25 Days of Christmas Giveaways

From IMAJIN BOOKS, comes...

25 Days of Christmas Giveaways

December 1-25, 2011

This Christmas, great things come in fours at Imajin Books! So we have four ways for booklovers to celebrate the Christmas season: an eBook Sale, eBook Giveaways, Basket o' Books Draw, and a Grand Prize Draw for the all-new Kindle Fire ereader.

1. eBook Sale - all our ebooks will be priced between $0.99 and $2.99.

The sale is on from December 1st to January 7th. To purchase ebooks from Smashwords (multiple file formats including ePub, PDF & more), visit our Winter Events page to view the special coupon codes to buy ebooks at our sale prices. Or buy from Amazon.com where the list prices have been changed to sale prices.

2. eBook Giveaways - 4 ebooks (winners' choice from our titles) will be given away daily.

Rules: To enter, leave a comment and your email address on our Winter Events post in our Contests & Events section. Comments without email addresses will not qualify. You can enter every day; 1 ebook per winner per day. You may format your email address like: myemailaddress (at) emailprovider.com (or similar) if you'd like to; as long as we can read it, you'll be entered. No exchanges, no cash value. Ebook prizes will be awarded daily.

3. Basket o' Books Draw - paperback collection of winner's choice of 4 books

Rules: To enter, leave a comment and your email address on our Winter Events post in our Contests & Events section. Comments without email addresses will not qualify. You may format your email address like: myemailaddress (at) emailprovider.com (or similar) if you'd like to; as long as we can read it, you'll be entered. No exchanges, no cash value. 1 entry per person. This draw will take place between December 25 and December 31. Winner will be announced on our website.

4. Grand Prize Draw for a Kindle Fire ereader - 1 winner

Rules: You will get one entry for any of the following:

1. Review any of our books from December 1-December 24th, 2011 on Amazon.com or Smashwords.com and email us a link to your review. 1 entry per book title reviewed.

2. Tweet any of the following messages (1 entry per post per day; max. 3 entries/day):

Check out @imajinbooks 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways for prizes & win a #Kindle Fire http://imajinbooks.com

eBooks $2.99 or less - @imajinbooks 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways - prizes & win a Kindle Fire http://imajinbooks.com

25 Days of Christmas Giveaways @imajinbooks - eBook SALE, prizes & win a Kindle Fire http://imajinbooks.com

3. Post an announcement on your Facebook page to help us spread the news and email us with the link to your FB page (1 entry per post per day; max. 3 entries per day):

Enter the 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways for prizes & chance to win a #Kindle Fire http://imajinbooks.com

Ebooks $2.99 or less - 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways - prizes & chance to win a Kindle Fire http://imajinbooks.com

Want to win a Kindle Fire ereader? Check out the 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways at http://www.imajinbooks.com

4. Buy any of our ebooks or paperbacks between December 1-25th and forward us your receipt by email; receive 10 entries per title purchased.

When emailing us during this contest, please put "25 DAYS" in the subject line. Include your name and pertinent contest info.

Entries must be received by December 25th, midnight MT. Open to anyone 18+, anywhere. Void where prohibited. No cash value, no substitutions, no exchanges.

Basket o' Books and Kindle prize will be awarded by January 7, 2012. All prizes must be claimed by January 30, 2012 or they will be void.

Please help us promote this event. Feel free to use the badge or banner and link to http://www.imajinbooks.com/contests-events 

Thank you! And happy reading!

Featured Author: Laurence St. John

Today's Featured Author is Laurence St. John, whose MG fantasy novel METATRON: The Angel Has Risen, will be released in the spring of 2012. Take it away, Laurence...

What inspired me to write my novel?

In 2006, my place of employment was being sold for the second time forcing me to reapply for my same job, again. No one knows the feeling of disappointment, of feeling betrayed and taken advantage of more than me. I had no idea how I would take care of my family, no idea how I could hold my head up high if I had to begin looking for other employment.

Fortunately, things took a turn for the better; I retained my position. And, in the same year my first granddaughter was born which was one of the most uplifting moments of my life. She became my little inspiration. Holding her in my arms sparked a fire in my soul and tears of joy. I wanted to do something extraordinary that would make her proud of me. So, I was determined to write my penned-up thoughts on paper. Since then, I continued to write at night, on weekends, on holiday’s and any spare time.

Finally, three and a half years later I had written my first Middle Grade novel, METATRON: The Angel Has Risen which will be published by Imajin Books in early 2012.

What's this novel about:

Twelve-year-old Tyler Thompson has a secret: he still feels responsible for his father’s death from an auto accident six years ago.

Then, in a quick turn of events, Tyler is bestowed with something he doesn’t fully understand: the eternal and invincible powers of the angel Metatron. He now must make a choice that will change the world...one way or another.

Laurence St. John has an Associates degree in Computer Science and is also a first degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He currently lives in Northwood Ohio with his wife of 21 years, Julie. His son Joe is married to Cari with two daughters, Kendall and Sadie. His daughter Janelle is married to Andrew with one son, Elijah. Follow Laurence on Facebook, Twitter and his Blog along with updates on his publisher’s web site at Imajin Books.

New Release: Blonde Demolition by Chris Redding

Author Chris Redding has been a great addition to Imajin Books. Her latest release, Blonde Demolition, explodes with action, suspense and a mind-blowing twist at the end.

You just can't hide from the past...

Mallory Sage lives in a small, idyllic town where nothing ever happens. Just the kind of life she has always wanted. No one, not even her fellow volunteer firefighters, knows about her past life as an agent for Homeland Security.

Former partner and lover, Trey McCrane, comes back into Mallory's life. He believes they made a great team once, and that they can do so again. Besides, they don't have much choice. Paul Stanley, a twisted killer and their old nemesis, is back.

Framed for a bombing and drawn together by necessity, Mallory and Trey go on the run and must learn to trust each other again―if they hope to survive. But Mallory has been hiding another secret, one that could destroy their relationship. And time is running out.

Available now in ebook edition via Amazon and Smashwords.

Check out the reviews:

"An explosive thriller as taut as a tripwire."  —Scott Nicholson, author of Liquid Fear

"Bombs, assassins, lovers and friends all mesh together around the heroine to create a tapestry of intrigue, love, and adventure. Redding has a devoted reader." —Bri Clark, author of Glazier

An old flame, a new danger, and just the right number of twists pull you thru to the end of this intense romantic suspense. Hunky firemen not withstanding, what else could anyone ask for? A great read!" —Linda J. Parisi, author of Noble Heart

Available now in ebook edition via Amazon and Smashwords.

Featured Author: Catherine Astolfo

Our next Featured Author is Canadian author Catherine Astolfo, whose Emily Taylor Mysteries are filled with rich culture and unique characters. In The Bridegman, book 1, you'll be introduced to Emily, a school principal and amateur sleuth who just can't seem to stay out of trouble...

What inspired me to write The Bridgeman?

The devil inspired me to write The Bridgeman. Not literally, I hope, but more in the sense that I am intrigued by evil people. I am attracted to the reasons behind their darkness. As an old song says, "evil grows in the dark"…or does it? I think truly wicked people walk among us, aliens with human faces. Their lack of empathy, twisted ideas, and desire to hurt absolutely make me want to dig around and find out why.

Instead of becoming a police officer or a detective (since I’m a physical coward), I became a mystery/crime writer. I look for evil everywhere and luckily, there is lots of it around. In the newspapers, on television, from word-of-mouth, and let’s not forget, urban legends.

The Bridgeman began as a character sketch. On a drive through a little town in Ontario, I was stopped at a drawbridge, where I noticed the lockmaster going about his business in a very ordinary way, barely noticed, red-checkered jacket, plain face, every day, slow habits and movements. And I thought: what could this almost invisible person be hiding? What dark secrets might lie beneath the banality of his existence?

At the same time, my niece had acquired a job as a veterinarian’s assistant. Her tales of the puppy and kitten mills and their victims gave me an idea for the secret my ordinary bridgeman might suppress.

So began the Emily Taylor Mysteries. At first, Emily Taylor, the local school principal, was a vehicle for the bridgeman character sketch, and later, for Victim’s premise (Book Two). By Book Three, Legacy, Emily had asserted a strong voice of her own and had become more the centre of the series than the carrier.

In the last few months, I have happily been adapted Emily for the new world of eBooks. She loves our publisher, Imajin Books, and has been blossoming under their tutelage. Despite being media shy, she even appears in the trailers!

Catherine (Cathy) Astolfo is a retired school principal who uses her psychology degree for evil purposes, but only in writing. Follow her blog, visit her website. The Bridgeman is now available at Amazon and Smashwords. Visit Imajin Books for the links and lots of information. Victim will follow soon!

Featured Author: Anna Patricio

Today's Featured Author is ANNA PATRICIO, an author from "down-under" who has written a beautiful historical/biblical romance titled, ASENATH.

What inspired me to write Asenath?

The story of Joseph of the coat-of-many-colours is one of my favourites from the Bible. Though I have known it all my life, what with having attended Sunday school and all, it was later on that I realised what a powerful and moving tale it is.

I was 17, making the difficult transition from the school I had known all my life to the unknown and frightening university environment (though I later came to love it, even much more than my former school. I loved the freedom it offered). As if that was not difficult enough, my little sister was being operated on for her scoliosis. Needless to say, the stress was overwhelming.

Then, I rediscovered the story of Joseph. Until then, I had thought of him as a distant, larger-than-life Biblical character. But having read it after everything I had been through, I found myself relating to him. I admired too how he remained sweet, strong and kind amidst the numerous travails that befell him. I felt like I was encountering the story for the first time, and fell in love with it.

I delved deeper into my newfound interest. I used to think everything about Joseph was only in Genesis, but research led me to various Jewish folktales, rabbinical legends and even some interesting episodes from the Quran. I never knew there was so much interesting stuff about him out there!

Along the way, I became curious about Joseph’s wife, Asenath. It was as if she was a tiny voice begging to be heard. All Genesis told me was that she was the daughter of a priest of On / Heliopolis. So I sought to look her up. However, the results were scant, not to mention they were all fictional.

I then began to imagine for myself what Asenath might have been like. I somehow like to think that she might have been a strong woman who went through her own share of travails, just as her husband did. The contemporary fiction I had read about Joseph usually portrayed her as some spoiled brat or pampered trophy wife – plus, they didn’t give her much attention. But now, in my novel, she has the spotlight.

Asenath is available on Amazon, Smashwords & more.

Anna Patricio is a lover of ancient history and Biblical stories. She recently had the pleasure of travelling to the setting of Asenath, which is her first novel. She is now playing around with ideas for a second Egyptian novel which takes place in the time of Moses.

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S.C.R.E.A.M. for P.E.A.C.E. and Valencia Radio features WHAT FEARS BECOME

In case you missed San Francisco's Valencia Radio FM special Halloween event, S.C.R.E.A.M. for P.E.A.C.E., you can listen to it via podcast as they interview some writers and talk about fears, The Horror Zine and the critically acclaimed anthology published by Imajin Books--WHAT FEARS BECOME.

You can listen to the podcast HERE.

WHAT FEARS BECOME: An Anthology from The Horror Zine is available in ebook and trade paperback editions via Amazon, B&N, Smashwords and more.

Featured Author: Kat Flannery

Our next author up is KAT FLANNERY, author of the wild, adventurous western romance, CHASING CLOVERS...

What inspired me to write CHASING CLOVERS?

History has always fascinated me, but I am especially fond of cowboys. This could be from my parents over indulged love of John Wayne westerns. Family movie night often consisted of similar choices, Big Jake or True Grit. It wasn’t so much the gun fights and the Indian raids that intrigued me, but the characters these films were created around.

I’ve always loved to write, but as I grew older the need to scribe intensified. It wasn’t just a way to express my emotions but more of a need to expel the voices and ideas in my head. Stories would run across my mind while at work, or playing with my children. My thirst for writing wasn’t satisfied until I put pen to paper and wrote the scenes that had taken refuge in my mind.

The idea for Chasing Clovers didn’t come to me right away. Snippets of scenes and dialogue had begun to surface, but nothing that I could create a story with. I wanted to write a novel that would touch people’s lives.

My Grandmother lost two children a month a part in the 50’s and I often wondered how she made it through each day without crumbling. How she had more children? And how she learned to smile again? This is how my protagonist, Livy Green was born. I took the scenario of losing a child, turned the year back to 1884 and placed her inside a saloon. Then I began researching mail order brides. What would make a woman marry a man she’s never met before? One word popped into my head...desperation. As I wrote, Livy became a part of me, and I needed to tell her story. I needed to take my readers on this journey of pain, loss, and turmoil, but also one of redemption, as, John Taylor and Livy Green learn to overcome their hardships. And renew their faith, love, and happiness in their tale of Chasing Clovers.

Chasing Clovers - available at Amazon, Smashwords and more.

Kat Flannery has had her writing published in numerous periodicals. She’s received her diploma for Creative, Freelance, and Business Writing. She is co-owner of Prairie Dog Publishing, where she devotes her spare time as head of Marketing and Communications. CHASING CLOVERS is Kat’s first published novel, and she is currently hard at work on her next. Visit www.katflannery-author.com and www.kat-scratch.blogspot.com, and connect with Kat on Facebook and Twitter.

Featured Author: Rosemary McCracken

Today, we introduce you to ROSEMARY McCRACKEN, author of the soon-to-be-published mystery, SAFE HARBOR.

What inspired me to write Safe Harbor?

Safe Harbor will come out soon as a paperback and an ebook. It’s been a long birthing process, and here’s how it came about.

As a journalist, I've earned my living by writing, with some time out for editing and teaching. But after years of making sure I had the facts right, I wanted to let my imagination run wild. I wanted to tell stories of my own.

I had two short stories published, then started a novel. A character was murdered in the second chapter, and my writers' group pointed out that I was writing crime fiction. I was? Yes, I realized I was writing crime fiction, and that’s what I wanted to write.

I needed a central character that could sustain a mystery series. Plot is the backbone of crime fiction, but I believe it really comes down to character. Characters do things for reasons and these reasons form the plot. I wanted my central character to be a woman, a mature woman. I like to read about characters close to my own age, in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and I’m sure other baby boomers do too. And she needed a challenging profession.

I'd recently given up my full-time job at a newspaper and was doing freelance work. Much of it came from trade publications for the financial services industry. My articles involved interviewing financial planners and investment managers. I was impressed by many of them. They were helping clients get their financial houses in order. A light went on in my head. I'd found my central character: Pat Tierney, financial planner, champion of small investors and little guys in general.

Safe Harbor introduces Pat. She’s 47 and single again after her husband’s death four years before. There’s an eligible man on the scene, but she’s not sure she wants to get involved. Or how to get involved. The novel explores some of my favorite themes: romance over age 40, the plight of immigrants and white-collar crime. In 2010, Safe Harbor was a finalist for the Debut Dagger, Britain’s Crime Writers’ Association’s contest for the best unpublished English-language crime novel.

And very soon, Safe Harbor will be available to readers, courtesy of Imajin Books. Just Imajin!

Rosemary McCracken is a Canadian journalist and fiction writer. She hails from Montreal, and now divides her time between Toronto and a stone cottage in Ontario’s Haliburton Highlands. Follow Rosemary on Facebook and Twitter, and check out her website and blog.

Featured Author: Melodie Campbell

For the month of November, we will be featuring some of our published authors and some that are soon-to-be published so that you will get to know them and maybe get some insights into why they wrote their works. Our first author is MELODIE CAMPBELL, author of the humorous romantic fantasy, ROWENA THROUGH THE WALL.

Have you ever needed to escape your life for even a little while?

Rowena Through the Wall came about because I needed to find a world to escape to in order to cope with things happening in my own life that I could not control.

I was sitting in the hospital by my mother’s bedside in the palliative care ward. For the 36th time, she had been admitted to hospital, dying. Thirty-five times, they had brought her back to life. This time…

I have no sisters and my only brother is autistic. The burden of care was mine and this time the weight of it was almost too much. I looked at the dreary hospital room wall and wished I could walk through it to another world. That night, Rowena got her start.

Every day, I would go to work, then run to the hospital for my ‘shift’ with Mom. When they kicked me out, I would dash home, and escape into the world that I could control.

The world of Rowena Through the Wall.

Rowena falls through her classroom wall into a medieval world, and the adventures start almost immediately. At my mother’s bedside, I would play a game of ‘what’s the worst thing that could happen to Rowena now?’ Or – ‘what’s the funniest thing?’ I would jot these ideas down in a journal in between attending to my mother’s personal care chores, and then, when home late at night, I would start writing.

Each new adventure Rowena had gave me a burst of energy that helped me deal with news that got worse and worse.

I could control the world of Rowena. I could satisfy my need for escape by putting Rowena in dangerous and sometimes riotous situations that she could use her wits to get out of. I could live vicariously through my heroine.

Mom died last month, but not before I put the published paperback of Rowena Through the Wall into her hands. She loved it. And now I am half way through book two of the series.

Melodie Campbell got her start as a comedy writer, so it’s no surprise that editors have called her work ‘wacky’ and ‘laugh out loud funny’. General Manager of Crime Writers of Canada, she has over 200 publications and five awards for fiction. Check out Rowena Through the Wall on Amazon and Smashwords. Learn more at Melodie Campbell's website and blog.

Imajin Books Publisher Cheryl Tardif is Judge for Scribes Digest's 'Best Pitch Contest'

Imajin Books publisher and acquisitions editor Cheryl Tardif will be taking on a new role this November in Scribes Digest's 'Best Pitch Contest.' If you're a writer, here's a great way to pitch one of your finished works.

Here's some info on the contest...

Hello writers of all genres! The November Scribes Digest contest is FREE to enter and will give you a chance to publish your entry in our December issued EZINE!

In order to enter, you must have a completed work in any of these genres: feature film, short film, short story or novel.

We are looking for the TOP 3 best elevator pitches! An elevator pitch (or elevator speech or statement) is a short summary used to quickly and simply define your script, short story or novel. It should take no more than 5 lines to give your pitch and the writers with the best 3 pitches will have excerpts from their completed script, story or novel published in our December EZINE.

Our team of editors will be joined by two fantastic industry judges to choose the winners: Michael Baker, Producer and Founder of Bunk 11 Pictures Inc. and Cheryl Tardif, Publisher & Acquisitions Editor of Imajin Books.

Read more.