Kelly Hashway's Blog, page 85

Writer Wednesday: Rebranding

I've talked about branding before. How once you get a certain genre of books out there with your name on them (or even before, as was the case with me—sometimes just having books under contract is enough), you are branded as THAT genre author. I was branded as a paranormal author. But if you recall, I did put out two novellas that were outside my brand. Remember these?

The third novella never came out. Want to know why? My brand was working against me, so I had the series pulled. Yes, I talked to Swoon Romance and we agreed to take the series down. Why? Because I decided to create a pen name and write contemporary romance as Ashelyn Drake. Also, when I wrote the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series, it wasn't a novella series. It was a full-length novel. And with my new brand under Ashelyn, I wanted that full novel back because that's how I always envisioned the story to be told.
Well, I didn't just put the book back together. I did a major rewrite. I deleted the first three chapters. Yup, gone! I got right into the heart of the story and backed off the tennis theme that previously ran throughout the book. Why am I telling you all this? Simple. Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak is now a novel titled Perfect For You , and it's coming out in September through Swoon Romance. It has a gorgeous new cover that is being revealed this Friday with YA Bound Book Tours. (You can sign up to help with the reveal here if you're interested.)
But I'm not sharing this story today because I have a reveal coming up. I'm sharing my story because sometimes things don't happen the way we envision them, but that doesn't mean that we can't take things into our own hands and change things. Luckily, Swoon Romance was great about helping me with my vision for this book, but I was prepared to self-publish the title if I needed to. 
So just because things don't happen the way you want them to at first, don't be afraid to make changes and alter the future of your book. I'm really glad I did.

Monday Mishmash 3/10/14

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
1. Perfect For You Cover Reveal Sign-ups  I have a YA contemporary romance titled Perfect For You, written under my pen name Ashelyn Drake, coming out in September through Swoon Romance. The cover reveal is March 14th. Want to be part of it? Sign up through YA Bound Book Tours here.
2. Free Monthly Newsletter  So last week I was supposed to send out my newsletter, but I sort of forgot to schedule it. I mean, there was so much awesome I had to wait another week. Yeah. Okay, I forgot. If you aren't signed up to receive one but would like to, you can sign up here.
3. Revisions  I'm revising the sequel to Into the Fire to send to my editor. I can't express how much I LOVE this book. I've never had so much fun revising before.
4. The Monster Within is about 3 months away!  How did that happen? I created this awesome button. Feel free to snag it and post it on your blog if you want to help me spread the word. There's a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde theme in this book. :)
5. Luna Love Cover Reveal  Brenda Moguez is having a cover reveal for her first book, Luna Love. I LOVE Brenda's voice. It's so unique, and I can't get enough of her writing. Check out Luna Love coming soon from Wild Rose Press.
Celia Mendoza is not living La Vida Loca. She put her college dreams on hold after her father died. Now she dishes out advice in her e-zine column, Luna Love, Loving is Good. The problem is, she hasn’t had a second date or a kiss in over a year. Then Gabe Mercer, a modern-day Adonis, shows up, daring her to take a chance. The string of broken hearts in his wake turns Celia off, but his relentless encouragement to pursue her dream of becoming a serious journalist contradicts his reputation, making it hard to fight the pull of his topaz, come-hither eyes. He’s everything Luna Love tells her readers to take a chance on, but Celia can’t decide if a chance encounter is worth the gamble. But life has a will of its own, and hers is pushing Celia to accept the uncertainty and run towards her destiny. 6. Surrender the Sky by Meradeth Houston Cover Reveal & Giveaway Gabby lives by two unbreakable rules: don’t expose her kind, the Sary, and don’t fall in love—too bad some rules are made to be broken.

When Gabby’s most difficult charge accidentally shoots  a Rafflecopter giveaway
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Friday Feature: I Wish Cover Reveal

Today I have a cover reveal for you. This is an upcoming Spencer Hill Press title, and I'm excited to get my hands on it. First, check out the gorgeous cover of I Wish by Elizabeth Langston!

And here's the awesome blurb:Lacey Linden is hiding the truth of her life--a depressed mom, a crumbling house, and bills too big to pay. While her high school classmates see a girl with a ready smile and good grades, Lacey spends her evenings seeking ways to save her family. On a get-cash-quick trip to the flea market, Lacey stumbles over a music box that seemingly begs her to take it home. She does, only to find that it's inhabited by a gorgeous "genie." He offers her a month of wishes, one per day, but there's a catch. Each wish must behumanly possible.
Grant belongs to a league of supernatural beings, dedicated to serving humans in need. After two years of fulfilling the boring wishes of conventional teens, he is one assignment away from promotion to a challenging new role with more daring cases. His month with Lacey is everything that he expects--and nothing like he imagines. Lacey and Grant soon discover that the most difficult task of all might be saying goodbye.
Paperback: 320 pagesExpected publication: Nov 18th 2014 by Spencer Hill PressISBN:  1939392233 (ISBN13: 9781939392237)
Add it on Goodreads.
Elizabeth Langston lives in North Carolina, halfway between the beaches and the mountains. She has two teen-ish daughters and one husband (a geek like her). When she's not writing software or stories, Elizabeth loves to travel with her family, watch dance reality TV shows, and dream about which restaurant ought to get their business that night.
Elizabeth's debut novel WHISPER FALLS is available now and its sequels, A WHISPER IN TIME and WHISPERS FROM THE PAST, will release in 2014. Check on her blog (authoretc.blogspot.com) before March 15 for a giveaway of WHISPER FALLS.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6422993.Elizabeth_LangstonTwitter: @langstonEtcWebsite: http://www.elizabethlangston.net/Blog: http://authoretc.blogspot.com
So, what do you think?

Writer Wednesday: Writers Need Rewards

Last Wednesday I talked about writing in small spurts, and the irony of that was I was fast drafting last week and I wrote 51,000 words in four days. That's a new record for me. I even broke my daily word count record, hitting a new high of 18K in a single day. It was…well, insane.

I did finish my draft and I was happy about that, but I was exhausted. It's crazy to think that sitting and typing would be so tiring, but it is! So I rewarded myself with a reading day on Monday. I lounged around and read Divergent. (Great book, by the way, and I'll be reviewing it later this month.) I learned something from my crazy week of writing pretty much non-stop. Writers need rewards. And we deserve them too. So don't forget to reward yourself for your hard work.

How will you reward yourself this week?

Monday Mishmash 3/3/14

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Finishing the draft of Up in Flames  Yesterday I finished the first draft of the third book in the Birth of the Phoenix series. It felt so good to be drafting, and reaching the end is bittersweet.

2. Many Sides of Medusa Blog Hop March 15th-30th  Heather Lyons and I are hosting a blog hop to show you Medusa as we see her in our YA and NA books: The Touch of Death series and The Deep End of the Sea. There will be door prizes and a giveaway for two gift cards and tons of awesome SWAG. Want to participate? Sign up in the form below.

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3. Reading  My reward for finishing the draft of Up in Flames is to finish reading Divergent. Yes, I know I'm behind in my TBR pile. I want to read it before I see the movie though.

4. The "S" word. I'm so over winter. Who's with me?

5. Pot of Gold Giveaway  Darkly Delicious YA  and Book Nerd Tours  As a member of the Darkly Delicious YA blog, I'm part of this awesome giveaway. 3 winners get Amazon gift cards and one grand prize winner gets a Kindle Fire preloaded with great YA and NA books!



                                                                             

To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Friday Feature: Campus Crush Book Blitz

The Campus Crush Book Blitz is going on right now. You might remember that I write contemporary romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake and that I put out a series of novellas last year. Well, I've taken those novellas and put them together in one book called Campus Crush, and the ebook version is only $1.99!

The co-eds of Timberland College know a little romance is good for the soul. Follow four couples as they try to find love in the Campus Crush Series boxset, including Nothing to Tell, Romancing the R.A., Behind Closed Doors, and Rushing Into Love. When you're looking for love, you have to be willing to break the rules.
A closer look at the four novellas in Campus Crush:
Nothing To Tell  Some guys have the art of hooking up down to a science. They know all the right words to say and all the right games to play.
Except...for guys like Mike Hannigan. The dude has got no game, his pick-up lines never work, and to make matters worse, his wing-man is his female best friend, Mindy.
Until one day, a mysterious raven-haired beauty catches Mike's eye and he's determined to have her. He doesn't care what lengths he has to go to. He'll do whatever it takes to perfect his game and figure out what to say without sounding like a sleaze.
But… There's always something strange about mysterious girls. They're usually mysterious for a reason and this girl in particular might be more than Mike bargained for.
Romancing the R.A. Noelle Buckman is looking forward to making a fresh start in college, one that doesn’t involve immature high school boys. The second she steps on campus for freshman orientation, she can sense the possibilities. Especially when she spots Andy, a resident advisor who’s not just hot but also thoughtful enough to open doors for a girl.
And Andy has his eye on Noelle. Even when her nerves take control and she thinks she comes off as a hillbilly with no direction, Andy can see what she’s really like and he’s more than a little interested.
But orientation is less than two full days and there’s an entire summer between Noelle and Andy. Will her attempt to romance the R.A. be as short-lived as college orientation?
Behind Closed Doors Julia Monroe is through wishing she had an older guy like her best friend Noelle does. It’s time for her to act on her desires. So when she sees sexy, twenty-three-year-old Darren McEntire eating dinner alone at the pub, she decides to make her move. The attraction between them is undeniable, and even through Julia isn’t looking for a one-night stand, she winds up back at Darren’s place the same night she meets him. Only being with him makes her realize what she’s been missing dating other guys. All she wants is Darren.
But Julia allows Darren to think she’s his age and a grad student at the nearby college. She knows she has to confess the truth, but she’s afraid to shatter what they have. Not knowing what to do, she starts the semester only to discover that her new teaching assistant is none other than Darren. With the lies out in the open and campus policy against them, Julia and Darren know the relationship should be over before it even begins. But the chemistry between them is too strong to deny.
Can they find a way to be together or are they doomed to only see each other behind closed doors?
Rushing Into Love As a college junior, Mindy Stanton has no interest in dating a freshman.That is until Ben Whitmore shows up and serenades his way into her heart at the dorm social she’s running. And after hearing him sing, even Mindy can’t deny that he has a deep, sexy voice that makes her melt.
Even though Mindy makes it clear that she doesn’t date younger guys, Ben pursues her anyway. After all, he doesn’t seem like the typical college freshman, who is only interested in hooking up, partying until he can’t remember his name, or joining a frat. He’s a gentleman, a romantic, and definitely knows all the right things to say to sweep a girl off her feet.
So Mindy drops her guard. She allows herself to fall for him. Before she knows it, Ben is all she can think about. To her, he’s perfect. But it doesn’t take Mindy long to discover that even the most perfect guys… have secrets.
Add Campus Crush on Goodreads.
But Campus Crush on Amazon and B&N.

Also, the paperback just released this week! You can find it here.
Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.
Find Ashelyn online
     

Writer Wednesday: Writing in Small Spurts

I'm drafting again. Yay! I love drafting. I actually had to take a big break from drafting while I worked on edits for several books, but I couldn't be happier to be writing a new book. It's actually the third book in a series, and I'm kind of on a deadline since the book is under contract already. Plus, if you follow my Monday Mishmash posts, you might have noticed I keep myself busy with client edits. Well, I have one coming, which makes my deadline to finish this draft kind of tight.

I'm fast drafting, which means I'm trying to write about 10K+ each day, and I usually do that in one five-hour sitting. But...I read a blog post last weekend where a writer talked about writing in small spurts. I thought, no way. I can't do that. I need huge chunks of time to write.

Well, you know what happens when I say I won't ever do something. Yup, I did it. I had twenty minutes of uninterrupted writing time on Sunday while my husband finished running and my daughter was cleaning her room. So I wrote. I got in a thousand words, and since it wasn't even eight a.m. I was really happy about this. I stress when I have to write with other people around. I don't get peace and quiet. But taking a few minutes here and there can really add up as far as your word count goes, so now I'm all for it.

Can you write in short spurts, or do you need a good chunk of time?

Monday Mishmash 2/24/14

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
1. My daughter's birthday!  My daughter turns 7 on Wednesday. Excuse me while I faint, because I don't know where seven years went. 
2. Busy April  I booked my 3rd author event for April. I'll be at the East Stroudsburg Family Expo on the 6th, YA Fest on the 19th, and the Monroe County Book Expo on the 26th!
3. Campus Crush  I rereleased all the Campus Crush novellas, which I publish as Ashelyn Drake, in one book titled Campus Crush. And...it's only $1.99 so anyone who has already begun the series will actually still be paying less than the price of the final novella. Everyone wins! Check out the gorgeous new cover! You can order it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
4. Drafting  I'm working on drafting the third and final book in the Birth of the Phoenix series. The first book, Into the Fire, will release in September.
5. Campus Crush Book Blitz Sign Up  I'm looking for people to sign up for the Campus Crush Book Blitz which will take place February 26-March 6. If you don't blog, you can post to FB or Twitter, and you get to choose which date in that period that you post. Sign up in the form below.
Loading... That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Friday Feature: The Kelpie by T.J. Wooldridge

Today I'm very excited to share the trailer for The Kelpie, a middle grade novel by T.J. Wooldridge. I picked up this book at Arisia last month and am looking forward to diving in.


I can't honestly say I was joking when I suggested to my best friend, Joe - Prince Joseph, eldest son of England's Crown Prince - that we could probably find something the police had missed in regards to the missing children.  After all, eleven and twelve year olds like us did that all the time on the telly and in the books we read  When Heather and Joe decide to be Sleuthy MacSleuths on the property abutting the castle Heather's family lives in, neither expected to discover the real reason children were going missing: A Kelpie.  A child-eating faerie horse had moved into the loch "next door."The two barely escape with their lives, but they aren't safe. Caught in a storm of a Faerie power games, Heather, Joe, and Heather's whole family must face off with talking cats, scheming fey nobles, ghostly secrets, and a magick more powerful than any of them expected.As one more child goes missing, time is running out to make things right.



Now for the trailer:



What do you think?

And the Name of My Street Team Is...

Thank you so much to everyone who suggested names for my Street Team and/or voted on the names I posted last Wednesday. I really appreciate all your help. And a huge thank you and much virtual chocolate to those of you who signed up to be part of my Street Team. You all are seriously awesome and I owe you big. If you didn't sign up and would like to be part of my Street Team, you can do so here. 
Okay, so last Wednesday I posted the following possible names:The Hashtags (Suggested by Karen Rock)Kelly's Minions (Suggested by Giedre Sliumba)Kelly's Corner (Suggested by Beth Consugar)Hashway's Heroes (Suggested by Richard Alan Scott)Kelly's Coven (Suggested by…um, me)Kelly's Krusaders (Suggested by Faith Sullivan)Supernatural Squad (Suggested by…um, me again)
Well, it was a close race. The Hashtags, Kelly's Krusaders, and Kelly's Coven were almost tied for most of the voting. But two pulled ahead. It came down to The Hashtags and Kelly's Coven.
Winning by 2 votes—yes, it was that close!—is:

I love it! Okay, so I suggested it. What I should say is that I love that so many of you also loved the name. But…I promised the winner a free book and since I can't gift a book to myself (well, I could but that's just weird) I'm gifting the runner-up. Karen Rock, you've won a copy of any one of my books you'd like. Congrats!
So, what do you think of my Street Team name and the button I made for the Street Team?
*Those of you who signed up to for Kelly's Coven, you'll be getting your welcome newsletter this evening. I'm going with newsletters to avoid sending mass emails.