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Today I have not one but TWO books releasing into the world! First up is my YA contemporary romance, Perfect For You.
Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan isn’t very self-confident, but what girl would be after her sophomore-year boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker?
Now a senior, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two gorgeous guys at school. Sounds good, right? What girl wouldn't want to be in Meg's shoes? One cute boy happens to be her boyfriend, and the other? Well, he wants to be. And Meg? She's torn between Ash, the boy she's been with for nearly five months, and Noah who is pretty irresistible.
But Meg is playing with fire. Pitting two boys against one another, even if she doesn't intend to, could end badly if she isn't careful. PERFECT FOR YOU is a teen romance from bestselling author Ashelyn Drake, where one girl will risk everything to find her perfect match.
Check out the opening pages below:
Need to know what happens next? Click here to buy the book for only $2.99 on Amazon.Up next is Into the Fire, a YA romantic fantasy.Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.
But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.
A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.
Here's a video of me reading the opening pages:
You can get more of Cara and the other phoenixes for only $3.19 on Amazon or $3.49 on B&N.
Look for a SWAG and gift card giveaway this Friday!
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 8/10/2014
Blog:
Kelly Hashway's Blog
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Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:
- Two Blog Tours Since I have two Ashelyn Drake titles releasing on September 9th (Into the Fire and Perfect For You), I've been busy with blog tour posts. They're almost ready to send to my publicists.
- My Dream Office Even though I won't be able to settle into my new office for a while yet, I'm dreaming of my oversized chair to work and read in, my large desk with bookshelves, and the cheery daisy paint color I picked out. I can also finally frame the giant posters of my book covers my husband had made for me. It's going to be epic. Now I have to work on that pesky thing called patience.
- Painting and Flooring Last week the construction at my house, which had involved gutting the entire first floor, progressed to painting. This week I'm hoping to have the painting finished and flooring going in so I can go home before the summer is over.
- Editing I'm editing for clients this week, and I already have clients booking me for next month too.
- The Monster Within Book Blitz Fandom Monthly Magazine is hosting a book blitz for The Monster Within August 15-18th. I'm looking forward to it.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By: Kathy Temean,
on 6/24/2014
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I’m busy working on my presentation for The State of the Market Report that I’m giving at the NJSCBWI conference to kick off Sunday morning. The report is chuck full of statistics, survey answers from editors and agents, and lots of analyst. Since all of my time has been going into that report and not on my blog, I thought I would give you a glimpse.
Young Adult ebooks are doing really well and I know many of you are considering going the digitally root hoping to ride that wave. I was surprised how many digital publishers are out there and since this research taught me things, I thought you might be interested in seeing the list and the number of deals each had during the last year. Please note some publishers were not in business for the full year.
Swoon Romance
14 deals in the last 12
Astraea Press
12 deals in the last 12 months
Bloomsbury Spark
11 deals in the last 12 months
Vinspire
6 deals in the last 12 months
Entangled
4 deals in the last 12 months
Diversion Books
4 deals in the last 12 months
Entranced
4 deals in the last 12 months
Harlequin Teen
4 deals in the last 12 months
Polis
3 deals in the last 12 months
In This Together Media
3 deals in the last 12 months
Lyrical Press
2 deals in the last 12 months
Evernight Teen
2 deals in the last 12 months
Inkspell
1 deal in the last 12 months
Simon & Schuster Children’s
1 deal in the last 12 months
Untreed Reads
1 deal in the last 12 months
Champagne Books
1 deal in the last 12
Little, Brown Children’s
1 deal in the last 12 months
Bold Strokes Books
1 deal in the last 12
Adaptive
1 deal in the last 12 months
Midnight Frost
1 deal in the last 12 months
Thought Catalog
1 deal in the last 12 months
Fire & Ice
1 deal in the last 12 months
Anaiah
1 deal in the last 12 months
Spencer Hill Contemporary
1 deal in the last 12 months
Month9Books
1 deal in the last 12 months
Candlemark & Gleam
1 deal in the last 12 months
TouchPoint Press
1 deal in the last 12 months
Kindle Worlds
1 deal in the last 12 months
Buzz Books USA
1 deal in the last 12 months
Now it is time to do your homework to see if any of them are a good fit for you.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
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If you've been following my blog for a while, you've probably noticed a book called Into the Fire in my side bar. You may have also noticed that the cover has changed slightly.
Yes, that's right. It now has my Ashelyn Drake romance pen name on the book as well. Why you ask? Well, to answer that question, I'd like to share the Dear Reader letter I wrote at the start of the book.
Dear Reader,
When I set out to write Into the Fire, I thought I was writing a paranormal novel. But after I witnessed Cara and Logan together, I soon realized I wasn’t just writing a story about a Phoenix trying to save her kind. I was writing a love story. And the further I got into the novel, the more it became obvious that the book was equal parts paranormal and romance. In essence, you could remove the paranormal and have a straightforward romance, or remove the romance and have a full-fledged paranormal novel. Honestly, I prefer the blend of the two, but the tricky part became how to brand this particular series.
As many of you know, I write under two names. Kelly Hashway is my speculative fiction name, and Ashelyn Drake is my contemporary romance pen name. When it came to deciding which name should be on the cover of Into the Fire, there was really only one answer: both. For a book that is so clearly two genres, I need both my names. I hope that everyone who reads the book will agree and see why I chose to blend the names I write under.
So for the Kelly Hashway fans, I can promise you will get a Kelly Hashway paranormal novel that you are accustomed to, and Ashelyn Drake fans will get the kind of romance they are used to. It’s the best of both worlds, something for everyone.
Thank you for picking up Into the Fire. I hope you fall in love with Cara and Logan the way I have, and that you root for Cara and the Phoenixes as they fight for their lives against the Hunters.
Yours truly,
Kelly Hashway/Ashelyn Drake
The ebook will actually release through Swoon Romance, while the paperback edition will release through Month9Books. We're embracing both genres fully, and I love it. Another change is that it was previously listed on Goodreads as a Kelly Hashway title, but it now appears as an Ashelyn Drake title. If you'd like to add it, you can find it here.
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 6/3/2014
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BEA!!! Okay, I still haven't come down from my BEA high. This is seriously my favorite event. Why? Because I always get to hang out with really awesome writers and bloggers and publishing people. Man, I love my job.
So, here's a recap of my BEA 2014 experience:
First, check out the awesome Spencer Hill Press signing chart. (Do you see my name?)
And here I am signing The Monster Within ARCs. Photo courtesy of the very awesome Miss Dvora Gelfond.
Fellow horror writer Charles Day stopped by to get an ARC of The Monster Within.
I got really amazing triquetra necklaces for my book, which we raffled off in baskets and during the signing. I don't think I'm ever taking mine off. It's so pretty!
And here's the beautiful Jennifer Allis Provost who made the triquetra necklaces for me because she's that awesome.
Brooke Delvecchio is one of the most adorable people ever. I love her.
Here I am with Richard Shealy, one of my copy editors.Here I am with Jessica Porteous, Lisa Amowitz, and Elizabeth Langston.My agency sister, Vicki Merkel, attended my signing.
Vikki Ciaffone is not my editor at SHP but I love her.And I got to meet Eliza Tilton in person finally too! And I met J.A. Ward.
I also had a signing as Ashelyn Drake for my upcoming YA contemporary Perfect For You. Swoon Romance was awesome about getting people to stop by my booth to pick up signed postcards and talk about the book. I also had two amazing dancers (Yes, I said dancers.) bringing people in. A special thanks to Dorothy Dryer and Dan Cohen. You two are the best cheerleaders ever!
After knowing Rachel Harris online for years we got to meet in person!
Okay, and this has nothing to do with my signings or meeting people, BUT… I finally got to see Rick Riordan!!! Thank you to Dan Cohen for making sure I got a picture of Rick this time.
AND…I got Becca Fitzpatrick's new book! Yay! I'm so excited to read it. I loved the Hush, Hush series. I have to thank Dan Cohen for this one too because he totally snagged me a copy early and I didn't even have to wait in line.
I had to leave early on Saturday because the train schedule changed and we are having work done on our house and had to be home for it. I was sad to go and am already counting the days until BEA 2015!
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- BEA I had a blast at BEA. I'll post pictures on Wednesday. I'm still recovering from traveling and packing up my house for an addition.
- Construction Construction began on my house the Saturday of BEA. I came home to find I had no ceiling in my living room. I'll have to leave for a few days when they do the demo since my entire roof is being removed. Wish me luck. It's a crazy mad house over here!
- Editing I'm working on a client edit this week and copy edits on my MG novel.
- Blurbing I'm reading a book right now that I have the honor of blurbing. I'm excited, but I only have a few days to read and submit my blurb, so eek!
- Free Monthly Newsletter My free monthly newsletter goes out later today. If you aren't signed up to receive it but would like to, click here.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 5/25/2014
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:- BEA!!!! I'm heading to BEA Thursday morning! Here's my schedule if you're going to be there and want to find me: Thursday-3pm signing at the Spencer Hill Press booth (2567) for The Monster Within. Friday-7:30am author breakfast. Friday-4pm signing at the Swoon Romance (PDZ638) for Perfect For You (writing as Ashelyn Drake).
- Memorial Day Happy Memorial Day! We're spending the day packing up our house for an addition that is going to take place right after BEA, weather permitting.
- The Monster Within Monster Giveaway Don't forget to enter the MONSTER giveaway for The Monster Within. The giveaway is open until June 17th when The Monster Within releases and you can tweet each day for additional entries. Enter here!
- Deadlines I'm trying to meet the last deadline I have before BEA. It's been another crazy month for me with deadlines, but BEA will be a great reward when I'm finished. :)
- New teaser for The Monster Within Check out the latest teaser for The Monster Within. This one focuses on Sam and Ethan.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 4/27/2014
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1. Monroe County Book Expo Thanks to everyone who came out for the Monroe County Book Expo. I had a great time. This was my third and final author appearance this month and it was a great way to close out April.
2. The Monster Within Goodreads Giveaway Spencer Hill Press is giving away TWO copies of The Monster Within on Goodreads. Enter here.
3. The Monster Within Monster Giveaway To celebrate the upcoming release of The Monster Within, I'm hosting a Monster Giveaway! Want to be part of it? The giveaway will run from May 16th to June 17th and you can post anywhere within those dates. Sign up in the form below.
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4. Stone of Destiny by Laura Howard Congrats to Laura Howard on her newest release, Stone of Destiny. Isn't this cover gorgeous?
Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.
Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.
Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?
5. Snip, Snip Revenge by Medeia Sharif Congrats to Medeia on the release of her latest YA novel!
Beautiful, confident Tabby Karim has plans for the winter: nab a role in her school’s dramatic production, make the new boy Michael hers, and keep bigoted Heather—with her relentless Ay-rab comments—at bay. When a teacher’s lie and her father’s hastiness rob her of her beautiful hair, her dreams are dashed. The fastest barber in Miami Beach has made her look practically bald.
With all her pretty hair gone, Tabby doesn’t believe she fits the feminine role she’s auditioning for. Michael is still interested in her, but he’s playing it cool. Heather has taken to bullying her online, which is easier to do with Tabby’s ugly haircut. Tabby spearheads Operation Revenge, which proves satisfying until all of her problems deepen. After messing up, she sets to make things right.
Join Medeia's giveaway to celebrate the release of her latest novel.
a Rafflecopter giveawayThat's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 4/6/2014
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- Revising I'm working on revisions for Perfect For You and Out of the Ashes this week. The first is off of editorial notes, and the second is a sequel under contract that I have to submit to my editor by the 15th.
- Editing I'm also editing for clients, which always makes me happy.
- Family Expo I had a blast at the Family Expo yesterday. It's always fun to talk to people about what I do for a living.
- Home Improvements We are prepping for an addition and buying lighting and other fun stuff. I'm dreading the construction but really excited to have it finished.
- Prepping a Giveaway for The Monster Within We're almost two months away from the release of The Monster Within. I'm planning a giveaway with a gift card and lots of goodies. :) Stay tuned!
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 3/30/2014
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- Family Expo I'll be at the Family Expo on Sunday the 6th from noon to 3pm talking about writing and displaying my books. The Expo is held at East Stroudsburg High School South if you're in the area.
- Edits I'm expecting edits this week for Perfect For You, my upcoming Ashelyn Drake YA contemporary romance. I'm excited!
- Author Events April is a busy month for me. I have three author events scheduled.
- Reading I'm reading Insurgent right now. I loved Divergent, but I'm not as in love Insurgent just yet. I'm enjoying it, but not quite as much as book one.
- Need To Read Tomorrow is the first Need To Read post on YA Bound. Need To Read is a new meme, posted on the first Tuesday of each month, that highlights books releasing that month. These are the books we've waited for and now we can read them. Feel free to grab the button and post your Need To Read books.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
I've talked about branding before. How once you get a certain genre of books out there with your name on them (or even before, as was the case with me—sometimes just having books under contract is enough), you are branded as THAT genre author. I was branded as a paranormal author. But if you recall, I did put out two novellas that were outside my brand. Remember these?
The third novella never came out. Want to know why? My brand was working against me, so I had the series pulled. Yes, I talked to Swoon Romance and we agreed to take the series down. Why? Because I decided to create a pen name and write contemporary romance as Ashelyn Drake. Also, when I wrote the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series, it wasn't a novella series. It was a full-length novel. And with my new brand under Ashelyn, I wanted that full novel back because that's how I always envisioned the story to be told.
Well, I didn't just put the book back together. I did a major rewrite. I deleted the first three chapters. Yup, gone! I got right into the heart of the story and backed off the tennis theme that previously ran throughout the book. Why am I telling you all this? Simple. Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak is now a novel titled Perfect For You, and it's coming out in September through Swoon Romance. It has a gorgeous new cover that is being revealed this Friday with YA Bound Book Tours. (You can sign up to help with the reveal here if you're interested.)
But I'm not sharing this story today because I have a reveal coming up. I'm sharing my story because sometimes things don't happen the way we envision them, but that doesn't mean that we can't take things into our own hands and change things. Luckily, Swoon Romance was great about helping me with my vision for this book, but I was prepared to self-publish the title if I needed to.
So just because things don't happen the way you want them to at first, don't be afraid to make changes and alter the future of your book. I'm really glad I did.
Please give a warm welcome to Jennifer Kloester! She’s here to talk about her new release The Cinderella Moment.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.
[Jennifer Kloester] I’m an adventure-loving book addict with a passion for writing. I love karate, Paris and my garden. I believe in kindness and integrity.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about The Cinderella Moment?
[Jennifer Kloester] It’s a contemporary novel set in New York and Paris with a 16 year-old heroine who dreams of being a fashion designer. She’s entering a fashion design competition called the Teen Couture but when things go wrong she has to go to Paris and masquerade as her best friend. It’s all fashion, glitz and high society, and of course nothing turns out as she expected – especially after she meets a gorgeous guy who thinks she’s someone else!
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
[Jennifer Kloester] I was living in the Middle East and read a story in a magazine about these girls who were in Paris for a grand ball and my heroine Angel and her dream of winning the Teen Couture just fell into my head fully formed. I knew she wanted more than anything to be a fashion designer and that her mom was a housekeeper and her best friend the daughter of the mega-rich family her mom worked for and the story just grew from there. Funnily enough, I didn’t realise just how many links to the original Cinderella story there were in my book until I’d finished it!
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Angel?
[Jennifer Kloester] passionate, determined,romantic
[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Angel had a theme song, what would it be?
[Jennifer Kloester] Adele’s version of "Promise This"
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Angel is never without.
[Jennifer Kloester] A sketchbook.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things will you never find in Angel’s purse?
[Jennifer Kloester] A car key cause she hasn’t got her license yet and who drives in New York anyway?
A credit card – maybe one day when she can afford it.
Pepper spray – Angel’s not afraid of boys, she just hasn’t met one she really likes – yet!
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?
[Jennifer Kloester] Other books, other writers – as Stephen Kings says – ‘if you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write.’ All kinds of music and the things people say – I love listening to people’s words and conversations – you never know where the next big idea will come from.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?
[Jennifer Kloester] Time, a pen or laptop, discipline (is that four things?)
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was your biggest distraction while working on The Cinderella Moment?
[Jennifer Kloester] My family (immediate and extended) and household chores that suddenly became much more appealing than usual!
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?
[Jennifer Kloester] "The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" I loved it because it was clever, had memorable characters, and it made me laugh.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?
[Jennifer Kloester] When I was six I read "The Good Master’ by Kate Seredy. I still remember it vividly.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
[Jennifer Kloester] I love karate and got my black belt last year. Training in the martial arts is the perfect contrast sitting at my computer all day. I also love gardening and the beach. I’d say travel but I usually write when I’m travelling – so much great material.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?
[Jennifer Kloester] I’m on Twitter (I love Twitter) @jenkloester, via email [email protected] and on my Facebook author page JenniferKloesterAuthor – I’ve also had letters from readers via my publishers (Penguin Aus, Sourcebooks & Swoon Romance) which is awesome fun. I love hearing from readers and will always reply.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!
Purchase link
About the book:
Let the masquerade begin!
Angel Moncoeur has always wanted to be a fashion designer, but without money or connections, it’s going to be a challenge. When an opportunity to leave her home in New York and head to Paris appears, Angel grabs it – even if it means masquerading as her best friend Lily. That can’t be too hard, can it? But when she falls in love with her very own Prince Charming who thinks she’s someone else, Angel embarks on a plan to secure her happily ever after.
THE CINDERELLA MOMENT is a fabulously fun story about high society, mistaken identity, love, betrayal, friendship – and great clothes
About the author:
Jennifer Kloester is passionate about books and writing. She is the author of two books on the bestselling historical novelist Georgette Heyer: Georgette Heyer’s Regency World and Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller. The Cinderella Moment is her first novel. She is currently writing the sequel The Rapunzel Dilemma. In her spare time Jennifer loves to travel and train in karate.
So most of you probably know that the second installment of my Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series released on May 28th. It's called Advantage: Heartbreak and it's available for only $1.29. Honestly, I love this series more and more as it goes on. Things get intense in this novella and there are lots of swoon-worthy moments. So, I thought I'd share a teaser with you today. Enjoy!
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- Last week of school My daughter's last day is Thursday. I can't believe she's going to be a first grader soon.
- Free Monthly Newsletter With the excitement of BEA, I forgot to send out my monthly newsletter last Monday. It will go out at 5pm EST today. If you aren't signed up yet but would like to receive one, click here.
- Advantage: Heartbreak I'll be posting a teaser this Wednesday for my second novella in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series. Check back for it.
- Melinda's Museum Magic My newest picture book is here! You can find Melinda's Museum Magic for sale on Amazon.
- Stalked by Death teaser I made a teaser video for Stalked by Death. Check it out.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
1. BEA Woo hoo! I'll be at BEA Thursday evening through Saturday! If you're there, look for me at the Spencer Hill Press booth.
2. Melinda's Museum Magic I got the proof for my upcoming picture book, Melinda's Museum Magic this weekend. And even though I was sick with a fever, I made a video to share it with you.
3. Advantage: Heartbreak releases tomorrow! The second novella in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series will be out tomorrow! And what's a release day without a giveaway? So here's what you can win.
Winner's choice of either Love All or Advantage: Heartbreak: (ebook only)
And, if the winner is in the US or Canada, he/she will also get a Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak drawstring bag and a Love All coin.
Simply fill out the rafflecopter below to enter. Good luck.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 5/19/2013
Blog:
Kelly Hashway's Blog
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- Scholastic Book Fair I'm working the Scholastic Book Fair at my daughter's school again this week. Even though I just placed an online order, I'm sure I'll be buying more books.
- Cricket's Drive Around Town This weekend I got the color illustrations for my upcoming picture book and they blew my mind. This book is going to be so adorable!
- Into the Fire I just sent my edits off to my editor this past weekend for Into the Fire, which is coming in January 2014 through Month9Books. And I updated my FB author page so the gorgeous cover is on there. :)
- Stalked by Death ARC My Stalked by Death ARC arrived on Saturday! Squee! I thought I wasn't getting it until BEA, so I'm really excited to get to hold my pretty book!
- Advantage: Heartbreak Less than 10 days until the release of Advantage: Heartbreak, novella #2 in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series. Yay!
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Today, I'm happy to welcome my publishing house sister, Stephanie Wardrop. She's the author of Snark and Circumstance, which released February 5, 2013 through Swoon Romance. Stephanie and I found ourselves in the same position of having to take a novel and break it up into a series of novellas. Stephanie's here today to tell you about her experience.
Hi, everybody! I’m Stephanie Wardrop, author of Snark and Circumstance 
, checking in with my Swoon Romance serial sister Kelly Hashway about the subject of serialized e-novellas.
Like Kelly, I never set out to write an e-novella series. I did not, in fact, know such a thing existed. Because I am a 
. I mean, I wasn’t even thinking about e-books at the time. When I was writing Snark and Circumstance, I was thinking about NOVELS. I was thinking Snark would come out looking something like this 
, something you would open up and then close and it would sit all nice and neat on a shelf somewhere, waiting patiently for you to open it again.
So when an editor at 
called to say she was interested in the book but wanted to publish it as a series of e-books, I was like this 
But then I thought about Jane Austen, whose Pride and Prejudice inspired Snark, and whose books, like most nineteenth-century novels, came out as TRIPLE DECKERS : one novel was divided into three books coming out months apart and each ending on a cliffhanger so that every reader would be counting down the days until they could buy the next installment. And I thought 
BRILLIANT! I’LL DO IT!
Now all I had to do was figure out how to cut the thing into four pieces, all equally engaging and action-packed and hilarious.
Right.
There are some definite advantages to serializing. For one, you get not ONE cover reveal, but FOUR! I wish I could show you my second cover, because it is, as my publisher says, SASSY, but publishers guard unreleased covers the way Coca Cola guards its formula, the way 
Colonel Sanders guards his eleven secret herbs and spices, so I can’t.
On the other hand, four covers means four titles. It took me three years to come up with the title of Snark and Circumstance, so to hear I had about forty-eight hours to come up with three more set me into a state of paralytic frenzy. (Trust me – this term sounds oxymoronic and impossible, but I bet any writer who’s faced a deadline knows what I mean). I could fill the New York Public Library with all of my rejected titles, but I eventually came up with three more that didn’t totally suck!
But for me, the biggest challenge has been that four separate texts means four not-so-separate but individually complete narrative arcs. Because each story has to simultaneously – and paradoxically, perhaps –
*further the plot and characterization from the previous installment
*be able to stand on its own as a separate self-contained text
*not bore anyone so much that they don’t want to read the next one!
How do you manage all of those things at once? How do you catch new readers up to speed about who the characters are and what they want and how they feel about each other (and where they live and what they look like and how old they are) without boring the readers who were with you in the first installment(s)? How do you balance exposition (the background for the current installment) without falling into an information dump?
It ain’t easy. But no writer worth reading shrinks from challenges, right?
Most of us remember this from ninth grade, the dreaded PLOT DIAGRAM:
If you recall, this is the arc of the whole novel, so in a regular novel, all the really exciting climactic stuff would be happening in the middle (well, in actuality, it’s much more likely to happen three quarters of the way through, if not even further in. Think about it. You’re not going to read another hundred pages AFTER the epic battle, after Harry Potter finally defeats the forces of darkness or Romeo and Juliet are both found dead. That would be like sitting in the movie theater so you could watch the kids in their uniforms sweep up your popcorn tubs and throw your discarded drink cups into garbage bags. Pointless.). At any rate, following this standard narrative arc in a series would mean that the middle two books would be nonstop action and the last one would be horrendously dull. But again, that’s not quite true despite what this little graph above says. In actuality the middle books of a series, if they followed this proscribed arc of a novel, would be kind of tedious. The main character would get themselves into all sorts of trouble, dig themselves in deeper and deeper, and there would be no relief for them at all until they got to Book Four. Which wouldn’t work. Even if you HATED the main character, you wouldn’t enjoy the experience, essentially, of seeing them flogged for two whole books – and you wouldn’t pay to see that happen (or to read it happening).
So the trick, for me, is to work with LITTLE VICTORIES in Books Two or Three.
I’m learning that I have to get my main character into all sorts of smallish troubles -- misunderstandings, arguments, humiliations that don’t feel smallish at all to her – and get her out of them in each installment. (And in Books Two and Three my main character, Georgia, gets into some trouble involving charming drunks, sightings in the family planning section of CVS, and scarlet letters.) But she cannot resolve the BIG TROUBLE that has gotten her into all of the smallish troubles in the first place until the end, Book Four. Such big troubles for main characters are often defined by fancy ninth-grade literary terms like HUBRIS, meaning excessive pride. Or they may suffer an inability to a have sense of humor about oneself or a major lack of confidence that prevents them from emerging as the superhero they need to be until the last volume of the series.
So in Book Two I might resolve one or two smallish troubles. I may end it with two sisters no longer fighting like dogs or
.. But the sisters won’t come to appreciate each other for who they truly are yet. Not until Book Four:
Halfway through the serialization process for Snark, this is what I have learned so far, through the process of writing and revising.
But I have also learned, as you can see in this post, that there is nothing
NOTHING
that cannot be best illustrated on the web by pictures of kittens.
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 4/14/2013
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
1. The Other Marlowe Girl My buddy Beth Fred's second book in The Marlowe Girls series is out! Get it here.
When twenty-four-year-old dance school drop out Kammy Marlowe is evicted by her mother, she goes to her favorite hangout. She finds an unlikely friend in the blunt eye candy, Enrique. But Kammy knows there is no way she and Enrique have a shot because he's her brother-in-law’s brother and has been privy to her wild past.
Enrique swears he’s only interested in the person she is today, but their relationship is tested when her ex-husband's drug dealer attacks her, looking for money. With no options and a money hungry drug dealer on her back, Kammy accepts a position as a dancer at a strip club. But when Enrique shows up at the club, their relationship is over. With no reason to stay in Texas anymore, Kammy auditions for the Bolshevik Ballet and gets the opportunity to go to Russia. Only Enrique is determined to stop her.
Will she give up the chance of a lifetime to stay with the man she still loves?
2. Stomach bug My daughter was sent home sick on Thursday with a stomach bug. That's better, but now she has this awful congestion that makes her sound like a whispering frog. Poor thing.
3. Love All is only $0.99! Amazon has lowered the price of Love All to only $0.99! If you want to snag a copy before book two in the series releases next month, now's the time. You can get it here.
4. Into the Fire Edits I'm up to my chin in edits for Into the Fire, but my editor is amazing, so I'm excited.
5. Less than 4 months until Stalked by Death releases! So... I'm giving away some SWAG. I got these awesome "Ophi in training" pins. Who wants one?
I'll pick three winners on Saturday, April 20. Just fill out the rafflecopter below. Good luck.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- Advantage: Heartbreak (May 7th) Less than one month until the second novella in my Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series releases! This book has so much emotion and tons of swoony moments. I'm really excited for it.
- Reading I'm trying to get caught up with all the books I downloaded to my Kindle recently.
- Switching tenses Last week I finished drafting a new WIP, and now I'm going to switch it from present tense to past tense. I think it will work better that way. *sigh*
- Melinda's Museum Magic I have another picture book coming out soon through G8 Press. I should have a cover image to show you soon!
- Cover Reveal Spencer Hill Press has another cover reveal. It's for Milayna by Michelle Picket.
Everyone needs to be bad once in a while. But for seventeen-year-old Milayna, being good isn't a choice--it's a job requirement. And it's a job she can't quit. Born a demi-angel, Milayna steps in when danger and demons threaten the people around her, but being half-angel isn't all halos and happiness. Azazel, Hell's Angel, wants Milayna's power, and he'll do anything to get it. But he only has until her eighteenth birthday, after which she becomes untouchable.
With the help of other demi-angels, Milayna thwarts the trouble Azazel sends her way. Fighting with her is Chay, a demi-angel who's sinfully gorgeous, and Milayna falls hard. But is Chay her true love... or her nemesis in disguise?
Because when she learns of a traitor in her group, there's no one she can trust... not even the one she loves.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- Presidents Day Happy Presidents Day! My daughter and husband are both home for the holiday.
- Taxes We're getting our taxes done this morning. I hate sitting through this, but the refund is always nice.
- New SUV We're picking up my husband's new Escape this afternoon. Hopefully, I'll like driving this better than his previous vehicle, which felt like a bus to me.
- New WIP Yes, I'm still plotting this book. I keep getting snippets of dialogue instead of an overall plot ARC. Very strange, but I'm very "go with the flow" when it comes to plotting.
- Love All Reading I decided to make a video of me reading the opening of Love All, my YA romance novella. If you haven't seen it, you can check it out below. And Love All is still only $1.29 on Kindle and Nook.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 2/3/2013
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- 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.
- 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. :)
- 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.
- 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!
- 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!
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Love All is officially here!
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan wasn’t very lucky at love. In sophomore year, her idiotic boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker. Ouch! Now a senior, and with a little more self-confidence, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two guys at school. Lucky! Both attend her tennis matches, vie for her attention, and are each gorgeous in their own way. So what’s the problem? Meg has already chosen one of them, and the one waiting in the sidelines will do anything to change her mind. She’s enjoys the attention right up until it’s her heart that’s caught in the middle, and she risks losing both. Can Meg Love All, or will choosing be her undoing?
I wanted to share the playlist for this book, but I actually have a playlist for the novella series, so I'm only going to tell you the songs that apply to this book in particular. Here they are in no special order:
Be Your Everything by Boys Like Girls
Yours to Hold by Skillet
Lost in You by Three Days Grace
And to celebrate, I'm giving away some SWAG!
The giveaway will run until 11:59pm on February 1. It's open internationally, but I found out some countries won't permit coins to be shipped into them, so if you're international, the coins won't be included.
Good luck!
*For those who asked, pictures from the zombie prom will be posted on Friday!*a Rafflecopter giveaway
Happy Monday! Here's what's on my mind today:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Blurred Cover Reveal My writer friend and YA Bound sister, Tara Fuller's new book Blurred has a gorgeous cover.
Cash is haunted by things. Hungry, hollow things. They only leave him alone when Anaya, Heaven’s beautiful reaper, is around. Cash has always been good with girls, but Anaya isn’t like the others. She’s dead. And with his deteriorating health, Cash might soon be as well.
Anaya never breaks the rules, but the night of the fire she recognized part of Cash’s soul—and doomed him to something worse than death. Cash’s soul now resides in an expired body, making him a shadow walker—a rare, coveted being that can walk between worlds. A being creatures of the underworld would do anything to get their hands on.
The lines between life and death are blurring, and Anaya and Cash find themselves falling helplessly over the edge. Trapped in a world where the living don’t belong, can Cash make it out alive?
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 1/13/2013
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Happy Monday! Here's what's on my mind today:
- Book releases! Touch of Death officially releases tomorrow! Squee! And Love All releases in 8 days!
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- New covers Love All got a facelift. It's slightly different and the other two books in the series now have covers, too!
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Many of you know that in addition to writing paranormal novels, I also write YA contemporary romance. Well, on January 22, my first novella in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series releases through Swoon Romance. Yay! So I thought I'd talk a little about writing romance.
Here's what I learned while working on the GSMH series. First, you can't write emotions without feeling them. I had to become sixteen again to write Love All. Why? Because that's when I first fell in love. First loves are incredible. They are all-consuming. You feel like your heart will stop every time your boyfriend (or girlfriend) walks out of the room. I had to tap into those feelings and relive them.
In Love All, Meg has a great boyfriend named Ash. He's the kind of guy you want your first love to be. But here's something you should know about me. I've been in a few love triangles. I hate to admit that, but I'm an open book on this blog. My involvement in them stemmed from my own insecurities, and so does Meg's. Meg's past, complete with a cheating boyfriend, has left her with little confidence. I've been there. I've felt that heartbreak. Yes, I cried a few times while writing this series, but I had to.
So here's my advice to you. If you want to write a romance, be prepared to relive first love, heartbreak, infatuation, attraction, longing... The list goes on. It's not easy to make yourself that vulnerable, but you can't write a good romance without being willing to go there.
Do you agree?
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I figured you were busy, busy, busy with prep for the conference which is why you haven’t been following up! At least I know you’re OK and just busy :) Been meaning to call to be sure, but now I know so won’t bother you! lol See you in a few days :D :D :D
Very useful information, Kathy. Thank you. I’ve been eyeing Swoon Reads for a while now.
Thanks! Your hard work is appreciated.
Kathy -
do you know if any of the deals involved payment of advances?
Just curious.
Janet
Looking forward to hearing your Market Report and hopefully chatting with you this weekend. Thank you for all you do and see you soon! Jen