Blog Party Week Begins!

Have you heard? I sold a novel! I know! It's crazy. Who'd've thought it? It's called The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing and it's coming out in one week! Naturally, I'm celebrating. :D How? … It's a blog party, baby! Woo-hoo! For the next seven days, up to and including Release Day, 10 June, it's party time here at Just add coffee. What does that mean? That means excerpts, prizes, a guest appearance by the lovely and talented Maria Zannini, and behind-the-scenes stuff you won't find anywhere else. Check back daily for new and exciting installments. What? Oh! Right! I did say prizes, didn't I? More on that in a bit.

First, I'll tell you a little bit about how I got to where I am right now--plugging my first ebook release. In summer of 2007 Samhain Publishing held a Best First Line Contest. They weren't taking open submissions at that point but the contest was open to everyone. This was a great opportunity for us, the great unwashed, to possibly get a foot in the door. It started with one sentence each from 273 people. One week at a time, Samhain's editors narrowed down the entries. And one week at a time, each of those who remained got to add a single sentence to their contest entry. It was harrowing to say the least. Checking back every week to see if you're still in the game can put a strain on even the most jaded, and I'm pretty freakin' jaded. In the end, ten winners were left. The prize: the chance to submit a manuscript for consideration.

If you've read Aislinn Kerry's All that Glitters or Maria Zannini's Touch of Fire then you've already read two other winners' stories. And may I say how pleased I am to be in such good company? ::waves:: Hello, ladies! I don't know if any of the other winners made it to publication. I admit I've been lazy and haven't gone looking lately. If I've missed someone, please do post and let me know so I can wave hello and read your book, too! I'd also love to hear from Samhain's editors this week. Maybe tell us what you looked for during that contest, or what you learned reading and weeding through all those entries week after week.

Now, on to the prizes for this contest! It's way easier to win, so don't freak out, okay? ;)

There are four fabu prizes up for grabs. In no particular order: a wee, leather-bound "Jot-a-thought" notebook from The Literacy Site; a package of musically-themed note cards; and a silver musical measure charm. And as if that weren't enough, there will be one Grand Prize winner who will receive a free download of The Ballad of Jimothy Redwing. (I don't actually know how to go about that, but I'm sure I can find someone to explain it to me before the week is out.) All you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog any time during the party. And get this: each post you make is one more entry into the drawing for the first three prizes! In the interest of fair play, everyone who posts will be entered only once in the Grand Prize drawing. Make sense? Good! I'll be posting the names of all the winners on Wednesday 11 June.

So come join the fun! There's wine on the table and beer in the fridge. There are apples and pears, cheddar and brie, water crackers and sourdough bread. It's my party. I get to serve what I like. ;) There might be cookies later. We'll have to wait and see.

Remember to come back tomorrow for the first excerpt!