FREAKING HUGE CONTEST-O-THANKS

Click here for details on how to enter. Or just scroll down two posts.

Kalamazoo-zoo!

We interrupt the FREAKING HUGE CONTEST OF THANKS (see below) to remind you that I will be in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this Thursday and Friday. Thursday night is a signing with James Owen (Here, There be Dragons) at the Kalamazoo Public Library at 6:30. Directions and stuff at the link!

Friday is an all day Youth Literature Festival.

Hope to see you there!

2nd Annual Freaking Huge Contest-O-Thanks!

Last year's contest was so fun, I decided to do another November contest to thank you all for spreading the WAKE/FADE/GONE love. CONTEST ENDS AT MIDNIGHT EST on NOVEMBER 26, 2009 (That's Thanksgiving Day, for the USians).

This time? I'm giving away THREE advance copies of GONE. And maybe a couple copies of WAKE and FADE. And a darling, adorable dream necklace that I bought from JB and Me in my old hometown of Holland, MI.




This contest is open to the entire universe, as long as you have a mailing address.

Here's how you enter:

Tell people about my books. You can...

-add the magic countdown widget to your blog (grab it from a few posts below)
-link to this contest and let your friends know about it
-post a blog review or a notice of the contest or my books to your followers
-tweet about it
-put it in your facebook/myspace status
-write a review on indiebound.org/amazon.com/bn.com/borders.com, etc
-write a review in your school newspaper or tell ten friends/acquaintances/enemies to read the WAKE trilogy
-whatever other creative way you can think of to get the word out (picket signs on street corners, sandwich boards, naming a street after me...you know. Fun stuff like that)


THEN:

Post a quick note summarizing what you did in the comments below and provide a link if applicable.
Also post your email address so I can contact you if you win.


Easy peasy. Done.


NOTES:


This is the only location on the internet where you can enter. Do not try to enter by tweeting at me or sending me email or facebook messages.

IF you do not want to win GONE (book 3) but would like WAKE (book 1) or FADE (book 2) instead, just mention that in your post. I recognize that some people entering will not have read the first book yet, so that might be more appealing to some. YES, I will still give away three copies of GONE no matter what.

PLEASE do not ask me a thousand different questions about what qualifies as spreading the word, or if you're doing it right. If you don't understand, don't enter. Or ask a friend. Just do something like I mentioned above and assume I won't disqualify you. If you feel good about it, so do I. I love you but I'm kinda busy right now so I'm not taking questions on the contest.

(GOSH, McMann. So cranky.)

Hey, why not find me on facebook / twitter / myspace while you're at it?

Lots of love to all of you, and again, THANK YOU for all you have done for me. I really appreciate the way you guys spread the word. You make me so happy and thankful.
xoxo

My Twitter Simon and Schuster Author Chat: 11/3 @ noon EST!

Follow me on Twitter (@lisa_mcmann) and join me for the first official Simon & Schuster author chat, taking place on Tuesday, November 3, at noon EST!

Follow Simon & Schuster too and if you want, send them your questions early so you can read the answers even if you aren't able to make it to the chat. I'll try to get to all of them! I'd really love it if you'd join us.

Also in November:

Kalamazoo Youth Literature Seminar in Michigan on Friday, Nov 13, with author James Owens! Just want to say hi and get your books signed? Come Thursday night, Nov 12.

Where you can find me this month

As always, I'm most active on Twitter and Facebook. There are links in the sidebar if you'd like to find me there.

Now for October. Officially and unofficially...here are some things on my calendar that you might be interested in.

*Wednesday, October 14, 8pm EST / 5pm Pacific
Chatting online with Mundie Moms!

Immediately after that at 7pm Pacific, I'm heading out to my local indie, Changing Hands, to listen to fellow S&S author Scott Westerfeld talk about his new awesome book, Leviathan.


*Saturday, October 17, 5pm Pacific, I'll be attending Robin Brande's launch party for her second book, FAT CAT, again at Changing Hands. You should totally come -- Robin is an awesome speaker and both of her books are terrific. Her fist is called Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature, and it recently was optioned for film.


*Wednesday, Oct 21, 6pm Pacific / 9pm EST, I'll be chatting online with Readergirlz for Teen Read Week. Everyone is invited! Please stop in!
And immediately after that, I'll be driving back to Changing Hands for the bazillionth time this month to see author James Dashner talk about his new book, The Mazerunner! (7pm)


*Thursday, Oct 22, 7pm Pacific, I'll be attending The Secret Garden, a musical by Actor's Youth Theatre at the Mesa Arts Center. My kid is in it! And it's going to be awesome. If you live in the valley, please come and support this excellent organization -- shows run Tuesday thru Friday that week. And hey, if you've got money burning a hole in your pocket but you aren't near enough to attend a show, consider dropping them a small donation -- tax deductible (they are a 501C3). Times are tough all over, especially for self-funded arts programs like these that add so much to the community and the lives of our creative teens.

(I am also getting my hair done that day by the amazing Lori, hairdresser to the stars. More red stripes please!)


*Saturday, October 24, all day -- I'll be in Austin, TX at the Teen Book Festival! Just to clarify, this is not just for teens -- all lovers of teen books are invited! This is my first author visit to Texas and I've been dying to get down there, so I'm very excited. If you live anywhere near Austin (or even if you don't), come on out for an awesome day filled with authors and panels and book buying and signings and I'm sure tons of laughs. With that many teen authors in one place, it could get a little dangerous.


*Coming up in November -- Kalamazoo Youth Lit Seminar!

So I'm working on a new book...

GONE comes out Feb 9, and my part of that (writing it) is done. So yay! Only four months to go. If you haven't stolen my GONE countdown widget yet, you can grab it below.

Meanwhile, I have work to do!

I am under contract for another book with Simon Pulse, and I'm writing it now. It's called Cryer's Cross and it's a creepy paranormal stand-alone novel about a high school senior girl named Kendall who lives in a small town in Montana, where nothing creepy ever happens...until now.

Is there any sort of love story? Why yes, yes there is.

Cryer's Cross is scheduled to come out in spring 2011.


STEAL THIS WIDGET. It's magic. It updates automatically whenever there's news about the WAKE books or about future stuff.

Blogfest 2009 is now LIVE! (and Facebook Fan Page)

Go check it out: Blogfest!
I'm having fun procrastinating by reading all of these interesting answers. My first answer goes up Tuesday the 22nd, I think.

Also, I just started the official Lisa McMann fan page over on Facebook -- the link is at the top right corner of my blog (where I am sporting my new red stripey hair, even though it's hard to see it in that photo).

Why make a fan page for myself? It feels weird and vain and I put it off for a long time. But then I discovered that eventually Facebook cuts you off from having new friends when you reach a certain level. As I near 3000 friends on Facebook with usually about 10-12 new requests each day, I got to worrying. Then I heard that a fan page is the way to go.

So I started this fan page and I want it to be very interactive. I'll post info there. And for as long as I can handle the workload, I hope to respond to all comments over there as well. I'd love it if you'd join me and maybe spread the word about the fan page for me if you are so inclined.

Thank you so much for being great. 'Cuz you are.