Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Falling For Hadie Teaser #2

Here's the second teaser for Falling For Hadie. Sorry it took me so long to post it! Things have been a bit crazy busy lately.

Enjoy the teaser!


I really enjoyed writing this scene between Hadie and Eddie. Please excuse any errors as this is only a first draft. Enjoy! =)

Hadie's POV

Bennett was sitting at a table, trying very hard not to look at me.
I dropped the menus on the floor, and wanted to kick myself for acting like a complete dork in front of Bennett. I would not continue to make a fool out of myself in front of him. I would be cold, distant, composed, confident, magnetic and…jeez, I sucked at pep talks.
Picking the menus up again, I took a deep breath and walked towards him. Seriously, what the heck was he doing here? He knew I’d worked here since I’d turned sixteen, so why would he come in here? There were plenty of other places he could go to. eat. Well, technically there was one other place, Mal’s Eatery, and it smelled like hog wash. Still, there were some nicer places out of town where he could go. He couldn’t bethat hungry that he had to come in here on the only other day he knew I would be working.
What made even less sense was the fact that he was alone. Usually, he was accompanied by his jock friends, throwing testosterone around left, right and center. I never saw him go anywhere without his posse. In fact, he cared so much about them that he’d lost Ashton’s friendship over it.
Trying my best to act like his presence didn’t affect me, I threw back my shoulders and approached him with an air of indifference. “Good afternoon, Sir,” I said, handing him a menu. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your order.”
I turned to go, but the sound of his voice stopped me. “I already know what I want.”
He looked up at me with those bright blue eyes of his and for a second I forgot just how much I hated him, how much I was supposed to hate him. All I saw was the guy I had loved and cared for. The guy I would stay up late at night talking on the phone with.
The illusion was shattered when he cleared his throat, and I gave him a hard look. “What can I get you?”
I pulled out a notebook and pen from my back pocket, even though I could easily memorize orders. Mostly, I just wanted to give myself something to do so I wouldn’t have to look at him while he spoke.
“Can I get a cheeseburger and fries?”
“And hold the pickles,” I said absently, and then wanted to kick myself for finishing his order. I was supposed to stay cold and detached, not show familiarity towards him. I was so freaking stupid!
Bennett smiled wryly and nodded. “Yeah, hold the pickles.”
I pretended to write all this down, but really I was just stabbing holes into the page because I was so angry with myself. “And anything to drink?” I knew he was going to ask for a chocolate milkshake because that’s what he always got.
“Chocolate milkshake.” Well, duh.
“Sure, your order will be out soon,” I said and headed back to the kitchen, ignoring Laura’s gaping mouth as I passed her.
As soon as I entered the kitchen, my resolve shattered and I leaned against the counter with my head buried in my hands, trying to gather my scattered thoughts.
Crap, crap, crap, I’d totally embarrassed myself when I’d dropped the menus, but then I just had to go and acknowledge the fact that I knew how he liked his burger. Why was I such a complete idiot? I was supposed to be acting like I didn’t know him. I wasn’t supposed to get distracted by his eyes or his smile, or anything else. I really wanted to kick myself, or stick my head in the freezer.
“Uh, Hadie, are you okay?”
I jumped at the sound of the voice and then realized that Eddie was standing a few feet away watching me with concern. I’d been so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I’d completely forgotten that he was in here. Ya know, because where else would the cook be but in the kitchen?
“Yeah, um…I’m fine.” I gave him a weak smile. “We have an order for one cheeseburger with no pickles. And a serving of fries and a chocolate milkshake too.”
Eddie nodded, still looking worried as he put some fries into the deep fryer and then fired up the grill so he could start cooking the beef patty for the burger.
As I watched him, I decided to make the milkshake while I waited. When I didn’t have to take orders, I helped out in the kitchen so the cook didn’t have to do as much.
I measured out the milk, chocolate powder and ice cream, and put it all into the blender. Eddie gave me a nod, as if to say “thanks”, as he grabbed a plate and a tray to put the food on for when he was done.
When I turned off the blender, Eddie used that opportunity to speak. “So, what’s really wrong, Hadie?”
Sighing, I poured the milkshake into a glass and watched as Eddie flipped the patty over. “My ex-boyfriend is the customer that just came in.”
Eddie’s head shot in my direction and he frowned. “Your ex-boyfriend? The one who was friends with Ashton, right? Bennett something-or-rather.”
“Yeah, that’s the one.” I slumped against the counter again and fiddled with the edge of my apron. “I mean, I’m over him, but I’m not.”
Eddie was quiet for a moment and all I could hear was the sizzling of the fries as they cooked. Finally, he spoke. “It’s normal for you to still think about your ex, even have feelings for him. That doesn’t make you weak, it just makes you human.”
I met his hazel eyes for a second; they were kind and gentle, and I felt all my feelings rushing out. “But after what he did to me, it makes me so angry that I feel something for him, you know? I don’t want to feel anything for him. I just want to see him the way I would see a stranger. I want to shut off all these emotions that he makes me feel. It’s so frustrating!”
I suddenly felt embarrassed that I had just vented all of my frustration to Eddie. He was just so easy to talk to though, and he listened. Like, really listened.
Don’t get me wrong. Mariah and Estella were there for me too and always gave me great advice, but there was something therapeutic about confiding in someone who had a different perspective on the situation.
Eddie gave me a sad smile as he began plating up the food. “There’s nothing wrong with what you’re feeling. It just shows that you care, and that’s a good thing. It’s better than being cold and unfeeling or treating others badly because you don’t give a damn. Stay just the way you are and I promise you, one day you’ll wake up and Bennett won’t mean a thing to you.”
I held my breath as Eddie’s words sunk in. He was right. It wasn’t wrong of me to still think about Bennett, because I really had cared about him and it was natural to miss that. As for Bennett, it was so easy for him to move on with someone else because he obviously hadn’t cared about me. But I wasn’t like him, and I was glad that I never would be.
“You seriously give the best advice ever. You’re like Dr. Phil, but better looking.” I walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Eddie. You’re the best.”
Eddie’s face flamed up and he mumbled something incoherent and busied himself with wiping down the already-clean counter.



Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Cover Reveal & Blurb: It Was You by Anna Cruise



Abby Sellers knows what she wants. 

Enduring eighteen years in the shadow of her identical twin sister, Annika, she wants a fresh start. A chance to create her own life, separate from her conniving, deceptive twin.

Surprising both her family and friends, Abby ditches her plans for college and enrolls at a new school instead. There, she encounters West Montgomery, a sexy fellow student who immediately disarms her with his good looks and charm. West takes a liking to Abby and she suddenly finds herself walking a thin line, fabricating a fictional life created not by lies but by omission. She soon discovers West has secrets of his own, secrets that he's not altogether interested in sharing.

Out from under the shadow of her twin, Abby's life—and her relationship with West—blossoms. When Abby leaves town one weekend, something unthinkable happens and her relationship with West is shattered. Reeling from the discovery, Abby fears all of her plans have backfired and she's created a mess for both of them, a mess that no one can clean up.

But West isn't willing to let her go that easily. When he forces her to confront secrets they've both been hiding, Abby must decide more than if she's willing to forgive and forget. She must also decide just what kind of life she wants...and who she wants to live it with.



How awesome does this sound! I can't wait to read it!

Add It Was You on Goodreads.




Monday, February 25, 2013

First round of revisions is complete for Falling For Hadie!!

Okay, so that's a very long title but the point is...YAY! It took me a really long time to get the first round of revisions done for Falling For Hadie, mainly due to the fact that I had a LOT of re-writes to do. The first third of the book was all about writing in new chapters and making sure that everything made sense.

Then something crazy happened. Okay, well not "crazy happened"...just that I'm a little crazy. My critique partners know by now how impulsive and spontaneous I can be, so this probably won't surprise them a whole lot but...yeah, so on the 23rd of February at 1 am in the morning I finished editing Falling For Hadie (the first round of edits, mind you) and I very well intended to do another round of edits before sending it off to my crit partners, except...I was feeling kinda hyper and in that hyper-ness I sent Falling for Hadie off to my crit partners. Whooooops!

When I woke up later that morning, I was face palming (ie. slapping) myself for doing something so impulsive and ridiculous! Sorry in advance to Erica and Michelle for the amount of errors they are going to find! I swear, I was going to do another round of edits...I was just in a "mood". *cough* Yeah, having a book out and being an "author" hasn't made me any less crazy.

Sorry this post was very rambly...I'm not sure what I'm saying half the time. Oh, I did want to say...I AM SO SORRY TO EVERYONE! I know I said Falling For Hadie would release in February, but that will definitely not happen. I will try for an early March release if edits are done by then.

January and February were weird months for me and I had (and still do) something personal going on which I shan't discuss here, but it just kept me distracted for an entire month. I have never been so unfocused before. Personal things are very annoying and it's incredible how one day and one moment can change your perception of things.

Anyway, I am very apologetic to you all and I will definitely let you know when Falling For Hadie will release. In the mean time, I'm going to be posting teasers from Falling For Hadie that I posted on my Facebook just in case some of you missed them.

<3



Friday, February 15, 2013

Author Interview: Erica Cope


I am so freaking excited to have Erica Cope stop by my blog today! As y'all know, she is one of my critique partners and also a very good friend, and I have been super excited about her debut novel, Lark, for a very long time.

Erica Cope lives in Missouri with her husband and their three children. She has been writing short stories and poetry since childhood, but LARK is her first novel. She enjoys knitting, pretending she knows how to play her guitar, and reading pretty much anything you put in front of her.
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For those who are unfamiliar with Lark, can you briefly tell us what the story is about?
It’s a story about a completely ordinary girl who thinks she has a pretty good life. Then her world is completely turned upside down when she discovers that her real dad (who abandoned her before she was born) is actually the king of the Light Elves and that nothing is as she thought it was.

What was your inspiration behind the story?
I actually, as cliché as it sounds, woke up from a dream that I couldn’t get out of my head. I laid awake for hours before I finally just got up and wrote the whole thing down. I fell asleep after that but the next day I started thinking about what would have happened before and after the scene I dreamt. After that I started writing.

Describe your main character in five words.
Independent, caring, courageous, but also a little short-tempered and impulsive. 
She, like most teenagers, doesn’t always think things through but her heart is the driving force in her decision making.
 
Holy Jacoby! I am seriously in love with him, though Greyson is pretty awesome too. What can you tell us about this love triangle and the inspiration behind the love interests?
 I think most people “fall” for more than just one person while they are in high school. Mia is no different in that sense, but what is different is that while both Greyson and Jacoby serve a role in Mia’s life, only one of them is “right” for her.
However, she doesn’t spend the entire book contemplating which one! LOL I wanted to show that as Mia learned more about herself that she would ‘out grow’ her crush, which would then open her up to something more.

What has been your biggest challenge of being a self-published author?
I’ve been incredibly lucky to have so many people offer me advice and to answer all of my questions but a lot of it I still had to learn for myself. I guess my biggest challenge was the decision making part of it all. I didn’t want to make the wrong decision about something as simple as trim size or cream vs white paper, pricing and then end up regretting it or worse, forgetting to do something important! Like adding page numbers to my paperback…yeah…that happened. Whoops!

What do you love the most about being an author?
My most favorite thing is hearing all the positive feedback from readers. I love it when someone tells me they read it, loved it and can’t wait for the sequel…those days I’m pretty giddy and I walk around with a huge smile on my face.

I know you are super busy juggling three kids. How do you find the time to write?
Oh gosh! When I was writing LARK I would start writing as soon as I put the three Blondies to bed and I would often write until 3am without even realizing how late it was! I was in the zone! But when your kids wake up around 7am, that’s not much sleep! I survived those months by drinking a lot of caffeinated beverages!
I try to squeeze in writing whenever I can, sometimes I’ll get something stuck in my head so I’ll have to jot down some notes on a piece of paper and type it up later that night. Which in theory is a great idea but usually I write my notes so quickly that I can barely read my own handwriting!

What are you currently reading?
The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead. I adore Adrian!

Do you have any upcoming projects that you can tell us about?
I’m about 75% done with the first draft of a contemporary romance I started last fall and I’m also currently writing the sequel to LARK. Ideally, I would like to have one of the two ready to be released by this fall.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
I would encourage aspiring authors to pick good crit partners! I’m immensely grateful for mine!


- FUN FACTS -

Human or elf? I could totally be an elf.

Jacoby or Greyson? I can’t say. ;) Don’t want to be unfair to my guys by picking favorites!

E-book or book? I love the convenience of ebooks but I love the smell of the real thing!

Amazon or book store? For shopping, definitely Amazon, but I could spend hours browsing a book store and sipping on coffee.

Pen or keyboard? Definitely a keyboard. Sometimes I can’t even type fast enough for my thoughts so when I do write them down I have a hard time deciphering my chicken scratch!

Thank you so much for stopping by, Erica! It was wonderful having you here!

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You can find out more about Erica at the following social network sites:

Twitter - EricaCope3

Lark can be purchased in the following places:




Thursday, February 14, 2013

Review: Lark


Lark - Erica Cope
Genre - Young Adult Fantasy
Released - February 5, 2013

The last time she checked, Mia Carrington was pretty sure that she was a normal girl with a completely ordinary life.

She goes to high school, has a crush on the gorgeous and mysterious new boy in town, and has strange dreams that she can’t help but feel are real somehow.

Okay, so maybe she’s not all that normal after all.

A freak accident changes Mia’s life forever when she is thrown into another world and left to deal with the revelation that she is the daughter of the King of the Light Elves. Throw in an ominous prophecy predicting that Mia will break a curse unleashing the Dark Elves on the world and well, things don’t look too good.

There is danger lurking at every corner in this strange world and Mia isn’t sure who she can trust…
The only thing she is certain of is that the Dark Elves know about her, and they will stop at nothing until they have her.



*WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD*

I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to read this book and since that moment I fell in love with the story, the characters, and the fantastical world of Alfheimr.

Mia is an interesting protagonist and you get swept up in her journey as she discovers her identity as a Half-Blood and daughter of the King of the Light Elves. I especially enjoyed the history of the Light Elves and the Dark Elves. The prophecy was well-written and the plot was strong and engaging. The world-building was done well, the pacing was great and there was a lot of action that left me turning the pages.

Oh, and I have a new book boyfriend! Jacoby, oh Jacoby! Swoon! The banter between Jacoby and Mia was so witty and left me with this goofy smile on my face. There is also another love interest in the form of Greyson, and believe me when I say that he is just as swoon-worthy as Jacoby is.

Erica Cope’s debut novel is well-written, fresh, and entertaining. I was left feeling satisfied at the end, but also eager for the sequel. All in all, a fantastic debut! I highly recommend it!


Recommended: If you enjoyed Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.



Thursday, February 7, 2013

Book Release: LARK by Erica Cope

My dear friend and critique partner, Erica Cope, just released her debut novel, LARK!!! I am so freaking excited for her! I seriously love this book and recommend it to everyone. It's a sweet YA Fantasy read and the story captivated me.

I'm going to get Erica on the blog, do a review and a fun giveaway, but for now I'm going to direct everyone to Amazon where you can purchase this fantastic book!

Click here to buy LARK for only 0.99 cents!!!
Click here to add LARK on Goodreads!




The last time she checked, Mia Carrington was pretty sure that she was a normal girl with a completely ordinary life.

She goes to high school, has a crush on the gorgeous and mysterious new boy in town, and has strange dreams that she can’t help but feel are real somehow.

Okay, so maybe she’s not all that normal after all.

A freak accident changes Mia’s life forever when she is thrown into another world and left to deal with the revelation that she is the daughter of the King of the Light Elves. Throw in an ominous prophecy predicting that Mia will break a curse unleashing the Dark Elves on the world and well, things don’t look too good.

There is danger lurking at every corner in this strange world and Mia isn’t sure who she can trust…
The only thing she is certain of is that the Dark Elves know about her, and they will stop at nothing until they have her.