Tomayto, Tomahto

Back when I was much younger, I remember enthusiastically talking to an established author. I LOVED reading as a kid, so getting the chance to talk to a Real Life Author was exciting. I babbled to him that one day I’d love to be a writer, too.

His response was… less enthusiastic.

“DON’T,” he answered. “You live in New Zealand. Your cultural references are all wrong for a global audience. Even your experience of the seasons is backwards. You’ll confuse a global audience, and never make any money. Don’t waste your time.”

Which put me off writing for a long time. Until the indie publishing revolution came about, and I thought, “screw it. What do I have to lose? Let’s just see what this global audience thinks.”

Fair to say, the response has been far better than that author led me to believe! But I’ve also been quite careful to avoid New Zealand-isms, and make sure all readers can understand what I mean.

But every now and then, the occasional one still slips through. When I was editing the latest book, Open Home Closed Heart, I made a reference to Tess only drinking long blacks.

And then I thought: have I ever heard someone call it a long black when I’ve been overseas? A quick google told me, nope, that’s a name only used in New Zealand and Australia. (My editor is Australian, which further explains how it slipped through.)

Right, got it, Tess drinks black coffee now.

And then I was on Twitter the today, and I was unexpectedly caught out again!

(Don’t judge me, chocolate porridge is delicious. Or should I say chocolate oatmeal?)

The cross-cultural differences just sneak in there, damn it. You’ve gotta be eagle eyed.

Any differences that have caught you out before? If you’re a writer, do you watch out for them? And if you’re a reader, do they bother you?

 

P.S. Open Home, Closed Heart is available on pre-order now, for a special reduced price of $0.99. So far all the advanced reviews have been five stars, so grab your copy quick!

Amazon: http://ow.ly/9vOU3012bpJ

iBooks: http://ow.ly/iEIx3012bs2

Nook: http://ow.ly/QjfV3012bF3

Kobo: http://ow.ly/Igho3014cN0

Giveaways Are Happening!

You can win an eBook copy of my new release, Open Home, Closed Heart!

I’m running giveaways on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. They’re super easy to enter – check them out here.

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLibbyCole/

http://www.instagram.com/authorlibby/

http://twitter.com/AuthorLibby

If you want a sure thing, I’m also running a special pre-order price. It’s currently 99c, but will go up on release day to $2.99. It’s up on Amazon already, and will be on all outlets soon. Check it out!

http://www.amazon.com/Open-Closed-Heart-Hawaiian-Heartbreak-ebook/dp/B01GH6U88E

Cover Reveal

The new book is almost done! Which means I’m finally ready to show you the cover, and tell you a bit more about it.

Ready?

“He’s infuriating. An asshole wrapped up in pretty packaging. And I know better than to unwrap that present.”

From the moment Tess sees the new guy at work, she feels the pull towards him. But then he opens his mouth.  And reveals himself as an arrogant jerk, intent on making her work life hell.

Avoiding Damian is the safest bet, but Tess has never been one to walk away from a fight. If he wants a war, he can have one. And he should be prepared to lose.

Because Tess built her real estate career to protect what’s left of her family. And no arrogant jerk is going to take it from her. No matter how good he looks in a suit.

Open Home, Closed Heart is a full-length standalone sequel to the Hawaiian Heartbreak Trilogy. Intended for readers over 18 due to explicit sexual content.

 

What do you think? I just love it, but then, I would say that 😉

Keep an eye out, because I’m going to be doing giveaways over the next couple of days. And if you want an extra chance, follow my social media accounts – there’ll be different giveaways on each one!

http://twitter.com/AuthorLibby

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLibbyCole/

http://www.instagram.com/authorlibby/

Hitting A New Milestone

You know how it is when you’re addicted to a book you’re reading? You have stuff planned for the day, but even while you’re hanging out with friends or family you’re secretly looking forward to getting back home so you can read some more?

Well, here’s a secret; writing a book can be pretty much the same. Sure it’s hard work, but when you’re on a roll you begrudge anything that stops you! So, between Easter chocolate and hanging out with people this long weekend, I kept sneaking away for a date with my keyboard, sorting out the latest project.

And hey, you can’t argue with results, because I hit a new milestone.

Yep, past the 40,000 words mark, and past 100 pages. (That’s 100 pages of a Word doc draft, which is more than 100 pages of a printed book, FYI!) Not only is this past where I’d hoped to be by now, but it’s actually the longest book I’ve written so far.

Because of course, the Hawaiian Heartbreak trilogy book were novellas. Sure they can be read all together, making them slightly more than the length of your average book. But each novella is its own distinct story, with its own little life cycle.

Whereas this is one stand alone story, and it’s bigger from the start. Which is proving to be a lot of fun! And so we’ve raced to this little milestone, and I’m taking a moment to celebrate.

I don’t want to jump the gun, but we’re almost at the point where I’m ready to tell you what it is I’m working on. Of course, I’ll tell my mailing list about it first – it’s only fair! If you want to sign up, I also do exclusive giveaways there. You can sign up right here http://eepurl.com/bwTdtD

How was Easter for everyone else? Don’t worry, I don’t expect you all to be workaholics like me!

 

(If you’re on Twitter or Instagram, I love to chat. http://twitter.com/AuthorLibby and http://www.instagram.com/authorlibby/)

Gettin’ Sociable

I’ve finally caved, and signed up to more social media than just this blog. I KNOW, welcome to 2016, me.

I’m going for Twitter and Instagram for now, to make sure it stays manageable. First priority has to be the writing, or at least, that’s what I try to remind myself on a daily basis…

The only thing is, I’m a little lonely with my brand new accounts. Come hang out with me, let’s talk even more often!

http://twitter.com/AuthorLibby

http://www.instagram.com/authorlibby/

 

(Current progress: 36,264 words into first draft)