I was delighted to see the cover design for APFELBLUTEN SOMMER (Apple Blossom Summer), the German translation of BRANCHING OUT, which will be released by Egmont LYX on January 6, 2016. I find it fascinating to see how two publishers approach the design of the same story. Now, if only I had taken German in school!
Copies of FAMILY TREES officially shipped out to readers this week. I know it... but I can't believe it. Thanks to all who preordered the novel -- I am beyond grateful for your interest and support! I'm eagerly counting down the days until the official launch on Monday, June 1. Feeling grateful.
FAMILY TREES will launch in a few short weeks! In anticipation, I'm posting a sneak peek of the first chapter. I can't wait to share the entire novel with you!
"As lovely and temperamental as a woman, Lake Superior could dazzle admirers one moment and then, without warning, lash out in fury. When gentle, she would allow a kayak to lightly caress her sparkling surface. And when wicked, she could take a man’s breath away and swallow him whole into her icy belly. This was home. Shelby couldn’t imagine living anywhere else."
You can read the entire chapter here: http://bit.ly/1E69Bpi
(photo: Derek Griggs)
FAMILY TREES ARC GIVEAWAY
Winners were announced today: K. Christ Brown, S. Shepherd Carlson and T. Kaminski! Please DM me with your address // or send an email via the contact page on this site so I can mail an ARC copy to you.
Thanks to all who participated!
Happy Reading -- Kerstin
FREE ARC GIVEAWAY
FAMILY TREES will hit the shelves ONE MONTH from today! To celebrate, I'm giving away 3 ARC (advanced reader copies) of the novel.
To enter, simply "like" my author page on Facebook or Twitter and share this post with your friends. Three winners will be randomly selected on Friday, May 8, to receive a copy prior to the June 1 launch.
Also, for those interested in preordering copies, links to national booksellers are listed on the Home page of this site. I look forward to hearing from you!
My first book review has been published -- this one in the June issue of RT BOOK REVIEWS. As a debut author, this feels pretty darn good. Thanks Patsy Glans! Realistically, I know that I'll receive my share of poor reviews. But I think I'll have to sweep those under the rug so I can maintain the joy of writing :-)
One month until pub day!
"A wonderful debut novel with adorable, but struggling characters. March is a stellar new author, and her research of the Bayfield area really shines."
Read more at: RT Book Reviews
It was truly to see FAMILY TREES translated into German and redesigned for an international audience. Here is a look at the new cover for "Die Zeit der Apfelbluten" -- which means, "The Time of Apple Blossoms." This edition will be published by Egmont LYX and releases internationally on Nov. 5, 2015.
Now, if only I had taken German instead of Spanish in school -- then perhaps I could read it!
http://www.egmont-lyx.de/buch/die-zeit-der-apfelblueten/
Are you on Goodreads? If so, Kensington Publishing is running a giveaway for 25 copies of FAMILY TREES! Winning would be like sharing a birthday with the book. Book debuts. You get a free copy.
Hmm. OK, so maybe that's not the best analogy, but you get the picture :-)
You can learn more simply by clicking here:
NOTE: Giveaway ends April 30, 2015
Somehow... some way... I did it!
BRANCHING OUT, my second novel, has been written and revised and is now going into production with my publisher! The storyline, combined with the challenge of writing this book, literally brought me to tears (which was awkward on those days when I wrote in public at the coffee shop.)
(Coming November 2015).
That moment when you look into your shopping cart and realize that your home-spun marketing idea is beginning to look like a home crafting project...
I just received a box of galleys from my editor at Kensington Publishing and... w o w !
I'm not the first author to be published, and I certainly won't be the last -- but this is a first for me and it feels pretty darn good.
So grateful for everyone who has helped me, and continues to offer support and encouragement, as I near by June 1 debut!
To say that things are moving quickly is an understatement. It's funny. The publishing process feels incredibly slow until you're in the final stages of production and suddenly, you're racing to keep up with everything in a mad dash to the finish.
This week, while reviewing the final copy proof for FAMILY TREES and continuing to write its sequel, BRANCHING OUT, I received cover art for the second book! I was planning to wait to release it, but today, I discovered that the cover is already on Amazon, etc.
So, what the heck. To keep up with the pace of things, and without further adieu, here is the new cover...!
“Untitled Book #2” has a name! When the sequel to FAMILY TREES is released in December 2015, it will be called BRANCHING OUT.
More about that book in the months to come… !
I am delighted to announce that FAMILY TREES has an official publication date, just in time for summer...
June 1, 2015!
It's incredible to see this book come together with copy edits, cover art, and a now a date when it will actually appear in stores!
While the launch is still months away, and will occur during a busy time (my first born's high school graduation, family birthdays, end of school, and the excitement of summer...) I will definitely find a way to mark the occasion. Even if that means throwing a shin-dig in our backyard and offering up leftover graduation cake and sandwiches to those who stop by to join in the celebration.
OK. Who am I kidding? I'm going to spring for my own cake!
When writing a novel, you spend countless hours / days / months crafting the words that will ultimately make up the inside pages of your book. The book’s outer appearance, however, is a mystery. If you’re working with a traditional publisher, you put your trust in an art and marketing team to create a design that represents your story and, if all goes well, entices readers to open the book to the first page.
For this writer, the mystery is over. I am delighted to unveil the cover design for FAMILY TREES, which will appear in stores next June!
Thanks to my team at Kensington Publishing Corp. for their hard work and for daring to do something different!
I love this article in VOGUE! It makes me wonder what beach look would match my novel. Perhaps a white bathing suit worn with faded denim, flip flops, and a turquoise pendant on a silver chain necklace... fun to think about as I relax during a 4th of July vacation on Lake Superior.
http://www.vogue.com/vogue-daily/article/how-to-match-your-beach-look-to-your-beach-read/#4
Have you ever reached the end of a favorite novel and felt that slight pang of sadness for having to say goodbye to the characters? Did you ever close the book and wonder, even for a moment, what happened to those characters after that last page?
I have. Countless times. In fact, I even did it when I finished writing my first novel. I had thought about my characters for so long – imagining everything from their greatest joys and inner struggles, to simple things, like how they take their coffee and what makes them laugh.
Once I submitted my finished manuscript to my agent, I thought – that’s it! Sure, there will be edits and revisions, but the story was complete and I was happy with its ending.
Imagine my delight, a short time later, when my publisher asked me to do that one thing that I’ve wanted to do with other books – not only imagine what happened next, but make it happen. Write Book Two. What an incredible opportunity!
But here’s the kicker. Imagining what happened to those characters is one thing. Writing about it is another. I had decisions to make. Should I put my characters on an easy path? Or should I turn their lives upside-down – again.
Since life is fraught with unexpected twists and turns, I chose the latter. So this summer, with kids jumping on the trampoline, carpools and activities in high drive, weeds in the garden, brats on the grill, and an October writing deadline looming… I get to imagine what happened to Ryan Chambers and Shelby Meyers after the last page of FAMILY TREES. And when I reach the ending, I’ll have to say goodbye once again.
Phew! Edits to FAMILY TREES are done and the revised manuscript is off to my editor. Now for a day of rest before tackling "Book 2" in the morning…
After a lot of work and a bit of luck, I am thrilled to announce that I sold my debut novel to Kensington Books yesterday! They made a two-book offer for my manuscript, FAMILY TREES (commercial women's fiction), and its sequel (which is currently nothing more than a few ideas on an otherwise blank page.) Both books will be released in 2015.
When I sent my pages off to New York several months ago, I was proud to have accomplished my dream of writing a book. I didn't know what would happen next and I knew the odds were stacked against me. Everything that has happened since that day has simply exceeded my expectations.
Thanks those who have encouraged, challenged, prodded, advised, cheered, and celebrated with me from page one!
