Hello, 2017!!

I have some different things to cover in this post – the best books released in 2016, updates on my current writing project, and what else I have planned for the year – so please stick with me!

First, I know I said last month that my next post would be about what gifts to buy your husband for the holidays, but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t even know the answer myself! Besides mentioning the obvious PS4 Pro, Xbox One S, or the elusive NES Classic, I couldn’t think of anything else good to write a whole post about. For us, I had to think of things that’d fit within our budget, so I ended up hand-making my husband’s gifts: a twine bracelet and ceramic jar (I love “throwing” clay on the pottery wheel!), and some warm, comfy, winter clothes. Everything was simple and from the heart – and that’s what matters most, isn’t it?

What about you? What did you end up getting for your significant other? Let me know in the comments!

Along with your…

BEST BOOKS OF 2016

Did you gobble up all the books released last year? (I still can’t believe I’m calling 2016 LAST YEAR already!) Have any favorites?

For me (and most everyone else I know), it was such a crazy year – I moved across the country not once, but twice. I started a 3rd business and then a 4th business. I wrote a novel several times over, but kept changing things to where I’ve now decided to go back and restart again. So it basically feels like I’ve written 4 or 5 novels!! Of course, none fit enough to release. But I’m getting there.

Best of all, I had my first Barnes & Noble book signing event, and two of our friends from Florida moved in with us here in Colorado…just to mention a few.

It hardly left time for me to read books. Which is such a tragedy! There should always be time to read, am I right? A writer cannot write without reading. Since everyone is posting about their top books of 2016, I thought I’d do a short list of the ones I just knew I had to find time for:

• WEEDS OF DETROIT by Misty Paquette
  A NOVEL, BASED ON TRUE EVENTS.  I turned seventeen less than two months ago. A week ago, I ran away from home, in the country outskirts of suburbia. Now, I’m living at a hotel in downtown Detroit. At home, you could walk to the corner store when it was dark outside and hear frogs croaking in the ditches on either side of the dirt road. At the hotel, you don’t go out at night. All you hear is squealing tires and curses shouted from broken windows. At home, we didn’t lock our front doors at night. There are three locks on my hotel room door. One in the knob, a chain, and a dead bolt. I’m not sure it’s enough to keep everyone out. At home, I’d be starting my Senior year in high school. Here, I’m learning what it takes to survive. I hope I make it to eighteen.

• THE COACH AND THE SECRET by Mary Smith
  Dear Reader – This is not your typical synopsis you normally read. In this section, you would see a short overview of the book you may want to purchase. This time I’m speaking directly to you and warning you of this book. Most of my books have a lot of romance, sex, sometimes funny, and a lot of hot hockey players. This book is different. You see, The Coach and the Secret is loosely based off a real man’s story. At first his story was so outrageous I almost didn’t believe it, but after seeing an abundance of evidence my heart broke for him and his daughter. This book has extreme adult topics, so please keep in mind while you read this that you don’t know unless you’ve been in their situation. Thank you — Mary Smith
  ***All money will be given to the family of domestic violence***

• BEHOLDEN by Lila Felix
  Bayou Bear Chronicles, Book 4 – Aspen has done the unthinkable-the unforgivable. He was the last one she wanted. And now he has to earn a place in her heart. In the final installment of The Bayou Bear Chronicles, hearts are shattered, alliances are tested, and the strength of the mating bond between Acacia and Aspen is on shaky ground.

• CROWN OF CINDERS by Rebecca Ethington
  Imdalind Series, Book 7 - For centuries the war that has raged within magic has ripped the world apart. Fought between Skȓítek and Trpaslík; killing father and son, and destroying a fragile balance between mortal and magic. For centuries everyone has been awaiting the Silnỳ, searching for the girl who was prophesized. The girl with power strong enough to defeat the evil that plagued the world, and bring the war to an end. For centuries, everyone was wrong. The Silnỳ was not what they had been told, the promises of future distorted by a sight that was tarnished. The evil was not what they had expected, not what they had been fighting against. Instead it was hidden amongst them; plotting, waiting for their time to strike. And it did. With fire and blade the hidden evil took it’s place upon a throne of blood. The evil has shown itself and now only one person can save them all. But with Sights that are no longer infallible and armies that are abandoning their king – it is no longer clear who that person is, or even if they have the courage to stand up to the evil and face their end.

These books, all released in 2016, are must-reads!! WARNING: some of these books are part of a series, so be sure to start with BOOK ONE before reading the others!

Next up…

WRITING PROJECT: Untying Knots – UPDATE

You might’ve seen me mention a few times over the years that I’m writing a contemporary romance novel titled “Untying Knots”. This is the project that I’ve written over and over again, but can’t seem to get it exactly how I want it. So I keep trying. I realize it’s taking forever to finish and publish for you guys, but obviously, by now you know I will never publish a book that I don’t think is good enough yet.

I will, however, provide you a little snippet! It’s 2017, and my goal is to have this baby completed and released within the year. I don’t have the synopsis hammered down yet, but it’s basically about falling in love young – a love that seems to hold on to you forever – and learning to let it go.

Here’s a short excerpt to give you an idea of what the story will be like:

(Please note, this is raw, unedited material, straight from my working manuscript and subject to change. All Rights Reserved and owned by Bailey Ardisone)

I’d come to learn that the things in life that haunt you the most were what you didn’t do, not what you did. What you should’ve said, but were too afraid to let leave your lips. Those little actions that, had you taken them, would’ve changed everything. But instead, you’re left with that toxic regret that feeds on your sanity — always there in the back of your mind, wishing things were different, if only you had been braver.

My only regret in life was him.

And I was certain he’d haunt me forever.

I should’ve felt the warmth of the sun on my skin, but I didn’t. I should’ve appreciated the cool grass against my back on the hottest day this summer, but it didn’t even cross my mind. The tall, windswept brush of the field that I lay in remained ignored by my senses, though on a normal day I would’ve enjoyed it. Crickets chirped loudly, but I couldn’t hear them.

And that fly cleaning its antennae on my knee? Invisible to me.

I was numb.

Cold, and empty. A shell, waiting to crack against the pressure of wind and disintegrate back into the earth.

I had to let him go. And if I succeeded, it’d be the hardest thing I would’ve ever done.

Because Dylan was everything to me.

But I was nothing to him.

 
And that’s it for now! I’ll keep you updated as I progress closer to completion, and once I have a concrete release date, synopsis, and cover, I’ll make another announcement. If you have any questions, please give me a shout in the comments below, or you can email me through the contact section of this site.

PLANS FOR 2017

Giveaways, project news, and more – 2017 is going to be great. I know it is. But most important, I’ll be doing a second Barnes & Noble book signing on February 11th! Since the first one went so well, they invited me back, and I’m more excited than ever. It’s only ONE MONTH AWAY!! *happy dance*

If you’re in the Colorado Springs area, or know of someone who is and might be interested, please keep this date in mind! I’d love to see you at the event, where we can chat about books, munch on some yummy desserts, and hopefully win some prizes!

Mark it down on your calendar:

February 11th, 10 am

Barnes & Noble
795 Citadel Drive East
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
719-637-8282

I’m also confirmed to be an attending author at Penned Con this year, in St. Louis, MO. The dates are September 29th & 30th, so be sure to mark this down on your calendars as well! A huge lineup of amazing authors will be there signing books, and all proceeds from the event are given to a wonderful charity – Action for Autism. I hope to see you there!

I’d also like to give a special thank you to all the fabulous readers out there – I appreciate you more than I could ever explain. I’m forever humbled and grateful for the incredible support you’ve shown me, and I know 2017 is going to be a blast. Thanks again, and I’m looking forward to us meeting within the pages many more times to come.

Do you have a love of reading, but not the budget to back up just how much so? You are not alone. So many now read books online for free. Do you know how? If not, I’m going to tell you.

Almost everyone I talk to or see discussing this subject online, say the same things – “I can’t afford all the books I want to read.”

And I get it. I truly do. I’m one of those persons, as well. Today, times are tough. At least in my country, the majority of families don’t make enough money to “splurge” on books, especially since there are more books than ever before. And who doesn’t want ALL THE BOOKS?

But, pirating is not the answer

You still with me so far? Don’t get me wrong, though. It is incredibly expensive to write and publish books, and it is only right (and really should go without saying) that authors be paid for their hard work – blood, sweat, and tears are shed for these stories you love so much. No one likes to work for free, so why should authors be any different?

Even more important, if writers cannot make a living by providing you stories, then guess what? They’ll be forced to stop. And then no more books. See how crucial it is to support your favorite authors?

Writers truly do pour everything they have into their stories, so please don’t take advantage by downloading illegal, pirated copies of books. Instead, there are other ways to get free books.

How to read online for FREE

There are many, many ways to do this. It all depends on how you want to go about it.

First, there are thousands of books that are completely free for you to read and is 100% legal to do so. Have you checked just how many your favorite online retailer(s) has for free? That’s right – Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo….every bookstore online has a whole section dedicated to these free ebooks. I know, you’re probably thinking: “Yeah, duh, Bailey. Everyone knows this. But how can you tell which is a good free book and a bad free book?”

I suppose…you can’t. I can promise you, though, that there ARE a ton of amazing books out there – especially in the free section. This is because many fabulous writers choose to not go with a traditional publisher, and so in order to entice you to give their work a try, they offer a free book – usually the first one in a series, or maybe a standalone of their earlier works – so that you’ll give them a chance. It could take some weeding through what’s out there, but I promise you. It’ll be worth it. Here’s a couple of my favorite free books:

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley – Yes, many of you have probably read this classic, but if not, I highly recommend it. It’s one of my all-time favorites. The way the creature is portrayed in Hollywood movies is not at all who and how he really is in the book. So give it a try, and you might be surprised just how much of an emotional read this one is.

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher – I haven’t actually read this one yet, but it’s high on my TBR list. It has over 1,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars. And it’s free. Why not give it a shot? I’m willing to bet you’ll become life-long fans of these two authors if you do.

Cornerstone by Misty Provencher – Excellent writer, amazing person. Her books are a must-read, so definitely give them a try.

Sweet Oblivion by Bailey Ardisone – Nari gets intertwined with a dark, mysterious guy. She thought he was the devil, or maybe an angel. But she was wrong. He’s something completely different. —Okay, fine, this one is mine. Just in case you didn’t know it was free, I couldn’t NOT include it, could I? This is the first book in a series of four.

If you’re not interested in those, then take a look at Amazon’s TOP 100 FREE Books. You never know, you might find your next favorite read in there.

Libraries

I know, libraries don’t always have the books you want. They’re extremely limited. But did you know that there are THOUSANDS of incredible authors with exceptional books that are available to libraries despite them not being on the shelves? It’s true. All of my books, for instance, can be rented through your local library. All you have to do is ask.

The same is true for many authors, so next time you go perusing through those dusty shelves and come up empty-handed, try giving their online search a try, or talk to the friendly staff for recommendations. Anything you don’t see physically there, they can get it for you, or you most likely can read it online for FREE, just like any of their hard copies.

Speaking of hard copies, have you seen those adorable – completely free – tiny libraries around your town? They’re called Little Free Library, and I adore them. I wonder what gems could be awaiting you in there….

Kindle Unlimited

This isn’t technically free, as it does cost a low monthly subscription fee, however, this is probably your BEST option if you want to read as many books as you want for a nominal price. Think about it…do you enjoy Netflix and Hulu? Then you’d love Amazon Kindle Unlimited.

I’m sure you’ve heard of it before, and if you already are a subscriber, then fantastic!

My entire series – all four books – are on there in a box set bundle. With these four books alone, you’d already make back the subscription fee, plus more! It’d cost you $12 to own all four of my books individually, but with Kindle Unlimited, you’d only pay $9.99 for the whole month, opening up an entire world of books to read with no limit to it. Just think of how much money you’d save! Honestly, this is the best value for your money if you want to read ALL THE BOOKS but can’t afford to. And, even better, you can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial to test out how you like it! How awesome is that? Join Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial

Here’s just SOME of the books available to you on Kindle Unlimited:

The Five Stages of Falling in Love by Rachel Higginson – An absolute MUST-READ. Rachel is not only a friend of mine, but my FAVORITE (modern day) author EVER. If you’re looking for an emotional, heart-gripping read, look no further with this one.

Slow Dance in Purgatory by Amy Harmon – New York Times Bestselling author, this is a great way to introduce yourself to this fabulous writer’s work.

Under Different Stars by Amy Bartol – With over 1,000 reviews online and an average rating of 4.6 stars, I highly recommend giving this a try if you haven’t already.

Always Forever by Mary Smith – This woman does it all. Get acquainted with her work, because if you like hot, steamy guys, then this author is for you.

The Sweet Series by Bailey Ardisone – Of course, I had to include my own series. I HAD TO!!! I’m sorry.

In order to see all the books available in Kindle Unlimited, you must have a subscription. It’s totally worth it, and I truly do hope you consider how much money you’d save + how much awesomeness would be available to you. Give the risk-free, 30-day trial a chance, and you might wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

Already a Kindle Unlimited subscriber? Already a free-ebook guru? Please, comment below with your top favorite books to read for free! I’d love to see what you’ve got!

Don’t you just love….

FREE BOOKS!

Tell a friend or two

Sweet Escape by Bailey Ardisone (Book one is FREE!)

The Illusions of Eventide by Sarah M. Cradit

Scornful Sadie by Felicia Tatum

Nights Embrace by Brandy L. Rivers

Dark Spirits by Rebekkah Ford

A Dark Faerie Tale: Books 1 and 2 by Alexia Purdy

Burden by Lila Felix

Muse by Erin McFadden

My schedule is jammed packed and couldn’t be happier about it. I’m still trying to fit in some writing, however. But in addition to that, I want to squeeze in some reading time. Got any good recommendations lately?

Here’s what I plan to read this month:

Rachel Higginson is my absolute favorite author in the whole wide world. I’m sure you knew that already! And she’s released so many books since my favorite of hers – The Star-Crossed Series. And guess what? I’ve read about two of them. TWWWOOOO. That’s it!!! I’m so ashamed! But in my defense, I’ve had a whole heck of a lot going on….okay, who am I kidding? That’s no excuse!! I’m trying to rectify this problem, as you can see.

So that’s my read for this month!! You can get it here, too: The Five Stages of Falling in Love

Enjoy! And don’t forget to tell me any books that you’re currently reading or recommend! <3

Danielle is a passionate reader who devours world’s one book at a time, a food enthusiast and High School Culinary Arts teacher. She is obsessed with books, food and cupcakes and blogs about them for the world to see at Consuming Worlds and Culinary Brainchild.
                                                  
 Danielle lives in New Mexico where she shares her food creations and bookish dreams with 6 of the greatest men of all time, her husband and 5 wonderful boys.

IT’S RELEASE DAY FOR MYTHOLOGY: THE WICKED!

MYTHOLOGY (Mythology #1)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Synopsis:

Sara Smith, a hard working lawyer, thought she found her true love. Unfortunately, that was a huge mistake. Now she goes home at night and avoids people. Until one day her best friend forces her to go to a hockey game.
Lucas Sharp, the Captain of the Chicago Eagles, has focused on one thing, winning the Cup. It was not until a meet and greet after the game that he saw Sara.
After finally going on a few dates Lucas knows that she is hiding something, but Sara won’t talk about it.
Will Lucas be able to melt away the ice on her heart and still win the Cup? Or will Sara keep her true-self frozen away from finding happiness.

My Review:

Mary Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois but is currently living in West Virginia with her amazing husband. Mary never misses a Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bears or a Chicago Bulls game. She loves her sports. Mary never goes anywhere without her Kindle, her laptop or a book in hand. If you can’t find her reading than she is reviewing books on her site, which she co-founded, Book Nerds Across America.

Author Links:

Facebook

Twitter

Levi Carr is captain of the Roxboro University Lions hockey team. His rival is James Wayne University and their captain, Trevor McCarthy. After an incident in high school and his mother’s death, Levi does whatever he can to make McCarthy’s life a little harder. When leaving the rivaling campus one night, Levi meets one person who can unknowingly help him mess with McCarthy.

My one job in this is to mess with McCarthy’s head and all it has done is mess with mine.

Presley McCarthy lives in the shadow of her twin brother, Trevor. After being separated when their parents divorced, all Presley heard about was Levi Carr being a bully to Trevor. Now in college, Presley is trying to be her own person, but when she meets Levi Carr, it all changes. But will the changes be good or bad?

He is nothing like my brother described. Maybe I’ve been wrong all along.

About the Authors:

Lindsay Paige is a romance author from North Carolina who has published five books on her own. She is a huge hockey fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and loves to play tennis. When not writing, Paige is focused on completing college.

Mary Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois, but currently lives in West Virginia. She is avid reader, co-founder of Book Nerds Across America, and author of Melting Away the Ice. She goes nowhere without her cell phone or Kindle. Mary loves anything to do with Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Sharp, and hockey related!!

Lindsay and Mary created The Penalty Kill Trilogy through their love of writing and hockey. Through their late night writing sessions, text messages, and emails, they have created a trilogy following two characters dealing with college, family, friends, and the one sport that connects them all. Even though Lindsay and Mary are fans of different NHL teams, they are still close friends…except when their teams play each other.

Lindsay Paige and Mary Smith are co-authors of The Penalty Kill Trilogy. Their first book, Breakaway is due out on Aug. 15, 2013

About the Authors:

Lindsay Paige and Mary Smith created The Penalty Kill Trilogy through their love of writing and hockey. BREAKAWAY, book one, is set to release August 15, 2013. Stay tuned for more details!

Lindsay Paige is a romance author from North Carolina who has published five books on her own. She is a huge hockey fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and loves to play tennis. When not writing, Paige is focused on completing college. 

Mary Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois, but currently lives in West Virginia. She is an avid reader, co-founder of Book Nerds Across America, and author of Melting Away the Ice. She goes nowhere without her cell phone or Kindle. Mary loves anything to do with Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Sharp, and hockey related!!

Lindsay and Mary created The Penalty Kill Trilogy through their love of writing and hockey. Through their late night writing sessions, text messages, and emails, they have created a trilogy following two characters dealing with college, family, friends, and the one sport that connects them all. Even though Lindsay and Mary are fans of different NHL teams, they are still close friends…except when their teams play each other.

About the Book:

Levi Carr is captain of the Roxboro University Lions hockey team. His rival is James Wayne University and their captain, Trevor McCarthy. After an incident in high school and his mother’s death, Levi does whatever he can to make McCarthy’s life a little harder. When leaving the rivaling campus one night, Levi meets one person who can unknowingly help him mess with McCarthy.

My one job in this is to mess with McCarthy’s head and all it has done is mess with mine.

Presley McCarthy lives in the shadow of her twin brother, Trevor. After being separated when their parents divorced, all Presley heard about was Levi Carr being a bully to Trevor. Now in college, Presley is trying to be her own person, but when she meets Levi Carr, it all changes. But will the changes be good or bad?

He is nothing like my brother described. Maybe I’ve been wrong all along.

Stalk Links:

For Lindsay:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsay.paige.books

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindsaypaige11

Website: http://authorlindsaypaige.blogspot.com/

For Mary:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarySmith

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maryms1980

Website: http://authormarysmith.blogspot.com/

For The Penalty Kill Trilogy:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePenaltyKillTrilogy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PKtrilogy

Website: http://thepenaltykilltrilogy.blogspot.com/

Levi Carr on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Levi_Carr_10

Presley McCarthy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PresleyMcCarthy

The Cover:

Thank you Book Hustlers Tours