Let's Celebrate!

I have a big birthday this month and I want to celebrate with you! Each week, I'm going to focus on a series, hopefully share some fun stuff, and have giveaways, of course!

This week is all about the Bold as Love series.

Sweetness was my debut book, so it's exciting to take a moment and go back to the beginning. Sweetness is the first of five in the completed series. Jake and Emily begin the series in high school and we follow along through college and the years after. I started writing this couple as a way to escape my anxiety, which at the time was uncontrollable and the worst it’s ever been.

At the suggestion from a friend, I began my journey with self-publishing. Three years later, thanks to Jake and Emily and their story, I’m still going strong and loving every minute of what they’ve brought into my life.

So, that’s a little background.

Here's what Sweetness is about:
Emily wished she was invisible. But after moving to a new town with her dad, a charming boy makes it impossible for her to disappear. Despite her feelings of unworthiness, Emily soon finds herself drawn to the safety of Jake's world.

Good looking and the star of the hockey team, Jake has a lot going for him. What most people don't see is the difficult life he has at home. When quiet Emily steals his heart, Jake vows to help her discover she is worthy of love.

Just when the two of them realize the sweetness of their relationship, they are put to the test. Only together can they overcome their haunted pasts to fight for a future together.

You can follow this link to learn more about each individual book. Add the series on Goodreads. And in case you didn't know, Sweetness is free! Be sure to grab it if you haven't already! You can check out the series on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, or Smashwords.

Be sure you enter the giveaway for chances to win the complete series in ebooks or any one ebook from the series!

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Happy Birthday, Ryan! (And a giveaway!)

As promised, I'm bringing you a giveaway to celebrate Ryan's birthday. Ryan is the leading lady from You Before Me in case you don't know. Also as promised, this giveaway is open internationally. So my international readers that have been waiting for the chance, this is the time!

Up for grabs: 2 YBM swag packs, and a bunch of my ebooks.

This is the second-to-last chance to win a YBM swag pack, so you better enter! I'm saving the very last one for something big. ;)

The swag pack is shown on the left, which includes: a signed paperback, a signed bookmark, a lip balm, a YBM magnet, a YBM Get Out of Jail Free card (which relates directly to a scene in the book), a bath bomb, and a YBM t-shirt!

Good luck! Be sure to keep scrolling because there's an excerpt as well!


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Here's an excerpt from You Before Me in Gabe's POV on Ryan's birthday! Gabe is on the job with his partner, Fredrick, when they see Ryan and her best friend, Vivian, drunk and walking down the sidewalk.

“Woah, hey, Ryan.” She clumsily wraps her arms around me.

“Best present ever!” she yells into my ear. Ryan sloppily kisses my neck. “You coming home with us?”

“Is that where you're going?”

“Yep! Well, we can't find my car, and we know we don't need to drive, so we were going to sleep there. See? Drunk but smart, Gabe!”

“Fredrick and I will take you home. Come on. Fredrick, help her please,” I say, referring to Vivian.

“Should we be doing this?” he asks skeptically.

“Help her,” I snap. He isn't about to question me right now. Ryan's hands start to wander down my chest as she mumbles something about missing me. “Ryan,” I tell her softly, grabbing her hands. “We need to walk.”

“Always a downer. Damn goody-good. Let's walk then!”

Once I wrap an arm tightly around her waist, it's like Ryan gives up. She leans into me completely and lets me lead her to the car. We get them both into the back seat, Ryan mumbling to Viv about her birthday. Surely, it's not her birthday. For one, she is drunk on Halloween, so maybe she's just wanting it to be her birthday. Wouldn't she have told me that today is her birthday? I could have tried harder to get off work to do something with her or bought her something had I known before right this second.

As we head to her apartment, the mumbles cease. I glance in my rearview mirror to see that they are leaning on each other, asleep. Great. It's going to be fun getting them up those stairs and into the apartment.

“I'm, uh, sorry about what I said,” Fredrick tells me.

“Don't worry about it. Just help me get them up to her apartment when we get there, and I'll forget you ever said it.”

When we get to the complex, I wonder what Ryan was talking about. Her car is here, so they didn't drive downtown. She wouldn't have ever found her car because it wasn't there. What trouble would they have gotten into if we hadn't have seen her?

Fredrick helps me wake them up enough to get them out of the car. He walks behind me with Viv as we go up to her place.

“So sweet,” Ryan whispers.

“You owe me,” I tell her, although she probably won't remember tomorrow. “Is today really your birthday?” I can't help but ask.

“Yes. That's what I said, Gabe.” She laughs softly. “Funny, right? I was born on Halloween and I'm my parents' worst nightmare. How fitting.” Ryan starts giggling like it's actually funny.

It kills me when she says things like that, but I know what she means. I've seen it firsthand. I want to ask her why she didn't tell me about her birthday. Instead, I ask where her key is as we reach her door. She reaches into her bra and I remember how she did that when that prick had her up against her door that one night.

“Safest place,” she says, handing it to me.

I hold her against me and unlock the door. “Fredrick, we're just going to lay them in her bed and then we're leaving.”

“Okay.”

“You know,” Ryan starts. “I could have fucked four different guys tonight. Four.”

I clench my jaw as we get the girls into bed. “Oh yeah?”

“Yep. But I didn't,” she sings, shaking a finger at me. “I'm supposed to be behaving, and I would have felt bad. Because of you, Gabe. Are you mad?”

We pull the covers over them. They look ridiculous in their costumes while they lay in bed. Viv has already passed out. Fredrick leaves wordlessly.

“No, I'm not mad,” I answer.

“I didn't tell you about my birthday. Are you mad about that?” Ryan squints her eyes, pulling her brows together as she frowns, looking worried over the possibility that I might be upset with her.

I lean down and kiss her forehead. “No, not mad. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?”

She nods, already drifting to sleep.

6 Months Left as a Teenager

OH MY GOSH! WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?

In exactly six months, I will no longer be a teenager. It's a little scary, to be honest. I've been a teenager for a long time and on my next birthday, I will be in my twenties. O_O That has to be the scariest thing I've said in a while. It's exciting, sure, but it's a little intimidating too. 

I mean, I'll be twenty. I have a hard time remembering to say I'm 19 and not 18. Then there's the thought that if there's something I haven't accomplished yet, I'll think, "You're twenty now. You should be doing that already." Or something like that.

Anyway, I thought that this pre-milestone in my life needed to be talked about. I will be leaving my teenage years behind and entering a new phase. My twenties. I can't get over it! If I'm like this now, I'm going to be in a tizzy when I actually have my birthday.

This is a big deal for me! Does everyone think that turning twenty is a big deal or is it just me? I mean, you don't start saying mid-age group until the twenties. No one says, "She's in her mid-teenage years." Entering the twenties means that a few years down the road, someone may say, "She's in her mid-twenties." That's going to be new. I will then be closer to the legal drinking age. I'll enter a career during this time. The twenties are huge and I'm about to start at the beginning!

Okay, enough of my ramblings. I still have six months to go until my twentieth birthday. I'll ramble more about this then. :) Plus, it's my first official day of school. Wish me luck!

Happy Birthday to the BFF!

I decided to not post Monday's Book Spotlight this week because today is my BFF's birthday! She's turning 19! We've been friends almost 11 years now and I'm so thankful to have her in my life. The BFF has always been a great friend. She keeps me in line and is basically the perfect BFF. I couldn't ask for a better friend.

So, BFF, I love ya and I hope you have the best day ever. :) I found these just for you.

Update Time!

Hey y'all! I hope y'all experienced a sunny day. It's been storming on and off here all day. It's one nasty storm! A couple things have occurred since the last time I did an update post. Therefore, I know it is that time again.

Sweetness is in the works of getting translated into Spanish and French. If that gets successful sales, then I'm Yours will be translated as well.

If you are looking for a sweet deal on the paperback for Sweetness, then send me an email for a special link and coupon code to purchase Sweetness for only $5! Limited number will be given out so hurry up and email me at lindsay_paige@ymail.com

My birthday was a huge success. I spent the day with my brother's girlfriend. I renewed my license, registered to vote, bought a lottery ticket (won two bucks!), and bought a can of air. Those ultra duster's for the computer...yeah, you have to be 18 to buy those. My friend and I went to the Adam and Eve store (not much there really) and Victoria's Secret. The ladies at Victoria's Secret were fabulous! They were extremely helpful and sweet. They even sang happy birthday to me!

After that, I went and got a tattoo. Yup. The girl who faints from a shot or drawn blood went and got a tattoo. No worries. As long as I'm laying down or leaning forward, resting on something, I am fine. My tattoo is special to me because it has the colors and popular symbol (puzzle pieces) of the National Autism Society.

This is an image that was taken right after the guy finished. It's on my left shoulder. Isn't it adorable?

Sweetness and I'm Yours will be available on various e-formats (other than Kindle) the second week of March. (I think that's right.) Whatever It Takes is a bit behind schedule. I've got a couple of things to wrap up and then it's back to editing. I've got roughly 50 more pages to write before I can start editing.

As for my other projects, I haven't worked on them much. I haven't been in the mood, but that's no excuse, right? No worries. I'm putting my butt back to work tonight.

That's it for this update post. Have a lovely weekend folks.

It's Official-I'm a legal adult!

On this date in 1994, I was born. You probably thought I was going to go into details about weight and everything, right? Well, no. Isn't it enough to know that I was born?

Anyways, I was named. Incorrectly. That's right. My name was supposed to be Lynsay, but my mom wasn't thinking straight or something and that didn't happen. No worries. I still love my name.

Did You Know:
-That I share my birthday with Enzo Ferrari. Yes, I can say that I share my birthday with the guy behind Ferraris.

How cool is that?!

Let's have a timeline of sorts here, shall we?

Age 5: Started school. Cried every day for the first semester on the bus. Became an aunt.

Age 7: Became a proud aunt of another nephew.

Age 10: My grandfather passed. (I love you Papa!)

Age 13: I'm a teenager. 

Age 15: Got into a car wreck that year and became the proud owner of some sweet scars.

Age 16: I can drive! Went to Costa Rica where I obtained yet another scar.

Age 17: Published two books. Diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Agoraphobia.

Age 18: Here I am. I can vote, buy a can of air or a lottery ticket, and test drive a car. How about this one?

 or

My and my youngest nephew are going to test drive one of those babies. I'm so excited about it. I'm sure he is too. He's been talking about it all year. I would share some words of wisdom with y'all, but I could think of a lot of things- things I hope everyone knows already.

Next big event?