My First Book Festival!!

I'm so thrilled to be on a panel at the Montgomery County Book Festival, February 15, 2014! I've attended this book festival for a couple years now, and to be invited to participate as an author is such an honor! They're still announcing the author lineup, but I've seen it, and it's exciting!

If you're local to Houston, come check it out. I'll have some ARCs to give away for the teens, and some swag to sign!

For more information, and to read my interview, CLICKY HERE.

In Which I Announce a BOOKISH THING

I've been getting questions about the little "If Only" heart logo in the corner of my book cover. If you don't know what it means, I'm here to tell you!

From my ARC: If only is "A new contemporary romance line centered around an impossible problem: you always want what you can't have!"

I'm super excited to be part of Bloomsbury's new venture, but what's even cooler, WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN releases on May 6, 2014 along with FOOL ME TWICE by Mandy Hubbard! Have you seen her cover yet?!

They look so cute next to each other, I can't stand it! And something else super fun: ITALIAN is teased in the ARC of FOOL ME TWICE, and Amy Finnegan's NOT IN THE SCRIPT (Fall '14) is teased in the back of ITALIAN's ARC. Love!

More official information coming in the new year!

BLOGFEST: Class of 2k14 is Thankful For...

This week, the Class of 2k14 is sharing what we're thankful for. Click the logo above to see links to posts from the other members!

I'm not going to lie, this has been a difficult year. I'm anxious for 2014 to start, hopeful the new year won't be quite so heart smashing. But despite the trials, there's still plenty to be thankful for.

• My husband. The best man in the world. 
• My parents. Supportive. Loving. Funny. 
• My husband's family. I couldn't have asked for better in-laws and nephews.
• My friends. A wide variety of personalities and interests. I love them all.
• My book deal with Bloomsbury. If it weren't for this amazing dream come true, I feel it's likely I'd be wallowing around in a black hole of sadness. This has been a bright spot that brings a smile to my face every day. And I'm so thankful for that. 
• My agent, Marietta Zacker. She's so great, y'all. I can't even believe I get to work with such a talented and kind person who also gets my stories.
• My editor, Caroline Abbey. Smart, sweet, similar interests. Couldn't have hand picked a better editor for my debut experience. 
• The Class of 2k14. I'm learning so much, and it's brought me a new close friend. 
• My boxers, Duke and Mylie. The personalities on these two! We're laughing every day. 
• My tastebuds. I'll be especially thankful these work on Thursday when I'm eating pumpkin crunch cake. 
• Books, and that people are still buying/reading them.  
• Television shows.
• Movies.
• Music. 
• Hair dye. 
• Tap shoes.
• Scarves.
• Airplanes that allow me to visit far away lands.
• Digital cameras, Photoshop, and that I sort of know how to use both of them.  
• Running water.
• Corrective eyewear.

There's plenty more, but I won't bore you. What are you thankful for this year?

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

My First Foreign Rights Sale!

Pippa's going to the UK! 

Bloomsbury UK is going to publish WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN in July 2014! 

I learned this news the same time I saw my cover for the first time, so it was a bit overshadowed, but once it really registered, I FLIPPED! My book will be on shelves ACROSS THE POND! I'm so beyond thrilled, I don't even know what to say. Eeeeeep!!

This is me NOT keeping calm:

My Book Has a Cover (AND A BLURB!) Part 2

That was such a fun cover reveal day! Thanks again to my blogging friends for helping me celebrate!! Cari's Book Blog, Ex Libris, The Daisy Daily, Gone with the Words, G Reads!, Girls in the Stacks, Hip Mama Jenn, I Read Banned Books, Joy's Novel Idea, Mundie Moms, A Nook for Books, Portrait of a Book, Sarah's Books & Life, and Katie M. Stout!!

Coming May 6, 2014 from Bloomsbury!

I'm also SO super pumped about the AMAZINGLY ADORABLE BLURB from Lindsey Leavitt, author of Going Vintage and Sean Griswold's Head!

“With Italy's brilliant landscapes, a main character you'll love from the first line and a new dreamy book boyfriend (he's mine!), IF ONLY YOU WERE ITALIAN is a charming and addictive read. Devour this delicious treat like a double scoop of gelato.”

Cutest blurb EVER!! I'm still freaking out that someone besides my agent and my editor has read my book, but to have her say such SWEET things about it too?! I'm so so so very delighted and thankful!

My brain doesn't fully understand that in seven months, this THING that I wrote will be OUT in the world! Even sooner once ARCs start floating around! I'm so hopeful that my little story will find its readers and give them all the warm squishy feels. Eeeep!

MY BOOK HAS A COVER! (Part 1)

It's here, it's here!! I have a cover!!

AND IT'S ADORABLE!

My Texas friends are so sweet to join me in the celebration today by sharing my cover on their blogs! Be sure to check out each one--they've all shared a little something different, complete with my own photos from Italy!

Cari's Book Blog

Ex Libris
The Daisy Daily

Gone with the Words

G Reads!

Girls in the Stacks
Hip Mama Jenn

I Read Banned Books
Joy's Novel Idea

Mundie Moms
A Nook for Books
Portrait of a Book

Sarah's Books & Life
And my CP, Katie M. Stout blogged about it too! Thanks girl!

I love my friends!
Thank you for the support and love and for sharing this experience with me! It means SO MUCH!

I'm Publishers Weekly Official!

This may seem like old news since I've been allowed to talk about it since February, but my book deal was just announced in Publishers Weekly!!

This whole experience still seems unreal, like one day I'll wake up to find I'm actually still querying. What a nightmare that would be! But here I'm one step closer to being able to share my little book with y'all! This past year or so has been such an adventure, not only for me, but for so many of my writerly friends signing with agents, getting book deals, getting covers, having launch parties. I feel so honored to be a part of it all.

What's going on with you lately? Any exciting announcements I may have missed? Anyone just starting to query for the first time, or maybe the millionth time? I'm sending you hugs and chocolate and that overused but TRUE encouragement that the hard work can and does pay off.