The Falling of Grace book signing

 Last Saturday was probably the most fun I have had as an author since this adventure began last September. Twelve ladies (and poor Ken - Tricia's husband) descended (probably very loudly) on Chili's in my hometown for The Falling of Grace book signing. We talked about the book, fans had their paperbacks signed, we talked about other books, my fans asked me questions, and most importantly, new friends were made!

 Each of my guests received a free bookmark as a thank you for reading and supporting the novels.

 

We had so much fun at this event I have already scheduled a book signing for The Falling of Hope on July 27th! If you are in the area, please join us! Hopefully I can get the book finished by then! If not, it will just be another party!

 

Update on The Falling of Hope

I finally finished reading The Falling of Love (TFOL) and The Falling of Grace (TFOG) and started to read through the more than 500 pages I have written of The Falling of Hope (TFOH). My sister and co-creator, co-idea-ist < new word has been listening to me read it for the past few days and she came up with a WONDERFUL idea, unfortunately this is causing me to write more of a book I thought was done.

I have to say though, I am pleased with the way the story is going and I think you will all (well most of you) will be happy with the end of Grace's story. Stay tuned for the announcement of the release. I have to finish writing it, send it to my editor (my little sister Lulah), read my editing copy, make the corrections, convert it to eBook format, and then...THEN it will finally be out. Hopefully before the book signing at the end of July!

 

FAQ's

Since I released The Falling of Love I've been compiling a list of FAQ's that have come my way. Have a question for me about the book? Please feel free to email me at author@fashionnchaos.com or email me on Facebook via the novel's page.
Facebook Page
Q: Why three novels under 400 pages each?

A: When I first started writing TFOL I really had no idea it would go where it has gone. I was highly doubtful that anyone would love Grace and Ian's story as much as my sisters and I did. Once I kept getting positive feedback the drive to complete Grace's story became more than just a hobby. I have always felt that Grace's story was one that required an intense beginning, middle, and end, so with this in mind I knew I wanted three separate entities for all three parts of her story. Also, each paperback, by the time you add shipping, comes to about $18. Can you imagine the cost of a 900 page or more novel?

Q: Who are the characters in your novels based on?

A: Anyone and everyone, from myself to celebrities. Each character that I've formulated in my mind has traits from someone that has touched my life either personally or from a distance, but the characters are fictional, any resemblance to actual living human beings is not intended.

Q: Why do you just skim over the other characters, why not bring us more of their stories?

A: Everyone loves Michelle, and I do give tidbits about what is happening in her life, but in the end the answer to this question is simple, this is Grace's story.

Q: Will Michelle get her own series?

A: A series, probably not, but her own story, it's likely. I think about it all the time so it's highly possible.

Q: Without giving too much away, explain Jaden's actions.

A: He's simply too loyal of a friend. In The Falling of Grace we learn a little more about why he does/did what he does.

Q: Is Ian the villain in your stories?

A: Absolutely not. He's a victim. I knew that by writing Ian as I did that I was setting my readers up to hate him, but I had hoped that they would understand the underlying truth of why he does what he does and that the readers would forgive him. He just makes bad choices.

Q: What can we expect from the second book in the series, The Falling of Grace?

A: The tittle of the book has multiple meanings, which should become clear to the reader the deeper they dive into the story. Readers can expect that the second book picks up at the very moment the first book ended. I hope to surprise my readers with this novel. I hear a lot of speculation about what people think is going to happen, but so far no one has guessed correctly.

Q: You have a unique style of writing whereas you dive into a story with facts and details, playing the story out gradually like most authors, then bam it's several months or years later, why?

A: I call myself a juicy-parts writer, in more ways than one haha. I hate reading stories that drag on about the same subject for 10 or more chapters. I like when authors get to the juicy-parts. If I'm dwelling on a portion of the story, it's because I feel it's crucial to the overall story. An example of this is Grace and Ian's falling in love as teens. Grace's story must begin here so I lingered on it. It is so crucial to the theme of this entire series. However, I felt that her years in college were  not important to the overall story so I skipped through them.

Q: Why all the sex? Why not just take the sex out and make the book marketable to teens?

A: When people read the first few pages of TFOL I can see where they may be thinking, I'm reading a teen's story. As we progress through the story the reader should find that Grace is not your typical teen, even though it is written that she is, through reading the story the reader learns that she's not. The events in Grace's life shape her into the young girl that she is forced to be, they shape her into the young woman we find her as at the end of TFOL. The overall theme of Grace's story, which is revealed in the last novel, is not a theme that I feel is suited for a teenager, but Grace being a teenager is an intricate part of the web I'm weaving. This series is most definitely not a teen series. The sex, in my opinion is necessary because it takes us on an intimate ride with these characters. When two people are in love, they make love. Does the sex need to be so graphic, yes, a couple words about how they went to bed wouldn't sufficiently express the deep feelings these characters have for each other. I could take out all the sex scenes from TFOL and market the book to a teen audience, but they would be left with an unfinished story because by book 2 Grace is no longer a teen. These books are intended for mature audiences, hence the labeling on the books.

Q: What made you bring the Rock n' Roll aspect into the story?

A: I was a Headbanger's Ball watching, tall banged wearing, boots and rock t-shirt wearing teenager. The music, the musicians, my lifestyle, the lifestyle of the bands I worshipped, are a part of who I am. Plus, half the guys in rock bands in the 80's had stories similar to Ian's; kid from a small rural American town dreams of breaking away, moving to Hollywood and making it big, what freakin great inspiration for a love story? I haven't read one book that covers this. How could I grow up as a teen how I did without this being a huge inspiration to me?

The Falling of Hope - Coming Soon

Coming Soon!

Last week I finished writing the final chapter of Grace's story. My process of writing starts when I just type whatever comes to mind, I just sort of let the ideas flow and type away. I read it to my sister as I write (thanks for putting up with me Raine) and then I fix any errors I find while doing this. Then we re-read the entire book from beginning to end (searching for errors and doing any re-writes that need to be done). This is the part I am on now.

The Falling of Grace was completed in about three months, but I will not have as much time starting next week, to work on my novels. On that note I would say that The Falling of Hope will probably take a little over four months to complete and have published (keep in mind I've already been working on it for about two months).

What you can expect from the last novel in the series...

The final chapter of Grace's story picks up two years after The Falling of Grace ends. I hope that my readers will be happy with the conclusion of the story. One thing I'm striving to accomplish with this novel is to make sure that there is closure, that readers get a conclusion to every major aspect of each major character's story. I purposely leave out a lot of details on Michelle's character because I'm almost positive I will write a book just about Michelle, so don't expect to get more than what I usually give you on her. Grace's entire story has one theme that you can expect to discover in the last book. The Falling of Hope is about how Grace deals with the trials and tribulations that life throws at her, and how she discovers the meaning of certain events that take place throughout the book. The Falling of Hope summarizes the entire series and brings the true meaning behind Grace's story to light.

THE FALLING OF GRACE PUBLISHED!!

 

 

The Falling of Grace (book 2) has been published! It is now available in all formats, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Nook, and paperback. How do you get the book? See the links below and look for the format you are seeking. The book will not be listed in the Barnes & Noble marketplace or iBookstore for a few weeks, it is pending approval by these retailers. I'm looking forward to receiving feedback from everyone on book 2!

The Falling of Grace:

Grace Hathaway is a young woman in her late twenties, living a loveless yet successful life as an artist and model in Paris, France. Her world is turned upside down when the love of her life, Ian Taylor unexpectedly shows up after she has not seen him for seven years. With his arrival, Ian offers Grace answers to his past, giving them both closure, but opening new wounds. After discovering shocking news, Grace dangerously spirals out of control, leading her into a terrifying experience that shapes the future of her life. She battles with feelings from her past, unable to let them go. Diving into her art, Grace unexpectedly finds new hope, opening a new chapter in her ever-changing life.

Paperback:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/marisa-oldham/the-falling-of-grace/paperback/product-20926816.html

eBook (epub only!!)
http://www.lulu.com/shop/marisa-oldham/the-falling-of-grace/ebook/product-20938964.html

Kindle (version)
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299539

iBook & Barnes & Noble coming soon!

One step at a time...

Today I hit another milestone in the process of writing and editing my second novel, The Falling of Grace. The novel picks up right where we left off in The Falling of Love.
It has taken far longer than I had imagined it would to get this far.
Editing phase one is DONE! Yay!
The next step in this process is for my editors to read the book and get back to me with any corrections.
After that, I make my corrections and then the book will be available to the public.

I'm excited because now I can continue with writing the final novel on Grace's roller-coaster of a life.
Due to having some unexpected time on my hands, I think I will be able to finish the last chapter of Grace's life by the end of April.

If you have read The Falling of Love you are going to WANT to read the next part of Grace's story!

If you loved the book, PLEASE spread the word!

UPDATE!

I finally received my paperback copy of the first draft of The Falling of Grace! Yay!
When I write, I write either on the laptop or on my computer, and I just write. I don't copy edit at all, I just let the ideas flow along with my fingers. The first novel I wrote was a learning experience. I wrote the book (The Falling of Love), on the laptop, then read it on the laptop (fixing what errors I found), then HUGE mistake, printed it out on my printer, read it that way, edited what I found during that tedious process, uploaded it as a PDF to the Nook and read and edited it that way (another big mistake), then finally I found LuLu.com and got smart. I had a paperback printed and edited that way. I wished I had done this from the beginning. For some reason my eyes see differently when I am reading an actual book. So this time, I skipped all the craziness and I just wrote (on the laptop and computer) letting the ideas flow, then immediately ordered a paperback copy for editing purposes only (hence no cover art).

I am about half-way through reading the book, there are plenty of errors (at least that I can see), but it's not as bad as the first time I wrote. Little issues here and there, easy fixes. On that note, I hope to be done with this book a lot sooner than I was with The Falling of Grace. I'm hoping to have it ready for purchase by the beginning of February.

You Have Such a Pretty Face - working title
I am currently writing (took a break to edit The Falling of Grace) Chapter 4 of this novel. It's a bit different for me because in this book will be written as if the main character is telling the story, rather than a narrator (me). Stay tuned for more updates - once I'm done copy editing The Falling of Grace.

How to buy the book (paperback or eBook)

Go to LuLu and type in The Falling of Love or Marisa Oldham

Click here for the paperback version: The Falling of Love Paperback

Click here for the eBook version through LuLu: The Falling of Love eBook

Coming soon...
You will be able to search via Barnes & Noble Nook and iPad for the book.