COVER REVEAL for THE YEAR WE FELL DOWN

One of the things I secretly LOVE is New Adult books. Those are books for ages 18 to 24. I've been reading a lot of them, and so I'm pleased to be one of the first to showcase this little beauty, THE YEAR WE FELL DOWN by Sarina Bowen, coming out March 17!






A little bit of info on THE YEAR WE FELL DOWN:


She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.

Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league.

Also, he’s taken.

Nevertheless, an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else can quite understand.

They’re just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she’s falling. Hard.

But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won’t, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness — one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who’s afraid to love her back.

Warm, funny, and often heartbreaking, The Year We Fell Down is New Adult contemporary romance. Contains: hot hockey players, too many pairs of crutches, gallows humor, Princess Bride references, and a slightly outrageous vibrator scene. (Sexual situations make the book suitable for ages 18+.)

The expected publication date is Monday, March 17th, 2014, on all of your favorite e-book websites.

And on Sarina:

Sarina Bowen writes contemporary romance and new adult fiction from the Green Mountains of Vermont. She lives with her husband, two children, eight chickens and an unwieldy pile of ski and hockey equipment.

New Cover for DROWNED

What do you think?

DROWNED, coming from Harlequin TEEN on June 24, 2014!

Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam—but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival. Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever. Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.

Praise for DROWNED:

"This is a world like you've never seen before but with themes and issues that strike surprisingly close to home. A thrilling, brilliant read!"  -- Aprilynne Pike, NYT Bestselling Author of Wings

"A resourceful and smart heroine and a society literally on the edge of survival. Take a deep breath. Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop!" -- Maria V. Snyder, NYT Bestselling Author of Poison Study

"A gripping and romantic tale featuring a truly original heroine facing seemingly insurmountable odds. I loved it!" -- Morgan Rhodes, NYT Bestselling Author of Fallen Kingdoms

Happy New Year!

I think the theme of this blog should what a horrendously bad blogger I am.


Seriously. The last time I updated was . . . last summer?  Yikes.


Time is totally flying!  And I've been busy with a bunch of stuff.  Like:

1. I've been working on revisions to DROWNED (under the Nichola Reilly pseudonym).  It's coming out June 24, so that means, only six months away!  The book is final, now, and now we're just waiting on a cover, which I will post here when it's ready. Any day now! I know, this blog will probably explode, getting two posts from me in a given month.
2. I ALSO finished the draft of BURIED, my very first sequel!
3. I ALSO published my VERY FIRST New Adult book.  It's under a pseudonym that will not be named here. It was just for fun.  Even so, the second one is coming out this April.
4. I'm drafting another book, which is going to be under the Cyn Balog name. I think.

Anyway, that's where I've been.  I would normally tell you my goals for 2014 right now, but I find that if I don't create those lists, I usually accomplish way more than I expected of myself. What can I say? I have low expectations.


I hope you have a very happy new year! 

Hello, Sunshine!

Once again, I am guilty of being a bad blogger and not updating.

Is it because my life is so full of excitement, jet-setting all over the world, that I can barely find the time?

No, it's pretty much because I have NOTHING to tell you that would be of interest. In fact, since my last post, I have spent 87% of the time crouching under a mossy rock.

Soooo, how's your summer been, slick? Mine's been keen. I didn't do summer school, either, contrary to the rumor.  Yeah, Cyn Balog has pretty much been putzing around for months, and watching too much Dead Poet's Society.

DEAD RIVER is still doing great. Thank you everyone for reading, and for your nice comments!

TOUCHED comes out in paperback August 9!

Nichola, however, has been busy working on revisions to DROWNED and is now drafting BURIED.

DROWNED is going to be published in Germany! This is the most exciting German thing to happen to me since FAIRY TALE was published there.  Yay!

Other than that, working on another secret project, and having fun. Gosh, the secret projects are the funnest, aren't they??

Have a great August!

School Library Journal Reviews DEAD RIVER

Normally I look forward to reviews as much as I look forward to dental work, but this one wasn't all that bad. :)

 

 

DEAD RIVER

 

BALOG, Cyn. Dead River. 256p. Delacorte. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-385-74158-3; PLB $20.99. ISBN 978-0-375-99012-0; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98578-2.

 

Gr 7 Up–Kiandra Levesque’s father has kept her away from bodies of water ever since her mother killed herself in the river near their New Jersey home. Now living in Maine, Ki, 17, skips prom to go on a white-water-rafting adventure with her boyfriend, her cousin, and an annoying travel companion. As her group tells ghost stories, the teen has visions of the deaths of the individuals in the legends. She also begins seeing the spirits of those who died in bodies of water, and as she gets closer to the river, she hears voices. During her first journey on the Dead River, she is pulled out of the raft by something supernatural and is saved by Trey, a ghost from one of the stories. Ki, it turns out, is a “Mistress of the Waters” and has great magical powers . . . Balog tells a unique story providing supernatural romance fans with plenty of adventure, paranormal mystique, and angst.–Adrienne L. Strock, Chicago Public Library

News In Nichola's World

Hi!

Just a little news to let you know about.  When I sold my post-apocalyptic fantasy series to Harlequin TEEN, I did it with the knowledge that the original title I'd chosen (DREAM KINGDOM) would not be the title for long.

I am not sure why . . . maybe because that title sucks.  It doesn't really fit the book at all. Yes, that is probably why.

Anyway, after much deliberation, that book, which I'd started referring to as THAT BOOK, as well as its sequel (once called THAT BOOK PART TWO), now have titles!

They are:

DROWNED  (2014)

and


BURIED (2015) 


Rejoice!

For those of you who liked the titles DREAM KINGDOM or THAT BOOK, I'm sorry it didn't work out.

DEAD RIVER Is Out!

Yesterday, DEAD RIVER was unleashed unto the world.

Actually, no, it had already been in B&N for some time before that. But the official date was yesterday.

SO, as usual on book release day (I've heard that after 5 books, you can start to use "usual" and "book release day" in the same sentence!), I donned my fancy pants and got ready to bask in the congratulations that would surely follow.

Only, that really didn't happen.  Oh, how I remember those days where the twitter-verse would be bursting with well-wishes from people as far away as Mars, people you didn't know existed! Oh, how I remember having to beat people off with a stick.  But today, nothing. Probably because I'd beaten those people off with a stick. My husband didn't send me flowers, my parents were like, "Um, don't you have another book coming out one of these days?" my kids still whined. Random House forgot to send me my author's copies, or else mailed them to another YA writer on their list, or else some UPS drivers are using them as doorstops. World peace was not declared.

To make matters even worse, I found myself having to run after people, shouting "IT'S MY BOOK BIRTHDAY!  LOVE ME!!  AND BUY A COPY!" It was quite embarrassing.

I know, I'm not the only one who doesn't receive confetti cannons going off when her book releases. I can't tell you how many times, lately, I've seen a book out from a favorite author of mine, one who had burst onto the scene amidst much fanfare a few years ago, and been like, "Whoa, when did that release?" There are so many books out there.  I suppose as we go along, our new releases get less interesting to everybody else. But while everyone else might be "pshaw, another Balog book," I can't help secretly squeeing to myself, like a madwoman. It's still, and will always be, a thrill.

So there you have it. Book Five. Dead River. Out in the world.

Love me.

And buy a copy.

Squee!