Spring 2016 YA Scavenger Hunt Fun!! #YASH

Hey! Welcome to my stop on the YA Scavenger Hunt Trail!

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 signed 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 NINE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the TEAM GREEN –but there is also a red team, a gold team, an orange team, a teal team, a purple team, a pink team, a silver team, and a blue team for a chance to win a whole different set of signed 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.

***THE SCAVENGER HUNT FINE PRINT***

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve hidden my favorite number in the post. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the indie 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 April 3, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

LET THE HUNT BEGIN!

~MEET RACHEL SHANE, AUTHOR OF RHYTHM AND CLUES~

Rachel Shane is the author of YA books ALICE IN WONDERLAND HIGH, KASEY SCREWS UP THE WORLD, and RHYTHM & CLUES, plus the New Adult Romance series that begins with PREMATURE EVACUATION. She's been a computer animator, an ebook creator for a publisher, and now she works as a Project Manager for a software company where she enjoys telling people what to do. She lives in NJ with her husband, young daughter, and a basement full of books. Visit Rachel at www.rachelshane.com for more!

~ABOUT RHYTHM AND CLUES~

Seventeen year-old “Moxie" Crane's mother ruins her social life without ever stepping foot into her school. As if driving away her father and lying about it all these years isn't enough, Moxie's classmates discover her mother moonlights as a stripper, branding virginal Moxie with a reputation she can never live up to. Instead of getting upset, she gets tough, owning her outcast status and putting up a care-free front. But loneliness and a band audition advertisement lead her to Gavin Tully, a teen homeschooled for mysterious reasons who defies his parents’ strict rules to secretly start a band.

They each have something the other wants: he's enamored by her free-spirit life, and she’s jealous of his overprotective, yet supportive family. Moxie teaches Gavin how to rebel and Gavin makes her feel like part of his family…until his parents catch them and force him back under their prison-like rules. Desperate to be a free spirit like Moxie, he takes the rebellion too far and runs away from home, leaving behind a breadcrumb trail of clues only Moxie can decipher.

But when Moxie discovers his parents aren’t just strict…they're in hiding from a dangerous enemy, she sets out to find Gavin and rescue him the way he saved her.

~Get the book at Amazon~

~Deleted scene from RHYTHM AND CLUES~

The hotel clerk reaches under her desk and pulls out a box of tissues. “Calm down. What’s your brother’s name?”

Sabrina grabs a tissue, then blows her nose. She abruptly stops crying, peering at the clerk over her tissue. “Gavin Tully.”

The clerk types away at a computer. She purses her lips. “It says he checked out yesterday.”

Sabrina’s eyes widen. “Wait. What?”

“Oh.” The concierge taps a few more keys. “What’s your name?”

Sabrina gives it to her. The clerk bends underneath the desk. She places a puffy envelope on the counter and slides it toward Sabrina. “He left you this package.”

Sabrina snatches it from the counter and waves for us to follow her. My heart thumps as we leave the hotel and crowd around Isla’s SUV. Sabrina tears open the envelope, exposing Gavin’s audio recorder.

His mp3 recorder? I lean against the car to keep my balance, my nerves rocketing. He would never give up these precious items unless he had a good reason.

Predictably, a post-it note covers the front of the audio recorder. It says: Play the files in order. Don’t let anyone else hear. And be careful. If you got this envelope, it means this whole thing is up to you now.

Panic climbs up my spine. If this is all up to us now…did that mean Gavin was in trouble?

Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on Team Green and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize! I've always been pretty good at keeping secrets.
I could probably tell you 8 secrets right now. ;)

~CONTINUE THE HUNT~

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

M9B Friday Reveal: Chapter One of The Night House by Rachel Tafoya and Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are revealing the first chapter for

The Night House by Rachel Tafoya

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Bianca St. Germain works at a Night House, a place where vampires like the aristocratic Jeremiah Archer, pay to feed on humans, and she doesn’t much care what others think of her. The money is good, and at least there, she’s safe. Bianca also doesn’t care that the Night House is killing her. All she cares about is: nauth, the highly addictive poison in vampire bites that brings a euphoria like no drug ever could.

But when Bianca meets James, a reclusive empath who feels everything she does, for the first time, she considers a life outside of the Night House and a someone worth living for. But Jeremiah has decided to keep Bianca for himself; he won’t allow her to walk away.

As she allows her feelings for James to grow, she struggles to contain nauth’s strong hold on her life. If they are to have a future, James must make her see what she’s worth, what she means to him, before Jeremiah and nauth claim her for good.

Title: THE NIGHT HOUSE
Publication date: December 9, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Rachel Tafoya

Enjoy Chapter One! Happy Reading!

The Night House
Rachel Tafoya

Bianca

It’s been one day since I last had nauth.
A chill is starting to set into my bones. As some giant carelessly spills orange and red over the sky, I hurry back to the Night House. This tiny black pillowcase that I call a dress is tighter than it should be, and I’m in heels that force me to walk on my toes. I never took ballet, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been walking on pointe since I came to Philly.
When I reach the building, the sun is long gone. My boss, Finn, waits behind the black double doors. I can’t see him, but I can feel him—or maybe I’m just used to his grimace greeting me. My shoes click against the stone steps. I love that sound. Sometimes I spend my days just listening to everyone walk by. The click, thud and slap of shoes are the real soundtrack of the city.
But the Night House is quiet.
Finn opens the door for me with a scowl. He could be beautiful like the others, if he tried, but he is the laziest vampire I have ever met.
“Bianca St. Germain.” His voice is bored, as usual. “You’re late.”
“Figured you’d rather I take my time than break my ankle in these shoes.” I breeze past him. The chilly night air follows me in, pawing at my back like a neglected pet.
“I can fix ankles,” Finn is still facing the door like I haven’t moved. “Your pitiful lack of manners, however … ”
I shrug him off. “It’s a couple of minutes, cut me some slack.”
“This isn’t high school, Bianca. You’re not a teenager when you’re in here.”
“Sorry, I’ll start investing in stocks or something. That’s what old people do, right?”
He huffs in my direction as I feel my way around the darkness. The whole place is pitch black until the thin hallway forks. To my left, pale blue lights beckon the customers. I go right, through the heavy curtain that leads to the girls’ rooms. Vampires with their night vision don’t need guidance, but I’m fairly certain every girl has tripped at least once down here.
The doors are nearly invisible except for the strips of space at the bottom where they don’t quite reach the floor. Those spaces cast light on my feet as I teeter past on these impossible heels. They’re new, and I’m still breaking them in, but I’ve never felt this tall before.
I hear scuffling and shifting behind those doors. The other girls hide in their rooms all day. They don’t understand why I still crave the sunlight, why I don’t make my room my little home and never leave until I’m called. That’s what Finn wants me to do, what the girls think I should do, but I would rather sleep on the cracked unyielding sidewalks of Philly than in the Night House. I would rather be homeless than call this place home.
When I find my room, I turn the knob and bump my hip into it. It opens with a groan. My door has been broken for at least three months. Finn keeps saying he’ll fix it, but he couldn’t care less and we both know it. Still, I keep bugging him. I can’t give up that easily.
My room is like two closets that had the walls knocked out between them. A bed is nestled in the corner. Most of my important stuff is underneath there, like sketchbooks, novels and accessories to hide my scars. One wall is dominated by a large mirror with huge lights, like an actress might have for her dressing room. Though I’m sure an actress would have working lights. I slump into the folding chair and rest my fish-netted legs on the dresser. Makeup and various beauty tools—eyeliner, lipstick, blush—lay scattered over it. This is the only time I can bear to look at myself. Right before I become another person.
I start with the lips. Blood red, the way they like it. Then I frame my eyes in black so that the green pops. I don’t need to do anything to appear pale. That one comes naturally. But I smooth my face with lotion and foundation, and then add rosy cheeks. When I unravel my scarf, I have to close my eyes. That way, when I open them, I can pretend it’s someone else’s neck covered with scars. Some crazy girl with her makeup on. The scars are nearly invisible, thanks to Finn and his healing blood, but I can still see clumps of white scar tissue, just a shade paler than my skin. I hate not being able to cover my scars with anything—makeup doesn’t taste good.
When I am done with makeup, I change out of my dress and tights and heels and put on an awful old corset. Each girl has at least one old-fashioned outfit because sometimes vampires prefer to live in the old days. We all have different specialties. My friend Alex is all about the 1950s. I got stuck in the 19th century.
Tonight, I have an appointment with Jeremiah, and he’s very old and very proper but he’s not above throwing a tantrum if I’m not perfectly in period. Jeremiah is a regular here. For a while, he used to switch between the girls until I showed up. He’s something of a collector, and when he found out I had AB negative, he became my regular. Apparently AB neg means something, or that’s what Finn told me anyway. It’s tricky having the same guy come by all the time because you start to know each other. That doesn’t make it easier. I wish they were all strangers. Unfortunately, I know Jeremiah very well.
So I put on this musty old dress with frills and lace and after it’s on, I am a dusty layer cake. I hate Jeremiah, but he pays nicely so I always get a tip from him. That means a new sketchbook, or maybe I’ll treat myself to a cupcake.
Finn knocks on my door even though it’s open. “Jeremiah is here.”
I stifle a groan and meet his gaze.
He gives me a once over. “Fix your hair.”
“One hundred strokes, right?”
“He’s in the Fire Room.” Finn leaves before I can say anything else.
I pick up my paddle brush and make my hair as flouncy as I can, but it’s thick and heavy and sits the same way no matter what I do to it. It could take hours to make my hair salon styled. Besides, it’s fine the way it is. Maybe not 1800s fine, but Jeremiah will have to deal. It’s not my hair he comes for, anyway.
I step out of my room, and I feel like I walked out of Sense and Sensibility. I like Jane Austen. She writes happy endings.
I hate Jeremiah.
The hallway takes me past all the doors which start to open, like night-blooming flowers. Alex flashes a smile. Her hair is full of curlers. Jessie tries to zip up her dress by herself even though we all know she can’t. Yvonne runs between her room and Jordan’s, trying to decide which shoes to wear. Both pairs are ugly.
I take the back way into the lounge, away from the front doors. One of Finn’s guys waits by the entrance. He is even less animated than Finn, which is hard to accomplish. He’s probably well paid with some name like Tank or Gunn. We both pretend this isn’t awkward, and he lets me through.
Yet another hallway lies ahead. Another thick set of curtains separates the lounge from the rooms, but I can see a bit of the blue lights on the other side. There, one of the luckier girls gets to pretend she isn’t vamp food in order to be the hostess, taking names. There, vampires sit idly on a long winding couch, tapping their feet, waiting their turn, while they ignore their thirst. There, Finn handles all the customers and tells them to be patient while the girls get ready. Then we can sneak into the rooms and appear like we’ve been there all along. We’ll ask sweetly, “What took you so long?” and they’ll blame Finn, but they’ll thank him later.
Inside the Fire Room, creatively named for being the only room with a fireplace, is where it starts. My hunger. It is different from the vamps’. It is a void, embedded deep in my veins, which can never be filled.
Nauth.
The word echoes in my head and sends chills down my spine.
I want it.
I want it now.
But I must be patient and distract myself by taking in the decorations in the Fire Room. It really seems like it was transported straight from some Victorian’s living room. From the stiff baroque curtains and the velvet couch, to the unused silverware sitting on the dark wooden table, I blend right in.
This is one big show for the vampires. The whole Night House feels like a movie set. I am an actress. Finn directs us. Still, I know it’s real. So I face the fire and let it warm my skin as I wait for everything to get too close.

Rachel Tafoya studied creative writing while at Solebury School and was published in their student run literary magazine, SLAM. She attended a writing program for teens at both Susquehanna University and Denison University, and the Experimental Writing for Teens class and Novels for Young Writers program, both run by NY Times bestselling author, Jonathan Maberry. Rachel is the daughter crime author Dennis Tafoya.

Connect with the Author: Tumbler | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The more I write…

I’ve been wrapped up in JuNoWriMo this June – a challenge to write 50,000 words in a month. I haven’t read any fiction, or edited any manuscripts, or even really typed up anything. I’ve barely blogged. All I’ve done is write long hand in my purple notebook. Now it’s June 23^rd and the end is nigh. When I figured out that 50,000 in a month = approx. 1,667 words a day, I made that my small goal. For me, I figure that’s 6-7 pages a day. I just focused on getting those 7 pages a day and put the big total word count out of my head. Now the story is closing in on its final climax. The main character is at her lowest point, wondering which way to turn. How will she ever get out of this? Luckily, I think I have a plan, but I can’t let up now with just a few days left to go.

I’ve written six books now- nearly seven- with outlines planned for more. I was musing on all my past projects and I realized I really do love the first draft stage the best. To me, there isn’t a better thrill than just throwing words on paper, when my creativity level is at its highest. I love those little ah-ha moments when I figure out a plot point or I write something particularly profound (in my opinion) or touching that moves me. I think I’ve finally learned how to turn off my inner editor in this stage and just enjoy the fun of it all.

Well, book number seven isn’t technically done yet, so I’d better get back to it.  I wish you all Happy writing~

Cover Reveal – King of the Mutants by Samantha Verant and Giveaway

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

King of the Mutants by Samantha Verant

presented by Tantrum Books/Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Can one boy stop a nefarious plot to turn kids into super-mutants?

Maverick Mercury enjoys his life as the sideshow attraction known as “Gator Boy” at Grumbling’s Traveling Circus and Sideshow.

His freakish mutations are the result of some billionaire geneticist’s experiments gone awry. But life as a mutant is about to get worse, as Maverick uncovers a plot to kidnap kids, turns them into super-mutants, and sells their powers to the highest bidder.

Now, Maverick is on a mission to find the mad scientist who may have created him and destroy his sinister plans!

Title: King of the Mutants
Publication date: October 21, 2014
Publisher: Tantrum Books/Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Samantha Verant

Samantha Vérant is a travel addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if occasionally unconventional, French chef. Over the years, she’s visited many different countries, lived in many places, and worked many jobs— always on the search for the one thing that truly excited her. Then, one day, she found everything she’s been looking for: a passion for the written word and true love. Writing not only enabled her to open her heart, it led her to southwestern France, where she’s now married to a sexy French rocket scientist she met over twenty years ago, a stepmom to two incredible kids, and the adoptive mother to one ridiculously expensive Bengal cat. When she’s not trekking from Provence to the Pyrénées, tasting wine in American-sized glasses, or embracing her inner Julia Child while deliberating what constitutes the perfect boeuf bourguignon, Samantha is making her best effort to relearn those dreaded conjugations.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

(Winners will receive their book on release day)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

The Night House by Rachel Tafoya

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Bianca St. Germain works at a Night House, a place where vampires like the aristocratic Jeremiah Archer, pay to feed on humans, and she doesn’t much care what others think of her. The money is good, and at least there, she’s safe. Bianca also doesn’t care that the Night House is killing her. All she cares about is: nauth, the highly addictive poison in vampire bites that brings a euphoria like no drug ever could.

But when Bianca meets James, a reclusive empath who feels everything she does, for the first time, she considers a life outside of the Night House and a someone worth living for. But Jeremiah has decided to keep Bianca for himself; he won’t allow her to walk away.

As she allows her feelings for James to grow, she struggles to contain nauth's strong hold on her life. If they are to have a future, James must make her see what she's worth, what she means to him, before Jeremiah and nauth claim her for good.

Title: THE NIGHT HOUSE
Publication date: December 9, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Rachel Tafoya

Rachel Tafoya studied creative writing while at Solebury School and was published in their student run literary magazine, SLAM. She attended a writing program for teens at both Susquehanna University and Denison University, and the Experimental Writing for Teens class and Novels for Young Writers program, both run by NY Times bestselling author, Jonathan Maberry. Rachel is the daughter crime author Dennis Tafoya.

Connect with the Author: Tumbler | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman

presented by Month9Books!

Arabella Holmes and Henry Watson embark on an archaeological dig to determine if a giant skeleton is Neaderthal or Nephilim. Someone or something does not want the riddle solved; they learn they are the second expedition deployed... and the first team...are dead.

Boneseeker by Brynn Chapman
Publication Date: June 18, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books

      

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Scion of the Sun Blog Stop Today~

 

ABOUT SCION OF THE SUN:

Title: SCION OF THE SUN
Series: THE SOLAR SNATCHERS SERIES
Publication date: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
ISBN-13: 978-0-9850294-3-2
ISBN eBook: 978-0-9850294-2-5
Author: Nicola Marsh
 

When she least expects it, sixteen-year old Holly Burton’s unremarkable life is shaken to the core. A vision of the mother Holly never knew leaves her questioning everything she believes.

 

Eager for answers, Holly enrolls at a boarding school for highly gifted students in Wolfebane, New Hampshire. But things will get worse before they get better, as Holly accidentally transports to a parallel existence where she's confronted by a dark and ancient evil.

 

With the help of Joss, a sexy alpha warrior sworn to protect her, and her new BFF, the equally swoon-worthy Quinn, Holly faces her fears and an unlikely adversary in a showdown that is worse than anything she could’ve possibly imagined …

 

Praise for Scion of the Sun:

 

“Charmed and drawn in by Holly’s spunk and snark, Scion of the Sun will leave you spinning and falling for Joss right along with Holly. Marsh’s unique story is packed with action, mystery, romance and suspense. This is not to be missed!” – Jennifer L. Armentrout, USA TODAY Bestselling Author 

Link to the Tour Schedule

Link to Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon 

B&N

KOBO

a Rafflecopter giveaway

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:

Tell me a bit about yourself…where you’re from and how you came to be a writer…
I’m in Melbourne, Australia, and worked as a physiotherapist for 13 years before finally putting pen to paper rather than just saying ‘I’m going to write a book one day.’ Once I started writing I couldn’t stop!

 Tell me what genres you write and why?

 I write fun, flirty, contemporary romances for adults and spooky, riveting, supernatural fiction for young adults. Plus I’m about to release my first New Adult novel, BEFORE, in early December!

I love flexing my creative muscle and the change in pace between paranormal YA and contemporary romance is refreshing.

What's your latest book about?

 SCION OF THE SUN is a mix of paranormal, mystery, suspense, romance and action.

Here’s the blurb:

When she least expects it, sixteen-year-old Holly Burton’s unremarkable life is shaken to the core. A vision of the mother Holly never knew leaves her questioning everything she believes.

 Eager for answers, Holly enrolls at a boarding school for highly gifted students in Wolfebane, New Hampshire. But Holly's complicated life worsens when she accidentally transports to a parallel existence where she's confronted by a dark and ancient evil.

 With the help of Joss, a sexy alpha warrior sworn to protect her, and her new BFF, the equally swoon-worthy Quinn, Holly faces her fears and an unlikely adversary in a showdown that is worse than anything she could’ve possibly imagined …

 What themes do you particularly like to use in your writing and why?

In my YA and NA stories, I like to write about strong heroines who aren’t afraid to confront the scary stuff!

In my contemporary romances, I love pitting a strong-willed woman against an equally tough guy, and watching the sparks fly.

In YA, NA and adult, I’m a sucker for snappy dialogue and enjoy pitting my characters against each other verbally.

When creating characters for your books, how do you go about it?

Often, a picture/expression of a person will spark an idea of a character for me. From there, I ask a lot of ‘what if’ questions to flesh out that character and make them real.

 And they must have the perfect name before I can start writing.

What advice do you have for a beginning writer?

 The only way to hone your craft is to write. And write. Then write some more. There are so many resources out there but it’s the actual physical act of writing that will develop your craft.

 And read widely in the genre you’re targeting.

Is there anything else you’d like to mention? (i.e. where you get your inspiration?)

By Googling pics of hot guys for my heroes!

 ABOUT NICOLA MARSH:

 

USA TODAY bestselling author Nicola Marsh writes flirty fiction with flair for adults and riveting, spooky stories for teens.

She has published 43 contemporary romances with Harlequin, Entangled Publishing and indie, and sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Her first mainstream romance BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD was nominated for Romantic Book of the Year 2012. Her first indie romance, CRAZY LOVE, was a 2012 ARRA finalist.

Her debut young adult novel, a supernatural thriller BANISH, released with Harlequin Teen August 2013, and her YA urban fantasy series kicks off with SCION OF THE SUN, November 2013, with Month9Books.

She’s also a Waldenbooks, Bookscan and Barnes & Noble bestseller, a 2013 RBY (Romantic Book of the Year) and National Readers’ Choice Award winner, and a multi-finalist for a number of awards including the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, Booksellers’ Best, Golden Quill, Laurel Wreath, More than Magic and has also won several CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Awards.

A physiotherapist for thirteen years, she now adores writing full time, raising her two little heroes, sharing fine food with family and friends, and her favorite, curling up with a good book!

Links:
 

Website: http://www.nicolamarsh.com/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/NicolaMarshAuthor?_ft_

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicolaMarsh

 

October 31 ~ The Best is Yet to Come

Ha! I made it to the end of the 31 Day Blog Challenge again! And I actually blogged 32 times because I had one day early this month that I ended up blogging twice in one day, due to some commitments I’d made. Whew!

 

 

I bet my Facebook friends and family are saying “Thank goodness! Maybe she’ll shut up for a while!” Maybe they already muted me. :(   As of today, however, my fan page on Facebook has 98 likes, many of which were from this last month. I’m sure the 31 Day Blogging didn’t hurt that effort. It is nice to be liked, I’m not gonna lie. Thanks to all you “Like Button clickers” out there.

 

 

Yes, the good news is, I AM going to go quiet for a while. 1) Because daily blogging is very hard to sustain, and B) tomorrow is the start of NaNoReWriMo time for me.  But don’t think you’ve heard the last of me! There are a few things on the horizon in the coming months.

 

I will continue to feature visiting authors from UncommonYA and Month9Books on my blog, so you’ll see some of those.  I have some book signings coming up in November, so you’ll be hearing about those.

 

 

The third book in the Storyteller series is about to be published. The cover and the book trailer in development as I type, so there will be some fun with that soon.  Maybe I’ll do a little giveaway to kick off the book on publication day, so stay tuned for that. I don’t have a release date set yet, but I’ll let you know when it gets close. 

 

 

If any of my blogger buddies out there would like to help promote the book on your blog, drop me a line. I’m always willing to trade guest blogs, etc. I know you’re probably all going to be wrapped up in NaNoWriMo this coming month too, but let me know if you want to help. I’ve been so blessed by the kindness of “strangers” in the last few months while promoting Hush Puppy. Of course, none of them are strangers any more. J

 

 

 

So I won’t be completely MIA from the blog. Congratulations to all my 31 Day Blog Challenge buddies. It’s fun, but it’s a ton of work. It’s nice to be able to say “I did that!” and I’m probably not doing it again anytime soon. Hahaha!! J  See you soon ~ keep in touch ~ peace~

October 15 ~ Teen Blog Hop Week

"Teleportation in the rain" - Why I write for Teenagers



By Tim Flanagan
Writing for teenagers is refreshing!

It provides me, as a writer, with a lot more freedom to write ideas and possibilities than I could ever get away with in an adult book. Teenagers are much more likely to accept things that an adult’s methodical and scientific brain would be closed off to. With children there is no ‘that’s not possible,’ or ‘he wouldn’t do that,’ or ‘because of the erratic nature of ions it would not be physically possible for teleportation to occur when it rains.’

 As a teen I read loads of books. I read whatever I could get my hands on. I particularly loved to read comics – they were pure imagination and fantasy. It was an exciting moment for me when I would visit the local Virgin Megastore and buy a DC Comic. I always went for the ones in plastic covers, so that I could keep them in perfect condition. Other things I read – Sherlock Holmes, Action Man and the odd Dragonlance book.

 But, despite reading loads, my English teacher had a problem with me.

 When I was about 14 years old my English teacher said that I could never compose complete sentences, so being a stubborn person, I set out to prove him wrong. I remember sitting in my bedroom spending ages writing the greatest piece of descriptive work I possibly could about a tree. Yes, you read it right - a tree. The thesaurus had never been used so much! But the important thing was that I went back over the 500 word piece of writing and edited it several times, joining the short sentences together to improve it. I realized that I couldn’t write as fast as my brain worked, so editing and rewriting were vital if I wanted to improve the structure and flow of my work.

The next piece I wrote was a fantasy story that ended up being a lot longer than was required (don’t they always!). After I had handed in the masterpiece I had called ‘The Citadel’ (together with an artistically drawn front cover) the English teacher stopped me in the corridor as I was going for my lunch break and asked if I had really written it. He then gave me the highest mark possible for it and from then on we seemed to have a reasonable appreciation of each other.

It was quite some time later when I went back to fantasy novels. After university I wrote a couple of medical textbooks, but let’s be honest, they’re pretty boring. For my own pleasure I had continued to write many different things including an Agatha Christie-style whodunit, as well as a rather depressing story that was supposed to be a love story, but many of them still sit unfinished in a folder. One of the reasons I think I got bored with them was because they were restricting in many ways for me as the writer.

Things changed for me one morning in the bathroom two years ago when my son James and I came up with the idea for The Moon Stealers. He was only 9 years old at the time. We were getting ready to go out and he asked me to tell him a story. I plucked the name The Moon Stealers out of thin air and by the time we had finished getting ready we had the whole idea for the story mapped out.

James wanted to draw some pictures based on the story, so I started writing some bits down, but I soon realized it was going to be much longer than a few pages. Throughout the entire process of writing the books, he still goes through every chapter I write with a pencil, looking for errors or making suggestions. He loves the fact that he gets to read them before anyone else in the whole world. It’s even given him some additional ‘street cred’ at school!

 They always say that a writer should write what they know, but I don’t totally agree with that. You should write what you enjoy. Writing for teenagers takes me back to my childhood. It awakens the excitement I used to get from the comics I read or the tingles I felt when I heard the first chord of the Star Wars theme tune. To a child anything is possible. And, as a writer, that’s exciting.

 Writing is inspiring. Children are refreshing. Freedom to write what you want is liberating.

 Sentences are sometimes short.

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 BOOKS FOR GIVEAWAY



5 sets of all 3 Kindle ebooks in The Moon Stealer series.

The series starts when a meteorite containing an alien bacteria lands on earth. This bacteria evolves into something that is deadly to the human race and very quickly puts our future survival into question. The overall story is one of survival and the human spirit, and is taken from two different points of view - adults who look for a scientific solution to the problem and children who take a more magic view. The story includes elements of ancient myths and legends that are rooted deep in the English history and culture, including King Arthur, Witches and Faeries.

The fourth and final book in the series is due for release at the end of 2013.

TheMoon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough (Book 1)
 TheMoon Stealers and the Queen of the Underworld (Book 2)
 TheMoon Stealers and the Everlasting Night (Book 3)

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BIOGRAPHY

At some point in Tim’s childhood, he was abducted by aliens and sent on a voyage of knowledge and discovery across the universe. As an adult, persistent memories of new worlds, dragons and other creatures desperately tried to break out, so he began writing. He has successfully infiltrated the humans and hides behind the façade known as a family. He learns from his children, but is regularly told to stop acting like a child by his wife. Naturally shy and unsociable by nature, he prefers to be around old books, bonsai and art. He likes to catch up with old acquaintances on Tatooine, Westeros and Middle Earth. Tim's galactic mission is to translate his brain activity into a language that inspires and entertains you, transports you to different worlds and grants you an audience with the characters you have dreamt about, but never dared to remember. All of this in an attempt to redeem himself with his childhood alien abductors and travel the stars once more.

Current projects he is working on:

The Curious Disappearance of Professor Brown (humorous detective story + illustrations) - release 15 November 2013

Book 4 in the Moon Stealers series - release December 2013

Then for 2014:

YA Futuristic London Underground story + illustrations
YA London Dragon book set in 1600's
(Possible) 2nd detective story + illustrations
Marketing for Authors - resource directory
Omnibus edition of all 4 Moon Stealer books, plus extra info, maps and appendices
2nd Edition of a Medical Textbook (Update from one I wrote in 2007)

Phew! - think that’s everything!