Time to Bury the Rabbit!

The final book in the Rabbit in Red trilogy is now available!

If you want print, call your favorite local bookstore and ask them to order BURY THE RABBIT by Joe Chianakas. I always encourage you to support local.

If you can't, you can order the paperback from Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

Prefer digital? I encourage you to read on the TAPAS app, the best digital reading app, hands down. Go here, and use code JOEC820Z to get 200 bonus coins.

Or get your Kindle copy here.

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Author's note:

I started writing this series in the summer of 2014. It's been a long, wonderful journey. The first book came out fall 2015, and now-- October 2017-- we bury the rabbit.

Some of you have been with me since day one. Some of you are just now finding the rabbit. I want to thank all of you for reading and celebrating my series. I couldn't have kept up the energy and the momentum without you.

I hope you read and enjoy it.

Is this really the end? (Does a horror franchise really ever die?) I won't answer that today, but the next book you will see from me is in a very different world. It's called PIT OF DARKNESS, and I hope to get it to you in 2018.

All the best,

Joe

Be Featured in an Upcoming Video

There are many things that I look forward to over the next few months: The Dark Tower movie, the IT remake, Stranger Things season 2, and of course the release of the final book in my Rabbit in Red trilogy, Bury the Rabbit.

Good thing there's plenty to do between now and the Halloween release.

For starters, this weekend I'm hosting a special Rabbit in Red discussion at the Peoria Barnes & Noble. You're invited, whether you've read the book or haven't started it yet. It's Saturday, July 29 at 1:00 p.m.

Moreover, we're filming that day for a special Rabbit in Red documentary. We're making a short movie about what it's like to write a trilogy, the writing scene in central Illinois, and the international success of the book (basically, what did it take to get to this point). Join and share the event at this link.

See the teaser for the film here:


I'm looking for people to be featured on camera. Some of you will be interviewed about the book: what you like about it, what you look forward to in the final volume. Others will talk about horror, their own writing, or whatever is on their mind. Anything goes.

So, join me this Saturday!

Can't make it? Let me preview two upcoming events.

The next book club discussion for Rabbit in Red takes place Thursday, August 10 at 2:30 p.m. at Alpha Park Library.

BURY THE RABBIT PRE-RELEASE PARTY

The pre-release party for Bury the Rabbit-- where you can get a physical copy before it is released to the world-- is on Saturday, Sept 16 from 12-5 at Zeek's Comics & Games in Washington, IL. It's Zeek's 2nd anniversary, and I wanted to have something special for it. JOIN THE EVENT HERE!

AND FOR THE LATEST UPDATES, BE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK!

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY!

You can now call your favorite local bookstore and pre-order a copy to make sure you get it by Halloween. I want to encourage you to support your local bookstores, please. Here's the Amazon pre-order link, too.

Short Story Contest Winner!

Congratulations to the winner of the Rabbit in Red short story contest, Matthew Daudish.

Matt's short story will appear in Bury the Rabbit, the final Rabbit in Red book, scheduled to release on October 31, 2017.

Matt was born in Indiana and currently lives in Connecticut with his wife Ashley, their springer spaniel puppy Luna, black cat Seuss, and guinea pig Arya.  Matt attended the University of Connecticut and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2012.  He currently works as a manufacturing engineer, programming inspection machines that measure jet engine parts.  

In his free time, Matt enjoys visiting local breweries, watching movies, reading, and writing short stories with horror themes.  He also enjoys brewing his own mead and painting horror themed labels for the bottles.  His favorite Horror movie is Hellraiser and his least favorite horror movie is Hellraiser Revelations.  His favorite non-horror movie is The Last Action Hero.

You can find him on Twitter at @MJDAUDISH.

Congrats, Matt! And thank you to everyone who submitted a story for this contest. Picking a winner is always difficult. After Halloween, if you'd like, we can publish the other entries on this blog. 

Look for Bury the Rabbit this Halloween. 

Haven’t started the series?

Get Rabbit in Red and Burn the Rabbit on sale on Amazon for just $2.99 (Kindle edition). Or request the paperback copies at your favorite local bookstore!

Or search for them on whatever platform you prefer to read. We even have a great audio edition for the first book on iTunes, Amazon, and Audible. But if you ask me where to get them: always support local. Call your favorite bookstore and put in an order for the first two books today and get caught up!

Follow me on Facebook for all sorts of extra fun updates and contests, or visit my webpage here.

June BOOKLOOT Review

I'm a subscription box junkie, and this month I got my first ever BOOKLOOT!

BookLoot is a monthly subscription box that provides a new release book with several related gifts. The June theme was "Call of the Water." Let's check it out!

If you've never done a subscription box, you're totally missing out. It's always a thrill when they arrive.

When I opened the box, here's what I saw:

The box was packaged very nicely. Notice that the book-- the biggest surprise-- is buried underneath. On top, there are already several gifts to explore.

First, you get a print of the month's theme. June 2017: Call of the Water. Perfect for summer! I'm already excited.

One gift included is lotion bar-- the bar inside smelled great, and the Pirate Princess jar fits the theme of the book. A fun extra gift!

The next gift was a reading journal. On the inside were all kinds of prompts and whatnot so you could keep track of what you read and what you thought about it. BookLoot is a YA themed box, so I think this is perfect!

The next gift: cool art print and short story! Definitely a sexy print to go with the book. Fun! Plus, this is an extra-short story BookLoot published. You can submit your own stories to be featured in the box. How awesome!

Finally, the big prize-- this month's featured book! It came with a letter from the author and a signed card. Let me tell you: This is a beautiful edition. The hardcover looks and feels great, and it's something every book collector would enjoy on their shelves. Definitely a nice-looking book, even if I am judging it by its cover.

It currently has a 4.01 on Goodreads. Here's the summary:

"Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. For generations, her family has been called by the river god, who has guided their wherries on countless voyages throughout the Riverlands. At seventeen, Caro has spent years listening to the water, ready to meet her fate. But the river god hasn’t spoken her name yet—and if he hasn’t by now, there’s a chance he never will.

Caro decides to take her future into her own hands when her father is arrested for refusing to transport a mysterious crate. By agreeing to deliver it in exchange for his release, Caro finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies, with dangerous pirates after the cargo—an arrogant courier with a secret—and without the river god to help her. With so much at stake, Caro must choose between the life she always wanted and the one she never could have imagined for herself.

From debut author Sarah Tolcser comes an immersive and romantic fantasy set along the waterways of a magical world with a headstrong heroine determined to make her mark."

What a cool summer read! I look forward to it.

So, you get all of this for just $29.99. Check 'em out and subscribe here!

AND GUESS WHAT? DID YOU KNOW BOOKLOOT subscribers will be the FIRST to get BURY THE RABBIT? Yep, I've signed on to be featured in their October box. I can't wait to see the scary extras. Not just that, but subscribers get an exclusive TRILOGY edition! See more details about that here.

Follow me on Facebook for all sorts of extra fun updates and contests, or visit my webpage here.

Short Story Contest

Attention all writers and lovers of horror!

I'd like to offer you a chance to be published in the final book of my Rabbit in Red trilogy, Bury the Rabbit!

Why? Well, I'm ending a series that, in part, celebrates our passion for the horror genre. Although stories end, our excitement for this genre, I hope, never will.

I've also experienced an incredible publishing journey. Trust me: it wasn't easy and it sure as heck wasn't always good. I'm honored and thrilled that Rabbit in Red has reached tens of thousands out there, and if I can give something back to a fellow writer, then I'd love to do that.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Write a short story (no more than 5000 words, no minimum word requirement) using one of the characters in Rabbit in Red. This can be ANY of my characters. Think fan fiction.

2. Put that character (or more than one) through one of the following scenarios:
   A. Have them re-create a famous horror movie scene in virtual reality like we do in book one
   B. Have them journey through your own section of Hellfire, like we do in book two. Add your own twist to the haunt!
   C. Have them explore a real-world horror location (and of course make something creepy happen!).

3. Submit to me no later than Monday, July 3. That deadline is approaching quickly, but we need to be able to go to print soon. Bury the Rabbit releases on Halloween, but it still goes through several proof copies before it hits the shelves.

EMAIL stories to me at JOECHIANAKAS@GMAIL.COM. Stories should be either attached as a Word Doc or share with my a link via Google Docs.

Keep in mind that I won't be the judge. I know some of you, and I don't want to be biased. I will have a panel of independent judges.

I will notify the winner early July. Your story will be included in Bury the Rabbit, along with your own introduction/short bio. It's my way of thanking fellow horror writers for following Rabbit in Red with me. Your story will potentially be read by tens of thousands!

GET TO WRITING! Spread the word!

Haven’t started the series?

Get Rabbit in Red and Burn the Rabbit on sale on Amazon for just $2.99 (Kindle edition). Or request the paperback copies at your favorite local bookstore!

Or search for them on whatever platform you prefer to read. We even have a great audio edition for the first book on iTunes, Amazon, and Audible. But if you ask me where to get them: always support local. Call your favorite bookstore and put in an order for the first two books today and get caught up!

Follow me on Facebook for all sorts of extra fun updates and contests, or visit my webpage here.

Bury the Rabbit Release Date!

I've got exciting news about the final book in the Rabbit in Red trilogy, Bury the Rabbit.

Originally published in fall 2015, Rabbit in Red went on to earn best horror book-of-the-year. It also got picked up by Horror Block, a mystery subscription box, and was sent to over ten-thousand subscribers. The response from their customers was “exceptional,” and so Horror Block even picked up the second in the series, Burn the Rabbit, to send to subscribers. Since then, Rabbit in Red has popped up in two other subscription boxes and has become an international hit.

What can you expect out of the final book? 

Here’s a back-of-the-book teaser:

In this final volume of the Rabbit in Red trilogy, the scares move to real-world horror locations in the most bone-chilling challenges yet. The winner gets to claim ownership of Rabbit in Red and all its fortunes. But multiple villains all want the empire for themselves, and others seek deadly revenge.

Not everyone will survive, and the darkest night of Bill, Jaime, and the other Rabbit in Red students’ lives has only just begun. They discover surprises about their past and face their biggest threats. What will be their fate? Will they bury the rabbit forever?

The big questions now are: how can you get it and when?

I’m so excited to share with you a unique partnership. I’ve teamed up with BOOKLOOT, a monthly book subscription service that provides subscribers each month with a new release and 3-5 extra gifts that relate to the theme of the month.

And—you’ve probably guessed it—we’re releasing Bury the Rabbit first to BookLoot subscribers! The book will be in their October box and will ship in the middle of the month. You’ll get a box full of scary goodies just in time for Halloween!

For me, I’m honored because this allows me to reach hundreds of new readers! For BookLoot, I will be encouraging my readers to subscribe to their service, especially for October.

And NOT ONLY will you be the FIRST to get Bury the Rabbit, you will get an exclusive TRILOGY edition if you get BookLoot's October box! We’re creating a special paperback edition with all three books in one and a NEW cover by Rabbit in Red artist, Camron Johnson Illustrations. How awesome is that!?!

Plus, Camron Johnson Illustrations will be providing an exclusive Pennywise print as one of the special gifts with my book. Wow! You can never go wrong with Pennywise. ("We all float down here . . .")

Over the next several months, I’ll be telling you a lot more about BookLoot. I’ve subscribed, so I will post photos and a review of what’s in the box each month leading up to my October launch.

Once the October BookLoot box ships, then we’ll make Bury the Rabbit available for purchase in all your bookstores and online shops around the world.

The official international release date for Bury the Rabbit has been set, and I couldn’t be more excited.

When is it?


Halloween. October 31, 2017. That’s when we bury the rabbit!

I hope you’ll grab the October BookLoot Box. You’ll get Bury the Rabbit before anyone else, and you’ll get the exclusive trilogy edition with the new cover. Then be sure to pick up Bury the Rabbit on Halloween, too-- you can never have too many books, right? 

I've never been more excited for fall.

Haven’t started the series?

Get Rabbit in Red and Burn the Rabbit on sale on Amazon for just 99 cents this week only (Kindle edition) to celebrate. Or request the paperback copies at your favorite local bookstore!

Or search for them on whatever platform you prefer to read. We even have a great audio edition for the first book on iTunes, Amazon, and Audible. But if you ask me where to get them: always support local. Call your favorite bookstore and put in an order for the first two books today and get caught up!

Follow me on Facebook for all sorts of extra fun updates and contests, or visit my webpage here.

Contest Time!

In just a few months (see release details here), the final Rabbit in Red book, Bury the Rabbit, will be available. It's been an amazing adventure, thanks to the enthusiasm of friends and readers like you.

So, to build momentum for the release of the final book, I'll be doing a bunch of different promotions this summer. The first is a giveaway in exchange for a review of Rabbit in Red and Burn the Rabbit (the first two books in the series) on Goodreads.

Reviews help authors reach new readers, and for your efforts, you will have a chance to win the following:

You get TWO prizes, if you win:

Prize one: Your choice of A) Rabbit in Red poster, B) Burn the Rabbit poster, C) SIGNED book of either Rabbit in Red or Burn the Rabbit, D) Rabbit in Red t-shirt

Prize two: Your choice of A) Bury the Rabbit poster or B) magnet of any book cover

How to enter:

1. Rate and review Rabbit in Red on Goodreads.
2. Rate and review Burn the Rabbit on Goodreads.
3. After you've done that, then please share either this blog or your Goodreads reviews or post a status/tweet/pic on any of your social media about the book. Tag me so I see it.

Contest begins Tues, June 13 and ends July 13. We will have weekly winners! Once you've done a review on Goodreads, you are entered for the entire contest.

This blog will be updated each week with winners posted below.

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WINNERS

For our first week's winners (June 19), I'm not selecting just one winner. I'm selecting FOUR!

That's because I'm amazed at the turnout and response.

Winners are: SHWAN BROWN, SHIVAWN, BECCA CORDLE, and SALINA PORTER

(Please don't be disappointed if you didn't win; I had someone do this drawing for me, too, so I would stay out of it and be unbiased, or I'd be giving away too many prizes!!!)

To claim your prize: Message me on my Facebook page with your choice of prize from category one and category two. If you want a t-shirt, I only have adult S, M, and L-- out of all other sizes. Be sure to message me your address, too.

FOR EVERYONE ELSE WHO ENTERED: You are still eligible to win! Others can still enter! And now here's your chance for a BONUS ENTRY!

Post a review on Amazon, too! Go to the following links: Rabbit in Red and Burn the Rabbit and submit your review. You could even just copy and paste your Goodreads review over to Amazon!


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Joe Chianakas is the author of Rabbit in Red, a horror trilogy. Rabbit in Red won best horror book of 2016. It was picked up by Horror Block and sent to thousands around the world. The second book, Burn the Rabbit, hit #1 on Amazon’s hot new horror releases and is available now. The trilogy concludes this fall with Bury the Rabbit. Follow Joe on Facebook or visit his webpage here.