Launching Death by the Book by Julianna Dearing - plus TEA!! Enter to WIN already!

A themed review tour by Prism Book Tours...

We're Launching the Book Tour for

Death by the Book

The Tour:

3/11 

Books & Chocolates

Angels With Attitude Book Reviews

3/12 

Pieces of Whimsy

JoJo's Corner

3/13 

Kelly P's Blog

Crafty Booksheeps

3/14 

The Written Adventure

Letters from Annie Douglass Lima

3/16 

My Devotional Thoughts

Beck Valley Books

3/17 

Mel's Shelves

Deal Sharing Aunt

3/18 

The Wonderings of One Person

Cherry Mischievous

3/19 

LDS and Lovin' it

My Love for Reading Keeps Growing

3/20 

Tell Tale Book Reviews

The Pensive Chronicler

3/21 - Grand Finale

Death by the Book
by Julianna Deering
Christian Mystery
Paperback, 320 pages
March 4th 2014 by Bethany House Publishers

Drew Farthering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of 1932 with the announcement of his engagement. Instead, he finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.

Evidence of secret meetings and a young girl's tearful confession point to the victim's double life, but what does the solicitor's murder have to do with the murder of a physician on the local golf course? Nothing, it would seem--except for another puzzling note, affixed with a similar-looking bloodied hatpin.

Soon the police make an arrest in connection with the murders, but Drew isn't at all certain they have the right suspect in custody. And why does his investigation seem to be drawing him closer and closer to home?

Bethany House * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Other Books in the Series:

 

ALL readers, who are interested, can receive an autographed bookmark. 
You can see a picture of the bookmark here.

Just send a self-address STAMPED (7" long) envelope to:

Julianna Deering
P. O. Box 375
Aubrey, Texas 76227

Julianna Derring has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with three spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her new series of Drew Farthering mysteries set in 1930s England debuts with Rules of Murder (Bethany House, Summer 2013) and will be followed by Death by the Book (Bethany House, Spring 2014) and Murder at the Mikado (Bethany House, Summer 2014).

Website * Blog * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon * Novel Crossing * Bethany House

From the author regarding the fabulous GIVEAWAY:

How could one possibly have a cozy mystery 

set in an old manor house in the English countryside near a quaint little village 

and not have tea? 

Drew doesn't usually take lemon or milk in his. He prefers honey, 

especially if it's fresh from the hive. 

Mrs. Devon, his housekeeper, spoils him terribly and makes sure he has it.

Print copies of The Rules of Murder and Death by the Book and a Tea Gift Basket (US ONLY)

March 10th - 28th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Finding Tea, I mean, Time to Write

How to make a perfect cup of tea

I found a couple blog posts this morning that have MOTIVATED me to discuss The Art of Finding Tea, I mean, TIME to write.  (Please notice the intricate art of procrastination I have cultivated to find time to write about writing, but not actually write, still. I'm also clever at Observation to notice that. And very sarcastic, I might add, to pretend I'm proud of it.)

To fully discuss this, I must back up to a series of three guest posts by Laura Carlson, an editor, which I link to with this cute button.


It was Part II of III that sort of silenced my joking when she said something about finding the time and how everyone has time we just use it doing other things. 

Well, I know this is true. I do pretty much anything besides write. (I'm currently making these super-cute bookmarks for the giveaway of some weeks ago that I haven't drawn winners for, yet. I'm making extra to sell on Etsy, maybe, which I've thought about ever since I found Etsy. What a great site!!)

I spent about three days tackling the issue of WHY I wasn't writing and came down to something like Writer's Block - I was in the middle of a scene that I can't write, yet. It's the pivotal point of two story threads, a switch of mass proportions and I just don't know how to do it. Yet. Partly because of the expansion of story on the other side of this pivotal point that was Unexpected. I've heard books being written do that sometimes - just take off and leave the writer in the dust, but I did not know it felt so weird. I thought it would be more thrilling. It is exciting (I am not complaining) but it is also astonishing. And I don't feel in control anymore. *shudder*  Apparently, I like to order my chaos.


As I was saying, I can't write THIS scene, but that doesn't mean I can't write OTHER scenes. After about three hours of outlining and talking to myself while pacing wildly (if you think that's weird, ask Tehereh Mafi about her writing method! It involved spinning in a chair while looking at the ceiling, if I recall. And I do recall. Her method also involves sock skating, which I can imagine better now, having paced wildly in socks.) I arrived near-ish the end and found scenes I could write.


My new excuse has to do with Scrivener, which Nicole of Blue Hearts of Mars brought up. Since my scenes jump through time a little (not like Mind Games, but it's not chronologically straight, either.) Scrivener looks soooo enticing. I was thinking of printing all my drafts and arranging them in piles and... then rewriting them in the right order... and I don't have that much ink or paper or space*. Not that I have so many pages, mind you, but that I need space to pace in socks, too, and the slippery mess I am envisioning cannot be picked up by the time the kids arrive home from school and scenes will be tipped upside down and backwards and (if it makes it that far) you'll be thinking I was trying to copy Mind Games. Which I wouldn't do. That was brilliant in a twisty sort of way. So OBVIOUSLY I need Scrivener before I can... write.

Who am I kidding?  Not me. Not Kimberly Derting who wrote this awesome piece called Make Time Your B*tch. This bit rang true with me 'cause this happens to me ALL THE TIME. Like, pretty much everyone who wants my attention takes a deep breath and repeats it over and over 'til I hear them. I've trained my Cool, Man to call me at top volume. Irritating, but effective. But let me let her tell you:

And don’t underestimate the voices in your head (you writers out there will know what I mean). I write in my head pretty much everywhere I go: in the car, in the shower, pushing my grocery cart down the aisles. Sometimes I’m fixing the plot and sometimes my characters are dialoguing with each other. I get my best epiphanies while I’m zoning out on a long stretch of highway.

Hahahaha  Oh, my... do you see how I did that? I said "this is just like me" and then... Oh, that's funny. I'm pretending to be a writer already. That's either... slap-yer-knee hilarious or Speaking Into Yer Future. I think I'll choose the latter, even while I wipe away tears from the former.


Kimberly Derting links to Jay Wells who wrote this really great piece on Time Ain't On Your Side. I'll quote my favorite bit again in case you don't hop over to read it all.

No one is going to give you time. You family isn’t going to spontaneously say, “Hey, mom, you look like you’d love to write right now. How about we be exceptionally well-behaved for an hour so you can write?” 

If you want to write, really want to, you have to make it a priority. Like eating, sleeping, and sex.

Hahahahaha  Oh, gosh. My family never does see the awesomeness of me typing away at the computer (again.) Not sure why... it's pretty awesome from my point of view. I see what she's saying about eating and the rest... I don't have TIME for that, either, and yet I find a way!

There you have it. All my excuses and procrastinations all laid out for you to see. I have time to write, apparently. 
Question is, will I?!

While you wait for my answer, would you like to see my bookmarks? And have another cup of tea? Yes, THANK YOU!

Take fuzzy pictures much?

* Plus I live in Oregon. I'm sorry, but you cannot live in Oregon and print more than is absolutely necessary on paper that trees sacrificed to provide. I am not a "tree hugger" in the sense of the word in this state by long shot, but printing a hundred+ pages just to rewrite them?! If this is a necessary evil, something slap me. I'll do what I have to, but... Maybe if I plant some trees?