Amy Lillard's Blog, page 11

RT Review 4 Stars for Katie’s Choice

I have to say that I was thrilled when I opened my email box yesterday to the fabulous news: Katie’s Choice received 4 Stars for RT magazine. What an honor! Thank you, RT for your wonderful support and encouraging comments!

Street Team

All right, chickadees, I’m looking for a few good readers to help me spread the word about my books. Membership is easy and free *and* comes with perks. Some of which are so secret that even I don’t know about them. :)

Seriously though, if you’re interested in joining my Street Team, I’d be thrilled to have you. A Street Team’s job is simple–help promote the author’s work. This can be accomplished in many ways–Twitter, Facebook, G+, Pinterest, or whatever is your social media of choice.

I’m still pounding out the details and filing down a few rough edges and hope to have something in place very soon. In the meantime you can join using the STREET TEAM tab on this site.

Street Team membership is not without perks. I’ve got a few introductory gifts to dole out as well as an exclusive drawing each month for the members. That means a drawing for prizes for the members only! YAY!

Hope you’ll join me in spreading the word!

Ain’t That A Peach

So yesterday I was struck with a thought of sheer brilliance. Since this doesn’t happen often (or as often as I’d like) I thought I would share it with you. Peaches!

Wait, of course that’s brilliant, when you add in the fact that I’m collecting peach recipes to add to the April newsletter. I’ve got one recipe to share as well as a couple to test out. Yes, it;s a tough job, but that’s how much you mean to me.

If you have a recipe starring peaches and you’d like to share it with the other readers, send me an email. You can use this site’s CONTACT ME or simply send it direct at amylillard@hotmail.com. Be it peach smoothie or gourmet peach souffle, we want to hear about it!

Thanks for reading and joining in! I appreciate you all!

We Have A Winner!

Thanks to  everyone who joined in our Easter egg hunt! Hope you had a good time. But there can be only one and the winner of the Easter basket and the last advanced copy of Katie’s Choice is…

Stacey Barbalace!

I’m  working on some great prizes for the next contest which is closely linked with my upcoming blog tour and launch of the next release in the Clover Ridge Series, Katie’s Choice.

In the meantime, stop by and join my new group on Facebook–The Clover Ridge Series Reader’s group. It’s a great place to converge and talk about the books in the Clover Ridge Series or even ask me questions about the series that might be a spoiler for those who haven’t read it. Hope you can come check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/142388672600907/?bookmark_t=group

Win This Easter Basket!

 

And the last advanced copy of Katie’s Choice! All you have to do is click on my CONTEST page and find the Easter eggs in the picture. Leave a comment with how many you found. Winner will be drawn Monday morning! Thanks for entering!

Winners Announced!

Hey, readers!

I’m putting those final touches on the newsletter. I hope you’re getting excited. I know I am.

I’d like  to thank everyone who entered the contest and signed up for the newsletter. Last night I employed my high tech, state of the art system of determining a winner (or in this case two) and we have our winners!

Congratulations to…
Juanita Cook
and
Elizabeth Dent

If that’s not you, don’t despair, soon I will be offering more chances to win fabulous prizes, But until then…get ready for the newsletter coming your way soon!

If it is you, send me an email so I can send you your prize! :)

Newsletter Launch

Want a chance to win an Advanced Reader Copy of Katie’s Choice?

I am launching my brand-spanking new newsletter this March. If all goes according to plan, I’ll have the newsletter in your email box by March 15. In each newsletter, I’ll have book updates, author appearances, review quotes, and more importantly–recipes!

If you’d like to send in a recipe, use the Contact Me form on my website (to keep your email out of the spam folder.) Recipes cannot be copyrighted and have to be original. Recipes do not have to be Amish, but that would be fabulous if anyone has any to share. I’d love to hear about Easter traditions, favorite dishes, and other stories concerning this special holiday.

All readers who sign up for my newsletter will be entered into a drawing to win an advanced copy of Katie’s Choice (which doesn’t release until May 1, 2013). If you’ve already signed up, never fear, you are in the drawing.

Please use the Contact Me form on my website to sign up for the newsletter–this will allow me  to make sure you get your mail.

Addresses must be received by March 10, 2013, in order to be included in the first mailing and contest. Any addresses sent after this date will be including in future mailings, but not in the drawing or the launch.

Thanks for all your support! I’m looking forward to getting this together for you.

FYI–Frequency of the newsletter will depend a lot on reader participation. I’d like to share as many recipes as possible. But I won’t send more than one email a month. (I gotta write too, ya know! )

Blessings to everyone and thanks again for your support!

Amy

Happy Valentine’s Day

“The Call” Blog Hop

Every published author has a story to tell about when they first got the call that they were signing with their agent or publishing house. I wish I could tell you this fabulous story about getting the call from Mary Sue Seymour of The Seymour Agency and it being so totally unexpected that it took my breath away. But that’s not how it happened.

Actually, it went a little something like this…

I had sent out 16 (yes, 1-6) query letters to agents.  I had decided that if I was going to get anywhere in the writing  business, I needed an agent on my side. And I was determined to find an agent. Thankfully I did, and  one of the the best. (Waves to Mary Sue).

But as with most transactions in the  writing world, there was a lot  of “hurry up and wait” that went on. I sent her my query. I got a letter back  saying she would like a partial. I sent her a partial. I got a letter back  saying she wanted to see the complete. Squeee…I sent it out. And I waited.

Now, I have to tell you that every time I’ve gotten back my manuscript over the years, it has never been good. Nev-ver. So when I got home and saw a big fat envelope-package waiting for me, my heart sank. I didn’t even have to read the  return address to know who it was from. I trudged up the stairs to the mail box and pulled it out, telling myself for the millionth time in my days of trying to publish that one more rejection wasn’t going to break me. I wasn’t all that disappointed. (I was crushed, but I wasn’t going to admit  it).

I didn’t even open it. I didn’t want to read what she said. If it was anything like my previous letters it would say how my writing was good, but it needed “more”. More what I hadn’t figured out and it was looking like I never would. I sat the package on the dinning room table and walked away.

My son, at the time young enough to covet any unclaimed mail, asked  me if I was going to open it. I shrugged. Did I really need to be told again that my characters were lovable and sympathetic but…

“Can I open it?” he asked.

“Sure,” I  said, with another half-hearted shrug.

Let me just say that I am so glad I  had a young reader! And to think that I had almost shoved it in the filing cabinet without even seeing what Mary Sue had to say.

Not a breath taking moment, but momentous all the same.

Want to read about how other authors received their “call.”? Check out our The Call Blog Hop. Details and a full list of participants are available here: http://www.tonyakuper.blogspot.com/ Be sure to check  it out, there are several giveaways along the hop.

My giveaway? A copy of Saving Gideon and a Bag of Swag. To be entered all you have to do is answer this question: Have you ever thrown away an important piece of mail? Or maybe shoved it in a drawer, unopened and forgotten?

Be sure to check my Facebook fan page more ways to increase your chances to win. The winner will be contacted after Friday and so everyone knows, This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Lillard-Author/177732292332322?ref=hl

Good luck!

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2013
Blessings to you and your family in the coming year!