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1. Big Announcement Coming Wednesday!  I have an announcement I've been dying to make, and I will in two days! Check back on Wednesday.
2. Editing  Fall has been a busy editing season for me, and I couldn't be happier about it. I have such amazing writers for clients.
3. Reading Three Books at Once  I'm trying to keep up with the books I need to review, so I'm reading three books right now. lol 
4. Laffy Taffy  Why is this stuff so good? I can't stop eating the leftover Laffy Taffy from Halloween.
5. Touch of Death Series Trailer  The Touch of Death series now has a trailer! It was revealed on Friday, but for anyone who missed it, here it is!

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. My Husband's Birthday and Our Anniversary  Yesterday was my husband's birthday, and Wednesday is our anniversary. We celebrate a lot in October. :)
2. Editing  October is always a busy editing month for me, which I couldn't be happier about. I'm getting to read so many great manuscripts. I love my job.
3. Beth Fred's Blurb Writing Class  There are still four available spots in Beth Fred's online blurb writing class. She's sharing the technique that got her a 50% request rate, snagged her agent, and got her a publishing deal Sign up here.
4. Free Monthly Newsletter  My free monthly newsletter goes out today at 5pm EST. If you aren't signed up but would like to receive it, click here.
5. Curse of Death  Thanks to my amazing publisher, Spencer Hill Press, I was able to put out a FREE Touch of Death short story that shows the lesser-known myth about Medusa that this series is based upon. You just might be surprised by Medusa, and hopefully you'll come to see why I think she was wrongfully cursed. It's completely FREE so download it here. And if you'd like, feel free to post a review on Goodreads. I'd love you for it. :)

I'm not posting a Monday Mishmash because the one thing on my mind is BEA! I don't even know where to start because BEA blew me away. First, I have amazing publishers. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) from both houses was absolutely sweet and personable. I'm going to explain things with some photos for you too. :)

I met some really awesome Spencer Hill Press people, like:

Me with Kate Kaynak, owner of Spencer Hill Press Yes, it's blurry, but I swear it's because Kate is so busy she never stands still. ;)

Timothy Miller signing his book Awoken for me!

Me with Sherry Ficklin, author of Extracted

Me with Tyler Jolley, Author of Extracted with Sherry Ficklin

Dan Cohen with me at my signing for Stalked by Death

Rich Storrs (A.K.A. "The Closer") with me at my signing

Me with Trisha Wooldridge, my editor for the Touch of Death series

Lisa Amowitz, Kimberly Miller, Michelle Pickett, Jennifer Allis Provost, me, and Dorothy Dreyer (the Scene13 girls)

My signing was surreal. When I showed up after my author breakfast (which was also extremely cool) I had a line of people waiting for me. I sort of stared in disbelief for a while. I wish I took a picture of the line. The awesome ladies at Swoony Boys Podcast showed up with a gift for me, which was so sweet of them. Also, Donna from School Library Journal came to get Stalked by Death. She introduced herself and I profusely thanked her for the great review she did for Touch of Death in the March issue of SLJ. She took a picture with me and said she'd review Stalked by Death, too. I got a little choked up over that.

George Klutz, fellow ICL member, came to see me

Me with Brooke DelVecchio, who was awesome enough to get Stalked by Death on Friday and come back with her copy of Touch of Death on Saturday to have me sign it. :)

And my Month9Books family was there too!

Heather Reid (author of Pretty Dark Nothing) and me

Me getting a signed copy of Gabriel Stone from Shannon Duffy

Georgia McBride (owner of Month9Books) and me

Dorothy Dreyer (author of My Sister's Reaper), Lisa Basso (author of A Shimmer of Angels), and me

And here are some other awesome people:

Lauren Hammond (my agent) and me

LM Preston, Lauren Hammond, me, and Lisa Amowitz

And here's my view as I sadly exited the building. I'm already counting down to next year. I will definitely be back.

Since it's Monday, please let me know what's on your mind.

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop  If you are looking for the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop, click here. The giveaway runs until the 22nd.
2. Thank you!  Last Monday Touch of Death was the Daily Kindle Deal, and I was blown away at how many people downloaded it. I can't thank you all enough. It was an incredible day, so thank you for making it so special.
3. Stalked by Death  Final edits are finished. August 13 is just around the corner, and I'm SO excited to share this book with you. Poor Jodi is up against some really tough odds in this book.
4. Editing  I have three client edits lined up for the rest of this month and one already set for the beginning of April. I'm going to be busy. :)
5. Love All  The reviews are coming in for Love All and I'm so pleased! This book is special to me because I was in a similar love triangle in high school. So while the events in the book are fictional, the emotions are very much my own.

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Kindle Daily Deal!  Touch of Death was selected to be the Kindle Daily Deal today! I'm beyond excited. For today ONLY you can get Touch of Death on Kindle for $1.99! Yes, I said $1.99! Squee!
2. School Library Journal  Touch of Death got a great review in the March issue of the School Library Journal. :)
3. Happy birthday to my dad!  Today is my dad's birthday. If you're reading this, happy birthday, Dad!
4. Drafting put on hold  I've had to put my WIP on hold for the time being. I have client edits and edits on my own books to get through, and unless I give up sleep completely, I just can't draft a new book right now. :(
5. Giveaway  I'm participating in the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop on Friday. My post will actually go up on Thursday since they like them up early, so check back for a giveaway for some great books.

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Birthday Party  Yesterday was my daughter's birthday party. Lots of fun.
2. Sweets Blogfest  The Sweets Blogfest is Wednesday, March 6. I'm looking forward to it. Be sure to stop back for a chance to win some sweet books.
3. YALitChat Debut Author Chat  I'm a guest on tonight's YALitChat Twitter chat at 9pm (EST). I hope you'll stop by to chat.
4. Stalked by Death  The release date for Stalked by Death was pushed back a few weeks to August 13, 2013, but you can now pre-order it on Amazon and B&N.
5. Into the Fire is on Goodreads! My YA paranormal, Into the Fire, releasing spring 2014 through Month9Books is now up on Goodreads. Woo hoo! You can add it to your TBR list here. And here's the description for you:

Yes, you read that correctly. I made a recent discovery that I like to set scenes in bathrooms. Why? Weird things happen to me in bathrooms. Weird things happen to my family members in bathrooms. So, it only seems natural that weird things would happen to my characters in bathrooms.

To be different, I'm sharing a video I made of me reading one of my favorite bathroom scenes in Touch of Death. Enjoy!



Do you have any weird settings that pop up often in your books?

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Love All is only $1.99!  In honor of Valentine's Day, my publisher Swoon Romance lowered the price of Love All to $1.99. Grab your copy here before the price goes back up.
2. Advantage: Heartbreak and Perfect Match  Novellas two and three in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series have been pushed back to May 7 and October 15. I'm relieved. Spacing them out will make them much easier for me to promote. I've extended the time on the Team Ash or Team Noah poll in my sidebar to span the entire series. Don't forget to cast your vote. :)
3. Touch of Death FB Quiz  The quiz is up and running! Now you can see how well you know Jodi and the other Ophi in Touch of Death. I've seen some of you have already taken it and posted your results on FB. Thank you! I hope you found it fun.
4. Plotting a New Novel  I've been researching for a new book and playing around with Scrivener to help me plot it. So much fun!
5. Into the Fire Cover Reveal  Month9Books made a video to reveal the covers of their new books and showcase those coming out soon. My YA paranormal Into the Fire is in it! I'm so excited. It's gorgeous! And it's the thumbnail for the video! Check it out!

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Love All Poll  Since my new novella, Love All, which just released last week, has a love triangle, I thought it would be fun to hear from readers and see if more people are Team Ash or Team Noah. So in my sidebar, you'll see a poll. And, yes, you can choose both guys if you find yourself torn between the two. You can even change your response if you change your mind as the series continues.
2. Touch of Death Facebook Quiz  I'm working on a FB quiz for Touch of Death, so read up and get ready! More details soon.
3. Seeking Pictures!  If you've bought one of my books, take a picture of you holding it. (Yes, ebooks totally count.) I want to post them on FB and my website. As a thank you, I'll send you SWAG.
4. Buy Links  It took me long enough, but I finally got the Amazon buy now buttons on my website and right here in my sidebar. It was so easy I felt a little silly for not being able to figure it out without asking for help.
5. Novellas  I'm really loving novellas right now. They're quick reads, so I can tear right through a lot in a short amount of time. With my schedule lately, that's a really good thing.

Happy Monday! Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Touch of Death launch party!  I've been at Arisia all weekend (in fact I'm still there) for the launch of Touch of Death. Sunday was the big zombie prom! Pictures to come.
2. Love All  The celebration continues because Love All officially releases tomorrow, January 22! Yay! But guess what? You can buy it now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
3. Promotion  I did a reading at Arisia, and let me tell you, I'm much more comfortable in front of teens than adults. School visits are less intimidating than speaking to a room full of adults.
4. Me crying... again  So, I made another video on the release day for Touch of Death. I tried not cry. I really did. I didn't work. So here I am, embarrassing myself again, if you'd care to watch.
5. Blurred Cover Reveal  My writer friend and YA Bound sister, Tara Fuller's new book Blurred has a gorgeous cover.

Yesterday was the day I'd been waiting for for over a year. My debut YA novel, Touch of Death, released into the world. Yes, Amazon released it early and the ebook came out in December, but January 15 was my official release EVERYWHERE!

• Touch of Death bookmarks
• A mirror with the 13th sign of the zodiac on it
• Touch of Death stickers
• 13th sign of the zodiac stickers
• A stuffed zombie deer
• A box of mac and cheese (courtesy of Alex)
• A blood stone in honor of Medusa's bloodstone locket
• zombie button
• key (Because Abby has keys to all the rooms in the Ophi school)

Happy Monday! Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Book releases!  Touch of Death officially releases tomorrow! Squee! And Love All releases in 8 days! 
2. Arisia  I'm leaving for Arisia in Boston on Saturday. I'll be on a promotion panel, doing reading, signing Touch of Death, and of course attending the Zombie Prom! I'm so excited!
3. Picture book contract  FutureWord Publishing, who published my first PB May the Best Dog Win, is going to publish Cricket's Drive Around Town. I'm excited to work with them again.
4. Giveaways  I'm giving away a copy of Love All and SWAG as part of the Bad Boy Rehab Hop. Make sure you enter here. And look for a huge Touch of Death giveaway on Wednesday.
5. New covers  Love All got a facelift. It's slightly different and the other two books in the series now have covers, too!

Before I think about my goals for 2013, I want to take a minute to recap the positive things about 2012. (No need to relive the negative, right?) First, let me say that at the end of 2011, I didn't think 2012 would ever top it. 2011 was the year I found my agent, my first picture book came out, and I got my first book deal with Spencer Hill Press. I thought 2012 would never compare. Boy was I wrong. So here I go!

• I signed another two-book deal with Spencer Hill Press for The Monster Within and The Darkness Within (releasing in 2014).
• I signed a four-book deal with Month9Books for my debut middle grade series, Curse of the Granville Fortune (releasing in 2016).
• I signed a three-book deal with Month9Books for my Birth of the Phoenix Series. (The first book, Into the Fire, releases spring 2014.)
• I sold my three-book novella series Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak. to Swoon Romance. (The first book Love All releases 1/8/13.)
• I held Touch of Death in my hands and cried. Here's video evidence.
• Touch of Death released on ebook on December 23.
• I signed on many new editing clients.
• I started editing for another book publisher.
• I got a new puppy.
• I survived my daughter starting all-day kindergarten. (This might have been the toughest goal I achieved.)
• I had my one-year blogiversary and met some amazing online friends.
• I started reviewing over on YA Bound.

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Happy Holidays!  I hope you all (and your families) have a very happy holiday! 
2. Touch of Death ebook  The Touch of Death ebook released December 23rd! Yesterday! Just in time for Christmas. Yay! I'm so excited Spencer Hill Press decided to release the ebook early. You can find it here.
3. Editing  I've gotten a lot of new editing clients this year, and they are all keeping me well entertained with amazing manuscripts. 
4. Giveaway  There are still a few days left to enter to win a signed ARC of Touch of Death and some awesome SWAG. Enter here!
5. SWAG  I got awesome drawstring bags for my Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak novella series. The first book, Love All, releases January 8th. My MC is a tennis player, so the bag is fitting and totally practical. (Yes, those are my Love All coins in the picture, too.) Giveaway coming next month!

Have you ever heard that there are seasons in publishing? This time of year, most publishers are winding down and closing up for a while. It's very much like how many publishers slow down in the summer months. 

But somehow this year seems different. I'm getting edits and proofs for my own books and tons of edits for my clients. I kind of expected things to get quiet for the holidays and pick back up in January. Not so. I feel busier than ever. It has me wondering if there aren't off seasons after all.

Anyone else noticing this? 


*On a side note, I've been so busy I forgot my own blogiversary! But I am currently running a giveaway for an ARC of Touch of Death and SWAG for Touch of Death and Love All, so make sure you enter here.

So I woke up this morning and panicked because I realized I never wrote today's blog post. I always write them ahead of time because I'm kind of crazy and like to have everything scheduled. Well, I learned something. The world didn't end because I forgot to post. 

I'm actually glad this happened. I think we can get so caught up in what he have to do that we forget to allow ourselves time to breathe. I have a lot going on right now. The Touch of Death blog tour is going on, the ebook releases on December 23rd, my official release date is January 15, and my launch party is  January 20th. I also have Love All releasing January 8th. That doesn't even mention all the edits I'm doing for my books and my clients. And then there's Christmas, which I host. See how I forgot about my blog? Oh, and my grinder pump stopped working, so yesterday was dedicated to getting it fixed.

But now I know that I have to plan time to relax too because I'm not superhuman. Even though I'd love to be!

How about you? Do get so caught up in what you have to do that you forget to allow yourself down time?

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash with two cover reveals:

1. Touch of Death ARC Giveaway #3  The third and final ARC giveaway is going on now. Enter here.

2. Holiday Show  My daughter's kindergarten class is putting on their holiday show on Tuesday. I'm so excited to see it.

3. Camp Boyfriend  J.K.Rock's Camp Boyfriend, which releases July 2, 2013 through Spencer Hill Press has a shiny cover now! Check it out, along with the blurb.

When 17 year old Cooper dies in an attempt to burn down his school, he finds himself in the afterlife. Lucy, the Devil's sister who has crossed party lines, decides to give Cooper another shot at heaven. The deal? Cooper returns to Earth and has to find a girl named Grace. The rest is up to him.

While Cooper figures out his mission, he's thrown into the life he's always wanted. Great parents, a spot on the Varsity football team and a real future are all within reach. But what he really wants is Grace, a feisty girl with an abusive boyfriend that can pound Cooper into pulp if he doesn't watch out.

While Lucy plays demonic-puppeteer, clues to an unknown past between Cooper and Grace start to unravel. Cooper discovers that what's keeping he and Grace apart is far more sinister than anything this bad boy could have ever imagined.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Tomorrow is exactly 1 month until the release of the paperback edition of Touch of Death! 1 month! That's so crazy! As promised, here is the third and final ARC giveaway. Just like the previous ones, it's open internationally.

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Editing  I've been editing a lot lately. It's a great way to wrap up 2012.
2. Holidays  I need to get caught up again with the holidays. I have more wrapping to do and some stocking stuffers to buy.
3. Touch of Death ARC Giveaway #3  The final ARC giveaway will begin on Friday. Don't forget to stop back for your chance to win.
4. Mailing gifts  I'll be mailing out the last of the holiday gifts this week. I always feel better once that's done.
5. Reading  For some reason, I like to read more during the holidays. Even though I'm reading a ton of client edits, I'm making time for other books, too.

Now that Touch of Death is being read and reviewed I've been trying to avoid Goodreads and other places where reviews will pop up. Don't get me wrong. I want people to review the book. I do. But I know reading is subjective. I've loved books others have hated and vice versa. So, unless my marketing coordinator at Spencer Hill Press tweets a review, I don't read them.

Why? I'm human. I have feelings. I pour myself into my books, and I know that not everyone will love them like I do. Now from what others have told me, the reviews have been great. And like I said, I read the ones that get forwarded to me because I know they are "safe" to read. But I'm also realistic. I know some people who don't like zombies, will pick up my book anyway and it won't be for them. I'm okay with that.

So, I'm taking a stand and saying this: Whether you loved my book, liked it, or it wasn't for you, thank you for taking the time to read it. With all the books out there, I'm honored when people choose to read mine. 

Do you read your own reviews? And if you don't have books out yet, do you think you will read your reviews when the time comes?

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts and a huge Spencer Hill Press giveaway!

1. Touch of Death Giveaway Winner!  Congrats to Beth Consugar for winning the ARC of Touch of Death and SWAG for Touch of Death and Love All. There will be another giveaway this month, so stay tuned!
2. Monthly Newsletter  My free monthly newsletter comes out at 5pm EST today. If you aren't signed up to receive it but would like to, click here.
3. SHP Holiday Giveaway 

Here's what's up for grabs!

So I've been keeping this quiet for a while now, only leaking a song here and there on the Touch of Death Facebook page. But that's all over. Here's the complete Touch of Death playlist, and I even put them in order so they follow the story from start to finish. 

Before I show it to you, let me say I chose the songs after I wrote the book, and because I did it that, the songs fit the story really well. I can't listen to any of these without picturing Jodi and the other Ophi.

Okay, here it is!

Thursday is exactly 2 months until the release of the paperback edition of Touch of Death, so as promised, here is the second ARC giveaway. Just like last time, it's open internationally.

And this time, in addition to winning an ARC and SWAG for Touch of Death, I'm throwing in SWAG for my young adult contemporary romance novella, Love All (book 1 in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series) releasing through Swoon Romance on the same day as Touch of Death.






Check out these Ash or Noah coins. Warning, they are very addictive. I can't stop flipping them.

The giveaway will run until 12:01am on November 30. You know the drill. Fill out the rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway