Focus on the Good

The other day I sent out a few ARCs for WALLFLOWER, eep! I was so excited—still am. Not going to lie, I was nervous though—still am lol. But it’s a good feeling to know the book is out there.

I think/hope the readers who enjoyed my other YA romances will enjoy this one. That’s not something I say lightly. Doubt comes easy to me; confidence is hard. But yeah, if you’re reading this, I think/hope you’ll love WALLFLOWER.

One important thing to know: This is not a sequel to ADORKABLE.

Viola is Sally & Becks’s daughter—but the book stands alone. This is why there’s no mention of ADORKABLE in the book summary as well. I hope people will love Viola & Dare’s romance regardless of if they’ve read any of my previous work.

Honestly, as I was writing, the parents just were Sally & Becks (at least in my head). Two or three awesome readers picked up on the “Kent” name and asked about it. I probably could’ve made Viola the child of one of the older Kent brothers—but I didn’t really think of that lol! Again, the parents just were Sally & Becks. Viola was the daughter I thought they would create together. I see bits of both characters in her. Her parents have an awesome relationship, and the family loves each other. I truly hope that comes across—along with the funny/swoon-worthy moments—which mostly involve Viola & Dare—because this is very much their book and not a sequel to my debut (both of which I love :D).

I gave up being negative and complaining for Lent (and a couple of other things). It’s challenging, but things are going okay so far! See there, no negativity :).

We’re in the last 24 hours of a giveaway to celebrate ADORKABLE reaching 10,000 ratings on Goodreads. Hooray!!! If you’d like to, you can enter here! Good luck to you!

I never thought one of my books could be that widely read. I always hope all of my books will reach people. I hope readers will love WALLFLOWER. May it find the readers and hearts it’s meant to. Hopefully, it will brighten someone’s day <3. There’s a little over a month before the book’s release on March 25th, gah! Can’t believe it’s coming up so soon. And now, I’ll stop rambling lol.

Whatever’s happening with you, I hope you’re able to focus on the good. Hope you’re doing well, bookworms! Positive vibes to you! Be safe out there!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

WALLFLOWER cover reveal

Today is the day!!!

I’m revealing the cover for my YA romance WALLFLOWER! Yayyy!!! I’ve wanted to share this with you for a while because I love it so much.

I can’t wait to see if you do, too…

…and now…

…here is the cover…

…for my new book…

WALLFLOWER <3.

Apologies if you see this twice lol! I just had to share!

I love, love, love it, you guys! The way they are looking at each other is everything, and the feel is so romantic! Love the colors, pose, and again, that look! <3

I’d love to hear what you think! 🙂

I hope this cover makes your heart glad, and I hope you fall in love with Viola & Dare’s story! WALLFLOWER is coming on March 25, 2021!!!

That’s right, you guys! We have a release date, woop! So excited!

I spent this past weekend reading two books from one of my favorite series, and it was wonderful. *sigh* It reaffirmed my belief that: Books are awesome. 🙂 Hope you’re all well and having a wonderful week so far!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. Be on the lookout for a giveaway soon!!!

One Week

Just one week until the cover reveal of WALLFLOWER!!! Hooray!

Okay, I know I’ve said it already, but…I’m so excited to share this cover (and story) with you and see what you think :)!

The time leading up to a book release is always super exciting. I just want to give Viola & Dare every chance possible to reach readers–and hopefully, crossing my fingers so hard, people will love them as much as I do <3.

Another exciting thing is happening as well!

As of now, ADORKABLE is 12 ratings away from 10,000 on Goodreads! Eep!!!

Isn’t that cool?

I love math and numbers, so for me, it definitely is ha!

Never in a million years would I have thought one of my books would reach that many people. It’s like a little miracle. I don’t have a big family or many friends (though the ones I do have are THE BEST). I’m not good at networking (*see: I suck at networking). I’m an introvert-perfectionist who struggles with putting my work out there. Even my doubts have doubts lol.

Despite all this, ADORKABLE is still being read. It’s crazy–and I’m so very thankful that people are actually finding my books!

I’ve had a hard time writing recently. My mind has felt so mushy/muddled with everything going on in the world. I know I’m not the only one, and I hope it gets better. Little miracles happen all the time. Maybe one is just around the corner for all of us. If you need a little inspiration, here’s a poem by Emily Dickinson that I thought about today, particularly the first stanza :).

Stay safe and hopeful, everyone!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

Hello 2021

New year, new goals, new books! Yay!!!

Hello, my lovely readers! I hope you’re doing well and that you got to read some awesome books over the holidays :). I didn’t get a chance to read, but I did finish writing a book, woop!

This one is for Entangled, and it’s with my editor now (very thankful to work with an amazing editor!). I love it, so I’m very much hoping she will, too! Crossing my fingers!

Just being honest: Sometimes it feels like I get nothing done lol. And with last year being so full of sadness, suffering and scary times, I was surprised to see that I’d reached several of my goals.

Bookish goals achieved last year: I published my 5th book baby and first ever New Adult romance, The Best Mistake, woohoo!!! The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad came out in paperback, and the Hungarian translation Piszkos Tánc was released, yay! I also published my first novella, The Kissing Challenge <3! The ADORKABLE paperback got a second printing! *happy dance* In June, some wonderful people helped me do the #passthebookchallenge with ADORKABLE (still so thankful & would love to do it again)! I attended a virtual writer’s conference hosted by The Writing Gals–which was awesome! Pretty sure I wrote more than I ever have in a year (completed 2 books + 1 novella and started another co-written book!).

I also had a few goals I didn’t achieve…but I’m rolling them over to this year :). Okay, so here we go. Bookish/Writing Goals for 2021: Write a book (or several! 2-3+). Publish a book. Write more and consistently. Send newsletter once a month. Post on blog, FB, Instagram without being scared/freaking out. Participate more in the author/book community; again, don’t be afraid to reach out. Learn how to run ads.

I also have several personal goals, but here are the big ones: Be thankful & focus on the good. Spread love & positivity.

And there you go! No idea if I’ll be able to reach any or all of them–but I’m going to try. How did your 2020 goals turn out, and what are your goals for this year? I’d love to know!

I wish you all the best and hope 2021 is treating you well so far! Be safe and well, bookworms!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. I’ll do another post soon, but in case you’re interested, my upcoming release is on Goodreads!!! This is truly a book of my heart. <3 It’s my first time mentioning it anywhere; I’m already beating myself up that it’s in a post script ugh, but I just wanted to say thank you so much to the 4 people who have already added WALLFLOWER! You rock!!! Be on the lookout for another post soon, you guys! I can’t wait to share it with all of you! 😀

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone!

That’s me in my most bookish mask lol :). I could only put three of my books on there, and I can’t wear it out because of the little gaps in the sides and chin. But whatever! I love it! ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, and The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad look awesome in mask form!

I’ve been doing a lot of writing/editing/formatting, yay!!! Earlier this week, I completed and sent in the WIP I was working on for Entangled, and today, I’ve been formatting what will be my next release! Eep! So many exciting things going on :).

Just wanted to do a quick post since 2020 is coming to an end. Hopefully, there will be better times ahead for everyone–especially you awesome bookish peeps! I hope you had a merry Christmas, are having happy holidays, and that this new year is awesome for you!

Stay safe and be well!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. I’ll probably do another post later, but Bridgerton was AMAZING!!! I’d already loved the books. I now love the show. Besides our dogs and maybe a Taylor Swift song, it is the best thing to come out of 2020 imo :). Thank you, Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes!

December

Hi everyone!

I’ve been struggling with what to post (struggling in general really lol, but who isn’t?). Anyway, yesterday was a day, you guys. Long story short, our pups went to the vet for an unexpected visit, and it was stressful. Thankfully, they are back home and okay *sigh*.

Seriously, thank goodness for that.

We love those babies and are so grateful they’re well.

In other news, I’m writing on a deadline for basically the first time which is different. My inner-critic is so much…louder ha. She just will not shut up. And I’ve been struggling to hear my character’s voice–which usually is one of my main strengths imo. I love this book, and I’m working through the doubts, trying to focus and just write the story I would want to read. If you’re feeling extra generous, please send good vibes and cross your fingers for me.

How have you all been doing?

Oh, I so hope you’re well!

Several readers have left the kindest messages/comments/reviews, and I’m so grateful to all of you for the encouragement <3.

And here we go… It’s December. If you’ve followed my publishing journey, you probably know this time of year is very difficult for my family and me. Christmas hasn’t been the same in a while. The holidays aren’t as bright as they used to be. We lost someone very special a few years ago, and…

It’s just…hard.

It’s so, so hard.

Sometimes I get down around this time, and I wonder: What the heck is wrong with me? But I already know the answer. I miss my best friend. Desperately. I feel her loss every day. We all do.

So yes, Christmas is hard.

If you’re in that boat as well, I pray you can find the happiness, wonder and magic of the season. Spend time with the ones you love (whether it’s in person, virtual, on the phone or through exchanging cards). Hang in there. Keep trying to find the good. And if you’re suffering through this pandemic, struggling financially, if you, your family members or friends are sick, oh I pray for you. Sending you all so much love, strength and prayers for healing and happiness.

Please stay safe, my awesome readers! I hope December has been treating you well so far!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

5 Things: I wish…

Hi everyone!

Can you believe it’s already the end of October??? Goodness, where did the time go lol?

I wanted to see how everyone is doing and check in :). Not gonna lie, I’ve been a bit down (which may be reflected in this post ha), but I’ll try and keep it positive!

So for today’s post, I’m doing 5 Things: I wish…

  1. I wish everyone had a dog. Or more than one. They are so lovely, so often better than people, and they really make life better <3.
  2. I wish my readers knew how much I appreciate them! THE KISSING CHALLENGE is doing awesome! That is thanks to all of you bookish peeps, and I am so very grateful! I truly didn’t know if anyone would read let alone enjoy my little YA romance novella—or any of my books for that matter! Thank you SO much for reading!
  3. I wish I didn’t pay attention to reviews. Actually, no. I wish I didn’t let them impact me as much as they sometimes do. *sigh* Recently, there have been some good and some bad. Guess which ones get in my head and won’t leave? Blah :/.
  4. I wish everyone would wear a mask. Because it protects others. Because we are all a part of this world and want to save each other from this virus. Because as Dan Levy (David from Schitt’s Creek) said, it is basically the kindest thing we can do.
  5. I wish everyone was healthy, happy and hopeful <3.

Okay, so those are my 5 Things! 🙂 I really and truly meant that last one. The times have been so dark and desolate for so many, and I just wish it would get better. I so hope it will <3.

Hope you are all well everyone! Stay safe out there! Have a very Happy Halloween! And maybe treat yourself to some peanut M&Ms and an awesome book!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. I have also been writing :). It’s been slow-going, but the other day I hit 20k on my brand new WIP! Yayyy! I’m really enjoying this story, you guys, and hope you will, too! I’m also about to start a collaboration with another wonderful author, my first ever, and oh, I’m so excited and hope it goes well! Very much looking forward to it! For my other book—the one I completed just before my novella? If you’re confused that’s okay lol!—I think I’ve found an awesome cover image. Hooray!!! Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know I’m still writing, pushing through the bad times and trying to stay productive. Good vibes and positive karma to all of you, my awesome readers!

THE KISSING CHALLENGE Release Day! <3

Oh my goodness, it’s here, you guys!!!

My first ever YA romance novella is now out in the world! Yayyy!!! And oh, I hope people will read and love it!

Happy Release Day to THE KISSING CHALLENGE! <3

Anne & Captain’s novella was so fun to write, and I hope it brings you some joy, lots of laughs, and a heaping dose of swoon <333. If you love it, please let me know! And oh, I’d be so grateful for a review! Even a few words would be wonderful!

Thank you again for all of the support and love! This one is for you, my awesome readers! If you love best-friends-to-lovers, TikTok challenges that lead to kissing and fun, flirty novellas packed full of swoon, I hope you’ll check out THE KISSING CHALLENGE!

Stay safe, good karma and positive vibes to you, everyone!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

P.S. I really can’t believe it’s out there, you guys! Hooray!!! And the paperback is on the way! Hope your October is going well so far, bookworms! 🙂

New YA Romance Novella!

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re doing well! I have a new book coming out soon, woohoo! It’s a YA romance novella called THE KISSING CHALLENGE!

If you’re subscribed to The Cookie Jar Newsletter you may have already seen this, but I wanted to post here as well!

Here is the swoon-worthy cover <333.

And here is the summary:

The challenge: Kiss your best friend.

Sixteen-year-old Anne Elliot is in love with Captain.

He’s been her best friend for years. A rising musician with a special smile he reserves just for her, Captain even lets Anne practice her makeup skills on him—though his bandmates give him flack for it.

When Anne gets an anonymous comment challenging her to kiss her best friend, it threatens to reveal her secret. But how can she resist doing the one thing she’s wanted forever? It’s just one kiss. She and Captain’s relationship can stay the same…right?

The real challenge: Kiss your best friend, and don’t let him know you’re in love.

This YA romance novella is fun, fast-paced, and flirty, the perfect story for anyone who loves best-friends-to-lovers. Inspired by TikTok & Jane Austen, THE KISSING CHALLENGE is sure to make you swoon!

Again, I’m so excited to share Anne & Captain’s story with all of you! It’s 20k words, full of YA romance goodness, and I hope it makes you smile and swoon :). You can add THE KISSING CHALLENGE on Goodreads–and I hope you will lol! A few people have added it, and just seeing that really made me glad.

I’ve been feeling kind of tired and down. September is always hard, but I’m trying to stay positive. If you’re struggling, I hope you are able to stay positive, too.

Most of my focus has been on a charity event that I founded and have organized for the past few years to raise awareness & funds for childhood cancer. If you wouldn’t mind, please cross your fingers that it all goes okay. I’d truly appreciate the good vibes.

I hope you are all well, my lovely readers! Virtual hugs and good karma to you! Stay safe out there!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman

Yay!!!

Hi everyone!

I’ve been sick for a bit. Blah. If you’re wondering, I was tested for COVID-19 (just to be on the safe side), but I’m very thankful to report the test came back negative. Whatever I’ve got is still hanging around. Hopefully, it will go completely away soon. But even with all that, I still managed to post on FB and Instagram, so yay?

Anyway, I wanted to let you all know that I reached another goal!

I didn’t tell anyone besides a few family members and one friend about it because I was afraid I’d jinx it and fail.

Story of my life ha.

My goal was to complete a 20K-word novella in ten days. And guess what? I did it, hooray! The story is a fun, swoony YA romance, and I’ll be offering to my newsletter subscribers for free just as soon as I can get a cover lol!

I’ll also make it available for $0.99 on Amazon because I’m not sure if everyone even knows about The Cookie Jar Newsletter–let alone this blog! *cries* But it’s cool! I just want everyone who loves my books (or wants to try my books ;)) to be able to read it, and from what other writers have done, I think that’s a good way to get the word out :).

I’ll have more on that later, but you guys!

Twenty thousand words in ten days!!! Not too shabby, especially for me and how slow I usually write.

If you have any goals you’re working on, I hope you reach them! I’ll be cheering you on from here and giving you virtual cookies along the way! Hope you are staying safe and having a wonderful week, bookworms!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman