Thanks again to the people who left comments about favorite author swag.  It really does help to get feedback about what folks want to see.  As luck would have it, the great Paperback Writer blogged today about the conundrum of author promo, what works and what doesn’t:  http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2008/06/real-estate-of-self-promo.html

 From the comment trail in the Celebratory Swag post, it seems that you, the readers, overwhelmingly prefer books as swag.  Whether it’s a regular book, a sample book, an ebook, or even a short excerpt on a postcard, you want to get a sample of the writer’s talent to see if their world appeals to you.  Makes a lot of sense to me!

Is there any kind of author promo you find off-putting?  What should we writers NOT do? 

Thanks again for your input!

First off, THANK YOU to the many readers who chimed in with their fave author promo items  – we authors are always learning more about what people like to get.

Let me announce the winners of the Celebratory Swag contest!  I will write a little article designed for writers in another post – again, thanks readers for your input.

THE WINNERS ARE (drum roll, please….):

JeanP

cattzpjs

shadow 31071

teresa_ryn

louiesbabe13

All winners, please email me with your mailing address!  Thanks again for entering the contest…it was such a success I will be sure to do another swag contest soon J

Check out this new, excellent Science Fiction Romance blog!

http://thegalaxyexpress.blogspot.com/

The thoughtful and welcoming Heather has collected an awesome blogroll, laid out a comprehensive overview of the subgenre, and has initiated some really fascinating discussions — if you enjoy speculative romance of any kind, you should cruise over there and check it out.

Wishing you and the people you love a meaningful Memorial Day! 

We’re heading into a holiday weekend here in the US — let’s party!!

I was lucky enough to get into ComicCon in NYC this year, and loaded up on some pretty sweet swag — comic books, ARCs, sample books, bookmarks, and the like.  Would you like some?  I have enough to make three swag packs, with ARCs and books from Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jim Butcher, Dean Koontz, and much more.

All you have to do is leave a comment below — what is your favorite author promo or giveaway?  And have you ever bought a book because of it?

I have a contest/announcement yahoo loop that is quiet except for news updates from me, and contest giveaways.  Join here and you are automatically entered in my contests for now and evermore:

 Michele_Lang_Book_Talk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Oh, and one final plug for Brenda Novak’s renowned auction to benefit diabetes research — I’ve donated a gift basket loaded with escapism.  To check it out and make a bid, go here:

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&dir=n&Auction_uid1=973498

Have a fabulous weekend — I’ll announce the winners in a week.

UPDATED TO ADD:  Due to overwhelming demand ;-)  I am adding two addtional prize packs with my OWN swag — ARCs and books — including one pack with my latest relese, NETHERWOOD —  and yes, cover flats!  The finest personal swag I can provide :)  And as always, I will mail prize packs anywhere.

Again, have a wonderful weekend!

I started an LJ account, and will most likely start mirror-posting on both accounts…so many cool LJ accounts out there!  Here’s where you can find me, if you are an LJ person:

http://michele-lang.livejournal.com/

See you there!

Huge congrats to Monika Lahiri and her husband Ges Selmont — Ges just won an Emmy for their show SOX APPEAL, featured on the New England Sports Network (NESN).  Monika and I go way back, before I’d published a word of fiction, and she is a powerhouse talent.  I believed in her dreams, she believed in mine, and I know her vision for both of us kept me going.  

If you want to write, believe in the beauty of your dreams.  This time a year ago, I was without a publisher and I wasn’t sure where the writing path would take me next.  Take it from me:  your dreams can become reality in a blink of an eye.  Consider this your message from the universe for today — KEEP GOING.

My fabulous agent, Lucienne Diver, has moved to The Knight Agency — check out the announcement at the Knight Agency blog:

 http://knightagency.blogspot.com/

Lucienne is terrific, and it looks like a great match up.  Cyber-champagne toasts all around!

Hey everybody!

I know I’ve been too quiet around here…usually a dangerous sign *g*

Spring is trying its best to appear in these parts, and I’ve been out in the good weather every nice day we’ve had in the last week or so.  My agent, Lucienne Diver, has a great LJ with pictures of her recent trip to Paris; it got me thinking about all the places I’ve gotten the chance to visit, and all the places I’d still like to see.  So I’ve been taking long walks, and daydreaming…

One place I love right in NYC:  The Hungarian Pastry Shop, located across the street from the magical St. John the Divine.  I spent many hours of my misbegotten youth there, eating rumballs for dinner when I was broke, and writing for hours, and talking to genial slackers about Rimbaud and Reagan.  Ahhh…heaven.

Where do you wish you could be right now?

Sorry to the people who have been commenting and writing to me!  I am in a strange state…I’ve been sick all week, but it’s more than that.  It’s like I’m walking around in a permanent daydream.  It’s a good sign where the writing is concerned but it is rough on my interpersonal skills. LOL

Again, my apologies for the delay in posting comments, and writing back to people who are trying to contact me.  One of my goals for this quarter is to get much more routinized in my writing life, so I hopefully will overcome this tendency to vanish.  Thank you for your understanding and patience!