BookingIt: Interview with Debut Author Camille Eide (and winners!)

I've been a guest on several blogs lately due to the release of Savanna's Gift, my (100% 5 stars!!) Christmas novella, but have been busy making and revising (but not actually doing) Christmas To-Do lists and forgot to share the links here with you.

Here's the latest guest blog spot, a visit with my chocoholic friend Jessica Nelson in which we discuss the deep nature of romance, sticky note inspiration, pursuing your talent, and chocolate:

BookingIt: Interview with Debut Author Camille Eide (and winners!)

More Christmas Romance . . .

White Rose Publishing has a sweet treat of a holiday lineup with 12 Christmas Romance novellas specially priced at $1.00 during the month of December. WRP is releasing one of these 12 Christmas titles each day.

Today's release is Polar Bear Plunge by Linda S. Glaz.

Brice Taylor might not be on Aleni Callan's Christmas list, but she finds him under her tree anyway.


Striving to put meaning back into her life after her husband’s death, Aleni Callan immerses herself in hospital work. Angry with God, she finds herself even angrier when war hero, Brice Taylor, author of The Human Shield, arrives in the Emergency Room with a concussion and hypothermia after participating in the Polar Bear Plunge. Aleni wants nothing to do with a man who willingly takes chances with his life.

Brice doesn’t understand how God could bring him through being a captive in Iraq when he failed his troops so miserably. Writing about his escape brings fame he would rather avoid. And by meeting widowed Aleni Callan and her son Tyler, his feelings of failure only increase.

Megan Callan, with the help of her three-year-old grandson, Tyler, scheme to bring Aleni and Brice together. And though the best laid plans often go awry, Megan isn’t one to accept no.

My Review:
Polar Bear Plunge is a touching story that shows how healing from brokenness and bitterness can often come from the last place we expect, and how God is patient and loving enough to send what or whomever it takes to get our attention. Aleni, a war widow, masks a broken heart by throwing herself into her work and into the care of her young son, with the help of her caring mother-in-law. Brice is the last man on earth she could love, but when forced into spending time with him, Aleni discovers he's not who she thought he was, and is battling wounds of his own. I loved this story, and love seeing how it shows the way God often brings blessing and healing to us in unexpected ways. And the love of nosy, well-meaning relatives never hurts. An intriguing feel good romance for a quick wonderful read anytime, and a special treat for Christmas.


Note: ALL White Rose Holiday Extravaganza books are specially priced at $1.00 thru 12/24

Watch the book trailer: http://ow.ly/7NbBt


Pick up Polar Bear Plunge at: Amazon (Kindle) or White Rose/Pelican Book Group


About Linda:

I’m a wife and mother of three. I balance being a child of God while also being older than God. Hmmm, scary, but almost true. I’ve been blessed to have had an amazing life so far: Air Force meteorologist during Vietnam era, teaching karate and self-defense along with soccer for 25+ years. I sing and direct in church and community theatre musicals where this little old lady sounds more like the guys than the gals. Also scary, but true. I work in a physical therapy clinic three days a week to earn money to keep my writing afloat. My writing life is a 24/7 proposition. When not writing my own stories, I am an agent for Hartline Literary Agency. I wear so many different hats I’m surprised I wasn’t invited to the Royal wedding. Blessings to everyone, may your writing dreams all come true.

Get Savanna's Gift Now!

It's HERE!

SAVANNA'S GIFT, a Christmas Romance about rekindled love and second chances, is now available for download from White Rose Publishing: http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/savanna-s-gift

or at Amazon for your Kindle at:
http://www.amazon.com/Savannas-Gift-Holiday-Extravaganza-ebook/dp/B006G3YF6K/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

When Savanna gets a second chance at the love of her life, will her dream that divided them get in the way?

Forced to return to the ski lodge where she once worked, Savanna Holt is reminded of one special Christmas and how ambition led her to make the worst mistake of her life: Leaving Luke Nelson. Stunned to discover Luke never left, but worked his way up from lift operator to manager, Savanna sees the opportunity as a gift from God. She’s determined to win Luke back. But Luke wants no reminders of his past hurt, or a relationship with the woman who put ambition before love.

Can Savanna convince Luke she’s changed and her interest isn't because of his position? And when her dream job beckons, will she sacrifice her dream for a second chance at love?

SWEET DEAL: For a limited time SAVANNA'S GIFT is specially priced at just $1.00 through Dec 24, 2011

Praise for Savanna’s Gift:

“Camille Eide’s fiction debut, Savanna’s Gift is an enchanted tale of lost love and second chances. With endearing characters and the smell of cinnamon-scented pinecones in the air, I was swept away in this heart-warming story. Lovely anytime. Perfect for Christmas.”

~Carla Stewart, award-winning author of Chasing Lilacs and Broken Wings

More about Camille and her books at: http://www.camilleeide.com/camille.html

Final Drawing for the Christmas Cookie/Book Giveaway

Okay, I got side-tracked again and didn't draw. Doh! Before I do, I just want to remind y'all we had some tasty sounding cookie recipes shared here, so I hope you saw one you'll try. Thanks to everyone for sharing those!

So...today's winner is: Ginny!! Congrats, my friend to the far north!

And for those who didn't win a free copy of SAVANNA'S GIFT, my new Christmas Romance novella, don't be sad. Amazon got a little excited and started selling the Kindle version for $.99, which makes me real happy, since they are honoring the publisher's special holiday price. For all the non-Kindlers, the book is available tomorrow (Dec 3) at the White Rose Publishing site in various other book types.

And speaking of which, there are 11 more Christmas Romances available as part of WRP's Christmas Extravaganza. The 12 books are releasing one a day for twelve days (12 days of Christmas?).

So no matter what kind of eReader you have, a super deal is waiting for you, but only until 12/24.

And . . . if you have no ereader but want to read an eBook (like mine, or those great freebies you can hear about daily by signing up at http://www.vesselproject.com/ ) there are free apps for your pc, phone, iPad, etc. Many eBooks are offered as PDFs, which most PCs will read. So my point? Yes, there's no excuse. Anyone can read an eBook. And at eBook prices (which are often free when you catch the deals) you can really load up your library.

So what are you watiting for? (The commercial to end so you can go back to baking Christmas cookies, right?)

One last plug: Thanks to cool cyber friends, I will be a guest on several blogs over the next few weeks. I may leave a link to them here if you have nothing better to do in the weeks before Christmas but follow me around the web and listen to me talk about Christmas and romance and other stuff. We'll kick it all off at the WordServe Watercooler tomorrow, where I shameless plug my book while launching a discussion about the Humble Artist and Self-Promotion, two seemingly incongruent topics.

So until next time, happy baking, and God bless!

Savanna's Gift Book Trailer

Here's a mini movie for my upcoming Christmas novella. Enjoy!

This Week's Winner Is . . .

Ooops, I meant to draw earlier today and got side-tracked. Better late than never.Thanks to the excellent name-drawing skills of my handsome hubby, this week's winner of Savanna's Gift is:

Courtney!

We will have one more drawing next Friday Dec 2nd, then the book releases Saturday the 3rd.

Thanks for sharing all the yummy recipes - I can't wait to try these. I hope you're finding a new favorite in the bunch! They all sound delicious & easy, my kinda Christmas cookie!

~Camille

Drumroll... First Winner in the Christmas Romance-Cookie Contest Drawing

.....And the winner is: Carol Ann! Wooo Hoo!

I use a very technically complex drawing method of putting all the commenters' names in a hat and asking my handsome husband to reach in and pick one. He did a great job and therefore has agreed to be the drawer every week. :-)

Another winner will be drawn next Friday. Please spread the word - post a comment HERE with a Christmas Cookie Recipe (note: those who comment without a recipe are also included, so never fear, you no-sugar, no-bakers, I actually can't eat the cookies either!) And don't be bashful, those recipes are for you to share. And they sound YUMMY! And easy, gotta love that!

We're seeing sprinkles of snow here in NW Oregon, so I gotta go get some groceries and dinner with The Man before we're snowed in. Hmm, sounds like a Christmas Romance I've heard talk of....

 Next drawing for Savanna's Gift: Next Friday, Nov 25. See you then!
-Camille

Christmas Cookie Exchange & Christmas Romance

My first book, Savanna’s Gift, a Christmas novella of rekindled love and second chances, will soon be available for download from White Rose Publishing December 3.
Woo Hoo!!!

So to celebrate Love in the [sugar & spice scented] air, I’m offering a chance for you to sample some mouth-watering holiday treats AND enter a chance to win a free copy of Savanna’s Gift. Because somehow love and sugar and icing just go together. It's not logical, but that's okay. Love isn't logic, it's magic. Trust me.

So how does this cookie thing work, you ask? Thank you. You're so thoughtful, keeping me on task. I knew I liked you.

Leave your favorite Christmas Cookie or Treat Recipe in the comments of THIS POST, and every Friday from now until Dec 2, I will draw a winner to receive a copy of the book. Even if you don’t win, we all “win” by gaining some new holiday treat ideas! Can’t beat that! So check back often for the newest recipes!

And for everyone else who doesn't win a copy, SAVANNA'S GIFT will be available Saturday, December 3 for $1.00 (Special price thru 12/31 only) for your eReader, PC, iPad, iPhone, etc.

Don’t have an eReader? (Warning: silly techno babble follows) You can easily download free software for your PC for most book types like Kindle (Amazon) or Nook (B&N) and these also support some universal ebook file types. My eBook comes in PDF form and may read just fine on your PC or any version of Adobe.

I’m excited and honored to take part in White Rose Publishing’s Christmas Romance Extravaganza. Be sure to grab your copy before the end of December to take advantage of the special low price!

www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/savanna-s-gift

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About the story:
When Savanna gets a second chance at the love of her life, will the dream that divided them get in the way?

Forced to return to the ski lodge where she once worked, Savanna Holt is reminded of one special Christmas and how ambition led her to make the worst mistake of her life: Leaving Luke Nelson. Stunned to discover Luke never left, but worked his way up from lift operator to manager, Savanna sees the opportunity as a gift from God. She’s determined to win Luke back. But Luke wants no reminders of his past hurt, or a relationship with the woman who put ambition before love.

Can Savanna convince Luke she’s changed and her interest isn't because of his position? And when her dream job beckons, will she sacrifice her dream for a second chance at love?

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About me:

Camille Eide writes contemporary romance and romantic women’s fiction. She lives in Oregon with her incredible husband and is mom to three brilliant college-age kids. She’s grateful for the amazing grace of God, and either in spite of or thanks to that grace, she has a PhD in Learning Stuff the Hard Way. She’s also a church secretary, a bassist, and a passably devoted fan of classic rock, muscle cars, and Jane Austen.

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Praise for Savanna’s Gift:
“Camille Eide’s fiction debut, Savanna’s Gift is an enchanted tale of lost love and second chances. With endearing characters and the smell of cinnamon-scented pinecones in the air, I was swept away in this heart-warming story. Lovely anytime. Perfect for Christmas.” ~Carla Stewart, award-winning author of Chasing Lilacs and Broken Wings

"With her trademark zany style, Camille Eide weaves a meaningful, believable romance in Savanna's Gift. Against a beautiful backdrop of a snowy Oregon lodge, she grants her characters wonderful second chances and dreams fulfilled. This is the best novella I've ever read!" ~Christina Berry, Christy-nominated and Carol-award winning author of The Familiar Stranger

"Camille Eide’s seamless writing swept me into this sweet story from the opening page. Savanna’s Gift made me laugh, think, cheer for the characters, and give a sigh of pure satisfaction at the perfect ending. I highly recommend this debut novel from a gifted writer who I’m guessing we’ll see much more of in the future." ~Miralee Ferrell, author of Love Finds You in Sundance, WY—4 1/2 Stars Romantic Times

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DONT FORGET - POST YOUR CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPE HERE as a comment on THIS post. Winners will be drawn each Friday through December 2. Leave your email [name (at) domain (dot) com] so I can contact the winners.

Merry Christmas, God Bless, and Bon Appétit!

Camille Eide, Faith-inspiring Love Stories
http://www.camilleeide.com/

https://www.facebook.com/camille.eide

Coming Soon: Christmas Cookie Recipe Exchange & Christmas Romance Drawing

Imagine with me the whiteness of a wintry blizzard, frosty wind swirling around an elegantly adorned rustic ski lodge, a full view of a pristine white mountain beyond the lodge's deck, snow-laden evergreens surrounding the perfect romantic winter getaway, Celtic carols weaving in and out of sparkling conversations around a crackling fire, the smell of fir and cinnamon and sugar and spices, the glow of thousands of twinkly lights, the magic of Christmas and the whisper of love in the air...

Feeling the love & the flavors of Christmas yet? If not, hang in there. My first book, Savanna’s Gift, launches Dec 3rd with a Christmas Cookie Recipe Exchange and a chance for you to win a free copy of the book. So while you wait, start looking through your favorite Christmas Cookie/Treat recipes and get ready to join in the fun!

Peel back the wrapping for a sneak peek at Savanna’s Gift

ACFW Conference: Moses Moments & Can I Get Used To A Built-In Starbucks?

I attended the 2011 American Christian Writer’s Conference in St. Louis, MO last week and experienced five full days of workshops, appointments with publishers, worship & keynote sessions, friends, and the faithfulness of Jesus. I will list the highlights in a sec, and there were s-e-v-e-r-a-l, but topping this trip was a Moses-style reminder that I serve a faithful God who has a perfect plan and is in complete control of our lives, our futures, and our heart’s desires.

I had a Moses epiphany. Not a splitting the Red Sea or a talking, burning bush, but a moment much like when Moses questioned the Lord about choosing a d-d-d-dork like him to be His spokesman. Moses knew his own weaknesses, his limitations. Now, this knowledge may have come from listening to the negative whisperings of an enemy trying to thwart the mighty work God wanted to do through Moses—makes sense, I guess—or it could have been simply his self-depreciating honesty. Or a combo of both (which can be a bit tricky to decipher, trust me). Did God choose Moses because of his velvety-smooth radio voice and Justin Bieber charisma? Or did God have a plan that included using a weak vessel in order to show His people His provision, power and glory?

(Still working on that one? Hint: they didn’t actually have radios in ancient Egypt.)

If I were as polished and articulate on the spot as I’d like to be, I might quickly forget how utterly wretched and lost we truly are on our own, how completely we depend on the Spirit of God at work in us to do anything. Not just do it right, but great. For Him. Not just when we can’t quite handle the situation without some help, but every moment. He’s the Vine, I am the branch. Apart from Him I can do nothing. So it’s probably a good thing I’m not super cool and charismatic under pressure, because the Lord came through faithfully and answered many prayers to give me confidence and clarity of thought when I needed it most. I was reminded again that when He plants a vision in our heart and soul, He provides the strength, the means, and the ability to carry it out. Brandilyn encouraged me to lay it all down and tell the Lord: I am Yours. This was a priceless lesson reaffirmed, worth the entire trip if I took NOTHING else away from the conference.

And yet I took home so much more.

In spite of the full schedule, I connected with friends from all over the world (waving to my super sweet friend Karen in Australia), and made a few new ones. I was encouraged and prayed over (and I am very grateful to Brandilyn Collins for her prayers and wise words even though she totally screwed up my makeup before an editor appointment by making me cry—what is she, the Barbara Walters of Christendom?? Thanks to this challenging/freeing prayer session, I was so plumfuzzled I couldn't get my room key to let me in so I could fix my makeup until I finally figured out with the help of another writer lady that I'd actually gotten off the elevator on the wrong FLOOR.)


I was also able to encourage and pray for others. I shared my most recent book-in-progress with strangers and saw the spark of recognition in eyes and hands on hearts telling me they were touched by what they heard. I spent time talking with an editor who has read some of my work and who went to astonishing lengths to make sure I knew how exceptional she thinks it is. I gave her a hug for that, but I really wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home with me. That was one of those air-stealing compliments you can’t discount or dismiss as merely gracious courtesy no matter how hard you try.

I had a full-blown blast with my dearest (and farthest!) friends at a cute little New Orleans style seafood place in St Louis. What a rare treat! I am reminded that life may not offer us another chance like that for a long time . . . if ever . . . and am grateful for the time spent in the company of such good friends.

My flight to and from St Louis coincided, coincidentally, with my agent’s flight, allowing me to spend some extra quality time with the amazing, rockin Rachelle Gardner, who was named ACFW’s 2011 Agent of the Year at the conference. Hanging out with her was an unexpected bonus! It gave me a chance to be even more honored and inspired by knowing I have someone of Rachelle’s caliber in my corner.

I was also able to get books signed by two of my fav Christian authors whose stories and styles both entertain and inspire me, another sweet deal of a treat.

You’d think I had my fill of treats after all this, but I was also extremely blessed and honored to come to the conference as a Genesis finalist. One of the many benefits of being a finalist, for me, was the chance to make two new friends and prayer partners, my co-finalists Sally Bradley and Karen Shravemade. Sally was not able to attend, but she continued to serve the conference with her faithful prayers. I was thrilled when I learned Karen could attend all the way from Australia. She was just as lovely, kind-hearted and fun as I’d expected. We were both stunned and pleased to find that being a finalist at the conference increased our opportunities to discuss our work with publishers and we were both invited to submit our entries for a look at possible publication.

 

This contest taught me to hope someone might actually like my work. I came grateful for that and continued to pray my daily prayer that the final win would go to the finalist who needed it the most. I trust the Lord to know what’s best, to see farther down the road than we can, and to know which of His kids needs a little extra favor in their corner.

That kid, this time, was me. I am honored to have won the 2011 Genesis Award for Women’s Fiction, (I'm right about the 32 minute mark on this video) especially knowing the gracious, talented company I shared. I believe God knows best and sees all the bumps and turns in the publishing roads ahead for me, Sally, and Karen. He gave each of us the heart’s desire to write and get our words out there for others, words to bring glory and honor to Jesus. He will make a way for each of us to fulfill those dreams, I have no doubt.

Now, to finish the book so we can send it to the houses who said they’d like to see it. Prayers much appreciated!