Wicked Book Weekend 2014

UPDATED INFORMATION BELOW

Wicked Book Weekend will be my FIRST ever signing, and I'm a mixture of excitement and nerves. If you're looking for an author event that's much more intimate than the big convention center signings, this is it! Think hanging out, not standing in line. Here's what I know so far...

Ana's Attic Book Blog is hosting this fantastic event!

 

 

Location

Bahia Mar Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

 

Time

March 7-9, 2014

 

Event Link

http://wickedbookevents.co"m/wicked-book-weekend-2014/

 

Ticket Link

http://wickedbookevents.com/wicked-book-weekend-2014-tickets/

 

Daily Events

Friday, March 7th--Looks like there's a change for Friday. Bar hopping and pajama party. Boat ride leaving at 7 P.M. is what's currently scheduled. As far as I understand, it's inland, so there will be no waves. There will be a tour of some mansions and a bar :) I'm planning on taking the tour if I get into Ft. Lauderdale at a reasonable time. I don't know what time I'll be arriving in Ft. Lauderdale on Friday (I'm driving), so I'll probably skip the bar hopping. I will have my door open for the roving pajama party, though. Feel free to stop by and hang out. It also looks like the roving PJ party will be moved to Saturday night. Bring books if you want them signed. There will be a signing session on Saturday before, during, or after lunch (haha, not sure yet), but I'll sign books whenever. :)

Saturday, March 8th--Signing from 11:30 to 1:00. Buffet lunch will start after. You eat with the authors. If you still need a book signed, I'm more than happy to do it, but you may want to wait until after lunch so you don't have food stains on your pretty books. Buffet lunch/signing with the authors. Eat, gab, snatch some swag. The after party that evening will be super low key. Ana is setting up some fun activities including an erotic reading. Should be interesting ;) Also on schedule for the after party is light food, DJ, dancing, and cash bar. Your ticket does get you one free drink. Party from 8-12. And then I'm assuming the PJ party starts after. We're gonna be doing it up like a bunch of high school girls having a sleepover!

Sunday, March 9th--This will be a day for fans to just hang out and participate in various activities with authors. I think several authors are setting up fun stuff from glass bottom boat cruises to snorkeling to chilling by the pool with mimosas. I've got nothing planned at the moment, but poolside mimosas sound good. Events are being set up now. I should have more info for you in the next two weeks. As soon as I sign up for mine (it will most likely be drinks by the pool), I'll let you know where and when. <3

Basically, this is the ultimate girls' weekend. Awesome list of attending authors. You get one-on-one time with your faves. You don't want to miss this. Links are provided above for more information about the hotel and ticket prices. Come. It's gonna be tons of fun. xoxo

My advice? Have no expectations.

I want to share about a review I came across a while ago for Going Under where the reader was torn between giving the book four or five stars. She was torn because while (I assume) she enjoyed the writing (or what I would call the technical aspect of the work), she didn’t like the storyline. She admitted her confusion in the review as she had just previously read Good and loved it. And there you have it: She had just recently read Good and loved it.

Apples and oranges, anyone?

She, like many readers, had an idea of what to expect when she opened the pages of Going Under based on a previous work of mine. She expected something like Good. And it’s okay that she had certain expectations. That’s human nature to set a bar for subsequent works by an author we enjoy. It’s also human nature to expect the same thing from that author. Kind of like opening a can of Pringles. You expect that they will be every bit as delicious as that last can you opened. You can count on consistency. You can count on the same great taste.

Well, I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t count on anything when it comes to my work. Why? Because every single story you read of mine will be different. Vastly different. Many of my early diehard Hoodie fans didn’t take to my second novel, Honeysuckle Love, at all. Why? Because the stories were on opposite sides of the spectrum, and fans were anticipating another Hoodie-esque work. Sorry to disappoint. After Going Under made its debut, there was a lot of pressure to produce another Going Under-type story. But I knew there was no way in hell I was writing another Going Under. That was a special book written at a specific point in my writing career. To try and duplicate it would have been disastrous, not to mention completely offensive to me and my readers. But nevertheless, that was the expectation. And I didn’t meet it.

I wrote a story about a heroine so very opposite of Brooke that one could be seen as the good angel on the right shoulder and the other as the bad angel on the left. The story also introduced themes and tropes that the indie book world doesn’t much like. You could say I swung all the way to the other side with the Too Good series, and I regret none of it. Here’s why: If I had to produce the same story over and over again, I’d most definitely put those stones in my pockets I talked about in an interview. I’d pull a Virginia Woolf in a heartbeat because writing for me is not about pigeon-holing myself in any one kind of genre or one type of story. That's boring to me, and I really don’t like to be bored. Moreover, one of the most liberating aspects of being an independent author is the ability and freedom to write whatever I want!

I like fresh stories. I like a challenge. I like creating newness because life is filled with enough repetition. Life is filled with enough of the mundane. So my stories will always reflect something different. Not one will sound like the other, and I intend to keep it that way. Now, in saying that, I will also add that the one constant you can count on in my work is good writing/editing. I think that throughout my works—as different as they are—their one commonality is my voice. That won’t change, and you can expect to always hear me in my work. But you will never read another Cadence. You will never read another Brooke. You will never read another Anton.

Incidentally, the reviewer settled on four stars. This was her way of reconciling her expectations of Going Under with what she actually got. I chuckle thinking about how she would react to Hoodie. For those of you who’ve read the book, you know what I’m talking about. And yes, as different as my stories are, I wrote them all. I am the same author who posed as an eighteen-year-old black boy from the ghetto, a self-absorbed justice-seeking eighteen-year-old girl, an impressionable and naïve seventeen-year-old who fucked her 28-year-old teacher, a poverty-stricken sixteen-year-old with social anxiety. All of them are me—my stories, my hard work—and they represent a growing library of works that are as different as the cultures of the world. Let’s see if I can keep going.

You just finished reading the Too Good series. And I can make this one promise to you: You can expect nothing like it with my next work.

Christmas Book Sale!

I wanted to say "thank you" for all of the love and support you've shown me since the start of my writing career. It's been one year and four months since I published my first novel, Hoodie. Amazing things have happened in that time. I made a major list with Going Under. I met a ton of wonderful readers and book bloggers. I landed an agent. I put some book signings on my calendar. I pissed a lot of people off with my Too Good series. But I made a lot of people happy with it, too ;)

It's been one hell of a ride. And I can't wait for the next turn. Don't bail on me, though, once you discover what my next book is about. Just pull the seat belt tighter. And don't worry. I always said I'd take care of you, and I mean it. So happy Christmas. Enjoy some cheap books. xoxo

$.99 AMAZON SALE (Dec. 9-14)

 

Better

Good

Going Under

Honeysuckle Love

Hoodie

When you wear out your welcome…

…you go somewhere else. And that’s precisely my plan.

 

 

For the past few months I’ve been contemplating how best to position my work so that it makes sense to my readers. My readers. Not people who don’t enjoy my work, or people who don’t like controversial reads, or those who take offense to the substance within the pages of my books. Certainly not the ones who don’t understand it. No, I’m talking about my readers. And I use the word “my” with fierce possession. I’m allowed to be possessive of my fans because I worked hard for them, and I made them work just as hard with the books I write. They are loyal to me just as I will continue to be loyal to them by giving them the types of stories they enjoy.

I realized I was doing a disservice to myself and my fans by positioning my work as New Adult. It is not New Adult. It’s nowhere near New Adult. I thought it was, initially, because of the age of my characters (so far, I’ve only written stories that take place in high school). I realized that characters’ ages aren’t nearly as important in choosing a genre as themes, literary technique, and story tropes. Those writing elements should be the factors in choosing a genre because those are the elements that matter most to readers when they pick up a book.

While I don’t think the New Adult genre ever intended to be defined by a certain type of story, it has. And my stories simply do not fit. So I can understand the frustration of a reader who sees my book labeled “New Adult,” picks it up to read, then becomes disappointed that it isn’t the love story she expected. She has a right to be upset. The book is in the wrong section of the library! So while my stories involve teens, the multiple layers I choose to include in my books along with the risks I take addressing controversial topics head on force my work into this weird, doesn’t-quite-fit indefinable genre. A no-label genre. A we-don’t-really-understand-these-books genre. They’re certainly not YA. Too much language and explicit sex. They aren’t NA. They don’t follow the NA love story model. Are they adult fiction? I can’t think where else to put them. And adult fiction, to me, seems like the most “accepting” of the genres. For my books, anyway. I can allow my characters to explore spirituality in adult fiction. I can write stories that include a love theme, but that theme doesn’t have to be the dominant one in adult fiction. I can make sex as important or as unimportant as I want to in adult fiction. I can practice literary techniques in adult fiction and have those techniques matter.

So adult fiction it is! And I came to this decision based on my own feelings as well as the advice and encouragement of bloggers and fans. I’m excited about this change. I wanted you to know that I will no longer be writing or tagging my fiction “New Adult” so that there is no confusion when my next stand-alone releases. It is my last stand-alone that will take place in high school, and it involves high school seniors. And because of the subject matter, it will be labeled “adult fiction.” I’m excited for this change because I think it will eliminate the confusion my books have created, and it will open up a whole new readership to me. My hope is that the readers I’ve garnered from the New Adult world will journey with me into adult fiction. My books won’t change. They will still be distinctly me. But they will make more sense to readers who see them positioned in a genre that fits.

A match made in heaven, I hope.

Oh shit. I mentioned heaven. Should probably scratch that. *wink*

BETTER Tour Stops

Hey everyone. I wanted to let you know that I've been posting the blog stops for my Better tour every day on my author Facebook page. You can check them out here. Please take a few minutes to stop by some of these blogs. These ladies have been instrumental in supporting my career. Links to the stops are featured in the comments section of the posts. And you definitely don't want to miss tomorrow's treat. You'll just have to wait to find out ;)

Day 3 BETTER Tour Stops

Time to bust out the feels... (I'm a writer and I said that)

Your support for the Too Good series has been CRAZY AMAZING. When I first workshopped Mark and Cadence's story in my brain, I knew I wanted to incorporate elements that might not sit well with people. The age thing. The God thing. If you've read Better already, the other thing.... (tehehe) I know I take chances when I write. Why? Because those ...are the types of books I want to read. It thrills me that you do, too! Thank you for letting me challenge you, stretch your brain, make you squirm, race your heart, piss you off, disappoint you, make it up to you, worry you, creep you out, make you cry and laugh and say "WTH??" You're amazing readers to take the ride.

And I plan to write many more books to make you feel those things. <3

 

 

And now for our tour stops today. These reviews are fantastic. One in particular made me laugh out loud. There's nothing better than when your words have the power to completely frustrate and confuse someone. 

 

 

November 20

Book Nerds Anonymous – Dreamcast

For the Love of Books – Review

Jessica's Book Review – Review

Lives and Breathes Book Blog – Review

She Reads New Adult - Spotlight

 

 

Enter the giveaway! Here's what you can win:

 

GRAND PRIZE:

-signed copies of Good and Better

- DJ Shadow's Endtroducing... CD

-$15 Amazon gift card

-$15 iTunes gift card

 

1st RUNNER-UP:

-signed copies of Good and Better

 

2nd & 3rd RUNNERS-UP:

-signed copies of Better

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Go forth and read...my book, preferably

It's Alive!!! Better is now available in the following stores! Just click on the link to get your read on :)

Amazon

B&N

iBooks

Smashwords

Creatspace (print edition)


Already read the book? (Yes, some people have already read the book!) Want to relive it through music? Then you're a woman after Mark's heart. <3

 

better soundtrack

 

Better Blog Tour Day 2: Stop by these blogs today and show them some love.

 

 

November 19

Smut Book Club – Teaser

Writers and Readers Book Club – Teaser

Forever Me Romance – Spotlight

Laura's Review Bookshelf – Review

Love N. Books - Review

The Indie Bookshelf - Review

 

*will link up these blogs as they post

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win one of the following prizes:

 GRAND PRIZE:

-signed copies of Good and Better

- DJ Shadow's Endtroducing... CD

-$15 Amazon gift card

-$15 iTunes gift card

 

1st RUNNER-UP:

-signed copies of Good and Better

 

2nd & 3rd RUNNERS-UP:

-signed copies of Better

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The BETTER blog tour begins

Better releases tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 19!!!

 

 

Preorder Buy Links:

 

B&N

iBooks

Smashwords

 

Will be available for purchase on Amazon tomorrow.

 



There's a lot going on. A. Lot. And that's a good thing. Today begins the two-week Better blog tour. Check out the schedule below to read early reviews of the sequel.

 

November 18

Sugar and Spice Book Reviews – Spotlight; Review to come

Three Chicks and Their Books – Review

Sandwich Making Book Bitches – Spotlight; Teaser

Made For You Book Reviews – Review

The Romance Cover – Review

The Scarlet Siren - Review

And don't forget to enter the tour-wide giveaway featuring the following prizes:

GRAND PRIZE:

-signed copies of Good and Better

- DJ Shadow's Endtroducing... CD

-$15 Amazon gift card

-$15 iTunes gift card

 

1st RUNNER-UP:

-signed copies of Good and Better

 

2nd & 3rd RUNNERS-UP:

-signed copies of Better

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

The girls over at Bookaholics Blog are featuring me this week on their Facebook page. We've got teasers from both Good and Better, fun facts about the books, and a giveaway (just scroll down to see the widget). Go check out their page and show them some love.

 

 

I'm hosting my first Facebook Author Chat Friday, Nov. 22! This is a closed group. The link to request permission to join can be found HERE. I'll have two sessions:

 

Session 1 - 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. EST

Session 2 - 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. EST

 

Hope to see you all there!


And finally, Three Girls and a Book Obsession are featuring me today as part of their weekly "Manic Monday!" Click on their name to go to their blog where you can learn about my books and enter a giveaway for a digital copy of Going Under and Good. Also, check out their FB page and enter the flash giveaway for a chance to win an ARC of Better!

 

Author Week at Bookaholics Blog Facebook Page

Totally excited and honored to be the featured author this week at Bookaholics Blog's Facebook page! The girls and I have fun things planned for you. Each day from now until Friday, Nov. 22, we'll post book teasers from the Too Good series, fun facts about my characters, flash giveaways, and a week-long giveaway including signed books. I'll also be hosting a FB chat on Friday, Nov. 22. Details and link to the open FB group coming soon. Just have to figure out a good time.

Hope you all will pop over to Bookaholics Blog's Facebook page and show them some love. Check out their daily posts to learn little facts about the Too Good series. These girls have been instrumental in spreading the news about my books, and they support me hard.

 

 

Enter the Bookaholics Blog week-long giveaway here.

 

 

 

Teaser Tour Stops: Days 4 and 5

"Cadence. Rhythmic. His song. His life. He decided that afternoon on the side of the road. She was his cadence." ~ Better

It's getting closer and closer to that time. We're mere days away from the release of Better, and you've no idea how impatient I am to get this sequel to you! My hope is that you love it more than Good and that you enjoy hearing parts of Mark and Cadence's story from Mark's POV.

I'm posting tour stops for both Thursday and today. Take a few moments to stop by some of these blogs. These women have been instrumental in promoting the Too Good series and supporting my work. I realize I don't make it easy for them :) I know my books are difficult to digest, but they believe in me, believe in my stories, and I'm forever grateful.

 

 

November 14

Nicely Phrased - Spotlight and 25 random facts about Mark

BOOKSLAPPED - Spotlight

Sab The Book Eater - Spotlight

Addicted2Heroines - Author Interview about the Too Good series

TheSecretBookBrat - Spotlight

November 15

Tempest Books - Spotlight

Book Nerds Anonymous - Early Review of Better

Stories and Swag - Spotlight and teaser

akiiKOMORI reading - Spotlight

True Story Book Blog - Mark and Cadence Interview

Giveaway for a Better ARC is almost over! Enter here:

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Preorder Buy Links for Better:

 

B&N

iBooks

Smashwords

 

 

Sample some music from BETTER

better sample playlist

for your listening enjoyment 

 

Teaser Week: Day 3

Here's the Better print cover! Cannot WAIT to get the proof in the mail :)

 

 

 

Better Teaser

 

Cadence turned left out of the elevator. She wandered down the dorm hall looking for Room 24. But the numbers were too low, and she realized she went the wrong way. She was just about to turn around before glimpsing a message left on a tiny whiteboard attached to someone’s door:

“Student union at 5 sharp. Got someone I want you to meet. – Lindsay”

Cadence stared at the smiley face beside the word “meet.” She wondered if it was a blind date set-up and if Lindsay’s friend would be happy about it. She knew Michael was waiting, but she decided to read a few more messages.

She strolled the hall in no particular hurry, stopping at each door, reading the notes of students who were experiencing college in a very different way from her. She had no idea how long she stood in front of Room 8 staring at the hearts someone drew on the board. She had no idea why she couldn’t control her impulse to draw her own hearts, and reached for the pink marker hanging by a string. She gripped the marker like it was her lifeline to this other world.

She traced the outline of a heart in the lower corner of the board, then colored it in carefully.

“Hi?”

Cadence jumped back, dropping the marker. It slapped against the door in the deafening silence of the hallway.

 

 

copyright S. Walden, 2013

 

We've got spotlights, a sample playlist from the Better soundtrack, and some early reviews for you today! Check out all the info at the blogs below. Stop by and show them some hardcore love.

 

 

November 13

Book Addicts not so Anonymous - Spotlight

Novel Seduction - Spotlight

Literati Book Reviews - Review of Better

Book Crush - Exclusive Sample Playlist

A Love Affair with Books - Spotlight

Stick Girl Book Reviews - Spotlight

Life Becomes Me - Spotlight
Bookaholics Blog - Review of Better


*Blogs without links have not posted yet. Will update.

Teaser Week: Day 2

Hope you all are enjoying teasers from Better along with early reviews! Don't forget that Good is on sale for $.99 on Amazon in celebration of the upcoming release. An ARC giveaway for Better is happening all week. Make sure you enter for a chance to win. And now on to the participating blogs today. Stop by and show these ladies some love. They work hard to promote me. <3

(Art by Michelle Tan)

 

November 12

I Love Indie Books - Early Review o Better

Perusing Princesses - Spotlight

Fab Fun and Tantalizing Reads - Exclusive Excerpt from Better

Jessica's Book Review - Spotlight (review of Good)

Globug and Hootie Need A book - Spotlight

Novel Seduction - Spotlight

The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog - Spotlight

 

Enter for a chance to win a Better ARC here!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

Preorder buy links for Better:

 

B&N

iBooks

Smashwords

You BETTER believe it's teaser week

I'm stoked about this week for two reasons: 1) It's the final week before the release of Better, and 2) IT'S TEASER WEEK! That's good news for you all because it means you get to read early reviews of the book, read teasers and excerpts, and enter to win a digital ARC of Better. Check out the blogs below who have been so instrumental in promoting the Too Good series. These ladies rock. Plain and simple. Show them some love by stopping by and saying "hello."

For a limited time starting today, Good will be available for $.99 on Amazon. Take advantage of the sale if you've been waiting to start the series, or gift it to a reading buddy you know would love Mark and Cadence's story.

 

November 11

The Book Bellas - Spotlight

Romantic Book Affairs - Spotlight (teaser, review of Good)

Madison Says - Spotlight (excerpt, review of Good)

All Romance Reviews - Spotlight

Smut Book Club - Early Review of Better

Sugar and Spice Book Reviews - Spotlight

Romance Addict Book Blog - Early Review of Better

 

Enter to win an ARC of Better here!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Want more chances to win an ARC of Better? Head over to my author Facebook page where I've posted about my Good sale. Share the post with your FB friends, comment that you've shared, and you're in the running for another chance to win! That simple.

 

Preorder Better here!

 

B&N

Apple iBooks

Smashwords

BETTER Cover Reveal!

I know I haven't posted in a while, and I apologize for that. Let me make it up to you by sharing the cover of Better! Oh, I love this one! Robin Ludwig did an amazing job, as she always does. And I want to send out a "thank you" to all the blogs participating in the reveal today. I was floored by the turnout. Makes me that much more excited for release day.

Many blogs are posting teaser info one week before the book is released. I'll post links to early reviews and teasers of the book. You don't wanna miss it! You also don't want to miss the flash giveaway at the end of the post. One lucky winner will receive a digital ARC of Better. xo

(Cover by Robin Ludwig)

 

 

Release Date:

 

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

 

 

 

Book Description:

 

Their relationship has been exposed, and now their lives are changed forever.

For Cadence Miller, the fast track to adulthood proves intimidating and frustrating. She’s a little girl lost—abandoned by her parents and uncertain of her future. She doesn’t think she “fits” anywhere. She’s eighteen. She wants to be older. And the result is both comical and heartbreaking.

Mark Connelly will do anything to provide Cadence a stable, loving home—to be her protector. But he’s just as broken and lost, and his heart won’t let go of his past so easily. He knows he must share his secret with Cadence. And he hopes his revelation won't tear them apart. He hopes it will draw them closer, and make their love better.

 

 

Teaser:

 

She made sure to look as inconspicuous as possible for her first day of classes: jean shorts, tank top, flip flops. She kept her hair down but pulled it off her face with a headband. She wore a tad bit of makeup. Nothing showy, but she thought first day classes warranted mascara and lip gloss, at the least.

She slid into a seat in the row closest to the windows. She didn’t bother to look for Michael. Or save him a seat. She still wasn’t sure about that guy. She felt guilty for not telling Mark about Michael’s kissing comment. She wanted a friend, but she was unsure if he was a good one. She scanned the room for somebody better. She needed a girlfriend. And there was one sitting directly behind her.

“Hi,” Cadence said tentatively.

“Hi,” the girl replied.

Cadence wasn’t sure what else to say. Neither was the girl. That was until she recognized Cadence.

“You went to Crestview High.”

Cadence’s face fell. “Yeah.”

“My friend went there. She graduated with you.”

Cadence nodded.

The girl leaned in and whispered, “Did you really have an affair with your math teacher?”

 

 

Sale!!!!

 

Good will be on sale for $.99 on Amazon for a limited time. Encourage your friends, family, and reading buddies to snatch a copy if they've been waiting to start the series. 

http://www.amazon.com/Good-Too-S-Walden-ebook/dp/B00ESG4TLS/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

 

Giveaway!!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Bunch of Random, Important Stuff

I'm task-oriented, so I'm just going to hit you up with a list of important information.


1. If you didn't hear the news yesterday, Better is releasing on Tuesday, November 19, 2013! This is the second and final installment in the Too Good series. Yeah, I know. Not really a series if it's only two books, but as I learned, a two-parter is technically called a duology, and there's no way I'm calling my series the Too Good duology. :)

Maryse was kind enough to share the pub date yesterday on her blog along with an exclusive excerpt from the book. Check it out here.

2. I emailed the winners of the Good Tour Giveaway this morning. Ladies, I can ship out your prizes by Saturday if you get back to me in a timely manner.

3. Last night I finally picked winners for my Facebook 3000 Likes Giveaway! Here are the winners and their subsequent prizes. I will email you all periodically within the next few days about your prizes. Some items I'm still waiting to be delivered. Congratulations, ladies!

 

All my books, signed

Catherine W.

 

All my books, e-format

Michelle G.

Ren R.

Lindsay G.

Katia N.

Stacey R.

Sara S.

 

Signed copy of Good/DJ Shadow's Endtroducing...CD

Neesha H.

 

Signed copy of Going Under/Custom "Gamers Embrace" T-shirt

Feifei L.

 

Custom "Gamers Embrace" T-shirts

Love L.

Kirsty L.

 

Choice of one of my ebooks

Stacey W.

Toreale S.

Sandra M.

Lisa A.

Sandra H.

Melissa J.

 

"Best Friends" Heart Charm Necklaces (from Going Under)

Lori P.

Natalia M.

 

(winners chosen by random.org)

 

 

4. I've been updating my calendar on my website because I actually got into some signings for next year! You'll start to see me advertise the heck out of these events in the coming weeks and months. Here's a list for now, and if you're in or around these areas, I'd love to meet you!

 

 

March 7-9, 2014

Wicked Book Weekend

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Ticket information

 

From what I understand, this is a more intimate author signing. We lunch with you, party with you, and hang out at the pool or on the beach with you! I'm so excited about this event. Come spend a weekend with me.

 

 

July 19, 2014

Southern Girls Author Event

Greenville, NC

Ticket Information

 

This is your standard big ol' convention center setup with lots of lovely authors from ALL over. I hear they're buying cowboy boots and practicing their Southern drawl, though. Hope you can join us all for a day-long signing and after party!

 

 

August 23, 2014
Atlanta Signing
Details TBA

 

 

5. This week I had grand plans to give you a 5-day Ireland tour complete with pictures and anecdotes. Yeah . . . I'm sure at this point you don't think I really went. I swear I did! And I swear I have pictures! I mistakenly thought I'd have free time while Better is being edited. LOL!!!!!! Um, no. No free time. I'll spend the next several weeks concentrating on promo for Better. I am, however, taking a writing break once Better releases, and that's when I'll share information about my trip. I won't give you a date because I keep doing that and then not meeting it. See why I don't give you exact release dates for my books until I am CERTAIN I can meet that deadline?

 

If you made it to the end of this post, you rock! xo

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOOD Tour Giveaway Winners!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

And the winners are . . .

 

Kerry B.--GRAND PRIZE Winner!

Leslie R.--Runner-up!

Shannon D.--Runner-up! 

 

 

Congrats, girlies! And now I need you to email me your mailing addresses to swaldenauthor@hotmail.com so that I can get your books to you.

 

Thank you, everyone, for entering the giveaway. There will be many more. In fact, next up? I'll announce the winners for my FB 3000 Likes Giveaway. Stay tuned.

In case you missed it . . .

Here's the complete tour schedule for Good. What a super week! I can't thank these bloggers enough for the time they spent reading and reviewing my book and creating beautiful posts on their blogs to promote my work. If you've got a lazy Saturday planned, peruse some of these stops. Well worth your time. Some highlights? Gosh, all the stops are amazing, but if you can only do a few, consider these:

1. The alternate POV "Drunk Cadence" scene at True Story Book Blog
2. Author interview at Nicely Phrased (these questions are hilarious)
3. Dual review at All Romance Reviews (you will laugh out loud)
4. "Cocktails and Characters" at A Love Affair with Books (new drink recipes for your next party!)
5.  Character interview with Cadence at Fab Fun and Tantalizing Reads
6. Exclusive BETTER teaser at Shh Moms Reading

Also, I just ended a few giveaways and will be choosing winners soon. Give me a bit of time as I'm wrapping up my Better first draft to send off to my editor. I think we may all agree that the sequel is Priority #1. ;)

Thank you all so much for participating in my Gift-a-Friend Friday. You spread the word about Good and blew it up in the rankings. You landed me at #1 on the New Adult and College Amazon list and helped me reach #18 on the Movers and Shakers list. I hope you realize how important that is: you've helped bring a lot of exposure to my book, and I can't thank you enough. xo

GOOD Tour

 

Monday, September 30th

 

Book Crush Review – Review and Excerpt

I Love Indie Books – Review and Playlist

Bookhooking – Review and Excerpt

Literary Mania Reviews – Review

Love N Books – Review

Love Words and Books – Review

Novel Seduction – Review and Excerpt

Romantic Book Affairs – Review and Excerpt

Smut Whores and More Book Reviews – Review

 

Tuesday, October 1st

 

Book Nerds Anonymous – Review and Playlist

Madison Says – Review and 25 Random Facts about Me

My Secret Romance – Review

Nicely Phrased Book Blog – Review and Author Interview

Sugar and Spice Book Reviews – Review

The Book Bellas – Review and Excerpt

Wine Relaxation and My Kindle – Review and Excerpt

 

Wednesday, October 2nd

 

Bookaholics Blog – Review

Fab Fun and Tantalizing Reads – Review and Character Interview (Cadence)

Rustys Reading – Promo and Dream Cast

True Story Book Blog – Review and Alt POV "Drunk Cadence" scene

Whirlwind Book Reviews – Review

Winding Stairs Book Blog – Promo

Stories and Swag Book Blog - Review

 

Thursday, October 3rd

 

 Addicted 2 Heroines – Review

All Romance Reviews – Review

Life Becomes Me – Review

YA Book Addict – Playlist and Promo

 

Friday, October 4th

 

 Love Those Books – Review

Book Reader Chronicles – Review and Guest Post about Cadence's character

A Love Affair with Books – Review and "Cocktails and Characters" 

Becca the Bibliophile – Review and Excerpt

Book Addicts Not So Anonymous – Review and Excerpt

Rude Girl Book Blog – Promo

Who You Callin a Book Whore – Review and Excerpt

Shh Moms Reading – Review and BETTER Teaser

The Great Wrap-up

I'm both sad and excited today: sad because my tour is ending but excited because this is one uber awesome day packed to the brim with all kinds of fun stuff. And here's the most important thing about today that you need to know:

Today is Gift-a-Friend Friday. Yeah, I made it up, and I'm gonna start doing it on random Fridays. So since today's Friday, let's try it out. I dropped the price of Good to $.99, but only for today. So be my favorite fan and promoter, and gift a copy of Good to a family member or friend. Help spread the love, darlings. (That's what Mark would call you.)

And now for the tour. I said fun stuff and I meant it. You'll get a firsthand look at how I developed Cadence's character at Book Reader Chronicles. I mixed up some cocktails and characters for you, too. Want to see what drinks represent Mark, Cadence, Avery, and Gracie? Head over to A Love Affair with Books. Need to read a few reviews to help convince you that Good is the book for you? Well, just check out the schedule below. It's packed with reviews! Oh yeah, and if you're interested in an exclusive look at Better, the sequel, then Shh Moms Reading has you covered.

 

October 4^th

 

 

Love Those Books – Review

Book Reader Chronicles – Review and Guest Post

A Love Affair with Books – Revew and Guest Post

Becca the Bibliophile – Review and Excerpt

Book Addicts Not So Anonymous – Review and Excerpt

Rude Girl Book Blog – Promo

Who You Callin a Book Whore – Review and Excerpt

Shh Moms Reading – Review and Book 2 Teaser

 (Better teaser will be up at 11 A.M.!!)

 

Here's my dream cast for Good. It was featured this week on Rusty's Reading, but I wanted to share again.

 

 

Cadence Miller

(Teresa Palmer)

 



 

 

Mark Connelly

(Ben Barnes)

 

 

 

Avery Fisher

(Analeigh Christian Tipton) 

 

 

 

Fanny Burken

(Dame Judy Dench)

 

 

Oliver Miller

(Brendan Robinson)

 

 

Gracie

(Jane Levy)