20 authors giving away 25 books on June 20th!

Whew. That's a lot of 20's.

But you read it right ... there's an amazing 20 author / 25 book event on the horizon! 

My dear pal and critique partner, Bethany Crandell, and I will be kicking it off during our live chat with Doodle's Book Reviews on June the 20th. RSVP to the live chat here. 

The giveaway goes live at the close of the chat, but be sure to tune in during the show if you want to UP YOUR ODDS OF WINNING! We'll be giving out answers to two of the questions on the rafflecopter (worth 10 entries!) while we're talking about reading, writing, and critiquing.

As for the books up for grabs in the #BadAssReads giveaway, here's a sneak peek:

The 20 contributing authors include: 

Bethany Hagen, Sara B. Larson, Lori M. Lee, Lynne Matson, Anne Blankman, Lindsay Cummings, Paula Stokes, Jaye Robin Brown, Bethany Crandell, Rebekah Crane, Jennifer Salvato Doktorski, Eric Devine, Angela V. Cook, Marci Lynn Curtis, Jen McConnel, A. Lynden Rolland, Stephanie Diaz, Kristi Helvig, Tonya Kuper, A.G. Howard.

There will be seven prize packs, each containing three or more books. To see all of them, go here.

My personal pack will contain a signed PB of Splintered and Unhinged + an Ensnared audio book, so you can get the whole series. 

And as a bonus, I'll include a signed ‪#‎Untamed‬ postcard that previews the opening lines from the feature story SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS.

Please note: the #BadAssReads 25-book giveaway is domestic only, because the size of the prize packs makes them too expensive to ship to foreign countries. 

BUT, I wanted to do something for the INTL readers, too. So, domestic and INTL readers alike, help us get the word out via twitter/instagram/FB/tumblr, and any other social media venue (be sure to use the #BadAssReads hashtag), and get your name put in a raffle to win one of five Untamed swag packs that will include a signed Untamed postcard like the one above. On June 19th, I'll let random.org pick the 5 winning names.

***PLEASE NOTE: The INTL UNTAMED swag pack giveaway has ended! Below are the five winners. 
(If you're listed, please email me at anita(at)aghoward(dot)com so I can get address specifics for mailing out your prize)***

Amanda Colin
Rina Simm
Haley Mccane
Marco Ornelas
Michelle @ Much Loved Books

Okay, that's all there is to it! Good luck with the giveaways. And domestic participants, hope to see you at the live chat for a chance at an extra 10 entries in the #BadAssReads event! 

Splintered Secrets Revealed = BIG PRIZES for you!

It's been too long since I've had a giveaway of MAD proportions, and I've decided the month of October, with all of its ghoulish glories, is the perfect time to have one. 

 

So welcome to my Unlock the Secrets to Splintered Giveaway! (And yes, it's International!)

 

 

Maybe some of you have seen the Splintered ARC and key necklace images floating around twitter and on book reviewer blogs?

 

Well, those tags on the necklaces direct recipients to visit this link, my publisher's official landing page for our Unlock the Secrets to Splintered campaign.

Here are the five steps to unlocking Splintered:

• September: Unlock the Music...
• October: Unlock the Madness Within...
• November: Unlock Creativity...
• December: Unlock Chrismakkuh...
• January: Unlock Alyssa's Wonderland...

At the first of each month, a virtual key will be provided on the landing page, opening up one secret. September and October are already opened, so be sure to stop by and check out those mysteries.

Also, be sure to visit the landing page often and pay close attention, because there will be some big giveaways in the upcoming months, along with some frabjous interactive activities.

Here's just a sample of what's up for grabs in the not-so-distant future:

10 SIGNED Splintered advanced reading copies, an abundance of Splintered and Alice swaggery (including jewelry, posters, playing cards, assorted Alice books, and the list goes on...), 10 SIGNED Splintered hardbacks.


BUT, let's talk about what's up for grabs in *today's* giveaway.


1. First Place: 5-first place winners will receive a SIGNED Splintered ARC.

2. Second Place: 1-second place winner will receive: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: "Open Me for Curiouser and Curiouser Surprises" with illustrations by Harriet Castor.

 

This book is gorgeous! And here are just a few of the extra features that set it apart from the pack:

• A pull-tab that makes Alice grow and grow
• A pop-up courtroom scene
• Doors on flaps that open to show an assortment of curious objects
• A special tab that makes the Cheshire Cat magically disappear
• An attached Mushroom Booklet that helps Alice return to normal size

 

3. Third Place: 1-third place winner gets to choose one of these pictures from my fan art page, printed with a matching excerpt from the book. (No worries, each of the pictures were given to me by the artists to use as I please--thank you lovelies!). Click on the pictures to enlarge.

By Riley Redgate

By Amy Hitt

 

4. Fourth Place: 3-fourth place winners will receieve assorted Splintered swag including: Signed bookmarks, funky and colorful Alice gift tags, and signed bookplates.

 

 

5. Fifth Place: 5-fifth place winners will receive a Splintered secret key necklace.

 

 

 

That's a grand total of FIFTEEN winners! I hope you'll be one!

 

The giveaway will last for the entire month of October, starting today until Halloween.

**HOW TO ENTER, you ask? Hop over to my Contests and Giveaways page. There's a rafflecopter that will lead you through the steps to get entered.**

 

Good luck, and have a fun October! 

 

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 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!

Spring *Bling-Bling* Winners!

Today's Posie & Mosey Monday has been preempted by my Spring *Bling-Bling* contest announcement.

Thanks everyone who entered last week!

Here are the winners, as chosen by Mr. Random.org:

1. Mary Frame--Alice in Wonderland Post Card package & bookplate
2. Ricki Marking--Adult Literary Novel package & bookplate
3. Gabi--YA Fantasy package & bookplate

Congrats! Please email me at: anita(at)aghoward(dot)com and give me your snail mail addy and who you would like the SPLINTERED bookplate made out to so I can get those goodies sent your way! Those who didn't win this time, don't worry. I'll be having lots more giveaways in the future!

Also, a quick announcement: 

A while back, I entered a contest for a $500 virtual book tour from TLC. I found out yesterday that I'm one of the five finalists!

If any of you feel up for voting for me, here's the link (no rush, you have until April 14th). I would really appreciate the help! This package could get a great buzz going for Splintered.

Thanks for stopping in today, and have a great week!

A Peek at my Editing Timeline, and a Mega Giveaway of EPIC Proportions!!!

Sorry I've been MIA in the blogasphere and twitter for awhile.

Here's why:

Ever since my publisher bumped up my launch from Spring 2013 to Fall 2012, it’s been pretty much non-stop editing with only 2 - 4 weeks between stints. Want a peek at my schedule over the past few months?

11/1/2011 - Received Content Edit letter w/ six week deadline
12/12/2011 - Turned in content edits
12/23/2011 - Received Line Edits w/ two week deadline
1/5/2012 - Turned in line edits
2/8/2012 - Received Copyedits w/ two week deadline
2/21/2012 - Turned in copyedits

For the record, during those in between stints, I was either holidaying w/friends and family, doing the mommy/wife gig, or writing out three book proposals for my editor to choose from for book 2 of my contract .

FYI, once I finally get done w/all the edits and hit the printing presses, I plan to have a post about the evolution of a MS, from the publisher's offer being accepted to the making of a real book, complete with my own personal timeline and a more in-depth description of the editing phases (I might even include visual aids...hee). So be watching for it!

Now, onto the contest part of today's post: There's an amazing giveaway including signed ARCs, books, and tons of swag up for grabs, taking place over at YA Books Central!

Our own authors over at ADR3NALIN3 donated this EPIC prize package to the giveaway...

The ADR3 pack includes:

 - Jordan Dane: ON A DARK WING autographed paperback and a snack pack inspired by her main character.

- Ilsa J. Bick: DROWNING INSTINCT and ASHES autographed hardbacks

- Wendy Corsi Staub: LILY DALE: AWAKENING autographed hardback

- Jennifer Archer: THROUGH HER EYES authographed hardback

- Chris Grabenstein: CURIOSITY CAT autographed paperback and assorted bookmarks

- Dan Haring: OLDSOUL autographed ARC

- Carol M. Tanzman: DANCERGIRL autographed paperback

- Brett Battles: HERE COMES MR. TROUBLE autographed paperback

- A.G. Howard: A creepy Alice in Wonderland themed journal, ribbon bookmark, and a signed bookplate, in homage to SPLINTERED, her upcoming YA Alice in Wonderland spinoff


For a shot at winning this pack -- OR t-shirts, lanyards, temporary tattoos, SIGNED books, SIGNED bookmarks and bookplates, magnets, felt coffee sleeves, shuriken hair clips, a USB flash drive, bracelets, pens, notepads, keychains, and more -- hop over to YA Books Central and get the deets!

Good luck! Thanks for stopping by, and see you next week. :)

Announcing the YAmazing winners of the MGnificent Prizes:

At least for my blog contest ... you'll have to hop over here for the announcement of the official Apocalypsies YAmazing race gift packages. (Not sure when they'll be posting it ... just keep checking in.)

Mr.Random.org was on the ball tonight, so I decided to post his selections early...

First, I had this 6 piece set of Alice In Wonderland Gift tags/Bookmarks up for grabs~

MissBohemia.com

And the winner of the gift tag/book mark set is:

Zara Alexis


Then I had ten of these Wonderland-themed autographed bookplates so you can personalize your own copy of Splintered one day~

And the winners of the bookplates in no particular order are:

1. Maria from Fantasy's Ink
2. Angela V. Cook
3. Michele from Just a lil' lost
4. Petra from Safari Poet
5. Hannah Lorraine
6. Katherine Skye
7. Heather from Books and Quilts
8. MaryAnn from Chapter by Chapter
9. Silent Shade
10. Kristen from The Cozy Reading Corner

Congrats winners and thank you everyone for playing! By now I've emailed you for your addresses. The names highlighted in black will need to contact me with contest winner in the subject line (my email is in my profile) or leave their emails in the comment section below because I couldn't find their contact info.

Everyone else, good luck with the Apocalypsies prize packages! And be sure to stop by from time to time; I'll be having lots more giveaways for Alice and Splintered swag before the release date!

Free arcs, gift certificates, and swag ... Oh, MY!

THE RACE IS OFFICIALLY OVER!!

THANK YOU FOR PLAYING!

Yay! I'm so glad you're here on the Splintered stop of the YAmazing Race with MGnificent prizes -- a crazy whirlwind blog hop featuring over 50 debut authors and prize packs featuring ARCs, gift certificates, swag, and more!

Want a sneak peek into the prize vault? Here's what I tossed (or gently dropped, rather) into the gift pile:

Lady’s bronze vintage locket/pocket watch inspired by the White Rabbit's watch

If you haven’t yet been to the Apocalypsies website, please click here to start from the beginning and read the complete rules. There are links there to take you to each leg of the race, so you'll find your way back to me all in good time.

Those of you who already followed the yellow brick road of blogs, onward with the race!

Since my book cover is still in the design phases, below is the synopsis which offers the answer to one of the questions you'll be asked in the quiz at the end of this leg of the race. Remember, you must complete ALL FIVE quizzes (one at the end of each leg) to be eligible for a prize pack:

Splintered by A.G. Howard:

For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell -- the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers ... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of family heirlooms and a moth tied to an eerie website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy and violent counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head.


WAIT! Before you go – there's a **bonus contest** for my readers to win this:

Set of  6 Alice in Wonderland gift tags/bookmarks from MissBohemia.com

If you'll simply be a follower of my blog and leave a comment below letting me know, your name goes into a drawing. To have your name entered a second time, tweet up this post on twitter (be sure to use my handle @aghowardwrites in the tweet so I'll catch it in my mentions feed) OR share it on FB (include the link in the comments below so I can go check it out). I will close comments at 12pm easter on Monday the 23rd and the winner will be announced here on Tuesday the 24th.

UPDATE: The response has been so good to my contest that I'm going to do an extra drawing to give away 10 personalized and signed bookplates that you can place on your own copy of Splintered one day:

Just an example ... I promise to use your name. Oh, and my signature isn't nearly that neat. ;)

This means I’ll be pulling 10 more names from Random.org so you all have ten more chances to win. My way of thanking you for your interest in the book!

Ready to move on? Awesome! Click here to go to the next stop on the race, and good luck!

***

Want to know more about Splintered?.

Click here for a sneak peak at Splintered's sexy antagonist and the skateboarding / gothic fashionista heroine.

Still want to see more?.

To check Splintered out on GoodReads,

Click Here...

Thanks for stopping in, and have a great week!

Step Into My Nightmare ... and win a prize.

If you'd like to know what the first half of the title is all about, you'll have to visit my new young adult and middle grade group blog, ADR3NALIN3: Books that are worth losing sleep over. I spilled my guts out over there today, almost literally, sharing some of my weirdest fears and how I developed them. As to the prize part, we'll get to that in just a second...

I've made some changes on my sidebar to reflect efforts at building an online presence for my upcoming book, Splintered, and ADR3NALIN3 is one of those changes. That doesn't mean I won't still be posting here. I'll continue my Monday poetry spots here, keep posting any news I might have, and also have my QueryTracker series every first Friday.

But two Wednesdays a month I'll be posting at the new blog. I'll keep you apprised of where I'll be by the calendar on the sidebar.

Speaking of the calendar, as you can see, I'm taking part in a HUGE blog race next week with 58 other Apocalypsies -- fellow 2012 debut authors of YA and MG books -- and there will be prizes galore to be had! More deets are to come on Monday, but for now, here's a sneak peek at two of the prizes I'm putting up for grabs:

Alice in Wonderland gift tags/bookmarks from MissBohemia.com

Lady’s bronze vintage locket/pocket watch

So if you're interested in free goodies, stay tuned.

Be sure to visit and promote the ADR3NALIN3 blog. There are some great YA and MG authors over there, several already published and with a large fan base, so I'm hoping for good things all around.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you next week for the YAmazing Race and MGnificent Prizes! Until then, have a fabulous and safe weekend.

Posie & Mosey Monday + Winner of QT gift card!

On Mondays, I like to share word posies with my readers. Comments are usually disabled so you can enjoy this gift of poetry then mosey on along to your list of daily do's. But today I have a WINNER to announce.

E. Arroyo, Mr. Random.org has chosen you as the recipient of Patrick's generous premium membership gift card which will last you a full year (a $25 value)! Please email me at anita(at)aghoward(dot)come and I'll send the linkage your way via your email address.

Thanks to everyone else who participated. Patrick and I really appreciated all of the comments. :) Have a great week!

Now onto today's poem...

Alone ~Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone.
Then- in my childhood, in the dawn
Of a most stormy life- was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view.

Posie & Mosey Monday and Contest Winners

On Mondays, I like to share word posies with my readers. Comments are usually disabled so you can enjoy this gift of poetry then mosey on along to your list of daily do's. BUT, today is different because I have some WINNERS to announce.

Thank you everyone who played my Friday Fright-Fest Contest last week.

With the help of Mr. Random.org, here are our five winners and the books randomly chosen for them:

1. Bethany Crandell--Bad Girls Don't Die
2. Sarah Pearson--Incantation
3. Bess Van--The Trembling Hills
4. Keriann Martin--Killing Britney
5. Cherie--Fade

Lucky ladies, if you will please email me your addresses, I will send the books your way. Those of you who didn't win this time, I promise to have another contest soon.

 

Have a happy and safe Halloween, everyone, and enjoy the following creepy poem. Hope to see you on Thursday for another book trailer that has caught my eye.

Fragment Of A Ghost Story
  ~Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)
      
A shovel of his ashes took
From the hearth's obscurest nook,
Muttering mysteries as she went.
Helen and Henry knew that Granny
Was as much afraid of Ghosts as any,
And so they followed hard-
But Helen clung to her brother's arm,
And her own spasm made her shake.

**FREE SPOOKY BOOKS**

As promised, today is the  Friday Fright-Fest Contest

If you tuned in for my last two Trailer Thursdays, I highlighted two of the books I'm giving away:

And here are the final three, for a grand total of FIVE FRIGHTFUL books up for grabs:

Before I tell you how to win, I have to thank some lovely ladies for giving me awards over the past several weeks:

Lady Gwen, Laura B, and Tina Moss gave me awards I've already received (located at the bottom of my blog) so I'm going to forgo the recipient protocol, but I did want to acknowledge their generosity. If you haven't visited their blogs, please hop over and get to know them. They're all upcoming and talented writers, each with her own unique voice.

Sparkly Miss Cherie gave me the "I ❤ Blogging" and because she knows I'm insanely busy, she charitably pardoned me from the step of passing it off to others. She just wanted to share it with me, so THANK YOU, lovely. ♥˘⌣˘♥  

And lastly, Caitlin Vincent and A.M.Supinger  handed over this little treasure:

Which I'm using as part of my contest today. Thank you my pretties!

Okay, the rules for the award state I'm supposed to match/link my own posts with the seven descriptive words given, and then pass it on to seven others.

The free books are going to substitue for the "passing on" portion. (I know, technically I should give away seven books ... I work in words, not numbers! Hee)

And as for the seven links, I'm going to highlight one word in each post I link you to. You won't have to read the whole post to find it, but you WILL have to click over to find it. Think of it as a literary egg hunt.

Once you find the seven highlighted words, you'll need to arrange them into a quote from a famous horror movie and email me your answer (anita(at)aghoward(dot)com). **PLEASE don't leave your answer in the comments because I'll have to delete it.**

Here are three hints to help you figure out the movie and quote:

1. This quote is perfect for my blog, or so says the Mad Hatter.
2. A boy's best friend is his mother ... just ask the skeleton in the rocker.
3. Running a motel can be bloody business.

And here are the seven descriptions and links to match:

Most Beautiful: Angels Among Us, because it's about my daughter who's the most beautiful person in my world. (Okay, my son's beautiful, too, but he'd totally freak if he heard me say that...heh)

Most Helpful: Fishing for readers with a three pronged hook... By putting a twist on the writer's rule of three, I suggested applying it to the first three lines in our novels to lure the reader in, and cited examples from published and non-published works. I also invited my readers to give it a shot with their first three sentences in the comments.

Most Popular: Book Deal! Overwhelmed, Ever-grateful, Blessed, and... Humbled. You guys are the BEST. I ended up getting 90 comments on that post, all because everyone was so genuinely happy for me. I'd also call this one most touching, because I was so moved by the camaraderie.

Most Controversial: Haha. Without question, the notoriously evil panty meme: Personally, I like panties. Still blushing over that one. Heaven help me if my parents ever stop by and read it. Eeps!

Most Surprisingly Successful: Finding my Zen. Another example of how wonderfully supportive my writer pals are. I never expected to have that many responses of people feeling the same way.

Most Underrated: Attack of the Bloodsucking Pygmy Goats...  Not underrated so much for me, but for poor Clive. I told him that silent film would make him a star. We can still make it happen ... let's get that video to go viral, yo! (◕‿-)

Most Prideworthy: Playing With Windows Movie Maker... I had so much fun making my first book video ever, and was so pleased with how it turned out. And it was fun sharing my enthusiasm with you.

Okay, there you have it. Have fun finding those seven words and the quote, everyone! I'll close the contest Sunday night at midnight central, just at the stroke of Halloween. Mr. Random.org will draw five names from the entries and I'll announce the winners on Halloween Day.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a SPOOKTACULAR (and safe) weekend!

One day away from free Halloween reads...

Last week I explained the Fright Fest announcement on my calendar over to the right. I've reserved this Friday, October 28th, for a Creeptacular contest.

Last week's book trailer and today's, as well, are highlighting some of the books up for grabs. Tomorrow, I'll reveal all five books, and how you can win one.

Until then, here's a look at Fade, book 2 in the Wake Series by Lisa Mcmann.

The editorial review on Amazon has this to say: (Readers) who like the supernatural-tinged drama of shows like Ghost Whisperer and Medium may be tempted by this series.—Christi Esterle, Parker Library, CO

 

Here's a trailer to further tempt you...

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, and tune in tomorrow for your chance to win one of five creeptastic books! 

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!

Happy Holiday Contest!

 Hee. Okay, a little premature. But it will be here before we know it.

I want to give my readers a special Christmas gift this year, but it's going to take a little input from you. On the first Friday of December (Dec 2nd), in lieu of my usual Query Trackers Making Tracks interview, I'll be welcoming Mr. Patrick McDonald (QT's always kind and helpful creator/moderator) to sit inside the interview box.

What I need from you, is a list of questions to ask him. There are the obvious ones: how Query Tracker came about; how long it took to develop; how many people were involved in the beginning phases; etc... But I want to make this interview fun.

Here is Patrick's bio taken from the Query Tracker website:


The idea for QueryTracker came to me in 2007 as I sat with a fellow writer discussing the difficulties involved with the query process, especially the problem with keeping accurate records of who we queried and who we hadn't.


As a day-time computer programmer, once the idea was formed, actually executing it was only a matter of time. Thus, a few months later, QueryTracker was born. It was the first site of its kind, and continues to lead the way in the query management arena.

Although I don't write much any more, when I did, I focused on contemporary fiction, with an occasional sci-fi or fantasy thrown in now and then.
Currently, I am collaborating with a friend on a YA fantasy (though, to tell the truth, he's doing most of the work.)


These days, much of my time is spent adding to and improving QueryTracker, with my dreams of publication lived vicariously through QT members.

After reading that, what questions come to your mind?

Here's where the contest comes in: Anyone who leaves a question below in the comments (OR you can email a question: anita at aghoward dot com) that ends up being used in the interview will go into a drawing. I'll be giving away one full year's Premium QT Membership, and will announce the winner next Wednesday (Oct 5th).

Want to know what a Premium Membership entails? Hop over here for a gander.

The comment section of this post will be closed midnight central time this coming Saturday (Oct 1st), and I'll stop taking entries then. So put on your thinking caps, or your Santa hats -- whichever gets those creative juices flowing -- and post those questions!

Best part of all, no matter who gets their name drawn, we each get to enjoy learning more about a brilliant advoacate for writers. So we're all winners. (No Charlie Sheen pun intended). That's the Christmas gift part.

Now, I'm off to sample some eggnog. It's always in season. (◕‿-)

Contest Winners!

Thanks to everyone who played my contest on Wednesday!

We had thirteen correct guesses and since the game wasn't exactly easy, they each warrant mentioning for their hard work:

1. Jessica Nelson
2. Melanie McCullough
3. Angela Cook
4. Cherie
5. Bethany Crandell
6. Melodie Wright
7. Kayalee Hamblin
8. Leigh Talbert Moore
9. Brandy Hoskins
10. KV Taylor
11. Mary Kate Leahy
12. TS Welti
13. Tracy Jorgensen (Tracy, I apologize for mispelling your name the first time!)

In the interest of complete fairness, I assigned each name a number in the order of their answers and let Mister Random.org decide the three winners. He chose:

Jessica Nelson
Mary Kate Leahy
T.S. Welti

Congrats winners! Please email me your addresses: anita(at)aghoward(dot)com and I'll get one of the books sent your way with some shiny new bookmarks.

For those of you who didn't win this time around, I'll have another contest sometime in the future for more free books.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! :)