Reads and Tees Summer Contest-How to Win!

In support of Arkansas and Authors and T-shirts, I do hereby offer up this kick ass contest for your summer enjoyment. I'm honored to be giving away a copy of "Crowned" by my good friend Julie Linker and of "Bite Me", by the fabulous Melissa Francis' as well as some very cool tees. Here's what you win!

JUNE: A copy of "Crowned" by Julie Linker and the T-shirt below, as well as an Arkansas Author goodie bag with bookmarks, tattoos, and more.



JULY: A copy of "You are so Undead to Me" by Me!, the shirt below, and a goodie bag.



AUGUST: A copy of "Bite Me" by Melissa Francis and the shirt below and a goodie bag.



HOW DO I ENTER? you may be asking yourself. Here's how you enter:

Leave a comment here or send me an email (stacey.jay.ya at gmail.com) and let me know how you get the word out about books you love. (Do you blog? Facebook? Myspace? Accost random people on the street to tell them about the pure Awesome of your latest read?) I want to know!

For an additional chance to win, blog about any one of the Arkansas Authors (or the Summer Reads and Tees Contest) and your name will be thrown in the pot again. (Post here or email me with the link to let me know you posted.)

And for yet additional chances to win, keep checking the blog for Super Entry days. I'll post a blog with the words "Super Entry" somewhere in the text. Be one of the first five to comment on the post and you'll be entered five times!!! Could I use more exclamation points!!! Probably, but I won't!!!

Winners announced at the end of each month. So let the entering begin.

Stacey Jay

Contest Disclaimer: Open to citizens of the continental United States and Canada only. All t-shirts are large or extra-large, one size fits all differently, you can wear it to sleep in etc.

Guest Blogging for Lucienne Diver and a Contest!

Check out the details here. You could win stuff!

http://varkat.livejournal.com/93503.html

Sorry I don't have time for more. It's a super busy morning here at Casa de la Jay. I'll be back in a few days for a proper post and all the news on the big summer contest.

Peace,

Stacey Jay

(Where did that Peace come from? Just jumped out of my fingers. Must be a sign. Will try to be peaceful today.)

The Big Summer Giveaway...It's coming!!

You could win this t-shirt!



Or this t-shirt!



Or this t-shirt!

And books, of course, and other assorted goodies. Stay tuned to the blog for all the details, coming soon to this blog and...other places where I post stuff.

Hope you're having a Monday,

Stacey Jay

Undead Much? The Cover! And Pre-Order Link! Exclamation Point!

Warning: THIS IS NOT THE TOTALLY OFFICIAL FINAL COVER.

That said, I was given leave to share it and to post it on my website and I'm so glad because I have a lot of love for this cover. A lot!



Ahhh....the romance, the big spooky moon, the creepy zombie hand bursting from the earth. Squee! I am in love with this cover. It is fabulous wrapped in a taco. (Because everything is better wrapped in a taco.)

In other fabulousness, you can be pre-ordering this bad boy right here:

http://www.amazon.com/Undead-Much-Stacey-Jay/dp/1595142738/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242391155&sr=1-3

Thanks for letting me squee and have a great weekend!

Stacey Jay

Debutante Blog Tour: Cindy Pon

ABOUT SILVER PHOENIX:

On the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--Ai Ling discovers a power welling deep within her. She can reach into other people’s spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams…and that’s just the beginning.

Ai Ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the Emperor’s palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. She must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. And then she meets Chen Yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. Here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance--of anything with the making of legend.

AND NOW FOR THE FOUR QUESTIONS:

1. If you had to kill off one of your characters which one would it be? Why him/her?

master huang. because he is a pervert and a bully! and a liar! not a good soul.

2. Would you consider having this character come back from the dead? Why or why not?

yes. i think it'd be very interesting. he'd be bitter and make a horrible undead.

3. What's the strangest thing eaten in the course of your book? (If it's brains you get ten bonus points!)

beef tendon noodles.

4. Random sharing time, what do you want my zombie-blog-author readers to know about your book?

that it's filled with the undead, demons, lost souls and first love. =)

Awesome Cindy! Congrats on the release, the gorgeous cover, and the wonderful debut. Ya'll can find this fine book here:

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780061730214

Debutante Blog Tour: Leigh Brescia

About One Wish
Overweight Wrenn Scott desperately wants to be popular and snag a hot boyfriend. Her amazing voice (for once) overshadows her weight when she lands a lead role in the high school musical. Pushing to get thinner by opening night, Wrenn's waistline shrinks as she learns all the wrong ways to lose weight from a new "it-girl" friend in the show. By opening night, the old Wrenn has almost disappeared. After a crisis reveals her weight-loss tricks, Wrenn realizes there are much more important things than being thin, popular, or even dating a hunk.


About Leigh Brescia

Leigh Brescia grew up in North Carolina, spending most of her days playing in the woods behind her home and imagining she was a princess. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Communication from Mount Olive College and her Master’s degree from Fort Hays State University. She currently teaches online English composition courses for three universities, and an online “Writing Novels for Young Adults” course for UC Irvine.

When she’s not grading papers or writing, she enjoys reading and watching movies. She sings when she’s in a good mood and has killed every plant she’s ever owned. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and her three-year-old.

AND NOW THE QUESTIONS!

1. If you had to kill off one of your characters which one would it be? Why him/her?

Bree Donnelly, because she’s the worst of the worst: completely toxic. I figure if she dies young, then her classmates will be so distraught that they won’t remember her nasty vibe (it will be such a shame that she died so young . . . and so beautiful). Years down the road, when they look back, they might remember how cruel she was, but they’ll never say this out loud because they respect the deceased.


2. Would you consider having this character come back from the dead? Why or why not?

No, because it would do wonders for her reputation if she wasn’t around anymore. Though I could see her coming back as a zombie. . . .


3. What's the strangest thing eaten in the course of your book? (If it's brains you get ten bonus points!)

No brains! Sorry! Actually, Wrenn’s little sister, Karly, has this thing she likes to do: eat potato chips then wash them down with cookies, because it’s “salty and sweet” in the same sitting. Wrenn’s mother rarely cooks, so they eat a lot of Chinese food. But then, we don’t *really* know all the ingredients in Chinese food . . . so in some cases there’s no telling what they’re ingesting.

(No offense to the lovers of Chinese food. I like Chinese food . . . really. I just like Japanese food more.)


4. Random sharing time, what do you want my zombie-blog-author readers to know about your book?

That even though my characters aren’t zombies, or trying to settle them . . . they are fairly easy to relate to. Some are quite lovable, even. (Though Wrenn might beg to differ with me on the whole zombie thing: she’s not really digging her mother’s new beau.)

Thanks Stacey!

Thank you Leigh. Ya'll can buy this fine work of fiction where fabulous books are sold. Try indiebound!

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781934813058

Late peeps, big news coming on Friday. BIG news!!! And a pretty picture!!!

Stacey Jay

Happy Zombie Mother's Day

Not surprisingly, I found a number of zombie moms on the Internetz. I mean, when I think "Mom", I think "zombie" not long after. Right?

Of course, that could be due to the lack of sleep for the past six months since my youngest was born, not any unholy craving for human flesh. Anyway, zombie moms...you can be enjoying them:



I think this might be considered child abuse. Poor kid. His mom obviously needed her fertility doctor to tell her it wasn't wise for an Undead of her age and disintegration level to spawn. Really...the medical community these days. Total lack of responsibility.



Cute onsie on the Undead baby! This young momzie is obviously not letting sleepless nights mess with her sense of style.



There's an undead fetus arm bursting through her stomach....omg...disturbing. Even more disturbing because I tried to rig something similar up to my obscenely pregnant belly last Halloween, but failed. Probably a good thing. The older zombie child looks a little traumatized.



Pregnant. Drinking. Zombie. So so wrong. The surgeon general has totally warned the Undead about the dangers of imbibing--or eating the flesh or brains of inebriated humans--during pregnancy.



And this is totally unrelated, except for the fact that I want pancakes. And I'm a mom. And feel like a zombie because my preshush children kept me up all night last night. Ahh, the joys of motherhood.

Happy Mother's Day all. May your day be filled with joy and the sounds of your children laughing merrily as your husband drives them away to get ice cream and you get to spend thirty minutes alone relaxing in your bath and reading a good book.

Stacey Jay

Debutante Blog Tour: Aprilynne Pike

About Wings

Aprilynne Pike's WINGS is the first of four books about an ordinary girl named Laurel who discovers she is a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon. When Laurel is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to both worlds.

About Aprilynne Pike

Aprilynne Pike has been spinning faerie stories since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found at the gym; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne currently lives with her husband and three kids in Utah, and dreams of warmer climates.

AND NOW FOR THE FOUR QUESTIONS!!

1. If you had to kill off one of your characters which one would it be? Why him/her?

Is it a cop-out to say the bad guy?? I really can't even name names because that spoils the mystery.

I guess my best answer is that I got a funny feeling in my stomach at the thought of killing off any of my characters. *hugs characters* I love my characters!

2. Would you consider having this character come back from the dead? Why or why not?

Hehe, my bad guy would make a great zombie!

3. What's the strangest thing eaten in the course of your book? (If it's brains you get ten bonus points!)

Moss. Dark-green moss.:D

4. Random sharing time, what do you want my zombie-blog-author readers to know about your book?

There are a couple of characters in my book who, though not zombies, would love to eat your brain!! NOM NOM NOM!

LOL! Great Aprilynne, thanks for coming by the blog. Here's where you can be buying this badass book, have a great weekend all:

Additional Details

• Author Web site: http://www.aprilynnepike.com/
  
• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wings-Aprilynne-Pike/dp/0061668036/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223505969&sr=8-2
  

BCCB Review for "You are so Undead to Me"!

“This combination of horror, high school politics, romance, and humor will find a well-primed audience who won’t be disappointed as they watch Megan sift clues, fight demons, and try to get the zombie smell out of her clothes in time for her next date...The Zombie Settler angle keeps things fresh, and Megan has all the sass, vinegar, and ordinariness that one could hope for in a protagonist reluctantly embracing her ability to settle the dead.”

From The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books!!

They liked it! And they're, like, big important reviewer type people so I'm very, very excited and grateful.

In other news, I have THE MOST GORGEOUS cover for "Undead Much" sitting in my email inbox, but I can't share it. It's not officially totally completely approved just yet...I don't think. I'll have to email and check on that. But anyway, stay tuned, this gorgeous cover could drop onto the blog at any second, splattering your eyeballs with its magnificence.

Happy Thursday!

Stacey Jay

Debutante Blog Tour: Danielle Joseph!

About Shrinking Violet

For high school senior Teresa Adams, every day is an ordeal. She’s so painfully shy that she lives in dread of having to speak to anyone in the hallways or answer questions in class. But after school, in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks—doing mock broadcasts for Miami’s hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up, Tere surprises herself by working up the nerve to ask her stepfather to give her a chance—and finds herself The SLAM’s newest intern on one of the station’s most popular shows. Behind the mike she’s Sweet T, her sexy, confident on-air persona. To everyone’s shock—especially her mother’s—Sweet T is a hit. Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ’s awesome taste in music, making Tere wonder if it’s possible to be jealous of yourself. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest—and a prom date with “Sweet T” is the grand prize--Sweet T’s dream could turn into Tere’s worst nightmare. . . .

About Danielle Joseph

Danielle Joseph was a college DJ for five years on the Gyroscope, a world music show. She also interned at several top Boston radio stations while earning her BFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Marketing Communications and Advertising from Emerson College. She has taught Creative Writing and English to Middle school students.

Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Danielle now lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and two young sons. These days you can find her cruising around with the tunes blaring and her internal DJ hard at work.

NOW FOR THE FOUR QUESTIONS!!

1. If you had to kill off one of your characters which one would it be? Why him/her?

No offense but I would kill off Stacy! Unlike Stacey J., the Stacy from Shrinking Violet is mean!

(Stacey Jay: Oh no!! Not a mean Stacey. I apologize on her behalf. Fictional or not, that ain't right!)

2. Would you consider having this character come back from the dead? Why or why not? Sure, that would make it a lot of fun and definitely give my mc, Tere an advantage over Stacy!

3. What's the strangest thing eaten in the course of your book? (If it's brains you get ten bonus points!) Oh, I wish I could say brains but really it's all about the carbs because Tere's mom is always on her not to eat carbs.

4. Random sharing time, what do you want my zombie-blog-author readers to know about your book? That you'll enjoy my book if you are a music lover, dreamer or a believer in rooting for the good guy and of course if you have a good sense of humor!

My blog readers are chocked full of good humor, so I'm sure they'll love this book! Go out and buy it people. It's Danielle's release day today!! Yeay!!

• Author Web site: http://daniellejoseph.com/
  
• BN: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Shrinking-Violet/Danielle-Joseph/e/9781416596967/?itm=3

Until next time,

Stacey Jay

Drop Dead Fred Remake=Sign of Impending Apocalypse!!!

Oh my god. I just...please...somebody hold me. Since the first "Drop Dead Fred" movie apparently wasn't enough torture to inflict upon the movie-going public, now the dumbasses over in Hollywood have decided to remake the wretched thing. The concept of the movie--girl's imaginary friend comes back to mess with her at a critical juncture of her life--is okay, but the script, the execution, and everything else about this film were the Ultimate Suck. And "Fred"--the freak who looks like he's inviting you to take a tour of his nostril there on the right--was traumatizingly awful. Really, REAAAALLLYYY awful.

It may be the worst movie I have ever seen In. My. Life. I was a child when my mother made the foolish decision to check this crap morsel out from the video store and I still bear scars upon my psyche that may never fully heal. Even when I was too young to multiply, I knew this movie was Puke-Horrible times Infinity.

And now they're remaking it, with that tool on the left. (Yes! I called him a tool! When you decide to star in a remake of "Drop Dead Fred" the nice gloves come off, jerkwad!) Sigh...

You'd think there were no Zombie Settler books around to be optioned and made into excellent movies with lots of blood and guts and pom poms...or something...

Anyone else feeling my Horror over this?

Stacey Jay