Month: September 2016

It’s Here! Befriending the Beast | giveaway and fun stuff

Published on by Amanda Tero32 Comments

Wow. How did I get here? When I think back to that one question…

It was just going to be a short story. And, it was just going to be “an idea for sometime.” Within three months (THREE MONTHS!), the Lord had given me time, ideas, and help to make one question into a novella and published. Wow! I’m seriously overwhelmed here, y’all!
First things first. A few weeks back, I had a little guessing game, for how many words would end up in Belle’s story. I didn’t know what this number would end up being, and it was such a blast to see over fifty people join in the fun! My personal guesstimation was that Befriending the Beast would end up being 14,000 words. I was one of the closer guessers (no, this wasn’t on purpose), but several people guessed even closer to the final word count than I did.
So, what was the final word count? According to Microsoft Word…
14,409!!
The closest guesser was Eliza Noel! She guessed 14,389 words and will get a paperback copy of Befriending the Beast. Runner-up was Alicia Ruggieri, who guessed 14,372 words, and will receive an eBook.
Yep, about double my original word count. 🙂 
But, maybe you’ve not heard anything about the story yet. So let’s move on to Belle…

In case you can’t watch the trailer, here’s about the book:
Belle has returned unannounced to the castle to restore her relationship with the king, her father. Her hopes are dashed with the devastating message: “The king refuses to see you.” Convinced that God has led her home, she is unwilling to return to Lord and Lady Kiralyn.

Time is running out for the decision that will change her life. When tragedy strikes, will she and her father be pulled further apart or knit together? Could she stay at the castle even if she will never see her father again?

And, as I like all things reduced-prized and free, here’s two things I don’t want you to miss out on!

1) Reduced price!

Purchase Link
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L2IDEUQ#nav-subnav

2) Giveaway! (of course)

U.S. Giveaway: Enter to win one of two paperback copies of “Befriending the Beast”
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab18/?
International Giveaway: Enter to win one of two eBook copies of “Befriending the Beast”
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab19/?
One last thing: if you’re on FaceBook, author Faith Blum and I are joining together to have a super fun party this afternoon (2-4 Central Time) to celebrate the releases of our new works. Of course you’re invited to join us, if you’re on FB!

Five Fall Favorites – Day Five

Published on by Amanda Tero14 Comments

This is the last day I’m participating in the Five Fall Favorites and I’ve had a blast! Don’t forget, there’s a giveaway at another blog’s book room PLUS the grand-prize giveaway on Rebekah’s blog, so check out the other blogs! And, one more thing… Rebekah put together a FFF Survey — how did YOU like this party? Fill out the form and get a free eBook short story! (and thank you — because your feedback will help make future parties even better!)



Today’s five favorites are a little challenging. I need to think back over a decade. 😉 But we’ll see how I can do…

5 Favorite Middle-Grade Books

I’m guessing at what goes in this category, to be honest. 😉 Some of these I remember loving, but it’s been a while since I’ve read them so I don’t have a review.\

1) Orphan Train Rider by Andrea Warren

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2) Adventures and Adversities by Sarah Holman

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3) The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

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4) The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

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5) Alone Yet Not Alone by Tracy Michelle Leininger

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Children/Picture
I shouldn’t have to think this hard. I really, really shouldn’t. After all, I have seven younger siblings and I know I’ve read them all books since I myself read them. But I still had to rack my brain!

1) Counting Blessings by Eileen Spinelli

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2) Little Jewel books by Rod and Staff (various books by various authors)

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3) I Spy by Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo
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4) If You Give a Moose a Muffin (and others in this series) by Laura Joffe Numeroff

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5) A Little Girl after God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George

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5 Other Blogs
Want to read more favorites? Click on the images to hop over to these blogs and see what they have to share. Don’t forget: one of these blogs is having a giveaway today!

Be sure to stop by Rebekah’s blog for the big giveaway!! It ends tonight!! (note: giveaway includes an “idea jar” as well as paperback copies of the featured books).

It’s Here! Befriending the Beast

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment

Wow. How did I get here? When I think back to that one question…

 

It was just going to be a short story. And, it was just going to be “an idea for sometime.” Within three months (THREE MONTHS!), the Lord had given me time, ideas, and help to make one question into a novella and published. Wow! I’m seriously overwhelmed here, y’all!
First things first. A few weeks back, I had a little guessing game, for how many words would end up in Belle’s story. I didn’t know what this number would end up being, and it was such a blast to see over fifty people join in the fun! My personal guesstimation was that Befriending the Beast would end up being 14,000 words. I was one of the closer guessers (no, this wasn’t on purpose), but several people guessed even closer to the final word count than I did.
So, what was the final word count? According to Microsoft Word…
14,409!!
The closest guesser was Eliza Noel! She guessed 14,389 words and will get a paperback copy of Befriending the Beast. Runner-up was Alicia Ruggieri, who guessed 13,372 words, and will receive an eBook.
Yep, about double my original word count. 🙂
But, maybe you’ve not heard anything about the story yet. So let’s move on to Belle…

 

In case you can’t watch the trailer, here’s about the book:
Belle has returned unannounced to the castle to restore her relationship with the
king, her father. Her hopes are dashed with the devastating message: “The
king refuses to see you.” Convinced that God has led her home, she is
unwilling to return to Lord and Lady Kiralyn.
Timemis running out for the decision that will change her life. When tragedy
strikes, will she and her father be pulled further apart or knit together?
Could she stay at the castle even if she will never see her father again?
 
And, as I like all things reduced-prized and free, here’s two things I don’t want you to miss out on!
 
1) Reduced price!
 
Purchase Link
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L2IDEUQ#nav-subnav
 
2) Giveaway! (of course)
 
U.S. Giveaway: Enter to win one of two paperback copies of “Befriending the
Beast”
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab18/?
International Giveaway: Enter to win one of two eBook copies of “Befriending the
Beast”
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab19/?
One last thing: if you’re on FaceBook, author Faith Blum and I are joining together to have a super fun party this afternoon (2-4 Central Time) to celebrate the releases of our new works. Of course you’re invited to join us, if you’re on FB!

Lesa McKee | Author Interview

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
I’m happy to have one of my newer author-friends here on the blog today with her newest release!

In a nutshell, what do you write​?​

I write feel good fiction. Everything I write tends to have a bit of humor in it. I love the combo of faith and fun. I have a short story series coming out soon, ‘Operation Space Cats’ that reflects this sentiment. And another in the works. A Christian historical romance series, ‘Bridal Falls’.

I love humor in writing (and in life in general 😉 ). What spurred on the desire for writing​?​I had one interviewer ask me if I thought writing was a gift or a curse. And I told her a gift because God doesn’t make mistakes.:) So I think of writing (just as my love of singing) as a calling.

Couldn’t agree more! How do you balance writing with living — or is writing your full-time job?

Writing is my full-time (unpaid as of yet) job. It’s my dream job, and I want to make the most of it.

Nothing better than being able to do your dream job! Who do you hope to reach with your writing?

I think Christian parents/ homeschooling moms (and the kiddos) would LOVE the Operation Space Cats series. The cats are fun, but they also teach lessons in faith along the way. At the end of each book there’s a list of questions for kids to ponder that recaps the lessons in the book.

Bridal Falls is more a Christian woman’s read. Those who love a smile served up with their sweet (and clean) romance. Faith, of course will be on the menu.

Sounds like a fun series! If someone asked you for your best writing tip, what would it be?

Find some critique partners, and learn how to critique (and how to gracefully accept your work being critiqued). I had no idea how much there was to learn about writing (I mean, I’d been an avid reader all my life) until I joined a critiquing site, submitted my stories, and bam! My perfect storylines were riddled with bad writing mistakes. The whole critiquing process made me a much better writer, and I’m still improving.:)

Fantastic tip! I have definitely learned a lot from my critique partners! What are three things that you greatly enjoy doing?

Other than writing and reading? Since that’s pretty obvious.:)

Flower shopping, and flower & container designing. Spring is the best time for this! I look forward to it all winter.:)

I love to bake. I always wanted to open a little bakery, and in another interview I did I mentioned I should combine these two loves (writing and baking) and open an Indie books & cupcake shop.

I would name each cupcake after a fellow Indie author, and design their cupcake around their latest book. How about a Vanilla bean cupcake with strawberry filling and cheesecake frosting with a miniature train on top for yours, Amanda? 🙂

I love it!! Those happen to be flavors I love too. 😛 Delicious!

ABOUT LESA

Lesa McKee grew up at her Grandmother’s knee, listening to the French folk-tales her animated Grandma Ida shared. A love of stories was born and her imagination took off!
She’s now living her dream as a Christian Indie writer of feel-good fiction, including a short story series of far-out space cats, titled ‘Operation Space Cats’. These purrific feline adventures are filled with faith, friendship & fun!

Connect with Lesa online:http://lesamckee.com/
http://lesamckee.com/blog/

http://www.amazon.com/Lesa-McKee/e/B01GD3JX28/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_2

https://www.facebook.com/lesa.mckee/

https://twitter.com/MckeeLesa

https://www.pinterest.com/mckeelesa/

Five Fall Favorites – Day Four

Published on by Amanda Tero10 Comments

Perhaps it’s a little early in the morning for bonfires… but still. The weather is changing (slower in these Southern states, but it’s changing), and reading by the fire is nothing but cozy!



5 Favorite Western Books
I actually haven’t read many western books that give me the western feel I’m looking for. I love the era, the genre, but when I think about “western books,” it’s hard for me to suddenly list five. But here are some that I enjoy nevertheless.

1) Everyday Life in the Wild West by Candy Moulton

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2) Shane by Jack Schaefer

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3) The Boy Who Became Buffalo Bill by Andrea Warren

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4) Hymns of the West series by Faith Blum
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5) A Treasure Concealed by Tracie Peterson

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5 Favorite Inspirational Books
Maybe I did a little cheating in listing “five” below (er, maybe I’ve been cheating all week…). 😉 You be the judge, but I enjoy this genre…

1) Lady in Waiting by Jackie Kendall and Debbie Jones

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2) The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

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3) Elizabeth George’s Bible Studies (Philippians, 1 Peter, others)

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4) Louder than Words by Andy Stanley

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5) A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 and The Good Shepherd and His Sheep by W. Phillip Keller

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5 Other Blogs
Want to read more favorites? Click on the images to hop over to these blogs and see what they have to share. Don’t forget: one of these blogs is having a giveaway today!

Be sure to stop by Rebekah’s blog for the big giveaway!! It ends tomorrow (note: giveaway includes an “idea jar” as well as paperback copies of the featured books).

Five Fall Favorites – Day Three | Giveaway!

Published on by Amanda Tero19 Comments

Welcome into the BOOK room today! (if you’ve been reading all the way through and paying attention… the book room is where the giveaways are happening!

So, today I am super happy, pleased, and excited to host a giveaway! The prize? An eBook of your choice from yours truly (keep scrolling down for a chance to win paperback books!).

    

Those are just my novellas, but I have several short stories as well. To enter, you must comment. But let’s make this a little fun. Tell me your favorite book (wow, so original… okay, but it’s better than, “I’d love to win.” 😉 )! The giveaway will end TONIGHT, so you’ve got to get your comment in quickly! 🙂

But first, I don’t want you to skim through these amazing books I’ve got picked out today — because seriously, biography and non-fiction are extremely underrated. Seriously.

5 Favorite Biography Books

So these are both biography and auto-biography, but I really, really like them all! The past two days, I’ve put some books that were “alright” on my list, but these five? I love them and heartily recommend them!

1) Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Diebler Rose

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2) Chappie (this one has a special place in my heart, as it’s my uncle’s story) by Alton Carpenter and A. Anne Eiland

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3) God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew with John and Elizabeth Sherrill

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4) A Bride Goes West by Nannie T. Alderson and Helena Huntington Smith
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5) Forgiven by Terri Roberts
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5 Favorite Non-fiction Books
Now for 5 non-fiction books that aren’t biographies. 😉 Everyone else is doing fantasy, but I’m not a fantasy reader, so I chose these instead. 😀 Most of these, yes, have to do directly with my writing.
1) Self-Editing on a Penny

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2) Everyday Life During the Civil War

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3) Understanding Exposure

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4) Civil War Journal of a Union Soldier

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5) The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction by Jeff Gerke

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5 Other Blogs
Want to read more favorites? Click on the images to hop over to these blogs and see what they have to share!

Be sure to stop by Rebekah’s blog for the big giveaway!! It ends Friday night (note: giveaway includes an “idea jar” as well as paperback copies of the featured books).

Five Fall Favorites – Day Two

Published on by Amanda Tero13 Comments

Welcome to day two of our “Five Fall Favorites” party! Grab a blanket, get all cozy, as we discuss romance and historical reads. Don’t forget — I like to hear which books are your favorites in these genres too, so be sure to comment!

5 Favorite Romance Books
This one is probably the hardest genre for me, as I am not exactly sure what classifies as “romance.” If you’ve followed my review for any length of time, you probably noticed that I usually say something like, “It was great, but the romance…” 😉 So, I suppose I’m going to choose five books that I liked that have romance in them. They may or may not be classified as “romance” though.

1) Wings of a Dream by Anne Mateer

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2) A Dream Not Imagined by Shantelle Mary Hannu

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3) The Lost Heiress by Roseanna White

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4) The Sound of Diamonds by Rachelle Rea Cobb

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5) Playing the Part by Jen Turano

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5 Historical Fiction
Historical fiction is by far my favorite genre to read (and, actually, most of the books that I read…). So here goes! (I’m limited to only five…)

1) An Elegant Facade by Kristi Ann Hunter

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2) Beyond the Silence by Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse

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3) Seasons of the Heart (series) by Janette Oke

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4) Where Can I Flee? by A.M. Heath

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5) Lily of the Valley by Faith Blum

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5 Other Blogs

Want to read more favorites? Click on the images to hop over to these blogs and see what they have to share (also remember that one of these bloggers is having a giveaway — if you remember from yesterday, it’s the book room ;)).

Be sure to stop by Rebekah’s blog for the big giveaway!! It ends Friday night (note: giveaway includes an “idea jar” as well as paperback copies of the featured books).

Dear Commenters…

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
Just a quick post! In the past few months, I’ve noticed that several people have been commenting on different posts here. I can’t express how much I appreciate your comments! I like to reply to them all personally, but alas! I rarely find time for that! So, dear commenters, this evening I HAD the time, and if you’ve commented on my blog in the last two months (especially if you’ve asked me a question), I have finally replied. Thanks for your patience! I appreciate you all so very much!