Monday, August 23, 2010

Georgie on His Mind is Now Available!

MENTAL STATUS: "Flighty". Almost missed my own book release!
RECENT IPod DOWNLOAD: "Half of my Heart" by John Mayer

Well, my new contemporary romance from Avalon Books, GEORGIE ON HIS MIND, is finally released!

And I almost missed it.

**cue the crickets**

I know. How can I possibly be that dumb? Well..I don't know. But I really thought the publication date and release date were kind of one in the same so I thought my book wasn't going to be out until October. My editor was kind enough to explain the difference when I emailed her after seeing all these Google alerts about my book.


Then...this weekend I got that special little package every author loves: free books. :)

So, alas, my trailer isn't finished and my library brochures aren't in, but...

the one thing I can do is have a book giveaway on my blog!!

Starting now.

Well, not right now. But soon. At the end of this post.

First allow me to share some interesting tidbits about this book.
(Or at least allow me to share what I think is interesting) :)

1) Georgie is my heroine. And when I first started writing her, the general consensus by my crit partners was that she was WAY TOO immature. So I honestly thought about changing the story and writing it as a YA.
But instead of doing that, I opted to tweak her character a bit first. Turned out that's all that was needed.

2)This book went through a number of titles as I wrote it. The first being BROTHERLY LOVE and then MY BEST FRIEND'S SISTER.
I finally decided on GEORGIE ON HIS MIND because I liked the similarity in the song title "Georgia on my Mind".

3) When I got about halfway through writing this book I started to have doubts about where the story was going, so I wrote a synopsis and thought I would submit the book before it was done to see if anyone would be interested and to see if it was actually worth finishing. So I sent the partial off and within ONE WEEK Avalon Books requested the full. The only problem was the book still wasn't finished.
The moral of this story was I will never ever ever ever ever ever do that again. That was a stressful writing month. BUT it was nice to know that I could quickly produce a sellable story going by synopsis alone when under the gun. :)

4) My hero's name is Walter. Yes, and I did have a number of my critique partners suggest that I should change my hero's name to something a little more...contemporary. I said I'd think about it--which loosley translated meant: NO WAY. I LIKE THAT NAME AND I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE THINKS. PS. I should also mention I like the name Vincent and would not be averse to having a hero named Vince. Just giving you fair warning now.


So without further ado, here's a little bit about GEORGIE ON HIS MIND:

Georgie Mayer has no boyfriend and rarely goes out. In short, she needs a life. Living with her brother doesn't exactly help matters. Since she's graduated college and returned back home, her brother's over protectiveness has been in overdrive, and she hasn't been able to have any fun, or at the very least get a date.

So what's a poor particularly attractive girl to do in a situation like this? The only thing she can do: find him a woman-er, distract him.

He'll thank her for it in the end. That is, if his best friend Walt Somers would stop interfering with her plans. Back in town to help run his uncle's business, the handsome pharmacist has made no secret that he doesn't approve of what she's trying to do. Unfortunately, having Walt hanging around does strange things to her mind, and suddenly she can't help but take a healthy interest in him. But how can Georgie entertain thoughts of the two of them together when Walt still treats her like his best friend's little sister?

Available and on sale at Amazon and Barnes& Noble.

Best yet, Avalon Books is primarily a library book publisher, so run (or walk or drive) to your local library and request my book! Or if you're feeling lucky, enter my book giveaway contest below. :)

CONTEST: To be entered to win a copy of my romantic comedy, GEORGIE ON HIS MIND, please leave a comment below.

NO, you do not have to be a blog follower. NO, you don't have to follow on me on Twitter. NO, we don't need to be Facebook friends. And NO, you don't even need to like me. (But I don't understand why you wouldn't. I mean, I'm pretty nice.) :)

*to be entered in the contest, please leave a comment below between now and Tuesday, August 24 11:59PM (EST). Winner will be announced this Friday along with the winner from this coming Writer Routine Wednesday**

Good luck and viva la romance!

61 comments:

Misha Gerrick said...

Congrats on getting your book done so fast!

I would love to get the book,since I devour romances before lunch, but... I'm stuck in South Africa. *insert incredibly sad puppy dog face here...*

Nadia Lee said...

Congratulations, Jennifer! :-) I'm so happy for you. Loved the earlier draft of GEORGIE ON HIS MIND. I'm sure the book's even more fantastic.

Janna Leadbetter said...

How exciting, Jennifer! Congratulations to you. I'm glad you didn't miss it. :)

I'd love to be entered. Thank you!

Laura Pauling said...

Sounds awesome!! What a funny story that you confused the pub. date and release date, but I'm sure it's happened before! Congrats!!! Hope it sells a million!

Diane said...

Of course I have to try and win, but I am infamous for hounding my local library to get in new books that I want to read.

Congrats! Green is my favorite color so opening a whole box of that is gorgeous!!!!! :O)

Wendy Paine Miller said...

I like Walt. Glad you stuck with it. And Vince...well, that was the name of my first love. Hmmm.

It would be so cool to read your work.
~ Wendy

Jeanette Levellie said...

Oh, I am so happy for you, Jennifer! Congratulations!!! I'd love to win Georgie on His Mind. Please enter my name, and thanks!

Jen

Jessie said...

Congratulations!!
I AM following you now though and I would love to win this book. I have a beach trip coming up in a few weeks and haven't decided on my read yet - this would fit the bill! Thanks!

Jennifer Lane said...

Hey Jennifer, awesome news! It seems like this publishing thing can be a massive waiting game, so what a nice surprise for the book to come out earlier than expected. I think the title is adorable. Do you reference Ray Charles songs? ;) And the name Walter is cute too--it reminds me of the character from Sleepless in Seattle. (Of course, he was the one who got dumped. Ha!) Good luck with your marketing! Jen

Jennifer Lane said...

P.S. I love the song "Half of My Heart" by John Mayer. "I was born in the arms of imaginary friends" as the opening line. Need I say more?

Roxane B. Salonen said...

Jennifer, fun to bump into you today on my blog. So I thought I'd shoot on over here, only to find out your awesome news! I love success stories, and what a beautiful book. I enjoyed hearing all about it and would be thrilled to own one of the first copies. Count me in on the drawing. And all the best in the launch, release, and whatever else is coming. It's an exciting time, to be sure!

Jaydee Morgan said...

Wow - congrats, the book sounds (and looks) awesome!!

Maria Zannini said...

Every time I see this title, I think about the 1966 song, Georgie Girl by The Seekers.

I know...weird.

I think it's the cover. It just makes me think of something lighthearted and fun.

Congrats, Jennifer! And kudos for getting asked for a full so fast. You rock!

Lydia Kang said...

Woohoo! Wow! This is great news! I would love to win a copy! Congrats!

Jennifer Shirk said...

Thanks, ladies!

Nadia: Ha! I know you were great at tearing those early drafts apart. :)

Wendy: that seals the deal. I must use the name Vince next.

Anonymous said...

CONGRATS Jennifer! I like the book cover. Sounds like a great book. I'd be interested in reading it!

Have a great week!

Carol Kilgore said...

This sounds like such a fun read. I hope I win!

Liz Mays said...

I'm so happy for you that it's been published! Wonderful news and the book cover is cute too.

I want to be entered for this giveaway so much, but I have to say one more thing...

Good for you on sticking to your guns about Walter's name!

Erica Mitchell said...

Congrats! Very cool and I love the cover and Title. I also adore the way you broke down your process because so many of us can relate to it. WOW you wrote the rest in a month! Talk about an "uh-oh" going in your favor! The book sounds super awesome and how cool are you to do a giveaway ;) Regardless I'll be sure to read. Go Walt! I'm a fan of the name after working at Disney who wouldn't be ;)

Together We Save said...

Wow - you are published!! So exciting!! I would love to read your book!

Beth Mann said...

Congratulations! Totally love the premise for this book (and the title!). Hope I WIN! ;)

Patti said...

What a great story about how you got the book published, and sometimes breaking the rules works.

BTW, I love the title and the premise sounds like a great read.

Tana said...

I'm having a rotten morning, can I please win? What a thing of beauty that box must have been to open!

Caroline Starr Rose said...

Congrats! Now you have to explain to us the difference between a publication and release date.

Silke said...

You know... I wonder if I can get my library in the UK to get the book. (I'll try hehehe)
And I always liked older names, because there's just something wholesome about having a Walter (that's my granddad's name btw) or Karl (my dad's middle name) or George.
They are no nonsense names, and frankly, I think there are a lot of Jack's and Michael and whatnot out there for a reason. They are also old fashioned names, but they are timeless.
I like Walter for a hero. :)

j.leigh.bailey said...

I love hearing about random things that happened/impacted an author when they wrote a book. Very neat. I can't wait to read this--it sounds fun. If I don't win your contest, I'll just have to do amazon... :D

Sarita Leone said...

Huge congrats! Wishing you every success. :)

Sarita Leone said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Terri Tiffany said...

Hurry that is is out and here!!! I want to win! (how subtle is that?) but if I don't I will ask my library to get it in !

Penny Dune said...

Okay. I'm convinced... and I don't care if I am a crit partner!!! I didn't get to read it then! :D

Congrats.
Bethanne

Sarah Forgrave said...

Congratulations!!! Sounds like a super fun story!

PatriciaW said...

I see Caroline already asked, so I won't feel silly. What is the difference between a publication date and a release date?

Congratulations, Jennifer, on your latest publication.

Shelley Munro said...

Congratulations on your new book, Jennifer. I just love the title. Here's wishing you many sales. :)

December said...

Congrats!! What a fabulous plot!

Rula Sinara said...

Congrats, Jennifer! I love the title for the same reason you did. The cover is gorgeous too. Here's to many, many sales and great reviews!

Jackee said...

Yay, Jennifer! Congrats on getting the book you know, *out there*! I'm going to post this giveaway on my sidebar. Everyone should hear about it. Even if I'd rather just win myself. :o)

Have a lovely week! :o)

Cindy R. Wilson said...

Yay, congratulations! I'm so excited. The book sounds wonderful--can't wait for the chance to read it :)

Unknown said...

You're such a sweetheart... No you don't have to like me. Well I know for me that is definitely not true! I like you a lot and feel very special that you are giving away a copy!! I love the premise of your book and I'm very excited to learn of such a super fun novel!!!!

Count me in!!!! And Congrats on the awesome novel!!

Patti Lacy said...

WOW!!! This is AMAZING!!!

Count me in double!!

Patti

XD said...

That's great, and congrats :)

Unknown said...

So excited for you!

Lesley Speller said...

Congrats on your release, Jennifer! :-D

Kelly Polark said...

That is so exciting! It must feel so good to have your book in your hands! I love the title, too!
Congrats!

Jessica L. Brooks (coffeelvnmom) said...

Congrats on your release! That must have been a very pleasant surprise! =)

Deb Markanton said...

Ohhh, romance...my favorite!
Congrats!!

Vicki Rocho said...

Congrats on the book! Sounds like a cute story!

I've got an older brother (two, actually) but there is no way in H - E - double hockey sticks I would EVER live with the one. He would drive me up the proverbial wall buttin into my life.

Shari C said...

'Georgie on His Mind' sounds like a great read...Congratulations!

Would love to win a copy. Please enter me in your drawing.

Have a GREAT day!

Linda Kage said...

YAY! Congrats on the release. I really like the blurb. It sounds fun.

I would soooo love to win a copy, but I'll try to understand if I don't...and just go out and buy one!

Jennifer Shirk said...

Thanks, everyone! I'm getting that mushy lovey-dovey feeling inside. :)

Karen Lange said...

How exciting! Congrats to you! And you know, I have to agree with you, I think you are pretty nice:)

I would love a chance to win your book! Thanks for the opportunity.

Blessings,
Karen

Mary Aalgaard said...

It must feel like Christmas morning when you open that fresh box of books. It makes me excited for you and hopeful for me, yet unpublished in the book world. Congrats! And, celebrate!!!

Samantha Bennett said...

That book sounds amazing! Congratulations!!! And I love the names Georgie and Walter. Way to stick with your gut. :)

Amy Holder said...

I love the inside scoop you gave about writing the book in facts 1-4! It sounds like such a fun read & I love the title! Congrats on your (almost missed) release! :)

Reading In Montana said...

Nice, would love a copy!

Meghan Ward said...

Congratulations! Now I need you to clarify for ME what the difference is between a release date and a publication date, because I don't know either. And thanks for the synopsis and interesting tidbits, too.

Anonymous said...

Способы заработка на блоге

Вобще существует огромное множество способов заработка на блоге, и каждым из них можно пользоваться как отдельно так вместе. Основные зароботки это Размещение ссылок в своих постах, Контекстная реклама, Партнерские программы и т.д. но тут зависит от показателей блога т.е. если у Вашего блога пузомерки хорошие, а посещаемость низкая то лучше продовать ссылки, а вот если наоборот то лучше разместить у себя на блоге рекламу и зарабатывать на кликах по ней.

Queenie Jeannie said...

Too late for your giveaway, but still wanted to say a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS for getting your book published! Total awesomeness!!!

I also loved what you said about blogging being a way to talk without being interrupted - Amen Sister!!! Big hugs!

CMOM Productions said...

I missed the deadline, but I think your book sounds amazing! I also LOVE the title. Congrats on publishing!

Meg said...

Congrates!!! How exciting that must be to have your own words in print.

Meg

Dawn Simon said...

I'm so excited for you, Jennifer! I loved the interesting tidbits. And yeah, I got stressed just reading about submitting a synopsis for a book that isn't finished. I get why you did it, though--and everything worked out! :)

CONGRATULATIONS!!

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