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.

Guys…GUYS!! It’s here! It’s finally here! The fourth and final installment of the Sweet Series, SWEET REDEMPTION…is HERE!!!! The pre-order copies have officially been SENT OUT!

And all I can say is…

lol but seriously. Can you believe it? After a very, very long wait, the Sweet Series has come to an end. I feel exactly like Frodo right now. And I’m both sad and excited at the same time. Sad to say good-bye to these characters and this story that means SO much to me, but I’m extremely excited to give you guys the end. I truly do hate making you wait! I’m an impatient person myself, so I know how torturous it can be waiting in between books.

But not anymore!!

Though, there is ONE bit of disheartening news. Unfortunately, Amazon totally hates me. There were some problems that delayed Sweet Redemption from getting fully edited in time (by Amazon’s deadline…BY ONLY 40 LITTLE MINUTES! Argh), and so the copy that was sent to everyone’s Kindles is not the completely updated version of the book. Sigh. I know. It really sucks. Also, my acknowledgments, Elvish Guide, and previews for up-and-coming novels from two of my fellow authors are missing.

BUT!

There is a tiny silver lining to this otherwise gloomy cloud. The very second Amazon lets me upload the finalized document, I will. And then I will immediately email them and request to notify every customer who pre-ordered the book (or purchased thereafter) that they can download the changes and have the correct copy of the book on their Kindles.

Sound good???

In the meantime, I’ve included the Acknowledgments that I wrote for the book here at the bottom of this post, in case you’d like to read it. I give a special thank you to all of my readers and a few who have gone above and beyond to support me, so I want to make sure you/they see it!

And if anyone needs the Elvish Guide right away, I can post that, too. Just let me know!

Own it NOW at the introductory price of $2.99 – 50% off regular price!

Sale ends tomorrow and never to happen again (returns to $4.99 11.24.14)! 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Enjoy this excerpt:

His fingers were on the sides of my head, thumbs resting at the corners of my lips where his were placed ever-so precariously as he continued, “You, Nariella, are my light. You’re the last note to my song. It will always be you. You are who I’m meant to be with. If we didn’t endure hardships to be together then we couldn’t be meant for each other. How else can we know it’s meant to be unless after walking through hell and back our love remains pure and strong? I care not of destiny or fate. I do not believe such a thing, because no matter what force may try and stop me, what may do its best to interfere, I will return to you. I will always come back to you, Nariella. Always.”

“No, you—you can’t say things like that. You can’t–” His lips were fully on mine then, cutting my opposition off mid-sentence. His fingers were sliding along my cheeks until they were tangled up in my hair. They slid downward through long strands before reclaiming their spot at the sides of my face. They stretched over the crown of my head, his thumbs left hugging tenderly to the space in front of my ears. My lips betrayed Ender’s wishes—my own wishes—clinging to Mycah’s as if thriving on his generous life-support.

Darn them.

I melted into him wholly and completely. I could think of nothing but his heart beating beneath my fingertips that were clasped around his wrists. The sweetness of his taste that enveloped my tongue; the still of his breath that he held in anticipation of my reaction to him.

And so I couldn’t help myself. I let go of my self-restraint and kissed him back with a heavy heart. A heart that was held down by the weight of the world, because this would be the last time that I ever kissed Mycah Nightly.

~

Read the Prologue & Chapter One of Sweet Redemption here!

Don’t have this series yet? Start your heart-wrenching journey with book one, SWEET OBLIVION, for FREE everywhere ebooks are sold!

It’s going very well! I’m pretty confident that I will have it ready for my editor by October 27th, which is just shy of one week from today. (EDIT: when I posted this originally on Tuesday, I forgot to explain that October 27th is the deadline my editor needs the manuscript in order to publish by November 13th (Amazon’s requirements) so that the book can be released on November 23rd. So, in other words, I feel good about it and believe I can make this deadline.)

It doesn’t feel as nerve-racking as it had been when I was on vacation or when I had made that announcement about changing the release date. I had many scary, OMG moments even AFTER that announcement, but it’s funny how much can change in only a week’s worth of time.

The thing is, had I not been out of the country for an entire month, Sweet Redemption would have released on schedule. Unfortunately, as you know, that’s not what happened and here we are. But I can honestly tell you that I’m actually REALLY glad things worked out the way they did, because this book is going to be better for it. I’m telling you. If I had not gone on vacation and did all my editing, then published on 10.14 (for release of 10.24), then the book I have today would not exist.

And I promise you, the book that DOES exist today is way better than the book that would’ve released on 10.24 had I not gone on vacation.

So…YAY for that!!!

If that confused you, I apologize heheh I don’t know how to explain it other than sometimes only time, place, and specific circumstances can evoke certain thoughts or ideas, and especially words. I can guarantee you that what I was inspired to create this past week was way better than what I would’ve created last month.

I hope that clears things up. Anyway, I hope you had an awesome start to your week. In the meantime, how about a Sweet Redemption teaser?!?!

~

I waited on pins and needles for what’d happen next. It was torture, and I had never felt so insufferably helpless. Especially when a knock on the door had my scalp prickling to attention and ears trained for any and all sound outside my place of concealment. I wouldn’t be able to see what was going on, but I sure as heck would be ready for action if need be.

I listened to the sound of the door being opened, followed by the maidservant asking, “May I help you?”

“Step aside,” a male voice ordered. I didn’t hear footsteps, but that was normal for these creatures. I had to assume she did move and whoever had asked her to entered.

My grandfather demanded, “What is this about? I do not recall sending a party invitation.”

“Search the premises,” that same voice boomed with authority, ignoring Döron’s attempt at humor. And I couldn’t help ignoring it as well as my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. Who I assumed to be a guard, added firmly to his order, “Thoroughly.”

“I beg your pardon,” Döron snapped. “Is that necessary? What reason do you have to search my home. Where did your order come from?”

“By order of King Aglar. You need not be concerned with the reason,” the guard retorted bitterly.

Oh, god, no. No, no, no. Please, no. Don’t come searching here…please not here…

I couldn’t hear where they were stepping or how many were searching, but slowly, I could feel a great evil pressing against my chest. The longer the guards searched—the longer I sat waiting in the dark—that evilness became unbearably harsher to resist. It was choking me—suffocating me—seducing me to abandon my hiding spot and reveal myself. It was so strong as it did its best to consume me wholly. Sweat dripped from my temples as I fought against it—as I resisted the urge to give in.

My hand was reaching toward the door, and I silently grabbed it with my other, holding myself back. What the heck?! I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands into fists before sitting on them completely. What was wrong with me? It had to be some sort of elven trick of theirs to lure out hiding prey.

“Leave it,” Döron’s voice demanded viciously right outside the door to the pantry I was hiding in. Oh, freaking crap. Shadows played beneath the crack, reminding me of another time and place. A much darker time, and a much, much darker place. Not that this was any better than hiding from Ray in my closet as a little girl, watching his shadow creep closer. But you couldn’t really compare one evil to another. They both sucked majorly.

That demanding voice I was already beginning to hate, countered with conviction, “Do not adhere to his orders, Cílon. He is no longer in command of your service.”

I about died right then and there. My heart completely stopped and my lungs might as well not have existed, since they were no longer doing what they were supposed to. I sat frozen in horror—the anticipation of the pantry door being opened to reveal my “abominable” self to these scouts disabled all normal bodily functions.

But I couldn’t afford to be a coward. I would have to be ready. And so I squeezed my fists that I set atop my knees even harder until my nails dug into my palms painfully. The first thing the Tavas guard would see when he opened that door would be my determined warrior face.

And that was exactly what he got once the light flooded in the small space I crouched in and the wooden enclosure widened to its fullest point. Cílon announced to the room, “That was much too easy. I might even feel a bit bored.”

~ Sweet Redemption (Sweet Series #4), coming November 23, 2014

Don’t forget to pre-order it to LOCK IN that special 50% off price!!!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

So get ready for it…

Are you ready??

The truth is, I have to delay the release of Sweet Redemption. I’m extremely sorry to have to do it. I know how much all of you NEED this book. I really, truly do. I’ve lived through this exact situation as a reader myself before and wanted to throttle the author for delaying the release of the last book in her series. But when that time passed and I had the book in my hands, I was glad she took the time needed to make the book perfect. Because it honestly WAS perfect. It was the most perfect book/series I’ve ever read and will always be my favorite. If the author hadn’t delayed the release, it probably wouldn’t have been as good as it was.

And that is the reason I must delay Sweet Redemption. I know, I promised that I would never delay a release again after I had to delay Sweet Requiem’s release. I absolutely hate that I’m breaking another promise. But the thing is – you are going to thank me for it in the end. If I were to release Sweet Redemption on 10.24 the way it is now, you’d hate me. *I* would hate me.

The way it works is, I finish writing my manuscript, load it onto my ereader, and then start reading from beginning to end and make notes on what I want to change/modify before sending to my editor. Well, when I started my first read-through with Sweet Redemption, for the first time in my writing career, I couldn’t even get to the end. Normally, I’ll enjoy what I’m reading and feel confident enough to make my changes and then it’s off to my editor and beta readers. But this time, there is so much I don’t like about my writing that I had to stop. As I said, this has never happened before and was completely unexpected. I truly believed I was going to read through the manuscript, make my changes, then send it to my editor and betas by the 17th of September. That would ensure the book would be FINALIZED and ready for publishing by October 14th, and then released on the 24th.

But the unexpected happened. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not the story that I don’t like. The story is what it should be. It’s the WAY I wrote it that I don’t like. And that can take time to fix. I need to go through each chapter and heavily modify it so that when it ends up in your hands, you love every word until the very end.

Now, no one but me has seen this manuscript yet. So, maybe you would like it the way it is. I don’t know. What I do know, is that *I* don’t like it. I’m not comfortable with it. And I CANNOT release a book that I myself don’t like or am comfortable sharing with the world. I haven’t even sent it to my mother – and she is always the one I’m most comfortable sharing my WIPs with. So that’s really saying something, guys. That’s how much I don’t like it.

And maybe it’s because this is the FINAL book in the series and I’m being extra critical. But I need this to be a great ending. The characters and the story mean so much to me that I want so badly to do it justice. Or maybe it’s because there is so much stress in my life right now that I can’t get in the proper mindset to write something amazing. Or a combination of both. I don’t want to list excuse after excuse, but I hope you can find it in your hearts to understand that this story means a lot to me, and EVERY single one of you – my readers – mean just as much to me. I do NOT want to disappoint you. That would be the worst thing in the world to me. Please know I am truly sorry for this.

I hope you can forgive me and have the patience to stick with me until November 23rd – the new release date. If you have pre-ordered the book, you will be notified by email from the retailer that the release date has changed, but your pre-order will not be cancelled. Trust me when I say I take this VERY seriously and have thought of nothing but this one thing for the past month. I do not take this lightly – Amazon will be punishing me for delaying the release by not allowing me to set up pre-orders for a whole year. That killed me. But I completely deserve it. And I’d rather that than hordes of readers come stone me for releasing a crappy ending to a series that they invested their hearts in. So I’ll take the punishment and hope this never happens again.

Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to read this post. If you have questions, please feel free to let me know.

<3
Bailey

I’ve been waiting to reveal this cover since before Sweet Requiem was even released. So, it’s been like… 8 months that I’ve been sitting on this thing.  Finally, I can show it to you all. And I’m very excited to do so. I truly hope you like it!

I’m also a little sad, because this is the last book in the series. The characters have endured so much, and I’m here to tell you, there is much more for them to get through in this final book, too.

So, without further ado, I present to you the cover for SWEET REDEMPTION – the epic conclusion of the Sweet Series:

Poor Mondays. They always get a bad rep because of being the first day in a business week – and who the heck looks forward to going back to work after getting only TWO DAYS in a weekend? It should definitely be three days! Or four. =) Yes, I love to dream.

Well, I’m sure there are plenty of people who still love Mondays. Ya know, the ones who totally and completely love their job. Those people. I may have never actually met anyone like this, but I DO know they exist somewhere out there…right??

Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. I really did not want Monday to come along, but sure enough…here it is. And I’m confident there are plenty others who feel the same as me, SO!! That brings me to the point of this post.

LET’S HAVE A GIVEAWAY!!!

Shall we? =D

First of all, the Sweet Series books are in desperate need of reviews, and I wanted to do something fun and different this time, so here it is: You could win…*dun dun DUNNN* or..I mean…*drumroll please*

A $10 Amazon, B&N;, or iTunes gift card, one of my signature Bailey Ardisone Books tote SIGNED by me, AND any T-shirt of your choice from my Spreadshirt store (SIGNED by me!)! You can view the tote and all the different T-shirts here.

What do you have to do to enter? I think it’s actually rather simple. All I ask is if you could please (please, please, with a pretty, sparkly cherry on top?) leave a review for any or all of my books currently out in the Sweet Series! This giveaway is my way of saying THANK YOU for leaving a review, and that way…we both get something out of it!

If you leave a review for all 3, that means your name will be entered into the giveaway THREE times. If you leave a review for 1 then it’ll only be entered once. Already left a review before this giveaway? THAT COUNTS!

Haven’t read any of my books? There’s plenty of time to start! Sweet Oblivion is FREE everywhere! Once you finish, you could leave the review(s) and come back to this giveaway.

Here are the easy instructions to follow:

1). Leave a review for any or all of Sweet Oblivion, Sweet Escape, and Sweet Requiem on the retailer’s website where you got them from. (Goodreads does not count – it must be Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, etc).

2). Post in the giveaway form the link(s) to your review(s).

That’s it!! Simple, right?!

I’m letting this giveaway run a whole month! Spread the word, and enjoy!

Thank you, everyone, and good luck!! <3

April 26th, 2014 Orlando, FL

Turning The Pages Book of The Year Awards Ceremony will follow an open to the public book signing event.

The book signing will be from 10 am until 3 pm. This will include a break between 12-1 for lunch. The book signing is open to the public and all are welcome to come see, meet, greet, and get autographs from the authors. Readers do have the option to buy a lunch ticket ($50). Otherwise lunch is for attending authors only.

The Book Of The Year Awards Ceremony is a ticket only event that will start at 7 pm. You must have bought a ticket to get into the ceremony. Dinner will be provided. Also winners of The Book Of The Year event will be awarded with certificates and medals.

ATTENDING AUTHORS!!!!

• Bailey Ardisone
• Jordan Deen
• K.T Dixon
• MCV Egan
• Ronnie Knox
• Jana Leigh
• Felicia Lynn
• Jacinta Maree
• Gracie Meadows
• Wendy Nystrom
• Cynthia P. O’Neill
• Terri Peake
• Dawn Robertson
• Stacey Rourke
• Jacelyn Rye
• Melissa Schroeder
• Toni Sinns
• Hannah Steenbock
• K.S. Thomas (Karina Gioertz)
• Rebecka Vigus

So, if you’re wondering what happened, let me explain. When Amazon published what I first submitted to them for Sweet Requiem, they for some odd and TERRIBLE reason, linked the files with an old, UNPUBLISHED product page that belonged to Sweet Oblivion instead of creating a new product page for Sweet Requiem.

What does this mean?

It means that while the book itself DID in fact contain Sweet Requiem, the product page on Amazon.com was LINKED to Sweet Oblivion – as if Sweet Requiem was a SECOND edition of Sweet Oblivion. It contained all of Sweet Oblivion’s reviews, details, and was showing up as if it was a part of Sweet Oblivion, instead of a separate book. I couldn’t have this, because Sweet Requiem needed to have its own reviews and Amazon ranking, in addition to the wrong cover image shown on the product page. Of course, when you looked inside of the book using the preview Amazon gives you, you could then see the correct cover photo within – but on the OUTSIDE, it was terribly wrong.

Anyway, after re-publishing Sweet Requiem using the same ASIN (Amazon’s unique ID for each published book) and it STILL not getting fixed, I called, emailed, and chatted with customer service, begging for them to rectify the issue immediately. Unfortunately, they couldn’t. The team that handles publishing cannot be reached by phone. My emails to them would take a few days for them to be seen and another few days for the issues to be resolved.

Therefore, I was forced to unpublish what you had seen and possibly bought yesterday. What does this mean for you if you bought the now unpublished version of Sweet Requiem? It means that you will no longer receive updates of this product or write a review if you read the book. It is now officially dead. In fact, you should delete it off your Kindle.

GOOD NEWS though – PLEASE send me a photo of your purchase, whether it’s the email you received, or an actual screen shot that shows the old, unpublished Sweet Oblivion cover image sitting in your Kindle. Anything that shows the ASIN for that specific book will be proof that you were one of the 11 people to have purchased the dead version.

BY DOING THIS – I will then gift you the correct, NEW, and official version of Sweet Requiem that is now available on Amazon, where you can happily leave your review on and continue to get updates for it should there be any.

Again, there were 11 people who purchased the strange/messed up version of Sweet Requiem yesterday, and I am looking for EACH and EVERY one of you so I can rectify this. So far I have only found two of you. So please, please let me know if you’re out there and need the new book on your Kindle so that you can be an official/verified owner!

Thank you so much, everyone, for your continued patience, love, and support. It means everything to me, and I cannot thank you enough.

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!!

Sweet Requiem buy links:

Amazon
Paperback
Smashwords

As for iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and all other ebook retailers, hang in there! Soon to come!

I thought since every other author and blogger out there seems to be posting their Top Lists of 2013, I thought I’d give a little something to celebrate this momentous occasion in my life.

Here are some things I learned during my first year of being an author. Some are good, and some are not so pretty:

1). I will never, not ever, be comfortable with my writing. I just sent off Sweet Requiem (#3 in my series) to my editor and also to a friend, then literally – I was close to breaking into tears of terror. Like, it was a little pathetic. You should just ask Mary about my total freak-out session I was having with her. I’m sure she now thinks I’m a lunatic. I’m scared out of my mind that the book isn’t good. I know I will never get over this one thing, regardless of how many books I write. It just isn’t possible.

2). There is an amazing Indie community out there. I have met so many incredible authors and even more amazing bloggers since I started this journey December 30, 2012. Some of these authors are like..big time sellers, and yet – they are some of the most down to earth people I’ve ever met. They befriended me like I was one of them and helped get my books out there. Incredible, right? To this day I am touched by their acts of kindnesses and we’re-in-this-together support.

And then there’s the bloggers! Oh, my word. Before I published Sweet Oblivion, and even a few days after, actually, I had no idea that book bloggers existed. These people take HOURS out of their lives to review books and promote them for absolutely free. Why, you ask? Because they fall in love with your story and do it out of their love for your books and the goodness of their hearts! It’s amazing, really. I was sooo blown away by the love and support given to me by the blogger world, and out of it I made some of the best friends I’m sure I’ll ever have. I’m so grateful for each and every one of them.

3). When you’re new, you will ALWAYS make mistakes (and even when you’re a pro, you will still make some mistakes, but they might be a little less (; ). Boy, when I first published Sweet Oblivion, I had no idea how to publish a book. I did all this research and learned about formatting, and all the ins and outs of publishing. But, my sister and I couldn’t afford professional editing, or a professional book cover. Man, was that a mistake. I ended up publishing several different versions of Sweet Oblivion each time I had learned something new. It was stressful, and just…a very rough time. The good news is, I learned from each of my mistakes, and even though I’m nowhere near being a “pro,” I’m at least a lot less of a “newbie.”

4). Getting your book professionally edited BEFORE you publish is a MUST. You may think – Well, I went through my manuscript tons of times, I’m pretty sure it’s clean. Do I really need to waste money on an editor right now? I could always get it edited later.

WRONG. It is so important to start with your best foot forward, and this is no exception. Editing is an absolute must. It is my #1 regret for when we published Sweet Oblivion.

5). My #2 regret? Not going with my instincts. I have learned this past year that some of my “failures” are because I did not go with my instincts. I listened to what other people wanted me to do, especially when it came to the cover of Sweet Oblivion. I never liked the original cover, but I was told that what I had liked wasn’t as good. So I went with what they liked, despite not agreeing/liking it. I never should’ve listened to this advice. Thankfully, readers are forgiving and they were warm and accepting to the makeover I gave to Sweet Oblivion. But during that process, it happened again with both the new cover for Sweet Oblivion and the 2nd book – Sweet Escape. I created both covers, and I was told they weren’t good, that they didn’t like them at all – basically hated them, in fact.

But, I learned my lesson from the first time, and I went with my instinct instead of the advice I was getting. And guess what? Both covers have been getting praise, and Sweet Escape’s cover even made one of my favorite book reviewer’s Best Covers of 2013 list! She probably has no idea how much that truly means to me. More than I can say, it was a huge proud moment for me, because it proved that I was right to follow my gut.

My point is, it’s YOUR story. It’s YOUR book. Don’t let other people influence how YOU want it to be, and that includes the cover.

6). I have been through several hurdles this past year, but one thing remained the same. The people that matter are the ones there in the end. And this quote by Dr. Seuss: “Those who matter don’t care, and those who care don’t matter.”

This quote has stuck out in my mind sooo strongly this year. It is so true. I’ve had people judge me over the stupidest things, and then in turn I’ve had people who love me no matter what. I realized that those people who criticize my personality and the way I live my life don’t matter. It’s the people that don’t care what I choose to be, what I choose to like, or how I choose to live my life. They’ll love me for me, BECAUSE it’s me. Those are the only people that matter.

7). To go along with the above, I learned that sometimes some of the people that don’t matter can even be members of your family, and the people that DO matter are ones that aren’t blood related at all. They can be strangers at once, but who grow to become your best friend and close confidant. You don’t need to be blood related to be family, and sometimes the most disappointing ones in your life are the ones who share your blood.

8). Book conventions are a must. Yes, if you are a reader and love books, obviously book conventions are amazing because you get to meet all your favorite authors. But what I learned this year, is that book conventions can actually be more about the authors than the actual readers, and I don’t mean that in a bad way, by the way…I mean it as, if you’re an author, attending book conventions is a must because they offer so much inspiration and support, it’s unbelievable just how much.

The love, support, and joy that you will find at these conventions, along with connections and friendships that may last for the rest of your life, is the reason I will be attending book conventions every chance I get. They’re so fun, and I’ve never felt more motivated to write than after spending the weekend at one of these things.

9). When inspiration strikes, JUMP ON IT! Man, when I was writing Sweet Oblivion, the words just flowed out of me. I could barely get a moment’s rest from the story and words that constantly wanted out. But then, with Sweet Escape, there were a few months where I held back because of things that had come up, and so I didn’t write, even though I wanted to and was inspired to. What was I thinking?! Because guess what. Right after that, when I had the time to write, I had absolutely no inspiration to write at all. *face palm* So, I learned, that when inspiration strikes, don’t push it down. Take advantage of it. Because you never know if you’ll lose it a second later.

10). I hate deadlines. I hate release dates. When I published Sweet Oblivion, I told myself that I would never miss a release date. If I was going to give an “official release” date for a book, I would darn well meet it.

Oh, god. *Cue disaster music*

I missed the official release date for Sweet Requiem (#3). And, actually, it started the exact same way with Sweet Escape (#2) 6 months prior, too. I really thought I was going to miss the deadline for Sweet Escape, but I ended up getting it done early and the book released on time. *cue angelic music* But book #3? Nope.

I failed.

I wasn’t able to get Sweet Requiem out by October 24th. And guess what? It’s still not released. Though, thankfully, it is with the editor. That’s a huge achievement, because I honestly thought I’d never get this book done. Anyway, the point is, I realized in that moment when I missed the release date, that I hate them. I always get readers asking me when the release date is for the next book, and I’m terrified to pick one, because honestly – I don’t know. I have no idea when I’ll be able to release Sweet Requiem. Right now, it’s in the mercy of my editor. I have no idea how long she is going to take, and so it makes it impossible to know when I can release the book. Therefore, I’m done with official dates until I KNOW FOR CERTAIN I can meet it.

11). Readers. Are. AMAZING. Like, seriously. I had no idea just how absolutely heartwarming and mind-blowing a reader’s love could be. They are incredible, and I honestly write for them. For YOU. I learned that I will never get sick of a simple – “Hey, just read your book and I LOVED IT” tweet or message on facebook. Never. These are the moments I live and write for. And the reviews…oh man, the reviews. Even the bad ones, I’m thankful for. I read all your reviews and I truly take them to heart. Sometimes your love even brings me to tears. So yes, I have learned that readers are the greatest things in the world. I give thanks to you every day and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.

And that’s my 11 things I have learned in my first year of being an author.

Any questions for me?! I’d be happy to answer!

Thank you for all your love and support over this past year. I truly cannot say how much you all mean to me and how grateful I am for you giving my books a chance.

So, Happy 1st Birthday/Anniversary, Sweet Oblivion! It’s been a crazy year. <3