2011 Spooktacular October Paranormal Reading Challenge

I love paranormal books, but haven’t read many lately. Because of that, and since Halloween is my favorite holiday, I decided I would dedicate the month of October to paranormal books. Then I wondered if anyone else would like to join me, so I decided to make it into a challenge and include a prize – yes a prize! Who doesn’t love getting a free book?

So here’s the deal if you decide to participate: for every paranormal book you read and review in the month of October, you’ll be entered in the giveaway to win one of the paranormal books below. All you have to do is sign up between now and October 7th (I've decided to eliminate the deadline and allow people to sign up all month as long as you follow all the rest of the rules) then starting October 1st, whenever you read and review a paranormal book, come back here and post a link to the review in the Mr. Linky. This post that you’re reading is just for sign-ups - starting October 1st, there will be a new post where people can leave their review links. Each review is an entry in the giveaway, and on November 1st, one winner will be chosen. All reviews must be posted for the first time between October 1st and October 31st, 2011. 

The challenge part: you have to read and review a minimum of THREE paranormal books during October. You don’t have to choose them ahead of time, but you have to read at least three. For many of you, this will be no problem at all. If you don't think it's possible, don't sign up for the challenge.

So you want to participate? Here's what you need to do:

*Grab the button and place it on your blog. This way, not only will people know you’re participating in the challenge, but they can come back to my blog and find out how to join in on the fun.

<br /><a href="http://sweetmarie-83.blogspot.com/2011/09/2011-spooktacular-october-paranormal.html" target="_blank"><img src=" http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g167/irishstar83/2011-Spooktacular-October-Paranormal-Reading-Challenge-small2.jpg" alt="October Paranormal Reading Challenge" /></a>
My apologies to those of you who were having trouble with the button. I've fixed it now!

*Optional, but recommended: create a post or a page on your blog with the challenge graphic to help spread the word, and keep track of your progress once the challenge starts. If you decide to do that, make sure to either post a link back here, or have the linked graphic on your post so that, again, people can come join the fun. You need to have at least one or the other to be eligible – the button in your sidebar and/or a post about the challenge.

*The challenge says paranormal, but I’m going to go with a loose definition: basically, if it has any 'otherworldly'  element to it, I’ll accept it, which means that I’m not going to say no to books that may fall into the category of fantasy or urban fantasy. Think faeries, vampires, werewolves, shifters, mermaids, angels, demons, witches, sirens, banshees, etc.

*If this challenge crosses over into other challenges you're doing, that’s fine.

*On October 1st, I will start a new post with a new Mr. Linky where you can add links to your reviews. Don’t forget to add your reviews to be included in the giveaway, and don't forget you need at least three during the month. The more reviews you post, the more entries you have to win.

*To sign up, leave your name and blog URL in the Mr. Linky below (for example, Marie @ Ramblings of a Daydreamer), then leave a comment on THIS post with your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win (for example yourname(at)hotmail(dot)com so that spambots can't collect your email address).

*The giveaway at the end is open internationally as long as Book Depository ships to your country. For a full list of countries, check here. 

Now, the part you're probably most interested in: the prizes to choose from. I've tried to collect a wide variety of both adult and YA paranormal, and include a range of 'creatures' to appeal to all tastes.

 

That's it! If I've missed anything, you can leave questions and comments below. Let’s make October a month of spooktacular fun, and get some great paranormal books read and reviewed!

***Edit, October 1st: there's been a problem with the Mr. Linky. I still have everyone's links who signed up, but if you'd still like to sign up, please leave your name, blog URL and email address in the comments of this post. Sign-ups are still open until October 7th. I'm going to make a list of participants and post it for everyone to see so that people can visit the other blogs.***

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Post your reviews here

View my progress here