SPARK {My Book Launch + a Cozy Giveaway!}

| Allison

Hello, dears!

AHHHHHH. I AM IMMENSELY EXCITED. Because guys –  it’s finally time to reveal my second poetry book! *happy dance* I’ve been working on this project for the past year, and I’m so ready to announce it officially. 🙂

This year, the book launch will be accompanied by a small-ish blog tour and A GIVEAWAY! Eeep! I’m so excited for the giveaway too; I kind of want to keep everything myself. 😛

So, let’s jump right in before I burst with excitement. 😀

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Okay, are you ready to see it? Ahem. Introducing… Spark: a little book of poems, now for sale right here.

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AHHH! I hardly knew where to start with this post, but I figured the cover would be a good place. 😉 I’m really pleased with how it turned out! I believe my cover designing skills have improved slightly from last year, even though I still like Unfurling‘s cover.

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I’m happy with the back, too. The girl catching a firefly kind of embodies the whole theme of the book; she’s almost Spark‘s logo or mascot.

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Even though this book is still pretty thin, considering, it’s nearly twice as thick as my first poem book, which I’m super happy about. 😀

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Somehow this first page makes it feel REAL.

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Now to talk about the behind-the-scenes of how Spark came to be. As I mentioned, Spark is nearly double the size of Unfurling, with 100 poems instead of 54. Ever since the release of my first book, I’ve kept a notebook on my desk and intentionally composed a LOT of poetry, not obsessing over the quality or perfection of each piece since I knew I could change and sort it later.

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And I did! Many months and even more pages later, I collected the decent poems from my handwritten notebooks, copied them into an Open Office document, and started polishing. Then I copied THAT into a Google Doc, and kept perfecting it with the incredible help of three of my dear blogging friends: Charis, Clara, and Aria.

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Like last year, I waited to illustrate the poems until I was mostly done editing them. I stuck with a simple, slightly whimsical illustration style similar to the pictures in my last book. But I like this art even better than last year’s. 🙂

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After many more hours of formatting, cover designing, wrestling a continually crashing Open Office, publishing with Lulu, revising, and re-publishing, a box of shiny new books arrived at my door, and IT WAS DONE. And I am so, so happy with the result. 

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Let’s be real: no book, least of all mine, can change the world. But the person reading it can. If this book reminds you that there’s still a reason to smile; if it shows you that it’s okay to be sad; if it helps you finally feel understood and not alone; if it opens your eyes a little wider to our boundlessly great Creator; and if it stirs you to go into the world and love people, freely and fiercely; my mission is accomplished. How could I ask for more?

It is my sincere hope that God will use the words he placed into my heart to touch the hearts of others.

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*takes deep breath* Wow. I didn’t meant to write another poem. Sometimes that kinda just happens… Ahem.

Now for the giveaway! 😀 The winner will receive…

  • an autographed copy of Spark
  • a set of fairy lights
  • a pair of amazingly fluffy socks
  • a box of chai tea
  • a mini print of a poem excerpt + illustration
  • a Spark-themed playlist

I intentionally and carefully picked out items that will enhance and be enjoyed with the book, not distract from it. 

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Before I tell you how to enter, I’m going to go over the prizes (except the book) in more detail so you can fully appreciate their wonderfulness. XD First up, fairy lights! *heart eyes*

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Guys, I’ve got to get myself some of these. I’m sure you’ve seen fairy lights all over the internet, and for good reason. They’re perfect for adding a little magic, warmth, and ambiance to photos, bedrooms, etc. This particular set is 66 feet long (O.o), comes with the option to plug into the wall or a USB port (like in your computer!), and has five different brightness settings to choose from. Fancyyyy, eh?

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Next up, the coziest socks I have ever worn. Well, I haven’t actually WORN these socks, don’t worry. I just have another pair, the black ones, that I’m wearing right now and could probably wear every day if it wasn’t for their extreme puffiness making them mostly incompatible with shoes. 😛

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These are Mukluks brand socks, according to the grips on the bottom. Normally I don’t like grippy socks because you can feel the texture of the bumps under your feet, but I actually love the grips on these socks; they’re helpful rather than uncomfortable. AND SO FUZZZZYYYYY. They’re lined with super soft and fluffy fabric that keeps your feet warm, but not too warm. No, this post isn’t sponsored. I just really love these socks. XD

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I can’t truthfully say I love this tea because I’m not sure I’ve ever tried this particular kind. XD But I do love chai tea in general – the sweet + spiciness of it literally tastes cozy. Also, to be honest, I picked this partially because the colors of the box went with the theme. :’D

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Lastly, 1) a simple little poem print-out and 2) a playlist inspired by the book!

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You can hang the mini print on your bulletin board, pin it to your fairy lights, send it with a letter, etc. The playlist contains 20 cozy songs, instrumental songs, songs with beautiful lyrics that tie into the book, and… you get the idea. If you’re the type of person who likes to listen to music at all times, you can turn on Spotify while you read! If not, I feel you. 😛

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HOw To Enter the Giveaway

  • This giveaway is only open to U. S. residents. 😦 I’m so sorry, my international friends, but… SHIPPING. *weeps*
  • If you’re under 18, please get a parent’s permission before entering since I will need your address if you win!
  • Giveaway starts October 25 and ends 12:00 AM EST on November 4
  • Comment on this post to tell me you’re entering the giveaway! Then enter by clicking “commented on Allison’s post” on the form below (please visit my actual site if you’re reading this on email or WP Reader). 
  • To get bonus points: 1) share this post to social media. 2) Comment on the other posts in the blog tour. (Keep reading for the blog tour links!) Each tour participant will add question(s) to the end of their post – just comment your answers on their lovely blogs! And it might be fun to read their posts while you’re at it. 😉 

Click HERE to enter the giveaway!

Hang on, guys – we’re almost to the end of the post, but I can’t forget the blog tour schedule! I can hardly express my gratitude to my wonderful friends for helping me launch this book. THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU.

Make sure to check out their posts because this list not only includes some of my favorite people, but also some of my favorite bloggers! We have all sorts of interesting content coming up, from book reviews to author interviews, poem snippets, aesthetic photos, and maybe even some bonus poetry. :O See?

October 25

Allison @ A Farm Girl’s Life – Blog Tour Kickoff, Author’s Intro, + Giveaway Begins

October 26 (Saturday)

Aria @ Aria Lisette – Book Review

October 27 (Sunday)

Amie @ Crazy A – Book Review, Author Interview

October 28 (Monday)

Jo @ Pananaw – Review, Snippets, and Author Interview with a slight twist 😉

October 29 (Tuesday)

Sam @ The Chocolate Box – Book Review & Poem Snippets

October 30 (Wednesday)

Megan @ A Barefoot Gal – Mini Book Review

November 1 (Friday)

Hannah @ The Striped Plaid – Book Review & Poem Snippets

November 2 (Saturday)

Charis @ Charis Rae – Mini Book Review & Instagram Q&A

November 3 (Sunday)

Heather @ The Frozen Library – Author Interview

November 4 (Monday)

Clara @ Clara & Co – Book Review & Author Interview

November 5 (Tuesday)

Allison @ A Farm Girl’s Life – Blog Tour Wrap-Up + Giveaway Winners!

And now, we are FINALLY done with this post! YAYYYY, you made it! Thank you for bearing with my excitement and wearing out your scrolling finger for me. I appreciate it. XD

Are you excited for Spark? What do you think about poetry? (I used to hate it. 😛 ) Which item of the giveaway would you be most excited to win?

Thanks SO much for reading, dears, and please have a lovely day! ❤

***Allison***

187 thoughts on “SPARK {My Book Launch + a Cozy Giveaway!}”

  1. Wow, this is so exciting for you, Allison! Your color design is lovely, and I especially like the illustration. You are so creative! Did you hand-letter the title?
    I found the fact that you use OpenOffice fun, since I used that all throughout highschool (alas, I do use Word now for college, since it’s easier, in a sense). I do have OpenOffice on my laptop, though, and I use Draw occasionally.
    Anyway, I would love to enter your giveaway! You’re so generous. I especially would like to win the book, since I’m interested in reading your poetry (and enjoying the aesthetic-ness of the book). I think the fairy lights would be so cool to have, as well, though. 🙂
    Congratulations on publishing your second book! I can tell that it took so much work, and the final product looks great.
    ~Sassafras
    P.S. Your hair looks so smooth, shiny, and pretty in that photo! 🙂

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    1. Thank you so muuuuch! I’m pleased with how the cover design and illustration turned out too! Aww, thanks. ❤ Nope, I used a real font, but I manipulated it a bit on the computer to make it look more handwritten and uneven. 🙂
      Oh, neat! I don't particularly like Open Office, actually, probably because I'm used to Word. 😛
      Aww, YAYY! My pleasure! Thanks for entering, dear.
      And thank you again for such a kind and thoughtful comment. ❤
      P. S. Aww, you're so sweet! XD (I keep saying "aww," don't I? O.o) Thank you ever so much!

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  3. Hi, Allison! I would love to enter the giveaway!
    I really enjoyed your last book of poetry, and i’m super excited for the new one!

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    1. OH NO! Well I did get a comment from “Someone” (they didn’t have a name on their profile), and they said something like, “congratulations, girlie! I’d love to enter the giveaway.” Was that you?

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  10. “no book, least of all mine, can change the world. But the person reading it can.”

    I felt this ^ Just…wow. I’ve never thought of it that way and now, I always will ❤

    (ps, I'm entering the giveaway! Your book is beautiful!)

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  11. *gasp* Allison, I’m not receiving notifications for your posts again! *sniffles* Congratulations on the book, it looks so amazing and awesome and ahh, this is so exciting. XD

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  17. Oooohh!! I’m SO excited!! I loved your last poem book, so it’s awesome that you made another one! If I don’t win I will have to put your book on my wishlist… or just buy it. ☺;-)
    I actually used to really dislike poetry that didn’t rhyme, but I think that first changed when I read Unfurling (or through poetry blog posts) and loved all of the symbolism and creativity that can be contained in ‘unrhymed’ poetry! Plus I’m learning ASL now, and it’s not really possibly to rhyme with your hands… 🙂
    I also love vanilla chai tea, cozy socks, and fairy lights. (So I will definitely be entering!)
    Blessings,
    Gracie

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    1. Oh my goodness, I loved this comment! 💕 Thank you ever so much, Gracie! Aww, really? Yeah, I used to dislike non rhyming poetry too. Oh, it’s so neat that you’re learning ASL! Ha ha, yeah…
      Hurrah, thanks for entering!

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  26. This is so exciting! I’m so happy for you, what a huge accomplishment! Way to go! And I’d love to enter the giveaway!! ❤

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    1. Aww, thank you! Yes, I self-published with Lulu.com! I like their platform because it walks you through how to publish, step by step. 🙂 Also I’m glad you like the art!

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