SECOND CHANCE RANCH is #free!

Well, with the birth of another book, it's time to celebrate! Two weeks of par-tays, in fact.

This week, until Friday, December 4, you can get SECOND CHANCE RANCH for free.

Click the cover to download for FREE.

Tomorrow, THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM releases! So be sure to get that too, while the first book is free.

Click the cover to buy.

Next week, ELEVATED will be free! 

Free next week, December 7!

So gear up to gift these titles to your friends and family -- books make great gifts, even before Christmas. And gifting a FREE book is free for you and helps spread the word about the book. So even if you already have a copy, you can gift the book to someone who doesn't. 

It's easy! Look on the right side below the price and buy buttons to find the GIVE AS A GIFT button. All you need from there is an email address, and viola! The free book gets delivered to your loved one. 

THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM is coming soon!

Okay, so my inspirational romance series is getting another book! I'm excited to share this book with the world, especially since the first book has been getting some good reviews and feedback. 

(By the way, you can read SECOND CHANCE RANCH, the first book in the Three Rivers Ranch Romance series for free if you have Kindle Unlimited. And it'll be FREE from November 30 - December 4 to celebrate the release of THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM, so if you don't have Kindle Unlimited, be sure to get a copy next week!)

About THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM: Can Chelsea put aside her past to see what's standing right in front of her?

First Lieutenant Peter Marshall has never felt as safe and whole as he does at Three Rivers Ranch. With massive scars covering most of his upper body, he's self-conscious and searching for his life's purpose. He thinks he's found it in Courage Reins, an equine therapy program for veterans he's starting out at the ranch. He didn't plan on the beautiful Chelsea Ackerman looking at his deformities with admiration.

After her second failed engagement, Chelsea vows she'll never wear another diamond ring. But as she and Pete work together to train the horses and launch Courage Reins, she heals faster than she thought possible. Pete has a truckload of debt and no way to provide for a family, but Chelsea helps him see past all the obstacles, all the scars. With so many unknowns, Pete and Chelsea will have to develop the love, acceptance, and faith needed to find their happily ever after.

And look for the third book in the Three Rivers Ranch Romance series, FOURTH AND LONG, to come in February! I'm currently trying to finish my time travel that's under contract so I can start the fourth book in this series.

FOURTH AND LONG comes out February 16, 2016, but you can pre-order it now too! Can one summer together make up for eight years of separation?

Happy Thanksgiving this week!

Cover Reveal: THE UNDEAD ROAD by David Powers King

Dude, I am so excited to be sharing this cover with you today, for a book by my good friend DPK has coming out on January 1. It's called THE UNDEAD ROAD: My Zombie Summer, and oh my heck! It looks amazing! I can't wait to read it!!

About THE UNDEAD ROAD: Nothing brings the family together like a zombie apocalypse …

Fifteen-year-old Jeremy Barnes would rather watch a zombie movie than shoot a real one, but he has no choice if his family wants to survive the end of the world. Their plan? Drive across the infected United States to a cabin in the Colorado Rockies without a scratch, but their trip takes a complicated detour in the middle of Nebraska when they find Kaylynn, a girl who can handle a baseball bat better than Jeremy can hold a .45 Berretta. And when they stumble into a sanctuary, Jeremy soon learns that Kaylynn is stronger than she looks—a deadly secret lies inside her.

After the radio picks up a distress call from Kansas City about a possible cure, Jeremy’s parents go with a team to investigate. They never return. The only way to find their parents is for Jeremy and his sister Jewel to rely on a dangerous girl who might just turn on them at any moment.

Look at this amazing cover, which Steven Novak (who also makes my covers!) did.

Isn't that the most fantastic thing you've ever seen? I love the colors, the weapons in the silhouettes, the gorgeous font on the title, and that zombie at the top?! Dude, I'm scared already.

And there's a contest!!

A while ago, David invited the blogosphere to let him turn one unfortunate lucky contestant into a zombie for The Undead Road. The winner was Ilima Todd, who is now the awesome author of Remake. The next installment of My Zombie Summer is underway, and David wants to do this contest again. Want to be in a zombie book? Not only is this your chance, but it is your choice!

Between now and next Wednesday, send an email to dpowersking [at] gmail [dot] com, with the subject line: Zombify Me! Contest. In your email, David wants you to tell him three things:

1: The name you will be identified as (example: your first name).
2: A description of yourself—the more detailed you are, the better.
3: How would you like the survivors to put you out of your misery?

Four casualties contestants will be chosen on Wednesday, November 25th. The most inventive or interesting entry will be zombified! The other three who are unlucky fortunate enough to survive will be given special honors. Winners will be announced on December 2nd on David’s blog.

Prizes? The winner will be zombified in the pages of My Zombie Summer: Part Two, receive a signed proof of the novel (when it’s ready), and a $20 Barnes and Noble gift card. The runner ups will receive a free ebook of The Undead Road for their Kindle (other platforms TBA).

About David: David Powers King was born in beautiful downtown Burbank, California where his love for film inspired him to be a writer. He is the co-author of the YA fantasy novel WOVEN, published by Scholastic. An avid fan of science fiction and fantasy, David also has a soft spot for zombies and the paranormal. He currently lives deep in the mountain West with his wife and three children.

Find David online:
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Another Story Behind Another Sale

So you may have seen my new YA sci-fi announcement. I sort of wrote up a little story behind the sale for that book, because it's had a Journey.

This story is different. I thought it would be fun to showcase both stories, simply because they are different, and every journey toward publication is unique, even for a single person.

So here's the deal:

Yes, it's a romance deal. Yes, it's adult. My debut, in fact, into the full-length adult romance genre (I have a novella in an anthology right now, and 3 more coming next year).

The book is called UNTIL SUMMER ENDS, and it begins the Redwood Bay series, which will have at least 3 books.

These past two book deals -- this one and my YA sci-fi one -- are big firsts for me, because they're multiple book deals, something I've never gotten before. It's both exciting and terrifying. I've never had to write a book under contract, and that pressure is intense.

Anyway, I wrote Until Summer Ends only a year ago. That's right. I started it in November 2014, and I finished it at the beginning of December. It was the second romance novel I'd attempted (the first was horrific!).

Over the next couple of months, I wrote a few more romance novels, but Until Summer Ends was the one I was preparing to shop. I sent the first few chapters to critique group, and then I had a professional editor work on the whole thing.

With their feedback -- which was mostly positive -- I felt encouraged to start querying. So I did, to both literary agents and publishers that accepted unagented submissions. On April 1, no less. No April Fool's Day here!

I got quite a few requests, mostly because I did my homework. I researched the agents and publishers, looked at the things they'd sold or published, and tailored my queries to them. I went wide, don't get me wrong, but I still did my homework. And in romance, there are quite a few publishers you can submit directly to.

I went to a local conference and pitched my book to an editor at St. Martin's Press. She requested it. Things were looking up!

Especially when I got an offer on the book the second week of May, from one of the publisher's I'd submitted to. That spurred me to let other pubs and all the agents considering the full know about the offer.

A couple of weeks later, I got another offer, from another publisher. The day after that, I got an offer from a literary agent. She was one of the top ten dealmakers in romance on Publisher's Marketplace. Even if she couldn't sell the book (hey, I'm realistic -- I've had several books on submission through an agent in New York that didn't sell), I figured I had the two publisher offers to choose from.

So we submitted, and we actually ended up getting several offers. I was sort of shocked. Ha! We ended up going with Cleis Press, because the editor there, Karen Thomas, was incredibly enthusiastic about the project, and after speaking with her on the phone, I knew it was the right place to be.

So that's how I went from the drafting of a novel in November 2014, to querying only 5 months later, to an offer just a month after that. It was fast. MUCH faster than any of my other book deals, that's for sure!

But it just shows that the journey is different for each book, and each person! And UNTIL SUMMER ENDS will be out in July 2016! Which is also fast! Meanwhile, I have two more novels to write, so... I better get doing that!

Fall For Young Adult Reads!

Okay, so it's finally getting pretty chilly around these parts. And a bunch of us YA authors got together with Kelly Hashway to bring you an amazing YA giveaway! It runs from November 9 - November 15.

You could win one of the following:

• 2 $40 gift cards
• eBook of PERFECT FOR YOU by Ashelyn Drake
• eBook of FINE ART OF PRETENDING by Rachel Harris
• eBook of SOMETHING ABOUT LOVE by Elana Johnson
• eBook of ELEVATED by Elana Johnson
• eBook of PLAYING WITH FIRE by Sherry Ficklin
• One of the GUARDIANS OF GALAXY books by Ednah Walters
• RITE OF REJECTION by Sarah Negovetich
• 4 copies of THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY by Lauren Morrill
• eBook set of THE DARK BETRAYAL Trilogy by Nichole Chase
• eBook of TOUCHING SMOKE by Airicka Phoenix

So there will be a lot of winners! And it's open internationally! You can win one of my YA novels-in-verse, either ELEVATED or SOMETHING ABOUT LOVE. So get entering!

a Rafflecop-ter giveaway

PAPER HEARTS by Beth Revis

Today, I'm super-thrilled to host Beth Revis and her newest release, PAPER HEARTS!! Beth and I go way back, and I've read a lot of this book. Beth's going to answer a few questions, and then we're going to give away a copy!!

About PAPER HEARTS: Fight the blank page.

When it comes to writing, there’s no wrong way to get words on paper. But it’s not always easy to make the ink flow. Paper Hearts: Some Writing Advice won’t make writing any simpler, but it may help spark your imagination and get your hands back on the keyboard.

Practical Advice Meets Real Experience

With information that takes you from common mistakes in grammar to detailed charts on story structure, Paper Hearts describes:

-How to Develop Character, Plot, & World
-What Common Advice You Should Ignore
-What Advice Actually Helps
-How to Develop a Novel
-The Basics of Grammar, Style, & Tone
-Four Practical Methods of Charting Story Structure
-How to Get Critiques and Revise Your Novel
-How to Deal with Failure
…And much more!

BONUS! More than 25 “What to do if…” scenarios to help writers navigate problems in writing from a NY Times Bestselling author who’s written more than 2 million words of fiction.

BUY!

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords | IndieBound

What prompted you to write and publish PAPER HEARTS? Tell us everything!
Honestly, I’ve been writing Paper Hearts for ages, even before I was published. I used to be a teacher, so story structure, grammar, literary criticism—these are things I love. And I love teaching. I started with blog posts, often in answer to questions. When I had a lot of blog posts on writing done, I realized it was a little unwieldy, so I moved it to WattPad. After the posts there starting reaching more than 100k reads and people asked me for print copies, I began to seriously look into what it would take to get this book to my readers.

This isn’t going to be a good book for everyone. But it’s exactly the kind of book I wish I had before I was published, so I’m very happy with it.

Writers are always looking for advice, and there’s a lot out there. What’s different about yours?
My favorite chapter in the book is called “All Writing Advice Books Suck, Including This One.” I really hate it when advice books that deal with something subjective like art or writing present an attitude that “this is the only way to do it.” That’s very damaging to authors, and honestly just terrible advice. But by its nature, writing advice books do present solutions and give practical methods to do things, including mine. But I wanted to make it extraordinarily clear that there is no one right way to write, and that it’s entirely possible that my advice is the wrong advice for you. I just present the methods that have helped me, and try to point people in the direction of methods that can help them.

What’s a piece of your advice that you constantly take yourself?
Live. Growing up, I was very much a Hermione Granger type person. I studied hard and often. And I approached writing that way, too. I locked myself in my room and wrote until my fingers ached.

But that often meant that I was missing out. Missing out on family and friends time, missing out on the latest movies, missing out on adventures. It took me a long time to realize that practice is important, but discovering the stories in your life is more important. Go out. Have adventures. Try something new. Discover new ideas. Yes, you absolutely have to write at some point. But don’t forget to live.

PAPER HEARTS is part of a fun and fascinating publishing journey. Give us a glimpse of your path so far, and where you’re going next.
I wrote my first novel as a sophomore in college. It was horrible. Basically fan fiction, derivative and not very well done. I sent it out to agents because of course I thought it was brilliant. Surprise, it was rejected soundly.

So I wrote another novel and sent it out too. And then another. And another. I wrote ten novels over ten years, and none of them got me an agent, much less a book deal.

And then I wrote one more. It was weird. I never thought it had a chance. But I loved the idea.

That book was Across the Universe. It got me an agent—my dream agent, actually. And it got me a book deal for the entire trilogy, the kind of deal that changed my life. I was able to quit my job and making writing my career. So I was an overnight, decades long success.

Since then, I’ve been diversifying my career. I self published a book that wasn’t a good fit for Penguin’s catalogue but was something that I felt my fans wanted. The Body Electric came out last year, and it was so eye-opening to self publish. Since then, I’ve put out some short stories, in both traditional and self publishing format, and I’ve written another novel for Penguin, A World Without You, which will come out in July 2016. I’ve got another book contracted through Penguin, plans for another self published book, and I’m putting out three books in the Paper Hearts series over the next three months.

Oh, yeah, and I had a baby ☺

When you're looking to decompress by reading, what book do you reach for?
I go through moods. If I’m working really hard on prose and drafting, I tend to read what I call “candy books”—usually really trashy romances. I don’t want to think too hard, I want to escape. If I’ve been in a reading funk, I try out something new, something that’s just beautiful and strange. I recently read The Nest, and it was perfect for this—a short read that was just so weird.

If you could be a contestant on Survivor, what's the one item you'd take with you?
Haha, I’d get kicked off pretty quickly, so I wouldn’t need anything too crucial. Maybe a boxed set of the Harry Potter books?

A guilty pleasure?
Put Lindt chocolate truffles in the freezer. Trust me.

Bacon or chocolate?
Chocolate covered bacon. With salt on top.

About Beth: Beth Revis is the NY Times bestselling author of the Across the Universe series. The complete trilogy is now available in more than 20 languages. Beth is also the author of The Body Electric and several short stories. Her nonfiction books, the Paper Hearts series, gives writers advice on craft, publishing, and more. A native of North Carolina, Beth is currently working on a new novel for teens, tentatively scheduled for 2016. She lives in rural NC with her boys: one husband, one son, and two massive dogs.

Find Beth online: 
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