Those of you who have been regular readers for the past few years know that I was lead into a genre outside of my norm, paranormal romance, when Colleen Gleason sent me a copy of her debut novel, The Rest Falls Away. All concerns faded away within the first few chapters, and I found myself growing ever more attached to Victoria Gardella as her adventures staking vampires unfolded. As a hopeless romantic, I also found myself getting caught up in the tangled relationships of Colleen’s heroine. Each of the previous four novels has been better than the last and I’ve found myself devouring them in cover-to-cover reads.
Alas, all good things have their end, and with her latest novel, As Shadows Fade, Colleen Gleason will be closing the door on Victoria’s story.
As sad as that is, it means great things for you! Read on!
For the past releases, I have posted on the importance of first week book sales for an author like Colleen Gleason. It means everything for future book contracts for publishers to see strong first week sales. To encourage you dear readers to take a chance on this marvelous series and to do so by supporting Colleen in week one, I’ve held photo contests with prizes. You can see the results of past photo contests here:
And we are going to do it again!!!
As there has been in the past, there will be 2 categories. The “Standard” category and the “Creative” category. To qualify, here’s what you need to do:
1. Go out and buy a copy of As Shadows Fade during the first week of sales, Tuesday, March 3rd through Monday, March 9th.
2. Take a picture of yourself with the book, either in the Standard mode, for example:
or the Creative mode, for example:
3. Email your image to cvincent68 (at) comcast (dot) net
The deadline to send your entries in (and you may do more than one) is Tuesday, March 24th at 11:59 p.m. CST.
I’m giving you extra time to take your photos and get them sent in, but am doing so on the honor system that you will be purchasing the book during the week of March 3rd through 9th.
Remember, you must include the book in your image. Even if you are super-duper creative and send in an amazing picture, if it doesn’t include the book then I will certainly post it for all to see but it will not be entered into the contest.
As this is the last hurrah for this series, the prizes cannot be anything related to the next book in the series, so, for the Creative category, Colleen is giving away:
A $30 gift card to the book outlet of your choice.
For the Standard category, I am giving away:
A $15 gift card to the book outlet of your choice.
In this time of economic woe, there can be no greater prize than free money for you to buy books with, so get out there, purchase As Shadows Fade, and lets make this last of the Gardella Chronicles photo contests the best one ever!!!
In the coming days I will be conducting my final author interview with Colleen Gleason, for this series, and will be reading and reviewing the book myself. Normally I would have done so by now, but the economy has driven publishers to cut back on ARCs and Colleen did not get any for As Shadows Fade. But even though I have not read it, I cannot imagine that you will be disappointed. It is the honest truth that each book, for me, was more of a page turner than the previous one. I cannot wait to see how it all ends.
These are busy times for all, but I hope you take the time to let your creative juices flow. I look forward to your entries!
Oh my, despite my stubbornness over that one damn word, “romance,” I suppose I should just go buy this. Colleen just seems so dang sweet, how can I not, huh?
Soooooooo glad to see you back!!!
If there was ever a series one should use to overcome Romance Section prejudice, this is indeed the one!
I’m glad to be back Debi, thanks! 🙂
My copy just shipped. w00t!
the pics are a riot.
I’m waiting for my copy, yay!! As Shadows Fade is book 5 in the series, not 4 as is in the first image. 🙂 I’m looking forward to the new entries!
Tink: That is funny, I never noticed that. I wonder if Colleen knows that her wallpaper is wrong!
Victoria: You need to add your picture to the mix this year!
I am looking forward to reading the new book!
I didn’t know another Victoria was coming out! VERY exciting for all the points you mentioned. Romance is way out of my normal read band – so that is proof this series is wonderful. I will have to get on that photo right away. I wonder if Zoe with her bat-like ears would pose…..
Hey Carl! So good to see you back 😀 Ok, Ok…I’ll enter…Oh wait, that’s me on the cover behind Victoria…can that count as my entry? 😉
Hi everyone! Thanks so much for participating with Carl’s awesome contest! I just love to see the pictures…it’s so much fun.
But I’m going to sweeten the pot by making the STANDARD prize be a $25 gift card (the CREATIVE prize will still be $30) to the book outlet of your choice…if that’s all right with you, Carl.
And I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for the interview questions. 🙂
So now that the books are all out, time for me to start reading them! That way I won’t have to wait for the next one 😛
Hmm … I don’t read romance novels, either, but you interest me strangely. And having checked a local booksellers’ website, it looks like they’re available in my little corner of the world. I don’t know about the contest, but I’m always up for a good read.
Thanks!
Well, I’m a hopeless romantic and though I don’t read a lot of romances I do appreciate well done romance in any book I read. I shall certainly be reading this series at some stage – the first one would sit nicely in your next RIP challenge as a matter of fact. 🙂
I’m with Cath – I haven’t read this series yet. I’ll have to read the first one first. I will be reading her because so many bloggers (you, Stephanie, for eg) love her books so much.
I’m having a problem leaving comments here! argh! anyway, I haven’t read any Colleen Gleason, but because you and so many other bloggers love her so much, I am going to begin reading her. I love your promotions!
I saw Colleen’s new one at Walmart last week and talked myself out of buying it (I really should read the other ones I have by her first…). I noticed they had sold out of them when I went today! Have fun with your contest–the photos you’ve shared here are all excellent!
I’ve been seeing so many enthusiastic reviews of these books, I may have to give them a spin. Even though it’s not a genre I usually read, it could be a fun little escape. 🙂
Hope my copy makes it soon. Colleen was going to mail it this week!!!
Just a quick question before i finish my “creative” pic…does a person have to be in the picture also? (for the creative category- and i did buy the book, it’s hard not to when the story is so well written)