt in her hands, she was ready to tear it along the seam when she heard the bedroom door open.
Jerking her head up, she turned and faced Al whose smile grew wide at the sight of her. “You’re absolutely stunning,” he said, motioning to her. “The men in Atlanta must have been falling all over themselves to get your attention.” Before she could answer, he closed the distance between them and kissed her hands. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
No, no he wasn’t. Perhaps if he’d been with Hazel, he would have been. But not with her. Clearing her throat, she released her hands from his and forced a smile. “You’re much too kind.”
As she turned back to the mirror, she made a pretense of lining up the comb, barrettes, and ribbons on the dresser.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her neck, an action which startled her. She returned her gaze to the mirror and was struck by how tender he was. But that was his way. Tender. Sweet. Always giving. Never expecting anything in return.
“Why are you so nice to me?” she whispered.
Glancing up at her reflection, he chuckled. “Pardon?”
“You have yet to insist on your right to consummate the marriage, and yet, you treat me as if I’m the most wonderful woman in the world.”
Settling his chin on her shoulder, he gave her waist a light squeeze. “We didn’t get a chance to know each other before we got married. I want to make sure when we do come together, the time will be right.”
Lowering her gaze, she let out a soft laugh. “I would have thought performing our vows would have been the right time.”
“Our vows did bring us together as husband and wife. But only time can bring our hearts into the same union.”
Quickly blinking her tears away, she turned around to face him. “You have a noble heart, Al. You should have been a knight.”
“No, I wouldn’t have wanted that.” He kissed the top of her nose. “If I had been born in that time, I wouldn’t have met you.” He patted the small of her back. “I better check on the eggs. I don’t want them to burn.”
He kissed her cheek then left the room.
She brushed away a tear as it trickled down her cheek. If he knew who she really was, he wouldn’t be so eager to compliment her.
