What Gwen said

Coming Soonish: Totally Tubular Meets So Over You

2012-05-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be fun to combine two of my shorter books, Totally Tubular and So Over You into one volume.

...I wonder if Carrington and Layney would be friends? Carri could give Layney the scoop on her time travel story. It would surely sell a lot of newspapers...if anyone believed it...

Anyway, the mashup will be called, So Totally, and it will sell for less than buying them separately. I'm checking into print options for my less digitally inclined readers as well.

And that is what I'm up to today. What's new with you?

2nd Port Angeles Library workshop today

2012-04-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Young writers in the Port Angeles area, don't forget to come to the library at 3:30 for another workshop today with author Lisa Mantchev and ...me!

Free book on Kindle and appearance recaps

2012-04-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Quick update: Butterface is free for Kindle today and tomorrow only.
I'll be speaking at the Port Angeles library today at 3:30 to young writers (ages 12-18)
And I'm signing books this Saturday from noon-2pm at the WSU Bookie on campus in Pullman, WA. Open to the public. Have a great day!

WSU signing this Saturday at noon

2012-04-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

If you are in the Pullman, WA area this weekend, drop by the Bookie on WSU campus and visit me on Saturday. I'll be there from noon to two pm signing books and embarrassing my freshman daughter in front of all her college friends.

4/14/2012

Booksigning - Gwen Hayes

Please join us as we welcome author Gwen Hayes. She will be signing copies of hew new book, Dreaming Awake - which is the sequel to her YA novel, Falling Under. You can visit her on the web at www.gwenhayes.com.

Time: 12:00 PM-02:00 PM

Location: Bookstore

Recurrence: One Time Event

Occurrences: 4/14/2012

Young Adult Writing Class at Port Angeles Library #fb

2012-04-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

If you are between the ages of 12-18 and live on the Olympic Peninsula, please consider signing up for the YA writing class at the library this month. We start next Wednesday at 3:30 pm. I'll be joined by Lisa Mantchev, which means there is sure to be trouble. It can't be helped.

Details are here: http://www.nols.org/kids-teens/teens.html

Writing Workshop @ Port Angeles Main Library

Ages 12-18
Local authors, Lisa Matchev (www.theatre-illuminata.com) and Gwen Hayes (www.gwenhayes.com) are partnering up with Port Angeles Main Library to host a young writers’ program. Aspiring authors ages 12-18 are encouraged to sign up for this four week program. The workshops will be held on Wednesdays, at 3:30pm, April 11-May 2. Topics covered include plot, characterization, pacing, editing, and publication. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Call (360) 417-8502 or email youth@nols.org to make a reservation. The program is free and participants may sign up for one, two, three or all four workshops.

Wednesday, April 11-May 2, 3:30pm

Lisa Mantchev’s short fiction has appeared in venues like Clarkesworld, Weird Tales, Fantasy Magazine and Strange Horizons. Her young adult fantasy trilogy,The Théâtre Illuminata, was published by Feiwel & Friends. Book one, Eyes Like Stars , was released in 2009. The sequel, Perchance to Dream in 2010, and the conclusion, So Silver Bright, in 2011.

Gwen Hayes lives in the Pacific Northwest and writes stories for teen and adult readers about love, angst, and saving the world. Gwen's novel, Falling Under , was released in March of 2011 by NAL/Penguin and was followed by Dreaming Awake in January of 2012.

We totally lost, but it was fun! #dabwaha

2012-03-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry gang...I tried. Divergent beat Falling Under by 35 votes....which I still think is a pretty good showing for David vs. Goliath, yes?

Here is a sample of what I threw down to win the vote yesterday:

Yes, I know...my photo manipulation skills are legendary. Not too bad for Powerpoint though, right?

Same time next year?

Put your money on the dark horse.

2012-03-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

We got Falling Under into the DABWAHA tourney on the reader nomination spot...but our work is only just beginning. Now, we need to keep it from being eliminated.

The DABWAHA tourney is a March Madness bracket for books. Instead of basketball games, the books are pitted against each other for voting. Anyone can vote-you don't have to have a bracket registered to vote. Also, you can vote from multiple devices. And you can influence your friends to vote. (By influence, I mean use their phone when they go to the bathroom.)

Falling Under is Round 1: Set 2. Voting begins at noon Central time and ends at 11:59pm on March 15. If we go on to Round 2, I will put up a new post.

Here's the thing--the opposing book is HUGE. I won't invoke the name here and I've been careful not to Tweet it yet either.

Seriously, it's been on the NY Times bestseller list forever...and then it made a return trip recently.

I am the underdog and the dark horse here. We need a Cinderella Story to pull this off. But I believe in my readers, I believe in glass slippers, and I believe I have access to a lot of internet-able devices---so we're giving this thing a go, okay? Are you ready?

In the next twelve hours, please go to the DABWAHA site and vote for Falling Under.

Authors Behaving Badly: Shame on you Courtney Milan (@courtneymilan) #dabwaha

2012-03-12T12:39:00.002-07:00

Readers, the time has come to out Courtney Milan for the flimflam artist she really is.

Today, when filling out my Dabwaha brackets, I pitted Falling Under against Ms. Milan's mighty titan, Unlocked.

Why, Gwen? Why would you do that to yourself? Everyone knows Unlocked was the best thing since Han Solo said, "I Know." or Richard Armitage uttered, "Look back at me." And Courtney Milan, well, she's such a great writer. And her blog posts and responses about the state of publishing are so spot-on and well-thought out. And, hey, aren't you guys supposed to be friends?

That's what I thought too, my dear readers. That's what I thought, too.

But certain things have come to light. I need to share a story. A personal story. And once you hear it, I think you'll agree that Courtney Milan must be stopped.

It happened in 2009. It was summer, hot and muggy the way that only Orlando can be. I had sold my first book to NAL, but was a naive newbie wandering the halls of the RWA hotel, ready to believe whatever the other PAN members spoon fed me. Recognizing a mark when she saw one, Courtney invited me to a "party" in her room. When I got there, she had manufactured a pretty good party replica...booze and red Solo cups littered every flat surface of the suite, "party goers" laughed and told stories, snacks were laid out like cheese and crackers from the Gods...and then it happened.

Courtney: Do you want to play a game of Operation?
Gwen (shyly) (and demurely): Um...what are the stakes?
Courtney: Twitter Honor.

Can you believe I fell for it? Twitter Honor on my first time out? What was I thinking?

But it gets worse. So much worse.

See, here is the thing. Courtney's husband is supposedly in the medical field. But have we ever seen him? No. No we have not. Why is that I wonder? We haven't seen "him"...but I've seen Courtney play Operation and while it wasn't clear to me then, it is now.

There is no "Mr. Milan." Courtney is not only an "author" and a "lawyer". She's also a surgeon. She keeps this to herself so, like the true scallywag she is, so that she can con unsuspecting (not to mention sweet) (and adorable) newbies into her Den of Hasbro Lies.

Think about that for a minute. Is this someone who you want to be driving behind on the freeway? Living next to in the suburbs? Riding on the same subway as you? I think not.

And what about the children? What if she tires of debut authors and moves on to "2nd Grade teacher" as her next ringer position. Can you bear the thought of her permanently damaging your child's self-esteem the way she did mine?

Someone must think of the children.

So, Gwen, why did you pit yourself against her in the DABWAHA Tourney? Wouldn't everyone be better off if we all ignored this Blight of Milton Bradley? Maybe so, my friends, but I think we can do better. I think we can show her what's it's like to get to the pinnacle of the pyramid, only to be knocked down by the very mark she swindled so long ago.

I propose this: When filling out your bracket...make sure that Unlocked and Falling Under make it to the final showdown...and then when the voting counts....make sure Falling Under wins. A vote for Falling Under is a vote against hoodwinkery.

*Also, anyone reading Unlocked can surely see it is fan-fiction based on 50 Shades of Grey. We're not stupid, Ms. Milan. We are onto your brand of shenanigans and we will bring you down.*

**Also, Sleep Number Beds pulled their advertising from her website. Think about that.**

***Also, guess who was sitting next to Kanye West, whispering in his ear, the night Taylor Swift beat Beyonce at the VMAs?***

****You can still change your DABWAHA brackets until voting starts****

Please nominate Falling Under in DABWAHA Tourney

2012-03-07T07:52:00.002-08:00

I very rarely ask for votes for contests...I know there are a lot of them out there...but I am a huge fan of this tourney, which is like March Madness for college basketball only for romance books. It would mean a lot to me if I could take part as an author because it's sort of a bucket list thing. I've always enjoyed playing based on my picks, which are never stellar, but I've always wished for the day when I would be published and in the fray.

If you have the time, please go to https://sbtb.wufoo.com/forms/z7x2r7/ . You'll need the following information:
Book Title: Falling Under
Author: Hayes, Gwen
ISBN: 9780451232687

Thank you for your support!

Goodreads Q&A plus giveaway!

2012-02-24T07:51:00.000-08:00

Come visit me at Goodreads today and tomorrow and enter to win an ebook set of my Falling Under series.

Winner of Jodi Meadows book!

2012-02-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

Yeah....you guys forgot to remind me to pick a winner LAST WEEK.

Random.org and I got together this morning and picked.....K.D. Aziz.
(the 6th comment on the blogger post)

K.D. please send me and email at gwen at gwenhayes dot com and tell me if you want a Kindle or Nook copy of Incarnate.

Withdrawing my books from Smashwords

2012-02-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

I don't sell a lot of books from Smashwords, but I do sell a few, so I wanted to give you a heads up that you will no longer be able to purchase my self-pubbed titles there anymore.

I *do* sell books from my site free of DRM and free of geo-restrictions. I sell them in a zip file with a PDF, epub, and Mobi. If you normally purchase from Smashwords in a different format from those three, please email me. I have the ability to convert to other ebook formats, and can most likely get you what you need. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I am unwilling to distribute from that company anymore. I will work hard to make sure my readers can get my self-published titles in the format best for them. I understand the frustration with DRM and geo-restrictions and do not impose those on any works that I have control over.

Thanks for your understanding,
Gwen

Free ebook giveaway: INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows

2012-01-31T11:31:00.000-08:00

You guys have to read this book! To that end, I'm giving away an ecopy (Kindle or Nook) of Incarnate to a random commenter. You have until next Tuesday to enter--just say something nice to the author, Jodi Meadows, below. A debut book is a big deal and this is her princess week, after all.

As my blog feeds to Facebook and Goodreads also, I'll draw the winner from the combined comments.

You don't have to have a Kindle or Nook to read an ebook--you can use smartphone app or your computer monitor...so don't let that stop you from entering!

Here is the blurb:

NEWSOUL

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Kitsap area readers--signed copies at BN

2012-01-27T07:03:00.000-08:00

I was so disappointed to have my book signing cancelled because of snow last week, but I was able to go sign stock for my readers yesterday. So, if you want a signed copy of Dreaming Awake and will be near the Kitsap Mall this weekend, drop by the Barnes&Noble and get your Under on.

Snowpocalypse cancels tomorrow's signing at Kitsap Mall B&N

2012-01-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

As soon as I can get a reschedule, I'll post here...but tomorrow's event is cancelled. My drive is treacherous enough, but I don't want my readers endangering themselves for a signature. Stay off the roads, peeps!

Signing at B&N at Kitsap Mall

2012-01-13T10:41:00.000-08:00

I'm watching the sky for all the snowfall we're expecting and hoping it doesn't interfere with my author event at the Kitsap Mall Barnes&Noble next week.

The event takes place at 6:30 on January 18th. I'm told there will be refreshments :) and I actually will be *gulp* speaking. Yes, you read that correctly. It might be worth the price of admission (free) just to see if I manage to do this without fainting.

For more details, visit the B&N page here.

Winner of Sarah Ockler book!

2012-01-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

You guys forgot to remind me to draw a name.

Thank you for all the book recs. My Kindle overfloweth.

Using random.org # generator, the winner is Piggy87 from Goodreads! Congratulations...please email me your contact info at gwen at gwenhayes dot com.

Recap: Win free books and a party

2012-01-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

I want to remind anyone in the area that my book signing at Odyssey Books is tomorrow from 3-7...and I have a special guest YA author, Lisa Mantchev, attending too! And brownies! And stuff!

Also...if you are looking for contests to win a copy of Dreaming Awake:
Romance at Random
Dark Faerie Tales

Sarah Ockler Giveaway to celebrate my new release!

2012-01-03T06:09:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about being a writer is Release Day...my second full length novel, Dreaming Awake, releases today. It's the sequel to Falling Under and I know some of you have been waiting for this one...I hope you enjoy it.

Another favorite thing about being a writer is being a reader. I love the reading community a lot and it always makes me happy when I can recommend a new book or author to someone and they love it as much as I do. One author who always delivers for me is Sarah Ockler. I devoured her first two books, Twenty Boy Summer and Fixing Delilah. When I found out she also has a new release today, I thought I'd celebrate by doing a giveaway of one her newest, Bittersweet.

To be chosen as the winner, you need only to reply to this blog post (my blog is fed to Goodreads, Blogger, and Facebook, so I will count all responses as valid on those platforms) with a reading recommendation for me. Who knocked your socks off recently? It doesn't have to be YA...I'm open to trying new genres too. I'll count all responses received by noon on Friday. (Pacific Time)

Dreaming Awake Launch w/Special Guest Lisa Mantchev

2011-12-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

So...what are you guys doing on January 7th from 3-7pm Pacific?
You should totally come to my party!
There will be food, of course. But best yet, there will be a special guest!

A few months ago, I was totally stoked to find another local YA author in my hometown of Port Angeles, WA. Lisa Mantchev is the author of the YA fantasy series, the Theatre Illuminata: EYES LIKE STARS, PERCHANCE TO DREAM and SO SILVER BRIGHT.

We went to breakfast and she became an instant friend. We've got some things cooked up for the spring...but for now we want to eat brownies and sign your books! Come hang out with us.

We'll be signing at Odyssey Bookshop,114 West Front Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362 from 3-7pm.

Did you get an eReader for Christmas?

2011-12-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

I'm guessing lots of you opened eReaders this weekend! All of my stories are available digitally--in fact, some are only digital reads. If you need a helpful primer to get you started eReading, Jane Litte at Dear Author posted this wonderful post, I Received an eBook Reader, Now What? You should give it a whirl.

Also, one of my favorite resources for ebook deals is Books on the Knob. There are lots and lots of free books out there!

Have fun with your new toy. I've loved reading on my Kindle.

German Falling Under cover

2011-12-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

Isn't it beautiful? I accidentally googled myself and found it on Amazon. They renamed it Shadow Heart, which I love. Also, I love the English translation of the German blurb. It sounds oddly like when I tried to describe my book in a radio interview.

Here is the translation:

Every night the 17-year-old Theia visited in her dreams, a bleak land. But despite the eerie half-world is scary, Theia may not want to miss these dreams. Because every time she met an attractive boy, who they kidnapped in charming gardens filled with black roses. When her then one morning the new kid Haden Black encounters, Theia falls from the clouds: Haden looks exactly like her nightly cavalier! She tries to find out more about him, but Haden, who is in their nocturnal rendezvous is the perfect gentleman, strangely repellent. After a while Theia finds in her bed in the morning little black rose petals and begins to doubt that the meetings are only their imagination sprang. In what world does she Haden night after night - and why?

Thanksgiving Sale-25% off

2011-11-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic year it has been for me. I have so much to be grateful for. As I prepare my menu for Thanksgiving (no cans allowed this year--wish me luck) I am reminded of all the blessings in my life. And in those blessings, I count *you* my readers.

I'd like to thank you for your support by offering a 25% off code for all the things you can purchase directly from me. This includes several of my eBooks and signed print copies of Falling Under. (Dreaming Awake, too, if you are willing to wait for January 3rd).

I put links to all the available titles on my store page. You may "add to cart" the titles you want, and in the "view cart" you are able to edit your choices and apply to the 25% off code which is Thankful. This offer is only available when you purchase directly from this site using the shopping cart. The code expires on November 25th, so don't delay too long.

And thank you again. Your emails, tweets, and Facebook messages have kept me going when the writing gets difficult. Your reviews encourage me to keep working hard. Your support every time you purchase a story reminds me how lucky I am and that I have a responsibility to provide you with my best.

Book signing-Westin Hotel in Bellevue, WA

2011-10-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

I hope you can join me at the bookfair on Saturday. I'll be signing with about 100 other authors. More details can be found here. It's too early for Dreaming Awake to be available, but I'll have plenty of copies of Falling Under.

If you have a book already, I've been informed that you are allowed to bring 3 of your own books in to be signed. You will want to stop at the door and get stickers so they don't charge you.

The signing is from 4:30-6:00pm, so come and say hello! (I'll have some bookmarks with me to sign if you aren't able to purchase a book.)

Trick or Treat: Free copy of Butterface

2011-10-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

It's trick or treat time! Or just treat time.

Some great YA authors are participating in a fun party for our readers. Simply go to http://www.gemmahalliday.com/trick_or_treat.html for the details and then go searching for the treat bags on each author's sites.

I'm giving away digital copies of Butterface now through October 31st, so don't delay!