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!
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!
I’m still here lol! And I’ve been writing! Yayyy!!!!
Tonight, I hit 50k on my current WIP, hooray! I am absolutely in love with this YA romance, and I’m hoping to finish it this week. That’s a big goal for me as I am not the fastest writer, but I’m going to try.
A little while ago, I attended a virtual writing conference held by The Writing Gals! (Sidenote: They are awesome and kind and so generous with the info they give to other writers! If you are a writer, I’d definitely check them out! :))
It was wonderful, you guys!
I haven’t gotten a chance to watch all of the courses that interest me (there were SO many awesome ones), but I did get to do a few things.
One of the things I did was writing sprints!
That’s where you sit down, set a timer for 20 minutes and just write as much as you can. I may have done this at some point, but it was never with a 20-minute time frame or with other authors. I always did at least an hour, usually two hours and would feel so disappointed if I got tired half-way through or didn’t end up with an awesome word count.
Long story short, the writing sprints have dramatically increased my productivity, and I am so thankful!
Now, I know I am capable of upping my word count, and it doesn’t feel so draining to sit for hours on end, hoping for the words to come. Who knew taking a little break and then jumping back in could be so effective? Everyone but me? Okay then, lol ;).
Again, I’m thankful for the conference and for Maggie Dallen’s course on writing faster and more efficiently (she mentioned sprinting, too, whoop!), and for all of the awesome live chats/panels I got to see!
It was just such a breath of fresh air, a bit of light in all this darkness, and it really has lit a fire under me to finish this book–and hopefully, many more to come.
I hope you are all doing well, my lovely readers! Stay safe, keep reading, and May the Force be with you!
Happy reading,
Cookie O’Gorman
P.S. ICYMI: The Best Mistake is now available in paperback, and it is oh so pretty! <3 Have you got your copy of Honor & Archer’s story yet? 😉 I hope you love it!
So, this has to be one of the coolest things I have ever done. And it was made possible by all of the wonderful people in this video! <3
If you need a little brightness added to your day, check out our ADORKABLE #passthebookchallenge! Featuring some awesome people who I have so much love for! So thankful!
If you’ve followed me on this publishing journey, from ADORKABLE and beyond, you know that I believe the world has too many tragedies and not enough happy endings. That is why I strive to give all of my characters happily-ever-afters, and why I try to spread at least a little happy where possible.
I’ve included this on all of my posts so far because it’s true:
Wherever you are, whatever you are going through, I hope this brings you some happiness!
…and my readers are the BEST of the best! Period. <3
Seriously, hands down, they rock! Book baby #5 has been out in the world for a little over a week, and I’m so thankful for all the love people have been showing Honor & Archer! Thank you so much to InkSlinger PR and Xpresso Book Tours and to everyone who participated in The Best Mistake Blog Tour and Book Blitz!
Also, thank you for this beautiful banner which I will be keeping forever and ever lol! <3
And thank you to every single reader who has read and reviewed so far!!!
The entire story was magical. I read this book in a single sitting because I legit couldn’t put the book down. –Vanessa at Novel Nerd Faction
I loved the slow burn romance!–Lauren at SERIESous Reviews
The most delicious mix of sweet & steamy…with a little bit of socially awkward too! A total 5 stars and a home run for The Best Mistake!–Krista, Goodreads Reviewer
I loved that their connections were more than just sexual or baseball, it gives the sense this relationship will go the distance.–Becky Burrier at Bookcase and Coffee
Sweet, steamy, fun, lighter.–Briana at Renee Entress’s Blog
“The Best Mistake” by Cookie O’Gorman deserves 5 golden stars!–Abbey, Goodreads Reviewer
This is one of the first books in a while I told my hubby to ‘be quiet’ because I was reading. The Best Mistake is definitely a must-read.–Sharrice at Reese’s Reviews
The Best Mistake was one of the first books I’ve picked up and finished in weeks.–Sanne at Scandalous Book Blog
This was a heartfelt love story that left me with a smile on my face.–Cindy at Read.Review.Repeat
The Best Mistake is a swoony, romantic new adult sports romance that is refreshingly free of much of the angst that NA books usually feature.– Becky at Becky on Books
Give this book a chance. It will never feel like a mistake, I can assure you that!–Andy, Goodreads Reviewer
You’ll have to hit those one click buttons to see how it all plays out! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!–Jennifer Pierson, Amazon Reviewer
To say that I have fallen in love with all the characters in this book would be putting it mildly. I loved every single O’Brien sibling, and am so hungry for all of their stories.–Ree at Ree Cee’s Books
Ugh, you guys!!! As a self-published author (I think I’m technically a hybrid now, but most of my books–including this one–are self-pubbed), I appreciate these early reviews so much! Honestly, I appreciate every review that comes at any time lol! But the early ones help and let others readers know 1) why they should give the book a chance, 2) that it’s worth their time, and 3) what to expect. On a more personal note, reviews–the nice ones–also give me so much joy and warmth to know actual people are reading & enjoying something I wrote!
So again: Bloggers, reviewers, awesome bookish peeps, you rock!!!
Thank you so much!
NA sports romance is a genre that I love, but it’s difficult to break into ha! There are so many well-known AKA Superstar Authors in the category.
(Side note: I don’t know any of them… I did make a list of YA & NA authors to do newsletter swaps with for the release; it was a good list. Guess how many I contacted? If you said zero, you’d be correct LOL! However, I reached out to a few readerly peeps, asked if they’d like an ARC, so that’s good :)).
Anyway, it’s hard not to fade into oblivion–which I guess can be said about all genres, but it’s true of NA sports romance as well. Whenever I release a new book, I just wish I was less introverted and more outgoing!
Because I love my books so much! I truly do. And I hope they give people a breath of fresh air, a much needed pick-me-up, and yes, a taste of happily-ever-after! <3
Thank you so much again, bookish peeps! The Best Mistake had a fantastic first week, and that is all thanks to YOU!!! Honor & Archer’s story is finally out there, hooray, and people are already asking for the next O’Brien Brothers book–which makes my heart so glad! **Also, reminds me that I need to get cracking on the writing lol!**
I hope you’re all safe and well! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Happy reading,
Cookie O’Gorman
P.S. I’ve also received a lot of love from Hungary and saw so many gorgeous pics from the blog tour for Piszkos tánc (aka The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad)!!! Gah, LOL is awesome and so are the LOL readers! I’ll have a post about that as well! 🙂
Ahh, you guys, I’m feeling all the feels! Part of it may be lack of sleep/stress lol, but the real reason is I’m SO excited to share this book with you! The Best Mistake is my first New Adult sports romance, and I hope you fall in love with it! <333 Honor Tierney (innocent bookworm determined to guard her heart), Archer O’Brien (gifted athlete, protective/oldest O’Brien brother, made up of swoon), gah, I love them so much!!! And ALL of the characters! Can I just say, I am head-over-heels in love with everyone in this book? Not that I’m biased or anything ;).
If you love sweet & sexy NA romance, college sports, hilarious cases of mistaken identity, and brothers who are guaranteed to make you swoon, I hope you’ll give The Best Mistake a try!
In this uncertain, scary time, I hope this story brings a little brightness to your day! I hope it lifts you up and gives you some happiness! Thank you so much to every person who has supported me and this book! It means everything <3. Be well and safe, my lovely bookworms!
Happy reading,
Cookie O’Gorman
P.S. ***Again, The Best Mistake has mature content and is intended for readers 18+.*** If you are younger, please consider trying one of my young adult romances! 🙂 I love each and every one of them! My YA books are swoony & sweet, and there are actually 4 out now <3!
In less than two weeks, my 5th book, The Best Mistake, comes out!!! Yay, yay, yay, you guys! Oh, I’m so excited to share this one with you!
I cannot wait for everyone to meet Honor & Archer and all of the O’Briens!
I decided to post and focus on the positive because…well, tbh, I get a little overwhelmed sometimes and need to be reminded of things that are cheerful and good.
Here are a few of the things that have recently brightened my days:
My family. I’m so incredibly grateful for the time I have with them. It is priceless. They are the best thing in my whole world. The few friends I have are wonderful as well.
The ability to connect. Thank goodness for phones/mail/video chats/texts/email/nice messages from nice people.
Good books/TV/movies. I’ve been reading a lot lately. Haven’t been writing–which stinks–but I’ve been stressed and escaping through books/TV/movies. So glad for the escape.
Second Printing. A very kind editor from Entangled let me know this week that ADORKABLE is actually going into a second printing!!! I’m no expert–this is my first and only book that’s been traditionally published–but they’ve told me it’s done well, yay, and this means the book will be on shelves longer–which, to me, is AMAZING! <3
Speaking of Amazing... A while ago, an awesome author friend asked when I’d have ARCS ready of The Best Mistake because she wanted to read it, and that just made my day! <3 Thank you so much, Theresa!!!
I’ve been struggling recently, as I’m sure a lot of you have, to stay in a positive place. The way our world is right now…how so many are suffering, going through the unthinkable…I just can’t help getting overwhelmed with sadness sometimes.
Trying to focus on the good things has cheered me up a bit, and I hope it helps you as well.
P.S. The idea that someone could be reading an ARC of The Best Mistake right now is nerve-wracking and exciting, eep! Oh, I’m crossing my fingers so hard that people like Archer & Honor’s story!!! I’ll be posting more about the book soon, and again, I hope you all have a great weekend! 🙂
What is book birthday week, you ask? Well, I didn’t realize it at first, but nearly all my books share a birthday week! In other words, they were released within 7 days of each other, just in different years!
If that wasn’t cool enough and you’re wondering why The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad, swoony/hilarious book baby #4, is up there when in fact it came out in late April of 2019…
…the answer is: Piszkos Tánc, The Hungarian version of The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad, which actually just came out this week!!! Here’s the lovely cover!
LOL rocks, and I’m so thankful to them for bringing my books and the characters I love so much to the awesome LOL readers in Hungary!!!
So yayyy, this is book birthday week, you guys! It’s something to celebrate, a bit of brightness, and I hope it brings light to your day as well!
I hope you’re all well and safe, readers! Thank you so much for being a part of my publishing journey! No matter if you’ve read one or all four of my books (some of you are probably like, just four lol??? But I’ve tried, and I’m still glad I have that many out ha! Also, my NA sports romance, The Best Mistake, is coming April 23rd, so book baby #5 is on the way!!!), I’m so glad to have your support and thankful for every positive comment/message!
Self-publishing ADORKABLE was the fulfillment of a long-held, long-hoped-for dream, and I made the decision to do it on a day that was (and still is) the anniversary of one of the worst days of my entire life, an effort to take the day back and turn it into something good. Thank you so much for helping me do that, and I hope my books give you even a small amount of happiness!
Hold on to hope, be well, keep celebrating the small things, and I hope you have a wonderful week!
Happy reading,
Cookie O’Gorman
P.S. Another awesome thing that made me glad this week was The English Game on Netflix! It was awesome, and soccer-loving Becks and Ash (and all of my characters lol) would’ve loved it! If you need something new to watch, I’d definitely recommend! 😉
It’s time to reveal the cover of my new book, The Best Mistake! Ahhh, it’s so gorgeous, you guys! I hope you love it! <3 Sarah Hansen, the cover designer, is so incredibly talented! I’m very thankful to her for working with me and making it just…perfect. And thank you so much to Xpresso Book Tours for hosting the cover reveal!
I so love this cover! Honestly, I can’t stop staring lol. And I’m so excited for you to meet Archer and all of the O’Brien Brothers (and their sister :D). Not to even mention, my main girl Honor, who is such an awesome, hilarious, smart, book-loving heroine!
In case you’d like to read the book summary, you can find it here! ***Again, this is not a young adult book. It is a new adult sports romance set in college and is intended for readers 18+.***
You can also now add The Best Mistake on Goodreads, hooray!!! And I hope you will! 10 awesome people have added the book so far, and that makes me so glad!
And seriously, we could all use a bit of happy.
This is such a scary, uncertain time. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. I’m there, too. Mostly, I’m scared for my loved ones. I don’t care about me. But I do not want to unknowingly get this disease, be asymptomatic and make anyone sick. It is one of my worst fears. I pray the spreading and suffering stops, that someone develops an anti-virus and people begin to recover, that things become less bleak and hope, wellness and most of all love makes a comeback.
Again, I think I write happy stories because the world can be so unbearably sad, and I, like so many others, are all too aware of that fact.
Sorry this got so serious. It seems odd to celebrate a cover reveal at a time like this–but I wanted to share it with you. My readers are so wonderful! I have no idea what everyone’s going through, but I truly hope this brings some joy to your day.
I hope you’re well, bookworms! I hope you stay well and find your happy wherever you can <3.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone!!! I’ve got something really fun for your guys today!
I’m so glad to be a part of Entangled Teen’s Road Trip (aka blog hop)! Each day there will be a new stop with new authors and giveaways just for you!
Today’s stop is Chariot, North Carolina–the setting for my YA romance ADORKABLE! Chariot is a small fictional town and home to a whole cast of quirky characters–including Sally Spitz who asks her best friend, Becks, to be her fake boyfriend for a month. The problem: She’s been in love with him all her life–and he’s completely clueless :).
Here’s an excerpt from one of my most favorite scenes in the book (get ready to swoon <3):
Gently, Becks placed his hand on top of mine.
I didn’t jump this time, but my body was like a live wire, lit up from the inside.
“Jeez,” Becks said quietly, running the tips of his fingers up and down my arm. “You’re shaking, Sal.”
Mortified, I looked down to see that he was right. Every time his fingers passed a certain place on my skin, gooseflesh appeared first followed by a tiny quiver.
“Sorry,” I said, completely at a loss.
As much as I tried, I couldn’t command myself to not react. Why was my body betraying me like this? Didn’t it realize that if Becks saw how much I loved his touch, how much it moved me, he would know?
Just as I feared it might already be too late, he said, “This isn’t working.” Removing his hand, he sat back, shaking his head. “I don’t know why I freak you out so much, but we need to try something different.”
I was a lot of things, but “freaked out” was definitely not one of them.
“Here,” he said, moving a bit closer. “You do me.”
The road trip culminates on March 25th @ 6 pm PST/9 pm EST with a big party on the Entangled Teen Facebook page! I’ll be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card, yay! Hope to see you there!
Again, bookworms, I hope you’re all doing well and staying safe! This is a very scary and uncertain time for so many. May you live long and prosper. May the odds be ever in your favor. May COVID-19 stay far, far away from you. I wish you all the best–the best health, the best books, and the best times with those you love!
