Author Uses Web to Launch New Novel with Virtual Book Signing/Contest & Social Media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 22, 2009 -- Virginia Author Uses Web to Launch New Novel, The List, with Virtual Book Signing Event/Contest, Facebook Page, Online Video Book Trailer, Blog and More.

Richmond, VA, January 22, 2009: For first-time author Carmen Shirkey, the World Wide Web is the World Wide Write.

Shirkey’s new book is called The List, and it centers on 30-something Candace Saunders, who has a list of traits she’s like in her future husband. She meets a man who she thinks fits her list, and she meets a man who is everything she didn’t think she wanted. As she has to choose, she wonders, can perfect be put on paper?

Shirkey plans to launch her new novel with a book-signing event – virtually.

“My friends and family would like to attend a launch party and get a signed copy of my new novel, The List, but everyone is spread across the world,” Shirkey said. “I thought a virtual book signing would be a great way to bring everyone together.”

From Friday, January 23 to Sunday, January 25, 2009, anyone who visits the book Website at http://thelistbook.blogspot.com can purchase The List for the discounted rate of $11 per book, plus shipping (that’s $4 off the list price on Amazon.) In the “comments” section of the order form, the buyer should indicate how they’d like Ms. Shirkey to autograph their copy.

“I’m also asking visitors to the site, whether they buy The List or not, to send others to the site, who will leave a comment telling me who sent them my way,” Shirkey explained. “The person that sends the most referrals to the site will win a great prize!”

The grand prize winner will take home a beautiful necklace, hand-created by jewelry-maker-to-the-stars, Peggy Li (http://www.peggyli.com/). Li’s jewelry has been featured on several television shows, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, CSI, Private Practice, Without a Trace and more. Second place is a $50 hotel discount card.

Shirkey isn’t stopping there. She’s planning a virtual book tour, where she will be interviewed or be the guest blogger on blogs and Websites around the Internet, taking her from Boston to Virginia to Great Britain and Belgium. She’s also created a video preview trailer – similar to a movie trailer – to run on the popular video site, YouTube, which can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu8xXykz48k. Additionally, she has created a fan page on Facebook where they can get reviews, photos, updates and more at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/The-List/25807018610, and posts updates, called “tweets” on the social media site, Twitter, found at http://twitter.com/carmenshirkey.

About the Author: Carmen Shirkey was born in Staunton, VA. She received her degree in Rhetoric and Communications from the University of Virginia (she’s a crazy Wahoos fan) where she was also a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority. She then proceeded to become a gypsy – moving from city to city. Currently, she resides in VA, but who knows where she’ll turn up next?