Author: Amanda Tero

Music has always been a part of Amanda Tero’s life–from her mom singing Steve Green specials to her dad honking out the rhythm of “Jingle Bells” in the driveway. She began teaching in 2007 and fell in love with sharing music. Amanda started arranging hymns for herself in her teens, with fast and furious advanced hymn settings. Then, as her students began requesting hymns at their levels, she branched out to hymn arranging for pedagogical reasons. Because of Amanda’s interest in various genres, in her shop, you will find hymn arrangements of various levels embracing classical elements, light jazz style, Southern Gospel flair, and more.

Vlog: Who’s Who in "The Secret Slipper" | Blog Tour Day One

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Also, in honor of release day, I’m posting every hour on my FB Author Page. 
In other news…the paperback is available TODAY on Amazon! I was holding my breath there for a moment. 😉

And…if you  have time, hop over to these lovely ladies’ blogs and see what they have to say about “The Secret Slipper.”

Leila has Slipper spotlighted on her blog.

Faith gave a five-star review on her blog where she gives a rundown of my characters’ traits: “Rebellious, kind, angry, willing to risk everything, grudge holders, desperate, helpful, cruel, sweet.”

Leona not only gave a give-star review, but she also interviewed me on her blog today. What are some of my favorite things about “The Secret Slipper?” I answer them there.

It would mean a lot to me (and them) if you hopped by and left a comment!

It’s Here!!! The Secret Slipper Release Day! (Giveaway)

Published on by Amanda Tero22 Comments
*throws confetti and dark chocolate and M&Ms and balloons*

The day has finally come for “The Secret Slipper” to be released into the world. 🙂 You have all been such faithful supporters and encouragements. I seriously cannot thank you enough!!
Before I get into all the promo stuff, I have to give a shout-out to the lovely bloggers who are joining me with my personal blog tour. 
May 25, 2017
Amanda @ With a Joyful Noise | Release Day, Giveaway
Leila @ Leila Tualla’s Bookshelf | Spotlight
Faith @ Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections | Review, Giveaway
Leona @ Great Books for God’s Girls | Review, Interview
May 26
Emily @ Zerina Blossom’s Books| Interview
Kendra @ Knitted By God’s Plan (Spotlight) and O’Scarlett Reviews (Review) | Spotlight, Review
Alicia @ A Brighter Destiny | Review, Giveaway
May 27
Katie @ His Princess Warrior | Review, Giveaway
Heather @ Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen | Spotlight, Interview, Giveaway
                                                               
May 29
Kate @ Once Upon an Ordinary| Review, Interview
Sarah @ Penumbra Reviews | Review
Dary @ Peculiar Miss Darcy | Character Interview
Julia @ My Joyful Journey with Jesus | Interview
May 30
Kenzi @ Honey Rock Hills | Review, Giveaway
Anita @ Christian Author: A.M. Heath  | Review
Judith @ JudithWNicholson  | Interview
May 31
Jesseca @ Whimsical Writings for His glory  | Spotlight, Review
Raechel @ God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae  | Spotlight, Review
Esther @ Purposeful Learning | Review, Interview, Giveaway
June 1
Kellyn @ Reveries Reviews  | Review
Victoria @ Victoria Minks Blog  | Spotlight, Review
Kelsey @ Kelsey’s Notebook | Spotlight
Sarah @ The Destiny of One | Spotlight
June 2
Hanne @ RockandMinerals4Him | Spotlight, Review, Giveaway
Erica @ Roxbury Books Blog | Spotlight
Janell @ Views from the Window Friend  | Review
Crystal @ Crystal’s Adventures for Christ  | Spotlight, Review, Interview
June 3
Alexa @ Verbosity Reviews  | Spotlight
Faith @ Chosen Vessels  | Review
Melissa @ Clothed with Scarlet | Review, Interview, Giveaway
~*~*~*~
Surely by now you’ve learned a lot about “The Secret Slipper.” To read the description (and if you want an eBook for the sale price of $1.99) head over here:
“Befriending the Beast” is also on sale for just $0.99, which you may find here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L2IDEUQ

Sales only last until tomorrow though!

If you’re interested in ordering paperbacks, you may purchase them through Amazon, OR I’ll knock a dollar off if you want me to sign it. 😉 Paperback order form here.

And…you all know me… I love giveaways so if you’re not quite wanting to get either book yet, you may enter my giveaway.

U.S. Giveaway: Enter to win the set of “Befriending the Beast” and “The Secret Slipper”
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab21/?
International Giveaway: Enter to win the eBook set of “Befriending the Beast” and “The Secret Slipper”
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab22/?

Now, to get all anti-me for a moment…
What excitement are you celebrating this week?

It’s Here!! The Secret Slipper!!

Published on by Amanda Tero10 Comments
*throws confetti and dark chocolate and M&Ms and balloons*

 

The day has finally come for “The Secret Slipper” to be released into the world. 🙂 You have all been such faithful supporters and encouragements. I seriously cannot thank you enough!!
Before I get into all the promo stuff, I have to give a shout-out to the lovely bloggers who are joining me with my personal blog tour.
May 25, 2017
Amanda @ With a Joyful Noise | Release Day, Giveaway
Leila @ Leila Tualla’s Bookshelf | Spotlight
Faith @ Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections | Review, Giveaway
Leona @ Great Books for God’s Girls | Review, Interview
May 26
Emily @ Zerina Blossom’s Books | Interview
Kendra @ Knitted By God’s Plan (Spotlight) and O’Scarlett Reviews (Review) | Spotlight, Review
Alicia @ A Brighter Destiny | Review, Giveaway
May 27
Anika @ This Journey Called Life | Spotlight, Review, Giveaway
Katie @ His Princess Warrior | Review, Giveaway
Sarah @ The Destiny of One | Spotlight
Heather @ Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen | Spotlight, Interview, Giveaway
                                                               
May 29
Kate @ Once Upon an Ordinary | Review, Interview
Sarah @ Penumbra Reviews | Review
Dary @ Peculiar Miss Darcy | Character Interview
Julia @ My Joyful Journey with Jesus | Interview
May 30
Kenzi @ Honey Rock Hills | Review, Giveaway
Anita @ Christian Author: A.M. Heath  | Review
Judith @ JudithWNicholson  | Interview
May 31
Jesseca @ Whimsical Writings for His glory  | Spotlight, Review
Raechel @ God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae | Spotlight, Review
Esther @ Purposeful Learning | Review, Interview, Giveaway
June 1
Kellyn @ Reveries Reviews  | Review
Victoria @ Victoria Minks Blog  | Spotlight, Review
Kelsey @ Kelsey’s Notebook | Spotlight
June 2
Hanne @ RockandMinerals4Him | Spotlight, Review, Giveaway
Erica @ Roxbury Books Blog | Spotlight
Janell @ Views from the Window Friend  | Review
Crystal @ Crystal’s Adventures for Christ  | Spotlight, Review, Interview
June 3
Alexa @ Verbosity Reviews  | Spotlight
Faith @ Chosen Vessels  | Review
Melissa @ Clothed with Scarlet | Review, Interview, Giveaway
~*~*~*~
Surely by now you’ve learned a lot about “The Secret Slipper.” To read the description (and if you want an eBook for the sale price of $1.99) head over here:
“Befriending the Beast” is also on sale for just $0.99, which you may find here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L2IDEUQ

Sales only last until tomorrow though!

If you’re interested in ordering paperbacks, you may purchase them through Amazon, OR I’ll knock a dollar off if you want me to sign it. 😉 Paperback order form here.

And…you all know me… I love giveaways so if you’re not quite wanting to get either book yet, you may enter my giveaway.

U.S.Giveaway:
Enter to win the set of “Befriending the Beast” and “The Secret Slipper”
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab21/?
International Giveaway:
Enter to win the eBook set of “Befriending the Beast” and “The Secret Slipper”
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/483ac2ab22/?

 

Now, to get all anti-me for a moment…
What excitement are you celebrating this week?

Greg Howlett Music

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
The last two weeks, I’ve featured up-and-coming arrangers. This week, I’m featuring someone who’s been in the arranging world for years. Even though I have not gone through Greg Howlett’s courses, I do know he’s got some good stuff out there. Just doing one small course of his (it was free sometime), I learned some tips that expanded my arranging. His website is here, for those of you interested in learning more. What’s more, Greg Howlett has some free arrangements for you to download. 
He has a lot of videos on his YouTube channel (I’ll admit, most of which I’ve not watched because I just haven’t found the time to peruse YouTube), but here is just one of them:
Who is an arranger/musician you enjoy listening to?

Dedication | The Secret Slipper

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments
“The Secret Slipper” releases just day after tomorrow!! For some reason, this release seemed longer in coming than other releases…maybe because it has…
Today, I’d like to share my dedication page with you. Have you ever wondered how authors figured out who to dedicate their work to? Well, I don’t have the answer. 😉 But in writing “The Secret Slipper,” I was thinking about one of the main questions I get asked by others: “Does your family support your writing?” Oh my. Yes. They totally support my writing. ALL of my family does–from my parents to siblings to aunts and uncles to grandparents. I feel so very blessed!! As I was pondering that, I started praying about dedicating this book to two very special people in my life:


It was just a week or so after I had decided to dedicate the novella to my grandparents that Grandma was hospitalized. She had gotten up from bed and ended up on the floor. Long story short, she had a bleeding ulcer that eroded into a main artery. By the end of her hospital stay, the doctors had done an embolism and she ended up with a complete transfusion. And she was able to come home. We personally believe that her recovery was nothing short of a miracle. It was very scary to realize Grandma was so near death (my other grandma passed away five years ago). In Grandma’s words, “God pushed me out of bed.” If she hadn’t ended up on the floor and Grandpa found her, she would have bled to death that night.

All of that to say, I realized how very much I took my living grandparents for granted. They’re both in their eighties and are in good health (besides Grandma’s episode, she was in no pain and has had no health issues). And it just cemented the fact that yes, I wanted to dedicate my newest book to them. They always welcome my projects with smiles and encouragement, and doing this is just a small way to say “thank you.”
Do you read book dedications? What was your favorite?
One last reminder–cause I don’t want anyone to miss out on a deal: 

Scripture Graphics #40

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If my heart is FIXED (set up) to sing and give praise, then unplanned events or people’s words should not “ruin my day.” If my heart is set on singing and praising God, then no matter what comes my way, I will be able to rejoice. The question, then, is: is my heart fixed?

This verse is situated in the middle of verses of trouble, enemies, and crying out to God. Never is there an excuse to stop seeking God.

“Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” Deuteronomy 4:5-6
We see this truth throughout Scripture: wisdom and understanding is directly linked to how diligently one keeps God’s Word. It’s not just about knowing God’s Word, but about doing it.


What a beautiful thought: that no matter what happens, God Himself holds our soul in life and keeps us from moving. If that alone doesn’t make us want to praise Him more!!
What verse has been a good reminder for you this week?

First Line Friday 5.19.17

Published on by Amanda Tero30 Comments
Happy Friday again!! Yesterday, I worked on the first stages of moving into a new bedroom. For the first time, I was able to pull out all of the books I’ve acquired the past three years and have them all in one place! Yeah…I counted up to 350 books (oh wait…I did forget about those that I was lending to friends). 
Which are now, mostly, temporarily shelved. My daddy built me a bookcase (these are closet shelves here) and once the glue dries, the books are in their new home! 🙂 
I pulled together the books I’ve not yet read… *insert scared emoji*
Approximately 130 books! :/ I could read solid a month and not catch up! This pile just may take me years. Have you read any of these books?
And then I counted up the most books from one author… Janette Oke wins!
Last but not least, I had a little fun with my current book infatuations: Civil War and medieval. 
Okay, okay, so FIRST LINE FRIDAY! Yeah, took me long enough! ;P I’ll be honest, perusing through all of those books, I didn’t stop long enough to find a first line. So I thought I’d change the rules. *gasp* 😉 Today, you can choose the first line. See any of my books that you’d like to know the first line for? Just comment and I’ll try my hardest to reply this weekend! I have a graduation I’m pianist at so my time isn’t all free. 
And while you’re at it…why not share a first line from your bookshelf?

~*~*~
Also, be sure to hop along to all of these other blogs and see what First Lines they have to share!
Please note that I may not fully endorse all of the books that these bloggers read or the content in these blogs.
Rachel – Bookworm Mama
Lauraine – Lauraine’s Notes
Andi – Radiant Light
Robin – Robin’s Nest
Kathleen – Kathleen Denly
Trisha – Joy of Reading
Jeanette – CJane Read

Beau Roberts music

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
Another week, another up-and-coming arranger. I’ll admit, I may be slightly partial to this one, cause he’s one of my students. 😉 Just don’t hold that against me and enjoy his music anyway. He currently only has three songs on his YouTube channel, but I’m fairly certain that he’ll be adding more in the coming year. He has more than three songs on his website for sale. Here’s one of his quick arrangements:

Scripture Graphics #39

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How often do complaints slip out of our hearts and mouths, without stopping to consider that God hears us…and that ultimately, we are complaining against the One Who allowed our circumstance?

Contrast this though with Psalm 69:30-31:

“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.”

How can we glorify God in our lives? By praising Him — not just about the good things, but about everything.
“The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God, Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.” Deuteronomy 1:30-34
Fear and doubt are synonyms of distrust and unbelief. How much more faithful do we want God to be, so that He can have our full trust? He created all things…yet we struggle to trust in so many small things!

If we struggle giving thanks to God, maybe we just need to be reminded of Who He is and the great power He holds.

What have you learned from God’s Word this week?