Sam Davis's Blog

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This summer, I took a trip to Montana and my hometown of Bigfork where I went to high school. My parents still own the house in which I spent my teen years, and my husband's family also lives in the Flathead Valley not far from there.
Amid days of taking our Texas-born kids to experience our most beloved Montana nostalgia, one night my husband and I were able to sneak a town away with my brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law to  our ABSOLUTE favorite dive ... Moose's Saloon.

Photo credit: https://www.flatheadguide.com/listing/mooses-saloon/
Allow me to try and convey just how much we love the pizza here. Among the six of us, we order three extra large pizzas and darn near eat every slice—plus a quart of Moose's unparalleled ranch dipping sauce. This pizza is last-meal good. It is stranded-on-a-deserted-island-with-only-one-food good (It may be a short life that ends with carotid arteries, but it will be a good island life!). That crisp, cornmeal-dusted crust ... You guys, what I'm trying to get you to understand is this: pizza.paradise.


There is no discussion on which flavor of pizza we will shout at the order window of the kitchen in the noisy bar where the ground is covered in sawdust and peanut shells and the lights are so low and so red you feel like you're in the biker remake of Moulin Rouge.

We order pepperoni and sauerkraut. Period. No menu or debate necessary.

If you've read my book, RYAN REVISITED, you may remember the pizza with these star-crossed pizza toppings. It's the "Manny's Ryan": main character Ryan Ester's favorite type of pizza from her favorite little pizza dive, "Moose's," in her Montana hometown. Yep, inspired by the very same Moose's Saloon I just visited for the umpteenth time in Kalispell, Montana. (In the area? GO! www.moosessaloon.com)

There was a brown paper bag that wasn’t there before. Inside revealed a warm foil wrapper. Not in the mood for perky, fresh, Sorority Rush sub sandwiches, I was thrilled to find what looked and smelled to be the real deal. I bit into the most delicious, most heavenly slice of pizza I had ever tasted—or at least since my Goodbye Moose’s Night a month ago in Bluffs.(excerpt from RYAN REVISITED)

We carve our "D" for Davis into the table under the crimson-lit sconces and racy portraits of painted ladies and laugh the kid-free night away (Thanks for babysitting, Mimi and Pop!), much like I'm sure Ryan and her former boyfriend Manny used to do in high school back in Bluffs, Montana, their fictional hometown.
In the story, Ryan Ester moves back to the South where she grew up after spending her high school years in the mountains of Montana (I may know a little about that particular part of the scenario *wink-wink*). Ryan is forced to find out whom she really is while thrown into a Southern sorority scandal and struggling to please everyone in her life. One comfort that Ryan finds at the University of the South is inside the college hangout, DaVinci's Lair. Its pizza reminds her of a piece of home ... and a person from home.

We sat in front of Da Vinci’s La Scapigliata and his drawings of the horse, both done in colorful electrics. We chose the table closest to the windows so we could try to hear one another talk. I didn’t survey the crowd. I hoped I would blend into the masses, and I was afraid searching the room with my eyes might land them on his.“What kind of pizza do you like here?” I blushed when Goody directed the question at me in front of everyone. “I don’t really know the menu. I have a strange favorite that I used to get back in Montana.” I hoped I was diverting attention from why she asked me. “It’s sauerkraut and pepperoni. Weird, I know.”“You mean Manny’s Ryan?” Goody asked, her eyes on the menu.I froze, and I was sure color left my face. “What did you say?”

One slice of Manny's Ryan pizza could take her right back to Montana, where Ryan last felt herself. But at times, it drives her crazy.

“Go back to your friends, Helga Horrible.” Svea looked at my hand in Manny’s. “Might as well pack up your pizza to go. Manny’s Ryan will never be anything but warmed-over leftovers anyway.”“He can taste and decide. I’m confident his palate is way more sophisticated than you.” I pulled Manny toward me again, and Svea walked away, shaking her head at Manny.My heart was beating so fast.I remembered Manny’s hand and dropped it.He looked at me and smiled.“What?” I asked him.“Where did that come from?”“Ugh. It’s just so maddening!”“What is?”“Her. You. All of it,” I told him.I looked up at his eyes, and he looked happy. I hadn’t seen that look in a while.“Go enjoy your Manny’s Ryan,” he said. “It’s dang good pizza. I still enjoy it whenever I can.”I returned to the table feeling a sense of satisfaction and a spark of hope.I smoothed my fringed skirt to sit down, placing the napkin in my lap like I had manners and hadn’t just reduced myself to a screaming match about personified pizza over a boy.

This summer, as I walked with my husband through the dark tavern in search of my own slice(s) of Manny's Ryan, I couldn't help but search for the ghosts of Ryan Ester and Manny Leon. I felt them, heard their laughs, and savored the moment. I tucked it away with all of the other beautiful memories my husband, kids, and I made back home in and around Bluffs, Montana ... I mean, Bigfork. ♥

Farewell, Flathead Valley Montana! You have my heart.

OK, let's vote.

As a reader, I'd love to hear your choice on these issues facing our literary world today. When you choose a book, what policies do you look for or do they even matter? Maybe you're not a "policy/platform voter." Maybe, you're strictly a candidate voter, and you choose based on the quality of the story, not its platform.




Literary Ballot 2016

Race 1
First Person or Third Person Point of View*

First Person POV means the narrator of the story tells the story from her or his own perspective, using "I" and "me."

“I can feel Peeta press his forehead into my temple and he asks, 'So now that you've got me, what are you going to do with me?' I turn into him. 'Put you somewhere you can't get hurt.” -Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My thoughts:
I like this POV because I get inside the character's head and can relate better. I find I'm more invested in the character because I knew him or her more intimately. I have to say, though, sometimes I'm dying to know what the other characters are thinking. I have found myself asking, "Why would he say that?" This POV certainly limits a story to the events and conversations in which the POV character participates, which can leave me as a reader wishing I could have read those scenes unfold for myself instead of in a retelling.
My first novel, RYAN REVISITED, is written in first person from the main character, Ryan's, perspective. I would love to write some scenes from other characters' perspectives some day just for fun. There was so much going on inside the other characters' heads with their own internal conflicts. The Prologue is written from Manny's first person POV.

Third Person POV means the narrator tells the story from the outside, using "he," "she," and "it."

"Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous..." -Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

My thoughts:
When third person is well written, I've had no trouble getting into the story. I am a huge Potterhead and devoured the Harry Potter books. In fact, I credit the Harry Potter series for making me a reader. All that being said, sometimes I read third person and am left with a feeling of "meh." I never got emotionally invested in the characters because I felt too distant from them personally. I have found third person books that "head jump" from inside one character's head to another to be distracting. I'm yanked right out of the story when I have to go back and figure out whose perspective I'm reading. But ... I do like reading some beautiful prose in third person books when the narrator is not limited to a character's unique voice but can describe scenes and give information with, for example, more sophistication of vocabulary or just more detail than a limited POV can allow.
I have never written in third person, although I would like to try it.

*Remember, this is not the primaries; it's election day. We've already narrowed the field. There are more specific POVs:
First Person as the main character, Hunger Games.
First Person as a supporting character, The Great Gatsby.
First Person Plural, The Virgin Suicides. (Uses "we" instead of "I.")
Limited Third Person, the Harry Potter books. (Narrator is limited to only one or a few characters' points of view.)
Omniscient Third Person, The Lord of the Rings. (Narrator knows everything.)
Second Person, Bright Lights, Big City. (ex. "You see a man approaching.")


Race 2
Past Tense or Present Tense*

Past Tense means the narrator of the story tells the story in the past tense, for example, "He said." and "I ran."

“'I am,' he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. 'I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things.'" -The Fault in Our Stories by John Green

My thoughts:  Past tense is the natural way we tell stories to one another, so it flows almost invisibly for readers to read books that way. I can dive right into a past tense story without even thinking about it. That's the goal, right? To live a book, not just read it.
All of my books are written in past tense.

Present Tense means the narrator of the story tells the story in the present tense as if the action is happening now, for example, "She asks." and "I turn."

"My head is thick with sounds, my mouth thick with blood. Three for a girl. I can hear the magpies—they’re laughing, mocking me, a raucous cackling. A tiding. Bad tidings. I can see them now, black against the sun. Not the birds, something else. Someone’s coming. Someone is speaking to me. Now look. Now look what you made me do.” -Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

My thoughts:  Some will say present tense is more immediate and therefore enhances action novels, and we have certainly seen a rise in the number of great present tense books. For me, present tense can be jarring. I have a hard time resetting my brain to read that way. It takes a few chapters for me to get into a present tense book. Sometimes, I even find myself translating a book into past tense so I can enjoy it. I have to admit again--a well-written story can suspend my preferences. I didn't find it at all difficult to read The Hunger Games. I have found that if people are going to have a preference on book "platforms," they seem to have the strongest opinions about tense. Some readers won't even read a book in present tense.
I started writing my second book in present tense. Because it was my first attempt, it was a slow writing process and I made a lot of mistakes. When I sent my first few chapters to my publisher, she put the kibosh on present tense and said she wanted me to rewrite it in past. Different publishers have different preferences.

*Again, this is election day. I don't mean to insinuate our country's real political situation is limited to the two-party system, but we are limited by it, maybe unfortunately. So there is this other "third party" tense, but I'm not sure you'd want to read an entire novel in it.
Future Tense, Aura. (I have never read this Spanish novel, but it's the only one I could find mentioned more than once on the web.)

Race 3
Platform Voter: These Things Matters.
or
Candidate Voter: You Don't Care as Long as It's a Good Book.*

Platform Voter means how you choose your book is limited to issues like the ones I mentioned. Maybe you only read First Person POV, or maybe you cannot read Present Tense books.

Candidate Voter means you'll read any book if it's a great story. Some readers simply don't care about tense or POV, they just want to read a great story.

My thoughts:  I am more of a candidate book chooser. I'll read anything if it's a compelling story. I definitely have my preferences, but those issues can be quickly dismissed when I'm immersed in an engaging story.

*I'm just curious if your literary preferences influence your book choice decision, whether you're more about quality or qualification. Maybe you're in between. You have preferences, but if the book is well-written, you'll read it. That's me as a reader.

Thanks for playing! I'd love to hear from you. Cast your ballot by commenting here or on my social media pages with First Person POV or Third, Present or Past, and It Matters or It Doesn't.

Hope the next book you read is awesome!

RW♥,
Sam

Today is my first official day of work as a full-time author.


Astute First Day of Work SelfieMy boss is great, but hard. She has huge goals and high expectations, but she is determined to see me succeed. She likes coffee from Starbucks, so that's cool, but since I am my own boss, I have to pay for it myself.

My baby left me for Kindergarten as only a four-year-old, and I questioned myself 2,137 times (just this morning) about whether I should have kept her home another year. She is the baby of three girls and can hold her own with my ten and eleven-year-olds without question. After all, she informed me her Kindergarten motto was "always stick up for yourself," a lesson you learn daily when you're years younger than two older sisters. My head knows she's ready to soar, but my heart fights dirty, conjuring images of baby curls and toddler giggles in the silence of her absence. Jerk!

Remember those kids who obviously had older siblings that you didn't really want your innocent firstborn to play with because they were a little bit sassy, a tinge too confident, and sometimes plain mean... Bo: "I'm gonna do great in kindergarten if I remember this one thing." Me: *waiting for that proud mom moment when she regurgitates some profoundly loving Biblical truth* Bo: "Always stick up for yourself!"

I'm writing a new book! Like, I'm past the planning, the outlining, the starting research (I say "starting" because I research during the entire process.), the story arching, the character sketches, etc, and I'm deep into the writing. This is my life. I love to write.

But chasing my muse's fickle whims is tricky. She loves to be coy. She's kind of like a cat. She don't care.

Ten Times My Muse Is a Fickle Pickle

1. It's quiet. The kids are preoccupied. The music is on. I'm full. My fingers are hovering over the keys. Muse is gone.

2. My muse shows up right when the kids are bleeding, dinner is burning, the three-year-old opened the door to a stranger while I'm not wearing a bra, and the laptop battery is dying.
3. She is super rude and narcissistic sometimes. I'm trying to listen to my husband tell me about his very stressful day at work, and she's screaming in my ear.
4.  That crazy girl is a night owl! She misses curfew all the time, and I wait and wait and wait up for her.
5. Her favorite hour is whatever hour I'm almost asleep. She has some of her best ideas when I'm nodding off.
6. She doesn't quit then, though. I mean, the girl is committed to the red-eye. When she has ideas, her genius will haunt my freaking dreams.
7. And she's not a hand-holder, either. In the morning, I am On. My. Own. I try to remember her wee-hour, clever, Mensa plot twists, and I come away with the most disjointed, implausible nonsense ever.
8. And I'll tell you another time she gets fickle. We are diving deep into a story. The juices are flowing, we are working it out like a pair of bad ace bosses and then SQUIRREL!! She has a totally different idea for a totally different project in a totally different genre and she insists we drop current free-flowing book to start another.
9.  But then there are those awesome days she has me working away with anointed fingers and the words don't stop spilling out onto the computer screen. I get no sleep. I take no showers. I see no people. But she keeps me happy and writing.
10. But the very best times, she totally redeems her frustrating alter-egos with bad timing and bad attitude. She reminds me why writing books is my dream come true and she rocks my face off with epic wonder and blessed awesomeness.

Such is the pursuit of inspiration. Can anyone relate?


Image Sources: http://www.theprospect.net/wp-content... http://cdn2.gurl.com/wp-content/uploa... http://31.media.tumblr.com/ba4b3f3dbb... http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photo... https://d.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/... https://bumpbirthandbeyond.files.word... https://i.imgur.com/DEfnmbE.jpg http://lovelace-media.imgix.net/uploa...? http://blog.pgi.com/wp-content/upload... http://38.media.tumblr.com/5a9af57faa...

Me, L.P. Dover, AnnaLisa Grant, Casey Peeler, Kristie Cook
Remember Stellaluna? The children's story about the fruit bat raised by a family of birds? To the birds, Stellaluna was different. Stellaluna loved her bird friends, and they loved her. But Stellaluna wasn't like them. And though her family may have wanted to, they just didn't quite get her.

Penned Con 2015 changed me forever and ever amen.

I'm just gonna warn you now that I am in a sentimental mood, and even on my best of days, it would be accurate to call me melodramatic. But I had to put my thoughts down on what my trip to the author/reader conference I attended in St. Louis over the weekend meant to me.

Just have to say that this guy made Penned Con for me. What we shared there was amazing. #soulmate
Before Penned Con 2015, I was an aspiring author trying to make a career out of doing the very thing that feeds my soul--telling stories. I poured my heart into Ryan's story in Ryan Revisited and have been trying to promote it in a sea of titles for sale on the web. I had already surrounded myself with fabulous people in my corner...my editor, publicist, agent... Fortunate!

But after this conference, I... let me try to describe this feeling that swells inside me and brings tears to my eyes...

After this conference, I have been found.

Found.

I wasn't lost because I believe my life is held securely in the hands of God. But I was found.

Found in the sense that there are a group of people that understand my aspirations to do this every day of my life. They've shared my dreams to change my family's life using the talents I've been given. They feel my struggles to carve out the time to devote to my craft. They all have my insecurities that it may not happen and that the sacrifices my family has made for me won't pay off. They get my needs to breathe life into the stories and characters in my head. And they've taken my risks that Justin and I have taken to fund these choices because we believe they are purposed. That I am purposed.

Found by a group of amazing people that loved me and welcomed me and encouraged me and cheered for me and helped me get on the road to accomplishing these dreams. Found by friends.

Found by a community I believe I was meant to be a part of.

Found by couples that will be lifelong friends that just "get" us and what we experience during our days.

I didn't go to Penned Con 2015 and sell a boat load of books and learn the secret to making money as an author. But I did go to Penned and find exactly what I was supposed to find all along... the inspiration to keep going and the friendships that are going to help me get closer.

I did go to Penned and find exactly what I was supposed to find all along...

I love the people in these photos!

And I'm so thankful I was found.


Here I go like a scared little bat being pushed out of the nest at night with the other bats for the first time.
 

As a fan, I wanted to buy books from my favorite authors, but instead,
they rocked my socks off and said they wanted to BOOK SWAP WITH ME!!
*life made* A long-time favorite of mine, Rachel Higginson, & me swapping books. What??
The Amazing Amy Bartol & me as we swapped books.
I loved meeting so many awesome readers and bloggers!



Pardy Hardy at the Red Coat PR Party hosted by my publicity company! My girls right here! L.P. Dover, AnnaLisa Grant, & Me <3
L.P Dover, MB Witkop Photobomb of the Year, Casey Peeler, & Me
Justin found his tribe just like I did! Justin, Rick Miles, & Matt Dover
I have the best PR company in Red Coat PR! Me, Justin (my soulmate hubs) & the Kingpenned Rick Miles- best publicist ever! Even better friend!!
He believed in me when no one knew who Sam Davis was!
Me & the awesomely sweet, Kris Pittman (She still owes me a makeover!)
Me & the amazingly cool, MB Witkop (I have a gift of never looking at phone cameras. Try and ignore it.)
I can't even with these next pictures without tearing up.
Friendships with people that love, accept, and understand you. Yeah. The Davises and the Dovers! I think we shared all of our meals with these guys. We laughed and shared and ate. A lot of all three! This was at The Fountain on Locust. We just happened upon it when another place didn't work out. Dill Pickle Soup, Ice Cream Martinis, Freshly Made Croissants, and Ice Cream Desserts. Delish! And the company even sweeter! Closing down the bar after the Masquerade party.
Dovers, Davises, & Grants (The Grants are sadly missing in this photo because they took the pic. In fact, we put the youngins [the Dovers] to bed with a sad goodbye and then proceeded to cement our Davis/Grant bond with being kicked out of the bar at 2am and then retreating to continue our talks in the hallway until it was just weird to still be chatting by the elevator doors when all the stumbling nightowls kept coming through.) The awesome part was that Justin felt just as at home meeting great guys like Matt Dover, Donavan Grant, & Rick Miles because they just all "get it." Community I tell you!
I am so blessed to be a part of some pretty amazing groups of authors! Red Coat PR Authors with our awesome publicist, The One & Only RICK MILES
Kris Pittman, Eric Asher, Denise Grover Swank, A.M. Hargrove, Eva Pohler, Dale Wiley, Michelle Files, Me (Sam Davis), L.P. Dover
MB Witkop, Michele Miller, Amy Hale, Mary Ting, Kristina Circelli, AnnaLisa Grant, Kristie Cook, Beth Isaacs, Casey Peeler, Amy Miles
Christine Brae & Rick Miles GH Literary Authors. Authors represented by Italia Gandolfo with Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management
Eric Asher
LK Griffie, Michele Miller, Beth Isaacs, Italia Gandolfo, Kristina Circelli, Mary Ting, Tish Thawer, AnnaLisa Grant, Me (Sam Davis)
Christine Brae, Danielle Bannister, Mindy Ruiz, Kristie Cook, Amy Miles
So amazing to get to meet my agent, Italia Gandolfo, in person!
I just love this brilliant, funny, sweet lady! My agent, Italia Gandolfo, & Me
The Masquerade Ball and Awards
Love Me & My Penned Con Buddy, Leslie Dover <3 The Hilariously Fun LK Griffie & Me (Looking fabulous, LK!) My awesome friend, AnnaLisa Grant, and the coolest HP fan around, Eric Asher.  Penned Con 2015 Romance Author of the Year!
The photo booth was so fun!
Davises and Dovers doin' it up right
Lotsa Cool Cats: Casey Peeler, Leslie Dover, Me, Michele Miller
Kristie Cook, Amy Miles, AnnaLisa Grant
The Fellas! Donavan Grant, Justin Davis (hubs), Matt Dover, Shawn Cook, Rick Miles
The hubbies bonded over living with authors. Really mostly beer. They bonded over beer.
It truly was the experience of a lifetime. So far. Can't wait for the next great thing God has in store!



























Remember Stellaluna? Remember when the mama bat found her when she was living with the birds?

"You are Stellaluna. You are my baby. Come with me and I'll show you where to find the most delicious fruit. You'll never have to eat another bug as long as you live.""But it's nighttime""We're bats. We can see in the darkness. Come with us."Stellaluna was afraid but she let go and dropped into the deep blue sky. She was able to see everything in her path."I'll never eat another bug as long as I live."
In other words, Stellaluna was found by her kind, and she was never the same again. She was herself.

FOUND

Proper good cry happening as I look at these faces. Leslie, me & AnnaLisa <3

Found.
And now?Not the same.More myself.

RELEASE DAY!!

Ryan Revisited Release Day, June 14, 2015

What an exciting release for my debut novel, Ryan Revisited!

Started the day at The Twig Bookshop downtown at the Pearl on the River Walk in San Antonio for a release day book signing.
The Twig Bookshop Signing
First paperback sales!

Then, it was time to party!

The Ryan Revisited Release Day Party was so much fun. Thank you to everyone that came out in the monsoon to toast the release of my book and get a signed copy. I was truly honored and humbled by all of the enthusiasm and support.

My older girls were so helpful. :)

Ryan Revisited is live on all platforms!

Get your copy now!

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/lv4uu4miBooks: http://apple.co/19NjwZbB&N: http://bit.ly/1C977H5Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/p78ghu7Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/qjfjh9lAmazon AU: http://tinyurl.com/oq6usue 
MORE BUYING OPTIONS ON SHOP PAGE


The party was themed from the book: "Rye"Tai mai tais, Pizza, & Coke in a bottle.

Thank you, all!! <3

This is it, people.
This is when it's going down for real.
This is what I've been droning on and on about for weeks. 

This is the Final Countdown to release.

And these are my people. 
Listen to this as you read the rest of this post and pay your respects to my people. (This step is crucial. Don't continue reading until you've pushed play. Bobbing your head also intensifies the experience.)


OK, you're now in the proper frame of mind to appreciate the magnitude of this solitary moment. This is when something that has been so personal becomes so very public. Never before in the history of mankind (a lie) has a person been this gobsmacked by such a contradicting cocktail of emotion. I stand at the precipice of dream fulfillment or self loathing. (Some people may think that I am melodramatic. Hence the justification for the hairband, Europe, being my people. They get me.)
This post really has no point other than to rally the troops. Pump up the peeps. Pep talk the team. Fire the engines. Fan the flames. This is a grass roots effort to get you excited about this book and to get you to remember to send me nice thoughts as I fixate on the idea that other people are reading my words.
It's chocolate and insomnia time, my friends. We'll countdown these hours together as we rock back and forth in the corner with jars of Nutella and glazed over eyes.
Let's do this.
You're welcome.

Image Credits:Official logo of the movie The final Countdown. Digital image. Wikimedia Commons. By Paramount Pictures (mymovies.ge) [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons, 14 Apr. 2012. Web. 1 June 2015.

Kaufmann, Justin. Photo of band Europe. Digital image. WBEZ 91.5. Chicago Public Media, 20 May 2011. Web. 1 June 2015.

Aleisha. Final Countdown meme. Digital image. From the Puck to the World. N.p., 31 July 2013. Web. 6 June 2015. <http://leftinthemiddle-inthislifetime....

Book trailer for Ryan Revisited,releasing Sunday, June 14.




PREORDER Ryan Revisited here:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/lv4uu4m
iBooks: http://apple.co/19NjwZb
B&N: http://bit.ly/1C977H5
Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/p78ghu7
Paperbacks: http://goo.gl/forms/XptlJgMNUa 

Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/ryan-revisited

*Special thank you to my friend, Cristina, for sharing your gifts with me to make this trailer. And thank you Abby for modeling. :)

Less than two weeks away from the release of my bleeding heart and exposed soul. Less than two weeks away until I invite countless strangers to critique me, my talent, my creation, my worth... Less than two weeks until my first full-blown panic attack. Less than two weeks until I develop several nervous ticks, insomnia, and agoraphobia. Two weeks, people!

Yes, dear ones, the RYAN REVISITED Release Day Blitz is upon us.

You can help me get the word out that it has gone live on release day, June 14. 

Just SIGN UP HERE! This is for everyone! Not just bloggers and avid readers (though I adore each and every one of you for supporting this new author and her debut! Love forever!). Friends and family, too! My mom, mother-in-law, sisters, neighbors, the guy who knows my name at the bakery because of my cute cookie requester... all of you can help me tell the world RYAN REVISITED will be released on June 14. SIGN UP and get the skinny on how you can join my launch team (the winning team, so why not?). THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I can't do it without you!

So where can you get a copy of RYAN REVISITED? Well, it's 2.99 for an e-book. You can preorder e-books from Amazon for Kindle users, iBooks for Apple users, Barnes and Noble for Nook users, and from Kobo (links below). The cool thing about preorders is that they all get added to my release day sales, so they accumulate overtime. But for sales records, it looks like I had a great release day. This helps hot-shot authors (of whom, I am not... yet ;) ) m ake best-seller lists and increase their visibility on retail sites and in searches. If you want to wait until release day June 14 to buy your digital copy, that's great, too! You can buy RYAN REVISITED at all of those places and more on June 14, including Smashwords and other places that I haven't really heard of.
PREORDER Now!
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/lv4uu4m
iBooks: http://apple.co/19NjwZb
B&N: http://bit.ly/1C977H5
Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/p78ghu7
Want a paperback? They will be available on all those retailer sites and more on release day June 14: Amazon, B&N, Booksamillion, etc. Any brick and mortar store can order you a copy, too. Just be sure when you walk in to ask that you say, "Hey, do you have RYAN REVISITED on the shelf? What, no? Why not? You totally should!" Then have them order you one. Thanks!

Want a SIGNED PAPERBACK? 

You can PREORDER SIGNED PAPERBACKS FROM ME HERE! I would love to send you a signed copy! Just fill out the order form, and I'll get right on that!

Want me to hand deliver one to you? Come to my Release Day Launch Party on June 14 at 5 pm. Can't make it? Fill out the form, and if you are one of my hometown peeps (Do we still say that? Forgive me.), then I'll get you one.

*Personal info covered for FB and social media creepers. Lovable, already-known creepers welcome.
Contact me for invite.
And if you want to secure your spot on the ever-dwindling Davis Christmas Card List, you could buy both the e-book and a paperback. Because honestly, you never can tell on any given day whether you will want to read it on e-reader or on paper. Confucius said: One should never limit one's readability of Ryan Ester's freshman year drama to merely one medium.

And LAST but NOT LEAST, I'm also going to announce...

I will be an attending author at Penned Con St. Louis 2015! 

Penned Con is a 3-day reader and writer conference from July 23-25. I can't wait to meet the other authors, bloggers and readers, and to meet my agent and publicist for the first time in person! Please, be kind and stop to say hi at this newbie author's table. Giveaway for Penned Con attendees will be announced later on! Stay tuned!
So many cool goings on! And I'm still just far enough away that it all just sounds really exciting. Give me a few more days to reach climactic anxiety and then somebody may need to slap me out of the wallowing mess of tears and shrieks I'm soon to be in.
Love to all of you who took the time to read to the end! And just because you did so, comment here on the blog page AND on one of my social media pages for a chance to win an EXCLUSIVE three lines from any page of the book that you choose. 
Must follow directions to win!Just be sure to say something wise and funny and then give me a page number. Must comment here in blog below AND on social media (like on this Facebook post, or tweet me, or something...) I'll draw a winner on Friday! Winner will be announced on this Facebook post.


Muah! <3 RWLSam

Super excited to announce that I've signed with Italia Gandolfo at

Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management

What?? I know.

So fun talking to her high class about the future possibility of such things as a TV series, film rights, and merchandise contracts. (Simmer down, none of this is happening right now. :) ) A phone call I took—mind you—from locked inside my car after school, so I could feign the appearance that I am a professional as my kids terrorized the neighborhood. ;)

IS THIS REAL LIFE?

You gotta dream big, right?

I am truly humbled that Italia is so excited about my next project. GH Literary is a literary and dramatic rights agency and has an outstanding reputation for excellence and success. I cannot be more thrilled!

Thanks for sharing in my news!