Lily Graham's Blog, page 6

Crazy, ambitious, audatious goals : bring on NaNoWriMo!

I am a big fan of crazy, ambitious goals. I think it has a little something to do with being the kind of person who always starts projects the day before. Caffeine, cigarettes, and working well after midnight, fuelled four years of varsity. Not to mention years of being a journalist with a weekly deadline.

While I’ve given up the cigarettes, after ten years I haven’t been able to shake the thrill of doing something in a short amount of time. And yes, it is because I’m a little lazy … why spend two weeks doing something when you can pull it off in a day or two, and then reward yourself with reruns of Frasier?

Partly it is a bit of procrastination, and partly it’s not. I read happiness and habit expert, Gretchen Rubin’s brilliant new book on habits, called Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of our Everyday Lives (highly recommended), and in it she says that some people are marathoners – they do a little bit everyday, some are sprinters – they love quick bursts of energy followed by rest, and others are procrastinators – self-explanatory, really. While sprinters and procrastinators seem to be the same, as they both end up doing whatever they need to do at the last-minute, sprinters enjoy the process. After they are finished they feel great, proud of what they accomplished, while procrastinators wish they’d given themselves more time.

I’d always thought I was a procrastinator, but when I read that a light bulb went off … I’m a sprinter. Which is really funny considering my favourite activity involves lying in bed with a book.

But it’s true. The first time I committed to finishing a book – which turned out to be An Invincible Summer, I gave myself roughly a year … then found myself writing most of it within the last three months.

Then my friend challenged me to NanoWriMo last year (National Novel Writing month, takes place every November), and I wrote a novella of 36,000 words in three weeks, which I self-published two weeks later. (After I got a professional edit and cover design).

And while many people – and I used to be one of them – believe that good writing takes time, the truth is that really great writing happens when you are in the flow, when you’ve cut out all the doubts and demons and type as if your fingers are on fire. The story is more alive, there are fewer errors in plot etc because you don’t need to remind yourself about your story because you are eating, sleeping, and breathing it, and you cannot afford to let fear in because you have a deadline, dammit. I gave myself a rather public one on this very blog … and even though there was only one or two readers then, I was determined to keep my word. And while for some even more crazy, audacious people, 36,000 words isn’t a lot, for me, I knew a novella was realistic in the time frame if my goal was to get it edited etc while maintaining a full-time job.

Fast forward nearly a year with many lessons learnt on self-publishing, like why it’s so important to have not just one, but two editors (traditional publishers have a team of copyeditors at their disposal and you will still spot errors), The Postcard is still something I’m proud of, with over 26 four and five-star reviews on Amazon.com. Which is pretty amazing for something that took less than a month.

There is a part of me that just thinks it was a fluke, but then again there’s a much bigger part that is excited by big crazy goals like this.  I think it’s because of the psychology of my sprinter nature … which goes: ‘What if I can write a whole book in a month?”

I’m not aiming for a repeat of The Postcard, with a new book up by the end of the year but I am aiming for a full novel this time. One I’m so excited to write … more women’s fiction, set in Cornwall … of course. And, maybe it will be up by end of Jan … maybe, grin.

Bring on NaNoWriMo and crazy, audacious, goals!

An Invincible Summer free today on Amazon

Hello everyone,

I have some exciting news! Today, my latest novel An Invincible Summer is free on Amazon! 

So if you’ve been wanting to get it now’s your chance!

If you have already bought it – thank you so much! It truly means the world! The free special is really just to help spread the word. So if you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a short review. It really helps!

And … if you have read it I KNOW how it feels to have bought something and then see it on sale a few days later … so please pop me a mail and I’ll add you to a list to receive my next book before its release. And if you haven’t yet read The Postcard – A magical Christmas tale set in Cornwall, let me know and I’ll send you that in the meantime.

Get your free copy of An Invincible Summer here :

US Amazon store 

UK Amazon store

Happy reading!

Lily

xxx

A competition and newsletter subscribers to get a surprise

Hello everyone!

The very lovely Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Reads is hosting Cornish Week! About all things Cornwall, with guest posts and gorgeous books set in the county. I’ve only added around a half dozen books to my wishlist since she started, grin.

Rachel is hosting a few amazing competitions over there and one of them, is to win an e-copy of The Postcard – follow the link if you’d like to enter – the competition closes tomorrow night.

In other news … I’ll be announcing something rather exciting tomorrow (26 August) on my newsletter … so if you haven’t already signed up you may want to … if the word free tickles your fancy at all, wink.

Happy Tuesday!

An Invincible Summer remains in top 100 list for holiday reads on Amazon for two months and other news

It seems absolutely incredible that An Invincible Summer has remained in the top 100 holiday reads on Amazon UK since it’s launch on 30 May 2015. I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you for downloading it – I so appreciate it!

If you have read it I’d really appreciate a review  – it doesn’t need to be long, just a few lines can help spread the word.

Also, if you’d like to read it I’m always happy to send out review copies of all my books. Get in touch, I’d love to hear from you!

In other news, I’m busy writing up a storm and planning my own veggie garden. Like Ivy’s husband Stuart in my short novel The Postcard who trades city living for his own smallholding, I’ve always dreamt of growing my own. I’m obsessed with River Cottage … and would love a real kitchen garden someday complete with countryside views. For now I’ve only managed to grow my own spinach successfully.  See the pic … it happened!!

At first the spinach looked like grass and I thought somehow I’d magically transformed my seeds into the mundane, sort of the opposite of magic beans. My disappointment was palpable. Two weeks of lovingly watching the green shoots shoot up, only to find that they were turning into grass … but I kept watering, and hoping, and then two weeks ago little curls unfurled and I had spinach!

It’s the little things that bring joy isn’t it? I’m planning on growing lettuce, peas, tomatoes and strawberries … buoyed by my spinach success. It’s also inspired a new novel, set in the past and present at around the 1900s about a young botanist … will keep you updated on that as it happens.

And the progress of my kitchen garden, of course!

xxx

Summer in Crete …

Let’s take a walk …

We’ll meet on the old cobble paths

Feel the sun on our skin, and smell the salt of the sea in the warm air

Perhaps we’ll stop for a while to watch the world go by

Stare at the beautiful old homes, with their perfect patina of time-washed doors and colourful flowers in pots …

Share a feast … fit for a king

And make our way down to the harbour in time for sunset and the calm that comes from listening to the secrets of the sea …

For it’s summer in Crete.

An Invincible Summer hits the bestseller list!

Woo hoo! Great news!!

First of all, a really big, heartfelt thank you to all of you for your support, kindness, and encouragement during the release of my second novel  An Invincible Summer. It’s been a really incredible first week.

Thank you for the emails and messages – I’ve had a couple of readers tell me at which stage they are as they are reading. Such a blast! I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to read those! You guys rock, truly.

Because of all of you  An Invincible Summer reached the top 100 for holiday fiction on Amazon UK this weekend, and has managed to stay there since, it’s now sitting at an all time high at number 69!

It’s also in truly great company, like I just can’t help pointing this out (ahem) but see … there I am being considered with the likes of Holly Martin (yow) and Jenny Hale (yow), and Mandy Baggot. I mean, double yow!

So thank you everyone, it means the world!

xxxx

An Invincible Summer out now!

Exciting news!! My latest book, An Invincible Summer is out now!

Thanks so much for your encouragement and the fantastic emails, tweets etc. it means a lot that so many have been looking forward to reading it! I’m thrilled to be able to say it’s out now, finally, grin.

Sometimes running away is the answer …

Ria Laburinthos has had enough.

Enough of pain, heartache, and her horrible boss aka ‘The Devil-Who-Wears-Birkenstocks’.

So she runs away. To Crete.

Bound by the tales she heard growing up from her beloved Yaya. Stories of sun-drenched olive groves, cobbled sea-front tavernas, honey drizzled over thick, creamy-white Greek yoghurt, and wild, pink-tinged peaches warm from the sun.

What she doesn’t expect to find though is a thousand-year-old family vineyard that burnt down amidst a sea of controversy, and the enigmatic son who is trying to resurrect it. Or to uncover the ten year mystery that someone has gone to a lot of trouble to keep buried …

Part romantic comedy, part mystery suspense An Invincible Summer is a light-hearted romance about having the courage to start over, follow your heart, and fall in love again.

Available now!

You can get it here from Amazon US and Amazon UK :)

Want a review copy?

Let me know if you’d like a free review copy, you can pop me an email or leave your email address in the comments and I’ll send you an e-copy of your preference.

Have a great week!

Lily xxx

Sometimes running away is the anwer …

Ria Laburinthos has had enough.

Of everything: pain, horrid bosses, and eager colleagues with “action lists”.

So on an ordinary Tuesday she makes a decision that will change her life forever.

She runs away.

To Crete. Land of sun, sea, and memories of her beloved grandmother. What she never expected to find though, is love.

An Invincible Summer  is being released May 30!

Find Your Next Chick Lit Read / #ChickLitMay Giveaway!

May is International Chick Lit Month. Let’s be honest—it’s the best month of the year! Every year, chick lit readers and writers get together to celebrate, share, discuss and gush about their favorite book genre. Not familiar with chick lit or Chick Lit Month? Visit internationalchicklitmonth.com for more information.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of ICLM. To celebrate, a bunch of enthusiastic authors got together and made an infographic to help readers find their next chick lit read.

We’re giving away 19 ebooks to 19 lucky readers. Just enter to win the books you’d like to read!

To enter, comment on the blog post below, listing which books from the graphic you’d like to read and WHY you would like to read them. (Make sure to include your email address so we can contact you.) Entrants can only enter once per blog, but can check out other blogs with this same post and comment there for extra entries! All those links are down below.

Entries close on midnight Friday, May 22 (Pacific Daylight Time), and winners will be contacted directly on May 31.

Good luck everyone—and happy reading! :D

(Even if you missed this giveaway, feel free to share this graphic on your blog and spread the chick lit love!)

Find the authors and books here, and enter again!

Deeper Themes

30 First Dates by Stacey Wiedower / Amazon link: getBook.at/30FirstDates
At the Edge of the Sea by Karen M. Cox / Amazon link: getBook.at/EdgeoftheSea
Cheating to Survive by Christine Ardigo / Amazon link: smarturl.it/qihydt
The Postcard by Lily Graham / Amazon link: getBook.at/ThePostcard
The Same But Different by Serena Clarke / Amazon link: getBook.at/TheSameButDifferent
The Trouble with Dying by Maggie Le Page / Amazon link: getBook.at/TheTroubleWithDying

* * *

A Little Magic

A Leap In Time by Engy Albasel Neville / Amazon link: getbook.at/LeapinTime
Scary Modsters…and Creepy Freaks by Diane Rinella / Amazon link: getBook.at/ScaryModsters

* * *

Laughs Guaranteed

Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr / Amazon link: myBook.to/Bloggergirl
French Twist by Glynis Astie / Amazon link: myBook.to/gafrenchtwist
Miss Adventure by Geralyn Corcillo / Amazon link: getbook.at/MissAdventure
Molly Miranda, Thief for Hire by Jillianne Hamilton / Amazon link: mybook.to/MollyMiranda1
Thirty-Two Going On Spinster by Becky Monson / Amazon link: myBook.to/32goingonspinster
Twin Piques by Tracie Banister / Amazon link: myBook.to/TwinPiques

* * *

Light & Bright

Caching In by Tracy Krimmer / Amazon link: getBook.at/CachingIn
Something in the Heir by Jenny Gardiner / Amazon link: getBook.at/SomethingintheHeir
Wedding Haters by Melissa Baldwin / Amazon link: getbook.at/weddinghaters

* * *

On Distant Shores

Mr Right and Other Mongrels by Monique McDonell / Amazon link: getBook.at/MrRightOtherMongrels
Set Me Free by Jennifer Collin / Amazon link: myBook.to/setmefree

* * *

Enter one more time at these great chick lit blogs!

Chick Lit Plus
Chick Lit Central
Living Life With Joy
Chicks That Read
Bookaholic Confessions
Mrs. Mommy Booknerd
Book Mama Blog
Every Free Chance

Win The Postcard!

Happy Friday!

Want something to read this weekend …  why not try The Postcard?

I now have a new revised edition! Same story just a little more polished and with the change to my name … I’m now Lily Rose Graham. As a friend recently pointed out there’s now more to love, grin.

To celebrate, The Postcard is now on sale for 99 cents on Amazon!  If you’d like to buy it.

Or you can win The Postcard!

I’m going to give it away to the first 20 people who pop their name in the comments with their email and e-book version of choice (epub/mobi/PDF). If you’d prefer to email me that’s fine too – lilygrahamwrites@gmail.com just let me know which version you’d like.

**Winners will receive their copies over the course of the weekend.**

Win my next book too!

As a bonus, If you decide to join my mailing list  … you can win my next book An Invincible Summer too. Just send me a mail to lilygrahamwrites@gmail.com after you’ve signed up and let me know which e-version you’d like. These entries will be guaranteed winners … yay!

**Winners will receive their copy of An Invincible Summer at the end of May.**

So enter … and win!