Saturday, August 31, 2013

Of Writing Retreats and Missed Deadlines

Ever had so much to do that you just up and decided to flee to another state?

Because that's pretty much what just happened to me.

The only difference here, is that I've fled toward the work in question, and not away from it....

The first draft of Revival's sequel was supposed to be finished today. And, um, well I think it's pretty safe to say I won't be meeting my deadline.




*sigh*

It's my own fault. I allowed myself too much time off in August and then, when the inevitable happened and I ran into problems with Book 2's story arc, I realized I'd made a pretty serious tactical error.

And so (after the inevitable nervous breakdown had come and gone) I decided it was time to shut out the world entirely and get back down to business. I needed a writing retreat, stat.

One of the great things about working from home, is that your office is pretty easy to pack up and relocate.... So I threw two weeks of clothes in the back of my car, packed up everything I needed for writing and work, and I hit the road.

I'm now writing this post from the living room of a cabin in Virginia.



(The view from the front porch. So, basically, I've temporarily relocated to paradise.)


No distractions, no excuses... This book is going to be finished before I leave to head back home.

With a little luck, a lot of work, and a crap-ton of coffee, Book 2 should still be on schedule for a late Fall release! So yay for that.

That said... Break time is officially over for the morning. Time to get back to work!

If you're feeling generous, please send music rec's and positive vibes my way... Something tells me I'm going to need all the help I can get.

And thanks again for all the support, everyone! You guys rock!

Monday, August 19, 2013

Buzz for Free Books, Updates and A New Mailing List!



Hey guys!

So I've returned from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with a renewed love for the series, a suntan and these:



And if I need to explain either of those purchases to you, well... *Pats the non-initiated on the head* We still love you. It might be in that red-headed stepchild sort of way... But we do love you.

It was a fantastic way to spend my birthday! A little crowded, a little warm, but still a wonderful trip. 

(If you'd like to see more pictures from my vacation, just check the photos in my Twitter feed!)

Okay, so... UPDATES!

First up:

Buzz for Free Books!!!

 



Want a chance to earn a free copy of Revival?  Then it's time for you to check out the Newest Slice of Awesome on the Internet...

It's called Libboo, and it's ready to change the way you discover books!

How it works is simple... Authors offer rewards to their most devoted fans—and you can earn these rewards by sharing your favorite books with friends via social media sites.

Want to recommend a book to your friends on Twitter? Just Buzz it! In the process, you'll earn points that will bring you closer toward claiming that week's reward.

And you can always check back in the following weeks to see what new rewards are on offer!

Right now, sharing Revival with your friends will help you to earn a free copy of the eBook, but in the coming weeks, I plan to change up the rewards, so be sure to keep checking!

Ready to start sharing Revival and earning this weeks reward? (And perhaps discover some new favorite novels in the process?)  Then just click the link below and—



Next up...

 

 The Jena Leigh Mailing List


Looking for a way to keep up to date with giveaways, book releases and announcements related to the Variant Series and other Jena Leigh books? Sign up for the mailing list!

You have my word—no spamming. The most you'll ever receive is two e-mails a month (Unless I have some SUPER AMAZING ANNOUNCEMENTS that need to be made... but I'll try to make those extra posts worth your while by offering something shiny along with the announcement. Like free books. Or cookies... Because who doesn't love cookies?)


Subscribe to the Jena Leigh mailing list!

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That's all for now... Hope you all have a great week!!!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Tune in Tuesday—Vacation Mix!

So my birthday's right around the corner on the 15th and, to celebrate, I'll be taking a quick break from my writing hermitage and heading to Orlando for a few days!

That's right, ladies and gents! I'm FINALLY going to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! (When you live an hour and a half away and still haven't been, it tends to reflect badly on your life decisions. Just sayin'.)

Butterbeer, Hogwarts and rides, oh my!

...I may be a tad overly excited for this trip. My mother keeps reminding me that I'm turning 29, and not 12. But I think that's just because she's failed to fully understand my love for those books!

So, yes.

Vacation!

Yay, vacation.

To celebrate this excellent departure from my work schedule, I've pulled together a few songs that we'll be listening to during the trip....

And by we, I mostly mean me. Mom and I differ a bit in our music taste... But I TOTALLY intend to play the birthday card and veto any dubious music choices during the ride to Orlando. ( It's one of the few perks that comes with entering the last year of my twenties.)

~   *   ~   *   ~

Tune in Tuesday is a weekly music feature that was originally hosted by Ginger at GReads and is now run by the lovely Katelyn of Kate's Tales of Books and Bands. It's probably obvious by now that I love music almost as much as I love books! When I found out about Tune in Tuesday, I couldn't resist getting in on the action! Be sure to check back every week for new music and if you'd like to join us, just drop by Katelyn's blog and link up your post!


I decided to do things a little differently this week... Instead of linking to videos, I've put together a quick soundcloud playlist of the tracks.




Making the playlist this week are two tracks by the Swedish band NONONO (You might recognize "Pumpin Blood" from that Sparkling Ice commercial they play during nearly every break on HGTV... *clears throat* Not that I'd know anything about that, seeing as how I spend ALL my time lately working on Book 2...), two tracks from the amazing newcomers Sir Sly, as well as the new Ellie Goulding song "Burn" and a track from the Revivalists that I've had on repeat a lot lately...

With any luck, you'll find something new there to enjoy!

Happy Tuesday, y'all! I've got some last-minute packing to do!