Scavenger Hunt Stop #27

Scavenger Hunt Stop #27

Mar 13, 2019

 

 

 

You made it! Thanks for taking the tour through all our stops to complete your list of clues. You can enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. If you have difficulty with the Rafflecopter, you may email me at Lisa@BergrenCreativeGroup.com with your name, address, and completed clue sentence by Sunday night, 3/17/19. I will enter your info into Rafflecopter prior to drawing the winners on Monday, March 18. Individual authors will notify their winners themselves. Thanks for taking part! (Look for our next hunt this fall! Subscribers to my e-newsletter will be notified when it begins.)

GRAND PRIZES:

FIRST PRIZE: $250 Amazon gift certificate and all 26 books (app. $600 combined value)
SECOND PRIZE: $75 Amazon gift certificate and all 26 books (app. $425 combined value)
THIRD PRIZE: $25 Amazon gift certificate and all 26 books (app. $375 combined value)
FOURTH PRIZE: $25 Amazon gift certificate
FIFTH PRIZE: $25 Amazon gift certificate

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #1

Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #1

Mar 13, 2019

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! Be sure to collect the clues through all 27 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 3 grand prizes!

  • The hunt BEGINS on 3/14 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com.
  • 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, 3/17 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
  • 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 #27. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

 

My guest is the amazing historical writer, Lori Benton. I love following her on Facebook because she takes the most amazing photographs! And we are currently writing in a similar time period/location, so that makes me all the more intrigued with her. Her newest book is set on a plantation in the 1740s (while mine is in the 1770s).  Here’s her formal bio: LORI BENTON’s novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she expertly brings to life the colonial and early federal periods of American history. She is the author of Burning Sky, recipient of three Christy Awards: Christy finalist Many Sparrows, and other novels. Connect with Lori on Facebook: @AuthorLoriBenton

 

Here’s a brief summary of The King’s Mercy: When captured rebel Scotsman Alex MacKinnon is granted the king’s mercy—transport and exile to the colony of North Carolina—he’s indentured as a blacksmith to Edmund Carey, prosperous owner of Severn Plantation. Unwittingly, Alex is drawn into the plight of Carey’s slaves, particularly those connected to Carey’s stepdaughter, Joanna. Despite his growing bond with Joanna, Alex’s longing to break his own chains of servitude and forge his freedom forces him to face the choice that hounds him: continue down his rebellious path or embrace a mercy that might cost the life he seeks to save.


The King’s Mercy: A Cover Journey

by Lori Benton

A novel’s creation is a twisty journey. From conception, through plotting and writing, then multiple editing passes, a story changes shape. So does its cover, something I learned when my first novel, Burning Sky, debuted in 2013. Cover journeys continue to fascinate me, so let’s take a look at the cover evolution of The King’s Mercy, my historical novel releasing in June, from Waterbrook Press.

The first two compositions in this group differ greatly from what we eventually landed on. I feel the first two reflect well the story and main characters—particularly the second one since my hero, Alex MacKinnon, is an indentured blacksmith. But neither gown is from the 1740s and I’m not thrilled with the tiny title in the first. I like seeing the mountains in the third cover, since the story is set in the heart of Cherokee country for several chapters. But other settings are more dominant. Still the overall design is close to what I’d envisioned for this book.

Both covers in this second group contain elements that appear in the finished cover, despite the cooler color palette. The title is a little hard to read in the first and differs from my previous books. The familiar font is back in the second, as well as the river and house. Still the journey isn’t over.

In the two covers below the color palette has warmed up. The setting is strong in the first. We have a stock Joanna Carey (the heroine) in the second. Now to blend the best of these and do a photo shoot with a new model to achieve a look exclusive to The King’s Mercy…

Flip that river, add a unique Joanna in a gown perfect for the period, and voila! We have a finished book cover.

Thanks to the art department at Waterbrook & Multnomah (cover artists Kristopher Orr and Kelly Howard) for providing this look into the cover journey for The King’s Mercy. 

 Got a favorite among the covers that weren’t chosen as the final? Let me know in the comments, and if you’d like, tell us what appeals to you about it.

 

 

HERE’S THE STOP #1 SKINNY:

You can order Lori’s book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD or at your local bookstore! 

Clue to Write Down: Every

Link to Stop #2, the Next Stop on the Loop: Lori Benton’s own site!

 

 

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! I’m raffling off 5 copies of either Keturah or Verity in the Sugar Baron’s Daughters trilogy (the choice is yours). All you have to do is sign up to receive email newsletters and announcements from me, and there are additional points to be gained if you follow me on Goodreads, Bookbub, and Facebook. Thanks for entering! (USA only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Save the Date! The Spring Scavenger Hunt is Coming Up!

Save the Date! The Spring Scavenger Hunt is Coming Up!

Feb 25, 2019

If you’ve never done one of my scavenger hunts before, you’re in for a treat! Join us March 14-17 (you have all weekend to complete the hunt) and learn about 26 authors’ new releases, their research, or interesting aspects about their books or lives. In the process, you’ll pick up 26 clues that will allow you to enter for the big prizes:

FIRST PRIZE: $250 Amazon gift card, plus all 26 autographed books!
SECOND PRIZE: $75 Amazon gift card, plus all 26 autographed books!
THIRD PRIZE: $25 Amazon gift card, plus all 26 autographed books!
FOURTH PRIZE: $25 Amazon gift card
FIFTH PRIZE: $25 Amazon gift card

PLUS, many authors along the loop will be offering additional prizes along the way. So come and learn about 26 new releases for 2019 so you can add good selections to your upcoming reading!

IF YOU’D LIKE A REMINDER for when the hunt begins, be sure to sign up for the Scavenger Hunt email notices here.

Once Upon A Montana Summer Releases!

Once Upon A Montana Summer Releases!

Jan 15, 2019

Ready for a romantic read with a dash of suspense?? The first book in my contemporary Once Upon a Summer series is out now and available:

  • In print and autographed from my new “Lisa B’s Book Nook” shopping cart!
  • In print via Amazon and Barnes & Noble
  • In print via  your local bookstore! (If it’s not in stock, give them ISBN 978-0-9885476-1-2 and they can order it for you.)
  • In e-book format on all major platforms, including Kindle and Nook.
  • In audio, read by the same narrator who narrated Keturah, the wonderful Amy Landon!

Here’s the summary:
Adalyn Stalling’s clients convinced her to be a contestant on their reality TV show, The One. Milllions of viewers tune in each week to watch a group of bachelorettes try to win one bachelor’s heart, and then during the next season, watch bachelors do the same.
     Adi appeared on the show twice—once as a potential love-match for the bachelor, once as the bachelorette. As a marketing executive for the firm who handles the show, Adi initially became a part of the cast in order to learn more from the “inside.” But as much as she wanted to stay professionally removed, she ended up giving her heart to both Adam and Connor.
     Both times, the men broke it off.
     Now America’s most famous “loser at love,” Adalyn is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Given the media frenzy and the paparazzi that chase her, she’s finding it difficult. And just as she learns she may have picked up a stalker, her childhood friend, Chase Rollins, tracks her down at last. He informs her that her beloved grandfather is ailing and needs her help, in more ways than one.
     So begins an epic summer in which Adalyn needs to decide where she belongs, what she is supposed to do, and with whom she might find true love at last. All Once Upon a Montana Summer…

“With a deft hand born of experience and talent, Lisa T. Bergren fuses heartbreak, insecurity, and regret with a slow burn romance, small town charm, and a revelatory journey about what matters most in her contemporary romance, Once Upon a Montana Summer. Readers will identify with Adi’s missteps with love and understand her shattered heart. They will fall in love with Chase’s gentle pursuit, adore Adi’s ailing Gramps, and hope for friends as loyal as Logan and Bea. Tender romance, humourous moments, and a hint of danger make a visit to Glacier within the pages of this love story essential for every romance devotee.” –Rel Mollet, RelzReviews.com

“While I enjoy a good series, I really enjoy when a book has everything I need in one volume; romance, suspense and a ‘happily ever after.’ Bergren never disappoints in a new story and she is always a favorite of mine. I highly recommend Once Upon a Montana Summer, you won’t be disappointed! –Julie Graves, My Favorite Pastime Blog

Grab YOUR copy today!

Mini Montana Scavenger Hunt

Mini Montana Scavenger Hunt

Jan 15, 2019

Some of you may have done my semi-annual BIG Christian fiction scavenger hunt, where you collect a clue from each stop and then enter for a big prize. Well, in honor of my new release, ONCE UPON A MONTANA SUMMER, we’re doing a mini five-day hunt!

Each day, there will be a new post, and you can visit the site, read and comment on the post. IMPORTANT: JOT DOWN THE CLUE AT EACH STOP OF THE HUNT so you have all your answers together to enter the Rafflecopter form on the 19th. Or you can wait until the end and visit all five sites at once! JOIN US ANYTIME THIS WEEK–OR DO IT ALL ON THE 19th & 20th. Here are the posts, the days they appear, and the information you need to collect from each. YOU ENTER THAT INFORMATION ON THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM. Not in the comments, please!

PRIZES:
Book giveaway at each stop, each day!
AND…HERE AT THE END:
1st: $100 Amazon gift card
2nd: $30 Amazon gift card
3rd, 4th, 5th: 3 romance novels that I wrote at the beginning of my career!

Jan 15: Finding Wonderland; 7 Reasons to Read Romance
Fill in this answer from Lisa: They inspire us to be _____ _______ _________. 

Jan 16: Faithfully Bookish; Why Montana?
Fill in this answer. Lisa spent most of her summer “spending long languid days __________ the _________ or swimming in an icy lake.”

Jan 17: Reading is My Superpower; Excerpt from Once Upon a Montana Summer
Why does Chase come to see Adalyn in Chicago?

Jan 18: Wishful Endings, Q&A with me
Who are some other contemporary romance authors Lisa enjoys reading?

Jan 19: Relz Reviewz; Why Once Upon a Summer?
What is Lisa’s favorite season of the year?

Jan 20: Last chance to visit all 5 blog stops!

Jan 21: Winner drawn here on this page! Enter by midnight on 1/21/19 (MST)! We’ll notify the winner on 1/22, using the email you used to enter Rafflecopter. If you are having trouble using the Rafflecopter form, you may email Lisa@BergrenCreativeGroup.com with all 5 answers and your full name midnight on 1/21. This contest is open to international entrants. If someone outside of the USA wins 3rd-5th prize, I’ll send them a $30 USD gift card instead.

Jan 22: Winners announced

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway