Wow! Summer is flying by! My Goodreads Giveaway was a huge success, with winners from Louisiana, Saskatchewan and Quebec! Congrats to the three lucky winners!
So I've just spent two weeks on an entirely different island... Oahu! And it was AY-MAY-ZING!
Not only did I get to spend two weeks in a tropical paradise with four of my favourite people in the world, but I also had the privilege of being a military spouse during RIMPAC 2016, met some wonderful military folk from all over the world and...
I SWAM WITH SHARKS!
Looking HOT in my snorkel gear.
I know. Insane. Waaaay out of my comfort zone. Like, in a different galaxy. At one point, I counted twelve sharks swimming beyond the bars of our very flimsy cage. It was AWESOME.
Look at me at the helm!
I also got to stand at the helm of a HUGE aircraft carrier-- The USS John C Stennis, had Brie (My FAVORITE) on the deck of a French war ship, and kimchi on a Korean ship while watching a very interesting rendition of Gagnam Style. So many adventures! It was a great trip.
But now, because my giveaway was such a success (thank you to all who participated!), and it's the long August weekend (yay!), and we're moving in less than two weeks to the other side of the continent (gah!)...SKIN IS ON SALE!
That's right!
From now until August 2nd you can get SKIN's Kindle edition for a mere $2.99!
That's less than the price of a latte! So what are you waiting for? :)
Today is the big day! SKIN is live on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca in both paperback and ebook form! You can also find it at Barnes and Nobel and on Smashwords, on Chapters.ca (only in ebook format so far) or...go into your local bookstore and ask them to stock it! Also go to Vicki Weavil's blog and show her some love for being today's blog tour host!
Today the BIG EVENT will be held at Laughing Oyster Bookshop in Courtenay BC. More info HERE.
R to L: Tina, Yelena Casale and that's me in the green scarf! Hope to repeat this adventure again soon!
SKIN had a long and rocky road to publication, but it will always hold a special place in my heart, because it is the story that helped me find my wonderful agents at Literary Counsel. I had basically given up on the agent idea, when my wonderful Twitter friend and crit partner, Tina Moss, suggested I submit to her agent. Less than a month later, I had a signed contract in my hand.
The decision to submit that last time was a true turning point in my literary career. Since then I've published DEPENDENT, written two other full length YA manuscripts, and have made writing a part-time career. I'm still learning, but I hope to continue doing this for a long time to come.
So, you've ordered you amazing copy of SKIN online, or bought it at your bookstore, what do you do next? (Other than reading it, of course!)
*TELL ME WHERE YOU GOT YOUR BOOK! I really would love to hear how you purchased your copy. Post on my Facebook page to let me know. Or tag me on Instagram or Twitter.
*WRITE A REVIEW! I cannot tell you how important reviews are in the indie publishing world. Even just an 'I liked it' or an 'It really sucked' makes a HUGE difference in an author's ability to market her books to a wider audience. Go back to your online store and click on the review button and review away. Go to my Goodreads Page and pop another review on there. Go to a different online seller and see if you can review it there. PLEASE, tell me what you think. Even if you hated it. (Which I hope you didn't!)
*RECOMMEND IT TO A FRIEND! Or a colleague, or the grocery store clerk, or your sister, or your fitness instructor or the creepy guy you sat beside on the bus. Tell someone about it on Facebook. Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter. Please, please share.
*SUPPORT MY BLOG TOUR PARTICIPANTS! If you haven't already, click on the links to blog tour posts (like Vicki Weavil's mentioned above) and have a peek around. They are all authors, and have been kind enough to help me make this launch a success. They all have great work. Buy their books. Spread the love. <3 p="">
Thank you to all who have supported my adventures in writing so far. I hope you enjoy reading SKIN.
Seriously exciting things going on today! Only ONE DAY UNTIL LAUNCH! I can't believe it's here already. It's been four years of writing, editing, planning, submitting, stressing, ups and downs, and now I get to see my book baby launch into the world! I'm all over the place today in the blogosphere, and can't wait for you to check it out. Venue is perfect, books are there, and there's one beautiful smoked salmon platter ordered. Oh yeah. So here's what you need to do: 1. Go to Yelena Casale's Blog HEREand find out a little more background of how SKIN came into being, as well as my advice for aspiring authors. 2. Go to AnnMarie Meyers Blog HERE read about out how being a military spouse affects my writing, my other passions, and what a perfect day looks like for me. 3. Enter my giveaway for a free copy of SKIN HERE. (US residents only) 4. GET READY! Tomorrow is the big day! More information HERE (Lindsay Chung's article from the Comox Valley Record) and HERE. Brenda
It takes some time to get these things to trickle out to where they need be, but today when I checked, I was ecstatic to see that SKIN is already available in paperback form at the following places...
So what are you waiting for? GO! Get your copy! Tell a friend! Share the news!
And if your an ebook person, it's only a few more days 'til you can download it. Don't forget, American readers can click HERE to enter to win their copy of SKIN for free!
For those of you who may have missed it, about two years ago I wrote a young adult fiction manuscript about a silkie, a mythical creature who supposedly sheds her skin and drags her victims below the waves to the unknown. My story has a few twists on the classic mythology with Sam the mysterious teenage boy down the beach, but it still revolves around seals and the ocean. The manuscript, entitled SKIN, is with my wonderful agents at Literary Counsel, and I am working (slowly...) on a sequel.
You also may or may not know that last year we moved from central Canada to the Pacific Coast to Vancouver Island, right on the body of water known as the Salish Sea. On the very first day we arrived, we saw a harbour seal outside of our hotel. The next day we saw two. And now pretty much every time we go by the water, at least one little dark-eyed head pops up to say hello. They are so thoughtful and inquisitive, but still shy enough to give you just a look or two before they move on. They look kind of like golden retrievers, but with big, sharp claws. I love them, and I'm constantly reminded of SKIN when I see them.
A porpoise on our starboard beam
Yesterday my family and I were sailing. Before we went out we saw a fat seal, who popped up on the wharf and hung out for a bit. We called him Dave. We took the boat, went out for a few hours, and were followed by porpoises and a few other seals. It was a wonderful day of fresh air and family time.
When we came back Dave appeared to have a very affectionate friend, whom we called Davette. We giggled a bit at how close they were. Dave (or Davette?) truly appeared to be climbing on top of the other's back. Yeah. My thoughts went there too.
The kids popped up to the car, and I ran back to the boat to do something just before we left. I heard a splash and looked around, and there was this little face checking me out, not two feet away.
I thought it was Davette, but on a second look, Davette was REALLY small. Then Davette flipped over and I saw something unexpected...an umbilical cord still attached! Davette was a Baby Davie! Just out! Brand new! Then momma popped up and Davie wanted to play and snuggle. This was all literally right at my feet.
Davie and mom
I even got some (very poor quality) video:
Of course there was no one around to share this amazing sight with...but my handy dandy iPhone had to suffice.
Perhaps it's time to get back to that sequel? Hmmm...Could Sam have a little brother?
