ETA: Today is the day! Vote for Up From The Grave here on March 21st between noon and midnight only, Eastern Daylight Time.
For your amusement, I have copied and pasted the Twitter “fight” that Ilona Andrews and I had last night, whereupon we used our rapier wits (heh!) to insult each other’s books, all to vie for your votes. For the full reason (with Ian book bribe included!) on why I think I should win instead of Ilona, read below the Tweet fight :).
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Pitted against BFF @ilona_andrews in #DABWAHA. Wish her all the best…wait, she offered a bribe to readers if she wins? DOWN w/her! 😉
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
My #DABWAHA bribe is now up. Ian lovers, you WILL want to see this: http://t.co/MC7fCmloDf (take THAT, @ilona_andrews ! 😉 — Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
So @Jeaniene_Frost thinks she can sway the votes with an Ian book? Think of how long you’ll have to wait. Vote for me and get a Curran POV! — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
So @ilona_andrews upped ante w/a Curran short story bribe. Pfft! Read the ones already out. My offer is for brand new Ian. Choose wisely ;).
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
I’m also pretty sure @Jeaniene_Frost will write Ian, win or lose. So you might as well vote for Kate and be rewarded with Curran POV! — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
All who are torn over me vs @ilona_andrews in #DABWAHA : vote for her OTHER book, Burn For Me. Then you still get Ian if I win our bracket;)
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
I am out of practice. I haven’t twitted from pro account in forever. Ahem. Something something funny. Vote for Magic Breaks and BFM. — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
.@ilona_andrews Yeah? Lie down with shapeshifters, get up with fleas. Who wants to itch in uncomfortable places, I ask?! #Fact. — Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
.@ilona_andrews I have never written such a scene, but I can’t remember: do your shifters mark their territory? Or are they potty trained?;)
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
.@Jeaniene_Frost hey your vampires think impaling people is good way to boost staff morale. — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
.@Jeaniene_Frost what is that smell? Oh it’s just Bob. Vladimir impaled him last week for forgetting to recycle and we kinda forgot him.
— Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
.@ilona_andrews Hmmph. Your werewolves think that eating their rivals is an eco-friendly way of taking out the competition. — Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
.@Jeaniene_Frost umm, no because eating your rivals leads to loupism. You don’t remember my books. #hurt #voteforme
— Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
. @ilona_andrews Better than a werewolf’s tendency to greet people with a butt sniff instead of handshake! #YesISaidIt — Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
.@Jeaniene_Frost Jeaniene is being mean to me. ::sniffles::
— Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
Vote for me because @Jeaniene_Frost doesn’t need your help. Ha! — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
Signing off tonight. @ilona_andrews, sleep tight. Don’t let the loup-ridden werewolves bite (b/c they DO, people, so vote vamp. 🙂 #DABWAHA
— Jeaniene Frost (@Jeaniene_Frost) March 21, 2015
.@Jeaniene_Frost here are some electric blankets for your ice cold vamps. Sleeping with corpses, :shudder: — Ilona Andrews (@ilona_andrews) March 21, 2015
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In case you haven’t heard of it, DABWAHA is a fun book competition run by Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books every March to coincide with March Madness. In similar style, books are paired off against each other, with the winner advancing to the next bracket, and so on, until there is only one. I have a special place in my heart for the Smart Bitches blog because many years ago, they gave me the very first book review I ever received on Halfway To The Grave. So, you can imagine how flattered I was to see my final Cat and Bones novel, Up From The Grave, make it into the DABWAHA competition this year. It’s like the universe was closing a circle somewhere.
Up From The Grave made it through the first round on DABWAHA. On March 21st from Noon to Midnight (EDT) only, the polls will be open to see if it advances again. However, it’s up against a very excellent novel by my longtime friend, author Ilona Andrews. I, of course, upon seeing this, decided that I couldn’t possibly ask my readers to help me defeat a novel by one of my BFF’s…..wait, what did Ilona post on her blog?
Ilona was offering a bribe to her readers to crush my book? All right, then! *takes off gloves* It’s ON, bey-otch! 🙂
So, what bribe shall I offer you to entice you into voting for Up From The Grave at this link TODAY, March 21st, from noon to midnight? Hmmm, what about….if it beats my now-former BFF’s book, then…
The next vampire spinoff novel I write will feature Ian as the hero.
That’s right, Ian lovers, he can be all yours, if you help me show my vote-hungry friend that she might have started this with the bribes, but I will finish it! *insert “Spartans, prepare for glory!” war cry here*
So, readers, if you’re Team Ian, vote for Up From The Grave on March 21st between noon and midnight EDT. Then, spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, whatever. We only have a 12 hour window to make this happen.
Besides, Ilona has another novel in this year’s DABWAHA competition anyway ;).
Disclaimer: This bribe-off and all corresponding smack talk is purely in jest. Ilona is my BFF and always will be :).
wooohoooo! It’s ON!
We got your back darlin no bribes were required. But since you’re offering
Ian it makes it even better……
-SWORD DRAWN, BATTLE CRY-
Omg!! Seriously, you are two of my favorite authors and I couldn’t believe it when I saw you were against each other, BUT, the ONE THING you could say to bring me to YOUR dark side??? You would do Ian’s book next!!! I love him! Can’t wait!! Lol
Your books inspired me to become a writer. I love your work. I can not wait to read Ian’s books.
YOU HAVE MY VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah. Will vote cuz anything you write will be great. Ian will be Great treat.
Ian will be a delicious addition to the collection…..battle cry worthy indeed. Love you! Let’s go fans!!!!
**spreading war paint on face ** Oh yeah baby IT IS ON!!! Mrs. Frost get your fingers ready for the writing, we will be victorious!
Yas!! It’s oooooon!
*puts reminder in calendar* March 21 shall forever be known as Ian Day. I have faith in my fellow Frosties!
As we say in Louisiana, Oh, hell no, they didn’t. I do love Curren and Kate, but nothing beats Kat and Bones in my mind. Best of luck!
Oh man…I totally needed some good news after today! Voting once will not be enough. So excited for Ian’s twisted little mind !!!! (Suck it, Christian grey)
I love both of you, but I read your work first! 😉 All you had to do was ask. I am so excited to read Ian’s story!
*GASPS!!!!!!!*
You have my allegiance. *bows*
Sorry Ilona. I’ve already enjoyed the fruits of your bribe and I’m going to enjoy it once more in audiobook form. It’s really awesome…
But. It’s. Ian.
IAN. He’s getting his own story. That means adventure and a LOVE INTEREST. Do you have any idea how long we’ve been waiting to find out who was the lucky lady???
There was really no other choice. None.
Ian does not need a love interest. He needs lots of lust interests. I loved his chains costume!
Please don’t sanitise him – naughty is awesome 🙂
I still wear ‘Ian’ ‘I like it twisted’ on my wrist 🙂
Ian with a love interest will still be twisted, I promise :).
Yay!
this is going to get bloody!!!! *insert African battle cry!!! with spears and everything*
heh… For the longest time I’ve been amusing myself with the head-canon that Ian would fall madly, deeply, desperately in love with an asexual… someone who not only doesn’t have a libido, but thinks sex is ridiculously silly as well as a little annoying and intrusive. I always got a HUGE kick out of imagining Ian learning to do a complete 180 on his sexual lifestyle to accommodate his beloved asexual’s preferences… which would include lots and LOTS of touching and affection, but absolutely nothing sexual or penetrative.
Yes, I know it’s extremely sadistic on my part imagining Ian suffering like this. But there was always something about this fantasy that made me both laugh and swoon with delight.
Was I absolutely the only person in the world who imagined this?
Close. Atleast I’ve always delighted on thinking that he would fall for someone who was more Gray-asexual. So she enjoys sex and had a libido, but its just soooo low that it would be big change for Ian. I just really like to see character’s with Ian’s personality type struggle. 🙂
What would be absolutely hilarious would be if Ian ended up with a goody goody librarian.
His name is not Vladimir *cough**
Ha! She actually apologized for that in another Tweet. Her phone auto-corrected “Vlad” to “Vladimir” and she didn’t notice until after she hit ‘reply.’
Yeah! It’s Vladislav. a.k.a Vlad.
I voted! 😀 I hope you will win 😀 Love Ian 😀
Voted and yes it is on!!! may the Best vampire win!!!
Obviously difficult decision but I love Bones more than Curran!!
*screaming* about Ian book. Good thing my honey ignores me!
I will always vote for you! !
You two are hilarious! Ian shian nothing beats Cat & Bones, but you demisticated them… :'(
will you not write the book at all if you lose? (Which you won’t 🙂
It’s on like donkey kong (I’m strange.). I would have voted for you but sadly i was late checking your website.