Author: claudia

I’m slightly under the weather today, but not so much that I forgot to pick the winners of Contest #9: Congrats to Viki S. and Kelsie K! One of these ladies put “surprise me” as her choice, so I won’t say what they’ve got here, but their books will be en route shortly.

I also got to take a look at you guys’ Halloween candy preferences. While chocolate is, as always, a dominant force, and candy corn has a surprising number of adherents, it looks to me like the Reese’s company basically has Halloween sewn up. The peanut butter cups, the peanut butter pumpkins, Reese’s Pieces — you guys are crazy for the stuff! Now I know what to bring to future book signings ….

And now, the contest you’ve all been waiting for – AUTUMN GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA #10! The prizes: Five (5) copies of the ARC for AFTERLIFE, the fourth and final book in the EVERNIGHT series!

(Well, if you don’t count the book I’m writing right now, BALTHAZAR. But while this book is obviously connected to the series, it’s more of a stand-alone. AFTERLIFE is the real, true conclusion of Bianca and Lucas’ story.)

Five lucky winners, chosen at random, will get a signed copy. What do you have to do to be among them?

Contest rules:

1) Email me at evernightclaudia at gmail dot com, with the subject header “AUTUMN GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA Contest #10” or some variation thereof.

2) In this email, give me a name and address I can use to mail your book if you win. (And yes, I’ll ship anywhere.)

3) Also tell me your favorite Halloween costume — whether it’s one you wore, one you made, one you saw, whatever.

4) Do all this by Halloween, October 31, because that’s when I’ll choose the five winners!

Good luck, everybody!

**

And just a reminder about my November signings! This is what I said last time, and I hope to see you guys out for these:

Thursday, November 18, New Orleans, LA: I’ll be back in my old stomping grounds, specifically starting at 5:30 pm at the Garden District Book Shop at 2727 Prytania. No idea what the event will be like, but as it’s likely to be smaller, I should be able to sign and chat as much as you’d like, if you’re able to come. Also no idea how long it will last, as a lot depends on turnout, but we’re planning on an hour and a half. Maybe call ahead to the bookstore and let them know you’re planning to come? (504) 895-2266

Monday, November 22, Jackson, MS: I’ll be at one of my very favorite bookstores, Lemuria at 202 Banner Hall, 4465 I-55 North. At this store, they do signings before readings/Q&A, so the signing begins at 5, the rest at 5:30. (But if you’re late, let’s face it, I’ll sign anyway.) Again, you might want to let the bookstore know: (601) 366-7619.

If I completely blank out on a contest deadline again, you guys feel free to nudge me via Twitter, okay? But I have at last found the winners of Contest #7 — Congrats to Jennifer K., April X. and Tiffany H.! At least one of this winners chose the option “Surprise me,” so I won’t specify who gets what, but THE DUFF, I AM NUMBER FOUR and MATCHED are all on their way to one of these fabulous winners.

Only three more contests to go in the Extravaganza: Ready for Contest #8?

Our prizes this time? One fabulous book that’s already out and you must have, and one ARC for a hot December release.

First up — WICKED GIRLS, by Stephanie Hemphill from right here in Chicagoland. It’s based on the true story of the very first supernatural scare in the United States … the Salem Witch Trials. Lies, delusion, hallucinogenics, religious fanaticism, genuine dark magic, hysteria: They all have roles in this story, told in an original, part letter, part poetry style. Looking for something paranormal but definitely different? This is for you.

Then — the ARC of INVISIBLE THINGS by Jenny Davidson. 16-year-old Sophie has lost her parents, and she suspects there’s more to the story of the deaths than she’s been told. Who can help her learn the truth better than Mikael, her long-time best friend who is on the verge of becoming more than just a friend. But their quest involves taking on the resources and secrets of one of the world’s most famous, powerful and mysterious men. Bonus: This is another historical, so fresh and dynamic you’ll swear it’s happening right now.

Want to win? Then check out the contest rules:

1) Email me at evernightclaudia at gmail dot com, and include a name and address I can use to mail your prize if you win.

2) Tell me which one of the boks you’re interested, or say “surprise me!”

3) And maybe share a bit about which historical period you find most interesting!

4) Do all this before Sunday, October 24, when I’ll pick the winners (and I won’t run late this time.)

Good luck, get set, and go!

First of all, congrats to the winners of Contest #5 — Way to go, Dawn M., Heather P. and Mandy A.! A couple of these ladies chose “Surprise Me” as their option, so I’m not going to say here which ones they won; they’ll find out when they open the packages. But as THE FRENZY, NIGHTSHADE and ASCENDANT are all awesome, nothing but good things are happening here.

This brings us to Contest #6! Some of you read the anthology IMMORTAL, which came out a couple of years ago and told the origin story for Patrice from EVERNIGHT, Bianca’s first and most glamorous roommate. Although Patrice didn’t appear in the last two books, she’s one of my favorite characters; basically, I figured if I didn’t have really fabulous stuff for her to do, she would rather spend her time in Scandinavia with a hot guy named Thor. But Patrice is about to return, and she’s got plenty of awesome stuff to do now — and information Bianca and Lucas would really like to have — but I digress. Even before her return in AFTERLIFE, you can read more about Patrice (specifically, her dramatic history during World War II) in the sequel to IMMORTAL: the BenBella anthology ETERNAL. More vampires, more romance and more Patrice. You know you want to get your hands on this, and three lucky winners will get copies for free! How do you enter?

1) Send me an email at evernightclaudia at gmail dot com, with the subject line “Contest #6.”

2) In this email, include the name and address where your copy can be sent if you win. (And, as these are going out from BenBella, I’m afraid entries can only come from the US or Canada. Sorry, international guys; we’ll make it up to you next time!)

3) Also tell me who from the EVERNIGHT series you would most want to room with. Would you rather make funky art projects with Raquel? Take it easy with Dana? Borrow from Patrice’s fabulous closet? Hang out with Bianca? (Or, if you’re a guy, would Vic’s crazy posters be a pro or a con?)

4) Do all this by Wednesday, October 13, which is when I’ll pick the winners. The 13th could be your lucky day!

Good luck, everybody!

First of all, congrats to the winners of Contest #4: Anne V. will receive the autographed copy of PARANORMALCY, Lani A. gets HOTHOUSE, and Donna S. is the lucky winner of I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT!

Today, while browsing through the Halloween superstore looking (in vain, what is wrong with people) for the missing components of my Sue Sylvester costume, I came across the novelty socks and promptly snapped up a pair with skulls on them. They will be worn long after October ends; I am sort of stupidly pleased with them, really. Sometimes, the funniest things will brighten up your whole day. So, in honor of these socks — and all the weird little pleasures life can provide — we now have AUTUMN GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA Contest #5!

Don’t panic. The prize is not socks. The prizes are three ARCs (though the book are just now coming out, so they’re not that far in advance — but the books are so cool it hardly matters.) They are:

THE FRENZY by Francesca Lia Block. Everything FLB touches is gold, so you know you want to check out her werewolf romance. Something happened to Liv when she was 13, something that changed her whole life. Now she only feels like herself when she’s out in the woods — or with her boyfriend, Corey. But danger lurks in the woods, and secrets too ….

ASCENDANT by Diana Peterfreund. Did you love last year’s RAMPANT, with the truth about unicorns and the need for unicorn hunters? Then you’re already eager to get your hands on the sequel. Astrid has a chance to leave the Cloisters, now that she’s a fully trained hunter. But she starts questioning everything she knows, from her love for Giovanni to the justice of her fight.

NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer. One of the fall’s most anticipated books! Calla has grown up as a werewolf, knowing she will someday be the mate of their sexy alpha, Ren. But when she rescues a handsome human male in the woods — violating the laws of the pack — she has to decide whether she can fulfill what she thought was her destiny, or whether she has to create her own path.

These all sound pretty great, right? So you want to know how to enter!

1) Send an email to evernightclaudia at gmail dot com, and include the name and address I would send your prize to.

2) Tell me the weirdest pair of socks you (or your friend, or your mom, or your freakish brother) have ever owned!

3) Also tell me which of the three books you’d like, or simply say, “Surprise me!”

4) Do all of this before Thursday, Oct. 7, when I’ll choose the winners.

Good luck, everybody!

**

In other news, FATEFUL — aka “Werewolves on the Titanic” — is now complete! Next up for me to write: BALTHAZAR.

First of all, congrats to the Contest #3 winners: Way to go, Van P., Lucas W. and Angelou R.! It was interesting to me how much agreement there was among the entries. For instance, pretty much everyone agreed that Ranulf would definitely be in Glee Club. And pretty much everyone agreed that Raquel wouldn’t. You guys are definitely right on that last one — Raquel does Not. Do. Glee Club.

When one contest closes, another opens, which means it’s time for AUTUMN GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA Contest #4!

This week’s loot:

PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White! This book debuted on the NYT bestseller list earlier this year, and when you get to read it, you’ll see why. Evie’s a 16-year-old girl who loves pink and dreams of going to the prom — but she’s too busy working for a secret anti-paranormal government agency to have anything like a normal life. Not just fun but genuinely funny: If you enjoyed TV shows like “Supernatural” or “The X-Files,” you’ll love this one. Bonus: Autographed copy!

HOTHOUSE by Chris Lynch! If you’re an aspiring YA writer, particularly one interested in the more literary side of YA, you’ll want to check this out. Russ and DJ are high school friends brought closer after the deaths of their firefighter dads, who are being celebrated as heroes. But as more about the fatal accident is revealed, Russ has to learn what really happened and ask himself who his father really was. Deep and intense.

I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT by Terry Pratchett. If you haven’t discovered Terry Pratchett — one of the most hilarious and brilliant writers of scifi/fantasy/paranormal fiction during the past few decades — it’s time to start. (If you HAVE discovered Pratchett and his wonderful Tiffany Aching series, then you’re already eager to get your hands on this one!) I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT is the final book in the Tiffany Aching series, and special bonus: It’s an ARC, so you get your hands on it a wee bit early.

How do you enter? Just follow these easy steps:

1) Send an email to evernightclaudia at gmail dot com, with the subject line “Autumn Giveaway Extravaganza Contest #4,” or maybe just “Contest #4,” because it is increasingly clear to me that this is a really long title.

2) In the email, tell me which of the three books you’d like to get, or if you’d be interested in any of them, just say, “Surprise me!”

3) Also in this email, give me the name and address I should use to mail your copy if you win. (Yes, I’ll ship anywhere worldwide.)

I’ll choose three winners (one for each book, at random) on Monday, October 4. So get those entries in now!

First of all, congratulations to the winners of Contest #2: Way to go, Ellen C. and Aydrea R.! Ellen will be receiving THE UNIDENTIFIED by Rae Mariz, and Aydrea will get an autographed copy of FIRELIGHT by Sophie Jordan. It was interesting seeing what you guys thought the characters might be reading — by far, the most common response (and a logical one!) was that Bianca would be really interested in FIRELIGHT, seeing as how she knows what it’s like to fall in love with someone who hunts your own kind. Several people also thought that iconoclastic Raquel and rebel Lucas might find identify with the main character of THE UNIDENTIFIED.

This post is going up on a Tuesday, which as viewers in the US (and maybe other places too?) know is “Glee” day. And I’ve written an essay for FILLED BY GLEE, a new book from BenBella looking at all the twists and turns of our favorite non-ironic musical teen comedy. (My essay is about all the baby-mama drama of season one.) Want a copy? You’ll have to act fast: This contest is only running for two days!

How do you enter?

1) Send me an email at evernightclaudia at gmail dot com, with “Glee Contest” as the subject header. Give me a name and address where the publisher can send your book if you win — and for this contest, I’m afraid, we’re looking at entries from the US and Canada only. (Sorry, international fans, but your day is coming again VERY soon.)

2) Tell me what you think the Evernight Academy Glee Club would be like! Do you think they’d have to convince Ranulf that Gregorian chants are out of style? Do they kill Vocal Adrenalin to improve their chances at Regionals? Is the Sue Sylvester/Mrs. Bethany face-off as epic as it is in my head? (And this is one where I will definitely want to share good answers, so don’t send in anything you wouldn’t be comfortable seeing reprinted in this blog!

3) Do all this by Thursday, Sept. 30, when I’ll pick three winners at random. Copies won’t be autographed, as they’re coming to you from the publisher, but hey — that gives you something to bring to a future signing.

Speaking of which, I should soon have some new US tour dates to announce, so stay tuned. And good luck with Contest #3!

Many of you contributed my favorite entry — “extravaganza” — so I chose the three winners from that group: Congratulations to Alicia W., Chelsee B. and Ellie R.! They’ll all be receiving copies of “The Vampire Diaries” essay book A VISITOR’S GUIDE TO MYSTIC FALLS.

If you didn’t win, don’t get discouraged. First of all, A VISITOR’S GUIDE TO MYSTIC FALLS will soon be in bookstores near you, and second, the Autumn Giveaway Extravaganza is only now getting started!

This week’s goodies:

FIRELIGHT, by Sophie Jordan. Jacinda’s a dragon — that is, a drakyn, one who can live as a human and does most of the time, at least until her mother tears her away from their controlling group so their family can try normal lives. Now Jacinda’s human all of the time, and she hates it. When can she let her wild side and her powers free? The guy she’s just met, Will, definitely brings out the beast in her … but she thinks he might be a dragon hunter. Very romantic and very sexy stuff. Extra bonus: Autographed copy!

and —

THE UNIDENTIFIED, by Rae Mariz. Katey lives in the Game, a “school” actually run by a corporate conglomerate that wants to study, and manipulate, the student body. At first she takes her market-research life for granted — the only one she’s ever known — but slowly she becomes aware of a rebel group, the “Unidentified,” who want to reclaim their minds and their lives. But can even rebellion be packaged for mass consumption? The conglomerate thinks so, until Katey finds a way to change the Game forever. Dark, sharp and funny. Extra bonus: It’s an ARC, so you’ll get it before the bookstores do!

How do you enter? Follow these simple rules:

1) Send me an email at evernightclaudia at gmail dot com with the header “AUTUMN GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA Contest #2.”

2) Say in the body of your email which one of the books you’re interested in (if you’d be interested in either one, say so), and which one your favorite character from the Evernight series would pick up to read.

3) Also give me a name and address where I can send your book if you win. (And yes, I will ship anywhere.)

4) Do all this before Monday, Sept. 27, when I’ll pick two winners — one for FIRELIGHT, one for THE UNIDENTIFIED.

Good luck, everybody!