Massive Giveaway!!!

I'm very excited to be part of a massive giveaway from InkslingerPR with Sarah Ross, Tiffany Kind, KA Tucker, Alyssa Rose Ivy, Courtney Cole, Michelle Leighton, and Tara Sivec!

What are we giving away? Oh just signed paperbacks of our most popular books!!!

So, how do you enter to win? EASY PEASY! Just like our Facebook pages

Nichole Chase (ME!)
Tiffany King
Sarah Ross
M. Leighton
KA Tucker
Courtney Cole
Alyssa Rose Ivy
Tara Sivec

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure you like each authors page!

 

 

 

 

The Accidental Assassin Cover Reveal and BIG, BIG, NEWS!

So, I know I've been saying this a lot lately, but I LOVE this cover!

 

 

 

***INSERT SQUEAL HERE***

 

 

THE ACCIDENTAL ASSASSIN

from Nichole Chase

 

Ava McKenzie is a creature of habit. Life is passing her by and she has nothing to show for it. She’s had the same job since she started college, she orders the same dish every time she goes to her favorite restaurant, and only reads books from authors she knows. There is nothing new or surprising in her life… until her best friend marries a man from London. When her newlywed friend asks her to house-sit while she honeymoons, Ava jumps at the chance. She thinks this could be the very thing she needs to shake up her life. Ava throws herself head first into her new lifestyle; she wants to try everything, go everywhere, and never get stuck in a rut again. Of course, offing a man in a car garage hadn’t been one of the things on her list to try.

Owen Walker spends every day in a new place with a new case. As one of the most renowned assassins in the world, he has his choice of marks—and he’s never failed in a mission. When a new hit takes him back to his hometown, he looks forward to spending time somewhere familiar. What he isn’t expecting is to help an attractive, confused American woman find out how she’s ended up on a hit man’s list.

As Ava and Owen dodge bullets, will they be able to escape their undeniable attraction to each other? Or will all of that chemistry blow up in a shower of hot and dangerous sparks?

 

You guys! YOU GUYS! Ava and Owen are SO much fun to write! I can't wait for you to meet them and read their story. Look for their book this AUGUST!

Add TAA to your Goodreads TO-READ list here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18071293-the-accidental-assassin

 

And now for my big news:

 

For those of you that have been following me for the last two months, you know that life has gotten a bit crazy. Crazy good! And I have even more good news. I’ve accepted a three book publishing deal with Avon Publishing of HarperCollins. With their help we will be bringing Suddenly Royal, The Royal Agenda, and the untitled third book to stores and bookstores near you! I’m very excited about working with Tessa Woodward and the people of Avon. I can’t wait to see what we do together.

What does this mean for the readers? Well, it means more accessible books! You’ll be able to find Suddenly Royal in bookstores, Walmart, and Target in just a few months! AND! And! There will be some added content to the new paperback. Don’t worry—it’s nothing that changes the story, so you won’t be missing anything important—but it does give you a little more Sam and Alex (and I know how much you guys love Alex). We’re also working to have fast turn-around on the next two books so you guys don’t have super long wait times. I will be letting you know those dates as soon as I can.

I’m very excited and am so grateful that everyone loves Sam and Alex as much as I do. Thank you to everyone that has made this possible. It’s a dream come true.  

 

 

 

 

The Accidental Assassin Teaser

So, I'm thinking it's time for a little teaser. The cover reveal is next week, but I want to give you a little peek at Ava and Owen. So, here you go!

 

(Please keep in mind that this is unedited and may change some.)

“Feel free to run over anyone in our way.” Calmly he turned in his seat and lowered his window.

“Very funny.” I turned the first corner of the garage just as he fired the first shot. The sound made me wince and I jerked the steering wheel. The car clipped the bumper of a delivery van and threw Green Eyes against his door.

“I was joking. Try to not do that.” He looked at me, his expression serious. “There’s a bomb on the bottom of this car.”

I turned to look at him and felt my mouth fall open. “A bomb! There’s a bomb in this car? What kind of bomb? Why is there a bomb in this car?”

“It was meant for ********, who you managed to kill without a bomb, and technically it’s on the car, not in it. And it’s the kind of bomb that goes boom.” He twisted in his seat so that he was facing forward again. “It should be fine. It’s set to go off from a remote and I have that right here.” He patted his pocket.

 

I can't wait for you guys to meet these two. Ava and Owen crack me up!

Keep your eyes open for the cover and blurb reveal on June 13th!

 

 

 

Seaworld, Research, and Books

Last month was a big month for me in a lot of ways. Of course, there was Suddenly Royal and all of the awesome-ness that happened (like making best-seller lists and signing with an amazing agent that I adore). I also was working on my next novel, The Accidental Assassin. I know I haven't talked much about that project, but it's coming along well and I can't wait to share it with everyone! (On the 13th I will be revealing the cover and the synopsis, so keep your eyes open!)

But, on top of all that amazing stuff, it was my seventh wedding anniversary. My husband and I have been together for over ten years and I still find myself swooning over things he does or says. I may be the luckiest woman in the world.

To celebrate he booked us a behind the scenes tour at SeaWorld. Just me and him!

For those of you that have read Flukes, it's no secret that I adore dolphins and marine life in general. In fact, growing up I wanted to be a marine biologist. So every time we go to SeaWorld, I am soaking up information and storing it away for the next Flukes book. And this behind the scenes tour gave me SO much information to work with in future books. We have Fun Passes, so we get to go pretty regularly. This means that we can take our time at the shows/animals that we want, because we've already done everything. However, this time, there was a new ride/exhibit that we hadn't seen! (In fact had opened just the day before.)

Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin.

We stayed at a nearby hotel that is linked with SeaWorld. This meant not only could we walk to the park (and avoid parking fees) but we were allowed into the park an hour earlier than everyone else. We had heard that the day before the line for Antarctica was over SIX HOURS long. I'm not a big fan of the heat and my husband is not a big fan of being crammed next to strangers for that long. (Okay, I'm not either. I mean, who really wants to stand in line that long?) So, we decided to hit up the new ride first thing and try to avoid the crazy lines. Our strategy worked and we barely waited for thirty minutes--if that. (There was this weird mix up where they miscounted us in a group for a ride car and we had to go around and do the intro video again. However, they gave us a great little 'skip to the front of the line card' for us to use later--which was nice!)

The little baby penguin they use to explain how these animals live was adorable and more than did it's job of getting our attention. The setting inside of the line was fun and interesting as well. (Not too mention air-conditioned--but more on that soon!) We decided to do the 'Wild' ride (there is a mild or wild version) and strapped in for the ride.

Now here's the thing... the ride isn't very long and isn't exactly the most amazing thing I've ever been on, but I did enjoy it. And I thought that the actual ride was pretty cool. The cars are not on a track, but are controlled by a computer program. You feel like you're in a hoover car to be honest. The wild ride wasn't any different than the mild ride (except for a little more spinning and bucking) so you don't have to worry about missing anything on one version or the other.

Now here comes the shocker... while in line (the first time) we found out that the penguin habitat was only 32 degrees and that the ride let out inside. Now, I don't know about you, but I hate the heat--but THIRTY-TWO DEGREES IS COLD! Especially when you've just been sweating like an art thief at the Louvre. It was really nifty though! The tank is a half wall of glass, where you can lean over and look directly into the penguin water. Watch out, though, because those cuties will splash you. And if you think 32 degrees is cold, just imagine it with frozen water all over your tank top!


Once we were done with the penguins, we spent some time at the dolphin nursery. I could have stayed there all day. Love, love, love them.

Our behind-the-scenes tour started mid-day and we made good use of our time. The tour was really interesting. We got to see how they transport animals (which was VERY helpful for RIPTIDE, my next Flukes book), their 'ambulance' for stranded animals, and one of their boats that they use to take animals back to the sea. I loved it. I live for little details and information like that.

The tour wasn't very long, but I did get to see, learn about, and touch some amazing things.

I got to pet a shark! It was only six inches long, but hey! It was a shark and I stroked it's little back!

 

 

 

 

 (SO CUTE!)

 

 

We also got to pet a penguin and talk with her handler. I learned so much talking to the guide and the trainer. I loved it. And the penguin was EVERYTHING I hoped for! She was darling, if loud! But who could blame her? We were all starring at her.

We also got to see a hidden polar bear den. We also got lucky and one of the bears was playing in their for us to watch!


That night we saw the Clyde and Seamore parody show ( SeaWorld, I can't tell you how much I laugh at that show. It is so much fun! We never miss it when we're there.) If you haven't been to SeaWorld, make sure you catch this show. You won't regret it. (Tip: Get there early because the seats fill up fast and there is some preshow entertainment that you won't want to miss.)

(So peaceful!)

After the show while everyone else ran for the nighttime Shamu show, we hung out at Dolphin Cove. Hardly anyone else will be in there and it's like you have the dolphins to yourself. You can also hear the dolphins much better through their underwater mic. Last time we took the munchkin, we did this, and the dolphins stopped and interacted with her. It was such a special moment for all of us.

 

(The munchkin calls Shamu, Shampoo, and I
 can't bring myself to correct her. It's just so dang cute!)

So, thank you, SeaWorld, for giving people a place to learn more about our oceans and its inhabitants. You give people a chance to witness the beauty for themselves, so that we can understand just how important they all truly are.

 

 

 (Yeah, I'm a dork.)

 

If you've never been to SeaWorld, I think it's a great experience for kids and adults. I love bringing my daughter so she can learn about the animals. I love going because I enjoy learning more about the animals. And I always learn a little something new.

 

 

 

 

Minneapolis FUN!

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Minnesota for the very first time. After a very early flight, I checked into my hotel, and headed out into town for a quick lunch and look-around.

Let me tell you something about Minneapolis. The weather can change in 2.3 seconds. When I left home, the weather channel said it would be a bit rainy and in the 80's. It was a bit rainy, but closer to 70. Still livable, right? Well, as I beebooped along the sidewalks to find some food, the weather dropped another ten degrees. I kid you not. In the time it took to walk two blocks, I was shivering and in need of an umbrella. It didn't stop me from enjoying the city though!

What really surprised me, was how NICE everyone was! Coming from the South, we have a reputation for being hospitable, but that's not always true. However, the people in Minneapolis? Wow! You guys sure know how to make someone feel welcome! Everyone smiled and was friendly. Not once did I feel like I was being hurried along. It was truly a great experience. (Even if everyone didn't sound like they were from the movie FARGO.)

That night I went out with a bunch of awesome people for dinner (Barrio) and drinks (The W Hotel). I may have also joined Abbi Glines and Colleen Hoover in photo-bombing some pictures at the hotel bar. Good times!

The next day was made of awesome! I met so many amazing people.

The Authors! (From L to R: Molly McAdams, Rebecca Donovan, Willow Aster, Tarryn Fisher, Abbi Glines, Steph Campbell, Colleen Hooover, Me, KA Robinson, Angie Stanton, Cora Carmack, Jillian Dodd, Jessica Sorensen)

 

The Authors and Volunteers! (Look at Cora striking a sexy pose!)

 

My table with a giant Sam in the background!

After the signing, I hung out with everyone and then headed into town for dinner. Thankfully, this time it wasn't raining or cold! Instead, it was perfect! We ate this great restaurant named Zelo's. (Try the huckleberry sorbet if you ever go. It was delish!)

The best part of my trip was hanging out with so many awesome people! I miss them when I don't get to see them often!

Me and Abbi!

 

 

Me and Angie! (I'm not that short... I was just sitting in a different type chair. Honest.)

P.S. If you enjoyed Suddenly Royal and are looking for another royal book, you should follow Angie. She has an amazing book titled Royally Lost coming from Harper Collins!

 

 

K.A. Robinson is an absolute sweetie--and a baby! She's so young! Forgive me if I don't tell you just how much older than her I am. Needless to say, she was carded when we went out and for good reason!

 

My great friend (and pretend assistant for the weekend) Laurie--owner of Got You Covered! (If you're an author, check out her site, follow her on FB and Twitter! She has some great designs and even more coming.)

 

 

Benefits of having a creative friend that can bake? These awesome cookies to celebrate hitting the NY Times!!! They're too pretty to eat.

 

Another perk of having a creative friend that is an art teacher? She dragged me to the Sculpture garden to see a giant spoon. No really, I enjoyed it! (I did go to college for Art History after all.) And the spoon is ginormous! What was weird was all of the prom bound kids. There were hundreds wandering around downtown and taking their pictures at the garden. It was a great place for photos!

I wish I had taken more pictures. I had so much fun on this short trip. A huge thanks to Rebecca Donovan and Emily Lalone for setting everything up!

I'm going to leave you with one more picture just so you can understand how silly we authors truly are...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minneapolis, here I come!

It's almost here! I leave for Minnesota on Friday and I can't wait to see everyone! For those of you that are coming, here is a little more information about the event. I will only have so many books (the majority of what I am bringing is Suddenly Royal), so if there is something that you just *have* to have signed, you might want to order a copy from Amazon.com. (I will also have some goodies. Bookmarks, etc.)


MINNEAPOLIS AUTHOR EVENT FAN FAQ SHEET   

DATE & TIME: Saturday, May 18th, 2013 12:00 – 4:00pm   
** Please do not line - up before 11:00am** 

VENUE:  Hotel Ivy  Kimball Hall 201 South Eleventh Street Minneapolis, MN 55403 http://bit.ly/1417qa7 


WEBSITE:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/507611035968805 

AUTHORS:  Alphabetical by last name, with all titles available for sale on site.
• Willow Aster True Love Story
• Steph Campbell Delicate, Grounding Quinn, Beautiful Things Never Last, My Heart For Yours  Lengths, Depths 
• Cora Carmack Losing It 
• Nichole Chase Suddenly Royal, Flukes, Mortal Obligation, Mortal Defiance, Immortal Grave
• Jillian Dodd That Boy, That Wedding, Stalk Me, Kiss Me, Date Me
• Rebecca Donovan Reason to Breathe, Barely Breathing
• Tarryn Fisher The Opportunist, Dirty Red
• Abbi Glines The Vincent Boys, The Vincent Brothers, Fallen Too Far, Never Too Far
• Colleen Hoover Slammed, Point of Retreat, Hopeless
• Molly McAdams Taking Chances, From Ashes
• K.A. Robinson Torn, Twisted
• Jessica Sorensen The Secret of Ella and Micha
• Angie Stanton Rock & A Hard Place, Snapshot, Dream Chaser, Love ‘Em or Leave ‘Em,  Snowed Over 

BOOK SALES: 
* Supplies will be limited. Please buy ahead if possible. (Barnes & Noble: http://goo.gl/maps/RdD9T )
• Onsite Bookseller – Barnes & Noble will have a table directly at the entrance of the Signing Room where they will be selling books. The B&N sales table will be your first stop before entering the room and everyone will be given time to buy books before entering.
• Onsite Indie Book Sales – The Authors will also be selling their indie titles inside the Signing Room. If you do not see a book at the B&N sales table out front, it will be available for purchase at the Author’s individual table.
• Forms of Payment– Please plan to bring cash and a credit card with you. B&N will accept both forms of payment. All Authors will accept cash, and a few Authors will also accept credit cards.
• Cost – Most books cost between $10-15 (with deals for purchasing multiple books). Supplies will be limited though, so please buy your books ahead if possible.  
continued… 

HOW IT WORKS:
We can’t express how much we appreciate your help keep ing the line moving through the Room!
• Bringing Books – Fans are encouraged to bring books, as supplies are limited. 
• Waiting In Line – We will have everyone form a line outside the Signing Room. This line will then weave past the B&N sales table at the entrance and then into the Signing Room and past each Author’s table. (*Best to make friends with your neighbors in line, they’ll be with you all day!)
• How Long Do I Get With Each Author? – You will have time to meet every Author! We do ask you be mindful of the line behind you and appreciate your help keeping it moving. 
• What Can I Have Signed? – We do ask that you please limit yourself to one signed item per Author. The Authors will sign anything you’d like them to –scrapbooks, e-readers, t-shirts –and they will absolutely pose for a photo with you too!
• Cash – Bringing cash? Please help the Authors by bringing small bills so they can make change.
• Social Media – We’d love to hear from you before, during, and after the event! Please post comments and photos to our Facebook Fan Page (link above) and tweet/instagram using the hashtag: #MNAuthorEvent.
• Hungry? Thirsty? – Please plan to bring water and/or snacks with you. The Hotel Ivy also has a restaurant. (There are bathrooms readily accessible on the same level as the Signing Room.) 

PARKING:  
Recommendations:
• Hotel Ivy Valet Daily Parking Rate: $13 o Overnight Parking Rate: $28
• 11th Street Underground Parking Ramp Pricing subject to change o http://bit.ly/17b5ddl 
Other Nearby Options: http://goo.gl/maps/HoMI6  

Additional questions? Please ask on the Facebook Fan Page (link above) or email Emily Lalone ( Emily(AT)lalonemarketing.com ).

 

 

 

I can't wait to see you there!

 

 

Big and Awesome News

I know I've said this already, but the last few weeks? They've been made of some crazy, amazing, awesome things! I have two announcements. Are you ready?

I've signed with Rebecca Friedman of the Hill Nadell Agency. She will now represent my work and handle all inquiries about rights. I'm very excited about working with Rebecca. She's read and loved Suddenly Royal and has the same goals for the books as I do. I can't wait to see where we go together!


In other news... last night I received early news that SUDDENLY ROYAL hit the New York Times Bestseller List (#16 on the efiction list and #22 on efiction and print combined list)... AND the USA Today Bestseller List!


So, my life lately?

I may have done a Dory impressions...




And some screaming on the phone...




And this is what it looked like when I told my sister...



Because, you know, this is a dream come true!


To celebrate all of this awesome I want to do a quick giveaway! So, leave a comment, telling me something that has made you happy this week and I will randomly choose a winner for a signed paperback of Suddenly Royal with some swag! Entries close on Sunday, May 12 @ Midnight PST. (International, too!)

 

Massive hugs and kisses to everyone that has supported me and Suddenly Royal!