Greetings my lovely readers!

I am announcing my website update today! Isn’t it lovely?

Among the updates you’ll find:

-Links to where you can pre-order Enshadowed, the upcoming sequel to Nevermore.

-Some cool new imagery and hints as to what is to come for Varen and Isobel.

-Updated questions and answers on my FAQ page.

-A new Playlist for Enshadowed can be found on my “Extras” page along with links to purchase the official Nevermore Poe Collection e-book, which includes a forward by yours truly. If you don’t have this collection already, it’s an excellent Poe source to have on hand while reading Nevermore and Enshadowed. I mean—it’s official!

-And last but not least—an AWESOME new page called “Varen’s Sketchbook.” This is a new gallery where I’m most happy to post your Nevermore related drawings/art/photos. On this page, you will also find concept art by me and photos I have taken that provide me with inspiration. There are also old photos from Poe’s time in this gallery as well.

And that brings me to my next announcement. Contest time! Many of you saw on my Facebook that I received advanced reader copies for Enshadowed in the mail. Huzzah! Advanced reader copies (also known as ARCS) are uncorrected proofs of the novel. They are released several months before the actual novel hits the shelf. And I have two to give away!

And since I have a new gallery page—can’t you guess what I’m going to ask for?

Art!

So here are the contest rules.

I need you to draw/photograph/video/recreate in SOME visual way a scene from Nevermore.

So think images! Something I can show off in “Varen’s Sketchbook.”

Like Varen and Isobel at the Grim Façade

Or Pinfeathers giving Isobel the note from Varen at the Trenton vs. Millings football game.

What about when Isobel looks in the bathroom mirror and sees Reynolds?

Gwen sitting next to Varen in the cafeteria, chomping that Granny Smith apple in his ear.

Or Gwen dressed up in Stevie’s sweatshirt, posing as Henry the Hawk’s mascot escort.

Isobel in the woodlands…

Varen on the cliff…

Think about your favorite moment!

This will be a U.S. only contest. (Hold tight international readers, I will host an international contest when I have finished copies of Enshadowed.)

I know you’ll all submit your best work and I will post all entries in “Varen’s Sketchbook.” I will choose a winner the same way I always do—in a random drawing that includes ALL entries. So this isn’t a contest about being Van Gogh, it’s about having fun and geeking ourselves out!

So put on your creativity hats and don’t be afraid to be outlandish. You could even design paper dolls and photograph the results. What about making a Varen plushy? Or even a Reynolds plushy, complete with disgruntled grumpy face. Any costume designers out there? What about a short music video? Hey…remember those shoe box projects teachers always made you do in grade school?

The ones that looked something like this:

Yeah. Replace those dinos and meteor with Varen and Woodlands of Weir and SNAP—contest entry AND a new decoration piece for your room.

So get carried away! I know I do…

OKAY. HERE ARE THE DETAILS. READ CAREFULLY.

All entries must be in my inbox by midnight on May 30^th.

I will announce the winners AND mail off the prize packs on June 1^st

You must submit your art/photo/video/paperdolls/Sistine Chapel ceiling mural masterpiece as a LINK. I will not be able to download attachments. Some sites that I have seen folks post images on include Photobucket, Facebook and deviantART as well as personal blogs. Youtube is the place for videos. Keep in mind that if you are sending me a Facebook link, you’ll need to friend request me first. You can do that here.

Also keep in mind that I do plan to post all submitted images on my website.

Entries should be e-mailed to KellyCreagh@KellyCreagh.com

In the body of your e-mail, you should include both the link to your entry and your physical mailing address (not your e-mail.) I need this information so that I can pop your prize into the mail right away if yours is the entry I pull on June first.

Now let’s talk about the prizes!

First place prize (for the entry I draw first) will include:

-A signed ARC of Enshadowed

-Signed Nevermore bookmarks

-Temporary Raven tattoos

-Temporary Cemetery Sighs tattoos. (Cemetery Sighs is the name of Varen’s favorite band (and one of my favorite bands, I might add.) If you haven’t already, check out the Extra’s page for a free download of the haunting song “Emily Not Not Gone,” which appears in chapter 8 of Nevermore.)

-A butterfly keychain watch (Isobel carries a watch like this one in Enshadowed.)

-A hamsa necklace (like the one Isobel wears on the cover of Enshadowed.)

-A Varen purple pen.

AND

A WICKED SWEET Edgar Allan Poe T-shirt.

Here is a photo of prize pack ONE:

-Second Prize (the entry I draw second) will include:

–A signed ARC of Enshadowed.

-Signed Nevermore bookmarks.

-Temporary Raven tattoos.

-Temporary Cemetery Sighs tattoos.

-A butterfly keychain watch.

-A hamsa necklace.

-A Varen purple pen.

Here is a photo of prize pack TWO:

So team up! Enlist your friends, enlist your family! Pull an Isobel and make your dad dress up like Poe himself!

In the meantime, I’ll be looking forward to your entries and writing like mad.

Until then, Sweet nightmares.

Gabrielle from Kearny New Jersey!   Congrats Gabrielle! I’m putting your prize into the mail this morning and then it’s on its way to you!

Thank you to everyone who entered (there were over one hundred entries!)

Closer to the release of Enshadowed, I’m planning to post another contest and I just got some goodies in the mail the other day for give-away purposes. These items include hamsa pendants very similar to the one Isobel wears on the cover of Enshadowed. I also have Edgar Allan Poe T-shirts, signed bookmarks and some other pretties. So stay tuned to my blog!

I’m also getting my calendar of events together for this year. So far, I do know I’ll be returning to the Fort Knox library as well as the Louisville Free Public Library. On April 21, you’ll find me at the Southern Kentucky Book Fest in Bowling Green Kentucky

For events times and details, I’ll post both here and on Facebook as well. So if you haven’t “liked” me, hop to!

Happy March First!

It’s the day after Valentine’s day and I’m still in the mood to spread the love. You know what that means? It’s time for a give-away!

And you know what I have Poe Fans? An ARC of Bethany Griffin’s upcoming novel, Masque of the Red Death.  LOOKIT!!!

 Isn’t the cover fabulously beautiful??

For those of you who have been sequestered (Poe vocab word of the day) beneath a cozy rock or perhaps buried prematurely, Bethany Griffin’s novel is due to hit shelves April 24^th

I had the privilege of reading this incredible Poe inspired story before its release and, today, I’m announcing a contest so that you can too! Plus it’s signed. Yes. You read that right, I said signed.

I also got to interview Bethany (pictured below: darn her and her fabulous hair…) about the novel and her writing process.  Check it out!

Me: When I was a teenager, I found myself very drawn to Poe’s works. Of course, I studied Poe in English class but, for me, my interest in his works went beyond what we studied in school. I found myself reading his stories for fun.  As an artist and a storyteller, Poe seems to resonate strongly with young readers. Do you have any thoughts on why that is?  

Bethany: Teenagers have a fascination with mortality and death, so Poe’s work is perfect for them. There’s also a huge theme of being trapped, (or, you know, buried alive) and that’s a huge issue for teens, they have a natural need to break free from childhood, while at the same time realizing that at least some of the constraints on them are for their own good/safety. It’s a tough time. I love thinking about adolescence, but I’m glad I’m done with it! Another huge theme in Poe’s work is loss, and teens are constantly having to deal with loss. Also, Poe just resonates! Because his work is awesome.  

Me: Both of our novels incorporate Poe’s famous short story, The Masque of the Red Death, albeit in two very unique ways. In your novel, you place your readers in the world of Poe’s story itself, where sickness and disease rule over the human population. Along with the threat of mysterious plagues, there is political intrigue and talk of an uprising against Prince Prospero. While reading, it was fascinating to see how you were influenced by Poe’s original tale, but also how you used the story build a world that is entirely of your own imagining. Can you tell us a little about the world in which Araby, your heroine, lives and what day to day life is like?

Bethany: It’s a very dark world, and a world divided by social classes (or at least haves vs. have-nots). The Plague has decimated the population and the city where my characters live is completely isolated in that they don’t know if anyone else has survived the plague. People with money can buy protective masks. People without have to risk their lives everyday, and can’t go to school, get jobs, or get into the upper city where the rich people live. Children of the rich, like my main characters, go to bars and clubs, like the Debauchery Club to forget the hopelessness that is inherent in their world. For Araby, my main character, day to day life is about forgetting and diverting herself, so she spends her mornings hungover, her afternoons placating her parents, and her evenings getting ready to go out. Going out sometimes means passing body collectors on her way to the club in her friend April’s steam carriage. 

Me: Okay. It’s no secret to Bethany that one of my favorite characters in her tale is a side character named Kent. I find him incredibly dreamy and I even doodle him on my notebook sometimes. He’s a bit mysterious and very brainy. And this question is obviously all about me since I’m about to ask you: Where did you get your idea for Kent??? <3<3<3

Bethany: That’s actually a difficult question. I think Kent was sort of supposed to represent innovation and intellectual curiosity, that it still exists in the city, even if my main characters are busy sedating themselves (at the beginning). He’s also a part of Will and Elliott’s lives (totally separately- he’s childhood friends with Will and has worked with Elliott on inventions) so he’s a part of their lives that isn’t onscreen in either book. I’ve written a Kent short story, that I plan to share at some point in the future. 

Me: Squee and a half!!! I can’t wait to read the short story! Speaking of hot guys, there are two additional supremely drool-worthy guys in The Masque of the Red Death. I seriously drooled over both (but not on the actual ARC, I promise) and I’m STILL torn. I’m not going to ask you too much about these guys because I know you wouldn’t want to give too much away. But, if you could give us three words that describe Will and three words that describe Elliot, what would they be?

Bethany: Will would be handsome, mysterious (in the beginning) and caring. Elliott would be arrogant, driven, maybe passionate? 

Me: What is your favorite story by Edgar Allan Poe?

Bethany: The Fall of the House of Usher. 

Me: Did you have any weird experiences or odd dreams while writing The Masque of the Red Death?

Bethany: I’m sure I did/do…I have weird sleep patterns where I spend too much time going to sleep and waking up, so any weird dreams were probably incorporated. Unlike you I don’t think I had any weird Poe experiences, as weird as it got was adding details and then realizing that they were directly from Poe’s work and I hadn’t even realized it. Like the stained glass windows in Prospero’s throne room. I wasn’t actually thinking of the story when I added that detail. 

Me: Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what are some of the songs that influenced The Masque of the Red Death?

Bethany: I actually don’t listen to music when I write, but I do while I brainstorm/plan/exercise (not much exercising going on lately, I’m ashamed to admit) but I often listen to Portishead when brainstorming Masque. And NIN and Tool, and the Cure, and well, that’s what I listen to all the time, I guess. 

Me: Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on right now and what’s to come after Masque?

Bethany: I’m hard at work putting the finishing touches on Masque Part II and also brainstorming titles! After that I have a couple of older manuscripts I want to revamp a bit, and then some ideas I’m really excited about, I just wish I had more time! (not trying to be cryptic, I just…probably won’t get to work on anything besides Masque II until March). 

Me: Last question! If YOU were a courtier going to go to Prince Prospero’s Masquerade ball tomorrow, what would be your ideal costume?

Bethany: Something that made me look skinny? There’s a description in Masque of Araby wearing a long dress that made her look impossibly thin, I love dresses that are cut like that. So a dress that makes me disappear when I turn sideways and fabulous jewelry and an awesome mask that would make me completely anonymous…I just wrote the Masquerade ball scene, it was so fun! 

Me: Awesome! Thanks so much for the interview Bethany.

Now here are the contest rules:

E-mail ME at kellycreagh@kellycreagh.com with the words “Masque contest” in the subject line. All I need in the body of the message is your mailing address. I’m going to limit this particular contest to the U.S. Entries must be in my inbox by midnight on February 29^th. I will pool all entries, draw one at random and announce the winner and mail off the prize on Thursday March first. The prize will include a signed ARC of The Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin and a signed paperback copy of Nevermore (which includes the prologue for the upcoming sequel, Enshadowed.) A veritable smorgasbord of Poe inspired reading!

Good luck!!

For those of you who feel moved to post a comment, tell me, what would YOU wear to Prince Prospero’s Masquerade ball?

 So I made Eddie a cake last night. Check it out!

There’s a raven in there if you look hard. And yes, friends, my handwriting is really that terrible. Good thing I have a word-processor, right? Otherwise I would have to use letter magnets to write books. And that would require quite a few refrigerators, wouldn’t it? 

 So the Poe Toaster did not come last night and it seems as if the ritual is being considered finished. If you want to read more about this year’s vigil, here is a link.

Oddly, I’m feeling okay about it yet, at the same time, very sad. But also grateful that I did get to catch a glimpse of him back in 2009—a dream fulfilled.

I think the reason the Poe Toaster did not show this year might have a lot to do with his growing fame. If you look back on the ritual, people started taking notice of his visit in 1949. In the 1990’s, the Poe Toaster left a note that said “the torch will be passed.”  Since that note, the assumption has been that the original Poe Toaster had grown too old to continue. The note was his way of telling the world he would pass the ritual on. In subsequent years, a younger man appeared at the gravesite. But technology started to become more advance, too. Word spread across the web and more and more people started showing up at Westminster to watch—with cameras. Then, in 2006, people started hopping the gates trying to unmask the Poe Toaster.

Having been inside the Westminster burial grounds after dark myself, I can tell you that I would not want to have any reason to have to run through that cemetery. There are pointed gates, low-lying stones, narrow passageways, huge mausoleums and a million shadows.

So maybe the reason the Poe Toaster has backed off is because we, as a public, are forgetting what it’s all about. That the rite has more to do with the man who is buried there than the man who is making the tribute. And, in that case, I guess I can’t blame The Toaster for ending things.

One of the reasons I was hoping the Poe Toaster would show this year was because it would help bring more awareness to the Poe House, which has been cut off from city funding and is imminent danger of closing this year. I’ve posted on the Poe House in the past and, if you want to read more about it and how you can help, click here.

But even though the Poe Toaster did not show, I think his work has been done. The legacy has been left and his story will continue to enchant us and mystify us for decades to come—as it should.

That he came at all has given me such inspiration. He helped me to develop a story and create an entire character and link the world of fiction up with a mysterious and magical reality. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.  And now, it also appears as though I have the opportunity, through the Nevermore series, to explain what really happened. *wink wink*

So the story of the toaster is not over. It’s just changing.

And tonight, when I slice into Eddie’s cake, I will not only toast Edgar, but also gladly lift my glass to the figure that has helped to spread so much awareness about Poe, his life and his works.

Thanks Mr. Toaster.

and happy birthday Eddie.

Greetings Nevermore fans! So I know all has been silent on the Plutonian shores of my blog for quite some time.  Most of that has been because there hasn’t been much to report, other than that I’ve been working hard on Enshadowed.  

Many of you have been asking via my e-mail and Facebook about the release date for Enshadowed. The novel needed substantial re-writing, so that is why it is now set for this August. Writing a sequel was a doozie for me. Not only because I needed to rework so much of the story but because I had to do some stumbling through the dark in terms of fleshing out my process, especially since Nevermore was the first novel I’ve written from start to finish.

Here are a few of the major things I have learned.

1.)    Don’t be afraid to make a mess. Make the mess, take a step back and then assess what really is a mess. And don’t demand of yourself that you write a story perfect the first time. No one does it perfect the first time.  Or the last for that matter. In fact, while we’re at it, let’s just throw this ‘perfect’ word out of our writer’s vocab. Great story. That is our goal. Of course, this is all stuff that I knew in my mind. All points were things I’d told myself before and continue to tell myself today. Putting this wisdom into practice was a bit harder than I anticipated, however. But as far as artists go, I’ve also learned that I’m in good company. Poe himself would constantly write and re-write his work. Even years after some of his poems were published, Poe would revisit and revise. The thing to remember about the process is that…it’s a process.

2.)    If you have a plan, and the plan isn’t working, don’t be afraid to chuck the plan (or parts of the plan) for something that is working. This also falls into the category of listening to your characters instead of trying to tell them what to do.  They know better. So let them do their thing, yo.

3.)    Trust your instincts and those who are guiding you. Trust your characters. Trust the process. In the end, the act of creating is, in essence, an act of trust. **** We’re putting stars by this one. Look, here are some more. *******  

4.)    Believe.

5.)    Keep going.

6.)    Chill. Out.

You know those old fashioned wringer washers? The ones that look like this?

 I feel like writing a sequel (or maybe it’s just writing a second book) is much like being pressed through one of these wondrous contraptions. But you know what? You come out cleaner, better, wiser (and thinner, wee!)  on the other side.

Plus, I can also say I’m freaking geeked about the surprises that popped up during the writing process. Some things I knew were going to happen and other things??? Two words—Oh and Snap!

So thank you all for your patience. Thank you also to those of you who have e-mailed me and who I have not gotten a chance to write back to. I’m SO excited so many people have enjoyed Isobel and Varen’s story. Know that there is more of that story to come and I can’t flipping wait.

Oh but guess what my fellow Poe Fan Freaks? If you have an e-reader or a kindle app or some other fandangly contraption that allows you to enjoy the magic of e-books, you should check out THIS!

*INSERT FANFARE MUSIC (with beating heart sound effect in the background)*

 It’s the Nevermore Poe Collection! An e-book containing all of the works by Poe that appear in Nevermore in addition to the poems and stories that influenced the novel as a whole. This special collection also includes a forward by moi.

 My personal favorites? William Wilson and Annabel Lee. This collection just became available for download and can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Simon and Schuster’s website. It’s also available on itunes. 

And OMG. Speaking of Poe, guess what tonight is? Tonight is THE NIGHT. The night the Poe Toaster will (or won’t) visit Poe’s grave.  

For those of you who may not know, the Poe Toaster is the cloaked and masked man who visit’s Poe’s grave every year on Poe’s birthday, the 19^th of January. Now I know today is the 18^thbut it’s after midnight tonight that he makes (or doesn’t make >.> ) his move.

The Poe Toaster, who is the inspiration for the character Reynolds, has been appearing at Poe’s gravesite since 1949, leaving behind three roses and half a bottle of Cognac. After toasting Poe, he pulls a Batman (complete with swishing cape) and vanishes into the night.

In 2009, I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the bloke and I went to watch because I wanted to make sure I got it right when the time came to write that scene. (Enshadowed!) It’s the only year I’ve gotten to go but it also happens to be the last year he showed. The next year, 2010, he shocked the world by not visiting Poe’s grave. In 2011 he again failed to pay tribute.

 Needless to say I’m kind of in a tizzy over what’s going to happen (or not happen) this year. Especially since 2012 is the last year the vigil is being held—at least officially. If the Toaster does not show tonight, it seems as if the ritual will be stamped with a big “it’s over.”

So cross your fingers and your toes and Mr. Toaster, if you’re reading this—I know it’s cold and that it’s probably getting harder and harder skate by without getting snapped in a photo but, dude, if you can leave us a note about football, you can leave note to tell us you’re done. Just sayin’.  Love! Hugs and kisses! Heart you big much!!! <3 <3 <3

Last thing on the blog items for today is my German COVER!!!! It’s SO BEAUTIFUL! Freaking check it OUT!!! 

It’s so purply and swirly twirly. I also love how my name appears on the pages of the mini book.

 I tell you what, I sure have hit the book cover lottery, haven’t I?