I'm bringing you my first ever vlog today as part of a link-up! Go check out Ivy's page for details and instructions to join! :)
~Link-Up~
*inhale* *exhale*
Once I got going, this was really fun and it didn't feel nearly so weird talking to a screen! The ending is lame because my sister walked into our room and threw me off. But she froze and backed out like a good girl, hehe. Thank you all so much for watching! Sorry for the dim lighting (my room is weird). I'll film it somewhere else next time. :) Let me know if you're going to do the link-up!!
Oh and before you ask: yes, my hair is actually that color and yes it's actually that very strange breed of half-curly. I don't know where it came from, but that's okay ;)
~Catch-Up~
There are a couple things that have been going on lately that I want to mention not in a wrap-up post :)
First, my betas! They are so incredible. I love every single one of you. There is just nothing like the feeling of someone really enjoying your book even in a flawed state! People are shipping my characters, having book-related dreams, finding music, rambling on social media about it . . . *happy sigh* It's just so amazing!! But they're giving me honest feedback, which is what makes them so helpful. I'll have plenty to tweak and revise as I read through it one more time before my editor gets her chance.
Second, I am now on Goodreads!! Yes, that is new news, because now I am an author on Goodreads. *gasp* That means all of my lovely betas can add Martin Hospitality as a current read (*hint hint*). The rest of you lovelies would be doing me the biggest favor ever if you would add it to your to-read list!! My betas helped me decided that I would publish under the name Abigayle Claire, so that's the name on my author profile. Here's the link to the book :)
Third, Martin Hospitality now has a public Pinterest board that you can check out! There aren't any true spoilers in there unless you don't want to know the baby's gender/name before you read the book ;) Click here to check it out and please comment on the pictures so I know your thoughts!
Also in the realm of other book obscurity, I have a cover underway (hopefully), an editor hired, a formatter lined up, and ISBN figured out. The release will be early December through Createspace (quite possibly 3 months from today!). Hopefully a blog tour and giveaway and all that jazz will come together as well . . .
Having nothing to do with my book at all, I have a veryawesome obscure guest post up on Mary's blog. Go check it out!
Having nothing to do with my book at all, I have a very
Thank you guys so much for your support! Again, I hope you enjoyed the vlog! Please, please do one. Please? I really want to see your videos. It's my new favorite way of getting to know people. There's so much you can't get through a screen :)
~~~~~
Okay, so what surprised you when you watch the vlog? My voice, hair, mannerisms? I think it'd be interesting to know how I strike people :)
I love your vlog!!! Literally you get to know the person SO much better through vlogs! They are my new favorite as well. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd your hair is so pretty and long! Love it. =) I love your voice too. At first it actually reminded me of Ivy's a little bit. :)
Thanks! Yes, it's amazing what you can learn through a video. I love them! :)
DeleteHaha, thanks! I really enjoy having long hair, even if it does take me forever to wash it! And it's a compliment if I sound like Ivy! It always throws me off, listening to my voice on a recording, because that's not what I sound like to myself :) So glad you enjoyed!
This is such a fun idea! I'll try and do it at some point. I also love your hair, it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYes, this was super fun. Can't wait to see if you do one! Thanks :)
DeleteSo much fun! It is so nice to hear your voice! :D I LOVED Counted with the Stars, too!!!! I can't wait for the second one! <3 I also love Historical Christian fiction books. So good!
ReplyDeleteAnother one I really loved, that made me emotional was Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar. It's about the women from the New Testament who bled for twelve years and she touched the hem of Jesus's garment and was healed. I highly recommend it! <3
MEXICAN FOOD!!! YES!!! It is my favorite as well!!! We have good taste! ;D
Blessings to you my friend! I hope you have a great weekend!! :D
Yay!! I don't know that many people who've read it, but I thought it was SO good! I'll have to check out "Land of Silence," because that sounds like a very interesting story. Thanks for the recommendation :)
Delete*high five* I love Mexican food so much! It's ridiculous really. Blessing back! My weekend was stupendous :D
ABI, I LOVED THE VLOG! I just love hearing what all my blogging buddies sound like! I kind of want to do a vlog? But mostly no because I feel like I would fail at it. XD
ReplyDeleteI LOVE YOUR HAIR! It's so pretty! Your voice is different than I imagined (though I don't really know what I thought it would sound like?), but I of course loved it as well.
I'm so excited that you did a vlog! It seems like a lot of people in the blogosphere have been doing them recently. :D Oh, and I finally got your guest post up! Sorry I didn't post it earlier today. :P
Thank you, Mary! I'm so glad you did a vlog. You did NOT fail. It was awesome and I loved watching you :)
DeleteHehe, thanks. I really don't have anything against my hair, but I wouldn't bless anyone else with it, either ;) Fun! My voice is different on a recording to my own ears, too, so I'm right there with you!
This was so fun! You are so pretty and have such a sweet voice. <3 And you're hair looks reddish, which I love. ;)
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it! I had a lot of fun making it :) Aw, thank you. My hair can be reddish in certain lighting. It's pretty much the color of honey with ash. I've yet to find anyone else with something close (so that's kinda fun). Thanks for watching! :)
DeleteAH THIS WAS AWESOME
ReplyDeletemaybe I'll do it if I have some time? It looks fun
And your hair is goals. Mine is curly/wavy but you'll see it straight a lot cause the humidity is horrible. Humidity= frizz and that's never fun
And Mexican food is the best. CHIPOLTE AND ALL THAT YUM
I love that
But this was awesome!!!! You are actually just like I imagined you voice wise and personality and evrythingggggg
YAY! You should definitely do one *nods* It's so cool that you nailed me!
DeleteHehe, thank you! Don't even get me started on the effects of humidity. It's so scary!
Yes, Chipotle!! It's so fresh, I love it. I will totally go for Tex-Mex, too, though, which may be a little foreign to the rest of you ;)
Vlogs are also my new favorite <3
ReplyDeleteEveryone, Abi's book is amazing and you all must read it. Okay?
I loved the pinterest board!
DeleteYes, I love watching them!!
DeleteAw, you're so sweet, Eliza. It's going to be 100x better after all of your helpful input! Glad you liked the Pinterest board. They are one of my favorite things to do for a story :)
You did it!!!!! *hugs* Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!! I loved it so much! Your voice surprised me--it's much smoother and sweeter than I expected. I really like it!! :) And your hair is lovely, too, and the texture is so interesting!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for doing this!!! I LOVED seeing your face and hearing your voice!!!
Of course!!! To be honest, I might not have if you hadn't tagged me, so I'm glad you did!
DeleteI'm glad you liked them. I always notice hair and voice on other people's vlogs, too ;) You're welcome! Thanks for getting this started. It's going to be awesome!
Okay, I officially love vlogs. I would do one if I had a blog. XD This was awesome! You did a great job!
ReplyDeleteHooray! Thanks so much. I will bug you about doing one if you decide to get a blog :)
DeleteOh, since Jonathan and Ashley want to do one, you should join them for one on their blogs!! Then we'd get to see you, too :) *nods* Please, please do it!
DeleteAh nice job you were so like calm and collected and dignified. XD I might have to try to do a vlog sometime though :D
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Thank you! I'm glad I came off that way, because that's not what it felt like! Yes, do one! I will start a petition if need be.
DeleteWow, that's so fun! The vlog was super cool to watch. I also love the Scarlet Pimpernel and I'll have to check out Counted with the Stars for sure! I might have to try out a vlog sometime :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ashley :) Woohoo, another Scarlet Pimpernel fan! I'd love to hear what you think about Counted with the Stars. :) I would love it if you did a vlog! I found it really helpful doing this link-up because it was just a few questions and I didn't have to come up with much. :)
DeleteFun fun Abi! Well done! You did a great job! Your hair is pretty much the color of mine, only mine is darker. Some cool shade between brown, red, and blonde. ;)
ReplyDeleteLOL! I love reading and writing in bed (not that I do a ton of writing). It is just so comfy! Be careful though, I actually hurt my neck\back, partially by being in odd positions in bed. ;) NOT cool!
Great vlog! You did a great job! The only thing I would suggest is having your camera up a little higher. I hope you do more of these!!! :D God bless!
Thanks, Sarah. Yes, that sounds about right for hair! I've never met someone with hair my color, so it's neat to know I'm not the only one :)
DeleteYes, beds are awesome for that. If I really need to get something done, I like to do it in a more "professional" setting. But for brainstorming and handwriting, I find bed perfect :) I do have to be careful, though! I think I did something weird to one of my ribs the other day. *sigh* Oh well ;)
Thank you! Yes, I will definitely makes adjustments on camera angle and lighting for next time! Thanks for that suggestion :) Hopefully I will do another before too long!
HALF-CURLY!!! *high five* That would be me. ;P (I'm on limited internet right now and can't watch the vid, but I will. ^.^)
ReplyDeleteIt was so cool to see your book on GR! And I love the Pinterest board. :)
Wow, awesome job, Abi!! You were so calm and professional! :) I love your accent and your eyes are sooo pretty. ^_^
DeleteHaha, I can totally relate to the stiff back issues. :P
Woohoo! *high fives you back* I'm so glad you saw it on Goodreads. Getting my book out there is exciting and scary at the same time!
DeleteAw, thank you :) Hehe, yeah my chiropractor was always in awe of how bad I could mess myself up. Probably not a good thing! Oh well, I try ;)
Abi!!! (I'm sorry I haven't been around on your blog lately!!!) You did a good job on that vlog! And you have very pretty eyes, btw. :) I would be kind of nervous, kind of excited to do a vlog... Perhaps I should sometime. ;) I've seen that book around! And I thought it sound sorta interesting! And YES, the cover is pretty and intriguing! I love stars. ;) CONGRATS on your book!!! That must be so excited! I'm so happy for you! <3
ReplyDelete-Micaiah
P.S. I tagged you on my blog for the Would You Rather (Book Edition) tag!! I hope you can check it out and do it - I'd totally like to see your answers! Here's a link for ya: https://adventuresbeyondthehorizon.blogspot.com/2016/09/would-you-rather-book-tag-edition.html
Hey, Micaiah! Thank you :) It would be very fun to see you do a vlog! You have to let me know if you read Counted with the Stars! Yes, my book is coming right along. I am very excited, but it's really terrifying at the same time! :)
DeleteSweet! I'm put the tag up today along with two others. Thanks for tagging me!
Abi,
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I have commented in your blog, but I just wanted to let you know that your vlog was great. Also, I absolutely looove Counted with the Stars. It is just so amazing, and I'm glad you love it, too :) Thanks for sharing a bit of your life with us and doing the video to let us get to "know" you better.
~Abigail
P.S. I love the way you spell your name.
Thank you! Oh, yay, someone who's read it! Wasn't it just phenomenal? *happy sigh* You're welcome; I really enjoyed doing the vlog :) And thank you! I wish I could take credit for the spelling ;) I did decide how to spell my nickname, though. Thanks for commenting, Abigail! :)
DeleteGreat vlog, I just recently read The Scarlett Pimperal.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Skye. You did?! Did you enjoy it? It's pretty different, but it's remained one of my favorites!
DeleteI'm absolutely stunned by your appearance. Your still photos give no hint of how beautiful you really are. Wow. That perfect face!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, thank you! That's very sweet. :) Thanks for commenting, Ray! (And thanks for all the awesome beta feedback!!)
DeleteOh my goodness, gurl!! You are SO beautiful!! :D
ReplyDeleteHaha, awesome vlog. I'm not sure I'd ever have the courage to do that... I don't do cameras. (Love your hair, too. Mine's kinda half-curly, also. Sometimes, if I let it air dry, it'll CURL. *shudder* it's weird.)
Your voice! <3 It's so weird to hear people talk after only ever reading what they typed out.. ya'know? :D
Aw, thank you, Hann ^.^
DeleteHahaha! I can totally relate. I let mine air dry after a shower today and I actually have ringlets! But they're really bed-head looking and only on the very top. It's so bizarre!
For sure! Voices are one of my favorite parts of vlogs ;)
Great job! Loved your vlog!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Hopefully I'll do another one before too long :)
DeleteI'm so very thankful that I got to see your lovely face, Abi!!! Your hair is almost the exact same as mine...mine likes to curl funny in the humidity and is half curly, half straight. ;) And the same color as yours. ♥
ReplyDeleteYour favorite book looks so good!!! I would love to read it. =) I don't usually get to read adult books...because of the occasional adult content. =( Is the romance in this one clean? (please?!) =)
I am hoping to do the link-up sometime as well...I was planning on the next one, depending on the questions asked. ;)
Yay! Great job!! *hugs* You are lovely, inside and out!
That's so sweet, Hosanna! I'm so glad I'm not the only one with indecisive hair, haha! Mine is so fluffy, I'm sure I could have let it do whatever it wanted a few decades ago and be very in style ;)
DeleteI'm so glad you're interested. Yes, I would say the romance is clean. There is virtually nothing physical that I can recall. The main thing is that the two characters have a very strong attraction to each other, but everything is still handled properly as they get to know each other :) I really appreciated that because it made it realistic, while still keeping it clean. However, Kiya struggles with the fact that she gave away her virginity during a previous relationship (this is handled very well) and at one point she is snagged by an obsessive enemy. Again, sensitive issues handled well, but creepy. Hopefully that makes sense! I hope you get the chance to read it <3
Oh good! I would love to see you do one of the link-up editions!! Thanks for your lovely comment :)
Loved your vlog, Ali! You did great - I would be SO awkward in front of a camera like that XD. BUT I might try it sometime, just for fun. We'll see!
ReplyDeleteCounted with the Stars sounds like an amazing book, I'll have to see if my library has it *nods*.
~ Savannah
scattered-scribblings.blogspot.com
Thank you! You should try it! I thought it would be really hard, but it wasn't bad at all. :)
DeleteYay! I hope they have it :D
Your voice definitely surprised me. I got the accent wrong xD
ReplyDeleteAnd things seem to be going so well for you! I'm glad! <3 I really want to check out Counted with the Stars simply because of the cover.
Haha, that's good I guess! I was pleased that I didn't sound drastically Texan in the recording ;) Sometimes though, a southern accent gets the better of me :)
DeleteYes, moving right along! It's really very crazy, but I'm enjoying it. Let me know if you read the book. It's so beautiful, inside and out :)
Oh my goodness, Abi! You're so pretty, and I love your voice! You're just the most adorable human ever, k?
ReplyDeleteMy hair is a lot like yours, actually! The blonde version, I guess. I totally get the half curly/half straight thing, haha.
I'M SO BEHIND ON BETA-ING I'M SO SORRY!! I swear I'm going to catch up. <3 <3
Haha, thanks Grace! ^.^
DeleteAwesome! Then you know exactly what crazy hair is like! It's seriously like having an entirely different personality . . . on your head. So bizarre! I gave up trying to control it a long time ago XD
Aw, no worries at all! You can do it! You've been super uplifting and funny, so I look forward to the rest of your comments :)
HI Abi! I thought I commented already, but for some reason blogger doesn't like me commenting. . . :( I have had issues with it before. Hopefully this one works! Your vlog was lovely! It was an honor beta reading your book and it was fun watching your vlog and getting to know you! After watching yours, I decided to do it! I just posted mine! Here is the link.
ReplyDeletehttps://rufflesandgrace.com/2016/09/28/a-vlog/
Blessings,
Victoria
Ugh, I hate it when comments don't show up! Sorry about that :/ But, yes, this one worked :)
DeleteThank you! Oh my goodness, I'm so excited that you participated. I could watch your vlog on a loop forever!
Thanks so much for beta reading. Your comments were super helpful and I can tell you put a lot of time and energy into my novel. That means a ton! <3
Oh my gosh, I love your vlog! =D You have a sweet accent.
ReplyDeleteCounted With The Stars sounds like an incredible book! It is always interesting seeing the ways people write Biblical times, and make it accurate, but also beautiful. ;) I enjoy Francine Rivers' Biblical books.
Also, congrats on publishing Martin Hospitality! :) It sounds sooo sweet, I can't wait to read it.
YHVH bless!
-Angela | thepeculiarmessenger.wordpress.com
Thank you! There's quite a few more on my YouTube () and I'll be sharing a new one on Saturday :)
DeleteI definitely enjoyed the book, although I know people who didn't. I hear so much about Francine Rivers! I'll have to read one of hers soon.
Thank you! I can't wait to hear what you think of it :)
Oops meant to link to my YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1a2mB0YvhJkw7Abh5NmLeg
Delete