Haunted Halloween Giveaway: Story Contest

Have a spooky or creepy story stuck in your head waiting to get out? How about something scary or freaky that happened to you that you can't explain and you've just been waiting for the perfect opportunity to tell? Well, now is the time, this is your chance!

There will be 3 rounds of voting. Each new round begins on a Sunday and ends the following Friday.

Prizes: 

• 4 winners  

-1st Place - 8 books and swag

Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods, #5) by Melissa de la Cruz

The Awakening (Ghost Huntress, #1) by Marley Gibson

The Guidance (Ghost Huntress, #2) by Marley Gibson

The Reason (Ghost Huntress, #3) by Marley Gibson

The Counseling (Ghost Huntress, #4) by Marley Gibson

and lots of swag!

- 2nd Place - 5 books and swag

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer (ARC) by Lish McBride

Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Brightly Woven (ARC) by Alexandra Bracken

The Hollow by Jessica Verday

and swag!

- 3rd Place - 3 books

Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Vamped by Lucienne Diver

Revamped by Lucienne Diver

- Honorable Mention - 2 books

Wayward Spirits & Earthbound Souls by Anson V. Gogh

True Ghosts 2 by David Godwin

Entries:

• The scary stories can be fiction or nonfiction
• The story must have a title.
• Stories must be at least 300 words and not to exceed 600 words.
• Stories must be posted on your site/blog so people can vote. 

*Note: If you enter both the Cover contest and Story contest, you can post both entries together and they can be titled the same. 

*Note: The story will be voted on by others (not Lisa or myself) so the stories submitted must be on a blog where they can be read. If you do not have a blog, and have a friend who may let you post on theirs, that is fine. You may also use an alias but please make sure it matches the name you submit in the form below.


Rules:

• You must be at least 13 to enter. 
• The entry form must be filled out by Friday 10/8.
• One story entry per person.
• Stories must be posted on your blog by Friday 10/8.
• Contest is US ONLY and ends October 31st.
• Once contacted the winners will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.    

* Questions? Email totalbookaholic [at] hotmail [dot] com or 

alifeboundbybooks [at] hotmail [dot] com

1st Place

 2nd Place

 3rd Place

Honorable Mention

Once you have posted your story on your blog, fill out this form. 

* This is the same form found at A Life Bound By Books. Please only fill it out once. Thanks and good luck!

Haunted Halloween: True Tales of the Paranormal

Hello and welcome to the starting line for Haunted Halloween: True Stories of the Paranormal! Throughout the month of October on my blog and Lisa's, at A Life Bound By Books, we will be hosting many authors and special guests sharing everything from True scary stories, to exciting exclusive excerpts from highly anticipated books to, interviews and yes giveaways!  

Pssst! I can’t tell you just what were giving away, but I can tell you this. *whispers* its well over 100 books!!! Yes, you heard that correctly!! 

We are excited to be able to finally share with you all the amazing things we have hidden away from each of our guests. Tomorrow we will finally be bringing you the first stories and we can’t wait!

Starting sometime tonight we will also share with you some details about a few of the big giveaways. Two to be exact and then one more tomorrow. Are these the only contests you ask? No! Far from the only ones we have planned, but these will take a little bit of time, so we wanted to give you a head start with the two you will soon see.

Also – on Oct 14th we’ll be hosting a Twitter party!! Starting at 9pm EST we will be having fun with authors and anyone who can stop by. We’ll be there hanging out for at least an hour, if not longer so anyone feel free to drop in and say hello. Oh, you might want to hang out, there will be trivia and random giveaways for using the hashtag #HauntedHalloween . Be sure you’re following but @BoundByBooks and @Totalbookaholic for details and to be able to participate in the trivia!

If you’re looking to get a quick and easy head start to all those extra entries, we would love and appreciate it if you’d take the button for our event – you can find it in my right sidebar - and add it to your blog’s sidebar!

So, come and help celebrate Halloween with us and all of our guests for the whole month. It won’t be the same without you; we think you’ll have a haunting good time! 

Remember-- We will be posting the details for 2 BIG giveaways tonight (4 winners each) so come back in a few to see that!  

Winner of Low Red Moon

150 people entered/ 419 entries

mizzlizzbeck from Things Liz Loves

Congrats!  I have emailed you and you have 48 hours to respond with your mailing address. 


Later today Lisa from A Life Bound By Books and I will be announcing the big Halloween contests! Just a teaser--- we will be giving away over 100 books during the Haunted Halloween celebration!

Blogger Love: Tina from Book Couture

A few weeks ago I received an email that brought tears to my eyes. Tina from Book Couture had wrote me just to tell me how much she enjoyed my blog. It blew me away that, not only did someone really enjoy my blog, but would take time out just to write me to tell me. Wow! Those comments and emails will always mean the world to me. Thank you so much Tina for making me feel like I am doing something right :) 

Today Tina will be discussing The Seven Deadly Sins!

Hi! I'm Tina, an Aussie teenage book blogger who spends a great chunk of her time at Book Couture, where I write book reviews, participate in memes, and aim to spread knowledge of blogger through my tutorials.

My primary goal for Book Couture is to recommend good books to other people. The most fulfilling thing for me would be if someone decided to pick up a book I recommend, and enjoy it as much as I did. The thought that someone else out there could be as moved as I am through reading the same story, experiencing the same magic that it evokes, is what moved me to create my own blog.

I'm also the founder and co-moderator of the Book Contest Directory, a listing of book contests across the blogosphere. Feel free to check it out for contests galore!

My favourite genres are fantasy (Harry Potter), paranormal (Vampire Academy), science fiction (Ender's Game, The Hunger Games), historical (The Luxe), and contemporary/chick lit (think Meg Cabot). Although I started my blog initially to read more reviews about books, and record my own opinions, I have found something more - a lively community of bloggers that share stories and listen to each other's thoughts.

Sometimes, I'll even find the special blogger out there who is willing to help out a newbie. You know who I"m talking about - Jess @ Confessions of a Bookaholic, of course! Thank you, Jess, for featuring me today.

 Guest post: The Seven Deadly Sins

The Seven Deadly Sins, also known as the Cardinal Sins or the Capital Vices, dates back to as early as the 14th century. The Catholic Church needed a classification of common immoral human vices to educate people against sinning, and as 7 was seen as a number of power, the Seven Deadly Sins was formed.

This theme is commonly used in art, sculpture, scripture, and literature. Think of the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix, where Arthur Penhaligon battles seven Demesnes of the House, each possessed by a deadly sin. Or Star Trek: Seven Deadly Sins, where each deadly sin is linked to a Trek race.

Sometimes, the Seven Deadly Sins are also related to other themes with 7 concepts. For example, the seven angels that fell from grace by rebelling against God, becoming demons, were associated to the Seven Deadly Sins by Peter Binsfeld.


What are the Seven Deadly Sins?

Pride/Vanity

Pride or Vanity is the love of oneself, and the belief that one is superior to others. It is the desire to be better, greater, or stronger, and is considered to be the greatest of all sins. It is associated with the demon Lucifer.

Greed/Avar

Greed or Avarice is one of the three sins of excess (the other two being Lust and Gluttony), but greed pertains to the idea of desiring more wealth, status or power than required. It is associated with the demon Mammon.

Lust

Lust is also one of the three sins of excess, and is applied to those who have excessive sexual thoughts and desires.

It is associated with the demon Asmodeus.

Gluttony

 Gluttony, the final sin of excess, is the sin of over indulgence and consumption of food or alcohol to the point of waste. It is associated with the demon Beelzebub.

Envy

 Envy is the strong sin of desiring what is not yours, and resenting others for having what you do not have. It is associated with the demon Leviathan.

Wrath

 Wrath is pure hatred or anger towards something/someone. It is uncontrolled, and leads to violence or self-destruction. It is associated with the demons Satan and Amon.

Sloth

Sloth is the sin of being lazy and apathetic towards something. It may also mean that one's gifts or talents are not utilised. It is associated with the demon Belphegor.







All the beautiful Seven Deadly Sins art is by Marta Dahlig (blackeri) on Deviantart.


Personally, I think my Deadly Sin is Sloth - I procrastinate way too much. Whenever I settle down in front of the computer to do some homework, I will inevitably end up on Book Couture, or I'll be surfing around on other blogs. Then there's Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.
In the blink of an eye, it's midnight, I haven't done any work, and I'm cursing myself for getting distracted. So I'm definitely a sloth. But don't tell anyone *winks*.

Q: Which deadly sin do you have?

Blogger Love: Mary from The Book Swarm

As a newbie blogger I had someone reach out and help me get started. She posted about my blog, was my first official follower, and helped me answer countless questions. Briana from The Book Pixie did so much for me and I always said that, as a blogger, I would always try to pay it forward and help others. 

So today is dedicated to telling a little about 2 bloggers. The first one is Mary from The Book Swarm. Her blog is adorable and here she explains a little about the reasoning behind her starting a blog and how her students are able to participate.

As a middle school English teacher, I see many of our students disconnected from books (Not all, thank goodness. I have some avid readers, too—yay!). They claim to hate reading, that no one at home reads, or they just don’t see the point. Whether these attitudes come about because they haven’t been introduced to the right books, aren’t encouraged to read outside of school, or they don’t think it’s cool, it breaks my obsessed-with-reading heart.

So, this summer, I decided to do something about it, something that would reach more than just my students. I started a book blog dedicated to introducing teens to a wide variety of books and helping them find that one book, author or genre that reconnects them with a love of reading. And so, The Book Swarm was born. (I know, kind of a strange name but my last name starts with a B…bee…swarm of bees…book swarm. Ta-da!)

I also wanted to make sure the blog reviewed a ton of different books. That’s where my student reviewers come in. Come October, these teens will be contributing to The Book Swarm, adding their perspective and reviewing (sometimes rather bluntly) books they chose.

Through reviews, author interviews and giveaways, The Book Swarm offers readers a glimpse into the amazing worlds available to them through books. Then, hopefully, they’ll “swarm” to their local book store or library and read (sorry, couldn’t resist)!

Thank you so much for all your help and your fantastic blog, Jessica!

Guest Post: Janice Gable Bashman & Jonathan Maberry

Janice Gable Bashman is the author of WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil. She also has written for THE BIG THRILL, NOVEL & SHORT STORY WRITER’S MARKET, THE WRITER, WILD RIVER REVIEW, and many others. She can be reached at www.janicegablebashman.com.

Jonathan Maberry is a NY Times bestseller, multiple Bram Stoker Award-winner and a writer for Marvel Comics. He has written a number of award-winning nonfiction books and novels on the paranormal and supernatural, including WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE, THE CRYPTOPEDIA, VAMPIRE UNIVERSE, THEY BITE, ZOMBIE CSU and PATIENT ZERO. He can be reached at www.jonathanmaberry.com.

Writers Who Changed Our Worlds

by Janice Gable Bashman and Jonathan Maberry

Readers. Writers. We all love a good book. Whether it’s a mystery, thriller, horror, fantasy, science fiction, etc. And we can all remember our favorites. Those books that kept us reading long after we should have stopped to do something else, the books that kept us up late into the night when we had school or work the next day. As authors we strive to be the one who does that to readers, whose work is so compelling it keeps readers from doing anything else but reading. Because, let’s face it. We all love a good book.

For our book WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil, we interviewed tons of authors (and screenwriters, filmmakers, actors, and others) about their favorite good vs. evil book, movie, and comic, so we thought we’d discuss the writers that have influenced us over the years.

JANICE GABLE BASHMAN: There are so many writers I could list, but these are three that have influenced me tremendously.

SHIRLEY JACKSON—When I read Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” first published in 1948, I couldn’t believe the horror and the shock she elicited in only a few pages. It’s been at least 20 years since I first read the story and the memory of it still sends chills down my spine and makes me cringe. It’s a perfect blend of horror, suspense and ancient ritual. Characters so real you can’t help but relate to them and be thankful you aren’t them. Jackson also wrote the incredible horror novel HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, published in 1959. Jackson’s work has affected me both as a reader and a writer.

JAMES ROLLINS—The thriller lover in me admires how James Rollins (DEEP FATHOM, ICE HUNT, ALTER OF EDEN, DOOMSDAY KEY, etc.) combines action-adventure with science, exploration, mystery, fear, horror, archeology, etc. to create a story that always keeps me turning the pages. As a writer, I look at his work and am amazed at how he pulls it off, how he combines so many factors to create a plausible and enjoyable read. But he does...and that’s the beauty of it.

WALTER MOSLEY—I’m a big fan of Walter Mosley’s stories featuring Socrates Fortlow (ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED, ALWAYS OUTGUNNED; WALKIN’ THE DOG; THE RIGHT MISTAKE). How he describes his characters. The language he uses to create his tales. How every sentence, every word, is chosen for its precise meaning. How the spot-on dialogue makes the characters so vivid. How he tells the story of real people in real situations doing real things but fills those stories with so much meaning. To study Walter Mosley’s stories is a great lesson in writing.

JONATHAN MABERRY:

RICHARD MATHESON:  I met Matheson when I was fourteen, and he took some time to have a few long chats with me about writing, creativity, the business of publishing, and about developing an analytical mind.  Matheson’s novels are always different, always hard to classify, and often cross-genre.  His 1954 classic, I AM LEGEND, is the first real blend of hard science and true horror; and the underlying metaphors of xenophobia, classicism and societal perception are as dead on-target now as they were then.  Shame the filmmakers seem to miss Matheson’s whole point, which is alluded to in the title!   His other works are equally layered and compelling: THE SHRINKING MAN, THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE, WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, STIR OF ECHOES…the list goes on and on.

JAMES LEE BURKE:  Burke is probably my favorite living author.  His writing is lush, descriptive, subtle, gritty, and always compelling.  His Dave Robicheaux novels in particular are filled with sensual phrasing and visceral scenes that make all five of your senses come alive while reading.  I particularly love BLACK CHERRY BLUES for its insights into corruption, heroism and redemption; THE TIN-ROOF BLOWDOWN, for the unflinching way Burke presents the social and cultural devastation that resulted from the government’s mishandling of Katrina; and THE GLASS RAINBOW, for showing that even eighteen books into a series that has unfolded over 23 years, Burke still manages to surprise his readers.

JOHN D. MacDONALD:  MacDonald’s most celebrated creation was the intellectual boat bum, Travis McGee.  Irascible, occasionally antisocial, charming, charismatic, and frequently anti-establishment, Travis is the model for the ‘thinking person’s hero’.  The stories were meticulously plotted and laid out along devious pathways that not only made the books a thrill to read for the first time, but a pleasure to re-read.  No one has tried to out-MacDonald MacDonald, and that’s a good thing.  He was the sharpest knife in the literary drawer.  And the books are just so damn much fun!

WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE deals with the struggle of good vs evil in film, comics, pop culture, world myth, literature, and the real world. Everything from ghosts to vampire slayers to paranormal investigators to FBI serial-killer profilers. It includes interviews with folks like Stan Lee, Mike Mignola, Jason Aaron, Fred Van Lente, Peter Straub, Charlaine Harris and many more; and the book is fully illustrated by top horror, comics & fantasy artists. In stores everywhere.

Wanted Undead or Alive: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil by Jonathan Maberry & Janice Gable Bashman

Publisher: Citadel (September 1st, 2010)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Paperback: 320 pages

Discover the nature of Evil- and how to kick its butt!

These days you can-t swing an undead lycanthrope without hitting a Minion of Evil. They-re everywhere-TV, film, the basement-right behind you! It-s never been more important to know what you can do to keep them at bay. Garlic? silver bullets? holy water? torch-wielding mob?

From today-s foremost experts on nightmares-come-to-life, this indispensible guide identifies and describes mankind-s enemies-supernatural beasts, ghosts, vampires, serial killers, etc.-and unearths effective time-proven responses to each horrific threat.

Separate fact from fiction, the deadly from the merely creepy. Learn when to stand your ground and when to run screaming for your life. Determine which monster-specific heroes to call and their likelihood of success. Consider your own potential as a Champion for Good, Conqueror of the Damned.

Whether we-re talking ancient vampire hunters or modern-day FBI profilers, it-s good to know someone-s got your back in the eternal struggle between Good and Evil. And this book, with over fifty illustrations, as well as commentary from luminaries like filmmaker John Carpenter, author Peter Straub, and the legendary Stan Lee, provides all the information and reassurance you need to sleep soundly at night.

Just not too soundly.

 

Thank you so much Janice and Jonathan for being on my blog today!

For more information

Janice Gable Bashman  /  Twitter  /  Facebook  /  Goodreads
Jonathan Maberry   /  Twitter  /  Facebook  /  Goodreads

Purchase from:

Amazon  /  Barnes & Noble  /  The Book Depository

In My Mailbox (16 & 17)

Hello everyone! Sorry this is late. I didn't get back from vacation till late Friday and it took me a few days to get back on track. BUT I was super excited when I did get home because I came home to lots of packages! Some of those, however, will remain a mystery because they are prizes for the Haunted Halloween event which starts Friday!

Thanks to HarperCollins, EgmontUSA, Feiwel & Friends, Ednah Walters, Kurt Frenier, Aliseonlife, Book Faery, Fantastic Book Review, Christine Johnson, Albert Borris.

Review
The Lost Saint (ARC) by Bree Despain
Virgin Territory (ARC) by James Lecesne
Rich and Mad (ARC) by William Nicholson
Raised by Wolves (ARC- Not Pictured cause I'm reading it!) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Desires of the Dead (ARC) by Kimberly Derting
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
The Study Train by Kurt Frenier (came with wax sealed letter)
Awakened (signed) by Ednah Walters
Crash Into Me (signed) by Albert Borris (2 copies & cards for tour giveaway)

Won
White Cat by Holly Black- won from Aliseonlife
Siren (signed) by Tricia Rayburn- won from Book Faery
Bring on the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready- won from Fantastic Book Review
Claire de Lune bookmark and signed bookplate- won from Christine Johnson

Purchased
Girl v. Boy by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
I Love Lucy bookmark from the beach!

*IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristie at The Story Siren 

and it was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.