I'm On Tour!

I am thrilled to announce Evie's Knight Book Tour with Prism Book Tours! We've got book reviews, art posts, recipe posts, steamy excerpts, talks about clean romance, and giveaways including a $50 Amazon gift card, Evie's Knight paperbacks, and tons of cool book swag! The tour goes all month long, so be sure to check out the other rockin' blogs and enter as many times as you can! Below, I talk about the new cover for Evie's Knight. Scroll down to see links to all the other kids on tour, and to enter for the swag-a-licious giveaway!

On tour with Prism Book Tours

Up For Grabs? $50 Amazon Gift card, book swag, and much more!

Launching the Tour with Kimberly Krey - 

So I have to say that I absolutely love my original cover. I do. It’s my dream cover for Evie’s Knight. But there came a time when I had to take a second look at it and make a few changes.

Why?

The colorless, thumbnail-sized image didn’t stand out as much as I’d hoped when compared to the others on Amazon. And there’s another reason too. We were missing something. Someone, actually.

We were missing... *drum roll, please* … OUR MAN!!!

I really felt like Calvin needed to be on the front of the novel, more than our Raven-haired Ghost. Calvin Knight, our strong, masculine, and ever so hunky hero deserves to be front and center. And personally, I’m thrilled with the change.

So there we have it kids – a splash of color, our handsome Knight, and a new cover I think represents Evie’s Knight beautifully!

Original Cover                                   Our Shiny New Cover

(Also new in this edition, is an epilogue which wasn’t included in the original.)

About Evie’s Knight:

When Evie falls in love with Calvin Knight, their young, virtuous romance conjures a truly wicked spell.

Evie always thought her eighteenth year would be magical, but so far it's not what she hoped for. Her best friend has gone wild, her love life is void, and she misses her mom more than ever. But life for Evie is about to change. Calvin Knight, the object of her fascination, is about to fall madly in love with her. Just one problem: Their love conjures a murderous woman from beyond the grave who wants Evie dead. The same demon who has haunted the Knight men for over four generations. Soon Calvin is forced to make a choice: Set Evie free and hope to evade the wrath of The Raven- haired Ghost, or use his newly gifted strengths to fight against her. If he chooses to fight and wins, Calvin will free the Knight men of this demonic witch. If he loses, Evie will become her next victim.

Get Your Copy:

Amazon: ebook just $2.99 for a limited time.

Author, Kimberly Krey:

Writing Romance That’s Clean Without Losing the Steam!

I’m a reader of good, clean romance, a lover of family time and Diet Coke, and the ultimate hater of laundry.

I’m not patient enough to enjoy a yoga class, or tall enough to be great at basketball, but I do love to run – anywhere but on a treadmill. I love the sound of a rainstorm when I have no place to go, the feel of Soft Lips chap Stick on my lips, and the first peek of blue water as we round the mountains toward our favorite getaway in Bear Lake.

Find & Follow Kimberly Krey:

Twitter

https://twitter.com/KimberlyKrey

Website

http://kimberlykrey.wix.com/kimberlykrey

Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527799.Kimberly_Krey

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Krey/e/B009A0350I/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Krey-Author-Page/106826456029568?ref=hl

Super Swag-a-licious Giveaway.

Grand Prize: $50 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

2^nd Prize: $25 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

3^rd Prize: $10 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

Five more winners will receive an ebook version of Evie’s Knight!

Paperback winners may choose between old cover (shown below) or the new cover, featuring Calvin Knight (shown above).

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Colorimetry & Rafflecopter as well as emailed to winners who will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Laura, Burgandy Ice, @ www.burgandyice.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Catch the Tour:

1 - Min Reads and Reviews – Blast!

1 - Passion and Life – Blast!! – English/Spanish

1 – Kelly Fox – Goodreads Review

1 – I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Clean Romance I

2 – Monique Morgan – All You Need is Love I

2 - Letters to the Cosmos – Review

3 – Getting Your Read On – Review - Clean Romance II

3 – Reading with Anacrasia - Interview

4 - Christy’s Cozy Corners – Review

6 – Passion and Life – Peaches Recipe & Excerpt – English/Spanish

6 - Paulette’s Papers – All You Need is Love II

7 - Bookworm Lisa – Review - Clean Romance III

7 – Pages of Forbidden Love – Review

8 - Proud Book Nerd – Review

8 - Vanessa Morgan – All You Need is Love III

9 - Kari’s Crowded Bookshelf – Review - 

10 - Geo Librarian – Review
10 - The Literary Forest - Review, Exerpt

11 - InfectedLoser – Review

13 - Welcome to Couch Potato Reader – Review

14 – One A Day YA – Drafts Guest Post

14 - Little Miss Bookworm – Review

15 – Musings of a Reader Happy – ART excerpt Raven-haired Ghost

15 -  Magical Manuscripts – Review 

16 – Proud Book Nerd – Ultimate Grilled Cheese

17 - Books, Books, the Magical Fruit – Interview

17 - Book Sake – Review

18 - Kari’s Crowded Bookshelf – Aromatic Noodles Recipe

20 - A Life Bound by Books – Excerpt I

21 - Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Reviews – Excerpt II

21 - Oh, The Books You’ll Read – Review

22 - A Backwards Story – Review, Excerpt III

22 - Passion and Life – Review – English/Spanish

23 - Framed In Words – ART Guest Post

23 - Colorimetry – ART Guest Post

24 – Unputdownable Books – ART Guest Post

24 - Living a Goddess Life – Crepe Cake

25 – icultgen – Review, ART Guest Post

25 – Pieces of Whimsy - Review

27 – The Reading Diaries – Review

27 - Icefairy’s Treasure Chest – Excerpt

28 – Stressed Rach – Review

28 - Literally Jen – Review

29 – Min Reads and Reviews – Review

29 – Colorimetry – Grand Finale, WINNERS drawn

Starflower, by Anne Elisabeth Stengl Guest Post & Giveaway

Hello all of you wonderful bookish peeps.

So glad to have you good boys and girls joining us!

Today, in the happy land of laundry-less wonder, we’re privileged to be part of the one and only Prism Book Tours' Starflower tour.

I don’t know about you, but the name made me think of flower-power – you know, the incredibly cool power you get in the game Mario Brothers. With that alone, we’re off to a good start already. Just sayin'.

Now here’s a bit about our wonderful author, Anne Elisabeth Stengl:
 

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. She is the author of HEARTLESS, VEILED ROSE, MOONBLOOD, and STARFLOWER, with DRAGONWITCH due to release in 2013. HEARTLESS and VEILED ROSE have each been honored with a Christy Award.

Here's where Ms. Stengl can be found:

Facebook * Twitter * Website/Blog * Goodreads

Now for Starflower's lovely book blurb:

When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps the lovely Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission...and a race against his rival for Gleamdren's favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal.

But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to Lady Gleamdren's rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer?

Get Your Copy:

Bethany House
Barnes & Noble
The Book Depository
Amazon:

So for those of you who’ve written a novel, or those who’ve ever attempted to write a novel, you know how hard it can be to decide how, when, and where to start the story. There’s so much to tell, and we have to open it up in a way that keeps the reader wanting to discover everything else the book has to offer.

Here, Ann Elisabeth shares how she came to the beginning of her novel, Starflower. She’s even going to share five – YES, FIVE – openings she tried out. To avoid any confusion, we’ll put Ms. Stengl’s words in a beautiful blue to match her cover:

"Although Starflower was story that had been in my head for many years, I found it very difficult to write the beginning. I simply could not figure out the best place to start! Here are some of the openings I tried:"

Draft One
Starflower was her father’s oldest child. Her mother died when she was very young, and she was not surprised when her father, who was the village Eldest, took another wife. Starflower was nine years old at the time, and she did not care for the new wife especially. She seemed to the girl a pretty, spoiled sort of woman with a rather too-large mouth.
But the baby sister she gave Starflower was the delight of her eyes.


Draft Two
“But where are you going?”
The question was asked with halting fingers forming shapes in the humid pre-dawn air. A silent question, but asked with no less anxiety than had the child spoken out loud.
The child’s older sister turned away, pretending not to have seen, and attended to her task. With a steady beat she drove a stake into the hard dirt at the bottom of the hill. The southern side of the hill, where one could not see the road winding north. Where one could not see if a company left the village, leaving one behind.


Draft Three
Her earliest memory was of a silver voice calling to her in a dark place. She realized later on that it was nothing but a dream. But it was a dream that visited her again and again, especially on nights when the moon was full.
Beyond the final water falling, it sang, The Song’s of Sphere’s recalling. Won’t you return to me?
At first, the dream frightened her. Once she woke up whimpering, and when her mother came to her and held her close, she tried to explain, her little hands moving falteringly. Her mother nodded just as though she understood. And when she put the child back to bed, her own gentle hands formed these words.
“You are hearing the Sphere Songs, Starflower. They are very old and very good. You need not be afraid.”


Draft Four
The king of Rudiobus held chief among his treasures a gold more precious by far than all others of the Faerie World. It was called the Flowing Gold, and spoken of in reverent tones as far back in history as anyone can recall. Some said that goblins and dwarves could mine for centuries and never discover a treasure like it, or that the Dragon King himself would give up all his hoard to own but a share of it.
So great is the power of rumor and legend. But in truth, there were only three people in any world, both Near or Far, who had ever set eyes upon the Flowing Gold of King Iubdan Tynan. These were the king, his queen, Bebo, and Bebo’s cousin and personal attendant, Lady Gleamdren. Otherwise, this gold was hidden from all eyes, and no one knew where even to look for it.


Draft Five
It began, he supposed, with his birth. That was so far gone in history, however, that he could never bother to remember it. Once he must have had a mother and father, but he did not remember them either. As far as his recollection took him, he had always been handsome. He had always worn scarlet. He had always danced, always sung every full-moon night in Ruaine Hall beneath Rudiobus Mountain. He had always bowed to Iubdan and Bebo, though in his heart, he served no one.
Life was long. Life was endless. Life circled round through seasons and centuries with scarcely a glance at little things like years. And with life stretching so endlessly before and behind, why should a man settle for anything less than the very best?
 
Anne Elisabeth goes on to say,
  "I ended up opening the story in a completely different place from all of these previous attempts! But ultimately, we all know the only way to begin a fairy tale is with Once Upon a Time . . ."

There you have it, kiddos. Any of those drafts grab your attention more than the others? We would all like to hear your thoughts on the matter, so clear your throat and speak up. Best part – you don’t even have to raise your hand. In my classroom, you get to blurt it right out loud!

Oh yeah – don’t forget to enter giveaway below. Books, swag, and all sorts of awesomeness up for grabs. Link to enter is just beneath the pics. Good luck, all! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway Check out the other cool kids on the block - I mean - tour:

 

3 - Anne Elisabeth Stengl - Launch!
3 - Christy's Cozy Corners - Launch!
3 - Letters to the Cosmos - Review
4 - I Am a Reader, Not a Writer - The Kiss by the River
4 - Confessions of a Female Bookaholic - Launch!
4 - Kari's Crowded Bookshelf – Review - The River Calls to Starflower
5 - Aleksandra's Corner - Inspired by Cats I

6 – The Reading Diaries – Review

6 – Bookworm Lisa – Inspired by Cats II

7 – Motality Bites – PAGE reveal by Anne Elisabeth!!!

7 – Unputdownable Books – Inspired by Cats III

9 – Passion and Life – Night Terrors – English & Spanish

10 – A Backwards Story – Imraldera Meets the Dragonwitch
Rest of the tour...

12 - Aimee @ Getting Your Read On - Guest Post - The Faces of Love I

12 - Kimberly Krey @ Kimberly Krey - Guest Post - Drafts

13 - Abbi @ Christian Novels - Tales of Goldstone Wood Reviews

13 - Mandy @ The Reading Diaries - Interview

14 - Ivy @ Open the Page - Guest Post - The Faces of Love II

16 - Alicia @ Mortality Bites - Review

17 - Len @ Musings of a Reader Happy - Hightlight -Dragonwitch

17 - Jen @ Literally Jen -Review

18 - Beth @ Living a Goddess Life - Review

19 - Rach @ Stressed Rach -Guest Post - Illustrated Sneak Peak

19 - Christy @ Christy's Cozy Corners - Review

20 - Heather @ Proud Book Nerd -Review

20 - Heidi @ Geo Librarian -Guest Post - The Faces of Love III

21 - Jaime @ Goodreads - Review

21 - Finale @ Colorimetry -Giveaway winner announced.

Hostess With The Mostest

I know this is a bookish blog, and that I should be busy promoting my newly released, Urban Fantasy novel, Evie's Knight. I should be mentioning that it's available on Amazon now, for just $2.99, (he, he) but there's a non-book related issue I must address instead:

 I am totally, utterly, entirely depressed about the Hostess thing.

Feels like there's been a bit of a tease going on here.

A while back we hear they're going under.

Then we hear they're still in biz,

& that they've just been sold.

Seems a bit more final this time around,

but a girl can hope.

And this girl will.

Who's with me? 

It can't be the end of the Twikie,

the cupcake, the snow balls (not my personal fave, but my kids love 'em.)

I can't have possibly eaten my last raspberry-filled powdered

doughnut delight. That's the one I will miss the most.

While we sit depressedly (I really want that to be a word right now) willing

Hostess to reopen those doors, let's share what

we'll miss most. Until they reopen, that is.

 

I've told you mine. 

Now it's your turn. 

What scrumptious temptation

can you not live without?

Prism Book Tours ~ Sign up Now!

 If any words could be as delicious as chocolate to me in this moment,

they'd be narrowed down to one, very specific phrase:

Are you ready for this? No, that wasn't it. 

PRISM BOOK TOURS 

MEETS EVIE'S KNIGHT

Just typing them leaves a divinely sweet taste in my mouth. 

The amazing Laura, @ Colorimetry is hosting, along with

Prism Book Tours, which could not be cooler!

Bloggers are signing up now to take part in the action,

and I'd love for you kids to 

come and play with us.

Think of it as a giant play date with fifty ultra-cool bloggers / reviewers

and an awesome, tour-wide giveaway!

There will be

• Amazon Giftcards
• ebooks of Evie's Knight
•  Signed paperback copies of E.K.
• Book-related swag
• Recipes relating to E. K.
• Softlips Chapstick (oh yeah, there's a reason!)
• Sweet postcards portraying story-related art 

Want details? 

Want to sign up? 

Want to play with the cool kids? 

(I make no declaration to be one of those cool kids, mind you.)

Go here

Details & Rafflecopter will be provided.

Did you miss the part where I told you what Evie's Knight is all about?

Let me sum it up for youwith a lovely Haiku:

(Yes, I learned how to write those in school just like you) 

Evie falls in love

Calvin's cursed from decades past

Now the ghost is back

There you have it. Check it out on Amazon or Goodreads if you'd like.

Eat lots of chocolate if you'd like as well.

But please, come join the blog tour and we'll party like the cool kids for the entire month of January. And really, it's January - what else is there to do?

Book Reviews for Evie's Knight

I've had a few wonderful book blogging gals review Evie's Knight and I wanted to give them a shout out from here at my place.

(BTW, it's available on Amazon for $2.99) 

Below are links to each one of the reviews. Be sure to go and show these lovely ladies some blogger-love! Who knows, if you're a writer, they could be reviewing your book sometime soon!

The latest review is from Bookmark to Blog (Don't you just love that name? I do!)
Here's just a bit of she had to say about Evie's Knight:


"This story has got it all - romance, suspense, family loyalty, and a fantasy world... It's captivating and a book that I couldn't wait to pick up and read each night. I highly recommend it!" 

Wonderful, right?
Thank you, Kimberly @ Bookmark to Blog!
 

Now the very first review I received was from Jennifer at The Book Twins. Jennifer was so wonderfully willing to read and review Evie's Knight, and I remember really crossing my fingers that liked it. Luckily, she did. 

Here's some of what she had to say about Evie's Knight:

 "It was such a fresh take on the urban fantasy genre. There was so much to love about the story of Evie and her Knight, Calvin. We have falling in love for the first time, heartbreak, revenge, family, loyalty, happiness and the satisfaction of their story coming to the place where it was meant to be.
... I didn't feel like I had just read one book. I felt like I had just been on an incredible journey for so long and enjoyed every moment of it."

Yeah, that review felt pretty amazing! 

Thanks Jennifer! 

So the last review is from the adorable Elodie, at Once Upon a Quote.  And here's a bit of what Elodie had to say:

"...if you're looking for a book with a great romance, awesome characters, a curse and even some magic : pick up a copy of Evie's Knight my friends." 

Well, that's all for our little book blogging tour. And whether you're a writer or a reader (or both, like me), you should definitely check out and follow these awesome book blogs!

Have an awesome blog you'd like to tell us about? Or some review links to your own book? Leave a comment below and we'll check 'em out! Happy November, everybody! 

Football Sweetheart, by the one and only, highly adorable Tiffany A White

Okay, if you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Tiffany A White, you are missing out! She is one of the kindest, coolest, most adorable tweeting, facebooking writing friends I have found via the internet. Plus, she's the author of this awesome, soon-to-be-read-by-me novel, Football Sweetheart.

Do you love that cover, or what?

Haven't heard of this one yet?
You're going to love the premise!

High School Football can be MURDER 

 

Aimee Freeman is looking forward to the start of her senior year. She knows her best friend Ella has been keeping secrets from her all summer long, but with football season right around the corner, the student trainer decides not to worry about it-they'll have plenty of time to catch up on the field.

Then Ella goes missing, and Aimee realizes those secrets might be the key to finding her. As the case unfolds, Aimee discovers more than one person may have wanted to harm Ella. Was it Ella's current boyfriend, a social outcast the entire city seems intent on blaming for her disappearance? Or her ex-boyfriend, the beloved star quarterback who has harassed Ella since their breakup? The list of potential suspects continues to grow after Aimee reads Ella's journal, but she must break her best friend's secret code to reveal their identities.

Unbeknownst to Aimee, her investigation has not gone unnoticed. Ella's abductor is watching and waiting. Will he decide Aimee needs to be silenced-making her the next target? 

Mmm. Wasn't that enticing? Plus, I've got a juicy little excerpt to whet your appetite. Here it is (I'm going for green again since it matches her awesome cover):

Her mood vastly improved, Aimee began her journey back to the foyer. But as she passed the varsity showers, her paranoia returned once again. She had been in this room hundreds of times over her high school career and never quite felt as she did this instant. Aimee’s arm hairs stood straight up, just as they would have had the temperature drastically dropped. Chills covered her cheeks and arms. The feeling of disturbed butterflies swarmed inside Aimee’s stomach, and the urgency to leave the pitch-black locker room prompted her to take longer strides, until a sharp pain rushed through Aimee’s right pinky toe.

“Damn it!” Aimee crumpled over in pain. It was too dark to see what she had stubbed her toe on or if it was bleeding, but the pain was substantial. She squeezed her toe between her fingers, forcing the pain to subside. As she rocked back and forth holding her tiny toe, she remained in a ball with her long, curled locks dangling over both sides of her face. Suddenly, a cool breeze tickled the nape of Aimee’s exposed neck.

A large shadow hovered over Aimee in the darkness. He reached down, but was interrupted. His once extended hand now covered his mouth, trapping any sounds that might escape as he slowly tiptoed backwards into the toilet area.

There you have it, kids. 

Now you can go and get it.

ebook just $6.99 -  here's where:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

And here's where you can find more of the amazing author:

Official Website

Facebook 

Facebook Author Page

Goodreads 

Twitter 

Blog 

 

For my reading friends: What book are you reading now? I'm reading two: Not Your Average Fairytale, by Chantele Sedgwick, and The Bewitching of Amoretta Ipswich, by Marcia Lynn McClure. I'm loving them both! And writing friends: How are your books coming? Got anything you'd like me to blog about? Let me know; I promise I don't bite. Unless I'm like, really hungry and then who can blame me?

Evie's Knight Giveaways!!!!

Hello you wonderful, amazing, bookish peeps!
 There are a few giveaways going on now which include my newly released novel, Evie's Knight!

The first is at the one and only Colorimetry. Laura, the amazing woman behind the site (seriously, she's awesome!), has generously donated her time and talents by hosting this interview/giveaway. Go enter! You could win both a paperback and kindle version of Evie's Knight. Already own it? Try anyway; gift it to a friend if you win and you can have the immense pleasure of saying you actually WON something. Very cool. Here's the link, tell her 'hi' for me. Colorimetry: Interview and Giveaway - Evie's Knight by Kimberly...: Evie's Knight by Kimberly Krey ebook, 389 pages Published September 11th 2012 by Kimberly Krey Premise: When Evie falls in love with...

And next...







Now... Here's another cool giveaway that you seriously DO NOT want to miss. Sook Ee Designs, creators of beautiful things, is giving away a hand-crafted and totally spook-a-licious bag. (See picture.) Cool things will be inside the bag! Like a "Niki Biki Cap Sleeve Shirt of your choice of cream, tan, gray, black, brown or raspberry. One size fits all...they are super comfortable and stretchy. Niki Biki is perfect for wearing under those cute lace shirts or layering during the winter." Shirt will be donated by N'Vee Boutique.
Lastly, I'll be donating a signed copy of Evie's Knight along with a few swag items that relate to the book. So please, do what the cool kids are doing (did I just say that?) and enter. It will only take 72 seconds of your day and you just might win and then you can say - for the rest of your entire life - that you actually WON something. Yay!

What about you? Are you hosting any contests/giveaways? Don't be shy; mention them in the comments and we'll check them out 'cuz we're cool like that, we're cool like that...