Mia Sheridan's Blog, page 4
April 16, 2013
Reveal! Re-designed Leo Cover!
April 15, 2013
Cover Reveal – Leo’s Chance
I’m super excited to reveal the cover for Leo’s Chance (expected release date, June 2013)! I hope you all like it as much as I do! 
xx! Mia
April 7, 2013
Leo Playlist
I’ve had a couple requests for a Leo playlist so here it is! I do feel that I must explain that my seven year old daughter is a big J.B. fan and so his songs are always a part of any playlist in our house (not to say I don’t enjoy me some J.B. as well. Let’s be honest here.) 
But this is the collection of songs I listened to repeatedly while writing Leo and so I had to include each song that immediately conjurs up the “feeling” of Evie, Leo and Jake for me.
This is a list of where each specific song “fits” in the book…
Rooftop and other flashbacks – Catching Feelings, Justin Bieber
Jake following/Leo car crash/First date with Jake – Just a Feeling, Maroon 5
Catering job run-in with Jake & Gwen – Catch my Breath, Kelly Clarkson
Walking to bus/Jake pulls up – Try, Pink
Evie tells Jake about her past as he cooks dinner – If I Lose Myself, OneRepublic
Evie & Jake’s First Time – I’ll Be, Edwin McCain
Zoo date – Just Give Me a Reason, Pink, Nate Reuss
Nightclub date – One More Night, Maroon 5
Wall “interlude” scene – Higher, Taio Cruz
Back unveiled/Evie runs/Leo’s story – Dark Side, Kelly Clarkson
Separation – Stay, (originally by Rihanna), Shaun Reynolds feat. Laura Pringle
Evie jumps in cab through epilogue – Believe, Justin Bieber
April 1, 2013
Facebook Page
Through a series of unfortunate events (i.e. my complete technical incompetence), I set up my Facebook author page incorrectly and had to delete it and start over – I know, right? Seriously, WHO can’t set up a Facebook page? Me, that’s who. Sigh. ANYWAY, because Facebook makes you wait 15 days to reclaim a url, I was without one… alone… adrift… distraught… trembling with anxiety that no one would find me… do you see now why I write angsty romance?
So, here it is, my very own (correctly implemented) Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/miasheridanauthor
Please come visit me there and “like” my page!
xx! Mia
March 29, 2013
Excerpt from Leo’s Chance, Coming Summer, 2013
Since I’ve included a one chapter excerpt from Leo’s Chance in the newest version of Leo, I thought it only fair that I made it available for those who previously purchased my book. Leo’s Chance is Leo from Jake’s pov, with lots of extras that Evie wasn’t privvy to. So, here it is!
WARNING: IF YOU HAVEN’T READ LEO, DON’T READ THIS EXCERPT FROM THE NEXT BOOK – IT’S A SPOILER!
CHAPTER 1
I lay in my hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling, swimming in my own grief. How had it come to this? How had life brought me to this place – not just this room in this building, but the unbearable state of my own heart and mind? I want to escape myself, I want to crawl out of my own head and become a shadow curled up in the corner, just a ball of emptiness. I had literally and completely destroyed every person who had ever tried to love me, and the pain in that realization is so devastating that it feels crushing, constricting, too big to handle.
I hear a light knock on my hospital room door and before I can answer, it’s pushed open slowly and Dr. Fox’s head peaks around the door, white hair wild. “Morning, Jake,” he says smiling.
He walks in, letting the door swing closed behind him.
Dr. Fox is the hospital psychologist and he’s been stopping by for two weeks now but I don’t have a word to say to him. I’m not interested in what he’s selling. Period.
When I don’t say anything, he looks at me for a minute and then says gently, “Still don’t want to talk to me about the traumatic month you’ve had? You might be surprised that talking helps.”
I exhale, still remaining silent. This is the last fucking thing I need, some shrink trying to tell me to cry it out and it’ll all be okay. He looks like Einstein, which might be good considering I’d need a genius to even attempt to work through all my issues. I’m a fucking mess and I know it. Still, I’ll pass. Thanks but no thanks.
“So what?” I finally say, “You’re going to Goodwill Hunting me or something? It’s not my fault, right?” I laugh humorlessly and look away. What a joke.
He’s silent for a couple beats and then he says, “Well, I don’t know, Jake, I read about your accident and it sounds like that was most definitely your fault. And I’d like to talk to you about that if you’re willing. Your dad passing away… obviously, no. But either way, I’m not here to blow sunshine up your ass. If you want someone to pat you on the back and tell you you’re not responsible for your own bad decisions, I’m not your guy. If you’d like to talk to someone who has helped people a lot worse off than some poor little rich boy who didn’t get his way and threw a fit by smashing up his new Porsche, maybe I can be a listening ear.”
He turns to leave and I’m seeing red at his words. I can barely move my broken body, both arms are in casts and my leg is suspended in the air, encased in a cast as well and my face is bandaged and swollen. But I manage to jerk my body enough to make him swing his head back around as he’s turning and I clip out, “You presumptuous bastard. You think you know me based on a few things you have written down on a fucking piece of paper? You think people can be summed up in a line or two on a clipboard? I’m not some ‘poor little rich boy!’ I didn’t grow up with more than a pot to piss in. I had just found out my little brother was dead – a kid I practically raised. You don’t know shit about my situation.”
He’s silent again for a minute. “I do now,” he says quietly. “Thank you for telling me. What was your brother’s name?”
I hesitate for a minute, furrowing my brow and then turning my head to look out the window at the blue California sky. Holy shit, that sneaky bastard tricked me. Huh. I feel my lips twitch against my will. A seed of respect takes root.
I take my time answering, continuing to stare out the window silently for a minute or two after he’s asked his question. He waits me out. “Seth.”
“I’d love to hear about Seth if you’ll tell me about him,” he says.
I sigh. I haven’t talked about Seth in so long. Ah, what the hell? The only way that sweet kid is going to live on in this world is through me. I’ve fallen down on the job. I owe him so much. Still, I hesitate, but finally find the words. “I hadn’t seen him in eight years. I’m adopted. He was my real brother. Or half brother. But my real brother in every way that counts. It’s a long story.”
“I have a PhD in long stories.” He smiles and I chuckle despite myself.
“I bet.”
“How would you feel about me coming back tomorrow morning for an hour or so?”
I pause, considering. “I don’t know, I’m kinda busy. I’ve got a pity party scheduled for eight a.m. followed by wallowing at nine.”
He laughs quietly. “Ten it is then. I’ll see you tomorrow, Jake.”
He starts walking towards the door and as he’s reaching for the handle, I call out, “Hey, doc?”
“Yeah?” he says turning to look at me.
“My name is Leo. My real name, I mean. It’s not Jake. It’s Leo.”
He pauses for a minute but doesn’t ask me to explain. “Okay, then, Leo. I’ll see you tomorrow at ten.”
And with that he opens the door and walks out.
March 17, 2013
On .gif’s and Face Planting
I want to say a quick thank you to all those who have taken the time to post some amazing reviews on Leo. I know that they take time (especially the incredible ones on Goodreads with the .gif’s and ahhhh! it would take me as much time to do one of those as it took to write the darned book!!). 
I just wanted to let you all know that I recognize that each thoughtful review is labor intensive and I’m grateful! While, of course, I want every review to be 5 stars, the ones that have fewer are the ones that will help me become a better writer and so I appreciate those as well. I’ve read a few critiques and said, “Wow! That’s a really good point!” So, don’t think I dismiss ANY of them. (I mean, I do drink a bottle of wine and face plant into my husband’s chest every once in a while, but that’s what you get when you put yourself out there and like Evie, I’m proud of myself for stepping out of another safety zone).
Thank you, friends!!! Really and truly! I appreciate each and every one of you!
xo! Mia
March 15, 2013
The “Sign of Love” Series
Hi All!
Thanks so much for stopping by to say hi! The last couple of days have been a whirlwind and I feel like I have hundreds of new besties! I want to take you all out for coffee and get to know each and every one of you!
I’ve been asked several times by readers what the “Sign of Love” series is going to be about and why it’s called a series at all. Well, here’s the background… The rough outline of the story of Jake and Evie came to me (in a blinding flash of light… okay, not really, I just think a lot about random stuff) and I was just about to get started writing it. But there were a few gaps that I was having trouble filling in in my mind and I was grappling with several elements of the story.
Well, one day as I signed in to Yahoo, one of the main stories was a fun little article about “Your Sex Sign.” Basically, it described the sexual qualities of each astrological sign. So I started thinking… what if there was a person, a hero, who strongly exhibited the main quality described for each sign… but then life events came in to make that character act in direct opposition to this innate characteristic… what would that look like? How would he fight to return to his true nature?
I knew immediately that Jake was my Leo, my strong and loyal lion and the story flowed out from there.
This series will have an element related to each sign, but there will be nothing directly astrological about any of them. They will all be stand alone novels. I’ve read far too many “cliffy” endings and truthfully, most of them leave me wanting to hurl my Kindle at the wall. And if the next book in the series doesn’t come out for months and months, by the time I start it, I’ve lost all my emotion for the characters. 
When I began writing, I vowed that I wouldn’t do that to my readers! So no worries there!
My next hero represents Scorpio and does he ever sting! But I think you’ll love him! I know I already do…
Huge hugs and many thanks! – Mia
March 12, 2013
New Release – Leo!
Hi everyone!
I am beyond excited to reveal the cover for my first book, Leo! Leo became available on Smashwords today and will be available at Amazon (kindle) and Barnes and Noble (Nook) late tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest. I can’t wait to hear what you think! As you see, Jake’s head can’t be seen in the cover pic. So…. how are you picturing him?? Paste a link in the comments! I’d love to know.
Love, Mia
