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.