Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Fan Fiction Contest Announcement - 2015



I don't know about you, but of all the Goldstone Wood contests hosted each year, the Fan Fiction Contest is probably my favorite! It's YOUR chance to create your own stories set in the worlds Near, Far, and Between, exploring themes, characters, and places more deeply than ever before.

Here are the rules for the contest for those writers among you interested in participating.

1. Your story or poem must be set in the world of Goldstone Wood with recognizable Goldstone Wood themes and elements. You may feel free to invent your own new characters and Faerie demesnes, just be certain that there are enough Goldstone Woodish aspects to make it recognizably part of this world. You may also explore aspects of the novels or characters you are curious about . . . The sky is the limit!

2. Your story may be any length you like. Poetry is also welcome and encouraged!

3. You may submit as many pieces as you like.

4. To submit your story, email it to me (aestengl@gmail.com) no later than August 28, 2015.

5. The stories will be posted on September 1, and voting will run through September 12. The winners will be announced on September 13.

We are shaking up the methods of winning this year to create more opportunities for each of our talented writers! Here's how it's going to happen . . . 

ONE WINNER will be chosen for best STORY. This winner will be picked via fan voting. To vote, send your top THREE choices to me (aestengl@gmail.com), listed in order of preference. Your top pick will be given ten points, your second pick, five points, your third pick, two points.

ONE WINNER will be chosen for best SONG OR POEM. This winner will be picked via fan voting. To vote, send your top THREE choices to me (aestengl@gmail.com), listed in order of preference. Your top pick will be given ten points, your second pick, five points, your third pick, two points.

ONE WINNER will be chosen by me as MY PERSONAL FAVORITE of the year.

Three prizes . . . three winners . . . but three different categories! Because I definitely want to allow for the talented poets to win as well since, during the last several years, no poems have been picked, though some very beautiful pieces have been submitted.

Now . . . the prizes!

All three of the winners will receive the same prize which is . . . a gorgeous, hardbound, Goldstone Wood Imp journal! What's more, this journal will have a PERSONALIZED imprinting on the back cover, with the name of the winning story/poem and the author's name.

So what do you think, dear Imps? Are you ready to make some literary magic?

Friday, June 19, 2015

POISON CROWN Update

Dear Imps, I have a sad-ish announcement. You know that cover reveal for Poison Crown that I promised you? Well . . . I'm afraid something has come up, and I'm going to have to put it off until at least October 1.

I do apologize! I know I keep promising and then keep having to back up on the promise. This is certainly not typical and not my preference. This whole project has been a unique one, however, throwing me a number of curveballs along the way. And this newest setback was from an outside source over which I have no control. So . . . that's where it stands.

I'm afraid this also means that Poison Crown will probably NOT be launching this autumn as I had originally intended either. Again, I am sorry. I hate promising and not delivering on time. But the book itself is coming along well, and I hope to present it to all of you as soon as is humanly possible. I just don't know what that date is going to be just yet.

I'll keep all of you posted! In the meanwhile, I hope you're all looking forward to the upcoming Goldstone Wood Music Contest. The deadline is June 24, so be certain to get your submissions in on time! I look forward to sharing on July 1 . . .

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Doings at Drakenheath

And here we are . . . again. And I'm still breathing. And I'm still Doings-ing. The world still seems to be turning, the lark's on the wing, the snail's on the thorn, God's in His heaven . . . so I'm going to assume, along with Robert Browning, that all's right with the world.

Besides . . . Flexibility is the key to air power!

So, all that aside, what have the Doings been of late? Many indeed. Let's take the plunge . . .

The BIG doing is, of course, Poison Crown: The Smallman's Heir. Though I have to say, one of the main struggles of this last month has been the tendency for Poison Crown to get put off, despite its being the BIG doing. So many pressing LITTLE doings will insert themselves as vital, and . . . truth be told, the little doings are easier, not to mention most of their deadlines are more up-and-coming. So Poison Crown gets bumped.

I am still in the revision stage of this project just now. The book is technically drafted, but requires smoothing in a number of places. I DID manage to get through That Scene which had been holding me up for so long. By the grace of God alone . . . and the inspiration of Diana Wynne Jones, Ghandi, and Tolstoy. How's that for an odd trio?

I'm not kidding, though. While struggling through that scene, I read a book by Diana Wynne Jones, an essay on the life of Ghandi, and a short story of Tolstoy's, all of which inspired aspects of the scene in question. Can't tell you how, of course, without giving away something vital, so you'll just have to mull over it. Like a riddle. Or the beginning of a really bad joke: "One day Diana Wynne Jones, Ghandi, and Tolstoy walked into a bar . . ."

I also found myself turning to old writing techniques as a means to overcome one of the most severe attacks of writer's block I've had in some time (probably since Dragonwitch). I'm pretty much certain this attack stemmed from utter overwhelmed-ness. There was simply too much on my plate this last month, and even when I had a day devoted to nothing but writing, I couldn't make myself write. At least, not on the computer. But I COULD make myself write by hand . . . for a set period of time . . . if I started first thing in the morning . . .

So, last month found me rising early, picking up a notebook by about 7:00 am, and "jam writing," as I like to call it, for about an hour and a half. ("Jam writing," for those of you who don't know the term, is the art of blathering on a page. You tell yourself, "This doesn't have to be perfect. Lumé love me, it doesn't even have to be good!" And then you just start writing and see what happens. In this instance I focused on That Scene, of course. It wasn't just any jam write. But the principle is sound.)

Once the jam writing was complete, I typed up what I had and found it to be surprisingly all right. I really do like writing by hand, and if I lived in a perfect world that did not involve writer's cramp,  simple fatigue, or the devilish temptation that is a word processor, I would write whole novels this way. But it is a very, very, very slow process. A process that saw me achieving 4,000 words in a week. Which, when you consider my normal pace is 4,000 words a day . . . yeah, it's a bit pathetic.

But, as my father so wisely stated (as seen in the previous blog post), "Flexibility is the key to air power." So I'm being flexible. And I'm writing slowly. If that is what it takes, I'll finish these rewrites by hand and draft the whole of the next volume in a followup notebook!

Lord willing, this won't be the case.

So anyway, that's Poison Crown: The Smallman's Heir for you. Oh! Except and it has a cover now! Yes, indeed. After one of the most frustratingly drawn-out cover processes I have yet to experience, this novel has its very own bright-and-shiny new face, and it is, if I do say it myself, rather beautiful. Though "beautiful" might not be the right word, since this is a serious epic fantasy, not a pretty little fairy tale. I'll amend it to: It's rather awesome. "Awesome" is a great word for it. And I think you are going to love it!

For those of you who have signed up for my newsletter, you'll get to see the new cover along with some exciting sneak peeks on July 1. For those of you who have not signed up for my newsletter . . . well, no time like the present!

On to other doings . . .


I have a new website! I'm sure most of you have seen this already, but since it's a Doing that emerged over the last month, I'm going to mention it anyway. It is an actual, honest-to-goodness, not-a-blog-anymore, www.AnneElisabethStengl.com website. And I am very proud of it.

I know, I know. It's been a long time coming. Truth is, I had a very specific idea in my head of what I wanted this website to look like. And while we tossed around hiring a designer for the last several years, budget limits meant I really wasn't going to end up with a look I wanted.

But times have changed. I've learned a LOT over the last few years. Now I've got the ability to make myself quite a nice looking website (with some input from my brilliant husband, of course).

But yeah, spending time on putting that together took up rather a lot of last month too. I feel it's worth it, however. Now that it's built, it's all a matter of upkeep, which is much simpler. And I was very pleased to have it done, ready in time to introduce to readers at the Draven's Light launch party.

Speaking of . . .

Draven's Light is now launched! Another great Doing of this last month. I had a tremendous time at the chat party with all of you who were able to make it and am so grateful that you would come and "hang out with me" to celebrate. The book seems to be doing quite well in these first weeks of its launch too. I don't read my reviews, but a few of you have written me lovely notes to let me know how you're enjoying the story, which is very encouraging and uplifting to my spirit. I do love that book, short though it may be.

It's been interesting since I wrote it seeing how much that story has influenced Poison Crown. I did not originally plan Poison Crown with Draven's Light in mind (Draven's Light came to me rather suddenly out of the blue . . . Thanks, Beka!). But because of that little story, my big story has taken on some fascinating themes which I have had great fun (and great difficulty) exploring. Again, I can't give it away . . . though, looking at the subtitles for the volumes might give you a clue what I'm talking about . . .

Okay, I know many of you are eager to learn how the other HUGE doing of this summer is coming along. I am, of course, referring to Five Enchanted Roses.


It's coming along quite well, actually! My part of the process is very stop-and-start these days. The book has been through it's final round of honest-to-goodness edits, has received its basic typesetting, and is now simply going through layers of proof reading. At the moment, the galleys are in the hands of the five authors themselves (plus one more proof reader), checking for issues in the text and typesetting. They have two weeks to get their finds back to me, at which point the document will be polished up . . . and then sent out to proof readers one more time. (Proof reading is a never-ending journey. A tragic one at that, since I have yet to read a single book in my life that did not boast its share of typos. But you have to KNOW that you did all you could.)

I'll be one of the last proof readers, and I fully intend to read the whole thing backwards. "Eh?" you say. "Aye," say I. I'll read it backwards, one page at a time. Helps the eye to catch things it would otherwise miss. One of the first editors I worked with at the beginning of my career taught me that trick, and it's a classic.

We will also be sending out the Influencer Reader files by June 27! So if you are interested in reading this wonderful collection a full month before the actual release date, do click this link and check out the rules. We'd love to have you on the team!

Mutti, looking stylish in her post-surgery collar.
So some of you, I'm sure, are curious to learn how my Mutti-Bear came through her surgery last month!

She's doing very well, thank you for asking. They ended up having to remove all of her teeth, poor girl, but she is so much happier now! Indeed, this former feral, who used to run at the sight of any human, has transformed post-surgery into a loving lap-baby. I think it may have been the trauma. Or the drugs. Possibly both. But the day after her surgery, when she was out of her mind on pain killers, she crawled into my lap, purring (and drooling rather badly . . . poor numb little mouth), and stayed there for several hours. I couldn't move, of course. Can't disturb the kitty. So I got a much-needed sitting-up nap, and she rolled around in my arms, made herself ridiculous and adorable, and ultimately learned the joys inherent in the life of a lap cat. She's sold out on that way of life now, and will come to my lap at the smallest beckoning. I never thought I'd see the day!

So thank you for all of your prayers. Mutti is so much happier now without all those rotten teeth in her head!

Here is a picture of Marmaduke for you:
 That's his, "Hold me! Hold me!" face. (And yes, Makoose is trying to upstage him.)

Here's a picture of Minerva Louise for you as well.

Oh, Evil. Thou art so precious!

I gave my husband a big birthday party this last weekend. I haven't hosted a large birthday party since his 30th, so this was quite the endeavor! He helped out a ton, of course, because he's sweet like that. And he absolutely deserved some extra love this year, as he has been so helpful and encouraging and wonderful to me through all the work craziness . . . Why, just last night, he emailed right before coming home from work to say, "Put on something nice! I'm taking you out for dinner." And he proceeded to sweep me away to what might have been the best meal I've had in a LONG time. What's more (proving yet again what an angel he is) he allowed me to talk/gripe about work almost the whole time! I love him so much.

So yes, he had to have a party. A big one. And it really was lovely! He asked for pound cake stuffed with strawberries, topped with blackberries, with an orange sugar glaze. Fancy. But if that's what my Handsome wants, that's what he's going to get!
Two of them, even!
He contributed by making homemade raspberry iced tea that was to die for! We offered champagne to our guests, but they almost all went for his tea instead (so now we have four bottles of leftover champagne we really don't know what to do with. I don't drink, and he doesn't drink THAT much. Looks like we'll have to host another party . . .) Anyway, it was really lovely, a great chance to catch up with a lot of people we just don't often see in the midst of our busy schedules. And I think Rohan felt very loved. Which he is!

Oh, and he got THE MOST EPIC BIRTHDAY CARD EVER this year. I really have to share:

Imps will recognize our own Hannah William's brilliance here. I love how she captured his likeness with striking accuracy, complete with heroic aura (even his culinary creation sparkles! Which is absolutely true to life, I'll have you know.) Milly and Minerva enjoyed making appearances here as well.

And what is that you ask? Why, yes. Yes, I do wear flowing white dresses every day while I write. I wouldn't be caught dead in penguins-with-pink-hearts pajama pants at 5:30 in the evening (the time at which I am writing this post). Only flowing white dresses. Thank you.

"Handel in the Strand." I'm still learning it. Sometimes. It's actually ALMOST done, with just a few ticklish passages I haven't refined yet and some dynamics that could use some . . . like . . . existence. I also desperately need to tune my piano (which hasn't been turned since our move, so you can imagine how pleasant it sounds about now). Once these things are done, however, I shall endeavor to record a full performance for all of you.

Oh! Speaking of!!! I almost forgot!!!!


Don't forget the Goldstone Wood Music Contest is still running! I am accepting submissions through June 24, so don't miss the deadline! It's still a pretty small contest at this point, with just a few fun pieces submitted. Hopefully we'll get a handful more so that we can offer a proper concert for all of you . . . and a goodly pool of songs for Melanie J. Morgan to pick from for her animatic! Rules are here if you want to refresh your memory. Let me know if you have any questions!

I probably shouldn't let a Doings post go by without at least mentioning the Five Magic Spindles creative writing contest! I am so pleased to have finally been able to share this gorgeous cover with all of you, not to mention the secret of this year's theme. Are you excited about "Sleeping Beauty"? Getting some good inspiration for your entries? Do tell . . . or at least, tell as much as you feel you can at this point. Wouldn't want you jinx your inspiration!

Well, there are other Doings, mostly little ones. And some big ones I can't talk about yet. It's been a busy month, and this month bodes to be busier still. So say a few prayers for me if you think of it!

What are YOUR Doings these days? Any great projects? Plans for your summer? New jobs? Old jobs? Travel?

Are you writing a fairy tale retelling???

Do tell!






Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Thoughts on Deadlines as Offered by My Father

So my father was made aware this morning that I am struggling. Struggling like nobody's business to meet this deadline for Poison Crown: The Smallman's Heir. A deadline which I have to meet in order to meet the subsequent deadline for Poison Crown: The House of Lights, another deadline which I have to meet in order to meet the deadline for the next project, and the project after that, and the project after that, and so forth.

I love deadlines. I mean, I hate them too, but boy do I love them. They motivate me, and I usually meet them. It's a rare, rare day that I don't. So the fact that I have kept missing deadlines for Poison Crown--which was supposed to be finished before Christmas, and then before the end of March, and then before the end of May--has been very hard to take. Hard on my pride. Hard on my inspiration. Hard on my motivation, even.

So, as I said above, my father--a former military fighter pilot, who knows a thing or two about pressure--heard about this struggle, and he offered three separate interesting thoughts. Not advice, per se. My father doesn't like to give advice. He has phobia against it. Just thoughts. They are as follows:


"Flexibility is the key to strategic air power."

"The Normandy Invasion was scheduled for 1943."

"Remember the Challenger."



 The first one is an United States Air Force mantra. Bearing in mind that the United States boasts the proudest and most powerful air force in the world, it's interesting to note their emphasis on flexibility. Not one of my own personal strong suits in my constant bid to meet the next deadline.

The second one refers, of course, to the Normandy Invasion of 1944. The most famous invasion of WWII and one of the most important. Interesting to note the difference between the scheduled date and the actual date. The point being--don't launch until you're prepared.

Which leads us to that third statement of my father's: "Remember the Challenger."

In 1986 (only a few months before I was born), NASA pushed to meet a deadline--the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. A deadline they felt they could not afford to miss, considering all the people involved in the project, all the money already spent, all the livelihoods invested, all the resources expended, etc. etc. So they did everything in their power to meet that deadline, no matter what, no matter the setbacks. And meet it they did.

And they destroyed the shuttle and lost the lives of all seven crew members.


Will my pushing to meet a deadline result in death and destruction? No. Will my putting off my deadline until I can reasonably meet it result in the end of a World War? Not so much.

Still, I found this rather useful food for thought. So if you should hear me going about my day whispering, "Flexibility is the key to strategic air power," don't worry!

I'm just thinking . . .




The release date of Poison Crown: The Smallman's Heir remains forthcoming.

Friday, June 5, 2015

Cover Reveal - AFTER by Savannah Jezowski

I am delighted to participate in the cover reveal for Savannah Jezowski's upcoming winter release! Savannah used to be one of my writing students, and I was always so impressed with her incredible imagination, elegant way with words, raw and emotional characters, and her amazing mastery of first-person narrative. Truly a uniquely gifted writer!

She is also one of the authors featured in Five Enchanted Roses, her story, "Wither," the second offering in the collection. The world of "Wither" is one of the most fascinating I have ever read in speculative fiction, and I cannot tell you how delighted I am that Savannah is continuing to write a whole series of loosely-connected stories set in that same world--THE NEVERWAY CHRONICLES.

I will race you to be the first to order my copy of this prequel adventure as soon as it is available!



"Some people might say that there are worse fates than death. In some worlds, perhaps that may well be the case. But in mine, it would be a lie. There is no greater horror than that which comes after death."

 

On the streets of an ancient city, with creepers wandering at will and a mysterious assassin leaving corpses all over Pandorum, a young Spook with a dark secret will do anything to keep his brothers safe, even from forces that threaten to tear them apart from within. While others are searching for impossible cures from outlawed Spinners, Conrad Ellis III does not believe in fairy tales and miracles. But when he discovers a strange girl with shrouded ties to the Assassin, Eli is forced to leave the streets he loves and travel into the very heart of Pandorum in order to save a member of his family. With his health failing and corpses escalating, he will have no choice but to confront the darkest corners of his soul.

Because if he fails, if his secret is discovered, his life will not be the only one forfeited.


 

SAVANNAH JEZOWSKI lives in a drafty farmhouse in Amish country with her Knight in Shining Armor, who is no less shiny after eight years of matrimony, and a loyal brigade of kitties, who may or may not sleep on the job. She loves to write Christian fantasy and science fiction for her husband and brothers. Her work has been published in Ray Gun Revival, Mindflights and in the student publication of Fountains at Pensacola Christian College. She is also a featured author in Five Enchanted Roses from RooglewoodPress, coming July 27, 2015. She likes books, faeries, writing hats, and having tea with her imaginary friends.



Thursday, June 4, 2015

Newsletter and Mini-Magazine

I want to take a moment--in the midst of all the rest of the crazies--to talk up the TWO new exciting, marketing-related projects I have been working on lately: namely, the revamping of both my own and the Rooglewood Press newsletter.

I have been considering this step for quite some time, never feeling fully satisfied with the newsletters I've been sending out. I know I mentioned it in my previous "Doings at Drakenheath" post, but it bears repeating. I want these newsletters to be more about the FANS and not so much about peddling product. Will I still be using the newsletters to alert subscribers to new releases and specials? Absolutely. But now I am going to offer so much more.

Oh, and did I mention up there that the revamping includes the Rooglewood Press newsletter too? Because, oh my! Does it ever . . .


 After much brainstorming with my team, we have decided to relaunch the Rooglewood newsletter as what we are referring to as our "mini-magazine." Once every quarter (on the 12th of March, June, September, and December), we will be sending out new editions of the "Rooglewood Quarterly," which will include interesting and entertaining articles written by at least three different contributors (sometimes four, depending on the month). Each issue will prominently feature one of our Five Fairy Tales authors in a special guest post. You'll also find fun articles on the currently-running writing contest, and a delightful regular feature on research called, "So You Want to Write Historical Novels." (The first article in this series is on researching clothing. It's both a hoot and very informative.)

Let me also mention that we will be offering "flash giveaways" each issue, giving one randomly-selected subscriber a chance to claim a fun Rooglewood Press prize. (For our inaugural edition, we're doing a special two-part giveaway!)

Anyway, all of this to say YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY SIGN UP!  It's completely free, highly entertaining (if I do say it myself), thoughtful, and unique. Oh, and did I mention it's pretty? I'm serious, now. We've got the first edition almost ready to launch, and it is quite lovely to look at.


And let's not forget "The Haven Chronicler," which has gone through a similar massive revamping. Indeed, this newsletter will look very little like the sporadic email of advertisements you used to find randomly in your inboxes. Starting on July 1, subscribers will receive a fun periodical offering a variety of articles, including a Q&A (answering questions YOU have asked), a People and Places article (highlighting different characters or places found in Goldstone Wood), a Featured Fan article (showcasing awesome new fan art contributions), Flash Giveaways (oh yes, I'm doing those too!), and a Tricks and Tips article (on creative writing for the writerly folks among my reading audience).

And . . . this first issue will feature the cover reveal for Poison Crown: The Smallman's Heir.

That's right: Subscribers to my newsletter will be the FIRST to glimpse this beautiful new cover design (I just got the final image yesterday, and I'm very excited to share it), not to mention the reveal of the premise, time period in relation to the other books, and some of the major characters.

Subscribers will also be given a special pass code to gain access to the full prologue of The Smallman's Heir. Which means you'll get to read the first 4,500 words of this story before everyone else. (But you'll have to be quick! The pass code will only work between July 1-14.)

So again, if you have not signed up for my newsletter already, NOW IS THE TIME. The first edition is going out on July 1 (as stated above), and subsequent issues will find their way to your inboxes on October 1, January 1, and April 1.

Are you excited? I know I am!

Monday, June 1, 2015

3rd Rooglewood Press Creative Writing Contest

Dear Imps and Authors and Aspiring Novelists . . . the time has come! The time to reveal the cover and story for our 3rd creative writing contest. Get ready for the writing event of the year! I give to you:

FIVE MAGIC SPINDLES
A Collection of "Sleeping Beauty" Stories

The challenge is to write a retelling of this ancient fairy tale in any genre or setting you like. Make certain your story is recognizably “Sleeping Beauty,” but have fun with it as well. Make it yours!

Rooglewood Press will be selecting five winners to be published in the Five Magic Spindles collection, which will be packaged up with the phenomenal cover you see here. Maybe your name will be one of the five listed?

All the contest rules and information (how to enter, story details, deadline etc.) may be found on the Rooglewood Press website. Just click HERE and you will go right to the page. Rooglewood Press’s first collection, Five Glass Slippers is available for purchase, and our second collection, Five Enchanted Roses is scheduled to launch on July 27 and is available for pre-order. Be certain to get a copy of each and see what previous winners did with their wonderful retellings.

You can tell others about this writing opportunity by sharing the blog button on your blog or even posting it on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. Just be sure to include the link to the rules page!

Cover artist Julia Popova has once again outdone herself in creating the cover image for this project. I could spend hours gazing at the golden scene she has depicted. And don't you love seeing Sleeping Beauty with red hair? Be certain to look up Julia on her website and like her on Facebook!

So what do you think? Are you ready for this new challenge? I personally feel that the tale of Sleeping Beauty is full of wonderful concepts ready to be turned into all sorts of original spins! This old fairy tale is possibly less well-known than Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast . . .  but if anything this might make it easier to retell. I am so eager and interested to see what all of you come up with.

If you have any questions not covered in the clarifications section of the rules page, feel free to write to info@rooglewoodpress.com. The Rooglewood Press team will be happy to further clarify things for you.

You will notice that this year we have specifically asked that you not retell this fairy tale based on the Disney version. This is because last year we saw so many stories based on Disney and not enough indication that writers were referencing the older tales. Keep in mind that the Disney versions of these tales are themselves retellings, and relatively recent retellings at that. But the older versions have so many interesting concepts, and we really want to see you writers familiarizing yourselves with those stories as you come up with your own ideas.

Other than that, our rules are pretty much the same! I will be watching for your submission forms. And be certain to subscribe to the Rooglewood Press Newsletter to get more fun articles and information about Five Magic Spindles, not to mention features of previous contest winners.

Big thank you to all of these lovely bloggers who have helped me spread the word about this contest:

Emily at Entirely Bonkers
Jaye at Jaye L. Knight
Miss Melody Muffin at The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls
Rebekah at Backing Books
Beka at The Other World
Shantelle at A Writer’s Heart
Ghost Ryter at Anything and Everything
Merenwen at Shattered Fractals
Christine at Musings of an Elf
Athelas at Red Lettering
Jenelle at Jenelle Schmidt
FaithSong at Story of Fire
Rebecca at A Curious Thrill
Heather at Tethered Together
Jennette and J.L.Mebewe.com
Kaycee at The Pink Cave
Hayden at The Story Girl
Morgan at MorganBusse.com
Stephanie at Quoth the Girl
Dorian at Dorian Writes
Dominique at Genuine Withdrawal
Emily Rachelle at Emily Rachelle Writes
Olivia at A Sapphire Chamber
Melanie at Mel’s Shelves
Rachel at Bookworm
Emily Ann at Taking Dictation
Tracey at Adventure Awaits