Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend #Giveaway #YA #Zombies

Random giveaway time! In addition to spring cleaning, I do new year cleaning. It's a good way to purge all the extra holiday promo stuffs crowding up my office space and begin the new year with a clean slate--well, clean floor anyway. 

This round yielded a surprise find: the last free audiobook of my YA zombie novel "Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend." I'm adding in a signed paperback and the twin to my favorite zombie mug. Whoever wins is also welcome to schedule a Google Hangouts session or a FB chat, and we can share a cup of tea (or coffee) in our fancy matching mugs! We can talk books or writing or life... or just slurp our beverages while gazing awkwardly into our webcams. It will be big fun! : D



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Do You KU? #KindleUnlimited

If you get your reading fix via Kindle, you're probably familiar with Amazon's Kindle Unlimited subscription service. For those not familiar with KU, it's $9.99 a month and allows you to borrow as many books as you like from a selection of over a million ebooks, magazines, and audiobooks. You won't find all of your favorite books in their limited collection, but you will find quite a few (like Harry Potter!), as well as lots of indie titles. 

You can still purchase these books even if you don't have a KU subscription, but many of the indie books included in KU are not available anywhere other than on Amazon, as per their rules (for the indie authors at Amazon's mercy anyway--you can still most definitely find Harry at B&N). Authors are paid by the number of pages read rather than by book "borrows" and the borrowed books cannot be saved permanently to a reader's personal library. So the program has its pros and cons.

Do you KU? I'd love to hear what you guys think of the selection offered and if you consider it a good value for the monthly fee. Have you tried KU and ditched it? Are you planning on trying it out soon? Do you use it now and love it? If you'd like to learn more (or sign up for a 30-day free trial) check out the KU page on Amazon HERE.

My YA zombie book "Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend" is currently enrolled in KU, and the USA Today bestselling "Dark Fates" boxset my book "Death at First Sight" is featured in is now available on KU too! I also keep a small selection of perma-free and KU exclusive books listed on the #Freebies page of my website HERE. You know, in case you're looking for more adventures (or to get your money's worth in KU).

Happy reading! ♥

Bad Author, No Cookie

I don't know what time it is where you are, but it's dangerously close to lunch here.... and I'm still in my pajamas. I'm also dangerously close to my deadline for PSYCHOPOMP, book 4 in my Lana Harvey series. I've been a little swamped with graphic design work lately, plus a plethora of other fun distractions. That was only half sarcasm. Really. Some of those distractions have been super fun. Except for the missing sleep part, which I missed quite a bit. Especially when I decided to read all three of Kelly Armstrong's Darkest Powers novels in two nights. Nothing like realizing it's 6am, when you started reading at 10pm.

I really need to flesh out a more in depth review of Armstrong's series in another blog post, but for today, I'd just like to squee about Clare Davidson's Broken Bargain Pre-Release Tour! It starts today! You can find a link to the main page and giveaway on Clare's page at the top of the right side bar of my blog. Or HERE. There are lots of goodies to win, including three e-books of my latest release CRAZY EX-GHOULFRIEND. Today, Clare is interviewing Monica la Porta. Monica is also on my TRB list this week, so I'll be reviewing the first novel in her Ginecean Chronicles in an upcoming blog too. Woot!

My vow to blog more this year is drudging along. I'm a day late today, but to be fair, yesterday was a holiday. Happy birthday, Mr. King. I'll be posting more than usual for the next couple weeks, as I have lots of good books to review, and some fun stuff to share (including my dear husband's viral debut.)

Signing off for now... my browser has crashed four times since I started this post, and my toddler keeps snatching books out of my office and taking off with them. Plus, it's time to get out of these jammies. 

xoxo

We Survived the Prombie Apocalypse 2013!

It has been eleven days since the Prombie Apocalypse in Sedalia, MO, and I still feel like I'm recovering. lol We had such a great time!!! Here is a brief history of how this event came to be... since you're all in for a round two next year!

Back in July of this year (2013), my honey and I were hanging out in Grand Central Station (a.k.a. our living room) and we were discussing my new book, Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend, which was due to release in October. I have three other titles out in my urban fantasy series, Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc., but this was going to be my first YA novel. I wanted to do something BIG to celebrate the release. In the past, I've always done book signings and blog tours. (btw There's a blog tour for Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend going on right now! I'm giving away a paperback, a few ebooks, and a $20 Amazon card. Check it out HERE.) I wanted to do something more to commemorate this new genre I was diving into, and I also wanted to do something nice to give back to the community I grew up in. With it being so close to Halloween, and the novel themes of zombies and prom, the idea of the Prombie Apocalypse sprang forth effortlessly. Also, with the Sedalia Public Library preparing to move back to their original building, after the big remodel, raising money for new books seemed like a worthy cause. My honey, being the supportive and adventurous guy that he is, said, "That sounds like a swell idea!" So our work began...

After finding a venue (the Convention Hall at Liberty Park), we secured insurance for the event. Then we began hoarding decorations and other party necessities (i.e. raffle prizes, crowns for the Royally Undead Court, table centerpieces, fog machine, brain jello mold, ect.). Next, we commissioned one of Sedalia's favorite karoke DJs, Char Mickle, and a photo booth from Turpin Photography. We had tickets and flyers printed. We also reached out to the SFCC vo-tech Graph Design class, and they did a tee shirt design challenge for the event. We talked to the radio and newspaper about our plans. We also sought out some fantastic sponsors! 

Sponsors and raffle donors include: Sedalia Reader's World, Stone Laser Imaging, Kay's Bridal & Tuxedo, The Academy of Salon Professionals, The Gallery Salon & Spa, Preferred Properties, Formal Affairs, Woods Supermarket, The Sedalia News Journal, 92.3 Bob FM, Precision Paint & Auto Body, and Pepsi. 

As with any event this big, there was the last minute hand grenade. In our case, it was the insurance, one of the first things we secured. We received a call 4 days before the event stating that underwriting had decided they couldn't insure us. They had even sent us a certificate the month before. : ( So we ran around at the last minute trying to find new insurance. Most places told us it was too short notice for them to put together a bid. When we were just shy of heart failure, Ahrazue Wilt with American Family Insurance in Sedalia came to our rescue! She even found us a great price.

Everything finally came together, and we had a great time! Here are some pictures and a final shout-out to all the fantastic people and businesses who helped us make the night a huge hit!
 





So there you have it. Come join us on the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PrombieApocalypse 

We'll be discussing themes for next year, music selection, and also, as with this year, we'll have the court nominations and tee shirt designs up on the page for voting! You'll also be the first to know when tickets go on sale. Can't wait to see you all again next year for a spooky good time!

Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend Blog Tour & Giveaway

Life is currently chaos, and I seem to be running on fumes these days. I have a ton of follow up work to do for the Prombie Apocalypse, and I'll be posting some event coverage in the next day or two. Right now, I'd like to kick off the blog tour & giveaway for Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend! I've been hearing a lot of really nice feedback. There were even a few teens at the Prombie Apocalypse who tracked me down to let me know how much they enjoyed my new novel. ♥ You all are the greatest!

For the blog tour, I'll be giving away a signed paperback of Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend and a $20 Amazon card, along with a few swag goodies, like Ghoul hand sanitizer and bookmarks. I'm also giving away an ebook of Crazy Ex-Goulfriend to 3 runner ups. Be sure to check out the other blogs on the tour! There are some fun interviews and guest posts, plus additional ways to gain giveaway entries for tweets and blog comments. For my blog comments, tell me what famous person you'd like to see raised as a zombie! : )

10/21 - Roquet's Reapings 

10/22 - Romance Junkies 

10/22 - Toot’s Book Review 

 10/23 - Fang Freakin' Tastic Review 

10/23 - Must Read Faster 

10/23 - Stacey Clifford 

10/24 - Fundinmental 

 10/25 - EclipseReviews 

10/26 - For the Love of Bookends 

 10/27 - Coffee Talk Writers 

10/27 - Literal Addiction

10/29 - Living an Eternal Fairytale 

10/30 - Book Pages and Dripping Ink 

10/30 - Mythical Books 

 10/31 - Kimber Leigh Writes 

10/31 - Mad Hatter Reads

10/31 - Notebook of Books 

10/31 - Tome Tender 

11/1 - FUONLYKNEW 

11/2 -3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! 

 11/3 - Books Books and More Books 

11/4 - Salacious Reads 

11/5 - Book Lovin Mamas 

11/7 - Book Monster Reviews 

11/8 - URBAN FANTASY LAND 

11/9 - I SmellSheep 

11/9 - A TiffyFit's Reading Corner 

11/9 - Close Encounters with the Night Kind

 11/9 - Dalene's Book Reviews 

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Janie Parker is in love with the boy next door, but he's dating Miss Popular. That is, until she wraps her car around a tree and bites the dust. Just when things settle down and Janie thinks that she might have a shot at going to prom with the boy next door, Miss Popular comes back from the grave, and she's one crazy ex-ghoulfriend.

 
Kindle | Nook |  Smashwords |  Paperback 

OMGZ! Zombies, Books, & Events

Radio Interview with Behka at 92.3 Bob FM

I had so much fun talking with Behka this morning about the signing this afternoon and the upcoming Prombie Apocalypse! If you missed it on the radio, you can listen to the interview here:

http://923bobfm.com/prombie-apocalypse-kicks-off-with-sedalia-book-signing-interview/

Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend & the Prombie Apocalypse Giveaway

This was intended to be a video blog, which is why it's so terribly late. My office is crammed full of books that I don't have enough shelf space for and decorations for the Prombie Apocalypse.... plus, I look like a real life zombie right now, due to a severe case of sleep deprivation. It's one part insomnia, one part todolistitis (I'm no doctor, but this condition seems pretty legit to me), and one part night owl kiddo (what can I say, he has my genes).

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, then you probably have an idea of what this is all about, but either way, here are all the nitty gritty details....

My new book, CRAZY EX-GHOULFRIEND, is out!!! Woot! It's available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook, and a zillion other places. It's also available at Sedalia Reader's World.

To celebrate the release, I decided to do more than just a book signing. This may be my fourth novel, but it's my first YA novel, and it's my first venture away from the comfort zone of my Lana series. I wanted to do something BIG. I also wanted to do something to give back to the community that I grew up in. There isn't a lot for teens to do in my little hometown, and with Halloween just around the corner and the macabre nature of my new book, a zombie themed prom seemed like a great idea!

And that's how the Prombie Apocalypse came to be...

The party is for teens as well as zombie lovers of all ages. It will take place on Saturday, October 19th, 2013, from 6-10pm at Convention Hall in Liberty Park, Sedalia, MO. The tickets are $8 at Sedalia Reader's World. There will be refreshments, karaoke, and a photo booth. We'll also be hosting a Zombie Walk-Off contest that Stone Laser Imaging is designing a trophy for. And we'll be naming a zombie king, queen, prince, and princess. There is still time to upload and vote for nominees on the Prombie Apocalypse Facebook page. Nominees can also be voted for via the tear-off stubs on the event tickets. The SFCC graphic design vo-tech seniors have also submitted tee shirt designs to be voted for on the event page. The winning design will be printed on shirts to be sold at the event. All profit from the ticket and shirt sales will be going towards purchasing new books for the Sedalia Public Library.

Additional brain donors (sponsors) include Preferred Properties of Sedalia, Kay's Bridal & Tuxedo, Woods Supermarket & Pharmacy, The Gallery Salon & Spa, Academy of Salon Professionals, Sedalia News Journal, 92.3 Bob FM, and Bilan Gomez of Bee's Knees Home Bakery. You can check everyone out in the giveaway links below. Like their Facebook pages to earn more entries for a chance to win one of three CRAZY EX-GHOULFRIEND ebooks, or the grand prize of a bound copy and 2 tickets to the Prombie Apocalypse.

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