Theresa Paolo's Blog, page 5

Lift 2016

April is Autism Awareness month, shining a global light on the condition an estimated 3 million people in the United States and 70 million people in the world live with every day. 1 in every 68 American children. 1 in every 42 boys. Though Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability, affecting this many, for those outside looking in, it often remains a mystery. This month we hope to shine light and spread compassion for families living with Autism. In addition to raising awareness, we also want to take action. This is the second LIFT 4 Autism campaign, rallying the romance reading community around this cause. More than 200 authors and bloggers are partnering with this effort, many donating books and other items to an auction the last week of April. Proceeds from this auction will go directly to our charitable partner, Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating, empowering and supporting families affected by autism. Specifically, our efforts will benefit families served through TACA's scholarship program to offset medical and therapy costs. To stay abreast of LIFT news and developments this month, join our Facebook Group. How can you be involved? 1. Authors – Donate books or other items for auction2. Bid in the auction, and your money goes straight to TACA’s scholarship fund. (You'll be asked to register before the auction date to bid.)3. Purchase a LIFT 2016 t-shirt4. Make a tax-deductible donation to TACA 

LIFT Giveaway! $5 Amazon Gift Card, LIFT T-Shirt and E-Book from any LIFT Author

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day is Here!

It's been six long years in the making and finally Dead Girl is here! I'm so excited for this release because this book is very near and dear to my heart. It even earned a spot in the acknowledgements:


And lastly, to this book, six years is a long time to spend on one project, but I would do it all over again. I have learned so much from that first draft until now and I’m a better writer for it. Thank you for showing me failure, determination, humility and gumption.  
I'm so excited to finally be able to share it with you! And for today only it is $0.99!!!! Why do you want to read this you ask? Let's start with the blurb: 
If her mother wasn’t watching, Kylie Presby would punch Queen Bee, Natalie Silvers, in the face -again. But as Kylie wipes her tears away with the layers of toilet paper encasing her car, she knows she can’t retaliate like she did last time. Her dead mother wouldn’t approve. Kylie no longer cares about popularity. Invisible would work just fine.

Then the new kid, Braydon, mysterious, good looking and too clever for his own good, shows up and sacrifices his social status, becoming Kylie’s shield from the front line assault. After enough chocolate ice cream and movies it’s as if they’re best friends. Crazy, since Kylie knows so little about him.

As Natalie continues her relentless attacks on Kylie another person deals with his own line of bullies. Jack Stine was popular until his deepest secret was revealed and his friends abandoned him. Kylie and Jack bond over their tormentors and form an unbreakable friendship.

Three lost souls each with a story that binds them together, but will it be enough when the bullying goes too far and secrets are revealed?   Still not convinced? How about some early reviews:
Braydon is the guy who made me fall in love with friends to lovers stories. - Cassie Mae, author
With a well paced plot and complete character depictions that evoke strong positive and negative emotions, Dead Girl is a realistic YA novel with an important message. - Sharon, Goodreads user
This is definitely a book for everyone, well written and engaging from the first word, this will draw you in and has a little something for everyone.- Julie, Goodreads user

I LOVED IT! The story is amazing i cried so many time and i laugh as much!- Patty Di Palma, Goodreads user

And the consequences were so real and left me an absolute snot-nosed wreck... - Lenore Kosinski, Celebrity Readers 

Have I sold you yet? No... :( What about a few teasers? 



If I haven't convinced you yet it's only $0.99 today! That's less than $1! 
If you do decide to take a chance on me and my little book that could thank you! :)

Get Lucky Release!

 Happy St. Patrick's Day!! How about we celebrate with a NEW RELEASE?(I was going to create a post, but Kelly did such an amazing job on hers I had to steal it. Thank you Kelly for putting the post together.) $0.99 for a limited time!AVAILABLE NOW ON:Amazon * iBooksGet Lucky is a YA anthology featuring six contemporary romance short stories from some of today's hottest (and my favorite) Young Adult authors! Short meaning each story is around 20,000 words or 80-85 pages, so you'll get your money's worth. (Especially since it's only $0.99 for a limited time.)


FEATURED STORIES:
Sounds like it'll tug at the heartstrings, right? Now you can let it tug away for just $0.99 (limited time!) AVAILABLE NOW ON: Amazon * iBooks To be the first to get Ali Dean's news, join her email list here: SUBSCRIBE Website * Facebook  * Goodreads * Instagram * Twitter * Pinterest 

Dude. BOOK BOYFRIEND ALERT!!! Somehow I don't think you want to miss this one. So guess what, you know what to do. 1-click for a buck! Amazon * iBooks
Want to be a part of her team and receive books before they’re released? Sign up for her ARC mailing list! Until then, visit her on the web at any of the following places: Website * Facebook * Twitter @KKehoeAuthor * Instagram @authorkristenkehoe   


You're swooning right now. I know you are. And you know what I'm going to say: swoon away for just $0.99 (limited time!) AVAILABLE NOW ON: Amazon * iBooks
Stalk, talk, or send pictures of Luke Bryan to her on her Facebook page.Sign up for the Cassie Mae Catch-up Follow Cassie Mae on TwitterBrowse Cassie Mae Books on her Website Email Cassie Mae for a free cyber hug Join Cassie Mae’s Awesome Nerds! 

All the feels! (And the eyes, and the abs, and the smile...) And he...I mean this awesome story...can be yours. Right Now. You guessed it... For just $0.99!!  AVAILABLE NOW ON: Amazon * iBooks
For updates on upcoming releases and sales, sign up to receive Theresa's newsletter. Or find her on: Facebook * Twitter  * Pinterest * Goodreads * Instagram * Blog
Come on now. You know how much I love kissing. And now I've written an entire story all about KISSING. Do I really need to say more? How about I throw in a hot cowboy? And a birthday surprise. And KISSING!All these kisses are just waiting for you to claim them. And they're only a dollar!! Amazon * iBooks Don't miss the latest news from Kelly Oram! Sign up for her newsletter to receive e- mail notifications for all of her new releases, events, sales, & giveaways. This is a monthly newsletter often with exclusive giveaways and freebies from some of her favorite authors. Subscribe 
Connect with Kelly: Website * Facebook * Amazon * Goodreads * Facebook fan group * GoodReads fan group * Twitter: @kellyoram * Instagram:@kellyoramwrites



Aww, it's Ginger at her finest. And I'd definitely sink into the grass to stargaze for a while. Forget homework! In fact, you should forget your homework right now. And 1-click this story because it's way better than doing homework. And it's only $0.99 right now. (You knew I was going to say that, didn't you?) Well, then, what are you waiting for? It's waiting for you right now!Amazon * iBooks

Find Ginger Online Here: Website *Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest * GoodreadsAnd, of course, we have to give a special thank-you shout-out to the lovely Ashley Blevins with tcbediting for taking the time to round us all up and make this awesome anthology happen! Make sure you check out her services, or just stop by and tell her she's awesome for doing this!
TCBediting.weebly.com

Seriously guys, this is the freaking cutest, most swoon-worthy, amazing YA anthology ever!! It's only going to be on sale for a few days, so don't hesitate. Snatch it up and start falling in love now! Here. I'll even give you the links again, just in case you have managed to resist the temptation through this entire blog post... (Which, I don't know how you could have. I totally 1-clicked while writing it and I already own the PDF version.) It's so awesome I wanted my official copy. And I promise, so do you! SO go. NOW. (Yup, I'm being bossy, but it's for your own good.)$0.99 for a limited time!AVAILABLE NOW ON:Amazon * iBooks

Cover Reveal: Dead Girl

Today is the cover reveal for my newest Tessa Marie book Dead Girl, a YA contemporary, releasing March 31, 2016. This book. Oh man this book. It has been with me from the very beginning. I began work on it at least five years ago and it has been through a ton of rewrites since then. This was the first book that I ever cried while writing. I remember trying so hard to type the words out but unable to see the screen through the tears. These characters brought me on an emotional roller coaster and because of that they are very near and dear to my heart. I've been waiting a very long time to bring this book to all of you and I cannot wait for you to read it.

So here we go. The blurb and cover for Dead Girl:


If her mother wasn’t watching, Kylie Presby would punch Queen Bee, Natalie Silvers, in the face -again. But as Kylie wipes her tears away with the layers of toilet paper encasing her car, she knows she can’t retaliate like she did last time. Her dead mother wouldn’t approve. Kylie no longer cares about popularity. Invisible would work just fine.

Then the new kid, Braydon, mysterious, good looking and too clever for his own good, shows up and sacrifices his social status, becoming Kylie’s shield from the front line assault. After enough chocolate ice cream and movies it’s as if they’re best friends. Crazy, since Kylie knows so little about him.

As Natalie continues her relentless attacks on Kylie another person deals with his own line of bullies. Jack Stine was popular until his deepest secret was revealed and his friends abandoned him. Kylie and Jack bond over their tormentors and form an unbreakable friendship.

Three lost souls each with a story that binds them together, but will it be enough when the bullying goes too far and secrets are revealed?

Add it to Goodreads here.

Exciting News!

It's felt like forever since I've had a release and I'm happy to say that the wait will finally be over soon. There will be a Tessa Marie release at the end of March! It is a contemporary YA, and holds a special place in my heart, so I'm so excited to finally be able to share it with all of you!

So stay tuned for more details. There will be a cover reveal at the end of February and as soon as I get the sign up links I will post them!

I just want to say to my readers, thanks for sticking around! I promise there is a lot more to come.

The Classics

Every New Years I make a list like most people, and like most people, I'm lucky if I follow through with half of the resolutions listed. Almost every list I have ever made has included: Read the classics. It is no secret that I am not a fan of older works of literature and I consider myself lucky that I didn't have to endure the torture during my school years. However, now as I get older, I feel like I missed out. Like there's a part of me that isn't complete because I don't know the works of Jane Austen or Charles Dickens.

So finally after years of promising myself I would do so I have begun to read the classics. I started with Pride and Prejudice, but unfortunately I started it when I was in my reading slump, so it is taking far longer than it should to finish. But I am getting close.

I discovered audio books and with an hour and a half commute each way to work I could not be happier. What better way to hear the classics than when I'm trapped in my car in bumper to bumper traffic? I have already listened to Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol and am currently listening to Dracula. Dracula is one of those books that I know I would have given up on after the first chapter, and even the audio was a little iffy at first, but I have held it out. And guess what? I am enjoying the story! I try to only listen to it on my commute and, I can't believe I'm saying this, am looking forward to tomorrow's commute so I can hear more of the story.

I am now addicted and have downloaded a ton of free Kindle ebook classics. In the past, it felt like torture, but now it feels more like accomplishment when I get through a chapter or three.

Next up:
Wuthering Heights

What is your favorite classic novel?

The Real & Honest Update

A few weeks ago, I posted about my crappy summer, why I haven't been around as much as I used to and some updates about my writing. If you want to read it you can check it out here. Recently, I read a couple honest posts from writer friends and it inspired me to be honest too.

What I didn't mention in my update post is that I've also been falling in and out of funks. Big, nasty funks that take away my motivation and my drive. The days where I would scribble in my notebook while at work, or get an idea in the shower and have to get out to write it down immediately, or have conversations with my characters during my commute to work, are gone. And I miss those days. So much. I long for that moment when the love and the drive smack into me at full force that I have no choice but to accept it with open arms and get down to business. I'm waiting...but that's the problem. I've been waiting for a very long time.

I'll admit, not all days are horrible, but the good days don't last long. The feeling of failure and disappointment tend to creep in and paralyze me, leaving me to stare at a blank computer screen for hours. Then when hours pass and I haven't written a single word I get so mad at myself. To think about how much I could've got done if I would just suck it up and force it out. It's a vicious cycle. Though, I do write, I just know I can be writing so much more, and that frustrates me.

The other thing that kills all my mojo, and I hate to admit, is jealousy. I have never been a jealous person. I am always happy for other peoples success and am the first to congratulate them. However, lately, it seems everybody is a USA Today Bestseller or a NYT Bestseller and I'm not. And maybe I should just accept the fact that I may never be. It's just a list, right? But trying to convince myself that, when post after post on Facebook of other people being worthy enough to make it, is almost impossible. It's like a big flashing light telling me I will never be good enough. I'll always just be mediocre. I wish I could embrace that because there is nothing wrong with mediocre, but that nagging, impossible to get rid of voice in the back of mind, won't let me.

The worst part is I feel like I'm letting my readers down. From 2013-2014 I released three of my own books, two with a publisher and one self pubbed, and cowrote three books and a novella. For 2015 I released only one. People keep telling me they can't wait for another Tessa/Theresa book and when they ask me when they can expect it I never know what to say. So I just say I'm working on it. I wish I could tell them tomorrow or next month. I wish I could give them something to look forward to, but right now... I have nothing. So to all my readers that are patiently waiting and haven't abandoned ship, I just want to say thank you.

I thought 2015 was going to be my year. I have never been so wrong about anything in my life. So I'm not going to proclaim that 2016 will be that year. I'm just going to say I hope it is.  

And now the only thing I have left to say is, stay tuned.

Cover Redesign!

Home is Where You Are has had a makeover! What do you think? 

~Fall Bucket List~

Since I had such a craptastic Summer, I have decided to have an amazing Fall. After all, Fall is my favorite time of the year. Every year, I have fall traditions that I must do and try to add a few different things to the mix. So this year my Fall Bucket List is:

1. Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, of course! (Check)
2. Bust out the boots (Check)
3. Decorate for the Fall (I have so many decorations and I love how my house looks all done up with pumpkins and leaves and scarecrows.) (Will check off tomorrow)
4. Pumpkin Picking
5. Buy mums and decorate outside
6. Visit the local wineries 
7. Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns (First time doing this and I CANNOT wait! Expect tons of pictures coming your way in a couple of weeks)
8. Carve a Pumpkin
9. Bake my pumpkin, cream cheese filled bread
10. Leaf peeping (One of my favorite things to do)
11. Watch Hocus Pocus
12. Read a few R.L. Stine books
13. Corn Maze (If my back is up to it)
14. Enjoy my favorite Octoberfest Beer or Seasonal Stout
15. Light my fall scented candles (Check)
16. Essex Stream Train and Riverboat for a scenic tour
17. Visit the Gillette Castle
18. Have a cup of hot apple cider
19. Eat a caramel apple
20. Wrap myself up in a blanket, sit outside with a book or my laptop and enjoy the cool crisp night air (check)

Check out my instagram where I'll be posting all my fun fall activities under the hashtag #FallBucketList

What is on your Fall Bucket List? I might steal some of your ideas ;) 
Happy Fall!

New Design and New Domain!

I finally decided to give blog design a try and I am so happy with how this turned out. *pats self on back* Though, I have to admit, my first attempt was a disaster and I panic messaged Cassie Mae. She assured me it was easy, so I took a deep breath and jumped back in. With a little time and patience it came together. Now I can't stop looking at it! So take a look around and tell me what you think.

Also my blog is now officially theresapaolo.com