Firstly, I need to apologise to all my Nook, iBooks and Kobo international readers who are still waiting for Attraction to become available in the Barnes and Noble, iTunes and Kobo stores. Please rest assured this WILL happen, and hopefully soon. I submit to these retailers via a third party, therefore it takes a little longer for the book to be made available. As soon as it becomes live at each store, I will post the links for you. Once again, thank you for being patient. xo
ATTRACTION’S EARLY RELEASE!
Yes, it’s true! If you reside in the AU/NZ territory and pre-ordered Attraction on iBooks or Amazon, you would have woken this morning to find a hot and shirtless Derek sitting on your e-reader. (Well, metaphorically speaking, he wasn’t actually ‘sitting’ on your e-device) But anyway, you’re welcome 😉
That said, I was one of you; pleasantly surprised but also baffled, which was when panic set in and I became frantic in order to find out why Derek had come early. *Raises eyebrow then grins wickedly*
Where was I? Oh, that’s right frantic panic… So a quick email to my Harlequin editor extraordinaire revealed that the digital release was to coincide with the network in store date, which happened to be today. So… ta da, early release! This also means that the paperback version should be available in most QBD and Dymocks stores now, and in Target, K-Mart and Big W in the coming days. *Breathes a little easier… a little*
If you didn’t pre-order your copy, here are the iBooks and Amazon links:
iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/iBooksAU-Attraction
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/AmazonAU-Attraction.
Now, for everyone else in the world, due to still holding the publishing rights for these territories, I had a pre-order set up for Amazon.com. I’m currently waiting to hear back from them to see if I can move the release from Oct 31st to asap. I’m not holding my breath, but fingers crossed. I’ll let you all know either way. This also applies to iBooks, Kobo and Barnes and Noble. As for the paperback format, you can order that NOW! Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/Amazon-Attraction-PB
TROLLS BELONG UNDER A BRIDGE
Hmm… *steeples fingers*
Today I have been deliberating — on and off— whether or not to call someone out. And just so you know, my decision not to do so in the end is not a reflection of the size of my ladyballs, but more so the limelight my calling out will give this moron. And let’s face it, said moron (IMO) deserves no limelight whatsoever. Not to mention that I’m normally one to just let sleeping dogs lie… and snore… and be ignorantly unaware of the dribble spilling from their mouth. <– Pun intended.
So instead, I’m going to have a rant. And this rant is in no way a reflection of receiving a bad review and then subsequently stomping my feet as a result. Bad reviews happen. All the time. And they are certainly not a new occurrence where I am concerned. They don’t hurt or discourage me in anyway shape or form. In fact, some bad reviews actually help bring to light things you may have overlooked during your creative process. Those bad reviews (IMO) are good reviews. Which is why I fully understand and grasp that they are part and parcel of publicising your work — a necessary evil of sorts.
So no, this rant is not me trying to stick it to a reviewer for her dislike of my novel. It’s more to do with how a negative review should be executed, and how a reviewer should show respect and decorum in their delivery.
I strongly believe that as individuals we are entitled to our own opinion — it’s one of the limited things in life we have complete control over. However, when you hold a position where your opinion is considered somewhat professional, you owe all involved a delivery of decency and not one which serves to discourage others from forming their own perspective. For if you do that, then you destroy the objective of an opinion.
But as I said, I believe we are all entitled to our own views, especially where books are concerned. Why? Because it’s our prerogative, and because reading is subjective; what one person hates another may very well adore. And that’s a wonderful thing.
Let me just reiterate that the majority of reviewers I have come across adhere to the ‘proper’ principles of reviewing. They are honest, passionate, and project their opinions in an untroll-like manner. These particular reviewers are respected, and rightly so.
BUT… you do come across one every once in a while who likes to blow smoke up their own arse just for the shits and giggles of a pat on the back and a ‘you go girl’ response. Again, if that is the reason why they review, then more fool them. Seriously, get a life. One’s head can only expand so far before it explodes. BOOM!
It is one thing to dislike a book and then write up a melodramatic review that is all but missing a neon sign saying ‘Hey, I’m a troll hear me roar’, yet it is another to then bag the shit out of the book in the comments of the ‘professional’ (and I now use that term loosely where this particular reviewer is concerned) review you have written for a respected blog on social media.
All authors — whether traditionally published, indie, hybrid, NYT Best sellers, or newbies just testing the waters — have poured their hearts and souls into their writing. So whether you like their literary blood, sweat and tears or not, at least have the decency to project your opinion in a manner that is not only considered respectable but that serves the purpose of it being solely your humbled opinion. Surely that task is not too difficult.
SOME THINGS I LEARNED WHILE WRITING TEMPTATION
*I was recently asked to write up a few guest posts as part of Temptation’s Harlequin blog tour. So I thought I would share them with you here*
Some things I learned while writing Temptation ~
Learning has no bounds; it is infinite. And that prospect alone excites me to no end. Why? Because I like to consider myself somewhat of a human sponge. Just call me SpongeBob… no, I’m kidding, don’t call me that.
Since becoming a writer, I have learned so much — some good and some bad. Probably my biggest lesson learned, on a personal level, is to always back yourself. To quote my current WIP, Attraction (book 4 in The Temptation Series):
‘If you try and fail you still succeed; for succeeding in failure is still a success’.
I truly believe this notion as I am an advocate of ‘try’ and ‘you’ve got nothing to lose’. We all strive for success, but failing in an attempt to achieve it can be just as important. If you look behind all failure, there is a lesson of value.
And speaking of those lessons, I’ve experienced many during the process of writing and publishing Temptation. One being — and shouty caps are necessary here — GET YOUR MS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED. Not just beta-read. No, you need to invest in a professional copy editor to go through your book with a fine-toothed comb. Never solely rely on yourself and your nearest and dearest to edit your own book… unless you or they are an English Professor. And even then, I would still advise you obtain that editor.
Another lesson learned is to always write the story that you want to write. Don’t veer away from your original premise or be persuaded to change tact to suit others. If you wish to dabble in something different, then do it on your own accord. I can guarantee that you will NEVER please everyone, so don’t even try.
Oh, and another thing I’ve learned while writing Temptation is that my wonderful American readers do not understand the terms: bonnet, chook, ratbags and Christmas crackers, LOL. Really? The language barrier is a funny thing and can be quite difficult to overcome. But with being an Aussie comes many Aussie-isms. I’ve always been just a teency bit stubborn and opted to stay true to my region where these are concerned. I do, however, understand that if you cater for just one nationality and their understanding of terminology, you can inevitably limit your readership. That being said, I did compromise on many terms in order to try and achieve a fair balance but stay true to writing an Australian story.
THE TEMPTATION SERIES GOODREADS FAN GROUP
Have you joined The Temptation Series Fan Group on Goodreads?
Chat all things Brylexis. Tell me what you are currently reading. Play fun Brylexis games. You can even buddy-read the current books I’m reading with me and discuss them in the threads listed.
So what are you waiting for? Click this link and join the group ☺ https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/119487-the-temptation-series-by-km-golland-fan-group
NEW PINTEREST PAGE
Apart from my personal Pinterest page, I now have another page set up under my author name.
This page is where you will find all things book related—mainly mine…because…well…it is my page 😛
You will also find pin-boards of books I love and recommend together with pin-boards of ongoing research for upcoming projects.
So, for all you pinners out there, come follow my boards. ♥
BEEN CRUISIN’
The object of having a holiday is to unwind, relax, and take in the sights, yeah? Well, I can honestly say that hubby and I have just come back from one hell of a holiday then.
This year, Andrew and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary. We chose to do something a little different—and childless mind you—and embarked on a cruise to the South Pacific, namely New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
Before setting sail, the idea of our pending South Pacific adventure had me feeling a little on edge. Not because I have a fear of water, or don’t like the idea of travelling to a foreign country, but more so because I suffer pretty awful sea sickness. So, regardless of being medicated to the hilt, I was still resigned to the fact that I would be spending half our holiday vomiting.
Well, I showed sea sickness who was boss, didn’t I? Because not once did I feel the least bit nauseated. It was great! And I can honestly say that I am now one huge fan of cruisin’ the seas. So much so that we are setting sail again next year. Although next time, we will take the kids.
The idea of having two childless-weeks would sound heavenly to most parents. And don’t get me wrong, it was. But for us, two weeks was far too long to be away from our two noisy ratbags—we missed them terribly.
Those tiny little things we as parents take for granted were the things that we missed the most. Like, tucking them in at night. Hearing their laughter. Answering their inquisitive and innocent questions. And most of all, the warmth and love from having them in your arms.
In the meantime while we were regretting leaving them both for so long, they were living it up with their grandparents. Tractor rides, late nights, ice cream more than once a day. Yes! More. Than. Once. A. Day. The ship we were on offered ice cream 24/7, and even I didn’t eat it more than once a day. Go figure.
Speaking of food on the ship, OH MY GOD! It was in abundance, never ending, and it tasted SO good. At more than one point did Andrew and I look at each other and say, “Really, is it time to eat again? I’m sure we just ate lunch, AND breakfast.”
Besides missing our children, having the constant feeling our stomachs were on the brink of explosion, and trepidation over ‘to vomit or not to vomit’, our holiday was absolutely fabulous. I even got to cross off an entry on my bucket list: CLIMB THE SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE. <—See, it’s crossed off. YAY!
See below for our happy snaps.
ATTAINMENT RELEASE DATE – NOV 2ND 2013
