Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Romance Eats Sand

Does 7-11 (July eleventh) have any significance to you? 

I won't be blogging that day, but it's held a special place in my heart for 17 years. That's the day I met a wonderful man who keeps me laughing, fixes my computer when I do things like this


and tells me every day he loves me. We met while doing this:
Source
And have been doing this ever since:
Source
I love you, my Matthew!

(And now for those of you who love to chuckle, a volleyball fail.)




Ready to guess the lie and win a book? 

Last week, the fabulous Ally Malinenko shared THIS IS SARAH with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her ebook. You can get a copy of her book HERE

Ally's game:

1. Ally fell off a waterfall in high school and cracked her skull open.
2. She was kicked out of the country of Monaco when she was 16 for "trespassing."
3. She's stepped foot on nearly every continent in the world.

And the lie is: 

#3. Ally would desperately like that to be a truth, one day. 

Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

J.L. Campbell!

Congrats J.L.!

And now to today's feature:
Isabella Troy Stanley is a divorced, slave freeing pariah surviving in the shattered post Civil War south the only way a fallen debutante knows how.

She heads to a Yankee prison and buys herself a husband.

Jack Byron is the former Troy plantation stable boy and object of young Bella's affection. He rejected her then, and he's still not sold on the idea of marrying her now.

It’s complicated.

Though to Bella, it’s simple: make Jack love her, marry her, and live happily ever after. The plan seems to work...at least until her secret is revealed.

Get your copy on JULY 15th.


Elizabeth is a wife, a mom, and a writer. She has four wonderful boys, one dusty house, and three published books to her credit. Feel free to check them out and buy them HERE! Erm, the books, not the kids or the house...though all things in life are negotiable ;)

She loves too many cheeses to pick a favorite, but she'll take mozzarella in a stick at the beach any day. 

You can find her here: Blog // Facebook // Twitter

Elizabeth gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook of BELLA'S POINT

You have until Tuesday, July 15 (RELEASE DAY!!!), at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on July 16th.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Elizabeth was a resident advisor at Marshall University.
2. She is amazing at Call of Duty.
3. The beach is her happy place.

Which is the lie? Is July 11th significant to you? Do you like volleyball? Are you as excited as me about Elizabeth's book? (And Ally's?)

134 comments:

  1. My fiance and I actually count the day we met as our anniversary...it'll be weird to have a new one once we pick a wedding date! Hope you have a nice day with your husband.

    Hooray for Elizabeth! I'll guess #2 is the lie.

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    Replies
    1. My hubs and I celebrate both. We started dating on the 15th of March, got married on the 18th of August. Once you have a house full of kiddos (if you choose), you will need to take advantage of every special date you can!

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    2. Hey, that works for me. We celebrate 2 anniversaries. The more the merrier, right?

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  2. Happy Anniversary!

    I'm guessing #1 is the lie. (Even though I think it's really got to be #2.)

    Congrats, Elizabeth!

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    Replies
    1. Ah come on Connie...I live in a house full of men, why would it have to be #2?
      :)

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  3. Happy Anniversary. Enjoy the day.

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  4. I love volleyball and I'm going with #2 as the lie. Congrats on your anniversary.

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  5. Congratulations on the anniversary!!!! Wow, 17 years is awesome!

    You know, the usual thing that goes through my mind when I hear "7-11" and "17 years" is that's how long most of the hot dogs at 7-11 have been spinning on those little rotisserie ovens...

    But I digress...

    Enjoy your anniversary!

    (and I'll blindly go for the "obvious" one -- #2 is Elizabeth's lie).

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    Replies
    1. Obvious? But, but...I play all the time! I even know what a screen cheat is!

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    2. LOL. Yeah...we had to go get slurpies for the kids, so we weren't thinking that far off from you, Chris.

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  6. Happy Anniversary.... I love hearing that you still hold hands after 17 years... that is so sweet and romantic. Enjoy your special day ♡

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  7. Happy Anniversary! Hope you two have a wonderful day. Oh, and the getting hit in the head with the volleyball? That would so be me. :)

    Madeline @ The Shellshank Redemption

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    Replies
    1. LOL! I'll keep that in mind next time we're picking virtual teams. ;)

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  8. Happy Anniversary!
    (DID you do that to your computer?)

    And this is a killer blurb! "a divorced, slave freeing pariah surviving in the shattered post Civil War south the only way a fallen debutante knows how. She heads to a Yankee prison and buys herself a husband."

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    1. Elizabeth <3's Dianne. Thanks for the blurb love.

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    2. I totally agree--Elizabeth's blurb is EPIC.

      And no, I actually pilfered that picture from the interwebs a long time ago.

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  9. Wishing you many more happy years!

    Hmm... Even though Elizabeth has teen boys, I'm gonna guess #2 is the lie.
    I can't wait till your book comes out, Elizabeth. If I don't win a copy, I'm buyin' one for sure! :D

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    1. Hugs to Melissa!!! Fellow walker in loves in the past.

      (But I will warn you, I even have my own online profile!)

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    2. LOL. Melissa, you might have just chopped your chances of winning. ;)

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  10. Aww, so cute! Congrats you two! And best of luck to Elizabeth, I love that blurb! I'm going to guess #2 is the lie :)

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    1. Thanks Meradeth!!!

      Everyone guessing number two...hmmm....perhaps you will all be fooled?

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    2. Yay! Elizabeth, everyone seems to think they have you figured out.

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  11. Yes, definitely celebrate your special day!

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  12. Yay! Happy Anniversary if the day you guys met! ^_^
    Love the volleyball gif. Lol! I actually do like volleyball a little bit. I don't play very much. I like outdoor volley better just because I can take more risk because it's safer to fall on my face. ^_^

    Bella sounds awesome. :) Hmm, going with #2 today.

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    1. *high five* I haven't played in so many years, I'd probably kill myself too, but hey, that doesn't mean I can't love the sport. =)

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  13. My wife and I can barely remember our anniversary, much less the day we met. And I do mean "my wife AND I," although she's been trying to do a better job of remembering it after she forgot all about it a couple of years ago.

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  14. Hi Crystal - congratulations to you both .. a man that does is worth keeping - especially when a move is going on!! I know little about Volleyball - but that must have hurt! # 2 for me ....

    ... but I knew I was posting about the right thing for your anniversary ... cheese .. Le Tour du Fromage ... a la my blog! Enjoy when you get a chance to get over ..

    Bella does sound an interesting tale ... good luck to Elizabeth .. cheers to one and all - Hilary

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    1. Thanks for the cheese, Hilary. It certainly made an excellent boost to my day.

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  15. Congrats on all your wonderful years together! Wishing you many more. :) Thanks for the intro to Elizabeth. Have a great rest of the week!

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  16. What a beautiful love letter ... Congratulations. I met my husband 32 years ago and still remember the first time I set eyes on him. It wasn't exactly love at first sight but was certainly unforgettable!

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    Replies
    1. Awesome. There's nothing like a love story that can go the distance, eh?

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  17. I hope you have a very special july 11th. You are very fortunate to have found such a wonderful person.

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  18. Wow, that's tough. I'll say the second one is the lie.
    Crystal, do you guys have something special planned for that day?

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    Replies
    1. My gamer persona cries from the lack of faith.

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    2. We did. We went on a super awesome date to dinner and a historical district with live music and old-fashioned ice cream.

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  19. The volleyball fail was very funny. That just cracked me up. Your story is so cute.

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    1. Thanks! We need a few extra laughs in the day, right?

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  20. Aww! Happy Anniversary!

    I'm going to guess #2 as the lie.

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    Replies
    1. Ah Cherie, join the "Elizabeth can't manage the controller club". LOL

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    2. LOL. Elizabeth, you're getting ganged up on.

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  21. I forgot to add a thank you Crystal! Thank you for checking me for a pulse and for hosting me. You're all sorts of awesome and you deserve only the best...and it seems you've found him! Congrats to you and Matt. I love a good love story :)

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    Replies
    1. Aw. No, you're the best, Elizabeth. Here's to good friends and fabulous book sales!

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  22. Aw, Happy Anniversary. And good for you for picking a guy who knows computers. ;)

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    1. I know, right? Although when I picked him he didn't know a thing. Seriously.

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  23. Glad you'll be enjoying your 7/11 day:)

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  24. Happy anniversary!! Seventeen years? That's impressive. Congrats!

    I say the lie is #1.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well we're going for eternity, so we're just getting started. ;)

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  25. happy anniversary! I met my hubby playing tennis :)

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  26. Happy Anniversary Crystal!
    I think the lie is no.#2 simply because I have no idea what Call of Duty is... maybe some kind of game...

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    1. LOL! I guess I might not if I didn't have a gamer husband.

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  27. Happy Anniversary.

    Since everyone seems to be going with #2 (with a few #1s), I'm going to guess #3. Just because.

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    Replies
    1. Just to be different, eh? You rebellious woman, you.

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  28. Happy Anniversary, hope you have a lovely day. I'm going to guess #2 is the lie!

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  29. Happy Anniversary. I'm glad I don't have to count on my guy for computer repairs. (Not his strong suit.) I'm going with #3 for the lie because it looks so obvious as a likely truth.

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    1. I love your reasoning. So you're the computer hero, eh?

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  30. Hahahahahah!!! Love this. The volleyball fail is cute. :D

    Happy Anniversary!! When they make you laugh, they are keepers.

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  31. Happy Anniversary! So very sweet!

    #3 for me.

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  32. Happy Happy Anniversary! It's amazing to find a great person to spend a life with. Yes?

    I am guessing #2 is the lie for Elizabeth.

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  33. Congrats to Joy!
    Elizabeth, your book sounds awesome.
    I'm guessing the lie is #2.
    Have a great 7-11, Crystal!

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  34. First off, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! (Such a sweet way to post about it...)

    Elizabeth's new book sounds terrific! Let's see; I'll pick number one as the fib. ONE of these times, I'm gonna guess the right one. I hope it's this one.

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    Replies
    1. It's definitely tricky. Kudos for all your guesses.

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  35. I hope you guys have a wonderful day together! With no volleyball fails. ;) But yes to lots of cheese. Maybe you could go to a fondue place. Dipping everything you eat in melted cheese sounds right up your alley, lol!

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    1. Lots of cheese. It was an epic evening, and thanks!

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  36. Happy Anniversary! It sounds like you two have a great thing going!

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  37. #2 is the lie. No one is amazing at Call of Duty ;)
    Happy happy anniversary!!!

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  38. I was going to say 7-11 is the date that matches the name of my eighth favorite gas station, but nah. Happy anniversary! 17 years is sooper dooper awesome. P.S. Thanks for tagging me in the Writing Process Bloghop! I promise I'll get to it soon. It's just the little blogging kick in the pants I need.

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    1. LOL. Thanks, Madeline. You know, as often as you make it to blogging I'm impressed. If I'd been trying to blog when I was a busy teen, I'd have killed myself. =)

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  39. There's something special about still knowing the day you met, even after this long. ^_^ Here's to many more years together for you two.

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  40. Happy anniversary! I think #2 is the lie. I know Elizabeth loves the beach. Can't wait to read her newest book!

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  41. Hey Crystal,

    Seventeen years? What!? Good grief, young lady, you must have been, very, very, very young! Congrats to you and your beloved, my adorable friend.

    Speaking of adorable, yay to the adorable Elizabeth. You realise she's yet another one of my starstruck fans :) Number two, I reckon, aint exactly the truth.

    Take it cheesy, um, easy, oh what the heck, take it cheesy, Crystal.

    Gary :)

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    1. We met right before I turned seventeen and I'm certainly glad we did. It took all the guess work out of my dating years.

      I'll take the cheese. Thanks, Gary!

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  42. Happy anniversary! I'm guessing the lie is #2.

    July 11th is actually my character Adicia's birthday. She'd be 60 if she were real.

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  43. woowwwwww
    nice
    :)
    You asked for comments and follow my blog
    http://putyourheartshere.blogspot.com/2014/07/jessica-simpson-weds-eric-johnson-so.html

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  44. I want to be tricky and say #3 is the lie, and its actually her second happy place or something :P but beaches are so gooooood!

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    1. They are. I LOVE them...and not just because I'm surrounded by them.

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  45. Happy Anniversary! Loved the pictures to go with your story. :) The volleyball fail made me chuckle.

    I am going with #2 being the lie- but this is tricky. ::)

    ~Jess

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  46. Have a wonderful anniversary! Elizabeth's book sounds outstanding. Maybe #3 is the lie.

    Mary Montague Sikes

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  47. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! :D

    Thank you for the volleyball fail - I DID actually LOL.

    I think #2 is the lie...?

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  48. Happy Anniversary! Wishing you many more years of happiness!

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  49. Happy Anniversary! It will be 17 years for us this year too.
    I love Elizabeth's cover! I'm guessing #2 is the lie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *high five* We must be running on the same time stream.

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  50. Happy Anniversary, Crystal! So sweet how you and your hubby met during a volleyball game and have been together ever since=)
    Bella's Point sounds super interesting. I love how she is determined to win her husband's affections but is set up only to fail. Makes the reader want to know even more about this secret of hers!
    I'm going to guess number 2 is the lie.
    Happy Friday and thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks, Gina! You are always so generous with your comments. Just wanted you to know I noticed and I think you're awesome.

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  51. How sweet. Enjoy your anniversary! And have a platter of cheese! ;)

    The lie could be #2 but . . . to mix things up I'll pick #3.



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  52. Awww you met him 17 years ago! You two sound so cheesy cute :D

    I say the lie is #2, and goodness that volleyball fail is funny!

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    1. We are cheesy cute, especially when at Cheesecake Factory. =)

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  53. Wow, I love the "cheesy" cuteness of it as S.K. Anthony mentioned above. My boyfriend and I count the first day we officially met in person as our anniversary.

    Congrats to Elizabeth. I'm going to guess #2 is the lie. ;)

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    1. That works for me, but does that mean you knew each other virtually before?

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  54. So cool! You met while playing volleyball? Love across the net!

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  55. That is so fun that y'all met while playing volleyball. I played volleyball at the beach all the time in high school with a bunch of cute boys, but as much as I adored all of them, alas, it was always platonic.

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  56. LOVE that volleyball gif. That's something I would do. As is the computer into the screen. :)

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  57. Well happy anniversary meet day to the both of you. x
    What a good idea to go and buy a husband ref- book review!
    I think number 2 is the lie.

    ps- I've moved - http://www.julessmith.co.uk/blog

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  58. Happy Anniversary! I love what 7-11 means to you. It always means slurpees and big gulps to me. :D

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  59. Happy anniversary, a little late!! :D

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  60. I think #2 is the lie.

    Congrats to J.L.

    Happy anniversary.

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  61. Happy Anniversary!!

    I'll guess #2 is the lie. Although if she is good at Call of Duty, I'll be pretty impressed. :)

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Hit me with your cheese!