At long last a LiveJournal by Jeri Smith-Ready

(I am somewhere in this Homecoming photo from Loudoun County High School. Click the picture for a larger version. First person to find me gets to make fun of my eighties' hair.)

To celebrate my five-year blog anniversary and the not-so-far-off-anymore release of Shade, I'm hosting a month-long, mega-bonanza-giveaway blog party for fans of YA fiction.

Every weekday (and maybe a weekend or two), a fabulous author will blog about Halloween or Homecoming, and also give away a signed book or ARC to one lucky commenter.

Then at the end of the month....

The grand prize....

A package of every single book in the contest, delivered to the winner's door, courtesy of moi. That's over $250 worth of reading bliss.

The Schedule:

October 1: Rosemary Clement-Moore
October 2: June 2010 debut author Shannon Reinbold-Gee
October 5: Saundra Mitchell
October 6: Sarah Beth Durst
October 7: Megan Crewe
October 8: Nancy Holder
October 9: Kelly Parra
October 12: Amanda Ashby
October 13: Shana Norris
October 14: Linda Joy Singleton
October 15: Linda Gerber
October 16: December 2009 debut author Alexandra Diaz
October 19: Melissa Walker
October 20: Sydney Salter
October 21: Christine Marciniak
October 22: Tricia Mills
October 23: Simone Elkeles
October 26: Stephanie Kuehnert
October 27: Carrie Jones
October 28: Jennifer Echols
October 29: PC Cast
October 30: Me

Schedule is subject to change.

The Rules:

1. Contest open to U.S. residents only. This isn't because we're cheap and don't want to pay international postage--some of us are international ourselves. It's because I'm trying to keep this contest legal and can only keep track of one country's laws at a time. Sorry!

2. To enter the daily contests, simply comment on that day's post. After a week, a winner will be drawn using a random number generator. All daily contest commenters will be automatically entered in the grand prize drawing.

3. Retail value of grand prize: $261.68. Retail value will increase (and be updated here) if more authors join the party. Retail values of individual prizes will be listed on each post.

4. Odds of winning depend upon the number of participants.

5. Names of winners will be posted in the comments of that day's post, and in the post that appears the day after the drawing. Winners have one week to claim their prize by contacting me via e-mail at jeri AT jerismithready DOT com. If the winner does not contact me by that time, I will draw another name at random.

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!

Actually, you don't have to do one to do the other. That's why this is a great country.

Jocelynn Drake's fabulous ongoing book giveaway contest continues this week with Wicked Game. The contest runs through Saturday, then Sunday she'll announce the winner post an interview with me. All you have to do is comment at her contest post to enter.

Got that? OK, now you may see the kitten (click for larger, cuter version):

Sorry, not at the same time.

But today and tomorrow you can comment at the blog of phenomenal NY Times bestselling urban fantasy author Jocelynn Drake to win a signed copy of Bad to the Bone. Go forth!

Next Saturday I'll be at the Waldenbooks at the Lebanon Valley Mall in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Not just me, and not just signing (not that there's anything wrong with just me just signing): from 10-11am, I'll be on a discussion panel on How to Get Published with fellow authors Megan Hart, Mindy Klasky, Savannah Russe, and Maria V. Snyder.

Then from 11am to 4pm I'll be signing, along with the above four authors and many others who write for all ages in all genres (quick note: if you want to see Megan, come before noon).

EDITED TO ADD: Twenty percent of all the day's proceeds go to benefit the Lebanon Library.  How cool is that?

Hope to see you there!

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!

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!

For our next installment in the Mostly Debut Author interview series, I'm thrilled to have Danielle Joseph (daniellejoseph), whose first novel, Shrinking Violet, came out last month.

Danielle and I first met in that decrepit old bar known as MySpace (just kidding--it wasn't decrepit back then). It turned out that we had the same editor, the lovely and brilliant Jennifer Heddle. Not only that, we each wrote about radio stations! How cool is that?

So of course I had to read her book, especially when I discovered that the main character, Tere Adams, is painfully shy. This may come as a surprise to those who have met me at a convention, but I could totally relate.

Like all shy people, Tere has an amazing imagination, and often dreams of being someone different, someone "better." Her secret fantasy alter ego is Sweet T, the hottest new DJ on Miami's SLAM-FM. She knows the new music scene inside and out, and senses in her heart that given the opportunity, she could be a fabulous disc jockey.

As an intern on her stepfather's radio station, she gets her chance. Of course she's terrified--millions of people hearing her voice? What if her classmates recognize her? What if the hot, sensitive guy from English class--the one who loves the same bands and who actually talks to her--finds out she's been living a double life?

Despite her fear, she goes on the air as Sweet T, and that's when her life changes.

I fell in love with Tere as she struggled to find her voice, both literally and figuratively. Her pain at being looked at and expected to speak--speak now, speak up, for crying out loud!--I could feel in my gut. I loved that she lived out her dream not because she wasn't afraid, but in spite of her overwhelming terror. That's true courage. I also loved that the Hot Dude in Question, Gavin Tam, appreciated her for everything she was--her real self and the Tere she knew she could be.

Though the book is ostensibly targeted at a teen audience, there's a lot here for us over-twenties, particularly music lovers and anyone who's had to overcome the fear of being oneself.


***BREAKING NEWS: THE DISNEY CHANNEL JUST BOUGHT THE FILM RIGHTS TO SHRINKING VIOLET!  WOO-HOO!!***

( If you don't click, you'll always wonder, won't you? )

To enter to win a copy of this sweet (in all senses) novel, just leave a comment or question for Danielle--or tell us the biggest fear you've ever overcome--in the comments below.

I'll draw a name Friday night at 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time. Anyone is welcome to comment, but the prize will be limited to U.S. residents.

As they say in radio, thanks for listening!

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).

You gotta help me, baby
I can't do it all by myself.
--"Help Me," Sonny Boy Williamson

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm hard at work finishing the first in my young adult urban fantasy series (due June 1). This means I don't have as much time and energy as I'd like to promote the release of Bad to the Bone.

That's where you come in. I'm holding another Spread-the Word contest. The first one worked so well, the mass market of Wicked Game has gone back for a second printing, thus proving that you all rock!

( Clicking twice a day prevents cavities and guarantees fresh breath! )


Prizes:

1. A gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice. Amazon, B&N, Powell's, or the indie bookstore down the street (assuming they offer gift certificates).

The amount of the gift card depends on how many people enter. If 25 people enter, it'll be worth $25. If 100 people enter, it'll be worth $100. Like a raffle. So if you feel lucky, tell your friends to enter, too. Sweeten the pot! (The winner of the last Spread-the-Word contest got a $50 Amazon gift certificate. Let's see if we can beat that record!)

AND...

2. Any item from the WVMP Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll store, up to a $25 value. I am told that more items will be added by the end of the contest period, including plus-size shirts, doggie T-shirts, and Feed the Need baby bibs.

Deadline: May 31

Thanks a million for your support and enthusiasm. Now go be BAD!

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

Since I am guest-blogging elsewhere this week (details tomorrow), I'm even more excited than I would normally be to have as a special guest this week one of my favorite author friends--and favorite authors period--Maria V. Snyder!

Maria's brand-new release from Mira, Storm Glass, continues in the same world as her New York Times-bestselling Study series, but with a fascinating new protagonist. I'll let her tell you all about it below.

Oh, and she's giving away a signed copy of her new book to one lucky commenter, so check the rules (Rule 1: there are really no rules) at the bottom of the post.

( We don't need no stinkin' cut tags. Oh wait, yes we do. )

***
Thanks so much for stopping by, Maria! Everyone who comments on this post will be entered to win a signed copy of Storm Glass. I've decided to redirect all comments to my regular blog to make it easier for Maria to see. (She's touring right now and will hopefully stop by to say hi.) You don't need a Blogger account to post a comment, just mark it anonymous and leave a name I can identify you with (e.g., "LJ username = 'pigweed'") if you win.

I'll draw a name at random at 11:59pm Wednesday evening Eastern time. Good luck!

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

Hooray, the Guest Blogging Karma has come back to me in the form of one of my favorite authors, who also happens to be a good friend. Ann Aguirre's blog is one of the few I still take the time to read on a regular basis, as she's consistently thoughtful, funny, and sharp. (Not that other bloggers aren't, mind you.)

( Clicking builds strong bones. )

Please leave a comment below to enter, a question for Ann, or a note about your favorite secondary characters. I'll draw a name at random at 11:59pm eastern Friday. So show some love, and win a book!

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.

I’ve posted the fourth story in my “Days the Music Died”/how-the-DJs-became-vampires series. Shane’s, not surprisingly, is the longest and most complex story of all. If you’ve read Wicked Game, you know who turns him. Here’s how they met. As always, it includes a short playlist of the music that appears in the story. Listen to it before, during, or after, and enjoy!

By no small coincidence, today is the fourteenth anniversary of his big change. You can follow Shane on Twitter, or visit his page at WVMPradio.com, where you can listen to his new-and-improved playlist, a sample of the sort of music he plays on his show.

BONUS GIVEAWAY: Everyone who leaves a comment on Shane’s story (either here or by e-mailing me), will be put into a drawing to win a very special prize, one that can’t be bought in stores, not even on eBay:

I’ll send the winner the marked-up, scribbled-on manuscript of the story’s first draft. You can see where I messed up, how I (hopefully) fixed it, and even a few arguments with myself over word choice, characterization, and plot.

NOTE: this will be a Xeroxed copy, because the original manuscript came down with a severe case of raspberry jelly. I have no idea how that happened.

The drawing will take place at 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time on April 12.

Regina’s and Noah’s stories will appear later, but I have to work around my ever-tightening book deadlines, so hang in there!

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