I know I haven't been much of a blogger recently. Besides participating in a special Fall promotion for New Adult authors and sharing some cover reveals for author-friends, pretty much everything else has been promotions and updates about Wrath, and before that, The Space Between. Lame, I know. *hangs head in shame*
For the record, however, Wrath kicked my arse. Literally. I still have the bruise. Okay, okay, not literally. But it sure felt like it! Still does. The only physical evidence to my arse, though, is the widening of it. Every book packs on a few pounds and Wrath was worse than the others. Chocolate helps me think and I needed to do a whole hell of a lot of thinking for that book.
What happened? Why was this book different? Well, part of it had to do with the fact that I could not focus on writing it until I wrote The Space Between. Leni, Jeric, Jacey and Micah insisted I write their story first. I enjoyed writing it and look forward to writing the next book in that new series, Book of Phoenix, but it delayed the writing of Wrath.
When I did finally get back to Wrath, I couldn't remember what all of my notes, written in one-line phrases, meant. So I had to go back to the drawing board to figure things out. I was about halfway through the first draft when I did the signing tour in England, then RT Booklovers Convention right after that in Kansas City. By the time I was home and completely focused on writing again, I was barely more than a month away from Wrath's scheduled release with only the bones of a rough draft. Talk about pressure!
It quickly became evident that Wrath wouldn't be released on its original date. Okay, fine. I set down to work on it. Struggled through Alexis's anger and intense emotions. Came to the climactic scene that needed to be completely rewritten and - "Holy shiz! Am I really going to let THAT happen?" If you've read Wrath, then you surely know what I'm talking about. And no, that ending was not exactly in my original plans. I had something different in mind - and not until Book 6! Threw me for another loop.
Once I got over the shock and realized that this ending was much better for this book and for the rest of the series, I had more revisions to make earlier in the book. We're down to crunch time now. Everyone's growing really restless. Our retailers are even asking when it will be ready, saying if we do such-and-such, we can get a pre-order button; if we do something else, we can get special promotions. Deadlines coming from every direction. Plus, my kids were home from school for the summer and I just wanted to be done. Talk about pressure! And pressure only makes it harder to write. I struggled until the very last minute when I could hand it off for formatting and finally be done.
So yeah, that's the story of how Wrath kicked my arse. But it wasn't really just the book. There were lots of other things going on, too. Like a remodeling project that had started July 2012 and NEEDED. TO. BE. FINISHED. It was driving me crazy! By June, five of us were living out of 2 bedrooms and my office. I was sleeping on the couch and my husband was sleeping on the futon in my office. Kids who needed things taken care of while they were out of school. A broken pool pump and broken pipes meant a whole renovation of our pool system, pool itself and deck. Cars that needed this, that and the other.
And lots and lots of to-do items that had been put off since before my trip to the UK in April were piling up, threatening to suffocate me. In fact, the stress and unhealthy eating habits of the first half of the year deteriorated my health quite a bit, to the point it was scaring me. It affected me emotionally, too, and at times I wondered if I'd ever be able to write again. I hit some serious lows. I needed to make changes. But, of course, not until the book was out. Thank God I got it out - and lived! lol
For all of you who have asked (or at least been wondering), that's what I've been up to since Wrath's release. Catching up on those to-do items, finishing the remodeling project and getting us moved back into our bedroom, coordinating the pool, door and window contractors and tracking down the furniture we bought the beginning of July and still hasn't been delivered. I've even enjoyed a weekend day or two where I did absolutely NO WORK. I truly relaxed for the first time since New Year's.
Most importantly, I've been working on making myself healthy again - physically, emotionally and spiritually. I'm starting to feel better than I have in years...and starting to feel pumped up again. I needed to take some time for myself, for my family and for my home, before I could dive into writing again.
I'm almost there. I've been working on outlines for the last two Soul Savers books and the next Book of Phoenix installment, and I've also been thinking about other stories - some in the Soul Savers world, others completely brand new. In other words, my creativity has returned. Yay!
And that brings us to a few other Frequently Asked Questions from the past month:
Is Wrath the last book of the Soul Savers? Hells no! I wouldn't do that to you! There are two more books to come in Alexis's story, plus maybe some more side stories. No, I don't have any release dates yet.
When is your next book coming out? Oh, I just answered that. I don't have any release dates yet. I don't even know what will be next. I have so many ideas I've been working on, but very soon I'll be making a decision on what to focus on.
When is the next Book of Phoenix book coming out? See above: No release dates yet. Nada. Not for anything. I'd love to get another book out this year, but I don't know if that will happen. And I don't know what it will be.
Are you going to be doing any signings the rest of the year? The only event I have scheduled for the rest of this year is the Frankfurt Book Fair in October. In fact, I leave for that in 2 weeks! I'm so excited, especially because I have a star on the Author Walk of Fame. How cool is that?! Thank you, Kobo! I'll post next year's event schedule soon, though. First up is Indie Girl Con in February. Hope to see you there...or somewhere!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
New Adult Authors You Should Know: Jaden Wilkes
Every Tuesday throughout the Fall, I'll be joining an amazing group of New Adult Authors as we spread the news about each other's books. There is a giveaway every week and at the end, the grand prize is an ereader! This week, we introduce to you: Jaden Wilkes.
Jaden is the pen name of a girl living on the prettiest farm in British Columbia. She shares her space with her husband, her children, and an Irish Wolfhound named Tiberius. She can now be found lurking in the dark corners of the internet looking for artful porn gifs, dirty poems, and places to promo her work.
Sarah Miller is known as a dreamer in her stifling Mennonite community, but she's hiding something from them all. A simple wish to avoid the strictly enforced life path expected of her... early marriage, babies, and work on the farm.
She wants more, so much more. Education, travel, love... sex...
A chance at university hundreds of miles away is too much to pass up, so she follows her best friend Naomi and decides to take her future into her own hands.
She had no idea this decision would change her in ways she never imagined, will the one person she falls in love with hold her back from everything she ever wanted?
To enter the Rafflecopter, please go to each of these blogs and enter the corresponding blog code.
This is Blog #16 and the code is: JADENKRISTIE
Friday, September 13, 2013
5K Giveaway!
Have I mentioned lately how much I adore my friends and readers? You all are absolutely amazing! And you've really shown up on Facebook, as my page has surpassed 5,000 Likes. WOWZA!
Have I also mentioned all of the spectacular authors I am blessed to know? I mean, authors are just incredible people, especially the indie world. And they've proven it once again by contributing over 60 books for a very special (and GINORMOUS, as Dorian would say) giveaway.
Announcing my 5K GIVEAWAY!
I've given my Facebook followers a chance to get their entries in and now it's everyone else's opportunity. Here are the deets:
It's the 5K Giveaway! To the 5,000+ people who think I have something worth "liking," you're kinda crazy, but I love ya hard! To show my thanks for all of your support (because I wouldn't be here without YOU!), I'm doing this amazingly fabulous giveaway!
What can you win?
Grand Prize: iPad Mini
First Prize: Bundle of all of my Soul Savers audiobooks available to date (Promise, Purpose, Devotion, and Power)
Second Prize: One of three ebook bundles - an Adult bundle, a New Adult bundle, or a Young Adult bundle
Over 60 ebooks from some seriously awesomesauce authors. Please be sure to thank them for their contributions (and check out their books while you're at it *grin*).
Open internationally. Giveaway ends midnight ET, Sept. 30th. Winners will be announced the first week of October.
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have I also mentioned all of the spectacular authors I am blessed to know? I mean, authors are just incredible people, especially the indie world. And they've proven it once again by contributing over 60 books for a very special (and GINORMOUS, as Dorian would say) giveaway.
Announcing my 5K GIVEAWAY!
I've given my Facebook followers a chance to get their entries in and now it's everyone else's opportunity. Here are the deets:
It's the 5K Giveaway! To the 5,000+ people who think I have something worth "liking," you're kinda crazy, but I love ya hard! To show my thanks for all of your support (because I wouldn't be here without YOU!), I'm doing this amazingly fabulous giveaway!
What can you win?
Grand Prize: iPad Mini
First Prize: Bundle of all of my Soul Savers audiobooks available to date (Promise, Purpose, Devotion, and Power)
Second Prize: One of three ebook bundles - an Adult bundle, a New Adult bundle, or a Young Adult bundle
Over 60 ebooks from some seriously awesomesauce authors. Please be sure to thank them for their contributions (and check out their books while you're at it *grin*).
Open internationally. Giveaway ends midnight ET, Sept. 30th. Winners will be announced the first week of October.
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
New Adult Authors You Should Know: Kate Roth
Every Tuesday throughout the Fall, I'll be joining an amazing group of New Adult Authors as we spread the news about each other's books. There is a giveaway every week and at the end, the grand prize is an ereader! This week, we introduce to you: Kate Roth.
Kate Roth's debut novel, new adult romance The Low Notes, was released by Rebel Ink Press in May 2012 and landed her on RIP's Best of 2012 (the publisher's best-sellers list). Her second novel, new adult paranormal romance, Reckless Radiance, has been contracted for publication by RIP and will be released in September 2013. And Kate is hard at work on her third novel, Natural Harmony, another musically themed romance!
She is inspired by music, film, art, and of course, other authors as well as the wealth of stories she has heard through her years as a professional hair stylist.
She writes romance in the New Adult, Young Adult, Contemporary and Paranormal genres. Kate is a small business owner and lives in Indiana with her husband, Adam, and their dog, Sampson.
The Low Notes:When a chance meeting between high school teacher Kevin Reed and singer Nina Jordan ignites an instant spark, they must decide if it's more important to follow your heart or follow the rules.
After caring for his dying father, Kevin Reed returns to his hometown of Wexley Falls, bereaved, unemployed and exhausted at the thought of starting a new life. After a failed blind date, Kevin meets young singer, Nina Jordan, who takes his breath away with the sound of her voice. The connection is instantaneous and mutual on their first date, but both are crestfallen when they discover, to their horror, Nina is Kevin's student at the local high school.
Deciphering between notions of love and lust, fate and coincidence, Kevin and Nina find themselves unable to turn their backs on what they can't deny in a once in a lifetime feeling. Told from both perspectives, The Low Notes explores a love that feels right even though it seems wrong.
To enter the rafflecopter giveaway, go to each blog and enter the special code from each blog into the correct blog space on the Rafflecopter.
This is Blog #16 and the code is KATEKRISTIE
Blog #1: www.dawnpendleton.com
Blog #2: www.StephanieLawton.com
Blog #3: www.jadeeby.com
Blog #4: http://lisaswallow.net
Blog #5: http://maravalderran.blogspot.com
Blog #6: http://www.lgcastillo.com
Blog #7: http://sophielira.wordpress.com/
Blog #8: http://naughtylittlekisses.blogspot.com
Blog #9: http://danielelanzarotta.blogspot.com/
Blog #10: http://authoryolandaallen.blogspot.com/
Blog #11: http://dawnaraver.com/
Blog #12: http://tawdrakandle.com
Blog #13: http://midtown-underground.com
Blog #14: http://tyffanickemp.com
Blog #15: www.authorstiffanyandashley.com
Blog #16: www.KristieCook.com
Blog #17: www.jlfynn.com
Blog #18: www.nancystraight.com
Blog #19: www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.com
Blog #20: www.adriannejames.com
Blog #21: http://jadenwilkes.blogspot.ca/
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
New Adult Authors You Should Know: Lisa Sanchez
Every Tuesday throughout the Fall, I'll be joining an amazing group of New Adult Authors as we spread the news about each other's books. There is a giveaway every week and at the end, the grand prize is an Apple iPad! This week, we introduce to you: Lisa Sanchez.
Lisa Sanchez is a California cheer mom taxiing her way through life, one car ride at a time. Along with chauffer, she sports several job titles, including, but not limited to: author, chef, seamstress, videographer, nurse, enforcer, and general slave to her three daughters.
The first two books in her Hanaford Park series (Eve Of Samhain, Pleasures Untold) are published with Omnific Publishing. She self-published the third installment, Faythe Reclaimed.
Twitter: @LisaSanchez3
Lisa's Website: www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.com
Running through a strange forest with a bloodthirsty demon hot on her heels wasn't Taylor's idea of a rockin' evening. Then again, neither was soaring backward through time and space. Time travel chafed and left a rank, nasty aftertaste. So, when she finds herself floundering amidst a sea of Commandment-loving holy rollers who fling accusations of witchcraft and bedevilment like hotcakes in a diner, finding her way home jumps to the top of her to do list. Too bad she can't remember who she is or where she came from. And if that wasn't bad enough, Taylor has to fall for the mysterious Latin warlock living on the edge of Salem Village and who comes to her rescue, Gabriel Castillo. Battling an identity crisis and lost in a time that's not her own, Taylor is determined to find her way back to twenty-first century Hanaford Park. But first, she and Gabriel must work together to uncover the dark scourge lurking in Salem's shadows, and in doing so, save their own lives, and the lives of countless innocents from a lethal date with the hangman's noose.
To enter the giveaway, please enter the following blog code in the correct space (Blog #16) on the Rafflecopter: LISAKRIS
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Celebrating Diversity in Books
Welcome to Celebrating Diversity in September! Every Sunday and Wednesday of September, Books, Beauty and Bodacious Deals will be featuring books that have culturally diverse characters and the wonderful authors who write them! Please make sure you follow all instructions to enter the the awesome giveaways.
The entry steps are simple and you'll discover some great books in the process.
Here comes the first giveaway!
1 ebook copy of The Space Between:
When Life Falls to Pieces, Answers Lie in the Space Between
Leni Drago can't make a smart decision on her own, according to her mother anyway--the few times she's tried resulted in disaster. When her uncle sends her on a dance tour in Italy to find her real self, she returns to an empty home and any evidence of his existence wiped out. Then things get even stranger, like the mysterious appearances of Jeric Winters--inked, pierced and a hit-'em-and-quit-'em type. He's one decision that should be easy for Leni. Or is he?
Jeric doesn't do girlfriends. Unless they're someone else's. He left the fighting cage and modeling for a reason, and girls who want more than a night of fun are distractions he doesn't need. Especially when they come with as much baggage as Leni carries. But he can't shake the gut feeling that he needs to know her. All of her.
To discover the truth behind their connection and their ties to a journal from 1989, they must face painful secrets from their pasts. And they must do so quickly because their own existences are falling to pieces.
This first part of The Book of Phoenix takes you on a heart-wrenching ride as you discover the answers that lie in The Space Between.
To enter:
- Follow the Kristie Cook on her Facebook Page.
- Leave the message, "thank you for the diversity giveaway" on her wall.
- Comment here that you have done both and what # "like" you were.
- This giveaway ends at 8 p.m., Monday, September 2nd.
That's it! Follow all entries because all entries will be checked!
Best of luck and hope you enjoy discovering this author and read!
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