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 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 SIX contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the GOLD TEAM-but there is also a red team, a blue team, an orange team, a red team, and an indie 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.

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 gold 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 3rd, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Today, I am hosting Patty Blount on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

Patty spends her days writing facts and her nights writing contemporary romantic fiction. A coworker once said if Patty were a super-villain, she’d be called The Quibbler. Her costume would be covered in exclamation points. Fueled by a serious chocolate obsession, a love of bad science-fiction movies, and a weird attraction to exclamation points, Patty looks for ways to mix business with pleasure, mining her day job for ideas to use in her fiction.

Though she’s passionate about happily-ever-afters, her first story wasn’t a romance at all. Penalty Killer, a whodunit, was written on a dare from her oldest son. Though unpublished, it was the subject of so many seventh-grade book reports that year, the English teacher requested a copy and later returned it, covered in red ink.

Ripped from the headlines, Patty’s novel, Send, a YA story about a former cyber-bully learning to deal with the suicide he caused with a single thoughtless click, was conceived when her boss suggested she learn about social media. Send was released August, 2012 from Sourcebooks Fire.

Patty is a master multi-tasker, squeezing in reading time whenever she can  – in the gym, while waiting on long lines and even while cooking dinner.

Patty is represented by Evan Gregory of The Ethan Ellenberg Agency. You can contact her at pattyblount3 at gmail dot com.

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

Buy the book!

Visit Patty's website

Reece’s father hasn’t spoken to him since the car wreck that killed Reece’s brother. Desperate for forgiveness, Reece joins the Junior Cadet program at his dad’s firehouse. But the program is grueling, and Reece isn’t sure he can make it through. Then he meets Amanda.

Amanda understands wanting to belong. As a foster kid, the firehouse is the only place that feels like home. She agrees to help Reece, but falling for him wasn’t part of the deal. And when a string of arsons suddenly points to Amanda, their relationship could go up in flames.

Nothing Left To Burn
Exclusive Content!

Hi! I'm Patty. *waves*

NOTHING LEFT TO BURN is my fourth novel and one I had a lot of fun researching. I live in Long Island suburb. If you're not familiar with Long Island, most towns here are serviced almost ENTIRELY by volunteer fire departments.

Firefighters amaze me. Imagine running into life-threatening situations every day. I'm not sure I can... it's instinctual to protect ourselves, not put ourselves at risk. Yet firefighters do this every day. And Volunteer Firefighters do it for free. That is some serious dedication.

So...I was thinking up book ideas. All books need heroes and heroines. But I wanted to write a real hero and that's what I think firefighters are... real heroes. Could a teenager be a volunteer firefighter? I was shocked and happy to learn that YES, they can. In my area, they're called Junior Squad. Some towns called them Explorers.

Now, it's time for the fun part. I got to tour a few fire stations and speak to real volunteers.†I saw the dispatch electronics, heard the alarms and the announcements. Filling up those oxygen tanks turned out to be much more involved than I expected. And the bunker gear weighs a TON!

I started a Pinterest board to keep track of things. Here, you can see some pictures I saved.

The model for Reece Logan is actor Steven R. McQueen. He is almost exactly how I picture Reece to look. After I finished writing this story, I learned Steven R. McQueen is now part of the Chicago Fire cast, where he plays a 'probie' -- *grins* I love this!

Amanda is much harder to picture. I haven't found any actors yet who truly capture her the way Steven did for Reece. If you read NOTHING LEFT TO BURN, message me and tell me who YOU think could play Amanda! I'd love to know.

Reece's dad, John Logan, I imagine as a young Bruce Willis.
Reece's best friend, Alex -- totally Jesse Eisenberg, right down to his diction
Do you remember Hurley from Lost? I pictured him as a teenager and that's where Bear came from.
Max is real smooth... kind of a Will Smith/Corbin Bleu combination.

I hope you enjoy a glimpse into my imaginary NOTHING LEFT TO BURN cast!

Head over to my Facebook page at pattyblountnovels and leave a comment -- tell me who you think should play these characters? I'll pick a random winner and send you a digital copy of NOTHING LEFT TO BURN.

And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Patty Blount, and more! I know you've probably got at least 79 other things to do, but if you want to win, add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the GOLD TEAM and you'll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

And just for fun, I'm serving up a contest where you can win a signed copy of UNTIL BETH (print book, US only--International digital only) and an ebook of BREAKING GLASS. Enter now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author, Gina Damico! You can visit her at https://ginadamico.wordpress.com/

Tweet #YASH

The YA SCAVENGER HUNT IS ON--3PM EST!!!

I am on TEAM...

Stay tuned!!!!!

Some secrets cannot be kept—in life or in death. 

Months have passed since Rune has heard a single whisper from her long-dead mother, the great witch of Bavaria. But the absence of one evil has only made room for another. 
After rightfully inheriting her ancestral home, Pyrmont Castle, Rune settles into a quiet life taking care of two orphans left in the wake of the terrible witch hunt that claimed dozens of lives in the nearby village. As the days grow colder, the castle’s secrets beckon and Rune finds herself roaming where no one has set foot in a long time. In the bowels of the fortress is a locked room full of memories that hang like cobwebs—shelves stacked with jars, strange specimens, putrid liquids, and scrolls of spells. Rune is undeniably drawn to what she finds there, and she begins to dabble in the possibilities of magic, hoping to find a cure for the strangeness overwhelming the castle. 
As secrets unspool, the delicate thread of Rune’s world is threatened when she realizes the key may lie in the dark forest she once called home and the boy she thought she knew.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1OdOkTO

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/castle-of-sighs-jennifer-murgia/1121584404?ean=9781633920255

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23550903-castle-of-sighs?from_search=true&search_version=service

Excerpt:

     I raise the lantern high and hold my breath, and then I see it. Distorted in the dimming light, the bone juts out from the snow at an odd, twisted angle, its color resembling a pale animal hide, alabaster and cream now grayed and foreboding in the dark. I edge closer, the light bouncing off of it, accentuating the thin onion-like layers where the elements have chipped and picked it clean.

     Shadows are heavy and thick at my back. The stretch between the forest’s gloom and the comfort of the kitchen, an impossible length, yet I kneel beside the protruding appendage—curious, disgusted, cautious. I see why Niclaus had been so captivated, for I, too, am suddenly intrigued. Settling the basket beside me, I swipe at the snow, shifting it away from the bone to fully unearth it. I am careful not to touch it, but continue to clear away, until shoots of yellowed grass kiss my fingers. The length of the larger bone tapers to what appears to be the slender slope of a wrist. I follow it with my eye, and then, I pull back. Breathless and cold, I let my body grow numb as I stare at the ground. It is hauntingly beautiful, yet terrifying, and I take all of it in. The snow-covered bone. The color of what truly lies beneath our skin. The broken limb that elongates into the remains of a hand. With upmost care I pull one of Niclaus’s finds from the basket and hold it against the skeletal stump, matching the delicate finger to the eroded joint. It is a perfect fit. So slight are the digits. So simple are the knuckles. With rapt, studious attention, I compare it to my own hand, and then, I remember what I am holding and drop the thing to the ground, wiping my hands upon my snow-soaked skirt.

Jennifer Murgia writes moody fiction for teens—from paranormal fantasy (ANGEL STAR, LEMNISCATE, THE BLISS), to contemporary gut-punchers (BETWEEN THESE LINES). Her latest, FOREST OF WHISPERS, a 17th century historical mystery (about witches!) was a School Library Journal Fall 2014 HOT TITLE, and a 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Literature Award Winner. The sequel, CASTLE OF SIGHS, releases October 27, 2015 from Spencer Hill Press. She is the co-founder and coordinator of YA FEST and currently resides in Pennsylvania.

Literary Representation:

Amanda Luedeke of MacGregor Literary Agency ~ amanda@macgregorlit.com

Connect with Jennifer:

Website: www.jennifermurgia.com

Email: jennifermurgia8@gmail.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.murgia

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMurgia

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jennifermurgia/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3105432.Jennifer_Murgia

CASTLE OF SIGHS—Teaser Tuesday!

Some secrets cannot be kept—in life or in death. 

Months have passed since Rune has heard a single whisper from her long-dead mother, the great witch of Bavaria. But the absence of one evil has only made room for another. 
After rightfully inheriting her ancestral home, Pyrmont Castle, Rune settles into a quiet life taking care of two orphans left in the wake of the terrible witch hunt that claimed dozens of lives in the nearby village. As the days grow colder, the castle’s secrets beckon and Rune finds herself roaming where no one has set foot in a long time. In the bowels of the fortress is a locked room full of memories that hang like cobwebs—shelves stacked with jars, strange specimens, putrid liquids, and scrolls of spells. Rune is undeniably drawn to what she finds there, and she begins to dabble in the possibilities of magic, hoping to find a cure for the strangeness overwhelming the castle. 
As secrets unspool, the delicate thread of Rune’s world is threatened when she realizes the key may lie in the dark forest she once called home and the boy she thought she knew.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1OdOkTO

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/castle-of-sighs-jennifer-murgia/1121584404?ean=9781633920255

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23550903-castle-of-sighs?from_search=true&search_version=service

Excerpt:

     “He is magnificent.” She whispers when we have finished.

     The child lies still upon the table. A composite of hair and skin and bones from the village boy—his heart now beats with magick. In time, the delicate stitches will heal and no one will question how, or why.

     It was almost too much to bear the moment we began, and so I created a tonic of herbs and incense to fill the room while we worked. The woman’s nerves have now settled, and by the look upon her face she seems pleased with my work.

     “Utterly magnificent,” she repeats, her finger tracing the delicate flesh of his arm, his collarbone, his jaw. She holds a lock of his hair between her finger and thumb, then reaches for her own, inches shorter in a place at the nape of her neck.  “He looks just like my son.”

     “He is your son,” I confirm.

     She nods, her eyes still disbelieving yet accepting, all at once.

     The boy yawns then wakes, as if he’d been asleep this whole time.

     “Will he know me?”

     “Your blood is his now.”

     She approaches the child with caution and the moment he sees her, he smiles and holds his arms out to her. Tears of joy spill down her cheeks.

     My heart clenches, for it too misses the love of a child.

     “But . . .”

     “You will tell your husband that you found the babe in the forest, crying and alone.” I hand her a small, muslin pouch. “Tonight, you will stir these herbs into his ale, and the rest into your tea. By dawn, it will be as if the boy has been born to you all along.”

     I wait patiently for her to nod and agree with what must be done. “Have you a name for the boy?”

     “After my father,” she tells me. “His name shall be Laurentz.”

Jennifer Murgia writes moody fiction for teens—from paranormal fantasy (ANGEL STAR, LEMNISCATE, THE BLISS), to contemporary gut-punchers (BETWEEN THESE LINES). Her latest, FOREST OF WHISPERS, a 17th century historical mystery (about witches!) was a School Library Journal Fall 2014 HOT TITLE, and a 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Literature Award Winner. The sequel, CASTLE OF SIGHS, releases October 27, 2015 from Spencer Hill Press. She is the co-founder and coordinator of YA FEST and currently resides in Pennsylvania.

 

Literary Representation:

Amanda Luedeke of MacGregor Literary Agency ~ amanda@macgregorlit.com

 

 

Connect with Jennifer:

 

Website: www.jennifermurgia.com

Email: jennifermurgia8@gmail.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.murgia

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMurgia

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jennifermurgia/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3105432.Jennifer_Murgia

I'm hosting a REVIEW FOR THE WIN giveaway--and a Recipe for Successful Revising.

This month I am celebrating the release of my latest book, the young adult urban fantasy/thriller UNTIL BETH. As you may or may not know I DESIGNED THIS COVER as well as many others for Spencer Hill Press and other clients. You can purchase UNTIL BETH here.

How would you like a Lisa Amowitz design for your indie-published book--or a banner design for your blog or website?

I will included up to five royalty-free images and you must agree to accept the cover/web banner as I envision it for you. If you wish a more complicated design, we'll need to negotiate new terms.

OR you can choose three web graphics to promote your book instead--like these:

Or you can choose one of my detailed and comprehensive five page critiques.

To give you a little taste of my style, I'm going to share my REVISION RECIPE (this segment originally appeared as part of a larger interview posted on the Istyria Book Blog by the wonderful Bieke and Rachel.

A RECIPE FOR REVISION

Writing a first draft is hard and takes a lot of time, but the actual hard work comes after that. How do you go about revising and editing that first draft?

Ah—I think I hinted at the hair-pulling aspect, but let me try to break this down into something useful for aspiring authors. I’m going to write it out like a mad-cap recipe for things you need to put on your checklist

.

Ingredients:

5 cups of character. Know your main character. Know his/her background, idiosyncrasies, loves, obsessions, fears. Know what they need to learn/find on their journey. Know this FIRST before you do anything else.

1 cup of setting. Where and when are they? Contemporary? Future? Past? Research, research, research. Is this fleshed out? Is it pertinent to the story? Create a sense of place and atmosphere.

A gallon of conflict. Character + conflict =plot. Yeah—not conflict, no story.

Take these ingredients and mix them in a bowl. Add the following advice that comes largely from a great book I read called Hooked, by Les Edgerton.

Stir in Make your you have a first sentence that grabs your reader immediately, tells them something about your character, and sets up what’s about to happen. Edgerton calls it the “surface problem”. I call it the catalyst. It’s the event that sets the story in motion. Your first chapter should create a situation that tells us something about our protagonist and puts events in play. It does not have to be the actual situation. That’s why Edgerton calls it the surface problem. It then leads the protagonist to the “story level problem—the issue they must solve to get to the conclusion of the book.”

Mix in action in every chapter. Something has to happen. You cannot just describe things and let your reader fall asleep…because they won’t fall asleep—they will throw your book across the room or delete it from their ereaders.

Chop any words, scenes, dialogue, description that does not move the story forward. ALL DIALOGUE and settings must add to your narrative. Use description as part of action.

Add a pinch of quirky details that bring your story and characters to life but don’t weigh down the narrative.

Cook on high heat—keep going! Don’t stop!

Allow to cool Always be ready to “kill your darlings.” That’s advice from Stephen King from On Writing. That means be merciless and cut whole chapters, sentences, even characters that bog your narrative down.

Writing Books I recommend:

Stephen King’s; On Writing, Anne Lamotte’s; Bird by Bird, Les Edgerton; Hooked.

And most important—write the story YOU want to tell—not what you think will sell.

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday: Castle of Sighs by Jennifer Murgia

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly awaiting!

Title: Castle of Sighs (Forest of Whispers #2)

Author: Jennifer Murgia

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Expected Publication Date: April 27, 2016

Blurb:
Some secrets cannot be kept—in life or in death. 
Months have passed since Rune has heard a single whisper from her long-dead mother, the great witch of Bavaria. But the absence of one evil has only made room for another. 
After rightfully inheriting her ancestral home, Pyrmont Castle, Rune settles into a quiet life taking care of two orphans left in the wake of the terrible witch hunt that claimed dozens of lives in the nearby village. As the days grow colder, the castle’s secrets beckon and Rune finds herself roaming where no one has set foot in a long time. In the bowels of the fortress is a locked room full of memories that hang like cobwebs—shelves stacked with jars, strange specimens, putrid liquids, and scrolls of spells. Rune is undeniably drawn to what she finds there, and she begins to dabble in the possibilities of magic, hoping to find a cure for the strangeness overwhelming the castle. 
As secrets unspool, the delicate thread of Rune’s world is threatened when she realizes the key may lie in the dark forest she once called home and the boy she thought she knew.

Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Jennifer Murgia writes moody fiction for teens—from paranormal fantasy (ANGEL STAR, LEMNISCATE, THE BLISS), to contemporary gut-punchers (BETWEEN THESE LINES). Her latest, FOREST OF WHISPERS, a 17th century historical mystery (about witches!) was a School Library Journal Fall 2014 HOT TITLE, and a 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Literature Award Winner. The sequel, CASTLE OF SIGHS, releases October 27, 2015 from Spencer Hill Press. She is the co-founder and coordinator of YA FEST and currently resides in Pennsylvania.

Literary Representation:

Amanda Luedeke of MacGregor Literary Agency ~ amanda@macgregorlit.com

Connect with Jennifer:

Website: www.jennifermurgia.com

Email: jennifermurgia8@gmail.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.murgia

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMurgia

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jennifermurgia/

Goodreads TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18506004-forest-of-whispers

ITS RELEASE DAY FOR UNTIL BETH!

Talented rock guitarist Beth Collins has been barely holding herself together for months, ever since her boyfriend and bandmate became the latest victim in a string of suspicious disappearances. When her brother is injured an accident and she sees something dark billowing around him as he hovers close to death, she’s convinced her sanity is collapsing for good. Then she's accepted by a boarding school for the musically gifted. All of her new friends are bursting withtalent, but they're also keeping secrets. Can she trust Vincent, who's so sweet that his very touch makes her fears melt away? Or Xavier, who's trying to tell her something but is hiding even more? And will anyone be safe when her true Talent comes out?

Buy it 

Read an Excerpt