Cover Reveal: Vegas to Varanasi by Shelly Hickman

Hello, my little pumpkin seeds!

I'm so stoked to share with you the cover of my author pal, Shelly Hickman's upcoming romantic comedy, Vegas to Varanasi. And here it is:

I just love it when the characters are smiling on the cover of a book. A sure sign that the story will make me smile! Here's the blurb:

Anna has never been the beautiful one; she’s always been the nice one. So when the gorgeous man sitting across the table at a wedding reception remembers her from high school—and quite fondly at that—she’s taken off guard. Formerly overweight and unpopular, Kiran has never forgotten Anna, the one person who was kind to him when no one else could be bothered, and Anna’s a bit flustered as she slowly comes to grips with his intense attraction for her. In what feels like a romantic dream come true, all-grown-up, hunky Kiran invites Anna on a trip to Varanasi. But her troubled, whack-a-do ex-boyfriend starts interfering, creating drama at every turn, which begs the question, “Can nice girls really finish first?”

Well, I'm sold! Love the idea of a humble heroine, not to mention enduring childhood crushes and whack-a-do, troublemaking characters. And the fact that the heroine's name is Anna is pretty cool too. I'm just sayin'...

And now I would like to introduce the lovely Shelly Hickman:

And here's a little bit about her:

Living in Las Vegas since she was two, Shelly Hickman has witnessed many changes in the city over the years. She graduated from UNLV with a Bachelor of Art in 1990, and in her early twenties worked as an illustrator for a contractor for the Nevada Test Site.
In the mid-90s, she returned to school to earn her Masters degree in Elementary Education. She now teaches computer literacy and media technology at a middle school in Las Vegas. She loves to write about people, examining their flaws, their humor, spirituality, and personal growth. Shelly lives with her husband, two children, and their dog, Frankie. 

You can find Shelly on her website, on Facebook, on Twitter and on Goodreads.

Thanks, Shelly, for including me in your cover release! Until next time...

Love,
Anna

Getting into the Spirit of the Holidays

Hello, my little gingersnaps!

I'm super excited to share the fabulous cover for Merry & Bright, the upcoming holiday anthology from Simon & Fig, which includes a short story by yours truly. Isn't it lovely?

Sip your eggnog, linger under the mistletoe, and make a Christmas wish. Merry & Bright brings you six tales of Christmas cheer, featuring stories of budding romances, Southern charm, lost loves, heaps of humor, and lots of pie by authors Isabella Louise Anderson, Cindy Arora, Laura Chapman, Lauren Clark, Libby Mercer, and Nancy Scrofano. From sunny Los Angeles to the Rocky Mountains to the Deep South, Merry & Bright will take you on a heartwarming adventure you'll love to visit again and again. Wrap yourself in holiday mirth and prepare to be swept off your feet.

I had so much fun working on my story. It's called "Secret Santa" and it takes place in St. Louis, Missouri, the city I grew up in and this is the first time I've set one of my stories in my hometown. So I hope you'll "meet me in St. Louis" when the anthology is released in November. Pardon the cheesy reference. I just couldn't resist!

More details to come.

Love,
Anna/Libby

This Just In!

Hello, my little bookworms!

Lying to Meet You has flown the nest and is now out there for public consumption. The whole thing was a bit nerve-wracking since it's the first book under my real name and all. I'm happy to report that the feedback has been fabulous. So far. A little afraid of jinxing myself! I'll just paste some highlights from the reviews and let them speak for themselves. But first, here's another look at the cover:

And now for a few tasty tidbits from my reviewers with links to their posts:

"I loved everything about this fun, quirky read. Lying to Meet You is smart, sassy chick lit."

"The hijinks that ensue are laugh out loud and exactly what you are hoping to read in a chick lit book."

"I just couldn't put the book down."

"Anna has written another wonderful, fun story...read in one sitting. It was that enticing."

"Chloe was the perfect character to take me on a tour of New York! This book was unputdownable."

"Lying to Meet You was a great read. It had everything that I love in chick lit."

"Chloe has a little feel of Bridget Jones to her."

"Includes hilarious antics, mishaps and dilemmas that keeps the reader laughing out loud."

"True to fashion, this book is witty and sweet and the characters were very well written."

"This is chick lit at its best...I loved it."

"A great chick lit read that keeps you on your toes throughout."

I really enjoyed it, would highly recommend it and am eagerly awaiting more from Anna Garner!

"Really, there's never a dull moment."

"Lying to Meet You is a humorous (I found myself laughing out loud a few times!), sexy, fun story!"

Okay, I'd better stop now before I get too carried away! But I'm beyond happy that Lying to Meet You is being warmly received, and I had to share.

Love,
Anna

Just Four Days to Go!

Hello, my little Swarovski crystals!

Things are a bit manic at HQ, of course, getting all these last-minute things together before publication next week. I wanted to pop in here to share something I'm super excited about though. Kelli, the illustrious review blogger from I'd So Rather Be Reading, has chosen Lying to Meet You as her Book of the Month read for August! I am absolutely over the moon here. What an honor!! Check out the post here.

I'd get back to work. Just wanted to share my fabulous news!

Love,
Anna

Lying To Meet You: the Cover and Blurb

Hello, my little fashionistas!

Things are crazed here (as per usual) and I did my official cover reveal a couple of days ago, but I definitely wanted to also post my fab new cover here on this blog. I am so in love with it. Sue Traynor designed this one for me as well, and she's so amazing. Feast your eyes on this:

And here's the blurb:

Does being in a relationship make you a hot commodity in the eyes of would-be suitors?

Chloe Lane is about to find out. When her childhood pal, Ethan Webster, asks her to play the part of his girlfriend in order to test this theory, she reluctantly agrees. As a work-crazed fashion designer, boutique owner and soon-to-be reality show judge, Chloe has no time for a real boyfriend, but being part of a faux pair will do just fine. Not that she has any intention of trying to attract someone else.

However…

Opportunity unexpectedly knocks when Chloe meets fellow reality judge, William Shannon. Super successful and super sexy, this high-powered entrepreneur inspires Chloe to test Ethan’s theory herself. Now, on top of keeping her fashion business productive, carving out a new role as a television personality, maintaining a fake relationship and attempting to lay the groundwork for a future relationship, she’s lying to William, lying to her friends, lying to her family and quite possibly lying to herself. Will Chloe be able to keep it all together, or are things about to explode?

Only 25 days to go until release date. Eek! For anyone who'd like to add it on his/her Goodreads list, you can find the link here (and I'd really appreciate it!) :-)

Okay, I'd better get back to work. Lots to do!!

Love,
Anna