As our fiction publicist, I see lots of author giveaways…and I know it can be hard to come up with the perfect items to include. I’ve also seen that, in general, the best giveaways aren’t the ones with an expensive grand prize like a new gadget or expense-paid trip. In fact…those tend to attract people who have no real interest in the author or books in general, which isn’t helpful if the goal is to gather more readers to social media or a mailing list. Smaller giveaways with items that readers love (and will be excited to share about) are perfect for authors.

And as a reader, I get a lot of book-related gifts (or add them to my wish-list). From experience, I know that while books are always the best present, if you’re not sure what books a reader friend has on the shelves already, a novel-related something-or-other can be pretty exciting too.

That’s why I’ve compiled this non-exhaustive list of fun items for book lovers. Most can be any-occasion gifts, while a few are more specific to authors thinking about what to use in a giveaway.

(Not-a-Disclaimer: I’m not using affiliate links or getting sponsored by any of these people. In fact, the only products Bethany House has a connection to are the coloring books I mention. I just really like this stuff and hope you will too.)

Enjoy, readers! I won’t complain if this link gets mysteriously shared with all of your friends around Christmas or your birthday. And be sure to let us know your favorite item in the comments.

One: Fun Office Supplies

Girl of All Work has some fabulous page flags and sticky notes. Of particular note are the Crazy Cat Lady and Classic Characters page flags. (They have a great lineup of different novels, but I squealed out loud when they recently added Anne of Green Gables.)

Two: Candles

I’ve stopped by the Minneapolis-based Frostbeard Studios several times, and I love what they’ve come up with in the world of bookish candles! They even have tea light sampler packs in different genres and types.

Three: Pizza

One of the wonders of modern technology is that pizza can now be ordered online. That means an author can pick a winner, ask for topping choices, and have a piping hot pizza sent right to a reader’s door on a chosen night. Jill Williamson did this recently, and it was so fun that I had to share!

Four: Clever Accessories

Out of Print has lots of nerdy bookish stuff, but here are a few of the less expensive items: library card socks and a heat-reactive banned book mug…when you pour hot liquid into the mug, the titles blank out!

Five: Setting-Specific Items

If you want a fun tie-in with your book, consider making a gift basket of items from its setting. Dani Pettrey’s Chesapeake Valor series is set in her own home area, so she’s put together giveaway packages of items mentioned in her books or from shops and restaurants that show up.

Six: Baby Books

Besides the gorgeous artwork and the wink-wink references for those who have read the adult version of the classics, BabyLit board books are just plain fun. Educational too—your reader-to-be can learn opposites from Sense and Sensibility or Spanish from Don Quixote or counting from Jane Eyre (below). They also have puzzles, dolls, and playsets (like the Pride and Prejudice one below).

Seven: Homemade Item

A few years ago, Lisa Wingate made a decoupaged prayer box for a reader. Other authors who are crafty have include homemade cards or a cross-stitched bookmark in a giveaway. Knowing the author made it sets that item apart as priceless!

Eight: Journal

Why have a normal notebook when you can write between the lines of your favorite authors? Novel Journal prints real books in tiny font to form the lines for the journal, from Dracula to The Wizard of Oz to Sherlock Holmes.

Nine: Significant Item in the Book

Several of our authors have had fun choosing an item specific to their book, whether it’s a character’s favorite food or piece of jewelry or music related to the story. (And, no spoilers, but be sure to watch Ronie Kendig’s Facebook page for a super fun giveaway next month related to her release of Crown of Souls.)

Ten: Coloring Books

You can find a variety of adult coloring books on different themes all over the place, but here are two Scripture-based ones: an under-$6 mini pocket version and a high-quality art book. Bonus if you throw in some nice colored pencils!

Eleven: Skype with the Author

Despite what you might think, readers really do love a chance to connect with an author and ask all of their burning questions. This has been a popular “item” every time an author has offered it, especially in something like a Facebook party for fans.

Twelve: Posters

Incidental Comics is one of my favorite whimsical artists, and some of his cartoons are available in poster form. Here are just a few, but there are many more of interest to readers, artists, and writers.

Thirteen: Flowers

There are lots of local flower delivery services you could use to send something fresh and beautiful to a winner from right where you are.

Fourteen: Tea

But not just any tea…Novel Tea! I can personally vouch for the “War and Peach” tea, but any of these teas (and the pretty tins they come in) are likely to be a hit. Check them out for the humorous title puns!

Fifteen: Magnets

Magnetic Poetry has several book or author-specific sets of words, to be rearranged on any magnetic surface to produce works of great genius. (The Shakespeare version on my fridge is a continual riot of iambic pentameter.)

Sixteen: Wall Decor

Litographs is my favorite for this—their prints also contain the text of the book that they represent, printed really, really tiny in the background. Here’s the Nancy Drew poster, but they have dozens of others, from modern to classic.

Seventeen: Homemade Cookies

Sure, there are services that will deliver cookies, but what could be better than something homemade by the author? (Bonus: it’s a lot less expensive!) Here’s a tip: when mailing cookies, empty and cleaned out Pringles jars make excellent packing to send them in.

Eighteen: Postcards

Obvious State has a gift collection of 50 black-and-white postcard prints from different authors. Nothing like book-related mail!

Okay, readers: which of these eighteen items would you be most excited to receive as a prize or present?

Welcome to the annual post where we list off the many places you can travel in the pages of Bethany House books! This is my kind of summer staycation. The books listed below came out from July 2016 to June 2017.

USA

Someday, there will be a crazy random happenstance where my home state (Indiana) or current state (Minnesota) will pull an unbelievable upset and win the state with the most books!

But this is not that day.

This year, though, West Virginia, Illinois, and New York tied for the most common setting, with three each.

There are also a few newcomers to our list this time around. If you’re a US resident, is your state represented in our year of book settings?

Alaska: In the Shadow of Denali by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

Arkansas: Dark Deception by Nancy Mehl

California: To the Farthest Shores by Elizabeth Camden

Florida: Invitation by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, and Alton Gansky (also takes place in Washington, California, and other locations)

Illinois: Traces of Guilt and Threads of Suspicion by Dee Henderson, With You Always by Jody Hedlund (also takes place in New York)

Kansas: A Heart Most Certain and A Love So True by Melissa Jagears

Louisiana: The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green

Maryland: Still Life by Dani Pettrey

Michigan: Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin

Missouri: Fatal Frost by Nancy Mehl, For the Record by Regina Jennings

Montana: A Beauty Refined and A Love Transformed by Tracie Peterson

New Jersey: The Ebb Tide by Beverly Lewis (also takes place in Pennsylvania)

New Mexico: No Way Up and Long Time Gone by Mary Connealy

North Dakota: From This Day Forward by Lauraine Snelling

New York: The Domino Effect by Davis Bunn, Love’s Faithful Promise by Susan Anne Mason, Behind the Scenes by Jen Turano

Oregon: Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson

Pennsylvania: The Wish by Beverly Lewis, Amish Weddings by Leslie Gould

Tennessee: A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander

Texas: Heart on the Line by Karen Witemeyer

Virginia: Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig (but also set internationally…see below)

Washington: True to You by Becky Wade

West Virginia: A Tapestry of Secrets by Sarah Loudin Thomas, The Artisan’s Wife and The Chapel Car Bride by Judith Miller

Other Countries

Belgium: High as the Heavens by Kate Breslin (also takes place in France, Scotland, and other locations)

Canada: Where Hope Prevails by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

England: An Elegant Façade and An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter, Courageous by Dina L. Sleiman, A Lady Unrivaled by Roseanna White, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen, Murder on the Moor by Julianna Deering, The Captain’s Daughter by Jennifer Delamere

India: Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig (also Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and others)

Israel: Shadow of the Storm and Wings of the Wind by Connilyn Cossette

Scotland: The Cottage by Michael Phillips

Other Realms: King’s Blood by Jill Williamson, The Shattered Vigil by Patrick W. Carr

Catch up on our past setting lists from 2016, 2015, and 2014!

All right, readers! Let us know a fun location near where you live, historically significant or otherwise.

We’re shaking things up a bit at the office this month! Our fiction publicist, Amy Green, is usually the one behind these blog posts, but I was given the opportunity to write this one. I’m Rachael Wing, the editorial and publicity intern here at Bethany House Publishers for the summer. I started reading at the age of four and have been buried in my “to-be-read” pile since then, always finding new books to add. I’ve been passionate about Christian fiction since I started book reviewing two years ago and am thrilled to now be working directly with authors and their manuscripts at my dream workplace.

As fellow bibliophiles, we’ve all picked up on some bookish habits over time yet we’ve learned to embrace them as who we are. Here are some that I admittedly relate to:

1. Owning more than one copy of your favorite book(s)

You have to own the hardcover because of how much prettier it is than the paperback (and the pages are nicer too), but you also need the ebook because you may get the urge to read it one more time and so you must always have access to it.

2. Keeping a book with you at all times

There’s a book in your bag, a few in your car, and multiple apps on your electronic device—you never know when you’ll need one! Everywhere you go, you remember to have a book with you in case you have a long wait or are stuck in an awkward situation.

3. Trying to figure out what book a person is reading without appearing to stare

Admit it. We’ve all done it. You’re walking down the sidewalk and see someone sitting on a bench reading. You try to be subtle when you glance at their book but someone always ends up notice that you’ve slowed down or turned your attention elsewhere. At that point, you give up and stop or bend your head to make out the title.

4. Being careful about spending money on essentials but splurging on books

You always go the cheap route when it comes to buying groceries, cleaning supplies, and clothes. You’ve even considered if paying the electric bill for the month is necessary because you can read by candle light, right? Though, when it comes to buying books money usually isn’t an issue. You can definitely afford to pay the extra money for the hardcover copy and you may as well buy the rest of the books in the series since you’re already there.

5. Solving a plot twist before it’s revealed and feeling like Sherlock Holmes

You knew that character was suspicious from the beginning and then they say something that supports your suspicions—you’re convinced they’re the murderer! Then their true identity is revealed and for a second you wonder if you chose the wrong career path because you’d make an excellent detective.

6. Having mixed feelings about starting a book you’ve been anticipating to read

You really want to read this new release but then you realize if you start it now, you’ll never be able to read it for the first time again! Then, you will reach the end and the entire experience will be over and you will fall into book separation depression. So, you decide to hold it for a little while and then read as slowly as possible so you can enjoy every word of it.

7. Smelling your new books

You crack open your new book and the smell of paper and ink that wafts in the air is the definition of pure happiness. Then, you bury your face in the pages for the full book-smelling experience. Who cares who is watching? It’s one of the greatest things about opening a new book!

8. Owning a wide array of bookmarks but never using them

You have a whole collection of bookmarks that you love but you never use because you’re either afraid of using them and losing them or you simply just forget. Instead you have receipts, gum wrappers, recipe cards, or whatever you can get your hands on in the moment to mark your place…but you never dog-ear a book!

9. Talking about fictional characters as if they’re real

You’re chatting with one of your friends about your weekend and you recall a funny story that happened to another friend. Only to realize after the fact that this “friend” was in fact a fictional character in a book you recently read. Oh well. You’re as close to your fictional friends as your real friends, anyway.

10. Telling yourself “just one more chapter” when you should really be sleeping

You have to be up in five hours but you remind yourself that whether you were reading or not, you’d be awake either way, because your mind is racing trying to figure out what is going to happen next! Will you regret it in the morning? Probably. You remind yourself that you can always drink another cup of coffee with extra shots of espresso and all will be well.

Don’t be ashamed if you relate to one or more of these. There’s nothing wrong with any of these situations, because reading is one of the best hobbies you can have. You are given the chance to time travel and live multiple lives in various eras, countries, and lifestyles anytime and anywhere you want. There isn’t a hobby that compares to reading, so enjoy your bookish lifestyle and try to make a dent in that TBR stack that’s waiting for you!

What are some other “bookworm problems” you have experienced?

Any experienced reader knows the lingering stress of the TBR (To-Be-Read) Pile. As someone who is a reader and also works for a publisher that contributes to lengthening many such piles, I want to reassure you: you are not alone. I’m here to walk you through the process, show you there are others all around you dealing with TBR pile shock, and help you and your Goodreads profile find peace.

Stage One: Denial

I can do this, you think, staring down that list of books the way Rocky/Karate Kid/that quarterback in Remember the Titans faced their respective opponents. Determination. Focus. One page at a time.

(Did I have to look up a list of underdog sports movies? Yes. My greatest athletic achievements are literary triathlons, which consist of reading a book, discussing the book, and explaining why the book was better than the movie.)

Yes, you have a daunting TBR pile in front of you, but it can and will be conquered, you assure yourself, even as the list fills a thick binder. Even as you add three books for every one you check off. Even as you hear the faint but unmistakable sound of your high school math teacher lecturing on statistical probability and laughing at your baseless optimism.

But the more you stare at the list of books you want to read, promised your friends you’d read, and feel an obligation to read to better yourself as a person, reality sets in: your TBR pile may be getting out of control. Which triggers…

Stage Two: Anger

Suddenly, interfering tasks like housework and sleeping seem irritating and unnecessary, all taking up valuable reading time. You may find yourself lashing out in anger at bosses for expecting you to be present at your job, family members for having conversations with you, dust for falling, and anything else that distracts you from a page-turning read. This is normal.

Well, not exactly normal, but we’re book nerds. We have different standards. Continue reading →

Confession: I almost, almost put “Ten Signs Your a Grammar Nerd” as the title of this blog post. Intentionally. Just to see how many people came over to decry my atrocious abuse of the English language.

Better counsel prevailed, and instead I want to welcome you to Bethany House’s little corner of the Internet, where you can be surrounded by fellow lovers of proper usage and punctuation, with nary a stray apostrophe or comma in sight.

Not sure if you belong? Here are a few signs. You know you’re a grammar nerd when:

One: You have a favorite punctuation mark. Probably a least favorite one as well. And you are fully equipped to explain why to anyone who wants to know (and quite a few who don’t).

Two: You can spot errors everywhere—Facebook posts, graduation programs, flyers on the bulletin board, lyrics for your church’s worship music—and once you see them, you can never un-see them. Never.

Three: You feel the need to look up every oddly-specific rule before sending an email or posting a Facebook update (“Does the question mark go outside of the quotation marks in this case?” “Is it an en dash or a hyphen?” “Is that the British spelling, or am I just wrong?”).

Four: You have an opinion about the Oxford comma. In fact, you might be willing to challenge someone to a duel over it. (I’m not 100% sure how this duel would proceed, but I picture two people bashing each other with Chicago vs. AP style guides until someone capitulates.)

Five: You physically twitch when spellcheck underlines something that is perfectly correct.

Six: You sometimes have nightmares about sending a text without noticing that autocorrect mangled your message.

Seven: You have corrected errors on printed materials in public, occasionally to the point of defacing private property, without getting caught.

Eight: You own red pens that vary in style and thickness. After all, every occasion demands a different correcting tool!

Nine: You understand the punch lines for all of these jokes:

“Past, present, and future walk into a bar. It was tense.”
“What do you say when comforting a grammar nerd? There, their, they’re.”
“There are three things that I love: the Oxford comma, irony, and missed opportunities.”
“What’s the difference between a cat and a comma? One has claws at the end of its paws and the other is a pause at the end of a clause.”

Ten: You have located a mistake of some sort in this post and feel ridiculously triumphant about it. (I’m sure some exist. That’s why I’m in marketing, not editorial.)

Next week on the blog, I’ll share some grammar nerd stories from our editing and marketing team members here at Bethany House, including their pet peeves and a few rules they don’t think should really be rules.

How would you finish the statement, “You know you’re a grammar nerd when…”?

Hello, readers! As Valentine’s Day approaches, I’m happy to answer the following question I was sent through our Ask Bethany House survey.*

Dear Amy,

The heroes in my favorite novels are so perfect, I think I’ve developed a bit of a crush on several of them. My friends think this is a problem since they’re not “real.” (Who cares?) But I’ve found that ending every book is difficult for me, since I always have to say goodbye to a man of my dreams. Do you have any advice?

Yours Brokenheartedly,

Recovering Romance Reader

(If you need help deciding if this letter also applies to you, check out a post from last year: 10 Signs You are in Love with a Fictional Character.)

Ah, love. It can be a complicated thing, especially when the man you’ve fallen for is seeing another woman. And fictional. And two-dimensional…literally. He’s printed on a page.

But those details aside, I’m here to help you cope with that deep feeling of loss when you finish the last page of a heart-pounding novel. The following are just a few suggestions for moving on after a book boyfriend leaves you for the fictional heroine:

Start a fan club. You can interpret this in two ways. First, it can be therapeutic to giggle and sigh with other readers over the merits of your chosen hero. There might be some heated banter over who is the best fit for said fictional hunk, but all in good fun. Second, it might be helpful to actually have a fan nearby while reading to avoid swooning.

Journal the angst. This can be on Facebook or a blog—just get it out there. Tell everyone about the books that stole your heart (or broke it). You can even start it, “To All the Books I’ve Loved Before.”

Eat chocolate. Does this actually help? Probably not. But I feel like a point on just about every how-to list should be “eat chocolate,” so there you go.

Book-stalk the hero’s friends. After all, they’re probably just as witty and charming and attractive, right? So find out if that author has written any other books. A reader can never give up hope.

Appreciate the real men in your life. Even if you haven’t yet found “The One,” once you’ve had a few day’s distance from the latest novel, you’ll find there are several advantages actual people have over their fictional counterparts. Becky Wade has compiled a list of some of those merits—enjoy!

Send the happy couple a congratulations card. Nothing helps you get over your lost love than telling the object of your affections that you enjoyed watching his journey toward a happily-ever-after. But where to address it, you ask? I’d suggest the book’s page on Amazon or Goodreads. Turns out, other readers (and authors) like to hear that you found a romance sigh-worthy. (Just be careful not to reveal the ending…after all, maybe other readers want to have hope they might get the guy instead of the heroine.)

Start a new book. Will this make the cycle continue indefinitely? Probably. But we’re readers, after all. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Wishing you the best of luck, Recovering Romance Reader. We here at Bethany House understand your dilemma…that’s why we keep publishing books from authors who create the best fictional romances around!

One bonus recovery tip: admit your latest book crush in the comments below. Misery loves company!

*Okay, fine. No one actually sent me this question. But I can read minds—lots of you were wondering this, weren’t you? Admit it! (But never fear, the real Ask BHP post will come later this month.)

No matter what the weather looks like where you are, here in Minnesota where Bethany House is located, we won’t be putting away our winter coats anytime soon. Maybe you live someplace warm (or, for our international readers, are having a summery start to the year). But if you’re getting a little tired of snow, here’s one way to make it more enjoyable: participate in the winter sport of reading.

The picture that gave me the idea for this post. Fun, right?

What’s that you say? Reading is not actually a winter sport? Well, it should be. And here are a few reasons why.

One

There are a few people rugged and courageous enough to do regular outdoor things during the winter. The rest of us will be inside. Reading. And not getting frostbite or runny noses that could possibly turn into pneumonia. (Safety first!)

Two

“Reading isn’t active enough to be a sport,” you say. To which I say, come on, curling is an official sport of the Winter Olympics. It’s not like you really have to be breaking a sweat here.

Three

Close your eyes and picture a scene that makes you think, “cozy.” Go ahead. Right now. There was someone reading a book in it, right? Maybe wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and drinking something warm by a fireplace. I feel like this is a universally recognized image of coziness and comfort, and what better time than winter to be cozy? Continue reading →