Author Archives: angiestanton

Royally Lost ~ Teaser #2

Four weeks and counting for the release of Royally Lost. I’m so excited for everyone to get a chance to read it! Here’s a short peek of Becca learning Nikolai’s true identity.

“So how was your date with Nikolai?”

Becca glared at her brother, Dylan.

“Uh-oh. Did he stand you up?” Dylan held a rolled-up magazine.

She frowned, frustrated that she’d been so easily played. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“This might explain why.” Dylan held the magazine under her face, forcing her to look at the glossy picture of a guy who looked exactly like Nikolai.

She took the magazine and examined it closer. Her breath caught in her throat. “That’s Nikolai!”

She’d recognize him anywhere. She couldn’t read the foreign headline, but it ended with an exclamation point. “Dylan, where did you find this?”

He grimaced and shrugged. “It was at every newspaper stand I saw today.”

“Why is he on the cover? Did he do something wrong?” She paged through the magazine, holding her breath. Confusion turned to shock when she saw a two-page spread filled with pictures of Nikolai.

Nikolai at the beach; a picture of him playing polo; a picture of him in a tuxedo with a girl wearing a glittering gown. Then Becca’s eyes landed on a formal picture of Nikolai in uniform, with a sword at his belt, standing next to a young girl. A stern man and austere woman sat in gilded chairs; both adults wore crowns.

Her jaw dropped open.

“Why is Nikolai in that picture with people wearing crowns? Who is he?” she asked. Her heart pumped so fast she could feel the blood pulse through her temples. “And why did he lie about his identity?”

Royally Lost available May 6th.

Royally Lost ~ It’s Teaser Time!

Royally Lost releases in five weeks. Here is a short teaser of Prince Nikolai and Becca meeting on the streets of Vienna.

“So, what are you doing here in Vienna?” Becca asked.

Nikolai slid his hands in his pockets as they walked; there was suddenly a lightness in his step. “I’m on sort of a holiday.” The last two days had been so relaxing. No scheduled appearances, no royal advisors, and no cameras.

“Sort of a holiday? What does that mean?”

“Well,” he sighed, trying to decide how to explain it without actually telling her. “Long story short, I took off without my parents’ permission.”

“Really? I wish I had the guts to do that.”

“I don’t recommend it. There’ll be hell to pay when they catch up with me.”

“Your parents don’t know where you are?” Becca brushed a lock of silky hair behind her ear, revealing her sun-kissed cheek.

“Not yet. I figure they’re giving me a couple days of freedom before they try to track me down and order me home, but that’s not going to happen.” At least he hoped they hadn’t already sent a palace security detail after him.

Becca laughed. “No? Why is that?”

“Because I’m living off the grid, you know, like Jason Bourne.”

“Are you telling me you’re an international spy or, oh no, an assassin?” She feigned a shocked expression.

“Hardly. I’m just another derelict kid avoiding family responsibilities and disappointing my parents.”

He wondered what she’d think if he confessed he was the Prince of Mondovia and had run away like a spoiled child.

Royally Lost releases May 6th and is available for pre-order now.

Deadlines and a Little Bit of Crazy

It’s done. Almost.

The third book in the Jamieson Collection, the one about Garrett and his latest antics, is days from being turned in to my publisher, HarperTeen. I’ve been thinking about this book for over a year and writing it for eight months. I wish I wrote faster, but it takes as long as it takes.

I promised Garrett’s book (I call it that because I no longer like the working title I gave the publisher) to my editors next week. But now in these last hours, I’m getting a little bit cray-cray over when to actually send it to them.

I should have my final copy ready by the end of Monday, but if I send it Monday night, my editors probably won’t read it right away.

Tuesday is April Fool’s Day, so I really don’t want to send it then because I fear it will somehow be taken as a joke.

Wednesday is Hump Day. Who wants more work unloaded on them on Hump Day?

Thursday is close to the weekend, so if I send it then, I’ll just have to wait that extra day for them to read it and tell me what they think.

I could send it on Friday, but then do I need to keep laboring over the manuscript the whole week? What if I ruin the book by over analyzing every sentence, page, and scene?

As you see, this is serious, hard-core decision making. Maybe I’m losing my grip on reality by even thinking of all this. Perhaps I need a vacation. YES! But I’m not getting one for a while. So I will comb through the pages all weekend long and labor over when to send in my new baby.

The good news is that for all those people asking and begging for Garrett’s book, it is truly happening!

Garrett’s Book releases May 2015.

In the meantime, watch for Royally Lost on May 6, 2014!

Be creative and win and ARC of Royally Lost!

The release of Royally Lost is just around the corner and I’m so excited for you all to read it. But if you’d like a sneak peek and your own autographed Advanced Reader Copy, here’s your chance to win one. You know all those snazzy book promos out there with fun quotes and awesome pics? That’s what I’m looking for. Design a photo quote for the book, tag me, and post it on my FB page, or my twitter feed.

Here is what should be included in your picture or collage. Royally Lost by Angie Stanton May 6, 2014

Then include one of the quotes below:

#1) “I must say, I rather like kissing a prince.” ~ Becca

#2) “I thought I was running away, but it turns out I was running to you. You’ve made my life worth living again, and now I have to leave you.” ~ Prince Nikolai

#3) “Becca, you’ve mesmerized me into following you across four countries.” ~ Prince Nikolai

#4) “If you worry about the future and dwell upon the past, you can’t enjoy the present.” ~ Royally Lost

#5) “She’s lost, he’s on the run, their lives change forever

#6) A vacation in Europe, a runaway prince, a trip you’ll never forget

#7) Once upon a time, in a land far away… Royally Lost

#8) An American girl, meets a young prince, and gets Royally Lost

There you go! Get creative and post away. I’d love to see what you come up with. I’ll select the top winners on Friday, March 28th. The more entries, the more winners I’ll select.

Due to high shipping costs, international entrants will receive an e-copy of the book on release day, instead of an ARC.

AND THE WINNER IS…

Diana Alverez!

To see the teaser she designed and all the others, go to Angie Stanton Author.

Life of a Writer – Procrastination

I’m nearing the end of my current manuscript. This is a very good and very bad thing. It’s good, because this book is what I affectionately call Garrett’s Book. I’ll let you know the real title in a month or so once it’s been finalized. And it’s bad because while this book has been great fun, it has also been a huge pain in the butt. Garrett Jamieson is a handful and he needs a strong girl who can handle him. I love this story and those who have had a coveted sneak peek have loved it too, but it’s not done. It’s close. It’s painfully close, but I’m struggling with a couple of sections.

So what do I do? I procrastinate. This book is due to my editor in a matter of weeks. A lot needs to happen in those weeks, but instead of trying to churn out these challenging scenes, I’m avoiding. Don’t let anyone ever kid you, writing is hard! Sure, sometimes it’s an absolute blast and taking pictures of my books in bookstores is awesome, but trying to fix plots and make sure this book stands up to reader expectations can make me want to run away screaming and get a job at Walmart. Okay, not that bad, but close.

Once I get those elusive scenes nailed down, I need to go through the book a few more times to fix really important things like the heroine’s last name. I don’t like what I gave her. It’s boring. She needs a kick-butt name, but I haven’t figured out what it is. And I have to decide if she has one of those little diamond nose studs. Does she like tattoos? Does she have any? So far no, but maybe she needs one. Should the receptionist be named Tara or Maya. I have her both ways, which will really confuse readers, so I need to settle on one. And then I need to fix some of the band names I made up. When I’m stuck with things like this, I might make something up or ask readers on my Facebook page for suggestions. One reader gave me the band name idea of Origami Frogs. It’s hilarious, but I don’t know that it will make the final cut. Sorry.

My most often asked question is will Garrett get a book. Yes, he will. He is. But it’s not quite done. It’s close. And now, maybe I’ll go find something to eat, or paint my toe nails, or stare out the window and wonder if the snow will ever melt.

Looks what’s up for pre order. Royally Lost!

Royally Lost is now available for pre-order on Amazon! It releases in only two months! I can’t believe it’s finally happening.

Now’s your chance to be one of the very first to read it!

Fun with Food in the Deep Freeze – Baby, It’s Cold Outside

That’s right! Baby it’s cold outside. So cold my dogs won’t go out any more. Not sure how that’ll work out later tonight.

Today temps have been in the negative double digits all day, and while I should have been working on edits to the third book in the Jamieson Collection. Yay, Garrett! You have a book! I kept popping in and out of my chair to see how long it took different foods to freeze. Check out some of my fun.

Raw bacon before.

Raw bacon after twenty minutes at -17 degrees.

Leftover spaghetti before.

Leftover spaghetti after five minutes at -17 degrees.

A glass of milk without the glass. This one took an hour.

Ketchup and Mustard took a long time to freeze.

And my favorite. A raw egg after ten minutes at -12 degrees.

And now I’m in the mood for a good book to cuddle up with. How about Snowed Over?

Winding Down ~ The Year in Review

As the year winds to a close, I wanted to take a moment to reflect back.

A year ago, I said to myself that this would be the year of travel, and yes, it was. Mostly it was fun book-related travel. Trips included the RT Booklovers conference in Kansas City (a road trip), Indie book signings in Minneapolis and San Francisco and a trip to New York City to meet with my agent and editors. I love to travel, so it was wonderful.

In June I handed in my next novel, Royally Lost, to HarperCollins. It’s being brushed up as we speak and releases in May of 2014. I can’t wait for you to read it!

This past September two of my formerly self-published books came out with Harper Teen. Seeing them in bookstores and popping up in libraries has been awesome. The other day a writer friend of mine from another state said that her 14-year-old daughter came home with my book, Snapshot, in her backpack. She borrowed it from her English teacher’s library! That was a highlight!

This month I gave my first book store presentation, spoke at a nearby high school and sat on a panel at my local library. All those firsts were nerve wracking and energizing. After all these years, I finally feel I can say, “I am a writer.” Silly, but true.

Another highlight has been meeting so many talented, funny and generous writers. I love spending time with like people who spend their days in sweat pants and fuzzy slippers like me.

Me with the lovely Jamie McGuire

But best of all, was meeting so many readers. There were a few fan girl moments that I will never, ever forget. You girls made my day, my year! As a writer, I spend a lot of solo time, thinking, plotting, writing, worrying; so when a reader reaches out to share how much a story moved them, I’m flying high for a long time.

Here’s to a great 2013! And may 2014 be even better!

Madison Public Library ~ Self-Publishing Workshop

Last Saturday I was invited to join a panel at my local library on self-publishing. The workshop took place at our newly remodeled central library in downtown Madison. They have all kinds of fun things happening and I discovered some unique things while I was there.

Here’s the entry way.

I’m not sure what this car is doing in the middle of the library, but it was very cool.

Imagine my delight when I discovered a chocolate shoppe in the middle of the library!

Check this out. It’s pieces of firewood stacked tightly.

They found a way to recycle/reuse all those old book ends.

And I forgot to mention, they have lots of books! But not mine. I’m working on that. If you don’t find my books at your local library, just ask and they can order them.

What’s Up Wednesday – My Life as a Writer

I’m terrible at blogging. I think of things to blog about at random times and then totally forget them an hour later. So rather than try to come up with some snappy little story to tell, I thought I’d let you know what I’m up to.

Today I’m working on what I affectionately, and boringly, call Garrett’s book. It has a working title, but I no longer like it, and my publisher doesn’t like any of the new titles I’ve suggested. So until further notice, it’s Garrett’s book. As of now it’s about 50,000 words, which is really good, except that it’s very, very, very rough. So lots of work and about 20,000 more words before I turn it in next Spring.

My next book, Royally Lost, releases on May 6, 2014. It’s available for pre-sale on Amazon now. I’m working with a publicist to help get the world out. So starting the first of the year, you can start expecting sneak peeks and excerpts. It’s a really fun book, and I’m so excited for readers to see it. It’ll be my first new book out in about 18 months! Yikes! Can’t let that happen again.

Releases May 6, 2014!

I’ve been seeing lots of new reviews for Rock and a Hard Place and Snowed Over. Thank you! A positive review on Amazon is one of the best ways you can support an author. The other is to tell everyone you know to read the author’s books!

Last week I did my first school visit to East High School in Madison. The students were really nice, and considering I was flying by the seat of my pants, I think it went well. My daughter informed me that next time I should bring candy to give away. Great idea. I’m not above bribing people.

This Saturday I’ll be participating on a self-publishing panel at our new library in downtown Madison. I’ve meant to get there and check it out, but it’s so cold out, 7 degrees, that I haven’t wanted to go out. I’ve never done a workshop like this before, so lots of new experiences.

That’s it for now. Thanks for stopping by!