Welcome to Smugglivus 2009!
Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2009, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2010.
Today, on our first official day of Smugglivus 2009, we kickoff the festivities with our first guest, Joel Sutherland.
Who: Joel Sutherland, author of speculative fiction and horror. Joel was the very first author to contact us with a review query when we started the blog back in 2008 (the book was the wonderful horror anthology he co-edited, Fried! Fast Food, Slow Deaths) and one of the very first authors we ever had the pleasure of interviewing. Last year, we thought it was only fitting to have Joel open Smugglivus 2008 – and now it’s become something of a tradition!
Recent Work: Frozen Blood (an awesome psychological horror novel that was nominated for a Stoker – Superior Achievement in a First Novel – this year). Reviewed here by Thea.
Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for Joel!
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Joel:
Smugglivus 2009
This is easily my favourite time of year.
First, I’m a Christmas junkie. The magic of the season never fails to make me feel like a 3-year-old again. Of course, my wife likes to remind me throughout the year that I always act like a 3-year-old, but I like to think that I act like a very mature 3-year-old.
Second, my birthday is December 1—just enough time before the 25th that I was never shortchanged when it came to receiving gifts or having parties. I know that makes me sound a tad greedy and self-centred, but ‘tis the season.
Third, this is the time of year when most of the biggest movies and novels are released, and being a serious ‘phile’ of the cinema and ‘aholic’ of books, I’m as happy as a pig in you-know-what every time December rolls around.
But there’s a fourth reason to look forward to December now: Smugglivus. Last year, when I was asked to write a piece to kick off the first ever Smugglivus, I had no idea that it would become as big a deal as it has, or that it would be an annual tradition as pervasive as decorating a tree, leaving milk and cookies out for the Big Guy In Red, or watching It’s a Wonderful Life twenty-five times in twenty-five days. I know I’m not alone in my child-like joy when I first heard Ana and Thea plan on running Smugglivus every year for, well, as long as they’re smuggling books, I suppose. And knowing the two of them, I have no doubt that will be a very long time indeed. So remember, as you’re giving thanks this year for family and friends, food, presents, and either Edward’s well-coifed hair or Jacob’s chiseled abs (depending on which team you’re on), don’t forget to give thanks for The Book Smugglers, as well.
There’s a lot for me to give thanks for this year. My wife and I moved into our first house together and are now expecting our first child. (I can’t believe I resisted the urge to end that sentence with an exclamation point or two or three!!!) I got a promotion at work. And on the literary front, my first novel, Frozen Blood, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award, and Scholastic purchased my proposal for a children’s non-fiction book (Become a Writing Wizard: Fun and Games for Creative Kids, coming out in August, 2010—watch for it!). My wife and I traveled in June to sunny Los Angeles (it was colder than Toronto) for the Bram Stoker Award banquet, and although I didn’t win, the weekend was packed with incredible highlights. Among the people I met were Richard Matheson (author of I Am Legend, he sat behind me at the awards dinner), Heather Graham (author of The Death Dealer, a quote from her appears on the cover of Frozen Blood), and Duke Henry the Red (a.k.a. actor Richard Grove, who should need no other introduction other than to say he played Duke Henry the Red in Army of Darkness).
High on that list of exciting people to meet was Thea, who came to the kickoff signing at Dark Delicacies Bookstore in Burbank. What a cool cat that Thea is, driving all the way to meet me (I learned that weekend that wherever you want to go in L.A., it’s a long way away) and to buy a copy of my book—even though she had already read an electronic version for review! If only all reviewers were so generous…
Joel & Thea at the Dark Delicacies signing
Karma is a wonderful thing, and Thea ended up winning a prize in a contest I ran this past summer for anyone who purchased/reviewed Frozen Blood. Her prize was to have her name appear in my next published novel (most likely a children’s horror book—with any luck I’ll have more info on that for next year’s Smugglivus!) as either a hero or a villain. I’m sure all you fellow Book Smugglers fanatics out there can guess which option she chose.
Guest blogger aside: Whenever I’m in your neck of the woods, Ana, we’ve got to meet for a photo op. And then I’ll be able to report on your cool cattitude to the blogosphere, too! End of aside.
When asked to be the first guest author for Smugglivus again this year, after all the hooting and the hollering and the gushing and the blushing (when complimented, my face takes on a nice shade of tomato), I decided that it was time for another contest. One that’s open to everyone and anyone who loves The Book Smugglers as much as I do.
It’s real simple: post a comment to this blog entry, and three winners will be selected at random by Thea and Ana. I’ll email each winner a free e-book version of Frozen Blood, and I’ll even create characters for all three—yes, all three—to appear in my next novel along with Thea. The choice to be a good guy or a baddie is yours (insert gentlemanly guffaw or evil laughter here; again, your choice).
I’d like to close as I did last year (it doesn’t count as plagiarism if you plagiarize from yourself, does it?):
From this Bosmad* to you, Merry Smugglivus to all, and to all a dark and stormy night!
*Dictionary definition of ‘Bosmad’:
[boh-smad]
-noun, plural -s
1. a Book Smuggler Addict.
2. esp. a completely obsessed, sad, sick addict when it comes to books, who loves a blog written by two self-described completely obsessed, sad, sick addicts when it comes to books.
3. often seen wearing upper torso apparel emblazoned with the numeric code ‘4 8 15 16 23 42’, or some other geektastic insignia.
Origin:
2008-9; prob. var. of bahsmied, novelomaniac, from Middle Low German.
Related forms:
Bo-smad-i-an, adjective
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Thank you, Joel!
Giveaway Details:
All right folks, you heard the man! Joel is graciously providing THREE lucky readers with an e-copy of his Stoker Nominated (and really damn good) horror novel, Frozen Blood, PLUS each winner will become a character (either good or evil, based on your preference) in Joel’s upcoming book. The contest is open to EVERYONE and will run until Saturday, December 5 at 11:59pm (PST). To enter, simply leave a comment here. ONE entry per person, please! Duplicate and/or multiple entries will be disqualified. Good Luck!
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48 Responses to Smugglivus Day 1 – Guest Author (and Giveaway): Joel Sutherland
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOEL!!!!!!!!!!!
I think for the sheer awesomeness of this guest entry, and the prize, I have to go out and buy a new copy of Frozen Blood! But seriously that’s the coolest contest ever, and even if I dont win it will be so fun to read the book and recognize the contest winners’ names!
Happy birthday! The book sounds amazing as well. Love the idea of putting the winners’ names in your book.
Fingers crossed!
What a great contest!! Happy Birthday Joel. Win or lose the contest, Frozen Blood is most definitely now on my TBR list!!
Good luck with the baby. As a mom, I can tell you, life as you know it will be gone…forever!!! (insert my own little evil laugh!)
Happy Birthday Joel! Congrats on the new house, baby on the way, promotion and selling a new proposal to scholastic.
Happy birthday Joel! Crossing my fingers and toes that I win. Just think of the awesomeness of having MY
name in your book.
Joel, don’t you know those numbers are CURSED? Now you’re going to crash the website and there will be years of confusion and unresolved questions!
Happy Birthday!!!
…
What dictionary are you using for this Bosmad definition? *is suspicious*.
Ooh, so that’s what Thea looks like!
Happy birthday, Joel! And congrats on the house and rugrat!
Happy birthday, Joel, and congrats from this Bosmad!
Happy Birthday, Joel! Great way to start this year’s Smugglivus and what a fantastic prize!
Another happy birthday, Joel! I’ve heard great things about your work.
Happy B-Day!
And whatlovely prizes are on offer. Who wouldn’t want to become a piece of literature (even if only in name) him-/herself?
Hi Joel,
Happy Birthday & Merry Smugglivus!!!
What a great contest! really too generous! I think you just set the standard for guests!
Happy Birthday! What a cool contest
Hi Joel and Happy Birthday! Thanks for stopping by and participating in the contest!!
Wow, it’s your birthday. Gosh, I’m always so jealous of everyone with a birthday in December…
Anyhoozles, please enter me!
Happy Birthday and thank you for opening Smugglivus for us!!! Good luck on your next novel. Thanks for giving us a chance to win a copy of your novel. Win or lose I am planning on buying myself a hard copy.
Thank you all for the kind comments so far, as well as for the birthday wishes. I have a temendous amount of affection and respect for this blog, its writers and its readers, and I’m thrilled people have enjoyed the post and are digging the contest — I couldn’t ask for a better birthday present than that. Big time thanks to Ana and Thea for asking me to participate in Smugglivus once again this year.
[Now that I've left a comment, I really hope I win the contest -- all my life I've wanted to be a character in a Joel A. Sutherland novel!]
Er, by ‘temendous’ I mean ‘tremendous’.
And look at that — my face is tomato!
Happy Birthday!! What a cool story with your connection to Booksmugglers!
I really enjoyed your post
Lucky duck meeting Thea!
Happy Birthday!! Great contest, my fingers are crossed.
Hi Joel
Thank you for sharing here today. I enjoyed learning more about you.
All the best,
RKCharron
Happy birthday and thanks for such a generous prize for your contest!
Happy Birthday Joel! Hope you have an awesome Christmas too.
This is such an awesome contest, I’m keeping my fingers crossed! ^_^
Happy Birthday Joel (it’s my sister’s birthday too)! Thanks for such a great contest and for giving us the chance to be a character in one of your books!
Happy Birthday Joel !
happy to be apart of this post
Happy Birthday!! So many new things. Enjoy
No need to enter me. Just wanted to say congrats on all the wondeful things happening in your life. Excellent post and good luck to you in all your endeavors
And Happy Birthday.
Happy Birthday Joel! What a way to spend it!
I’m looking forward to this Smugglivus! This will be my first!
Happy Birthday. And I am looking forward to the book after that fun little blog
OKAY I WANT TO BE AN EVIL GUY IN A NOVEL. I WANT TO, I WANT TO.
Rant aside, happy belated birthday and good luck with the novel and congrats on the baby. Woohoo!
Wow, sounds like it’s been a busy year. Congrats on the baby and house! This is a really cool contest. Can’t wait to see who wins!
Very cool contest. The book sounds very interesting, too!
Wow..how cool to be feature in one of his book.
This sounds like an awesome contest!! I really want to read this book!
Sounds like a great opportunity!
Hi Joel!
Frozen Blood sounds great, I’d love to take a peek.
And Happy Birthday!!
Dottie
have a happy bithday!
many thanks for hosting this giveaway
Joel,
You are the awesomest – congrats on everything you’ve accomplished this year!
Mandi
Frozen Blood was a decent quick read. I recommend anyone out there looking for something to read while waiting in the airport during this holiday season should grab a copy and give a flip through.
OH.MY.GOD.
I soooo wanna be in your book!
That would be the most AWESOME-EST Christmas present ever!!! So pls count me in guys, and I’m hoping to join Thea in this so I’ll be crossing my fingers till I find out
Congratz Thea & Happy Belated Birthday Joel!
Looks scary! Thanks for the fun giveaways.
I enjoyed learning about you and I would love to win your book.
This is all kinds of awesome.
[...] Awhile back I interviewed author Joel Sutherland regarding his new novel Frozen Blood and nomination for a Bram Stoker award. Well, he’s recently contacted me to let me know that he’s also been nominated for a Black Quill Award AND he’s running another contest in conjunction with the blog The Book Smugglers. [...]