Category: writing

WIP Complete!!!

Okay, so technically, I should’ve posted this over two weeks ago lol.

But I completed my WIP, you guys! 😀 It has about 1,000 more words now because of edits–and I still have a bit more to do on that front–but WOOHOO!!!! It’s done, you guys!

And I love, love, love it so much! <3

There are a few things that I wanted to ask you, so I may do a poll later or something.

But for right now, I just wanted to tell you it’s complete–and I took this pic after lol–and once it’s ready, I cannot wait for you to read!!!

Also, I have some updates on my other book babies :).

The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad reached 500 ratings on Goodreads!  Woohoo, yay, hooray!!!! I will have to do a giveaway to celebrate soon!

Someone wrote a one-star review of NINJA GIRL and tagged me in it…ugh (about the tagging, not the bad review.  Honestly, one-stars hurt like a dagger to the chest, but everyone has their own opinion.  I still absolutely love Snow and Ash and their story  <3.  Plus, someone else wrote a really awesome review, so it evens out I guess).

The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder has recently gotten a few wonderful reviews as well!  That was awesome to see!

Oh yes, and ADORKABLE got a very nice review from Kirkus!  My first trade review, you guys!  Want to know my initial reaction?  “I’m so glad they didn’t hate it” LOL!!!!! 🙂 But seriously…I’m so glad they didn’t hate it!

I hope you’re all doing well, accomplishing your goals for 2020 and reading wonderful books!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

Hello 2020

Hi everyone, and hello 2020!!!

I hope you’re having a wonderful year so far!

This post is a bit late (how is it already Jan. 14th???). But I’m taking a look back at 2019 to see how I did on reaching my goals! My Hello 2019 post should make it easier–and I hope it’s not too boring lol. 🙂

Okay, so here we go! Bookish/writing goals achieved last year: I published my 4th book baby, The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad, yay!!!; NINJA GIRL and The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad came out as audiobooks; I started a newsletter and created an Instagram account (still figuring these out, ha!); I tried a few different promo/marketing things like newsletter promo sites, swaps, and ads (ugggh, the confusion LOL); ADORKABLE came out in paperback with new exclusive bonus content from Entangled (Hooray!!!) and because of this I got to see ADORKABLE on shelves at Barnes & Noble, Target and Books-A-Million!!! 😀

Ahhh, OMG, huzzah!!!!!!!

I also got to do my first ever book signing(s), Instagram takeover and FB group takeovers! They were a bit stressful (just bc I’d never done them, didn’t want to mess up etc.) but also a ton of fun :).

Also got to attend a writers conference with my family, learned a lot, was inspired and enjoyed it immensely!

The one thing I didn’t do was finish the book I was working on :/. BUT! I did that last Saturday, so it’s all good, right? 😀

So, I reached most of my goals in 2019…and even had one dream come true that I never thought would: I got to see ADORKABLE on the shelf in actual stores. *Sigh* I’m so so so thankful to Entangled & all the people there for taking a chance on my little book, and I’m over-the-moon grateful to all of you for supporting me and my books throughout this publishing journey! This would’ve never been possible without YOU! So again: Thank you so much!!!

My publishing/writing goals for 2020 are: Publish a book. Learn how to balance everything (blog, newsletter, FB, Instagram etc.), and don’t be afraid to post. Write another book (or several, crossing my fingers on this!). Write more, better & consistently. Learn more about marketing/promo/ads. Attend another conference or book festival.

As always, I have personal goals as well (be a better person; get healthy; do more to help others). My main goal is to be a positive influence. To know that I’ve made life a little easier, happier, better for someone else.

Back to books!

I’ll let you know more about my brand new book soon, yay!!! I’m very excited to share it with you, and I hope you’ll love it! Will also be posting book updates, giveaways, and news about all the ups and downs of 2020.

Hoping for more ups than downs for you and for me, my lovely readers :). Wishing you all the best in 2020!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

5 Things: I Learned @ the Writers Conference

Hi everyone!

First, I want to announce the winners of The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad Audiobook Giveaway!!! Thank you to everyone who entered and helped spread the word about Sadie & Colton’s story! <3 You rock!

Without further ado, the winners are:

Alyssa C., Michelle H., Cassandra D. and Grace B.!

Congrats, you guys!!! I’ll be sending your prizes ASAP, and I hope you love The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad!

Second, since it’s Friday, I wanted to do a fun post about the 5 Things: I Learned @ the M & M Writers Conference :). (Sidenote: I learned more, but I like lists of five ha ;))

Plus, since it’s NaNoWriMo, I thought it might give some of my writerly peeps some inspiration!

Here are my 5 Things:

  1. Someone out there needs your book. Every day started with a motivational talk from one of the big authors attending. The first was Alyssa Day, and though I’ve not read her books, what she said resonated with me. Her favorite thing was hearing from readers, and if you’ve followed me on my publishing journey, you’ll know that hearing from my readers is my most favorite thing as well! She read us 10 messages she’d received, some funny, others saying her books had helped them in some vital way. It reaffirmed my belief that writing is important, and books can change the world.
  2. Market vs. Heart. I’ve heard this before, but in one class, they posed a question all writers have to ask themselves. Am I going to write to market or what’s in my heart? My answer: Both. I always write what’s in my heart, and my books just happen to be commercial. So, I don’t think you have to make a choice here. I think you can do both, write from the heart and still be successful. In fact, I don’t know how you can do it any other way.
  3. Ads, Ads, Ads! Most of the classes I attended mentioned ads; most authors were doing them (some with greater success than others), and everyone kept saying how you have to run ads now to be visible. In other words, there are so many books out there that running ads is imperative if an author doesn’t want their books to fade into oblivion or wants to build their author brand. I will tell you: I’ve only run 2 Amazon ads. Ever. For two different books. They ran for a month and were at least semi-successful…I guess. I didn’t lose or gain a lot of money. It always seems to me like a crapshoot. The problem is I don’t understand ads (there are so many factors!) or the whole putting-money-in-to-get-twice/triple/more-on-the-return etc. Also, how do you know if your book’s success is due to the ad, something else or just people organically finding the book? Anyway, I hope to learn more, maybe run ads, but for now, my books have done pretty well.
  4. Author Swag. One of the coolest things was the goodie room :). Maybe it’s because this was only my second conference, but I thought it was awesome seeing all of the author swag! Pens, chapsticks, bookmarks, magnets, all the book stuff! I’ll be having my first book signing next month for the Entangled print edition of ADORKABLE coming on Dec. 3, 2019 (YAYYY!!!), and I bought some swag for anyone who comes out! Hopefully, I’ll get to give some of it away lol!
  5. Books save lives. Again, my favorite part of the conference (besides getting to hang with my awesome family) was the motivational speeches. One of them was from Jennifer L. Armentrout!!!!!! 😀 If you just squee’d that was me when I found out she was going to be there LOL! Anyway, her speech was wonderful. She told us so much about her journey as a writer, her amazing success, as well as her eye condition that she was recently diagnosed with that will eventually end up taking her sight. I nearly cried four times while she was speaking. She told us not to listen when people say mean things about writing romance. Told us romance and books save lives. She also told us to stop denying our hard work, to stop telling people our success was just “luck” because we tend to give everyone else the credit and never give ourselves any. We diminish ourselves, all the work we put in, our achievements by doing this. Again, I nearly cried four times (“nearly” because I was in a banquet room full of people), but everything she said was so motivational, so right on. I loved hearing her and hope she writes for a very long time to come!

So, those are my 5 Things! If you’re doing NaNoWriMo, I wish you so much good luck and fantastic writing days! Hope you are all well!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

Yay for 20k!!!

So, I reached 20k words on my current WIP this week! Yayyy!!!!!

This (20k) is one of the milestones/markers for every book I write, so it felt really good to hit that number :).

Just wanted to share it with you guys! So glad to be writing—plus, I am loving this story so much!!! If you would, cross your fingers for me. Really hope to keep this momentum going. I also went to a writers conference last weekend and will be doing a post about it, and there will be a new giveaway coming soon, yay!

Hope you are all having a great weekend, bookworms—and if you write as well, I hope your words flow like a river!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

Big Book News

Okay, I’ve been hinting at this for a while, but…

I have some big book news about ADORKABLE!!!

And I’m finally ready to share :). It’s a hard thing, knowing when to share news, because I’m always afraid the good things will fall through. What a way to live right lol? But it’s time to get over it, and be brave.

Plus, if you’re reading this, you’re probably one of my awesome readers/biggest supporters, and who better to share fantastic book news with than you, right?

So, here it is: ADORKABLE will be coming to print in December of this year and is being published by Entangled Publishing!!! Not only that, but there will be a new cover, and I wrote new exclusive bonus content for the new edition (which I love *sigh*)! <3

It all still kind of feels like a dream.

While I was in Ireland last year, I received a message from Liz from Entangled, saying she’d read and loved ADORKABLE and was interested in the print rights. Honestly? I was surprised, elated…and absolutely terrified.

The fear came because 1) I worried that this was all some big joke/mistake. Great things like this just don’t happen to me.

And 2) ADORKABLE is my debut, my first book baby, and I love, love, love that book and was so scared to make the wrong decision.

It’s no secret that I’ve always struggled with marketing. Though the ebook soared–and it really did, you guys. Despite my not knowing how to market/sell the book, it sold itself. There was some kind of magic in that little YA romance–I always wondered what the paperback could do if it was in the hands of a great publisher, how far it could go if it was available in stores.

Entangled Publishing is one of the biggest names in romance. I think anyone who writes or reads the genre knows that name lol! It was crazy to think about them having any interest in my little YA romance.

But they did, and they have a love and vision for the book.

Sally & Becks’s story is in good hands, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that! I’m still scared, terrified really, that something will go wrong, or I’ll wake up to find it was all a dream.

But I’m looking forward to seeing ADORKABLE on bookstore shelves this winter. I’m hoping Sally & Becks will reach even more readers who will love their story. And I’m looking forward to continuing this wonderful publishing adventure with a publisher who I know and respect!

I hope you are all doing well and reading awesome books! Look out for the print version of ADORKABLE in December 2019!!! <3

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. Thank you so much, Michelle, for letting me know about the ADORKABLE audiobook in your state public library in Australia!!! That’s so awesome & I greatly appreciated your message! 🙂

P.P.S. Honestly, the Ireland connection helped with my decision as well. I always feel closer to my Aunt Pat when I’m there. It’s one of the reasons I love the country so much. I hope she would be proud, and I know she would be first in line to buy a copy of the print version of ADORKABLE <333.

5 Things: I’m Working On

I can’t believe it’s already July! 0_0

When did that happen lol? But seriously, I feel like this year–especially these past couple of months–are just flying by.

Full disclosure: Last week, I wanted to do a blog post, but I stopped myself, felt like I had so much to say but nothing anyone would care about etc.

Luckily, this week I’m over it :).

There’s been a lot going on (some good, some not-so-good), and I’m excited to share with you guys!

Here are the 5 Things: I’m Working On.

  1. My newsletter. ICYMI, I have a newsletter now! I spent a ton of hours trying to get it just right. And do you know what? Even with all that time, I managed to misspell the word “newsletter” in the very first sentence! *headslap* Did anyone notice this? Are you just being kind and overlooking it? Anyway, I’m sorry for the typo but excited for future editions of The Cookie Jar Newsletter (see, I spelled it right here lol!).
  2. Being less of an introvert. So, I joined a writers group. Shocking, right? Introverted, awkward me trying to join other writer-ly peeps…sounds terrifying, which is probably why I’ve never done it ha! But they were so nice/welcoming. A lot of good vibes, knowledge and willingness to share in that group. And here’s a shocker: Some of the awesome writers even knew my books!!! That part left me dumbfounded but incredibly humbled/thankful. Am hoping my introverted tendencies don’t overwhelm, and I can actually be an active member of the group.
  3. Cross-promoting. This is still very new to me. I have a few things coming up with other authors–including a wonderful KU reading promo as well as my first author newsletter swap coming next week, woop!–and I’m looking forward to doing more!
  4. ADORKABLE woes. Okay, how to explain? I’ve taken ADORKABLE out of KU, and the rank is sinking on Amazon. Since book baby #1 released, it has been in KU, riding high–which is kind of amazing since it’s been out 3 years! Sales are still good. People are still loving the book (though I did get a couple not-so-nice reviews recently. *sigh* I also got a few nice ones which is what I should be focusing on). Anyway, it won’t be forever, but I just hate seeing it drop. I also took the paperback down in February (which gutted me), and it may have impacted the rank as well. I’ve been working on feeling okay with this since I know great things are coming for Sally & Becks. Whenever I get sad, I try to remind myself: There is good coming (which I will share with you soon!).
  5. Writing more. I’m trying to be more productive. My current WIP is a book that I started a long time ago, and I love it. Tonight, I wrote 1,036 words. I’m at about 5,000+ total. My goal is to finish this book and write more. Crossing my fingers!

And there you have it, my first “5 Things” post in a while :).

I hope it wasn’t too boring, and I hope you’re all having a great summer so far!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

TGGGTBB Book Playlist

I’ve got some awesome tunes for Tuesday, bookworms!

But first, thank you so much to everyone who entered the NINJA GIRL Audiobook Giveaway! 4 copies of the audiobook were up for grabs, and the winners are…

Kerri, Mikhail, Cadey and Alyssa!!!

Congrats, you guys, and thank you again for entering! Your prize is on the way, and I hope you love listening to Snow & Ash’s story :)!

Speaking of listening…I love book playlists. Who doesn’t, right? They are just so fun to make! Some songs I listened to while writing; some I found after. A few are so perfect; it’s crazy lol!

Anyway, if you loved Sadie & Colton’s story…

I hope you enjoy The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad Book Playlist!

1. “Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eillish. Okay, so this one was perfect *sigh*. I listened to it a TON while writing TGGGTBB. It’s so Sadie, how she feels about Colton and his “ocean eyes.” The colors in the vid remind me of the cover, and yeah. Like I said: Perfect.

2. “Location” by Khalid. Colton. Period. He’s there for Sadie, has her back–even if she doesn’t know it. Ah, I just love Colton Bishop <333.

3. “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. It was only a kiss… Oh, how Colton wishes that were true after his first kiss with Sadie–especially since she thinks she’s in love with his brother. Also, The Killers rock!

4. “There’s No Way” by Lauv ft. Julia Michaels. Sadie & Colton try to fight it…but there’s absolutely no way they weren’t going to fall totally heart-meltingly in love.

5. “I Did Something Bad” (Cover) by Shoshana Bean and Cynthia Erivo. One of my favorite covers of all time. It was originally a Taylor Swift song–but man, it is so strong, pure fire, passion, intensity. Sadie, Colton, Kyle trio ;).

6. “Let Go” by Frou Frou. Sadie finally letting go, checking things off her Carpe Diem List and allowing herself to fall in love with Colton–and believe that he can (and does) love her back <3.

The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad Book Playlist

1. “Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eillish

2. “Soundcheck” by Catfish and the Bottlemen

3. “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn

4. “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake

5. “Is This How You Feel?” by The Preatures

6. “Location” by Khalid

7. “Bellyache” by Billie Eillish

8. “There’s No Way” by Lauv ft. Julia Micheals

9. “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers

10. “I Did Something Bad” (Taylor Swift Cover) by Shoshana Bean and Cynthia Erivo

11. “Delicate” by Taylor Swift

12. “One Dance” by Drake

13. “Good Girls” by 5 Seconds of Summer

14. “I’m With You” by Vance Joy

15. “Feel Real” by Deptford Goth

16. “Time After Time” by Eva Cassidy

17. “Let Go” by Frou Frou

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. This is already long lol, but if you love good music, check out “Is This How You Feel?” by The Preatures. One of my favorite songs! Also, check out The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad if you need a fun, swoony summer read ;). Hope your week is off to a great start!

The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad Release Day! <3

Today is the big day!!! *happy dance*

The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad is now available for anyone and everyone to read! Sadie & Colton’s story is so close to my heart. I hope readers love them as much as I do. I hope they laugh and swoon, find a kindred spirit in Sadie and fall head-over-heels in love with Colton <3. Oh, and I hope they love Betty, Kyle, Cora and Tim, too!

Thank you so much to every single person who picks up this book. Thank you to anyone who helps spread the word about TGGGTBB so other awesome bookish peeps can discover it! May the Force be with you, and may the odds be ever in your favor, my lovely readers. I’m so grateful for you and all of your support.

If you love YA romance, enemies-to-more, dance, twin brothers, lists & bets, I’d love it if you check out The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad! Ahhh, I’m so excited to see what you think! Please let me know, and I hope you enjoy!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

Bookishly Speaking

There’s been a lot going on bookishly speaking, so here we go. I’m currently editing the book I hope to release this year. About half-way through now, and I’m loving every moment! <3 <3 <3

There are some cool things coming soon, including the fact that NINJA GIRL will be released in the spring as an audio book!!! Yayyy, woohoo, hi-yah! I can’t wait because the narrators Tantor Media has signed on for Snow and Ash are absolutely freaking fantastic! Ah!

Awesome things are coming for ADORKABLE as well (I hope), but these are ongoing, and I always feel like when things seem too good it’s best to wait and see what happens. Whether it’s a happy ending or not, you, my lovely readers, will be the first to know how it all works out :).

The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder continues to be my sleeper hit lol, but I hope even more readers will discover the book and fall in love with Delilah & Ethan’s story. I really do love it–and all of my books!

I saw a review on Amazon for ADORKABLE that really warmed my heart. It was so wonderful, and I’ve included a screenshot below.

I don’t know who “bookreadermom” is, but I greatly appreciated this review. It made me feel so good to hear that she loved the book and hoped that her children would take on some of Sally and Becks’s best traits. It reminded me of why I do this, what it is I love so much about books/writing.

Everyone needs more happily-ever-afters in their lives, more true friendships, more love and laughter, and I hope my books provide these things. When times are hard and the world seems like such a dark place, I think it’s important to remember the good. To love yourself and others, to laugh, and to have hope.

Reviews like this remind me of the good. They brighten my days, and I’m so thankful for all of the people who read and support my books <3. I hope you are all doing well!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

Hello 2019

Hello 2019, how are you doing? 🙂

It’s a new year, you guys, and I’m hoping for good things. For you, for myself and for every bookworm in the universe!

2018 brought some hard times, some difficult, sad times, and I’m still so thankful to all of you for being kind and awesome throughout everything <3. The lemons were definitely there but so was the lemonade. Case in point…

2018 also brought a whole bunch of bookish awesomeness: ADORKABLE was included as a Bookbub Featured Deal; I published book baby #3 The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder (in ebook & paperback); the Hungarian version of NINJA GIRL was released; I got to attend a royal wedding (okay, so I watched from home, but Harry & Meghan looked just as beautiful on screen, and the tea was still wonderful!); I got to write the foreword for a YA romance anthology (thanks, Kelsie!); ADORKABLE came out as an audiobook; I participated in KM Shea’s summer reading event (thanks, Kitty!); ADORKABLE was included in a Top Ten list on Bustle; ADORKABLE was in The Bookworm Box for November; and I did my first Facebook Live video ever for an author takeover of The Bookworm Box FB page.

Some writing goals I hope to accomplish in 2019 are: Publish a book. Figure out how to market/promote better. Create a newsletter, and grow a mailing list. Increase social media presence (possibly start an Instagram account). Write a book. Write more. Write better. Attend a conference and/or event.

My #1 goal from the beginning to now remains the same: To get my books into the hands and hearts of the readers who will love them <3.

I also have some personal goals, but those are the same every year. I hope to help others, make someone’s life better, spread kindness and love, be a better person, renew/restore my faith, and figure out what I should do with my life.

On December 31st, I completed my latest book, yayyy, and I hope to release it this year!!! I am absolutely in love with this story, and I hope you will love it, too! So so excited about this!

Thank you so much for all of your support in the ups and downs of this writing/publishing journey! Happy New Year, readers, and I hope 2019 is awesome for you!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman