Monday Mishmash 5/27/13

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1.  BEA  Woo hoo! I'll be at BEA Thursday evening through Saturday! If you're there, look for me at the Spencer Hill Press booth.

2.  Melinda's Museum Magic  I got the proof for my upcoming picture book, Melinda's Museum Magic this weekend. And even though I was sick with a fever, I made a video to share it with you.



3.  Advantage: Heartbreak is here early!  The second novella in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series is available on Amazon and B&N! And what's a release day without a giveaway? So here's what you can win.

Winner's choice of either Love All or Advantage: Heartbreak: (ebook only)

And, if the winner is in the US or Canada, he/she will also get a Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak drawstring bag and a Love All coin.

Simply fill out the rafflecopter below to enter. Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 4/15/13

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. The Other Marlowe Girl  My buddy Beth Fred's second book in The Marlowe Girls series is out! Get it here.

When twenty-four-year-old dance school drop out Kammy Marlowe is evicted by her mother, she goes to her favorite hangout. She finds an unlikely friend in the blunt eye candy, Enrique. But Kammy knows there is no way she and Enrique have a shot because he's her brother-in-law’s brother and has been privy to her wild past. 

Enrique swears he’s only interested in the person she is today, but their relationship is tested when her ex-husband's drug dealer attacks her, looking for money. With no options and a money hungry drug dealer on her back, Kammy accepts a position as a dancer at a strip club. But when Enrique shows up at the club, their relationship is over. With no reason to stay in Texas anymore, Kammy auditions for the Bolshevik Ballet and gets the opportunity to go to Russia. Only Enrique is determined to stop her. 

Will she give up the chance of a lifetime to stay with the man she still loves?

2. Stomach bug  My daughter was sent home sick on Thursday with a stomach bug. That's better, but now she has this awful congestion that makes her sound like a whispering frog. Poor thing. 

3. Love All is only $0.99!  The price of Love All has been lowered to only $0.99! If you want to snag a copy before book two in the series releases next month, now's the time. You can get it on Kindle or Nook. 

4. Into the Fire Edits  I'm up to my chin in edits for Into the Fire, but my editor is amazing, so I'm excited.

5. Less than 4 months until Stalked by Death releases! So... I'm giving away some SWAG. I got these awesome "Ophi in training" pins. Who wants one?

I'll pick three winners on Saturday, April 20. Just fill out the rafflecopter below. Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 3/18/13

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop  If you are looking for the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop, click here. The giveaway runs until the 22nd.
2. Thank you!  Last Monday Touch of Death was the Daily Kindle Deal, and I was blown away at how many people downloaded it. I can't thank you all enough. It was an incredible day, so thank you for making it so special.
3. Stalked by Death  Final edits are finished. August 13 is just around the corner, and I'm SO excited to share this book with you. Poor Jodi is up against some really tough odds in this book.
4. Editing  I have three client edits lined up for the rest of this month and one already set for the beginning of April. I'm going to be busy. :)
5. Love All  The reviews are coming in for Love All and I'm so pleased! This book is special to me because I was in a similar love triangle in high school. So while the events in the book are fictional, the emotions are very much my own.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Sweets Blogfest

The Sweets Blogfest is here! Beth Fred and I are cohosting this blogfest all about sweets. Participants will be posting about all things sweet: favorite sweet literary couples, favorite sweet romances, favorite sweets (candy), and there's a giveaway!

I'm sharing two sweet romances, one by Beth and one by me. Beth is offering up a copy of her book, The Other Marlowe Girl and I'm offering up a copy of Love All, the first novella in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series.

THE OTHER MARLOWE GIRL (Book 2 in The Marlowe Girls Series)

Summary:

When twenty-four-year-old dance school drop out Kammy Marlowe is evicted by her mother, she goes to her favorite hangout. She finds an unlikely friend in the blunt eye candy, Enrique. But Kammy knows there is no way she and Enrique have a shot because he's her brother-in-law’s brother and has been privy to her wild past. 

Enrique swears he’s only interested in the person she is today, but their relationship is tested when her ex-husband's drug dealer attacks her, looking for money. With no options and a money hungry drug dealer on her back, Kammy accepts a position as a dancer at a strip club. But when Enrique shows up at the club, their relationship is over. With no reason to stay in Texas anymore, Kammy auditions for the Bolshevik Ballet and gets the opportunity to go to Russia. Only Enrique is determined to stop her. 

Will she give up the chance of a lifetime to stay with the man she still loves?

ADVANTAGE: HEARTBREAK (Novella #2 in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak Series)

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan thought she’d made up her mind about love. But with two guys still vying for her attention, she wonders if she made the right decision. Ash is everything she’s ever wanted in a boyfriend: loyal, loving, and totally hot. But then there’s Noah: fun, sexy, and the more he sticks around, the more Meg wants him there.

What’s a girl to do?

Make up her mind, before it’s too late! Gorgeous freshman Liz has set her sights on Ash, and Noah is beginning to remind Meg of her last boyfriend—the one who broke her heart. Can she figure things out before she ruins not one, but two relationships? Or is she doomed to serve up heartbreak?

The giveaway will run from March 6th through 8pm (EST) on March 10th.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

And be sure to check out all the great blogs participating.

What's your favorite sweet?

Monday Mishmash 2/18/13

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Presidents Day  Happy Presidents Day! My daughter and husband are both home for the holiday.
2. Taxes  We're getting our taxes done this morning. I hate sitting through this, but the refund is always nice.
3. New SUV  We're picking up my husband's new Escape this afternoon. Hopefully, I'll like driving this better than his previous vehicle, which felt like a bus to me.
4. New WIP  Yes, I'm still plotting this book. I keep getting snippets of dialogue instead of an overall plot ARC. Very strange, but I'm very "go with the flow" when it comes to plotting.
5. Love All Reading  I decided to make a video of me reading the opening of Love All, my YA romance novella. If you haven't seen it, you can check it out below. And Love All is still only $1.29 on Kindle and Nook.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 2/4/13

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Love All is only $1.99!  In honor of Valentine's Day, my publisher Swoon Romance lowered the price of Love All to $1.99. Grab your copy here before the price goes back up.
2. Advantage: Heartbreak and Perfect Match  Novellas two and three in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series have been pushed back to May 7 and October 15. I'm relieved. Spacing them out will make them much easier for me to promote. I've extended the time on the Team Ash or Team Noah poll in my sidebar to span the entire series. Don't forget to cast your vote. :)
3. Touch of Death FB Quiz  The quiz is up and running! Now you can see how well you know Jodi and the other Ophi in Touch of Death. I've seen some of you have already taken it and posted your results on FB. Thank you! I hope you found it fun.
4. Plotting a New Novel  I've been researching for a new book and playing around with Scrivener to help me plot it. So much fun!
5. Into the Fire Cover Reveal  Month9Books made a video to reveal the covers of their new books and showcase those coming out soon. My YA paranormal Into the Fire is in it! I'm so excited. It's gorgeous! And it's the thumbnail for the video! Check it out!

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 1/28/13

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Love All Poll  Since my new novella, Love All, which just released last week, has a love triangle, I thought it would be fun to hear from readers and see if more people are Team Ash or Team Noah. So in my sidebar, you'll see a poll. And, yes, you can choose both guys if you find yourself torn between the two. You can even change your response if you change your mind as the series continues.
2. Touch of Death Facebook Quiz  I'm working on a FB quiz for Touch of Death, so read up and get ready! More details soon.
3. Seeking Pictures!  If you've bought one of my books, take a picture of you holding it. (Yes, ebooks totally count.) I want to post them on FB and my website. As a thank you, I'll send you SWAG.
4. Buy Links  It took me long enough, but I finally got the Amazon buy now buttons on my website and right here in my sidebar. It was so easy I felt a little silly for not being able to figure it out without asking for help.
5. Novellas  I'm really loving novellas right now. They're quick reads, so I can tear right through a lot in a short amount of time. With my schedule lately, that's a really good thing.

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

*My free monthly newsletter goes out this evening (5pm EST). If you aren't signed up but would like to receive one, go here.*

Love All is Here!

Love All is officially here!

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan wasn’t very lucky at love. In sophomore year, her idiotic boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker. Ouch! Now a senior, and with a little more self-confidence, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two guys at school. Lucky! Both attend her tennis matches, vie for her attention, and are each gorgeous in their own way. So what’s the problem? Meg has already chosen one of them, and the one waiting in the sidelines will do anything to change her mind. She’s enjoys the attention right up until it’s her heart that’s caught in the middle, and she risks losing both. Can Meg Love All, or will choosing be her undoing? 

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Add it on Goodreads.

I wanted to share the playlist for this book, but I actually have a playlist for the novella series, so I'm only going to tell you the songs that apply to this book in particular. Here they are in no special order:

Be Your Everything by Boys Like Girls  

Yours to Hold by Skillet

Lost in You by Three Days Grace

And to celebrate, I'm giving away some SWAG!

The giveaway will run until 11:59pm on February 1. It's open internationally, but I found out some countries won't permit coins to be shipped into them, so if you're international, the coins won't be included.

Good luck!

*For those who asked, pictures from the zombie prom will be posted on Friday!*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Mishmash 1/21/13

Happy Monday! Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Touch of Death launch party!  I've been at Arisia all weekend (in fact I'm still there) for the launch of Touch of Death. Sunday was the big zombie prom! Pictures to come.
2. Love All  The celebration continues because Love All officially releases tomorrow, January 22! Yay! But guess what? You can buy it now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
3. Promotion  I did a reading at Arisia, and let me tell you, I'm much more comfortable in front of teens than adults. School visits are less intimidating than speaking to a room full of adults.
4. Me crying... again  So, I made another video on the release day for Touch of Death. I tried not cry. I really did. I didn't work. So here I am, embarrassing myself again, if you'd care to watch.
5. Blurred Cover Reveal  My writer friend and YA Bound sister, Tara Fuller's new book Blurred has a gorgeous cover.

Cash is haunted by things. Hungry, hollow things. They only leave him alone when Anaya, Heaven’s beautiful reaper, is around. Cash has always been good with girls, but Anaya isn’t like the others. She’s dead. And with his deteriorating health, Cash might soon be as well.

Anaya never breaks the rules, but the night of the fire she recognized part of Cash’s soul—and doomed him to something worse than death. Cash’s soul now resides in an expired body, making him a shadow walker—a rare, coveted being that can walk between worlds. A being creatures of the underworld would do anything to get their hands on.

The lines between life and death are blurring, and Anaya and Cash find themselves falling helplessly over the edge. Trapped in a world where the living don’t belong, can Cash make it out alive?

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Monday Mishmash 1/14/13

Happy Monday! Here's what's on my mind today:

1. Book releases!  Touch of Death officially releases tomorrow! Squee! And Love All releases in 8 days! 
2. Arisia  I'm leaving for Arisia in Boston on Saturday. I'll be on a promotion panel, doing reading, signing Touch of Death, and of course attending the Zombie Prom! I'm so excited!
3. Picture book contract  FutureWord Publishing, who published my first PB May the Best Dog Win, is going to publish Cricket's Drive Around Town. I'm excited to work with them again.
4. Giveaways  I'm giving away a copy of Love All and SWAG as part of the Bad Boy Rehab Hop. Make sure you enter here. And look for a huge Touch of Death giveaway on Wednesday.
5. New covers  Love All got a facelift. It's slightly different and the other two books in the series now have covers, too! You can now add Advantage: Heartbreak and Perfect Match on Goodreads!

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Bad Boy Rehab Hop

I'm taking part in the Bad Boy Rehab Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and cohosted by The Book Hookup. The timing couldn't be more perfect because my YA contemporary romance novella, LOVE ALL releases January 22, through Swoon Romance, and it features a bad boy my MC can't help but be tempted by.

Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan isn't very self-confident, but what girl would be after her sophomore-year boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker? Now a senior, Meg catches the eye of not one but two guys at school. They show up at her tennis matches, vie over her attention, and both are gorgeous. Sounds good, right? Not if one of the guys is her boyfriend and the other one wants to be.

Meg doesn't want to lose Ash. They've been together for almost five months, and she’s falling in love with him. But Noah. Ah, Noah. He’s so irresistible, and Meg isn't ready to send him away either. But if she strings both along, she might be the one left in the cold. This love triangle is sure to end in a broken heart. But will it be Meg’s?

Love All is book 1 in the Game, Set, Match, Heartbreak Series by Kelly Hashway!

In addition to the book, I'm giving away SWAG. You'll get these awesome Love All coins: 

and a Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak drawstring bag!

All you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter form below for your chance to win. It is an ebook novella, so you'll need an ereader or Kindle for PC. This giveaway is open internationally, so good luck to all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to check out the other blogs participating in this hop.

What is a Release Date Anyway?

Okay, if you are reading the title and thinking I've lost my mind, just hang in there for a second. Yes, I'm well aware that a release date is the day a book becomes available. But... I've learned a few things about release dates and I want to share them with you today.

First, don't get married to your release date. Touch of Death has always had a release date of 1/15/13, but... the ebook released early on December 23, 2012 and Amazon decided to release the paperback on December 30, 2012. Why? Um, your guess is as good as mine. Spencer Hill Press asked me about releasing the ebook in time for Christmas and I was all for it, so that was no surprise. Amazon, however, was. Still, I'm celebrating my book birthday on January 15, 2013.

Love All had a release date of 1/15/13 but it changed to 1/8/13 and now it changed again to 1/22/13. The next two novellas were scheduled to release in March and May but have been moved up to 2/5/13 (Serving Up Heartbreak) and 3/12/13 (Perfect Match).

I'm completely fine with all the changes. Why? In short, my books are still coming out. So what if it's not on the dates I originally thought? My point is, I've seen writers cry over changes in release dates. Don't. It happens all the time. And your books will still release. Celebrate and be happy about that.

What do you think about changes in release dates?

Writing Romance

Many of you know that in addition to writing paranormal novels, I also write YA contemporary romance. Well, on January 22, my first novella in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series releases through Swoon Romance. Yay! So I thought I'd talk a little about writing romance.

Here's what I learned while working on the GSMH series. First, you can't write emotions without feeling them. I had to become sixteen again to write Love All. Why? Because that's when I first fell in love. First loves are incredible. They are all-consuming. You feel like your heart will stop every time your boyfriend (or girlfriend) walks out of the room. I had to tap into those feelings and relive them.

In Love All, Meg has a great boyfriend named Ash. He's the kind of guy you want your first love to be. But here's something you should know about me. I've been in a few love triangles. I hate to admit that, but I'm an open book on this blog. My involvement in them stemmed from my own insecurities, and so does Meg's. Meg's past, complete with a cheating boyfriend, has left her with little confidence. I've been there. I've felt that heartbreak. Yes, I cried a few times while writing this series, but I had to.

So here's my advice to you. If you want to write a romance, be prepared to relive first love, heartbreak, infatuation, attraction, longing... The list goes on. It's not easy to make yourself that vulnerable, but you can't write a good romance without being willing to go there.

Do you agree?

2012 Recap

Before I think about my goals for 2013, I want to take a minute to recap the positive things about 2012. (No need to relive the negative, right?) First, let me say that at the end of 2011, I didn't think 2012 would ever top it. 2011 was the year I found my agent, my first picture book came out, and I got my first book deal with Spencer Hill Press. I thought 2012 would never compare. Boy was I wrong. So here I go!

• I signed another two-book deal with Spencer Hill Press for The Monster Within and The Darkness Within (releasing in 2014).
• I signed a four-book deal with Month9Books for my debut middle grade series, Curse of the Granville Fortune (releasing in 2016).
• I signed a three-book deal with Month9Books for my Birth of the Phoenix Series. (The first book, Into the Fire, releases spring 2014.)
• I sold my three-book novella series Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak. to Swoon Romance. (The first book Love All releases 1/8/13.)
• I held Touch of Death in my hands and cried. Here's video evidence.
• Touch of Death released on ebook on December 23.
• I signed on many new editing clients.
• I started editing for another book publisher.
• I got a new puppy.
• I survived my daughter starting all-day kindergarten. (This might have been the toughest goal I achieved.)
• I had my one-year blogiversary and met some amazing online friends.
• I started reviewing over on YA Bound.

Wow! 2012 was a great year.

Now it's your turn. What's your good news from 2012?

Monday Mishmash 12/24/12

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Happy Holidays!  I hope you all (and your families) have a very happy holiday! 
2. Touch of Death ebook  The Touch of Death ebook released December 23rd! Yesterday! Just in time for Christmas. Yay! I'm so excited Spencer Hill Press decided to release the ebook early. You can find it here.
3. Editing  I've gotten a lot of new editing clients this year, and they are all keeping me well entertained with amazing manuscripts. 
4. Giveaway  There are still a few days left to enter to win a signed ARC of Touch of Death and some awesome SWAG. Enter here!
5. SWAG  I got awesome drawstring bags for my Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak novella series. The first book, Love All, releases January 8th. My MC is a tennis player, so the bag is fitting and totally practical. (Yes, those are my Love All coins in the picture, too.) Giveaway coming next month!

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Seasons in Publishing?

Have you ever heard that there are seasons in publishing? This time of year, most publishers are winding down and closing up for a while. It's very much like how many publishers slow down in the summer months. 

But somehow this year seems different. I'm getting edits and proofs for my own books and tons of edits for my clients. I kind of expected things to get quiet for the holidays and pick back up in January. Not so. I feel busier than ever. It has me wondering if there aren't off seasons after all.

Anyone else noticing this? 


*On a side note, I've been so busy I forgot my own blogiversary! But I am currently running a giveaway for an ARC of Touch of Death and SWAG for Touch of Death and Love All, so make sure you enter here.

Time to Breathe

So I woke up this morning and panicked because I realized I never wrote today's blog post. I always write them ahead of time because I'm kind of crazy and like to have everything scheduled. Well, I learned something. The world didn't end because I forgot to post. 

I'm actually glad this happened. I think we can get so caught up in what he have to do that we forget to allow ourselves time to breathe. I have a lot going on right now. The Touch of Death blog tour is going on, the ebook releases on December 23rd, my official release date is January 15, and my launch party is  January 20th. I also have Love All releasing January 8th. That doesn't even mention all the edits I'm doing for my books and my clients. And then there's Christmas, which I host. See how I forgot about my blog? Oh, and my grinder pump stopped working, so yesterday was dedicated to getting it fixed.

But now I know that I have to plan time to relax too because I'm not superhuman. Even though I'd love to be!

How about you? Do get so caught up in what you have to do that you forget to allow yourself down time?

Touch of Death Giveaway #3

Tomorrow is exactly 1 month until the release of the paperback edition of Touch of Death! 1 month! That's so crazy! As promised, here is the third and final ARC giveaway. Just like the previous ones, it's open internationally.

In addition to winning an ARC and SWAG for Touch of Death, I'm throwing in SWAG for my young adult contemporary romance novella, Love All (book 1 in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series) releasing through Swoon Romance in January 2013.

These are the Ash or Noah coins from Love All. Warning, they are very addictive. 

The giveaway will run until 12:01am on December 31. You know the drill. Fill out the rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Next Big Thing

Okay, so I was tagged again in The Next Big Thing. I know, I know, I've done this twice already. I promise this is the last one. You see, I was tagged by Keren Spencer, who happens to be one of the biggest Touch of Death supporters and an all-around amazing person. I couldn't say no to her, and since Love All is about to release, I thought it made sense to do this again. So Keren, this is for you. (I was also just tagged by June OHara, Emilyann Girdner, and Cindy Brown. Thanks, June and Cindy.)

What is the working title of your next book?

Love All

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I hate to admit to having been in a few love triangles in high school and college, but I was. This book came about because I really do think it's possible to care about more than one person at a time.

What genre does your book fall under?

YA contemporary romance

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Annasophia Robb for Meg

Steven R McQueen for Ash (Yes, that's Jeremy from The Vampire Diaries)

And Freddie Stroma for Noah

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Sometimes the best cure for a heartbreak is to love again, but what happens when that love falls on two different guys?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I'm represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management and Love All is being published by Swoon Romance.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

About two and a half weeks

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I hate comparing my work to other people, so I'll just say it's YA comtemporary romance and leave it at that.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The book is about how amazing first love is, so I think first loves in general were a huge inspiration.

What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

The MC is a tennis player, so tennis fans will enjoy Meg's matches as well as her romances.

I'm supposed to tag 5 others, but I like to break rules. So... if you haven't been tagged yet and you'd like to join in, then tag! For the rest of you, what's your current WIP about?

More Writing Equals More Motivation

Being that November is National Novel Writing Month, I thought this is the perfect time to talk about motivation. Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know I'm kind of obsessed with writing and I draft pretty quickly. Well, while I've always been obsessed with writing, I haven't always been a fast drafter. But now that I am, I can't go back. 

Here's why. The more I write, the more motivated I become. And do you know what that means? More writing. It's this unending cycle. Let's face it, we like to feel good about ourselves, and when we have a great word count day, we celebrate. We get excited. And that usually leads to more words. So, I don't really think it matters if you write 500 words a day, 2,000 words a day, or like crazy old me 10-15,000 words a day. As long as you are writing, you will want to write more. You'll feel motivated. 

Do you agree? Do you find a day with great word count makes you want to keep typing away? 

*Don't forget to enter the 2nd Touch of Death ARC giveaway here. In addition to winning an ARC, you can win SWAG for Touch of Death and Love All.*