Blog Archives

Scavenger Hunt, IWSG, Opening Scenes

4/3/2019

YA Scavenger Hunt (#YASH)

If you're taking part in the YA Scavenger Hunt, go here for #TeamBlue and the opportunity to win some amazing prizes, including my bonus giveaway of a $10 gift card.

Helpful Links: Productivity, Writing, Reading

Before I address the monthly blog hop question, here are some helpful links I wanted to share.

Productivity:
If you want to try the Pomodoro technique for focusing (read more about it here), there's an app for that. Go to the Marinara website and use the first option. The timer is automatically programmed for you.

For writers:
If you need help with opening scenes, check out these links.
Opening Chapters by Darcy Pattison
10 Things Your Opening Chapter Should Do by Anne R. Allen
The Great Debate: To Prologue or Not to Prologue? by Meg LaTorre-Snyder

For readers:
The Surprising Benefits of Reading Before Bed by Matt Berical

IWSG Monthly Blog Hop

Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group poses an optional question that members can answer in their blog posts. Special thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for founding IWSG, and to this month’s awesome blog hop co-hosts: J.H. Moncrieff, Natalie Aguirre, Patsy Collins, and Chemist Ken.
This month’s question is:

If you could use a wish to help you write just ONE scene/chapter of your book, which one would it be?

The kissing scenes! My family reads my books, which doesn't help. :)

I love that it's light out so much later in the evening. What's your favorite part of spring?

I'm auctioning off a signed copy of Pandemic as part of Writers for Hope charity fundraiser to benefit RAINN. Visit the auction website to learn more information.

YA Scavenger Hunt #YASH Spring 2019

4/2/2019

Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt
for Team Blue!

Welcome to Spring 2019 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 the team prize--books from Team Blue! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for a few days. 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 Instructions

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've hidden my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the BLUE team, and then add them up.

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.

Black Flowers, White Lies and Pandemic

If this is your first time to my blog, I'm Yvonne Ventresca, the author of PANDEMIC and the psychological thriller, BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES. In addition to my YA novels, I've had THREE short stories published in anthologies.

In BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES, strange events make Ella question what’s real. Is it a haunting or a breakdown? She desperately needs answers, no matter how disturbing the truth might be. In PANDEMIC, a teenage girl struggles to survive not only a deadly influenza outbreak and its real-life consequences, but also her own personal demons.

In addition to the Team Blue prize, I'm offering a $10 Amazon gift card giveaway. Look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post.

Scavenger Hunt Guest Post Featuring Melanie Hooyenga

Multi-award winning young adult author Melanie Hooyenga first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. She has lived in Washington DC, Chicago, and Mexico, but has finally settled down in her home state of Michigan. When not at her day job as a Communications Director at a nonprofit, you can find Melanie attempting to wrangle her Miniature Schnauzer Owen and playing every sport imaginable with her husband Jeremy.

More about The Slope Rules

Fifteen-year old Cally accepted her fate as one of the guys, so when she meets Blake, a hot snowboarder who sees her for more than her aerials on the slopes, she falls fast and hard. But their romance can only last as long as vacation.
Or so she thinks.
A twist of fate—well, her Dad opening another brewery in a new town—lands her in Blake’s school, but the charismatic boy she fell for wants nothing to do with her, and worse, the Snow Bunnies, the popular clique, claim her as their newest recruit.
Cally must learn to be true to herself—all while landing a spot on the ski team and figuring out who she is without her old friends. And when she finds out what Blake is hiding, she learns the rules on the slopes apply to more than just skiing.
Buy The Slope Rules here.

Exclusive Content from Melanie Hooyenga: YASH has ended, so this content has been removed.

Don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win books! Find my favorite number (in BLUE) earlier in this post. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the blue team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Continue the Hunt

To keep going on the YA Scavenger Hunt, you need to check out the next author on Team Blue: Robin D. Mahle.

Bonus Giveaway: $10 Gift Card

In addition to contributing to the YASH giveaway, I'm offering my own personal giveaway as well. One winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card. (This prize is open internationally.) Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Scavenger Hunt, IWSG, Opening Scenes

YA Scavenger Hunt (#YASH)

Helpful Links: Productivity, Writing, Reading

IWSG Monthly Blog Hop

YA Scavenger Hunt #YASH Spring 2019

Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt
for Team Blue!

Scavenger Hunt Instructions

Black Flowers, White Lies and Pandemic

Scavenger Hunt Guest Post Featuring Melanie Hooyenga

More about The Slope Rules

Exclusive Content from Melanie Hooyenga: YASH has ended, so this content has been removed.

Continue the Hunt

Bonus Giveaway: $10 Gift Card

Get new blog posts by email:

Archives

Categories

Scavenger Hunt, IWSG, Opening Scenes

​YA Scavenger Hunt (#YASH)

Helpful Links: Productivity, Writing, Reading

​IWSG Monthly Blog Hop

YA Scavenger Hunt #YASH Spring 2019

Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt ​for ​Team Blue!

Scavenger Hunt Instructions

Black Flowers, White Lies and Pandemic

​Scavenger Hunt Guest Post Featuring Melanie Hooyenga

​More about The Slope Rules

Exclusive Content from Melanie Hooyenga: YASH has ended, so this content has been removed.

Continue the Hunt

Bonus Giveaway: $10 Gift Card

Get new blog posts by email:

Newsletter: Sign me up!

Archives

Categories

YA Scavenger Hunt (#YASH)

IWSG Monthly Blog Hop

Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt
for Team Blue!

Scavenger Hunt Guest Post Featuring Melanie Hooyenga

More about The Slope Rules