This Week’s Highlights!: DRAWN Blog Ghost Tour Continues

First, some quick updates:

*Drawn ebook is still on sale for just $0.99…but for a limited time…links are here.

**Also, through Valentines Day, you can enter to win all of my books signed, plus chocolates, plus have a chance at a grand prize…entering is as easy as leaving a comment: click The Valentine Blog Hop for the details.

AND NOW: News from the road…

The Drawn Blog Ghost Tour road, that is.

This week I’m criss-crossing the globe…I’ve packed my wrinkle free clothes, my passport and my writing journal… Well, okay, since this is a BLOG tour after all, maybe I haven’t packed anything. Maybe I haven’t left the country. MAYBE I’m sitting in my studio in my jammies all week long.

So? I’m STILL crossing the globe on this week’s tour, making not one but TWO stops in Australia, then racing back to the U.S. for the balance of this week.

But can’t we imagine that this author is wandering through cyberspace, a fashionable carry-on over one shoulder, and a well-read copy of Drawn under the other?  We envision this author as unstoppable. Her business-like heels click clack through the world’s airports.

Her passionate mission? To spread the word about Drawn, her new paranormal novel about a timeless love between teen artist Michelle, and Christopher, the medieval ghost with a sketchy past… Our world-traveling author won’t rest until everyone knows it’s gotten amazing reviews, like last week’s rave from The Author Chronicles, who said “If you’re looking for a book with an engaging protagonist, captivating plot, and paranormal twist, this is for you. Just make sure to clear your calendar first, because once you start, you won’t want to put it down!”

Our jet-setting author wants people to realize that if they like Twilight, Hush Hush and books by Beth Fantaskey, that they will fall in love with Drawn…

Our trail blazing writer wants…well, she wants to get out of her jammies and into real clothes at some time this week, but never mind that.  On to this weeks highlights (the fourth week of the tour!), brought to you by the fabulous book bloggers on the Drawn Blog Ghost Tour!:

February 6th:  That’s today! Say a hearty g’day to our down-under blogger Novels on the Run as they host my guest post “Any Time but the Present.” I share why I think time travel is so seductive, plus some tasty excerpts from Drawn.

February 7th: Still in awesome Australia is blogger Agrippina Legit, who will feature a review of Drawn and an interview with me with that “Land Down Under” spin.

February 8th: We zoom back to the U.S. where The Cozy Reader posts her review of Drawn plus my  guest blog “Writing Magic,” where I share some of my own techniques for writing believable fantasy scenes…with examples from Drawn.

February 9th: Take a walk on the dark side at Lucas Mangum’s Dark Dimensions blog, where he’ll post his review of Drawn plus run an interview with me exploring the fascination with darkness and the paranormal…and the darkness that winds through Drawn.

February 10th: Twimom101 features a quirky Top 10 Q&A with me. I reveal some stuff… Er, hope I didn’t embarrass myself? If I do, please tell me!

As with any of these posts, leave comments and I’ll be sure to comment back.  See how dedicated I am? Even with ALL of this travelling.  Even with spending all day in my fuzzy slippers…er, I mean, my business-like heels…

Ah the glamour of being an author on tour!  Truly, there’s nothing like it…

To catch up on any of the fun you missed in the past few weeks on the tour (from authentic ghost photos, to reviews and interviews and posts that are illuminating and/or bizarre) just click here or on the Drawn Blog Ghost Tour tab at the top of my website at any time, and follow the links.

Bon voyage!

DRAWN Updates and Giveaways!

Hi everyone!

It’s been a busy week here over at Casa Lamba, and it’s all because of my new paranormal novel Drawn. 🙂

First of all, Drawn, as of today, has hit #27 on the bestseller list in its category of medieval fiction on Amazon. Go Drawn Go!!!!  I’m so thrilled that readers are responding so well to my new novel.  Sure, I’d fallen in love with my story of a teen artist who draws a guy that might just be a ghost from the middle ages…and the love of her life.  But would anyone else feel the same? Was I completely nuts? And are these two mutually exclusive???

Well, reviews are coming in…including this one just yesterday from the huge Twilight fan site TwilightMOMs: “Mysterious and enchanting, DRAWN is a breath of fresh air. If you are looking for a page turner with a unique twist, then look no further.”

Happy HAPPY HAPPY dance!  And a big PHEW!  Truly, being a writer is such an uncertain thing.  We really thrive on this sort of encouragement…it makes me want to jump around the room…best of all, it makes me want to write more.

ALSO this week, there was a knock at my door, and three thuds outside as UPS delivered 100 paperback copies of the novel. There’s something about seeing so many of your books at once — a feeling like no other!  Kinda like love? What I could do with these! Stack them up in a neat pile…line them up like dominoes…cover the floor with them and roll on them like a puppy…Erm. TMI?  Now it’s time to set up my book launch signing (details will be coming soon) and to get these copies onto my local bookstore shelves! (I promise they have NOT been rolled on.)

ALSO ALSO this week, the Drawn Blog Ghost Tour is in full swing, so that means that every day there is something new about Drawn posted at a great book blogger site!  You can follow along with all the different interviews, insiders bits, reviews and giveaways by clicking here and going to the post links.

Two of the tour stops are currently running a giveaway of Drawn over at their sites!  Just click on either of these great blogs and either comment or fill in the entry form for a chance to win an autographed paperback copy of Drawn: The Elliot Review and TwilightMOMS.com. These giveaways are running through the end of this month, so don’t miss your chance to enter.

So it’s been crazy here, but crazy in a GOOD way.  Keep the goodness going, by spreading the word about Drawn with others…sharing this post…buying the book by clicking here (thank you to my readers! <3).  And I’ll keep up the happy dancing and the writing…and thinking about a possible sequel called Sketch.

Happy reads!

Marie

Week 2: DRAWN Blog Ghost Tour Haunts

First, a quick update!  I’m so excited to announce that Drawn, my new YA paranormal about a hot medieval ghost with a sketchy past, broke into ranking #24 on Amazon’s list for Juvenile Medieval fiction! Happy dance!!! (Medieval jig?)

Now onto the tour…I’m really loving this whole blog tour thing!  Week 1 of my Drawn Blog Ghost Tour was amazing, with stops at wonderful book blogger and author sites (to visit any of the stops, just go here for links).  Plus a giveaway of a signed copy of Drawn is going on over at The Elliot Review through the end of January!  So you still have a chance to win a copy.  Just head on over to The Elliot Review and fill in the form at the end of my guest post by clicking here.

And here’s what’s up for Week 2 of the Drawn Blog Ghost Tour!:

Monday, January 23rd: On her blog Mirth & Matter, Author Elizabeth Bunce hosts a guest post I wrote, titled “Picture This.” I talk about how my background as a fine artist shaped Drawn, and how the main character Michelle uses her own artist’s point of view to paint pictures in the reader’s mind.

Tuesday, January 24th: Author Jaye Robin Brown posts a fresh new interview with me over at her fun Hanging on to Wonder blog

Wednesday, January 25th: Twilight Moms posts their review!!!! Plus they run an original interview with me, along with a Drawn BOOK GIVEAWAY! Click on their site for a chance to win your own autographed copy of  my new book. 🙂

Thursday, January 26th: All Things Books posts a never-before-seen interview with me. Check it out, and leave some comments.  I’ll be commenting back!

Friday, January 27th: All-Consuming Books features my guest post “Going Forth with Resolution.” Are you keeping your New Year’s resolutions? Am I?  In this post I talk about all the resolutions that I absolutely, definitely do NOT make. Look forward to your comments there about your own “not made” resolutions…

As always, thanks to all the fabulous bloggers who have made the Drawn Blog Ghost Tour so much fun to haunt. To visit any or all of the stops on the tour, check it all out by clicking here! And we’re only half way through the fun.

Keep warm with a good book,
Marie

This Week on the DRAWN Blog Ghost Tour!

This is it!  The kick-off date for the DRAWN Blog Ghost Tour!!!!  And it begins with a serious ka-pow as a line-up of fabulous book bloggers feature interviews, guest posts and giveaways…all in celebration of the release of my new paranormal novel Drawn.

So here’s this week’s line up:

January 17th: Kicking off the tour TODAY at Jonathan Maberry’s Big Scary Blog, I guest post about ghosts and ghostly sitings in “Definitely Not Normal.” The post includes a never before seen authentic ghost photo. NOT KIDDING.

January 18th: At the Stories. Read ‘em. Write ‘em blog, Author Stephanie Theban hosts a probing interview with me about Drawn and about life.

January 19th: At The Elliot Review, I guest post on “Why it’s Positively Medieval” where I talk about knights in shining armor, those great boots, and whether or not chivalry is indeed dead. Plus there’s a Drawn BOOK GIVEAWAY! Check it out for your chance to win a signed paperback of Drawn 🙂

January 20th: At the blog of Author Shana Norris there’s a fun and personal interview with me.

And that’s just week one!  There’s so much more action on the way, and more giveaways too.  To keep up with it all, just click on the Drawn Blog Ghost Tour tab at the top of this site, or click here.

Cover of My Newest YA DRAWN – Sneak Peek Time!

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Just in time for the holidays, a little present: a sneak peek of the cover for my new YA paranormal novel DRAWN.

This book’s about a teen artist who, through her drawings, meets and falls for a hot medieval ghost with one sketchy past. Check back on this site for updates, details and a firm pub date… DRAWN should be out in time for your holiday reading on that new ereader and in good old print too!  So expect a lot of news to be popping up here soon. In the meantime, you can click this link for a brief excerpt.

BTW: I drew and painted the illustration.  I’d love to know what you think of the cover!

OVER MY HEAD’s Latest Review!

I just got back home from a four-day visit to Florida for a family wedding, feeling a little tired and a bit overfed, when I opened an email that really perked me up…

Seems that Australian book blogger Agrippina Legit has just posted a review of my YA novel Over My Head. As with any review posting, I found myself holding my breath when I first gave it a read. But I quickly found myself grinning!

The review starts with this:

“Although Over My Head is really a sequel to Marie Lamba’s What I Meant (Random House), it reads perfectly as a stand alone novel… It’s an entertaining contemporary YA offering, which has a generally light tone but nonetheless manages to deal with some very big issues in a particularly sensitive manner.”

And the blogger’s review ends with this:

“Over My Head is a strong contemporary offering, with an interesting, multi-layered plot and a likeable cast of characters. Marie Lamba deals with cultural conflicts with warmth and sympathy, while accurately representing young love, with all its accompanying mistakes and embarrassments. A solid read.”

So great!

If you want to read her complete in-depth review, you can visit the book blog review by clicking here.

Hope you’ll check out this review, share it with others, and, of course, check out Over My Head.

Happy reading,
Marie

Goodreads Book Giveaway — Hurry to Win!

News flash!  A book giveaway has just gone live over at goodreads.com. Now you can enter to win your own free signed copy of my new young adult novel Over My Head.  Five winners will be selected, there is no cost involved on your part, and no one will collect your email and spam you, so it’s all good!

To enter, just click here.

This giveaway is open to anyone who lives in the U.S.  But, like summer, it won’t last forever. You must enter before July 15th. (There’s even a countdown clock on the giveaways page. Yikes.)

So get moving…And good luck 🙂