Winners of the soap, the magnets, and the earrings!! And BONNET giveaway!

Hi everybody!

  How was your week? And Mother's Day? I hope everyone had a peaceful, joyous, and love-filled week. As a mom of six kids, I always think I deserve like, a new car or something but all I ever get is flowers.

 Kidding! I loved my flowers! It was sort of a half bouquet from the store, half from the neighbor's garden. (Seriously, it was. They moved and the house has been empty/for sale for a year. We're okay with stealing the flowers that grow in their alley.)

  Most of the day was spent on getting everyone prepared for our state tests on Tuesday. (Shoot me NOW.) As home schoolers, we have state testing just like regular school peeps. Just as much stress, or maybe a little more, since we have to whip these test results out to wave around when people start saying home home schoolers are behind in regular subjects. (True, my kids do have some crazy hobbies that take a lot of their time, but we also keep up on the state standards.) So, if you see us and we're all looking a little wigged out, that's why.

But this week we also had an awesome experience that we couldn't have done if everyone was in school. We got to be the ground crew for our local balloon festival, the Walla Walla Balloon Stampede! Being a crew member meant learning which ropes to hold, which way to fold the fabric, how to be a human sandbag and most of all, HOW TO GET YOUR BODY OUT OF BED AT FOUR AM. Ugh. Can you tell I hated that part?

Here's my second-oldest child holding down the gondola (basket) while they get prepared for passengers. It's about 6AM here so she's only been up a few hours, but she's tiiiiired. Me? I knew there was no way I was getting out of bed at 4AM, so I just stayed up. It was fun, writing all night... until about ten AM and I realized that I didn't get to go to bed until that evening. Ha! All those late nighters I pulled in college at the age of 20 could NOT prepare me for how it felt at almost 40. Ugh.

 But it was great to see items close up, that we usually only see at a distance.

 It was neat to see how fast the balloons inflate... just a few minutes.

 I like how this one peeked over the tree line.

 And this one. Almost like a circus balloon!

Watching the fire so close was a bit weird, but we have nerves of steel in the family! LOL

We also participated in the "night glow" evening, where the pilots stand up the balloons and then light the burners in unison or in rhythm with music. It's fun, and sort of silly, since nobody is GOING ANYWHERE in the dark. But the crowd loves it and we had a good time being ballast again for when they just needed the basket to hover. (Wait, I sense a theme. *gets on the scale*)

So, now that we've talked all about me (isn't that why we're all here? no?) I've got some WINNERS to announce!!

 Bonnie R., Rafflecopter loves YOU and wants you to have some awesome Austen earrings!

Dianne D., Rafflecopter love YOU and wants you to have the Emma Fridge Lit magnet set! (I'm seriously jealous... I think I need to order some of these for my fridge. What a great way to wait for my water to heat up when I'm making tea!)

And finally, Christy M. Rafflecopter loves YOU and wants you to have Pride and Prejudice Ear Grey Tea and Lavender soap! This arrived a few days ago and it smells amazing! Super yum... I maye have to order some for Christmas presents.

(CONTACT me at my facebook page with your mailing address so I can send these onward! )
 Ok everybody! My editor sent me a pic of the final paper copies of Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits... and I AM IN LOVE. Seriously. My baby is all grown up! So glossy and bright, such straight lines and crisp pages. I can't wait to start sending out signed copies for review (or as a gift for a special someone). But before then... we'll have to tide ourselves over with a few more giveaway. I still have a small mountain of fan art here on my desk and I vowed to be a good Jane Austen team member and not to HOARD THE GOODIES.

So, this next giveaway is a  Jane Austen bonnet. Admit it, you want your own Jane Austen bonnet to wear around the house as you sip Earl Grey tea and write letters with your quill pen! I know, I know... it's a tough world we live in when every girl isn't given her own lovely bonnet as soon as she comes of age. 

But that's what I'm here for- to help you become as crazily-obsessed with Miss Jane as I am!

 And if you're not convince a bonnet is just what you need, remember this line from Jane's letter to her sister Cassandra: 

"Next week [I] shall begin my operations on my hat, on which you know my principal hopes of happiness depend."

         October 27, 1798

 (You see? Some might say Jane was being a wee bit sarcastic, but there's a little part of me that truly believes a bonnet has everything to do with one's happiness.)

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Winner of LOST IN AUSTEN and a new give away!

Ok, are you all tired of this yet? NO? Neither am I!!

I admit it. I'm a cave-dweller, happily pecking away at my keyboard. When I'm forced to interact with the world I am just like Mr. Bennet. ("Where did you all COME FROM?")

But this whole giveaway thing is just perfect! I get to be sort of social, spread Austen joy, and a little bonus is the fact I can see my desk again. My pile of Austen goodies is getting smaller but there is still MUCH MORE to give away before Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits comes out in paper in July!

Speaking of which... Guess what I saw!!!

Yes, it's the cover up on Amazon!! The paper copy is the only option available right now (and for pre-order) but I'm watching for the ebook to pop up. SOOOO exciting! Here's the blurb if anyone hasn't heard about it yet.
         "A lively Southern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, featuring Lucy Crawford, who is thrown back into the path of her first love while on a quest to save her beloved family home.

Lucy Crawford is part of a wealthy, well-respected Southern family with a long local history. But since Lucy’s mother passed away, the family home, a gorgeous antebellum mansion, has fallen into disrepair and the depth of her father’s debts is only starting to be understood. Selling the family home may be the only option—until her Aunt Olympia floats the idea of using Crawford house to hold the local free medical clinic, which has just lost its space. As if turning the plantation home into a clinic isn’t bad enough, Lucy is shocked and dismayed to see that the doctor who will be manning the clinic is none other than Jeremiah Chevy—her first love.

Lucy and Jeremiah were high school sweethearts, but Jeremiah was from the wrong side of the tracks. His family was redneck and proud, and Lucy was persuaded to dump him. He eventually left town on a scholarship, and now, ten years later, he’s returned as part of the rural physician program. And suddenly, their paths cross once again. While Lucy’s family still sees Jeremiah as trash, she sees something else in him—as do several of the other eligible ladies in town. Will he be able to forgive the past? Can she be persuaded to give love a chance this time around?"

 Whoohooo!!!

 So, to celebrate the sighting of Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread, I've got some great giveaways this week!

 But first.... Our winner! AMANDA J, Rafflecopter loves you and wants you to have LOST IN AUSTEN on DVD!

OK, now for this week's prizes!

First of all, these darling earrings by Designs by Annette. I have a few pairs of these (she also does custom orders) and they are just adorable! Plus, they're great conversation starters. You can find out more about the earrings here.

Next, this is one of the funnest prizes I've ever given away. A Persuasion fridge magnet set by FridgeLit! Oh my word... I could play with these all day!

And lastly, a gift for the romantic in all of us. Pride and Prejudice lavender soap by Pen And Candle. I'm very tempted to get the Sense and Sensibility apple lavender lemon zest soap but I'm afraid I would try to eat my own arm. I would smell DELICIOUS.

Ok, my dear friends! Enter early and often- and good luck! One winner per item, so THREE people will get a bit of Austen love this week!

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