What´s Up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday? The “Almost all moved in” edition :-)

Wreath (plain)

What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join, make sure to leave a link to your What’s Up Wednesday post in the widget on Jaime´s blog or Erin‘s blog.

What I’m reading

I finished reading the amazing Riley Edgewood´s VIP series and all I have to say is “Gage” 🙂
VIP
And I am about to start UNDER THE NEVER SKY

What I’m Writing

 I am still drafting my NaNo novel: a NA thriller, which is currently at  39 000 words. The goal is to finish drafting it by the end of December. And have it CP & beta-ready by the end of January, latest.

What else I´ve been up to

We’re almost all moved in. I only need to finish my nook in my office…and still go through a few boxes but otherwise, we’re pretty much set.
We got our first tree in our new home.
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I received this wonderful#Sipswap mug – which is definitely inspiring. Thanks again Crystal.
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And I missed a step going into our garage yesterday. We have friends from Germany over and we were on our way to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, or we were supposed to but instead pouf I decided to go flying.
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It is better today, but definitely can’t go jogging for a few days.
Doh.

What works for me

Re-reading past scenes to get back in the mood of the novel. Writing comments as I go on the side to make sure I don`t forget anything when I get back to it…

Those comments can be funny or sometimes it almost seems like I´m leaving a clue to future self without really explaining what past self meant. But it works 🙂

I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂

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Cover reveal: VIP by Riley Edgewood

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

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:
IndieBoundBarnes & NobleAmazon

What´s Up Wednesday

What´s up Wednesday? The “All the words” edition…

 

WUWMaple2

Another blog post from the hotel…:) What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin.  It´s a way to keep in touch in just four headings…

What I´m reading
I finished BLEED LIKE ME by Christa Desir, and OMG (yes this is an OMG moment), this book, this book is so intense and powerful and…I’ll review it tomorrow on my blog. My thoughts will be a bit more coherent but not by much…
I am about to start DAMSEL DISTRESSED by the lovely Kelsey Macke and very much looking forward to it.
What I’m Writing
 ALWAYS SECOND BEST – and my secret New Adult novel…which I can tell you will have romance and a tad of suspense in it. And I’m putting quite a few words in. For that, I am very  grateful to the writers who let me tag along with them in their spreadsheet adventure ❤
What else I´ve been up to
Mortgage paperwork. We found a house…but we´re waiting for final approval of the mortgage…and gosh that’s a lot of paperwork. Since we’re a special case (out of the country for 6 years and visa holders), we need lots of additional things translated and a lot of communication with different people along the process.
Crossing our fingers it goes through, because I might be getting a bit anxious in the hotel room.
This weekend, after going to sign some papers for the house and taking another look at it (did I mention we reaaaallly want it?), we went through a walk in Downs Park right by the Chesapeake Bay. It was gorgeous: the views, the weather, getting out of the hotel, the atmosphere…
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What works for me

Accountability and a tad of pressure.

The spreadsheet adventure as I like to call the checking-ins I do with other writers is really keeping me accountable: when on Twitter, one of them says “Who’s in?” and my break is taking longer than planned (I blame Law & Order), I get my butt back in the chair to type away (really grateful to them!)

I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂

Books, reading, Top Ten Tuesday

Top New (and not so new) Series I Want To Start

It’s been forever since my last Top Ten Tuesday. FOREVER. The topic today was Top New Series I want to start (new, let´s say during the past 2 years…) but since some of the ones I really want to read are older than 2 years, I adapted the topic just a tad.

This Top Ten Tuesday feature is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and I first came across it on Jaime´s blog.

Top New (and not so new) Series I Want To Start 

All titles link to Goodreads 🙂

So tell me which series should I start first? 🙂

Ready Set Write, revising, What´s Up Wednesday

What´s Up Wednesday? The <3 edition…

 

WUWMaple2

Another blog post from the hotel…:) What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin.  It´s a way to keep in touch in just four headings…

What I´m reading
I am about to start BLEED LIKE ME by Christa Desir. I bought it on release day and I think I´ll be curling up with it today 🙂
What I’m Writing
 ALWAYS SECOND BEST – I shared an exclusive sneak peek yesterday during ONE DREAM´S ONLY´s release day party on Facebook. It´s dual POV and I´m loving it 🙂
Emilia Always Second Best
What else I´ve been up to
I released ONE DREAM ONLY yesterday and had a wonderful release day party on Facebook!
And as always I am amazed and grateful for everyone who’s supported me, tweeted about it, sent me emails. Really, thank you!
Thank you!

What works for me

Writing sprints.

I used to write in the train when I  had about 30 minutes to get the words in…and it worked. So now, I try to do writing sprints on Twitter and see how many words I can get in…Maybe when we´re settled in a house, I might change my routine but for now it works…

I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂

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Release day and endless possibilities…

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!

What´s Up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday? The “I just moved” edition…

WUWMaple2What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join, make sure to leave a link to your What’s Up Wednesday post in the widget on Jaime´s blog or Erin‘s blog.

What I´m reading

I absolutely loved Trish Doller´s  WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE, so I´m about to start SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL.

What I’m Writing

So I can finally really join the Fall writing bootcamp.
Today´s goal?
Go through the latest comments from my editor on ONE DREAM ONLY and finalize the file for formatting. Can you believe that it´s coming out in less than 2 weeks?

What else I´ve been up to

We moved. Leaving work and my wonderful colleagues was very hard but I do hope to keep in touch.
It was a bit hectic and I moved one day later than planned because the pet company forgot to pick up our cat.
But we all made it.
Our cat is totally confused and spending a lot of time underneath our bed and I´m still jet-lagged but we´re excited.
I am looking at houses, trying to come up with some sort of routine.

What works for me

Waking up early: (i) working out, and (ii) spending time with the husband.

Now I am ready to start the day:-)

I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂

What´s Up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday? The “Thank you for the cover love” edition :-)

WUW7

What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join, make sure to leave a link to your What’s Up Wednesday post in the widget on Jaime´s blog or Erin‘s blog.

What I´m reading

I started BEHIND THE SCENES by the lovely Dahlia Adler, and I am loving the voice!

What I’m Writing

I joined the YA Buccaneers – I need to work hard on the outline of ALWAYS SECOND BEST, and I want to revise my YA Thriller. Click on the image for more information 🙂

What else I´ve been up to

The hubby and I went to the US Consulate yesterday and our visa were approved. I’m still nervous a bit, I have to admit. And I’m waiting until I have our passports back to realize that it’s really happening.
We’re planning to move back to Maryland at the end of September. Less than a month.
******
Yesterday, was the cover reveal of  ONE DREAM ONLY and THANK YOU so much for the cover love.
In case you’ve missed it, there is also a giveaway (you could win a $25 Amazon Gift Card + a $25 donation of the project of your choice on DonorsChoose.org)

Goodreads button

And you can pre-order it on Amazon already now (only $0.99) 

ONE DREAM ONLY - preorder

What inspires me right now

This.

Did you see ONE DREAM ONLY is #22 on the Amazon Best Sellers’ list in the 90-Minute Teen & Young Adult short reads category?

Pretty cool

Thank YOU so much for making this happened 🙂

I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂

Books, young adult

Cover reveal sign-up for ONE DREAM ONLY :-)

Blog or without blog, I’d love for you to help me reveal the cover of One, Two, Three. You can help me on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest 🙂

Goodreads button

 Sixteen-year-old Natalya Pushkaya has only one dream: becoming the best ballerina ever. Dancing’s always been who she is and she’s working her hardest to land the main role of the School of Performing Arts’ end of the year recital.

But…will she make it?

Within a week, Natalya’s life will be changed forever.

Prequel novelette of One, Two, Three. 

 

If you do it on your blog, there will also be a giveaway…

The cover reveal is planned for Tuesday, September 2nd (12.01 EST). You will receive all information for the post by Sunday, August 31st.