YASH is Here!

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are FOUR contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the PURPLE TEAM–but there is also a red team, a gold team, and a blue team for a chance to win a whole different set of books!

If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

 

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the PURPLE team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

 

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below 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 5, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Today, I am hosting Breeanna Shields on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

Breeana Shields is an author of fantasy novels for teens including The Bone Charmer duology (Page Street), the Poison’s Kiss duology (Random House BFYR), and The Splendor (coming in fall 2021 from Page Street).
When she’s not writing, Breeana loves reading, traveling, and playing board games with her extremely competitive family. She lives near Washington D.C. with her husband, her three children, and two adorable, but spoiled dogs.

Find out more information by checking out the author website or find more about the author’s book here!

Website —https://breeanashields.com

Books – https://bookshop.org/a/5487/9781624149306

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

A deft exploration of the weight of grief and cost of revenge, Breeana Shields’s Bone Charmer duology reaches its spine-tingling conclusion in this high-octane fantasy-thriller.

Breeana is sharing a special writing playlist:

Deep Focus Playlist for Writing

I’ve never been able to write to music with lyrics. I find it too distracting. However, music is still an important part of my process in several ways. First, it’s incredibly helpful before I begin a new book—when I’m still daydreaming about the story and trying to find the heart of it. Or—once I’ve begun—when I’m hopelessly stuck and need to take some time to figure out what comes next. Before starting a new project, I make a playlist and listen during non-working times–while I’m driving, cooking, or doing anything else that leaves my mind free to wander. It helps channel my thoughts toward the book, and I’ve untangled many thorny plot issues with the aid of Spotify and a little downtime.

But while I’m actually drafting, I either write in silence, or listen to something inspiring without lyrics—the kind of music that can both set the mood and fade into the background so it doesn’t interfere with my concentration.

So today, instead of sharing a playlist for the book, I want to share my ultimate deep focus playlist—music I find helpful while I’m actually writing. All of these songs provided relaxing and/or inspiring background noise that helped me focus while I wrote THE BONE CHARMER duology. I hope you enjoy!

 Deep Focus Playlist for Writing

Song for Rome by Brain Crain

Time by Hans Zimmer

Pastorale, Songs from a Secret Garden, by Rolf Lovland

Moonlit Shore by Brain Crain

Flight by Hans Zimmer

Adagio by Rolf Lovland

Dream of Flying by Brain Crain

The Approaching Night by Phillip Wesley

Embrasse-Moi by Ernesto Cortazar

The Windmills of Your Mind by George Skaroulis

Isles of Shoals by Tim Janis

Ballet of the Little Café by Brian Crain

Where Butterflies Dance by Ann Sweeten

We Should Waltz by Kevin Kern

 Breeana Shields

Author of YA fantasy

The Bone Charmer duology available now from Page Street

Poison’s Kiss duology available now from Random House

The Splendor hits shelves Fall 2021

Website: http://www.breeanashields.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BreeanaShields

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breeanashields/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breeanashieldsauthor/

And don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, Debbie Manber Kupfer, and more!

To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is  42

Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the purple team and you’ll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

CONTINUE THE HUNT

 

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author!

Christy Sloat

Tweet #YASH

Bonus! I’m running a Rafflecopter with oodles of ways to win. The grand prize winner wins a box set of books 1 through 3 of the P.A.W.S. Saga in audio or ebook. Plus everyone who signs up for my newsletter picks up a free copy of Tales from P.A.W.S.

And one more thing before you go. If you like shifters of all shapes and kinds check out my P.A.W.S. Saga  available in Amazon in ebook, paperback and audiobook and free to subscribers of Kindle Unlimited.

 

 

YASH is coming!

Hey folks! It’s that time again. The YA Scavenger Hunt will start on September 29th on this blog, or to make sure you don’t miss out, you can head over to the YA Scavenger Hunt page, scroll down, and sign up for notifications with your email on the right.

Sadly this is the last YASH as the awesome hunt is being retired, so be sure you visit all the participating blogs for a chance to win oodles of prizes. I’m going to be on the purple team. Look at all those awesome books!

New to the YA Scavenger Hunt?

That’s totally fine. We have a YouTube video that explains the process and we will be checking in on the YASH website during the hunt to answer any and all questions you might have.

Need something fun to read in the meantime? Check out these awesome promos over at Story Origin:

YASH is (Almost) Here!

Yay! It’s almost time. I’m excited to announce that once more this spring I’ll be participating in YASH in purple team (my favorite color). Look at all these awesome books you could win. This year because of the coronavirus authors will be donating audio or ebooks of their titles.

I’ll also be running an extra rafflecopter giveaway on this blog with a chance to win a box set of P.A.W.S. ebooks or audio books.

Hunt starts on March 31st. Want to find out more about the hunt? Hop over to YASH organizer, Colleen’s blog for all the deets.

Need something to read in the meantime? Check out this awesome group of speculative short stories, all free over at Story Origin. (Reviews much appreciated.)

 

YASH – YA Scavenger Hunt – Spring 2019

Yay! YASH is here and once again I’m on Purple Team!

Look at all those awesome books! Keep scrolling for a change to win ALL of them in paperback. Plus on the very bottom are some special freebies AND a giveaway from me!

So here we go!

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are FIVE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the PURPLE TEAM–but there is also a red team, a gold team, an green team, and a blue team, for a chance to win a whole different set of books!

If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

 

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the PURPLE TEAM, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

 

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below 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 sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Today, I am hosting McCall Hoyle on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

McCall Hoyle is a high school teacher who writes stories about friendship, first love, and girls finding the strength to overcome great challenges. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s spending time with her family and their odd assortment of pets—a food-obsessed beagle, a grumpy rescue cat, and a three-and-a-half-legged kitten. She lives in a cottage in the woods in North Georgia where she reads and writes every day.

Find out more information by checking out the author website or find more about the author’s book here!

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

Meet the Sky, is about Sophie, a girl struggling to keep her fractured family together. Sophie’s all about sticking to the plan—keep the family business running, save money for college one day, and make sure her mom and sister don’t endure another tragedy—but when a hurricane forms off the coast of the Outer Banks, Sophie realizes nature is one thing she can’t control. She ends up stranded in the middle of the storm with Finn, the boy who broke her heart freshman year.

 

McCall shares with us a special recipe that features in her book.

April is the perfect month to start basking in the sun and preparing for summer. To get you in the mood, I’m sharing a book-themed menu to pair with a summer reading of Meet the Sky, which takes place on the beautifully rugged coast of North Carolina.

Bon voyage, bon appetite and all that fun stuff!

Outer Bank Boiled Shrimp:

2 lbs. raw shrimp in shell

8 c. water

12 oz. beer (optional)

2 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning

1-2 Bay leaves

*lemon wedges for garnish

Bring water, beer, and other ingredients to a boil. Boil shrimp three minutes or until nice and pink. Drain shrimp and transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Cool and serve with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges. Fresh corn, hush puppies, and sweet tea round out a perfect Outer Banks meal to enjoy while soaking up the sun and savoring a good book—hopefully Meet the Sky.

Sounds yummy!

Now don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, Debbie Manber Kupfer, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is. Well anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge Douglas Adams fan. So of course my favorite number is

42

Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the purple team and you’ll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author!

BRYNN CHAPMAN

Tweet #YASH

And now a few bonus thingies from me, Debbie Manber Kupfer.

First up in honor of YASH I decided to release a new short story this week in my ongoing Tales from P.A.W.S. series. This is the story of Jenny, a young girl who likes to draw, but does her drawing hold magic and will it help her defy the bird man who holds her captive. Find out in Jenny on sale everywhere for just 99 cents.

Kindle

All other vendors

Next up – pick up another Tale from P.A.W.S. set in the village of Manus Wu. Ramora wishes to be free from an arranged marriage and so makes a bargain with a fairy. But sometimes you should be careful what you wish for.

Pick up your free copy of RAMORA here and while you’re at it sign up for my newsletter.

And last by not least I have a giveaway!

Over on Amazon I’m giving away TWO COPIES of the box set of THE P.A.W.S. SAGA – books  1-3. This set normally sells at $8.99.

Click to Enter.

Note: as this is an Amazon giveaway it is sadly only open to US residents. However, if you are in a different country leave a comment on this post and tell me where you are and I’ll enter you into a separate giveaway to win another set of P.A.W.S. ebooks.

And the Winners Are …

Thanks to everyone who came by during YASH.

Here are the winners of the Rafflecopter:

Jessica Walters – audio book bundle

Marisa Fort – ebook bundle

Stevie – signed book marks

Liliana – ebook from D.R. Perry

Jennifer Elise Rodriguez – signed paperback from Rebecca Jaycox.

 

YA Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are SEVEN contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the PURPLE TEAM–but there is also a red team, a gold team, an orange team, a blue team, a pink team and a green team for a chance to win a whole different set of books!

If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

 

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the purple team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

 

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below 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 October 7th, 2018, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Today, I am hosting A.G. HOWARD on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

A.G. Howard is the #1 NYT & International Bestselling author of several young adult retellings and spinoff novels, including her gothic Alice in Wonderland Splintered Series, and RoseBlood, a Phantom of the Opera inspired adaptation. Stain, A.G. Howard’s latest gothic fairy tale fantasy inspired by The Princess and the Pea, hits shelves Jan 15, 2019.

Find out more information by checking out the author website or find more about the author’s book here!

www.aghoward.com

http://piquebeyond.com/stain/

After Lyra—a princess incapable of speech or sound—is cast out of her kingdom of daylight by her wicked aunt, a witch saves her life, steals her memories, and raises her in an enchanted forest . . . disguised as a boy known only as Stain.

Meanwhile, in Lyra’s rival kingdom, the prince of thorns and night is dying, and the only way for him to break his curse is to wed the princess of daylight—for she is his true equal.

As Lyra finds her way back to her identity, an impostor princess prepares to steal her betrothed prince and her crown. To win back her kingdom, save the prince, and make peace with the land of the night, Lyra must be loud enough to be heard without a voice, and strong enough to pass a series of tests—ultimately proving she’s everything a traditional princess is not.

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

Ever want to know what inspires a writer to get into the right mood to write fantasy. Well, A.G. uses music and as a treat is sharing her exclusive playlist with you. Here’s what she says:

My Stain playlist contains instrumental ballads, dark fantasy tributes, and fairytale titles, along with ethereal and gritty vocals. Each song was chosen for its emotional impact and the ability to set an enchanting or gripping fantasy mood.

Here’s a screenshot of the first ten titles:

To check out the 70+ song playlist via spotify: follow this link. If you can’t access spotify, a list of the songs linked up to YouTube is also available there. I hope you enjoy my audible inspirations!

And don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by authors in the purple team. To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is the meaning of life –

42

. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the purple team and you’ll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

But wait there’s more! To celebrate YASH I got together with some of my favorite authors to offer a giveaway. Click on the rafflecopter for a chance to win oodles of prizes including ebooks, audio books and signed bookmarks from me, an ebook from D.R. Perry and a signed paperback from Rebecca Jaycox.

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author! CHANDA STAFFORD

Tweet #YASH

 

And one more thing — here’s a freebie for everyone! Grab a free copy of my story of a young girl and an evil green fairy, RAMORA,

from Book Cave.

Plus for this week only grab a copy of P.A.W.S. on Kindle for just 99 cents.

Urban Fantasy Reads and A Very Busy April!

Hi folks – got a very busy April coming up, both on this blog and out and about. So what’s up? Well starting April 1st I’ll be participating in the annual Blogging from A to Z challenge. You may remember last year I did an A to Z of P.A.W.S. characters in April and in fact you can still check these out.

This April I’m releasing a new picture book, Adana the Earth Dragon, on Earth Day (April 22) and so decided to devote this year’s A to Z to sharing the awesome picture books from a bunch of indie authors.

But that’s when it gets complicated. Every year for the last several I’ve applied to be part of the YA Scavenger Hunt, but sadly have never been accepted – until this year that is. So between April 3 and April 8 I’m excited to be hosting YASH on this blog. I’m part of purple team – and purple is my favorite color. Come by and enter and you’ll have a chance to win a whole bunch of books from a number of YA authors PLUS I’ll be running a separate rafflecopter giveaway on this blog.

So what of A to Z you ask? Well for the days I’m hosting YASH my A to Z posts will continue over at my sister blog, Paws 4 Puzzles – and then after YASH they’ll be right back here.

But wait, there’s more … From April 6th to 8th I’ll also by participating in Brains to Books over at Goodreads and I’m going to be participating in Camp NaNoWriMo and trying to finish the first draft of Cotula (P.A.W.S. 5). AND for the whole month of April I’ll be celebrating the release of Adana the Earth Dragon at two release events in St. Louis – at The Novel Neighbor on the 21st and at the Book House on April 28 plus if you preorder the paperback directly from me you’ll be entered into a giveaway for an cute little dragon of your own.

Just one more thing. Do you need something good to read this weekend? I’ve got together with a bunch of awesome Urban Fantasy authors for a special promotion. All of our books (including my P.A.W.S. Saga) are on sale this weekend for either 99 cents or FREE. Check it out.