Last Day of the Contest!

I can't believe we're on the last day of this contest! Crazy how fast time flies! Today I'm working on edits for book two (it's such a long process!), and working on getting the print version of the book ready, including illustrations, etc. It's been fun! And insane. :-)

Here's how things will go:
You have until 11:59pm (New York time) tonight (June 30, 2011) to get your entries in. Anything later than that can't (and won't) be counted.
The winners will be randomly drawn, posted on this blog, and notified via email tomorrow (July 1, 2011).
They'll then have eight hours to respond.
When they respond, I'll let them know which prizes are (still) available, and they'll choose one of those prizes.
There will be much rejoicing.
And that's it!

For information about this contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

And here are those tasks!

Questions from reading The Key of Kilenya and watching YouTube videos (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• What do you expect will happen in book two? (2)
• What do you think will happen in the series? (There are six books) (2)
• Watch this YouTube video. What is one of the ways I suggest that will help you stay focused on writing one story at a time?

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Fan the Wattpad User who asked the question for the above video. (1) Give them credit (let them know why you're fanning them). (2
•  Create a soundtrack for the book (if you've read it) and send it to me (the list of songs) (10)
• Post on Facebook what you thought of the book (if you've read it) along with this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ3PxgPwz7A (4)
• Post the above video on Facebook (for those of you who haven't had the chance to read The Key of Kilenya yet), letting people know the book has just been published. (2)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Update on The Key of Kilenya and Day Sixteen of Contest

What a day yesterday turned out to be! Ended it with 650 downloads on my book - extremely awesome, since I'm a no-name author! This morning there are 690. I can't believe the whirl of emotions I've experienced. Seeing friends posting about my book on their pages, then their friends saying things like, "Just started reading it!" and "So far so good" was surreal. Today I'm turning off the internet and my phone so I can focus solely on getting book two ready. It's coming out in August. Yay! :-)

That's how I feel right now. I was soooo stressed nothing would happen when we announced The Key of Kilenya had been published! Anyway. Glad that didn't happen. :-) We found out the reason behind the technical glitches on Nook and Kindle. The book can't be free - it has to cost at least $0.99 on their sites. I'd heard that somewhere before . . . So, with this, and the popularity of The Key of Kilenya, it will only be up for free for another couple of days on Smashwords, after which it will be $0.99. (Still not expensive. :-)) It's just easier to make it the same all the way across the board. I had to upload The Key of Kilenya to Nook and Kindle separately. They'll be running in a day or two.

Yeah, we're not all dead, but I sure felt awful when I found out people were having problems. Hoping I didn't miss out on those readers forever!

I've been asked by many people how I expect to make any money having my book up for free. Here's my answer: I don't. But how would I expect to spread the word about my book if no one will invest in a no-name author? People won't usually pay more than a couple of bucks for a book (ebook, and even physical books) they've never heard of before. "Free," everyone loves. They download my book for free and it has just become an arc edition. They tell their friends about it, and their friends are willing to spend $0.99 for a book they've been told is good. I'll always have book one up for $0.99. Then, when I've got books two, three, four, five and six out, I'll put them up for $2.99. Again, that doesn't break the bank. But that's where I'll make money (in several years, you know. :-)).

Anyway, that's my update on The Key of Kilenya. Also, it's a great book and you should read it. :-)

But first, make sure you've entered my contest! Today and tomorrow are the last days. :-) (You can go back through previous days and do any of the entries there.)

On to the contest stuff. :-)

For information about this contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter ten correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth.)

And here are those tasks!

Questions from Reading/Watching (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Which creature in The Key of Kilenya was your favorite? (2)
• Which character was your favorite? (2)
• Go to my YouTube channel. (Or don't, if you've already done so. :-)) Which of all the videos I've uploaded is your favorite? What would you like to see more of in the future? (3)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Let people know (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) that The Key of Kilenya will only be free for another couple of days - they need to hurry up and get their copy. :-) (3)
• Add The Key of Kilenya to your Wattpad Library (even if you've done so already, do it again. I'm evil that way. :-)) (2)
• "Vote," "like," and "tweet" all of the chapters on Wattpad  that you haven't already done (1 entry for every new vote, like and tweet.)

Make sure you tell me how many chapters you've done - I've been keeping track of entries, so I have record, but it makes my life easier if you tell me now.

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Release of The Key of Kilenya!!! (and Day Fifteen of Contest)

The amazing, awesome, crazy, wonderful day is here! The Key of Kilenya has finally been published!!

Here's me describing the book:



If you'd like to purchase it, for the next couple of weeks it's on Smashwords for free (available for any ereader). Go here for more info. :-)

Dang, that's awesome news. :-)

And now on to Day Fifteen of the Kilenya Contest. :-)

For information about this contest (including the prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter Eighteen of The Key of Kilenya: What happened to Jacob when the Lorkon touched him, according to the Makalos? (2)
• What was your favorite chapter/part of The Key of Kilenya? (2)
• What did you think of the ending of the book? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Spread the word!! Tell everyone you know that The Key of Kilenya has been published, and give them this link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68856. (Title and link must be together. 2 entries for every site you use (Twitter/Facebook/blog, etc. 1 entry for every five people you email.)
• Check out my guest post on Tristi's blog. How old is my youngest brother? (2)

After today, there are only two days left to enter! Get your entries in!

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Fourteen of the Contest. :-)

Holy cow - my book is getting released tomorrow!!!Yay!!! I've been running all over the place like a chicken with its head cut off. Not such a pretty picture, is it? :-)

For information about this contest go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter Seventeen of The Key of Kilenya: What does Jacob have to do to get the Key to work? (2)
• Question from Chapter Eighteen of The Key of Kilenya: Why would someone want to become a Lorkon? (2)
• Watch this YouTube video. How many agents/publishers should you submit to when you're ready to submit? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options (a few more than usual :-)):

•  Tweet/Facebook/post to your blog the following: Only one day left to go until my friend's book, The Key of Kilenya is released! (2 - Facebook, 2 - Twitter, 2 - blog. 6 entries possible. Entries aren't dependent on number of friends/followers)
• Fan the Wattpad users who asked the questions in the video above (2). Tell them why you're fanning them. :-) (4)
• Follow Karen Hoover on Twitter (2)
• Friend James Curwen on Facebook (he just created his Facebook account :-)) (2)
• "Vote" for chapters fifteen through seventeen on Wattpad (2)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Thirteen of the Contest. :-)

Only Two days to go!! I can't believe how fast time flies these days.

For information about this contest go here.

As it's Sunday, I wanted to keep things easy. Just a couple of chapter questions and one other thing. :-)

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter Sixteen of The Key of Kilenya: What ability does Jacob's power give him? (2)
• Question from Chapter Seventeen of The Key of Kilenya: What do Jacob and Akeno throw at the Dusts? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Tweet/Facebook/post to your blog the following: Only two days to go until my friend's book, The Key of Kilenya is released! (1 - Facebook, 1 - Twitter, 1 - blog. 3 entries possible. Entries aren't dependent on number of friends/followers)

Have a great Sunday!

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works, so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Twelve in el Contesto! :-)

Only three days to go! Only three days to go! Me? Excited? No way. ;-)

So, I've started a new hobby - making earrings. I've made some really cute ones so far. :-) (The guys in my audience are probably rolling their eyes. :-))

Okay, back to the contest. :-) For more information on it, go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• What did you think of chapters thirteen through fifteen? Anything you would change if you were the author? What would you keep? (4)
• Question from Chapter Fifteen of The Key of Kilenya: How would you have reacted to the tunnel? (2)
• Question from Chapter Sixteen of The Key of Kilenya: Why is Jacob not happy to see the forest here? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Tweet/Facebook/post to your blog the following: Only three days to go until my friend's book, The Key of Kilenya is released! (1 - Facebook, 1 - Twitter, 1 - blog. 3 entries possible. Entries aren't dependent on number of friends/followers)
• Who should NOT play Aloren? (2)
• "Like" chapters six through ten on Wattpad (2)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Eleven in Contest!

I finished all the formatting for the ebook version of The Key of Kilenya yesterday, and uploaded it to Smashwords. There's already buzz around it, and I've had a couple of people ask if they can showcase it on their blogs. Heck, yes! is the answer I gave them. :-) I'm so stinkin' excited for Tuesday!

Anyway. Back to the contest. :-) Welcome to Day Eleven!

Go here here for contest information.

The entries you'll get for completing each task is represented by the number in parenthesis.

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter Fourteen of The Key of Kilenya: What did you think about the Fat Lady? (2)
• Question from Chapter Fifteen of The Key of Kilenya: What are the people doing in this chapter? (2)
• Watch this YouTube Video and tell me what I say about verbs like "walk," "move," and "run." (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Follow Karen Hoover's blog (2)
• Fan the wattpad user who gave me the idea for the above video (1). Tell them you saw their user name on my video (to give them credit) (2)
• "Vote" for chapters twelve through fourteen on Wattpad (2)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Ten of Contest!!

I spent almost the entire day yesterday formatting my book for Smashwords so that the eBook will look nice and pretty. I'm so excited for you all to see it when it's ready! It won't be anything special, but I'm really hoping the glyph I made will come through okay. :-)

Welcome to Day Ten of the Kilenya Contest!

For information about this contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter Thirteen of The Key of Kilenya: What does Jacob fight in this chapter? (2)
• Question from Chapter Fourteen of The Key of Kilenya: What does Akeno say to the seeds? (2)
• Watch this YouTube video.Why is getting an agent a good idea? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Who should NOT play Jacob in an upcoming film? (2)
• Fan the Wattpad user who had the question for the above YouTube video. (1) Tell them you saw their question on my YouTube video. (To give them credit for the video's material.) (2)
• "Like" chapters one through five on Wattpad (2) ("Like" is a Facebook thing. The link is under the "vote" spot for each chapter.)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Nine in Contest

Well, folks, things are really starting to take off! I've been working with some amazing people who are helping promote my book - not just on Wattpad, but also family and friends who have worked hard with their publicity. Thank you to all of you who have been helping!

For information about this contest (including the prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• What did you think of chapters eight through twelve? Anything you thought needed to be fixed or worked over? What did you think worked the best? (4)
• Question from Chapter Twelve of The Key of Kilenya: What color are the "grotesquely" rolling clouds? (2)
• Question from Chapter Thirteen of The Key of Kilenya: Who is Lirone? (2)
• Watch this YouTube Video. What is one of the ways I mention that'll help you gain more followers on Twitter? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Enter the contest on Tristi's blog (it ends on June 24th) (4)
• Which celebrity would you pick to play Aloren? (Attach a picture) (2)
• "Vote" for chapters eight through ten on Wattpad (2)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Eight of Contest!!

Well, folks, we're down to one week. One week from today my book is being published. Yaaaayy!!! :-) Yeah, I'm just a little excited. :-)

For information about this contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter Eleven of The Key of Kilenya: Who is Holg? (2)
• Question from Chapter Twelve of The Key of Kilenya: What is the name of Dmitri's kingdom? (2)
• Watch this YouTube video. What are two ways to get ideas for original stories? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Fan the Wattpad user who had the question for the above YouTube video. Tell them you saw their question on my YouTube video. (To give them credit for the video's material.) (3)
• Follow Tristi Pinkston's blog. (2)
• "Vote" for chapters six and seven on Wattpad (2)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Seven in Contest!

Holy cow - my book is getting released a week from tomorrow!!! I can't believe it's finally happening! And yes, it has been a very, very long road, as some of you know. :-)

For information about this contest (including the big prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter ten correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth.)

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter Ten of The Key of Kilenya: Why was Jacob embarrassed to have Early take him back to Taga? (2)
• Question from Chapter Eleven of The Key of Kilenya: What is the Dust like? (2)
• Watch this video and tell me one of the phrases I mention that you could easily eliminate from your writing.

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Tell me why you think running a contest to help spread the word about a book release is either beneficial, or not so beneficial (2)
• If your book were getting published soon, what would you do to spread the word? (2)
• "Vote" for chapters one through five on Wattpad (2)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Six in Contest

Seeing as how today is Sunday, I wanted to make the entries simple.

For information about this contest (including the big prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer the question regarding chapter ten correctly, you'll get two points. (And so on and so forth.)

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter Ten of The Key of Kilenya: What is the name of the black man Jacob and Akeno meet? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Join my email list on my website (2)
• Create your own version of a cover for The Key of Kilenya and send it to me. Fun! (4)

While you send me your entries, also tell me which of the bigger prizes you're most interested in (if you haven't already). Go here to see them.

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Five in Contest

This week has been a very long one, but has gone way too quickly as well. I haven't had much time to work on book two of the Kilenya Series - only a couple of hours - and hope next week will be better. It's coming out on August 30th! Yay! :-) For you published authors, how do you divide your time between promoting/marketing, and writing/editing?

Anyway, now on to what this post is really about. CONTESTS!!! :-) Welcome to Day Five!!!

For information about this contest (including the big prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here. Remember it's never too late to go back and complete entries for previous days. If you find you don't have time to catch up on the reading, simply doing the "other" entries is perfectly acceptable.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter eight correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth.)

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• What did you think of chapters four through seven? Was there anything you'd improve upon, if you were the author? What did you like best?
• Question from Chapter Eight of The Key of Kilenya: What is the name of the Fire Pulser? (2)
• Question from Chapter Eight of The Key of Kilenya: What does Akeno say is at least thirty feet deep? (2)
• Question from Chapter Nine of The Key of Kilenya: What does Jacob want to cook? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• "Like" The Key of Kilenya Facebook Page (1)
• Get friends to enter (tell me their names - I'll give you the points when they enter) (2 for each person)
• Send me a picture of a celebrity you think should play Jacob in the movie when it comes out (2)

If you've already done the above, let me know (tell me the names) and I'll give you the entries. :-)

While you send me your entries, also tell me which of the bigger prizes you're most interested in. Go here to see them.

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Four in Contest

Yay for contests! I've LOVED seeing the entries come in! Only eleven more days to go until The Key of Kilenya is released! I'm super excited!

These are the prizes available so far:
Small CHOCOLATE key
Jenni James' book Pride and Popularity - autographed, personalized.
Karen Hoover's eBook The Sapphire Flute
Autographed, personalized copy of my book
Me to read, edit, offer opinion on first 4 pages of Wattpad user's (or other writer's) manuscript (Word Document, double spaced)

We need at least five more people to enter to add the first of the bigger prizes - key earrings - so make sure you tell your kids, friends, family, neighbors, everyone. :-)

For information about the contest (including the big prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter six correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth.)

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter Six of The Key of Kilenya: What carries Jacob through the forest to the manor? (2)
• Question from Chapter Six of The Key of Kilenya: What does Jacob see after escaping the manor? (2)
• Question from Chapter Seven of The Key of Kilenya: What is Aldo like when Jacob meets him? (2)

Other (easier) Entry Options:

• Follow this (my) blog (1)
• Tweet about this contest (make sure to post this link in your tweet, so people know where to go to find the contest: http://bit.ly/mH0Oa3) (1 entry. Plus 1 entry for every 25 people who follow you)
• Add The Key of Kilenya to your library on Wattpad (1)
• Post this YouTube video to your Facebook account (1 for posting, +1 for every 25 friends you have)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

While you send me your entries, also tell me which of the bigger prizes you're most interested in. Go here to see them.

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com - replace the AT with @ and the DOT with .) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed (including number of friends/followers you have on Facebook/Twitter). Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Three in Contest

Welcome to Day Three in The Key of Kilenya Contest!

For information about the contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter four correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth.)

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• What did you think of chapters 1, 2 and 3? What were your favorite parts? Would you change anything? (4)
• Question from Chapter Four of The Key of Kilenya: What name does Jacob choose for one of the Makalos? (2)
• Question from Chapter Four of The Key of Kilenya: Which of the Makalos gets injured? (2)
• Question from Chapter Five of The Key of Kilenya: Where does the name of this chapter come from? (2)

Other Entry Options:

• Follow me on Twitter here (1)
• Email this contest to friends/family (link: http://andreapearsonbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/contest-for-key-of-kilenyas-book.html) (1 entry for initial email, +1 for every 25 people after that)
• "Like" my author page on Facebook here (1)
• "Fan" Karen Hoover on Wattpad here(1)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed. Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day Two of Contest, Plus Review of The Sapphire Flute

Thirteen days to go until The Key of Kilenya is released! And welcome to Day Two of The Key of Kilenya Contest! :-)

For information about the contest (including prizes, rules and the other day entries), go here.

Before getting into the entry things, I wanted to take a moment to tell you about Karen Hoover's book, The Sapphire Flute, since it's one of the prize options. I just finished reading it and really enjoyed it.

Basically, it's about two teenage girls. The first is Ember (my favorite). She's always wanted to learn magic, but her mother refuses to allow it, even though all of Ember's brothers did. Magic starts to manifest itself inside of her, upsetting her mother, and forcing Ember to seek training. She discovers she's different from other magi--in a really, really awesome and cool way. I felt very close to Ember's character - she really pulled me into the story.

Next, there's Kayla, who is an amazing flautist. I really liked Karen's descriptions of Kayla and how she played. It was a lot of fun to see Kayla succeed, and really heartbreaking to see her fail (all main characters should succeed and fail at things - the story isn't believable if they don't). On one hand, I didn't feel as close to Kayla - I felt like her emotions were either too strong, or not strong enough. On the other, Karen did an excellent job at showing Kayla's true intentions. It wasn't difficult to put myself in Kayla's shoes during the stressful times.

The book is a YA fantasy. If you like this genre, The Sapphire Flute will appeal to you - it has both familiar magical themes, and unique things. Definitely enough of the unique to keep my interest, as I'm sure it will yours. :-) I'll be reading the book again, and can't wait for the next installment in the series. Also, Karen will be joining us on Wattpad soon. Yay! :-)

To listen to her describe her book, check out her website here. She's posted a video with more details about this book and the series.

Now, on to the entries!!

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task. For example, if you answer both questions regarding chapter two correctly, you'll get four points. (And so on and so forth)

And here are those tasks! (Exciting, no? :-))

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter Two of The Key of Kilenya: What are the creatures Jacob runs into called? (2)
• Question from Chapter Two of The Key of Kilenya: With what do they heal Jacob? (2)
• Question from Chapter Three of The Key of Kilenya: Who is Aldo? (2)
• Question from Video, Andrea Pearson's Interests: What are my two favorite TV shows? (2)

Other Entry Options:

• Come be my friend on Facebook :-) (1)
• Fan Jenni James on Wattpad! (1)
• Vote for Chapter Two on Wattpad. (1)

If you've already done the above, let me know and I'll give you the entries. :-)

Please don't comment on this blog with the answers. Send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed. Make sure the subject of the email says something along the lines of "contest."

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works), so I know where to give credit. :-)

Day One: The Key of Kilenya Contest

Welcome to Day One of The Key of Kilenya Contest!!

I'll keep this short and simple - for both of us. :-) For information, prizes, rules about the contest, go here.

The number in parenthesis after the items listed below is the number of entries you'll get for completing that task.

And here are those tasks!

Questions (if answered incorrectly, the entries won't count):

• Question from Chapter One of The Key of Kilenya: How old is Jacob's brother, Matt? (2)
• Question from Chapter One of The Key of Kilenya: What does Jacob find in the middle of the meadow? (2)
• Question from Video, Intro to The Key of Kilenya: What is Jacob's last name? (2)
• Question from Video, Intro to The Key of Kilenya: Who stole the Makalo's Key? (2)

Other Entry Options:

• Fan me on Wattpad! (1)
• If you don't have a Wattpad account, create one! You'll find a TON of awesome books to read! And, if you're a writer, you should already be there. :-) (2)
• Vote for Chapter One of The Key of Kilenya (1)
• "Like" Chapter One of The Key of Kilenya (1)

And that's all! If you'd already done the above things, let me know, and I'll give you those entries.

Don't forget to send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com) telling me the answers to the above questions and which of the other entries you completed!

Oh, and don't forget to use the same email address for each entry, and to give me a name (Wattpad user name works) to attribute the entries to. :-)

Contest for The Key of Kilenya's Book Release!!

Welcome to the contest for The Key of Kilenya!

If you are joining us late, never fear! You can peruse through the entry days below, and pick and choose which thing you'd like to do. I don't care if you choose the easiest tasks, especially if they'll help me spread the word about The Key of Kilenya. :-)

Note: June 30th is the last day to enter.


To see entries for days already passed:
June 14, 2011 (Day One) here.
June 15, 2011 (Day Two) here.
June 16, 2011 (Day Three) here.
June 17, 2011 (Day Four) here.
June 18, 2011 (Day Five) here.
June 19, 2011 (Day Six) here.
June 20, 2011 (Day Seven) here.
June 21, 2011 (Day Eight) here.
June 22, 2011 (Day Nine) here.
June 23, 2011 (Day Ten) here.
June 24, 2011 (Day Eleven) here.
June 25, 2011 (Day Twelve) here.
June 26, 2011 (Day Thirteen) here.
June 27, 2011 (Day Fourteen) here.
June 28, 2011 (Day Fifteen) here.
June 29, 2011 (Day Sixteen) here.
June 30, 2011 (Day Seventeen) here.

Before getting into the rules, I'm going to tell you about the prizes. Everyone loves free stuff, right?

Possible Prizes:
$25 Amazon gift card
Earrings (I'll be making them - they'll have key(s) on them. Pictures to come soon. :-))
My entire Kilenya Series on eBook for FREE
Me to read, edit, offer opinion on first 4 pages of Wattpad user's (or other writer's) manuscript (Word Document, double spaced)
Necklace with a key on it - made especially for the winner (there won't be other necklaces like it in the whole world)
Hair flowers
Autographed, personalized copy of my book
$10 iTunes gift card
Karen Hoover's eBook The Sapphire Flute (AMAZING!!! I just finished reading it and loved it!)
Jenni James' book Pride and Popularity - autographed, personalized. You all know this book is excellent :-)
Drawing from James E. Curwen (illustrator) YOUR CHOICE
Drawing from James E. Curwen HIS CHOICE
Giant CHOCOLATE key
Small CHOCOLATE key
And possibly other prizes (the chocolate keys are on backorder until September.)

Here's the thing - the number of entries will determine which of the above is in the "prize bag." The more entries, the more prizes. The bigger, better prizes won't be added until certain numbers of entries are obtained. Those prizes are:

• My entire series on eBook for FREE
• Drawing from James E. Curwen (illustrator) YOUR CHOICE (you pick which creature/person)
  Drawing from James E. Curwen HIS CHOICE (he picks which creature/person)
•  Giant CHOCOLATE key
• $25 Amazon gift card
• $10 iTunes gift card
•  Necklace with a key on it - made especially for the winner (there won't be other necklaces like it in the whole world)
• Hair flowers

Here's how you get entries:
Each day I'll post a blog containing a few things you can do to get your name in the bag (questions to answer, small tasks to perform, etc.). You can have your name entered multiple times - the more times it goes in, the better are your chances of winning, and the more entries in the bag, the more prizes there are to win.

Here are the rules and other information:
Let other people know about the contest! If we have a whole ton of people enter, the prizes (as you've seen) will be amazing!
Some of the prizes won't be available until mid-July. For example, Jenni James' book (Pride and Popularity) doesn't even come out until then, and the printed version of my book won't come out until the beginning (or so) of August. And James will need time to complete the artwork.

• Anyone is eligible to enter (family excepting).
• You must send me an email (ap AT andreapearsonbooks DOT com subject line: Contest Entry) for your entries to be counted. If you perform the day's tasks, but don't send the email, I won't know to add your name to the hat. Also, I won't accept Private Messages/messages on my Facebook wall/profile/tweets, anything but an email to the above account as an entry.
• The first place winner will be allowed to choose first, followed by the second and so on.
• The winners will be chosen by name drawing.
• The winners will be given 8 (eight) hours to claim their prize. If they don't respond within eight hours, their place will be given to the next person in line.
• Winners will be informed via email or Private Message on Wattpad
• There will be as many winners as there are prizes - again, the more people to enter, the more prizes there will be.
• The ultimate deadline for the contest is June 30th, 11:59PM New York (Eastern) time.
• You can do entries for previous days, as long as all entries are in by the above time.
• Make sure you tell me your name (Wattpad user names work) so I give the entries to the right person!
• Use the same email address each time you submit entries.

That's all the information I have!

Good luck, and email me if you have any questions! :-)

Go here for today's entries! Complete as many of them as you can!

Character Development and My Thoughts on The Princess and the Frog (Disney)

So, the other day I finally watched The Princess and the Frog. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. Read on to find out why, and perhaps you'll agree.

First, you've got this super-cool chick who has all of these huge dreams, and the will of iron to make them come true. She's a hard worker, motivated, beautiful, and nothing anyone does can stop her.

Then, you've got this good-for-nothing prince, whose parents disowned him because he's a loaf.

So what happens with the story?

The girl's character grows even stronger - she truly becomes what she wanted to become.

And the prince falls in love with her (and she with him).

The End.

No character growth on his part. He didn't really have to sacrifice anything for her. He didn't stretch himself, didn't really overcome his issues. And the fact is, he was the one who needed the character development, much, much more than she did.

I was disappointed, to say the least. I was proud at how well the story writers did with her character - the growth/development there was wonderful. But I was very disappointed with how his character was portrayed. I felt like the message sent to children isn't good - that a person doesn't really need to grow or perfect themselves to get everything they want. From her point of view, yes--but kids won't only pay attention to her amount of work, but also his. (I won't spoil the ending. Suffice to say I don't think the prince deserved anything he got. He didn't work hard for it.)

Unless, of course, you count the fact that he finally stopped chasing the BBD (bigger, better deal) and went for the girl with real character.

As writers, it's important we actually show how our characters grow and get out of their comfort zone. Readers will come away disappointed and unsatisfied if they feel we went cheap on this aspect.

Oh, and here are the Wattpad videos for today and tomorrow:
Sunday's video (Social Networking for Authors (for beginners))




Monday's video (Writer's Conferences and Networking for Authors)





If you'd like to see the chapters we're promoting for Sunday and Monday, go here. That's the link to chapter one, but you can scroll though it to the rest of the chapters. :-)

Seventeen Days to Go!!

I can't believe how fast time flies! With only 17 days to go, I only have a few things to put in place for The Key of Kilenya's release as an eBook.

I want to say thanks to the people at Wattpad, especially Eva, Nina, and Pamela, for their assistance - for believing in my book and for being just as excited about it as I am. Thank you! It's been a pleasure to work with you!

In case you missed it, here's yesterday's video (it's me talking about my book), and here's Chapter One of The Key of Kilenya (on Wattpad).

Today's chapter is titled The Rog, and is visible here. (Again, on Wattpad.)

And now presenting the video for today! Yes, it's me talking again. You'll just have to get used to that. :-) But this time, I'm giving my readers some information about myself: my interests, hobbies, etc. Enjoy!



Hey - I want to see how many of you have read these books/watched these movies/do these hobbies! Make a comment - let's see how much we have in common. :-)

Wattpad Promotion Number One! (And My New Cover!!)

My promotions with Wattpad begin today! I'm so excited!

I won't post about it every single day--that's too much for me to keep up with. But I'll definitely post regularly with all the previous days' links! (YouTube videos, chapters, etc.)

Click here for the chapter Wattpad will be featuring today.

Here's the YouTube video for today:



And here's my NEW cover!!!

 

Isn't it stinkin' awesome? James E. Curwen is the artist - he was so wonderful to work with!

Other things you might want to see:
Smashwords Author Profile
My website
My Facebook
My Twitter

A Call for Help

From a fellow author and friend, Cheri Chesley:


My friend, Rebecca White, is 35 years old and has breast cancer. She got her diagnosis May 11th. She had a mastectomy May 13th. Three days later, she went back to the doctor to have the bandages removed. She confessed, almost in a whisper, that she just wasn't ready to see under the bandages.

Rebecca is an amazing, strong person. She's so skilled in all those craft-type things that leave me with glue on my fingers and glitter in my hair. She has a happy marriage and three great kids age 10 and under. Rebecca could be me. She could be your sister, your friend, your mother. She could be you. You can meet her and get to know her on her blog, http://allaboutthewhites.blogspot.com/.

In general terms, we know cancer can strike anyone at any time. It's not an old person's disease anymore. It strikes children, mothers; in short, anyone. Soon Rebecca will start her chemotherapy. We're all optimistic for a positive outcome, but cancer surgeries and treatments do not come cheaply. Since she won't let me shave my head, I've decided to show my support for Rebecca in other ways.

This is more than taking her meals and taking her kids to and from church; I've done that. Anyone can do that, and they do. We have a supportive ward out here. But I wanted to take it a step further.

I'm donating all my book sales income through August 31st to help Rebecca and her family pay their medical expenses. This is something they need, and in order to make it the most effective I need all the help I can get. And this is why I'm appealing to everyone I can. My book sales don't just mean the royalties from selling print copies of The Peasant Queen (which, incidentally, is on LDS Living's Summer Reading List), but also all income from my two e-books--The Wild Queen and my short story, Ghost Bride.

It's so easy. All you have to do is purchase depending on your interests and ability to help. The Wild Queen and Ghost Bride can be found at http://www.smashwords.com/, which not only offers the e-books for every e-reader including simply your home computer, but also offers the highest revenues.

Printed copies of The Peasant Queen can be found, or ordered, at your local bookstores. You can also find it online at Amazon

Barnes and Noble

And Borders

Amazon and Barnes and Noble also offer each book for the Kindle or Nook, respectively.

Thank you in advance for your help, and happy reading!

Cheri's blog post


I (Andrea) hope we can get the word out for Cheri and Rebecca!

Wattpad Is Helping Me Promote My Book!

Yay!!!

My good friend Jenni (James) and I joined Wattpad. (She'd had her book stolen and posted there - crazy story, actually. It became one of their most popular books. The site found out the book was stolen and contacted her, and she's had a LOT of success with the readers there.) Anyway, I've had so much fun on Wattpad. The readers are awesome. They're energetic, full of life, and have given me amazing view points on my book.

Last week, Wattpad approached me and offered to help promote my book. I'm so excited I don't know what to do with myself! :-) We haven't fully worked out the details yet, but for starters, they're having me put together 18 YouTube videos (one for each chapter of my book), and will be airing those on their site. They're basically leaving the theme of the videos up to me.

So . . . Now I have to decide what to do with the videos. I can't have them all be about my book - that would be like ramming cilantro down someone's throat. Any suggestions?

Also, I need to put together a book trailer. My source isn't sure he can help me. Do any of you know where I can get things rolling for this? I'm not sure it'll be possible to get one together in the amount of time I have, but I'm going to try anyway. It won't hurt, even if it's not done before the 28th.

Thanks to all of you for your support!