Coffin Hopping: How to Scare the Neighborhood Children

It's that time of year again...Yeah, baby! Zombies are coming, as well as vampires and werewolves, witches, ghosts, ghouls, demons and devils (and some pretty things, too, but those aren't nearly so much fun, are they?) In honor of the upcoming holiday, I've joined the Coffin Hop Web Tour again this year. In case you hadn't noticed by all the badges and banners...credit to atrtink for those, obvs I couldn't do something that cool...this is a huge event with artists and authors giving away hundreds of prizes on their sights. So hop on over to the list of horror authors and join us for some scartitivites.
 
As my family debated Halloween costumes this year, I got to thinking about the trendiness that Halloween has taken on. And more generally, the fall season. As soon as October begins, everyone is clamoring to post the first colored leaf photo, Tweeting about their pumpkin spice lattes (#PSL, of course) and instagramming pics of their newly dusted off Ugg boots and flannels. (Don't be offended, I'm poking fun at myself here, too). Fall is the hot new season, and it has been for several years now. Poor summer. So neglected.

When I was a kid, I don't remember adults dressing for Halloween. Perhaps my mom would find an old black skirt and a turtleneck, top it off with a straw hat, and call herself a witch, but the adult costumes were always kept to a minimum, made up of things they already had in the closet. Nowadays, Halloween is an all-ages event, with adult participation and enthusiasm (at least) as high as the kids'.

If you're not going to a party but stuck handing out candy, and you still want to dress up, consider scaring the neighborhood children. Oh yes. It might take a little more work than grabbing something off the shelf, but with the right makeup, face paint, and even items out of your closet, you can piece together a grim and gruesome costume.

You can go above and beyond and spend lots of money, but if you're like me, finances are tight this time of year with the holidays coming up. Zombies are still hot this year, as they have been for the past five or so years, and talk about a cheap and easy costume. Got an old t-shirt, a pair of ripped jeans and some dirt outside your house? All you need is some fake blood and maybe a makeup kit if you want to smear some white and black on your face. Smear the blood around your mouth, grime up your clothes a bit, dribble fake blood down the front of your shirt. Smudge some makeup (Halloween makeup or just regular old eyeliner) around your eyes, then go wait on your lawn. It's even better if you have a whole family or some friends willing to join you in this endeavor. When the kiddos start coming along your walk, begin lurching towards them (someone should also fall and army crawl, that's always a good one) growling and expressing your general desire for brains. If you want to go above and beyond, you could even make a few quick "coffins" out of scrap wood or pallets and have a couple people pop up out of those for effect. Then, watch the neighborhood kids scream in terror...just don't expect to be popular with the neighborhood parents!

 In case you were wondering, I still haven't decided on a costume, but I will definitely be in costume come Halloween night. Until then, I'll be hopping around reading scary stories on some of the author blogs over at the Coffin Hop, as well as giving away free copies of my own books. For the five days before Halloween, The Superiors will be free on Amazon, so pick it up if you like dark vampire stories (no explicit sex). And if you want to read the second book or third, I'll be giving away copies to Coffin Hoppers exclusively. The first person to comment each day this week will receive a free ecopy of any of my books. Just leave your name and contact info (email, twitter handle, fb, etc) and I'll get you a free copy.

Thanks for hopping in my coffin with me.

Edit: for length and relevance to topic.

Book News

I've been making some changes in my published books lately, as well as my approach.

I re-released a heavily edited version of The Superiors in paperback and Kindle editions on Sunday. If you have it on your Kindle, you should be able to get the updated version free. Trust me, it was embarrassing to read back over the one I had on there. I will never stop finding awkward phrases, etc.

If you don't have The Superiors yet, it will be free on Amazon March 13-18. So click on the link over there to the right, and it will take you right to it.

I've taken The Superiors off sale everywhere but Amazon for the time being. The Renegades is also exclusively available on Amazon. It's that link over there to the right, too.

Next project? Rewriting my new YA novel, which I hope to release later this year under a pen name. Also, writing the next book in the series, rewriting Book Four in the Superiors Series, and editing Book Two for re-release.

Guess it's time to get off the internet...

Get The Renegades Ebook Free

Hey everyone!

If you missed The Renegades Release Party last month, you can get it free this week on Amazon. This is the only week to get it free, as it's an Amazon promo. So head over and grab it while you can! Click on the cover below to link to the Amazon page.

Kindle Fire HD raffle with Graham Parke

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<i>“I'm very polite by nature, even the voices in my head let each other finish their sentences.” – from Completely Flappable</i></center>
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<img width=108px src="http://www.grahamparke.com/images/extrefpics/kindlefirehd178.jpg"><img src="http://www.childhelplineinternational.org/media/800/illustration_birdsonawire.png.ashx?width=225&scale=both&mode=crop"><img width=108px src="http://www.grahamparke.com/images/extrefpics/kindlefirehd178.jpg"></center>
Don’t you just hate it when you have a thousand little thoughts rattling around your brain, good for nothing but keeping you up at night? Ideas, worries, mental reminders for the next day? My voices can get pretty insistent, and mostly this is a nuisance, but sometimes it’s okay, when there’s a story idea or two among the ramblings. And rarely, very rarely, I get what I think is a really good idea, but one that I don't know what to do with.
For instance, a while ago it occurred to me that it’s probably not governments or big corporations that wield the world’s greatest financial power. I think it’s us. All the little people together. Then I started wondering what could happen if we all decided to set 1 month of our incomes aside towards fixing this place up a bit. How many of the world’s problems could we actually solve permanently? Half of them, maybe? All of them? That's a pretty cool picture.
But I’m a pretty dim light when it comes to implementing even small ideas, never mind the big ones. So I’m not sure how to get that ball rolling (heck, I'm not even sure where we keep the balls). But I can certainly start with myself. That’s easy enough (I’ve been in close contact with myself for years; I didn't have much trouble convincing myself.)
So, this December, all proceeds of all my novels will go to Child Helpline International. The CHI is pretty cool because they support toll-free child helplines worldwide and they help highlight gaps in child protection systems. They do all this on donations (click the image below for more information.)
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<a href="http://www.childhelplineinternational.org/about"> <img src="http://www.childhelplineinternational.org/media/800/illustration_birdsonawire.png.ashx?width=150&scale=both&mode=crop"> </a></center>
But what does all this have to do with you? Well, I'm raffling off some prizes and giving out some freebees to boost the donation (expenses out of my own pocket, not the donation :P )
So what's in it for you, besides that warm, fuzzy feeling you'll get knowing the Xmas presents you’re buying include an automatic donation? Well, how about I give you the new edition to the award winning No Hope for Gomez saga completely free?
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<img width=70px src="http://www.grahamparke.com/imagesv03/completleyflappable_eb2.jpg"></center>
And how about a Kindle Fire HD raffle ticket with every purchase while we’re at it?
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CWQR21A"><img width=120px src="http://www.grahamparke.com/images/extrefpics/kindlefirehd178.jpg"></a></center>
Simply forward your receipt emails to nohopeforgomez@gmail.com to participate.
And now, on to the pitch. This is the bit where I try to convince you, using only my words, that my novels don’t suck (or at least, not too much.) That they won’t only tickle your brain, but they’ll actually make your life better, if only marginally. That they are, in fact, worthy donation material. Here goes (fingers crossed)...
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<a href="http://amzn.to/1hvUHBb"><img src="http://www.grahamparke.com/imagesv03/nhfg_pb_sc.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://amzn.to/1hvUHBb">Paper: $6.08</a>
<a href="http://amzn.to/17u3aB5">Kindle:$2.99</a>
(uk <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Hope-Gomez-Graham-Parke/dp/9491919008">paper, </a><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Hope-Gomez-Graham-Parke-ebook/dp/B00G8ISLSG">kindle</a>)
</td> <td width="100%">
<h2>
No Hope for Gomez!</h2>
<p STYLE="font-size: x-small;">
Winner of the Forewords Book of the Year Awards, featured on Kirkus Best Indie List 2011, IBA and USA Book News Award nominee.</p>
It's the age-old tale:
&nbsp;&nbsp;Boy meets girl.
&nbsp;&nbsp;Boy stalks girl.
&nbsp;&nbsp;Girl already has a stalker.
&nbsp;&nbsp;Boy becomes her stalker-stalker.
We've seen it all before, many times, but this time it's different. If only slightly.</td></tr>
</table>
<p STYLE="font-size: x-small;">
"Extremely witty writing containing keen insights into human nature." --California Chronicle
"Challenges the way we think about, and interact with, the world around us." --Kirkus Discoveries
"The antics in this book will leave the reader laughing. Graham Parke is a genius."--Reader's Favorite</p>
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<tr><td width="100%">
<h2>
Unspent Time </h2>
Warning: reading this novel may make you more attractive and elevate your random luck by about 9.332%*<p STYLE="font-size: x-small;">
(*These statements have not been evaluated by anyone of consequence)</p>
Permeating the cracks between the past and the present is the realm of Unspent Time. Time that was allotted but never spent. In this realm we find the stories that could have been true. Such as the story of the designer of the color scheme used inside your shoe, or the story of Goki Feng Ho: the Chinese art of decoding the secret meaning of car license plates.</td> <td width=130px>
<a href="http://amzn.to/18VspYV"><img src="http://www.grahamparke.com/imagesv03/cover_unspent_omni_eb.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://amzn.to/18VspYV">Paper: $6.08</a>
<a href="http://amzn.to/1dHixd1">Kindle:$2.99</a>
<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/138990">ePub   :  $2.99</a>
(uk <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unspent-Time-Graham-Parke/dp/9491919024">paper, </a><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unspent-Time-Graham-Parke-ebook/dp/B007EVPK30">kindle</a>)
</td></tr>
</table>
<p STYLE="font-size: x-small;">
“Captivating. Each story fired up my imagination.” – Alan H. Jordan, author.
"Delightfully mad. Graham's vibrant characters shine from the first page." --Tahlia Newland, author.
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<img src="http://www.grahamparke.com/imagesv03/completleyflappable_eb2.jpg">
<span style="color: #ff0000">Free with this event</span>
</td> <td width="100%">
<h2>
Completely Flappable</h2>
<p STYLE="font-size: x-small;">
“He’s completely flappable!”
“Don’t you mean he’s <i>un</i>flappable?”
“Not really. He can very easily be flapped.”</p>
Gomez has never been on a date. In his 27 years on the planet he’s never been able to quite close the deal. For some reason, circumstances always conspire to make his meet-ups with women less than official dates. But now a blond German girl with freckles has moved into his building and he decides it’s time to get his act together.</td></tr>
</table>
If you've read this far, you're already my hero ;)
I hope you like my idea enough to join me in this fun adventure. Let's see how much we can raise this Xmas ;)
Kind regards,
Graham Parke

The Renegades 24-hr Launch Party (Book Giveaway)

Hello loyal readers and guests,

You might be a longtime reader who has been reading my blogs since the days of (ahem) Myspace, or you might have stumbled across this post or been lured by free book promises. Whatever your reason for stopping by my book release party, welcome!

The day has come at last...The Renegades Release Day! You can find the ebook for $2.99 on amazon starting TODAY. Or you can participate in one of the challenges posted on the blog all day to win a free copy.

Here is how it works: I will be giving away 24 books today. Winners will be randomly drawn from the participants of each challenge. They can be completed at any time during the day. Just post a comment letting me know which of the challenges you completed. Winners will be announced Wednesday, December 11, so check back to see if you scored some free books.

Up for grabs:
For all participants: ebook copies of
The Renegades
The Superiors
The Vigilantes
Because the Night, by Kristen Strassel
Redemption by Kellie Thacker
Healer by B.N. Toler
The Legacy: Fate by G.G. Atcheson

For US residents only (sorry, I'm a starving artist and postage rates are insane):
(1) Paperback copy of The Superiors (first edition), (1) Paperback ARC of The Vigilantes (proof copy), (1) Paperback ARC of The Renegades (available in January)
Must have at least 10 entries to win these, one of which MUST be Challenge 1.

Without further ado, here is...

Challenge 1: 
Post an announcement of The Renegades release on your book blog and leave it for 24 hours. Please leave link in the comments section.

Challenge 2:
Follow my blog (or leave comment, if you already follow, for one entry).

Challenge 3:
Stop by this blog and leave a comment on their promo post of The Renegades.

Challenge 4:
Google+ this blog post.

Challenge 5:
Share a link to this post on Twitter...you can do this once an hour if you like...

Challenge 6:
Follow me on Twitter (use the icon on my blog for quickest link).

Challenge 7:
Share this blog post on Facebook... Again, can enter this challenge multiple times if you want.

Challenge 8:
Like my author page on facebook here.

Challenge 9:
Like The Superiors Series page on Facebook.

Challenge 10:
Share my cover on Instagram with the tags #renegades #booklaunch

Challenge 11-13:
Share a link to any of my books on amazon...one entry for each. Click the links below to visit their amazon page, and share from there...pin, FB, twitter, etc.
The Superiors
The Vigilantes
The Renegades

Challenge 14:
Become a fan on amazon.

Challenge 15:
Become a fan on Goodreads.

Challenge 16-18:
Add The Renegades to your to-read shelf on Goodreads. This links to my author page, where you can scroll down and see all my books, and all all three to your shelf easily.
Add The Superiors to your to-read shelf of Goodreads. (If you already have it on your to-read shelf, or you've read it and it's on your read shelf, let me know in the comments section. That's an entry.
Add The Vigilantes to your to-read shelf (same as above).

Challenge 19-20:
Share The Superiors on Barnes&Noble (they have a button to G+, FB like, or pin, or you can 'add to list' if you have a B&N account).
Share The Vigilantes on Barnes&Noble.

Challenge 21-23
Pin The Renegades to a book board on Pinterest
Pin The Superiors
Pin The Vigilantes

Challenge 24: Free Choice challenge...creatively share my book in some way not mentioned above, and post to let me know what you did.

Please let me know what challenges you participated in by posting a comment!

Book Review & Giveaway: The Concubine's Gift by K. Ford K.

Today's book review is extra special! I'm done reading this fun novel and thought I'd pass it on so someone else could enjoy it, too. Please see details after review for a chance to win a paperback copy of this awesome book. (Only open to US residents. Sorry for any inconvenience!)

When the author of The Concubine’s Gift contacted me asking for a review, I admit I was skeptical. I’m not much of a romance reader. In fact, most romance novels are a huge turn-off for me, because I either despise the arrogant jerk that the heroine inevitably falls in love with, or I find the whole book unbelievably cheesy and trite. However, I hesitantly agreed to read this book when the author sent me a copy, and I’m glad I made an exception from my romance rule for The Concubine’s Gift.

First and foremost, I have to warn readers that this is not your typical romance. In fact, if possible, this is a romance novel but not a love story. I think that’s why I liked it. A lot of romance novels just don’t convince me. I don’t believe the romance. I don’t buy it. There’s too many clichés, too many overused devices (love at first sight? Oh, please. Love triangle? Sigh. A handsome stranger coming to the rescue? Eyeroll). The Concubine’s Gift avoids all these pitfalls and more. If you’re looking for a novel about a beautiful brainless bombshell being swept off her feet by a swarthy swaggering swindler-of-virtue, look elsewhere. Trust me, you’ll find many, many books that are exactly what you’re looking for. They are a dime a dozen. The Concubine’s Gift is something else, something new and refreshing. It’s a sexy novel about, well, sex, as well as self-discovery.
As we watch Bernice come into her own and accept herself, we can cheer for her because she’s just like you and me. She’s not meeting the hottest guy on earth and falling in love with him the moment she lays eyes on him. She’s working and talking to her friends, trying to seduce her reluctant husband and shopping for antiques. It’s one of these antiques that provides the catalyst for the story when Bernice finds a concubine’s magical face powder, which allows her to see the secret to a happy sex life—for those around her.
Some of the sex scenes are glossed over, while others go into minute detail. I never felt frustrated by lack of detail in the former, or overwhelmed with raunchiness in the latter. The author walks the line between sexy and dirty well, never venturing too far into the obscene. Just when you think she might (lesbian threesome? What is this, a frat-guy fantasy?), instead she breezes right through with minimal detail, focusing on the lasting changes resulting from it, and goes on to a more detailed account of another scenario. The sex scenes were creative and varied, some a bit titillating and some matter-of-fact. I found the varying degree of explicitness made for a more interesting, tasteful read and kept it from sinking to the thrusty and porn-like play-by-play of some romances.
The Concubine’s Gift is sexy, straightforward, and sometimes just a bit silly. I don’t know if I would have made it through Bernice’s story if she had been a typical helpless heroine, or even an butt-stomping, wise-cracking badass. No, Bernice is just your ordinary working woman, trying to be proper, worrying about her disapproving mother, estranged brother, ungrateful children, inattentive husband, and sexually free neighbor. And that’s what makes her such an accessible character who we can relate to so well. After all, who hasn’t wondered at some point, when our kids are screaming in the front yard, or we stop ourselves from telling someone what we really think of their kids screaming in the front yard, WHAT WOULD THE NEIGHBORS THINK?!
I enjoyed reading about those neighbors, the town, its founding and history, and the political struggles surrounding the brothel. The townspeople were also entertaining, although most of them are not developed well enough to get a real sense of their personalities. Most of the book has a light tone, which makes it a quick, light read. A few errors in punctuation (frequent missing commas) were scattered throughout, but nothing glaring.
Although I enjoyed the novel, I did find the whole great-sex-will-fix-your-life theme a bit tiresome. I’m not one to discount the importance of sex in a happy marriage, or to say that it’s something we shouldn’t look for in a partner. However, I doubt that having a good sex life is going to make all your problems disappear. It was implied throughout the book, and really pounded home when Bernice sees her teenage daughter taking one of two paths—having adventurous sex with a boy who will break her heart and then leading a happy, fulfilling life afterwards, or missing out on great sex with her high-school sweetheart and going on to lead a stifled life as an uptight, fearful mouse. Although I’m not much for romance novels themselves (I need more going on than two people falling in love), I do believe that romance, like sex, is important in healthy relationships. I think love is important, and that’s one thing missing from this book. Love didn’t seem to factor into most of the stories. They seemed to all suggest that fulfilling your sexual potential will fulfill your life, and love is either unnecessary in the equation or will inevitably follow. And yes, that is the part I didn’t buy. I can swallow the rest, magic makeup included.

Overall, a well-edited and engaging read that I would recommend to romance readers and other adults looking for some fanciful entertainment.


Today, I am pleased to bring to you not only a review, but also a giveaway! I am passing on the copy of The Concubine's Gift that the author was kind enough to provide for review. This is a paperback, the same one I read. It might show a little wear, but it's in great condition. If you want a chance to read the novel, here it is!
Here's how:
Follow my blog (1 entry if you already follow or become a follower), share this on Twitter (+1 entry), Facebook (+1) and Google plus (+1). Blog this or link it to your blog (+2 entries). Any other form of social media sharing adds extra entries. Please leave me a comment letting me know if you've done any of these and I'll drop your name in the hat.
Become a fan of K. Ford K on Goodreads or add this book to your TBR list here! Bonus entry for that, as well.

Read an Ebook Week--Final Day!

It's the final day of Read an e-Book Week!

If you haven't entered to win a free copy of The Vigilantes, this is the last day to do it!

You can earn entries by sharing my books and pages all over the web.

Leave a comment letting me know what you did this week to celebrate. Did you read an ebook? If so, which one? Did you go to smashwords.com to find free books? What did you get?

If you're a writer, did you participate? Did you give stuff away? Join the smashwords promo? Read an ebook yourself?

If you helped me or another author out this week, let me know what you did. Any other ideas to help make indie books more visible? Share that too!

I look forward to hearing from readers, writers, and followers about what you did this week.

Look for the winner of the ARC copy of The Vigilantes coming soon...I still have to tally up entries!

Hope everyone had a great, successful week of e-reading.

Read an Ebook Week (Day 6)

It's almost over! Congrats to the five winner so far!

If you want to win a free ARC hardcopy of The Vigilantes, make sure you check out all my "Read an Ebook Week" posts to see how you can get extra entries! And don't forget to leave links to what you've done so I can give you credit. To enter to win an ebook copy of The Vigilantes, keep reading.

Today is Friday...Follow Friday! Make sure you've followed my blog, Twitter, and liked my Facebook pages (writer and book).

Here's what you can also do: enlist your friends to follow my blog (+3 entries each) and leave a comment telling me you sent them.

Get your friends to like my FB pages and leave a comment telling me you sent them.

Tweet a #FF post with my name in it: @lenahillbrand....every time you post a #FF tweet with my name, +1 entry. Every time you get someone to retweet it, +1 entry. Every time you get one of your followers to follow me, +2 entries (have them let me know who sent them, of course!) Also, share this post on Twitter, the same retweet rule applies!

Additional ways to enter on this next-to-last day of the contest:

Like, share, or add me as a favorite author on Amazon (+3). If you like The Superiors and The Vigilantes, make sure you let me know on amazon (+2 for each).

Pin one of my books on Pinterest (+3).

Add me as a favorite author on Barnes&Noble. FB like The Vigilantes and The Superiors on Barnes&Noble.


The Superiors is free for 2 more days on Smashwords! Pick it up while you can! Add me as a favorite author on Smashwords. FB like The Vigilantes and The Superiors on Smashwords. Share my books on all the social media sites on the right-hand side of the page a few inches below the FB like button.

If you have a Goodreads account: Follow the link to The Superiors and The Vigilantes. Scroll down to the bottom of the righthand column and you'll see where you can share via FB, Twitter, Pinterest and Google. Do that stuff!
Add me as a favorite author.

(For +10 bonus points, take The Superiors quiz if you've already read the book...you don't even have to get the questions right! Post a comment on the quiz letting me know your score).

As always, bonus entries for sharing this post all over the place! Share buttons below!

Guest Author/Book Release: Nancy Lauzon

Book Launch Party! In honor of Read an Ebook Week, I have a special guest today. Make sure you check out her contest to try to win a copy of her book as well as mine! Today, you can enter to win a copy of The Vigilantes as well. Just share this post on all your sites and leave links below in the comments section (Twitter, FB, Blog, and Google+1 this post).

A Few Dead Men - a Chick Dick Mystery

March 1 - 8

http://chickdickmysteries.com

Drop by anytime during this week to join in the fun! Play games, nosh on virtual goodies (a.k.a. recipes) and win prizes!

Leave a comment on Nancy Lauzon's blog to win a FREE copy of A Few Dead Men.

If you like what you read, post a review on Goodreads, Amazon or the website of your choice anytime to win another FREE copy of any Chick Dick Mystery!

Blurb: A Few Dead Men - a Chick Dick Mystery

Life has dealt part-time mystery novelist Darcy MacDonald a lousy hand. The men she knows are either missing, dead, drunk or demented.

Lying next to the corpse of her boyfriend, the head of Bloodhound Investigations, definitely qualifies as lousy since he’s the man who also issues her paychecks.

The doctor says her boss had a massive heart attack during an orgasm, and it wasn’t Darcy’s fault. But she can’t help feeling guilty, since his orgasms were her responsibility. Or so she believed, until his grieving widow shows up, along with a mysterious, punk rocker chick who weeps inconsolably at the funeral and claims he was murdered.

Nancy Lauzon's Blog Tour Stop #5: Where Do You Find Live Men?

My latest mystery novel, A Few Dead Men, was inspired by my youngest daughter's disastrous dating history. The 'dead men' in the novel are composites of every boyfriend and/or bad date my daughter ever had. Believe me, I had lots of material to choose from. In fact, I didn't have room for all the 'dead men', since I didn't want to go over my word count.

This book raises several questions: Who exactly are dead men, metaphorically speaking? How did they become dead? Are there more dead men than live men? And where do you find live men?

But the book is also about a young woman compelled to solve the mysteries around her, like her favourite amateur sleuth, Nancy Drew. She doesn't go about it in exactly the same way.

Previous stops on the Blog Tour: How Does a Dead Man Become Dead? at http://limebirduk.wordpress.com/ and Are There More Dead Men than Live Men? at http://stacysjensen.blogspot.com/

I'm not sure there are any single Live Men left in the city where I live, or its surrounding areas. Maybe they're hiding.

My daughter has joined various dating sites over the years, with no luck, only some first dates from hell. She's been hooked up through friends and acquaintances, no luck. She spent 5 years in university, no luck. She's worked at various jobs (in a law office, in retail) no luck.

Yes, my daughter's unlucky in love. I already know that. But you'd think by now she'd have come across a few single Live Men along the way and been asked out on one date.

I know what you're thinking. She's got a face only a mother could love, she's got no personality, she's got no ambition, she's got no heart.

All not true.

It is true that she doesn't go out enough. She's a full-time professional, and she's busy. She doesn't like the bar scene, so she doesn't go clubbing. Most clubs are filled with Dead Men, anyway. So she recently joined a mixed Dodge Ball league. They meet every Thursday evening. I have my fingers crossed.

I've also heard it said that you shouldn't go looking for love. It'll find you when you least expect it. But if she stays in every evening, it's not exactly going to knock on her door, is it?

Does anyone out there in the blogosphere know where all the single Live Men are?


Next stops on my Blog Tour:

Saturday, March 10th - http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com
Calling All Sleuths! I'll be blogging at the 2012 Nancy Drew Web Con. What is a Web Con you may be wondering? It's simply a convention on the web! The subject of my blog will be Nancy Drew with a Twist of Lemon.

Tuesday, March 13th - http://theunpredictablemuse.blogspot.com/

I'm over at Ellis Vidler's Unpredictable Muse. Ellis is the author of the brand new novel Cold Comfort, released in December. I'll be doing a Character Interview, featuring Darcy MacDonald, the heroine of A Few Dead Men.

A Few Dead Men - a Chick Dick Mystery is available now at Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/129059

Coming soon to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Chapters/Indigo/Kobo

Author Bio

Nancy Lauzon worked nine years on a hospital ward as a cardiac nurse before the night shifts turned her into a zombie. She got a day job in health promotion and began to write health-related articles for magazines and newsletters.

Life threw out a few curve balls, and to relieve the stress, she began to write fiction part-time. Five years later she sold two different manuscripts to two separate small-press publishers, using a pseudonym. She left nursing in 2003 and began to write full-time.

Nancy lives in Ottawa, Canada.

Visit her website http://chickdickmysteries.com/

Join the Chick Dick Mystery Group on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/127590990661672?ap=1

Follow her on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/#!/@chickdicks

Friend her on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4840931.Nancy_Lauzon

Read an Ebook Week Day 3 and 4 Giveaway

Have you picked an ebook to read yet?

If you're looking for free books, check out Smashwords.com and find some free books on promotion this week for free or cheap!

If you want to win a free e-copy of The Vigilantes, I'm giving away one every day. If you haven't won yet, try again. I'm also giving away an ARC hardcopy at the end of this week to the person with most entries for the whole week, so keep trying!

If you haven't entered the contest yet, find tons of ways to get extra entries in yesterday's post.

Here are some new ways today: get somoeone to follow my blog (have them leave a comment with your name on this post so I know who sent them) +5 entries.

Go follow me or get someone to follow me on twitter (again, have them send me a tweet with your twitter name) +1.

Like or get someone to like my FB writer page or book page, and get +2 for every like (have them leave a comment so I know who sent them).

Get someone to pin one of my books on Pinterest (+5 each).

Tomorrow I will post a poetry blog as usual. Share it via FB, blog, twitter, Google+1 for additional entries (as always, post a comment letting me know you did those things so I can add your entries to my random drawing).

Read an Ebook Week (#Giveaway) Day 2

Want to win a free copy of The Vigilantes?

Well, you can. I'm giving away one every day this week. Congrats to yesterday's winner!

You can find the first book in the series for free on Smashwords this week: The Superiors.

ALSO, at the end of the week I will be picking the person with the most entries for the whole week (not random selection like the daily winners) to receive a paperback copy of The Vigilantes. So keep coming back and helping me promote this great event to get people reading Ebooks and independent authors!

Today, to win a copy of The Vigilantes, I've added extra chances to win. Here's how:

Like yesterday, share this post via Twitter, FB, Blog, Google+1. One entry per post, +5 for blogging this. Please leave links in the comments section to your posts. Also, if you ask people to retweet, I will check your twitter post and give you an additional two entries for every person who retweets your post or reposts your FB link!

Additional chances to win if you do these things: Add me as a favorite author on Smashwords (under my picture, it will have a list of people who added me as a favorite author. Below that, there's a link that says "add author as favorite." Also, there's a button on the top left that says the same thing. Click on either one to add me (+2 entries).

While you're on my page, click on, The Vigilantes (or follow these links). On the lefthand side of the book page, there are tons of ways to share that book: Twitter, FB like, Stumbledupon, Reddit, Digg, or bookmark on Delicious. If you have one of these, it's a +1 each time. Tomorrow do the same for my other book, The Superiors. And download it for free while you're there!

Happy ereading!

Read an Ebook Week! (#Giveaway)

Hello fellow readers and writers,

In case you didn't know, this week is "Read an Ebook Week." What does that mean?
It means you should read an e-book!

It also means many other exciting things like:
I'm giving away a free ebook of The Vigilantes every day for the rest of the week!

I'll post with new details throughout the week, so check back often and try to win the free copy for that day.

Here's how you can win: Throughout the week, I will post about Read an Ebook Week. When you see those posts, check out what's going on for chances to win. I will add new ways to get extra entries as the week goes on.

Sunday: Go to the bottom of this post and share it on Twitter (+1 entry), Facebook (+1), Google Plus-One (+1), and your blog (+5), or Pin one of my books on Pinterest (+3). Also, if you link my blog to yours (add it to your list of websites) that's +10 entries. Make sure you leave a comment letting me know what you did, with links to your posts & blog. I will message you on Twitter if you win, or you can leave your email address in the comments if you don't have Twitter.

If you don't win a copy, you can still get The Vigilantes for half price on Smashwords.com for the promotion they're having this week. They are having a huge promotion! Tons of books are 25% off, 50% off, 75% off, or FREE. Make sure to go check it out. If you don't have an account, it's free to sign up, and you can download ebooks in any format so they work on whatever digital reader you have.

ANNNNNDDDD...remember how I said a bunch of books are FREE this week? Well....The Superiors is one of them. So, if you win The Vigilantes and you haven't read the first book in the series, you can get it free on Smashwords all week. And if you get The Superiors free and want a great deal on the second book, it's half off.

Check out the site and see what books you can score all week long. Yay for ebooks!

On a personal note, I will finally be finishing an ebook or two that I've been meaning to read for a long time. Look for an ebook review at the end of the week.

Coffin Hop giveaway winner!

Hey guys!

Thanks for checking out my coffin hop blogs. The winner of my contest is Jennifer S. I will be emailing you shortly. Congratulations!

And thanks to everyone who entered. I will follow your blogs back if you've followed mine. Happy November. I hope everyone had a spooky, eventful Halloween! Mine was!

Coffin Hop!

Hey guys! As some of you know, I've been invited to participate in the Halloween Coffin Hop for horror authors. If you'd like to check it out, you can win tons of free stuff, play games, find new authors, etc. Click on the coffin hop badge to the right to go to the Coffin Hop site.

Also, I am doing a giveaway as my part. I'm giving away an e-ARC of my upcoming book, The Vigilantes (sequel to The Superiors). If you want to win a copy, here's how.

Follow my blog (+1 entry)
Follow my Twitter @lenahillbrand (+1)
Like my FB page http://www.facebook.com/LenaHillbrand (+1)
Post on FB about this giveaway (+2)
Post a blog about this giveaway/the Coffin Hop (+2)

Just leave a comment here letting me know what you've done, with links to your FB or blog post.

Thanks and have fun coffin hopping!

Coffin Hop!

Hey all!

As many of you know, my favorite month is coming up tomorrow!

In honor of Halloween month, I'm participating in a Halloween Blog Hop.
Details below. It will run October 24-31.

Also, all of my book reviews for October will be for horror/thriller novels. As an extra special bonus, I am posting a blog every day of Halloween week--my Hallo-week book reviews! I will post twice about the Coffin Hop that week and the other 5 days will feature horror book reviews. Oh yeah, did I mention I love October?

I will let you know about the giveaway as the blog hop approaches! Feel free to check out the website ahead of time, and spread the news!

Show Me Your Teeth Blog Hop!

Hi guys,
I'm honored to be part of this awesome vampire-themed blog hop in honor of Rachelle Mead, author of the Vampire Academy series. As my giveaway, I'm offering a free ebook copy of my own vampire novel, The Superiors. The contest starts at midnight, August 15 CST and ends at 11:59pm on August 23. Check out the other blogs, too, there are tons of awesome giveaways of all kinds of vampire loot.

To win my giveaway, do the following:
Follow my blog (1 entry)
Follow my twitter @lenahillbrand (1 entry)
Like my FB page http://www.facebook.com/LenaHillbrand (1 entry)
Retweet, repost this on your blog, or link it on FB. (1 entry each).

Please post a comment letting me know which of these things you've done, and please include links so I can verify! Thanks and good luck!

August Summer Blog Hop

Over 50 GIVEAWAYS+ 7 AWESOME Author's+ Challenging CONTESTS+ The Title of BEST BOOK at STAKE= THE BEST SUMMER EVER!

Hey guys! I will be participating in this awesome event over on SeeitORreadit. I hope you will join me for lots of free & fun stuff! Here's the schedule, as posted on Jaskirat's blog!

There has been a lot of BUZZ around SeeitORreadit about:

August's Blowout Summer Blog Hop



But what is that? And why is it such a big deal?


The August Blow out Summer Blog Hop is when we are going to be voting for the BEST BOOK. Our nominees are:












Now here is how the event works. These books will be competing against each other. The book that wins the most rounds wins the title of BEST BOOK! So you guys need to vote for your book so it wins.


Along the way there will be lot's of contests, guest posts, and giveaways! So stay tuned all month long.


Here is the schedule for the whole month.Check back here for weekly and daily updates because SeeitORreadit is where the voting is taking place!




Week 1: (Aug 1st-7th)
Mon-Thurs

-we will keep it REALLY easy because it's the very first week of the event and we'll still be gathering voters so we will give the reps time to gather voters.


FROM MONDAY- THURSDAY ENTER OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY!
- Create a review for one of the nominated books and post it on as many sites as you can (goodreads, B&N,etc) and enter to win (come back to SeeitORreadit on Monday to learn how to submit your review):
- One of 2 copies of Shadow Cat
- Moonspell
-one of 2 copies of Blood Will Tell


Fri
-TEASER GIVEAWAY!
-post teaser in the comments of ANY book to get a chance to win (come back to SeeitORreadit on Monday and Friday to learn more):
- one of 3 copies of Slumber
- one of 4 copies of Drip Drop


Sat
DROP BY TO SEE IF YOU WON ANY GIVEAWAYS!



VOTING DAY(7th);

ROUND 1:
THE ANGEL'S ARE HERE vs CROSSROAD


ROUND 2:
DOORWAY OF THE TRIQUETRA vs MOONSPELL


ROUND 3:
THE SUPERIORS vs IMMORTAL EMBRACE

-all day
-unlimited votes
- VOTING TAKES PLACE ONLY ON SEEITORREADIT


- IF YOU VOTE YOU ARE ENTERED TO WIN:
- one of 2 copies of Slumber
-To Tame a Wild Hawk

WEEK 2 (aug 8th- 14th)
Mon
Author's talk about release dates (to learn more drop by at SeeitORreadit on Monday)

-Giveaway WHICH BOOK CAN YOU NOT WAIT TO READ?
(to enter readers include title of bk, reason why (about a sentence or two), name, and email in comments to be entered in draw to win)
-Drip Drop
- one of 3 copies of Paradox's The Angel's are Here
To Tame a Wild Hawk-
-(to learn more drop by at SeeitORreadit on Monday)

Tues
- guest post
- post comment on vote entered to win
- one of 3 copies of Blood Will Tell
- (to learn more drop by at SeeitORreadit on Tuesday)

weds-fri
-trivia about competing books
- if get at least 3 questions right entered in draw to win
- Crossroads
-one of 2 copies of Paradox's The Angel's are Here
- one of 2 copies of the Superiors
-one of 2 copies of River Cast


Sat
DROP BY TO SEE IF YOU WON ANY GIVEAWAYS!


VOTING DAY:(14th)


ROUND 4:
CROSSROADS vs MOONSPELL


ROUND 5:
DOORWAY OF THE TRIQUETRA vs IMMORTAL EMBRACE


ROUND 6:
THE SUPERIORS vs MOONSPELL


ROUND 7:
IMMORTAL EMBRACE vs THE ANGEL'S ARE HERE


-all day
-unlimited votes
- VOTING TAKES PLACE ONLY ON SEEITORREADIT


- IF YOU VOTE YOU ARE ENTERED TO WIN:
-Moonspell
-one of 2 copies of River Cast


Week 3 aug 15-21
mon
-massive giveaway
- fill out form to win
-one of 3 copies of Blood Solstice
- Crossroads
-Paradox's The Angel's are Here
Dark Warrior-
- River Cast
- one of 3 copies of the Superiors
- GET POINTS FOR FOLLOWING AUTHOR'S AND BLOGGERS (tune in to SeeitORreadit on Monday to learn more)

tues-thurs
- CONTEST: readers send us 2-3 pgraphs of a story you are writing (choose their fav scene to enter)(tune in to SeeitORreadit on Monday and Tuesday to learn more)
- winner wins:
- Blood Solstice
- Immortal Embrace
- one of 2 copies of I loved you First
-Dark Warrior

sat
DROP BY TO SEE IF YOU WON ANY GIVEAWAYS!


VOTING DAY:(21st)
THE ANGEL'S ARE HERE vs MOONSPELL
THE ANGEL'S ARE HERE vs THE SUPERIORS
DOORWAY OF THE TRIQUETRA vs THE SUPERIORS
CROSSROADS vs DOORWAY OF THE TRIQUETRA

-all day
-unlimited votes
- VOTING TAKES PLACE ONLY ON SEEITORREADIT


- IF YOU VOTE YOU ARE ENTERED TO WIN:
Moonspell
Doorway of the Triquetra

Week 4 AUG 22-28

mon
-blogger spotlight
- provide advice for new YA bloggers (tune in to SeeitORreadit on Monday to learn more)
- entered to win


tues-thurs
- trivia about authors themselves if get at least 3 questions right entered in draw (tune in to SeeitORreadit on Monday to learn more) to win
-Immortal Embrace
-one of 3 copies of Shadow Cat
-Moonspell
Doorway of the Triquetra


weds
- GUEST POST (tune in to SeeitORreadit on weds to learn more)

sat
DROP BY TO SEE IF YOU WON ANY GIVEAWAYS!

VOTING DAY (last before finals): (28th)

THE ANGEL'S ARE HERE vs DOORWAY OF THE TRIQUETRA
CROSSROADS vs IMMORTAL EMBRACE
CROSSROADS vs THE SUPERIORS
MOONSPELL vs IMMORTAL EMBRACE


-all day
-unlimited votes
- VOTING TAKES PLACE ONLY ON SEEITORREADIT


- IF YOU VOTE YOU ARE ENTERED TO WIN:
-Crossroads
-one of 3 copies of I loved you First
-Moonspell

FINAL VOTE (30TH);
-all day
-unlimited votes
- VOTING TAKES PLACE ONLY ON SEEITORREADIT


- IF YOU VOTE YOU ARE ENTERED TO WIN:
- Paradox's The Angel's are Here

- Blood Solstice
Doorway of the Triquetra

Blog Tour Giveaway: Free Ebooks!

Hey guys and gals,

As part of my blog tour, I'm doing an interview and giveaway today only on Dale Ibitz's blog!

All you have to do to win a free e-book of The Superiors is go to her blog, read my interview, and come back here. Please follow me and her if you haven't already--it's not necessary but we'll send happy reading vibes your way if you do!

Please leave a comment here so I know you've read her blog post. Answer this question in your comment: Name one of the three books/series I read in middle school. Also leave your email address or message me with it so I can send you your free copy of The Superiors.

That's it for today! Thanks!

Contest Results!

Hi all!

My contest for an advanced hardcopy of The Superiors is closing. LittlePinkStars won by a landslide! Please email or message me with your address and I will send you the ARC. I just got them in yesterday.

I've gained many new followers this week, and I've tried to follow everyone back. If I didnt follow you, please comment on this post and I'll follow your blog if you have one. I hope you enjoy my blog and check back now and then. Thanks for following me and I hope you enjoy my blogs!

Lena

FREE advanced hardcopy of The Superiors (CONTEST)

Okay, well, here's the deal. I got 2 advanced copies of The Superiors, and I only need one for review. So I'm having my first ever blog contest!

You can win a paperback copy of my book before anyone else gets their hands on it. Lucky you! :P

So how do you win? I'm glad you asked. I'm trying to get more blog followers. So whoever gets the most people to follow my blog wins. So tell your friends to click on the link to this post and leave YOUR name in the comments (that's how I know who got them to follow). They also have to follow my blog, not just comment. And yes, I'll check!

So...if Sunny Susan tells Joe Blow to follow my blog, he should click 'follow' and write 'Sunny Susan' in the comments below. That's it. You dont have to like my book, pay for it, review it, or tell anyone about it (although of course you're free to do all those things and I'll love you extra if you do).