Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour

Greetings!

Hope you’re all staying warm and dry this winter.

Our tour for North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson (second in the Wingfeather Saga) is coming up next Wednesday through Friday, January 27-29.

Here are the links you’ll need:

Book – http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400073871
Series site – http://wingfeathersaga.com/?p=464
Author site – http://www.andrew-peterson.com/

Also, if you recall, the FTC instituted a “disclosure” policy that went into effect last December. All this requires is a statement on your blog or in your posts that you received a free copy of the book (if you did). I thought, to make it easier, I’d write something that you could copy and paste, but of course you are free to create your own.

In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Now for the OPT IN/Out business.

Since I was unable to compile a list of participants last month, I’m going to work from the November list, which I’ll post here.

• If your name is on the list and you plan to participate, DO NOTHING.
• If your name is on the list and you do not plan to participate this month, OPT OUT by responding with your name and Opt Out in the body of the email.
• If your name is NOT on the list and you plan to participate this month, OPT IN by responding with your name and Opt In in the body of the email.

Please notify me no later than midnight (Pacific time) Monday night. I’ll send out the list of participant links Tuesday.

Those on the current participants’ list:

Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Amy Browning
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Tina Kulesa
Melissa Lockcuff
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Nissa
John W. Otte
Donita K. Paul
Cara Powers
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher

Thanks for hanging with me as I try to normalize the tour again.

Becky

After struggling with computer problems for over two months, I am getting close to having things back to normal. I am still missing my old email files and my latest addresses. Consequently, I may have entered your information incorrectly (once again). Please let me know if I need to make changes.

We are scrambling to get our next two book tours in. In part because of my computer problems, the January book, Andrew Peterson’s North! Or Be Eaten went out late but hopefully those of you who asked for a review copy have it now. To give you more time to read the book, I’m going to move his tour to the end of the month: Wednesday through Friday, January 27-29.

I’ll send appropriate links next week and ask you to opt in or out then. Please do not send an opt in email ahead of time.

If you are interested in a review copy of our February selection, Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter (HarperCollins Children’s Books) by R.J. Anderson (general market middle grade fantasy), email me your name and mailing address by Tuesday, January 19. Remember, a request for a book obligates you to write and post a review of the book during the tour though you are in no way required to make your comments favorable.  

Thanks for your patience.

Becky

Please head on over to her web site and give our newest member a warm welcome.

Andrea Schultz
http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com

CSFF Participants,

Our November CSFF Blog Tour for Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper’s Curse of the Spider King, Book 1 of the Berinfell Prophecies, is Monday, November 16 through Wednesday, November 18. Participants are encouraged to post all three days and to visit other participating blogs. Remember, leaving comments and linking to specific articles helps your blog draw visitors and place higher in search engine listings.

Here are the links you’ll need (the asterisk indicates those that are required).

*Featured book:
Curse of the Spider King – http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400315050

Author and series links:
Wayne Thomas Batson’s blog – http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/
Christopher Hopper’s Web site – http://www.christopherhopper.com/
The Berinfell Prophecies Web site – http://www.heedtheprophcies.com

*Participants’ Links:
Brandon Barr
Justin Boyer
Amy Browning
Valerie Comer
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Shane Deal
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Todd Michael Greene
Ryan Heart
Timothy Hicks
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Tina Kulesa
Melissa Lockcuff
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Nissa
John W. Otte
Cara Powers
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Robert Treskillard
Fred Warren
Jason Waguespac
Phyllis Wheeler
Jill Williamson
KM Wilsher

Thanks for your patience while I’ve been dealing with my computer issues.

Becky

CSFF’ers,

As you know, I’ve had email problems this past month or more. Unfortunately, the real issue was with my computer, and I ended up sending it away from surgery. While I didn’t lose any data, my email groups were wiped—I have my addresses (except maybe not ones I added a week ago) but they are no longer grouped (prayer partners, newsletter, or CSFF members!) I’ve reconstructed CSFF now, but if I have more than one address on file for you, I may be sending this note to a different address than usual.

Please let me know if I need to make changes.

October CSFF Top Tour Blogger Award.
Congratulations to Rachel Starr Thomson – http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/inklings/ – who won a tight contest with runner-up Jason Joyner – http://www.spoiledfortheordinary.blogspot.com

November Tour.
The tour for Book 1 of the Berinfell Prophecies, Curse of the Spider King by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper (Thomas Nelson), begins Monday, November 16 and runs through Wednesday, November 18. Don’t forget the importance of including the book link I give you though you are free to include another Amazon link as well.

As always, we encourage you to participate in the tour all three days with your own posts and with comments to other participating blogs. Those who requested a review copy of the book are expected to write a review, though as you know, we ask for your honest opinion, not token approval.

Another reminder: those who are able to post each day will be in the running for the CSFF Top Tour Blogger Award. After the tour, be sure to take time to vote in the poll at A Christian Worldview of Fiction for the blogger that posted your favorite three articles. Don’t forget, CSFF Blog Tour members who do not participate in the tour officially can still comment on other blogs and vote for the Top Tour Blogger.

Opting in and Out of the Tour.
Your tour participation status remains the same from month to month unless you make a change.

Please take time to check your status. The current list of participants appears at the end of this post: http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/eric-wilson-author-csff-blog-tour-day-2/

OPT OUT of the tour if you participated last month but will not participate this month.

OPT IN If you did not participate in October but plan to participate this month.

Do nothing if you want your status to be unchanged.

Deadline for changing your status for the Curse of the Spider King tour, by opting in or out, is Saturday morning, November 14.

Links.
The book link you will be required to post for Curse of the Spider King is http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400315050

Optional links you may wish to include:
Wayne Thomas Batson’s blog - http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/
Christopher Hopper’s Web site - http://www.christopherhopper.com/
The Prophecies of Berinfell series Web site - http://www.heedtheprophcies.com

God willing, I will provide you with the participants’ links no later than Sunday. Be sure to include these at least once in the body of your blog OR update your sidebar to show the November participants.

Schedule.
Because of my computer problems, we’re having to make some adjustments to the CSFF schedule. Since we haven’t been able to send a book offer, it’s unlikely any would reach you in time for a December tour. Instead, we are looking into Web sites to feature.

Hopefully I’ll be able to make review copies available for a January book in a week or so.

FTC regulations
Regarding the FTC regulations affecting book bloggers, those take affect December 1. I should have a little more information available to you by then.

God’s care.

Becky

A warm welcome to our newest blog tour member!  Please head on over to say hello!

KM Wilsher
http://www.kmwilsher.blogspot.com

At last we’re ready to gather news for the next issue of Latest In Spec. We’re looking for information specific to speculative fiction, with the idea that whatever appears in Latest In Spec can promote your work as well as the genre. You do not need to be a LIS subscriber to give us your information.

Reminder: we want to avoid repetition. Contests, book releases, and author appearances need pre-event buzz. Therefore, those items may appear more than once. Other items such as blog information, interviews, and reviews should be one-time announcements

* Send your news to Rebecca LuElla Miller: rluellam@earthlink.net by Friday, November 6, 2009.

Follow the steps below:

1) Identify the category your news fits in.
2) Provide all the necessary news in the correct format as shown in the example. Improper formatting may exclude your item from appearing. (Please be sure to give the EXACT LINK to a blog post).

Categories and examples:

Member Profile (CSFF or LGG)
Up to 250 words about you and your writing, along with a picture.

Favorite Bookstore
Example:
State
Store name
Address
URL (if available)

Author Appearances

Book Signings
Speaking Engagements
Teaching Engagements
Example:
I. M. Author:
Wonderful Little Book Store
City, State
April 7, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Book Releases (include a book that will release within the next 3 months—building pre-release buzz is important)
Example:
Book Title by I. M. Author
Publisher (May, 2009)
The premise of the story in 15 words or less.

Contract News
Example:
I. M. Author with Best Publisher, a three book deal.
Description of book or series.
Fall 2009

Reviews (ones you have done; ones featuring your book)
Example:
Great Fantasy by B. A. Writer – Outstanding Publishing House (April 1, 2009)
Reviewed by Top Blogger at Noteworthy Blog.
Exact Link

Interviews (ones you’ve conducted; ones featuring you)
Example:
Famous Author by Top Blogger at Noteworthy Blog,
Exact Link

What’s on the Web (new web site or new section; genre blog information you wish to announce)
Example:
My Sci Fi Novel book trailer posted at Noteworthy Blog.
Exact Link

Contests
Example:
Imaginary Annual Fiction Contest
First Prize: $00.00
$5.00 Entry Fee. Electronic submission .
Deadline: February 10, 2009
Contest details at Exact Link

Awards
Example:
“My Short Story” by I. M. Author
Semifinalist in Super Contest
Exact Link

Podcasts or Web chats
Example:
I. M. Author’s Web Chat
Topic, guest speaker, or any other special information
Saturday, May 26, 6:00 pm (CET)
Exact Link

And-Then-There-Is-This (Miscellaneous)
Example:
Whatever else you have to announce that doesn’t fit into the other categories.
Any pertinent details.
I. M. Author
Exact Link

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Becky

Voting is now open:

Reader’s Choice voting for the Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction.

CSFF’ers,

I’m having email problems, so I apologize for sending this notice out a day late.

September CSFF Top Tour Blogger Award.
Thank you to each who voted in our September poll. Congratulations to Rachel Starr Thomson, http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/inklings/ , now a two-time winner.

Latest In Spec.
Assuming I work out my email difficulties, I’ll be sending out a call for news after the tour, so start gathering the information you’d like to announce.

November’s Book.
I received my copy of The Curse of the Spider King today. If yours hasn’t come yet, it should arrive soon. If not, let me know after the tour.

October Tour.
The tour for Haunt of Jackals by Eric Wilson (Thomas Nelson) begins Monday, October 19 and runs through Wednesday, October 21. Don’t forget the importance of including the book link I give you though you are free to include another Amazon link as well.

As always, we encourage you to participate in the tour all three days with your own posts and with comments to other participating blogs. Those who requested a review copy of the book are expected to write a review, though as you know, we ask for your honest opinion, not token approval.

Another reminder: those who are able to post each day will be in the running for the CSFF Top Tour Blogger Award. After the tour, be sure to take time to vote in the poll at A Christian Worldview of Fiction for the blogger that posted your favorite three articles. Don’t forget, CSFF Blog Tour members who do not participate in the tour officially can still comment on other blogs and vote for the Top Tour Blogger.

Opting in and Out of the Tour (Please Read).
Your tour participation status remains the same from month to month unless you make a change.

Please take time to check your status. The current list of participants appears at the end of this post: http://rebeccaluellamiller.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/csff-blog-tour-the-vanishing-sculptor-day-1/

OPT OUT of the tour if you participated last month but will not participate this month.

OPT IN If you did not participate in September but plan to participate this month.

Do nothing if your status is unchanged.

Deadline for changing your status for the Haunt of Jackals tour, by opting in or out, is Saturday morning, October 17.

Links.
The book link you will be required to post for Haunt of Jackals is http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1595544593

Optional links you may wish to include:
Eric Wilson’s Web site - http://www.wilsonwriter.com/
The Undead Trilogy Web site  - http://www.jerusalemsundead.com/

I will provide you with the participants’ links no later than Sunday. Be sure to include these at least once in the body of your blog OR update your sidebar to show the October participants.

Schedule.
At present, our schedule for the coming months is as follows:

*  October – Haunt of Jackals by Eric Wilson (adult supernatural suspense)
*  November – Curse of the Spider King, Book 1 of The Berinfell Prophecies by Wayne Thomas Batson/Christopher Hopper (YA fantasy)
*  December – Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter (HarperCollins Children’s Books) by R.J. Anderson (general market middle grade fantasy – tentative)
*  January  – North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson (middle grade fantasy, second in the Wingfeather Saga)

If you’ve heard talk about the recent changes in the FTC regulations affecting book bloggers, don’t worry because these do not take affect until December 1. By then I hope to pass along to you the specifics that apply to us and to give you a sample disclosure statement.

God’s care.

Becky

Happy October, CSFF’ers.

September Tour Award. Our outright winner of the September CSFF Top Tour Blogger Award is Rachel Starr Thomson. If you didn’t visit Rachel’s site during the tour, you can still read her posts: http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/2009/09/the-vanishing-sculptor-csff-blog-tour/ , http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/2009/09/a-review-the-vanishing-sculptor-day-3/ , and http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/2009/09/interview-with-donita-k-paul-vanishing-sculptor-day-2/ .

Interview. I haven’t asked our October featured author Eric Wilson if he is available for interviews, but he gives an email address on his Web site, so if you’d like an interview, I suggest you approach him.

Book Offer. Our November tour will feature the YA fantasy, Curse of the Spider King, Book 1 of The Berinfell Prophecies by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper. If you would like a review copy of the book, email me your name and mailing address by Monday, October 5. Remember, a request for a book obligates you to write and post a review of the book during the tour. Of course your review should be an honest evaluation, not promotional fluff.

Upcoming Tours.

God’s blessing on you today,

Becky