Colleen Houck's Blog, page 13
October 11, 2016
YASH Winners Announced
A huge thanks to all who participated in last weeks October YA Scavenger Hunt, it was so much fun!
There were a TON of prizes both on the YASH website and also on the authors’ websites so I hope you took advantage of the amazing opportunities.
Please check the YASH website for a complete list of all the winners at yash.rocks.
For those who participated in my bonus giveaway, I held a contest for 5 lucky participants to receive both Reawakened and Recreated book set. And. . . the winners are,
Grace, Carrie Lee Ardoin, Emily Krouk, Jaime Heller, and Megan Coppadge
Congrats!
These are a few of my favorite things- Halloween!
When the fall wind blows across the warm summer air,
and the leaves come alive as they dance in the cool breeze,
the landscape gently rolls from shades of green to oranges, reds, and pinks.
The smells of morning dew, chimney smoke and cinnamon are sweet to my soul.
There is a magic in the Autumn air that I can feel in the gentle rain, I can
sense in the setting sun, I can hear in the crunch beneath my shoes.
Fall is here and with it, Halloween, a fun and exciting time of the year and one of my favorites!
I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite Halloween movies that I try to enjoy each and every holiday. In no particular order, my Halloween shows:
Little Shop of Horrors. Why? The songs are awesome & Rick Moranis.
Harry Potter. Why? The first film is so Halloween it’s perfect.
It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Why? It’s a classic.
Something Wicked This Way Comes. Why? It scared the heck out of me when I was a kid.
E.T. Why? I loved the trick or treating scene.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (cartoon). Why? It’s another classic.
Ghostbusters (Old One). Why? Rick Moranis again and its classic and funny.
Ghostbusters (New One). Why? Chris Hemsworth dancing in the credits.
Edward Scissorhands. Why-Vincent Price and Johnny Depp. Enough said.
Hocus Pocus. Why? That song.
The Nightmare Before Christmas. Why? The music and the creepy creatures.
Wallace & Gromit: the curse of the were-rabbit. Why? It is fun to listen to kids giggle and watch Wallace.
Frankenweenie. Why? I have a weenie dog.
Hotel Transylvania. Why? Adam Sandler as Dracula.
Monster House. Why? I could totally relate to the kids.
Goonies. Why? Sloth and Chunk
The Haunted Mansion. Why? Eddie Murphy and the graveyard song.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series. Why? It started a great show that I truly enjoyed!
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Why? I know it’s not a Halloween movie but the boat ride always scared me.
Thriller the music video. Why? It’s Michael Jackson and if you haven’t seen it, watch it!
Have fun and Happy Fall and Halloween month!
~ Colleen
October 4, 2016
YASH 2016 Fall Edition!
Hello! I am Colleen Houck,
your hostess for this leg of the hunt.
About Me
My favorite color is blue.
I do my writing in my bedroom.
My favorite month is October.
I love hot chocolate in the fall.
And I’m currently writing my tenth book.
You are currently hunting on TEAM GOLD.
Looking for my exclusive bonus content? You’ll have to keep searching.
Somewhere on this blog hop, I’ve hidden three things; the cover reveal for REIGNITED, the novella in the REAWAKENED series, a cover reveal for REUNITED, book three in the REAWAKENED series, and a sneak peek from REIGNITED! Before you go looking for them, check out the amazing author I’m hosting.
But, first, a few rules.
SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE RULES
DIRECTIONS: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on TEAM GOLD, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!)
HINT: THE SECRET NUMBER IS HIGHLIGHTED IN GOLD !
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, OCT 9th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.
On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each participating YA author, you also get a secret number. Add up the numbers, and enter it for a chance to win a major prize–one lucky winner will receive at least one book from each author on my team in the hunt! But play fast. This contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until noon PST on Sunday, April 3rd!
There are SIX contests going on simultaneously as well as a bonus contest and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the GOLD TEAM but there is also a RED TEAM, BLUE TEAM, ORANGE TEAM, PURPLE TEAM, & GREEN TEAM! Check out each team for a chance to win nine different sets of signed 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.
Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I’ll introduce the author I am hosting on this hunt.
I am super excited to be hosting…
Selene Castrovilla!
About Selene:
Selene always knew she was a writer, from the time she held a pencil. But when she was a teenager she was filled with so much self-doubt that she stopped writing for over ten years. That’s why she makes it her mission to inspire people to live their dreams.
Selene loves quotes, and her house is filled with them: on magnets, in frames — even right on the walls! She posts daily quotes on her Facebook page.
Selene’s mantra is Gandhi’s “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” For her, that change is love. Selene does all things with love, most especially her writing. Her books ask the question: “Why do people hurt each other?”
Selene gives out “Happy Clams” to her fans, and if you contact her through her website and ask for one, she’ll send it to you!
Selene has an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School, where she was lucky enough to study with Jacqueline Woodson!
The book Selene is showcasing is MELT!
Colleen here: I counted the bricks on the cover and, if I’m right, there are
In case you’re as curious about the story as I am, you’re in luck!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Melt is a brutal love story, set against the backdrop of The Wizard of Oz. Sixteen year old “good girl” Dorothy just blew into the small town of Highland Park – where the social headquarters is Munchkinland (Dunkin’ Donuts.) There, she meets Joey – a “bad boy” who tells no one about the catastrophic domestic violence he witnesses at home. Can these two lovers survive peer pressure, Joey’s reputation, and his alcoholism? And then there’s his family’s secret – about to be unleashed.
Told in dual first person, Joey’s words are scattered on the page – reflecting his broken state. Dorothy is the voice of reason – until something so shattering happens that she, too, may lose her grip. Can their love endure, or will it melt away?
Melt is based on true events. It is both a chilling tale of abuse, and a timeless romance. It will hit you like a punch in the face, and also seep through the cracks in your soul.
TOP SECRET BONUS MATERIAL STRAIGHT AHEAD!
Bonus Material!
Selene is currently at work on Unpunished, Book Three of The Rough Romance Trilogy. So many questions! Can we find redemption, and what is its cost? Can love conquer all, and can it last? Can a person ever get away from the horrors of the past? Selene doesn’t know the answers until her characters experience them.
Here’s a sneak preview of the final Rough Romance book!
Joey
I wake up in the dark. Black out curtains, blacked-out mind. All this blocking, still no relief. The bright, shining pain, it sears right though. Here comes the sun. I know it’s out there waiting, all its truths splayed out in full view on my front lawn that’s seen better days, only the lawn misses Pop and his fanatical maintenance. Yeah, there is is again. That name. I clamp my eyelids, squeezing every bit of defiance I can muster. I bury my head in the cheap feather pillow, the untrimmed ends stab my face.
Twisted in my sweat sheets, wound up like a tangled yo-yo no-one wants, I think of another name. The name that hurts me even more. Why does love rip through us so much, isn’t it supposed to heal us? Pleas spew from my mouth.
“Come back. Come back, Doll. Please.”
My heart smashes against my chest cave, solitary confinement it can never escape, but it keeps getting bruised up trying.
I get more worked up, panting, clawing. My eyes squeeze themselves shut, like the answer is contained in my tunnel of vision and I just can’t let it out.
Somehow, my brain says. Somehow I’ll find her.
Then that bitch the sunny truth beams her ray in: I did find her.
I just never bargained for what came next.
You can now add MELT to your TBR list on Goodreads!
Are you as interested in this book as I am?
Here’s how you can get your hands on it!
You can buy her book HERE!
Check out more on her Website, Twitter, or Facebook page.
You can also join her street team called: Castrovilla’s Crusaders
And don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me and many more! Just check out all these books on team gold,
To enter, you need to write down my favorite number, find all the other numbers on TEAM GOLD, add them up, and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!
Thank you so much for visiting my website! While you’re here don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter bonus contest I am running exclusively during the YA Scavenger Hunt. Five lucky winners will receive the first and second book in my REAWAKENED series, REAWAKENED AND RECREATED! Good luck everyone!
Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win,
Ready to move on to the next link in the hunt? Then head on over to visit author Stacie Ramey’s page.
LINK TO NEXT BLOG
October 1, 2016
October 2016 Art Contest
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life,” so Pablo Picasso once famously proclaimed.
Art also feeds the soul and opens our eyes to details not previously seen.
This year for the the 2016 Art Contest we want to see what you see when you dive into RECREATED.
That’s right, it’s time to stretch your creative skills, develop your talents and explore your artistic side!
For this month, we’d like to put YOU to the challenge and invite you to participate in the 2016 ART CONTEST.
You can really get creative with this one. In the past we’ve seen some amazing drawings, paintings, sketches, sculptures, stuffed animals and the like. Really it can be anything you consider to be art! If you need some creative fuel, check out Colleen Houck’s Pinterest board RECREATED or read (or reread) RECREATED.
Here’s the scoop on how this will work,
Contest runs through October 28th.
Artwork must be linked. A really good place is Deviantart.com (if you haven’t uploaded your art there before its easy, just go to deviantart.com and sign up to become a member, its free!
No limit on number of entries
Book Reviews For Kids By Kids- The Blackthorn Key and The Map to Everywhere
For those of you who are looking for new books appropriate for middle grade that both boys and girls might enjoy, this is the place to look!
Every month, a new book will be added for review right here and they will be reviewed by the best critics, KIDS! That’s right, the one’s who read them will be the judge!
This blog is written by my quirky and adorable niece, Madelyn. She’s super sweet and quite ambitious in everything she sets her mind to. She’s quick to help and give hugs, two of my favoritist things!
First, for those just tuning in, may I introduce Madelyn . .
“I’m a freshman who recently started high school. I have a HUGE love of books. My entire family are book nerds. I have a sister named Madison and a brother named Michael. It’s hard for me to find boring books. I read all the TIME!”
And now, introducing our 19th middle grade book review for kids, by kids! * With bonus book review
Book Review of The Blackthorn Key
by Kevin Sands
Book Commercial
The Story takes place in old time England where Christopher Rowe, an
Apothecary’s apprentice is tasked with an important task. His master starts acting weird and starts leaving at night and comes home injured or bleeding. Christopher is tasked with taking care of him. Throughout this time, many apothecaries are killed. Eventually his own master is killed.
Christopher starts looking for clues to the death of the apothecaries and starts
deciphering a code. He has run ins with other apothecaries. He is thwarted by everyone but eventually figures it out.
This was a good book. Definitely not one of my favorites. It is a good book if apothecaries and old time England interests you.
Book Review of The Map to Everywhere
By Carrie Ryan and John Park Davis
Book Commercial
The story takes place with two people who are very unlikely to cross paths, but need each other to find something. Master Thief Fin is looking for his mother. Marrill wants to find her way home. The only thing that can get them where they need to go is the Map to Everywhere.
While they use their map to find what they need, they are followed by an evil person who wishes to use the map for malicious purposes. Will they get what they need? Or will the map be lost forever?
This book was very interesting. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved how
everything went and I just loved this book. I recommend this book to anyone who just loves action, adventure, and pirates.
Here’s a list with links to the other books we’ve reviewed:
Greek Mythology by Ken Jennings
The Tale of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by Deborah and James Howe
A to Z Mysteries: White House White Out by Ron Roy
The Sisters Grimm: The Problem Child by Michael Buckley
Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (In full color) by Dav Pilkey
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Invasion of the Overworld by Mark Cheverton
Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony Di’Terlizzi and Holly Black
Artemis Fowl, book 1 by Eoin Colfer
The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) by Roald Dahl
How to Train Your Dragon: How to Break a Dragon’s Heart, Book # 8 by Cressida Cowell
~ Till next time,
Linda Louise Lotti
September 30, 2016
September Poetry Contest Winner Announced
Poetry Contest 2016 Winner
& Honorable Mentions
This year we had two pictures to choose from to set your words to. I loved reading all the entries and watching the pictures come alive. Thank you for sharing your talent with us, you are inspirations.
1st Place Allana Lopez
Oh Maiden Fair
I remember thee, Oh Maiden Fair;
Golden locks frame starlit cheeks.
White hands clasp in front
Of shimmering silks
Rippling upon the lake breeze.
I remember thee, Oh Maiden Fair;
Celestial light radiates pure
from your heavenly soul.
Your light splits the dark,
And the Universe marvels at your grandeur.
I remember thee, Oh Maiden Fair;
Your longship glides
through languid waters.
As sure and as true as the stars, it
bobs along the tides.
I remember thee, Oh Maiden Fair;
Set upon your voyage,
Oh, my heart cries!
Mourns for you, Oh Lady,
For I will miss you dearly
My Maiden Fair.
2nd Place Kylie Benavides
My Beautiful Angel
My beautiful angel is coming soon
Please let it be before my final demise.
I close my eyes and picture her silhouette,
White against the wall of black that surrounds her.
My dreams are filled with thoughts of her.
She is so beautiful, so precious, innocent.
I know it is my fault that she came here
And I just want her to understand my sacrifice.
The guardians will accompany her
That of which I am thankful and nervous of.
I am not deserving of my beautiful angel
But time will only tell if I can ever truly become worthy.
3rd Place Mykala
Solitude
The goddess like girl sails across the river of solitude. She struggles with the loneliness that envelopes her. Especially when her entire world is dark. However, to everyone else she stands tall like a warrior off to battle. Leading her solders across the river to their destiny.
4th Place Jordan Myers
Death’s Wife
As I stand there in the boat
Death awaits me as I float
Towards the dark, away from light
My soul accepts my fate tonight
I turn and gaze at her
My beautiful a picture blur
Goodbye my girl, shed no tears
I will not give over to my fears
Waiting for me all in black
His dark fingers do not lack
In his extended hand
A wedding spider spins my wedding band
From him to me
A webbed circle of infinity
5th Place Anuradha Das
Grieving Nature
The clouds are crying with me, offering me their condolences.
The sky is shameful, shrieking, but shouting.
The leaves are lifeless, but listening to me.
The trees are twisting and turning, tearing the world with their screams.
The ground is generous, it gently shows me the way.
While the wind is whispering wise words
The mountains are mischievously trying to change my mood.
If only my friends foreknew, of this grief I can’t be freed.
I can’t forgive, forget and forecast my happiness.
I have sequestered myself so that others can’t see my sadness.
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September 23, 2016
YA Scavenger Hunt Fall 2016 Announcement!
It’s coming!
The hunt begins on Oct 4th and ends Oct 9th
It’s the YA Scavenger Hunt Fall 2016!
Now that the authors have signed up to participate in this exciting event, we’ve put them into teams of 20 by color. There are six teams total this round!
Check out the teams below to see which teams your favorite authors will be on and what their featured book will be.
It’s getting close folks!
September 21, 2016
Upcoming Events!
It’s happening, Colleen Houck is throwing a party in her home state, Oregon! Come join us for an evening of celebration and receive a gift!
The Book Bin Book Store
What: New Book Release Party!
When: Saturday, September 24 @ 4pm
Where: The Book Bin Downtown Salem
450 Court St NE Salem, OR
There will be meet ‘n greet with author Colleen Houck and prizes!
Powells Book Store
What: New Book Release Party!
When: Thursday, September 29 @ 7pm
Where: Powell’s Books @ Cedar Mills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton, OR 97005
There will be meet ‘n greet with author Colleen Houck and prizes!
Pre-Order NOW to ensure a signed copy
Meet author Colleen Houck as she shares some of the behind the scenes of her new book Recreated, the sequel to the Reawakened Egyptian series. There will be backlist titles such as The Tiger’s Curse available also at this special event.
September 14, 2016
Sphinxes Throughout History
Sphinxes
Sphinxes are mythological creatures that have the head or top of a person and the body of a lioness or lion. They have been found throughout all of history starting with Egypt. The Egyptians would place them around temples and important structures like pyramids to protect the buildings from unwanted guests. They became a symbol of protection and 
knowledge.
The biggest example and the most well known is the Great Sphinx in Giza. It was build form the bedrock of the desert to protect the pyramids. A story that is written on the monument tells of a young prince that fell asleep under the sphinx covered in sand and had a dream. The dream said that if he dug up the sphinx he would become king of upper and lower Egypt. No one knows what happened because the story was lost but Egypt did unify eventually. Then the Greeks came and borrowed a few ideas from them.
The Greeks took the idea of sphinxes and added wings and a tail of a snake. Greeks placed them outside of cities so those who came in would be tested. How were they tested? With riddles. If the riddle was answered wrong the person would be eaten. The most common sphinx riddle is “Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?”. Most people were fooled and devoured because they couldn’t get the answer. Those who did know the answer said man because we crawl as babies, walk as adults on two legs and use canes as seniors. The sphinxes would then eat itself.
For the next hundreds of years sphinxes would decline in popularity but would always symbolize protection. They are used in many modern structures such as big banks as a symbol of protection and being a safe place.
And who can forget the scene in the movie, “The Neverending Story” where Atreyu has to get past the two Sphinxes.
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September 13, 2016
Salt Lake Comic Con
Hey readers, did you get a chance to attend this years Comic Con in Salt Lake City?
It was such a blast this year and there was no shortage of celebrities including Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), William Shatner (Star Trek’s Captain James T. Kirk), Ian Somerhalder (Vampire Diaries, Lost, and Smallville), Stephen Amell (Arrow) , Michael Rooker (Walking Dead and Guardians of the Galaxy), (Dukes of Hazard) (Happy Days) and MORE!
Check out our amazing celebrity pics!
It’s Luke Skywalker!
And Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek!
Do you remember the TV Show Dukes of Hazzard?
Check out the hunky Stephen Amell (aka Green Arrow)!
FYI, we’re wearing poodle skirt costumes because we were dressed up to meet “The Fonz” from Happy Days but unfortunately missed him :-(!
And then there’s the smoldering Ian Somerholder (Vampire Diaries)!
While we wish we could have had the opportunity to say hello and ask each of them a couple questions, we were lucky enough to rub shoulders with them even if it was just for a second to snap a quick photo. The actors are much smaller in person! And yes, they are gorgeous in person!
For those who haven’t been to a Comic Con event before, it’s a great place to spend a couple days! You can meet celebrities, dress up as your favorite character, attend panels with celebrities and authors, mingle with like minded fans, shop for shirts, comic books, books, toys, costumes, and much more!
Colleen was on various panels where she rubbed shoulders with fellow authors and talked about anything from favorite books to movies, to how to create monsters, to writing tips. Colleen was also at the book signing Friday and Saturday where her fans were able to get their books autographed and get little swag bags!
Here’s a couple snap shots of some of the fun stuff we saw while there,
If you’ve never been or if you want to attend a Comic Con event in the future, there will be one in Phoenix, Arizona in 2017 so check it out! Colleen will be there too!
~Till next time,
Linda Louise Lotti
