Susan Mallery’s New Year, New Author Contest

Happy New Year! I’ve been invited to participate in an amazing opportunity this year and I can’t wait to share it with all of you. How awesome would it be kick off the new year by winning thirty books from thirty different romance authors? Susan Mallery, who started out writing category romances and now rocks the bestsellers lists with her women’s fiction novels and the Fool’s Gold romances, has included me in her “New Year, New Author” contest. One lucky reader will win a prize pack of 30 books by these talented writers:

Andrea Laurence, Ann Roth, Christine Rimmer, Cindy Kirk, Donna Alward, Jacqueline Diamond, Janice Maynard, Jennifer Lewis, Joanne Rock, Jules Bennett, Julie Benson, Karen Rose Smith, Karen Templeton, Kate Hewitt, Katherine Garbera, Kathie DeNosky, Kathleen O’Brien, Laura Marie Altom, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom, Maureen Child, Melissa McClone, Michelle Major, Nancy Robards Thompson, Sarah M. Anderson, Shirley Jump, Susan Mallery, Teresa Southwick, Terri Reed, Tina Leonard, Yvonne Lindsay

andrea-laurence

To enter, visit the Contest Page at SusanMallery.com. It’s under the Members tab on her website. If you’re not a Member yet, you can join for free in just a few seconds.

Good luck, and may 2015 be amazing!

Facing the Music Pre-Order Sale

Facing the Music (small)

Facing the Music

My first southern contemporary romance with Pocket Star is coming out in just a few short weeks. It’s very exciting for me – I truly love this book. Set in the South, it has all the quirky southern people, quaint settings and snarky humor you’d expect. Here’s a short blurb:

Pop star Ivy is Taylor-Swift-unlucky in love, but heartbreak inspired her greatest hits…including the song she wrote about her first love. She figured she’d never see him again, but now she’s come back to sleepy Rosewood, Alabama and it’s time to face the music… Read more about the book and the series here.

To kick off the new series, my publisher has the book marked down to $1.99 for pre-orders in the U.S. Before you know it, the price will go back up to $3.99 (which is still a steal if you ask me). If you’re interested in reading about Ivy and Blake, I suggest you order now at this great price.

You can also check out my super cool Lego book trailer that’s up at the Pocket XOXO After Dark blog. It’s a lot of fun. And of course, everything is awesome! 🙂

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks

Updated Releases

Hey, everyone. This information seems to change pretty often and I want to keep everyone up to date. I’ve got A LOT of books and novellas coming out this fall and winter.

Heir to ScandalThe first release is HEIR TO SCANDAL, book 3 in the Secrets of Eden series. It comes out September 1st.

Quick on its heels is the first book in my new southern contemporary series set in Rosewood, Alabama – FACING THE MUSIC! The release date on that one has shifted to September 15th. It’s currently available for digital pre-order at the AMAZING price of $1.99, so don’t miss your chance to grab it before the price doubles.

October 1st we’re releasing the fourth and final book in the Secrets of Eden series – HER SECRET HUSBAND. For those of you reading along, I bet you’re wondering whose husband? What about Julianne’s book? <insert evil laugh here> Read the blurb here to have some (not all!) of your questions answered.Facing The Music

Just in time for the Christmas season, my first anthology and first Nocturne is coming out. JINGLE SPELLS is hitting virtual bookshelves on November 1st, featuring connected novellas by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Rhonda Nelson, Kira Sinclair and myself.

I don’t have an exact date yet, but sometime this fall, I’m also releasing a More Than Words charity novella with Harlequin. No title or info yet, but it will be a FREE download! I’ll share more news when I have it.

You’ll get a short break over Christmas, then I’m kicking off my new Brides & Belles series on New Year’s Day. More to come on that series, and the next Rosewood book – FEEDING THE FIRE – soon!

Andrea

Can I Get a Review Up in Here?

Reviews are important. Good or bad. A bad review may not break a book and a great review might not make a book, but they still make a difference. I know I never buy anything online with looking at the reviews. The same goes with books. The more reviews, the more people will be willing to take a chance on a new author or a new genre they’ve never read before. Word of mouth is a great way to find out about a book.

I’ve got a few months before my next book comes out September 1st. Over the summer, I’ve got a couple personal projects going. This, of course, is aside form writing and writing and writing! I want to make a bigger social media imprint – connect with new fans, find followers and newsletter subscribers, etc. I also want to build up my reviews on sites like Amazon.

My goal is to have a minimum of 20 reviews for each of my books. A few of them are already there. A couple still need more. I know reviews are out there – Goodreads has hundreds of reviews for my books, but not everyone posts them to Amazon as well. You may not know that you can post a review without buying the book there. The only difference is whether or not it has a “Verified Amazon Purchase” tag.

If you have ready any of my books and have not yet posted a review for them on Amazon, please do! Let other readers know what you think and help out an author. Here’s a few links for books in need of reviews.

His Lover’s Little Secret
Undeniable Demands
More Than He Expected
Back in Her Husband’s Bed A
Very Exclusive Engagement
The More Than Men Sexy Trilogy

And…if you’d like to earn prizes for reviewing books and helping me promote releases, check out my street team!

Thanks!

Andrea

Cover Reveal!

Friday, the official cover reveal for FACING THE MUSIC will hit the blogosphere! Below are a list of romance blogs (check back for more as they’re added) that are featuring the reveal, along with the blurb of the book and an exclusive excerpt of the book. Check it out and enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card. FACING THE MUSIC is available at most e-retailers for the amazing introductory price of $1.99. Pre-order it now before the price goes back up to $3.99!

Pre-order Links

Featured Blogs

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway on any of these blogs or on my Facebook Fan Page!

This Army Wants You!

Street Team Logo (large)No, not THAT army – Andrea’s Army of Awesomeness! We’ve got some purple camouflage with your name on it.

AAoA is my street team. The idea is for my fans to help me spread the word about my books and in return, I reward you with sneak peeks, exclusives, prizes, swag and books. To encourage participation and give you the opportunity to get as many goodies as you’re willing to earn, I use a point and rank system that sort of combines the concept of the military hierarchy with prize tickets from Chuck E. Cheese.

As soldiers earn points, they move up in rank and earn prizes. Everyone starts out as a Private. Once you reach the rank of Private First Class, you’ll earn your official AAoA pin. From there, it’s up to you how high you climb – win books, gift cards, pizza parties…even a Kindle Fire!

Activity Points Value
Post a review on Amazon 10
Blog about a book 10
Host me as a guest blogger 15
Retweet or share a post relating to my books or appearance 5
Post about me or my books on your FB or Twitter account 5
Take trading cards/bookmarks to your library 10
Pre-order a book 10
Complete a requested task on the loop (click a link, etc.) 10
Recruit a new (active) member 20
Post the Army Logo to your blog or website and link to my   webpage 10

But, prizes and points aside, this is first and foremost about the love of books and romance. Unlike the real army, you can leave at any time, but I hope you enjoy being a part of the group.

Are you interested in enlisting? Email me on the contact page or send me a friend request on Facebook.

10 Low or No Cost Ways to Let Your Valentine Know You Care

In the books I write for Harlequin Desire, every hero is a billionaire that can sweep the heroine off to a private island or shower her with priceless gemstones. In reality, some of us have a budget to consider when we choose gifts for our loved ones to show how we feel. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be special. Check out these great ideas for romantic, thoughtful and tasty gifts for those important people in your life.

1. Write It Down! – Write a letter telling each loved one in your family what they mean to you. Put it on nice paper and frame it in an inexpensive frame with a photo of the recipient.

2. Be a Coupon Clipper – Create a coupon or a book of coupons for your loved one. You can offer your kids the chance to stay up 30 minutes past their bedtime, a one-on-one activity of their choice or a free pass on their chores for a day. Offer your honey one of their favorite treats whenever they want it – be it cookies, a night out without the kids or a little dance in that red nightie they like. What is better than planned time with people that are important to you?

3. Give the Gift of Quality Time – Do something together. It doesn’t have to cost a dime. Go hike on your favorite trail, picnic in the park or go for a drive. Take the opportunity to block out the daily distractions, silence the cell phone and focus on conversation and one-on-one time.

4. Sweets for the Sweet – Instead of shelling out the big bucks for a box of candy at the store, make your own chocolate-covered strawberries or chocolate chip cookies at home. Make up their favorite treat and put it in a cute container.

5. Love Notes – Remember back in school when you’d get that note from your crush and your heart would just go pitter-pat? Channel that and write love notes for your honey. Slip them into their briefcase, lunch container or wallet. You can leave them randomly or use them like a scavenger hunt that leads them to their final prize… you!

6. Listen & Act – Do something for your loved one that you know they wanted to do or they have been meaning to get to. It can be anything from getting their car washed to buying that new book they mentioned by their favorite author.  Everyone wants to know that someone is listening to them and it can be both a happy surprise and a load off their mind.

7. Breakfast in Bed – It’s a classic for a reason. What is more decadent than lying in bed and having your favorite breakfast treats brought to you? It’s not hard to whip out some heart-shaped pancakes or cinnamon rolls and win over your honey. Even better if you lie in bed together afterward and be lazy.

8. Bring the 80s Back – Make your loved one the modern equivalent of the mixed tape. Download some relationship favorites from iTunes or burn a few perfect songs from your collection to a CD. Think of the songs that remind you of them, your wedding dance song, one you sang together in the car on a road trip… anything that is special to the two of you. (Note: Be sure not to pirate songs. The only sexy pirate on Valentine’s Day is Jack Sparrow.)

9. Rub A Dub-Dub! – We are all hard working, stressed out people. What better treat than a relaxing massage? Whether it’s a ten minute foot massage or a full-body rub down with a luxurious scented oil, they’re sure to appreciate it and maybe…reciprocate!

10. Movie Night – The theater is nice, but it can be expensive with ten dollar popcorn and five dollar sodas. Plan a night in with your loved one, instead. Get some of your favorite candies and drinks at the store, pop some popcorn and pile up on the couch with their favorite flick. Even if it’s nothing but guns and space aliens, you’ll appreciate the time together and he’ll appreciate getting to pick for once!

So there you go! Ten easy ways anyone on any budget can show the people they love how much they care on Valentine’s Day, and all year round! Do you have any other fun suggestions?

Fall 2014 Release News

I’ve finally got some details finalized about my fall releases! I have a very busy few months coming up. The first is the announcement of the release of my first Rosewood Novel with Pocket Star – FACING THE MUSIC! It’s already up on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for pre-order at $3.99, released on August 25th.

Second, is news for the fans of my Secrets of Eden Series with Harlequin Desire. The third book in the series has been titled HEIR TO SCANDAL and will be released on September 2nd. This will be Xander’s book, picking up where A BEAUTY UNCOVERED left off.

The fourth and final book has also been titled. HER SECRET HUSBAND will be out on October 7th.

I’ll post the covers and blurbs as soon as they’re approved. In the meantime, watch for more information on my new series set in fictional Rosewood, Alabama!

The Devil’s In the Details

I’m not a huge fan of research. I could never, ever write one of those big, juicy historicals that required hours of study to get every detail accurate. I either write contemporary, which is easy enough to look up, or paranormals, where I can make up whatever I like.

I do, however, research important plot points. I’m a stickler for realistic plots. There must be a legal, viable way for the aunt to blackmail the hero. I hate it when stories are so off base. Which is why, when reviews for my most recent book – BACK IN HER HUSBAND’S BED – started coming out with some less than stellar feedback due to poor research, I felt like I had to say something.

According to Senior Research Analyst Michael Lawton with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, it is not illegal for the wife of a casino owner to gamble in his casino or any other. “As long as [the player] she is not licensed, that would be okay.” Nate, as the holder of the license to operate a gaming establishment, could not gamble anywhere in the state of Nevada. Annie is free to do as she likes.

So, as improbable as it might seem, it is perfectly legal for Annie to gamble in the Desert Sapphire. And now you know.

February Release

For those of you in the Harlequin Desire reader service, you’ve already got my February release – BACK IN HER HUSBAND’S BED – in your hot hands. The rest of us have to wait a little while longer

cover_smallestThe digital version will be available on February 1st. The print version is released on February 4th. Remember that some stores don’t stock the new books right away. I know it usually takes until Thursday or Friday (or later at Walmart) for the new Harlequins to hit the shelf. Impatient? You can always pre-order the book and have it arrive on your eReader or porch on release day!

This book is special to me and was a long time coming! It was actually the first book I submitted to by editor back in 2009. We worked on it for a while, then they decided it wasn’t right for the line. They asked me to send something else and that led to the sale of my first book – WHAT LIES BENEATH. Later, my editor asked if I was up for giving this book a second try and this time, it worked!

Nate and Annie have been with me for a very long time and I’m very happy they have finally made it off my hard drive and into your hands. I hope you enjoy it!

Andrea