$250 Christmas Cash Giveaway & Winter in Snow Valley!

Hi y'all! 
I love the holiday season - the sparkling lights, the music, the gifts, eating goodies, Christmas caroling, lighting luminarias here in New Mexico (our neighborhood lights thousands every year!) parties, friends, family, my kiddos, and snuggling with a book by the fire. What's your favorite part of December? It's hard to choose! 

I also love the acts of charity and giving that happen as well and I hope we can continue to spread love and peace and goodwill all through the year. 

I'm also part of a fabulous $250 cash giveaway this month and all the details are below so check it out!

Okay, lots more news below so check it all out and enjoy some great reading this winter! (Psst! Don't forget that in two months Book 3 of my Harpercollins trilogy, publishes! RETURNED hits bookstore shelves on February 7th - you can pre-order at the link. I cannot wait for you all to read the thrilling conclusion to Jayden and Kadesh's dangerous and romantic story in Ancient Mesopotamia).

Thank you for reading my books, I appreciate it more than you can know. I love my readers and the incredible fan mail I receive. I'm blessed to have a career I love (a dream come true - it only took a couple of decades!) and readers who bless my life every single day. Thank you! 
xo,
Kimberley 

Winter in Snow Valley Six sweet romances in a single collection to warm you up! I adore the town of Snow Valley, Montana, that my author friends and I have created over the last two years! We've teamed up again with six winter romances sure to heat up the coldest of nights. Winter in Snow Valley. is out now! (Click here if you're too excited and you can't wait to add it to your Kindle shelf) If you're a fan of the series, we hope you love delving back into the world of Snow Valley. If you're new to the series, now's a great time to see what Snow Valley is all about. Here are the collections in order of publication: Christmas in Snow Valley, Summer in Snow Valley, Spring in Snow Valley, and now Winter in Snow Valley. (The next collection will release Fall 2017!)  These collections have been hugely popular, often hitting #1 Amazon Bestseller status. Wonderful characters, drama, humor, and happily-ever-afters. Grab a copy for yourself, or send a copy to your favorite romance reader this holiday season. Six short novels for only $4.99! Since I'm super excited about this Christmas season, I teamed up with a few other authors to offer a $250 Christmas Cash giveaway. JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME CHRISTMAS CASH GIVEAWAY. More information is at the bottom of the newsletter. I've got my fingers crossed for you, good luck!! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas season!! Kimberley Destiny Came Knocking by Cindy Roland Anderson When Piper Jensen’s dog has a litter of puppies that aren’t anything like their purebred mother, she immediately suspects the culprit responsible for the mishap is her neighbor’s derelict dog. Seeking restitution, Piper confronts the owner, Gabe Wesson, a single father of two children that likes to keep to himself. She isn’t prepared for Gabe to be so handsome, nor so disagreeable, and is irritated by his demands for a paternity test to prove his dog is the sire. As she and Gabe try to work things out, they both fight a growing attraction neither one of them want. But when Piper finds her heart falling in love with his children, it might be the catalyst that tips the scale towards a destiny she never dreamed possible. Starlight Kisses by Jeanette Lewis Mariah Lacoste has come to Snow Valley to help her cousin Amy revive Artisan's Knack, a boutique on Main Street that has definitely seen better days. Yeah, the timing might not be great -- a major overhaul of the store plus maid of honor duties for Amy's wedding, all during the worst winter Snow Valley has seen in a decade -- but Mariah is confident she can handle it. But can she handle Riker Carmichael, the best man and rumored player, who sets out to steal her heart? The Light in Your Eyes by Cami Checketts Snow Valley's new pediatric dentist, McCoy Wilson, is in debt and stress taller than his beat-up Chevy. The last thing he needs is a beautiful assistant who he's drastically overpaying. Chanel Horman prays moving to Snow Valley after her husband's death will give her and her son a start fresher than the snow that never stops falling. A hunky new boss isn't in the plans, but she'll have to find some way to work with McCoy without melting at his gentle smiles or she'll be in trouble deeper than the snow drifts. The Better Man by Taylor Hart Chase Moon hates weddings, but a guy can't avoid his brother's marriage so he's got to man up and show up. Autumn Lane has a plan in life and it doesn't include her ex fiancé or some ex bronc rider thinking he has to protect her. When Chase and Autumn are forced into working together, neither of them imagined they’d fly to L.A., end up as contestants on the Price is Right, or kiss on a rooftop. Too bad her ex fiancé threatens to sue Chase to get her back. Now Chase is faced with a choice—trust his instincts or only wish he was the better man. Unbreak My Heart by Kimberley Montpetit - this one is mine!! :-) Caitlin Webster suffers the worst New Year's of her life when she discovers her fiancé with his old girlfriend. Her best friend takes her to see Madame Tallulah, who makes such crazy predictions Caitlin dismisses them, until she gets a request to go to Snow Valley Montana and be a midwife for her cousin at the Starry Skies Bed & Breakfast. Caitlin finally agrees and finds herself in the snowy wilds of Montana in an encounter with a big red monster truck careening across the ice. It’s not the most fortuitous of encounters with contractor Quentin Hudson, and Caitlin avoids him like the plague. But is Quentin just a big burly Montana dude—all brawn and no brains—or is there more to this enigmatic man and his monster truck? Is he the one who will capture Caitlin’s broken heart and end up saving everyone at the end? Wedding Fever by Lucy McConnell Cat O’Shae, a Christian romance writer who moved to Snow Valley with her sister, needs a New Year’s resolution. Her grandpa recommends she start creating romance off the page. When her eyes lift from the computer screen, they land on Sam Miller, an unlikely candidate for a romantic hero, except he sure does look good in a cowboy hat and he did save her from one mad chicken… Sam might just be what she needs to start the new year off right. Get your copy of Winter in Snow Valley TODAY. This amazing JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME is sponsored by the wonderful blog, I AM A READER. One lucky winner will receive $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card. All terms and conditions for this giveaway can be found HERE.   To enter, use this direct link to the Rafflecopter giveaway or head over to the I Am a Reader Giveaway Blog Post. Good luck!

New Book Cover Revealed Today!!

Hello, dear friends and fellow book lovers! 

I'm sooooo thrilled to share the gorgeous cover for Book 3 of the #FORBIDDEN trilogy for the first time today!! 

All three covers are below for your viewing pleasure with the final book at the end. So. Very. Gorgeous.

#RETURNED coming your way Feb 2017 in bookstores and online! 

To celebrate I'm giving away three sets of the entire trilogy in hardcover! Enter Here and please feel free to share the cover with your own friends on your social media sites! Giveaway at this link: http://bit.ly/28XMPwJ 

***Happiness is New Book Covers*** 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spring Conferences!!

Spring is getting closer! Which means allergies, pink popcorn blossoms, more sunshine, and fun writing conferences like the Romantic Times Convention in Las Vegas - and I'm GOING THIS YEAR for the first time! Here's my schedule: 

April 12: Tuesday Night at 10:30 I'll be at the YA Slumber Party; games and fun and TONS OF GIVEAWAYS for everyone!!
April 13: Wednesday Evening at 7:30 the RT Viva La Historical Soiree! Godiva Chocolates and Champagne!
April 14: Thursday at 3:00, the YA Panel and Party "You're Never too Old For YA"
April 15: Friday, club RT round tables. Come find me and chat about books, writing, publishing, whatever you want! There will be tons of swag and books and goodies! 
April 15: Friday from 4:00-5:30 GIANT BOOK SIGNING. I'll be there signing copies of FORBIDDEN and BANISHED. With swag and goodies! Come find me! 

I will also be attending the LDSTORYMAKERS Conference at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, UtahMMay 6-7th!  Tons of Fun and Friends and Inspiration! 

And I just *might* be doing a bookstore launch party for BANISHED on Thursday evening, May 4th in Salt Lake City so stay tuned. More details in a few weeks. 

Other Blogs I've been hanging out at lately: 

Come read all about Common Beginner Tics at Literary Rambles: 

The Dark Faeries Blog 50 Shades of Book Boys: I give you fun facts about Kadesh, my mysteriuos boy from the Frankincense Lands. AND a fabulous giveaway of BANISHED and lots of beautiful swag and jeweled bookmarks.  

A beautiful Review of BANISHED at With Love for Books

A heartfelt and gorgeous review of BANISHED by Laura Fabiani at Library of Clean Reads

A THOUSAND THANKS to everyone who has Read and Reviewed and Tweeted and made February such a grand book launch month for BANISHED!!!

Consider yourself showered with cookies! 

xo,
Kimberley

www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com

BANISHED is born! Launch Party Details, too!

Happy book birthday to BANISHED, Book 2 of the FORBIDDEN trilogy!  Please come to the fabulous Book Launch Party in Albuquerque!

I'm thrilled to share the news that BANISHED (Harpercollins), is out in bookstores at last, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold. If you haven't had a chance to read FORBIDDEN yet, you can grab it on Kindle/Nook or the paperback for only a few bucks. It does end at a big cliffhanger, but now you can read BANISHED immediately. :-)

BOOKLIST gave BANISHED a fabulous review: "Jayden achieves almost superhero status here, moving from adventure to adventure—not even a near-death stoning can stop her. Little's descriptions of the landscape are evocative in both desolation and in beauty. Just as good is her pacing, which gets the blood pumping for both characters and readers. Far more than a bridge book, this will heighten anticipation for a no-doubt exciting conclusion."

Friday, February 26, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. BANISHED Book Launch Party at Bookworks Bookstore !

Bookworks on Rio Grande Blvd in Albuquerque at 6:00 p.m. There will be a tribal dancer, a Presentation about The Ancient Frankincense Trail, food, books, and fun!

 

Can’t attend? You can Order Autographed Copies by calling the store at 505-344-8139 and they’ll ship them to you!

This photograph is from a fan who ensconced a copy of BANISHED on a luxurious bed of scarves. I love it!

Quotes from the book! 

 Isn't this eye ribbon divine? Try it while reading BANISHED! 

A thousand thanks for all the support, my dear friends. I couldn't have a writing career without readers like you.
xo, Kimberley 

WINNERS of the FORBIDDEN Giveaway Announced!

MANY THANKS for entering the giveaway, everyone! I truly LOVED reading your enthusiasm and comments, and I'm so thrilled about this trilogy and hope you get a chance to read it.

With the inexpensive Kindle, Nook, and Paperback of FORBIDDEN out now, consider using the book for your Book Club. Here's a marvelous Book Club Guide I created: http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Forbidden-Book-Club-Guide.pdf

OR request your local library to order FORBIDDEN and BANISHED and then you can read them for FREE! Libraries *will* order books their patrons request and those sales help me to be able to keep writing more books. :-)

And now for our WINNERS!! The Random Generator chose The 11th and 25th Commenters.

CONGRATULATIONS CJReynolds52 and Mary Preston!!! Very excited for you!

Please email me at kglittle@msn.com with your address and let me know if you'd like a hardcover of FORBIDDEN, a paperback, or a Kindle version. 

Enjoy FORBIDDEN's ***Amazing*** book trailer filmed on location in the deserts of ancient Jordan near Petra. 

Happy Monday and Happy Reading!

xo,
Kimberley

LOVELY News and TWO lovely giveaways of FORBIDDEN!

The last time I posted I was leaving for YALLFest in Charleston where I was part of the YASeries Insiders booth and did several library and high school events there and in North Carolina.

During the travel I was on deadline for Book 3 of the FORBIDDEN trilogy and very, very late getting it finished for my editor at Harper. I worked on the planes, my hotels, B&B's and then at my brother-in-law's house in Arizona during the long Thanksgiving weekend, working until midnight every night.

I wrote 50,000 words during that month of travel and 3 time zones, finally finishing the first 100,000 word draft--a draft I'd struggled mightily with all summer during family crises and a crisis of my own called "MENTAL 3rd Book PSYCH-OUT!" :-)

I did a first read-through revision while Christmas shopping, decorating, preparing for company, and then getting super, super sick, but I turned it in! Whew!

. . . and I have wonderful things to share today! 

FIRST! FORBIDDEN is only $1.99 on Kindle! Grab yours before BANISHED launches ONE MONTH FROM TODAY!!! 

 FORBIDDEN also launches TODAY in PAPERBACK for only $9.99! It's lovely and contains the first chapter of BANISHED in the back! So you get a sneak peek! (Giveaway Info at the bottom of this post!)

BOOKLIST gave BANISHED a fabulous review and I'm so excited for readers to enjoy the next installment of Jayden's story as she travels into the frankincense lands where the Goddess Temples of Sariba are even more dangerous and explosive - and Kadesh's life as prince of this mysterious land is not all that it seems. New characters and adventures and heartache as Horeb follows Jayden along the 2,000 mile trek into the deadly desert along the Red Sea to capture her and claim her for his own--with an army of Assyrians, their long-time enemies. Romance and danger abound. I've included a teaser graphic of the first line of the book below.

Here's a lovely widget - only 27 days left!!

I'm giving away a Kindle Copy of FORBIDDEN and a Paperback copy of FORBIDDEN to two lucky winners! 

Just leave a comment here! Easy-peasy. Included in your prize packages will be a beautiful jeweled bookmark, a Forbidden key-chain, and Middle Eastern earrings! 

Happy Reading!

xo,
Kimberley

I'll bee at YALLFest and the Charleston Public Library this weekend!

I'm heading out tomorrow morning before dawn to Charleston for the big and fabulous YALLFfest Book Festival. Go here for the dozens of bestselling and your favorite YA authors and when they're speaking. 

The Young Adult Series Insiders that I helped found two years ago will have a booth at the Giant Book Signing Tent on King Street in Charleston, hosted by the fabulous Blue Bicycle Books. We've got giveaways and swag and chatting about books and YA authors so come visit us on Saturday anytime from 9-5 p.m.

And, I'm doing some super fun panels and parties on Friday and Sunday surrounding Yallfest. Come see us!

Friday, November 13th 1:00pm

Main Library Auditorium

So You Want to Be a YA Author: Pathways to Publication

Have you written a manuscript you think is worthy of publication and not sure what to do next? Do you want to write a YA novel and are not sure how to start? A panel of award-winning and critically-acclaimed Young Adult authors will share the secrets of their success and tips for getting published. After the panel, authors will be available to meet with participants to discuss their individual manuscripts and goals. Panelists include: Hannah Barnaby (Wonder Show); Martina Boone (Compulsion); Lori Goldstein (Becoming Jinn); Kim Liggett (Blood and Salt); Kimberley Griffiths Little (Forbidden), Sandra Waugh (Lark Rising).

Sunday, November 15th 2:30 pm

Main Library Teen Lounge

Girl Power:  Strong Women in YA Literature

Cure your post-YALLFest blues with this panel of YA authors discussing their latest projects featuring young women who develop and wield their personal and supernatural powers. Panelists include:  Hannah Barnaby (Wonder Show); Martina Boone (Compulsion); Lori Goldstein (Becoming Jinn); Kim Liggett (Blood and Salt); Kimberley Griffiths Little (Forbidden), and Sandra Waugh (Lark Rising)

Sunday, November 15th 3:30 pm

Main Library Teen Lounge

YA Series Insiders Book Party

What better way to wrap up a thrilling weekend of YA literature than with book dating, games, snacks, books and prizes, and a chance to meet and mingle with authors from YA books across a spectrum of genres. We’ll be serving up laughs and asking you to join in the conversations with and between the authors!
 
It's a thrill to be a part of the Young Adult writing world and to meet readers from all over the country.

A thousand thanks for reading and reviewing Forbidden as well as pre-ordering Book 2, Banished, which releases February 2nd!!!

xo,
Kimberley

www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com

 

 

BOOKLIST's Top 10 Young Adult Romance novels of 2015!

 SO. Very. Thrilled! To have Forbidden chosen for this Top 10 list of YA Romances of the year blows me away. I am in awe with the other authors I get to keep company.

Thank you to Booklist and Ilene Cooper, the Editor!

(A few months ago Booklist named Forbidden  as one of their Top 10 Historical novels of the year, too. Wowza. Top-10-Historical-Fiction-for-Youth-2015)

 

 

FEATURE. First published September 15, 2015 (Booklist).

These top 10 romances, each reviewed in Booklist from September 15, 2014, to September 1, 2015, feature all kinds of lovers in all sorts of places and time periods, including one featuring Love himself! (It turns out Love is a guy. Who knew?)

Another Day. By David Levithan. 2015. Knopf, $17.99 (9780385756204). Gr. 9–12

This companion to Every Day (2012) looks at the wonderful, loving day spent between Rihanna and A, who, unbeknownst to her, is inhabiting the body of her boyfriend. A thoughtful, insightful novel of ideas and identities.

Forbidden. By Kimberly Griffiths Little. 2014. Harper, $17.99 (9780062194968). Gr. 9–12.

In ancient Mesopotamia, Jayden is betrothed to the cruel Horeb. When her world falls apart and a stranger appears, she tries to fight a relationship that is strictly forbidden. A breathless romance in a unique time and setting. 

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces. By Isabel Quintero. 2014. Cinco Puentos, $17.95 (9781935955948). Gr. 9–12.

Presented as the diary of 17-year-old Mexican American Gabi, this joyous, funny, and thoughtful book deals with Gabi’s travails, including a new boyfriend and a first sexual encounter.

The Game of Love and Death. By Martha Brockenbrough. 2015. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $17.99 (9780545668314). Gr. 9–12.

Love and Death have rolled the dice with lovers’ futures through the millennia. Now they have a young mixed-race couple in their sights, and Love hopes, for once, he will win. A thoughtful exploration of courage, love, and the price we pay to live. 

Heart of Betrayal. By Mary E. Pearson. 2015. Holt, $18.99 (9780805099249). Gr. 9–12.

This compelling sequel to Kiss of Deception (2014) continues the love triangle of Lia, the runaway bride; Rafe, the prince she was to marry; and Kaden, a deadly assassin. Rich in romance, adventure, and complications.

Kissing in America. By Margo Raab. 2015. Harper, $17.99 (9780062322371). Gr. 9–12.

Here’s a smart teen’s romance. It takes just one kiss for Eva to fall for Will, but then he moves to California. What to do? How about a rollicking cross-country road trip? Poetry, humor, and authentic characters abound.

Mortal Heart. By Robin LeFevers. 2014. Harcourt, $17.99 (9780547628400). Gr. 9–12.

The sweeping conclusion to the His Fair Assassins series pairs Annith, the acolyte from the convent of St. Morain—also known as Death—with a romantic partner from the Underworld.

My True Love Gave to Me. Ed. by Stephanie Perkins. 2014. St. Martin’s/Griffin, $18.99 (9781250059307). Gr. 9–12.

Holiday canoodling stories by 12 top YA authors, including Rainbow Rowell, Gayle Forman, and Matt de la Peña? It’s a Christmas miracle!

Simon vs. Homo Sapiens. By Becky Albertalli. 2015.

 HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray, $17.99 (9780062348678). Gr. 8–11.

Simon would like to know the identity of Blue, the guy with whom he’s been exchanging flirty e-mails, but things get complicated when a classmate considers blackmailing him. A sensitive and incisive novel.

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel. By Sara Farizan. 2014. Algonquin, $16.95 (9781616202842). Gr. 8–11.

Leila is not sure how her conservative Iranian American family will feel if she discloses that she likes girls. Farizan fashions an empowering romance featuring a lovable, awkward protagonist trying to claim a multifaceted identity.

I highly recommend checking out these titles and enjoying some gorgeous writing, dramatic storylines, and passionate romances.  

xo,
Kimberley

Calling all Goodreads peeps!

The first ARC of BANISHED has arrived! And I'm giving one away to a lucky reader!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Banished

by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Giveaway ends October 05, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Isn't it gorgeous! I'm lucky, lucky, lucky that Harpercollins paid for cover shoot with a real model and a real photographer and then the art dept created such stunning covers with beautiful, oriental trim and backgrounds. Here's book 1 and 2 together! (And Book 3 is just as fabulous - golly, I can't wait to share that next year!)

Don't forget to enter the giveaway and spread the word if you'd like! A thousand thank you's! 

xo,
Kimberley 

www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com