I'm a little sad today because I'm giving away the last prize in the massive Contest Extravaganza. There were more than 140 entries in the contest and I truly wish I could give away more prizes, but I am simply running low on goodies. Don't worry, there will be more contests in the future, but we will now be returning to our regularly scheduled programming of me commenting on writing, revisions, publishing, and general life stuff.

In the meantime, I've entered the data into the random number generator and it had produced a winner for me. The winner is:

Debbie's World of Books

who wrote on my blogger account:

"Please enter me! This is an awesome giveaway."

Debbie, please send me your name and mailing address to JocelynnDOTdrakeATgmailDOTcom by Sunday, December 6, 2009 so I can get your prize out to you!

I want to give a BIG thanks to everyone who has participated in the contests during these past several months. I hope you've had fun. I'd also like to thanks all the amazing authors that have donated books to this Contest Extravaganza! You guys are wonderful!

It's time to pick yet another winner. The Flash Contest for Jeri Smith-Ready's Wicked Game has concluded and we had more than 70 entries in just a few days. I've entered the numbers into the random number generator and the winner is:
Laeb

who wrote on my LiveJournal account:

"I keep addoing series to read to my tbr list with your contests.... Argh! (but in a good way) :)"

Laeb, please contact me with your name and mailing address at JocelynnDOTdrakeATgmailDOTcom by Saturday, December 5, 2009. If I don't hear from you by December 5, the book will go out for another contest.

Now, don't forget today is the last day to enter my mega-contest where I am giving away all of my books, magnets, and mugs. Just scroll down to Monday's entry and leave a comment with your name before midnight Eastern time tonight.

Today is the day in the United States where we load up the cars, travel many miles to relative's homes, and stuff our faces with good food until we can't move from the table. Yes, it's Thanksgiving! I'm headed out to my aunt and uncle's house today where we will eat way too much wonderful food and play some games. A good time will be had by all!

I just wanted to take a moment to say that I am thankful for all the amazing fans of the Dark Days series. You guys are awesome with your constant love and support of me and the series! Have a great holiday season!

To kick things off correctly today, I've got a few videos to put you in a jolly mood. Enjoy!









Don't forget the two contests that I've got running right now. Scroll down and leave comments in the appropriate blog entries from Wednesday and Monday!

Don't forget that time is winding down for my mega-contest. Scroll down to enter to Monday's blog entry to enter to win all my books and a pair of mugs!

I dug around in my goody bag of books to giveaway and discovered that I've got one left, so I'm giving it away in a Flash Contest. Get ready. This contest comes and goes in a flash! For this contest, we've got the fabulous Jeri Smith-Ready and the first novel in her WVMP Radio series, Wicked Game.





Here are some quick rules:

Several months ago, I got this brilliant idea to contact a number of authors that I am friends with and see if they would be willing to give away a couple of signed books on my blog. Twenty weeks later, I find that I've given away more than two dozen books and introduced you to a number of new authors that you absolutely MUST start reading. I am very pleased with the enthusiasm and the interest that has been shown on the blog during the past few months, and I'm more than a little saddened to see it all end, but this will be the last "official" week of the Contest Extravaganza.

And since this is my blog and my contest, I've decided to end with a set of my books. It seems only natural, right? I thought you would agree with me. So here's the deal. I'm not giving away just one book or two. I'm giving away 4 signed books along with two mugs and a set of magnets. This ultimate prize pack is a perfect holiday gift for the urban fantasy reader in your family. Or it's just the perfect prize pack to give yourself, because you know you've earned it!

I am giving away, Nightwalker -- the First Dark Days Novel. Here is a quick description:

"For centuries Mira has been a nightwalker—an unstoppable enforcer for a mysterious organization that manipulates earth-shaking events from the darkest shadows. But elemental mastery over fire sets her apart from others of her night-prowling breed . . . and may be all that prevents her doom.

The foe she now faces is human: the vampire hunter called Danaus, who has already destroyed so many undead. For Mira, the time has come to hunt . . . or be hunted."

I am also giving away Dayhunter -- the Second Dark Days Novel. Here is a quick description:

"A new day dawns blood red

A master of fire, Mira is the last hope for the world. For centuries she has secretly enforced the history-altering edicts of the Triad. Now she and her unlikely ally—the human vampire hunter, Danaus—have come to Venice, home of the nightwalker rulers. But there is no safety in the ancient city, for the threat of conflict is in the wind . . . with unholy alliances and earth-shattering betrayals taking hideous form in the shadows.

Banished for eons beyond the world's boundaries, the malevolent naturi prepare to feed once again upon a vulnerable earth—and treachery is opening wide the portal that will enable their dread re-emergence. The great battle that has always been Mira's destiny is looming, and she must remain powerful in the face of a shocking revelation: that Danaus, the only creature she dares to trust, is something more than the man he claims to be . . ."

I am also giving a

way a copy of Dawnbreaker -- the Third Dark Days Novel. Here is a quick description:

"The dawn brings new terror for the creatures of the night . . .

Those of her race fear Mira for the lethal fire she bends to her will—a power unique among nightwalkers, both a gift . . . and a curse.

The naturi despise Mira for what she is—as they prepare the final sacrifice that will destroy the barriers between the worlds. And once the naturi are unchained, blood, chaos, and horror will reign supreme on Earth.

Mira can trust only Danaus, the more-than-mortal vampire slayer, though he is sworn to destroy her kind. And now, as the day approaches when titanic forces will duel under cover of darkness, destiny draws them toward an apocalyptic confrontation at Machu Picchu. But all

is not lost, for a wild card has been dealt to them: a rogue enemy princess who can change the balance of power and turn the dread tide."

And finally, I am giving away a copy of the Unbound anthology, which has in it my novella, "The Dead, the Damned, and the Forgotten." Here is a quick description:

"Not all hunters are bound by human laws . . .

Revisiting the paranormal realms they've made famous in their wildly popular fiction, New Y

ork Times bestselling authors Kim Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, and Jocelynn Drake—plus New York Times bestselling YA author Melissa Marr with her first adult supernatural thriller—unleash their full arsenal of dark talents, plunging us into the shadows where the supernatural stalk the unsuspecting . . . and every soul is a target.

Get ready for the ride of your life—because the wildest magic has just been unleashed . . . and evil is about to have its day."

To add to the fun, I have dug up a pair of Nightwalker and Dayhunter mugs, as well as magnets that have Nightwalker, Dayhunter, and Dawnbreaker covers on them.

So, are you excited now? I thought so! Here are some quick contest rules:

Leave a comment with your name in either my Blogger or LiveJournal accounts.

Do NOT leave your email address (This is to protect you from Spammers).

This contest is open to domestic and international readers.

The contest closes at midnight Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, November 28, 2009.

The winner will be announced on Sunday, November 29, 2009.

The winner will have until Sunday, December 6, 2009 to contact me.

Also, to add to the fun this week. I discovered on other author's book in my goody stash that I'm going to give away in a Flash contest this week so stay tuned!

Another Sunday has rolled around and it's time to pick another winner. This week, I'm giving away a signed copy of Kim Harrison's White Witch Black Curse. There were more than 120 entries in this contest. I've put the numbers in the random number generator and the winner is:

LSUReader

who wrote on my blogger account:

"Harrison's series is great...and I think "White Witch, Black Curse" is the best of the lot! Thanks for the contest."

LSUReader, please send me your name and mailing address to JocelynnDOTdrakeATgmailDOTcom by Sunday, November 29, 2009. If I don't hear from you by Sunday, November 29, I will put the book out for another contest.

Make sure to come back next week, as I will be holding last of my book giveaways! You don't want to miss out on these books!

This blog entry could also be entitled “The Dreaded Revision Letter”.

If you’ve been following any of my comments on Twitter recently, you know that I received a rough revision letter recently from my editor. As always, she very clearly stated the flaws of the book and some of them were pretty big. Naturally, I was quite upset by the letter. No, not by the fact that it was attacking my “baby” but that I felt that she was completely right in all the problems that she listed with the book. I had clearly turned in an inferior product, far below what I was capable.

Now, I can make excuses for the book. There were a number of extenuating personal circumstances that came up during the writing of this book. But excuses don’t fix the book and they don’t make me a better writer. One thing a writer has to quickly learn is that your personal life will constantly try to intrude on your writing. You have to find a way to put the personal aside and still write the best that possibly can regardless of the chaos around you. And if you can’t write your best, you make sure the edited version you hand in is your best.

So, now that I’ve had some time to digest my ugly revision letter and spoken with my editor, let me share what guidance I have gained from both my experience and my wonderful editor.

1. Bad books happen to every writer. No matter how long you’ve been writing, a bad book will eventually happen. It’s like a rite of passage. Don’t let it stop you from being the best writer that you can be. Learn from your mistakes and make a better book.

2. Don’t immediately contact your editor after reading your revision letter. You’re going to be speaking based on pure emotion and not thinking clearly. You are going to say things that you’re going to regret. Sit on the letter for a couple of days. Let the comments sink in and think about how the suggestions could possibly make the book better. Contact your editor when you have a list of questions as well as a list of suggestions on how you’re going to improve your book. That way you have a rational, calm basis for a productive conversation.

3. It may be time to try new planning techniques for your books. As my books have progressed, they’ve grown more complicated. As a result, I need to switch to a more detailed outlining process for the book in order to properly weave all my plotlines. Since I am a fast writer, this process forces me to slow down and think more about my plotting, which could in the end save more time in the revision stage.

4. Leave time for a thorough review. One mistake I’ve made is that I’ve been trying to write on too tight a schedule. As a result, I’m not giving myself enough time for review and I’m handing in far too rough of a draft to my editor, forcing her to work harder than she needs to. I need to spend more time reviewing more work, looking for common mistakes and tightening up my prose.

In the end, the book’s not that bad. The plots need to be expanded and the relationship thread needs to be strengthened. The baddies needs made badder and the overall violence taken up a notch. While I managed to sum it all up in just a couple sentences, it is still a lot of work and it’s going to take me the better part of a month to fix it. Right now, I’m outlining one chapter at a time, making notes on which plots are being involved so that I can find the right balance.

Overall, the point that I want you to walk away with is that we all stumble eventually. The choice is whether you sit there or you pick yourself up again.

I've looked at my calendar and I've noticed that we are down to the last two weeks of this massive Contest Extravaganza. Yes, it has now been going for 19 weeks. I've given away close to two dozen signed books by some awesome authors, but I've got a few more in my secret stash of goodies that I've been saving. After the contest concludes, I'll be returning to my regular reporting of writing about writing, my progress on the books, and just my general thoughts on life. Stick around for the ensuing chaos and insanity.

But I've got a really good goodies this week that I've been saving. Months ago, I kicked off this Contest Extravaganza with a signed hardback copy of Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison. Well, this week, I've got a signed hardback copy of her latest novel White Witch Black Curse to give away. If you read Kim Harrison, this is definitely something that you want to add to your collection!

Here is a quick description of White Witch Black Curse from Publishers Weekly:

"Confusion reigns for characters and readers in the complicated seventh urban fantasy outing (after 2008's The Outlaw Demon Wails) for witch detective Rachel Morgan. Rachel's reputation is in tatters—to save humanity, she used powers that are considered evil—and she's still devastated by the mysterious death of her boyfriend six months earlier. Her attempts to solve his murder bleed into a case involving an emotion-sucking banshee, and soon Rachel has to bring in her PI partners—Ivy, a bisexual vampire, and Jenks, a pixie in existential crisis—along with empathic psychiatrist Ford and the banshee victim's father, Federal Inderland Bureau captain Edden. Harrison's unique vampire mythology unduly complicates world-building, and newcomers will be desperate for a glossary, but the nearly nonstop action nicely plays off the poignancy of Rachel's difficult life."

Oh, you know that you're dying to get your hands on this one! Here are some quick contest rules:

Leave your name and comment in this entry in either my blogger or LiveJournal account.
Do NOT leave your email address (This is to protect you from Spammers).
This contest is open to International and domestic readers.
The contest closes on at midnight Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, November 21, 2009.
The winner will be announced on Sunday, November 22.
The winner will have until Sunday, November 29 to contact me or the book will go out for another contest.

Good luck and have a great day!

It's Sunday! Whoo-hoo! It's time for some football. And being that I live in the Cincinnati area, I am a Cincinnati Bengals fan. Yes, I know. It's a team that has been difficult to root for some years, but we're having a great season this year and we're having a lot of fun. Today is an important game against the dreaded Pittsburgh Steelers (boooo!). So, to get through this tough game and celebrate my recent move I am having some family over to watch the game and eat lots of food. Yum!

Oh, wait! You're not here to read about my plans for the day. You want to know who the winner is for Jackie Kessler's double-book giveaway! It's as if I was drawing out the suspense or something. This week, I'm giving away signed copies of her Hell's Belles and The Road to Hell, which are the first two books in her Hell on Earth series. We had more than 80 entries in the contest and I've put the numbers into the random number generator. The winner is:

LadyDeathFaerie

who wrote on my LiveJournal account:

"count me in"

LadyDeathFaerie, you have until Sunday, November 22, 2009 to email me your name and mailing address to JocelynnDOTdrakeATgmailDOTcom in order to claim your prize. If I don't hear from you by November 22, the books will go out for another contest.

In the meantime, I am sad to report that the Contest Extravaganza is winding down. I am getting down to my last few prizes so you want to stick close during the next couple of weeks to see what I've got in my goody bag. I think you'll be please. Overall, this has been a fun experience and I hope that it had introduced you to some awesome writers that you weren't aware of before. Because we all need to expand our to-be-read pile just a little bit.

Well, before I jump back into cooking, I'm off to edit a few more pages of Pray for Dawn so I can ship it back to my editor very very soon.

Jackie Kessler is feeling generous! Yesterday, I announced that I would be giving the first book in her Hell on Earth series, Hell's Belles. Well, Jackie has decided to up the stakes. The second book in her Hell on Earth series, The Road to Hell, was just released in mass-market paperback. So to celebrate, she is giving away a signed copy of Hell's Belles AND The Road to Hell! Yes, get the first two books in this awesome series and get them signed.

Here is a brief description of The Road to Hell:

"Jesse may no longer be a succubus, but she’s got a Hell of a past. She wants to come clean about her infernal history with Paul Hamilton, her white-knight-in-training lover, except he’d never believe her. Just like some people are worth being (shudder) monogamous for, some secrets are worth keeping. So Jesse keeps mum—until three of her former associates strong-arm her into returning to the Pit. Now, unless Jesse faces off against the King of Hell, she’ll lose Paul’s immortal soul. If she’d known love was this tough, she never would have turned her back on Lust..."

Okay, so here's the deal. If you left a comment yesterday in Monday's blog entry, then you're already entered for both books. If you haven't entered yet, then scroll down to Monday's blog entry and leave a name a comment there!

In the meantime, it's time to batten down the hatches. The doors are locked and the windows are barred. I've got the copyedits for Pray for Dawn that are due in 10 days back to my editor. In addition, I am compulsively checking my email for the edit letter for Wait for Dusk. It's beginning to look like I'm booked through the holidays.

Speaking of the holidays, I've got a book signing coming up at the beginning of December. If you live in the Cincinnati area, this will be a great chance to get a bunch of books signed by some wonderful local authors. I'll be providing more details soon.