New Contest for Ballads of Suburbia ARCs!

When I got home from my trip to Seattle on Thursday night (photo blog of my vacation will be forthcoming sometime this week), I found this waiting for me:

What is that you ask (seeing as the photo is a little blurry)? Why it's a box full of Advanced Review Copies of my new book BALLADS OF SUBURBIA! And those ARCs need homes!

ARCs are probably the second most exciting part after getting the real book. They are filled with errors (there is a font change that happened in BOS on page 315 that shouldn't have actually happened until page 318, and things are not italicized that should be, etc), which makes them extra special collectors editions. This time around my ARCs don't have the official cover (its a sign of the economy I believe), which was sorta sad, but will make the finished books even more special.

Anyway I think in total I've have about 10 to 15 of them to give away over the next few months through various contests. And your first chance to win one begins now!!!!

Here's the deal. Now that I have ARCs it means it's getting to be time to start promoting Ballads, so I need fun widgets and banners to help spread the word. I'm not technically inclined in that way and my webmistress is overworked soooooo CONTEST TIME!

I want a cool widget (or two!) for Ballads. Jeri Smith-Ready has some amazing ones for her next book BAD TO THE BONE (which is sooooooooooo good BTW) located here. I like how she has a place where you can click to buy (for Ballads you would use this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439102821?ie=UTF8&tag=stephaniekueh-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1439102821); a link to where you can find out all about the book (for Ballads it would be: http://www.stephaniekuehnert.com/ballads/index.html. Note that this link is not "live" yet, but will be when the widget goes up); and where to read the first chapter: (http://www.stephaniekuehnert.com/ballads/index.html#chap1). Of course she also has the release date and the release date for Ballads is July 21, 2009.

I don't have a cool little catch phrase for my book like she does for hers, but you can read the description of the book here (as well as grab the cover image to use for your widget) and maybe invent one? 

She doesn't have a countdown clock on hers, but I love countdown clocks so that would be an option.

Basically the thing is BE CREATIVE. Make me a cool widget, send the code, etc to stephanie at stephaniekuehnert dot com by 11:59 PM CST on Sunday April 19th, and if I choose yours (and as I said, I may pick more than one!), you will receive an ARC of Ballads. Sound good?

Now maybe (like me), you have no clue how to make a widget, but making a banner is more your thing. These are examples of the banners I had for IWBYJR. I need banners for Ballads too. So same instructions, same deadline, send me your banners and I'll pick one or more and if you design one that I choose, you get an ARC.

You can send me multiple entries, you can send me both widgets and banners, I want as much to choose from as possible! If you are technically inclined this is a great way to win yourself an ARC.

If you are not technically inclined, fear not, once we have widgets and banners, there will be a contest involving plastering the web with them. I know many of you had a lot of fun doing that for IWBYJR.

But first things first, I need widgets and banners! Please help!

Oh and unrelated, for the next book project I am working on, I need assistance with a character name. I'm trying to find a (semi-normal) male name that means Zeus or Jupiter. No ARCs as prizes for this one, but you will get thanked in the acknowledgments if I choose your name and the book gets published!

Okay, comment away, especially if you have questions about the contest. I'm kinda rushed so if I didn't explain well, I apologize!