Guest Writer: Author Carmen Peone - Heart Full of Recipes Cookbook

Guest Writer: Author Carmen Peone
Subject: Heart Full of Recipes Cookbook

Thank you, Grace, for having me on your wonderful blog! It’s always an honor.

A Heart Full of Recipes Cookbook

Last month, the idea sparked—a collaborative cookbook with fellow sweet and Christian contemporary romance authors, a delicious prospect. I knew I'd be pressed for time, but the idea excited me, and I'd seen other authors successfully pull it off. 

I volunteered to gather everyone’s information and organize it in Canva, the popular design tool for creating everything from social media posts and book covers to flyers and presentations—a favorite among writers. 

After a flurry of emails—dozens, maybe even hundreds, okay, not that many, but it felt like it, a plan finally emerged. A testament to the first-time effort. Whew. We were getting somewhere.

Canva was a lifesaver. I used my three pages as a template and saved tons of time. 

Throughout the first three-quarters of January, a steady stream of submissions arrived—book covers, recipes, book quotes, back cover copy, photos, and book links, each adding to the growing collection. At first, the sheer scale of the project felt overwhelming, a wave of anxiety washing over me, but I knew it was something I had to do. 

After talking with God about how I felt, I swear he said, “It’s okay, Carmen. I’ll work out the timeline. Trust me.” Trust him. Sure thing. Yeah, I can do that. And just like that, a wave of tranquility washed over me, calming my racing thoughts and soothing my anxieties. Whew.

As the information trickled in, I started to gather everyone's details, each piece adding to the yummy puzzle. Creating the cookbook filled me with a quiet joy. We proofed, corrected, and proofed again.

Finally, the cookbook was completed, its pages filled with delicious recipes and beautiful photographs. 

I’m so happy I tackled this project, blending our characters together with a recipe and a book.

Want to know more?

A Holiday Cookbook by Sweet and Christian Romance Authors

Do you ever love characters so much that you don’t want to say goodbye?

Authors do too!

After months of getting to know our heroines and heroes, their likes and dislikes, their habits and dreams, fears and successes, it’s safe to say, we want more. This cookbook is a way we, sweet and Christian authors, can share our characters with you once again.

We each chose a character from one of our books and shared one of their favorite dishes.

We hope this gives you fun new ideas for a special meal, including dessert, for a loved one. 

How would you like a copy?

I’m offering a free download of the novella for a signup to my newsletter.

Don’t miss out!

https://bookhip.com/BXMGTSV

And just in time for Valentine's Day, the month of love, whether it be a significant other, a parent, a child, a grandchild, or a friend.

I hope you enjoy your gift!

Blessings, 

Carmen

Guest Writer: Author Carmen Peone

About the Guest Writer: Carmen Peone is an award-winning author. She has won the Willa Literary Award, a Will Rogers Medallion Award, and the LAURA Short Fiction Award. When she isn't writing, she can be found on her horse, on the water, or in the woods shooting nature photos for her daily haiku poems. You can find all of her books on Amazon, her website here, or at ...And Books, Too! (andbookstooonline.com)

Her Books:

Connect with Carmen:

Website and Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads

Thank you for being our guest writer today, Carmen, and for sharing this novella with my readers. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! 💓

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Christmas Blog Advent: Day 19 - Book Giveaway: Christmas At Sugar Plum Manor

 

Giveaway: For Christmas, I'm giving away a new copy of Christmas At Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White. It's a novella. I was going to do a book review along with this giveaway but ran out of time. Instead, I'll post the synopsis for the book, so that you can see what it's about. I read a couple of chapters from the book, and I really like it so far. It also seems to have lots of good reviews on Amazon. Whoever wins, I hope you like the book. Good luck!

Synopsis:

As the beloved stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Mariah Lyons cherishes her home at Plumford Manor, but her idyllic world will be threatened when the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend she hasn't seen or heard from in years. Once, Mariah dreamed their friendship would kindle into something more, but that was before she heard Cyril was courting the cruelhearted Lady Pearl. Now Mariah is willing to welcome him as a friend and pray he will be the heir her stepfather needs, but she'll keep her heart locked safely away from anyone with such poor taste.

Cyril Lightbourne has long avoided returning to Plumford Manor, yet he reluctantly arrives in time for Christmas. When his friendship with Lady Mariah reignites, he finds himself caught between his affection for her and her family's misunderstanding of his attachment to Lady Pearl. Then, more trouble arrives in the form of a Danish lord on a mission to win Mariah's hand by Christmas. Will the magic of the holiday season help lead to the discovery of true love, or will duty to country leave all longing for what could have been?

How To Enter: All you have to do is leave a comment here on this blog post. Just make sure you have a way for me to contact you if you win the giveaway. If you have any questions, let me know! Have fun! Giveaway ends January 7th. Thank you! Merry Christmas! 💓

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Christmas Blog Advent: Day 2 - Bookish Giveaway

Christmas Blog Advent: Day 2 - Bookish Giveaway

Giveaway: It's the second day of advent. And for today, I'm doing a giveaway. I themed it a bookish giveaway, since there's a book to win. Here's what you can win, if you're randomly selected: a beautiful copy of poems by Robert Frost, a book holder, a bookmark, the five packets of tea, and a $15.00 Amazon gift card. If you'd like to enter, just leave a comment for a way to contact you. It's easy if I know you from Facebook, so all you have to do is let me know there. I hope that's not confusing! I just need a comment on my blog, and you're entered for the random giveaway drawing. The giveaway will start today and end on the January 2nd. I hope you have fun with the giveaway! Good luck to all my readers. 💙

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Book Giveaway: Butterfly Wings

Hello. I'm giving away a signed copy of my book, Butterfly Wings, to someone. It's a personal collection of 30 poems and devos. If you'd like to enter, it's super easy. Just leave a comment on this post and you're entered. However, make sure you send me an email with the best way to contact you. My contact form can be found in the right sidebar. I also provided a synopsis of the book in case you wanted to know more about it. Have fun!

Book Synopsis:

Each poem comes with a reflection point, a simple, but loving prayer, a Bible verse, and a blank space to write down your thoughts. In every short devotional is a pause from within Grace’s life. Her poems span a period of innocence, pain, and growth. All of her writing helped her to appreciate life much more. It also offered her a way to cope and to find joy in her struggles. Most of it is deeply personal, and offers a vulnerability from the heart. A vulnerability she wanted to share.

Grace’s ultimate goal with Butterfly Wings was to show how remarkable you really are. Butterflies can’t see their own wings, so they can’t see how stunning and magical their soul is. We may often feel like we don’t matter or that we’re ordinary, but that’s not at all the truth. Others can see you’re special, even if you can’t see it for yourself. You’re amazing. You’re important. You have worth. She hopes this book will show you that your wings are perfect just the way they were created.

Grace learned through her trials that in every difficulty we face, we can be sure of two things: We're loved, and our stories matter. Remember this: God created your wings. And He loves you so much. This book will hopefully bless you in some unique way and pave the road to noticing just how beautiful you truly are.

Appreciate you stopping by and entering. Be sure to follow my blog, too. Thank you! *Giveaway starts today and ends on June 30th. Winner will be announced July 1st.

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson