Monday 19 December 2016

2016: A Year in Review

Milestones Reached in 2016......


My Books

Published my 7th book ~ Poison Blood, Book 4: Apocalypse.


1st book series to come to conclusion ~ Poison Blood Series.

In November, Poison Blood, Book 1: Revelation entered the Top 20 Amazon US Bestseller List in the Kindle Free Fairy Tales and Myths category:




And in the Kindle UK Young Adult & Teen Coming of Age Fantasy category:




Published the 3rd book in the Soulmates Saga ~ Someone Like You.



Started writing my 1st 'sweet romance', well as sweet as they get with me :) More details in 2017....


Social Media

Twitter ~ Surpassed 2,500 followers mark in October. Currently have over 3,000 followers!



Blogger ~ Posted my 85th blog post.

Surpassed the 50,000 page views mark on my blog in October. And 70,000 views in December.

1st blog post to get 5,000 views in the first 7 days of posting.

On its 6th day of posting, this blog post got 10,000 views.


Personal

Rated my 200th book on Goodreads.

Caught 120 Pokemon on PokemonGo in 3 weeks.

Went to the WB Harry Potter Studio Tours. See a few pics below :) Super great day!















































Don't forget, my Soulmates Saga is on sale this month!

Amazon US|   Amazon UK|   iBooks   |   B&N Nook   |   Kobo |   Smashwords 






Monday 12 December 2016

CHASING PAVEMENTS #Christmas #Giveaway


I do this every summer and every Christmas. Let readers download my debut novel Chasing Pavements for free.  Every summer to celebrate the anniversary of its launch, and every Christmas because… because it’s Christmas, and because it was Christmas time when I completed the first rough draft of the manuscript, and because the story starts once upon a Christmas...

So it’s not long until Christmas, so join me in celebrating what will be the book’s fifth festive season in market and download your free copy now via:






And also free at these retailers:


Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/chasing-pavements-the-soulmates-saga-book-1

Amazon will price match Chasing Pavements so its FREE for Kindle customers, so make sure to check out this page to get your hands on this series for under $4.50 (books 2 and 3 will have the same sale price on Amazon as other retailers):

https://www.amazon.com/Soulmates-Saga-3-Book/dp/B01FZ4U07I/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8


Chasing Pavements

Would you recognise true love if you saw it?

Singer and songwriter Jamie York is suffering from writer's block. When he meets Mukti, suddenly his creativity knows no bounds and he feels torn. He has to keep seeing her, but what will she make of his tortured soul?

Little does he know that Mukti has her own secrets and is just as troubled as he is. Her name translates as 'freedom' in her native tongue Bengali, but she is anything but free.

Recent graduate Mukti Khan has started a new job in the City and is determined to work hard and keep others at bay. All that changes after a chance encounter with the mysterious Jamie. He fascinates her like no one ever has and she just has to get to know him better.

But is truly capable of letting him in?

As an unlikely friendship develops between the two, will Jamie and Mukti be able to help each other come to terms with their pasts and move forward together, or do some ghosts haunt us forever?

Set in contemporary London, Chasing Pavements is a unique love story between two unique characters that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.


~ What Others Have Said About Chasing Pavements ~

"Very well written, I felt like I knew the characters myself!"
*****

~~~

"Neha Yazmin's novel grips you from start to finish.  There are so many things I love about this novel.  Jamie's creativity.  Mukti's determination.  Twists and turns with every chapter.  But most of all, I love that you see the characters grow and develop.  When you reach the last page, it feels like you've been on a long journey with them - yet it's a journey that you want to do all over again!" *****

~~~

"This is not your typical chic lit book.  There is no sloppy romance and no mushy words.  This is truly a one of a kind book.  Little by little the story was told to me and it was told perfectly.  I cannot believe this is Neha’s first book.  It is perfect.  This is definitely a must read." *****

~~~

"Chasing Pavements is like one of a kind.  I loved the book.  It touched me in such a way that I felt lost for a while without having Jamie and Mukti in my life.   I can't believe that this is the author's first book; the way it's written is excellent.  I was captured from the beginning of the story.  A must read." *****

~~~

"Unputdownable.  I loved the London setting. The story is well told.  Neha has a way with descriptions that make the scenes really vivid.  The songs were a great mechanism to add to the story telling.  I look forward to reading Neha's other work but I hope I don't have to wait too long!" *****

Also, check out this lovely review from author I.C. Camilleri and check out her books here. Her characters are just as interesting and complex as the ones in the Soulmates Saga. Even though I read The Blake Soul a few years back, I can still remember the story and some scenes are still vivid in my memory! I can't explain how I feel about her liking my book :)




Thursday 1 December 2016

This #December ~ CHASING PAVEMENTS #Giveaway

Almost every year, I give away free copies of my debut novel, Chasing Pavements. There's no limit to the number of books I give away, no multiple-choice question that you have to answer to be entered into a prize draw and winners aren't selected at random.

Everybody that wants to win, will win.


This is because I make Chasing Pavements free at the below retailers for the whole of December and anyone and everyone that wants to download a copy can do so:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | B&N Nook | Kobo | Smashwords 


So, don't miss out on this chance to get your (digital) hands on the first book of the Soulmates Saga. Chasing Pavements introduces you to troubled soulmates Mukti and Jamie and sets the scene wonderfully for the next two instalments in the series, Make You Feel My Love and Someone Like You.

This year, I've also decided to slash the prices of the other two books in the series ~ Make You Feel My Love is down from $2.99 to $1.99 and Someone Like You is down from $2.99 to $2.49.

That's three books for only $4.48.


It's my chance to say thank you to the lovely people that follow and support me on Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook and Blogger. I really appreciate every re-tweet, every like, every time a post of mine is shared, spreading the word for my books - so Thank You!

And by giving away free copies of my books, I increase the chances of being read.

In saying that, the likelihood of my free book being read is still pretty low. Readers that download free ebooks and also purchase books with their hard-earned cash, are more likely to read the books they buy than the ones given away for free. In fact, some free books just sit in readers' digital shelves and never get read. I have a few of those on my Kindle and iPhone! Therefore, it's a good idea to give away free books quite frequently, if not making them perma-free. And a good cover goes a long way in getting people to read the free books they download.

If you would like to read the blurb and a spoiler-free Q&A on Chasing Pavements, click here.



Monday 21 November 2016

Spoiler-Free Q&A on #PoisonBloodSeries Book 4: Apocalypse

In celebration of the release of the final two books in the Poison Blood series, below is a (spoiler-free) Q&A on Book 4: Apocalypse.

Q: This is the final book in the Poison Blood series and Book 3 of your contemporary romance series, the Soulmates Saga, was published in summer 2016. What new projects do you have in the pipeline?


A: Yes, Apocalypse is the conclusion to Ellie’s story. She’s done her thing. While writing Book 3 and 4 however, I really enjoyed writing about Amber. She became a bigger part of the story than I’d expected, and I’m glad she did.


I want to write a spin-off series about her. It won’t be the Poison Blood books from her perspective, but a continuation of Amber’s story.


Or rather, letting her story truly begin.


What does she do after the events of PB4?


I for one want to find out.


Let’s hope there are others that do too!


In my Someone Like You (The Soulmates Saga, Book 3) Q&A, I said that it’s not necessarily the last book in the series – otherwise I would’ve called/renamed the series The Soulmates Trilogy – because I hope to write other books about these characters.

As I write this, I have ideas for at least two new books!


I’m really warming to the idea of writing, not a prequel per se, but continuing on from the events of Someone Like You, but also going back in time to Jamie’s childhood and exploring his life back then. It was in his childhood that he met Sarah, so she will play a big part in this book.


The – potential – instalment after that will be a true continuation of Mukti’s story after Someone Like You finished.


However, I want my mind to work on these ideas and develop them into something brilliant before committing to writing them. I want both these novels to have the same drama, romance and twist-and-turns as their predecessors.

So SLY is the last book in the Soulmates Saga for a while. In the interim, I want to work on something new, letting Mukti and co. have some peace for a while.



Q: Apart from the spin-off to the Poison Blood series, do you have any other new projects to work on?



A: Luckily, I do. I have an unfinished paranormal romance novel to complete (which has the potential to turn into a trilogy, we’ll see) and I have planned a new contemporary romance series too. I don’t want to say too much about this series, but I’m hoping it’ll be a little more light-hearted than the Soulmates Saga, not as dark. I want this series to have a slightly different feel to the Soulmates Saga – just so readers don’t feel like they’re reading about the same characters packaged up in different bodies – so I’ll make a conscious effort to ensure the main characters aren’t as troubled or tormented as Mukti, Jamie and Jonny.


Once I start writing however, who knows what direction the characters will take me? They tend to have a life of their own and usually get their way!


Also, I had this idea years and years ago about a ‘mystery’ novel. I’d like to revisit that and mould into something I can really get my teeth into. Now, just because I read more crime novels than any other genre, doesn’t mean I’m clever enough to write a detective novel. I won’t do that to myself. This old idea I had in my teens has potential though, and I’d like to put it in a format in which I am capable of writing.


Fingers crossed I can complete all my projects in good time. Wish me luck!



Q: Do you have any strange writing rituals?



A: No. Well, I don’t think they’re strange…

But I do believe in sticking to tradition when it comes to the first people that get sent my completed manuscripts.


The person that read the earliest, roughest draft of my debut novel Chasing Pavements (The Soulmates Saga, Book 1), was my friend Char. Since then, I’ve made sure to send her the first rough draft of all the books in that series. “As per tradition” is always the subject in the e-mail I send her.


When Poison Blood, Book 1 was ready for someone else’s eyes, my friend was busy and I was on a tight schedule, so I didn’t send it to her. As a result, I’ve refrained from sending her unpublished manuscripts from that series. Strange I know, but that’s me. 


Poison Blood, Book 3: Prophecy and Book 4: Apocalypse are available to download via the links below:

PB3:
Amazon US|   Amazon UK|    iBooks US   |   iBooks UK   |   B&N Nook   |   Kobo


PB4:
Amazon USAmazon UK|   iBooks US   |   iBooks UK   |   B&N Nook   |   Kobo

Books 1 and 2 are still FREE:

Poison Blood, Book 1: Revelation ~ Free at these retailers:

 
Poison Blood, Book 2: Absolution ~ Free at these retailers:

Amazon US|   Amazon UK  |   iBooks US & UK   |   B&N Nook Store   |   Smashwords


And the first two books in my teen urban fantasy/YA paranormal romance series, the Poison Blood series, can be downloaded for free via:

Amazon USAmazon UK|   iBooks US & UK   |   B&N Nook Store   |   Smashwords


Genre: YA Paranormal Romance / Teen Vampire Romance / Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy / Teen & YA Urban Fantasy / Young Adult Science Fiction & Fantasy

Mood: Dark / Humorous / Coming of age
Content: No violence / No explicit sex scenes / No erotica
Audience: Teen / Young Adult / New Adult / Adult
Recommended for: Readers that love all things vampires, slayers and witches!

Monday 14 November 2016

Spoiler-Free Q&A on #PoisonBloodSeries Book 3: Prophecy

In celebration of the release of the final two books in the Poison Blood series, below is a (spoiler-free) Q&A on Book 3: Prophecy.


Q: Why did it take you so long to release Poison Blood, Books 3 and 4?

A: I published the first two books in 2012 – it’s the year the series is set in. At this time, I’d written parts of Book 3 and had an outline for Book 4. I knew how the story was going to end and how I was going to get there. I’d planned to publish the third and fourth instalments as and when they were ready.

By the end of 2012 however, my personal life had taken a turn for the worse and continuing my writing journey was the last thing on my mind. I’ve written several blog posts on what led to my 3-4 year hiatus from the publishing industry so you can read about it by clicking these links:


Q: Since there was such a big gap between writing the first two books and Book 3, did you end up changing a lot of things that you’d initially planned?

A: Plot-wise, nothing changed. Back in 2012 however, I’d expected there to be more romance, and more of Christian. I guess, what was supposed to be a paranormal romance series has turned into more of an urban fantasy series.

Q: Could the Poison Blood Series have been just one novel?

A: Yes, I could have published one big novel instead of splitting the story into smaller books. If I’d done it that way, I would have priced it at $2.99, like my full-length contemporary novels, Chasing Pavements, Make You Feel My Love and Someone Like You. The combined price of the Poison Blood books is less than $2.99, and we get to have a few pretty book covers instead of just the one!

Q: How does Ellie compare to other heroines of paranormal/urban fantasy books?

A: Readers will be able to answer that question better than me.

Usually, the female leads in this genre have one characteristic in common: they have a tendency to get themselves and/or their friends into avoidable danger/trouble by making rash, irrational decisions. Decisions I wouldn’t have made in that situation. Choices that didn’t make sense. Reasoning that didn’t add up and felt a bit forced, presumably to add a bit of drama and action.

As a result, I found the heroines rather annoying and felt like throwing things at them. I hope Ellie isn’t irritating in that way – well, not too often, anyway!

Q: What are the best and worst things about writing about vampires?

A: The best: vampires in this series are really fast, strong and can have special supernatural powers. So when it comes to action sequences, the possibilities are endless. I can get really creative.

The worst: I really love writing dream sequences. All my books – apart from the Poison Blood Series – have dream/nightmare sequences. But if your main characters don’t sleep, they can’t dream. Therefore, I didn’t get to explore what goes on in Ellie and Christian’s unconscious minds.

Q: Which series did you enjoy writing the most, the Soulmates Saga or the Poison Blood series? Which would you enjoy most as a reader?

A: I know this is a boring answer, but I truly enjoyed writing both series, and writing one series helped make the other better. Editing the Soulmates Saga was harder though, and I enjoyed that less, whereas the re-writing process for the Poison Blood books was less laborious.

As a reader, I’m always looking for contemporary romance novels like Chasing Pavements and its sequels, but never succeed in finding anything like them. So I think my favourite series out of the two would be the Soulmates Saga.

Q: What about your friends and family, which of your books do they prefer?

A: Apart from my 13-year-old niece, I’m the only one in my family that enjoys reading fiction. My siblings are always glued to their SmartPhones and iPads, but not to read books. My husband isn’t into books either – he knows what happens in my novels, but hasn’t read a single line. So, none of my relatives have read my books. Yet. I know that once my niece is old enough, she’ll give my books a go. I’m really nervous as to what she’ll think of my work though. She’s a very talented writer herself and I have great hopes for her writing!

As for my friends, only two of them have read my work. I’m so grateful that they took time out of their incredibly busy lives and careers to do so, and for writing reviews on the books that they read. They were thankfully very honest in their reviews, stating both what they disliked and liked about the novels, so it’s not easy picking out which reviews were left by these two friends and which were written by strangers.

My other friends are very busy with their personal lives and their careers – I remember when my life was like that; I just wanted to sleep if I had a spare few hours – and they don’t have the same passion for reading that I do to squeeze in half-an-hour of reading into every day, which is what I started doing in the last couple of years. And I’m glad I did, because that 30-minute read during my lunch break helped me rediscover my love for reading and went a long way in improving my writing.

Who knows, if I make it big one day, maybe everyone I know will read my books – or at least own a copy – but until then, I’m happy to settle for the show of love from the strangers that were kind enough to message me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and on my blog, telling me how much they enjoyed my work. Thank you, it means so much to me!


Poison Blood, Book 3: Prophecy and Book 4: Apocalypse are available to download via the links below:


PB3:
Amazon US|   Amazon UK|    iBooks US   |   iBooks UK   |   B&N Nook   |   Kobo


PB4:
Amazon USAmazon UK|   iBooks US   |   iBooks UK   |   B&N Nook   |   Kobo

Books 1 and 2 are still FREE:

Poison Blood, Book 1: Revelation ~ Free at these retailers:

 
Poison Blood, Book 2: Absolution ~ Free at these retailers:

Amazon US|   Amazon UK  |   iBooks US & UK   |   B&N Nook Store   |   Smashwords