Last Day on Suvudu

Popping in to remind everyone that the final part of my serialized story, "Pride Before Fall," is now up on Suvudu. Both stories have now been posted in their entirety. I hope you've enjoyed the peek into Evy's world.

In case you missed it before, "Pride Before Fall" starts here. And the first story, "The Hoarder," starts here. Both stories will be available on Scribd in late December.

Also, for folks who are still waiting for prizes from me, I'm still waiting on my author copies. I promise I'll get them in the mail as soon as that box of awesomeness arrives!

Speaking of which, the fabulous Jackie Kessler invited me to be a Dame for the Day over at the Deadline Dames blog. I'm talking about holidays and yes, a copy of 3D2D is up for grabs. Giveaway ends December 5th.

Three Things

Thing #1.

My second serialized short story started yesterday on Suvudu.com. "Pride Before Fall" will be posted in five parts, just like "The Hoarder." You'll see more of Tybalt, the main character, next summer in AS LIE THE DEAD, but for now, I hope you enjoy.

Thing #2.

There's a special kind of happiness felt when you're told by a thirteen year-old girl that your book "is better than Twilight." And to then by told by a friend to whom you related the story than her fourteen year-old daughter agrees. Now, THREE DAYS TO DEAD isn't targeted to teens, but I like the idea of teenage girls identifying with a woman who takes charge of her destiny, rather than lusts after a guy and lets him control her.

Thing #3.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to my fellow U.S. residents who are celebrating today!



I'm hosting today, so I have to get offline soon. Still have mashed potatoes, Mac-n-cheese, stuffing, and cracker dressing to prepare.

Launch Day!!!

It's official. I'm a published author, and I am in bookstores. *dances*



There were sightings yesterday of THREE DAYS TO DEAD in two different Barnes & Nobles. My heart did a little pitter-patter when an online acquaintance sent me a picture of their shiny new purchase.

What am I doing to celebrate? Buying groceries for Thanksgiving dinner.

No, seriously. After that, the day is mine.

Be sure to check out the lovely and hilarious Nicole Peeler's site for a chance to win a free copy of THREE DAYS TO DEAD. You'll have an extra copy to give to a friend, since you've already bought one, right? Right???

Also, the incomparable Jeaniene Frost is giving away a signed copy of THREE DAYS TO DEAD on her blog! Jeaniene was kind enough to blurb my book and had wonderful things to say about it. So if you want to double your chances, check them both out!

If you haven't read anything by Nicole or Jeaniene, what the hell are you waiting for???

The last part of my short story "The Hoarder" is being posted today on Suvudu.com. If you've been following along (or waiting for the conclusion to read the entire thing at once, and I don't blame you) please comment and let me know what you think. A brand-new story, "Pride Before Fall," starts tomorrow!

What was that? Something about a GRAND PRIZE winner?



Oh yes, we have a winner!

All of the entries have been collected (more than 85 total). Many of them were repeats--smart folks who participated in multiple ways. All entries were tossed into a hat (okay, not really a hat, it's a large glass jar), shaken and shimmied about to ensure proper mixing.

And the winner is.....

jeanette8042

For her comment on the Charlie Madigan Interview posted on Organized Chaos! Email me your information [mail (at) kellymeding.com] and we'll get that Amazon gift card out to you! Congratulations, and thank you everyone for playing along!!!

Zero Day

There's something altogether exciting and terrifying about looking at that countdown widget and realizing the DAYS column says 0. Big fat zero. Only hours left.

The good news is Amazon seems to be shipping Pre-orders of THREE DAYS TO DEAD, so yay!



Today is the last day to enter the GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY!!!! If you haven't already commented in either the 2K Quiz, the Charlie Madigan interview, or the Evy Stone interview, and you still want a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card, send me an email with the header: Enter Me! If you've already commented on all three, you can still send me that email! We're giving lots of chances to win!

I have a new interview up at Number One Novels today, so stop by and comment for a chance to win a signed copy of THREE DAYS TO DEAD. I'm talking about character names and why Joss Whedon is my patron saint of writing.

"The Hoarder" short story serial continues. Part 3 and Part 4 are posted, and be sure to tune in tomorrow for the conclusion to the serial!

In a completely non-book note, I've been rewatching one of my favorite TV shows from the nineties. How remembers "The Pretender?"



A genius named Jared who could be anyone he wanted to be, chased by the cold-hearted Miss Parker who had deeper issues than anyone thought. Sydney, Broots, Mr. Raines, Lyle...great, great cast of characters on this show. I've had the entire series on DVD for a while now, but just yesterday I put in Season One, Disc One, and have been half-watching the show while doing other things. And it's been great fun re-discovering it. Watching Jared discover new things with the fascination of a child--Oreos, Pez, roach motels, Curious George, ice cream--is one of the best things about the show. It died off in later seasons as Jared became more worldly, but in the first half of the first season, his innocence is refreshing.

Myth, the Hoarder, and Stuff

So tonight's plans to go out to Seacrets in Ocean City and celebrate my book release have been thwarted by a cold. Blah. As much as I want to go out and debauch myself in public, I'd rather not spread my germs to several hundred strangers this close to Thanksgiving. Plus, as my roommate mentioned, I'd probably just make myself sicker.

We're staying in with pizza. Which will still be fun, because I love pizza and my friends are cool peeps no matter where we hang.

I also have a guest blog post at Myth, the Universe and Everything, in which I chat about one of my favorite fairy tales, trolls, and provide you with an exclusive excerpt from THREE DAYS TO DEAD. Check it out!

Also, part 2 of "The Hoarder" is up on Suvudu.com.

Only two days left to get in on the GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY action! All you have to do is email me! It's easy!

Dead on Suvudu

Remember those short stories I've been teasing you about for a while? Well, all of the work and secrecy has finally come to fruition. I present:

Dead on Suvudu: The Dreg Files!

What is this, you ask? Over the next ten days, two original short stories of mine will be posted in five parts on the Suvudu site. Part one of story one is now live!

Both stories are set in the same world as THREE DAYS TO DEAD. Story 1, The Hoarder, is set four years ago, when Evy was still a rookie Hunter. Story 2 (which will premiere Nov 25), Pride Before Fall, features a Hunter named Tybalt who we meet briefly at the end of THREE DAYS TO DEAD.

I hope you enjoy the sneak peek into Evy's world!

Cat & Muse, A Winner, and Other Things

I very much meant to blog about this stuff yesterday, but a minor cat crisis stole my evening and my concentration. Anya is fine now, so no worries. But after what happened to my other cat, Hannah, last summer, I'm admittedly very paranoid. :)

So what else is happening?

1. Well, the deadline for entering the drawing for the Charlie Madigan interview was yesterday. Randomizer.org has spoken, and the winner of four books (signed copies of THREE DAYS TO DEAD & THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, plus a surprise book from each of us) is:

Wanda! Email me { mail(at)kellymeding.com } with your mailing address. Congrats!

And of course, everyone who commented is also entered to win the GRAND PRIZE of the 2K Giveaway!

2. You guys know what Cat & Muse is, right? The awesome radio talk show run by former succubus Jezebel, and overseen by super-talented author Jackie Kessler? Well, Evy had the unique experience of appearing on Cat & Muse, and the interview is now posted. So for everyone who enjoyed Charlie's interview with Evy, run over and see what she had to say to Jez!

She left Jez speechless! Woot! *evil grin*

3. I also have an interview up with Stephanie, at Juiciliciousss Reviews, as well as a giveaway (books! swag! fun Post-It's!). I chat about writing, my favorite character in THREE DAYS TO DEAD, and other exciting things. So stop by and leave a comment!

4. I also have a fun surprise coming for readers. I'll blog specifically about this tomorrow, but I'll leave you with a few hints: short stories, Suvudu.com, free. *g*

Don't forget to enter the 2K GRAND PRIZE giveaway, if you haven't! It's super easy! Just email me with the heading "Enter Me!" and you're entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card. See? Super simple!

Five more days! Squeee!

German YouTube Video

Google Alerts is such a great thing. This morning I found one linking to a YouTube video that appears to be a review of the German edition of THREE DAYS TO DEAD. I don't know what exactly she's saying, but the book is gorgeous and it was such a fun surprise I had to share.



So to the vid-maker, thank you! :)

Character Interview: Charlie Madigan

The next part of the 2K Event is here! We had a great time following along with the Quiz answers last week, and this week we have something new for you.



But first, don't forget there's a $100 Amazon gift card GRAND PRIZE on the line. Rules for entering can be found here, so be sure to enter! It's easy!

Today's part of the Event is extra-fun. Charlie Madigan, heroine of Kelly Gay's THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, has been interviewed by none other than the heroine of THREE DAYS TO DEAD, Evangeline Stone. These ladies have a few interesting things in common, but are also very different. And over at Kelly Gay's blog, Charlie has interviewed Evy.

So read along, and be sure to leave a comment or question for Charlie. Why? PRIZES.

Every comment is another automatic entry into the GRAND PRIZE drawing, to be held November 23rd.

I will also hold a random drawing and one lucky commentor will win these exciting prizes: a signed copy of THREE DAYS TO DEAD, a signed copy of THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS, and a third, surprise book. Three books! The same prize package is being offered over at the Evy interview. Two chances to win! Two additional entries into the GRAND PRIZE drawing!

Exciting, isn't it?

The contest is open until Wednesday, November 18th, and the winners will be announced on the 19th. Good luck and happy commenting!

#*#*#*#*#



*Evy settles in and checks her notes*

Evy: So…you died, too, huh?

Charlie: Yeah. Traumatic experience, and it hurts like hell. But I have to say, I couldn’t imagine waking up in a totally different body. Now that’s insane. Dying didn’t change me on the outside, but it definitely did a number on the inside. There’s a war going on inside me. Good. Evil. Really raw stuff. And it feels alien, like it has nothing to do with me. The nightmares are really starting to mess with me . . .


Evy: In your world people actually know about the existence of Dreg—er, of, um, non-humans. You don't have to be all secretive about it. What's that like?

Charlie: I can only describe it as normal. The Revelation (what we call the discovery of two alternate dimensions, Elysia and Charbydon) happened back when I was a teen. It took years for things to calm down, and new laws and governing bodies to be put into place, but now it’s business as usual. And no worries on the Dreg reference – we have names for them, too, most of which I use to piss off particular people... I’m sure you can appreciate that. J But the politically correct term we use is off-worlders. Off-worlders go to school, work in the public and private sectors, just like any human would. It’s once you go Underground and into the criminal population that you’re reminded just how different the races really are.


Evy: Your partner's non-human—a siren, right? That boggles the mind. Hot or not, how'd you get stuck with him?

Charlie: Yeah, Hank’s a siren. You can’t mistake them. If you suddenly find yourself face first into a utility pole, you know you just walked past a siren. They kind of grab your attention that way. After about a decade most of us are used to them, though. It’d be a different story if our resident genius, Titus Mott, hadn’t invented the voice-mod to alter the seductive power of their voices… *shudders* Imagine men, women, kids, animals, you name it, all drawn to Hank like he’s some kind of gigantic frosted Cinnabun on a cold winter day. . . (Sorry, didn’t eat breakfast. Again.)

So, anyway, as far as working together, we didn’t have a choice. But it was necessary -- all part of integrating and learning about our new arrivals. You know, as much shit as I give Hank, he’s got my back 110%. I might not have a clue why he left Elysia to come here -- everyone has their own reasons for immigrating -- but I trust him with my life. And please, please, please, Evy, don’t tell him that, because just about everything goes to his head. And once he’s got the slightest dirt on you, he uses it to his full advantage and gets so obnoxious I just want to shoot him.


Evy: Talk to me about the other hot guy in your life, your ex-husband Will. What's up with him?

Charlie: You mean the guy I want to hug and strangle at the same time? I swear that man makes my life CRAZY. We’ve been divorced for almost a year now, and I’m still not over him completely. I mean, how do you turn off eleven years of loving someone in a couple months? Sometimes I don’t know what to do about him. He wants to make amends, wants to start over, but there are some serious trust issues that I’m not sure I can overcome. But, god, I just . . . He makes my chest hurt. Let’s move on, okay, Evy?


Evy: Okay, so you've got an eleven-year old daughter, which is really awesome. But you're a paranormal cop, and you're constantly in danger on the job. Don't you ever worry about making your kid an orphan? Although there is the ex-husband, so let me rephrase. Don't you ever worry about making your kid motherless? Because it sounds like you're a good mom, and I don't get to personally meet a lot of those.

Charlie: Well, thanks for saying that. To answer: Yes. I worry all the time. I think any parent, no matter what they do, worries about suddenly leaving their kid behind. But let me explain something. I feel I'm safer in my job as an officer than being oblivious to the dangers out there in some other job. If I know the dangers, the constant ebb and flow of crime in this city, then I can protect my family and myself better. I don’t know, I guess it stems from losing my brother to a violent crime. Ever since then I’ve had this deep need to look-out for my family, and the whole city, and it just makes me feel more secure myself. Some would say I’m safer at my job than I'd be working in the convenience store or at the bank. See, in my line of work, I have weapons. I have training. I have a fighting chance. That might not make sense to a lot of people, but talk to any ITF officer or beat cop with kids, or women in the military divisions and they’ll tell you the same thing. There are hundreds of thousands of us out there. This is how we feel the safest and the best able to protect our families and homes.

My kid gets what I do and why I do it, and I think if you ask her, she’d say she’s proud of me. A second later, she might say that I need to raise her ‘paltry’ allowance, but hey…what can you do, right?


Evy: What do you do to unwind after a hard day beating up the bad guys? I used to blow off steam at clubs on my nights off, but I guess with a kid at home that's an option anymore. So do you build puzzles? Do yoga? Read dirty books? Wish your ex was home so you could blow off steam with him in bed?

Charlie: A cold beer works wonders. A cold beer with steaks on the grill works even better. God, I knew I should’ve eaten breakfast! This whole death experience has really made me hungry. My metabolism must be stuck on overdrive or something. Might have to talk to Titus about that. Um, where were we? Oh, yeah… If I’ve had a really shitty day where food and drink won’t cut it, then I run. I run until my lungs burn and my legs turn to jelly. Or I go down to the station and spar with Hank. He loves a good beating.

Evy: *snorts laughter* Thanks for stopping by, Charlie.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

This has serious possibilities....

Winner, New Stuff and Spiders

The winner of the 2K Quiz has been announced over at Enchanted by Books. Thanks to all who stopped by and guessed!

Want to hear something funny? When Kelly Gay and I came up with the November 2K event, we knew we'd be sharing a lot of things--release dates, first names, blogging engagements, etc... Neither one of us expected to share a cold. We've never even met, and yet we're both sick. How flippin' scary is that?

Be sure to stop back by on Thursday, for the next leg of our 2K Event. The heroine of The Better Part of Darkness, Charlie Madigan, will be stopping by for an in-depth interview, hosted by my very own wild child, Evy Stone. Trust me, you don't want to miss it!

And on a completely nonsensical tangent, I had a little yellow spider trapped between the clear plastic cover and the gauges on my dashboard. It kept running across it, on the inside, upside down, really FAST! I hate spiders, and it was soooo creepy knowing I couldn't reach in and kill it. In my car! Fortunately, about two-thirds of the way home, the icky thing found its way out and I smashed it with a McDonald's napkin. Woot!

Not to jinx myself or anything, but we're switching from Verizon to Comcast high-speed tomorrow morning (sarcastic YAY for 7am windows of arrival). The last time we tried this, we lacked internet for a week. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't disappear...

Alice

14 Days....EEEEEEEEE!

I've posted an interview with my 2K Event partner-in-crime Kelly Gay over at the League of Reluctant Adults. Go ask her questions and heckle. And then pre-order her book! It's awesome!

Today is also the last day to play in the 2K Quiz. Don't forget, you can win two ways! There will be a drawing from all entries (correct or not) for four books. And everyone who enters the Quiz gets an entry into the Grand Prize drawing! That's for a $100 Amazon gift card, people!

Have you guys seen the trailer for SyFy's new miniseries, "Alice"? I'm a huge fan of what they did with "Tin Man" two years ago, so I'm pretty excited for this. Plus I love Kathy Bates.

Saturday Round Up

The second Dreg City book, AS LIE THE DEAD, is up for pre-order on Amazon. Not that I expect anyone to pre-order it yet, since most of the world hasn't even read the fist one. But yay for being listed! Release is July 27, 2010. I expect the listing will pop up on Barnes & Noble, and other sites soon.

Still no cover art for it, but my editor has accepted revisions and the book is off to production. The cover should pop up soon. *fingers crossed*

Evy is still answering your questions over at ALL THINGS URBAN FANTASY. She's having a lot of fun (as am I) talking about the vampires in her world, so be sure to swing by!

Don't forget all the ways you can enter our 2K Event Grand Prize Drawing! The 2K Quiz at ENCHANTED BY BOOKS is still open until Monday, so put your guesses out there for a chance to win four books!

And in order to try and keep myself sane this month, what with all of the contests, giveaways, and oh yeah, BOOK RELEASE, I've got a new project. It popped into my head a few days ago, and on Thursday it demanded I start. It's pretty different from anything I've written before, the MC is male, and it's basically a 180-turn from the Evy books. But it's proven to be a worthy distraction (as 5700 words in two days proves), and I'll say three words about it: werewolves, ranch, Colorado.

Have a great weekend, all!

Vampires 101

Have a question about vampires?

Want to know their weaknesses and strengths?

Ever been curious what a bite really does to you?

Stop over to ALL THINGS URBAN FANTASY, where my heroine Evangeline Stone is talking about the vampires in her world. Ask her a question and be entered for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card!

2K Quiz!

The 2K Quiz is up at Enchanted by Books. Swing on over for a chance to win FOUR BOOKS! Just match the statements to the correct Kelly and answer in the comments. You don't have to guess correctly to be entered into the drawing.

And every entry is added to the GRAND PRIZE pot for the 2K Event!



On another fun note, book two in the Dreg City series, As Lie the Dead, is listed at the Random House home page for pre-order! I'm sure the Amazon and B&N listings will show up shortly. There's no cover art yet, but the release date is listed as July 27th!

Updates, Interviews and Polls, Oh My!

So after last week's little laptop drama, I am now the proud owner of a brand-new Sony Vaio. She's gorgeous and fast and shiny! And my Sonja is also packed up the whazoo with virus protection and anti-spyware software. Windows 7 isn't what I'm used to, but I'm adapting. Many of the new features are really awesome. And I love the slightly raised, parted keyboard. Much more like a regular keyboard.

I spent yesterday helping my sister and her boyfriend pull off a Halloween party for about a dozen kids (plus adults). They do it every year, with food, a bonfire and a hay ride (yes, a real hay ride). It was a lot of fun, and I ate way too much yummy stuff. I even got a bag of candy out of the deal (mini-Twix = WIN!). My niece was all adorable in a skeleton sweatshirt/pants ensemble. She trick-or-treated (as much as a 9-month old can) the night before as a fairy princess.

On the book-related front, Three Days to Dead releases three weeks from tomorrow. Every time I think about it, I start to freak a little bit. But I have lots of things to keep my busy.

Don't forget to check out the 2K Event and all the ways you can enter to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate.

I have a new interview up at Obfuscation of Reality. Come listen to me babble!

Also, Bitten by Books is running a poll on most anticipated November releases. I'm in the running, as is fellow League debutante Nicole Peeler. So come on over and cast a vote!

Child of Fire by Harry Connolly


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For fans of the Dresden Files, who want a grittier, darker hero, check out this series by new author Harry Connolly. The use of magic is fresh and the writing is clear. I can't wait for the next book!

View all my reviews >>

2K Event Kick-Off!!!

It’s here!

The Same Name, Same Date, Same Genre – Two Awesome Debuts! Event! (Hereafter referred to as the 2K Event, for Twitter-friendly brevity sake.)



Join debut urban fantasy authors Kelly Meding and Kelly Gay for a month of giveaways, interviews, quizzes, and more as we celebrate the upcoming November 24th release of our debut novels: THREE DAYS TO DEAD (Kelly Meding) and THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS (Kelly Gay).

We have some great things in store for you! Please join us November 3rd for our Two Kelly’s Quiz at ENCHANTED BY BOOKS, and match the statements to the correct Kelly to win some amazing prizes! And join us again on November 12th for a double interview at our blogs where Evy Stone and Charlie Madigan interview each other! These gals have a lot to say, so don’t miss it (and the chance to win more freebies!).

But here’s the best part: Our GRAND PRIZE. Oh yeah. We’re talking a $100 Amazon gift card for one lucky winner.

The GRAND PRIZE giveaway starts now, November 1st and ends November 23rd at noon, Eastern Standard Time. You'll have multiple chances to enter the drawing for the $100 Amazon gift card.

Here’s how:

1) Just comment at any of our events mentioned above and you’re automatically entered. Please note: One comment at one event will gain you one entry. For example: Comment at all three events (the Quiz, the Evy Stone Interview & the Charlie Madigan Interview) and not only are you entered to win those prizes, but now you’re entered THREE times in the GRAND PRIZE giveaway. (And, no, multiple commenting at each event will not gain you extra entries). So that's three chances right there!

2) Folks who do not plan on automatically entering by commenting at our events, may enter by sending an ‘ENTER ME!’ email to Kelly Meding's email address: mail (at) kellymeding.com. One email only, and please use the subject line "ENTER ME!" or your entry may get lost in the Spam Folder (and we don't want that). Please note: If you choose to participate in option #1, you can still enter this way, too. And we do encourage you to choose option #1 and play along with us!

3) Additionally, we want to say a special thanks to those folks who pre-order our books. So, if anyone has pre-ordered at any time, up to November 23rd, please send proof of purchase (scanned or screencapped image of online pre-order confirmation, scanned or photographed in-store receipt [with all private info smudged out, of course]) to: mail (at) kellymeding.com with the subject line "PRE-ORDER." Pre-order proof of one of our books gains you 5 entries. Pre-order proof of both books will gain you 10 entries in the GRAND PRIZE giveaway. (You are also free to enter via Rules #1 & #2). Please note: The GRAND PRIZE giveaway does not require purchase to enter. This rule is merely a way for us to give big, sloppy "Thank you!" kisses to those of you who have or will purchase our books. Both books do not have to have been pre-ordered at the same time; separate confirmation is fine.

Everyone with us so far? Awesome!

And guess what? Follow along and participate in our events and you might just win some additional entries in our grand prize!

Please help us spread the word by Tweeting and blogging the 2K Event, and feel free to use the above contest graphic.

We'll see you Tuesday at ENCHANTED BY BOOKS!!!