Two Giveaways at Once

I can't help it. When I'm given more than I need in the way of copies, I can't just see putting them on a shelf. What's the point? I like to archive two copies of all my editions, but anything beyond that is wasteful.

A few days ago I asked my wonderful editor at Amazon Publishing if I could get a copy of the brand new unabridged audio of my brand new novel Walk Me Home. I wanted to hear how it sounds.

Today a box arrived in the mail with two MP3 audio copies and five on CD. That's three more CD sets than I need.

So let's rack up three happy winners here. Leave a comment below, and make sure you leave your name under author (you are the author of the comment) and your email address in the comment form, where it won't show publicly, I'll use it to notify you if you win. I won't use it for anything else.

This is a good giveaway for those who haven't read Walk Me Home yet. If you have, you may be less enthusiastic about this one. In which case you need to hop over to my other giveaway that's going on right now, under the post title Fun Games for Book Birthdays, and tell me your favorite line(s). Then you can choose which book you want to win, and you can end up with one you haven't read yet.

Good luck!

Update on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 7:29AM by Catherine

Okay. Posting winners. The winners of the audiobooks are: Laura Ruthemeyer, Kate R. and Therese. 

Fun Games for Book Birthdays

Today is a double book birthday for me. Other than the day we brought out my four backlist titles as ebooks, I've never had more than one book released on a single day. Today my newest novel Walk Me Home goes on sale from Amazon Publishing, and When I Found You re-releases in an Amazon Encore edition.

And I'm trying to think of a way to celebrate that's new and different. So here goes. 

Did you know that authors just love hearing your favorite lines and quotes from the books? Well, I can't speak for all authors, but this author does. A lot of you haven't read Walk Me Home yet. Then again, I've been giving away lots of copies, so some of you have. Or will. Very soon. And I know a huge number of you have read When I Found You.

So if you'll take a minute to tell me your favorite line or lines in the comments below, I'll choose the ones that match with my own favorites, and give some more books away. If I choose you, just name a book of mine that you haven't read, but would like to. And that's what you'll win.

Don't forget to enter your email address in the comment form, so I can contact you if you win. I will not contact you for any other reason. And remember the "author" field in the form is for the author of the comment (you) not the author of the books (me).

Easy, right? I try to make it easy. I still have tons of books in my garage from the days when I traveled and spoke. Books don't belong in my garage. They belong in your hands.

Have at it!

Update on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 7:30AM by Catherine

I've chosen four winners for this giveaway: Mary, Belinda McMahon, Amy Mills and Laura Ruthemeyer.

Pay It Forward on Top of the World

How cool is this? I mean, really. How cool?

This is a photo of a Pay It Forward bracelet, the brainchild of our Pay It Forward Foundation president Charley Johnson, about to make its way to the top of Mt. Everest.

The climber’s name is Elia Saikaly. This is his 8th expedition to the Himalayas and his 5th attempt on Everest. Elia is the lead high altitude cinematographer on a 12-Part television series called "Arabs on top of the World".

Check him out HERE and let's all cheer Elia on in this amazing quest.

Update on Friday, April 19, 2013 at 11:21AM by Catherine

Here is a working link to the Facebook page mentioned in the comment below. And another very cool PIF pic of the Police Chief of Ottawa, on the job with his Pay It Forward bracelet:

https://www.facebook.com/pifottawa 

Update on Monday, April 29, 2013 at 11:04AM by Catherine

Follow-up to the world's coolest image: Elia Saikaly doing Skype sessions from his "office" in front of the Khumbu Icefall, Mt Everest Base Camp, wearing the PayIt Forward bracelet that will ascend the mountain with him.

A Big, Happy Pay It Forward Announcement

For those who have been following me for years because you are Pay It Forward fans, I think you're going to like this news a lot.

Most of you know that the book Pay It Forward was written for adults. It never occurred to me that anyone younger than an adult would read it, despite the fact that the major character of Trevor is only twelve when the books begins.

Then the American Library Association chose the book for its Best Books for Young Adults list. I was quite surprised. The Young Adult classification is 12-18. So technically the American Library Association recommended it for kids as young as 12. I was never comfortable doing so. I'm sure it's fine compared to...you know, say, prime time TV. But there was no denying that there's a good bit of adult material in the book.

As a result, when it's used in schools, which I'm pleased to say it often is, it's only in high schools. I suspect very few teachers are handing it to kids much younger than 14.

Now for the big, happy news. Simon & Schuster has agreed to release a new edition of the book for Middle Grade readers, 8-12. It's not going to talk down to them. It's not going to be a different story. It's going to be the Pay It Forward book it's always been, but with a new rating. G.

I'm going to be doing the initial edit of the material, and then of course it will go through the editorial process at the publishing house. But I've had a good first conversation with my new editor, and we are very much on the same page in terms of what needs to be edited out, what needs to be maintained.

Think in terms of Summer of 2014, though of course I'll keep you updated with news. 

Remember you always hear it here first!

One New Book, Two New Covers.

Sometime in April, Second Hand Heart is re-launching with a--much more appealing, I think--new cover. So I wanted to present it to you now, and hear what you think.

And, not long after that, my newest story collection, Subway Dancer and Other Stories, will be available for purchase in ebook format. I've already created a Subway Dancer and Other stories page, with more information. My short stories tend to be a bit more edgy than my newer novels, so that's what you see reflected here in the cover, which I had a great deal of control over. I'm really happy with my covers now that I'm able to direct the creation of exactly what I imagine in my head.

Then just a couple of months after that, not long after Amazon Publishing launches the new Walk Me Home and the Encore Edition When I Found You, you'll be seeing another brand new novel, this time in the U.S. first. It's called Where We Belong, and I'll reveal that cover just as soon as it's final, along with more about the book.

No, I'm not really writing as fast as it looks like I am. We're catching up here in the U.S. with several novels that saw first publication in the U.K. And a few projects like Subway Dancer and Other Stories have been waiting in line for a long time, because traditional publishers aren't all that fond of short fiction.

As always, when there's more news, this blog will be the place to hear it. Thanks for staying tuned!

Speak Loudly for RAINN

Those of you who have followed this blog for ages know that I was one of many authors (and others) to Speak Loudly for the book Speak (by Laurie Halse Anderson) when it faced a censorship challenge. I tweeted and Facebooked about it, and wrote an opinion piece about the initiative for AOL News.

Starting today, in honor of Speak, the publisher Macmillan is partnering with RAINN (the Rape and Incest National Network) in a Matching Donation Campaign to raise funds for the RAINN organization and awareness during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April 2013.

RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization and Laurie, a longtime supporter, is committed to furthering their goal of giving every victim of sexual violence a voice. The campaign launches April 2 (coinciding with the National Sexual Assault and Awareness Day of Action) and will run through the month of April. Macmillan will match up to $10,000 in donations and will also be facilitating several incentives programs, including a ‘How Speak Spoke to Me’ creative contest, signed book giveaways, a manuscript review (by Laurie) and a chance for the school that raises the most money to win a visit from Laurie.

I hope you'll support this important initiative, and help give a voice to those who need it most. You can learn more about the #Speak4RAINN Campaign HERE.