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Why Blood Roses is Special

Blood Roses is the second book in the Blackthorn series and it’s due out this Spring!

I had an email come through this week, from a fan turned very special friend:

“I love Blood Shadows, don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic. But Blood Roses is probably my favorite book EVER (the portion I’ve seen). I am so bloody (yes pun intended) excited about it, I can’t even tell you.”

I got a bit emotional when I read that. A big part of the emotion is because I’ve reached that stage now when I know I’ll soon be parting with Blood Roses. I’ve been working on revisions in the background since the launch of Blood Shadows, and those who follow this blog and Facebook will know those revisions went back to Bookouture on New Year’s day. My editor will be back in touch with me in the next few days to give her verdict – that basically means I’ll know how much more work it still needs before the final polish. After that, it’s line edits and copy edits before I finally hand it over.

Blood Roses has been with me a long time. It was conceptualized years ago (I can’t even pinpoint when), the majority of it written back in 2007. Although it’s not my first published book, I will always look on Blood Roses as the book that launched my career as a published author.

It was entered in Harlequin Mills and Boon’s New Voices competition back in 2010, where it got into the final – the only PNR to do so. It’s scary to think I nearly didn’t enter. I submitted right before the deadline. It was the first time I’d put myself out there for scrutiny and was a test of whether I had what it took to write romance. I was terrified because it wasn’t just a competition – it was going to help me make the decision whether I tried to launch my Blackthorn series or turned my back on romance a while longer to continue focusing on supernatural thrillers.

If you don’t know about the competition, writers uploaded a chapter on an open forum for readers to comment (readers also got to vote). Blood Roses came under scrutiny straight away, but not for the right reasons. I entered the longest opening chapter in the competition – almost 9,000 words long. I remember reading speculation over why I had done it, not least the assumption that I had misread the rules. The simple truth was that I was so convinced I would get nowhere, I entered the biggest chunk of work I could in the hope that, even if I bombed in the competition, I might at least catch an editor’s eye. I didn’t have the confidence to believe I could do that in 3,000 words.

Of course it meant that when I got into the Top 10, I was left with only 700 words for chapter 2 and then only 200 for the pivotal moment when I progressed into the Top 4. It worked in my favour though, with readers again speculating whether I’d manage it or not. The response when I did was fantastic. And those supportive comments, along with the belief of my amazing mentors – Lesley Stonehouse and Rhyannon Byrd – gave me the courage to re-enter in NV 2011 where I finished a finalist again.

Blood Roses helped me believe in myself as an author. It shaped my writing. It gave me the best opportunity to launch my writing career. It taught me that I don’t have to write like anyone else – that I’ll find my readership as me and not by trying to follow in anyone else’s footsteps. It taught me that romance readers are more open minded than I gave credit for before I became a part of this amazing community. It taught me there is a place for books like mine that are a little bit dark, a little bit dangerous and a little bit different. It taught me that I had to stop hiding my writing in a drawer.

I understood exactly what my friend was saying when she sent me that email, and responses like that will be the ones that help me let go of Blood Roses when the time comes. Looking back, I also realise how much I’ve moved on in the last two years from writing purely for myself to having the courage to share my books with an audience.

And that’s why Blood Roses is, and always will be, so special to me.

Come back tomorrow if you’d like to get a few hints of what to expect. No spoilers thought, I promise!

xxx

When Dreams Come True

Happy New Year everyone!

And wow, what a year 2012 was!

After almost 30 years of writing, 21 years since I’d written my first paranormal romance and 16 years of Blackthorn in the making, 2012 was the year when I finally became a published author.

My avid followers will no doubt have picked up on the fact I haven’t had a moment to breathe since then. No sitting with my feet on my desk, sipping Pepsi whilst I dreamily doddle plotlines in my notebook in-between gazing out of my study window. Oh no.

In April of 2012, I’d resolved I’d had enough of sitting on the Blackthorn series and needed to seriously pursue publication. I set up a blog (a must, I was told by my new writerly friends) and, in June, started submitting to publishers.

I’d prepared for the long-haul – weeks, months, maybe even years of waiting. Okay, the latter is an exaggeration – I’d decided I’d self-publish if it came to that. But on Friday 13th July, came the request from Bookouture that changed everything. Less than a month later came ‘The Call’ along with a very impressive book proposal and fantastic plans for Blackthorn.

September was the month of secrets. I blogged about being offered a three-book deal, but had to remain hushed about who by until Bookouture was launched and all the finer details were tied up – not least the contract! And, gee, was it tough keeping quiet!

Finally, at the end of October, I was finally able to announce that I had signed with Bookouture and my brand new website was launched. News of my signing went global and there were over 1,000 hits on the news feed in the first couple of days.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, straight after, Hollywood came calling. Yes, they really did! I didn’t say much because, well, basically I knew the chances were minimal. It was still amazing to have had the book requested though and the feedback from the head of creative affairs, although a no, was great:

“I really enjoyed BLOOD SHADOWS, Lindsay is a wonderful writer. She’s crafted one heck of a world with Caitlin, Kane, VCU and the Soul Ripper. A few of us really took to the book and world creation but, alas, the consensus was that it isn’t exactly what…is looking for.”

I didn’t have time to dwell though, because we were already in November – and what a month November was!

First came the cover reveal for Blood Shadows. And for anyone who has got a hardcopy and seen who the designer was (yes, I know some of you have!) you’ll know why I was so ecstatic about who took the project on. Shortly after came the first of the fantastic and fun Blackthorn Bites. Within days there was the release of the awesome Blood Shadows book trailer. On Thursday 15th, I shed a tear when I held a copy of my book in my hands for the first time. Then on the 27th November (give or take a few days…) Blood Shadows was finally officially launched.

The promotions kicked off instantly and haven’t stopped since, not least with my U.S. book tour starting on 28th December and running through the whole of this month.

And the reviews. Ah, the reviews. I have come to discover that reviews are single-handedly one of the most rewarding and, at the same time, utterly terrifying parts of being a published author. I’ve been lucky that, apart from a handful of ratings (rose bombers spring to mind anyone?), the reviews have been amazing. So thank you to every single person who has taken the time and the effort to share what they think on Amazon and Goodreads. There is no better way to get my books into the hands of new readers than through those reviews, so believe me when I say I appreciate your effort more than I can possibly express here.

And during all of this, I’ve feverishly been working on revisions for Blood Roses, which I sent back to Bookouture on New Years’ day. Yay! More about Blood Roses very soon…

But before I go, when I announced by blog tour last Friday, I did promise to tell you about my Christmas present this year.

I’m the kind of girl who, as long as I get a couple of notepads and a pack of pens or pencils, I’m usually a pretty happy bunny as far as presents go. Throw in a bottle of my favourite Thierry Mugler’s Angel now and again and you’re guaranteed to raise a satisfied smile. Fortunately, I have a husband whose imagination, year after year, spans beyond my feeble attempts at a creative list for Santa.

I must be honest though, this year I did give him a hint of what I wanted. I didn’t quite expect the end result though. Welcome to my new study wall…

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Now if that isn’t motivation enough to keep writing Blackthorn books, I don’t know what is! And yes, if you wrote one of the earlier bites, you are up there! So huge thanks to Michele Hauf, CC Mackenzie, Fiona Chapman, Lindsey Clarke, Amity Grays and RomFan Reviews.

But that wasn’t all. As you’ve probably guessed, I’m a fan of personal gifts. So when this little chap was handed to me, overwhelmed doesn’t begin to describe it. Say hello to Batty…

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

This little chap was handmade especially for me by exceptionally talented, local artist Minerva (of Minerva Twist). She’s thrown a creative spin on a variety of animals but this was her first attempt at my personal favourite – a bat. Not only is he reading a copy of my book (and the glasses are uncannily like mine too!), but she even went to the trouble of joining the oo’s together just like on the cover of Blood Shadows and putting a dot after the ‘J’ in my name. Now that’s the attention to detail I like. Thanks Minerva, you ridiculously talented lady, he’s absolutely gorgeous!

And that’s it – here’s hoping 2013 brings just as much excitement!

Finally, huge thanks to my super-supportive, long-suffering husband who makes sure I eat, drink, sleep and, on occasion, get suitably socialised. Massive thanks you all my wonderful, wonderful supporters, including my fantastic new-found writing friends – to those who have been published this year and those who are going to be published in 2013, here’s wishing you every success. And for those who haven’t got there yet, I’m rooting for you with every digit crossed. I’m a walking example that dreams can and do eventually come true. DO NOT give up.

So here’s an extra special thank you to the amazing Oliver Rhodes, founder of Bookouture, for not only making my dreams come true in 2012, but for making my first two months as a published author more exciting and fun than I ever could have imagined.

xxx

Blood Shadows Blog Tour

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas! I got something really special this year that I want to show you on a blog post very soon. But blog tour information first…

Those of you who follow me on Facebook will know my blog tour around the U.S. started today. This is a somewhat nerve-wracking, albeit equally exciting, experience. Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours, 30 U.S. book bloggers kindly signed up to host me over a month. There will be a mixture of me writing guest blog posts and being interviewed as well as bloggers promoting Blood Shadows or, the really scary stuff, reviewing it.

My first post is over on Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer and is up already. For those who have been following me since I launched this blog in April, you’ll be in familiar territory because I’m revisiting a blog post I wrote for here (under a different title). It’s the only one I’ll be repeating, but as a lot of people enjoyed that one, it broke me in gently! Other posts I’ll be writing will be, amongst others, creating Blackthorn, what I’ve learned from reader feedback, why vampires makes the perfect anti-heroes and the challenge of being a British PNR author.

For those who want to follow the tour closely, I’ve listed where I’ll be and when below – as well as what I’ll be doing for each. I will, of course, put reminders on Facebook. If you’re able to come and support any of them, you’d be most welcome!

Thanks for your continuing support. xxx

December 28 Guest blog
www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com

December 29 Interview
Books & Other Spells
nightskydarkstar.blogspot.com

December 30 Guest blog
http://saratrimble.wordpress.com/

January 1 Interview
Books & Tales
http://www.booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/

January 2 Guest blog
Romance Book Junkies
http://www.romancebookjunkies.com

January 2 review
Books, Books, and More Books
http://dream-reader-dreamer2229.blogspot.com/

January 3 Guest blog
The Speculative Salon
http://speculativesalon.blogspot.com/

January 4 Promo
Krystal’s Enchanting Reads
http://enchantingreads7.blogspot.com/

January 5 Promo
Fetch Me My Fainting Couch
www.fetchmemyfaintingcouch.blogspot.com

January 6 Guest blog
Fangs, Wands & Fairydust
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/

January 7 Interview and review
http://www.vampireromancebooks.com/

January 9 Guest blog
www.christina-mcknight.blogspot.com

January 10 Interview
Victoria Danann
http://victoriadanann.me

January 14 Promo
Mother/Gamer/Writer
mothergamerwriter.com

January 15 Promo
A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books
http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/

January 16 Promo
The Solitary Bookworm
thesolitarybookworm.com

January 17 Character Profile or Character Interview
Butterfly-o-Meter Books
http://butterflyometerbooks.blogspot.com/

January 17 review
http://www.anitabook.com

January 18 Guest blog and review
http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog

January 18 review
Mind Reading?
http://monaliz-mindreading.blogspot.com

January 19 Excerpt and review
Michelle’s Paranormal Vault of Books
http://concisebookreviewsbymichelle.blogspot.com/

January 20 Promo and review
Readaholic’s Reviews
www.readaholicsreviews.com

January 21 Guest blog
Delirious About Books
http://deliriousaboutbooks.blogspot.com

January 22 Promo and review
Paranormal Opinion
http://paranormalopinion.blogspot.com

January 22 Interview and Spotlight
JeanzBookReadNReview
http://jeanzbookreadnreview.blogspot.co.uk/

January 23 Interview and review
Paranormal Book Club
http://paranormal-bookclub.com/

January 24 Guest blog
Ramblings From A Chaotic Mind –
http://nikkibrandyberry.wordpress.com/

January 24 review
My paranormal book review
Http://www.myparanormalbookreview.blogspot.com

January 24 Review
Cloey’s Book Reviews and Other Stuff
cloeyk.blogspot.com

January 25 Interview and review
Marked By Books
http://markedbybooks.blogspot.com

Signing Blood Shadows

A night with friends turned out to be a night with a difference when I signed my very first collection of books at one of their houses last night.

My lovely friend Kelly not only bought Blood Shadows for herself, but enjoyed it enough to buy it as a Christmas present for friends and family. Aw thanks, Kelly! (She’s potentially single-handedly responsible for those Amazon ratings, you know 😉 )  Hence my very first Blackthorn book signing session!

As it was another special moment for me (notice I’m milking these ‘special’ moments for all they’re worth), I thought I’d post a couple of pics to share with you…

 

 

 

Complicated stuff this book signing, especially when

you can’t even work out which page to write on…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right, down to business. Musn’t make a spelling

mistake… mustn’t blot my pen…. concentrate….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

     Achieved! I could get into this… 🙂

 

 

 

And thank you, Kelly’s cat, for not jumping on me half way through.

xxx

 

 

 

Lost For Words

It’s not very often I’m lost for words. Anyone who knows me by now can vouch for that, especially my publisher who (I hope) is now acclimatising to me chuntering down the phone or via email. Then today, there’s a knock on my door and these turn up…

My first thought – they’re for someone else. My second thought – I’d better at least check the card. They were addressed to me, so that was my first theory out the window. My mind worked overtime as I ripped the card out of the envelope. I didn’t recognise the writing, so that ruled out hubbie. ‘Enjoyed it from beginning to end,’ the card read. It’s about my book, I realise. I’m already overwhelmed. And then I see the name – Nit. It’s the nickname of a friend, a very special friend. If you’ve got a copy of Blood Shadows, she’s mentioned in the acknowledgements as Anita.

I ‘met’ Anita through New Voices. We struck up a friendship via twitter and shortly after started emailing each other – regularly. Nit lives all away across the water in Idaho. That’s why I think I read the card about four times. I couldn’t quite believe she had gone to all that effort just for me.

I’ve had a week like that, and receiving these flowers today just summed this week up.

It was a week ago today that Blackthorn, via Blood Shadows, was officially launched. Since then I’ve been stunned by the generosity of people’s time and effort in sharing their thoughts and, in turn, helping get my book out there. I’ve even put a new tab on my blog to showcase all the reviews, I’m so proud. Each has been carefully thought about, straight from the heart, and that’s what means so much to me. It accumulated in me receiving a stunning email today that knocked me sideways when I was thanked for giving readers the Blackthorn books.

I’m still getting my head around actually being published, then getting reviews and emails like these, such thoughtful gestures like Nit’s, often makes me wonder what I’ve done to deserve it. So this is one more shout-out to my readers, Team Blackthorn, my new-found friends, let alone my awesome publisher – what would I do without you?

xxx

Thank You Team Blackthorn!

It’s launch day! Blackthorn is officially out there! If you read my recent guest post on the Romance University, you’ll know this was no easy feat – this day has been sixteen years in the making. If you count from the moment I first started writing stories, it’s almost thirty years, over twenty years since I wrote my first PNR. There’s been a lot of work, a lot of patience and a heck of a lot of perseverance during that time.

These past four months have been incredible. From the moment Bookouture got in touch to request both Blood Shadows and Blood Roses, the journey has been amazing. In a few short months, Blackthorn has evolved and transpired in a way I couldn’t have wished for more. But even with the best publisher behind me and enough of my own internal enthusiasm to exhaust Tigger on one of his most energetic days, today wouldn’t be half as special if it wasn’t for my supporters.

I cannot thank people enough for being there not just today, but in the build up and every day before that. I am grateful to everyone who has commented on Facebook, on Twitter, who have retweeted, liked and shared. To everyone who has visited my blog and taken time out to let me know what they think. To those who have given me feedback and also encouraged others to read my work – let alone those who have spread the word amongst friends and family. You’re the ones who are making such an unbelievable difference – who have slid me up 22,000 places on Amazon today alone. And to those people who have left reviews on Amazon or Goodreads for others to see, thank you for pushing Blood Shadows up the ranks so more people can find it.

It’s a busy market place out there and I feel privileged that Team Blackthorn are out there waving flags, hollering at the tops of their voices and generally making their presence known. I couldn’t do this without you.

So from someone who, first thing this morning (it’s now the evening here in the UK), was sat at her computer, still in her PJs, hair all mussed, a strong coffee in hand and not quite sure what to expect, you have made this day so special for me. I wanted to make sure you know how much I appreciate that.

xxx

PS If you haven’t checked out my interview over on the Bookouture site, please come say hi! I had quite a few questions come through in the end so unfortunately couldn’t answer them all today, but the rest will be on this blog before the end of the week!

‘The Next Big Thing’ – Blood Shadows

Welcome to ‘The Next Big Thing’ blog tour. Huge thanks to my HPT blog-buddy, Victoria James for tagging me to continue the chain. Thank you too for everyone else who thought of me. I’ve tagged two more writers at the bottom of this post.

The idea is that we all answer the same ten questions about our current or next release, which means I get to talk about Blood Shadows. *smirks* Any excuse…

What is the title of your latest book? 

It’s called Blood Shadows and it’s the first book in the Blackthorn series.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

The concept for Blackthorn starting evolving about sixteen years ago. For my first teaching job, I’d moved to a big city over 300 miles away from everything I knew. My sense of direction is appalling anyway, so it was no surprise that, walking home one night, I got lost. I ended up in a very isolated and run-down area. Iron bars were on windows. Metal shutters were on doors. The place was dead. I was terrified, but the idea for Blackthorn was born – dark paranormal stories set in an urban, gritty backdrop of social unrest, where vampires brush shoulders with humans. It instantly became a dystopian world where humans were calling the shots, where there was segregation and prejudice. It was the perfect environment to breed conflict between characters, particularly my heroes and heroines. Blackthorn inevitably developed into a backdrop for dark and intense romances that will eventually each play an integral role in the future of Blackthorn.

I’ll talk about what inspired Blood Shadows in a question I’ve been asked a little further along…

What genre does your book fall under?

It comes under the broad umbrella term of Paranormal Romance, under the subheading of vampire fiction. Within that, it could be summed up as a dark and romantic urban thriller. It’s fairly graphic in places so not for anyone of a sensitive disposition!

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition? 

This is such a hard question because I never have anyone in mind when I start writing characters. When I was asked to provide some Pinterest images for the cover designer for Blood Shadows, it was more a blend of features and visible attitude. Considering how vivid Kane and Caitlin are to me, the models he selected are scarily close to what I have in my mind.

Based on characteristics I’ve seen in various roles, I’d say Elisha Cuthbert (House of Wax), Eliza Dushku or Kirsten Dunst for Caitlin. Kane is particularly tricky. Because of the eyes, I think Wentworth Miller might be able to carry him off. I also think Jensen Ackles could play him when he’s in really bad-guy mode. I think the best match would be Henry Cavill though. I’ve never seen him in action and only discovered him on Pinterest, so I’ll have to see if I think the same when I see him move!

You can check out what I mean by going to my Pinterest boards. You don’t need to be a member to look.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

Caitlin has four days to persuade Blackthorn’s most lethal vampire to help destroy what killed her parents before it kills her, but not only does Kane despise everything she stands for, she’s already a part of his own dark intentions.

Is your book self-published or represented by an agency?

I’m published by Bookouture – an absolutely awesome bespoke publisher founded by ex-Harlequin marketing controller, Oliver Rhodes. What can I say? I like the personal touch. 😉 Best of all, Bookouture didn’t want to change me or my stories. I think Oliver is very tuned-in to readers and he’s got a genuine respect for authors, two traits that were obligatory to me in handing over my stories. Working with Bookouture just felt right from the outset.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

From what I remember, the first draft was written in about three to four months. There was ‘layering’ for about a further two months. Bookouture got in touch soon after I started subbing so I then went straight on to revisions, which was primarily weaving in plotlines to join the subsequent books together.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I’ve been told the stories would appeal to readers of Sherrilyn Kenyon and J.R. Ward, which is incredibly flattering.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I was inspired to write paranormal romance over twenty years ago because I couldn’t find any in my local bookshop. It wasn’t quite so prevalent back then, certainly not in the UK.

As to what inspired Blood Shadows, it must be ten years or so since I first came up with the idea so I can’t place it exactly. I remember seeing a film where there was a chase down a back alley along a chain-link fence and I immediately thought of an agent responsible for keeping vampires in order in Blackthorn. I love strong heroines so I wanted to make the agent a woman. The bad boy vampire was inevitable. I’d only ever written a few opening scenes for the novella and then came back to it for NV 11. From there I structured the story properly, let it develop naturally as I wrote and let Kane and Caitlin take over. Kane actually ‘rewrote’ the last few chapters himself from what I had originally planned. I love it when that happens!

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Can I cheat and let some of the New Voices comments I had say it for me?

  • “This is exceptional.”
  • “Kane is super hot and the ultimate bad boy…’
  • “Gripping, steamy and a hot, dangerous hero – great stuff.”
  • “Sexy, scary, exciting and really interesting novel touches.”
  • “Absolutely beautifully written.”
  • “The chemistry between your hero and heroine is almost tangible.”
  • “…the story that I truly believe could make a big, big splash in the genre.”
  • “…a kill-me-now hero and I-wanna-be-her heroine.”
  • “Hard to realise I am reading a book, not watching the action unfold on TV.”
  • “Sex appeal in spades.”

So, interview over, I am now going to tag the fabulous Tima Maria Lacoba and Aimee Duffy with the same ten questions. Good luck, ladies!

But before I go, if you haven’t seen me mention it on Facebook, I have another interview to come. I’m soon going to be interrogated by my publisher over on the Bookouture website (eek!). If you’d like to join in – if there is anything you are itching to ask me about Blackthorn, Blood Shadows, Kane, Caitlin, even me as an author – feel free to send your questions to me, before Thursday, via the comments box below or you can email, tweet or Facebook me. Be as imaginative (or probing) as you like – it’s more fun that way!

xxx

Vampires, Blackthorn and Blood Splatters (aka another day at the office)

Thank you SO much to everyone who shared my Monday excitement with the cover reveal of Blood Shadows. I’m so pleased you thought it was worth the wait. The cover designer really is one of the best in the business and he’s done an outstanding job capturing Blood Shadows let alone the whole theme of Blackthorn. I think it represents urban vampire paranormal romance at its best – but then I am very biased!

Thanks too for all your messages and emails about this new site – I’m thrilled you’re as pleased with it as me. Some of your feedback was very touching, some set me off into giggles – so thanks for sharing your thoughts with me.

As you can see, Bookouture have worked extremely hard in the background assisting with getting this site set up and I think they’ve done a fantastic job both in the selection of the overall design and images, let alone the behind-the-scenes functionality. The latter I’m getting my head around slowly – but remember this is coming from someone who nearly had a breakdown trying to operate Twitter only a year ago, so I’m making progress!

I had lots of involvement in the decision making but there’s nothing like seeing it all come together. The first time I saw this site completed, I may as well have been led into an adventure park. I kept clicking on everything and discovering where things were and what had been added. I absolutely love the sliders. If you go to ‘Books’ and watch the motion slider there, you’ll see the tag lines appear from Blood Shadows. I’m such a big kid – I love all that kind of stuff. Then if you go onto the ‘About Blackthorn’ you’ll see a large version of the crest. Oh, how I love that crest! And has anyone spotted the blood splatter favicon in the address bar? (Though in my lack of technical know-how, I nicknamed it the favabean – you know, as in with a nice Chianti? *Bows to groans*) I love that little feature, but I did say I was a big kid – oh, and a huge fan of Dexter.

Those who were familiar with my old website will know there are other new features too. ‘About Blackthorn’ is where I’ll share background information on the concept behind the series and all the unfamiliar terms I introduce in the books, so hopefully you’ll find it interesting. There’s also a ‘Press’ section now so you’ll know what’s being shared globally about me as an author and the Blackthorn series.

I have new link buttons. There’s a Pinterest one where I’ll be uploading some new images in due course. If there are any boards you’d like to see, do let me know. And I’m finally on Facebook. Soon I’ll be posting regular updates on there, including letting you know when the Blood Shadows trailer will be aired… oh, it’s good!!

For someone who was petrified of social media only a matter of months ago, I’m really beginning to get into this. It’s such an important part of my new job (yes, I can officially say that now), and it’s made all the more fun by you joining in with me. Thanks for being there!

If you want to make sure you don’t miss anything that happens here, then please do subscribe by email and you’ll get notifications every time something new appears. Alternatively, just come and visit when you have a few spare minutes. And please always feel free to email.

I’ll be back with a post on Friday getting right back into the heart of paranormal romance. Do come and visit, especially if you’d like to talk dark and brooding vampires with me…

More Blackthorn Excitement

Thank you to everyone who has shared their support since my announcement on Tuesday. There have been over a thousand views of the press release so far and even features in the Bookseller, Book Brunch and Book2Book. Some fantastic interview spots are also being arranged that I’m really looking forwards to.

But as if I haven’t had enough excitement the last couple of days, my publisher has also sent me the final version of my Blood Shadows book cover! And well, wow. Just wow. That’s been the extent of my descriptive vocabulary since seeing it: Wow. I’ve printed it out on A4 card and it’s currently sat next to me on my desk. I’ve spent all day gazing (and swooning) at it at intervals, reassuring myself it’s real.

Unfortunately I can’t share it with you yet. The reveal is going to happen once my new website is up and running. But read on because I’ll direct you towards some hints shortly!

I mentioned in the last blog post how excited I was to be signed by Bookouture and my book cover is the perfect example of why. Every part of it is bespoke and has been designed specifically with my books and brand in mind.

I had one of those clichéd jaw-dropping moments when I was told who was taking on the Blackthorn project. This designer has worked on covers for bestselling international authors and is very selective. I was beyond fortunate that Blackthorn sparked their imagination enough for them to say yes.

I was even more overwhelmed to find out that ‘project’ meant just that – it wasn’t only about the book cover, there was to be a Blackthorn crest, typography, backdrops, adverts… all things you’ll see on my website in due course. And everything you are going to see will be completely unique. Even the ‘models’ were handpicked and photographed specifically for this book.

It wasn’t just that the designer was fantastic, I was also thrilled to be invited to be a part of it by sharing my vision. I signed up to Pinterest and had fun trying to find images to represent Blackthorn as well as my characters. Finding Blackthorn images was fairly straightforward, finding my characters – not so easy. The challenge with the latter was that I don’t get character inspiration from people I see. And it wasn’t just about finding physical likenesses, I felt it just as important to find the appropriate characteristics such as the look in someone’s eye, their stance or their mood.

So although I can’t show you my cover yet (sorry), if it helps, you can always check out where I’ve been hiding on Pinterest to get some indication of my vision of Blackthorn as well as Blood Shadows’ Kane and Caitlin (Caleb and Leila from Blood Roses are also there – TVD Damon fans be warned!). I’ve also got a personal likes page so feel free to take a look at that too. This is just the start – there will certainly be a lot more coming onto Pinterest soon!

I am absolutely ecstatic about the end result. Aside from the quality and creativity, it’s so perfectly ‘paranormal romance’ with that dark, sophisticated edge I wanted to represent my stories. I could not have envisaged anything better. I welled up when I saw it all displayed out in front of me because I guess part of me still can’t quite believe this is actually happening. The most amazing thing of all is that, as I look at my cover now, I don’t feel like strangers are staring back at me. That’s my Kane and Caitlin there, so close to what I had in my head that it’s spooky.

I can’t wait for you to meet them.

xxx

British Paranormal Romance Author Signs Three-Book Deal!

Yep, that’s me! And I have waited sooo long to be able to say that. 🙂

But let’s cut straight to the chase because I know what you’re here for – you might want to grab a coffee first! Here’s the official press release that just went ‘live’ from my publisher (and there’s information that follows about them too if you scroll through):

So now that I have finished bouncing around the house, stopped clutching my contract to within an inch of its crumpled life (my presh-ussss), and am finally managing to quell the mania for a short while, here’s all the info…

Blood Shadows? What’s Blood Shadows?

Blood Shadows is the re-titled Beguiling the Enemy. So, yes, BTE is going to be the first book released in the series. Beguiling the Enemy was a working title I came up with a few days before subbing to New Voices 2011. The problem was it didn’t tie in with the series and certainly wasn’t as strong as Blood Roses as far as titles go, hence the change. ‘Shadows’ is, of course, because of Caitlin’s shadow-reading ability. Nothing else has changed – it’s exactly the same story.

And as you’ve seen, it’ll be yours as from November the 27th – this year. I may have kept you waiting with the announcement, but at least I won’t be torturing you with the release date!

And Blood Roses?

As you would have seen in the press release, Blood Roses will be yours in Spring 2013, so not too long to wait for that either!

What about the third book?

Autumn 2013! I’ll save the teasers about that for another time but I am bursting with excitement over how it’s working out. Darker, sexier, even more stings in the tail… what you’d come to expect really.

So why Bookouture?

I already knew who Oliver Rhodes was when the request came in for me to sub Blood Shadows and Blood Roses to Bookouture. I knew of his professional reputation in the industry (reinforced by his recent recognition as one of publishing’s ‘Rising Stars’ by The Bookseller). I knew of his impressive background, not least his fantastic work on MIRA and MIRA Ink. I knew New Voices had been his brainchild. So when he contacted me, I was a little overwhelmed to say the least.

What attracted me to this publisher was the principle behind Bookouture. Bookouture are author-centric and totally bespoke. Everything is individual. No fitting in boxes, no restrictive word count, no fitting around everyone else’s timelines. Quality is paramount – from them and the author. Their focus is to build author careers – to work long term with authors who can deliver what readers want. As well as the opportunity to work with some of the very best professionals in the industry, what Bookouture was offering was for me to write the books I wanted to write and they’d be the forward-thinking, talented and creative team that would get them out there. And the clincher for me, the most important thing to me, is that they really love my stories and they believe in me enough to do all of the above. Basically, it was an easy decision.

I feel exceptionally privileged to have been spotted and signed by Bookouture and soon you’ll see why.

If you want to find out more about why Bookouture chose me, please have a look at their website by clicking on the link.

So what now?

It’s been unbelievably busy up to this point but it’s far from over yet! Trust me, the best is yet to come!

There’s going to be an awful lot happening over the next month leading up to the book launch. My website is going to have a MAJOR make-over (it’ll be down for a few days soon) and in due course you’ll be able to see the Blackthorn branding and cover design which have been created by one of THE best designers in the industry. There will also be a book trailer and the first three chapters of Blood Shadows available for you to read as well as so much more…

But before this site closes, I’ll be back in a couple of days to let you know exactly what I think of the Blackthorn branding and cover design once I’ve had a sneak peak! I’m beyond excited.

I’ve already got a few interviews lined up leading up to Christmas so I’m really excited about those too and would love you come and check them out. If you’re reading this and haven’t got a clue who I am but would like to know more, I have a recent interview over on my group blog The Hot Pink Typewriter.

But that’s it for now. Have I missed anything? I’m sure you’ll let me know if I have! Needless to say normal blog duty will be fully resumed once everything is updated and sorted. I’ll have so much to talk about and I’ll be giving away lots more detail, particularly more of my personal perspectives, about what’s been going on in the background as well as what’s to come.

But before I go, for fear of sounding like I’m doing a speech, I do want to thank a few people who have been glued to my side on my journey since New Voices closed and have tirelessly supported this blog:

The amazing Amity Grays, who has been my absolute rock. You may be on the other side of the water and we may never have met, but you’ve done more for me than you’ll ever know. CC Mackenzie, an amazing indie-published author (top 5 in ten countries now and rising!), who dragged me into social media and gave me a hard virtual slap every time my confidence wavered (I have a lot of bruises).

My fabulous cheering squad who are there whenever I need them: Tracey ‘hood-girl’ Rogers, Michelle ‘I’m published by M&B AND Entangled’ Smart, Aimee ‘debut author with too many shoes’ Duffy, Incy ‘says it exactly as it is to perfection’ Black, Sue ‘requested author and, wow, we live in neighbouring villages’ Childs, Tima ‘wonderfully Bloodgifted’ Lacoba, and Sri ‘brand new author for Harlequin Presents’ Pammi. And not forgetting my fabulous fellow Top 4 New Voices ladies who I fought, scrabbled and clawed through the competition with: Natalie Charles, Katie Graham and Charlotte Phillips, who have all been immensely lovely and amazingly supportive since the competition closed.

And thank you to everyone who has tweeted, retweeted, shared, emailed and given shout-outs in the background.

I’d also like to give very special thanks to Michele Hauf who, as we speak, is reading and reviewing Blood Shadows. Please send good vibes her way!

And not least my awesome new publisher Bookouture who deserve a blooming huge cheer for putting us all out of our misery! And wow, am I and Blackthorn in safe hands…

xxx