Big Hugs, Plus Signed Paperbacks!

Torched released last week, and I've been so thrilled and touched at the support it's gotten, both online and off. Huge hugs and thank yous to everyone who bought a copy, nibbled appetizers at my launch party, and spread the word about our intrepid framed cheerleader :)

Many people have asked me how they can support Torched, beyond buying the book.

The answer: review it!

Since Torched is such a new book, right now there isn't a lot of feedback to guide potential readers, and many buyers make their decisions based on reader reviews. So if you've read Torched, I'd really appreciate it if you took the time to review it online, whether on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and/or Goodreads. Thank you!

~~~~~

Signed Paperback Copies: Want a signed paperback of Torched but didn't make it to my launch party? There's now a Paypal button on the My Books section of my site to buy one. Once your purchase is confirmed, I will have a paperback shipped to me, then sign it and mail it to you. Don't forget to let me know who to sign the book to in the "Special Instructions" section as you check out!

If you already bought the paperback but want it signed, email me and we'll set something up.

Again, I'm so grateful for all the Torched love, so thank you all for your support!

Launch Day: TORCHED

TORCHED is live!

A few people snagged it yesterday, since the Kindle page went up early. To those who have already bought the book, THANK YOU MY FRAGILE AUTHOR EGO LOVES YOU :)

Here are the links: Kindle, Nook, paperback. 

Go forth and purchase! And if you think Torched isn't the book for you, but you know someone else who loves young-adult romantic-contemporary-mystery novels, I would be so grateful if you'd pass on the link or tweet about it.

Blog Tour
To celebrate the release of Torched, this week I'll be guest posting around the web. Today I'm at Adventures in Space, the blog of author Caroline Richmond. Her blog is a font of style and fun, much like Caroline herself, so feel free to mosey through the rest of her site!

I'll also visit:
Jessica Spotswood (author of Born Wicked) on Tuesday for a Thrice Interview
Miranda Kenneally (author of Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker) on Wednesday to talk about YA romantic comedies that inspire me
Lindsay Smith (author of the upcoming Sekret) on Thursday, and
Robin Talley (author of upcoming Lies I tell Myself) on Friday to discuss writing lies.

So stop on by those blogs this week to learn more about me and my writing life!

Torched Samples
If you've already read Chapter One, in which we met our heroine Rose, check out the newly posted Chapter Two, in which we meet Paxton!

Also: I buy books based on whether I like the writing and characters, and usually the "look inside" samples given by online bookstores are frustratingly short. A great first chapter is one thing, but that might not tell you whether the story is going anywhere or whether you'll like it.

So I've put up a free, extended .pdf sample of the first 130 pages (out of 376) of Torched on the My Books page. If you're on the fence about whether Torched is a book you want, try it out and see!

In-Person Launch Party
If you live in the DC area and haven't received the invite for my launch party (held in Arlington, VA on Saturday September 15), email me at andrealynncolt (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll add you to the list. There will be delicious treats! And paperbacks for sale :)

Lastly, THANK YOU to everyone who's been rooting for me the last few weeks (and years). From the moment I set (virtual) foot online, the writing community has been so supportive and friendly. Whether I know you in person or online, you make this journey so much fun.

Happy reading!

The Drum Roll Begins

After two days of traveling, one day in San Francisco, and three lovely days of wine-tasting and cheese-scarfing and good friends in Napa, I am back home!

It was a lovely trip, and I miss it already. Besides the obvious amazingness of visiting Wine Country with some of my very best friends, there was sunshine. The air was dry. Whereas two seconds after I got out of National Airport and took off my sweater because of the hot sticky humidity, I was bitten by a mosquito. Hello, DC! Plus, I'm jet-lagged. Send coffee!

On the other hand, I'm excited to be back because ... TORCHED releases on Monday! As in, next week! Before I left for the trip, I ordered a hard-copy proof of the paperback, so fingers crossed that it arrives soon so I can approve it before Launch Day.

Here is the full jacket of the paperback, with back cover copy and a barcode and everything!

Click through to see the larger image.

I can't wait to hold it in my hands :) [if you're new, find out more about Torched on the My Books page]

Now that I'm back, I'm taking stock of ALL THE THINGS on my to-do list. I've already tested out e-versions of the book in .mobi and .epub format, but I need to export them again and do one last pass to proofread and make sure the conversion didn't wonkify the text.

That's just item one of many. I also need to order promo items like bookmarks and business cards, and get my act together for next week's blog tour. Plus register as a business in VA so I can get a sales tax ID (so I can sell paperback copies to everyone who requested one at my launch party next week. PS if you are in the DC area and want to be at the launch party but didn't get the invite, let me know and I'll add you!).

I will admit I am trying without much success to find some zen about the upcoming launch - the idea that you all will get to meet Rose and read her story makes my chest tight and my heart seize up with a panicky mixture of pride and terror. Deep breaths help. So does the gym, which also needs to happen to counteract all that cheese and wine from the last five days! *adds gym to To-Do List*

So basically, I'm a jet-lagged bundle of nerves, but am also SO EXCITED!

See you all Monday! Start that drum-roll ... :-D