Guest Post: Sandy Smith author of Seed Savers: Heirloom

Today I welcome Sandy Smith author of Seed Savers: Heirloom to tell us about her favorite things to grow in her garden.

My Ten Favorite Things to Grow in a Garden

1. Tomatoes—They are fairly easy to grow and you can use them in a bunch 

of ways: in salsa, on sandwiches, pasta sauce, salads. The seeds are tiny 

but they produce so much! Tomatoes are pretty. The different varieties 

have so many cool names like Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple, Indigo 

Rose … and last but not least, I like the smell on my hands after picking 

the tomatoes!

2. Basil—Mmm. Pesto; need I say more?

3. Radishes—Seriously, radishes are one of the first things to plant in the 

spring when we are all itching to garden. And I’ve seen them come up in 

as little as THREE DAYS!!!

4. Strawberries—Again, the signal that summer is almost here—the 

strawberries are ripe!!!

5. Potatoes—Who doesn’t like pawing through the dirt now and then hoping 

to find a beautiful potato?

6. Lettuce—Easy, early, practical. Fresh salad for months. What’s not to love?

7. Green beans—Fun to watch emerge, produce a lot of food for many 

weeks. The seeds are a fine size and shape, just don’t hold them under 

your nostril and inhale.

8. Cilantro—I really like cilantro a lot and you really must grow your own. 

Everyone should just grow whatever herbs they like. It’s just tastier that 

9. Onions—I’m not sure why I like growing my own onions. Maybe because 

I like drying them and hanging them in the kitchen corner. 

10. Carrots—Challenging sometimes, but a must for the childhood 

memories :).

I love the names of those tomatoes and now I'm craving some fresh strawberries...yummy.

Check out Sandy Smith's book Seed Savers: Heirloom

Summary from Amazon:  Seed Savers isn't your typical bleak, violent dystopia. Think Little House on the Prairie or Anne of Green Gables meets The Giver or Fahrenheit 451; this is why it's totally appropriate for kids as young as nine (or possibly younger). The stories take place in a not-too-distant future where gardening is illegal, corporations own the seeds, and real food is no longer available. Three children are on a quest to learn about gardening and make a change back to the old ways. One word of warning--there are some religious texts cited in the books inherent to character and plot development which have "offended" one or two people. The series in no way teaches any religion. The only teaching in the books is about gardening.

Available: http://amzn.to/HLG7aV  (Heirloom paperback)
http://amzn.to/1a5xRNw (Heirloom kindle)  

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Thanks Sandy so much for joining us today.

Guest Post and GIVEAWAY!: Ten Odd Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Serena Chase, author of THE RYN and THE REMEDY

Ten Odd Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Serena Chase, author of THE RYN and THE REMEDY

10. I use turn signals religiously. One of my pet peeves is when I am a passenger and “someone” wants to change lanes, but doesn’t signal—especially if said “someone” proceeds to become irritated at the other drivers because they didn’t read his mind, deduce his lane-changing desire, and let him in.

9. I am one of the few people alive who can, even with the best of intentions, manage to kill a mature Aloe Vera plant. And I’ve proven it more than once. (Sorry, Grandpa.)

8. In second grade, I actually had to have someone teach me how to draw a stick person. My artistic abilities do not extend to “art.”

7. I sometimes refer to small yapper dogs as “Aww, look at the sweet little kitty” when walking my (bigger) dog, Albus.

6. I am so accident prone that I once sliced my finger open . . . with a spoon. (And they said it couldn’t be done!)

5. On long family road trips, I almost always volunteer to drive because:
A. We get there faster
B. I tend to get motion sickness when I’m a passenger, and
C. (see number 10, above)

4. I am ridiculously horrible at anything “math.” I blame my parents. Clearly, all those “I’m going to count to three and you’d better (fill in the blank)” when I was being naughty must have instilled within me an inherent fear of numbers.

3. I know all the words to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” but I can only sing the alto part.

2. I was once thrown through a wall by a treadmill. I now refer to that infernal fitness device as “Satan’s Beltsander” due to the scars I now have on my legs from my inability to escape in a timely manner.

1. My favorite suffix to use in casual conversation is “-tacular” Example: In the summer, I like to paint my toenails a dark Smurftacular blue.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Serena Chase is the author of the Eyes of E’veria series. The Ryn (March 2013) and The Remedy (April 2013), are an expanded re-imagining of the classic Grimm fairy tale, Snow White & Rose Red and are available for Kindle and Kindle apps. You can connect with Serena by “liking” her on Facebook, following her on Twitter, and catch up with her book reviews, author interviews, and the occasional feature article at USA Today’s Happy Ever After or the Edgy Inspirational Romance blog. Her website is www.serenachase.com

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The Stong Female: A Guest Post by Sheryl Steines, Author of The Day of First Sun. Plus $450 in Amazon Gift Cards & Kindle Fire Up for Grabs!

Please enjoy this guest post by Sheryl Steines, author of the urban fantasy novel, The Day of First Sun. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

The Stong Female

I am always amazed to hear that, in the year 2012, women are still talking about strong female characters.  It’s funny that we’re always surprised when one comes along.  Even in Hollywood, actresses still can’t find roles to sink their teeth into.  As a reader, I look for characters that I can relate to in some way; a character who is more than a damsel in distress but less than an unfeeling, mean, witch.  I’m putting it gently, but I’m looking for someone, who when facing a problem, doesn’t necessarily need a man to bail her out–a woman who can take care of herself in spite of her vulnerabilities.  Because in reality, women are multi-layered and complex.  We don’t fall to one end of an extreme or the other.

When I was younger, I started reading Danielle Steele, but I couldn’t read her for long. Her female characters were far too needy and always put themselves in a position of requiring a savior. Even as a child, I couldn’t help but wonder why these characters always needed a man to improve their lives.  Why couldn’t they simply take care of themselves?  It seemed as though female characters fell into two camps, and only two. They were either villains, witches, someone to be hated and despised, or they were weak, pathetic, your classic damsels in distress.  Why is fiction lacking real women, women who can simply be human and celebrate all that they are?

As I got older, I found myself drawn to shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  I saw in Buffy a strong character.  Yes, she could kick ass, kill the vampires and fight the demons.  She also had a brain, could plan, and could save the world each week.  But she wasn’t uni-dimensional. She also has a side that liked clothes, shoes and boys, a side that was feminine, a little vulnerable; a side that, okay, sometimes needed to be saved.  She was a complex female character, real and human, a character with whom I could definitely relate.

The strong female character isn’t a caricature or stereotype.  She’s not a total wimp like Snow White, and she’s not a total monster like the evil queen.  She falls somewhere in the middle.  She’s reactive, emotional, human, sexual, confident and sometimes unsure of herself.

When I originally wrote my character Annie Pearce in The Day of First Sun, I wrote her as a no-nonsense person, strong and smart, the girl who could survive on her own.  But she didn’t feel genuine.  As the story unfolded and changed, I rewrote her, gave her friends and family with whom she could interact.  I gave her feelings, gave her stress.  I let the other characters take charge once in awhile and offer some support.  I melded two halves into one woman–a strong woman, who can take care of herself and ask for help when necessary.  We’re not perfect, so why should our characters be?  Instead, why can’t we make them simply authentic?

Charlize Theron made a really compelling comment regarding her character in the movie Young Adult. She said, “Women are usually either really good prostitutes or really good mothers. Maybe women are finally getting the chance to play more honest characters,” Theron said. “We usually don’t get to play bad hookers or bad mothers — or anything in between.”
Maybe it’s time to be a little more real and a little more honest.

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Day of First Sun eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE.

Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:

1. Purchase your copy of The Day of First Sun for just 99 cents
2. Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
3. Visit today’s featured social media event

Help my blog win:
The tour blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card. When you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to VOTE FOR ME.

About the book: A vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soulless zombies are par for the course for Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard. But when the non-magical princess, Amelie of Amborix, is murdered by magical means, a deeper plot unfolds. Get it on Amazon.

About the author: Behind the wheel of her ’66 Mustang Convertible, Sheryl is a constant surprise, using her sense of humor and relatable style make her books something everyone can enjoy. Visit Sheryl on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.