Goodbye 2016 & Giveaway

 

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED CONGRATULATION TO THE WINNERS!

I’ve never done a “year in review” post and I’d really hate to bore you with one this year but so much has happened over the course of the year, and so many unanswered questions still dangle in the air, I think one is needed. It’ll be brief, I promise, then we’ll get to the year-end giveaway.

As some of you know, I’ve had health issues going back to the beginning of 2015. You can read all about that in this post if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Long story short, most of 2015 and 2016 were filled with medications and more sleep than any one body needs and my writing suffered for it. I’ve not had a new release in ages and Wild Horses has been promised for months now and it’s still not quite ready, which is why I decided to come off my meds. It’s been an eye-opener. Medications are meant to help but when they’re prescribed to hurry you out of the office, which I think they were in my case because no one EVER got to the bottom of my problem…just kept shoving pills at me…then they’re very harmful. I went from being depressed but functional to laying in bed in so much pain I could barely move and all the doctors and specialist could tell me was…sometimes our bodies just hurt for no reason.

I’m sorry, but I don’t buy that so I just stopped going to those doctors and made the decision to come off the meds. I’d rather “live” with the pain than waste away in bed a shell of a person. I did research and found herbal supplements that might help and started weening myself off the drugs. I’ve been drug-free (except for the herbal supplements) for two months now and you know what I discovered? The depression isn’t as severe as it once was and the pain is gone.

I’m  not a doctor but I’ve read enough to know that some people with depression suffer from pain, yet not one of the doctors I saw mentioned it. So, after countless doctors and hundreds of dollars of money spent, all it took to get better was….get off those addicting (mind-altering) drugs, invest in herbal alternatives and get smart about my health.

Of course, now that I’m “awake” I can finally see how far behind I am and it’s taking me a while to get back into the groove of things. I’m working on Wild Horses (Alexandra Avery and Jesse Samuels story) every chance I get and I had hoped to have it out by Christmas but that wildhorses-200x300didn’t happen. After two years of no releases, you start doubting everything you write so you delete a lot, rewrite things that were fine and spend countless hours just fiddling with things because you think readers are going to hate it when at the end of the day, the story is what it is…good or bad. Readers will love it or hate it and there’s nothing I can do to change that.

So I hope to announce a release date soon so be sure you’re on my Newsletter list to be notified of that. Also, this year, I’ll be holding a $25.00 amazon gift card giveaway every month for my newsletter subscribers and answering readers questions so be sure you’re all signed up for that. You can join the newsletter list here. If you’d like to get “your” question in the newsletter, then follow this link to the Ask Lily page to submit it. Your question and answers will appear in the newsletter and later archived here on the website the following month.

Now, on to that giveaway!

2016 has been rough for everyone and I want you all to know how very much I appreciate each and every one of you. Without you, I’d have no one to share my stories with and you’ve been beyond patient waiting for a new one so I’m giving back with a giveaway.

I have 5 prizes up for grabs…(2) $10.00 amazon gift cards, (2) winner’s choice eBooks and (1) winner’s choice signed paperback. All you have to do to enter is comment below and tell me something you’re thankful for and mark that you’ve commented on the Rafflecopter form.

Once you’ve done that, other options will open up on the form. Those are not required (only the comment is) but the more options you do, the more entries you gain so, click off all those tasks for 10 entries into the giveaway. The contest will run for a week to give everyone a chance to enter. I’ll announce the winner’s on Jan. 9th 2017.

I hope your New Year is blessed and filled with happiness. Good luck on the giveaway and Happy New Year!!

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Angels & Outlaws Reader Group

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Did you know I have a special reader group over on facebook? It’s a place for fans to hang out, get exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming books and participate in group only giveaways. This is also where you can ask me questions about  books, give input when I need a bit of help and be the first in line for ARC copies of new releases.

Want to come hang out with me? Then head over to LILY’S ANGELS & OUTLAWS READER GROUP and join!

I hope to see you there,

Lily

Anna: Bride of Alabama Giveaway

 

Congratulations to the winners! Christina A., bn100, Kristin G.

After more weeks than I would have liked, Anna: Bride of Alabama has finally been approved for print! To celebrate, I’m giving a few copies  away. To enter, just follow the directions on the Rafflecopter form underneath the book description and do any (or all) of the tasks. The more you do, the more entries you gain.

 

Anna_Bride of Alabama by Lily Graison
Anna: Bride of Alabama (American Mail-Order Bride Series Book 22)

Sweet Historical Romance

After a warehouse fire changes her life, Anna Davis makes a desperate decision. Along with the other single women she worked alongside, she places her fate into the hands of a random stranger she found in a mail order bride catalog, the Grooms’ Gazette. But little does she know, the man she thought placed the ad has no idea he promised to marry her.

Gabriel Montgomery has more problems than any one man needs. A neglected cotton plantation, a home in desperate need of repair and Julia, his twelve year old daughter who is more mature than she needs to be. Her antics try his patience on a daily basis but nothing prepares him for her latest scheme.

When Anna shows up on his door with an infectious smile and a promise to love, honor and cherish him, he knows Julia is behind this latest development. He has no desire to marry again, even if the sweet natured Anna is proving to be exactly the kind of woman he needs. He just has to convince Julia that she doesn’t need a new mother and himself that he doesn’t want a new wife. A task that proves almost impossible, especially when Anna reminds him that every day should be savored like its your last

Buy the eBook:
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*Note: To keep the spammers from clogging up my comment pages, comments must be approved before they show up. If yours doesn’t display, it’s just waiting my approval.

Giveaway!

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Want to come hang out with me and 59 other authors in Nashville, TN? A Weekend With The Authors event is just around the corner and the host is giving away FIVE reader tickets to the event. This giveaway only has a few more days left so enter quickly for your chance to win.

Follow this link to enter! https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4d5216433/

To learn more about A Weekend With The Authors and reader event, check out the official website:

http://www.aweekendwiththeauthors.com

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Join Me at a Masquerade Party!

Winners have been chosen. Congratulation, Yolanda and Jessica! I’ll see you both in October!

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Fancy dresses and elaborate masks that lends an aura of mystery are in store this Halloween! Join me October 24th for a day long event that includes a book signing with over 60 authors (including me!) and finish with a masquerade Party afterwards.

The event is being held in Greenville, NC and I have TWO (2) VIP tickets for two winners. All you have to do to enter is chose one of the entry options on the rafflecopter form.

I already have my costume for the party and even though it isn’t as elaborate as this one, the party is still going to be a blast. Hope to see you there!

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*Disclaimer – Winner is responsible for transportation to the event (in Greenville, North Carolina) and for their lodging (if needed). All this giveaway is offering is the VIP ticket into the book signing and after party.

In order to give those able to travel to this event a fair shot, please only enter if you will be able to use the free ticket.

For extra chances, perform any of the other options.

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Fiddle Dee Dee Recipes :: A Taste of “Gone With the Wind”

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Last year I received an email from Terry Lynn Crane, an author who ran across a photo I had taken at one of  my historical events. It was from the Hart Square event that takes place every October. I take tons of photos at this event because all the buildings and everything in them are all dated to the 1800’s or later. The photo that caught Terry’s eye was one from inside the old mercantile.

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In the email she explained to me that she was writing a cookbook based on “Gone With The Wind.” Her late husband was none other than actor Fred Crane, who portrayed Brent Tarleton. Terry’s cookbook would celebrate the movie and the wonderful actors who have made it such an iconic piece of cinema magic.

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Terry was gracious enough to sign a copy of her book for me and I’ve placed it on the kitchen cabinet where I can see it everyday. It too beautiful to shove into a tight space with all my other cookbooks. Take a look at some of the wonderful pages inside the book and see for yourself.

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The pages are filled with not only recipes, but small tidbits of movie memorabilia, exclusive, never before seen photographs and hand drawn sketches.

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Each page is a work of art, just like the movie is. My daughter has already asked for my copy but this one won’t be leaving the house. Its the one book I’ll be sure to treasure for years to come.

Take a look at the video below and see the entire book and all the wonderful pages within!

If you’d like to get your own copy of this special cookbook, head over to Terry’s Website to order.

About Terry Lynn Crane

 

terrylynncraneTerry Lynn Crane is a published author, free-lance writer for newspapers, magazines, poetry anthologies, an award-winning poet, gifted artist, singer, songwriter, broadcast professional, an actress in live theatre, civic light operas and a marketing professional.

At the age of 14, Terry was one of the youngest members of A.S.C.A.P. (American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers) with her first song, “Glad You’re Still Around”, penned with co-writer, Dan Lambert, published in Nashville, Tennessee. While pursuing her music career, she performed in numerous civic light operas in California, many television variety shows, Jerry Lewis Telethon and live concerts throughout the United States. Terry also studied broadcasting in San Diego, California and was the comedic radio personality, “Shirley Dimple” in Memphis, Tennessee with popular disc jockeys, Rick Dees (Disco Duck and Top 40 Countdown fame), Ron Jordan, Charlie O’Neal and radio legend, Wolfman Jack.

In 2000, Terry and her late husband, “Gone With The Wind” actor, Fred Crane, (“Brent Tarleton”) opened a Gone With The Wind-themed B&B, Tarleton Oaks Bed and Breakfast, where they entertained guests from all over the world. In 2002, they opened The Gone With The Wind Hall of Stars Museum which housed over 100 items previously owned or worn by “Gone With The Wind” cast members such as Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard, George Reeves, Butterfly McQueen and others, along with many signed photographs from “Gone With The Wind” and letters from the cast members.

FIDDLE DEE DEE RECIPES: A TASTE OF “GONE WITH THE WIND”, is Terry’s newest book release. It is a beautiful unique, Gone With The Wind collectible cookbook. A variety of recipes are offered from the mid to late 1800’s, as well as Fred and Terry’s recipes which were served to family, friends and guests at their establishment, Tarleton Oaks Bed and Breakfast. Also included are special selections from their memorabilia collection, most autographed, which were on display at The Gone With The Wind Hall of Stars Museum. These recipes, memorabilia, autographs, information about the “Gone With The Wind” cast members and historic items are intertwined with memories of their extraordinary experiences at Tarleton Oaks. Other books Terry has in the works are GONE WITH THE PEN: A JOURNEY TO THE HEART, a non-fiction book which contains many of the letters that Fred and Terry wrote to each other as well as photographs, original poetry and artwork of both Fred and Terry Lynn Crane; FROM TARA TO TARLETON OAKS: A GONE WITH THE WIND SCRAPBOOK, a non-fiction book which she co-wrote with her late husband, Fred Crane; two children’s books, HALLOWEEN and THE MAGICAL EASTER EGG HUNT; and a series of travel books.

Today, she and her husband, Frank Crabtree, have their own radio shows, “Feel Good Friday With Frank and Terry” and “Cruisin’ To The Oldies With Frank and Terry” and the soon to be aired “Feel Good Mornings With Frank and Terry”. Since they stream on the world wide web, they have listeners from all over the United States, England, Germany, The Netherlands, Egypt, the Philippines, China, Australia, Indonesia and Thailand on WIHE-LP 101.3 FM and streaming on www.RadioLibertyKY.com .

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Christmas in July .99cent Sale!

 

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It may be another 24 weeks before Christmas rolls around again but that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge in the holiday spirit with a few warm-hearted Christmas reads!

For the entire month of July, all of my Christmas romances are special priced at .99cent! Take a look below for book blurbs and buy links.

 

A Willow Creek Christmas by Lily Graison - Book 6  in the Willow Creek Series
A Willow Creek Christmas
by Lily Graison

Historical Western Romance
Length: Novel
Released: Nov. 2013

Running from a life she no longer wanted…
Widowed with two young children, Keri Hilam is desperate to escape her abusive brother in law, going so far as sneaking away in the dead of night in hopes of finding a better life. She never regrets leaving, not even when they find themselves stranded, starving, and alone. Fate brings them to Willow Creek, Montana, where they’re rescued by an unlikely hero, an ex-confederate soldier who seems more monster than man.

Hiding from a past he can’t seem to forget…
The war leaves Noah Lloyd scarred and bitter. When the girl he left behind broke his heart, he turned his back on the life he used to know, and sought refuge in a dusty little town that afforded him the solitude he wanted. Finding a woman and her kids hunkered down in an abandoned line shack in the middle of a blizzard is the last thing he needs. They’re ragged, half starved and vulnerable, but he’s determined to leave the trio in the care of the town marshal.

Can a future together erase all the pain…
But the innocence of a child at Christmas breaks through Noah’s hard exterior and Keri’s tender care allows him to see that life may be worth living. All he has to do is let go of his past and let this unlikely family love him.

BUY THE EBOOK FROM:

Amazon US | UK | DE | FR | IT | ES | JP | IN | CA | BR | MX | AU
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Kobo
Apple iBook Store

 


Blame It On The Mistletoe
by Lily Graison

Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Released: Dec. 2009

When Macy Carter’s parents order her to bring her live-in boyfriend Sean home with her for Christmas she has no idea that her little white lie is just about to snowball into a fabrication of monstrous proportions. Sean isn’t her boyfriend, he’s her boss. Now she has to reveal the lie she’s been telling her family for the past two years or hastily concoct an elaborate ruse to fool them instead.

When Macy tells Sean Mathis of her predicament he does what any gentleman would – he laughs and then agrees to help her out. Little does he know that one misplaced word in their little scheme will backfire and land them both in the hot-seat.

Secluded in the mountains, surrounded by snow and good will, Sean and Macy can’t help looking like the perfect couple. So perfect that the family decides a Christmas wedding will make it a holiday none of them would ever forget!

BUY THE EBOOK FROM:

Amazon.Com US | UK | DE | FR | IT | ES | JP | IN | CA | BR
Barnes and Noble.Com
Smashwords
Kobo
Apple iBook Store

 


That First Christmas
by Lily Graison

Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Released: Dec. 2008

Meredith Gunter has always been Daddy’s little girl. Spoiled all her life, she’s never had to ask for anything and expects to get exactly what she wants. When she wrecks her car on the way home from college for Christmas break, she finds herself stranded on the mountain in the middle of a snowstorm, in a one-room cabin with a man she can’t help but want.

Travis Gregory has lived alone on the mountain for the last four years. He has little contact with the outside world and prefers it that way. When he spots a girl on the side of the road, his conscience won’t let him abandon her. The redhead captivates him instantly.

Worlds collide when Travis and Meredith try to co-exist in his one room cabin. Can they fight their growing attraction when the nights get longer and the storm isolates them from the rest of the world? Can two people, from such different worlds, ever truly be happy together?

BUY THE EBOOK FROM:

Amazon.Com US | UK | DE | FR | ES | IT | JP | IN | CA | BR
Barnes and Noble.Com
Smashwords
Kobo
Apple iBook Store