Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 108
May 9, 2013
Kindle Fire Giveaway
This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER SPONSORED GIVEAWAY! Kindle Fire HD 7" GiveawayThe winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)
Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)
Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)
Sponsoring Bloggers & AuthorsI Am A Reader, Not A WriterFeed Your ReaderGirls with BooksJust Bookin' AroundThe (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old GirlBooks, Beauty and Bodacious DealsAuthor Emma MichaelsPage Flipperz YALori's Reading CornerOh, Chrys!Author Josh BakerAuthor Roxanne CrouseEve's Fan GardenAuthor Elizabeth IsaacsChapter BreakBuku-Buku DidiMolly & Mel's Obsessions Book BlogAuthor Jennifer LaurensAuthor MK McClintockBookhoundsStep Into FictionAuthor Lena SledgeAuthor Taylor DeanLeisure ReadsLibby's LibraryA Bookish EscapeRamblings of a Diva Book NerdSuspense Author Kim CresswellSuzy Turner, YA AuthorBooks Unhinged by StacyHggAuthor Lori Verni-FogarsiFae BooksWord to DreamsKid Lit FrenzyAuthor Tressa MessengerAuggie TalkPhantasmic ReadsKerry TaylorReviews by Martha's BookshelfMarissa's Space Giveaway Details 1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International). Ends 5/31/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway
May 8, 2013
Blog Tour
To follow the Kiya blog tour, I am posting links on the side bar as each post becomes available. Find some deeper insight into characters, what inspired me, and my research process among other things. Don't forget to leave the bloggers some love because I am truly grateful for them helping me out!
May 7, 2013
Blog Hop WINNERS
Thank you to everyone who participated. I loved reading all your posts on Egypt, and learning about all the different things you talked about!Now for what you have been waiting for. PRIZES!
1st Place:Signed hardcopy of Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh
Mummy Making/Archeology Dig Kit
Hard copy of The Charge by Sharon Bayliss$15 Amazon GCEbook copy of Risen by Britney JensenThe winner:K. A Last
Runner Up:Ebook copy of Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh$10 Amazon GCEbook copy of Gaia's Secret by Barbara KlossEbook copy of The Charge by Sharon BaylissEbook copy of Sacrifice by K.A Last
winner:
Stacey Nash
First 50 pages critique by Darci Cole - Farrah
First chapter critique by Ryan Dalton - Anabel Gonzalez
Query critique from Leigh Statham - Tawney Bland
Synopsis critique by Stacey Nash - Courtney Worth Young (It wasn't really funny per-say, but I loved that it was about cats!)
I will forward all the details of the winners to their appropriate prize giver.... for want of a better word! And they will contact you. Thank you again to EVERYONE for participating, and for your support during my book's release!
Psst... Kiya 2 is in the works with Curiosity Quills.... ;-)
May 6, 2013
Blog Swap - Zarconian Island by Aja Hannah
Today I have Aja talking about why she started Zarconian Island the way she did! You can find Aja on twitter - @ZarconianSeries and @AjaHannah, Goodreads, or buy it on Amazon.
Kiya is at her blog today, thus the blog swap, so once you've had a look at Zarconian Island and Aja, swing by her blog for a character interview with Horemheb.
Some of my reviewers tell me that the beginning makes no sense. Why were those kids on a boat and not a plane? Why were they chosen to go to Hawaii in the first place?
Let me tell you, I started Zarconian Island in high school and--wow--it changed since then. At first it was a plane crash that led to the kids stranded on an island. Then Lost came out and plane crashes got old. Really fast.
Advice from an agent made me change the boat crash to a plane crash, but the reason the kids were on the trip stayed the same. (Though I think, I made the mistake of cutting too much to get the beginning going and that reason got muddled along the way.)
For my readers who are confused, don't worry. The reason will be revealed in the second book. The important things to remember are that Attie and her classmates were dubbed the best and brightest of Maryland, and sent to Hawaii as a reward, except none of them are positive as to how they got that title.
And the angry crew? Well, they're not your normal crew.
Aja
Kiya is at her blog today, thus the blog swap, so once you've had a look at Zarconian Island and Aja, swing by her blog for a character interview with Horemheb.
Some of my reviewers tell me that the beginning makes no sense. Why were those kids on a boat and not a plane? Why were they chosen to go to Hawaii in the first place?
Let me tell you, I started Zarconian Island in high school and--wow--it changed since then. At first it was a plane crash that led to the kids stranded on an island. Then Lost came out and plane crashes got old. Really fast.
Advice from an agent made me change the boat crash to a plane crash, but the reason the kids were on the trip stayed the same. (Though I think, I made the mistake of cutting too much to get the beginning going and that reason got muddled along the way.)
For my readers who are confused, don't worry. The reason will be revealed in the second book. The important things to remember are that Attie and her classmates were dubbed the best and brightest of Maryland, and sent to Hawaii as a reward, except none of them are positive as to how they got that title.
And the angry crew? Well, they're not your normal crew.
Aja
May 4, 2013
Some Disney Inspiration!
One of my favorite movies of all time is Remember the Titans. This movie not only has an outstanding cast, but a powerful theme and great dialogue. Here, I've found a clip with Disney's best pep talks to help inspire you to keep at it and fight for your dreams!
May 2, 2013
Broken Forest Blog Hop
Just to be confusing, I'm helping Eliza Tilton with her blog hop for her release, Broken Forest. To go to the Kiya blog hop which is also running this week click here. *Hint more cool prizes to win!*
So here we go with Eliza's hop!
If you’ve landed here during your adventure, skip all this and go below. If you’re wondering what’s going on, go here to start your own adventure!And may The Creator bless you on your journey.Your story:The smart choice is to run, very fast. You dash out of the cave leaving the creepy creatures to the dark, and decide to try a different direction.Surveying the area, you realize you only have two options.Ella and the others are most likely north, and since you need to collect as much black flower nectar as possible, north would be unwise, but you might be able to focus more on tagging than collecting.Or you could go south, straight to the marshlands. There are bound to be flowers there, and if not you can grab the jade mushroom for coin!And then there’s east where the wolves hunt.A) North. You decide getting the title of Jenzi is more important than anything else. Go here B) South. To the marshes it is! Go here C) East. You hope to find lots of black flowers and no wolves. Go here
So now you've begun you adventure, learn about Broken Forest and Eliza!
Book goodreads blurb:Hopeless he'll never be more than the boy who didn't save his brother, 17-year-old Avikar accepts his life as the family stable boy, trying to forget the past. But when his sister, Jeslyn, is kidnapped, the thought of losing another sibling catapults him on a desperate quest. With his best friend by his side, and using the tracking skills he learned from his father, he discovers Jeslyn has been taken, kidnapped by one Lucino, the young lord of Daath, a mystical place thought only to exist in fables.
And Lucino has plans for Jeslyn.
Add it on Goodreads here, or buy it through B&N, Amazon or Kobo!
Author BIO:
Eliza graduated from Dowling College with a BS in Visual Communications. When she’s not arguing with excel at her day job, or playing Dragon Age 2, again, she’s writing. Her stories hold a bit of the fantastical and there’s always a romance. She resides on Long Island with her husband, two kids and one very snuggly pit bull.
Find her at her website or on Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, or Facebook!
And last of all, enter the rafflecopter for some more great prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
So here we go with Eliza's hop!
If you’ve landed here during your adventure, skip all this and go below. If you’re wondering what’s going on, go here to start your own adventure!And may The Creator bless you on your journey.Your story:The smart choice is to run, very fast. You dash out of the cave leaving the creepy creatures to the dark, and decide to try a different direction.Surveying the area, you realize you only have two options.Ella and the others are most likely north, and since you need to collect as much black flower nectar as possible, north would be unwise, but you might be able to focus more on tagging than collecting.Or you could go south, straight to the marshlands. There are bound to be flowers there, and if not you can grab the jade mushroom for coin!And then there’s east where the wolves hunt.A) North. You decide getting the title of Jenzi is more important than anything else. Go here B) South. To the marshes it is! Go here C) East. You hope to find lots of black flowers and no wolves. Go here
So now you've begun you adventure, learn about Broken Forest and Eliza!
Book goodreads blurb:Hopeless he'll never be more than the boy who didn't save his brother, 17-year-old Avikar accepts his life as the family stable boy, trying to forget the past. But when his sister, Jeslyn, is kidnapped, the thought of losing another sibling catapults him on a desperate quest. With his best friend by his side, and using the tracking skills he learned from his father, he discovers Jeslyn has been taken, kidnapped by one Lucino, the young lord of Daath, a mystical place thought only to exist in fables.
And Lucino has plans for Jeslyn.
Add it on Goodreads here, or buy it through B&N, Amazon or Kobo!
Author BIO:
Eliza graduated from Dowling College with a BS in Visual Communications. When she’s not arguing with excel at her day job, or playing Dragon Age 2, again, she’s writing. Her stories hold a bit of the fantastical and there’s always a romance. She resides on Long Island with her husband, two kids and one very snuggly pit bull. Find her at her website or on Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, or Facebook!
And last of all, enter the rafflecopter for some more great prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 30, 2013
Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh release and Blog Hop!
Today marks the release of my debut novel, Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh. You can now buy it on Amazon and Kobo! To celebrate I am having a blog hop with some awesome prizes!
I need to give the credit for this idea to my fellow Curiosity Quills author, Eliza Tilton, because I was stumped! But I loved this idea the instant she suggested it. All you need to do on your blog is write about something Egyptian. Anything, the Nile, a city, a person, the gods or whatever else you want before the 5th May. At the bottom include a link back to here using the hieroglyph picture below which says Kiya, and don't forget to include the linky. Then, on the 6th, go to all the blogs on the list and find SIX hieroglyphs. The first person to decode it and send it to me will win the first prize and the second will win the runner up prize. Simple right? Here's a link for a basic hieroglyphic alphabet. My email is katiejteller (@) gmail dot com
I noticed the linky code isn't working so here it is for your post - <!-- start LinkyTools script -->
<script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky..." type="text/javascript"></script>
<!-- end LinkyTools script -->
So, here's the Prizes.
1st Place:Signed hardcopy of Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh
Mummy Making/Archeology Dig Kit
Hard copy of The Charge by Sharon Bayliss$15 Amazon GCEbook copy of Risen by Britney Jensen
Ebook copy of Sacrifice by K.A Last
Runner Up:Ebook copy of Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh$10 Amazon GCEbook copy of Gaia's Secret by Barbara KlossEbook copy of The Charge by Sharon Bayliss
The most fact filled post will win a First 50 pages critique by Darci ColeThe most informative post on Akhenaten will win a First chapter critique by Ryan DaltonThe first person to find a hieroglyph and email me the blog site will win a query critique from Leigh StathamThe funniest post will win a synopsis critique by Stacey Nash
I will also give out some swag for excellent posts!
Here's the trailer
April 27, 2013
Final Countdown
So there's only a few days left until Kiya's release, so I thought I'd put my thoughts and feelings out there about this.
I am soooooooo beyond reason excited! This is my baby and she's going out into the world for everyone to see. I've worked so hard on her, primped her, polished her, spent hours researching her and all the tears of querying but finally she's made it to the end of her journey. I constantly say my MC, Naomi, is my best friend and the person I want to be, and I truly hope everyone else loves her as much as I do.
http://freestock.ca/
I've been eaten by the ravenous reviewers!Paranoid. What if everyone hates book? What if every reviewer that looks at it slams it? What if I'm kidding myself and I actually suck? I know CQ wouldn't have signed it if they didn't think it was worth their time and wouldn't sell, but self doubt is still seeping through. Human nature I guess.
http://www.alegriphotos.com/No one actually buys it. So yes, I do need money. Signing it instead of simply emailing it to all my friends is kind of part of that. I have a family, my husband works part time while going to school and I work too while trying to raise our kid, so the extra money is definitely a plus. But more than anything, I hope people buy it because they want to read it as much as I loved writing it.
Pirating. I watch my fellow CQ authors talk about this all
http://freestock.ca/the time and it frightens the crap out of me. I know realistically it's going to happen, I just hope for every pirated copy, there will be two people who legitimately buy it so my hard work and time isn't wasted, and again, people who enjoy it are actually showing me their love for it by helping support me and my family.
curiosityquills.comAgain excited! I've done something some people only dream of achieving, and I'm so proud of what I've done, and also humbled that CQ love me so much.
So there you go! My feelings on the matter. 3 days to go!
p.s sign up for the hop!
I am soooooooo beyond reason excited! This is my baby and she's going out into the world for everyone to see. I've worked so hard on her, primped her, polished her, spent hours researching her and all the tears of querying but finally she's made it to the end of her journey. I constantly say my MC, Naomi, is my best friend and the person I want to be, and I truly hope everyone else loves her as much as I do.
http://freestock.ca/I've been eaten by the ravenous reviewers!Paranoid. What if everyone hates book? What if every reviewer that looks at it slams it? What if I'm kidding myself and I actually suck? I know CQ wouldn't have signed it if they didn't think it was worth their time and wouldn't sell, but self doubt is still seeping through. Human nature I guess.
http://www.alegriphotos.com/No one actually buys it. So yes, I do need money. Signing it instead of simply emailing it to all my friends is kind of part of that. I have a family, my husband works part time while going to school and I work too while trying to raise our kid, so the extra money is definitely a plus. But more than anything, I hope people buy it because they want to read it as much as I loved writing it.Pirating. I watch my fellow CQ authors talk about this all
http://freestock.ca/the time and it frightens the crap out of me. I know realistically it's going to happen, I just hope for every pirated copy, there will be two people who legitimately buy it so my hard work and time isn't wasted, and again, people who enjoy it are actually showing me their love for it by helping support me and my family.
curiosityquills.comAgain excited! I've done something some people only dream of achieving, and I'm so proud of what I've done, and also humbled that CQ love me so much.So there you go! My feelings on the matter. 3 days to go!
p.s sign up for the hop!
Review - The Shadow King
So I have recently signed up with NetGalley, and my first book for review that I requested was
The Shadow King
, due for release Jun 4th. It's a non-fiction book based on Tutankhamen and Howard Carter's discoveries surrounding the uncovering of Tut's untouched tomb.
This book was right up my alley, as anyone who has been following my own book along to publication would know. 18th Dynasty Egypt is something I've read A LOT about, and this only enhanced that. It focuses mostly on modern day research and technology which is being used to unravel the story of Tut's life.
If you have the patience for non-fiction, like me, you will find this fascinating. It doesn't use intense technical mumbo jumbo, so is understandable, but it's not a glossy picture book with history explanations attached along beside it. It's a real history book, and I loved it!
This book was right up my alley, as anyone who has been following my own book along to publication would know. 18th Dynasty Egypt is something I've read A LOT about, and this only enhanced that. It focuses mostly on modern day research and technology which is being used to unravel the story of Tut's life.
If you have the patience for non-fiction, like me, you will find this fascinating. It doesn't use intense technical mumbo jumbo, so is understandable, but it's not a glossy picture book with history explanations attached along beside it. It's a real history book, and I loved it!
April 26, 2013
Ebook Winner of the Kiya Blog Hop
As promised, I have drawn a winner for the people who signed up for the Kiya Blog Hope by the 25th. You can still sign up, and please do because there are some sweet prizes which have been donated. See the cover reveal post for details, and the full details will go up on Tuesday. So, with no further ado, the winner of an ebook copy of Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh is James Wymore! Yay!
Thanks everyone for your support and help me spread the word. You're all wonderful!
Thanks everyone for your support and help me spread the word. You're all wonderful!
