hiatus

Hi friends-

Man, how time flies! When I looked at the date of my last post, I gasped--it couldn't have been that long. I wish I could say that the lapse in time was due to my being fervently immersed (do those two words go together?) in revisions for WILS (more like occasional grumblings), but really it's just the end of the semester, and endless grading sessions. I still have about 120 papers to grade, plus calculate final grades, in one week (and I'll be attending an out-of-state wedding this weekend).

OY!

The university finished much earlier last year, so I miss having the extra time to devote to my writing. Try as I may, I'm just not a multi-tasker. The manuscript just has to wait.

And so, unfortunately, do you.

I'm not going to be posting for at least another 1 to 2 weeks. I hope you'll be waiting for me when I return. In the meantime, here are some cool things:

• Faking It is #4 on the 50 Best Rated Indie Authors in the Kindle Store list of a popular blog devoted to e-readers. I'm thrilled! And although Ordinary World didn't make the cut (although it should have, haha), I'm hoping this translates into an uptick of sales, which have been thankfully steady, although not at the stellar numbers of January and February.

• Of the combined reviews for Faking It (100) and Ordinary World (45), 107 of them are 4- and 5-stars.

Thank you, everyone. I couldn't have achieved this success without you! Please continue to spread the word to your friends and families. Lend your copies, or send them to Lulu.com (see the links to the right!) or Amazon to purchase a print copy. Or, if you can't afford your own Kindle device, the software for Kindle can now be downloaded for free to your PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Black Berry, and my books are still dirt cheap, so download yours today!

During my absence, please check out the blogs on my bloglist to keep you entertained. In the meantime, here's a great interview with actor Josh Malina. Enjoy. (Now, if you'll excuse me, a stack of papers is glaring at me...)

a Valentine's Day gift suggestion

Hey guys:

We all know that books make great gifts, right? Well, how 'bout giving your honey a paperback copy of Faking It.

Don't let the title fool ya.

Faking It is actually the perfect Valentine's Day gift. Girl meets handsome escort. Girl exchanges lessons in writing for lessons in sex. Contract forbids girl and guy from becoming friends. Girl and guy become friends. Uh-oh.

Faking It also has champagne and strawberries, cheesecake, and an occasional slice of New York pizza. What more could a girl want?

"Faking It is about relationships, writing, and getting real."

Here's the best part. Now at Lulu.com, Faking It is available at a new low price -- $11.99! Order today and it'll arrive by Valentine's Day!

Still not sure? Check out some of these reviews.

Gals, pass this on to all the guys you know!

She'll love you. She'll kiss you. She'll... well, you get the idea.

Lulu.com. $11.99. That's cute.

Lulu blog interview is up!

CLICK HERE to watch my interview with AJ McDonald about Ordinary World. You can download the excerpt right here on my blog (remember the spoiler alert!), and find out how to win a signed copy of FAKING IT via Twitter.

Thanks again to Carol, AJ, and everyone at Lulu. I think the interview is great (although why do I always look like I'm slouching in a chair?).

Enjoy!

a Lulu of a day

This morning I recorded a video blog interview at Lulu.com headquarters in Raleigh, NC, just down the road from the NC State campus. It was my first time visiting the restored building (complete with tractor on the roof), and I was graciously welcomed and given a tour. This opportunity came to me as the result of a post from Lulu on Twitter, and from there it all fell into place.

Aside from the friendly staff who greeted me and took the time to show me around, I was impressed by the magnitude of the operation. When an indy author works with a POD company such as Lulu, it's easy to miss the human face when the interaction is all electronic. How lucky I was to get an inside look!

The interview went well -- I read a little bit from FAKING IT, and put in a plug for ORDINARY WORLD as well. I was also told that mine is the first video blog interview -- woohoo!! I'm a trend-setter!!

The video will be posted to the Lulu.com blogsite on Sept 3rd. (Stay tuned for more reminders.) You'll also want to see the interview for a couple of special giveaways, one of which you'll notice right here on my blog in my storefront -- a free download of a sample from ORDINARY WORLD. (Spoiler alert!! Reading this will give away the ending to FAKING IT!)

(On a side note, the cover for the ebook sample is strictly temporary -- the actually OW book cover is still in the works, but I know it's gonna be great.)

There a a bunch of good reasons to seek an agent and a traditional publishing deal. And yet, being an indy author continues to reward me with readers, new friends, and tons of support. I am grateful for it all. Thank you again, Lulu.com, especially Carol, AJ, and Nick, for your hospitality this morning. Can't wait to see the finished product.

In the meantime, I keep writing.