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 30th.
I will announce the winners AND mail off the prize packs on June 1st
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.
I think i might be spending my night here on this site!!! More Varen *sighs*
oh God.
Soooo jealous of the people that are gonna win, D’:
I’d trade a kidney for an ARC haha the waiting has been killing me! and I know a lot of people that agree with me… WE NEED SOME VAREN SOON… *sighs too*
GRRR! I’m not artistic in any way! I mean, I can write, but I’m not visually artistic. I really want to win an ARC because I know I won’t be able to buy it for a really long time! Woe is me.
So much awesome swag o.O I hate not living in the US right now… Getting one of those ARCs would be heaven on earth. But I understand why it’s not international *sigh* At least I can still look at the awesome artwork that other people will send in
@Trisha. Hey, like Kelly said you don’t have to be Van Gogh! At least give it a shot!!!
I’m gonna draw a picture…buuut…when I draw I struggle with faces and people…so don’t be expecting Van Gogh from me either lol!
@Kellie Haha, I know, but the most I can draw is a stick figure, and not even a good one! I’m seriously going to try my hardest to draw something, and I’m also going to make a video, so whichever one I like the most is going to be the one I enter.
Tisha,
Think about photos, too. Also, I once had someone enter an eye-makeup design for Isobel for the Grim Facade. Are you good at comedy? You could video a spoof. It doesn’t just have to be drawings. You could make a mask like you would wear to the Grim Facade. I’d LOVE to see someone dressed as Pinfeathers.
Oh and for those of you who are thinking photos or drawings, another cool idea would be to draw or recreate a photo from Isobel’s cheer album, the one Isobel finds him flipping through. You could also draft a page from Varen’s sketchbook, as in what you think it might look like.
You know…now that I’m thinking about it… what about the little details in Nevermore? For example, you know how Isobel sees Varen’s nametag in the ice cream shop? You could design that because Varen uses gothic lettering to spell his name. Might be fun to tinker with how the Dessert Island label would look–or even the sign outside the shop. I know everyone has different ways they can be creative, so I’m not going to limit or disqualify anything (as long as it’s Nevermore related and appropriate to post.)
Thanks so much Kelly! I’ll try doing some of those.
Ohhh this sounds like fun. I am now going to stew over what to create. Thanks for the chance to read Enshadowed early! *creativejuicesflowing*
Submission submitted! This is such a great contest!!! Thanks!
Art should be on the way. Or in Varen’s words, “Depending any unforeseen disasters.”
Arent the shoe box project things called dioramas? I so hope I win!! I will be fine with prize pack 2 but that t-shirt is so sweet!! I want it! Wow if I do get it it will be my second not black/not band t-shirt! Oh well!! I can’t wait till Friday!