Covet Release Day!

*******UPDATE*******

Congratulations, James Barton! You are the winner of the Covet gift basket. Please e-mail me at [email protected]. I need to verify where you shared the widget, and I also need your postal mailing address. If I don’t hear from you in 24 hours I’ll pick another winner.

Hello everyone!

I am beside myself with excitement because it’s Covet’s book birthday. It seems like I’ve been waiting forever to write this post (and it probably feels like that to some of you, too). I plan to celebrate the release of this book in all kinds of wonderful ways, and I would be thrilled if you would join me.

Periodically, over the last two years, people have asked me, “Was it hard to write your first book?” I tell them that, yes, it was definitely work, but also a labor of love. But do you know what’s even harder than writing your first book? Writing your second (I’m not counting Uncharted here because even though it was the second title I released, I actually wrote it after I wrote Covet).

When you write your first book you really don’t know what you’re in for. But when it’s time to write another book, you know. You know that you’ll be mentally tired. You know that you’ll probably spend days in your writing chair, with only the bare minimum of attention paid to grooming (hello, yoga pants and ponytail!). You know all about the frustration, self-doubt, and neuroses that go along with creating a brand new world, with all new characters.

It’s even harder when your first book reaches more people than you ever dreamed it would. And believe me when I say that if I just wrote about Anna and T.J. for the rest of my writing career, there would probably be some very happy readers. But Covet is a story that I really wanted to tell. The setting – a suburban neighborhood – is something I know a lot about. I’d already written a romance novel and now it was time to try my hand at women’s fiction since these are the two genres I love the most.

My inspiration for Covet came from a real-life event. In the fall of 2008 my husband was in danger of being laid off. He was a valued employee and had been with his company for over fifteen years, but the recession was bearing down on everyone and none of that mattered. I was a stay-at-home-mom at the time, so the threat of losing our only source of income weighed heavily on my husband and me. Fortunately, David did not lose his job, but there were many couples who weren’t so lucky. Most of my books start out as a series of questions, and Covet was no different. I wondered, “What if my husband had lost his job? What effect would that have had on an otherwise strong marriage? What are the different ways in which men and women deal with marital stress? What if someone else was there for you when your spouse wasn’t?” And the final question, “Can men and women ever be just friends?” The answers to those questions became the basis for Covet’s storyline. I just had to know what the outcome would be for this fictional couple that I’d decided to write about. My hope is that you’ll relate to this story. You may see yourself, or your neighbor, or your best friend within the pages. 

So, where can you get a copy of the book? Penguin US has provided a nifty little widget that makes it super easy to purchase Covet. You can find it HERE (simply click on the highlighted link). Once you open the widget you can click on the buy link of your choice (then simply choose your preferred format). 

Today is also the publication of the UK version of Covet (e-book only – the trade paperback publication date is April 2014). Here are the purchase links for Penguin UK:

iTunes
Amazon UK
Kobo
Sainsbury’s

And because no launch day would be complete without a giveaway, let me tell you what’s up for grabs! First, anyone can win a special signed bookplate (more info below), and one lucky winner will receive this gift basket. It’s filled with all kinds of cool things, many of which are mentioned in the book.

In this basket you will find: signed copies of On the Island and Covet (personalized with the winner’s name), gift cards to Panera ($25), Starbucks ($15), Barnes & Noble ($50), and Amazon ($50), a Covet keychain, a DVD of Eat, Pray, Love and Up In The Air, a jar of roasted pineapple and habanero dip (you can make crack dip!), a corkcicle (which is the greatest invention ever), and a bottle of Sarah Jessica Parker’s Covet perfume. The only thing you don’t get is the actual basket, because I don’t even want to think about trying to fit the handle of that thing inside a box. But you get everything else.
 
All of my prior giveaways have been international, but this giveaway is open to US and Canada only. Right now, Covet is only available in the US, UK, and Canada. However, it’s only available as an e-book in the UK because the trade paperback will not be released there until April 2014. I promise to celebrate the launch of the UK trade paperback by having a UK-only giveaway at that time. As for other countries, my foreign rights agent will be hard at work to make sure that Covet becomes available all over the world. 
  
So, how do you enter? (The giveaway is at the bottom of this post). 


 

Share the widget on Facebook by posting it on your wall. You can earn extra entries if you also share the widget on Twitter, follow me on Twitter, and “like” my Facebook author page. To be eligible to win I do need to be able to trace back to the widget, so in the comments section of my blog please let me know where you shared it (you’ll earn another entry just by leaving a blog comment).

Once again, HERE is the link to the widget. Click on it to open, and then copy and paste the link to share. 

If you prefer paper books over electronic versions, I also have a special gift for you. These are bookplates I had made at Bookplate Ink for the hardcover edition of Covet. Aren’t they cool?

I’ll sign my name right below the cover image. Then you’ll simply peel off the backing and place the bookplate on the inside cover of your book (or wherever you’d like to put it).

If you bought the hardcover, please take a picture of yourself holding the book and e-mail it to me at [email protected] (please include your mailing address). I will send you a signed bookplate and also post your picture on my Facebook author page. Smile pretty!

I want to offer my heartfelt gratitude to all of you. I have been blessed with the best readers an author could ever hope for. Your enthusiasm and support never fails to amaze me, and none of this would be possible without you. 

Thank you for everything.

xoxo,

Tracey

This Post Has 96 Comments

  2. Congratulations!! I’m so excited to see this on the shelves and it is such a lovely story! 🙂

    xoxo
    Erin

    P.S. I put this on facebook and twitter.

  26. Hey! Shared on Twitter (AprilParrott1) and have told all my fellow reader-moms! I couldn’t put On the Island down and had to reread it, and am SUPER excited to get my book in the mail from Amazon!! Woohoo!

  31. I shared on my Fb page and I follow you on twitter. I won an autographed book of On The Island from you around February of this year and I would LOVE to win a copy of Covet! You are a uniquely gifted writer! Thanks for the giveaway!!!

  39. Tracey, I LOVE your books. I bought the first one to read on a train trip to New York and I almost had it finished by the time I got there!! I look forward to reading the other two! I shared the link on FB, email and best of all word of mouth. Best of luck to you!

  41. Tracey! First off, you already know how much I LOVE Covet and have recommended it to everyone I know! Secondly, I want to win this basket more than you’ll ever know! I brought my Kindle recently and am saving up for a new one (it’s slow going!) and I can’t eevn afford to treat myself to a coffee (which is why the giftcards would come in handy!)

    I shared the link on my Facebook, Twitter ( @itsangdarling) and through email. I’ve followed you, “liked” you and spread the word!

    Best of luck with Covet, girl! I already know it will be a success because it’s brilliant!

  44. Happy release day!! I waited up last night until Amazon delivered my pre-order to my Kindle!! I started it, read til I fell asleep, and finished today. Great book! May I suggest Ian Somerholder as Daniel in the movie?? 🙂
    Sooooo good!!!! What to read now???

  45. Congrats on the release of Covet!!! This is a great way to celebrate Covet!!!! This is an amazing book and I absolutely love this cover!!! I shared on my FB page @ https://www.facebook.com/Beautifuldisaster29 VIA Twitter @ https://twitter.com/Pretty_in_ink30/status/380071717160230912 And also on my blog Leave No Book Behind @ http://www.bookcandii.blogspot.com And My FB Blog @ https://www.facebook.com/BookCandii Google Plus @https://plus.google.com/u/0/100465813639992606525/posts Pinerest@http://www.pinterest.com/pin/384213411931235108/ Thanks for writing such amazing novels and good luck to you in your future endeavors!!!!

  48. I just happened on your website today. I was checking out if you had any other books besides “On the Island.” I had checked it out in large print format from my local library. It was a great read. I was just going to leave you a comment until I saw this great contest. I added Uncharted to my get list on Amazon. I am bummed that I don’t have anywhere to share this. ll_gee(at)hotmail.com

  77. Best of luck, Tracey – I’m headed to BN now to spy on the launch, see if I can stumble across a nice endcap I can take a photo of. Entered above, sent a little Twittah mention along. Congrats again!

    1. (Should have mentioned – I entered under my wife’s name above (Tracy Umstead) as she’s the one who’ll be the excited recipient!)

      Aren’t Tracys great?

  80. I’ve had this title on my Goodreads to-read list (entry-worthy, perhaps?) since July 26, 2012 – as soon as I heard about it. Work firewalls are preventing me from entering everything (shhh… I work in a library so I consider this a ‘work thing’) but will keep trying. Can’t wait to finally read Covet! Posted on Twitter, FB and via word of mouth to friends!

  81. I so enjoyed reading this post — I discovered On the Island via Goodreads and read it in just a few days. As soon as I got done reading and found out about Covet, I immediately pre-ordered it! Now I’m anxiously awaiting it’s arrival in the mail 🙂 Happy release day and I so look forward to reading more from you.

    I shared the widget on Facebook and Twitter:
    https://twitter.com/stephpatterson_/status/379942465622401025
    https://www.facebook.com/tephyyy/posts/10151911291847034

  84. I can’t wait to get my book, I’m sure I will read it by the weekend. So Proud of you Tracey.

  85. What a fantastic contest. I can’t wait to read Covet. I loved On The Island and Uncharted, so I know I will love Covet too. I follow you on Facebook and Twitter and shared the contest and widget on both.

    https://twitter.com/JanineRowe7/status/379938633374912514

    https://twitter.com/JanineRowe7/status/379937476648775681

    https://www.facebook.com/shopping.diva.janine/posts/10151954635705695

    https://www.facebook.com/shopping.diva.janine/posts/10151954621380695

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