EDIT: Giveaway now closed. Thanks still apply.
It’s been quiet around here, hasn’t it? On the blog, I mean. Around HERE here, in my real life? Not so much.
But we’ll have time for news and project updates another day. Today we’re here to celebrate the fact that one year ago today, Bound became A Thing People Could Read.
First book of a trilogy.
First book for me.
First time in a long time that I had stepped so far out of my comfort zone that the stress made me physically ill, and the first time I’d ever chased a dream that hard.
It was also the first time I’d ever taken a risk that big and invested so much in what I suspected would amount to a whole lot of “well, at least a few people read it” and “I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t try, right?” and “It was a great learning experience.”
All of those things are true, but this year has gone SO much better than I ever expected.
Why?
Because of you guys.
Because of people who read my blog and commented on snippets that I posted on WIPpet Wednesdays, kind folks who commented on the first chapter when I posted it, and bloggers who helped out with the cover reveal and release-week posts. Because of writer friends who got me through tough moments, who let me vent about frustrations, and who were there to celebrate the victories and setbacks I didn’t want to talk about in public.
Most of all, it’s because of the people who read the book. Those who bought it when it was new and untested, or when they decided to take a chance on an unfamiliar author. Those who loved it, who recommended it to friends and family, who suggested Bound to their wine-drinking book clubs, who wrote reviews,who shared the book on their blogs and requested it at their local libraries, those who tweeted about it, who mentioned it on “what are you reading” and “who are your book crush” facebook posts…
I wish I could give every one of you a medal and a hug.
See, I wrote a book that I loved and I thought a few other people might enjoy, and I did what I could to make it the best it could be.
That’s about it. The rest of it, the rankings and the reviews and the recommendations? That was all you guys.
Pretty amazing.
It’s my job to make words work for me, to get them to express what I’m thinking, imagining, or feeling, but I continue to be at a complete loss when it comes to trying to thank you guys. It’s too much.
Thanks for making this author’s maiden voyage such an incredible adventure.
*sniffle*
Okay, enough sappy stuff. Who wants free crap?
I mean… a book? WHO WANTS A BOOK?
This is a celebration, so let’s make the prize a good one. Let’s see what we’ve got here… How about a signed copy of the book of your choice (Bound or Torn), or a CD copy of the Bound audiobook? And let’s throw in some extra goodies. Some sea glass and a mermaid charm (my apologies for the fact that she has a fish tail… mammalian merfolk merchandise is hard to come by, and also a bit of a tongue twister). A couple of cover cards that you can use as bookmarks, or as posters for your Barbie Dream House (not judging), or whatever else floats your boat. Also, the last postcard I’ve got here. YAY!
Enter here, through rafflecopter.
To claim your blog post entry, comment below and tell me who your favourite character in the Bound trilogy is (so far) and why. If you’re just joining us and haven’t read the books, no problem! Tell me your favourite species of Fantasy creature, and don’t forget to claim your rafflecopter entry!
And please share! I’d love to see everyone who might be interested get a chance to enter this giveaway. You can tweet for an entry, or share this post on other social media platforms by clicking the wee buttons below.
Thanks again, guys.
I can’t wait for you to see what comes next.
disregard the prologue 
June 23rd, 2015 at 7:04 pm
Congrats on the anniversary and success.
June 23rd, 2015 at 7:11 pm
Kel is love. Kel is life.
June 23rd, 2015 at 7:27 pm
I love all the books!!!
June 23rd, 2015 at 7:28 pm
Has to be Aren just has to be. 🙌🙌
June 23rd, 2015 at 8:03 pm
My favourite fantasy creature is unicorns!! Or dragons!!
Happy 1 year anniversary on the book my friend, so very proud of you. Xo
June 23rd, 2015 at 8:15 pm
my favorite fantasy creatures are selkies!
June 23rd, 2015 at 8:20 pm
Absolutely love the books so far! Keep it up Kate!
June 23rd, 2015 at 8:26 pm
Sorry, but I have to be biased. Ruby. Dragons make teh fantasy. You do dragons well (were you a DM, once upon a time?).
June 23rd, 2015 at 8:32 pm
My favorite character has to be Aren. I’m a sucker for stories involving reformed assassins!
June 23rd, 2015 at 10:39 pm
dragon for how they look
June 23rd, 2015 at 10:40 pm
I absolutely loved Bound. To be honest, it’s almost a toss up for me between Aren and Rowan for the favorite character but I think Aren wins by the tiniest margin.
June 23rd, 2015 at 11:41 pm
I love that Rowan is such a strong heroin it is refreshing to see considering the main characters in popular ya today. I am so glad I stumbled upon these books.
June 24th, 2015 at 7:08 am
I love the magic & power of dragons.
June 24th, 2015 at 9:21 am
[…] One Year Celebration (and giveaway!). […]
June 24th, 2015 at 3:17 pm
My favorite character is Aren. I love that he wants to protect Rowan at all costs, even to his death.
June 24th, 2015 at 5:37 pm
My favorite character is a tie between Rowan and Aren…. Rowan for her bravery, Aren for his change… It’s amazing to see how both grow. Although I am curious to see what happens to Kel. 😁
June 24th, 2015 at 6:41 pm
Rowan is my favourite. To be honest I was expecting a blank-slated main heroine and was pleasantly surprised to be so wrong.
I read the first chapter of Bound a couple months ago and it didn’t grab me, I’m not sure why. Then I picked it back up a week ago and started reading it and finished it in 2 days because I couldn’t put it down! If I had any down time even for a minute, I was reading. Thank you so much for putting your heart into these books. One year later and you’re still touching people with them.
June 24th, 2015 at 7:56 pm
There is no way I could pick jus ONE character as favorite. They are all so incredibly written! They come to life and I can literally see in my head what’s happening! Congratulations on the anniversary/birthday? And I cannot wait for what comes next!
June 25th, 2015 at 1:03 pm
Congratulations, Kate!!! I love Bound! I’m so glad you pursued your dream. Rowan and Aren are great. You know I’m also very partial to the merfolk. 🙂
June 25th, 2015 at 1:26 pm
Congratulations! I have not read your books yet, but would love to! A fantasy creature that always intrigues me are vampires. Maybe played out a bit, but I still daydream about them.