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.

Fall Freebies and Deals!

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments

Trust me, ALL I want to do was forget all this “business stuff,” find a swing, and read. The weather is gorgeous right now!! But… I used a little bit of self-control.

How many of you like to read when the weather gets cool and snuggly? I’m definitely there! Guess what? I’ve linked up with several authors from Clean Indie Reads and there’s a pretty sweet sale going on right now. You can find all the info (you know, for freebies and discounted prices) HERE. I haven’t read many of these books so I can’t personally endorse them, but you can look through and decide what suits you. 🙂

 

Oh yeah, some of my books are there. 😉 Coffee Cake Days and Letters from a Scatter-Brained Sister are free. Journey to Love is discounted $.99.

Other books to look out for at CIR are by my author-friend, Faith Blum. If you like Western romances, there ya go. 😉 You’re welcome! 😀

 

 

The Sound of Silver Birthday and Giveaway!

Published on by Amanda Tero8 Comments
I had the privilege of reading The Sound of Silver when it first released — and now it’s Silver’s birthday! Read my review of it here, and read on for the fun stuff Rachelle has planned for her book’s “birthday party.” 🙂

The Sound of Silver is Rachelle Rea Cobb’s second installment in the Steadfast Love series, an inspirational historical romance set during the 16th century! Rachelle is also the author of The Sound of Diamonds, the first book in the series, and a newlywed! This summer, she married a man with the same first name as the hero of the series! I’m joining in this blog tour to tell you a little more about Silver and spread the news about the rocking giveaway Rachelle is hosting—make sure you enter using the Rafflecopter form to win the lovely necklace pictured and your choice of any of the Steadfast Love titles!
Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter using the Rafflecopter form above to win a beautiful necklacecreated by Baubles, Beads, and Stuff and your choice of any one of Rachelle’s three books (the series begins in Book One, of course, but in case you have one or two of her books already, Rachelle will gladly send you the next one to read!).
International friends, the paperback & necklace giveaway is open to continental U.S. addresses only (sorry!). But do still enter, because one international winner will also be chosen to receive an e-book.

ABOUT The Steadfast Love SERIES
In 16th-century Europe, the Reformation rages between Protestants and Catholics. Gwyneth, half-Dutch, flees from England to Holland to escape the man who murdered her parents. When he follows her there and insists he came to rescue her, will she trust this man called Dirk? When tragedy strikes, will their steadfast love erode?
ABOUT The Sound of Silver
The stalwart saint and the redeemed rebel. One fights for faith, the other for honor…

After Dirk rescues Gwyneth from the Iconoclastic Fury, she discovers that faith is sometimes fragile—and hope is not as easy as it may seem. Gwyneth continues her quest to learn more about the love of God preached by Protestants she once distrusted.

Meanwhile, Dirk’s quest is to prevent his sullied name from staining hers. Will his choice to protect her prove the undoing of her first faltering steps toward a Father God? Once separated, will Dirk and Gwyneth’s searching hearts ever sing the same song?

Find The Sound of Silver on…
Amazon Paperback: http://is.gd/1HwJoi
Kindle: http://is.gd/EZ7DJ1
Barnes & Noble: http://is.gd/qhoCTc
Books a Million: http://is.gd/M2y5P2
Goodreads: http://is.gd/iBE2lJ
>> And if you want to learn more ABOUT BOOK ONE, The Sound of Diamonds
Her only chance of getting home is trusting the man she hates.
With the protestant Elizabeth on the throne of England and her family in shambles, Catholic maiden Gwyneth seeks refuge in the Low Countries of Holland, hoping to soothe her aching soul. But when the Iconoclastic Fury descends and bloodshed overtakes her haven, she has no choice but to trust the rogue who arrives, promising to see her safely home to her uncle’s castle. She doesn’t dare to trust him…and yet doesn’t dare to refuse her one chance to preserve her own life and those of the nuns she rescues from the burning convent.
Dirk Godfrey is determined to restore his honor at whatever cost. Running from a tortured past, Dirk knows he has only one chance at redemption, and it lies with the lovely Gwyneth, who hates him for the crimes she thinks he committed. He must see her to safety, prove to the world that he is innocent, prove that her poor eyesight is not the only thing that has blinded her, but what is he to do when those goals clash?
The home Gwyneth knew is not what she once thought. When a dark secret and a twisted plot for power collide in a castle masquerading as a haven, the saint and the sinner must either dare to hold to hope…or be overcome.
Find The Sound of Diamonds on…
Amazon: http://is.gd/7z9vls
Kindle: http://is.gd/EZ7DJ1
Barnes & Noble: http://is.gd/qhoCTc
Books a Million: http://is.gd/M2y5P2
Goodreads: http://is.gd/F7HILk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Times gone by snatch Rachelle Rea Cobb close, so she reads and writes about years long ago–her passions include the Reformation, Revolutions, and romance. Rachelle wrote the Steadfast Love series during college. Five months after she graduated, she signed a three-book deal with her dream publisher, WhiteFire. She’s a homeschool grad, Oreo addict, and plots her novels while driving around her dream car, a pick-up truck. In June 2016, she married a man with the same name as her fictional hero, and they live happily ever after in Small Town, South.
AUTHOR LINKS
Instagram: @RachelleReaCobb

Scripture Designs 09

Published on by Amanda Tero4 Comments
“It is written…it is written…it is written…” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10)
We are reminded that Jesus used Scripture to combat satan’s temptations, but does this knowledge affect our daily life? How can we use Scripture in the face of temptation of we are not actively reading, memorizing, and studying God’s Word? The weapon is there for us to use — but have we picked it up and trained with it?

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Matthew 6:7-8
It is easy to think, “the more I pray, the more God hears.” And though there is the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, in which her incessant begging was answered (Luke 18:1-8), we also get a glimpse of how, at the beginning of Daniel’s supplication, God sent Gabriel with the answer (Daniel 9:22-23). If our hearts are clean before God (Psalm 66:18-19), He hears when we first call on Him — and He knows the perfect answer to our need. But do we trust that He hears us?


Parents, in their wisdom, do not give their child everything he asks — and often, children see that as parents withholding good from them. So our Father withholds things from us — because, in His wisdom, He knows what is best for us. “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11) It’s just that we do not always know what is good for us.

Daniel and Cassie | Engagement Pictures

Published on by Amanda Tero11 Comments

Well this is a post WAY overdue. My brother, Daniel, got married in August. Beforehand, however, I got to do their engagement photos. Because of situations such as using his camera (Daniel has way better equipment than I), him having the pictures, needing to sort through them, them being on a honeymoon, etc…. I am just now getting the pictures here and ready to share them!

First of all, they’re one of the cutest couples I know. 😉 I may or may not be a bit biased. 😉

Second, doing their engagement session was a fun challenge because, during engagement, they didn’t touch. So there was no “huggy” pictures, yet we didn’t want the pictures to look stiff like, “I’m going to marry this person, but I’ll just keep my distance.” 😉

These are their top picks. 🙂

"Journey of Choice" | WIP

Published on by Amanda Tero6 Comments

Now that Befriending the Beast is out there, my focus has turned to my WIP, Journey of Choice. I have shared snippets of it off-and-on, here and there… I’m really bad at keeping track what I’ve shared here on this blog, and what I’ve shared here or here or here. So bear with me. 😉

So, I’m going to pretend you know nothing about Journey of Choice. Let’s get a few things straight.

1) Journey of Choice is part of the Orphan Journeys collection. But let me explain this collection.

     a) There are stand-alone novellas (like Journey to Love).

     b) There are spin-off short stories, when I can’t leave a character alone (like “Letter of Love“).

     c) There is going to be a connected novel series, Lord willing (the two I know of now are Journey of Choice and its sequel, Journey of Purpose).

     d) Journey of Choice is NOT connected to Journey to Love in any way except that Marie and Nat both traveled on the orphan train.

2) Journey of Choice takes place in 1861-1865. That’s right, you history buffs: Choice spans the Civil War! 🙂 I am having a B-L-A-S-T digging into the history of this war. I’m now officially a CW fan for life!

3) This is my first time to really write from a guy’s perspective (I tried a little with “Debt of Mercy” and “Peace, Be Still” but short stories aren’t near the caliber as novels). It has been challenging and super, duper fun! I mean, I get to let my character do things that wouldn’t be seemly for a young lady to do — especially in that era. Oh, there’s so much versatility!! 🙂

4) I have no clue what my “goal” is for word-count or chapter length. It definitely won’t be a novella, though. For example, Journey to Love is around 25,000 words in completed form. The first third of Journey of Choice reaches 24,000 words. There is SO much more territory to cover! So, with your prayers and God’s help, I will finally unearth a full-length novel. 😉

Okay! Enough about me and my project. What about you? Are you a writer? If so, what are you working on? If you’re not a writer, what other projects do you have that you’re working on (is it music? crafts? baking?)? I’d love to hear about it!

Jansina | Author Interview

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
This week, we have author Jansina over for an interview!
In a nutshell, what do you write? 
Christian romance for young adults—with a few more difficult subjects mixed in (abuse, deception, alcoholism, &c.)—and hopefully humorous short stories.
Wow, what a challenge to include those topics–yet I know how needful in our day and age! What spurred on the desire for writing? 
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing. That may have more to do with my poor memory than with my passion for words, but I choose to believe it’s the latter. When I was eight, I finished my first story and my mom had it bound into a “real” book (she stapled it together). That sparked my dream of being published.
How neat for that “first book!”
How do you balance writing with living—or is writing your full-time job? 
I try to write or edit something of my own every day, whether it’s a blog post, short story, novel, or a scene just for fun. Having a word count goal or a set amount of time when writing takes the main focus helps give a sense of accomplishment.
That’s a great idea!
Who do you hope to reach with your writing? 
Teens and young adults who can relate to the topics (or at least understand similar feelings) in my books.
If someone asked you for your best writing tip, what would it be? 
Make writing a priority. Life gets busy and so many other things vie for time, but if it’s really a passion of yours, it’s worth half an hour to an hour of each day.
Good point! What are three things that you greatly enjoy doing? 
Dancing (swing and Irish), playing board and card games, and getting coffee with friends.
About Jansina
Jansina has published three novels and two short stories to date. She is also an editor and graphic designer and runs a nontraditional publishing company, Rivershore Books (www.rivershorebooks.com). Her goal is to honor God in her writing and encourage other authors to do the same with their own.
Blog: www.thilly-jansina.com
Other: www.rivershorebooks.com (my nontraditional publishing company)
www.facebook.com/jansina

www.twitter.com/jansina18
Books: 
Forgotten Memories (smile.amazon.com/Forgotten-Memories-Jansina/dp/1463624352)
Shrouded Jewels (smile.amazon.com/Shrouded-Jewels-1-Jansina/dp/1478164638)
As Fairydust Settles (smile.amazon.com/As-Fairydust-Settles-2-Jansina/dp/0615933017)
Sanisfreeda (smile.amazon.com/Sanisfreeda-Jansina-ebook/dp/B006X528BU)
Life is Crumbly (smile.amazon.com/Life-Crumbly-Jansina/dp/0615940463)