Mark Noce's Blog, page 13

Join My Thunderclap Campaign!

I've started a Thunderclap campaign to get the word out on Between Two Fires, and I need your help. My post comes out next month when my novel hits bookshelves on August 23rd. Click here to join!

All you have to do is donate a tweet or Facebook post. Sign up and Thunderclap will automatically send out a one-time tweet or post on your social media the day my book is released. That's it.

Please feel free to share the link with friends. I hope to reach my goal of 100 volunteers by next month, and I'll keep you updated as the campaign progresses, but I'm already pretty pumped just on people's initial responses. Thank you!

http://thndr.me/qZGhjG 

Praise from Bestselling Authors

I've been super fortunate to get some nice PR praise from a couple of bestselling authors who have read early release copies of Between Two Fires, and one of them is Juliet Marillier (author of Daughter of the Forest and Wolfskin). I'm hanging out on her blog today where she's interviewing me about my debut novel and what it was like writing it.

Here's the link. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks!

Also, here's some praise she's given Between Two Fires so far:

"A fast-paced read that has a wonderfully visual style and some memorable characters. Mark Noce combines Welsh history with a touch of folkloric magic in this promising debut novel. Lady Branwen is a strong and engaging narrator and the turbulent setting of early medieval Wales makes a fine backdrop for an action-packed story."
   - Juliet Marillier

Reading Room Giveaway!

Head over to the Reading Room today for your chance to win a free early release copy of Between Two Fires! My publisher, St. Martin's Press, is giving away several copies from July 12-19. Enter the contest here!

A sort of publishing industry competitor to Goodreads, the Reading Room allows you to learn about new books, make friends, and give status updates on what you're reading. Owned by Bookstr, Inc. (yes, that's how it's spelled), they have an unusual mix of both an establishment and an indie vibe. Paradoxical, but true.

Checkout the contest and let me know what you think! Thanks!  

My New Author Page!

Just this last week, I setup my new Facebook author page! I've posted some of my initial tour dates as well as other info. Let me know what you think!

Believe it or not, I actually resisted starting an author page on Facebook until my publisher strongly urged me to do so. I actually used to work at Facebook, and believe it or not, many engineers there actually preferred users have only a single personal page, as opposed to multiple pages, like an author's page. But I have to say that that was definitely bad advice, and my publisher has already been proven right by asking me to setup up a super useful author page.

Just in the last few days, I've been connecting with a wide variety of folks regarding my book in ways I hadn't previously imagined. Needless to say, I'm glad I did it and will be a lot more active on my Facebook page going forward,. I hope you like it:) 

Save the Date: Book Tour!

Well, I'm only a couple months out from my novel's release date on August 23rd, and it's definitely crunch time! My publisher has been awesome setting up book giveaways, and we've also set up the initial tour dates for my very own Between Two Fires book tour!

My initial stops are all within my home state so far, but we should have a pretty decent crowd for each event. I've got four book signing events lined up where I'll be sharing my novel, reading passages, answering questions, and of course signing copies. Check out the one nearest you! I'd love to see you all there! Thanks!

Between Two Fires Book Tour (2016)

Burlingame, CA - Saturday, August 27th at 2pm at the Burlingame Main Library (via Books, Inc.)
          Burlingame Main Library
          480 Primrose Road, Burlingame
          CA 94010

Sacramento, CA - Saturday, September 3rd at 2pm at the Avid Reader at Tower
          The Avid Reader at Tower
          1600 Broadway, Sacramento
          CA 95818

San Luis Obispo, CA - Saturday, October 15th at 2pm at the Barnes & Noble downtown
          Barnes & Noble
          894 Marsh Street
          San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

San Francisco, CA - Sunday, November 6th at 7pm at Green Apple Books
          Green Apple Books
          506 Clement Street
          San Francisco, CA 94118

Goodreads Giveaway!

Crazy good news! My publisher just kicked off a Goodreads giveaway of my book! Simply add Between Two Fires on Goodreads to be entered in the contest!

Click here to join the Goodreads Giveaway!

St. Martin's Press will distribute 5 early release copies to the winners. The contest only runs for one week, so sign up today! Thanks!

Contest Winner!

Congrats to Christine Rains! She’s won an advanced copy of Between Two Fires, which will be shipped to her address. I hope you enjoy the read, Christine!
I want to offer a giant THANK YOU to everyone who entered the contest by signing up for my newsletter. Even if you didn’t win this time, don’t sweat it! I plan to have another ARC giveaway contest once my publication date gets closer, so there’s still another chance for you to own an early, advanced copy of my novel before it hits the shelves on August 23rd.

I also have some teaser info about some upcoming and exciting news regarding my novel that I only post to my newsletter. So if you want to know what’s in the works and what awesomeness my book release in August will entail, just sign up here (at the bottom of the homepage). Thanks! 

Book Giveaway Contest!!!

My publisher recently mailed me an ARC (advanced reading copy) of my upcoming debut novel, Between Two Fires, and I’ve chosen to offer it to one of you! The book doesn’t come out officially until August 23rd, but I plan to run this giveaway contest between now and the middle of June.
To win an early release copy of Between Two Fires, simply join my mailing list here (bottom of the home page)!
By subscribing to the mailing list on my website, you’re automatically entered to win! The winner will be announced in the middle of June. I keep my newsletter updates sparse, but informative, so don’t fret, you won’t get spammed. Plus, I reveal plenty of secret awesome news about my upcoming book only via my online newsletter.
Thanks for your support!
http://www.marknoce.com/

My Garden

This year I started a little experiment in my yard. Every year I enjoy my garden, and often save the seeds from previous growing seasons. This year, however, I’ve experimented in spending zero money or water on my yard, yet still determined to have my garden.
How can I do this, you ask? Well, I’m saving water from various sources within my house, i.e. every time I run the shower or tub for the kids in order to heat up the water, I save it in buckets. Or if I need to heat water to wash dishes, I once again save the water. All this water that used to simply go down the drain, I now use to water my garden. On top of that, Mother Nature has been pretty cooperative this year and has applied a few gentle spring showers to keep my plants growing.
I know this experiment won’t last indefinitely, and that’s I’ll eventually need to use the hose as my crops get bigger and need more water, but in the meantime I’m enjoying being eco-friendly and economical for my water bill as well. How’s your spring shaping up?

The Trouble To Check Her

Lydia Bennet faces the music…

Running off with Mr. Wickham was a great joke—until everything turned arsey-varsey.  That spoilsport Mr. Darcy caught them and packed Lydia off to a hideous boarding school for girls who had lost their virtue.It would improve her character, he said. Ridiculous, she said.Mrs. Drummond, the school’s headmistress, has shocking expectations for the girls. They must share rooms, do chores, attend lessons, and engage in charitable work, no matter how well born they might be. She even forces them to wear mobcaps! Refusal could lead to finding themselves at the receiving end of Mrs. Drummond's cane—if they were lucky. The unlucky ones could be dismissed and found a position … as a menial servant.Everything and everyone at the school is uniformly horrid. Lydia hates them all, except possibly the music master, Mr. Amberson, who seems to have the oddest ideas about her. He might just understand her better than she understands herself.Can she find a way to live up to his strange expectations, or will she spend the rest of her life as a scullery maid?

Buy Links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CTLTE6IBN NOOK:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-trouble-to-check-her-maria-grace/1123601415KOBO:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-trouble-to-check-her



Author Bio:Though Maria Grace has been writing fiction since she was ten years old, those early efforts happily reside in a file drawer and are unlikely to see the light of day again, for which many are grateful. After penning five file-drawer novels in high school, she took a break from writing to pursue college and earn her doctorate in Educational Psychology. After 16 years of university teaching, she returned to her first love, fiction writing.
She has one husband, two graduate degrees and two black belts, three sons, four undergraduate majors, five nieces, six new novels in the works, attended seven period balls, sewn eight Regency era costumes, shared her life with nine cats through the years and published her tenth book last year.
She can be contacted at:author.MariaGrace@gmail.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorMariaGrace  G+:https://plus.google.com/u/0/103065128923801481737/postsOn Amazon.com: http://amazon.com/author/mariagrace Random Bits of Fascination (http://RandomBitsofFascination.com) Austen Variations (http://AustenVariations.com)English Historical Fiction Authors  (http://EnglshHistoryAuthors.blogspot.com) On Twitter @WriteMariaGrace On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mariagrace423/