Yeah. It's been almost two years since I've posted here. WHOOPS. 

But I'm back with a post that I am SUPER EXCITED ABOUT! :) 

Okay. Ready? 

Set... 

GO!!

THE NEWS:

I wrote a book!! It's a sexy little new adult romance called Rock & Release--and it's coming out next month!  I wrote it under a pen name, Riley Edgewood. And I am SO EXCITED! 

If you like strong-willed girls and sexy times and rockstars, then you should probably follow along! :)  

Rock & Release is actually going to be serialized into three separate acts: VIP, Starstruck, and Show Stopper. VIP releases on November 17th. Starstruck December 1st, and Show Stopper Dec 15.

Here's what you can expect in VIP (Rock & Release, Act I): 

When Cassidy Evans scores VIP tickets to a concert, she decides to use them for one carefree night before beginning a summer internship at her father’s Fortune 500 company. But one carefree night turns into a few too many martinis—with two unexpected twists: A steamy encounter with Gage Logan, sexy singer and guitarist, and a tempting job offer from Gage's boss to work at the concert venue she now knows quite intimately. 

She definitely can't take the job. Her internship is an opportunity any business major would kill for. But the thought of working with her father, a man furious with grief over a family tragedy that struck six months ago, fills her with dread. 

Then there's Gage. Working with him all summer could be hot. Cassidy can't stop flashing back to their night together. Molten kisses. His hands smoothing across the skin of her belly. The weight of his body above her own… 

 And suddenly the decision about how to spend her summer is much, much harder to make.

********************* 
New Adult romance suitable for 17+ due to mature content 

The cover for VIP will be revealed on November 4th. AND ALL BLOGGERS are invited to sign up to post it that day!! If you want to be part of my cover reveal, you can sign up with Xpresso Book Tours here. 

So I have a website for my alter ego, Riley, where I'll be posting most of my book news. Although I'll probably be sharing some of it here, too, if I can find the time! RileyEdgewood.com 

You can also add Rock & Release, all three acts, on GoodReads! VIP, Starstruck, Show Stopper 

I will love you forever if you follow my alter ego on twitter, @RileyEdgewood! OH. And I also have a newsletter if you want notifications along the way! http://rileyedgewood.blogspot.com/p/newsletter.html 

And, finally, here's a lil teaser I shared on twitter yesterday:

Hope you like! xoxoxo    

A little update-ish thingamajig

Hey yo! Soooo wow. It's been two months since I updated this beyotch. And, let's be honest. It's been SIX MONTHS since I posted about something other than a contest or a celebration for a writing friend's good news.

Whoops.

I kept telling myself I would write something when I had something to say. Something other than a regular little generic post that I used to write just to keep this little blog looking current. Because, really? Who likes reading those things? NOT ME.

I got into blogging to connect with other people. And to journal my writing journey. And I DID connect with people! I found CPs and friends and my life got so much fuller! But I learned something, too. It's HARD to blog about the truth of the writing journey if your blog is public. Because there are SO many disappointments and frustrations and things that are worth venting over--but the further into this awesome community I found myself, the more I realized I didn't want to post about those things. Staying positive became important to me, putting a positive face forward.  Which is great and all, but it doesn't mean I always had things to blog about. Because another thing about this journey? It can be so repetitive, even as each step along the way brings growth. Still though, it goes: write, revise, repeat. Critique, query, take that next step in your career. Learn lots of stuff along the way--but discover that everyone else seems to be learning the same things along their own journeys, based on their much more eloquently written posts about the very things you were about to post about, ha.

Anyway, I think that's enough rambling about all that. SO. Here's a Sara update:

I'm working on my fifth book. Well, working in the loosest sense of the word, because I've got some Big Life things going on :) But this book. This fifth book. When I'm finally finished writing it and revising it and revising it some more, I swear I'm going to try to further my career with this one. It's time. I mean, I had a couple close calls with representation for the first book I ever wrote. (Which, thank goodness, were only close calls because that book? Oh mans, I will always have love for it, but I'd be verrrry embarrassed if it had ever been published.) Except, since then, I've gotten into this bad habit of writing books and then just shelving them. Or maybe it's not a bad habit. Maybe I've grown enough as a writer to understand that as much as I love the books I've written, I've also known deep down that they weren't strong enough to start my career with.

This book though? Book number five? I'm even going through one of those standard writer "ugh my book sucks and it needs so much work already and . . . just . . . ughhhhh I suck at life and writing" moments, and still deep down I know it has the potential my other ones have been missing.

So, yay! Now I just have to find the energy to get back into a writing groove even with the Big Life stuff. Keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?

As for this blog? I've been thinking about shutting it down, because it's just been collecting so much dust, but I think I won't. I also, though, won't start posting more regularly JUST to have content here. Because you'd know and your eyes would glaze over while you read, yanno? Plus if I take the time to put effort into writing something? It's gonna be to finish book 5 :) I will, however, post when I have things to say. Hopefully more regularly than every six months.

In the meantime, you can find me on tumblr (omg please find me on tumblr; I'm falling in love with it--it's so much fun!), pinterest, and twitter.

♥S

Holy Gorgeous Cover, Batman!!

Karen Amanda Hooper, author of Tangled Tides and Grasping at Eternity, is sharing her newest cover today. The sequel to Grasping at Eternity, book 2 of The Kindrily series, is titled Taking Back Forever.

Karen and her cover designer, Alexandra Shostak, have worked side by side to create the Taking Back Forever cover. After lots of hard work (and a lot of love) here it is…

I mean, who WOULDN'T pick this phenomenal piece of work up? Even if we weren't all already dying to read book 2???

Want to know more? Here’s a summary of Taking Back Forever.

Forever is worth the fight.

Maryah erased all memory of her past lives, but she couldn’t erase her soul mate Nathan, or his undying love. Now, Maryah and Nathan have a second chance at a future together, but first Maryah must remember the person she used to be and embrace her supernatural gifts—more than one kindrily member’s life depends on it.

Maryah’s power is Harmony’s best hope of finding her kidnapped soul mate, Gregory. But Harmony isn’t big on asking anyone for help, and she’s tired of waiting, so she’s taking matters into her own hands. Heaven help anyone who stands in her way.

To celebrate, Karen and Alexandra are giving away signed paperbacks of Grasping at Eternity. (Signed by Karen AND Alexandra!)

Contest is open internationally!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YmFlODE0ZTNiYjMwNDdkM2MxZjE1N2VmZjNhYjFjOjA=/

Alexandra Shostak is a writer of dark and fantastical things, mostly meant for teenagers. She is a freelance cover designer, and is available to do covers and interior artwork directly for authors. She is also a former Irish dancer, a guitar player, and the person who can get you through the zombie apocalypse without getting bitten.

If you’re especially worried about the zombie apocalypse, you can find her in one of these places:

www.alexandrashostak.com

www.coversbyalexandra.com

www.yaconfidential.com

or on Twitter as @a_shostak

Karen was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years, and is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved dogs. She's addicted to coffee, chocolate, and complicated happily-ever-afters. Due to her strong Disney upbringing, she still believes in fairytales and will forever sprinkle magic throughout all of her novels.

www.KarenAmandaHooper.com

Twitter: @karen_hooper

KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES Winners!!!

Congratulations to Jeff Fiet, Sheri Larsen, and A Canadian Girl! You are the three lucky winners selected by Rafflecopter! Shoot me an email (sara.a.mcclung at gmail) with your mailing address and Sarah and I will get your prizes out to you this week!! 

Seriously, you're going to LOVE Keeper of the Lost Cities!!!!

And for anyone who didn't win? YOU CAN STILL WIN!!!

Get your own copy of Keeper here, here, or here!!!

I promise you won't regret it--and you can thank me after you've read it! (But still, don't forget . . . Keefe is MINE, so back off . . . ) :)

♥S

EEEEEEEE!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, SHANNON MESSENGER!!

YOU GUYS.

KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES COMES OUT TODAY!!

CAN YOU FEEL THE ENERGY OF MY HAPPY DANCING ALL THE WAY OVER THERE???

I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED THE REST OF THE WORLD GETS TO DISCOVER THIS AMAZING STORY. 

BUT.

BUT.

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT STEALING KEEFE FROM ME. 

YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. 

THE ONLY PERSON WHO GETS TO SHARE KEEFE WITH ME IS SARAH WYLIE. SHANNON'S OTHER CP. THE COOLER SARAH. BECAUSE I HAVE TO HAND IT TO HER, SHE CAME UP WITH THE TEAM KEEFE CONCEPT. 

BUT OTHERWISE?

HANDS OFF, MOFOS. 

AND SPEAKING OF SARAH, WE'RE TEAMING UP IN ANOTHER WAY, TOO! WE'RE GIVING AWAY THREE COPIES OF KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES.

DUDES. YOU WANT THIS BOOK. 

YOU WANT TO DISCOVER SOPHIE FOSTER AND HER NEW (FREAKING AWESOME) WORLD. 

YOU WANT TO DISCOVER FITZ AND KEEFE AND DEX AND BIANA, HER NEW (FREAKING AWESOME) FRIENDS.

YOU WANT TO DISCOVER THE BLACK SWAN. 

OR . . . DO YOU?

DUN DUN DUNNNNNN.

THIS MIDDLE GRADE NOVEL IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR MIDDLE GRADERS! EVEN RELUCTANT READERS WILL FALL FOR THIS STORY, JUST YOU WATCH.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE? 

THIS BOOK WILL REACH ANYONE OF ANY AGE. I'M 31 AND THIS BOOK IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES OF ALL TIMES. YES, I'M SHANNON'S CP, BUT I SWEAR, I'M SAYING THAT COMPLETELY UNBIASED. 

I WILL READ THIS BOOK AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR FOREVER. 

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FREE COPY OF KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, ENTER HERE!!
  Rafflecopter giveaway !!

IF YOU WANT AN EXTRA POINT, SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY!

THAT'S IT. 

GIVEAWAY IS OPEN FOR A WEEK! SO MAKE SURE TO ENTER BY NEXT MONDAY, OCTOBER, 8TH. (AND IT'S OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!)

PS. I'M SURE THERE ARE TONS OF CELEBRATIONS FOR KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES ALL OVER THE BLOGOSPHERE FOR SHANNON TODAY! DEFINITELY CHECK OUT SARAH AND ELANA'S POSTS, TOO!!

Dear Shannon, 

I am so thrilled that today is finally here. The moment you've waited for, and worked so hard for. The release of your first novel! I'm so bummed I can't be there to celebrate with you today, stupid opposite coasts, and all. But I'll see you in a few short weeks, and we'll celebrate then. And for today, just know I'm grinning ear-to-ear, all the way to the store to buy my own, finalized copy of Keeper!  

Enjoy today. I wish you all the success in the world--you certainly deserve it. 

Love,

Sara

♥S