Category Archives: General
WINNERS of the Fast Forward Blog Tour!
Thanks to everyone who participated in my blog tour for Fast Forward, and thanks to the amazing bloggers who hosted me on their sites!
Here are the prize winners:
1. $25 Amazon gift card: Shannon R who left a comment on the Ramblings From This Chick blog.
2. BONUS $25 Amazon gift card (for one lucky purchaser of Fast Forward): Caroline P.
3. GRAND PRIZE Winner of a $50 Amazon gift card: Bridget O who left a comment on Chick Lit Central.
Winners, you have been notified. Please respond to the notification email within a week to claim your prize.
If you haven’t yet got a copy of FAST FORWARD you can buy it via…
Escape Publishing, Amazon, Amazon UK, iTunes/iBookstore, Kobo.
Thanks everyone – see you on the next blog tour!
~ Juliet
Last Day Of Blog Tour – get your entries in!
WOW – what a month! It may be the shortest month of the year but I’ve enjoyed every day of February, the month my debut novel, FAST FORWARD was released into the world. It’s been both exhausting and exciting; writing guest blogs and interviews, interacting with readers, promoting on facebook and twitter, checking sales rankings, and trying to squueze in some more writing too! I managed to complete a 16,000 word novella during all the hype, which I’m pretty pleased with. 🙂
BIG thanks to all the wonderful bloggers that have hosted me on my blog tour, and to everyone who’s followed me along the blog tour and left comments on my posts and interviews, it’s been great fun! If you haven’t yet, or you’ve only made a couple of the stops, there’s still time – today is the last day of the tour and there are plenty of interesting interviews and articles to read about my writing journey, my book, my characters, my inspirations, and even which funny scene was based on personal experience!
I’d love to see you there…simply click on the below links that interest you and leave me a comment and you’ll be entered into the draw to win a $50 Amazon gift card or a $25 Amazon gift card. When it comes to ebooks, that amount can get you a LOT of great books! But you can also spend it on anything at Amazon.
Also, don’t forget if you’ve bought FAST FORWARD you can also win a bonus $25 Amazon gift card as a thank you for buying my book. Simply forward me your email receipt to fastforwardbook(at)gmail(dot)com and you’ll be in the draw!
I’ll allow a bit of time for the non-Aussies to catch up to the end of February, Australian time, and then I’ll draw the winners sometime over the next day or two, so keep an eye out on the blog, twitter and facebook and check your inbox over the weekend – it could be you!
Here are all the blogs you can leave a comment on to enter into the draw:
1st
Juliet Madison blog – Release Day celebration post
ARRA / Australian Romance Readers Association – Release Day post
2nd
Rachael Johns blog – Do You Have The Creative Curse?
3rd
Strange Candy Reviews – From Idea to Publishing Contract in Nine Months
4th
RWA / Romance Writers of Australia – Author Spotlight interview
5th
Mochas, Mysteries, and More – Book spotlight & excerpt
6th
Read In A Single Sitting – Interview/Feature
7th
You Gotta Read – You Gotta Write, Right?
8th
Manga Maniac Cafe – Interview
11th
Romance Book Paradise – Time Travel in romance – it’s not only for sci-fi
12th
Stella Ex Libris – Creating the Characters of Fast Forward
13th
Australian Bookshelf – Motherhood in Fiction
14th
Chick Lit Central – Valentine’s Day Interview
15th
Sarah Belle’s blog – 5 Fun Facts About Fast Forward
18th
Beauty & Lace – Interview
19th
Kerrie Paterson’s blog – My TBR pile; what I’m reading
20th
Louise Reynolds’ blog – Cooking The Books – the food in Fast Forward
21st
Ramblings From This Chick – Opposites Attract – the romance in Fast Forward
22nd
Chick Lit Bee – Getting inspiration from movies
24th
Susanne Bellamy’s blog – Interview
28th
Annie Seaton’s blog – How I Became a Writer
Thanks for visiting, I’ll see you on the blogs! 🙂
~ Juliet
9 Days Left To Win! My Blog Tour so far…
Have you entered the prize draw in my blog tour yet? It’s happening all throughout February, and you could win a $50 Amazon Gift Card (to buy ANYTHING), or the runner up prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
It’s easy to enter, simply comment on any of the guest posts or interviews I’m doing during my blog tour. You can see the full schedule via this link, but here’s a run down of the blogs I’ve visited this past week so you can check them out and leave a comment. Every blog you comment on counts as one entry, so comment on more to have more chances to win! And remember to share the details with your friends 
- At Romance Book Paradise I talked about time travel in romance, it’s not only for sci-fi! Do you have a favourite time travel story?
- At Stella Ex Libris I talked about how I created the characters of Fast Forward. Come and share who your favourite book characters are! There’s a lot of discussion going on here.
- At the Australian Bookshelf I discussed Motherhood in Fiction.
- At Chick Lit Central I was interviewed on Valentine’s Day and even shared my first crush! *blush* – 2 copies of Fast Forward are up for grabs here too if you comment before midnight on 20th Feb US time.
- At up and coming author Sarah Belle’s blog I shared 5 Fun facts About Fast Forward. Which funny scene was based off personal experience?? 😉
- At Beauty & Lace I was interviewed about my journey to publication, and I also discuss social media for writers and what I’m working on next!
- At Kerrie Paterson’s blog I shared what’s in my Leaning Tower of To Be Read books!
- And today I’m at Louise Reynolds blog on ‘Cooking The Books’, where I discuss the futuristic food that appears in Fast Forward, as well as a few excerpts to whet your appetite 😉
I hope to see you on the blogs!
Thanks to everyone who’s rated and reviewed the book so far, and those who’ve sent me messages telling me how much they enjoyed the book. I really appreciate it!
Here are a few reviews that have been posted:
Harlequin Junkie – 4.5 star review.
1 Girl 2 Many Books – 8/10 review.
>>Remember, if you’ve read FAST FORWARD, you could also win a bonus $25 gift card by forwarding your receipt to fastforwardbook(at)gmail(dot)com ! Good luck! 🙂
A Valentine’s Day Poem made from Book Titles
In honour of The Day Of Love I thought I’d share some romantic books with you in a unique way! Here is an impromptu poem I created using the book titles from Escape Publishing’s February releases…
Take your loved one on a few VALENTINE’S DATES or run the risk of being struck down by THE CHIEFTAIN’S CURSE.
There are HIGH STAKES on this special day and you are BOUND BY HER RING after all.
Forget about FINDING ELIZABETH or some other young floozy; stick with the woman you have ARRANGED TO LOVE.
Spoil her, love her, and maybe even give the house A BASIC RENOVATION and repaint the bedroom in THE PALER SHADE OF AUTUMN.
Life moves fast, so don’t FAST FORWARD, savour every moment and she just might organise some extra special ROOM SERVICE to thank you.
And an Escape ebook pack would be an awesome gift… just sayin’ 😉
Now, here are the gorgeous covers for the February releases, which you can read about and buy here.
Don’t forget – launching on Valentine’s Day, the Escape authors are having an Escapade – 30 authors, 1 story, 1 month. Watch the fun unfold at the Escape blog.
Have you entered to WIN? Plus, a secret is revealed…
It’s been just over a week since my debut novel, FAST FORWARD, was released, and what an amazing week it’s been! It feels great to have a story out there, and even greater having had such great feedback from it so far! A BIG thank you to those who’ve bought it, reviewed it, told their friends about it, and messaged me to say how much they’ve enjoyed it. It really means a lot.
Have you taken part in my blog tour yet? It’s happening all throughout February, and you could win a $50 Amazon Gift Card (to buy ANYTHING), or the runner up prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card. It’s easy to enter, simply comment on any of the guest posts or interviews I’m doing during my blog tour. You can see the full schedule via this link, but here’s a run down of the blogs I’ve visited so far so you can check them out and leave a comment. Every blog you comment on counts as one entry, so comment on more to have more chances to win! And remember to share the details with your friends 🙂
- At the ARRA blog I share the blurb for Fast Forward and tell you a bit about my inspiration.
- At Rachael Johns’ blog I talk about The Creative Curse, and share photos of celebrity drawings I did when I was a teenager.
- At Strange Candy Reviews I share how I went from idea to publishing contract in nine months.
- At the RWA blog I’m being interviewed under the Author Spotlight and sharing a brief excerpt.
- At Mochas, Mysteries, & More I’m sharing an excerpt involving a dangerous piece of support underwear!
- At Read in a Single Sitting, Stephanie Campisi wrote up a fantastic feature article based on my interview which is all about The Art of the Do-Over Novel. I also discuss why I opted for digital publication.
- At You Gotta Read I talk about why I’ve Gotta Write, and also share my writing process.
- And at Manga Maniac Cafe I’m being asked some interesting interview questions such as how I came up with the idea and the characters, what my character’s theme song would be, and what book turned me onto reading.
On Monday 11th Feb I’ll be at Romance Book Paradise discussing time travel in romance, so keep an eye out for that one!
Also, you could win a bonus $25 gift card when you purchase Fast Forward by forwarding your receipt to fastforwardbook(at)gmail(dot)com !
Okay, now for the secret…
Something has been brewing at the Escape Publishing headquarters. An idea has surfaced, thanks to innovative Ainslie Paton and the backing of the wonderful Escape team. The Escape authors, or Escape Artists as we are known, are going on an Escapade! No we’re not jetting off around the world for an adventurous holiday or African safari (although, there’s an idea), our Escapade is taking place right on the Escape blog.
To get straight to the point:
30 Authors – 1 Story – 1 Month
That’s right, 30 Escape authors are going to join forces to write one short story over one month, with each author’s contribution being posted daily on the Escape blog from Feb 14th onwards! Anything could happen, and we are just as in the dark as you are! Each contribution will follow on from the one before, so the authors only have a short amount of time to read the previous installment and write the next bit. It could be amazing, it could be a flop – but it will be entertaining! Make sure you follow the Escape blog and follow @escapepublisher on Twitter to follow the story, and visit the blog every day from Valentine’s Day onwards. My contribution will be posted on the 23rd Feb. I’m excited, and also a little scared!
See you on the Escapade! 🙂
It’s here! FAST FORWARD Release Day!
After three years and three months of following my writing career dream, the day is finally here… my first published novel is released! *jumps around and squeals like a little girl*
FAST FORWARD is my third completed novel but my first to be published, and it’s quite appropriate because Fast Forward is about a birthday, and this day – 1st February 2013 – is kind of like the birthday of my career (a bit corny I know, but anyway).
So without any further ado, let’s celebrate!
Now, I’m posting this on the morning of the 1st, so the buy links may or may not be live yet, but they should be sometime on the 1st. If not you can always click pre-order and the ebook will download as soon as it’s gone live. No doubt I’ll be obsessively refreshing my browser every ten five two minutes!
Don’t have an e-reader? You can download the free Kindle app from Amazon for your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Or all of them! Your ebooks will be available on each of your devices as they are linked to your Amazon account.
FAST FORWARD – a romantic comedy with a twist:
Aspiring supermodel, Kelli Crawford seems destined to marry her hotshot boyfriend, but on her twenty-fifth birthday she wakes in the future as a fifty-year-old suburban housewife married to the now middle-aged high school nerd.
Trapped in the opposite life of the one she wanted, Kelli is forced to re-evaluate her life and discover what is really important to her. Will she overcome the hilarious and heartbreaking challenges presented to her and get back to the body of her younger self? Or will she be stuck in the nightmare of hot flushes, demanding children, raunchy advances from her husband and hideous support underwear forever?
BUY the Fast Forward ebook via Escape Publishing, Amazon Kindle, Amazon UK, iTunes/iBookstore, Google play, or Kobo.
WIN!
To go in the draw for a $25 Amazon gift card, forward your purchase receipt email to fastforwardbook (at) gmail (dot) com – replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .
To go in the draw for a $50 Amazon gift card or the runner up prize of a $25 gift card, leave a comment on this post telling me what year in the future you’d like to travel to if you could. You’ll get more entries into the draw if you also leave comments at other blogs I’m visiting during my February blog tour. A listing of the blogs and dates I’ll be there are here. Winners drawn 1st March.
Good luck in the draw, and thanks for your support! I hope you enjoy reading FAST FORWARD. 🙂
MY LITTLE PART OF AUSTRALIA [Australia Day Book Giveaway Blog Hop!]
I’m excited to be part of the Book’d Out Australia Day Blog Hop! I, along with many other Australian bloggers and authors are running giveaways between Jan 25th and Jan 28th to celebrate Australia and the Australian writing community, so be sure to check out all the other blogs participating too – you could win lots of prizes! I’m giving away a $20 Amazon gift voucher and an ebook copy of my short story SISTERS AT HEART, a heartwarming tale set in the small Australian town of Tarrin’s Bay (fictional, but based on where I live… read more about that below).
MY LITTLE PART OF AUSTRALIA:
I moved from the mountains to the sea two years ago, and in a way, I feel like I’m on holidays ALL THE TIME. Not that I sit about relaxing all day – far from it! – but the location, my surroundings, the atmosphere, it has that magical holiday feel.
I live in a town called Kiama on the south coast of New South Wales. Every morning I step out on my balcony and gaze at the ocean, watching the waves crash against the headland and breathing in the fresh, salty air. I love it. And I love the surrounding towns too.
Here are some other things I love about my little part of Australia…
~ The people – Everyone is so friendly, from the stranger saying hello while out walking to the customer service with a smile at one of the many shops. There’s a real sense of community spirit and united appreciation for this beautiful place.
~ The landscape – We are lucky to have both a scenic coastline with beautiful beaches and also a vast rural landscape of lush green hills and farmland. It’s country and coast combined. Many tourists come to visit our two popular blowholes and stand by with cameras at the ready to capture the sudden, huge splurge of water shooting through the rocks from the ocean below.
~ The climate – Although we get some really cold days in winter and some really hot days in summer (45°C last week!), most of the time the weather sits in the perfect early to mid 20’s. I love that it’s not usually as hot as up north and I love that it’s not as cold as the mountains where I used to live (and needed gloves, thermals, two pairs of socks, and a heavy layer of blankets that required super human strength to lift off in the morning!). It’s a nice ‘in-between’ type of climate.
~ The best of both worlds – Being the first country town south of Sydney, it has that homely small town feel – no high rises, no major shopping centres, no McDonald’s…etc, while still offering all the conveniences of modern society.
~ The events – There is always something to do, especially on weekends (Kiama is a popular tourist destination – it is packed in January!). The seaside markets are always popular… I love strolling around the harbour and looking at all the arts, crafts, jewellery, books, food, and other interesting finds while watching the sunlight shimmer on the ocean. There are jazz festivals, arts festivals, surfing competitions, a local show with fireworks, New Years Eve celebrations, and a wonderful Christmas carols in the park each year.
Have I convinced you to move here yet? If there’s no chance of that you can still enjoy this special place through my upcoming series of novels set in the fictional town of Tarrin’s Bay, which I’ve based on Kiama and other surrounding towns. Watch this space! And you can read a bit about this series on my ‘books’ page. Remember to subscribe to the blog to keep updated on news.
And now for the giveaway…
>>To WIN a $20 Amazon gift voucher and an ebook copy of my short story SISTERS AT HEART, leave a comment below and answer the following question:
‘What do you love about Australia? Or if you’re not an Aussie, why do you want to visit Australia?’
*Competition open worldwide and closes at midnight 28th January. Winner will be announced in this post and notified via email.
And don’t forget, once you’ve left a comment, go check out the list of other blogs participating in this Australia Day Blog Hop at Book’d Out and Confessions from Romaholics.
Good luck, and ‘av a happy Austraya Day! 😉
A Motherhood Moment
I’ve featured various quotes at the beginning of chapters in my upcoming novel, FAST FORWARD. All of them relate to the themes in the book; ageing, beauty, birthdays, family, and following your dreams. Some are funny, some are heartfelt, and here is one of them:
If you have a daughter, has this happened to you? Have you ever heard your daughter say something and thought, ‘Wow. She’s a mini me.’?
…By the way, only one week and four days until Fast Forward is released! You can see the details of my upcoming blog tour and grand prize giveaway here. 🙂
Anyone for cake covered in spit?
I’ve featured various quotes at the beginning of chapters in my upcoming novel, FAST FORWARD. All of them relate to the themes in the book; ageing, beauty, birthdays, family, and following your dreams. Some are funny, some are heartfelt, and here is one of them:
If you can’t read it (yes you – reaching for your glasses! …It turned out smaller than I thought), it says:
‘Why is a birthday cake the only food you can blow on and spit on and everybody rushes to get a piece?’ ~ Bobby Kelton
The cake in this picture was made by yours truly for my son’s 16th birthday last week – gluten free red velvet cake complete with dripping wax and droplets of spittle – yum! 😉
By the way, if you missed the previous picture quote from Fast Forward, here it is.
Stay tuned for more! 🙂
My Book Cover! Fast Forward comes to life…
Thanks to the fabulous design team at Harlequin Australia / Escape Publishing, I now have a cover design for FAST FORWARD, my romantic comedy novel releasing on 1st February 2013! I LOVE it… What do you think?
I love the light, bright colours as I think it suits the fun nature of the book, and I love that it shows a young woman but a 50 year old’s birthday cake! In case you’re new to this blog and are wondering what the book is about, here is the blurb:
JULIET MADISON 