FINALLY the BALLAD ARC Contest

Okay, so today I am kicking off two contests (in two separate posts) that I've been talking about forever. First of all, the contest for the coveted Ballad advanced review copy, of which I have but one.

The nitty gritty on Ballad: it's a companion book/ sequel to Lament, but it stands utterly on its own if you haven't read Lament. It's the story of James, a kick-a$$ bagpiper who's offered an irresistible deal by a dangerous faerie muse. There is nookie, slight gore, and of course homicidal faerie action. Also angst. And a king of the dead. It's good times.

The rules for this contest are the same as the Shiver video contest. There will be four prizes to four people:

1) One advanced review copy of BALLAD, mailed immediately upon end of contest
2) One finished copy of BALLAD, mailed when I get my copies (September)
3) One OTHER finished copy of BALLAD, mailed when I get my copies
4) A frame of the winner's choice from the video

To be eligible for the lovely prizes, you must post the trailer on your blog or Facebook or twitter. Obviously I'm happier if you embed the video (code below) on your blog or FB rather than just link it, but obviously on Twitter you have to just link. Every place you link it to is an additional entry. Places I'll accept as valid entries: Facebook, livejournal blog, blogger blog, wordpress blog, Twitter, Myspace (if anyone still uses the devil's playground that is Myspace). You can post it anywhere else (please do!) but those are the only ones I'm counting.

Please note this contest is also being mirrored on my blogger blog.

So: the video. I animated a storyboard for it with several hundred panels, and then my sister and I headed into the studio to record the jig I'd written for it. The tune will be available for free download on my site closer to the book's release date (October 1st). (The Shiver music is already available there.)

Here's the video:

Here is the code that you would have to post into your blog in the html window:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ooq9ioOgcmY&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ooq9ioOgcmY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


And here is the plain old link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooq9ioOgcmY


Shoot! Forgot to say, contest closes this Friday at 9 p.m. EST.