Last minute GIFT idea? Excerpt from ROE...

Right now, RUNNING ON EMPTY (YA Romantic Suspense) is only $2.99 on Kindle, $9.61 ppbk!
http://www.amazon.com/Running-Empty-Colette-Ballard-ebook/dp/B00G2G22J8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=
Justice made me dance-barefoot-in-the-grass happy, and lightening-storm angry--sometimes all within the same minute. He made me stand-on-the-edge-of-a-cliff fearless, can't-sleep-at-night restless, and coming-out-of-my-skin stupid. And for those reasons, I knew it was safer to keep a distance.

I started to splash water in his face, but he reached out, caught my arm, and pulled me toward him. Even in the cool water, I could feel his body heat as he drew me closer. When his smile faded and his moss-green eyes became serious, my heart pounded wildly. This was not what I wanted. I mean, I did, but it wasn't what was best for him--for either of us. Not now; not when everything was still up in the air.

Don't ruin it, Justice. It will only complicate things.

When he cupped my face, my breath went shallow and my body melted. Who was I kidding? This was exactly what I wanted. I panicked, then relaxed and closed my eyes.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! :)

HUGE RAFFLECOPTER Giveaway!

Only a few hours left to enter!

20 books + 13 authors + easy entry = HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 

Excited that RUNNING ON EMPTY is included in this giveaway celebration of the release of BREAKING THE RULES by Katie McGarry!

http://www.katielmcgarry.com/post/2014/12/01/Big-Book-GiveawayBreaking-the-Rules-Excerpt.aspx

2 EPIC Multi-Author Rafflecopter Giveaways!!!

Yay! RUNNING ON EMPTY is included in two HUGE giveaways! 

Quick excerpt from ROE:

"Thanks, Justice...for everything."

Smiling, he reached out, briefly cupping my face in his hands as he looked at me as if he couldn't believe I was standing in front of him. His thumbs grazed my cheeks and paused at the corner of my lips just long enough to make my heart stop. He gathered me tight in his arms, and when his grip loosened, I resisted the urge to cling tighter and beg him not to leave. 

My head said it was wrong. My heart said it was right.

Stupid heart.

Giveaway #1: 20 books/13 author giveaway in celebration of the release of Katie McGarry's newest book, BREAKING THE RULES!  *open internationally*Giveaway #2: The authors of my fabulous publisher, Spencer Hill Press, have joined forces in the spirit of giving by offering 3 AWESOME gift baskets: books, gift cards, swag, & candy! *U.S. residents only*
***Links for giveaways in the two previous blog posts below***

 

SUPER-SIZED Multi-author Book Giveaway for the holidays!!!

I'm excited to announce that the SPENCER HILL PRESS family has joined
forces to offer THREE amazing gift baskets filled with books (of course), gift cards, swag, & candy!!!
Here's just a few of the books up for grabs...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*U.S. residents only*

HUGE 13 Author RAFFLECOPTER Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The amazing Katie McGarry is hosting this EPIC giveaway! To enter simply go to http://www.katielmcgarry.com/post/2014/12/01/Big-Book-GiveawayBreaking-the-Rules-Excerpt.aspx

Yay! It's ROE's one year Anniversary!

Yay! Today is the one year anniversary of my debut Young Adult novel, RUNNING ON EMPTY!!! 
It has been an amazing ride with ROE receiving several awards, and I am beyond grateful for my writer people who helped me get there as well as my reader people who have supported the book. 
Here's a recap of some of the results--proof that with hard work and determination dreams can come true... <3

RELEASE DATE for Book Two!

It's official: The release date for TEMPORARY HIGH is May 26! :)

Don't forget to add TH to your goodreads shelf:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23125033-temporary-high

Excerpt from Chapter one:

     The side of his mouth quirked up as he studied me. "I think I might be fallin' in love."
     I picked up the keys off the bedside table and tossed them to him. "That makes one of us."
     He clutched at his heart in mock pain. Then his perfect red lips formed the word, "Liar."

     I took one last draw off his cigarette and delighted in its sizzle when I deposited it into a near-empty bottle of water. Then I followed him down a set of groaning wooden steps that led to the garage where he kept his bike.

     Hard as I tried, I couldn't deny that I loved everything about the time I spent with Luca. I loved the way he pushed his hair back into a ponytail before he slid onto his motorcycle, the way his black t-shirt hugged his biceps, partially concealing the tattoo wrapped around his left one. I loved the feel of my wrists resting against the worn fabric of his blue jeans, and the wind whipping through my hair as the bike accelerated. 

     But most of all, I loved the smooth purr his Harley Davidson made right before he sent it exploding down the highway--the two of us becoming one with that beautiful, powerful machine. Everything about those moments with him signified power, risk, escape, and freedom. And those were the things I lived for.

The HELL YES!!!

I'm really looking forward to the signing today. For me, this moment won't be about how many people show up or how many books I may or may not sign. It's about what signing at a Barnes & freaking Noble symbolizes. It's about all those times I stood in that store or other bookstores or libraries, found the YA section and alphabetically where my book would be placed, and envisioned that someday... someday I would have a book on those shelves.

Today will symbolize that journey; all the hard work, the years of blind faith, determination, and desire it took to get there. All the rejection letters and the close calls, the nos and the Hell nos. This moment will symbolize the YES! I mean the HELL YES!!!! 
#bucketlist

5 Author Event at B&N!

5 Young Adult Authors in Louisville this Sat @3!
Come out and join Julie Kagawa, Katie McGarry, Kelly Creagh, Bethany Griffin, & Me for some fun book talk & a signing!

http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/4748294

ACRA Winner for Young Adult!

Check out the fancy new emblem that ACRA sent for my website! :)

Maggie FINALIST! :)

So honored that ROE is one of five finalists chosen by librarians and booksellers for the Maggie Award for Excellence in Young Adult! Winners TBA this weekend at the Georgia Writer's Conference! 

Woo Hoo! RUNNING ON EMPTY won ACRA's Heart of Excellence Readers Choice Award!
(YA category)

http://acrareaderschoicecontests.com

Dreams Do Come True!

Barnes & Noble signing with my critique group girls!
(Hurstbourne Pkwy. Louisville, KY)

PUBLISHERS MARKETPLACE Announcement for book Two!

So excited to share my PUBLISHER'S MARKETPLACE Announcement for book two!!!
FYI: It's Kat's story & there's a sneak peek chapter in the back of ROE! :)

August 26, 2014
		Children's: Young Adult		Colette Ballard's TEMPORARY HIGH, in which a seventeen-year-old girl feels in control of everything in her life until the man who almost destroyed it years earlier reappears to collect a debt, and paying up means she must not only break the law, but also the heart of the only guy she's ever fallen for, to Marie Romero at Spencer Hill Press, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Excerpt from RUNNING ON EMPTY...
There are many intense moments in ROE because of the whole 17 y.o. girls kills her boyfriend in self-defense & runs away thing. But there are some lighter moments too. :)

A beautiful dress for a beautiful girl.
Love, Logan

My heart soared and fell at the same time. The words were nice, but the gift wasn't something he'd put any thought into. His mother had put thought into it, but for all the wrong reasons.

Hoping for the best, I pulled the ribbon and edged open the lid. Cringing, I held up the foofy champagne-colored dress that looked like something Fashion Fairy Barbie would wear. I let it fall back in its box, then collapsed on the bed and closed my eyes.

My visions of temporarily forgetting this terrible morning were cut short by an extra-loud muffler outside my window. A few seconds later my bedroom door squeaked open and my younger sister stuck her head around the door. "River, you alive?"

Before I could decide, Jamie flopped down on the other side of my bed and arranged herself to face me. "You know it's like 9:30-something, right?" She ran her nail-bitten fingers along the ponytail of her long, carmel-colored hair.

"So?" I grumbled into my pillow.

She squinted, her dark brown eyes studying me. "So, I thought you had to go to some important football thing with that crazy-hot, amazingly awesome boyfriend of yours."

I wasn't about to tell her that my crazy-hot, amazingly awesome boyfriend didn't wait for me, and since my only means of transportation was assembled decades ago, I was disinvited from attending his Seniors' Breakfast.

Something over my shoulder distracted her and she hopped up to inspect it. "What's this?"

I winced. "A dress for Awards Night. Logan's mom bought it for me." Some people have irrational fears like arachnophobia, agoraphobia, even homophobia. Not Sylvia Westfield--she had trailertrashaphobia. Her worst fear was for her son to be seen in public with me dressed in vintage Dollar General.

For an excerpt from the beginning of the book: =http://www.amazon.com/Running-Empty-Colette-Ballard-ebook/dp/B00G2G22J8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

So excited to announce that RUNNING ON EMPTY won the BOOKSELLERS' BEST AWARD in the Young Adult category!!!

It was such an amazing honor to be nominated alongside such amazing authors, so the win has been over the top! I am so grateful for the many people who helped make ROE a success, especially my rockstar editor, Marie Romero. This award, as well as the nomination for Best First Book has far exceeded my hopes and dreams of someday being published...
I am beyond grateful. <3

DOUBLE NOMINEE!

So...RWA Nationals in San Antonio, TX is in a few days and I'm so excited that RUNNING ON EMPTY was chosen as a finalist for the GDRWA BOOKSELLERS' BEST AWARD & is also nominated for BEST FIRST BOOK! 

Such an honor to be chosen among these amazing authors! Also, pretty excited for my publisher, Spencer Hill Press, who has two books in the running. :)

YOUNG ADULT

"Camp Boyfriend," J.K. Rock
(Spencer Hill Press Contemporary, Patricia Riley)

"Running On Empty," Colette Ballard*
(Spencer Hill Press Tulip Romance (Tulip Teen), Marie Romero)

"Briar Rose," Jana Oliver
(Macmillan Children's Books, Rachel Petty)

"Dirty Little Secret," Jennifer Echols
(Simon and Schuster MTV Books, Emilia Pisani)

"Playing Tyler," TL Costa*
(Angry Robot Strange Chemistry Amanda Rutter

SUPER SUMMER GIVEAWAY!!!

WIN 12 books by 6 authors!

The amazing Katie McGarry is hosting this Rafflecopter giveaway & here's what she said:  

"I asked a few of my favorite contemporary authors to participate and here is the prize package:"

Miranda Kenneally: signed copies of Catching Jordan, Stealing Parker, Things I Can't Forget, Racing Savannah, and Breathe, Annie, Breathe

Trish Doller: a copy of Where the Stars Still Shine

Huntley Fitzpatrick: signed copies of My Life Next Door and What I Thought was True

Joy Hensley: a signed ARC of Rites of Passage

Colette Ballard: a signed copy of Running on Empty

Katie McGarry: a signed paperback of Dare You To, a signed hardback of Take Me On, and a Take Me On poster

"So let's recap--that's 12 books from six amazing authors and this will all go to one lucky winner. This giveaway is international."

a Rafflecopter giveaway

    TEASER from RUNNING ON EMPTY!

    I started to file in the entry gate to join the other juniors who'd be receiving awards, but was stopped when a long, lean leg wearing skinny jeans and black boots stretched across the entryway. Looking like she'd just stepped out of some exotic cigarette ad, Kat let out a long stream of smoke as she leaned against a thick metal beam, her shiny, coffee-colored hair blowing in the breeze.
     "Where's Prince Charming?" She lifted her chin to the nearly full bleachers where Logan would've been taking a seat if he'd walked in with me. "I noticed you came in alone."
     "For your information," I lifted her leg and pushed it away from me like I was opening a latch on a stall door, then let it drop, "he's finishing up a phone call. He'll be here in a minute." I hooked my arm in hers and pulled her to the fence to avoid eavesdroppers.
     Kat opened her mouth to speak, but it turned into a smirk as something else caught her attention. "River, if you're going to waste all your time on a guy, why can't you waste it on a decent guy...somebody like Justice Braden?" She was talking to me, but her eyes followed Justice as he took his seat in the graduates' section.
     I elbowed her. "I grew up with Justice. We think of each other like brother and sister." Not to mention I was still annoyed with him for interrogating me about Logan.
     She raised her eyebrows. "Speak for yourself."
     "Uh-uh." I gripped the cross-hatched wire fencing next to me. "He made it clear how he felt about me a long time ago."
     She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, in eighth-f___ing-grade."
     I held up a finger. "Ninth." I shifted my attention to smoothing the skirt of my dress. "And if you like him so much, why don't you date him?"
     "You know my rules about guys. Besides, he doesn't look at me the same way he does you." The corners around her eyes crinkled as she took a drag off her cigarette.
     "In case you missed it, Logan is my boyfriend." I unhitched my fingers from the fencing and jerked when my thumb caught a jagged edge.
     "Mistake," she sang under her breath as I started for the football field.

Now on Kindle $2.99!
http://www.amazon.com/Running-Empty-Colette-Ballard-ebook/dp/B00G2G22J8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

So...RUNNING ON EMPTY wasn't the winner of the CRW Award of Excellence but it did receive this fancy schmancy finalist medallion!  http://crw-rwa.ning.com/page/2014-aoe-winners

Young Adult/New Adult w/Romantic Elements

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Everything You Know ~ Mary Beth Bass

***Winner! Dirty Little Secret ~ Jennifer Echols

Running on Empty ~ Colette Ballard

The Deepest Night ~ Shana Abe

Too Fast ~ Alexia Haynes

Woo hoo! RUNNING ON EMPTY won 2nd place in WRWA Write Touch Reader's Award! (Young Adult)
http://wisrwa.org/contest.html
YOUNG ADULT
1st - Mary Beth Bass - Everything You Know2nd - Colette Ballard - Running on Empty
3rd - PJ Sharon - Western Desert
4th - Shawna Romkey - Speak of the Devil 

5th - Anthea Sharp - Spark: Feyguard Book 1

Woo Hoo! My YA novel, RUNNING ON EMPTY, won second place in Romantic Suspense!! :)

Attention BEA attendees...

RUNNING ON EMPTY by Colette Ballard (Book Drop). When River kills her boyfriend in self-defense she must leave everything behind—including the boy she’d do anything to protect. (Young Adult)

Thursday @ 10am-stop by Booth 2567 to get a copy! spencerhillpress.com/SHP_BEA_2014.pdf … #BEA2014

WHAT IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE...?

What would you do if you had to choose between protecting your childhood best friend or protecting yourself?

     Fire erupted in my chest and spread to every limb of my body. I was angry that there were no good options, even angrier that I'd been forced to choose between Logan and Justice in the first place. To everyone at the party and to Justice, it looked like I chose Logan, but in my heart and soul, Justice was my choice. I had to leave with Logan in order to protect Justice.
     "Let's go."
      Smiling, Logan leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Trust me, Baby, we'll take it slow."
     White hot tears pricked my eyes as I watched myself, or someone that resembled me, get into the car. I told myself everything would be okay if we just took it slow.
      My gut told me something else.

PRINT version now on sale:http://www.amazon.com/Running-On-Empty-Colette-Ballard/dp/1939392802/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

What happens when a 17 y.o. is attacked by her boyfriend?

10 hours left for Rafflecopter GIVEWAY celebrating the print release of RUNNING ON EMPTY!

($50gc, signed copies & more)

Full blog tour schedule, book trailer, & exciting contest news! :)

LAST day for GIVEAWAY!

*See complete BLOG TOUR schedule
*Check out the BOOK TRAILER
*Enter the GIVEAWAY ($50gc, signed copies, & more)

Full BLOG TOUR schedule!

BLOG TOUR celebrating PRINT release of RUNNING ON EMPTY on May 6th!
$50 gift card, 2 signed copies, & more!

Stop 1: Book trailer & Rafflecopter Giveawy!
http://curvywriter.info

Stop 2: Guest Post!
http://www.thecovercontessa.com/2014/04/blog-tour-running-on-empty-by-colette.html?showComment=1398813513392#c4630610017368372545

Stop 3: Interview & Giveaway!
http://functioninginsanity.blogspot.com/2014/05/author-interview-with-colette-ballard.html

Stop 4: Guest post (Visualization Works!)
http://junestevens.com/guest-post-visualization-works-colette-ballard/ 

Stop 5: FUN character interview & Giveaway!
http://confessionsofanunsuspectedbookworm.blogspot.com 

STOP 6: GIVEAWAY, REVIEW, & GUEST POST (A Full Circle Library Moment)!
:http://www.readerpants.net/search/label/Running%20On%20Empty

Last stop: My Dream Cast & Giveaway!
http://asoutherngirlreads.blogspot.com/2014/05/dream-cast-for-running-on-empty-guest.html?spref=tw

Have you seen the CREEPTASTIC BOOK TRAILER for Running On Empty?!

ONLY 2 days left! RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY! ($50gc, signed copies & more!)

In celebration of RUNNING ON EMPTY'S print release! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wanna see what the characters in RUNNING ON EMPTY look like to me?? 
Check out the fun guest post where I got to pick out my dream cast & enter the GIVEAWAY!
http://asoutherngirlreads.blogspot.com/2014/05/dream-cast-for-running-on-empty-guest.html#comment-form

FIRST PLACE WINNER!!! 
So excited to announce that RUNNING ON EMPTY won the 2014 Winter Rose Award of Excellence! (young adult category)

http://yellowroserwa.com/winter-rose-contest-awards/

GIVEAWAY, REVIEW, & GUEST POST (A Full Circle Library Moment)!

One of my favorite reviews: This will no doubt be compared with Thelma & Louise, and that is a pretty decent comparison. As in T & L, our main character River Daniels shoots and kills someone to prevent an imminent rape. Her best friends Billie Jo and Kat find River walking along the road, dazed and covered in blood. Knowing River will not get a fair trial in their area, the two friends whisk River away to Las Vegas, where they struggle to find jobs and stay off the police radar. - See more at: at:http://www.readerpants.net/search/label/Running%20On%20Empty

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY!!!

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY!!! TOMORROW!

Everyone is welcome:)

Today's BLOG TOUR stop:
Fun interview with River & Justice from RUNNING ON EMPTY...
& the rafflecopter giveaway is still going on... $50-gift card, signed copies, & more!

http://confessionsofanunsuspectedbookworm.blogspot.com

Online Book Launch Party tomorrow night--9;00 p.m. EST! Come join us Thursday night for games, prizes, and a live chat with the author!

Running On Empty Laungh Party!

Thursday, May 8 at 7:00pm in MDT

Anywhere you can get online!

It's today! It's today!
The moment I've waited for for many years!
PRINT release of my YA novel, RUNNING ON EMPTY! :)

Giveaways ($50gc, signed copies, book trailer, blog tour schedule & more:
http://coletteballard.blogspot.com/

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY!!

BLOG TOUR celebrating PRINT release of RUNNING ON EMPTY on May 6th!
$50 gift card, 2 signed copies, & more!

Stop 1: Book trailer & Rafflecopter Giveawy!
http://curvywriter.info

Stop 2: Guest Post!
http://www.thecovercontessa.com/2014/04/blog-tour-running-on-empty-by-colette.html?showComment=1398813513392#c4630610017368372545

Stop 3: Interview & Giveaway!
http://functioninginsanity.blogspot.com/2014/05/author-interview-with-colette-ballard.html

Stop 4: Guest post (Visualization Works!)
http://junestevens.com/guest-post-visualization-works-colette-ballard/

Stop 5: FUN character interview & Giveaway!
http://confessionsofanunsuspectedbookworm.blogspot.com

Last stop: My Dream Cast & Giveaway!
http://asoutherngirlreads.blogspot.com/2014/05/dream-cast-for-running-on-empty-guest.html?spref=tw

Stay tuned for more stops! :)

Running On Empty Book Trailer!

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY for RUNNING ON EMPTY!!! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Woo hoo! RUNNING ON EMPTY is a finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence contest!! (Young Adult/ New Adult division)

Running On Empty Book Trailer

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY!

Enter for a chance to win a PRINT copy of RUNNING ON EMPTY!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18241299-running-on-empty

GOOD NEWS!!:)

Woo-hoo!! 
RUNNING ON EMPTY is a finalist in RWA's New England Reader's Choice Bean Pot Award contest!!!  
(in the Romantic Suspense category!) So excited! 



RUNNING ON EMPTY is also in the running for the CRYSTAL KITE AWARD!! 
If you're a Mid-South SCBWI member and haven't voted yet and you enjoyed ROE, don't forget to vote! 
http://www.scbwi.org/crystalkite-results/

APPETIZERS WITH THE AUTHORS – 2014

 MEET LOCAL AUTHOR…….. COLETTE BALLARD AND PREVIEW HER DEBUT YOUNG ADULT BOOK

RUNNING ON EMPTY

BLOOMFIELD BRANCH LIBRARY, SAT., APRIL 5, 12:30PM

Print copies of the book will officially be released at Signing Reception, May 10, Olde Bloomfield Meeting Hall, 4-7pm.  Digital copies now available on Amazon and Barnes &Noble

GILLY SIMPSON WILL ALSO BE AT LIBRARY WITH HIS NEW BOOK HERITAGE OF FAITH – HISTORY OF ST. THOMAS

1812-2012