RoseBlood & The Architect of Song GIVEAWAY BASH

***The giveaway portion of this post has ended. Winners were announced here.***

Sorry I've been quiet online for a few weeks -- one of the downsides to having 2 books coming out within months of each other. Juggling duel sets of edits and pass pages at the same time leads to long days and nights in the writing cave. 

But, there's also a huge upside that I get to share with all of you! Two books coming out means twice the giveaways, and today I decided to double up and have a RoseBlood reveal and two Architect of Song announcements, along with prizes tied to each book. 

First, the reveal -- RoseBlood's official trailer:

Here's hoping that left you even hungrier for the haunting story behind the mask. ;) I'm so looking forward to January when this baby hits the shelves!

And The Architect of Song announcements:

The official tour, sponsored by RockStar Book Tours, is on the horizon:

Mark your calendars because there will be early reviews, insider peeks, and prizes galore. 

Also, the kindle version is now up for preorder! Here are two beautiful pictures taken by some talented bloggers as proof: 

(picture attribution: Ravenous Reader)

(picture attribution: My Friends are Fiction)

Click here or on either image above to go to Amazon for more info. 

Several readers have asked if there will be a printed version of this book, and yes, there is (I'm giving one away today). However, the preorder option is only available for the e-version. The paperback will be available to buy on the release date: August 15th, 2016. 

Now, to the giveaway (yes, it's INTL)! 

Up for grabs today:

One signed RoseBlood ARC

One signed The Architect of Song paperback

One signed RoseBlood panoramic poster

One signed The Architect of Song poster

One musical sheet necklace (18 inch chain)

One set of signed RoseBlood swag

One set of signed The Architect of Song swag

Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win one of these seven fabulous prizes (INTL)! Good luck to all, and I hope to see you later this month for The Architect of Song's blog tour. Have a happy and safe 4th of July, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RoseBlood & The Architect of Song GIVEAWAY BASH

Sorry I've been quiet online for a few weeks -- one of the downsides to having 2 books coming out within months of each other. Juggling duel sets of edits and pass pages at the same time leads to long days and nights in the writing cave. 

But, there's also a huge upside that I get to share with all of you! Two books coming out means twice the giveaways, and today I decided to double up and have a RoseBlood reveal and two Architect of Song announcements, along with prizes tied to each book. 

First, the reveal -- RoseBlood's official trailer:

Here's hoping that left you even hungrier for the haunting story behind the mask. ;) I'm so looking forward to January when this baby hits the shelves!

And The Architect of Song announcements:

The official tour, sponsored by RockStar Book Tours, is on the horizon:

Mark your calendars because there will be early reviews, insider peeks, and prizes galore. 

Also, the kindle version is now up for preorder! Here are two beautiful pictures taken by some talented bloggers as proof: 

(picture attribution: Ravenous Reader)

(picture attribution: My Friends are Fiction)

Click here or on either image above to go to Amazon for more info. 

Several readers have asked if there will be a printed version of this book, and yes, there is (I'm giving one away today). However, the preorder option is only available for the e-version. The paperback will be available to buy on the release date: August 15th, 2016. 

Now, to the giveaway (yes, it's INTL)! 

Up for grabs today:

One signed RoseBlood ARC

One signed The Architect of Song paperback

One signed RoseBlood panoramic poster

One signed The Architect of Song poster

One musical sheet necklace (18 inch chain)

One set of signed RoseBlood swag

One set of signed The Architect of Song swag

Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win one of these seven fabulous prizes (INTL)! Good luck to all, and I hope to see you later this month for The Architect of Song's blog tour. Have a happy and safe 4th of July, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NewASH is on the horizon, and so is my cover reveal!

Hello Everyone! Hope you're as excited as I am, because the Spring 2016 New Adult Scavenger Hunt begins soon, and during the hunt, I'll be revealing THE ARCHITECT OF SONG's official book trailer and cover!

Also, there will be the chance to win lots of books and other prizes, all INTL. So be sure to join us!

Here are the Spring 2016 #NewASH teams:

TEAM BLUE

TEAM RED

TEAM PURPLE

The New Adult Scavenger Hunt begins at Noon Eastern Time on Thursday, April 28th and runs through Sunday, May 1st. Be sure to visit the NewASH website for more information and the prize listings. Hope to see you on Thursday!

Ensnared Book Trailer Reveal Giveaway!

Yay! The ARCs are finally here, and just in time for the October Ensnared teaser reveal!

Aren't they pretteh?

I've been hugging them for hours, so they're broken in and ready to go to good homes... 

Well, three of them anyway. ;) 

But first, here is October's reveal:

Hope you liked it, and are even more excited for book three's launch in January! 

But for now, I promised a giveaway to help tide you over, so here's what's up for grabs (and yes, it's INTL):

3 Signed Ensnared ARCs

1 Vintage Queen of Hearts Print

2 Key Necklace/Book Marks

1 Pair of Alice Key Earrings (from "With Love, From Home")

1 Set of 5 Alice Card Suit Magnets

(Styles will vary)

2 Personalized/signed Splintered Series Swag packs 

That's 10 chances to win a prize! 

Use the rafflecopter below to enter, and I'll see you again in November to announce the winners and the next Ensnared teaser reveal.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Unhinged Book Trailer Reveal and Giveaway!

I'm so excited about Splintered's sequel and I want to share the frabjousness with you!

Since I didn't get to have a giveaway for the Unhinged cover reveal, I'll be having a book trailer reveal/giveaway instead! YAY!

Can you tell I'm itching to hand out some free goodies? Also, a lot of readers have been asking what Unhinged is about, so I'll be posting an official synopsis, too.

SQUEE!

When is this taking place? **Monday, May 6th**

Where? On my pal Bethany Crandell's blog. Why there? First, because she generously offered. And second, because she has a FABULOUS YA debuting in 2014 and I want you guys to see her awesome blog/website and check out what her book's about!

Now, for a giveaway teaser, here's a sneak peek of the goodies:

First Prize: Personalized and Autographed 18 x 24 poster of Unhinged

 

 

Second Prize: Alice in Wonderland Victorian filigree pocket watch necklace with hinged face cover

(see what I did there? hinged/unhinged...heh)

 Third Prize:  8 x 10 Alice Falling Down The Rabbit Hole Vintage Dictionary Print (frame not included)

 

 

Fourth Prize: Personalized and Autographed Splintered Swag Pack

 

No ARCs to giveaway yet, but those are forthcoming! Be sure to stop by on Monday for the big reveal and a chance for the prizes! I'll post a link here again to help you find your way. Have a great rest of the weekend!

Skary Childrin (and Taiwan)...

Before I get to today's trailer, I have a quick publishing update. I got the news from Agent Goddess last week that Splintered  has sold to Taiwan, which means I'll one day be translated in both German and Chinese. YAY!

So "谢谢" and "Danke" to these lovely territories for believing in my story! ♥˘⌣˘♥

Now, onto the Skary misspelling of my title...

Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow is my trailer highlight for today.

Not only does the story itself sound dark and unique, but so are the illustrations drawn by the author. Here's a sneak peak of her talent:

This one is for young readers, ages 8 and up, but it's so visually appealing, it's now on my TBR pile just so I can indulge in the artwork.

As you can see on my calendar, I won't be blogging anymore this month (other than poetry Mondays). I'm on blog-cation over the holiday to work on edits. But Pat McDonald, the founder and moderator of Query Tracker, is coming by the first Friday in December for an interview, so I hope to see you all then. 

Oh, and one last thing, have a SPECTACULAR and safe Thanksgiving holiday. (◕‿◕)

Introduction to the *Friday Fright-Fest Contest*

If you'll have a look, something has changed on my calendar over to the right. I've reserved October 28th for some Creeptacular fun. Since this is the month of all things terror, I decided to give away some frighteningly delicious reads.

Both this week and next week's book trailers will highlight one of the five books that are up for grabs. Then on the 28th, I'll reveal all five books, and how you can win one. So stay tuned!

First up is Bad Girls Don't Die. Now, if this morbidly lovely book cover isn't enough to make you want to read it ...

Have a look at the video, done in true horror movie style.

If you're chomping at the bit to get your peepers on these pages, tune in Friday the 28th for my Fright-Fest Contest.

Until then, happy weekend!

Trailer Thursday

First, an announcement: I heard from my editor at Amulet yesterday, and Splintered's release date has been moved up by six months. YAY! This means, instead of coming out in Spring 2013, it will be published Fall of 2012. Which also means I'm about to receive my edits and will be VERY busy VERY soon.

Busy = good. Hee.

Okay, for my first official post for the blog hop, I'd like to share my newest book trailer. The Architect of Song (a gothic/literary romance set in Victorian England with a unique love triangle—sort of “Jane Eyre” meets “A Certain Slant of Light”, but with a deaf heroine).

 

This is the MS about to go out on sub under the masterful guidance of my agent. (Just for the record, I'm every bit as nervous as I was when Splintered made the rounds. Maybe even more, because this is the book of my heart. Eeps.)

If you know of a trailer that's dark, melancholy, creepy, or atmospheric, or if you have one you would like me to consider posting, please leave a link in the comment section.  (I prefer videos that don't exceed 3 minutes.)

Thanks for visiting today, and don't forget: I have a special QT guest for tomorrow's interview. She's a bit of a legend, having gone from the slush piles to a major deal in a matter of weeks. So be sure and stop by to hear her amazing story!

Times are a changin'...

First, I want to apologize to everyone for my absence on your blogs last week. Blogger kept erasing my comments the instant I pressed 'comment.'  If anyone else is having this problem, try what worked for me: clear both your COOKIES and CACHE, then shut down the browser before going to www.blogger.com . Don't login, press CTRL-F5 and then try logging in. Since I've done this, it's fixed the problem on all but a few blogs. So those of you I still haven't visited, I'm trying to get there. Darned if I'm going to let some minor programming glitch keep me from hanging w/my blog pals. Gar.

Also, thank you everyone who participated in my Happy Holiday Contest. I'm so sorry some of you had to email me your questions due to this blogger weirdness. BUT, I did have several entries who provided some great questions for my interview with Patrick. In the interest of complete fairness, I assigned each name a number in the order of their entries, and let Mister Random.org decide the winner of the Premium QT Membership. He chose:

Ms. Jenny Phresh

Yay! It couldn't have happened to a nicer pony. :)

On a final note, I have an announcement.

Things have taken a big turn for me. In the words of one of my dearest friends (Bethany, aka shakira goat--hee) my life is different than it was six months ago. Blogging, interviews, edits, book videos, twitter, web designing, and working with a young adult who has Asperger ... the list goes on and on.

My writing is suffering.

Now that I’m getting paid to do this, I can’t mess around. I used to be able to whip out a book in six months and lately I’m lucky to get in a couple of thousand words in a week. Back then I only blogged once a month or so. That tells me that the blogging has to give.

I want to keep this blog alive. I love my followers, and I love interacting with everyone. But the creative side of my mind, the one that writes posts, needs to be concentrating on the WIP. I'm under contract to write a second book, after all.

So here's my plan.

I'll keep up with the poetry posts on Mondays and the first Friday QT interviews. I'm giving up my Wednesday posts. Instead, on Thursdays, I'll post book trailers (because that requires very little thinking/preparation on my part) and leave comments open so we can discuss them. Thank you, Sarah over at Sarah's Books & Life, for hosting the Trailer Thursday blog hop. Since I'm such a visual person, this will be a fun way to keep my blog interactive and alive while I'm working on my writing.

If you'd like to join the hop, click on the button below to see Sarah's blog linky where you can sign up to take part. Or just hop over to see if any of your friends have joined in.

In keeping w/my blog's motif, I'll mainly post book trailers that strike me as dark, melancholy, creepy, or atmospheric. That is, unless I happen to have a pal w/a book coming out that needs some prop love. ♥˘⌣˘♥

And yes! That's an open invitation. If any of you have a trailer you would like me to consider posting, leave a link in the comment section. (I prefer videos that don't exceed 3 minutes.)

Please drop by tomorrow for my first official Trailer Thursday. I'm going to be posting my newest Windows Live Movie Maker creation (a book trailer for the adult lit romance that Agent Goddess is about to send out).

I will still write new posts once or twice a month, divided between here and the TeenShiver blog. Over on my sidebar, I have a calendar set up that will lay out my blog schedule for each month so you'll know where to find me.

As you can see, this Friday is a Query Trackers interview, so remember to drop by and see who the guest is.

Things are changing in the land of madness ... and I hope you'll all be willing to roll with the punches with me. I never want to lost sight of my friends and fellow writers. You are my backbone.

I'll see you all in the blogasphere, from time to time. ;)

Twitland and trailer parks

Some of you already know I made the Twitter plunge. Those of you who don't know, and have accounts there, please tweet me (@aghowardwrites) and I'll follow you! I've been having a blast meeting new writers/readers in the twittersphere. ;-)

As to the second part of my title today? Nope, I'm not tossing out my writerly ponderings to promote alternative housing options. My agent retweeted this link where very clever author, R.A. Evans, announced his idea to help others promote their book trailers in ... yep, you guessed it ... a trailer park! LOL. Love that.

Here's his tweet: Looking 4 a way 2 promote your book trailer? Check out my trailer park and contact me if you want to park yours.

How cool and generous is that? What a super nice guy. Let's all support him right back by dropping in and checking out those trailers.

Also, don't forget to stop by tomorrow for our interview with fellow QueryTracker vet David Kazzie. He's going to talk to us about going viral, a corrupt US senator, and how to find the humor in crime.

Buzz patrol


Nope. I'm not planning to be a beekeeper anytime soon, although my heroine in SPLINTERED aspires to be one.   ;-)

I'm in charge of buzz patrol for my MS, so Agent Goddess asked me to post my book trailer on YouTube. It was an interesting experience. I've never done anything like that before. It was fun though! I've figured out all the ins and outs finally, so if any of you ever need any tips, feel free to ask!

I haven't yet sent out spiders or tags into the blogasphere to make the video more visual to the internet world. For right now, I'm just sitting there quietly, in case a passing considering editor, friends, or family would like a peek. Once the book sells, I'm taking advantage of all of YouTube's publicity strategies. I'll do a post one of these days about the steps that involves.

As to any news about said book, we're having some good things going on w/my subs but I can't say anymore than that yet. Heehee. I promise to post about it the minute I can!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and productive weekend.

Playing with Window's Movie Maker...

I'm loving this tool. Here's my first ever book trailer. Squee!

And kudos to Kevin Macleod for providing FREE royalty-free song clips for any artist at his website: http://www.incompetech.com/. All he asks is that you reference him or his website in the credits.

What a super nice guy! 

Also, photobucket has TONS of royalty-free pics so the only thing I spent today was time. And when you're having fun, you know how that flies! 

Go on and give it a try yourself, it's easier than it looks!