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 Five years ago today, on October 8th, 2011, I visited Tintagel, on the coast of Cornwall. The trip was one of the many side excursions during my semester at Oxford, a period that changed my life in many ways.
I became stranded in Tintagel, and the following morning I climbed to the edge of that rocky piece of land pictured above, fighting fierce winds as I watched the dawn. The experience inspired me to write about a character attacked from all sides, totally alone, and the inspiration quickly evolved to become The Scythe Wielder's Secret. Today, I am thankful for the experience, and nostalgic for my trip. The entire original blog post about Tintagel, written 5 years ago, with many pictures, can be found HERE 
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!) 
 It's an exciting time for The Scythe Wielder's Secret, now that the series has concluded. Want to help get the word out? Here's what YOU can do:  Don't forget that the single most-effective marketing for any author is word of mouth. If you've enjoyed what you read, please tell people! Thank you so much for your help.
 Fans of Tolkien remember how important 111 (or "eleventy-one") can be. I feel like celebrating with 111 candles, and perhaps a trip to Rivendell!
For a long time, I watched reviews of my book steadily grow, and today received my hundred and eleventh Amazon review for SCHOOL OF DEATHS. Amazingly, 50% of my 111 reviews are 5 star reviews, including the newest review- where the reader says they enjoyed the novel MORE than Harry Potter! Check out the 111th review on Amazon, and be sure to leave your own review there as well! Most of us probably think of Thor as a great warrior from Norse Mythology. But have you ever read the Lay of Thrym or Þrymskviða? As an add on to this week's MythicMondays, let's hear the tale. Thrym, King of the Jotunn (Giants), steals Thor's mighty hammer Mjölnir. Thrym then demands that Freyja, goddess of sex and beauty, marry him. The gods decide to accept Thrym's demands, in a way.  Thor and Loki go to Jotunheimr, the land of giants, prepared to attend the wedding. Thor dresses as Freyja, borrowing her clothes and jewelry, and Loki, enjoying himself, dresses as the bridesmaid. During the reception, Thor's identity is repeatedly hinted at, for instance he eats twice as much as anyone else there.When asked about "her" appetite, Thor claims he hasn't eaten in seven days due to excitement.
As part of the ceremony, Mjölnir is placed in the "bride's" hands. Thor reveals his deception and uses the hammer to overthrow the giants. To read the entire story in the Eddas, click here. I'm a father now! Here are pictures from our son Gavin's first two weeks.Throwing my hat into the ring... 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. Five Facts about Me 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.  But what's he doing now??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.
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