Quick post to let you know that my award-winning paranormal DRAWN is available FREE in ebook format through a special promo this week only (11/12-11/16) through Amazon worldwide. You can access it for US readers here and for UK readers here.
And special thanks to all the awesome sites who are helping tell the world about this special limited promotion. Sites like FREE KINDLE BOOKS AND TIPS and SNICKS LIST.
Happy reads!
Marie
Hey gang,
Lots of stuff going on out there…Reviews, news and free stuff, oh my! Definitely update time.
First of all, here’s a freebie for you folks. Today and tomorrow only, August 8th-9th, you can snag your own free ebook copy of my novel DRAWN through Amazon. Just click here.
I’ve received some awesome support for this free promo from a number of sites and people, such as Free Kindle Books and Tips. If you are ever searching for top-rated free ebooks, this is a great place to visit and bookmark. To pop by today’s listing, which features DRAWN (yeah!), click here.
I also highly recommend the site Flurries of Words, which gives top billing to the best ebook deals. They highlighted my novel here!
Another excellent site, Digital Book Today, has just featured an interview with me where I share the moment when I met a ghost in a dungeon, and then…well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself by clicking here.
And props also go out to the awesome review site Night Owl Reviews, who not only gave DRAWN a glowing “Top Pick” review, but also created a banner for the free giveaway of DRAWN just because they are so awesome at supporting authors!
In other news…the fab book review site Book Love 101 just posted this amazing review of DRAWN. The reviewer said: “I loved the passion between the two characters, the forbidden romance, the ever impending mystery that could tear them apart. Loved it all!…We’ve got forbidden romance, time travel, mystery, deception, heart break, and so much more! All put together to make one truly EPIC read! Five stars from me! I’d recommend this read to anyone!”
Zowie! Needless to say, I’m thrilled. If you’d like to read the full review, and check out other reviews by Book Love 101, just click here.
And the very cool review site Supernatural Snark is currently featuring a guest post that I wrote titled, “Catching a Spirit.” I talk a bit about that thin veil between the past and the present, and share an excerpt from DRAWN where Michelle first meets a spirit who is all too real. It’s a bit of a tingly moment, and you can catch it (and tingle?) by clicking here.
Also, the fun review site Romance Bookie was nice enough to feature an interview with me on their site! I talk about my inspiration for the novel, will there be a sequel (?), and offer a bit of writing advice too. Read all about it by clicking here.
I have to say that this is just the tip of a wonderful iceberg of supporters. I wish I could mention every single one. The people who take the time to post reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. The folks who bother to Tweet about DRAWN and post about it on facebook and on their websites. It’s overwhelming in a good way.
My gratitude goes out to you all!
Happy reads,
Marie
How do you feel about hot medieval ghosts? How about a hot medieval ghost in a free ebook? Hey, who doesn’t love free stuff? Today July 11th through Friday July 13th, anyone can snag an ebook copy of my paranormal novel DRAWN for FREE. Yuppers. That’s a free e-book today through Friday only!
All you have to do is click here, snag your copy by purchasing it at the temporary price of $0, and download it to either your Kindle, computer or other reading device ASAP. After Friday, the novel returns to its $4.99 price.
Here’s what DRAWN is all about:
She’s the artist that finds him in her drawings. He’s the medieval ghost that conquers her heart. And their time is running out.
Michelle De Freccio moves to England seeking a normal life, but someone starts appearing in her sketches. Then he grabs her at the castle, his pale green eyes full of longing. She’s immediately drawn to him, but is Christopher Newman real? She’s either losing it, or channeling a hot ghost from the 1400’s. History calls him a murderer. Her heart tells her other truths. Now Michelle faces endless dangers…and a timeless love.
And here’s some praise for DRAWN:
“I was drawn (pun intended) into this book from the first page and couldn’t put it down…so deftly created…It has the perfect amount of romance, and enough action and suspense to keep the most distracted reader turning pages.”–Rated “Best Book” by Long and Short Reviews
“The characters are beautifully written, and the story is witty, charming, and an utter delight to read…This is a fantastic romantic and tender story that will continue to enchant readers for years to come.” —Rated “Top Pick” by Night Owl Reviews
“A fun, historical time travel full of creativity, beautiful scenes, and an engrossing mystery…I fell in love with the entire story…I didn’t want to see it end.” —Rated 5 Stars by The Cozy Reader
“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.” —TwilightMOMS
“The characters are all wonderful, filling in two worlds with real people and making you feel like you’re there. The main romance is heartrendingly sweet and will curl your toes.” —Clean Romance Reviews
Even though I’ve been getting such great reviews across the board for DRAWN, many people still haven’t heard of this book. That’s why I’m doing this free promotion. To let as many readers as possible find out about DRAWN in the hopes that they will spread the word about the novel to many, many others. Plus all the free downloads over these three days will boost DRAWN’s ranking. That means if we get enough downloads, DRAWN will rise to the top and folks who might never have seen it before will take notice of this book in a big way. That’s why every free download counts so much, so please take a moment to click over and snag a copy!
Want to help even more? Then you can Tweet this free offer and put it on your Facebook.
Here’s something you can cut and paste into Twitter, if you are so inclined:
Get a #freeebook of #paranormal #romance DRAWN by @marielamba today thru 7/13 http://amzn.to/z8azlC
And here’s something you could use on Facebook:
Spread the word! Today July 11 through Friday July 13 only, get a free ebook copy of the paranormal romance DRAWN by Marie Lamba by clicking here: http://amzn.to/z8azlC
My eternal thanks, as always, to all of you! I’ll be sure to report back here to let you know the results.
Happy reads,
Marie
How many times in your life do you get to reinvent yourself? To leave behind your past and become the person you really want to be?
For some of us, it can happen when we move to a new place or switch schools. Sometimes it’s a goal we set for ourselves, like by the end of this summer you’d like to eat healthier, spend more time with those you love, learn a new skill, be happier. For writers, sometimes we want to create a novel with an entirely different voice, or in a new genre…like I did when I wrote my newest novel Drawn, a paranormal about an artist who channels a hot ghost with a sketchy past. Pretty different from my earlier contemporary YA novels What I Meant… and Over My Head. Writing aside, when it comes to do overs in your own life, maybe you simply decide that this is the moment when you will make a BIG change. To alter the course of your future. Yet sometimes that seems impossible. Sometimes your past gets in the way.
In Drawn, Michelle longs to escape her past and have a fresh start. As she says in this early scene from the book:
The two of us have only been in England for a few days, yet I’m already convinced it’s the best place in the universe. Not because of the quaint little shops or everyone’s adorable English accent, or even because of this supposedly grand castle on the edge of town. No. This place is perfect because here no one knows that back in New Jersey my family, the De Freccio’s, are called the De Freak-o’s.
Back in New Jersey, Michelle’s mother was an eccentric psychic who suddenly up and left the family without a trace. And her brother was a diagnosed schizophrenic. And Michelle had been friendless, an outcast. But in England, she hopes for a new life. A normal one.
Honestly, while writing Drawn I could really identify with Michelle’s do over moment. In elementary school a bunch of snotty girls used to push me around during recess, and it crushed my spirit. So in middle school, where lots of new kids filled the classrooms, it looked like a clear do-over moment to me.
But reputations tend to cling to a person, so it was pretty rocky for me at first. Those nasty kids still were in my school, even though their power was now diluted. Still I was too self-conscious and too worried about what I said and wore and how people looked at me.
Now looking back I can see the real problem wasn’t those girls, it was what I carried inside myself: the loser image I wanted to ditch, but that on some level I’d bought into. What if they were right about me?
In the novel, Michelle may have left her past behind, but her insecurities have come along for the ride:
I get that familiar hot burn of humiliation. I always felt it whenever someone back in New Jersey would pull a trick on me, convincing me that I really was invited to a party, or that science class was actually meeting out near the woods on the edge of school grounds. I discovered I was an easy mark. Too trusting, too eager for friends.
I’d promised myself that those days were over. But here, an ocean away from New Jersey, it’s starting all over again. It’s like I’ve got a permanent “KICK ME” note stuck on my back.
Luckily for me, by the end of middle school I did have friends. I was liked. I remember wondering, why? It mystified me. Wasn’t I the same person who was so looked down on earlier?
In the novel, when things start looking up for Michelle, it mystifies her too:
I sigh, realizing I’ve disappointed my friends. I blink a few times, as this all sinks in. I’ve just turned down an “in” with the popular kids. And I actually have friends. It seems that by simply moving to a new place, I’ve somehow climbed out of my social wasteland. I think of all the high school kids in the world who are teased and shunned. They should all have the chance to move and start over—kind of like a witness protection program, but for outcasts.
Actually, I believe there is a sort of relocation program for anyone who needs it. And you don’t need an airline ticket to England to get there. It’s not a place, but a state of mind deep within ourselves. Michelle started to have friends not because she moved but because she had already begun to change inside. To trust others and have more faith in herself. She truly wasn’t that same person anymore. And that’s what happened to me, too, in a way. I’d started to genuinely feel good about myself and to open up to people more and that made all the difference.
Of course nothing is simple, and real change doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t just wake up one morning and DING! Everything is all butterflies and happy songs. It takes time to gain inner strength and for those better choices in what you do and who you hang out with to all gel and reshape your days into the life you truly want. For me, it was a process of feeling better about myself and discovering what was most important to me. It did take time, but by the end of high school I felt like really strong, really happy.
In the book, not all Michelle’s new friends are good ones. And her life is NOT easy, especially after the appearance of Christopher who is either a delusion or a ghost. This definitely spells trouble for a girl trying very hard to blend in. And it forces her to wonder about who she really wants to be. And what she should truly believe in.
She comes to learn she can’t control how others feel, only how she feels. And in the end she must choose whether or not to believe in Christopher, a spirit who may or may not be a murderer. Who may or may not love her back. His life, their love, and Michelle’s hope all hang in the balance.
Michelle does a lot of incredibly brave things in the book, but to me, she is most courageous when she owns up to this:
Maybe I am a fool. Maybe Christopher doesn’t love me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not in love with him…
It’s a huge risk, trusting that this is enough. And it propels Michelle into a life threatening struggle where she puts everything on the line. But in the end, trusting her own feelings opens Michelle up to true friendship and to true love.
Taking risks and believing in yourself. It’s the bravest thing you can ever do, and what do overs are all about. So believe!
Ready to stock up on your sizzling hot summer reading (including one of my novels) without breaking the bank? Well here’s your chance! Now you can choose from 150 Ebook titles all on sale for 99 cents at Book Lovers Buffet!
This is a limited time offer that is only valid from June 8th through June 22nd. This special promotion includes a huge selection of romance ebooks, including young adult, contemporary, fantasy/sci fi/time travel, erotica, historical, inspirational, mystery/suspense and paranormal. All are discounted just for this sale till June 22nd. So whatever your taste, you’ll find great beach reads at just 99 cents. ALSO, on the sale site there is a page devoted to contests where you can win tons of gift cards, etc. You definitely should check it out.
My novel OVER MY HEAD is available on the Book Lovers Buffet’s young adult page and the contemporary page for just 99 cents with links to purchase my novel through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords… I can tell you that after the sale’s over, the price for OVER MY HEAD will be rising, so now’s your chance to snag it on the cheap.
OVER MY HEAD is the ultimate summertime novel, and a perfect beach read full of romance and longing. This sun-soaked poolside book is about Sang, a high school senior who falls for Cameron, a gorgeous college-aged lifeguard. He’s either the love of her life or a player out to stomp on her heart. Sang teeters with Cameron on the edge of true love. Will she sink or swim?
Clean Romance Reviews says OVER MY HEAD is “full of fun characters and twists…about a teenager figuring out what love can mean in its many forms.” And Stephanie Su of StephSuReads says, “The YA world very clearly needs more books like OVER MY HEAD…Marie Lamba gets numerous kudos for portraying the Jumnal family in such an empathic and rich way…younger readers will most likely find a bit of themselves, their frustrations and their desires, in Sang, and cheer this promising young lady on.”
If you want to snag OVER MY HEAD and a ton of the other 150 titles at Book Lovers Buffet without breaking the bank, you’d better act fast…or these prices, like hot summer nights, will fade away…
Happy to announce that my novel DRAWN has just been voted as Book of the Month over at Long and Short Reviews! Thanks so much to everyone who cast their vote and showed some love for this novel about Christopher the sketchy medieval ghost, and Michelle the artist who draws him in. When DRAWN was reviewed by the Long and Short Reviews site earlier in the month, it was rated “Best Book,” which is above their usual 5-Star ranking.
Here’s some of what that reviewer said: I was drawn (pun intended) into this book from the first page and couldn’t put it down…This story is so deftly created that I was in each setting and could easily “see” Michelle’s art without illustrations…I recommend Drawn to tweens, teens and above. It has the perfect amount of romance, and enough action and suspense to keep the most distracted reader turning the pages.
To read the full review of DRAWN over at Long and Short Reviews, just click here.
Happy reads!
Marie
In an earlier post titled Why Writers Win: The Age of the Author, I shared some of my thoughts about today’s publishing revolution. This is all from a talk called Claim Your Victory in Today’s Publishing Revolution that I recently presented at The Write Stuff Conference. Yes, there are some confusing and even upsetting things going on, but there are also tons of great changes that are actually helping authors. That first post set out some of our darkest fears, and then pointed to some truly positive twists for writers.
So here, in Take II, I’d like to explore even more of the positive stuff floating around. And one of those things is the rise of self-publishing, which shall forevermore be known by its far cooler name: indie publishing. Think of indie music, and you’ll get the right vibe.
Yeah, self-publishing was painted with a heavy brush stroke of horrible by folks who thought of it as the land of the unaccomplished. But in case you’ve been living in a cave over the past year or so, let me break it to you: things are changing. Tons of great authors are indie publishing their work, and now writers can put their own work out there in a high quality form at a low cost. Readers benefit. Writers benefit.
Two years ago I would have been shocked to think that indie publishing would have been GOOD for an author’s career. And today? Today I’m a traditionally published author (What I Meant…, Random House) with two indie published titles (Over My Head and Drawn), and I’m also an Associate Literary Agent for Jennifer DeChiara Literary in NYC. If that doesn’t tell you how much this industry is changing, I don’t know what does!
Indie publishing can be a disaster for an author who doesn’t take their own work seriously, though. If someone puts out their first draft, or doesn’t have their work edited, then it’ll definitely hurt that writer. BUT, for the writer who does hold their own work to the very highest of standards, indie publishing equals opportunity. Today, as long as you put out superb work, you are building your reputation, and can garner great reviews from readers and from respected book bloggers too.
Many authors are also using indie publishing to keep their out of print books alive. In the past, when your publisher declared your book out of print, it was forever lost to readers. This is heartbreaking to a writer. Imagine a book you’ve lovingly labored on for over two years, getting its time in the sun for a mere few months before disappearing forever! But today that writer can get their rights back from their publisher and indie publish their title as a print and/or ebook. It’ll live forever, new readers can discover this book, and the writer continues to earn money on books sold. No downside there, folks.
Indie publishing can also be a smart option for areas big publishers usually don’t handle, such as short stories, novellas, anthologies, poetry by unknowns, etc. It’s also great for a book with a narrow niche focus. If you know of a small but dedicated audience for your book and you know how to reach them, then this could be the smart way to go.
All in all, indie publishing can be another way for you to build your brand, your reputation and your readership. But let me throw in two caveats. 1. Only publish things that are AS GOOD AS what the big publishers are doing!!! You want your name to be associated with high quality writing. And 2. If you have an agent and/or editor, keep them in the loop to be sure that whatever you are indie pubbing is not infringing on any existing contracts you may have. Work in partnership with your agent so he or she gets the full picture of your career.
Indie publishing is definitely changing the landscape of the publishing field. Writers have more options. They are seeing that they can have more control of their careers and more input. And now that authors do have more options, major publishers are responding to make clear about why writers should go to them!
In the past, publishers were very slow in sharing with authors info about sales figures, about promotion, etc. But things are changing, folks. In a recent Publisher’s Weekly article, Little Brown exec Michael Pietsch said, “Publisher’s must treat authors as equal partners.” And Random House’s Madeleine MacIntosh said, “If authors are confused about what we do, we need to make it clear.”
Now Simon & Schuster offers to its authors online info about up-to-date sales figures, and just a few weeks ago Random House authors (myself included) received info about their brand new author portal. The portal gives us sales figures about our own titles, info on rights sold, current news about publishing, and a slew of promotional tools. This is huge!
In the future, I see we writers having more communication and input with publishers, better partnerships, services, and overall, more control over our careers.
Age of the author, baby!
Are there still challenges for writers today? Absolutely. But now there is so much more we can do to build our audience and expand our careers. We have opportunities we never had before at low or no cost! So get excited about this publishing revolution, gang.
In my final Why Writers Win post, I’ll detail the four things I think we writers can be doing right now to take control of our creative future.
Stay tuned!
Sketch from Marie's England journal
In some way or other, aspects of my own life seep into my novels. And in my new paranormal YA novel Drawn you will find it’s the artist in me. Like in these lines from the novel:
“I sit on a wooden pew in the back row, flip open my pad and lose myself in my sketch.
Things make sense when I draw. Everything is angles and texture and relationships.”
Like Michelle in this novel, I’m a very visual person. I notice the slant of an eyebrow, the curl of someone’s hair along their neck, the slightest twist at the corner of a mouth. In college I double-majored in English and in Literary Art, which was a major I created that blended creative writing and fine art. My plan was to become a writer/illustrator, but since then I’ve been all writer. The artist side of me has always been within me, though, lurking.
As an artist, I tend to unconsciously sketch the lines of things I see. You might find the pointer finger of my left hand (southpaw, here) tracing the lines of what I see onto my lap or on a tabletop. And as a writer, this “mental sketching” naturally filters into my writing. I’m always making connections about what things look like. It filters into my scenery, like in this part of my novel when Michelle is describing a graveyard she’s walking through:
I like St. Paul’s because you enter its yard through a little wooden gateway with a peaked roof. The roof leans to the left and the gate makes a horror-movie squeak when you open it. Best of all, the graveyard is filled with stones in varying stages of decay. Tall ones lean forward or backward like giant levers that have been pushed or pulled. And full-sized carved stone images of knights in armor on top of marble slabs look like they’d laid down for a nap and froze into place for a few hundred years. Closest to the tiny church are the oldest graves. Words washed away by time. Stones cracked and crumbling. My favorite stones are the ones that look like giant gingerbread noblemen resting on the ground. Their arms and legs are separated from their bodies as if they’d been soaked in milk for too long.
And it shapes my character descriptions, too:
He rubs his chin. “Yet there is something, indeed. And you wield some power over me. I feel it.”
I shake my head but I think there is something about him. Christopher has this rugged appeal that makes even William Wallingford ordinary in comparison. I can’t seem to look away. It’s as if I’m studying him for a portrait. I notice he tends to raise his chin. The very corners of his mouth curve up, making him seem slightly arrogant. And his eyes. Their light color gives them endless depth. Yet they seem so full of…of what?
Longing.
I glance away, surprised.
Of course the fun here is that Michelle actually is an artist too. This means I can use her powers of observation to shape what the reader sees, and her drawing skills are integral to the plot. Through her drawings she starts to channel what is either a ghost or a delusion. And her ability to notice details ultimately helps her to put together the pieces in an ancient mystery. It also presents a great opportunity for me as the writer to create some beautiful images, especially of the guy Michelle is so drawn to:
I take a deep breath and open the door. The flickering fire in the small stone hearth casts a shadowy light. Christopher is in his bed asleep. I close the door and press my back against it. My eyes fill with grateful tears. I’m not too late.
He is bare-chested, a sheet covering him just below his arms. His one arm is flung over his head and his chin is turned toward the fire. The coin he took from me hangs on a chain around his neck, a silvery orb resting in the hollow of his throat. I quietly set my bag beside the door, peel off my sweater and crouch beside the bed, wincing from my sore knees. But what do sore knees matter? He’s here and he’s real and he’s safe and he’s even more beautiful than I’d remembered. I’m glad he’s asleep so I can look closely at him without embarrassment. The pout of his lips. The curl of his dark lashes. His flexed bicep. I long to touch him but can’t bear to wake him.
I’ll draw him.
I’ll draw him… With Drawn, it’s as close as I’ve come to being the writer/illustrator I’d once envisioned I’d become. I did draw the book’s cover myself, which is a pencil sketch painted with India ink. I guess in a way I am a writer/illustrator and always have been. Just painting images with words.
And hoping you, as the reader, are seeing what I see.
Happy reads,
Marie
Happy spring everyone!
SO happy. I just found out that the review site Long and Short Reviews has rated my paranormal novel Drawn a “Best Book.” This is high praise indeed. Higher than their 5-star rating. As the site explains it, the Best Book rating is reserved “For a book or story that is truly exceptional. You think about it when you’re not reading it. You wonder what happens to the characters when you finish. You would absolutely buy everything else this author had to offer. The highest praise – and reserved for only a few.”
So you know I’m smiling about this.
In case ya don’t know about Drawn, here’s the description:
So… back to today’s write up. At the Long and Short Reviews site, the reviewer said: I was drawn (pun intended) into this book from the first page and couldn’t put it down…The setting is wonderful…This story is so deftly created that I was in each setting and could easily “see” Michelle’s art without illustrations…It has the perfect amount of romance, and enough action and suspense to keep the most distracted reader turning the pages.
This review also gives a great spoiler-free summary of the novel, so if you want a feel for whether this book is for you or not, you can check out the complete write up by clicking here.
I’m also happy to report that Drawn is currently ranked #29 in its category of top sellers over at Amazon, and it keeps consistently getting great reviews from book bloggers and readers alike. In fact, the novel’s goodreads.com page is full of praise from readers who have been saying stuff like: “I LOVED this book. It wa (sic) such a breath of fresh air. It was so well written and so entertaining i could not put it down.” And “This book was so unexpectedly amazing…” To check out the goodreads page for Drawn (and to add your own reviews there if you’ve read the novel), simply click here.
If you haven’t already read Drawn, you can find an excerpt along with links to reviews and purchase info by clicking right here.
"I'm not Josie Grossie anymore!"
Thanks so much to my readers who have shared their love for my book. I have no words to express how this makes me feel. As Drew Barrymore says in Never Been Kissed, “I’m speechless. This never happens to me. Words are my life!”
Marie
Some news is just too great to keep to yourself, right? In addition to being an author, I’m also an Associate Literary Agent for the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency, and one of my awesome clients is Stephanie Winkelhake.
Stephanie’s debut YA novel, THE MATTER OF SOULS, caught my eye right away. The voice is incredible: smart and insightful. And the novel is intricate and passionate and heart-breaking. So I can’t say I was completely surprised (though very excited and proud!) when Stephanie told me the wonderful news that this manuscript is a national finalist for the 2012 Golden Heart Award.
This is a prestigious award offered each year by The Romance Writers of America to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding romance manuscripts. Each year, 1,200 manuscripts are entered for the award, and Stephanie is one of 8 finalists in the YA category. She’ll find out if she wins the award during a special banquet held at the RWA National Conference, but she’s already a winner to me!
Here’s a little bit about Stephanie’s debut manuscript:
Sixteen-year-old Riley Andersen must come to terms with the inevitable: she’ll never graduate high school, never go to college, and never become a wife or mother. With only three months to live, she abandons all hope of a future. What she doesn’t realize is that death isn’t the end. In fact, for Riley, it’s only the beginning. As soon as Riley sees Hayden, her ex-boyfriend, she’s convinced her mind is playing tricks on her. He is, after all, dead…
Okay, can I just say that when Hayden leans over and whispers, “Riley?” in her ear, it makes me shiver? Their story seized me by the heartstrings and I was absolutely glued to this manuscript as I found out more about Hayden’s death, as Riley had to loosen her own grip on life, and as the souls of these two star-crossed lovers teetered on the edge of love and of doom.
Keep your eyes peeled for this rising star, and follow her website by clicking here.
And congrats, again, to my wonderful client!
Marie
Marie Lamba, author 