Tag: Cookbook

#LiteraryTeaPartyTime Giveaway: Share Pics of My Recipes for a Chance to Win a Copy of My Cookbook!

Posted May 1, 2018 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours / 5 Comments

 

 

Wanna hear something crazy? My cookbook is coming out next month! It’s been a long, wonderful, crazy road, and soon my beautiful book baby with the blue scalloped cover will make its debut. It’s scary to send it out into the world, but it’s also wildly exhilarating. I’m an AUTHOR…that’s so…I just…what even? For someone who writes for a living, I can’t seem to string together a sentence that adequately expresses how I feel. All I can say is that it’s some kind of bottomless joy and I NEED to share it!

My editor and I first started discussing giveaways as we finished tweaking the final draft of the book. To be honest, some aspects of the promotion process seem kinda terrifying…like going out into the world IN PERSON and talking to REAL PEOPLE about my book to their FACES. Excuse me while I melt in terror at the thought #IntrovertLife. However, giveaways make me super excited. I love participating in them, so hosting one of my own is a special treat. What’s not to love? Someone gets my book for FREE, and I can’t wait to see all the entries, no matter how difficult choosing between them will be.

So let’s get started! 😀

ENTRY GUIDELINES

  • HOW TO ENTER: 
    • I’ve selected 3 recipes from my cookbook and shared links to the instructions below. Make 1 of these recipes and share a photo of it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Google+ with the hashtag #LiteraryTeaPartyTime.
    • The post must include the hashtag, the name of the recipe, and a link to this giveaway post. I’ll run a search of the hashtag on each platform regularly, but you can also tag me in your post to be sure I see it right away. I’m on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ (but not Instagram).
    • Each person is allowed to submit 1 entry per recipe for a total of 3 possible entries per person.
    • The giveaway is open to all countries.
  • PHOTOS WILL BE JUDGED ON THE FOLLOWING:
    • Accuracy of the Recipe. The recipe must be made correctly.
    • Quality of the Photograph. You don’t need fancy equipment, but the photograph does need to be in focus, have adequate lighting, and prominently feature the food from the recipe.
    • Creativity. Flex that left brain! Your photo could be a closeup on a fun plate, a painstakingly staged food arrangement, an action shot of you chowing down, etc. Don’t be afraid to have fun!
  • ENTRY DEADLINE: June 5th, 2018 (the day my book comes out!) EDIT: We’ve extended the deadline for 2 weeks to allow early reviewers a chance to participate. The new deadline is now June 19th! 🙂

 

ENTRY RECIPES

Beorn’s Honey Nut Banana Bread from The Hobbit

Cracked China Deviled Eggs from The Wizard of Oz

Queen of Hearts’ Painted Rose Cupcakes from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

 

PRIZES

Every good tea deserves a beautiful cup to serve it in, right? That’s why in addition to a free copy of A Literary Tea Party, we’re also offering two custom mugs as prizes, compliments of Kaitlyn from the blog and Etsy store Tea with Tolkien. One mug is green and says “Tea with Tolkien,” and the other is blue and says “Lattes with Lewis.” I absolutely love them and am sorely tempted to keep them for myself. They’re sturdy and beautiful with rich colors, and something about them just says FILL ME WITH A HOT BEVERAGE RIGHT NOW PLEASE! 🙂

1st PRIZE: A free SIGNED (!!!) copy of A Literary Tea Party and a mug from the Tea with Tolkien store

2nd PRIZE: A mug from the Tea with Tolkien store and a “Hobbit at Heart” Sticker

 

Here we go, folks! Ready…Set…#LiteraryTeaPartyTime! 🙂

Cookbook Update: My Book Is FINISHED!

Posted April 10, 2018 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Blogging, Uncategorized / 2 Comments


Hey, everybody! I FINALLY got a chance to write another cookbook post!! 😀 I’ve been sharing quick social media updates when I can, but they’re just no substitute for sitting down and sharing ALL the fun new things going on in cookbook land. I would’ve done so sooner, but after I submitted my final manuscript to my editor in October, I had to submerse myself in my blog for awhile. I needed to plan my first three 2018 menus, and all three wound up including intense recipes (namely, two gingerbread houses and a roast goose). Then came planning and cooking for my son’s first birthday party, which was fun but didn’t leave a lot of free time for cookbook posts. Now things have settled down, and I’m ready to share all the juicy details about what’s been going on since I submitted my manuscript!

My editor and I spent the last several months tweaking everything from minor wording to the cover design. We made one big change and added some new material, and we’ve got some promotional events in the works. I’ve included the details below, so let’s dive in!

 

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Cookbook Update: Manuscript Submission!

Posted October 18, 2017 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Blogging / 9 Comments


Hey, everybody! We’re due for another cookbook update, and what a grand one it is: I FINISHED MY MANUSCRIPT!

I’ve spent the last month or so making final tweaks to recipes, fine-tuning instructions, and finalizing photo choices. My perfectionist streak truly made itself known. I can’t tell you how much time I spent staring at two virtually identical photographs, trying to decide which one I liked better!

Then at 2:20 am (!!!) on Monday morning, I hit send on the final document. It was such an incredible moment…but also strange, realizing I’d completed something I started over a year ago. All of a sudden, I felt like a real author. Despite the early hour, the Little Mister was awake for the occasion…which I’m sure was because he wanted to share the big moment with me. 😉

I haven’t gotten word yet from my editor about what she thinks, but I’ll probably hear from her by the end of the week. There’s still a lot of work ahead, but it’s such a relief to have cleared this first big hurdle!

Here’s a rundown of some new things I added to the manuscript:

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My Post-Cookbook TBR: A Reading List for When I Finish My Manuscript

Posted September 19, 2017 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Link Up / 3 Comments

The complete manuscript for my cookbook is due mid October, so it’s currently crunch time at my house. Husband and baby have been very understanding of how much time I currently spend tapping away at my laptop as I make final edits to my manuscript, but I’ll admit I’m SO READY to be done with this stage of the process. I’m a rather detail-oriented person who I often likes editing, but I’ve been applying the correct abbreviation of “tablespoon” and rewriting ingredients in order of use for almost two months now. Needless to say, I’m ready to get back in the kitchen.

Even though editing process can be tough and tedious, I’ve been motivating myself with the promise that I can do some fun reading once it’s complete. Here’s my post-cookbook TBR, which I plan to dive into as soon as I submit my manuscript:

 

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