ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT being re-released

I am so excited to announce that AWYSI has found a new home! 

Originally published by digital press Bloomsbury Spark, ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT has found a new home with Wicked Whale Publishing and will be released in both print and e-book versions, with a brand new cover!

I know some of you have been waiting a long time for this! YA contemporary romance lovers and hockey fans, this book was written for you! I'm so excited to finally be able to give it to you in print format!

I’ll be posting the cover reveal soon. Sign up for my newsletter (in the sidebar), if you want up to the minute details!

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Penelope Spaulding just can't catch a break. Between long hours at the family restaurant, homework, and her parents' plans for her future, it's hard to find a spare moment to breathe. But when she laces up her skates and steps on the ice, everything slips away...

Racing around the rink allows her to blow off steam after yet another fight with her dad about going to culinary school. So when Jake Gomes, the bad boy who lives down the street, dares her to join the Rink Rats, the local misfit hockey team, she surprises herself and joins in silent defiance of her father and his expectations.

The more she plays, the easier it is to keep lying, and soon Pen finds it impossible to come clean. She’s sneaking out to practice—and loving every minute of it. It doesn’t take long for her to fall in love with hockey…and Jake’s not half bad either. But she knows it can’t last. As soon as her dad finds out, she’ll be benched. For good.

She’s absolutely not going to tell her parents until she’s sure it will be worth the inevitable fight. Not only is she skipping shifts at Slice Pizza while a foodie reality show is on the horizon, but her lies are starting to take their toll on her game. It’s only a matter of time before everything falls apart.

With the team counting on her and with her relationship with Jake on the line, will she have to sacrifice the thing she wants most for the people she loves? Or can she step up and take her best shot?

Hot boys on cold ice…and pizza to boot? The title is spot on because any way you slice it, this book is sheer adorable. - Author, Jen Malone (MAP TO THE STARS and WANDERLOST)

ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT will make you root for the team, hungry for pizza, and dying for that first kiss. - Kristy Acevedo (CONSIDER and CONTRIBUTE) 

Perfect portrayal of small town life, charming characters, pizza, and hockey . . . ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT is a must-read for anyone looking for a sweet romance! - Lindsay Currie (THE PECULIAR INCIDENT ON SHADY STREET)

Adorable sweet romance about a girl balancing family life, sports, and a boyfriend! Tweens and up will enjoy this cute story. The story was well-written with lots of emotion and tension. I loved the relationship Pen (Penelope) had with Slice, the family restaurant. Lots of depth and great backstory to back up what the characters were experiencing. Highly recommend!  - Goodreads Review

One Month Anniversary Contest for AWYSI

Any Way You Slice It has been out for about a month, and I’m so excited about the response it’s been getting!

One of my favorites is from a reader on goodreads.com. She says, “There is just so much to love about this book. A female trying to make it in a man's sport always excites me. She goes after what she loves, even if her parents don't agree. Penelope wants to play hockey instead of following in her father's footsteps of slinging pizzas but her parents have a different idea. This book has all the elements of a great book. A good plotline, great characters, A strong female lead and a romantic arc!”

To celebrate a month of being out in the world, I’m holding a selfie contest! Here’s how you can play…

1. Take a #selfie eating pizza OR playing hockey OR holding your favorite e-reader with the cover of AWYSI showing. Any combination of the three earns you more points!
2. Post your picture on FB or Twitter with the hashtag #AWYSI and, this is important, you MUST tag me so I’ll see it! I’ll copy all the pics to my Pinterest page, so everyone can see them. 
3. That’s it!

I have four amazing celebrity judges who will help decide the winners.

• Jen Brooks (author of In A World Just Right)
• K. R. Conway (author of Undertow and Cruel Summer)
• Trisha Leaver (author of Secrets We Keep, Creed, and the forthcoming Sweet Madness)
• Jen Malone (author of At Your Service, and Map to the Stars)

The Judges will vote on their favorites, basing the winning entries on creativity, and personal preference. I will make the final decisions, with their input.

Prizes: free Query Critique from @QueryGodMother (value $20), $15 Gift card for Papa Ginos, $10 Amazon Gift Card, Digital copy of Any Way You Slice It. 

Thanks for helping me celebrate! I can't wait to see your selfies! Say “bacon pizza!”

Cover Reveal for The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be a part of Marci Lyn Curtis's cover reveal for THE ONE THING. First of all, she is one of the sweetest authors I know, and second of all, her book absolutely rocks. I had a chance to read a pre-copy edited version and I absolutely fell in love with Marci's characters. I can guarantee this is one to put on your TBR and most anticipated list!

Without further ado, here's the cover--isn't it gorgeous!!

BLURB: 

A soaring tale of life and love, of sacrifice and renewal, and learning to see people as they really are.

Maggie Sanders might be blind, but she won't invite anyone to her pity party. Ever since losing her sight six months ago, Maggie's rebellious streak has taken on a life of its own, culminating with an elaborate school prank. Maggie called it genius. The judge called it illegal.

Now Maggie has a probation officer. But she isn't interested in rehabilitation, not when she's still mourning the loss of her professional soccer dreams, and furious at her so-called friends, who lost interest in her as soon as she could no longer lead the team to victory.

When Maggie first meets Ben, she thinks she can add crazy to her list of problems. But the precocious ten-year-old isn't a hallucination. Maggie can actually see him. She immediately befriends the kid, desperate for any chance to see again.

It turns out Ben's older brother is Mason Milton, the the ridiculously hot lead singer of Maggie's new favorite band. Music is the first thing that has made Maggie feel alive since losing her sight. But when she learns the real reason she can see Ben, Maggie must find the courage to face a once-unimaginable future...before she loses everything she has grown to love.

About the Author:

Marci Curtis grew up in Northern California, where she went to college and met an amazing guy in a military uniform. Two college-aged kids and one dachshund later, she lives in Maryland, where she laughs too loudly and eats peanut butter off spoons. Her YA contemporary debut, The One Thing, comes out September 8^th, 2015 via Disney-Hyperion. Learn more about her at Marcilyncurtis.com.

Website: http://marcilyncurtis.com/ 

Goodreads): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18369372-the-one-thing

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Marci_Curtis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcilyncurtis

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marcilyncurtis/the-one-thing/

Kissing in the Rain: Happy Valentine's Day

I didn't participate in the That's YAmore blogfest, so my blurb is 313 words, not 250. But I really wanted to post a kissing scene from my work-in-revision novel THE SWEET SPOT on Valentine's Day. Especially since this particular kissing scene might get cut. Not sure yet, but it's a possibility.

Anyway, Kate's just been left in a parking lot a few miles from home by another boy. Scott's been following her in his car after telling her hours before he just wants to be friends. And then it starts to rain.

***

A little rain never hurt anyone.

But the next step squelched and she sank up to her ankle in mud. She stretched out both arms to catch her balance. Cringing, she pulled her foot out with effort. Pink Chuck Taylors covered in thick mud.

Everything from the last three days crashed down. Covering her eyes, Kate screamed. Screamed in guilt for blaming Giles. Screamed in despair for losing the golf course. Screamed in heartbreak for losing Scott.

He splashed through the puddle behind her, and the next thing she knew, his arms were around her and he pulled her close. “Sshh,” he crooned. “It's okay.”

His shirt was soaked, but she leaned into him. She wasn’t sure if it was him or the lilacs, but the world suddenly felt safer.

He pushed a strand of wet hair away from her face. Trying to catch her breath, a sob caught in her throat and she shuddered. She covered her mouth with her hand.

Gently, Scott pulled her hand away and cupped her face in both hands. His eyes were bright, his lips parted. He stared at her. It looked like he was weighing the risks.

Her heart in her throat, she met his gaze. His turquoise eyes flickered as though he wasn’t sure of his next move.

This is the last chance. There won’t be another one.

She laced her fingers behind his head and pulled him down just enough for their lips to touch. His were smooth and soft.

The sweet spot.

He pushed back with just a little pressure. Tentative at first, like he was afraid she’d break if he kissed her too hard. And then his arms were around her waist and he crushed her tightly, like he was afraid she’d vanish if he ever let go.  

A lifetime passed. Or a couple of minutes. She never wanted it to end.

picture credit: http://www.layoutsparks.com/1/78934/kiss-in-the-rain-3.html

 Don't you just love this picture? It's totally Kate and Scott.

***

Update: If you like kissing scenes, you might like TIMELESS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE. Available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. My writing partner, Ansha Kotyk and I contributed "Stella's Hero" to TIMELESS. And there's a kissing-in-the-rain scene in that story as well. Read an excerpt here: Stella's Kiss.