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"

Grateful Journey...

I can say I would never change my life for all the money in the world or all the friends I could squeeze into an Amtrak train. I know that I am the fortunate one…I’m the person that skips across the crosswalk in rush hour traffic wearing a grin and dances down the sidewalk of my life in the pouring rain without an umbrella. 

Writing the Wilson Mooney Series was an amazing journey, but taking the series on the road to book signings has made the journey phenomenal. Where else could I meet some of the most supportive, dynamic, talented, people I know?

Where could I fulfill my dreams and aspirations but amongst the people that see me for who I truly am? To wake up to the true validation that what I do isn’t just a spoiled girl’s attempt to be something she wasn’t meant to be. 

I am an author…Validated by some pretty established, talented, and amazing writers. And as I make my mark on the hearts of my readers and fellow writers…one beat at a time, I attempt to stay authentic to who I truly am. 

I can’t find the difference between my life and how I’m supposed to act. As I drag my hands across the dark tweed curtains on center stage, I struggle just like anyone else for that opening where the edges meet and the lights beg to push them part. I squint as the spotlights penetrate the most private corners of my soul. I’m the person who still cries at moments of weakness and cheers at the smallest moments of strength.

I am grateful for everything that I’ve experienced, learned from choices I’ve made, and grew from watching the experiences of others. I get giddy at the moment I discover someone has fallen in love with my writing, and get overwhelmed at the support from other authors with my process.  I’ve gained trust and earned respect of my peers, not by asking them to do for me…but by sharing my heart openly with them. 

YES…I have days were I want to stop. Days where I’m tired of having my heart ripped out of my chest. Days where I just need someone to tell me that I am worthy.  But with each turn of events…with each breath that leads me back to my passion; I learn just that much more about my industry. I learn that what I put out…will be drawn back into my life. I know if I turn away from the sun I will cast a shadow in front of me, I know that as I close my ears to the discontented I won’t be able to hear, and I know as I speak…so shall my life mirror my words.

I’ve learned so much in the infancy of my career, and in learning…I’ve discovered there is still so much I have to learn. But it is in that space...of not knowing that the greatest growth takes place for me…and for all of that…I am truly grateful.

My Interview with Christy from Tyhada Reads Book Blog

Hey Ladies! 

Check out my interview with Christy at Tyhada Reads. 

She asks some pretty detailed questions about my writing process and how I came up with the name for the series!

http://tyhadareads.com/2013/08/11/author-spotlight-gretchen-de-la-o/

SAVE THE DATE! Beyond Eighteen release date is October 2nd, 2013! Also, make sure to check out the book tour for Beyond Eighteen from October 21st through the 25th. There will be interviews, reviews, and giveaways!

With Gratitude,
Gretchen

My First Author Interview!

So I've finally arrived! Okay, so maybe I was never gone....I had so much fun doing my very first author interview over at Smitten's Book Blog! Check it out! You might even get some insight to questions you have!

Check out the interview HERE!

Oh and there are another 2 WM book giveaways at www.smittensbookblog.wordpress.com!

Which reminds me!

Winner of the 2/14/13 drawing is...

Bianca from Downey, CA! 

Congratulations Bianca, email me at gretchen(at)gretchendelao(dot) com.

Thick Skin...Maybe Not.

Okay, so maybe my skin isn’t as thick as I thought it was…like most I can admire the genius behind the impossible flight of an awkwardly disproportionate bumble bee. It’s amazing to find out nature can defy physics and make the impossible…possible. But when the fear of being stung out-weighs the admiration of true nature, that’s when I tend to get nailed.

The bumble bee, whose wings appear to be too small to keep its massive body in the air and a body which lacks any defined attempt at aerodynamics, and yet, it hovers, flies, and lands on the most delicate of places. The bumble bee spends its day depositing and taking pollen to create the sweetest nectar. It lives its existence, doing what’s in its nature, simply because it is designed to do it. When it’s threatened or its queen is threatened it will protect her, often with the sacrifice of its life. It dies to do what’s in its indisputable nature.

Sometimes, I feel like a bumble bee…yeah, that’s right, a bumble bee.

I wanted to write, so I wrote like it was in my nature. No, I wasn’t born into a family of writers or ever dreamt of being a writer when I was younger. One day, I just had an urge, stronger than a desire, to write, so I wrote. Like the bumble bee, I never knew my wings were too small for my body. I wrote without knowing anything about what I was or wasn’t supposed to do or believe.

And just as nature supports the business of the bumble bee’s intentions, it has and continues to support me in my purpose. Yeah, I have days where I feel I have to justify and protect my writing. There are moments when I feel threatened, hurt, and misunderstood. When stranger’s words find ways to pierce deeper than any stinger could drive in my skin. Sometimes their words roll off my back and sometimes their words get stuck in the nectar I’ve decided to take back to my hive.

But I will say…there are more days I feel, supported, loved, happy, and completely appreciated. Days where the words that blanket my computer screen encourage me to keep going. Moments where tears cluster in my eyes because I’ve written a story that touches people’s lives deeper than I could have ever imagined.

Nothing is more powerful than the words we say, thoughts we think, and intentions we act upon. So when hours shuffle into days, I truly appreciate every moment my readers have taken to write me a note, an email, a review, or a comment. And just like the bumble bee, which doesn’t think of itself as anything more than a worker/producer, I keep my intention on writing the stories that crowd my head. When I need motivation to continue, I find it. When difficulties appear, I get out of the way of my insecurities and doubt. And I will never forget how conventional science points out every reason why a bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly…and yet it keeps defying scientific reasoning.

Stretch your wings, try something you’ve put off too long. And remember just because it hasn’t been done before, doesn’t mean it can’t; it just means you haven’t discovered a way…yet.

What's Next?

There are a lot of people asking me to write a separate story from Wilson Mooney series for the other supporting characters. They are asking about Nick, Joanie, and even Cindy! Yes people are asking to know more about what makes Cindy tick (if you can believe that!).

I guess it’s something that has become a trend when producing a series or novel (writing a novelette about secondary characters). It isn’t something that is off my radar; if the demand is there. I think it would be a wonderful opportunity to introduce you to the other characters in the book.

But, I gotta tell you, I have lived with all the characters from the WM series for several years now. They have become an intrinsic part of my life. I used to find myself staring out the window, wondering what they are doing when I wasn’t writing their story. As a matter of fact, there were plenty of days I couldn’t wait to get back to them. I know how sexy and mesmerizing Wilson and Max can be. Heck, there were days when I wished they’d just come walking through my front door so I could find out what was going on in their lives when I was busy in the reality of mine.

But it is important that I take this opportunity and explain why I am ready to move on to the other stories that are banging against all the doors I keep shutting in my head, while I finish writing the 3rd book in the WM series.

My story of becoming an author isn’t rare or exciting. I sat down one day in December of 2008 and started to write a romantic sci-fi about a woman CIA agent who gets tangled in a situation beyond her control. It is a sexy, suspenseful, and an all around dynamic story of sex, murder, and betrayal. When I finished Prototype and started writing the sequel (Hindsight’s 20/20), out of nowhere, Wilson was born. The first couple of sentences of Wilson’s story came to me and from that day her words just flowed through me. Needless to say, I stopped writing Hindsight, the second book of the Prototype series, and focused on writing Wilson’s story.

Wilson Mooney, Almost Eighteen was written in 6 months. It took another 6-8 months to figure out what I was going to do with her story. In that time, I had tons of characters for other stories tiptoe and dance through my head. Stories I have fallen in love with as much as I did with Wilson and Max. Sure some are more sensual than others, some are heavy, while others are light and freeing, but all of them are so important to me and truly deserve my attention.

I would like to get Prototype out to the world soon! And with the help of my amazing editor Tiffany Grayson, it is becoming more of a reality for me. Thanks T!

And with that being said…

I know where I left you at the end of WM18@L…I know you are aching to read the third book in the series, and I totally understand that.

Please don’t panic…finishing WM3 my total priority.

I guess what I am saying is after WM3 is released, and I know that Wilson and Max are left in a sustainable state, they will be just fine with giving me their blessing to move onto other stories.

And when I do that…when you get to meet all the other totally amazing characters stomping around in my head…you’ll see why I am hesitant to commit to a novelette for the WM series. 

Thank you for being the MOST REMARKABLE fans and readers in the world!

Please don’t forget to share your love for Wilson and Max with your friends!

And like you did for me, take a chance on a new author, because there are some really talented writers out there!

With Love,

Gretchen

How Do I Explain?

OK, time for me to plaster my heart against the screen of your electronic devices. Just let me crack my chest open and pour out every last emotion that tries to cling to whatever is left dangling in my heart. What words can I say that would give you a glimpse into the pleated folds of my mind that nobody has ever seen before? I don’t know, maybe the possibility of speaking before I think of the ramifications, or in the attempt to keep my sacred moments locked away in my heart...I may appear distant or uninterested. 

If you only knew I am exploding inside, wanting to connect with every word, letter, email, and review. And the deep gratitude I feel for each person who has invested part of their life in Wilson and Max’s story.

Life is so precious, and how we spend it is so important. I am completely aware that what we do with our lives equates to how we end up spending our time. And in today’s world, I know that time is one of our most valuable commodities. A commodity that once spent, we can never get it back. We can’t ask for a refund or exchange it for something different.

Time is priceless, treasured, and irreplaceable; therefore, I truly understand the price you’ve paid to spend time with the characters that found their way through me and out into the world. Is there even a word in existence that can explain the emotion that swells through my body when I find out that someone has fallen in love with Wilson and Max? Possibly, but at this particular moment I can’t seem to find it.

Maybe it’s like when you see the man of your dreams and the spark it ignites deep within your heart. Or the unconditional, untainted love that saturates you when you see your child for the first time. This whole experience really does rank up there for me. When people give their time to my words, it is an indescribable feeling. A feeling I want to blurt out, share with everyone, and canvas the world with it; but it is so personal, so intense, and so awe-inspiring that to try and explain it seems almost too…limiting.

It is so powerful to feel people’s emotions. Every response I get from a reader about Wilson is poignant because they have taken their time to think, feel, and process the emotions that boiled to the surface of their life when they read her story. That resonates with me.

I can’t tell you what waits for me later today, tomorrow, or even the next. But I can tell you this…I am exceedingly grateful to all of the people in this world who have decided to share in the stories that swamp my head and pour out through my fingers. To those of you who have invested your treasure and time in my words—I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

With Gratitude,

Gretchen 

Okay, Let's just Visualize okay! Humor me!

Hello, Jennifer Lawrence as Wilson?

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