Thanks for stopping by for the YA Scavenger Hunt! Today is exciting. Not only is it the hunt, but I'm revealing the cover of my new book, THE MERCENARY'S DAUGHTER! I hope you like it.
★★★★★
"One of the coolest and downright fun books I’ve read in a while."
–Tommy Wirkola, writer/director of “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” and “Dead Snow.”
★★★★★
"A hugely entertaining novel. It pulls you in and doesn’t let you go."
–Tom O’Conner, screenwriter of “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” and “Ironbark.”
★★★★★
"Big action. Tons of heart. I was hooked from page one."
– Matt Lieberman, screenwriter of “The Christmas Chronicles, “The Adam’s Family,” and “Free Guy.”
★★★★★
"Completely compelling. The pages might rip from turning them so fast."
–Neil Tolkin, screenwriter of “License to Drive” and “The Emperor's Club.”
BONUS GIVEAWAY
**scroll down for YASH info**
SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE
Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the purple 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. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.
SCAVENGER HUNT POST
Today, I am hosting Eric Lindtrom on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!
Eric Lindstrom enjoys writing Young Adult novels, including his debut novel NOT IF I SEE YOU FIRST followed by A TRAGIC KIND OF WONDERFUL. He also raised children, which led to becoming first a school volunteer, then a substitute teacher, then a part time kindergarten teacher, then getting a credential to teach elementary school, and most importantly the discovery that Young Adult books are awesome. It’s pretty much all he ever reads, and now writes, in his house near the beach on the west coast, with his wife and, yes, cats.
Find out more information by checking out the author website or find more about the author's book here! www.ericlindstrombooks.com
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
For sixteen-year-old Mel Hannigan, bipolar disorder makes life unpredictable. Her latest struggle is balancing her growing feelings in a new relationship with her instinct to conceal her diagnosis by keeping everyone at arm’s length. But when a former friend confronts Mel with the truth about the way their relationship ended, deeply buried secrets threaten to come out and upend her shaky equilibrium. As the walls of Mel’s compartmentalized world crumble, she fears the worst—that no one will accept her if they discover what she’s been hiding. But would her friends really abandon her if they learned the truth? More importantly, can Mel bring herself to risk everything to find out?
Many Goodreads reviews for A TRAGIC KIND OF WONDERFUL have wished there were more scenes with Aunt Joan, aka Hurricane Joan, aka HJ. Mel has bipolar disorder with most of her time spent in depression, while her aunt’s type is mostly hypomanic, making her energetic, impulsive, obsessive, opinionated, and volatile. My early drafts did have more scenes with HJ, but she was taking over too much of Mel’s story so many got cut. But for those who’ve read the book, here’s a scene with HJ that didn’t make the final draft; and for those who haven’t read, this is as good an introduction as any. The title of the book actually comes from a scene where Mel watches HJ get ready to go out on a Friday night, thinking the spectacle is both wonderful and tragic, and this scene below takes place the following morning...
Aunt Joan isn’t home yet when I get back to the house around ten. Mom’s in her room, probably because she was up late with my boyfriend, Netflix. Maybe she’s cocooned in her bed for the same reasons I wish I were in mine—it’s hereditary—but I can’t do it. It won’t feel good to lie in bed, eyes wide open, with the Ritalin running my Hamster in its wheel in my head.
Sometimes I miss when my meds weren’t so well tuned. I wonder if sober alcoholics miss how it feels being drunk. These are the times I miss Nolan most. My onset happened after he’d gone so I never got a chance to tell him I finally understand what it’s like, being him.
I strip and climb into the shower.
The bathroom door opens. I’ve been standing for some unknown length of time facing away from the hot spray, hands cupped by my collarbone to direct half the water down my chest while the rest hits my neck and runs down my back.
Porcelain clanks. I know it’s HJ from how she barged into the bathroom with me in it, from how hard she landed on the toilet seat, from the insane power of her morning urine blasting into the water. If that weren’t proof enough, she pisses in Morse code, never passing up a chance to practice her Kegels…
…pss, pss, pss…pss…pssssshhh, pss, pss, pssssshhh…
I taught myself Morse code last year just to decipher HJ’s toilet monologues. Over time I discovered I didn’t need to; she only used the same three letters, in the same order, over and over. It used to make me smile to hear it, and I didn’t mind memorizing Morse code for nothing—I wasn’t sleeping much at the time anyway. It’s true all she ever thinks about is S-E-X, but once I understood that she can’t help it, and can’t stop it, it stopped being funny.
I turn off the shower and stand a moment, dripping, chilling, and waiting. Not for HJ to leave because I’m modest, but to gauge her mood. Mornings after her late nights out are always the most unpredictable. If she tosses my towel over the curtain, it’s safe to talk.
The TP roll spins hard. The toilet flushes. The sink does not turn on. The door opens and doesn’t close.
Not safe. I climb out and grab my towel. Before I’ve wrapped up, the door to HJ’s room slams shut.
And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, Jessica Therrien, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 846. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the purple team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!
CONTINUE THE HUNT
CONTINUE THE HUNT
To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author! http://www.heatherlreid.com
