Archives for 2012

Categories: #ROW80

#ROW80 Check-in 12/08

Hey friends! Welcome to my weekly ROW80 update!

Here are my goals for the past week and how it went:

Writing: just keep writing. I want to finish this novella I’m writing before my brother and his family arrive (Dec 18th). Well, this week was different. Again. I got the final pass on the galleys of my novelette (out 12.12.12!) and I had a lot of emailing, organizing to do. The NA Alley account was also my responsibility this week, right when we had (are having) a big event with Entangled Publishing. So I spent a lot of time answering emails. A LOT. More on this below.
Reading: finish book #74 of the year, and critique CP’s manuscript. Read book #74 and #75 and I’m almost done with CP’s manuscript.
Social media: try to be present, but not too much. Bleh. This one is really hard.
Exercising: at least 4x. Five times.

Now with the release of my first book right around the corner, I feel the craziness of review hunting, and worrying about sales, and omg nobody added my book on goodreads, and answering 300 emails about all the things. It’s crazy, let me tell you. Looking back this week, I feel like I’ve done nothing, but I know I did. I barely had time to breathe. I ate my lunch always late, because I was working on something that needed attention asap.

Honestly, I hope this craziness passes soon. My main focus is to write and that’s the thing I want to do most of my time. Not answering emails, not reading all the blogs on writing around the web, not hunting reviewers and praying they will take my book (and like it). I can easily see myself going crazy like this.

Once things settle down over here (meaning, after my brother and his family are gone—Dec 2nd), I’ll enforce a new routine, with rigid times and to-do lists and internet blockage. Oh, I will. Cause I have 300 books I want to write RIGHT NOW and if I spend time blogging, tweeting, emailing, etc, I won’t get them done. And I want to.

Speaking of my book, I’m organizing a Release Day Blitz. If you want to help me, you can go to this post and leave your email address on the comments. I’ll send you an email with all the info about my book and me, and then you blog about it on Wed (12.12.12). It would make me super happy ;)

My goals for next week:

Writing: just keep writing.
Reading: finish book #76 of the year, and finish critiquing CP’s manuscript.
Social media: try to be present, but not too much.
Exercising: at least 4x.

There’s my book release on the 12th, we’re going to NYC to see ABT’s The Nutcracker on the 15th, then we’re going to Hartford to renew our passports on the 17th, and my brother is coming on the 18th … which means this next week will be ready getting ready for all that. I hope I can squeeze some writing in there.

Want to check the other ROWers? Click here.

Cheers,

Categories: Author Spotlight, Self-pubbed, Young Adult

Author Spotlight: Shelly Crane

Welcome to the Author Spotlight, Shelly Crane!

Nicknames: Shell Station , Shelly Belly (I hate these name)

Where do you live: Hot as Hades, Florida

Your favorite dessert: Cheesecake and honey buns

Your favorite TV series: Vampire Diaries

Last book you read: Love and Skate by Lila Felix (Uber good!!)

Last movie you watched: Breaking Dawn 2

Last song (or album) you bought: Cider Sky

A book/series you could read over and over again: I frequently go back and reread my favorite parts to Vampire Academy, Mortal Instruments and Callum & Harper

Coke or pepsi? PEPSI!!!!!! (Pepsi Max, best invention ever)

Day or night? Day. I hate to drive at night.

Pen or pencil? pen

Summer or winter? Winter. I’m a hot person and if I could find a place that was 70 degrees year round I swear I’d move there.

Cat or dog? Dog. I have 2: Scrappy and Biff.

Tea or coffee? Eeeeeeee….. hard. I drink both all day long J But if I had to choose only one, I’d say….coffee.

Plotter or pantser? Pantser!!!!!! I’ve never plotted a day in my life! Well…not for a book.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Fall 2010 is when I got the idea for Collide when I had a dream that resembled the Matrix. But when I actually sat down and wrote out the story, it just started writing itself and wound up being absolutely nothing like the Matrix.

What are you working on now? Finishing up the Significance series with Independence, and then I’ll do wide Awake. It’s hard because both of the stories all eating away at my brain. I want to work on both, but I’m trying to get Independence done.

If you decided not to be a writer, what would your other dream job be? Why? Well, I was already doing my dream job. I was a stay at home mom. That’s what I always wanted to do. I never wanted to be a writer or ever even thought about it. It just fell in my lap one day and now, I can’t imagine not being one.

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done in your life? Bring my first son home from the hospital. I was so scared that I was going to break him. Or something was going to happen and it was going to be my fault because I didn’t know what to do. But he’s 9 years old now. Still alive so I did something right

Who is the one person that has singlehandedly inspired you the most in your life? Sadly, I didn’t have many role models. I was told that I shouldn’t be writing. So……No comment.

What is one talent that you’re hopeless at, but you wish you had? There’s a long list!! Public speaking, sewing, cooking (like real cooking), and math.

What is one trait or physical characteristic that you are proud of/love about yourself? My curls, I guess. I’ve had old ladies at the grocery store curse me for saying that I didn’t like my curls. So apparently, it’s something to be proud of.

Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?

Edit, edit, edit. Then edit some more.
Talk to your fans. A lot. They are the reason you can write books.
Have fun with it. Write what you want to write about. Don’t copy or be influenced by other’s writing. Readers want to read something they’ve never read before.
Do read other author’s books and tell your fans about it if your loved it.
Posting your book stuff on other authors Facebook pages is a big No-No. So is messaging authors and asking them to review or endorse your book. So is tweeting your book every five minutes. No, no, no, no, no.
No arguing or commenting when someone doesn’t like your book or gives you a bad review. Not everyone is going to like your book, and that’s OK. Go look up your favorite popular book and read all the bad reviews. A bad review doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. Never, ever, ever rebut on anything.

Author Bio: Bestselling YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband’s job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn’t go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Significance – Significance #01

Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who’s had a bad year. She was smart and on track, but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she’s graduating – barely – and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has.

Then she saves the life of Caleb and instantly knows there’s something about him that’s intriguing. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally.

They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she’s ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive.

Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb’s enemies know he’s imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him.

Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes&Nobles

Devour – Devour #01

Clara has it all. A wrestling star boyfriend, popular friends, all the right school activities…pretty much a perfect life…up until her parents died. Now she lives with the Pastor and his family and though they take good care of her, she feels alone. Then her boyfriend, Tate, starts to show signs of trouble when a new guy, Eli, comes to town. Clara is fascinated with him but hides it until something happens. Eli confesses to her that she gives him something he’s never had before…something he needs. Everything is about to change for this normal pretty popular girl in a supernatural way.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes&Nobles

Collide – Collide #01

Sherry has always known there was something out there. She’s eighteen, works for a tabloid newspaper in Chicago and has a brother, Danny who is a lazy mooch. They live a pretty normal dull life with hippie parents and a normal existence. Then the moon dissapears and people start to go missing only to reappear later, but different. Sherry has an abusive ex-boyfriend who shows up and claims to be one of these beings that have been showing up around the world. He’s no longer the same person in that body. He tells her he has come to protect her and her brother and takes her underground, against her will to save her, where they meet others like them. She begins to unravel the truth about Merrick, about what he’s really doing here, about the way he looks at her, about the crazy dangerous world they live in. Can he convince her that he’s here to help? Will she like what she finds when she opens up to the truth? Will he be the one to love her when everyone else has failed her? Will he be able to protect her?

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes&Nobles

Cheers,

Categories: Blog Tour, New Adult, Self-pubbed

Chatting with Jaycee DeLorenzo

GUYS! Today I welcome my NA sisters, Jaycee DeLorenzo, for an interview during her blog tour. Her debut, The Truths About Dating and Mating, a NA contemporary romance is out now!

Nicknames: Teeny-Weenie Bikini (based on a pic of me as a fat baby in a teeny-weenie bikini – the name has stuck).

Where do you live: In Tucson, part of the Sonoran Desert.

Your favorite dessert: Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food Ice Cream

Your favorite TV series: It’s a tie: The Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy

Last book you read: Just finished re-reading On The Island.

Last movie you watched: Breaking Dawn Part 2

Last song (or album) you bought: I don’t even remember, but it’s been years.

A book/series you could read over and over again: Harry Potter Books

Coke or pepsi? Coke (Make mine a Diet, please)

Day or night? Night

Pen or pencil? Pen

Summer or winter? Summer, because I get more time to write.

Cat or dog? Dog

Tea or coffee? Coffee

Plotter or pantser? Plotter

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? In high school when I started writing a story every day in my required journal (for English class) and started sharing it with my classmates on Fridays.

What are you working on now? The next story in the Riordan College universe, with two of the characters we met in The Truths about Dating and Mating, and a short story about a new character at the same school.

If you decided not to be a writer, what would your other dream job be? Why? If I had the time to learn, I would love to be a cgi animator for movies. I wish I had the time to go back to school to learn how to do animations, but I just don’t. Another thing I’d love to do is be a chef. I really love cooking.

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done in your life? I love scuba diving during the day because I can see my surroundings. Diving at night was horrific. I couldn’t see much, I got stung by jellyfish, and I almost put my hand in the mouth of a huge moray eel on that trip. Never again!

Who is the one person that has singlehandedly inspired you the most in your life? My mother because she really gave a lot of herself to make us happy and support us in everything we did. Lately, though, I’m really in awe of my Nonni, who gave birth to eight kids in ten years. Sometimes I feel like I can barely manage two.

What is one talent that you’re hopeless at, but you wish you had? Singing. I love to sing around the house and pretend I have a great voice, but I’m really flat and off key. At least my daughter likes my voice. :D

What is one trait or physical characteristic that you are proud of/love about yourself? Oh, man, really? Okay, I really like the shade of my eyes. They look brown from far away, but up close they’re really a greenish-brown. I find it fascinating how they change with my emotions, becoming more green when I’m angry. They’re like mood rings.

Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? This is the best advice I ever received: Write the story you want to write, and do the best you can, without worry about market trends. The rest will fall into place later.

Bio: Jaycee DeLorenzo hails from Tucson, Arizona, on the outskirts of the Saguaro National Park – which she believes to be the most beautiful spread of desert in the world. By day, Jaycee is an English language teacher to elementary students. By night, she’s a wife, mother, writer, cover artist, website designer, and blogger. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, singing (very poorly), catching up on her favorite T.V. shows, and researching.

The Truths about Dating and Mating is Jaycee’s debut novel, and the first in a series centering around students of the fictitious Riordan College.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The Truths about Dating and Mating
Author: Jaycee DeLorenzo
Release Date: November 21, 2012

Spunky Italian coed Ivy Rossini likes to talk and push the boundaries. She gets to do both as she co-hosts Riordan College’s radio program, The Truths about Dating and Mating, alongside her lifelong best friend, Ian Hollister.

Being the only girl who cares to see beyond Ian’s bad boy reputation has its advantages, especially when he’s scaring off the jerks who just want to nail the campus sex-guru. It’s when he’s “protecting” her from the advances she welcomes that she wants to lob him over the head and tell him to butt out. But Ivy’s feels like she’s the one who’s taken a hit when Ian almost kisses her at a party. She knows she should feel relieved when he pulls away, so why is she disappointed instead?

What’s worse, Ivy’s now getting aroused by Ian’s slightest touch and can’t stop entertaining thoughts of a romantic future. But Ian doesn’t do relationships, and she’s not interested in anything casual. In the end, Ivy decides it’s best to keep her growing feelings a secret and hope they’ll pass. However, when Ian begins hinting at wanting to take things to the next level, she’s forced to decide if a chance at something more is worth risking everything they’ve built.

With their friendship and her heart hanging in the balance, can Ivy follow the advice she and Ian give their listeners – to communicate, be honest, and trust in themselves – or will insecurity, stubbornness, and pride ruin any chance of their relationship getting off the ground?

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cheers,

Categories: Covers

Cover Love: Fiery Edge of Steel

Cover Artist: Jason Chan
Genre: Fantasy, with elements of mystery and romance (Note: Fiery Edge of Steel is not UF, although it would appeal to many UF readers)
Publisher: Ace
Date of Publication: May 28, 2013
ISBN-10: 0425257169
ISBN-13: 978-0425257166
Pre-Order links: Amazon BN Goodreads “Want to Read”

FIERY EDGE OF STEEL

Lucifer and his army triumphed at Armageddon, leaving humans and demons living in uncertain peace based on sacrifice and strict laws. It is up to those with mixed demon and human blood, the Host, to prevent society from falling into anarchy.
Noon Onyx is the first female Host in memory to wield the destructive waning magic that is used to maintain order among the demons. Her unique abilities, paired with a lack of control and reluctance to kill, have branded her as an outsider from her peers. Only her powerful lover, Ari Carmine, and a roguish and mysterious Angel, Rafe Sinclair, support her unconventional ways.
When Noon is shipped off to a remote outpost to investigate several unusual disappearances, a task which will most likely involve trying and killing the patron demon of that area, it seems Luck is not on her side. But when the outpost settlers claim that an ancient and evil foe has stepped out of legend to commit the crimes, Noon realizes that she could be facing something much worse than she ever imagined…

Author Bio: Jill Archer is the author of Dark Light of Day, the first book in the Noon Onyx series. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jill now lives in rural Maryland with her two children and her husband, who is a recreational pilot. She blogs about books, movies, interesting people, and various weekend adventures.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cheers,

Categories: Blog Tour, My Books, Release Day

Cover Reveal and Sign Up for My Release Day Blitz!

Hey guys!

Look at the cover of my novelette, Her Heart’s Secret Wish. Isn’t it pretty?

With a renowned reputation as a player, she had everything figured out…
Twenty-year-old college student, Natasha is the life of every party and the reason behind many celebrations. The easiest girl on campus has all guys at her feet and more than a few in her bed.
…until he came into the game…
Having entered the academic world by chance, Professor Jason Stone is surprised to find one of his young students a huge temptation. The infamous Natasha has caught his attention. But is there more to her than meets the eye?
…and changed the rules.
As their unexpected friendship grows, so does their attraction to each other. When Jason’s Christmas plans are canceled and he ends up at the same party as Natasha, sparks flare, destroying the safe zone around them. Will they figure out how to break through their self-imposed barriers to be together, or lose one another forever?

Add it on Goodreads!

So, I’ve got my release date—12/12/12, isn’t that neat?—and I want to do a release day blitz. Do you want to help me?

It’s simple. All you have to do is leave your email on the comments. One or two days before the release date, I’ll send out an email with all the info you’ll need to write a post on your blog about my book on its release date: cover, blurb, links, my bio, my pic, my links.

If you can’t post about my book on 12/12/12, but still want to participate, I would be okay (and still very thankful) if you posted about it the next day, or even a few days later. Just don’t post anything before the release day.

And if you’re here and it’s only 5 minutes to midnight of 12/12/12 or it’s already that date and you want to participate, that’s okay. I’ll see your email on the comments and email you the info right away!

So, do you want to help me? I’ll love you forever. And I’ll love you even more if you spread the word about the sign up!

Don’t forget to leave your email addy on comments!

Cheers,

Categories: TTT

TTT: Top Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Today’s topic is:

Top Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing Me

Well, see, December is quite the month for gifts for me … my birthday is on the 18th, just one week before Christmas!

And these are the books you guys can get me, for B’day or Christmas (hihi) in no particular order:

1. The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead, which releases Feb 2013 — Richelle is my idol. Need to say more?

2. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor — The first one was so beautiful and heart-breaking. I hope this one is as good as the first.

3. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin — well, my friends Lauren and EM don’t stop gushing over this book (and the guy in it, of course).

4. Insurgent by Veronica Roth — what can I say? My TBR pile is too large. I have too many books in my kindle and, even though I want to read this one asap, it’s just seems unfair to spend on it when I have others wanting attention.

5. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning — another one I heard people saying it’s great and nearly perfect.

6. Stray by Rachel Vincent — this one caught my attention because the heroine is in college. New Adult, anyone?

7. Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead — I just said she’s my ido, right? And yet, the same rule of Insurgent applies here. I want to devour anything Richelle writes, but I can’t spend more having so many to read from.

8. Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst — I just love the cover and the blurb is nice too.

9. Awry by Chelsea Fine — I know, I know. Yesterday I twitter fought Amy from YA Sisterhood for Tristan (the hot guy in this book) and I didn’t even read the second one. Well, same thing as Insurgent and Thorn Queen here.

10. Touched by Corrine Jackson — I remember when she got her agent and then her deal. I read her query letter somewhere and was hooked. I wanted to read it like right now. I still want.

Most of these are books that are already released, but I didn’t have time to read them yet! I have over 50 unread books on my kindle and about 10 print books on my shelf waiting to be cracked open. I need more time to read! And it does seem to unwise to buy dozens of books more just because I want to read them. I’ll end up with a library for a living room and I won’t be able to read 30% of all the books I own, if you let me lol

Anyway, how about you? What are the books you want for Christmas?

Cheers,

Categories: Covers, New Adult

Cover Love: Deeper We Fall

GUYS! Do you know my friend Chelsea Cameron? The New York Times Bestselling author? Oh, yeah, she’s got a new book coming soon! Today I’m taking part of the cover reveal of DEEPER WE FALL:

Two years after her best friend was involved in a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury, Lottie Anders is ready to start her freshman year of college. Ready to move on. Ready to try and forget the night that ripped her life apart.
Her plans come to a screeching halt when not one, but both brothers responsible for the accident end up back in her life again.
Zack is cruel, selfish and constantly rubbing what happened to her friend in Lottie’s face.
Zan is different. He listens to her awkward ramblings. His words are few and far between, but when he does speak, she can’t help but listen. He loves “To Kill a Mockingbird” as much as she does, and his dark eyes are irresistible.
The trouble is, Zan was the driver in the accident, and now Lottie’s discovered he lied to her about what happened that night. She must decide if trusting him again will lead to real forgiveness, or deeper heartache.

Add it on Goodreads!

Author Bio: Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world’s worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Cheers,

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