Joyce DiPastena's Blog, page 28

As with most things in life, some writing days were bette...

As with most things in life, some writing days were better than others this week. I missed Tuesday entirely because I was gone all day and went to a lecture on Catherine the Great that night (loved it!), but I got all the other days in, in spite of a rapidly developing head cold. Here's a sampling of what I accomplished.
Monday: “I am not a slackwit, lady, whatever your father came to think of me after that mischief-making churchman turned his mind against me.”
Tuesday:
Wednesday: She had racked her brains for hours for some way to smuggle word to Northumberland, but every possibility seemed bolted fast against her.
Thursday: Richard had been her father’s page and his lively, cheerful mischief had proved a happier distraction from the dismayingly ill-tempered man who called himself her father than had the pretty, soft-faced mother who coddled her one moment, and the next left her with strange servants to run eagerly off to attend Valette’s every whim.
Friday: He must have seen the defiance in her eyes, for his own gleamed a challenge in return.
Saturday: Almost immediately his face sobered again and his eyes darted away; his quick fingers did not drop not so much a beat on the strings as he sang on as though nothing had passed between them.

No Strings Attached Blog Hop

Welcome to the No Strings Attached Blog Hop, sponsored by I Am a Reader Not a Writer. No hoops to jump through for this one. No "follows", no "likes", just enter via the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win a copy of my sweet medieval romance, Dangerous Favor. The winner can have her choice of print, Kindle, or Nook version.


The hop ends at 11:59 January 21. Winner will be drawn on January 22. Open to US and International entries. (An international winner may receive a print copy through Book Depository.)
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Winner will be selected on January 22, 2013. Winners have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win. Sponsor name and contact info: Joyce DiPastena, jdipastena@yahoo.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW
a Rafflecopter giveaway
All entered? Then hop along for some more string free prizes below!

Summary Sunday

I've enjoyed spending time with Rob and Marguerite again. It feels good to be back to writing! Here are a few new sentences from The Lady and the Minstrel.


Monday: The Lady Marguerite’s sweet countenance flowed into his mind as distinctly as Agnes’s faded vaguely away.
Tuesday: If there was one thing Robert’s proud heart abhorred more than all the rest, it was pity.
Wednesday: “I mean I’ve seen that kindlin’ in yer eyes before and it always bodes trouble for someone.”
Thursday: But Robert realized now the baron had dealt his villein an unwitting favor, for Lucy had clearly brought a light to William’s life he would never have found on Beck Manor.
Friday: Not one day had passed in the last seven years that she had not recalled their meeting, the look of wild despair in his gaze when her footfall had whirled him around on the edge of the river’s bank, and then at her offer, a gratitude so fervent it had consumed the fears that had driven her to try to flee from the man she loved most in all the world.
Saturday: She should have trusted Grandfather to listen to her fears rather than trying to run away . . . but if she had, she would never have met the handsome young man by the river.

Summary Sunday

My writing took a break while I moved into a new house over the holidays (and had a plumbing crisis...click here for pictures), but with the New Year, I hope to get back on track with this important part of my life. The Lady and the Minstrel has been calling to me again. I was actually thinking about changing the name of this book, but friends on Facebook voted me down. They want me to keep it, so for now I guess I will. 

Here are some new sentences I wrote for it this week, beginning on New Year's Day:


Tuesday: “Are those your only clothes, man?”
Wednesday: “Aye,” William said with a snap to his voice that betrayed to Robert how sorely his playful obtuseness provoked his friend, “Robert the Harper, Robert of the Road, even Robert of Wiltshire would mean nothing to Beckford’s ears. But a Robert Marcel on his Dorset manor?"
Thursday: He spoke softly, and knew from William’s face that his friend understood every deathly quiet syllable.
Friday: "The saints forgive me, but when Beckford sent me away to Enford, I missed ye more than I missed my own kin."
Saturday: When he had recovered from his final debacle with Kit, it had been with a foreign coldness inside him, a coldness that had warred ever since with the fiery blood of his birth.

Books I Read in 2012

For 2012 I set a goal of reading at least 4 old favorites and 2 non-fiction books, as well as new titles that caught my fancy. Here is my yearly report. Books marked 2 **s in blue signify old favorites. Books marked in green were non-fiction. As you'll see, I surpassed my non-fiction goal by 3 books, but failed my old favorites goal by 1.

My favorite "new" book of 2012 is marked with 3 ***s in red.


My Fair Godmother, by Janette Rallison (fiction)Killing Lincoln, by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard (non-fiction)Letters in the Jade Dragon Box, by Gale Sears (fiction)***Fires of Jerusalem, by Marilyn Brown (fiction)Isabelle Webb: The Pharaoh's Daughter, by N.C. Allen (fiction)Miss Delacourt Has Her Day, by Heidi Ashworth (fiction)Daughter of Helaman, by Misty Moncur (fiction)Dead Running, by Cami Checketts (fiction)A Mormon in the White House: Ten Things Every Conservative Should Know About Mitt Romney, by Hugh Hewitt (non-fiction)The Conquering Family, by Thomas B. Costain (non-fiction)** (this book fell into 2 categories, non-fiction and old favorite, so I used both colors)Taking Advantage, by Larry Hammersley (fiction)Zenobia: the Birth of a Legend, by Russ Wallace (fiction)A Lady by Any Other Name, by Jennifer Kitchens (fiction)Black Ships Before Troy, by Rosemary Sutcliff (fiction)The Wanderings of Odysseus, by Rosemary Sutcliff (fiction)Cousin Kate, by Georgette Heyer (fiction)**The Nonesuch, by Georgette Heyer (fiction)**A Timeless Romance Anthology: Winter Collection 2012,various authors (fiction)Mistletoe Magic: A Short Regency Romance, by Donna Hatch (fiction)Frontier Wolf, by Rosemary Sutcliff (fiction)
During my move to Mesa I found myself having trouble focusing on a full-length novel, so each night I browsed a little book called Medieval Ghost Stories, compiled and edited by Andrew Joynes. I didn't read it from cover to cover, though, so I can't add it to my list. I also began a re-read of a favorite book from my childhood, The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, by Margaret Sidney, so I guess technically I've read 3.5 old favorites, but I haven't finished it yet, so it, too, can't go on my official list.
I decided to add my scripture reading report this year, since I read those, too!
Pearl of Great Price: Moses 4 - Articles of Faith 1-13Old Testament: Genesis - Psalms 40New Testament: Luke 1-24 (with my yearly chocolate advent calendar)
Goal for 2013: In addition to new reads, 4 old favorites and 2 non-fiction books.

Book I Read in 2012

For 2012 I set a goal of reading at least 4 old favorites and 2 non-fiction books, as well as new titles that caught my fancy. Here is my yearly report. Books marked 2 **s in blue signify old favorites. Books marked in green were non-fiction. As you'll see, I surpassed my non-fiction goal by 3 books, but failed my old favorites goal by 1.

My favorite "new" book of 2012 is marked with 3 ***s in red.


My Fair Godmother, by Janette Rallison (fiction)Killing Lincoln, by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard (non-fiction)Letters in the Jade Dragon Box, by Gale Sears (fiction)***Fires of Jerusalem, by Marilyn Brown (fiction)Isabelle Webb: The Pharaoh's Daughter, by N.C. Allen (fiction)Miss Delacourt Has Her Day, by Heidi Ashworth (fiction)Daughter of Helaman, by Misty Moncur (fiction)Dead Running, by Cami Checketts (fiction)A Mormon in the White House: Ten Things Every Conservative Should Know About Mitt Romney, by Hugh Hewitt (non-fiction)The Conquering Family, by Thomas B. Costain (non-fiction)** (this book fell into 2 categories, non-fiction and old favorite, so I used both colors)Taking Advantage, by Larry Hammersley (fiction)Zenobia: the Birth of a Legend, by Russ Wallace (fiction)A Lady by Any Other Name, by Jennifer Kitchens (fiction)Black Ships Before Troy, by Rosemary Sutcliff (fiction)The Wanderings of Odysseus, by Rosemary Sutcliff (fiction)Cousin Kate, by Georgette Heyer (fiction)**The Nonesuch, by Georgette Heyer (fiction)**A Timeless Romance Anthology: Winter Collection 2012,various authors (fiction)Mistletoe Magic: A Short Regency Romance, by Donna Hatch (fiction)Frontier Wolf, by Rosemary Sutcliff (fiction)
During my move to Mesa I found myself having trouble focusing on a full-length novel, so each night I browsed a little book called Medieval Ghost Stories, compiled and edited by Andrew Joynes. I didn't read it from cover to cover, though, so I can't add it to my list. I also began a re-read of a favorite book from my childhood, The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, by Margaret Sidney, so I guess technically I've read 3.5 old favorites, but I haven't finished it yet, so it, too, can't go on my official list.
I decided to add my scripture reading report this year, since I read those, too!
Pearl of Great Price: Moses 4 - Articles of Faith 1-13Old Testament: Genesis - Psalms 40New Testament: Luke 1-24 (with my yearly chocolate advent calendar)
Goal for 2013: In addition to new reads, 4 old favorites and 2 non-fiction books.

Merry Christmas 2012!

Those of you who know me know that I love cats. So when I found this tender little song by David Archuleta, I knew I had to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Book Lover's Holiday Hop: Apologies, explanation, and winner!

My apologies for being late to choose the winner of the Book Lover's Holiday Hop here at JDP NEWS. I moved into a brand new house a week and a half ago and woke up yesterday morning to find this in one of my bedrooms:


That's a pocket of water inside the wall, traveling...well, down my wall. There was a leak in the ceiling which my builder spent all day attending to. (And thus distracting me from choosing a Hop Winner!) By the end of the day, the wall in the bedroom looked like this:

And the ceiling in my bathroom looked like this, because there was a water pocket hiding in there, too!

In addition to these lovely holes in my brand new house, there are three very large fans running day and night drying out the wet spots before the builder comes back and patches up these looming gaps. 
All in all, I became a little forgetful about my blog responsibilities, but happily my brain got back on track tonight and I am now ready to announce the winner of the Book Lover's Giveaway Hop:
And the winner is...Jamie Wells! Jamie has won a copy of my e-novella, A Candlelight Courting: A Short Christmas Romance .
Thank you to everyone who entered and for being so patient while I worked through my latest house crisis!

Christmas Books Giveaway Hop: Winner!

Congratulations to Lu Ann, winner of the Christmas Books Giveaway Hop on JDP NEWS! Lu Ann has won a copy of my sweet e-novella, A Candlelight Courting: A Short Christmas Romance.

Book Lover's Holiday Hop

Welcome to the Book Lover's Holiday Hop, sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Chapter by Chapter. If you failed to win a copy of my sweet medieval Christmas novella,  A Candlelight Courting: A Short Christmas Romance  in the last two giveaway hops, here's another chance!
Here's the story summary.
When Burthred comes courting on Christmas Eve, Meg rejects his advances. She has her heart set on becoming a nun and insists that he call her Christina, the spiritual name she has chosen for herself. She tries to make him swear on her box of holy relics that he will not pursue her, but he carefully words his oath to allow him to stay in her candlelit chamber and try to change her mind.
What Meg does not confess is that her reliquary box holds a secret.
Burthred needs a wife, and no one will satisfy him except Meg. He swore on his father’s deathbed that he would marry her. But Burthred has a secret, too. When they come together before the Yule fire, their shared revelations will either join their hearts together or tear them apart.
This giveaway is open to International entries. The winner will have her choice of a Smashwords coupon to choose her own e-format.
Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below. (NOTE TO READERS OF MY BLOG ON GOODREADS. TO ENTER THIS CONTEST, PLEASE CLICK OVER TO MY BLOG AND ENTER VIA RAFFLECOPTER)
The hop ends at 11:59 EST December 10. Winner will be drawn on December 11.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Winner will be selected on December 11, 2012. Winners have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win. Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be reawarded Sponsor name and contact info: Joyce DiPastena, jdipastena@yahoo.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW

a Rafflecopter giveaway



All entered? The hop along for some more great holiday giveaways below!