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.
Wow! 2012 was a great year.
Now it's your turn. What's your good news from 2012?
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.
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 in January 2013.
These are the Ash or Noah coins from Love All. Warning, they are very addictive.
The giveaway will run until 12:01am on December 31. You know the drill. Fill out the rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Okay, so I was tagged again in The Next Big Thing. I know, I know, I've done this twice already. I promise this is the last one. You see, I was tagged by Keren Spencer, who happens to be one of the biggest Touch of Death supporters and an all-around amazing person. I couldn't say no to her, and since Love All is about to release, I thought it made sense to do this again. So Keren, this is for you. (I was also just tagged by June OHara, Emilyann Girdner, and Cindy Brown. Thanks, June and Cindy.)
What is the working title of your next book?
Love All
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I hate to admit to having been in a few love triangles in high school and college, but I was. This book came about because I really do think it's possible to care about more than one person at a time.
What genre does your book fall under?
YA contemporary romance
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Annasophia Robb for Meg
Steven R McQueen for Ash (Yes, that's Jeremy from The Vampire Diaries)
And Freddie Stroma for Noah
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Sometimes the best cure for a heartbreak is to love again, but what happens when that love falls on two different guys?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I'm represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management and Love All is being published by Swoon Romance.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
About two and a half weeks
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I hate comparing my work to other people, so I'll just say it's YA comtemporary romance and leave it at that.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The book is about how amazing first love is, so I think first loves in general were a huge inspiration.
What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
The MC is a tennis player, so tennis fans will enjoy Meg's matches as well as her romances.
I'm supposed to tag 5 others, but I like to break rules. So... if you haven't been tagged yet and you'd like to join in, then tag! For the rest of you, what's your current WIP about?
A little while back, I posted about branding. I mentioned I wrote a YA contemporary romance but that I worried it wouldn't get picked up because I've been branded as a paranormal writer. I was a little crushed because the romance held a special place in my heart. I relived emotions I haven't felt in a long time, and the story I created (while fictional) spoke to the sixteen-year-old inside me.
Well, my agent and I decided to put the project on the back burner and focus on my paranormal and fantasy novels. I said I was okay with it. I wasn't. I was crushed. But... my agent, being the awesome woman she is, discovered a new imprint called Swoon Romance. Right now, Swoon is only publishing novellas, so my agent called me and said, "What if you turn your romance into two novellas?" I may have jumped for joy. ;)
She sold my novellas to Swoon Romance, and I started transforming one novel into two separate novellas. Only, I couldn't do it without losing the story. So... my two novellas became three, which worked so well. I jumped for joy again. And now Love All, the first book in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series is releasing January 15, 2013. Serving Up Heartbreak (book 2) releases March 12, 2013, and Perfect Match (book 3) releases May 14, 2013. I'm officially a paranormal and contemporary romance author.
What's the moral of the story? My agent is awesome. Oh, and you never know what will happen. So write the stories you have to tell.
Have you ever strayed from writing the genre you've come to be known for?
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- Hurricane Sandy It's official. I hate Hurricane Sandy. The destruction to NJ was incredible. Here in PA, it wasn't as bad, but my family is mostly in NJ and my husband (who works in NJ) is still off from work.
- Halloween Thankfully, trick or treating was moved to Sunday so my daughter didn't miss out.
- Free Monthly Newsletter My newsletter goes out at 5pm EST today. If you aren't already signed up and would like to receive it, you can sign up here.
- Normal week My daughter and husband were both off all last week because of the hurricane. This week, I'm back to writing and editing like usual.
- LOVE ALL SWAG Giveaway Very soon, I'll be hosting a giveaway for SWAG for my upcoming YA contemporary romance novella, LOVE ALL, releasing January 15, 2013 through Swoon Romance. Here's a picture of the coins I made so you can help Meg choose between Ash and Noah.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
