Jennifer A. Nielsen's Blog, page 28

RISE OF THE WOLF, Quote 3!

Last week’s giveaway was open only to students. This week’s winner is:

Aysia Serene

This week, as a back to school celebration, the giveaway is only for teachers and librarians. To win, leave a comment below simply telling me your favorite way to encourage young readers. A winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Here is quote #3 from RISE OF THE WOLF. This takes place during a battle between Nic and the praetors on the property behind Senator Valerius’s land. It’s short, but I think it’s a good one!

 

Not far from me, a Praetor had a bow aimed directly at them. Rather than create a shield, I used the last of my magic to hit the Praetor, but it was a moment too late.

With the punch of magic, his arrow released at a different angle than what had been intended and missed Crispus. But it did hit someone.

 

RISE OF THE WOLF will be released on January 26th – coming soon! If you haven’t read book 1, MARK OF THE THIEF, yet – it’s now available in paperback. Ask for it at your favorite bookstore!

RISE OF THE WOLF Quote 2!

For last week’s quote and giveaway, we have a winner! Congrats:

Carina Olsen

This week’s giveaway is for student age readers only. To win, post on your fave social media site that this week is the paperback release of MARK OF THE THIEF. Then leave me a comment below to tell me where you posted it. That’s all! The winner of a paperback of MARK OF THE THIEF or a galley of RISE OF THE WOLF will be announced next Tuesday.

Here is quote #2 from RISE OF THE WOLF, releasing on Jan 26. This scene involves leaders of Rome called Praetors. The Praetors are loyal to the Goddess Diana in her quest to destroy the empire.

This scene is Nic’s first interaction with the Praetors, in which he discovers that while they don’t have magic, they can have a very dangerous effect on him…

“With Radulf focused on those directly in front of him, two men grabbed me by the arms. One put a knife to my throat while the other picked up my legs. I squirmed and tried to get a hand free enough to do magic. With the energy contained inside me, I knew I could drop these two men to the ground faster than hard rain.

But something had happened. The instant one Praetor’s hand grabbed my wrist, the magic drained out of me. It was gone, all of it. I tried sending out anything I could, just as a test, but nothing was there.”

RISE OF THE WOLF Quote 1!

If you haven’t yet read MARK OF THE THIEF, click here for a trailer that should give you a quick update. Also, read to the end for a giveaway!

RISE OF THE WOLF will be released on January 26, 2015. It will pick up shortly after the end of Mark of the Thief, answering your questions about Nic’s magic, his relationship with Radulf, Crispus, and Aurelia, and especially, what is the amulet pictured on the front cover and is Nic going to find that one too? RISE OF THE WOLF also brings Nic to the chariot races for this dangerous and exciting adventure story, set in Ancient Rome.

 

For this first quote, readers of Book 1 will already know where Nic ends up by the last page, and how he feels about it. Near the beginning of Book 2, he says this:

 

“My life no longer made sense. At least, not according to the usual rules of logic. But the absence of logic didn’t bother me. A strange feeling of peace had come over me once I accepted that the only person I could trust in this world was also trying to kill me.”

 

Okay, giveaway time! Today it’s for all readers! To celebrate the release of MARK OF THE THIEF in paperback (see here), I am either giving that away, or giving away a galley of RISE OF THE WOLF. To enter, do any of the following:

A) Leave a comment below about your favorite scene from Mark of the Thief, OR why you want to read it.

B) Tweet the giveaway with this: MARK OF THE THIEF by @nielsenwriter is releasing in paperback! To celebrate, she’s giving away a signed copy. http://tinyurl.com/z3637ze

C) Talk about either book on your favorite social media. Just tag me in or let me know you’ve done it!

So you can earn as many as three entries! The contest winner will be announced next Tuesday when I put up a new RISE OF THE WOLF quote. Good luck!

RISE OF THE WOLF winners!

 

I was supposed to get this posted on Sunday, I know, and I’m sorry. Gah – I’m a little behind (but Mark of the Thief 3 is coming along well!).

 

Okay, so the winners of RISE OF THE WOLF galleys are…drumroll please…

 

 

 

Cady Anderson

Matthew Blake

Hunter Bland

Mary Love

Pam Perkins

 

Congratulations to all winners!  If you didn’t win, but do want a copy, RISE OF THE WOLF is available now for pre-order. If you still need to get caught up on the series, then MARK OF THE THIEF is available now in hardback, or will be released in paperback on December 29th.

If you’re on social media, watch this blog in one week for giveaways of MARK OF THE THIEF paperbacks. I’ll be giving one or more away every Tuesday until the release of RISE OF THE WOLF.

RISE OF THE WOLF giveaway!

Woot – book release!

The second book of the Mark of the Thief series is called RISE OF THE WOLF, and it will release on January 26, 2016.

If you missed Mark of the Thief, you need to read it before moving on to the second book, but good news – you can easily find a copy:

* In your school or local library (if they don’t already have it, ask them to get it. Say please!);

* Bookstores (hopefully there is one near your house 

Books Make the Best Gifts!

If you’re reading this blog, my guess is you will A) Ask for a gift this holiday; B) Give a gift this holiday; or C) BOTH (yay for both!). And of course you are planning to put books on your wish list, right?

Now let’s be clear. I think it’d be great if my books were included as gifts, but there are so many amazing books out there by truly wonderful authors. The important thing is to find the right book for the right reader.

If you want a signed copy of any of my books, the best way to get it is to order it from The King’s English Bookstore. When you check out, there will be a place for Notes. That’s where you put the name of who you want the book personalized to. I’ll sign it, they’ll ship it to you, you’ll wrap it. Bada-bing!

If you want any of my books, and don’t care if they’re signed, then please shop first at your local bookstore.

 

Finally, as a heads up, this Sunday (Nov 29), I’ll start a giveaway for the second Mark of the Thief book, titled RISE OF THE WOLF. To win, I’ll ask you to comment on what books you’re putting on your gift wish list this year! Come back then and leave your comment for an entry! (Comments left on this blog post won’t count for those entries.)

Some Such Updates

Hmm, I bet you think there’s…I dunno…news. There’s not. But just a few updates to share.

First, are you aware of the AWESOME anniversary that just passed last week? Twenty-six years ago last week, the Berlin Wall came down. In the end, it wasn’t treaties or war or governments that brought the wall down. It was the people of East Germany, who decided they would no longer accept imprisonment behind the Iron Curtain.

Julie Hembree, a Washington area librarian, created this book trailer for A NIGHT DIVIDED. To see it, click here. She did a great job! (If you create trailers for any of my books, let me know and I’ll post links to it here too!)

 

Second, did you know that RISE OF THE WOLF, the second book of the Mark of the Thief series, will be out on January 26th? If you haven’t read the first book yet, check out the book trailer here. I hope you’ll decide to read it and then want to know what happens next for Nicolas Calva. I’ll give you some hints – he’s headed to the chariot races, and in search of the second magical amulet of Rome.

 

Third, I’m in the final stages of edits (proofreading) for THE SCOURGE, due out next fall. This is the story of Ani Mells and her best friend, Weevil, who become caught up in a plot to use a plague as an excuse for something far more deadly. Watch for a cover reveal soon!

 

Things for which there is no news:

* THE FALSE PRINCE movie

* What I’ll be writing next (though I hope to announce this soon!)

* THE FALSE PRINCE movie

 

Lotsa Launches!

If you’re a Utah type, please watch for all of these launch parties!

First, well…mine. On Wednesday, Sept 9, 7 pm at The King’s English in Salt Lake City, we’ll have the launch party for A NIGHT DIVIDED. I’ll talk a little, we can eat a little (a lot), and sign books a little.

If you can’t be there, but you still want a signed book (any of my books), click the link above and scroll down the page for instructions on how to order. Then at the launch party, I’ll sign it to you, and then King’s English will mail it directly to you.

 

 

Second is the launch for a friend of mine, Frank Cole, for his new series, THE AFTERLIFE ACADEMY, a really fun middle grade adventure about Walter Prairie, who, upon his untimely death, is assigned to become a Guardian Agent. Frank Cole’s launch party will be on Tuesday, Sept 15, 7 pm, at The King’s English. If possible, you should totally go! Ditto the paragraph above, except Frank will be signing the books, not me. Because that’d be weird if I did.

 

And third is the launch for J. Scott Savage’s new series, MYSTERIES OF COVE with the exciting first book FIRES OF INVENTION. I’ve read this book. I’ve blurbed this book, and I can tell you that you will love it! It’s got a futuristic steampunk feel, a great mystery, and some characters you won’t soon forget.

On October 1st, I will join J Scott Savage, James Dashner, Brandon Mull, and other amazing authors and performers in a FREE launch party for the new Steampunk Dragon books series, Mysteries of Cove. There will be free face painting, Dole Whip, posters, bracelets, and other goodies, a hilarious stage show, a book signing, and a chance to take pictures with the actors from the book trailer.

Sign up here to make sure you have seats.

https://www.facebook.com/events/533215923497765/

GIVEAWAY BONUS: J. Scott Savage is giving away a VIP package containing up to five reserved seat tickets, a goody bag, and a pre-show meet and greet with the authors. If you are a Utah type, there are three ways to win.

1) Come to my launch party on Wednesday! I’ll have a box for entries. (Also food. Really yummy food!)

2) Come to my table at the Barnes and Noble Authorpalooza at South Towne on Sept 19th from 1-4 pm.

3) Leave a comment below about a book you are looking forward to reading. Be sure to tell me that you are entering the contest (i.e. you are a Utah type). Otherwise, I will assume you are merely leaving a comment, but not entering.

I will draw the winner on Sept 19th after the Authorpalooza! Good luck, and many thanks to J Scott Savage for the giveaway!

Winners!

Hello friends!

To celebrate the release of A NIGHT DIVIDED, I offered a giveaway of 5 hardcovers of either A Night Divided or Mark of the Thief. My thanks to all who left reviews, or did a shoutout on social media. It helped make a great launch for the book! Congratulations to the winners listed below:

Jenny K

LeAnn Miller

Mikey Brooks

Noel

Susan Ringo

Also, if you are interested, one fan contacted me to say they had set up an iPetition to make THE FALSE PRINCE movie. If you want to sign it, go here.

If you have one of my books, but want a signed copy, please see my Events page here to find me. Or you can contact my local indie bookstore, The King’s English, to order a book from them. I’ll sign it next week and they will ship it directly to you!

A NIGHT DIVIDED is released!

IT’S RELEASE DAY!!!

In early May 2013, I was finishing on Infinity Ring: Behind Enemy Lines, which takes place in Germany, and became curious about what happened to Germany after the war ended.

That curiosity led me to the rise of the Berlin Wall, and as soon as Gerta’s voice appeared in my head with her opening line (“There was no warning the night the wall went up.”), I knew I had to write this book.

Why does this matter to me?

I think it’s because this wasn’t an event from hundreds of years ago, or some fantasy/dystopia story. This was in my lifetime, where real people made the decision that they would not live out the remainder of their lives trapped behind a concrete wall. I hope if I had been born into the same situation, that I would have made similar courageous choices. This book honors those great people, and I am SO EXCITED for you to read it!

You can get a copy at your favorite local bookstore or library, or click any of these links to order now:

Indiebound

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books a Million

CONTEST…WHAT CONTEST?

To celebrate the release, I am giving away five signed hardcovers of your choice for either A NIGHT DIVIDED or MARK OF THE THIEF, for you or donated to a school or person of your choice.

To enter, do any of the following. One entry per mention, post, or review:

A) Post about this book release on your fave social media (Twitter, FB, Instagram, etc). Either tag me in (nielsenwriter, or Jennifer A. Nielsen) or let me know about your post below.

B) If you’ve already read one of the above books, leave a review of A NIGHT DIVIDED or MARK OF THE THIEF, either on your own blog, or wherever you leave reviews (Amazon, B&N, Goodreads).

This contest will end on Tues, Sep 1 at 8 am EST. International entries are okay.