Slice of Life Friday: Oh Summer, How Do I Love Thee?

Oh Summer, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…in no particular order:

1. Long days, which allow for evening walks.
2. Birds singing in the early morning.
3. Morning coffee out in the yard…with the birds singing.
4. Iced tea with fresh mint sprigs.
5. At least one decent blockbuster movie.
6. Squidging (yes, spell check, that is a word) my toes in the sand at the beach.
7. Strolls into town, and hanging out on the Starbucks patio people watching.
8. Sundresses and sunglasses.
9. Slower pace.
10. Barbecues.
11. Smell of cut grass.
12. Doing puzzles at night in the screened porch.
13. Fresh pesto, summer fruit and garden tomatoes.
14. Staying up extra late reading novels.
15. Soft shell crabs.
16. Spending time with my family without the pressures of school.
17. Daydreaming…

So what made your list this summer?

Summer Love in Winter…on Sale!

Hi folks!

I just discovered that my contemporary young adult novel Over My Head is now listed as a #19 top seller in the multiculti category on Amazon!!!  I’m especially honored because it’s just a few slots below Born Confused, another title that features Indian-American characters, and a book that I really love.

To celebrate, I’m putting my Over My Head ebooks on sale for just 99 cents.  But, like summer, this won’t go on forever, so snag your copy while you can.  For purchase links, just go here.  (Note that this price change was just listed…Smashwords already shows it, the other sites will have the 99 cent price up in the next few hours or so…)

In Over My Head, high school senior Sang Jumnal puts her heart on the line for college-aged lifeguard Cameron. Is he the love of her life? Or a player out to stomp on her heart?

If you like The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, and novels by Sarah Dessen, then you’ll love Over My Head, with its summertime vibe and realistic, heartfelt conflicts. My novel features the Jumnal’s, a funny mixed Italian/Indian American family that appeals to fans of Bend it Like Beckham and Born Confused. 

Here’s what Clean Romance Reviews said about Over My Head in their recent review: “Rarely have I encountered an author skilled enough to really get inside a sixteen-year-old mind and pull the reader along with them. All the crazy emotions, lack of focus, lack of maturity while trying to be an adult, and insecurities of wanting to fall in love… a good read, full of fun characters and twists.”

So check it out, and let a little summer shine into your dreary winter day!

Happy reads,

Marie

Book Launch Party August 5th – Dive in!

Join me as I launch my newest title Over My Head out into the world! We’ll be throwing a huge book launch party on Friday, August 5th at the wonderful independent Doylestown Bookshop in Doylestown, PA from 7-9 p.m. The party is free and open to everyone.

Books will be signed. Snacks will be nibbled. I’m planning on having giveaways from the many local shops that are featured in the novel (more details about these in a later post).  And, if the stars align, I’m also hoping to have some lifeguards from Fanny Chapman Swimming Pool on hand to add to the beach party feel of things!

For those of you who don’t know, in Over My Head the main character Sang, a senior at CB West High, falls for a 20-year-old lifeguard from the Fanny pool.  And she doesn’t know if he’s the love of her life or a player out to break her heart. So, yeah, lifeguards with whistles at the party. That’s part of the plan. Hopefully without the heartbreak!

Should be a great time. Especially since it’s part of the town’s First Friday celebration. That means there is going to be tons of free entertainment along the streets of the town. It’s like all of Doylestown will be celebrating 🙂

Ah, there’s something about a book launch. It’s different than any other signing an author does, because for the very first time you are signing a brand new novel for readers. This is the first time I get to see people’s reaction to the cover, and I get to watch their expressions as they flip through the pages. It’s unnerving in a way, but mostly wonderful and exciting. For the first time, I get to see someone actually holding my book. I get to go to bed that night knowing that people will be reading my words and that the story that was stuck in my head for so long will come alive in a reader’s head now too. SHIVERS!

So come see me and be a part of this celebration. For more info, or if you would like to reserve a copy of Over My Head in advance, you can call the bookshop at 215-230-7610.

Here’s to making a huge SPLASH!

Over My Head on Sale!!!!!!

It’s summer. And high school senior Sang Jumnal is in way over her head.

Now you can be too!  HUZZAH!!!!!   My new novel Over My Head is now officially on sale in print ($12.99) and in ebook ($2.99).  To find out how to snag your own copy, just click here.

The book (a perfect beach read if I must say so myself) picks up two years after What I Meant… ends.  It’s the start of summer before Sang’s senior year in Doylestown, PA, and nothing goes as planned.  Sang definitely doesn’t plan on falling for 20-year-old lifeguard Cameron Cerulli. And she can’t tell if he’s the love of her life or a player out to break her heart. Serious Trouble.

So dive on in for some summertime fun, and enjoy.  As for me? I’ll be busy setting up a huge beachy book launch party (details coming soon), and generally working hard to spread the word everywhere.  But I just wanted to take a minute (and a deep breath) and share the happy news with you all.  My. Book. Is. Finally. Out!

Fist pump.  Heel click. Yessssss!

As always, thanks so much to you all for supporting this wacky writer and her work. It really means a lot. ❤

Marie

New Cover Revealed!

This is it!!!! The cover for my new novel Over My Head.  I’m so excited, I’m a little nuttier than usual. (Happy dance…) Designed by Cheryl Perez, this cover exactly captures the summery fun and romance and intrigue I was looking for. Thanks so much, Cheryl!

Over My Head is a summertime novel that starts on the last day of Sang Jumnal’s junior year in high school.  It’s been 2 years since What I Meant… wrapped up, and Sang is a little bit older, a little bit wiser, but nothing prepares her for what’s coming.  Dalton and Gary are on the scene, but when Sang meets 20-year-old lifeguard Cameron Cerulli at the Doylestown pool, she finds herself falling big time.  Cameron is either the guy of her dreams or a player out to stomp on her heart.

Sang is teetering on the brink of true love. Will she sink or swim?

Look for this novel to come out VERY SOON on kindle and nook and smashwords, and in print.  You’ll get the news first right here!

Let me know what you think of the cover.  Love to hear from you guys…