Saturday, June 6, 2015

The Weekend Edition


Hope you enjoy all the on the light side writer quotes submitted. 

Winner of an ecopy of a Seeker book of choice for their submissions (above) is Tracey Hagwood.


We Have Winners  

 Giveaway rules can be found here. Please drop us a line to claim your giveaway at seekers@seekerville.net. All prizes not claimed in 8 weeks go back into the prize vault. We wish we could contact all our winners individually, but we'd rather write books! And P.S. - if we forget to send  your prize DO let us know after 8 weeks per our rules. 



 Mary Connealy kicked off June daring to QUESTION some classic literature and talk about how writing has changed. Did we change...or did the world change? Sarah Claucherty is the winner of a signed copy of Now and Forever.


Tuesday  Keli Gwyn joined with her "41 Tips For Transporting Your Readers Back in Time". Keli called on a host of amazing historical authors to demonstrate word usage and style that brings historical fiction to life!  Winner of a copy of "Family of Her Dreams" is Carla Olson Gade and the winner of the second copy... and the adorable "Seeker" notepad is Nancy C!


Wednesday We were delighted to welcome inspirational Regency romance author Michelle Greip to Seekerville with her post, "Creating a Swoonworthy Hero." Virginia Carmichael is the winner of a Regency hero in the form of an ecopy of Brentwood's Ward!


"So you want to set a book in Norway (or the exotic locale of your choosing), but don't have the time, nor money, to visit for proper research? Let's take a trip..." Thursday we welcomed back L.A. Sartor to discuss using Google Earth to help you put authentic touches to your setting. Winner of one of Leslie's e-books of her choice is Donna!


Friday Pepper Basham was back in Seekerville. Her first visit since her recent swim off Unpublished Island. She shared: "Just Keep Writing!" Vince Mooney is the winner of an ecopy of The Thorn Bearer.   



  Next Week In Seekerville


Monday:  Join us to welcome guest Laurie Alice Eakes! She'll be bringing us a post on "The Danger of Laurels." Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of A Stranger's Secret.


Tuesday: What happens when writing into the mist meets super structure? "Confessions of a Reformed Writer (Or How James Scott Bell Helped Me Find my Way out of the Mist)." Stop by today when Mary Curry shares. She's got some terrific giveaways too! To one winner an IOU for her debut Love Inspired Suspense, Christmas in Hiding, writing as Cate Nolan. To another winner, an e copy of James Scott Bell's Super Structure.


Wednesday: Anita Higman will be here talking about "Ten Steps to Creating a Book Launch Team."  Leave a comment with Anita to get your name in the drawing for a prize.


Thursday: "The Ministry of Christian Fiction Unleashed." Join Ruth Logan Herne today as she explores how ministry is woven in the threads of Christian fiction. She'll use her bestselling  Running on Empty  and her upcoming release from Franciscan Media, Refuge of the Heart  to explore seamless and organic layering when dealing with difficult and emotional topics.


Friday: 2015 Rita Finalist Katy Lee is our guest today with her post, "The Dance of a Writer: Finding Your Rythm." Stop by to chat and you could win a copy of her latest Love Inspired Suspense, Permanent Vacancy.




Seeker Sightings





The Circle D Ranch series continue. Now available: Rough Road Home by Audra Harders. 


Rachel Hill, a burned out stockbroker, realizes she’s sacrificed too much for her career and is searching for God’s direction in her life. Champion bull rider, Nick Davidson, reasons God abandoned him first, so what’s the point of seeking Christ’s will in his life? When Nick suffers a concussion, the road trip to the next rodeo becomes the ride of a lifetime for Rachel and Nick. Secrets revealed; lies exposed. Can the power of love heal even these deepest wounds?




COVER REVEALS from Franciscan Media! 



Refuge of the Heart by Ruth Logan Herne. Preorder here.

District Attorney Mitchell Sanderson wanted for nothing and lost everything in a tragic accident. A dogged worker, Mitch’s conviction rate earned him respect and trust. Now up for re-election, Mitch’s law-and-order persona makes him a shoe-in candidate. But when faith, conscience and love of a troubled refugee ripple the smooth waters of his existence, can Mitch risk everything for love?
     Magdalena Serida fought her way out of the terrors of a government-quelled insurgent uprising in Chechnya. The church-sponsored refugee knows the horrors of war first-hand. Now in America with her five-year-old sister, Lena is uncertain who to trust. Her Christian faith has maintained her through the loss of her family, but when Mitch Sanderson shows interest, Lena longs to take a chance. Should she open herself up to this man of law and order, a man who imprisons women like her? Or slip quietly back into the shadowed fringe of anonymity? 

      
The Sweetest Rain (Flowers of Eden) by Myra Johnson. Preorder here.


As the drought of 1930 burns crops to a crisp, Bryony Linwood dreams of cooling winter snows and the life she would have had if Daddy hadn’t been killed in the Great War and Mama hadn’t moved Bryony and her sisters to their grandfather’s struggling tenant farm in tiny Eden, Arkansas. Now Mama’s gone, too, and as times grow tougher, Bryony will do whatever it takes to ensure her family’s survival.
 Michael Heath barely survived the war, and twelve years later all he wants to do is forget. A virtual recluse, his one passion is botanical illustration. Lost in the diversity of nature’s beauty, he finds escape from a troubled past and from his wealthy father’s continual pressure to take an interest in the family plantation.

 When Bryony accepts employment at the Heath mansion, it’s just a job at first, a means to ward off destitution until the drought ends and Grandpa’s farm is prosperous again. But Bryony’s forced optimism and dogged determination disguise a heart as dry and despairing as the scorched earth . . . until she discovers Michael Heath and his beautiful botanical illustrations. As their relationship deepens, friendship soon blossoms into healing for wounded souls and a love that can’t be denied.



FREE right now in all ebook formats.

SWEPT AWAY

Book #1 of the Trouble in Texas Series


Click Here to buy on Kindle

Click here to buy on NOOK


Swept away when her wagon train attempts a difficult river crossing, Ruthy MacNeil isn't terribly upset at being separated from the family who raised her. 

All they've ever done is work her to the bone. 

Alive but disoriented, she's rescued by Luke Stone...so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in her immediate future.




LEAVE YOUR HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO! Julie Lessman’s "Heart of San Francisco” series is on sale, so check these prices out: 
Love at Any Cost -- $1.99 
Dare to Love Again -- $6.99 

Surprised by Love — $6.99









Here's some fun! Check out the eharlequin  Blockbuster Books promo featuring Safe in the Fireman's Arms!




Random News & Information

Links provided by Seekers & Villagers! Thank you!

Amazon.com Announces the Most Well-Read Cities in America (Amazon)


Keeping Tabs on Best-Seller Books and Reading Habits (NYT)


Authors – Are You Auditing Your Royalty Statements? (Backspace)


The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly of Launching a Best-selling Book (Goins Writer)


4 Book Marketing Goals You Can Achieve with Price Promotions (Bookbub Partners)


James Patterson Teaches Writing (Master Class)


Struggling to Find Your Social Media Groove? It Could be an All or Nothing Mindset (Novel Rocket)


Tell Your Book's Story with Metadata (The Book Baby Blog)


A Synopsis that Tells, Not Teases (Chip MacGregor's Blog)


Designing a Book Cover That Tells (Writers in the Storm)


9 Twitter Tools and Apps to Ease Your Tweeting (The Book Designer)


That's it! Have a great reading and writing week!



52 comments :

  1. The king size weekend coffee pot is plugged in and the timer set.

    Some good links. I'm too tired to read any more of them right now. Will return tomorrow.

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  2. Congratulations to all the winners!

    What a great lineup of posts for the coming week. Can't wait to read them.

    I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

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  3. Oh, happiest of Saturdays! A weekend, and for me it's a REAL WEEKEND!!!! Huzzah!!!

    Love the Ray Bradbury quote most of all. If you write 52 things, they can't all be bad!!!! I'm laughing, because you know I'm a numbers girl and the law of averages agrees!

    What a great week we had. I'm still laughing at Connealy's post and it's killing me that I'm doing a SERIOUS WRITING post this week. What was I thinking????

    And I'm loving being part of Franciscan's launch with Myra Johnson, Davis Bunn and several others. What a sweet honor that is.

    Back to writing, I'll come back in a bit with pastries!!!! Gotta love pastries!

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  4. I love these quotes!!! I just pinned them all on the Seeker boards. :)

    Helen, thank you for the coffee! Am I really here this early on a Saturday morning??! hahaha

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  5. Congratulations to all the winners!

    I started reading Safe in the Fireman's Arms yesterday, and I'm loving it!

    I hope you all have a blessed weekend!

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  6. Wow -- lots of great new releases to look forward to! And I just got my Harlequin order yesterday and now I have a dilemma -- a Ruthy book, a Tina book and a Missy book. Which to read first? Might have to put them in a bag and draw blindfolded. LOL
    Happy weekend everybody.

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  7. Good morning, Seekerville!

    There's our early bird HELEN putting the coffee on. Mornin' Helen!

    I really enjoyed your post this week, KELI!

    JACKIE -- I hope to start Tina's book soon, too. And Ruthy's and Missy's latest. It was so fun to have found ALL THREE on a Walmart shelf at the same time!

    I'm definitely going to have to come back later and check out all those yummy-looking links!

    But in the wake of sending off my latest book to New York this past week, today will be continuing with art fact sheet preparation -- including locating image suggestions for the cover. Also, it might be nice to shred a mile-high stack of paper, balance ye olde checkbook, and get caught up on a million and one things that didn't get done this spring due to every waking minute being day job or writing to a deadline! :)

    At long last, I may even plant a few flowers and do some major thinking on the NEXT book proposal...a Christmas one!

    What are the rest of you doing writing-wise today?

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  8. Oh, thank goodness, Helen is back making coffee.

    I want donuts, Ruth Logan Herne.

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  9. Happy Saturday!! Hope you all are reading or writing to your heart's content.

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  10. I won a Seeker ebook, yay! Now to decide on which one, decisions, decisions! I may have to steal Kavs idea and draw a name blindfolded. Thank you Seekerville!

    Happy Saturday all!


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  11. Good morning, Seekerville!!! And may I say I'm equally honored to be part of Franciscan Media's debut fiction line along with RUTHY! Wow--seeing our covers up in Seekerville with the book blurbs makes it real! (Not that the Amazon pre-order links didn't help!)

    GLYNNA, the work of writing never stops, does it? Have fun (right!!!) putting together your cover art info! For a break, you can balance your checkbook! (I'd keep a pile of chocolate nearby if I were you. Just sayin'.)

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  12. "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."
    Samuel Johnson

    Do you think this only applies to men?

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  13. Hi Ruth:

    Is "Refuge of the Heart" being published by the Franciscan order? Given your love of all creatures large and small, it seems to be a perfect fit.

    Did you write the below copy or did a publisher copywriter write it because I sure like it:

    "But when faith, conscience and love of a troubled refugee ripple the smooth waters of his existence, can Mitch risk everything for love?"

    Somehow I'd like to think an ad guy like me wrote it. : )

    I might work this whole blurb into a "Blurb writing" course I'm taking. The teacher really is a good advertising copywriter. L.A. helped get me into the class which was another nice benefit of following the writing wisdom found on Seekerville.

    Vince

    P.S. Do you think the Yankees could have tried any harder to lose that game in the ninth inning last night? I'm trying to call it a day and go to sleep and the Yankees keep walking Angles!

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  14. Hi Ruth:

    I just read that you are going to post next week about how to: "explore seamless and organic layering when dealing with difficult and emotional topics". You mean like death, dying, hospice, double mastectomies, and unwed motherhood in the 1950's? I'm emotional already just thinking about it. Well, if anyone can do this, you can. : ) I can't wait!

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  15. No, Vince, she is talking about what happens when you run out of dark chocolate with sea salt.

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  16. LOL, Kav! There will be no hard feelings, so start wherever you want. :) Or flip a coin! Thanks for ordering them!!

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  17. VINCE!!!! SPEW ALERT NEEDED!!!! I'M DYING LAUGHING, YOU BIG LUG!!!

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  18. Vince, I wrote that copy.

    I love this book.

    Now I must go look at my blog post and see if it MEASURES UP TO MY SPIN!!!! :)

    I'm such a dork.

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  19. Another great WE and look at all the books to choose from. Such a dilemna and KAV you have a great idea. I'll just draw.

    What am I doing this weekend? Well, this is a very exciting weekend for me. In case you noticed I haven't been around much these past two months as I was dealing with the loss of another dear loved one. So the writing went by the wayside. Well this weekend, I am spending time with some favorite writers and they are kicking my behind and getting me back into the mood to write. And I'm getting some much needed rest.

    So yes, this weekend is a Godsend. smile

    And Helen, thanks for the coffee. Hits the spot.

    And Tina, if Ruthy shows up with donuts, let me know.

    And Vince, I've read Ruthy's book and she DOES do it justice. You'll love it.

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  20. Aw, Sandra. Thank you.

    Sandra was the first person to critique this story when I wrote it, Vince, several years ago.

    And she remembers it, so that's a good sign!

    Can't wait for you to read it, and yes.... it's Reality Romance Ruthy Style.

    :)

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  21. Oh, what a great week we had! Super congrats to all the winners!

    It's a rainy Saturday, just perfect for writing. So glad Helen made a king-size pot of coffee. How about fresh cinnamon rolls? Hot out of the oven. Raisins and plain, your choice.

    Jackie, have a great day reading. Luck bucket : ) I might have to set aside writing and go grab a book...

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  22. Vince, I love when your feisty side comes out, LOL!

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  23. A L E R T

    Julie's two books, "Dare to Love Again" and "Surprised by Love" are really $4.99 now on Amazon and not $6.99. I just bought "Surprised by Love" just in case $6.99.is right price and they raise the price when they find out. Check it out! (And remember: these are BIG 'Lessman-length' books!)

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  24. I WON!!!

    I've been having so much fun making funnies this morning (the whole family is out of town -- in-laws and all!) that I didn't notice that I won Pepper's first book!

    That's more of an honor than a contest win! I'll start reading it the second it is safely on my Kindle!

    SANDRA: I'm loving your Lake Powell book, "Where the Eagle Flies" but after a couple of pages, and after you demolished and sank the houseboat, I had to go back to the title page and make sure it was not Mary's story. Way to go! I know just what it is like to be on a boat on that lake where they make movies that are suppose to be on a different planet. I hope it is a long novella!

    RUTH: You are writing books faster than I can review them. Either I'm getting old or you're approaching warp speed. I sure hope the speed of light holds true! I can't take faster than Warp 1.

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  25. Congrats to last week's winners!

    Looking forward to a great lineup of posts next week! Welcome to all our guests.

    Ruthy and Myra, your new releases look fantastic. Beautiful covers and blurbs that have me buying both books!

    I agree with Ruthy...love the Ray Bradbury quote. An interesting suggestion: write a short story each week. Hmmm? A great way to improve our craft. Although it would take time from our WIP. Still...

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  26. Jackie, thanks for the "Blessed Day" wishes.

    Love when someone wishes me a blessed day. Makes me realize how much they love the Lord.

    Blessed Day back to you, Jackie! :)

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  27. I agree with Ray Bradbury — you can't write 52 bad short stories in a row. I hope you can say that about scenes or chapters, too. Maybe I really don't agree with him.

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  28. Congratulations to all the winners this week!

    Wow Ruthie! I love the cover of your new book.

    May everyone have a blessed weekend!

    Smiles & Blessings,
    Cindy W.

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  29. Thanks, Cindy! Mine has been blessed already!

    Hugs!

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  30. Fabulous Weekend Edition, Tina! Congrats to our winners! Especially love your winning quote, Tracey. I'm excited for the week ahead.

    Love all the Seeker sightings!!

    Vince, in your spare time you and Ruthy could do a standup routine.

    Gorgeous Franciscan covers, Ruthy and Myra!! The stories sound wonderful!

    Janet

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  31. Helen, thanks for the coffee. I'll have mine iced. The sun is finally shining and I'm heading out supervise the planting of a climber rose and tidy up the garden, which needs it badly. This morning I sat outside wrapped in a blanket watching grandkids play in a tennis tournament.

    Have a terrific weekend Seekerville!

    Janet

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  32. Janet! Iced coffee. Sounds yummy with Italian creme in it.

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  33. I recently tried iced coffee for the first time and loved it. It was at McDonald's of all places. It tasted like 30 thousand calories and probably was!

    Beautiful covers Myra and Ruthy!
    Wonderful WE (as always) Tina!

    My favorite quote is the one that says, "you can't write 52 bad short stories in a row." I wonder if that is true,lol.

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  34. Hi Donna, Have you tried the ice coffee black? No calories and delicious. I drink it a lot when its hot out.

    Vince you are sooooooo funny. I'm glad you made funnies all morning. Sometimes it is nice to have time to yourself when no one is around. Doesn't happen often. Hubby loves it when I leave, but after day three he is ready to have me back. And when I come back I tease him because the soap bubbles are going down the sink. In other words he is just now cleaning before I get home. Enjoys not having to while I'm gone. snicker snicker.

    Okay Audra, where are you hiding the cinnamon rolls?

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  35. ICK BLACK ICED COFFEE.

    Sigh. :)

    I'm hunting for the cinnamon rolls, too. Audra, where did you hide them????

    I'm working on my second Franciscan book right now. LOVE IT.

    Now I'm hoping they do, too!!! :)

    Take three very naughty little boys. Add one tough-as-nails single next door neighbor. Mix with holy hot hero single father of naughty boys and see what happens!

    I love naughty children.

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  36. Love all the quotes! My younger son gave me the Writers Toolkit for Mother's Day which will help with ideas for those 52 weeks of short stories that can't possibly all be bad. Right?

    Congratulations to all the winners. Thanks for the great information, as always, in the WE. Reader cities, cover designs, and summer block busters.....Pitch Perfect 2 was my latest movie....so Safe in the Fireman's Arms fits..... I like to smile. :)

    BEAUTIFUL covers, Audra, Ruthy, and Myra!

    Thanks for the mention of Swept Away.....I just downloaded it to my weekend TBR stack along with Healing the Lawman's Heart and Keli's Family of her Dreams...both found at my local Wal-Mart this week! Yay! I LOVED Tina's and Missy's new books! It's already been a good summer of reading!

    Now to do some WRITING.....if I can recover from the tragedy of NO DARK CHOCOLATE WITH SEA SALT! Donuts, pastries, cinnamon rolls, and iced coffee will help.

    Yes, wishing all a weekend of blessings!

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  37. Iced coffee....I put Splenda and sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream liquid creamer in mine......so almost calorie free. :) We use Arbuckles' coffee.....as mentioned by Louis L'Amour and by Anne Hillerman (in Rock with Wings)....good strong COWBOY coffee.

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  38. .
    Janet: I'd love to do a standup routine with Ruthy -- just as long as I get to be the tall one.

    Cara: It's not possible to write 52 bad stories in a row -- if you're Ray Bradbury but since it takes no talent to write a bad story, it is far far easier to write 520 bad stories in a row than it is to write one Ray Bradbury.

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  39. I met Ray Bradbury, He was at the Santa Barbara Conference that I attended and that was where I was when I got my first "call".

    So Exciting. And Ray Bradbury was really fun. He did a great workshop too and even though I don't write in his genre, I learned a lot. smile

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  40. Vince, I was interested to know you've been on Lake Powell. Hubby and I were on the lake when a water spout did hit us and it scared us immensely. They do happen. And what a water spout is for any of you who don't know--it is a tornado on the water.
    Very scary. You don't have any basement to run into.

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  41. Sherida, we're creamer sisters!! I use SF Italian Sweet Cream every morning. Although I add Truvia to mine. :)

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  42. Sandra, I need more info about your water spout. What did you do? Saw them on the Weather Channel...what's the program they run...Amazing Weather or something like that? It's filled with interesting weather phenomenon.

    Do tell more about the water spout! Thank God you weren't hurt!

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  43. Sherida, I don't know Arbuckles' coffee. Must be a Western brand.

    We recently traveled to Poland and I was disappointed in the coffee. Had expected rich and bold. Not so much, which surprised me.

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  44. Good mooring, Seekerville. Helen, lead me to the coffee! :) Yesterday was quite busy for us. We attended a wedding and it was so beautiful. Just beautiful. Hmmm, come to think of it, I've never been to a wedding that WASN'T beautiful, lol. :)

    Love the quotes. What about....

    I write, therefore I am.

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  45. Arbuckle's is now on my list. However, a certain Cara Lynn James just turned me onto Gevalia cappuccino with it's own frothing packet.

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  46. So, Tina and Cara, just add boiling water? Where does one find Gevalia? Food stores? The coffee aisle? Or specialty shops?

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  47. A super-busy weekend is winding down! I've shredded a huge stack of paper and can now see the top of my desk. So I'm ALMOST ready to launch into the NEXT book--just as soon as I finish up the art fact images sheet for the Spring 2016 cover (coming close! Man, that takes a lot of time!)

    Hope all our friends in Seekerville have had a great weekend!

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  48. Oh, Keli! Thank you for the book ... and that wonderful Seeker notepad. I promise to give them both a very good home.

    Congratulations to all the other winners!

    As always, the links are so informative, the Bookbub Partners and the Backspace ones especially so. Thank you Tina for another super WE.

    Nancy C

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