Showing posts with label Giveaways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giveaways. Show all posts

Monthly Interview & Giveaway


By Katie Marie
Hey all! I realize that I am a bit late in posting this interview and giveaway (I had originally planned for the 20th), but my family ended up going up to Alabama to help a family hit by the tornado a few weeks back and my Internet and cell service was horrible there. But! I am here now!

After a lot of discussion, around the time we changed up the template and blog posts on this blog, Kait and I also decided to change up our interviews and giveaways. From now on, we will be interviewing a certain character from a book. Sound like fun? Ya, we thought so too!

So, please help me welcome Emily Graham, the main character for Lorna Steilstad's new book, A Great Catch. (Which I have currently sitting on the top of my TBR pile, just teasing me to dive into it! :-)


Hey Emily! Welcome to Book Ponderings. Thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview! This is going to be fun. J Would you like to introduce yourself to the readers of this blog? 

   First of all, Katy, thank you so much for inviting me to Book Ponderings. You have such a lovely place here. My name is Emily Graham and I’m the main character in A Great Catch. I’m twenty-two years old, and to my aunts’ despair, I’m still not married. I’m the president of the Council Bluffs Equal Suffrage Club, and I’m spending the summer at Lake Manawa in Iowa. 
   My strengths are being a determined, hard worker for the cause, and my weakness is that I’m a bit clumsy. Actually, if you drew a chalk line on the sidewalk, I’d trip over it. 

Trip over a chalk line, eh? Love your humor, Emily! So on the cover of your book, A Great Catch, you are holding a baseball. Are you fond of the sport? 

   I wasn’t fond of baseball, but I was fond of a certain baseball player. As a leader in the suffrage movement, I wanted to do something that would show men that women could do whatever they could. I came up with the idea of having a Bloomer Girls Baseball team come to the lake. I needed a team for them to play. Carter agreed to let his team do it—if I played for his team. I agreed, but it was hard to learn since I am so clumsy.

Ah, I see. Well, I'm not a big fan at playing it either - have a problem with hitting the darn ball - so don't feel too bad! ;-) What do you enjoy doing in your free time? 

   Free time? What’s that? I spend all my extra time writing suffrage articles, practicing speeches, and writing congressmen. Actually, the little free time I used to spend with my friends, Marguerite and Lilly. We’d go swimming or roller skating. But once I met Carter, well, he had a way of taking up most of my time. 

Ohh, are you friends with Marguerite Westing in Making Waves? I loved reading her adventures! If you used one word to describe your personality, what would that be? 

   Driven. 

Strong word! Why would you use that word? Can you elaborate on your personality a little bit more now? 

   Women have not been granted the right to vote in 1901 and it is a horrible thing. How can women ever be treated with equality if we are not even allowed to choose who represents us in government?  I’ve dedicated my life to righting that wrong. If you’d like to sit down and talk about taxation without representation, I’m your girl. 

Looks like you have a great purpose in life. By the way, you’re wearing a beautiful outfit on the front cover. Where does your family stand in society? 

   Why thank you! My grandfather made his fortune in silver, and my father owns an implement company. We are considered well-to-do, but my family isn’t an uppity family. My grandmother would never have allowed us to put on airs of any kind. She’s much too down-to-earth for that.

Ah, okay. So, back on track (sorry, I love a pretty dress!). What is your goal in life? 

   I would love to work on the National suffrage scene beside Carrie Chapman Catt, and I want men to see how capable women are. Deep down, I have to admit I hope that by committing to this cause, others will see me as valuable.
Not to give away anything in the book, but do you realize your goal or does God show you a different path for you to take? 

   Hmmm. No, women don’t get the right to vote in 1901, but God’s had special plans for me and Carter.
 
Hmm, can't wait to read A Great Catch and find out what those plans are! What is your favorite memory at Lake Manawa?
Oh, that’s going to be hard. I’ll never forget my two aunts. They were so determined to see me married off, they’d bring all sorts of fellows around. Can you imagine courting an undertaker?

But I think my favorite memory will always be the first time Carter kissed me. Any man that will kiss you after you’ve fallen in the mud has to win you heart. 

Wow! Kissed after falling in the mud? I have to agree with you. So, after going through all the adventures in A Great Catch, what is one lesson that you really learned from your experiences? 

   I believe I learned that I was pouring so much into the suffrage fight in order to validate myself. I think we women do that a lot. We have to be the best wives, mothers, soccer moms, Christians—somehow believing that our hard work makes us worth of the respect and love of others. I learned that I’ve always mattered to the Lord.

How very true. Well thank you SO MUCH for coming out here today, Emily, and participating in this interview. I cannot wait to read A Great Catch! 

GIVEAWAY:

Great Catch, A: A Novel (Lake Manawa Summers)Emily spoke to Lorna Steilstad on your behalf, dear followers, and she has agreed to give A Great Catch to one of Book Ponderings followers! Awesome, right?!  Ya! In the comment section, feel free to leave any comments/questions for Emily or Lorna. I can't promise she will have time to read and reply to them all (that totally depends on her!) but I know she would love to see the support! :-)

Giveaway Rules: You must be/become a follower of Book Ponderings AND include your email address with your initial comment.USA only, please. This giveaway begins today and ends Friday, the 3rd of June. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the 30th. This winner will be notified by the email address they leave in their comment. If the winner doesn't respond within 5 days, we will randomly pick another winner. Have fun! 
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Category: , 36 comments

Surprise Giveaway!


By Unknown
Alrighty readers - I have finally found a moment in this busy day to put up this giveaway! :) In case you missed my post where I explained this surprise giveaway, I am posting this as a graduation celebration/make up for late/missing posts in the past week while I was out of town. Katy and I both were very busy this past week, so we thought a bonus giveaway was warranted.

So, after much contemplation, we decided to giveaway three books. Yep, three! Yay! We will be giving away the Missions of Mercy series by Susan May Warren to one lucky winner! Keep reading to learn how to enter! :)

Mission: Out of Control (Larger Print Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense: Missions of Mercy)Undercover Pursuit (Love Inspired Suspense)Point of No Return (Love Inspired Suspense)




Giveaway Rules: You must be/become a follower of Book Ponderings AND include your email address with your initial comment.USA only, please. This giveaway begins today and ends Friday, the 3rd of June. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the 30th. This winner will be notified by the email address they leave in their comment. If the winner doesn't respond within 5 days, we will randomly pick another winner. Have fun!
For Extra Entries:
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Category: 20 comments

Monthly Giveaway - Head in the Clouds


By Unknown
Hello readers! For this month we are combining our author interview with out monthly giveaway - as it will be done from now on! Look forward to next month's interview/giveaway - we're starting something new and fun! :)



First off, what inspired you to write Head in the Clouds?

Since I enjoy regency romances as well as those set in the American West, I thought it would be fun to blend the two by bringing an English nobleman to Texas.

Oh that's cool! It did make for an excellent book!
How did you mold your character's personalities? Did they choose them for themselves?

Some of the characteristics evolved naturally, but others sprang from the theme and plot. I knew I wanted my theme to delve into the idea of how we deal with situations when God seems to be silent. How better to demonstrate this than with a heroine who is naturally impulsive and impatient? It would be that much harder for her to wait, since it goes against her natural inclination. Adelaide's adventurous spirit and imaginative ideations were products of her love for novels, however, and came about more naturally.

Gideon is my representation of Prince Charming. He's rich, he's genteel, he knows how to turn
a pretty phrase—he's everything Adelaide ever dreamed of. Yet he's more than that storybook
facade. He's also hard working, willing to get his hands dirty, and willing to sacrifice everything
for those he loves. So for my plot, he started out as Prince Charming, but as the story progressed,
he revealed more and more depth.

Gideon was quite charming - and perfect for Adelaide, too!
How long did it take you to write Head in the Clouds?

My typical pace is about one book a year. I spend a few weeks at the outset doing research and brainstorming plot, then I take about 40+ weeks writing the actual manuscript. I'm one of those odd ducks who prefers to edit as I write. This makes my pace slower (about a chapter a week), but when I reach the end of the book, the editing is already complete, so I don't have to go back for rewrites until I hear from my editor.

Which book took you the longest to write?

Head in the Clouds took longer to write than A Tailor-Made Bride. Tailor-Made was the book Bethany House wanted to launch me with even though Clouds had been written first. Because of tight deadlines, I finished Tailor-Made in about 8 months where Clouds took me closer to 11 months.

What was the publishing journey like for you with your first book, A Tailor-Made Bride?

My journey was crazy, but looking back, I can definitely see the hand of God at work.

In 2007, I took my first completed novel to the ACFW conference in Dallas. I arrived a day early and worked at the volunteer station stuffing envelopes. A woman worked beside me who shared my first name. That's fun, I thought. However, as time ticked on, I picked up clues to her identity from others in the room. This was Karen Schurrer, an editor from Bethany House, my dream publisher. Only the Lord could have orchestrated such a meeting. I resisted throwing my pitch at her, but two days later, I sat at her lunch table and after everyone pitched their projects, one brave writer asked if we could send her our proposals. She said yes.

After the conference, I sent in my proposal and soon had a request for a full manuscript. Surely a contract
was right around the corner since the Lord was at work, right? Wrong. The acquisitions editor rejected my
manuscript. Nevertheless, she complimented my writing and said there was one component to the story
that she really liked—the dress shop. Could I come up with a new idea surrounding a dress shop?

Now, in the original story, the dress shop burned to the ground in the prologue. Yet she wanted me to
create an entirely new book from scratch based on this shop idea. I was faced with a choice: do I seek
publication elsewhere or do I keep my foot in this door?

Since publishing with Bethany House was my dream, I started brainstorming ideas for a dress shop book,
and even met with the editor in person at the 2008 ACFW conference where she gave me feedback and
encouraged me to resubmit. By January 2009, Bethany House offered me a three book deal launching
with A Tailor-Made Bride.

What was the most valuable thing you have learned when it comes to writing?

Depend on the Lord in everything – inspiration, plot, word choice, character development,
theme, everything. No aspect of writing is too small. Bathe your work in prayer, surrender to his
leading, and ask him to provide the discipline to write even when the desire flees.

Wow that's quite a story! Congrats on your success! :)
What is a word of advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Be committed to mastering the craft, tenacious in submitting your work, flexible enough to move
when the industry moves, and grounded enough in who you are as a person and as a child of God
not to lose heart when rejection comes. Accept the lessons of humility you learn now, for you
will need them later when you find success.

Excellent advice!!
If you could enter and book you wanted to and live it out as the main character, which
book would you enter?

Great question! And hard to answer. My favorite book of all time is The Secret by Julie Garwood, but I don't think I could handle living in a drafty medieval keep in the highlands. My favorite Christian romance is Redeeming Love, but I'm definitely not comfortable in taking on the role of a prostitute even if it means missing out on a dedicated man like Michael Hosea. I adored Jane Eyre, but her story started with such abuse and tragedy, that I can't quite commit to wanting her life even with the joy she finds with her Edward in the end. So, I think I'm going to vote for Pride and Prejudice. I feel like I already have a lot in common with Elizabeth Bennet as far as personality goes, and I'd love to know what it is like to have sisters. I only ever had a brother. The romance of the regency era would be something to see, and who wouldn't want to win the affections of Mr. Darcy? Such a noble hero.







Great choices! Thanks for visiting!

This month we are giving away a copy of Head in the Clouds to one lucky commenter! Thanks, Karen, for providing us with a giveaway copy!


Giveaway Rules: You must be/become a follower of Book Ponderings AND include your email address with your initial comment.USA only, please. This giveaway begins today and ends Friday, the 29th of April. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the 30th. This winner will be notified by the email address they leave in their comment. If the winner doesn't respond within 5 days, we will randomly pick another winner. Have fun!
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Category: 23 comments

Monthly Giveaway - Love's First Bloom


By Katie Marie
Well, it's time for our monthly giveaway! For this time around, I have Delia Parr's novel, Love's First Bloom. :-)


Giveaway Rules: You must be/become a follower of Book Ponderings AND include your email address with your initial comment. USA only, please. This giveaway begins today and ends Sunday, the 3rd of April. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced the next day, April 4th. This winner will be notified by the email address they leave in their comment. If the winner doesn't respond within 5 days, we will randomly pick another winner. Have fun!


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Category: 30 comments

Monthly Giveaway - Havah by Tosca Lee


By Unknown

Hello readers! It's time for our monthly giveaway! This month we are giving away Havah: The Story Of Eve by Tosca Lee! You can read my review of this book HERE! Scroll down to learn how to enter!



Giveaway Rules: You must be/become a follower of Book Ponderings AND include your email address with your initial comment. USA only, please. This giveaway begins today and ends Friday, the 4th of March. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the 5th. This winner will be notified by the email address they leave in their comment. If the winner doesn't respond within 5 days, we will randomly pick another winner. Have fun!

For Extra Entries:
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Category: 26 comments

Monthly Giveaway: Be Not Afraid


By Katie Marie
For the month of January we are combining our monthly giveaway with our author spotlight! Enjoy!

~~

Welcome Deborah! To begin with, can you tell us a little about yourself?  
Sure.  I’m married to my wonderful husband, Scott, and have been for 39 years.  We have 3 grown children.  So far we’ve been blessed with two grandsons, but believe more grandchildren will be added down the way.  I retired from dispatching at a trucking company after 30 years of service so I could pursue my writing career.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?  Who or what inspired you? 
I was in an accident that laid me up for a couple of months.  While reading so many books, one day I said, “Lord, I think I could write one of these.”  And God took me serious.  Immediately He gave me the idea for my first novel, and He didn’t stop there.

How long did you write before you were published?
I had been writing for over twenty years before my first book was published.  Grace, a Gift of Love is the title and it was the second novel I wrote twenty years before being published.  At that time I had written 18 novels in various stages of completion.

How many books have you published?  What are their names, and who are they published by?
I have four published novels.  The first two, Grace, a Gift of Love and All in God’s Time were published by Tate Publishing.  My 3rd and 4th book released at the same time.  The 3rd book is Be Not Afraid, which was published by Oak Tara Publishers.  And my 4th one, Passion from the Heart was published by CrossBooks, a division of LifeWay.

How did you get the inspiration for your book, Be Not Afraid? 
One night while working dispatch on the night shift, I heard a sound outside the window at 2 in the morning and an idea for a suspense novel started spinning in my head…what if… what if…so many ideas kept spinning and Be Not Afraid was born.

What's your favorite part of this story? 
When Samantha makes the ultimate sacrifice as she faces fear, but thinking she is helping the man she’s fallen in love with, and then finds she has put her own life in jeopardy.  It’s a very fast paced scene and keeps the pages turning.  I also enjoyed the light heartedness shared over a dinner, introducing an old friend to Matthew’s new love.

What was the hardest part to write? 
I’d have to say the ending was the hardest to write, because I didn’t want it to stop. 

What message(s) do you want to be clear to your readers in Be Not Afraid?
No matter what problems or trials come your way, if you trust in the Lord, He will see you through each and every one.

If your book, Be Not Afraid, was turned into a movie, what actor would best resemble what you have pictured for the heroine and/or hero to look like? What are the hero and/or heroine’s name? Can you describe a few main physical features that they have? 
When Be Not Afraid was first written, Pierce Brosnan was a younger actor, and he was the face I saw as I wrote—with his coal black hair and penetrating blue eyes.  Today it would have to be Orlando Bloom for Detective Matthew Jefferies, and Zooey Deschanel for Samantha Cain.  Samantha’s brown hair is long and straight and her eyes are a vivid green that any emerald would envy—if gems had emotions.  My heroine is a strong independent woman, but she had to work hard to get to that point in her life.  My detective is more than the job.  He cares, deeply, about everyone.   

What are you writing right now? Any upcoming releases we should keep our eye out for? 
The second in the Samantha Cain series will be coming out.  My publisher said they are ready for it.   I’ve taken a few months off writing to be with my husband as he battles lung cancer.  This is a winning battle because Jesus has already defeated the disease.  I write very little at the moment, but my family is my priority, after God.  And God blessed me when He connected me with Oak Tara Publishers.  They are very understanding.

Here’s a fun question I wanted to throw in: If you could pick any historical figure from history to chat with, whom would it be and why?
The pioneer woman because she worked so hard without all the simplicities in life that we have today…but she pushed through and stood by her man as she took care of the children.

What's your favorite genre to write? To read?  
What ever story God puts on my heart, I want to write.  Sometimes the story line He’s given me is a romance with a message, and always a family within the pages, while other times its mystery or suspense with a little romance mixed within.  He’s given me a couple new ideas I have worked on, but have put aside at the moment.  To read, I like fiction, with mystery, whether it small or large, with a page turning quality that makes me care about what happens to the characters.  And if there is a romance in there, it’s alright by me.  One of my favorite authors is Jill Elizabeth Nelson.  Dee Henderson is right at the top also.

Anything else about writing, yourself, or your books you’d like to add? 
In my early days, up until I fell in love and got married, I thought I was going to become an actress.  I loved playing different rolls.  And one day God showed me a way to play all the characters in a story…write them.  I love my life.  Also, Moore by Design is working on a trailer for Passion from the Heart and it will be on my web site soon, along with the trailer for Be Not Afraid (designed by Orrin’s Video Productions).  If you haven’t seen that one yet, check it out at:  http://www.author-deborahlynne.com/

Where can readers find out more about your books? 
You can order all four on line through Amazon.com or Christianbook.com or any other books on line store, or ask your favorite book store to order them for you.  LifeWay carries my newest romance which is Passion from the Heart.
~~
Be Not AfraidToday we are giving away a copy of Be Not Afraid by Deborah Lynne! :-) Thank you, Deborah, for providing this book for the giveaway today!
Giveaway Rules: You must be/become a follower of Book Ponderings AND include your email address with your initial comment. USA only, please. This giveaway begins today and ends Friday, the 28th of January. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the 29th. This winner will be notified by the email address they leave in their comment. If the winner doesn't respond within 5 days, we will randomly pick another winner. Have fun!
For Extra Entries:
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~ Katy
Category: 54 comments

Monthly Giveaway - The Extreme Devotion Series: Three WInners!!!


By Unknown


Today's the 12th of November - that means it's time for our next monthly giveaway! This month we are giving away three books from the Extreme Devotion series by Kathi Macias - No Greater Love, More Than Conquerors, and Red Ink. After thinking on it for a while, we have decided to choose three winners, each of them receiving one of the books in the series. Theses books are stand alones, so you don't have to worry about missing anything if you haven't read the previous ones. :-)
I've read No Greater Love so far and it was GREAT! I've just begun Red Ink, too!
Reviews on the books in this series are coming soon!


Red Ink (Extreme Devotion Series, Book 3)


No Greater Love (Extreme Devotion Series: South Africa #1)

More than Conquerors (Extreme Devotion Series: Mexico #2)



Giveaway Rules:You must follow this blog and leave a comment including what book you are interested in winning and your e-mail address so that we can contact you if you're a winner. This giveaway is offered internationally. The giveaway begins today and ends in two weeks on the 26th of November. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the 27th. The winners will be notified by their e-mail address as well as on this blog. If the winner doesn't respond within 5 days, we will have to pick another. Enjoy and good luck!

 For Extra Entries:
Grab our button(+1)
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Post about this giveaway on your blog.(+1)Twitter this giveaway(+1 per tweet per day)
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Have fun and thanks for entering!

Thanks goes to Kathi Macias for providing the books for this giveaway!
Category: 35 comments

Author Interview & Giveaway - The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson


By The Ponderers


I'm so excited to be putting up the first of our monthly author interviews! Today we will be spotlighting The Healer's Apprentice and it's author, Melanie Dickerson!


Thanks so much for being willing to do this interview with us! To start out, tell us a bit about yourself! 
I am a wife and mother of two school-age daughters and I live near Huntsville, Alabama. My life is pretty boring, which I’m thankful for, since writing seems to provide all the drama I can safely handle! I am a graduate of The University of Alabama with a degree in special education, and I spent a year in Ukraine and a summer in Germany.

Germany and Ukraine?! That's too cool! 
Tell us a bit about your latest realease - The Healer's Apprentice. 

My debut novel, The Healer’s Apprentice, is published by Zondervan as a Young Adult romance and was released this month. It’s a historical, set in medieval 14th century Germany, with a wonderful castle and medieval town as the main setting. It’s full of intrigue and plot twists, deception and loyalty, but most of all, romance!

I must agree when you stated it was full of intrigue! But I'm curious; how did you come up with the idea? Was "The Healer's Apprentice" your original title for this book? If not, what was you working title?

I came up with the idea for The Healer’s Apprentice while watching Disney and Barbie princess movies with my little girls. I had loved fairy tales all my life, and one day when we were watching Sleeping Beauty, I started thinking, what if this story was rewritten to be more realistic? What if the hero felt duty- and honor-bound to his betrothed? What if he fell in love with a peasant girl but was horrified at the idea of betraying his betrothed in that way? After all, men want respect more than anything else, and he would lose the respect of everyone if he shirked his duty to marry his betrothed. So that was the beginning of my idea for this story. And the original title was The Woodcutter’s Daughter. I had a really hard time getting used to the new title after calling it The Woodcutter’s Daughter for three and a half years!


That's our favorite way to learn history: through books! :-)
Who was your favorite character to create?

I enjoyed creating all the characters, except maybe the bad guy. I didn't like writing scenes in his point of view at all! Very creepy! I enjoyed all the main characters, especially Rose, Hildy, Lord Hamlin and Lord Rupert, who I tried to name Rudolf, but he just wouldn't let me call him anything but Rupert!


 
That's cool! Who ever knew that Barbie movies could inspire such an amazing book? :-)
What made you decide to write the book in the medieval time period?  Was it hard to learn information about that time?

I have always been fascinated with the middle ages. I read books like Ivanhoe and Robin Hood and savored all the medieval details. But when I decided to write a book set in the middle ages, I knew I'd have to really do my research well. So I checked out lots of medieval history books from the library, bought books on the time period, and did a lot of the more specific research on the internet.



Were there any event/s that inspired you to write this story?

There are many events that inspired different story lines and scenes in the book. If I tried to tell you all of them, it would be a very long interview! But in general, I was inspired by the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, particularly the Disney movie version, and by the German town, Hildesheim, where I stayed one summer while I was still in college. But who really knows where writers get their ideas? Even the writers sometimes don't know--or at least, I don't, or don't remember. But I am often inspired by real life events, either experienced by me or by someone else who told me about it.


That's cool!  It's amazing where inspiration comes from at times.
Can you give us a sneak peek at what you have cooking up next? Can you tell us something about it? Do you have a release date?

Well, I have a second medieval YA romance, a Beauty and the Beast story tentatively titled The Beholder. I don’t know yet if Zondervan is going to publish it. I’ve been revising it, and I think it’s a really strong story. Hopefully I will be able to announce a release date in a few months.
I also have an adult series, set in 1800’s Alabama, that my agent is working on finding a publisher for. Hopefully I can announce something about that soon, too.


How can readers get in contact with you?

I’m on Facebook as Melanie Dickerson, on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3408059.Melanie_Dickerson , and you can contact me through my website, www.melaniedickerson.com

 Thanks SO much for allowing us to interview you, Mrs. Dickerson!
I hope y'all enjoyed our interview with Melanie Dickerson! But the fun isn't over yet! Melanie Dickerson has been generous enough to give away a copy of The Healer's Apprentice to one of our readers! :-D The Healer's Apprentice was a GREAT read and I'm so excited that we're being able to giveaway a copy! Following are the rules for entering to win a new copy of The Healer's Apprentice!
Giveaway Rules: You must be/become a follower of Book Ponderings AND include your email address with your initial comment. USA only, please. This giveaway begins today and ends Friday, the 5th of November. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the the 6th. This winner will be notified by the email address they leave in their comment. If the winner doesn't respond within 5 days, we will randomly pick another winner. Have fun!


For Extra Entries:
Subscribe to this blog(+1)
Grab our button(+1)
Post about our giveaway on your blog(+2)
Twitter this giveaway(+1 per tweet per day)
Comment on our weekly book discussion posts that occur Mondays and Wednesdays(+2)

Please seperate each entry with a comment!

Thanks again, Mrs. Dickerson!
Category: , 35 comments

Monthly Giveaway: Lady Carliss by Chuck Black


By Katie Marie
Here's our second Monthly Giveaway on this blog - I feel like we've come so far in such a short amount of time! I hope our book discussions, reviews, and history posts are a blessing to y'all as you seek out books that are worth the read!

This month we will be giving away Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue by Chuck Black!!

Lady Carliss faces the challenge of her life. Can she save the kingdom before it’s too late?

Determined, smart and a master of both the sword and the bow, Lady Carliss has proven herself as a veteran Knight of the Prince. Returning from a mission of aid, Carliss is plunged into adventure once again as she searches for the marauders responsible for kidnapping a friends’ family. Along the way she is reunited with Sir Dalton and discovers that the struggle in her heart is far from over. When Dalton falls to the vicious attack of a mysterious, poisonous creature, Carliss finds herself in a race against time. As Dalton clings perilously to life she must find the antidote in the distant and strange city of Moorue.

While there Carliss uncovers the master plot of a powerful Shadow Warrior that will soon overtake the entire Kingdom. Her faith in the Prince and her courage as a knight are tested as she faces evil Shadow Warriors and a swamp full of dreadful creatures. The lives of many, including Dalton’s, depend on Carliss. But she cannot save them all, for time is running out.  She faces an impossible choice: save Dalton, or let him die so that others may live.

Journey to Arrethtrae, where these knights of noble heart live and die in loyal service to the King and the Prince. These knights are mighty, for they serve a mighty King. They are…the Knights of Arrethtrae!

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KATY'S REVIEW:

Romance:


Violence:


Fear/Horror:


Overall Impression:


The first time Chuck Black has written one of his books that had the main character a lady - and he did an outstanding job! Lady Carliss is full of action, adventure, suspense, betrayal, harrowing rescues, lovers in danger, and angels in disguise.

This book, in some respects, is a continuation of the book before this, Sir Dalton. If you can, I would suggest reading Sir Dalton first before reading Lady Carliss - so you can understand were their growing attractions came from, but I don't think it's entirely a necessity. But if you finish the book and wonder when and where their growing attraction for each other came from, get Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart and it'll clear things up!! ;-)

Besides this little forewarning, the book is great! When Lady Carliss' dear friend Sir Dalton is bitten by a strange animal, she immediately goes in search of the antidote that is in the heart of the marshes of Moorue. While she is bravely trying to find the plant that will save his life, she gets mixed up in the dark schemes of a Shadow Warrior and she finds that either she abandon's a large group of the King's followers and hurry back to Dalton, or stay and save the King's people.

From the very first pages of this book, you are instantly caught up in an exciting adventure that doesn't stop its rollercoaster ride until you arrive at the last pages of the book! While this book is recommended for teen readers, it is great for readers of all ages - old and young alike! I have all of Chuck Black's books and am constantly picking them up to read them over again!

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Giveaway Rules: You must be/become a follower of Book Ponderings AND include your email address with your initial comment. USA only, please. This giveaway begins today and ends Friday, the 29th of October. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on the 30th. This winner will be notified by the email address they leave in their comment. If the winner doesn't respond within 5 days, we will randomly pick another winner. Have fun!

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The book being given away is brand new, never read! :-)

~ Katy

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