Debutant Ball!

Small Deceptions is going to a débutante ball!

Francesca Kennington loves to study. Her mother has other ideas--mostly involving Francesca and a speedy marriage to a very rich, titled man.
Then Francesca meets someone who shares many of the same values she shares. He just isn't rich enough for her mother. That's when the deceptions start to fly. Francesca and her sweetheart must find a way to marry for love instead of money and still keep peace with Lady Kennington.

"I have to tell you how much I enjoyed Small Deceptions. I hunkered down with it for two days and devoured it. I would like a Daniel Stirling, please?"  Jeri Crews

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Pick up your luscious copy of H. Linn Murphy's Small Deceptions and read sample chapters here. For a signed copy, go the sidebar and click on the cart button.

And now for the contest:
Look for my questions and hints to start on the 23rd of December. Buying my book gets you 25 points. The clue winner each day gets 10 points. Doing a review of my book on Amazon or Goodreads gets you 20 points. Following this blog gets you a point. Every shout-out you send out on Facebook and/or Twitter gets 1 point per shout-out per day. The more posts, the more points you win. Please let me know what you've done or provide clue answers in comments to this post. The contest ends on December 30 and prizes are awarded on January 2.

The candles of the chandeliers flutter in the ballroom with the swish of passing silks and satins. The room is ablaze with light, reflected in the faces of the laughing dancers. Music weaves its magical tapestry and sets our toes in motion. We are caught in its threads, gliding to and fro in complex sets. The crush of the crowd makes me glad we have not yet set the yule log a-light. How handsome my partner is in his coat and tails! He guides us flawlessly around the dance floor, his hand firm upon my back. He glances down at me and his face lights with a smile. A frisson of goosebumps goes down my back. There is something strange in his eyes. What is it?

The first clue question for my little contest is this: How did my mission to Mars end? Hint: The title of the post contains the word Red. Have fun!
Second question: Which of Hunter's teachers do I wish I had met? Hint: The title of the post contains a flower.

Third question: How did I end up behind enemy lines? Hint: April post 

Fourth question: What is my favorite flower? Hint: Another July post about a trip holds this answer. 

Fifth question: How much did we spend on buying our van?

Sixth question: Which country do the characters of Summerhouse visit on their vacation?

Want to win more book fun? Please follow the author names and December dates below! Good luck and don't forget to have FUN!

12 Elizabeth Mueller elizabethmueller.blogspot.com
Darkspell looks fantastic. It's going on top of my MUST-READ pile. And my teenagers will probably swipe it as well. I enjoyed my waltz at Elizabeth's, though the crowd was stupendous!

13 Regan Guerra reganguerra.blogspot.com
Regan's world-building was astounding with a whole well-thought out language to boot! What an intriguing book.
I quite enjoyed the Spanish Waltz at Regan's--especially since my partner is dashing in black tails!

14 Melissa Pearl melissapearl.blogspot.com

This set of books is going to be a fun romp! I can just see Gemma and Harrison playing hide 'n' seek through time.

I'm doing the swing at Melissa's lovely ball! I love this dance--especially with a partner who knows what he's doing.

December 15 Claudia Lefeve http://www.claudialefeve.com

I'm greatly looking forward to reading Claudia's Parallel! Go get it for sure!

Ah such wonderful dancing! The lights at Claudia's are truly magical!

16 Joseph Beekman josephsstoriesandtales.blogspot.com

Such deliciously interesting premises! I think I'd be the spider.

The ball at Beekman Hall is a mad crush. I shall soon be in need of a glass of punch! Until then, it's a beautiful waltz with a handsome partner.

17 Pendragon Innmen PendragonWrites.comPendragon's book Fire Gate is captivating and a must-read! I can't wait to put my hands on it and cuddle up next to my video fire with a cup of cocoa.

Pendragon's ball was the smash of the season! The music caught us into a cloud of dizzying laughter and stole our breaths away.

19 Alex J. Cavanaugh alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com
Ah Alex! I love a good SF read! And Serenity tops the list of SF movies. I'm a brown coat to the hilt. I can't wait to read your Cassa series! I'm always trawling for great SF! I'm 4 books into my own SF series (Watchers) but haven't finished polishing them enough for my satisfaction. Glad to meet you!
I greatly enjoyed my dance with this evening's gracious host! He leads with a firm but delicate hand.

20 Gillian Schafer gillianjoy-livingtowrite.blogspot.com

I can't wait to read Guardian! I want to find out why Hannah is the Guardian and what she's guarding against and if she finally gets the guy (at least one). I'm hooked! Go check it out!

I do so love a delightful gallop about the dance floor! Gillian's hall was a fairyland of light and color. I could have danced all night!  21 FiaunaLund formyfour.blogspot.com
Fiauna's mind-reading fairies are catching my fancy! Now I want my own set of wings (though not the little ones I'm trying to give Aislinn). I can't wait to read this book and find out what happens to Avril and Vestyn. Join me in the fairy ring, won't you?Fiauna's ball is held in a folly by a lake. The water reflects the light and fractures it into a million facets. The music sets our toes (and wings) fluttering.
22 Anastasia V. Pergakis labotomyofawriter.com 

Anastasia's elves are ever so intriguing! I can't wait to read about them! And fighting elves, no less! I used to beg my mother constantly to tell me fairy stories. She never mentioned the fighting fey, though. This is a twist I liked in Tolkein as well (thanks Legolas!)  Check out this book!
Anastasia's ball was held outside on a dance floor in the forest. The light glitters in the trees and is enfolds the dancers in its glow. The music drifts through the forest and draws the fey folk in to dance with us!

26 Tanya Contois
 http://speedyreader-allthingsbooks.blogspot.com/
Now I'm dying to know what a Cambion is. And whether Jocelyn will prevail over Garden (cool name!) and Sin (Another cool name. Do they say Sin or Shin?)
The ball at Tanya's was ethereal and otherworldly. The air was so full of orange blossom that it felt almost as if we were swimming through scent. Heady and utterly exciting!



27 Patti Larsen
pattilarsen.blogspot.com

Patti's Family Magic looks intriguing! I'm wondering about whether Sydlynn will follow in the family footsteps or make her own way.
This ball was all black tails and white organza. One red rose provided the only splash of color. How elegant!

28 Red Tash
RedTash.com

Red's This Brilliant Darkness has caught my fancy! I can't wait to find out if Christine prevails against Greachin in their fight.
Red's ball was all in scarlets and vermilions and deepest crimsons. It was a masked ball and the dancers flitted eerily in and out of massive onyx columns.

29Annetta Ribken
wordwebbing.com

I can't wait to read Athena's Promise! I enjoy Greek Mythology anyway, but crunching it in with a modern girl with modern problems, MAGIC!
Annetta's ball was, of course, a toga party. I rocked the toga and the dancing was great fun! I went as Diana.

30 Cindy Hogan
watched-thebook.blogspot.com

Cindy's Good-bye ball was luscious in its profusion of silks and satins. Such gems winking at the throats and ears of the dancers. Such dashing partners! I danced holes in my shoes and now fall exhausted in a reverie of magical splendor.

Watched is shaping up to be a delicious offering! I can't wait to find out what kinds of trouble Christy gets into on her trip to DC.

I have so enjoyed my time with my fellow débutantes! I'm looking forward to being great friends with you all! Bon chance!

H. Linn Murphy

Housekeeping

Whew! Finally got the blog background to work again. I had to go into the code and add s1600 to the parameters because Picasa changed their code. Glad to have my blog back!

Eclectic Book Catalog

Hey, guys I have a great little catalog for you. It's at:
http://www.eclecticbookscatalog.com/
Check it out! It's got not only my book, but books by several other wonderful authors and is a great place to do Christmas shopping!

A Flight to the Nether Lands

I love this song. It never fails to inspire me. I sit here listening to it and find that every hair on the back of my neck is standing straight up.

Just before college I went up to Alaska to fish and work in the canneries to raise money for school. The first year, I went, we had lots of time off because the fishermen were on strike that season. So instead of spending it getting drunk or stoned like the most of my friends, I went climbing.

We climbed in the mountains in back of Kodiak (town) and also the ones in back of our cannery in Uyak Bay. It was so magnificent to see the sparkling bay spread out in front, to taste the bone-chillingly cold snow melt water, and to feel the breeze lift tendrils of sweat-plastered hair as the sun drenched us like warm chicken soup.

One day off as we hiked up behind the cannery, Mike (a friend) and I got between a mama bear and her two cubs. We'd never hiked so fast in our lives (so...no pictures).
By the time we got to the top, we were just blasted. We kicked back in the foot-deep reindeer moss and luxuriated in the fragrant sponginess. Mike had brought his tape deck and I'd given him my Netherlands tape to play.

Just as that song came on, up over the brow of the mountain rose a bald eagle, breathtakingly magnificent in it's majesty. It had almost a five foot wingspan. The breeze riffled its feathers, which were limned by the golden afternoon light. Its keen eye pierced me, as if it could see my thoughts.

Mike and I didn't even want to breathe, let alone move. I was worried that the music would send the bird diving away. On the contrary, the eagle seemed to be listening to the music as it hung suspended about a yard and a half above us on the thermal column.

Finally the song ended; and, too, the eagle seemed to be released from its spellbound state. It slipped over the crest of the mountain and glided spiraling downward into the misty distance.

The moment was one of those perfect moments caught as if in amber, sharp and brilliant. We couldn't speak for several minutes, just taking it all in. I stood up later and spread my arms and it felt almost as if I, too, could spiral down off that cliff top on a handy thermal. Joy radiated through out every sinew of my body. I felt as if I were made of light.

Netherlands distills, for me, a string of those kinds of moments. It was a free time in my life, in which I was at several kinds of crossroads. I had left home and family behind in Oregon and gone (unbeknown to them) up to Alaska to seek my fortune. I was embarking on my college career, exploring dating options, and most of all, examining what I truly believed about God and religion. It was no longer a time to rely on my parents' beliefs and testimonies.

So I really 'got' Dan's crossroads reference. I wanted to fly. I wanted to stretch my wings like that kingly raptor, and feel the sun on my face and the wind in my feathers. This song always makes me want to shut my eyes and raise my arms in flight, as I did so long ago on the peak of that mountain. In fact, I often do.

I offer these images as a morning gift to you.

Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop

I'm participating in the Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop, hosted by Inksplasher.

What's a Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop? It's a group of bloggers who are giving away books as prizes!

The hop runs from December 1 through the 15th. All books will be shipped on December 16th. We can't guarantee books will arrive in time for Christmas, but we're going to give it a good try!

At the end of this post, you'll see a long list of the participating blogs. Just click the links and go check out the contests.

I'm offering a book by Anne McCaffrey called The Wings of Pegasus, in honor of her passing.

Deadline to enter: Thursday, December 15, 2011.


To enter to win this book:

1. Become a follower of my blog (right sidebar)
   
   
2. Leave a comment telling me the title and author of a book you're giving as a Christmas gift this year.
   
   
3. Optional: Facebook to spread the word. (Let me know in the comments what you've done. One extra entry per post.)

That's it! The winner will be posted and notified at the end of the hop.

I'm participating in the Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop, hosted by Inksplasher.

What's a Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop? It's a group of bloggers who are giving away books as prizes!

The hop runs from December 1 through the 15th. All books will be shipped on December 16th. We can't guarantee books will arrive in time for Christmas, but we're going to give it a good try!

At the end of this post, you'll see a long list of the participating blogs. Just click the links and go check out the contests.

I'm giving away a copy of Anne McCaffrey's The Wings of Pegasus in honor of her passing.

Deadline to enter: Thursday, December 15, 2011.


To enter to win this book:

1. Become a follower of my blog (right sidebar)
   
   
2. Leave a comment telling me the title and author of a book you're giving as a Christmas gift this year.
   
   
3. Optional: Facebook to spread the word. (Let me know in the comments what you've done. One extra entry per post.)
   

That's it! The winner will be posted and notified at the end of the hop.