Hello, everyone!
Would you like to receive a bookplate for The Girl He Used to Know, signed by me?
Pre-order your copy today and you will! Click on this link for details. Pre-order links for the book are also below.
Have a great weekend!
Tracey
Congratulations to Jennifer Patterson, Alexis Ciman, and Cindi Ponkey Hartmann! You have each won a signed copy of Patience Bloom’s awesome new memoir Romance Is My Day Job. Winners, please send an e-mail message with your postal mailing address to [email protected].
Today is the official publication day of Romance Is My Day Job, so if you didn’t win you can find the book at the following retailers by clicking here.
Thanks, everyone!
Hello, everyone!
I’m on the home-stretch with my new book but wanted to poke my head out of the writing cave for a minute to tell you about a great book I read. You may have heard me mention before that it’s hard for me to read fiction when I’m knee-deep in writing a book. I find it difficult to have another author’s voice in my head, so I usually take a break from reading, which I hate because reading has always been a part of my daily routine. That doesn’t mean I don’t add more books to my TBR pile, because I certainly do. When I turn in a manuscript I always look forward to going on a giant reading binge.
However, I can usually read non-fiction and memoirs while I’m writing, so I’m always on the hunt for a good one. My editor knows this, and I was thrilled when she asked me if I’d like to read a not-yet-released memoir.
My enthusiastic response: gimme, gimme, gimme!
Please.
This is the book I read:
Here’s the description:
Who knows the ins and outs of romance better than a Harlequin editor? A surprising and exhilarating look into Patience Bloom’s unexpected real-life love story.
At some point, we’ve all wished romance could be more like fiction. Patience Bloom certainly did, many times over. As a teen she fell in love with Harlequin novels and imagined her life would turn out just like the heroines’ on the page: That shy guy she had a crush on wouldn’t just take her out—he’d sweep her off her feet with witty banter, quiet charm, and a secret life as a rock star. Not exactly her reality, but Bloom kept reading books that fed her reveries.Years later she moved to New York and found her dream job, editing romances for Harlequin. Every day, her romantic fantasies came true—on paper. Bloom became an expert when it came to fictional love stories, editing amazing books and learning everything she could about the romance business. But her dating life remained uninspired. She nearly gave up on love.Then one day a real-life chance at romance made her wonder if what she’d been writing and editing all those years might be true. A Facebook message from a high school friend, Sam, sparked a relationship with more promise than she’d had in years. But Sam lived thousands of miles away—they hadn’t seen each other in more than twenty years. Was it worth the risk?Finally, Bloom learned: Love and romance can conquer all.
I loved this book. I mean, really, really loved it. I read it straight through in one sitting.
I feel like I know Patience now, in a totally normal and non-stalk-y way.
Isn’t Patience the coolest name, ever?
And aren’t you DYING to know what happened between Patience and Sam?
I will be giving away three copies of Romance Is My Day Job, signed by Patience Bloom. The giveaway will run for twenty-four hours, so I’ll pop back and announce the winner tomorrow after 8:00 a.m. CST.
Good luck!
***Please note that this book is a US release, therefore the giveaway is only open to readers in the US. I’m sorry about that! Also, you may not be able to enter the giveaway using a mobile device.
Congratulations! If your name is on this list you have won a signed first edition copy of On the Island. Please send an e-mail with your mailing address to [email protected].
Erin Hill
Jaime Arkin
Steve Umstead
Deborah Gutierrez
Bridget O’Neill
Leslie Trimble
Adrianna Cabrera
S.I. Scott
Nanette Bradford
Em Cxo
Raina C.
Kristy Lander
Beth Maresh-Ehemann
Leah Rhey
Maria Voulelis Malaveci
Thank you to everyone who entered 🙂
Yesterday, Amy at IndieReader sent me a link to a feature on their site about first editions, specifically those from formerly self-published authors whose books were picked up by major publishers. You can read it here.
I have a whole box of the first edition of On the Island and while they’re certainly valuable to me (sentimentally speaking), I’m not sure how valuable I think they are from a monetary standpoint. However, in the interest of getting them out of my dining room I thought I would share them with you.
I’m giving away 15 signed copies of On the Island. The ones that look like this:
PunchTab will start accepting entries at noon tomorrow! For extra entries, you can like my Facebook author page, tweet about the giveaway, or follow me on Twitter.
I’m doing a giveaway on my FB author page today. Head on over to http://www.facebook.com/tgarvisgraves and “like” my page. If you want to share it on your Facebook wall that’s fine too, but you don’t have to. I will be giving away a signed paperback of On the Island as well as this funny grammar T-shirt.
The giveaway is open internationally, but you can only enter once. Good luck!
xoxo,
Tracey
Good morning everyone!
I am pleased to announce that the winner of the Kindle DX is entry #137, Bobbie Desmond! Bobbie, please make sure to send me your shipping address at [email protected]. I’ll order your Kindle right away 🙂
*There will be two winners for the $50 Amazon gift cards because there were so many great comments and I couldn’t make up my mind.
The first winner is Kar, who wrote “A fully stocked wine cellar. I could sleep in it, Sip some good wine while watching sunset, after sunset, after sunset, after sunset. And if anyone came to rescue me I would already have a thank you gift. (I am hospitable like that).”
Wine makes everything better, am I right? I could probably handle everything else if I knew I could have a glass of wine every night while I’m sitting on the white-sand beach, staring at the water. I love the dual purpose of the wine cellar (shelter and a place to store those bottles), plus Kar is very thoughtful and I’m impressed with her hospitality.
The second winner is Sara Queen! I’m in total agreement with her suggestion because I might have a teeny-tiny crush on this man:
Oh, Bear Grylls. I’d take you and your mad survival skills to an island with me in a heartbeat. Don’t wash your face. No really, don’t.
Seeing things like this make me not want to kiss you, Bear.
Okay, I’ll totally still kiss you but wipe your mouth off first, okay? Then maybe swish some water around in it because I’m pretty sure that’s a snake and OMG, gross.
But Bear + wine = I.AM.STAYING.FOR.A.WHILE.
So there you have it! Thank you for a wonderful 4 days of comments and good wishes. If you’re a winner don’t forget to send me an e-mail.
xoxo,
Tracey
*Those of you that said baby oil made me smile 🙂
***Update: Winners of the day 2 giveaway are now displayed. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and see if the rafflecopter picked you 🙂 If you’re a winner, please e-mail me at [email protected]. I’ll need your full name and mailing address.
Each night, when I’m setting up the rafflecopter for the new giveaway, I read through all the comments one more time. You outdid yourselves with yesterday’s comments about your favorite scene from On the Island.
They made me cry.
Not giant ugly tears like I cried when I wrote some of those scenes. But grateful oh my God, how did this even happen? kind of tears. Once again, words cannot express how much your comments mean to me. Thank you so much.
It’s been over two years since I started writing On the Island, and over a year since I finished it. In some ways I’ve moved on. I’m almost done with my second book and I’m immersed in a new story, with new characters. But reading all of your comments has brought back wonderful memories of those scenes. I remember how I struggled to write some of your favorites. How I re-wrote some of them three different ways before finally deciding which version I liked best. Thank you so much for sharing your feedback with me.
Now for day 3 of the giveaway! Two wonderful readers will win a Nook Color. As long as I can ship it to you (via the Barnes & Noble website), you are eligible.
In the comment section, tell me who your favorite secondary character is. I’d love to know if there were other characters you connected with. Also, who would you most like to see in a spin-off story? Here are some of the choices:
Mick
Ben
Bones
Sarah
Stefani
Henry Elings
Dean Lewis
T.J.’s dad
T.J.’s mom
I’m having a teeny-tiny bit of difficulty with the rafflecopter for yesterday’s giveaway. It’s chosen the winners but it won’t display them. I’m working on it and as soon as I figure it out, I’ll post the names. There are still 7 of you who need to e-mail me your full name and mailing address from Friday’s day 1 giveaway (so send me your info at [email protected]).
After you leave a comment, make sure you also login to the rafflecopter using your Facebook login or your e-mail address so that you’ll be eligible to win today’s prize.
Happy Monday, everyone!
xoxo,
Tracey
Congratulations to the winners of the day 1 giveaway! 13 signed copies of On the Island (original cover) will be mailed out this week. If you haven’t e-mailed your full name and mailing address to me at [email protected], please do so and I’ll get your package ready. Want to find out if you won? Check yesterday’s post and scroll down to the rafflecopter.
Okay, now for the second giveaway. Up for grabs today are 10 signed paperback copies with the beautiful Penguin cover. It’s the one that looks like this:
****The giveaway for one of the 13 signed copies of On the Island has ended. Scroll down to the rafflecopter to see if you’ve won! If your name is listed, e-mail me your full name and mailing address at [email protected].
I appreciate all of the wonderful comments; they made me cry!!
A year ago last weekend (September 3rd, 2011, to be exact), I self-published my debut novel, On the Island, with no idea what to expect.
It felt weird. Really weird. It also felt good. The availability of self-publishing programs meant I didn’t have to shove my novel in a drawer and hope that someone would take a chance on the next book I wrote.
Not much changed. I still went to my day job. My kids still fought (constantly). And my husband and I still tried to find time to have an uninterrupted conversation (and maybe a glass of wine).
A few months later, things started to change a little bit. Sales went up, although not dramatically. I received some reviews that were so heartfelt they literally brought tears to my eyes and made me smile for days. I received some awesome e-mails from readers who lived all over the world. It was incredibly satisfying and wonderful and I considered myself lucky.
In the spring, things really got crazy. April and May are one big blur…In June, Penguin publishing offered me a two-book deal and put On the Island on bookshelves everywhere.
A year ago, I just wanted to find an audience. I just wanted the book I spent 18 months writing to be available to those who might want to read it.
One year later:
Over half a million copies of On the Island have been sold.
On the Island is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook.
Foreign rights have been sold in 23 countries.
MGM has optioned the book for a feature film.
On the Island spent over 10 weeks on the NYT bestseller list, reaching #5 in the e-book category and #12 for the trade paperback.
I no longer have a day job because writing full-time is my day job. I get to spend time with both kids every morning before sending them off to the bus stop. My work wardrobe consists of yoga pants and T-shirts. I spend my days in a quiet house with Chloe curled up next to me.
I don’t even know what to say that will convey my true feelings about this. Or how to thank all of you. Because you, the readers, are the ones who made it happen. I’m eternally grateful and I think it’s time for one big THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
Here’s how it will work: I’m giving away 1 Kindle DX, 2 Nook Colors, and 23 signed paperbacks (13 with the original cover – because that’s how many I have stacked on my dining room table – and 10 with the Penguin cover).
This giveaway will span 4 days and I’ll be using the rafflecopter to choose the winners. And this giveaway is open to EVERYONE. I don’t care where you live. You’re eligible. You can enter every day of the giveaway, but you can only win once.
So let’s start with the signed original paperback. The one that looks like this: I have 13 to give away.
All you have to do is leave a comment telling me how you heard about On the Island (make sure you also login to rafflecopter with either your facebook login or e-mail to enter the giveaway). I want to know what led you to this book. And I want you to know how much that has meant to me.
So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
xoxo,
Tracey