Happy Holidays December Cash + Books Giveaway

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Announcing my Happy Holidays December Giveaway!

I always feel gratitude for the readers who spend some of their valuable time with my stories. But this time of year always make me especially grateful that I get to do what I love: write and share stories.

Without further ado, I announce my December giveaway. This one is special because the first prize is some cool cash to help with holiday expenses. The second prize is pretty cool too: a copy of my latest audiobook, H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS, narrated by the talented actor Dylan White.

So enter early and enter often! :-) Good luck and winners will be chosen on 12/19 so stay tuned.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS Audiobook is Here!

Photo by Adam Whitlock via Unsplash

The H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS audiobook is finally available!! Woot, woot!

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS by Natalie Wright

Wow, this one took a while, but I hope you all are pleased with the great narration by the fabulous Dylan White. His performance is stellar (I particularly love the chapters with the alien U’Vol).

Without further ado, here are the links:

Click this link to purchase the book on Audible. 

Click this link to purchase the book on Amazon.

Click this link to purchase on iTunes.

Thank you to all of you who have been asking about the audiobook version, and I apologize that it took a while. I hope you enjoy the exciting conclusion to the H.A.L.F. series! 

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS Audiobook Sample AND Status of Audiobook

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS ©2017 Natalie Wright
Audiobook Narration by Dylan White

The audiobook version of H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS (H.A.L.F. 3) is on the way. I promise!!

We’ve had some delays in production due to my broken foot, but the narrator has finished recording. The audiobook is now in editing and final production. Yay!!

I know some of you have been waiting for the final audiobook in the series and I sincerely appreciate your enthusiasm for H.A.L.F. I apologize for the delay, but there were unforeseen circumstances that delayed production. I’m thrilled that you look forward to this final book and I can't wait for you to hear it!

As I listen to Dylan’s narration, I’m on the edge of my seat at times —and I wrote it!!

To tide you over (and give those new to the series a preview), I’ve uploaded the first chapter of ORIGINS to Dropbox. You can click the link to have a listen while you wait for the final audiobook to hit stores this month.

Thank you to all who have inquired about the audiobook. It truly will be here soon!

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS — Chapter 1 Audio 

(narrated by Dylan White) (©Natalie Wright, 2017)

Later this week, check back to the blog for my review of Blade Runner 2049 and announcements about upcoming appearance dates.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED in H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS Mega Giveaway

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS by Natalie Wright

Wow! The release giveaway for H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS got over 9,000 entries! Thank you to all who participated and shared to spread the word. It was a huge success. :-)

And, without further ado, the winners are:

1st Prize:

Audrey Stewart

2nd. Prize:

Brandi Swendt


Watch your email ladies for details on how to claim your prizes.

Poll Results:

One of the ways to enter was to answer a question, and the results are in. 

The question was:

“What would you like my next book to be?”

With over 500 unique votes, 35% of respondents said: 

“I don’t care whether it’s Sci-Fi or Fantasy, so long as it has romance.”

But coming in a close second with 31% of the vote, respondents said:

“One word: Dragons!”

With 22% of the vote, in third place was:

“An epic Sci-Fi saga with spaceships, futuristic tech, and other worlds.”

Pulling in at last place with only 12% of the vote was:

“I don’t care whether it’s Sci-Fi or Fantasy, just NO romance!”

Interesting results. What do you think?

Teaser Tuesday:

When writing a series, the story generally changes significantly from beginning to end. I began writing the H.A.L.F. series in 2010! That's seven year's worth of life, experiences and changes in my thinking!

One of the beautiful surprises was the strength of the friendship between Erika and Ian. Their friendship was sorely tested in book two, The Makers. Book 3, ORIGINS, is no walk in the park for them either.

Will their friendship survive the trials of an alien invasion?

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS (H.A.L.F. 3) arrives in stores August 24, 2017. If you haven’t yet read book 1 (The Deep Beneath), you can get a FREE copy by subscribing to my newsletter. You can purchase books one and two (The Makers) in the Kindle store. And you can Pre-Order ORIGINS here.

Take the Pic and Win Some Dough: Where in the World is H.A.L.F.?

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS by Natalie Wright
Photo by Lisheng Chang via Unsplash

What’s better than the release of a book you’ve been waiting for?

Winning money!

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS is nearly here! I’m kicking off a month-long celebration of the final installment in the H.A.L.F. series with a new contest.

Grab your copy of any book in the H.A.L.F. series and show us “Where in the World is H.A.L.F.?”

This contest is super simple. All you have to do is snap a photo of any of the H.A.L.F. books anywhere. Maybe you’re eating breakfast with H.A.L.F. at a cafe. Or reading by the sea. Perhaps H.A.L.F. is tucked into your backpack to sneak some reading during a break in the school day.

Does H.A.L.F. ride horses?! Or in cars, trucks, golf carts or semi trucks?

Get creative and show us your world. Read the rules then scroll to the bottom of the post to see what you can win and official contest rules.

HOW THE CONTEST WORKS:

H.A.L.F.: The Makers by Natalie Wright

1. Take a photo of one or more copies of the H.A.L.F. series in any location. It doesn’t have to be a paperback or hardcover. The audiobook and e-Book versions of H.A.L.F. travel the world as well. Simply pull up the cover of your copy on your device and snap a pic.

2. Once you’ve got the perfect shot, it’s time to share it with the world. Simply post the photo on one of these three sites and make sure you mention me:

• Instagram     (@NatalieWrightAuthor)
• Facebook     (@NatalieWright, Author)
• Twitter          (@NatalieWright_)

IMPORTANT: Make sure you #hashtag it and mention me. 

OFFICIAL CONTEST HASHTAGS:

#HALFCONTEST

#ORIGINS

#WHEREISHALF

DEADLINE:

Deadline to enter is September 1, 2017. Winners will be announced on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook on September 7, 2017.

That’s all there is to it. The Grand Prize winner will be chosen at random from among all entries. We may award up to three (3) Honorable Mentions for entries that are super creative, out-of-the-box and/or in a particularly cool locale.

 WHAT’S THE PRIZE?

GRAND PRIZE (1): One person will win a $50 Amazon gift card + a Kindle copy of any single book I’ve published.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (up to 3): I’ll award up to three (3) Honorable Mentions. Honorable Mention winners will receive a Kindle gift copy of a book I’ve published (winner’s choice).

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS by Natalie Wright
Releases August 24, 2017

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. Must be 13 or older to enter.

2. Photos must be posted no later than September 1, 2017.

3. Photos must be posted on either Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (better yet all three!).

4. Photos must contain the cover (either digital book, audiobook, paperback or hardcover) of one (or more) of the books in the H.A.L.F. series by Natalie Wright.

5. The post MUST contain one of the official hashtags (either #HALFCONTEST, #ORIGINS or #WHEREISHALF). The post MUST mention Natalie Wright by her handle (refer to above for handles to use by Social Media Account).

6. Winners will be announced on Social Media (Twitter, Natalie Wright, Author Facebook page, and Instagram) on September 7, 2017. Winner MUST email Natalie Wright at the address provided to claim the prize. Prizes not claimed by September 10 are forfeit.

7. No purchase necessary.

GO TAKE THOSE PHOTOS!!

   

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS Pre-Order is LIVE!

The End is Near …

Of the H.A.L.F. series anyway.

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS

The official launch date has been set: August 24, 2017!

*woot, woot*

I’ve got lots of fun stuff planned to celebrate the end of this epic sci-fi adventure so stay tuned.

But in the meantime, would you like a teaser? A little taste of what's to come?

Head over to the dedicated webpage for ORIGINS and learn more about the book.

AND, if you’d like to be one of the first to order your Kindle edition copy, there is a convenient Pre-Order button that will take you to Amazon.

Are you curious about why I’m showing you a picture of the large radio telescope array in New Mexico? ;-)

All your questions will be answered … on August 24!

ORIGINS Webpage: http://bit.ly/HALF_ORIGINS_PAGE

ORIGINS Pre-Order (Amazon US): http://bit.ly/HALF_ORIGINS

ORIGINS Pre-Order (Amazon UK): http://bit.ly/ORIGINS_UK

ORIGINS Pre-Order (Amazon DE): http://bit.ly/ORIGINS_DE

The "VLA" (Very Large Array) in New Mexico, USA

Phoenix Comic Con 2017

Phoenix Comic Con, May 25-28, 2017

BOOTH HH 307

Natalie Wright at Phoenix Comic Con 2017, Booth HH 307

While I’ve been busy revising (aka rewriting!) the next installment of H.A.L.F., I’ve also been getting ready for my first appearance at Phoenix Comic Con. I’ve heard so many great things about this con and have wanted to exhibit at it for years. I finally got off of the wait list and into the exhibit hall!

I’ll be debuting some new products including Mystery Boxes in two sizes. They’re filled with fun goodies. Can’t wait to see people's faces when they open them ;-)

My last con, El Paso Comic Con in April, feels like it was years ago! Writing H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS has been a long, exhausting experience with multiple threads to weave together into a coherent story. And the daily news makes my head spin.

I’m sooooo looking forward to a geekfest weekend with fellow nerds and geeks. Bring on the cosplay!

See you there!

YOU CHOOSE THE COVER - H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS

We all know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But we also know that we totally do.

So judge away!

My cover designer gave me two great designs that are exactly the same except for the color of the band at the top. I like them both and can't decide which will work the best.

But the question is: Which do you like the best? Which cover draws your eye more? Which would you like to see gracing the cover of my next book?

There’s a poll at the bottom of the post. Please vote and share so I can hear from as many people as possible.

Thank you for helping me choose!

Cover #1

Cover #2

Which cover do you like best? Cover #1 or Cover #2?

Cover #1

Cover #2

Poll Maker

Choose the Title for My New Book!

The third and final book in the H.A.L.F. series will launch in 2017. But it's already time to choose the title, and I need your help this time!

The title for book 1, The Deep Beneath, came easily to me. After all, approximately 3/4 of the book takes place underground. The title for book 2, The Makers, also seemed natural. In that book, readers learn of the nefarious secret Illuminati-like organization that's behind the H.A.L.F. program and A.H.D.N.A.

But there are several possibilities for a title for book 3. I don't want to spoil it or give too much away, but let's just say that an appropriate symbol for the book would be the Ouroboros, the eternal return. The symbol on the cover of the H.A.L.F. series books plays on this ancient symbol (also related to the caduceus). The symbol relates to the eternal; to never-ending life; to the cycle of life; the end meeting the beginning.

Ouroboros

        

Ouroboros

     

Ouroboros

Ouroboros

VOTE FOR THE TITLE

Please vote for what YOU think the title of my next book should be. Thanks for your vote!!

SURVEY MONKEY POLL

Create your own user feedback survey

New Amazon Preview - A Good Thing

Did June happen? One minute I was sipping champagne at the Eiffel Tower, the next I was meeting readers at Denver Comic Con and now here we are, knocking on the door of July! Did you ever have a month that you feel like the entire thing happened in a few days?

Here are some of my June stats:

Number of Countries I was in:   4

Number of Miles Traveled:   over 8,100

Number of glasses of champagne imbibed:  Too Many to Count

Number of Words Written: 0

That last number may have something to do with the 8100 miles and many glasses of bubbly!

But the good news on the writing front is that I've got a writing retreat set up for myself in July. It will be 10 days free of family responsibility and distraction. Ten days of literary abandon as I explore the tangled web of intrigue that H.A.L.F. has become. Hmm...

In other news, Amazon has created a new way to preview a book that I think is quite awesome (and probably a bit overdue). Now I can embed this preview right on my website so people who are interested can read a sample of the book wherever they see it. Cool. Try it out :-)

Choose the Title for my Next Book!

POLL TIME!

Book two of the H.A.L.F. series, The Makers, released just over a month ago. I can't believe it has already been a month! The book is getting good press and reviews - yay! You can see more about The Makers here.

But I'm on a writing roll so there's no sitting back and procrastinating the next story with hours of XBox. I've got most of book 3 outlined, character and world creation is under way and I'll soon begin writing in earnest.

And that means I need a working title. Here are three I'm kicking around.

But I NEED YOUR HELP! Which of these three stand out to you?

It's not important that you know what it means or what the book's about. At this stage I'm interested in whether any of these sound appealing to you? Do they make you curious?

If you don't like any of them, feel free to hit the "Other" button then tell me  your own title.


Thanks for helping me title my next book!

What should be the title of the third book in the H.A.L.F. series? (Book 1 - The Deep Beneath; Book 2 - The Makers)

The Deorum

The Progenitors

The Veterum

Other

Please Specify:

Do Riddles

H.A.L.F.: The Makers Book Trailer

H.A.L.F.: The Makers launched May 10 and wow! It's like overnight people have found this series!

 

There are multiple aspects to The Makers. Readers will follow new adventures of characters they loved (and hated!) from book 1, The Deep Beneath. But there are also lots of new characters - and worlds - to discover.

 

In this trailer, I focus your attention on the aliens of The Makers. Think you know all there is to know about those bulbous-headed, little grey aliens?

 

Think again!

 

And alien abductions may be the least of our worries ...

 

Did you enjoy the trailer? Does it make you curious? You can learn more about The Makers on its dedicated web page here. And you can purchase the book in the format of your choice here.