New Facebook Page

With The Betrayed set to release in six weeks and the 3rd book already in the works, I realized something. I have a Facebook page, but it's called, "The Gifted, a Novel by Deborah Andreasen."

Right now, The Gifted is my only novel, but I already have three additional books in the works. The Betrayed, the sequel to The Betrayed, and another book that is not part of The Gifted series. Someday, very soon, I'll have more than one novel published. What then? Will I make a FB page for every book?

Nope.

A few nights ago, I sat down and made another Facebook page, this time for me as an author. This is really exciting because it means my "brand" is growing. I'm continuing to write and publish. It's great.

The bad part is, all my awesome fans that follow my current FB page now have to do a little bit of work and migrate over to my new page.

So. If you are one of my AMAZING fans, please take just a quick moment to go to my Facebook page and Like me. I've got some great stuff coming up soon, including some giveaways and exclusive The Betrayed info that I'll post there and not on The Gifted's page.

And please spread the word. You are my most valuable tool in writing success. Pin It

In case you didn't know, I'm actually an author.

Hola. I just wanted to take a break from ALL the reviewing I've been doing to give you an update on what's going on with my writing.

I say "all" because I mean "all." I haven't posted a review in like six months, no joke. Dena has doing all the reviews, and she's doing an amazing job. Be sure to leave a comment on her reviews to let her know. I also have some reviews coming from a guest reviewers. Stay tuned for those as well.

So. It has officially been nearly two years since I published The Gifted. I took some time off from writing to figure out the business side of being an author, and then I had a baby. Then I had to figure out how on earth to raise two children instead of one. When I felt like I had a sort of idea of what I was doing, it was finally time to write a sequel to The Gifted.

It's "only" taken me about 8 months to bang out the rough draft, but I've done it! The Betrayed is now in the editing process. I don't have a cover to reveal quite yet, but I will soon. We finally found a picture of Hunter (as he's the main character of The Betrayed) after sifting through literally thousands of pictures. 

At the moment I'm just waiting for the revisions to come back from my editors. I felt so excited about The Betrayed, I started work on the third and final book in the series while I wait. That's good news because it won't take another two years to publish the next installment.

After that? I already have another book in the works. That makes three, count 'em, three books I'm working on at the same time. This third book is going to be totally different than anything I've done, and I feel like I have an original idea here. Mainly because I did a bit of research and found nothing on the type of character I want. I had to create his race of beings as well as the background legends that accompany him. That was pretty fun.

Anyway. I just wanted you all to know that while Dena works hard reviewing books, I'm working hard to write them. I actually have a few book reviews in the works, and Dena has been writing as well. So I guess we both wear a few hats. The difference is she's a world renowned artist, and I'm...not. ;)

Happy reading! Come back soon.  Pin It

Holy ketchup. I mean catch-up.

Hey everyone!

First of all, my deepest apologies to anyone who still reads this blog. I've been wrapped up in life the last few weeks. We've had some tragedies in the family and in our neighborhood. Then I went out of town for a week. It's not like there wasn't internet way out in the middle of sunny Utah, but I just didn't feel like blogging while spending time with my awesome sister-in-laws. That's right. Us girls got together without our husbands. Now that's real sisterhood.

Now I'm back and I'm crackin' my knuckles, ready to get back to it.

We've had two giveaways end here on Deborah's Books.  All of the winners have been contacted and have responded. If you weren't contacted, you did not win. I'm sorry I didn't do a big announce post. I hope the winners enjoy their prizes. Don't forget to leave reviews on Goodreads or Amazon.

And there are a few of you out there who still haven't read The Gifted. Am I condemning you? No way! I'm just sayin' you might want to get on it. If you really think about it, I'm just looking out for you. I don't want your TBR pile to reach the ceiling, then topple over on you in your sleep. You might get a concussion and have to go to the ER. So I'm trying to keep you healthy. To make that goal a little easier to obtain:) , Amber at Jade Louise Designs is giving away THREE copies of The Gifted. A paperback copy and two Kindle versions. That makes this an international giveaway. Head over, check out her awesome review, and enter to win a copy of The Gifted.

In the mean time...has anyone else been sucked into the Pinterest vortex? I just barely clawed my way out, and I'm now down to spending about 15 minutes on Pinterest a day. That's saying something, considering part of the reason I haven't been around for the last month is because I got lost in there. Wow.



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A big huge thank you!

Wednesday and Thursday's promotion of The Gifted for free was a huge success!! I had almost 1,200 downloads of my book. I noticed yesterday that I was actually ranking among best-selling lists. The best I saw was I made it to #4 on the 100 best selling list contemporary fantasies in the Kindle store, #20 on the 100 best selling fantasies in the Kindle store, and #265 out of ALL ebooks in the Kindle store!

I saw my book popping up on websites all over the internet; sites I didn't even know existed!

Wow.

I am completely blown away by the support and interest generated by this promotion.

I don't get paid a penny for the books that were downloaded during that time, but I don't really care. I tell you this because I want you to know I consider the promotion a success regardless of how much I made...or didn't make. :)

I wish I could bake everyone cookies and say, "Thanks for downloading my book!" Or, "Thanks for telling your friends to download my book." Instead, all I can do is say, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I feel bad for people who missed the free book, so I've lowered the price from $4.99 to $2.99. I don't know how long it will be at that price, but I'll give warning before I raise it again.

Thank you so much to everyone for your support. Please, don't forget to go to your favorite websites and leave a review (Amazon, Goodreads, LibraryThing, B&N, Shelfari...) Pin It

Happy Birthday to me, here's something for you!

One year ago today, I published The Gifted. It's been a fun and crazy year, both in the book world and in my personal life.



To celebrate The Gifted's birthday, I'm giving away the Kindle version for FREE! It's today and tomorrow only, so don't miss out. Spread the word.


Enjoy! Pin It

I need help!

I was recently asked to host a book club discussion. This may not seem like a big deal, except...it's about MY book!

While I am thrilled and honored, I see a few problems with this:

1. I've never been to a book club before.
2. I've never hosted a book club discussion before.
3. See 1 & 2.

All of the discussion suggestions I've read online are pretty basic, like, "Who is your favorite character and why?" "Who is your least favorite character and why?" "What was the best part of the book?" "What was the worst part of the book?" Although I'd like to think I have a tough skin, it's more like a candy shell. I don't really want to know the worst character and the worst part of the book. Would it help me in the future? Probably. But that doesn't change the book I've already written. But, constructive criticism is inevitable.And really, is that what a book discussion sounds like?

I guess my biggest problem is that I don't want to sound like a doofus. The fact that I've never been to a book club kind of puts me at a disadvantage.

Are you a member of a successful book club? (ie, one that actually discusses the book and doesn't chat about the Bachelor for over an hour.) Are you an author who's hosted a book club discussion about your own book? Have you ever read a book and wanted to know what other people thought of it?

Please send me some ideas on questions to ask, how to steer the conversation, what topics to discuss...ANYTHING you think might be helpful. I really, really don't want to sound like an idiot in front of these women. Pass on the word to anyone you think might have some good advice for me.

Thank you so much!!

-Deborah Pin It

Beg , borrow or steal?

Pop quiz!

How should you get your hands on The Gifted for free?

a. Beg your friends to buy it so you can read their copy.
b. Borrow it from Amazon.com for free.
c. Break into my house and steal it from my basement.

If you chose c please send me your name and address so I can give it to the police as a list of possible suspects. ;)

The correct answer is b. If you have a Kindle and Prime Membership, you can borrow The Gifted for FREE!! (That's my favorite price.)

Are you interested in free? Here's how you can do it.

If you have a Kindle (an actual Kindle) and Prime Membership, go to the Amazon store on your Kindle. Once there,  search for The Gifted by Deborah Andreasen. My book will pop up. On the details screen, there will be the option to buy or borrow.

Borrow it and you can have it for as little or as long as you'd like!!

The catch is you can only borrow one book a month. If you have a kindle and you don't have Prime Membership, you can get a free trial for 30 days.

**Puttin' in a plug here. We are going on our second year of Prime Membership. Can I tell you how much I love it?! Not only do I ALWAYS get free shipping, but the stuff I buy is on my doorstep in two days. Need shoelaces? No problem. You'll get them in 2 days and you don't have to pay shipping. I never have to leave the house! Which was really nice when I was on bed rest while pregnant with twins. So yeah, Prime is a little on the pricey side, but totally worth it if Amazon is your go to website for anything and everything.**

Happy reading! Pin It

I'm a huge fan!

Last week I got a phone call from my local library. A book I had put on reserve was ready for me to pick up.

Awesome. I always love getting those calls! Even though they never tell you what book it is you've got coming.

So, I hauled my two-year-old down to the library, stuck him in his stroller, and went to the reserve shelf. (I keep him in a stroller because I'm pregnant with twins, and since I've had complications, I'm not allowed to lift him.)

Imagine my surprise when this is the little gem I picked up:

Woohoo! That's MY book! And I just checked it out from the library!! On my way to the check out desk, I wanted to stop everyone in the library and say, "Have you ever read this book? It's really good. I'm a huge fan of the author." Which is true. I think I can be my biggest fan or my worst critic, depending on the day.

It was surreal walking out of the library with something I had written.

I even have my own call number!...sorta.

I'm not actually going to read it. I'll take it back tomorrow when I drop off my son's Winnie the Pooh VHS. Yes, VHS.

Anyway, if you happen to live in the same area as I do, you may now check out The Gifted from the local library.

I asked my husband if I should sign it before returning it. He told me probably not because they'd charge me for defacing library property.

And just because I thought it was funny that my darling dear took this picture, here is a photo of my pregnant belly...and only my belly. Apparently the rest of me doesn't matter in this whole pregnancy thing.

Can you believe I'm only 14 weeks? Me neither. Pin It

Feelin' Popular

Since I usually strive to be honest, I'm going to take a crack at it now. I have been deliberately neglectful of my blog for the last few months.

Why?

Well, most of you don't know me personally, so I'll just give you a quick synopsis. My almost two-year-old son is adopted. Recently, I underwent some extensive medical...uh..."stuff" and hip-hip-hooray! We're pregnant! With twins. No joke.

So, needless to say, I spend a lot of time curled around the toilet (or feeling like I need to be curled around the toilet). The other part of my time is spent taking care of my little guy.

With so little promotion of my blog and my writing, my Goodreads page and blog have become stagnant.

Until this morning.

I woke up to three friend requests and two followers on Goodreads and a few more blog followers.

Although I was pleased with my sudden increase in popularity, I was suspicious. "Something is up," I thought. I finally discovered what it was a few minutes later when I saw my picture on I Am a Reader Not a Writer.

For an interview and a chance to win a book from yours truly, CLICK HERE to read all about my awesomeness.

(Besides being honest, I'm also quite humble.)

And to my new readers, Welcome! I'm sorry it seems kind of boring around here. I'm trying to ease back into it. If I'd known you would all be coming so soon, I would have tried to pretend like I'm more entertaining. Pin It

Where I've been

One of the most satisfying things about being an author is hearing what people think about my work. I've never done drugs, but I kind of think the high I get from a good review could be comparable to a controlled substance. Just sayin'.

As a small thank you, I try to send some of my readers over the the blogs and websites of those who've reviewed The Gifted. Phew, was that a mouthful or what?!

I've compiled all the sites into a nice neat page. Up at the top of my blog, you'll see a tab called "Where I've been". Click on it and you'll see it's full of awesomeness.

If you review The Gifted on your blog or site, send me a link and I'll add it to the list. Even if you hated the book, I'll still add it. Promise. If you've already featured The Gifted on your site and you don't see your link, leave me a comment or send me an email and I'll apologize profusely and fix the problem.

I've listed them based on date. It might have made more sense to do it alphabetically, but...I'm an author. I can do whatever I want. ;)

Cheers! Pin It

News for me

So, this week is a big week for me. In a few days I have my first book signing! Hurrah! It's at a school in Utah - even though I don't live in Utah. Kind of a long story, but I have connections, and a school invited me to do an author presentation and then do a book signing. What could I do but say yes? :) It's not open to the public - sorry! - so I won't post any info online.

Next, I've got another review posted at Squeaky Clean Reads. I was thrilled with this review. Honestly, I worked pretty hard to make my book a clean read, so I was beyond pleased that it got such a good rating. Check it out here. Leave a comment and agree with how amazing my book is. I will love you forever.

Also, the amazing folks at SQC are hosting a fabulous giveaway by yours truly. You can head over and enter the giveaway here. Spread the word.

Lastly, I have decided not to accept any more books for review. I have a stack (literally) of books that need read and reviewed and the Summer Reads Contest to judge. Besides that, I've got a book to promote and a sequel to write. I've got a very full plate. I have to be a little more picky with my time, and though I love reading and reviewing, it just has to take back seat for a few months. I'm sad about this decision, but I feel like if I want to have a chance at being a good wife/mother/author, something has to get cut.

Sad, but true. Pin It

You Tell Me

So, I'm being featured today on From the Shadows. As part of the interview, I was asked who I would cast to play the leads in my book. Head over to see my answers there - and leave a comment please!

I've done a little more thinking, and I've decided on a Pyper.

Rachel Hurd-Wood. Um, perfect! Seriously? Perfect.

And for Kael? I'm still undecided, because I haven't seen an actor that I just knew looked like him. But I think...

Logan Lerman might just do the trick. (He'll probably need contacts to make his eyes green, though.)

So, that's who I've chosen for my main leads. But, that only shows you that I have limited access to young actors.

Tell me who you think should be cast to play Pyper, Kael, Baler, Raven or Summer. I really would love to know! Who is your dream cast for The Gifted? Pin It

Q+A with yours truly

This Thursday, the 21st, you'll be able to catch me at From the Shadows.

Pretty cool, eh? I'm excited. Except, when I did the interview, I had no idea who I wanted to cast as Pyper or Kael. Now that I've had time to think about it and chew on it for a while, I've come up with some really good actors.

Check out my interview with E.J. Stevens, then stop by here and I'll maybe let you in on my new and improved dream cast.

Cheers! Pin It

Review by Fire and Ice

Thanks so much to Heather at Fire and Ice for reading and reviewing The Gifted! (You can also see her review on Goodreads)

Hop over there and check out her thoughts on my book. Show her some blog love and follow (if you don't already). And while you're there, enter the giveaway to win a copy of The Gifted!

If you already have your copy in hand, GREAT! I thank you sincerely. In that case, just leave Heather a comment and thank her for being so nice to me. :) Pin It

I've joined your ranks.

For a million different reasons, my husband is amazing. In this post, I'm going to highlight one specific example.

He bought me a Kindle!!!

He had many reasons for doing this (celebrating my book release, concern for my health, bribing encouraging me) , but what it all boils down to is that he loves me. Aw. :)

So now, I am able read and review ebooks with ease. NetGalley is my new best friend. I'm able to enter giveaways for ebooks. When I go on a trip next week, I'll take my library with me! Seriously, this is the coolest thing ever. I spent hours getting to know my Kindle. My husband almost wished he hadn't given it to me. ;)

I feel so high tech and posh. I know ereaders are the future, but I still feel a little elite now that I have one.

In a twist of fated irony, The Gifted became available in Kindle version on the same day I received my Kindle.

I sold 4 Kindle version copies of The Gifted before it was fully live on Amazon. That made me feel pretty good. Anyway, you can now by The Gifted on Kindle here.

I'm currently working on putting The Gifted on B&N and Smashwords. So if you have a Nook or some other ereader device, hang tight. We're on our way. Pin It

My first reviews!

Ok, folks. The Gifted has been out in the wild for a little over a week now. A few of you have gotten your hands on its goodness, and already the reviews are starting to trickle in.

Allie Burke reviewed The Gifted on her blog, and you can read that here. I've also had a few reviews on Goodreads, and you can see those here. One reader is going to post a review on Amazon, so that will probably be up later today.

Thank you everyone for reading the book, enjoying it (so far), and taking the time to review it. As an author, I can't tell you how much I appreciate readers taking the time to share their thoughts and feelings on a book. It makes all the effort worth it when someone says they stayed up late, just to finish the book! And for the record, I've had 3 people say that so far. :)

Yeah, I'm on cloud nine at this point.

I have been interviewed for a few blogs, and I'll give you more details as they become available. For now, plan on catching me at From The Shadows on April 21st. Pin It

Fool for Books Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to my first giveaway hop!

This is a very short giveaway hop. It opens April 1st, 2011, and it closes at Midnight on April 2nd, 2011. So you'd better be quick in entering on all the blogs - there are over 200 of them!

I'm excited about this giveaway.

Up for grabs:  A swag pack from The Gifted.

Included is a signed copy of The Gifted, and a few of Pyper's favorite things: black nail polish, and lip balm. I guess you'll just have to read The Gifted to understand why those are her favorites. Also included is a black bag that's perfect as a book back. I have one that keeps my TBR books in one place.

How to Enter:

You must be a follower of my blog. This giveaway is open to US residents only. (Sorry, Canada! Next time, I promise.) Simply leave a comment below with your email address then hop on over to the other blogs. And hurry!

A winner will be announced here on April 3rd, but I'll also send an email.


Be sure to visit the other participating blogs!

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The Gifted is Now Available for Purchase

I want to feel happy. I really do. My book is now released for all to read! So why do I have emotions other than pure joy coursing through my veins?

1. My son was up all. night. long. coughing and sneezing. Poor kid is sick and that is never fun for moms. Especially moms who are trying to get everything in order to release a book at midnight. That aside, though, it's a constant battle between am I doing too little or too much? Should I let him cry it out or put him in bed with me? Does he need Tylenol or a breathing treatment...or neither? Kids don't come with how-to manuals. And because he isn't sleeping well, he got up bright and early this morning.

2. Though my book is now available...but it isn't available on Amazon.com yet. Why? I don't know. I think it's because Amazon likes to have the books on hand so they can ship them via 2 day shipping or next day. I think I'll have to wait until Amazon has a shipment of books before The Gifted will be available on their website. (I have a query in to the publisher and I'll get answers soon. I hope.)

Would this have been good information to know beforehand? You betcha. I could have planned accordingly and not spread the word that fans and readers could get their hands on a copy on March 28th. So, I'm a little frustrated, dog tired, and nursing a sick little boy back to health.

Chocolate for breakfast, anyone? Don't mind if I do.

And please, don't think just because The Gifted isn't on Amazon you can't buy it. You can purchase it now if you'd like! And I'd love it if you did. Buy your copy here and make one tired momma a very happy woman.

If you've already purchased a copy (I know some of you have!) let me know and I will publicly sing your praises and kiss your feet! Hypothetically speaking, of course. Pin It

A couple of things.

First of all, I woke up this morning to a fantastic surprise! An email from fellow Author (with a capital A) - Allie Burke. She has a three-book series, The Enchanters, and I won book one of the series: Violet Midnight. I'm beyond thrilled. I've been wanting to read this book for a long time now.

Thanks Allie! (Check her out and give her some blog love.)

**

Second, I got a cool email today from O'Dell at BookTwirps. I've been picked as an official judge in the YA New Summer Reads Competition!

Authors - do you have a YA book released between January 1, 2011 and August 1, 2011? Then this is your chance! See the submission guidelines here. Good luck! I actually considered entering The Gifted, but since I'm a judge in the category, I think it wouldn't be too fair. :)

I'll keep you updated with progress and reminders. I'm very excited about this opportunity. It's an honor.

**

Third, I got a knock on the door tonight, and was presented with another surprise. In honor of my book release, my friend brought me a cake:

(I'm the cutie on the right. I didn't even photoshop this picture at all, so you get to see my big toothy grin.)

Isn't that amazing?! She even used the colors of my book cover and the copied the cover's embellishments. Wow! Now THIS is friendship. Can you see there are even pages and a book mark? She is so sweet and fantastic.

Thanks, M! You're amazing.

**

And lastly...


TOMORROW (3/28) IS RELEASE DAY!!!!!!!!!! (Insert never-ending happy dance here)

That means I'll be up until well after midnight tonight making sure everything runs smoothly and that The Gifted shows up on Amazon and on the estore via the publisher's website. Luckily, my sweetheart let me take a nap today while our little guy was asleep. And hey, if I get drowsy, I've always got cake to keep me occupied! :) (That and Firelight)

See, lots of really exciting stuff! Sorry I crammed it all into one post, I just didn't think I could wait on any one of them. Pin It

Guess what I'm doing?

I've been up since 6:45 - and trust me that's a hardship! - writing letters and addressing envelopes to my reviewers. A box of ARC copies should be arriving today, and I want to have everything ready to just shove the book in envelopes and skip on down to the post office.

I don't know about you, but I cannot believe that my release date is in three days!

I'm so nervous, my stomach is doing gymnastics. Wish me luck. I doubt I'll get any sleep between now and Monday.

Ok, that's a lie. I'll probably get lots of sleep (since I'm a momma bear without it), it just won't be as savor-able. :)

Oh, and by the way, I have over 1,000 readers entered to win my giveaway on Goodreads! If you go to the giveaways page and sort the giveaways by most requested, I'm on page 2! That, my friends, feels pretty good. Pin It