The Happy Whisk 444 Giveaway

To celebrate her 444th blog post on March 4th, The Happy Whisk (aka Ivy, the gorgeous and talented chef) is holding a contest. Four winners who can choose from four fabulous authors--one of which is me, of course!

To be eligible for the roll of the dice (Whisk's hubby Tim is the gamemaster deluxe with his own 'zine), head over to The Happy Whisk and leave a comment. Comments close on Thursday!

Buy One, Get One Free at Killer Fiction

Christie Craig is holding a BOGO Contest over at Killer Fiction. The rules are simple. Go to Amazon. Buy one of the books she's listed (including Zombie Confidential) and she'll pick fifteen people at random to send a book that you DID NOT BUY to you.

Hey, it's a holiday, so the odds are pretty good!

[Editor's Note on 07/07/12: Christie finally realized there was a holiday in the middle of the week. LOL She's extended the contest until July 17th, so you still have plenty of time to enter!]

Three Pigs, One Wolf and the English Langauge

Just a reminder: Leave a comment to win a free copy of Seasons of Magick: Autumn before it goes on sale!


Here's a comic commentary on how our vocabularies have changed over the last few centuries with an example from a classic fairy tale. (Much thanks to Jennifer Bray-Weber for sending me the link!)

CONTEST! Sh*t Agents/Editors Say

A Monday morning counting exercise: how many of these phrases have you heard/been said to you?

Leave a comment with your number before 11:59PM CDT on Thursday, March 29, 2012. A winner will be randomly drawn from the infamous Easter Basket shaped like Capt. Rex 's helmet. The prize is e-book copies of the Seasons of Magick series: Spring, Summer and the soon-to-be-released Autumn. (Yes, you'll get it before it goes on sale!)

Contest is open to everyone!

Contest Reminder

Christie Craig and I are holding a joint contest over at Killer Fiction.  To enter, leave a comment.

Don't wait! The contest closes at 11:59PM tonight!


Have a Happy Litha, everyone!

What Different Writers Do with the Same Premise

Are you a writer who's worried about someone stealing their idea?

Have you come up with a cool concept involving a young blonde who discovers that she has supernatural abilities?  A story where no one in her world can tell her exactly what she is?  That her change in status totally messes up her life and her relationships?

Today, the summer blog tour stops at Killer Fiction where Christie Craig and I (well, actually our characters Kylie and Sam) show how two writers with the same basic premise came up two totally different books.

P.S.  There's a contest, too. Maybe you can guess what one of the prizes is from the cover to the left.  Christie's also throwing in a signed copy of Born at Midnight.

[Edit to add: Since someone at Killer Fiction asked, Zombie Love will be on sale July 1st at Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com and Smashwords.]

It's Contest Time!

It's June 1st already, and it's already starting with a bang.  Blood Magick is out!  And I'm giving away five (that's right, 5!) copies of my brand-spanking new e-book!

And since Blood Magick is the first novel in my Bloodlines urban fantasy series, I'll add another of my favorite urban fantasy firsts to sweeten the pot.  One of five lucky people will also win a DVD copy of the first season of True Blood, based on Charlaine Harris's fantastic Sookie Stackhouse mysteries.

So how do you enter?  In the comments, tell me who you think Sookie should end up with.  Bill or Eric?  Or should she forget the vamps and give more time to one of her were-creature suitors, like Sam, Alcide or Quinn?  You have until 11:59 PM CDT on June 7, 2011, to leave a comment.

Who is eligible?  For the e-books, I can e-mail the MOBI ("Kindle") or EPUB ("Nook") versions of Blood Magick world-wide.  If you need a different version, let me know and I'll make arrangments.  However, I only have access to Region 1 (U.S. and Canada) DVDs, and I cannot arrange for shipping outside of those countries at this time.

How will the winner be chosen?  Per my usual contest criteria, all names will be put in GK's Captain Rex helmet.  The first name drawn will be the Grand Prize Winner and will receive a copy of Blood Magick and the set of DVDs for True Blood Season 1.  The next four names drawn will each receive a copy of Blood Magick.  Should the Grand Prize winner live outside of the U.S. or Canada, the DVD prize shall be forfeit.

Additional Legal Stuff:  Neither Charlaine Harris, Inc., HBO Home Video, or any their assigns, officers, heirs, representatives, etc., have participated in this contest, nor have they provided any prizes.

Marketing and A Different Kind of Contest

The winner is Mariee!  I will be e-mailing you shortly, my dear.  And for the record Mariee was dead on with what I bought for myself.  Though I did buy two copies of Divorced, Desperate & Delicious as gifts for the holidays.  Thanks for participating!

Currently reading - The Fixer by Jon F. Merz (E-book)

I wanted to try an experiment by having blog readers comment on book trailers.  The experiment was a raging success (or an absolute failure, depending on your POV).  No one commented about the book trailers.  No one.  Heck, even my thirty regular readers didn't comment.

Which leads me to question whether book trailers are effective?  Right now, I'd have to come to the sad conclusion that the answer is no.  I can't honestly say I bought any books because of a trailer.

So what type of marketing does work?  Well, that's something I'll be exploring, but LATER!  It's contest time!  And up for grabs is a $10 e-certificate to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner's choice).

Out of the five book trailers I posted, which ones are for books I actually bought?  Leave your answer in comments.  Click on the links if you need to review the posts.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Divorced, Desperate & Delicious
Night of the Living Trekkies
Born of Ice
Soulless

To enter the drawing, please leave a comment with you answer for which of these books I actually have purchased.  And please, PLEASE leave a contact e-mail!

PLEASE NOTE:  Comments will be closed on Sunday, March 13, at approximately 12 Noon CDT, or whenever I crawl out of bed.  GK will draw a name from his Capt. Rex helmet if I can pry him away from the Xbox. The winner will be posted shortly thereafter.


Legal $#!@:

The contest is only open to anyone with access to Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. To the FTC, any books and/or prizes have been purchased out of my own damn pocket and will be listed on my tax return as a business expense.  So there!

WINNER!!

The winner of P.J. Mellor's Island Nights and a surprise romance package is TESS.  Thanks again to everyone for dropping by.  I'll have more giveaways next month!

3 Questions and a Contest - P.J. Mellor

And the WINNER of Island Nights and a surprise romance package is TESS!  Thanks to everyone for participating!

My dear readers, I know you have been patiently waiting for the return of THREE QUESTIONS AND A CONTEST. And it’s BACK!

I’m super-excited to present my first guest for 2011. She is one of the first people I met when I joined the Northwest Houston Chapter of RWA, and the first person I dared to show my work. The epitome of a gracious southern belle, she didn’t laugh too loud at my horrendous efforts. Her latest is the just released Island Nights. Please welcome author, P.J. Mellor!


When we first met, you hadn’t gotten the “Call” yet, then bam! Less than a year later, you’re selected to launch Kensington’s Aphrodisia line. What went through your mind when you heard Pleasure Beach would be the first book?

Actually, technically, PLEASURE BEACH was not the “first book” of the line. You are considered a launch author is your book is released in the first three months of the beginning of the line. PLEASURE BEACH was released in Aphrodisia’s second month, February 2006. When I first heard I’d sold to Kensington, I thought it was for their Brava line. Then it was explained my book would be in their new erotic romance line, as yet unnamed. I think shocked would best describe my thought when I heard I’d sold PLEASURE BEACH. It was just so much fun to write, I never imagined it would actually sell—it was just something I did “in case”. And the press it received was fabulous—can’t buy the kind of publicity it received!  (Editor's Note:  PLEASURE BEACH was featured on Geraldo At Large during a segment on erotic books.)


And, speaking of publicity, ISLAND NIGHTS is going to be excerpted in the May issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine—yet another priceless bit of publicity.


You have the amazing talent to combine humorous and erotic elements. How have you kept that balance going for throughout six full-length novels and five (soon to be six) anthologies?

Thanks! I’ve been told I have a wicked sense of humor, so it was a natural progression for it to find its way into erotic romance. Besides, sex is fun!


And for the wacky portion of our interview, what’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you since you were first published?

Wow. I’ve had many things…I think the one that stands out the most is the 102 year old retired English teacher who loved PLEASURE BEACH so much she took a cab to one of my signings to tell me how impressed she was that it was grammatically correct. In fact, several of the residents of her senior citizen complex came to that signing, making a line of gray haired people. Ah, yes, I’m obviously the geriatric erotica writer!


Contest:

P.J.’s books are available today through most book retailers. For more info on P.J. and her books, check out her website.

Today, we are giving away a copy of Island Nights to one lucky blog reader.  Plus I'll throw a little surprise romance package for the winner.

To enter the drawing, please leave a comment stating your fantasy guy or girl. Keep it clean, folks! And please, PLEASE, if you comment anonymously, leave a contact e-mail!

Per usual, comments will be closed on Thursday, February 24, at 11AM CDT, and GK will draw a name from his Capt. Rex helmet. The winner will be posted at noon.


Legal $#!@:

The contest is only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada due to U.S. postal regulations. To the FTC, P.J. has pointed out my numerous problems with POV, which officially makes ours a quid pro quo relationship.

Protecting Your Livelihood - Part 1

Currently reading - Greywalker by Kat Richardson

A ton of stuff's happened over the weekend, and we'll talk more about that over the next few days.  First, I must give a whole-hearted salute to the authors at the Killer Fiction blog.

In the quicksand that the publishing biz has become, the ladies at Killer Fiction have been through some serious downs last year.  Most of these gals started with the same publisher, and then that publisher took off and stranded them.  Add in major upheavals on the personal life front, and no one would have faulted these ladies if they let the dark grains close over their heads.

Now, the KF gals could have wailed and cried and let themselves be swallowed in the cesspit of despair, but they used the planks and vines of friends, agents and their own indomitable wills to haul their collective asses out of that sinkhole.  Some have signed with new publishers, some with new agents, and some are self-publishing.

The lesson here--other writers are not your enemies.  You have to have the guts and desire to pursue this career, and be smart enough to work together for everyone to succeed.

Starting today through January 21, 2001, the KF gals have a Kick Off the New Year contest.  In addition to daily drawings, they are giving away a grand prize--a KINDLE E-READER.

And to top it off, today Jana DeLeon is giving away e-copies of the first book in her Ghost-in-Law series, TROUBLE IN MUDBUG!  Trust me, you'll get hooked.

So go check out Killer Fiction and support these lovely ladies by buying their books!

Yo, Contest Winner?

Currently reading - Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner

YO, TESS!! Please contact me! You won a coupon for a free e-book from fabulous author Susan Helene Gottfried.

And I can't contact you when you've got your Blogger profile blocked, sweetie!

WINNERS!!

EEK! I got so involved in the causes of WWI that I forgot what time it was.


The winner of a coupon for the e-book Trevor's Song is . . .

Kaye!


The winner of a coupon for the SHG book of her choice is . . .

Tess!


Ladies, please e-mail me at soharden (at) swbell (dot) net, and we'll get those coupons to you.

Thanks to our wonderful guest Susan Helene Gottfried and to everyone who participated!

3 Questions and a Contest - Susan Helene Gottfried

Today’s guest was introduced to me through a mutual writing associate. About the only thing we have in common is books, books, and more books. Oh, and major league Pittsburgh sports teams. (Really? We have the same name? I hadn’t noticed.) Nope, me, either. Please welcome author and hostess of the fabulous website West of Mars, Susan Helene Gottfried!

Hi Susan! You write great stories about subjects New York publishers won’t touch. Why, thank you! Ironically, I’m referring to rock’n’roll, not the GLBT arts scene. Tell us more about your latest novel, Trevor’s Song.

Here's the blurb: Fame and Fortune have destroyed many a rock star, but Trevor Wolff has a bigger problem when his best friend Mitchell Voss commits an act of monogamy with sexy artist Kerri Broadhurst.

ShapeShifter band dynamics will never be the same with this new woman on the scene, and the distractions of two girlfriends and a world tour aren’t enough to keep Trevor from feeling like his carefully constructed world is crumbling around him. The pesky little illness he’s been hiding from his band mates isn’t helping, either.

Trevor is determined to drive Kerri away so life can run properly. He’ll do whatever it takes, or die trying, and not just because if he doesn’t get well soon, time might be up for old Trevor. The last person he expects help or sympathy from is Kerri herself, but he may have to make common cause with his enemy if he’s to survive the fallout from the secrets he’s been hiding.



I’ve been dying to know, how did you come up with the name, West of Mars, for your online world?

My husband, who is all kinds of awesome, wasn't comfortable with the idea of having SusanHeleneGottfried.com. (And not just because most people spell my middle name wrong) We have kids; he wanted something a little less obvious.

West of Mars is, to put it simply, where I live. West of a town called Mars, in Pittsburgh's northern suburbs. But where exactly that is, only my neighbors know!

One of the biggest perks to being West of Mars instead of Susan-dot-com is that I can expand the site to include more than just me. Like my Win a Book publicity blog. That has no business being on an author's website. But on a literary hub like West of Mars? Perfect.


And for the wacky portion of our interview, what’s the best rock movie EVER?

Spinal Tap, of course! Always has been, always will be. Even if Trevor's Song gets made into a movie. Trevor only thinks he goes to eleven.



Contest:

Susan’s books are available through Lulu or Smashwords. If you want an autographed copy, contact Susan at her e-mail address. For more info on Susan’s own books, her book club and other cool stuff, check out her website West of Mars. You can also follow her through Facebook and Twitter.

Today, we are giving away a coupon to Smashwords for a FREE e-copy of Trevor’s Song to one lucky blog reader. As a bonus, Susan’s also donating a second coupon to a second blog reader for his/her choice of either Trevor’s Song or one of Susan’s short story collections.

That’s right! You’ll have two chances to win!

To enter the drawing, please leave a comment stating your favorite rock movie or book. And please, PLEASE, if you comment anonymously or don’t allow folks to read your Blogger ,profile, leave a contact e-mail!

Per usual, comments will be closed on Thursday, September 16, at 11AM CDT, and GK will draw a name from his Capt. Rex helmet. The winner will be posted at noon.


Legal Caca:

Since we’re giving away e-books, the contest is open to EVERYONE. That’s right, no restrictions! To the FTC right-wing nut-heads, Susan has advertised my interviews and contests on her blog, which officially makes me a publishing slut.

And Then the Coyote Realizes She's Running in Mid-Air

Currently reading - Death's Excellent Vacation, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner

After all my whining yesterday (which goes very well with Colby Jack cheese I might add), guess what awaited me in the Inbox when I arrived home from work?

Yep, the scores. *sigh* And yes, it was as bad as I feared. DH held me as we read over them, and then he said, "Put it away for tonight, glean what you can to tweak the book before you pitch it at the conference, and let's go kill something."

The conference he referred to is the Nortwest Houston RWA chapter's Lone Star Conference in October. If you can be in the Houston area, it's well worth the money.

The killing he referred to only involves the Xbox, I swear. Hey, did you know you can put Halo's Master Chief in pink armor?

On a positive note, one of the judges did get my Mel Brooks' tribute. If you haven't watched Young Frankenstein with Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, and Cloris Leachman, go rent or buy it now.

Wrestling with Pigs

Currently reading - Death's Excellent Vacation, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner

George Bernard Shaw had it right. Wrestling pigs is not a good thing.

I admit I spent the last two days wallowing. I entered AVT in a writing contest a few months ago. AVT did not final.

I'm very proud of it. It's the tighest book I've written so far. Other books have finaled. Heck, the second book I ever wrote missed finaling by one friggin' point. If I'm totally honest, it didn't deserve that high of score. But AVT? When the worst thing any of my critique partners said was I went a little gerund crazy? Then yes, it did deserve a high score.

Unfortunately, I've got a feeling why it didn't do so well. The subject's a little quirky. My heroine's an Amish vampire.

Well, technically Anne's not Amish. She was bitten before she was baptized in the church. And a lot of the internal conflict is Anne trying to reconcile her Amish upbringing with what she is now--an eighty-year-old virgin.

(Oops, wrong story!)

. . .trying to reconcile her Amish upbringing with what she is now--an Enforcer (the vampire equivalent to a cop).

So I'm sitting here for the last two days, fretting about the judges' comments I haven't even received yet. Do they matter? In the long run, probably not. I did my best. And wallowing about it only leaves me covered in a layer of mud.

Damn, I need a shower.

3 Questions and a Contest

Today’s guest has come a long way since she stopped practicing law. (Yeah, I realize there’s a certain theme in most of my interview subjects. ) Please welcome New York Times bestselling author, Carly Phillips!

Hi Carly! You’ve come up with some unique promotional ideas for your books, such as the cookie lips you sent to Kelly Ripa. What other two personal qualities do you attribute to your wild success?

Perseverance and a desire to succeed!


Your latest book, Kiss Me If You Can, comes out today. Do you still get nervous on release days? And please tell us a little about Kiss Me If You Can.

Always. I always get nervous on release day. KISS ME IF YOU CAN is the first in the Bachelor Blog/Most Eligible Bachelor series. When an online blog teams with a New York City newspaper - with the sole purpose of helping the bachelor in question find the woman of his dreams. The stories are fun, sassy and of course sexy! First up is KISS ME IF YOU CAN:

When jaded crime beat reporter and aspiring mystery writer Sam Cooper ("Coop") stops a jewelry store robbery and is given a ring as a reward, he is labeled a hero and becomes the newest Bachelor in the infamous Bachelor Blog. Lexie Davis is a free spirited web designer with no roots and a love of travel who wants to purchase the ring for her beloved grandmother’s 80th birthday. But as Coop discovers, the ring is stolen property, and when his apartment is vandalized, it becomes obvious someone wants the ring back. As Lexie and Coop team up to uncover the ring’s past, sparks between them fly. Add a cast of secondary characters working to derail the duo’s efforts and drama when Lexie’s unorthodox family history is revealed. When all is said and done, can Lexie overcome her fear of settling down, especially when she discovers Coop wants to write her grandmother’s story as the big break in his burgeoning novelist career?

I really loved writing this story and I hope readers feel the same when they read it!

Next up is LOVE ME IF YOU DARE on August 31, 2010 and it’s a direct sequel to KISS ME.

For those who love bookclubs, please check out the Bookclub I’ll be doing at my Plotmonkeys blog for KISS ME IF YOU CAN.


On your website, you mention eating lots of jelly beans during the road to publication. I have to know, what is your favorite flavor of jellybean?

I haven’t treated myself to these in years, especially since the candy store in our local mall closed! But that’s easy. I LOVE to mix Strawberry Shortcake and Coconut. YUM!


Contest:

Okay, Dear Readers, Carly’s latest, Kiss Me If You Can is in bookstores now. Like right this minute. For more info on Carly’s books, check out her website.

Today, we are giving away a copy of Kiss Me, along with her entire Lucky series: Lucky Charm, Lucky Streak and Lucky Break, to one lucky blog reader.

To enter the drawing, please leave a comment stating your favorite flavor of jellybeans. And yeah, it’s okay if you don’t appreciate the bean, but I need an alternate candy suggestion. I have to take my sugar vicariously through y’all. And please, PLEASE, if you comment anonymously, leave a contact e-mail!

Per usual, comments will be closed on Thursday, July 29, at 11AM CDT, and GK will draw a name from his Capt. Rex helmet. The winner will be posted at noon.

Legal Felgercarb:

The contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada due to U.S. postal regulations. To the FTC Nazis, Carly has not paid me in lip-shaped cookies or in any other form of legal tender or trade.

Contest Just Because of This Clip

Currently reading - Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

OMG! I write vampire stuff, and even I can make fun of the genre.

But when I saw this preview on my buddy Colleen Thompson's blog, Boxing the Octopus, I laughed my ass off. Vampires Suck was not on the list of summer movies I reviewed back in April, or I would have penciled it in as a must-see on my calendar. So when August 18th rolls around, I WILL be in the theater!

In celebration of vampires and vampire mockery, I'm having a paranormal contest. The books will include Kerrelyn Sparks's The Vampire and the Virgin and Sherrilyn Kenyon's Seize the Night. I'll give the lucky winner his/her choice of Team Edward or Team Jacob bandages. (Yeah, bandages. I saw them in Target and cracked up.) To enter, tell me your all-time favorite vampire movie in comments. And please, PLEASE remember to leave a name and/or e-mail address if you comment anonymously. (See rules and fine print below the clip.)





Legalese BS: This contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Comments will close at 11AM CDT on Thursday, July 15. All entries will be put in the notorious Captain Rex helmet and one entry drawn. Winner will be posted at noon on the 15th.

CONTEST!!

But not here! Nope, no comments here will count as a contest entry.

Go to Killer Fiction where I'm guest blogging to read my crazy story about how I won 62 effing auctions during last May's Brenda Novak Auction for diabetes research.

Leave a comment there for a chance to win a beautiful bag full of books and other goodies.

Sorry, folks, but my computer's still in the shop, or I'd have freakin' a picture for you.

TOP Secret!!

Currently reading - Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison

Guess what? I'm guest blogging on Tuesday.

Really?

Yep, really. So my super special contest for this week will take place at this other blog

Where is it you ask? C'mon! Seriously? Where else would it be but Killer Fiction!

Stay tuned. I'll have more details Tuesday morning at 8AM.