Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Thursday, June 16, 2016
IN LOVE AND WAR - Trish Perry and others - One Free Book
Dear Readers, In Love and War is another collection you�ll love. I love the writing of each of these authors, but I�m only interviewing one of them.
I wanted to set More Than Meets the Eye in nearby Washington , D.C. , but I didn't want to write the stereotypical Washington politically themed story. So I made sure there were plenty of ad agencies in Washington and made both of my protagonists designers�I liked the idea of them having an artistic bent. And because this would be a relatively short work, I made them old high school classmates so they'd already have some history when they met at the beginning of the novella.
Are these stories connected in some way? If so, how?
Yes, our overall theme is romantic rivals, so there's conflict between the hero and heroine in each novella.
What are you reading right now?
I'm reading Anne Tyler's contemporary novel, Breathing Lessons, as well as Jennifer Donnelly's The Winter Rose, set in 1900's England .
How many other books have you had published?
I've published 12 romances and four books of devotions (with fellow authors).
What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a collection?
It really depends upon the collection. In this case, it was easy for us to adhere to the common theme, which was our sole parameter. But I've been involved in other collections in which the stories were connected by events, or history, or family lines. When that happens, the different authors have to be far more coordinated in their efforts, and they're restricted in how much control they have over their stories.
How did collaborating with this team impact you?
This project has been a dream. Every author is seasoned and professional. Not a diva or brat in the bunch! So I've thoroughly enjoyed working with these fine authors (Debby Mayne, Miralee Ferrell, and Kimberly Rose Johnson) and would gladly do so again. I think we've written a fun group of stories here.
My story involves a young woman who remembers the hero from their high school years, when his behavior offended her and left a lasting, bad taste in her mouth. She's cautious and unforgiving toward him right from the start. I hope my readers will understand what she gets wrong and what she gets right and maybe identify with how they might be making the same mistakes. We all make assumptions and incorrect judgments in life�we're only human!
Please give us a peek into your story.
What is the best piece of advice you received as an author?
If you insist on reading reviews of your work, take neither the most glowing nor the most glaring too much to heart.
Where can my readers find you on the Internet?
www.twitter.com/TrishPerryWrtrThank you, Trish, for sharing this new book with us.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
In Love and War
- PaperbackIn Love and War - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you�ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you�re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here�s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIGHTED - Crystal L Barnes - One Free Book or Ebook
Dear Readers, when I first read Crystal Barnes�s debut novel, I told people that she is an author to watch. Her stories really grabbed my heart, and her writing is wonderful. I have to confess that I haven�t read this one yet, because my copy hasn�t arrived. The other two grabbed me and wouldn�t let go until I finished reading them. And she does her own covers, which I loved, too. So I asked her to design the cover for The Gold Digger. The cover wasn�t what I expected, but I loved it. When she told me she prayed about the cover and this was the design that came to her, I knew why.
Welcome back, Crystal. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?
Umm�books. =D
Tell us a little about your family.
Ooo, what a question. We love playing games�board games, card games, etc. My parents both came from big families so get-togethers can be a bit chaotic. And loud. Quietness is not our strong suite. Maybe that�s �cause we grew up playing outside in the sticks where noise didn�t matter so much. JThere�s always loads of laughter, though when we get together.
Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?
Oh my, yes! I don�t get near as much reading time as I used to, but reading is still one of my definite ways to recharge those creative juices. I also know when I get a hold of a good book because I�ll stop wanting to pick it apart and get sucked into the story. Oh, the woes of an author. J
Recovering from a book launch. J My novella Signed, Sealed, and Delighted has the special thrill of currently being included in the Texas Historical Romance collection titled Lone Star Love alongside four other great authors. We threw a week-long Facebook party to celebrate. Loads of fun!
I�m also working on my next story Hook, Line, & Suitor (Marriage & Mayhem series, book 3). Ideas for a future series are also swimming in my brain.
What outside interests do you have?
Outside as in outdoors? Or outside as in �not in my office�? LOL. I�m looking forward to a trip this summer. We hope to spend family time horseback riding, hiking, swimming, and maybe even finding a museum or two. OH, and how could I forget fishing! We hope to do that as well.
How do you choose your settings for each book?
Well, I know Texas . I�ve lived here all my life and have been traveling all over it since I was a kiddo. So I work with what I know. Although all my places so far have been fictionalized, oft times loosely based on real places. I�ve also based some of the houses in my stories on homes that I�ve toured on some of my trips. I�ve got pictures of some of them up on my website (www.crystal-barnes.com).
If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
Hmm�that�s a hard one. I talk to Jesus every day. He�s both past, present, and future. Other than Him, perhaps�hmm�I don�t know. Annie Oakley? Or maybe one of my ancestors who first came to Texas in the 1840s?
What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
Oy, another hard one. Maybe�don�t rush the learning process. I know some of us have to learn the hard way, but taking the time to learn from others mistakes and successes is never a waste.
What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?
Trusting Him amidst the chaos. Being an author (a human), there are so many things that demand my time and focus. New things pop up often. If we listen too much to the �noise� around us, we get all jumbled up and may miss what He�s trying to tell us or teach us in that moment. I don�t want to miss anything He is saying or teaching me. I love Him and I want how I spend my time to reflect that. He knows what I need to get done and when it needs doing.
What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
Pray.
Follow God�s leading.
Write to please Him. Not others. He�ll take it from there. J
Those are so true. Tell us about the featured book.
Signed, Sealed, and Delightedis an adapted version of one of the first stories I ever wrote, the first story that God really dropped into my heart and sealed my calling to write for Him. Originally released as the short story �Let's Make a Deal,� Signed, Sealed, and Delighted is more than double the length and packed with even more fun, faith, and friction than before. As I mentioned earlier, it�s currently being featured in the collection Lone Star Love with fellow authors Janice Thompson, Kathleen Y�Barbo, Vickie McDonough, and Marcia Gruver.
Here�s the blurb:
Her father's dying wish changes everything ... After years of working in the Cater Springs� clinic, Sarah Asher never planned on marriage. However, she neglected to mention that to her pa. Determined to fulfill his dying wish, despite her well-informed fears, Sarah marries Joseph Matthews but only after a few signed and sealed promises. One in particular�he can kiss any dreams of sharing a room with her goodbye.
Joe has never had any luck with woman, and marriage doesn�t seem prone to change that. Sarah might be a handsome filly and his only ticket to inheriting the ranch promised him, but she�s pricklier than a barrel cactus and more temperamental than a Texas tornado. Keeping his distance from her should be easy. Only it isn�t. The beautiful woman attracts trouble and constantly requires saving, putting her well within arms� reach.
Will signed promises seal their fate to a loveless marriage, or can Sarah move past her fears to find a love worth delighting in?
Please give us the first page of the book.
May 25th, 1877 � Wichita , Kansas
�Young man, this is normally when you say �I do.��
Joseph Matthews shifted his focus from Sarah Asher to the silver-haired preacher who stood grinning at him. Swallowing, Joe resisted the urge to tug at his collar. He�d sealed his fate with those two words weeks ago just before digging her father�s grave, but today they threatened to crawl back down his throat and strangle him.
Allen Asher�s bloody but relieved face flashed through Joe�s mind. Shaking away the searing image, he wiped sweat from his forehead. That stampede had changed everything. That, and Allen�s dying wish. His mentor knew Joe had no luck with women. Why had he made such an outlandish request? Why did marrying Allen�s daughter have to be the only way to get the ranch he�d promised Joe, the ranch he�d put years of blood and sweat into?
�Son?� The old preacher shifted and placed a weathered hand on his Bible.
Twin lines formed between Sarah�s dark brows.
�Uh, sorry.� Joe rubbed at the tension building in his neck. �I do.�
With a tilt of her head, Sarah eyed him, then turned her attention to the preacher who was posing the same question to her.
Joe let his gaze slide the length of his soon-to-be wife. Maybe marrying Sarah might not be so bad. After all, she was a mighty handsome woman. Even bathed in trail dust. And wearing a Stetson. A smile tugged at his lips. Did she realize she still wore her hat? Doubtful. What female in her right mind got married in a cowboy hat? Then again, who would confuse Sarah for most women? If her raven locks didn�t set her apart, her mouth would the minute she opened it.
�I�� Deep green eyes wide with uncertainty sought his, then shifted back toward the preacher. �Excuse us a moment, Reverend?�
�Uh, of course.�
Joe looked at the minister in stunned astonishment a split second before Sarah grabbed his arm and tugged him down the aisle of the small, stuffy church to within a foot of the exit.
�What�s the matter?� The words hissed through his lips. �I thought this is what we�d agreed upon?�
Sarah peeked at the preacher, then answered in the same hushed volume. �There are a few things I need to make sure of first.�
�You couldn�t have mentioned that a day ago? Or maybe even an hour? The preacher�s waiting.�
�Do you want to keep your word to my father or not?�
Joe frowned. �You know I�m a man of my word. Now what�s this about?�
�First��
�You mean there�s more than one?�
Readers, see what I mean. Doesn�t that make you want to run out and get her book right now? Crystal
I�m so glad you asked. J Readers can connect with me at my website or on my blog, my Amazon Author page, Goodreads, Pinterest, Google+, or on my Facebook author page.
I look forward to �seeing� y�all!
Thanks so much, Lena , for having me as a guest on your blog!
It�s my great pleasure to feature you here, Crystal
Readers, here are links to the books. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Signed, Sealed, and; Delighted: Prequel Novella (Marriage and; Mayhem Book 0)
Lone Star Love: Five Historical Romances Set in the Lone Star State
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the your choice of the books. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you�ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you�re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here�s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
MY FATHER'S HOUSE - Rose Chandler Johnson - One Free Book
Bio: Rose Chandler Johnson is the author of the award winning devotional God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea: Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments. My Father's House is her first novel. She happily makes her home near Augusta , Georgia
Welcome, Rose. (Actually, Rose is my middle name.) Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
Probably more than I realize. My protagonist , Lily Rose, and I share many of the same interests�the love of writing and the French language, gardening�and in many ways, our lives took similar paths.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?
In the privacy of my own backyard, I have been known to hug an old oak tree.
When did you first discover that you were a writer?
As a child, when I was no more than eight or nine, I wrote plays for my two sisters and brother and I to perform in a large back room of our house. I can�t imagine why they always listened to my directions. My stage name was always the most beautiful actress name I could think up at the time�Sandra Blake. Later, in high school, I dreamed of being a writer one day and started writing in college.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I read non-fiction more than fiction, and books on religion and spirituality, in particular. I like devotionals. I love Oswald Chambers and have read his complete works. The classics and the �must-reads� for college were foundational for me. But I love bestsellers sagas such as The Thorn Birds and A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford. I read novels by Daniel Silva and John Grisham, and occasionally a Stephen King novel. All the Light We Cannot See is one of the best books I�ve read in a long time.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?
My relationship with Jesus and my quiet time with God keeps me focused.
How do you choose your characters� names?
I do spend some time choosing names. But, basically, I go with what sounds suitable and fitting for the story and the heritage and personality of the character. Lily Rose could have only been a Southern girl named after the flowers in the spring.
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Raising my six children
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?
I�d probably be a dog, maybe like the little terrier who takes up with Lily Rose on her trek to Wilcox Station.
What is your favorite food?
That�s hard to say; I�m not a picky eater and I come from a family of good cooks so I really enjoy eating. Favorite food? Let me say�cr�me brulee.
I love that, too, but I don�t eat it very often. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
I�m still working on the greatest roadblock, which is managing my time to write. My family has always been my priority, so I have to work very hard to carve out time to write. Often I have to give myself permission to make writing time for me.
Tell us about the featured book.
One reviewer called it �a triumphant story of hope.� I think that describes it. It reminds me of the verse Psalms 27:13:
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.
�Go on, Darling, and see about the colt,� I said. He stirred a cup of steaming coffee, and then handed it to me. When my hands wrapped around the warm ceramic mug, he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to my forehead. I closed my eyes, grateful for his touch.
�I love you,� he said, while taking me by the shoulders and gently pulling me into the circle of his arms. I laid my head against his chest and felt its rise and fall.
�Go,� I whispered. �I�m going to take a walk and look at the gardens.�
He rubbed my back in wide slow circles.
�I�m grateful she died in the spring,� I said.
�I won�t be long. I imagine I�ll find you sitting under the magnolia when I return.�
�Uh-huh.�
�I�ll join you there,� he said.
I followed him out onto the porch and watched him walk to the truck, stop, and turn. He fixed his gaze on me, and I knew he didn�t want to leave. I smiled then, and he nodded before getting in and backing down the driveway. He waved, and something about his smile and the gentle blue of the sky strengthened my heart. I watched him disappear down the street before I turned and walked back inside.
Yesterday we buried the woman who raised me, tethering my heartstrings to both heaven and earth. Full of simple goodness, her love never let me go. She wanted to be buried next to her husband, and so she is, and before we lowered her body into the red Georgia clay, we read the 23rd Psalm. The words flowed like a soothing balm.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
This morning the words are whispering to my soul, and I can�t help remembering.
Purchase a copy: http://amzn.to/217Bvib
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rechanjo
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rosecjohnson/boards/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/18188725-rose-chandler-johnsonThank you, Rose, for sharing this book with us.
Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you�ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you�re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here�s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Monday, June 13, 2016
A SILVER MEDALLION - James R Callan - One Free Book
Welcome back, James. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?
A Silver Medallion releases this week. The horizon is filled with my least favorite activity - marketing. But this is an important book in that it highlights the plight of so many people who get trapped in an intolerable situation, with no way to get out, and the good people who try to help them. So I will market it to the best of my ability.
A very important topic. Tell us a little about your family.
My wife and I have four grown children and six grandchildren. Unfortunately, they are scattered across the U.S. from Pennsylvania to California . It does provide us with ample reasons to travel.
I�m really blessed to have all my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren live within 20 miles of us. Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?
Yes, it has, mostly in three ways. My favorite genre to read is mystery. But when I am in the midst of writing a mystery, I do not read mysteries. Second, now I read more "women's fiction" to learn more about emotions. And as I meet more writers, I read their books, thus expanding my reading list.
What are you working on right now?
I have begun the third Father Frank mystery, which will follow Cleansed by Fire and Over My Dead Body. These are cozy mysteries where a minister must solve the crime.
What outside interests do you have?
My wife and I both love to travel and we do a good bit of that, both in the U.S. and abroad. In Texas , we live in the middle of a forest and when we are home, we spend a lot of time outdoors, working on the gardens, cutting dead trees, or just enjoying nature.
How do you choose your settings for each book?
All of my recent books have a Texas flavor. Beyond that, the major conflict often leads me to the location.
I�ve written books set all over the U.S. , but now I�m trying to use Texas
I think it might be John F. Kennedy. He brought a spirit to America that was not here before and has not been here since. I�d want to ask him what could be done today to restore some of that spirit, that optimism, that patriotism back to the country.
What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
How important and difficult marketing would be. Even with a publisher, today the author is expected to do most of the marketing. It is something I am ill-equipped to do. And it is very time consuming. But it is an important part of being an author in 2016.
What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?
Patience. And I seem to be a slow learner.
I�m thinking all authors have a hard time with that. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
Write. Read. Market. First and foremost, you must write a lot�every day if possible. Second, you need to read a variety of good authors. Reading different authors gives you a balance. Reading only one author, even though he or she is good, does not provide a well-rounded background. And reading good authors puts good writing in your psyche. Reading bad writing does the opposite. Marketing is a reality. It should start early. Some say before the book starts. I�m not sure about that, but certainly early is better than later.
Tell us about the featured book.
In A Silver Medallion , young, unadventurous Crystal Moore meets a woman held slave in modern Dallas , Texas Mexico if she should escape or even tell anyone of her situation.
In Mexico , she enlists the aid of mysterious Juan Grande. If she succeeds, the children and the mother will be free, but Crystal will have two powerful and ruthless men who will want her dead.
Please give us the first page of the book.
CRYSTAL Moore drove slowly along the sandy road that curved through the property she had roamed as a child. Her grandparents had christened it �The Park� when they purchased it over fifty years ago. To Crystal , they could have named it Serenity. The tall, stately Southern pines, the oak and hickory trees, the mirror-still lake, the peaceful quiet, all worked to cast a spell of tranquility over her.
Fifty feet from Eula, Crystal switched off the ignition, eased out of the car, and moved forward, careful not to crack a twig or crunch a dried leaf. Now she saw her grandmother�s right index finger curled around the trigger. Whatever was going on, she did not want to distract her Nana.
Eula Moore pointed the shotgun at the shed, her wrinkled hands as steady as those of an eye surgeon. �Don�t make no sudden moves. I got a nervous trigger finger. I might just blow your head off.�
Nothing moved.
�Now, very slowly, come on out in the open, and keep them hands over your head where I can see �em.�
Experience told Crystal her grandmother had heard the car, but Eula�s attention never left the shed. The elderly woman stooped down, gaze still fixed on the building, picked up a rock with her left hand and made a sweeping, underhanded throw. As the chunk of limestone arched skyward, Eula pulled the ancient shotgun up and once more trained it on the shed.
The rock struck the tin roof with a satisfying bang. No animal came bolting out the door. The noise echoed and died away. The birds stopped their chirping. All was quiet.
�Animal. Person. Beats me. But I didn�t git to seventy-five being careless.�
Eula Moore, five feet two inches tall, ninety-five pounds with short-cropped grey hair, held a strategic position. No one could leave the shed without coming into her gun�s sight. And no one could see her without first revealing himself. Eula looked frail, but her voice was strong, her will stronger. �Better come out �fore I start shootin�.�
A slight breeze wiggled the leaves on a towering oak tree shading the area. A squirrel sat motionless. The scene was as peaceful as a painting of a country lane. Except for the shotgun.
A few moments passed. Then a single finger came into view. Gradually, it turned into a whole hand, waving in a small arc. �Por favor, no dispare.� The tiny brown hand fluttered again. The voice quavered slightly. �Please. No shoot. No shoot.�
Eula didn�t lower the gun or take her gaze off the shed. �Por favor? Spanish?� Eula said to Crystal . Then to the tiny hand, �Manos arriba.�
Now, two hands waved. But no body appeared.
�You need to work on your Spanish, Nana. He may not know what you�re saying.�
Eula snorted. �Pardon me. I didn�t go to S.M.U. Or Stanford. Maybe you can do better.�
A foot materialized in the opening. �Hands up.� Then a body began to emerge. �Hands up.�
Was it a child? Little more than five feet tall and slender as broomcorn, she could have been a girl of fourteen. Her uncombed hair, nearly reaching her waist, appeared as black and shiny as obsidian. Pink and blue embroidery decorated the rough-woven, white dress hanging from her shoulders and stopping just short of her scratched knees. Well-worn leather sandals revealed feet accustomed to no shoes at all.
The small hands trembled slightly as the young Mexican edged forward, but she held her head high and her back ramrod straight.
Eula waggled the barrel of the shotgun at the girl. �Far enough. Hold it right there. Alto.� Eula focused on the girl, but spoke to Crystal . �Okay. So I don�t remember my Spanish good enough to find out what I got here. See what you can do. But don�t get in my line of fire.�
A cloud drifted away, allowing the sun to play fully on the girl�s face. This was not a child. Those large eyes could not develop such sadness, such pain, in such a short life.
��Como se llama?� Crystal asked.
The thin young woman maintained her focus on the gun. �Rosa . Rosa Bonita Lopez.�
��Habla Ingles? Do you speak English?�
�Un poco.�
�Hablo Espa�ol un poco. Vamos probando con Ingles. Let�s try English,� said Crystal . The young woman�s expression did not change, nor did her attention waiver from the shotgun.
�Okay. Your name is Rosa Bonita.�
�Si. Yes.�
�And what were you doing in the shed?�
The Mexican woman�s forehead wrinkled and she tilted her head slightly to one side. Is she puzzled by the English or by what kind of an answer to give? Crystal tried Spanish again. ��Que hacias en el cobertizo?�
After several seconds, Rosa looked at Crystal . �Food.�
�You were looking for food?�
�Si.�
�Are you hungry?�
Eula made a small grunt. �Dumb question.�
�Si. Yes.�
�When did you eat last? �Cu�ndo comiste por �ltima vez?"
�Ayer en la ma�ana.�
�Yesterday morning!� Crystal turned to her grandmother. �She�s probably starving. Let�s take her in and give her something to eat. Then we can find out why she�s here.�
Eula didn�t move or lower the shotgun but Crystal walked over, smiling, took the young woman�s hand and led her into the house.
I�m eager to read the rest. I�ll do that as soon as I finish the book I�m reading now. How can readers find you on the Internet?
Amazon Author's page: http://amzn.to/1eeykvG
Website: http://www.jamesrcallan.com
GoodReads: http://bit.ly/13fCBdp
Thank you, James, for sharing this new book with us. My blog readers will find the story as fascinating as I do.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
A Silver Medallion (Crystal Moore Suspense) (Volume 2)
- PaperbackA Silver Medallion (A Crystal Moore Suspense Book 2) - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you�ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you�re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here�s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Setting up a Classroom Library
Over the years I have gone through several classroom library makeovers. I've tried different tubs, labels, sorting systems, and anything else that could possibly make my life easier. I'm going to take you through some things that have and have not worked for me, and some solutions that have made my life a little easier!
There are so many ways to organize your classroom library. How you set up your books, bins, or whatever you may use needs to work for YOU and YOUR students! Think about your grade level of learners, how many books you have, and how you want your students to access these books.
Do you want a leveled library? Check out this beautiful library from First Grade Made. Her labels are by Maria Manore Gavin.
Do you have older students that can learn how an actual library works? Check out this library by Lessons with Laughter. She has book bin labels HERE and HERE!
Do you have 8 trillion books and just not sure where to start? Check out THIS post by Kindergals! Kim takes you through sorting, leveling, and managing!! Her labels can be fond HERE.
I've had lots of different bins over the years. One problem I have is changing my classroom theme or decor way too often. So when I had primary colored book bins, that only worked for a short amount of time...
After about 7 years I moved to clear bins. I liked this look a lot because they could be used no matter what colors I decorated with.
But this kept happening! My bins weren't the perfect size. The books would fold over and bend because the bins weren't quite tall enough!
My new solution? Wire Baskets from Wal-Mart. I know they may seem pricey, and they may not what you are looking for, but I can't tell you how much money I've spent on bins over the years. Plus, with the amount of books that I've purchased, I might as well take care of them!!! I decided to not have a million different baskets for every single little topic or author, so I also didn't need quite as many baskets as before. The nice thing about these baskets is they come in a few different sizes. I bought a mix of the medium and large baskets based on how many books I had in each category. The medium baskets are really the perfect size for most of my categories. I also love how you can see straight through to the books. This makes for easy perusing and choosing!
The first thing I did was bring ALL of my books home. I began sorting them into broad categories rather than by author or character. Then this happened...
I gave up approximately 100 times and just plopped on top of the books. I may have been a bit dramatic, but it felt like the task was never going to be complete!!!! My guest room was a sea of books for a couple of weeks and it just about drove me bonkers. I'm not good at having uncompleted projects. But I managed to push on!!!
For so many years I had books that just didn't have a home because they didn't fit into the categories I had chosen. I had a Kevin Henkes bin, but there were only 8 books in it. Maybe at one point I had a ton of Fly Guy books, but some got lost and destroyed so that category dwindled down. I wanted the maximum amount of books in my library. So, broad categories it was!
I don't know if you can see this or not, but look closely. Do you see the ziploc bags? I also put my books on CD in the book bin buckets. SAY WHAT?! It's true. I have an addiction to buying books AND books on CD. I decided that some kids may just want to read those books instead of listening to them on CD. Why not go ahead and sort those books with the other ones? Students are more than capable of grabbing a book on CD from a book bin, I promise! Now they are sorted by category instead of just all grouped together. This will also help me to see if we have a book on the subject I need for teaching :)
Although my categories have always seemed pretty simple to me (I mean don't all Eric Carle books look similar enough to you??!!) my students seemed to never get what I was thinking! Here's what I decided to do...
-Each category has a number on the basket.
-Each book inside that basket now has a number on the upper righthand corner.
Simple, right?! Now I can look through a bin and easily see if any books are misplaced! When labels are on the back, inside, or somewhere else it seemed like students never looked at them. I was constantly going to the library getting frustrated because so many books weren't in their homes! While my kids were working they would be interrupted with, "Is this real life, guys?? Why are there Clifford books in the Science book bin???" #iamashamedtosayit #butitstrue
I now have 25 baskets. When creating my categories I thought about books I would be buying in the future. I didn't overthink things. If a book was about building character, bullying, or being unique- those went in my "character" bucket. I also grouped certain books. I have a lot of Arthur and Amelia Bedelia books, but not enough to fill a whole basket. So, I grouped favorite characters together.
PS- I really wish I would have paid attention to the labels that are straightened before snapping a picture.
Right now all of my books are living at home, so I just set up a special place for our library in the playroom for my two kiddos. They read ALL THE TIME, so it made sense to give them access to all the books throughout the summer since I brought them home to organize anyways! They are already rockin' the new organization. Book clean-up is now fast and easy :)
Before I go, I wanted to share the labels that I made in case you wanted them for your classroom library. I'm not making different styles or sharing my specific basket labels because I know they won't be what you need. However, if you'd like to use my template to make your own click HERE
Here's how to use them:
Do you have pictures of your classroom library online or on a blog? I'd love for you to leave a link below so that people can see your library! I know that my solution won't work for everyone, and it's always so nice to see other options out there!!!
WINNERS!!!!!
Mike M (TX) are the winner of Resilience by L R Burkard.
Jan H (TX) is the winner of Lead Me Home by Amy K Sorrells.
Jackie (GA) is the winner of The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim.
Dianne C (VA) are the winner of Sister Eve and the Blue Nun by Lynne Hinto.
Michelle (CA) is the winner of The Valiant Heart Romance Collection by DarleneFranklin and others.
If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites.
Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.
Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
If you won an ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.
When you contact me, please give the title and author of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.
Jan H (TX) is the winner of Lead Me Home by Amy K Sorrells.
Jackie (GA) is the winner of The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim.
Dianne C (VA) are the winner of Sister Eve and the Blue Nun by Lynne Hinto.
Michelle (CA) is the winner of The Valiant Heart Romance Collection by DarleneFranklin and others.
If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites.
Also, tell your friends about the book ... and this blog. Thank you.
Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email.
If you won an ebook, just let me know what email address it should be sent to.
When you contact me, please give the title and author of the book you won, so I won't have to look it up.
Remember, you have 4 weeks to claim your book.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Special Event
In Partnership with
Join SBWC
in Welcoming
Multiple Award Winning Authors
Nancy Werlin Kristin Cashore Annie Hartnett
Friday, June 24, 2016
7:30 PM
Upstairs @ The General
1 Still River Road, Harvard Massachusetts
$5.00 cover
$5.00 cover
Nancy Werlin is the author of nine young adult novels in the genres of realistic fiction, fantasy, and suspense. Her novel The Rules of Survival was a finalist for the National Book Award, her novel The Killer�s Cousin won the Edgar award for best mystery, and her novel Impossible was a New York Times bestseller. She lives with her husband in Melrose, and is currently working on a suspense thriller to be published in 2017. Visit her website at nancywerlin.com for more.
Kristin Cashore wrote the New York Times bestsellers Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue, all of which have been named ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Gracelingis the winner of the 2009 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature, Fire is the winner of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, and Bitterblue is a New York Times Book Review Notable Children�s Book. Graceling is currently scheduled to be published in thirty-three languages. Cashore currently has a realistic YA novel and a cross-genre YA novel in revisions. A native Pennsylvanian, she now lives in the Boston area.
Annie Hartnett's debut novel RABBIT CAKE is forthcoming from Tin House Books in 2017. She was the 2013-2014 winner of the Writer in Residence Fellowship for the Associates of the Boston Public Library. Annie's stories and essays have appeared in Salon magazine, Indiana Review, Unstuck magazine, and PANK magazine, among others. Annie has an MFA in Fiction from the University of Alabama and has received awards and honors from the Bread Loaf School of English, Indiana Review, and McSweeney's. Annie teaches classes on the short story and the novel at Grub Street, an independent writing center in Boston, and is currently at work on her second novel.
A 2006 National Book Award Finalist
Matt has long since put himself in charge of protecting his younger sisters from their enemy.
Who is their enemy? It's their mother, Nikki O'Grady Walsh.
Matt's done okay. But secretly, inside, he's growing tired and hopeless. Then, suddenly, there's a possible ally on the horizon. Murdoch, his mother's ex-boyfriend, who maybe can help him get rid of his mother�for good.
�The Rules of Survival spoke to me. I was there for every minute, reverse-wish-fulfilling as I read. The outcome made knots in my chest come undone.� �Tamora Pierce
A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
Lucy Scarborough is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or to fall into madness upon their child's birth. But Lucy is the first girl who won't be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents beside her. And she has Zach, whose strength amazes her more each day. Do they have enough love and resolve to overcome an age-old evil?
Inspired by the ballad �Scarborough Fair,� the New York Times bestseller Impossible combines suspense, fantasy, and romance to tell a story of love and family conquering all.
�A haunting, thrilling romantic puzzle.� �Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked
In Bitterblue, eighteen-year-old Bitterblue is the queen of a kingdom still in recovery from the reign of its previous king, her father. The influence of Bitterblue's father�a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities�lives on in Monsea, in ways Bitterblue hasn't yet learned the extent of. Feeling hemmed in by her over-protective and controlling staff, Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle to walk the streets of her own city at night�and meets two thieves who hold a key to the truth of her father�s reign.
Rabbit Cake is a darkly comic coming of age novel narrated by?12-year-old Elvis Babbitt. Elvis is reeling from the loss of her?mother, who recently drowned in a sleepwalking episode. Elvis can't?escape the feeling that her mother�s death was suspicious somehow, and?worries that her family won�t ever escape the pull of their mother's?death.
Book signings and sales to follow. For more information contact rich.marcello@gmail.com
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