Thursday, June 22, 2017

WhiteFire Scavenger Hunt Stop 8!!!

WhiteFire Scavenger Hunt Stop #8
 
 
Welcome to the WhiteFire Publishing Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to go back to stop #1 and collect all the clues in order. Once you have them all, you’ll have uncovered a secret message. Turn that in at the final stop for a chance to win one of THREE amazing prize packages! (Oh. My. Goodness! Those prize packages are the dream, my friends!!)
 
A few things to note:

~ The Hunt begins at Roseanna White’s site

~ Take your time! You have all weekend to complete the Hunt—entries will be counted until Monday June 26—so have fun reading all the posts along the way and getting to know each author.

~ Lots of extra prizes! Many of the authors are featuring unique giveaways as well, for even more chances to win!

~ Submit your entry for the grand prizes back at
Roseanna White’s blog.


The Story Behind the Story ~

Hi everyone! *waves awkwardly* I'm Joy. I'm an awkward bookworm, purple fanatic, and Gilmore Girls groupie. I'd like to share a little about the story behind the story of my debut novel, Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations. One of the key ingredients to this story is trust in God, something I excel at. Not.

When I started writing this story, I was very single. I tended to binge-watch Say Yes to the Dress, and fret about my lack of love life. And I loved this guy. We’ll call him “Luke.” And Luke cared about me, too. Had for years. But we had never pursued it because we went to a small Christian school where dating was a capital offense. The unofficial plan was that we would pursue a relationship once we had both graduated. That day came, went, and many months flew from the pages of the calendar. I thought this was God’s plan, but nothing was happening. I had a lot of those “God, come on!” moments. One day I started venting my frustration writing, and Izze, my main character, started chattering in my head. I’d always been obsessed with weddings, and the idea of a single woman in the wedding business who wanted to get married and was fed up with the leading man seemed to be right up my emotional alley.

I started and stopped and rewrote this story many, many times. During one of the “stopped” phases, this guy FINALLY asked me out. But it was really awkward and weird. However, I was still sure this was just a dead squirrel on the path to Happily Ever After.

Three days later, Luke said we should just be friends.

Naturally, I binge-ate a lot of chocolate.

What followed was a particularly confusing and painful season for me. God and I may have exchanged some angry words… Okay, they were my angry words. But the more I turned to God, the more He whispered this message to my heart of hearts: I needed to trust Him.

This was SOOO not easy, especially when Luke started volunteering at the youth group where I was a youth leader, so I had to see him even more. I tried bargaining like, “God, if I trust you, then You need to do this for me.” Shocker, but that didn’t work. I just needed to trust God and put Him first in my life. He would sort out the details. And He showed me again and again that He was – and is – trustworthy.

Today, that guy and I are married. Four years in August, and we have a beautiful little girl.

I don’t regret our separation. In fact, I’m actually glad it happened because it taught me to rely on God in a way I never had before. My husband went through a similar journey with God, and I believe we are stronger together because we learned to trust God when we were apart.

When people read Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations, I hope they laugh a lot and enjoy Izze and Miles’ story. But most importantly, I hope they see that they can trust God with their hearts. Because He has the very best in store for them. He loves to give us beauty for ashes.


Isabel “Izze” Vez, bridal consultant extraordinaire, has been helping brides find The Dress for years. She loves nothing more than helping make wedding dreams come true…but sometimes the happy endings grate on her. How many times can a girl discover someone else’s gown without dreaming of the day it’ll be her turn to wear one?

When James Miles Clayton walks into her life, he represents everything Izze can’t handle: change. He’s determined to bring the Ever After Bridal Boutique into the black…and to prove to Izze that she should give him a chance.

But if there’s anything Izze handles worse than change, it’s trust. She may have a few issues—fine, she knows she does. But will they keep getting in the way of any chance of her own Happily Ever After? She wants to trust God to give her those dreams of love and lace, but that’s going to require some…minor alterations.

Here's the Scoop on Stop #8 ~

You can order my book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million!

Clue to Write Down: AND if you want the TRUTH, then you'd better read this sentence twice. Hehehe  ;-)  Yes, the clue is "and truth,".

Be sure to check out Stop #9 with June Foster!

Need the full list of stops?

Roseanna M. White
April McGowan
Cara Luecht
Christine Lindsay
Debra Marvin
Dina Sleiman
Gail Kittleson
Joy Palmer
June Foster
Melody Carlson (hosted)
Nelson Hannah
Rachelle Rea Cobb
Sara Goff
Susie Finkbeiner
Susanne Dietze
Suzie Johnson
 
 
 
All finished? Submit Your Entries!
 
But wait, there's more! Now it's time for my giveaway!


Bonus Giveaway Rules, Info, and Such ~

There will be two winners! Yay! :)

>>> US Giveaway ~ 1 Signed copy of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations, a $20.00 Gift Card, an Oreo Chocolate Candy Bar, a Hershey's Cookie Layer Crunch Vanilla Crème Bar, and a Bag of Ghirardelli's Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Squares!
 
*Disclaimer ~ The chocolates do contain various allergens. The recipient is responsible for their own health concerning the chocolates.*

>>> International Giveaway ~ 1 eBook Copy of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations!

My giveaway will run from today, Thursday, June 22nd, through Monday, June 26th.

Please enter using the handy Rafflecopter ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for hanging out with me today, and I hope you have an awesomely fun time hanging out with the other wonderful WhiteFire authors! And as Effie Trinket might say, may the giveaway odds be ever in your favor! ;-)

Blessings and hugs!


~V. Joy Palmer



V. Joy Palmer is an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. She is a youth leader at her church, and loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.


Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Review of Under a Summer Sky by Melody Carlson



About the Book ~

High school art teacher Nicole Anderson is looking forward to a relaxing summer in Savannah, house-sitting and managing an art gallery for a family friend. The house is luxurious in a way that only old money could make it, and the gallery promises interesting days in a gorgeous setting. Yet it isn't long before her ideal summer turns into more than she bargained for: a snooty gallery employee who's determined to force her out, a displaced adolescent roosting in the attic, and two of Nicole's close childhood friends--who also happen to be brothers--vying for her attention.

With a backdrop of a beautiful historical city, incredible architecture, and even an alleged ghost or two, combined with the opportunity for romance . . . anything can happen!

For more information about Melody Carlson and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

How many of you have ever picked a book to coincide with a particular time of the year or a season of your life? No? Just me? ;-)

Well, for the bookish nerds who do that from time to time - because sometimes we just do - then Melody Carlson's latest novel is for you!

Nicole is a high school art teacher who is stuck in life like paint under fingernails. When her mom arranges for her to house sit and manage an art gallery for a family friend, Nicole reluctantly agrees. However, it turns out to be just what she needed! As Nicole immerses herself into Savannah life, old friends resurface and long wondered "what ifs" are finally answered. And, boy, am I a fan of answered questions!

Under a Summer Sky is a light, sweet romance sure to give you all the fireflies! This is a clean romance that is perfect for the person(s) in you're life who are new to Christian Fiction. It's clean, sweet subtleness makes it a wonderful crossover book. Also, Melody Carlson does an excellent job of catching the flavor and history of Savannah; I felt like I was there!

Four Stars - A light, summer read! Under a Summer Sky is the third book in Melody Carlson's Follow Your Heart Series, but you do not need to read the first two books, Once Upon a Summertime and All Summer Long, since the stories do not build on each other.

I received a copy of Under a Summer Sky by Melody Carlson from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer