Month: August 2017


Aug
2017

Sharing the Love

categories: Adorkable, Amazon, doing what you love, giveaway, Kindle Countdown Deal, Ninja Girl, Romance, YA

It’s the end of August which means it’s time to share the love and announce the winner of the 5000+ ADORKABLE Readers Giveaway!!!  Still can’t believe so many people actually read something that I wrote…just wow *__*.  Without further ado, the winner of the giveaway is:

Bilqees B.!!!

Congratulations, Bilqees, and thank you so much for entering–and for adding NINJA GIRL to your Goodreads shelf!  I will be sending your $25 Amazon gift card shortly.  Again, thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and helped to make it a success.

To share even more love, spread good karma and hopefully contribute some positivity to the universe, I’m running a Kindle Countdown Deal.  Starting today and running until September 7, 2017, ADORKABLE will be available for just $0.99 on Amazon and Amazon UK!  Got any friends who you think might enjoy a lighthearted best-friends-to-lovers story?  Anyone you know need a pick-me-up of the sweet YA romance variety?  Well, look no further lol!  Sally and Becks are here, and their story will make you laugh, swoon, and feel all the fluttery feels (at least they do for me :)).

If you will please help me spread the word, I’d greatly appreciate it; I love finding new readers!

I’m really in the spirit to share the love–my NINJA GIRL and ADORKABLE readers, rock!!!–so there will definitely be more giveaways to come.  Be on the lookout for those, and I hope you’re having a great week!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman


Aug
2017

I <3 HUNGARY!!!

categories: Adorkable, debut, doing what you love, fun, Kamuzasok Kavarasok, Romance, YA

So first of all, here is my ADORKABLE shelfie :).

adorkable shelfie

Not sure if I’ve mentioned it, but in addition to YA romance, I am a BIG fan of YA fantasy–obviously lol.  You’ll also notice the Slytherins outnumber the Gryffindors in this picture *gasp*.  (Although I’m pretty sure Captain America would be a Gryffindor.)  And next to those guys, I have my book babies, Kamuzások, kavarások and ADORKABLE <3.  Four copies of ADORKABLE–one for each of the places the book is sold–and one copy of my beloved Hungarian debut!  Speaking of which…

hungary

To all of the LOL readers who posted their shelfies: Imádom, imádom, imádom!!! <333333  I just loved looking at all of your beautiful book pics–and seeing that you’re #TeamBecks ;).  Tija, I feel like you are my bookish fairy godmother or something, and I am so so grateful to you!   I might get this wrong, but…köszönöm! Köszönöm szépen!  You all rock and so do your awesome bookshelves :).

Thank you for making my week, and I hope you have a great one, too!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman


Aug
2017

Super Secret Shelfie

categories: Adorkable, doing what you love, Romance, self-publishing, YA

I mentioned a “super secret assignment” in my last post, and okaaay, it’s not really a secret.  BUT if someone could help me with this, it would be pretty freakin’ super :).  So here’s the deal.  Last week, I was in L.A. for a few days, and one of the places I really wanted to go was the Los Angeles Public Library.  I was seriously looking forward to it!

You get why I’d be excited about this right, fellow bookworms?

Books, shelves, readers, books, card catalogs (are there still card catalogs lol?) and…I mean, seriously, all those books!!!

And I really wanted to go there for one book in particular.  If you look up the ADORKABLE paperback on Goodreads, there’s a button for “libraries.”  I happened to click on it, not expecting much.  I knew when I decided to self-publish that libraries probably wouldn’t order my book(s) just like bookstores wouldn’t stock them.  It’s one of the dreams I kind of gave up on because of the stigma attached to being self-pubbed/using Createspace etc.

But when I clicked, I got a shock!

ADORKABLE, book baby #1, was actually available at 11 libraries!!!  There were copies in Indiana, New York, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Idaho, California and Washington.  And some of them were even checked out!  Several branches of the L.A. Public Library had the book, and I was hoping to visit before I left–but alas, I never got the chance :(.

Now, I know this is a long shot, but I decided to ask anyway.  If you live near any of the libraries that carry ADORKABLE, could you do me a favor?  Could you take a picture of ADORKABLE on the library shelf and post it somewhere so I can see?  Or if you have the paperback on your shelf, would you mind taking a shelfie and posting?  I’d love to see a picture of the book in its natural habitat!

It’s kinda silly, I guess, but it was one of those author-ly dreams I just never thought would come true.  I should do a post about those sometime because they are many lol.  If you accept this super secret shelfie assignment, I’d be forever grateful.  If not, that’s totally cool, too!

I hope you all have a great weekend surrounded by amazing books <3.

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman


Aug
2017

A Nice Surprise

categories: Adorkable, doing what you love, nice surprise, Ninja Girl, Romance, YA

Okay, so I just got back from a short (but awesome) trip to California!  Los Angeles to be exact.  And I come home to find this on my doorstep…

IMG_4714

It was in a bag with a note from one of my former students who moved away.  The note said since I’d shared a few books with her, she wanted to share a few of her favorites with me <333.  Seriously, it was such a nice surprise.  (Thank you, Jaida!!!)  There’s only one book in there that I’ve already read and own (The Westing Game), AND she is the same student who let me read her copy of Kasie West’s P.S. I Like You, my first book by West and one that I enjoyed immensely!

Anyway, ahhh like I said, it was so thoughtful.

I’m very fortunate to teach several thoughtful young adults who are smart, talented and just wonderful.  The readers in this age group are fantastic as well and make me want to write the best books that I can for them.  I actually had one reader leave a great comment on my last post.  She’d read ADORKABLE, like it a lot, and was wondering when NINJA GIRL would be available in paperback because she loves reading real, tangible books.  I loved that comment because to be honest I’m not sure if/when I’ll be publishing NINJA GIRL as a paperback.  I mean, I would love to add it to my bookshelf.  But I honestly haven’t had time to get it together and wasn’t sure if anyone (besides me) would want NINJA GIRL as a real, live book anyway.  But I guess they do :).

And that…is so awesome!

Another nice surprise, and I am very thankful for her comment, those great books and all of my wonderful students.  Next week, I’ll post more about my trip to L.A., and a super-secret assignment, something fun my readers may be able to help me with ;).

Have a great weekend, and I really hope some nice surprises happen for you as well!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman


Aug
2017

5000+ ADORKABLE Readers!!!

categories: Adorkable, debut, doing what you love, Goodreads, Ninja Girl, self-publishing, YA

This post could’ve also been called: OMG, when did that happen?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

But I figured it was too many question marks :).  As you can see, book baby #1 finally did it.  ADORKABLE reached 5000+ readers on Goodreads!  When I first started this journey into self-publishing, I honestly never thought this would happen.  I mean, I thought I’d be lucky to have five to 10 readers let alone this many.  I am truly floored and humbled by how many people have read ADORKABLE, and I cannot thank you all enough for the support.  Sally and Becks are out there, making their way into people’s hearts, and I am so grateful for that.

On a side note, book baby #2 isn’t doing too shabby either.  500+ people have read and rated NINJA GIRL on Goodreads which is crazy amazing.  Also, I noticed a little while ago that, although the book is actually rated 4.8 stars on Amazon (which is fan-freaking-tastic), it looks like 5 stars on the site.  Definitely not complaining about that lol!

To thank you awesome ADORKABLE and NINJA GIRL readers…it’s time for a giveaway!!!

There are several ways to enter, and the giveaway will run until August 31, 2017.  One winner will be randomly chosen, and the prize is a $25 Amazon Gift Card.  You can enter using the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Once more with feeling: THANK YOU SO MUCH, readers!  Thank you for reading the book in the first place.  Thank you for recommending it to your friends.  Thank you for being the adorkable ninja girl and guy bookworms that you are!  ADORKABLE and NINJA GIRL readers really are the best, and I appreciate you more than I can say <3.

I hope you have a wonderful week, and good luck!

Happy reading,

Cookie O’Gorman