Piper Shelly's Blog, page 266

Re-Release of Jona & Julian !!!

Hello, good morning, and happy weekend everyone!

It’s here! The thoroughly revised and shiny new edition of an old book.

SUMMER OF MY SECRET ANGEL is up on Amazon since midnight. Beware, it’s the re-release of Loving Your Lies, but it’s a whole lot better this time. I mean…just look at that cover.

I love it. Don’t you? A big thank you to my talented friend, J.D.Stroube from Dreamscape Book Covers.

And here’s the story:

He’s annoyingly gorgeous, provocative, and fast becoming her best friend. But he also has a secret that makes the little hairs on her arms stand on end…

Hi, my name is Jona Montiniere, and that’s pretty much the only good thing to say about me. I’m seventeen, I’m snarky, and I’m a crap-load of trouble. Or so they say… But what did they expect from me really when they dumped me in an orphanage at age five? That I’d grow up to become the new first lady? Nah, I think it’s much more fun to raid Camden Market in London with my friend Debby. She’s cool. She lives on the street. I learned so much from her.

The only thing she missed to teach me was how to tend to a vineyard. And yeah, that’s pretty much what I’m going to do for the next 6 weeks, courtesy to this damn judge who sent me off to France after I was caught stealing. Seriously, the vineyards are okay, and so are my aunt and uncle, who I haven’t met until now. What isn’t okay, and I’m serious, is that I have to live in the same house with my mother, that god-awful dragon, who spurned when I was only a child. And now she wants me back? Demands my forgiveness? Why, because she’s about to die of cancer? Uh-uh. Sorry, but that’s not gonna happen. I want no contact with that woman, thanks.

But what has Julian got to do with it? About my age, he’s too young to be my mother’s lover. So why doesn’t he leave her side? Ever. He’s different, as in the supernatural kind of different, but he’s sa-woon-worthy gorgeous. He obviously has secrets, but he’s also get-under-my-skin charming. In short, he’s a riddle to me.

But he likes me…and that’s the scariest thing of all.

 

Happy reading, my friends!

xoxo

Anna

Cover teaser

Heya,

I promised to give you a little “more” information about the upcoming release of Summer of my Secret Angel. Well, the emphasis was on “little” more, actually, so here’s the first glimpse on the cover. Just a snippet to really get your attention before revealing the whole thing. I hope you like.

Talk later, guys!

xoxo

Anna

Quick update … more tomorrow

Hi everybody,

I just wanted to let you know that the edits for the re-release of Julian&Jona’s book are almost done and the new cover looks awesome. I even found the perfect title for the re-release. Only took me a year and a half, LOL.

The book will come out in about a week from now, all shiny and new. Watch out for SUMMER OF MY SECRET ANGEL. You’ll get to see a cover teaser in a little bit.

All right, now let’s get into Christmas mood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiBoWNo6xDs

xoxo

Anna

Who is ANNA KATMORE ?

Hey folks,

I’ve got important news for you. I’m going to abandone my pen name.

At the time I had to make the decision whether to go with my real name or a pen name, I really had to rush things. Unfortunately, I picked a name that I never really felt comfortable with. I know it’s risky to change the name as an author, especially since so many of you already know me by Piper. But this is a very personal thing and I hope you can understand my motives when I tell you: I couldn’t look at my own books anymore without getting sick of the name.

ANNA KATMORE is very, very close to my real name. With the change you can say I sort of let you all get even closer to myself, which feels a bit weird. But it’s the best possible kind of weird.

I’ll try to make the change as smooth as I can. For now you’ll still find me as Piper Shelly on Amazon. There’s an addition on all the covers now, which tells you both names at the bottom of each book. Only when the next book is being released, I’ll make the final change there.

No worries about finding me! Although the website url has changed to http://www.annakatmore.com, the former url is still working and immediately redirecting you to my site. You’ll always be able to keep in touch through the contacts you know, but I’d be happy if you accepted my true personality and call me Anna from now on.

I’m sorry for any confusions I’m causing with this, but hey, people who read books are usually smart, right? You’ll get used to it, I’m sure.

Big hugs to all of you for sticking with me even when I go bananas from time to time.

xoxo

Anna

 

Tony’s book got a facelift

Hello world,

Some people told me after reading T IS FOR… that the cover was a little misleading, especially abouot Sam’s appearance. The past couple of weeks, I worked closely with a cover artist, who in the process became a really dear friend, and she helped me remodel the book cover. Here’s what J.D. Stroube from Dreamscape Covers and I came up with.

I hope you like it as much as I do.

Happy weekend!

Piper

Tagged: books

Why I cried this morning

A few months ago, I watched a documentary about a 17 year old guy, who was diagnosed with cancer. He was given 6 months to a year to live.

Zach Zobiech’s been born with a natural smile on his face, and he kept it on until the very end. He wrote wonderful music to express his emotions, and one song stood in my head for days.

Clouds.

I don’t know why, but this morning I was singing it time and again. It’s like one of those catchy tunes that you just don’t get out of your mind. But it’s more the smile of the guy and the story underneath the surface that kept me thinking a lot.

And then I suddenly got a message on Facebook. I don’t know why Miriam sent it to me. I think I commented on one of her posts about the song or she commented on mine. It doesn’t matter actually. The thing is, she sent it to me today…of all days. Here’s what she said:

Hi Piper! I saw this video that was just beautiful and I thought you would like to see it if you haven’t already.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9NjKgV65fpo

I hadn’t seen it, but I took the time to watch. I mean, I already knew this guy, and this was like getting news from him. Beautiful.

I’m not one to cry easily. I mean I’m not crying when I’m in pain or when life goes hard on me. It’s mostly the fate of others that touches me deeply enough to make me go teary. So, when this guy got that awesome Christmas present from his family and I saw that look on his face literally saying Holy crap! I was done with the world and just burst out in tears.

I finished watching this video through a haze of water in my eyes, which is okay, because you actually only have to listen to what he says to understand. And for me the message from this video is that it’s okay to breathe again. The world is ready to be “better”. All it takes is a smile and the wish to make others happy. Really, a simple message. And it shouldn’t take to face death to realize it.

Be nice to each other.

Love you all!

Piper

Tagged: personal

Tony’s book got a facelift

Hello world,

Some people told me after reading T IS FOR… that the cover was a little misleading, especially abouot Sam’s appearance. The past couple of weeks, I worked closely with a cover artist, who in the process became a really dear friend, and she helped me remodel the book cover. Here’s what J.D. Stroube from Dreamscape Covers and I came up with.

I hope you like it as much as I do.

Happy weekend!

Piper

Tagged: books

Top 10 book boy friends

I was asked if I ever had a book boy crush. Seriously? Just one?? Heck, I’m falling in love with every new book I grab. LOL

All right, here is my selection of book boyfriends. If you really want to know why I fell in love with those guys, you’ll have to read the books.

1. Christian Grey – Fifty Shades of Grey

I loved that one line: “But then you were all ‘Kiss me, kiss me, Christian!’”…

2. Edward Cullen – Twilight

There was something about this boy in the book that you never got to see or feel in the films. If you hate the films (like I do), give the book a chance. I fell for Edward at the first moment he was mentioned.

“I decided as long as I’m going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly.”

3. Patch – Hush, Hush

He knows that she knows that he isn’t good for her. And he still lures her away from her friends at the arcade.

4. James Rasmussen – Secret Vampire

He was my first ever book boy crush. That book opened the doors to romance for me.

“My first kiss and I’m camotose. Great.”

5. Ash – Daughters of Darkness

This book has the best ever dialogue lines…

Jeremy: “Who did it? Wait—you think I did. Don’t you?”

Ash: “It did cross our minds at one point. Actually, it seems to keep crossing them. Back and forth. Maybe we should put in a crosswalk.”

*

Ash: “I don’t need to kill goats to say things. I CAN talk.”

*

Mary-Lynnette: “Ash? Get bent and die.”

6. Rule – Rule

“I think it’s genetically impossible not to be kind of in love with him when you come equipped with a vagina.”

*

“I almost saw your boyfriend naked this morning.”

I laughed at the look on her face. “I don’t know what to say to that, you’re welcome?”

*

“Look at me being all optimistic and shit.

Remy would be so proud.”

7. Damon – The Vampire Diaries

Basically it’s a given that I always fall for the bad guy.

8. Kyrian of Thrace – Night Pleasures (A Dark Hunter novel)

He was dressed like a goth cop. And he picked her up from work.

9. Roman Draganesti – How to marry a millionaire vampire

What can I say? I have a soft spot for vampires.

All right. My number 10 is a special one and no one of you has ever heard of him. Simply because the book isn’t yet published. But it will be in a few months.

Reynner –

I can’t tell you the book title just yet, but my critique partner wrote this story, and her hero is one of the darkest, sexiest, and most stubborn male leads ever written. Yummy.

Tagged: books

I’m scared

Hey…

Here’s the long due update on my writing life.

You know I’m an indie author. And I love it! You never held it against me that I didn’t publish my books with a big publishing house and gave my stories a fair chance. That’s probably the strongest reason, why I love you all. That and because you seem to love Ryan Hunter as much as I do, LOL.

However…

You know it’s going to get serious when that word comes in, right?

So…deep breath…

A few weeks ago, Marisa A. Corvisiero from the Corvisiero Literary Agency contacted me. Not because of my books, well, not in the first place anyway. But like it’s always with weird coincidences, she asked me who my agent was. I told her I had none and asked her if she was interested. It was a joke!! But now it’s earnest. She made a tempting offer which I couldn’t resist in the end. Doesn’t mean anything yet, only that there is a chance. However—oh there is that word again—last night I got the first real glimpse into what it means to be presented by the top.

Chatty Marisa is wonderful. Bossy Marisa scares me as hell. LOL

Okay, no, it’s not that bad, but when I found out she set me with an entire team of her agency to push my sales and promote the hell out of my books, my knees started to tremble. Why? Because I didn’t expect this. I promised her to write book 4 in the Grover Beach Team series as fast as I could, but no one mentioned a blog tour with about 100 stops in a very short time before. Can you imagine how this makes me dread that I won’t meet everyone’s expectations? For the first time, I’m scared of the business.

There’s a lot of additional work to do, which throws me back. Really back. I will not be able to write what I like in the next half year, but I will write what is expected of me. Yes, I know I was already doing this for the past ten month anyway when I gave in and wrote first Ryan Hunter and then also Tony’s book for you. And damn, I loved writing their stories. But when the latter was finished and released, I really thought, wow I can finally take a breath and write some stories that have been flittering in my mind for years now.

Once again, they have to stand back, which makes me a little sad, because one of those books is the story set in Neverland where I had you all enter your names in comments to pick a few for my heroine and her friends. But don’t worry, I will write that book, just not in the next 6 months. And when I get to finally write it, I know it’ll be one of my best books ever. So yeah, you may look forward to it.

On another note, I quit my 4-hours-a-day-job in an office two weeks ago. I’ll miss my friends there and I’m getting teary every time I think of leaving soon, but in the end I had to make a decision. 15-hour-working-days (and I mean every day, including Saturdays and Sundays) are just too long at some point. My husband recently asked me if we still lived in the same house together, because he’s seeing me so rarely these weeks…okay, months. Heck, we’re talking about a couple of years now. That was the moment where I knew I had to change something.

I’m a workaholic. I never thought I was going to say that of myself one day, but it’s the truth. I can’t rest. I just can’t. Whenever I do anything but writing or plotting or blogging or answering interviews or working on covers or whatever…I feel restless. I can’t enjoy lunch or dinner, I can’t sit still in front of the TV. I don’t meet my friends very often as of late, and sleep…well, let’s say I’m glad I still know how to spell it, ha ha.

Anyways, what this post is all about…

I guess I just want to apologize in advance for any promises I’m unable to keep, any deadlines I’ll fail to meet, and if you send me an email and I’m not replying within a reasonable time, please don’t be mad. I’m still reading them all and I’m definitely going to answer. It might just take a little longer from now on…

All right, this turned out longer than I’d planned. Sorry for getting carried away here. But there are just a few more things I want to throw out with this post.

Book information:

JULIAN

I’m currently working my ass off (well, my fingers actually) to finish the translations of Loving Your Lies. The German edition should be coming out around Christmas. I’ll do my best, but please don’t nail me on it.

T IS FOR

Tony’s book is getting a new cover soon. I had cover models posing for it because some of you thought the current cover doesn’t match the style of the Grover Beach Team covers and it’s misleading  as far as the story is concerned. I agree with you. Thus…the new cover. Soon, guys. Be patient. I have to be, too…

BOOK #4 in the GROVER BEACH TEAM series

…is in process. I plotted it through and I already started with the first chapter. But it will definitely take a few more months to be finished. I can’t say how many, but there’s no chance we go in less than 4. Again, be patient. The story is about Cloey and Justin. Like in book 3, there’ll only be small elements of soccer, just so much that you know it belongs in the series. Old friends will show up, but this time it’s really focusing on the hero and heroine alone. Don’t expect too much Hunter, Mitchell, Summers, Matthews, Frederickson, Miller, Winter, or Simpkins in it. Then you can’t get disappointed.

BOOK #5 in the GROVER BEACH TEAM series

…might come one day, but not any time soon. I have plans for Susan and also for Nick Frederickson, but not in the same story. Before I’m going to write these books, I absolutely make it my top goal to finally listen to my personal wishes first and write what I feel good about. I hope everything’s calming down in the second half of 2014 for me and I can be relaxed me again instead of pushing-my-limits-until-I-can’t-anymore-me. I can cope with being the latter only for so long until I’m going to throw in the towel. I don’t want to reach a point where writing isn’t fun anymore.

GABRIEL

Gabriel is the first book in a paranormal series I started a long time ago. The book is so close to getting finished, but with all the new events coming up, it will once again have to wait. And then I decided for myself, I’m going to write at least three books in the Archangel series, before I’m going to release any of them. Less pressure from expectant readers this way, and everyone can enjoy a looong read.

Okay, that’s it, I guess. Thanks for listening. I know I pretty much strained your patience with this post. The next one will be shorter again, I promise.

Have a beautiful late fall, all of you!

Piper

Tagged: personal, writing

Tony & Sam … Out NOW!!

Guys… you wanted me to write it…and I did.

Ladies and Gentleman, I proudly present Tony’s lovestory.

T IS FOR…HE’S A TOTAL JERK

As always, you can read the first half for free on my website (excerpts) if you’re unsure whether this is the right book for you. If you like it, find the ebook and paperback on Amazon, Kobo, Barns&Noble, or anywhere else in the web.

Happy reading!!

And let me know how you liked it, will ya?

xoxo

Piper