Contest winner

Thanks to the contest contributors. This was a tough one to judge. The creepy secrets of clowndom vs. the untold adventures of PeeWee Herman...I am overwhelmed.

While hoyty's tale provided some much-needed levity, I've decided to award the free copy of All Hope Lost to Jaleta Clegg. The tale of a father passing on the unknown secrets of clowns freaked me right the hell out. Shoot me an email (remove the x) to let me know whether you'd prefer AHL in Kindle or Nook format.

And again, thanks to both of you for participating!

What's in the box? Tell me and win a book

This contest is now closed! I'll announce the winner tomorrow afternoon.

We're four days out from Halloween, the moment of the year when the veil between the worlds is thinnest. In honor of this dark and contemplative holiday, I thought it would be fun to poke around at that edge. Take a stab at exploring the unseen. And win a free creepy read in the process.

I want you to tell me a story. It's simple. In the comments below, in 250 words or fewer, let me know what's inside this box:

Photo by Clay Larsen

I'll pick my favorite this Monday, October 31st. The winner will receive a free copy of my horror P.I. novella All Hope Lost for either the Kindle or Nook. You'll also get bragging rights for telling the best damned story around.

All entries must be received by Sunday, October 30th, at 11:59pm. So get writing!

Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl

If you know me, you may know that I'm a big fan of Mr. Daniel Pinkwater. If you are not familiar with this brilliant juvenile/YA author, you should immediately run out and purchase this collection of five novels and this collection of four novels. These collections contain some of my favorite D.P. novels, including Alan Mendelsohn, the boy from Mars, Borgel, and two Snarkout Boys books.

But that's not why I'm blogging today. Today I want to talk about Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl, which Mr. Pinkwater will be publishing in June of next year. I'm excited about this book because I've already read the first two in this series, The Neddiad and the Yggyssey, and I can't wait for the third.

Luckily for me I don't have to. While you can pre-order it, you can also read it online, right now, for free!

What are you waiting for? Go read something awesome!

Free Romance Webinar

I sent this information over to Laura Bickle at Salamander's Tales. Laura had the clever idea of posting this online so everyone could take advantage of it; I'm following suit. If you are a fan of romance, you should check out this free webinar from Booklist:

Booklist Webinar
Sweet Talk: Romance Fiction in the Library
November 12, 3-4 PM Central Time

Romance is hot . . . in the library, that is. Join Donna Seaman, Booklist's romance fiction editor, and a panel of librarians, authors, and publishers to discuss the state of the genre—in public libraries and in the marketplace.

Panelists include:

John Charles, Reference Librarian, Scottsdale (AZ) Public Library, and Booklist reviewer
Shelley Mosley, Adjunct Librarian at Glendale (AZ) Community College, and Booklist reviewer
Madeline Hunter, best-selling author of 17 historical romances
Kayleigh George, Library Marketing Coordinator at HarperCollins Publishers
Cheryl Herman, Library Marketing Director, Books on Tape and Listening Library (Random House)

The reservation link is: http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=general_info&id=63