This took a while because there were a LOT of suggestions, under two posts.  I had to choose, then make sure no one else suggested the same thing!

The winning title is Disenchanted.  I was planning to avoid a one word, D-starting title because that was the pattern for Derek’s, but this one really fits.  So the winner is Samantha!

Instead of randomly picking 5 runners up, I decided to award the prizes to 5 titles I seriously considered. Those are:

Better Off Alone – Ashlee

Incompossible – Crystal

Mission Impossible – Mikaela

Separation Anxiety – Perphektme

Damned – Zuena — this was also suggested by Stasia in the other thread, but Zuena suggested it first

All the winners have been notified by email.

The next chapter goes up November 1.

Okay, so I’m ready to post a day early, and realized I don’t have a title for this one.  I’m horrible at titles, particularly with short stories.  So, either I could hold off another day and think of a title, or I can delegate the job to readers.  I think I’ll go with option 2.  More on that in a minute.  Back to announcing the story.

This is the 2nd free online Darkest Powers story for 2010, as chosen by readers.  The subject is: Simon and Tori after Chloe and Derek get off the bus in The Awakening.  I’ll post on the 1st and 15th of every month until it’s done.  Be warned, though–the chapters will be short.  It’s not very long, and I’d like to make it last the rest of the year.

In the past, I’ve run a “find the typo” contest.  It worked well when there was always at least one typo.  But as my proofreaders have improved, the rate of typos has dropped, and instead I get a couple dozen “non-typo” reports (questioning word choice, sentence structure, dialogue grammar etc) and I have to explain why that doesn’t count.  So no more typo contests.  If you find one, I’d appreciate hearing about it, but it won’t win you a prize.

So how do you win a prize?  Comment on the chapter.  When I post the next chapter, I’ll draw a winner from the previous post’s comments.  That person will get to choose between a signed book and a $20 Amazon gift certificate.  This contest will run with every post.

To start, there’s an extra contest.  Name the story.  Read the first instalment and suggest a title.  The winner will get a special prize pack: a set of signed my new design Darkest Power bookmarks, a signed Gathering bookmark, a Darkness Rising pen, a Darkness Rising USB drive bracelet and a Darkest Powers mousepad.  Also, five others who suggest a title will get the signed bookmarks.  I’ll pick a winning title on Monday (Oct 18) and randomly draw 5 others for the bookmarks.

Winner for week 1: Dani

I’ve given away a few (Twitter, the newsletter, Smart Chicks tour) and I’m holding onto the rest for a while, but I want to mention two contests where others are giving some away.

First up is actually one of my copies.  Regan helped me with a photo I needed taken at an event this summer, so I offered an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) for her blog.  You’ll find that here: http://regancoomer.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/darkness-is-rising-win-an-arc-of-the-gathering/ Because I’m giving away the book, it’ll be signed and the contest is open internationally.

The other one is being run by HarperCollins via GoodReads.  This one is NOT international.  It’s US only.  That’s because HC is my American publisher.  They can’t distribute the books outside the US.  It would be up to my other publishers to run ARC contests of their own…except that they don’t make ARCs.  So HC sends me a box of theirs for international contests, like the one above.  I know this disappoints readers.  I announced this contest on Twitter and Facebook yesterday, and got complaints everywhere I posted it.  But I don’t think that just because the contest isn’t international, I shouldn’t mention it…especially when they’re giving away 10 (yes, 10) advance copies.  The link for that is here: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/5942-the-gathering These are not signed.

And as a reminder, the first chapter of the new story will begin Oct 15 (Friday)