Photo Contest, Anyone?

Good morning!

I’m here to announce yet another photo contest for this summer. It will run all the way until August 31st at 11:59 pm. This time, I’m in need of a photo for my novel, “Night Time, Dotted Line”. As always there are specific guidelines for the photos. And like last year, there will be some nifty prizes for the winner. Interested? Click on the link below. It will take you to my website where you can check out the photo contest guidelines.

http://voxthebook.com/Photo_Contest.html

Good luck to all those who enter!

~KSilva

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Last Day of July Photo Contest… New August Photo Contest!

Well, folks, the title says it all. In the last month, I’ve had a grand total of 5 submissions for this photo contest. Not very many, you say?  Yes. I was hoping for just a few more. In light of this, I’ll be choosing a photograph from this batch as a winner but will not be using it as the cover photo for Book 3. The correct elements were just not present in all of these photographs. I’ll announce the winner next Sunday and they will still receive an Amazon gift certificate for $25 and a free copy of Books 1 and 2.

Now: why I’m not using any of the photos for my cover. There were 5 photos. 4 had boats in them, one had a spectacular sunset. Three of these photos featured foggy misty weather which wasn’t what I was looking for. Also, most of them were taken on the ocean instead of a lake or a pond. What I really want for this photograph is color. I’m not looking for a dark and unsettling photo like what I had used in the previous books. I want the photograph to exude a calmness. The rowboat came from also wanting someone to feel isolated when they looked at the photo.

The idea behind this dream cover photo is that a character used to go to this pond as a temporary refuge away from home. They spent many hours there because they felt safe there. And they were alone. No one else knew about this place.

So basically, this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to start an August Photo Contest. If you have a photo of a sunset OR sunrise at a pond (or lake). Plain and simple. I don’t care if there’s a rowboat in the photograph. If there is one, great. But the water and the colors of sunset or sunrise are the important things. Here is an example of what I mean.

REMEMBER: calm water. I’d really prefer if the water was flat and calm as opposed to being choppy. NO OCEANS.

This contest will continue through August until the 19th! One photo per person.

Same rules still apply. Send the photo to info@voxthebook.com with your name and a return email address. This photo must be unpublished and I need to be able to edit it for the cover.

Prizes: If a photograph meets the certain requirements, it will be picked as the cover for Memento Mori: Book 3 of The Monstrum Chronicles. The winner will also receive free copies of Vox, Aequitas, and Memento Mori (when it is available next year), as well as a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.

I’d also really appreciate it if you spread the word and told your friends. The more people who know about this contest; the better.

~KSilva

 

Weekly Update…N’Stuff

Good morning, readers!

It’s been a while since I’ve given you all an update so I figured it was about time!

First off, the July photo cover contest for Book 3 ends in less than a week! If you are harboring a photo of a rowboat, please send it in! There are some pretty fun prizes and your photo will be used on the cover of Memento Mori: Book 3 of The Monstrum Chronicles! Details are in the link here: http://voxthebook.com/Photo_Contest.html

Next: I’ve finished writing Acquolina, which is my first short story in the promotion of Aequitas: Book 2 of The Monstrum Chronicles. I’ll be releasing two short stories that pertain to the events of the novel ahead of time so that readers can have some fun background information of certain characters! Acquolina tells the story of a naive young lilitu (vampire) being torn in two different avenues of freedom from her oppressive future, neither one better than the other, but the lure of both too intoxicating to resist. I’ll be editing this during the next few weeks and hopefully will have it up for August 14th!

The second short story, Tulip, will be released in September, although I’m not sure if I’ll make the September 10th release date that I’d set on that.

In addition to all of this fun craziness, I’m still editing and doing lay-out for Aequitas. I just recently got a new laptop and my, oh, my… I love this thing. I’ve been using Microsoft Word 7 for the last five years and have just updated to 10. This is the best word processing program I’ve ever used!!! (And yes, it is deserving of three exclamation points.) I’ve been able to do the lay-out for this so much easier than I would have with my old program. I’m hoping to have all of the editing done in the next couple weeks, finish up the lay-out in mid-August, and get the back cover, synopsis, and other kagatha done in September in time for the October 4th release date!

I’ve also may have a potential book signing with the Rockport Public Library, whom I’ve talked with briefly about it.

And speaking of libraries, I’m also hard at work on organizing a Halloween Reading event with both Camden Public and Rockland Public Libraries for late October. I’ve already contacted both representatives and have locked in the dates. I have about 4 people each night, so I’m pretty satisfied. This is my first time organizing an event so I’m hoping I don’t stumble over myself trying to get everything prepared.

Hmmm… what else? I’ve been working on a couple of other projects here and there (the thromance novel, Night Time, Dotted Line, Memento Mori…etc.) and I’ve got a brand spanking new idea for an apocalyptic novel from watching Jumanji. (Go figure.)

In real life? Well, I’m working a lot. A LOT. I’ve been having some car issues with poor Izze (my red Kia) and have also been dealing with neck and shoulder issues. Crazy stuff. But then again, it’s been kind of a crazy summer. I actually can’t wait until fall when things calm down a bit work wise and things will start getting busier with my writing. Plus, I love the season!

Well, I’d best start getting ready for work. Stay tuned for my Cooking Adventures blog tomorrow where I’ll be sharing with you my weird attempt at Karvara.

~KSilva

July Photo Contest: Take 2

Good evening, all!

Just wanted to shout out a reminder that I have a photo contest going on right now! Enter your photograph of a rowboat on a pond (preferably at either dawn or sunset) and your photo could be chosen for the cover of Memento Mori: Book 3 of The Monstrum Chronicles!

I’ve had only a few submissions so far and a few people who have said they will dig through old photos to see if they could find something. We’re already halfway through the month, though, so time is running out! If you have a photo, please send it in. If you’re not much of a photographer, please share this contest with any friends or family members who like to take pictures.

Winners will not only have their photos used and credit given inside the book, they will also win free copies of Vox: Book 1 of The Monstrum Chronicles and Aequitas: Book 2 of The Monstrum Chronicles (when it releases in October). You also win a $25 gift certificate to Amazon. Lots of free stuff for one photograph. I say that’s pretty sweet.

Here’s a link to the official rules and regulations! http://voxthebook.com/Photo_Contest.html

Remember, all entries must be in by July 31st at midnight. I’ll be judging them that weekend and making my decision August 4th!

Now I’m also attaching a link to a videoclip from the game “Cry of Fear”. It’s this particular scene which has inspired the cover idea for Memento Mori, so I think it’s good that I share it with you. Maybe some of you will be inspired by it. Take a look here.

Stay tuned for my Inspiration Through Music blog on Monday. Until then, have a great weekend!

~KSilva

July Photo Contest!

Good morning, readers!

Today begins the first day of a month long photo contest that I’ll be holding. Eager to know the details? Good.

I’ve been searching for the perfect photo to use for the cover of Memento Mori: Book 3 of The Monstrum Chronicles. I even thought I had a good photo a month ago when some friends and I went on a photo adventure. It had been my goal to find an empty rowboat sitting in a pond with the daylight being at sunset. We ultimately located a motorboat tied up on a river but my camera doesn’t take good photos. I got back to my apartment thinking I really had something and all of the photos turned out blurry or looked too saturated or there was too much contrast, even when I tried to fix them in the photo gallery program. This means I still need a cover for Book 3.

This is where you come in.