Merry December 18th!!!

Merry December 18th, my friends! Today is the day I always take a few minutes to reflect on how lucky I am to have a great husband, awesome kids, a the job I've always wanted--and to just plain be alive. Today marks the 9 year anniversary of the day I lived, and the 3 year anniversary of the day I received the offer from my publisher to buy THE DARK DIVINE. I still have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure I'm not just comatose in a hospital bed somewhere having a really good dream.

And did you know it's now less than 3 months until THE SAVAGE GRACE comes out on March 13th? Seriously, I can't wait.

Anyway, our winner of the $15 Amazon gift-card is:

• Lindsey Bousfield

Lindsey, email me at readbree (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll email you your gift-card.

Enjoy what's left on December 18th, and every other day you can.

Full Moon Extravaganza #3!!! (belated)

Of note:

This Saturday, December 17th, I'll be joining some awesome authors such as Ally Condie, Jessica Day George, Brandon Mull, Robison Wells, Dan Wells, Kristen Chandler, and more for the Orem Public Library's Holiday Author Extravaganza! The event will be from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at the Orem Library, and features 20% off your purchases so you can get plenty of signed books for your holiday gifts. (Or just for yourself--cuz that's what I'd do. Heh. Heh.)


Hey all-

Don't know if you noticed, but December's full moon was on Saturday. I know we're a few days late, but we're still celebrating the Full Moon Extravaganza! (I'm ankle deep in KidA's puke right now--thank you, mysterious stomach bug--so please forgive the lateness.)

This time around, the folks at Egmont USA are hosting their own giveaway to celebrate the full moon--and the upcoming release of THE SAVAGE GRACE. You can go visit their Facebook page in order to win one of ten signed covers of THE SAVAGE GRACE by clicking HERE. (You may have to scroll down a bit.)

But be sure to come back here after you enter Egmont's contest, and then tell me you did so in the comments of this post, because I'm giving away a $15 Amazon gift-card to one lucky entrant!

That's right, all you have to do to enter to win the $15 gift-card is enter Egmont's Facebook giveaway, and then come back here and tell me you did so in the comments of this post. My personal giveaway is open until 11:59 pm on Saturday, December 17th. I'll announce winners the following day. Also, my contest is open internationally.

(Hint: $15 is plenty of $$ to pre-order TSG on Amazon, or pick up the new paperback of TLS--or for a limited time only, you can snag the TLS eBook for only $5.49. But ya know, you can use the gift-card for whatever.)

Okay. Have fun entering the contests. I will think of it all fondly as I'm scrubbing some more puke out of the carpet. And then hopefully I'll get to take a nap. KidA managed to throw up on 25 minute intervals all night long last night. I think I might be a little bit delirious. Hey, wait, is that David Tennant in his TARDIS, beckoning me to take a ride with him to the Land of Nod?

I want to go to there . . . zzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Winter YA Scavenger Hunt Winners!

Hey all-

The YA Scavenger Hunt was a rollicking success! I hope you all had a fun time, and got a chance to read the exclusive sneak peek of THE SAVAGE GRACE.

Just a couple of notes before we get on to winners-

If you would like to buy signed copies of any of my books for the holidays (or for any other reason) there are 3 ways you can do this:

1. Attending the Holiday Party hosted by The King's English Bookshop this Thursday (December 8th) between 5:30-7:00 p.m. to mingle with (and buy signed books) with tons of fabulous authors. For more info, click HERE.

2. If you can't attend the party, you can still order books from the King's English by December 8th, and I will sign and personalize them for you--and the bookstore will then ship them to you! Give them a call at 801-484-9100 to place an order for signed books.

3. I'll be signing at a Holiday book festival hosted at the Orem Library on December 17th from 12-2 p.m. Again, there will be lots of awesome authors in attendance, so you won't want to miss it.

Now on to winners . . .

The winner of the YA SCAVENGER HUNT grand prize is: Sandra Lin of Australia!

The winner of my giveaway (for all three books in the Dark Divine trilogy + Grace's bracelet) is:
Devinne Perry!

Devinne, please email me at readbree@gmail.com in order to claim your prize. If I don't hear from you in 30 days, I'll assume you don't want it, and give it to someone else.

Thanks everyone! The YA Scavenger Hunt will be back in April for more fun, prizes, and bonus material.

The YA Scanevger Hunt Returns!!!

***Note: If you just came here directly from Alexandra Monir's blog, you're in the wrong spot. Please go HERE instead to proceed with the YA Scavenger Hunt. If you didn't come from Alexandra's then go ahead and read this post.***


Welcome to the Winter YA Scavenger Hunt!


The Hunt is a huge, multi-author project with contests, awesome prizes, and exclusive bonus material galore!

The hunt begins on December 1st at Noon and ends on Sunday at Noon (Pacific time)--so don't delay joining in on the fun. This is truly a unique sneak peek into what’s coming up in YA literature!

Each author who is participating in the YA Scavenger Hunt will host one of the other participating authors, providing you with his or her bio, book(s), and special super exclusive bonus material.

But that's not all!

You can also enter to win the YA SCAVENGER HUNT GRAND PRIZE that includes a special gift from each of the 37 participating authors!! Rules and directions for how to enter will come later in this post, so keep on reading.
But wait, there's even more than that!

As you visit all the stops on the YA Scavenger Hunt, you will notice that many of the authors are hosting their own special giveaways in addition to the grand prize. Including me! (See the bottom of this post for how to enter to win me exclusive giveaway.) So, be sure to check out everyone’s page in the Hunt!

(While you're at it, keep an eye out for special keywords written in red. You will need them in order to enter to win the Grand Prize.)

Okay, now it is my pleasure to introduce you all to the author I am hosting for the YA Scavenger Hunt:

Inara Scott

Inara was born in the winter wonderland of Buffalo, NY. She promptly commenced complaining about being cold, and didn’t stop until she moved to Durham, NC, to attend college at Duke University. After graduating with a degree in History and Women’s Studies, Inara wandered around the country teaching outdoor education and writing bad poetry, and eventually found herself at law school in Portland, Oregon. Inara practiced law for ten years before screwing up the courage to quit her day job and devote herself to writing and teaching. Today, Inara writes anything and everything, including children’s books, young adult fiction, and adult romance. Her debut novel, DELCROIX ACADEMY: THE CANDIDATES, published in 2010 by Disney-Hyperion Books for Children, was a 2010 Oregon Spirit Book Award Honor Book.

Inara's new book is:

THE MARKED (Delcroix Academy 2)

All of her life, Dancia Lewis has wanted to use her powers for good. And now that she’s learned the truth about Delcroix Academy—and herself—she may just get the chance. But being part of Delcroix’s top secret Program isn’t anything like Dancia expected. She has to ask herself: what happens to the Talented kids who refuse to pledge their loyalty to the Program? And why did her friend Jack run away rather than join? Dancia’s boyfriend Cam insists they need the help of every Talented student to defend Delcroix from dangerous enemies outside their gates. But Dancia has to wonder: what if Delcroix’s most frightening enemies come from within?

Now for an exciting bit of bonus material along with a note from Inara:

When you write a book in first person, you get deeply embedded into a character's mind and perspective. This is really fun, especially when they're a tough, caring, and powerful girl like Dancia Lewis, the main character from my book The Candidates. But you miss getting that deep look into other characters' psyches. That's why I love writing scenes from other points of view. In this scene, which I wrote just for the fantabulous YA Scavenger Hunt, you'll go back to the beginning of The Candidates and hear from someone who, I think, may be misunderstood. (Or maybe not...I'M NOT TELLING.) Anyway, I hope you have fun hearing a little bit from Cam, the hottest boy at Delcroix Academy. If you haven't read the series, this will be a bit of a spoiler, so be careful! And enjoy...


I’d been watching her for weeks – months, really, if you count all the time I spent watching her talent marks, without knowing exactly what I was seeing. At first, I saw little puffs of color, or strange worm-like shapes crawling through the sky. We’d drive around but it was hard to pin down the source. Talent marks usually stay with the person who makes them, or linger right where the talent has been exercised, but these were different. They hung over houses, a restaurant in downtown Danville, even the middle school. Mr. Judan had us all on guard, just in case it was someone dangerous.

Then one day I saw something explode across the sky, like the image of a firework appearing, and then slowly fading from view. I was at Delcroix, sitting on the lawn with Anna and Trevor. School was almost done for the year, and we were all starting to panic about exams. I’d been studying so much I thought maybe I’d finally started to hallucinate. But no, it wasn’t a hallucination: it was a mark. The biggest talent mark I’d ever seen.

The colors and shapes fit together so beautifully, I knew at once that it couldn’t be more than one person. And the strength of it? Well, that was the remarkable part. Level two talents rarely left behind a mark– when they used their talent they might have a temporary aura, a barely visible glow around their body. Level threes always left something behind, usually for thirty minutes or more. But I’d never seen anything like this. This mark had been broadcast across the sky, creating a swath of color a mile wide.

That night, they broke the story on the evening news: a local girl, defending her grandmother, had leaped at a man with a gun, preventing tragedy from striking at the Central Danville Hospital. We guessed the truth was something far different: the man had been pushed. And not by any physical force. By the girl’s mind.

By seven am the next day we were Watching her. No one, not even Mr. Judan, could believe what we’d found. A level three talent? Untrained? Right under our noses in Danville?

We needed to bring her to Delcroix. For everyone’s protection.

We paid our recruiting visit a few weeks later. The girl’s name was Dancia Lewis. She lived with her grandmother in a tiny brown house on a street cluttered with broken-down cars and weedy lawns. Dancia’s grandmother met us at the door. She was a tiny thing with white hair and thick makeup on her cheeks and eyes. Dancia had light blonde hair that fell in tight ringlets around her shoulders. I’d seen her before, with the other Watchers, but hadn’t seen her up close. When she finally looked me in the face, I froze. She was beautiful, powerful, and terrified all at once.

All I could think was, how could they have missed it?

How could they look at her and not know what she was capable of?

In a dim corner of my brain I heard Mr. Judan say, “This is Cameron Sanders. He’ll be a junior at Delcroix this fall, and he’s one of our Student Recruiters. He works with me over the summer to identify potential new freshman and tell them about the school.”

Mr. Judan’s deep voice snapped me out of my reverie. “Call me Cam,” I said, pasting on a smile. I held out my hand, waiting for her to shake it.

She looked nervous, and it took a second for her to reach out.

“Glad to finally meet you, Dancia,” I said. Our hands made contact for the first time, and the shock took my breath away.

Normally, the first time I touch someone with the potential to become a level three talent, I get a little tingle. It feels more like an emotional connection, as crazy as that sounds, than any real physical connection. But not with Dancia. When our hands met I felt an actual current rush between us, like she was calling out my energy and I was doing the same to hers, and the result was a channel of power and heat.

She dropped my hand and winced, obviously feeling the same thing as me. I let some of my persuasion flow, though I didn’t have anywhere near the power that Mr. Judan did. I wanted to let her know it was all right. I tried to tell her with my eyes that she was going to be fine. Somewhere in that current between us I felt her loneliness, and it ripped at my heart.

But really, what could I say? It wasn’t like we were going to be honest with her. It wasn’t like she could trust us.

The lies were just beginning. I only hoped she wouldn’t hate me too much, when she found out the truth.

To learn more about Inara and her books, you can visit her website at: http://www.inarascott.com
You can purchase her books by clicking HERE or HERE.

And now it's time for giveaways!!

YA Scavenger Hunt Grand Prize Contest

As an extra bonus we’ve put together a puzzle with one keyword found on each website. Complete it and you will be eligible for a fantastic GRAND PRIZE which will include signed editions of books, signed bookmarks, jewelry, and many more exclusive gifts with at least one gift from ALL 37 PARTICIPATING AUTHORS!

Directions: Search for the 37 keywords—one on each Scavenger Hunt website—that are highlighted in RED. When you are finished, go here to the puzzle form, where you will find a list of scrambled keywords. List your keywords in the same order as the scrambled ones—from #1 - #37—and paste that list into the entry form.

Rules: To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed puzzle form before noon on Dec 4th Pacific Time. All the keywords must be included and you must include your full name and address. Entries sent in without name and address will not be considered! The contest is international.

Exclusive Dark Divine Trilogy Giveaway

To celebrate the YA Scavenger Hunt, I am hosting my own giveaway of the entire Dark Divine Trilogy. You can enter to win signed paperbacks of THE DARK DIVINE, THE LOST SAINT, and an advanced reader copy of THE SAVAGE GRACE + an official Dark Divine "Off the Cuff" bracelet from Infinite Jewelry Company. (The bracelet is a replica of the one worn by Grace in the THE LOST SAINT.)


+



To enter-

You must do all of the following:

1. "Like" the Dark Divine facebook page by clicking HERE. (If you've done that already in the past, then you're good to go on this step.)

2. Send me an email at readbree@gmail.com with the subject line "Winter YA Scavenger Hunt." Tell me that you've "liked" the facebook page, and then tell me the answer to the following questions:

A. From Inara's exerpt above, what color of hair does Danica's grandmother have?

B. [As you go through the YA Scavenger Hunt, keep a look out for my special bonus material. (An exclusive excerpt from THE SAVAGE GRACE.) Find the answer to this question by reading the excerpt.] When Grace's father forbids her from returning to the warehouse, where does Grace announce she's going to go to instead?

Rules: 1 entry per person, contest ends at Noon (pacific time) on December 4th, 2011. The winner will be announced the next day. Winner must claim their prize within 30 days. Contest is open internationally. Be sure to email your entry to readbree@gmail.com and NOT give your answers in the comments of this post.

Ready to move on to the next stop in the YA Scavenger Hunt??

Click HERE!

Winner of the Full Moon Extravaganza #2

As it is now December 1st, I need to announce the winner from our Full Moon Extravaganza #2. Using a super complicated selection process involving, charts, graphs, number assignments, and a random selector, I can now say . . .

Congratulations to Paige!

Paige won a bunch of cool books by helping to spread the word for the Kids Need to Read fundraiser... which incidentally is still going on. See the side bar for how you can participate.

What specifically did she win? Well . . . signed copies of:

1.) SILENCE by Becca Fitzpatrick
2.) DEMON GLASS by Rachel Hawkins
3.) THE DEATH CURE by James Dashner
4.) CROSSED by Ally Condie
5.) THE SAVAGE GRACE (ARC) by Bree Despain


The winner needs to email me at readbree(at)gmail(dot)com with your mailing address within 30 days to claim your prize. Otherwise another lucky winner will be chosen. Thanks everyone who bought a copy of THE LOST LETTERS OF BROTHER GABRIEL and helped spread the word about Kids Need to Read.

TLS Paperbacks and Jewelry Winners!

Guess what guys? Today is THE LOST SAINT's paperback birthday! You can get them here, or here, or here, or anywhere else books are sold. BUT, if you would like a signed copy you can place an order with The King's English and I will happily run on over there to sign it before they ship it to you. Just let them know you would like a signed copy and they'll give me a buzz. And that goes for any of my books.

Speaking of The King's English, I'm going to be there on December 8th for their holiday party. Stop by if you can. Should be lots of fun to be had and lots of authors to meet and mingle with and get your books signed. (I think the party goes from 5:30 to 7pm . . . but don't quote me on that.)

Okay, on to some business.

It's time to announce the winners of the Infinite Jewelry give-away (thank you all who entered and especially to those who helped spread the word). So, between the blog and facebook, there were just over 81 individuals who entered the contest and well over 100 entries. So, so close to 90. But since it's TLS's birthday, I figure I may as well give away three pieces right?

From that list of entries I put together a nice little spread sheet and fed it to Random.org. And by me, I mean my husband did. As a result, here are the winners and their prize:

Entry #49: D.
D won a cuff.

Entry #107: Maidenveil
Maidenveil won a moonstone pendent.
Entry #84: MaCayla C.
MaCayla aslo won a pendent.And since I don't want to ring to feel left out, here's a picture of that too :D.
Winners be sure to email me at readbree(at)gmail(dot)com with your mailing address to claim your prize. If I do not hear from you in 30 days, I will assume you do not want your gift and I will find someone else who does.

If you didn't win, don't worry, you can still get 10% off your purchase if you decide to snap up some of this beautiful jewelry for yourself or a friend. (Makes a great holiday gift!) Just enter coupon code 031312 at checkout when you visit Infinite Jewelry Co's website HERE. (Offer is good until December 15, 2011.)

Oh! Also, please don't forget that the fundraiser for Kids Need To Read is still going on until June but the contest ends on Nov. 30th. Don't know what I'm talking about? Read more here.

That's it for now. So, what are your plans for Thanksgiving? I'll be stuffing myself with turkey, trying my best to avoid gluten, dairy, egg landmines. It'll be an adventure. Then I get to have family over on Saturday... which means much cleaning must be done. I'm thinking I'm going to make hubby do it, since it's his family and all. Is that justified or deviously mean awesome? I can't decide.

Moonstones and Bracelets and Rings, Oh My! Introducing: The Official Dark Divine Jewelry Line

I've got something fantastic for you all today . . . but first a little bit of business before I get to the shiny, fun part.

Business:

1. Please don't forget about the fundraiser I am hosting for the wonderful folks at Kids Need To Read. You can purchase the eBook version of THE LOST LETTERS OF BROTHER GABRIEL (A Dark Divine Original Story) for only $1.99, and all of my proceeds will go to #KNTR--helping to provide books to underprivileged libraries and schools. For more details, and how you can win fabulous signed books by spreading the word, click HERE.

2. THE LOST SAINT paperback comes out on November 22nd, 2011!!!! We are getting so close! The paperback includes some fun extras and has a new cover (different than the hardcover) so you won't want to miss it. In anticipation of the release, Amazon is currently offering THE DARK DIVINE eBook for only $3.99! That way you can brush up on the first book before the sequel come out in paperback.

3. I've been told that Egmont USA is running a month of contests and giveaways in order to get ready for the paperback of TLS. Click HERE to find out more.


NOW ON TO THE FUN STUFF...

I've been working closely with the amazing ladies at Infinite Jewelry Co (the official jewelers of TWILIGHT) to design and create jewelry pieces that look just like the rings, bracelets, and necklaces depicted in the DARK DIVINE trilogy. And now, after over a year of planning and designing, Infinite Jewelry Co is pleased to present the official DARK DIVINE jewelry line!

Here's what Infinite Jewelry has to say about it all:

INTRODUCING…The Dark Divine series of amazing, trend-setting jewelry! We are happy to present the new line of jewelry based on the incredible books, The Dark Divine trilogy, by Bree Despain! We have worked closely with Bree to bring to life the jewelry she envisioned as she wrote. We hope that you will love wearing your very own tangible connection to The Dark Divine trilogy!

To celebrate the launch of the Dark Divine jewelry line, from now until December 15, 2011, Infinite Jewelry Co is offering a 10% discount to all of my wonderful readers. Enter coupon code 031312 at checkout in order to receive your discount.*

BUT OF COURSE THERE'S MORE . . .

I am so excited about this jewelry, that I've decided that I need to throw a contest in order to celebrate! Which means I am going to be giving away a few pieces of jewelry to some lucky winners!

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO ENTER TO WIN:

1. Right now, there are three different jewelry pieces available in the Dark Divine line (with more to come after the publication of THE SAVAGE GRACE). Each piece is available in both "classic" and "signature" additions. Today, I am only going to show you my favorite piece, and then make you go find the other two pieces so you can decide which one is your favorite.

So what's my my favorite TDD jewelry piece? I LOVE them all, but the Black Moonstone Necklace is especially awesome and unique. It's just like how I imagined Daniel's moonstone necklace--It even has a crescent moon carved in the middle! It comes on either a cord (like Daniel would wear) or on a delicate chain (like how Grace wore it).

2. Now it's your turn to check out all the Dark Divine jewelry and decide which one is your favorite. Click HERE to be taken to Infinite Jewelry's website so see all the awesome for yourself.

3. To earn your first entry in the contest, be sure to come back here and tell me in the comments of this post which piece is YOUR favorite.

4. You can earn additional entries by blogging our tweeting/facebooking about the contest and sharing the coupon code. Be sure to share coupon code 031312 with your followers so they can also receive a 10% discount (between Nov. 15 & Dec 15, 2011). You can earn +2 entries for a blog post, and +1 entry for either a Facebook post or a tweet. Only 4 entries per individual are allowed.

5. Contest is open internationally. It closes at midnight on November 21, 2011. Winners will be selected through Random.org. If you win, I will send you the piece that you selected as your favorite!!!** Winners will be announced on November 22nd--so be sure to check back in here to see if you won! (Winners will have 30 days to claim their prize or else I will asume they don't want it and I'll give it away to someone else.)

6. And the best part is: I will be giving away 1 piece of "classic edition" jewelry for every 30 INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE who enter the contest. That means the more people you get to enter, the more pieces I will give away!!

So go now and check out the jewelry and start entering to win! I hope you love it all as much as I do!! If you decide to purchase a piece while you're there, be sure to use your coupon code for a 10% discount. (Hint: This jewelry makes a great holiday gift*--especially if you have a TDD fan in your life.)

* (If you want a piece for a holiday gift, act quickly, as the jewelry is available on a pre-order basis. Your order will be delivered 3-5 weeks after you purchase it.)

** For the purposes of this contest, I am giving away the "classic edition" pieces only.

Full Moon Extravaganza #2: Kids Need To Read

Once again the full moon is upon us. Which means, once again it is time to celebrate my favorite werewolves and the fact that it is only 4 months until the release of THE SAVAGE GRACE.

I am especially excited because today's extravaganza is not only something super cool for fans of the DARK DIVINE series, but also will go to support a cause I am passionate about. So what is it you ask?

EGMONT USA has released an eBook version of THE LOST LETTERS OF BROTHER GABRIEL (A Dark Divine Original Story) for only $1.99!

Story Description:

Brother Gabriel, Daniel’s mentor and an ancient Urbat, plays an important role in The Lost Saint as well as the upcoming conclusion to the Dark Divine trilogy, The Savage Grace. We were first introduced to Gabriel in The Dark Divine when Grace recieves a book of ancient letters that Gabriel (a young monk at the time) wrote to his sister during the Crusades, detailing his search to know more about the Urbat. The book of letters ends just before Gabriel falls to the Urbat curse, leaving us to wonder what happened to him in the following years to turn him into the man he is today.

Most of Gabriel’s letters were written during the thirteenth century, and later translated and compiled by an Orthodox priest in the eighteenth century. For whatever reason, some of Gabriel’s letters were lost after translation and did not make it into that original book. But good news! A few of these “lost letters,” detailing Gabriel’s fall to the Urbat curse and his quest to seek revenge on the man responsible for his demise, have recently been “discovered” by the indomitable crew at Egmont USA, and are compiled here for your reading pleasure.

I hope you enjoy The Lost Letters of Brother Gabriel. I think they give a lot more depth to Brother Gabriel’s character and the mythology of the Dark Divine trilogy.

But that's not all. Today's extravaganza gets so, so much better...

As many of you know, I spent a summer in college writing and directing plays for underprivileged kids from New York City and Philadelphia. It was one of my most cherished life experiences. One I can look back on and pinpoint as literally life-changing. I had grown up in a fairly safe and average middle-class neighborhood all my life, and to be a part of helping kids who had to struggle so much just to have a portion of the quality of life I had enjoyed as a kid, was not only an eye opening experience, but it was humbling as well.

One of the things that I learned the most from this experience was how important reading and stories are for helping kids, teens, adults . . . everyone find a place in this world and encourage them to help others do the same. This is what made me re-commit to my dream of being an author.

But today, I get to do a little more. Because today, I get to tell you that from now until June 2012 all of my proceeds from the sale of THE LOST LETTERS OF BROTHER GABRIEL will be donated to the charitable organization Kids Need To Read (KNTR). Their mission is to to create a culture of reading for children by providing inspiring books to underfunded schools, libraries, and literacy programs across the United States, especially those serving disadvantaged children. For more info you can go to their website (www.kidsneedtoread.org) or watch this video from one of my most favorite Hollywood crushes and co-founder of the organization, Nathan Fillion:



Ah, Nathan Fillion. I love that guy. Remember when we fan-casted him to play Pastor Divine in a TDD movie? That'd be beyond cool. Ok, enough daydreaming because . . .

THERE'S MORE!!!

I want as many people as possible to know about this fantastic organization and their mission, so I am offering a signed book prize pack to anyone who helps spread the word about THE LOST LETTERS and how the proceeds will be donated to KNTR.

What you get:
Signed copies of
1.) SILENCE by Becca Fitzpatrick
2.) DEMON GLASS by Rachel Hawkins
3.) THE DEATH CURE by James Dashner
4.) CROSSED by Ally Condie
5.) THE SAVAGE GRACE (ARC) by Bree Despain... or, you know... me.

How you get it:
Blog, tweet, facebook, yell down the street, call your mom. Ok, the last two are great, but won't work for the contest. Just tell people about THE LOST LETTERS eBook and KNTR fundraiser. Then come back here and show me what you did (with links). One entry per person, but the more you do, the more money you help raise for KNTR. But as an extra added bonus, I've decided to give an extra entry to the first 10 entrants.

When you get it:
Give-away ends November 30th. I will then pick the winner via Random.org and announce it on or before Dec. 2nd here on the blog. If it's you, then you will have 30 days to claim the prize by emailing me your shipping address. If it is not claimed by then, I will assume the you do not want the prize and will pick another winner.

Seriously, I'm really excited about this. Please help me make it awesome and help put some great books in the hands of some great kids.

Oh, and don't forget to buy THE LOST LETTERS either here, or here, or you can get it in the iBooks store from your iPhone/iPad/Mac, or anywhere else eBooks are sold. Go forth and share the joy of reading!

P.S. FYI, in preparation for upcoming release of the paperback edition of THE LOST SAINT on November 22nd, the eBook version of THE DARK DIVINE is now available on Amazon for only $3.99!!

THE SAVAGE GRACE Cover reveal winners! (And the cover for you to share)

Woohoo! Out of the HUNDREDS of entries, we used Random.org to choose our three winners who will receive an ARC of THE SAVAGE GRACE.

Those winners are:

Tamara Basic

Grace Clyde
Noelle Smith

Winners, I will contact you via the email address you provided to get your shipping info. Your ARC will be sent to you as soon as they are available (probably some time in early November.)

In case you didn't get to see the cover (or want to see it again) I've posted it here. Please feel free to copy and paste the cover and share it on your blog/facebook/twitter etc. The more people who see it the better!


Just as an FYI, the cover looks redder online than it really is. It's actually a gorgeous coral pink color. And it's going to have a beautiful nail polish to match! (Coming soon.)

Full Moon Extravaganza #1: Cover reveal for THE SAVAGE GRACE!!!!

If you didn't know already, tonight is a full moon. It also marks almost exactly 5 months until the release of THE SAVAGE GRACE. So to celebrate, and in honor of a few of my favorite werewolves, my publisher and I have decided to release something super cool and extra special on the day of the full moon each month, all the way up until the release date in March. Starting today!

And I'm really excited about today's special treat. I've been waiting to show it to you all for a LONG time.

Yes, it is finally time to reveal the cover to the final installation of Dark Divine trilogy, THE SAVAGE GRACE!

But, I'm not going to just throw the cover up on my blog. No. That would be too simple. Instead, I've decided to make a game of it. So, do you want to play?

Oh, good. But before we get started, I've got even more awesome news. I will be giving away an ARC of THE SAVAGE GRACE to three random people who participate in the game!*

Ok, so here's how you play: I have created a puzzle of THE SAVAGE GRACE's cover on my website. But I've spread the pieces across the interwebs, so before you can get to the puzzle and put it all together, you need to go find the pieces and unscramble a password. Don't worry. You won't need to copy and paste the puzzle piece images or do anything too technical.

Here's how you do it-

1.) Each group of puzzle pieces has been assigned key letters. You gather these groups of pieces by collecting these letters from the following blogs:

PageTurners
Mundie Moms
Waste Paper Prose

2.) Once you have all the letters, unscramble them to find the password. (Keep the theme to the Dark Divine trilogy in mind.)

3.) Now that you have all the pieces and have figured out the password, you can follow this link to gain access to the full puzzle (that can be pieced together to reveal the cover image): http://www.breedespain.com/puzzle.php

4.) Enter the password when prompted. It has to be entered in all lower-case letters.

5.) After you finish the puzzle, click "view image" to see the cover completed.

6.) Now make sure you fill out the form on the left hand side of the puzzle page. This is how you enter the drawing for one of three ARCs of THE SAVAGE GRACE, so don't forget that part.

7.) The contest is open until 11:59 p.m. MST on Thursday, October 13th. Winners will be announced here on my blog on Friday, October 14th. Contest is open internationally!

Get it? Got it? Good.

Here's a little sneak peek of the cover puzzle:

THE SAVAGE GRACE synopsis:

A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle.

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.

The code letters you need from this blog are: oi

Now head on out to the other blogs
(PageTurners
Mundie Moms
Waste Paper Prose ) and collect the rest of the letters. If you already have all the letters, unscramble them to find the password, and click HERE to access the puzzle.

I really hope you love the cover as much as I do! Be sure to tell me what you think.

Does anyone have any special plans for the full moon tonight?

* Please note: ARCs of THE SAVAGE GRACE aren't available quite yet. Winners will receive the first three ARCs I get. (Probably some time in early November.)


P.S. When the winners are announced, I'll put up a larger version of TSG's cover that you are welcome to post all over the internet as much as you please. But for now, the cover is locked down and can't be copied.

P.P. S. A couple of upcoming events you should know about:

1. October 19--I'll be speaking on a panel will Sara Zarr and Emily Wing Smith at the West Valley City Library, in celebration of Teen Read Week.
7 p.m. 2880 West 3650 South

2. November 5th--I'll be speaking on a panel at the Vegas Valley Book Festival with Becca Fitzpatrick, Rachel Hawkins, and many more awesome authors. Later that evening, we'll be in attendance at the Paranormal Ball. (Fancy dresses, tons of authors & book lovers--who could ask for anything more fabulous?)

Winner of ASHES...and exciting stuff coming!

Just a quick post to let you know that the winner of ASHES is: Jenni Elyse

Jenni, email me at readbree (at) gmail (dot) com to claim your prize!

Also, tomorrow is the full moon, which means something exciting is coming along with it for Dark Divine fans. Be here at 11:00 a.m. EST Wednesday morning to find out what it is. (Hint: I think you'll love it!)

XOXO,

Bree

Read the first chapter of THE SAVAGE GRACE (Plus a contest)

Eep! Eep! Eep!

Fantastic news, my friends. In order to say thank you for all the awesome feedback on the paperback cover of THE LOST SAINT, my publisher (Egmont USA) has decided to let everyone (as opposed to only the first 200 voters) read the prologue and first chapter of THE SAVAGE GRACE. But only for a limited time.

48 hours to be exact.

Between 3 p.m. EST on October 5th (as in right now) and 3 p.m. EST on October 7th you can read the prologue and first chapter of THE SAVAGE GRACE by clicking HERE. [UPDATE: Sorry, the 48 hrs are up and the link has been removed.]

Contest time:

So go on ahead and read the excerpt, and then please share a link to this blog post with anyone who you think would enjoy reading the first chapter (via Twitter, Facebook, blogging, vlogging, newsletter, etc). Then come back here and tell me what you did in the comments of this post (and provide linkage) and I'll enter you to win an autographed copy of ASHES by Ilsa Bick.

Contest ends at 2:30 p.m. EST on October 7th. The winner will be chosen through Random.org and announced on or before Tuesday, October 11th. Contest is open internationally.

Thanks so much for voting for TLS's paperback cover. In case you didn't get to see the final cover design, I'm posting it again here:

(Isn't she a beauty?)

Now, please go read and share the first chapter of THE SAVAGE GRACE while I nervously chew my fingernails and hope you like it . . .

[UPDATE: Sorry, the 48 hrs are up and the link has been removed.]

THE LOST SAINT Paperback Cover Reveal and more

The options were strong.

The voting was intense.

The time has come.

So, without further ado, I present to you the cover that will be on the paperback edition of THE LOST SAINT:

Ta Da!




I love that Egmont considered everyone's feedback and decided to take the best of both cover options and created a whole new gorgeous finished product. Many thanks to all who participated in the Facebook vote. This cover is for you!

Oh, and speaking of the voting, one of the things promised was access to the first chapter of THE SAVAGE GRACE for the first 200 voters, right? Well, since the response to the voting was so great, Egmont decided rather than limit access to the first 200 voters, they would like to let EVERYONE read the first chapter. Woohoo!

But only for a limited time . . .

Starting Wednesday, chapter 1 of THE SAVAGE GRACE will be available on Scribd.com. The chapter will only be posted for 48 hours, so don't miss out. Be sure to come back here to get a direct link to the first chapter, and to see some of my favorite foreign market covers for THE DARK DIVINE and THE LOST SAINT. There are also some exciting things in the works that I'm hoping I'll be able to tell you about then.

P.S. A couple of upcoming events you should know about:

1. October 19--I'll be speaking on a panel will Sara Zarr and Emily Wing Smith at the West Valley City Library, in celebration of Teen Reads Week.
7 p.m. 2880 West 3650 South

2. November 5th--I'll be speaking on a panel at the Vegas Valley Book Festival with Becca Fitzpatrick, Rachel Hawkins, and many more awesome authors. Later that evening, we'll be in attendance at the Paranormal Ball. (Fancy dresses, tons of authors & book lovers--who could ask for anything more fabulous?)

That's all for now. See ya Wednesday!

THE LOST SAINT Paperback Cover

Hello Readers,

I need your help. The US paperback edition of THE LOST SAINT comes out on November 22nd and we are asking YOU to help us choose the cover. Over on the Facebook fan pages for THE DARK DIVINE and THE LOST SAINT we have posted the original cover that appeared on the hardcover edition, and the shiny new cover concept below.

(You can get a larger view of the covers by clicking on the pics posted on Facebook.)

Head on over to Facebook by clicking HERE or HERE and pick your favorite cover by liking the corresponding post.

As an added (and super special) bonus, the first 100 (and possibly more) people to cast their votes will be granted access to an exclusive read of THE SAVAGE GRACE's first chapter!*
Update: Now the first 200 voters will be granted access to the exclusive sneak peek.*

Voting ends September 9th.

Ready….
Set…

GO!

*Voters will be granted access to TSG's first chapter via Netgalley before the end of September 2011. (That's almost 2 months earlier than anyone else will get to see it!)

May the best cover win.