YA Scavenger Hunt (Purple Team) & Giveaway!

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt!

This is my FOURTH 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, April 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 best-selling and award-winning 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'm a mom to FIVE boys! (Yes, you read that correctly.) :)

If I had to choose between the mountains and the beach, I'd choose the beach. Every. Single. Time.

Now back to the Hunt!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are FIVE contests
going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I'm part of the PURPLE TEAM, but there's also a red, blue, green, and gold team for a chance to win a whole different set of books!

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice 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 by Sunday, April 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 excited to be hosting JESSICA RUDDICK for the YA Scavenger Hunt! Be sure to check out her books and her website!

Award-winning young adult and romance author Jessica lives in Virginia with her college-sweetheart husband, two rambunctious sons, and two rowdy but lovable rescue dogs. Since her house is overflowing with testosterone, it’s a good thing she has a healthy appreciation for Marvel movies, Nerf guns, and football. Learn more about Jessica at jessicaruddick.com.

Connect with Jessica at the following social media sites:

Facebook

Website

Instagram

Twitter

Book Blurb:

How do you live with yourself when you decide who dies?

Ava Parks would have killed for an iPhone for her sixteenth birthday. Anything would have been better than coming into her birthright of being a seeker for the Grim Reaper, an arrangement made by her fallen angel ancestor in exchange for his re-admittance to heaven. And she isn’t just any seeker—she finds souls that have the potential for becoming angels and sentences them to death. A year and two souls into her role as a seeker with her conscience overflowing with guilt, Ava comes up with a plan to thwart the system. When it goes awry, she is forced to submit the name of a classmate, Cole Fowler, an ornery, rough around the edges guy who always seems to come to her rescue, whether she likes it or not. Her feelings for Cole prompt her to intervene, and she saves him from death, upsetting the Grim Reaper’s agenda. 

While Ava schemes to find a way to save Cole, she learns he has some secrets of his own. She lets him believe he is protecting her, and not the other way around, until a final showdown with the Grim Reaper forces Ava to make choices Cole may never forgive.

Buy the Book

**EXCLUSIVE BONUS MATERIAL**

YASH EXCLUSIVE TEASER EXCERPT (BIRTHRIGHT)

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Oooh, I just LOVE that excerpt!! 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 PURPLE TEAM! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 12. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the PURPLE 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 SIGNED copy of the first 3 books in the Deception Game series PLUS a $20 Amazon Gift Card and some awesome swag! (Books and swag are for US residents only. International winners will receive Amazon gift card only.)

ENTER HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To continue the hunt, you need to visit the next author—K.M. ROBINSON. Click on her name to be redirected to her website.

But first, check out the first book in the Deception Game series, which is currently FREE on all major retailers.

Amazon

Apple iBooks

NOOK

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

Thanks so much for stopping by! Good luck on the hunt! :)

Fearless Release Day!

Hi everyone! I know I'm horrible at blogging, but I do try to share when there's something exciting happening, like... A NEW RELEASE! That's right, folks, I have another book baby entering the world today, and I'm super excited to share it with you! FEARLESS, the 3rd book in the Deception Game series, is here! And here's the post my publisher put together to celebrate:

NEW RELEASE AND SALE!!!

Clean Teen Publishing is excited to share that the third book in the exhilarating DECEPTION GAME Series by Kristin Smith is finally available! Grab your copy of FEARLESS today! If you haven't started reading this series yet, now is a great time to do so as the first book— CATALYST— is currently free for two days only on August 28th and August 29th to celebrate this new release. Readers can grab their free copy on their Kindle or on the Kindle App through Amazon. In addition, this entire series is currently available in Kindle Unlimited, which means that Kindle Unlimited readers can borrow all three books in the series and binge read them for free!

FEARLESS (AUGUST 28, 2018)

READ FEARLESS TODAY: AMAZON

On the run from the government, Sienna and her Fringe companions seek refuge in the primitive Zenith Camp, until a government decree draws them out of hiding. They're ready to resist, but it may be too late.

Praise for the Deception Game series by Kristin Smith: 

"The heart-pounding plot twists and turns rival that of any roller coaster and I DID NOT WANT IT TO STOP." – Amazon Reviewer

"This has everything fans of dystopian YA love: suspense, action, plenty of twists and turns, and a love triangle!" – Amazon Reviewer

"These books are soooo good. They are a perfect balance of everything. Science fiction romance suspense action, they've got it all." –Amazon Reviewer

CATALYST IS FREE ON 8/28 AND 8/29 ONLY!

CATALYST Kristin Smith (The Deception Game, #1)

Too pretty. Too smart. Too perfect.

In a crumbling, futuristic Las Vegas where the wealthy choose the characteristics of their children like ordering off a drive-thru menu, seventeen-year-old Sienna Preston doesn’t fit in. As a normal girl surrounded by genetically modified teenagers, all of her imperfections are on display. But after the death of her father, everything she’s ever known and loved changes in an instant.

With little skills to help provide for her family, Sienna clings to the two things that come easily—lying and stealing. But not all thief-for-hire assignments go as planned. When a covert exchange of a stolen computer chip is intercepted, she becomes entangled with a corrupt government official who uses her thieving past as leverage, her mother as collateral, and the genetically modified poster boy she’s falling for as bait.

In order to rescue her mother, there may only be one option—joining forces with the Fringe, an extremist group, and their young leader who’s too hot to be bad. Problem is, these revolutionaries aren’t what they seem, and the secrets they’re hiding could be more dangerous than Sienna is prepared for. In the end, she must be willing to risk everything to save the one thing that matters most.

Catalyst is a thrilling adventure of danger, romance, intrigue, and deception.

GRAB CATALYST FOR FREE ON 8/28 OR 8/29 THROUGH Amazon!

Author Bio:

Kristin Smith is the best-selling author of the Deception Game series. When she’s not writing, you can find her dreaming about the beach, beating her boys at Just Dance, or belting out karaoke (from the comfort of her own home). Kristin currently resides in the middle-of-nowhere North Carolina with her husband and five incredibly loud but extremely cute boys. To read more about her obsession with YA novels or her addiction to chocolate, you can visit her at kristinsmithbooks.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

My Dream Author Panel

Calling all bookworms! How many of you have ever attended a conference or convention where there was a panel of authors talking about their books and answering questions? Have you ever considered who YOU might want on a dream panel of authors? Can you imagine how amazing it would be to choose your favorite authors to participate in YOUR very own dream panel?

I hadn't given this much thought until I was contacted recently by Eventbrite, the largest self-service ticketing platform that helps people find and plan events. And for those of us who are bookworms, they help readers connect with authors through bookish events. Every year, there are awesome conventions around the country where readers and fans are able to connect with their favorite authors. In fact, May 2nd through May 8th, I'll be in Atlanta at the RT Booklovers Convention. I'll be signing books, participating in author panels, and hosting a YA slumber party with other fabulous YA authors. If you live in the area, you should come and see me!

Anyhoo, Eventbrite is currently doing a special project and asking bloggers to share their dream panel of authors. And when they asked if I would be interested in participating, I, of course, was excited to take part! Who wouldn't want to participate in such a cool project? I may be an author myself, but I still consider authors to be like rock stars, and like many readers out there, I have my favorite authors and those I would LOVE to meet in person.

DREAM PANEL OF AUTHORS

Since I read books from various genres, my panel would include all YA (young adult) authors, but I'd choose a couple of my favorite authors from each category. 

YA Paranormal:

-Stephenie Meyer

-Maggie Stiefvater

YA Dystopian:

-Suzanne Collins

-Veronica Roth

-Kiera Cass

YA Contemporary:

-Jennifer Niven

-Jandy Nelson

YA Contemporary Romance:

-Stephanie Perkins

-Sarah Dessen

YA Fantasy:

-Leigh Bardugo

-Victoria Aveyard

Sounds like an awesome cast of authors, right? I would create two panels with all of the authors listed, and the two moderators would be:

Moderators:

1) Myself (Kristin Smith)

2) James Dashner (only because I've met him and he's a pretty funny guy)

The event would be held in Charlotte, NC since that's where I live, making it easy for me to attend and participate.

Event Location:

Charlotte, NC

Obviously, one thing to consider is what kind of questions I would ask these famous authors. Here is a list I came up with, but feel free to add your own questions in the comments. I'd love to know what questions YOU would ask YOUR dream panel of authors.

Questions for the Authors:

1) How many manuscripts do you have that will probably never see the light of day?

2) What is your favorite thing about being an author?

3) What is the most surprising thing about being an author?

4) If you could be granted one wish, what would it be?

5) If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

6) Who is YOUR favorite author?

7) Name some books in YOUR TBR pile.

8) How many books do you read a year?

9) What is one piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?

10) Name one thing you cannot live without.

11) Are you a pantser or a plotter?

12) Of all the books you've written, which one is your favorite?

So, what do you think? Does this sound like a good panel? I'd love to know, who would be on YOUR dream panel of authors? Tell me in the comments! :)

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And if you're interested in finding an event in your area, Eventbrite's event planning software page is a great tool. You can find it HERE.

Happy Wednesday! :)

IWSG January: Gotta Have Goals

Greetings, IWSG friends and followers! It's time for another group posting of the IWSG. Created by Alex Cavanaugh, this monthly blog hop is a way for writers to offer encouragement and support to one another while airing their own insecurities and sharing their successes. It's not too late to sign up if you want to join our group! Click HERE to join.

As part of our IWSG post for today, Alex has asked us to give a brief introduction about ourselves, so here goes...

First and foremost, I’m a mother to five amazing boys ages 13, 10, 8, 5, and 3. Needless to say, there is NEVER a dull (or quiet) moment in our house. I am also a writer/aspiring author. I write adult romance and young adult novels (both contemporary and a little sci-fi). I am currently querying my YA near future thriller Catalyst. I’ve had several requests and now I’m playing the waiting game. 

When I’m not writing or querying, I like to dabble in a little design (but only for my own home) and party planning (again, only for my own kids). I’m also the queen of Just Dance and dare anyone to challenge my high score. And lastly, I’m a firm believer that chocolate is one of the main food groups. And a staple to every diet. 

Now for my IWSG post: I don’t really have any insecurities to air today (other than the normal ones about wondering whether or not I’ll get an agent or questioning whether or not my novel will ever get published) so I decided to talk a little about my writing goals for this year. 

Photo from Christinslade.com

Writing Goals for 2015

1) Get an agent for Catalyst: I’m doing everything I can, and I will continue to send out queries until I reach the 100 mark (okay, maybe 125 mark).

2) Finish my new YA contemporary Middle of Knowhere: This is a new project and I’m so excited about it. I haven’t even told my critique partner about it yet, but I was busy typing away during Christmas break. 

3) Send my adult romance to publishers: I have a few publishers in mind for this one, but if it doesn’t pan out, I may self-publish it. 

4) Write the sequel to Catalyst: I’ve started this but didn’t get very far before I decided to work on something else. I think Sienna (my MC) and I needed a bit of a break from each other…

Okay, so those are my goals. Shouldn’t be too hard, right? *sigh* Maybe I’m being a little ambitious, but that’s okay. Obviously I can’t force the first one—if it happens, then it happens. But the others I have more control over and I’m ready to rock 2015! Who’s with me?