Awakening Blog Tour and Giveaway


Christy Dorrity is a contributing author to A Circle of Sisters and I'm so excited to announce her new book Awakening. Below is a little about the book. If you want to win a free e-book, blog about or share a link to the tour. (Here is the link to the Christy's blog that you can share.) Just put what you've done in the comments section and I'll enter you into the drawing.

About the Book

. . . because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth.

A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery's family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a psychic for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn't think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She recently moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has a best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital—and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.


When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities. After Aunt Avril comes to Star Valley in pursuit of a supernatural killer, people begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened.

When the janitor reveals that an ancient curse, known as a geis, has awakened deadly powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy. A thrilling debut novel based in Celtic mythology, Awakening is a gripping young adult fantasy rife with magic, romance, and mystery.


Awakening (The Geis, #1)

Praise for Awakening

"AWAKENING is a wonder and a delight. Christy Dorrity is a talent to watch."
~David Farland, New York Times bestselling author of Nightingale


"I thoroughly enjoyed AWAKENING, a captivating and unique debut novel that creatively integrates Irish dance."
~ CHRIS NAISH, Riverdance member and Creative Director of Fusion Fighters Irish dancers.
About the Author

Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming, and is the author of The Geis series for young adults, and The Book Blogger’s Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.

Purchase Awakening by Christy Dorrity:

Purchase Kindle Book Purchase Nook Book 



Book Blast: I, Spy by Jordan McCollum (With 13 Free Books and Previews!)

Okay, this is so cool. I'm saying this because I, Spy by Jordan McCollum is one of my favorite books I've read this year, and now I can get more free books too. I picked up my copy of I, Spy by Jordan at LDStorymakers in May. I read it in one sitting. It was fun, lots of adventure, and really well written. To demonstrate just how much I liked this book, I will tell you a secret. When we moved to our new place, we had to downsize, especially our double packed bookshelves. I went through all my books and with a sad sense of duty said goodbye to well over half of them. We needed the space and I couldn't justify holding onto so many books that I would never read again or that we had on eBook.

I couldn't donate Jordan's book. It has the special place of honor of being one of about twenty such books that are still on my shelf. (Incidentally, one of the free books being offered, Secret Sisters by Tristi Pinkston is also still on my shelf.)

Here is me with my copy, of I, Spy by Jordan McCollum.

To save her country and her secrets, CIA operative Talia Reynolds must sacrifice the man she loves—but your choice is much easier! Just buy a copy of I, Spy during the book blast AND receive awesome prizes!

What you have to do

Step 1: Buy the book any day from September 19 to September 22. Any retailer will do!
Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble & Smashwords, and direct from JordanMcCollum.com!  
Step 2: Email Jordan a copy of the receipt (jordan at jordanmccollum.com). Yes, even if you buy the book from Jordan's site, we need to know you want to receive the freebies.
Step 3: Wait with bated breath.

What you're going to get

EVERYONE who participates gets fabulous prizes, including 13 free books and samples from wonderful authors!
The fabulous prizes!

a free copy of A Body in the Backyard (A Myrtle Clover Mystery) by Elizabeth Spann Craig

a free copy of Rose, Undercover (Dead Roses #1.1) by RaShelle Workman

a free copy of Anasazi Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans by Linda Weaver Clarke

a free copy of Writing Your Family Legacy by Linda Weaver Clarke (Isn't she awesome?!)

a free copy of Secret Sisters by Tristi Pinkston

a free copy of Dead Running by Cami Checketts

a free copy of First Kiss (Confessions of a 16-Year-Old Virgin Lips 1) by Cindy Hogan

a preview of A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver

a sneak preview of The Witnesses by Stephanie Black, out next month!

a sneak preview of Pocket Full of Posies (Hostage Negotiation Team #3)
by Julie Coulter Bellon, out next month!
Christmas ornament
an exclusive look at "I'll Cry for Christmas," a short story by Rachelle J. Christensen

a free copy of Mr. Nice Spy (I, Spy Prequels) by Jordan McCollum

PLUS!

An exclusive sneak preview of Spy for a Spy (Spy Another Day #2) by Jordan McCollum

What if I've already bought I, Spy?

First of all, THANK YOU!! If you take a picture of you with your copy of I, Spy (or the cover on your reading device) and post it somewhere public on the Internet— Facebook (or maybe on Jordan's Facebook page), a Tweet, Flickr, Tumblr, Instagram, sky's the limit—send Jordan the link and you can have these fabulous prizes too!
So spread the word! The more, the merrier!

My First Contest and Giveaway

Do you want to win a copy of A Circle of Sisters?

I'm excited to announce my first contest and giveaway. The prize is a copy of A Circle of Sisters. To enter the random drawing, all you have to do is write down one of your inspiring Relief Society experiences and send it my way. (Yes, even if you are a guy, if you've had a good experience with the RS, I want to hear from you.)

You can send it to me via my email brown.jolyn@yahoo.com. If you could put "RS Contest" in the subject heading, that would be helpful.

Don't worry about length or being a great writer. Just get down those great experiences about how Relief Society has blessed you or someone you know. I'd love to share your experiences on my blog if your comfortable with that. If not, just let me know you'd prefer it not be shared. Or you can even ask that it be shared anonymously.

Everyone who sends an experience will have their name entered into a random drawing on October 4th, 2013. I know that only gives you three weeks, but Baby will be making her entrance sometime in October, so I need to get the book mailed to the winner before my life is turned upside down by this little one we are so excited for.

Okay. Here are the details in list form:

1. Write down one your inspiring RS experiences.
2. Send it to me before midnight OCTOBER 3, 2013. (brown.jolyn@yahoo.com)
3. Wait with hopeful excitement for the blog post on OCTOBER 4, 2013.
4. Win your free copy of A Circle of Sisters.


So pull up your word documents or emails. Write down what happened last week in RS that helped you feel the Spirit, or about that sister that showed up on your doorstep when you needed someone, or even write about walking by someone's house, feeling a little lonely and finding a sister from the ward outside with her kids. There are no coincidences, God knew you needed someone to talk to, even if it is over a fence with two dogs barking in the back ground.

If you have any questions, let me know. Now go write.

Love Brings Us Home

Some days we just need that extra lift to get through. For me that lift often comes in music. Several months back when my hubby and I were struggling with figuring out where to move and what the Lord had in store for us, I heard this song on the radio. It was my life. Every bit. The message was for me.

There is no place for fear. There is no place for the whispers of doubt. We may not know where we are going or what plans the Lord has for our lives, but no matter where we are, we can trust His love to bring us home.

*Song: Phillip Phillips Home

Current Crafts-The Baby Booties Fiasco

In the past months I've discovered I'm way more into sewing and craft projects than I realized. I might have gone a little crazy with making things. It got me to thinking, why not post about some of these projects? They aren't about writing, but they are something I really enjoy. Which is what this blog is about after all; celebrating the small and simple things.

So I'm starting a series similar to my WIP and Women I Admire posts. I will label any of my craft projects with Current Crafts and a small description. That way you can avoid or check out the post, depending on if you are interested.

My current crafts are yarn related. I got this idea that it would be fun to make baby booties. I started with a yellow yarn and tried to follow several free patterns online. I got lost. I growled at my crochet hooks. I resorted to YouTube videos.

Me and YouTube made a baby booty. One. It was big enough for my thumb. I set it aside and tried again. With a new video, I made a second baby booty. It was lumpy and big enough for a toddler.

I gave up baby booties and moved on to hats. The first was a disaster big enough for my five-year-old niece, if she would even wear something so bulky and odd looking. I tried again and made a cute yellow hat with a flower. I couldn't believe it. I was so eltated I went hat crazy. This of course led to my needing to make a hat for my son.

The first hat was one that had been on my Knifty Knitter loom since last fall. It was too small. We pulled out more yarn and under his direction, I made my first striped hat (that is too big, but hopefully usable). With him content, I tried to make another baby hat with fine yarn and the wrong size hook. We got a cute white hat that might last the first week. But I was learning.

With piles of hats around me, I decided to get the first part of blanket I'd been working on two years off the loom as well. Now I have half a striped green and white baby afghan that I'm trying to convince myself to finish the other side.

Then, wonder of wonders, I discovered that my previously unused Knifty Knitter flower loom could be used to make baby booties and socks. To get the hang of the loom, I made a few flowers first. Then Youtube and I made one booty, forgot to put in the rows between the heal and the toe, unraveled the first attempt, found another tutorial and made another booty. This one was also big enough for a toddler. I tied it all off and put it with the other two mismatched ones.

So now I have three unpaired baby booties. My son has big feet. So do I. Maybe the baby will too and I'll end up making pairs for the big booties. But I think I'll walk away from them for a while.


On the bright-side I'm getting better at hats and flowers.


Oh, and I have half a baby afghan.