TodayTodayToday TODAY!

It’s officially official. My book comes out today!

The sun will come out, tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow…I mean today, today TODAY…there’ll be sun…

Yeah, I’m singing. And now maybe you are too. I’d apologize, but…NAH! If you have a song stuck in your head, maybe you’ll remember who put it there in the first place, and maybe then you’ll remember why.

That person is obviously me. And the reason? MY BOOK IS OFFICIALLY BORN! Release day is here, and this is reason to celebrate. To throw confetti and dance around and eat nummy treats and all that. And that is what I will be doing today.

Also, packing like crazy. Because tomorrow I leave for Utah. So while I’m not doing a huge “MY BOOK IS OUT LET’S CELEBRATE” online party YET, I am still planning an online celebration in conjunction with the blog tour. There are prizes involved. And teasers. And playlists. And other fun things you won’t want to miss. This awesome celebration starts May 6^th and goes through the 31^st, so there will be lots of chances to win, and lots of things to see.

But also, also, ALSO…there’s this:

As soon as DESCENDANT reaches 50 reviews on AMAZON, I will post a deleted scene that is not in the book or on any website anywhere. At 75 reviews, I’ll post another one, and at 100 reviews, one more. If by some amazing chance, we pass 100 reviews and make it to 150, um, I might be forced to give away some really, really special stuff. Like doodled galleys, and swag, and maybe something else. Something big. Maybe I could spring for a Kindle? Maybe. 

(Also, I’d love to make that many reviews on Barnes and Noble and Goodreads, and if we reach 50, 75, and 100 there as well, I will be forced--FORCED, I say--to offer other fun prizes. Tip: your one review can be pasted into all three sites.)

Now, just to clarify, these aren’t just random scenes. They’re ones that are relevant to the story, original scenes that were ultimately cut from the book for various reasons, but that matter. I want to share them with readers, and I am not a patient person, so I’m going to make that offer now. The catch? All this has to happen by May 30th. *gulps* Yep, a time limit. Can we do it? I believe it can be done. 

So go forth and purchase, and be sure to REVIEW! (But please read the book first! One star reviews from people who haven’t read books are just plain mean.)  You can buy it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. (And psst! It's on sale!)   

Huge hugs! Thanks for celebrating with me today.

Some Cool April Things

It’s April. And with the new month comes some cool things. Some VERY cool things. Like…

1.       Descendant is officially available for pre-order, and it’s entirely possible you *may* be able to get it in ebook form within the next couple weeks. Just…you know, if you’re interested in that little tidbit.

2.       The launch party will officially be held at The King’s English book store in Salt Lake City, UT on Saturday, May 4^th, 2013 at 4:00 pm. I hope to see lots of you there!

My flower in honor of Descendant.

3.       Because of that launch party, and also because of the upcoming LDStorymakers writer’s conference, in Provo, UT during the following weekend, where I am presenting, I have purchased my plane ticket and will be going to Utah in ONE month. Actually, less than one month. So yeah. Lots of excitement over here.

4.       Spring has sprung in Texas, and I found this at the store the other day. Matches the one on the cover of Descendant, so I had to have it. Flowers make me so happy.

5.       I am planning to write a new book this month. Going to be tricky, since I have TONS of other things to get done before May, but it seems like I work best with tricky. Going to give it a shot.

What about you? What are you excited about this April?  

Let IT Begin

And by IT, I mean launch prep.

So a few things I feel I should make public. First, I hope all my friends who are not writers (and even those who are) will forgive me for any promotional efforts that might feel excessive or over the top. I promise I will do my best to not over do it, but I think everyone has a different threshold of tolerance. I hope I don't cross yours. (But I promise not every post will be about me and/or my book. Most won't, so please do keep coming back.)

Also, be prepared for an unusual number of contests, excerpts, and mentions of reviews, etc, because that is what writers do when their first book is released. And their second. Maybe even the third. Okay, let’s face it. We do it for all of them until we become well enough known that our work promotes itself. Yeah.

Now, this is where I could use your help. 

I’d like to hear about your favorite unique promotion for a book or product. For instance, Bree Despain gave away custom nail polish that matched the covers of The Dark Divine series. Elana Johnson gave away a limited number of exclusive custom art pieces by the talented Dustin Hansen when she released Surrender.

Those are two of my favorites. Now I’d like to hear yours.

And, um, if you share an idea (not T-shirts, bookmarks, or posters) and I do something similar, you will receive the first of that type of prize for helping me out. No drawing. No tweeting or sharing or anything else required. Deal? Okay.

And…GO!