Monthly Archives: March 2016

$3,000 Big Romance Author Spring Giveaway

Big Romance Author $3,000 Spring Giveaway April 1-30th, 2016.

Big Romance Author $3,000 Spring Giveaway April 1-30th, 2016.

Attention all awesome people! This month is a cool time to be a reader. 101 of your favorite authors contributed to one massive giveaway! Giveaway rules are listed on the rafflecopter. International peeps can play! Got any questions? Feel free to ask. There are 100 ways to enter for a maximum possible 500+ entries per person. The giveaway lasts the entire month of April, so come back every day and hammer away at a few more entries until you’re all done!

ONE PERSON WILL WIN $3,000 USD! That’s the biggest giveaway I’ve seen recently! Tell your buds! Don’t miss out. You’ll kick yourself if you miss this one.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Terms & conditions are listed below. Read it for full details. The winner will be chosen on May 1, 2016 and contacted via the email address they used to enter. CHECK YOUR EMAIL! The winner’s name will also be posted on the rafflecopter widget above.

Participating Romance Authors:

101 different authors came together to make this giveaway possible. If you’ve been looking for a new book boyfriend, or you’re literally famished between your fave author’s releases, check out some of my peeps! They write in various hot romance genres including contemporary romance, new adult romance, erotic romance, steamy romance, urban fantasy romance, dystopian romance, historical romance, futuristic/ sci-fi/ fantasy romance, Teen/ YA romance, inspirational romance and time travel romance!

Big Romance Author $3,000 Spring Giveaway April 1-30th, 2016

Big Romance Author $3,000 Spring Giveaway April 1-30th, 2016

H.M. Ward
Kim Golden
Drew Jordan
Christi Caldwell
Scarlett Metal
Chris Almeida & Cecilia Aubrey
Heidi McLaughlin
Jenny Gardiner
Stacey Joy Netzel
Merry Farmer
Mallory Crowe
Julia Kent
Jean Oram
Vella Day
Meli Raine
Sherri Hayes
Jayne Rylon
Sarah M. Cradit
Erica Ridley
Christine Zolendz
Beverly Preston
Marquita Valentine
Melissa Storm
Dana Marton
Amy Bartol
Michelle Fox
Magan Vernon
Ainsley Booth
Venessa Kimball
Sidney Bristol
K.M. Scott
C.C.Wood
J.M. Miller
Zara Keane
Eliza Knight
L.P. Dover
Sadie Haller
Patricia McLinn
Suzanne Rock
Katherine Lowry Logan
Erin Richards
Tori Scott
Danielle Stewart
P.T. Michelle
Suzan Tisdale
T.M. Franklin
Evelyn Adams
S.E. Hall
Lauren Hawkeye
Josie Bordeaux
Melanie Marchande
Raci Ames
Catherine Gayle
Sam Cheever
J.M Cole
Brooke Blaine
Ella Frank
Allison Bell
Cristin Harber
Jacki Delecki
Tawdra Kandle
Sydney Logan
Laura Kaye
Laura Kamoie
Evie Harper
Patti Fiala
Taylor Law
Pamela DuMond
D.L. Roan
Jenni Moen
LG Castillo
Rachel Schurig
Nina Levine
Rachel Hanna
Cheryl Bradshaw
Jessica Scott
Beth Yarnall
J.T. Geissinger
Stacey Mosteller
Kylie Gilmore
Maryann Jordan
Cari Quinn
Lauren Royal
Renea Mason
Christine Bell
Felicia Tatum
Fabio Bueno
RaShelle Workman
Nana Malone
Annika Martin
Sophia Knightly
Nikki Lynn Barrett
Marian Tee
Sarah Castille
Allyn Lesley
Ambrielle Kirk
Jami Davenport
Bonnie R. Paulson
Laura Stapleton
Kennedy Layne

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Must be 18 years of age or older to win. No cash value. Void where prohibited. Open to international & US residents. *The winner will receive an e-gift card via PayPal in the amount of $3000USD for this prize.* Winner must have: 1. an email account, 2. may be requested to fill out additional paperwork for tax purposes, and 3. must have a PayPal account to accept the prize. We are not responsible for fees taken by PayPal for this transaction, nor are we in any way responsible for VAT and/ or taxes. We are not responsible for items damaged or lost in the e-mail. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.  By entering you agree that we are in no way to be held liable for anything pertaining to this giveaway. Winner(s) will be contacted by email 72 hours after the giveaway ends. You must claim your prize within 48 hours or it is forfeited and another winner will be selected. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send us an email!

The Roses are Still Dead (Why NY Publishers are 2 Steps Behind. Again.)

HM Ward, the roses are dead, publishing industry 2016,Four years ago, I began writing shorter works for the sole purpose of capturing the reader who doesn’t like to read. It was an odd thing, to realize there are readers who don’t enjoy the process of reading. It could be due to anything from time constraints, to education, to visual impairments. The point is, they don’t want to settle back into a book and admire the words. They want the story told in a way that’s evocative, engaging, and provides a sense of instant gratification.

According to a New York Times article, “no one has tried to do a bite-sized commercial fiction model, at least not in any sustainable way.”

Let me introduce myself:

I’m no one. I’ve had 21 New York Times bestsellers in the past three years. I’ve hit the USA Today list over 30 times, too. I was #1 at Digital Book World. I hit the Wall Street Journal list. I’ve been on the cover of the New York Times and featured in articles in HuffPo and Forbes. I’ve sold over six figures annually in paper (without a New York publisher), most of which are bite-sized books containing roughly 125 pages of text. These titles sold so well in the US that AmazonCrossing bought the rights to sell 20 of these novellas in Germany in paper and digital. Sales there are echoing the same principles seen in the US – there’s a thirst for shorter works. Give it to Amazon to step outside the box and color outside the lines with me. They’re not a traditional anything, but then that’s been part of the problem–a lack of change.

New York is a city where change thrives. It’s a living breathing thing that can’t be denied. New York City is a place where you can walk down the street and find anything and everything. There are no limits, and no end to innovation except when it comes to publishing. Traditional NY publishers never cease to amaze me with their sloth-like movements and overall aversion to change. It took four years of watching authors like me, who have grossed over 8 figures a year, to decide it might be worth a look. Suddenly our bamboozle of tastelessness is re-branded as ‘new’ and ‘never been done before!’

That clause that they added to the end of the sentence should cover the anomalies out there. The Hugh Howey type that writes WOOL (those were novellas that NY repackaged into novels) is a rarity. But lightning doesn’t strike twice. Oh, wait…Hugh got struck more than twice.  The man’s a pioneer, a visionary and he’s not the only one, thank God, but we are few and far between. Needless to say, it gets lonely out here when you do everything backward and upside down from the mainstream way of publishing, especially if it is done on purpose.

Very few see the intentionality at the heart of these decisions. It wasn’t luck. There’s no way luck would have struck over 20 times and landed me on the New York Times list, which is the gold standard of which books are being consumed most rapidly at this current week in time.

If it’s not luck, then what is it? Simple. That’s the market pulse and until now traditional publishers have been flat-lining it with big fat books.  I’ve been glad that traditional NY publishers didn’t notice this ‘little’ market hole. I’ve been quite happliy camping out here since 2012. There are a few friends here as well. We’re the ones that ruffle feathers because we did something unusual and it worked.

Welcome, New York Traditional Publishers. Pull up a chair, and don’t lose your nerve when no one understands what you’re doing. Up until now you’ve only catered to readers. Guess what? The people who don’t normally read for pleasure have a different set of expectations. They don’t follow the rules, they don’t care about traditional guidelines, and they’re remarkably demure. They assume that these books aren’t for them. They think authors create their works for the people who are the literary connoisseurs of our day. The novella, bite-sized crowd is too meek to realize they matter. They’re too humble to suspect that someone might actually care about their needs and desires. They’re sick of mass consumed fast food type of reads and ‘rags.’ They want the steak, and they would have taken it years ago if you stopped trying to shove a 32oz porterhouse down their throat. Sometimes a reader just want canapes. They can enjoy them easily, one-handed, with a baby on their hip. They can sneak a story on the train on the way to work and get the grin of satisfaction before they step off onto the platform.

This battle is about so much more than the length of the book. It’s taking a market segment that’s been ignored for decades. They were marginalized. These readers have been made to feel inferior because their desired attributes didn’t line up with what New York Publishers were dishing out. No one wants to consume the same thing, the same size, every day at every meal, so why would we think readers should? Reading is a way to feed the soul. It ignites the imagination and sparks hope within weary hearts. It’s a lifeline that’s been denied to far too many, largely because bigger books mean bigger profits in the traditional world.

What happened to books like The Lion the Witch and Wardrobe? Peter & Wendy? The Wolves of Willoughby Chase? Those fit in my pocket and cost less than $5. I could afford them when we were broke. I could finish them before my eyes betrayed me and a migraine blurred the words. I found magic, adventure, and hope in a compact size. The act of reading isn’t this complacent act that’s lazy and lounging. A good read makes you feel alive, and these shorter works can do that in a sustainable way that’s not possible with longer books. Sustain that.

I’m disappointed that New York hasn’t caught up yet. They’re always two steps behind, or in this case, roughly four years. Hat off to Indie authors and AmazonCrossing for forging new roads and plowing through the propaganda to find out what readers really want and then having the guts to give it to them.

 

The Problem with Jon Ferro

H.M. Ward, Jonathan Ferro, Stripped 2, damaged, the arrangement, sean ferro, peter ferroAs I’m writing STRIPPED 2 it’s become obvious that Jonathan Ferro is one of my favorite characters. It’s not because he’s hot, funny, proud, or cocky. It’s his heart.

The reader is introduced to a younger Jon in DAMAGED & THE ARRANGEMENT. We also get to meet him first hand as a recent high school graduate in STRIPPED. He’s an angry young man, but not for the reasons you’d think.

No one takes him seriously, so he no longer corrects the misconceptions of his behavior. He learned to laugh it off, to not take life seriously–on the outside. Beneath the surface there’s a storm brewing. He’s pissed at Sean for leaving, angry at Peter for running off, and he blames himself for the things that happened to him. All those facets lead to an arrogant young guy who thinks sex is game, something to be mastered. It’s not until he meets Cassie Hale that things start to shift.

Jon’s one of my favorite characters because he’s forced to radically change in a very short period of time. All of a sudden his brothers come back. Both of them. He’s already been warned by his mother and risks losing his inheritance. For a guy like Jon, a kid that’s been groomed to accept his fate in the Ferro clan from childhood, the threat of getting pushed out and cut off is severe. Add in the return of his brothers and it’s like pouring lemon juice on the situation.

Jon is a nuke waiting to explode and hides it by prancing around with a smile on his face and a pretty girl on his lap. His brothers don’t see the mask he’s wearing either. For all the good Sean tries to do, he missed this. Peter knows something’s up with his younger brother, but has no idea how deep it goes or what happened to him.

Jon is someone I would have treated the way Cassie did initially. Actually, that first meeting was based on a real event. You’re thinking, no teenager would say something like that. Yeah, I did. To a hot guy’s face. I was idealistic and didn’t like players. It never occurred to me at that age that there was more beneath the surface, that the player guise is a mask like any other. I saw and understood the pining emo or goth kid. The player was too loud and cocky, playing a game of chess to get into a girl’s pants while clanging bells. It was too much, so the guy’s words turned to noise. It made me wonder what would happen if a man went through life like that, and that’s what started my infatuation with Jonathan Ferro.

Jon was the carefree kid that had his innocence stolen. He’s the forgotten brother. He’s the man with the mask that won’t come off because it’s become part of him. And for Cassie, he’d do anything.

If you don’t know Jonathan Ferro, you’re missing out.

STRIPPED 2 releases on APRIL 4. 2016

Pre-order now at these retailers:

iBooks           Kindle              Nook             Kobo

Apple          Amazon          Nook           Kobo

Thanks for reading! I love hearing what you guys have to say! 🙂

FLASH SALE! LAST HEARTBREAK by HM WARD (A Novel)

New Adult Contemporary Romance. New York Times Bestselling author H.M. Ward

New Adult Contemporary Romance. New York Times Bestselling author H.M. Ward

So, I hit a snafu when updating the listing and long story short, one site had this title at $2.99 instead of $5.99, and all the other sites quickly price matched. It should lift at some point today. Normally, my novels don’t go on sale until 11+ months after publication, so having it on sale the week of publication wasn’t part of the plan. But hey, stuff happens. I’m rolling with it.

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Type: Stand Alone Novel, No Cliffhanger, 298 pgs


Last HeartbreakGRAB THE e-BOOK NOW FOR ONLY $2.99!

Amazon     Nook     Kobo     Apple    HM Ward paperback-button

             kindle       nook         kobo          apple      paperback

the paperback is on sale at $11.99 (reg. $18.99)


LAST HEARTBREAK – Video Teaser


 Reader Reviews:

“Incredibly moving, funny, sexy and tackling deeper everyday problems.” –Debi G.

“An amazing story full of love, loss, heartbreak, joy and hope.” –Carla

“Intense situations propel off the very first page and intertwine with flirty witty banter, combustible chemistry and gut wrenching heartache. Last Heartbreak is guaranteed to leave you with book hangover.” –Cary

“A heartbreaking, shocking, captivating and engaging love story.” –Debbie B.

You don’t often find men like Graham and it was so refreshing.” –Stacey H.

“Funny and inspirational.” –Sallie

“WOW….. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT. The book was completely captivating. You will keep turning and turning the pages as you enter an emotional roller coaster where you will be laughing, crying, breathless and fist-pumping as you get to know your next book boyfriend the nerdy, hot Mr. Parker.” –ENA

“Very emotional. A real page turner I had a hard time putting it down.” –Judy

“Gut-wrenchingly good.” –Jen L.

“If you like a heartfelt story that makes you feel with everything within you, then read this story, you wont be disappointed. I loved it.” –Kelli T.

“Definitely a nail-biter and I love the ending!” –Dona

Need a new Book Boyfriend? LAST HEARTBREAK by HM Ward

Last HeartbreakBY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR H.M. WARD & INTRODUCING MELANIE BUSSIÈRE

When a hot guy with blazing blue eyes and a sexy smirk saves my ass and covers up my sins, I know I’m screwed. He’s poor, and is probably morally deprived like every other ass I’ve attracted recently.

I admit it. I’m a moron magnet. If the guy’s a dick, then he sweeps me off my feet and promptly stabs me in the back. Billionaires are all the same. I’ve fallen for loser after loser, which earned me the classy reputation of being easy. I’m easy on the eyes, easy to bed.

But no one knows the truth, no one knows the events that forced me onto the ledge of that elite NYC hotel–no one except that strapped, hot waiter.

Now I have to figure out if he’s an ally or an enemy. I need a friend, a real one, and not some jerk who’s after my money or my name. But If I make the wrong choice, it’ll destroy me.

The ledge high above the city was only the beginning. No one can help me now. I’m on my own.

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Type: Stand Alone Novel, No Cliffhanger, 298 pgs


GRAB IT TODAY!

Amazon     Nook     Kobo     Apple    HM Ward paperback-button

                                             kindle       nook         kobo          apple      paperback


LAST HEARTBREAK – Video Teaser


 Reader Reviews:

“Incredibly moving, funny, sexy and tackling deeper everyday problems.” –Debi G.

“An amazing story full of love, loss, heartbreak, joy and hope.” –Carla

“Intense situations propel off the very first page and intertwine with flirty witty banter, combustible chemistry and gut wrenching heartache. Last Heartbreak is guaranteed to leave you with book hangover.” –Cary

“A heartbreaking, shocking, captivating and engaging love story.” –Debbie B.

You don’t often find men like Graham and it was so refreshing.” –Stacey H.

“Funny and inspirational.” –Sallie

“WOW….. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT. The book was completely captivating. You will keep turning and turning the pages as you enter an emotional roller coaster where you will be laughing, crying, breathless and fist-pumping as you get to know your next book boyfriend the nerdy, hot Mr. Parker.” –ENA

“Very emotional. A real page turner I had a hard time putting it down.” –Judy

“Gut-wrenchingly good.” –Jen L.

“If you like a heartfelt story that makes you feel with everything within you, then read this story, you wont be disappointed. I loved it.” –Kelli T.

“Definitely a nail-biter and I love the ending!” –Dona