Monday, June 3, 2013

Cover Reveal: Bleeding Heart

Dear Imps, I am very pleased to be hosting today lovely blogger, book-reviewer, and now nearly-published author Amber Stokes! Today (on her birthday, no less!) is the official cover reveal for her debut novel:

 
Five bleeding hearts. One profound journey.
Summer 1886
 Sally Clay’s livelihood has been snatched away, but in its place arises an opportunity to escape from her sordid past and an unrelenting, unwanted suitor. Boarding a train with a heartsick rancher and an enigmatic miner, she leaves Virginia City behind and heads to Northern California, waiting for the chance to make right what went wrong three long years before.

But the road to revenge is far from smooth. Sally soon learns that the jagged pieces of a broken heart can far too easily wound the hearts of others – and hers isn’t the only heart that’s broken. Tragedy and fear dog her steps as she flees from the redwood forests to the high desert and back again. Will her bleeding heart ever find a way and a place to heal?

A desperate soiled dove. Three men who come to care for her. One man determined to claim her.

All on a journey that will show them what true love really involves.
 
Inspirational Historical Romance:
Releasing August 2013
_________________
 
You can find all the latest news and updates about Bleeding Heart along with fun book extras at the Bleeding Heart blog. Go check it out and browse!
 
About the Author: Amber Stokes has a Bachelor of Science degree in English and a passion for the written word - from blogging to writing poetry, short stories, and novels. After her brief time at college in Oregon, she is now back home among the redwoods of Northern California, living life one day at a time and pursuing her passion via freelance editing and self-publishing her debut novel, Bleeding Heart. You can connect with Amber on her blog, Seasons of Humility.
 
And just for fun, here's a little snippet from the book itself!
 

 

Prologue


 
Breaking hearts should be considered a crime. That would make Elizabeth Lawson an outlaw and Joe Clifton the victim. And that wasn’t a far stretch in Joe’s mind. She had rounded up his heart, branded her name across it when it should never have belonged to her, and then left him high and dry. Still, he was getting sick of hanging around the scene of the crime. He just didn’t know where else to go.

Lake Tahoe had once been his favorite get-away destination, a place where he could go to just sit back and enjoy the view of water as clear as a shined-up mirror. Now those crystal depths and the unmoving boulders along the water’s edge taunted him, bringing back memories of a happy proposal and a less-than-happy scene where his heart was handed back to him on a silver platter – bruised, broken, and bleeding.

He didn’t want to make any more memories like that. So he made a promise to himself: He would never let anyone break his heart again.
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Give Amber a big round of applause for this exciting achievement, and be certain to congratulate her in the comments below!
 
Also, Amber is kindly offering a giveaway to promote this upcoming release. Take time to fill add your name below for a chance to win "Bleeding Heart"-related pretties!
 http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/15cee36/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway


 
 

 
 

15 comments:

Unknown said...

This book sounds so good! Will definitely add it to my reading list! Congratulations, Ms. Stokes, on the achievement! :D

Anonymous said...

Yet another book to add to my "to read" list! I'm not going to be able to do anything but read this summer. :D

J. L. Mbewe said...

I LOVE Bleeding Hearts, and I'm intrigued to see how that plays into the story.

Thanks for sharing!

Diana Montgomery said...

The cover is beautiful. The story sounds just as wonderful. I would love to win it.
Blessings
joeym11(at)frontier(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Love the cover. Would love to win and read the book.

Molly said...

I thought it was sort of ironic that I happened to be listening to Christina Perri's 'Jar of Hearts' when I opened up this page. :p

This sounds so interesting! I LOVE the book cover!! Love the snippet too! Thanks for this!

Anonymous said...

LOVE the cover!!! This book looks like it will be such a beautiful and great story! :)
I would love to win Bleeding Hearts!
Thanks for the giveaway...
-Shantelle

Amber Holcomb said...

So happy to read all of your comments - thank you so much for the support and encouragement!! You can thank Anne that there's a giveaway, as she was the one who encouraged me to put one together for the cover reveal. She's awesome like that! ;) The giveaway is for earrings and note cards that go along with the theme of "Bleeding Heart." :) I will hopefully have a book giveaway (and more!) closer to the release date (shooting for August, sometime)!

And Anne, thank you for all of your inspiration and support!! ((Hugs)) Love your creativity! Your writing contest sounds awesome, and I'm hoping to maybe enter it myself... :)

~Amber

Anonymous said...

This sounds super interesting can't wait to read it!!!!!!!!

Becky said...

Your cover is beautiful, Amber. Anne encouraged her fb followers to go to your blog and read the story behind it, so I'll do that soon. Goodness, your story summary had me near sniffles already! The setting is very familiar to me. I grew up in California and went to Lake Tahoe several times a year to visit my grandparents! It is a stunning mountain lake. Congratulations on your book! It's an exciting accomplishment!

Amber Holcomb said...

Becky,

Thank you so very much for your sweet words. :) I certainly can't claim that Bleeding Heart will make all readers cry, but it is a darker-toned story, with some rather intense moments - just as a heads up! I'm touched you already got close to some sniffles. :)

And how awesome that you are familiar with the setting! It really is a small world. :) I've lived in Northern California all my life, except for my brief college experience in Oregon. I love it here among the redwoods - this is beautiful country! Bleeding Heart takes place mainly in Virginia City, Nevada (not so far from Lake Tahoe) and Falk, a logging town near Eureka, California that no longer exists. I do so love this area's history! Virginia City has fascinated me for quite a long time now, and Falk has recently wormed its way into my heart and captured my imagination. :)

Thanks so much for the comment, and I hope that - if you read the book - the various settings draw you back in. :)

~Amber

Sandra Leesmith said...

Great cover reveal. Amber's Bleeding Hearts sounds so intriguing.

Happy Birthday Amber and best wishes on your debut.

How fun.

Anonymous said...

Congrats, Ms. Stokes! I will definitely read this!!

Clara said...

Way to go, Amber! How exciting to have your first book published...and on your birthday, too! It's wonderful to read about your success: it gives me hope!And I will be seeking this book out in the future:)

Becky said...

Amber,

Well we spent time in Virginia City also. Let's see, silver mining, saloons, honky tonk player pianos, camel and ostrich races, and a very intriguing pioneer cemetery on a hill right across from the main street of the city. And the redwood...beautiful! Great settings!