Lyra Parish's Blog, page 4

Single Cover Reveal! #singleserial

Today has been full of love, tags, and posts about Single. I wanted to take a few minutes to THANK EVERYONE sooooo sooooo much for posting about it. The response has been so positive that I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment. The last few weeks have been so amazing, full of positivity, and helpfulness. I’m so grateful to be a part of the literary community! When I was asked to join the anthology, I was through the moon excited because there were several authors involved that I’m friends with, some that I fangirl over, and others that I didn’t know but have become great friends with. The stories that will be in the Owned Anthology are going to knock off everyone’s socks and I cannot wait for it to go live!

For those of you who missed all the posts about Single, I wanted to go ahead and post the cover as well! I plan to have them all out by April of 2015.

Synopsis:

After failing miserably at love, Roxane VanBuren swears off men but not before her determined best friend shows her all the advantages of being single. After a wild weekend full of sex, old-flames, and secrets, Roxane is desperate to forget it ever happened. But she learns it isn’t that easy.

Since becoming the President of VanBuren Investments, she knows how important it is for her professional and personal life to remain separate from one another. If the two were to mix, the rumors could possibly ruin her reputation, which is bad for her and bad for business. To avoid that, Roxane allows rules to define and guide her every move. Unfortunately for her, Parker Williams is determined to break them all, one at a time.

Single Volume 1: Goodreads

Owned Anthology: Goodreads

Here are the pre-order links just you’d like to pre-order the anthology so it’s pre-loaded on your kindle on Nov 10th.

Amazon US: http://bit.ly/ownedUS

Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/ownedUK

iBooks: http://bit.ly/owneditunes

B&N: http://bit.ly/ownedbandn

KOBO: http://bit.ly/ownedkobo

 

So what do you think? I think I’m in love and I can’t wait for you all to #meetparker

Eluded: Review Opportunities Available!

Have you been wanting to read Eluded and haven’t yet? I’ve got a special opportunity for you. I’ve teamed up with Xpresso book tours to help distribute copies in exchange for honest reviews. Right now, Eluded has 32 reviews on amazon (which I am thrilled over!!!)

 

We all know how important word of mouth is in the book world, not to mention how your review could help another person determine if Eluded is worth their time or not. Often I use all feedback to help me improve as a writer, determine if it’s a genre that I should revisit, etc, so it’s important to know your thoughts. Anyway, enough about all that jazz….. I’m giving away free copies! It’s a win/win situation. So now that I have your attention….

http://xpressobooktours.com/2014/09/16/review-opportunity-eluded-by-lyra-parish/

I know the form requires you to have a blog, but if you are interested in reading Eluded and will leave your review on Amazon, then please email me at lyraparish(at)gmail(dot)com. This offer will be available for a limited time and should be posted on Amazon before December 10th.

Please be aware that Eluded is intended for a mature audience. While it is a stand alone, and there is a HEA, there are situations that some may find uncomfortable and could be considered as triggers including: strong language, violence, kidnapping, drugs, and rape. I want my readers to understand what is involved before deciding to read.

 

A few of the reviews from Amazon:

5 STAR REVIEWS:
This author has a magical talent with words. She sucks you in and keeps you reading until the end. Her characters and scenery come to life in your mind`s eye without beating you over the head with unnecessary detail. Someone asked me if this is an easy read; It is an intense story but is so well written and flows so smoothly it comes across as an easy-ish read, you will not be able to put it down. -Jennifer, Amazon Reviewer

It was a journey in a dark, scary tunnel, and I was waiting to finally see the light in the end, if all the fear, if all these suffering will come to an end. Will I ever get to have a happy ending – this question lingered in my mind, until I finally get to read that part. I loved the twist, never saw that one coming, even the connection, and indeed, there is that rainbow after the storm. Maybe what makes this book pretty special to me is because this is not my ordinary read, and yet I couldn’t help but get hooked in this extraordinary book written by one talented author! -BookFreak, Amazon Reviewer

I freaking loved this story. I couldn’t get enough. Abbot can whisper sonnets in my ear all dang day long! Loved loved loved his character, he is like this amazing, faceted smokey quartz. And Lauren, I loved her character too. Both have this streak of love for humanity that runs so deep they would be willing to do anything to help someone. That alone speaks a thousands words about both of them. -TaraWordWench, Amazon Reviewer

…and there are many more! Read the rest here.

Amazon offers pre-sales to all!

Bravo, Amazon. Bravo.

As a self-published author, I’ve had two main complaints with Amazon, and I’d like to think a large majority of authors agree.

A) Pre-sales.

B) Returns on eBooks.

Yesterday, Amazon sneakily activated the pre-sale option for all of its KDP authors. It took exactly 8 hours before I received an official email about it. I was wondering if I would even get one. It was reported early morning and so I did what any other person would do, I signed on to KDP to check if it were true. AND IT WAS! I’m all about fact checking!

Let me start off by saying: I’m not complaining. It’s HUGE and it’s totally celebration worthy! Previously, pre-sales were only available for bigger publishers and regular best-selling indie authors. Since I’m not a publisher or a big indie (yet) having that option wasn’t something that I was given.

I actually had a draft email waiting for KDP telling them how I would have liked the pre-sale option for Eluded but I never sent it because I knew the answer would be the same form letter that lots of other people had received. So to me, it was better just to wait it out until release day.

Pre-sales isn’t the answer to making indie’s completely happy, but it’s something. While I’m ecstatic about this from a reader stand point, I have a feeling that this pre-sale for authors is much more than a victory. I feel like it was made available for two reasons.

1. Indie authors poured emails back to Amazon complaining about this very thing after the “please spam Hachette” email went out to all the KDP authors (which I thought was mega-disrespectful!)

2. It may have been done to prove a point to Hachette, because it was one of the options that was taken away from them. It’s a big “boohoo, even self-published authors have the pre-sale option and you don’t” move!

While Amazon is hugging us indies (because let’s face it, we’ve made them a pretty penny), they are rubbing Hachette’s nose in the dirt. And for now, it’s seems like a great thing (which it is!) but the flip side is the market (that almost crashed when KU released) may feel a wave of over-saturation with the pre-sales from everyone. I’ve already seen tons of posts about pre-sale links and I have a feeling social media will be flooded while it’s new. But, as always, it will eventually settle down when people realize that it’s not the best thing since sliced bread. I’ve heard big hitters talk about how they won’t use pre-sales anymore because release day was almost a dude. Hopefully it will become a tool for authors and shift to a normalcy like the Barnes/iTunes/Kobo presale option.

Side note: those other distributers mentioned above still have a leg up on Amazon because ALL of the orders that are placed before release are posted on the day of, so it helps with boosting. Amazon’s pre-sales count in the ranking right then, and we all know the importance in making those best seller lists. It’s the things that dreams are made from.

Right now, I’m not running to pre-sale my upcoming releases (I don’t have official dates of release yet..so that’s the main reason) but if I did, it would be only a week beforehand or two at the max, but not the 90 days Amazon allows. I don’t think Amazon is the big bad wolf here though there are a number of people that will disagree with me. This goes without being said, but thought I would mention that I am very grateful to have the opportunity to publish my novels there especially because it seems Amazon is listening to indies! I am excited that the option is available to me if I want to use it in the future but I’m not jumping on the gold rush. I’d rather sit back and watch.

Now, if they could update their return policy on eBooks.

I feel like my blog has turned into a literary news site. Lol.

Would love to hear your thoughts about pre-sales

Amazon offers pre-sales!

Bravo, Amazon. Bravo.

As a self-published author, I’ve had two main complaints with Amazon, and I’d like to think a large majority of authors agree.

A) Pre-sales.

B) Returns on eBooks.

Yesterday, Amazon sneakily activated the pre-sale option for all of its KDP authors. It took exactly 8 hours before I received an official email about it. I was wondering if I would even get one. It was reported early morning and so I did what any other person would do, I signed on to KDP to check if it were true. AND IT WAS! I’m all about fact checking!

Let me start off by saying: I’m not complaining. It’s HUGE and it’s totally celebration worthy! Previously, pre-sales were only available for bigger publishers and regular best-selling indie authors. Since I’m not a publisher or a big indie (yet) having that option wasn’t something that I was given.

I actually had a draft email waiting for KDP telling them how I would have liked the pre-sale option for Eluded but I never sent it because I knew the answer would be the same form letter that lots of other people had received. So to me, it was better just to wait it out until release day.

Pre-sales isn’t the answer to making indie’s completely happy, but it’s something. While I’m ecstatic about this from a reader stand point, I have a feeling that this pre-sale for authors is much more than a victory. I feel like it was made available for two reasons.

1. Indie authors poured emails back to Amazon complaining about this very thing after the “please spam Hachette” email went out to all the KDP authors (which I thought was mega-disrespectful!)

2. It may have been done to prove a point to Hachette, because it was one of the options that was taken away from them. It’s a big “boohoo, even self-published authors have the pre-sale option and you don’t” move!

While Amazon is hugging us indies (because let’s face it, we’ve made them a pretty penny), they are rubbing Hachette’s nose in the dirt. And for now, it’s seems like a great thing (which it is!) but the flip side is the market (that almost crashed when KU released) may feel a wave of over-saturation with the pre-sales from everyone. I’ve already seen tons of posts about pre-sale links and I have a feeling social media will be flooded while it’s new. But, as always, it will eventually settle down when people realize that it’s not the best thing since sliced bread. I’ve heard big hitters talk about how they won’t use pre-sales anymore because release day was almost a dude. Hopefully it will become a tool for authors and shift to a normalcy like the Barnes/iTunes/Kobo presale option.

Side note: those other distributers mentioned above still have a leg up on Amazon because ALL of the orders that are placed before release are posted on the day of, so it helps with boosting. Amazon’s pre-sales count in the ranking right then, and we all know the importance in making those best seller lists. It’s the things that dreams are made from.

Right now, I’m not running to pre-sale my upcoming releases (I don’t have official dates of release yet..so that’s the main reason) but if I did, it would be only a week beforehand or two at the max, but not the 90 days Amazon allows. I don’t think Amazon is the big bad wolf here though there are a number of people that will disagree with me. This goes without being said, but thought I would mention that I am very grateful to have the opportunity to publish my novels there especially because it seems Amazon is listening to indies! I am excited that the option is available to me if I want to use it in the future but I’m not jumping on the gold rush. I’d rather sit back and watch.

Now, if they could update their return policy on eBooks.

I feel like my blog has turned into a literary news site. Lol.

Would love to hear your thoughts about pre-sales

Invisible line: Traditional vs Indie Publishing

Let me start off by saying, I do not and will not draw an invisible line in the sand between self and traditionally published authors.

We each write our stories one word at a time and the last time I checked, it took the same amount of effort to finish a book regardless of the route that is taken to get it out to the world. I commend anyone who embarks the path of publishing. It takes a certain amount of courage to share stories and ideas with readers and lovers of words.



Let’s face it…there are butt loads of people who want to be authors, but not everyone accomplishes that dream for one reason or another. I can’t tell someone whether self-publishing is the right path for them or whether they should search out literary agents and big 5 publishing houses because the truth is we are all different. We all have different dreams and goals and come from all sorts of different backgrounds. No one knows what will work best for you except you. But with that being said, I can share my story with hopes that it will give some sort of insight.

March 2011 – I decided I wanted to write a novel.

July 2011 – I had 10k words. Hated them. Trashed them. Started over.

Dec 2011 -  Finished 55k YA Paranormal Novel

April 2012 – Signed Contract with Publishing Company.

July 2012 – First round edits. Major rewrites required.

Nov 2012 – Saw first cover. Exciting times. But it didn’t really portray the feel of the story.

2012 – 2013 – EDITING. Fiddled with new story ideas. MORE EDITING.

July 2013 – realized I wasn’t happy with any words I wrote

Oct 2013 – requested release from contract

Oct 2013 – started writing Weak for Him with no problems.

Jan 2014 – Self-published Weak for Him

Jan 2014 – wrote Weak Without Him

March 2014 – Self-published Weak Without Him

April 2014 – started writing Eluded

July 2014 – Published Eluded

August 2014 – started writing No Longer Weak/Single

WRITING. SLEEPING. WRITING. STRIVING FOR AWESOME. HYBRID AUTHOR. KEEP WRITING.  

I know you are saying, well Lyra, what’s your point? Lol, there is one, I promise. Sometimes I sit back and look at everything that’s happened and how important each one of the above items were to my literary journey and how I felt during those times. I learned valuable lessons and experienced a roller coaster of emotions. I’ve had really high moments and really low ones. It took signing a contract and having a publisher represent me, to realize that the dream that I thought wanted at that point in my literary life, really wasn’t what it was all cut out to be. I blame my mistakes on being new. I wished for a contract because having a publisher made it real. Ya know? And I got what I wanted. But did it change anything? No.

In my mind, I guess I imagined the heavens would open up and be like Lyra Parish… all your dreams are coming true, just sit back and be the next big thing. But it didn’t happen like that. It was hard work. There were countless people that I had to answer to. I had editors. Cover designers. Production and marketing departments. The whole shebang! But that’s what happens when a person jumps in head first without doing their research. I didn’t have the experience to realize everything was all wrong, and when I did, I had to make it right. So I did.

I wanted publishing to be a never-ending adventurous journey, one that I can look back on when I’m 80 and smile. What I learned, after months and months upon hours and hours of reflection was that the glitz and glam combined with a fancy contract and my naïve outlook on publishing hindered me. Does that mean it’s the wrong choice for other people? No. You have to do what’s good for you. Forget what everyone else thinks!

There are many reasons why self-publishing has worked for me. It’s not because there is less pressure or even less work. Ha. I really laugh when people say that one. It’s all of that, plus some, on crack. Oh and why we are at it, people who self-publish aren’t lazy either. That’s ignorance talking. I’ve had the pleasure of following some of the most hard working indie authors out there. They work really hard. Take Jasinda Wilder and Jack Wilder for example. I think they just pressed publish on their 45th SELF-PUBLISHED novel.

Jasinda and Jack are real authors and they work their asses off, and guess what….they are indie. How bout that? They are a perfect example of pure indie awesomeness, and when I grow up, I hope to be half as awesome as them! There isn’t a person in the world, who is sane, that could look me in the eye and tell me they are lazy. Notice I said sane.

I’m indie. I’m a one woman show. I am the marketing and production department. I am the creative team, manager, and every other department that is required to publish a QUALITY novel. That’s the key here. The goal is to produce quality work that I can and am proud of. I won’t lie … it is sometimes a little overwhelming, but I love every single second of it. I think of self-publishing as being the CEO of my stories and I take full ownership of that. When something amazing happens (like being picked up by a publisher, being contacted about foreign rights, offered movie deals, etc) it’s validation to all of the hard work that was put into producing quality work. I cry, struggle, laugh, love and hate with my novels.

I knew that when I published, no matter what route I took, I wanted it to be traditional published quality.

I wanted a professional cover: self-publishing let me choose exactly what I wanted.

I wanted an awesome editor: self-publishing let me choose who I would work with.

SPing granted me the power to make decisions that were right for me and my stories.

Now let me reiterate something really quick. I don’t think that I work any harder than someone who is traditionally published. I think that it’s a different colored horse, though it’s still a horse. (I’m imagining Wizard of OZ and the horse of many colors.) There are deadlines that must be made. Lots of back and forth conversations about the novel, the expectation, etc, etc, etc. Not including literary agents, editors, marketing, etc. The list goes on and on and on and on. So while self-published authors are acting as the CEO of their indie corporation, let’s not undercut what goes into being a traditionally published author. Having a team behind them doesn’t make publishing any easier. These authors don’t sit back with their feet propped up just twiddling their thumbs waiting to hit the NYT best seller list. Okay, well maybe Stephen King or JK Rowling…but they’ve got the pressure of the world on their shoulders, and they still have to write their stories word for word, like everyone else. The moral is: PUBLISHING IS WORK NO MATTER HOW YOU PUBLISH.

If I told you publishing a book was easy, I’d be lying.

It’s not easy. It’s lots of late nights. Lots of second guessing yourself. Lots of every sort of emotion (#suchemotions) that can be felt.

You have to decide what your dream is, regardless if it’s finding an agent, signing with a small or large press, and/or self-publishing. Whatever path you choose, you have to own it. OWN your decision. Be happy with it, and don’t let ANYONE, A-N-Y-O-N-E discredit your choice in any way. If they do, they are ignorant and closed minded and need to be slapped in the face with a slimey fish.

The world is big enough for all sorts of writers. I’ve never met a reader who has read only one book and said they were done. Most devour words regardless if they are traditional or indie. It’s not like we have stickers on our books they say “self-published” or “traditional published”. So.. strive for the stars. Follow your dreams and do what’s good for you. Flip off the Negative Nancy’s and Debbie Downers and do your thing baby!

We are all in this together, in this moment, in the right now.

p.s. feel free to comment with your opinions below. Would love to know your thoughts!

Blogging…. I will conquer you!

Quote of the Week:  “We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.” ― Anaïs Nin

I’ve decided that I’m going to blog more regularly, even if it is a post a week to keep everyone updated with what I am doing.  It gives me a sense of where I am and where I am heading, what I’m thinking, and will hopefully be entertaining material to read in the future. So, I’m putting myself on a schedule! Yup, that’s right. I want to be so awesome at blogging that it’s a habit! Woot!  I won’t pick an exact day…. but I can promise a post per week. I hope to include a quote for each one and a picture of my sky at the moment.

I’ve got some pretty exciting things coming up in the next few months. I don’t know how I am going to pull this off… but I’ve planned to release Eluded in July and No Longer Weak in August, and I’ve basically booked the rest of 2014 with upcoming novels. I’ll be writing 2000 words a day for the rest of my life, it seems. Lol. But that’s alright because I am having the time of my life and I enjoy it so much.

Speaking of No Longer Weak… wow. I seriously can’t believe that it will be finished in a few months. ::insert tear:: I can’t explain the feeling that the Weakness series conjures inside of me. It’s like a first love or something and I tend to get all mushy about it. The other day, my amazing cover designer (Coverit! Designs) sent me the final version. Each time I look at it, my nose burn and I almost cry. I’m looking forward to having all 3 books on my shelf next to one another. It’s such a rewarding feeling to know that I set out to do something (write a series) and that it will be complete. I hope this whole experience never gets old. Just talking NLW makes me want to post the cover now and show the entire world. Ahh.…lol. Must. Have. Patience.

Since I don’t know what patience is, I totally announced on a random facebook post in a comment that I was writing a spin-off to Weakness. Yes, we have Eluded which features Abbot (right now it is slated as a standalone only but we will see how it goes), but due to popular demand (and friendly threats) I will be writing a Luke Story. Yes, all you Luke lovers, you heard it right! It will feature Luke and be from his perspective. I’ve already have the cover designed. It’s called Luck in the Stars and it’s currently on goodreads waiting to be added to your TBR shelf! After Luke’s story, there will be no more books with Weakness characters. It will truly be the end. Then you’ll all get to live in a world with a motorcycle riding Harvard attending badass named Sammy. Eeek. I cannot wait to write the Dirty Little Series!

On a side note: not sure if you noticed or not, but I upgraded the site. Everything seems to be cleaner and better organized. You likey?

Keep on being awesome!



-L

 

My sky today:

It looks a little gloomy out! Perfect writing sky!

 

Eluded Cover Reveal (May the Sith)

I am honored to be able to show this amazing cover by Ari at Coverit! Designs on May the Sith!

I’ve held it in my inbox for close to two months and every second of not blasting the interest with it has killed me. Well not really, but I just get super excited about revealing covers and it doesn’t help that I’m a little impatient!

When I have a cover to show… I get all….

Without further adieu… I present Eluded.

Make sure to add to Goodreads

 

 

 

I’m so in loveeeeeee

Synopsis:

This isn’t your typical girl meets boy.
There isn’t a glass slipper or Prince Charming.
I’ve lived it and now it will be told.
Welcome to my personal hell…

*

I once saved lives and now… I so easily end them.

Women are drawn to me like a moth to the flame, and like the moth not all of them continue on. Some are broken, others are damaged, and a few never make it out… but it’s their decision. Only they often don’t know that until it’s too late.

Fuck the rules, I create my own in a world where I have nothing left to lose. Living is a game, and I’m the reigning champion by being stronger and smarter than my prey.

This is your warning. If you radiate vulnerability… Well, you could be my next victim. Don’t try to hide. I’m not easily eluded.

****

RELEASES ON JULY 21ST!

Incase you didn’t know, this novel features a character from Weakness #2. Abbot.

Don’t worry my lovelies…

I’ve slated Weakness #3 to release on August 25th (my birthday!) and hope to kick some major writing ass this summer and meet all of my deadlines.

This winter, you will see a Luke Story (Luck in the Stars) and then there will be no more stories featuring weakness characters. It’s all bittersweet.

So what do you think? You likey?

WWH Winners announced!

I wanted to write a few words and tell you THANK YOU for celebrating the release of Weak Without Him with me! I’ve emailed all the winners and am waiting to hear back from everyone, (I do work on night owl hours) but I wanted to go ahead and post the rafflecopter winners here

CONGRATS EVERYONE! Thanks so much!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weak for Him

Weak for Him

Weakness #1
Published January 11, 2014

“Have you heard the saying, ‘sex sells’? Well, I’m the supplier.” 

Finnley Felton sells sex.

Jennifer Downs is a virgin.

With the help of lady luck, the two meet.

Money. Bright lights. Sex.

Jennifer is made an offer: sell her virginity to the highest bidder and transform into one of Finnley’s girls. But she finds herself weak for him, and doesn’t fully realize what she’s agreed to until it’s too late.

Will she rise to the challenge and play by the rules in a land where money is king and love is prohibited?

Or will she lose herself and values in the attempt?

Purchase Links
Amazon US link —  Amazon UK link – B&N link — Apple iBooks — Smashwords — Goodreads

 

Excerpt – Chapter One

The real estate agent marked a giant black X beside the line at the bottom of the contract and handed me the pen. I understood the terms and conditions. I had read them at least twenty times over the past few days, but as my pen hit the paper, I froze.

“Sign on this line, Jennifer. Unless you’re having second thoughts.”

She tapped the paper with her pink manicured nail, causing her bracelets to jingle.

The people who wanted the house said they would convert it into a bed and breakfast for all the tourists visiting the Golden Triangle, a quaint area in Texas known for oil and the home of Janis Joplin. I would miss the little things, like the Groves town square and the Pecan Festival, but they would always hold a place in my heart. The worn boards, double windows, and wraparound porch would be fully appreciated by someone else.

Every detail about the house, the way the shutters haphazardly hung on the upper windows, the boards that creaked on the stairs, and the rounded corners of the island in the kitchen, were a constant reminder of how my life changed when a reckless driver slammed into my parents’ SUV.

I didn’t want the burden anymore. I had dealt with enough.

Instead of studying for final exams, I had planned two funerals.

Instead of walking across the stage during my college graduation, I buried my parents.

I couldn’t celebrate without them. I wouldn’t.

Tragic situations sometimes forced people into adulthood, causing one to take a leap of faith they might not have taken before. If I learned one thing from the accident, it was the fragility and preciousness of life. How a person should tell someone if they loved them and not hold back their feelings regardless of the consequences. I didn’t tell my parents how much I loved or appreciated them, and every day without them, I regretted it.

The two-story farmhouse was a reminder of the memories, of my childhood, and allowed the ghosts of my parents to linger and haunt.

Devastation could make a person stronger, or bitter, or depressed, and I didn’t want to stick around to find out which I had acquired. The longer I stayed, the less time it would take to lose myself. I wanted—no, needed—out.

I sucked in a deep breath and signed my name beside the overemphasized X.

Mrs. Shirley, the old bleached-blonde Barbie that used to babysit me when I was a child, smiled at the signature.

“Thanks, honey. I’ll let the buyers know everything is final.”

Her country accent seemed fake, almost how actors portrayed Texans on television, but it was natural; it had been like that for as long as I could remember.

Signing that paper lifted a million pounds from my shoulders. The shackles had released, and I was free from the responsibility, the reminders, and everything that came with the house. I blinked the tears away. I refused to cry. Shirley continued to make small talk as I loaded the last of my belongings into the trunk of the Honda.

“Where should I send your copies of the finalized paperwork?” she asked as I slipped into the driver’s seat. I rolled down the window.

“To my P.O. box in town. I’m having my mail forwarded there for now.”

“So no address in Vegas, yet?”

“No ma’am, not yet.”

“You know you don’t have to leave, Jennifer. There are people here who love you.”

“Yeah. There are also people that I loved that are no longer here. There’s no reason to stay anymore.”

She leaned into the window, hugged my neck, and kissed my cheek.

“Take care, doll. Call us if you need anything.”

“I will.”

But she knew I wouldn’t call.

It was an empty expression that she genuinely meant, but one that I would never claim. I was an independent kid, and not much had changed as I grew into an adult.

We exchanged one last smile, and then I put the car in reverse and sped away. As I cruised down the shell driveway, I took one last look into the rearview mirror, where she stood on the porch, watching me drive into the morning sun. I told myself I wouldn’t look back, but I had to take one last glimpse at my old life; the crooked shutters, the pasture with the tall crisp grasses, and the fence that didn’t connect all the way around.

“Goodbye,” I whispered.

The house faded away until it was miniature, and then non-existent.

The GPS read twenty-four hours.

I would stop halfway, and then continue.

The only choice I gave myself was to live like the sun wouldn’t rise tomorrow.

Las Vegas bound, finally.

Weakness Series and News!

I’ve had tons of messages asking me when the final installment of Weakness will be released. So I’ve gone through my calendar and did some planning.

You’re hearing it first here… No Longer Weak will release on August 25 (my birthday!!). I can already hear the groans from those who wanted it right after they finished reading Weak Without Him. It will be here before you all know it!

And here is the news you have all been waiting for… (I think)…. ELUDED is coming July! Eluded will showcase a character from Weakness that many of you love, Abbot! That’s right, the head of the London gang will be seen in this novel. Make sure to add it to goodreads!

Synopsis:

This isn’t your typical girl meets boy.

There isn’t a glass slipper or Prince Charming.

I’ve lived it and now it will be told.

Welcome to my personal hell…

*

I once saved lives and now… I can so easily end them.

Women are drawn to me like a moth to the flame, and like the moth not all of them continue on. Some are broken, others are damaged, and a few never make it out… but it’s their decision. Only they often don’t know that until it’s too late.

Fuck the rules, I create my own in a world where I have nothing left to lose. Living is a game, and I’m the reigning champion by being stronger and smarter than my prey.

This is your warning. If you radiate vulnerability… Well, you could be my next victim. Don’t try to hide. I’m not easily eluded.

———

I would love to have it out by June but I am saying July to play it safe.

Weakness WILL BE completed in 2014.

It’s been one of my promises since the beginning and I am staying true to it.

Oooh…and an announcement about Weak for Him! It officially became an Amazon Best Seller earlier this month! Seeing this was one of the coolest things that had ever experienced in my literary life so far. I was over the moon! Thank you everyone who helped make this happen!

 

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, I have a giveaway going on right now! There are 8 days left to enter

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway