Tuesday Teaser

Tuesday Teaser is a weekly bookish meme (rhymes with “cream"), hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. (I’ve borrowed it from LDS Women’s Book Review.) Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share at least two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

I'm adapting the rules slightly. I'll be quoting some random lines from the last chapter I read before I post a teaser. I'm a slow reader, so you may get multiple teasers per book. Here's a teaser from Powder and Patch, by Georgette Heyer:

"Henri, it is iniquitous! It is not a public exhibition that I engage in! One would say we were gladiators."

"Reste tranquille," grinned De Vangrisse. "We are all backing you, mon petite."

"I trust you'll not forget to inform His Majesty of the rendezvous," said Philip, resorting to biting sarcasm. "And have you engaged a fiddler to enliven the meeting?"

From Powder and Patch, p 89

If you'd like to share a teaser from a book you're currently reading, I'd love you to do so in the comment section. And you don't even have to share it on a Tuesday! Be sure to include the title, author, and page number in case others would like to check out the book you're reading.

What Am I Reading Now?

Something about this time of year always makes me long for the warm and familiar. This includes my choice of reading material. Usually instead of starting a new book in December, I prefer to snuggle down with a well-loved favorite read from the past. This year my choice alighted on Powder and Patch, by Georgette Heyer. Here's the back cover blurb:

TO WIN HER HAND, HE MUST BECOME WHAT HE DESPISES...

Cleone Charteris's exquisite charms have made her the belle of the English countryside. But Cleone yearns for a husband who is refined, aristocratic and who is as skilled with his wit as he is with his dueling pistols.... Everything Philip Jettan is not. As much as she is attracted to the handsome squire, Cleone finds herself dismissing Philip and his rough mannerisms.

With his father's encouragement, Philip departs for the courts of Paris, determined to acquire the social graces and the airs of the genteel -- and convince Cleone that he is the man most suited for her hand. But his transformation may cost him everything, including Cleone....

Stop by on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!

A Light Unto All: A Christmas Gift

What Christmas is really all about. 

Let us remember Him!

Winner: "Legends of Camelot" 2012 wall calendar

Congratulations to Nichole Giles! Nichole has won Mathilde's giveaway for a Legends of Camelot 2012 wall calendar.


Thank you to everyone who entered, and Merry Christmas to you all!

Click here to watch a beautiful Christmas video.

Wise Men Still Seek Him

Merry Christmas!

More people reading Joyce's books

Here are some more people who have been reading my books! They've all been entered (well, almost all) for a chance to win one of 3 copies of my new medieval romance, Dangerous Favor, when it comes out in January. Click here to find out how you can enter, too! Deadline is January 15, midnight PST.





Author Joan Sowards, with Illuminations of the Heart.

Canda Mortensen also with Illuminations of the Heart. 










Tina Scott sent me three pictures, which means she's been entered three times in my giveaway. She added her own captions to the photos she sent me:

"So good I can't put it down."

"

"Dreaming of sweet romance." (Tina promises me she's daydreaming about Illuminations of the Heart, not sleeping!)

"So good, I bet you can't read just one." (And no, I didn't bribe her to say that. Honest!)




Here's one more, from Lisa Messegee. Lisa isn't actually entering my giveaway, but she generously shared this photo with me. Why does she have double copies of my books? You'll have to ask her. She is the artistic genius behind Designs by Lisa Messegee, and has shared some of her wonderful holiday designs in some of the recent blog hops I've participated in. Check out her Facebook page at Designs by Lisa Messegee.

See that copy of Illuminations of the Heart Lisa is holding up on her Kindle? You can enter my giveaway with a Kindle copy, too! Just snap a picture, like Lisa did, of the cover on your Kindle, iPad, laptop, or any other e-reading device and send it to me at jdipastena@yahoo.com!

Mathilde is holding ANOTHER a giveaway!

I've just finished the final edits on the first half of my new medieval romance, Dangerous Favor, and Mathilde is so excited at her story's progression that she wants to give something more away. To humor her (okay, so I'm a little excited too, I admit it), I've found a beautiful 2012 wall calendar called The Legend of Camelot. Mathilde, as you'll learn, is a huge fan of the Arthurian legends. She would have absolutely adored this calendar, had this artwork only been available in her lifetime. Alas, she had to rely instead on her own highly active imagination, but that's okay. She's still quite happy to share the calendar  with one of you.

Calendar description: "The sumptuous, elegant, romantic paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite artists illuminate the pages of this 2012 calendar, which evokes the court and castles of Camelot, a time--however fleeting and mythical--when innocence and purity, honor and valor mattered above all."


All you have to do for a chance to win this calendar is to leave a comment on this blog with your email address. Don't forget your email address so I can contact you if you win! We'll make the deadline December 23, midnight PST. I'll draw the winner on December 24 (yes, Christmas Eve). Then, depending on how fast the winner sends me her mailing address, I might be able to pop her prize in the mail in time for her to hang this beautiful calendar on her wall in January! (USA entries only, please.)

People reading Joyce's books

Here are some lovely ladies who are reading my books. 


(Valerie Steimle to the left with a rare first edition of Loyalty's Web)

They've all been entered to win a copy of my next medieval romance, Dangerous Favor, when it comes out in January 2012.


(Connie Hall with Illuminations of the Heart)

(Nichole Giles to the right with Loyalty's Web.)

Send me a picture of you with each of my books and I'll enter you twice. (Nichole Giles to the left with Illuminations of the Heart)

And hey, if you send me three pictures like this, I'll enter you three times! (Nichole Giles holding both Loyalty's Web and Illuminations of the Heart)


I'll be giving away THREE copies of Dangerous Favor in January.


Don't have a print copy? Send me a photo of you and your Kindle, iPad, or any other e-reading device with any of my book covers on the screen. Or borrow a copy from the library or a friend and snap a shot.


Click here for complete details on how to enter. 


Deadline is January 15, 2012.

Win a free copy of “Dangerous Favor”!

My third sweet medieval romance, Dangerous Favor, is being published in January 2012. That’s coming up fast! Needless to say, you can color me excited. J

Would you like to win a free copy? How would three of you like to win copies?

Have you read either of my previous medieval romances, Loyalty's Web or Illuminations of the Heart? If so, send me a picture of you holding either one of these titles. It can be a picture of you and the hard cover version or a picture of you holding an e-reading device with the cover art on the screen. You don't have to actually own a copy of the book, either. If you borrowed it from the library, you can take a picture of you and the library copy. If you borrowed it from a friend, borrow it back just long enough to get a snapshot of you and the book.

If you've read both books and send me a copy of you holding each book (separately), you can be entered twice. Send me a photo of you holding each book plus a photo holding both books at once and heck, I'll enter you three times. (Oh, and old "self-published" versions of Loyalty's Web are welcome, too.)

I'll be giving away three copies of Dangerous Favor, winner’s choice of print or Kindle version.

You can email the picture to me at jdipastena@yahoo.com. If you’d prefer to snail mail it, send it to:

Joyce DiPastena

PO Box 673

Kearny, AZ 85137

Be sure to include your full name and email address with your entry, so I can contact you if you win! (Or your full name and mailing address if you mail me the photo.)

Deadline has been changed to the following: January 31, midnight PST time. Open to US entries only. (Click here to read "Who can enter my giveaway?" to see why I am obligated to restrict international, especially Canadian, entries. :-( )

The winners will be chosen by Random.org on February 1, 2012.

Entering constitutes permission to use the photos on any of my social media sites. If you'd prefer me not to use your full name with the photo, please indicate that with your entry and only first names and an initial will be used. PHOTOS WILL NOT BE RETURNED, SO PLEASE DON'T SEND ME YOUR ORIGINALS. (Unless you don't want it back.)

Looking forward to "seeing you" soon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

According to Social Media Explorer, I'm supposed to post the following Official Rules in connection with this giveaway:

OFFICIAL RULES:

• NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
• Entrants must be 18 years or older
• Giveaway opens December 7, 2011 and runs through January 15, 2012
• Entries may be sent via email to jdipastena@yahoo.com or mailed to Joyce DiPastena, PO Box 673, Kearny, AZ 85137
• Prize: Winner's choice of Dangerous Favor, a medieval romance by Joyce DiPastena, print or Kindle version
• The number or eligible entries received determines the odds of winning
• Winners will be selected on January 16, unless the deadline is extended. Winners have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win.
• Entering constitutes permission to use the photos on any of my social media sites. If you'd prefer me not to use your full name with the photo, please indicate that with your entry and only first names and an initial will be used.
• Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be reawarded
• Sponsor name and contact info: Joyce DiPastena, jdipastena@yahoo.com or PO Box 673, Kearny, AZ 85137
• Legal venue: Arizona (no, this doesn't mean you have to be from Arizona to enter!)
• VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW

 (Whew! Hope I got that right!)