My SUPER, BIG, news...

So...I could write a long post detailing my journey as a writer.  From my first self-published book, a little known paranormal romance called Irresistible Fear, that while it didn't sell much is still the story closest to my heart.  

  Or I could tell you how it blew my mind that people actually wanted to read the stories I had to tell.  That when I set out to publish first, Find You in the Dark and then Bad Rep, I thought to myself:

  No one is going to want to read this.  What if no one likes it?  What if I'm just not that good of a writer? 

  And then, as crazy as it seemed to me, you guys started reading these books of mine.  

And I was over the freaking moon!

 And as you joined me on this insane journey, I started to think...hey, maybe I can do this.  Maybe I can make this dream a career.  

  I have always been proud to be an Indie writer.  

My heart, my blood, my sweat, and my tears are firmly rooted in the Indie community.

Because...

I never thought traditional publishing would be in the cards for me.  I've had the door slammed in my face enough times that I learned not to expect it.  I'd get so close...my hopes would go sky high, only to have reality hit me in the face.

Really, really hard.  

But then a super awesome editor from Gallery, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, contacted my agent about the possibility of having me write a brand new series for them.  At first I was like...

I'm a total control freak by nature, so the thought of writing on someone else's timeline DID NOT appeal to me.  But I started talking to the editor and we did a little brainstorming.  I told her this idea I had for a story about a guy and a girl and the scary, consuming world of addiction, all in the midst of the underground club scene.  This story came in part from mine and my husband's life experiences.  

The super awesome editor loved it.  I loved it.  And then I thought...

I think I want to do this.

So my announcement is that I've signed a two book deal with Gallery Books.  The first book is called

Lead Me Not

Coming in October, 2014

So what does this mean for my other projects?  Not a damn thing folks!  I will still have Reclaiming the Sand out in early 2014.  The next Bad Rep novel, Vivian and Cole's story, will also be out in early 2014.  I'm so lucky that Gallery are willing to work with my indie schedule so that I can still give you the stories I've promised you.  But I can't wait for you to meet Maxx and Aubrey in Lead Me Not.  This story is gritty and raw.  It's the sort of troubled romance my readers know I love to write.  

So here is what you can expect from LEAD ME NOT!!!!

College student, Aubrey Duncan, is pulled into the dangerous underbelly of the city club scene after meeting a sexy and mysterious stranger.  Lead Me Not tells the dark story of love and addiction and fighting a temptation that could lead to destruction.

So there you have it...my super amazing news.  I hope you'll be as excited to read this story as I am to give it to you.

But most importantly...I want to THANK each and every reader who took a chance on an unknown indie writer and has loved and championed me every step of the way!

Without you...none of this matters!

RELEASE DAY FOR THE 12 NA'S of CHRISTMAS!!!

It's finally here, the official release date for the 12 NA's of Christmas!!!

We have been working on this project for so long!  I was beyond excited when I was asked to join up with 11 authors who are absolutely incredible!

The 12 NA's of Christmas are 12 separate New Adult novellas with a Christmas theme.  Some are written as part of an author's existing series (like mine, Warmth in Ice).  Others are written as a stand alone.

Here is a complete list and each are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other e-book retailers:

A. Meredith Walters (me!!!)- Warmth in Ice (A Find You in the Dark novella)

Addison Moore- Winter Kisses

Breena Wilde- Frosted Midnight

H.M. Ward- A Little Christmas Romance (this one will be available SOON)

Chelsea M. Cameron- Christmas Catch

Sawyer Bennett- If I Return

Sarra Cannon- A Season for Hope

Shelly Crane- Wide Spaces

Magan Vernon- Off the Market

Tiffany King- Cross Country Christmas

Zoe Dawson- Brave

Marquita Valentine- All for You

You can find buy links as well as the entire list on our website:  

http://www.newadult12.com/

You can also visit our author's page over on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/The-12-NAs-of-Christmas/e/B00FP0XX5Y/

Here's a more about my novella: Warmth in Ice (a Find You in the Dark novella:

The Final chapter in Clay and Maggie's epic love story that began with Find You in the Dark.

This novella takes place before the epilogue in Light in the Shadows.

It's Clay and Maggie's first Christmas together but will it be a season of joy or will it only bring heartache?

Clay and Maggie have gone through the dark and come out on the other side.  For the first time, they are on this journey together.  Fighting for something they both need and can't live without...each other.

But long distance relationships are hard.  Particularly for two people who are still trying to build something solid on a shaky and troubled foundation.  Clay is finally out of treatment and is living in an out patient halfway house.  He struggles with what he wants to do and where he wants to go.  Question he worries he will never have the answers to.  Maggie is trying to transition into college life and learning how to create a future with someone who is over a thousand miles away.

As the months pass and they struggle with being a part, old insecurities and fears take root and threaten a love that has come so far.

When Maggie decides to fly to Florida as a surprise for Clay on Christmas, she is  unsure whether it will be the first step toward what they both desperately want or whether it could possibly be the end of it all.

But with the holidays approaching, Maggie and Clay are reminded that even when the days are coldest, you cans till find the warmth and that hope and love are the greatest gifts of all.

It's Cover Reveal Time!!! The 12 NA's of Christmas!

I am so excited to reveal the covers for the 12 NA's of Christmas! These are 12 different Christmas novellas from 12 bestselling authors. Warmth in Ice is a Christmas novella for fans of Find You in the Dark and Light in the Shadows.  I hope you enjoy this final chapter in Clay and Maggie's love story!

It’s Maggie and Clay’s first Christmas together…

***Spoilers for those who have not read Find You in the Dark or Light in the Shadows***


Clay and Maggie have gone through the dark and come out on the other side. For the first time, they are on this journey together. Fighting for something they both need and can’t live without…each other. 

 But a long distance relationship is hard. Particularly for two people who are still trying to build something solid on a shaky and troubled foundation. Clay is finally out of treatment and is living in an out patient halfway house. He struggles with what he wants to do and where he wants to go. Questions he worries he will never have the answers to.  Maggie is trying to transition into college life and learning how to create a future with someone who is over a thousand miles away. 

 As the months pass and they struggle with being a part, old insecurities and fears take root and threaten a love that has come so far. 

 When Maggie decides to fly to Florida as a surprise for Clay on Christmas, she is unsure whether it will be the first step toward what they both desperately want or whether it could possibly be the end of it all. 

 But with the holidays approaching, Maggie and Clay are reminded that even when the days are coldest, you can still find the warmth and that hope and love are the greatest gifts of all.

Warmth in Ice and the other 12 NA's of Christmas novellas will be released separately on 

NOVEMBER 1st!!!

Several are tied into an existing series but others can be read as a stand alone! 

You can find out more about each of the 12 NA's of Christmas titles here:

http://www.newadult12.com/

Perfect Regret Release Date

              Mark your calendar!  Perfect Regret will be released on SEPTEMBER 13th!  

NAmazing Adventure!!!

Welcome to my stop on the NAmazing Adventure, a blog hop featuring over 60 New Adult authors, and prize packs that include ARCs, signed books, gift cards, swag, and more! If you're not sure what the NAmazing Adventure is, please CLICK HERE  to start from the beginning and read the complete rules on the NA Alley website. Now let's get this journey on the road!

"Who gives a damn about their reputation? Oh, that would be me! Especially since mine had gone straight to hell in the span of thirty minutes".

Maysie Ardin is soaking up the summer before her junior year of college, shopping, hanging by the pool and shopping some more. But when her black belt in spending lands her in trouble with her parents, she is forced to take a second job at a local bar to dig herself out of a deep financial pit.

She thought she’d be miserable. But then Maysie didn’t count on Jordan Levitt, the hot, pierced and tattooed, drum playing bartender who also happens to be very interested in her. And the feelings are totally mutual.

It had the makings of the perfect romantic set up. Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. Boy has girlfriend? Okay, maybe not.

But attraction is a hard thing to ignore and soon Jordan and Maysie find themselves in the middle of a gossip induced firestorm. Maysie has to learn whether she can set aside her fear of public disapproval in order to be with the one she wants. Or will she let the opinions of others dictate her life and her heart?

Got that jotted down in your quest scroll?

Great, because you’ll need it for the quiz at the end of this quest! And remember, you must complete ALL SIX quizzes to be eligible for a prize pack.

HOLD ON!!!!  You have a chance to win a signed paperback copy of Bad Rep right here in addition to the NAmazing Adventure giveaway!  All you have to do is like my page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by. Ready to move on?

CLICK HERE to go to the next stop on your adventure!  Good Luck!!! -A

Last Perfect Regret teaser of the day...

First I want to say THANK YOU for all the awesome birthday wishes!  I can't tell you how much it means to me to have each and every one of you supporting me and my books the way that you do!  So here is the final Perfect Regret teaser for my Birthday Extravaganza!  This scene is shorter than the other two...but it's pretty steamy!  Enjoy some Riley and Garrett lovin'!!!  This is unedited so forgive the typos and grammatical mayhem!

*Intended for mature audiences- over 18***

*************

He lifted my hair and swept it over my shoulder.  His lips were hot on my skin as he kissed my neck.  “We can’t keep doing this.  I can’t stand you,” I said in a shaky voice as I felt the tip of his tongue glide along the outside of my ear. 

  Garrett turned me so I faced him, his eyes smoldering as he looked down at me.  He grabbed the hem of my shirt and yanked it over my head, leaving me in only my black lace bra.  He traced his finger along the top of my breasts, making me shiver. 

  “I can’t stand you either.  Your mouth just doesn’t know when to stop.  The shit that you say makes me want to strangle you,” his voice was low and rough as he cupped my breasts, his thumbs rubbing my already taut nipples. 

  Garrett leaned down so that his lips brushed against mine.  Our breath was coming in short, erratic bursts.  “I don’t particularly like you Riley.  But right now I want to fuck you,” he growled.  My eyes widened, my heart sped up and my panties grew instantly wet. 

  My fingers curled into his messy hair and I pulled with enough force to make him wince.  “You’re an asshole,” I whispered, not trusting my voice at the moment.  Garrett’s emitted a low groan as I yanked on his hair again.  I bit his bottom lip, pulling it into my mouth.

  “And I want you to fuck me,” I said raggedly.  Garrett gripped the back of my head, holding me in place as his mouth slammed down on mine.  I hated him.  He made me want to pull my hair out.  But goddamn it, I wanted to taste every inch of him.  And I knew by the frantic way he touched me, that he felt the same way.

Happy Birthday TO ME!

Throughout the day I will be posting some Perfect Regret teasers.  One now, another one this afternoon and then one later tonight.  I also have an awesome Perfect Regret surprise to share with you later!  But for now, have a look at the awesome friendship between Maysie and Riley.  You were introduced to their fun dynamic in Bad Rep.  Maysie was the the angst filled, sometimes whiny sorority chick while Riley was the snarky, tell it like it is best friend.  Now see how thing have flipped for the both of them.  Riley is a bit of a mess and Maysie is there to help her sort it out!  Enjoy!!!


*******

     “Riley, don’t make the same mistakes I did.  I almost lost the most important thing in my life because I had unrealistic expectations about what a relationship should look like,” Maysie warned, taking the bowl of popcorn from my hands.  I didn’t even try to stop her.  I was too busy processing the fact that at some point in all of this mess our roles had reversed.  Maysie had, unbeknownst to me, become the no nonsense voice of reason and I had become the screwed up head case with a bad case of I-can’t-make-up-my-mind.

 

  I started to chew on the skin around my thumb.  “I know I’m being a hypocrite.  I know I’m not making a shit bit of sense, but…”  I let my words trail off.  No reason to cut myself open completely.  I was feeling way too vulnerable and way too touchy.  I hated that my world had turned upside down because of a guy. 

  Somehow, someway, Garrett Bellows had gotten underneath my skin in the worst way possible.  He was like a parasite, slowly sucking me dry.  That’s what he was!  I gigantic, blonde haired, too-cute-for-his-own-good tape worm, eating away at me from the inside out. 

  “He scares you,” Maysie piped up, grinning at me as she shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth.  She needed to keep that mouth full because I wasn’t appreciating her on the nose analysis of my internal conflict. 

  I made a noise that sounded like I was choking.  “Scared?  Give me a fucking break, Mays.  Annoyed? Yes.  Frustrated?  You betcha.  Ready to take off someone’s head? Looking more and more like a definite,” I said giving her a pointed look.  “But never, ever scared,” I said with more conviction than I felt.

  Maysie chuckled.  “Oh yes he does.  He gives you butterflies.  He makes you sweat.  He calls you on your bullshit and keeps you on your toes.  You both love and hate how he does that.  He has you tied up in so many knots you can’t get out.  And Miss I-Have-My Whole-World-Figured-Out is going crazy because of it,” Maysie seemed entirely too proud of her deduction. 

  I opened my mouth to say something but she cut me off…again!  “I’m not saying this to be mean, but Riley you’ve become your own worst enemy.  I know you think Garrett has nothing to offer.  That you’re embarrassed by the fact that you actually like him.  But he’s a good guy.  He’s a smart guy.  And there is no one else in this world that would lay everything at your feet the way that he would.  Remember that when you’re sitting in your room later, thinking of a thousand reasons you shouldn’t give things with him a try.  Remember he’s the same guy who had your back with Jaz.  He’s the same guy who drove you over three hundred miles to be with your grandmother.”  My throat felt uncomfortably tight and I blinked rapidly to try to hold off the tears.  I will not cry like a little bitch! 

  “And remember he’s the guy who has made you feel like you’re worth all the hassle.  That no matter what you dish out, he is there to take it.  To volley it right back and is there to go toe to toe any time you’re ready.”  Maysie squeezed my hands.  “Damien wasn’t that guy for you.  But Garrett is,” she said softly and I closed my eyes and tried to take a deep breath around the huge, crushing weight in my chest.