Monsters & Mormons virtual launch this Friday: the details

Because our contributors are from all over the country, we decided to do a virtual launch party this Friday (10-midnight, EST; 9-11 pm, CST; 8-10 pm, MST; 7-9 pm, PST). We hope that you will join is. Here is what it will consist of:

Facebook Page first line contest
Theric and I will each choose our favorite Monsters & Mormons-themed first line from those posted to the Facebook page. The two winners will each receive a free e-edition of the anthology. We’ll also announce the other activities as they happen to the page so it’ll be a virtual launch central where you can be entertained by the first lines and see what’s going on elsewhere.

How to Participate: like our Facebook page and check in between 9:00 and 10:10 pm (central) and post your entry/entries to the wall.

Twitter frivolity
Theric will be posting stuff to Twitter. He’ll share a load of links to excerpts and illustrations from the anthology that you may have missed. He will also reprise the game that started the anthology (monster-izing Mormon fiction titles). And whatever madcap-ness we can come up with.

How to Participate: follow Peculiar Pages on Twitter and if you post something use the hashtag #MonstersandMormons

WriteChat.net Contributor Panel Discussion (via group IM)
A year or two ago Elizabeth Beeton, our publisher, created an online chat system specifically for writers called WriteChat. It’s like doing a group Instant Message, and writers hang out there to challenge each other to writing sprints, talk shop, etc. We’re going to use it as a platform to do interviews/panel discussions with our contributors. If there is interest and time, we’ll also take questions from you.

How to Participate: Go to WriteChat.net and sign up for an account (it simply requires a username, email and password and it’s only to be able to log in and chat — you won’t receive emails or anything like that). Please note that it is a Java applet so you may need to install a fresher version of Java and/or approve the running of the applet that runs the chat rooms. If your browser auto-blocks pop ups or certain scripts, you’ll want to look for that and turn that off specifically for that site. I should add that I have tested this, and it’s very cool. And the current denizens are very welcoming and they have been warned of Friday night’s invasion.

If you run into issues: |

Google+ Hangout Author Reading/Storytelling
A Google+ Hangout allows for up to 10 people to do a video chat together. Throughout the launch, I will be hosting various contributors and inviting you to join the Hangout. Unfortunately, Google doesn’t yet let us stream the proceedings, so we’ll be limited to 8 of you per Hangout. I will have the contributor read an excerpt from his or her story. We’ll do an interview, maybe take some questions, and then if there’s time, we’ll tell scary/creepy/humorous mission/family/pioneer/folk tales. You know, campfire kind of stuff. This will require a Google+ account, a computer with a webcam, and a decent high speed internet connection. I’m sorry we have the limits. We’ll do as many as we can and get as many of you in as we can.

How to Participate: Circle Monsters & Mormons on Google+. I will circle you back so that you can be notified of and invited to the Hangouts as they occur. If you need to sign up for a Google+ account, you can do that here. Don’t tell Google I said this, but you could sign up just for this event and then not use it otherwise.

Finally, I’m sorry to report that the print version has been delayed. Our publisher Elizabeth Beeton and her family all came down with that evil sickness that’s been going around (or at least one like it has been going around here in Minnesota) and she is down for the count. Now, we are still taking preorders for the trade paperback and this shouldn’t be a huge delay, but it won’t be ready in time for Friday. If you pre-ordered the print version you will definitely receive it soon — we just won’t be able to send them out this weekend like we had hoped.

Thanks again to all of you who have bought the ebook or pre-ordered the trade paperback. I hope you’re enjoying the stories. Please do join us for our virtual launch — it’ll be so much more fun if you participate. See you Friday evening!