I'm proud to participate in my THIRD 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 (the GOLD team)! But play fast: this contest only lasts 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are SEVEN teams, meaning seven contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the GOLD TEAM--but there six other teams and chances to win a whole different set of books! Succeed in this team, and you could win every book below, including my novel School of Deaths!

This YASH I'm hosting debut author Melissa Eastlake, whose first novel, The Uncrossing, releases TODAY, October 2nd! That's exciting. 

Luke can uncross almost any curse—they unravel themselves for him like no one else. So working for the Kovrovs, one of the families controlling all the magic in New York, is exciting and dangerous, especially when he encounters the first curse he can't break. And it involves Jeremy, the beloved, sheltered prince of the Kovrov family—the one boy he absolutely shouldn't be falling for.

Jeremy's been in love with cocky, talented Luke since they were kids. But from their first kiss, something's missing. Jeremy's family keeps generations of deadly secrets, forcing him to choose between love and loyalty. As Luke fights to break the curse, a magical, citywide war starts crackling, and it's tied to Jeremy.

This might be the one curse Luke can't uncross. If true love's kiss fails, what's left for him and Jeremy?

Melissa Eastlake’s debut novel, The Uncrossing, releases TODAY from Entangled Teen. She lives in Athens, Georgia with her partner and their dog. Visit her on Goodreads. In fact maybe you should visit her repeatedly, say perhaps 28 times? (wink, wink). But wait- there's more- she's offering a special sneak peak into her novel with an EXCLUSIVE PLAYLIST!!  

And don't forget to continue the Scavenger Hunt! The next author on the Gold Team is Abigail Johnson!

What did you think of the hunt? Does this sound like an exciting new novel? Leave a comment below and share!

Today, I'm thrilled to feature an interview with debut novelist and friend Missy De Graff, whose new novel The Rogue's Fate is coming soon!

​If your life hung in the balance, would you choose to make your own destiny or leave your life to fate?
 
Lucinda Raven is being hunted by her ex-lover, a controlling rogue Alpha, who is determined to perform the sacred mating ritual that will bind them together forever. Knowing nothing will keep him from carrying out his ruthless plan, Lucinda is on the run and seeks refuge in the territory of an old friend.
 
Caidan Moone, cursed Alpha of the Blood Moone Pack, has a tortured history that haunts him daily. He sees the arrival of this beautiful and alluring nomad as a chance at redemption from his prior failures and invites her to stay, despite the danger it brings to the entire pack.

As Caidan and Lucinda grow closer, her two worlds collide and Lucinda must face the events of her dark past in order to save the future. Will Caidan be able to protect her without sacrificing his pack? Or will she end up bearing the mark of her psychotic ex?

CM: Tell us about your new release?

MDG: The Rogue’s Fate is my debut novel, scheduled to be released soon, possibly Fall 2017. It walks the line between an urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and it will appeal to the older YA and Adult crowd.

CM: What inspired this particular story?

MDG: I was going through a hard time when I first started writing this story. My mother had just passed away after a battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Writing was my way of coping. I’ve always loved fantasy and paranormal creatures, so it was only natural that’s what I would write about. And I needed a strong female lead to help me through the hard times, so I made one. I threw all sort of emotional obstacles at her and she survived-so I knew I would too. 

CM: How long have you been working on this and what did it take to get published?

MDG: I first started working on this story in 2014. It was just for fun and as a coping mechanism. But then, it took on a life of its own and grew into so much more. I took a break from writing in 2015 but got back to finishing this piece in 2016 and then went through the revision, editing, and querying process. It has been a long journey to get here, but I’m thrilled to be at the end stage.

CM: How'd you pick your MC's name?

MDG: I try to pick my character names for specific reasons, such as the meaning of the name. Lucinda, the main character, her name means Light. And Caiden, the male lead, his name means Battle. In picking Lucinda’s name, I also wanted a name that had multiple nicknames. Lucinda has two nicknames in the book-Lux and Cinda-each one represents a different period of her life.

CM: Tell us about your main character.

MDG: Lucinda Mae Ravin is a rogue wolf shifter, meaning she wanders alone with no pack allegiance. She is strong-willed, resilient, and compassionate. Life has thrown so much at her, and she may stumble, but she doesn’t falter. Her life motto is:
I bend with the hurricane when the wind blows.
I stand as solid as a brick wall when the waves come crashing down.
I am strong.

CM: Is this your first work?

MDG: Yes, this is my debut novel. It isn’t the first story I’ve written, or idea had, but it is the first novel I’ve completed through the entire process of outlining, drafting, revising, editing, querying, and now publishing. 

CM: What's next for you?

MDG: I’m currently in the first round of revisions for The Alpha’s Secret, which is the second book in The Raven Chronicles. And then I’ll dive straight into drafting the third book, The Witch’s Betrayal. 

CM: If you had to pick a theme song for your book what would it be?

MDG: Oh wow, that’s a tough one! Just one song? Let’s see...Taking Chances by Celine Dion.

CM: Anything else you want to add?

MDG: Chris, thank you so much for having me here today, it’s been fun! 

Sound interesting? Check out Missy's website, or add the book on Goodreads!

You can also visit Missy on Facebook or Twitter. 

AN INTERVIEW WITH MAX KATZ

I’m privileged today to have been invited to visit the P.A.W.S. Institute of Vienna in Glocken Street to meet with Max Katz. While most of the residents of this branch of P.A.W.S. are werecats created by the scientist, Dr. Wechsler, Max is one of the two shapeshifters that currently reside at P.A.W.S.
​

Good afternoon Max and thank you for agreeing to speak to me.
You are very welcome.
Can you tell us a little bit about this place, Max?
This is the headquarters of the feline division of P.A.W.S. in Vienna. Our leader is Griddlebone. He was the first werecat and rescued many others from the Nazis.
What is P.A.W.S.?
P.A.W.S. is the Partnership of Animagi, Weres and Shapeshifters. Out in the Vienna woods there are P.A.W.S. factions comprising of many different creatures. Here in Vienna we are all cats. In peacetime P.A.W.S. acts as an institute of learning, but during war we work with the resistance.
That is a beautiful charm you wear. Where did you get it?
My father gave it to me before he was taken by the Nazis. It is a shapeshifter charm that has been in my family for centuries. It is what allows us to change form. With it I can be a boy (as you see now) or I can be a cat. (Max changes briefly into his tabby cat form and then changes back.)
That’s pretty impressive. How does it feel to be a cat?
Like it was meant to be. I feel comfortable in my fur and spend most of my time that way especially when I’m hanging out with Esther.
Who is Esther?
My girlfriend, I think, (Max blushes) or at least a good friend. She’s a werecat.
I’ve heard there’s another shapeshifter at P.A.W.S.
Yes, that is Celia. She’s a bit younger me and I’m supposed to take care of her. Her mother and my father were childhood friends and I promised Papa I’d make sure Celia was safe. I hope I can keep the promise.
Why? Is there a problem?
Yes, there is a werewolf by the name of Alistair. He tried to bargain with my father originally. He would save my life in exchange for my father’s charm, this charm (Max points to the silver cat charm around his neck.) Papa didn’t trust him and sent him away, but he came back here last week looking for me and Celia. He still wants our charms. Griddlebone says we may have to leave. I don’t want to leave Esther, but I promised Papa I would keep Celia safe.
I’m sure you’ll keep your promise, Max. Thank you so much for speaking to me.
My pleasure. Won’t you stay for supper? We’re having pea soup. It’s not as good as the pea soup my papa used to make, but still will keep you warm on this cold night.
That’s OK. I need to be going. Thank you again for speaking to me Max.

Last spring, I participated in the Young Adult Scavenger Hunt- I'm happy to be back again for this bi-annual event, just in time for Halloween season (a great time for books about Reapers, btw).

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are eight contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the PURPLE TEAM- which is good because it's my favorite color-but there is also a red team, an orange team, a gold team, a green team, a teal team, a blue team, a and a pink team for a chance to win a whole different set of books!



Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've hidden 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!). 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 Oct 9th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

I'm thrilled to host Norwegian YA author NINA ROSSING, and her book FJORD BLUE, published by Harmony Ink Press.

Nina Rossing lives in Norway, where she works as a high school teacher. When she's not writing young adult novels with hopeful endings, you might find her out in the forest on her mountain bike. That's so interesting. I've wondered at least 28 times what it must be like to teach and live in Norway. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24955343-fjord-blue
Author Website: http://www.ninarossing.com
Twitter: @NinaRossing
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorNinaRossing  
​

FJORD BLUE

Seventeen-year-old Benjamin is shipped off to work on his grandparents’ remote farm in the fjords of Western Norway for the summer. It’s not like he didn’t deserve it. After all, he crashed his dad’s vintage Bonneville in a car-chase duel on a Miami freeway. Ben is mad at the world and not ready to reveal the reason for his bad behavior the past year, when he partied and got into fights to forget his attraction to his best friend’s hot cousin Dino.

Norway is cold and rainy, the farm is desolate and resists modernization, and the grandparents are quiet and religious. On to the scene waltzes Even, the eighteen-year-old farmhand, who counters Ben’s restlessness and complaints with friendship, fresh perspectives, and problems of his own.

With the mounting expectations of Ben taking over the farm one day, getting closer to Even becomes Ben’s only reason to stay put. As the friendship deepens, the two boys learn that secrets can turn into both beautiful and ugly truths, and that support can be found in unexpected places. 
​

Amazon.com: 
https://www.amazon.com/Nina-Rossing/e/B00MTBAP3K/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1 
Amazon UK: 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nina-Rossing/e/B00MTBAP3K/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Publisher: 
https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books/fjord-blue-by-nina-rossing-361-b
The Book Depository: 
http://www.bookdepository.com/Fjord-Blue-Nin-Rossing/9781634763851?ref=grid-view 
Barnes and Noble: 
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fjord-blue-nina-rossing/1123437579?ean=9781634763851

And, as a special treat for the YA Scavenger Hunt, Nina's shared a playlist and an inspiration board. Check both out below, and then CLICK HERE for Nina's own rafflecopter giveaway (more chances to win great stuff!)

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author,
A.G. Henley!

With The Scythe Wielder's Secret behind me, I'm moving away from YA into the big scary world of books for grown ups (insert audience gasp here). As such, I've decided to enter the annual #PitchWars contest as a prospective mentee. This is my first attempt at PW, so here's a fun look at me and my writing.

1. I teach high school theatre. With 6 drama classes, over 200 students, and 4-5 shows a year, it's one of the most active theatre programs in the Washington DC area. While many authors dream of seeing their works in film, my personal dream is to one day see an adaptation of my books on stage. (Cursed Child looks amazing by the way!)

2. I'm married to fabulous romance author Rachel Mannino (who's also doing PitchWars), and any day now we are going to be having our first BABY! 

3. I never drank coffee or alcohol until I met my wife. 

4. I've wanted to be a full time writer since I was ten. My series The Scythe Wielder's Secret is a YA Fantasy trilogy traditionally published by small press MuseItUp, with book three releasing this September.  

5. I sing all the time. I sing while writing, driving, even while teaching. 

My entry for PitchWars is a polished adult sci-fi thriller.

PILLARS OF CHAOS

After a noted geneticist is crucified in front of the White House, his protegee is thrown into a tangled web of riddles and lies, hoping to uncover the dangerous truth about his research. Strange half-visible towers emerge across the entire world, and a group of scientists threaten to bring nations to their knees. The future of humanity lies encoded in our DNA.

If you enjoy Dan Brown 

or Michael Crichton 

then you'll love PILLARS OF CHAOS.

Today I'd like to welcome fellow Muse author Sara Jayne Townsend to the blog, to answer the important question- why write?

​SJ:
I always knew I wanted to be a writer. Even as a young child, I loved making up stories. Whenever anyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said, “a writer”. If the person asking was a teacher or guidance counsellor they would generally respond with, “you can’t make a living doing that. You’ll need to get a proper job.” And that would leave me a bit flummoxed because there wasn’t anything else I wanted to do.
 
It turns out the grownups were right, though. I still have to fit the writing around the day job because I don’t make enough money from the writing to do it full time. My colleagues all know I’m a writer – it’s too important to me not to mention it. But it’s sometimes difficult to explain the writing to people connected to the day job who know I don’t do it for a living. They might assume that since I don’t do it for the money then it’s a hobby. Playing my bass guitar at open mic nights is a hobby. Playing Dungeons and Dragons is a hobby. The writing is more than that.
 
Some people assume I do the writing ‘for fun’. This just seems so far off the mark I don’t know where to begin to correct them. Most of the time, writing isn’t fun. Each rejection I get crushes a bit of my soul. Each time I stare at the words I’ve written and think, “this is just a load of rubbish” I want to go crawl into a hole and not come out again. I spend days or sometimes weeks in a funk when the self-doubt kicks in and I’m convinced I have no talent at all and I’m just pretending to be a writer. Whenever this feeling kicks in I try to ride it out, because I know it will pass. I also know it’s going to come back, and there’s nothing remotely fun about it.
 
Neither is it fun to get up at 5:30am to get the early train into London so I can spend an hour in a coffee shop writing before heading off to what I know is going to be a manically busy day at the day job. I am not naturally a morning person. But I know from experience that if I want to find time to write I have to schedule it, and morning is the best time. I’m too tired by the time I get home from work to get any writing done.
 
So if I don’t do it for the money, it’s not a hobby, and it’s not fun, why do I write at all? This is actually a very good question, and it’s one that is surprisingly difficult to answer.
 
The best I can come up with is that I do it because it’s a part of who I am. Because not doing it is an alien a concept as not breathing. Because if I didn’t do it a part of me would die inside. It’s because of that I deal with the crushing self-doubt, the early mornings, the frustrations of trying to get my work out there.
 
If I didn’t write, I wouldn’t be me. And although that it’s difficult to explain this to non-writers, I know that other writers reading this are nodding their heads in agreement. Who’d choose to be a writer? We don’t choose. If you’re born a writer, you have to write. Simple as that.

CM:
As a writer with a separate day job, I completely agree! Couldn't have said it better.

Who's Sara Jayne?

Sara Jayne Townsend is a UK-based writer of crime and horror, and someone tends to die a horrible death in all of her stories.  She was born in Cheshire in 1969, but spent most of the 1980s living in Canada after her family emigrated there.  She now lives in Surrey with two cats and her guitarist husband Chris.  She co-founded the T Party Writers’ Group in 1994, and remains Chair Person.
 
She decided she was going to be a published novelist when she was 10 years old and finished her first novel a year later.  It took 30 years of submitting, however, to fulfil that dream.
 
Her horror novel SUFFER THE CHILDREN will be released by MuseItUp Publishing later this year, and the third novel in her amateur sleuth series, SPOTLIGHT ON DEATH, will be out in 2017.
 
Learn more about Sara and her writing at her website (http://sarajaynetownsend.weebly.com) and her blog (http://sayssara.wordpress.com). You can also follow her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/sarajtownsend) and Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3500282.Sara_Jayne_Townsend), and buy her books from Amazon (UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B003QROE8S and US: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003QROE8S).

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are eight contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the PINK TEAM--but there is also a red team, an orange team, a gold team, a green team, a teal team, a blue team, a purple team, and a pink 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 POST

I'm hosting Philip W. Simpson, a fellow author and fellow teacher. Phillip W. Simpson is the author of many novels, chapter books and other stories for children. He received his undergraduate degree in Ancient History and Archaeology, his Masters (Hons) degree in Archaeology and his Masters (Hons) degree in Creative Writing from the University of Auckland.

Before embarking on his writing career, he joined the army as an officer cadet, owned a comic shop and worked in recruitment in both the UK and Australia.

When not writing, he works as a school teacher.

Phill's newest book takes a different look at Greek mythology:

Loyalty has no limits.  Raised from a pup by Greek hero, Odysseus, Argos has come to learn the true meaning of love and loyalty.

But when Odysseus leaves for the Trojan War, little does Argos know it will be 20 years before he sees his master again. With Odysseus gone his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, are easy prey for neighboring kings and the Gods themselves. But Argos was tasked to keep them safe until Odysseus returns and that is a promise he is determined to keep – whatever the cost.

Told through his eyes, Argos recounts the story of his life – his pain, his joy, his triumphs and failures; his endurance in the face of hardships almost too great to believe. Above all else, Argos strives to do what is right – and to remain loyal to his King when all others have given up hope.

To live long enough to see his beloved master one more time. This epic myth of love and loyalty proves that a dog really is man's best friend.

COMING MAY, 2016: Click the cover to learn more!

Phill sent me a rejected version of the cover for Argos. This hasn't been seen elsewhere. The rejected cover is this:

And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win prizes by me, Christopher Mannino, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 28. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the PINK team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Don't forget to also sign up for my email blast MYTHIC MONDAYS. EVERY new subscriber gets an exclusive short story, and is entered to win a 50 dollar gift card, an audiobook, or a signed paperback!  

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author!
GILLIAN BRONTE ADAMS

What'd you think of the Scavenger Hunt? Does Argos sound neat? Please leave a COMMENT below!!