READ-A-ROMANCE MONTH

August is Read-A-Romance Month and this year, I’m participating as a writer for the first time. Along with sixty-one other authors, I’ll be contributing an article to http://www.readaromancemonth.com/ about The Magic of Books. We will all be sharing great titles we’re recommending apart from our own work, so expect your Mt. TBR to grow higher. Here’s the calendar to guide you on who will be featured each day: I will be closing the month with the fabulous Amanda Bouchet.

Watch out for announcements here and on my Maida Malby Facebook author page for giveaways to thank those who visit the site and comment on my post.

Join us every day at The Romance of Reading Facebook group for discussions hosted by the first author on the calendar.

My article Book a Magical Trip has posted. Enjoy the magic of travel through books.

2019 GOALS AND PLANS

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry famously said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” And so, here are my goals for 2019 and my plans and strategies on how to achieve them:

On Writing:

Writing hours: 10 am – 2 pm with break for lunch; 7-11 pm
Finish SINGAPORE FLING and publish on August 15, Singapore National Day
- Write 1,000 words a day in January
- Send to Beta Readers on February 1
- Cover reveal on May 15
- Self-edit and send to editor on May 5
- Edit and revise by June 30
- Proofread and format by July 15
- Preorders up on May 15
- Launch wide on August 15
Write HUA HIN HEARTS short story for New Romance Cafe’s Autumn Anthology
- Write 1,000 words a day in July
- Send to Andie August 1
Write SAMUI HEAT for a May 21, 2020 release
- Write 1,000 words a day in September and October
- Send to Beta Readers by November 1
- Self-edit and send to editor by November 30
- Edit and revise by January 31
- Proofread and format by February 28
- Preorders up on May 1
- Release wide on May 21
Write PALAWAN PROMISES for a November 21, 2020 release
- Write 1,000 words a day in June
- Send to Beta Readers by August 1
- Self-edit and send to editor by September 15
- Edit and revise by October 15
- Proofread and format by October 31
- Preorders up on November 14
- Release wide on November 21
Write a short story as Zara
- tentatively June and July

On Reading:

Read and review two books a week for a total of 104 in 2019
- Add diverse authors and characters
- Add craft books
- Add indie authors
- Max four ARCs a month
- Prioritize two unread books from the Mount TBR per month
- Increase usage of audiobooks

On Social Media:

Limit to four hours a day. 8-10 am, 5-7 pm
Off during work hours
Prioritize writing groups

On Authoring:

Get http://www.maidamalby.com website fully operational by June 30
Start a newsletter on August 1
Create a reader group: Mai Barkada or M’amies by August 1

Wish me luck, y’all. These are all doable with discipline. Here’s to a productive 2019.

TO CATCH A TEXAS STAR by Linda Broday Book Blog Tour – Review and Giveaway

TO CATCH A TEXAS STAR

Texas Heroes, Book 3

by

LINDA BRODAY

Genre: Western / Historical / Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date of Publication: July 3, 2018
Number of Pages: 352

Scroll down for Giveaway!

On her way to town early one morning, Marley Rose McClain finds a man unconscious and bleeding at the side of the road. She loads him in the wagon and takes him to her family ranch.
Drifter Roan Penny fights for his life, his one goal eating at him—to find the ones who murdered his best friend. As he recovers, he finds himself falling in love with Marley. She’s everything he wants and dreams of making her his wife even as he knows it’s impossible. A terrifying stranger appears and a long-kept secret shakes Marley to the core. Roan helps her through very frightening times and they pledge their love for each other. As Roan hunts down the hooded men who killed his friend and grows closer to learning the truth of the stranger’s identity, he finds both himself and Marley being stalked.Shocking events unfold, secrets come to light, and a love refuses to be denied in this cat and mouse game where danger lurks around every corner. Will Roan and Marley survive to see the future they plan?

CLICK TO PURCHASE

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To Catch a Texas Star is the third book in the Texas Heroes series, but the first one I’ve read. It’s actually the first book by Linda Broday that I’ve ever read. I like it. I like her writing style. This book stands well on its own, but reading the two that came before it would probably enhance the enjoyment.

Texas Star is fast-paced and action-packed, featuring well-drawn characters you’d root for and the wild West as the exciting setting. At the center of everything is a sweet romance between Marley, a strong, caring young woman, and Roan, a determined, honorable drifter. Their story happens amidst grave danger and life-altering secrets.

This book captured my attention from the beginning with its dramatic first chapter. It kept getting better as the characters are introduced (Duel, Jessie, Matt, Granny Jack, etc.) and as the attraction between Marley and Roan grew. I liked that both of them have strengths and faults. I appreciate that they saved each other’s lives. Often in Westerns, the heroine is a damsel in distress, just waiting for the hero to rescue her. This one is not like that. Marley had her low moments, especially when she was scared for her family, but she had amazing highs like when she rescued herself and when she acted to make it easy for the good guys to win in the end.

This book follows in the classic Western formula of heroes being amazingly good (and seemingly indestructible) while the villains are incredibly bad. You can easily visualize this as a movie for Ms. Broday described the action and fight scenes well.

As a Texas resident, I like the feeling of being “at home” when I read a book set here. But, even those not from here will enjoy To Catch a Texas Star as it tackles universal themes of family, justice, loyalty, and deep-abiding love.

Praise for To Catch a Texas Star

“Fans of the previous books will enjoy returning to the McClain clan, and new readers will appreciate the story’s layered mysteries, emotional depth, and believable scenes of attraction.” — Publisher’s Weekly

“I loved the twists and turns that this story takes. It is pretty interesting seeing this romance blossom and how much their relationship strengthens as they face danger and the truth together.”–Addicted to Romance

“Marley Rose has one of the most gentle and winsome souls; her affection and compassion for others and delightful creativity pour off the pages and you can’t help but adore her.”–Michelle (Goodreads)

Linda is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of full length historical western romance novels and novellas. She’s published over twenty books and short stories and resides in the Texas Panhandle on land the American Indian and Comancheros once roamed. On a quiet day, she can often hear their voices whispering in the wind. The love of this state and its people runs bone deep and she instills that into each book she writes. She sets all her stories in Texas because of the rich history and interesting people. A mother, grandmother, and soon to be a great grandmother, Linda finds research fascinating and always looks for little known tidbits to add realism to her stories. When she’s not writing, she collects old coins and confesses to being a rock hound in addition to making herself a nuisance at museums, libraries, and historical places which inspire her.

WEBSITE FACEBOOK PINTEREST TWITTER GOODREADS LINKEDIN BOOKBUB

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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Grand Prize: Signed Copies of Full Texas Heroes Series

Five Runners-Up: Signed Copies of To Catch a Texas Star
(US ONLY)

July 3-12, 2018

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

7/3/18		Excerpt			That's What She's Reading
7/3/18		Bonus Series Spotlight	Hall Ways Blog
7/4/18		Review			Chapter Break Book Blog
7/5/18		Guest Post		StoreyBook Reviews
7/6/18		Review			Carpe Diem Chronicles
7/7/18		Character Interview	The Librarian Talks
7/8/18		Review			Reading by Moonlight
7/9/18		Playlist		Tangled in Text
7/10/18		Review			Books and Broomsticks
7/11/18		Author Interview	Dressed to Read
7/12/18		Review			Margie's Must Reads

blog tour services provided by

NEW YORK ENGAGEMENT – Cover Story

Krista Lopez, with her American boyfriend Blake Ryan, goes from the white sands and blue waters of Boracay Island to the bright lights and majestic skyscrapers of New York City.

From white bikini to red winter coat.

From sun to snow.

It’s important for me to show that NEW YORK ENGAGEMENT is a continuation of Krista and Blake’s romance and I believe the cover delivers completely. It certainly looks like the same girl on the cover. The hat, and the way she holds, it is an excellent identifier. The fonts, the colors, and the composition are all in sync with my Carpe Diem Chronicles brand.

Like the grotto in Boracay, The Empire State building is easily recognizable as a symbol of New York City. There was never any question that it would be on the cover of any book I write that is set in The Big Apple.

Many thanks to Render Compose for finding Krista once again and for being so easy to work with. This cover was done in only a couple of days – another quick turnaround considering my designer is in Australia and I’m in the USA. Thanks, Lucy.

I hope y’all like the cover of NEW YORK ENGAGEMENT as much as I do and grab a copy for yourself. .

Buy link here: https://books2read.com/NewYorkEngagement

“A Tea Party & Books” Scavenger Hunt

Hi, Romance Readers!

I’ve got a special treat for you. I’m one of the sponsors of the Night Owl Romance “A Tea Party & Books” Scavenger Hunt.

During this event I’m going to help you find some great new books. Make sure to check out Boracay Vows along the way, if you haven’t done so yet. It’s free on Kindle Unlimited.

The grand prize is a $100 Amazon Gift Card.

Enter Now at: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Tea-Party-Books-2018

Event Dates: Feb 15 – Mar 8

Happy New Year – 2018 Goals

A review of my 2017 Goals/Plans:

Rewrite and edit Boracay – Done
Write New York and Singapore – partially done
Publish Boracay and New York – Boracay Done
Set-up a blog – Done
Set-up a Facebook Author page – Done
Join Romance Writers of America – Done, plus the San Antonio Romance Authors chapter, too
Win NaNo again – Not done
Read 180 books – Read and reviewed 208.
Spend only $240 on books – Success! Spent only $190.
Attend a writing conference – Not quite. Attended a one-month editing workshop and four reader events all over Texas.

Based on these results, I consider 2017 to be a successful year.

For 2018, here are my goals/plans:

Finish writing New York Engagement, have it edited and published. Target date: Saturday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day)
Finish writing Singapore Fling. Publishing target: July 2018.
Achieve full PAN status at RWA.
Get Boracay Vows into independent bookstores all over the US.
Secure local distribution for Boracay Vows in the Philippines. Attempt a movie deal.
Read and review at least 120 books for Goodreads Reading Challenge:
– 1 craft book on writing/editing/publishing
– 1 male author/non-romance
– 4 historical romance (2 from my Mount TBR, 1 ARC, 1 new/new-to-me)
– 4 contemporary (2 from Mount TBR, 1 ARC, 1 indie author)
Rereads will be after the 10 have been fulfilled.
Attend a writing conference.
Spend only $180 on books.
Register a profit on all books.

So, here’s to 2018. May it be the Best Year Ever.

#Thankful – Boracay Vows

On November 21, I celebrated my birthday and the book birthday of Boracay Vows and it was awesome!

This has been an incredible year and I wouldn’t get here without the love, encouragement, generosity, and support of my family, friends, and even strangers.

My husband is a Rock Star. His belief in me is unwavering. I am not exaggerating when I say I couldn’t have accomplished this without him. He gave me the means to put this book together and have it published. Our son is my inspiration, my heart. I am grateful that at eight years old he can already prepare his own meals, otherwise he’d starve. Expert of things Stevie. Bad mommy.

I am thankful for my book club OSRBC. They were there for me from the very beginning of this journey. Their encouragement propelled me to turn my two-pager opener into a full-length novel. OSRBC members informed me about the National Novel Writing Month and cheered me on as I pantsed my way into winning in 2016 with Boracay. They’re the first ones to pre-order my book and help me spread the word around. Best book club in the world!

My editor Linda Hill is from OSRBC. She saw me through dozens of drafts from December in 2016 all the way to proofreading in November. If there are mistakes in the book, they’re most likely things I changed after she gave the final manuscript back to me. Thanks, Linda. Sorry, Linda. To my writer friends who are planning to publish independently, you are going to need an editor. I recommend you contact Linda ASAP.

Many of my Beta readers are also from OSRBC – Eva Moore, Rizalee, and Cecille. They’re the ones who pointed out what’s missing as well as what’s there that they loved. Thanks, ladies.

My cover designer also belongs to OSRBC. Lucy Rhodes of Render Compose was recommended to me by a common friend Leni Browne and I just marvel at how in sync we were while doing the covers. She’s in Australia, I’m in the US, but there were no barriers to our communication. Another note to my indie friends – ask me for Lucy’s contact information. You won’t regret it.

There are so many people to thank: my sister Myrtle and future brother-in-law R.G. Gallardo; one of my forever friends Chiqui; my first boss and fellow book-addict N; my Belarusian sestra Yulia; design consultant Celeste Odono; fellow Indie writer Rainne Mendoza; reenactors of my cover concept Renee, Tiara, Chippy, Lia, and Jonathan; my ARC readers, and my barkadas UNYLACE, CPP, and Burlesque. Thank you very much. Maraming salamat.

Special thanks to Tessa Dare for her wonderfully motivating words at the beginning of the year. She told me, “Doubt not.” Sometimes I did, but I persevered and now I’m a published author.

And now, I’m thankful.

Cover Story – Boracay Vows

Last week, I revealed the cover of my debut novel Boracay Vows and I’m so happy with the response I got from everyone who’s seen it. Some kept asking if that was me in the photo. I wish! I may have looked like the model twenty years ago when I first went to Boracay, but not now.

This has always been my vision of it from the beginning. A girl sitting on the white sand of Boracay facing the sea. When I was writing it during NaNoWriMo2016, this was my working cover.

Renee, my friend from high school, took it in Palawan and although it’s beautiful, it is not Boracay. So I pressed on.

In the past year, every time one of my friends would check in from Boracay, I’d send a message asking them to take a photo and explaining my concept. They were always accommodating. Here are a few samples from the ones I received.

Stunning, right? Whenever I get a photo, I was always envious that I wasn’t there myself.

Although great on their own, I wanted more of the recognizable Boracay icons on the cover. However, I’m not too proficient with photo enhancement softwares, so I consulted with an expert. Lucy Rhodes of Render Compose came to the rescue. After a few email and Facebook Messenger exchanges, we got it done. And it’s done very well indeed.

I really love it. I can’t wait for the readers to meet Krista and go to Boracay through my book. Coming very soon.

Photo credit: Renee, Tiara, Jonathan, and Chippy.

Cover Reveal: Boracay Vows

Friends, meet the luscious, vavavoom Krista Lopez, heroine of my first book Boracay Vows. Krista is spending this week in the island paradise of Boracay, Philippines to fulfill her Turning-Thirty Vow — the promise she made with her barkada to do something extraordinary in celebration of this milestone birthday. Today, November 2, is her thirtieth birthday. Happy birthday, Krista!

Many thanks to Lucy Rhodes for her patience while I hemmed and hawed over every image, color, shade, and font before deciding on the final combination. I really appreciate you.

Thanks also to my sister Myrtle Ruaza, photographer-extraordinaire Celeste Odono, and my token male-point-of-view opinionator husband for bearing with my constant demands for observations and agreement with my concerns. Thank you, salamuch, mwah!

I love it, y’all! Release news coming soon.

Diversity, Thy Name Is Not Romance Novel

As a writer-of-color, I do appreciate the study recently conducted by The Ripped Bodice. It puts a spotlight on the sad state of racial diversity in romance publishing. Whether it changes anything is the challenge moving forward.

Nielsen did a similar study in the past and presented the report at the Romance Writers of America’s Annual Conference in 2016. The statistics then, as shared by Publishing Perspectives, were even more dismal.

I guess we can rejoice that the 2% non-white writers previously reported has ballooned to 7.8% in 2016. But, different research bodies, different samples, different methodologies make comparisons statistically invalid.

I am happy someone is pursuing the issue. I have long complained about the dearth of representation for Asians in the novels I read. That’s why I’m writing my own. But, I’m not going to sit around waiting for some publishing house to suddenly email after six months telling me that they’ve finally unearthed my manuscript from the depths of query hell and they now need me to increase their diversity numbers.

The truth is I want to control the setting of my novels, the design of my covers, the date of my publication, and the amount of my share of the sales, no matter how minuscule. As I can’t do those things with traditional publishing, I’m going indie. I’m sure many writers of color like me have the same mindset.

That doesn’t help improve future data for The Ripped Bodice’s study, but maybe they could expand it by investigating racial diversity in self-published romance in the future. It is almost a sure thing that it would yield more positive results. Perhaps instead of harping on traditional publishers to improve their inclusion, they should embrace independents more. Just my two cents.

Here’s the full report:

RippedBodiceReportFINAL

Maida Malby

Carpe Diem Chronicles. Destination: Romance

Tag Archives: #writing

READ-A-ROMANCE MONTH

2019 GOALS AND PLANS

TO CATCH A TEXAS STAR by Linda Broday Book Blog Tour – Review and Giveaway

TO CATCH A TEXAS STAR