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.
Orphan’s Song Launch Contest and Prize Giveaway–Week 3 Incentive
Something happened last week. I’m sure of it. I honestly don’t remember what. But whatever it was happened to be of such epic magnitude that I didn’t get around to putting up a Week 2 incentive for the contest. So we’re skipping Week 2 and moving straight on to Week 3, for the simple reason that time somehow keeps marching on even when things get crazy. Go figure. I have a fun challenge for y’all this week. (For a full list of prizes and ways to enter the contest, read the original post: Orphan’s Song Launch Contest and Prize Giveaway.) The paperback copies of Orphan’s Song are finally here! So if you preordered a copy through Kickstarter or Amazon, or logged on the other day and ordered a copy, it should be coming soon, if it hasn’t already arrived! As soon as my copies arrived, I stuck one on the shelf beside the books belonging to some of my favorite authors and couldn’t resist taking a picture. 
So for this challenge, I’m inviting you to take a picture as well! That’s right, it’s the EPIC PHOTO CONTEST. How does it work? Simple. Take a picture of yourself with your paperback or ebook copy of Orphan’s Song at any point in time between now and the end of the Launch Contest, November 1st, post it on facebook, pinterest, or your blog, and earn 10 entry points. Easy, right? But wait, there’s more. Orphan’s Song is a fantasy adventure … and who doesn’t like epic, adventurous photos! So, as a part of the EPIC PHOTO CONTEST, you can also email a copy of your photo to thesongkeeper@gmail.com to be entered in an additional contest for a $20 Amazon gift card. When you email me the photo, you’re giving me permission to also post it online (on facebook, my blog, twitter, or pinterest) and ask readers to vote on the most epic, adventurous photo to determine the winner. Note: This portion of the contest will continue until the middle of November, but if you want entry points for the Launch Contest, you’ll need to post your picture before November 1st. Sound fun? A photographer I am not, but here’s one I took to get y’all started! 
Backpage Pass: Ky Huntyr
“There were three simple rules in the Underground: be invisible, look out for yourself, and no going back. Ever. They all added up to the same thing: Keep up or get left behind.” – Orphan’s Song
Ky Huntyr—thief, runner, member of the Underground—began as one of those surprise characters that pop out of nowhere and force their way onto the page. I had no more clue beforehand that he was planning on entering the story, than Bilbo had about the party he was hosting for thirteen dwarves and a wizard before the unexpected knock at the door. But once Ky arrived, I soon realized that he had come to stay and was going to provide an integral part of the story that became Orphan’s Song. With his aptitude for the sling and his penchant for jumping into trouble to save others, Ky occasionally reminded me of David the shepherd boy from the Bible. Not entirely sure why, but who among us can really explain the random paths our brains take? Care to know a secret? (In a very early draft, I even included a David and Goliath-esque scene in which Ky’s slingstones felled a much larger and highly dangerous opponent. It made me happy. Sadly, said scene no longer exists…) Ky is one of my favorite characters—right up there with Birdie and Amos—and I enjoy writing in his point of view because he tends to look at things a tad different from other folks. 
He’s humble. He’s not always convinced that he’s in the right—because let’s face it, that can get downright annoying—and even when he is, he struggles just like the rest of us with going against the flow of popular opinion. But when push comes to shove, he’s not afraid to stand up for what he believes or for those who are in danger. Despite the hardness of the world he lives in, Ky still cares. There are a lot of numb characters in fiction today. Characters who are so broken and beaten and bloodstained that they can’t feel anymore, let alone truly care for anyone else. And that’s realistic. When you go through something so challenging, you can begin to feel like every ounce of energy has been consumed and you don’t have anything to give anyone else. But what I love about Ky is that he’s not afraid to keep caring, fighting, and doing what he thinks is right against all odds. And that—I think—is what made Ky real and heroic to me.
Backpage Pass—Birdie
“Soft as a whisper, the melody crept toward her, banishing the midnight fears and easing the ache of loneliness. It wrapped around her, the comforting embrace of a friend. Dangerous, Amos had said. Unnatural. But dangerous or not, it was all she had. Birdie slipped into the mysterious melody and allowed it to carry her to sleep at last.” – Orphan’s Song
When I first started writing Orphan’s Song, I had little more than a name—Birdie—and the barest smidgeon of an idea. I knew Birdie was an orphan, that she lived at an inn, and that she heard a melody that no one else could. But beyond that I had no more idea where the story was going than the next random citizen on the street. Out of all the characters populating the by-ways and back-roads of Leira, Birdie probably changed the most over the course of the many drafts and revisions the novel went through before the end. But there were some things that didn’t change. From the beginning, I knew who Birdie is—even if it took me a while to figure out how to best portray it. She’s got a heart bigger than Dunfaen Forest, and a sweet spirit matched only by her courage and the ability to keep on keeping on. She is teachable, but not a push over. When she believes something is worth the fight, her backbone grows harder and straighter than a zoar tree—something that frustrates poor Amos to no end. Birdie is all these things and so much more. But at the heart of it all, she is a lost little girl just searching for a place to belong. 
Most of us aren’t orphans doomed to a life of drudgery at the local inn. Most of us know our own history … know our parents … have a name we can call our own. But at the same time, I feel like most of us can relate to Birdie’s desire to know where she fits in the world. We want to know our place, to feel at home, to know where we belong, and how we can contribute. This is what made Birdie feel real to me as I wrote her, and I hope it will help make her feel real to you as well. 
Orphan’s Song Launch Contest and Prize Giveaway–Week 1 Incentive
Well folks, it’s been one week already since the start of the Launch Contest for Orphan’s Song, and so far, there’s been an overwhelming response! So I want to start by extending a big thank you to everyone who’s entered in so far. If you haven’t entered yet, or you haven’t earned all the entry points you can yet, be sure to check out the original contest post here: Orphan’s Song Launch Contest and Prize Giveaway. You can continue to earn easy entry points for a better chance at having your name drawn as the winner until the contest ends on November 1st! In the meantime, because it’s been one week, it’s time for the first Contest Incentive! 
This week, we’re going to take Social Media by storm. Here are several super easy ways you can earn extra points! Just be sure to either comment with links or drop me an email at thesongkeeper@gmail.com so I can make sure to add your entries to the tally.
If you have an idea and you’re not sure if it counts or not, leave a comment and I’ll let you know!
Orphan’s Song Launch Contest and Prize Giveaway
This is it folks, the big day! Today is the launch day for the paperback of Orphan’s Song! This book has been several years—and one crazy summer in the making. So now that it is finally released to the world, it’s time to celebrate! For the next four weeks, from October 1st until November 1st, I will be running a BIG Launch Contest and Grand Prize Drawing! Help spread the news about Orphan’s Song and enter for a chance to be one of three winners who will take home the following awesome prizes. What’s At Stake? 
Birdie’s Prize Bundle:
A blend of the music that inspired the book
Signed paperback copy of Orphan’s Song
$10 Amazon gift card
Stoneware mug and instant cappuccino mix. 
Ky’s Prize Bundle:
Ky’s sling
Signed paperback copy of Orphan’s Song
Stoneware mug and hot chocolate mix. 
Amos’s Prize Bundle:
Amos’ dirk
Signed copy of Orphan’s Song
Stoneware mug and spiced apple cider mix. Note: The discerning reader will point out that the dagger is not bronze, does not have a wooden hilt, and is not a dirk, but this dagger was the closest thing I could find to something approximating Amos’ weapon. And I think it’s pretty cool, don’t you? *Entrants for Amos’ prize bundle must be 18 years old and must check their state knife laws—this knife is restricted in MA and CA. How do I win? Because it is all about winning! There are several way you can earn entries into the contest to gain an even better chance of winning one of these awesome prizes. The more entries you earn, the more times your name is entered into the contest. It’s like Katniss and Gale and the Reaping … but happier.
1. Buy a copy of the book! Pre-ordered copies or copies purchased today (Wednesday, October 1st) are worth 15 entries. After that, copies are worth 10 entries. Email me a copy of your receipt at thesongkeeper@gmail.com.
2. Write a review of the book and post it on amazon, goodreads, your personal blog, etc. Each review posted earns you 7 entries. Email me a link to the review at thesongkeeper@gmail.com.
3. Buy a friend a copy of the book! Fall has the best reading weather, and with Christmas coming up, a great way to share your love for Orphan’s Song is to buy a friend a copy! Each additional book = 15 entries. Email me a copy of your receipt at thesongkeeper@gmail.com.
4. Share this contest on Facebook! Don’t forget to tag me (@Gillian Bronte Adams) in your post so I can count your entries! Note: You’ll have to like my facebook page in order to tag me. You can post once a day while the contest lasts. Each post earns 3 entries.
5. Follow this blog for an easy 5 entries. If you already follow the blog, that counts too. Leave a comment letting me know that you followed.
6. Tweet about the giveaway! Don’t forget to tag me (@theSongkeeper) in your tweet so I can count your entries. You may tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Each tweet earns 1 entry. 7. Pin a contest photo or Orphan’s Song’s cover on Pinterest! Leave a comment with a link to your pin or email me at thesongkeeper@gmail.com. Each pin earns 3 entries.
Each week, I’ll post a contest incentive with additional ways you can earn entries for a better chance at winning the ultimate prize! (Here’s a helpful hint: you may want to follow this blog or like my facebook page so you won’t miss a post.) Winners will be announced Monday, November 3rd! Enjoy the story and good luck with the contest! Which of the prize bundles would you be most excited about winning? Answer in the comments!
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