Blog Tour: Pierced by Love

Preface: Sorry it is so late. I have been super busy all day with family stuff, it is Christmas after all. Better late than never, right? J

About the author:

Laura Walker grew up in southern Arizona. She met her husband, Rob, at Northern Arizona University where she earned her bachelor degree in Elementary Education. She and Rob are raising their six children. Her hobbies include water aerobics and sewing. At the end of the day, Laura loves to curl up with a good book or write one of her own. Pierced by Love is her first published novel.

About the book:

Noelle Jensen doesn’t want to like Pierce Logan. After her boyfriend breaks up with her for her sister, Noelle is done with love. Plus Pierce Logan has commitment issues because of his parents’ divorce and a strained relationship with his dad. But as Pierce and Noelle inadvertently help each other to open up their hearts, they also rediscover the importance of family and love.

My thoughts:

Loved it! What else is there to say? It is extremely refreshing to find a clean and endearing romance novel. Laura L. Walker creates a beautiful story of heartbreak, love and forgiveness. Don't forget your tissue box!

First, let me start by saying I would have had a very hard time forgiving my sister. And Chase is a dog (just had to throw that in there). Noelle is a much bigger person than I. I cannot even imagine the heartbreak of thinking you’re about to be proposed to only to find out your boyfriend has been secretly dating your sister behind your back. Pierce is a knight in disguise; chivalry is not dead in Flagstaff, AZ. Noelle and Pierce are brought together by their family issues and as it often does, friendship blooms into so much more.

I would recommend this book to girls of all ages that love a good clean love story. Pierced by Love has been available for purchase since December 9^th, why haven’t you gotten your own copy yet?

XO 

And the winner is.....

And the winner is.....Betty Taylor. Here she is reading the copy she got in the mail this morning.

She is my husband's grandmother and for some reason the thought of having family read my book scares me more than anything else. I would rather have strangers read it. Oh well. 

My book went to press today, this morning. That means only 64 days until it is released to THE WORLD! Am I scared? Um, only just a WHOLE LOT! 

XO

Book Review: Paleo Meal Planning on a Budget

About the author:

Elizabeth McGaw is the blogger for Paleo On A Budget, a website dedicated to those that are following the Paleo lifestyle on a tight budget. She currently resides in Concord, NH and works alongside her husband, as both a Wedding Photographer & Web Designer. 

About the book:

Take your Paleo diet to the next level with Paleo Meal Planning on a Budget. Elizabeth McGraw’s follow-up book to bestselling Paleo on a Budget features simple, budget-friendly meal prep strategies to accommodate any lifestyle. With over 30 delicious new bonus recipes, including Roasted Garlic Shrimp, Inside Out Burgers, Faux Deviled Eggs, you’ll always be ready for healthy eating.

What I thought:

I absolutely loved this cookbook/instructional manual. I have to be honest; I wanted to join this blog tour because I have always wanted to try the Paleo diet but was afraid it would be hard. WRONG-O! Not only is it pretty straight forward, it is delicious. In this book, Elizabeth offers advice to her readers on how to change their eating habits regardless of what their budget may be. She explains how important it is to meal plan when trying to stick to a budget. Her writing is full of energy and heart, I enjoyed every minute of it. The pre-done meal plans take any guess work out of Paleo. There are lots of yummy recipes in this book, but you should also check out her website 

www.paleoonabudget.com it has tons of recipes updated frequently, as well as store sales. My advice: Run, don't walk, to the nearest bookstore and get your very own copy.

XO

Midnight Runner GIVEAWAY!

MY BOOK IS IN PRINT!!!!THAT’S MY NAME ON THE TOP, EEEEK!

So my publisher has an extra advanced reader copy of my book and I have the immense pleasure of giving it away to one of you lucky people.

Now, without further ado here are the ways to enter. Every like, share, and comment on my facebook post about the giveaway will earn you an entry, and commenting on this blog post will also earn you one more entry.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marilee-Jackson-Author-Page/289588627886056?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

                                                                                                                                                                                        

If you are counting that means everyone can get up to four entries. The giveaway ends on Wednesday November 26^th at 5:00 pm.

Good luck I’m rooting for YOU!!!!

XO

Pre-Order available now

So I am just sitting here this evening minding my own business, surfing the web, checking to see if anyone else has joined my blog tour! (Ahem, ahem what are you waiting for? :)) 

So I decide, just for the fun of it, to search Amazon for my name. Low and behold, I find out that my book is now available for pre-order!

THERE IT IS! MY NAME on AMAZON! 

I thought it was cool when I saw it on Goodreads, but this is so much cooler! Don't get me wrong, I love Goodreads, but EVERYONE, I mean everyone knows Amazon. So totally excited, I can hardly sit still. So now it is up to all of you! Go and pre-order and tell all your friends! 

Ready, set ........GO!

http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Runner-Marilee-Jackson/dp/1462116159/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412992651&sr=1-2&keywords=Midnight+Runner

XO

Blog Tour!!!!!!

Alrighty then, I'm finished with my sub-edits and my manuscript has now been sent off to the copy editor, one more step down. February 10 is just around the corner, I'm starting to freak out a little bit, but I'm mostly excited! Eeek!

Anywho, it's now time to announce my blog tour. It will take place between February 8 and 22, 2015. If you have a blog and want to read my book before anybody else gets a chance, then this is for you! Go ahead and meander on over to my publisher's blog and sign up for my blog tour.

http://blog.cedarfort.com/blog-tour-midnight-runner/

XO

Greetings from the cave!!!!

Greetings from my cave of solitude. I am stepping out into the light to inform everyone that I am up to my armpits in edits. I will most likely be out of touch until the end of September. 

I also wanted to once again give love to my publishing company. I love my editor she's great. It is refreshing to have praise written in the side notes as well as criticism. I love it!

Have a great September everyone!

XO

Cover art and Publisher LOVE!!!!

Alrighty, I have been given the go ahead from my marketing manager to share my cover. His exact words were "Share it with the world". So world, here is my cover. 

I love it! Don't you?

I started looking through the covers Cedar Fort has done after I signed my contract. I was blown away by how awesome the all were. I was nervous and excited to see mine. When I got this copy last week I was once again blown away. They do amazing work, I could never have even come close to making my cover this beautiful. Please share it with everyone you know and follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marilee-Jackson-Author-Page/289588627886056 and twitter @marilee_jackson 

On the same note, I love everyone I have dealt with at Cedar Fort. Seriously, everyone I have talked with has been so nice. They really care for my opinions and want to make sure I agree with every decision they make. I feel so blessed to be with such a fantastic publishing company. I can't wait to get up there and meet everyone face to face. 

Alas, until then we will just have to correspond through email and facebook!

XO

Meet Moira and Isobail

Meet Moira Agar and Isobail Blythe

I would like to thank RC Hancock for inviting me to join him in the “Meet my Character Blog Tour.”

RC is friend as well as a Cedar Fort author, whose book, An Uncommon Blue will be released in December. But guess what? It is NOW available for pre-order on Amazon.com Check him out on his website http://www.anuncommonauthor.com/

Now for a glimpse at the main characters in Midnight Runner.

What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?

Although Midnight Runner is set during medieval times, Moira Agar and Isobail Blythe are very much a figment of my imagination.

When and where is the story set?

The setting is a small island country off the coast of Scotland named Talamh Glasish. It pretty much takes place all over the small country.

What should we know about him/her?

Moira is a beautiful and bitter girl. Orphaned at a young age, she was sent to live with cruel and heartless neighbors.

Sweet, humble Isobail grew up on a small farm with loving and compassionate parents. All she wants is to become a wife and mother.

What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

As Moira is fleeing her cruel and impoverished life she encounters a bump in the road and now she is desperate to outrun the consequences of one mistake.

When Isobail is sixteen she is encouraged to better herself and become a lady in waiting for the notorious Lady Nuala. When a secret is revealed her life begins to unravel.  

What is the personal goal of the character?

Moira’s desires are to flee her foster family and change her life. She has her sights set on the royal palace in Allail.

Isobail is a simple country girl and all she wants is to protect the simple life she loves and become a wife and mother.

Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

The title is Midnight Runner and you can follow me right here on my blog, on facebook, Marilee Jackson Author Page, or on Twitter, @marilee_jackson

When can we expect the book to be published?

February 10, 2015 mark your calendars!!!

Midnight Runner also contains an unusual cast of supporting characters including an abrasive innkeeper and her sensible husband, the headstrong Lord Conell hell-bent on achieving his goal, as well as the shy, handsome hero Brian MacDonald.

Trust me, you are gonna want to read it.

XO

An Uncommon Pre-order

RC Hancock, my hometown friend and member of my Cedar Fort family, has announced the pre-order of his debut book An Uncommon Blue.

 

It is available right now on Amazon, it will be released on December 9, 2014. Everyone needs to go and order it right now. http://www.amazon.com/An-Uncommon-Blue-R-Hancock/dp/1462114881/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405969139&sr=8-1&keywords=rc+hancock+blue  His cover is amazing. I have also been checking out more of Cedar Fort's book covers latley, they are all awesome. I can't wait to see what they pick for mine. *Cough, Cough* 39 weeks, but who is counting. :)

XOXO

Inspiration

There are so many things in this world that can inspire us to do amazing things. A couple of my inspirations are music and pictures. I have started working on another book (while I wait for Midnight Runner to be published) and the inspiration for this one came from a song on the radio. Part of my inspiration for Midnight Runner came from pictures like this one:

Beautiful! I love Scotland, I always have. It is in my blood, my Scottish heritage is pulling me home. I can't wait to be able to go there someday. Maybe my book will be made into a movie and I will be able to go there while it is filming! A girl can always dream right? What inspires you to dream?

XO

Release date!!!

Got an email from my publisher (still feels weird saying that lol) today. She told me how excited they are to be working with me (I bet they're not as excited as I am, just sayin') and she let me know that they have scheduled the date for my book to debut. Ready.... it will be....February 10, 2015! You may begin standing in line outside your local Barnes and Noble now. Just kidding, but maybe the night before ;)

XO

It is official!

The papers are signed! All the i's have been dotted and the t's have been crossed. I have returned my contract to the publishing company. It is official, I am going to be a published author! It still doesn't feel real to me. But now that I have returned the contract I can let you all know my publisher is Cedar Fort Publishing out of Utah. I am so excited I can hardly stand to be around myself!

XO

Midnight Runner

Here is the synopsis for my debut novel:

Midnight Runner is a medieval novel full of treachery, lies, and secrets as it follows the journey of two young women. One is desperate to overcome her station in life while trying to escape her past. The other fighting to stay alive as she copes with an unlocked secret threatening to destroy everything she has ever loved.

Moira is a beautiful and bitter girl orphaned at a young age. Her lifelong desire is to escape her foster family and change her life. Determined not to let anything stand in her way she flees poverty with her sights set on the royal palace in Allail. After an unplanned bump in the road she is now desperate to outrun the consequences of one mistake. And desperation can often lead to murder.

Sweet, humble Isobail grew up on a small farm with loving and compassionate parents. All she wants is to become a wife and mother. Now at sixteen she is encouraged to better herself and become a lady in waiting for the notorious Lady Nuala. When a secret is revealed her life begins to unravel. Now Isobail must fight to protect the simple life she loves.

Midnight Runner also contains an unusual cast of supporting characters including an abrasive innkeeper and her sensible husband, the headstrong Lord Conell hell-bent on achieving his goal, as well as the shy, handsome hero Brian MacDonald. 

Stay tuned for information and updates on when my book will be out.

XO

Happy Dancin'

We are dancing fools here in the Jackson house, I just received an offer to publish my manuscript. I am so excited! We cannot stop doing the happy dance. Please feel free to join in! :) I promise to post more when I have more information.

xo

I am in suspenders!

Ok, so I have officially started a blog. (yikes!) Today is the day that a publishing company is deciding weather or not they are going to publish my manuscript. I AM FREAKING OUT! It took a while for my husband to convince me to do something (other than let it take up memory on our laptop) with my story. It took me three years to write Midnight Runner (don't judge I have four kids). It is my baby, I didn't want people to judge it, or me by extension. I have to be honest I was SHOCKED when people actually liked it. All of my beta readers liked it. My agent liked it and even her contact at the publishing company liked it enough to pitch it to the company she works for, so here I sit in suspenders (my dad's saying for in suspense)! Anxiously waiting to hear back from the publishing company.
Wish me gook luck!