But Enough About Me!

Unexpectedly, I have one more copy of the ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of Cold Magic, which is Book 1 of The Spiritwalker Trilogy. It will be available in bookstores in early September 2010 in the USA/Canada, UK, and Australia markets, and most likely in English language bookstores elsewhere in the world.

The winner will receive my last (signed and personalized if you wish) ARC of Cold Magic.

An ARC is a copy of the uncorrected proof, which means there will be a few typos and a very few changes in the final published copy that are not in this one (although I had to make very few corrections so the ARCs are very clean). Because I cut the final two lines of the book and substituted a new 14 lines instead, right there at the end, I will be hand taping in the correct final 14 lines.

My biggest request for anyone who gets hold of an ARC is to please PLEASE not give out spoilers if you blog about it, as this is a bit of a spoiler-heavy book.

SO:

Here's the deal:

1) Send an email to Kate.Elliott@(no-spam)sff.net with the header "The Last Cold Magic ARC". Remember to remove the (no-spam) part.

2) In the body, your email needs your full mailing address (snail mail). Without that, I can't enter you.

3) One entry per person, please. Multiples will be DQd.


DATES: August 7 (today) to August 14.


I will choose the winner by blind lottery drawing on August 14 late in the evening, my time.


(ETA: This is a contest for readers--if you also blog, or whatever, that is totally fine and fabulous, naturally, but you don't have to blog the book afterward unless you want to--it's just a thank you to readers, so anyone can enter. Naturally, if you are only entering to get a signed copy of the book to sell on eBay I would prefer if you didn't enter, as I would like the ARC to go to someone who is excited about getting it.)

Go here for a contest to win an Advance Reading Copy of Cold Magic, open to anyone. Last day to enter is 24 July.

Two more days. Winner to be announced on July 25 or 26.



Writing Links:

Tobias Buckell with a smart post about the sparsity of posts with Mid-Career Advice.

Karen Miller with an excellent post for aspiring writers on finishing your first draft and what comes next.

Katharine Kerr talks about how characters come to her. Weird! (actually, not weird at all, but rather familiar to the way my process works)

This is it. Your last chance to win an Advance Reading Copy of Cold Magic
(from here, anyway -- keep an eye out online because I know there are a couple of book blogs who have copies of the Cold Magic ARC intended for a giveaway) .

The last winner said she never won contests, so . . . you never know. It could happen to you.



Rule One: (suggested by sysrae):

Because Cold Magic is kind of an alternate history (although it isn't really; it's really more, to borrow fledgist's phrase, a different Earth with magic), I had to think about how some things would be different from the way they are in our history.

So: either in the comments section or by emailing me, tell us all about an event in history that, if changed, would have changed the world -- a "what if" moment -- and how we might be living now if it had happened. This can be BIG, it can be small, it can be funny, it can be serious, it can be ridiculous, it can be sublime. But there has to be at least a bit of logic and/or consequence to it.


Rule Two: You may post here, OR you may email me directly if you prefer not to post here. I would prefer it if you post here, just because I think people might enjoy reading the answers but I understand if you do not wish to or if the lj interface is a pain.


Rule Three: Make sure I have a way to get hold of you (via email or by responding to your post) if you win. I will email or respond to the ultimate winner.


Rule Four: Commencing now, and entries will be accepted until Saturday 24 July midnight Hawaii Time.

I realize that in general I need to make my contests random drawings--even those that ask you, the contest entrant, to do something--because I have the hardest time picking a favorite. Indeed, I find it nigh impossible because honestly you guys are the best.

Over the next six weeks there will be three contests to win an ARC of Cold Magic. All will ask you to do something in the comments section, and in each case the winner will be chosen by a random drawing, which means every entry has an equal chance to win.

New contest. The prize? An ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of my forthcoming novel Cold Magic (September 2010).

Dates: Today 29 June 2010 until Midnight (HT) Sunday 11 July.

Be aware that this contest may contain spoilers for my work (no restrictions).

The rules?

1) Post in the comments section.

You get a choice of the visual or the musical.


a) LOLMagic.

Caption a photo in LOLCat style. It doesn’t have to be a cat, but it can be if you want. It should deal with fantasy (or science fiction, which I consider a subset of the literature of the fantastic); it can relate to my books (or one of my covers), or the forthcoming Cold Magic, but it doesn’t have to. It can relate to someone else’s book, too, or the field in general or some specific issue people have been talking about. Whatevah. (courtesy of miintikwa)


OR


b) Playlist.

Come up with a "playlist" of songs (2 to 10) that you think best represents one of my series, individual books, or specific characters. If you want, tell why you picked those songs, which sections of a book you feel the songs would fit the best, what it is about the character, etc. (however, it is not necessary to add explanation, although it would be fun).
(courtesy icykitten)

2) You may enter twice, with separate entries (either one musical and one visual or, if you are inclined one way or the other, two of each as long--obviously--as they are different).

3) Random drawing before midnight Hawaiian Time 11 July (Sunday) 2010. I will reply in comments and ask you to email me with your pertinent info.

EDITED TO ADD:
If you can't figure out how to upload an image in the comments box, then you can email your image to me.
ALSO: in case this wasn't clear, by playlist I don't mean you have to put in the actual music file or YouTube link; just a written list is fine, like a list of five songs.

Remember, there will be two more contests (neither of which will be specific to my work).

Today is the last day to enter to win a copy of the ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of the forthcoming Cold Magic. Giveaway details here.

Because I live in the uttermost west, my June 15 time frame closes rather later than yours, so technically anything I receive before midnight Hawaiian Time counts. I'll announce the results first thing tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow morning I will also set in motion the next contest. This will have a shorter run time, and will be a contest to suggest a contest. That is, I will open it up to suggestions on what kind of contest to run with what kind of clever or interesting contest rules. The person whose suggestion I pick will win a copy of the ARC. And then I will immediately run the contest that won, if that makes sense. (I'm not good at coming up with clever things, so I'm going to ask you guys to do it!)

So: more opportunities to win an ARC forthcoming.

Meanwhile, I note that for me the most nerve wracking part of the publishing process is that point after I have gone over the copy edits and the page proofs during which the book is meandering its way toward an actual physical presence in the bookstore, but is now entirely out of my hands. It's the waiting period (in this case there are about 80 days to go until official publication) in which begin to wonder the all too common question: Will anyone like it? (to which the answer usually is, some will, some won't, and unfortunately all too many people will never hear about it or read it--which is obviously why there are contests and giveaways: to try to raise the profile of any given book beforehand and after publication).

Here's the first review I've seen.***
Whew.


I apologize in advance, by the way. You're going to be hearing a LOT about Cold Magic in the next 3 months. I'll try to post other content as well, though, for variety.



*** And the same review can be found in a different (non-lj) location here

CONTEST! GIVEAWAY!

The winner will receive a complete (signed and personalized if you wish) set of the Tor Books (USA) mass market paperbacks of the Crossroads Trilogy (Spirit Gate, Shadow Gate, Traitors' Gate).

Here's the deal:

1) Send an email to Kate.Elliott@(no-spam)sff.net with the header "Crossroads Giveaway". Remember to remove the (no-spam) part.

2) In the body, your email needs your full mailing address (snail mail). Without that, I can't enter you.

3) One entry per person, please. Multiples will be DQd.


DATES: April 7 (today) to April 18.


I will choose the winner by blind lottery drawing on April 18 late in the evening, my time, which is pretty much the last hours of April 18 anywhere in the world.

I will be having a second contest, but the terms will be different. More on that later. This one, however, is purely enter to win by following the directions, and no other elements apply.