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Friday, July 20, 2012

It's ALIVE!

Oh frabjous day, my new website is alive and kicking!

If you were wondering why I've been so quiet in the blogasphere and on twitter lately, it's because I was doing something akin to this:




Okay, no lightning was involved, but it took some major electrical voltage to carry me through the wee hours of the night while designing banners and adding text (we won't even mention my intake of caffeine). Heh

But it was worth the drowsy-hazed days and neglected teddy bear (he' still not speaking to me), because I now have a finished creation: simple, functional, and morbidly pretty. All the things I love in a monster, er, website.

Special thanks to Itkupilli, a Finnish artist and designer who offers free blog banners and backgrounds. You can find the "Free Backgrounds and Other Stuff" button on my blog's sidebar if you'd like to check out the artwork for yourself. One of those lovely free banners provided the perfect foundation for my website/blog's theme.

Also, thanks to my wonderful husband, the real mad scientist behind this project, who brought life to my index page, a Gothic Victorian storefront with blinking candlelight. If you'd like a peek at that, hop over here: www.aghoward.com.

Now, the only thing that makes me happier than this sense of accomplishment is knowing I get to celebrate with you!

And celebrate, we shall. Wonderland style, of course.

Welcome to the...


(Yes, that's me in the red wig. Not the best look, I'll admit,
but I'm thinking I could give Ronald McDonald a run for his money.)


Oh, and best news of all? This contest is INTERNATIONAL, yo!


Now, let's check out what's up for grabs.

  • 1st Place Prize: A hot off the press signed Splintered ARC



  • 2nd Place Prize: Signed 18X24" Splintered Poster



  • 3rd Place Prize: Signed title page from an original Splintered galley



  • 4th Place Prize:  Assorted Splintered / Alice swag, all signed




  • 5th Place Prize: Choice between ONE of these fab YA books:



  • 6th Place Prize: Set of 5 Alice in Wonderland Mini Book Charms  



  • Two super Awesome BONUS Prizes: A query critique by the fabulous Jenny Bent and also one by the fantastic Molly Ker Hawn from The Bent Agency (Please note: Ms. Ker Hawn only takes YA or MG queries, and due to time constraints, her critique will get back to the winner sometime in early September). 



A couple of notes about the prizes: There's something very special about the galley title page, a secret about the book's formatting that has been kept under wraps. Also, about the BONUS prizes, since there are two crits, that means two lucky writers will get the inside track into what an agent likes to see in their inbox.

Now, how do you get a hold of these wonderful prizes? Use my new website linkies at the top of my sidebar. Go to the "Contests and Giveaways" page, and find out how to get your name in the drawing.

See you over there, my little madlings!


39 comments:

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    1. Aw, thanks pal! And thanks for tweeting about it. :)

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  2. Great contest :) And your site looks awesome!

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  3. Hey! Can't wait to see the new website--your new blog look is purdy nice, too! Just jumping in to **wave** :o) <3

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  4. Oh wow! The site is gorgeous!!! *goes to look around some more*

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    1. Heehee. That's JUST the kind of reaction I was hoping for. :) Thank you!

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  5. WAHOO!!! Almost as purdy as the Mad Hatter herself! Great contest, which I intend to win (sorry suckers). I'm heading over now!

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    1. LOL. Yeah, I look SO good with a red fro. *cough* Good luck w/the contest, you little #naughty goat.

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  6. Fabulous site!!!!!!! So haunting, creepy, sets me in the mood to read Splintered.

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    1. Thanks Kaylie! And oh my goodness, I owe you some interview questions! So sorry. As you can see, I've been insanely crazy. :) I'll try to send those shortly. Thanks for your patience and support, lovely gal!

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  7. Love the new look...so creepy beautiful

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    1. Thank you, lovely lady! That's exactly what I was going for. :)

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  8. LOVE the new website/blog!! Just entered the contest--woo-hoo! So many goodies *fingers crossed*!! I'm taking you DOWN, Crandell! ;o)

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    1. (When I type in parenthesis, Angela can't see what I'm saying. Poor girl. She has no idea the folicular weaponry in my arsenal. Heh.)

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    2. Ha! Thank you cutie, Angela, (and good luck Rookie, although you'd better watch your back; I hear Angela and Guido have become pretty tight lately). ;P

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    3. Hey, now. If you want to turn this into a battle-of-the-fros, I have a can of Aqua-net I can dig out from the bottom of my Caboodle.

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    4. Hmmm. I don't know Rook, sounds like Angela's getting out the big guns. She's going all 80's on you! Hehehe

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    5. Afro beats 80s every day of the week! :)

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  10. What a beautiful website and an equally gorgeous contest (and amazing prizes)! By the way, I may have just mentioned Splintered and your website to my teenage stepdaughter and she may have just squealed with delight (she LOVES Alice and Wonderland). And by the time she gets done with her phone and computer tonight, you may have a new slew of fans :)

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    1. Yay! That is SO awesome! Even if you don't win, I would love to send your stepdaughter some Splintered swag for all her PR work. LOL. A book mark, button, bookplate, and something cute and Alice-esque. Email me your snail mail addy (use my contact info above)and I'll send it her way.

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    2. That's so sweet! She'll go crazy for those things :) I tried to access your contact info, but the page was listed as unavailable...

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    3. Hey Jess! GAR. Silly blogger. It has this glitch that sometimes it won't open pages properly so that message comes up. When that happens, I have to go back in and manually push the update button to fix it. I still don't know what's causing that? Anyway, thank you so much for bringing that up! No telling how many hopped over to that page and think it's still under construction. LOL. I HOPE it's working now. But to save time, I'm going to use your contact info and email you. Then we can get the ball rolling that way. Thanks again!

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  11. I love your blog/ website! But about the contest I wanna enter and I have a goodreads account but I don't have a facebook or twitter :( are there any orher ways to get points

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    1. Aw, thanks Silentshade! Tell you what, hop over to the contest area and use some of the options for the agent giveaway (none of those require twitter or FB). Post the answers to those questions in the raffle copter boxes for the twitter and FB stuff, explaining you don't have twitter and FB accounts, and you'll get the exta points. :) Did that make sense? LOL. If not, email me and I'll try to explain better. ;)

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  12. Ahhh! Your new website is creepy! But that's why I love it :D Hih. It is awesome :D Congrats ;) <3 Also, dying to read your book. <3 sigh. Cannot wait. :) And omg. This is the perfect giveaway. And international! Yay :D Thank you. :) *Fingers crossed.* <3 I would love all the prizes. Except for the bouns prize; cause I don't write yet (A) Hih ;p
    Love, Carina

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    1. So glad you love it, Carina! I like me some pretty and creepy. :) And I hope hope hope you win something, too! May the raffle copter odds be ever in your favor. ;)

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  13. I'm loving the new website!!! Very gothic like, I love it! Your giveaway is brilliant, woo for it being international!!

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    1. Thank you! I'm pretty happy over here, too. I spent way to much time playing around over here yesterday (on my own website ... LOL) just because the colors are soothing to me. :) And of course I had to go international this time! Couldn't let you guys miss out on the fun. :)

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  14. love the new place!

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    1. Thanks Jane! It was fun to design. :) I like it here, too.

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  15. I'm diggin' the new site! And this contest is seriously AWESOME! All the prizes are drool-worthy! My fingers and toes and arms and legs are crossed!

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    1. Haha! Now, don't cut off your circulation with all that crossing. LOL. Thanks so much for coming by, and for entering! Good luck!

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  16. This sounds so awesom!!!

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  17. Woohoooooooooo!!!! Love the new website, and can't wait to check out the contest. I will hip-check anyone who gets in my way!

    Congrats on all this great stuff!!!!

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    1. LOL! Hip-check, huh? I like your style, girl. Thanks for stopping by and the kind words about my site! I loves it too. :)

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