Category: General

Cover photo by Michael Stokes ~ Cover design by Babski Creative Studios ~ Model: Brad Greiner

(psst! If you’re in the Northern VA/DC area,  join me and many other awesome authors on Feb 12 @7pm for a Night of Romance (“speed date with your favorite authors and get books signed, too!) at the Alexandria Barnes & Noble on Jefferson Davis Highway)

By the Rules is out! BY THE RULES IS OUT!!!! *fires confetti cannons* *fires glitter cannons* *gets the squid cannons ready but then puts them away because squid cannons are kind of gross*

So listen I’m extra excited about this one. By the Rules was requested by a lot of readers from the start of the Evergreen Grove series. I’m beyond thrilled that a secondary character captured everyone’s hearts so thoroughly as he captured mine to demand his own book. And BOY did AJ’s book take on a life of its own. That’s AJ for you.

I want to say an extra big thank you to those who pre-ordered the book. New adult still feels new to me, but I love the genre, and I’m grateful to those of you who have made the leap with me, and to the new readers who have joined me along the way. This series is special to me and I’d love to keep it going for a long time. Evergreen grove is an amazing place. I hope you’ll agree, and I hope you’ll check out AJ and Hayden’s story, the colorful former male turned handyman, and the young corporate ladder-climber who stumble into each other in the most unexpected way.

Get it here: [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRGR” target=”_blank”]Add to Goodreads TBR[/button] [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRAMZ” target=”_blank”] Amazon Order[/button] [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRi” target=”_blank”] Apple Order[/button] [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRKOBO” target=”_blank”] Kobo Order[/button] [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRBN” target=”_blank”] B&N Order[/button] [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRARe” target=”_blank”] ARe [/button][button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRGoogle” target=”_blank”] Google Play[/button]

About By the Rules: 
He thinks I want him because of the rumors around town. Because I think he’s easy. I want AJ, because he’s AJ.

No liars. No suits. Absolutely no straight guys…

AJ Fabin’s list of rules keeps him safe. Since getting kicked out of his parents’ home and attacked by a former escorting client, his rules and his life in the tiny town of Evergreen Grove provide a quiet haven. He may be lonely, and he may stick out like a sore thumb, but the folks like him well enough. When he’s not dodging his old pimp, things are peaceful.

Hayden Price is having a quarter-life crisis. Engaged to a woman he can’t connect to and working a job he secretly hates, he comes to Evergreen Grove to help his mother through a health scare. Returning to his childhood home makes Hayden reevaluate a lot of things, including himself. When he meets AJ and finds he can’t stand the mouthy jerk—almost as much as he can’t stop thinking about him—he has a lot more to change than his career.

To be together, they’ll both have to break all of their rules.

By the Rules is book 3 in the Evergreen Grove series, but reads as a standalone.

Excerpt – Hayden’s POV – All rights reserved: 

When I left, it was a pin dot of a town going nowhere. Nobody in it would go anywhere. Nobody would ever change. My mom came here looking for someplace affordable and “simple” after things didn’t work out with my dad. I left senior year of high school because I was afraid I’d become a casualty of all that simplicity. I saw the buzz of city life and the success my father’s company had achieved. I wanted that kind of power.

I needed to be powerful.

Now, standing outside of Delia’s Bakery and Café at closing time, I can see the town has gone somewhere after all. Maybe not leaps and bounds in the grand scheme, but somewhere. From Mom’s little bakery to a tidy convenience store, a bar & grill, and a Laundromat, most of these shops on Main are new or spruced-up. I have to admit, Delia’s Bakery and Café looks cozy sitting among them. When she opened a few years ago, I told her this backwards little town wouldn’t give a shit about gourmet coffee and fancy muffins.

One more way I’ve been wrong. One more way I’ve been a shitty son.

“Trouble?” Mouthy AJ appears at my shoulder with a smile on his face and his hands jammed in his pockets. I don’t know how long he’s been there. Wasn’t paying attention. Didn’t hear him coming. Awesome.

“Man, what is your deal? Are you some kind of rainbow ninja or something?” I hope that the way I’m wildly gesturing to his colorful clothing hides the fact that he honestly did startle the crap out of me. I’m also hoping he didn’t overhear my conversation with Meg, because I probably didn’t come off sounding too great.

He’s just some kid my mom knows. His opinion of me should matter less than not at all. Still, for some reason it bothers me that he might think I’d be an asshole. I’m not even honestly jealous about Meg and Stephan. I don’t like being played though, and I don’t like feeling stupid. If she’s moved on, I wish she’d say so.

Aside from the ego bruises, the idea of Meg screwing another guy doesn’t elicit much reaction. More like it would be a relief to finally end this protracted charade. What does that say about me?

“Hmm.” AJ rubs his hand thoughtfully over his messy blond hair. The strands ruffle and stand up at odd angles. “Rainbow Ninjas. I’d join that rock band. At the least, I’d grab a ticket and a beer to hear them play.”

I’m not sure what the guy’s talking about, but I actually find his weird-ass comment kind of funny. Not that I say so, because I’m still hanging on to my dislike. Even though it’s generally bad business to hold a grudge. You never know who can become an important contact.

I guess I can give getting along a shot. I did promise my mom. “Buddy, it’s a little early to be drinking.”

The blue in his eyes catches hold of the setting sun when he smiles. In spite of his punk look and his disheveled hair, the halo of light around him makes him look a little too golden boy. So much I kind of want to go back to hating him when he shrugs and says, “Hey, it’s five o’clock somewhere. Oh. Wait. It’s actually already five here.”

Happy reading, everybody!! <3

Get it here: [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRGR” target=”_blank”]Add to Goodreads TBR[/button] [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRAMZ” target=”_blank”] Amazon Order[/button] [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRi” target=”_blank”] Apple Order[/button] [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRKOBO” target=”_blank”] Kobo Order[/button] [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRBN” target=”_blank”] B&N Order[/button] [button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRARe” target=”_blank”] ARe [/button][button type=”tiny” url=”http://tiny.cc/BTRGoogle” target=”_blank”] Google Play[/button]

EXTRAS: Want to share BY THE RULES with the interwebs? Feel free to download one of these teaser graphics to post to your favorite social media locations:

AJ and Hayden’s Playlist! Please consider checking out these songs and supporting the artists whose songs helped make this book a richer experience for us all. <3

• Marvin Gaye – What’s Goin’ On – https://youtu.be/J5Z-kjrSomw
• Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness – Cecilia and the Satellite – https://youtu.be/G_zY_jSVXSU
  
• Say – John Mayer – https://youtu.be/7JONA_6ZCrE
  
• Screaming Trees: I nearly Lost you – https://youtu.be/PE5f561Y1x4
• Hailee Steinfeld – Love myself – https://youtu.be/bMpFmHSgC4Q
• Jessie J – Masterpiece – https://youtu.be/PTOFEgJ9zzI
• Rachel Platten – Stand by You – https://youtu.be/bwB9EMpW8eY
• Kelly Clarkson – Heartbeat Song – https://youtu.be/d4_6N-k5VS4
• Temple of the Dog – All Night Thing – https://youtu.be/SMfUoJ7EYN8

GIVEAWAY!! Follow the official BY THE RULES blog tour and enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card (it says $25 at the tour stops but when I went to actually purchase a gift card, they were out of $25 ones so trust me, the winner will get a $50 gift card and some swag!). The tour kicks off with I Smell Sheep’s awesome 4.5 “sheep” review of By the Rules, and some additional excerpts at Read-Love-Blog and Erotic Notions. For the full list of tour stops you can check out the tour page, here.
Thanks so much for checking out BY THE RULES. I hope you enjoy, and HAPPY READING!!

Look, Ma! I wrote a book with boys kissing! Okay, maybe my mom shouldn’t look (she doesn’t actually read any of my books, because of the kissing – it’s cool). The rest of you though, you should totally look, because this cover is pretty damn awesome and so is the book.

Photo by Michael Stokes – Cover Design by Babski Creative Studios – Model: Brad Greiner

PRE-ORDER!  Amazon | iBooks | B&N | ARe | Add to Goodreads

BY THE RULES is book 3 in my Evergreen Grove new adult series. I got so many requests for AJ’s story, and I had to write about my snarky, former male escort. I hope you all will love AJ and Hayden as much as I do.

I should mention that to celebrate the upcoming release, Acts of Creation (Evergreen Grove, Book 2) is currently on sale for $0.99! You can grab Acts of Creation while it’s on sale at the following places: Amazon | Apple | B&N | Kobo | Google Play | ARe

Now, a little info about BY THE RULES:

He thinks I want him because of the rumors around town. Because I think he’s easy. I want AJ, because he’s AJ.

No liars. No suits. Absolutely no straight guys…

AJ Fabin’s list of rules keeps him safe. Since getting kicked out of his parents’ home and attacked by a former escorting client, his rules and his life in the tiny town of Evergreen Grove provide a quiet haven. He may be lonely, and he may stick out like a sore thumb, but the folks like him well enough. When he’s not dodging his old pimp, things are peaceful.

Hayden Price is having a quarter-life crisis. Engaged to a woman he can’t connect to and working a job he secretly hates, he comes to Evergreen Grove to help his mother through a health scare. Returning to his childhood home makes Hayden reevaluate a lot of things, including himself. When he meets AJ and finds he can’t stand the mouthy jerk—almost as much as he can’t stop thinking about him—he has a lot more to change than his career.

To be together, they’ll both have to break all of their rules.

PRE-ORDER!  Amazon | iBooks | B&N | ARe | Add to Goodreads 

GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate and help spread the world about BY THE RULES’s upcoming release, I’m giving away a fun mystery bundle! The bundle will include one signed book of mine for sure, some swag, and possibly some cool stuff I’ve picked up from other authors. It’ll be a surprise!

This week we’re letting everyone know just what we’re thankful for. And that includes…YOU! There’s a new giveaway at every single stop so be sure to hop around and visit your favorite blogs and find a few new ones to follow too!

So the purpose of this post is to tell you, my readers, why I’m thankful. Well yay! An easy blog topic. One with a lot of answers, but easy. I love my readers, because without them I’d basically just be writing for my cat, and the couple of writer buddies who are kind enough to cheer me on (Thanks, guys!). I love what I do, and I love to write because I love to read. I love all the feelings I have when fall head over heels for an amazing story. When I get email from a reader letting me know that I’ve made them laugh or cry or want more of a series, I am grateful because it gives me hope that just maybe I’ve come close to giving someone else that same amazing feeling I get when I fall in love with a story. I’m also thankful to my readers because when I write, I fall in love with my characters. The good ones, the bad ones, the alphas and the betas, they are all real to me. I see and hear them in my head, and getting to spend quality time with them is such a gift. Every reader who talks to me about those worlds, about Michelle and Dante’s struggles in Acts of Creation, or the emotional conclusion to Lee and Alexia in Hunter by Night, they become even more vivid, more real, and more alive to me. 

I’m grateful because writing can be a solitary activity. Sometimes depressing, sometimes anxiety inducing, and never as easy as it looks in the movies. If I were only writing into the void, and reading things aloud to my cat, I’d look even crazier than I’m sure I already do. 😉

I love my readers for making it possible to continue. It’s that simple, and that huge. Thank you so much to all of you. <3

**GIVEAWAY**

Giveaway: One copy of Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson – gluten free cake mix has already been baked and consumed by me and my kids. 😉

Giveaway –One copy of Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson, and some bookmarks. I had the extreme luck of hearing Jenny Lawson speak about a month (maybe? I’m awful at time) ago about things like mental illness, and while I’m generally reasonably perky on social media, it’s something I struggle with as much as the next writer. Mostly, I deal with it quietly because I have trouble behaving like a human being when I’m in deep–as I’m sure is the case with lots of people. So if I feel like hell, I simply retreat and marathon Supernatural like a good girl. 😉

I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety since my early teens, and have have more trouble since having kids and starting writing. Lawson’s writing–her humor and her keep swimming attitude–was the sort of thing I needed. I keep her books by my bed and on my phone and pull one out when I need to remember I’m not alone and to give myself a good laugh. Sadly, due to time constraints I didn’t actually get to meet her the day she was in my town signing books, but I got to hear her speak, and some of the things she said touched my heart so much that it was worth the drive all the same.

So. The point of all the babbling? Someone on Twitter mentioned buying an extra copy of the book to give away to someone who might not otherwise be able to afford one, which I thought was a great idea – being the good procrastinator that I am, I’m just now getting around to giving my extra copy away. I needed to give something away for this blog hop, so here we are!

**I’m doing something different today for the giveaway. Typically to maximize social media exposure and whatnot, I set up a giveaway widget, and it gives bonus entries to folks who follow me on Facebook and and my Newsletter, or Twitter, or who Tweet about the giveaway. I’m not requiring that for this giveaway simply because I want to give everyone an equal chance. So while it’d be lovely if you joined my nutty tribe of followers, and I think it’s a really awesome giveaway so I would definitely appreciate if you shared the giveaway on Twitter / FB / etc, for this particular giveaway the deal is one comment, one entry, and I’ll choose a winner at the end by having my cat shine her laser pointer at the screen (or more likely a randomizer) (My God, is she always so wordy? Yes, yes she is).

Also, and more importantly, if you don’t already follow Jenny as “The Bloggess” on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog, you really are missing out.

SO If you would like a chance to win the book, leave a comment below. Make sure the blog comment doohickie has captured your email address or something so I can contact you if you win. Simple as that.  So comment below. And if you have the means and can’t wait to read Furiously Happy, go and get it. It’s so good, and full of taxidermy. Who can go wrong with Taxidermy? Lots of other folks are doing giveaways this week. Check them out: