Molli Moran's Blog, page 12

The Difference In a First and a Second Book

 

Last night, I did the impossible, again: I finished a draft of a book. And not just any book, but the book I’m publishing this fall! Let’s all take a life break and dance for a minute…

Yesssss. All the exciting! 

But along with exciting, comes some lessons learned. Lessons I wanted to share with you guys today, in hopes it might help someone. So I present my silly, somewhat sarcastic, occasionally serious…

Things I Learned Between Writing My First and Second Books Post of Seriousness. 

I had an amazing time writing AS YOU TURN AWAY. I cried approximately 1000 times while writing it. I laughed a lot, too. I can’t wait to bring y’all Reece and Ethan’s stories! Writing AYTA was such a growing-up for me, transitioning from writing fan fics and original characters with several friends for years. Suddenly I was writing A Book. And it was serious business.

Like really serious. TOO serious. I will always always love my little book. I adore Quinn and Jonah and their struggles, and banter and swoons. I knew going in that I wasn’t writing a book all about swoons, or all about issues. I wanted to find a balance, and I think I did. But I might have gotten a TAD too caught up in searching for that balance. I was sure I knew just what my book needed — and what it didn’t. I wouldn’t have this trope or that one, or that one. I got a bit obsessed.

 

 

So yeah, that’s my first thing I learned. How to be relaxed and focus less on the “rules” and less on just writing a story from my heart. ONE SONG AWAY has swoons AND tears AND humor AND lots of cool life/NA-ish things, and it came easier this time. It felt more organic. And I liked that, a lot! I had SO much fun writing OSA, because it was just…like breathing. I wasn’t hung up on anything other than just letting this story flow.

Another problem I kept having while writing AYTA was wanting to edit. It took me about 10 months to write a full first draft of AYTA. It took me a little under 3 months to write this first draft of OSA. Editing is still a little scary, but other than a few consistency fixes (like when I’d change the name of something/someone) in this draft, I didn’t really edit. I didn’t go back and re-read everything I wrote. I didn’t get a few chapters written and then stall out for a month like with AYTA.

I didn’t let any awkward parts stop me. I kept going. I told myself “get the words on the page. Fix ‘em later.” And my draft time was slashed, like I said. And it felt GREAT. There weren’t any of these moments with the book, where I just wanted to set it on fire:

Because it’s a first draft. FIRST. OF MANY. By the time the world reads it, scenes will have been cut. Added. Things changed. Improved. So DON’T SWEAT IT. Don’t edit everything, writers. Get the words on the paper/page.

Something else that I had LOADS more fun with was the swoons. Jonah and Quinn were a sort of slow burn, but I loved Sophie-Claire and Jake because they got to have that fun banter and flirtation. They had a past, but it wasn’t the sort of angsty past Jonah and Quinn shared. Every couple is different, and I got to show that with SC and Jake. Watching them grow together was so much fun!

 

I can neither confirm nor deny that the swoon level in ONE SONG AWAY is a lot higher than in AYTA. I didn’t want to write a book where the romance or sex overtook the plot, but I DID want to write a fun book where the characters got to explore grown up relationships. I love the first flush of romance in YA, but what I love about NA is that you can really explore your characters and their sexuality. Neither Jake or Sophie are virgins OR abstinent, and I loved being able to present sex in a positive light.

Plus it was just so damned FUN to write them trying to pretend they weren’t attracted to each other.

Finally, among other things I loved how much more confident I felt writing this book. With AYTA, I was scared. Scared to finish, scared to publish. I was excited too, don’t get me wrong. But writing OSA has been different. I’m sure of what I’m doing. I’m still a bit nervous, but I’m not scared. I know I’ve written a good book. I know I’ll get better with each edit. With every book. I know I have a lot left to learn, and that there are better authors out there. 

But I FINISHED MY BOOK. And for just this one moment, I get to be all:

If you’d like to add ONE SONG AWAY to your TBR on Goodreads, well, that would make me as happy as a baby kitty rolling around on something soft.

One Song Away Link Salad: ARC Requests, Cover Reveal Info, Etc

 

This post is a little surreal to write, since it FEELS like I just started ONE SONG AWAY the other day. But in reality, the first draft, including some revisions, are almost done, and I’ll be diving into major revisions next week. So with that said, there are some exciting things happening, and I wanted to catch everyone up, as well as make y’all aware of a few opportunities coming your way. Because these opportunities are — say it with me:

 

I promise.

In this post, we’ll be going over: cover reveal sign-ups, another Read to Review opportunity, ARC sign-ups, ONE SONG AWAY release date, and beta reader sign-ups.

Release Date

Originally I planned for OSA to release on November 1st. Due to some admin thing I’m going to need a little more time to work on, I’m going to push that date back just a little bit until December 1st. That’ll give me some more time to get swag and print copies ready, to get ARCs out to readers, and so forth. So just a few weeks longer to wait, but I promise it will be worth it, because I’ll be busy making OSA the BEST version it can be.

Cover Reveal Sign-ups!

This is probably the most exciting part. Giselle is going to host my cover reveal for ONE SONG AWAY, and ahhhhhhhhh! Giselle is such a fantastic blogger who runs the *best* blog tour company. If you’d like to sign up for the cover reveal (and I really, really hope you will,) then just head over to Giselle’s XPresso Tours page and get signed up. I’ll send you virtual cookies.

Or hey, you can run there too. It’s cool.

Beta Reader Sign-ups

This is another Exciting Thing! I know I have a few trusted beta readers I can count on for ONE SONG AWAY, but I’d love to do a roll call AND maybe expand that pool by one or two. (And in exchange, I’d of course love to beta for anyone who signs up to beta for me, given we can work together.) Note: I’ll be sending out beta copies around September 1st, so I’ll give beta readers ONE MONTH to read/add notes/etc. I’ll also send out a quick instruction set of what I’m looking for with that email.

So if you’d like to get in on the ground floor of OSA and help make it the best book ever (lol well maybe not EVER,) then fill out this super quick form and we’ll be all:

  I hope y’all like hugs. I’m a hugger, yo.

ARC Request Sign-Ups

This is itttttt. The BIG one. I’ll have e-ARCs available in October, and I’d love YOU to read one. That’s right, you don’t have to be a beta reader to get an early peek at ONE SONG AWAY. Here are the rules. To get an ARC of ONE SONG AWAY you:

Must be able to read it in one of these formats: EPUB, MOBI, or PDF
Hopefully can review it somewhere on the internet

That’s it. Seriously. Oh, there’s the obvious one — please don’t upload my ARC to a piracy site — but other than that, if you’re a reader/blogger and can review ANYWHERE (Goodreads, Tumblr, your blog, a short review on your FB page, your Amazon/Barnes & Noble account…this opportunity is for YOU.) I’ll be taking requests until September and occasionally pimping this post. So tell your friends. Tell your neighbor. Tell your mom. (Hey, anyone can read my books.)

If you like sassy characters and books about kissing, dance parties, and people who drink way too much caffeine (and other things) then I think ONE SONG AWAY is the book for you. So…here you go!

Seriously, I’ll be like Donna Noble hugging her granddad:

And finally, AS YOU TURN AWAY (oh hai, first book) is still available to request as a read to review at Goodreads; if you missed the first two opps, there’s another one riiiiiiiiight here.

And we’ll all be like:

(Told y’all I’m a hugger.)

Swoon-worthy Saturdays – #5

I’m moving along with ONE SONG AWAY and I decided I wanted a way to keep you guys involved in my writing process, as well as give some teasers in regards to what to expect from Sophie-Claire and Jake’s story. It’s been SO much fun so far, and I’m really passionate about this book. Every Saturday, I’ll post a teaser excerpt. Feel free to link to this post on your blog, Twitter, Facebook page, etc and use my hashtags: #southernswoons, #onesongaway, #southernrebelbelle, or #notyourmamasdebutante to join in the fun. And let me know what you think!

If you don’t know what ONE SONG AWAY is about: a Southern songwriter moves home and invents a boyfriend to withhold her mama’s matchmaking. When she asks an old friend to step in for said pretend boyfriend, sparks fly…

 

This week’s swoon comes from a flashback! This is a flashback to Sophie’s senior prom.

 

Can I do this? Can I cross the line past friendship into something more? Is it worth the risk? Will we burn more brightly than I have with any other boy, or will we fizzle out like a shooting star? Will we make it past high school and into adulthood? Will we glimpse forever? Or will we just have this one night, this one moment? And if that’s all we have, will it be enough?

“Jake, I —” He raises a hand and pushes my curls out of my eyes. My mouth goes dry.

“Claire —”

I laugh nervously. “You go first,” I say. I’m really thinking ‘kiss me.’ I think it over and over again as the song we’re dancing to draws to a close.

“I just wanted to say…no matter what happens, I’m so happy we’ve stayed friends all these years.” Jake swallows twice, like there’s more he wants to say, but he isn’t sure of the words. He puts a few inches of space between us. “Best friends. You’re my best friend.”

Friends. That’s all he sees us as. My hands are curled into his suit jacket. I feel all my adrenaline disappear and I open my fists. Disappointment lodges in my throat like a sob, and I see my one chance disappear. With a smile, I let Jake go.

What did you think? Swoony or not swoony? Want more Sophie-Claire and Jake? Head on over to Goodreads and add ONE SONG AWAY to your TBR!

Swoon-worthy Saturdays – #4

 

I’m moving along with ONE SONG AWAY and I decided I wanted a way to keep you guys involved in my writing process, as well as give some teasers in regards to what to expect from Sophie-Claire and Jake’s story. It’s been SO much fun so far, and I’m really passionate about this book. Every Saturday, I’ll post a teaser excerpt. Feel free to link to this post on your blog, Twitter, Facebook page, etc and use my hashtags: #southernswoons, #onesongaway, #southernrebelbelle, or #notyourmamasdebutante to join in the fun. And let me know what you think!

If you don’t know what ONE SONG AWAY is about: a Southern songwriter moves home and invents a boyfriend to withhold her mama’s matchmaking. When she asks an old friend to step in for said pretend boyfriend, sparks fly…

 

I missed last week, so I owe you guys as SUPER swoony teaser. And you’ll get it soon. This Saturday snuck up on me, so here’s a quick, playful teaser, and a hint of what to expect from SC and Jake’s antics.

 

 

Somehow I survive the movie, but I feel weak-kneed when I stand. I take my time gathering my trash, but I can’t avoid Jake forever now that the lights are up, so I join him at the door eventually. We walk to his car in silence, and neither of us speaks until he starts the engine.

“I don’t feel like going home just yet.” I’m either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid. Right now, I’m not sure which it is.

Jake’s eyes are more chocolate than honey in this light. “What do you want to do?”

 I jut out my chin. “Whatever you’re up for.”

Instead of answering, Jake takes his phone out of his pocket. He sends a quick text, and as soon as he gets a response, he reads it, then chuckles. When he looks at me, his smile is the definition of mischievous.

 “What?” I glare at him with narrowed eyes.

“You were in Nashville for a long time,” he says. “I think maybe you need a reminder of how Southerners party.” He puts a hand on my knee. “What do you say, Claire? Are you up for a real party?”

I feel light-headed at the thought of going to a party with him, and what that will mean, but I force myself to stay calm. I remind myself that I can do anything he can do. I put my hand over his.

“Ready.”

 

What did you think? Swoony or not swoony? Want more Sophie-Claire and Jake? Head on over to Goodreads and add ONE SONG AWAY to your TBR!

Review Opportunities for As You Turn Away

 

Hi loves! Just a quick link salad to point out a few places you can request my debut, As You Turn Away, for review. It’s available in exchange for an honest review. There are no restrictions on how long or short your review should be — just honest in your words and rating. (Of course cross-posting to online retailers is a way to earn cookies and hugs…)

Request As You Turn Away from the YA & NA Goodreads group!
Request As You Turn Away from XPresso Book Tours
Request As You Turn Away from the New Adult Book Club on Goodreads

 

If you’re a book blogger or simply a reader, these opportunities are for you. Please feel free to spread the word! I’m happy for the chance for more wonderful bloggers and readers to discover my book.

And please keep an eye on this space, because I’ll have some more exciting AS YOU TURN AWAY news soon, as well as getting back to Swoon-worthy Saturdays.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Favorite Shows

 

So it’s been AWHILE since I did TTT. I used to love it, and now that I have a little more time on my time, I’m going to TRY to slowly start doing it again from time to time. This week we get to deviate from books! The topic is your top ten favorite books or movies (be it fantasy, rom-com, etc.) I’m going to let you guys into my CRAZY DVR schedule for a look at my top ten favorite currently airing shows.

1. SUPERNATURAL. What can I say? WINCHESTER BOYS. Ghost hunting. Demons. All manner of creepy things that go bump in the night, BUT ALSO: humor. Hilarious characters. STRONG females. Relationships, friendships. MYTHOS, lore, urban legends.

2. DOCTOR WHO. This could go in past shows (since it was rebooted in 2005) but it currently airs on BBC 1 and America. THIS SHOW. I’ve written about why Doctor Who inspires me constantly. It’s silly and zany. It’s about accepting life in all forms. It’s about traveling, broadening your view of the universe. It’s about swoons and heartbreak and TIME AND SPACE. It is…fantastic.

 

3. SLEEPY HOLLOW. Um because it’s HILARIOUS. Watching Ichabod Crane try to adjust to modern day life is PRECIOUS. Some of the effects are super hokey, but I love the mythos and the strong characters.

4. CHASING LIFE. Because uh DOMINIC. Oh wait… No seriously, this show is FANTASTIC. It’s so full of HEART and humor for a show about cancer, because it isn’t JUST a show about cancer. It’s about friendship, life, family, love. It’s the perfect New Adult show. It’s made me swoon hard, laugh, and even cry. ALSO, there are LGBTQ characters!

5. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. Ah well, what can I say? I’m a Stefan Salvatore fan for life. Plus there’s Damon. And Damon/Elena. And ALARIC. Can I just be in a Stefan and Alaric sandwich? Can that be a thing? This show hasn’t been as great the last two seasons but they take risks, and I like that. And there’s ALWAYS lots of feels.

6. CASTLE. Nathan. Fillion. Buddy. Cop. I mean, it’s brilliant. Nathan is AMAZING, plus there’s a wonderful core of humor and friendship to this show. It has me in stitches at times, crying others.

7. BONES. This show. THIS SHOW. THIS. SHOW. I love the mysteries each week, the cases they solve. The relationships — be it platonic or romantic. And it’s so unexpectedly FUNNY. I marathoned the first four or five seasons, but since then I’ve watched live and it has a huge place in my heart.

8. HART OF DIXIE. Okay so… I LOVED season 1, but then I stopped watching during season 2. It wasn’t holding my attention. I’ve slowly been catching up, including a season 1 rewatch, and I. LOVE. IT. It reminds me a lot of Gilmore Girls, with the slightly cheesy small town, but gah. And Wade/Zoe! PLUS. LEMON BREELAND. She MAY be one of my favorite characters EVER. THE SASS.

9. SHERLOCK. I got into this show sorta late, but… SHERLOCK. SHERLOCKKKKK. I ship John/Sherlock like WHOA. I’ll take them as BFFs, as more, anything I can get. I LOVE this show, their dynamic, the friendships. 

10. ONCE UPON A TIME. This show and its damn feels. I spend every episode happy or swooning or sad or happy or DID I MENTION SWOONING PLUS  KILLIAN. And his and Charming’s bromance. Grumpy! HATTER. And…KILLIAN! 

 

What are YOUR favorite shows or movies? Isn’t Killian Jones TOTALLY eye candy? (And swoony, and brave, and AMAZING?)

 

Swoon-worthy Saturdays – #3

 

I’m moving along with ONE SONG AWAY and I decided I wanted a way to keep you guys involved in my writing process, as well as give some teasers in regards to what to expect from Sophie-Claire and Jake’s story. It’s been SO much fun so far, and I’m really passionate about this book. Every Saturday, I’ll post a teaser excerpt. Feel free to link to this post on your blog, Twitter, Facebook page, etc and use my hashtags: #southernswoons, #onesongaway, #southernrebelbelle, or #notyourmamasdebutante to join in the fun. And let me know what you think!

If you don’t know what ONE SONG AWAY is about: a Southern songwriter moves home and invents a boyfriend to withhold her mama’s matchmaking. When she asks an old friend to step in for said pretend boyfriend, sparks fly…

This week’s teaser…

 

I laugh aloud just because I can. Then I hook my phone into my speakers and start the first fast country song I see. This calls for a dance party.

I shake my hips, still smiling. Then I get into the song, really lose myself in the melody and the fiddle. At some point I start belting out the chorus, and then I don’t stop singing. It’s not the embarrassed singing you do in the car with your friends because you’re too shy to let them hear you. It’s loud and proud, and I don’t hold it back as I move around my kitchen. I’m showing the countertops moves I didn’t even think I had, and for once I’m not worrying if my butt is too big. I’m just having the time of my life.

Until the sound of applause interrupts my moment.

Shrieking, I turn toward the door. The open door. My heart is doing something akin to a samba by the time I register it isn’t an intruder creeping on my impromptu dance. It’s Jake, who obviously came in because I didn’t close the door entirely earlier.

I press a hand to my heart. “Coop, you scared the crap out of me.” He steps into my apartment and closes the door slowly behind him. The light glints in his eyes, and highlights his stubble. There’s a day’s worth of scruff along his jaw that wasn’t there yesterday. And somehow he’s managing to make a backwards baseball cap look sexy.

“You know, you gotta lock the door when you’re home alone.” Jake takes a step closer to me. Is it my imagination or are his eyes darkening?

“Why’s that?” I know I’m playing a dangerous game, but when I’m around him, I can’t help it. I can tell myself I’m ready for this all I want, but the truth is, I’m not. My reactions to Jake are too strong. Sloane already cautioned me last night, but clearly I didn’t listen.

“Someone could just barge in,” Jake says. He advances on me, his eyes locked on mine. His jeans are hanging low on his hips, and I SO shouldn’t be thinking about that… “And…”

Without meaning to, I retreat slowly. “And what?”

Jake closes the space between us and takes my hand. His is warm as it swallows mine. I take a breath that’s more like a gasp as he puts his other arm around my back and dips me. I slam my eyes shut and yelp because I expect to hit the floor, but I don’t. I’m suspended in Jake’s arms; when I open my eyes, his lips are a breath away from mine. I stare at his mouth, memorizing the shape all over again.

“And do this.” Jake’s warm breath caresses my face.

I could kiss him if I want. I could claim it’s “practice” for our “date” next week to my family dinner. I could finally know what it’s like to kiss Jake Cooper, if his mouth fits perfectly on mine as I’ve imagined. I could loop my arms around his neck and breathe him in until I’m dizzy.

But I don’t. “Well, I’ll keep an eye out for the dancing marauders,” I say. I follow it with a gurgling cough-laugh I couldn’t prevent. I can feel the moment shrink and disappear like a popped balloon.

Jake pulls me to a standing position and shakes his head. “You’re such a smart-ass, Claire.”

“Everyone needs a talent, Coop.” I bow in his direction with a flourish, but I can’t do it without cracking up. The laughter feels good, soothing, after such an intense moment. I don’t know Jake well enough anymore to know if he was just getting into his role or if there was more at work there. I do know myself well enough to know I can’t let myself hope. Hope is dangerous.

When Jake sobers, he gestures around the room. “So why don’t you show me this apartment?”

 

What did you think? Swoony or not swoony? Want more Sophie-Claire and Jake? Head on over to Goodreads and add ONE SONG AWAY to your TBR!

Swoon-worthy Saturdays – #2

 

I’m moving along with ONE SONG AWAY and I decided I wanted a way to keep you guys involved in my writing process, as well as give some teasers in regards to what to expect from Sophie-Claire and Jake’s story. It’s been SO much fun so far, and I’m really passionate about this book. Every Saturday, I’ll post a teaser excerpt. Feel free to link to this post on your blog, Twitter, Facebook page, etc and use my hashtags: #southernswoons, #onesongaway, #southernrebelbelle, or #notyourmamasdebutante to join in the fun. And let me know what you think!

If you don’t know what ONE SONG AWAY is about: a Southern songwriter moves home and invents a boyfriend to withhold her mama’s matchmaking. When she asks an old friend to step in for said pretend boyfriend, sparks fly…

This week’s teaser…

 

“So I think we should kiss.”

I look up so fast I’m fairly sure I have whiplash. Jake gives me an innocent look and I glare at him. “What?” I take my hair out of the ponytail, and the freed strands float to my shoulders. “Did you say we should kiss?”

Jake nods, but for some reason, he seems fixated on my hair. My eyes stray to his lips, and I frown. I can’t say I haven’t thought about it. Couples — happy ones at least — are affectionate and steal kisses. If we don’t hold hands, or give each other a quick peck at the least, we won’t sell this couple thing. And I’ll be on a blind date with Mr Double Major in Accounting and Boring faster than I can blink.

“O-okay.”

“Okay?” Jake shoots me a look.

“I said okay, didn’t I?” I stand, hands on my hips. “You’re not making this very romantic at all. You’re a horrible fake boyfriend.” I try to sound teasing, but there’s something in my voice I can’t define.

There’s a smile tugging at Jake’s mouth when he rises. “That so?” He takes three steps and he’s in front of me. I’m stretched taut enough to snap in two when I face him.

“Yeah.” I smirk and move closer to him. “That’s so.” I imitate his drawl. “In fact, you’re —”

Jake covers my mouth with his, and my words go as transparent as smoke. One of Jake’s arms is around my waist, and he’s cupping my cheek with the other. His fingers press against my skin, and before I can remind myself this is a bad, bad idea, I step into him and open my mouth. It’s not even worth trying to pretend I’m not just as into this kiss as he is. Not when his hand presses into the small of my back, urging me even closer. Not when his lips move against mine like he’s the only one who’s ever kissed me.

I’m already pressed against Jake’s chest, so I go all in. I wrap my arms around his neck at the same time I touch my tongue to his. Jake males a very male, very appreciative noise, and eases one thigh between my legs. I let him tangle us together, because I’ve waited too long for this to do anything else.

I’ve kissed more guys than I can count, but the way Jake kisses me — confidently, his hand never leaving my face — is a complete turn-on. His mouth is hard and then soft on mine, changing by the second, and I can only go with him and try to hold my own. He bites my upper lip gently and I moan into his mouth. Jake turns me and I bump into a chair. It scrapes across the floor, and like dreamers jerking awake, we separate. 

What did you think? Swoony or not swoony? Want more Sophie-Claire and Jake? Head on over to Goodreads and add ONE SONG AWAY to your TBR!

 

Making of a Book Cover: AS YOU TURN AWAY

 

I’ve been promising this post for a LONG time, and it’s finally here! I’m going to give y’all a sneak peek into how my book cover was made. As an indie author working with a cover designer — and a wonderful one, I might add — I was super lucky to have an incredible amount of input on the cover from start to finish. Marie and I worked closely from the first ideas to the first proofs, to final tweaks. She was so patient with me as I went through fonts, banged my head against the keyboard when nothing looked right in my stock image searches, and tried to express myself through gibberish as the cover started coming together. Marie was awesome enough to give me permission to give y’all this peek into the whole process. After this I know you guys will ALL want her to design your covers.

Step one was going to Dreamstime and Shutterstock, two stock photo sites. I knew I wanted something with models to reflect Jonah and Quinn, and I wanted something “Southern.” *headdesk* That was a nightmare because I didn’t really know how to narrow my searches down, so I spent FOR-EV-ER sifting through pictures. Finally I started to make progress. Marie and I then talked about an idea we both liked of splitting the cover in half — a top image then a bottom image. Things started to make sense.

I found a lot of awesome candidates for the bottom pictures… But I wasn’t having ANY luck with the top image. Everyone looked WRONG somehow. Finally I had to admit to myself that I wasn’t going to find the PERFECT Jonah (aka Chris Pine) and/or the PERFECT Quinn (aka Grace Phipps) on either of the sites I was using. But I could find someone close — or rather, Marie could. Purely on accident she found a picture she liked and took a chance. She sent a really quick mock-up to me and I started crying as soon as I saw it.

 

 

 

The top image would go on to be THE image. It went through a bunch of incarnations…

 

And I AGONIZED over fonts…

 

Then I finally chose a bottom image, and cried some more when Marie sent them to me together for the first time.

 

Once we hit this point, we knew we were really getting somewhere. I was sold on these two images, and I loved SO much about them. Marie chopped off the couple’s faces because we both have this THING about sort of spoiling everyone’s visuals of our characters. But I LOVED: “Jonah’s” plaid shirt and jeans, “Quinn’s” clothes (she would SO wear that skirt,) and even the act of him pulling away from her. In a way it was BETTER than everything I’d imagined. And the bottom hay bales were…GUH. Marie and I had lots of conversations about those hay bales.

As I settled on fonts finally, it was time to start spiffing up the cover, which included color filters…

 

(This is just one of several Marie tried.)

And then it was the next to last incarnation! OMG!

From my email to Marie:  And…I think that’s it?  *breathes*   I HAVE A COVER.  AHHHH.  And you did a GORGEOUS job and I am so grateful to you for it.   

All of Marie’s EXTREMELY hard work led up to this GORGEOUS, sexy, stunning cover… 




And it looks just as AMAZING in real life…



If you’ve enjoyed this post and would like to add AS YOU TURN AWAY to your TBR, you can definitely do that. You can also purchase it from Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Did you enjoy seeing the evolution of my cover? How hard to designers work, am I right? Whee!

Swoon-worthy Saturday #1

 

I’m moving along with ONE SONG AWAY and I decided I wanted a way to keep you guys involved in my writing process, as well as give some teasers in regards to what to expect from Sophie-Claire and Jake’s story. It’s been SO much fun so far, and I’m really passionate about this book. Every Saturday, I’ll post a teaser excerpt. Feel free to link to this post on your blog, Twitter, Facebook page, etc and use my hashtags: #southernswoons, #onesongaway, #southernrebelbelle, or #notyourmamasdebutante to join in the fun. And let me know what you think!

This week’s teaser…

 

“What, I can’t blush now?” I glare at him.

 Jake smiles real slowly at me. Tufts of hair are sticking out from under his cap, and he looks like the boy I left behind. “Oh you can blush. In fact, I like making you blush.” He winks at me. “But your mama and dad will think it’s odd if you blush every time I touch you.”

 He’s right. Dammit. I need to seem like I’m used to casual touches. I try to breathe and relax into his warmth, but it’s like trying to nonchalantly walk a tightrope. It’s just not possible to do. All I can feel is Jake’s hand in mine, and the soft stroke of his fingers on the back of my free hand. He’s touched me like this before — in another lifetime, we used to cuddle from time to time while we watched movies. But this feels different, because we’re different.

 I breathe out, a slow exhalation. “Okay.” I feel jittery. “It’s just been a little while since anyone…” I want to choke myself. “It’s been a few months since I broke up with my last boyfriend.”

 Jake doesn’t say anything, but his eyebrows raise. He moves his fingers to my arm, dancing them along my skin. His hand tightens in mind, and I hope to God my palms aren’t sweating right now.

 “So you can, you know.” I know there are words I should be saying, but I can’t seem to find ones that make sense. “Touch me I mean.”

Finally, Jake looks at me. “I plan to.” He grins, showing me his even, white teeth. They’re perfect, except for one small chip in his front tooth. “After all, it’s not every day I get this chance.” He leans closer to me. “You can touch me too, Claire.”

He’s so totally in my space that I can barely breathe. “I can?” By some miracle, my voice remains even.

“Oh yes.” Jake guides my free hand to his shoulder. I can feel his shirt under my skin, and my entire world narrows to the muscle in his arm that jumps when I move my fingers to his bicep. “In fact, I encourage it. For practice and research.”

Tentatively, I trail my fingers down his arm. I hear a breath leave Jake in a whoosh, and I untangle our hands. I lay my free hand on his thigh. I know I need to do something to take the power back in the situation, as little as I want to. I could float here forever on Cloud Nine and never want to leave.

I lean into Jake until my chest almost touches his. His eyes widen slightly. We’re as close now as we were when he dipped me earlier. Smiling, I move my lips to his ear. “Coop?” He lets out a strangled sound. “Dream on.” 

 

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