Tuesday, May 31, 2011

WINNER!

Hi folks,

The winner of the SWAG giveaway is...

Jenni Merritt!

Congrats, Jenni!

Please email me at kate @ katekaynak . com with your mailing address and your book picks (they're listed at www.spencerhillpress.com). Any of the 2011 releases are available, including Half-Blood, Daimon, or any of the first four Ganzfield books as well as the omnibus version with the first three books combined.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day

In between the cookouts and trips to the beach, take a few moments today to reflect on the soldiers who gave everything in service to this country.



Friday, May 27, 2011

Giveaway!

BEA 2011 has drawn to a close, and we've packed up our remaining SWAG and ARCs and headed home.

If you'd like some, just post a comment below by midnight (EDT) on Monday, May 30th.
That's it. 
No hoops. 
No steps.
Just comment. 
Feel free to say anything you'd like. You get an additional chance if you follow this blog and +1 for every link you post back to this contest on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. (please include the links in your comment).
I'll use random.org to pick the winner, and then ship (to a US mailing address):


At least two ARCs (your pick from any of the SHP titles of 2011!)
A selection of SWAG such as stickers, bookmarks, rack cards, etc., including the ever-popular Half-Blood guitar picks
A Spencer Hill Press tote bag. It's black with gold letters. 

Happy Weekend!

And the winner of the remote viewing contest is... 
Momo (Books Over Boys)
Congrats, Momo! 


Yes, I was holding up four fingers. Seven people got it right, which is statistically well above chance, although not surprising, since Accused is the fourth book in the series. 

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Gratitude

Thanks to everyone who worked on the Spencer Hill crew to make our BEA debut so successful:

Dan Cohen: wonderful author, book sherpa, and all around great guy
Kendra McCormick: super copy editor, book booster, and wonderful human being
Mark Tekushan: brilliant photographer, backdrop designer, and great booth buddy
More thanks to Michele, Phyllis, Lisa, MaryBeth, and all the folks who helped us noobs get everything straight, and to the entire Spencer Hill family: Debbie, Trish, Osman, Jennifer, Lisa, Rich, Marie and Emily (new author!) for everything you've done to make this experiment in publishing successful.

Thanks also to all of the reviewers and bloggers who have come by and told us that you love our books. We NEVER get tired of hearing that! And thanks to those who decided to give us a try, as well--often because they were standing within earshot of the first group.

And a final nod to blogger's autocorrect function for making me laugh by suggesting "bear-slapping" whenever I've typed BEA into the label window over the past few weeks.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

BEA - Day 2

Here I am:

It's amazing here, and I kind of love how our cute little booth looks:

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

BEA - Day 1

Hi folks,

As you're reading this, I should be in the Javits center on the West Side of New York City. I plan to post some pictures and impressions over the next few days.

If you're at BEA this week, please stop by booth #4779 (slightly to the left of the ginormous "Uptown Stage/Ingram" sign in the back) and say hi!

This is the last week of the Accused ARC giveaway contest:
http://thedisgruntledbear.blogspot.com/2011/05/contest.html

Oh, and next week we have at least TWO really cool announcements coming. Stay tuned...

Monday, May 23, 2011

Writing a novel is like...

Check this out:

Monogamy by Sarah R. Callender


Writing a novel is a lot like staying married. Not getting married, but staying married.


At some point, you wake up and you realize that writing is light years from glamorous. You notice your novel has morning breath. Your novel farts a whole lot more than it ever did when you were dating. Your novel leaves its underwear on the bathroom floor or takes two sets of car keys to work, leaving you stranded at home, or washes your brand new silk sweater in the washing machine.

Read more... 

Last week of the Accused ARC giveaway:
http://thedisgruntledbear.blogspot.com/2011/05/contest.html

Friday, May 20, 2011

Dolphins Jerks

Did you know that a$$#*!%$ come in many different species?



Happy Weekend!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Zen and the Art of Hamster Maintenance

If you are feeling stressed today, just watch this... and feel the healing power of the cuteness.



Seriously, what do you do when you get stressed out?

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Motivation

"Always do what you are afraid to do." 
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Fortune favors the brave." 
- Publius Terence

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." 
- Jesus

"Enjoy yourself--it's later than you think." 
- Guy Lombardo

"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind." 
- Unknown

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." 
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you have a quote or saying that really speaks to you, that defines what your best self strives for in life? If no one else's words can sum it up, then you can always make up your own. If you're comfortable doing so, please share your quote in the comments... or print it out and frame it where you'll see it every day, or needlepoint it onto a pillow or something.

And then go out an put it into practice.

Here's mine:
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
 - Gandhi

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

All Time Favorites

So, if I asked you what your favorite book from childhood and/or adolescence was, what would you say?

Let's find out:

What's your favorite book from childhood/adolescence?



The Accused ARC giveaway contest continues apace: http://thedisgruntledbear.blogspot.com/2011/05/contest.html

Monday, May 16, 2011

BEA

B! E! A!
B! E! A!

I'm wicked excited, and I hope you are, too. If you're going to BEA next week, please comment below and let everyone know where to find you. Personally, I'll be in the Spencer Hill Press booth, which is #4779. It's in the far right corner by the Uptown Stage. We'll have SWAG, ARCs, chocolate, and our newest author, Daniel Cohen--what more could you want?

Please stop in and introduce yourselves!

The Accused ARC giveaway contest continues apace: http://thedisgruntledbear.blogspot.com/2011/05/contest.html

Happy Monday!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Contest!

Hi folks,

Facebook isn't allowing contests on most of its pages anymore, so we're moving the party over here.


Here's the contest:

Let's test your remote viewing abilities:

How many fingers am I holding up? 

To enter, post your response below by midnight (EDT) Thursday, May 26th. The winner will receive a signed ARC of Accused, the Fourth Ganzfield book (shipped to a US mailing address). This book comes out in August, so you'll be among the first people to get your hands on it.

G-negatives, feel free to guess. I'll use random.org to pick the winner from among the correct responders. And if you link over from Facebook, Twitter, your blog, etc., I'll give you an additional chance to win for each link, even if you guess wrong on the finger thing. I'll also give you an extra chance for following this blog and another for liking Ganzfield on Facebook.

And if you aren't yet familiar with the Ganzfield books, check out the trailer for Minder. Heck, even if you are, you might want to just listen to the cool song.


We're experiencing technical difficulties...

...please stand by. Your blog is important to us. Someone who knows what the heck is going on will be with you within 2-3 business days. Please stay on the line...

So... there was supposed to be a post yesterday, and another today (Friday). Blogger has been really messed up for the past 48 hours and my scheduled posts have poofed. Anyway, if they reappear I'll start the contest I had planned. Otherwise the contest will start Monday.

Happy Weekend!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

PG-13 Picture Book

OMG.  If you don't like bad language, please don't get this book. But if you have kids and the title resonates with thoughts you've had, you might want to check it out: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2047409301747.2124118.1139862054

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

E-Book of the Month Club

I've heard people talking about this as a possible business model:

People subscribe to the club for a monthly fee.
Each month they receive a new e-book sent directly to their Kindle, Nook, email, or whatever.

It's an update of the old book-of-the-month club idea. I'm thinking that we could do something like this through Spencer Hill. We could have an online store where people could buy the stories individually, although subscribers would get them for a lower price.

Sooo.... what do YOU think?

How much would you pay per month for a novella (15,000-40,000 words, which would be about 60-160 pages in traditional book form) to be sent to you?
What genre(s) of stories would you want to read?
Writers, would you submit novellas for distribution this way? We'd pay fair royalties and writers would retain copyright, of course.

Personally, I think that the main selling point would have to be quality content. We'd need the stories to be AWESOME. And then we'd have to market in such a way that people heard about it and recognized the aforementioned awesomeness. The shorter format is a plus; people are reading more on their phones and e-readers and the novella length makes it easier to finish in one sitting.

The thing is, I KNOW how many really good writers there are in this online community. The awesome content is out there; it's simply a matter of getting the butts in the seats, metaphorically speaking.

Tell me what you think. If people are really into this, I'll explore it further.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Daimon

Daimon is here!
The downloads are FREE from the Spencer Hill Press site: 
http://www.site.spencerhillpress.com/Daimon.php

A paperback version can be ordered from Amazon. 


"Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing 'I smite thee!' as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life."


For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards… and that she'll never be prepared for that duty.


According to her mother, that’s a good thing.


But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return—the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death… because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill.


The daimons have found her.

C'mon, you know you totally want to read this book now. And it's FREE! 

Monday, May 9, 2011

New Book Trailer!

Daimon comes out this week, and we have a second book trailer for the series. Enjoy!



There's also an auction for signed copies of Daimon and the Half-Blood ARC on Help Write Now. Check it out!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Giveaways

Hi folks,

Lisa Rogers, author of Angelina's Secret, is having a giveaway on her blog: http://talkingaboutghost.blogspot.com/2011/05/giveaway.html

 I have a contest running on the Ganzfield Facebook site right now (ends Sunday) in which you can get a rude werewolf named after you--or after your mother, since it's Mother's Day and all this weekend.

The gift for the woman who has everything: immortality as a rude werewolf.

Jennifer Armentrout has one on Ramblings and What Not: http://jenniferarmentrout.blogspot.com/2011/05/six-sentence-sunday-and-contest.html

Beckah-Rah has jewelry pendants: http://beckah-rah.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-contest.html

If you have a giveaway to tell people about, please post a link in the comments below. I love getting free stuff. Other people love getting free stuff. 

Happy weekend! 

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Song in my Head

Sometimes having a song stuck in your head makes you want to scream (looking at you, "It's Raining Men!"). But sometimes it's AWESOME. Check out the brutally poetic lyrics of this one:


This is how it works
You're young until you're not
You love until you don't
You try until you can't
You laugh until you cry
You cry until you laugh
And everyone must breathe
Until their dying breath

No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again


It's "On the Radio" by Regina Spektor. You can find the complete lyrics here: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/reginaspektor/ontheradio.html and you can get the song itself on iTunes. In fact, I recommend that you do just that, since you're not lucky enough to have it playing for free in your head like me.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Snow Days in May

Remember when you were a kid and snow days were good things? Now that I'm a mom, they don't hold nearly the appeal they once did.

We had a bunch of them over this past winter, and they used up all the allotted snow days in the school calendar--and then some. So, now the kids in our town go to school 15 minutes earlier and get out 15 minutes later. I'm not sure if this actually translates to more learning time in the classroom, but it definitely means I have to wake up earlier. *sigh/yawn*

I hope they build a bit more wiggle room in the calendar next year. Or maybe Global Warming will hurry up and turn New Hampshire into the tropical paradise I'm half-expecting it will be by the time the kids go off to college.

UPDATE: Oh! And Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with you!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

How to Garden in The Garden State

I got this in an email from my mom (who still lives in New Jersey despite having sufficient toll money to escape):

An older man lived alone in New Jersey. He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament: 


Dear Vincent,
I am feeling sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.
Love, Papa


A few days later he received a letter from his son.


Dear Pop,
Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried.
Love,
Vinnie


At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.


Dear Pop,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love you,
Vinnie 

Monday, May 2, 2011

Brenda Novak's Auction

The auction has started! This is a great annual event and there are a ton of fantastic items up for auction, including some from some authors you might know:

Half-Blood and Daimon:
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2161384

Ganzfield:
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=2161349

I got some of my best manuscript critiques after winning them in past year's auctions. If you have listed something, please put the link in the comment below, and I'll add it to the list.