Tweeting THE TRAZ for free

 I have a very special guest blogger today, Katrina Buckhold. Perhaps that name rings a bell? 
 

Katrina as she appears on the cover of THE TRAZ

 Katrina is the young protagonist in THE TRAZ. Although she is immature and abrasive and isn't perhaps all that reliable, I did agree to let her open her own Twitter account (https://twitter.com/KatrinaBuckhold).

Although I had to do a lot censoring and censuring for the first while, she seems to be growing up somewhat. 

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Free!

THE TRAZ

Free! 

 

3 days only

Monday, 10th September 2012

to

Wednesday 12th September 2012 inclusive

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk  

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In celebration of this week's special promo, she's pulled together some of her fave quotes from THE TRAZ and here they are in 140 characters or less: 

 

Perhaps he had some use for her genius.The thought that he wanted her for something when no one else did...> #Free THE TRAZ http://ow.ly/dkT

THE TRAZ http://ow.ly/dkSTy She tucked one of her dad's shirts around her face so she could catch the scent of what once was. FREE today

#FREE today: She was cold when she got home, despite the heat of the August sun. She listened to the silence calling to her. THE TRAZ http://ow.ly

"Please?" She tilted her head and searched his face, as she knew he liked her to do.>THE TRAZ http://ow.ly/dkRZ5 Free today 

The cool moonlight was sparking off eyes that, in the sun, shone blue and bright. She stood on her toes and... Free today >THE TRAZ http://ow.ly/dkS5o

The day started not all that badly—a warm June morning. By seven o'clock the summer sun was already high... THE TRAZ http://ow.ly/dkS8q Free 

She thought of electrons & photons, the intertwining of space, speed & time. In 2 weeks she'd be a teenager > THE TRAZ Free today! http://ow.ly/dkSjh

 Colours & numbers could be digitized. Someday the human mind would be etched on a silicon chip >THE TRAZ http://ow.ly/dkSjh Free

Katrina felt faint and distant and dizzy. Words swirled about her. Someone said, "Dead. Everybody dead. Dead." THE TRAZ http://ow.ly/dkSDe  Free

"You're 13, running around 'til the wee hours of the morning & coming home drunk. I won't put up with it." THE TRAZ http://ow.ly/dkSKS  Free

Katrina slipped from her chair and grabbed his arm. "Grandpa! Grandpa! Are you sleeping or are you dying?" THE TRAZ ow.ly/aXtbK  Free

The parts of her that were cold began stirring, moving, pulsating, synchronizing with the beat of the pistons  >THE TRAZ http://ow.ly/dkTVR  Free

THE TRAZ  "How far do you want to ride?" Shrug's voice broke into her reverie. "Forever," Katrina answered.  Free http://ow.ly/dkTVR

THE TRAZ "...The man dropped to the ground. His eyes slid closed. The remnants of a smile still twisted his lips..." FREE today http://ow.ly/dkTVR

Eileen Schuh, Canadian writer www.eileenschuh.com

Celebrating with a Kindle Give-away

In celebration of the upcoming release of FATAL ERROR (sequel to The Traz), I will be making a draw for a Kindle. I already have it in my possession as you can see from these pictures.

Everybody who posts an Amazon review of either THE TRAZ or SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT between now and when Fatal Error is released next month will get their name put into that glittery gold draw box.

I have been running various contests and eligible events since THE TRAZ debuted last fall. I made a draw this spring to celebrate the release of THE TRAZ 2nd edition and THE TRAZ School Editions, but my daughter won. I gave her the prize but bought another Kindle and kept everyone else's name in the box. (I banned all my children from entering this time.)

So if you entered at one of my signings or presentations or participated in one of my contests or answered one of my eligible questions...yes, your name is still in there and you can enter again.

If you review both books, I'll put your name in twice.

Reviews posted elsewhere online, such as on Goodreads, Smashwords, or your blog are also eligible, but you must let me know where and when they are posted so I can enter your name.

If you don't live in the U.S. or Canada, you will receive the optional $100 US gift card because I've been told this Kindle may not work outside North America. $100 should be enough to buy yourself a basic Kindle from your local Amazon site...or lots of eBooks if you already own one.

A Canadian or U.S.winner may opt for a gift card as well.

Good luck!

Here are the purchase links for my books. Just click on the titles.

THE TRAZ (only 99¢ until the end of August)

SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT (only $2.99)


Eileen Schuh, Canadian writer
www.eileenschuh.com

Naked, painful truths...

 

Many professions require uniforms, or steel-toed boots, gas-masks, or airbags. Perhaps a Taser, a safety rope, or shatter-proof goggles.

Some require makeup and high heels.

__________________________

 

 Click here to purchase THE TRAZ for your Kindle, SmartPhone, Computer, iPad

Click here to purchase in the UK

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Novelists, though are required to lay themselves out bare--devoid of even sunscreen protection. Just out there...naked. For all the world to see.  To scrutinize. To compare, criticize and ridicule.

Or...to enjoy.

The scariest part of writing novels is laying one's soul bare but if one doesn't, the reader knows immediately.  A single sentence that muffles a point, a plot that ends too abruptly, a protagonist who, for a brief moment in time, steps out of character...the reader spots it--like a gerentologist spots dementia, a wrinkle...a single grey hair.

But we authors oh, so much want to glide over issues that pain our hearts, or stir bad memories, or require too much research. Perhaps we're embarrassed by our promiscuous characters, or taken back by a blasphemous curse, or unsure if there's a difference between a pistol and a revolver.

I write crime novels and I'm terrified I'll anger a criminal gang...or the cops.  I'm scared those who know me (but not all that well) will imagine I must have a sordid, drug-dealing, biker mama past...or a secret background in law enforcement.

However, I'm slowly coming to feel more confident in my work as reviews from those within the judicial and educational systems and those who deal with at-risk youngsters confirm that my stories are indeed realistic--despite the fact that many of us might prefer that they weren't.

"Although occasionally I got a slight feeling of disbelief..." one reviewer wrote, because after all, who wants to imagine a real-life 13-year old kid becoming involved in drug dealing and murder and cybercrime?

But those in the know, know that kids younger than my little Katrina are being recruited by criminal gangs to do their dirty work in exchange for belonging, or money, or drugs. Those making the big bucks stay out of jail by building layers of lackeys, both young and old, between them and their deeds. They toss these lost, lonely, hurting youngsters empty promises that their juvenile status will protect them from the law and all other evil that their actions may cause. They suck them in and do not let them leave.

"To understand our children, it is nécessaire to read this book," one reader in France wrote.

Claudia Lefeve, a teacher of criminology said, "...Schuh managed to write a wonderful book deeply rooted in truth and reality." Lefeve has since put THE TRAZ on a suggested reading list for her college students.

Lloyanne Galas, a provisional psychologist working with youth and teens said she found THE TRAZ "...to be an amazingly insightful story paralleling so many youth with whom I work."
 
So...here's to THE TRAZ for shining a light on the dark side of life and revealing the natures of the adults who live there.

Here's to THE TRAZ for reminding us our youngsters are in danger and cluing us in on what to do to help keep them safe.

Here's to me for being brave enough to lay myself bare, to let the characters tell their stories in the excruciatingly honest, brutal, coarse way those tales needed to be told.

And...here's to you, my readers, who have given me the confidence to promote THE TRAZ and continue writing the BackTracker saga.

*********************

FATAL ERROR, Book II in the BackTracker Series will be released later this year by Imajin Books. 

THE TRAZ also comes in a School Edition complete with Discussion Guide. Both editions are available in both eBook and paperback formats.

Eileen Schuh, Canadian writer www.eileenschuh.com

Free Draw for a Kindle

In celebration of the release

of the new e-editions of

THE TRAZ.

Purchase/Sample links:
2nd Edition
School Edition

I'm about to make the draw for a free Kindle--a contest I've been running for almost a year.  Originally, I intended to make the draw to celebrate the Spring release of the sequel to THE TRAZ.  However, when Imajin Books bought the publishing rights to the sequel, my plans changed.  I decided to instead use the draw to celebrate the release of the new Imajin Books e-editions of THE TRAZ. That happened last Thursday so I'm drawing today.

As I write out the names of all the latest entrants, I'm thinking about how excited I was when I unwrapped my own Kindle two Christmases ago. Even though I had been sure I was getting one, to actually hold one in my hand...and to discover how user-friendly it was and how the novels I wrote looked so beautiful on it.  I took my Kindle with me to the Panama beach and was surprised how easy it was on the eyes under the bright, high, equatorial sun.

I quickly discovered how much cheaper ebooks were than paperbacks and I soon found I could get many free books, too.  I learned that I could email my draft manuscript from my computer to my Kindle and hand it off to my friend to proof as she stood in line at the Blues Fest. She highlighted, questioned, commented and compared with the push of a few buttons--then handed it back to me. 

There were many hours in the waiting rooms of specialists and surgeons during that first winter--how nice it was to slip my Kindle out of my purse and immerse myself in a fantasy instead of waiting nervously for medical results and decisions.I was delighted to find out my Kindle would read aloud to me during those long, long treks all alone from home to the city and back.

I was so happy to give my brother-in-law a Kindle. He must undergo dialysis several times a week and when they moved the shunt from his neck to his arm, he could no longer turn the pages of a book or magazine.   A Kindle would give him something to do during the hours he has to spend in treatment. I loaded Malcolm's Kindle with Amazon's free classics and my books (of course) before wrapping it for him.

So, as I gather the names of those who recently entered my free Kindle draw, and bring out the bright gold box that holds the names of those who've entered over the past 12 months,  I ponder who it is that I hope will win.

How about one of the children at the Side Door Youth Centre in Yellowknife? That was the first presentation I did to youngsters, using The Traz to talk about decision-making and the dangers of gangs. I was surprised to discover that when I passed out the entry forms for the kids to write their names,I was giving many of them a difficult task. Several refused the paper and pen and only later did I realize that they could not write. I helped several youngsters enter. If one of them were to win--would it encourage them to learn to read and write?  That would be nice...

Or maybe one of the students from the Alternate Education Centre here in my home town will win.  That group of kids was so attentive while I read and talked. The students and teachers made me feel very welcome and bought several books, some for the Centre's libraries.  One of those at-risk children, maybe one who is hurting and alone like the young protagonist in THE TRAZ, would feel special to be the owner of a Kindle...

Or how about one of those lovely ladies who braved the dark -40C/F winter to attend my book signing at the Yellowknife Public library? A Kindle would warm their hearts, I'm sure.

Maybe someone I know personally will win, a friend or relative, who has been supportive of my writing career for years.  Maybe someone who encouraged me when I was discouraged. Maybe someone who tells others about my books, who buys my books, who reviews my books, who talks about my books.  That would be nice--to give a Kindle to someone I know.

Maybe I'll draw the name of someone I don't know--one of those lovely strangers who posted a review for me, or who participated in one of my silly contests--like the my "Many Worlds" Contest" where readers suggested a way people can tell if they're in an alternate universe.  These strangers made an effort to interact with me, though they don't know me.  Giving one of them a Kindle would be grand.

I wonder who will win my Kindle?

This afternoon, I draw.  Tomorrow I announce. You'll find the winner's name on my facebook author page tomorrow morning, MDT
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Eileen Schuh, Canadian writer www.eileenschuh.com

Addition of new editions....

I'm ecstatic to announce that Imajin Books will be releasing two new ebook editions of THE TRAZ on Thursday, 15 March 2012.

One is the new School Edition and the other is a revamped original.  Both books will sport a brand new, intriguing cover.

Also, it is with extreme pleasure that I announce I have signed with Imajin Books to release THE TRAZ School Edition in paperback later this spring.

You can get a sneak peek at the newly-designed cover on my Facebook Author Page  Please visit me there, 'like' the page (I can't have friends on this page, only 'likes'), and leave a comment on the new cover because I will automatically enter your name to win a Kindle.

The old cover will still grace the 1st Edition paperback

In celebration of the new releases, I will make the draw for the Kindle on Monday 19 March 2012.

Entered in the draw (along with those who comment on the cover), are those who posted a review of my books this past year, the children at the SideDoor Youth Center, the young adults from the St. Paul Alternate Education Centre, all those who visited me during my author signings, and those who participated in my other silly little contests over the past year.

For those patiently waiting for the sequel to THE TRAZ, I'm doing one final author edit before submitting the manuscript to the Imajin editors.  You can expect this book, the second in the my BackTracker series, to be released in late summer/early fall 2012.


Eileen Schuh, Canadian writer www.eileenschuh.com

Kindle and Kobos and Nooks

 

Kindle and Kobos and Nooks, oh my! What’s all this eReader buzz about?
~ Cheryl K Tardif

This Christmas season promises to be the “Year of the eReader” as consumers line up to purchase Kindles and Kobos and Nooks, oh my! It seems that nearly everyone knows someone who is hoping Santa will leave them the ereader of their choice. And Kindles, Kobos, and Nooks will certainly be found in more than a few Christmas stockings. 

 

But what’s all the hype about? Why have readers jumped on the ebook/ereader band wagon? What’s so great about an ereader anyway?

As an avid reader, I love my Kindle. And my Kobo. And I’d like a Nook and an iPad. Technology is contagious…and more than a bit addictive. As an author and publisher, I feel I should have them all so I can advise readers when they email me and ask me which ereader they should get. At least, that’s the excuse I’m giving my husband.

I used to be a “no way I’m gonna read novels on a little screen; I have to feel paper…blah, blah…” kind of reader. Until I got an iPhone and discovered Kobo and Kindle apps. Even on my iPhone I found I enjoyed reading on a screen. Then I got my Kobo and Kindle ereaders and I was hooked.

I don’t miss the feel of paper or the smell, like some readers do. In fact when I pick up a paperback I miss the quick page turn button. My fingers aren’t as nimble as they used to be, so I struggle with separating pages in order to turn them. It’s not that I’m 90 years old; I’m in my 40s. But I have a joint condition that makes even holding open a paperback painful. This got me thinking: what about readers who have arthritis and other conditions like mine? Ereaders are the answer!

Over the years I’ve had fans email me to ask if I had large print paperbacks available. Sadly, I didn’t. Nowadays, ereaders have obliterated the necessity for a large print paper edition. You can enlarge the fonts on most ereaders to XXL. If I want a break from my glasses, I can now take them off, enlarge the print and continue reading.

Kobo Vox colour ereader

I took my Kobo on a cruise to Mexico. While other people prowled the ship’s meager library for a book to read, I downloaded a few in a minute and read to my heart’s content. I downloaded a few more at the airport. The journey to and from the ship seemed short because I always had something to read.

Waiting rooms don’t bother me anymore. After my car accident in September, I waited for hours in the ER. I read ebooks on my Kindle while others fidgeted and complained. I rarely have such uninterrupted reading time; I took advantage of the pleasure—regardless of my sore back and whiplash. I suspect I would have been in much more pain if I hadn’t had something to take my mind off it. A good book on an ereader is a great analgesic.

eReaders aren’t as expensive as they used to be. Amazon, Kobo Books and B&N have all reduced the price of their base products and some of their more advanced products, making an ereader an affordable gift for anyone. You can now buy an ereader for under $100. This is something I (and many authors) predicted would happen this year.

eBook prices range from very inexpensive (and sometimes free) to sometimes more expensive than their paper counterpart. The latter I don’t quite understand. I’m a publisher. There’s no stocking of ebooks in warehouses to consider. Yes, it’s the same content, but I believe an ebook has a lesser value than the print version because the platform cost is less. We consider: content value + platform costs (ebook/print costs) + profit margin = retail value. As the publisher at Imajin Books, I’ve ensured that our ebooks are all priced under $5 and our trade paperbacks under $18.

So what’s in your stocking? A Kindle? Nook? Kobo? iPad? Regardless of which ereader device you get, I can guarantee you’ll love the experience, especially when you see all the pros. How else can you go on vacation with 10+ books without having to load up an extra suitcase? J

And now, a free gift from Cheryl and Imajin Books…

 

Download your free ebook, IMAJIN THIS!, a special chapter book that lets you try before you buy. You can read the first 3 chapters of each Imajin Books title for free by downloading the PDF or using the Smashwords coupon code. http://www.imajinbooks.com/imajin-this.

And load up your Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony, iPad with great ebooks during their eBook sale: http://www.imajinbooks.com/sale.

If you’d like to enter to win free ebooks or paperback or you don’t have an ereader and would like to enter to win a Kindle Fire, please check out Imajin Books’ 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways: http://www.imajinbooks.com/contests-events. 

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In keeping with Imajin's Holiday spirit, both my eBooks, THE TRAZ and Schrödinger's Cat, are on sale for 99¢ for the entire month of December from all fine online book sellers. 

You can also enter to win a Kindle from me by posting a review of THE TRAZ on http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005199RFAmazon.com I will be drawing for the Kindle when the sequel to THE TRAZ is released in Spring 2012.

Eileen Schuh, Canadian writer 
www.eileenschuh.com

WHERE TO BUY MY eBOOKS: Click on any of the following links

Amazon.com

Smashwords

Amazon UK

Barnes & Nobel

Apple iTunes Library

Diesel eBooks

 

Amazon.com

Smashwords 

Amazon UK 

Barnes & Nobel 

Apple iTunes Library 

Diesel eBooks