Look what just came in the mail.
It is a full color advance reader copy. It is beautiful. This is not the final manuscript – there are still a few typos, but it is very close to done.
We are going to be giving away 2 copies to US readers only. The cost of shipping internationally is prohibitive right now and we’ve had packages that were lost.
To enter, leave us a comment about something that makes you happy. Doesn’t have to be a big thing. A cup of tea, someone letting you merge onto a crowded highway, a cat perching on your lap. Just something that brought you happiness recently.
If you are reading this in your email, click here to enter.
Winners will be chosen next Friday, 09/26/2025. This is a blog giveaway, only answers in blog comments count.
When my six week grandson Marshall smiles at me.
I am just home from the hospital. I found out that I do not need a stent in my heart all of the arteries are clear! I am reclining with a cat curled in my left arm, a cat curled by my knee, Georgia peach iced tea sweating in a glass and rereading Faith Hunters first drop of crimson.
Life is good!
I vote for you even though I want it. I have a cat that prefers my husband curled up at my feet as I type this and feel happy for us both. Better health and good luck to you.
The smell of lilacs coming through the window.
My 16 year old son and I are rebulding a shed together. We finished the roof and it made me very happy and proud of us.
Almond poppyseed pancakes for dinner and a chatty evening gaming with friends
My 2 year old son and I saw a rainbow. Each color, from red to purple, was so perfectly clear. I haven’t seen one so beautiful in a long time. He was so amazed by it that we just sat outside together and watched it.
Playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends! Our last adventure was a museum heist.
Oh, and fall in the Pacific Northwest when it’s cool and sunny and the leaves are just starting to turn.
Doing a crossword in my pajamas with some form of caffeine and a pastry that contains chocolate- the exact details sometimes vary, but this has been my favorite way to spend a Sunday morning for the last 40 or so years..,
I’ve been enjoying hearing the wing flaps of migrating birds lately!
Thanks for writing amazing books!
Watching my rose bushes shoot a bud and the waiting for that bud slowly blossom. Nothing like it except my grandson smiling at me ❤️
The easy answer is, of course, reading and/or re-reading anything written by House Andrews. But apart from that, being cozy in chilly weather makes me happy. 😊
Watching my kids swing from our weeping willow.
The loving care & attention from your fur babies that feels like them saying everything will be OK when you feel like snapping.
When my partner’s kiddo snuggles up to me without a second thought.
That half snort/half whicker and wholly satisfied sound my senior hound makes when he settles into his corner of the couch.
I know you suggested it, but just today, my cat Davey sat in my lap and made me so happy! He keeps to himself at home, but at the vet for a wellness check, he snuggled with me like I was his safety net! He really loves me! I would love an ARC!
My 60 lb lab sat on me, her butt sitting on my hip (I was laying down on the couch) and her front legs and face pointed to the other end of the couch because my 9 year old’s stuffed animals and blankie were taking up the rest of the couch. She was scared to get near her stuff bc my daughter had scolded her.
My big goofy dog makes me happy. He likes to play dumb so we don’t make him do tricks to earn treats, pretends not hear us when we call him, but last night I caught him chewing on a blanket and when I sternly said his name, he rolled over on top of the hole and looked at me with big innocent eyes.
“Nothing to see here.”
And then wagged his tail at me.
The abundance coming out of my food garden right now..and my morning cup of loose leaf white tea.
Quails eating seeds in my backyard.
Pretty simple but we sold our car. The relief is palpable.
Catching up with friends while taking a walk around the neighborhood 😊
Reading makes me happy. There’s nothing like a good book to lift your spirits and the satisfaction at the end is so rewarding that you want to start over again. I would love to receive the ARC of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me! I’m so looking forward to it.
Starting a new book from a favorite author.
A moment of clarity makes me happy. The scent of rich meat broths. Hot flavorful tea. Ice Cream. A good book and time to read it in, with beverage and snack at hand. A lot of things make me happy.
Uninterrupted reading time or rubbing/scritching my muttlies.
Making my morning cup of matcha and a cup of hojicha for my boyfriend every morning.
Having someone by your side makes such a big difference in life.
Making someone smile, or better yet, laugh, is my favorite thing.
One of my kids in youth group showed me pictures of their sister’s newborn baby. :’) Made my day!!
I am the sole caretaker for my 73 yr old mom who has dementia and had a stroke 6 mo ago that paralyzed her left side and now can no long walk. She is at the stage in her dementia where its 50/50 that she will remember me each time I enter the room. It makes me smile and feel really good when she does remember me and tells me how much she loves me and appreciates what Im doing for her. Especially since I never heard things like that much growing up.
Waking up after having a bad cold and your ears are unclogged, your throat feels fine and you can finally breathe without coughing! Best feeling!
Listening to Acapelridge music
Tacos and margaritas make me utterly ecstatic, especially at the end of a long, boring conference day!
I was able to take a week off and go camping in the black hills with my friend!
Yesterday, a student told me I was an amazing teacher. That “you have the ability to explain the work in a way that makes sense and you never get frustrated when I don’t understand or don’t get a question right.”
Backstory:
I was not a great student in high school and my first attempt at college can be kindly described as challenging. I had STEM dreams but neither the work ethic nor support to achieve them. Years later (after a career ending injury) I was in the position to try again. This time I had support. I’d identified my strengths and accepted my weaknesses. I fell in love with chemistry classes, then physics, I took enough math for a separate minor. At times I struggled but I also succeeded and graduated on the President’s list.
I nearly failed chemistry and physics in high school. So when I help someone understand and learn concepts that were painful and frightening, when they walk into an exam with confidence and walk out with a smile, the me who struggled and cried and railed at the universe, is happy.
A day off from work tomorrow.
When I remember that I’m currently pregnant with my miracle baby
Waking up early and being able to snuggle with my cat in bed for 15-20 minutes really helps start my day off in a good mood!
Many things bring me joy, a beautiful sunset or rise, my dog curled on my lap, baby bunnies hidden in my yard, but the most consistent joy is losing myself in a book.
My kindle overflows with excellent content just waiting for me to choose. I love restarting a series and binge reading to the end.
Thank you to my favorite authors for allowing me to indulge
Right now, the thing that is making me really happy is that I have a brand new refrigerator after too long without one.
I feel happy when I sit under a large green tree!
I live in West Texas. We had a rain storm last night and temps are cool this morning.
That makes me happy!
So does a new series from ya’ll. 😉
We have been experiencing a drought. Listening to the rain fa yesterday was beautiful.
While walking after dinner, my family and I saw a lighting cloud in the distance. It was a big cloud that had flashes of lighting every few seconds. It was so cool and made me very happy since it was the first time I have ever seen something that awesome in nature.
Went hiking in North Georgia with my husband last weekend. We swam in the frigid water and jumped off waterfalls. Laying flat in the sun on the rocks together, worrying about nothing, and holding hands. Perfect.
My dog’s head on my leg as I read a book.
The food my husband brings me when I have been too busy to grab something, is an act of love that will always make me smile.
I had my last swim of the summer in Lake Huron recently, which always brings me a lot of joy. The water was a cold 63 degrees but the peace that settled over me as I walked out to deep water and looked over the vast horizon was totally worth it!
Sitting curled up with some tea and napoleon cake. Rereading Innkeeper. There’s a white knitted weighted blanket on my lap and a gray tabby sits next to me purring.
You books are giving me the gift of escape, wonder and hope in a workd gone crazy. Thank you!
Susan