Chaos Storm is coming soon!

I've been so busy writing over the last few months that I've neglected my poor blog so here is a quick update.

Firstly the sequel to The Flight of the Griffin, Chaos Storm is just one chapter away from finishing. Just a wrap up of the loose ends and then it goes for editing. I'm hoping that it will be on Amazon by early July. One thing I promise is that if you enjoyed The Flight of the Griffin you are going to love Chaos Storm!

Set one year after the crew reunited the crystal skulls in Sterling Temple, a new threat plunges the Realm into danger with invading armies on two borders and Matheus Hawk back with greater powers and vengeance on his mind.

I also wanted to note that Shadowland, which now boasts 72 reviews on Amazon US with a 4.3 star average is a FREE kindle download on Amazon 11th- 13th June, if you haven't yet snagged a copy, this is your chance! Please leave me a review!!!  http://amzn.to/xrUOm5

The Times/Chicken House longlist - The Flight of the Griffin by C.M Gray

I am so excited today for The Flight of the Griffin to be included as one of the 21 'longlisted' books in The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition. It is a great honour and I'm just buzzing!

Congratulations to my 20 companions on the 'Longlist' 2013!

THE LONGLIST:
ALL THE SKY
S.A. West
London
BORN LOSERS
Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison
London
ELLIE AND THE GHOSTS
Elaine Murphy
Northumberland
FINDING ALICE
Rosemary Appleyard
East Sussex
FRAMED
Joy McCullough-Carranza
Washington, USA
LIKE A BROTHER
Wendy E Constance
Clacton-on-Sea
MOLLY
Katharine Leat
Norfolk
MOON BOY
D.M. Macphail
Perthshire
MR UNUSUALLY'S CIRCUS OF DREAMS
Sharda Dean
Hertfordshire
PROMISE NOT TO TELL
Rita Piper
Nottinghamshire
THE BOY WITH THE GOLDEN BALLS
Michael Byrne
Winchester

THE HAIRY HAND
Robin Bennett
Henley-on-Thames
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEACH
Benedict Brown
Surrey
THE SELKIES OF SCORESBY NAB
K.M. Lockwood
Sussex
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY HOUSE
Nicki Thornton
Abingdon
THE WITCH OF EDAINE
Hilly Barmby
Brighton
THROUGH MORTAL EYES
Sally Poyton
Oxfordshire
VINCENT
Phillip Rudall
Swansea
WE STOLE OUR BROTHER
Fiona Motherwell
London
ZACH IN THE MAKING
Kelly McCaughrain
Belfast

The Dark ages festival of Samhain

 - The summer’s end and coming of darkness -

Tonight we’re celebrating Halloween in our own very modern way with pumpkins, parties and trick or treats galore. But to find the origins of Halloween we have to firstly go back to the early Christian festival of 'All Hallow’s Eve,' celebrated as the night before ‘Hallowmas’ which later became known as All Saints Day. However, did you know that back in the dark ages, before Christianity came to Britain and the period where my story Shadowland takes place, there was also a festival celebrated at this time, and it was known as Samhain, which translates as summer’s end.

Samhain took place on or about the 31st October because it’s the day that falls midway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. To the tribes of dark age Britain, it was the last day of summer and the first day of winter - they only had two seasons.

In the villages, Samhain was a time of preparation for the long hard winter ahead. Last crops, hay and firewood were stored in well thatched huts and cattle brought down from the high summer pastures with those destined to be eaten, slaughtered as part of the Samhain celebration.

On the night of Samhain, two great fires were lit in the middle of the village and before the feasting the returning cattle and the people would walk between the walls of flame in a ritual of cleansing, throwing bones and offerings into the flames as they passed.

The superstitious people of the dark ages saw the night of Samhain and their fires as the time when the doorway to the Shadowland, the land of the spirits, became open and the two worlds would almost becoming one. In the dark ages village, old age was respected for its wisdom and dying was not feared but seen as part of the normal course of life, it was on the night of Samhain when the dead could be spoken to, advice sought and honoured ancestors who had passed into the Shadowland invited to feast with their families and loved ones. It was very auspicious if a child was born on the night of Samhain, for it was known that the child would become a druid or dreamer, one that could commune with the Shadowland.

So while you celebrate Halloween cast your mind back to the dark ages, peak into the Shadowland and take a glimpse of Samhain, it is, after all, your past and maybe you can invite your ancestors to join you!

Latest interviews!

Read my latest interviews and read more about the mind games of a YA author at...

From the Bootheel Cotton

and

Curse of Ancient  Shadows

Analysis of two days FREE on Amazon...

Shadowland was a FREE download on Amazon for two days....

...So how did it go?

I've participated in FREE days on Amazon before and, to be honest, I didn't promote those days very well. I certainly got less than a thousand downloads for my troubles. It did lead to an upturn in sales for a week or so after and I got a bunch of nice reviews, 25 so far with a 4.3 average which I'm delighted with.

However, for this return to offering my treasured book for FREE... the book I sweated over for more than a year before letting it lose into the world, I decided that if I was going to do it, then I would go for as many downloads as I could.

I Got 8,403 downloads in two days!

Well that made me happy! Most, 7,269, were in the US with a further 1,066 being in my native UK. I'm now watching to see how and if this translates into paid sales and more reviews... I shall keep you informed.

So how did I get so many downloads? 

I sent details of the free days to several websites and blogs that I am listing below. Most require a few days or even several weeks notice so it takes a little planning but if you're after downloads it's worth it.

I found the best sites to contact are:

http://www.pixelofink.com/

http://www.snickslist.com/

http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/for-authors

http://kindlefinds.com/submissions

http://ebookswag.com/

http://authormarketingclub.com/members/submit-your-book/

http://bargainebookhunter.com/contact-us/

http://thekindledailydeal.com/contact.cfm

http://thefrugalereader.wufoo.com/forms/frugal-freebie-submissions/

If you are going to offer  your work for free, then good luck and may the reviews be with you!

Update.

 After two weeks I can report that I have had 172 paid sales since the FREE days, which I am delighted with. Unfortunatly, there have, so far, only been three reviews after those two weeks which may be because people have downloaded and not got to the book yet, or that downloaders as a majority delight in free books but feel no need to leave a review (I do request people to write a review in the back of the book) or it is still early days. We shall see....

Giveaway of Shadowland

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Shadowland

by C.M. Gray

Giveaway ends October 31, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

My Interview on 'I Am A Reader, Not A Writer'

Thanks 'Inspired' Kathy for the visit to your awesome blog!

Visit 'I Am A Reader, Not A Writer' to read the interview and enter a giveaway for a signed copy of The Flight of the Griffin! 

Interview: 

If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you? A fire starter machine thingy... a fishing outfit and Maria Kirilenko to ...errr... play tennis with:)

What is one book everyone should read? Anything by John Steinbeck. It was only after reading his writing that I realised there really is a difference between an average writer and the very best. I can only aspire to one day come close to his level of work.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Green tea Ice cream available from my local sushi shop, it’s incredible!

One food you would never eat? Meat. I’ve been vegetarian for over thirty years ... cant quit remember why it all started now but it must have been a good idea at the time and the thought now of eating bits of cow etc just.... I’m pretty messed up on my food likes as I do eat fish. I guess Maria Kirilenko and I wouldn’t starve on that island at least.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. You should read The Flight of the Griffin because .....(cont.)