Joyce DiPastena's Blog, page 38

Tuesday Teaser on Thursday

Here's a belated Tuesday Teaser for you on Thursday!


Tuesday Teaser is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with “cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I’ve borrowed it from LDS Women’s Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current readOpen to a random pageShare at least two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that pageBE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!
I'm adapting the rules slightly. I'll be quoting some random lines from the last chapter I read before I post a teaser. Here's a teaser from Daughter of Helaman , by Misty Moncur:
As I loaded a rock into my sling, I said, "I've never seen you with a sling. Are you any good?"
He huffed, took the sling from my hands, and hit the center of the target with seemingly little effort.
"Show-off."
He grinned and walked away to observe the other boys.
Daughter of Helaman , p 174
If you'd like to share a teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading.

What Am I Reading Now?

I'm behind in sharing my reading list with you because I've been keeping track of too many blog hops. I'm actually almost finished with the last Whitney Award finalist in the historical fiction category, Daughter of Helaman , by Misty Moncur. Here's the back cover blurb:


Fighting in Helaman's army is Keturah's deepest desire. Certainly if God can protect a boy, he can protect a girl too. But making it into the ranks turns out to be the easy part, and when Lamanite raiders come to her village, Keturah must put her skills to the test. 


Check back later today and I'll share with you a Tuesday Teaser on Thursday!

Autism Awareness Giveaway Hop: Winner

Congratulations to Darlene, who won an e-copy The Key to Charlotte in the Autism Awareness Blog Hop giveaway on JDP NEWS.


Thank you to all of you who took the time to enter and read E.A. West's post on autism.

No Strings Attached Blog Hop

Wow! No sooner does one blog hop end than another begins! Someone (me!) wasn't looking at the calendar when she signed up for two in a row...but that's okay, because I love all of you and was eager to participate in an opportunity to show it by joining the No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop, once again sponsored by the totally awesome Kathy Habel of I am a Reader, Not a Writer.



There are no hoops to jump through for this giveaway. Just one simple requirement: you must leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS on this post, because honestly, how can I track you down and let you know you won if I don't have your email address?

The prize? A copy of my newest medieval romance, Dangerous Favor . Here's the back cover blurb:


Mathilde needs a champion.
Her father has been accused of stealing from the king, an allegation that has reduced her family to poverty. She has one chance to find and marry a man who can help her prove her father's innocence. Lord Therri, heir to a rich barony, has the wealth and connections Mathilde needs to delve into the mysteries of her father's past. Furthermore, Therri embodies all her romantic dreams.
Etienne, the younger son of a disgraced family, has neither wealth nor connections, but is smitten with Mathilde at a glance. She finds the knight intriguing, but believes he is only out to seduce her. While she seeks for a way to win Therri's attention, Etienne tricks her into granting him her favor, an embroidered white ribbon, for a tournament, setting in motion a dangerous chain reaction of events. Can Etienne save Mathilde from a nightmare from her past and prove himself the true hero of her dreams?
The winner may have their choice of print, Kindle, or Nook copy. International entries are welcome, as long as The Book Depository mails to your address. Click here to see if they ship to you.
Deadline for entries is midnight PST, April 22nd. The winner will be drawn by Random.org on April 23.
All entered? Then hop on along to find some more fantastic no-strings-attached prizes below!
OFFICIAL RULES:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARYEntrants must be 18 years or olderGiveaway opens April 17, 2012 and runs through April 22, 2012Entries may be left in a comment or sent via email to jdipastena@yahoo.comWinners will be selected on April 23. Winners have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win.Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be reawardedSponsor name and contact info: Joyce DiPastena, jdipastena@yahoo.com or PO Box 673, Kearny, AZ 85137VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW

Medieval Word of the Day

Jongleur: An itinerate minstrel, poet, or entertainer in medieval France

Autism Awareness Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Autism Awareness Giveaway Hop, sponsored by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer, Just Another Book Addict, Fire and Ice, and Page Turners. Here at JDP NEWS, I am giving away a copy of the e-book, The Key to Charlotte , by E.A. West. E.A. writes sweet and inspirational romances, and is herself autistic. She speaks eloquently about autism in her April 1, 2012 blog post on Autism Awareness Month. Here is an excerpt that particularly touched my heart:

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid too many autistic girls will haveto deal with the same confusing adolescence I did, where they are told byprofessionals that they are perfectly normal yet know inside that there issomething "wrong" with them, something that makes them different from everyonearound them.

If you're a girl dealing with these feelings or you know agirl who is, I can say one thing with absolute certainty based on my ownexperiences: There is nothing wrong with you. You are perfect the way God madeyou. It's tough never fitting into any group, even your own family, and alwaysknowing you are different from everyone around you, but there are other peoplein this world like you, other people who have been through what you are goingthrough now." 
I hope you will take time to read the rest of E.A.'s post here.
Now here is a description of The Key to Charlotte :
Charlotte Harris can't speak due to a quirk in herautistic brain, but that doesn't stop her from communicating with others.Unfortunately, it prevents her from achieving two of her dreams--praising Godthrough song and to carrying on a simple conversation using her own voice.
Zakaria Rush is the new Director of Children's Ministriesat Charlotte's church, and he can't keep his thoughts off the partially muteblonde with a love for guitar music. Her love of the simple things in lifeintrigues him and makes him long to give her what she wants more than anything:her voice.
Can Zakaria help Charlotte find the key to unlocking herability to speak, or will his attempt to help her only lock away their chancefor love?
My giveaway is open to international entries, as long as you're able to receive a Kindle or Nook gift option. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post with your name and email address. If I can't contact you because I don't have your email address, I will draw another name.
This giveaway ends at midnight PST on April 17th. I'll announce the winner here at JDP NEWS on April 18th.
All entered? Then hop along to find some more great prizes at the links below!

Medieval Word of the Day

Pommel: A counterweight, usually in the shape of a circle or ball, at the top of the handle (hilt) of a sword or dagger, often intricately decorated; derived from Latin word for "little apple"



The circular top of this sword is the "pommel"
(Thank you to Arms & Armor for this image)

Medieval Word of the Day

lèse majesté : Literally "injured majesty"; a crime such as treason committed against the king
Go to Google Translate, type lèse majesté under French and click on the little "listen" icon to hear how to pronounce this phrase.

Sunday Will Come

Happy Easter, everyone!

Medieval Word of the Day

Wardrobe: A medieval wardrobe could be a free standing closet like this:



(courtesy of Early Oak Reproductions)
But in  Dangerous Favor , "wardrobe" refers to a room or (for a king or great noble) a series of rooms in a castle that housed his robes, jewelry, and other personal valuables (including spices!), as well as cash and important documents; the King's Wardrobe included his personal treasury