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 SIX contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the GREEN TEAM--but there is also a blue team, a gold team, an orange team, a red team, and an indie 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 green 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 9th, 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 K.C. Held on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!


K.C. HELD is the author of the young adult mystery HOLDING COURT. Born and raised in California with stopovers in Honduras, Mexico, and France, she holds an MFA in costume design and has worked as a freelance costumer in opera, theater, film, and television.

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


http://www.kcheld.com
Holding Court

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

When a sixteen year-old girl with an embarrassing psychic gift she can't control takes a job at a castle-turned-dinner theater, all she wants is the chance to wear a fancy gown and ogle her crush from afar, but when she stumbles over a dead body that promptly disappears, she must prove she didn't hallucinate a dead girl before the killer strikes again.

And now for the exclusive content: an inspiration board!

Holding Court Inspiration Board

Here are a few sneak peaks of the board:

And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, Sarah Ahiers, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 35. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the green 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! Lish McBride

Tweet #YASH



FINALLY!!!

One last Giveaway!

I will personally be giving out a copy of ASSASSIN'S HEART along with a copy of HOLDING COURT!

Fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Which I Have Some Updates

Morning all you awesome peeps.

Been away from the blog for a bit. Some of it was because I was out of town (at the cabin, putting the dock in the lake and all that jazz) but mostly it's because I still haven't really adjusted to writing bog posts on something other than my laptop, which was my primary blog posting pc.

It was crappy and slow and dumb, but I miss it.

Anyway, I thought I'd do a quick post of some updates and fun stuff.

First, I got the lovely news that ASSASSIN'S HEART sold to Turkey! Which is super fun and awesome. Now you can buy ASSASSIN'S HEART in North America, Australia and Turkey, if you're a world traveler or, like, live in one of those cool places.

Second, I will be doing a signing at the Blaine Barnes & Noble for the B&N Teen Book Festival on Saturday, June 11th at noon! I know a lot of my readers don't actually live in the twin cities like I do (you should join us, though) but if you do, stop out and see me!

Third, I have seen the rough draft of the ASSASSIN'S HEART companion (THIEF'S CUNNING) and guys, guys, I may have gasped out loud when I saw it. It's so pretty. So so pretty.

 

I can't wait until it's done so I can share it with with the world.

So, how are things with you?

In Which I Did An Awesome Reading

Man, it's finally getting warm here and that is so awesome. Put all the plants outside, got the patio furniture out, set up the fountain and might have to think about mowing the lawn next weekend.

Good Times.

Last Sunday I did a reading for Second Story.

Second Story is this great series held at a local writing center here in the Twin Cities called The Loft (it's an awesome place and I'll be teaching a teen class there this summer and I'm SO EXCITED.)

Second Story takes an established author and a newbie author (me this time) and pairs them up. They do a reading, then there's a Q&A and then themed snacks and a signing.

The best part is, it's offered free of charge. And when I started attending the Second Story readings a few years ago, I desperately wanted to be invited to be a reader one day.

And then that day arrived!

I was paired up with author S.A. Bodeen who writes great books about survival situations (being trapped in a compound, being trapped on a raft at sea, getting kidnapped. Check her out, her books are great!)

 

I even got my own reserved parking space! (I was going to get a pic of that, but forgot)

The reading was fun. I tried something new and read an action scene and that went well. Then I signed books, and after everything I hung out with some friends to do some writing, then we went to a bar across the street for some snacks.

One more check off the bucket list!

How have you awesome peeps been?

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 eight contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM--but there is also a red team, an orange team, a gold team, a green team, a teal team, a silver team, a purple team, and a pink 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.

I’m Sarah Ahiers, your hostess for this stop on the hunt! I’m the author of the ASSASSIN'S HEART series (HarperTeen) and I will give you an extra special chance at the bottom of this post to win some of my books!!

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've hidden my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue team, and then add them up. 

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 April 3rd, 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 Emily Ross on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

 Emily Ross received a 2014 Massachusetts Cultural Council finalist award in fiction for HALF IN LOVE WITH DEATH. She is an editor and contributor at deaddarlings.com, and loves dark mysteries and anything noir. She lives in Quincy Massachusetts with her husband, Dave, and her elusive cat, Beau.

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

It’s the era of peace and love in the 1960s, but nothing is peaceful in Caroline’s life. Since her beautiful older sister disappeared, fifteen-year-old Caroline might as well have disappeared too. She’s invisible to her parents, who can’t stop blaming each other. The police keep following up on leads even Caroline knows are foolish. The only one who seems to care about her is Tony, her sister’s older boyfriend, who soothes Caroline’s desperate heart every time he turns his magical blue eyes on her. Tony is convinced that the answer to Jess’s disappearance is in California, the land of endless summer, among the runaways and flower children. Come with me, Tony says to Caroline, and we’ll find her together. Tony is so loving, and all he cares about is bringing Jess home. And so Caroline follows, and closes a door behind her that may never open again, in a heartfelt thriller that never lets up.
HALF IN LOVE WITH DEATH was inspired by the disturbing case of Charles Schmid, ‘the Pied Piper of Tucson.’

DREAM CAST!

Kiernan Shipka as Caroline

Zac Efron as Tony

Amanda Seyfried as Jess

Logan Lerman as Billy

Krysten Ritter as Edie

Are you as interested in Emily's book as I am?

If so you can buy HALF IN LOVE WITH DEATH HERE or HERE!

Or check out her Website, Facebook, Twitter

And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, Emily Ross and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 35 Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the blue 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! Kate Karyus Quinn!

Tweet #YASH

FINALLY!!!

One last Giveaway!

I will personally be giving out a signed copy of ASSASSIN'S HEART along with a FEAST ON FICTION cookbook! (the cookbook has recipes from YA and NA books, including one from ASSASSIN'S HEART!)

Fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

(Winner will be announced Monday, 4/4/16)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Which I Had An ASSASSIN'S HEART Launch Party!

So a few weekends ago I had my very first launch party and it was AWESOME!

So many people came. Over 100. It was standing room only, which is a lot, but luckily enough the launch party was held at a ballroom at school, and it had the space.

Addendum Books hosted the party and sold books and they did awesome!

*photo by addendum

*photo by addendum

My mom brought a cake (which was Delicious (I actually didn't eat any at the party, but did get to eat a lot of leftover cake the next week)

*photo by addendum

We also had a mask decorating station, which went over really well.

*photo by addendum

*photo by addendum

I did a short reading, then a Q&A (and no one asked any weird questions!) and then signed books.

*photo by addendum

Line for book signing!

The whole evening is actually a bit of a blur, but it was great and I was so happy to see so many friends and family there.

In Which There Is So Much #LoveInBooks

Hello, you awesome readers, you!

My Valentine special #LoveInBooks, featuring six other YA authors, has ended and a winner has been drawn for the giveaway. Thanks all who entered! I hope you enjoyed the series.

In case you missed them, here are the photos for ASSASSIN'S HEART:

And here are the favorites from participating authors (alphabetically, by book). [AUTHORS: REMOVE YOUR TITLE] Enjoy!

ARROWS by Melissa Gorzelanczyk

Follow Melissa on Twitter

BOOKISHLY EVER AFTER by ISABEL BANDEIRA

Follow Isabel on Twitter

CURIO by Evangeline Denmark

Follow Evangeline on Twitter

THE MYSTERY OF HOLLOW PLACES by Rebecca Podos

Follow Rebecca on Twitter

SWORD AND VERSE by Kathy MacMillan

Follow Kathy on Twitter

THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS by Marieke Nijkamp

Follow Marieke on Twitter

So there you go!

What about you? Do you like your books with some romance?

#LoveInBooks: 7 YA Authors Sending Love

Hello, lovely reader!

Today is the first day of a multi-author Valentine's Day special: #LoveInBooks.

Seven of us have teamed up to share quotes from our books containing the word "love" from now through Valentine's Day.

Here's the first quote for ASSASSIN'S HEART:

Grand Prize Giveaway

To spread even more love, each of us is giving away a finished copy of our books and swag. You can enter the giveaway below. Entries are accepted daily through Feb. 12th. The winner will be announced on Monday, Feb. 15. USA only.

Participating books and authors (alphabetically, by book):

1. ARROWS by Melissa Gorzelanczyk / Follow Melissa on Twitter
2. ASSASSIN'S HEART by Sarah Ahiers / Follow Sarah on Twitter
3. BOOKISHLY EVER AFTER by ISABEL BANDEIRA / Follow Isabel on Twitter
4. CURIO by Evangeline Denmark / Follow Evangeline on Twitter
5. THE MYSTERY OF HOLLOW PLACES by Rebecca Podos / Follow Rebecca on Twitter
6. SWORD AND VERSE by Kathy MacMillan / Follow Kathy on Twitter
7. THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS by Marieke Nijkamp / Follow Marieke on Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway


And today there's an interview with main character Lea on Storybook Slayers!

Insecure Writer's Support Group

First Wednesday of the month, which means it's time for IWSG.

Today's co-hosts are Allison Gammons,Tamara Narayan, Eva E. Solar, Rachel Pattison, and Ann V. Friend! 

This is also the first day after ASSASSIN'S HEART is out in the world. I am officially a published novelist.

And, yeah. There's a TON of insecurity there. Most of it still needs unpacking of course. But I think I have the same worries as every other author in the world:

Will people like it?
Will it sell?
Will it find its audience?

I mean, I know it will find it's audience and someone will like it. There are already great reviews for it, both trade and just regular ol' peeps who got an early copy. And that's fantastic. So I guess that's less of a worry and more of a hope. That it finds the people who will like it or love it. I'm pretty sure teen Sarah would have been all over this book if she'd had it back in the day.

So, yeah. I mean, the rest of it, the other worries, are things out of my control. So right now, I'm trying not to let those worries tap me on the shoulder too much, if you know what I mean.

And, also, the work isn't done. There will be edits for Book 2. And I have a MG fantasy to finish drafting and another YA fantasy to start revising. So, there's not a lot of time for worries or insecurities. They'll keep, I'm sure.

Also, the ASSASSIN'S HEART blog tour continues through Friday!

Today there's a review on Dark Fairy Tales and tomorrow there's an interview with main character Lea on Storybook Slayers

In Which ASSASSIN'S HEART IS RELEASED!!!

Today is the day! THE DAY!

ASSASSIN'S HEART is out in the world!

WOOOOOOOO!!!

This is really unrelated to anything, but I saw this gif and I laughed pretty hard and decided, screw it, I was putting it in

You guys. I started this blog waaaaay back in little old January of 2010. I started it because it was the thing to do at the time, and also because I thought it I was going to make a serious go at being a writer, maybe it would be nice to have a blog to one day celebrate things like if I ever got a book deal.

And I DID get a book deal! And here we are, in 2016 and today my book is out there for anyone to buy and read!

Time for another WOOOOOOOO!

So I am going to spend the day having a good lunch with my siblings, maybe stopping in at a bookstore so we can actually SEE my book there, and then, you know, not working. Because, pshaaa on work.

Also, today I'm over at YaReads with a guest post on which of the ASSASSIN'S HEART characters would make a good companion on Doctor Who. It's a fun little post that I enjoyed writing, so maybe take a look when you have some free time.

Finally, because I wouldn't be a good author without doing my due diligence, here are some important ASSASSIN'S HEART links:

My website
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Goodreads

Thanks, pals. I'll be back tomorrow for Insecure Writer's Support Group.

In Which I Tally Quiz Results

Being as that ASSASSIN'S HEART is out in the world tomorrow (EEEEE!!!) it seems like today is a good day to look at some ASSASSIN'S HEART Quiz results.





Do not worry. The quiz is still live and kicking so if you haven't taken it yet, or want to take it again, have at it! (Here's the original blog post with the link)

So, results.

To date there have been 249 quiz takers. Which is awesome. I mean, I know I'm in there a few times for testing purposes, but still. I'm not in there 249 times, so that means it had a lot of use, which is super exciting and fun and mostly means that the time I spent putting it together was not wasted.

There are Nine Families in ASSASSIN'S HEART: The Saldanas, Da Vias, Accursos, Bartolomeos, Caffarellis, Maiettas, Addamos, Zarella's and Gallos.

The most populated Family per the quiz is The Gallo Family! With 46 members. That seems about right since they're the lowest Family and also the most easy going.

Second most popular was the Zarella Family, which also seems about right since they are the second lowest and also pretty easy-going, like the Gallos.

So at this point I'm super pleased by the results. The quiz seems to have mostly worked in a logical fashion.

The least populated was the Bartolomeo Family, with only twelve people, which is kind of surprising to me. It makes me wonder what about their mottos or pictures didn't attract more people to them.

Close to them, too, with 13 people is the Maietta Family, which is also surprising and a little sad because I have a soft spot in my heart for them.

The other Families were all in the middle, somewhere.

I'm hoping that I'll get even more quiz takers once the book is out. I purposely made the quiz hard to game, so even if you've read the book, there are few questions that you can specifically answer to try and get a specific Family (say the Saldanas for instance) but I'm still intrigued to see if the numbers change at all.

Anyway, this is a lot of data that maybe only I care about, but there you go.

Tomorrow my book is out in the world. It seems like it's been a long journey, and it has, but it also seems like it was just yesterday when I was drafting it. Time flies strangely, I guess.

Today, my blog tour continues, too, on Cover2Cover with an ASSASSIN'S HEART review so maybe stop on by!
I'm also at Literary Rambles today with an interview and a giveaway!



Otherwise I'll be back here tomorrow for, *gulp* MY BOOK BIRTHDAY!!!!