Category Archives: Competitions
Pre-orders available for I Dream of Johnny, plus a multi-book giveaway!
Just a quick post today to let you know that I DREAM OF JOHNNY is now up for preorder at Amazon, Amazon UK, and iTunes. Of course, you can wait until release day on the 1st September if you like, but for those eager little munchkins here are the preorder links:
- Amazon, click here.
- Amazon UK, click here.
- iTunes, click here (or search the title in the app store).
- You can also visit the book page at the Escape Publishing website which has links to all the other online stores it will be available from.
I DREAM OF JOHNNY is a fun romantic comedy novella you can read in about an hour; a great way to spend a lunch break, waiting at the doctors surgery (because they always take an hour don’t they?), read while breastfeeding or soothing your child back to sleep (hang on, scrap that… there are some funny moments in the book and I wouldn’t want you to wake the baby with a burst of laughter!), or catching snippets of on coffee breaks. Novellas are also a relaxing way to spend an evening, knowing you can finish it in one sitting and feel really accomplished that you’ve knocked over another book on that To-Be-Read pile! 😉
Here’s the blurb:
Getting three wishes isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when an unfortunate spelling error in Mandy’s high-tech magic lamp changes her wish for a Greek God to a Geek God. His fashion IQ is in the negatives, he’s clingier than cling wrap, and he has a penchant for breaking into song at inappropriate moments. Before Mandy can request a replacement wish, she has to put up with him for twenty four hours, and the timing couldn’t be worse — it’s her friend’s wedding day, her ex will be there, and the God of Geeks insists on coming along for the ride!
Now onto other news… namely, news involving prizes, prizes, prizes!
I’m giving away a copy of FAST FORWARD and a heap of other authors are giving away copies of their books and swag over at Riverina Romantics. If my maths is correct there are 38 books up for grabs! What are you waiting for? Head on over and enter the draw to win. Oh, here’s the link.
And remember, on 2nd September here on the blog I’m hosting another huge giveaway with around 50 blogs participating and offering prizes, so I’ll see you back here on the 2nd!
Happy reading! 🙂
~ Juliet
Have you heard about the Three Wishes Blog Blitz?
On 2nd September at 12pm (Sydney Aus time) I’ll be hosting the Three Wishes Blog Blitz, and over 40 blogs will be participating in a whole lot of fun and giveaways! The blitz will run from 2nd-6th September 2013, and you have a chance to win some fab prizes at each of the participating blogs, as well as mine.
On the day I’ll post a link to all blogs taking part so you can not only enter my giveaway but enter theirs as well, so you could potentially win a heap of prizes! (and discover some great new authors and blogs too).
The blog blitz is to celebrate the release of my new novella, I Dream of Johnny, released 1st September, and yes, it is a story about three wishes 😉
Here are just a few of the awesome bloggers and authors that have registered to take part so far (and if you’ve registered, you’ll be receiving an email from me very shortly with all the details, so let me know if you don’t hear from me!):
Daystarz books, Nicola Moriarty, Coleen Kwan, Kate Belle/The Ecstasy Files, Jennifer Scoullar, S.E. Gilchrist, Monique McDonell, Mochas Mysteries & More, Tea Cooper, Lily Malone, Nicole Murphy, Alissa Callen, and more!
>>If you have a blog and would like to participate, it’s not too late! Fill out the registration form here. And you can read the details of what’s involved in taking part here.
If you’re not taking part as a blog but would like to enjoy the blog blitz and win prizes, make sure you come back here on 2nd Sept. You might wish (ha!) to subscribe to the blog via email on the right hand menu in order to be notified on the day so as to not miss out!
See you back here in 7 weeks, and remember… be careful what you wish for! 😉
Free Critiques over long weekend!
Attention writers! Fancy a free, fast, five-page critique of your work? The first ten people to buy or gift a copy of FAST FORWARD and forward their receipt to me will get one!
I’ll critique five standard pages (word document, 12 point font, double spaced) of anything fiction-related you’d like feedback on: the first five pages of your manuscript, a synopsis, back cover blurbs, or a brief synopsis and a few pages of a chapter – whatever you can fit into five pages in total. Any genre.
Here’s how to score a critique:
1. Buy FAST FORWARD anytime from now till the 10th June (Queen’s Birthday long weekend), or if you’ve already got it you can gift a copy to a friend.
2. Send your receipt or a screenshot of your proof of purchase to me at fastforwardbook(at)gmail(dot)com – replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .
Receipt should be dated 8th, 9th, or 10th June, or if you’re international and not yet up to Australian time and it’s still the 7th, I’ll accept that too. Basically, from the moment this blog post is live you’re eligible.
If you’re one of the first ten, I’ll let you know and you can send me your five pages.
Easy! 🙂
The critique will be via Microsoft word ‘track changes’ (comments in the side margins and some suggestions within the manuscript), and will include general feedback on the story as well as grammar, showing vs telling, dialogue…etc. It may also include the odd smiley face and exclamation mark. You have been warned. 😉
You can keep updated on the contest by following me on twitter or facebook.
Get in quick! Buy FAST FORWARD worldwide via…
Escape Publishing, Amazon, Amazon UK, iTunes/iBookstore, Kobo, Google Play, B&N/Nook, JB Hi-Fi.
Then forward your receipt to fastforwardbook(at)gmail(dot)com
I look forward to reading your work!
~ Tweet this post by copying and pasting any of the following into a tweet:
Want a 5 page critique? Get in quick at @Juliet_Madison’s blog! http://bit.ly/ZxQmp8 #critique #amwriting
Writers! 5 Page critique of synopsis &/or manuscript to first 10 people! Details here via @Juliet_Madison: http://bit.ly/ZxQmp8
Mothers Day Giveaway – books up for grabs!
Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday 12th to all the mums, moms, step-mothers, mothers-in-law, mothers-to-be, single dads, and mothers-at-heart! Read on for a chance to win some books…
I celebrated an early Mothers Day with my mum a week ago, so this Mothers Day I plan on having a relaxing day of reading (I doubt my son will bring me breakfast in bed, but that’s okay because I’m not really a fan of the whole crumbs in bed thing!). I’ve been writing like mad lately, so I think a day on the ‘other side’ might be just what the doctor ordered. 😉
With the special day on my mind, I’ve been thinking about motherhood in fiction (which was the topic of an article I wrote on the Australian Bookshelf blog). Have you read many books with mothers as main characters?
The main character in my novel, FAST FORWARD, Kelli, starts out as a childless twenty-five-year-old until she’s propelled into the future and finds herself as a fifty-year-old mother of two and a grandmother-to-be. Motherhood may be challenging, but it’s even more challenging when it’s suddenly bestowed upon you!
>> I asked around about different books that feature mothers as main characters, and here are a few that were mentioned…
A Man Like Mike by Sami Lee; Want to know a Secret? by Sue Moorcroft; Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips; Hello, It’s Me, by Wendy Markham; I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson; The Girl, The Gold Tooth & Everything by Francine LaSala, What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty.
So if you like reading about mothers as characters, why not check them out!
>> And now, the part of this post you’ve been waiting for – the book giveaway!
PRIZE:
I’m gifting one lucky person three ebooks from my publisher: Escape Publishing. There are fifty books to choose from, and the winner can pick three they would like. I’ll be gifting them from Amazon.com, so before entering make sure you can receive ebooks from Amazon.com (ie, not UK). You can keep all three ebooks to yourself, or you can choose to on-gift one or all of them to your mother, or a special someone.
HOW TO WIN:
1. For ONE entry into the draw, simply leave a comment below and tell me what your ideal Mothers Day Present would be. If you’re not a mother, you can still let me know what your ideal present would be.
2. For TWO entries into the draw, do the same as above and also subscribe to this blog via email (in the subscription section on the top right corner of the page). In your comment please mention that you’ve subscribed. If you’re already a subscriber, simply say ‘I’m a subscriber’ in your comment.
3. For THREE entries, do the same as above (comment and subscribe), and tweet about this giveaway using one of the sample tweets at the bottom of this post. Include your twitter handle in your comment. So, your comment might look like this:
My ideal Mothers Day present would be a day on a Greek Island with a good book. I’m a subscriber. My twitter handle is @MyHandle
The winner will be drawn on Monday 13th May. Good luck, and please share this giveaway with your friends!
***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***
Tweet this post >> Copy & paste any of the following into a tweet:
#MothersDay Giveaway – books up for grabs! via @Juliet_Madison http://wp.me/p1jJti-he
#WIN three ebooks, your choice! #MothersDay competition via @Juliet_Madison http://wp.me/p1jJti-he
What would be your ideal #MothersDay present? Tell us and win books! via @Juliet_Madison http://wp.me/p1jJti-he
Opportunity to WIN a copy of Fast Forward!
Just a quick post to let you know I’m being interviewed over at the Caribbean Accent Book Reviews blog about my inspiration for Fast Forward, the most surprising feedback I’ve gotten from the book, and what’s planned for 2013!
Plus you can win a copy of the book by clicking on the rafflecopter giveaway link at the end of the interview.
Comp drawn in less than 5 days so get in quick!
Oh, and there are virtual chocolates! 😉 Read the interview here.
~ Juliet
P.S – Stay tuned for my interview with debut author Jenn J McLeod on the blog tomorrow!
WINNERS of the Fast Forward Blog Tour!
Thanks to everyone who participated in my blog tour for Fast Forward, and thanks to the amazing bloggers who hosted me on their sites!
Here are the prize winners:
1. $25 Amazon gift card: Shannon R who left a comment on the Ramblings From This Chick blog.
2. BONUS $25 Amazon gift card (for one lucky purchaser of Fast Forward): Caroline P.
3. GRAND PRIZE Winner of a $50 Amazon gift card: Bridget O who left a comment on Chick Lit Central.
Winners, you have been notified. Please respond to the notification email within a week to claim your prize.
If you haven’t yet got a copy of FAST FORWARD you can buy it via…
Escape Publishing, Amazon, Amazon UK, iTunes/iBookstore, Kobo.
Thanks everyone – see you on the next blog tour!
~ Juliet
Last Day Of Blog Tour – get your entries in!
WOW – what a month! It may be the shortest month of the year but I’ve enjoyed every day of February, the month my debut novel, FAST FORWARD was released into the world. It’s been both exhausting and exciting; writing guest blogs and interviews, interacting with readers, promoting on facebook and twitter, checking sales rankings, and trying to squueze in some more writing too! I managed to complete a 16,000 word novella during all the hype, which I’m pretty pleased with. 🙂
BIG thanks to all the wonderful bloggers that have hosted me on my blog tour, and to everyone who’s followed me along the blog tour and left comments on my posts and interviews, it’s been great fun! If you haven’t yet, or you’ve only made a couple of the stops, there’s still time – today is the last day of the tour and there are plenty of interesting interviews and articles to read about my writing journey, my book, my characters, my inspirations, and even which funny scene was based on personal experience!
I’d love to see you there…simply click on the below links that interest you and leave me a comment and you’ll be entered into the draw to win a $50 Amazon gift card or a $25 Amazon gift card. When it comes to ebooks, that amount can get you a LOT of great books! But you can also spend it on anything at Amazon.
Also, don’t forget if you’ve bought FAST FORWARD you can also win a bonus $25 Amazon gift card as a thank you for buying my book. Simply forward me your email receipt to fastforwardbook(at)gmail(dot)com and you’ll be in the draw!
I’ll allow a bit of time for the non-Aussies to catch up to the end of February, Australian time, and then I’ll draw the winners sometime over the next day or two, so keep an eye out on the blog, twitter and facebook and check your inbox over the weekend – it could be you!
Here are all the blogs you can leave a comment on to enter into the draw:
1st
Juliet Madison blog – Release Day celebration post
ARRA / Australian Romance Readers Association – Release Day post
2nd
Rachael Johns blog – Do You Have The Creative Curse?
3rd
Strange Candy Reviews – From Idea to Publishing Contract in Nine Months
4th
RWA / Romance Writers of Australia – Author Spotlight interview
5th
Mochas, Mysteries, and More – Book spotlight & excerpt
6th
Read In A Single Sitting – Interview/Feature
7th
You Gotta Read – You Gotta Write, Right?
8th
Manga Maniac Cafe – Interview
11th
Romance Book Paradise – Time Travel in romance – it’s not only for sci-fi
12th
Stella Ex Libris – Creating the Characters of Fast Forward
13th
Australian Bookshelf – Motherhood in Fiction
14th
Chick Lit Central – Valentine’s Day Interview
15th
Sarah Belle’s blog – 5 Fun Facts About Fast Forward
18th
Beauty & Lace – Interview
19th
Kerrie Paterson’s blog – My TBR pile; what I’m reading
20th
Louise Reynolds’ blog – Cooking The Books – the food in Fast Forward
21st
Ramblings From This Chick – Opposites Attract – the romance in Fast Forward
22nd
Chick Lit Bee – Getting inspiration from movies
24th
Susanne Bellamy’s blog – Interview
28th
Annie Seaton’s blog – How I Became a Writer
Thanks for visiting, I’ll see you on the blogs! 🙂
~ Juliet
9 Days Left To Win! My Blog Tour so far…
Have you entered the prize draw in my blog tour yet? It’s happening all throughout February, and you could win a $50 Amazon Gift Card (to buy ANYTHING), or the runner up prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
It’s easy to enter, simply comment on any of the guest posts or interviews I’m doing during my blog tour. You can see the full schedule via this link, but here’s a run down of the blogs I’ve visited this past week so you can check them out and leave a comment. Every blog you comment on counts as one entry, so comment on more to have more chances to win! And remember to share the details with your friends 
- At Romance Book Paradise I talked about time travel in romance, it’s not only for sci-fi! Do you have a favourite time travel story?
- At Stella Ex Libris I talked about how I created the characters of Fast Forward. Come and share who your favourite book characters are! There’s a lot of discussion going on here.
- At the Australian Bookshelf I discussed Motherhood in Fiction.
- At Chick Lit Central I was interviewed on Valentine’s Day and even shared my first crush! *blush* – 2 copies of Fast Forward are up for grabs here too if you comment before midnight on 20th Feb US time.
- At up and coming author Sarah Belle’s blog I shared 5 Fun facts About Fast Forward. Which funny scene was based off personal experience?? 😉
- At Beauty & Lace I was interviewed about my journey to publication, and I also discuss social media for writers and what I’m working on next!
- At Kerrie Paterson’s blog I shared what’s in my Leaning Tower of To Be Read books!
- And today I’m at Louise Reynolds blog on ‘Cooking The Books’, where I discuss the futuristic food that appears in Fast Forward, as well as a few excerpts to whet your appetite 😉
I hope to see you on the blogs!
Thanks to everyone who’s rated and reviewed the book so far, and those who’ve sent me messages telling me how much they enjoyed the book. I really appreciate it!
Here are a few reviews that have been posted:
Harlequin Junkie – 4.5 star review.
1 Girl 2 Many Books – 8/10 review.
>>Remember, if you’ve read FAST FORWARD, you could also win a bonus $25 gift card by forwarding your receipt to fastforwardbook(at)gmail(dot)com ! Good luck! 🙂
Have you entered to WIN? Plus, a secret is revealed…
It’s been just over a week since my debut novel, FAST FORWARD, was released, and what an amazing week it’s been! It feels great to have a story out there, and even greater having had such great feedback from it so far! A BIG thank you to those who’ve bought it, reviewed it, told their friends about it, and messaged me to say how much they’ve enjoyed it. It really means a lot.
Have you taken part in my blog tour yet? It’s happening all throughout February, and you could win a $50 Amazon Gift Card (to buy ANYTHING), or the runner up prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card. It’s easy to enter, simply comment on any of the guest posts or interviews I’m doing during my blog tour. You can see the full schedule via this link, but here’s a run down of the blogs I’ve visited so far so you can check them out and leave a comment. Every blog you comment on counts as one entry, so comment on more to have more chances to win! And remember to share the details with your friends 🙂
- At the ARRA blog I share the blurb for Fast Forward and tell you a bit about my inspiration.
- At Rachael Johns’ blog I talk about The Creative Curse, and share photos of celebrity drawings I did when I was a teenager.
- At Strange Candy Reviews I share how I went from idea to publishing contract in nine months.
- At the RWA blog I’m being interviewed under the Author Spotlight and sharing a brief excerpt.
- At Mochas, Mysteries, & More I’m sharing an excerpt involving a dangerous piece of support underwear!
- At Read in a Single Sitting, Stephanie Campisi wrote up a fantastic feature article based on my interview which is all about The Art of the Do-Over Novel. I also discuss why I opted for digital publication.
- At You Gotta Read I talk about why I’ve Gotta Write, and also share my writing process.
- And at Manga Maniac Cafe I’m being asked some interesting interview questions such as how I came up with the idea and the characters, what my character’s theme song would be, and what book turned me onto reading.
On Monday 11th Feb I’ll be at Romance Book Paradise discussing time travel in romance, so keep an eye out for that one!
Also, you could win a bonus $25 gift card when you purchase Fast Forward by forwarding your receipt to fastforwardbook(at)gmail(dot)com !
Okay, now for the secret…
Something has been brewing at the Escape Publishing headquarters. An idea has surfaced, thanks to innovative Ainslie Paton and the backing of the wonderful Escape team. The Escape authors, or Escape Artists as we are known, are going on an Escapade! No we’re not jetting off around the world for an adventurous holiday or African safari (although, there’s an idea), our Escapade is taking place right on the Escape blog.
To get straight to the point:
30 Authors – 1 Story – 1 Month
That’s right, 30 Escape authors are going to join forces to write one short story over one month, with each author’s contribution being posted daily on the Escape blog from Feb 14th onwards! Anything could happen, and we are just as in the dark as you are! Each contribution will follow on from the one before, so the authors only have a short amount of time to read the previous installment and write the next bit. It could be amazing, it could be a flop – but it will be entertaining! Make sure you follow the Escape blog and follow @escapepublisher on Twitter to follow the story, and visit the blog every day from Valentine’s Day onwards. My contribution will be posted on the 23rd Feb. I’m excited, and also a little scared!
See you on the Escapade! 🙂
It’s here! FAST FORWARD Release Day!
After three years and three months of following my writing career dream, the day is finally here… my first published novel is released! *jumps around and squeals like a little girl*
FAST FORWARD is my third completed novel but my first to be published, and it’s quite appropriate because Fast Forward is about a birthday, and this day – 1st February 2013 – is kind of like the birthday of my career (a bit corny I know, but anyway).
So without any further ado, let’s celebrate!
Now, I’m posting this on the morning of the 1st, so the buy links may or may not be live yet, but they should be sometime on the 1st. If not you can always click pre-order and the ebook will download as soon as it’s gone live. No doubt I’ll be obsessively refreshing my browser every ten five two minutes!
Don’t have an e-reader? You can download the free Kindle app from Amazon for your computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Or all of them! Your ebooks will be available on each of your devices as they are linked to your Amazon account.
FAST FORWARD – a romantic comedy with a twist:
Aspiring supermodel, Kelli Crawford seems destined to marry her hotshot boyfriend, but on her twenty-fifth birthday she wakes in the future as a fifty-year-old suburban housewife married to the now middle-aged high school nerd.
Trapped in the opposite life of the one she wanted, Kelli is forced to re-evaluate her life and discover what is really important to her. Will she overcome the hilarious and heartbreaking challenges presented to her and get back to the body of her younger self? Or will she be stuck in the nightmare of hot flushes, demanding children, raunchy advances from her husband and hideous support underwear forever?
BUY the Fast Forward ebook via Escape Publishing, Amazon Kindle, Amazon UK, iTunes/iBookstore, Google play, or Kobo.
WIN!
To go in the draw for a $25 Amazon gift card, forward your purchase receipt email to fastforwardbook (at) gmail (dot) com – replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .
To go in the draw for a $50 Amazon gift card or the runner up prize of a $25 gift card, leave a comment on this post telling me what year in the future you’d like to travel to if you could. You’ll get more entries into the draw if you also leave comments at other blogs I’m visiting during my February blog tour. A listing of the blogs and dates I’ll be there are here. Winners drawn 1st March.
Good luck in the draw, and thanks for your support! I hope you enjoy reading FAST FORWARD. 🙂
JULIET MADISON 