Friday, May 31, 2013

Last days to bag a bargain: CRAZY LOVE, a Barnes & Noble bestseller!


I was thrilled earlier this week when CRAZY LOVE became a Barnes & Noble bestseller!

The highest it ranked was 28 and I was ecstatic!

These are the last few days to grab this 85000 word small town contemporary romance at the bargain price of $0.99 before it reverts to $3.99.

Grab the NOOK book.

And it's still ranking on Amazon too!

Go bag a bargain now!

Monday, May 27, 2013

My last Kiss for May


This is the last week for HER DEAL WITH THE DEVIL to be on shelves before the next batch of Kiss books launch.

Here's my final snippet.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Guest Author: HEATHER REID



Today I'd like to welcome fellow Month9Books author Heather Reid to my blog.
I'm really looking forward to reading this one!
Isn't the cover amazing?

Now, over to Heather...

Tips For Reviving A Muse
My muse and I are one. Words flow so fast I can hardly keep up. I start with nothing, white space, a letter, a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a page, page, page, chapter after chapter filled with new scenes emerge. My characters talk non-stop, waking me from my slumber. They constantly bug me, fighting for my attention. My dreams are filled with new ideas. I ignore the laundry, the dishes, my friends and family. I spend days living on toast, M&M’s, and cups of tea. I ride the big wave, the Kahuna of creativity. Manic, I’ve reached that Zen state of mind, my muse and I are on a writing high. The planets are aligned and together, we’re unstoppable. No fear, nothing but the words, and the words are good. A chapter, chapter, page, a page…a paragraph… a sentence… a word… a letter…a letter…
a letter…
white space…
nothing….
nothing…
I look over in the corner. My muse, Elarin, has slumped to the floor, listless, lifeless.
Flatlined.
I want to cry. I need Elarin to help me finish the rest of Pretty Dark Nothing 2. Here are a few things I do to help revive her.
1)      Take a walk: My muse, Elarin, loves the outdoors. Fresh air and a little exercise can get the endorphins up and the creative juices flowing again. I like to take a pen and notebook with me in case inspiration strikes. I write short scene about someone or something I’ve seen on my adventure and she starts to perk up a bit.
2)      Paint a picture: Elarin loves when I paint. I’m not great at it, but that’s not the point. It’s not for anyone else, it’s for me. I love putting colour to canvass. I don’t think while I paint. I let the colour flow and in not thinking, the sparks of creativity will reignite my muse.  It doesn’t have to be painting. You could try a new recipe, photograph something interesting, make a collage, scrapbook, sing, knit, dance, make some jewellery, or go to an acting class. Being creative in something else helps my muse recover quicker, maybe it would help yours too.
3)      Get inspired by other creative people: Elarin likes to hang out with other muses. Sometimes I take her to the art museum. We write stories about a scene or a mood from an inspiring work. I also make it a point to talk to other writers, musicians, artists about what inspires them. Muses can gain energy from one another.
4)      Mood music: Right now, I know Elarin is a sucker for Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode, Elbow, Coldplay, Plumb, The Lord of the Rings and the Twilight soundtrack. This changes depending on what we’re working on. She also perks up when I listen to music that my characters would like when I sit down to write. It puts me in the zone and helps me get reconnected to their voice. I also choose music that fits the mood of the scene I’m working on.
5)      Unplug: All muses can get tired of the pressure. Sometimes I have to step away from writing for a few days and let her relax.
6)      Don’t beat myself up: I didn’t kill her. It happens to everyone. Just breathe.
7)       Write even if she doesn’t want to: Don’t give up: Don’t stop, even if it’s hard, even if she’s taking longer than usual to revive or she’s being lazy. Even if I feel the words  seem crap and I can’t do it without her. Don’t give up! She hates a quitter.
8)      Elarin must have chocolate to survive. Wave a peice under her nose and she starts to regain some colour. I must keep a stash with me at all times. 

How do you revive your muse?

Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Quinn hadn’t slept a full night in twenty-three days. She’s terrified of the demons that stalk her dreams, pull her into a deep dark nothingness and whisper hauntingly of her death. Exhausted, Quinn dozes off in the school hallway, and Aaron, an amnesiac with a psychic ability, accidentally enters her nightmare. If Quinn can learn to trust her heart, and Aaron can discover the secret locked away in his fragile memory, their combined power could banish the darkness back to the underworld for good. That is, unless the demons kill them first.

Bio:
Heather L. Reid is both American and British and has called six different cities in three different countries, home. Her strong sense of wanderlust and craving for a new adventure mean you might find her wandering the moors of her beloved Scotland, exploring haunted castles, or hiking through a magical forest in search of fairies and sprites. When she’s not venturing into the unknown in her real life, she loves getting lost in the worlds of video games or curling up by the fire with good story. For now, this native Texan is back in the Lone Star State, settling down with her Scottish husband and dreaming up new novels to write.

Links:
Twitter: @HeatherLReid

Thanks for stopping by, Heather.
Wishing you many sales!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

May Kisses...


If you haven't picked up the May Harlequin Kiss releases, please do so!
They're fab!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Her Deal with the Devil now on kindle!


Here's another snippet from HER DEAL WITH THE DEVIL, which is now available for KINDLE.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

And the winners are...

A huge thanks to everyone who entered the pitch contest.
So many fab entires! I'm glad I didn't have to decide the winners...and I'm now handing you over to Flo Nicoll (my lovely ed!) who had the unenviable task.


Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who’s entered this pitch – the KISS team has been absolutely blown away by the amount and qualities of entries!

We’ve spent a very enjoyable - although very difficult! -  morning reading all the 47 (yes, 47!! What a result!) entries and after much deliberating, we’ve decided on our three winners.

In no particular order, these are…

RUMOUR HAS IT by Evie Huxtable – we loved the concept of the heroine being a boyfriend-dumping professional! It’s a fun, sexy twist on the world of dating, and spot on for KISS. We can’t wait to see the fireworks between Saskia and Jamie…

INSERT GROOM HERE by Kwana – the reality TV show setting, and the fact that the heroine is falling for the very man who’s supposed to be filming her falling for someone else, instantly appealed! Can’t wait to see how Eva gets her happy-ever-after with her off-screen – and very unlikely! – hero!

THE BIG BANG THEORY OF DATING by Jane Linfoot – who can resist a burlesque heroine, how intriguing?! The ultimate in opposites attracting, and the hero’s ten-date challenge, all contributed to a really fun, snappy pitch that had us dying to read more.

So, I’ll be in touch with this talented threesome asap, and they will all get their partials critiqued within a week (although, if full manuscripts are available, we’ll be eagerly reading them too!).

However! Because the standards of this pitch were so high, quite a few others of you will be hearing from the KISS team too… watch out for the emails coming your way!

Thanks again to everyone who’s taken part, and, of course, a huuuge thanks to the amazing Nicola Marsh for hosting this pitch – I think we can all agree she’s done an incredible job!

Love Flo x

This is why I love pitch contests...expect the unexpected!
It's fantastic that Flo was so impressed with other pitches besides the lucky winners and she'll be contacting 15 of you to take a look at your manuscripts.
WOW!

Thanks again, peeps, for participating, and a huge thanks to my editor Flo and the team at Mills & Boon UK.
You guys launched my career 10 years ago and I'll never forget it.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Kiss pitch contest!





It's time for the celebrations of my 10 year anniversary in the publishing industry to begin!

Flo Nicoll, my fab editor from Mills & Boon UK is taking pitches here starting now.

Flo will choose 3 lucky winners and critique their Kiss partials within 1 week!
That's a super-fast turnaround from an extremely busy editor at a major publishing house.

Before posting your pitch, you may want to check out the imprint Guidelines below:

KISS is sharply contemporary, glossy and chic, attracting readers who enjoy a short hit of romantic excitement with a thoroughly modern twist! Smart and stylish, sweet or sexy, these stories offer fun, flirty reads featuring smart, sassy heroines, equally matched by 21st century alpha heroes!
KISS Key Elements
  • Contemporary romance series with a range of sensuality – we're looking for authors who can convey that young urban feel with sparkling characters and simmering tension - either with or without the hot sex!
  • This series is all about the 21st century alpha male hero!
  • Vibrant, sexy, spirited, fun – but still offering a strong emotional pay off and happy ever after.
  • 50,000 words.
Featured in KISS:
Sparky, spirited heroines in control of their own destinies and with friends to help them through – these ladies are more than a match for their men.
Flirty, cheeky, alpha heroes, who expect their partners to be their equals - these guys are absolutely irresistible!
KISS is: all around you! Just look out for edgy, modern-day characters, sometimes struggling, sometimes knocked sideways by love, but finding their happy endings with plenty of laughter and attitude along the way…
  • TV: Brothers and Sisters, Ugly Betty, New Girl for their fab, witty dialogue
  • Films: What to Expect When You're Expecting, Bridesmaids, 500 Days of Summer, 27 Dresses, No Strings Attached, The Holiday, Friends With Kids, Crazy Stupid Love.
  • Authors: if you enjoy authors such as Kristin Higgins, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Tasmina Perry, Jennifer Cruisie or Meg Cabot you'll love KISS!
To enter the contest, leave the following in the comments of this post. Entries will be accepted from now until midnight EST on May 14th.

Title
1-3 line pitch
Email address

-Entries preferred for a completed manuscript but partials accepted.
-Contest open to unpublished & published writers.

Winners will be announced by end of this week- keep an eye out on the blog here and on my Twitter & Facebook accounts for the announcement.

You can post up to two different pitches, but each pitch must be written in a separate comment.

*Editor reserves the right to not choose winners, based on quality and quantity of submissions.

So what are you waiting for?
Let the pitching games begin!

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy anniversary to me!

10 years ago today, I got The Call from Kimberly Young at the Mills and Boon London office that changed my career.

I went from physiotherapist to published author and haven't looked back.
I'm so lucky to be doing my dream job!

My first book will always hold a special place in my heart.


Tomorrow, the celebrations kick in here with my current M&B editor, the lovely Flo Nicoll, offering 3 lucky winners a 1 week turnaround on a Harlequin Kiss partial critique (so get those pitches ready!)

In the meantime, thanks to the many writers who've contacted me about my new how-to book, celebrating 10 years in the industry.
I'm so glad it has galvanised your writing and helped clarify points for you.


Still at the introductory price of $0.99!

Amazon
Kobo
Smashwords
iTunes
And Barnes & Noble tomorrow!

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Quickie


This weekend I'm visiting TAWNY WEBER'S blog for a Quick Six.

And giving away a copy of BRASH.

Super easy to win, come play!

Thursday, May 09, 2013

COVER REVEAL: Italian Affair




Isn't this a stunning cover?

Congrats Annie Seaton on your upcoming release with Entangled Publishing's Indulgence series (and sequel to Holiday Affair.)

Release date: June 10th 2013 

Blurb:

Free-spirited sex therapist Brianna Ballantine has four days to find a fiancé so she can inherit her birth mother’s Italian villa. Commitment is not on the agenda. Writing her sex therapy book and signing legal papers are. And once all is said and done, she’ll return home to Australia.
For finance guru Tomas Richards, relationships have been a bad investment—give him stocks and shares any day. When Tomas offers a marriage of convenience to help Brianna secure her inheritance, the sizzle between the sheets promises an affair to remember, despite family complications at every turn.
But Tom must convince Brianna to stay, and make this Italian affair a lifelong commitment.

Pre -Order 



Monday, May 06, 2013

10 year anniversary book launch!


This week sees my 10 year anniversary since I got 'The Call' from Kimberly Young at Harlequin Mills and Boon that launched my publishing career.

To celebrate, I'm launching DO IT WRITE, a little reference book packed with gems I've picked up over the years, as well as some easy 'how-to' stuff with sample synopses, etc...

It's at a special introductory price of $0.99!

Currently available on AMAZON but with all retailers by the end of the week.

Happy writing!

Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Bargain books, dirt cheap!


For 3 days only, check out the amazing books on offer at the BOOK LOVERS' BUFFET, many from bestselling authors, all for only $0.99!

Including BRASH (discounted from $2.99 for 3 days only)



and CRAZY LOVE, discounted from $3.99.
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo)