Susan R. Opel
Yeah, I know. It’s still August. And it’s over a month away from the official beginning of fall. But now that I’m back from summer vacation, I’m ready to kick these 90 degree days to the curb and get back into the business of cardigans, jeans, and boots.
Crisp autumn days are wonderful for all sorts of activities, but one thing I’ve always loved is curling up with a good book. Those books are great friends that linger with me for years to come.
You might remember this post from April where I shared with you a novel by my friend Courtney Walsh called A Sweethaven Summer. The novel blends friendship, love, and scrapbooking, making it the perfect gift to yourself! Have you had the chance to read it? Apparently lots of people have since it has been as high as 19th on the New York Times Best Sellers E-Book Fiction list. How awesome is that?
I got the chance to meet Courtney this summer for the very first time in person, and I felt like I’d known her for ages! She was exactly how I imagined she would be.
Author Courtney Walsh and me at the Summer CHA show.
In April, Courtney gave me an awesome opportunity to get an advanced chance to read the follow-up to A Sweethaven Summer called A Sweethaven Homecoming. I was thrilled! And when I finished it, I loved it even MORE than the first one!
I wrote this endorsement for the novel: “A Sweethaven Homecoming is a triumph! With the foundations of family, love, and faith, The Circle grows through heartbreak, loss, and betrayal, and emerges renewed in their love for one another and most of all, their love of themselves. The healing properties of their hometown weave a certain magic into each of their lives, and they come to realize that no matter what the world throws at them, ‘you can always go… back home.’”
Buy A Sweethaven Homecoming here and GET THIS—preorder A Sweethaven Christmas here! And you can get a copy for your kindle here. Or, stay tuned for your chance later in this blog post to win a copy of A Sweethaven Homecoming signed by the author herself.
Books are also the inspiration for Get Inspired in our September/October 2012 issue as you can see from the photo below. The top three books are mine—my grandmother’s church songbook (in German), a vintage book of poetry, and a Nancy Drew mystery from the 1930s. The other two books belong to P. Kelly Smith’s mom.
Make sure to get your hands on a copy of the September/October 2012 issue to see how Emily Branch was inspired by this stack of books! OR if you are a subscriber, get FREE instant access right this minute via our digital issue. This blog post can help you figure out how to do that.
You might remember in this blog post I raved about the lovely fall collection by Lily Bee Design called Autumn Spice. I got the chance to use some of this gorgeous collection to create a card with fall and friends in mind.
Thanks for Being a Friend Card by Susan R. Opel
Courtney Walsh and Kristen from Lily Bee Design are partnering with me for a fun giveaway today! One lucky blog reader who leaves a comment telling me her favorite book character (and why) will receive a copy of A Sweethaven Homecoming (signed by the author) and the Autumn Spice collection (in 12 x 12 and 6 x 6 sizes).
All comments must be received by Thursday, August 16th at 5 pm MDT.
So ready for fall and an afternoon with a good book,
What could be better than combining the two activities I love the most…reading and scrapbooking!
What a beautiful collection! My favorite character is Snowflower from Snowflower and the Secret Fan. Great book!
A favorite character – that’s hard, because I read such a variety of books. I’ve just started on the “Game of Throne” books and I’ve been warned not to have a favorite, as more than likely they would be killed off later in the series (my husband has already read most of series).
Hmmmm…. I read so many books it don’t remember one specific character. Maybe Alex Cross because he is so smart and understands people so well.
Thank you for the chance to win these goodies
I’ve alreaady read over 50 books this year—would love to add this one to my list!
Thanks for the chance at such a great prize!
My all time favorite book is the Bible! but for fiction I’m a Charles Dickens fan and Mr. Scrooge is my favorite character because of his repentance at the end of the tale.
Tuppence Beresford because I adore her spunky attitude and self-reliance!
Would love to win this!
A favorite character. There are so many. We recently read Great Expectations aloud as a family, and I would say I really enjoyed Wemmick this time around. I love how he separated his business life and home life. My husband had a tough work-at-home day this week and when he finished, I asked him if he had left Little Britain and was heading to Walworth. Thanks for a chance to win!
My all-time favorite book character is Elizabeth Bennett!!! I love how stubborn she is and her witty comebacks to Mr. Darcy!! That is one book I will NEVER get tired of reading over and over again!!!
Love Holden Caulfield and those autumn colors!
Oh boy! How can I pick one? I guess whoever I am reading now..Jan Karon’s Father Tim.
Love it! I would love, love, love to win it
Menolly. She had such strength. As a teen, I think I needed a fictional female roll model. I didnt want to listen to anyone else.
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