Orphan’s Song

Give the Gift of Books this Christmas … and My Christmas Gift to You!

December 14, 2015 by Gillian Bronte Adams 3 Comments

For me, Christmas and books go hand in hand. Every year when I was growing up, my parents would ask me what I wanted. And every year, I asked for books. And more books. I recall one or two old snapshots in the photo album where I’m sitting behind a stack of books that’s nearly as tall as I am.

Books are one of those rare gifts that keeps on giving. They’re not something that you use once and forget about. Every time you pick up a book and re-read it, it’s like visiting an old friend. And Christmas and gifts books also carry the added draw of nostalgia and special memories.

I am a notorious book-gifter. There was one Christmas a few years back when I realized only after my family had started unwrapping their presents that I had given every single one of them a book of some sort. (Since then, I’ve tried to broaden my horizons a wee bit. There’s nothing so dull as predictability after all.) But honestly, it does make sense. Gifts are meant to come from the heart, and when you love books enough to hunt down just the right sort of book for each person, it’s that much more special.

And when you guys decide to give your friends one of my books, well, that just makes me all sorts of ridiculously happy and honored and humbled too. So, I decided that I wanted to give you a gift as well.

My Gift to You

The one thing that people ask me about the most is a map of Leira. I’ve had a sketch drawn up for several years now, and it’s been through almost as many revisions as the books themselves. But I decided that it was time for me to grit my teeth, dive into the work, and turn my sketch into something worth sharing …

That’s right, Houston we have a map.

So between now and the end of the year, if you purchase a copy of Orphan’s Song or Out of Darkness Rising to give as a gift, I will mail you your very own copy of this luverly beauty below (granted, this is just a sneak peek) printed on gorgeous natural paper and a MP3 song of your choice!

Because music and the Songkeeper Chronicles and Christmas go hand in hand.

How do you claim your gift?

It’s easy. Simply send me an email at thesongkeeper@gmail.com with a copy of your receipt and your mailing address, and I will ship it off to you.

But there’s more. Not only will you get a copy of the map and a brand new song to grace your ipod, your name will also be entered into a drawing for one of the first digital ARC copies of Songkeeper, book two. *grins* High stakes, my friends. High stakes.

Now on to my real Christmas gift …

If you haven’t yet joined my newsletter, now is the time to do so, because on Christmas Eve, all of my newsletter subscribers will receive a bright, new, shiny email in their inbox delivering a sneak peek at the first chapter of Songkeeper!

That’s right, my dears, you could be one of the first readers of chapter one.

If you haven’t read Orphan’s Song yet, I should probably warn you that there will be some simply lovely spoilers in chapter one of Songkeeper. So to save yourself from the peril of discovering something simply dreadful, read Orphan’s Song first and then sign up for my newsletter before Christmas Eve in order to read chapter one of book two.

Now that I have (hopefully) whetted your appetite for Christmas Eve, I’m curious, what is the best bookish Christmas gift you have ever received?

Orphan’s Song Promo Video

December 1, 2014 by Gillian Bronte Adams 16 Comments

Hope y’all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now that
it’s finally December, those of us who began listening to Christmas music in
secret last month can finally emerge from our caves and rejoin
humanity.

Just in time for the holidays!

Posting on my blog will continue to be a bit
sporadic until the end of the year, but for those of you who’ve read
Orphan’s Song, I do have a good excuse. The best actually. I’m neck
deep in finishing book two so y’all can find out what happens next!

There’s only so many writing hours in the day, and
the book obviously takes precedence, so the blog may be a tad slow for the next
few weeks.

But I have started planning out my blogging
schedule for next year—yes, I know, I’m majorly ahead of the game. I’m just
that good. And though I don’t want to give too much away, I can tell
you to expect quite the exciting year with tons of giveaways (free books, who
can resist that?), Destiny’s return, and visits to the Academy of Ultimate Villainy and the Warrior-in-Hero-Training School of the Round Table.

Lots to look forward to, right?

In the meantime, feast your eyes on this promo
video I filmed for Orphan’s Song and consider sharing it with your
friends. Hollywood worthy acting job right there. Another career option to consider or do you think I should stick to writing books? :)

And don’t forget to take a picture with your copy
of Orphan’s Song and send it to me for a chance to win a $20.00 Amazon
gift card! Only two days left to enter. Click on the photo for contest guidelines.

What do you look forward to most with the upcoming holidays?

For Your Reading Pleasure…

November 14, 2014 by Gillian Bronte Adams 3 Comments

I remain busy at my desk (ahem, comfy chair) each evening working on book two in the Songkeeper Chronicles, and I’ve had the pleasure of visiting several blogs for interviews or guest posts over the past month and a half since Orphan’s Song released. But in the meantime, my ability to keep posts flowing on this blog has greatly diminished. Poor Alexander, Fate, and Destiny have been stuck with Wizard Doomsday in the Plucky Lass for far too long … never fear, I fully intend to return to their story in the near future. (Unfortunately, I hear they’re still working on that mysterious time multiplication machine that would enable people to be in two places at once, accomplishing twice as much as normal—but I am at the top of the list once the technology is realized!) For now however, I wanted to link to several of the interviews and guest posts I have done for your reading pleasure until I can get a real, honest-to-goodness post ready to go up here. Turn it Beautiful (on Angie Brasheer’s blog) A post about writing through the hard times in life to turn the pain into beauty. “The speculative fiction genre is all about the grand “what ifs.” Using imagination and the ability to speculate to “create” in imitation of the Creator. But it’s hard to imagine what could be when what is presses in on your senses, so dark and heavy and close.” The Stories that Shape Us and the Characters that Change Us (on J.L. Mbewe’s blog) A post about how the books we read in childhood can shape who we become… “My favorite characters became more than just characters, and more than just a child’s imaginary friends. They became me and I became them … And as I devoured book after book, the stories I loved and the characters I admired seeped beneath my skin and left an indelible mark on who I am today.”
Interview with Angie Brashear Y’all know me as a writer, horse-rider, and fantasy lover from Texas, but that doesn’t completely sum it up. In this fun interview, I reveal three random facts you almost certainly didn’t know about me… Interview with Lisa Godfrees Lots of fun questions here about music, whether I am a Christian Author or an Author of Christian Fiction, and secret backstories. Interview with the Scriblerians Find out which character in Orphan’s Song is most like me and why … You might be surprised! That’s it for now, but there will be more posts coming soon! And if you haven’t entered yet, be sure to enter the giveaway on Goodreads and enter a photo in the Epic Photo Contest!

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Goodreads Book Giveaway

Orphan’s Song

by Gillian Bronte Adams

Giveaway ends November 24, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Orphan’s Song Epic Photo Contest

November 12, 2014 by Gillian Bronte Adams 12 Comments

One simply cannot have enough contests and prizes and giveaways in my humble opinion. The last prizes for the launch contest have been shipped off, so I think it’s high time for another contest! So, we’re launching the Orphan’s Song Epic Photo Contest … because who doesn’t love epic photos and Amazon gift cards? Yep, you read that right. There is a $20.00 Amazon giftcard at stake here! Guidelines: The contest runs until December 3rd. To enter, take a picture of your copy of Orphan’s Song and post it somewhere online – your blog, facebook, pinterest, twitter, etc. You must either tag me in the picture, leave a comment with a workable link, or send a link to my email at thesongkeeper@gmail.com. At the end of the contest, I will compile all of the pictures into an album where everyone will have the chance to vote on the most epic photo to select the winner of a $20.00 Amazon gift card. (Important Note: by sending me the photo link, you acknowledge that you grant me permission to post your photo in an online album for contest purposes.) Frequently-Asked-Questions:

What if I got the ebook instead of the paperback? Can I still enter?

Absolutely! Take a picture with the cover showing on your ereader! Ebooks are awesome, so we definitely won’t let something like that stop you from entering the contest.

Do I have to be in the picture?

Nope, you do not have to be in the picture if you would prefer not to plaster your gorgeous face online. Simply take a picture of your book in an epic setting—see my photo above.

What do you mean by an “epic” photo?

I’m hoping that y’all will have fun with the contest and take pictures of the book in all sorts of adventurous settings, costumes, lightings, backdrops, etc. In short, be creative! Have fun! Use your imagination and try to convey a little bit of the adventurous feel of the story in your photo. The sky’s the limit here! Have fun and happy photo-taking! If you have any other questions, leave a comment and I’ll get back as quickly as I can. Don’t have a copy of Orphan’s Song yet? You’re in luck. I’m currently running a giveaway on Goodreads and it’s super easy to enter.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Orphan’s Song

by Gillian Bronte Adams

Giveaway ends November 24, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Winners Announced

November 3, 2014 by Gillian Bronte Adams 13 Comments

First off, I want to say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart to everyone who entered the Launch Contest and helped spread the word about Orphan’s Song! We had a whopping 580 entries earned during the contest! Each point earned equaled another time your name was entered into the drawing, and the winners were selected at random this morning! Drumroll please… And the winner of Birdie’s prize is Deborah O’Carroll The winner of Ky’s prize bundle is Allison Ruvidich And the winner of Amos’s prize bundle is Ghost Ryter Winners please email your mailing address to thesongkeeper@gmail.com to claim your prize in the next 48 hours. Congratulations! Thanks for your help telling folks about Orphan’s Song! Didn’t win this time? Never fear. There will be plenty of other opportunities to win giveaways and prizes in the future. Follow my blog and like my facebook page to stay tuned for more information about the Orphan’s Song Epic Photo Contest and upcoming Goodreads giveaways if you haven’t yet received a copy of Orphan’s Song. If you have read and enjoyed the book, consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads or telling a friend what you liked about it. Word of mouth is one of the best ways you can help an author. Thanks all!

Backpage Pass—Amos McElhenny

October 30, 2014 by Gillian Bronte Adams 11 Comments

Well, folks, we’re down to the wire! These are your last few days to enter the Launch Contest and Prize Giveaway for Orphan’s Song. If you haven’t entered yet, it’s super easy to earn entries, and you don’t want to miss out on a chance to win one of the three awesome prizes! (See the original post here: Orphan’s Song Launch Contest and Prize Giveaway.) In the meantime, I’d like to introduce you to a character who quickly became one of my favorites to write… Amos hefted the larger of the two packs and slung it over one shoulder. He took a deep breath, puffing out his chest. “We’ve supplies aplenty, the wind at our backs, and the open road before our feet. What more could a man wish for?” – Orphan’s Song Amos McElhenny was a part of the story from the very beginning. Before there was a plot or a problem, the character of the traveling peddler existed somewhere in the back of my brain, complete with his brogue, penchant for imaginative insults, and his stubborn donkey Balaam. Half Waveryder by birth, Amos hails from a little sea-side village called Bryllhyn on the west coast of Leira. A man of many talents, he considers his skill with a dirk and most long range weapons second only to his mastery of the insult. One does not with to engage him in a battle of the tongue. As a traveling peddler, Amos and his pack-donkey Balaam have visited many an inn, eaten at many a tavern, and stopped off at many a small town. He’s a man who’s been everywhere, seen it all, and experienced just about everything there is to experience. So you can hardly blame him for having an over-developed sense of his own rightness and a high regard for his own opinion. But with all the places he’s visited, there’s one inn outside of one small town where he always returns: the Sylvan Swan in Hardale. T’was at the Sylvan Swan that he met his wee lass, Birdie, and t’was there all his troubles began. Again … Have you read Orphan’s Song yet? If so, who is your favorite character? Be sure to check out the other Backpage Pass Posts and be watching for more posts in the future: Ky Huntyr, Birdie.

Give the Gift of Books this Christmas … and My Christmas Gift to You!

My Gift to You

How do you claim your gift?

Now on to my real Christmas gift …

Orphan’s Song Promo Video

For Your Reading Pleasure…

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Orphan’s Song

by Gillian Bronte Adams

Orphan’s Song Epic Photo Contest

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Orphan’s Song

by Gillian Bronte Adams

Winners Announced

Backpage Pass—Amos McElhenny

free short story: Of Shadow and Rust

New Release: Of Sea and Smoke

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