Sweepstakes #1 Winner(s)

First, thank you so much to everyone who participated! What a great turn out, even larger than I expected. And a note to those who didn't get their entries in...Come March will do it all again, so you still have a chance. Also, anyone who entered February's sweepstakes will be automatically entered in March. So it's a win-win for everyone!

And because there were so many entries, I decided to give away not 1, but 2 advance copies of THE DECEIVED. And the winners are:

Peggy from West Terre Haute, Indiana
and
Joanne from Warrington, Pennsylvania

Congratulations to both of you. Expect your prizes in the next two weeks.

And to the rest of you, stay tuned for the announcement in March of THE DECEIVED Sweepstakes #2.

Murderati #5 and Sweepstakes Reminder

I'm over at Murderati again today.

Also, today is the LAST DAY to enter the sweepstakes for an ARC of my new novel THE DECEIVED.

DETAILS HERE

Musical Inspiration #20

One of the most beautiful songs I've heard in a long time.


FALLING SLOWLY, the Academy Award® winning song from the movie ONCE

I hear the movie is pretty damn good, too.

Sweepstakes Reminder! ONE WEEK LEFT!

Want to win an advance review copy of my next book THE DECEIVED? Well, you can't if you don't enter.

DETAILS HERE

Thanks for playing.

A Little Valetine's Day Love

Don't forget the sweepstakes for a copy of THE DECEIVED!

And check out my post on Murderati today!

Murderati #4

Over at Murderati today.

Check it out here.

And don't forget the sweepstakes for a copy of THE DECEIVED! See below!

THE DECEIVED Sweepstakes #1

As promised, it's time for our first sweepstakes to win an advanced copy of my new novel THE DECEIVED....

Just to give you a taste:

The Port of Los Angeles. Quinn has been called there to do a job. A body has arrived in a shipping container, and he has been hired to dispose of it. Only the body isn't just another nameless corpse. And Quinn realizes his job won't be over just because the deadman has been buried.

And no worries...Nate and Orlando are both back.

Here's the rules.

1. EMAIL me at: contest@brettbattles.com

2. Subject line should read "THE DECEIVED Sweepstakes #1" or something similar.

3. IMPORTANT: In the body of the email, give me the name and the author of the best book you've read in the last three months. I'll post the list here at the end of the sweepstakes.

4. Everyone entering will be added to my mailing list, so if you don't want to be added, say so in the body of the message. (No worries, this will not change your chances. Everyone who enters is equally eligible. And if you are already on my mailing list, you are still eligible.)

5. SWEEPSTAKES CONCLUSION: No more entries will be accepted after 6:00 p.m. Pacfic Time (Los Angeles) on February 28th. That's almost 3 weeks to get your entry in! I'll draw the winner that night and post details on February 29th (LEAP DAY!)

Easy enough. Now get cracking!

What Some People Think Up...Random Inspiration #1

So artist Michel de Broin has come up with an interesting idea...he's taken a 1986 Buick Regal and made it...well...green. Check out the video (it gets especially good went the cops get involved).



On his website, he says:

In this project, all superfluous devices were removed from an 86’ Buick Regal – the engine, suspension, transmission and electrical system – thereby reducing the weight of the vehicle whilst preserving its appearance. It was then equipped with 4 independent pedal and gear mechanisms that make it possible for passengers to form the self-propulsion group. A cutting edge transmission technology was developed to transmit the power supplied by the passengers to the drive wheels and to vary the reduction ratios between cyclists and wheels, so as to ensure their progressive coupling for start-ups. With a top speed of around 15 km/h, the vehicle’s resistance to the culture of performance is raised to an unprecedented level.

Check out more on his website here.

Thanks to carectomy.com
and to
EcoGeek.org for pointing it out.

Fair Warning

First, watch out for buffet scrambled eggs...I've never gotten food poisoning until Tuesday night, and here it is Thursday and I'm still not 100% right yet. Ugh...but I'm getting there. Plus side: forced diet for the last 48 hours!

BUT MORE IMPORTANT: I just received my ARCs of THE DECEIVED! So it is almost time for our first sweepstakes to win a copy. Watch for details. Warn your friends. I think we'll kick things off next month.

And if you don't win, no worries...I'm planning on having a sweepstakes a month!

A Super Tuesday

I’m in one of the Super Tuesday states. As I write this, it’s 6:18 a.m. Usually I’ve been working on my current manuscript for around twenty minutes by now. But I’m finding myself distracted. I’m finding myself unable to focus the scene I’ve been working on.

I’m a bit of a political junkie, I’ll admit to that. It’s not a 100% thing, but it is something that has been part of my make up since I was a child. I remember elections from when I was a child, being fascinated by the electoral vote, watching the news as each states choice was made.

My fascination with politics hasn’t been limited to just elections either. I remember also as a child, being glued to the television one summer watching the Watergate hearing, and seeing John Dean testify against Richard Nixon and his people. I should have been out playing. I think my mother even encouraged me at times to stop watching the TV, but I couldn’t. I was riveted.

I don’t have a perfect voting record. But I have missed very few since I was old enough to cast my ballot. And I’m not going to miss today. The polls open here in California in thirty-five minutes (it’s now 6:27 a.m.), and I plan on being one of the first people through the door.

See, I have this anxiousness, this excitement building inside me today. I can’t wait to see how the day turns out. I’ve already got the TV turned on to one of those 24 hour news stations. And I’ll keep it on all day.

I have a definite candidate I’m voting for. One I’m excited about. But that’s not why I’m writing about the election today. Those of you in the US in states voting today won’t be influenced by who I choose, you’ll have your own idea of who excites you, who will bring the vision that you want this country to go in.

My only request is that if you do have an election in your state today, vote.

Please.

Musical Inspiration #19

We haven't done one of these for a little while. Here's one from 6 or 7 years ago.


Gorillaz - 19/2000