My Own Mr. Darcy by Karey White

After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough.

Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

Interview with Janessa (Lizzie's best friend)

Q: Hi Janessa. So glad you could stop by.

A: It's great to be here. I'm always happy to talk about Lizzie. We've been friends most of our lives, you know.

Q: Then you knew her before her obsession began?

A: Oh yeah. Before we went and saw THE MOVIE (Pride and Prejudice), she was like any other girl. She'd had a huge crush on Jake, a kid from the soccer team. And then, bam! No more high school crushes for Lizzie!

Q: Did you notice the change right away?

A: I noticed she never talked about the boys at our school anymore, but it wasn't until about a year later that I found out why. At first I thought, sure, who doesn't like Mr. Darcy? But over the years it just got out of hand. I tried to set her up a few times. I even tried to set her up with Ben's brother, but she wasn't interested. 

Q: Why wasn't she interested?

A: Because he had blond hair. (sigh) Oh Lizzie.

Q: Tell us some of Lizzie's good qualities.

A: She's funny. She's loyal. She sticks up for people. She doesn't like to see anyone bullied or anyone's feelings hurt. Once when we were in college, we were driving by an junior high school and she saw some boys picking on another boy. Even though most of them were bigger than Lizzie, she stopped the car, hopped out and told the boys to leave him alone. She said, "If I have to, I'll follow you home and talk to your mothers." The boys took off. 

Q: Anything else you'd like to share?

A: She's pretty, but she doesn't know it. She has great style. And she's seriously the best friend a girl could ask for.

Q: Tell us about Lizzie's faults.

A: She's super stubborn, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when you're obsessed with a movie... Well, you know. Sometimes she's way too hard on herself.  And sometimes her expectations are completely unrealistic. Oh, and she's a food snob.

Q: Have you met Matt and Chad?

A: Yes, I've met them both.

Q: Give us three words to describe Matt.

A: Rich. Smart. Handsome. He really is handsome and he's a dead ringer for Mr. Darcy. It's crazy.

Q: Give us three words about Chad.

A: Cute, gentleman, super nice. I guess that's four, huh?

Q: Do you think readers will like Lizzie?

A: I sure hope so. She's a pretty awesome person and even though she has this silly obsession, she's smart and so nice. I love her.

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Author Karey White

Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.

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Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Midnight Masquerade by Marcia Lynn McClure Blog Tour

Stavos Voronin was not as blind-eyed as many nobles and royals. Evony’s physical gestures—even the simplest movement of her hands—revealed that she had not always been destitute. The same was true of the children—of their polished manners and the boy’s knowledge of horses and tendency to be bold and fearless of strangers.

Ah yes, Stavos enjoyed a good mystery. After all, interest in the inexplicable circumstances surrounding the royals of Abawyth was the very thing that had lured him to the kingdom—the enigma of Abawyth’s twelve sleepy princesses. And yet now—now his mind was all the more intrigued. Not only was the obscurity of what had caused the profound and baffling torpidity of Abawyth’s princesses laid out before him, but also he found his curiosity intensely piqued over the riddle surrounding the very lovely Evony and her siblings.
As Stavos strode through the village resting on the outskirts of Abawyth Castle, his mind reeled with possibilities. His musings were drawn back to why he had come to Abawyth at all—to solve the conundrum surrounding the twelve beautiful princesses of Abawyth kingdom—to solve the seemingly impenetrable crux and thereby win the hand of one of Abawyth’s princesses, as his father, King Letholdus of Ethiarien, had commanded.

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Book Excerpt:

She was tired—oh so very, very tired. Never—not in all her life—had Evony Elorietta known such thoroughgoing fatigue. As she trudged out of the dark woods still veiled in the shadows of early sunrise, out across the expanse of cold, dew-drenched grass and onto the main road of the village, Evony wondered how she would ever endure a day that was only just beginning. Every bone in her body ached—every muscle throbbed in misery, every inch of her flesh begged for respite. Yet there would be none—at least not until she had finished her stitching—finished the near thirteen hours of sewing she now faced under the ever observant, incessantly critical eye of seamstress Agnes Teche.

After such a long, chilled, and sleepless night spent in watching—peering through the darkness and into the rooms of the inn in the woods, until her eyes were too dry to watch any longer—after listening to the shallow, often vile conversations, until her ears hurt from the foul ferment of it—Evony dreaded sewing for Mrs. Teche more than ever before. The woman was a banshee of an employer. And yet, she was grateful Mrs. Teche had had the keen eye to recognize Evony’s superior skills with needle and thread—for how else would Evony have managed to feed Mikol and Tressa—to shelter them—to keep them hidden?




Author Marcia Lynn McClure’s intoxicating succession of novels, novellas, and e-books, has established her as one of the most favored and engaging authors of true romance. Her unprecedented forte in weaving captivating stories of western, medieval, regency, and contemporary amour void of brusque intimacy has earned her the title “The Queen of Kissing.”

Marcia, who was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has spent her life intrigued with people, history, love, and romance. A wife, mother, grandmother, family historian, poet, and author, Marcia Lynn McClure spins her tales of splendor for the sake of offering respite through the beauty, mirth, and delight of a worthwhile and wonderful story.

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Character Interview by Author Olivia Carter

Jake: The boy behind the story



Q: So Jake, first I just want to thank you for agreeing to meet with me today. We learned so much about you from Molly, but I can’t tell you how exciting it is to talk with you.
Jake: Yeah, I don’t usually do this kind of stuff. Molly does the storytelling. She’s got that longwinded thing going on. You know, like her Mom. But, I’ll do my best to give you a good conversation.

Q: I’m sure you will. Speaking of Molly, maybe you could start by sharing a little about the day the two of you met, you know, from your perspective.
Jake: Of course. Actually, the day I met Molly was not my best day. I almost lost my job the night before, boss was making cuts, you know. And Tad had come down with some kind of cold. It was just a bad day. And then she showed up, and I was just supposed to be rerouting some wires in the sound booth for Sunday. No big, right? But you know Molly, what with her attitude. She struck something in me from the beginning. It’s just like she puts it, when they drove away. I couldn’t stop thinking about her either.

Q: So there’s a little chemistry between the two of you then?
Jake: (Laughing) Yeah, no comment.

Q: All right, then let’s talk about something else. Every time Molly mentions you it’s at the church, but, obviously, a teenager like yourself has other pastimes. What kinds of things do you do for fun?
Jake: Ha, yeah. Um, for the most part, if I’m not working, then I’m out walking or biking or something. And if it’s too scorching for that, which it usually is, then I’m working on my music. Music is my life. It brings people together, you know? But, honestly, I spend a lot of time at home with Tad. Not your average teenager, I guess.

Q: You sure aren’t. But, I have to ask, if you love music so much, why aren’t you in the band?
Jake: Funny story, the guys asked me to be in their band. It was probably about two years ago now. They check up every now and then to see if I changed my mind. But I’m more of a solo act. Not like it’s an ego thing, just. I have a special relationship with my music. I don’t exactly like performing. I feel like everyone is always judging me.

Q: A trait you and Molly seem to share. What else have you noticed the two of you have in common?
Jake: Molly and I have a lot in common, I’m finding. We both love to write, for one thing. And we both love observing people. She’s a little more impulsive than I am. I like to think everything through logically, whereas she tends to just act. Actually, now that I think about it, we have about as much in common as we have different. But, it’s a good balance.

Q: Sounds like it. Now, you’ve basically grown up with your grandfather and Tad. That couldn’t have been a perfect balance all the time. What would your advice be to teens like yourself whose parents aren’t around?
Jake: Gee, that’s a tough one. But, I like to focus on the people I have in my life. Not the people I don’t. Everything happens for a reason, you know. People come and go, but the ones that stay for good, those are the ones who really matter. I can honestly say that not knowing my biological Mom always left me feeling a little incomplete. And when my dad left, it got even harder. But I always had Gumpa and Tad. And I figure there’s a reason I had the two of them instead of Mom and Dad. So, maybe, just focus on the good instead of the bad.

Q: That’s some really great advice. Obviously, your grandfather and your little brother are a very important part of your life.
Jake: You know, they really are. And now Molly is too. I have no doubt the two of us met when we did for a reason. Things have been a bit rough lately but I think having her around is really going to help.

Q: That is really great. Hopefully, the two of you can spend more time together now.
Jake: Yeah, actually, I think we’re going to end up going to the same school this fall. You know, for tenth grade. Geez, I tell you. It’ll be nice to have someone at school to talk to.

Q: So, am I to understand that you didn’t have many friends at your previous school?
Jake: Eh, not too many. Most of my friends are at church, and they’re really only surface friends, you know. It’s not like they really know me. The only good friend I have is Jim Collins. I think Molly mentioned him. We go way back, Jim and me. Used to race tricycles and have sand eating contests back in the day.

Q: Molly does mention Jim, actually. In fact, it almost seems as if she has feelings for him. How does that play into your relationship?
Jake: Truth is, Molly and I did hit it off. And it’s still hard, you know. I do love her. But I think the way things are is the way things should be. As far as Molly and Jim, well, between you and me, the two of them have secretly had it bad for each other forever. And if I know either of them I can pretty much guarantee you it’s going to be an adventure waiting for them to admit it.

Q: Well, that’s an adventure I think we’re all looking forward to. Thanks again for sharing with us. It has been great getting to know you a bit better and to hear the story ‘through your eyes’. And good luck with school this fall. We can’t wait to hear more about the special connection between you and Molly.
Jake: Sure thing. Molly definitely won’t be giving up on the story any time soon, I can tell you that.





About the Author:

Olivia Carter is a dual enrolled high school and college student residing in Arizona. She lives with her parents, younger brother, seven rescue cats and three dogs. She enjoys painting, photography, and looks forward to attending University with a major in ancient history.

Website: http://ocarterbooks.com/

Click for list of Jake's blog tour schedule at Irresistable Reads.




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Sweet Mercy by Ann Tatlock

Interview with Eve Marryat (Main character of Sweet Mercy)

by Ann Tatlock

Introduce us to yourself in a few sentences, Eve.

Well, I’m a 17-year-old girl who grew up mostly in St. Paul, Minnesota. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that, since everyone knows St. Paul is a notorious haven for gangsters. I mean, soon as one of them escapes from prison, they make a bee-line for St. Paul because they know they’ll be safe there. Bank robbers, murderers, kidnappers, bootleggers, money launderers—they’re drawn to that city like flies to honey and the so –called lawmen just turn a blind eye and let them stay (for a bribe, of course) as long as they do their business outside the city limits. Well, I guess this is telling you more about St. Paul than myself. But I’m just glad Daddy moved us away from there.

It must have been kind of scary, living in such a crime-ridden city.

Scary is the word for it, all right. I’ll tell you, the scariest moment of my life was when I saw a man machine-gunned to death. Mother, Daddy and I were walking in downtown St. Paul when a big black car rolled past us with the barrel of a tommy gun poking out the back window and suddenly the man ahead of us was lifted up off the sidewalk in a hail of bullets. In the next moment his body landed in a bloody heap right on the front doorstep of a Jewish deli. That’s why I was glad when Daddy said we were leaving St. Paul.

So why did you leave and where did you go?

Daddy worked a long time for the Ford plant in St. Paul but like a whole lot of other people he lost his job after the stock market crashed. So he decided to move us to Mercy, Ohio, to work with his brother, “us” being him and me and Mother. My older sister Cassandra stayed in Minnesota, thank goodness. She and I have never gotten along very well. I guess we’re just too different. I mean, she spent years going to speakeasies and drinking out of hip flasks and partying all night. I’m not kidding when I tell you she used to dream of being a moll. If she could have married a gangster like Bugs Moran she would have. Just for the fun of it. But of course she got pregnant and ended up marrying someone else. Serves her right.

Do you like where you’re living now?

I love my new home at Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge! I love this place and I’m so glad Uncle Cy invited us to come live and work here. The island in the Little Miami River is just heavenly. People come from all over the place to stay at the lodge and to swim, picnic and dance on the island. It’s the sweetest place on earth, and no more gangsters like up in St. Paul.

You have one more year of high school, and then what?

I want to go to college. I study hard and I’m a pretty good student. Every year since Prohibition started, the St. Paul chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union has sponsored an essay contest for high school s students and last year my essay won first prize. Anyway, I’m not sure yet where I want to go to college or what I want to be. All I know for sure is that I want to help people and do something that will make the world a better place. Heaven knows, it sure could use some improving.

What about getting married and having a family?

Cassandra says I’m going to be an old maid and whenever she’s mad at me, which is just about all the time, she calls me an ugly duckling and a mean-faced little rat. Maybe I’ll never get married but I tell her better an old maid than a moll! Secretly, though, I hope she’s wrong because I’d like to be in love one day. Maybe I’m not beautiful like Cassandra, but still, maybe someday someone will love me.

What are you passionate about these days?

I’m passionate about keeping the laws of Prohibition and I think everybody else should be too. The government has said no drinking and they mean NO DRINKING! So what does everybody do? People are making gin at home in their bathtubs and moonshine in a million stills out in the woods. And you know what that moonshine’s got in it, don’t you? Rubbing alcohol, embalming fluid, antifreeze and other toxic stuff that was never meant for human consumption. And people drink it anyway! Of course genuine liquor is being smuggled in over the borders and selling it is what’s making the gangsters like Al Capone rich. You tell people not to drink and suddenly everybody wants to drink! I just don’t understand it.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

You’re probably not going to believe this, but I met Al Capone and the man was actually nice to me. I mean, really nice. Of course, at the time I was just a kid and I didn’t even know it was Al Capone. If you want to find out how I met him, you’ll just have to read my story in Sweet Mercy.

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Sweet Mercy

Stunning coming-of-age drama set during the Great Depression and Prohibition

When Eve Marryat's father is laid off from the Ford Motor Company in 1931, he is forced to support his family by leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, and moving back to his Ohio roots. Eve's uncle Cyrus has invited the family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge.

Eve can't wait to leave St. Paul, a notorious haven for gangsters. At seventeen, she considers her family to be "good people," not lawbreakers like so many in her neighborhood. Thrilled to be moving to a "safe haven," Eve soon forms an unlikely friendship with a strange young man named Link, blissfully unaware that her uncle's lodge is anything but what it seems.

When the reality of her situation finally becomes clear, Eve is faced with a dilemma. Does she dare risk everything by exposing the man whose love and generosity is keeping her family from ruin? And when things turn dangerous, can she trust Link in spite of appearances?

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Ann Tatlock

Ann Tatlock is the author of the Christy-Award winning novel Promises to Keep. She has also won the Midwest Independent Publishers Association "Book of the Year" in fiction for both All the Way Home and I'll Watch the Moon. Her novel Things We Once Held Dear received a starred review from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly calls her "one of Christian fiction's better wordsmiths, and her lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories." Ann lives with her husband and daughter in Asheville, North Carolina.

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1 winner will receive a copy of 3 of Ann's Books

Sweet Mercy, Travelers Rest and Promises to Keep

Open to US & Canada Only

Ends 5/21/13

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Daynight by Megan Thomason

daynight by Megan Thomason

Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Earth’s benevolent non-profit by day, Thera’s totalitarian regime by night. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance™. Reality: the SCI subjects Second Chancers to strict controls and politically motivated science experiments like Cleaving—forced lifetime union between two people who have sex.

Meet Kira Donovan. Fiercely loyal, overly optimistic, and ensnared by the promise of a full-ride college scholarship, Kira signs the SCI Recruit contract to escape memories of a tragedy that left her boyfriend and friends dead.

Meet Blake Sundry. Bitter about being raised in Exile and his mother’s death, Blake’s been trained to infiltrate and destroy the SCI. Current barrier to success? His Recruit partner—Miss Goody Two Shoes Kira Donovan.

Meet Ethan Darcton. Born with a defective heart and resulting inferiority complex, Ethan’s forced to do his SCI elite family’s bidding. Cleave-worthy Kira Donovan catches his eye, but the presiding powers give defect-free Blake Sundry first dibs.

Full of competing agendas, romantic entanglements, humor, twists and turns, daynight is Megan Thomason’s debut young adult dystopian novel and first in the daynight series.

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Praise

“Sure to win over YA readers looking for a dangerous, dystopian adventure story” —Kirkus Reviews
“Gripping young adult dystopian novel; compelling conflicts; high stakes; powerful narrative; surprises keep coming; strong writing; page-turner; engaging characters; Readers will be hungry for the sequels.”—BlueInk Review (starred review)

“The writing is impressive and the story is a real page-turner. So many twists and turns… I’m hooked… I can’t wait for the next installment to come out…4.5 out of 5 stars”—Self-Publishing Review

“Delicious humor, intelligence, and sparkling dialogue” —Amazon reviewer

“Strangely brilliant and imaginative”—Amazon reviewer

“Grips you from the first page and keeps you wanting more”—Amazon reviewer

“Plot twists kept me reading till late at night”—Amazon reviewer

“Every page a thrilling experience”—Amazon reviewer

“Hooked from the first chapter and could not put it down”—Amazon reviewer

“It's like a CW fantasy TV show in a book with a really interesting environment.”—Amazon reviewer

“I'm a little tired of dystopian novels, but Daynight has a unique and fresh story line that didn't have any trouble keeping my interest.”—Amazon reviewer

Author Megan Thomason

Megan Thomason lives in paradise aka San Diego, CA with her husband and five children. A former software manager, Megan vastly prefers writing twisted tales to business, product, and marketing plans. When she isn't typing away on her laptop, she's reading books on her phone—over 600 in the last year—or attending to the needs of her family. Megan’s fluent in sarcasm, could potentially benefit from a 12-step program for road rage, struggles with a Hot Tamales addiction, loves world travel & fast cars and hates paperwork & being an insomniac. Daynight is Megan's first published novel, but fourth written one.

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Blog Tour Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card
Signed copy of Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Signed copy of daynight

Ends 2/7/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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For What It's Worth by Karey White

For What It's Worth by Karey White


Twenty-four year-old, Abby Benson has dreams of owning her own wedding cake shop. An inheritance from her aunt gives her the ability to make those dreams come true. She hires Dane, a handsome contractor, to help her get the bakery up and running and soon they’re moving toward their own happy ending.

Unsure what to charge for her cakes, Abby has a crazy idea to let the customer decide what they think their cake is worth. This plan has its ups and downs, but the novelty of the idea makes her a local celebrity. When she is interviewed on television about the unusual idea, business booms and Abby has cake adventures she never dreamed possible. But as her fame grows, Abby is swept up in a whirlwind that threatens everything she values. With the challenges that face her, will she be able to determine what is worth the most?

Praise for For What It's Worth


Reading Karey White’s books, like eating chocolate cake, is always satisfying and brings a smile to my face. For What It’s Worth is light, romantic, and delicious. It’s a great pleasure read. Sit down and get lost in the charming world of wedding cakes and love. As an added bonus, each chapter  starts with a recipe, so it’s a novel and cookbook all in one. A fun read!
—Teri Harman, KSL columnist, Studio 5 contributor, and author of Blood Moon, available June 22, 2013

I just loved the book – loved it. Hated putting it down and hated finishing it. Karey White is my new Maeve Binchy, her writing as warm as the bakery her novel is set in. For What It’s Worth surprised me, made me smile, say “no” out loud in a public place. I love when a character feels like my sister. I didn’t want to finish it, so now I may try the recipes that began every chapter.
—Amanda Dickson, author and radio personality

This book oozes charm, romance, and mouth-watering recipes. If you want to escape reality and curl up with a darling story, For What It’s Worth is the perfect fit. Thank you, Karey White!
—Rachael Anderson, author

This is a book worth every penny of the price. In the business of baking wedding cakes, every detail must be perfection, but this story remembers that real life is oh-so-messy. White’s clear and honest writing left me hungry for good food, a close family, and a little romance. A beautiful marriage of food, family, and faith.
—Regina Sirois, author of On Little Wings, 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

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Book Trailer

Author Karey White


Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.

She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.

Links

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Blog Tour December 2012

Tour Schedule

Book Blast Giveaway Details
$50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash from Author Karey White
Ends 12/14/12
*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow Karey and leave the others blank.


Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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The Do's and Don'ts of a Literary Journey by Vickie Hall

Vickie is the author of Secrets of the Red Box. She is a native of Utah, but growing up, lived in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Nebraska. When she is not writing, she's composing music, or shopping with her sister. She loves animals of all kinds and camping with her family. Her favorite pastime is watching old movies on TCM, and unashamedly has a crush on Cary Grant. She is also the author of the book, All That Was Promised.

Secrets of the Red Box
Bonnie has secrets to keep- secrets with the potential to destroy lives, including her own. Running from her destructive and pain filled past, she recreates herself, believing sh has escaped the damning evidence hidden in the red box. When her former life is revealed by a cruel twist of fate, Bonnie faces losing everything, including Glen, the only man she's ever loved. But is Bonnie the woman he thinks she is? Set against the backdrop of the 1940's, Secrets of the Red Box is filled with intrigue and suspense- sure to keep you guessing to the very end!

5 Do's

1. Keep writing, no matter what.

2. Marketing is essential to your success, but find what works for you.

3. Continue to hone your craft - you can always learn something new that will make you a better writer.

4. Seek honest critiques of your work - family and friends are too nice.

5. Always keep a supply of your favorite snacks handy when writing.

5 Don'ts

1. Don't go to a book signing and just sit - you have to engage your potential readers with conversation and interaction.

2. You don't need an agent or a publisher to be a successful writer in today's world.

3. Don't be shy about your writing - tell everyone you meet to check out your work.

4. Don't let a publisher take advantage of you - read a contract very carefully and seek legal advise if necessary to fully understand what you're signing.

5. Don't self-edit your writing - by that I mean, write as freely as you can, without too much interjection of your; inner critic. You can always go back and revise, edit, and change, but doing so while you're writing can sometimes diminish the impact.

5 Books every aspiring author should have on their bookshelf and why?

1. The Power of Point of View by Alicia Rasley

This is a great resource for discovering what perspective works best for you, or for the genre you write.

2. Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
This book really helps define what makes a great character, how to raise the emotional stakes, transformations and why your characters need to change.

3. A copy of the book that made you want to be a writer

4. The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
Still a useful resource, with usage and composition rules, commonly misused words and expressions, and the Approach to Style section is great.

5. Writing on Both Sides of the Brain: Breakthrough Techniques for People Who Write by Henriette Anne Klauser PhD
Left brain is analytical, mathematical, straight line thinking. Right brain is creative, uncensored and free.Tapping into the right brain can open avenues of writing you might never have considered.

You can continue to follow Vickie's journey at the following:

Blog

Website

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Grace Doll by Jennifer Laurens

Grace Doll by Jennifer Laurens

Grace Doll had everything a girl could want: Fame. Fortune. Beauty.

Everything except, of course, her freedom. So when a powerful movie producer forces an experimental treatment on Grace--one that's purported to make beauty immortal--she stages her own death to escape him.

With the help of trusted friends, Grace slips into hiding. She's forever flawless, forever young and forever pursued by her past.

But when a stranger arrives on her doorstep, holding the key to a life she thought she'd left behind, Grace must decide between the safety she's known... and embracing the role she was born to play.

Purchase:

Barnes & Noble * Amazon * Book Depository

Goodreads

About the Author:


I write YA books. Whatever my heart desires, I write. I don't have someone over my shoulder, in some office somewhere telling me what I can and cannot write. Or should and shouldn't write. I listen to my heart, the center of my muse, and trust my instincts.

I've written since junior high school. An only child, I grew up writing big stories about big families. I also write YA under the name of JM Warwick. My hometown of Palos Verdes, California figures in much of my work, as does my current home of Pleasant Grove, Utah and other favorite places. I love to travel.

They say "write what you know" and I do. I am a mother, I have six children, five cats and a huge doberman/dane dog. I have a supportive husband and we've been married 25 years. Our lives, though challenging with a handicapped child who has autism, are centered in our family.

My life experiences have worked into all of my novels. Some more heavily than others, but parts of me are in each story. I love stories rich in family drama, where family members overcome obstacles through love and miracles.

Links:

Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook

Tour Giveaway:

$10 Amazon Gift Card + Copy of Grace Doll & Swag
Copy of Grace Doll
(Paperback open to US only, Ebook Internationally)

Ends 11/15/12

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Guest Post By Rachael Anderson w/ Giveaway

Unknowingly cast as the bachelorette for her town’s charity event, Taycee Emerson wants out. Especially when she discovers her old teenage crush, Luke Carney, is one of the bachelors and it's up to the viewers--not her--to decide which bachelors stay or go. Coerced into participating, Taycee does what any self-preserving girl would do. She launches a subtle attack on Luke’s good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show. Unfortunately, Luke's an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she's up to, it means revenge. But when their pranks go south, will they screw up any chance they have at a future together, or will they be able to forgive and forget and prove that love really does conquer all?

My journey into the world of publishing is probably one of the most uneventful stories ever. I wrote a book (that took me six years to complete), submitted it to one publisher, and got accepted. It's something I credit to divine intervention because I didn't know a whole lot about writing back then. The only thing I knew is that I enjoyed creating a story.

That being said, if hadn't made it off my computer, I really don't think I would have kept writing. I realize that makes me sound like a quitter, but writing is a HUGE time investment, and I wasn't willing to continue to give up that much time without seeing any results of all that labor. I hate the idea of wasted time, and I would rather do something worthwhile than endlessly type out words on a computer screen. Like spending time with my family or creating scrapbooks for my kids or keeping my house cleaner and cooking better meals.

But my book got published, and so I continued to write. I started going to conferences, reading books on writing, and doing everything I could to improve my meager skills. I saw it as my opportunity to put more clean, uplifting, and fun books out there that are becoming so much harder to find these days.

I know that my journey to this point sounds pretty easy, but I still get discouraged. It still stings when I read a negative review. And I still sacrifice a lot of time to keep at this. But early on, I found a purpose--my own reason to keep on keeping on even when life throws you a mountain to climb.

So for all of you up and coming authors out there, if I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to find your own purpose.

~ Rachael
www.rachaelreneeanderson.com

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To enter the Reluctant Bachelorette Giveaway for a $15 Amazon gift card plus other goodies, fill out the rafflecopter form below. A special thank you to I Am a Reader, Not a Writer for hosting this blog tour. You can visit her blog for the complete tour schedule.

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