Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Unicorns, Writers, and Winners

I will be a guest speaker at the Unicorn Writers' Conference at Saint Clements Castle in Portland, CT this April 9th. A Castle? Unicorns? Writers? All that was missing was a troll for under the drawbridge, which was why they called me.

Actually, they called me at the suggestion of my friend Christopher Golden. Chris is multi-talented, multi-faceted author who has produced great work in a variety of genres and styles and you should check out his website href="http://www.christophergolden.com/index2.html">HERE

True story--the very first book I was given as a recommendation by an encouraging editor when I began to submit YA work was a book Chris wrote with Tom Sniegoski. My book deal materialized about a year later--coincidence, or conspiracy???

If you are interested in the Unicorn Writers' Conference and perhaps in conversing with a troll ("Answer me these riddles three..."), then visit the Conference site HERE

Regarding the big e-book contest, here are the final three winners from last week:

krazykittymatt!

Jennifer D.!

Carole M.!

Thank you all for your work making the After Party such a success!

With luck, I will mail out the books next week. Also, this weekend I will be picking the winner of the grand prize--the entire Generation Dead series, signed, in hardcover! Stay tuned

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Generation Dead Series E-Books Released!

The Generation Dead Series is Finally available in electronic editions, and each title has a brand new Generation Dead Short Story!

"How's Life"


Order Generation Dead for Kindle from Amazon and get the new short story "How's Life" HERE

"Doll Parts"

Order Kiss of Life for Kindle from Amazon and get the new short story "Doll Parts" HERE

"Purpose Statement"

Order Passing Strange for Kindle from Amazon and get the new short story "Purpose Statement" HERE

Stay tuned to My So-Called Undeath! Margi has an update on her mystery that she will post tomorrow!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Even More Winners! Plus Sneak Peak #3





Sunday's Winner: Shy_yet_Talkative_Girl! A frequent poster, here, there and everywhere--thank you for your work with the After Party!

Monday's Winner: Yes, people really do win on Mondays. Just ask Aamna M., who will be receiving a signed copy of Passing Strange! Many thanks, Aamna!

Release date for the electronic editions is tomorrow, but we're picking winners all week. For details on how to enter, check HERE

SPECIAL SNEAK PEAK OF BONUS SHORT STORY #3

"Purpose Statement" takes place after the events of Passing Strange--"life" in the GenDead world continues on! Tommy is back in Oakvale after his world-changing trip across the country and to D.C., where he successfully implored lawmakers to grant the differently biotic some basic rights--including the right to attend school! "Purpose Statement" follows the trials and tribulations of one of Oakvale High's newest undead students--Chadwick Sebastien Appleton, who you all know as Popeye. After a confrontation with TC leads to an after school challenge, Popeye decides he is going to teach him and his fellow students a lesson they won't soon forget.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Winners! And Sneak Peak #2

Friday's winner: Jenyfer H.! Thank you, Jenyfer!

Saturday's winner: Quinn! Thank you for your thoughtful post, Quinn! One signed copy of Passing Strange going your way! Thank you for all you've done for the After Party!

The contest runs through Saturday of next week--plenty of time to get your entries in and win, win, win. See how right HERE.

SPECIAL SNEAK PEAK OF BONUS SHORT STORY #2

Just what happened to Sylvia when she went through the mysterious--and horrifying--process known as the Augmentation? What--or who--was going through her mind during procedures that literally took her body apart? Find out in "Doll Parts", the bonus short story that will appear in the electornic edition of Kiss of Life!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

More Free Stuff & Sneak Peak

And the next signed copy of Passing Strange goes to Marie R. Yay, Marie! Thank you for your tireless dedication and work with the After Party!

You can still enter the contest: Details HERE

SPECIAL SNEAK PEEK OF BONUS SHORT STORY #1:

Have you ever wondered exactly what happened the day that Colette Beauvoir tragically lost her life? And did you ever wonder how she and Margi began to deal with the trauma of her return? How's Life, a new short story that will appear in the electronic edition of Generation Dead, will address these questions, and more. Join Colette and Margi--and many other GenDead cast members!--as they step out onto the thin ice of their new post-life friendship!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Contest Update! And the First Winner is...

And the first signed hardcover copy of Passing Strange goes to After Party founding member Jennifer R.! Many thanks, Jennifer!

I'll be giving away loads (wee, another dozen, anyway) more books--if you haven't entered the contest yet you still can--all you have to do is blog, Tweet, FB, or otherwise post to the magical land of the Internet something about the Generation Dead series being released on March 22nd. Each new release comes with a brand new GenDead short story! OMZ!!!

For full details, see my previous announcement HERE

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Generation Dead: The Movie

The long awaited. This cast is spectacular, but Pete will always hold a special place in my heart.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

The After Party and Goal Update

My pal Dee submitted "The Afterlife of the Party" for the "name the Virtual Street Team" contest, which I'm modifying to "The After Party". Free book for Dee! But I think Dee has signed copies of all my books--would you like spanish Kiss of Life, Dee? I think I have a few of those. Hit me on my email!

For those of you wanting to be members of The After Party, there's only one requirement, and it isn't a pulse (pulses are totally optional). All you have to do is tweet, blog, or post somewhere on the Internet that the Generation Dead series is being released in electronic editions on March 22. Drop me a line or a comment letting me know where you've posted, and you could win all sorts of free zombie-ness.

Each one of the new editions will have a brand new short story. Here are the top secret titles, only available to members of The After Party (if you aren't in the After Party, avert your eyes!):

"How's Life" will appear in Generation Dead

"Doll Parts" will appear in Kiss of Life

"Purpose Statement" will appear in Passing Strange

These stories also represent the completion of one of my fifteen goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year (remember: goals, not resolutions), which was to write three Generation Dead short stories (one of my other goals is to write three non Generation Dead stories). At the time I'd set the goal, I had no idea we'd be including them with the electronic editions; I'd just had such a good time with "Many Happy Returns", the GenDead story I wrote for the Kiss Me Deadly anthology that I wanted to write some more. That was my only purpose at the time I set the goal--to have fun. That I get the chance to share that fun with readers on their nooks and kindles and iPads makes it even more fun.

So far, that is the only of the fifteen that is completed. Does that mean panic has begun, with two months of the year (including my arch nemesis February) expired? A resounding "no!" as I've made signifigant process on ten of the remaining fourteen. I've read fourteen books towards my "Read a hundred books" goal, most recently a biography of the cartoonist Charles Addams and If I Die in a Combat Zone by Tim O'Brien. Another goal is to "lose 10% of my year-end 2010 body weight by the time we open the pool"; I'm happy to report I'm 7% lighter with a few months to go. As far as writing goals, I think I'm going to finish the draft of a new YA novel by the end of March, which would allow me to scratch another item off my list.
Sweeeeet.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

A Chat with Shels

I'm not sure if you are aware of these facts, but I am available for interviews, guest lectures, conferences, school visits, trivia contests, voiceover work, avatar photos, bat and bar mitzvahs, workshops, kissing booths, dunking booths, pickup basketball games, furniture moving, weddings, dance contests, critter evictions, dj'ing, poker games, chats, and general clowning. Serious inquiries only.

Here's a recent interview I did with Shels on the Walter Rhein blog: Click me! Click me!

GENERATION DEAD EBooks in just 19 days!!!!