Ripple the Twine Book Tour Wrap Up and Amazing Responses

You’d probably think by now that I’m completely burned out on talking, reading or thinking about Ripple the Twine right? Well, yes and no. This book will always be my first published novel. It will always hold that place in my heart as the first child. So miraculous it exists at all.

But then again, it can become tiresome talking about it. Do you recall the scene in Jerry Maguire when Jerry is in the hotel room with his number one star prospect, Cushman, and the phone rings? Someone tells Cushman he’s on the jumbotron and Cush announces that he’s sick of looking at himself; that he has “Cush-lash”.

There are times I feel the same way about my first novel. Times I can’t wait to get the next one out just so I can stop talking about this one. However, this is not one of those times. Today I’m sort of reeling in the amazing response Ripple the Twine has gotten from readers.

And not just any readers, ones who read a lot of books by Indie Authors but still happened to love mine! I know maybe I shouldn’t be surprised anymore but I’m still in awe of the response every time someone new reads it and either officially reviews it or just lets me know how much they loved reading it. Seriously. Awe.

My Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour was still waiting for one last post to go up. With the holiday weekend this past weekend I didn’t get a chance to share the review that was posted over on The East Village this past Saturday. The review was late but I wasn’t stressed about it, hey life happens!

When Samantha at CLP told me the review was up I checked out the link on my phone (which can sometimes act up opening links but I was excited to give it a try!). I almost fell off the chair when I saw what she had to say about my novel! I encourage everyone to get over and read the review on The East Village and leave her a comment. I was pretty much literally blown away by her response!

And then this morning I’m perusing some blogs that I’m long overdue to catch up on reading and I come across a recap post over on Change the Word about the books she’s read in August. Her review of mine was so kind, 4 out of 5 stars and fantastic feedback including advice I’ll make use of while writing future books. Then I read this post today.

Laura recapped the four books she read in August and she said Ripple the Twine was her “Read of the Month”! Holy cow! I’m humbled and so honored. It’s hard to put into words anything other than thank you to express how much I appreciate being told that my book was the leader of the pack (and let me tell ya, the other books on her month’s reading list well, let’s just say that I’ve heard whispers of how awesome they all are!). Please check out the recap post on Change the Word and maybe you’ll even discover another book you want to check out.

So now with the Labor Day holiday behind us here in the U.S. the vibe of summer fun and breezy beach days are winding down. And so is my heavy promotion of Ripple the Twine. Moving into fall my main focus will be to get my second manuscript, Work in Progress, more fully edited and formatted for eBook. But of course I’ll also be taking a little time to appreciate the fruits of the labor that I put into my first.

And hell, if hockey doesn’t happen this season I’m going to (sob uncontrollably because I’ll) have a whole heck of a lot more time to spend writing and editing, so you never know what might materialize!

Ripple the Twine Tour Starting to Wind Down

But it isn’t over yet! Today’s Tour stop comes from Lisa at Lost in Literature. She was kind enough to post a bio and synopsis of my book in addition to a review in which she gave Ripple the Twine FOUR STARS! Woo hoo!

I’d like to share a somewhat funny story about sending my book out to Lisa. I had purchased a new style of envelope for mailing out these review copies. The envelopes are awesome because they’re 95% recycled content, 65% of which is post-consumer, and they’re really super rigid so I know they’ll protect the books well. Everyone’s book arrived protected and inside their envelope except Lisa’s!!

Considering the blog’s title is Lost in Literature and the book seemed to disappear in the mail I was shaking my head at the irony of it all. Anyway, I chuckled and sent her out another copy.

Thankfully I did! Lisa said"Ripple the Twine is a light, quick read that I thoroughly loved from beginning to end."

I appreciate the opportunity for Ripple the Twine to be featured on Lost in Literature today Lisa!

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One quick thing I’d like to address in Lisa’s review however is in regards to the cover. It may appear that these items were Photoshopped together but that isn’t the case at all. This photo shoot was set up by my mom, Judi FitzPatrick Studio, at my sister’s apartment. The shoes are mine & puck belonged to a colleague of my sister. The still life scene was shot in multiple angles at it sat on a coffee table, shrouded in a “green screen”, out on my sister’s front balcony. Although the perspective might look off I assure you, that heel is on the puck and toe was on the table!

Ripple the Twine Brings Out the Sports Love on Tour

One of the stops I was most excited about sending a copy of Ripple the Twine out to was Jersey Girl Book Reviews. Run by Kathleen she loves to read and is a big supporter of Indie Authors, like me!

As a sports girl from Boston there’s no doubt I’m going to have a love for the Bruins and the Red Sox. And anyone who has read my book knows that Sara is also a lover of the Beantown sports teams. I sent my book off to Kathleen with fingers crossed that she wasn’t a Yankees fan (but truthfully I knew better, I know how and where loyalties lie in the northeast!). But she was totally professional when reviewing the book…despite her love for a couple of Boston’s biggest rivals.

Not only did Kathleen give me a great review but she was gracious enough to allow me to post about how my love of Boston sports helped me shape Ripple the Twine in my Guest Post: “How Boston Sports Love Helped Me Write My First Novel”. With a mention of the Yankees and the Flyers as being two of her top teams, I have to thank Jersey Girl Book Reviews for allowing my Boston-ness to reign supreme on her blog today. (heehee)

And not only that but I have to thank her for such a glowing review! Kathleen really understood the characters and their motivations. She says:

“The author does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life with their individual stories, their strong bond of friendship, as well as their dialogues and interactions, it made the story that much more of an entertaining and compelling read.”

Her entire review of the book was more than I could’ve asked for! Please check out the review and leave a comment on Jersey Girl Book Reviews!

Kathleen also features Authors who want to be reviewed but aren’t part of a tour. Have a book? Want a review? Check her sidebar for details.

Ripple the Twine Blog Tour Next Stop…

Samantha March is hosting me over at her fun blog today as the Ripple the Twine train pulls into the next station! I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Samantha for today’s post and I must say, her questions really made me stop to think. I appreciate being able to dig a little deeper inside to answer her questions honestly.

As the owner and operator of the blog Chick Lit Plus – the organizer of this wild ride of a Blog Tour I’m on right now – Samantha has been AH-mazing! She’s super friendly & sweet, incredibly organized and works hard to make a Blog Tour the best it can be! When she suggested that I could be featured on her blog too I was thrilled!

Be sure to check out the post and leave Samantha some love. I would like to thank her profusely for doing such a great job with organizing and promoting my Tour and for featuring my interview and excerpt on her own blog today. You rock Samantha, thanks!

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The giveaway for Ripple the Twine on Every Free Chance Book Reviews is now closed. Want to know who the winner is? Was it you? Click the link to discover who won a copy of my first novel!

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Are you thinking about buying a copy of Ripple the Twine but want to spend a little less than cover price? Well this is your lucky week! Just click anywhere my title appears in bold throughout this post and you’ll be taken to my Lulu storefront.

Use the following codes (case sensitive) and save some moolah:

PADDLE – will give you 15% off any order

ROW – will give you 25% off orders of $500 or more

After you pick up a copy of Ripple the Twine why not check out some other Indie Authors? Books make terrific gifts for yourself and others!

Ripple the Twine Blog Tour Continues

You all remember Books Etc. right? The blog is run by Kaley and she posted a wonderful review of Ripple the Twine this past Wednesday. Well Kaley has me back today with a Guest Post - Why Self-Publishing Fit with My First Novel. Thanks so much!

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share a bit about my experience in self-publishing and the steps it took for Ripple the Twine to be shaped into a finished product. My sights were first set on traditional publishing. It didn’t work out and after a while I decided that all I really wanted was to have the book released into the world. Self-publishing was right for me and right for Ripple the Twine.

Stop on over today to Books Etc. to read the rest of the story about the journey Ripple the Twine took from written to released! 

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Don’t forget you can still enter the GIVEAWAY on Every Free Chance Book Reviews to win a copy of Ripple the Twine in paperback! Already have a copy? Who cares! Give this one to a friend, family member, donate it to a charitable organization, wherever. Just ENTER TO WIN TODAY! Ends Monday August 20, 2012!

Also, Chrissy was kind and generous enough to post her review on my Amazon page. Check it out, how cool! That was a surprise to discover yesterday, and a VERY pleasant one at that! Thanks! Indie Authors need reviews on sites like Amazon to bloster their ratings position and I couldn't be more grateful to Chrissy for taking the time to post hers. Every little bit helps!

Ripple the Twine Blog Tour Day Four

I’d love to thank Nikki at Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More for giving 3.5 Lightning Bolts to Ripple the Twine! Lightning is, for lack of a better word, awesome. That many bolts on my first novel kind of make me want to do the happy dance right now! I may not stop using exclamation points all day long!

Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More has also featured the synopsis, bio, and links to all my online homes. I was particularly excited to read the review because Nikki’s profile indicates she lives in Phoenix. Me too! Of course with a book based in Boston it was important that Ripple the Twine still resonate in other geographic areas.

Please take a minute and check out today’s Tour stop to see how my book stacks up.

Thanks again Nikki!

"Ripple the Twine" - A Novel - On sale today!

Ripple the Twine
by Jenn Flynn-Shon
Paperback, 322 pages
Not yet rated

Price: $15.99
Ships in 3-5 business days

A Tomboy-meets-Townie love story and tale about how friendship can save your life. Sara Quinn is a Sportswriter from Boston and over the past year she has started to earn major respect in the local market. In the process, however, she abandoned her personal relationships and put her emotions in the box. Regardless of her self-imposed timeout, a friend introduces her to Ben. With blue eyes, black hair and a brogue, he's her ultimate triple threat. But they connect just as Sara learns that her friends are facing heavy emotional crises. She starts offering advice, becoming a rock for everyone else, and in the process Sara unearths her own long dormant insecurities. But a bag of peanut butter cups and a hockey game won't fix her issues. She's got to move past her emotional past without hiding behind her career for once. She needs her friend's support as much as they need hers and the four will quickly discover that, when they stick together, their offense is virtually unstoppable.

Please feel free to leave a review of this book on this post, at my Goodreads Author page, or directly on Lulu.  Thank you for supporting Indie Authors!