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Greetings!
If you've been looking for the perfect romantic read to warm things up this chilly season, you're in for a treat! Letters from Home is a gorgeous debut novel from award-winning author Kristina McMorris. We're launching her blog tour today with an interview at The Muffin and we hope you'll join us.
In today's interview, Kristina talks about keeping her characters straight (she had 4 POVs to deal with!), how she researched her novel set in WWII, and her rough introduction to the publishing world. Stop by The Muffin and ask Kristina a question and also be entered in a random drawing for Letters from Home. Hope to see you there!
If you have a blog, please note that Kristina's tour is booked up, but we invite you to participate in a mass-blogging event we're hosting. You'll find information below and also some info about an upcoming blog tour for a beautiful coffee table book (for writers!) that you won't want to miss.
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Letters from Home
By Kristina McMorris
In the midst of World War II, a Midwestern infantryman falls deeply in love through a yearlong letter exchange, unaware that the girl he's been writing to is not the one replying...
Chicago, 1944.
Liz Stephens has little interest in attending a USO club dance with her friends Betty and Julia. She doesn't need a flirtation with a lonely serviceman when she's set to marry her childhood sweetheart. Yet something happens the moment Liz glimpses Morgan McClain. They share only a brief conversation--cut short by the soldier's evident interest in Betty--but Liz can't forget him. Thus, when Betty asks her to ghostwrite a letter to Morgan, stationed overseas, Liz reluctantly agrees.
Thousands of miles away, Morgan struggles to adjust to the brutality of war. His letters from "Betty" are a comfort, their soul-baring correspondence a revelation to them both. While Liz is torn by her feelings for a man who doesn't know her true identity, Betty and Julia each become immersed in their own romantic entanglements. And as the war draws to a close, all three will face heart-wrenching choices, painful losses, and the bittersweet joy of new beginnings.
Beautifully rendered and deeply touching,
Letters from Home is a story of hope and connection, of sacrifices made in love and war--and the chance encounters that change us forever.
Genre: Historical Romance, Women's Fiction
Paperback: 352 Pages
ISBN: 0758246846
Publisher: Kensington (2/22/2011); Avon/HarperCollins (5/5/2011; U.K.)
Letters from Home is available for purchase at Amazon, B&N, IndieBound , Books-a-Million, and at bookstores nationwide. A portion of the proceeds will benefit United Through Reading®, a nonprofit organization that video records deployed U.S. military personnel reading bedtime stories for their children.
Click here to read the first chapter of Letters from Home.
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About Kristina
 Kristina McMorris lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. She has garnered more than twenty national literary awards since writing her first novel, Letters from Home. A graduate of Pepperdine University, she spent twelve years hosting weekly television shows, including an Emmy® Award-winning television show at age nine, and most recently served as the six-year host of the WB's weekly program Weddings Portland Style. Adding to her diverse résumé, McMorris is a professional emcee, literary workshop presenter, and former owner of a wedding/event planning business. Her previous writing background includes being a contributing writer for Portland Bride & Groom magazine and ten years of directing public relations for an international conglomerate. She has been named one of Portland's "Forty Under Forty" by The Business Journal. She is currently working on her next novel.
Find out more about Kristina by visiting her website: www.KristinaMcMorris.com.
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For Book Clubs
Letters from Home is the perfect choice for book clubs, and Kristina has some fun ideas for yours! Be sure to check out the Discussion Guide and the 1940s recipes on her site that aren't included in her novel. She also has ideas on throwing an entire WWII theme party!
Visit her book club page.
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Upcoming Author Tour
 If you have a blog or website and would like to host our touring author below, we are still accepting a few choice blogs to participate in our Partnership Program. Come and join the fun! Please e-mail Jodi at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com, or respond to this e-mail, and put "Blog Tour Partnership" in the subject line. Please tell us the author you are interested in and your available dates. We'll get back to you with the details if you are accepted. We look forward to hearing from you! ---------- Tour Dates: March 21, 2011 - April 15, 2011  Title: The Literary Ladies' Guide to the Writing Life
Author: Nava Atlas Genre: Writing, Coffee Table Book Synopsis: Have you ever been asked the old question, "If you could invite 12 people--living or dead--to dinner, who would they be?" Author Nava Atlas's latest book, The Literary Ladies' Guide to the Writing Life, is the literary version of that dinner party. Using their letters, memoirs, journals, and interviews, Atlas has compiled writing advice from a dozen successful female writers. Her "dinner party" includes Lousia May Alcott, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Willa Cather, Edna Ferber, Madeleine L'Engle, L.M. Montgomery, Anais Nin, George Sand, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Edith Wharton, and Virginia Woolf. Nava's own insightful commentary lifts the curtain on these women's lives and provides reassuring tips and advice on such subjects as dealing with rejection, money matters, balancing family with the solitary writing process that will resonate with women writers in today's world. This inspirational book is also punctuated with photographs, letters, drawings and other illustrations. It makes a splendid gift book for writers. Take a look with the "Look Inside" feature at Amazon.com. About the Author:  Nava Atlas is a popular author who has more than 500,000 copies of her books in print. She is an artist and author who is best known for her bestselling vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including the classic Vegetariana. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband and two sons. Goodies: You will receive a copy of The Literary Ladies' Guide to the Writing Life. Participate! Please e-mail us with "Blog Tour Partnership" in the subject line and your available dates. We schedule 2-3 stops per week. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Ready to go touring?
We hope you'll join us at The Muffin to kick off Kristina's blog tour. Did you notice that every stop on this tour is hosting a book giveaway? That's sixteen chances to win! And, believe me, you're going to want to read this novel. :)
Happy writing and reading!
Angela, Jodi, Robyn & Team WOW!
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Book Giveaway Contest!
If you'd like to win a signed copy of Letters from Home by Kristina McMorris, stop by The Muffin and leave a comment or ask a question to be entered in a random drawing.
The giveaway contest closes this Thursday, February 24th at 11:59 PM, PST. We will announce the winner in the comments section of the post the following day, Friday February 25th. Good luck!
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Watch a book trailer
 | | Letters from Home by Kristina Y. McMorris |
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Bloggers: Participate in a Mass-Blogging Event
Everybody's Talking About...Surprises! To celebrate the launch of Kristina's novel Letters from Home, WOW is organizing a mass blogging event on Wednesday March 16, 2011. These events have been a huge success in the past and a ton of fun! To participate: blog about surprises and include a paragraph about Letters from Home. You and your followers could win a World War II themed prize! Not to mention the publicity your blog will get on The Muffin. To sign up contact Jodi Webb or reply to this email.
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Blog Tour Dates:
Check out these dates and mark your calendar! You can also snag a copy of WOW's Events Calendar HERE.
February 22, Tuesday:
Have fun learning about cooking amid rationing during WWII from Kristina McMorris. Also, enter to win a copy of her debut novel, Letters from Home. Thoughts in Progress
February 23, Wednesday:
Connect to your family's past with the help of Kristina McMorris, who was inspired to write a novel by the romance of her own family history. You can also enter to win a copy of her novel!
A Moment With Mystee
February 24, Thursday:
Don't miss Dana's audio interview with debut novelist Kristina McMorris. She'll also be giving away a copy of Letters from Home.
Nia Promotions Podcast
February 25, Friday:
Today Kristina tells us about the bliss of literary ignorance...if writers knew about the journey to publication they might never write that first word! Happily, Kristina traveled that bumpy road and is giving away a copy of her debut novel Letters from Home. The Book Tree
February 28, Monday:
Kristina will be posting about the challenges of writing historical fiction. She's also giving away a copy of Letters from Home and hopes no one finds any glaring historical inaccuracies!
Colloquium
March 1, Tuesday:
Kristina tells readers about the long and bumpy road to publication. She's also giving away a copy of her book! Musings from the Slush Pile
March 2, Wednesday:
Ever wonder about the person behind the book? Kathy uncovers the woman behind the novel. We learn Kristina's favorite candy, superhero, song, guilty pleasure...and a few things about her writing life! Share something about your life for a chance to win Kristina's novel. I am a Reader, Not a Writer
March 3, Thursday:
Valentine's Day may be over but it's never too late to pen a great love letter. Get some tips on letter writing from novelist Kristina McMorris and a chance to win her debut novel Letters from Home.
Cathy C.'s Hall of Fame
March 4, Friday:
Don't miss the opportunity to learn where novel ideas come from in an interview with Kristina McMorris. You can also enter to win her novel!
A Writer's Life
March 7, Monday:
Kristina tells us how to laugh if our books are labeled a "tough sell" and plan to succeed anyway. She's also giving away a copy of her book!
Writers Inspired
March 8, Tuesday:
Moms? Daughters? Come by to learn why Letters from Home is a great book for moms and daughters to share during an interview with author Kristina McMorris. You can also win a copy to share with your daughter!
Mother Daughter Book Club
March 9, Wednesday:
The publishing industry is full of ominous proclamations such as "Your book will be a tough sell." Kristina tells us what a "tough sell" is and gives readers the opportunity to win her WWII era novel! Lori's Reading Corner
March 10, Thursday:
Stop by to learn what novelist Kristina McMorris has to say about the challenges of writing historical fiction when the "history" is recent enough that folks are alive to say, "Hey, you got it wrong!" She'll also be giving away an e-book of her debut novel. Book Page
March 11, Friday:
Stop by for a review of Letters from Home and a fun 5Ws interview with author Kristina McMorris.
Words by Webb
March 14, Monday:
To paraphrase Bette Davis, "Fasten your seat belts, publication is going to be a bumpy ride." Debut author Kristina McMorris tells us how she survived it and is giving away a copy of her debut novel. Writing is a Blessing
March 15, Tuesday:
Crazy for Books reviews Letters from Home
today. You can also win a copy. Do you feel lucky?
Crazy for Books
March 16, Wednesday: Mass Blogging Event: Everyone's Talking About... Surprises!
Celebrate the grand finale of Kristina McMorris's WOW! Blog Tour with a mass blogging event called "Everyone's Talking About...Surprises." Stop by The Muffin for Kristina's surprise and a list of all her blogging buddies today. Visit her blogging buddies to enter to win a copy of Letters from Home. There's also a Surprise Grand Prize for those who buy her book today. [If you have a blog and would like to join in on the fun, please e-mail Jodi: jodi@wow-womenonwriting.com]
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