2016: Year In Review

From where I'm sitting, this year has flown. I can't believe it's New Year's Eve. A fast year. And for me, not such a bad one. In fact, it's been my best author year yet, and I can't thank my readers enough for making it such a fast-paced, rewarding time to be a writer. THANK YOU, readers!! I've got lots planned for 2017, so I hope you'll stick around.

On the writing front:

I released five books this year. Walking backward:

Walking Wounded

Loverboy

Tastes Like Candy

Secondhand Smoke

Snow In Texas

On the reading front:

I read some really wonderful books this year, though most weren't published in 2016. In no particular order, my favorites were:

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

by Michael Chabon

The Shell Seekers

by Rosamunde Pilcher

Coming Home

by Rosamunde Pilcher

A Prayer for Owen Meany

by John Irving

The Nightingale

by Kristin Hannah

All The Light We Cannot See

by Anthony Doerr

The Ocean At The End of the Lane

by Neil Gaiman

The Martian

by Andy Weir

Happy New Year, everyone!!! I can't wait to see you all again in 2017.

HP Press Debriefing : Walking Wounded

HP Press Debriefing : Walking Wounded

12/26/16

*Author Notes and Insights*

Hi everyone, and welcome to the Walking Wounded debriefing. There will be some spoilers below, I’m sure, which is why I’ve put it under a “read more” cut. So if you haven’t read the novel, and don’t want to be spoiled, come back to this later. If you have read the book, I hope you’ll enjoy taking a deeper look at the novel through my eyes.

#MusicMonday - Walking Wounded Tracks

In case you missed the announcement this weekend, Walking Wounded is live on Amazon and B&N!

Kindle

Nook

The paperbacks should be live tomorrow, and I'll be selling signed copies after the first of the year for anyone interested.

I haven't done a Music Monday post in a while, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite song picks for WW. In my mind, most of the soundtrack is comprised of alternatingly melancholy and hopeful instrumental pieces (secret life goal: write something worthy of an instrumental soundtrack one of these days), but there are a few songs that inspired the storytelling:

"Ever After" - Marianas Trench (this is *THE* song, for both storylines, just THE song, I just love it, okay)

"If I Lose Myself" - One Republic

"I Can't Go On Without You" - Kaleo

"MF" - AWOLNATION (song for the club scene)

"Wild Things" - Alessia Cara

"Mona Lisa" - Nat King Cole (1950; Leena)

Sunday Notes 12/11

• One of my favorite books of this year (read for November's book club meeting), A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving, contains an insightful mini-essay from the author as an afterward. I like to "debrief" my releases, but this gave me an idea to take it further. So...
• Wed. 12/21/16: Walking Wounded debriefing on the blog. This will be my space to talk about favorites scenes, moments, and passages from the novel, and open the floor for questions.
• This week on the blog: visuals and BTS stories from Walking Wounded.
• Friday: ebook giveaway.
• You can find Walking Wounded on Goodreads here.
• A Dartmoor Christmas continues through Christmas :)
• 12/31: my favorites reads of the year

#TeaserTuesday: Walking Wounded

88,167 words
275 pages
Contemporary
Historical
Literary
M/M romantic relationship

Coming December 17th

Walking Wounded Copyright © 2016 by Lauren Gilley

Read the Prologue...