So today is the release day of That One Moment and I’m feeling compelled to get real with you all for a second.
Suicide Ain’t Sexy
Anyone that’s read my previous London Love stories know Hayden Clarke’s tragic story. I’m not giving away any spoilers that you wouldn’t figure out within the first chapter. But to write a romance novel about a subject matter that makes people uncomfortable isn’t sexy!
But you know what is sexy…?
Pushing boundaries.
And I love that in all of my books so far, I’ve managed to tell deeply tragic stories about miscarriage, infertility, abuse, jealousy, loss, depression, and even suicide and still managed to find that silver lining that we all crave and strive and dream for.
Love.
Love is always sexy…even when it’s in sweat pants while you’re feeding each other Cheetos and binge watching Gilmore Girls. I love the mantra that love conquers all because I believe it. Love can see past all the b/s in life. That is why I love writing romance. No super powers or zombie attacks. It’s just the feels and it’s the connection and it’s the emotional journey we all take everyday to be comfortable in our own skin.
That One Moment is averaging 4.9 stars on Amazon. And that’s a freaking win for me today. I will fly high to my RT Book Conference tomorrow knowing that your love for the journey of a real story is transcending sexy. From the bottom of my tear-greedy soul….thank you.
p.s. This book is still kinda sexy…I mean…because…Hayden. 🙂
Amy Daws is a commercial producer and lives in South Dakota with her husband and daughter. The long-awaited birth of Lorelei is what inspired her passion for writing. On most nights, you can find Amy and her family dancing to Strawberry Shortcake’s theme song or stuffing themselves inside children’s-sized playhouses because there is nothing they wouldn’t do for their little miracle.
Bloggers and readers! The cover reveal for That One Moment has been set and I’d love for you to be a part of it on March 17th!
If interested, please fill out this form—>Sign Up Link
Need a bit more info on what’s happening and some intriguing teasers? Keep reading!!!!
It all started with a Midwest girl named Finley who has an epic, emotional meltdown and decides to flee the country to live with her best friend Leslie overseas. Now, it has evolved into a dynamic cast of unique, lovable, and sexy characters. The London Lovers Series gave us a doorway into the world of love across the pond in a place I fondly call London Bloody England! But what one may have not known was that this series would give birth to a new spin off series for me.
You recall the ever-so-steamy cover and even hotter story of Reyna Miracle called Not The One. Well, this story featured some of the London Lovers cast, but stood proudly on it’s own as a standalone. And towards the end, a certain sinfully sexy man had his heart broken on a park bench over-looking the River Thames.
Well, I am pleased to announce that Hayden Clarke will be getting his own story in a book called That One Moment and will be officially be Book 2 in a new series called Lost in London!Here’s a little sample of the highly anticipated story of the beloved Hayden.
That One Moment is releasing in April! Final dates TBA on the big cover reveal happening March 17th. Bloggers, I would LOVE to have you involved in this big reveal. I think the cover does great justice to the gorgeousness of Not The One.
I’m so excited for the continuation of this new series! If interested please fill out the form.
Have you checked out Not the One yet?
My name is Reyna Miracle.
Even though a part of my name is Miracle, there’s nothing miraculous about me.
My body portrays the tales of my life.
Every feeling, every heartbreak, every emotion. Marked. Inked. Stained.
A walking canvas of my messed up truth.
But there’s one confession I can’t put in a tattoo.
A confession that will kill me to tell, but my best friend died before I had the chance.
Now I’m left with him.
The only one who can hold me in the night and squeeze that spot on my neck that feels like my lifeline between sanity and chaos.
But we don’t work together.
We’re absolute poison for each other.
We’re a stifling, suffocating, sickness of darkness.
But I feel safe…because I’ve made an art of pushing people away.
Now he’s pushing back…
And making me believe…
Making me wonder…
Maybe, just maybe…
I could be the one.
So today kicks off my blog tour of Not The One. A blog tour is when people post their reviews of my book baby and bash my heart into a million pieces.
Sometimes. Not always. 😉
So far, reviews for Not The One have been pretty awesome. My best ever, as a matter of fact. And even if they do trash my book baby, I can handle it. After co-writing a ballerina novel with the one and only, Sarah J. Pepper, I can withstand the worst types of torture.
Anyways, when I send out information to blog for tours, I have to include promo materials like teasers, excerpts, trailers, rap videos, etc. I even have to include a Q&A session so they can post that along with their review posts. So today, I thought I’d share a special, exclusive interview with you all…that I did with myself.
Q: Self, why don’t you wear makeup very much anymore? You see us in the mirror, right? A: OMG, Self…I know! We’re hideous aren’t we? The truth is…I practically eat, sleep, and dream book world now and makeup just seems like a time suck. Just last night, I woke up in the middle of the night and checked my book ranks and my husband rolled over and told me that I needed help. <shrugs shoulders>
Q: Okay Self, I forgive you…but, seriously…what inspired this sadistic, dark, tear-fest of a book? Did you kick puppies as a child? A: Aw, self! Such sweet words! You shouldn’t have! 🙂 I did not kick puppies as a child. Nor are there any puppies getting kicked in this story! Not The One isn’t sadistic, it’s just a journey to finding the light and finding your own ‘happy’. It’s not easy for everyone and Reyna had to have some crazy twists before she could catch her own HEA. Honestly, Rey was a very small character in my London Lovers Series that seemed way cooler and more bad-ass than me. The “Miracle” aspect of her middle name was something I thought I could connect to from my own life. My own daughter is a miracle baby and I thought about what it would be like if I constantly smothered her and put her on a pedestal just because of her existence.
Q: Self, do you always pull from your own life for your books? I mean, we are pretty awesome. A: That we are…and we’ve definitely found our own ‘happy’. 🙂 I really love to put a personal piece of myself in all of my stories if I can. Something I can connect to on a real and deep level. I think it helps the believability factor in my books.
Q: Self, do you ever wish you could go back to reading only? A: All the dang time, Self. Writing can be a painful, grueling process. And the work is endless. But man, finishing a book is still an all time high for me. And I’ve had so many awesome experiences because of this epic book world.
Q: Self, readers keep yelling at you for making them cry…why do you do that? Just stop it! A: Never!!!! You know Self…first of all, your skin is looking pretty rough today. Maybe we should stop using body lotion on our face? …anyways, back to your question. Why do I make people cry? I don’t know! It just flows out of me that way. Getting down and dirty and deep and sad with my characters just takes me on an emotional journey I guess. I like making readers cry. I want it to happen! But honestly, you should see what a wreck I am when I’m writing those sad parts. I lost a ‘G’ with this book. Like literally…I lost the button G on my lap top. It still works though.
Q: Self, who the heck is Frank? And how did you create him? A: Frank is a fantastical, redheaded, gay Brit in several of my London Lovers novels, including Not The One. I mean, really, how much more amazingness can you pack into one character? Frank’s visual appearance was inspired by a guy I creeped on while I was eating lunch at a pizza place once. The dude was wearing a lot of denim, had crazy red hair…and boom…writing explosion! I just knew I had to make this guy into a character. I wish I could find him and tell him what a remarkable inspiration he was. Everybody needs a Frank and Beans in their life.
Q: Will he get a story? A: Let me be “frank” when I tell you…it is a distinct possibility. 😉
Q: Self…what kind of torture are you putting us through next? A: Welp, the readers have spoken and everyone wants a Hayden story. I’m hoping for a Spring release date!
Self…you’re pretty. Self…you’re not so bad yourself.
Amy Daws is a commercial producer and lives in South Dakota with her husband and daughter. The long-awaited birth of Lorelei is what inspired her passion for writing. Amy is a lover of all things British and her award-nominated romantic comedy series, The London Lovers Series, is centered around Americans in London. It’s emotional and self-deprecating with lots of humor sprinkled in. On most nights, you can find Amy and her family dancing to Strawberry Shortcake’s theme song or stuffing themselves inside children’s-sized playhouses because there is nothing they wouldn’t do for their little miracle.
Here the back story reading order of my London-based love stories for those that prefer to read in perfect order!
Once upon a time, I wrote a book called A Broken Us…it was about an American girl named Finley who went to go live with her bestie, Leslie that lived in London at the time. This is where she met an intriguing British lad named Liam Darby.
I clicked PUBLISH:
I thought A Broken Us would be a standalone, but the feedback on my secondary characters was so awesome, I knew I had to continue…but first, I felt pulled to tell Finley’s backstory more. Consequently…we went back in time and Finley’s college prequel in America was born..Becoming Us:
Then…her London bestie, Leslie, was just screaming for a story! So we went forward in time, back to London, and picked up where A Broken Us left of with Theo Clarke & Leslie Lincoln’s story, London Bound:
Thus, the London Lovers Series was born and I changed the reading order to start with the college prequel. Though you don’t have to read the prequel to enjoy A Broken Us. If London is your thing, you can dive right into A Broken Us…then onto London Bound.
After London Bound released, I had introduced my readers to the hero, Theo Clarke and his family. Namely, his brother Hayden. My readers demanded to know more of the shattered Hayden Clarke…and the quick cameo of tension between Reyna Miracle and Liam Darby at a hospital scene in London Bound intrigued me.
I’m sure by now you’re like, okay, so this is Book 4…what’s confusing?
But here’s the deal. In A Broken Us and London Bound…you’re following a very tight-knit circle of friends that are all interweaved into each other’s everyday lives. They even live together in the same house. In Not The One, you are following characters on the outside of that group. So I labeled it a spin-off standalone. Because that’s what it is. London Lovers characters do make appearances in NTO, but I don’t include any spoilers to the previous books in the event new to me readers want to check out their stories.
To me, this was the perfect way to introduce myself to new readers and pull them into the magic of London and all of these characters I have created.
But then my readers all wanted a HEA for Hayden…and Hayden begged along with them (in my head). So I wrote That One Moment:
And I thought…oh wow, Not The One and That One Moment fit together so well, let’s make them their own spin-off series called Lost in London. It’s a nice easy duet for readers to enjoy. However, they could just as easily be labeled London Lovers book 4 & 5.
But then, as if you’re not already exhausted, I also tease a new book called One Wild Night that can either be Lost in London #3 or London Lovers #:
I don’t have a release date for One Wild Night but I do intend to write it!
For now, I’m starting a spin off sports romance series about the Harris Brothers you meet in That One Moment. The first book in that is currently available with more on the way!
If you take one thing away from this…please know that my books truly can be read in any order. I’ve researched it. I’ve tested it. I’ve discussed it with readers and many of them enjoyed reading them out of order! But if you are an order nazi, read it this way:
1. Becoming Us
2. A Broken Us
3. London Bound
4. Not The One
5. That One Moment
6. One Wild Night (whenever I release it)
7. Challenge (while you’re waiting for One Wild Night)
But again, all but Becoming Us work perfectly as a standalone, so this series really does have something for everyone.
Except my Grandma…who still wants me to write Amish Romance.
Amy Daws is a commercial producer and lives in South Dakota with her husband and daughter. The long-awaited birth of Lorelei is what inspired her passion for writing. Amy is a lover of all things British and her award-nominated romantic comedy series, The London Lovers Series, is centered around Americans in London. It’s emotional and self-deprecating with lots of humor sprinkled in. On most nights, you can find Amy and her family dancing to Strawberry Shortcake’s theme song or stuffing themselves inside children’s-sized playhouses because there is nothing they wouldn’t do for their little miracle.
It’s a heavy thing to be able to type those words. But I did it. The early reviewers for Not The One are saying that this is my best work yet and I’m finally starting to believe them! After an awesome early release on iBooks, the good times just keep on coming now that I’m live everywhere!
I think one of the things I’m most proud about with this release is the cover. It’s just so fun to have an image that you’re completely proud of showcasing all the hard work you put inside. So I thought it’d be fun to release a few fun facts post about the cover of Not The One!
➜My two cover models aren’t actually models. They are just uber talented hair stylists from the town I live in in South Dakota!
➜Yes, her ink is real and it was amazingly inspiring during my writing process.
➜My sister in law shot my cover. And I pay her in food & drink & hugs. 😉
➜We had a baby sleeping on set during the entire shoot.
➜We had a puppy running around on set during the entire shoot.
➜We only shot for 50 minutes.
➜I do all the design and layout myself.
➜And no…they are not a real couple. 🙂 But I think they could play one on TV!
If you’re a new to me reader, Not The One is the perfect book to dive in and get your feet wet. It’s a great standalone and I am so proud of the team of people I had that helped me make this the best it could be!
Amy Daws is a commercial producer and lives in South Dakota with her husband and daughter. The long-awaited birth of Lorelei is what inspired her passion for writing. Amy is a lover of all things British and her award-nominated romantic comedy series, The London Lovers Series, is centered around Americans in London. It’s emotional and self-deprecating with lots of humor sprinkled in. On most nights, you can find Amy and her family dancing to Strawberry Shortcake’s theme song or stuffing themselves inside children’s-sized playhouses because there is nothing they wouldn’t do for their little miracle.