Be Nicholson's Agent: One Horror-ific Author + Chance to Win!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

If this is your first time here, welcome aboard!  If you are a regular that was tempted back back anything you've read previously on the site, welcome back!  In either case, you're in for a treat today....a spooky, creepy treat but a treat nonetheless.

All month long we've been participating in the "Be Nicholson's Agent" event....you know, the one where we tote the horror-ific reads you're missing out on and entice you to check them out....and today, I'm ready to do a little enticing once again.  In case you haven't heard, my chosen book to flaunt this month is....

NICHOLSON'S GHOST STORIES

Four Novels by

Scott Nicholson, Gemma Halliday, J.R. Rain, and Aiden James

From the title, you've probably gathered that it's a collection of short stories centering around the afterlife...or lack thereof...and each one carries a little chill of its own.  The great thing about the horror genre is that it's not simply about the shock value like some slasher books/movies, it's about the build up, the suspense to the unusual find or paranormalesque discovery that counts....making it a great read anytime, but even more so at this particular time of year.

I recently started going through this book with a fine tooth comb, investigating all the nooks and crannies, but what struck me right off the bat was the interesting introduction from Scott Nicholson entitles My Life as a Ghost Hunter.  If the title isn't enough to peak your interest, I've been granted permission to post said excerpt right here, right now....so join me in a read if you would be so kind....

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My Life as a Ghost Hunter

(...as published in the introduction to Ghost Stories)

Actually, that's a little melodramatic.

I’ve done much more ghost story collecting than I have ghost collecting, but my interest in spirituality naturally leads to afterlife curiosity. One of the recurring themes in my work is the exploration of the Big Question: Why are we here and what happens when we die?

I don’t really expect to bump into Aunt Mildred’s ghost and she will spill all the secrets of the universe over a cup of tea, but I do think the belief in ghosts is a fascinating social, philosophical, and psychological matter. Whether you don’t believe in anything and think we are here to consume candy and die, or whether you spend most of your day in prayer and meditation, you are probably as close to the “answer” as anyone else.

And people from all walks believe—and don’t believe—in ghosts. Some skeptics can be changed with one bizarre incident or encounter, while some curious folks can search for evidence of the afterlife for years before concluding there’s nothing out there.

Several years ago, as a newspaper reporter, I went on a ghost hunt at a local historic hotel with a group of paranormal investigators. While the old hotel in the Blue Ridge Mountains was big and spooky, I was most fascinated by the personalities of the hunters, their expectations and their reactions to phenomena that I chalked up to the usual stuff of old hotels—cool drafts, distant humming noises, and squeaky floors.

A year later, I hosted a paranormal conference at the hotel, gathering information that I used in my novel Speed Dating with the Dead, where a paranormal conference goes haywire. In the novel, I had to accidentally invoke some demons, because “real” ghost hunting is incredibly dull. You sit in the dark all night with lots of equipment, and then spend several weeks poring through audio and video files to get a few seconds of suggestive information.

I’ve gone on several other hunts since, and even hosted another conference, and I still collect ghost stories, but I stopped short of investing in lots of gear. I do think there is potential for devices that correlate many different kinds of data, measuring time, temperature, and location with various other data. And I often use local ghost stories and Appalachian folk legends in my work, such as in The Red Church and my entry here, Drummer Boy.

But legends are legends and facts are facts. Even if you line up a bunch of coordinates and statistics and say, “This is a ghost,” what exactly have you proven? You still haven’t answered the Big Question.

The hunt continues.

Maybe the answer is in this book.

 

—Scott Nicholson, 2010

 

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Pretty good stuff, right?

I mean he's actually been on a REAL ghost hunt!

Talk about your art imitating life....even if the life experience could have used an injection of actual ghostly antics.  As soon as I saw the "Blue Ridge Mountains" reference, I was instantly taken back to my reading experience with Speed Dating With the Dead.  It's an appropriate title albeit one that may not grab as many readers as it should (my opinion purely)...but rest assured, it's worth a look...and just make sure to either read it with the lights on or with something or someone protective nearby.  O_O  (definite creep factor)

 

To find out more about this collection as well as his multitude of other works, including a children's story which though unexpected was really good as well, be sure to check out his website, blog, or follow along on Twitter.  Now, let's continue on to what the rest of my post title promised....

 

In conjunction with the "Be Nicholson's Agent" event, the author has supplied us with some additional contest fun....and an easy peasy way for you to check out this book as well as a few others should it suit your fancy.  Here's your chance to win a....

 

 

 

$10 Gift Card!!

 

 

To where? 

You get to choose between Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com but either way, can we say FREE BOOKS (altogether now....F-R-E-E B-O-O-K-S)...and it just so happens that this book is only $4.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble RIGHT NOW, so it leaves you plenty of room to check out at least another title or two.  Sound good?  I thought it might....so are you ready to find out how to enter?  Put your listening ears...errr, eyes...on because here it comes....

 

 

HOW TO ENTER:

Your main entry (aka the required one) is to spread the word about the author and the event. To meet this end, choose your favorite social media outlet and post away!  (Well, not spammish like or anything, but you know what I mean.)  I'll even let you choose the site...or should I say sites because the more you do, the more entries you'll receive!  REMEMBER, you MUST choose at least ONE of the options below to fulfill your minimum entry requirement and leave a comment with your name, email address and links for verification...after that, it's all icing on the cake.  Here's the breakdown...

 

 

 

+ 1 for Twitter tweets

This can be done up to TWICE a day. Just be sure to include the following in your tweet....

...the event hashtag #BeNicholsonsAgent...

...and my user name @GRgenius...
...OR for easy-peasey access, just click the "tweet" button below.

Tweet

Don't forget to grab the tweet link, you'll need it when submitting your entries for verification.

 

 

 

 

+2 for Facebook, BookBlogs.NING, GoodReads, Google BUZZ or any other social media outlet

This can be done ONCE per day per site of your choice....just be sure to grab a link for verification

 

 

 

 

+3 for blog posts

Feeling EXTRA media friendly?  Type a short blurbish blog post about the event and this contest....and BAM!  You'll gain THREE extra entries, just like that. (This can be done ONE time only.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

+5 for book reviews

Choose any of Scott Nicholson's titles, read it and post a review on your site....you'll score FIVE points in a hurry! This can be done once per book title, but make sure that you've actually READ the book.  No cheating!  (Not that you would, but just in case...)  Where can you find his works?  A full listing is available on his website, and all of his titles can be found at most of your major online dealers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

 

 

 

Now for a few simple add-on points that you certainly don't want to miss out on....

+1 for each of the following you complete....

...follow the author on Twitter...

..."Like" the author's Facebook page...

...follow the author's blog on Google Friend Connect....

...follow me on Twitter...

...follow my blog on Google Friend Connect....

...check out Scott's long list of works and leave a comment on THIS POST with the title you'd MOST like to check out and why....

 

 

Whew!

How's THAT for a myriad of ways to enter?

Once you've completed your mission, just leave your entries in the comments below ...and be sure to include the links to any posts, etc for verification purposes, your name (or user name), plus your email address so I can contact you if you're the chosen winner.  If you want to add up your total points, go for it!  I'll even throw in another entry JUST for doing it.  ^_^

 

 

This contest will remain open for TEN DAYS...one day for each dollar of the gift card prize so you have until midnight CST on September 19th to get your entries in.

So...what are you waiting for?

GO GO GO!

 

 

 

Good luck to one and all...and until next time, happy reading!