Marian Tee's Blog, page 12

What you've been waiting for is here!

Or at least it's so if you have been waiting for Jason and Keanne to be out. And yes, that does mean the book is live on Amazon now! Not only that but Love and Laughter: The Ultimate Romantic Comedy Boxed Set (10-Book Bundle) is also out! Yep - both on the same day!

I'm more than happy with how they ranked the first time, too. :D  Oh and if you guys voted for Nick and Lilac for this contest, it's all thanks to YOU guys that we won 3rd Place for Readers' Choice for Sexiest Cover. 

This is the first cover that I and my cover artist Clarise of CT Cover Creations won so we were both blown away by it. 

Again, thanks guys!

Lastly, before I go - just wanted you to know that tomorrow I'll be featuring a new romance author on my blog. I love her work so I hope you guys would check her book out, too! :) 

Hello Apple readers!

So my publisher and I have only recently added my works to iBooks (Apple's bookstore) and I'm really excited how well they're doing!

Chased is #35 on the OVERALL list for free ebooks! The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire is not far behind, also in the Top 50 on iBooks' OVERALL list for FREE books. As for the PAID list for bestselling ROMANCE books, there's Book #3 The Art of Loving a Greek Billionaire squeaking in at #299

So there. I'm just really happy about it. :) Thank you everyone! Now I'm off to answer everyone's comments since I'm way behind again!

Omg! So many bestselling rankings thanks to you guys!

I think I need to pinch myself. That's basically what I've been feeling ever since I started checking rankings. I'm knee-deep in edits and revisions right now, but I just had to blog about this so I can THANK YOU ALL for your amazing support! New readers, old readers, former readers, future readers - everyone who's bought or downloaded a copy of my book - THANK YOU! 

And now - the rankings!!! First up is Apple.

This is Apple's Top Chart for FREE BOOKS, all categories. The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire is #115 but if you check out the book below it, I know it's going to give me a run for my money. :P Well, it is the Bible, after all. :D 

P.S. You will not be able to see this list on your iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone if you are viewing the PH version of App Store. You need to switch to the US store in order to see this list. 

P.P.S. If you are a reader from the Philippines and would like to download my books using your Apple device, you can still do so by installing a Kindle or Nook app. Also, I may soon have my books available on BUQO as well, which is Summit's digital bookstore arm. Watch out for that since I might just publish one of my old Taglish stories there just for fun. :D 

P.P.P.S. The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire is #83 at this very moment (2/9/14, 12:24AM). As of 90 minutes ago, TAOCAGB has had 5,428 downloads so far, ever since it went free on Amazon last February 6. :D  Can't believe you guys propelled BOTH my boxed sets to Amazon's Top 200!!! And finally, thanks to all these, I made it back to Amazon's Top 100 for Most Popular Authors (overall list). I'm particularly proud about this since as you can see on the screenshot above, it's not just because I'm in multi-author boxed sets. It's also largely due to my own boxed sets and of course my free book. But again, none of it would be possible if not for you guys - and God of course.

So yay me, yay you, yay God!

#yayforeveryone

Yay me!

Just wanted to share a couple of screenshots...
First, I'm so amazed with how well To Love a Shifter's doing!
In the left half of screenshot, you'll see that the book's it's ranked #301 but that was yesterday's ranking. Today it's #234!!! Just 35 ranks and I'd be in the Top 200. :D
At present, TLAS is #1 in several of its categories, and that gives the boxed set an ORANGE BESTSELLING FLAG. That is too cool for words. My first time to have that on my own book so really - thank you guys!
In the lower right part of the screenshot, you'll see that in one of the categories TLAS is next to Tangled, which was the January boxed set I was a part of. They're #1 and #2 respectively for the category's bestselling and hot new release lists.
Sorry if I ended up giving you a blow-by-blow --- I'm just that excited. The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire went free a few days ago - I think it was February 1 - on Apple and it's now #177 on the top chart list for FREE ROMANCE downloads. That's pretty exciting as far as I'm concerned since I don't think I ever ranked or charted on Apple before. 

TAOCAGB also went free seven or so hours ago on Amazon. It's now #567 overall on Kindle's bestselling FREE titles and Top 30 in Free Romantic Comedy titles.

Well, that's it for now. I just wanted to share my excitement with you guys since none of this would have happened without YOU reading my books. :D 

So again...thank you!!! You guys rock. Really. I mean it! 

P.S. I know you might be sick of me saying this, but in case you don't know - I entered a couple of my books in a cover art contest and I'm hoping you could help me win. You just need to vote for ---
Nick & Lilac (Sexiest Cover category) 
and
When Fangirls Lie (Contemporary Series category)
Like I said before, your votes would mean SO MUCH so if you could spread the word, too. That's going to be awesome!

Please vote for my covers!

I submitted ---
Nick & Lilac (Sexiest Cover category) 
and
When Fangirls Lie (Contemporary Series category)
It would mean so much!
Thank you!

Spell busy!

Just an update since I feel like I've been gone for so long from my blog. :)

I submitted the complete manuscript of Jason & Keanne to my publisher. Not sure when she'd release it but I'm thinking this week.
I need to finish my stories for two multi-author bundles due out this month - that's what's keeping me very busy and the reason why I don't get to post much on Facebook or Twitter.
After Valentines Day, I'll finish Book 4: The Art of Loving a Greek Billionaire.
My turnover date for Evren 2 is on March 15, 2014.

That's my schedule for now. :D 

The Ice Around My Heart: How Not to be Seduced by Dukes 2

But first - Happy Chinese New Year! I was extremely busy in the past few days because of that particular holiday, which is pretty important to us Chinese peeps. :) We went to the temple again and thankfully the master there didn't list my sign (Year of the Dog) as being unlucky this year. 

Okay, back to business.

As you know, my two solo boxed sets are now out and thanks to YOU guys, both are doing quite well! :) Actually, they're doing a lot better than I've hoped for, with Eternally Seduced in Amazon's Top 800 and To Love a Shifter in Amazon's Top 500. Not bad! :)

One thing that did NOT make it to the boxed set was the excerpt I prepared for the second half of Rathe and Mary's story. You didn't really think How Not to be Seduced by Dukes was the end of it, did you? :) Mary Ashton is the mistress of Rathe Wellesley, the Duke of Flanders and England’s #1 Heartthrob. As winter approaches, they leave behind the tragedies they’ve overcome together and set for Rathe’s homeland, where they are instantly swept into the dazzling world of Europe’s high society.

However, what was supposed to be a secret romantic holiday explodes into a dirty scandal when the Ton, London’s centuries-old clique of aristocrats, challenge their still-fragile feelings for each other.

He is thirty-four years old, a man in his prime and with a wealth of experience behind him. She is eighteen years old, a girl who has just blossomed into womanhood and whose innocence cannot be completely concealed.

Is he really too old for her…and is she really too young for him? And if everyone say it’s so, should that be enough for them to turn their backs on each other?

“What are you doing here?” His voice was colder than what she had been used to in the past few weeks, reminding her that he had not always been just Rathe, the man she loved and the man who loved her back.

Rathe was also a Wellesley, the present Duke of Flanders, a descendant of Wellington, the Iron Duke himself.

He came to his feet in one lithe graceful motion, and just seeing him move so beautifully was enough to have her heart beating madly. Since she had fallen in love with him, he only had to look at her and she felt like she was flying.

But now when their gazes met, she realized that the feelings were no longer mutual.

Somewhere along the way, something had changed.

“Are you not going to answer me?”

She flinched at the cutting edge of his British accent, a duke reprimanding a servant. That was how it sounded to her, but Mary willed herself not to lose her rarely roused temper. He loved her. He loved her. He had told her so. He would not be acting like this if something wasn’t badly wrong.

She said haltingly, “I just wanted to surprise you.”

The words in itself were a surprise, Rathe sucking in his breath at hearing them. An unbidden image came to him, of him surprising her by teaching her to waltz on a snow-covered ground and of her, surprising him with a poem she wrote and read for him alone.

It felt like those things had happened an eternity ago, like they happened to another couple or at least in a world where they were not judged.

He said harshly, “It’s not a good time.”

She stumbled back at his words, the stricken look on her face making him feel like he had stabbed her in the heart.

“What’s wrong?” Mary whispered. “Tell me, please.”

“Nothing is wrong except you being too hard-headed and acting like a child.”

She flinched again, knowing that the barb had been deliberate. She was perhaps acting like a child, acting like her age, but it was also as if he was driving her to it. “Rathe, we need to talk about this.”

He was silent.

“Rathe, please.”

The pain in her voice reached him and he shuddered, the blackness lifting from his shoulders for a second – long enough for him to tell her hoarsely, “Just go back to our home, Mary.”

“It’s not home when you’re no longer there.”

“I will visit you---”

“When?” She didn’t want to cry but it was impossible and she ended up sniffing her tears back, just like the dreaded child she mustn’t be.

The hurt on her face was too much. He never wanted to hurt her. She was his bloody life. But things had become so complicated he was no longer sure if their love was worth it. So many lives were now being ruined simply because they loved.

He said wearily, “Mary---”

His tone terrified her and she shook her head jerkily, retreating from his office.

“Mary---”

“I’ll come back some other time,” she babbled. “I won’t bother you again like this.”

He took a step back and she cried out.

Rathe stilled, his face white. “Mary---”

She looked at him, unshed tears shining in her eyes. “Please just don’t keep pushing me away, Rathe,” she whispered brokenly before swiftly turning around and walking away.

And he was letting her.

She started to cry.

He had let her walk away a long time ago, and she had to accept that.

To Love a Shifter (6-Book Paranormal Bundle) is live!

Yeah, this pretty much came out of nowhere. :) This includes Awakened: The Zombie Who Loved Me, which is completely new!

Tangled: New Adult Romance is a USA Today bestseller!

Check it out! :D

THANKS TO YOU GUYS, Tangled made it to USA Today's bestselling list for this week at #111 - that number is pretty special to me.
The boyfriend's birthday is January 11 or 1/11.
My dad once bought a car and ordered a customized plate number - *** 111. The three letters were my nickname. :)
It's funny how the first time I had a bundle on USAT I couldn't sit still. I want to shout it to the world. Now, I'm still feeling surreal about it, but not as excited. More...numb. Like, is this really happening? Was I part of another bundle that enough people bought to get it to USA Today?

Maybe someday I'd be "Oh, poo! It's just USA Today." But...I doubt it. I'm kinda like my characters in that way. I appreciate the finer things in life, but I love the little things, too - everything that should be a reason to smile will make me smile. =D 

Anyway, this means I owe you ANOTHER chapter for OFF GUARD. And my fan fic readers are going to kill me if I don't put out another chapter for my Vampire Knight story. I will get to it eventually, but right now I'm up to my neck in deadlines with my publisher. =/ Hopefully by end of February or March 15 to be exact, I can concentrate on these free stories. I owe them to you and I will get them to you as soon as I can!  P.S. In case you missed it, The Art of Loving a Greek Billionaire is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and All Romance. What did you guys think? :)

P.P.S. Edited this post just to share that thanks to you guys, I'm #87 on Amazon's overall list for bestselling or most popular authors (I have a hard time figuring it out lol).

All caught up with blog comments!

I am a horrible blogger. :(
I didn't used to be but writing tends to get in the way nowadays, so it's only today that I think I've caught up with all those who took the time to post comments on any of my blog posts. If I missed your comment - it was probably on one of the older entries that I didn't get to check. :( Sorry about that - maybe post a comment here again? I promise I'll check this particular entry the entire week. 

If there's anything you'd like to say or ask - like, where's The Art of Loving a Greek Billionaire??? 

Now's the time to do it. :)