Tag Archives: contest

Review contest: Win $30 and books!

Who doesn’t like free books and book money?! Here’s your chance to win both!

The prizes

Grand Prize
$30 Paypal cash! Advance Reader Copy of
Tomorrow We Spy,
Spy Another Day series book 3
(With a sneak peek at the cover!)
Advance Reader Copy of
True Spy
prequel #3

may 14 review contest

Other prizes!

I’ll be giving away more ARCs of Tomorrow We Spy and True Spy!

Exact number of prizes awarded will depend on the number of entries received—so enter lots!

How to enter

Step 1: Read one or more of my books. This is kind of important to do step 2.

Step 2: Review my books. Here’s a handy chart of some good places to review, with links to my books:

I, Spy
Book 1
 
Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble Smashwords* Goodreads
Spy for a Spy
Book 2
 
Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble Smashwords* Goodreads
Spy Noon
Prequel 1
 
Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble   Goodreads
Mr. Nice Spy
Prequel 2 (free)
 
Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble
(99 ¢)
Smashwords* Goodreads
Character Arcs
 
Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble   Goodreads
Character
Sympathy

Double points!
Amazon Kobo Barnes & Noble   Goodreads



Step 3: Leave a comment here with a link to your review. You can enter more than one review (i.e. different books or different sites), but YOU MUST LEAVE EACH LINK IN ITS OWN COMMENT FOR IT TO COUNT AS A SEPARATE ENTRY IN THE RANDOM DRAWING!! Please try to use the direct link to your review and not just the review page so I don’t have to go hunting for it. Thanks 🙂 . Note that reviews on my (poor, neglected) newest release, Character Sympathy, count double!

(Can’t comment? Contact me with your links and I’ll work it out.)

Step 4: Check back here on Monday, 2 June 2014, to find out if you’ve won!

Rules, Questions and Details

Entries (comments) must be received by Saturday, 31 May 2014, 11:59:59 PM MDT.

Winner(s) will be drawn at random from the comments. If you want to enter more than once with separate reviews, use ONE SEPARATE COMMENT for EACH review link. Do not put three links in one comment. Comment three times. This makes my life easier. And I need that. Exception: reviews on Character Arcs will count as two entries.

Again, how this works: say you review I, Spy on Amazon and Goodreads, and Character Arcs on Amazon. Come leave three comments here, one with the I, Spy Amazon review link, one with I, Spy Goodreads review link, one with the CA Amazon review link. THREE SEPARATE COMMENTS = THREE ENTRIES! + 1 bonus entry for reviewing Character Arcs. (BUT one comment with three links = 1 entry.) One entry link per comment, one comment per entry link.

More entries = more prizes! I’m not pinning myself down to something in case you guys surprise me and I get really generous. Even if that doesn’t happen, the chance of winning will most likely be pretty dang good. You should go for it.

Do the reviews have to be positive? No. But do you really want to hurt me? Do you really want to make me cry?

Can I enter if I won/received a free copy of the book? Yep.

Can I enter with a review I’ve already posted? Yep.

Can I enter if we’re friends or family? Yep. Don’t know if I’ll let you win, family member, but you can sure enter!

Winners will be announced on the blog, and maybe even contacted by email. Open worldwide. Void where prohibited. Awesome on all continents. And in the oceans, too. Seas. Islands—okay, the whole planet.

So enter now!

* You may have to have purchased the book from Smashwords to leave a review there. If you really want another entry, please contact me and I can give you a coupon for Smashwords (assuming that you already have the book from another platform/source).

Win a $25 Amazon gift card and ARCs!

Who doesn’t like free books and book money?! Here’s your chance to win both!

The prizes

Grand Prize

$25 gift card to Amazon.com
(not actually in a box)
SpyForSpy_CVR_LRG
Advance Reader Copy of
Spy for a Spy

(Print!)
character arcs V2
Advance Reader Copy of
Character Arcs

(e-book)

Other prizes:
SpyForSpy_CVR_LRG
Advance reader e-copy of Spy for a Spy

character arcs V2
Advance reader e-copy of Character Arcs

Exact number of prizes awarded will depend on the number of entries received—so enter lots!

How to enter

Step 1: Read I, Spy (and/or Mr. Nice Spy). This is kind of important to do step 2.

Step 2: Review I, Spy (and/or Mr. Nice Spy). You can leave a review on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords*, and/or Goodreads.

(Mr. Nice Spy links: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords*, and/or Goodreads.)

Step 3: Leave a comment here with a link to your review. You can enter more than one review (i.e. different books or different sites), but YOU MUST LEAVE EACH LINK IN ITS OWN COMMENT FOR IT TO COUNT AS A SEPARATE ENTRY IN THE RANDOM DRAWING!! Please try to use the direct link to your review and not just the review page so I don’t have to go hunting for it. Thanks 🙂 .

Step 4: Check back here on Thursday, October 17, to find out if you’ve won!

Rules, Questions and Details

Entries (comments) must be received by Wednesday, 16 October, 2013, 11:59:59 PM MDT.

Winner(s) will be drawn at random from the comments. If you want to enter more than once with separate reviews, use ONE SEPARATE COMMENT for EACH review link. Do not put three links in one comment. Comment three times. This makes my life easier. And I need that.

Again, how this works: say you review I, Spy on Amazon and Goodreads, and Mr. Nice Spy on Amazon and Goodreads. Come leave four comments here, one with the I, Spy Amazon review link, one with I, Spy Goodreads review link, one with the MNS Amazon review link and one with the MNS Goodreads review link. FOUR SEPARATE COMMENTS = four entries! (One comment with four links = 1 entry.) One entry link per comment, one comment per entry link.

More entries = more prizes! I’m not pinning myself down to something in case you guys surprise me and I get really generous. Even if that doesn’t happen, the chance of winning will most likely be pretty dang good. You should go for it.

Do the reviews have to be positive? No. But do you really want to hurt me? Do you really want to make me cry?

Can I enter if I won/received a free copy of the book? Yep.

Can I enter with a review I’ve already posted? Yep.

Can I enter if we’re friends or family? Yep. Don’t know if I’ll let you win, family member, but you can sure enter!

Winners will be announced on the blog, and maybe even contacted by email. Open worldwide. Void where prohibited. Awesome on all continents. And in the oceans, too. Seas. Islands—okay, the whole planet.

So enter now!

* You may have to have purchased the book from Smashwords to leave a review there. If you really want another entry, please contact me and I can give you a coupon for Smashwords (assuming that you already have the book from another platform/source).

Have you entered the I, Spy song contests?

Whew! What a fun week with the blog tour! We definitely need to celebrate, and what better way than with my chocolate chip maple pecan pie, as featured in I, Spy?

Have you pieced together the clues to find the inspiration songs for I, Spy and Mr. Nice Spy yet? There’s still time to enter the contest to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

As a reminder, there are TWO SONGS to guess (and each song contest has a $25 prize). The clues are found at the blog tour stops:

I, Spy clues

Monday

Renae Mackley* (Also: using your spy skills to convince someone the car you’re driving isn’t stolen!)

M. R. Buttars (Also: using your spy skills to escape annoying relatives!)

Tuesday

Donna K. Weaver (Also: using spy skills on a desert island!)

Bonnie Harris (Also: an I, Spy extra inspired by Bonnie!)

Jinky is Reading* (Also: a giveaway!)

Wednesday

Kathleen Brebes

Rhonda*

Thursday

Me, at Jami Gold’s blog

Tressa’s Wishful Endings* (Also: a giveaway!)

Friday

Lindzee Armstrong (Also: using your spy skills while in labor!)

Christy Dorrity

* = also includes a review

Mr. Nice Spy clues

Monday
Julie Coulter Bellon (Also: using your spy skills to enjoy sweets without having to share with your kids!)

Tuesday

Carolyn Frank (Also: using spy skills with time travel!)

Wednesday

Cami Checketts*

Marnee Bailey, Romance Writers’ Revenge (Also: using your spy skills to figure out what your kids are up to!)

Thursday

Lisa Swinton (Also: spy skills to escape from . . . a cat?)

Chris Jones (Also: the spy skills of a dad!)

Friday

Emily Gray Clawson (Also: figuring out whodunnit)

Andrea Pearson

* = also includes a review

Thanks again to everyone who helped with the tour!

Other blog reviews

I don’t want to leave out some great reviews at non-tour blogs last week!
Debra Erfert’s Windows on Writing

Tamera Westhoff

Whit’s Book World (And she also reviewed Mr. Nice Spy!)

The contest

Remember, you have until 11:39 PM MDT on June 13th (Thursday) to enter the contest! Email your guess to contest at jordanmccollum.com to be entered in the drawing. (Full rules) Now go use your spy sleuthing skills to put together this puzzle!

May accountability & the last contest clues!

Today I’m a featured author at the Barnes & Noble Nook Mystery forum! Come visit & comment!

After a huge month in April, May tried its darnedest to outdo its predecessor. Hard to beat having a baby (on my birthday!) in April, but May did see me presenting and having my first booksigning at the LDStorymakers Conference, prepping for my book’s launch and coordinating some coming events—and buying a new house for our growing family.

Have you ever seen those stress tests where they’re like “have you done any of the following big life events in the last year?”? Yeah, I’m pretty sure just about all those are high on the list. My heart’s probably at risk right now, LOL.

May accountability

So, last month I set goals to:

  • Practice for and give my LDStorymakers presentation. Check! Very happy with how it went.
  • GET. THOSE. WORDS. DONE. For real, finish this novel. Ugh. I did make progress, but launching this book and moving had to take precedence. 10,000 words to go.
  • Business: finish the last couple steps for the publication side of I, Spy. Check!
  • Plan & prep for launch party (more on this as it gets closer!) Check! It’s tomorrow at the Orem Public Library!
  • Finish edits on novella. Check!
  • Prep the first part of my novel for critique Check! Sending this to my critique group today, then I’m attacking that last little bit to finish this novel.
  • Read! There’s always something on the TBR! Check!

Wow. I thought it would be a lot more depressing than that with everything that’s going on. I also added another specific goal:

  • Contact 100 book bloggers about I, Spy. Check!

It’s funny—if I don’t get my words, I feel like I’ve failed, no matter what other stuff I’ve done. (Like, I don’t know, move my entire life into another city last weekend?)

June goals

All right—I’m publicly setting some goals for June and I’ll report back on the first Friday in July. Thanks for being my accountability!

  • Launch party tomorrow!
  • FINISH THIS BOOK. I wanted to finish it in March, folks. I’ve written books in the time that’s passed since my deadline. I’ve written three books in that amount of time!
  • Edit two more sections for critique
  • Read.
  • Plan and prepare for upcoming events (don’t worry—I’ll keep you posted!)
  • Unpack, eh?

Wait, did I just put a manageable and realistic writing-related to-do list up there? Whaaaat?

And of course . . .

Today’s clues

We have the final stops on our launch tour today—and the final clues in our inspiration song contest!

Emily Gray ClawsonMr. Nice Spy (Also: figuring out whodunnit)

Lindzee ArmstrongI, Spy (Also: using your spy skills while in labor!)

Andrea PearsonMr. Nice Spy

Christy DorrityI, Spy

What are your goals for June?? Have you come to say hey at the Nook forums yet?

Word for writers

Last year, I blogged about Scrivener vs. Word. The number one complaint about Word in the comments was problems with Word’s Styles.

Today I’m honored to be guest posting at Jami Gold’s fantastic blog about making Word more friendly for writers!

And of course, we have more stops on our launch tour!

Today’s clues

Today, you’ll collect your clues for the inspiration song contest from:

Me, at Jami Gold’s blogI, Spy

Tressa’s Wishful EndingsI, Spy (Also: a giveaway!)

Lisa SwintonMr. Nice Spy (Also: spy skills to escape from . . . a cat?)

Chris JonesMr. Nice Spy (Also: the spy skills of a dad!)

TBR Tuesday: A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver

This Saturday, I’m throwing a launch party along with fellow debut author Donna K. Weaver at the Orem (Utah) Public Library. Come join us! We’ll have reading, signing, books, freebies & prizes—and a self-defense demo with Sensei Kim and Sensei Kristi! (And don’t forget: today’s song clues are at the end of the post!)

a-change-of-plansBut today, I’m part of the blog tour for Donna’s book, A Change of Plans! (Remember the cover reveal?)

When twenty-five-year-old Lyn sets off on her cruise vacation, all she wants is to forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a diversion uncomplicated by romance. What she gets is Braedon, an intriguing young surgeon. He’s everything her fiancé wasn’t, and against the backdrop of the ship’s make-believe world, her emotions come alive.

Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship-on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. Lyn’s painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic.

But it’s hard to get away from someone when you’re stuck on the same ship. Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise’s snorkeling excursions. Then paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped, and Lyn’s fear of a fairy tale turns grim.

I received an ARC of A Change of Plans, and I got to read it last week. As I read the first part of the book, following Braedon and Lyn on the cruise, I enjoyed the romance so much that I really wanted to write a romance (which is funny, because I don’t particularly like writing the warm fuzzy stuff, and that’s exactly what I wanted to write). Donna reminded me of how much fun the first phases of a romance can be.

And then, just when you think the story’s over, you find one twist after another. She definitely kept me guessing!

The publisher provided me with a free copy of A Change of Plans in exchange for a fair and honest review.

There’s also a giveaway as part of the blog tour!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find it: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads | Rhemalda Store

Today’s clues!

You’ll find today’s blog tour stops—and clues for the inspiration song contest!—with:

Donna K. Weaver—I know, right?! – I, Spy (Also: using spy skills on a desert island!)

Bonnie Harris – I, Spy (Also: an I, Spy extra inspired by Bonnie!)

Jinky is ReadingI, Spy (Also: a giveaway!)

Carolyn Frank – Mr. Nice Spy (Also: using spy skills with time travel!)

The I, Spy inspiration song contest!

Friday, I shared the story of how a song inspired my novel I, Spy (out this week in case you missed it! 😉 ). This week, as part of the blog launch tour for I, Spy and Mr. Nice Spy, I’m holding a contest to guess the song behind the novel (and novella)!

How to enter

At each stop on the blog tour, I’ll share one clue about the novel or novella’s inspiration song. You will most likely need more than one clue to figure out the answer.

Use your spy skills to piece together the clues to figure out the song and artist, then email me at contest (at) jordanmccollum.com with your answer! Entries must be received by 11:59 PM MDT 13 June 2013.

Every correct entry will be entered in a random drawing—one each for the novel and novella—to be announced on my blog June 14.

The Prizes!

The winner of each drawing (one for the novel and one for the novella) will receive a $25 Amazon gift card.

Rules, etc.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN GIVEAWAYS. A PURCHASE WON’T IMPROVE AN INDIVIDUAL’S CHANCE OF WINNING.

1. You can’t win both prizes. Sorry.

2. Open internationally—if you can get on Amazon, you can use the prize, so you can win the prize. (Gift card amount is in US dollars.)

3. A limit of one entry is allowed per e-mail address, per contest. You may not enter each contest more than once, whether or not you use a different e-mail address. Subsequent entries determined to be submitted with the same email address or from the same individual using multiple email addresses may be declared ineligible. (So you can enter both contests one time each, but not more than one entry in each contest.)

4. A prize number will be assigned to your entry upon receipt of your entry. A winning number will be generated using Random.org on or shortly after the Entry Deadline Date. If your Prize Number matches the Winning Number, and you meet the eligibility requirements and otherwise comply with these Official Giveaway Rules, you win the prize.

5. I will send the Amazon Gift Card to the address used on your entry within three (3) days after the Entry Deadline Date if you win the prize. (An Amazon Gift Card can be applied to any account, so the email doesn’t have to match the address you use at Amazon.)

6. ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OF ANY PRIZE ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER.

7. Winner may not substitute the prize for any other prize or for cash.

8. Entry in the contest constitutes permission to use winner’s name and prize information for promotional purposes in any medium, except where prohibited by law, without further payment or other consideration. (I’m gonna announce your name on this blog.)

9. The giveaway may be canceled, suspended and/or modified, in whole or in part, if in my opinion any fraud, technical failure or other factor beyond its control impairs the integrity of the giveaway.

10. By entering the giveaway through this website, you release Jordan McCollum from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the giveaway or delivery, misdelivery or acceptance of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional), whether under a theory of contract, tort (including negligence), warranty or other theory.

Today’s clues!

You can find today’s clues at our blog tour stops! Today’s stops also feature quick, fun vlogs about putting your spy skills to the ultimate test: real life.

Julie Coulter BellonMr. Nice Spy (Also: using your spy skills to enjoy sweets without having to share with your kids!)

Renae MackleyI, Spy (Also: using your spy skills to convince someone the car you’re driving isn’t stolen!)

M. R. ButtarsI, Spy (Also: using your spy skills to escape annoying relatives!)

The inspiration behind I, Spy—Contest!

This is the second most unusual story inspiration source I’ve ever had. (The first was a commercial for a TV show.)

It was the day before Valentine’s Day. I remember this very well because it’s Peter Tork’s birthday I was shopping for valentines when it hit me. Yep, right there in the middle of the Dollar Tree, inspiration struck. (What? Where do you buy your last-minute 50¢ Valentines?)

Dollar Tree

The piped music in the store turned to an old favorite of mine. As I browsed the valentines bopping along, I started thinking more deeply about the lyrics. The story behind the song is about a guy who wanted more of a relationship with this girl, but totally got “friend zoned.”

I imagined a guy sitting in a restaurant, checking his watch, waiting and wondering. Since it was Valentine season, I thought, What if the girl actually did like him? Wouldn’t that be tragic? What would keep this friend-girl from being there like a girlfriend?

And then my favorite what-if question popped up: what if she were a spy?

Bam. A whole scenario popped into my head (that now makes up almost a quarter of the book). I pulled out my brand new smartphone to make a note—and saw the reminder that my son was getting out of kindergarten early that day. As in right then.

With long lines at all the check stands, my only choice was to ditch the valentines and drag my daughters to the car to pick up my son. Fortunately, the Dollar Tree wasn’t far from his school, and I got there a little early. With those spare minutes, I pulled out my phone again and jotted down a note in my Evernote app so I’d have it when I got on my computer (as if I’d forget):

first note

Notice the black bars? The original title of the project came from the name of the inspiration song, and the Evernote folder and the folder on my computer were the initials from that title. (Still are, in fact, though by the time I started writing I, Spy just shy of four weeks later, I’d changed to that title.)

I have never revealed the name of that song to anyone outside my family and critique group. And honestly, most of them don’t know it, either.

CONTEST CLOSED (but you can find the clues if you’re in my readers group!)
So here’s the contest! As part of my launch blog tour, each I, Spy stop will have a clue about the song that inspired the book! Mr. Nice Spy stops, not to be left out, have clues to another song, which I first heard immediately after finishing the first draft, and immediately claimed as the theme song for the novella.Look for the prizes, full rules, and first clues on Monday!

Oh, and since I know you’re wondering, we went back to the Dollar Tree and found my stack of chosen valentines.