Cyber Monday means Bargain Romance at .99! But don’t think you aren’t getting your money’s worth. Take a look at what’s in store for Andy and Julie with a free Sneak Peek above, just under a buck at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and everywhere tomes of this genius are sold.
Get crackin’ kids! You don’t want to be the last on you block to be one of the in crowd!
Yes, yes, I know it’s been a long time, but there’s a reason for that. I’ve been putting the finishing touches on Book Two in the FRENCH KISS series, now known as Kiss Me, Captain. For those who read the first book in the series, Wanted: Wife, you may remember Andy Devine’s thorough rake of a half-brother, Marcel Mercier. This is his story, and I’ve been working my fingers to the bone to finish it. Get it in your hot little hands in ebook August 26, 2014, to be followed shortly thereafter by the paperback. Watch for the all important cover reveal, blog tours, contests, and preorders, available through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and all those other wonderful book outlets.
ALSO, if you happen to be in the book business and will be at Book Expo America on Friday, May 30, I’ll be signing Wanted: Wife at the Romance Writers of America (RWA) Booth #2551 between 1-2 PM. Stop by and say hello. If anything, there’s free books!
If you’ll take a look at the top you’ll see I’ve posted the first chapter of the sequel to Wanted: Wife, Ma Cher Capitaine, which centers around Andy Devine’s half-brother, Marcel Mercier. It’s brand-spanky new, just out of my head into yours, and if you’re saying to yourself now wait a minute–didn’t I read this before…?” Well, yes, you’re right, but then you’re not. And I’ll tell you why. I had posted another iteration of this chapter before, but it’s not what appears now. Why is that?
Well, because ‘Capitaine’ is what we call in the biz a WIP–a ‘work-in-progress,’ and what you saw before isn’t what it is now. You see, writers go through many versions of their WIPs before they finally settle onto a final version, and even then it isn’t finished until the editor gives it her final approval. A writer can get half through the story, especially in the early stages, then find out something isn’t working, and sometimes that means she has to go back to the beginning and start all over again. Of course, every writer has their own methods, and some write from beginning to end without ever stopping to edit. Unfortunately or not, that’s not the way I roll, as I’m constantly editing until something finally sounds right to me. Right now, at this point, Chapter One does. Though I can’t say how I’ll feel tomorrow, next week or by the time I finish. Right now, I’m satisfied. If you are too, let me know what you think.
Happy reading,
Gwen
Okay, if I don’t blow my own horn, who will? So in a shameless self-promotion, here’s the skinny: Wanted: Wife, as part of HarperCollins’s holiday “Fill Your New eReader” promotion is offering said book at .99 until January 6, which apparently is just enough incentive for the adventurous to download my genius. I didn’t notice this until the day after Christmas, when coming down hard from a cookie overload I decided to see how my book was doing on Barnes & Noble. On that day WW was #1 in Romance and #13 OVERALL, right up there with Stephen King and Nora Roberts! Sweeties, to say I was floored is akin to calling Niagara Falls a drip. From there I next went over to Kobo where it was also in the top 50, and at Amazon it was hovering around 10,000, which doesn’t sound that all impressive until you consider they list about 400,000 titles. A week later, WW is still in the BN. com Nook Top 100 at 37, and 10 in Romance out of approximately 55k titles. Again–floored.
I’ve gotten some pretty fantastic reviews, too, the majority of which give me five or four stars. Of course, there are a few dissenters, grumbling about the surprising amount of sex in this romance (“I am shocked–shocked!–to find that gambling is going on in here!”), one even calling it “pornography.” (Hm. I wonder how many more books that sentiment sold.) But most comments were really sweet and all–good or ill–are appreciated. One frequent comment was if and when there’s going to be a sequel. There will. When it will be published…well, let’s just say I have to finish writing it first. Which I’m getting to right after I’m done here. There’s a major snowstorm working its way to New Jersey, and I’ve already armed myself with a boatload of writing chocolate and Irish Breakfast Tea. Zoom!
If you’re reading this, then you’ve either stumbled upon me looking for news about Chris Harrison’s wife (forgive me, but I have no idea who either of them are) or you’re actually interested in what I have to say. If it’s the latter, then allow me to thank you profusely, with my sincere hope that you’ve found what you’re looking for or, perchance, you’re looking for something new from me. If that’s the case then you must find my blather at least entertaining, so rest assured there’s more in the works. And to that end…
Even though Wanted: Wife is my debut novel with Avon/HarperCollins, I’ve actually been around awhile in other forms, and have a backlist that’s yet to be mined. (You feeling lucky?) There’s a sampling of it up top, so please be my guest and have a look. Or if you’ve just finished WW and need more of Andy et al, there’s a “deleted chapter” which is actually a prequel in Andy’s POV, and the first chapter of WW’s sequel starring Marcel, Andy’s brother (still on the drawing board, so sit tight). But there’s actually more to me than just Iron Bog, as you’ll see with a sampling of my Women’s Fiction. It’s just so hard to hold all this talent in check!
Kidding, of course. Because no one was more surprised than me to find WW was #13 on bn.com’s Nook bestseller list last night, and for a fleeting time, actually #1 in Romance (as of this writing I’m #14 and #2 respectively–which still goes a long way to blow my mind.) Also know I didn’t get where I am (wherever that is) by myself, but purely by all those people who took a chance on me, no matter what professional or personal form they took. But most of all, it really comes down to the readers who thought I was worth the coin. Sounds sappy but it’s so damn true–if it weren’t for you guys I’d still be playing those endless games of Free Cell instead of at least trying to make myself useful.
Anyway, just let me say thanks again for reading, I hope the coming 2014 is even more awesome than this one, and that I continue to be worth your time in both pixels and print. Happy New Year everyone!
Gwen
Here they are! Fresh off the press from HarperCollins Avon Impulse, and ready to attack your bookcase. Now of course you thought Andy was hot when he was smoking up your Kindle or Nook. But just imagine what he can do when your holding him in your hot little hands! Smell the fresh ink! Swoon over his picture (suitable for framing). Highlight the “good parts.” Scads of things you can do once you buy your own copy. But didn’t you mention “free?” Of course I did! There’s no one putting nothing over you! So how do I get one? you may ask. Well jeez! Wasn’t I just about to tell you?
You go here to enter the raffle for one of FIVE autographed paperback copies. The giveaway is ON NOW but the Rafflecopter takes off on July 21, so enter early and what the hell–enter OFTEN! And don’t forget to stick around long enough to “Like” my Facebook page!
It’s Release Day for paperback Wanted: Wife! As you may have gotten from my post yesterday, there’s nothing like seeing your work in old-school print–that is if it’s old school after all. It just feels too new and fresh. As of this morning, Amazon already had almost exhausted its stock, so it must be selling somewhere. Just like the U.S. Treasury when it runs out of money, I just suppose we’ll have to print more! I received a nice little shipment of books from Avon’s own Carly Bornstein yesterday (thanks, sweetie!) and I took one of those copies around to my local Barnes & Noble’s Community Relations Manager, Susan Hogan. I thought if I brib–er, gifted her a copy, she might be persuaded to stock a few on her shelves. Turns out she already had some on order. Hey! Wasn’t that nice! And she also went a step further saying she’d like to have me do a book event. Well! Way more than I expected. So we’re looking at late summer/early fall, you know, right around the time it hits the New York Times list. I will most definitely keep you posted.
Many thanks to all the usual suspects who brought this day around–editor extraordinaire Tessa Woodward, my most glamorous agent, Marisa Corvisiero, Avon indispensables Carly Bornstein and Caroline Perny, fellow writer, beta-reader and head-smacker (when necessary, which is often) Linda J. Parisi, and all those wonderful people out in the dark. From my desk to yours, thank you.
I’m sitting here with my head in a towel, just out of the shower, writing this. The immediacy of tomorrow just struck me and I had to make note of it, as it’ll be the first time I’ll see my fiction in print–in print the old-school way that is, how every writer still works to see themselves. Although print these days may seem quaint, it’s a technology that’s survived five hundred years and there’s a reason for that, to get it in down in writing denoting a seriousness, the permanence of ink still resonating. With so much of our documents now virtual, it’s a charge, at least to this writer, to heft her own book in her hands, a tangible confirmation of her creative ability. I’m sure most other writers feel the same, at least most of the writers I know do, although there are some who don’t and that’s fine. But there’s just something about books in general that get to me. It’s the smell of ink and paper and the space they occupy, whether in a bookstore yet to be adopted, or packed into your own shelving, indicating a concrete database of accomplished cultural knowledge. I have five tall, crammed bookcases myself, a compendium of the varied aspects of my life, from my undergrad and graduate studies, to textbooks I use for teaching, signed books by favorite authors from my bookselling days, my reference for research, the non-fiction feeding my political bent and inner historian, to rows and rows of fiction as varied as James Joyce, Mark Twain and Dorothy Parker to Diana Gabaldon, Lisa Klepas and Khaled Hosseini. And now one more, decidedly personal.
Which you can buy by going right here. I see a space on your shelf it’d fill perfectly!
Let’s face it, no one really cares about me when there’s a cute cat involved. This picture of Gracie was taken almost two years ago when she could still tuck herself in a little corner of one of my bookcases. Of course, it’s not happening anymore. But she still sits where she damn well pleases. Anyway…
It’s Week Two of the release of Wanted: Wife (hold on; shilling right here), and so far, so good. I’ve been getting some pretty positive reviews from bloggers–check the REVIEW page on this site–and from what’s been posted on Amazon and Goodreads. But I still feel like it’s too early to tell, as I’m sure unless you’re a reviewer (or know me personally) the last book you buy still has to mellow on the TBR pile for a little while. I mean, really–isn’t that mandatory? Anyway, I am looking forward to what the people who actually paid good money for the book think, too. Oh, be honest. I can take it!
As of this writing, this week’s blog tour still has a couple more days. It’s been great so far, thanks to the lovely ladies of Literati Literature Lovers, and this is coming on the heels of Avon’s Launch Week Blog Tour. But we’ve got another fun time coming up the pike in the weeks leading up to the paperback release of Wanted on July 2. Can’t say what it is now but yo! it’ll involve a whole lot of Jersey for certain.
But the really exciting news this week was being contacted by Klarque Garrison, who invited me to be on his show “Conversations with Klarque.” We’ve set up Sunday afternoon, July 28 at 4:00 EDT, and I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a little scared shitless. But hey, at least I’ll be quaking in the comfort of my own home, and being radio, you won’t be able to see me doing it! Even so, I had a nice dose of conversing with Klarque over the phone just the other day, and he immediately put me at ease, so I think I’ll survive!
Later –
Gwen
While everyone has their go-to favorite romance authors, there’s nothing like discovering a great new writer. Today Avon editor Tessa Woodward is here to share her enthusiasm for Avon’s hot new star Gwen Jones, whose debut contemporary romance Wanted: Wife is available now digitally and in print this July. Read on to learn a little more about this title and how Gwen got her start.
I cannot tell you how excited I am, as her editor, to be introducing the absolutely fabulous Gwen Jones to you! An Avon Impulse debut star, Gwen’s first book for us, Wanted: Wife, is on sale now!
From the first moment I got manuscript in on submission, I knew I had to publish this book. I mean, it couldn’t have a more fun premise! it’s the story of Andy, a gorgeous, alpha guy with a charming French accent who advertises for a wife … on a utility pole. And Julie, the reporter sent out to cover the story, who just happens to be the one woman who perfectly fits the bill! But Julie and Andy have to learn to live with each other as husband and wife … in the wilderness … without phones … (I, for one, would not survive that!) and they’re each carrying around some pretty big secrets. Hopefully their insane chemistry will get them through it.
It’s a funny, sweet, quirky, romantic, sexy, outstanding love story. And I’m so glad to be able to share it with you. Gwen Jones is the real deal, and I hope you enjoy her writing as much as I did.
– Tessa Woodward
Gwen Jones Writes 