Release Day Blitz! While You're Awake

About the Book 

Sweet New Adult Contemporary Romance Novelette 

There’s no rest for the fearful. 

Ava always knew the bees would come. Just when she’s settled into a place of her own, freelance editing and savoring her independence, her rental house is invaded by a swarm of honey bees. And with their arrival, her lifelong fear morphs into a full-fledged panic that steals her sleep—and her peace of mind. 

Keegan knows all about fear. When he meets Ava at the coffee shop where he works, he can’t help but come to her rescue. Together with his German shepherds, Sun and Moon, he sets out to break the “curse” that hovers over Tired Girl. But is it possible to conquer nightmares and live a dream while you're awake? 

This sweet novelette is a contemporary re-imagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that sheds light on the worries that bind us and the love that leads to peace. 

Purchase for $.99 on Amazon! | Add to Goodreads 

Author Bio 

Amber Stokes works as a marketing content writer for a Christian publisher. On the side, she self-publishes inspirational fiction depicting the seasons of life and love. Her passion for books compelled her to earn a bachelor's degree in English and run her own freelance editing and publicity business for over a year. Happily, this chapter of her career takes place in the Pacific Northwest—a part of the world she's always considered home. 

You can learn more about Amber’s books, sign up for her author newsletter, join the Amber’s Gems street team, and more at www.SeasonsofaStory.blogspot.com. 

Social Media Links 

Blog: www.seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com 

Goodreads: Amber Stokes 

Pinterest: pinterest.com/seasonshumility 

Twitter: @SeasonsHumility 

Giveaway! 

Enter to win a little something sweet from Ava, Keegan, and the author! One winner will receive a lovely yellow and gold flower necklace & earrings set from Baubles, Beads and Stuff; a $10 Starbucks gift card (delivered electronically); and a Kindle copy of While You’re Awake (can be gifted to a friend, if desired!). Open to US residents only due to shipping costs. 

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MTVjZWUzOTdmNzNhZTBkM2QzNmI4OTkwN2ZjZDVhOjQ0/

Cover Reveal: While You're Awake

Coffee, romance, and elements of  Sleeping Beauty? This sweet novelette is definitely on my "to read" list!

About the Book

Sweet New Adult Contemporary Romance Novelette

There’s no rest for the fearful.

Ava always knew the bees would come. Just when she’s settled into a place of her own, freelance editing and savoring her independence, her rental house is invaded by a swarm of honey bees. And with their arrival, her lifelong fear morphs into a full-fledged panic that steals her sleep—and her peace of mind.

Keegan knows all about fear. When he meets Ava at the coffee shop where he works, he can’t help but come to her rescue. Together with his German shepherds, Sun and Moon, he sets out to break the “curse” that hovers over Tired Girl. But is it possible to conquer nightmares and live a dream while you're awake?

This sweet novelette is a contemporary re-imagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale that sheds light on the worries that bind us and the love that leads to peace.

Pre-order for $.99 on Amazon! | Add to Goodreads

Author Bio

Amber Stokes works as a marketing content writer for a Christian publisher. On the side, she self-publishes inspirational fiction depicting the seasons of life and love. Her passion for books compelled her to earn a bachelor's degree in English and run her own freelance editing and publicity business for over a year. Happily, this chapter of her career takes place in the Pacific Northwest—a part of the world she's always considered home.

You can learn more about Amber’s books, sign up for her author newsletter, join the Amber’s Gems street team, and more at www.SeasonsofaStory.blogspot.com.

Social Media Links

Blog: www.seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com

Goodreads: Amber Stokes

Pinterest: pinterest.com/seasonshumility

Twitter: @SeasonsHumility

Personality Quiz

Are you Sleeping Beauty, a barista, or an angel? This fun and quirky personality quiz takes some of the personality types from While You’re Awake and offers you a chance to discover how you inspire others. Hopefully you’ll be encouraged to keep being awesome, wonderful you!

Click here to take the personality quiz!

*Disclaimer: This is just a for-fun quiz. The results are designed to encourage but not to diagnose! ;)

Cover Reveal: Water Princess, Fire Prince

Today I got to interview Kendra E. Ardnek, author of the upcoming book, Water Princess, Fire Prince!

Author Interview

What was your favorite scene to write? 

This book ended up with over 130,000 words, which made for a lot of fun scenes that I loved writing, so it's kinda hard for me to pick a favorite. I suppose, if I must, I really liked a scene in chapter 3 of part 3 where she's ascertaining his skills and . . . kinda showing off. It was fun to write. 

Is this book connected to others you've written? 

Pretty much all of my books are connected at some level or another. Of my published books, the short story Saffron's Big Plan has the most direct connection, but even that's difficult to explain at this moment. Although, there is an Bookania Easter Egg or two hidden in part 1 . . . 

Where did you get the idea to write Water Princess, Fire Prince? 

From the shower, oddly enough. I'd been looking for doors to Narnia for several weeks, when, while showering, the thought occurred to me that it'd be really neat if I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, I was standing under a waterfall, and was declared a Water Princess. I later moved her to a swimming pool, added a Fire Prince, and decided it was part of my Rizkaland legends. It grew from there.

Book Description

When the Lady Dragon does come,

Hold fast, do not fear, do not run. 

Your Water Princess will fight, 

Fire Prince will set all to right. 

Each shall come from a Fall, 

Their union will save you all. 

Despite the fact that she's on track for competing in the Olympics, and he's practically raised his younger brothers since they lost their mom in a car accident, Clara Mandras and Andrew Stevenson are pretty much normal teens. They have normal hopes, normal dreams, and they live in a normal world. 

All this is torn away from them when they are thrust into another world and declared Water Princess and Fire Prince. With no experience ruling a country, meeting each other for the first time, and being expected to fight the Lady Dragon – an evil sorceress plaguing the world of Rizkaland – Clara and Andrew are underprepared and inexperienced. Unless they learn to work together despite their standing opposition, Rizkaland's hope will be lost. 

What is to come will change their lives forever. 

Author Bio

Kendra E. Ardnek loves fairy tales and twisting them in new and exciting ways. She's been practicing her skills on her dozen plus cousins and siblings for years, "Finish your story, Kendra", is frequently heard at family gatherings. Her sole life goal has always been to grow up and be an author of fantasy and children's tales that also glorify God and his Word. You can read more about her on her blog, knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com. 

 Available for kindle preorder: $2.99 the 19th and 20th ONLY (regular price: $3.99) 

Add it on Goodreads

Part 1’s first chapter  

Part 2’s first chapter

Character Spotlight: Harrison Vane from Dare by Tricia Mingerink

Today we have a guest post from Tricia Mingerink, author of an upcoming book, Dare. 

Character Spotlight: Harrison Vane

Occupation: First Blade in the King’s Blades

Appearance: Twenty-two years old, 5’10” with brown hair and blue eyes. 

Image found on Yahoo.com

Character: He enjoys his powerful position in the Blades. He likes to have power over others, especially the power of life and death. The more helpless his victims are, the more powerful he feels. 

Author’s Note: Harrison Vane even gives me the creeps. He is a villain who truly enjoys being a villain. Developing his backstory proved difficult because he isn’t the type of person to have a normal conversation with anyone. Or tell anyone the one thing that makes him feel vulnerable. I hinted at a few things, but most of his backstory isn’t fully revealed. I like the mystery surrounding his backstory. It  leaves a lot up to the imagination of the reader. 

First Draft Trivia: Harrison Vane wasn’t the main antagonist. In fact, all of the scenes with him except for the scenes leading up to the climax weren’t in the first draft. I didn’t even have a name for him. When I reached the climax, I realized that Vane had pulled a fast one on me and claimed the spot of antagonist. It took a lot of revisions to add in all the earlier scenes and develop what turned into a duel between Leith and Vane that extended all the way back into their childhoods. Now it’s hard to imagine the book without his creepy sneakiness.

About the Book

Courage could cost him everything. 

Third Blade Leith Torren never questions his orders or his loyalty to King Respen until an arrow wound and a prairie blizzard drive him to the doorstep of the girls whose family he once destroyed. 

Their forbidden faith and ties to the Resistance could devastate their family a second time. 

Survival depends on obedience, but freedom beckons. How far does he dare go to resist the king and his Blades? 

No matter what Leith chooses, one thing is certain. 

Someone will die. 

About the Author

Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn't writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country. 

You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, and her blog. 

Giveaway!

Enter to win a Grand Prize giveaway to celebrate the release of Dare! Prize includes an autographed paperback of Dare, a necklace like the one Renna has in the book with a sterling silver cross pendant, a medieval dagger (not sharp) like the one Leith carries, and Dare-themed bookmarks! (Due to the difficulties in shipping weapons across international borders, this giveaway is open to US residents only). The winner of the giveaway will be announce at the end of the Facebook party on June 10. 

a rafflecopter giveaway

Facebook Party

Tour Schedule

Book Tour: E. D. Phillips

With a delightful mix of fairy tales, E. D. Phillips captures the genre beautifully.  I'm excited to be part of another Rivershore book tour.

Midnight Captive

"Truly a spellbinding tale. I cannot recommend it more, and look forward to any future books that E.D. Phillips may write." - By SilverRose on Amazon

Book Description

Phaedra is cursed to sleep until true love wakes her. Hermione has a dark secret. 

When Prince Sheridan discovers the two princesses wandering the woods outside the castle at night, he begins to wonder if there is more to Phaedra's curse than is readily apparent. 

With the help of a minstrel out to prove a point, they must discover the secret before the princesses are trapped forever in the night.

Author Bio

Emilie has been writing stories for the past ten years. Her love for storytelling and fairy tales began when she was a little girl and her dad would make up bedtime stories about a princess named Amichelie; a character based off the names of Emilie and her sisters.

Midnight Captive is her first novel, written during National Novel Writing Month November 2010. She participated in the writing challenge the following two years and produced two more novel rough drafts. Her plan is to work on editing one of those drafts over the summer along with continuing to write a fantasy novel set in the real world.

Emilie lives in Alberta, Canada. In her spare time she enjoys crocheting baby blankets for her nieces and nephews and creating graphic art while watching British television.

Like E. D. Phillips on Facebook

Midnight Captive Book Tour Schedule

Interested in Participating in Future Tours?

Would you like to review Midnight Captive? Send an email to Info@rivershorebooks.com for a free ebook copy in exchange for your unbiased review.

Janny-Friendly Recipe: Pancakes

Most Sundays, my grandma makes us pancakes. Her recipe includes Sprite (to make them more fluffy) and—of course—sugar. Then we top them with syrup and enjoy. They're wonderful. Unfortunately, they're not a Janny-friendly food.

This version of pancakes doesn't taste like Grandma's, but it's still very good.

The original recipe was by Steph. I adjusted it to omit the sugar and make it into a single-serving.

The Recipe

Click to view the full-size photo

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup flour (any kind)
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 egg
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 pint blueberries

Stir baking powder, flour, and salt together. Melt 3/4 tablespoon butter in your pan (medium-high heat tends to work well). Pour excess into bowl with dry ingredients. 

Combine all and pour half the batter into pan.

When bubbles start to form, flip over (about 30 seconds). 

Repeat. (Bubbles don't form on this side, but it takes about the same amount of time.)

Yum! 

Some Notes

• This makes 2 pancakes that together have 308 calories, 46 carbs, and 10 grams of sugar (natural, not added). 
• The egg could be replaced with 2/3 tablespoon of water, though I haven't tried it.
• I like them with whipped cream (heavy whipping cream whipped to deliciousness). But they're just as good on their own - or with your topping of choice.
• I haven't had a problem, but if you're concerned about the batter cooking completely you could wait with the blueberries, chop them up first, or use them as a topping. (Other fruits could work well as toppings, too.)
• After the first pancake, the butter in the pan is gone. You could spray it with cooking spray in between or—like I do—just watch it more closely.
• This recipe leaves 2/3 of an egg. I scramble it up with a little cheese and bacon so it doesn't go to waste, but using water instead would avoid that. Or you could triple the recipe—my family asked me to next time I make these!

Book Tour: Jennifer Wirey

Jennifer's book, published by Rivershore Books, is one of the sweetest memoirs I've read; it's a beautiful tribute to her precious daughter. Today, I'm part of her book tour.

For the Love of Kaitlyn

"No child can ever replace the one you lost and no one can take that child’s place in a parent’s heart. But, by writing this story and sharing Kaitlyn with readers, mothers, families and parents, I hope all parents will understand that children make mistakes, sometimes they say and do the wrong thing, and it is your job not to yell, hit or scream but to teach them the right way or the right thing to do. This book is a must read for all parents and young adults."

Book Description

You never think it could happen to you. You have heard the stories from someone who knows someone who has had it happen to them. You see on the news about tragedies, heartbreaks, unexplainable events, cruel individuals, medical complications, or accidents. The thought of losing a child is an unexplainable feeling that brings instant panic. It is an unexplainable feeling that makes several thoughts cross your mind. How could this happen? Why would God let this happen? How could medicine or procedures fail with all the technology we have? Why does it happen to such good people? Why did such a good parent lose their child when so many children are being mistreated, going without food, or being pawned off because the parents put their needs first? 

I knew this could never happen to me—until it did.

For the Love of Kaitlyn Book Tour Schedule

Interested in Participating in Future Tours?

Would you like to review For the Love of Kaitlyn? Send an email to Info@rivershorebooks.com for a free ebook copy in exchange for your unbiased review.