At the end of May, Central Avenue Publishing and I released the International Teaser Trailer for my forthcoming novel "The Recipient". To support the release, I kicked off a competition in which contestants could "Like" the trailer and comment on it at YouTube as well as share the trailer on Facebook and Twitter and tag me in their posts. This would put contestants in the running to win copies of the novel signed by me.
Well, the competition has closed, the entries have been collated and I can now announce the winners of the Teaser Trailer Competition. The winner of the signed print copy of The Recipient is - Abi Greig-Skinner (UK). The 2nd winner of a signed digital copy of The Recipient is - Brian Ward (Australia). The 3rd winner of a signed digital copy of The Recipient is - Jacque Quick (US). Congratulations!! Winners - please contact Dean at hambledownroad (@) internode (DOT) on (DOT) net. "The Recipient" by Dean Mayes and published by Central Avenue Publishing is set for an international release on October 25th 2015.
Today, I'm pleased to present the international teaser trailer for my upcoming new novel "The Recipient" which will be hitting book shelves in October. May I recommend that you place a pair of headphones on and crank the volume up loud to get the full effect of the pretty kick arse audio that accompanies it. Featuring music by Aberdeen based band ElevenEleven and imagery gleaned from the evocative cover art by Michelle Halket, this exclusive sneak peek gives a tantalizing glimpse of the dark world illustrated in the novel.
To celebrate this release and because I want this trailer to get in front of as many eyes as possible, I am going to offer 3 lucky readers the opportunity to win. Up for grabs, is a signed print copy and 2 digital copies of the The Recipient. To be in the running to win, what I need you to do is the following: 1. Like the video at YouTube and comment on the video at YouTube. 2. Share the video at Facebook and Twitter and tag me in your Facebook share or Twitter share, My Twitter handle is Hambledown_Road. This competition is open until midnight on Sunday June 7th 2015. I will announce the winner here at Dean from Australia thereafter. Now, it doesn't matter where you are in the world, you are just as eligible for the print prize as those entrants here in Australia. I will be happy to ship you a copy to your home address. So, I hope you will help me out. Remember to Like, comment, share and tag me across YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to be in the running to win. DFA.
How about a random sweepstakes for readers? My novel "Gifts of the Peramangk" has been nominated for the 2014 EPIC Award for Contemporary Fiction. The winner will be announced during a gala event in San Antonio, Texas on March 15th 2014.
To celebrate the nomination, I am offering signed print copies of both my novels "The Hambledown Dream" and "Gifts of the Peramangk" as well as digital copies of my short stories "The Regenesis Cluster" and "Feast" to one lucky reader. The sweep will run for two weeks, starting today, March 4th and will end at midnight (Australian Central Summer Time), March 18th 2014. To enter, all you have to is answer the following question, "What is the working title of Dean's current writing project?" Post your answer by commenting on this post below and I will choose a winner from the entries received and notify that winner by March 21st 2014. To give you a clue to the answer, all you have to do is read up on my bio (see About section) or visit my Pinterest page where the answer will pretty much hit you in the face. Entries are open to Australian, North American and U.K. residents.
On a particularly drab and grey Wednesday morning, this past week, as I was leaving the hospital where I work, after a fairly intense ICU shift, I did my customary email check while I was waiting for the car to warm up. I received an email message that I am still kind of blown away by but, as the gravity of it dawns upon me, the more blown away I have become. I have been advised that my 2012 novel, Gifts of the Peramangk, has been nominated as a finalist in the contemporary fiction category of the 2014 EPIC Awards.
EPIC - the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition - was incorporated in 1998 to provide a strong voice for electronic publishing. Once an authors' organization, EPIC has expanded to include hundreds of professionals from all facets of the electronic publishing industry: authors, publishers, editors, artists, and others. EPICs members work together in a unique collaboration to further the industry both throughout the United States and the world. Since its genesis, EPICs renown has grown and it has become an industry body known for its advocacy, integrity and its commitment to the digital and print publishing industry.
Several months ago, my publisher approached me about the EPICs and suggested that we should submit an entry to the competition. I had little to no expectation that Gifts of the Peramangk would proceed beyond the first stage of the judging process, given that there are thousands upon thousands of entries and a rigorous judging process. And, when I received the news, I couldn't quite believe it. I received a certificate of nomination from the judging panel and was advised that the nominees would be listed at the homepage shortly - which they now have been. I am vying with two other entrants for the EPIC Award for contemporary fiction - David Desmond and his satirical novel Oliver Booth and the Evil Socialite and K.Z. Snow and her powerful drama Xylophone - both of which have earned critical acclaim respectively. They are titles I am really proud to be standing alongside.
The only kicker in all of this is that, now, there is a wait for us all. The Awards will be announced on March 14th, 2014 during the annual EPICon weekend, to be held in San Antonio, Texas. The convention itself is a three day event with innumerable opportunities for industry professionals, authors, publishers, editors, cover artists and literary agents to meet and network. In speaking to my parents on the phone this week, my Mum actually asked me if I was considering going - and for about an 8th of a second, I seriously considered it. But, in doing some quick mental calculations, the financial and logistical factors in my getting from Adelaide, Australia to the United States for the convention and awards ceremony are too vast for me to achieve. At this point, I can't see how I could possibly go. But the thought was there... So, yeah...I am beyond buzzed by all of this. I am under no illusions that this will lead to a huge surge in sales or put me on the path to ridiculous fame and fortune. But what it does do is remind me that the 2 years I put into Gifts of the Peramangk - the meticulous research, the hours of pouring over stories of utter devastation that was wrought on Aboriginal Australians, the many occasions of self doubt as to whether I could actually write this novel. To be recognized by a group of peers in such a way, is something that I will forever cherish. DFA.
Click through to listen to Dean's September interview about Gifts of the Peramangk.
