It's a California Gold Rush Romance Collection celebration weekend.
Pam Hillman is giving away two copies to two commenters.
Winners announced in the next Weekend Edition.
We Have Winners
If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, phone number to claim prizes.
Our Lurker surprise giveaways go to: Therese Jubran, Laura Domino, Michelle Matney, Connie Brown, Christalee May, Tara Johnson and Susan P. And a long-time no see giveaway goes to Leola Ogle, Amber Schamel, Dawn Leonard, Christina Rich, Ruth Tredway, Laura Russell and Cathy Shouse.
A Seeker book of choice goes to Megan Besing.
"What's So Important About Women's Fiction" was the Monday topic with our jovial, non-didactic guest blogger, Tyndale author Carre Armstrong Gardner. Winner of All Right Here is Linda Truesdell and the winner of They Danced On is Caryl Kane.
Tuesday we We're excited to welcome back Walt Mussell and Lindi Peterson. They've got an insightful post called "The Challenges of Writing for Charity." Winners of their choice of print or E-copy of Love & Grace are Vince and Tanya. The winners of E-copies from Seekerville are Cindy W, Mary Preston, Leslie McKee and Bettie. The E-copy releases August 30th. Send your info now and we'll send it out on the 30th!
Wednesday we saddled up with Carrie Fancett Pagels to discuss “The Wild Wild West of Hybrid Publishing.” Winner of choice of print or E-copy of Saving the Marquise’s Granddaughter and Tea Shop Folly is Marianne Barkman.
Thursday award-winning, bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne explained why death is just as important as life in her appropriately titled post "Why Death is Just as Important as Life in Storytelling." Kelly Bridgewater is the winner of a $20 Amazon card no one is the winner of a one-sheet critique... so if you want this prize in time for ACFW, tell us in the WE and Ruthy will pick a person and contact you! Make sure you have contact info available!!! She thinks your eyes were bedazzled by the Zon Card!!!
 |
| Get your copy here. |
Monday: We welcome back Bethany House author Melissa Jagears today, with her post "Don't Put Yourself Up a Creek Unless You Should." Let's talk etymology today. She's brought a copy of A Heart Most Certain for one etymological commenter.
Tuesday: Author Keli Gwyn returns to Seekerville with her post, "Twelve Tips for Choosing Character Names." Stop by for some fun and you might win a copy of her latest Love Inspired Historical Release, Make-Believe Beau.
Wednesday: Publishers Weekly best-selling author Debby Giusti is our hostess. She'll be talking about "A Writing Process: Total Immersion." Stop by to leave a comment and get your name in the drawing for one of Debby's book giveaways!
Thursday: Jessica Nelson is our guest today with her post "Writer Unboxed." Stop by to chat with Jessica and for a chance to win her Regency-set Love Inspired Historical, A Hasty Betrothal. Oh, and a bit of chocolate too!
Friday: Best of the Archives with Seeker Myra Johnson. Myra brings us "Read Like a Writer, Write like a Writer." Comments are closed on Fridays so all can catch up on our writing and reading!
 |
| Do the puzzle yourself here. Simply right click on a puzzle piece to move it. Then click on the ghost image to see the book. |
Seeker Sightings
Cover reveal! Christmas novella by Ruth Logan Herne.
Cover reveal! Christmas novella by Mary Connealy.
LOVE WILL FIND A WAY by Cara Lynn James, Myra Johnson and Sandra Leesmith. Summer novellas that will whisk you away to three of America’s most beautiful outdoor settings.
Sandra Leesmith's portion of sales for the month of August will be donated to the American Hiking Society.
 |
| Just two of the stories found in The California Gold Rush Romance Collection. Thanks for the memes, Jaime & Angela! |
Random News & Information
Thanks to everyone who submitted links! This is the 7 Weekend.
We're updating the August Contest Update as final round judges are added to several contests. Please check here for the latest information. Especially note that Raela Schoenherr has been added to the Hot Prospects Contest and you really should enter the Phoenix Ratter put on by the Christian Writers of the West!
There's More Than One Way to Publish. I Know. I Tried Many of Them (PW) MUST READ **
How to Find and Reach Influencers to Help Promote Your Book (Jane Friedman Blog)**
All the World's a Page: The 9 Woes of the Writing Life (WordServe Water Cooler) An oldie but goodie!
The Fastest-Growing Format in Publishing: Audiobooks (WSJ)
Setup and Inciting Incident (Steven Pressfield) **
7 Things You Need to Give Up If You Want to Succeed (Thirteen Thoughts)
Stuck on Plot? Start at the End (Jami Gold )**
7 Critical Elements of a Great Book (Writers Write)
How To Write Memorable Characters (The Creative Penn)
A Hallmark Christmas Movie (Robin Jones Gunn)
Seven Annoyances Every Reader Understands (Bethany House Fiction)
Short on time? Read these ** first and come back for the rest later!
Have a prosperous writing and reading weekend!
Great WE, Miss TINA!!!! Congratulations to all the winners. And thank you for picking my name for Saving the Marquise's Granddaughter and the Tea Shop Folly. I can't decide if I should hold off on that for the print edition...
ReplyDeleteI had to check out the influencer link....it's another great one!
Thanks again for all your hard work at Seekerville, Miss TINA
Happy weekend everyone! Congrats to the winners!
ReplyDeleteTina, thanks for another great WE! And thanks to all who shared links. We've got a lot of reading to keep us busy. :)
Pam, congrats on the new release! And Ruthy and Mary, I love your new covers!
Teeena, congrats on the contest final!! If you mentioned this earlier, I missed it. I'm happy for you!
Have a great writing and reading weekend Seekerville. Gorgeous covers Ruthy and Mary!!
ReplyDeleteTeeeeena! Congrats on finaling in another contest! You are rocking the contest circuit, wonderfully!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for another WE chock full of amazing stuff. I'm saving links for break time, but for now I've Brought Coffee!!!! and a beautiful carrot cake with fresh cream cheese frosting! YES!
I've been dying for carrot cake.
Not really dying, we talked enough about death on Thursday, but youse guys know what I mean. :)
I intend to make a peach pie sometime this week using Thursday's Yankee Belle recipe and getting a taste of summer between the crazy of life and work.
Back later, and Teena... thank you again!
Ruthy
One word on those covers: St. Martin's Press ROCKED IT with whimsy, didn't they????
ReplyDeleteOh my stars, they're adorable and perfect for this launch with SWERVE, their digital first line.
And it was crazy fun to write.
SIGH.......... :)
Congratulations to all the winners! I am excited to win an e-book...thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteRuthy & Mary, I love the book covers!
The links are great again Tina! I have a busy, busy day today but will come back later to dig into some of them a little more. Especially, "Stuck on Plot, Start at the End" and A Hallmark Christmas Movie.
May everyone have a blessed weekend!
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
Great weekend! Congrats to all the winners and to everybody with a new or upcoming release!
ReplyDeleteOnesheet critique? Please toss my name into that hat.
Congratulations to all of the winners! A special congrats to our hostess on finalizing in the NERFA contest. Wishing you the best, Tina. We all appreciate the hard work you put into these Weekend Editions,so thank you.
ReplyDeleteRuthy and Mary, your covers look great!
Congratulations to the winners.
ReplyDeletePlease put me in the drawing for a one-sheet critique. I do my own, so there's probably plenty to critique.
This is like a banquet of writing advice! I'm going to go update my TARA manuscript from the judges' scores (no, I didn't win, show or place, but I god good feedback), and I may be back later.
Kathy Bailey
Undaunted in NH
We interrupt this regularly scheduled Weekend Edition for an important question: Does anyone know the release date for Julie Lessman's Love Everlasting (Isle of Hope series)? I'm doing a reader's choice giveaway on my blog this week where people submit titles of new releases published in Sept, Oct, Nov for a chance to win one. Someone asked about Love Everlasting but we can't find a release date anywhere so I don't know if it fits the criteria. Can anyone help? Thanks
ReplyDeleteTINA, huge congrats on the contest final!!! You are rocking it!!! Thanks for the Weekend Edition. Loads of great news to celebrate and links to explore.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to our winners. A very long list!
Janet
RUTHY and MARY, your covers are adorable!
ReplyDeletePam, congrats on the Gold Rush release!
Janet
KATHY B, applauding you for reworking your entry. We can learn so much from contests!
ReplyDeleteJanet
Great Weekend!! Congratulations to the lurkers who run prizes.
ReplyDeleteRuthy, can't wait to read your Christmas story!
Tina, congratulations for finaling in a contest I read in the comments.
Pam, congratulations on your release! !
Should say won prizes not run prizes. Means two very different things.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Tina on your final. Another great WE.
ReplyDeleteAnother author getting a Halmark Movie--wonderful news.
Congratulations to all the winners.
I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Congratulations, Tina!!! You are the ultimate contest diva. :-) And even more congrats to all the winners!
ReplyDeleteRuthy, tell us more about St. Martin's new digital line and how you scored that gig. Inquiring minds want to know. Rockin' those covers!!
NFL is Back!
ReplyDeleteFootball Widows
To Enjoy Even More
Writing Time This Season!
Great WE Tina Congrats to all the winners and best wishes to all those entering contests. Yay. Contests Rock!!!
ReplyDeleteI finished my wip this weekend so I'm a happy camper. Yay!!!
Happy writing.
Vince You are toooo funny. I have lots of friends who become football widows. Unfortunately not me. Hubby isn't that interested. Now when Mom was alive, she was a big fan so then we knew what teams were playing and who was winning. chuckle
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners!
ReplyDeleteVince, in my house my husband is the football widower! Never tell him I said that! I guess if the Steelers were going to the Super Bowl (he's originally from Pittsburg) he might watch a little bit of the game.
ooops...that should be Pittsburgh ;)
ReplyDeleteYay--welcome to all our lurkers, and we hope you'll stop in often!
ReplyDeleteAt the end of a loooooooooooong week of watching 4 grandkids while their parents were out of town (getting back tonight--YAY!!!!). Thank goodness for my talented hairstylist, whom I will see in a couple of days, because I'm sure I have about 900 more gray hairs!!!!
And then next week . . . getting organized for the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat and ACFW conference in Nashville!!!!! So excited to see some dear friends in person again, including lots of Seekers and Seekervillagers!
Action packed WE. Congrats on finagling Tina and Happy Release Day, Pam. Keeping tabs of you Seekerville authors is becoming a full-time job! Really excited about Finding Father Christmas Hallmark movie. Wonderful that author's stories get to be transformed into movies.
ReplyDeleteTEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNA!!!
ReplyDeleteSUPER CONGRATS ON THE FINAL, MY FRIEND -- SO well deserved, as the win will be in the future!!
And SUPER-DUPER CONGRATS to all our winners -- you guys ROCK!!
VERY exciting to see another Hallmark movie by a Christian author -- Robin Jones Gunn -- because this sounds like only the tip of the iceberg with all the movies Hallmark is now putting out for Christmas, for spring, for summer, etc. Was realllly excited to see the recent Hallmark movie for Denise Hunter -- The Convenient Groom -- which is airing nonstop on the Hallmark channel, so if you haven't seen it -- record it because it's really cute. Although I have to say the book is even more wonderful!! AND Denise has another Hallmark movie airing this fall as well, in which she and hubs will have a cameo part, so YAY, Denise!!
RUTHY ... you had to mention peach pie, didn't you?? My all-time favorite dessert, along with Patti Jo's peach cobbler. And, YES, the St. Martin covers are full of holiday magic and whimsy, so KUDOS to St. Martin and CONGRATS to you and Mary for yet another novella hitting the shelves!! Between the two of you, this is somewhere near the 100 mark on the # of novellas, isn't it?? ;)
HUGS,
Julie
Hey, Kav, how fun!!
ReplyDeleteLove Everlasting will release in September, either the 15th or the 30th -- not sure yet, but preorders will be up this month, so tell whomever that they should always check in with my weekly Journal Jot blog (which you can subscribe to), because that is the FIRST PLACE I release all info, giveaways, sneak peeks, etc.
SANDA, SUPER CONGRATS ON FINISHING THE BOOK, my friend -- SUCH a good feeling!!
LOL, EDWINA about your hubby being the football widower -- that's a hoot!! ;)
Hugs,
Julie
Hugs and THANK YOU!!
Julie
Great job on the WE, Tina, as usual. I'm excited to see the California Gold Rush Collection featured. I live smack dab in the middle of the Gold Country, which is why I'm reading stories from this book right now. One of them is set in my hometown of Placerville, aka Dry Diggins, in 1849, when Gold Fever was at its height. How cool is that? My August release takes place here in Placerville, too, but the year is 1875, after the state had become quite civilized. Seems my historic town is a popular place this month in Fictionlandia.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to visiting Seekerville on Tuesday and talking about names: yours, mine and those belonging to the characters in the stories we read and/or write. Just wait until you see the questions I have for you at the end of the post. We'll have oodles of fun in the comments that day.
It's fun to see that my fellow Love Inspired Historical author Jessica Nelson will be here on Thursday. (Fun note: the heroine of my August LIH, Make-Believe Beau, is named Jessie.) Unlike Jessica (the author, not my character), I won't be offering chocolate as part of my prize package. I live in the Sierra Foothills where we're expecting temps in the mid-nineties this week. If I were to send you chocolate right now, it would melt en route. I'd be better off offering a bottle of Hershey's syrup. =)
I just changed my photo in my Blogger profile pic, so if I did things right, I'm going to age five years right before your eyes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, Julie. Woot -- so many Seeker author readings in my future.
ReplyDeleteTINA, thank you for another fabulous WE! I'm excited to have won Carre Armstrong Gardner's They Danced On!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to this week's winners!
PAM! I am so excited for the release of The California Gold Rush Romance Collection. Please enter me in the drawing.
KELI - Your new profile picture is BEAUTIFUL!
HAPPY WEEKEND SEEKERVILLE!!!!!
I would love a critique from Ruth. I've won a critique before though, so I feel a little selfish throwing my name in. :) As always, this site rocks!
ReplyDeleteRequest for Essential
ReplyDeleteMarketing Information!
I've just come from Amazon after trying to pre-order, the "Second Chance at Star Inn" series of novellas; however, there was no mention, that I could find, about how long the stories were. There was also no "Look Inside" feature to estimate size. Since novellas can range from 25 pages to 140 pages, many readers, like me, will not buy one without size information.
I believe it would be very wise to add this information to these novella pages on Amazon as soon as practical. That's these novellas: "Silent Night, Star-Lit Night". "Room at the Inn for Christmas" and "Do You Hear What I Hear?".
Either number of words or pages would be fine.
Vince
P.S. Would you advertise a house for sale or rent without the number of bedrooms?
Make Ruthy work Jessica Baughman. Your name is in the hat!!
ReplyDeleteActually Keli, you got five years younger with the new picture. You are so photogenic!
ReplyDeleteSANDRA, congrats on typing The End!! Just curious--do you actually type those words?
ReplyDeleteI do just for fun but then delete them when I send the story to my editor. Lest she think my story didn't make that clear. :-)
Janet
KELI, I love the new photo! Remember seeing it on facebook. You look fabulous! I agree with Tina, even younger.
ReplyDeleteJanet
Fun to see three Villagers will be posting next week!!!
ReplyDeleteJanet
What a great WE! The California Gold Rush Brides authors have been having a ball with this book. Keli, so cool that your hometown is Placerville! Officially jealous! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend everyone! Monday is back to school here and it's been a crazy week getting ready for it. Ms. Ruth, I'd love that one sheet critique in time for ACFW so I'm jumping up and down with my arm in the air yellin' "pick me! pick me!" (as much as an introvert can jump up and down and yell in front of people)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners this week!
I love the cover reveals!!! They are gorgeous!! Happy holidays already!
ReplyDeleteJackie, your name is in!!!!
ReplyDeleteKathy, you're in, too!
ReplyDeleteYAY!
Sally Shupe, thank you! I love it, I fell in love with the entire concept that Lizzie Poteet from SMP handed us... and then we played with it (Mary, Margaret Brownley and me)... and we had a ball!
ReplyDeleteBarbara, it was all Natasha and Lizzie from St. Martin's... And I love that we're getting a chance to throw a sweet bunch of inspirational novellas into the mix because the website for SWERVE shows lots of heat... Except for Donna Alward's cover.... so how fun for us to get a chance to see what inspy can do?
ReplyDeleteAnd Lizzie and the team have been great to work with. I'm so grateful for anything that gives me the chance to build that readership for me and sales for my publishers. Win/Win!!!
Vince, you said there's another sport looming? It's not November, is it, darling??? :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the winners!
ReplyDeleteI would appreciate it if you considered my name for the critique. Thank your.
Congrats to all the winners!
ReplyDeleteLove the cover reveals and the new releases! So many fun things happening in Seekerville.
And Emily wants Amish, which is what I sent her on Monday! Woot!
Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. It's hot in ATL. Of course, it IS August.
Anyone excited about ACFW?
Keli, love the new pic...and the new you!!!
ReplyDeleteHello, lovely Seekerville people! :-) I'm so excited to celebrate the California Gold Rush Romance Collection here on the WE. Perhaps I'll have the pleasure of seeing some of you in person, quite soon, at the ACFW Conference. :-D Hope you all have a beautiful weekend!
ReplyDeleteAnd for those interested in learning more about me or my novella in the Gold Rush collection, you're most welcome to visit my cyber-space parlor at www.AuthorAngelaBell.com!
Congrats, all you winners out there! Please consider me for the critique.
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't mind but I'd like to ask for prayers for my mom, Dottie. She is 88, with Parkinson's. She took a fall Thursday night and again yesterday morning. She finally permitted us to take her to the ER late this morning. After five hours of CT scans on her head, heart and Sacrum, and xrays on her ribs, and lots of waiting, it was determined she fractured her Sacrum (tailbone) and they sent her home. When we got home my husband went next door to our house to get our dog out of his kennel. While I was getting plates down, my mom said she felt dizzy. I came over to her and she appeared to be having a seizure and was unresponsive until my husband came in and started talking to her telling her she was okay (positive speaking instead of negative). She has been nauseated since yesterday when she fell. All the tests were negative except her fractured tailbone. I called the hospital and they called her in some Zofran for the nausea. I wanted to take her back to the hospital but she refuses. We were told we should stay with her for the next day and a half to keep an eye on her.
ReplyDeleteYour prayers would be most appreciated.
Blessings,
Cindy W.
Praying, Cindy!!!
ReplyDeleteAngela!! Love the hat! Thanks for stopping by and congrats on your release. I must change into proper attire and stop by your salon.
ReplyDeletePraying for your mom, Cindy <3
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the authors and winners!
Please enter me in today's drawing.
May God bless all of Seekerville!
Hi Ruth:
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees let A-Rod go and the next day two rookies, in their first at bat in the majors, hit back to back home runs! Yanks just three games out of a playoff position!
I know, the real sport doesn't end until after the October Classic, but there are those who still don't get that baseball is the national pastime.
Besides, who has ever heard of the term 'baseball widow'?
Vince
CINDY, praying for your mom. Hope she's feeling better today.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Janet
Great WE, TINA, thank you! And congratulations, on your NERFA final!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats also to PAM, RUTHY and MARY!! Can't wait to read your newest work!
JULIE, glad you answered the question about Love Everlasting, because I was wondering, too. Thank you!
Congratulations to all this week's winners!
KELI, I love your new picture!
Praying for your mother, CINDY
Late to the party, but I got my art fact sheet images shipped out and the database completed for my book that comes out next May!
ReplyDeleteAnother meaty W.E. edition, TINA (and hurrah on the contest final!). And congrats on the release, PAM! And on the Christmas covers, RUTHY & MARY! I LOVE Christmas-set stories!
Cindy W -- been praying for your mother--and for you and your husband.
LOL, Vince! I shared that with my husband, who is a rabid Atlanta Falcons fan. :)
ReplyDeleteHope everyone is getting a lot of writing and reading done this weekend.
ReplyDeleteMany of our lurkers have stopped in to claim their prizes.
Remember to claim yours if you were a winner. If we spent all our time chasing you down, we'd never get any books written!
Cindy, praying for Mom!
ReplyDeleteSo hard to see loved ones suffering. Hugs!
Hope everyone is having a good weekend. I haven't gotten much done this weekend but hope the week will be better.
ReplyDeleteCindy, I will pray for your mom.
Great WE! Congrats to the winners this week! I just got back from a week's visit to my sis-in-laws to celebrate my birthday (Tues the 9th), and OH did I have fun :-) Had an awesome lunch--paid for--at Olive Garden, walked around the mall to work off our food (haha), stopped in at Lifeway Christian Book Store to browse the bargain book section (and picked up a few), found a LOT I would have LOVED to bring home if money were no object, went to the grocery store after all that and went back to her house. We were gone 8 hours!!!!!!!!!!! My facebook page exploded with good birthday wishes from all my friends, family & authors....the best part of my day :-)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, please add my name to the gold mining pan for a chance at that beautiful novella collection; The California Gold Rush romance collection (thanks Pam!!).
Happy week ahead!
I follow Seekerville as I can. Although I'm convinced there is a book in me somewhere, I have not taken the time to really try writing anything yet. I've started a few books over the years, but never got more than a few chapters when I would hit a roadblock. Would love to complete a book someday--maybe when my boys are gone. In the meantime, I enjoy reading the articles on Seekerville for good tips and ideas for whenever I get a chance to write, lol.
ReplyDeleteVery excited about the giveaway for the new release--the Gold Rush periods(California, Colorado and Yukon) are some of my favorite reading time periods. Even if I don't win, can't wait to get my hands on a copy!
God bless ya'll!
Oh, I'd LOVE to win a page critique by Ruthy, so please put my name in.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to ACFW but I do plan to submit to a few contests. I LOVE critique. Anything, and I mean anything I can do to become a better writer, I'll jump at.
Fingers crossed.
I would love to win the California Gold Rush book. Congratulations to all the winners.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy ACFW.
Becky B.