Keeping Up Appearances …

4-17-2015 3-23-58 PMSo I have appearances this week! I’ll be at the Brea Library this Saturday, talking about writing and publishing. It’ll probably be just me, my mom, a few friends, and their moms, but we’re sure to have a good time! I told my 15 yo son I wasn’t sure what to talk about, and he told me he thinks I should speak entirely in cliches: “Don’t give up. Follow your dreams. There are many roads to choose. Take the path less chosen. …” He made me laugh.

If you’re local, though, I’d love to see you at 11 a.m. at 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea. The best place to park is the underground parking structure accessible from Birch St. The parking structure entrance is located between the Civic Center and the Embassy Suites Hotel. You can park and take the elevator up to the lobby level.

If you just want to meet up virtually, I’m also over on the Harlequin Junkie blog this week, telling my very favorite scenes from TEN GOOD REASONS. (Can you guess what they are?) Come check the excerpts out and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway if you wish. Just click here: Lauren Christopher on Harlequin Junkie.

Hope to visit with you all soon!

How to Write an Amazon Book Review

So here’s an interesting thing I’ve learned: Amazon reviews for new authors are Super-Important. (See, I even gave it capital letters, there.)

Rumor has it that the number of reviews is what determines how many Amazon algorithms you get into, and results in the number of “recommended buy lists” you get on (like the “…if you like this book, you might like this one…” variety).

So it’s Super-Important. (There are those caps again.)

And it’s especially important for newbies like me, because … well, we’re newbies, and we don’t have a whole lot of fans yet! So no one is buying our books. (Except you fine, good-taste people!)

So, if you want to help me out (and other newbie authors), and get an author you like out there for the world to see, once you read a book you like – whether you buy the book on Amazon or not – please leave three or four sentences about it and however many stars you want.

Here’s how to write an Amazon book review, if you’ve never done one before:

  1. Go to the book’s page on Amazon.
  2. There should be a square, gray “Write a Customer Review” button at the bottom of the existing reviews.
  3. Click on that, and you’ll be brought to the review page. You can create a “reviewer name” in the top right corner. (You can review under a name other than yours. On Amazon, my reviewer name is “Readermama.”) Then type in your review and the number of stars.
  4. Stars go from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), so:
    • 1 Star – This book is horrible.
    • 2 Stars – This book is bad.
    • 3 Stars – This book is okay.
    • 4 Stars – This book is good.
    • 5 Stars – This book is excellent.
  5. Possible things to write about – remember, you only need three or four sentences minimum. (Of course, if you like writing, you’re welcome to write much more.) Here are some things people like to read in reviews to help them decide if they should get the book or not:
    • Was it a page-turner? Did it keep you up at night to finish?
    • Did you like any of the characters in particular? Why?
    • Did you have any favorite lines? (You can share them.)
    • Did you like the setting? Did the author transport you there?
    • Did any part make you laugh/cry/relate?
    • Did you recommend or buy the book for anyone else?

So that’s it! If you write one for me, I thank you for helping me out!

Writer Wednesdays: My Wedding Day Highlight…

Wedding Day.no border

We’re starting a new thing! I’ve begun a romance-writer blog party where, once a month, my writer friends and I will all be blogging on the same topic on the same day — we’ll be talking about things all romance writers love to talk about: reading, writing, and romantic things!

Our first one is about our wedding day highlights.

We picked this topic because our friend Kat Cantrell has TWO books coming out at Harlequin this month, both involving weddings: From Ex to Eternity and From Fake to Forever. You can see them at the bottom of this post, plus check Kat out here.

And now … Here we go: My wedding day highlight. …

Here’s us on our wedding day:

wedding day 1989

Dang, we were young. I had a beautiful wedding day. I really did. We got married in November because I love the cool crisp air in November and the normally sunny days. It was Thanksgiving weekend, 1989, and kind of the cusp of the holidays. Our colors were black and red, and everything looked gorgeous and holidayish. But the highlights of my wedding day — wouldn’t you know — were things you can’t plan at all. The highlights were things people said, a dance with someone special, my guests getting along in a “worlds colliding” way. Plus there was this guy:

scan0002J.R. Taylor was the best man in our wedding, and — like in the photo above — he was cracking us up all day.

He was Chris’ best friend. He’d flown in from Montana, where he’d been living after finishing his stint in the army as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne. At the wedding, he brought a flask for Chris to calm his nerves (a spirit they’d enjoyed as buds in the past), gave a great toast, danced with the prettiest girls, and just all-around had a great time.

At the end of the wedding, we had done a crazy complicated car-switch because my dad had ordered us a surprise limo (Yay, Dad!) from the church to the reception. So some of us were without cars at the end of the night. And J.R. didn’t have a way home from the reception, and he’d come alone. So somehow we offered to give him a ride. Yep, in our “getaway car” with the windows all decorated “Just Married!” Problem was, Chris and J.R. were smashed by the end of the reception. And I hadn’t drunk at all. So I was voted the designated driver.

So … yes, me in my full-skirted gown and my ’80s headband veil, driving the getaway car out of the reception at 2 a.m. with what looked like TWO grooms. …

And then as we started driving, my two drunkards started complaining that they were “huuuuuungry, Laurie, huuuuuuungry,” and they wanted to go to In-N-Out. So I laughed and pulled into the one in our home town. Which is like the ONLY In-N-Out in Southern California that isn’t a drive-through (because of an old no-drive-through rule in Placentia).

So the three of us piled out of the car and walked in and ordered hamburgers — the bride (yep, still with her veil on!), and “two grooms”! We got a lot of attention at In-N-Out. But we had so much fun. And that will forever be my wedding day highlight.

(Want to read more about J.R.? I wrote a post about him here.)

Want to see what all my writer friends wrote about their wedding day highlights? Here are the participants. All of us are Golden Heart 2012 Firebirds. You can click on their names to go to their blogs and read:

Fellow contemporary romance writers Tamra BaumannJamie WesleyKat CantrellPriscilla Kissinger | Paranormal romance writers Kay HudsonPamela Kopfler | Romantic suspense writers Carol PostSharon Wray | Novels with romantic elements Natalie Meg EvansJean Willett | Faith-based romance writers Karen FlemingKristen Ethridge | Historical romance writers Kathleen Bittner-RothWendy LaCapra

Come back every month for our Writer Wednesdays! Here’s what’s in store:

Writer Wednesday List

And here are Kat Cantrell’s wedding books from Harlequin this month! Kat’s one of the Firebirds, and a great writer!

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Fun Launch Week!

Well, I had a very fun launch week! Thanks to all of you for your supportive tweets, emails, texts, likes and the like — it really means the world to me.

Launch Day itself started out as a normal day — I went to my day job. Nothing different there. But my mom and dad managed to slip out to a Barnes and Noble and found my book, and they sent me pictures while I was at work. My mom spread my books out all across the top shelf. (I’m sure Barnes and Noble appreciates that.) Here she is, looking adorable. Check out her renegade work along that top shelf:

image (2)

That night, I sped home from work, and hubby and I went to our own local Barnes and Noble, and found it there. We took dorky pictures, then he bought a copy. (So sweet.) And then we went to a restaurant nearby and had cocktails and dinner to celebrate:

11150572_10206747991324742_3872779556227457229_n

The next day, after the day job, I had a super-fun Facebook party with fellow authors and Firebird friends Tracy Brogan (“Crazy Little Thing,” “The Best Medicine”), Terri Osburn (“Meant to Be,” “Home to Stay”), Kim Law (“Ex on the Beach,” “Hot Buttered Yum”) — all celebrating the huge launch of our buddy Tamra Baumann’s first contemporary “It Had to Be Him.” It was a lot of fingers flying across the keyboard while we all chatted with friends and fans and asked and answered questions about reading, favorite books, favorite heroes, favorite desserts, and life in general, and it was so much fun. I love seeing all our friends and fans talking to each other, and it gives us a chance to get to chat with you all, too.

The week rounded out with phone discussions with my agent about my new series, making this all seem even more surreal as I was negotiating Book 3, planning Book 4, all the while marketing Book 2. Hard to believe I’m even saying sentences like that.

Overall, it was a fabulous week, and I’ll be updating you with more TEN GOOD REASONS shenanigans as we go!

In the meantime, don’t forget:

* TEN GOOD REASONS is a perfect read for a spring weekend! You can find it at any of these spots:

Barnes and Noble (Nook or paperback)
Amazon (Kindle or paperback)
iBooks/ iTunes
Powells Books
Book Depository (free shipping outside the U.S.)

OR at a Barnes and Noble bookstore near you! At Barnes and Noble stores, I should be in the “New Releases” section in the Romance area. If you don’t see the book there, please ask at the front desk. Those requests encourage them to order my books.

* Don’t forget to take a picture of you and my book.  I will send Sandy Cove souvenir gift packs with $10 Amazon cards to the following:

  • The first person who sends in a photo of themselves with TEN GOOD REASONS in a Barnes and Noble! (My mom was the first, as you saw above, but she is graciously passing along her prize.)
  • The most creative photo of a reader holding TEN GOOD REASONS (sent in between April 7 and June 7). (If several photos seem creative, I’ll pool them together and do a random drawing from the creative ones.)
  • Two randomly selected photos of a reader holding TEN GOOD REASONS (drawings will take place on May 7 and June 7)

That’s four chances to win! Join the fun and get those photos in. You can send your photos to laurenchristopher[at]live[dot]com. Or, on Instagram or Twitter, tag me @mizwrite or hashtag it #10goodreasons and I’ll catch you that way!

* Write an Amazon review. It really makes a difference in a writer’s career how many reviews she gets, so I’m going to be continually begging for reviews. If you’ve already left one, THANK YOU. It really helps.

* Tell your friends about the book! If you have friends who love to read contemporary romance, please spread the word. If you’re a social-media-type person, here are some posts:

My friend’s book TEN GOOD REASONS just launched this week! If you like lighthearted, beach-read romances, this one’s for you: http://amzn.to/1D4A2Qd

My friend @mizwrite’s book TEN GOOD REASONS just launched! Kirkus Reviews calls it “smart and sexy”: http://amzn.to/1D4A2Qd

OR, an OC focus if you’re a local:

My friend @mizwrite’s 2nd book TEN GOOD REASONS just launched! If you like lighthearted, beach-read romances set in Orange County, this one’s for you: http://amzn.to/1D4A2Qd

 

I’m so excited to talk about the book and hear what you thought! Would you all be interested in a TEN GOOD REASONS book club discussion on Facebook? (Similar to the one we did for THE RED BIKINI?) Let me know!

Thanks, all! And happy reading this weekend!

TEN GOOD REASONS Launch Day!

13974_10204089131485102_4291729891667795504_nThe day is finally here. TEN GOOD REASONS has launched! I hope you all enjoy the book as much as I do. If you want to learn more about it, or what went into making it, and see some fun facts, videos, and more, visit my Ten Good Reasons book page here. I’ll be adding material to it over the next couple of months, so please visit often!

In the meantime, here are some ways you can help make TEN GOOD REASONS a success:

* Buy the book, if you haven’t already. The book is available at:

Barnes and Noble (Nook or paperback)
Amazon (Kindle or paperback)
iBooks/ iTunes
Powells Books
Book Depository (free shipping outside the U.S.)

OR at a Barnes and Noble bookstore near you! At Barnes and Noble stores, I should be in the “New Releases” section in the Romance area. If you don’t see the book there, please ask at the front desk. Those requests encourage them to order my books. Speaking of which …

* Take a picture of you and my book. I love, love, love seeing pictures of you and my books! So much so that I’m having a photo contest over the next two months. I will send Sandy Cove souvenir gift packs with $10 Amazon cards to the following:

  • The first person who sends in a photo of themselves with TEN GOOD REASONS in a Barnes and Noble!
  • The most creative photo of a reader holding TEN GOOD REASONS (sent in between April 7 and June 7). (If several photos seem creative, I’ll pool them together and do a random drawing from the creative ones.)
  • Two randomly selected photos of a reader holding TEN GOOD REASONS (drawings will take place on May 7 and June 7)

That’s four chances to win! Join the fun and get those photos in. You can send your photos to laurenchristopher[at]live[dot]com. Or, on Instagram or Twitter, tag me @mizwrite or hashtag it #10goodreasons and I’ll catch you that way!

* Write an Amazon review. You can start leaving reviews on Amazon as of today, and it really makes a difference in a writer’s career how many reviews she gets. Whether you buy the book on Amazon or not, please – if you have a few extra minutes – leave 3-4 sentences and however many stars you like. The number of reviews, apparently, is what determines how many Amazon lists you get on (like the “…if you like this book, you might like this one…” variety). So it’s Super-Important. And tell your friends about reviews! Speaking of which …

* Tell your friends about the book! If you have friends who love to read contemporary romance, please spread the word. Whether you’re standing in a bookstore, sitting in a hairdresser’s chair, waiting at the car wash, or seeing someone read on the subway, I’d surely appreciate the shout-out. If you’re shy, but you’d hand out TEN GOOD REASONS postcards, I’m ordering a bunch of pretty ones I’d be happy to mail you. Please email me your snail-mail address at laurenchristopher[at]live[dot]com, and I’ll send a stack to you asap! Also, here are some social-media posts if you’re a social-media-type person:

My friend’s book TEN GOOD REASONS just launched this week! If you like lighthearted, beach-read romances, this one’s for you: http://amzn.to/1D4A2Qd

My friend’s book TEN GOOD REASONS just launched! Kirkus Reviews calls it “smart and sexy”: http://amzn.to/1D4A2Qd

OR, an OC focus if you’re a local:

My friend’s book TEN GOOD REASONS just launched this week! If you like lighthearted, beach-read romances set in Orange County, this one’s for you: http://amzn.to/1D4A2Qd

 

So those are some things that can really help!

Here are all the places I’m celebrating and giving stuff away:

April 8 (Tomorrow!) – Kindle Giveaway and Facebook Party — My Firebird sisters Tracy Brogan (“Crazy Little Thing,” “The Best Medicine”), Terri Osburn (“Meant to Be,” “Home to Stay”), Kim Law (“Ex on the Beach,” “Hot Buttered Yum”), and I will be celebrating the huge launch of Tamra Baumann’s first contemporary “It Had to Be Him” at a Spring Fling Book Giveaway on Facebook Wednesday, April 8, 1-7 p.m. PST. (You can pop in and out anytime you like!) We’ll be asking easy questions giving away lots of books, gift cards, gift baskets, and there will be a grand prize of a KINDLE! You can join by clicking here. Please come! It’s going to be so much fun!

May 2 – Author Talk at the Brea Library — The Brea Library has invited me to do their Author Talk on Saturday, May 2 at 11 a.m., so come meet me there! I’ll be speaking for an hour, giving away door prizes, and I’ll sign any books you bring. I’d love to chat with all of you! The Brea Library is at 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea, California.

Photo Contest – Details mentioned above. I’m giving away four $10 Amazon gift cards and four Sandy Cove souvenir packs to four lucky winners: the first photo sent to me, the most creative photo, and two randomly selected photos submitted now until June 7! Send photos to laurenchristopher[at]live[dot]com.

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