Sarina Bowen's Blog, page 39
December 3, 2016
Confessions of a Swag Hater
This model of flash drive is called "DE" and I made the graphics on PicMonkey.
I'm attending 3 or 4 signing events in 2017, and I'm so excited about it! I didn't do any big events in 2016, which my family appreciated. But it will be fun to meet more readers next year. I'm gearing up my pre-order lists and my book stashes. And my swag. Sort of.
I have to tell you, though, that swag is not my favorite. My inner environmentalist can't stand the idea that a lot of swag ends up as landfill. My dislike of plastic leaves me with only a couple of choices. 1. Bookmarks! and 2. Useful stuff.
So I'll be bringing some very fun bookmarks to my events. And I've also been known to make lip balms. Sure, that's plastic but lip balm is essential to my day nonetheless.
And? I recently got a call from the folks at USB Memory direct. They offered to make these adorable thumb drives for me. Aren't they cute? And they're really freaking useful. :)
So when I see you this April (or May, or October) please help yourself to whatever I have on my table, as long as it's useful!
October 28, 2016
Everything I wrote in the last 12 months!
I keep track of my word count on a spreadsheet. The accountability of this exercise keeps me feeling in control. But looking back on the work, it helps me see my process as well. For reasons I can't really explain, the documents run November through the following October. So I'm just finishing one up now.
Here's what it says about my work the last 12 months.
Nov 15: 50,600 words divided between US, Rookie Move & Bittersweet.
Dec 15: 55,200 words, roughly divided between US and Bittersweet. I also wrote a synopsis for Hard Hitter.
Jan 16: 45,600 words, almost all Bittersweet.
Feb 16: 60,400 words of Hard Hitter
Mar 16: 48,400 words, mostly Hard Hitter but some of it was Blake's book!
April 16: 33,200 words, mostly Blake. A little Steadfast.
May 16: 40,000 words, mostly Steadfast, a little Pipe Dreams.
Jun 16: 30,800 words, Steadfast & Pipe Dreams.
Jul 16: 30,300 words, mostly Pipe Dreams.
Aug 16: 41,500 words, finished Pipe Dreams and wrote two short stories.
Sep 16: 36,800 words, mostly Keepsake (which I began writing in 2013.)
Oct 16: 15,000 words, mostly revisions for Keepsake.
Total for 12 months: 488,000. Or around 40k per month.
There are faster writers. There are slower ones. This is pretty much my maximum pace, and it will have to do.
S.B.
October 23, 2016
Q&A About the True North Series!
There's only ONE day left until Keepsake is here! I can't believe I put out three books in 4.5 months. I'll probably never manage that pace again, but it was fun!
I'm getting lots of questions about the fate of the series, though, and so I'll answer them as best I can!
Q: Sarina, is this the last True North book?
A: Probably not! By the time you get to the final page of Keepsake you'll notice that a couple more plot lines are just begging for completion. I intend to add on. But I can't make any good guesses at the date because I have other juicy things happening in 2017.
Q: So what are those juicy things?
A: By the summer of 2017 you're getting: another book with Elle Kennedy, not one but TWO more awesome Brooklyn Bruisers novels, more M/M, perhaps some YA and maybe a fourth True North story. Maybe. And two Ivy Years short stories, people! I can't announce 'em because they're both parts of anthologies that I don't control. (And before you ask, neither story is about Rikker and Graham. But I haven't forgotten about them.)
Q. And what are you doing in your spare time?
A: Aren't you funny? As a matter of fact I'm attending four signing events, in Massachusets, New York and Atlanta. Will I see you there?
Q. That all sounds awesome. But where is the US audio book? You promised this months ago.
A. It's coming. That's what they tell me. (I know.)
Cheers and happy reading! Zach awaits!
Sarina
September 18, 2016
Now Available: Him & Us with the co-signed bookplate!
Once upon a time there were two authors who wrote a couple of smexy books together. When those books became bestsellers, they wanted to do something nice for readers and offer a few co-signed copies!
Our heroines had the books shipped to Canada, where Elle paid massive duty on them only to ship them back to Sarina in the US. At great expense. The well-meaning authors had to charge a lot of money for the books just to break even.
The whole experience kind of sucked, and our heroines lived in dread of mis-counting the number of signed books they'd sold or offered to giveaways, because these suckers were as dear as the gifts of the Magi.
But then the inspiration fairy turned up to poke them in the chest. "Hey, chickies," she said. "Before Blake's book comes out you'd better figure this shizzle out. Have you heard of a thing called book plates?"
So a book plate was designed, and it is adorable. Elle has signed them and sent them to Sarina, who is ready to affix them to copies of HIM or US and send them to you.
NOTE: if you see that either book is out of stock, that just means Sarina is waiting for her next shipment of that title. We are not out of book plates. Cheers!
Find Signed Books Here
September 14, 2016
Leo in the real world. This just cracks me up!
Thanks to everyone who's seen ROOKIE MOVE at their bookstores, and sent me a pic! It's been a great launch week.
My favorite photo comes from a Tweet by Samantha Brody. She sent this photo because, well, she and Georgia have something in common. From page 34:
They didn't have a lot of furniture in their living room--just an enormous but terrifically ugly sofa--brown velvet with pink roses.
Photo by Samantha Brody, @SamJBrody on Twitter.
Thank you, Samantha! Best picture ever.
ROOKIE MOVE:
Amazon: http://geni.us/37ia7U
iBooks: http://geni.us/TxYH
Kobo: http://geni.us/rmkobo
Google: http://geni.us/LaETQ
August 30, 2016
An audio book excerpt of Rookie Move!
Leo is almost here! Want to hear a sample? This excellent narration is done by Rock Engle, with Nicol Zanzarella reading Georgia's chapters.
Rookie Move is available at:
Amazon geni.us/37ia7U
iBooks geni.us/TxYH
Nook geni.us/MAVSd
Kobo geni.us/rmkobo
August 24, 2016
Big pile o' book recommendations! What I read this summer, by Sarina Bowen
I've had lots of deadlines to meet this summer (insert whining) and it hasn't been easy. But each time I turn something in I furiously read a couple of books before plunging back into the trenches. Here are some things I've enjoyed recently:
Fly With Me by Chanel Cleeton: m/f contemporary romance. Fighter pilots in flight suits. Bad behavior in Las Vegas. Lots of Top Gun jokes. And super sexy!
Fast Connection by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassel: m/m contemporary romance. This series is just fabulous. Can't wait for the third one. (Also, the cover model is the same as one of the True North books, and I didn't notice! Can you spot it?)
The Goal by Elle Kennedy: yes, I HAVE READ TUCKER AND HE IS EVERYTHING. *insert evil, mocking laughter* Oh, and it comes out soon! You should pre-order it today.
Roman Crazy by Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci: m/f contemporary. Rome. Food. Pasta. Food. Hot Italian men. Don't read it on an empty stomach.
A Gentleman Never Tells by Eloisa James. This is a glorious .99 novella, and I loved it to pieces. Even if you don't often venture into historical, consider making an exception for this gem.
Connection Error by Annabeth Albert. M/M contemp. LOVELY! You don't need to read the series in order, either. This one was awesome.
Doubleback by Lissa Ford. M/M romantic suspense. This one I picked up because I happened to be redesigning Ms. Ford's website and it's important to know the product, right? And she's great! Very solid writing and lovable characters.
Make Believe Wedding by Sarah Mayberry. M/F contemp. Because Sarah Mayberry can do no wrong, even with a fake wedding farce. She's da bomb dot com.
99 Days by Katie Cotugno: YA contemporary drama. This is a love triangle and full of angst. I loved it because it felt so true to the teenage experience!
Indecent Proposal by Molly O'Keefe. This author was new to me, but I guess I'm slow! Fabulous writing and verrah sexaah. :)
August 19, 2016
Guess what's on sale for 99 Pennies?
Just because she's famous doesn't mean she's happy.
Freshman Lianne Challice is known to millions of fans as Princess Vindi. But sometimes a silver screen sorceress just wants to hang up her wand, tell her manager to shove it, and become a normal college student. Too bad that's harder than it looks.
She's never lived a normal life. She hasn't been to school since kindergarten. And getting close to anyone is just too risky -- the last boy she kissed sold the story to a British tabloid.
But she can't resist trying to get close to Daniel "DJ" Trevi, the hot, broody guy who spins tunes for hockey games in the arena. Something's haunting his dark eyes, and she needs to know more.
DJ's genius is for expressing the mood of the crowd with a ten second song snippet. With just a click and a fade, he can spread hope, pathos or elation among six thousand screaming fans.
Too bad his college career is about to experience the same quick fade-out as one of his songs. He can't get close to Lianne, and he can't tell her why. And the fact that she seems to like him at all? Incredible.
Tweet: The Fifteenth Minute is just 99 pennies! http://ctt.ec/QU3J8+August 13, 2016
This is me today...
This is me today. I'm so tired! I threw a sleepover for 10yo boys last night. For Spacekid's birthday "cake" he asked for chocolate fondue with pound cake and strawberries and bananas, and I provided. He also wanted "an epic nerf war" and swimming and a movie. That was easier as the only requirement was just that I get out of the way.
I was cleaning up in the kitchen while they watched the movie. It was...some Star Trek thing. And then all of a sudden all the 10yo boys went "OHHHHH GROSS" and I worried that the movie was violent, and that I was *that* mother who didn't look at the rating and there were probably guts and entrails on the screen or something.
Well. They were all grossed out because Captain Kirk kissed somebody! (At least I think it was Captain Kirk. Whatever.) So, yeah. Kissing. Gross. :)
I'll be drowning in my coffee cup now. Lator, gators! ❤️
July 19, 2016
Readers Want to Know: Who's Zach's Match in KEEPSAKE?
Many of you have speculated about who's on the cover of book III! Her name actually appears once in Bittersweet. She's the friend that May likes to visit in Boston.
Lark Wainright, 23, has nightmares. She used to be fearless. But while overseas for her nonprofit employer, she was kidnapped and held at gunpoint in a dusty shack. Everyone has an opinion about what might have happened to her there, but she's not saying much. She's too consumed by guilt to talk about it.
Coming soon!
When her best friend offers her a stay at the Shipley orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps into her little car and heads to Vermont. Unfortunately, the night terrors don’t stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret from those who know her best, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of Orange County, Vermont, to calm her down when her dreams prove too much.
Zachariah, 23, is a survivor of a different kind. It’s been three years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult out west, and the only home he’d ever known. In Vermont, he’s found a peaceful place in the bunkhouse at the Shipley’s farm. He’s good with animals, and he’s good with his hands. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. And he doesn’t always know what to make of a world where apps and movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV. He’d never spoken on the phone.
Actually, there are still a lot of things he’s never done.
Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she shoves Zach away, he will have to prove to himself that he's good for more than farm labor.
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