Teaser Tuesday #7: Get a sneak peek inside the book (and giveaway)

Happy, happy, Tuesday!  I hope you're having a good one. Did you know we are only 6 weeks away from THE SHADOW PRINCE debut on March 11th?!!!

If you're in Utah, I hope you'll join me for the official TSP launch party on Saturday, March 15th at 2:00 p.m. at The King's English Bookshop. There will be prizes and food and me smiling and talking my face off.  (A full list of TSP events is coming soon!)


So a couple of big boxes arrived on my doorstep yesterday.


Everyone was very excited to see what was inside . . .


As it turned out, the precious cargo was my author copies of THE SHADOW PRINCE!!!! I duly freaked out and squeeeeed and took a million pictures.

 
Even Mei Mei wanted to get in on the action.

 
Or more likely eat the box they came in.

Since I went a little nuts with the pics, I thought that for today's Teaser Tuesday I would give a little sneak peek of the ins and outs of the hardcover book. (Because I'm book-nerdy and I love that sort of thing--so hopefully you do, too.)



First a look at the gorgeous cover. It's even prettier in person than in the comp renderings I've seen before. (Interesting thing to note: in the comp pictures the background seemed more greenish, in these pics it looks more blackish, but in person it's actually more blueish.)



Here's the spine of the dust jacket. (So you know what you're looking for in case the bookstore doesn't display the book face-out. ;) )



 Here's the back of the book with a pull-quote to entice readers. (And it's one of the quotes that I shared as a teaser a few weeks ago.) Love the way this looks!


Here's what the book looks like without its dust jacket. (You know, just in case you're a guy reader, or you know a guy reader, who might like the book but might think the cover isn't gender-neutral enough, you can just slip that cover off and viola, a nice plain blue book! But you know, as far as any picky guys are concerned, as far a both story and cover go, I think this book is pretty boy-friendly.) (P.S. My carpet isn't orange. That picture is just weird.)


 
Here's the spine of the actual book. I have to admit, I am swooning over that gold lettering. How gorgeous is that?!

 Now for a look inside:



The flap jacket copy. (a.k.a. the book summary.)



The title page. (This is the very first hardcopy of THE SHADOW PRINCE that I have ever signed!)



Here's a pic of page one. (If you have really good eyes, you just might be able to read it.)


 
Here's a picture of the first page of chapter two.


 
This is one of my favorite things about the interior design. Each chapter that is from Haden's point of view is marked by the astrological symbol for Hades. (Ya know, because he's from the Underworld and all.)


 
And each chapter by Daphne is marked by the astrological sign for Lyra. (Why? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out.)



Actually, all the other symbols on the cover are astrological symbols for different Greek gods. I bet you can guess a few.



Here's a picture of the very last word in the book. Any guesses as to what it is?

So how big is the book?


 
About the size of a kitten.


Giveaway time:

I've already promised three of these hardcopies out to previous Teaser Tuesday contest winners, but I thought I would give away the copy that I used as my model today.*** (As in, the very first hardcopy that I've signed.) Enter to win using the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Btw, if you decide to PRE-ORDER your copy of THE SHADOW PRINCE, be sure to save your receipt. You might want it later. (HINT, HINT pre-order goodies/contest *cough, cough*)

***Kitten not included

Oh and I can't forget. Last week's winner of ROOMIES is: Jamie G.

(Winner, if you didn't receive my email, please hit the contact button in the menu and send me your shipping address to claim your prize. It must be claimed within 30 days or it will be forfeit.)

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Teaser Tuesday #6: The Perfect Song (and a giveaway)

I'm in a melancholy mood today so I thought I'd share a song that is featured in THE SHADOW PRINCE that encapsulates how I feel.  In the book, Haden--who knows very little of music because it is forbidden in the Underrealm--gets goaded into performing a song in front of the entire town. Desperate not to fail, and looking for a way to get close to Daphne, Haden convinces her to perform a duet with him. Daphne suggests a song in this excerpt from THE SHADOW PRINCE:

      "It's 'Falling Slowly' by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova--from one of my favorite movies. It's the first duet I thought of, but after looking at several others, I think it's the best option."
      I read over the words. Imagining the lyrics with the notes evokes an uncertain, wanting ache inside my chest. "It's perfect."
     "It's going to take a lot of practice," she says. "Are you up for spending that much time with me over the next couple of weeks?"
     "Yes," I say.
     At this moment, there's nothing I want more.

Check out the song for yourself and see if it makes you feel the same way as it does Haden. Personally, I agree with him, it's perfect.



Now for the Teaser Tuesday Giveaway!

Today I am giving away a book by an author who is one of my all favorites (both because she's an amazing writer and a really inspiring person): Sara Zarr.  I've got a copy of her latest book, ROOMIES, that is signed by both Sara and her delightful co-author, Tara Altebrando, for a very lucky winner. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter.














a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE SHADOW PRINCE Teaser Tuesday #5

Greetings, friends!

Yesterday was my birthday and Hubs took me on a dessert tour of Salt Lake City--and now I am stuck in bed with a sugar+gluten hangover. (But man was it worth it!) My hands are so swollen with inflammation that I can barely type, so I am going to keep today's Teaser Tuesday short and super duper upbeat!

Today I am giving you a sneak peek at the inspiration for one of my antagonists: Simon Fitzgerald.

Simon is tasked with the job of overseeing Haden while he is on his quest to the mortal world, and the inspiration for his character was born out of this question that would pop into my mind while watching one of my favorite sitcoms:

What if Chris Traeger from PARKS AND RECREATION were evil?

Yep, those are the kind of weird questions that pop into my head on a regular basis. I think that's why I'm a writer. (Or possibly just crazy?) But answering that question in THE SHADOW PRINCE led to a character that was *quite literally* the funnest antagonist to write.

No giveaway this week, but I leave you with the gift of THIS VIDEO compilation of some of *the best* Chris Traeger-isms from the show. Just watch and think: What if this guy were evil? 
(Sorry embedding the video here was blocked, so you'll have to click on the embedded link.)


Winners from last week's Teaser Tuesday giveaway are:
 Jessica@a GREAT read
Nicole Mainardi
 Rebecca Hipworth

(Winners, if you didn't receive an email from me, hit the contact button in the menu and send me your shipping address to claim your prize. All prizes must be claimed within 30 days or will be forfeit.)

Everyone, be sure to come back for next week's Teaser Tuesday! (Hint: I'm giving away a signed book from one of my most favorite authors.)

An Extra Special THE SHADOW PRINCE Teaser Tuesday #4 (and giveaway)!

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

First off, the winner of last week's Teaser Tuesday is: Nara Lee! 
(Nara, if you didn't get my email, hit the contact button in the menu and send me your shipping address in order to claim your prize.)
 
Did you know that we are only 9 weeks away from the debut of THE SHADOW PRINCE? (Eeeep! I'm dying with anticipation over here!)

And now I've got an extra special Teaser Tuesday for you all today. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, THE SHADOW PRINCE has a new cover--and I finally have permission to show it to you.

So without further ado, I present to you THE SHADOW PRINCE Teaser Tuesday #4:

A cover re-reveal of THE SHADOW PRINCE!!!***

Now for the Giveaway:

To celebrate releasing the new cover, I am giving away three signed hardcover copies of THE SHADOW PRINCE from my own personal author-copy stash.  This means that the book you win will be a finished copy with the brand new cover design!

(Please note: My author copies are not yet available and may not arrive until the end of February/beginning of March--but the first three copies I get will be sent to the winners!)

Enter to win using the Rafflecopter widget below.****

And please feel free to share the new cover with your friends and followers. With only 9 weeks left until debut, I'd really like to get the new cover out there so people know what they're looking for when they go out to bookstores.

And be sure to come back every Tuesday for a fun THE SHADOW PRINCE teaser and additional giveaways!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Why the new cover? Two reasons: 1. The title treatment of the old cover was too confusing. Nobody was sure if the title of the book was supposed to be "Into the Dark" or "The Shadow Prince." I think the new title treatment makes it pretty clear--and it's pretty awesome. Definitely my favorite part of the new design.  2. If someone (or a few someones) with a whole lot of clout in the book-selling biz says that they don't think your cover is quite right (and you have a smart publisher) you get a new cover design.

****Contest is open internationally. Winners must claim their prize within 30 days or it will be forfeit.