Julianna Keyes's Blog - Posts Tagged "new"
"Undecided" Available for Pre-Order!
Undecided
A couple of years ago I was reading a popular New Adult book, and as I read I kept thinking, “I really wish she’d ditch the hero and fall for his best friend instead.” She didn’t, of course, and because I had my hands full with the Time Served books I just moved on and forgot about it. Or at least I tried to.
But the idea of the cocky best friend being the love interest instead of the super-suave supposed-to-be-hero wouldn’t be ignored. I jotted down a few ideas (the Halloween scene is probably the big one – you’ll see in a month!), and carried on with my life.
“The heroine falls for the best friend!” isn’t exactly a plot, so while I had a basic idea, I needed to wait until an actual story came to mind. And eventually it did. I’m not going to tell you about it here because that would spoil the book, but when it occurred to me I knew it paired perfectly with the first concept and together I could make them work.
Eight months later, I’m thrilled to tell you UNDECIDED is set to release on April 4, 2016. There’s more info on my website, pre-order links are up in most places, and I’m so excited for you to read it. As a special thanks to those who are also excited and choose to pre-order, I’ve prepared a special PDF of bonus materials that includes:
*a comic strip I wrote (but did not draw)
*my dreadful original mock-up for the cover versus the final version, and the thought process behind both
*all three versions of my back cover copy and the journey it took to get to the polished perfection you enjoy today (ahem)
*a sneak peek at the first chapter of UNDECIDED
All you have to do is email info@juliannakeyes.com with a copy of your receipt and I’ll reply with the bonus material. And if you’re not quite sold, that’s fine too. To tempt you further there’s an awesome excerpt available on my website that will help you decide. (See what I did there?) ;)
www.juliannakeyes.com
Thanks for reading!
Pre-Order Links:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/mQY4iU
Kobo: https://goo.gl/jQFgRX
Apple: https://goo.gl/gZ3yWW
Chapters: https://goo.gl/pEX005
Barnes & Noble: Coming Soon
A couple of years ago I was reading a popular New Adult book, and as I read I kept thinking, “I really wish she’d ditch the hero and fall for his best friend instead.” She didn’t, of course, and because I had my hands full with the Time Served books I just moved on and forgot about it. Or at least I tried to.
But the idea of the cocky best friend being the love interest instead of the super-suave supposed-to-be-hero wouldn’t be ignored. I jotted down a few ideas (the Halloween scene is probably the big one – you’ll see in a month!), and carried on with my life.
“The heroine falls for the best friend!” isn’t exactly a plot, so while I had a basic idea, I needed to wait until an actual story came to mind. And eventually it did. I’m not going to tell you about it here because that would spoil the book, but when it occurred to me I knew it paired perfectly with the first concept and together I could make them work.
Eight months later, I’m thrilled to tell you UNDECIDED is set to release on April 4, 2016. There’s more info on my website, pre-order links are up in most places, and I’m so excited for you to read it. As a special thanks to those who are also excited and choose to pre-order, I’ve prepared a special PDF of bonus materials that includes:
*a comic strip I wrote (but did not draw)
*my dreadful original mock-up for the cover versus the final version, and the thought process behind both
*all three versions of my back cover copy and the journey it took to get to the polished perfection you enjoy today (ahem)
*a sneak peek at the first chapter of UNDECIDED
All you have to do is email info@juliannakeyes.com with a copy of your receipt and I’ll reply with the bonus material. And if you’re not quite sold, that’s fine too. To tempt you further there’s an awesome excerpt available on my website that will help you decide. (See what I did there?) ;)
www.juliannakeyes.com
Thanks for reading!
Pre-Order Links:
Amazon: http://goo.gl/mQY4iU
Kobo: https://goo.gl/jQFgRX
Apple: https://goo.gl/gZ3yWW
Chapters: https://goo.gl/pEX005
Barnes & Noble: Coming Soon
"UNDECIDED" RELEASE DAY!
It’s heeeeere!! FINALLY! After what feels like a lifetime of waiting, “Undecided” is available pretty much everywhere, eagerly anticipating your download. (Okay, fine – that’s mostly just me anticipating things.)
In any case, as I have done with my previous books, I’ve prepared a week of non-spoilery posts about all things “Undecided.” Today’s post will appear in just a moment.
Tomorrow’s post talks about one of the most enraging moments of my entire life, and includes photographic evidence. (Yes, that’s right: I hold onto grudges AND proof.)
On Wednesday I’ll talk about instalove, Thursday discusses pacing (see if you recognized my plot scheme before you read this post!), and on Friday there’s a post about character arcs and a giveaway. You’ll want to read carefully, since there’s also a quiz. (I’m mean!)
As always, thanks for reading. :)
Paperbacks available on Amazon.
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B01BXZMCEW/
Kobo: https://goo.gl/jQFgRX
Barnes & Noble: http://goo.gl/OyAvqm
Apple: https://goo.gl/gZ3yWW
In any case, as I have done with my previous books, I’ve prepared a week of non-spoilery posts about all things “Undecided.” Today’s post will appear in just a moment.
Tomorrow’s post talks about one of the most enraging moments of my entire life, and includes photographic evidence. (Yes, that’s right: I hold onto grudges AND proof.)
On Wednesday I’ll talk about instalove, Thursday discusses pacing (see if you recognized my plot scheme before you read this post!), and on Friday there’s a post about character arcs and a giveaway. You’ll want to read carefully, since there’s also a quiz. (I’m mean!)
As always, thanks for reading. :)
Paperbacks available on Amazon.
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B01BXZMCEW/
Kobo: https://goo.gl/jQFgRX
Barnes & Noble: http://goo.gl/OyAvqm
Apple: https://goo.gl/gZ3yWW
"UNDECIDED" RELEASE WEEK - POST ONE
NAME CALLING
The working title for “Undecided” was “Love the One You’re With.” That’s actually still what the Word file is called. I used it mostly because it was the first thing that came to me and stuck. But I had my doubts, chief among them being that I’d read an Emily Giffin book by the same title and even though these stories had nothing in common, it still felt like copying. A search on Goodreads showed several more books with that name, and when choosing a title, one of the concerns is finding something that is both appropriate for the story, and not likely to be confused with others. (Especially when those “others” are huge authors whose search results are going to bump yours down to page 117.)
I don’t actually remember when “Undecided” occurred to me, but when it did, I knew I had a battle on my hands. I really liked “Love the One You’re With.” I’d been calling the book that for months, and every time I thought about it I sang the chorus to the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song of the same name. I wished someone would do a mashup of that song and Van Halen’s “Crazy Love.” How great would that be? Why aren’t I more musical? What else can I do to procrastinate?
What ultimately tipped the scales in favour of “Undecided” was theme. The entire New Adult genre is about people at an age and time in their life when they’re discovering who they’re meant to be. They don’t have to make a decision—they have to make choices. Mistakes. They try things, some work, some don’t. Some find what they’re looking for right away, some take a bit longer. And since the “Undecided” of the title isn’t expressly a statement of Nora’s romantic choices but rather her life choices—or lack thereof, as it may be—it ended up winning by a landslide. (And by landslide I mean my one vote.)
Some people have criticized the cover/title combination of giving the impression of a love triangle (there isn’t one), and I see their point. But the story is also about not judging a book by its cover. (I’m, like, super meta.) Nora assumes Kellan is one thing, Crosbie another, and they view her as something else altogether. But given time, they learn about each other and themselves, and grow up. Sorta.
The biggest “downside” to this title choice is not the love triangle assumption, but the fact that whenever people ask me what my book is called and I say “Undecided,” they think I mean that I haven’t chosen a title yet. So when I say the title out loud, it sounds more like, “The title of my book is ‘Undecided.’ Like, that’s the actual title. ‘Undecided.’ Not the status. I have a name. It’s ‘Undecided.’ That’s—Oh, dammit.”
Are you a title wizard? What would you have called this book? Feel free to pitch in in the comments. :)
The working title for “Undecided” was “Love the One You’re With.” That’s actually still what the Word file is called. I used it mostly because it was the first thing that came to me and stuck. But I had my doubts, chief among them being that I’d read an Emily Giffin book by the same title and even though these stories had nothing in common, it still felt like copying. A search on Goodreads showed several more books with that name, and when choosing a title, one of the concerns is finding something that is both appropriate for the story, and not likely to be confused with others. (Especially when those “others” are huge authors whose search results are going to bump yours down to page 117.)
I don’t actually remember when “Undecided” occurred to me, but when it did, I knew I had a battle on my hands. I really liked “Love the One You’re With.” I’d been calling the book that for months, and every time I thought about it I sang the chorus to the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song of the same name. I wished someone would do a mashup of that song and Van Halen’s “Crazy Love.” How great would that be? Why aren’t I more musical? What else can I do to procrastinate?
What ultimately tipped the scales in favour of “Undecided” was theme. The entire New Adult genre is about people at an age and time in their life when they’re discovering who they’re meant to be. They don’t have to make a decision—they have to make choices. Mistakes. They try things, some work, some don’t. Some find what they’re looking for right away, some take a bit longer. And since the “Undecided” of the title isn’t expressly a statement of Nora’s romantic choices but rather her life choices—or lack thereof, as it may be—it ended up winning by a landslide. (And by landslide I mean my one vote.)
Some people have criticized the cover/title combination of giving the impression of a love triangle (there isn’t one), and I see their point. But the story is also about not judging a book by its cover. (I’m, like, super meta.) Nora assumes Kellan is one thing, Crosbie another, and they view her as something else altogether. But given time, they learn about each other and themselves, and grow up. Sorta.
The biggest “downside” to this title choice is not the love triangle assumption, but the fact that whenever people ask me what my book is called and I say “Undecided,” they think I mean that I haven’t chosen a title yet. So when I say the title out loud, it sounds more like, “The title of my book is ‘Undecided.’ Like, that’s the actual title. ‘Undecided.’ Not the status. I have a name. It’s ‘Undecided.’ That’s—Oh, dammit.”
Are you a title wizard? What would you have called this book? Feel free to pitch in in the comments. :)
"UNDECIDED" RELEASE WEEK POST FOUR
PACE YOURSELF
I give a lot of thought to structure when I’m plotting a book. I want to make sure things are happening in a reasonable, orderly, and interesting way, and that my pacing isn’t too fast or too slow. I generally draw out a little three-act chart and map the major story points, then fill in the details as I go along.
One of the first scenes I envisioned before I ever started writing was the scene at the Halloween party. This is the mid-point (halfway mark) of “Undecided.” Because school starts in early September, that was Labor Day. Hmm, I thought. Interesting. Why don’t I use holidays to mark the major story beats? And so…
INCITING INCIDENT: Labor Day
MID-POINT: Halloween
2nd ACT TURNING POINT/CLIMAX: Chrisgiving (you’ll see)
RESOLUTION: Valentine’s Day
For those of you eagle-eyed readers, I skipped the 1st Act Turning Point in this example because it doesn’t happen on a holiday. In fact, I was not aware of any holidays (in the US) between Labor Day and Halloween until I googled them just this instant. I suppose National Grandparents Day, Columbus Day, or National White Cane Safety Day are all good options, but it’s too late now. (For the record: I’m Canadian and while I’ve heard of Columbus Day, I honestly had no idea it was in October.) Anyway, if you’re curious, the 1st Act TP is the day Crosbie helps Nora build her bed. That’s the moment readers are supposed to think, “Aww. There’s no going back now! Crosbie + Nora 4-ever.”
Crosbie sort of outlines this holiday structure toward the end of the story, but I thought I’d mention it here so you’d know I thought of it first. It was all my idea.
I give a lot of thought to structure when I’m plotting a book. I want to make sure things are happening in a reasonable, orderly, and interesting way, and that my pacing isn’t too fast or too slow. I generally draw out a little three-act chart and map the major story points, then fill in the details as I go along.
One of the first scenes I envisioned before I ever started writing was the scene at the Halloween party. This is the mid-point (halfway mark) of “Undecided.” Because school starts in early September, that was Labor Day. Hmm, I thought. Interesting. Why don’t I use holidays to mark the major story beats? And so…
INCITING INCIDENT: Labor Day
MID-POINT: Halloween
2nd ACT TURNING POINT/CLIMAX: Chrisgiving (you’ll see)
RESOLUTION: Valentine’s Day
For those of you eagle-eyed readers, I skipped the 1st Act Turning Point in this example because it doesn’t happen on a holiday. In fact, I was not aware of any holidays (in the US) between Labor Day and Halloween until I googled them just this instant. I suppose National Grandparents Day, Columbus Day, or National White Cane Safety Day are all good options, but it’s too late now. (For the record: I’m Canadian and while I’ve heard of Columbus Day, I honestly had no idea it was in October.) Anyway, if you’re curious, the 1st Act TP is the day Crosbie helps Nora build her bed. That’s the moment readers are supposed to think, “Aww. There’s no going back now! Crosbie + Nora 4-ever.”
Crosbie sort of outlines this holiday structure toward the end of the story, but I thought I’d mention it here so you’d know I thought of it first. It was all my idea.
New "Undecided" Cover Coming July 18!
As you may know, I've been trying (and failing) to come up with a new cover design for "Undecided." There's really only so many times you can hear the same comments ("Is this a love triangle?" "That cover is very misleading!" "I HATE THAT COVER!") before you start to think that maybe the thing you love is hurting the other thing you love.
So.
There's a new cover. I tried to redo it maybe six or seven weeks ago, but I'm not a designer and the things we were coming up with looked like YA ghost stories for some reason. I bailed on the attempt, and then a short while ago I got a message from none other than Kristen Callihan kindly pointing out that maybe my cover was hurting my book. (Cue jaw drop. KRISTEN CALLIHAN??!) This was not offensive because it was not new information, but it was extremely motivating. I went back to the drawing board (which means staring blankly at stock photo sites and pondering what to have for dinner) and eventually spotted a picture I thought could work. I fiddled with it, mocked up something I kinda sorta liked, and sent it to Kristen and another author friend, Jenna Sutton (who was one of the first people to kindly suggest that I needed a new cover), who gave it their stamp of approval. One more thumbs up from a very well-read blogger with impeccable taste, and I sent it off to my friend for polishing.
All this is to say...I have a new cover and it's coming July 18. I'm going to swap the cover on the print version on that day, so if you've been thinking about buying one, you have three weeks until it's replaced everywhere but my heart.
Three weeks is a long time, isn't it? I've told myself July 1 is the day to start working on Kellan's story (that's also Canada Day, for those who don't know - I'll pretend those fireworks are all meant for me), and I'll share the title of the new book then. ;)
If you're interested in being part of the new cover reveal tour, you can sign up here: http://bit.ly/28XeFtt
Thanks for reading!
So.
There's a new cover. I tried to redo it maybe six or seven weeks ago, but I'm not a designer and the things we were coming up with looked like YA ghost stories for some reason. I bailed on the attempt, and then a short while ago I got a message from none other than Kristen Callihan kindly pointing out that maybe my cover was hurting my book. (Cue jaw drop. KRISTEN CALLIHAN??!) This was not offensive because it was not new information, but it was extremely motivating. I went back to the drawing board (which means staring blankly at stock photo sites and pondering what to have for dinner) and eventually spotted a picture I thought could work. I fiddled with it, mocked up something I kinda sorta liked, and sent it to Kristen and another author friend, Jenna Sutton (who was one of the first people to kindly suggest that I needed a new cover), who gave it their stamp of approval. One more thumbs up from a very well-read blogger with impeccable taste, and I sent it off to my friend for polishing.
All this is to say...I have a new cover and it's coming July 18. I'm going to swap the cover on the print version on that day, so if you've been thinking about buying one, you have three weeks until it's replaced everywhere but my heart.
Three weeks is a long time, isn't it? I've told myself July 1 is the day to start working on Kellan's story (that's also Canada Day, for those who don't know - I'll pretend those fireworks are all meant for me), and I'll share the title of the new book then. ;)
If you're interested in being part of the new cover reveal tour, you can sign up here: http://bit.ly/28XeFtt
Thanks for reading!
Bad Princess is available for preorder!
My brand new royal novella, Bad Princess, comes out on November 27, 2017, and you can preorder it now for $2.99!
Bad Princess is a contemporary romance that clocks in at 39,500 words, and it's super fun, super sexy, and seriously empowering. I hope you check it out!
There's an excerpt on my website if you like to try before you buy: www.juliannakeyes.com/bad-princess.html
And it's available to request on NetGalley for the next month: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo...
Enjoy!
JK
Bad Princess is a contemporary romance that clocks in at 39,500 words, and it's super fun, super sexy, and seriously empowering. I hope you check it out!
There's an excerpt on my website if you like to try before you buy: www.juliannakeyes.com/bad-princess.html
And it's available to request on NetGalley for the next month: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo...
Enjoy!
JK
Bench Player Pre-Order Sale!
It's finally (almost) here!! Bench Player is a sexy, funny, enemies-to-lovers baseball romance starring Connor (the ex-con right fielder) and Allison (the kinda mean PR queen) as they reluctantly work together to navigate his return to the spotlight. It has lots of laughs, lots of heat, and even a few tears. :)
Want to try before you buy? The first chapter is posted on my website to sample.
On sale for $2.99 until release day, when it bumps up to $4.99.
Amazon: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B084T3R5MN
B&N: https://bit.ly/31W1Do2
Apple: https://apple.co/3bwJPUO
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2vymcuJ
Google Play: https://bit.ly/38vjQLL
www.juliannakeyes.com
New book! All the Missing Pieces Available for Pre-Order
I always love making these new announcements - it's the start of an adventure, and you never know where each one is going to take you.
All the Missing Pieces is a sexy new suspense story about a woman with secrets to hide, and a man who may or may not want to uncover them. It's steamy and suspense-y, and everything I wanted it to be. The complete full chapter is available to read on my website if you'd like to check it out: www.juliannakeyes.com
Pre-Order links:
AZ https://amzn.to/2DzMY9P
iBooks https://apple.co/38R9gQg
Kobo https://bit.ly/30165RL
B&N https://bit.ly/2ZmN51a
Google https://bit.ly/329zSKJ
All the Missing Pieces - Sept 21/20! Pre-Order Sale!
Brand new sexy suspense, coming September 21, 2020! 💔
Just $2.99 until release day 😄
AZ https://amzn.to/2DzMY9P
iBooks https://apple.co/38R9gQg
Kobo https://bit.ly/3jke3hW
B&N https://bit.ly/2ZmN51a
Google https://bit.ly/329zSKJ
Read the first chapter: www.juliannakeyes.com
All the Missing Pieces
#MeetMonday - Emmy (Big Wild Love Adventure)
Welcome to #MeetMonday, where I'll introduce the cast of BIG WILD LOVE ADVENTURE! Up first, our plucky protagonist, who, after a year of terrible luck, signs up for the show in a desperate bid to solve all life's problems. What could go wrong? 🤣
More details: http://juliannakeyes.com
Release date: June 20, 2022
Big Wild Love Adventure
More details: http://juliannakeyes.com
Release date: June 20, 2022
Big Wild Love Adventure
