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Monday, May 13, 2013

So PROUD!

So I told my sister that I wanted a shirt that said "I'm RACHEL VAN DYKEN'S SISTER!" She didn't think that was a good idea.  I'm still not sure why!  Though it might have something to do with her wanting me to wear a "Seaside High" T-shirt instead...Marketing never ends! This is especially true for the Indie published or the self published author.  Rachel happens to be both.  But before I get into everything,  I really want to brag,  Really REALLY REALLY want to brag about my sister.


Not only did Rachel Self Publish "The Bet" a NYTimes #1 Bestseller...but also, she's running a half marathon next week. She's been a  USA Today bestseller numerous times, but she also can make any one who meets her begin to smile and laugh.  She can write characters that you swear are alive, but she can coax a distressed teen out of their pain and help them find their voice. She loves turtles, but swears she'll never have one as a pet and is freaks out when you call them 'bob' rather than "stuart". Rachel isn't just an amazing author, she's an amazing woman.



Rachel's journey to writing started out as an escape. As a junior high counselor, you deal with a lot of drama and heartache.  Rachel's way of coping? Writing.  When she first started, she'd send me a chapter here or there and each time I'd be riveted to my computer screen. Then I'd text her and tell her to write more! She had to laugh, saying something about having a job and not having time to write.  Now, Rachel is so successful that writing IS her job!  Right now, she's one of the most popular and sought after authors around.  She's represented by Trident, a MAJOR managing company and just signed an amazing contract with Grand Central Publishing, an amazing and prominent company!

I'm so excited for her! To celebrate, a bunch of us are hosting a hop that will take you from site to site where you'll learn more about Rachel and her books. It's pretty cool because you'll learn about us as authors as well. Don't forget to enter the GRAND PRIZE contest and all the other contests along the way.  I'll be giving away a copy of "Living London." My regency romance with a time-travel twist.  Here's a blurb.

"Jocelyn Westin wasn't expecting to find love.  With the recent death of her beloved grandmother, she was simply surviving, till she woke up in Hyde park almost two hundred years in the past.  Survival takes on a whole new meaning as she faces the London elite, the Ton. When Lord Ashby steals her heart with his warm gaze and crisp accent, she has to figure out if love really conquers all...or if you can ever truly trust a rake."

Living London

To enter the contest for "Living London" simply leave me a comment with your e-mail address and tell me your favorite part of Summer.  Mine? Sprinklers!

I wanted to include some pictures...(insert evil laugh) but I was REALLY kind and picked out the good ones. Well, mostly. (wink) There is this one picture...the 'mikey' picture. You'll have ask her about it sometime.  You can follow all of Rachel's ( and consequently, her families' adventures) on Facebook by 'liking' her page. www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken and I would HIGHLY suggest checking out her webpage too(www.rachelvandyken.com). She has a Regency Romance installment novel she releases chapter by chapter each week called "The Spinster Club." It rocks!

Rachel's inspiration comes from the beautiful marriage she has with Nate. ( I can brag about him too!)  They have the most hilarious and romantic relationship, it's constantly entertaining and endearing to watch!
This is one of our annual trips to the beach.

I'm so proud of my sister, in case you didn't catch that from everything before.  She's an incredible woman.  Her integrity, respect and ability to meet people where they are constantly astound me.  God's love shines through her each day and I'm blessed to watch her continually grow and become more beautiful, inside and out.

Rachel's other books are available on Kindle, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and Kobo:

"The Bet"
"Elite"
"The Wolf's Pursuit"
"The Devil Duke Takes A Bride"
"Tear: A Seaside Novel"
"Pull: A Seaside Novel"
"Whispered Music"
"Upon A Midnight Dream"
"The Ugly Duckling Debutante"
"Waltzing With The Wallflower"
"Beguiling Bridget"
"Savage Winter"
"The Redemption of Lord Rawlings"
"The Seduction of Sebastian St. James"
"Every Girl Does It" 
"An Unlikely Alliance"
"Compromising Kessen"
"The Parting Gift"
"Taming Wilde"

And Coming soon!
"Shatter: A Seaside Novel"
"Divine Uprising"
"When Ash Falls"
"Elite"
"Fall: A Seaside Novel
"The Wager"
"The Spinster Club"

You don't want to miss ANY of them! (I would know because I've read them all!)

You can find the other bloggers celebrating Rachel's success and their posts about Rachel at THIS blog!

Don't forget to leave a comment and enter to win "Living London!"

11 comments:

  1. You should be so proud! :D You're a lucky sister.

    Congratulations, Rachel!

    ckpoisonedrose AT gmail DOT com

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    Replies
    1. Oh, and my favorite part of summer is getting to wear dresses and not being cold. :)

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  2. Congratulations! I was wondering when the half-marathon was. Best of luck. Hope you have a great run!

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  3. I hope you both have a wonderful marathon. And I love you cover pic as well as your book blurb.
    My favourite part of summer is seeing the visiting birds and awed by the fact they've flown thousands of miles to spend the summer in the UK.

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  4. Well, Kristen, It's good to hear a sister praise her sibling sister to the skies! I'm so glad so many are stepping up to help celebrate her new success as she is very deserving of it. I love her stories...and I'd like to read yours too. Glad to "meet" you on this hop. jdh2690@gmail.com

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  5. My wife has two cousins who run half-mar and full-mar. Gosh, they're in TERRIFIC condition too!
    I'll bet you burn off those calories faster than you can consume them.

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  6. Congrats to Rachel and to you too! I haven't had a chance to read your new release yet but it certainly sounds good!

    ecriggs1990(at)aol(dot)com

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  7. What an amazing and supportive sister you are! That is awesome that you two have each other :)
    My favorite part of summer is pedicures! You have to have pretty toes to show off in cute sandals :D
    booksaresanity at yahoo dot com

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  8. What a wonderful tribute to your sister. You're lucky to have each other as cheerleaders. I remember running through sprinklers as a child - so much fun! Now, my favorite part of summer is being able to take long walks without bundling up first.

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  9. Hi! Congrats to you and Rachel! Her books are so good! I cant get enough of them! Yours sounds fantastic!! I cant wait to read it!
    I love the wild flowers. Its my favorite part of summer. :) Thanks for sharing and being apart of this great hop!
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. I love how the love you have for Rachel comes shining through every word you wrote! That was absolutely beautiful!
    My favorite part of summer...well, I'm a camp director so I pretty much LOVE EVERYTHING about summer!!! But I can't wait until it is warm enough that I can get away with wearing flip flops or sandals everyday!
    jmsava at aol dot com

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