Kate Ashton's Blog, page 2
September 12, 2013
Winner and some news!
Congratulations to Linda - winner of The Only One! I've contacted you by email.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this giveaway. Look for another giveaway next month by another author that I love and you'll enjoy too. Sign up for my newsletter or for this blog by email so you won't miss out!
I love browsing on Amazon for new books. When I decided on the final cover for Every Little Piece, no one else was using the stock art I chose. In the days before I published, two other books at the same time chose this same stock art. I was okay with it. But, up to date, I've counted nine books using this image. Nine! That's a lot. So I decided to change mine. Here it is.
So far...cross my fingers...no one else is using this image. Not to say that in the next few weeks it won't pop up! But I can say that I used it first! The covers haven't switched on the retail sites but they should before the end of the day.
Here's the updated blurb too:
Needing the truth…
I wanted to spend the night before graduation making out with Seth, but one of my best friends had the whole night planned. Lucky for me, we ran into him and his friends playing pool where we made some silly bet over a game, and the losers had to run through town in nothing but their underwear. A year later, I wish more than ever we’d just made out at Raker’s Bluff instead, because maybe the night would’ve turned out differently. Now Seth’s back, the guy who broke my heart, the guy I’m still in love with…I just hope he doesn’t break me all over again.
Desperate for redemption…
No one wants to fess up to having a screwed-up family. When my parents dropped the big divorce bomb on me, I decided to keep it a secret. Just the thought of the pity-stares and pats-on-the-back made me feel sick. I’d tell Haley and my friends another time. Except, I never got the chance. Stuff happened. Stuff that totally sucked and changed our lives forever. Instead of telling my truth, I took the coward’s way out, and I’ve regretted it ever since. But I’m back, determined to tell Haley everything, down to the last gritty detail, if she’ll give me the chance…even if it means losing her forever.
Have a great day everyone!!!
Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this giveaway. Look for another giveaway next month by another author that I love and you'll enjoy too. Sign up for my newsletter or for this blog by email so you won't miss out!
I love browsing on Amazon for new books. When I decided on the final cover for Every Little Piece, no one else was using the stock art I chose. In the days before I published, two other books at the same time chose this same stock art. I was okay with it. But, up to date, I've counted nine books using this image. Nine! That's a lot. So I decided to change mine. Here it is.
So far...cross my fingers...no one else is using this image. Not to say that in the next few weeks it won't pop up! But I can say that I used it first! The covers haven't switched on the retail sites but they should before the end of the day.
Here's the updated blurb too:
Needing the truth…
I wanted to spend the night before graduation making out with Seth, but one of my best friends had the whole night planned. Lucky for me, we ran into him and his friends playing pool where we made some silly bet over a game, and the losers had to run through town in nothing but their underwear. A year later, I wish more than ever we’d just made out at Raker’s Bluff instead, because maybe the night would’ve turned out differently. Now Seth’s back, the guy who broke my heart, the guy I’m still in love with…I just hope he doesn’t break me all over again.
Desperate for redemption…
No one wants to fess up to having a screwed-up family. When my parents dropped the big divorce bomb on me, I decided to keep it a secret. Just the thought of the pity-stares and pats-on-the-back made me feel sick. I’d tell Haley and my friends another time. Except, I never got the chance. Stuff happened. Stuff that totally sucked and changed our lives forever. Instead of telling my truth, I took the coward’s way out, and I’ve regretted it ever since. But I’m back, determined to tell Haley everything, down to the last gritty detail, if she’ll give me the chance…even if it means losing her forever.
Have a great day everyone!!!
September 3, 2013
An ebook giveaway - The Only One by Magan Vernon!
I’ve been thinking of ways to give back to readers and help authors at the same time. Sometimes books just need a little help. Though, I have a feeling for this first giveaway that this book is not going to need any help!
I just so happened to have beta read The Only One and it’s a hot steamy New Adult with a male lead I fell in love with! It’s some of Magan’s best writing. And guess what? The author, Magan Vernon offered to give one winner an early copy before it has been published! Woo hoo!
Good luck to everyone!! The rafflecopter is below!
And, just for you, to kick off my first giveaway, Every Little Piece will be on sale for 99 cents for a limited time!
Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth.
Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for.
Now, as Melanie struggles to pick up the pieces, she realizes that John may be the only one to put her life back together…unless he shatters it first.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media. You can find her online at www.maganvernon.com.
August 5, 2013
Cover reveal - All of You by Christina Lee.
I'm so excited to help in the reveal of Christina Lee's debut NA novel: All of You! I can't wait to read this. It releases September 17th!
In this powerfully emotional debut New Adult novel, Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He's irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.
Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she's perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother's bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.
When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won't accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.
Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.
So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in.
AUTHOR BIO:
Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives near Cleveland with her two favorite guys. She's addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything.
New Adult/Young Adult author. NA Contemporary Romance, ALL OF YOU, releases September with Penguin. BEFORE YOU BREAK in 2014. Repped by Sara Megibow.
Also the creator of Tags-n-Stones (dot com) jewelry.
Author links:
Website: http://www.write-brained.com/Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7060187.Christina_LeeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaLeeTwitter: https://twitter.com/Christina_Lee04
The only bad thing is that we have to wait until September!! Best of luck, Christina. I'm sure it will be a smash!
In this powerfully emotional debut New Adult novel, Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He's irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.
Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she's perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother's bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.
When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won't accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.
Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.
So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in.
AUTHOR BIO:
Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives near Cleveland with her two favorite guys. She's addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything.
New Adult/Young Adult author. NA Contemporary Romance, ALL OF YOU, releases September with Penguin. BEFORE YOU BREAK in 2014. Repped by Sara Megibow.
Also the creator of Tags-n-Stones (dot com) jewelry.
Author links:
Website: http://www.write-brained.com/Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7060187.Christina_LeeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaLeeTwitter: https://twitter.com/Christina_Lee04
The only bad thing is that we have to wait until September!! Best of luck, Christina. I'm sure it will be a smash!
July 25, 2013
Steamy cover reveal - THE ONLY ONE
***The companion novel to The Only Exception. This is NOT a sequel, but takes place two weeks after Monica and Trey's debate and is Melanie's story.***
Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth.
Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for.
Now, as Melanie struggles to pick up the pieces, she realizes that John may be the only one to put her life back together…unless he shatters it first.
And the full wrap
You can add it to your GoodReads NOW. But I'm guessing you need more convincing? Okay, how about a teaser of the first chapter?
I looked around the basement, sipping whatever concoction some guy poured out of a cooler. He called it a ‘magic potion’ and I hoped that didn’t mean he rufied it. I don’t know how Monica talked me into this.
A horde of girls clad in nothing more than lingerie pushed past me as if I were nothing more than another one of the paddles on the paneled wall. I tried to steer away from them, but then I came face to chest with a set of abs and felt all of the magic potion cascade down my cardigan.
I gasped once the cold liquid soaked through both layers and hit my skin.
“Too bad, that was such a nice sweater…” a deep voice said.
I looked up, all the way past the chiseled six pack to cool blue eyes. “Maybe you should just take it off up in my room and I can help you dry off.” He leaned in, his full lips right on my ear. “Or make you wetter.”
My breath caught in my throat, rendering me speechless. Luckily my best friend Monica jumped between us, pushing the guy back so I got a full view of him and realized he was only wearing a loincloth and a large smile.
"Down John Boy." She scowled at him and then turned to me, almost knocking her beret off. "What the hell happened to you?"
"I-I-I spilled my drink."
Monica's eyes narrowed as she looked down at the red liquid soaking through my gray sweater. She whipped her head around to the loincloth clad guy. "Was this your fault? Are you trying to get my friend naked?"
He held up his hands, a cockeyed grin on his face. "Purely an accident, Lib."
Ah, now I knew where I’d seen him before. He had come into the coffee shop we worked at a few times. I don’t think he even glanced in my direction more than to hand me his student ID to pay, but was always calling Monica ‘Lib.’ I’m guessing because she was an extreme liberal.
Monica's boyfriend, the governor's son Trey Chapman, pushed through the crowd. When I usually saw him he was polished in dress pants and a dress shirt, but his Halloween costume was nothing more than a pair of American flag boxers, a dress shirt, and some gray hairspray. He looked ridiculous. I still don't know how Monica talked him into the Clinton and Lewinsky couples costumes.
"Hey, I’ve been looking for you." He slipped his arm around Monica's waist. "What's going on here?"
"Your big brother here spilled a drink on Melanie to try and get her naked."
"Hey!" John Boy yelled.
"It wasn't his fault," I piped in. "It’s crowded here and he ran into me. It’s fine."
"Fine?" Monica raised her eyebrows. "That Hermione costume you've been wearing since middle school is covered in ever clear and Kool aid. That’s not fine."
"I haven't worn this since middle school!" Okay, truth was, it was my go-to costume. I bought it for the first movie's midnight showing and wore it for every movie opening and Halloween since.
"Whatever." Monica turned her head to Trey and tugged on his shirt. "You can just wear Trey's shirt."
About The Author
Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media. You can find her online at www.maganvernon.com.
Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth.
Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for.
Now, as Melanie struggles to pick up the pieces, she realizes that John may be the only one to put her life back together…unless he shatters it first.
And the full wrap
You can add it to your GoodReads NOW. But I'm guessing you need more convincing? Okay, how about a teaser of the first chapter?
I looked around the basement, sipping whatever concoction some guy poured out of a cooler. He called it a ‘magic potion’ and I hoped that didn’t mean he rufied it. I don’t know how Monica talked me into this.
A horde of girls clad in nothing more than lingerie pushed past me as if I were nothing more than another one of the paddles on the paneled wall. I tried to steer away from them, but then I came face to chest with a set of abs and felt all of the magic potion cascade down my cardigan.
I gasped once the cold liquid soaked through both layers and hit my skin.
“Too bad, that was such a nice sweater…” a deep voice said.
I looked up, all the way past the chiseled six pack to cool blue eyes. “Maybe you should just take it off up in my room and I can help you dry off.” He leaned in, his full lips right on my ear. “Or make you wetter.”
My breath caught in my throat, rendering me speechless. Luckily my best friend Monica jumped between us, pushing the guy back so I got a full view of him and realized he was only wearing a loincloth and a large smile.
"Down John Boy." She scowled at him and then turned to me, almost knocking her beret off. "What the hell happened to you?"
"I-I-I spilled my drink."
Monica's eyes narrowed as she looked down at the red liquid soaking through my gray sweater. She whipped her head around to the loincloth clad guy. "Was this your fault? Are you trying to get my friend naked?"
He held up his hands, a cockeyed grin on his face. "Purely an accident, Lib."
Ah, now I knew where I’d seen him before. He had come into the coffee shop we worked at a few times. I don’t think he even glanced in my direction more than to hand me his student ID to pay, but was always calling Monica ‘Lib.’ I’m guessing because she was an extreme liberal.
Monica's boyfriend, the governor's son Trey Chapman, pushed through the crowd. When I usually saw him he was polished in dress pants and a dress shirt, but his Halloween costume was nothing more than a pair of American flag boxers, a dress shirt, and some gray hairspray. He looked ridiculous. I still don't know how Monica talked him into the Clinton and Lewinsky couples costumes.
"Hey, I’ve been looking for you." He slipped his arm around Monica's waist. "What's going on here?"
"Your big brother here spilled a drink on Melanie to try and get her naked."
"Hey!" John Boy yelled.
"It wasn't his fault," I piped in. "It’s crowded here and he ran into me. It’s fine."
"Fine?" Monica raised her eyebrows. "That Hermione costume you've been wearing since middle school is covered in ever clear and Kool aid. That’s not fine."
"I haven't worn this since middle school!" Okay, truth was, it was my go-to costume. I bought it for the first movie's midnight showing and wore it for every movie opening and Halloween since.
"Whatever." Monica turned her head to Trey and tugged on his shirt. "You can just wear Trey's shirt."
About The Author
Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media. You can find her online at www.maganvernon.com. July 12, 2013
Sizzling ideas...and one last photo teaser!
As a writer, I wish I knew all the time what I was going to write next and have it go all as planned. Wouldn’t that make life simple? Seriously. Just think about it.
I feel like I’m constantly changing my mind. A flash of brilliance comes, I jot down some ideas…and then it fades. I can spend days brainstorming just to realize it’s not the right time for that story.
That happened to me about six months ago. Suddenly, the idea has resurfaced and I’m excited to jump in with mind maps and outlining and character sheets and, and....You get the point. We’ll see if it pans out. If it does, you’ll know in a year or less. I do love this story idea.
Until then, I’m reworking a novella to accompany Every Little Piece.
Here’s the last photo teaser for Every Little Piece.
Come back on July 25th for Magan Vernon's cover reveal for The Only One. (I'm beta reading it now and John Boy (main love interest) is my new fake boyfriend.)
Have a great weekend!
June 13, 2013
Every Little Piece - photo teaser #3!
The whole process of creating these photo teasers has been fun. Searching for pictures. Fiddling with them on photoshop. And searching for just the right snippet from the book to go along with it.
Here's photo teaser #3! There's one more to go!
Don't forget the Goodreads giveaway ending soon!
Have a great day!
Here's photo teaser #3! There's one more to go!
Don't forget the Goodreads giveaway ending soon!
Have a great day!
June 6, 2013
Love is give and take. And photo teaser #2!
Love is give and take. And lots of it. I don't think it matters what stage of life we're in: teen, young adult, almost-married, married, going on fifty years. Relationships require work. They require grace, mercy, and forgiveness on both sides.
Too many times, one small incident can be viewed differently by different people. If we settle into our point of view and refuse to see anything else, this can lead to bitterness and anger. If we let those things hang out with us too long, it affects everyone around us.
Sometimes, we're on the receiving end of relationship. We're in trouble or hurting. Or sometimes we're on the giving end. Waiting for someone to reach out. Waiting for someone to heal. Or waiting for someone to forgive.
Have you reached out to the people you love today?
Here's the second photo teaser from Every Little Piece. Seth is waiting in the hospital to hear news about Haley.
Have a great day everyone!
Too many times, one small incident can be viewed differently by different people. If we settle into our point of view and refuse to see anything else, this can lead to bitterness and anger. If we let those things hang out with us too long, it affects everyone around us.
Sometimes, we're on the receiving end of relationship. We're in trouble or hurting. Or sometimes we're on the giving end. Waiting for someone to reach out. Waiting for someone to heal. Or waiting for someone to forgive.
Have you reached out to the people you love today?
Here's the second photo teaser from Every Little Piece. Seth is waiting in the hospital to hear news about Haley.
Have a great day everyone!
May 29, 2013
Photo teaser #1 for Every Little Piece
I've loved seeing all the creative photo teasers that authors have created for their books. So I had to join in the fun! Here is the first of four that I created.
And don't forget about the giveaway going on for a signed copy!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Every Little Piece by Kate Ashton Giveaway ends June 17, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
And don't forget about the giveaway going on for a signed copy!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Every Little Piece by Kate Ashton Giveaway ends June 17, 2013. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
May 20, 2013
Every Little Piece is in PRINT and a Goodreads Giveaway!
First, thanks to Elle Casey for a fantastic springtime giveaway. I ended up giving away close to twenty ebooks! So wow!
I'm happy to announce that Every Little Piece is now in print and available on Amazon.
So, of course, the next thing is to have a Goodreads Giveaway! Woo hoo! Good luck everyone!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Every Little Piece by Kate Ashton Giveaway ends June 17, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
I'm happy to announce that Every Little Piece is now in print and available on Amazon.
So, of course, the next thing is to have a Goodreads Giveaway! Woo hoo! Good luck everyone!
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important; text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #6A6454; border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-image:url(http://www.goodreads.com/images/layou... background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596; outline: 0; white-space: nowrap; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(http://www.goodreads.com/images/layou... color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; }
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Every Little Piece by Kate Ashton Giveaway ends June 17, 2013. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
May 13, 2013
Massive Springtime Giveaway!!
Elle Casey organized a Massive Springtime Indie Book Giveaway. 190 titles. 1,554 copies to give away!! Woo hooo!Every Little Piece is included!Clicking on each picture will lead to the Amazon book page.Click over to Elle’s blog to fill out a Google form for every book you’d like to win!
Thanks Elle! Good luck to everyone!
