Giveaway WINNERS and a small favor...

Thank you everyone who entered the UNHINGED Trailer Reveal Giveaway!

And the winners are (as chosen by Random.org):

 

SUPER SEEKRIT GRAND PRIZE

(Which I can now reveal as a special limited edition flip ARC, one side SPLINTERED cover and full story, then flip to the other side for UNHINGED cover and one sample chap! NICE, right???)

 

Grand Prize Winner: Ava Lassak

 

FIRST PRIZE

Unhinged personalized poster:

Danielle Duffield

 

SECOND PRIZE

Pocket watch necklace:

Jenelle Riane

 

THIRD PRIZE

Alice in Wonderland print:

Cali Willette

 

FOURTH PRIZE

Personalized Splintered swag pack:

C Daniella Alvarado-Reano

 

Congrats to all the winners! You will be receiving confirmation emails from me today. Also, I MIGHT have an extra one of those flip ARCs, in which case I MIGHT be giving another away soon. But no matter what, I WILL be having more giveaways leading up to Unhinged's release with all kinds of awesome goodies, so keep your eyes peeled!

As for the favor, did you know that the nominations for the 3rd annual YA Crush Tourney begin today? The YA Sisterhood has 4 bloggers helping out with the nominations:

@PageTurnersBlog http://t.co/FLAQqWw2WT
@StaceyONeale http://t.co/KjEerPBJvV
@FictishDelish http://t.co/AOyaCfXgQg
@StuckInBooks http://t.co/LXHjXL4K2d

If any of you would like to vote for Jeb or Morpheus in the DEBUT category, I would sure appreciate it! I'm hoping at least one of them can make it! Also, it would be great exposure for Splintered and Unhinged. :)

Thanks everyone, and have a great week! <3  

Junk-food for thought...

Now that I've had a month-long break from writing (and while I'm waiting for my next set of edits) it's time to start planning another book. And although I can't officially announce what it is, I can share my crafting process. 

 

I'm totally about the visual. My first stage of starting a story is building characters: what they look like, what their GMC (Goal/Motivation/Conflict) will be, and their personalities/names. To aid in this, I have a pinterest board for fascinating faces that fuel my imagination:

Click to go to pinterest board

 Since my current project is one I started a while back, I've already got the characters lined up.

 

Which means I move on to stage two: creating the settings and world. 

 

 This is one of my favorite things EVER. Maybe because it's when I really turn my imagination loose and embrace the crazy. Anyone who's read Splintered knows what I mean. Again, I have inspirational pinboards for world-building:

 

 

 

But, one of the most fun things about world building is I get to indulge in all the junk-food my wee little brain can digest.

 

I'm not talking cheetos or twinkies (although those do have their place, along with coffee and inordinate amounts of chocolate). I'm talking about horror movies with surreal plots, tons of shock value, and reel upon reel of grotesque eye candy.

 

Creepy critters and disturbing settings work like a defribrillator to my muse, and it's even better if the plot is mainly black and white without too many grays (in other words, junk food for the mind). That way, my brain is free to gorge itself on the visual aspects without having to think too hard about layers or predicting the ending.

Recently I've discovered the Silent Hill movies. Because they're based on computer games, the plots are mainly good vs bad and there is no shortage of gruesome graphics, scenery, and monsters.

Here are two of my favorites from the 3rd movie:

(1) A spidery creature made up of mannequin pieces. The first time I saw it scuttling down the wall, it was SO CREEPTASTIC I salivated. Heh.

 

(2) Mutated rusty-razor-bearing nurses whose faces are a macabre twist of skin that looks like an exposed brain. Since they have no eyes or noses, they react to their other senses: touch and sound, and move in a really jerky manner that makes them even freakier.  

   

Watching movies also keeps me attuned to the distinctive movements of the creatures and how they react to their setting, which puts that foremost in my mind as I'm building my own worlds and monsters.

As for an actual setting that has spoken to me, there was a scene in a decrepit amusement park that inspired a deliciously eerie idea for a carnival one day.  I can't WAIT to write it. ;)

 

Seeing as I'm a glutton for weird creatures and places, I guess I've found the perfect calling and outlet by writing dark and creepy novels. ;)

 

Uhinged ARC request form

 
Just in case some of you haven't noticed, I've put up a page on my side bar that opens to an ARC request form for Unhinged.

So, if you're dying to read before everyone else and want a shot, hop over!

Unhinged Trailer Reveal and INTL Giveaway TODAY!

YAY! It's here!!!

Well, actually, it's there ... on my pal Bethany Crandell's blog.

Hop over for a look at the official trailer, synopsis, and the AWESOME prizes, including a **super seekrit grand prize** that I didn't tell you about earlier because I'm sneaky like that. Heh.

Hope to see you over at Bethany's!

Unhinged Book Trailer Reveal and Giveaway!

I'm so excited about Splintered's sequel and I want to share the frabjousness with you!

Since I didn't get to have a giveaway for the Unhinged cover reveal, I'll be having a book trailer reveal/giveaway instead! YAY!

Can you tell I'm itching to hand out some free goodies? Also, a lot of readers have been asking what Unhinged is about, so I'll be posting an official synopsis, too.

SQUEE!

When is this taking place? **Monday, May 6th**

Where? On my pal Bethany Crandell's blog. Why there? First, because she generously offered. And second, because she has a FABULOUS YA debuting in 2014 and I want you guys to see her awesome blog/website and check out what her book's about!

Now, for a giveaway teaser, here's a sneak peek of the goodies:

First Prize: Personalized and Autographed 18 x 24 poster of Unhinged

 

 

Second Prize: Alice in Wonderland Victorian filigree pocket watch necklace with hinged face cover

(see what I did there? hinged/unhinged...heh)

 Third Prize:  8 x 10 Alice Falling Down The Rabbit Hole Vintage Dictionary Print (frame not included)

 

 

Fourth Prize: Personalized and Autographed Splintered Swag Pack

 

No ARCs to giveaway yet, but those are forthcoming! Be sure to stop by on Monday for the big reveal and a chance for the prizes! I'll post a link here again to help you find your way. Have a great rest of the weekend!