Falling For Hadie Quote

I LOVE this quote from Lincoln so I thought I'd post it here for you guys.

"Sometimes there is a single moment that changes your life forever. After that moment nothing feels the same anymore. You try to get back into your normal routine, but something is different, something's changed. Finally, you realize that everything is just the same as it always was. The only thing different is you.Hadie, you are that moment...and you have changed me. Forever." 

- Lincoln Bracks (Falling For Hadie)

My Releases for 2013

So, I'm pretty big on planning. I like to write lists and schedule things ahead of time. Therefore, I have a rough outline of what my releases will be for 2013. Here's what you can expect from me this year! =)


Falling for Hadie
This was my first release of 2013 and is currently live on Amazon! You can buy it, here. I'm working on the paperback at the moment, but hopefully that will be up soon

Runaway Mortal
This is my first YA Paranormal release and needs to go through major re-writes and edits before I publish it, hopefully around May. It's the first book in a new series.

Wrong Side of Town
This is the third book in the With Me series and follows Estella and Vincent's story. I hope to have this out by August, but it could possibly drag into September.










An untitled Contemporary novel (stand-alone)
The title for this book will be revealed once my Facebook page reaches 200 likes. At 250 likes, I will release the blurb. At 300 likes, I will reveal the book's cover. I am super excited for this book! (It is completely unrelated to the With Me series). I would definitely like this out by December if all goes well.

For those of you who really want another story for Hadie, I am so sorry but I won't be able to get it done until next year. I will definitely be thinking about her story and I am taking in all your suggestions, but I can only write so fast. I will definitely discuss this more with you guys next year.

Thank you! <3

Guest Post: Erica Cope & Giveaway of LARK!

Erica Cope, author of Lark, is taking over my blog today and talking about critique partners. I love her and her debut novel so much that I'm also giving away 3 Kindle copies of Lark, so don't forget to enter the giveaway for your chance to read this amazing book!

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When Komal asked me to do a guest post for her, my mind sorta just went BLANK.

Nothing.

Nada.

Nothing but air up there.

I couldn’t come up with anything for the life of me that I thought would be of some interest to ya’ll.

I thought about writing about the inspiration behind my story. But I already posted about it over on my blog so I figured that would be cheating.

Then I thought maybe I’d write about how I handle bad reviews (because you know, everyone gets them sometimes) but that’s been done too.

 (P.S Even though they say NOT to read them, I read them anyway. But I do make sure I always read the positive reviews afterwards to remind myself that there are people out there who DO like my story.)

So then it came to me! I’d do a post about the importance of Critique Partners because this is a topic I have a lot of thoughts on.

Ding ding ding! My brain is working again!

First, I just want to say that I think that Crit Partners are very important, special people. You are trusting them with your book baby so they have to be!

Sometimes as a writer you may think you are conveying what’s in your head on to paper but that doesn’t mean that the reader is “getting” it. I saw the entire kingdom of Álfheimr in my head, but I did not describe it very well in my first draft.

Maybe it was just an amateur move, but surely I’m not the only one who has made that mistake. (Right?) I just assumed the reader could see what I saw (as if they magically had access to my brain or something) and focused more on the flow of the story at first.

Thank goodness for Crit Partners!

One of my Crit Partners was especially good at pointing out when I left out important details. She asked me questions about what things looked like, what they sounded like and what they smelled like. Everything. So I would sit back and picture it all in my head again and then instead of focusing on the “what’s happening” part, I’d focus more on the sensory aspect. Another one helped make my dialogue more realistic (contractions!). The others helped me with the consistency of the story. Everyone who read my story helped me make it better in one way or another.

That is one of the best things about Crit Partners. Not only can they help you develop your story into what you want it to be, but they’re also good for bouncing some ideas off of. Good ones can keep you on track which is especially valuable for Indie Authors.

But on the other hand, when having people read your story before you publish, I think it’s important to remember that just because they suggest something, doesn’t mean you have to change it.

I think it’s important to make sure that you stay true to YOUR characters and YOUR story.

Sometimes people forget that everyone responds differently to different situations. Someone reading your story might offer suggestions on how THEY think your characters would respond to certain situations and while sometimes you may agree, don’t be afraid to say “no”. Because at the end of the day, you know your characters (you invented them!) and you know best.

So moral of the story?

Critique Partners are great, but don’t forget to TRUST YOURSELF too.

Thank you Komal for having me as a guest on your blog!

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Erica Cope lives in Missouri with her husband, three kids, two dogs and a partridge in a pear tree. Okay, so maybe not the last part.

You can find more about Erica in the following places:

Facebook
Twitter - @EricaCope3
Blog
Goodreads

For the chance to win one of three Kindle copies of LARK, please enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Falling for Hadie giveaway!!

I just realised I haven't had a giveaway for my own book! How embarrassing is that? Anyway, Falling for Hadie is my second novel and I'm so excited to give three of you the chance to read it in Kindle version. I promise I will have a giveaway of paperbacks once they become available. =)

There are a couple of small things you can do to gain entries into the draw to win, so check out the Rafflecopter for more details. Good luck, everyone!



  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview: J.A. Huss

Julie Huss writes new adult science fiction under the pen name J.A. Huss and non-fiction science under the pen name J. Anne Huss. Her fiction titles include Clutch, Fledge, and Flight - the first three books in the I Am Just Junco series. She also has more than 190 non-fiction titles that cater to teaching science to home learners.
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Thank you so much for joining me today!

Thanks a bunch for having my Komal!  It’s so great to be here.

For those unfamiliar with your work, what is the I am Just Junco series about?

I Am Just Junco is an epic science fiction/dark fantasy series told from the point of view of nineteen year old assassin, Junco Coot.  Junco lives in a futuristic version of North America and the death of her father has spurred a mission to uncover secrets about her past. The first character we meet in the story is a winged alien named Tier. He wants to take Junco off Earth and no matter how hot this winged dude is, Junco is having none of it! The first book is all about Tier and Junco and how they come to terms with each other, and their interwoven futures.

Describe your main character in five words.

Tenacious, mouthy, violent, powerful, crazy

What do you love most about writing in the science fiction genre?

I love that anything is possible as long as you make it plausible, and I love world building.  Science fiction is all about the world and the characters and how the two interact. Junco’s world never stays the same – she’s on Earth in one book, but in space living with the winged aliens in the second.

How did you get your start in writing?

I started writing non-fiction science textbooks about five years ago and all during that time I had this science fiction story building in my head. In January 2012, I decided to make it happen and wrote the first three Junco books last year.

What are you currently reading?

Right now I’m reading an ARC for a friend of mine called SLOW: The Story of Signy and Aden.

What is your favourite science fiction novel?

Woken Furies by Richard K. Morgan. It’s a total military SF novel that most girls would never pick up in a million years, but I love the rogue soldier main character—Takeshi Kovacs—because he’s very complicated and deep.

What is your favourite part of being an author?

Meeting new people in the book world.  I have made so many new friends this past year – it’s been incredible.

Do you have any upcoming projects you are working on?

I do – Junco has two new books releasing on April 1.  RANGE is the fourth book in the series and has Junco struggling to come to terms with her destiny and The Magpie Bridge is a novella that continues the epic where RANGE leaves off—only from Tier’s point of view.

What’s one piece of advice you can give to aspiring authors?

Write every day and release something as often as you can. That’s two!  But they are related, I think.

FUN FACTS

Pen or keyboard?

Keyboard

Science or fiction?

Oh….this is actually tough for me – I have to say both! (I cheat!)

Amazon or bookstore?

Amazon

Coffee or tea?

Neither – I drink Diet Pepsi and water and that’s pretty much it. :)

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To find out more about Julie Huss, please find her on the following sites.

Website
Goodreads
Facebook

Falling for Hadie and name change!

I'm going to try and get to the point, but you know me...I tend to go off on different tangents and then before you know it, we are talking about pineapples.

First things first, Falling for Hadie has been out for a week now, and what a week it's been! It debuted around 11k on Amazon and currently it is sitting on #376. Um, WOW. I have no words. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who made this possible for me. Thank you for buying a copy and thank you for spreading the word about my little book.

Truly, the response has been amazing. I have been so touched by the readers who have shared their own stories with me--thank you for confiding in me. You have no idea how much it means to me. Also, you guys have been great about spoilers, so as everyone else continues to read the book, please try not to give away what happens. I think it's important for everyone to experience the revelations of the story in their own way without knowing what is coming.

Here are some of the questions that I have been asked the most this past week:

Will there be a story about Eddie?
Eddie has always had a story to tell, and I know a lot of you have liked him since Impossible. Initially, he was going to get a short story, but after the great response from everyone, I have been thinking about writing a full-length novel about him and the girl he loves (for those of you who haven't read Falling for Hadie, I am being very hush-hush about it to avoid spoilers). I am still not 100% sure about his story, so I need to think about it before I confirm anything. I will let you guys know when I know.

When will Falling for Hadie be available in paperback?
In the next couple of weeks, I promise! It's coming soon!

Can you release Wrong Side of Town earlier?
I will try my hardest, but no promises! It excites me that y'all are so excited to read Estella and Vincent's story.

Now, the last thing I needed to tell you guys about was the name change. Yep, I have a habit of doing random, impulsive things at times, so I am publishing under my actual name 'Komal Kant' instead of using my husband's surname. I always thought I would change my surname to his, but it just never happened. Since I wasn't "feeling it", I decided to keep my surname and not change it to 'Lewis". The only problem was I'd already published my debut name under "Lewis". Whoops! So, please bear with me during the transitioning period. I hope to have everything wrapped up within the next month.

I'll have another post up soon about my upcoming releases and other things that I think are important, but might not be that important after all.

Thank you for all the support! <3

Impossible is FREE on Amazon!

To celebrate the release of Falling for Hadie, I've made the first book in the With Me series, Impossible, FREE for the next three days! Why don't you go and get a copy if you haven't read it yet? It's available as a free download on your Kindle, here.

Also, for anyone wondering...the paperback version of Impossible is currently unavailable. It will be available  again in the next couple of days. =)

Falling for Hadie Release Day!!

This is just a short and sweet post to let y'all know that Falling for Hadie is available on Amazon as a Kindle download!! I will do a proper post later on, but for now I just wanted to get the word out there about the release.

I really hope that you guys get a chance to read it because this book is soooo important to me! And what's crazy is that it's only been available for 18 hours, but it's already ranked #4,605 in the US and #8,070 in the UK! I have no words! This is just so amazing. Lots of love to everyone who bought a copy and told a friend. <3 <3

Here's the link to Amazon where you can purchase it!

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP 

Welcome to this blog hop! What is a blog hop? Basically, it’s a way that readers can discover new authors, because with bookstores closing and publishers not promoting new authors as much, we need to find a way to introduce readers to authors they may not see in their local bookstore.

Here you have the chance to find many new authors. Here you’ll find information about me, what I’m working on now “Your book and if part of a series.” Also see links below to other authors you might like to check out.

I’d like to thank fellow author, Aria Williams, for tagging me to participate. You can check out her post for this blog hop, here.

In this particular hop, my fellow authors and I, in their respective blogs, have answered 10 questions where you get to learn about our current work in progress as well as some insights into our process, from characters and inspirations to plotting and cover decisions. I hope you enjoy it!

Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions. Here is my Next Big Thing!

1: What is the working title of your book?

I JUST published my book, Falling for Hadie, so I guess my current work-in-progress is Runaway Mortal.

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

I came up with idea because I wanted to write a story about angels, demons, and humans in a school environment. It sounded like a fun concept.

3: What genre does your book come under?

It's a Young Adult Paranormal novel.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I really don't know about this. I have images of people in mind, but not necessarily any specific actors.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? 

Katerina Lyrille is accused of murdering her Headmistress and runs away so she can find a way to prove her innocence.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

My book will be self-published.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? 

It took me about 9 months!!

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I honestly have no idea.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book? 

I wanted to write about a strong female character who is put in a tough situation.

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I created my own mythology, so expect lots of twists and turns!

Below you will find authors who will be joining the blog hop. Be sure to stop by and check out their posts too!

1. Michelle Flick

2. Erica Cope

3. Beth Balmanno

Falling for Hadie release date!

This is a short and sweet post about the official release date for Falling for Hadie. I know a lot of you have been eager to know when it will release, and I can finally tell you!

March 7, 2013

Yep, that's right! In two days, Falling for Hadie will be released! I hope y'all get a chance to read it. I will post the purchase links when it goes live. I'm so excited and nervous!

Falling For Hadie Teaser #4

Here is the fourth teaser from Falling For Hadie. =)

Hadie's POV

Normal people yelled and screamed when they were angry. I cried.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Why are you crying?” Lincoln sounded alarmed, but I didn’t care. He deserved to feel bad.

“You’re such a damn liar,” I said, frowning at the slur in my voice. Why did I sound like a complete floozy? I hadn’t had that much to drink, had I?

Lincoln moved in his seat and I looked over to see that his entire body was angled towards me. His brow was creased, his eyes were somber, and his mouth was turned downwards. “What have I lied to you about? Everything I’ve told you has been the truth.”

“You just told me that I was perfect,” I said, brushing away my angry tears. “But then you turn around and tell me that you can’t do anything with me. What the hell is that supposed to mean? I’m tired of guys giving me mixed signals! I’m tired of crushing on you, but having to pretend that I’m not!”

There was a silence, and Lincoln stared at me, looking stunned. His eyes searched my face and he pressed his lips together when he could tell that I was being serious. Gosh, I was drunk, not deranged!

“You…you’re crushing on me?”

I rolled my eyes. “Why is that so hard for you to believe? Have you seen yourself? Do you ever look in the mirror?”

Lincoln’s eyes were so full of hurt and devastation that for a moment I thought that I’d said something to make him look that way. He dropped his head onto the steering wheel and didn’t look up as he spoke.

“Hadie, there is so much I want to tell you, so much I have to tell you, but this isn’t the right time. Not when you’re probably going to forget most of this conversation tomorrow. I’ve been so selfish and so weak around you. I’ve let my guard down; I’ve let you in. When I look in the mirror all I see is my life falling apart. That’s how everyone treated me in New York. That’s how I expected everyone to treat me in Statlen, but instead I met you.”

His words were so cryptic that I had no idea what he was talking about. All I knew was that there was something tearing him up inside, and I wanted to comfort him. My head was buzzing as I reached over and lifted up his head. He stared back at me with burning eyes and an unspoken connection passed between us.

I ran my hand through his short hair, letting it drop down to his face before I grabbed a fistful of his shirt. My head was fuzzy, but I knew what I wanted to do. Probably, I would never have been brave enough to do this sober, but that didn’t seem important right now. What seemed important was holding him, touching him, being close to him.

Falling For Hadie Teaser #3

Here's the third teaser from Falling For Hadie. I hope you guys enjoy it! =)

Lincoln's POV

“Hadie, sweetie, it’s okay,” Mariah said, pulling her friend into her arms. “You’re alright now. Lincoln saved you and we can forget about this whole thing. Except for when I see those two assholes next and kick them somewhere they’ll never forget.”

Hadie’s eyes flickered over to me again and she sighed. “They didn’t do anything, but they wanted to. I was just so sick of being the pathetic, frumpy girl who couldn’t get a guy and…”

“Hey, shh,” I said, placing a hand on the side of her face. “You’re not pathetic. You are beautiful and you are confident and you know what you want in life. Everything you do amazes me. Everything you say resonates with me. Don’t ever tell yourself that you’re not good enough. You are better than good enough; you are perfect.”

Hadie’s eyes never left mine, but even in the darkness I could tell that a scarlet flush was spreading across her face. I didn’t know if my words had truly registered with her drunken mind, but I sure as hell hoped so.

Mariah cleared her throat. “Wow, I suddenly feel like the third wheel again.”