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Self-publishing: From A-to-Z

Elodie

A2Z-BADGE-0002015-LifeisGood-230_zps660c38a0

This year I decided to join the A to Z blogging Challenge. Every single day in April (except Sundays) I will be blogging. You can find more information about the challenge here 🙂 As I was looking for a theme, I thought, why not share my experience and some of the research I´ve done when I decided to self-publish…so my theme is: SELF-PUBLISHING FROM A TO Z.

Hope it will be helpful and entertaining 🙂 And don´t hesitate to let me know if there’s a special aspect of self-publishing you would like me to tackle.

 

Now, if it´s the first time you have visited my little space in the World Wide Web: welcome 🙂 My name is Elodie and I’m a Young Adult & New Adult writer.

Here are a few things about me: I was raised in a tiny village in France, where I could always be found a book in hand. At nineteen, I moved to the US, where I learned I’d never lose her French accent. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Modern Language & Linguistics, and later earned master’s degrees in German Cultural Studies and European Studies. Unbeknownst to my professors, I sometimes drafted stories in class. Now I live close to DC with my husband, our cat and our dog (who do not seem to realize they´re not humans). I am also a serial smiley user.

And a few fun facts…

  • I met the Nobel Prize of Economics 2014 before he received the prize at a conference and he helped me with my suitcase.
  • I speak three languages fluently (English, French and German) and a tiny bit of Spanish and Russian.
  • I love food, all kinds of food but I always drop something at the most inappropriate time like during a business lunch in an 15th century dining room with very important people at the table. The key is to continue talking as if nothing happened and smile.
  • I shook the hand of the former Chancellor of Germany
  • I broke my arm in two places when I was about twelve…my gym teacher didn’t believe me at first and told me to shake it off.
  • I spent lots of my time at my grandparents after breaking my arm and freaked out because the cast was red. I was convinced I was bleeding profusely. My grandma had a hard time making me understand that it was just the tiles of the kitchen…

Are you joining the challenge this year? Anything you would like me to tackle about my experience in self-publishing?

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Joining the 2015 April A-to-Z blogging challenge…

Elodie

A2Z-BADGE-0002015-LifeisGood-230_zps660c38a0

Every year in April, a bunch of bloggers challenge themselves to post every single day (except on Sundays), blogging thematically from A to Z.

I am the 690th blogger to sign up this year and I am so excited to take part in it…I started thinking about my main theme (to be revealed end of March) and yes, there are some letters that seem to be a bit harder than others (I am looking at you, letter Q, I am looking at you!)

You can find more information about the challenge here 🙂

Have you done the challenge before? Any advice for me? 🙂

Are you thinking about joining?

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Celebrate great books and you could win a KINDLE :)

Elodie

Release Day Party

I am so excited for two wonderful friends who are publishing their books on Monday. If you like New Adult contemporary romance, those books are for YOU.  No kidding, the writing is flawless and engaging, the characters jump out of the pages and you’re going to LOVE the stories. To celebrate their releases, Elizabeth Briggs and Riley Edgewood are hosting a FACEBOOK party on Monday, February 23rd with tons of amazing authors and pretty awesome prizes, like a KINDLE. You can find all details and RSVP to the party here.

SURF & SURRENDER (A SUMMER LOVE NOVEL #2)
(Available February 23rd, 2015)

She wants to forget he ever existed. He’d never give up her memory. 

Quinn Westwood is completely over Sawyer Carson. He broke her heart years ago and disappeared from her life without a word. So yeah. She’s over him. Never even thinks of him. In fact, she’s spending her college summer break surfing and lifeguarding in the Outer Banks, while nursing a bruised heart from a differentrelationship gone wrong. She doesn’t have room in her mind or heart for Sawyer–until she runs into him at a beach bonfire and the sparks that fly between them are way hotter than the flames heating the sand.

Sawyer never got over Quinn. The only thing stronger than what he feels for her is the secret keeping them apart, but sharing it would destroy more than just his life–it’d ruin hers, as well. Still, he can’t seem to keep away from her, can’t seem to keep his hands off of her soft, tempting skin. Especially since she has even less self-control when it comes to reigniting the physical side of what made them perfect together.

But secrets have a way of slipping out, and when Sawyer’s is revealed, it threatens to shatter everyone involved. He’ll have to face walking away a second time, and Quinn will have to decide if fighting for him is worth it when the fallout could affect more than just her heart, but also those of the people she loves most.

MORE THAN COMICSMORE THAN COMICS (CHASING THE DREAM #2)

They’re friends online – but can they be more in real life?

Writer Tara McFadden has been friends with artist and drummer Hector Fernandez for years, long before his band became famous on reality TV – yet they’ve never met in person. They finally have a chance to connect offline when they’re both sent to Comic-Con to promote the graphic novel they collaborated on.

Hector’s secretly been in love with Tara for as long as he can remember, and once they meet, she sees him in a new light. All the years of longing lead to an incredible night of passion after one of his concerts, but neither is sure if their online relationship can translate into a real life romance – or if this will ruin their friendship forever.

Over four crazy days at Comic-Con, Hector and Tara must decide if they want a future together. But when their story seems to be over, it’s up to Hector’s entire band to make sure he and Tara get their happy ending.

Buy it now:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes 

Google Play | Kobo | All Romance

Order A Signed Copy

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It’s BLACKOUT release day! (and psshhh, you could win a Kindle!)

Elodie

I am so happy and excited for Meredith! It’s BLACKOUT release day 🙂 Did you pick it up already? To celebrate, Meredith is giving away some pretty awesome prizes: TWO Kindle Paperwhites, a signed copy of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, and a signed hardcover of BLACKOUT.

Blackout cover2

Seventeen-year-old Amanda Obermann (code name: Iris) has more on her mind than usual. As a member of a covert government organization called the Annum Guard, which travels through time to keep history on track, Iris has been getting some particularly stressful assignments. Plus, Jane Bonner, the Guard’s iron-fisted new leader, seems determined to make life as hard as possible. Thankfully, Iris has Abe (code name: Blue), her boyfriend and fellow Guardian, who listens to her vent—and helps her cope with her mentally ill mother’s increasingly erratic behavior.

When Guardians start to disappear on their assignments, Iris makes a terrifying discovery: a “blackout” squad is targeting anyone who gets in the way of a corrupt force that’s selling out both the Annum Guard’s missions and Guardian lives. Together, Iris and Blue must go undercover to untangle the Guard’s elaborate web of secrets and lies. But when Iris discovers that the terrible truth may involve her own father, a former Guardian undone by his own greed, she must decide how much she’s willing to risk to rescue her friends…and how dangerous the consequences will be for all of humanity.

A thrilling time-traveling adventure that spans from Abraham Lincoln’s assassination to the Cuban Missile Crisis and back to the present day, this pulse-pounding sequel to The Eighth Guardian reveals that playing with time can turn into a deadly game.

PURCHASE LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Indiebound

To enter the giveaway, just click on this link:  a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can check more details on Meredith’s blog (here) and don’t hesitate to wish her a happy release day too 🙂

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777 Challenge or an excerpt of my VERY rough draft…

Elodie

UntitledThe 777 challenge is one writer challenging another writer to share seven lines of text, seven lines down, on the seventh page of a work-in-progress. I was tagged by the lovely and oh so talented Katy Upperman and you really should check out what she posted (here), because did I mention her writing is amazing?

I am sharing something from my NaNoWriMo WiP, so you know it is very ROUGH. It’s a New Adult thriller, which will be told in dual POV (the main protagonist and the serial killer aka The Protector).

Did I mention it is VERY ROUGH?

She didn’t give me a choice: I had to kill her.

I can’t let bad seeds corrupt the good ones I’m keeping safe. I stretch in my bed and yawn loudly. I couldn’t fall asleep last night. I’ve been dreaming about saving Tessa too. That’s what her sister wants me to do. Sweet sweet Nina.

My phone beeps with unheard voicemails and I frown. Why can’t my stupid ex-wife leave me alone?  I can’t take her nagging anymore. That’s all she does: nag, nag, nag. “Why didn’t you pay child support on time?”, “Why are you never home when I call?”, “Why, why, why?”

If you haven’t done the 777 Challenge yet, consider yourself tagged…and if you have already shared something don’t hesitate to share the link in the comments.

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My #NaNoWriMo experience…

Elodie

…so…hmmm…I had big goals. BIG. GOALS for November. I was going to write an entire novel but I was also going to make steady progress in two other ones.

That didn’t go exactly as planned.

Maybe because we actually got to move into our new home at the beginning of November. (side note: this is pretty awesome and amazing and still hard to believe).

Our first guests were coming for Thanksgiving so we had to have the house Thanksgiving and guests ready by the end of November.

That took a bit more time than I imagined. I tried to catch up. The words were still pouring. Not as steadily but they were still coming, slowly but surely.

Despite the support and encouragement (and an awesome spreadsheet), I still fell behind.

 Nano

But…I did write 36 000 words. And I am kind of in love with this novel.

It`s a NA thriller with a big dose of romance and family drama and sisters…and it’s a dual POV (including the serial killer POV)…and I am so excited to get back to it and finish writing it.

I definitely know I’ll be back next year to try to get to those 50000 words in one month annnnnd this time, maybe I’ll even make it to one of the local write-ins 🙂

How about you? Do you NaNo?

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Cover reveal: VIP by Riley Edgewood

Elodie

Today, I am so so happy to share with you all the cover of VIP by Riley Edgewood (designed by Okay Creations.) I know I cannot wait to read it. I have the chance of reading a bit of Riley’s writing  and OMG, her writing is amazing (plus the scene I read was hot, hot, hot – just sayin´)

VIP_Rock & Release_Act I_Riley_Edgewood

 

 

VIP by Riley Edgewood
(Rock & Release, Act #I)
Publication date: November 17th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:

When Cassidy Evans scores VIP tickets to a concert, she decides to use them for one carefree night before beginning a summer internship at her father’s Fortune 500 company. But one carefree night turns into a few too many martinis—with two unexpected twists: A steamy encounter with Gage Logan, sexy singer and guitarist, and a tempting job offer from Gage’s boss to work at the concert venue she now knows quite intimately.

She definitely can’t take the job. Her internship is an opportunity any business major would kill for. But the thought of working with her father, a man furious with grief over a family tragedy that struck six months ago, fills her with dread.

Then there’s Gage. Working with him all summer could be hot. Cassidy can’t stop flashing back to their night together. Molten kisses. His hands smoothing across the skin of her belly. The weight of his body above her own…

And suddenly the decision about how to spend her summer is much, much harder to make.

*********************

VIP is the first act of the three part sexy romance serial, Rock & Release, launching November 17, 2014. The final two acts, Starstruck andShow Stopper, will release on December 1 and December 15, respectively.

Riley
AUTHOR BIO:
Sign up for Riley’s newsletter to receive updates on new releases and other fun things!

Riley lives in the DC area and spends most of her time with her characters, playing with her toddler and husband, and pretending she knows how to be an adult. Former dancer. Current writer. Lifelong lover of accessories, books, and the beach. And cats. Can’t forget the kitties. Of which she has two.

Author links:
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Book review – BLEED LIKE ME

Elodie

BLEED LIKE ME is the kind of book that stays with you for a long time.

BLEED LIKE ME is the kind of book that squeezes your heart and leaves you breathless.

BLEED LIKE ME is the kind of book that makes you want to reach out and change the course of the story, but you know you can’t because it’s Gannon and Brook’s story. It’s so completely theirs that you have a feeling you’ve met them before after you close the book. And you wonder if you couldn’t have done something to reach out to them.

 

From the author of Fault Line comes an edgy and heartbreaking novel about two self-destructive teens in a Sid and Nancy-like romance full of passion, chaos, and dyed hair. Bleed Like Me is a piercing, intimate portrayal of the danger of a love so obsessive it becomes its own biggest threat.

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Amelia Gannon (just “Gannon” to her friends) is invisible to almost everyone in her life. To her parents, to her teachers-even her best friend, who is more interested in bumming cigarettes than bonding. Some days the only way Gannon knows she is real is by carving bloody lines into the flesh of her stomach. Then she meets Michael Brooks, and for the first time, she feels like she is being seen to the core of her being. Obnoxious, controlling, damaged, and addictive, he inserts himself into her life until all her scars are exposed. Each moment together is a passionate, painful relief. But as the relationship deepens, Gannon starts to feel as if she’s standing at the foot of a dam about to burst. She’s given up everything and everyone in her life for him, but somehow nothing is enough for Brooks-until he poses the ultimate test. This is one intense read and one I totally immersed myself into. I became the Ali to Gannon wanting to know more, wanting to help her, wanting to reach out to her but not knowing how.

Disclaimer: I think Christa is awesome. Because she is. However, this review comes from my experience from reading her book.

I´ve read this book in the laundry room of my hotel, and I´ve never wanted to do laundry as much as these past days, because I knew this was going to be my Gannon time. However, it is not an easy read and I had to pull myself out of the pages sometimes, thankful and yet annoyed at the washer beeping. There are moments when I cringed, and when I cried and when I looked away from the page. Why? Because Christa’s writing is vivid and pulls you in the story.

Gannon and Brook`s love story is not conventional, it´s not the happily ever after that I sometimes crave in the books I read. Why? Because it´s not love, it´s destructive and obsessive and replace an addiction with another…

It’s a story I find no adequate words for, because in one way, it shows how easy it can be to fall into something that’s bad for you because it seems like for once “you” matter, because it feels like “you” have found an outlet, someone to share everything with…even though you end up bringing each other more down than anything else.

Oh, and did I mention how vivid and breathtaking Christa`s writing is?

Here are a few quotes:

“Of course you are. The two of you are like frickin´ Romeo and Juliet. Everyone knows it. We´re just waiting to see which one of you takes the poison and which one takes a gun to his head.”

“The hole in my heart was large enough for him to climb inside. I wanted him to. I wanted him to feel safe.”

“Good lies need to be tucked away for emergency use. Most people don’t realize this and use them too frequently, so they’re no longer effective. Big mistake.”

BUY LINKS:
IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Amazon

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Release day and endless possibilities…

Elodie

Release day

ONE DREAM ONLY is out in the world. (you can buy it here :-))

And I am scared and I am excited, and really why do I always release books when I´m staying in a hotel? 🙂

When I released ONE TWO THREE, I was on vacation in Texas. I wrote ONE, TWO, THREE in the train and didn´t have much time for promotion/marketing. I also wrote ONE DREAM ONLY in the train, but this time around, I actually have the time to try to promote it. From the hotel we´re staying at until we find a home in Maryland.

I actually got goodies for my Facebook event, I´ve posted in many groups and I´ve used PicMonkey for promotional pictures (love PicMonkey, thank you so much Jaime for showing me that site :-)).

Sale
Designed with PicMonkey 🙂

And I am maybe even more nervous (also much more realistic) about ONE DREAM ONLY.

Why?

For One, Two, Three, I believed that sales would spike, that everyone would fall in love with my book, and that the word would spread like wildfire (a happy wildfire). I know better now. I know that sales can start slow and grow and be steady. I know it´s important to keep writing. I know that not everyone will love my books but that a lot of people will…

It is also different because it is my first novelette, it is a book that I cross my fingers will show Natalya in her element…and bring the reader even closer to her. For those that have already read One, Two, Three, I hope they fall in love with her even more…For those who haven´t read One, Two, Three, I hope it makes them want to know what happens to her…And for all, I hope it raises their curiosity about Emilia (who is the main character of ALWAYS SECOND BEST).

Another reason I am more nervous and why it is also a bit bittersweet is the meaning behind this release date. October 14th is my last official day at my day job. We moved to the US at the end of September but I was technically on vacations until today. Today is the end of my contract as Press Officer of the European Central Bank. And it´s bittersweet. I am excited for the endless possibilities ahead of me, of the time I will dedicate to my writing career, of the time I can give my husband, my family and friends (and my cat, yes my cat too), about the things I want to explore (going back to teaching for example)…but I will miss my job (I already miss my colleagues).

Yesterday, the Nobel prize of economics was announced and I think my mouth dropped to the floor. I actually met Jean Tirole at an event I worked at as press officer. He even helped me with my suitcase and gave me a ride after the event. I had this great opportunity thanks to my job.

But I am already very well adjusted to the fact that I want to use this opportunity in my life to dedicate time to writing. I want to give myself this chance to write full-time for a while…I am lucky to be able to do so.

Happy release day One Dream Only, thank you everyone for your support and help and reviews and emails and everything…and here´s to many more books to come!