Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

And the winner of the Iron Fey character manuscript critique is...


Christie Cheung, who chose Puck to critique her manuscript!


Congratulations, Christie.  And thank you to everyone who entered.  I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday!  2013 is going to be fabulous.


-Julie

Giving back/Critiquing YOUR manuscript

The holidays are upon us once again.

Tis the season of giving, and as Christmas creeps ever closer, and I am bombarded by holiday specials that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I realize how blessed I have been and how I want  to give something back to my readers and fans.




So, I got to thinking, when I was a young writer, I didn't really have anyone to share my stories with, give me advice, or point me in the right direction.  And now that Nano Wrimo is over, I know there are many writers out there with half-finished or completed manuscripts, who might not know what to do next. 

Let us help.

And by us, I mean your favorite characters from The Iron Fey.  This Christmas, Meghan, Ash, and Puck have graciously agreed to critique one lucky writer's manuscript, up to the first 25 pages.  Just enter your name and email in the comments below, and list who you would like to critique your story.  Yes, YOU get to choose who critiques your manuscript, based on what kind of advice you want.

Then, on Christmas Eve, I will choose one lucky winner for a free critique of their choice.  And here are your choices.




 Meghan critique:

Meghan will be nice.  She will not say anything negative about your story, and she will not criticize at all.  She will list what she likes, maybe correct a few grammar mistakes, and give you gentle advice about where she thinks the story can go.  Choose her if you cannot handle harsh criticism, or if you are not ready to have your story picked apart.







Puck critique

Puck will be snarky, funny, and will comment liberally on what he liked and did not like.  He will focus more on the positive than the negative. However, he will point out obvious holes, grammar errors, and other mistakes, but it will all be in good fun.  He might poke at your story a bit, but he will be funny about it.  Choose him if you want a fair, funny review, but can also handle good-natured snark and criticism.







Ash critique

Ash is not one for overly squooshy comments, and he will not go out of his way to find things that he likes.  He is the harshest of the three, and you might not like what he has to say, but he will also be fair.  However, he is rather ruthless, so choose him only if you are prepared for the cold, hard truth about your manuscript. 





And, just because I know some people will be wondering...





Grim critique

(NOT RECOMMENDED.  This cat has made even seasoned authors cry.)










So, all you aspiring writers out there, what are you waiting for?  All you need to do is put your name, email, and your choice of critique in the comments below.  (Yes, it is international, but I need to be able to read your manuscript.  So English only, please.)  On Christmas Eve, I will randomly select a winner, so good luck to everyone, and Happy Holidays!

-Julie
















 

Character interview: Mason and Fennrys from STARLING

Today I have the great pleasure of being a part of Leslie Livingston's blog tour for her new book, STARLING.  When asked what kind of post I wanted to do, I instantly jumped at the chance to interview the two main characters, Mason Starling and Fennrys Wolf.  I read STARLING, loved it, and had a few particularly burning questions I wanted to ask our two heroes.  Especially how Fennrys...well...I'll just let you read the interview.  *Evil author grin*  (I will do that a lot.)

So, anyway, here we go!  On with the interview.

1.  So, Fennrys, tell us a bit about yourself.  I heard you...um...sort of fell into Mason's life in the most interesting way.  Care to tell us about that night?  *Evil grin* 

I’d say it was a pretty normal night, really… Plummeting out of the sky into a maelstrom of apocalyptic weather, blackouts, storm zombies, abundant weapons-use, death, destruction, beautiful girl with a sword… hey. It’s NYC. Hell of a town, right? What… that’s not what you’re talking about? Is it the amnesia thing? The fact that I can’t really tell you who I am or where I came from? Or the fact that I can’t tell you because I don’t remember… and I don’t have any ID to help with that because I had nowhere to carry a wallet. On account of my lack of pants that night. Is that what your getting at, Ms. Kagawa? *Dangerous grin*,  

2.  The pants part, or lack thereof, definitely.  *Smiles back at Fenn*  Mason, you have two older brothers and a very protective father.  Being the only girl in your family, what is your relationship like with them?  Do you get along with your brothers, or do they drive you crazy?

Wow. Uh… both. The getting-along and the crazy-driving. I’m not going to say which goes with which, because that’s just not nice, but then… neither is one of my brothers. And you didn’t hear that from me. As for my dad? He’s kind of a force of nature. He’s pretty amazing, really, and I think I grew up trying to make him proud, and learn from his strength. I know I’m the only girl in the house and, yeah, sometimes it seems like there’s a fog of testosterone hanging in the air, but I can pretty much hold my own. But really, the Starling men are manly men. What are you gonna do? It’s probably one of the reasons I learned to fight.

3.  Fennrys, you've just come back to the mortal world after being away for a long time.  What's your favorite part about it?  Is there anything you love that wasn't around before?

Seeing as how I don’t really remember all that much about the world the first time around… I’m not exactly sure how to answer that. Except… you write books about the Fae, don’t you, Ms. Kagawa? Something about that seems… familiar to me. I dunno. I’m probably just imagining things, right?

My favorite part about the world now? It’s probably the same thing that I love—er… am extremely fond of that wasn’t here before. She’s sitting over there. But I’d rather you didn’t tell her I said that. I’m trying not to screw this thing up, you know?

4.  Mason, how did you first get into fencing?  Is it something you've always wanted to do?  What do you enjoy the most about the sport?

I’m not really sure how to explain it. All I know is, the very first time I ever picked up a sword, it just seemed absolutely… right. Like my hand had been waiting for it. I fight saber in competition and it’s definitely the most fun. The moves are bold and fierce and there’s a lot more yelling from the competitors. I think my dad worries sometimes that I’m a little obsessive about my practice. I think he’d like me to take up another hobby. I haven’t told him yet that I kind of have. Mostly because my new “hobby” still involves fighting. Just with more monsters, bigger swords and occasional moonlight and kissing added in. Um. *Blush*

5.  And finally, Fennrys, what do you think of Mason?  Any quirks or habits that drive you crazy?  What do you like most about her?  And Mason, same question.  What exactly are your thoughts on Fennrys?  (Feel free to spill juicy details if you like.  We'd all love that. *Evil author grin*)

I think Mason is… special. That’s what I think. I’m not really keen on her whole flinging herself into the path of danger impulses, but I’m certainly not going to try to curtail them—mostly because that would mean the first thing she’d have to do is stop hanging around me. Quirks? Sure. There’s the whole open window/ no enclosed spaces thing. But I like fresh air, so I’m okay with that. Habits that drive me crazy? She lifts her shoulder too much when she lunges and she clenches her toes on a thrust. We’re working on that—what? You’re doing that grin thing again, Ms. Kagawa. I’m talking about Mason’s fencing technique. Surely that’s what you thought I was talking about… right? *Evil Fennrys grin*

 

Well… I like the way he grins… And fights. And… uh… stuff. I like the fact that he treats me like an equal and that he’s not afraid to not hold back when we spar. The whole flinging himself into the path of danger thing is a little worrying. And the fact that, y’know, he doesn’t really know who he is. That’s a quirk, right? I think that’s a quirk. Habits that drive me crazy? The way he smiles. It’s not quite the same as the grin. It’s like, every time he does it… it’s for the very first time, and he’s not really sure how to make the muscles of his face be happy. But then this smile appears and it’s awkward and beautiful and it definitely makes me crazy—wait. I’m not sure we’re talking about the same kind of crazy… *Attempts evil Mason grin… winds up just blushing furiously*

 

 

Thank you, Mason and Fennrys, for dropping by.  I think we all enjoyed that peek into you...er...characters!  I was going to say characters, geez you people. :P  Be sure to check out STARLING, on shelves now.  You won't regret it.

Julie

 

 

 

 

 

 

FaerieCon East cancellation

It is with great sadness that I announce that I will not be attending FaeryCon East this year.  The storm out east has caused all kinds of issues and flight cancellations, making travel nearly impossible.  I do apologize to all my fans planning on attending FaerieCon East.  I hope to see you next year.  :(

Many regrets.

Julie

Costume contest winners

Well, you've all done it again.

That is, made it supremely difficult to judge this contest based on all the AWESOME entries.  BUT, after looking through all the beautiful pics and agonizing over several, I have finally come up with my favorite three.

First and Second place winners are:

 

 

 

 

 

Aren't they gorgeous?  I love the mischievousness nature of the first pic, and the haunting surrealness of the second.  (Also the horse is beautiful.)  They two lovely fey will be receiving a signed Lost Prince in the mail soon.  Again, I wish I could've chosen EVERYONE, but alas, I only have so many books.  But, moving on...

 

 

The winner of the Grand Prize pack below...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is....(drumroll)

 

 

 

 

 

 

ECHO, THE IRON FAERY!

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, how cool is this?  I love the ears, the metallic skin, the computer cables for hair, even the tiny iron bug hovering in her palm.  She could've easily stepped out of the pages of The Iron Fey and into the real world.  Much, much love.

 

 

So, congrats to the winners!  I will be emailing you shortly for your mailing addresses, so be on the lookout for that.  Again, THANK YOU ALL for entering.  Everyone was so creative, so enthusiastic, and just all around awesome.  I hope you had fun with this, and until next time, keep on believing!

 

 

Julie





NaNo is here again

Hey fellow NaNoers.  This is a little post a wrote a couple years ago about that crazy time of year known as NaNo WriMo.  I thought I would share it again, as I think it bears repeating.  Just remember, we can do this.

***


Yup, its that time of year again.

NaNo Wrimo is upon us once more.

Even as I type this, I'm checking the NaNoWriMo official site, which is being ridiculously slow tonight, probably as hundreds (thousands?) of NaNoers are doing the exact same thing.

If you are one of these brave (insane) souls, kudos to you! Its comforting to know, as we gear up for the most frantic, stressful, neurotic month of the year (Christmas doesn't even come close) that there are thousands of writers going through the exact same thing. So, as the 1st of November looms ever closer, let's promise ourselves these things...

We will write everyday, through rain and sleet and falling snow, through TV shows and outings and parties and people who want you to socialize. By now, you should have warned any family, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, relatives, and spouses that they will probably not see you until December.





















We will not let our inner editor tell us our writing is crap. (Its 50k words in 30 days, its SUPPOSED to be crap.) This also goes for going back and "fixing things." Do not worry about fixing things; that will be December's project.


We will not fall behind.

If we do fall behind, we will soldier on and not give up.

We will not let the siren song of email, twitter, facebook, myspace, blogs, ect ect ect distract us from churning out our words. This also goes for phones, friends, children, pets, spouses, ect.


















At the end of the month, we will have written a 50,000 word mess of a story, with dangling plot threads, nonsensical scenes, holes you could drive a semi through, and so many mistakes our English teachers would scream, but we will have written a complete NOVEL. And we won't worry about the mess; we can always clean it up later.

So, my fellow NaNoers...on this last night of October, as the costumed children return from their candy begging, let us eat a good meal, get a good night's sleep, and say farewell to our loved ones.

For tomorrow, we NaNo.

I'll see you at the finish line.

Figment writing contest and more

A couple things I wanted to share with you:

First up, check out this awesome writing contest hosted by Figment, a fun creative writing site.


Inspired by Julie Kagawa’s new novel, The Lost Prince, and the faery world that only Ethan Chase can see, we’ve got a new short-story contest for you! Your challenge: In 1,200 words or fewer, write a story about secret world that only your main character can see.

And check out the prizes below.

One grand-prize winner will receive a copies of The Lost Prince and Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa, The Iron Fey boxed set (which includes The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen, The Iron Knight), Winter’s Passage and Summer’s Crossing eBooks, and a lock and key necklace, similar to the one that Ethan gives to Kenzie for protection from the fey.

One second prize winner will receive a copy of The Lost Prince, The Iron Fey boxed set, and a lock and key necklace.

One third prize winner will receive copies of The Lost Prince and Immortal Rules, and a lock and key necklace.



So, all you aspiring writers out there, head on over to Figment for the rules and deadlines, or to just vote for your favorite story.



Second, head on over to TheIronFey.com to unlock FREE books, exclusive content, and other cool things.  You can also see the full LOST PRINCE trailer, so what are you waiting for? 


Lastly, I was at Another Anime Con this week, and though I didn't get to take many pictures, here are a couple I thought you might enjoy.  =D

To My Readers

The Lost Prince is only a few days away!  So, as we gear up for  it's release, here is a letter to the most important people, my readers.  And check out the teaser snippet for The Lost Prince trailer below!

 

 

 

 

 

Annnnnnnnnd, check out the UK's stunning cover for The Lost Prince! 

  

 

And, finally, here is the teaser snippet.  Be sure to check back later for the whole thing.







Hope you're excited!

Julie

Lost Prince trailer stills

Hey all!  Exciting times are soon approaching.  In preparation for the upcoming release of The Lost Prince, check out the trailer stills below!

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned for information on the full trailer launch and a Twitter Party closer to the release!  Until then, what are your thoughts?

 

 

-Julie

My Crazy October

Hey all.

So, October is going to be a crazy month for me, particularly the middle two weeks.  I'll be at signings, on T.V., at cons, and at libraries.  Below is a peek at my insane schedule, in case you wanna drop in on one of these events and say hi.


October 15: I'll be at the Oldam County Public Library from 6pm to 7pm for Teen Read Week.  There will be a discussion, a Q&A, and probably a giveaway of some sort.  Check the cool flyer below.

 

 

 

 

October 17: I'll be on the Great Day Live show on WHAS 11 with Rachel Platt and Terry Meiners.  They will be interviewing me and fellow Lousivillian authors Kelly Creagh, Bethany Griffin, and Katie McGarry about our books, so if you live in or around Louisville be sure to tune in at 9am on the 17th to see me faint dead away on live T.V.

 

 

October 19-21:  I'll be in Manchester, New Hampshire for Another Anime Con.  Check out their website here for more information

 

October 26: I'll be at the Summit Barnes and Noble in Louisville, KY with authors Kelly Creagh, Bethany Griffin, and Katie McGarry from 6:30 to 8:30pm, for the MASQUERADE BALL B&N is holding for Halloween.  There will be discussions, Q&A, prizes, costumes, and lots of fun.  Oh, and we'll probably be signing our books, too. 

 

List of authors and their books:

 

 

Kelly Creagh: Nevermore, Enshadowed

 

Bethany Griffin: Masque of the Red Death

 

Katie McGarry: Pushing the Limits

 

 

 

 

So that's my crazy October schedule, not including a musical I'm going to see with my husband (Beauty and the Beast), and my birthday lands in October, too.  (Nope, not gonna tell you when.) 

 

Hope to see you sometime.  Don't laugh if I trip and fall on live T.V. (Okay, you can laugh a little.)

 

Julie  

 

 

 

 



 

October Contest: Calling all Fey

Welcome to October!

The month of pumpkins, ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night.

And to celebrate, I have an awesome giveaway for everyone.  Check out the grand prize below.

-An Iron Fey boxed set
-A signed Lost Prince
-A signed Iron Legends
-The Japanese version of The Iron King (volumes 1 and 2)
-A Japanese Grimalkin bookmark

-Also two signed copies of The Lost Prince for the 1st and 2nd place winners.

So, what do you have to do to win this collection of schwag?  Well, since its October and Halloween is fast approaching (and since I promised there would be costumes involved), I want you to embrace your fey side and dress up as a faery.

Yes, a faery.  Any kind of faery, really.  You can be a good faery...

Or a bad faery...

Or a goblin or a pixie or a redcap or a dryad or a gremlin.  Anything really.  Its up to you.  But you must be a faery; no vampires, witches, werewolves, or zombies.  (No, zombie-faeries do not count.)   

Now, have fun with it!  Choose a name for your faery self, and which court your belong to.  Are you a sun-loving Seelie/Summer fey, or do you hail from the darker Unseelie/Winter court?  Or maybe you're a tech-savvy Iron faery from the Iron realm. 

Whatever kind of fey you are, take a picture of your faery self, post it to your blog, Tumblr, Facebook, ect., and leave me the link in the comments or on Twitter.  Be sure to mention the contest, and leave a link back so that others can join in the fun.



Now for THE RULES.

-The picture must be posted to an online, public forum of some type.  Facebook, blogger, and Tumblr are all acceptable, but it must be something I can link to.  I will not accept files directly to my email account.

-Only one entry per person.  Group shots are fine, but count as a single entry, so you'll have to divvy up the loot among yourselves if you win.  ;-) 

-You must leave an email where I can reach you in the comments.

-The contest will run until October 31st, upon which I will choose 3 winners.  1st and 2nd place will recieve a signed Lost Prince.  One Grand Prize winner will recieve the swag bundle mentioned above.

-And for the million dollar question, yes it is international. :D



Have fun!

Julie

Box set winner

And ze winner of the signed Iron Fey boxed set (as chosen by Random.org) is:

@TouyaSan

Thanks everyone who entered and tweeted me their pics of Iron Legends!  Stay tuned for October 1st, where I will be having a very special giveaway/contest with lots of cool prizes.  It will be awesome.  It will also involve costumes.

Thanks again!

Julie

Contest: Looking for the biggest Iron Fey fan

Hey everyone!

Check out this awesome contest from the folks at Harlequin TEEN.

***

Do you think YOU'RE the biggest Iron Fey fan? Are you Team Ash? Are you Team Puck?

In the lead up to the new book, The Lost Prince: Call of the Forgotten, Harlequin TEEN is giving one fan the chance to win a copy of The Lost Prince and get to be on an episode of Harlequin TEEN T.V.  So get those facial muscles working, cause you'll need to do a vlog for this contest.

Details, rules, and entry forms, here.  

***

Sounds cool, yes?  If you have any questions (don't ask me, I wouldn't know!), shoot a tweet at @Harlequinteen or message them on their Facebook.  Now go out there and have fun with it!

Julie

Cover Reveal: 'Til the World Ends

Cover reveal for 'Til the World Ends, extra large:

Isn't it striking?  It has an ominous feel, somehow, especially with that blood red root/vein coming out of the 'E.' 

Read more about the cover and the concept for it here.


What are your thoughts?  Hit me!  =)

Julie

'Til the World Ends Anthology: Dawn of Eden

Hey, Immortal Rules fans!  Bet you didn't know that I've written a prequel to The Immortal Rules.  Yep, it's called DAWN OF EDEN, but it's not going to be available online or from Harlequin TEEN.  This novella will only appear in a special Luna anthology called 'Til the World Ends, and also features authors Ann Aguirre and Karen Duvall.

Here is a short synopsis:

Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa

Before The Immortal Rules, there was the Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden--as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What's worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she's beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems....


If you've read The Immortal Rules, you might recognize the name "Archer."  Also exciting, Harlequin plans to reveal the cover of Til the World Ends on September 17th on harlequinblog.com.  So be on the lookout for that. 

Quick note: while this is a prequel to The Immortal Rules, it is not a YA novella.  It is an adult story with adult content, so consider yourselves warned. 


More news to come!

Julie

 

Iron's Prophecy novella release

Just a quick note.

Iron's Prophecy has been released as an e-novella today.  It is also available in the print version of Iron Legends, along with Winter's Passage, Summer's Crossing, and the Guide to the Iron Fey, but if you just want the e-copy of Iron's Prophecy, here it is.
 

And here is the quick summary:


Meghan Chase is finally getting used to being the Iron Queen, ruler of the Iron Fey. Her life may be strange, but with former Winter prince Ash by her side at last, she wouldn't have it any other way.

But when they travel to the Summer and Winter courts' gathering for Elysium, the oracle from Meghan's past returns with a dire prophecy: "What you carry will either unite the courts, or it will destroy them."

Now Meghan faces a devastating choice that may determine the future of all fey--and her and Ash's unborn child....

A novella from Julie Kagawa's bestselling Iron Fey series.



Check out eHarlequin's page to download it to your reader.


Julie

An odd encounter

Found an odd white furry bug on my wall today.  Took a picture but it was so tiny, its hard to see.  Click on the pic to enlarge.

Anyone know what this critter is?  And if its harmful to plants?


EDIT: So, through the magic of Twitter, we've discovered that the odd white bug is actually the larval form of a ladybird beetle, a predatory beetle much like the ladybug.  They are also known as Mealybug Destroyers, because they eat the harmful mealybugs that like to munch on your plants. (They also look much like their prey; mealybugs are white and furry, too.)

So, mystery solved.  Learn something new everyday, right?

Iron Fey boxed set giveaway

The IRON LEGENDS is out today!

Exciting, isn't it?  Also very exciting, check out what I received on my doorstep today.

 

 

 

 

 

A couple pretty, individually wrapped Iron Fey box sets.  So, in honor of The Iron Legends release, I'm going to be giving one of these away.  But not just any box set, no.  Not only will you get the signed poster that comes with the set, lookee what I did to the box itself.

 

Yep, I signed the box.  In pretty gold ink.  The only one of its kind now.  Are you getting excited?  Here is the box set from a different angle.

 

And here is the back.

 

 

 

 

 

So, ready for the giveaway?  It's quite easy this time.  Since today is the release day for THE IRON LEGENDS, I want you to go out, get a copy, and take a picture of yourself with it.  Then send me the link in the comments or on twitter.   

 

Pretty easy, yes?  Unfortunately, since Iron Legends hasn't released internationally yet, I realize it will be harder for some people to participate, but I'll still make this international.  Contest will run until September 22nd, and the winner will be decided via Random.org. 

 

 

(Pictures of Kindle/Nook/Kobo editions also count.  As does a pic of an order confirmation, if you're afraid the book won't get there in time.)

 

 

Remember, your picture should be of you and Iron Legends, which is this book here, not the boxed set, which is not out yet.

 

 

Everyone got that?  Okay, good luck!  I'll be waiting for your pictures.  :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

The Iron Legends blog tour: Summer Court

The Iron Legends blog tour kicks off!





With a visit from Puck of the Summer Court.  Go to Pageturner's blog here: here for a chance to win some cool prizes, and to have Puck regale you with is favorite places to go in Arcadia.

One week until Iron Legends!

Which Court do you belong to?



Iron Legends Contest winners

Gaaaaaaaaah.

Okay, you guys.  You make it SERIOUSLY HARD to choose just three winners.  Every single entry was beyond fabulous, and I was amazed at the love shown for certain characters ( especially a certain ice prince, lol).  I want to give you ALL a prize.  Alas, I do not have 182 copies of Iron Legends to give away, so I must stick with just three.  But you all did such awesome work, you should be very proud of yourselves.  It took me over an hour to finally pick the three winners, which are...

Louisse Ang (Louisse_ang@yahoo.com)
Liselle (roseliagreen33@gmail)
Nicole Lily (Nicolexx@live.com)

So yes, you three will be recieving emails from me very soon.  Or you can just email me your mailing addresses so I can send you shiny new copies of The Iron Legends. 

For everyone else, thank you again for entering.  And don't worry, there will be more contests/giveaways on the horizon.  In fact, I just got several extra Japanese versions of The Iron King, so there might be a special contest for those coming soon.  Keep your eyes peeled.  :)

-Julie

A tribute to Sniper Cat.

It is with great sadness that I announce that our wonderful orange, one-eyed kitty Sniper lost his battle with cancer today.  He was diagnosed with Lymphoma earlier in the year after we noticed his eye getting cloudy and swollen.  His eye was removed, and we'd hoped that the cancer was contained soley in the eye, but a couple months later lumps started appearing on his chest and face, and we knew his time was about done. 

He was put on medication to slow the spread of the cancer, but we knew it was only buying him time and that eventually, we'd have to let him go.  He had one more good month full of love and treats and spoiling, before his health went rapidly downhill  and he began to deteriorate.  Today, we made the desicion all pet owners dread: to end his pain and let him go gently into that eternal sleep. 

I cried the entire time.


But, as the great Dr. Seuss said: "Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened."  And though we will miss Sniper cat terribly, we had six wonderful years with him, and he will always be in our memories.  So this is a tribute to our awesome one-eyed kitty who loved life, and a reminder to love those furry family members who share your world. 

Our boy.

Sniper in his box.

An early pic of Sniper before he lost his eye, with his best friend, Shinobi.

We'll miss you, Sniper cat.

Love, your humans.

Kawaiiiiiiiiiiii!!!

MEEP!

Look what came today!

The Japanese versions of The Iron King!

Aren't they awesome!?!  I love them!  There are two different covers because the book is split into two volumes.  I love the one of Ash in his "long black coat."  The artist got him down perfectly.

Sadly, I don't have any extra ones I can give away, though I did also get a few of these little beauties:

So I will be doing something with these Grimmy bookmarks soon-ish, maybe a contest or a giveaway, so keep checking back here or on Twitter.


-Julie

Signing this Sat. at Joseph Beth

Just a quick note:

I will be at the Joseph Beth Bookstore in Cincinnati this Saturday, along with 8 other YA authors including Rae Carson, Saundra Mitchell, and Sara Rees Brennan, for BEACHY KEEN II.  There will be much fun, laughter, and general hilarity, so you should totally come and see us. 

Also there will be SWAG BAGS.  Containing a copy of THE IRON LEGENDS and lots of other cool things.  So...incentive!

Check out the event here: http://www.josephbeth.com/KidsEvents.aspx

Saturday, August 4th at 1pm.  Hope to see you there!

IRON LEGENDS contest and giveaway

Guess what came in the mail today?

A box of shiny new THE IRON LEGENDS!






















So, now of course, this calls for a CONTEST.  Want to win a copy of IRON LEGENDS?  Remember, this is the anthology containing the novellas Winter's Passage, Summer's Crossing, and the never before seen Iron's Prophecy.  It also has a ton of extra content, like the Original Survival Guide to the Nevernever, a glossary of the characters, a sneak peek of THE LOST PRINCE coming in a few months, and a few chibi drawings by me scattered throughout the book.

So, do you want a copy?  Read on.


Here is the contest.  I was going to make this a Team Ash/Team Puck thing, but then I thought Grimalkin would be annoyed I didn't include him.  So, to be fair, I would like you to write a 150 word post titled "Why I Love [insert character name] From the Iron Fey Series" and post it to your blog, Facebook, Tumblr, wherever.  The post can be about whomever you like--Ash, Puck, Grimalkin, Rowan,ect.--but they must be mentioned in the series.  Pics are encouraged, as are drawings, poems, music, .gifs, and general creativeness.  Then leave me the link and your email in the comments.  

On August 18th, I will choose my favorite three and send them a signed copy of THE IRON LEGENDS.   


Easy enough, yes?

So, to break it down for everyone:

-Write a 150 (or more) word post titled: "Why I Love [so-and-so] From the Iron Fey Series."
-Post it to your blog, Facebook, ect.
-Leave me the link in the comments.

And now, the nitty-gritty:

-Contest will run until August 18th
-3 chances to win a signed copy
-Yes, it is INTERNATIONAL.


Everyone got that?  Okay, go forth and CREATE.

-Julie

Shirtless Ice-Boy teaser (Thanks, Team Ash)

So, Ash did not win his match in the YA Crush Tourney against Aiden, but it was a rolicking, hard-fought battle!  Both #TeamAsh and #TeamAiden did awesomely, tweeting into the wee hours of the morning.  Ash and Aiden themselves even joined the fun, tweeting back and forth to each other about the tourney, kilts, and the possibility of having to wrestle in a pool of mango jello should there be a tie.

Thankfully, for Ash, it was NOT a tie, but #TeamAsh was so wonderful I thought I would post a special teaser as a well-deserved Thank You for all their support, love, and loyalty to the Winter Prince.  So, Team Ash, here is your shirtless Ice-boy teaser.

Warning: This teaser is from the upcoming Iron's Propehcy novella, and will contain HUGE MASSIVE GIANT SPOILERS.  Read on at your own risk.

Iron's Prophecy teaser




***

Wandering back into the bedroom, my gaze immediately strayed to the large bed along the wall and the lump beneath the covers.  Pale light streamed through the half-open curtains, settling around the still-sleeping form of a Winter sidhe.  Or a former Winter sidhe.  Pausing in the doorframe, I took advantage of the serene moment just to watch him, a tiny flutter going through my stomach.  Sometimes, it was still hard to believe that he was here, that this wasn’t a dream or a mirage or a figment of my imagination.  That he was mine forever: my husband, my knight. 

My faery with a soul.    

 He lay on his stomach, arms beneath the pillow, breathing peacefully, his dark hair falling over his eyes.  The covers had slipped off his lean, muscular shoulders, and the early morning rays caressed his pale skin.  Normally, I didn’t get to watch him sleep; he was usually up before me, in the courtyard sparring with Glitch or just prowling the halls of the castle.  In the early days of our marriage, especially, I’d wake up in the middle of the night to find him gone, the hyper-awareness of his warrior days making it impossible for him to stay in one place, even to sleep.  He’d grown up in the Unseelie Court, where you had to watch your back every second of every day, and centuries of fey survival could not be forgotten so easily.  That paranoia would never really fade, but he was gradually starting to relax now, to the point where sometimes, though not often, I would wake with him still beside me, his arm curled around my waist.

And given how rare it was, to see him truly unguarded and at ease, I hated to disturb him.  But I walked across the room to the side of the bed and gently touched his shoulder. 

He was awake in an instant, silver eyes cracking open to meet mine, never failing to take my breath away.  “Hey,” I greeted, smiling.  “Sorry to wake you, but we have to be somewhere soon, remember?” 

***




That's all for now!  Iron's Prophcy, the last story of Meghan and Ash, will be released online this fall, and also as part of the Iron Legends anthology.

Hope you enjoyed!  Thanks again, Team Ash!  These types of stories are all for you.


-Julie