Magic Moments With Sea Monsters

A few readers have asked me if you really can go for a night snorkel with manta rays. The answer is 100% yes you can!

I’ve actually done it myself, and it was magical. Magical enough that I knew it had to be included in Hawaiian Heartbreak, and I made sure it was involved right from the first outline.

So, to satisfy curious minds, I’ve found a video of it. There’s a little bit of advertising because I just found it on Youtube, but it’s also a great video, promise!

Did I just add something new to your bucket list?

 

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

Hawaiian Homecoming

 

Release day is finally here! You can now find out how things end for Kayla and Jay, when you download the final book right here. It’s already getting some good reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, which is a relief after so long nurturing these books!

For those of you waiting to binge the trilogy in one go, the release of the combined volume is only a few hours away. But you can pre-order your copy right here, and it will be waiting for you on your Kindle soon.

Happy reading everyone!

Hawaiian Homecoming

New love. New beginnings. They’re fragile things, so easy to run from.

Kayla’s never felt as sure about anything as she does about Jay. Leaving everything else behind to be with him feels right. But going back to reality is tougher than she thought it would be. And when everyone you’ve always known and trusted has doubts, it’s even harder to ignore your own.

But how do you convince those who know you best, that sometimes, finding your home isn’t about a place?

The third and final book in the Hawaiian Heartbreak trilogy, a fun and racy contemporary romance. This book is recommended for readers over the age of 18 due to explicit sexual content.

 

Finishing this trilogy makes me feel like a mother sending her child off to college – proud to send it out to the world, but a bit sad to say goodbye.

However, it’s that time! Hawaiian Homecoming is finally available on Amazon for pre-order, when you click right here. It officially drops on Monday the first of February.

There is a wee bit more to come as well. The paperback will be released on the same day, and on the second of February, I’ll put out the edition which combines all three books into one volume.

After that, I’ll have to find a new project to amuse myself! Although, I do already have some ideas about that…

EDIT: The combined trilogy is now also live for pre-order! If you get all three at once, you do get a deal, so check it out here.

 

 

Cover Reveal(s)!

Hawaiian Homecoming is now almost, almost done. I can’t wait to see what you guys think of the ending – and in a couple of weeks, the wait will be over!

Which of course means that, when not putting the final touches on the book itself, I’ve been working with my cover designer. I always love seeing what she comes up with once I’ve described the mood of the book. Of course my mailing list got the first sneak peek, but now it’s your turn.

(By the way, if you want to join my mailing list, you can do that here. You’ll get a free welcome copy of Hawaiian Heartbreak, and I do giveaways of print books semi-regularly. Just saying.)

So without further ado…

 

What do you think? I absolutely love it! Seeing these two looking all happy and sexy warms my cold heart.

BUT. I promised you covers, plural. Which is because, as this is the last in the series, I’m also putting out a book that combines all three into one volume. Nothing in the writing will change, it’ll just be that much easier for those who like to binge the whole lot in one go. You know who you are.

And so, on to the unveiling of number two…

You may recognise the picture from the first in the series, but with a few tweaks. Everyone kept telling me how much they loved it, so I figured this was a great excuse to bring it back. Never argue with your readers 😉

So, what do you think?

Reality Strikes Again

This picture is causing me a problem. Let’s start from the beginning so I can say why.

Those of you who are reading my current series will know, when I set the book in Hawaii I decided to make full use of the beautiful scenery. It would be a crime not to. For a romance novel this means many things, including… apply your morning sunscreen everywhere.

I admit, thinking over all the beautiful spots in Hawaii wasn’t hard. Talk about spoiled for choice. Having a ridiculous amount of options meant that it also wasn’t hard to think up realistic places where a newly in love couple might sneak away for “privacy” and “alone time”.

But in Hawaiian Homecoming (first draft has passed the halfway mark by the way, woohoo!) we’re back in New Zealand. What is it, when it comes to writing about your own country, that you have to fight yourself to see it through rosy glasses? To see all the gorgeous tourist traps, rather than “ugh, Auckland, your traffic is just the worst“.

But I’ve had a think and remembered my many beautiful holidays around New Zealand, and of course I’ve already talked about Waiheke being one of those. Vineyards! Beaches! Fewer people, giving us options for “privacy”!

And really, why wouldn’t you get a bit carried away in a vineyard. They’re so pretty.

But now we go back a square. I spent a weekend in Martinborough, where there is also many vineyards,  and you can have a lot of fun cycling from one to the other for wine tastings. And this picture shows the moment where I realised there was a small problem with my plan. Can you spot it?

Those vines do not give much cover! There’s a difference between a little exhibitionism, and risking arrest for public indecency.

I do like the idea of love among the vines, though, so I’m sure I can come up with a fix. And if you have a solution, do tell me!

Finally!

It’s here! It’s finally here! I know, I’m sorry, the cliffhanger was mean, but now you can have your answers. Hawaiian Healing has just gone live on Amazon, and you can check it out here  http://www.amazon.com/Hawaiian-Healing-Heartbreak-Book-ebook/dp/B017QBKHS0/

There’s already some lovely reviews on Goodreads, so thank you to my advance readers who took the time to share their thoughts. There’s even a review that’s already been posted to Amazon – super quick!

If you’re an advance reader and for some reason haven’t got your copy yet, please tell me. I don’t want to leave anyone out in the cold, and every now and then the mailing list develops a few kinks. Not the fun kind 😉

For now… I’ve had my break, and it’s on to writing the third and final book. 8,000 words down, several thousand more to go.

 

Kayla came to Hawaii to heal her broken heart. Not to get it smashed all over again. 

Jay took over her mind and body, consumed her, and then he was gone. 

All she has left are the questions she can’t run from any longer. Can she survive without him? What’s more important, love, or the life she’s built at home? And why does it suddenly seem like Jay’s hiding something? 

The second book of three in the Hawaiian Heartbreak trilogy. This book is recommended for readers over the age of 18 due to explicit sexual content.

Beware Mixing Writing And Marriage

Writing is a wonderful career choice in many ways, but in other ways it can hurt the ones you love.

Not because you have to choose to be solitary for long stretches. I love taking a break for coffee dates or a movie, and the rest of the time they’re probably relieved I’m out of their hair.

Not because you compare your husband to your book boyfriend, because hey, who do you think helps with inspiration.

It’s because you constantly rabbit on to them about details from the book, such as, I don’t know, the time you spent in Hawaii. You might ask your husband what he remembers the air feeling like, what the people were like, what you did, what you ate.

And then one day your husband wakes up, rolls over, and says sadly: “I think… I think I was just dreaming. And now I have this keen awareness that I’m not in Hawaii.”

Me too, babe. Me too.

Why Hello, Waiheke

In a small country like New Zealand, people get disproportionately excited when the outside world notices us. Actually, we’re technically not all that small – by land mass, we’re twice the size of England. The more you know, hey?

But, we still look tiny because we’re next to that overgrown monstrosity Australia (shakes fist) and we have an eeny weeny population. When people notice anything other than our rugby team or hobbit movies, it’s a Big Day.

So you should’ve seen my Facebook feed explode when Lonely Planet picked a New Zealand spot for one of it’s top 10 for next year! Waiheke Island (say it with me, why-hih-kee) got into the Top 10 Regions for next year’s best in travel. In fact, it’s number five! It even beats Hawaii, which I personally disagree with, but you never really appreciate what’s on your own doorstep, do you?

Waiheke’s definitely pretty, I’ll give it that.

Anyway, I had a more personal reason to be excited. The last book in the Hawaiian Heartbreak trilogy (currently under construction) is set in New Zealand, and includes some important things happening on Waiheke Island. What can I say, there’s vineyards, beaches, and plenty of little isolated spots to sneak away together. Romance novel kryptonite!

Apparently I need a job predicting hot travel trends, because Hawaiian Healing also includes a nod to Iceland. It’s a tough life, but someone has to sit around daydreaming about the best places to travel, then write it all down.

If you’re interested, this is the full list. Maybe the next book should be set in Romania?

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Regions 2016

• Transylvania, Romania
• West Iceland
• Valle de Viñales, Cuba
• Friuli’s wine regions, Italy
• Waiheke Island, New Zealand
• The Auvergne, France
• Hawaii, USA
• Bavaria, Germany
• Costa Verde, Brazil
• St Helena, British Territories

What’s your favourite on the list?

Cover Reveal: Hawaiian Healing

The wait is almost over! Hawaiian Healing is just about ready to be released, answering all those questions you had after Hawaiian Heartbreak ended. (I’m a little bit sorry about that cliffhanger. But not much.)

But getting back to the topic at hand – this means it’s finally time to show you the new cover, hot off the press…

Ta-da! Isn’t it beautiful? Hawaiian Healing sees the emotions kick up a notch, and the stakes become higher. My designer did a great job making sure this cover gives you a taster of what’s coming.

You can also check out the blurb below. Only a few more weeks until it’s ready to be read!

Kayla came to Hawaii to heal her broken heart. Not to get it smashed all over again.

Jay took over her mind and body, consumed her, and then he was gone.

All she has left are the questions she can’t avoid any longer. Can she survive without him? What’s more important, love, or the life she’s built at home? And why does it suddenly seem like Jay’s hiding something?

The second book of three in the Hawaiian Heartbreak trilogy. This book is recommended for readers over the age of 18 due to explicit sexual content.

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Want to try my writing for free? The first book in the Hawaiian Heartbreak trilogy is currently free through all major retailers.No strings, just a romance book currently rated 4/5 stars on Amazon.

Check it out:

Amazon

iBooks

Nook

Kobo

 

Want to get advance review copies? I’ve still got a couple of spots open for fast readers who like sharing their honest opinion. Email me on libbycole007@gmail.com, and let’s talk.