Bringing YA to the LOU!

Have you ever wished that a big YA book tour would make a stop in your hometown? Well, here's your chance for that wish to come true! YA2U is a program that features five award-winning and best-selling authors who are holding a contest to see what city they should visit in an exclusive tour stop!

The authors are collecting votes from January 1 to February 15, and any city in the continental US or any Canadian city that has an international airport can win an exclusive visit from all five authors, including an author panel and book signing! Entering is super easy--and if you help spread the word about the contest, you can also enter win a signed copy of all of their books (TEN signed books in total!)--and the book contest is open internationally!

The authors in the program are:

• Marie Lu, the New York Times best-selling author of Legend and the upcoming Prodigy
• Marissa Meyer, the New York Times best-selling author of Cinder and the upcoming Scarlet
• Beth Revis, the New York Times best-selling author of Across the Universe, A Million Suns, and the upcoming Shades of Earth
• Victoria Schwab, author of The Near Witch and the highly-anticipated upcoming The Archived
• Megan Shepherd, author of the debut novel The Madman's Daughter

And they want to have an event in your home town! To participate, just got to the YA2U website and let them know what city you want them to come to. And while you're there, help spread the word about the contest and you can be entered to win all of their books--TEN signed books in total! 

Here's why the YA2U Team should come to the Lou! 

St. Louis is an awesome mecca of YA. Not only is St. Louis home to such awesome YA authors as Heather Brewer, Antony John, Cole Gibsen, and Fiona Paul but we are also home to some of the best local bookstores and libraries both in the county and the newly reopened city library. We also hosted the awesome YALSA YA lit symposium back in November, which brought even more YA amazingness (quiet that is totally a word!) to St. Louis.

And if that's not enough book awesomeness then consider voting for St. Louis for it's amazing attractions, many of which are free. Play with the animals at the St. Louis Zoo, feed the goats at Grant's Farm, or climb the giant jungle gym and whip down the ten-story slide at the City Museum. Speaking of museums, there's the Art Museum, the History Museum, and even a Transportation Museum. And if you are a geek like me you will love the Science Center with is giant Omnimax Theater. We even make our own root beer!

But really what it all boils down to is, no other city can boast that they have a giant magnet. It doesn't get any better than that.

So go vote for St. Louis and bring these amazing authors here!

Why should the YA2U Team come to your hometown? Why not join in the fun today and share with others about this program and your hometown. The more votes your town gets, the closer you are to having your very own personal tour stop! Vote for YOUR town here!

And if you help spread the word, you can also participate in the book giveaway. Tell them that you learned about YA2U from me and we both get extra entries in the contest! 

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Blogiversary Giveaway

Two weeks ago my blog celebrated its first birthday. This is pretty significant for a few reasons but mostly because I wasn't sure I had enough to say to sustain a blog long term. Turns out it's been an incredible journey. I finished a manuscript for the first time, I read amazing books and I talked about my writing journey among other things. I love YA and MG and I love being able to share my adventures with you. A little over a year and 3300 pages views later, here I am still blogging :)

Since I grossly underestimated my own abilities (and this is definitely a good thing) I'm giving back to all of you with this most awesome giveaway in two parts with two rafflecopters, so make sure you check out both if you qualify.


Part One: The International Giveaway
I have some really awesome prizes that some of you are going to win, including:

1 Signed ARC of Venom by Fiona Paul

Awesome Author Swag:

• The Selection Bookmarks (Kiera Cass)
• Signed Venom Bookmarks (Fiona Paul)
• Signed Elemental Bookmarks (Antony John)
• Signed Slide Bookmarks (Jill Hathaway)
• Signed Soulbound Posters (Heather Brewer)

Note: is I start getting a lot of entries I will add to this list. I have up to three signed mystery YA books that I can add. And trust me you want me to add them. If I do, you will automatically be entered for new prizes if you fill out the rafflecopter below. So no extra work for you!

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Part Two: The US Giveaway

One lucky person (in the US or with a US mailing address) will win... not one, not two, not three, but FOUR signed YA books by amazing YA authors living in my hometown of St. Louis.

And these awesome books are:

A signed paperback of Katana by Cole Gibsen          A Signed hardback of Elemental by Antony John

A signed hardback of Venom by Fiona Paul         A signed hardback of Soulbound by Heather Brewer

 

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 A huge thanks to all my loyal followers and a big welcome to all the new visitors and followers. I look forward to chatting with all of you.

Katana Review + Giveaway

Rileigh Martin is a sarcastic skater girl. When she and her best friend Quentin get mugged she is mysteriously able to take matters into her own hands and fend off the attackers with amazing fighting skills she never knew she had. She wants to believe it was an extreme adrenaline rush, but that doesn't explain the strange dreams she has about a 15th Samurai, and the voice inside her head that warns her about danger. When a good looking martial arts instructor named Kim visits Rileigh and tells her she's been possessed by a 15th century samurai, she is afraid she's losing her mind. Kim tries to convince Rileigh to train as a fighter and embrace her inner samurai. And as if being possibly possessed by a samurai isn't enough, she's starting to develop feelings for Kim and another boy from school. Rileigh must decide whether or not to embrace the warrior within at the risk of losing herself.

Katana is an amazing, fabulous book. It's sarcastic in all the right places and is action packed. Each of the characters is intriguing and fun to follow. Cole Gibsen is the master of metaphors and wields them as well as Rileigh manipulates her katana. I can't sing enough praise for this book, I had a very hard time putting it down, finding myself lost in Rilegh's world and hanging on tightly waiting to read what happened next. I am anxiously awaiting the second installment.

Now for the giveaway, one person will win a signed copy of Katana plus a signed Katana bookmark. Two people will win signed Katana bookmarks + other Katana swag. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter and be sure to follow the blog and leave a comment answering the following question: If you could be possessed by anyone (profession wise or person) who would you choose and why?

*Giveaway open internationally, closes on 6-17-12

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