GIVEAWAY OF FOR NICK

There is an awesome giveaway currently going on for FOR NICK.

Stop by these two amazing blogs, check out their reviews of FOR NICK, and enter both GIVEAWAYS for two chances to win.

FUNDINMENTAL     FUONLYKNEW

Up for grabs: a signed paperback of For Nick, bookmark, and tote bag. AND two kindle ebooks!

Special thanks to Sherry and Laura for featuring FOR NICK!

These are the kind of reviews I read over and over whenever I'm feeling down. They encourage me to keep on writing!!

So, for my sake, I'm going to post them here on my blog! 

Sherry of FUNDINMENTAL'S review:

Taylor Dean can spin a tale that will tug at your heartstrings and For Nick is no exception. I used to think that contemporary and inspirational fiction was not my cup of tea, but authors like Taylor have won me over. The fabulous writing and realistic characters have the ability to touch my heart and leave me wanting more.

I knew right away something was wrong and what would happen but not why. Taylor’s writing grabs my attention and doesn’t let go. She will lure you in, starting out all lovey dovey and sweet, then BAM!

Zachary’s grandfather had given him a choice. He had one year to find someone and marry, or he would lose his inheritance.

He chose Andie, because she said no in a firm and funny way that intrigued him. I couldn’t help but smile at her response to him.

The deal, one year of marriage, one episode of consummation, one million dollars.

The dance of love, when all is bright fun and breathtaking. the banter between him and Andie is fun. They act like kids in love, sometimes goofy and playful

Why are we so closed that lack of communication can ruin something so good? I get frustrated with no communication. The “funny” thing is, it complicates real life too. Taylor has a way to make her characters come to life, draw you in, and never let you go.

The saying curiosity killed the cat is so appropriate, but I will leave it to you to find out why for yourself.

The restaurant scene not only broke my heart, it pissed me off. Tissues required.

I was already on verge of tears, but when Andie said “I’m scared,” my tears flowed and my throat tightened. I couldn’t see the words through my tears streaming down my face. I tried to read through them so I could find a happy place to take a breath. Painful and sweet, laughter with the tears, isn’t that life?

The story is predictable, but the journey is an adventure I was delighted to be on.

For Nick smacks of the Pretty Woman movie, with Julia Roberts, fairy tales and miracles.

Taylor has a way with endings. You think you know it, but she puts in a special twist that clutches at your heart, yet fills it with joy. She add that little twist that will make you smile and crave more. I want to tell you so much more…but I am done.

This is a story you want to learn on your own, no spoilers from me.

I received a copy of For Nick by Taylor Dean in return for an honest and unbiased review.

  5 Stars

Laura of FUONLYKNEW'S review: 

Andie Parker needs a job . She’d take anything. Do anything, for Nick. So upon someone’s urging, she applies at a Fortune 500 company. She’s the last of twenty girls to apply. Figuring she has no chance, she still stays for the interview. She’d do anything for Nick.

Her name is called. She’s greeted by the owner, Zachary Drake. He’s impeccably dressed and very handsome, but there’s a coldness in his eyes. He rocks her back on her heels with his offer and she quickly goes for her Mace.

This was my first laugh out loud moment. Taylor had me giggling when Andy pulled out her pepper spray. She was so ready to use it.

Zachary, a powerful and very rich man, is used to women falling at his feet. He’s in for a shock with Andie. Yet, she’d do anything for Nick.

After some hemming and hawing, Andie accepts the job. She has no other choice.

I don’t know what it is about Taylor Dean’s books. I’m not much into romance, yet her books captivate me. Perhaps it’s her characters.

Andie and Zach are both so genuine. They have flaws, insecurities. And these cause strong heart ache for both of them.

Both are determined, ready to do whatever it takes to obtain their goals. This also causes some turbulent times.

And both are lonely, i need of a shoulder to lean on, someone to trust. But how do you trust someone you hardly know? Trust them with something so personal, so dear?

This is where Taylor truly shines. She gives you living breathing characters. Ones so real, so full of foibles. You become connected to know them. Feel their joys, pains, and fears. Laugh with them. Worry about them. And yes, cry with and for them.

I knew going into For Nick that I’d need some tissues close by. I almost cried several times. Then, I reached a scene that touched me so deeply. As I was reading, my vision blurred, I could hardly read through the tears welling up in my eyes. As they streamed down my face, I paused, reached for a tissue, and got a hold of my emotions. I wondered if Taylor cried for her characters.

Andie and Zach might not have been looking for love, but love had a way of finding them.

A beautiful love story. I ‘felt’ every bit of it.

5 Stars

KINDLE COUNTDOWN DEAL for FOR NICK!

Kindle Countdown Deal starts today!

.99 pennies today! (Friday)

1.99 tomorrow (Saturday)

2.99 back to regular price on Sunday

Grab your copy while it's on sale!

Enjoy!

To get deal, go here.

I apologize to my UK fans. This is my first time scheduling a Kindle Countdown, and I didn't realize I needed to do it for BOTH Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

I'll schedule a Kindle Countdown deal for Amazon UK for next week! Promise!

A review I LOVE is below. This reviewer read and reviewed FOR NICK twice!! Can't ask for more than that!

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Multi-Faceted Must Read! July 3, 2013

By Melody Cox VINE VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

*******Added 12/27/2013******
I just reread this the day after Christmas and I loved it the first time I read it. I enjoyed it even more the second time around.

Zachary Drake is a widower who wants nothing to do with emotional entanglements. He has had his one true love and doesn't need another. His grandfather has just passed away and in order for Zach to retain ownership of Drake Enterprises, his grandfather's will states he must marry and remain so for one year.

Andie Parker is searching for a job she desperately needs. She will do anything for the love of her life, Nick. Even marry a stranger for one year in exchange for a million dollars.

There is no denying that within a few days of their marriage they are falling for each other. They are both surprised that their relationship is turning into something sweet, pure and real.

What happens when misunderstandings abound, communication is nonexistent, and a beautiful, cunning woman sets her sights (and her claws)on Zach and is prepared to do whatever it takes to win him away from his wife and doing so right in front of Andie?

This is an absolute must read. I highly recommend this book.

*******Original Review 7/03/2013*******
'For Nick' is a page-turner that you will want to read in one sitting. You won't be able to put it down, at least I couldn't. There are many facets to this story. Intrigue, anger, unbelievable emotional gut-wrenching pain, heartache, misunderstandings, but beneath it all a deep abiding love that is pure and beautiful even though it gets discolored for a time.

There are many twists and turns that will surprise you, delight you, make you cry, tick you off, and make you laugh. Actually, towards the end of the read I laughed until I was doubled over and as I reread that particular chapter two more times, I laughed harder with each read. Absolutely hilarious.

This is the first book I have read by Taylor Dean, but it certainly will not be my last. She is an amazing writer who creates fascinating characters with a storyline that many writers could not accomplish. I appreciate that this book was not laced with profanity and explicit sex. That, in and of itself, seemed to add to the sweetness and purity of love. And...heaven, what a nice way to bring in Heavenly Father and Heaven. Thank you Mrs. Dean.

MONDAY MUSINGS

It's been an exciting weekend. I offered FOR NICK for free on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

I was completely unprepared for the results!

As of right now (Sunday afternoon), here are the stats:

On Amazon.com:

• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #3 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Inspirational
  • #11 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Contemporary

On Amazon UK:

• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #11 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
• #6 in Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Romance > Contemporary

On Saturday afternoon, I received an email from eBook Daily.com. They chose to feature FOR NICK on Saturday. Wow! So awesome!

Total downloads as of Sunday afternoon (4 PM):

11,923!!!!

The best part has been the reviews thus far. 

Amazon.com:

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredibly emotional book, NOT your run of the mill romance! February 1, 2014

First of all, I have always been like Andie, seldom crying, NEVER crying over a book. Until tonight. Or this morning since it is now 4 a.m.

First of all, to anyone who dares to criticize that the writing is stilted or predictable, show your credentials. I have a JD (requires good writing) and a BA in Journalism. The writing was not stilted. It was not meant to be a literary masterpiece, but this was a well-written book. Yes, I guessed who the mysterious "Nick" was; but that is all I got correct.

*SPOILER ALERT WARNING*

I loved the easy romance Andie and Zack found themselves in from the get-go; I hated how he Zack treated her when he believed the worst in her; I fell apart (with actual tears) when Zack fell in love with Nick as much as Andie did and when Nick left, but 10 pages later I was snorting with laughter over Zack's total spaz about hospitals and even how to get to one.

In short, this was not your trite romance, thank God, and I loved it. Now I have to go buy the rest of the author's books. Thank you, Ms. Dean. (I still refuse to watch The Notebook, Marley and Me, and any other potentially sad movies, though!)

5.0 out of 5 stars Love the book! Great Love Story. February 2, 2014

I love this book! I could not put it down, because of this book I am now on my way to finding all books written by Taylor Dean.

I love the characters, Nick was so sweet, smart person.
I am in love with Andie and Zach's love story. The way they fell in love and their love story. This has become one of my favorite Romance novel, I'm glad I gave this book a try. I really can't say much without spoiling the book. So all I can say is read it, it is worth the your time and you will love it. If you are looking for Romantic book, this is it. It will make you laugh, love, cry and everything else you can feel. LOVE IT!

Amazon UK:

5.0 out of 5 stars Would highly recommend, 2 Feb 2014
Absolutely loved this book.
Laughed and cried. Couldn't put it down and read in one sitting. What are you waiting for?

5.0 out of 5 stars Best I've read in a long time, 2 Feb 2014
Heart warming and heartbreaking, had me in tears, lovely story, recommend to all who love a nice love story with a twist.

Perhaps you're wondering why it is beneficial to authors to occasionally offer their books for free.

I mean, after months of hard work, writing and editing, and agonizing over every last word, why on earth would an author give away his/her book for free?

Good question.

Let me explain. 

(Otherwise known as things I wished I had known when I first published!)

First of all, advertising is very expensive. Authors have many different choices at their disposal, however.

One is the blog tour. When an author embarks upon a blog tour, their book is well advertised. But, the amount of readers who actually purchase the book can be low. As a matter of fact, if there is a giveaway included during the blog tour, many readers will wait to purchase the book to see if they won or not first! Don't get me wrong, blog tours and blasts are a wonderful way to advertise and I will absolutely continue to do them. I was able to gain a small following through blog tours, and amp up my social media numbers as well. For me, it did not garner high sales results, however. Sales, yes. High sales, no. This will vary from author to author, of course. I was completely unknown when I first published and blog tours definitely got me started.

There are other options. One is advertising on Book Bub. It was the best thing I ever did. Book Bub offers to advertise your book to thousands of readers through a daily email. You have the choice of offering your book at a reduced rate or of offering it for free. They are a bit pricey, but it was the first time I ever received massive amounts of downloads! It kick-started my sales and they've never slowed down since. (Keep in mind, success is relative. My success could be considered another person's failure. If I sale 10-20 books per day, I am thrilled! It's all relative and depends on what you are looking for out of this endeavor.) Another drawback to Book Bub is that they are very careful about which books they will advertise. Your book must be approved by their editorial team. Hence, not everyone can advertise through them.

That being said, choosing to offer a book for free as part of your advertising efforts gets your book directly into readers' hands--at no cost to the author and no cost to the reader. If your book is exclusive to Amazon Kindle (KDP), you are allowed to make your book free for five days per every 90 day period. You simply schedule it and they do all the work for you. This is free. There is no cost to the author. (I believe they must advertise the free books in their 'Daily Deals' email. I woke up on Friday morning to 400 downloads of FOR NICK and I hadn't even begun to advertise. Not sure about that though. Anyone know?)

Now here's the kicker: When you receive massive amounts of downloads of your book in one day, the odds are with you that it will appear on Amazon's Top 100 Free list, (or Top 100 Paid list, if you offer your book for a reduced amount). Once your book makes a Top 100 list, it is visible to many, many readers who check the lists on a daily basis--readers who would otherwise never hear about your book. This is a huge benefit.

Lastly, if a reader enjoys your free book, most likely they will take a chance on some of your other books. 

I can't think of a better way to advertise than to give nearly 12,000 readers an opportunity to read one of my books and see if they like it! Hopefully they will come back for more! It's a win-win. The reader didn't have to spend their hard earned money to take a chance on a new author. And, hopefully, I will have gained some new fans!

So, this turned out to be a really long blog post. If you're still reading this, thank you!

Have a wonderful Monday!

FOR NICK IS FREE FOR THE WEEKEND!!

Grab your copy of FOR NICK this weekend!

It will be free on Amazon Kindle on Friday thru Sunday, Jan. 31-Feb. 2nd.

Enjoy!

To get your copy, click here!

IS FOR NICK BELIEVABLE?

I entered FOR NICK into a contest: the Writer's Digest Self-Published eBook Awards.

I didn't win.

But each contestant receives a brief judge's commentary and I thought I'd share mine with you.

Judges Commentary:

There's some nice writing here, although you slip into telling the reader more than showing sometimes (e.g., Camille was a little minx, but she was one of Emily's dearest friends. It would be better to let the reader see this through Camille's actions; in fact, you do that to an extent by showing her flirting with Zach).

Dialogue is nicely written. The characters seem clearly defined by the way they speak.

The setup for the main story that Zach has to find someone to marry or he can't inherit the firm, so he hires someone to be his wife seems rather contrived, and the ending is a little obvious. Given the value of property, it's hard to see how his grandfather would find this an acceptable plan of action. At the same time, it's sufficiently farfetched that it makes an entertaining story, provided the reader doesn't take it too seriously.

You seem to hit the right cliches for a romance novel: the gorgeous, seemingly flawless male and the beautiful but vulnerable young woman. It might be interesting to actually try crafting the story against these stereotypes: make the man vulnerable and the woman dominant. But within the context of mainstream romance, what you've done works very well.

There is one comment I dislike greatly when I receive reviews and that is: the story is not BELIEVABLE. 

Although I often deal with serious issues in my novels--and For Nick is certainly no exception--they are written to be entertaining, an escape from the world. They are meant to allow the reader to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride--a sometimes fascinating and crazy ride.

 

Hence, I love that the judge says:  It's sufficiently farfetched that it makes an entertaining story, provided the reader doesn't take it too seriously.

Above all, my goal has always been to entertain the reader. 

I realize that this type of novel does not appeal to everyone and that's okay!

As for me, I say believable is for real life. Unfortunately, real life is far too unbelievable sometimes.

That's why we need an ESCAPE!

What type of book do you LOVE?

FOR NICK

No weekend post today. There's bigger news.

Today is my release day for my next novel, FOR NICK!

And . . . it's FREE on Amazon Kindle on July 1st and 2nd only!

To grab your copy, just click HERE!

Enjoy!

What would you do for love?

Zachary Drake had love in his life—and tragically lost it. He knows it won’t come his way again. Andie Parker would do anything for the love of her life.

Even marry a total stranger.

In spite of the unorthodox manner in which Zach and Andie come together, there is no denying that things are unexpectedly good between them, taking them both by surprise.

However, when secrets come between them—and trust does not—Andie soon finds herself vowing to never make the same mistake again. But, she’d do it again in a heartbeat and she knows it. She’d marry a hundred strangers if it helped Nick. She’d do anything for Nick . . . anything.

Here's my first review of For Nick:

I loved For Nick! If you had a chance to read Joshua's Folly, then you know that Taylor had strayed from her signature style, but in For Nick the suspense is back! This book had me hooked from the first page. It was a definite page-turner, and for those who get emotional and cry while reading, this one is likely to be a tear-jerker for you.

The story begins with Andie in Zach's office applying for a job she desperately needs. What is offered to her in that office isn't quite what she was expecting, but I will say no more about it - you have to read it to find out what happens. And then there is the matter of Nick. Who is Nick, you ask? Well, again, I can't say. It would ruin the whole book for you. I actually had my own theory of who Nick was, as you will too when you read it, and I was close, but when Nick is revealed the whole situation still broke my heart.

This book can be incredibly sad, so don't go into it thinking you are reading a "light and fluffy" book. That's not the case at all with For Nick. But it's not all sadness. There is a silver lining. You just have to get through some pretty heavy emotional stuff to get there. It has an ending that feels exactly right.

Well, as with most of Taylor Dean's books that is really all I can say about it without accidentally writing any spoilers, so go on and read it yourself! You won't regret it! And if you enjoy it (which you will) make sure to check out her other books, especially I Have People and you can check out her blog at http://www.taylordeanbooks.com.

FOR NICK

My next novel, FOR NICK, will be released on July 1, 2013!

I can't wait to release this novel--it's one of my favorites! Every time I read it, I cry, yes even after editing it 100 times!

What would you do for love?

Zachary Drake had love in his life—and tragically lost it. He knows it won’t come his way again. Andie Parker would do anything for the love of her life.

Even marry a total stranger.

In spite of the unorthodox manner in which Zach and Andie come together, there is no denying that things are unexpectedly good between them, taking them both by surprise.

However, when secrets come between them—and trust does not—Andie soon finds herself vowing to never make the same mistake again. But, she’d do it again in a heartbeat and she knows it. She’d marry a hundred strangers if it helped Nick. She’d do anything for Nick . . . anything.