The Night of Writing Dangerously 2012

As many of you know, my two Maggie books exist soley because of National Novel Writing Month.  Last year, I attended The Night of Writing Dangerously and it was one of those shining memories I will carry with me forever.

Here's my blog post about the entire event - http://katedanley.blogspot.com/2011/11/night-of-writing-dangerously.html

Well, I have a chance to go to The Night of Writing Dangerously again this year.  And I have another Maggie book I need to start writing.  So won't you help?  All your donations go to bringing creative writing programs into schools.  I started writing my first novel in the 4th grade.  I love the thought that this evening might help some kid discover her calling, too.

So what are the prizes?

$10 - a free copy of any of my books in whatever format you'd like them (paperback, Kindle, Nook, etc.)

$25 - special thanks in the acknowledgement page and a free copy of any of my books in whatever format you'd like them.

$50 - a signed copy of Maggie Get Your Gun or the new edition of The Woodcutter when it is re-released in November.

$75 - I don't have a lot of these, but The Woodcutter and Maggie for Hire have just undergone an edit for spelling and grammar.  I also got rid of the epilogue in Maggie.  I'll sign and send you one of the old books, typos and all and you can sell it on eBay for a bajillion dollars down the road.

$100 - I'll dedicate the book to you

Ready to step up?  Click over for the donation page.  And thank you.

Hot Summer Reads

http://thevirtualshelf.blogspot.com/2012/06/hot-summer-reads-99c-urban-fantasy.html

*** Hot Summer Reads! 5 Hot Urban Fantasy e-Reads Just 99 Cents Each ***
June 26th and 27th 

See the special Amazon sale page at: http://amzn.to/LCNvnE 

Grab five kickass ladies for only 99-cents each!  

I'm participating in a two day ONLY sale with a group of super talented gals.  We've slashed our prices!  We're going CRAZY!  99-cents!  99-cents!  99-cents!  Tuesday and Wednesday only!  Get yourself over to Amazon and tell 'em Reine sent you!

• Maggie for Hire - Kate Danley
• Immortalis Carpe Noctem - Katie Salidas 
• (BONUS! Get EVERY BOOK in the Immortalis Vampire series for 99c each!)
• Inhale & Exhale - Kendall Gray 
• (BONUS! Get Inhale and its sequel, Exhale, for just $1.98!)
• Death's Hand & The Darkest Gate - SM Reine 
• (BONUS! Get the complete Descent Series including a free ebook for less than $2! amzn.to/LOhsTE)
• Kill Me - Alex Owens

Vroman's Bookstore

Guess which local author has two thumbs and has her Maggie for Hire paperbacks available at Vroman's Bookstore?

THIS GAL!

http://www.vromansbookstore.com/local-authors

Vroman's is Southern California's oldest and biggest independent bookstore.  And it is just frickin' cool.  So if you're in Pasadena and need a good read, drop by!  Maggie will be waiting for you over on the shelf!

The Highest Award

I have just been notified that Maggie Get Your Gun has gotten an "Emily's Good Taste Review".  I am honored.

Happy Birthday Giveaway!

It's my birthday today!  *throws confetti* *toots party horn*

In honor of this blessed occasion... excuse me... stop tittering and play along...  I am the Birthday Queen... do you see this paper crown?...  Everything I say today goes... AHEM.  I'm offering Maggie for Hire (Book I in the Maggie MacKay Magical Tracker series) for FREE today.  Oh, you read that right.  To borrow from the lexicon of some buddies of mine, it is FREE DOLLARS!

Grab your copy today!

Behind the Scenes of Maggie Get Your Gun -or- Yes, Calico Ghost Town is Real

One of the questions I get asked the most as an author is where I get my ideas from.  Unfortunately, for me, there is never really an easy answer.  Life flies at me and I just spot something shiny and another something shiny and my brain decides they should go together and I start writing a story.

But there IS a little bit of an origin story with Maggie Get Your Gun.

Last spring, I headed out to Vegas with these two trouble makers.

After blowing up a bunch of stuff...

And standing in awe of the beauty of Mother Nature...




We hopped in the car and headed back to LA.  There on the right side of a road (and yes, there were signs for Alien Beef Jerky and a 50's Diner) were signs for Calico Ghost Town.  Something called to me and I decided to head back the following weekend to check it out.

So Calico was a HUGE silver mining town back in the day and, believe it or not, was owned by the Knott family.  Yah.  The ones with the amusement park and the great cookies.  There's even a ride inside of Knotts Berry Farm called Calico Mine Train.  Tricky tricky!

The Knott family fixed up the place and then turned Calico over to the San Bernadino park service.  It is still cute as a button with all sorts of delightful Knott touches.  As I was walking around, my eyes befell this sign, and I knew I had found the setting for the next Maggie book.



I don't want to give anything away, but here are some of the real places that inspired Maggie Get Your Gun (all used fictitiously, any resemblance is purely coincidental, blah blah blah).

First off, the town proper:



You can't see it from here, but the General Store is over on the left behind the Calico Ghost Town sign.

Here's an entrance to the mine:


The exterior of the hillside apartment

And the interior of the hillside apartment


The schoolhouse and the gully


The train


And the loop out into the desert


The washerwoman's tub



And of course, Boot Hill


The entire place is fantastic and if you have a chance, take that detour on your next drive to Sin City.  Check it out!  The $8 you'll spend for parking is WAY better than putting $8 into a slot machine.  Trust me.

Free Maggie Get Your Gun Giveaway!

Are you a member of Goodreads?  I'm giving away some free paperback copies of Maggie Get Your Gun in a Goodreads Giveaway!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Maggie Get Your Gun

by Kate Danley

Giveaway ends June 04, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Already read it and LOVE it? As an indie author, I live and die by the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, so your kind words on either place are truly appreciated.