Showing posts with label Summer of Supernovas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer of Supernovas. Show all posts

6/23/2017

Double RITA Finalist Darcy Woods Visits with the Crew!

I'm thrilled to have my friend, Darcy Woods, joining the Crew today. She's a double 2017 RITA finalist for BEST FIRST BOOK and YOUNG ADULT Romance. Congratulations Darcy! Prosecco pouring for you. If you looking for her previous visit - click HERE.

Before we get to the juicy details-I want to make sure you know that Darcy is giving away one e-book for the International crowd and one paperback for a US only giveaway. :-)  
  Please make sure you comment and leave your email address for a chance to win.

MEET DARCY WOODS 

DARCY WOODS has held an eclectic mix of professions—from refueling helicopters for the U.S. Army to recharging bodies and spirits at a spa—but her most beloved career is being an author. She is addicted to happily-ever-after endings and finds all things metaphysical endlessly fascinating. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two tuxedo cats (who overdress for everything). SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS is her double RITA®-nominated debut young adult novel.


THE STORY BLURB


Fans of Jennifer E. Smith and Jenny Han will fall in love with this heartfelt and humor-laced debut following one girl’s race to find the guy of her cosmic dreams.

When zodiac-obsessed teen Wilamena Carlisle discovers a planetary alignment that won’t repeat for a decade, she’s forced to tackle her greatest astrological fear: The Fifth House—relationships and love.

But when Wil falls for a sensitive guitar player hailing from the wrong side of the astrology chart, she must decide whether a cosmically doomed love is worth rejecting her dead mother’s legacy and the very system she’s faithfully followed through a lifetime of unfailing belief. 

Nan: I loved the book!  5 STARS!! And look at that pretty RITA emblem.



READ A LITTLE 
Here is a link to the sample chapter. AMAZON


BUY THE BOOK
Also, SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS e-book is currently on sale (at an $8.00 savings!) for $1.99. Here is the Amazon link, but the sale applies to ALL e-tailers!  AMAZON


A LIGHTING ROUND OF Q&A WITH DARCEY WOODS
NAN: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
DARCY: When I hear from you my heart sings arias. When I hear from you and my story has resonated in some way, my heart sings arias worthy of the La Scala opera house in Italy! Because without you, my stories would have no home. No ears to hear them or eyes to read them. And without you, I’m not sure I’d have the courage to continue putting one word in front of the other—again and again. So THANK YOU for helping me live my dream! 

Here’s a sampling of some fan art, including a German teen’s incredible collage of the City of Carlisle where the book takes place, a US reviewer’s beautiful graphic drawing with quote, and an Italian book and fashion blogger’s gorgeous constellation-themed nails. See? This is why I’m a bottomless well of gratitude!  

Nan: That is so much fun. I am envious!

NAN:  Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
DARCY:  I do! Or…I did at least in the early days of my debut release. Then I read a couple of especially awful ones—the kind that go from being a snarky review of your work, to a personal attack. So around the time I could taste the ash on my tongue from my eviscerated soul, I decided I was done. The price just became too high on my productivity. I mean, I could read a dozen wonderful five-star reviews, but that one nasty bugger seemed to have the ability to erase them all. And I refuse to give one person that kind of power! 

Nan: Way to go!

NAN: What has been your most rewarding publishing moment?
DARCY: Oh gosh, there have been so many, but I’ll narrow it down to two. The first biggie was when my ARCs went out and I received my first review. It was forwarded to me by a bookseller who runs a special program where teens get to read advance copies, and in turn, write reviews of them. Her name was Sophia. And I will never forget the last line of this thirteen year-old's review: “I laughed, I cried, and I never wanted the story to end!” Dear Lord I was reduced to an emotional mush ball!!! 

The second was something I was almost too afraid to hope to achieve—getting the RITA call. It was so surreal! I immediately began jumping on the couch while shrieking, giggling, and blubbering—simultaneously because I’m a multitasker. The RWA board member (Renee, I think?) sweetly interrupted me and said, “Darcy, I’m not done yet. I have more good news.” She then proceeded to tell me I was a double finalist. To say that I was inconsolably happy is a supreme understatement! My smile was roughly the size of Texas. 

Nan: Love the picture. And you deserve this honor!



NAN: What has surprised you the most about being published?! 
DARCY: How difficult it can be to find your readers! Are you guys nodding? If you’re not nodding, please email me every one of your secrets. 
Nan: Nodding here. Hoping you pick up a few new readers just from this post!



NAN'S GOTTA ASK: Which already filmed movie represents your writing style?

DARCY'S GOTTA ANSWER:  Bridget Jones's Diary! While there is humor, witty banter, and absurdity abound, at the core of the story (or movie, as it were) is a very real and accessible slice of humanity. Like that moment Bridget is heartbroken, sitting in the bathtub while crying and peeling off her false eyelashes from the night before? THAT. I seek the same balance of hilarity and heart in my own writing. 

FIND DARCY WOODS: 
Contact: woodswrite@gmail.com
Blogs: http://sweetheartsofya.com

Author Links:


Book Links:

DARCY WOODS WANTS TO KNOW: I LOVE book recommendations! What was the last book you read that made you laugh and feel all the feels?   

Comment and leave you email address for a chance to win one e-book for the International crowd and one paperback for a US only giveaway


Nan:  Thank you for hanging with the crew today, Darcy!  

Darcy's drawing will be open through Sunday - so please comment for a chance to win.

4/29/2016

Get Lost with Darcy Woods and Summer of Supernovas

I'm thrilled to have my friend and fellow Golden Heart finalist (and winner) on GLIAS today!.  Please meet the delightful Darcy Woods!

Before we get to the juicy details  - I want to make sure you know that Darcy is giving away the last signed ARC of SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS!   Please make sure you comment for a chance to win.


MEET DARCY WOODS 

Young adult author Darcy Woods had three big loves in grade school: reading, writing, and pizza day. Some things never change. She lives in Michigan with her madly supportive husband, two tuxedo cats (who overdress for everything) and a closet full of neatly organized shoes. SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS is her Golden Heart-winning debut novel.


Tell the readers about your fabulous debut - SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS!  Release date --  MAY 10, 2016.

THE STORY BLURB


Fans of Jennifer E. Smith and Jenny Han will fall in love with this heartfelt and humor-laced debut following one girl’s race to find the guy of her cosmic dreams.

When zodiac-obsessed teen Wilamena Carlisle discovers a planetary alignment that won’t repeat for a decade, she’s forced to tackle her greatest astrological fear: The Fifth House—relationships and love.

But when Wil falls for a sensitive guitar player hailing from the wrong side of the astrology chart, she must decide whether a cosmically doomed love is worth rejecting her dead mother’s legacy and the very system she’s faithfully followed through a lifetime of unfailing belief. 
Nan: I can't wait until this shows up on my Nook.  I have already pre-ordered!



READ A LITTLE 
Sadly, I don't have any excerpts in the wild yet. But there IS an exclusive chapter reveal coming soon on Bustle! And since I'm a firm believer in consolation prizes, here's a tiny taste of what you can expect from SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS…



Nan: Love it!


PRE-ORDER THE BOOK

A LIGHTING ROUND OF Q&A WITH DARCEY WOODS
NAN: How often to you get lost in a story?
DARCY: Every single day if I'm living right! Unfortunately I don't get to devour books at the speed I once did, but I still make reading a daily practice. That's what fills the well. Even if it's only thirty minutes while I'm sweating my ass off on the elliptical--I'll take it wherever I can get it! Next up in my diet of YA reads? The Darkest Lie by Pintip Dunn. Secrets, lies, and tangled truths… I AM SOLD!!!
Nan: I can't wait to read that one, too.  My TBR pile is toppling over!



NAN:  What is your hope for the future of the romance genre?
DARCY: Hold on, let me grab my rose-colored glasses. Ah, that's better. I dream of a world where people don't feel the need to apologize when they say they read romance. If a book makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes your heart hammer, makes you contemplate your immortal soul, or simply offers an escape from your own reality--THAT BOOK IS IMPORTANT. Which makes any preconceived notions about a genre's worth, irrelevant.
Nan: I can't wait for that to become a reality.

NAN: High Heels or Hiking Boots?
DARCY: No contest…HEELS. (Although never while hiking because I'm a practical gal at heart.) But I do require very specific heels--the kind with wedges and/or platforms. Since my affair with gravity is lifelong and I've been known to take an inelegant tumble, stability is key! And they need to be FUN. Here's one of my fave pairs that will accompany me to Nationals this year. I pretty much live in the shadow of these shoes.
Nan: I love these shoes!  They are so you!


NAN: Which already filmed movie represents your writing style?
DARCY: This is such a magnificent question! I honestly never gave it much thought until some recent reviewers mentioned it. So I'm going to sponge off their collective awesome and say, John Hughes. Think Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink for the millenials. Lots of humor. Lots of heart.
Nan: Fabulous comparisons.





NAN: What was the first story you remember writing?
DARCY: Oh, I'll do you one better, Nan! I have actual photographic evidence of one of the first short stories I wrote when I was four. As you'll see, it's a rather complex tale of an unlikely friendship between Fred the Shiny Frog, and Chipy the Chipmunk. They played. They shared. All was peaceful. It wasn't until much later I learned about this thing called conflict. (And also spelling and vocabulary, but I digress…) 
Nan: This is too funny!  Obviously, you were born to write.
 




NAN: What could we find in your heroine's purse?
DARCY: Well, her purse would definitely be vintage. And it would have her favorite lipstick--Parisian Pout, her license (even though she doesn't have her own car), a guitar pick from a forbidden boy, a tampon that will likely fall out at the worst possible moment, and her soul mate's astrology chart. Also, if physics allowed, she would squeeze in one of her gram's Hubba Hubba Hazelnut cupcakes.
Nan: I want one in my purse.  Which would not be vintage!


NAN'S GOTTA ASK: What color would you make the sky if it wasn’t going to be blue anymore and why?


DARCY'S GOTTA ANSWER:  Purple! I have ALWAYS had an affinity for the color purple. When I was little, I went through a phase where it was the only color I wanted to wear. So basically I went through a chunk of my childhood looking like a grape. But I stand by my fruity color!
Nan: Love purple!
FIND DARCY WOODS:

Author Links:


Book Links:

DARCY WOODS WANTS TO KNOW: Nan's question about my heroine's purse got me thinking… What's the strangest thing or combination of things in your purse right now? 

Me? I just found not one, but THREE different tubes of lipstick, plus a Cheddar Bunny with missing hindquarters.



So? What treasures did YOU find???

Nan:  Thank you for hanging with the crew today, Darcy!  Prosecco pouring for a fantastic launch of your debut.

Darcy's drawing will be open through Sunday - so please comment for a chance to win.