Winner announced!

Hi everyone,

The winner of "The End Valentine's Day giveaway" is Diana Terrado! Thank you so much to everyone who entered and stay tuned for more giveaways as we get closer to HOVER's release!

*hugs*

Melissa

THE END Valentine's Day giveaway

To celebrate the completion of HOVER, I've decided to do a little Valentine's Day giveaway. This is how it will work:

1. Tweet about the giveaway
2. Tweet about GRAVITY, including buy links to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble
3. Tweet about HOVER, including pre-order links to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble
4. Add HOVER to your TBR pile on Goodreads
5. Follow The Taking Series FB page
6. Follow this blog and comment on this post
7. Go eat chocolate. It's Valentine's Day!

What do you get? You choose!

1. A signed copy of GRAVITY plus a GRAVITY T-shirt and signed swag
2. A pre-ordered copy of HOVER plus a GRAVITY T-shirt and signed swag

Easy, right? Enter below!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8a539b1/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the new cover for DEAR CASSIE!!

I am beyond excited to help share the cover for Lisa Burstein's second novel, DEAR CASSIE. I loved PRETTY AMY, her debut, but I must admit, I'm even more excited to read DEAR CASSIE. Cassie was one of my favorite characters is AMY, and I can't wait to see what Lisa does with her story.

Cover time:

 

 

Blurb:

 

What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?

You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.

You’d be wrong.

There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about.

What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?

But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies.

And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if?

 

Pre-Order It and Add to Goodreads:

The Book Depository

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

 

Find Lisa Online:

Twitter

Facebook

Website

 

HOVER has a cover!

I officially feel like Dr. Seuss with that blog title, but it's true all the same. :)

 

HOVER now has a cover, and I need your help spreading the word! The official reveal will be Monday, December 3rd, and signups for the reveal will stay open through Friday, November 30th.  Please leave your email address in the comments if you would like to participate in the reveal and be added to my list of super awesome people that I adore. The reveal will include a giveaway to add to the juicy fun!

 

Can't wait for ya'll to see it!

Winners announced!

After combining all the results, there are three clear winners--two of which were VERY close. :)

 

Grand Prize: Madison Louise

2nd Place Prize: Viola (knitpearl)

3rd Place Prize: Mary

I emailed the winners as well. Thank you to everyone who participated!!

GRAVITY's Launch Party is November 30th!

 

 

 

GRAVITY's launch party is November 30th from 6-8 PM at:

 

FoxTale Book Shoppe

105 East Main Street

Woodstock, GA 30188

 

We'll have drinks and food, a reading, a signing, and a giveaway.

I would love to see you there!

Reviews and Why Even Bad Reviews Are Good

When I was little my dad used to always tell me that if nothing bad happened we would never have anything to compare the good and would then know no difference. As a kid, I'm sure I rolled my eyes at this or even questioned him, but as an adult--and now an author--I feel this is something we need to remind ourselves of again and again.

See, I have officially been a published author for about a week now, which means I have received reviews. Some have been very, very good. And some have been vomit-inducing. At first I found myself focusing on the bad reviews, wondering how the reviewer saw THAT in my book. Did they not get it? Did I completely jack up all 300 pages? And then suddenly I realized I was focusing on the wrong thing.

Here's the truth: If you write, plan on getting a bad review--or 50. Plan on getting a review so bad you want to curl up and hide. But do not focus on those reviews, because focusing on the bad is doing a massive disservice to the readers that LOVE your book. And those readers are your true audience.

See, as writers, we do not yet know who our audience really is. We think we do. Our editors and publishers even think they do. But until the book hits the world, we have no idea who the book is going to speak to. If you focus on the bad--the readers that may not be your audience--then you are completely missing the joy of those readers that couldn't put your book down, that tweet and message you for info on the next book. THOSE are your readers! THAT is your audience. Embrace them, celebrate your successes with them, and above all else, thank them. They are the reason you write. Feel fortunate. I do.