A Short Blogging/Puppy Hiatus–Introducing Doc

Doc

DOC (aka The Doctor Underwood)

If you’re wondering where the blog posts have gone…. well, the puppy ate them! Yes, Underwords has a new puppy and his name is Doc. Yes. Doc as in The Doctor (aka The Doctor Underwood), but we call him Doc for short.

He’s a miniature dachshund whose parents are on the smaller side. He’s about 11 weeks old right now, and I think he’s finally grown beyond the “teacup” size into a solid “coffee mug”. He’s a really beautiful chocolate brown with splashes of golden color on his paws and nose. Clearly, it looks like he jumped into a honey pit.

So, I thought you might enjoy meeting the new puppy so that you all know where my blogging time has gone. I promise more blogging about all things SF, fantasy and horror will be starting again soon….

In the meantime, here are a few photos of Doc for your viewing enjoyment:

Zippymale1rs

This was the first photo of Doc when he was maybe a few days old. Tom said he looked a bit like a tinsy tiny werewolf, which convinced me that Doc would be right at home with the Underwoods.

Doc 3

This is Doc today. He is standing upon the living room ottoman, surveying his new kingdom and wondering where he put that little dinosaur toy that he loves.

Doc 4

Here’s Doc in a moment of quiet reflection as he ponders the great questions of the day … i.e. When will breakfast be served? …. Where did that dinosaur toy go? …. How did I get on the ottoman? …. I think I see the CAT!

Doc 1

Here we have Doc petitioning Lucky, the current reigning Queen of Hawkes Street, as he requests a few minutes of time with her blue snowman toy.

I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting Doc. I’m sure you’ll see pictures of him cropping up here and there in the future.

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Futuredaze for the Victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing

boston-finishFor those of you who don’t know, I live in Boston’s North Shore and I work in Cambridge.  On Monday, April 15th, two bombs went off near the finish line of the Boston Marathon,  sending nails and ball bearings through the crowded area–killing 3 people and wounding 176 people. Lives have been lost and even more lives will be forever changed as people and families try to figure out how to move forward emotionally and financially after this horrific crisis.

I would like to do what I can to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Therefore, for every Kindle edition of Futuredaze sold between April 15-30, 2013, I will donate the  proceeds to “The One Fund | Boston 2013″ that was set up by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino to help victims. This amounts to $4.66 per copy, which can really add up over the next two weeks given the number of countries where Futuredaze is available on Kindle. (There’s a full list with links below.)

You can find out more about “The One Fund” via this link and you can even donate directly to the fund.

Futuredaze (Kindle) proceeds between April 15-30, 2013 will go to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.

The Kindle editions of Futuredaze: An Anthology of YA Science Fiction are available in the following countries, but please be aware that the text is in English. All proceeds received from Kindle book sales of Futuredaze for Kindle purchased world wide between April 15-30, 2013 will be counted toward the overall total that Underwords donates to “The One Fund” to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Futuredaze for Kindle:

Why I’m Doing This
When I was a child, about 10 years old, my family lived in low-income housing. My mom worked 2-3 jobs just to help to make ends meet, and while we had enough to survive we didn’t have any financial cushion nor did we have anywhere to turn when times got tough. As fate would have it, one night our apartment caught on fire and destroyed just about everything we owned. We were asleep at the time and lucky to escape with our lives and the clothing we were wearing. Due to the kindness of strangers, we were able to purchase some new clothing and raise enough money for a deposit on a new apartment. At the time, I didn’t understand why my mom cried when people brought us things and took us shopping. I didn’t understand how much we had lost when everything, including our family heirlooms, went up in flames. I understand now why she cried. Generosity to those in need was a lesson that I learned early, and it’s one that I carry with me through my life.

I will do what I can to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and I invite you to help make a difference either by purchasing a copy of Futuredaze for Kindle or contributing directly to “The One Fund”. Again, for every copy of Futuredaze for Kindle (sold via any Amazon website worldwide), I will donate the proceeds to “The One Fund.” Please help spread the word about the Futuredaze Fundraiser for the Victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing.

Also, if you’d like to donate directly to “The One Fund”, you will be helping some people who really need your support right now.

Thank you so much.

Sincerely,
Erin

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YA Scavenger Hunt — Join the Adventure!

Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt! There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter them both! I am a part of the RED TEAM–but there is also a blue team, which give you a chance to win a completely different set of twenty-five signed books!

All you have to do is add up the clues and enter the winning code for your chance to win the grand prize contest–one lucky winner will receive a signed book from each author on The Hunt from The Red Team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) starts on April 4th at noon (PST), and ends on Sunday, April 7th at noon!

This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to find exciting new authors, gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and get a chance to win some awesome prizes!

Visit the official YA Scavenger Hunt page to learn more about The Hunt, view links to the participating authors, and the list of prizes!

Solve the Puzzle

Directions: I’ve listed my favorite number below. Collect the favorite numbers from all of the authors on the red team, add them up, and discover the winning number (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!). Go to the go to the entry form and enter the winning number to submit your official entry. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Contest Rules: Open internationally. Anyone under the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by Sunday, April 7th at noon Pacific Time. Entries submitted without the correct number, without contact information, or after the deadline will not be considered. The winner will be chosen at random from the qualified entries for each team.

Meet the Author: Lea Nolan

Today, I am hosting Lea Nolan on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

Lea Nolan writes the kinds of stories she sought as a teen—smart paranormals with bright heroines, crazy-hot heroes, diabolical plot twists, plus a dose of magic, a draft of romance, and a sprinkle of history. She’s holds degrees in history and women’s studies concentrating in public policy and has worked in  health care policy for nearly twenty years. She lives in Maryland with her heroically supportive husband and three clever children. Her debut YA novel, CONJURE, is the first book one in The Hoodoo Apprentice Series.

Find out more information by checking out Lea’s website or find more about CONJURE here!

Get Exclusive Content 

CONJURE by Lea Nolan

Be careful what you search for…Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry–hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday. But when a strange girl appears bent on revenge, demon dogs become a threat, and Jack turns into a walking skeleton, Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends—are lost forever.

Check out Lea’s special content for The YA Scavenger Hunt and read this short excerpt from CONJURE’s deleted chapter.

I sprinkle the powder over the glowing chips. The herb mixture ignites as it hits the hot charcoal, spitting and crackling like tiny beads of gunpowder. A cloud of gray-green smoke billows up from the center of the pan.

The sky darkens as the clouds shift and converge, blocking out the sun.

Miss Delia thrusts Jack’s baseball cap at me. “Quick, fish out your brother’s hair and add it to the pan.”

I tug the jet-black strand from the inside of the brim. It’s straight and coarse, almost like a strand of wire, and way thicker than mine. Definitely Jack’s. As I toss it onto the coals, Miss Delia grasps my hand and chants, “As dawn breaks night, and heat melts ice, turn back this curse and restore Jack’s life.”

A blast of wind barrels across the backyard, whipping the rear of the house and rattling the windows. A ghostly moan surrounds the bottle tree.

A flash bursts in the pan, and a fireball leaps into the air, blowing the powdered mixture all over the kitchen and us. A split second later, the flames collapse on themselves, retracting back into the pan with a loud sucking sound that smothers all the heat. Even the charcoal has stopped glowing.

Miss Delia starts, then leans toward the quiet pan, holding her hand above the coals that blazed just a second ago. Her eyes are fixed in stunned confusion. I lift my hand and hold it next to hers. There’s no residual heat. It’s completely cool. Miss Delia pokes a tentative finger at a charcoal chip. It disintegrates into a heap of ash.

Suddenly a loud and ferocious bark booms from outside Miss Delia’s kitchen window. Deep and gravelly, it’s almost more of a roar than a bark. The yowl repeats, brutal in its persistence, filling my stomach with dread. I spring off my stool and race to the window to see what’s outside.

A giant black dog with long, glossy fur and electric yellow eyes stands in the middle of Miss Delia’s herb garden, howling its enormous head off. It’s at least as big as a pony, but I’m sure it’s a dog.

Some kind of crazy-eyed, half-Newfoundland, half-Doberman beast.

CONTINUE THE HUNT

Remember to enter the Red Team’s contest for your chance to win a bunch of signed books–including books by me, Lea Nolan, Suzanne Lazear and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 31. Once you’ve collected all of the Red Team’s favorite numbers, add them together and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Continue your quest to complete the hunt and visit Suzanne Lazear! But before you go, here’s…

~Your Extra Chance to Win~
a Copy of Futuredaze

futuredaze-cover-hi-res2In addition to the YA Scavenger Hunt contest, I’m also running my own contest. Enter here to win a signed copy of FUTUREDAZE. The entry with the most points wins! If there is a tie, those contestants will be entered into a random drawing to determine the winner. This contest is open internationally. If you are under 18 years old, please be sure to get your parent’s permission to enter.

How to get your points (one point per item, 4 total):

NOTE: If you already follow or like any of these pages on Twitter or Facebook, give yourself a point since you can’t “like” me twice…even though I wish you could. :-)

Thanks for participating. The Scavenger Hunt and my extra contest are both closed now.

Posted in Contest, Futuredaze, Scavenger Hunt, Uncategorized | 96 Comments

Teen Literature Event: Futuredaze Reading at Spirit of ’76 Bookstore

Futuredaze-cover-hi-resSpecial Event featuring Science Fiction for Young Adults

Join us at Spirit of ’76 Books for a fun filled event in which teens read excerpts of science fiction short stories and poetry from Futuredaze! A reception and book signing will follow with Marblehead resident Erin Underwood, the anthology’s co-editor and publisher.

“Futuredaze is a fantastic choice for YA (and older) readers who enjoy science fiction and fantasy.” –ForeWords Reviews

“This is a great anthology, offering some of the strongest YA fiction I’ve seen in years. There’s something for everyone here, and not just young adults, but the not-so-young adults too.” Tangent Online

Futuredaze: An Anthology of YA Science Fiction includes 33 original short stories and poems that spark the imagination, twist the heart, and make us yearn for the possibilities of a world yet to come. Reflecting many of the ideals first set forth by science fiction icons such as Isaac Asimov, George Orwell, and Ray Bradbury, Futuredaze challenges the imagination with young adult fiction that includes far-flung futures, dystopian alternate worlds, life among the stars, and a host of startling stories that embrace the idea of “What if?”

FUTUREDAZE — TEEN READING EVENT
Spirit of 76 Books

Date: April 6, 2013
Time: 11:00 am
Location:  Spirit of ’76 Bookstore
107 Pleasant Street
Marblehead, MA 01945

Young adults aged 12 to 18 are encouraged to drop off in advance or write a one-paragraph statement at the event on “why they like to read science fiction” to be entered in a drawing for a signed copy of Futuredaze. Two winners will be chosen at random.

Interested in being one of our teen readers?

If you’re a teen in the Marblehead, MA area and you’re interested in reading a story excerpt or a poem from Futuredaze at the reading on April 6th, please contact Erin Underwood at erin.m.underwood@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you there!

~

Directions to the Spirit of ’76

Spirit 76 Map107 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, MA 01945

From the south, take Rt 95/Rt 128 North. At the split, stay on Rt. 128N towards Gloucester. Take exit 25A (Rt 114 East, Salem/Marblehead). Follow winding Rt 114 east through Peabody and Salem, approx. 6.5 miles to Spirit of ‘76 Bookstore, 107 Pleasant St., Marblehead. (Pleasant St. is Rt. 114 in Marblehead). The bookstore is located at the intersection of Pleasant and School Streets, the 7th traffic light after crossing the townline into Marblehead on Rt. 114.

From the north, take Rt. 95 south to Rt. 1 south at Danvers exit. Follow Rt. 1 approx. 1.5 miles to Rt. 114 east exit. Follow Rt. 114 east past North Shore Shopping Center then winding through Peabody and Salem to Marblehead where Rt 114 becomes Pleasant Street. The bookstore is located at the intersection of Pleasant and School Streets, the 7th set of traffic lights after crossing into Marblehead on Rt. 114.

[Post mirrored from Underwords Press.]

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Check out the Q&A for Futuredaze on Bitten by Books

Thank you to everyone who stopped by Bitten by Books site to ask our Futuredaze authors and editors their questions about the anthology. Putting together a science fiction anthology for young adults has been a wonderful experience. I have to say, the whole publication process has been great so far. I am so pleased with the positive responses that we’ve had to Futuredaze, but getting to interact with readers and answer their questions was a delight. futuredaze-cover-hi-res2

If you’d like to stop by Futuredaze’s live chat page, the Q&A session hosted by Bitten by Books is still up. The contest is over, but you can still ask questions and read along to hear what our authors had to say.

You can also pick up a copy of Futuredaze on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or at your local bookstore.

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RSVP Today for the Online Futuredaze Event with Bitten by Books

Join me and the Futuredaze authors at an online event hosted by Bitten by Books tomorrow, Tuesday, March 12th. It’ll be an online chat plus a contest to win one of two $20 Amazon gift cards. You can get some extra points for the contest by RSVP’ing today using this link.

We look forward to seeing you online to chat about young adult science fiction. Ask us any question you’d like and we’ll be there to answer.

Help to spread the word and invite your friends to join the party since the more the merrier! You can blog, Facebook, and Tweet this link for them to RSVP:  http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=62201

From Bitten by Books:

futuredaze-cover-hi-res2Join us on 3/12 with editor Erin Underwood and more for a Release Party, chat and contest. This event post goes up at 12:00pm Central and runs into the evening.  For those visiting from outside of the US, here is the time conversion link. We are in the Chicago time zone: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

CONTEST INFO: Open to readers WORLDWIDE
Prize:  Two  $20.00 Amazon Gift Cards (two winners)

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Read “Totentanz” by Nancy Holder & Erin Underwood — for FREE!

We’ve got a surprise for you! “Totentanz”, the short story that Nancy Holder and I wrote for the anthology Danse Macabre, edited by Nancy Kilpatrick, is available for a free for 30 days with permission of our publisher. We hope you enjoy “Totentanz” and consider picking up a copy of Danse Macabre for further reading enjoyment. Download “Totentanz” now.

Danse MacabreBook DescriptionDanse Macabre: Close Encounters With the Reaper could be one of the most unusual anthologies you’ll ever read! Twenty-three literary reflections embody the theme, classical artwork devoted to the spectrum of humanity’s intriguing interactions with the Angel of Death in all of his/her manifestations. Buy a copy of Danse Macabre.

Story Description — “Totentanz” is the story of a young woman who has moved to Germany during Carnivale season and soon finds herself at odds with her finance while trying to balance a life and death decision at work.

Download “Totentanz” for free.

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New Review of Futuredaze from ForeWords Reviews

We have received a new review for Futuredaze. This one is from ForeWords Reviews,  a trade review journal that covers “the rapidly growing independent, alternative, university, and self publishing industries.” You can read the whole review via this link, but here’s a quick look at the summary.futuredaze-cover-hi-res2

Futuredaze is a fantastic choice for YA (and older) readers who enjoy science fiction and fantasy. Of interest and possible inspiration to young writers is the fact that many of the authors featured in this anthology are themselves quite young.” – ForeWords Reviews

Thank you ForeWords!

You can pick up a copy of Futuredaze here:

International readers can find stores via this link.

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Futuredaze Updates

It seems time for a few quick updates for Futuredaze: An Anthology of YA Science Fiction. We just heard that Barnes & Noble will be stocking Futuredaze in some of their stores, which is terrific news. We’ve also have a new review coming out in ForeWords, which we should be able to share soon. Plus, the Futuredaze eBook is now available anywhere eBooks are sold.

In addition to being featured by Reading Teen and by John Scalzi, Futuredaze has  an online event coming up with Bitten by Books. More info on that will be coming soon. Also, my local newspaper (The Marblehead Reporter) is doing a feature on me and Futuredaze, and I’ll post that link as soon as it’s available. The photographer is coming on Saturday to take my picture. So far, getting my picture taken is the most nerve-wracking part of this whole process.

And on a personal, non-Futuredaze, note we’re adopting a new puppy who will be getting his own special blog post in April. :-) His name is Doc.

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AWP Schedule – Boston

I’ll be attending the AWP (Association of Writing Programs) Conference next week in Boston. If you’re in Boston, I’m hosting the Stonecoast MFA Community Reading at the Boston Public Library, which is also open to the public. After that I’ll be at the convention, attending panels, and meeting people. Here’s my schedule. See you around!

Thursday, March 7

Stonecoast MFA Community Reading – Open to the Public
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm
Location: Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street
Readers:

Erin Underwood – Welcome Remarks
Jeanne Marie Beaumont, faculty
Jaed Coffin, faculty
Anthony D’Aries, alumnus
Aaron Hamburger, faculty
Lexa Hillyer, alumna
Sandra McDonald, alumna
Thomas McDonald, alumnus
Suzanne Strempek Shea, faculty
Sholeh Wolpe, faculty
Lady Zen, student
Annie Finch – Closing Remarks

Friday, March 8

The Low-Residency MFA Experience: An Alumni Perspective
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Location: Room 108, Plaza Level, Hynes Convention Center
Participants: Erin Underwood (m), Ann E. Michael, Ian Williams, Janet Pocorobba, Sandra McDonald

Low-residency MFA programs are on the rise. This panel features an alumni perspective on the educational and post MFA low-residency experience. We will examine how well the low-res model fits our needs as well as our programs’ resources for alumni, the development of alumni communities, and the reality of establishing a publishing or academic career. We will also look at the overall value of the experience on a personal, artistic, and professional level. A Q&A session will follow.

Saturday, March 9

Stonecoast Booth
Time: 9:30-10:30 am
Location: Bookfair, Hynes Convention Center

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