At long last a LiveJournal by Jeri Smith-Ready

Quick post between vet visits (nothing serious, just routine checkups):

For the few people who are actually on the internet this close to the holiday weekend, your diligence is rewarded! I have two interviews up with two different signed books being given away.

Furthermore, I did not repeat myself ONCE between the two interviews. Although I may have used the word "and" in both.

Jocelynn Drake's giveaway of Wicked Game continues through tomorrow, and is now joined by a short interview about the WVMP series. Then Brooke Reviews has a longer interview where I discuss entirely different things, and where I'm giving away a signed copy of Bad to the Bone.

Yes, I forgot this was Labor Day weekend. I'm an idiot. But hey, those of you who actually check it out will have an even better chance than usual to win, because you won't have to compete with people who are out having fun.

Not that reading an interview with me isn't fun.

Anyway, have a great weekend, holiday or not!

I'm back! Bring on the Night is finished and turned in. Forks sticking out of it and everything. I am very happy with how it's turned out so far (realizing, of course, that I am in for the usual massive rewrite). For the second book in a row, I came up with an ending that changed almost everything I thought was true about its sequel. All part of the adventure, right?

Anyway, appearing today at Stephanie Kuehnert's blog, "Life, Words, & Rock 'n' Roll," is the hero of my WVMP Radio urban fantasy series, vampire DJ Shane McAllister (why I feel like I need to keep introducing him to you is beyond me. But you might be new, so hi!).

Shane is sharing his "ballad," a story of a pivotal point in his life and the music that formed the background, or, in his case, the foreground. It's all part of Stephanie's cyber-launch party celebrating the release of her amazing new novel, Ballads of Suburbia (which I talked about a few weeks ago).

Shane discusses how seeing Purple Rain changed his life, and not in the way he planned.  If you leave a comment at Stephanie's blog, you can be entered to win a choice of Wicked Game, Bad to the Bone (signed, of course), or $20 worth of WVMP merchandise (new stuff added recently, including dog T-shirts and "Feed the Need" baby bibs).

Only three weeks until my next deadline (revisions for Shade), and loads of e-mail, etc., to catch up on before I go all hermit again. We should be getting our first foster cat either this week or next, so I'll have fun stories about her. In the meantime, go visit Twinkle's page and say, "Aww!"

I think as of this morning, I'm finally caught up on sleep!  Yay!  I need the brain clarity, since Bring on the Night is due in a week (technically next Saturday), and I have a lot of plot work to do.  Little things, like what the hell does the villain want? 

Also, for the first time I am finding it a major inconvenience that the vampires can't go out during the day. The timeline for Bring on the Night is so tight, and events happen so quickly, it's hard to wait for sunset to get stuff done.  But I'll work it out eventually; somehow I always do. (Of course, with every book comes the fear that this time the plot will kick my ass instead of the other way around.)

Anyway, today two blogs are interviewing me (luckily with mostly different questions), and each of them are giving away a signed copy of any of my books.  Winner gets to choose from my vast library of published work. (OK, maybe not that vast.)

At the first one, Smexy Books asks you to answer the question, "Kick Ass Chick or TSTL?"  Since TSTL stands for Too Stupid to Live, it seems kinda like a "Cake or Death?" question to me.  But whatever.  Just go leave a comment to enter.

Then over at Star-Crossed Romance, you can find out Ciara's all-time favorite song (it might surprise you) and a little bit more about my YA series.  Leave a comment to enter to win any of my books, signed and personalized by me!

I might drop in next week if I have any major news (well, I have major news, but I'm sort of saving it for an awards round-up post next month), but otherwise I'll be trying to finish Bring on the Night.  Wish me luck and much caffeine!

Ciara and Shane from Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone were interviewed over at Amberkatze's Book Blog, where Amber is generously giving away a copy of YOUR CHOICE of any of my books. I will send to the winner:

a) a signed bookplate--the next best thing to an autographed book
b) a signed coverflat of Bad to the Bone
c) a cool little metal bookmark engraved with a paw print and quote about dogs (or cats, if you prefer):

Because Bad to the Bone has animals and it's, you know, a book.

This is Shane and Ciara's first joint public appearance. The contest runs until July 3 (that's next Friday). Enjoy!

Quick reminder: I'll be at Constellation Books at 303 Main Street in Reisterstown, Maryland, tomorrow 3-5pm.  There'll be a reading, signing, discussion, and most important--cookies.

Last night I went to a book club meeting in Central PA where they were discussing Wicked Game.  I had a ton of fun (and pizza)--it was great hearing everyone's thoughts on the characters.  Really motivated me to keep writing!

If you have a book club in the mid-Atlantic area (within a reasonable drive of my house) and would like me to visit your book club, let me know.  I'm also available to talk to book clubs over the phone (within the U.S.) or Skype (anywhere in the world).

As an aside, on the way up I heard The Killers' "Read My Mind," which is one of the first songs on the Wicked Game playlist.  It made me "homesick" for the beginning of that book, when Shane and Ciara had just met. Things were so simple then.  I'm working on Book 3 now, which takes place three years after their story began in Wicked Game.  They're still together (and always will be), but their world has grown a lot more complicated.  Such is the nature of a series where characters change and grow and make bargains with paranormal paramilitary organizations.

Anyway, there's a fun interview of Shane from the WVMP books over at Jackie Kessler's Cat and Muse blog.  Our boy managed to keep out of the clutches of that former(ish) succubus Jezebel. A testament to his devotion to Ciara, or maybe Jez just isn't his type.  He'll never tell.

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Now playing: Kasabian - Reason Is Treason
via FoxyTunes   

What could these possibly have in common? More than you think (unless you're thinking, "Quite a lot," in which case, it's not more than you think).

I wrote an essay about writers and workaholism over at SF Novelists. I think I've already made the First Step by acknowledging I have a problem (the other Eleven Steps are kinda yucky, so I'm stopping there).

At Patricia's Vampire Notes, I expound on vampires and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which is so central to my WVMP Radio urban fantasy series, I can't believe I haven't blogged about it before. Duh. Comment to enter to win a signed copy of Bad to the Bone.

Don't forget, you have through Friday to enter to win a copy of Danielle Joseph's Shrinking Violet, the film rights for which were just bought by the Disney Channel. Big congrats to Danielle!

Starting to crawl out of my post-deadline cave (it's even messier than the deadline cave) and hope to start blogging again on a regular basis, at least for the next few weeks.

Today I'm guest-blogging at Silk & Shadows, the group blog of several wonderful paranormal romance/urban fantasy authors, including jessaslade. I was honored to read her upcoming debut novel Seduced by Shadows for a cover quote. I had great difficulty finding the words to describe how much I loved it without using the phrase "OMFG!!", but I managed:

SEDUCED BY SHADOWS blew me away! Sera and Archer won my heart at first glance. Slade creates a beyond-life-or-death struggle for love and redemption in a chilling, complex, and utterly believable world--one I can't wait to return to again and again.

It's coming out October 6, and you must Must MUST read it. It features demons and angels battling it out here on earth, but also a separate group in between, the humans possessed by teshuva, repentant demons who are attempting to escape eternal damnation by fighting the really bad demons (djinn, ferales, and malice, to name a few). It's freaking awesome.

So anyway, speaking of other people's books, today at Silk and Shadows I'm talking about my favorite childhood book (the blog's topic of the week). You won't be the least bit surprised what it is. Leave a comment and enter to win a signed copy of Bad to the Bone. If you already have your copy, give it as a gift!  Hope to see you there.

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Now playing: Cake - Haze Of Love
via FoxyTunes

I'm guest-blogging over at Witchy Chicks today, about escapism in urban fantasy versus traditional fantasy, riffing off my world-building post from a few weeks ago.

Come comment to win a signed copy of that book that just came out. You know the one. (badtothebone) Even if you already have a copy, come comment so that my friends over there will think I'm cool.

Also, because I'm what in high school we used to call a dorkus maximus, I forgot to include the link to yesterday's Women Who Rock interview with Ciara. Ms. Griffin herself will be available to answer questions all week, and therein also lies a chance to win a signed copy of (badtothebone).

Hope to see you there, or at Balticon this weekend! If not, enjoy your long weekend (if you're American, and if not, enjoy your regular-size weekend).

There's a fun excerpt from Bad to the Bone over at Book Roast today, where you can enter to win a signed copy of said book by reading about how Ciara met Dexter the vampire dog and answering a fun question. It's a great site, with book giveaways most days of the week. The contest runs today only, so getcherself over there and say hi.

Speaking of the vivacious and loquacious Ciara Griffin, she was interviewed by one of my favorite authors and people, Stephanie Kuehnert (who wrote last year's I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone (click that link for my review) and whose upcoming novel, Ballads of Suburbia, I just started and it's somehow even BETTER than her first).

Stephanie has a regular feature called Women Who Rock Wednesday, where she interviews authors, musicians, and other fabulous females. I think Ciara is the first person she's interviewed who doesn't actually exist (not that you can tell by her Twitter account).

Anyway, go make Ciara feel special. Not that she doesn't already.

I'm doing the Freaky Friday feature this week at Bitten By Books. As you might imagine, things get a little odd:

The apocalypse must be nigh, because not only are dogs and cats living together, they’re now interviewing each other! Dexter, the canine vampire hero from Jeri Smith-Ready’s Bad to the Bone will sit down (or maybe lie down if he gets tired) with his feline friend Antoine. They’ll discuss what it’s like to live with adventure-prone humans (the living and the undead), the best ways to beg for supper, and which end of a dead rodent to save for last.

So hop on over and ask questions of Dexter, Antoine, or any of the human (living or undead) WVMP gang. One lucky winner will get an autographed set of Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone, and another commenter will win a $25.00 gift card to PetSmart or Petco (winner’s choice).

Winner announced, and I'm back on the Island, this time with Shane McAllister doing my dirty work.

Also, you have one more day to enter to win a signed copy of Maria V. Snyder's Storm Glass.

That's all.  Off to write.  Bye!

I'll be at a book event most of the day today, but you can visit a version of me (the version who wrote my guest blog post last night) over at Desert Island Keepers.

Today I'm discussing Dexter, the canine hero of Bad to the Bone. Go learn some of his basic stats (hint: his batting average sucks) and enter to win a pair of signed WVMP Radio books (that would be Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone). Tell us about your pets!

They keep pullin' me back in! I was the debut guest author blogger last year at what was the shiny new Desert Island Keepers blog, a place for all things reading and movie-watching and beefcake-photos-looking-at. It was a ton of fun, so I invited myself back (I'm aggressive that way) as part of this year's Blog Whore Tour 2.0.

Today my real-life hero* Christian Ready is blogging about what it's like to be married to a writer. Some of it might surprise you, unless you're also married to a writer, in which case you will nod, and perhaps even shed a tear in sympathy.

Tomorrow I'll be blogging about Dexter, the new canine vampire hero of Bad to the Bone. Shane McAllister, the human vampire hero of the WVMP Radio series, might also stop in to chat.

Everyone who comments on today's and tomorrow's posts gets a chance to win a signed set of Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone (or a substitute book if you already have Wicked Game).

While I'm there, Maria V. Snyder is here, guest blogging and interviewing about her new release STORM GLASS, and giving away a signed copy to one very lucky commenter on Wednesday night.

So there. Between the three of us, you have your Monday morning reading. Enjoy your coffee, tea, pineal gland juice, whatever gets you moving and shaking. See you on the Island!


*and I mean HERO, because I was, as usual, at a panicky loss for blog topics until he offered to help

Whew! What a week. Finally got back from RT last night after a loooong train ride. I'll try to do a recap on the blog here, but in the meantime you can check out my Twitter comments, or just look at the pictures on Twitpic. I have a few more to upload today.

No time to rest, because I'm guest blogging at Lynda Hilburn's Paranormality blog on worldbuilding in urban fantasy. I discuss the two major types of UF worldbuilding--the kind where the paranormal elements are secret (like in Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone), and the kind where they've become a part of the world and created a sort of parallel universe to the one we know (like in my young adult series).

This is the first time I've discussed the YA series in any detail since the initial sale announcement, so if you're curious or want to see the kinds of questions I answer when I'm building my worlds, stop on by. One lucky commenter will win an ARC of Bad to the Bone. And then they'll all be gone.

The contest runs until tomorrow night. Hope to see you there!

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Now playing: Counting Crows - Colorblind
via FoxyTunes

Check out my site's new Street Team section, where you can grab widgets and playlists for Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone.

NOTE: You do not have to be part of the Street Team to get a widget or the playlist codes. I just put them in that section to make all the cool stuff easy for the ST to find.

Though this leg of the blog tour is winding down, there's still plenty of ARC-givin'-away to be had.

Three more days at Bitten by Books to win an iPod Shuffle or one of two $25 Visa gift cards. I guest-blogged about how to create a unique vampire in what some consider an "oversaturated market."

Another week right here in the Spread-the-Word contest. Post one of my cool widgets to tell people about the mass market release of Wicked Game and put yourself in a raffle for a gift card to the bookstore of your choice.

Another week to read Shane's story, comment, and enter to win a unique, completely non-eBayable prize: the marked-up manuscript for the story's first draft. Details here.

One more day at In Bed With Books. Interview with Shane McAllister, the hero of Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone.

Whew! There'll be one final chance to win an ARC next week, with my final guest blog before May coming next Monday at Lynda Hilburn's Paranormality, where I'll discuss my world-building methods.

Now, it's time for me to get back to actual writing, so that next year I have something to give away on another blog tour.

Dropping in real quick to let you know I'm guest blogging at The Book Girl today and throughout the weekend. We're talking about "quirky" characters in books, movies, and TV.

One lucky commenter will win his or her choice of a signed copy of Wicked Game or a signed Advance Review Copy of Bad to the Bone.

Gotta go get a good night's sleep now for tomorrow's MS Walk. Thanks to your amazing generosity, I'm now up to $375, a 50% increase over last year's donations! You rock! If you'd like to donate and be entered into a drawing for a Bad to the Bone ARC, you have through tomorrow to do so, and then I'll draw a name. The bigger the donation, the more chances you get.

I'll try to give a report on the walk tomorrow night, assuming I can still breathe.

---------------- Now playing: Anders Parker - Oh Monkeywrench
via FoxyTunes

First, the important stuff. Remember a couple weeks ago when I mentioned I was participating in the Multiple Sclerosis Walk this Saturday, April 4? And I offered to do a drawing from the folks who donated?

This year, I've raised $50, and so far my only donors are 1) my mom, and 2) one of my original Street Team members, both of whom already have an ARC.

Which is great news for you! If you go to my team page and give a small donation, say five dollars, you have a pretty good shot at winning. Plus you'll be helping to fight a devastating disease. My friend who captains the team lost his mom to MS, so it would mean a lot to him if we could get some extra help. Last year I raised $250 from the ARC contest for Wicked Game, and he was blown away by the generosity of strangers (well, strangers to him, and to me as well, in many cases).

Second I have a few more Wicked Game widgets for the Spread-the-Word contest, in which you can win a bookstore gift card and a Bad to the Bone ARC. These are nice and skinny, so they'll fit into a Blogger sidebar. Again, just click on the "Share" button and follow the easy-peasy instructions.

( Behold! Les widgets! )

More widgets to come, including for Bad to the Bone!

And don't forget the big iPod Shuffle/Visa Gift Card giveaway over at Bitten by Books. Go comment and be a winnah!

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Now playing: The Strokes - Hard to Explain
via FoxyTunes

As I mentioned earlier (I think), I'm guest-blogging at Bitten by Books today on how to create a unique vampire. Is it possible these days to come up with something new in this subgenre?

Yes. Yes it is. Find out why, and enter to win one of those fancy newfangled second-generation iPod Shuffles, the kind that will tell you, in a pleasant robotic voice, which song is playing at the press of a button.


Sweet, huh? It's smaller than even my stubby little hand. Runner-up prizes are two $25 Visa gift cards, which you can spend anywhere.

So stop by and chat!

You've waited patiently a whole year to see me hop from site to site yakking about my books and offering prizes to whoever is willing to stop and listen. The moment has arrived: it's the Blog Whore Tour Version 2.0!

Today's stops:

In Bed With Books, where Shane McAllister (of Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone fame) answered 20 questions provided by my Twitter followers and Facebook friends. Some are deep, some are goofy, and some are deeply goofy. The prize is winner's choice of a signed copy of the Wicked Game mass market (officially releasing today) or a signed ARC of Bad to the Bone.

Book Roast, a fun site where they post an excerpt of new books and ask a silly question. The author picks the best answer to win a prize, which in this case is an autographed copy of the Wicked Game mini-me version.

Later today I'll post my own contest here, for the chance to win an ARC and enter a raffle for a gift card to the bookstore of your choice. All you have to do is help me spread the word about the wee Wicked Game. Stay tuned...

Tomorrow I'll be guest-blogging on Bitten by Books on a subject dear to my heart: creating new twists on the vampire mythology. We'll be giving away one of those brand-new iPod Shuffles, as well as a couple of gift cards as runner-up prizes. There are lots of ways to enter. Check back here tomorrow for details.

Off to send out my newsletter and write the aforementioned blog post. Busy, busy, busy....

I'm working on a thorough blog post (complete with photos), of Meadow's months-long, sad-with-happy-ending bout with herniated discs, but I wanted to sneak in real quick and let you know about a new contest over at the blog of author Jaci Burton.

She's giving away an ARC of Bad to the Bone (you have until Saturday to enter but go do it now before you forget), many awesome daily prizes including other ARCs, plus four grand prizes, all to celebrate the release of her new novel Riding on Instinct (coming April 7 from Berkley). Her series is about a Dept of Justice agent who works with the Wild Riders, a government agency of bad boy bikers.

Just the phrase, "a government agency of bad boy bikers" makes me want to read this! And one of the grand prizes is a ginormous Harley Davidson purse.

*Covet*

She doesn't know it, but Jaci is the one who finally convinced me to give Twitter a go. So you can blame her.