6 days until you are ON SOLID GROUND...

**

“Michelle Kemper Brownlow delivers an emotional and empowering sequel to IN TOO DEEP that will take you on a journey of letting go, holding on and moving forward.

Gracie Jordan is a character that will stick with me for years to come."

~Sarah Rostar, Books She Reads

 

**

 

Are you SAM'S new girlfriend?

**

**

 

Well, you know I'm a sucker for a good contest...and I know you are sucker's for Sam, Jake's sidekick in IN TOO DEEP.

 

Sam finds himself a nice girl over Summer Break which is the timeframe of ON SOLID GROUND. And since I am still in the editing phase, I can make her YOU!

 

If you would like to be Sam's girlfriend (your name and description), head over to my facebook page and look for the photo above to enter TO BE SAM'S GIRLFRIEND! In the comments below the photo, tell me how "you" and Sam met...be creative or make it simple, it can be romantic or comical.

 

I will have a team of judges (my teenagers) choose the winning story and I will announce the winner tomorrow morning on my facebook page, so make sure you're a LIKER so it comes to your news feed!

 

Maybe YOU are Sam's new girlfriend in ON SOLID GROUND... her part isn't huge but she's a great girl...especially if she's YOU!



News: ON SOLID GROUND sets date for COVER REVEAL

**

**

If you've read IN TOO DEEP, you are well-acquainted with Gracie, Noah and Jake. Well, their stories aren't over when you reach the last page... ON SOLID GROUND is the sequel due out in December.

The cover reveal for ON SOLID GROUND will take place on numerous book blogs on August 20th!

So, for now, I leave you with the synopsis and a quick (previously posted) glimpse into the pages of of ON SOLID GROUND...

Synopsis:

Gracie survived an emotionally abusive relationship that wrecked her. Her ex, Noah, systematically chipped away at her self-esteem through intimidation, humiliation and infidelity which left Gracie unable to trust her own perception of his intentions. But after falling head over heels for Jake, her best friend and the man who stood by her through it all, she is ready to experience life in the way it was meant to be lived.  However, Gracie may find it impossible to simultaneously heal from the trauma of abuse while navigating a relationship with Jake. Can she put her heart on hold in order to heal her soul?

The sequel to the five-star debut novel, In Too Deep, chronicles Gracie’s steps toward recovery as she discovers new interests, reaches out for help, deals with the return of unexpected exes, struggles through setbacks and reacquaints herself with a sensual and talented soul from her past all in hopes of finding herself on solid ground.


Excerpt:

Calon: Yaz wants to do your guitar lesson at Mitchell’s tonight. 7:00 instead of 6:30.

That was odd. Why in the world would Yaz have Calon text me?

           I walked through the door of Mitchell's and could hear voices. I got to the bottom of the stairs and realized it was Alternate Tragedy but just the band, no Calon. I looked over at the bar just as Jake looked up. He smiled at what he thought was a surprise visit just as his instructor told them to practice something on their own while he took an important phone call.

            “What are you doing here? I thought you had a lesson.”

           “Calon texted me to meet Yaz here.”

             “Oh. He’s in the back booth.” He motioned with his chin toward the back of the bar and then smiled.

               I turned to go see Yaz who’d just leaned out into the aisle and caught a glimpse of me. He held up a finger to whoever he was talking to. That was the only bad thing about the basement of Mitchell’s; the high back booths. You couldn’t see into a booth unless someone was leaning out of it or you were directly next to it. I didn’t know how the wait staff kept track of their customers when they couldn’t even see if anyone was occupying the booths in their section.            

“Gracie, you ready?” Calon came out of nowhere.

            “Huh?” Panic seized my chest and I stared at Yaz like a deer in the headlights waiting for an explanation.

                “You’re practicing with AT tonight. Wednesdays are rehearsals for the weekend bands. You’re going to rehearse with them in place of your regular guitar lesson.”

               “Oh, I can’t—”

                “Oh but you can. Grab your guitar and follow me.”

               I could barely breathe. This was ridiculous. I searched behind the bar for Jake but his bartending class must have gone to the back room. The dimly lit room was empty except for us. Me, the guys of Alternate Tragedy and Yaz.

                “Guys, this is Gracie. Gracie, this is Spider, Manny, Bones and Phil.” All the guys said “hi” in unison. They smiled as though they were trying to comfort me. I was positive there was no way I could hide how terrified I was.

               “Can’t I just watch tonight? I’m not sure I’m ready—”

                “Gracie,” Calon took me by the shoulders and spun me so I faced him. He tilted his head down to catch my gaze. “have you ever seen the videos of the people who put babies in pools and they instinctively swim?”

                “I nodded.”

                “What’s the reason for that?”

                 “Because if …oh, wait, I know what you’re doing! Come on, guys!” I wiggled away from Calon and hugged my guitar case close to me.”

                “Finish what you were going to say.” Calon smirked.

              “You are infuriating.” I tried to look my angriest.

                “Baby, you’re not the first person to tell me that. Now finish.”

                 I sighed with a frustrated growl and spoke quickly, “They throw them in so it’s a sink or swim kind of thing. Anyone can be taught through lessons but the sink or swim technique makes swimming instinctive.”

                “Right on, G!” Spider called from his stool at the drums. I should have assumed a band made up mostly of men with nicknames would grant me my very own nickname. G? It could be worse.

                I saw the group of bartenders move out from the back room and take their spots behind the bar. Jake looked up and smiled and winked but I wondered if he was still bothered by my artistic connection with Calon.

                Calon ushered me to a stool at center stage with a mic stand directly in front of it. He took Josephine out of her case and helped me under the strap Jake got for me.

             “Now, if you decide you want to be our opening act, you will be playing acoustic. Just you and Josephine on the stage” I was stunned he remembered what I’d named my guitar. ”But if you want to mix it up a bit tonight, the guys have offered to be back up for you for a couple songs. They’re going to play along tonight just to take the pressure off a little.”

                “Calon. I didn’t prepare anything. I can’t—”

             “Sink or swim, Gracie.” 

                And with that he stepped down off the stage and sat down in a chair directly in front of me. He leaned back in the chair and started tapping one of his boots loud enough for the band to hear. On cue, Bones came in with the bass guitar, then Manny and Spider joined him with drums and Phil slammed a tambourine against his palm. “Rearview Mirror.”

               I closed my eyes and took some deep breaths. I took so many deep breaths that the guys had to do the whole eight measure intro three times before I was ready to sing.


If you are a book blogger and would like to join us on August 20th for the COVER REVEAL...please email me at michellebrownlow@yahoo.com

If you haven't already, you can check out IN TOO DEEP here!

IN TOO DEEP JULY BLOG HOP

**

 

**

I am thrilled to introduce you to the amazing bloggers who will be featuring and reviewing IN TOO DEEP on their blogs during our BLOG HOP during the week of July 15-19!

IN TOO DEEP was on three genre-specific Amazon best seller lists the day BEFORE its release and has been getting rave reviews ever since!

**In Too Deep chronicles the life of college Junior, Gracie Jordan who finds herself in a dysfunctional relationship and struggles to find her way out. IN TOO DEEP is a story of love, loss and finding the most genuine man you've ever known.**

"I truly can't believe this was Michelle's debut! One word WOW! It was captivating, emotional, heart racing and a truly heart wrenching story!" ~Leanne Gillings

"Oh my god...this book...I need a minute or a decade to write a goo enough review for this book..."
~Alba, BookPics

"This was a story that pulled me in and didn’t let go….and I loved it!" ~Jillian, Read-Love-Blog

"Okay here it goes..... This book is F^&*%$# INCREDIBLE! Lord I have never ever been so heart broken in my life." ~Tee Loves Kyle Jacobson

"OK everyone, we have a new book boyfriend! IN TOO DEEP, get it now! You will not be disappointed!" ~BookBoyfriend

ON SOLlD GROUND is the sequel to IN TOO DEEP and will be released in DECEMBER 2013

Here are Gracie's stops during the BLOG HOP!

MONDAY 7/15
SBookLover Reviews
The Book Bellas
Ashley's Book Corner
Holly's Hot Reads

TUESDAY 7/16
The Bookish Panda
Talk Supe
Jenee's Book Blog

WEDNESDAY 7/17
Reading is  My Time Out
Cover Bound Bookie
Read-Love-Blog
Library at the End of the Universe

THURSDAY 7/18
Bianca 2b
Naughty & Nice Book Blog
Wine, Books 'n Fringe
Sub Club Books
Gutter Girls Book Reviews
Rude Girl Book Blog

FRIDAY 7/19
Smitten's Book Blog
Romance Addict Book Blog
Books, Coffee & Wine
HEA Bookshelf
Christine Locke Books
SMI Book Club

I am blessed to have so many bloggers excited to share Gracie's story with their readers!

I LOVE COMMENTS so, please feel free to leave your comments during the week of the BLOG HOP - don't forget to tell me which BLOG HOP STOP you came from! :)


 

Last Day of the IN TOO DEEP Blog Tour

**

Click the graphic to check out all the stops on the tour!

**

Well, it has been a whirlwind of a week! IN TOO DEEP started its blog tour with XpressoBlogTours and I couldn't be happier!

What an amazing experience to be witness to something you created being weighed and measured by many different people with many different likes and dislikes! I really enjoyed my very first blog tour and am already planning to have one for the sequel...

....yes, I said sequel!

The sequel for IN TOO DEEP is possibly releasing before the end of the year!

If you would like to review IN TOO DEEP, please use the contact tab above and let me know, I would be happy to send you a copy to review.

Don't miss all the amazing reviews and give Giselle from Xpresso your props! Her tour savvy is amazing! :)

Now, I have some writing to do!

**

 

**

I am so excited to be starting my BLOG TOUR today with Xpresso Book Tours! Click on the graphic above and you can check out the 49 stops IN TOO DEEP will be making over the next five days!

Some super awesome book bloggers have REVIEWS and GIVEAWAYS running for the next five days! Win a copy of IN TOO DEEP or just stop by to read their reviews before you purchase a copy of your own.

Here are just a few tiny snippets of some awesome reviews:

“The beauty of friendship and the power of true love shine through the darkness of this emotional roller coaster.” -Fairie Tale Books
 

“Okay here it goes..... This book is F^&*%$# INCREDIBLE! Lord I have never ever been so heart broken in my life. I read this book and lord i had all these emotions and I was bawling like a crazy a$ lady!” - A Diary of a Book Addict

 

“Wow….. This book was completely captivating.” - Crystal's Random Thoughts

I am so excited with the applause IN TOO DEEP is getting. It's a tough subject and I give my readers credit for sticking with Gracie all the way to the end...it's a tough read...it was tough to write and re-read and edit and re-read and edit...it's definitely an emotional roller coaster!

There has also been some HYPE over Jake! Oh, sweet, sweet Jake! Here are just a few ecards circulating throughout the net...enjoy!

Thanks so  much for those of you creative enough to make these GORGEOUS examples of everyone's IN TOO DEEP favorite! :)

Enjoy!
Haven't gotten your copy of IN TOO DEEP yet. CLICK HERE to get your ebook or paperback!

IN TOO DEEP is ALMOST HERE!!

**

**amazing collage courtesy of Jenee's Book Blog**

 

About a month ago my computer was freaking out and it wouldn't let me post here. Something was wonky, I don't know what. So, needless to say, as the countdown to IN TOO DEEP's release moved faster and faster, I was busy on Twitter, Goodreads and Facebook making connections, accepting friend requests and welcoming followers. I have also been fully eveloped in writing the "Part 2" of IN TOO DEEP. My blog has suffered a bit coming in at last place on my priorities list...which is silly b/c this is where you get to know the REAL me, my freak personality, my goofball humor and I've been neglecting you.

 

For that, I apologize!

 

 

Today I decided to give it another try and see if my laptop would do what I needed it to to post for you today and VOILA, it's working! While I was setting it up, I peeked at my stats page and there were almost 6800+ page views last month....WHAT THE HECK? That's up from just a little over 100 visitors a month. Even though I wasn't posting I had readers visiting in droves! Well, that just thrills me to no end!

 

 

Friday of last week I was surprised at my door by a smirking UPS man. My UPS man is awesome, my kids call him my 'boyfriend' which makes me giggle. He IS quite handsome and he DID go to Penn State, but I've got all I can handle with my HOT husband so...a boyfriend, no. I can write scandalous things but that's because I have no interest in living that way! LOL! So, anyway, Phil the UPS man is standing at my door and it dawns on my that he may have my books....books I hand't laid eyes on, books I hadn't touched with my own hands. Sure enough, that's what he was delivering - 9 boxes of IN TOO DEEP for my book signing this weekend! Poor Phil saw a side of me he didn't know what to do with. I was jumping and clapping and crying and thanking him like he personally printed each one!

 

Now, before I show you the picture (which has been all over the internet by now, between Twitter and Facebook) let me forewarn you, it is not pretty. Our A/C was broken, it was 90+ degrees, I had been writing all day so I had not showered, dressed or put  make up on...not the way you want to memorialize your very first novel in your hands...but, hey, you hang around with me long enough and you know I'm the "you get what you get" kind of person...I don't DO fake. So, I wasn't faking anything in this less-than-attractive pose but here you go...this is what Phil did to me on Friday...

 

 

When collage's like the one at the top of this post and this one...

**gorgeous collage courtesy of Brittany & Bianca Blab Books**

 



...started coming my way from bloggers who had already read IN  TOO DEEP, I knew no one had to pinch me anymore...THIS SHIZNIT WAS REAL! I was getting FAN mail and virtual FAN art! This is the validation every author needs to remind them...someone (Sapphire Star Publishing, in my case) didn't just give you a shot...they believed in you because what you do is WORTHY of being in print. They knew that your characters would grab ahold of readers' hearts and give it a good shake before letting it go. Someone knew the market well enough to let your words make a statement for the world to read!

I am in awe of the response IN TOO DEEP has received!

Just going over the reviews on Goodreads gives me chills...and yes, I will admit, I read those couple reviews every day! EVERY day because it is an amazing feeling to have people you have never met connect with people you have created in a way that leaves them teary-eyed and speechless. There is no feeling like this!

So, with ONE DAY left to go...

I have to say, I am honored to bring you the life of Gracie Jordan. I am anticipating your reactions to Noah Foster. And I am squealing with excited to introduce the amazing Jake Rockwell to all the BOOK BOYFRIEND FREAKS out there... and I say FREAKS with respect, because I am one of you!

Now here are all the deets you need to take this awesome IN TOO DEEP trip right along with me:

OFFICIAL RELEASE DAY June 6th! TOMORROW!

Available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle and also available on BarnesandNoble.com in paperback and Nook.

Tomorrow I hope you will join me at my VIRTUAL RELEASE PARTY on Facebook from 9am-12pm! Come with virtual food and drink. Ask me questions, tell me what you think of the book so far, NO SPOILERS PLEASE. And I can't promise anything but there's a slight chance Gracie, Noah and Jake may show up for a short time.

Saturday I will be doing a book signing at AROMA'S COFFEE and BAGELS in Elverson, PA from 9am - 12pm. I will have those NINE boxes of books on hand for you to grab or bring one you've already received! Hope I will see you there!

The week of June 13-17 is my VIRTUAL BOOK/BLOG TOUR thanks to Xpresso Book Tours. I will be bouncing around to FORTY-NINE different blogs that week. Crazy!

I am also looking forward to a couple college visits next school year. I have been invited by two universities to come speak to their SIGMA KAPPA Chapters (my sorority) and do a program on emotional abuse and its red flags! I will also be selling books and signing them at these events as well!

I am living a dream!
OK I lied....you're still going to have to pinch me...I don't think I will ever get used to this.

But I do have to say, Gracie (who is real in my heart) DOES deserve all this hooplah for all she has survived! Thank you for giving her props!

Peace out, Romance Peeps!
(And for the 1,000,000th time - thank you to my favorite band, Pearl Jam for inspiring this book!)
You can read more about that HERE!

The paragraph that started it all...

**

The strong force of the wave pulled me under.  I gasped for air just before my facedisappeared below the surface. My body rolled over and over, my arms flailed, and my head pounded into the sea bed which felt like a concrete floor. The salty water stung my eyes. I forced myself to keep them open, fearing I would slip into unconsciousness from the blow I took to the head. I knew I had to hold it together long enough for the swell to pull me back up when the wave rolled. But something was pulling me deeper. I fought with all my might, kicking against the thick water swallowing me whole. I used my arms like underwater oars and sliced through the depths trying to reach what I needed most, but I was in too deep.

**

In a little over two weeks my world will change and it all started with the paragraph above. On June 6th my debut romance novel, IN TOO DEEP will be available both in ebook formats as well as paperback. In essence, the quiet ramblings of my heart and soul will be flashed across Kindles and Nooks and iPhones of people I will never know. It's not like I didn't know this was part of the gig...it's just completely surreal!

The italicized paragraph above came to me, pardon the pun, like a flood. Truly!

On a particularly difficult day, when something triggered memories and the residual pain of an abusive relationship I had in college, I climbed onto my bed shaking and drenched with tears. Of course, I self-medicated but not how you might think...music. Music is my cure all and the louder the better. I blasted my favorite album and trusted stand by for the last 20 years - Pearl Jam Ten.

I was particularly entranced with the song DEEP that day and I heard it in a way I hadn't before. I couldn't count the number of times I'd listened to Pearl Jam sing about some people being "in too deep" but until that moment, I'd only sung the words at face value. This time my soul sang with my heart and it was at that moment I realized I was IN TOO DEEP. So, going on sheer inspiration from the chorus...."in too deep, can't touch the bottom," A description began to form in my mind of what it would be like to drown. It was not an intentional thing... it literally just flooded my brain. I ran to the closest piece of paper and started writing.

And the first paragraph of IN TOO DEEP was born. I continued writing it but at the time had no intention of sharing the fictional characters with anyone else.

In 17 days Gracie, Noah and Jake will come to life.

THAT, is completely surreal!

Gracie's take on EMOTIONAL abuse...

**

**

Hi.
Many of you will read my story over the next year and my biggest wish is that it shines a light on emotional abuse so you can see it for what it is. Whether you have lived my situation or not, I want you to "get it."

What I went through with Noah started off beautiful. I was floored that someone as hot and dangerous as Noah would even give me, mousy little innocent me, a second glance. And then he fell in love with me. Unbelievable. I loved the tough guy thing. He wasn't afraid to fight. He made me feel safe. I trusted him with my heart and my body. He had  me under his spell.

They say hindsight is 20/20. Little by little, and in a very stealth manner, Noah convinced me that I was nothing without him. It wasn't in what he said but through what he 'taught' me about how a relationship works. And, unless you have been in my situation, you can not begin to understand how subliminal those messages to my brain were. Abusers aren't stupid, they know exactly what they are doing.

The official definition of emotional abuse is this:

 Emotional abuse is like brain washing in that it systematically wears away at the victim’s self-confidence, sense of self-worth, trust in their own perceptions, and self-concept. Whether it is done by constant berating and belittling, by intimidation, or under the guise of “guidance,” “teaching,” or “advice,” the results are similar. Eventually, the recipient of the abuse loses all sense of self and remnants of personal value. Emotional abuse cuts to the very core of a person, creating scars that may be far deeper and more lasting than physical ones (Engel, 1992, p. 10).

I have found that the people who assume I was weak and/or enjoyed 'playing the victim' have little to no experience with rock bottom self-esteem and that is AWESOME because it means they don't know the pain and sense of loss I do. I am thrilled for them but I plead with them not to make judgements about something they don't know first hand.

I was so naiive when I met Noah. I had only had one boyfriend before him and we never fought which led me to believe he wasn't passionate about our relationship. The control Noah had over me was disguised as passion. Many of us who consider ourselves strong individuals fall for men like Noah and many times we find ourselves IN TOO DEEP.

Being a victim of emotional abuse does NOT equal weakness but being a survivor DOES equal strength.

So, be careful who you call weak...in the end we proved our strength by surviving.

My hope is that those of you who feel like you are walking in my path will learn from my mistakes and get out before he swallows you whole. You CAN survive but you have to shake yourself free from the thoughts he's put in your head of what you are worth...

BECAUSE YOU ARE WORTH THE KIND OF LOVE HE CAN NEVER GIVE YOU!

"Falling down is part of life, getting back up is living."
I want you be a survivor.

Love,
Gracie <3 p="">

 

In Too Deep VERY FIRST review

**


Something I will never EVER forget!

Shh Mom's Reading was the first to leave a GOODREADS review of IN TOO DEEP. My stomach is still entertaining a swarm of butterflies!



Go check out the VERY FIRST REVIEW OF IN TOO DEEP then add it to your "to read" shelf! Can't wait to hear what you think!

:) Peace.

to pearl jam with love - THE BOOK

**

It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I am a PEARL JAM nut!

Well, I was approached a couple months ago by a Lori Tone who is creating a book called to pearl jam with love and she was hoping I would submit something for her review since she read that my novel, IN TOO DEEP that's coming out in June, was inspired by Pearl Jam's song DEEP.

I checked with my publisher to make sure I wasn't going against anything in my contract and they said GO FOR IT!

It was a labor of love to try to explain how personal this band is to me. I didn't want it to read like my 12 year old fan letters to Leif Garrett. I wanted with all my heart for Eddie, Stone, Jeff, Matt and Mike to really be moved by my experiences with them and how they brought me to where I am now. I know it sounds cliche but it's the truth. If it weren't for their inspiration I would never have written IN TOO DEEP.

to pearl jam with love is going to be FREAKING AMAZING!

I want to introduce you to the amazing woman behind this incredible Brain Child.

Here is a small blurb about Lori Tone:

My name is Lori Tone and I am a (10c) card-carrying Pearl Jam addict...and fan since 1991. I am also a professional, published Canadian writer, editor, photographer, and communications professional ... amongst other ambitions. My dedication to seeing this project to print and presented to the band (and fans!) is absolute. I am very lucky to have the support of my family and friends, as well as MANY of you, the Pearl Jam faithfull. I won't change direction and I won't change my mind.

About the book:

  to pearl jam with love is a unique collection of stories, love letters, thank-yous and artistic tributes to a band who has touched countless people around the world for more than two decades.

It is about the sharing of moving and inspirational stories and memories, each unique, but at the same time connected to the band and their music.

to pearl jam with love are the words and images that make these stories come alive. Stories from everyday fans, fellow musicians, collaborators, and those who have experienced first hand the generosity that seems to flow unending from this band.

Along with the captivating words, the book is about artwork, photos and other stunning tributes to the band by both the amateur and professional.

It is our chance, new fan or old, famous or not, to have our Pearl Jam story heard, our thanks given and to make sure the world knows just how amazing this band and these individuals truly are.

So,  if you have had an unforgettable Pearl Jam experience or have always thought, "If I ever met the band I would thank them for..." then you need to contact Lori through the book's website.
(Yes, I made that whole sentence a link....it got your attention, didn't it?)

I am thrilled to be a part of this project and would love to be a fly on the wall as Eddie, Stone, Jeff, Matt and Mike sit down with a case of wine and read through all the stories of lives they have changed. It isn't an unknown fact what talent they have but it has been said by everyone who meets them that they are amazing humans and some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

Lori's efforts in putting this book together will not go unappreciated by the band. This is our time, as fans, to give back and it's an amazing feeling to know this specific group of men will undoubtedly cherish to pearl jam with love.

I couldn't be more excited!

IN TOO DEEP book trailer

**
We are down to less than two months until the release of IN TOO DEEP! I was expecting to be excited (which I am) but wasn't expecting to have 3 or 4 swarms of butterflies in my stomach every time I think about June 6th getting closer and closer!

I'm not worried people won't like the book. It's such a subjective thing, I know everyone will have their own opinions of it and that's fine. I expect that. As a former art student, I have a thick skin from all the verbal critiques of my work I've had to sit through. So, although I would love if EVERY reader gave it five stars, I'm being realistic. In my honest opinion, the majority of you will love it.

My nerves about its release aren't based on subjective opinions of the book. I think, as a debut author, the butterflies come from putting my heart (literally) on parade for everyone one of you to see inside. Sure, IN TOO DEEP is fiction, but that doesn't mean it didn't come directly from my heart. Ask any author, the characters they create are REAL in their minds. No. No. No. We are not loons. We know they aren't REAL in the physical sense but we know so much about them, they feel real. Writing 96,000 words about Gracie, Noah and Jake opened up a private world for me to watch unfold. Their private world. Something that took on a life of its own. And now I am sharing those private moments with all of you.

Most of you who read non-stop know what it means to have a "Book Hangover." It's when you walk around for a couple days after finishing a book you loved and you try and wean yourself from the connection you have with those characters. You may have only met those characters three days prior when you opened the book but now they are a part of your life. Ask any voracious reader and they will tell you that it happens often.

Well Gracie, Noah and Jake have been part of the creative section of my brain for YEARS. I have spent years with their story rolling around in my head. I have gotten to know them so well I could tell you what color polish Gracie prefers on her toes, what Noah's favorite food is and how many children Jake wants to have one day. And none of those specifics are in the book.

I am SO excited to introduce each character to you on June 6th when my heart goes out to the world! But the butterflies will be there...for a while.

Thank you for your support. For your tweets and RTs. Thank you for posting links to me on your facebook. YOU are helping me grown my fan base each time you do that and it's an awesome feeling for a newbie author to have so much support even BEFORE my book is released.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
I am so excited to share the IN TOO DEEP book trailer with you! It gives me butterflies...hope you feel them, too!

xoxo
**NO COPYRIGHTS INFRINGEMENT INTENDED
---this is a fanmade video, no claims have been made
on the images, clips, and songs used, credit goes to
the original owners---**


 

Sneak Peek of IN TOO DEEP!!

**

 

**

 

I have been head first in my content edits for IN TOO DEEP and barely come up to breathe during the day. Seriously, the last of my kids get on the bus at 8:30 and that's typically when I've been plopping down in front of my lap top. The other day I got up two times to pee and that was it until 4:00.

 

 

I have to say, this is an awesome experience! Even better than I imagined over the last seven years of trying to break into this business. I am really hoping the gals at Sapphire Star Publishing will keep me around because I am in Heaven!

 

 

So, my belly is full of breakfast, I have showered (which usually takes a back seat to Gracie and Noah) and I have been listening to music since before I left my bed this morning. So, it's time to get to work. I love my commute. :) But since it has been more than a couple days since I last posted, I thought I would give you a SNEAK PEEK to hold you over while I am busy today fishing more of this story from my brain.

 

 

~*~

Pulled from the middle of...IN TOO DEEP

The water lapped up further onto my legs and the strong undertow pulled me toward the waves. I knew if I gave up now I would be swallowed by a wave that would roll me more violently than the first. I couldn’t let the ocean take me. I dug my fingers into the sand and pulled against the current. I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to make it but I wasn’t going to die without trying my hardest to pull myself away from the depths that had a hold on me before. I reached out for the one thing I knew could save me at that moment…

            “Gracie. Are you okay?  Please, say something!” Jake’s voice was sleepy and panicked. I knew he would see my number on his phone just in case I couldn’t speak. My mouth was trying to hold in the sobs while my brain formed the words.

            “I…I…” I couldn’t. I didn’t even know where to start. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to admit to being so stupid and thinking that ringing in this special birthday with Noah would be anything but painful.

            “You’re scaring me. Please just say something. Tell me what’s wrong.”

            I spent the next hour vomiting all of the night’s hell to Jake. Most of the time he was the quiet listener, but I could hear the vile anger in his voice when he did speak. Jake’s anger didn’t scare me like Noah’s did. I wasn’t afraid of losing Jake, I knew I couldn’t. There was nothing I could do that would cause him to walk away. Having someone like that in my life was the only thing holding me together.

            “I am so sorry, baby girl. I wish I was there to hold you so you could get some sleep.”

            “Me, too.” That’s when I realized this was what he meant when he said he would take me however he could have me. He told me he was in love with me, and now I was once again detailing the further breaking of my heart by his former roommate. He was putting his own heart second because I was sure it was killing him to hear all the details of my night if he truly did love me. He was putting me first. He would be my friend first, even if I couldn’t love him back. I had no words for the kind of selflessness I didn’t know existed before Jake.

            When I realized how my pain over Noah must be hurting him, I decided to stop. I needed to turn it off and make sure he was okay before we hung up. I shouldn’t have called him. Now my heart was breaking for the two most important guys in my life. One because he hurt me and one because I may be hurting him. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Sleep. I just needed to sleep.

            “Are you sure you’re okay? I can stay on the phone with you as long as you need me to.”

            “No, Jake. You’ve already done so much. I can’t thank you enough for what you do for my heart.”

            “I love you. You’re my best friend. I am always here for you. You know that.”

            “I know. Thank you.”

            “No thanks necessary. That’s what friends do.” He was assuring me that his ‘I love you’ was intended to be friendly and not guilt inducing. How could I tell him how much I loved him without having to qualify it as ‘just as friends?’

            “I love our friendship, Jake, I don’t know what I would do without you.”

            “Well, the feeling is mutual.”

            I wasn’t sure how I landed such a beautiful friend. But his unconditional friendship was stunning. I wasn’t sure if I could ever reciprocate what he gave me but I would die trying if he ever needed me the way I needed him. But he’d never be as stupid as I had been.

            “Go to sleep, sweet girl. You need to get some rest.”

            “Goodnight, Jake.”

            “Goodnight.”

~*~

SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!! I can't wait for you to know what comes before AND after this scene!

 

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus... WAIT!

**

As you all know - I am a FREAK when it comes music but even more of a FREAK when it comes to lead singers. It's no secret.

There's no need to warn my husband, he knows. He expects me to zone out once we get to concerts and live shows...he also knows he's my FAVORITE guy on the planet so there's no jealousy involved.

Weeeelllll, there is this one band...he gets a little angsty about. But that's because I smooched the lead singer in a private backstage moment at the end of one of their shows (I was in college). Yeah, he gets a little hung up on that one. So, I won't mention WHAT band that was...could start a riot.

ANYWAY, I digress...

Because I am always listening to music and finding new bands, I can't figure out how I have missed RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS for all this time? They are totally my kind of band!

One of my awesome Twitter friends who happens to also be an amazing book blogger shared a song with me that she thought could be the TITLE SONG on a SOUNDTRACK should IN TOO DEEP ever be made into a movie. (breathe, breathe)

I wanted to share that song with you because she couldn't have hit closer to the bullseye on this one.
@BooksOverBoys introduced me to RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS and their song FACEDOWN. I am floored. I can picture Jake standing toe-to-toe with Noah, saying,

Do you feel like a man when you push her around?

Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?

 

 

I can also picture Jake holding Gracie by the shoulders as she cries, saying,

 

 

Hey, girl, you know you drive me crazy
one look puts the rhythm in my hand.
Still I'll never understand why you hang around
I see what's going down.

 

WOW! Just WOW!



So, on that note (ha ha, you like that pun? *insert dorky grin here*) I wanted to share these guys and their amazing song with you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so thrilled to introduce you to RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS singing FACEDOWN! (You probably already know them, but don't tell me...let me keep thinking I introduced them to you :D)

Enjoy!
(and if you have any songs you think would be perfect if IN TOO DEEP would ever be on the big screen, let me know and I will feature your choice, too)

Now what....?

**

**

 

 

^^ That little guy up there...that's what I feel like now that my content edits have been sent to my editor. I'm super ecstatic that we are almost done the revision process simply because it means the actual RELEASE DATE is getting closer! 77 days away, but who's counting. But, after spending almost 8 hours a day for the last month rewriting, revamping and revising...now I have to REmember that I actually should be cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, doing laundry, etc. Ew. Amy, send my manuscript back. LOL!

 

There is so much that goes into publishing a book that it's not like I won't still be busy with all things IN TOO DEEP...I don't know how the self-publishing authors do it - hats of to ya, if I didn't have an entourage of people helping me make sure all my i's are dotted and my t's are crossed, I would surely not be this close to my release date, that's for sure.

 

There's a lot still on my to do list but I am making time today to finish TAKE THIS REGRET, the sequel to LOST TO YOU which I just turned into a lump of jelly over. Wow! A.L. Jackson helped me fall in love with Christian Davison and I'm just dying to see where TAKE THIS REGRET takes  him.

Technically, this is a sick day for me...feeling a bit under the weather so, maybe lighting a fire and taking my huge mug of tea over to the couch for a while isn't such a bad idea...as long as Christian Davison is coming with me.

 

Peace.



 

Questions from my readers...

*

*

One of the coolest things about awaiting your book release is the realization that someday soon you will have "readers" which translates loosely to "fans!" People who like the junk that floats around in my head. People who want to play with the made-up characters in my mind. That is so freaking cool!!

So, today I am answering questions from my readers.

Technically, I only have one reader. My editor extraordinaire. But my prospective readers have left questions on my facebook and I thought I would take some time to answer them.

And they READ my facebook, so maybe I'm not jumping the gun by calling them 'my readers.'

So, here goes:

What "told" you to write?! When you wrote your book, did it just flow freely or did you have to ponder about it often?! When and where did the idea come from?!? :) ~Stephanie

 

Well, since IN TOO DEEP is loosely based on my own experience with an abusive boyfriend, I guess the structure or the skeleton of the story has been with my for about 20 years. But because it is fiction, there were many parts I had to ponder or work out over a couple days. Some of the fictional pieces came completely out of nowhere and some of them were formed when I'd text my BFFs, "Hey, I need a ..... for when she .....! Tell me how you picture that happening."

 

What was your writing process from the beginning? When you knew you had an idea for a story how did you go about getting the story told? ~Jennie

 

I wrote about five chapters of IN TOO DEEP then walked away for a while to make sense of where the story was going. When I went back to it and jumped in where I left off I realized it wasn't a story I wanted sitting in a file cabinet for years before I finished it. So, I set myself strict goals and wrote at least 1,000 words without editing - just stream of consciousness writing. After I hit 50,000 words, the story wasn't finished but I went back in and edited. When that was done, I wrote the ending.

 

 Since your book is written from a personal experience, is there anything you would change about what happened? ~Myah

 

It's been fun making up scenes and conversations that I wish I would have had the nerve to entertain when I was fighting through my own heartache. I put Gracie in some similar situations to my own and in some cases I wrote into the story what I wish I had the nerve to do or say in the heat of the moment. But, much of the story is fiction so in a way, sometimes I feel like I did re-write history.

 

Do you have a particular time of day or place in or out of your home when/where you're most productive at writing? What gets your juices flowing? ~Denise

My most productive writing time is as soon as the last of my kids are on the bus. I grab my coffee and something to eat and sit at the kitchen table by our patio doors and start there. I have a beautiful studio my husband created for me a couple years ago but in the morning, when the house is quiet and I don't have to hide to get some private writing time, that's when I like to be at the table. Sometimes I start writing and the next thing I know my big kids are getting off the bus. That's when I know the scenes I wrote were good ones! :)

Thanks for your questions!
I love answering them! Feel free to leave questions on my facebook author page and I will periodically do Q&A style posts!

Peace.