Old Contest, New Contest, Special Contest!

[lagilman]

The results of last Monday's Puntastic Contest are in, and I'm sorry, there really was no contest at all, since sacredmime's entry actually made me put my head down on my desk and weep. Dear dog that was wonderful. Or horrible. Or both. Congratulations? E-mail me with a mailing address, please.

And now for the New! Monday Contest!

This one's a bit different, and a bit special, and Two! Contests! in One!


Were you hooked on the series by someone else? Did you pass your copy along to someone else? Do you have someone in mind you think would love the series, but haven't gotten around to getting them a copy yet?

Tell me about it. Winner will get a brand new copy of STAYING DEAD for the person of their choice (or, to replace the one they loaned out) AND! Everyone who enters this contest is automatically entered for the chance to win themselves a copy of BLOOD FROM STONE on 1 May!

Comments

[cypherindigo.livejournal.com]

I got hooked from reading one of your short stories in a "Murder by Magic" and was hooked. I bought the entire set that was out at the time, and have been preordering ever since. (Except for the newest one, I may get laid off in July, so I have to wait until I know for sure) I lent the whole set to a friend here at work, and got her hooked.

I feel like a pusher....

[egret17.livejournal.com]

Related to the Puntastic Contest, over the weekend I read Noelle Mack's short story "Turn Me On" in Everlasting Bad Boys and thought the whole thing could've been a contest entry.

I'm trying to remember how I discovered the series. I keep thinking I read a short story and was inspired to read the series, but google fu doesn't seem to support that. So I read Staying Dead and was hooked. Picked up the rest of the series and have been sort of hoarding them - I do the same thing to Charles de Lint (anticipating a good read is half the pleasure sometimes). I have given a copy of Staying Dead to a blogfriend who lives far away because I thought she'd like it. And I have loaned my own copy to other friends for the same reason.

[lucysnowe25.livejournal.com]

I was hooked by Staying Dead and immediately got the rest of the books. I have also been tracking down the short stories, one by one! My books are my treasures. I rarely loan them out, I had a bad experience in high school where a book was destroyed and I've been scarred for life. But I did buy copies of Staying Dead and Curse the Dark for a friend. She’s slowly reading the rest of the series and is enjoying them.

[zita-h.livejournal.com]

I'm a series junkie. I love getting about 5 books in and then reading them again from the beginning in a marathon session. Some of the older series, like Anita Blake or Eve Dallas I will save for summertime reading as there are so many in the series now. And yes, I push them on everyone. I even got a co-worker hooked on the Sookie Stackhouse series because we would discuss True Blood over breaks and I would fill in details from the books. He finally went and bought the series for himself :-) I talk about books with friends and colleagues and loan out my copies if they show even the slightest interest. I'm just grateful reading isn't illegal, or I'd be in the slammer for sure!

[ilvack.livejournal.com]

I was living in a cramped three bedroom apartment in Lacey, WA with two other guys. One was an overweight slimeball who thought hygiene was standing in a hot shower until the water went cold followed by a can and a half of Axe body spray, while the other was a twitchy, over-excitable martial arts student with a Dragonball Z fetish.

The Funk of Slimeball (as we called his special blend of ancient body odor and Axe spray)permeated the entire house, to a point where being out in the living room was considered an act of self-mutilation. It left me and Twitchy locked in our rooms, with the occasional jaunt over to the others room to break up monotony.

On one memorable day, Twitchy decided he wanted to show me a few of his Favorite Things.

These included, but were not limited to: Parkor, Mui Tai, Kendo sticks, Obscure Anime soundtracks, Popular Anime Soundtracks, Video Game Soundtracks, and, of course, Dragonball Z fanfiction.

I tuned most of this out, and even considered going into the living room to play the Gamecube until I was overcome by the Funk, when he started listing off a string of LiveJournal blogs he enjoyed. At one point he said "And this is the suri's blog. She writes amazing books! She talks about writing and editing, and also sometimes talks about politics."

I perked up. "Writing stuff? Like what? Tips and tricks?"

Twitchy threw one of his shoulders up, his typical kind of shrug. "I guess. I just read it because I like her books."

As soon as he left the room I spent two minutes deleting half the book marks he put on my computer. It took nearly a year to sift the identical sounding music from out of my iPod. But I kept reading this blog, and I liked what I read more and more.

I'd say I'm in sort of a unique position, as I became a fan of the author before I read a single word of her professional writing.

I'd put in the occasional reply when an open forum was thrown out, and feel like a right and proper idiot whenever I bragged about getting a reply.

It was my return to school that got be back into writing, but it was this blog that got me tentatively reaching out and submitting my work.

Several years, one contest, and an autographed book with the two things any writer needs to remember (Yog's Law and Ass in Chair), and I'm only now sitting down to start the series. I got STAYING DEAD in yesterday, and have already devoured 70 pages. I guess it would be fair to say Twitchy got me on the author, but the author got me on the series.

As far as who I would loan the book out to, I can't say there are very many people around me who would appreciate it. My home town (which I had retreated to from Washington State), still believes that DnD is of the devil, and that being gay is something that only happens in the North, with the one exception of that one who could cook. If anything, I'd probably give it to Freckles, my ex living up in Washington. She could use something good to escape into while she's dealing with her own deamons.

Marvelous series!!

[mythrana.livejournal.com]

I got hooked on the series because I was collecting all the Luna books at the time but the Retriever series has become one of the all time favorites. I am always anxious for the new books when they come out. I have even gotten several of the people from work hooked on them. One of my friends in particular I have to peel the books away from so I know that she would be delighted if I gave her a copy of her own.

[greatsword.livejournal.com]

Credit your cover artist. I found Staying Dead in an indie bookstore in Santa Cruz.

A bit of trivia - I bought that book over a year ago, but wasn't quite hooked enough to go above mass-market prices. I just got the second and third books, and am now hooked enough on the characters that I'm willing to pay the premium to catch up.

[astres.livejournal.com]

My copy of STAYING DEAD is on my to be read list *hides*

[lagilman]

we'll forgive you. for a little while longer....

[runaway-fawn.livejournal.com]

I have this horrible habit (maybe not so horrible - but definitely frustrating) of picking up books that I think are the first book in a series...and then have them turn out to be book 3 or book 6 or something random like that - more often than not because the list of books inside the book are in reversed order. Anyways, in this instance it was a spill of bad luck - I picked up CURSE THE DARK thinking it was book one and finding it interesting...only to find out not only was it in actuality book TWO but STAYING DEAD was out of print - or "unavailable" - in both editions. So, I'm ecstatic this opportunity came along - I'm DYING ro know how this series began!!

Contest

[(Anonymous)]

Ugh. LJ ate my first post...twice.

I am an avid reader. I come from a long line of avid readers. All my friends and family are avid readers. That sounds easy enough, but when you get right down to it, it is not an easy hobby to have. Reading, at the end of the day, costs money, and if you are someone who reads a lot, then it can be an expensive hobby.

To better address this family obsession we began hosting a gathering in December. Some families have family reunions, we have a Very Merry BookSwap. In mid-December, we open our house to family and friends and invite them to bring all of the books they have read throughout the year and decided, for whatever reason, not to keep. Then, over dinner, drinks and boardgames, we read aloud blubs, peruse titles, compare authors, haggle, negotiate and trade.

By the end of the evening everyone returns home having partaken of good food, good cheer, good company and most important of all, good books. My first book from the Retrievers Series came from a Very Merry BookSwap a few years ago. And it actually just happened to be - Staying Dead. This year, the BookSwap will have my unsigned copy of FreeFall (I'm keeping the signed copy!).

And what about the books that are not swapped? The ones that no one chooses to take home? Well, in addition to allowing us to clear off our shelves for new books, the books that remain behind after the BookSwap are boxed up and donated to Better World Books. Better World Books collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. What isn't sold by them for literacy programs is donated to libraries in the developing world so even MORE avid readers can enjoy them. This last year, we were able to donate 8 boxes to Better World Books from our December gathering.

I have to admit, other than that one time, I haven't seen any OTHER Retrievers novels in the BookSwaps. :) Must be that no one is willing to give them up.

Best,
Day
www.DayInWashington.com