Contests - Stephanie Dray

My Ridiculously Easy to Win A Nook Giveaway

December 16th, 2011

As you may know, I had to call a halt to my last Nook giveaway because of legal complications that arose from the contest. In spite of that fiasco, I’m going to try again. (But if anything goes wrong this time, I will know that the Fates do not want me to give away an e-reader!) As it happens, I have a brand-new-in-box Nook Touch. I would like to give it to someone–fellow authors included! What do you have to do to win it?

Add any of my books to your “to be read” pile on Goodreads
Post here that you’ve done so
If you don’t have a Goodreads account or don’t want one, or you’ve already got my books on your shelves, you can just spread the word about this giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter or Blog or wherever on the internet you talk to people, and post the link here
As an act of good karma, please press the “like” button on the upper right hand of this post, and the stumbleupon button next to it and joined my blog using the nifty little box with all the faces to the lower left under “community”
If you don’t want to do any of those things, you can just post here that you want a Nook, but don’t you want some good karma when it’s time to roll the dice and pick a random winner?

The Legalese:

One winner will be chosen at random before Valentine’s Day (2/14/2012) or within a reasonable time thereafter. This contest will be held in tandem on my other website, StephanieDraven.com. You can enter the contest on either website. No purchase necessary.

Contest is void where prohibited. I reserve the right to cancel, terminate or modify this promotion if it cannot be operated, conducted or completed as planned, for any reason. Prizes listed may be substituted with other first prizes of equal value, based on availability. Entering this contest constitutes the winner’s consent to the use of his or her name on my site or in promotional materials. I’m not responsible for any problems with your entry, including technical failures related to computer, telephone, cable, and unavailable network or server connections, or other failures related to hardware, software or virus, or incomplete, late or misdirected entries. In case of a dispute as to the identity of an entrant using the Internet, the authorized account holder of the email address used to enter the Promotion at the time of entry will be considered the entrant.

Open to U.S. residents only over the age of 18. Sorry, Canada and other countries have funny laws about contests.

Posted in Contests, For Readers | 34 Comments »

Want an e-reader? Win one from me!

September 6th, 2011

ON HOLD

IMPORTANT UPDATE 10/27/2011: It has been brought to my attention that this contest, as structured, may be prohibited by law. Consequently, this contest is closed to all entries until a decision can be made to either cancel or modify this contest in keeping with the law.

Now, this is a contest for my readers! Post an honest review of any of my books on either Amazon.com, B&N, or Goodreads between now and December 1st 2011, and you will be eligible to win your choice of either a 1st generation Nook e-reader or a $75 gift certificate to B&N or Amazon.com, just in time for the holiday season.

To win:

Post your honest review of one of my books to either Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or Goodreads.com (or three entries for posting on all three sites)
Post the link to your review(s) in the comments section of this thread
That’s it.

A winner will be chosen at random, not based on the content of the review, so please be honest and thoughtful.

The Disclaimers:

Only reviews posted between September 15 and December 1 2011 are eligible. You can review more than one book and on more than one site for extra entries in the contest–just be sure to post the link to your review(s) below. On December 2, 2011, one winner will be chosen.

This contest will be held in tandem on my other website, StephanieDraven.com. You can enter the contest on either website. No purchase necessary. (Libraries are wonderful!)

Any review that violates the policies of the sites listed above will be disqualified. Do not spam these sites with inappropriate comments only meant to win this contest or you will be reported for abuse.

U.S. & Canada Only. Contest is void where prohibited.

Posted in Contests, For Readers, Fun Stuff | Tags: free e-reader, gift certificate, giveaways, historical fiction, nook, stephanie dray | 9 Comments »

Q&A With Cleopatra Contest Semi-Finalist, Diane Ward

August 8th, 2011

It gives me great pleasure to introduce another semi-finalists for the Cleopatra Writing Contest for Young Women. It thrills me to have Diane with us today because she’s drawn upon Eastern mythology instead of Western for her work. Over the course of the next few weeks I’ll be featuring these young authors and I hope you’ll make them feel welcome and help encourage their craft.

Diane Ward is 17 years old and from Brandon, MS. She has attended Belhaven University on Scholarship since 2009. Her interests in writing include science fiction, fantasy, horror, and historical fiction with an emphasis on folklore.

In addition to writing, she enjoys ballet and modern dance, as well as playing classical, old time, gypsy, and Celtic music.

She also has a passion for horse training and recently won the 2009 Eastern Stampede Extreme Mustang Yearling Makeover and the 2010 Extreme Mustang Makeover Two Year Old Lunge Line Competition.

Your piece was based on one of the four great Chinese beauties and judges were enraptured by the unique setting. Can you tell us about it and what motivated you to write it?

In a poem by Du Fu,Wang Zhaojun is portrayed as a tragic heroine, arguably a victim. I loved the poem’s melancholy atmosphere and the richness of a ceremonial and ornate time. Although I chose to portray Zhaojun differently than a victim, she takes responsibility for herself and rises to the challenge that the emperor presents her with, I decided to use one of Du Fu’s quotes in my short story before I even wrote it. Another Chinese poem I was inspired by was Wang Zhoajun by Li Bai which also portrays Wang Zhaojun as resentful of the emperor’s decision. In Li Bai’s poem she leaves Chang’an in tears saying she is now only a concubine. I immensely enjoyed these poems, but I wanted to make Zhoajun’s bridging the two cultures not merely circumstantially heroic.

I was particularly struck by the themes surrounding greed. What personal experiences did you draw upon to write about that?

Personal experiences bleed into my writing whether I want them to or not. In competitions that I’ve been in (although thankfully not this one) ambition and greed seem to get blurred together. I think it is easier for highly moral people to justify doing something they ordinarily wouldn’t if they consider it being done for someone else rather than for themselves. This is one of the reasons why I have Mao Yanshou act entirely for himself in the story. There is no ambition to his actions; it is only for the love of money. He’s a shallow character focused on personal, short term gain. Zhaojun is his antithesis. She’s ambitious, but not greedy, patient and humble.

What’s your favorite subject in school?

Physics has been very inspirational in my science fiction writing, especially when combined with astronomy. I find it easier to use concepts in physics for content?rather than chemistry or pure mathematics?because physics applications are often more apparent. I try to put some actual science in my science fiction, so it won’t just seem like futuristic fantasy, but even though I like hard science fiction and purely inexplicable fantasy, the synergies of the two can be equally delightful. Other than physics my favorite subject would have to be literature. I still enjoy reading the anthologies I bought for my British Literature class.

Tell us about your home town.

I live just outside of the city limits of Brandon, Mississippi, so technically I don’t actually live in the city. Since we live in the country, we’re able to keep several horses on our property and there’s another barn within walking distance from our house. Even though Brandon is not a huge city there’s still plenty of places in it I haven’t explored.

What kind of author do you want to be?

I love writing short fiction and flash fiction, but ultimately I would like to be a novelist. I consider my writing primarily entertainment, so of course I want it to be entertaining but I also want to write things that involve people intellectually and emotionally.

Is there a woman in your life who has helped guide you towards a better future? Is there anything you’d like to say to her or about her?

Naturally, my mom. I’ve been homeschooled all my life and she’s taught all of my subjects, and she didn’t just teach me, but simultaneously my two younger sisters. Also, I would like to thank my grandmother. My grandmother has always supported my pursuits in academics and art. When she visits us from Texas she always makes a point to listen to our music or read something that I’ve written.

What one thing do you know now that you wish you’d known before?

It’s like that time my horse kicked me in the knee, got loose and ran across the parking lot and into the audience seats a day before the show started. I probably wouldn’t have won the show if I didn’t get serious about getting my horse’s mindset right if he hadn’t shown me he was completely unready. If I did know something innately without having to experience it or learn it, it wouldn’t mean as much to me. So I’ve learned to accept not knowing things that even would have made life easier.

And now, for our lightning round.

Your favorite meal?

Sushi

Your favorite myth?

I really like Celtic mythology. One of my favorite figures is Cethlenn and the Fomoire.

Your favorite book (other than mine, of course)?

That’s way too hard. For the moment I’ll say Dark water (Originally published: ????????) by Koji Suzuki

Your guiltiest pleasure?

Videogame marathons.

Does anyone else have a question or two for Diane?

Posted in Contests, Miscellany | Tags: belhaven university, brandon, chinese poem, Cleopatra Contest, cleopatra literary award, diane ward, du fu, li bai, zhaojun | 12 Comments »

2010 Summer Contest

May 18th, 2010

Everyone that signs up for my monthly newsletter will be eligible for a drawing in August! You could be the lucky winner of a $20 gift certificate to Amazon, Borders or Fictionwise. Your choice!

Posted in Contests, News | Comments Closed