Friday Finds for 6 May 2022 | Flowers, Author News, Mother’s Day, Giftable Books, Recipes, Giveaways, Pin Looms, & more!
Hello, my friends & welcome to the Friday Finds for 6 May 2022
I’m happy you joined us today for a lively romp through books, author news, giveaways, recipes, and even a bit of crafting. Happy Mother’s Day to all who celebrate this holiday. I hope you get to do just what you want for your special day. Me…I’ll spend it reading and relaxing, which is what I like to do every weekend. 😉
If you subscribe to the Friday Finds email list (form on the sidebar or bottom of the page), you get bonus material not found in this post. Plus I like to slip giveaways in there or sometimes I hide them here. Just like with Surprise Lilies, you never know when or where the gifts will pop up!
What are your favorite spring flowers? My faves are hyacinth and tulips. I would love to have a stand of hyacinth like this picture. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to flourish in the soil here. Do you have any tips for growing healthy hyacinths?
Have a great day and be sure to say hi in the comment section below.
(Note: There may not be a table of contents in this post. I’m having issues with it. You may need to scroll to the sections you are interested in. Do you ever use the table of contents to jump to your favorite sections?)
Friday Finds | 6 May 2022 | Author News
The Author of the Week feature is back as long as there is interest. If you would like to be featured, simply leave me a comment below to let me know. (This week’s winner is: Tom Tracy, chosen by a random drawing from all qualified authors.)
Several authors responded to last week’s post with author news. Check these out!
Here’s a tidbit of positive author news from Mim Eichmann: I’ve just booked my first book launch (ever!) for all three of my novels — “A Sparrow Alone” and “Muskrat Ramble”, both released during Covid, and the third, “Whatever Happened to Cathy Martin” to be released soon — for 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 at Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park, IL.
Chevron Ross says: I’m offering a Kindle Countdown Deal on Weapons of Remorse. It’ll be 99 cents from May 3-10.
Join the celebration of Children’s Book Week with Jessica D. Adams, author of the Underground Toy Society series. Here’s a link to her blog post with youtube videos and lots of fun ideas.
Tom Tracy announced that Scoochie’s Adoption Story is a multi-category winner in the Firebird Book Awards for the 1st quarter of 2022.
Are you a fan of Seeley James books? He’s having a massive sale (45% off all books including bundles) on his website for a few more days! I stocked up on Pia Sabel stories to last me the summer.
Do you have a new book releasing soon, a special promotion coming up, or any other news of your author-life I can share with my readers?
Friday Finds | 6 May 2022 | Books
In my book, you will meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever.
This is my story, from a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City, and beyond. This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn’t always see me.
As I wrote Finding Me, my eyes were open to the truth of how our stories are often not given close examination. We are forced to reinvent them to fit into a crazy, competitive, judgmental world. So I wrote this for anyone running through life untethered, desperate, and clawing their way through murky memories, trying to get to some form of self-love. For anyone who needs reminding that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be . . . you.
Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise, and a love letter of sorts to self. My hope is that my story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you.
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One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming…
Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.
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Mom I Want to Hear Your Story by Alberta Chompegne
Want to know more about your mom? Get this journal and uncover the hidden stories.
The book contains the four most important periods of her life:
- Childhood
- Teenage Years
- Adulthood
- Motherhood
Discover the fun trivia that made you love your mom even more. Start this journal now to collect memories now and forever.
This journal is perfect for writing down all the funny, cute, and unique secrets your mom has never told you.
I wish I had done this before my mother passed away. It would be fabulous to read her stories & thoughts.
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And in honor of Children’s Book Week, here is a hot new release.
Johnny the Walrus by Matt Walsh
From Daily Wire personality and bestselling children’s book author Matt Walsh comes a timely tale of innocence, identity, and imagination.
Johnny is a little boy with a big imagination. One day he pretends to be a big scary dinosaur, the next day he’s a knight in shining armor or a playful puppy. But when the internet people find out Johnny likes to make-believe, he’s forced to make a decision between the little boy he is and the things he pretends to be — and he’s not allowed to change his mind.
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If you buy a Kindle book on Amazon you can usually add the Whispersync option for just a bit more money so you can pop back & forth between reading and listening.
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Friday Finds | 6 May 2022 | Recipes
Chicken Fried Steak (with video) by Jocelyn of Grandbaby Cakes
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Lemon Cheesecake Mousse from Cooking Classy
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Seven Layer Salad – Ketofied from AllDayIDreamAboutFood
Friday Finds | 6 May 2022 | Creative Adventures
If you have been around here very much, you know I have a love affair with pin looms. Texas Gabi is the maker of the famous Turtle Looms. She is having a very fun blog event where one of her looms is traveling across the country visiting a new pin loom lover (experienced & not-so-much) every month. Check out her blog here to follow the Travel Turtle 22.
Shop here for your own hexagon pin looms!
Friday Finds | 6 May 2022 | Blog Roundup
If you missed a book review in the past week, here’s an easy link to find them or click on the image & links below. There are giveaways ranging from gift cards to signed copies of books, and extras. Be sure you are entered before they expire.
Gemini Divided by Lauren K Roberts | Awesome Giveaway and 5-Star Review
The World Maker Parable (Adjacent Monsters #1) by Luke Tarzian | Spotlight Tour
The World Maker Requiem (Adjacent Monsters #2) by Luke Tarzian | Spotlight Tour
Love, Lies, and Treasonous Spies by Anne Shaw | $10 Giveaway, Review, Excerpt, & Author Profile
My Dearest Miss Fairfax by Jeanette Watts | Giveaway, Excerpt, and Guest Post
Thanks for reading this week. Peace & Love!
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Hi Gina,
I received some good news this week: my dystopian fiction Cromby’s Axiom was selected as a category finalist for the Eric Hoffer award.
Spectacular spring weather up here in Montreal. The tulips have popped open. Hope you are enjoying a great Mother’s Day.
Hi Gina,
Glad to have opened this week’s issue of Friday Finds. Love hyacinth and tulips too. Saw some beautiful tulips on sale today at rite aid, but decided on a rose to give my mum on Mother’s Day. The lemon cheesecake mousse looks divine.
Have a wonderful mother’s day weekend
You have the best posts! I like scrolling, but seem to get distracted by the yummy recipes. Those books sound so inspiring! And, I am fascinated with the looms—maybe someday!
Thanks, Eve! I appreciate your support!
Thanks Gina, for your posting about my Weapons of Remorse discount deal. Happy Mother’s Day!
Glad to help, Chevron. Thanks for the Mother’s Day wishes.
Thanks so much for sharing about Children’s Book Week!
My favorite flowers are tiger lilies. They remind me of my mom because there were so many that grew around my house when I was little. They still grow at my dad’s house, but I don’t get to see the flowers as much now that I moved.
The blog about the travel turtle is such a fun idea!
Have a Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day to you too, Jessica. I love following Texas Gabi’s blog & the Traveling Turtle. You should do something like that with your books.
Hi Gina,
I’d love to be featured as your author of the week!
Thank you for the kind mention of TT22, our travel turtle loom this year. Charlene and I very much appreciate it!