Recommend Monday!

Good Monday Everyone!

Looking forward to hearing about all your great reads from last week. There have been some fabulous releases the last few months. Can't wait to hear about the ones you're recommending.

Thanks to everyone who came by to check out my Ella Grace website.  I sincerely appreciate your kind comments. I hope you got the chance to read the MIDNIGHT SECRETS excerpt. Also, last Friday I posted the very first Midnight Tale. Inez Peebles, the oldest resident of Midnight, wrote an interesting and informative blog about her hometown. If you didn't get to read it, here's the link: A Midnight Tale. 

As promised, since the Ella Grace site is now up, the focus on this blog will be future Christy Reece books, including the upcoming LCR novella, CHANCES ARE. And to keep that promise, here's a snippet for you. The first paragraph: 

CHANCES ARE

Prologue

London, England

He had been following her for days. She was young, beautiful, and deliciously unaware of anything outside of her field of vision or interest. Was there anything more enticing or tempting? Without a doubt, she had no clue that her life was about to make a hairpin turn and dead end abruptly. 

I'll try to share a few lines every couple of weeks. I've so enjoyed getting back to the LCR gang. Both Angela and Jake have surprised and delighted me. I think you're going to love them as a couple. I'll soon be working on the cover and can't wait to see how that turns out. As soon as it's finalized, I'll post it here. I'm still hopeful that I'll get CHANCES ARE out to you by the end of the year.

As you know, I'm self publishing CHANCES ARE, which means it will be released as an eBook. I'm not sure yet if I'll release it as a paperback, too. Much of it depends upon what readers want. So if you wouldn't mind letting me know how you would prefer to read CHANCES ARE, I'd sincerely appreciate it. You can comment here or email me at christy@christyreece.com.

As mentioned last week, today is the beginning of a huge contest for me. I've never done this before and am quite excited about it. My website has the most hits on Monday because of this blog, however, over the last couple of months recommends have slowed considerably. I'd love to regenerate interest because even though we have only a few recommendations, many viewers come here to get good book suggestions. I want to continue that service. So, to help increase the comments and hopefully the traffic, I'm going to have a 3 month contest. Each person who recommends a book(s) will be entered into the contest. Only one entry each Monday but the more Mondays you recommend a book, the more times your name will be entered. There are 14 Mondays between now and the end of the year. That 14 times you could enter.

The drawing will take place, Monday, January 31 at 12:00 PM (CST)

Here are the prizes:

Grand prize: Kindle Fire HD.
First place prize: A signed copy of the complete Last Chance Rescue series (all 9 books)
Second place prize: $25 gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble

So, let's hear it for Recommend Monday! Remember, the contest starts today. And since it's a win-win for everybody, be sure to let others know about the contest. We all get great book recommendations and at the end of the year, three people will win a fabulous prize!

Okay, that's it for me. I'm headed back to Midnight. I hope you have a fabulous week. Can't wait to read your recommendations!

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday Everyone!

Hope you had a successful week and fun-filled weekend. And really hoping to see lots of book recommendations today. I'm getting restless not reading my favored genre and feel the need to immerse myself into some fabulous reads!

As you know, I had hoped to launch the Ella Grace website last week. Well, I learned a hard lesson. I am not a techie person and though I knew that, I decided to pretend otherwise. It didn't go well. My poor web designer was probably screaming at every email I sent her. But lesson learned. Let the professionals do their jobs and stay the heck out of their way!

Also, I got the news last week that the release date for MIDNIGHT SECRETS has been pushed back a month. The new release date is April 30, 2013. A little bit of a disappointment but not that much longer of a wait.

However, I am pleased to announce that the Ella Grace website is now officially live! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ella Grace website

Please note that it's EllaGraceBooks.com Hope you enjoy!

Also, I have a major contest announcement coming next Monday, October 1, for this Christy Reece blog. Be sure to come back for that. I think you're going to love it!

On the writing front, things are going well in Midnight. Endless surprises this writer did not see coming are happening in MIDNIGHT LIES. So exciting!

Because Ella's site is now live, I'll start talking more about it over on that site. Which means, on this blog, I'll talk about CHANCES ARE and what's going on with Angela, Jake and the LCR gang. Stay tuned because I hope to be able to share an excerpt with you soon. I think Angela is going to surprise many of you. She's certainly surprised me!

Okay, that's it for me. Can't wait to hear what books you're recommending. Remember, when you recommend a book, you're performing a public service for both readers and authors. So please tell us what we should be reading!

Have a great week all! And be sure to come by and say hey to Ella!

Ella Grace Website Coming Soon

Hey All!

Just popping in to say there was a delay on my new Ella Grace website. My fault! I made a mess of some stuff and my kind website designer had to fix it for me. Yikes, I need to stick to writing!

Anyway, I have high hopes that we'll be able to unveil it early next week, possibly as early as Monday.

So thanks for your patience and stay tuned.

Have a great weekend!

Recommend Monday

Good Monday All!

How was your weekend? Do anything fun, read anything grand? Let us know!

Last week I sent in the revised version of MIDNIGHT SECRETS to my editor. Amazing that as I read through the book, I cried in the same places I did when I wrote it. Even knowing what was going to happen, I still cried. I hope this means it's a good book and not just because I'm a weenie. (:

I believe, at last, my Ella Grace website will be revealed this week. When it goes live, I'll hop on the blog to let you know. Did you get a chance to read the excerpt of MIDNIGHT SECRETS on my Ella Grace Facebook page. I may be wrong but I don't think you have to be on Facebook to read it. Here's the link: MIDNIGHT SECRETS excerpt on Facebook

This week I'm working on MIDNIGHT LIES. It's due in six weeks and I'm way behind. When I went back to it late last week, I reread what I've written and was extremely happy with it. So yay, onward and upward! In between that, I will continue to work on CHANCES ARE. I really want to get Angela and Jake's novella in your hands. I think you're going to love it. At least I hope so!

There's a fun blog blitz going on over at my RWA chapter's blog a chance to win books, prizes and gift cards and also a Kindle Fire. Here's the official ad:

Starting September 17 through October 16, weekdays only, Southern Magic will have a great line up of authors/writers giving away books, gift cards and swag! For every comment during these four weeks, the commenter's name will be placed in a drawing for a KINDLE FIRE! So the more you comment, the more often your name will be entered for the e-reader. 

So check it out at Romance Magicians' Blog Blitz

Okay, that's it for me. Have a great week and tell us what great books we should be reading!

Recommend Monday!

Good Monday Everyone!

Hope you had a fabulous week and weekend. Did you read anything fabulous? If so, here's your place to tell us about it.

Thanks to those who celebrated National Buy a Book Day with me. I didn't know it existed but now that I do, I'll be sure to celebrate every year. Supporting authors by having a special book buying day is a wonderful idea. I can't wait to read the one I purchased. And congrats to Steph99 for winning the contest. Steph99, please email me at christy@christyreece.com with your choice of two signed LCR books and your mailing address.

I'm still in the midst of MIDNIGHT SECRETS revisions. Hope to finish them up by mid week so I can get back to CHANCES ARE and MIDNIGHT LIES. I'm anxious to see what my characters have been up to.

My Ella Grace site is coming along and should be ready to launch any day now. Since I want to share an excerpt of MIDNIGHT SECRETS before that, I'm going to post it to my Ella Grace Facebook page. I have a question for you about excerpts. Do you prefer the beginning of the book, the first meeting of the hero and heroine or their first kiss?

Though I'm immersed in revisions, I do have a fabulous recommend. I read True Shot by Joyce Lamb last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. The hero was an unlikely one and I loved that about him. The heroine was strong but vulnerable too. The last fifty pages of the book were some of the most intense I've ever read. Took me hours to settle down after I read it!

Okay, that's it for me. I'm offline for the rest of the week to get MIDNIGHT SECRETS polished and shiny. Be sure to check on Friday for the excerpt at Ella Grace Facebook Page

I can't wait for you to meet Zach and Savannah. My editor said that Zach stole her heart. I hope he does that to yours too. (:

Have a great week all. Now tell us what we should be reading!

Happy National Buy A Book Day!

Happy Friday Everyone! Did you know that today was National Buy A Book Day? Me either! But now that I know, I feel compelled to do my part. Want to join me? There's a prize in it for someone!

Here's the challenge: Go buy a book, either eBook, paperback or hard cover, from your favorite online source or bookstore and come back here and tell me what you bought and where you purchased it. Heck, you can even tell us a little bit about it and why you wanted to read it, if you like.

On Monday, I'll select one person from the "I just bought" comments to win two signed LCR books of your choice. How's that for a 3 for 1 deal?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going book shopping. I'll stop by a little later and tell you what I bought!

Support an author and buy a book today!

Recommend Monday

Happy Monday All (and for those in the U.S.) Happy Labor Day!

Did you have a good week and weekend? Get lots of reading done?

My week was...well, I'm going to quote John Steinbeck, with a little addition: The best laid plans of mice and men and romance writers. I had planned to finish the first draft of CHANCES ARE. However, revisions came for MIDNIGHT SECRETS, which meant Jake and Angela had to step out of the way while I went back to Midnight and Zach and Savannah. But there's definitely a silver lining to this. My editor said: "Sweet, sexy, emotional and suspenseful, MIDNIGHT SECRETS is an utterly engaging read--a riveting first book to introduce the Midnight/Wilde sisters series." So a big YAY on that! I can't wait for you guys to meet Zach, Savannah and the residents of Midnight.

So I'm now in the midst of some minor revisions but once I'm finished, hopefully by next week, I'll get back with Jake and Angela and finish up their story. And of course, I have Quinn and Samantha waiting in the wings in MIDNIGHT LIES. Never a dull moment around here, that's for sure!

Also, I heard from my wonderful UK editor at Headline Publishing Group. They're going to be releasing all nine LCR books in their Eternal line early next year. Which means that UK readers will finally be able to get the LCR books in eBook form.  Headline will also be publishing my Ella Grace books in the UK at the same time they come out here in the U.S. So excited to be reaching new readers as both Christy Reece and Ella Grace!

Been kind of a busy week and weekend, so no new romance reading for me. I have started a fascinating non-fiction book, American Sniper by Chris Kyle, who is a former Navy SEAL. I've read the first couple of chapters and am mesmerized and enthralled already.

Okay, that's it for me. Again, I apologize for not being as attentive as I need to be on this blog. Writing is taking up all available time right now but hopefully once the books are out, you'll love them so much, you'll forgive my inattention. And just a reminder that though I'm not able to comment immediately, Monday is the heaviest traffic for my website, which means the books you're reading and recommending are being seen by lots of people. So please, keep up the recommendations for all your fellow readers out there!

Have a great week everyone. Stay safe and read something marvelous.

Now, tell us what great books you read last week!