January 2012 Recap

I was going to post this in January, but it's February now! I'm officially one years old as an author. January 3rd was the official day of my one year - January 4th if we're talking about non-free fiction. In the monthly rundown, I'll be going over what happened in 2012 and linking to a few interesting posts from 2012.

January 2012:

I decided to gamble on a new publisher, No Boundaries Press, so they share my anniversary of one year. They kicked off by publishing a few free stories, including my In His Pocket, on January 3rd. In His Pocket has held the nr. 1 spot on the most downloaded titles on NBP since that day. 

The first ever non-free story published by NBP was Hot Hands, on January 4th. It has also been on their top 10 bestseller list since then and also became an ARe bestseller.

My first novel was released on January 13th through MLR Press, A Life Without You. It was well received, getting twelve 4+ reviews from book blogger sites (four of which were 5 stars), and became an ARe bestseller.

I spent rest of the month in revisions for my upcoming works, making beginner's mistake in marketing, and getting my m/m-only blog hop brainchild started. What an exciting month!

Absolutely Eric is Out and Proud

It's out! Absolutely Eric was released late last night and can be bought from MLR Press and Amazon. Other sales links should be available soon.

Blurb:

Eric Wesley is short and snazzy, hot and happy. Or that’s what he thought. After three years of living on the wild side he’s tired of being a playboy and wants to find love. 

Eric, however, has never been in love before and doesn’t see that the guy who’s been gazing at him all summer might be Mr. Right. Boring-suit-guy Alexander Centauri isn’t only style-less and clumsy, but also terribly awkward. After a miserable date, Eric plants Alex on another guy’s lap and goes after Mr. Wrong…who looks so right. 

When Eric realizes his mistake, it might be too late.

Here's the excerpt :)

Now, remember, this isn't your everyday sweet, easy-sailing, minimum-conflict romance. There are strong conflicts here, the characters are flawed and make mistakes before they reach their happy ending. This is the same with almost everything else I write.

Also, another note: We saw Eric in A Life Without You and we see Adam in Absolutely Eric. The two stories are written from two different PoV's (first one from Adam's and the second story from Eric's). In A Life Without You, Adam experiences Eric in a certain way, and in Absolutely Eric, Eric experiences Adam in a certain way. There's no way Eric can see Adam exactly as he really is, because Eric's never been inside Adam's head and doesn't know him intimately (as the readers of ALWY do). The same goes for Adam's view of Eric (he thinks Eric is like so and so while real Eric is actually like so). 

Er...yeah, just saw that people were talking about that Eric feels different in this story from what he was like in A Life Without You and that Adam feels different in Absolutely Eric. 

Wow, that sounded confusing...perhaps I should have drawn a stick-figure picture to explain ^.^ I color coded in hope that it'll be a little easier to understand.

Before I go! The winner from Stumbling Over Chaos giveaway is Wendy, and the winners from the Goodreads giveaway are Juliana and Nichole (Dirty H) - they have all been contacted. Congrats girls :D

Out of My Hands

I just sent the galley comments back to MLR, so Absolutely Eric is officially out of my hands. Yay! And *gulp*. New releases are equally exciting and scary. Well, more like 60% exciting and 40% scary. Now I just have to wait for 16 days until Eric takes over the world with his wicket dance moves ;)

So, what's next?

I need to polish my Welcome Brother (College Fun and Gays #5) before I send it to NB Press and then I'm off to write about Jazz!

Header image

Fun Facts About NJ Nielsen

I'd like to introduce one of my favorite authors of gay romance: NJ Nielsen. Most of you probably already know this spunky little ball of energy. She has two amazing works out with loads more coming. I got to pick her brains for my blog, but instead of doing traditional interview questions I decided to go for fun-facts:

1) I was named after a race horse.

(EP: That explains so much!)

2) My hero is David Bowie - I still find the guy as interesting today as I did when I was a kid.

(EP: I had a thing for him in The Labyrinth - hey, maybe that's where I developed a thing for goths...)

3) My favourite book of all time is The Host by Stephanie Meyers, & I cry each time I read it.

(EP: One of my favourites as well)

4) I am the youngest child in my Family - I have an older brother and then three sisters older than him.

5) I draw (pencil sketches) and write twisted poetry - poetry note book is called: My book of Twisted Thoughts.

(EP: The beautiful picture is below the 10th fact. I still can't believe you can draw like that!)

Image

6) My first pet was a dog called Andy Capp (Yes, named after the cartoon. I wanted to name him Dwayne after the guy down the road but my parents said no.)

7) I am terrified of spiders.

(EP: I refuse to post a picture of one *shudder*)

Image

8) I love the Muppets - Gonzo & Rizzo are my favourites (Yes, I did just go and see the new movie - so worth it for Fozzie & his fart shoes.)

(EP: We're cool as long as it's not Beaker *double shudder*)

9) I love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - I am a Raphael fan.

(EP: Hey! Now I know why you love Angsty-Adam so much!)

10) I collect Dragon's and Roosters. (Stop laughing I know they are at opposite ends of the scale.)

(EP: Mom collects chicken things. I still don't get it.)

Early sketch of Michael and Christian from
Rules Are Meant To Be Broken. Artist: NJ Nielsen

Thank you, NJ, for letting us get to know the lesser known-sides of you ^.^ 

NJ's very first published story came out as part of the Hot Summer Days and is called Shadows on the Heart. I highly recommend it. NJ's writing style is very unique and you never know what's going to happen next. I'm beginning to suspect it's an Aussie thing (it's the same with Zathyn Priest's books). 

NJ's first MLR Press release was published in December last year and bears the brilliant name Angels on Top. Hunting for Clay (the story following Angels on Top) will be out from MLR Press on Valentines, and she's working with MLR Press to get the first book in her wicket vampire series published, Lines of Marsden: Rules Are Meant To Be Broken.

But there's more! Or more coming. I've often called NJ a work-horse privately (now I have pockets full of ammo after her racehorse confession). The girl writes two blog stories and has her fingers in tons of other things. She's a master of series-creation with at least eight (yes, that's 8) different series in the works - one of which is in 18 parts (Lines of Marsden). Needless to say, I feel more than a little inadequate in her presence. I'd just die with all that going on in my head, lol. I do envy her the amazing titles she comes up with. If there's anything I struggle with it's titles.

Want more? Here's her blog ;)

'A Life Without You' Out Now!

My debut novel was released today! I'm both nervous and excited about it. I suppose every new author feels that way when they see their work baby-walk into the literary world. Don't you just love the cover???

I just got a contract from MLR Press for the next book in this independent series (Boston Boys), called Absolutely Eric. It features Eric Wesley, a secondary character in A Life Without You (he'd scowl and bitch if he ever heard anyone refer to him as "secondary").

The blurb for A Life Without You is as follows:

Jesse’s like a bar of soap: the tighter Adam holds on, the faster Jesse slips away. Or that’s how it feels to Adam. It doesn't help that Jesse has a girlfriend back home and claims to be straight, but there’s no way with all the sparks and physical intimacy flying between the two roommates.

When Adam believes he has reached his ultimate happiness, the walls come crashing down with a visit from Jesse’s girlfriend.

Now Jesse has to decide if he can come to terms with his sexuality, while Adam has to learn to accept that Jesse might never be able to crawl out of the closet.

Here's the purchase links, if you're interested: MLR Press (publisher), Amazon.com, All Romance e-books, Bookstrand. I'll keep posting places as they pop up.

Here's the Goodreads link.

Stuff Your Stockings Winners!

Image

Wow, people, this has been unreal. I'm all out of stamina. That was a lot of hopping!

First, I only thought I'd get maybe 5 entries, but I got 27. I've discovered new m/m authors during my own hop, and I've made some awesome friends ^.^ 

I wish I could give everyone a prize. In a way I can! When No Boundaries Press launches their sale site at the beginning of January, free reads will be available. My very-short story, In His Pocket, will be available for download. For those of you interested, I will post an update with a link on this once the big day arrives (plus, you'll hear me shout it across Facebook and Twitter).

Image

By the way, No Boundaries Press is hosting a giveaway (see the top of their left column) for a chance to win 3, 6, and 12 books, winner's choice (they have all genres) - if you guys are still hungry ;)

For the Blog Hop prizes, however, I have used Random.Org to select these winners:

For a copy of Hot Hands that releases on January 8th to No Boundaries Press:

# 24 - Pati!

For a copy of A Life Without You that releases early 2012 (don't have a date yet - but the manny is going to formatting this week) to MLR Press:

# 4 - Pommawolf!!

For a $15 gift card to the No Boundaries Press store (once it opens in January):

# 11 - Anzu!!!

Congrats ^.^ I will contact the winners today and once the prizes are ready for delivery.

Image

Finally, I want to thank everyone for their kind comments and wishes. Rain pointed out that there was no blurb for A Life Without You on my website, and she was totally right. I've fixed that and there's also a more comprehensive blurb on Hot Hands as well. 

Thanks to all those who followed.

Merry Christmas!

Stuff Your Stockings Christmas Blog Hop!

Merry Christmas, kids! I'm super excited to be writing my first blog hop post. Let it be the first of many!

Over the next three days, Dec. 16th-18th, nearly 200 authors/publishers will be giving away prizes on their blogs. To find this glory goodness, go to this link: The Blog Hop Spot. They have all the names and prizes listed. To sum up: over $450 in gift cards, 150+ ebooks, jewelry, gift baskets, Christmas ornaments, a KINDLE FIRE (don't miss that one! Blogger nr. 78), and all sorts of stuff.

But before you click the link, check out MY prizes! I'm giving away an e-copy of my upcoming release of Hot Hands, the first short story in the College Fun and Gays series. It will be released on January 8th 2012. I'm also giving an e-copy of my debut novel, A Life Without You, which will be released by MLR Press early next year. AND a $15 gift certificate from the Hot Hands publisher No Boundaries Press (their store will launch in the beginning of January). 

I know! It sucks! No one will receive my prizes before Christmas, but I promise they're worth waiting for. I'll randomly draw three winners, one for each prize.

I'm not going to make you jump through hoops to enter. Of course I would love it if you would follow my blog - but if you have little or no interest in keeping up with my future ramblings and m/m related things, then I won't ask you to follow for the mere sake of following. There's little point in that ^.^

Just leave a comment below and an online way for me to reach you if you win (email, facebook link, anything). You don't even have to check my blog again to see if you won, though I will announce the winners ;) You know, bragging rights and all.

Official Cover for 'A Life Without You'!

www.ericapike.com

Tonight is a night for me to come squeeing. I just got the official cover for my debut novel!

A Life Without You is the first novel in the Boston Boys series and features Adam Maxwell and Jesse Jefferson who share a room in a dorm. Adam is head over heels for Jesse, but unless Jesse can crawl out of the closet, there might not be a future for the two. What complicates matters even worse is that Jesse, despite his feelings for Adam, already has someone else in his life.

I don't have a release date for A Life Without You, but it should be within the next month or two.