The Calling -- which I announced last week -- won't be available until April, so for now I present you with a "prequel of sorts" called Spooky Nook. The 10,000-word novelette tells the story of Kevin Parker, a writer whose wife has been missing for eight months, who encounters a familiar old woman with an odd request -- a request that will introduce him to a surprising evil.
While Spooky Nook is connected to The Calling, the novelette is meant to be a standalone story. Readers do not need to read one to enjoy the other. However, included after the story is a special sneak preview of The Calling, featuring the prologue and first three chapters.
Spooky Nook can be downloaded for $0.99 at the following places:
- Kindle (US)
- Kindle (UK)
- Nook
- Smashwords
Some fun facts:
- The term "first novel" is thrown around a lot (many "first novels" are really second, third, even fifth novels), but The Calling is in fact my first completed novel. I originally wrote it back in college and, through the years, have tweaked parts of it here and there. Many writers eventually become embarrassed by their first novels, but I have always had a soft spot for it, and that's why I'm making it available soon as an e-book. Spooky Nook was always supposed to be a "prequel of sorts" to The Calling, the idea being that the novelette could be released a few months before the novel to gain reader interest.
- Spooky Nook was written in 2005, back before there were Kindles or Nooks, so no, this is not a story about a haunted e-book reader. (Come on, you know you were thinking it.)
- The novelette's working title was "Anna and Stephen King." That's all I'm saying about that. Except that it now brings me to our giveaway contest.
Prizes:
- 1st place: Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished by Rocky Wood with David Rawsthorne & Norma Blackburn, published by Cemetery Dance. This oversized signed limited edition slipcased book originally retailed for $75 and is out of print. (Note: this is not signed by Stephen King)
- Runner-up: Oblivion by Jay R. Bonansinga, published by Cemetery Dance. This is a signed limited edition that originally retailed for $40 and is out of print.
- Runner-up: She Wakes by Jack Ketchum, published by Cemetery Dance. This is a signed limited edition that originally retailed for $40 and is out of print.
Contest rules:
To enter, purchase a digital copy of Spooky Nook and e-mail your receipt to robert [at] robertswartwood [dot] com (paying with a Tweet or Facebook does not make you eligible for the contest). This will throw your name into the virtual hat. To increase your odds of winning, you can do the following:
- Link back to this post via Twitter, Facebook, your blog, etc. The more places, the better.
- Review Spooky Nook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Smashwords, and any other suitable place. The more places, the better. Please note this means honest reviews.
- Mark Spooky Nook as to-read at Goodreads.
- Review any of my three other e-books -- The Silver Ring, Through the Guts of a Beggar, In Solemn Shades of Endless Night -- at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Smashwords, and any other suitable place. The more places, the better. Please note again this means honest reviews. You do not have to purchase any of the e-books to review them (there are Pay With A Tweet or Facebook badges on each page), but if you feel the undying need to purchase them, feel free.
For each of the above, include the links in the comment section of this post. Try to nest all your links together if possible. The contest ends March 31st, midnight EST, and the 1st place winner and two runners-up will be e-mailed shortly afterward and announced here on the site. Good luck, and have fun.
