❤splash into summer giveaway hop!

the season ❤ SUMMER. Finally. Has anyone else been having freak weather? Fall was scorching, winter was painful, spring was nonexistent (except for the rain), and now it's time for summer. It's still chilly where I'm at. I'd just like the sun to come out, if it'd be too much to ask.

What I love about summer: lazy days full of sunshine ❤ thrilling nights full of parties ❤ it doesn't get dark until it's real late ❤ when it does get dark, it still feels bright ❤ no school ❤ lifeguarding ❤ road trips ❤ rugby camp ❤ no curfew ❤ frozen yogurt ❤ bikinis ❤ lounging on the lawn ❤ tanning on the roof ❤ sunglasses ❤ pedicures ❤ shirley temples ❤ slumber parties ❤ fireflies ❤ the beach. What do you love about summer?

the hop ❤ The Splash into Summer Giveaway Hop, hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Pixie at Page Turners, works like this: each participating blog hosts a giveaway and then we link up together allowing our followers to hop easily from one giveaway to another.  For followers, it means lots of chances to win free books. For blogs hosting giveaways, it means lots of new visitors and followers. It's a win-win! The Splash into Summer Giveaway Hop is scheduled from May 25th at 12.01 AM until May 31st at 11:59 PM.

the prizes ❤ I'm so excited because my international readers will be able to enter this giveaway. YAY!!


First up is a box of books. Yes, a box. My uncle, who lives in Australia, recently called me up and asked me if I wanted these beauties:

All classics. There are so many books, my uncle decided against naming them all, but the ones off the top of his head: The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Middlesex, Everything is Illuminated, Persepolis, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Poisonwood Bible, Night Road, Fear of Flying, The Secret Life of Bees, My Sister's Keeper, Water for Elephants, and so on. 

The only reason I wouldn't accept this box (!!!) myself is because I already own half the books in it, on my own shelves. So I asked him if he'd be willing to ship to "a friend" who would like them, and he said sure, since he's out of the country anyway. Isn't he the greatest??

So yes. This giveaway is open internationally, meaning to anyone in the world.

The second prize is limited to US readers only, as I will be shipping this out on my own.

• Her Best Friend
• Dakota's Child
• Book Island Reader polo (size medium)
• bookmarks, pens, coverflats, buttons, coasters + a bunch of book swag
• water bottle stuffed with summer goodies such as seashells necklaces from Hawaii, tea, key chains, lip gloss, magnets + a bunch of other swag

the rules ❤  Since this is a follower hop, I will have to make following my blog a mandatory entry. (The GFC follow button is on the upper lefthand sidebar -- not that I even have a righthand sidebar). For additional entries, you can (+2) follow me on Twitter (@lovestephaniexx) and (+2) enter my Stacey Joy Netzel author giveaway. So that's up to five entries.

Leave a comment on this post saying you follow, along with your email address. Let me know if you have any additional entries, too. No need to comment multiple times! 


UPDATE: Blogger's being screwy currently -- I'm receiving emails from people saying they are unable to follow and comment. If you are experiencing this problem, please please please email me at thestephanieloves[AT]gmail[DOT]com and I'll either comment for you, or make note of your entries on a spreadsheet. No worries if you can't follow -- I just want everyone who wants to enter to be able to enter! Indicate if you have any extra entries (or want to enter any of my other giveaways) too, and I'll record them. Thanks so much, everyone, for understanding!

the small print ❤ I'm not saying this because I'm completely anal, but because it's something I noticed going on a lot with follower hops. The point of them is not to temporarily follow that blog and unfollow as soon as the giveaway is over. The point of the follower hops is for the blogs generously offering giveaway prizes to gain more readers and followers -- in return, participants receive the opportunity to win great prizes such as books, gift cards, and swag. I'm not just speaking on behalf of myself, because seriously, I'm so grateful for the followship I have (love every each and one of you!), but I know for a fact this happens with lots of other blogs as well. Being part of the blogging community, I just want to let my two cents be heard. And not to sound cheeky, but a lot of us bloggers use Qwitter, which is an app that tells us exactly who unfollows us on Twitter, so we're not as oblivious as you think. If you are so inclined as to read more about how I feel on this subject matter, please refer to this blog post.

the end ❤ Sorry my rant was a little bitchy. I'm not trying to be mean. YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU so don't even go there, darling. Be sure to enter all of the other giveaways going on for this hop; there are so many great prizes being given away!

xo and always!

❤ Stephanie


p.s. If anybody's going to the beach, my best advice is just to let yourself loose. Run on the shore. Gaze at stars. Wakeboard. Take your shoes off. Build sandcastles. Fall in love. Sip a fruit smoothie. Stay cool, but be hot :) Have an eventful summer, everyone. 

❤author: Laina Turner Interview and Giveaway!

❤ Today, as part of a NURTURE Virtual BOOK Tourz™ blog tour, I will be hosting debut author, Laina Turner with an interview. Laina will be telling us all about herself, her new book, and her passion for writing -- wrapped up with a great giveaway.

Are you ready for this? Let's get started ❤

❤ Welcome to ¡Miraculous!, Laina! Will you please share a short bio with us and tell us a little about your books?

I am a businesswoman, mom, author, professor, and a major supporter of shopping. I have an undying love for shoes and coffee, which is why I created my main character and alter ego Presley Thurman in by novel, Stilettos & Scoundrels. While she enjoys her day job, my passion is writing, and I spend lot of time writing my fiction or working on her social website for women, Chiczofrenic.com. I currently live in Indiana with my family, and am always writing something, whether it’s for blogs, articles, business journals and books, or ideas for my next novel. I am continuously doing what I love which is writing or drinking coffee.

❤ What inspired you to write your first book and then how did you get published? Tell us your call story.

I have been writing since I was in 2nd grade but I never really finished anything. I would get about half way through and decide it was crap and scrap it. However, when I got to my late 30’s I realized I wasn’t fulfilled and needed to go after some of those dreams that were always on the back of my mind. Stilettos & Scoundrels was the product of that decision.

After a lot of thinking and research I decided to self publish and formed my own publishing company called Five Seas Ink. I now am not only publishing my own books but have a few other authors as well. It’s been very exciting.

❤ It sure sounds like a thrill! Describe your writing in three words.

Fun, entertaining, imperfect.

❤ What's the most interesting comment you have ever received about your books? 

“Did you mold Cooper Sands after me?” from a guy I knew. I hadn’t.

❤ Just a coincidence :) What's next for you?

I am currently working on the sequel to Stilettos & Scoundrels called Handbags & Hooligans. It will be out in the fall.

❤ Where can you be found on the web?

My website, www.lainaturner.com.

❤ Thanks so much for being here with us today, Laina! I can't wait to read Stilettos & Scoundrels. Good luck to you and your future writing endeavors!

Giveaway!

❤ Thanks to Laina's tour publicist, NURTURE Virtual BOOK Tourz™, one lucky reader will win their very own print copy of Stilettos & Scoundrels. To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is comment on Laina's interview or ask Laina a question that hasn't already been asked. No need to follow my blog -- though it is always appreciated :)

This giveaway is open internationally and will end on June 31st sorry, I forgot there was no June 31st. June 30th, 2011 at 11.59 EST. Good luck!

❤,
Stephanie!

❤author: Stacey Joy Netzel Interview and Giveaway!

❤ It's my pleasure to welcome author, Stacey Joy Netzel to the blog today. Stacey, will you please share a short bio with us?

Wisconsin native Stacey Joy Netzel fell in love with books at a young age, so for her the graduation to writing them was natural. A member of Romance Writer's of America and Wisconsin Romance Writers (WisRWA), she credits her parents for encouraging her dreams of becoming a published author, as well as the very talented friends she’s made in WisRWA since joining in 2004. Her books have received numerous 5 Star reviews from reviewers and readers alike, and her Christmas anthology, Mistletoe Rules, took 1st place in WisRWA's 2010 Write Touch Readers' Award. An avid reader and fan of movies with happy endings, Stacey lives in Wisconsin with her husband and three children, a couple horses and some barn cats. She works part-time as a travel agent, and in her limited free time she enjoys gardening, canning, and visiting her parents in Northeastern Wisconsin (Up North) at their cabin on the lake.

❤ Tell us about your books.

My most recent releases, Trust in the Lawe and Shattered Trust are both set in my favorite state of Colorado. Since I can’t live there, I like to live vicariously through my characters. Both books have suspense to go with the romance, and Shattered Trust is the result of the author (me) really connecting with her secondary characters, twins, Justin and Jordan, while writing Trust in the Lawe. I just had to tell Justin’s story. I’m happy to say Jordan’s adventure, Shadowed Trust, is currently in edits.

❤ They sound fascinating! I, as you know, read Shattered Trust and absolutely loved it! Readers, you can find my review by clicking here. Stacey, when and why did you begin writing?

This answer is so boring, but it’s the truth. I started writing in high school because I loved reading so much and had all sorts of ideas for my own stories. I was very shy and loved the idea of my heroines being brave enough to do all the things I wanted to but couldn’t.

❤ What inspired you to write your first book and then how did you get published? Tell us your call story.

I quit writing for a number of years as life took over, began again in ’96, and became serious about getting published in 2004 when I finished my first book and joined Romance Writers of America. That book remains unpublished, but there may be a day it gets resurrected. My ‘call story’ consists of my critique partner Donna Marie Rogers and I submitting our connected stories to The Wild Rose Press in 2007 and receiving an email that they’d been accepted for contract. We were thrilled, and in Sept. 2007, our small town anthology Welcome To Redemption hit the shelves! It’s no longer available from The Wild Rose Press, but you can still purchase it at book retailers such as Amazon and Borders. Currently, we’re working on sequel stories in the series; the four novellas that originally made up the book will soon be rereleased with the sequels.


❤ Sounds like a dream come true! How much of your actual life gets written into your fictional stories?


My very first book was based on my summers working in Colorado on a ranch resort, but with LOTS of fiction thrown in. Since then, little things from my life affect my writing, like incorporating some negotiation training from my job into a few scenes in Shattered Trust. A book I’m currently submitting to agents begins with a real life experience where I was left behind in Italy by my brother and sister. They came back for me and our vacation continued without incident. In my book, my heroine isn’t so lucky. Um, no, wait a second…she gets a happily ever after with a sexy movie star…I take back the unlucky comment. LOL.


❤ What are your biggest motivations for writing?


Nothing noble or inspiring here; I just love to write!


❤ Best type of motivation, if you ask me. Which books, do you think, have most influenced your life and your writing the most?


I can’t really name any one book or author. I guess it’s been romance books in general. I don’t mind crying a little, but I’d better get that happy5 ending or else. Same with movies — can’t stand when someone dies at the end. I get enough of real life in my real life, thank you.


❤ Well put. What books are on your nightstand right now?


There are always books from The Wild Rose Press on my Nook because I really enjoy the quality of work they publish; Tempting Adam by Jill James being one of them. Fellow WisRWA member Jean Barrett’s new release Not Without You is one I can’t wait to read! Harlequin Intrigue author Carol Ericson has a great new Brothers in Arms series that launched this March with Navy SEAL Security.  And most recently, I’ve enjoyed Haunting Jordan by PJ Alderman, Cattitude by Edie Ramer, and Sparring Partners by Leigh Morgan.


❤ What’s the most challenging aspect of writing? 


Finding time and being creative after work, without taking too much time away from my family.


❤ Easiest?


Falling in love with my characters.


❤ And the most rewarding?


Finishing a book and liking the end result.


❤ Describe your writing in three words.


Sensual. Heartwarming. Hopeful.


❤ What’s the most interesting comment you have ever received about your books?

I’m not sure this qualifies as ‘interesting’, but I was thrilled when this was sent to me the day after a friend and fellow RWA member bought my Christmas anthology, Mistletoe Rules:  “Good morning,  Well, is this your fault or mine? I bought your book to read on the airplane next week, but started the first pages at a stop and go light driving home after the meeting. I FINISHED THE BOOK YESTERDAY. Now I have to find another book.”


❤ That's hilarious! And a very kind comment too. What's next for you, Stacey?


Finish edits for Shadowed Trust, which should get a late 2011 or early 2012 release date.


❤ Where can you be found on the web?


www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com is my website. Check it out for listings of my books, my blog, contest info, and a free read! Be sure to take a glance at the FUN page for my favorite TV shows and movies. I’m also at Facebook too, if anyone wants to follow me there.


❤ Before we conclude this interview, is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?


I’d love to hear from readers what “hook” are you an absolute sucker for?  Secret baby, amnesia, friends who fall in love, etc.  And what ones are you completely sick of?

Giveaway!

❤ Stacey has been kind enough to offer a copy of Shattered Trust, either an electronic or print copy -- winner's choice -- to one lucky reader! I know all you guys will enjoy this one; I read it and love it! You can read my review of it here. 


To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment answering Stacey's question, or ask her a new one of your own. No need to follow my blog, though it is appreciated :) Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you when you win!

Contest ends June 1st, 2011 at midnight EST. Open INTERNATIONALLY but you must be a US resident to be eligible for the print copy.


❤ love!
Stephanie x

❤author: Jamie Magee Interview and Giveaway!

I'm so happy to be hosting Jamie Magee, with her debut novel, Insight at the blog today. Jamie has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination, through her writing, would take her to places she’d never been and introduce her to people she’s never known.

So let's get started with this interview.

Welcome to ¡Miraculous!, Jamie! Tell us a little bit about Insight.

I want to say first of all that it is absolutely amazing for me to be here today and share not only a little bit about myself, but introduce you to my debut novel!

Willow Haywood by all outward appearances was a normal teenage girl; the only talent she openly displayed was her love of art. Her entire life she had struggled with a six sense, one that allows her to feel others emotions as her own. At times this sense caused images of people to appear in front of her, with a touch she was taken to wherever they may be in this world. She had the power to change their emotions, to make them happy, or at the very least she brought them to peace.  Beyond this strange characteristic she had vivid dreams. Each night she dreamt of a breathtaking blue eyed boy, the dreams were silent but her gift of emotion told her that he loved her as intently as she loved him. On the night of each new moon she struggled with a painful nightmare – her gift of sensing emotion was taken from her and she battled a suffocating weight on her chest.  All of these odd characteristics came into play when a nightmare marked her wrist with a star and Willow learned who she really was and had no choice but to outrun a fate that was chasing her.

What inspired you to write this book and then how did you get published? Tell us your call story.

The inspiration to write came from more sources than I could ever clearly explain. I love to tell the story of how Insight was a New Year’s resolution.  At that point in my life I was looking at what I had accomplished, and what I felt was left undone. Like most people, I’d followed the flow of life: school, marriage, children, and a career, but I was missing something. I was missing the part of me that was unique to myself – my voice – something that would remain once my time was over. I strongly believe that each person on earth has a gift/ trait that’s unique to them, something that gives them passion – that can invoke emotions in others. I’d yet to find my trait – beyond the life I’d created I was simply a daydreamer …and what could a daydreamer possibly create? I told my husband on New Years Eve of 2008 that I had three resolutions: to run every day, learn to play the guitar, and to write a book. So far – two years later I’ve only managed to keep one of those resolutions – and I could not be happier with my choice. I cannot explain how elating it is to see a daydream come to life in a word document – then to have others read and understand what you saw…first.

I would love to tell you about this amazing query letter that I sent to an agent/publisher – to tell you that they fell instantly in love with every word I wrote and then I signed this huge deal and I lived happily ever after – well I did/am living happily ever after but the rest of the story remains unwritten. After Insight was complete I researched every way there was to bring my work into the light of the day, and in the end I decided to outsource what I could not do on my own. Then I prepared Insight for release across the globe!

Describe your writing in three words.

I want to say: compelling addicting love-story….but I’m too shy, so I will leave this to the readers.

We'll talk readers, then! What do you think is the most interesting comment you have ever received about your book?

Every comment that I read about my Insight is absolutely fascinating to me. I love to connect with my readers and hear how my characters reached them – to see Insight through their eyes.  If I had to pick just one comment it would be that Insight was a breath of fresh air – for a debuting author those words are priceless.

What's next for you?

I’m excited to announce that I plan to release Embody the second novel in the Insight series on June 7th 2011. I am diligently working on the remainder of the series at this point. The first four are complete, and ideas for countless more stories are stirring in my over active imagination!

Where can you be found on the web?

Oh how I love the web ~ these are the sites I make sure I stop by each day (I admit that most of my announcements are posted on my Facebook page first!)

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Thank you so much for having me here today :)!

You are very welcome, Jamie! I loved getting to know you and your book better -- congrats on the big release!

Giveaway!

Thanks to Jamie's tour publicist, NURTURE Virtual BOOK Tourz™, one lucky reader will win a print copy of Insight. To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is comment on Jamie's interview or ask Jamie a question that hasn't already been asked. No need to follow my blog -- though it is appreciated :)

This giveaway is open internationally and will end on May 31st, 2011 at 11.59 EST. Good luck!

❤author: Josi Kilpack Interview and Giveaway!

I'm thrilled to welcome author, Josi Kilpack with her newest release, Blackberry Crumble today! I got the opportunity to interview Josi via Pump Up Your Book Promotions.

Josi, will you please share a short bio with us?

Josi grew up hating to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. Book five in her Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series series, Blackberry Crumble, was released in February 2011. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, four children, one dog, and varying number of chickens. 

Tell us about your books.

 
Sadie Hoffmiller is a middle-aged woman in small town Colorado who just can’t seem to keep from finding herself in the middle of a mystery. While each volume features Sadie and some of the same characters, we’ve tried hard to keep from revealing the earlier plots, making each one a stand alone novel as well as part of the series. It’s been a fun series to write.

When and why did you begin writing?

While on bedrest with my third child I literally ran out of anything else to do in order to preserve my sanity. A short story I wrote to pass the time turned into a full length novel and led me in directions I had never imagined before.


What inspired you to write your first book and then how did you get published? Tell us your call story.

 
I was so naïve when I wrote that first book that I ended up paying for a portion of the publishing. At the time it made sense to invest in this new career I had such visions of grandeur about. It didn’t work out so well and I learned that when you pay to publish your own book, you take away the companies motivation to market it for you. My first book, a faith based novel, did very poorly, but it inspired me to figure out what I didn’t know I didn’t know and, in hind sight, was a blessing rather than a set back. My next novel was a much stronger story as I had delved into learning the industry and craft of writing for publication. After several faith based novels, I tried my hand at something new—a funny and clean sleuth novel filled with original recipes. And here I am :-)

How much of your actual life gets written into your fictional stories?

As far as plot and experiences, very little. I’m a mother of four who lives less than 50 miles away from the house I was raised in. I’ve been married to my high-school sweetheart for 18 years and while my life is crazy-busy, it’s very average. But there are a lot of details from my life that get weaved in, like viewpoints of the world and the people in it, setting that I borrow from my own home and town, people I know, snippets of conversation I overhear. It’s really the best of everything—I borrow what I want from my life, and then imagine all the adventurous stuff.


What are your biggest motivations for writing?

 
It varies from day to day, actually. Sometimes I’m motivated by a deadline, sometimes it’s for the royalties checks I need to pay for a kid’s braces, other times it’s because the story feels so real that I’m afraid I’ll disappear into it if I don’t put it on paper, and other times it’s just because I love it; love putting down a story that keeps me entertained and, hopefully, entertains other people as well. 

What books are on your nightstand right now?

 
The Cross Gardener by Jason F. Wright and The Healing Spell by Kimberley Little. They’ve both come highly recommended  and I’m looking forward to getting the book I’m working on done so I can get lost in the pages of these two books.

What’s the most challenging aspect of writing?  

Time. Every time I sit down to write, my other responsibilities begin pressing in. I’ll often get up to take care of those things in hopes I can better focus when they are done, but as soon as I get one thing off my list, something else crops up. I’ve had to figure out that I just have to sit down and get the words out, even though it’s hard to ignore other things. I rarely feel a calm sense of confidence that the time I spend writing is worth everything else I’m sacrificing to make it work. I’ve given up on balance and am just trying to keep things form blowing up most of the time.

Easiest?

 
The first fifty pages of a book are a breeze for me—you’re just building something and it can be anything you want it to be. It’s fun and free and I absolutely love it. Then...it has to start making sense. That’s the hard part.

And the most rewarding?

 
When I finish and scroll through the book on my computer, realizing that despite doubting myself (especially those last fifty pages) that I did it, and I’m proud of my efforts, and it’s done. Soon it will be a book on a shelf and someone will read it and, hopefully, enjoy the ride I created. It’s a powerful pay off that keeps me going when the middle sags and the end stumbles.

Describe your books in three words.

 
Funny clean adventures.

What’s the most interesting comment you have ever received about your books?

That a woman who liked my books emailed me to tell me she had entered a sweepstakes that, if she won, would allow her to buy a bed and breakfast in Vermont where she planned to use all the recipes from the books as her menu. I got a kick out of that and said a little prayer for her to win it :-)

What's next for you?

 
I’ve got at least 3 more books in this series, possibly more, and when I finish with Sadie’s adventures we’ll be publishing her Little Black Recipe Book which will feature all the recipes from the series. Beyond that, I don’t know where I’ll be as I am completely submerged in Sadie for now. 


Before we conclude this interview, is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
 
I’m always looking for GREAT books, the kind that carry you away and leave you with a satisfied smile on your face when you finish. I would love to know what books have been THAT book for your readers as I rarely read anything without good recommendations—I don’t have time to waste on flimsy storylines or flat characters. I read in every genre.

Josi can be found at her:

Website | Blog

As well as on:

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Thank you for being here today, Josi! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your books better. Everyone, congratulate Josi on her newest release, Blackberry Crumble, and be sure to check out my review for it as well!

Giveaway!

As a special treat, Josi has graciously offered a copy of Blackberry Crumble to one lucky commenter. I'll make it just fair and square -- one entry per person :) All you have to do is follow this blog via GFC, then leave a question (that hasn't already been answered) or comment for Josi on this interview post. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you when you win! 

Giveaway ends May 12th, 2011 and is open to US residents only.

Good luck!