Teaser Tuesday ~ Crossing Abby Road

Sexy Todd is coming your way, March 31st!

Add him to your Goodreads HERE.

press release - Adventures in Fiction

 

*** PHOTO/VIDEO ADVISORY FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015 ***

Ophelia London, Other Local Writers, Meet for Fresh Fiction Event in Plano

What:

Reading a riveting novel from your favorite author is a topnotch activity for people of all ages. And for residents and visitors of the Metroplex next week, this experience just gets better.   On Saturday, March 14, 2015, from 1:15 – 3:15 CDT, USA Today Bestselling author Ophelia London—along with several other local novelists—will mingle with fans in a Fresh Fiction lunch event held at Plano’s Chocolate Angel Café and Tea Room at 4709 West Parker Road.

“This is a great opportunity for authors to meet their fan base,” stated London, a contemporary Romance writer best known for her 2014 novels, Falling for her Soldier, and Definitely, Maybe in Love, published through Colorado-based Entangled Publishing.  “With brick and mortar booksellers disappearing, this is a tremendous opportunity for local fans and authors to mix, mingle and share ideas. I’m very much looking forward to the event.”

Fresh Fiction’s Sara Reyes will host the luncheon. Tickets are $35 and get participants lunch with the author of his/her choice at the tearoom. Fresh Fiction appears regularly on Good Morning Texas (WFAA channel 8, ABC in Dallas / Fort Worth) and holds regular events each year for readers to interact with their favorite authors in a relaxed but memorable atmosphere. Their website, www.FreshFiction.com, reaches thousands of readers daily through newsletters, blogs and subscriptions.

WHEN/WHERE:

Chocolate Angel Café and Tea Room

4709 West Parker Road
Suite 450
Plano, TX 75093

972.943.1099

AVAILABLE INTERVIEWS AND VISUALS:

Local author, Ophelia London

Authors and book fans interacting

MEDIA CONTACT:

Eileen Voyles eileenvoyles@gmail.com, cell 423.488.9249

###

Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she’s lived in Dallas ever since. Ophelia is the author of SOMEDAY MAYBE; DEFINITELY, MAYBE IN LOVE; ABBY ROAD and CROSSING ABBY ROAD; the Perfect Kisses series including: FALLING FOR HER SOLDIER, PLAYING AT LOVE, SPEAKING OF LOVE, and MAKING WAVES; the upcoming AIMEE AND THE HEARTTHROB for Entangled’s Teen Crush line. Visit her at www,ophelialondon.com

ABOUT FRESH FICTION

Fresh Fiction is a web site designed to provide easy, accessible, and informative data to popular fiction readers on current authors and their available books, specializing in genre fiction: romance, mystery, suspense, thrillers, horror, science fiction, fantasy, contemporary, graphic and action novels. FreshFiction.com consists of author pages, book pages, reviews, columns, blog, book reviews, news, and contests.

Day 4 - #ChickLitLove: Galentine's Day

Today, we #CLC gals are celebrating all things Best Girl Friends from our chick-litty novels. Of course we all know I love writing kisses the best. But second best are those scenes with our sassy heroine and her equally sassy BFF. There's something so wonderful when it's just chicks in the room. Great belly laughs, sometimes tears, but always chocolate. 

Happy Galentine's Day from my gals. . . .

Abby and her bestie Molly from ABBY ROAD

Tess & Mackenzie from both PLAYING AT LOVE & SPEAKING OF LOVE

Spring and Mel from DEFINITELY, MAYBE IN LOVE

Ellie and Jane from FALLING FOR HER SOLDIER

Now grab your bestie, your favorite drinks and let's all karaoke!

Book Signing Adventure!

This past weekend, I had an amazing time at my first Barnes & Noble book signing. My lovely friend and Entangled Publishing sister, Rachel Harris, is an old pro at it, and I was so happy to have her with me. We met many lovely readers, sold some books, ate lots of chocolates (thanks, Rach!) and sent my friend out into the mall with swag to drag in buyers. Tee-hee! Thanks to everyone who came out to support us. It wasn't nearly as terrifying as I'd feared. :)

Rachel & I all set up and ready to go!

One of the highlights of my trip to Houston was finding this little sculpture park featuring the heads of US presidents AND the Beatles. Abby Road was in heaven.

Coming to a B&N near you...if you, like, live around Houston

Hey there, lovelies. 

My fellow Entangled Publishing sister, Rachel Harris, and I are taking it on the road to do a book signing in Humble, Texas. Squeee!

We'd love to see your smiling faces, but if you can't make it, A Book-lover's Review has all the deets on ordering signed copies of both books on her site. (PS: I've read Rachel's book and its waaaaay cute!) Check it out, and let's make all your readerly wishes come true!

 http://www.abook-loversreview.com/2013/06/ophelia-london-rachel-harris-signing-in.html

Paperback Writer

This morning, I was interviewed on a radio program to promote Abby Road. Cool, right? It was meant to be between 3-5 minutes. I was on the air for 13. A lot of that time we spent talking about one of my favorite subjects. The Bealtes. 

I've never claimed to be an expert. Lke Abby Road's Abby, I just love their music. When my lovely interviewer started quizzing me on songs and albums, my mind (naturally!) went blank. While pulling answers and non-facts out of thin air, I made two errors...of which I didn't realize till after we'd hung up. 

Mistake #1: "Hey Jude" was the Beatles' biggest hit. I said "All You Need is Love." Sorry, lads!

Mistake #2: "Carry That Weight" is not off the White Album, but off Abbey Road. Sheesh. How could I get that one wrong?

I should've turned the table and quizzed him about Gwen Stefani and Taylor Swift. Of course I didn't think of that until an hour later.

We did agree that "A Day in the Life" is an amazing song, and we both have a soft spot for the rare "Mr. Moonlight."

All in all, it was a pretty successful interview. I did refer to myself as a liar but I didn't mention Brad Pitt or cupcakes. *nods to self* That's an A-plus in my book, people.

press release - Abby Road

For Immediate Release

Contact: Danielle Barclay

740-404-2719 EST

danielle@entangledpublishing.com

###

Plano Resident, Pens a Love Letter to Music in Debut Novel, ABBY ROAD

Ophelia London's new novel, ABBY ROAD, gives readers an insider’s view of the world of Hollywood and Rock & Roll. Step inside the stories of the tabloids.

Fort Collins, CO—April 4, 2013 - Ophelia London’s beautifully written women’s fiction debut, ABBY ROAD, is on sale now with prime placement in Barnes & Noble stores nationwide and at online retailers everywhere.  

ABBY ROAD gives readers an insider’s view of the world of Hollywood and Rock & Roll. Step inside the stories of the tabloids – what’s the story behind the headlines of the tabloids. Ophelia London’s ABBY ROAD is a love letter to music—both the kind you cherish and the kind you create.

Ms. London’s inspiration behind ABBY ROAD came from her love of pop music, and who wouldn’t love pop music? It’s everywhere. “Embarrassingly enough, I’ve always been a hardcore pop music fan. When I started this story, American Idol was huge and still pretty new, and Taylor Swift had just exploded on the mainstream scene. I took a little of her, a little Gwen Stefani, and a little of the hunger and raw talent I saw on Idol and created my main character, Abigail Kelly,” explains London.

ABBY ROAD was born out of what Ophelia calls “method writing.” “I really wanted to feel what she was feeling and literally walk in her shoes. That was the most challenging part: to make someone unobtainable relatable to readers,” states London.

Ophelia always knew she’d write a story about a singer. “Music has always been my weakness and my inspiration for everything. When I started writing seriously, I knew I would pen a story about a singer…kind of a way for me to live vicariously through a really cool character, doing what I wish I could do,” London notes.

About the Book: ABBY ROAD by Ophelia London, Contemporary Romance, 360 pages, Print ISBN:978-1-62061-244-6, ePub ISBN:978-1-62061-245-3, from Entangled Select.

Praise for ABBY ROAD:

“Ophelia London rips away the veneer of the music business to reveal a heroine who breaks your heart while making you laugh out loud.”  Mara Purl, bestselling author of WHAT THE HEART KNOWS

"With a good balance of humor and heartache, Ophelia London’s ABBY ROAD is a nuanced view of life, love, and loss while living in the spotlight." — Denise Jaden, author of NEVER ENOUGH and WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART

About Ophelia London :

Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she's lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters in the books she writes. Ophelia is the author of ABBY ROAD, PLAYING AT LOVE and SPEAKING OF LOVE. Visit her at http://ophelialondon.com. But don't call when The Vampire Diaries is on.

 For more information about Ophelia, please visit

http://www.ophelialondon.com/.

###

For more information, interview requests, or review copies contact Heather

Riccio, Senior Publicist at Entangled Publishing at (760) 409-9943 or email her at heatherriccio@entangledpublishing.com.

About Entangled Publishing:

Entangled Publishing is an exclusive, boutique publisher of romantic fiction and fiction with romantic elements. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, Entangled’s goal is to bridge the gap between traditional and indie publishing, giving both readers and authors the best of both worlds.

For more information about Entangled Publishing, its new imprints, and its upcoming titles, visit the publisher’s website at http://entangledpublishing.com. To contact Entangled Publishing, email them at marketing@entangledpublishing.com.

Talking points for interviews

What is the high concept or "hook" in ABBY ROAD?

ABBY ROAD is about a burned out rock star who runs away to the beach to hide from her problems. Instead of hiding, she finds Todd, an ex-marine surfer, and sexy distraction. Her problems are forgotten, until her manager demands that she return to work.

What was your inspiration for ABBY ROAD?

Embarrassingly enough, I’ve always been a hardcore pop music fan. When I started this story, American Idol was huge and still pretty new, and Taylor Swift had just exploded on the mainstream scene. I took a little of her, a little Gwen Stefani, and a little of the hunger and raw talent I saw on Idol and created my main character, Abigail Kelly.

What challenge, if any, did you face turning your story into fiction?

I knew that—because the main character is a superstar celebrity—that only a tiny percentage of the population would be able to relate to her. So I did some pretty heavy “method writing” with ABBY ROAD. I really wanted to feel what she was feeling and literally walk in her shoes. That was the most challenging part: to make someone unobtainable relatable to readers.

Why write a love letter to music? Why did you write Abby's story?

Music has always been my weakness and my inspiration for everything. When I started writing seriously, I knew I would pen a story about a singer…kind of a way for me to live vicariously through a really cool character, doing what I wish I could do.

What local community or charitable organizations, or writers groups do you belong to?

I belong to the RWA (Romance Writers of America) and their local chapter, DARA (Dallas Area Romance Authors). I participate in my local United Way pledges year round and also attend as many live concerts as I can (we have an amazing outdoor venue here in Plano, which I love to support). My

community deems itself as very fit, so I also love to run in the local 5K’s.

Abby Road on tour

On today's Abby Road blog tour stop, I am interviewed *as* Abigail Kelly. It was so fun to be famous for a while. Here's a little sample and the link. Check it out!

http://lauries-interviews.blogspot.com/2013/04/abby-road-by-by-ophelia-london.html

"Okay, let’s get right to it. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? My mother showed me “Beauty and the Beast” when I was about five. I fell hard for Gaston. Yeah, I kind of missed the boat on that one! I knew I was going to marry a big strapping hunter and we’d raise ten children. Here I am, twenty years later: woefully single and singing in a band with no real home base. I’m slowly learning that life doesn’t turn out the way you think it will. But I still think Gaston and I would have made a cute couple!"

Guest Post on My Life with Books

Lovely review of Abby Road and a rather nice 5-skull review. 
I love this blogger. She totally gets me!

http://www.jenkjovus.com/2013/03/ophelia-londons-abby-road-blog-tour.html

"It is an emotional ride full of joy, pain, forgiveness, love and happiness. A ride I would gladly go on again, because Ophelia London knows how to write a happily ever after."

Music Monday - I'm Glad

One more from the official "songs from and inspired by the novel ABBY ROAD" soundtrack:




"I'm glad when we walk you hold me hand/I'm happy that you know how to be a man...cuz since the day you came, I've been glad."

Music Monday - "Few Days Down" & Abby Road

15 days 'til Abby Road!

To celebrate, here's a sneaky peek at a song from the playlist.

picture this: Abby on the beach, dark glasses, nose in a romance novel, major decompression. 




It's a take-out weekend
It's a fake out, smile and pretend
If nobody sees you cry
You can say it was raining outside

And all that you want is a few days down
All that you need, a little time to drown
It's to be expected with all the weight you carry 'round
All that you want is a few days down.

Abby Road pre-sale extravaganza

Who is ready for Abby Road to come out, already? 

Me too!

In the meantime, let's have a little fun, shall we?

I've got TONS of swaggery swag saved up for this giveaway. Some of it is Abby-themed, some is beach-themed, some is even Beatles-themed. All of it is ready to find a home!

And guess what? It's super easy. All you have to do is email me your mailing addy and poof! 5 signed Abby Road bookmarks will be heading your way. But they're too pretty to keep them all for yourself, so don't forget to give some away to people who love happy reads about pretty places. Spread the love!

But wait . . . there's more!

Since 'tis the season for PRE-SALES, (and authors L O V E pre-sales, guys!) if you shoot a copy of your pre-order receipt to: london dot ophelia @ yahoo dot com, then BLAM! bonus swag! Then, on March 26th, Abby Road's release date, I will randomly draw three names from the pre-orders for even BIGGER swag packs!

Here's a peek at some:

Remember, Abby Road releases on March 26th, so this offer goes through then. Tell your friends. Let's flood the world with Abby love!

Amazon pre-sale HERE

Authors' blog hop - The Next Big Thing

Thanks to Cindi Madsen for inviting me to join this blog hop. Her books are amazing. Check 'em out HERE!

Now, down to business....

ALL ABOUT ABBY ROAD:

Where did the idea come from for the book? I wanted to know what it would feel like to be a famous pop star, so I decided to write about it. :)

What genre does your book fall under?
ABBY ROAD is women's fiction but can also fall under the contemporary romance genre because of all the kissing.
 
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Okay, so this is really going to date when I started writing this book, but Mandy Moore (circa 2002) has always been my Abby. She has that all-American, fresh-faced, spunky look. (Mandy was the Neutrogena spokesperson at the time, after all!)

For Todd, I've never found a Hollywood actor that could do the amazing hunk that he is any justice. When I first started writing the story, I came across the picture of a Brazilian model and I knew immediately that he was my Todd. I haven't been able to find him again, but luckily I saved a few pictures. Here's one:

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? A woman runs away to the ocean.
 
What is the longer synopsis of your book? Abigail Kelly tries to escape her personal demons and the heat of being under the celebrity spotlight by taking an extended vacation to the secluded beaches of Florida. There, she meets a hunky surf shop owner. Sparks fly!
 
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? All of my books (PLAYING AT LOVE, SPEAKING OF LOVE and ABBY ROAD) have been released through Entangled Publishing. I am very happy there and have an amazing editor. 

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? I wrote the first draft of ABBY ROAD in about three months. That was ten years ago. Since then, it's gone through approximately ten thousand rewrites. I've worked on a dozen other projects since then, but I always felt like "Abby" was something special and I'm so glad she's finally about to be released into the world!
 
Who or What inspired you to write this book? I love music and have always had a mild fascination with music celebs. Also, American Idol was just getting popular at the time. The idea of overnight success intrigued me.
 
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? If you love the Beatles, you'll be in for a fun surprise!

Next Wednesday, check out another author's blog and find out about their Next Big Thing!

celebration time...come on!

Who knows what today, February 26, 2013 is?

If you guessed that eight years ago today, Halle Berry accepted the Razzie award for her portrayal of Catwoman, you're close.

If you say it's Johnny Cash's birthday, you're getting warmer.

If you guess that it's ONE MONTH until the release of ABBY ROAD, you're exactly right!

How can I let a momentous day like this pass without some celebrating and giveaways?

How to enter. It's super easy. Just leave me a quicky comment saying your favorite Beatles song. (Abby LOVES the Beatles, by the way. You'll see!) If you don't have a favorite, just throw one out there. It might be a goodie. If you don't like the Beatles, I don't want to know about it....this is a CELEBRATION, people!  And don't forget to leave your email addy so I can give you the good news!
 
I'm going to pick a winner tomorrow at the stroke of twelve noon CST (or sometime around there in case I step out for some TexMex. I've been craving that lately). The winner will be chosen at random and will received a SIGNED COPY of ABBY ROAD and some other delicious bookery swag! 

If you need some Beatles inspiration, here is one of my favorites. Enjoy and rock on!

Music Monday - "Mustang Sally"

Hey guys. Did you know ABBY ROAD comes out in 36 days? I know, right?

To celebrate, let's listen to the namesake of Abby's band:

one year ago

Feb 8, 2012

Man, isn't she so cute? Smiling away like that. A year ago, she had no idea....

what real deadlines feel like,

that she will never sleep the same again,

that Twitter is actually an awesome place to hang out, 

that she could feel stress, frustration, betrayal, joy and gratitude simultaneously,

what it's like to cry over cutting a whole scene for the better of the manuscript,

that adding two pages about riding up in an elevator could be so smexy,

how energized she will feel while proofreading a final galley at 2 in the morning,

how thrilling it will be to see her name after the copyright symbol,

that having her words reviewed--for better or worse--is a true blessing,

who her real friends are. And she had many!

Relive the BIG DAY here. And then have a cupcake!

http://www.ophelialondon.com/2012/02/today-was-big-day-for-this-writer-chick.html