Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt, Spring 2017!

Welcome to the fall 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 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 a few days! 



First, let's go over introductions and the hunt rules. 

I'm A.G. Howard, author of the Splintered Series, an Alice in Wonderland retelling, and RoseBlood, a modern-day Phantom of the Opera spinoff.

In a moment, I'll introduce you to Claire Lazebnik, the YA author I'm hosting today, and tell you all about her new contemporary novel!

Claire and I are a part of the PINK TEAM--but there are also RED, BLUE, GOLD, & PURPLE teams - each with 20 authors, for a chance to win a whole different set of books! If you get off track, you can visit the Unstuck page where a list of all the authors are linked up by team for your convenience. Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are five contests going on simultaneously (plus some fabulous personal giveaways), and you can enter one or all!

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've hidden my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the pink 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 9th at noon Pacific time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

MEET MY GUEST AUTHOR

Today, I'm hosting Claire Lazebnik for the YA Scavenger Hunt! 

Claire is the author of five novels for adults and five YA novels, including Epic Fail and Things I Should Have Known. With Lynn Kern Koegel, PhD, she co-wrote the non-fiction books Overcoming Autism and Growing Up on the Spectrum. She has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Self Magazine, among many other publications, and contributed a monologue to the anthology play Motherhood Out Loud. 

Find out more information about Claire by checking out her website , or go here for book ordering info. 

ABOUT CLAIRE'S BOOK

Things I Should Have Known is a story about sisterhood, autism, and first love. Chloe Mitchell is on a quest to find love for her autistic sister, Ivy. Ethan seems like the perfect match, so it's unfortunate that his older brother, David, is one of Chloe’s least favorite people.


Chloe, Ivy, David, and Ethan are soon spending lots of time together and Chloe is hopeful her plan will work, until she realizes just how much she doesn't know, both about Ivy and about herself.

And now for Claire's exclusive bonus material for Things I Should Have Known:

Ivy, Chloe, David and Ethan Write Haikus

Claire LaZebnik:

If you’ve read Things I Should Have Known, you know that the two sets of siblings spend a lot of time together. Even though this scene never took place in the book, it certainly could have.

Maybe it’s Chloe’s idea to write haikus on a lazy rainy afternoon when they’ve all already watched a movie and no one wants to leave the house. She would hope that the strict line and syllable structure would appeal to Ivy and Ethan, who both have autism and like things to be clear and literal.

So maybe they’re all sitting around with pads of paper and pencils and Chloe says, “You have five minutes to write a haiku. They’re usually about nature, but they don’t have to be. Three lines, the first with five syllables, the second with seven syllables, and the third with five syllables. Okay? We’ll write and then we’ll read them out loud.”

Ethan would probably complain that it’s a stupid idea, and David would probably tell him he’s being rude to Chloe, and then agree that it’s stupid, and Ivy would worry that hers wouldn’t be any good. But eventually they’d settle down and write their haikus, and then they’d read them  out loud.

And I think they’d end up something like this:

  

Chloe’s Haiku:

The house closes in

Just as I’m planning to leave.

Embrace or prison?

David’s Haiku:

You’re supposed to use

Five/seven/five syllables?

Screw that.

Ethan’s Haiku:

I think that Marvel

Makes a lot of good movies.

Logan was the best.

Ivy’s Haiku:

It’s raining out now.

I hear the water fall down.

But it’s dry in here.

Chloe’s Second Haiku (directed at David):

Just try to write one

Without breaking all the rules.

It wouldn’t kill you.

David’s Second Haiku (directed at Chloe):

Conform? No, thank you.

Only sheep count syllables.

I’m my own person.

And then Ethan would probably say, “This is boring,” and Ivy would say, “Let’s watch TV,” and that would be the end of haiku writing.

****

Haha. Thanks Claire! These characters have amazing chemistry. :) 

Remember, you can buy Things I Should Have Known here, and if you'd like to follow the author online, she's on twitter.

GIVEAWAY DEETS

GIVEAWAY #1 (INTL):  Enter the official hunt contest for a chance to win books by myself, Claire Lazebnik, and a ton of other authors on the pink team, pictured below:

To enter the above giveaway, you need to know that my favorite number is 7. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the pink team and you'll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize! Remember to fill out the form here. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.


GIVEAWAY #2 (INTL): My own bonus giveaway pack contains these RoseBlood / Phantom-themed prizes:

Click image to enlarge

To enter my bonus giveaway, follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONTINUE THE HUNT

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

*****

Also, thanks to Colleen Houck for hosting me today. Be sure to check out my post on her blog for a first-time online peek at Christine Daaé's secret journal entries from the B&N exclusive edition of RoseBlood! 

Personalized OwlCrate box up for grabs!

On February 25th, there will be a chance to win this personalized OwlCrate bonus box (includes an autographed B&N exclusive edition [with 16 extra pages] + mask and Thorn print along with the original goodies). 

How to enter the giveaway? 

Just join us on twitter for the official OwlCrate chat during the date and time announced below.

**You must use the #owlbabble hashtag to be eligible for the giveaway. I'll be drawing the winner from the chat threads.**

**I'm sorry, but this giveaway is only domestic. I can't afford the foreign S&H on a package this heavy. However, I will have an INTL giveaway at a later date for an exclusive edition RoseBlood + Thorn print and mask to make up for it!**

RoseBlood's UK Blog Tour Day 6

Welcome to stop #6 on the UK Blog Tour! We're trying to figure out what went awry with yesterdays's post (stop #5), but since it didn't go live, I'm doing an encore presentation here. Enjoy!

RoseBlood Aesthetics

Today, Splintered’s own master of panache and charm is here to chat up my latest retelling by critiquing  spotlighting some of the scenes, fashions, and settings in RoseBlood, using the book's official pinterest board for inspiration. And to prove how accommodating he can be, he’s even embracing the Phantom theme (he claims it’s because the style complements his subterfuge top hat, but I suspect it’s more because Alyssa thinks masks are sexy). 

And with that, I give the floor to Morpheus, moth-man extraordinaire.

******

Thank you, luv. *tips head while holding mask in place* As most of you know, I’m not traditionally an admirer of human lifestyles. I find most everything about mortality tedious, pedestrian and boring. However, in exchange for wasting part of my precious eternity on this drivel, Alyssa vowed to give me a private fashion show later, in which she'll model any ensemble of my choosing: the sky is the limit. *smirks and flutters wings* So, let’s get a move on, aye? I have somewhere much better to be…

First, let’s start with the fashions.

Seeing as RoseBlood is a school of music and theater, you can expect costumes and sewing to play a role. And being a moth-man who knows his way around a needle and thread, this is one aspect I can appreciate, if not admire … However, I’ll be keeping it to a modicum of enthusiasm.

Speaking of sewing, our lovely little Rune is a seamstress in her own right. She’s also kind-hearted, loyal, and brave with a touch of darkness, like another stylish girl I know. *casts sidelong glance out the window* And Rune executes her homespun, natural style most brilliantly.

But perhaps I’m biased, as her tattered elegance and captivating voice bring to mind the birdsong wood nymphs who frequent Wonderland’s wilds—one of my favorite holiday spots.

On the note of mythical creatures, Thorn is admittedly too striking for a human. He must have a touch of the fae. He certainly has the cunning of one. But although I approve of his subversive schemes and clandestine constitutionals about the opera house, his style is far too casual for my liking. 

However, his addition of a hooded cloak adds a mystical dimension to any trappings. And as I’ve attended my share of banquets with satyrs and pan flutes providing the music, Thorn’s preference for playing his violin half-clothed is another taste of home that warms me to the cockles. As most of you know, I’m not adverse to showing a bit of skin whilst performing in any venue. If you have it, flaunt it.

As for flaunting what you have, Erik, a.k.a. Le Fantôme, has mastered this skill. Whether decked out in red velvet for a night of torturing guests at a masquerade, donning a woolen bolero suit in his childhood, or creeping down to his lab in a hooded monk’s robe for some scientific experimentation, he manages all with flair and finesse. And did I mention he has a mask for every occasion? A quaint obsession to which I can relate. *adjusts moth-trimmed top hat* Add to that a penchant for strangling anyone who stands in his way, and of any character in RoseBlood with whom I’d wish to have a spot of tea, Erik would be my top choice. Oh, the maniacal stratagems we could hatch over spider-leg scones and clotted dodo-egg cream…

This talk of tea brings to mind parties, and fair warning, paltry humans, there are two in RoseBlood that are brimming with horror and mayhem worthy of any netherling revelry. One in particular is reminiscent of Wonderland’s own psychedelic landscapes. But—*presses a gloved finger to lips*—mum’s the word. Wouldn’t wish to spoil the deliciously frightful discoveries awaiting you. Instead, let these visuals fuel your nightmares.

Nightmares are always on the fringe at RoseBlood. Who could expect anything less from a renovated opera house sitting atop a lake veiled in mist, adjacent to an abandoned chapel and cemetery?

But RoseBlood’s outsides are nothing compared to its insides. A haunted auditorium, golden stairways, and dorms carved out of dressing rooms. 

All of it pales to what lurks beneath, in the bowels—underground canals, a caged elevator, and beds varying from canopies to coffins.

This talk of bedrooms reminds me of a certain fashion show I’m anxious to attend, so I’ll be taking my leave. *drops mask, transforms to moth-form, and flutters toward the door* 

Do give my regards to the occupants of RoseBlood. And remember: If you wish to survive the story, keep your hand at the level of your eyes. 

******

Thanks for joining us today! Don't forget to hang out with us via our twitter chat during the #RoseBloodBall at 12:30pm central time (6:30pm GMT). I'll be answering questions via the hashtag, and we'll also be giving away a Thorn print to a lucky winner (INT)!

And hope to see you again Saturday for the final stop of the tour at The Arts Shelf where we'll be offering up a grand prize package (UK)!

RoseBlood's Birthday!

It's January 10, 2017, RoseBlood’s official birthday! 

Visit a local bookstore for your copy and follow this link to checkout the giveaways and celebrate with us!

RoseBlood Launch Event!

RoseBlood's Phantastic launch party will be a week from today (Saturday, January 14th, 2 pm) at my local B&N!

I'll be giving away collectible masks and phantomly/RoseBlood swag as long as supplies last. :)

Hope some of you can take part in the festivities!

Out of city/state? Books can be reserved to be autographed and mailed your way. Click the image below for full details.

RoseBlood's UK Blog Tour Schedule

It's January 2017, and that means my fifth novel is about to make its debut!

From Jan 7th - Jan 14th, we'll be ringing in the new year and RoseBlood's birthday online with a UK virtual tour. 

Join us for behind the scenes posts and interviews. There's even rumor a certain winged man from the Splintered series is guest-hosting one of the stops...

Here are the deets:

Make special note of these dates: 

• January 12th - Attend the #RoseBloodBall with us! Hang out via a twitter chat where I'll be answering all sorts of Phantom-ly questions.

• January 14th - Giveaway time at The Arts Shelf (you don't want to miss this fabulous grand prize pack!).

Search the #RoseBloodBlogTour or  #RoseBloodBall hashtags on twitter for updates. You can also follow the links below for easy navigation:

Jan 7th: Chouett 

Jan 8th: The Reader's Corner 

Jan 9th: The Pewter Wolf 

Jan 10th: Kate Ormand 

Jan 12th: A.G. Howard's place

 Jan 13th: A&CB Blog 

Jan 14th: The Arts Shelf  

Hope to see you online for the festivities + giveaways, and don't forget, January 10th is the official launch, so look for RoseBlood in stores then!

Roseblood's Less-Than-A-Month-Away-INTL Giveaway!

There's less than a month (24 days!) until RoseBlood hits shelves, so it's time for a giveaway. 

And I'm not the only one who's pulling out all the stops to celebrate. My publisher's YA website, Pique, is offering a beautiful limited edition Thorn postcard (crafted by Nathalia Suellen and signed by me!) to anyone who preorders the book (domestic). Follow this link for details.

Now, onto my personal INTL giveaway. To celebrate RoseBlood's imminent birthday, I'm offering up the following prizes:

1 Signed RoseBlood hardback and collector's mask

1- signed German Unhinged w/unique foreign cover

(in celebration of RoseBlood's recent foreign sales)

1- Phantom/music themed mask

1 - signed RoseBlood tote

1 skeleton key necklace

(representing the skeleton dorm keys in RoseBlood)

1 - RoseBlood themed charm bracelet

(representing details from the book)

 I still have so much to do to get ready for the launch, but I can't wait for readers to meet Thorn and Rune, and to become reacquainted with Erik! If you missed the virtual tour, you can go back and find all the character / music / book posts and reveals here.

Use the rafflecopter below to enter, and good luck to everyone. 

Happy Holidays, and don't forget to look for RoseBlood on shelves January 10, 2017!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Exclusive Excerpt Reveal with USA Today!

Today, there's an exclusive peek at RoseBlood on USA Today's HEA! Here's a sneak peek. To read the entire excerpt, follow this link.

Live RoseBlood Chat + Giveaway!

This Friday (Oct 21) at 7pm central, we're having a RoseBlood Live Chat to kickoff RoseBlood's virtual tour the following Monday (Oct 24). Please join us if you can. I'll be answering all kinds of questions about the characters, setting, story, and writing in general. 

Type in the hashtag: #RoseBloodChat for more info online.

And yes, there will be prizes! A RoseBlood mask + arc set and signed swag will be up for grabs. Hope to see you there!

Click to view larger image

Winners Announced + RoseBlood Virtual Tour Sneak Peek!

The winners for the YA Scavenger hunt grand prizes will be announced on their website Tuesday this week. 

As for my personal giveaway that included these prizes...

The winners are listed below. 

Signed RoseBlood ARC:

• Nicole Lynam

Black Rose Necklace:

• Alyssa Champagne

Signed RoseBlood swag pack:

• Karen Chappell
• Saba Hussain
• Morgan-reader-of-romance  

Congrats to the winners and thanks everyone for taking part! For those who didn't win, take heart. The official RoseBlood virtual tour, presented by RockStar Book Tours and Abrams/Amulet Books is on the horizon!

Thanks to Natalia Godik for contributing beautiful artwork to the banner!

Be sure to join us on October 24th-28th for more insights into the book along with giveaways including an INTL chance to win the prizes pictured below along with a RoseBlood ARC + collector's mask set. 

Click to enlarge

Every prize I'll be giving away plays a unique role in the story, and I'll give out hints about them during the tour.  I hope to see you there for all of the reveals and some Phantastic fun!

Winners Announced + RoseBlood Virtual Tour Sneak Peek!

The winners for the YA Scavenger hunt grand prizes will be announced on their website on Tuesday this week. 

As for my personal giveaway that included these prizes...

The winners are listed below. 

Signed RoseBlood ARC:

• Nicole Lynam

Black Rose Necklace:

• Alyssa Champagne

Signed RoseBlood swag pack:

• Karen Chappell
• Saba Hussain
• Morgan-reader-of-romance  

Congrats to the winners and thanks everyone for taking part! For those who didn't win, take heart. The official RoseBlood virtual tour, presented by RockStar Book Tours and Abrams/Amulet Books is on the horizon!

Thanks to Natalia Godik for contributing beautiful artwork to the banner!

Be sure to join us on October 24th-28th for more insights into the book along with giveaways including an INTL chance to win the prizes pictured below along with a RoseBlood ARC + collector's mask set. 

Click to enlarge

Every prize I'll be giving away plays a unique role in the story, and I'll give out hints about them during the tour.  I hope to see you there for all of the reveals and some Phantastic fun!

10 RoseBlood arcs up for grabs!

There's a giveaway for 10 RoseBlood arcs over on Maximum Pop! Easy entry if you have a twitter account. Go here for deets. Good luck to all who enter!

The Preciousssss - part two...

Yesterday, in part one of this post, I shared my author copy for The Architect of Song. Today, I wanted to showcase my beautiful RoseBlood arcs, and share a sneak peek into how the hardback's interior will be different. 

I'm so thrilled with the dramatic effect of the vivid covers juxtaposed against the stark B&W interior! And the thorny, brambly vines? Eerie perfection. Check it out:

Now, should you be one of the lucky recipients who ends up with an arc, be sure to get yourself a hardback, too. Because not only is there colored ink in the HB, but there's also a completely different design for the end papers. Here's an example:

So stunning! <3 Of course, the color might not be exactly this shade (computer monitors may vary), but it's close.

I'm getting so excited to send off the arcs! Any bloggers who put their bid in for one via my publisher should be getting theirs within the next few weeks (if you were chosen). My publicist informed me that she didn't send anyone emails if they were going to get one, she's simply going to put them in the mail. So be watching your mailbox to find out if you scored one! And as for the past winners of my arc giveaways, I'll be sending those off sometime within the next few weeks, too. 

One last thing, if anyone would like to plaster this little animated beauty on your blog's sidebar, or share it via twitter, FB, tumblr, pinterest, etc... to get the word out about RoseBlood, I'd appreciate it so much! Just follow this link for HTML or other posting options. 

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you again soon with more bookish updates!

RoseBlood Artwork and Excerpt Reveal!

****GIVEAWAY ENDED****

Winners have been announced here.

Back in March, we had the official RoseBlood cover reveal. If you saw that post, you know there was a story behind the artwork. For those who missed it, here's a recap:

RoseBlood’s cover had an interesting journey. At first, I had my heart set on a panoramic view of my heroine, Rune, singing in front of the stage. There’s a scene in the book when she first embraces her voice without pain that is so powerful, it gives the reader that feeling of being swept away upon swells of living music. That’s what I had hoped to capture. So Nathalia Suellen worked up an amazing, evocative, and dark rendition of said scene, and I fell in love.

However, the panoramic view was harder to spot from a distance . . . not as eye-catching. And eye-catching is one of the first rules of a good cover. Also, it was a busier cover, which can be distracting, especially in thumbnail images. And, were we instead to go with a close-up image, similar in ways to the Splintered books, readers would automatically know it was written by the same author, just from one quick glance.

So, the panoramic was pushed aside, and a close-up cover took center stage for marketing reasons.

BUT, I didn’t want to say goodbye to that first mockup. So I bought the original image from Nathalia to use in posters and postcards. This way, you all get to share in the cover journey and have a visual of that pivotal scene from the book.

Without further adieu, here is the panoramic image, and the excerpt it represents -- the first time Rune manages to sing without pain with the help of her masked "maestro":

Excerpt:

The finale stretches, silken and luxurious, before falling in an audible drizzle that coats every wall, rafter, and seat with tremulous emotion.

The room stops spinning, and I’m left standing—strong, powerful … victorious. For the first time in ten years, I conquered the music. I did it.

“I did it!” I shout, spinning in place on the stage, my wet dress opening like a parasol and sprinkling water everywhere. I haven’t felt like this for so long … elated, like when Dad would accompany me, when together we carried the songs.

The unanswered guilt at his absence flutters through my heart again, but can’t find a place to perch. My chest is too full of happiness; it feels effulgent, as if it’s glowing from within. I look down to find it is, and can’t help but wonder if somewhere above me, the Phantom’s chest is glowing, too.

I glance up at the box seats and project my voice, smiling. “Thank you...”

The soft wail of that familiar violin answers, not in my mind, not from the balcony, but from the orchestra pit. One murmuring, sensual note that winds around me like a caress. 

My cheeks tingle and I press my palms to them, only to realize the black glove is gone from my hand, as if he took it back during our fantasy dance. As if he really held me in his arms…

*****

Yes, those thorny, black vines actually play a part in the story, but not in this particular scene. And yes, they're every bit as creepy and dangerous as they appear. ;)

Now, onto the giveaway!

(1) One personalized and signed RoseBlood ARC.

(2) One signed poster of the panoramic image revealed today. 

(3) Three panoramic postcards + RoseBlood swag packs:

 

 

 That's 5 chances to win something, INTL! Enter the rafflecopter below, and good luck to everyone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RoseBlood Cover Reveal and Giveaway is LIVE!

The RoseBlood cover is in the spotlight over at YABC!

To see it in living color, and for a chance to win an ARC or poster, check out the post here!

Finished Writing RoseBlood!

At long last, I finally finished writing my Phantom of the Opera spinoff, RoseBlood, due to come out Jan 2017!

Here's the manuscript, printed off in all it's glory -- all 118,000 words of it. @.@

By clicking on the image, you might be able to make out the first few paragraphs, although it's pretty blurry. My cell takes terrible pictures. ;)

If you'd like to know more about the story, follow this link for some RoseBlood FAQs. 

And now come the edits... *coughs*

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!