It's About Damn Time!
It's About Damn Time!
My audio original has a release date!
Mahalo,
I’m writing this edition of The Writer Gal Letter listening to About Damn Time by Lizzo. And it’s been a hot minute since I’ve felt pepped up about this business of writing all. the. words.
Because, Postmate, I have release news for you and all sorts of delicious updates for you!
NOTE: Before we proceed, I have to share that this month’s novella chapter will be postponed to next month. I am busy writing Blaze (Yayyy!) so No Other Love has to take a backseat. It will be released next month though, so worry not.
Life updates-wise, Grandpa is home and fine and doing reallllly well. Mom is also sleeping through the night because we are relieved that the hospital visit turned into a positive, at the end. Thank you to those of you who took the time to reach out to me and give me your support. Means more than I can tell you, Postmate.
Booboo has exams at the beginning of August so we both have a pact of racing through our respective words through this week! :)
Now, onto business!
I Got US press coverage for Dissent!
Postmate, I’m no stranger to the news. I was actually a journalist before I turned writer full-time. And I have been covered quite a bit by Indian media over the years as an author. But, this is the first time EVER that I have press coverage across the pond!
The Mary Sue was gracious enough to share the Dissent Cover Reveal and yours truly was mentioned as one of the authors of this insanely cool charity anthology.
Here are the prettiest ever covers for Dissent in all its full glory and you can press the shiny pink button to read the article itself. The colors of Dissent are blue and pink, combining which makes purple. The purple color was chosen for it's many meanings surrounding women's rights and International Women's Day. It also represents strength, justice, and dignity.
The butterfly represents change and hope, the top butterfly is "dissenting" from the others, which is pretty cool.
The ebook will contain ALL the stories including mine and the paperbacks will be in three volumes to accommodate for size.
Postmate, I’d love it if you could just take this poll real quick and let me know where do you prefer reading your books? :)
I have a Curvy Girl Giveaway for you!
I am part of a fabulous thing, Postmate. The Romance With Curves Facebook group is an inclusive group of writers writing body-positive books about characters really owning who they are :) And while I can’t claim to write curvy women exclusively, you know Barry from In Bed With Her Millionaire Foe does struggle with her weight, ending up as an empowered ‘performance artist’ at the end of the book - stealing Jordan’s heart and breath away!
I’m giving away one e-copy of In Bed along with 30+ fabulous RWC authors. Enter the giveaway, follow the instructions, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
My Audio Original Releases August 3!
Postmate, I wrote three different STORIES for this original, of which I sent one in January and it was rejected. So I went back to the drawing board and had to come up with a WHOLE NEW book! Anyway, long story short. This audiobook comes out on August 3 and I could not be more excited to hear it.
What you can expect? Enemies to lovers, romcom banter, hate-cute vibes, falling for his sister’s best friend, and date-tastrophes!
(Sounds wiggy to write ‘hear’. I’m still an old-fashioned reader, Postmate).
Here’s a teeny excerpt of the story that’s coming next month. (Imagine a sexy man reading this whole thing out! I am imagining Tom Hiddleston :P)
Waiting for a blind date to show up at a restaurant was a lot like waiting for your tenth-grade exam results. You were never sure what you were going to get. And the wait was nerve-racking!
Prachi Aptekar thumbed open her phone for the third time in five minutes and checked her date’s progress on MatchUp – the hot new dating app in town.
Oops, Prachi. Looks like your date is running just a little bit late!
MatchUp’s claim to being different than all the other hookup apps in the world was simple. At MatchUp, it was as much about connecting with yourself as with someone else. All in the space of one single night, through three mystery activities or ‘dares’ as the app called them.
You could do as little as one dare or complete all three, each one different and challenging, while figuring out how compatible you were with your date.
The concept was an adult form of truth or dare, but it was also fun and popular.
Mostly, because the app did something that took tons of time for potential couples. It took care of the simple decisions – where to eat, what to do, where to meet. And forced them to focus on each other.
When all the distractions were blitzed away, then making a choice about whom to spend your time with was pretty easy. You either wanted to or didn’t. There was very little wiggle room for maybes.
A text message slid on her screen.
It was her best friend, Prinita. Well?
Prachi texted back. Well, what?
Is he there yet? What’s he look like? Tell me everything, babe. I’m dying of suspense here!
Prachi’s lips twitched as she checked the app screen. It was raining sad emojis.
Your app’s algorithm thinks I think a man who cannot manage his time properly and is late to first dates is sexy. He’s still stuck in traffic.
Boo. Don’t hate on my app.
MatchUp was Prinita Prakash’s baby, one she had developed while studying engineering at IIT Mumbai. MatchUp had taken this long to get up and running because investors were still cautious about women-led coding teams.
Prachi saw Prinita is typing so she waited for her to finish.
You know my app helps women have all the control on insta-dates because it matches by actual taste and digital footprints. So no more creeps and weirdos to deal with.
This was true. Prachi remembered the exhaustive questionnaire Prinita had made her fill out before the app even accepted her account. She was about to send back a snarky reply when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
A Blaze Update
You didn’t think I’d not share a sliver of Blaze news in this edition, Postmate. I just have an Insta-post for you but it’s the paperback cover for Blaze and I am *psyched!*
Scroll down to the bottom of TWGL to get the free sample of Blaze if you’ve not grabbed it yet. Then, hit that pre-order button hard, okay! :)
Writer Gal’s Writer Pals Present
This week, I have several new releases from familiar Writer Gal Pals and a sale or two! So keep reading, Postmate.
First up is SR Jones’ Given to Him. If you thought Nikolai was bad then wait till you read Sasha. This cover, the tropes, all the feels for me, Postmate!
I’m celebrating Midnight Blaze’s (snicker at the delicious coincidence) release with the awesome Anya Summers. You can check out the party on Facebook’s Elle Woods’ Romance Room! But if you can’t make it, here’s the book for you. Hot wildfire fighter Dom meets the match of his dreams. Sign me up!
RJ Gray’s Bull is the gentlest Dom of the Valhalla Veterans and he is my favorite. I know, when you read him, you’ll think the same. Grab this book and get lost in a beautiful love story set in some smutty times! :P
Last but never least, Lily J Adams has a brand-new MC release with Ranger! It’s the latest book in her Rebel Saints (Cutover) Motorcycle Club and the blurb had me sighing in instant envy of Abby’s plight. Being protected by a dark AF hero who only softens for her…Damn!
Lastly, if you’ve not yet grabbed this free anthology from bestselling authors, now is your time to do so! You can even read the beginning of Drake and Anya’s tempestuous marriage of convenience in Shades of Seduction and then binge Claim and Burn while you wait impatiently for Blaze to come!
That is it from me for this edition of The Writer Gal Letter, Postmate. I am so glad it was juicy and newsy and I certainly hope you think so too! I’ll be back soon with the next chapter of the novella, Blaze’s release date, my plans for the rest of the year, and …possibly a title and special cover for my Dissent Short Story :)
Till then, stay safe and awesome.
Xx
Aarti