Thanks for participating in YASH!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the YA Scavenger Hunt!  I hope you had fun!  A special thank you to everyone who entered my CHASING POWER giveaway!  I loved reading all the comments.

The winner of a signed copy of CHASING POWER is: Katrina T.  Congratulations!

For those of you who didn't win... I will be hosting another giveaway here tomorrow!  And then CHASING POWER comes out a week from tomorrow (Tuesday 10/14/14).

Other YA Scavenger Hunt winners, including the grand prize winners, will be posted by 5pm today (Monday 10/6/14) on the YASH blog.

Fall 2014 YA Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to the fall 2014 YA Scavenger Hunt!

I'm Sarah Beth Durst, your host for this leg of the hunt.  I'm the author of nine fantasy novels for children, teens, and adults, including CONJURED, VESSEL, and ICE.  My next YA novel, CHASING POWER, is coming out in a week and a half (!!!) from Bloomsbury, and my next middle-grade novel, THE GIRL WHO COULD NOT DREAM, is coming out in fall 2015 from HMH/Clarion Books.

Other facts about me:

- I have ridiculously curly hair that once trapped a yellow-jacket and has been known to swallow bobby pins whole.

- I don't have a pet dragon but wish I did.  Ditto magic wand, unicorn, or any superpower (other than hair that won't straighten even when completely soaked).

- If I could have any power (and assuming that I couldn't choose to cure diseases or feed everyone in the world), I'd want telekinesis.

- I'm afraid of skunks and Frisbees.

- My favorite number (which you need to know to win this scavenger hunt!) is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

I'm thrilled to be participating in the hunt this year!

The YA Scavenger Hunt is a biannual event started by author Colleen Houck.  This fall, 125 YA authors are participating (including yours truly).  On this hunt, you will have access to exclusive bonus material from each of the participating authors, plus every author will also include their favorite number.  (If you missed the hint above, mine is 42 and has been every since I read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy at a highly impressionable age.)  Add up all the secret numbers, and you can enter for the grand prize: one signed book from each author in a team.  But play fast: this contest will only be online for 72 hours!

You can start right here on this blog post, or you can go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt, including links to all the authors participating.  (There's also a handy "How to Hunt" page.) This year, there are six contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all.  I am a part of the Gold Team.

You can also win individual giveaways on some legs of the hunt, including this one!  Scroll down to enter to win a signed copy of CHASING POWER.

SCAVENGER HUNT RULES

Directions: Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the gold team, and then add them up.

Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, 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 Sunday, Oct 5th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered. 

SCAVENGER HUNT AUTHOR

Today I am hosting Susanne Winnacker for the YA Scavenger Hunt!  Welcome, Susanne!  Happy to have you here!  *shares chocolate-covered raisins*

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, two dogs and two bunnies in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.

ABOUT DEFECTOR (VARIANT SERIES)  BY SUSANNE WINNACKER

Tessa has finally made peace with her life as a Variant. She and long-time love Alec are officially a couple, and for the first time, she has everything she wants.

But the air is tense at FEA headquarters. An agent has disappeared, and rogue variant organization Abel’s Army is likely the culprit.

When Tessa is summoned for her second mission, she is unexpectedly launched into a massive conspiracy. Her best friend Holly is kidnapped and Tessa knows it was meant to be her. But who is after her? And more importantly, why?

When the FEA's efforts to rescue Holly don’t yield any results, Tessa takes matters into her own hands. Desperate to save her friend and uncover the mystery behind Abel’s Army, Tessa launches her own investigation—but nothing could prepare her for what she finds. Everyone in her life is harboring secrets: Alec, her estranged mother, even the father she never knew.

The truth will take her out on the road and out of her comfort zone, with danger lurking everywhere. Summoning all of her courage and strength, Tessa must decide who can be trusted and what is worth fighting for -- even if it means going against the life she thought she wanted. Her final decision will leave readers breathless.

For more information, visit Susanne's website or blog.  And you can learn more about DEFECTOR here.

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT FROM SUSANNE WINNACKER

Susanne's bonus material is a deleted scene from DEFECTOR.  Click here to read!  (Spoiler alert: This scene gives away major plot points from IMPOSTER.)

EXTRA GIVEAWAY

In addition to participating in the Scavenger Hunt, I am also offering an extra giveaway.  (Note that you do not need to participate in the hunt to enter this giveaway.  It's open to both hunters and non-hunters.)  If you'd like to win a signed hardcover copy of CHASING POWER, please enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author, Rebekah L. Purdy. 

And when you've finished visiting all the Gold Team authors, add up all our favorite numbers (again, mine is 42) to find the secret code to enter for the grand prize.

Happy hunting!

Thanks for participating in the YASH!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the YA Scavenger Hunt!

(Every time I think "scavenger hunt," I expect to see a slew of people trying to find pine cones.  I don't know why I associate scavenger hunts with pine cones.  Somehow, I just do.....)

Anyhoo, pine cones or not, the YA Scavenger Hunt is now over, and I hope you had fun!  A special thank you to everyone you entered my CONJURED giveaway!

The winner of a signed copy of CONJURED is: Tiffany W.

Congratulations!  (I'll be contacting you directly soon.)

Other YA Scavenger Hunt winners, including the grand prize winners, will be posted by 5pm on Monday on the YASH blog.

Fall 2013 YA Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to the fall 2013 YA Scavenger Hunt!

I'm Sarah Beth Durst, your host for this leg of the hunt.  I'm the author of 7 fantasy novels for teens.  *points to sidebar and to top of blog*  I have ridiculously curly hair and am afraid of skunks.  And my favorite number is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.  I'm thrilled to be participating in the hunt this year!

The YA Scavenger Hunt is a tri-annual event started by author Colleen Houck.  This year, 60 YA authors are participating (including yours truly!).  On this hunt, you will have access to exclusive bonus material from each of the participating authors, plus every author will also include their favorite number.  (If you missed the hint above, then see the bottom of this post for mine.)  Add up all the secret numbers, and you can enter for the grand prize: one signed book from each author in a team!  But play fast: this contest will only be online for 72 hours!

You can start right here, or you can go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt, including links to all the authors participating. This year, there are THREE 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 and a blue team for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!

SCAVENGER HUNT RULES

Directions: Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the gold team, and then add them up.

Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, 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 Sunday, Oct 6th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT AUTHOR MELISSA WEST

Today, I am hosting Melissa West on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!  Welcome, Melissa!  *waves*  So happy to have you here!

Melissa lives in a suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughters. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.

ABOUT HOVER BY MELISSA WEST

On Earth, seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander was taught to never peek, but if she hopes to survive life on her new planet, Loge, her eyes must never shut. Because Zeus will do anything to save the Ancients from their dying planet, and he has a plan.

Thousands of humans crossed over to Loge after a poisonous neurotoxin released into Earth’s atmosphere, nearly killing them. They sought refuge in hopes of finding a new life, but what they became were slaves, built to wage war against their home planet. That is, unless Ari and Jackson can stop them. But on Loge, nothing is as it seems…and no one can be trusted.

Find out more information by visiting Melissa's website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads page.  And you can learn more about HOVER here!

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT FROM MELISSA WEST

And now, for your reading pleasure, a peek at a deleted scene from HOVER:

Jackson removes his jacket and drapes it around his chair, exposing a fitted black T-shirt that shows off the contours of his chest. I have no idea how hard I'm staring until he laughs easily, and my eyes drift up to find him watching me. He reaches for my hand. "Let's dance."

He leads me through the crowd, and I follow without hesitation, which I know must be whatever I just drank. Jackson takes us to the center of the crowd so we’re surrounded on all sides. The song switches and though the music is still upbeat, it’s slower, more intimate. He pulls me to him, so close our bodies connect from chest to thigh, our faces inches apart.

He rests his head next to my ear and holds one of my hands close to his chest. My eyes close as we move, lost to everyone around us, lost to the worry that wrecks my mind. All I feel is Jackson. All I can think about is Jackson…and how he is nowhere near close enough. His warm breath dances down my neck, causing a shudder to move through me, and before I can stop myself I release a small sigh. It feels like forever since I've let myself go around him. I lean further into him, wanting to close any distance between us. He continues to guide our bodies, and I know we're the only ones dancing so slowly.

"Ari..."

I shake my head. "Don't. Not now."

He pulls me closer still, his breath warm on my neck, his lips close, and I want more than anything for him to kiss me, to feel his full lips envelop mine. His draws a breath and blows out slowly, sending a cool breeze over my skin. And it’s too much. I tilt my head toward him, knowing I'm pushing this further than I'm ready to go. His lips graze over my neck, as soft as an afterthought, and my chest begins to burn with passion. I grip him tighter, my free hand smoothing over his forearm and up his bicep, before slipping into his hair. He pulls away to look at me, his eyes searching mine for answers, permission, something, but we are way past asking. Without another thought, I rise onto my toes, my mouth crushing into his.

CONTINUE THE HUNT

Don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books (including my book Conjured, HOVER by Melissa West, and many more! To enter, you need to know my favorite number*. 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 don't forget to enter the additional giveaway that I'm hosting here.  Enter to win a signed copy of CONJURED below! (US mailing addresses only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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


* When I was in fifth grade, a babysitter told me that I wasn't old enough to read and appreciate the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  So of course I read it.  Ever since, my favorite number has been 42.  So that's my secret number for the YA Scavenger Hunt.  Good luck!

** On a related note, that same babysitter also told me I wasn't old enough for Little Women, and she was right.  Hated that book in fifth grade.  Loved it later, but in fifth grade... spoiler alert... I was so so so upset about Beth and that Amy married Laurie.  (Now I think Jo totally dodged a bullet.  Still sad re Beth.)