Micalea Smeltzer's Blog, page 9

SURPRISE COVER REVEAL!

First came marriage…

Then came love…

Now comes baby in a baby carriage.

So, at least we did one thing in order, right?

 

It’s been three years since Xander and Thea’s impromptu Vegas wedding. Since then, they’ve dealt with family drama, his grueling NFL schedule, and her college classes. Now that Thea’s graduated from college, it’s finally time for them to move out and start their life together.

Things couldn’t be any more perfect.

And then a curveball is thrown their way.

Midnight feedings and a screaming infant wasn’t a part of Thea’s five-year plan, but, suddenly, it’s very much her soon-to-be reality. Xander is thrilled at the prospect of parenthood while Thea can’t wrap her head around it.

But, ready or not, here comes baby.

 

 

Can we talk about how cute this cover is?! I mean, REALLY?! There’s a baby on my cover! Ahhhh! Look how adorable! That little yawn, come onnnnn. As always, Hannah and Anthony killed it, and baby Zara rounds out the show. *claps* Thank you to an AMAZING team for creating this awesomeness and a special thanks to Tessa (Hannah’s sister) for letting us borrow her baby, haha. 

 

Let’s get down to what you really want to know…when is it releasing…well this is about to get really confusing, lol!

Amazon release: March 31st

IF you read on iBooks, Kobo, or Nook–you’re getting it early! Before you rejoice too much, you have a limited amount of time to get it. You can preorder now and it releases the 27th. I’m pulling it on the 28th so I can release straight into Kindle Unlimited on the 31st. NOW, if it comes down quickly from the other retailers there’s a chance I’ll release early! SO STALK ME! The best place to stalk me is the Micalea’s Minions facebook group. I usually always post there first.

The Series That Almost Never Was

With Dark Hearts having just released I can’t help but be blown away by the love this series is receiving and I find myself thinking about how this series almost didn’t happen.

In fact, I almost didn’t release Rae of Sunshine.

Authors rarely talk about the drama and stress that goes on behind the scenes, but a book is rarely smooth sailing. Rae of Sunshine was one of my toughest releases ever. I’m going to start at the beginning though, back to when I first started writing it.

One of my first hiccups when writing Rae of Sunshine was I couldn’t SEE Rae. Normally, I always get a feel for what a character looks like, how they dress, act, etc. All I knew was she was into photography and starting college (I also knew the BIG thing that happened in her past but I don’t want to say that here and spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it)

Anyway, I started writing.

I wrote about 10,000 words. It wasn’t right.

I started over.

I’m someone that rarely “starts over”. If I have to change something it’s usually minor and doesn’t affect me in a way that I have to rewrite so much. So I was frustrated. But I knew it needed to be done.

Rewrote the 10,000 words and got to around 12,000 words this time before I again decided it wasn’t right.

So I started over…AGAIN.

I started over a total of three times. By that point I was questioning if I should keep going. Also, I had this guy popping up in my head. He played drums and had a pet hedgehog and he was telling me it was finally time to tell his story. >.< Last To Know began to eat at me as I wrote Rae of Sunshine. To the point where I couldn’t focus because ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS LAST TO KNOW. It was hard. But I pushed through, because I knew if I didn’t finish Rae’s story then I probably never would and I felt it was too important of a story to scrap.

While I was writing Rae of Sunshine I had a plan to do a book for Xander and Thea and Jace and Nova, so I dropped hints and set up their story.

At the time I was planning to finish Rae of Sunshine and go straight into Xander and Thea’s book–When Stars Collide. But again, Maddox and…at the time she had no name, but she became Emma, wouldn’t leave me alone and I began to feel miserable and depressed at the thought of having to write two more books before I could get to theirs.

In the midst of all this we had the photo shoot for Rae of Sunshine.

I hated the photos.

I have never, in all of my photo shoots I’ve done for my books, HATED one of them before. But I hated this one. At this point, I was feeling like I was cursed. Regina went ahead and did some covers with those photos, in case ONE of them would work and I could get a refund on the shoot. I hated all the covers too, even though she tried so hard.

I spent the whole day crying over the photos and covers. I’m not a crier at all, but I was already so distraught over how HARD the book was to write, still wasn’t quite happy with it at that point as I was writing, and here I was needing a cover to reveal and I had NOTHING. Every time someone looked at me that day I burst into spontaneous tears. It was bad.

But Regina is a saint and told me not to stress about it.

We scheduled a reshoot.

This time?

It was perfect. I absolutely LOVE the photos. It was a weight off my shoulders when I finally saw them.

….But then the cover was taking forever again. I hated everything she did. Nothing was right. Poor Regina. We went through over forty drafts. I’m not even kidding. Some weren’t bad, of course, but it wasn’t right. This was a VERY hard book to get the feel right for. A cover is your first impression so it has to be perfect.

Regina sent a concept that was very close to the what became the final and I finally KNEW we were on the right track. It just needed some small tweaks. I’d told her that morning that I needed it done that day, so we worked the whole evening to get it perfect. At that point, since we’d had to reshoot and the cover took so long, I didn’t have a reveal with bloggers. Well, I’d had one but I had to cancel it after everything that happened. Regina finished the cover and sent me the final files and I revealed IMMEDIATELY. I was releasing in like a week or two, I can’t quite remember, so I wanted it out there.

Thankfully, you guys shared that cover everywhere. It was amazing. I’m always blown away by the power YOU guys have. I think as readers we (I say we because I’m a reader too, lol) feel insignificant, but you guys do more than anyone else. Your reviews, your shares, your word of mouth praise is what helps a book be successful.

Anyway, I had a release date set for Rae of Sunshine and then I got sick with the flu or something. I can’t really remember. I was sick, but still reading through the book again because I wanted to get it out to you guys on time regardless. But as I was reading it I still wasn’t quite happy. It was missing something. I knew I needed to add some scenes. So I took the time and I did it–but it meant postponing it. I announced a new release date that I knew I could meet, and went to work adding these scenes. I added over 10,000 words. When I read it this time I was FINALLY happy with the book. I finally felt like the story had the emotional impact I wanted. I felt good about it. When it was ready I released it early, before the new date, and I honestly thought the book was going to flop. My last six or so releases hadn’t done very well, so I was expecting the worst.

I got the best.

Rae of Sunshine went on to be one of my bestsellers.

That book was my hardest book, all the way around, from writing it, to the cover, to the shoot, to trying to get it out to you. Everything that could go wrong did. And then a miracle happened.

I was blown away by the love it received. I was especially worried, since while it is a romance, it’s not heavy on the romance, it’s more about the plot. I thought that would hurt me, but if anything I think people loved that about it. It was different.

Before releasing it, I’d already made up my mind not to write Xander and Thea’s book next. Rae of Sunshine was too hard, I was exhausted and needed a break from that world, and Last to Know wouldn’t shut up. I knew if I tried to write Xander and Thea’s book then I’d be miserable and it’d be forced and I never want to force a book. So I chose instead to market Rae of Sunshine as a standalone. I knew that if I ever wanted to go back to those characters I could, but I honestly didn’t think I would.

I went on to write all four of the Willow Creek books, then started a series for the kids. While I was writing The Road That Leads To Us I started thinking about writing a bonus scene for Rae and Cade to celebrate the one-year release of Rae of Sunshine. “I’ll write their wedding” I thought to myself. Well, Xander and Thea didn’t take too kindly to that. “Do that and we’ll never get our book,” they said. So I chose not to do a scene and instead just did a sale. More time passed. I wrote The Lies That Define Us and Bring Me Back.

And then Xander and Thea’s voices started to get louder and louder.

Then Regina posted a photo of a guy and I just about fell out of my chair, lol. I was like, “It’s Xander! OMG!”

I started writing The Game That Breaks Us, but Thea and Xander’s voices grew louder and louder–much the way Maddox and Emma had while I was writing Rae of Sunshine. In the midst of writing Game, I stopped and had to write the first page of When Stars Collide. I had to get it out of my head before I went crazy. That first page hooked me. I couldn’t wait to get back to it and finish it.

I scheduled a shoot with Regina for When Stars Collide.

In my mind, I couldn’t believe this was happening all this time later. Almost two years after Rae of Sunshine first released. The craziest part was I still got asked at least once a month if Xander and Thea were getting a book.

I was ecstatic to finally be able to say yes.

I finished The Game That Breaks Us and immediately started writing When Stars Collide. I couldn’t wait. Seriously, I think I started it the same day I finished Game, lol. I absolutely loved writing When Stars Collide. It was so fun and easy. If you’ve read it it’s a lot funnier and lighter than Rae of Sunshine. It was a breath of fresh air to write. And I LOVE Xander and Thea. Their dynamic is fun to write. Plus, Thea is my favorite female character of mine. She says what she wants and it’s awesome. I also have to take a moment to thank Hannah and Anthony (the cover models) for embracing the characters and being so awesome. I can’t imagine anyone else as Thea and Xander. (And yes, Anthony is the guy I saw Regina post and was like, “OMG! It’s Xander!”)

So it’s pretty crazy to me, that a series that I originally planned to write three books for, went down to one, and now there are going to be FIVE. Five books in this series, guys. Like, WHAAAAT?! (Xander and Thea are getting a second book and Jace and Nova are getting a second book)

It’s also turned into one of my favorite series of mine. And despite all the craziness and heartache that happened behind the scenes I wouldn’t change a thing. If I’d written When Stars Collide and Dark Hearts immediately after finishing Rae of Sunshine they would’ve been completely different stories and on the creative end, it would be totally different cover models, and the models for both those books are perfect. In the end, everything happens for a reason. And I’m thrilled that the series is continuing with Xander and Thea’s second book (When Constellations Form) and Jace and Nova’s second book. Even though Rae and Cade aren’t getting a second book you’ll be seeing a lot more of them and their story too.

ROANOKE AUTHOR INVASION PREORDER

Heeeey guys! I hope you’re reading and enjoying Jace and Nova’s story.

Dark Hearts is LIIIIIVE!

*spins* *twirls* It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for! Jace and Nova are hitting e-readers everywhere.

I’ve learned that not everything is what it seems. If you start to look too close, you uncover things people don’t want you to see. It’s why I hide. It’s why no one knows the real me. But he sees me. He sees the darkness in my heart but he’s not afraid, because he’s like me. They say opposites attract, but we’re proof that like-and-like are a far more potent combination.

Novalee Clarke is hiding from a past she wants to leave behind, and Jacen Kensington is running from his.

The thing about hiding and running is eventually the thing you’re trying to escape catches up to you.

And when it does?

It changes everything.

$2.99 for a limited time. Going up to $4.99.

Amazon: hyperurl.co/n0d96o

iBooks: hyperurl.co/uz3usm

Kobo: hyperurl.co/iq8qsi

B&N: hyperurl.co/06vqfk

Leave a review get a bookmark

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I can’t wait to hear what you guys think of Dark Hearts!

Also, When Stars Collide is .99 cents for a limited time so if you haven’t read that one yet grab it and Rae of Sunshine is FREE.

Amazon: hyperurl.co/6sn5gt

iBooks: hyperurl.co/8enys8

B&N: hyperurl.co/i3m2kh

Kobo: hyperurl.co/7p706c

Rae of Sunshine

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The post Dark Hearts is LIIIIIVE! appeared first on Author Micalea Smeltzer.

Light in the Dark Character Interview

We’re hanging out with the Light in the Dark gang today! Aka Cade, Rae, Xander, Thea, Jace, and Nova. They’re answering some fun questions and hanging out with us today. Jace and Nova’s book—Dark Hearts—is releasing January 24th.

Me: Thank you so much for sitting down with me today guys.

Cade: Thanks for having us.

Thea: *hopping up and down in her seat* We’re so happy to be here.

Xander: *looks at Thea with love in his eyes*

Jace: *taps out cigarette. Looks at it and puts it away* How long is this going to take?

Nova: *smacks Jace’s arm* That wasn’t nice.

Jace: *mumbles* Sorry.

 

Me: *shuffles papers and clears throat* Let’s get started, shall we? *Waits for everyone to nod* Let’s start simple, what’s your favorite color? Cade, why don’t you go first?

Cade: If I had to choose, gray, but I don’t really have a favorite.

Rae: Purple.

Thea: Really? I thought you’d say black. Mine’s pink, but I think everyone already knows that.

Xander: Uh…blue? Maybe red. It depends on my mood.

Jace: White and gray.

Nova: Purple and red.

 

Me: Next question…what’s your favorite TV show?

Cade: House of Cards

Rae: Stranger Things—I’m addicted.

Thea: Charmed. *smiles at Xander*

Xander: Charmed and Supernatural are tied for me, but I probably lean towards Supernatural.

Jace: I don’t have time to watch TV.

Nova: Me either. *eyes Jace*

 

Me: Question number three, what’s your go-to snack?

Cade: I try to eat healthy so maybe an apple. Stuff like that.

Rae: Goldfish

Thea: Cheez-Its, Goldfish, Chips, Popcorn…I love food, okay?

Xander: Protein bars.

Jace: I don’t really snack.

Nova: I don’t either. I skip meals a lot, when I get busy, and it drives Jace crazy.

 

Me: What’s your favorite book?

Cade: HARRY POTTER!

Thea: *covers face and groans* Cade.

Cade: *blinks innocently* What?

Rae: Moving on…my favorite is, Eragon. I recently read that because Cade recommended it and I loved it.

Thea: I’m not a big reader. I like TV more. I know, I know, I should read more, but I’m a work in progress.

Xander: The Great Gatsby. I have an old dog-eared copy from high school that I refuse to get rid of. Thea makes fun of me for it.

Thea: That’s because it’s falling apart.

Xander: That makes me love it more.

Jace: I can only pick one?

Me: Yeah, sorry.

Jace: Right now it’s Dark Places by Gillian Flynn.

Nova: I’m like Thea, I’m not a big reader, plus I don’t have much time with school, and photography takes up most of my free time.

 

Me: My readers know I love music, so what’s some of your favorite bands or artists?

Cade: Fall Out Boy. They always get me pumped.

Rae: One Republic.

Thea: X Ambassadors

Xander: The Lumineers

Jace: Twenty-One Pilots

Nova: Ooh, this is a tough one. Probably The Chainsmokers. I listen to them a lot when I edit photos.

 

Me: We talked about favorite shows, but what’s your favorite movie?

Cade: Hands down it’s Ghostbusters—the original.

Rae: Titanic.

Nova: I was going to say that.

Jace: You only just saw it for the first time.

Nova: Yeah, and I loved it, so now it’s my favorite.

Thea: Ignore those two, I think bickering is their form of foreplay. My favorite is Jaws, obviously.

Xander: Yep, mine is Jaws too. *smiles at Thea*

Jace: *rubs jaw* Homeward Bound…Don’t look at me like that. *Eyes everyone* It’s a good fucking movie.

 

Me: Cade is a big fan of Harry Potter—as am I—so I have to know, if you went to Hogwarts which house would you be sorted into?

Cade: Gryffindor!

Thea: *snorts* He wishes. He’d so be a Hufflepuff.

Rae: *laughs* Yeah, you’re definitely a Hufflepuff. Sorry, Cade.

Cade: You all suck.

Rae: I’m not sure what house I would be…hmm…Gryffindor most likely.

Cade: *grumbles* Oh so you get to be Gryffindor. I see.

Rae: Don’t pout.

Thea: I think I’d be Ravenclaw.

Xander: Gryffindor.

Jace: Slytherin all the way.

Nova: *laughs* Definitely Slytherin.

Jace: *wags brows and looks at Nova* Are you gonna let me slytherin to your bed every night?

Nova: *laughing* That was so bad.

Jace: *shrugging* It made you laugh, mission accomplished.

 

Me: I have to ask…what’s your spirit animal?

Cade: Uh…a wolf.

Rae: A giraffe…since I’m a giant.

Cade: *kisses Rae* I like that you’re tall.

Thea: I’m a unicorn. Obviously.

Xander: A cheetah—since they’re fast.

Jace: A shark…I like to bite.

Nova: A lioness.

 

Me: Some readers submitted questions as well, one of those is; What would be your superhero alter-ego and why?

Cade: Iron Man, because he’s sarcastic and I like him.

Rae: Valkyrie, she’s a badass.

Thea: Storm, because it would be so cool to control the weather.

Xander: The Flash—who wouldn’t want to run fast.

Jace: I’m not a superhero kind of guy. Maybe Deadpool. He’s a smartass and an anti-hero so that suits me.

Nova: He’s perfect for you. I’d be the Enchantress. I feel like she’s misunderstood, plus who wouldn’t want to be a sorceress.

 

Me: Another reader submitted question is, if you were trapped in a dungeon who do you think of the group, would be the one to get you out?

Everyone: Jace.

Jace: *laughs* Apparently me.

Nova: He’d stay the most calm and level-headed. He’d be able to think clearly and get us out. Cade and Xander would be busy comforting Rae and Thea and telling them it’d be okay. And I’d help him of course, if he needed it.

 

That’s all the questions. Thank you all so much for stopping by.

Dark Hearts releases TOMORROW January 24th and you can preorder below for a special price of $2.99. It will be going up to $4.99 some time after release.

Amazon: hyperurl.co/n0d96o

iBooks: hyperurl.co/uz3usm

Kobo: hyperurl.co/iq8qsi

B&N: hyperurl.co/06vqfk

 

The post Light in the Dark Character Interview appeared first on Author Micalea Smeltzer.

Dark Hearts Trailer

MOST of you have probably already seen the trailer but in case you haven’t, or want just want to watch it again, I wanted to post it here.

Dark Hearts Teaser Tuesday #5

It’s that time again! Teaser Tuuuuuesday! AND GUESS WHAT?! Next Tuesday Dark Hearts will be hitting your e-readers. That’s right. ONE MORE WEEK!

TEEEEEEASER

You can now preorder from Amazon!

$2.99 special preorder price. Going up to $4.99 after release.

Amazon: hyperurl.co/n0d96o

iBooks: hyperurl.co/uz3usm

Kobo: hyperurl.co/iq8qsi

B&N: hyperurl.co/06vqfk

The post Dark Hearts Teaser Tuesday #5 appeared first on Author Micalea Smeltzer.

Dark Hearts Cover Reveal

*throws confetti* TODAY is the cover reveal for Dark Hearts. I’ve been waiting for this day…for months. Counting down like it’s Christmas. So without further ado…

I’ve learned that not everything is what it seems. If you start to look too close, you uncover things people don’t want you to see. It’s why I hide. It’s why no one knows the real me. But he sees me. He sees the darkness in my heart but he’s not afraid, because he’s like me. They say opposites attract, but we’re proof that like-and-like are a far more potent combination.

Novalee Clarke is hiding from a past she wants to leave behind, and Jacen Kensington is running from his.

The thing about hiding and running is eventually the thing you’re trying to escape catches up to you.

And when it does?

It changes everything.

Check out the Happy Ever After USA Today blog to see the exclusive reveal and read an excerpt. http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2017/01/13/dark-hearts-cover-reveal-excerpt-micalea-smeltzer/

Preorder special price of $2.99 (going up to $4.99 after release)

Amazon: hyperurl.co/n0d96o

iBooks: hyperurl.co/uz3usm

Kobo: hyperurl.co/iq8qsi

B&N: hyperurl.co/06vqfk

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Thoughts I’ve had: Have I lost my love of reading?

In the past, I could read a book a day. I’d get sucked into the fictional world and find myself unable to leave until I’d read the whole thing. I’d then walk around in a daze, my mind still trapped in the story. I’d smile to myself as I thought about the characters. Then, I’d pick up another book and start the whole thing over again.

Even in my first year of writing I still managed to read 105 books. I’m sure in the past I’ve read even more than that in a year, but back then I didn’t know what Goodreads was so I didn’t keep track.

The next year (2013) I didn’t meet my goal. I don’t even remember what my goal was.

In 2014 I only read 53 books.

53? What?! I’m sure when I was in high school I was reading at least 200 books a year. And in 2014 I only read 53? That number breaks my heart. And yes, I was writing my own books, which is a time-consuming process, but I can’t blame my lack of reading on writing because in 2012 I still managed to read 100 books.

In 2015, I read 54 books. Well, at least I managed to add one more from the previous year, but still 54 books isn’t a lot for me.

The number of books I read in 2016…?

36.

I only read 36 books in 2016 and I think 6 of that 36 was my own.

I could argue the point of “I’m busy” or “I don’t have time to read” but it wouldn’t be true. I DO have the time. Time I spend doing other things, I could use to read instead. Lately, I choose not to because I dislike almost every book I pick up. Gone are the days where I’m sucked down the rabbit hole until I finish a book. Gone are the dazed expressions and wandering mind.

When you dislike almost everything you’ve been reading it makes you paranoid that you’re going to hate everything, so then you choose not to read.

Now, I’m not saying the books I’m reading suck, because I’m sure most of them don’t. The problem is 100% ME.

It’s like my mind can’t shut down and allow me to be sucked into the stories in the same way. I over analyze everything and it becomes exhausting instead of an escape.

But I’ve also noticed a lot of other people saying the same thing; that they can’t get into book after book so they’re not reading. So if you’re in the same rut as me, know that you’re not alone.

I don’t know exactly what I can do to get over this and back to my love of reading, but I’m going to try. I’m not going to allow myself to feel dejected time and time again. Because here’s the thing, I MISS reading like crazy. It was my escape, and not having that…it sucks.

My goal this year is to read 100 books. I hope I can do even more than that, even if it’s only 101.

I’ll keep you guys updated on my progress. Maybe do a monthly wrap up if that’s something you’d like to see, and if you’re having a similar struggle maybe we can help each other along the way.

The post Thoughts I’ve had: Have I lost my love of reading? appeared first on Author Micalea Smeltzer.

Dark Hearts Teaser Tuesday #4

*claps* It’s TEEEEASSER TUEASSSSDAY!

I feel like we need a theme song for Teaser Tuesdays, lol! But I’m definitely not a song writer, so we’ll have to do without.

Dark Hearts releases January 24th! That means TODAY marks TWO WEEKS until release. (shrill screaming)

The cover reveal for Dark Hearts is THIS Friday and it’s exclusively with HEA USA Today so be sure to check out their site for that! It’s GORGEOUS and honestly it’s my favorite cover of mine. *drools* I have paperback ARCs to giveaway too so make sure you’re following my facebook page, Instagram, and have joined my facebook group Micalea’s Minions.

Now, on to the teaser. I’ve bored you enough.