Closing Ceremonies

You're all winners! ...At life. But unfortunately, as far as the WILDEFIRE Olympics are concerned, there could only be 4 winners out of the 100+ entries that I randomly drew from.

The winners of the 2 16x20 WILDEFIRE canvases are: Lucia and Lyssa Anne.

The winner of the pre-order of THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin is: Rachel C.

And the winner of the signed ARC of WITCH EYES by Scott Tracey is: Sera R.

Thanks to everyone who entered, and I had so much fun with these Olympics that I promise I'll do some more giveaways soon!

WILDEFIRE Olympics Roundup

My apologies that the final 2 days of the WILDEFIRE Olympics are so late--but I have a good excuse. I was in NYC for the weekend, without internet access, to give a reading and signing for WILDEFIRE at the fabulous Books of Wonder in Manhattan. Singlehandedly one of the coolest events of my life, and thank you to Peter for hosting!

So without further adieu, I give you the official Karsten Knight playlist for WILDEFIRE, along with the chapter when you should be listening to that song:

Chapter 1: Lightning Rod
Your Own Love by VersaEmerge

Chapter 2: Sleepwalker
Long Life (Where’d You Go) by Great Big Sea

Chapter 3: Blue Flame
I’m in Here by Sia

Chapter 4: The Beach Scrolls
Yesteryear by Rosi Golan

Chapter 5: Chain Gang
Above and Below (Moon Version) by the Bravery

Chapter 6: Burning Bed
Veni Veni Emmanuel as performed by Hayley Westenra

Chapter 7: Handprint
Angels ft. Norah Jones by Wax Poetic

Chapter 8: Match Point
Ignorance by Paramore

Chapter 9: Midnight Movie
Thrown Away by VAST

Chapter 10: Masquerade
Sunrise by Yellowbirddd

Chapter 11: Sibling Rivalry
Wait it Out by Imogen Heap

Chapter 12: Extinguished
Breathe Again by Sara Bareilles

Closing Credits
Soldier by Ingrid Michaelson

I'll be drawing the winner of the two 16x20 inch canvases of the WILDEFIRE cover (and the bonus prizes) on Thursday, so to recap, here are the chances you have for entries (one point for each task):

1) Like the WILDEFIRE fan page on facebook
2) Tweet or facebook a picture of you and WILDEFIRE
3) Do something nice for a (non-WILDEFIRE) book that you love
4) Tweet or facebook your favorite Karsten Knight video
5) Tweet or facebook your favorite line from WILDEFIRE
6) Tweet or facebook your favorite song

If you tweet, just use the #Wildefire hashtag or if you use facebook, tag the Wildefire fan page. Ta-da! Remember to comment below identifying all the ways you participated, along with your name and email. Spreading the word about this contest will win you my admiration and gratitude, which are more valuable than a beautiful canvas, right? Right??

In the mean time, here's a clip from Thursday's WILDEFIRE book launch and reading. Thanks Gail for taking the video!

WILDEFIRE Olympics Day 4: Video Day

So I'm sitting here, four hours from the WILDEFIRE launch party at the Barnes & Noble in Framingham, Massachusetts. I wish you all could be there, but apparently, as a few people from the other side of the country have informed me, teleportation has not been perfected yet. Hell, blogger's spell checker hasn't even accepted the word teleportation yet, because it's red-squiggling it. Squiggling is a word but teleportation isn't? Bullshit.

In order to make you all feel like you were right there with me, Day 4 of the WILDEFIRE Olympics is easy: just pick your favorite Karsten Knight video and tweet it with the hashtag #Wildefire. OR tag me of the WILDEFIRE fan page with one on facebook. Then just make sure to comment below with your name and email so I know you played.

There's even a convenient Greatest Hits Sidebar to the left if you have trouble picking a video.

While you're at it, feel free to scroll down and participate in any of the EASY tasks from the previous three days of the Olympics.
Day 1 (Monday, 7/25): Facebook Day
Like the brand new WILDEFIRE Fan page on Facebook
Day 2 (Tuesday, 7/26): Picture Day
Tweet me or facebook tag a picture of you with a copy of WILDEFIRE (and identify where you're from!)
Day 3 (Wednesday, 7/27): Pay-It-Forward Day
Do something nice for a book that you love.

For each day you play, you'll get another entry to win one of two grand prizes: a 16x20 inch canvas print of the gorgeous WILDEFIRE cover, along with bonus prizes like THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin or WITCH EYES by Scott Tracey.

For now, I give you one of my favorite videos to film--the infamous instructional dance video...

The WILDEFIRE Olympics Day 3: Pay-it-Forward Day

This is me autographing copies of WILDEFIRE at a toddler table in toddler seat at Brookline Booksmith. I felt like I was in Gulliver's Travels.

When it gets to be one season, or one month, or one week, or one day before your book's launch, it's easy to get swept up in the frenzy of full-blown self-promotion mode. You spend two years of your life writing, and rewriting, and revising, and nurturing this 393-page creature, and it's only natural as you're finally releasing it out into the world to do everything you can to ensure that it soars as high as it can.

But sooner or later you have to take a step back and come to terms with a few things:
1) Even with a few thousand twitter followers and facebook friends, even with the amazing continued support and enthusiasm of the book-blogging community, you're only reaching a microcosm of the people who will eventually read your book. And that's great.
2) If you talk about your book or the craft of writing constantly, all you'll end up with is a hoarse, scratchy voice, and that makes it awfully difficult to do book readings.
3) You're not just a reader, but a writer, and you're time is better spent sharing with others the books that you love.

So today, I give you day 3 of the WILDEFIRE Olympics: Pay-it-Forward Day. All you have to do for today's task is to go out and do something nice for a (non-Wildefire) book that you love. You can do anything: Write a nice review for it and post it on GoodReads, Amazon, and B&N. Go like or comment on a handful of thoughtful well-written reviews for it. Surprise a friend by mailing or ordering them a copy of a great novel. Then just post in the comments below what you did and what book you did it for. (Selfishly, my ulterior motive is to hear some summer reading recommendations from you).

My wholehearted recommendation to you today is one of my favorites from 2011: WITCH EYES by Scott Tracey.

If you want a glimpse into what makes WITCH EYES one of the fall's best upcoming paranormal romances, take a gander at this teaser from chapter 2:

There was a moment where time seemed to fracture, a crystalline snapshot of the world where Uncle Jonathan had started raising his arm, his face full of fear and alarm. Where motes of sunlight lay poised above me, and the westerly breeze was tangible and tangled up against my skin. It was as if the world around me had called a time out.

Then the landscape expanded into something larger than four dimensions, the binding boiled itself down to an alphabet of magic, and the visions swallowed me up.

Elegant prose. Explosive magic. A fresh, seductive romance. And hellhounds. What more do you want?

Witch Eyes won't hit bookstores until September, but one lucky reader who participates in Pay-it-Forward Day and posts below will win a signed ARC. And of course you'll be entered to win one of the two 16x20-inch WILDEFIRE canvas prints I'll be drawing on Sunday.

So go do something nice for a great book, then head back here and let me know what you did. As with the other day, you can comment below anytime between now and Sunday July 31st when I draw the winners. To wrap up, as usual, I give you a flashback video from Karsten's Greatest Hits.

The WILDEFIRE Olympics Day 2: Picture Day

WILDEFIRE officially hits bookstores today! ...Even though it's been in most bookstores for a week and most copies via Amazon and B&N have already been shipped.

Today's mission, if you choose to accept it, is to take a picture of yourself with a copy of WILDEFIRE. OR, if it's on your Nook/Kindle/Kobo/Abacus/Speak & Spell, just take a picture of yourself with the cover up on the screen. For example...

...this is a picture from last Halloween when WILDEFIRE and I went trick-or-treating as a cowboy and a gangster.

Once you've taken a picture of yourself with the book, just tweet it with the #Wildefire hashtag or tag the WILDEFIRE fan page on facebook with it. Then post a comment below with your name, email and city/state letting me know you've completed day 2's task.

At the end of the week I'll be tallying the entries and randomly drawing two grand-prize winners of 16x20 canvas prints of the gorgeous WILDEFIRE cover, but anyone who participates in Picture Day will be entered for a bonus prize:

A pre-order of THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by my talented Simon & Schuster-in-law, Michelle Hodkin!

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Doesn't that sound mindblowingly awesome? And how about that cover?? Well for one lucky winner, you'll have a finished copy waiting in your mailbox when it comes out on September 27th. In the meantime, you should follow Michelle on Twitter and check out her blog.

You can participate in Picture Day at any point between now and Sunday, July 31st when I draw the winners. Lastly, I'll be ending each day of the WILDEFIRE Olympics with a video from Karsten's Greatest Hits. Enjoy.