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!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want Free Swag?

I'm "winter cleaning" my swag, and I have some I'd like to give away to you! I have a limited number of each item and they will be given away on a first come first serve basis. Please read the entire post to be fully aware of how I'm doing this.

What's up for grabs? (in order of quantity, highest to lowest)
- Signed Sweetness bookmarks
- You Before Me's Get Out of Jail Free cards
- You Before Me magnets
- Sweetness keychains

You must provide your first and last name as well as your mailing address. Otherwise, you won't receive the swag.

You may request more than one item.

Once the I'm out of an item, I'll update this post to reflect that (by doing a strikethrough) and make a note of it in the form. Once I'm out, I'm out and the item is gone forever.

I will mail internationally as well!

To submit your request to receive the free swag, fill out this form.

If you have any questions, just send me an email at authorlindsaypaige(AT)gmail(DOT)com.

Free? 99 cents? A New Release?

Basically, this is one big ICYMI post on (semi) new prices or updates on my books. Buy links for all books are at the bottom of this post.

Starting with the completed Bold as Love series, the first two books are available for a sweet deal! Sweetness is free and I'm Yours is only 99 cents. If you haven't started the series yet, what's stopping you?! The first book is FREE.

The Penalty Kill Trilogy, which I coauthored with Mary Smith, is now complete as well! The first book, Breakaway, is only 99 cents! It's a New Adult Romance with a hot hockey player. What more of an incentive do you need?

Last, but certainly not least, You Before Me released on the 21st. Go check it out!

This month, only on Smashwords, you can purchase You Before Me and Don't Panic 50% off with this coupon code: SSW50.  Check out all the other books in this July Summer/Winter sale.

(Title links go to Goodreads.)

Sweetness

Amazon - B&N - iTunes - Kobo - Smashwords

I’m Yours

Amazon - B&N - iTunes - Kobo - Smashwords

Breakaway

Amazon - B&N - iTunes - Kobo - Smashwords

You Before Me

Amazon - B&N - iTunes - Smashwords

HUGE 99cent sale with TNVAE Authors

A bunch of authors attending the Tennessee Valley Author Event in July are putting their books on sale this weekend! Go here to see all the sales! This is a great opportunity to read more books by the authors attending.

Sweetness, Don't Panic, and Breakaway are on sale as well. If you don't have any of these yet, be sure to grab them!

Amazon:
Sweetness (Bold as Love, #1)

Don't Panic

Breakaway (The Penalty Kill Trilogy, #1)

Smashwords:

Sweetness (Bold as Love, #1)

Don't Panic

Breakaway (The Penalty Kill Trilogy, #1)

The Bold as Love series Is On SALE!!!

In celebration of Our Happily Ever After releasing on Monday, the entire BAL series is on sale for only 99 cents each! If you don't have all the books, now is the time to get them!

Amazon Links:

Sweetness 

I'm Yours 

Whatever It Takes 

Always*

Smashword Links:

Sweetness 

I'm Yours 

Whatever It Takes 

*Always is currently only available on Amazon. Remember that you don't have to have a Kindle to read Kindle ebooks. Learn how to read on various devices here.

Happy Birthday to Bartley! (FREE Books for Everyone!)

Today, my little cuddly buddy turns two! (January will mark two years since I've had him.) I honestly think my life has been better because of this little guy. He's a constant source of cuteness. He loves to cuddle. He winks at me! He's playful. But most importantly, he makes me so happy and he can make me laugh when I don't feel like it. Bartley is my best friend and I'm very happy to have him. Happy birthday, Bartley!

Let's celebrate by making my books FREE! 

That's right! I'm making all of my books (the Bold as Love series, Don't Panic, and Breakaway) free today only! Be sure to snag a copy if you haven't done so yet.

Happy reading, everyone!

A Girl's Best Friend GIVEAWAY!

There won't be a Monday's Book Spotlight this week. Instead, we are having a giveaway! Below, you can find all the details about entering and winning.  If you have any questions at all, email me at lindsay_paige(AT)ymail(DOT)com with Giveaway Question as the subject.

The Prize:
One winner will win one of my six books in ebook format: Sweetness, I'm Yours, Whatever It Takes, Always, Don't Panic, or Breakaway.

To Enter:
-Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
-You must be 13 years or older to enter.
-There is one mandatory question and a few ways to gain extra entries.

To Win:
-To be eligible to win, you must answer the mandatory question correctly. With a little searching, the answer can be found here on the blog, in past tweets, on Facebook, or on Pinterest.
-The winner will be contacted by email shortly after the giveaway ends. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email with which of the books listed above they would like and in which e-format. If I do not hear back from the winner when that time frame ends, I will choose another winner in their place.

The Mandatory Question is:
What is the name of my dog?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hurry Before It's Too Late!

On July 5th, my books will start the process of becoming Amazon exclusives. What exactly does that mean for you? It means that from now to then, this is the chance buy my books at the retailers listed below. After July 5th, I will be in the process of having my books only on Amazon. My books may become available on other retailers again later this Fall.

Get them now at:
Sony's Reader Store
Smashwords
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
iTunes

If you don't have a Kindle and somehow miss out on getting them from the retailers listed above, no worries. You do not have to have a Kindle to read the Kindle edition. All you have to do is download the Kindle app and read from there.

Thank you for your support!

Claire and those photos: EXTRA SCENE

If you have read Sweetness, you immediately know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, then I suggest that you read no further because it's about to get spoilerly.

A lot of people who have read Sweetness wonder how Claire got her hands on those pictures. Well, I'm here to tell you how.

Claire decided she was going to dig into Emily's past and see what she could find. Thanks to having to do an introduction in each class, Emily shared what town she moved from. Claire did a little research and found Judy, Emily's mom.

Read the following extra scene to learn how it happened:

A Thursday Tune

It's that time again! Here is this week's tune from my playlist for the Bold As Love series.

A Thursday Tune

Such a sweet song from my playlist for the Bold As Love series.

A Thursday Tune

Here is this week's tune from the Bold As Love series.

Character Creation

Ever wonder how a writer creates their character's personalities? Lifestyles? I know that I sometimes wonder that. Today, I thought I would share how I create my characters.

Usually, they are already formed when I think of the idea. I know exactly how they will behave. Other times, I must give them personalities. There are three ways that these characters are formed.

Family, friends, and myself. Those who know me personally and have read Sweetness say that they can see a lot of me in Emily. Why? Because I gave Emily a lot of similar traits, as you may have noticed in the comparisons I did. Drake has a lot of characteristics as my nephews, one in particular. Jake was formed partially from the traits I liked in previous love interests. Therefore, a certain part of all my characters derive from those I know.*

Imagination. Isn't this where it really boils down to? Actually, I believe fantasy is a better word. As you may know, most of my books come from where I daydream to fall asleep. I create different lives that, even with the bad, I could see myself living. It's like imaginary friends that exist in a world in my head. You may as well say that I write to place myself in different situations to see how it turns out and the different choices one could make. However, once I get started, the characters sometimes go in a completely different direction than I originally planned.

Magic. As I've said, sometimes the personalities are just there. I can't change too many traits that a character has because, in my head, they are already who they are meant to be and if I change that, then everything else could be altered in their story.

*Note: That is not always the case. Sometimes, my characters form completely on their own based on their life experiences.

When I Need Inspiration I...

Inspiration is hard to come by sometimes. I have a couple of different techniques to help me become inspired. Today, I'm going to share those with you.

• Listen to music. Pretty much any kind of music. My favorites range from country to R&B to rap to rock to the oldies.
• My family. Sometimes, I get inspired by what is happening in our lives.
• Reading. This should be first. Reading is the best way to get inspired. When I read a wonderful book, motivation sets in and I'm off to my laptop.
• Quotes. Quotes are a fantastic source of inspiration. They really get my mind going.
• Pictures. What a great way to wonder what the story is behind a picture and then creating it.

These are my top five resources for inspiration. What inspires you?

Ask the Characters

It's Monday and a question has been submitted for Emily. If you have a question for one of the characters, click on the tab above and submit it. It could be answered next Monday. Hopefully, everyone will have a merry Monday instead of a moody Monday.

Q: Why do you keep worrying over your mom? I understand how she treated you better than you think but Jake loves you why didnt you trust him?
A: It was hard to not worry over my mom. It was even harder to trust someone that I just met after experiencing what I did. I'm sorry that you understand so well how she treated me. I've come to learn that trust is earned over time. Hope this answers your questions.

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.

Happy Valentine's Day-Part One

It's Valentine's Day and to share my love for you, I decided to write an extra scene of Emily and Jake's first Valentine together. This scene is going to be the first half of their date from Emily's point of view. I'm going to share Jake's half later today. I do hope you enjoy reading this.

Bad Habits-Everybody has some.

Today, I'm talking about bad habits. Everybody has at least one bad habit. Emily, Jake, Drake, Mike, and myself are here today to share our bad habits. Feel free to share your bad habits too!

Lindsay

• Procrastination. -When it comes to school, I put the pro in procrastination.
• Impulsive. -Sometimes, I have these impulsive sprees. It's like a shopping spree, but worse. Thinking things through can be a tough task sometimes!
• What my Dad said: Not keeping my clothes put up. (Lame!)
• What My Momma said: "I don't know where to start!" Haha, thanks Momma.

Emily
Hi everyone! When someone asks about your bad habits, it's hard to come up with some. Here are the ones I have (and a couple of Jake's too!)

• One of my bad habits is that sometimes, I care too much about what others think.
• I'm scared to speak my mind when it matters most.
• I try to handle things on my own instead of asking for help when I need it.

Enough about me. Let's talk about some of Jake's bad habits that really irritate me sometimes.

• He can be hard to talk to sometimes.
• The littlest things can make him jealous. Who knew he was the jealous type?
• Oh, who am I kidding? I love all of his habits- good or bad.

Jake
Such kind words, Sweetness. Thanks. :) I'll work on those habits. I, on the other hand, will not list any of Emily's habits. I'm just that nice. (That probably made Sweetness smile.) Let's see...my bad habits?

• Occasionally, I get my priorities mixed up.
• I take Sweetness for granted too much. (Thanks for all you do Sweetness!)
• I have to agree with Emily. Sometimes, I talk when I should keep my mouth shut and listen.
• I don't always handle things as I should.

Drake
Someone thinks I have bad habits? What?! I don't think I have any bad habits.

Jake
I can list some for you.

• Talks too much.
• Way too hyper early in the morning.

Shall I continue?

Drake
Those aren't bad habits. Those are just things that make me Drake. :p

Mike

• Emily is my baby girl. I have to admit that pretty much let her do whatever she wants. I have a hard time saying no to my little girl. That's my biggest bad habit.

Lindsay
Well, I hope you enjoyed everyone sharing their bad habits. Except for Drake that is. :) What are some of your bad habits? Do you share any with us? Please share!

A Thursday Tune

New Cover for WHATEVER IT TAKES

What do you think of the new cover?