Summary Sunday

These are some new sentences from Emilie's story this week.

Monday: (No writing, because today was my birthday and I took myself to Mesa to see a movie and was too tired to write when I got home. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

Tuesday: “Tush,” the queen said.

Wednesday: Had she given herself away?

Thursday: In Queen Eleanor’s court, there was only one reason a lady fainted into a gentleman’s arms.

Friday: No wonder he stammered so!

Saturday: ’Twas not as though she no longer bore the tokens of her true birth.

LDS Authors Giveaway Hop

This LDS Authors Giveaway Hop is sponsored by The Book Bug and I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. What does LDS stand for? It's an abbreviation for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you'd like to learn more about the LDS Church, just click on my What does Joyce believe tab above. 

Although I am LDS, my books are mainstream medieval romances. And for this blog hop, I'm giving away a copy of my newest release, Dangerous Favor. Here's the back cover blurb:

Mathilde needs a champion.

Her father has been accused of stealing from the king, an allegation that has reduced her family to poverty. She has one chance to find and marry a man who can help her prove her father's innocence. Lord Therri, heir to a rich barony, has the wealth and connections Mathilde needs to delve into the mysteries of her father's past. Furthermore, Therri embodies all her romantic dreams.

Etienne, the younger son of a disgraced family, has neither wealth nor connections, but is smitten with Mathilde at a glance. She finds the knight intriguing, but believes he is only out to seduce her. While she seeks for a way to win Therri's attention, Etienne tricks her into granting him her favor, an embroidered white ribbon, for a tournament, setting in motion a dangerous chain reaction of events. Can Etienne save Mathilde from a nightmare from her past and prove himself the true hero of her dreams?

The winner may have their choice of print, Kindle, or Nook copy. International entries are welcome, as long as The Book Depository mails to your address. Click here to see if they ship to you.

Deadline for entries is midnight EST, May 17th.

Once you've entered via the Rafflecopter form below, go to the next link to find some more great LDS Author giveaways!

OFFICIAL RULES: NO PURCHASE NECESSSARY. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Winners will be selected on May 18th and have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win. Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be reawarded. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Questions? Contact me at jdipastena@yahoo.com.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spring Fling Giveaway Hop: Winner!

Congratulations to Christina K, winner of the Spring Fling Giveaway Hop here at JDP NEWS! Christina has won a copy of my sweet medieval romance, Dangerous Favor.


Thank you to everyone who entered!

Summary Sunday

These are some new sentences from Emilie's story this week.

Monday: Crespin thought that Emilie stared overlong into Sir Jaques eyes, and he into hers, as though each were seeking something from the other, before she answered.

Tuesday: Crespin saw hands begin to cup to mouths, neighbor leaning towards neighbor in whispers that, like Andreu’s words, deliberately penetrated the air.

Wednesday: Then her eyelids fluttered like the delicate wings of a butterfly and she fainted dead away into Crespin’s arms.

Thursday: Crespin turned his head in time to see Andreu, inelegantly snuffling through the blood that streamed from his nose, slink into the anonymity of the throng.

Friday: "Emilie!"

Saturday: Did she suspect this was all a ruse? 

What Am I Reading Now?

I finished Dead Running by Cami Checketts and will be posting a review for her blog tour soon.

Next up, I made a personal commitment to re-read at least 4 "old favorites" this year. I'm beginning with The Conquering Family, by Thomas B. Costain. This is a non-fiction book, and was the book that first introduced me to and made me fall in love with the first Plantagenet king of England, Henry II. Without this book, my writing career (such as it is) may have taken a very different direction.

Here's the back cover blurb. 


Thomas B. Costain's four-volume history of the Plantagenets begins with THE CONQUERING FAMILY and the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066, closing with the reign of John in 1216.


The troubled period after the Norman Conquest, when the foundations of government were hammered out between monarch and people, comes to life through Costain's storytelling skill and historical imagination.


"Brilliant, swift-moving, full of action, rich in color." (Book of the Month Club News)


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

Spring Fling Giveaway Hop

I hate to say this, but I think they should change the name of this blog hop to the Summer Is Here Already??? Givaway Hop. We've already cracked 100+ degrees in Arizona and my A/C is doing early double time. Ah, well, I guess it can't hurt to dream of the weather that might have been. I'm sure it feels like spring somewhere in the world.

Thank you to I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Eve's Fan Garden for sponsoring another great giveaway hop. Here at JDP NEWS I will be giving  away a copy of my newest medieval romance, Dangerous Favor. Here's the back cover blurb: 

Mathilde needs a champion.

Her father has been accused of stealing from the king, an allegation that has reduced her family to poverty. She has one chance to find and marry a man who can help her prove her father's innocence. Lord Therri, heir to a rich barony, has the wealth and connections Mathilde needs to delve into the mysteries of her father's past. Furthermore, Therri embodies all her romantic dreams.

Etienne, the younger son of a disgraced family, has neither wealth nor connections, but is smitten with Mathilde at a glance. She finds the knight intriguing, but believes he is only out to seduce her. While she seeks for a way to win Therri's attention, Etienne tricks her into granting him her favor, an embroidered white ribbon, for a tournament, setting in motion a dangerous chain reaction of events. Can Etienne save Mathilde from a nightmare from her past and prove himself the true hero of her dreams?

The winner may have their choice of print, Kindle, or Nook copy. International entries are welcome, as long as The Book Depository mails to your address. Click here to see if they ship to you.

Deadline for entries is midnight PST, May 7th.

Once you've entered via the Rafflecopter form below, "spring" to the next link to find some more great giveaways!

OFFICIAL RULES: NO PURCHASE NECESSSARY. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Winners will be selected on May 8th and have 48 hours to respond to an email notifying them of their win. Prizes not claimed within 48 hours will be reawarded. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Questions? Contact me at jdipastena@yahoo.com.

Summary Sunday

These are some new sentences from Emilie's story this week.

Monday:  "He earned his knighthood by killing three Saracens when they ambushed us near the River Meander, one of whom had me on my knees with his scimitar poised to strike off my head." 

Tuesday: Crespin recognized the animation that lit Sir Jaques face as he spoke.

Wednesday: Crespin had heard the tale so many times of the difficult trek from Constantinople to Antioch through the rain-whipped mountains, the winter floods, the seemingly endless attacks by the soulless infidel, that he barely listened, finding much more pleasure in his further perusal of Emilie.

Thursday: “Nay, child, my squire he was seven years ago, but never my son."

Friday:  "Or did you succeed in snagging some fat old moneybags more eager for your charms than for his dignity?”

Saturday: "Did the queen summon you as a reminiscent toy from her past?"    

Book Launch and Giveaway for "Dead Running"

I have the wonderful opportunity of participating in a book blog launch for a good friend of mine, Cami Checkettes. Cami and some of her friends have organized a fantastic giveaway in connection with her new book's release. More on that below, but first here's a little bit about Cami's book, Dead Running:

Cassidy Christensen is running.

Running from the mercenaries who killed her parents.

Running from a scheming redhead intent on making her life miserable. 

Running from painful memories that sabotage her dreams of happiness.

Running from painful memories that sabotage her dreams of happiness.

With two very tempting men competing for her attention, she hopes she’ll finally have someone to run to, but can she trust either of them? When secrets from her past threaten her family, Cassidy decides to stop running and fight for her future.

Buy Now only $3.99 Kindle

$14.99 Print

Cami's Website

To celebrate the release of Dead Running, Cami is holding a huge fitness giveaway. Prizes include:


Fitness watches from MIO Global
Three months online personal training from Fitcore Fitness
Beginner and Advanced yoga packages from Hugger Mugger
Earbuds and armbands from iFrogz
Running shoes from Altra Zero Drop
Six months membership to Smithfield Recreation
One month membership to Crossfit UAC
Three Lebert Stretch Straps
And an autographed copy of Dead Running.


Wow, if I weren't such a couch sloth, I'd sign up myself! But don't let my laziness hinder you. Enter for a chance at these great prizes on Fitness for Mom or Cami’s Book Blog. Deadline for entries is May 17.

Cami Checketts Author of Dead Running

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

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 from me. Here's a teaser from Dead Running by Cami Checketts:

"So I get to call you slow-poke and lazy when?"

"When you're actually running faster than me."

Tasha scowled, checked her pace and my treadmill display, then sped up to 6.8. "Turtle."

I rolled my eyes, but hit the speed button until it was at 7.0

Tasha chuckled and increased her pace to 7.2. "Snail."

"Stop it, you idiot. I'm not warm yet."

Dead Running, p 53

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.

Calling all Katies

I'm holding a bit of an unusual giveaway on my Medieval Research with Joyce blog. I'm giving away a copy of my medieval romance, Illuminations of the Heart, to a winner named Katie. You'll find the explanation of this giveaway over on that blog. But if your name is Katie, or if you're not picky about the spelling of your name (Katy, Kati, Kaity, Caty, Catie, Cati, or even Kaitlyn or Kathryn or anything similar) or if you know a Katie (mother, daughter, sister, relative, friend) who you think might enjoy a copy of my book, send them on over to my Calling All Katies post, or you may enter on their behalf! Please help me spread the word. Deadline is May 7, midnight PST.

No Strings Attached Blog Hop: Winner!

Congratulations to Susan @ The Book Bag! Susan won a copy of my medieval romance, Dangerous Favor, in the No Strings Attached Blog Hop.


Thank you to everyone who entered. I'll be participating in more blog hops in the future, so stay tuned!

What Am I Reading Now?

Well, I finished all the historical novelist finalists for the 2011 Whitney Awards. That was quite a fun and interesting reading challenge. I've cast my vote, but I'm not going to tell you which title I liked best. Each reader will have to decide that for her or himself. :-)

Next up is a book I'm reading for a book blog tour coming up in May: Dead Running, by Cami Checketts. Here's the back cover blurb:


Cassidy Christensen is running.
Running from the mercenaries who killed her parents.
Running from a scheming redhead intent on making her life miserable.
Running from painful memories that sabotage her dreams of happiness.
With two very tempting men competing for her attention, she hopes she’ll finally have someone to run to, but can she trust either of them? When secrets from her past threaten her family, Cassidy decides to stop running and fight for her future.


Check back on Tuesday and I'll share a Tuesday Teaser with you!