September giveaway for Rekindled

Hey friends! Tomorrow is the last day to enter this month's giveaway for copies of Rekindled, a Fountain Creek Chronicles novel.

Opening of Rekindled...

Colorado Territory, 1868
In the shadow of Pikes Peak

"LARSON JENNINGS had lived this moment a thousand times over, and it still sent a chill through him. Shifting in the saddle, he stared ahead at the winding trail of dirt and rock that had been the haunt and haven of his dreams, both waking and sleeping, for the past five months. Along with his anticipation at returning home, there mingled a foreboding that crowded out any sense of festivity..."

Just another way to say thanks! Appreciate you all.

Want a free book?

From a Distance, Timber Ridge Reflections book 1 and the 2009 Christy Award winner for Best Historical Romance, is free for a limited time. 

If you haven't grabbed your ecopy yet, please do! And free free to copy this post and pass it on. From a Distance free ebook is available on: 

Kindle

Nook

iBook

Leave a comment if you download it. Then I'd love to hear from you again once you've read it.

About the book:

Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life.

Daniel Ranslett, a former Confederate sharpshooter, is a man shackled by his past, and he'll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He's a man of his word, but repaying that debt could bring secrets from his past to light.

Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth's lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met . . . from a distance.

Holding the first copy…always feels so good!

Guess what I'm holding… The first copy came in the mail today! 

I can't tell you how excited I am to share this story with you. I've fallen in love with these characters and hope you will too.

 

To Whisper Her Name is currently on sale for $4.99 for ebook (Kindle, Nook, and iBook) until the release date of October 23, then it goes to full price. The print version is on sale too. But only on PRE-orders.

Tomorrow I'm giving you a sneak peek at something special I've tucked in the back of the book for dessert-lovin' readers. Let's just say it's something "worthy" of a southern plate! : )

Spelunking at the Belmont Mansion

It's so good to be back in the Belmont Mansion again and to be writing the second book in the Belmont Mansion series (title forthcoming). The first book, A Lasting Impression, released last fall and the second book in the series is slated to release about a year from now.

This past Friday I had the pleasure of having lunch with Mark Brown, the Executive Director of the Belmont Mansion who's in his 26th year as curator. Mark not only knows everything about the Belmont Mansion and Adelicia Acklen, he's also a fabulous guy. I couldn't write these Belmont Mansion novels that include such detailed history about the house and all the Acklen happenings without his assistance. He's been invaluable.

With Mark Brown at Belmont Mansion, Nashville, TN

With Linda about to go "down under"

Well… Friday he and I went spelunking, of sorts, with another good friend (and docent) from the mansion, Linda Patrick. We walked the distance from the mansion down to the water tower (that still stands today, pictured below), to where the conservatory stood in Adelicia's day (circa 1850), then went underground into what was the "furnace room" underneath the main section of the greenhouse.

The next series of photos are from the furnace room down below...

Notice the arches throughout the construction down here. These served as a support to the brick floors just above in the conservatory itself. There were cast iron stoves down here, and it was the responsibility of the undergardener's assistants to...

Join me over at Writes of Passage today to read the rest! Tuesdays are my days to blog over there, and we always have a fun time. Join us!

Week 5: Win an advance copy of To Whisper Her Name

Welcome to Week 5 of To Whisper Her Name video vignettes!  I'm sharing another of the vignettes we filmed on location at Belle Meade, and you get another chance to win an advance copy of the novel which releases on October 23. Thanks to everyone who shared this video last week and who left a note on last week's post telling me that you did. If I could hug you, I would!

You know the drill by now...

The winner of Week Four's copy of To Whisper Her Name (who shared the link to last week's video as listed in last Monday's blog) is:

Veronica Sternberg

Congrats, Veronica! If you'll send me your snail mail address, we'll get you a copy of To Whisper Her Name as soon as they're printed. 

Ready for another chance to win, friends?

In today's video vignette, I share about the life of Victorian women in the 1860s, and specifically that of Elizabeth Harding (who really lived, and was the mistress of the Belle Meade Mansion and who is a character in the novel), and of the heroine, Olivia Aberdeen, pictured on the cover. 

Click to see all of the vignettes released so far

As in previous weeks, when you share the weekly video on your blog and/or on facebook with friends, or tweet about it to your followers, your name will be entered into that week's drawing. All you have to do is post a comment below on THIS blog post and let me know the links where you posted the YouTube video link for this week's (Week 5) video vignette, Victorian Life at Belle Meade Plantation.

Simple enough, huh?

Next week, I'll post the sixth and last vignette in anticipation of the release of To Whisper Her Name on October 23rd, and you'll have a last chance to win the book by sharing the video with your friends and followers. I really appreciate you sharing these! 

Also, if you haven't grabbed your free ebook of FROM A DISTANCE, please do! It's available for a limited time on:

Kindle


Nook


iBook

Week 4: Win an advance copy of To Whisper Her Name

Welcome to Week 4 of To Whisper Her Namevideo vignettes in which I share another of the vignettes we filmed on location at Belle Meade, and where you get another chance to win an advance copy of the novel which releases on October 23. Thanks to everyone who shared this video last week and who left a note on last week's post telling me that you did. I so appreciate it!

Drumroll…

The winner of Week Three's copy of To Whisper Her Name (who shared the link to last week's video as listed in last Monday's blog) is:

Melina Mason

Congrats, Melina! If you'll send me your snail mail address, we'll get you a copy of To Whisper Her Name as soon as they're ready. 

Ready for another chance to win, friends?

In the fourth video vignette, I share more about Bob Green, the former slave and head hostler at Belle Meade, and a character in the novel. Several of you have asked if Bob Green really lived. Absolutely, he did, and I think you're going to grow to love him just as much as I have…

Click to see all of the vignettes released so far

As in previous weeks, when you share the weekly video on your blog and/or on facebook with friends, or tweet about it to your followers, your name will be entered into that week's drawing. All you have to do is post a comment below on THIS blog post and let me know the links where you posted the YouTube video link for this week's (Week 4) video vignette, The Old Harding Cabin.

Simple enough, huh?

For the two Mondays, I'll post the fifth and sixth vignettes in anticipation of the release of To Whisper Her Name on October 23rd, and you'll have another chance to win the book by sharing the video with your friends and followers. This means so much to me that you're sharing these. Thank you.

Also, if you haven't grabbed your free ebook of FROM A DISTANCE, do that today! It's available for a limited time on:

Kindle


Nook


iBook

Skyping with reader friends in Kansas

This past Saturday morning, I Skyped with some wonderful gals from a book club in Lindsborg, KS, and we had such a great time. Thanks, Pam, Judy, and Lori for the joy-filled chat and for reading A Lasting Impression, the first Belmont Mansion novel. I hope you have the opportunity to visit the mansion here in Nashville someday.

And to all… If your book club is reading one of my books, I'd love to join you for a 15-20 minute visit! More details on virtual book club visits here.

Belmont Mansion, home of Adelicia Acklen

Open for tours daily

Facetiming with His Handmaidens

I just finished Facetiming with His Handmaiden's book club in upper state New York and had such a blast! What wonderful women. Thank you (from L to R) Angie, Carol, Pat and Ginny for our chat. Y'all are fabulous! And thanks for reading A Lasting Impression.




To all: If your group is reading one of my books and would be interested in a 20-30 minute virtual chat, visit this link for more details. I'd love it!

I'm blogging over on Writes of Passage today and would love to see you over there too! I'm giving away one of my favorite movies... 

Week 3: Win an advance copy of To Whisper Her Name

Welcome to Week 3 of To Whisper Her Name video vignettes in which I share another of the vignettes we filmed on location at Belle Meade, and where you get another chance to win an advance copy of the novel which releases on October 23. Will someone please give us a drumroll? 

The winner of Week Two's copy of To Whisper Her Name (who shared the link to last week's video as listed in last Monday's blog) is:

Liz R

Liz, congrats, lady! If you'll send me your snail mail address, we'll get you a copy of To Whisper Her Name as soon as they're ready. 

Are you ready for another chance to win, friends?

In the third video vignette, I share about the intriguing thoroughbred history at Belle Meade as well as show you more of this gorgeous setting...

And just like previous weeks, when you share the weekly video on your blog and/or on facebook with friends, or tweet about it to your followers, your name will be entered into that week's drawing. All you have to do is post a comment below on THIS blog post and let me know the links where you posted the YouTube video link for this week's (Week 3) video vignette.

Simple enough, huh?

Each Monday for the next three weeks, I'll post another vignette in anticipation of the release of To Whisper Her Name on October 23rd, and you'll have another chance to win the book by sharing the video with your friends and followers.

This means so much to me that you're sharing these. Truly!

Also, if you haven't grabbed your free ebook of FROM A DISTANCE, do that today! It's available for a limited time on:

Kindle


Nook


iBook

Free eBook - FROM A DISTANCE

Morning, friends! FROM A DISTANCE, the first book in my Timber Ridge Reflections series and the 2010 Christy Award winner for Best Historical Romance is free on...

Kindle

Nook

iBook

So please grab it if you haven't read it, or if you have read it, grab it for your eReader. I'd especially appreciate you passing the word along to your reading buddies.

About FROM A DISTANCE:

Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life.

Daniel Ranslett, a former Confederate sharpshooter, is a man shackled by his past, and he'll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He's a man of his word, but repaying that debt could bring secrets from his past to light.

Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth's lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met . . . from a distance.

If you would, leave me a comment to let me know you're downloading. Appreciate you all, and happy Friday! 

Final cover To Whisper Her Name, releasing Oct 23

To Whisper Her Name has officially gone to press! It's always exciting to get to this stage with another book, even as I've already begun the next one.

Here's the final front cover of To Whisper Her Name, and the back cover too...

I love the picture of the Belle Meade Mansion on the back. And the "wallpaper" look they used too.

What do you like most about book covers? What draws you in and makes you pick up a book for a further glance?

Free ebook today by Harry Kraus (A Heartbeat Away)

Harry Kraus's new novel A HEARTBEAT AWAY is free today! Love his writing style. So if you're interested, grab it quick!

About the book:

When a brilliant surgeon undergoes a heart transplant, her life transforms as she begins experiencing memories of a murder she never witnessed.

 

The residents worship her. Nurses step out of her way. Her colleagues respect and sometimes even fear her. But surgeon Tori Taylor never expected to end up on this side of the operating table.

 

Now she has a new heart. This life that was formerly controlled and predictable is now chaotic. Dr. Taylor had famously protected herself from love or commitment, but her walls are beginning to crumble.

 

And strangest of all, memories surface that will take her on a journey out of the operating room and into a murder investigation.

 

Where there once was a heart of stone, there is a heart of flesh. And there is no going back.

A glimpse of fall

A friend (David Leach who lives in Breckenridge, Colorado) shared this with me on my Facebook page recently and it's just too good not to share...

He shot the picture just outside of Breckenridge. Gorgeous, isn't it?

What are you most looking forward to about fall? Personally, I'm ready for sweatshirt weather and cool walks in the evening. Or morning. Or anytime! : )

And hey, if we're not connected on Facebook yet, let's remedy that!

Week 2: Win an advance copy of To Whisper Her Name

Welcome to Week 2, and another chance to win an advance copy of To Whisper Her Name. It's easy to do…

As you may know, Zondervan filmed video vignettes on location at the Belle Meade Plantation describing the history behind the plantation and the story in To Whisper Her Name. And each Monday, beginning last week (8-27-12), and for the next five weeks, we'll launch another vignette in anticipation of the release of To Whisper Her Name on October 23rd.

When you share the weekly video on your blog and/or on facebook with friends, or tweet about it to your followers, your name will be entered into that week's drawing. All you have to do is post a comment below on THIS blog post and let me know the links where you posted the YouTube video link for this week's vignette.

Simple enough?

Here's the video for week 2––Bob Green, Head Hostler, Belle Meade Plantation

As soon as you share this week's video, "Bob Green, Head Hostler, Belle Meade Plantation," please leave a comment below with the links where you shared it. Each Monday morning I'll announce the winner from the previous week who will receive an advance copy of To Whisper Her Name! I'll also post the video for next week as well. Easy as that!

And speaking of winners… The name of the winner for sharing last week's first video is:

Pam K 

(of the Lindsborg Christian Book Club)

Congrats, Pam! Email me here and we'll get your fresh "hot off the press" copy of To Whisper Her Name to you as soon as it's ready!

Any questions? Please ask! And again, here's the video for Week 2 (out of 6 weeks total). Thanks so much for sharing, friends. I really appreciate it!

Winners of August Giveaway

Morning, friends! Winners of the August giveaway for A LASTING IMPRESSION, a Belmont Mansion novel are posted, and the new giveaway is up. Thanks for sharing this with other book lovers!

September's giveaway is for REKINDLED, my first published book. If you haven't read it yet, I hope you'll sign up for a chance to win!

A Loveless Sunday with those I love...

I posted this earlier to Facebook but thought I'd share it here too... 

We met at Loveless Cafe this morning for a yummy Southern breakfast and some smiles...

Our server Bruce (thanks, Bruce!!) greeted us with little puffs of heaven and melt-in-your-mouth jams...

And to-die-for blueberry pancakes with warm maple syrup and bacon fried crisp! No GF for me this morning! : }

Here's Kelsey's boyfriend, Brad, tasting his first grits! I *think* that's a happy face... : )

Kelsey ordered a chocolate chip waffle. Yummy too! Everything I've had at Loveless Cafe is delicious!

And the whole motley crew (L to R): Kurt, Joe, (me), Kelsey, and Brad (Rice). If you haven't been to Loveless, I highly recommend it. But if you're going on Sunday, get there by 9AM. After that, the wait time begins and can go up to 2 hours!!

Anyone been to Loveless Cafe? It's a Nashville tradition!