Hi everyone, I just found out that Amazon is running a promotion for new fiction on the Kindle that includes Perfect on Paper! Until August 31 it’s only $3.99- yikes that is cheap, but it’s also a fantastic way to get my book the e-hands of a lot of new readers.

Click here for the link (and it’s below too)– please send it to your friends and tweet/post on Facebook!

http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Paper-Adventures-Waverly-ebook/dp/B002WGC8JG/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Thanks so much,

Maria

Hi everyone! Super exciting news… I’m working on a sequel to Perfect on Paper! I’m having a lot of fun so far and am really looking forward to seeing where Waverly goes next.

With that said, many readers have told me that what they liked most about Perfect on Paper is that they could relate to the ridiculous things Waverly and her friends go through, many of which I took from real life experiences. So if you have a crazy dating story or general embarrassing moment that you’d like to share with me, please do! If I decide to use it, I will definitely let you know, and I’ll even put your name in the acknowledgments if you want me to. Click here to send me a note.

Thanks to all of you for your ongoing support. I look forward to reading some good stories!

Hi everyone! I’m trying to be creative about getting people to take a look at my book, so here’s a link to the first chapter. If you could please post it to your Facebook status (or Twitter) and suggest that your friends check it out, that would be wonderful!

www.mariamurnane.com/peek

Thanks so much!

-Maria

Last week was a whirlwind — and super fun! On Monday the team at AmazonEncore invited me to speak at BEA on a three-author panel about self-publishing to success, where I shared my “never give up” story with an enthusiastic audience of about 150 aspiring authors. After I told them about all the creative marketing I’d done on a shoestring with the help of my dad (aka my highly unpaid assistant), many of them said they wanted to hire him! Ha ha ha one of these days I’ll have to bring “Pa” on the road with me. Publishers Weekly wrote an article about the panel (click here to read it), and despite getting some key facts wrong, it was cool that they took notice.

Then we had an author meet & greet session that was supposed to last an hour, but I ended up staying nearly all day, along with the other two authors Joe Konrath (multiple thrillers) and Sheryl Matthys (fun book about dogs and relationships), because it was so much fun. Joe and Sheryl are both very cool people, and it was a pleasure to meet them both.

Later in the week Sheryl and I attended a reception for book bloggers, which was SO COOL because I met two women who were willing to review my book back when it was self-published. And they both loved it! So here’s a shout-out to Alea at Pop Culture Junkie and Swapna at S. Krishna’s Books. It was so nice to meet you in person, and I’ll forever be grateful that you took a chance on my book before it had a publisher’s name on the spine. 

I also had interviews with Kim Alexander of Sirius Radio and a producer for the CBS Evening News (yep, the one with Katie Couric!).  The Sirius one will be airing this week or next, I believe. Fingers crossed that CBS decides to do a story as well. To show her how I’ve gone from rejection to published author/entrepreneur, I gave the producer a copy of my book, as well as a pack of Honey Notes and a Honey Tote. (She chose the one that says “Is it worse to be fake or bitchy?”) Let’s hope she becomes a Waverly fan. Wouldn’t that be AMAZING? I will definitely keep you posted!

Bye for now,

Maria

Hi everyone! I’ve just added Honey Totes to Waverly’s Honey Shop. They are really cute! You can here to check out the site! I’ve also changed the look of the home page and added in some new pictures of the Honey Tees. Please have a look! Any and all feedback is much appreciated.

As always, free shipping with any order of $25 or more (or for any size order if you have Amazon PRIME.)

Thanks so much, and please spread the word!

Hi Honeys! I’ve just added a new Honey Tee to Waverly’s Honey Shop based on what may be the most beloved (and true) Honey Note in all of Perfect on Paper, which is the one that says the following:

Front: Is it worse to be fake or bitchy?

Inside: Honey, just face it. If you’re asking, you’re probably both.

Here’s a picture of the Honey Tee. I love it!

Please click here to visit Waverly’s Honey Shop to buy a Honey Tee or a pack of Honey Notes, or a copy of Perfect on Paper. Or all three! Free shipping with any purchase of $25 or more. Yay!

Earlier this week I spoke to the Delta Gamma chapter at Boston University, and despite the fact that I’ve written an entire novel, I’m having a hard time putting into words how much their enthusiasm meant to me. After I finished speaking, several girls in the back row gave me a standing ovation, and then a crowd of them rushed up to me to ask questions and buy books, Honey Notes and Honey Tees. Their energy was almost overwhelming, and I was so grateful for their support of  my efforts to spread the word about Perfect on Paper and my line of products at Waverly’s Honey Shop.

The next day a bunch of the girls added Waverly Bryson as a friend on Facebook, and once I started accepting their friend requests, I noticed that several of them were quoting Waverly in their status updates! (E.g. “Stuffed animals don’t belong in cars.”) And as if that weren’t flattering enough, some of them were also posting comments about how inspiring I was, and how I had made them really think about what they want to do with their lives when they graduate.

One girl even posted that she wanted to be me, which almost made me cry.

If any of the BU DGs are reading this, THANK YOU. I may have inspired you, but you have inspired me too. ITB!

OMG my mom just called to tell me that Perfect on Paper is in USA Today! Click here for the link. It’s an article about the AmazonEncore venture into publishing, and apparently there’s also a photo of the book’s cover in the print edition. 

Yahoo!!

Hi everyone! A bit of random news in the house that I just had to share: Amazon has sold the rights to publish Perfect on Paper in Germany! I don’t speak a lick of German and have no idea if my sense of humor will translate, but I don’t really care because it’s so exciting regardless! It’s slated for a fall 2011 release over there by Heyne Publishing, which is the German arm of … Random House!

Speaking of release dates, the official one for Perfect on Paper in the USA is Feb. 9, and I’m having launch parties in New York on Feb. 18 and in San Francisco on Feb. 25. If you’d like to attend or have friends in those cities who would, anyone and everyone is welcome! The details are here.  

Also – to all you Honeys out there who encouraged me to make the Honey Notes for real, please don’t forget to buy a pack or two! It cost me a pretty penny to make the cards, the Web site, etc., so my dwindling bank account and I would truly be grateful for your business. (It’s amazing how much fun you can have as an author and entrepreneur without actually making any money.) And to those of you who have already bought some Honey Notes, thank you SO much. I sincerely appreciate it!

The site is www.honeynote.com if you’d like to give it another look. Even if you don’t buy a pack, please spread the word to your friends! The fan page for how to do that is here.

Bye for now!

Maria