New Books, New Giveaways!

Well, A KISS IN THE DARK officially became a published book 8 days ago, and I am finally getting the chance to sit down and write a blog post. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, KISS!

I'm planning to write a separate post along the lines of the Story Behind the Story piece I wrote for BUSTED, because KISS has its own tale of how it almost didn't happen. But today, I'm going to concentrate on celebrating - and on giving away free books!

So let's do this. Here's how to win free books (mine, or ALL the books I've blurbed!):

I originally posted this on Release Day, but realized a few things shortly thereafter:
1) The 3/13 cutoff was not enough time
2) I didn't promote it enough and
3) There's no prize noted for reviewing A KISS IN THE DARK, or for reviewing both books. 

So here are the revised rules:

1) Leave a short review of BUSTED on Amazon or B & N for the chance to win a signed hardcover of A KISS IN THE DARK. 

~ OR~

Leave a short review of A KISS IN THE DARK on Amazon or B & N for the chance to win a signed paperback of BUSTED.

~ OR ~

Leave a short review of **both** A KISS IN THE DARK ~and~ BUSTED on Amazon or B & N for the chance to win ALL FOUR of the books I've blurbed:

HOW TO MAKE OUT by Brianna Shrum

LOVE SONGS AND OTHER LIES by Jessica Pennington (Preorder. Release Date 4/24/18)

THESE THINGS I'VE DONE by Rebecca Phillips

THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF US by Katy Upperman (Preorder. Release date July 31st) 

2) Once your review is posted (one or two honest sentences is plenty), either leave the link in a comment on this post, or tweet it to gmc511, or email it to gina(dot)ciocca(at)yahoo(dot)com, by 3/28
3) Winners will be announced on 3/29. 

Yes, international entries are okay. 
Yes, the review can be cross-posted from your Goodreads account (no plagiarizing, obvs).

And there you have it. Happy Reading and Reviewing!

Preorder Incentives for A KISS IN THE DARK!

I can not believe A KISS IN THE DARK's release day is only 6 weeks away!

You may have seen my previous post about the preorder incentive I'm running, but since BUSTED's time as a preorder is up (HAPPY 3 WEEK BIRTHDAY, BUSTED!) I've decided to reiterate the giveaway details in a separate post dedicated to KISS.

What? Doesn't everyone take their ARCs to locations from the story and do photo shoots?

EVERYONE who preorders A KISS IN THE DARK and emails  proof to gina(dot)ciocca(at)yahoo(dot)com by March 5, 2018 will receive swag:

All entries will then go into a drawing for a GRAND PRIZE, the winner of which will be announced on release day - March 6, 2018.

The grand prize pack includes:

- A custom notebook sporting A KISS IN THE DARK's cover
- swag
- A #nofilter compact mirror (a nod to the photography aspect of the story)
- A set of 5 Color Story lip glosses (in honor of Macy's lip gloss-obsessed best friend, Meredith)
- A sunset lake journal (because Macy loves to snap sunset photos of the lake in her neighborhood)
- chocolate footballs (not pictured)
- Butter Rum Lifesavers (Macy's favorite candy, as we find out on page 53)
- A 4-inch Superman decal (in honor of Macy and Ben's favorite superhero)
- Football face tattoos (because Macy is a former cheerleader, and "football is no joke in the South.")

So the steps are:

1) Preorder from the site of your choice (including, but not limited to: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Target) 

2) Email me a screen shot of your order confirmation (gina(dot)ciocca(at)yahoo(dot)com)

3) Sit back and wait for free stuff to arrive in your mailbox.

That's literally it! And while you wait for your swag, you can add KISS to your Goodreads shelf here. You can also spread the word with these copy-and-paste-ready tweets:

Get awesome book swag + the chance to win a grand prize! Preorder A KISS IN THE DARK by @gmc511! https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2018/01/preorder-incentives-for-kiss-in-dark.html

Preorder Incentive #Giveaway for @gmc511's A KISS IN THE DARK! Everyone gets swag + an entry for a grand prize. Details here: https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2018/01/preorder-incentives-for-kiss-in-dark.html

Everywhere You Can Win BUSTED!

So, as you may already know, my novel BUSTED comes out on January 2nd - just FOUR DAYS from today!

In honor of the big day, there are several sites you can visit for the chance to win a copy of BUSTED, or BUSTED-related goodies, or excerpts from the book.

Which sites? Well, I'm glad you asked. It just so happens there is a BUSTED blog tour, and each stop has access to a Rafflecopter giveaway courtesy of SourcebooksFire:

Bookish Delights Blog (Includes an excerpt from Chapter 5!)

Books and Munches Blog

Snarky Yet Satisfying Blog (Includes an excerpt from Chapter 12!)

Two Fangs About It Blog

You can also enter to win one of 3 copies of BUSTED in this Goodreads giveaway until January 1st.

And, of course, if you've preordered BUSTED or A KISS IN THE DARK, I want to send you swag, and put you in a drawing for one of two themed prized packs. Click here for details.

Meanwhile, if you'd rather pick up your copy in the store, it's already on the shelf in Barnes and Noble! I signed some copies in the Milford, CT store today, and I'll be stalking -- er, signing -- some more at the Alpharetta store when I get back to Georgia.

If you spot it in the wild, please tweet a pic to me at gmc511. I love seeing them!

Happy Reading!

Preorder Incentive Campaigns for BUSTED and A KISS IN THE DARK!

I can not believe that BUSTED comes out 4 weeks from tomorrow(!!!), or that A KISS IN THE DARK will release just 9 weeks after that.

I'm super excited about these stories, and I hope y'all are excited too. I know that when it comes to books, choices are vast and budgets are tight, and this is exactly why I've decided to do a preorder campaign for both novels. I chose a few super cute prizes that are significant to each book, and I'd love to see them in the hands of ravenous reader. So....

Here's how it works:

- Everyone who preorders* BUSTED ~OR~ A KISS IN THE DARK will receive swag (bookmarks, postcards, etc.)

- Everyone who preorders* BUSTED ~AND~ A KISS IN THE DARK will receive swag PLUS a paperback copy of LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE (if you already have LYM, you may choose a different YA paperback)

*and follows instructions for providing proof

- All entries will go into a drawing for one of two grand prize packs

BUSTED PRIZE PACK

This prize pack includes:
- a custom notebook sporting BUSTED's cover
- swag
- Aztec hot chocolate mix (in honor of the scene on page 90)
- 50/50 double sided colored pencils (a nod to Marisa's sketches)
- A top secret spy kit that includes an invisible ink pen, rear-view spy glass, magnifying glass, fake mustache, and a notebook
- A Magic Frosted Forest Yankee candle (in honor of the tree farm where TJ works, which Marisa nicknames "Narnia")
- "Oh snap" camera stickers (see page 48 + the cover for why these are utterly perfect)
- chocolate footballs
- 10 Cherry Blossom Classic Camera charms (a nod to Marisa's love of making jewelry)

A KISS IN THE DARK PRIZE PACK

This prize pack includes:
- A custom notebook sporting A KISS IN THE DARK's cover
- swag
- A #nofilter compact mirror (a nod to the photography aspect of the story)
- A set of 5 Color Story I <3 3="" glosses="" i="" lip="" nbsp="" pink="">(in honor of Macy's lip gloss-obsessed best friend, Meredith)
- A sunset lake journal (because Macy loves to snap sunset photos of the lake in her neighborhood)
- chocolate footballs (not pictured)
- Butter Rum Lifesavers (Macy's favorite candy, as we find out on page 53)
- A 4-inch Superman decal (in honor of Macy and Ben's favorite superhero)
- Football face tattoos (because Macy is a former cheerleader, and "football is no joke in the South.")

How To Enter

1) Preorder one or both books from the site of your choice (See above for prize tiers)

- BUSTED on Amazon / Indiebound / Target / Barnes and Noble 

- KISS on Amazon / Indiebound / Target / Barnes and Noble

2) Email proof of purchase to gina(dot)ciocca(at)yahoo(dot)com

  - Please include the address to which you would like your swag/prize shipped

3) Receive swag, become eligible to win a prize pack.

4) That's literally it.

**Winner of the BUSTED prize pack will be chosen on January 1st. All entrants will remain in the drawing for A KISS IN THE DARK's prize pack until the campaign ends on March 5th, 2018.**

In the mean time, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD about the contest! Here are some copy-and-paste-ready tweets for your sharing convenience:

Get awesome book swag + the chance to win one of two prize packs! Preorder BUSTED and/or A KISS IN THE DARK by @gmc511! https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/12/preorder-incentive-campaigns-for-busted.html

Preorder Incentive #Giveaway for @gmc511's BUSTED and A KISS IN THE DARK! Everyone gets swag + an entry for 1 of 2 grand prizes. Details here: https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/12/preorder-incentive-campaigns-for-busted.html  

If there are any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or find me on Twitter. Good luck!

#MyYALife Giveaway!

Who wants to win some awesome 2018 ARCs/preorders?

Well, Rachael Allen, Lauren Gibaldi, Jessica Pennington, Rachel Lynn Solomon, and myself have the perfect giveaway for you!

Today (July 24th) through July 27th, you can enter our giveaway for the chance to win ARCs of A TAXONOMY OF LOVE, BUSTED, LOVE SONGS AND OTHER LIES, and THIS TINY PERFECT WORLD, plus a preorder of YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE.

Here's how:

You can enter on Twitter or Instagram, or both. And since you'll need to follow us to qualify, here are the handles for everyone's Twitter/Instagram:

Rachael Allen: rachael_allen / rachael.stewartallen
Gina Ciocca: gmc511 / gmciocca
Lauren Gibaldi: laurengibaldi / lgibaldi
Jessica Pennington: jessnpennington / jessicapennington 
Rachel Lynn Solomon: rlynn_solomon / rlynn_solomon

To enter on Twitter, quote-RT the image from one of our accounts. Use the hashtag #MyYALife, and tell us a little bit about your life as a young adult, whether you're a young adult now, or uh... haven't been one in a while. It can be a few words, or a few sentences.

For example, Lauren Gibaldi's #MyYALife entry might look something like this:

If you want to go into more detail, feel free! Here's how my #MyYALife might read: 

To enter on  Instagram, just repost the image with your snippet and #MyYALife. (Be sure to use the hashtag so we can find your entry!)

Winner will be announced on Friday, July 28th, and YES, it's international! Good luck, and can't wait to see your entries!

(PSA - In case you don't win, you can still guarantee that these books will land in your hot little hands by pre-ordering them. Here are some super-convenient links, in case you'd like to do just that:

A TAXONOMY OF LOVE by Rachael Allen (January 9, 2018): Amazon / Barnes and Noble
BUSTED by Gina Ciocca (January 2, 2018): Amazon / Barnes and Noble
THIS TINY PERFECT WORLD by Lauren Gibaldi (February 27, 2018): Amazon / Barnes and Noble
LOVE SONGS AND OTHER LIES by Jessica Pennington (April 24, 2018): Amazon / Barnes and Noble 
YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE by Rachel Lynn Solomon (January 2, 2018): Amazon / Barnes and Noble

In Which I Have NEWS! ...And Celebrate With a Giveaway!

Hey, bloggy peeps!

It's been over a month since I've posted anything, and a good part of the reason for that is because I've been hard at work on my second book for Simon Pulse.

But while I was sitting in my office watching my word count on that manuscript slowly (PAINFULLY slowly) climb, something pretty awesome happened...

.... I SOLD ANOTHER BOOK!

Yay! My YA Contemporary, BUSTED, has been acquired by Annette Pollert at Sourcebooks, and I am thrilled.

I started drafting this novel while LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE was on sub, and it was ridiculous amounts of fun to write. I had a big smile on my face when I finished, and I hope you'll feel the same way if you read it.

At any rate, I am super grateful to be giving LYM a sibling. So grateful, in fact, that I've decided to run a Reviewer Appreciation Giveaway to celebrate. As you know, reviews are important to authors in so many ways, but I think these graphics break it down best:

So - here are the rules:

- Between now and 12/9/15 (which is LYM's half-birthday) read LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE (if you haven't already). Then post a review on Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble. 

- Leave the link to your review in the comments section of this post. Be sure to also leave your email address or Twitter handle, so I can notify you if you win.

The review does not have to be long - a few succinct, insightful sentences is fine. And it can definitely be a copied and pasted review that was previously only posted to Goodreads or your blog or website (as long as it's yours. No plagiarizing, obvs.)

YES - this contest is international! 

**An extra entry will be given to anyone who posts a review AND tweets about the contest. I'll even provide some pre-made tweets to make it easy**

Loved #LastYearsMistake by @gmc511? Post a review to celebrate her new deal with @SourcebooksFire win awesome books! http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/11/in-which-i-have-news-and-celebrate-with.html

Enter @gmc511's Reviewer Appreciation Giveaway to win awesome titles from @simonteen and @SourcebooksFire!  http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/11/in-which-i-have-news-and-celebrate-with.html

I entered @gmc511's Reviewer Appreciation Giveaway to celebrate her new deal with @SourcebooksFire! Details here: http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/11/in-which-i-have-news-and-celebrate-with.html

One winner will be announced on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 9th, and will receive:

- Any one Simon Teen title of your choice

- Any one Sourcebooks Fire title of your choice

- Signed LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE swag

- Saltwater taffy (in honor of one of my favorite scenes in LYM)

Thanks in advance for helping me celebrate, and I can't wait to share BUSTED with you!

*** CONGRATS TO NATALIE BLITT, WINNER OF THE CONTEST! The Reviewer Appreciation Giveaway is now closed, but new reviews are ALWAYS appreciated! ***

Happy Book Birthday to LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE!

You guys! It's here! June 9, 2015 is TODAY - and my book is officially out in the world!

The first pictures of my little book baby in the wild (aka the shelves at Barnes and Noble) were tweeted to me this weekend by Lauren Gibaldi and Lisa Maxwell. And yep, I totally choked up.

When I pulled myself together, I then threw on my Respect the Fluff t-shirt and hightailed it over to my nearest B and N, where I took this:

Pay no attention to the fact that I look like a Gremlin. Look only
at that gorgeous book beside me.

I honestly thought this day would never come, but now that it has, I have too many feels to even articulate. I'm humbled, flattered, touched, excited, nervous, a little harried, and well... you get the point.

Photo credit: Sourwolfpowers

First, I want to say THANK YOU to anyone and everyone who has either read, reviewed, tweeted, or showed any kind of excitement/support for LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE in any way. Knowing that people cared enough to read and spread the word about something I've written is mind-blowing.

Photo Credit: realitytvgifs

Second, everything I went through to get to this point is never far from my mind. Things can change on a dime, and I want to remind other authors who are feeling like it might never happen of this: You never know. No really. You Don't.

And since it *did* happen (nope, still not over it), there are three (well, four, if you count mine) blogs that have generously posted

interviews and/or giveaways in LYM's honor. Go to:

Reading is My Treasure for answers to Kaitlin Snider's fantabulous questions about LYM, and for the chance to win signed bookmarks and saltwater taffy (US only).

That Artsy Reader featured another set of fun interview questions for the Debut Dish, and is offering the chance to win a signed LYM hardcover and bookmark (INT).

Adventures in YA Publishing also has a hardcover copy up for grabs, along with some fantastic other titles.

And don't forget, today is the last full day to enter my own Pre-Release Giveaway Extravaganza! More details on how to win the prizes shown below can be found HERE.

If you like DEAR TEEN ME posts, mine is up on the PulseIt blog today. Click here to read.

Also, I want to give a special shout out to Eric Smith, for including LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE on Paste Magazine's list of 13 of the Best New YA Books in June, and to the New York Public Library for featuring LYM on its YA Summer Reading List. And to Sherry Lay, for making me this adorable piece of fan art from her favorite quote:

If you'd like to help me celebrate LYM's release, there are few ways you can do so.

One - help spread the word! I've put together a few tweets that can be copied and pasted for your convenience:

If you love YA contemporary romance, don't miss #LastYearsMistake, @gmc511's sweet tale of first love & 2nd chances!  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481432230/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=06944YBFNJJT2FCQ1EZ3&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop

Love a will they/won't they romance between friends? @gmc511's #LastYearsMistake releases today! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481432230/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=06944YBFNJJT2FCQ1EZ3&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop

Swoony, romantic #LastYearsMistake by @gmc511 is out today! Don't miss all these awesome chances to win it! www.writersblog-gina.blogspot.com

Two - buy the book! It's available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Indiebound, as well as in lots of book stores.

Three - if you like it, tell a friend. Or better yet, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads! Word of mouth is invaluable to helping get books in people's hands.

Four - come support me and LYM at one of my launch parties or signings! Click the Events and Appearances tab at the top of the page for more info - hopefully to updated with even more places to find me soon.

And once again, thank you so much to everyone who had read, or plans to read LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE. This is a life-long dream come true for me, and I'm so excited for you to share it with me!

Photo credit: foreverswiftly

Last Year's Mistake Pre-Release Giveaway Extravaganza!

YOU GUYS. My book launch is imminent!

I have no idea how this is possible, because last year when I learned what my release date would be, I honestly thought, June 9, 2015 is NEVER coming. But OMG. It totally is.

And there are so many exciting things happening! For example, this utterly ADORBZ article that ran in the June/July issue of Justine Magazine, where they chose beyond-perfect clothes and accessories to go along with the story:

Look closely at that bracelet. It's a quote from ALICE IN WONDERLAND that reads:

I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.

You know what I can't do? Even begin to explain how perfect that quote is. Once you read the book, you'll know why. 

Then, ACTUAL GORGEOUS HARDCOVERS OF LYM ARRIVED IN THE MAIL!

And then Taylor Swift totally channeled my book cover:

She's trying to tell me she loves my book. Shut up. Yes she is.

Not to mention that LYM was listed as one of Epic Reads 15 Most Anticipated YA Books to Read in June, and also appeared on the Barnes & Noble Teen Blog as one of 40 Books You Need On Your Summer Reading List. 

Convinced you need this book in your life? Well, you're in luck. Because I'm SO excited to finally share this story with the rest of the world, I bring you...

THE LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE PRE-RELEASE PRIZE PACK GIVEAWAY!

To one lucky winner, I am offering:

- A signed hardcover of LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE

- One 11 x 17 LYM Poster (also signed, if you prefer)

- A signed LYM bookmark

- A signed LYM postcard

- An adorable LYM refrigerator magnet

- And as a BONUS - TWO titles of your choice by a 2015 debut author. Need a list to peruse? I can help: 2015 Debut Young Adult Authors

How To Enter:

Simple - spread the word! Just POST ABOUT + LINK TO this contest on any form of social media, and be sure to FOLLOW + TAG me and/ or leave a link in the comments below!

You can find me on Twitter (@gmc511), Instagram (@gmciocca, and the image above is conveniently Insta-sized) and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gmcioccabooks 

I'll even make it easy by providing some sample tweets:

I entered @gmc511's #LastYearsMistake Giveaway b/c sometimes first love needs a second chance, and I need this book! http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/06/last-years-mistake-pre-release-giveaway.html

(Hey, if I'm gonna write the tweets, I'm gonna go overboard)

Win #LastYearsMistake + 2 @Fearless15ers titles of your choice courtesy of @gmc511's pre-release giveaway! http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/06/last-years-mistake-pre-release-giveaway.html

@gmc511 is giving away #LastYearsMistake swag, plus 2 @Fearless15ers novels of your choice. Have you entered? http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/06/last-years-mistake-pre-release-giveaway.html

Those are just examples - feel free to be creative, but please remember to link to the contest and tag me so I know you've entered! And even if you've done all of the above, feel free to still leave a comment. I love them.

Best of luck! Winner will be announced on Wednesday, June 10th. Apologies, but this one is US/Canada only.

Updates, Info, and Annotated ARCs of LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE!

Good Morning, Peeps!

Hope everyone had a great weekend and a great Mother's Day. It just so happens that my birthday fell on Mother's Day some *mumble mumble* years ago, and today, my birthday falls on... well, today!

And to celebrate, I'm offering not one, but TWO chances to win annotated ARCs of LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE! (And if you'd like to know how much longer we have to wait for release day, I've added a handy-dandy little widget in the sidebar.)

The first giveaway is over at A Perfection Called Books. Rachel and Dana were kind enough to include me in their Meet the Newbies Feature (#MeetTheNewbs), and have a post up offering sneak peeks at some of the inside information you'll find in my ARC, like this:

 As well as some random facts about me. Like this one:

Embarrassing High School Moment Alert: I had zero fashion sense when I got to high school, thanks to spending 8 years wearing a uniform in Catholic grade school. One day I decided to make an attempt at dressing up, and wore a skirt. I borrowed a pair of heels from my mother, which I stupidly put on before walking to the bus stop. I fell, ripped my tights, and scraped my knee in front of all my neighbors. And worse, instead of turning around and going home, I got on the bus and went to school with a bloody leg and a gaping tear in my pantyhose.

Pretty awful, right? 

So I thought it might be fun to turn *your* #AwfulHSMoment into a chance at winning the second ARC - just leave a comment telling me all about one of your most embarrassing moments in high school, and/or tweet it to me using the hashtag above. 

It's that easy - and yes, it's international! I'll pick the winner on Friday, 5/15. 

***Be sure I have either your email address or your Twitter handle to notify you if you win!***

Some Other Fun Stuff

Did you know the first (non-annotated) chapter of LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE went live on YABooksCentral a couple weeks ago? Here's the link: http://www.yabookscentral.com/blog/chapter-reveal-last-year-s-mistake-by-gina-ciocca

I was also featured in a local Georgia magazine called Our Milton Neighbor, courtesy of Marchet Butler, who did my head shots. Here's the article:

To clarify the typo - my launch party at Little Shop of Stories (with Rachael Allen, Lauren Morrill, and Julie Reece) is June 20th, and the FoxTale event (with Becky Albertalli, Katie M. Stout, and Melissa Hurst) is June 30th. More info about events and appearances available in the handy dandy tab at the top of my home page!

And last but not least, LYM was included in this amazing roundup of summer YA romances on the Barnes and Noble Teen Blog: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/teen/2015-contemporary-ya-summer-romance-preview/

That's all for now. Is everyone ready for summer? I know I am!