I hope you all enjoyed participating in the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! I just drew a winner for my extra prize, which was a paperback copy of A Viscount's Proposal, one of my Regency Spies of London stories.
And the winner is . . .
. . .
Laurie Thames!
Congratulations!
I will also announce the grand prize winners a little later. Stay tuned . . .
Monday, October 23, 2017
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #18
Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #18
Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve
just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues
through all 25 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 3 grand
prizes!
·
The hunt BEGINS with Stop #1 at Lisa Bergren’s site.
·
Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as
your browser (not Explorer).
·
There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all
weekend (until Sunday, 10/19 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the
unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books.
·
Submit your entry for the grand prizes by
collecting the clue on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your
answer in the Rafflecopter form at Stop #25. Many authors are offering
additional prizes along the way!
My guest is the talented Angela Hunt.
Angie is the author of more than 140 books for children and adults, including novels about the Biblical women Esther, Bathesheba, and Magdalene. Her newest is a fascinating story called Egypt's Sister.
Here's a short summary of the book: Five decades before the birth of Christ, Chava, daughter of the royal tutor, grows up with Urbi, a princess in Alexandria's royal palace. When Urbi becomes Queen Cleopatra, Chava vows to be a faithful friend no matter what--but after she and Cleopatra have an argument, she finds herself imprisoned and sold into slavery.
Torn from her family, her community, and her elevated place in Alexandrian society, Chava finds herself cast off and alone in Rome. Forced to learn difficult lessons, she struggles to trust a promise HaShem has given her. After experiencing the best and worst of Roman society, Chava must choose between love and honor, between her own desires and God's will for her life.
Angie has a treat for us, a fun quiz to test your Cleopatra IQ. So, without further ado, here is my lovely guest, Angela Hunt:
Why, hello
there! I am very happy to be a guest on
Melanie’s blog today. I’m featuring my new release Egypt’s Sister, which
features Cleopatra as a principal character.
We all think we
know Cleopatra—after all, didn’t we see Elizabeth Taylor play her in the movie?
But while the old movie Cleopatra was pretty accurate historically (and if you
haven’t seen it, you really should!), we have still picked up some false ideas about
Egypt’s most famous queen.
So here’s a
quick and easy quiz for you to test your knowledge about Cleopatra. Ready? Go!
The Cleopatra Quiz
True or False?
1. Cleopatra was descended from a long line of
Egyptian kings and queens.
2. Cleopatra was reported to be one of the
most beautiful women in the world.
3. Cleopatra had one son by Julius Caesar
and none by Mark Antony.
4. Cleopatra was married to both of her
brothers.
5. After Alexander the Great’s death, Cleopatra
was the only Egyptian queen who spoke Egyptian.
6. Cleopatra ruled her kingdom from
Memphis, a great city on the Nile.
7. Cleopatra lived for a time in Rome,
where she was celebrated and adored.
8. Cleopatra was an outcast when Caesar
first arrived in Rome, and she had to be smuggled into the royal palace in a
carpet.
9. Cleopatra died after being bitten by a
poisonous snake.
10. Many Egyptian queens have been named
Cleopatra.
Bonus
question: Is Cleopatra mentioned in the Bible?
And here are
the answers!
Answers:
1. False!
Cleopatra was descended from a long line of GREEK kings and queens. When
Alexander the Great died, his generals divvied up his kingdom. Ptolemy took
Egypt, and his descendants ruled Egypt until Cleopatra, the last queen before
Rome made Egypt a province.
2. False! Cleopatra was known for her
intelligence and her charm, not her beauty. She spoke many languages, she read
and wrote, and she could speak to anyone about practically anything. She knew
how to charm men . . . but her beauty was not her strongest asset.
3. False! Cleopatra did have a son by
Caesar, and was reportedly pregnant with another child at the time of his
murder. That pregnancy probably ended in miscarriage. Later she would have
three children, including a set of twins, by Mark Antony.
4. True! In order to avoid “contaminating”
royal blood, royal heirs frequently married their siblings and/or cousins.
Cleopatra was married to both her younger brothers at different times.
5. True! None of the others ever bothered
to learn the Egyptian language. The language of the capital was Greek.
6. False! All the Ptolemies ruled from
Alexandria, a thoroughly Greek city.
7. True and false. Cleopatra did follow
Caesar to Rome after the birth of Caesarion—but the Romans did not like her or
trust her, fearing that she and Caesar planned to set themselves up as rulers.
When Caesar was murdered, she hurried back to Egypt, where she and her son
would be safer.
8. True. Cleopatra the movie got this
right.
9. Probably false. That’s the story
commonly told, but it’s far more likely she took poison. Her handmaids were
also found dead or dying with her, but no snake.
10. True. Cleopatra, the last queen of
Egypt, was the seventh of that name—unless there were others we don’t know
about. It was a common name for Ptolemy queens.
Bonus question
answer: Cleopatra is mentioned inadvertently.
One Cleopatra (not Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt) was the mother of
tetrarchs Herod and Philip (Luke 3:1). And yet another Cleopatra is mentioned
in the Apocrypha, 1 Maccabees 10:57-58.
Thank you,
Melanie, for allowing me to write for your blog today! On to your next scavenger hunt stop!
~~Angie Hunt
Here’s the Stop #18 Skinny:
You can order Angela’s
book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD
or at your local bookstore!
Clue to Write Down: friend
Link to Stop #19, the Next Stop on the Loop: Angela Hunt’s own site!
***
But
wait! Before you go, I’m offering a paperback copy of A VISCOUNT'S PROPOSAL. To get your name in the drawing, all you have to do is ONE of the following things: Follow my author page on Amazon by clicking the Follow button under my picture, OR follow me on Instagram, MelanieDickerson123, OR "Like" me on Facebook, OR follow me on BookBub, OR subscribe to my mailing list to get my newsletter, sign up form located on the left side of my website home page. Then, please tell me in the comments that you did so, and include your email address so I can contact you if you win.
Happy Scavenger Hunting!!! And reading!!!
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Second Annual British Blooms & Books Giveaway
Hello, gentle
reader, and welcome to the second annual British Blooms and Books giveaway!
This week, we’d like to celebrate the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea FlowerShow. After
enjoying this post, please visit each of the other five authors’ blog posts
(links provided below) and, after a bit of reading fun, follow one simple
instruction and then leave a comment on each blog. You’ll be entered to win a
fabulous, British Blooms and Books prize. (US winners only, please, due to
shipping the petit fours.) Enjoy, and thank you for stopping by!
Here is an excerpt from my newest romance in my Regency
series, A Viscount’s Proposal:
One glance down at her splinted arm reminded Leorah that Lord
Withinghall had acquitted himself well the day before, on the whole, showing
great courage, generosity, and even compassion toward her—which was difficult
to assimilate with how much animosity had existed between them.
Leorah dressed quickly with Becky’s help, being careful of
her wrist, surprised that she hardly felt any pain in it, and hurried down to
breakfast. After a hearty plate of her favorite breakfast foods, she wandered
outside and headed for the rose garden.
The bushes were mostly bare, but one had a few stray roses.
Leorah picked a dark-pink one and held it against her cheek. The soft coolness
of the petals against her skin made her close her eyes and sigh. How good it
was to feel safe and to know her mother, brother, and sister-in-law were inside
the house just behind her, relieved to have her home, her mother and Julia even
crying a few tears of joy when they’d hugged her. They would never force her to
marry Lord Withinghall simply out of fear of a ruined reputation.
But would she be harming them if she did not marry him?
To think of becoming Lord Withinghall’s wife . . . to
endure his glowering looks, his irritation and control, his opinions of what a
proper wife should do and be and think . . . He’d probably force her
to read Hannah More’s treatises on proper religion and morality and forbid any
sort of fiction reading.
She pressed the flower against her lips, breathing in its
soothing scent and exhaling all her fear.
“Lord, help the woman, whoever she
turns out to be.”
I
hope you enjoyed this excerpt from A Viscount’s Proposal and will read the book to find out if Leorah ends up
changing her mind about the viscount, Lord Withinghall.
Now,
to be entered in the drawing, please leave a comment on this blog and either sign up to receive my newsletter at the top
right of this blog, OR click Like on my Facebook author page.
Giveaway Rules:
One grand prize winner
who comments on each of the six authors’ blogs and agrees to the one boldfaced condition posted at the
end of each post will win a signed copy of each of the books plus delivery of six English hat petit
fours to enjoy while you read! Name will be drawn via random.org
Photo from Divine Delights
Finished? Well done!
Please visit these other fabulous authors of England-set historicals to see
what flowers mean to them and their heroines.
LINKS TO PARTICIPANTS:
Melanie Dickerson’s Post [You are Here]
Melanie Dobson’s Post link
Julie Klassen’s Post link
Carrie Turansky’s Post link
Roseanna White’s Post link
Sanda Byrd’s Post link
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Like Contemporary Romance? You'll Love Securing the Handyman's Heart!
Hi, Readers! I really want to introduce you to a friend and fellow writer--well, we used to be critique partners until life got crazy--Katie Clark, who has written a lovely contemporary romance called Securing the Handyman's Heart.
I am confident that you will love this sweet romance between a rather shy but conscientious handyman and a sweet and slightly clumsy bakery owner who specializes in cupcakes. My 15-year-old daughter and I both loved it! And it just released TODAY! So get it while it's hot! (So to speak.) 😊 Also, just as a warning, you may have a distinct craving for strawberry lemon cupcakes after reading it!
ABOUT KATIE:
KATIE CLARK started reading fantastical stories in grade school and her love for books never died. Today she reads in all genres; her only requirement is an awesome story! She writes inspirational romance as well as young adult speculative fiction, including her YA supernatural novel, Shadowed Eden, as well as The Enslaved Series. You can connect with her at her website, on Facebook, or on Twitter.
Katie Clark |
Hi Melanie! Thank you so much for hosting me. I’m so excited
to introduce Securing the Handyman’s Heart to the world, and I’m looking
forward to sharing all about it!
Q. What inspired you to write Securing the Handyman’s Heart?
A. This
might sound a little cooky (is that a word?!), but I get a LOT of my ideas from
dreams. One day I dreamed of this girl who was so frustrated because her
longtime, on again-off again boyfriend wouldn’t commit already. The more I
thought about the dream, the more real the idea became—and I could see the
hilarious potential in the story!
Q. What, if anything, do you and your heroine have in
common?
A. Kayla,
my heroine, has lots of things in common with me. We both love to bake. We both
love fantastic and hunky handymen (yes, my husband can fix anything!). And we
both really just want to do what’s right by the world.
Q. Which character in your new release did you most enjoy
writing? Why?
A. Lou Ann,
Kayla’s best friend, was a hoot to write! She is quirky and crazy and fun. In
fact, book 2 will be all about her!
Q. What smell do you love most, and why?
A. This
will come as no surprise, but I love baking scents. Vanilla, cinnamon, cookie
scents, fruity pie scents…you get the point!
~Katie, please share a verse of scripture that is especially
meaningful to you, and why it is special.
Life it tough. Very, very tough. I like how Securing the Handyman’s Heart isn’t the
typical “head over heels” romance (though there’s definitely lots of romance!),
because sometimes in real life things just don’t work that way. We don’t always
get our happy endings exactly the way we’d thought they would happen, you know?
My favorite verse these days is Psalms
121:1-2, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” Our help and
our hope is in God alone—not relationships, not jobs or presidents or money.
Only God. He is our help (and I’m so
thankful, because He is faithful!).
ABOUT THE STORY:
Local cupcake queen Kayla Dobbs is feeling the heat—just as
her bakery is finally taking off, her retired parents start pressuring her to
move to Florida. Determined to prove her success, she takes on extra work at
the bakery and fibs a little about the depth of her love life. When her mother
announces an upcoming visit to meet the lucky guy, Kayla makes a pact with her
friends to get a proposal from George Marks, town handyman extraordinaire. The
problem is, George seems totally indifferent.
George Marks has enough on his plate with running his business, taking care of an ailing but feisty grandmother, and the possibility of a new business venture on the horizon. But when bumping into Kayla becomes a strangely routine thing, he’s surprised to realize it has also become the highlight of his days. As business spirals out of control and Granny takes a turn for the worse, he’s sure he made one too many commitments.
With a dash of matchmaking granny and a pinch of secret cupcake recipe, Kayla and George find themselves in one messy kitchen. But will they find themselves in love?
George Marks has enough on his plate with running his business, taking care of an ailing but feisty grandmother, and the possibility of a new business venture on the horizon. But when bumping into Kayla becomes a strangely routine thing, he’s surprised to realize it has also become the highlight of his days. As business spirals out of control and Granny takes a turn for the worse, he’s sure he made one too many commitments.
With a dash of matchmaking granny and a pinch of secret cupcake recipe, Kayla and George find themselves in one messy kitchen. But will they find themselves in love?
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Add A Spy's Devotion to your Goodreads list!
Don't forget to add A Spy's Devotion to your Goodreads list!
And don't forget to pre-order this Regency Romance and homage to Jane Austen!
Sunday, December 06, 2015
New Covers to Share with You!!!
COVER REVEAL!!!
I just realized I have not revealed my two new covers here on my blog. Yep, that's right. I have TWO new covers!
My Regency romance, A Spy's Devotion, releases in just TWO MONTHS! I can hardly wait to share the story and characters with you. In the meantime, here is the absolutely gorgeous cover, which was created by my very first cover artist, Mike Heath of Magnus Creative, for my new publisher, Waterfall, an imprint of Amazon Publishing.
And, without further ado, here is the beautiful cover depicting my heroine, Julia Grey, in the mysterious night time setting of a Regency country house garden with a luminous moon and Regency-era mansion in the background.
In England’s Regency era, manners and elegance reign in public life—but behind closed doors, treason and tawdriness thrive.
Nicholas Langdon is no stranger to reserved civility or bloody barbarity. After suffering a battlefield injury, the wealthy, well-connected British officer returns home to heal—and to fulfill a dying soldier’s last wish by delivering his coded diary.
At the home of the Wilherns, one of England’s most powerful families, Langdon attends a lavish ball where he meets their beautiful and intelligent ward, Julia Grey. Determined to maintain propriety, he keeps his distance—until the diary is stolen and all clues lead to Julia’s guardian.
As Langdon traces an evil plot that could be the nation’s undoing, he grows ever more intrigued by the lovely young woman. And when Julia realizes that England—and the man she is falling in love with—need her help, she finds herself caught in the fray. Will the two succumb to their attraction while fighting to save their country?
Preorder it for your Kindle for only $5.99!
And below is the cover that I revealed in my newsletter. The Beautiful Pretender is the sequel to The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest, which tells the story of the margrave and the beautiful servant girl who catches his eye and steals his heart.
Preorder the ebook for the special preorder price of $4.99!
And don't forget that The Golden Braid, a new Hagenheim story, has just released! Available now from your local book store or online retailer.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Winners from the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt!
I know you are all wondering who won the amazing prizes from the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt over the weekend! Well, here they are!
Grand Prize: Shay Teague
Purple Prize: Kristine Klein
Pink Prize: Dana McCall Michael
And the winner of a paperback set of all 5 of my YA Medieval fairy tale romance series is . . .
Kaycie!!!
Congratulations to all the winners! Thanks for participating the scavenger hunt, and I hope you were able to find some new authors to read and love. That's what it's all about.
Grand Prize: Shay Teague
Purple Prize: Kristine Klein
Pink Prize: Dana McCall Michael
And the winner of a paperback set of all 5 of my YA Medieval fairy tale romance series is . . .
Kaycie!!!
Congratulations to all the winners! Thanks for participating the scavenger hunt, and I hope you were able to find some new authors to read and love. That's what it's all about.
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