Amber Stokes's Blog, page 48

Reading Cram Read-a-thon Sign-Up!

I heard about this read-a-thon on Twitter via Crystal (@Abooklovingirl)...and if you saw my last post, you know this is perfect for me since I was hoping to play catch-up on my review reading over the next month! Here are the details:
Who: Open to everyone with a social media account!What: A read-a-thon for getting a lot of reading done in a short-ish amount of timeWhen: December 9th-22ndWhere: Hosted by JuliaBabyJen's Reading Room and Danasquare; list of daily post-hosts can be found HEREWhy: To challenge yourself, catch up on some reading, and have fun with other readersSince I'll be hosting a blog tour in December (sign-ups are still open), and there might be other things to post, I probably won't do all of the daily challenges. But I probably won't be able to resist some of them - like spine poetry, which is just too fun!

I think I'll challenge myself to read 10 books during that time. (I have at least 13 I'd like to finish by the end of the year, but since there's a little time before and after the challenge, here's hoping I'll get it all done!)

You can follow the read-a-thon tweets via the #ReadingCram hashtag. And if you'd like to join us, you can sign up for the read-a-thon HERE!

Contentment Reading Challenge 2013: October/November

I just got back not that long ago from seeing Catching Fire at the theater... Oh. My. Goodness. So intense!! While Catching Fire was not my favorite of the books when I read through the series, I think this movie is even better than the first. I'm not sure yet if I'll write a full review - we'll see!

If I was going to accomplish anything more for the Contentment Reading Challenge, re-reading The Hunger Games series would probably be a good idea! As it is, I've re-read five books this year - two more than the first year I hosted and participated in this challenge - putting me firmly at the "Wading" level. It's not as much as I had hoped to accomplish, but it was an enjoyable experience nonetheless, and it was good revisiting dear "friends" because of it.

I know I have another month to do some more re-reading, but I think I'm going to be doing a different, informal challenge instead: catching up on my review books. Some of the books in my review TBR pile have been there for way too long, and my goal is to try to catch up on my review reading by the end of the year, so that I can start 2014 fresh with a new release or two to review in January.

Here's a list of the books I hope to read and review in the next month-ish:
Pilgrimage of Promise by Cathy Bryant Love's Awakening by Laura Frantz Born of Persuasion by Jessica Dotta Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter Elusive Hope by MaryLu Tyndall Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund Burning Sky by Lori Benton Dragonwitch by Anne Elisabeth Stengl All in Good Time by Maureen Lang Mountain Homecoming by Sandra Robbins Under a Blackberry Moon by Serena B. Miller Welcome to Last Chance by Cathleen ArmstrongMy sincere apologies to the authors and publishers who have been waiting a long time for me to review their books. I'm hoping I can get caught up very soon! I think there are some gems hidden in that TBR pile, from what I've heard from other readers and what I know of the authors - so I'm sure I'm in for some good reading. =)

Anyway, here's what you can expect in the next month:

For the blog, besides lots of reviews, Lord willing, you can also expect a cover reveal on Wednesday (for author Jill Stengl, in conjunction with Anne Elisabeth Stengl), the conclusion to the Love's Refuge blog tour next Saturday (have you entered for a chance to win a Kindle yet??), and a Christmas cat-detective story blog tour in December (sign-ups are now open for interested bloggers!). For my time away from the blog, I've got an editing project to finish next week (S/O to wonderful client, Miranda Uyeh!), and I've got to really dig into rewrites for Forget Me Not . I'm thinking the blog tour won't be until the end of January at the earliest, so it will be a little while before bloggers hear from me. Rewriting and editing (with the help of Rachelle Rea) will take some time, but it's important, and I think the process will be good for me - and hopefully for my readers, since the story should be better because of it!

Back to the main topic of this post...what's to come for the Contentment Reading Challenge? Well, I'll probably write one more post in December to conclude everything and give any participants a chance to share how they did overall and what their favorite re-reads were (etc.). But as for 2014, I think I'm retiring the challenge. Perhaps we can just do some unofficial re-reading and sharing about our old favorites off and on, or something...? I know there are some great books I've read that would be nice to re-read someday! And I still have a lot to learn about contentment and continually cultivating it in my life.

If you're participating in this challenge, have you made any progress lately? If not, are you doing any other reading challenges or hoping to play catch-up like me?

Come on Down! (Or at least sit in the audience...)

So my plan today was to remind you all that my mom and I were going to be on an episode of The Price is Right tomorrow... But after I checked The Price is Right Facebook page, I discovered that the episode we were in (which was filmed in August) aired on Tuesday, the 19th! They had told us the 22nd, but I guess those dates they give aren't always set in stone. (Bummer!)

Even though that means our plans of picking up some sort of chocolate dessert and watching the episode on TV tomorrow have gone by the wayside, all is not lost! At least for now, they do have the full episode online:

The Price is Right S42 Ep6505
And chocolate can always be enjoyed, whether you're watching an episode online or on TV, right?

Now, we haven't watched the episode all the way through yet, so here's hoping there's not something embarrassing that we didn't realize they had filmed, LOL. And to be honest, I have no idea if any of you will be able to pick us out of the crowd, as we never got called down. But if you want to play "Where's Waldo?" - Amber & Brenda style! - feel free to check out the link above. The picture at the top of this post shows the shirts we were wearing, and we were a few rows back on the right side (when you're facing the audience). There was someone who got called down right in front of us, so I know for sure you can catch a glimpse of us then. And the winners sat a couple of rows in front of us, so maybe we have a little more screen time. It's a pretty exciting episode (with an especially awesome win!), so I hope you enjoy it regardless!

As for the shirts (in case you were wondering), my mom designed them herself! They read:

Not responsible for what I say or do...
...I'm under the spell of George and Drew!
(If you're not familiar with the show, George is the announcer and Drew Carey is the current host.)
Isn't that clever? My mom is awesome! And she wanted to give everyone a warning in case we did get called down and then completely spaced on everything we knew about prices and speaking in front of people while being filmed. ;)
Have you ever had the chance to "come on down" for this game show or another? Or which show would you like to participate in if you could? 
Hope you all have a great, chocolate-filled weekend!

Launch of the Love's Refuge Blog Tour!

If winter blues are starting to set in and you're looking for a refreshing escape from the upcoming holiday rush, Sandra Leesmith's latest release offers a unique island vacation for fans of inspirational contemporary romance (with a dash of suspense)! Love's Refuge is set on a fictional island (based on a real one) in the Puget Sound region of Washington state, and it features another hero and heroine struggling to come to terms with their pasts in order to embrace a fearless future. The Kindle version is available now, and a paperback version is coming soon!

My last project with Sandra involved reworking and republishing a book that had first been published in the '80s ( Love's Miracles ). But Love's Refuge is a brand-new story that I had the pleasure of editing. (Blogging friend Rachelle Rea also proofread it.) And now I have the pleasure of sharing it with you - with the help of some awesome bloggers - via this blog tour!

Schedule

Sunday, November 17thIntroduction to the tour at Seasons of Humility ← You are here!Review at Tell the World Monday, November 18th
Review at My Favorite Pastime Tuesday, November 19th
Review at Inspiring Daring Wednesday, November 20th
Double review at West of Newbury Street Review at The Wonderings of One PersonThursday, November 21st
 Double review at Fantastical FictionFriday, November 22nd
Review at Buzzing About BooksReview at Literary and LaceSaturday, November 23rd
Review & interview at Zerina BlossomSunday, November 24th
Double review at Bluerose's HeartMonday, November 25th
Review at Ann's Two Cents Tuesday, November 26th
Interview at Tell the WorldReview at i blog 4 booksWednesday, November 27th
Review at Best Reads (2010-2013)Thursday, November 28th
NO POSTS (Thanksgiving Day) Friday, November 29th
Spotlight at Edgy Inspirational Romance Saturday, November 30th
Review & interview at The Curried NutConclusion to the tour at Seasons of HumilityTo grab the blog button and find info about the author, a link to purchase the book, and more book news, be sure to check out the blog tour page! 

Giveaways!
To celebrate the release of her latest novel, Sandra is giving away a basic Kindle loaded with her e-books - the perfect prize for someone looking for a "vacation"! (Just think of all the books you can store on that device! And you'll already have a handful of great, clean romances waiting to be read.) This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only . You can enter via the form below (or on any of the participating blogs that include the form):a Rafflecopter giveaway
You can learn more about the prize HERE. (And you can learn more about Sandra's romance novels HERE.) This is actually the Kindle device I have, and it's so handy! 
In addition to this tour-wide giveaway, several participating blogs will be hosting separate book giveaways - so be sure to check out each stop along the way, enjoy the reviews and interviews, and don't miss out on any of the fun!

My Review of True Love Dates

Here's a description of the book from Zondervan:

"In True Love Dates, Debra Fileta encourages singles not to 'kiss dating goodbye' but instead to experience a season of dating as a way to find real love. Through reading powerful, real-life stories (including the author’s personal journey) and gaining insights from Fileta’s experience as a professional counselor, readers will discover that it is possible to find true love through dating."

You can learn more about the book and author on the True Love Dates website.

My Review

When I came across a positive review for this book on a blog I follow (Emily Rachelle Writes), I was intrigued. Modern romance seems fraught with complexities and uncertainties that have to be navigated, so any solid advice is welcome - and it's always encouraging to read about the various ways couples find each other and discover love.

True Love Dates is divided into four parts: Dating Inward, Dating Outward, Dating Upward, and a section dedicated to FAQs and the author's responses. I really appreciate Fileta's perspective, looking at dating in its place within one's whole life rather than focusing only on the act of dating itself.

For "dating inward," the idea that you should be comfortable with yourself - with your goals, your desires, and your identity - instead of rushing into a relationship and letting the relationship define you makes a lot of sense. And for "dating upward," the reminder that God's plan for our lives (in light of eternity) encompasses more than one relationship resonates with me. There seemed to be a bit of a disconnect regarding Fileta's opinions on living in the present of a dating relationship and planning for the future, but there's still a lot of great food for thought within the pages. (And if you've known me long in the blogosphere, you know I enjoyed the "seasons" analogy in the "dating outward" section!)

From sharing her thoughts on common concerns that young people have about dating, to helping the reader keep the big, hopeful picture in mind, Fileta has written a book with heart that has a lot to offer those who have questions about love.

*With thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley for providing me with a temporary e-ARC of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Now available!

A Walk Through Falk

If you read my author's note at the end of Bleeding Heart (or if you've been following my blog for a while), you've heard of Falk's Claim: The Life and Death of a Redwood Lumber Town by Jon Humboldt Gates. It's a book I picked up on a whim at the visitor center at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, back when I was editing Bleeding Heart earlier this year - and I'm so grateful I did! The book corrected some of my misconceptions and gave me a better understanding of Falk, helping me fall more and more in love with its fascinating history.

I was going to attend a lecture by Mr. Gates back in October, but the government shutdown postponed the event. Thankfully, the lecture was rescheduled, and I had the chance to attend yesterday with my mom. And just like I was grateful to have happened upon his book, I'm so grateful my mom and I took the time to go and meet him.

 Yes, I gave him a copy of my book! (If only I had thought to bring my copy of his book for him to sign...but at least we got a picture.) 
Mr. Gates' love for the people who were part of the town's history was evident, and I enjoyed hearing what he had to say about his book and all the work that went into it. (Apparently the book went through five different drafts, all of which his mother typed out on a typewriter! Mothers are wonderful, aren't they?) He firmly believes in the importance of primary interviews, hearing the stories from the people who lived them. He noted that the project was "more than a book" to him - it was about getting to know the people who made the town. Apparently "one of the most electric moments" for him while he was working on this book (in the 1980s, I believe) was organizing a luncheon at the Eureka Inn for the people he had interviewed who used to live in the town. A lot of them hadn't seen one another in so long that they were so excited to catch up!

In a similar manner to how Mr. Gates felt about his project, I felt like attending the lecture was about more than the interesting facts I heard. I appreciated seeing and meeting other people who were interested in learning about and preserving the town's history. A few asked questions and chatted back and forth about memories and knowledge during the lecture, which was in one of the old town buildings that had been moved and converted into an education center. And after the lecture, we went outside and walked down the trail (Headwaters Forest Reserve) a ways, enjoying the bright fall sunshine and getting a glimpse at what the town used to be through people who knew about it.


I'm glad to have taken a morning to make a memory (and to have enjoyed yet another walk through Falk). Autumn always seems like the perfect time to do that, doesn't it? And Falk continues to beckon me, just as Virginia City (Nevada) has done. Their histories haunt and allure, awaiting further exploration...

A Grieving Heart

I don't know if this is too soon to write this, or if it will always be too soon. This is my first deep, close-to-home experience with grief, and the pain is still so raw, the shock still so strong, that I can't comprehend how it will manifest itself in the days and months to come. It is not my intention to trivialize my family's sorrow by writing this here and now, and I hope it won't be seen that way. But you are my friends, and I can't expect understanding and patience from you in this time if you don't know that I'm in need of them. So here I am, with my heart laid bare.

My grandma passed away a couple of days ago, late Halloween morning. My grandpa is the one who has been in the hospital and rehab in the past weeks, and so her death came as a complete shock to us all. Perhaps it shouldn't have, with all of the stress she'd been under, but it did.


My grandma was the sweetest, most caring and wonderful person you could know. She was one of my dearest, dearest friends, and she loved her family with her whole heart. She gave the most beautiful tole painting projects she'd made, absolutely delicious meals, the warmest hugs, and her time - telling stories, writing letters and calling me while I was away at school, and always, always being there to listen, to pray, and to love with all that she had in her.

I'm grateful to God that I had the chance to know her and my grandpa these past twenty-two years, to grow up not far from their home and to get to spend so much time with them. I only wish now that I had more. Her passing was peaceful, and I know she's at home with the Lord. But as my mom said, she made everything special, and my grandpa and parents and sister and aunts and uncles and cousins and I...we'll all miss her desperately until we get to see her again.


My grandma set such a beautiful example of love and humility, and she leaves behind a precious, faith-filled legacy - one that, through God's grace, I pray I will never forget.

If you would be willing to pray for my family - for comfort and peace and wisdom with being there for my grandpa and one another, making arrangements, and facing the loss over and over again - it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for your friendship and love.

Conclusion of the Haunting Joy Blog Tour!

Happy Halloween! What better way to kick off the day than announcing some winners, wrapping up the tour, and inviting you all to join us for a Twitter chat? But first, if you haven't yet read Haunting Joy, this is the perfect day to pick up a copy! The spooky black & white paperback version is available at Amazon, and the e-book with the pink & purple cover (currently only $.99!) is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo. This sweet and meaningful little story is the perfect Halloween treat!

Winners!

We have three winners for the tour-wide giveaway:

1. The winner of the glass heart necklace is Bailee!
2. The winner of a signed paperback copy of Haunting Joy is Cynthia Clubbs!
3. The winner of an e-book copy of Haunting Joy is Shelby Mead!
Congratulations, winners! I've sent you an e-mail, and you have until Monday (Nov. 4th) to respond before I pick another winner. Thank you to everyone who participated in the spooktacular giveaway!
Acknowledgements
Lena and I are grateful to the following bloggers for their participation in the blog tour. The tour couldn't have happened without them! We appreciate their time, creativity, and enthusiasm.DelSheree GladdenLena Coakley Julie G.Kelly HashwayAmber M.Brooke D.Michael L.Lisa Gail GreenBrooke M.Jennifer R.Serena Chase(If you missed any of the stops on the tour, you can click the names above to be taken to their tour posts!)

I'd also like to thank all of the readers who followed the tour, as well as Lena herself, who is an amazing person and a delight to work with! ((Hugs))

Halloween Fun!

If you're reading this Halloween morning, I'd like to take this moment to remind you that we're concluding the tour with a fun Twitter chat! Join @SeasonsHumility and @lena_goldfinch on Twitter from 12:00 - 12:30 pm EST (9:00 - 9:30 am PST), using the hashtag #HauntingJoy, to chat about Lena's light paranormal release and other ghostly things, perhaps! (And if you're new to the "chat" thing...so are we! So no need to be afraid - we'll do this thing together. =))

Also, I'll let you in on a fun little secret... The cover for the next book in Lena's "Haunting" series (Haunting Melody) is up on her website!

Besides chatting with us on Twitter (*wink*), what are your plans for Halloween? Hope you have a good (and safe) one!

Newsy

October is coming to a close, and project deadlines are looming! I'm currently working on an editing project for a new client with Editing Through the Seasons, as well as doing a final read-through of client Sandra Leesmith's November release, Love's Refuge. (Interested in participating in the November blog tour? Sign-ups are still open for a couple more days!) Once I wrap up these two projects, I think most of my business projects will be publicity ones for the rest of the year...


...which will hopefully allow me to focus on rewrites for Forget Me Not in November! I'm not officially participating in NaNoWriMo (since I'm not starting a new novel from scratch), but while all my writer friends are working on their new projects, I can pretend I'm a part of it all. ;) I've started to realize just how much work editing this book will be. Yet some ideas have been buzzing in my brain that have me excited to make the story better. You can get a glimpse at the main characters and see a little of where my mind's been via the Forget Me Not Pinterest board, as well as the Forget Me Not "Soundtrack" Pinterest board, which I recently created. (I'm hoping to have the Forget Me Not soundtrack be a little more focused than Bleeding Heart's - maybe that will entice more readers to give it a try, since it's not as overwhelming!)

In other bookish news, I have finally decided to get things rolling for an author newsletter! I'm hoping for it to be a quarterly one (with an issue coming out during each of the seasons), with the first e-mail newsletter being sent out in January, or thereabouts. Maybe I'll even throw in a giveaway, a newsletter-only article, or something like that. In addition to sharing all my latest book news, I'm hoping to also feature some of my clients' books. We'll see how it goes... It should be fun, though!  You can sign up for the newsletter via the link below:

Seasons of a Story Newsletter
(I named my "publisher" Seasons of a Story, in case you were wondering where the name came from. I think it ties in nicely with my business' name and my blog title. =))
And now, for some other noteworthy tidbits...The Haunting Joy blog tour concludes tomorrow! There have been a lot of great stops along the way - including a review from a "ghost" (too fun!). To catch up on all the posts, find links to purchase the book, and enter the tour-wide giveaway (which ends tonight!), visit the blog tour page. Also, don't forget that there's a Twitter chat tomorrow at noon EST/9 a.m. PST! It's the first chat Lena and I have hosted, so we'd love to see you there. (We'll even throw in some virtual M&Ms!) You can direct your questions regarding the book, the paranormal genre, Halloween memories, etc., to @lena_goldfinch, and include the hashtag #HauntingJoy. I'll be moderating via @SeasonsHumility.    Fellow self-pubbed author Heather Day Gilbert's Viking debut officially releases this Friday (November 1st)! Visit her website to learn more. Sounds epic! And isn't the cover stunning? The Kindle Matchbook program commenced yesterday! I enrolled Bleeding Heart. What that means for you is that if you bought (or buy) the paperback version, you can get the Kindle version for FREE, so you can read the book on whichever platform you feel like, whenever you feel like it. Pretty sweet, right? At least, I think so! Let me know what your thoughts are on the program. If you're an author, did you or your publisher enroll your book? If you're a reader, will you be taking advantage of this offer? And finally, one last thing on Bleeding Heart - the book is currently only $.99 for Kindle! I'd love any help in spreading the word!Well, now that I've dumped all that info on you...have a fabulously bookish day! And be sure to stop by again tomorrow for the conclusion to the Haunting Joy blog tour.

Litfuse Publicity Blog Tour: Glittering Promises

Here's a description of the book:

Lisa T. Bergren’s popular Grand Tour series concludes as Cora Kensington journeys farther into Italy, wrestles with a terrible ultimatum from her father, and comes to terms with the Father who will never fail her.

America’s newest heiress must decide if her potential fortune is rationale enough to give up her freedom and all that God is leading her toward. And when her newly-discovered siblings are threatened with ruin, her quandary deepens. Then as Cora nears Rome, more journalists are tracking the news story of the decade—“Copper Cora,” the rags-to-riches girl—and want to know more about her family and the men vying for her attention. Meanwhile, a charming Italian countess decides that if Cora isn’t going to claim Will’s heart, she might just try…

My Rating

Spring/Summer

My Review

The conclusion to the "Grand Tour" series promised to be full of drama - and that promise did not go unfulfilled! From health issues to job woes...from travel dangers to numerous threats to the heart...Glittering Promises is engaging and, overall, satisfying.

This third leg of the journey finds Cora and her group in Italy, spending a lot of time in the countryside, away from the press and those who wish to exploit them. I confess that, while I enjoyed the descriptions of Italy, I did miss the broader variety of adventures and traveling descriptions found in the previous two books. But there were still plenty of twists in this book to keep me interested.

The honest struggles of the characters endeared me to them, especially those of Cora, Will, and Vivian. There are some tough choices to be made, and a lot of startling and saddening happenings and revelations. This is certainly an interesting ending to their tour, let me tell you!

Glittering Promises concludes this series full of romance, glimpses into the past, and tough questions. I loved the insights and new perspectives Cora gained, and I loved the tender moments. And might I add that Cora's big brother is wonderful? (Go Felix!) If you like historical romance, don't miss the Grand Tour!

*With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the Litfuse Publicity blog tour.*

About the Author

Lisa T. Bergren is the award-winning author of over thirty-five books, with more than 2 million copies sold. A former publishing executive, Lisa now divides her time between writing, editing, parenting three children with her husband, Tim, and dreaming of her next trip to Italy. She lives in Colorado Springs. Find out more about Lisa Tawn at www.lisatawnbergren.com.

To Buy the Book: click HERE

Blog Tour: Check out the reviews from other blog tour participants HERE.

My Reviews of Other Bergren Books: Deep Harbor (Northern Lights, Book 2), Glamorous Illusions (The Grand Tour, Book 1), Grave Consequences (The Grand Tour, Book 2)

Litfuse Contest

Lisa T. Bergren is celebrating the release of her new book, Glittering Promises, by giving away a $200 Italian feast from Williams-Sonoma and hosting a fun Facebook party on October 29th.

 
  One winner will receive:
A $200 Italian feast from Williams-Sonoma delivered to your doorThe three-book Grand Tour setEnter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 29th. Winner will be announced at the "Glittering Promises" Facebook Author Chat Party on October 29th. Connect with Lisa for an evening of book chat, European trivia, and prizes, and get an exclusive look Lisa's next book.

So grab your copies of the Grand Tour series and join Lisa on the evening of October 29th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the books, don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN at the event page. Spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway and party via FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Hope to see you on the 29th!