Enter the FANtastic "FAN" February Giveaway!

During the month of February, Cheryl will be giving away some amazing prizes! First we'll show you what's up for grabs, and then we'll tell you how to enter! 

THE PRIZES:  

PRIZE ONE: A KINDLE PAPERWHITE!

HOW TO WIN 

The person who gets the most people to subscribe to Cheryl's Author Newsletter during the month of February is the winner. Yep, it's that simple. 

To enter: 

Share Cheryl's author newsletter sign-up link with your friends HERE. 

Keep track of your friends and family who sign up. 

Email them to us HERE (as they enter) with the subject line: ENTER TO WIN 

(throughout the month we'll keep a tally and share who's in the lead on Cheryl's Facebook page) 

Already have a kindle but still want to participate? 

The winner also has the option of winning cold, hard cash instead.

PRIZES 2-4: FOR NEW SUBSCRIBERS! 

The next three prizes are eligible to any new subscribers during the month of February. 

We will hold a drawing for ... 

5 Sloane Monroe Series Tote Bags

5 Signed Copies of Cheryl's USA Today bestseller Hush Now Baby

5 Author Swag Bags

AND...that's not all. 

EVERY NEW SUBSCRIBER DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY WILL RECEIVE ONE OF CHERYL'S EBOOKS FREE JUST FOR SIGNING UP. 

All winners will be announced March 1st on Cheryl's Facebook Page and also on this blog.

PRIZE 5: FOR CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS! 

 This month's giveaway wouldn't be complete without rewarding all those who have signed up for my newsletter in the past. Any current subscriber to my newsletter who shares the FANtastic Fan Giveaway on my Facebook Page will be entered to win a $25.00 Amazon gift card. (Please made sure to comment on the post once you've shared it so we can get you entered)

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! 

Featured Author: John Lescroart

John Lescroart isn't just a fantastic writer, he's also a fantastic guy. Very smart. Very nice. His newest novel, The Keeper, was released in May 2014, and is book 15 in his bestselling Dismas Hardy series. It made the New York Times bestsellers list soon after its release. To date, Lescroart has written twenty-five novels.

If you haven't ever visited his blog, I recommend you stop by. His site includes an adorable picture of him taking the ice bucket challenge as well as including recipes. Yes, that's right. I said recipes. How cool is that?! 

When I wrote him back in 2011 and asked if he'd agree to give me a short snippet of advice to post for other writers, he replied immediately, and I have to say, his advice is similar to what I'd give. It's very accurate.  

"I probably went through very much the usual travails in trying to get my writing career off the ground. Lots of rejection notices, not much support from anybody aside from my wife. About the only concrete advice I can give is that you've got to keep believing in yourself (all the while understanding that your rejections are not
personal and that you probably need to improve in the craft), and you can't let the bastards get you down. The best way to do that, in turn (and this is admittedly very difficult), is to simply ignore the pain and keep plugging on with your writing. Enjoy the day-to-day exercise of putting down good words and find your joy in the actual work, and not in its success or lack thereof. So much of writing is a mind game, and anyone who wants to get into it had better have tough skin and a true passion for the process itself, because that is really what it's all about. Fame and fortune come to some who are talented and lucky, and is often withdrawn randomly and even unfairly. What remains are the words, and the love of the endeavor itself. If you are writing well, and strive to be happy in your life, good things will happen some or even most of the time. And if they don't, you've led a fulfilling and joyful life in the meanwhile, and that is life's true goal." 

.99 eBook Sale on Stranger in Town -- This Week Only

This week you can get Stranger in Town, book four in my Sloane Monroe mystery series, for .99. (Regularly priced at $4.99). Stranger in Town is a Shamus Award finalist, and 226 five-star reviews on Amazon.

Buy It Here: 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

iBooks

Kobo

Google Play 

Audible

Six-year-old Olivia Hathaway tiptoes down the center aisle of Maybelle's Market, stopping once to glance over her shoulder and make sure her mother isn't watching. But Mrs. Hathaway is too preoccupied to notice her daughter has slipped away. Minutes later, a frantic Mrs. Hathaway runs up and down the aisles, desperately searching for her missing daughter. But Olivia is already gone. Will PI Sloane Monroe find her before it's too late?

Enter to WIN a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

The Twelve, a thriller writer group I'm proud to be a part of, is giving away a $100 Amazon gift card every day for twelve days. It's simple to enter, and winners are chosen and announced every night on The Twelve's Facebook Page. 

ENTER HERE

Featured Author: Jeffery Deaver

To date, Jeffery Deaver has written thirty-two novels. He is an international, number-one bestselling author whose novels have made just about every list there is to make. His newest release, The Skin Collector, part of his infamous Lincoln Rhyme series, has over four hundred, five-star reviews on Amazon.

His newest novel, Solitude Creek, is releasing May 2015.

At the beginning of 2011, I emailed several well-known authors to ask for their advice about writing. At the time, I was writing the first novel in my Sloane Monroe series, Black Diamond Death. Since then, I've penned five additional novels in the series, one stand-alone, the first in a paranormal suspense series, and a few novellas here and there. I've also been fortunate enough to make the New York Times bestsellers list myself as part of a collaborative effort with the amazing thriller group, The Twelve.

In my humblest of beginnings, Jeffery Deaver was gracious enough to reply to my blog request. giving his advice for new authors. Here's what he had to say:

"I can tell you that I truly look at writing as a business. That means I get up each day and go to work for eight to ten hours, whether I'm in the mood to write or not. I never wait for inspiration. If I did, I would never write anything.

I'd encourage new writers to read as much as possible and write as much as possible. The more we write, the better we become at the craft of writing. Remember not to be discouraged if your work meets with rejection at first, because all writers--even published ones--have work rejected all the time. You just have to keep trying.

Some readers want to know if I plan my books out or if I just start writing. Because my books are so plot-driven, it's important for me to know exactly where I'm going before I begin writing the book itself, so I spend the better part of a year writing a detailed outline that runs hundreds of pages. Creating the outline is the hardest part of the writing process, but the most necessary.

Good luck to all my fellow writers out there!"

All best wishes,Jeff Deaver

Happy New Year!

Last night I snuggled up in bed with a nice cup of tea on my nightstand and caught up on the new season on Downton Abbey, one of my favorite shows on television. The new season of Celebrity Apprentice also premiered, and I have to admit, I'm addicted to that show. If I was ever going to be on reality TV, that would be the show I would excel at (if it weren't for all the cat fighting and egos among some of the celebrities--which would make my head spin off faster than a ballet dancer doing pirouettes at full speed).

I love the beginning of a new year. After taking time to reflect on what goals I'd like to accomplish, I'm ready to dive in and get 2015 going. I can't tell you how amazing it feels to be back at my desk again! It's really a testament to how much I enjoy my job, although for me, writing is so much more than a job.

Speaking of new beginnings, I've started a new series, so look for book one later this year. I've fleshed out the main character in the series, and I'm happy with what I've come up with so far.

Whenever I begin something new, I always get fan mail asking if I will continue the Sloane Monroe series, and when and if the Addison Lockhart series will continue. The answer is, I'll continue writing them both. I have no intention of ending the Sloane Monroe series at the moment. I'd like to see it continue for years to come. As for the Addison Lockhart paranormal suspense series, there will be at least two additional books in that series before I'll consider it done. Look for book #2 titled Rosecliff Manor Haunting later this year.

At the end of 2014, I finished a stand-alone romantic suspense novel that is currently in negotiations for a book deal, and I hope to see it released later this year as well. Lots of irons in the fire at the moment, just the way I like it!

If you're new to my books, you can see a list of all of my current novels HERE.

And I wish you all the best in 2015!!!