Gratitude Giveaway

Hey, all you Paper and Parchment fans! Have I got a deal for you? It’s a thankful give-away just for you! You have been so kind to listen to my hopes and fears through the months of this becoming-published business! I really appreciate your support and encouragement.

I love doing author signings and meeting people. This blog hop is a great way to find friends and meet others. Besides, you may win a time travel to visit the Prophet Brigham Young! What fun. Just remember, if you’re going to borrow you dad’s experimental phone, know exactly how it works!

I'm giving away a copy of my new release, Texting Through Time, a Trek with Brigham Young. It's a great Christmas gift for kids ages 7 – 13. Enjoy reading it with them just for fun. Thanks for being blog buddies. Click here to see my website. I'm hosting a second giveaway on my website for an Amazon Gift Card. Hop on over and leave a comment to be entered in the Gift Card Giveaway.

To be entered in the giveaway for Texting Through Time, just leave a comment after this post, and tell me why you'd like to win my book.

This contest is part of a blog hop. There are over 300 other contests you can enter. After you enter here, be sure to hop along to the next one. Click the Gratitude Button on the sidebar to hop along. It looks like this.



The contest runs until November 27, which gives you lots of time to enter other contests. What a great way to win cool books. Think of all the Christmas Gifts you could win.

The winners for both giveaways will be selected by random.org.

Christy Monson
http://www.ChristyMonson.com

One Hundred and Nine Fabulous Entries

One Hundred and Nine People who love to read entered the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza on this post. I'm eggstatic. Thanks for participating.

Aren't books just the best? Books have brought so much enjoyment and comfort to me. Every book I read has an impact on my life and changes me in some way. Books I write change me even more.

One lucky person is about to receive a $10.00 gift card to amazon/kindle. I will send it to your email. You can look for it this afternoon. And the winner is....(drumroll please) Lisa Peters. I will be sending The Book of Positive Messages to Awesome Niks who came in 2nd. Awesome, I will need a mailing address for that. Watch your email and you can send the address in a reply.

I had a great interview yesterday with the awesome Linda Adams. Click here to read it. It's on her blog.

Reading Rocks!
Linda Garner

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway

Do you love books? Me too. That’s why I couldn’t resist this Easter Hop. It’s a great chance to win cool stuff. If you love books you’ll want to hop in. Here’s a list of all the sites offering great book giveaways for the next four days.

Every blog on this hop is giving away something fun. You might find books, you might find gift certificates, you might find fun, book-related swag. But each and every blog has something to offer you, and all you have to do is click on the links below, follow that blog's easy instructions, and poof! You are entered. Then you move right along to the next site, and you tell your friends how much fun you're having.

All you need to do to be entered in my giveaway is become a follower of Paper and Parchment and post a comment telling me that you’re wild about books. How easy is that? If you’re already a follower, just post a comment. Eggzactly what will you win? On this site, you can win A $10.00 gift certificate at Amazon/Kindle. How cool is that.



For an eggstra chance to win, copy the e-poster from last weeks post and pass it on. Think email, facebook, twitter, whatever. Be sure your comment tells me that you did this, so I can give you credit. Just to make it easier I’m reposting the e-poster so that you don’t have to hunt for it. Just right-click and copy or save. If you win, I’ll need an email address to send the gift certificate.




Click here to hop along to the next blog.



The Easter Hop ends at 11:59 p.m. on April 25.

Hoppy Easter.

Linda Garner

Writing for the Peanut Butter Crowd

Here's me in Ephraim at the Author's Extravaganza doing what I love most. Teaching. Teaching has always been my first love. I guess that's why I love public speaking and school visits.

I taught two writing classes at the Conference. Writing for the Peanut Butter Crowd was a primer for picture book writing. We had so much fun that they asked me to keep going, while the administration was knocking at the door and telling me to STOP.

I also taught about Writing on a Sensitive Topic and share some of my experience writing and publishing Some Secrets Hurt. Another topic I never tire of.

Friend-husband and I went early and did some school visits. We taught 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders about the writer's voice. I used my unpublished manuscript Grudge Rock and it was a hit. Some of the kids showed up at the conference, and asked where they could buy Grudge Rock. I think I'd better call my publisher.

If you love to read or write, stop by here tomorrow and join the Easter Hop. It's a chance to do a little blog hopping and win cool book prizes. It starts at midnight, tonight. Tell all your friends.

Linda Garner.

Summer Treasure Hunt

I hope your summer will be filled with fun and adventure, along with relaxing moments and a great book to read. My author friend Joyce Dipastena has organized a summer treasure hunt to give away some awesome books for your summer reading pleasure. A different book is featured each day.

To enter you must go to the website or blog of the featured author and find the answer to the question. You can enter every contest, or just the ones that interest you, and you can enter them all now. You don’t have to wait until the contest day to do your sleuthing. Correct answers earn you a chance to win the book. The hunt officially started yesterday, so one day is already gone. Hurry over and get started. Click here to join the fun.

Happy Summer!

Linda Garner

Name that Park!

I have the most amazingfantasticsuperwonderful news to share. A Healing Place Monument has found a home. We have been offered a lovely piece of land in a city park somewhere in the Salt Lake Valley. It’s a perfectly beautiful secluded setting complete with water, ducks, and a bridge. Our dream is coming true. Take a look at the pictures. Do you know this park?

The first person to correctly guess the park will receive an autographed copy of Some Secrets Hurt along with a darling handmade blanket, made by my friend Lisa Rentfro.

The race is on. Name that Park!

Linda Garner

P.S.

This is not a contest to find a name for our monument. This is a contest to see if you recognize the park. Remember Name That Tune? Well now, it's Name That Park. Hint: It's in South Salt Lake.

You CAN make a difference

Everyone wants to make a difference. When we hear about children who have been abused our hearts ache. “How did it happen?” we wonder. When it ends in tragedy we feel deep sorrow, and regret. Could something have been done? Can we do something to prevent child abuse? Can we make a difference?

Because I believe that we can stop this madness, I am involved in child abuse prevention. I invite you to join us in that effort. You can start by participating in the No More Secrets walk/run. You can sign up today. You can help us spread the word. You can encourage your friends and family to sign up.

Our contest for a $25.00 Barnes and Noble Gift Card is still open. You have until Friday at midnight to block, twitter, or facebook about the walk. Each of those earns you one chance to win. Respond to this post to tell me how many chances you have earned. I’ll throw in an extra chance to anyone who does a mass email about the walk. Send it out to everyone in your address book. If you get us a spot on the radio or in a newspaper, I’ll give you three chances to win.

I could use your help lining up entertainment. Some of the folks we expected to come through for entertainment haven't, and so I am scrambling to fill some time slots. After the walk we will have free food and entertainment, along with drawings for cool stuff. This is a family friendly walk, so we want family friendly stuff. Do you know any performers who would enjoy the chance to make a difference?

We also need sponsors of every kind. If you know of a business or an individual who would like to donate food, prizes for drawings, or money, let me know. Everyone who donates will get their name on our website and be recognized on the day of the walk. Anyone who donates $100 will also have their name on the back of the t-shirt. Good advertising. Sponsors for the t-shirts need to be in this week, so that we have time to print the shirts.

Do you have a service or a product that you could donate for our drawings? Do you have a business who could use this kind of advertising?

I would love for you to come participate in the walk on April 17. It's just $5.00 if you pre-register. At the walk it will be $10.00. You can pre-register any time before April 17. If you register by Friday, you get a free t-shirt. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Why not walk with us to prevent child abuse? Register at ahealingplacemonument.org.

Oh and by the way, did I mention…We’re gonna have a good time! Come join us. We’re gonna make a difference, and we're gonna have fun!

Our goal is No More Secrets, because Some Secrets Hurt.

Linda Garner

Book Review: Women of the Book of Mormon... plus contest update!

When I first heard about Heather Moore’s Women of the Book of Mormon, I wondered if it was a one page book. If you’ve read the Book of Mormon, you know what I mean. There aren’t many women mentioned in the Book of Mormon, and there isn’t a lot of detail about any of them. I was pleasantly surprised.

Heather Moore has managed to gather threads of truth about some amazing women, and I found her book difficult to put down. The book is subtitled insights and inspirations with good reason, for I found Heather’s thoughts very insightful and inspirational. I have always loved being a woman. Getting to know these valiant woman gives me another reason to rejoice in my feminine nature.

Women of the Book of Mormon honors women like Sariah, Abish, Sister Lamoni, Sister Mormon, and the mothers of the Stripling Warriors. We also hear about Eve, Mary, and Sarah, biblical women who are mentioned in the Book of Mormon. After reading about these valiant women, I feel closer to them. I feel honored to share their traditions and their beliefs as righteous women of God.

Only six women in the book of Mormon are mentioned by name. Sariah, wife of Lehi; Eve, wife of Adam; Mary, mother of Jesus; Sarah, wife of Abraham; Abish, servant of King Lamoni, and Isabel, the harlot who was Corianton's downfall. I have often wondered why so little was said about women in the scriptures. Heather tells us that their story is related in words like bear children, toil, spin, work, chastity, great faith, forsaken, afflictions, taught, tears, prayer, broken hearts, love, sacred support, and blessed.

“Love is the connection that can bring us closer to these women,” says Heather. “By understanding their lives, their losses, and their triumphs, we begin to understand them.”

Whether you are a serious student of the Book of Mormon or a casual reader, I invite you to get to know your other sisters: the women whose stories lie within the sacred pages of the Book of Mormon. As I read Heather's book, I gained new insight and a new love for sisters whose lives were different from mine. I found that there is much we share.

Linda Garner

P.S.
Contest Update. Only 3 people have entered the contest to win a $25.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble. You have until April 1 to blog, tweet, or facebook about the No More Secrets Walk/Run. Each earns you one chance to win. Tell all your friends. Do it today! You can enter HERE. Register for the Walk at ahealingplacemonumnet.org.

Contest!!! Win a gift card to Barnes and Noble

Please help us spread the word about our No More Secrets Walk. If you mention our walk and link to the No More Secrets post and ahealingplacemonument.org you will be entered in a drawing to win a $25.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble. Cool, huh?

You can do the magic on your personal blog, twitter, or facebook. If you do all three, you get three chances to win. Reply to this post, telling me how many chances you have earned. Be sure to say we are walking to prevent child abuse. The deadline is April 1. Go bloggers!

P.S.
The walk is a 5k. It takes 3 loops to make 5k, so if you want to do only one or two loops, you can.

If you missed the No More Secrets post, It's right here. Just scroll down.

No More Secrets

I’m excited to tell you about the No More Secrets Walk being held on April 17 in Sugar House Park. We are walking to prevent child abuse. This is a family friendly walk/run. Please come join us. Tell all your friends.

The walk starts at 11:00 a.m, with check-in and registration beginning at 10:30. Both runners and walkers are welcome. Families and individuals are welcome. Strollers are welcome. After the walk we will have free food, entertainment, and drawings throughout the afternoon, until 3:00, when we will clean up and go home.

At the walk we will also introduce plans for A Healing Place, a monument to healing in remembrance of abused children. We hope to build this beautiful monument in Salt Lake City. To find out more, or to register for the walk go to ahealingplacemonument.org. It costs just $5.00 to participate in the walk and if you register before April 2, you get a free t-shirt.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Abuse Awareness Month. Keeping kids safe is everyone’s job.

No More Secrets. Register today.

Linda Garner

p.s.

Hey bloggers,
Help us spread the word. Check back tomorrow for contest details. You could win something good. LG