This blog is officially closed now that I’ve moved to my new author and editor website: http://nadinebrandes.com
Please be sure to re-follow me at the new site!
Sincerely,
Nadine Brandes
Book Giveaway Results and…NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH!
We have our five books for the giveaway! All the votes are double and triple tallied and I’m pleased to share we have a nice five-book spread across the different sub-genres published by Marcher Lord Press.
I’m guessing you want to know which books they are and how to win them? Well, today also marks the launch of my new author and editor website! In honor of this launch and because it’s more fun, I’m hosting the actual giveaway portion on my new website. In my mind, leaving this blog and moving to my new one is akin to leaving Sparknotes behind and picking up the real book.
Please visit http://nadinebrandes.com to enter the giveaway (finally!), to explore so many more tidbits behind my writing, and to re-subscribe to my blog if need be. Or, if you’re pressed on time and have three minutes to enter the giveaway, just go straight to the giveaway page (and explore later!)
MLP 5-Book Giveaway: Which Books Will it Be?
If you’re new to the giveaway, please visit this page for details on how to participate!
Over the past five days, we’ve had over 240 votes for which five Marcher Lord Press (MLP) books should be entered into my MLP Anniversary giveaway. It’s been quite exciting seeing the different reading preferences. I can’t wait to see the results. I will tell you that the standings are quite close! Voting ends tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 7pm EST.
You may vote by going to my Pinterest page and repinning/liking the five books you hope to see in the giveaway. Or, if you don’t have Pinterest you can vote via my Facebook Pinterest page by hovering over the book covers you want and clicking the Facebook “like” button. This giveaway is open to anyone and it is completely free. You don’t even have to like speculative fiction (though, if you win a MLP book and read it, you’ll undoubtedly be sucked in.)
The five top-voted books will be revealed Wednesday morning (9-25-13) on my brand-new author website:
Two days and counting! I can’t wait to show you all what I’ve been working on the over the past several weeks. As many people understand, it’s exhilarating to see a vision develop into reality. That’s how it’s been with my website (although learning code—the equivalent to a new language—and trying to keep my eyes from glazing over has been a challenge.) What better way to celebrate than to have a giveaway with fellow visionaries?
For those of you who who follow my blog via e-mail, you will be transferred automatically to my new site. For anyone else who follows in a different manner, you will have to re-follow me once the website changes. Until then, you have two more days to vote for your favorite books!
MLP 5-Book Giveaway – Step 1: Repin Your Books of Choice!
The fifth anniversary of my publisher, Marcher Lord Press, approaches. How am I going to celebrate? Why, with a five-book FREE giveaway, of course! But not just that, you get to pick which five books should be entered into the giveaway out of over 35 Marcher Lord Press options.
The giveaway starts today and will end two weeks from now on October 1st, Marcher Lord Press’s five year anniversary. Here’s how it’s going to work:
- Step 1: Starting September 18, a photo of each full-length speculative fiction book published by MLP will be posted on my Pinterest page. For 7 days, anyone can share, like, and repin these photos onto their own pages.
- Step 2: The top five books with the most “repins” and “likes” combined will be the five books to enter the giveaway on September 25th.
- Step 3: The giveaway will take place on my newly launched website where you will have over 10 opportunities to enter per day for the book/s of your choice.
- Step 4: On October 1—Marcher Lord Press’s birthday—five winners will be announced, five FREE books will be sent out, and five people will be the new owners of spectacular speculative fiction books!
Right now, we are in Step 1: the voting stage. Go to my Pinterest page and “repin” or “like” the book covers you would most like to see as the 5 free options. Please keep in mind I’ve split the list of books into two boards (books 1-24 and books 25-38. Be sure to look through them both before choosing your five!
For those who do not have Pinterest, you can also “like” the photo through my Facebook Pinterest account. Just hover over the book of your choice and the Facebook “Like” button should show up. Here is a screenshot example:
I’ve had a few reports of the Like button not showing up. After contacting the App management, they told me to just allow some time to pass before trying again. Sorry for any inconvenience!
Stay tuned via this website, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for the next step, which will be entering to win one or all of the five books! For now, here are the MLP books eligible for the giveaway. I’ve listed them by author (in no particular order.) Click on a picture to go to my Pinterest site and repin or like it!
Steve Rzasa
Morgan L. Busse
Jill Williamson
Kathy Tyers
Kerry Nietz
Sharon Hinck
John W. Otte
Marc Schooley
Stuart Vaughn Stockton
Kirk Outerbridge
John B. Olson & Randy Ingermanson
Mitchell Bonds
Please don’t forget to share this giveaway with your friends, family, writing buddies, reading buddies, and anyone else who might be interested!
CrossReads Book Blast: UnEmbraceable by Precarious Yates
I’m thrilled to be a part of the CrossReads Book Blast. Though I have not read this book yet, I hope to. The premise is just too intriguing to pass up. Read below for more details and a chance to win a $50 Amazon giftcard!
From the author of “Revelation Special Ops” comes a terrifying, hauntingly real and daringly hopeful tale of betrayal and love.
Leonard, a computer programmer, has a unique gift: by words alone he can calm violent situations. Which is helpful with all these kids running around the streets behaving like zombies. He has his own set of sorrows to face, but he’s prepared for anything. Anything except Tamar, and the thunderous inkling that she will be his wife. This doesn’t make any sense to Leonard. She stole his wallet. And his heart.
Painful circumstances ripped family and stability from Tamar’s grasp, but with gutsy tenacity she faces life head on. Meeting the gorgeous and single Leonard changes everything. But surely a guy like him would never fall for a girl of the streets like her.
LINK to KINDLE | LINK to PAPERBACK
Precarious Yates lives in Texas with husband, daughter, sheep, dogs, chickens, rabbit, lizard and by the time you read this some other exotic creature her husband or daughter has brought home. She had studied the plight of and worked toward the abolition of modern slavery for over a decade before sitting down to write Revelation Special Ops. She was further inspired by the work of her sister-in-law, who helped to found Love146, an organization that works to raise awareness about human trafficking and builds safe homes in vulnerable regions. Yates spent several years overseas as a missionary in Ireland, and also did missions work in India and the Philippines. Her passion for literature has become her means of further educating young adults of the realities of modern slavery, while producing hope through the power of Christ Jesus in us.
Follow Precarious Yates
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Enter to Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!
Enter below to enter a $50 amazon gift card, sponsored by author Precarious Yates!
(Click here –>) a Rafflecopter giveaway
This book blast is hosted by Crossreads.
We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!
New Website and MLP Book Giveaways!
**update** For the first step in the FIVE BOOK GIVEAWAY and a list of eligible MLP books, go here!
Welcome back home to all authors who attended the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Conference! I have been to a writer’s conference four different times and still return home with the same “high” of determination. Although I did not attend the ACFW Conference this year, I still busied myself with a fresh adventure I’m excited to announce:
I have a new website!
Changing websites is a big step, one I’ve wanted to take for a long time, but also one that has the potential to cause my readers some headache. This is why I am giving everyone a heads up. For those who are subscribed via e-mail, you will be automatically transferred to receive the blog updates from the new site once it launches. For those who subscribed using “Reader” or through any form other than e-mail, you will need to resubscribe to the new blog when it is launched. Until then, I will continue with updates on this blog as reminders.
Mark your calendars! My new website will launch on September 25, 2013. I have a special celebration in store for you that goes hand in hand with this launch. But first, I must preface it with my second big announcement:
My publisher, Marcher Lord Press, is celebrating its five-year-anniversary!
“Like” Marcher Lord Press on Facebook!
Being the newest Marcher Lord, I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of this milestone. I’ve followed the progress of MLP almost from the beginning. To celebrate 5 years of phenomenal Christian speculative fiction, I’m hosting my first book giveaway!
I’m giving away five FREE MLP books—one to celebrate each MLP year. You (yes, you, even if you don’t like speculative fiction) have the chance to both choose and win any of the Marcher Lord Press books. Here’s how it is going to work:
- Step 1: Starting September 18, a photo of each full-length speculative fiction book published by MLP will be posted on my Pinterest page. For 7 days, anyone can share, like, and repin these photos onto their own pages.
- Step 2: The top five books with the most “repins” and “likes” combined will be the five books to enter the giveaway on September 25th.
- Step 3: The giveaway will take place on my newly launched website where you will have over 10 opportunities to enter per day for the book/s of your choice.
- Step 4: On October 1—Marcher Lord Press’s birthday—five winners will be announced, five FREE books will be sent out, and five people will be the new owners of spectacular speculative fiction books!
It’s that simple. Stay tuned on this website and my Facebook site for updates. Do you think you’ll enter the book giveaway? If so, which MLP book would you want to see as one of the five?
Postscript:
As an optional postscript, I thought I’d return to the topic of my new website to answer a few unspoken questions you may be thinking:
Why are you changing websites? I am changing to a self-hosted website, which allows me to have more control over the design, what I post, etc. Basically, I can make it look exactly how I want it to. My wordpress.com account has limitations because it is a free service. I’ve loved the convenience of my current site, but I have a vision for my website that can’t be met without switching. Just wait until you see the new site. I’m quite certain you’ll agree with me.
Why is the name changing? Because http://nadinebrandes.com looks so much nicer than https://nadinebrandes.wordpress.com, don’t you think? [grin.] On a more serious note, it is important to me to have a simple website name that is directly related to my line of work. As an author, this means my name.
What will happen to this site? It will eventually go dormant with a permanent message directing visitors to the new site.
If you have any more questions about my website, feel free to ask in the comments.
Perk 5 to Being an Author: DELICIOUS SNACKS AND DRINKS
The fifth perk I listed in the 9 Perks to Being an Author was DELICIOUS SNACKS AND DRINKS: “Searching the world for the perfect chai latte recipe, is crucial to my productivity and also part of my job.”
Chocolate, potato chips, coffee, fresh baked cookies, Nutella…if only authors received supernatural metabolism increase to accompany our job. I would feel much less guilty snacking.
All of us have “those foods”—those foods that complete the perfect atmosphere. Popcorn with a movie, coffee with a good book, or watermelon in the summer. For me, the dominating delicacy to accompany my writing is the perfect chai latte. Middle of summer or the middle of a blizzard, I must have my chai. One cup a day (okay, maybe two.) is my limit. I’ve tested and internally judged chais from chain and private coffee shops in America and different countries. I’ve tried powder based, liquid based, instant, latte, and unsweetened chai. I know it looks like an obsession, but it’s more of a hobby when I’m traveling and it’s paid off with a few irreplaceable favorites!
When I lived in Missouri, I spent every Monday at Java Junction, a most delightful coffee shop. The owner had his own secret recipe, with which he made delectable chai lattes with loose leaf tea. It wasn’t too thick or milky, and the concentrate, for some magical reason, didn’t affect my lactose intolerance.
When my husband and I moved to a 1,400-person-town in Idaho, I started missing my “writing drink.” I scoured Pinterest and Google to find something that came close. The elusive chai concentrate went through many stages before I danced the victory jig. It’s not exactly like Java Junction’s—I don’t think I’ll ever master their recipe—but this is a nice substitute until I can return to my corner table in Missouri.
Ingredients:
1 14oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp of cardamom
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
Instructions: Mix it all together, add two tablespoons to a cup of your favorite black tea. Store in fridge until next indulgence! (lasts at least a month if refrigerated.)
It costs me about $0.25 per cup. Pretty good deal!
What are some of your favorite snacks/drinks while you write or work?
See the other posts in my “9 Perks to Being an Author” series:
- Perk 1: Writing
- Perk 2: Reading
- Perk 3: Decorating
- Perk 4: Comfort
Perk 4 to Being an Author: COMFORT
The fourth perk I listed in the 9 Perks to Being an Author was COMFORT: “Being comfortable on the other side of my computer, whether that means in pajamas or my favorite summer dress, is part of my job.”
Comfort can come in many different ways. As a full-time author and editor, I am severely blessed with where I can work. I can stay in my home, decorate a room solely for writing, hike a mountain with a notebook or iPad, or spend the day in a coffee shop.
One of my favorite coffee shops (Estes Park, CO)
Much of my comfort comes mostly from atmosphere. Sitting down to write is stepping into a sacred time of focus, thinking, and inspiration. I like to include many of my favorite things that add to comfortable atmosphere: a delicious smelling candle, a hot chai latte, comfortable sitting clothes, a clean desk, etc. But comfort isn’t just surroundings and physical relaxation. I must have spiritual, emotional, and physical comfort before I can employ my imagination successfully.
Spiritual Comfort: Only by the grace of God have I gained enough love for Scripture to sit down with the Bible every day. I recall all too clearly the days when I wondered if I’d every enjoy reading Scripture. Only through serious prayer did God develop that love. Because of this, I am able to find spiritual comfort every morning before writing. This is a precious time when I dedicate my writing, my imagination, and my day to the Lord. It’s also the time I indulge in some of my most delicious theology books. My imagination truly reaches a new height through Scripture and biblical teaching. (and I even write speculative fiction! Proof enough for me that God likes it.) [grin]
Emotional Comfort: It’s a constant struggle to keep my priorities in order. God, husband, writing. If my husband and I are at an emotional impasse, it must be resolved before I can write, otherwise writing turns into an escape instead of pursuit. I’m sure this will only get more difficult once we start having children, but if I keep my priorities straight right now then it should come easier then, right? (Do I hear mothers laughing on the other side of the screen?)
Physical Comfort: There’s physical comfort (i.e. slouch on the couch) and then there’s healthy physical comfort. I’ve heard many people speak on healthy comfort for those with a “desk job”, but now that I actually sit at a desk all day I understand the importance of seating, stretching, snacking, and posture.
- Find a good desk chair. You’ll be sitting in it all day, use one that helps your posture and keeps your body free from stiffness.
If only I had an extra couple thousand dollars…
- Get up and move around every half hour. I know this threatens to break the flow of imagination juices, but it will keep your body in better tact, which allows you to write longer. Your best option is to go through a series of stretches.
- Find healthy snacks. I know how tempting it is to just drink coffee and eat goldfish crackers all day (my personal weakness), but try to alternate snacks. Or, for the stronger-willed writer, just stay on a regular eating schedule.
- Make sure your keyboard and computer are at a good height. Check your arm positions when using a mouse or typing. Believe it or not, there are positions much better for your whole body found through a simple arm adjustment.
So where are you on the comfort scale? Any further advice regarding healthy comfort in any of the three areas?
See the other posts in my “Perks to Being an Author” series:
- Perk 1: Writing
- Perk 2: Reading
- Perk 3: Decorating
Perk 3 to Being an Author: DECORATING
The third perk I listed in the 9 Perks to Being an Author was DECORATING: “Decorating my writing room with birdhouses, plants, quotes, pictures, and whatever I deem “inspirational” helps with my productivity and imagination; therefore, it is also part of my job.”
I find most inspiration through visuals. Experiential visuals are preferred—traipsing through a new country, hiking in the mountains, people-watching, etc.—but when I can’t do these things, I draw from pictures, ideas, concepts, and creativity. Basically, that means I go to Pinterest.
So, to share some of my “decorating” inspiration, I thought I’d share a few favorite pictures from my Pinterest board:
Though this isn’t a picture of my own lightbulbs, I currently grow ivy out of an emptied lightbulb and a lovely vine out of another.
Photo manipulation by Erik Johansson
Even though it involves defacing a page from a book, I think this type of art is beautiful.
Just the colors inspire me to decorate with unique lighting! (Photo by Janez Tolar)
Can you tell I enjoy the idea of decorating with book pages?
Although I don’t have a forest by my house, I am in the process of decorating a corner of my writing room with paper birdhouses.
Okay, now it’s your turn. What do you draw from for inspiration or decorating? Which of these ideas/pictures is your favorite? Do you have your own idea to share?
See the other posts in my “Perks to Being an Author” series:
It’s Been 15 Years Since Harry Potter, and We Survived.
Every new generation seems to come with an explosion in the world of fiction. Three generations ago, Lord of the Rings transformed people’s imaginations and started changing lives. A generation later, came Star Wars. Then my generation received Harry Potter. In all honesty, my life and imagination would not be what it is today if not for J. K. Rowling sharing hers.
Today is the 15th anniversary of the release of the first book in the Harry Potter Series, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone. I’m sure many of us have our own Harry Potter stories of when we read which book, how it made us feel, which characters we loved most, or even why we steered clear of the books. I can’t brush over the controversy Harry Potter brought, especially to the Christian world. Yet I can’t help but notice fifteen years have passed and our world isn’t filled with witches or wizards, just like it’s not filled with hobbits, elves, fighter pilots, or wookies. Books affect us. They change us. But most often, our imagination erects a safe wall between itself and reality.
In celebration of the anniversary, Scholastic is releasing the Harry Potter books with brand new covers designed by Kazu Kibuishi. I think both sets are stunning and I’m trying to rein in my desire to own them solely for the sake of owning them.
Original US Covers by Mary GrandPre
New Covers by Kazu Kibuishi
J. K. Rowling is one of my most admired authors, mostly because of her personal story and her love of story. I admire her fight to continue writing after the huge success of Harry Potter, even if her new books aren’t something I enjoy. I admire the way she handles fame. Many people even say she rekindled a love for reading in children. I always had a love for reading, but I fully believe she instilled new love for imagination. And that’s irreplaceable.
God can use anything to change us for the better, even if it’s controversy-filled fantasy books. He can use anyone to change us, even if it’s a woman author I’ve never met and probably will never meet (though I desperately desire to someday.) Today I want to share so much more about what her writing did to me as a young reader. I want to share every magical situation I found myself in while reading and every moment I spent counting down the days until the next book. But a single blog post just isn’t enough. It will be shared someday, like all good stories should be, but today I want to hear about yours.
Is there a book series that specifically impacted your life?
How did Harry Potter affect your life?
Just for fun, what do you think of the new covers? Which cover is your favorite?
Nadine Brandes 