Just Sold A Book

Welcome!  This site provides honest information about the ups and downs of trying to get published, as well as insight into what happens after you make that elusive first sale!

BEACH BOOK BONANZA GIVEAWAY 6/29 - 7/5

For a chance to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble giftcard, go to http://www.virnadepaul.com/extras.shtml and use the Rafflecopter widget to enter.  (Hint, you can win just by liking my Facebook Fan Page, Books That Rock!)

Also, if you've liked my Facebook Fan Page and leave a comment here on what your favorite beach memory is, you'll be entered to win a $25 Amazon gift card.  

Thanks so much for playing and happy reading!!! :)

This giveaway will run from 6/29/13 at 1200AM EST and end 07/06/13 at 1200AM EST. Please understand the winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries.

BACK FROM RAGT W/ A SWAG BAG GIVEAWAY

I had such a fabulous time at Lori Foster's Reader Author Get Together in Ohio this past weekend.  For those of you who missed it, I'm giving away some conference SWAG including a registration bag, and books donated by my publisher (Midnight Secrets by Ella Grace and Headed For Trouble by Suzanne Brockmann).  To enter just like my Facebook page (Books That Rock) & comment under my RAGT post on the FAN PAGE WALL that u did.  I'll also give away 3 of the Ella Grace and 3 of the Suzanne Brockmann books to 6 additional winners!  :)  Winners will be picked Friday 6/14 at 6 pm PST.

 

RAGT Boardroom Schedule

I'm sponsoring a boardroom in June at Lori Foster's Reader Author Get Together with three other fabulous authors: Tigris Eden, Ty Langston, and Cathy Perkins.  We have some fun things planned and hope you'll be able to join us!  

Grand Prize Giveaway!

A mini iPad

To enter, get signatures by Virna, Tigris, Ty, & Cathy – Place completed sheet in marked box by Sat 6 pm. Winner announced at Sat 7 pm main ballroom raffle.

 

RAGT Boardroom Schedule for

Authors Virna DePaul, Tigris Eden, Ty Langston & Cathy Perkins

Guest Authors Jules Bennett, Mary Quast, Riley Ross, & Teri Anne Stanley

Friday, June 6, 2013

10-11 am:  Meet with Virna, Tigris, Ty and Cathy to chat.  Prizes!

11 am-12 pm: Pen Your Perfect Hero Challenge: Using images and inspiration we provide, teams piece together the perfect man (including physical attributes [we’re keeping it strictly PG!], profession, back story, favorite pick-up line, etc) and a winner is picked.  Prizes!

1-2:30 pm: Q&A panel, including guest authors Jules Bennett & Teri Anne Stanley.  Prizes!

4-5 pm: Virna, Tigris, Ty, and Cathy talk Alpha Males for writers and readers.  What goes into the “recipe”?  We’ll discuss favorite alpha heroes, why they work, and how much is too much.  We’ll also do a mini-Pen Your Perfect Hero Challenge.  Prizes!

9-11 pm: PJ party and movie night with Virna, Tigris, Ty, and Cathy.  Wear your PJs or whatever is comfortable.  Prizes!

Saturday, June 7, 2013

10-11:30 am: Q&A panel, including guest authors Mary Quast and Riley Ross.  Prizes!

4-6 pm: Informal mixer.  Come for the company and the chocolate.  Prizes!

8-10 pm:  Karaoke and Greed!  We’ll provide the wrapped gifts.  Participants will play Greed.  (The whole point of the game is to “steal” gifts from others, so please don’t participate if this will upset you!)  Prizes!

 

 

 

 

March Madness Blog Hop!!!

March Madness Blog Hop!

March Madness: That time of year when women across the country are left to their own devices during the NCAA basketball playoff tournament.

Sure we could do some early spring cleaning, catch up on laundry, organize closets, and throw out all the junk in the garage/attic, but where's the fun in that? So, instead of work, we thought we'd host our version of March Madness: A prize filled hop presented by some of the best names in romance. And we've made it easy for you to join in.

Simply hop from blog to blog—the links are below—and “follow”, “Like”, “Friend” etc. the authors sites then leave a comment on their blog post. Each author is running their own giveaway as well as participating in the Rafflecopter Grand-Prize Giveaway of a Kindle Fire OR Nook Color, A $50 Amazon/B&N Gift Card, A $25 Amazon/B&N Gift Card, and 6 - $10 Amazon/B&N Gift Cards, as well as a “basket” of books. The event is live from March 5 – March 31^st, 2013 to give you plenty of time to tour all the sites. 

Rules: You must be 18 years or older as of 12:01AM March 5, 2013. No purchase Necessary. Avoid where prohibited. This event is open to worldwide participation (basket of books limited to US/Canada shipping address only)You are limited to one tweet, follow, like etc per day, however you can follow one blog, tweet about another, and like a 3rd's facebook page all on the same day. Be sure to follow the rules laid out by the individual authors about their respective giveaways, as they will vary form site to site. Rules and Terms are listed in the Rafflecopter. Grand-prizes will be announced on or about April 5^th, 2013 on SnSreviews.blogspot.com. While we will make every effort to contact you, it is ultimately the winner's responsibility to check winning status and claim their prize. Posted winners will have 5 days, from the date of post to contact host and claim their respective prize. If the posted winner fails to contact host, prize may be forfeited and awarded to another randomly drawn entrant and distributed without further notice.  

FIND VIRNA HERE:

  

Is basketball something you enjoy watching?  If not, what activity do you and your partner enjoy together? 

1.  Leave a comment here to be entered to win Virna's upcoming release, Shades Of Passion, and to be entered into the grand prize raffle (Note: You must also follow the last step below!!)  Put "#MarchMadnessHop" in your comment to comply with grand prize entry rules.

2.  Then, Click here to enter for the grand prizes and see list of participating authors/sites!!

 

My News: Loveswept, Hungary & "The Best" SIG Yet

Hi all!  Just wanted to share some good news!!  

My sexy novellas in the Red-Hot Cops Series, as well as A Vampire's Salvation, have been picked up by Random House's Loveswept line.  I now officially have my own Random House Author page.  The covers have been revamped and I think they're gorgeous!  These books will be officially on sale in April (AVS) and May (Arrested by Love).  

Also, my agent was recently contacted by a publisher in Hungary about buying Hungarian language rights to my self-published contemporary romance, Bedding The Wrong Brother.  It'll be my first foreign deal. This book has received over 100 5-star reviews on Amazon!

My next HQN in the SIG series comes out at the end of March.  I just heard from my editor that this is her favorite book in the series.  I hope those who are familiar with SIG enjoy Simon's story!

Finally, I just got the cover for my May HRS, Deadly Charade.  This is a spin-off book to Dangerous To Her.  Tony is dark and dangerous, but nothing will stop him from protecting the woman he loves.

Thank you to all the friends and readers who continue to support me.  You mean the world to me and I couldn't do this without you!!  Hugs, Virna

The Next Big Thing: What I'm Working On Now

I met author Manda Collins because we have the same wonderful agent (Go Team Root!) and hang together in the Twitterverse.  She graciously tagged me in the ongoing game of The Next Big Thing, in which authors get to talk about their current work in progress.  As much as writing is alternately joyful and painful, I love all the supportive and inspiring women I've met over the past few years.  Readers and writers are so fun! 

Check out Manda's Next Big Thing here 

The Next Big Thing

What is your working title of your book?

Dark Choices

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I wanted to write a series about a covert agency with primarily female agents.  I wanted the women to be damaged and in need of redemption, and I wanted them to work with or encounter men (or male vampires, as the case may be) who would help them get it.  I see the series as Wanted/Alias meets Charlie’s Angels meets Underworld.  I love the tagline: Some flowers thrive better in the dark.

What genre does your book fall under?

Paranormal romantic suspense

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

For Book 1...I'm having trouble finding a street tough puerto rican heroine, but for my hero, who is British, sexy, charming yet deadly...how about...Henry Cavill...

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Four damaged women are brought together for one common purpose—join an all-female, seemingly all-human private intelligence agency, which is dedicated to placing human agents where law enforcement can’t or won’t go in order to stop crimes involving  paranormal forces or creatures.  

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

The series has been sold to Random House and I get to work with the wonderful Sue Grimshaw.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I'm in the process of writing the first draft.  The proposal (synopsis and first three chapters) took me a few weeks.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I would love OTHER people to compare it to a female version of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  :)

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My current editor with HQN, Margo Lipschultz.  Before I sold my contemporary romantic suspense to her, I tried a variety of story ideas, hoping she'd buy one of them.  Years later, the story still called to me and I'm happy I get to write it. 

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The hero of the book is a human recently turned into a vampire.  He's struggling with the change and I'm trying to portray him as caught between two worlds without full knoweldge of what his future is going to look like.

***

And now, check out this author next week for her Next Big Thing!

Karin Tabke

 

***Please tune into this blog on December 19.

Message for the tagged authors and interested others:

Rules of the Next Big Thing
***Use this format for your post
***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work in progress)
***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:
What is your working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.

Be sure to line up your "tags" in advance.

National RWA 2012 Pictures--Recognize anyone?

I got to hang with so many fabulous people...who do you recognize?  :P

Escalator To HEA (Raising Story Stakes The Easy Way) Workshop Notes

Thanks to everyone who attended my workshop in Anaheim last week.  As promised, and for those who missed it, here are the workshop notes! :-)

 

Download Escalator To HEA Workshop Notes RWA 2012

Photos From Lori Foster's RAGT 2012

I had a wonderful time at Lori Foster and Duffy Brown's Reader Author Get Together in Ohio.  Saw old friends, made some new ones, signed the LOVE BITES charitable anthology with Lori Foster, Jules Bennett, and Brenda Jackson, and got to hang out with some wonderful people!  Already looking forward to next year!

Cool widget for Shades Of Desire - Read Chapter 1

Check out the cool widget made by HQN's Digital/Marketing Team for my upcoming release.  

Blog Widget for Shades Of Desire by Virna DePaul

Browse Ch. 1

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Coming May 22, 2012: Shades Of Desire, Book 1 in the Special Investigations Group Series

Natalie Jones is the lucky survivor of an elusive killer who preys on young women and then disappears from view. And since her harrowing ordeal, the once gutsy photojournalist has remained isolated in her home, paralyzed by fear and her failing vision.

Special Agent Liam “Mac” McKenzie has scars of his own. But despite his efforts to ignore the attraction that simmers between him and Natalie, he needs her help to catch a predator. Soon, they will forge a tentative alliance—charged with desire. Through a soft-focus lens, Natalie dares to envision a future with Mac beyond the investigation...never guessing that the clues hidden within her photographs are drawing them into an explosive confrontation with a madman.