Congratulations, Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to the Goodreads giveaway winners: Sara Lee, Darcee, and Julie! These three ladies will each be receiving a paperback copy of The Buggy List. Their books are all packaged up and ready to be mailed out today... right after story time at the library, of course. :)

Congrats again, and a big thank you to all 646 entries!

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations to entry #440, Carol C, for winning the 2013 Chick Lit Author Blog Hop!

Carol will be busy this summer reading 25 books from participating authors on her new Kindle. Happy summer reading to you, Carol, and a big thank you to all of our 682 blog hop contestants!

Goodreads Giveaway, Free Promo Recap, Blog Hop, and Cocoa Oatmeal Cookies

The Buggy List gained over 25,000 new readers and made it all the way up to number 6 on the Amazon free charts during the May promo!  

If you missed the latest freebie, you can like The Buggy List on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or follow this blog to be alerted of the next free promo. Of course, you can also enter the goodreads giveaway to win a paperback copy! (Now through June 30th.) Enter here: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/53457-the-buggy-list

Just a quick reminder that the Blog Hop is still on through May 27th. Don't miss your chance to win a FREE Kindle Keyboard 3G, with free 3G and Wi-Fi, and 6" E Ink Display, plus a chick lit starter library!

And last, but oh-so-certainly not least, I made these cocoa oatmeal cookies this week and I highly recommend them. (I omitted the raisins. Never trust a cookie with raisins!)

What's On Page 25 of The Buggy List? (2013 Chick Lit Author Blog Hop)

Learn "How to Hop & Win!" New to blog hops? Want to learn how to win the grand prize? Find complete information here. 

Welcome blog hoppers, and thanks for stopping by!

Let's get right to it. You've just opened The Buggy List to page 25. Here's what you find:

Drew and Libby Sullivan are in the middle of making a "baby bucket list" of things they want to do before starting a family. Earlier, the couple split up to write down five items each, and now they have reunited to share and consolidate their lists. Once the list is finalized, they will embark on their final adventure before plunging headfirst into parenthood.

Page 25 reveals items four and five on The Buggy List. Item number four is from Libby's list - finally go on a honeymoon. Item number five is from Drew's - get in shape.

Spoiler alert from page 26 (I know, I know, but I can't resist): In order to get a head start on getting in shape, Drew has already signed them both up for a boot camp. And oh yeah, it starts tomorrow. At six in the morning.

Libby, who likes to sleep in and generally avoids working out, is not at all pleased with this. Luckily, item number six is a real zinger that will give Drew a taste of his own medicine.

Item number six is - oh wait. I'm not telling! :)

If you hopped to this blog entry in time, The Buggy List is free for Kindle through May 22nd. If you missed the freebie, you can like The Buggy List on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or follow this blog to be alerted of the next free promo.

(Win the grand prize! The 25th secret word in the 25-word sentence is: along!)

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Keep hopping!

Chick Lit Author Blog Hop: May 20-27th 2013

I'm thrilled to be participating in the 2013 Chick Lit Author Blog Hop, during which I will be joining some of my fellow indie chick lit authors in writing a blog post in response to the following:

If a reader opened your book to page 25, what would she find? What's happening in the story?

Check back next week to read my answer, and to hear from other indie chick lit authors, too!

Click here for more details.

I Love Freebies, Yes I Do, I Love Freebies How 'Bout You?

The Buggy List (Kindle edition) is going free tomorrow! This free promo will last for five days (May 18th - 22nd). Tell your friends, and happy summer reading!

Get it here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Buggy-List-ebook/dp/B00BG4S916

When Readers Throw Tomatoes, Make Tomato-Flavored Lemonade (or something like that...)

Hey there, indie writer, I'm talking to you: You have it bookmarked don't you? Oh come on, you know what I'm talking about. It's ok, we're all friends here. You can admit it. You check your Amazon reviews just a little too often, don't you?

I know. I totally, totally know. And I know that intense feeling of anticipation that comes each time you see that little number next to the stars go up. Another review! How many stars? What will it say? Do I dare to read it? Do I have the willpower not to?

The good ones are just that; good. But the bad ones. Oh, the bad ones. No matter how much you prepare yourself for them, they can still sting. And once they're there, they're there for everyone to see. Ouch.

Today I came up with a little exercise for coping with these reviews, and I thought I would share with you, my fellow indie. No, I'm not talking about picturing the not-so-nice reviewer getting gum stuck in their hair, or finding themselves standing in the checkout line behind the lady who has the coupon that doesn't work, or something else equally harmless yet aggravating. But that works, too. (Kidding.) (Mostly.)

Here's the exercise: Think of a book you loved. Any old book will do, but it's more fun if it's a really successful one. Got it? Ok, good. Now find it on Amazon. And read the one star reviews. Yep, if the book has been out long enough, they're there. Even for that book. And if it's a really, really successful book, there might even be thousands of them.

You know what the difference is between those bad reviews and your book's bad reviews?  That author isn't reading the bad reviews. That author is busy writing more books!

Shouldn't you be, too?