Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Wars: Heat Four 2013/2014 - Plus Matt Haig Book Competition

Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars are back again for the fifth year - it's that time again where we are looking for a further worthy winner. If you are returning to the site for another exciting year or are new to this competition, then I send you a very warm welcome. It is a delight to have your company in the book cover war zone. Don't forget to share this exciting adventure with your friends and followers - everyone is welcome.

For any follower of this site then this is the chance for you to become part of the weekly book cover wars. Each week, for the next 1 week, I am going to select five book covers for you to vote for. NEW RULES - the five book covers who get the most votes over the four weeks will go head-to-head in the final. You may not win the heat, but you could still get to the final of 'Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Wars 2013/14'. 

THE CURRENT LEADERBOARD:

• 1- Niel Bushnell - Timesmith  - 156 Votes  
• 2- Ian Johnstone - The Bell Between the Worlds ( The Mirror Chronicles) - 122 Votes
• 3- Thomas Taylor - Dan and the Caverns of Bone - 76 Votes 

• 4- Dawn Finch - Brotherhood of Shades - 68 Votes
• 5- Philip Caveney - Watchers - 56 Votes

As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a different special book each week. Therefore, in order to kick off the competition this week, we have an amazing collectable SIGNED FIRST EDITION, HARDBACK  By Matt Haig - The Humans.

If you are interested then all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll ( click any of the links VO and VOTE HERE for your favourite book.
• Leave a comment through this post and a twitter name if you have one....
• Sit back, watch the voting develop and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed). Please note that this competition is open Worldwide.
•  Heat Four ends midnight (UK TIME)  20, November 2013 

So here are the five book covers to vote for this week:

Book One: R. J. Anderson - Nomad  (Faery Rebels) - Published by Orchard - 2, January 2014 - Cover by Rory Kurtz - VOTE HERE

Book Two: Justin Richards - The Wolfstone Curse - Published by Templar Publishing - 1, July 2013 - Cover by Will Steele - VOTE HERE

Book Three: Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams - Terminal - Published by Chicken House - 2, May 2013 - Cover by David Wyatt - VOTE HERE

Book Four: Alexander Gordon Smith - The Fury - Published by Farrar Straus Giroux - 23, July 2013 - Cover by Christian Fuenfhausen - VOTE HERE

Book Five: Garth Nix and Sean Williams - TroubleTwisters: The Mystery - Published by Egmont - 6, May 2013 - Cover by Egmont creative design team. VOTE HERE






That's the five books up for voting on heat four. Please leave your comments on the post and twitter name if you have one to win the signed book.  Also if your really nice, why not give us an RT or mention use #bookcoverwars or share on Facebook.  Thanks all, may the best cover win!

MR RIPLEY'S BOOK COVER WARS 5 - HEAT THREE 2013/14 AND JONATHAN STROUD BOOK COMPETITION

Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars are back again for the fifth year - it is that time again where we are looking for a further worthy winner. If you are returning to the site for another exciting year or are new to this competition, then I send you a very warm welcome. It is a delight to have your company in the book cover war zone. Don't forget to share this exciting adventure with your friends and followers - everyone is welcome.

For any follower of this site then this is the chance for you to become part of the weekly book cover wars. Each week, for the next 2 weeks, I am going to select five book covers for you to vote for. NEW RULES - the five book covers who get the most votes over the four weeks will go head-to-head in the final. You may not win the heat, but you could still get to the final of 'Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Wars 2013/14'. 

THE CURRENT LEADERBOARD CLICK THE LINK:HERE

As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a different special book each week. Therefore, in order to kick off the competition this week, we have an amazing collectable SIGNED FIRST EDITION HARDBACK - JONATHAN STROUD - THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND, GREAT PRIZE.

If you are interested then all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll ( click any of the links VOTE HERE and vote for your favourite book.
• Leave a comment through this post and a twitter name if you have one....
• Sit back, watch the voting develop and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed). Please note that this competition is open Worldwide.
•  Heat Three ends midnight (UK TIME)  11th November 2013. 

So here are the five book covers to vote for this week:

                           

Book One: Gareth L. Powell - Hive Monkey - Published by Solaris - 2, January 2014 - Book Cover by Jake Murray - VOTE HERE

Book Two: Derek Landy - Last Stand of Dead Men - Published by HarperCollins Children's - 29, August 2013 - Cover by Tom Percival - VOTE HERE

                          

Book Three: Samantha Shannon - The Bone Season - Published by Bloomsbury - 20, August 2013 - Cover by David Mann - VOTE HERE

Book Four: William Hussey - Haunted - Published by OUP Oxford - 5, September 2013 - Cover by Rohan Daniel Eason - VOTE HERE

Book Five: Jenna Burtenshaw - Winterveil  - Published by Greenwillow Books - 25 June 2013 - Cover by Larry Rostant - VOTE HERE





Let the voting commence on this years Book Cover Wars 2013/14. Please leave your comments on the post and twitter name if you have one to win the signed book.  Also if your really nice, why not give us an RT or mention use #bookcoverwars or share on Facebook. 

MR RIPLEY'S BOOK COVER WARS 5 - HEAT TWO 2013/14 +SUSAN EE - WORLD AFTER PROOF BOOK COMPETITION

Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars are back again for the fifth year - it is that time again where we are looking for a further worthy winner. If you are returning to the site for another exciting year or are new to this competition, then I send you a very warm welcome. It is a delight to have your company in the book cover war zone. Don't forget to share this exciting adventure with your friends and followers - everyone is welcome.

For any follower of this site then this is the chance for you to become part of the weekly book cover wars. Each week, for the next 3 weeks, I am going to select five book covers for you to vote for. NEW RULES - the five book covers who get the most votes over the four weeks will go head-to-head in the final. You may not win the heat, but you could still get to the final of 'Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Wars 2013/14'. 

POLL TABLE - Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars 2013/14

• Niel Bushnell - Timesmith  - 156 VOTES - HEAT ONE 
• Ian Johnstone - The Bell Between the Worlds ( The Mirror Chronicles) - 122 VOTES - HEAT ONE
• Dawn Finch - Brotherhood of Shades - 68 VOTES - HEAT ONE
• Andrew Beasley - The Battles of Ben Kingdom: The Feast of Ravens - 20 VOTES - HEAT ONE
• Patrick Carman - (Pulse) Tremor - 18 VOTES - HEAT ONE 

As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a different special book each week. Therefore, in order to kick off the competition this week, we have an amazing collectable PROOF copy by Susan EE - World After. A chance to read it early, publication date - 21st November 2013 fantastic book for you to win.

If you are interested then all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll ( click any of the links  VOTE HERE and vote for your favourite book.
• Leave a comment through this post
• Sit back, watch the voting develop and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed). Please note that this competition is open Worldwide.
•  Heat Two ends midnight (UK TIME)  30th October 2013. 

So here are the five book covers to vote for this week:

                         

Book One: Ransom Riggs - Hollow City ( Miss Peregrine's Children) - Published by Quirk Books - 25 January 2014 - Cover by Dogie Horner VOTE HERE
                          

Book Two: Jonathan Stroud - Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase - Published by Doubleday Children's - 29 August 2013 - Cover by Alessandro 'Talexi' Taini - VOTE HERE

Book Three: Thomas Taylor - Dan and the Caverns of Bone - Published by A&C Black Children's - 6th June 2013 - Cover by Thomas Taylor - VOTE HERE

Book Four: Teresa Flavin - The Shadow Lantern (Blackhope Enigma) - Published by Templar Publishing - 1st May 2013 - Cover by Lawrence Mann - VOTE HERE
    

Book Five: Philip Caveney - Watchers - Published by Fledgling Press - 10th September 2013 - Cover by Kylie Tesdale - VOTE HERE






Let the voting commence on this years Book Cover Wars 2013/14. Please leave your comments on the post to win that proof.  Also  if your really nice give us an RT or mention use #bookcoverwars or share on Facebook. 

MR RIPLEY'S BOOK COVER WARS 5 - HEAT ONE 2013/14 + ANGIE SAGE SIGNED BOOK COMPETITION

Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars are back again for the fifth year - it is that time again where we are looking for a further worthy winner. If you are returning to the site for another exciting year or are new to this competition, then I send you a very warm welcome. It is a delight to have your company in the book cover war zone. Don't forget to share this exciting adventure with your friends and followers - everyone is welcome.

For any follower of this site then this is the chance for you to become part of the weekly book cover wars. Each week, for the next 4 weeks, I am going to select five book covers for you to vote for. NEW RULES - the five book covers who get the most votes over the four weeks will go head-to-head in the final. You may not win the heat, but you could still get to the final of 'Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Wars 2013/14'. 

As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a different special book each week. Therefore, in order to kick off the competition this week, we have an amazing collectable book which is a signed, hardback copy of Angie Sage - Fyre. This is a great read and a fantastic book for you to win.

If you are interested then all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll ( click any of the links  VOTE HERE and vote for your favourite book.
• Leave a comment through this post
• Sit back, watch the voting develop and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed). Please note that this competition is open Worldwide. Heat one ends midnight (UK TIME) 21st October 2013. 

So here are the five book covers to vote for this week:

Book One - Niel Bushnell - Timesmith ( The Timesmith Chronicles) - Published by Andersen - March 2014 -  Designed by James Fraser, art editor Kate Grove. VOTE HERE

                             

Book Two -  Andrew Beasley - The Battles of Ben Kingdom: The Feast of Ravens - Published by Usborne Publishing - September 2013 - Illustrated by David Wyatt , Design by Hannah Copley. VOTE HERE

Book Three - Patrick Carman - (Pulse) Tremor - Published by Katherine Tegen Books - 25 February 2014 -  Book cover designers - Joel Tippie and Amy Ryan. VOTE HERE

                        

Book Four -  Dawn Finch - Brotherhood of Shades - Published by HarperCollins - 26 September 2013 - Designed by Liam Relph. VOTE HERE

                         

Book Five - Ian Johnstone - The Bell Between the Worlds ( The Mirror Chronicles) - Published by HarperCollins - 6 June 2013 - Designed by Blacksheep UK. VOTE HERE

Let the voting commence on this years Book Cover Wars 2013/14. Please leave your comments on the post to win that signed book.  Also  if your really nice give us an RT or mention use #bookcoverwars or share on Facebook. 

Guest Post Book Plug #2 - Richard Masson - Boonie and Book Competition

                                                            

This is the second post in the guest blog series. This week I would like to welcome Richard Masson to my blog; he has written a post about his debut book 'Boonie'.  At the end of this post you will find an opportunity to win a rather rare and signed first edition book. It is published by Hot Key Books and looks rather wonderful.  If this post has interested and inspired you (which I'm sure it will), then visit Richard's site to enter the competition by following the link provided. Good luck to all of you who enter - we look forward to hearing from you.

So over to Richard.....

What is Boonie?

Since I wrote Boonie, all sorts of people have given it so many different tags that even I sometimes wonder what sort of a book it really is. Essentially, it’s an adventure story, the story of a boy and a girl and their struggle to overcome the perils of the world they live in. It’s set on a planet scourged by war and pollution where water and getting enough of it is the main preoccupation. 

Ah-ha!  you say, an environmental book, a warning to humanity. No, or probably not but if it strikes that chord with you, then that’s fine by me.

Dystopian then, like The Hunger Games? Well, no, not really that either .

Hot Key Books, the publishers have said it’s a book about friendship.  I liked that and certainly friendship and loyalty come into it but maybe, or then again, maybe not. 

What I really like about these descriptions is that different readers seem to be getting different things out of Boonie.  I’m a writer who likes to lay down clues from which the reader can build their own world and gain their own understanding of my people and their motivations. OK, so I write the story but I like to put lots of different layers into it and, encouragingly, it seems readers are seeing through the layers, taking up the clues and  building their own worlds and having  their own light-bulb insights into the characters.

What is it then? What is Boonie all about?

Going back to the beginning, I still maintain that Boonie is an adventure story and if you want to read it as a straight forward yarn about two kids, getting through each day in an arid, desolate world and battling against some pretty nasty enemies in the hope of building a better life for themselves, then I’m happy. If you see an environmental warning in there or get an insight into friendship too, then great because what I’d really like is if everybody who reads Boonie thinks they have read a different book to everybody else, a book essentially their own, a book in which only they see the real story, only they really know JD and what he’s going through or understands that feisty little Aqua girl.

That would make me very happy. 

Getting to the point at last, I wonder what you think? Obviously you can’t say until you’ve read Boonie and here’s how you can.

Boonie Book Giveaway.

Would you like a signed first edition hardback edition of Boonie? 

Just visit my website at www.richardmasson.com where you will find the first 27 pages of the book. I’d love you to read it anyway but if you do just answer a simple question and leave a nice comment.  I promise I’ll read every entry and I’ll post the winner’s name on the website and tweet it too. All entries must be in by 31^st March 2013 and must be from UK residents only. Good luck everybody.

Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars 2012 - Heat 3 of 4 Plus Competition - Signed David Walliams - Mr Stink

You are now in Mr Ripley's Book Cover War Zone....

Heat two has just recently come to an end. The close run winner was Conrad Mason's up and coming book cover for 'The Demon's Watch'. This cover received amazing 189 votes out of the 449 votes that were cast. Therefore, as a worthy winner it now finds itself in the final.

• Heat one winner - Ransom Rigg's - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - 104 Votes
• Heat two winner - Conrad Mason's - The Demon's Watch - 189 Votes    

For any new or existing follower of this site this is the chance for you to become part of the weekly book cover wars. Each week (for the next 2 weeks) I am going to select four book covers for you to vote from. The winner of each heat will then go forward to the final round and get a chance to be crowned as 'Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Winner 2011'.

As a voter not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a different special book each week.

The book competition winner from last week has been picked and has won a copy of the new proof by Jonathan Maberry - "Dead of the Night". The lucky winner is Michelle at MuchLovedBooks - I will be in touch with you for your postal details. Hope you enjoy reading it.

In order to kick off the competition this week we have yet another amazing book prize. This week it's an first edition hardback "Mr Stink" which is signed by David Walliams and by the illustrator Quentin Blake. This is a rare opportunity to add this edition to your book collection. 

If you are interested in voting for a book cover and being in with a chance to win the above book then all you need to do is: 

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll (see top of the page)
• Leave a comment through this post 
• Sit back, watch the voting develop and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed). Please note that this competition is open Worldwide.

So here are the four book covers to vote for:

Book One - Barry Hutchison - The 13th Horseman - Published by HarperCollins - March 2012

Book Two - Andy Briggs - Tarzan: The Greystoke Legacy -  Published by Faber and Faber - June 2011

Book Three - Tommy Donbavand - Scream Street 13: Flame of the Dragon - Published by Walker Books - October 2011

              

                                              

                                                  

Book Four - Rick Riordan - The Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune - Published by Hyperion - October 2011 - US Book Cover


Get voting and may the best book cover win. Don't forget to leave a comment if you want to win a signed book. Open worldwide....

NEWS: MAUREEN JOHNSONS - JACK THE RIPPER FAN WALK UK ( The Name of the Star)

                                       

To celebrate the publication of Maureen Johnsons new YA thriller The Name of the Star, HarperCollins Children’s Books is offering 10 lucky readers the opportunity to accompany Maureen Johnson on a private Jack the Ripper walk in London on Thursday, 13th October 2011.

The walk begins at 5:00 PM and will carry-on for two hours into the night! Visit the haunting sites of Jack the Ripper and hear first-hand from Maureen how they inspired her new book The Name of the Star.

To enter, simply email nameofthestar@harpercollins.co.uk for a chance to attend the event with a friend. 

Disclaimer: Entrants must be 13 or over. Please ensure that you are available to attend the event on Thursday, 13th October from 5.00pm to 7.00pm before entering. Winners will be informed on Friday, 7th October, and will be provided with further instructions then.


Please check out my glowing Book review for this scary book! Loved it,you can buy it now as it's out today!

Will Hill - Department 19 Paperback - Book Release/Giveaway - Make A Scary Video

                        

For the release of the Department 19 paperback, we are running a video competition to win an ultimate gadget pack, which includes: iPad2 with accessories, iTunes vouchers and a guest-list spot to our top secret, invitation-only D19 author event at an undisclosed location in the UK. To enter, we are asking people to create their own scary video and upload it to YouTube – just like this one! – and our Facebook page.

The first prize is an Ultimate Gadget Pack including an iPad2 with accessories -- smart cover, iPad dock and headphones - £100 of iTunes vouchers and a place for you and 5 friends on the guest list to a Top Secret invitation-only event with Department 19 author Will Hill at a undisclosed location in the UK! 

The 5 runners up will win £50 in iTunes vouchers, a signed copy of Department 19 and a place for you on the guest list at the Top Secret Event. 

The top 10 videos with the most number of views will be the finalists and will be uploaded to our Facebook page to be judged.

All videos must to be titled 'Department 19 Exists - followed by the name of your video'. They will then be added as a favourite to this channel.

The winners will be selected by Department 19 author Will Hill! 

So entering the competition couldn't be easier:

Step 1 - Come up with an idea for a video to make us jump.

Step 2 - Film it on your phone or camera, whatever you have -- get your friends involved!

Step 3 - Make sure it's really scary.

Step 4 - Upload to youtube - you must name it "Department 19 Exists - "your video name" and post it on the Department 19 Facebook page.. 

Step 5 - Get as many of your friends to view it as possible. 

Step 6 - The top 10 - based on the number of views will then be judged by the author of Department 19 Will Hill. 

The closing date for the competition is 31st October 2011..

So, for your chance to win an iPad and accessories, get making your scary video now!.

Also to promote the release of the paperback,you can get your little hands on a signed copy of the paperback and a new poster. Sounds good right! All you need to do is leave a nice comment on this post and be a UK resident. Ends Friday 30th September,the first person drawn at random will  be sent a nice shiny book!