Changes are coming!

Changes are coming soon to JDP NEWS! Okay, so the changes will only be superficial. (Although I know I need to clean up my sidebars. I'll get to that eventually!) I've decided that this bookshelf template is more appropriate to my medieval research with joyce blog, since my research preference (with occasional exceptions) continues to be for books over the internet. In fact, I've just posted a blog on this subject: Google Isn't the Answer to Everything! if you'd like to read it.

So, I'll be playing with various new templates over the next few days or weeks for JDP NEWS. If this site temporarily begins to look like a horse of many colors, that's why!

Medieval Research with Joyce returns!

I've (finally!) revived my badly neglected medieval research blog, medieval research with joyce, with a blog about researching medieval illumination. If you're interested in such subjects, hop on over there and take a look. I hope to be more consistent in my research posts in the future!

Welcome to The Twelve Days of Christmas Contest, Medieval Style!

During the Middle Ages, the Twelve Days of Christmas did not refer to the twelve days preceding Christmas day, as it does now. Rather it began on Christmas Day and continued through the following twelve days, ending on January 5, the eve of Epiphany which was traditionally considered the day that the three Magi presented their gifts to the Christ Child.

So a few friends and I decided to put a bit of a spin on our Twelve Days of Christmas Contest, and run it “Medieval Style”. Beginning on Christmas Day, we will be giving away a gift a day for 12 days, running through January 5th. There should be something for everyone…an inspirational book, five historical romance novels, two children’s picture books, one YA time travel, even a ghost story! And if that isn’t enough, you can also win a gift certificate to a wonderful new sensory experience called Scentsy, and a handmade, hand decorated, personalized mailbox.

RULES:

You can send in an entry for each day’s prize, or only for those prizes that strike your fancy. The rules are simple:

(1) Go to the website or blog indicated for each day, find the answer to the question for that day, then email the answer with your name and mailing address to jdipastena@yahoo.com.

(2) Please send a separate entry for each day and type the day you are entering in the subject line. (Such as: 12 Days of Christmas, Day 1; 12 Days of Christmas, Day 2, etc).

(3) Deadline for each day: Midnight PST

(4) The winner will be contacted and announced on the day following the deadline.

You do not have to wait until the designated day to enter. You can start sending in your entries right now, or begin entering at any point along the way. And check back here each day between Dec 26-Jan 6 to read the names of the winners.

If you have any questions, feel free to email Joyce DiPastena at jdipastena@yahoo.com.

And now…let the games begin!

Day 1 – December 25
Sponsor: Kerry Blair
Prize: Inspirational Book: Counting Blessings: Wit and Wisdom for Women, autographed copy
Website address: www.kerryblair.net
Website question: Name one of the two books -- e-versions -- that Kerry offers for free on her site. (Hint: Check out “Fun Stuff” tab)
WINNER: Debra Erfert of Arizona

Day 2 – December 28
Sponsor: Donna Hatch
Prize: Regency Romance, The Stranger She Married: e-book download
Website address: www.donnahatch.net
Website question: What is Cole accused of doing? (Hint: Read excerpt of The Stranger She Married under “Bookshelf” tab)
WINNER: Gayle Oreluk of Illinois

Day 3 – December 27
Sponsor: Marsha Ward
Prize: Book: Post-Civil War action/adventure romance, The Man from Shenandoah, autographed copy
Website address: marshaward.com
Website question: Where is the Bates family living? (Don’t confuse with the Owen family! Hint: Click on excerpt from The Man from Shenandoah under “Novels” on websites’s left hand tool bar.)
WINNER: Anna Carpenter of Arizona

Day 4 – December 28
Sponsor: Joan Sowards
Prize: ebook Haunts Haven by LizAnne Bayh
Website address: joansowards.com
Website question: What is the title of Joan’s 2008 Christmas song? (Hint: Look under “Christmas” tab for 2008 song)
WINNER: Christa Johnson of Arizona

Day 5 – December 29
Sponsor: Heidi Ashworth
Prize: $20 Amazon gift certificate towards purchase of her Regency Romance, Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind
Blog address: www.heidiashworth.blogspot.com
Blog question: What is the last name of the hero in the novel Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind?
WINNER: Ilona Fenton of Wales, UK

Day 6 – December 30
Sponsor: Kellydawn Zollinger
Prize: $25 Scentsy Gift Certificate
Website address: www.scentsy.com/luminescent
Website question: How many room sprays come in the “Scentsy Sampler” Multi Pack offered in the current catalog? (Hint: Scroll through the “catalog” tab to find answer. Or download catalogue to PDF for easier reading.)
WINNER: Jobie Marshall of Oregon

Day 7 – December 31
Sponsor: Joyce DiPastena
Prize: Book: Medieval Romance, Loyalty’s Web, autographed copy
Website address: www.joyce-dipastena.com
Website question: How is Gunthar received almost the moment he sets foot in Poitou? (Hint: check out “Books and Bio” tab)
WINNER: Ronda Hinrichsen of Utah

Day 8 – January 1
Sponsor: Cindy Williams
Prize: Children’s Book: Chase McKay Didn’t Get Up Today, autographed copy
Website address: www.cindyrwilliams.com
Website question: What is the name of the fantasy book about dragons that Cindy is writing? (Hint: check out “Home” page or “Books” Tab)
WINNER: Judy Cox of Louisiana

Day 9 – January 2
Sponsor: Liz Adair/Cecily Markland
Prize: Autographed copy of Counting the Cost, new novel by best-selling author, Liz Adair
Website address: www.inglestonepublishing.com
Website question: What is the title of the workshop Liz Adair presents for writers and family history buffs? (Hint: It's the same title as the 28-page booklet by Liz that Inglestone Publishing also published. Check out the Bookstore tab.)
WINNER: Kristina Stiltner of Virginia

Day 10 – January 3
Sponsor: Lori Conger
Prize: Children’s Picture Book: My Squishy Pants, autographed copy
Website address: www.loriconger.com
Website question: Why doesn’t Jonah want to wear his pants to school? (Hint: This one’s on the “Home” page)
WINNER: Patricia Andreasky of Arizona

Day 11 – January 4
Sponsor: Kathi O. Peterson
Prize: YA Time-travel: The Forgotten Warrior, autographed copy
Website address: www.KathiOramPeterson.com
Website question: What attribute has Sydney Morgan never had? (Hint: This one again is on the “Home” page)
WINNER: Kerri Waldo of Alabama

Day 12 – January 5
Sponsor: Teri Rodeman
Prize: Personalized mailbox
Blog address: terirodeman.blogspot.com
Blog question: How many years has Teri Rodeman been owner of the LDSForeverFriends Google Group? (Hint: Check out the right hand side of the page)
WINNER: Mary Walker of Arizona

Good luck and Merry Christmas to you all!




IN OTHER NEWS:

Congratulations to the winners of my latest Loyalty's Web-site Drawing: Lexee Toste of California, Karen Hillis of Florida, and Debra Guyette of Connecticut! Each of these women won an Amazon $10 e-gift certificate to apply towards the purchase of a copy of Loyalty's Web. Thank you to everyone who entered!

BLOG UPDATE:

Believe it or not, I've finally updated my Medieval Vignettes blog with a short story entitled: An Epiphany Gift for Robin. I entered a shorter version of this story in the LDS Publisher Christmas Story Contest. If you enjoy Christmas short stories, check out LDS Publisher and cast a vote for the one you like best!

Prizes, Prizes, Prizes!

The Leatherwood Press edition of my medieval romance, Loyalty’s Web, is at the printer and will be available in Deseret Bookstores in November. If you just can't wait, or don't live near a Deseret Book, it can be pre-ordered now on DeseretBook.com. To celebrate, I am offering three—count them, THREE—$10 e-gift certificates to Deseret Book for three lucky winners to use to order copies of Loyalty’s Web! That’s like getting a $16.95 book for only $6.95. (Actually, that’s exactly what the winners will be getting!)

To read the rules for entering, go to the News & Contest page of my website . Deadline for entries: November 5, 2008.

I’m also hosting a drawing for an exciting new Regency Romance author. Debut romance author Donna Hatch is offering a free copy of her new e-book, The Stranger She Married, to some lucky winner who visits my website and follows the directions I’ve posted there.

To borrow the description from Donna’s website:

“Do you long to dance with Mr. Darcy or flirt with Mr. Ferrar? Do you fantasize of regency bad boys like rakes, highwaymen, and pirates? Do you swoon at the sight of a man on horseback or engaging in a duel?

“Welcome to the magical and mysterious Regency world where men were civilized and cultured, educated in dance, art and literature, and yet engaged in manly pursuits like hunting, fencing and the steeplechase. Imagine yourself in the glittering world of dukes and duchesses, libertines and lovers. Wear beautiful gowns, waltz with a viscount, outwit a killer, and fall in love.

“The Stranger She Married is a sweet, yet sensual regency romance with adventure, intrigue, a love triangle, and a terrible secret. When her parents and only brother die within weeks of each other, Alicia and her younger sister are left in the hands of an uncle who has brought them all to financial and social ruin. Desperate to save her family from debtor's prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. She meets the dashing Lord Amesbury, and her heart whispers that this is the man she is destined to love, but his tainted past may forever stand in their way. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret. Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he'd thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true. When yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer's attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger to her heart.”

Entry deadline is also November 5, 2008, so be sure to visit the News & Contest page on my website to learn how you can enter my drawing to win a copy of this book!

I’ll be announcing a lot of winners on November 6th!

BLOG UPDATES:

I was recently interviewed about Loyalty’s Web and my interest in medieval history by Sarah Albrecht on her Family for WREAL blog. Click HERE to read the interview.

I also updated my medieval research with joyce blog with a post on “Norman Conquest Day”. I hope you’ll visit my post there, too. If you forgot to celebrate on Tuesday, feel free to buy a cake (or at least, a cupcake!) and celebrate a day or two late!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

JDP NEWS Updates

From Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary:

“Patience: the capacity, habit, or fact of being patient.”

“Patient: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint.”

I am currently undergoing yet another lesson in patience. I returned from my trip to Pennsylvania to learn that, due to printing problems at Leatherwood Press, Loyalty’s Web (which was supposed to be re-published in June, then July, then August), probably will not hit the shelves until October. So I’m taking deep breaths and endeavoring to endure this “trial calmly and without complaint.” My mother would be proud of me! (Assuming I succeed in not breaking down and stamping my foot in frustration.)

Someone who will no longer have to exercise patience, however, is the winner of my website drawing, Debby Creager of Arkansas! Debby has won a signed copy of one of my Medieval Vignettes, “Picking Herbs”. Congratulations, Debby, and thank you to everyone who entered!

BLOG UPDATES:

I recently posted a blog about one of my experiences during my trip to Pennsylvania. It’s a reflection on that state’s founder, William Penn, entitled Why Don’t We Know More About Our Pre-Founding Fathers? I hope you'll check it out.

WEB UPDATES:

And if you’d like to see some photos from my trip to Pennsylvania, I’ve posted a sampling (a mere 57 out of 192) on my website. Click on (what else?) the "My Albums" tab when you get there. Hope you enjoy a vicarious trip through my vacation!

Caught in the Headlights winner and Blog update

Congratulations to Margaret L Turley, winner of my Virtual Book Tour: Caught in the Headlights drawing! Thanks to the author's generosity, Margaret will be receiving an AUTOGRAPHED copy of Caught in the Headlights, directly from Barry K. Phillips.

Thank you to everyone who entered. Giving away books is fun. I'll have to do it again sometime. :-)

BLOG UPDATES:

I have updated my medieval research with joyce blog with a post on the research book, Life in a Medieval Castle, by Joseph and Frances Gies. If you're interested in medieval research and research tips, check it out!

JDP NEWS Update

It’s been a very busy couple of weeks for me! Last Tuesday through Thursday (July 15-17), I attended my first writers retreat in (surprisingly hot!) Pinetop, Arizona, and had the most wonderful and inspiring time! There were excellent workshops on how to improve our writing, delicious food (especially the “snacks” brought by all), and I even started work on a new Medieval Vignette, though I haven’t been able to get back to it since I returned home. I hope to do so and finish and post it soon, though! If you’d like to read some of my reflections about the retreat, you can do so on my latest post at ANWA Founder & Friends.

I’ve been a busy little blogger since I’ve been back. In addition to my post on the ANWA site, I have also written a book review for my Summer Book Trek 2008 reading challenge (scroll to entry below), and for those of you interested in medieval research, I posted an interview with G.G. Vandagriff, author of The Arthurian Omen, dealing with Welsh research, on my medieval research with joyce blog.

As for drawings, first let me remind you about my ongoing website drawing at www.joyce-dipastena.com. You’ll find all the instructions you need on my Comments page, even though, sadly, you can’t actually leave me a comment there. But you can email it to me, with the answer to my drawing question, and if you do so before July 31, you’ll be in the running to receive a $15 gift certificate to Amazon!

Now, saving the best for last, here’s a REALLY BIG DRAWING for all of you to check out! As it’s being sponsored by AuthorIsland.com, I’ll let AuthorIsland speak for itself:

AuthorIsland.com is turning TWO this month and to celebrate, forty three AuthorIsland.com authors and one of our publisher members got together to offer up one heck of a prize!

They're giving away TWO - are you ready for this? - TWO AMAZON KINDLES!!!

But you're going to have to work for it, each of the forty four sponsors has a question for you to answer - the answers can be found somewhere on each of the author's websites. Once you have all the answers, email them to AuthorIsland at yahoo.com, numbered, along with your name and address, with AuthorIsland Kindle Contest in the subject line. TWO winners will be drawn on August 1st from all the correct entries to receive their very own - AMAZON KINDLE!!!

Head over to AuthorIsland.com's Contests page and get started! Good luck!

Yes, I’m one of the 44 sponsors, and no, you don’t have to be an AuthorIsland.com member to enter. You do, however, have to go on the AuthorIsland question/answer treasure hunt and send in your entry by July 31st, so don’t delay!

That’s it for this update. I’m off to see the new Batman movie tomorrow. And I should have more exciting news for you next week…the revealing of my new cover art for Loyalty’s Web!

See you then!

July Website Drawing and other news

My new website is finally up and running! Some of you helped me with a trial run with a mini-drawing on AuthorIsland.com’s July 1st email chat. Now I’d like to celebrate my new site with everyone! And once again, how better to do so than with a new drawing?

To participate, go to www.joyce-dipastena.com, then click on my Comments page, where you will find all the details you need for entering under “Leave a Comment, Win a Prize”. The Prize? A $15 Amazon gift certificate. Deadline? July 31. Yes, this is a shorter drawing than most, but that just means an August drawing will be rolling around that much sooner!

BLOG UPDATES:

MEDIEVAL RESEARCH WITH JOYCE: Nothing new yet (except for my “Medieval Kings Poll”—why don’t you skip on over there and cast a vote?), but coming soon…an interview with GG Vandagriff, author of The Arthurian Omen, focusing on medieval Welsh research. I’ll update you as soon as the interview appears online!

One more bit of news…. I’ve finally had a sneak peek at the new cover art for Loyalty’s Web, and I must say, I’m very, very pleased. I hope you will be too! As soon as I get the official “go ahead”, I’ll share it with all of you!

Now, I’m off to enjoy a few days of cool air and relaxation at the American Night Writers Association’s Writers Retreat in Pinetop, Arizona. This is my first writers retreat, so it should be an adventure! I hope to come back relaxed and reinvigorated to write-write-write!

June 6, 2008

NEW DRAWING:


Okay, now that May is over with, it's time for a new website drawing! Since artists are currently working on designing a new cover for my book, and since I sent them tons of information about medieval clothing to help them in their task, I thought a fun prize would be a beautiful copy of the Pre-Raphaelite “medieval-esque” painting, “The Accolade” by Edmund Blair Leighton. This will be an 11 X 14 inch fully framed print.

If you’d like a chance to win this prize, you must go to my website and send me the name of my new publisher. Send the publishing company’s name, along with your mailing address, to jdipastena@yahoo.com, and type “Loyalty’s Web: the Adventure Continues!” in the subject line.

Deadline to enter: June 27th.



BLOG UPDATES:


I’m also running a medieval research drawing on my blogsite, medieval research with joyce for a 17-page chapbook entitled, A History of Feasting in the Middle Ages, With 25 Authentic Recipes. If you’re interested in medieval research and would like a chance to win this booklet, check out my blog, “Let’s Have Another Drawing!”






You can also check out my most recent post on ANWA’s Founder and Friends and read my blog about why I didn’t have time to blog on Memorial Day.

May 15, 2008

Today is May 15th. Can you believe the month is already half-over? I think it all began when Easter fell in March this year. It’s like we lost an entire holiday month! Summer is right around the corner, which means triple-digit temperatures where I live. So far, May has been a fairly mild month, but that appears in danger of ending any moment now. For those of you living in more extended “spring” areas, I will soon be envying you!

DRAWING REMINDER:

My “Loyalty’s Web: New Adventure” drawing, to celebrate my new contract with Leatherwood Press, is also still open for entries. If you haven’t already entered, don’t delay! All you have to do is send me an email to jdipastena@yahoo.com, with “Loyalty’s Web: New Adventure” in the subject line, and “I can’t wait to see the new cover!” in the body of the email. (With your name and mailing address, so the prize can find you if you win it!)

And speaking of prizes, click here to take a look at what could be waiting for you: Mrs. Cavanaugh's World Famous Chocolate.

If you win, I’ll even give you your choice: dark, milk or mixed.

Deadline for this drawing: May 30th.

BLOG UPDATES:

For you medieval researchers and/or medieval writers out there, I have updated my medieval research with joyce blog with a post entitled: More on Castles. My post focuses on the book, The Castle Story by Sheila Sancha, a research book recommended to me by British medieval fiction author, Elizabeth Chadwick. (Elizabeth left a comment on my post, so check that out to while you're there.)



MISC:

I still have a few “old cover” copies of Loyalty’s Web available for 30% off the cover price. They are available for $13.25 (a $5.70 savings) plus $2.00 shipping. Email me at jdipastena@yahoo.com to reserve a copy, since this offer is only good for as long as my supplies last, and I will email you back with details on payment options. International orders wilhave to pay the full cost of shipping, minus $2.00/USD.