Archive for the ‘contests’ Category.

The throwdown: Team Vampire Lumberjack or Team Werewolf Bootlegger

May 31, 2010, 11:29 am

I’m on Team Vampire. Find out more.

For centuries, vampires and werewolves have been battling it out for dominance, not to mention the hearts of women all over the globe. It all started with Shakespeare, when the heir to the werewolf Montague clan accidentally fell in love with vampiress Juliet Capulet. Then, during the American Civil War, as Atlanta was burning, Scarlett O’Hara, lips smeared with blood, declared in impassioned tones, “I will never go hungry again!” Poor Scarlet also had to choose… to choose between her oh-so-pretty fellow vampire, Ashley Wilkes, and that wild, dominant, oh-so-sexy werewolf, Rhett Butler.

And now we come to this decision again. Moira Rogers has asked us to choose between vampire and werewolf once again. But this time, we have a contest in bad-assery. Is a vampire lumnberjack or a werewolf bootlegger more awesome?

The answer, of course, is patently obvious. The vampire lumberjack wins without a contest. After all, he comes equipped with a weapon–an axe that no doubt will help to display impressive muscles when he takes off his shirt. And if he sparkles in the sun like some other vampires we could name, no one would laugh at him, because, hello, giant axe?What does the werewolf have? Some alcohol? Oh, please.

Plus, the vampire lumberjack is not without precedent in American folklore. Paul Bunyan regularly had to stop for a little type O negative as he traveled the American west, taming it with his axe. What werewolf bootleggers in literature can you name? None? That’s what I thought.

So, agree or disagree? Is a vampire lumberjack the epitome of awesome, or do the rest of you just have no taste? And what other classic literature out there would be improved with more epic vampire vs. werewolf battles?

This post is a part of Moira Rogers’ Creature Feature Kindle Throwdown Contest. By leaving a (meaningful) comment, you will be entered to win a Kindle from Amazon.com, or an alternate grand prize of $275 to spend at an online book retailer. For a full list of rules and more ways to win, visit the contest page.

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Category: contests, fun and games  |  64 Comments

Ebook Week: The contest winners

March 22, 2009, 2:09 am

This is why I don’t do contests. I keep forgetting to announce the winners and then people send me emails saying, “Um, hello? Can I haz book plz?” and that just adds to my guilt. But anyway, here we go with the winners.

The winner of Islands by Samantha Kane is…

Caffey.

The winner of Cry Sanctuary by Moira Rogers is…

Channon V.

The winner of Gobsmacked by LB Gregg is…
Marg!

The winner of Crossing Swords by Kirsten Saell is…

Cathy M!

And the winner of the grand prize, the $25 Fictionwise gift certificate is…

Jen B!.

I’ve contacted the authors with winner’s names and email addresses, so hopefully you’ll get your book soon.

Thanks for your patience and next time I will leave snippy reminders for myself all over the place so I don’t end up waiting a whole week to take care of this.

Category: Ebook Week, contests  |  6 Comments

Ebook Week: The Plan!

March 9, 2009, 1:36 pm

I promised detes about our ebook week celebrations. Here they are.

I’ll be interviewing several of my favorite epublished authors about their thoughts on epublishing as a whole. Each of the authors I’ve spoken with has generously agreed to give away one of their books to people who comment on their interviews. I’m also giving away a $25 gift certificate to Fictionwise. at the end of this week, so there will be lots of opportunities for fabulous prizes.

Here is our lineup of guests.

These ladies write everything from historicals to paranormals to fantasies, with a variety of heat levels from the very sweet to the smokin’ hot. Some of them write M/F romances, some write M/M, and some write M/M/F or M/F/F. They also share the distinction of being some of my favorite writers, so you’re guaranteed a good story.

In order to be eligible to win, comment on any of the Ebook Week posts this week. The grand prize winner will be pulled from all the commenters. Winners will be announced next Monday!

Check back tomorrow for our first interview with the lovely Samantha Kane!.

Category: Ebook Week, contests, ebooks  |  3 Comments

Winners of the Grimspace contest OMG!

February 29, 2008, 5:34 pm

I have winners! There are prizes! In the immortal words of someone wise: W00t!

First of all, the winner of the $10 Fictionwise gift certificate that I promised is Becky. I will be hooking you up with that as soon as I finish dealing with other blog-related business.

The winner of the non-signed, shipped directly from Amazon to your doorstep copy of Grimspace is Wendy. Wendy, send me an email at shannon(at)flightintofantasy(dot)com and I will commence with the hooking up.

Finally, the winner of the signed copy of Grimspace that will be worth something someday is Quaisior. Send me an e-mail at that same address with your mailing details and I will pass the info along.

Thanks to everyone for playing, and check back often!

Category: contests  |  1 Comment

Interview with Ann Aguirre!

February 28, 2008, 10:13 am

As you may remember, I mentioned several times last week that we would have an interview

with Ann Aguirre to post over here. Well, RL came

along and smacked me upside the head, so I’m only now posting said interview. As you all may also recall, I loved Ann’s book, Grimspace when I reviewed it, and so I’m very excited to have Ann over here

talking about her writing, books, and, of course, ninjas. So please give it up for Ann

Aguirre, and stay tuned for fabulous prizes.

Shannon: Let’s start with the important questions first. Coke or Pepsi?

Ann: Coke Zero or Diet Pepsi. They taste about the same to me, but I can’t
stand Diet Coke or Pepsi Max. They too taste the same — nasty.

Shannon: Pirate or ninja?
Ann:

While with the advent of Captain Jack Sparrow, my appreciation for
pirates has swelled to previously unknown proportions, I still have to say…
ninja.

Because, you know… These guys are cool; and by cool, I mean
totally sweet.<
Facts:

  • 1. Ninjas* are mammals.

  • 2. Ninjas fight ALL the
    time.

  • 3. The purpose of the ninja is to flip
    out and kill people.

*All my knowledge regarding ninjas comes from Real Ultimate
Power


 

Shannon: Where have all the flowers gone?
Ann:

Survey says, global warming. Check Antarctica?

Shannon: The early reviews on bloggers that I’ve read of Grimspace were by non-science
fiction readers who said they would never have thought of picking up a book
with science fiction in it until Grimspace came along. Do you have a
background in science fiction as well as romance?
Ann:

Have I written before? Nope. I’ve read it, though. I love girlie SF
where the focus is more on the characters and less on hard science. For
instance, I’m crazy about Sharon Shinn. I adore the idea of space exploration,
but I’m more interested in learning about the sort of folks who would head out
into the great unknown, and what they might encounter. I wrote Grimspace because
it was the sort of book I’d want to read, combining my favorite themes: love,
redemption, second chances, and interstellar travel.

Shannon’s note: I love girlie SF, too. And I really need to get back to reading more Sharon

Shinn.

Shannon: Besides your own, what science fiction book would you recommend to an average
romance reader, and, conversely, what romance novel would you recommend to
someone who reads SF?
Ann:

The first one is easy — Sharon Shinn, Wrapt in Crystal. I think
it’s one of the best blends of mystery, SF, and romance that I’ve ever come
across. Plus, her work is haunting, such delicate, evocative turns of phrase.
It’s harder to say for the second, but I think Nalini Singh would be a good
starting point. She pens futuristic romances with paranormal elements; her
writing is really fantastic, and the world-building is top-notch.

Shannon’s note: Oh, yes, most definitely, Nalini Singh rocks!

Shannon: What was your process of world-building? Was it difficult?
Ann:

Short answer, no

process and
nope. Long answer, Walter Jon Williams
penned an interesting novel called Aristoi,
wherein he taps the idea that we possess
fragments of other personalities locked away inside our brains; he called them
daimones style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">. These sub-personalities can think and feel
independently and possess talents that we need. It’s an intriguing take on
beneficial schizophrenia, and I sometimes wonder if there’s a kernel of truth to
it.

style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">Because the fact is, I don’t style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">know where class=nfakPe>Jax (or her world) came from. She told me about everything
as we went along. So I’m going to theorize that I
allow these personality fragments to evolve into whole people, complete class=nfakPe>with history and everything, and then I listen to what they
have to say (without going batshit crazy). That sounds marginally better than,
“I write what the voices in my head tell me to.”

Shannon: What made you decide to do your story in first person, present
tense?

Ann:

color=#000099>
I started in first person,
present tense, which is weird because it’s the only project in my long and
multifarious career wherein I’ve done so. It wasn’t a choice so much as dictated
by Jax style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">. style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">Events unfold as the reader class=nfakPe>rides along class=nfakPe>with her.

When an author writes in past tense, the
reader has the unconscious security of knowing that everything must’ve worked
out in the end, or the narrator wouldn’t be able to relate his story.

At least, that’s how I feel when
reading.




Shannon: What can readers expect from you in the future?
Ann:

Right now, I’m working on a hot paranormal romance proposal for my agent to

pitch.
Once I have that done, I’ll write Hell Fire, which is book two in my
Corine Solomon series (urban fantasy with Latin
flavah). After that, I’ll do the third contracted Corine novel. There are two
more Jax books in the pipeline as well, pending
approval.

Wanderlust, Jax book two,
will be coming out in September. And look for the first Corine book in
’09.

**********************

Thanks again, Ann, for coming over and chatting with us!

Ann has generously offered to donate a signed copy of Grimspace to one lucky

commenter. I am also throwing in the copy that I would have bought if I hadn’t begged for an ARC,

and someone else is going to win a $10 gift certificate to Fictionwise, on account of the fact that I was

supposed to have posted this on Monday and got swamped. So my lack of ability to post

anything remotely on time is your gain, so please do comment on this post and throw your

name in.

Category: contests, guest post, interviews  |  16 Comments

Coming attractions

February 19, 2008, 10:47 am

I’ll be posting a review later today of Ann Aguirre‘s awesome debut print novel, Grimspace. Did I mention that this book is awesome? Because it is awesome. And it’s exactly the sort of book I’ve been wanting to read for a while–something that would keep me interested and hooked even when I put it down in favor of other things. And I think I’m the only reviewer yet who’s had a chance to read the book that’s read much sci-fi, and I’ve got to say that both as a romance reader and a science fiction reader, I am not disappointed in either of the book’s featured genres.

Anyway, later this month, around the book’s actual release, I’ll be posting an interview with Ann, and we’ll be giving away two copies of the book. One will be a signed copy that Ann has generously offered up. The other will be the copy that I would have bought from Amazon if I’d, you know, been able to read a print book purchased from Amazon in the first place.

Category: about the site, contests, fangirl squee  |  1 Comment

Winner of Dakota Cassidy contest

February 7, 2008, 10:59 am

I have doughnuts. Being a woman of a certain size and shape, I need doughnuts like I need a hole in my head.

Because of the fact that I have doughnuts, I am feeling generous and so it’s now time to announce the winner of yesterday’s contest. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Today’s winner as picked by my favorite random number generator is Kim. Kim, send me an email at shannon(at)flightintofantasy(dot)com with your address and I’ll hook you up with a book!

Thanks again to Dakota Cassidy for playing with us yesterday.

Category: contests  |  2 Comments

Interview with Dakota Cassidy!

February 6, 2008, 8:00 am

As I said in my last post, I am stoked and excited to have Dakota Cassidy on the blog today. She has generously answered a few questions, and in addition to the interview, I am giving away a copy of Dakota’s new release, The Accidental Werewolf to a randomly selected commenter. (Note: The contest will be open for the next 24 hours, so you’ll need to comment by then.)
Anyway, on with the interview!

Shannon: Thanks for agreeing to do this interview thing. It’ll be my first,
but hopefully, unlike other first times, this one won’t be
excessively painful for either of us. Here’s the first question: Has there been any kind of odd transition you’ve had to make going
from epubs to NY? (Like, do you have your own personal cabana boy and
tiara-polisher now, or does that happen after book 2?)

Dakota: I think that only happens when you’re somebody MUCH more important
than me. LOL.
it wasn’t a really hard transition so much as it was an adjustment.
I’ve spent a lot of time learning that while the e-book world is
pretty tight, it is smaller than the print audience in terms of
casting your promo net. There were lot’s of places, blogs, review
sites I’d never heard of, and there’s much more paperwork involved.
In e-books all of your edits etc are done via an e-copy of your book.
With NY it’s sending the MS back and forth via overnight mail,
sending out printed galleys and ARC’s to various places, having book
launch parties live and in person.

Shannon: What else can readers expect from you this year?
Dakota: Accidentally Dead! Nina’s story–Nina’s tough, brash, has a foul
mouth and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She’s bitten by a hunky
vampire while preparing him to have a tooth filed :)
(Shannon’s note: This is awesome. I adored Nina from the first book.)
Shannon: If you could shill someone else’s book to readers of this blog,
which one would it be?
Dakota: Anything by Nina Bangs! She was the first author I’d read who took
her ideas to the place I call irreverent and off the wall, and an
inspiration to me when I began writing.
Shannon: What’s a typical writing day like for you?
Dakota: Well, from anywhere between 10 and 11 I’m up, answering emails,
posting to my yahoo group–taking care of household chores–thinking
about what to make for dinner. I go over what I wrote the night
before, and sometimes try to get another five-6 pages in. After 4 in
the afternoon, my sons are home, we have dinner, watch some TV, then
at 10–I get really serious and usually write until like 4 or 5 in
the morning. In essence, I don’t sleep a lot. LOL
Shannon: Do you play any particular music while you write? If so, what was
your soundtrack for The Accidental Werewolf ?
Dakota: I do, but mostly it’s without words because I know way too many words
to too many songs and I’d end up singing instead of writing. And my
playlist goes like this– Nessun Dorma, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (all
four), Cole Porter’s Begin the Beguine, Kenny G’s Somewhere in Time,
Ravel’s Bolero, and lot’s of Yanni and Zamfir–I know, shoot me, but
what can I say–it soothes me. LOLLOL

*********************

Thanks again to Dakota for stopping by, and any of the eight of you reading this, feel free to comment for a chance to win fabulous prizes!

Category: contests, guest post, interviews  |  11 Comments