This time last year I could still hold all the books I’d published in one hand. I tried that this year, failed, broke an ornament, cleaned up the mess, then moved everything to the mantle lol. At least the picture turned out nice.
May your days be merry & bright. May you spend time with the ones you love (hug them, tell them how much you love them, and know how blessed you are to have that). And may the odds be ever in your favor <3.
Merry Christmas and happiest of happy holidays to you!
It’s been a while since I’ve done a “5 Things” post. I love these for several reasons: first, lists rock; second, they help me focus; third, I ramble sometimes (like now), but when you limit yourself to five, there’s only so much rambling that can happen lol.
So, just in time for Thanksgiving, here is my list of “5 Things: I’m Thankful For.”
Family. I usually save this one for last because I think it’s the most important. Today and always in my mind, it’s #1. I don’t have a large family, but the one I have is amazing. I love them so much. I’m so very thankful for their love, support, and friendship.
Good health. People (myself included) sometimes take it for granted. But I’m so grateful for my health and that of those I love. Good health is something I wish for everyone. When I say “I hope you’re doing well,” I really mean it. A couple days ago, I got my booster vaccine, and though shots make me nervous, I am so thankful. I want to protect other people from getting sick. I pray and hope we can get out of this pandemic. Oh, I hope, I hope, I hope.
Taylor Swift & Traveling Videos. Okay, so this one is a little different lol. I’ve been struggling, and I found some solace in Taylor Swift’s music (particularly the song “Evermore” which spoke to me on a very deep level during the crappy time) and short video reels of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Paris set to somber, moody music. It’s the little things ha.
Dogs, Books & Movies. Because they truly make life, the world, and the bad days better.
My readers. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: My readers are the best. Truly. The. Best. During my low times, they lift me up. They send the kindest messages of encouragement. They give my books and characters so much love. Just knowing anyone reads my books is still such a surprise–a very nice, unexpected, amazing surprise. My readers are wonderful, and I am so thankful for each and every one of them <3.
And those are my 5 Things!
To say thank you and because the CUPCAKE audiobook comes out today, yayyy, I’ve included a link to a giveaway below! The are 5 copies, so there will be 5 winners! You can enter here!
I still can’t believe Ariel & Rhys’s story is actually going to be out there, yayyy! Book Baby #9! CUPCAKE is out in the wild! I hope readers love it and that it makes them smile! Most of all I hope it reminds people to love themselves and to be kind and that happily-ever-after comes in all shapes and sizes! <3
Can you believe it’s October already? Gah, I can’t. September was a busy month which is why I haven’t posted in a while. But there’s so much I want to share with you guys!
Today, I have an awesome giveaway for you!
Entangled is doing a Goodreads giveaway to win a paperback copy of my upcoming YA romance CUPCAKE!!! It ends on November 1st, and there will be 5 winners! Hooray!
I’ll also be doing a giveaway closer to the release date which is on November 2nd.
Yes, you read that right.
CUPCAKE, Book Baby #9, my first ever traditionally published book from start to finish, my first #OwnVoices book, will come out in less than a month. Ahhh! Trying not to freak out over here (and mostly succeeding…maybe lol).
CUPCAKE is a swoon-worthy, fun and funny YA romance, featuring a plus-sized princess named Ariel who loves baking, movies, and…herself–just as she is <3. It also features Rhys, the golden-boy quarterback who is slightly broody, imperfect, and *sigh* absolutely wonderful.
There are already over 60 ratings/reviews.
Again, freaking out a bit ha!
I’ve never had a book release with that many reviews/ratings.
Several early readers have picked out some of my favorite parts of the story, reminding me why I love it so much, and I’m so grateful for them.
I love that CUPCAKE features a teen girl who just happens to be plus-sized and who loves herself.
I love the swoon-worthy romance/chemistry between Ariel & Rhys.
I love the female relationships. Ariel & Toni. Ariel & her mom. Ariel & Lana. Ariel & all of the girls on Homecoming Court.
I love the supportive mother/daughter relationship.
I love Rhys and that he isn’t perfect.
I also love Zander <3, the movies mentioned, the funny and heartfelt moments. I could keep going, but I’ll stop lol.
Quick writing/life updates: I’ve been trying to write. It’s slow-going, but at least it’s coming, and I love the story so much!!! I hope to post more–life just got busy, and then I started to feel that fear again, like whatever I had to say didn’t matter; no one really wants to hear it anyway *sigh*. I’ve also been trying to stay positive.
And I’ll keep trying.
Whatever you have going on in your life, I hope you are well. I wish you so much joy and happiness. Positive vibes to you! I hope you’re having a wonderful October so far!
Happy reading,
Cookie O’Gorman
P.S. CUPCAKE comes out in less than a month!!! Ahh, so excited! <3
Viola & Dare’s story is now available in audiobook! Woohoo!!!
Ah, they used the original cover (created by Stephanie Mooney), and I’m so glad because I love it! The narrator, Stephanie Einstein, captured Viola’s voice right from the beginning <3. The sample I heard was so wonderful! Can’t wait to listen to the rest!!!
Also thought the 2 Stephanie’s must be a good sign lol!
So, so excited! This is my first audiobook in a while, and I love this story so much!
Truly.
In addition to the ebook and paperback, I hope this new format will help more readers find Viola & Dare! Eep! This book is so dear to me. And it’s out there, you guys!
That’s an awesome feeling.
In other news, this coming month is going to be busy. I organize a charity event in September that is for a very important cause, and I’m praying and doing all I can to make sure it goes well. Please cross your fingers for me, you guys. I’m also writing a book for Entangled that needs to be turned in by Oct. 1st. My WIP will be taking a lot of my energy/focus. I love it, but honestly, I’ve been having trouble writing since July. Several reasons for this *sigh*. I also have a dance teaching opportunity coming up, which I’m very excited about. And then there’s the co-authored project I’m working on.
More on all that later.
Today is a good day because my book baby is out there in audio, available to listen & swoon over!
I hope you’re all doing well! I just wanted to do a post about some bookish updates :). Okay, here we go!
RJS Book Lovers’ Convention. I’ll be participating in my first book convention (as an author), yay!!! RSJ is a virtual romance book con that celebrates diversity in publishing! Sounds awesome, right? I definitely think so and am so thankful to be a small part of this event. On Sunday, I’ll be on a YA panel, chatting with readers, talking about books, playing fun games etc. This has always been a dream/goal of mine–to be an author at a conference/convention–so I’m very excited! Hoping it all goes well!
Entangled Teen Live Chat. Okay, so this already happened lol, but it was a lot of fun! Riki, Pamela, Sharina, and Marlene were so awesome, and we had a wonderful time talking about YA books! You can catch more info about my upcoming release CUPCAKE as well as a ton of my awkward facial expressions in the replay lol!
WALLFLOWER audiobook! Viola & Dare’s story is coming to audio on August 31st! Hooray!!! I’m so excited! Can’t wait to (hopefully) reach even more readers with this new format! <3 Can’t wait to listen to WALLFLOWER!
The Perfect Play paperback!!! That’s right, you guys! Team ChaCha is coming to paperback this month! Woop, woop! I’ve already received the proof, and it’s SO beautiful! *sigh* I really want to release tomorrow (Thursday, Aug. 5th) or at least within the week, so be on the lookout! Again: The Perfect Play is coming to paperback!!! Yayyy!
Writing vs. Being Sick. I haven’t been writing much lately. I’ve been sick but am feeling much better now. Not 100% yet–but definitely better. I thought I might have COVID, though I’ve been vaccinated. The symptoms were there, but my test was negative, and I’m very thankful for that. Looking forward to getting back to writing!
And that’s it! 🙂
I hope your August is off to a good start!
Hope everyone who’s going back to school has an awesome first week!!!
This is one of the bitter times on this writing journey. *sigh*
Warning: There will be lemons.
Don’t worry, though! I’ll try my best to end on a positive note.
So, I’ve always considered the writing & bookish community to be something positive. I don’t reach out much (i.e. I almost never reach out lol), but that’s mostly because I’m an introvert and putting myself out there makes me nervous. I just keep my head down, do my own thing and write the best books I can with the hope that they will touch readers’ hearts as much as they do mine.
Writing is a very personal, solitary thing for me.
The ways that I do reach out/interact are few, and the people who I feel comfortable enough to reach out to are even fewer.
I heard something not too long ago that surprised and affected me far more than it should have. Basically, people were talking about me–in a bad way–calling into question my character.
Not gonna lie: It hurt.
A lot.
I felt totally blindsided.
I didn’t even know writers did that, talked about each other without the other person being involved. This is probably because I rarely talk to anyone outside my family, and gossip, in general, makes me uncomfortable. Confrontation does, too. If something bothers me, I usually just suffer in silence.
But writing is a source of positivity for me.
My books are something that bring me joy.
Hearing that people were talking behind my back?
Yeah. It hurt.
Anyway, to bring this back to the positive, I’ve never had this happen before, and I’ve been publishing for several years. So yay, I guess lol? Also, despite this, I’m going to focus on the good.
My books are still a source of joy.
I love writing.
And I understand that people like to spill the tea.
I just prefer mine with less lemon ;).
Hope you’re all doing well, reading awesome books, and having a wonderful weekend so far!
Happy reading,
Cookie O’Gorman
P.S. I still think the writing community is good overall, and I’m glad to be a small part of it. Just wish it lived up to the ideal in my head.
P.P.S. Good things have been happening, too, and I can’t wait to share those with you!
P.P.P.S. This year I will have released more books than I ever have before. It’s been kind of stressful and crazy, but if you read any of them, recommend one of my books to your friends, write a kind review or send me a nice message, just know: It matters. Things can bring you down, or they can lift you up. And if you’re reading this, I want to thank you for brightening my days! Again, it matters. And I’m very thankful <3.
Ariel “Cupcake” Duncan is a seventeen-year-old girl who loves movies and baking. She also just happens to be plus-sized. When she gets nominated to Homecoming Court, Ariel is surprised–and reluctant lol. She absolutely doesn’t want to be a princess.
Then she’s paired with Rhys Castle. The popular quarterback is…complex, hot one minute, cold the next. Ariel doesn’t know what to think.
Sparks fly as they complete a ton of fun/hilarious/romantic Homecoming activities.
Spoiler alert: The curvy girl in this book doesn’t have to lose weight to get her happily-ever-after.
She loves herself, as she is.
And that is my favorite thing about the book <3.
I also love Rhys *swoon*, Ariel’s awesome relationship with her mom, her best friend & their talks, the friends she makes on the Court, and all of the Homecoming fun.
If you’re in the mood for something sweet, funny, and uplifting, I hope you’ll give CUPCAKE a try!
Hope you are staying safe and having a wonderful summer, bookworms!
Happy reading,
Cookie O’Gorman
P.S. CUPCAKE doesn’t officially release until November 2nd–but it’s already available for pre-order on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Google Play! Hooray!
P.P.S. WALLFLOWER is now available in paperback!!! I will most likely do another post about this later bc it’s a big deal, and I have pics to share, woop!
P.P.P.S. Be on the lookout for another cover reveal this Saturday! That one is for my upcoming NA romance The Perfect Play! <3 Can’t wait to share it with you!
Honestly, I feel like that title describes my life lol.
Work in progress.
Trying, trying some more, hopefully progressing.
Anyway, WIP probably describes everyone’s life, so at least I’m not alone :).
Here are a few updates on my books and what I’ve been doing recently (I’ll try not to make it too boring ha).
WALLFLOWER is out in the world, and it’s been doing so well! If you’re reading this, I cannot say thank you enough. So: Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I love Viola & Dare so much, and people are actually reading their book, enjoying the story, writing such sweet reviews! Ugh, thank you again!
I’ve actually been working on several projects–which is so crazy bc I’m used to only working on one at a time. It’s been…a learning experience lol! And it’s not done yet.
Project #1: Editing my YA romance for Entangled! I just turned in my first pass of the manuscript to my editor and can’t wait to see what she thinks! Hoping, hoping, hoping all of you will love it! The title of the book is CUPCAKE. <3 It’s actually already on Goodreads. I’ll post more about it soon, but I love this book! Ugh, can’t wait to share it with you!
Project #2: Another YA romance for Entangled! Still in the early idea stages with this one. I’m waiting for approval of the summary, but I already am so excited about it!
Project #3: The co-authored project I’ve been writing! It’s YA. It’s awesome. It’s almost finished…maybe. The last time we spoke we said it will likely come out in June/July. Very excited (and nervous) about this ha!
Project #4: The O’Brien Brothers Book 2!!! I’m so looking forward to finishing this one–not because I don’t love it, but because I do! The book is at about 56k words. Still a few chapters to go. I love it SO much, and I’m just trying to do the main couple and this wonderful family justice. Again, I can’t wait to share and hope readers will swoon! *Also, the cover is GORGEOUS!!!! I need to finish the book first, but I can’t wait to put that bit of loveliness out in the world! *
Those are my WIPs!
Besides myself, of course :-).
I was sick last week, so that kind of sucked. FeedBurner is apparently going to stop sending email notifications–like the ones you get when I do a blog post. So, I need to figure that out for the ten people who actually read these posts ;).
I hope you’re all staying safe and that wonderful things are happening where you are!
Happy reading,
Cookie O’Gorman
P.S. Oooh, and ADORKABLE is now available on the KISS app! It came out today! Yayyy!!! I think the publishing model is interesting; it involves tokens/chapters etc. Hope the KISS readers love Sally & Becks! 🙂
WALLFLOWER will have been out for 2 weeks on Thursday! The time has flown by. Honestly, I can’t believe how well it’s doing–and I’m so thankful.
Readers have been saying the kindest things about Viola & Dare’s story, and I’m just super grateful <3. Here’s a small sample of the wonderful reviews:
“All I kept thinking as I read this book was how much I loved it!”-Lisa, Lisa Loves Literature
“I think this book is my favorite contemporary YA romance that I have read in 2021 so far. It made me so happy, and I honestly just want to go back and re-read it again because I loved Viola and Dare so much.”-Michelle, Book Briefs
“Wallflower was impossible not to devour in one sitting! This story swept me away and the pages were filled with charm, humor and romance.“-Jen, Star-Crossed Book Blog
“One of the best parts of this story is the genuine friendships.”-Amy, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews
“I recommend this fun, charming, and clean YA romance with delightful characters and LOL moments. I couldn’t put this book down.”-Sharon, The Eclectic Review
“Definitely recommend if you want a sweet short read!”-Ceci, Goodreads Review
“I personally would trade all the other men I read about this week for Dare in a second and he was one of seven. #LetsKeepDare”-Ali Crean, Have Coffee Need Books
“I loved loved this book!!!!”-Kiana, Goodreads Review
“I think many bookworms and hopeless romantics will find part of themselves in Viola. Her growth and character evolution from start to finish was great.”- Lauren, SERIESous Book Reviews
“Overall, there was so much to love about this book and you’d be crazy not to read it if YA romances are your jam. I’m so glad I was able to revisit old characters while continuing on with new ones. This book was truly a delight!“-Ariel, The Book View
“It’s an opposites-attract (popular guy/ unpopular girl), friends to lovers and fake dating romance that will make you remember your first crush and first love.”-Kristee, Goodreads Review
“This is cheesy, cute and soooo romantic. I’ve been smiling wide enough for my jaw to hurt and have definitely leaked a few tears.
✓High school ✓Fake Dating ✓Coach’s daughter ✓Clean romance ✓Animal lovers”-Navya, Goodreads Review
“I could not keep from smiling the entire time I read this book.“-Gabrielle, Goodreads Review
“I really enjoyed reading Wallflower!! The banter between Viola and Dare was such a vibe!”-Amazon Review
“Love all her books. She is top of my one-click. Couldn’t wait for this and it didn’t disappoint.”-Amazon Review
You guys, seriously, bloggers are awesome, and readers rock! And the romance writing community rocks as well! Special thanks to YA Bound Book Tours & Xpresso Book Tours!!! I can’t say thank you enough, so again…to every person who has helped spread the word about WALLFLOWER, for every review/post/share/encouraging message/comment: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
WALLFLOWER is just a little YA romance. I’m pretty helpless when it comes to marketing. And yet, the book is doing well, and that’s all thanks to you!
Last week was Book Birthday Week, and I’m holding a giveaway here! There are still a couple days to enter if you haven’t already. Good luck, you guys!
I also finally hit 20k on my current WIP, hooray! It feels like it’s taken me forever ha. But I think that’s because I keep switching POVs–and just general writer’s block blech. But I finally hit 20k words woop! So thankful for that!
And I was able to get the COVID vaccine. Not going to lie. My thoughts were tinged with sadness. I couldn’t help but think about all of the people who were lost to the disease, how very grateful they would’ve been to receive a vaccine or to have their families in the hospital room while they fought it. How much those families would’ve given to be with their loved ones for their last moments.
Anyway, I am very thankful to have gotten my shot. I’m hopeful that these crazy, sad times will one day come to an end. And I pray good health, strength and healing is with you my lovely readers.
Hope you are well and that you had a wonderful Easter!
Happy reading,
Cookie O’Gorman
P.S. Here are a few of the screenshots I took for WALLFLOWER. <3 It’s been a #1 hot new release for several of its categories (in the U.S. & Australia), a #1 bestseller two of them in the U.S. and even hit #1 in Germany!
So many pictures lol, but who knows if this will ever happen again! Thank you so much for giving WALLFLOWER such a wonderful start!!!
