Happy Birthday, Untamed!

Today Untamed hits shelves!

Let’s fall down the rabbit hole one more time...

Untamed signing on the horizon!

Go here to access the article.

Winners Announced!

Thanks to everyone who took part in the Untamed virtual tour!

The giveaways are now ended, and winners have been selected by the rafflecopters. 

The tour coordinators have already contacted each winner via email, so if you see your name below and didn't receive notification, please contact RockStar Book Tours and let them know.

The four winners of the INTL prize packs are as follows:

And below are the winners of the domestic giveaway for 10 Untamed novels, and 5 Untamed posters: 

Congrats to the winners!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, and don't forget to watch for Untamed, hitting shelves December 15, 2015! 

Headed to Minneapolis!

Click here for more info...

Untamed blog tour with INTL and Domestic prizes galore!

Today the virtual tour goes live, with a look back at Splintered, Unhinged, and Ensnared, and a leap forward into Untamed. 

I'd like to thank everyone for supporting the evolution of the Splintered Series, so I've provided prize packs + free books to be had for both INTL and Domestic fans alike! <3 

Here's the tour schedule where you'll find links for each blog post during the week-long event. 

Monday, 11/16/2015-  Two Chicks on Books- Revisit Wonderland settings /citizens + scavenger hunt for INTL prizes  

     

Tuesday, 11/17/2015- Fiktshun- Revisit the main characters + scavenger hunt for INTL prizes

Wednesday, 11/18/2015- All The Write Notes- Untamed playlist reveal

Thursday, 11/19/2015- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Untamed book trailer reveal + INTL giveaway 

Friday, 11/20/2015- Dark Faerie Tales- Untamed first chapter reveal + INTL giveaway

Also, there's a huge giveaway for 10 Untamed hardbacks and 5 Untamed posters hosted by my generous US publisher (domestic only) at each stop. 

I hope you enjoy revisiting some of the most pivotal characters and settings, and good luck in the giveaways!

Win one of 5 UNTAMED hardbacks!

Check out the giveaway over on GoodReads!

Untamed Virtual Tour on the horizon!

Quick peek at the upcoming Untamed virtual tour:

• Nov 16: Revisit Wonderland settings /citizens + scavenger hunt for INTL prizes
• Nov 17: Revisit the main characters + scavenger hunt for INTL prizes
• Nov 18: Untamed playlist reveal
• Nov 19: Untamed book trailer reveal + INTL giveaway
• Nov 20: Untamed first chapter reveal + INTL giveaway

At each stop, my publisher will also have a rafflecopter with a chance to win one of 10 Untamed hardbacks and one of five Untamed posters domestically.

Blog locations will be posted soon!

Twitter giveaway!

For a shot at a beautiful Untamed poster and a signed Splintered Series set (books 1-3), check out this awesome giveaway during  November 2-9, hosted by my publisher over on twitter!

Click image to go to giveaway

Two months until Untamed hits shelves!

We're two months away from Untamed! In celebration, here's another sneak peak inside the book. This time, the dedication page, because it's to all of you for making this series possible with your support! 

Also, the Untamed  virtual blog tour is on the horizon, November 16-20. There will be a book trailer reveal, first chapter reveal, and playlist reveal among the stops, along with a chance to win a signed Untamed of your own (and lots of other fabulous prizes).

Stay tuned for upcoming details! 

Upcoming Appearance in Austin, TX

I'll be headed over to Austin this weekend to hang out with some awesome writers and readers at Texas Book Festival 2015! 

Here are the deets for the panel I'm on, Saturday Oct 17th:

Click Image to Enlarge

Hope to see some of you there!

YA Scavenger Hunt -- Fall 2015

Welcome to the fall 2015 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! 

HELP: If you're confused at any time, you can always get back on track by going to the YA Scavenger Hunt how to hunt page to read the steps. Or, go to the STUCK page for a bird's eye view of all the author's links. 

There are EIGHT contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the GREEN TEAM--

but there are also pink, gold, teal, orange, red, purple and blue teams for chances to win different sets 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 prize page.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: At the bottom of this post, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the  GREEN TEAM, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!). 

Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by October 4, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

For my part in the YA Scavenger Hunt, I'm honored to be hosting one of my dear friends, Lori M. Lee! Lori writes riveting tales rich with vivid world building and kick a$$ characters. I'm speaking as a fangirl, not her pal. Lori knows fantasy!

Here's the official bio:

Lori is the author of Gates of Thread and Stone and The Infinite. She has a borderline obsessive fascination with unicorns, is fond of talking in capslock, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and family.

Find out more information by checking out Lori's website. Or buy her books here. 

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

Today, Lori is spotlighting Gates of Thread and Stone. 

"In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power."


Now, to tantalize you even more, here's a sneak peek into the final book of Lori's trilogy, Gates of Thread and Stone 3:


Something darted overhead. I startled, ducking and scanning the skies. A blast of wind ripped my hood off my head. I wrestled with the fabric, struggling to see past the hair whipping against my cheeks. I jerked my hood into place again as the rhythmic whump of heavy wings circled above. A couple steps in front of me, Kronos paused. Then he snapped back his robe, his hand darting out to grip my wrist.

Something metal, black, and winged landed in a crouch before us. My heart clawed into my throat. I went for the torch blade sheathed at my waist, but the pressure of Kronos’s fingers around my wrist stopped me from drawing it.

The creature straightened. A chill snaked through me. Every instinct I possessed told me to run. Instead, I held my breath and tried to take comfort in the fact Kronos seemed undaunted by its presence.

It stood over a head taller than Kronos and had a humanlike shape, but it was constructed from a dusky metal. Gray rods coiled through its arms, legs, and neck like muscles and wrapped around its torso like ribs. Where its eyes and nose should have been, there was only the ridged center of metal wires that radiated outward, curving around its head. Beneath the warped bits of metal that connected over its chest, a red glow emanated, as if an energy stone lay nestled within. My fingers tightened around the hilt of my blade as the creature unfurled its enormous wings, panels of scarred metal that stretched to twice its height.

Its gash of a mouth opened, hissing. Slick black saliva oozed between rotting teeth. It smelled rancid, like spoiled meat. Its body might be metal, but there was something organic inside it. Something alive.

It pointed at me with metal claws. Kronos yanked me against his side, nearly enveloping me in his robes. I stumbled, catching myself on his arm, and noticed instantly the sudden stillness—the threads encircled him like a shield, and the wind bent around him, not daring to stir even a strand of his hair.

“She’s with me,” he said. His voice vibrated through me, a physical thing that rumbled the earth.

The creature’s wings twitched. Its mouth stretched wide again. It spoke in a language I couldn’t understand, it’s high, airy voice like razors against my skin. I straightened so that I wasn’t leaning against Kronos’s side. The moment I stepped away from him, the gusting winds returned, tangling the hem of my cloak around my legs.

“She was born of this world,” Kronos said. His hand remained around my wrist. “That is all you need to know.”

The creature released a shrill scream that made me want to curl into a ball and press my palms against my ears. Then its metal wings swept downward, and the creature shot into the sky. Dust swirled around us in its wake. I pulled my wrist out of Kronos’s grip and waved away the choking dryness that coated my lungs with every inhale.

Kronos’s eye tracked the movements of the other creatures that spotted the sky. Then he gave me slight nod and turned his back to me, continuing on.

I hurried after him, careful to copy his steps. “What was that thing?” I asked. 

“Border guard,” Kronos said curtly. “You are not yet fully Infinite. It felt you didn’t belong.”

I considered this. “What would it have done with me if—”

“It would be better not to wonder such things.”

I know, amazing right? Told you. Her world building is phenomenal. You don't want to miss her books!

In fact, I was really hoping she'd write 7 more. Yep, seven more books about Kai, Avan, and Reev would make me very happy indeed. Hear that Lori? Of course, that might have to do with the fact that I do so love the #7. ;)

Okay, that's all I have for you here. Good luck on the rest of your GREEN TEAM hunt, and don't forget to enter for the grand prize, one of each of our books (pictured below)!

CONTINUE THE HUNT

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

Announcing my new YA novel!

I've been working on my next YA book -- very eerie and Gothic, sort of a spin-off like Splintered, but not Wonderland related -- and have been itching to tell everyone about it (waiting for the green light from my publisher).

Today they're letting me announce it!

Here's the official blurb from GoodReads (click here to add to your GR shelf):

Click image to enlarge

Yay! The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is one of my favorite stories of all time. I'm close to the halfway mark in my spin-off, and am having more fun in this lush, dark world than should be legal. ;D

So that you can share in the fun with me, I wanted to show you a peek. Since I'm a very visual writer, I like to look at my characters as their stories unfold, so I pin images to inspire me.

Even animals, if they play big enough roles, get posted on the board. Although with the Splintered Series, I didn’t have that luxury, since the creatures were born solely of my imagination, and I'm no artist. ;)

With that said, check out my pinterest board for the cast of RoseBlood, complete with a scowling Cornish Rex cat and a red swan.


Soon, I'll do another post and share more insights into the premise and introduce you to some of the characters. So keep checking back!

Untamed Ink Color & Table of Contents Reveal + GIVEAWAY TIME

******THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW ENDED******

Here are the winners:

Audio set of Splintered, Unhinged, and Ensnared: 

Kris Dickinson

Author-Signed Untamed Galley Title Page:

Dyanna J. Craig

"Cheshire Clock"  8X10 print:

Lauren Michelle Romas

Alternative Alice in Wonderland 8x10 inch print:

Shelby Scott

  

Follow the white rabbit 5X7 inch print:

Melissa Marshall

Gothic Alice Digital Print Trading Card (2.5" x 3.5"):

Ina M. 

Set of three Vintage Alice in Wonderland gift tags:

Vivien (deadtossedwaves)

Signed Untamed swag pack:

Luis Gonzalez

Kristy Lorenz

Virginia Ann Spencer

All winners have been notified via email. Everyone else, thank you for playing along, and I'll have another giveaway soon, hopefully with an Untamed hardcover up for grabs!

                                               ******

Okay, so exciting news, I'm finally done with all of the Untamed edits, and even got to see the gorgeous PDF that will very shortly become a book. 

I've also been given permission to share a sneak peek at the color ink my publisher (Abrams / Amulet Books) is using this time, as well as a look at the table of contents so you can see the order in which the stories will be presented.

So without further adieu, here's a glimpse of the upcoming book:

Click on image for high res viewing

I can't tell you how excited I am! Blue is my favorite color. ;) Although there's no guarantee it will be this exact shade, since such things vary between jpgs and actual printed images/ text, we do know it's going to be a shade of blue (on the purplish side). 

For a more in-depth description of the short stories, go here.

Now, in celebration of finally being D-O-N-E, and as a tribute to the gorgeous artwork behind the Splintered Series (by artist Nathalia Suellen), I'm going to give away a full set of my books, and some fun Alice related art prints in all shapes and sizes. 

And yes, the giveaway is INTL! 

Here are the prizes:

Audio set of Splintered, Unhinged, and Ensnared 

Author-Signed Untamed Galley Title Page (8.5 X 11")

"Cheshire Clock"  8X10 print (signed on back by artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith) 

Alternative Alice in Wonderland 8x10 inch print

  

Follow the white rabbit 5X7 inch print
Frame not included

Gothic Alice Digital Print Trading Card (2.5" x 3.5")
Display easel not included

Set of three Vintage Alice in Wonderland gift tags

3 sets of signed Untamed swag packs

That's a total of ten winners. Check out the rafflecopter below for how to get entered! 

Oh, and if you'd like FIVE extra entries, you can get them simply by putting my Untamed countdown widget (located at the top of my sidebar) on your blog to help me get the word out. 

Just copy and paste the following into an HTML widget on your blog: <style> #cntdwn{background:url(http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k579/aghoward6970/Untamed%20final%20cover2%20countdown_zpsa9dg9owg.jpg) no-repeat 0 0; color:#000000 !important; display:block;

 font-family: Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Palatino, serif !important; font-weight:bold; height:140px; padding:0px 20px 200px;width:177px; text-align:center;  } </style><script language="JavaScript">TargetDate = "12/15/2015 12:01 AM"; BackColor = "transparent"; ForeColor = "#000000 !important"; CountActive = true; CountStepper = -1; LeadingZero = true; DisplayFormat = "%%D%% Days, %%H%% Hours, %%M%% Minutes, %%S%% Seconds.";

FinishMessage = "Available Now"; </script> <script language="JavaScript" src="http://scripts.hashemian.com/js/countdown.js"></script>

Then leave me your blog's link in the window provided on the rafflecopter to prove you've done it, and you'll get those entries. 

Good luck everyone! Can't wait to share more Untamed excerpts / giveaways / and surprises over the next few months as we get ever closer to the December 2015 launch!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys Blog Tour

Follow the tour:

Stefan Bachmann - 8/10 – Winterhaven Books 

Leigh Bardugo - 8/11 – The Hiding Spot 

Kendare Blake - 8/12 – Reading Teen 

A. G. Howard - 8/13 – Page Turners Blog 

Marie Lu - 8/14 – Gone With the Words 

Jonathan Maberry - 8/17 – Bookish Antics 

April Genevieve Tucholke - 8/18 – The Midnight Garden 

Danielle Paige - 8/19 – The Irish Banana 

Carrie Ryan - 8/20 – Katie’s Book Blog 

Megan Shepherd - 8/21 – Jessabella Reads 

Nova Ren Suma - 8/24 - Bookiemoji 

McCormick Templeman - 8/25 – The Eater of Books! 

Cat Winters - 8/26 – Seeing Double in Neverland 

Jay Kristoff – 8/27 - Fangirlish

Ama-Con Signing

For anyone who's going to Ama-Con in Amarillo this weekend, I'll be hanging out at the Barnes & Noble booth from 1-4pm on Saturday to sign autographs, chat books, and drool over all the fabulous cosplays!

Hope to see some of you there!

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys Survival Tips

Four tips for surviving the 14 terrifying tales you'll find between the pages of Slasher Girls & Monster Boys:

1. Always read in bed while burrowed under your covers. If you can't see IT, it can't see you. Your safety is all that matters, even if the covers hinder your ability to breathe.

2. Don't make a noise. Every whimper leads it closer to your hiding place.

3. Lie as flat as you can and don't move. Any lump in the covers attracts its attention. 

4. If you've been discovered, only light can make it go away. Bright light and nothing else. A flashlight will reflect off its eyes and make it angry.

gif by Kevin Weir of fluxmachine

Think you're brave enough to read our stories?

You can win a copy here.

(Rules for survival inspired by A Child's Eyes)

Untamed sneak peek!

I've been promising another sneak peek of Untamed for a while, so here it is! 

This excerpt is taken from Alison and Thomas's story, and is in her POV. In this scene, she's thirteen years old and just about to meet Morpheus, who will change her life forever.

Click picture to enlarge

And here's the first teaser I posted a few weeks ago from the headlining story Six Impossible Things, for anyone who missed it:

Also, I just got a look at Untamed's formatted pages, and the color of the text is beautiful! I'll have a reveal for that in a few weeks, along with a giveaway to celebrate that the edits are all behind me and a real book is just around the corner!

Signing in Kansas City

I'll be signing the Splintered Series next week in Kansas City. And I'll be giving away some fabulous Untamed swag + sneak peeks into the upcoming book!

Here are the deets:

July 2, 2015
7pm: B&N Event 
Store 2184, Zona Rosa
8625 NW Prairie View Rd, Kansas City, MO 64153
(816) 505-3355

More info can be found on the B&N website.

Hope to see some of you there!

The 25 Book Giveaway is LIVE!

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED!!!

Winners announced here. 

***************************

20 authors, 25 books. To learn more about the awesome authors who donated books to the giveaway, check out Bethany Crandell's #BadAssAuthors Series.

The giveaway deets and rafflecopter are below:

To see enlarged details, click here.

Please note, this giveaway is DOMESTIC only. The size of the prize packages makes them too expensive to ship foreign.

Other INTL giveaways are on the horizon here on my blog, so check back from time to time!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

20 authors giving away 25 books on June 20th!

Whew. That's a lot of 20's.

But you read it right ... there's an amazing 20 author / 25 book event on the horizon! 

My dear pal and critique partner, Bethany Crandell, and I will be kicking it off during our live chat with Doodle's Book Reviews on June the 20th. RSVP to the live chat here. 

The giveaway goes live at the close of the chat, but be sure to tune in during the show if you want to UP YOUR ODDS OF WINNING! We'll be giving out answers to two of the questions on the rafflecopter (worth 10 entries!) while we're talking about reading, writing, and critiquing.

As for the books up for grabs in the #BadAssReads giveaway, here's a sneak peek:

The 20 contributing authors include: 

Bethany Hagen, Sara B. Larson, Lori M. Lee, Lynne Matson, Anne Blankman, Lindsay Cummings, Paula Stokes, Jaye Robin Brown, Bethany Crandell, Rebekah Crane, Jennifer Salvato Doktorski, Eric Devine, Angela V. Cook, Marci Lynn Curtis, Jen McConnel, A. Lynden Rolland, Stephanie Diaz, Kristi Helvig, Tonya Kuper, A.G. Howard.

There will be seven prize packs, each containing three or more books. To see all of them, go here.

My personal pack will contain a signed PB of Splintered and Unhinged + an Ensnared audio book, so you can get the whole series. 

And as a bonus, I'll include a signed ‪#‎Untamed‬ postcard that previews the opening lines from the feature story SIX IMPOSSIBLE THINGS.

Please note: the #BadAssReads 25-book giveaway is domestic only, because the size of the prize packs makes them too expensive to ship to foreign countries. 

BUT, I wanted to do something for the INTL readers, too. So, domestic and INTL readers alike, help us get the word out via twitter/instagram/FB/tumblr, and any other social media venue (be sure to use the #BadAssReads hashtag), and get your name put in a raffle to win one of five Untamed swag packs that will include a signed Untamed postcard like the one above. On June 19th, I'll let random.org pick the 5 winning names.

***PLEASE NOTE: The INTL UNTAMED swag pack giveaway has ended! Below are the five winners. 
(If you're listed, please email me at anita(at)aghoward(dot)com so I can get address specifics for mailing out your prize)***

Amanda Colin
Rina Simm
Haley Mccane
Marco Ornelas
Michelle @ Much Loved Books

Okay, that's all there is to it! Good luck with the giveaways. And domestic participants, hope to see you at the live chat for a chance at an extra 10 entries in the #BadAssReads event! 

Win an ARC of Slasher Girls & Monster Boys!

The Great SLASHER GIRLS & MONSTER BOYS ARC Giveaway

• Sponsored by publisher 
• US-Only (INTL readers, see the P.S. at the end of this post)
• Ends Monday, May 18
• Need to have a twitter account or Instagram to take part

HOW TO WIN:

We want to see you at your creatively slashiest. Show us your macabre side and post a pic of something scary to Instagram or Twitter, under hashtag #SLASHERGIRLSARC 

SCARY PIC SUGGESTIONS:

1. Hold a seance

2. Read a horror story in a cemetery

3. Recreate a horror scene from film/tv

4. Play light as a feather, stiff as a board

5. Say Bloody Mary 3 times in a mirror at midnight

6. Show us your Slasher boyfriend/girlfriend/platonic friend–Pinhead, Freddy, Xenomorph Queen…

7. Draw a chalk outline of a body on a sidewalk. Possibly yours.

SUPER SPECIAL ENTRY: Dig your own shallow grave. Anyone who goes to this much trouble will be placed in their own pool, i.e. your chances of winning are extremely good. 

Shallow grave guidelines: Be safe about digging. We’ll not be responsible for bodily injury due to spade mishaps, digging near power/gas lines, or digging on a too hot day, etc. Keep it safe, keep it shallow. On a beach, perhaps. Or in your garden.

Enter the giveaway as many times as you want (but dig your grave only once).

The Special Pool entries will be given priority.

And don’t let us hinder your slashy creativity. If you have other ideas, let’s see them! Tweet us your fave horror quotes! Show us your…scary dogs? 

Just keep it legal. And don’t forget to RT and use the hashtag #SLASHERGIRLSARC

P.S. Since this is sponsored by the anthology's publisher, it is US-Only.  However, I'll be getting a few ARCs and will have an INTL giveaway later for one, along with a chance to win a signed poster of the cover. So all my INTL readers, stay posted! :)