Deirdre Riordan Hall's Blog, page 6

Tide Cover Reveal

I know I say it every time I reveal a new book cover, but it's true. I LOVE this cover! 
Cheyanne at Nova Book Covers has outdone herself, once again. Not only on the previous covers for Chasing Days & Spent, but Tide is book one in the Sea & Sand series so she had double duty designing the follow up for Anchored, out next month. And let's just say, I'm not an easy customer! Lol. So, above you see but a glimpse of what's to come. 
Are you ready for the full reveal?
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Well, you'll have to scroll down...
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A bit more...
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Keep going...
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Oh, you want to know the inspiration behind the cover? 
~ ~ ~ Well, I'm a big fan of the ocean, surfing, and the majestic & mysterious beauty it holds...
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So, here you have a double exposure with the outline of a mermaid and the ocean filling her in... Have I mentioned I love it?
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Alright, alright, I won't tease you any more. Here it is...
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Never trust a mermaid's kiss. Tyler McColdrum has a bright future on the professional surfing circuit until his father tragically dies at sea. Unable to pay the bills, Tyler and his mother leave California and move to his late grandfather's cottage in Land's End, Maine—a world away from the life he's known. Not even the stormy Atlantic can douse Tyler's surf stoke, but when mariners go missing off the coast, legends as old as the sea itself suggest something lurks beneath the surface. As the police investigate, his friend Kiwa—the only female surfer for miles—indicates there's more to the McColdrum family history than blood and bone. Amara is a beautiful mermaid, a mero, who wants a life on land away from her sinister sisters. As charming as mero are, with musical voices and a tempting gaze, they're also brutal and cruel, stealing the souls of sailors. As Initiation nears, Amara learns Poseidon selected her as consort and her desperation for freedom increases. When Tyler encounters Amara, he falls hard for her. The ocean is no longer safe for him, but he trusts their love can overcome her mero nature. As locals and officials wage war against the sea, trying to keep mariners safe, Tyler and Amara struggle with how to protect each other.With one foot in the sand and the other in the sea, Tyler must choose love or the surf as the tide quickly rises.
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Pre order now!


US // UK // AU
Add to your Goodreads list.

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Also, don't miss the INTERNATIONAL giveaway of a paperback copy! Thank you to Lola's Blog Tours for hosting the reveal & giveaway! a Rafflecopter giveaway
~ ~ ~ If you want to see more of the inspo behind the book, check out my Tide Pinterest board!~ ~ ~And before you go, please tell me your favorite summer reads! My favorite season is just around the corner!

SPENT is Now Available!

It's release day!  
Tuesday, April, 2017! 
Spent IS. NOW. AVAILABLE.
YAY!
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I'm so excited for you to read this young adult contemporary romantic mystery heist. Could I have crammed any more genres in there? Yes, yes I can. There's a hint of Romeo & Juliet, but kind of twisted and turned upside down, slightly.
I know! Crazy. Also awesome, but I'm probably biased.


Rule #1 Never get caught.
Rule #2 Never admit to anything. Rule #3 Never get involved with boys.It's not until Ru Rocklin is caught shoplifting that she considers exactly what has been taken from her. For sixteen years, she's lived on the fringe and in isolation with her older sister, Silky, a master thief who doubles as Ru's guardian—lying and thieving is the family biz.After she's given the ultimatum to go to school or kick it in jail, Ru meets Julian Freese, and finally feels, well, normal. At least until the shame of her not-so-normal life pushes them apart. But when he reveals his own secrets, she realizes love is one con she can't pull.When tragedy exposes the mystery of Ru's past, she's determined to finish the job Silky groomed her for: stealing the famed golden dragon, Mǔ long, from the Institute of Fine Art. It’s a heist she can't do alone so she gathers a crack team of liars and thieves to help. As she tries to avoid the attention of the authorities, the crew embarks upon a wild game of give and take, bluffs and blunders, and twists and turns. Though it felt like the perfect plan, the dragon only leads to more questions. Ru will have to break every rule she knows to find the answers to Silky’s finely-woven lies and get her life back, or make a new one.
With Romeo and Juliet inspired romance and a caper with Ocean's 11 tension and thrills, fans of Heist Society by Ally Carter will enjoy this story of thieves and thugs, love and loss, and high-stakes action.:::
Get your copy of Spent!

US // UK // AU
Add to your Goodreads list.
There's also still time to win a signed copy. Please enter below. 
Apologies, this giveaway is only open to US residents.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Please share the Spent luv with your Twitter, Facebook, & social media friends:


Copy and paste to Tweet:
A young thief. A golden dragon. A stolen life. A modern Romeo and Juliet and heist mashup. LINK #youngadult Or:
With Romeo & Juliet inspired romance and a caper with Ocean's 11 tension and thrills, Spent is a story of thieves and thugs & love and loss. LINK
Copy & Paste for Facebook:
Rule #1 Never get caught.Rule #2 Never admit to anything. Rule #3 Never get involved with boys.When sixteen-year old Ru breaks every single one, it's up to her to get her life back, or make a new one.LINK
Or:For Ru Rocklin, lying and thieving is the family biz. But when she meets Julian Freese, she realizes love is one con she can't pull. When tragedy exposes the mystery of her past, she's determined to finish a big job but can't do alone so she gathers a team to help. They embark upon a wild game of give and take, bluffs and blunders, and twists and turns. Though it felt like the perfect plan, the dragon only leads to more questions. Ru will have to break every rule she knows to find answers, especially to the big one: will she break every rule she has for love?
LINK:::

If you'd like to keep up to date on my writing life, check out my Instagram or Facebook for lots of confetti filled fun!


I'm so excited for you to read Spent, a Romeo & Juliet -- heist -- mashup. It's about secrets and love, takes twists and turns, and is filled with tension and thrills! 

P.S. If you love the cover and want to see more, visit Nova Book Covers.


Thank you for reading and celebrating this book birthday with me! 

SPENT Cover Reveal & Giveaway

This cover. Guys. I'm in love with it. Cheyanne at Nova Book Covers is an amazing graphic designer. Let's talk about it shall we...
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The faint pink and sea foam blue... 
The gritty street and the blossoms...
The mystery of the two silhouettes...
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Oh, wait, you need to see it? 
Silly me...
Well, then. I suppose I'll have to show you. 
Scroll down...
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Blurb:
Rule #1 Never get caught.
Rule #2 Never admit to anything. Rule #3 Never get involved with boys.It's not until Ru Rocklin is caught shoplifting that she considers exactly what has been taken from her. For sixteen years, she's lived on the fringe and in isolation with her older sister, Silky, a master thief who doubles as Ru's guardian—lying and thieving is the family biz.After she's given the ultimatum to go to school or kick it in jail, Ru meets Julian Freese, and finally feels, well, normal. At least until the shame of her not-so-normal life pushes them apart. But when he reveals his own secrets, she realizes love is one con she can't pull.When tragedy exposes the mystery of Ru's past, she's determined to finish the job Silky groomed her for: stealing the famed golden dragon, Mǔ long, from the Institute of Fine Art. It’s a heist she can't do alone so she gathers a crack team of liars and thieves to help. As she tries to avoid the attention of the authorities, the crew embarks upon a wild game of give and take, bluffs and blunders, and twists and turns. Though it felt like the perfect plan, the dragon only leads to more questions. Ru will have to break every rule she knows to find the answers to Silky’s finely-woven lies and get her life back, or make a new one.
With Romeo and Juliet inspired romance and a caper with Ocean's 11 tension and thrills, fans of Heist Society by Ally Carter will enjoy this story of thieves and thugs, love and loss, and high-stakes action.
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Add to your Goodreads list.:::But wait, while you're here, enter to win a signed copy! *My apologies, only open to US residents.a Rafflecopter giveaway
Between all this publishing I've been doing, believe it or not I've been finding some time to read. I just finished You're a Badass by Jen Sincero. If you need a boost, I definitely recommend you pick it up. I also finished Maggie Hall's Conspiracy of Us and it was fab—intrigue, France, romance! It was perfect!


Thanks for entering & please let me know how much you love the cover!

Chasing Days Release!

It's Tuesday, March 14, 2017! It's Pi Day π aka 3.14... 

Also, it's the book birthday for my latest young adult contemporary novel Chasing Days. I'm celebrating BIG (of course, there's confetti!) Check out my Instagram or Facebook for the latest.

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Wondering what this sunny book is all about? 
Here's the blurb:


Two-weeks until Willa Wohlbreuk graduates.
Fourteen-days left for exams and senior pranks.
Three hundred-thirty-six-hours for friendships to unravel and to fall in and out of love.
Twenty thousand-one-hundred-sixty-minutes left to go wild and grow up.
And one million two-hundred-nine-thousand-six-hundred-seconds to figure out what freedom really means.
Willa faces her best friend Teddy—Theo now—as he defies his parents and reveals something about himself she never expected. Joss appears with blue hair and stirs things up. And Grady, finally, after four years, suddenly knows Willa’s name. Meanwhile, the undercurrent of uncertainty about the future dredges up the possibility that Willa isn’t even sure who she is. All she knows is life is about to change, epically.
☼
Get your copy of Chasing Days!

 US // UK // AU

Add to Goodreads
There's also still time to win a signed copy. Please enter below. Apologies, this giveaway is only open to US residents.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
☼

Please share the Chasing Days luvvvv with your Twitter, Facebook, & social media friends:


Copy and paste to Tweet:Chasing Days: Two weeks until graduation, two best friends, two epic secrets. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XCGVM7S#... #LGBTbooks
Or:
Two weeks left of high school: plenty of time for muck ups, for break ups, for let downs, breakdowns, and for revealing secrets that will change everything. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XCGVM7S
Copy & Paste for Facebook:
Chasing Days is about the frenzied last weeks of high school. The highs and lows. The goodbyes and good riddances. It's about friendships falling apart and building new ones. Getting lost and finding something, or someone, you never expected to stir things up. Chasing Days is about pranks and making last minute memories. And secrets. Secrets that you can't take with you when you receive your diploma. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XCGVM7S
Or:
Two weeks until Willa Wohlbreuk graduates.
Fourteen days for exams and senior pranks.
Three-hundred- thirty-six hours for friendships to unravel and to fall in and out of love.
Twenty-thousand-one-hundred-sixty minutes left to go wild and grow up.
One million-two-hundred-nine-thousand-six-hundred seconds to figure out what freedom really means. CHASING DAYS. YA FICTION. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XCGVM7S


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Thank you readers for your ongoing support, enthusiasm, and interest in my writing. It means so, so, soooo much to me and makes me smile so, so, soooo big! 
P.S. What kind of pie should I bake to celebrate? I'm feeling apple, but I'll take suggestions in the comments below.

The Chasing Days Cover Reveal & Giveaway!

Guess what? I'm back with young adult contemporary fiction after a little detour into women's romantic comedy to start the year. 
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Like I've said before writing (and reading) YA is my fiction home, but I like to switch things up from time to time too. But the main character in Chasing Days? Not so much. She's a self-proclaimed homeslice and prefers things to stay the way they are, or so she thought... 
With graduation on the horizon in just two weeks, she and her best friend struggle with their identities and two secrets that are bigger than both of them. All she knows is everything is about to change, epically.
Want to see the beautiful cover designed by Cheyanne from Nova Book Covers? 
I'll confess, I ♥ it soooo much. I'll even just open the photo album on my phone and look at it because it makes me smile so big. And this book? It does the same thing: makes my heart smile because it's a version of what I want for people. Not the hard parts, but the peace, love, and understanding parts. Read it and you'll get exactly what I mean.
So you want to see it, right?
Ok. 
Scroll down.
Keep going...
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Two-weeks until Willa Wohlbreuk graduates.
Fourteen-days left for exams and senior pranks.
Three hundred-thirty-six-hours for friendships to unravel and to fall in and out of love.
Twenty thousand-one-hundred-sixty-minutes left to go wild and grow up.
And one million two-hundred-nine-thousand-six-hundred-seconds to figure out what freedom really means.
Willa faces her best friend Teddy—Theo now—as he defies his parents and reveals something about himself she never expected. Joss appears with blue hair and stirs things up. And Grady, finally, after four years, suddenly knows Willa’s name. Meanwhile, the undercurrent of uncertainty about the future dredges up the possibility that Willa isn’t even sure who she is. All she knows is life is about to change, epically.
A story of identity and fitting in, friendship and love, living with uncertainty and sexual awakening for fans of Keeping you a Secretby Julie Anne Peters, Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour, Bermudez Triangleby Maureen Johnson, and I'll Give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson.☼Preorder your copy of Chasing Days☼US // UK // AU

Add to your Goodreads list.
But wait, while you're here, enter to win a signed copy!*Sorry limited to US residents only.a Rafflecopter giveaway
Whatcha think of the cover? Please tell me in the comments below!

How Not to Fall in Love Release!

Not only is it Valentine's Day, it's also release day! Happy book birthday to How Not to Fall in Love! This romantic comedy is the follow up to Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told . It's told from Katya's perspective, Navy's best friend. 

Whereas Navy is sweet and demure, Kat is how shall I put this, a little more open, ahem, about her life between the sheets. It can be read as a standalone, but your enjoyment and insight into the characters will be richer if you read Love, Hate, and Other Lies first. 


Get your copy here:
Kindle // Paperback
Goodreads

You can also enter to win a signed copy of both Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told and How Not to Fall in Love along with some confetti. But act fast because the giveaway ends soon and is only open to US residents. (*Apologies to my international readers). 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Oh, and as a bonus for all there are a couple of recipes in the back to satisfy your, uh, sweet tooth ;-) Thank you for reading and please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. For authors, they're better than a box of chocolates or cookies...

How Not to Fall in Love Cover Reveal & Giveaway!

When I was writing Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told , my attention repeatedly turned to Katya, Navy's bestie. She has a vibrant personality, which is at times, almost the opposite of Navy's more reserved nature. 

Where Navy is a hopeless romantic, Katya doesn't desire doting gestures from the guys in her life. 

Where Navy would like flowers and chocolate, Katya skips out before the night is over without so much as a follow up text. *Although Katya does love chocolate... and cookies.

Where Navy seeks her true love, Katya wants nothing to do with the L word. 

Or so it seems...

How Not to Fall in Love is the companion novella to Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told. It can stand alone, but you'll have a much richer reading experience and get to know Katya (and Spencer) better if you read the full-length first. 


So now you're wondering... what's it about? 

First, the cover reveal!
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Katya's middle name may be Aphrodite, but she has no interest in relationships. In fact, she has three rules she lives by:

1. Never spend the night.2. Never sleep with the same guy twice.3. Never fall in love.Oh, and number 3.1 is never order the same coffee two days in a row.
That's a lot of nevers, but when she repeatedly breaks every single one of them (her undoing was a vanilla latte with a heart in the foam, BTW), she begins to wonder…
Actually, it was a batch of chocolate chip cookies that started her downward spiral. Never mind, scratch that, it was Spencer—her neighbor. He's also a banker, a player, and seems to know just what Kat wants, which isn't love.
Until they start to spend a lot of time together…
Until she finds one of his socks at her place...
Until they go to a ski resort for a long weekend…
Until he has a snowboarding injury…
As Kat struggles with the part of her that wants to be strong, single, and on the scene and the mushy, melty, romantic within, she tries desperately not to fall in love. But what's wrong with falling if you have someone with dark tousled hair, refined yet ruggedly handsome features, and chiseled abs to catch you?
Nothing. Nothing at all.
A special thanks to my cover designer! Also thankies to Jessica over at The Confetti Bar for the gorgeous custom blend! 
You can preorder your of How Not to Fall in Love copy here:
AmazonGoodreads


Enter to win a Galentine's Day prize pack including signed paperback copies of both Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told and How Not to Fall in Love and some bonus confetti! 
*This giveaway is open to US residents only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


The book Love, Hate and Other Lies We Told concludes with Valentine's Day, however How Not to Fall in Love opens with a (belated) Galentine's Day party (click the link to learn more and how to have your own Galentine's Day party). I'm all about romance, but also celebrating my ladies. If there are women friends in your life who need a laugh, love romance, and books, please share a copy with your gals! 
Please share on social media:
Twitter: Fiction readers: celebrate #galentinesday with two romantic comedies that celebrate love, friendship, & chocolate. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYE5CWI

Facebook:Get your Galentine groove on with Love, Hate & Other Lies We Told and How Not to Fall in Love. Two romantic comedies that celebrate love, friendship, and chocolate. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYE5CWI

Oh, and did I mention there are cookie and brownies recipes in the back? ;-)

Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told Release Day!

Hip, hip, hooray! It's release day! 

Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told is free and in the wild, ready to warm hearts, make you cry... and, mostly make you laugh; it's a romantic comedy, after all. 

Oh, and it's women's fiction. As you know I've most recently written young adult fiction, but I had to tell Navy's story just in time for Valentine's Day. 

Wait? That's next month? Oh, right. Well, in that case, what I meant to say is the follow up novella will be release on February 14th! Wink, wink. 

Wondering what Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told is all about? Read on...


Let go from her job and feeling lost, Navy Carrington takes a position as coffee-girl at a publicity firm. Their newest client is Carrick Kennely, the former love of her life and her fiercest adversary. She thought she'd let go of the past by playing it safe with book boyfriends—and avoiding frustratingly sexy guys like Carrick.
When Navy's roommate finds the Boyfriend Book, a silly relic leftover from Navy's teens, it prompts a dare; Navy is to go on five dates and pick one to be her Valentine. Despite her reservations, she can't say no, especially if it means proving to herself and Carrick that she can move on.
Navy chronicles her brief romantic entanglements with the Hottie in 7G, the Man-Bun-Barista, the Gym Stud, and the Book Boyfriend who turns out to be a toad—not the kind that when kissed turns into a prince—, on The Boyfriend Book Blog. She doesn't want to let her readers or herself down, but as Valentine's Day nears, none of the guys comes close to being her one true love.
Except Carrick. He’s infuriating, attractive, confusing, catnip…and it turns out he has a secret.
With a love letter and a plane ticket in hand, Navy leaves her baggage behind and must decide between love, hate, and the lies she told to protect her fragile heart.
Told with humor and heart, Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told may appeal to readers who enjoy Alice Clayton, Sally Thorne, and Emily Giffin's work. 
Ready to nab your copy? 
US
UK // Australia
I'd LOVE to know what you think. 
Please connect with me on social. Instagram is my main jam, but I'm also on  Facebook and Twitter. 


 Oh, and let's not forget about Goodreads. Please add Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told to your TBR list on Goodreads. 

2017 is going to be an epic year for reading and publishing... hint, hint. Sign up for my monthly newsletter so you don't miss a thing!

The Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told COVER REVEAL!

What happens when you combine love, hate, lies, fiction, and me? 
You get confetti! 

Confetti makes me happy, especially the custom made blends from The Confetti Bar! 

Jessica Serra Huizenga, an indie author, a unicorn, and all around fabulous gal created this confetti for the book and guess what? It's found its way onto the cover! 
A certain ingenious, wonderful, talented writer friend designed this masterpiece. 
I can't wait to share it with you. 
Are you ready?
Scroll down...
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Let go from her job and feeling lost, Navy Carrington takes a position as coffee-girl at a publicity firm. Their newest client is Carrick Kennely, the former love of her life and her fiercest adversary. She thought she'd let go of the past by playing it safe with book boyfriends—and avoiding frustratingly sexy guys like Carrick.
When Navy's roommate finds the Boyfriend Book, a silly relic leftover from Navy's teens, it prompts a dare; Navy is to go on five dates and pick one to be her Valentine. Despite her reservations, she can't say no, especially if it means proving to herself and Carrick that she can move on.
Navy chronicles her brief romantic entanglements with the Hottie in 7G, the Man-Bun-Barista, the Gym Stud, and the Book Boyfriend who turns out to be a toad—not the kind that when kissed turns into a prince—, on The Boyfriend Book Blog. She doesn't want to let her readers or herself down, but as Valentine's Day nears, none of the guys comes close to being her one true love.
Except Carrick. He’s infuriating, attractive, confusing, catnip…and it turns out he has a secret.
With a love letter and a plane ticket in hand, Navy leaves her baggage behind and must decide between love, hate, and the lies she told to protect her fragile heart.
Told with humor and heart, Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told may appeal to readers who enjoy Alice Clayton, Sally Thorne, and Emily Giffin's work. 

Preorder Links
Kindle // Paperback
UK 
Australia

Please add Love, Hate, and Other Lies We Told to your Goodreads and spread the Love!
Whatcha think of the cover tho?

Welcome 2017!

Happy, happy New Year!
I'm so excited for things to come in the coming months. 

Why? 

Although I do a lot of talking and writing, my word of the year is LISTEN. 

Listening means to being more present to each passing moment and not let them flurry by. 

Listening means tuning into my intuition and going with my gut. 

Listening means being more attentive to family and friends. 

Listening means hearing what others have to say without judgement. 

Listening means slowing down when I need to. Slowing down in general. 


EXCEPT when it comes to publishing. I mentioned this in my farewell 2016 post, but I am going all in this year. I'm ready to LIGHT. IT. UP! 

I've written a lot of books, guys. A lot. It's time for you to have access to them. 

2017 is going to be the great year of publishing for me and I'm so excited to share some of these stories I have waiting for you. 

Are you ready? I hope so because I don't stop, I won't stop...

To start, we have Love, Hate, and Other Lies we Told coming your way in a little over two weeks! This women's romantic comedy releases Tuesday, January 17, 2017! 

Curious to know what it's about? 

Want a peek at the cover? Ok, here ya go. 



Want more? 

Ok, it's cover reveal time! Ready... I told you I'm going big! I won't tease you or make you wait another minute. Just keep scrolling...

So what do you think? Let me know in the comments below. 

Preorder your copy here. 
Please add Love, Hate, and Other Lies we Told to your To Be Read on Goodreads (who's going for 100 books this year?) and while you're at it, go ahead and pre order! 


I'm so excited. Big beginnings. Big things. Big love. Thanks for welcoming 2017 and my new book. 

P.S. If you're a writer and want to jump start 2017 with promoting your own book, check out Book Promotion 365: how to reach readers and share your work with the world.