Monday, June 17, 2019

CAMEO COURTSHIPS Release Party! #giveaway



Deb and Susie here, welcoming you all to our release party!  This latest novella collection is fresh off the presses from Barbour Publishing, thanks to a great idea Susanne Dietze came up with!
Look at us in Gettysburg, PA!
We'll be giving away a paperback, but before we get busy chatting, please let our waiters offer you a sweet! Let us know if you've had a chance to read and what you think!
Or buy it now!


PINNED ABOVE HER HEART by Susanne Dietze
1851 – Pittsburgh, PA
After receiving the Victoria Cameo, aspiring journalist Clara Newton works to expose a smuggler, but reporter Byron Breaux must break the story first or lose his job. Working together is out of the question until they learn secrets that threaten Clara’s father. . .and her heart.

**
Susie here! I'm so glad to celebrate Cameo Courtships with you! Allow Pittsburgh native Joe Manganiello to serve you.
Image result for joe manganiello
Mt. Lebanon's own! https://images.app.goo.gl/TXudoY6iZL9fV23y8
Ooh, what do we have here? Choose between a Primanti Brothers' sandwich with french fries inside, Pittsburgh-style, and join us for the party!


Image result for pittsburgh primanti brothers
YUMMMMMM. https://images.app.goo.gl/o9RVB9HPoFi1EB8x8
Seriously, do not knock the fries on the sandwich thing if you haven't tried it. It is fabulous. So are Pittsburgh-style salads, which are served with french fries on top! YUMMM. If you'd like some ketchup, we have Heinz 57...from Pittsburgh, of course.

Deb's and my stories may be set in Pittsburgh, but the Cameo Courtships story begins in London, England, at Buckingham Palace. In the 1844 Room, to be exact!
Buckingham Palace: the 1844 Room
James Roberts
Queen Victoria and her pet Deckel make special cameos in the scene. (Sorry for the pun. Couldn't resist.)


-
Deckel the Royal Dachshund! What a cutie. By William Bambridge.
We quickly move from London to Pittsburgh, however. Pinned Above Her Heart begins on the banks of the Monongahela River. 
Monongahela River Scene Pittsburgh PA 1857 - Monongahela River - Wikipedia
Public Domain

When I was first married, I lived near Pittsburgh and fell in love with the city. This story was a fun opportunity to revisit it.

I was also excited to work with a group of friends on stories that were inter-connected. The process took a bit of brainstorming, lots of communication, and multiple efforts on my part to create a decent family tree (for some reason, I couldn't get it to work well on my computer).

While I didn't get to go back to Pittsburgh to do any research, I had fun learning more about the city and its various industries, including glassmaking (which plays a large role in my story). Here's an example of cameo encrustation on a decanter. 
Bakewell, Page and Bakewell Decanter, circa 1826-35 Public Domain. The decanter features a sulphide portrait (cameo) of Benjamin Franklin.

Moving on to Deb, who recently visited Pittsburgh!

Click here to Tweet and Make Our Day!

Here's some behind the scenes photos! The Carnegie Library is part of the connected buildings housing the Natural History Museum and Art Museum, and the Music Hall. I visited in May of 2018 to see firsthand where Bertie and Russell would spend much of their time in my story.

LENDING MY HEART by Debra E. Marvin

1895 – Pittsburgh, PA
​The arrival of a handsome Scottish administrator ruins Miss Bertie Hart’s dream to oversee the new Carnegie Library children’s department. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take wearing the Victoria Cameo to see he’s the perfect foil for the rest of her grand plans.


The Carnegie Library on Oakland

The current Children's Library

An old photo of the Children's Library
The original sink built into the wall for use by children who needed to wash their hands before touching the books! (insert "researching-author" squeal. Of course I used it in my story!)
One of the hallways in the Carnegie building. I can hear Bertie's heels echo as she storms away from that frustrating Mr. Smart.
Deb's research partner standing near the museum's most famous skeleton!
In between Susie's and Deb's stories are these two from multi-published authors Jennifer Uhlarik and Kathleen Y'Barbo:

TAMING PETRA by Jennifer Uhlarik
1875 – Colorado Territory
Trouser-wearing frontierswoman Petra Jayne Hollingsworth has no intention of donning the heirloom cameo, but when a crooked brothel owner steals the treasure, securing its return becomes Petra’s highest priority. Assisting her, Reverend Dustin Owens is appalled to learn the price of its ransom is that Petra must work in the brothel. He may save the woman’s virtue, but can he help Petra regain her cameo and rediscover her faith?


MEET ME AT THE FAIR by Kathleen Y’Barbo
Spring 1885 – New Orleans during the 1884 World’s Fair and Cotton Exposition
It takes a Pinkerton to find a Pinkerton, and Ethan Butler has been charged with finding Elizabeth Newton. Just when he locates her, the cameo he is to deliver is stolen. It appears his previous case has discovered his presence in New Orleans, but he can’t return to that case until the cameo is found. With Miss Newton as a reluctant partner in crime fighting, can Ethan Butler locate the cameo and its thieves without losing his heart?


Please comment on our blog post before July 1 and let us know what you think of:
1.) the new Barbour Four-in-one format
2.) do you like/loathe Rafflecopter giveaways
3.) if you follow Susie or Deb on social media and where
4.) how much you'd love to follow Susie or Deb on social media and have jumped on the chance
Seriously. Amuse Us. Actually answer a question!

Follow Susie on BookBub
Follow Deb on BookBub

*Get emails for each new post from Inkwell Inspirations by going to the SUBSCRIBE button at the top of the page. 

One commenter who'd love to win a paperback of Cameo Courtships will be randomly drawn on July 2. (Ebook only for outside those contiguous U.S. states)

53 comments:

  1. okay folks, there you have it! We'd love to chat with you about our stories!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would love to follow Sue and Deb!!!! Nice format! I don’t mind rafflecopter giveaways! I will enter any way possible! I really am looking forward to this book!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Kellie! We appreciate it!

      Delete
    2. Hi Kellie! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on rafflecopter etc. Deb and I were wondering what folks think about the different ways of entering contests!

      So glad to see you!

      Delete
  3. I love Barbour books and the 4 in 1 format works nicely. Depends on the particular rafflecopter whether I love or loathe. Some just have too many hoops to jump through. I might be considered a stalker as I follow both of you pretty much everywhere. Congrats on the new book. Looking forward to reading this one. Here's hoping...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And, we know you do and love you for it, Anne! The kind of stalkers we like! I appreciate what you are saying about Rafflecopter. I used to hate them but boy they are such a wonderful way to 'gain followers' which is what we are charged to do 24/7. Plus many of you who comment already follow so it's kind of rude to only give out a book to 'new followers', right?

      Delete
    2. Hi Anne! We are so grateful for your support! <3 I understand about Rafflecopter; sometimes the hoops are too much. Sometimes they're just right.

      Thanks for your kind words! Have a great day.

      Delete
  4. Good morning! Congratulations on your book! I am looking forward to reading it.
    I already follow you both on BookBub as well as on Goodreads, facebook, Amazon and others.

    As to the rafflecopter, I like it well enough, but it depends on how many different links/loops it asks for.
    I love Barbour books and multiple authors/stories in one book, (I will miss the "old-look" of the pages they had before).

    Blessings, Tina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your thoughts on that Tina! I agree. You're a sweetheart for helping us in this crazy social media age! The fancy pages probably cost them more to produce but this book is not much smaller. The nice thing, I think, is that each novella is longer. Like 30k instead of 20k so it's much easier to develop a romantic story with more 'time' for the story to develop. A 20k story is a real rush and I found it harder to write!

      Delete
    2. Hi Tina! Thank you for being such a faithful friend! We appreciate your support!

      I liked those textured pages, too. They were fun. One difference now, though, is there are line drawings at the beginning of each chapter! They're cute.

      Delete
  5. Hi Deb! I started reading an ebook copy of Cameo Courtships from NetGalley last night. I’m really enjoying it! I love how the cameo is passed down through the years, and I always love a good romance. I like Rafflecopter, but since I’m not on Twitter it Instragram, I can usually only do a few of the tasks. I just followed you and Susie on BookBub. Congratulations on the new release. That is so exciting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deb, it is so weird. I was able to post my comment by accessing the link to this post from Facebook, but not from going to the blog directly. It must be something with my settings, but at least I can post this way.

      Delete
    2. Hooray! You found a way. But that's still strange. I wish I was much more techy-literate but I have to hope for the best most of the time. Thanks for your comments. And the BookBub follows! Glad to know Cameo is still available on netgalley!

      Delete
    3. Nicole, you are such a sweetie for following us! Thank you! And thank you for working so hard to post a comment! Blogger can be a temperamental sometimes...at least for me. Thanks for reading the stories!

      Delete
  6. I do follow Susie and Debra on Facebook. As to Rafflecopter, depending on the questions...I'm not on Twitter so I always miss those options but am happy to go to Facebook, sign up for a newsletter, etc. And I'm always looking for new books to read so this looks like another good one! Waving from north of "Anita"! In Canada

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Elaine! you've been a good friend to this blog for a long time!! Thanks for your input!

      Delete
    2. Hi Elaine! Waving north! We appreciate you and all you are and do. Sending hugs!

      Delete
  7. I love all Barbour books! The new covers are fabulous. I don’t mind rafflecopter if they are not too long. Maybe 3 or 4 things to do. Some have too many steps. I follow Deb & Susie on BB, GoodReads and FB. I’d love to follow each and have jumped on the chance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, Brenda! Thanks for the laugh! Authors generally like to just write books and not be their own marketing firm, but ... here we are. So thanks for jumping. Your support means a lot and you've been doing it for a long time!

      Delete
  8. Following Inkwell Authors on Pinterest too

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Brenda! You are so sweet! We appreciate your support and follows more than you know!

      And I love Barbour books, too! I love novellas. Sometimes the length is just what I need.

      Delete
  9. BIG CONGRATULATIONS, DEB AND SUSIE!! This looks wonderful. I LOVE novella collections.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was fun to work on. I like when the stories integrate together. I was spoiled by that concept when we did our Austen in Austin collection and pulled all 8 stories together. it can be a challenge but worth it!
      Thanks DeAnna!

      Delete
    2. Thank you, dear friend! We LOVE you too! Hugs!

      Delete
  10. Congrats on your new book, ladies! It's a fun format, and I love the cover. I don't mind Rafflecopter giveaways, if they don't have too many things you have to do, and depending on what you have to do. If they take too much time, I just skip them. I'm following both of you several ways on social media. Thanks for the fun post! Hugs to you both!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Winnie! I love the cover, too--the art department really knocked it out of the park with this one. Thanks so much for your follows and support. You're such a blessing!

      Delete
    2. Thanks Winnie! Thanks for your opinion on the rafflecopter. Susie and I talked about using one for these same reasons! And I appreciate all your support and encouragement!

      Delete
  11. Deb and Suzie, congrats on the new release! I'm excited to read it. I follow you both on social media and receive your newsletters. I don't mind Rafflecopter giveaways.

    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Caryl! Indeed you do! Thanks for commenting, because your opinion means a lot.

      Delete
    2. Hi Caryl! Thank you for being such a loyal friend! We're so glad to see you here!

      Delete
  12. I enjoy the 4 book concept. I don't mind rafflecopter just wished sometimes they would not have so many things to do. I follow both of you on bookbub and Deb on FB and Twitter Instagram. I need to find Suzie on the rest of social media. Thanks for a chance to win a copy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's how I feel. I open them up and groan if there's like fifteen options. I know that gives a person a lot of chances to win, but its a lot of work! Thanks so much for the follows and support!

      Delete
    2. Hi Deb! Thanks for sharing your input. Sometimes Rafflecopters can be overwhelming! Anyhoo, how sweet you are to follow us on Bookbub! Thanks for your support!

      Delete
  13. Hi , I am following Sue and Deb on Bookbub and I do like the rafflecopters . Thank you so much for the chance. Looking forward to reading your books.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Alicia! I appreciate it and I of course recognize that we've been crossing paths a lot since we 'met' online. Love seeing you here!

      Delete
  14. I think I would love french fries on a sandwich since I love plain potato chips on a PB&J :) Yep. Don't knock it 'til you try it!
    I would also LOVE a print copy of this book. I have an early review copy in digital but paperback...yeah!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops....CONGRATS on the book!!! I enjoy compilations and yours are some of the best!!!

      Delete
    2. Susie has more Barbour collections than I can count!

      Delete
  15. What a fun way to introduce this gem! I follow both of you on Facebook plus I believe I also stalk Susie on Twitter. Rafflecopter make it fair for all to enter. And I know not what I think of the new format 🤔 😁. Y'all are great and I love Debs research partner :). My oldest loves museums but my youngest wants to test the boundaries of 'keep off' signs 🤷🏽‍♂️.
    Congratulations on your latest release 💕

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes, my research partner and I had a lovely time in Pittsburgh. We LOVED the science museum, the National Aviary and of course the Carnegie history museum. I strongly recommend both. We never got to downtown but we enjoyed our long weekend--there's so much to see.

      Delete
    2. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself even without making it downtown. Making memories while researching is definitely the best! 👐 ❤️

      Delete
  16. Oh Amanda! you're such a sweetheart! Thanks so much for all the many ways that you support Christian fiction and have personally been an encourager for me for years! I love Junk-tique stores. Especially when I travel and find one to browse through (that and a good bakery are my goals in any new town!). I'd love to have seen those cameos! When I was growing up my mother and grandmother wore a pin every day. They had many of them and I guess it was just the custom for women to put a pin on their dress or blouse any time they went out of the house. When my mother passed away, I brought out all the ones she had and each female in our family took one and wore it that day. of course the younger girls got the ones with the most fake stones and glitz! So I'm not surprised that cameos and costume jewelry are finding their ways to antique shops.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love stories that are closely interconnected like this but have a different angle from different authors! I’m sure I will enjoy the 4-in-1 format.

    Rafflecopter giveaways seem to be the popular format and I don’t mind them as long as there are only a few options in which to enter. And if there are follow requirements I am more likely to enter that option if the requirement is hyperlinked instead of just written out.

    I just started following both authors and the Inkwell authors on Pinterest-thanks for the hyperlink. ��

    And I just started following both authors on Bookbub-thanks for the hyperlink. ��

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for following! What a blessing.

      I, too, love interconnected stories in collections. I love knowing what happens to characters!

      Thank you for coming by! Hope you had a good weekend!

      Delete
  18. 1. I haven’t seen the new Barbour four in one covers yet. I know I will like the fact that they are shorter. Seven novellas was sometimes just too much. I knowmthat I will definitely miss the vintage look of the old covers.

    2. I really wish Rafflecopters were just a one entry per person deal. Many of us don’t tweet, pin or insta, so we don’t have the opportuniy for extra entries.

    3. I’m pretty sure I follow Deb on Facebook.

    4. I’m now following you both on Bookbub.

    Congrats on the new release! The cover is gorgeous and who doesn’t love cameos?

    perrianne(DOT)askew(AT)me(DOT)com
    Perrianne Askew

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for following us on Bookbub, Perrianne! We appreciate it so much! And thanks for the congrats. We love the cover, too. The art department did a fabulous job.

      I hear you on Rafflecopter. I know some readers don't tweet etc and can't take advantage of all the entries.

      Have a great week!

      Delete
    2. Thanks Perrianne. I certainly appreciate your support. Thanks for adding more places. Haha! it's getting ridiculous. I feel like I cart around a big suitcase full of social media addresses.

      Delete
  19. I don't mind Raffelcopter giveaways as long as they are not too extensive. Some can be so time consuming and lengthy. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity and good luck everyone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, so true, Debbie! Sometimes they do go on and on, and I've been guilty of that, too!

      So glad you could be here to celebrate with us. We appreciate your support and friendship!

      Delete
    2. I've opened rafflecopters and rolled my eyes. ugh. I especially don't like the ones where you have to go out and chase down things and bring them back. I feel like I'm Elmer Fudd hunting Wabbits. But everyone has places they prefer - like just facebook or just twitter or ... while authors have to be everywhere which is why we are now including BookBub!
      But gosh it can be far too much! Thanks Debbie!

      Delete
  20. Thank you so much for the support and follows! And I love that you thought of us when you were at the antique store. How fun. Like Deb, my grandma used to wear a pin daily. Cameos truly shout "vintage" to some people--you don't see much of them nowadays!

    You are so kind. Thank you so much for coming to see us and for your kind words and support!

    ReplyDelete
  21. RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR has chosen the number linked to Brenda Murphree so she's our winner of a Cameo Courtships Paperback! Congratulations, BRENDA! AND A HUGE BIG THANK YOU to all who commented, participated, encouraged and supported us with this release and our 'party'!!

    ReplyDelete

Share This Post

How Our Giveaways Work: The Official Rules

We, the ladies of Inkwell Inspirations, would love to give free stuff to everybody. Since we can't, we will often have a giveaway in conjunction with a specific post. Unless otherwise stated, one winner will be drawn from comments left on that post between the date it was published and the end of the giveaway as determined in the post. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address. This address is used only to contact the commenter in the event that he/she is the winner, and will not be sold, distributed, or used in any other fashion. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. NO PURCHASE, PLEDGE, OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Pinterest