Kristin Smith: October 2018

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt!

This is my third time hosting YASH, and I'm super excited to be a part of it again! 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 my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until Sunday, October 7th.

But first, I want to take a moment to introduce myself! I'm Kristin Smith, your hostess for this leg of the hunt. I'm the author of the bestselling YA novel CATALYST and its sequels, FORGOTTEN and FEARLESS. Be sure to enter my Giveaway at the very end of the post!!

ABOUT ME:

I love fall.

My favorite colors are sky blue and pink.

My favorite scenes to write are ones with lots of kissing. :)

I'm a big fan of Karaoke and Just Dance.

I may or may not have a stash of chocolate in my nightstand.

I usually write on my bed.

Now back to the Hunt!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are SEVEN contests
going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am part of the BLUE TEAM, but there is also a red team, a green team, a pink team, an orange team, a gold team, and a purple team for a chance to win a whole different set of 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 page.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the BLUE 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 Sunday, October 7th at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Today, I'm hosting EVA POHLER for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

Author Bio:

Eva Pohler is a USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels in multiple genres--young adult fantasy based on Greek mythology and mystery/suspense. Her works include The Gatekeeper's Saga, A Gatekeeper's Spin-Off Series, The Vampires of Athens, The Purgatorium Series, The Mystery House Series, and The Mystery Box Collection. Learn more about Eva and her books and find freebies at http://www.evapohler.com.

Connect with Eva at the following social media sites:

Facebook
Website
Instagram

Book Blurb:

The ferryman of the dead is forced to leave the life he’s always known.

Apollo has had a vision: as the life of each soul flashes before Charon’s eyes, the ferryman ages like an old man. Charon needs to experience his own adventures to become youthful again, or he will soon die.

The last thing Charon expects is to fall in love with a mortal woman—someone he can’t take with him when he returns. Charon must decide whether to abandon the love of his life or his duties.

Buy the Book

**EXCLUSIVE BONUS MATERIAL**

AN EXCLUSIVE SCENE FROM CHARON'S QUEST BY EVA POHLER

Matilda glanced at the clock on the wall behind her, next to the glassware. Four more hours, and she was out of here. She still had to study for a midterm, and tomorrow was her day to volunteer at the children’s ward. Monday’s were the longest days of the week, and the fastest to arrive.

Just then, the man from the night before entered the bar, the one who had tipped her almost two-hundred dollars. She perked up, hoping for another. No, this wasn’t the same man, she realized, as he moved closer. This man was much younger, and now that she really got a look at him, hot. Maybe this was the older man’s son. If so, she hoped he was a good tipper, too.

“What can I get you, sir?” she asked.

“Shot of whiskey, please.” He rubbed his eyes.

“Do you have a favorite brand?” she asked, noticing the sadness in his eyes.

“Your finest, please.”

“Are you alright, sir?” Matilda asked as she poured his drink.

“I will be,” he said as he climbed onto the bar stool. “I recently lost someone very close to me.”

She handed him the shot. “I’m sorry to hear that. I know how you feel. A friend of mine passed away
a few days ago.” One of the terminal kids. It never got any easier.

“My condolences.”

She studied his face and frowned. His resemblance to the old man from the night before was uncanny.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“Not at all,” she said. “It’s just that…well, by any chance, are you staying here with your father?”

“Why do you ask?”

“There was an older man here the other night. He was the kindest person I’ve ever met. Anyway,
he resembled you. He walked with a cane and wore a fedora. I didn’t catch his name. Any relation?”

The man’s face turned red. She suddenly had a bad feeling. She reached across the bar and covered
his hand with hers. “I’m so sorry, sir. I don’t mean to pry. But please tell me the person you lost
wasn’t your father.”

“He was. His name was Bill.”

She grabbed the bottle of Black Velvet and poured him another shot. “This one’s on me.”

He thanked her before taking a sip of the whiskey.

“I want you to know that one of his last acts was pure kindness,” Matilda said gently. “He left me a
generous tip—nearly two hundred dollars. It couldn’t have come at a better time.”

“I’m glad he helped you,” the man said.

Matilda left to take the order of a small party who’d just entered the bar and had sat at a table near
the lobby. When she returned, she busied herself with mixing drinks as the man sipped at his
whiskey. She left to serve the new party, and when she returned, she refilled the man’s glass without
asking if he needed more.

“Thank you, Matilda,” he said.

“You’re welcome, Mr….?”

“Just call me Charon.”

She lifted her chin. “What an interesting name for a man.”

“It’s not a common one here? It is in Greece.”

“It’s common here for women—though if it’s a Greek name, I doubt you spell it the same:
K-A-R-E-N.”

“C-H-A-R-O-N,” he said. “And it’s pronounced KAIR-uhn, not KAIR-in.”

“Like the ferryman,” she said.

“Exactly.”

Matilda’s face turned bright red. Not many people could say they’d met the ferryman of the dead,
but she had, five years ago.

“What is it, Matilda?” Charon asked.

“Excuse me,” she said. Then she dashed off to check on the couple at the end of the bar.

When she returned, and as she began to mix drinks, Charon said, “My father left me a great deal
of money. I’d like to use it to help humanity in some way, but I don’t know how. Any suggestions?”

As she met his gaze, her mouth dropped open. Matilda thought for sure that one of her friends had
set her up, because there was no way a hot, rich, nice guy would come to her looking for a way to
use his inheritance. No way.

****

What do you think, guys? Makes you want to read more, right?

And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a bundle of awesome books by all of the authors on the BLUE TEAM! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 12. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the BLUE TEAM and you'll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

GIVEAWAY!!

But before you go, be sure to enter my individual Giveaway for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card and some awesome Swag! (Swag Pack is for US residents only. International winners will receive Amazon gift card only.)