With Me Stats

I finished the first draft of WITH ME the other day and it's complete at 63,870 words! I wanted to post my stats for the story, so here they are!

Began Story: August 12, 2012
Finished Story: September 15, 2012

Weekly Word Count

Week 1 - 10,000
Week 2 - 13,000
Week 3 - 13,000
Week 4 - 15,000
Week 5 - 12,870

I was supposed to be taking a break for a couple of days, but instead I jumped right into writing the next book in the series, FALLING FOR HADIE. I wrote 2,000 words for it today! Whoo! I don't think I will work on it again for a while because I want to take a proper day off before my husband goes back to work.

On Tuesday, I begin the first round of revisions for WITH ME. I really want to stay focused and get a lot of work done. Wish me luck!

If anyone has any revision tips, feel free to share them. Have a great week!

Book Recommendations #1

I've read a lot of great books lately and I wanted to share them with you guys. I might make this into a regular post every week, or once a month. Not too sure yet--it depends on how many books I read. Most of these books are Contemporary Romances, and one of my goals for this year was to read more Contemporary since all I read for the last two years was Urban Fantasy/Paranormal. I'm glad I'm doing so well on one of my goals!

(Also, a few of these covers were designed by the awesome Stephanie Mooney who happens to be my cover designer. She's awesome!)

Okay, here are my book recommendations!

TBR List

I hope some of these books have given you an idea of what to read next, or if you have read them then let me know your thoughts.

Happy reading!

Review: Onyx

Onyx - Jennifer Armentrout
Genre - Young Adult Paranormal
Released - August 2012

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Onyx is the sequel to Jennifer's bestselling novel, Obsidian, and I absolutely loved it! Jennifer has this way of making you really root for her characters and become invested in what's happening to them. Also, there is this amazing character in the book called Daemon Black--sexy, arrogant, brooding and sexy--who you need to acquaint yourself with immediately. Jennifer has this way of writing swoon-worthy male characters that stay with you and Daemon is definitely is someone you don't forget.

Moving on, we see Katy really evolve in this book. Sure, she has her moments where she makes stupid decisions, but she really does stand up for herself and doesn't let anyone boss her around. The secondary characters really took a backseat to the Katy and Daemon romance. I really wanted to see more of Dee. Katy spent the majority of the book avoiding her which was the reason Dee was barely in it. Still, I would've loved to see more of her!

The plot was fast-paced, full of action and had an amazing cliffhanger. I was so hurt/upset/shocked by the end of it and that cliffhanger just killed me. I really, really want to know what happens next. I cannot wait for the next book in this amazing series! Be sure to pick this one up!

Transitioning period

So, guys, my debut novel will be coming out in the next couple of months and I've been writing like crazy. I mean it. I'm on the third week of writing my current WIP and I'm already on 40, 000 words. Like I said: crazy. This is coming from the person who took nine months to write one book. And I'm still doing edits for that book nearly a year later. Sigh.

Anyway, my current WIP is titled WITH ME. As you can see, I've made a special tab for it and I'll add more info on it when I have news and a cover. At the moment, I'm focused on getting it finished by next week and handing it over to my trusty crit partners so they can add their amazingness to it.

Since, I've been focusing on my writing lately, my blog has been neglected. I miss my bloggy, but I do need to push myself in order to get my work done too. So, in the next few months my blog is going to transition from a book blog into an author blog. I'll still post up reviews and interviews but it won't be as often. I want to use this blog as a platform to talk about my writing and my books.

Also, I'm working on an exciting side project with a few other writers/authors/bloggers so I can't wait to share that with you all!

Have an amazing day! I'll be around to some of your blogs to say "Hi" soon!

Review: While it Lasts

While it Lasts (Summer Breeze #3) - Abbi Glines

Genre - New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance

Released - July 28, 2012

Maybe driving home after a few (or more) shots of tequila had been a bad idea, but hell, he did it all the time. The cops had to have been freaking bored to have pulled him over. He wasn’t even swerving! That’s Cage York’s story and he’s sticking to it.

Unfortunately, his baseball coach isn’t buying it. Cage has a free ride to the local junior college for baseball -- or he did, until he’d gotten a DUI. Now, Cage has to decide: does he drop out and give up his dream of getting noticed by a college in the SEC, and possibly making it into the Major Leagues -- or does he give in to his coach’s demands and spend his summer baling hay?

Eva Brooks planned out her life step by step when she was eight years old. Not once over the years had she lost sight of her goals. Josh Beasley, her next door neighbor, had been the center of those goals. He’d been her first boyfriend at seven, her first kiss at ten, her first date at fifteen, and her first tragedy at eighteen. The moment she’d received the phone call from Josh’s mother saying he’d been killed along with four other soldiers just north of Baghdad, Eva’s carefully planned life imploded in the worst way possible.

Cage isn’t real happy with his closet-sized bedroom in the back of a foul smelling barn, or his daily interactions with cows, but he knows that if he doesn’t make his coach happy then he can kiss his scholarship goodbye. Only a sick and twisted man would decide his punishment was to be working on a farm all summer. No hot babes in bikinis waiting to meet a Southern boy to make her vacation complete. Just him and the damned cows.

Oh -- and an uptight, snarky brunette with the biggest blue eyes he’s ever seen. But she doesn’t count, because as hard as he’s tried to charm her out of her panties - he’s pretty sure she’d rather see him hung from the rafters than let him get a taste of her pretty little lips.

Here I was, thinking that Abbi Glines couldn't give me another male character who I would swoon over as much as I did for Beau Vincent from The Vincent Boys. Boy, was I wrong. I swooned, I fell in love, I laughed and I even cried. While it Lasts is an amazing, fabulous novel, so I don’t know why you’re still here reading this review…go and buy it now!

For those of you who do want to know a bit more about this novel, I will say two words only: Cage York. Those are the only two words you will need to know going into this novel and the only two words you will remember having finished it.

First, let me just say that While it Lasts is part of a series (Book 3, in fact), but you don’t need to read the previous books to be able to understand this one. I didn’t and I loved it just the same, although I am going back to read the other two now.

Eva Brooks is another great character, courtesy of Abbi Glines. She has lost her fiancé and wants to heal and move on with her life, but she just can’t let go. You really feel for her and you want the best for Eva so, when Cage York enters the scene he might not be the best choice to help her along. He’s arrogant, cocky, a player but he’s pretty darn sexy too and ladies, you are going to fall head over heels for Cage.

The book is about Eva and Cage’s hot and cold relationship (aren’t they the best kind to read about?) and the struggles they face as they change each other into better people. Eva learns to move on from her past and Cage learns that he is capable of being with one woman for the rest of his life.

There are some pretty steamy scenes in this book, so I would recommend it for Adults only. I really enjoyed this book, and now I’m going to go and devour the remainder of Abbi Glines’ books! I recommend this if you enjoy steamy, summer romances and Adult Contemporary Romance novels.

Review: The Vincent Boys

The Vincent Boys - Abbi Glines
Genre - Young Adult Contemporary
Released - October 12, 2011

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. 


Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from. Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. 


But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

Sigh. It has been a long time since I've read a book this good. I mean, I cannot tell you how amazing this novel is. What I really loved about this book was (let's be honest) Beau. He is so passionate and rebellious and dreamy. He was the perfect male lead for all of us to swoon over.

The other great thing about The Vincent Boys was how it was written in first person from both Ashton and Beau's perspective. This dual narrative allowed us better insight into the characters heads and we got to see how they both felt about each other and their actions.

Even though Beau and Ashton betray Sawyer, we still loved them and the credit should go to the author for making us invested in what happens to her characters. Despite Ashton cheating on Sawyer, I still wanted her to have her happy ending with Beau and I still cared about what happened to her.

This book has everything. An amazing romance, two hot boys, drama, tears and a satisfying conclusion. You must pick up The Vincent Boys if you're a fan of YA contemporary romance. This one is for you!

Author Interview: Michelle Flick

I am delighted to welcome the amazing Michelle Flick to my blog today. Her debut novel, The Owens Legacy: Revelations, came out in March and she is currently working on the sequel.

_____________________________________________

First off, could you tell us a bit about The Owens Legacy: Revelations? 

The Owens Legacy is about a set of twins who have the telepathic ability to communicate with each other. Piper is an irrational teen that is the reason people say: Think before you speak - and in her case, act. Ryder is the rational part of the equation. She tries to be the voice of reason to Piper, with little success. The girls love each other very much and are unwilling to separate for any reason. And above all else, they are looking for a home.

What was the inspiration behind Revelations? 

I experience writing like scenes from a movie in my head. Nope, not crazy. I just can visualize it so clearly and one day, "the movie" just started to play. I had dabbled in writing on multiple occasions in my life, and this time I was compelled to write. So was there a moment that was like: Wow this would make a great story? No. It was more like: Wow this idea won't get out of my head.

The majority of the book is written from Piper’s POV, but Ryder’s thoughts are also largely present in the story. Was that hard to balance?
It was extremely hard. Piper's voice is extremely strong and very defined in my head. But Ryder, is much softer that Piper, and unintentionally, she can be comical. I was really nervous that when I shared Ryder's thoughts and voice that it would come across very much like Piper's. And while they are twins, they are very different characters. I had several people look primarily at the voice of the girls to make sure that there was a balance and a separation.

Will there be a sequel to Revelations and are there any upcoming projects you are working on?
There is a sequel! I am working on it right now, slowly. Life is a bit crazy but it is my hope to have the draft done by summer so I can focus on it for my summer break. I do have another story that I have been drafting as well. I am a panster so I have typed out multiple scenes for this novel. It's about a girl who unwilling gets sucked into people's dreams and then there is a whole serial murder thing that she has to figure out. :)

What was your publishing journey like?
Very much like everyone else's, TOUGH. A little more clarification? So I edited a lot. I edited some more as people tore into my book. I edited some more. I Q-ed a lot of people. Oh, yeah, I edited some more. After a few rejections, I decided to start researching self-published. At that point, I pursued both the traditional and self-publishing paths. I just happened to not get any agent/publisher requests, so instead of being patient I focused more strongly on the latter of the two. I thought I knew a lot about self-publishing, but when I was doing it - there were a lot of things I was unprepared for. If you ever want to know more about it - shoot me a line. I promise you I can help.

Do you have any routines you follow during the writing process?
I write a lot of random scenes and then eventually I throw it all together. I, then, grump about all the editing. Not very professional, is it? 

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Someone said this to me. It may even be a famous quote but it fits. "If everyone could write, they would." Not everyone can. It's a special talent and if you have that talent, write. 

- FUN FACTS -

Whose personality is similar to yours: Piper or Ryder’s?

Piper! She and I are very outgoing and my mom and dad are still trying to get me to think before I act/speak.

Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction. I like that possibility of it all.

Pen or keyboard?
Keyboard. My brain functions faster than I can write. Typing allows me to move through my words faster so I don't miss out on anything.

Book or e-book?
Book. I love books. I love the smell. I love the look. I love to cuddle up with them.

Book shop or Amazon?

Depends. A book shop means I am spending at least 50 bucks on books. Amazon means I know what I want, so I go in and I buy it. It's more efficient for me.

_________________________________________________________________________

You can find out more about Michelle and her debut novel at the following websites:

Oh! For the LOVE of BOOKS!

Facebook

Amazon