Free Books For the New Year

Here is another of the eleven books I am giving away on New Years Day in my free book give away. To win all you have to do is be the first to claim one of the books. It's that easy. For more details Click here: E's blog: New Years Free Book Giveaway

Easter Eggs - Guest Post by Tatiana EL-Khouri

I've always been an inquisitive person, questioning everything. And I mean everything! It was not long that my questions of "Why?" and "How Come?" to my mother were met with, "The answer is in a book." I saw that response as an invitation to a land of exploration. Excitement would overtake me as I tried to figure out which book would hold the answer I sought. Till this day I love a good puzzle and can often be found doing logic puzzles and brain teasers in the middle of intense projects to get a moment of clarity.

When I was 5, I got a Nintendo 8 bit system from my uncle. It was the hottest toy at the time. When I stood in a fully stocked toy store and was told to pick anything I wanted, I made an instant beeline to the counter for the coveted Nintendo. I loved the video game system, despite not being very great at playing the games. It didn't take long for my younger brother to take over my game system and make it his own. Surprisingly, I didn't mind!

He was good! I played the games and barely passed a few levels. He played the same game and not only passed all the levels, but he started finding secret points and uncovering "Easter Eggs." I was amazed! Not only were the games entertaining, visually stimulating and all-around awesome; but the attention to detail the game developers and designers added were awe inspiring. I couldn't wait to watch my brother find the next secret coin room, extra life or any other secrets hidden throughout the games.

The idea of Easter Eggs stuck in my head. When I studied ancient history, I learned about everything from the secrets of the pyramids to the symbolism in the dollar bill to the insignia of a flag; I appreciated the thought that went into the planning process even more. About a year ago, I purchased an encyclopedia of symbols and signs as artistic reference. I was waiting for the right project to lace with hidden Easter Eggs. Then along came E's "I Want You Back." Instantly I knew this was the project I was waiting for. As E described the story and how the project would be a gift to his loyal fans, I thought it would be so cool to add hidden symbolism in the artwork and give an extra layer to the project the fans may not expect.

In the cover alone there are about 10 or so clues or hidden meanings that will be later revealed. So now that you know the Cover and the interior illustrations are filled with "Easter Eggs," I can't wait to hear from the readers and see what clues you pick up on. As the chapters come in, more and more will be revealed. Next week I will reveal the Easter Eggs that have been placed in the artwork and the Cover.

-Tatiana

Zombie Love at Christmas

To show a little zombie love for the holidays I have written and am giving away my YA paranormal novella I Want You Back! If you subscribe to my website (evanlowe.com) the first chapters will arrive in your mailbox just in time for Christmas.

This new book is to thank all my friends and fans for being there for me this year. If you enjoy it, or Tatiana's artwork, please go to the I Want You Back! page on my website and leave a comment. Thanks.

New Years Free Book Giveaway

In addition to all that's going on with I Want You Back (due out on Wednesday), I'm hosting a bit of a contest.

Since I purchase several new books a week, I must accept that some will never get read. And so, to start the new year in a giving fashion, I'm giving 11 new, unread books away.

Over the past year I have bought or received so many books that my office looks like a storage unit. And since I love buying books, I must clear away some that I have not yet read so I can buy more (strange, I know). I will post my giveaway list here on New Year's Day (January 1st). All you have to do to get a free book is be a subscriber of either this website or my blog. If you're a website subscriber, click on blog, then click on comments and tell me which book you want. If you're a blogger subscriber, just click on comments and leave your request. First come-first served. It's that easy. If someone hasn't already left a comment requesting the book--it's yours. I will mail it to you free of charge.

I will post the list of lucky winners a few days after the 1st with instructions on how to claim your book. DO NOT leave your address or email address or any personal information in the comments. All unclaimed books will go back into the queue for the next time.

So, if you'd like to win a free book, and you're not a subscriber, now's the time to subscribe.

Subscribers, check back on New Year's Day and win a free book.

Countdown to I Want You Back!

Four days until I Want You Back!, my free ebook novella. This is the book cover on the left. Let us know what you think. Tatiana would love to hear from you.

Also, I just updated my website. It now includes the I Want You Back! book cover, my New Years Book Giveaway contest, and a link to my entire NPR radio interview (I can't stand the sound of my own voice, so I have never heard it). If you'd like to check any of this out Click here: E. Van Lowe. And remember, if you want to receive the chapters of I Want You Back! in your email (starting on the 23rd) you need to be a subscriber. If you haven't subscribed already, now might be a good time.

Tatiana will be guest blogging next week on the 24th. Please stop by and show her some love.

Keke Loves Zombies

Check it out! Keke Palmer, star of the amazing film, Akeelah And The Bee, and currently starring on Nickelodeon's True Jackson VP Click here: True Jackson Keke Palmer Nickelodeon wants to play the lead in Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. How cool is that? All we need is someone who wants to make a movie out of the book. Okay, I know that's a lot, but still. This is very cool.

Keke shot this video for me, and I thought now was the perfect time to share it with you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRJsoay8jP8

Drat!

I've been in a funk for a while now, and I can't seem to pull myself out of it. Then yesterday I heard that Alloy Entertainment passed on reading my recently completed manuscript, Hollyweird. That really bummed me out. I love the Gossip Girl series and books (although I've only read the first three) that Alloy publishes and produces. I thought Alloy would make a nice home. *sigh* I sure hope my editor at Tor gives it a read, and likes it. I'm doing one final edit before I tell her about it. I know, I think I've said that before.

I am meeting with Tatiana tomorrow to check out the completed (I hope) book cover for I Want You Back. That should cheer me up. The progress shots of her artwork are in the previous post. I think she did a darn good job.

I Want You Back is my free ebook novella available on the 23rd, just in time for Christmas. If you don't know about it, and you'd like to receive it, check out this earlier blog that tells you how: http://vanlowe.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-want-you-back.html

If the book cover is approved it should be posted on this blog later in the week. Meanwhile, I've got to get out of this funk.

Progress shot #2

I Want You Back!

I've had a headache all day.

A short while ago I realized I haven't had any coffee all day, and I'm sure that's the source of my headache. I'm probably hooked on the stuff. But now as I write a cup of Starbucks is by my side. With any luck the headache will be gone by the time I'm done.

I've been working on I Want You Back exclusively today--no Christmas shopping, no malls--and I'm nearly done. I've been exploring delivery formats, and now think I'm just going to convert the chapters to a down loadable pdf. Tatiana had suggested using My ebook. It's free ebook service where authors (published and unpublished) can share their books with the public. Some of the book covers are stunning, which is one reason we thought of using them. Click here: Myebook - get it out there! You can have flash on your book cover, and we thought it would be neat to have our hand holding couple in a shroud of mysterious, rising smoke.

But I didn't like all the hoops my readers would have to jump through to subscribe (since they've already subscribed to my website). I also felt when I hit the button to enlarge the page that I could never get it to the right size. It was either too big or too small. So, I'm still looking around, but for now I'm thinking pdf. If anyone has any better ideas please let me know.

The photo above is a progress shot of Tatiana's painting for the book cover. Yes, she's actually doing a painting for each illustration. I know she'd love to hear your comments on her work. Leave them here.

My head is still hurting.

A Very Good Excuse

I've been totally remiss in posting lately. Can I blame Christmas? Yes, I'm blaming Christmas. Christmas has totally thrown me for a loop. Mostly because I've been fretting--what to get, what to get, what to get? While I love Christmas, this is a most difficult time of year for me, because I never know what to get anyone. Every year I say I am going to listen to what people want and need, and come Christmas I will be prepared. And every year I don't listen, and wind up going to all after mall, walking around like a zombie. This year has been no different.

Anyway, that's my excuse, and here are a few things I should have mentioned but let slip. My friend, Jill at Reading Is Bliss is hosting 25 Guests of Christmas. She is having a guest blogger each day from the 1st thru Christmas. It's the 8th, so you've missed a few. I am her guest on the 21st. If you'd like some Christmas spirit, who doesn't Click here: Reading is Bliss.

This past Saturday I was a guest author at the Christmas party at Mysterious Galaxy Books in San Diego. There were 11 authors present, including Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Creatures) whom I sat right next to. They were delightful, and signed a book for me. Yay! The party was a blast. We answered questions, signed, ate, and met new friends and fans. Mysterious Galaxy Books is now my favorite Indy book store. Thank you Mysterious Galaxy for showing me such a good time. If you'd like to know more about the party or Mysterious Galaxy Click here: Mysterious Galaxy Books.

I will have more updates coming about Hollyweird and artwork from I Want You Back (my free, e-book novella with illustrations due out at Christmas), but I felt I had to at least catch you up. And now I must go Christmas shopping, or as I like to call it, Zombie Time. Ugh!

Last Night

The reading of excerpts from the manuscript of my new book, Hollyweird, went extremely well last night, topped off by my big brother's presence. The reading was held in Sheree's conference room. There was a small crowd present--all seemed to love the book.

Sheree and her young interns loved it so much that she called me this morning to tell me she'd arranged a reading at one of the major studios the first week of December. She's hoping to get a TV deal which will spawn the book deal. It's the reverse of how things are normally done. I am very excited. A book and TV deal for Christmas. Yes!

And my brother really enjoyed the reading. You know how good that makes me feel :-)

Tomorrow we hang with cousins, and then he's headed back home. Tonight, I leave him alone at the crib while I torture myself by going to the Staples Center to watch the Clippers. My brother is not a sports fan--no way could I expose him the bad basketball. I'm a good little brother.

Monday I'm back to work on I Want You Back. Tatiana should have some art work to display some time next week. I haven't seen anything but a prelim of the cover art. I can't wait. These are exciting times. Check back to see what she's working on.

Hollyweird Tonight!

Tonight at 7PM (PST) I read excerpts from my recently completed YA paranormal, Hollyweird. The reading will be held in the very posh conference room of my manager, Sheree Guitar. My entire team will be present: agent, manager, producing partner. I hear a few Hollywood types may show up as well.

The big thrill, however, is that I think my brother will be there. He's in town for a Microsoft convention that ends this afternoon. I know. I'm heading out to pick him up in a few hours. And if he's not too tired, I will drag him to the reading.

He's staying with me until Sunday. Cool. When he was here last year we had a great time hanging together. I hope he comes to the reading. He will make it a very special night, indeed.

If the reading goes well I will prepare the manuscript to go out to my editor for reading during the holidays. And hopefully a sale!!! Check back here tomorrow to hear how the evening went.

Update

So much has been happening in my life lately that I almost forgot--I've been nominated for a Cyblis Award Click here: Wands and Worlds: 2009 Cybils Nominees: Fantasy/Science Fiction Teen. It's really kind of cool, since Never Slow Dance With A Zombie is my first novel and all. Wow!

Also, I haven't licked (see last post) Hollyweird since I wrote about it a week ago. My reading is on Thursday evening. I went through what I was going to read today--about 40 minutes worth. I know--long, which is why it's a small loyal group of listeners. I'm really happy with the manuscript. If the reading goes well I will do a final lick... er, edit and try to get it to my agent and editor next week, before Thanksgiving. I'll keep you posted.

My big brother is in town. He comes to LA once a year for a Microsoft Convention. He's a Microsoft developer--whatever that is. We had dinner last night. He loves Mexican food, and whenever he's here I take him to some of the local hot spots. His favorite is El Cholo on Western Ave. We ate their last night and had a great time. I really enjoy spending time with my bro. He's the best.

Love you, Bro! :)

And for those of you waiting for my free e-book novella, I Want You Back, Tatiana just read the first 3 installments over the weekend and emailed me that you guys will LOVE them. She's very excited and has started work on her illustrations, so it looks like we're on schedule for Christmas. If you haven't yet signed up to receive the link for the free chapters to be delivered directly to your email, all you have to do is subscribe to my website at http://www.evanlowe.com/ and you will be among the first to read it.

Am I A Book Licker?

Last Thursday I completed the draft of my newest novel, Hollyweird. I've been working on this novel for a long, long, long time. July of 08, Bob Gleason, from my publisher, Tor, was in LA and asked me if I would write a teen urban fantasy series--sort of like Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series (Click here: Laurell K. Hamilton Official Site ) or Kim Harrison (Click here: Kim Harrison). But instead of being for adults, mine would be aimed at teens. I jumped at the opportunity.

Bob wanted me to do something with vampires. But let's face it, there are more than enough vampire series out there. Right? So, instead I created Hollyweird. A series about a 15 1/2 year old, bi-racial necromancer who lives in Hollywood California. Kris Golden has a relationship with all things dead. She can raise the dead, spot the dead walking among us, but her main goal in life is to help lay the risen dead back to rest. In a sense she's something like a teenage The Ghost Whisperer. That's kind of a cool idea, isn't it? And guess what? No vampires... although zombies do make an appearance in the first book.

I have been editing the book since I finished. Actually, since before I finished, which is one of the reasons it took me so long to finish. And then this evening I read this post (http://www.megcabot.com/dia) on Meg Cabot's blog entitled: Don't Be A Book Licker. A book licker is someone who’s writing a novel, but instead of just finishing it and turning it in, they keep going back and re-reading it over and over, finding tiny things wrong with it, and revising it. They never actually send it in.

Have I become a book licker? I have to be honest, since this is not exactly what my publisher asked for, I am terrified to turn it in and discover they don't want it. That means I'm back to where I was three years ago--trying to get published. Oh, the horror!

I did not lick Hollyweird at all today, thank you very much. Although I thought about it. My anxiety over the book has made me a bit of a wreck. My friends have noticed. I keep saying there's nothing wrong. Do you want me to tell the truth and admit I'm a.... book licker?

Next week I have a small reading scheduled where my agent, manager and some friends will hear the first several chapters. Will I go back to book licking after that, or finally face the music and send it in?

I'm not sure. For now I am going to try and bury myself in my new project, I Want You Back, and not lick Hollyweird for an entire week.

Hello, my name is E, and I am a book-lickaholic.

Boys

At first blush this photo may seem to be another example of E shamelessly self promoting his novel, Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. But if you look closely, you will notice what is seemingly out of place in this photo--there are two boys, each holding a book... holding a book and smiling.

In case you're not aware, one of the great literary problems in our country and our country's schools is getting boys to read. It's not that boys can't read--boy's won't read. It's as if it's some great badge of courage for a boy to be illiterate.

As stated by Boy'sRead.org: "50% of all male minority students drop out of school." That's not good people. We now live in a country where the majority is made up of a collection of minorities. If most future men in this country don't read, where do you think that will lead us? Both girls and boys need strong male role models in their lives. Often, where one does not exist lives are shattered. And ladies, do you want to marry a guy who not only won't take directions, but can't read the signs? I'm kidding. But you get what I'm saying.

I don't want to get on a soap box and say that books are the salvation of our society. That would simplify it too much. But I do think that it is important that boy's read. Comic books, cereal boxes--anything! A well read boy, is a well rounded man. I did a post a few months ago about how my father and a happy accident got me to become a reader (Click here: E's blog: Thanks, Dad). Had I not become a reader, I am sure I would not have become a criminal. But I'm also sure I would not be the E. Van Lowe we have all come to love... well, most of us :)

What I'd like to ask each of you to consciously do is put something to read in a young man's hands. My friend Lynette told me her oldest son (14) took my book home, started reading and loved it. I am happy he liked my book, but I'm happier that he is reading. Those are Lynette's children in the photo.

I wrote Never Slow Dance With A Zombie for girls. I enjoy writing for girls, but I had boy readers in mind the entire time I was writing. I tried to add enough gross jokes, humor and adventure to keep a boy reader satisfied. It's up to writers to create interesting stories that spark the minds and imaginations of boys. I am going to try hard to do my part.

If your boyfriend, husband or son is not a reader it's up to you to put the right book in his hands to start him down the path. We can do this! One man or boy at a time. If we don't want to see American society on a continuous downward spiral, our boys need to read. Let's start at home. We LOVE to read right? Let's share that love. Nothing wrong with sharing a little love.

If you'd like to learn more about getting boys to read go here:

http://www.guysread.com/

http://www.boysread.org/

I Want You Back!

My big announcement at Saturday's Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest was about my newest work. It's a funny, thrilling paranormal YA novella called I Want You Back!

I Want You Back! is a free e- chapter book (with illustrations) available to my fans. The illustrations are being done by my good friend, artist, Tatiana. That's her in the photo with me. Cute, huh?... I'm talking about her, not me. I know I'm cute :)

If you'd like to get in on this FREE e-book all you have to do is subscribe to my website. Just go to http://www.evanlowe.com/ click the subscribe button and follow the instructions. I promise your info will not wind up on somebodies mailing list. I'm keeping your info safe. Once you subscribe, each new chapter (10 or more, I'm still writing) will be sent to you via email every time a new chapter is available. One to two chapters per week. This is my way of paying back my friends and fans for your support, and hopefully getting those of you who haven't read me yet to read me. Tatiana and I are very excited about this new project.

Here's the opening from the book:

To begin with, I’m not a nice girl. Don’t get me wrong, I used to be a nice girl. I used to be kind, and helpful, considerate and thoughtful. The kind of girl who went to all of her boyfriend’s games, even though she hates basketball; the kind of girl who helped her boyfriend study for his English final while she should have been studying for her own calculus final—and maybe she would have done better than that C; the kind of girl the boys at school lovingly call, oh, what’s that cute little name they have for us again? Oh, yes—Doormat.

Doesn't that sound like a fun opening? I Want You Back! is the story of 16 year-old Emy Grant, who uses magic to ensnare the boy of her dreams. We're trying to have it ready in late December so you'll have it to read during the holidays. More announcements will be coming in the next few weeks. If you liked Never Slow Dance With A Zombie now's a good time to go over to my website and subscribe. Okay?

BRAINS!

Yesterday I mentioned that Cousin Pam's watermelon brain was on my website, but I realized I hadn't posted it yet. So for those of you who went to my site and didn't see it, here's zombie Dirk (DJ) about to feast on braiiins!

Great job, Pam!

Zombie Fest Recap

The Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest started off with a bang. The front of the room was decorated like the Winter Dance from my novel. Very low tech, high school cool. After a brief introduction by my friend, G, the zombies come out to Michael Jackson's Thriller, and proceeded to do the zombie dance to a packed house. After about a minute I came out and joined in, although I didn't really know the dance.

Ingrid, a terrific fan, and one of my Zombiettes from Comic-Con, tried to teach it to me a few hours before the fest. But sometimes I'm a slow learner. This was one of those times.

After the dance I thanked Cat Elrod for doing the awesome makeup job. As you can see from the photos she's really good. Then I did a very brief reading from Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, and a brief Q&A.

I mentioned in this blog last week that I had a few big surprises. My first big announcement was that Never Slow Dance With A Zombie has gone into a 2nd printing. A 2nd printing! Wow! The book just came out in September, and I know the order was fairly large. I am flattered and grateful. Thank you, guys, for buying the book.

My second big announcement was about my next project. It's a YA paranormal novella called, I Want You Back... and it's FREE. No purchase necessary. It's an e-book that includes illustrations by my friend, artist, Tatiana (http://www.theartoftatiana.com/). All you have to do to get it is subscribe to my website (http://www.evanlowe.com/) and chapters will be delivered to you free, weekly via email. I Want You Back is about Emy, a 16 year-old high school student who has been dumped by her boyfriend and uses magic to try and get him back. I will tell you more about it in the coming days.

After the announcements I signed a lot of books. I'm happy to sign books for fans, but while I was signing, fans and friends were enjoying the party. *sigh* After the signing I did get a chance to spend some time partying. All-in-all it was a zombi-riffic night. It was so successful there's talk about doing it again somewhere else. I'd like for that to happen so more of you can join in the fun.

I'd like to thank the bookseller, Kamaryn Mai, acting manager at Borders Express in the Fox Hills Mall, for coming out and bringing the books. I'd also like to thank her helper, Jim. They were super.

I'd like to thank Rosie Nieto and her staff at the Los Angeles Meeting & Event Center for giving us so much support for the event. They really made us feel at home. The facility is in Culver City, LA, right across the street from Sony Studios. It's great place to hold a party or event. And Rosie is special.

I'd like to thank Cousin Pam for doing an amazingly creative job with the food. I didn't get many pictures of her culinary creations, but you have got to see the watermelon she cut into a brain. Yes, you heard me, "BRAINS!" You can see this along with more fest photos at http://www.evanlowe.com/. At the Home Page press the button that says Fan Exclusives. And while you're there, why not sign up for the free e-book.

I'd like to thank everyone who came out, especially those who came 3 hours early for special makeup. And finally I'd like to thank my pal, Tatiana, who staged the event for me. She spent two weeks pulling it all together. She did an awesome job, but then she's an awesome person. Thanks, Ta.

Phew! Enough babbling about the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest. Hope we get to do it again... like on the East coast. Tor, are you listening? If you'd like to see photos, remember, they're on my website.

Sleep tight...

Zombie Fest #4

I signed a few books for new fans--with my LEFT HAND. Oh, yeah! I'm talented.

Zombie Fest # 3

Fans of all ages got into the spirit!

Zombie Fest #2

My friend Robin's 9 year-old son, Neo, wanted to come as a cub scout zombie. Yup, he's named after the Matrix character. Neo put on his entire cub scout uniform, and had his mom bring him early so our makeup artist could put some blood on his face. He was sooo happy. Here he is trying to look scary while smiling... CUUUUUUUTE!

"Wait Til They Get A Load of Me"

The Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest was last night. We had an awesome time. Friends and fans came from as far as San Diego to hear me read, and participate in the event.

The Fest was a HUGE success. This is me with the fans (and a fan's boyfriend who she MADE come) who came 3 hours early to be professionally made up as zombies. The fan next to me put on a prom dress and came as Margot. There were 3 Margots in the crowd. This was taken just before we went out and did the Zombie Dance to a packed house. Yes, I Zombie Danced... Okay, I faked it... poorly.

I will post more about the Fest later. The photos are still coming in. Right now, I need to rest. I am EXHAUSTED!

Hungry For Some Fun?

Every year...

Seven days before Halloween...

On the 24th day of October...

The zombies rise...

But on this day, they not only walk... they DANCE!

Dancing zombies get out your toe shoes. The Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest is tonight. Hope to see you there.

Scary, huh?

THAT is a photo of a makeup job done by Hollywood makeup artist, Cat Elrod, who happens to be doing the zombie makeup for Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest. The subject is a fashion model turned... scary as hell!

I met Cat on a shoot I did in the spring. She was just doing regular makeup for the principal cast. She showed me her book with examples of her work. I noticed there were lots of zombies and wounded people. When I asked what was up with the special makeup she said she LOVES doing zombies. I kept that in mind.

When I called Cat the other day she had just finished another zombie flick. At first she thought she couldn't do it. She's really busy making living people look dead. But then she realized she had Saturday off, and when I told her what I wanted she got excited. We met today and finalized the deal. I have so many friends and fans who want to be zombies for the fest, and now they are going to get done up by a Hollywood pro. Jealous? I promise I will take pictures.

Oh yeah, a friend's 9 year-old daughter is coming as a witch. She's not into zombies yet. Maybe we can persuade her to be a zombie-witch ;)

For those of you who have not yet responded for the fest--don't bother. I had an overwhelming number of responses today. We are overbooked. Sorry. Maybe next time.

Also, I was at the venue today looking at the decorations, and making final arrangements. This is going to be sooo fun. I had dinner with a friend who asked if I'd been practicing the Zombie Dance. No, I haven't. But, trust me, I am going to Zombie Dance.

I have some great surprises and announcements to make at the fest, like my next exciting project. I seriously can't wait. Seriously! I'm like a kid at Christmas.

Okay, okay, I'll stop talking about the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest.

*silence*

Sorry. I don't have anything else to talk about...

Sleep tight, don't let the zombies bite.

Literary Zombies Invade NPR’S Weekend Edition!!

This was the title of a post that my editor sent me this morning. The post was done by my publicist Amber Hopkins. David Lubar's My Rotten Life (Click here: Amazon.com: My Rotten Life (Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie) (9780765316349): David Lubar: Books) and Never Slow Dance With A Zombie (both published by Tor) were both featured on NPRs Weekend Edition yesterday, along with an interview with moi. If you missed it do not despair. Go here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113862140

Are you coming to Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest? We just got a big time movie makeup person to do zombie makeup. I'm meeting with her tomorrow. Our zombies are going to be awesome, scary. If you'd like to be a zombie at the fest, just let me know at: info@evanlowe.com. Zombie makeup and the fest are all FREE. That's right--FREE! But you must RSVP. We are close to being overbooked, but I want to keep it open for fans. There are still 15 more spots, but I seriously doubt if they are going to last. This is going to be as big as Halloween. You don't want to miss it.

Zombie Fest!

I'm on the radio!

A few weeks ago I did an interview for Rick Kleffel of NPR's The Agony Column that showed up on the radio this morning. My friend Harold sent me an email telling me he heard me on the local NPR station this morning. While he heard me locally I think the interview went national. For those of you who'd like to listen, or read the transcript Click here: Rule Of The Undead: Zombies Invade Bookstores : NPR

Invitations for the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest have been snapped up pretty quickly. There are only 15 left. Just 15 more of you, plus one guest can experience the pre-Halloween event of the year... Okay, of MY year. I hope more of my West Coast fans RSVP. I promise this star-studded event will be a smash. You don't want to miss it.

More Zombie Fest News

Every year...

Seven days before Halloween...

On the 24th day of October...

The zombies rise...

But on this day, they not only walk... they DANCE!

To celebrate the day the zombies dance, the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest is coming to LA. This event is FREE. All you need to do to participate is request an invitation at info@evanlowe.com. But the invites are starting to go. We only have 50 to give away, and lucky 13 have been snapped up already.

This is a star-studded event with music, zombie dancing, food and drink. Check yesterday's post for the awesome menu. I will be reading from Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. AND there's a big surprise coming. We will be unveiling my newest work there. More on that in the coming days.

If you can't make it, tell a friend. If you can't tell a friend, tell an enemy. Heck, even villains need to check this one out. We are going to have a ball. I'm even thinking of getting zombified. Now, you know you don't want to miss that!

Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest

Every year...

Seven days before Halloween...

On the 24th day of October...

The zombies rise...

But on this day, they not only walk... they DANCE!

So this year to celebrate the occasion, I will be hosting the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest. Where all my friends, followers and fellow zombie lovers can join in the festivities. This year's Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest will be a star-studded occasion. Who are the stars? I don't know yet. I've got to scrounge some up. But trust me, they will be there.

The Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest takes place:

Date: Saturday October 24th
Time: 7PM
Location: The Los Angeles Meeting & Event Center
Address: 10601 W. Washington Blvd. LA, CA 90032

The fest will feature a short reading by me of my novel by the same name, music, costumes, a signing, food, dancing, and a few surprises.

And it's Free. You heard me--FREE for all my friends and fans. All you need to do is request an invitation.

Cousin Pam (www.cerenitycatering.com,) who catered the Book Soup event has gone all out with this one. The menu includes such living dead delicacies as: Assorted zombie sandwiches; Teriyaki Flesh Skewers, Polenta Crostini w/caramelized Brains. And my favorite: soylent green patties. Soylent Green! I LOVE that old movie. You go, Pam! By the way, they're just green crabcakes. Not the real Soylent Green. Ha, ha. Check out the photos of her last spread on my Ning Page: Click here: e. van lowe - Where friends of E. Van Lowe can come and chat. That girl lays out a mean spread, huh?

The Zombiettes from Comicon will also be there, along with Zombie Dirk. And I hear Margot Jean Johnson may be making a special appearance. All are encouraged to come in costume. And the theme is the Winter Dance from the book. But you don't need a costume to join in the fun. All you need to do is show up. And to top this all off, I plan to do the Zombie Dance. You definitely do not want to miss that. I just may break my sacroiliac... I heard that in a song.

And remember this event is FREE. All you have to do is request an invitation from me at info@evanlowe.com. Even though it's free I am only giving out 50 invites. Did you hear me???--JUST FIFTY INVITES! This is going to be a hot ticket. The first fifty to respond will get in free. The rest of you are out of luck.

So if you're planning on being in Los Angeles the end of October, or have friends out here, please take the time to respond: info@evanlowe.com. I will be posting more surprises throughout the week.

On Saturday October 24th, the zombies will rise, and on that day they will DANCE!

I'm Baaack!

I'm back from the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association Trade Show. I had a blast. I met a bunch of new friends, including Tor's super hot director of publicity, Patty Garcia. This was my first trade show, but Patty made sure I didn't miss a step. She is on it! I signed lots of books, and met some very cool fans and booksellers. Because of this show I now plan to do an event in Northern Cal in the very near future. So Stay tuned. And thanks so much, Patty, for making things go so smoothly.

The highlight of my weekend in Northern Cal, however, was my Friday night dinner with blogger Velvet of VVB Reads. Velvet is the brains behind September Zombies. If you don't know about September Zombies, it's an awesome blog with lots of fun things for zombie book and movie fans. The blog helped spread the word about Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, and we were celebrating its success. Click here: September Zombies. I had a wonderful dinner with Velvet and Her husband, where I spilled some details about what's coming up in the world of E. Van Lowe. For more on the dinner, and a photo of me and Velvet, check out Velvet's blog Click here: vvb32 reads: Dinner with E at B in O.

BTW: is my nose really that big?

Twitter Contest

The Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Twitter Contest ended with a bang, with nearly 300 tweets for the Grand Prize. The prize went to Truebookaddict. One of my favorite of her tweets was: To NEVER SLOW DANCE WITH A ZOMBIE could be considered discrimination!
How true! Congratulations, Truebookaddict! And I'd like to send out a final thank you to The Park Avenue Princess for hosting the contest. The tremendous success of the contest is due to her and her followers. Thank you, Princess!

To stay abreast of what I'm up to next please subscribe to my website http://www.evanlowe.com/. There is a really neat freebie coming very soon, and it's for subscribers only. So subscribe. And if you love contests and books (and who doesn't) you MUST follow The Park Avenue Princess Click here: Park-Avenue Princess . She does a great job with both contests and books.

That's it for now, but please check back tomorrow when I will be officially announcing the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest and telling you how you can get on the star studded guest list.

Until then, sleep tight, don't let the zombies bite.

Over!

The Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Twitter Contest is over. Day 6 winner is Gofita who tweeted: @Evanlowe has the awesomest 80s music references in his book Never Slow Dance With a Zombie! I agree. The selection of 80s songs playing during the finale are awesome. Thanks for the plug, Gofita.

The Park Avenue Princess and I would like to thank everyone who played. But there's still one more prize to give away. The Grand Prize winner will be chosen from the over 3600 tweets we received over the last 6 days. That announcement will be made tomorrow.

If you had fun and really like contests, please follow The Park Avenue Princess (Click here: Park-Avenue Princess. She has contests galore going on all the time.

There's also a lot going on at http://www.evanlowe.com/. Check it out, and please subscribe, this way you'll automatically be updated on my contests and events. And I have an awesome new illustrated novella coming out soon that will only be available there. More on the novella at a later date.

And finally, I will be in Northern California this weekend at the NCIBA trade show this Saturday at 11:00AM. For more details Click here: NCIBA: Home.

The Final Day

That's right! Today is the final day of tweeting for the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Twitter Contest. Yesterday the title Never Slow Dance With A Zombie was tweeted 253 times, pushing our 5 day tweet total to just over 3500 tweets.

I want to thank everyone who has tweeted the title over the past 5 days. The contest has been a huge success. The Park Avenue Princess and I are overwhelmed with gratitude. But it's not over yet. You still have til midnight Eastern time to get your tweets in. Just one tweet not only qualifies you to win you a free book, but also qualifies you for the grand prize of an Amazon gift card for $54.90, which happens to be the cover price of all 6 books added together.

Today's winner is Fayeflame. Faye tweeted sage advice, such as: NEVER SLOW DANCE WITH A ZOMBIE unless u meet his parents 1st. And: NEVER SLOW DANCE WITH A ZOMBIE unless he has an AWESOME car. Great advice, Faye, and congratulations.

The rest of you slackers, if you haven't tweeted at least once, today is the final day to get in on the fun. What are you waiting for?

Dancing Zombies

This is quite interesting. It's a world record attempt for the most people performing the dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller. The attempt which took place in Nottingham, England was successful with 1,227 dancing zombies breaking the previous record by 199. So why is this on my blog today?

Because it's almost time for the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest. What is the blah, blah, blah, blah Zombie Fest, you ask? In lieu of having a launch party, and to celebrate Halloween. I will be hosting the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Fest, featuring a reading, signing, and party where we will Zombie Dance the night away. The room will be decorated as the Winter Dance from my novel. This amazing event will take place on October 24th (exactly one week before Halloween) at a secret location (for now). All guests are encouraged to come in costume. And it's FREE! How do you get on the guest list? I'm saving that, along with several other surprises for later. Stay tuned.

Twitter Contest Day 4

Day 4 was another amazing day of tweeting. My book title was tweeted 944 times yesterday. Day 4 winner is Nfmgirl who tweeted fun statements such as: Father, I cannot tell a lie. It was I who cut down your cherry tree. But on the bright side, I'll NEVER SLOW DANCE WITH A ZOMBIE! and
I kissed a zombie and I liked it, but I'll NEVER SLOW DANCE WITH A ZOMBIE! Don't you just love the way she worked in the title to Adam Selzer's new book. Two book titles in one tweet. You go girl!

There are two more days of tweeting (including today) to go. A Park Avenue Princess is still giving away your choice of the six books. And just one tweet qualifies you for the October 8th grand prize. More information is on A Park Avenue Princess' website-- click here:
http://tinyurl.com/yc57dm4


Today has been an incredibly slow day of tweeting. Only 22 tweets since 12:01 AM. The heavy tweeters seem to be all tweeted out, so it's the perfect opportunity to sneak in and steal yourself a prize. What are you waiting for?

Twitter Contest & More

I want to thank everyone who came out to the Zombies & Other Creatures of the Night panel yesterday at the West Hollywood Book Fair. For those of you who didn't come, it was standing room only, and we had a blast.

This coming Saturday, October 11th, at 11:00AM, I will be signing at the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association trade show, at the Oakland Convention Center. For more details Click here: NCIBA: Home


Twitter Contest

The Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Twitter contest hosted by A Park Avenue Princess has been a huge hit. We are overwhelmed by the response. Over 2600 tweets the first three days of the contest. Today is day 4. We're still giving away a book a day just for tweeting. Details are on A Park Avenue Princess' site here: http://tinyurl.com/yc57dm4.

Day 2 Winner was Seth Marsden who did over 160 tweets. Seth must really love to read. One of my favorite Seth tweets was: Always listen to your father. Unless he tells you to slowdance with a zombie. Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. Very cool, Seth. Seth chose You Are So Undead To Me, by Stacey Jay as his prize.

Day 3 Winner, who also tweeted up a storm over the weekend, was Nikkayme. She had some of my favorite tweets so far. Never Slow Dance With A Zombie... FLASHDANCE, had me laughing out loud. I love the retro. She also tweeted: I'd mosh with them, do the electric slide with them, and even the macarena, but I'd Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. Bravo, Nikkayme! I love that one, too.

Today is day 4. So far today we've had over 700 tweets. But you only need one tweet to win. One tweet and one tweet only, gives you a chance at a prize. So come on and join in the fun. You know you love tweeting. It's time you made it pay!

Day One Winner

The Day one Winner of the Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Twitter Contest is Mellerita. Congratulations, Mellerita.

She did a number of tweets. My favorite of hers was: Never Slow Dance With A Zombie unless you have a Haz-Mat suit! Really cute, huh? Mellerita is getting an autographed copy of my book... you know the title by now ;)

There have been a lot of great, funny tweets. The turn-out for the contest has been overwhelming. Nearly 1000 tweets on day one. Wow! But today is day two, and since midnight there have only been 73 tweets. Now's your chance to sneak in and win a prize. All you have to do is tweet a sentence with Never Slow Dance With A Zombie in it. It's that easy. What are you waiting for? You can still win your choice of 6 YA zombie books. Contest ends on October 8th, so hop to it!

I want to send a special thank you the Park Avenue Princess (Click here: Park-Avenue Princess ) for doing such an awesome hosting job. Thank you, Princess!

NSDWAZ Twitter Contest Starts Tomorrow

Are you ready to win some free books--mine included? The Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Twitter Contest starts tomorrow @ 12:01 AM. Each daily winner gets their choice of one of six YA zombie books. These are the books to choose from:

Never Slow Dance With A Zombie (autographed) -- E. Van Lowe

I Kissed A Zombie and I Liked It -- Adam Selzer

Zombie Queen of Newbury High -- Amanda Ashby

The Forest of Hands and Teeth -- Carrie Ryan

Generation Dead -- Daniel Waters

You Are So Undead to Me -- Stacey Jay

There will be a new winner chosen every day from the 2nd to the 7th. Entries are good for one day, and one day only. The key to winning is to enter often.

Grand Prize

On October 8th we will award one grand prize chosen from all the tweets sent over the six days. The grand prize will be an Amazon gift card for $54.90, which just happens to be the cover price of the six books added together. Yeah, that was my idea. Clever, huh? All prizes will be mailed within two weeks of the contest.

The Contest is being graciously hosted by The Park Avenue Princess. Click here: Park-Avenue Princess. Thank you, Princess! For more contest details check Tuesday's post.

Okay you Twitterers. Now's your chance to make tweeting pay! The fun begins just after midnight!

Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Twitter Contest

I've finally found the perfect use for Twitter. A contest. A contest in which you can win free stuff (in my case, books) just for tweeting. I've had the hardest time trying to figure out why people love Twitter so much. But I figure if someone were giving me free stuff for tweeting, I'd be tweeting my brains out. So for all my friends who have Twitter and don't use it, now you have a good reason. And for those of you who were tweeting all the time anyway... Well, now you have a better reason.

The contest is being hosted by my good friend The Park Avenue Princess. Click here: Park-Avenue Princess . Why is she hosting the contest and not me? First off, she's my good friend, and secondly, she loves to tweet--duh!

The contest runs from October 2nd to October 7th. It’s easy to enter; just tweet or retweet a sentence using the book title, Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. That’s it! Your tweet can be as simple as: I will Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. Ever! Or creative like: Bela may slow dance with Edward, but I will Never Slow Dance With A Zombie... Okay, that's not so creative, but you get my drift.

What could be easier? Each time you tweet or retweet the title in one day you increase your chances of winning for that day. There will be a new prize winner everyday for the six days of the contest. Our only restriction is that no one player can win two days in a row.

A random drawing will be held after midnight each day. Winners will be notified by direct message via Twitter from The Park Avenue Princess. A new contest begins at 12:01 the following day. And like I said, the more tweets you send in one day, the more chances you have to win.


Prizes

Each day our winner gets their choice of one of six YA zombie book titles. Included in the mix is an autographed copy of my novel, Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. And if you win on day three, and want the same book chosen on day two. No problem. Winners can choose from any of the six YA books on the list. No restrictions. The list of books will be posted some time soon on my blog, my website http://www.evanlowe.com/, and The Park Avenue Princess' blog. So please, check her blog for the list of books and while you're at it, stick around, she has other cool contests you'll probably want to enter.

There will be a new winner chosen every day from the 2nd to the 7th. Entries are good for one day, and one day only. The key to winning is to enter often.

Grand Prize

On October 8th there will be a grand prize chosen from all the tweets sent over the six days. What is the grand prize? You will have to check back later to find out.

Please join in the fun. Seven chances to win seven prizes over seven days. And all you have to do to win is tweet. You know you love tweeting. And even if you don't, it’s time you made it pay!

West Hollywood Book Fair

I put the wrong date for the book fair on my website. It's this Sunday, October 4th, not Sunday, October 2nd (October 2nd is Friday--duh!) . This is what happens when people trust me to keep my own schedule. But whether I got the date right or not, I will definitely be at the West Hollywood Book Fair this coming Sunday. I will be on the Zombies And Other Creatures of The Night panel from 1:45-2:45. Also on the panel will be authors: Amber Benson, Francesca Lia Block, S.G. Browne, and Seth Grahame-Smith. Panel moderator will be Del Howison. It's going to be a lot of fun, so if you're in southern California this coming weekend, please come on out.

The Seven Sisters

Saturday I discovered the Seven Sisters. At first when I heard the name I thought "What a great title for a novel or a story. I am going to use that." However, after hearing more about the Seven Sisters, I realized it was more than a great title. It was already a great story.

The Seven Sisters is a winery in Paternoster, South Africa. The wine is produced by sisters who, during apartheid, were evicted from their home in a small fishing village. They returned 22 years later and now produce seven wines, each named for one of the sisters.

For a compelling news clip about the Seven Sisters: Click here: YouTube - SABC News: Seven Sisters Wine (Paternoster, South Africa)

Wine making is a male dominated business. The winery has had its share of challenges, and so I am asking my wine drinking friends and followers to find out if Seven Sisters wines are available in your area. If you are a member of Wine Snooth they can sus it out for you. http://www.snooth.com/

I realize South Africa is not known for wine. But for too many years, what SA had been known for is discrimination. In some small way you can help right that wrong. Please go out and buy a bottle, and while you're at it, tell a friend. You can help give the story of the Seven Sisters a happy ending.

Tatiana

The lovely lady standing next to me in the photo is my friend Tatiana. Some of you may recall me mentioning her in the past. Tatiana designed my website, encouraged me to start using Twitter; she's doing my animated trailer, and has helped out in many other ways. In fact, we're standing in the location for my launch party, which she found. I didn't even ask her to do it... Okay, I begged her. Kidding. She's just cool like that.

Tatiana is a very talented artist, and I am happy to say that very soon we will be working on a project together that will be available only on my website. For Free. It's a YA paranormal short series. Tatiana will be illustrating. That's all I'm going to say about it for now. But we're both very excited. Stay tuned for more details. If you'd like to see some of Tatiana's work check out her website http://www.TheArtofTatiana.com/ and feel free to tell your friends about her amazing art.

I will be announcing my launch party soon (I know, a month after I launched), and I'm going to have a Twitter contest where we'll be giving away prizes every day. Lot's happening right now, so check back often.

Update

I know I haven't posted in over a week. I've been trying to finish the first draft of the new novel. I figured out why I was stuck, and now I'm moving again (after throwing out 20 pages). I should have the draft done by the end of next week.

West Hollywood Book Fair

If you happen to be in Los Angles next Sunday October 2nd,I will be appearing at the WeHo Book Fair. I am on the Dark Delicacies Panel at 2PM. Please stop by.

NCIBA Trade Show

The following weekend on Saturday October 10th I will be appearing at the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association Trade Show at 11 AM.

SCIBA Trade Show

And finally on Saturday October 24th I will be at the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Trade Show participating in the Author's Feast.

For exact locations please consult the Trade Show's websites. And if you'd like me to do a reading and signing at your school or book store, or come to your apartment and read to your kids, just drop me a line, and I will try to make it happen. Please note: I come to read to your kids, please provide a strong cocktail ;-0

Do Not Read This!!!

Now I'm a published author.

With one book under my belt I would like to publish another. So each morning after I work out, instead of calling my agent about TV work, I write. At least, that used to be my pattern. However, since I've become a published author, I find myself reading the one thing I know better than to read--reviews.

As a playwright, I was told a long time ago to ignore the notices (that's what snooty New York playwrights call reviews). Stick to your art. And for most of my writing career I have been able to either avoid reviews or read and dismiss them. But with the arrival of Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, all that has changed.

Here's my new morning routine. I turn on the computer and google alerts pings: review, review, review.

SMART SIDE OF MY BRAIN: Oh great! People are reading the book. I'm happy about that.

NEEDY SIDE OF MY BRAIN: But what are they saying about you?

SMART: It doesn't matter. Whatever they think it isn't about me. Its about the book.

NEEDY: Of course it's about you! You wrote the darn book, didn't you?

SMART: I'm not going to read the review. I did that yesterday. I read a bad review and it brought me down all day. I was a mess, and totally unable to work.

NEEDY: That's why you need to read this, E-Man...

[Yes, the needy side of my brain calls me E-Man. It's an ego boost]

NEEDY (CONT'D) ...Read just one. If it's good it will counter act the effect of the one you read yesterday.

SMART: But what if it isn't good?

NEEDY: Stop being so negative! Read the darn review!

So I read the review. This one is complimentary and quite flattering. I can feel all the angst from yesterday slipping away as I read.

SMART: You're right. I'm glad I read it. I feel better already. Thanks. Now I can really get some work done.

NEEDY: Wait! There's another one.

SMART: I... I shouldn't push my luck.

NEEDY: There you go being negative again. E-Man, baby, have some faith.

[Needy me knows how to push my buttons]

SMART: Okay, but just this..... *reading* AHHHHHH! SHE HATES ME!

Another day without writing. I promise myself I won't read any reviews tomorrow

NEEDY: *chuckling* Sure you won't.

Hitched

Last week I went to Virginia to see my niece get married. Isn't she lovely? Congratulations Daniel and Veronica.


Short story: My controlling niece planned every aspect of the wedding. The only thing she left up to Daniel was to choose the ties that he and the groomsmen would wear. When Daniel proudly walked in with his choice, Ronnie said "No." Then went out and bought the tie he is wearing in the photo.


"Hey Daniel, most of us didn't realize we weren't in charge for many years. You are ahead of the game. Welcome to the family."

Zombie Week

Hey everybody. I got so caught up with my niece's wedding (beautiful, beautiful, beautiful) that I forgot yesterday was the start of Zombie Week. Yes, zombie lovers it's ZOMBIE WEEK. I just got back from the wedding and will post a few photos tomorrow. But today is about all about zombies.

Because of the recent surge of zombies in the YA world, and to celebrate my debut novel, the hosts are presenting a week of YA zombies. How cool is that? There are contests, giveaways, book reviews and a lot more. So shuffle on over to September Zombies Click here: September Zombies: Day 2 - September Zombies Week 2009 and check it out.

Today I review the camp zombie flick Flight of The Living Dead. If you haven't see the movie (or even if you have seen the movie), come on over and check out my review, and while you're there, enjoy the site. The hosts put lots of cool work into it.

September Zombies is being presented by Velvet Click here: vvb32 reads, Carrie Click here: Carrie's YA Bookshelf, Kathy, The Brain Lair, Celia Click here: the epic rat and others. There will be daily postings starting yesterday going thru September 6th. Zombie Lovers, you do not want to miss this.

My First Reading Ever!

My first reading ever at Book Soup on the Sunset Strip was AWESOME. I was really worried about attendance but it was SRO--standing room only. Wow! When I arrived 45 minutes early, fans (Whom I didn't know I had) Elizabeth and DJ were sitting up front. The book store was practically empty, and they were seated right in front of the podium. THANK YOU, Elizabeth and DJ for the big ego boost. They'd been following me on Twitter. THANK YOU Twitter.

As it turns out, they were the smart ones. The book store ran out of chairs, and most people were left standing. And for my second ego boost--THEY RAN OUT OF BOOKS. Of course it would have been nice if they had more books, but they were very nice and asked me if I'd come back and sign again. One of the clerks said it was one of the best signings they'd ever had. Ego boost number three.

Thank you everyone who attended from the bottom of my heart. And thank you Book Soup, you all made the night special for me.

I posted a few photos on my website. If you'd like to check them out Click here: e. van lowe - Where friends of E. Van Lowe can come and chat

And special thanks to Cousin Pam who catered the goodies. They were yum, yum, yummy! I am so glad I worked on my belly fat for three weeks. But I brought some of her famous deserts home so I'm sensing the return of belly fat.

By the way, that photo at the top that has me looking like a carnival barker or a rapper, is me greeting the crowd--grooving to the Black Eyed Peas. What better way to get the party started.