Deirdre Riordan Hall's Blog, page 17

Kindled Teaser

Eager for a little B liss kiss action? Wondering what Wes is up to? Curious about how the Carters and Benedicts, along with the others celebrate? Longing to know whatever happened to London? 
Kindled, the last installation of the Follow your Bliss series has a little something for everyone: sweet, first times in love, depression and dysfunction, and an unforgettable Christmas surprise.

Check back as I countdown to Kindled’s release on Tuesday December 9 or sign up formy enewsletter to get on inside track but in the meantime, here's a sneak peek:
Wes reached for an unfinished glass of wine on the coffee table and chugged it. London leaned heavily on him, not afraid of taking up space, despite her slender body.

“The two of you lack a sense of humor.” Her words hung in the air. 

“I’m joking. You’re supposed to laugh. You both look terrified. I don’t bite. Usually. This is all very quaint, and I’m glad to be here on this wondrous Christmas Eve holiday, seriously, this place is like picture perfect.” She sighed. “I just hoped I’d have an accomplice.”
Wes found his voice. “What, dare I ask, do you need an accomplice for?”

Please add Kindled to your Goodreads TBR and connect on my author page. 

And >>> the first two books in the Follow your Bliss series, To the Sea & Surfaced, are FREE on Amazon today TOMORROW. Santa's elves got the dates wrong. Oops. Apologies. 'Tis the season.

Wes Carter is coming to town! The fictional character in a novella, that is...

Christmas comes early for the Follow your Bliss* series readers with the On the Mountain companion novella, Kindled. I’m excited to share that the final book in the FYB series releases Tuesday December 9, 2014.
In On the Mountain, we followed Baskia Benedict from her posh life in New York City as she escaped uncertainty to the rural mountains of Vermont. She left behind fear of failure and rejection and gained courage and resilience along with hooking up with a hottie named Trace, and befriending ruggedly handsome Wes, both of whom had secrets to spare. She also learned to cook, was adopted by the locals, and found a way to thrive even in the shadow of uncertainty. And did I mention Wes? My favorite underdog...er, um, very manly hunka, I mean. Gah! Well...he gets his own book! Kindled!
This holiday season, readers get to cozy up with Wes: the wood-splitting, fire-stoking, fella who burns for Baskia’s bestie Mellie. There’s family dysfunction, pies and cookies galore, and a spectacle in ice sure to warm your heart in this little novella, wrapped up in ribbon.
Stay tuned for ALL the FYB* prezzies, including a teaser and sneak peek, the cover reveal, discount days for the other novels in the Follow your Bliss series, and a MASSIVE giveaway.
Make your season bright by adding Kindled to your Goodreads TO BE READ list and join my mailing list to receive author updates and exclusive info in the coming year. 
*All the books in the Follow your Bliss series can be read alone. However, I recommend reading each full-length novel and then following up with the companion novellas for a richer reading experience that dives deeper into the character’s stories. The three full-lengths: To the Sea, In the Desert, and On the Mountain overlap and story lines intersect, but they are intended to work as stand-alones as well.

One Song Away Release Day!

I'm so excited to share with you the release of author Molli Moran's novel: 
One Song Away! 
Do  you love the cover? I love the cover, it's so sweet! 
Below. find the synopsis, the links to get your own copy, enter the giveaway, and find out all the details to read reviews, an excerpt, and more!





Synopsis
She needs a fill-in boyfriend. He needs a favor. It’s the perfect, no-strings arrangement until they both realize it’s too real…

Sophie-Claire Wright’s life is like a bad country song on repeat. She keeps running into her cheating ex, her songwriting career isn't taking off, and her roommate just kicked her out of their apartment. With nothing to lose, she decides to do the one thing she said she’d never do: she moves back home. She left her small Southern town with big dreams, but now she’s going home with empty pockets.

Life moves at a slower pace in Sophie’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hometown, but her well-meaning, matchmaking mama doesn't have a slow gear. Sophie invents a boyfriend to hold off her mother’s efforts, but she’s out of luck when her mom wants to meet him. Sophie panics until she runs into Jake Cooper. Her high school crush (and former best friend) is back in town, too, and when he asks her for a favor, she agrees...on one condition. He says he’ll be her fill-in boyfriend, so it should be simple: re-introduce him to her family and then “break up” with him after a few weeks.

Sophie is sure she’ll be able to resist Jake this time. Sure, she was in love with him years ago, but that was then. This is now, no matter how great he looks, or how she feels around him. But she didn't bargain for moments that feel all too genuine. Dates that don’t seem fake. Kisses that leave her shaken and wanting more. Sweet moments where she forgets they aren't really dating. And she didn't count on old feelings resurfacing and complicating their arrangement—which is starting to feel less like acting and more like the real deal.

Soon, Sophie can’t tell which kisses are real or fake, but she knows she’s in deep...and she thinks Jake is, too. When she gets a chance to go back to Nashville and chase her dreams again, she has a choice to make: stay or go? Continue hoping that the life she wants is one song away, or finally write her own song?

One Song Away: On Goodreads | On Amazon | On Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooksMy social media: Twitter | Facebook  | Instagram | Goodreads 





About Molli Moran

Molli is a Southern author who doesn't consider her day complete if she hasn't written. She loves coffee and talking fast, things she attributes to being raised by Gilmore Girls. She's a romantic at heart, and brings that to her books, which are usually about quirky characters chasing after their happily ever after. Although content when reading, she can often be found watching and flailing over Doctor Who, cuddling her various pets, or spending time with friends, family, or her girlfriend. Molli loves Oxford commas, country music, Stefan Salvatore, and scarves. 

...And, here's the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway P.S. Here's the One Song Away blog tour link, and schedule below. Check it out if you want to find out more about  Sophie & Jake, the author and other fun stuff:

December 15th
-Book Bitches Blog >> Review-Becky on Books >> Review-A Little Bit of R&R >> Excerpt-Fic Central >> Review
December 16th
-Books of Love >> Review-Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile >> Review-Girls With Books >> Excerpt
December 17th
-Word Spelunking >> Interview-Lustful Literature >> Review-Thoughts At One In The Morning >> Review
December 18th
-What’s Beyond Forks? >> Review + Top 10 List-Sizzle and Swoon >> Playlist-A Backwards Story >> Review
December 19th
-YA Story Teller >> Review-I’m A Book Shark >> Guest Post-Loving the Language of Literacy >> Review-Ramblings From This Chick >> Review

Free Books!

Get your holiday deals on! 
If you didn't win the Indies Give Thanks Giveaway, you still have a chance to read the Follow your Bliss books with Black Friday & Cyber Monday Freebies! Tell your friends, your sisters, your aunts, and anyone you knows who loves novels that are slightly steamy, a smidge smart, and all about overcoming the challenges in life with a whole lotta heart! Links: To the Sea On the Mountain




  Links: SurfacedMirrored
And...check back soon for ALL the details about the forthcoming novella Kindled, just in time for the holidays!

Indies Give Thanks Giveaway

November has a reputation for pumpkin, crisp leaves, mustaches, and gratitude. Stop in your local Trader Joe's and you'll find pumpkin galore. Step outside, leaves! The mustaches, well, that has to do with men's health so ask a dude to fill you in. As for the gratitude, this group of Indie Authors wants to say a warm thank you to all the readers who've read our novels, left reviews, and offered support along the way. 
As a token of our appreciation, we're offering 4 huge prize packs to 4 random winners. The first one includes some great novels and goodies by Young Adult Indie Authors. The remaining three prize packs offer loads of books and swag from New Adult Indies. There are signed paperbacks, complete series', ebooks, ARCs, eARCs, bookmarks, swag, and more! Check out all the details below, and get ready to curl up with some great reads!

Prize Pack #1 // Young Adult [image error] [image error]

Waiting for the Storm (ebook) by Marie LandryAfter the Storm (ebook) by Marie LandryThe BirthRite Series (ebooks) by Brandi Leigh HallTethered, Tempted & Tangled



Motocross Me by Cheyanne Young (signed paperback & includes free audio download)Understudy by Cheyanne Young (signed paperback & includes free audio download)Somewhere only we Know by Cheyanne Young (signed paperback & includes free audio download) along with some swag!
Snapshots (ebook) by Patricia Lynne
Being Human (ebook) by Patricia Lynne

Prize Pack #2 // New Adult
Hysteriata (ebook) by D.A. Botta
Breaking the Rules by L.K. Lewis
The Complete Elsker Saga (ebooks) by S.T. Bende:
Tur, Elsker, Endre, Tro
To the Sea by Deirdre Riordan Hall
In the Desert by Deirdre Riordan Hall
On the Mountain by Deirdre Riordan Hall & some of this swag from each book, including the 3 necklaces & other goodies!


Prize Pack #3 // New Adult 

Breaking the Rules by L.K. Lewis 
A Little like Fate Boxset: A Little like Fate, A Little like Love & A Little like Destiny by Cheyanne Young 
The complete Elyzian Chronicles (paperbacks): Hysteriata, Sinfluence & Sycamortem  by D.A. Botta 
As you Turn Away (ebook) by Molli Moran 



One Song Away (eARC 12.1.14) by Molli Moran plus Swag!
The Maenad of Manhattan by Liz Meldon



Prize Pack #4 // New Adult


 In Between Seasons by Cassandra Giovanni
Breaking the Rules by L.K. Lewis
Real Eyes (11.11.14) by Amy Evans
Irish Cream cocoa and a Fire of Stars & Dragons inspired mug courtesy of Jen Streck & Melissa A. Petreshock
Fire of Stars and Dragons (ebook) by Melissa A. Petreshock
Postcards from Asgard (eARC 11.27.14) by Amalia Dillin 
Hysteriata (ebook) by D.A. Botta 
The Triple R Series (ebooks) Run to Love, Rest, my Love & Ride my Love by Jules Dixon


Pretty excellent for winter reading, huh? 
Please enter below & tell your friends! Thank you for reading with us and supporting Indie Authors!
*Apologies to our international friends, but this giveaway is for US residents only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


An extra thank you for your support and writer hugs to the authors who contributed to this giveaway.

If I don't call or write, it's because I'm writing...

For the last couple years, a world wide web phenomenon has caught my attention: NaNoWriMo... 
Naked Northerners Wriggling Mopeds? Nary Nobody Wringing Monkeys? Nabbed Nocturnal Wrist Mops. 
No. None of that makes sense, but National Novel Writing Month does, kinda, if you're crazy with the keyboard. I'm certified. I write fast. I get into a zone and flow. Having long stretches of uninterrupted time works best for me, so with the holidays, the littles having more than a few days off this month, and other writerly responsibilities, I'm feeling totally confident I can pull this off.  Said me. Never. But I'm polishing off my best Bwa ha ha ha and am ready to go all in.

I have an abundance of ideas floating in my head, drafted on paper, and outlined, ready to go, so I don't necessarily need to have an appointed event to crank out 50K. I do that on my own, every month is National Writing Month. What got me on board is the camaraderie, the we're doing this together mentality, changing the world one word at a time, and uniting, with arms lifted in victory, for creatives everywhere. 

There was a time when people didn't have the right or the ability to tell their stories, in some places this is still true. I signed on as an act of true authorship, to demonstrate that not just one or ten or a hundred people can unite to write, but we're thousands, maybemillions strong and whether only our computer screens ever see our our words and truths, they're out there, out of us and onto the page. It's revolutionary.
The manuscript I'll be starting is called Chasing Days. A young adult novel about a girl during the last weeks of high school and sexual awakening. I have a strong outline ready like a boss. Sorta. (I'm actually trembling like those autumn leaves outside.) But if I don't do this now, will I put it off? Will I keep Willa's story locked inside? Are there girls and guys, mothers and fathers, who need to understand themselves, their kids, and share in the common human experiences of confusion about normal and questions about what's next. These years float by faster than I ever imagined. I figure I should give it a shot and if I fall short, at least I'm a few more chapters along than I was when I started, which is to say, zero. 
So wish me luck. If you're participating in NaNoWriMo, let's link up! || I'm deirdrespark || You can also follow my word count progress, which I find incredibly satisfying. 
If you have no fluffing clue what all this gibberish is...and maybe, in the attic of your heart you once, maybe twice, had the idea that you'd like to write a book, NaNoWriMo is an amazing, supportive, full-throttle way to get started. Deets here. 

On the Mountain Pin Board

I do believe On the Mountain's Pinterest board was one of my first. I easily collected imagery to inspire my writing as the story unfolded. Want to see some of what inspired me? 
Check it out! 

I write with an outline, but I also follow the story. Sometimes it's like a trickling stream, other times like a raging river, but I always let let it flow on its own. There is always the outline to return to, to keep me on point. the pins I collected on Pinterest to keep me mindful of the overall ethos and vibe of the story, not to mention it works to remind me what my hotties look like, not that that is tough to do. 

I'm a casual pinner, except when it comes researching novels and I'd love to connect with you there. When not wearing my writing cap, I do many ordinary and extraordinary things like cooking, crafting, and plotting my next great adventure. 

(Psst. Some of the On the Mountain board might give you a wee hint at what could possibly be coming next in Kindled, the novella companion.) 

Why We Need YA

It is not only a privilege and an honor to write for children, but an obligation. 

Yes. Bold statement. I've been full of 'em lately. Must be something in the air. Or just a matter of digging my voice out of the sand.

There are those who don't give young people enough credit, who undermine their ability and potential. There are some who discount their opinion and capacity to listen. There are those who don't observe the world as kids do; the places on the sidewalk, inbetween the bricks, and in the dark night where the cracks and weaknesses give rise to strength and courage. Then, there are some who do...

It is with this in mind that we write for those emerging from the land of lollipops and cartwheels, for those on the edge of adulthood, and for those who aren't so sure of the world they're entering. By telling stories, we participate and contribute to the depth and breadth of their knowing. 

We say  yes, I hear you. I see you. I want to understand you. I want you to be understood. We also say, look, see this? You can still be a dreamer, a hero, the president of worlds unknown. Don't give up even as this spinning top seems to change, and whirl, around you.

As writers we are both Sherpas leading young people into new and unexplored lands, and the ones being guided. As their consciousness shifts and expands, our own is impacted as well because we are reminded of hope, truth, and our potential to continuing growing (—up, again and again.) It's a duality to be sure, a reciprocal relationship. Childhood and adulthood is too finite. We forever have the capacity to grow, but sometimes forget. It is through story whether told around a campfire, read in the crisp pages of a book between classes, after work, in the glow of an ereader, and in our memory that we return to the place of wonder, connection, and imagination.

As writers, storytellers, and authors we are obligated to continue this lineage, to acknowledge youth and their experience, as we've likely shared, if not in the actual events, but in the emotions, the mood, the ethos. 

The communion of words on the page binds us to reality as we actually live it, it's what makes us humans a community, comforts us when life is confusing and tragic, and brings us together whether or not we realize we need each other.  

This topic has been explored and expounded upon, but I felt the need to contribute my thoughts to the discussion and I'd love to hear yours. 





Check out more on this here from Maggie Stiefvater and Maddie Crum.

^^^ And I Give You...On the Mountain ^^^

I can't believe it! >>> It's release day >>> Hooray!
Phew. now that's out of my system, we can get on with things. In case you missed it, I just jumped up and down like a monkey on a pogo stick, tossing confetti EVERYWHERE! It was quite the scene I tell ya, only now I have to clean it up. Sigh. 
It's wild to me that just last February I launched To the Sea, the first novel in this sorta-series. By sorta, I mean To the Sea was a stand alone. But then once I pubbed, I simply couldn't get off the Follow your Bliss train. I'd nabbed my own dream, and we were going places...where, well, at the time I just didn't know how wonderful it is to write my heart out (then edit till I'm blobular. Yes, blobular.) and then put the outcome out into the world. 
And today is just such a day, so here, I present to you (hang on, I have to lean in and whisper something to this little book of mine, Go, go and do great things, keep readers awake at night reader, inspire and brighten the days of all who meet your pages.) Here we go...
On the Mountain!



Amazon >>> Goodreads

Here's an excerpt...

The smell of lasagna baking in the oven lured Baskia into the kitchen a couple hours later. She uncorked a bottle of wine hoping to chase away reminders of her headache. Trace had set the table for two and candlelight burned softly between the place settings.
“Will you join me?” he asked.
“How’d you know my favorite?” Homemade lasagna had the potential to earn  him forgiveness.
His rough around the edges appearance and moody demeanor didn’t keep with details like candles and cloth napkins. If she’d been anywhere else, she’d have said so long to him, but there was no escaping him in the cabin, she was rooted there. And the meal smelled irresistible.
They didn’t say much while they ate, but Baskia noted the silence wasn’t awkward like with Wes. Of course, she wanted to ask what he’d meant when he said he was dealing with some shit, but instead they made conversation about her return trip to New York after Thanksgiving, a few of the books they’d both read, and their wine preferences. By the time they were done and the grandfather clock struck twelve, Baskia glowed with the satisfaction of a good meal shared in good company.
“Thanks,” she said before retiring to her room.

“No, thank you,” he said, meaningfully. With that, he blinked off the light. 


I'll toast to that. Cheers!

Monumental On the Mountain Giveaway!

So here we are, the last full-length book in the Follow your Bliss, semi-series. I say semi, because all the books, from To the Sea (book 1) to Kindled (book 6—coming out in December—just in time for the holidays. You won't even believe what kind of goodies I have in store for that!) can be read on their wee lonesome. Meaning, you don't have to read the others to enjoy the story. Or you could have a book reading bonanza and read 'em all. Or, ya know, pick away at them over the cool months, letting the love scenes warm you up!





For this occasion, I am offering up, a signed paperback of On the Mountain, a book mark, a lovely XO necklace inspired by a scene in the novel, and some more book swag goodies from the other titles in the Follow your Bliss series. Wink, wink. I'm cheeky like that. 
Let's just say, I have an Etsy Shop and I'm not afraid to use it. 




Read on, tell your friends, and enter below. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway