Paperback Promotion

So this week THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE is coming to paperback, and to celebrate (and to try to er, promote it), I am going to do an exclusive giveaway to help get the word out. So tell your friends--if this is a book you think they'd like to read, NOW is the time to get it.

Between now and Tuesday only, when you buy the paperback, I will send you a signed THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE bookmark (while supplies last). All you have to do to receive this is to :

1. Email me a screenshot of your purchase or your receipt or whatever form of proof you can produce that you've bought the book during this promotion time.

2. In the email, tell me your mailing address. Please make sure it's complete.

3. If you're interested in winning a signed advanced copy of MY LADY JANE, click on the rafflecopter contest below and follow the instructions. No international entries, sorry. You can get an entry for just tweeting about the contest, but you'll get FIVE entries if you actually bought the TLTWSG paperback.

4. Enjoy TLTWSG while you wait for your awesome bookmark (and possibly, your ARC)!

5. Accept my many many thanks. You rock.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Another Giveaway and A Bit of News

Wow, time is moving fast. THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE comes out in two weeks!

I got another wonderful package in the mail--5 real copies of the Australian version of TLTWSG.

Pretty, right?(See below for how another rafflecopter, where you can win a copy or one of the last 2 ARCs before the book actually comes out.)

Which brings us to how, yes, TLTWSG is going to be available in some other countries:

Here's the list so far:

• Australia from HarperAustralia (Happy sigh--I love my Australian fans and I will someday finally get over there to meet them!)
• Italy from Harlequin Mondadori
• Germany from Darkiss
• Hungary from Maxim Konyvkiado

I also wanted to announce that TLTWSG will be available as both an ebook and an audiobook, all out on February 10th.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

28 Days From Now

This morning I got a package from HarperTeen! As usual, it took my breath away to open up the box and see my own name on the cover of this beautiful book. My own book. About to go out into the wide, wide world, only 28 days from now.

I am so proud of this book. I mean, I'm proud of all of my books. They all take so much time and energy and passion to write. But this book was especially difficult, and especially close to my heart, so it feels like something of a miracle to see it actualized.

So what do I want to do now? I want to give it away! Enter my rafflecopter contest to win this book, signed by me. I am also giving away some signed ARCs of the book this week. Just follow the directions below. (Contest starts tomorrow. U.S. entries only, please. The contest officially starts tonight at 12am, and you can do some things to get an entry every day, so check back.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, I have some tour news. I am going on the Epic Reads Winter Tour with Victoria Aveyard and Jasmine Warga. So here's where and when you can come see me and get your books signed:

February 18, 7pm at Anderson's Bookstore, 123 Jefferson Ave, Naperville, IL

February 19, 7pm at Flyleaf Books, 752 MLK Jr. Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC

February 20, 7pm at Barnes & Noble Orlando, 481 N. Alafaya Trail, Orlando, FL

February 21, 2pm at Vero Beach Bookcenter, 325 Miracle Mile, Vero Beach, FL

Check my Events page for more upcoming appearances, and leave a comment there with the name of a bookstore and city you'd like me to visit. I will seriously take that under consideration in my travel planning for the year.

*goes back to stroking the pretty pretty book*

Winners for the Final Hallowed ARC giveaway

Thanks to everybody who posted, tweeted, and facebooked my Hallowed trailers this week! I have 2 winners for my contest, which my son drew randomly out of a tub with all the entries in it. He was rather disappointed when nothing spectacular happened after he drew the names.

The winners are:

Vetsy
Solange

Please email me with your mailing address and I will get your signed books in the mail TODAY, as I am going to Idaho tomorrow and won't be back for 2 weeks.

I always feel so badly for the people who didn't win. But take heart, Hallowed is, as I write this, 3 days, 15 hours, 9 minutes and 20 seconds from being released.

If you would like a signed copy of Hallowed (or of Unearthly), I've worked out a new deal with an indie bookshop nearby. Call them up (or email), order the book from them, and I'll stop by and sign it before it ships. Yay for indie bookstores!

Here's the bookstore information:

Diesel, A Bookstore
310-456-9961
cheryl@dieselbookstore.com

And now for some news:
I am doing 2 amazing blog tours this month, one for the UK and one for the Mundie Moms. The UK info can be found in the awesome graphic in the sidebar. I've already started with the Mundie Moms tour, that you can see here:

Stop 1 (an excerpt from Hallowed)

Stop 2 (a vlog interview, plus an awesome Team Tucker prize pack giveaway)

Stop 3  (a review of Hallowed)

Stop 4 ( today's post, my top 5 things to do in Jackson Hole)

and then these later stops:

 

14th- Books Complete Me, excerpt

16th- YA Bibliophile, review

17th- Mundie Moms, character interview & giveaway

18th- Novel Novice, guest post

19th- Anna Reads, interview & giveaway

20th- Fire & Ice, review

21st- Page Turners Blog, author interview & giveaway

23rd- GReads, review

24th- Once Upon A Twilight, guest post

25th- Hypable- interview

Whew! I'm tired just looking at that list.

And excited to be headed off to Idaho for my real life signing in Idaho Falls on January 21 at the IF Barnes and Noble, 1pm and my signing in Boise on January 28 at the Hyde Park Bookstore, 1pm.

See you there!

Countdown for Hallowed

Yesterday is my author birthday, when I officially became a published author. It's been one crazy/surreal year!

And now Hallowed go-time is less than two weeks away. I am so excited to be going back to Idaho for the launch, and I've got 2 signings going on there.

The first will be on Saturday, January 21 at 1pm at the Idaho Falls Barnes and Noble. I had my Unearthly launch at this Barnes and Noble last year and it was such great fun. I grew up in Idaho Falls, and so many of my old friends/neighbors/classmates/teachers came to the signing (I expect to see you all there this time too, guys, love you!), along with my very first teen readers that I got to meet in person. It was a magical day, and I'm so excited to get to go home again for the launch of Hallowed. Thanks so much to Kaaren at Barnes and Noble and my awesome publicist, Marisa, for making it all happen.

The second signing will be on the following Saturday, January 28 at 1pm at the Hyde Park bookstore in Boise, Idaho. I lived in Boise for 3 years while I was getting my MFA from Boise State, and in the general Boise area for 7 years when you count my 4 years in Caldwell when I attended College of Idaho, so it's a place close to my heart. (Plus my best friend lives there. Linds! I need bestie time.) I love Boise. Seriously, if I were suddenly to make a million dollars, I would probably pack up my family and move there. It is a great town.

I am also doing a mess of school visits, so you might see me at your school if you live in either of these areas.

In the meantime, I have to hunker down and finish Book 3, and, quite frankly, it's been kicking my butt. So many threads to tie up. I am going a little crazy here, but Clara is still making me laugh, which is the important thing. I am also doing two separate blog tours, which is keeping me plenty busy. See my shiny new UK blog tour graphic over there on the sidebar? Which means 2 things: I am going to be busy writing for other people's blogs for a while, so I probably won't be writing much on my own, but I have some really great blog posts planned for my tour (on the UK one, I'm doing separate posts about my thoughts on Christian and my thoughts on Tucker, sharing my Hallowed playlist, giving you a run-down on my dream film cast for Unearthly, and so on, and on the US one I am planning a couple of vlogs shot in Jackson and the Tetons. . . ) so please check it out.

It also means that I am mostly saying no to any interview requests I'm getting outside of these tours. I am getting 1-3 requests for interviews a day right now, which pains me, because ultimately I have to say no. I would love to do interviews, but I am out of time, folks. Book 3 has to get written if you want to read it next year.

If you super want me to do an interview, please ask to schedule it for after March 1, and make it 5 questions or less, and follow up with me about it. Things will calm down a bit in March.

Here is the awesome UK trailer for Hallowed. Post this trailer on your website, or share on twitter and facebook, and I will enter you in my final Hallowed ARC contest. Just comment below on what you did, 1 entry for each thing. I will give away 2 signed copies, winner to be announced January 12, so I can have it in the mail by the 13th before I head off to Idaho. (and if I miraculously get my advanced REAL copies of Hallowed before then, I will send those instead. Because they are SHINY.)


I also saw the US trailer for Hallowed today, and it was awesome!!! Watch for it to go live any day now. I will give you double points for sharing this trailer.

And now back to scribbling away on Book 3. Peace out.

YA Scavenger Hunt!

This year I am pleased as punch to be involved in the YA Scavenger Hunt. This is where a whole bunch of YA authors have ganged up to show off our bonus content, help our fans become acquainted with other fabulous YA authors, give away awesome prizes, and have a whole lot of fun in the process. Each of us will post some exclusive, never-before-seen content from another author (plus a mysterious word in red you'll need to win a big contest at the end) and a link to the next stop in the scavenger hunt.

I am hosting the lovely Amber Argyle, author of Witch Song.

Here's what the book is about:

The world is changing.

Once, Witch Song controlled everything from the winds to the shifting of the seasons, but not anymore. All the Witches are gone, taken captive by a traitor.

All but Brusenna.

Now the traitor is coming for Brusenna, and ever her guardian can't protect her. Somehow, Brusenna has to succeed where every other Witch has failed. Find the traitor. Fight her. Defeat her.

If Brusenna fails, there won't be anything left to save.

Cool, right? I can't wait to read this! That's one of the great things about the YA Scavenger hunt; we get exposed to books and authors we might not have otherwise come across. I love the cover, too, something about the girl's eyes are so eerie and striking. And it's been a good long time since I read a story about witches. . .
Here's some info about the author:

Amber Argyle grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing her debut novel.

She has worked as a short order cook, janitor, and staff member in a mental institution. All of which has given her great insight into the human condition and has made for some unique characters.

She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Physical Education from Utah State University.

She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three small children.

To which I say: !!!!!  Hey, neighbor! She grew up in the Rockies riding horses and roaming the mountains, hmm sounds like my kind of writer. Must be a kindred spirit, is all I'm saying. Now even more excited to read the book.

And now we're on to el bonus contento. Below you'll find the never-before-seen first chapter of Witch Song 2. Make sure to read it all the way through to the end, because there's some stuff at the bottom on how to enter to win (pay attention to the word in red)the huge and super exciting prize package. (I myself contributed some very awesome Team Christian/Team Tucker paraphernalia, among other things.) And, of course, the link for the next stop on the scavenger hunt. Hint: It isn't me. Hee hee. But when you do find me on this hunt, you will find a very cool tidbit of bonus content from Hallowed.
  

Witch Song 2, Chapter 1

The shadows seemed to bleed darkness. Senna glanced toward the sky, searching for the moon that would not come. Not tonight. Even the strongest starlight was strangled out by the dense canopy. The temporary blindness was frightening, but it was also the reason she’d come. Darkness offered cover and protection—and insured that no one would notice her slipping away.

With each step she took, the roar of the waterfall grew loader. Finally, she reached the stair case carved into the side of the cliff. Mindful of the slippery steps, she climbed upward until her legs burned and she sweated despite the chill.

Finally, she reached the top and crossed the bleak expanse until she could hear the rhythmic crash of the waves against the cliffs. Glancing far down below her, she could see the frothing sea. She faced West, toward Tarten. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the Four Sisters—earth, water, plants, and sunlight. She could feel their pain—like a shriveled sore in her stomach.

Her tears started again, wetting the salty tracks she knew were already on her cheeks.

She couldn’t seem to shake the dreams that woke her every night. Dreams of a withered land and a dying people.

With all the strength she had, she sang.

Let not the curse of Witches
Destroy a land once bathed in riches
Plants, withdraw life to thy roots
Seeds sleep in the earth, send forth no shoots
Until the witches shall disperse
This hated and unjust curse.

She sang until her throat was scratchy and she could no longer hit the high notes. Then she stood staring at the land she knew was there, struggling to hold onto any life at all. Because of the witches’ curse, no rain had fallen in over two months—death to any jungle. But this one held on deep in the ground, waiting for the promise of her song to be fulfilled.

Through the stillness, one stone scratch on another. Senna whirled and looked back the way she’d come, her heart pounding in her throat. If the Discipline Heads discovered that she was subverting their curse, the punishment would be severe.

Senna saw nothing through the gloom. Hugging her arms around herself, she trotted back to the staircase and started the long descent. At the base, she plunged onto the path that wove between the tree houses like a river carrying its load of human cargo from one house to house along its banks. The trees towered above Senna, the tallest over eight stories high, the smallest just over two.

And each of those tree houses had once been inhabited by a Witch. Now they were all empy. Here, everything still bore the signs of the Witches’ final battle with Espen. A door leading into the tree creaked on its rusted hinges; a yawning hole where the latch should have been. Broken windows gaped like mouths with hungry, serrated teeth.

Glass crunched under someone’s feet.

Senna froze, tipping her head toward the sound.

The wind picked up, snaking through the dense foliage before tugging at Senna’s cloak. Ducking her head, she held her hood close. She could smell the freshness of plants and taste the damp loam. There was no indication that anyone had marked her sneaking away. No indication that she’d been followed. Still, she waited, as still as a mouse venturing into the cat’s lair. She’d been uneasy since she’d left her tree house. Some instinct inside her seemed to chant a warning: through the gloom, someone was watching.

“Who’s there?” Her whisper sounded like a shout in the darkness.

No answer. Her heart pounding, Senna hurried back to the warmth and safety of the inhabited part of the island. She wished Joshen were with her. The Discipline Heads had done their best to keep her apart from her Guardian. She hadn’t seen him in two months. Not since the Guardians had gone on a recruitment assignment.

Trying to calm her stuttering heart, she reminded herself she was safe on Haven. The witches’ headquarters was an impenetrable fortress—surrounded on all sides by cliffs that were in turn surrounded by the frigid ocean. The only way in or out of was for a witch to sing you in.

Still, the island had been breached before. When the Dark Witch had captured or killed all the remaining witches. All but Senna.

The thick vegetation to Senna’s left shifted against the breeze.

Someone was there.

Backing away, Senna’s hand went to her seed belt. Her practiced fingers automatically found the pouch of Thine seeds She heard a whooshing sound. Before she could understand what it was, something solid smacked into her temple.

Lights exploded behind her eyes. She staggered sideways. The thick foliage on left of the path shuddered. A black shape hurled out of the darkness toward her.

Senna didn’t have time for the Thine. Her mouth opened and a song poured out,

Plants, stop the man who’d halt my flight.
Bind him, though he fights.

All around the man, the dark forms of plants shot out, tripping his feet. He reached out, snatching her leg. She stumbled and fell, still singing. She felt the plants respond, twisting around him and pinning his arms down. She kicked free of him and scooted backward. She nearly sagged in relief. One more song, and he’d be wrapped up completely.

Something snapped behind her. Senna lurched to her feet. Someone barreled into her, wrapping their arms around her. Senna slammed into the dirt. She felt grit digging into her cheek.

Plants , stop—

The person behind reared back and jerked a gag into her mouth.

Knowing how helpless she was without her song, Senna drove her elbow back, catching the wiry attacker in the gut. The gag came free, but Senna couldn’t get the breath to sing. She twisted in his arms. All Senna saw was a face wrapped in black, dark eyes glinting. She punched as Joshen had shown her, putting all her strength into it. An explosion of pain erupted in Senna’s hand.

Her attacker tottered. Senna shoved him with all her strength. The attacker tried to hold on, but he wasn’t much bigger than Senna. Kicking her way free, she started running. She panted out a song.

Plants of the forest, hide my trail,
for an enemy, I must quell.

She was too winded for the song to be very effective, but it was the best she could manage. She chanced a glance behind her. In the darkness, she could make out the forms of her attackers chasing after her. And they were fast.

Even with her song weaving the plants behind her, Senna wasn’t going to outrun them. That meant she had to hide. She darted into the dense foliage. Plants whipped her face, making her eyes sting. She passed the tree and erupted onto another path. She followed it for half a dozen steps before darting back into the plants and flattened herself, her face pressed into the damp soil.

Footsteps pounded past her. They paused uncertainly, but they were good at this game. Without a word, they split up—Senna heard them searching for her.

Sweat soaking through the back of her green dress, Senna tried to slow her breathing. She searched for some kind of weapon, anything. A piece of shattered glass glinted in the starlight.

Keeping her movements smooth and even, Senna wrapped the edge of her cloak around her hand and picked it up. She chanced lifting her head. She listened for any sign of them, sweat rolling down her temples, before she scooted backward. When she bumped into the tree house behind her, she eased to her feet and edged around to the other side.

Her heart pounding in her throat, she waited. Nothing. She moved away from the tree, toward home, her senses straining for any sign that she’d been spotted.

Some instinct made her turn to look behind her. But it was too late. She already felt the gag biting into her mouth. Felt the knot go tight.

But her attacker had underestimated the rest of Senna. She whirled and struck with the glass shard. Above the wrapping over his face, her attacker’s eyes went wide with shock. A gush of warm blood soaked Senna’s hand.

She stumbled back in horror.

The attacker fell to his knees, his large hand on his stomach. Senna retreated, fear clawing her insides.

He watched her, his eyes unreadable. “You’re not safe, Brusenna. You won’t be safe as long as you’re here. Soon, all the witches will be dead.” His accent was harsh.

Who was this man? Why had he attacked her? Senna studied his shadowed face, trying to place him. She stretched a hand out to pull away the cloth covering his nose and mouth. Somewhere behind the man, the plants rustled as if someone were running through them.

The other attacker.

Snatching her hand back, Senna turned and fled, not daring to look back. Three times she fell, once so hard she feared she’d broken her wrist. She yanked on the gag, her lips cracking, and finally managed to pull it off.

Ahead, the warm lights of Haven came to view. She caught glimpses of lanterns gleaming inside the trees like distant stars. Had she really gone so far? When she finally reached her tree house, her breathing came in ragged gasps. She ran up the steps made of the tree roots and hauled open the door.

Her mother shot to her feet, her knitting falling to the floor. “Brusenna?

Senna snatched her mother’s hand. “We’re not safe!”

Where there more attackers? Was anyone safe? Senna didn’t stop until she reached the Ring of Power—a circular clearing ringed by tall trees. She darted to the center.

"What happened? Why are you covered in blood? What happened to your face?

Senna ignored her. She had to warn the others. She tipped her head back and sang.

Wind, carry my song across Haven
An enemy with purpose craven,
Has breached our border.
Wrecking havoc and disorder.

The wind whipped around her song, carrying its message all over the island. Senna heard it reverberating off the impassable cliffs. Within moments, Witches were pouring into the Ring of Power, some wearing little more than their shifts.

Prenny, her grey hair sticking up like a rooster tail, marched straight up to Senna. “What’s the meaning of this, Sprout?”

Senna held up her hand to shield her eyes from the bright lantern Prenny held. “Two men attacked me.”

Prenny’s face went pale.

Her mother snatched both of Senna’s hands and turned them over.

Senna suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired. “It’s not my blood.”

“Some of it is,” her mother said.

Senna stared at the puncture holes in her palm, her blood mixing with that of her attacker to run in garish streaks down her dress. The glass must have pierced through her cloak. As she looked at the cuts, they started to hurt.

Drenelle, swathed in layers of silk and lace came up in time to hear the last. She saw the blood on Senna’s hands. She gasped and whirled around. “Coyel! Coyel!"

Her mother lifted her skirt. “I’ll get my kit.”

Senna grabbed her arm. “No! They’re still out there!”

“Who’s out there?” Coyel, Head of Sunlight, asked as she came in.

Her mother pulled away from Senna’s grasp. “I’ll be fine. We need to treat your hands.” Short of physically restraining her, Senna knew she could stop her. She watched helplessly as her mother left.

Prenny took Senna’s hands in her own, clicking her tongue at what she saw. Senna winced.

More Witches gathered around Senna. All of them stared at her, fear in their eyes. Senna felt their gazes and wanted to hide. “Two men attacked me.”

“That’s impossible,” Prenny growled. “No one can get on the island.”

Senna met the old woman’s gaze. “Like they didn’t get on the island before?”

Prenny stepped back as if she’d been slapped. “The traitor is dead. All the other Witches are accounted for.”

Chavis marched toward them. The witch was Head of Water, and therefore their leader in battle.

“How many? Where?”

Senna pointed a shaking hand back the way she’d come. “Two of them. On the west side of the island.”

Chavis whirled around. “Witchlings and Apprentices in the circle. Arianis is in charge. Keepers in groups of four, one of those four a Water. Search the island. Senna with me.”

Senna glanced up in time to see Arianis shoot her a glare as she shooed the younger girls into a circle. The Apprentices locked forearms. The ground around them surged. Shimmering like an aurora, a cylindrical barrier rose into the night sky. Nothing and no one could cross until the Witches released each other.

As long as the circle held, the young witches were safe.

Chavis hefted her musket, loading a ball and tapping the powder into the frizzen.
“Sometimes a musket works better than witch song.” Chavis answered Senna’s unasked question. She handed the musket to Prenny and loaded the two pistols she always carried strapped to her sides.

Drenelle grabbed her lantern from the ground.

“Leave it,” Chavis said. “It will only make us targets and blind us to the night.” She started forward without another word.

Senna watched her, her whole body loath to go back into the darkness.

Chavis turned, her pistols gleaming in her hands. Senna’s arms seemed to burn with the memory of being shot. The taste of gunpowder on her tongue the night Bruke had died to save her. She couldn’t seem to move.

“Senna, you need to show us where to go.”

Going back into danger went against every instinct Senna had. She forced herself not to think of it as she stepped from the lantern lit clearing into the darkness beyond.

When they started into the uninhabited part of Haven, Chavis glanced at her askance. “What were you doing here?”

Senna’s mouth was dry. She had to swallow several times before the words would come. “I couldn’t sleep.” Her blood aching with fear, he stopped suddenly. Something at her feet was out of place. She picked up a sling shot, her hand automatically straying to her bruised temple.

“Here.”

Chavis pulled out her pistol. “Prenny and Coyel.”

Prenny handed her musket to Drenelle, who held it away from her body like might sully her white chemise. Then the older witch pulled out four glass vials. “Ready?”

Coyel crooned to the wind.

Wind, from above blow down on me,
Then spread the nips to any who lying in wait be.

The wind gushed down on the top of Senna’s head, billowing outward when it hit the ground.

As Coyel continued the song, Prenny tossed the contents of each vial into the air. The wind caught the powder, billowing it outward.

Even with the wind blowing the nips powder away from the packed group of witches, the back of Senna’s throat itched and her eyes smarted. She held her cloak over her nose and mouth and squinted through watering eyes.

Coyel stopped singing. She rested a hand on Senna’s shoulder. “Anyone the powder touched would erupt into a helpless fit of coughing.”

The witches strained, listening.

“Whoever it was, they’re gone now.” Prenny finally announced.

Senna wiped her streaming eyes.

Chavis stared into the shadows. “We’re not going to find anything on a night like this. Best lock ourselves in and wait till morning. We can do a thorough search then.”

Senna wiped her watering eyes on her cloak. “They could be long gone by then.”

Chavis cursed. “Why didn’t I think of that. Quick, to the entrance pool.”

Passing other groups of searching Witches, the five witches hustled as fast as they dared, their hands outstretched for balance, toward the only way in or out of Haven. Etched in the side of one of the cliffs was a stone archway. Briars and thistle grew thick over the entrance.

“No one’s been here,” Coyel said, her voice heavy with relief.

“Unless a witch sang them inside.” Chavis shoved her guns in there holsters. “One of us should have brought a lamp.”

Drenelle silk chemise rustled. “I did.” Senna heard the scrap of a knife down a striker, sending out a shower of sparks. One caught on the oil wick. Drenelle twisted the lever on a small, ornate lamp.

Senna nearly sighed in relief as light flooded the area. For the first time since leaving the clearing, she could make out the other’s faces instead of just dark shapes.

Coyel sang the briars and thistle free of the entrance.

Chavis took the lantern and eased down the steps, the light throwing harsh shadows on the carved walls. Senna stood on the mosaic stone floor, staring at the still surface of the pool.

Coyel let out a sigh of relief. “All the boats are still here.”

Chavis drummed her fingers on her gun. “Don’t be too relieved, Keeper. That just means they’re still here.”

I don't know about you, but I want to keep reading! To buy Witch Song on Amazon, click here!

And here are the rules to our ginormous giveaway. We’ve put together a puzzle with one keyword found on each website. Complete it and you will be eligible for a fantastic GRAND PRIZE which will include signed editions of books, signed bookmarks, jewelry, and many more exclusive gifts with at least one gift from EVERY AUTHOR! Woot!

Scavenger Hunt Puzzle
Directions: Copy and paste the words below onto a document or print it out and unscramble the words as you proceed through the Scavenger Hunt. Search for keywords, one on each website that will be highlighted in RED. When you are finished, fill out the google form, here. 

1. NVSEIURE
2. MLTSIPIE 
3. PEMETKIREE
4. IIHEDOMC
5. FMERLOAHTWER
6. DLENGO
7. IRDEEDEWLB
8. RSUERNEDR
9. AOCATTINA
10. AHNCEDNTE
11. GURENDOHY
12. GAUINDAR
13. RETECSS
14. EMCREAB
15. LORNDDWURE
16. AIRSFCCEI
17. RIASSMHCT
18. RWTHACES
19. RTAAENTNRSP
20. DETLGAN
21. YFNASAT
22. NTOAPHWYP
23. SLLESUOS
24. ECNNEOIP
25. LOENIOASTD
26. EORFWLWE
27. AREEHTFS
28. AAAOLRPMNR
29. HSIGDNA
30. DOBANADNE
31. LIECSHORCN
32. SPSESNEU
33. OTMYHLGYO
34. ELWLHAENO
35. TTOAINRTAC
36. UAUTFLBIE

37. BTRSUTEFEIL

Rules: To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit this filled in puzzle before noon on Dec 4th Pacific Time. All the keywords must be in the correct place and you must include your full name and address. Entries sent in without name and address will not be considered!
And now on to the next stop in the scavenger hunt--click HERE.

Hallowed for Halloween Cover Entries

Below you'll find a video I made of the entries (so far) for my Hallowed for Halloween contest. You guys. This has been CRAZY. There have been more than 60 submissions to the cover part of the contest alone, and they are wicked awesome. I have no idea how I'm ever going to choose two. Thank you so much for making my Halloween so fun and showing such support and excitement for Hallowed. You make me proud!

Enjoy!

Get Hallowed for Halloween!

Okay, so here's my contest for HALLOWED on Halloween. I am seriously so excited about this. I am going to be giving away four (count them, FOUR) ARCs of Hallowed!

There are 2 ways to win:

#1 Download this, the US cover for Hallowed. Aw. Isn't it nice?

Then, using Photoshop or Paint or whatever artsy program you like, dress up my cover for Halloween. Let's pretend, instead, that this is a horror book. Instead of "aw," we want, "ew!" The funnier, grosser, and/or most Halloweenlike, the better. (But nothing, you know, truly obscene or something that would traumatize a person under 12).

I'm not great with Photoshop, but I had all kinds of fun coming up with this example:

Bwa ha ha. I love it.

Anyway, mess with my cover. Then email it to me at writercynthiahand@gmail.com. Make sure the image is a decent size, since I've had trouble posting super large pictures or pictures in a strange format here before.

For those of you who are not artistically inclined, here is method #2 for winning your very own Hallowed ARC.

Let's read the description of Hallowed, shall we?:

         

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward ...moFor months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Awesome, isn't it? Makes you just want to jump right in and read. But now (you guessed it) you get to rewrite the Hallowed description. What if Hallowed were a horror novel? You can either write it like a really messed up, scary sequel to Unearthly, such as:

For months part-demon Clara Gardner trained to start the raging forest fire from her visions and murder the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott during the blaze. . .

or you can toss the original story and start from scratch, using just the cover and the title, like:

 Six years ago, Clara Gardner drowned in the icy waters of Jackson Lake right after the Halloween dance.  For 364 days of the year, she rests peacefully in her coffin as a corpse. But every year on Halloween night she comes to life and claws her way out of the grave, determined to find Christian, the boy who jilted her, and literally eat his heart out . . .

Leave your description in the comments below (not on Goodreads or on Facebook, please, but here). Have fun with it! I can't wait to see what you come up with.

 

I will award ARCs to the 2 best covers and the 2 best descriptions, along with a few other little tricks and treats of my own. On Halloween night, sometime in between taking my kids trick-or-treating and lapsing into a candy coma, I will announce the winners.

 

*Yes, I will ship internationally, thanks for asking, although I only have ARCs in English.

 

Good luck, and Happy Halloween!