What's Up With the Big O in 2015?

Hi All, 

I hope you're enjoying your summer! I'm spending part of this summer hunkering down to finish writing BROKEN GIRL, (book 1 in the series).

While I do have the summer off from work, (yeah, I work outside of writing) I have 3 amazingly awesome boys who are also home for the summer. Between the boys, hubs, animals, books, extended family and chores, I'm hoping to spend some time diving into some other writing projects that are rumbling around in my head ... What's that saying?  A woman's work is never done! Well, neither is an authors! 

I live to create, and in some sense, create to live!  


*****BIG O's NEWS FLASH!****

I wanted to let you know I've lowered the price of PROTOTYPE to $2.99 and decided to register it for the KindleUnlimited program. For those of you who aren't familiar, KindleUnlimited is a monthly subscription service Amazon offers where you can read books for FREE! If you don't belong, you can still get the ebook through Amazon.com.

LINK----> http://amzn.to/1LiHlWa <----PROTOTYPE

***THE WILSON MOONEY SERIES IN THE NEWS!***

Shhhh.... You're first to know! 

The WILSON MOONEY series is going to be available in a boxset! That's right, all three ebooks bundled, with a prequel titled, MAX.  <---That's right! A prequel before ALMOST EIGHTEEN! This story will ONLY be available in the boxset, so if you want to find out HIS story, make sure you check your inboxes for the news! My goal is to release it the end of July, beginning of August. Price TBD. 


ALSO, as 2015 rolls toward a close, I wanted to tell you where you can find me!  I have 2 signings left for 2015! 

***COME SEE THE BIG O, FROM COAST TO COAST!***

SAN FRAN GOLDEN GATE AUTHOR EVENT.
August 8th, 2015. San Francisco, CA. 
http://sfgoldengateauthorevent.blogspot.com/

INDIES INVADE PHILLY AUTHOR EVENT.
November 7th, 2015. Philadelphia, PA. 
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/indies-invade-philly-2015-tickets-15294974681

I look forward to seeing you! 

With love and gratitude!

Gretchen de la O
    "The Big O"

FIRST MAJOR SIGNING SFINE HERE I COME!!!!

Well everyone I am off to San Francisco today for my first HUGE signing on Saturday! There is going to be over 30 authors there. I have a half of a table I am sharing with Bethany Lopez (I can't wait to meet her!). I've got all my swag in order and my bags are almost packed, all I have to do is set up my boys for success while I'm gone for 30 hours! Not much time in the realm of taking off for the weekend.

I am so excited to meet my readers, amazing authors, dynamic book bloggers, and many different people in the book industry! This weekend is going to be FAN-tastic! If you are coming down to the Sheraton at Fisherman's Wharf, make sure you come by my table, pick up some swag and let's chat! If you aren't going to San Francisco, then make sure to make it to Orlando, FL. on June 29th for Book Bash!

Thank you for being the most amazing fans a girl could ever ask for! Here's a little treat in case you can't make it to SFINE! 

With Gratitude,
Gretchen

Birthday Giveaway ebook copy of Wilson Mooney Almost Eighteen!

So it was my birthday Tuesday (4/23)! And what better way to celebrate it than to give away the first book, Almost Eighteen, in the Wilson Mooney Series! 

Sooooo, for this weekend only (4/27-4/28) If you go to Smashwords and enter the promo code EH98M, you can download an eBook of Almost Eighteen for FREE!

Share this on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, your blog, and your website! Don't ya think it's about time the rest of the world found out just how swoon-worthy Max is!

And thank you for being the best fans in the Universe!

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/86666

Sneak Peek Scene from Beyond Eighteen WM#3 & News

Hey My Loves, 

Head on over to Up All Night Book Blog and check out the exclusive scene sneak peek between Wilson and Max... Click HERE to read it!

www.upallnightbookblog.com

Also, don't forget SFINE on June 15th, the San Francisco Signing~ the event is almost to capacity...so...if you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, in the middle of June, come on down to the Sheraton at Fisherman's Wharf and say hi! I'll even sign your book (or whatever you have to be signed!) 
 Click HERE for details and register soon! 



With all of that...If I get 1K (1,000) LIKES on the Wilson Mooney Fan Page I will reveal Beyond Eighteen's cover!  
I gotta tell you...is it a lot different than the other two books!  

Oh, yeah, and one more thing... You've heard it here first...I am re-issuing book 1 & 2 with totally new covers! More about that...later!  Shhhh......

Thank you for supporting me on this journey~ with the deepest gratitude and love,

Gretchen  

And The Winner Is....

First off, thank you to everyone who participated in the Pinterest Re-pin of the Wilson Mooney Book Covers. It was so awesome to see how many of you love the Wilson Mooney Series. And a huge thank you for those of you who are following The Wilson Mooney Boards. For those of you who have never been on Pinterest, I suggest you check it out. 

Pinterest link

*WARNING* It is very addictive and can be labeled a time sucker. But hey, just because the kids haven't eaten and the laundry isn't done, doesn't mean you weren't productive, come on, you were able to build some really nice boards and pin away your hearts desires!

Oh, geez, I'm way off topic. I am supposed to announce the winner of the autograph copy of Wilson Mooney Eighteen at Last! So here we go. The winner of the Re-pin the Wilson Mooney Covers on your own boards on Pinterest is.....

Ashley Ann McDonald

Thank you Ashley for participating. I can't wait to send out a special copy of WM18@L. (Please email me at gretchen(at)gretchendelao(dot)com.

If you haven't had a chance to check out the Wilson Mooney Boards, please check it out!

Visit www.pinterest.com/delaogk and check out the WM boards....while you're there go ahead and follow them!

Thanks to all of you who participated. Thanks for being the best fans in the world, and I am so glad that you are sharing Wilson with your friends and the world. What an awesome journey!

With Love and Appreciation,

Gretchen

I Am Soooo Close I Can Taste a Release Date....

Ok...You, my lovely readers have been so patient, so understanding, and so amazingly supportive. I am excited to say, the second book is on its way.

Let me tell ya where I am at...I've uploaded my required interior files to CreateSpace, (after a good amount of cursing and figuring out what the heck they were requiring).  I've fixed the file for the Kindle and it is ready to go. 

My graphic designer has been waiting for my summary (I wasn't happy with it original). I just emailed the bar-code, summary, and all information she needs to place it on the back cover of the paperback copy. When she emails me the files for the covers (eBook & print) I will upload those and order a proof of the paperback. I also had to register the book with Bowkers (boy is that something).

In the meantime, I am waiting for the mastered, original song, from an amazing local singer/song writer for the teaser trailer I want so it will make you all hot and bothered for Max and Wilson.

For now, that's all I got for you! Thank you for all your support! Thanks for telling all your girlfriends about Wilson, and I hope you will love WM18@L.

 Shhhh...come in a little closer, I don't want to say this too loud...

Here's a little insider information for my blog-stalkers...

you know who you are! ;) 

WM18@L will NOT be labeled a young adult novel

...just in case you were wondering.

When A Spark Catches...

When a spark catches, a fire will blaze until its unstoppable flames consume without consideration. It is at this particular moment when we must decide if it is a blessing or a curse. We can either stand on the edge of a new opportunity grieving for what was lost or choose to celebrate the newly discovered possibilities.

When Wilson came to me several years ago, I didn’t know what she was all about. Some people told me that none of the big publishers would touch the story with a ten-foot pole. They thought the story was too taboo because it was about a girl and her teacher. But something inside me kept me writing it. The creative urge to tell her story was stronger than the mainstream belief that readers couldn’t handle the subject.

I knew that once people read the story, the whole idea of a student and a teacher would be an afterthought to the relationship of two young people who were falling in love with each other. It was so much more than the superficial, knee-jerk judgment of a naughty novel.

As I passed chapters to people who wanted to read Wilson’s story, I worked really hard to stretch out of the box of conventional thinking. If someone tried to stuff me back in the box, I would find the means to kick my way out. I guess I was too naïve to believe that stories like Wilson’s didn’t have an audience.

When I needed help, I would ask and opportunities would always show up. When I didn’t know if I was doing the right thing, I would stop and wait for the answers. When days turned into more days and doubt would creep into my head, I was fortunate enough to have people who would whack me upside the noggin for stopping mid-sentence and then give me positive strokes for continuing with my passion. It never took much to remind me why I was writing Wilson and Max’s story.

If there is anything I learned in the journey of bringing Wilson and Max to the world, it would have to be anything is possible. 

What mind can conceive, man can achieve.

Patience is truly the most rewarding attribute of seeing your dream unfold. When you feel like giving up, find every moment that sparks the creative energy in your heart and focus on that. When situations hurt your feelings, find something in that situation that helps you grow. Find the diamond buried in the huge mountain. And never forget, sometimes your ignorance of the worlds views will keep you alive and swimming when so many others are eaten by the sharks circling to swallow them whole.

**WM18@L Update**

I’m meeting with my beta readers Sunday! Whew, I can’t wait to hear what they have to say! Also, my editor is done with the book. She should have it to me in the next couple of days. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the first part of next week to see the progress on the cover from my graphic designer.

Lastly, I want to thank each and every one of you. I’m speechless and can’t think of any words to express how grateful I am to have all your support. You took a chance on an unknown author and bought my novel. That means the world to me. You’ve come back to my blog and Facebook page, checking in on my progress and I totally appreciate that. It’s funny to think, not too long ago Wilson’s story only existed in my head and now it’s out in the entire world, being shared!

With Overwhelming Gratitude,

Gretchen

Wilson Mooney, Eighteen at Last Teaser...

Alright ladies, here's a little bite for ya...

"Max glared at the floor for a postponed moment. His eyes slowly raked up my body. My skin burned and my vision blurred as my heartbeat bruised my lungs. It was agonizing to watch him take me in inch by inch. His expression tortured; his lips pulled in a severe line; his shoulders rounded like the whole world was dumped heavy across them. He opened his mouth and his nostrils flared as he began to speak words that must have caught somewhere between his heart and the back of his throat."

(Wilson Mooney, Eighteen at Last~2012)