Life has been a bit stressful, and very busy lately, hasn't it?
When you find your eyeballs rotating independently and your sanity hanging by a thread, it's time for an Unpubbed Island Intervention.
This weekend we are opening up the island for some R&R.
So pull up a hammock.
Breathe in. Breath out.
Listen to the ocean breeze, read the Seekerville Weekend Edition and ...
RELAX!
We Have Winners!!!
Susan Mason won a copy of Shirley Jump's release, A Princess at Christmas. Thanks to Shirley for being with us and for her post, I'm On Facebook...Now What?
Congratulations to 12 Seekerville visitors who posted on Monday's blog interview with Deborah Smith and won books courtesy of BelleBooks. Missy Tippens will be contacting you. Many thanks to Deborah for her generosity!
Walt M
Debra M
Pepper
Renee
Edna
Milissa
April
Cathy S.
Sheila
Jessica
Virginia
Lori (sugar and grits)
Sleuthing in Seekerville winners are Stephanie Newton and Nina Pierce. Please contact Tina (tina at tinarusso dot com) Thank you to Colleen and Shaun for answering our PI questions!
Glynna Kaye shared her ACFW Rocky Mountain High and Spotlight on Steeple Hill on Wednesday. The lucky winner of her debut release, Dreaming of Home, is Rose.
Many thanks to 2009 BOTY winner, Elizabeth White for joining us with her post, Play Nice. Congratulations to Lisa Jordan and Patricia W, who both won an Elizabeth White release.
Friday we were thrilled to have Steeple Hill historical writer, Winnie Griggs sharing on Getting From Here to There:Transitions. Winner of her release, The Christmas Journey, is Patricia W.
The Seekerville Treasure Hunt is almost over. Soon we'll open the Treasure Chest and announce the winners.
Giveaway ends at 12 midnight PST, Thursday, October 1st.
Winners will be announced in the Sunday, October 4, Weekend Edition by Captain Jack Sparrow.
Prizes:
All maps will be entered into a drawing for a Grand Prize of a $50 dollar gift card from Christianbooks.com
All maps and non conference entries (except the grand prize winner) will be entered into a drawing for one of 10 sets of Seeker books. That's ten sets of two books each. Book title prizes are randomly picked.
All maps and non conference entries (except the grand prize winner and the book set winners) will be entered into a drawing for one of four copies of the Donald Maass new release, The Fire In Fiction.
Guidelines can be found here.
(If you don't have time to mail your map, go ahead and scan it and email it to Tina.)
Next Week In Seekerville:
Monday: Two-time Golden Heart finalist Anne Barton is back in Seekerville with her post, Friends, Buddies, and Sidekicks.
Tuesday: Barbour Publishing author, Marcia Gruver returns to Seekerville.
Wednesday:Cool Beans! NavPress author Erynn Mangum will be here.
Thursday: Seeker and cowboy writer, Audra Harders post today.
Friday: This is it!! Seekerville Book-In-A-Week (BIAW) Preparation Day. Sign up starts today. We'll announce the great prizes for participating.
Saturday: October Contest Update and BIAW sign up continues.
Sunday: Weekend Edition and final day to register for BIAW.
Seeker Sightings:
Mary Connealy is signing her books today in Norfolk, Nebraska from 10 until noon at the Abbey Christian Store.Be sure to stop by and see Mary's newly launched web page. Sign her guest book!
Friday, October 2, Glynna Kaye will be posting at the Love Inspired Author's Blog.
Check out Myra Johnson's, One Imperfect Christmas, book launch here.
Cheryl Wyatt's, Soldier Daddy releases on October 1.U.S. Air Force commander Aaron Petrowski leads pararescue teams, yet can't find one nanny for his three-year-old twins? The widowed father is returning to duty, but not without the best care for his beloved boys. So when Sarah Graham applies, the young woman surprises everyone by passing inspection. Until Aaron discovers Sarah has a secret tied to a tragedy in his past. He can't keep her in his employ—or in his heart. Until his brave little soldier boys teach him a thing or two about love.
The Seekers visit the Colorado State Capitol .
Contest News:
How can you save money by entering the Linda Howard Award of Excellence contest?
1) Unpublished? Enter before October 1 and save $5
2) PRO? Enter before October 1 and volunteer to be a 1st round judge and
save $10. If you enter October 1 or later, save $5.
(Published authors can save $5 on first book entered in the Gayle Wilson Award
of Excellence if they volunteer to be a first round judge for the LH AoE.)
Must be emailed by October 11, 2009 10 p.m. central
Finalists should be announced by January 1, 2010
Revised final entries must be emailed by January 14, 2009 (with synopses)
Winners should be announced on March 20, 2010 at the Silken Sands Conference
(www.gccrwa.com/silkensands)
////For interviews and links about our final judge editors, go to
romancemagicians.blogspot.com the week of September 28!\\\\
Categories and final judges:
Series/Short & Long Contemporary - Susan Litman, Editor, Harlequin
Single Title - Latoya Smith, Editor, Grand Central Publishers
Suspense (series or single title) - Megan MeKeever, Associate Editor, Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster)
Historical - Alicia Condon, VP, Editorial Director, Dorchester
Unique Genres (Paranormal, Futuristic, Fantasy, Time Travel) - Heather Osborn,
Acquisitions Editor, Tor
Romantic Sensual and Sizzling (Erotica) - Raelene Gorlinsky, Editor, Ellora's Cave
Young Adult - Natashya Wilson, Senior Editor, Harlequin Teen
Inspirational - Tina James, Senior Editor, Love Inspired Suspense & Love Inspired Historical, Steeple Hill
Debby, Senior Editor Tina James, Missy, Janet, Glynna
That's it for this edition.
Now close your eyes and enjoy that hammock!
Ice post TIna, once again! : )
ReplyDeleteHannah
Whoops! That was a terrible comment...lol!
ReplyDeleteNice post once again, Tina! : )
Hannah
YIKES ... the hanging-by-a-thread picture is a littttttle too real for me this morning, Teenster!! But AH ... the relaxation of the beach and this blog is just what I needed. I love Saturdays ... which is weird because I work at home seven days a week, but Saturdays (and the Weekend Edition) are still SO special to me.
ReplyDeleteGreat recap/info as usual, Tina.
Hugs,
Julie
Thanks, Tina, for another fabulous Weekend Edition!! Is it warming up any in Colorado yet??
ReplyDeleteRelax? Close my eyes? I have to get these revisions done so I can participate in the BIAW! Am I registered yet? How do I do that?
ReplyDeleteThanks for these updates, Tina! You are such a guru of information! I LOVED meeting you in Denver! I wish we could hang out every day! (Is that enough exclamation points for one comment?)
Okay, I looked and saw that I can't register yet. Also saw that the BIAW week is our Fall Break week. The kids will be home from school, and we have Mega Sports Camp every night at our church. But I'll still try to get as much writing in as I can.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm up, I'm up. Who made the coffee? I appreciate it and thanks for saving me some pineapple fritters.
ReplyDeleteLovely day on the island. I am plotting my escape..doing some revisions and as a back up, digging a tunnel.
Melly it was lovely to meet you too. You are as bubbly in person as in Seekerville.
ReplyDeleteDid I mention I also met the lovely Roxanne Sherwood. What a darling.
Tina, thanks for the great weekend update. That hammock looks sooo inviting. I think I'll climb in with my writing pants and my laptop.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the BIAW, BTW.
Also, that video of the Colorado State Capitol is beautiful! Y'all sure squeezed a lot of culture into your visit. :)
Thanks,
Anne
Morning Tina, I have a large pot of Chocolate Velvet brewing so help yourself. It tastes so yummy. I missed it while on the road.
ReplyDeleteIts great to be home again. My pups missed me. Hubby too. But what an experience to go to the conference and actually meet many of you who post on Seekerville. That and seeing my Seeker Sisters was the highlight of the conference.
Thanks Tina for the great info again. I want to be sure and follow the Seekers on their guest blogs next week. It sure helps to peek on the Weekend Edition to find out where they are.
Eeek! I forgot to mail my map. Wah!!!! I'll check out the post and see what the due date is. That would stink if I don't mail it after hunti--eh--I mean meeting you all. :-)
ReplyDeleteSo, is the Jessica winner from Bellebooks me? If so, TOO cool! I'm already drowning in books, what's one more? *snort*
Thanks for the lowdown. I hope you all have an awesome weekend. :-)
And thank you for your prayers! I got a full request on a manuscript I wasn't even pitching. I had the proposal with an agent and then she requested the full when I got home. So thank you all of you Seeker ladies who prayed for me.
:-) I appreciate it.
And also, I was going to send a group letter but then I wasn't sure which addy to send it too, so I guess I can just say here what sweet, lovely people you are. Seriously. Everytime I saw any of you, you were SUPER kind and just WONDERFUL!!!
I'm blessed to cyber-know you. :-)
I put a note on the post just for you Jessica. If you don't have time to mail your map, scan it and email it to me.
ReplyDeleteI'll ask Missy, Jessica.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the wonderful info, as usual, Tina.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to relax...and it sounds like a marvelous idea...and I will as soon as October 9th comes ;-)
Congrats, Jess. What wonderful news!
What's October 9?
ReplyDeleteI have to complete all my revisions for my romantic comedy by Oct 9 because Moody Press and Kregel have requested a full, and that's the deadline I gave my agent to have all revisions completed by.
ReplyDeleteI've been working like a trojan (every possible moment I'm not doing all the other things I have to do) - and I'm almost finished. Praise God. Scared to pieces, but almost finished. :-) I want to finish the revisions in time to participate in BIAW here on Seekerville. We'll see.
Thanks Tina! My scanner no longer works with my new computer, but I'm positive I can get the map mailed by then!
ReplyDeleteWoo Hoo! to Pepper!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina:
ReplyDeleteGreat Post!
Thanks for the link to Myra’s book photos.
What a surprise to see a picture of “One Imperfect Christmas” at a Tulsa bookstore two miles from my house! I just took a break from writing and bought an autographed copy. Got to get back to writing. I’ll read it tonight.
Thanks.
Vince
Tina - you are TOO sweet. Thanks a bundle.
ReplyDeleteSeekers have been great in their encouragement - as usual. Apart from my parents and best friend, I don't think anyone could compare with Julie and Mary's BIG congrats when the found out.
To show you how very little I know about the 'business' of writing - when my agent sent me the news, I wrote back..."That's good, right?"
It's my trademark to 'look' pretty clueless, unfortunately. Oh well, sometimes it's not so bad - I get surprised a lot :-)
Vince, long time no seeee. We miss you. What are you writing?
ReplyDeleteShowing up late today. What kind of munchies are left? Congratulations Jessica on your request for fulls. Wow!
ReplyDeleteSounds like I'm not the only one still recuperating from the past weekend. I'm exhausted and trying to kick this cold I picked up.
It's nice to be back to our usual routines, though. Like Seekerville Saturday.
Okay Debra, I totally missed Jessica's request. Wow, congratulations Jess!!!
ReplyDeleteWoohoo! I can't wait to see what book I'll be getting from Deborah! Thank you for this great blog with all the neat interviews and giveaways!!! I can't wait to read what comes up here next week!!!
ReplyDeleteXOXO~ Renee
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I needed that. I think I'll just hang out in the hammock until BIAW. I've never tried it before. Oh, and I'm mailing my map off tomorrow. The treasure hunt was great fun and I got to make some new friends (Hi Julie Lessman, and congratulations again! Glynna, it was wonderful to finally meet you in person. Thank you for all those letters and cards you've sent to Katie over the years. Debby, your a gem. Missy, it was so nice reconnecting with you, and Mary you have a great sense of humor, but everyone knows that! :) Pam thanks for all your help with conference stuff. Camy, Janet, Myra and Sandra, I didn't get to see you much, but I enjoyed waving and saying hi and having fun in the Spirit.
ReplyDeleteHugs to all of you! Many thanks for your friendship and prayers.
I'm always happy to contribute, but—LOLOL!—I did not win the Genesis Contest, it was the Book of the Year! Can you please edit the post? Thanks so much, Tina!
ReplyDeleteBeth White
Ahh, Tina! The hammock makes me want a vacation -- oh wait, I just had a week off to celebrate with everyone at conference!
ReplyDeleteIt was great to meet so many of you guys! Melanie, I especially had fun walking the streets of Denver with you : ) That would Larimer Square with lots of lights and people : )
Gearing up for BIAW. So many ideas bouncing through my head. I better grab one and get ready!
Happy Saturday!
Well Elizabeth, you caught me in a brain fart. He he he. So sorry.
ReplyDeleteI had so much fun with you, too, Audra! It was so great getting to hang out with you. Have you ever thought about moving to Alabama?
ReplyDeleteWhat would a cowgirl do in Alabama, Melly?
ReplyDeleteWell, Tina, there are plenty of cows around here for a cowgirl to round up. Lots of space if you need it for riding your horses. A cowgirl could meet a cute Southern boy, like our waiter, Will, from Atlanta with great manners and nice Southern accent.
ReplyDeleteAm I tempting you yet?
No. I was in Alabama once. A long time ago. Near Anniston.
ReplyDeleteI sat down on a little hill.
Turns out those red ants make hills.
Who knew?
Missy and I will be at Georgia Romance Writers' Moonlight and Magnolias Conference this coming Friday to Sunday. Hope to see some Seekers there! Walt will be there for sure. Melanie?
ReplyDeletePepper and Jessica! Whoo-hoo on your requests!!! Keep us posted. Great seeing you and everyone else in Denver.
Hey, Jill, you're a doll. So good to see you again.
Tina, super info! Thanks for keeping us posted!
Another conference..but you guys just unpacked. I don't know where you get the energy. But you and Janet Dean and Cara are finalists. We'll be rooting for you.
ReplyDeleteOh, no, Tina! That's not a good first impression of Alabama. We call them fire ants, and they're horrible. One of the dangers of living in this wild and beautiful place. (har-har)
ReplyDeleteHi, Debby. No, I won't be at Moonlight and Magnolias. But I might come to the Readers luncheon in Birmingham in November. Will you and Missy be there?
ReplyDelete