Colleen Houck's Blog, page 56
February 26, 2013
The Village of Silvanae
Hi Everyone!
I wanted to introduce you to one of my sisters who will be doing a little blogging for me while I am busy writing. Meet Linda! She is the fifth kid in my family of seven (I am the oldest) and she is an awesome cook, interior decorator, and one of the best moms I know. My first book, Tiger's Curse is dedicated to her and I think all of you will love her ideas as much as I do.
Colleen
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Linda's Bio:
Hi everyone! It's wonderful to finally be able to "meet" fans and supporters of Colleen's work! I can honestly say that Colleen is just about the most wonderful person I have ever had the honor or knowing. She is the kindest, most loving and beautiful person in the world to me and I love her! Thanks sis for letting me share a little in your world of writing. I hope to provide you with exciting news, fun facts, insight into some of the character's interests, food for thought (and the tummies), and much more!
To tell you just a little about myself, I am Colleen's little sister as mentioned earlier. I have been blessed with a loving husband and two precious children. They are indeed my source of joy. I have so many interests that it would take forever to list. I have recently been toying with the idea or writing my own story, inspired by the one and only Colleen. But...that may be awhile. I love exercise, hiking, volleyball, tickling my kids, eating out and trying new things, the smell of rain, the sound of strong winds, and watching the sun rays pierce through the grey clouds. I love the smell of smoking chimneys when I take walks and nothing goes better with a movie than junior mints!
Happy reading!!
Contact Linda at lindalouiselotti@colleenhouck.com
or follow me on twitter at Linda Louise Lotti @LindaLouiseLott
If Kelsey could share some of her favorite things with you she would want to take you back to the village of Silvanae, home of the tree nymphs and fairies. In the second novel, Tiger's Quest, Kelsey and Kishan journey to a place where time doesn't exist, a place of healing, a place all together magical. This strange world surrounded them in a lush green forest, vibrant skies, birds and and tame beasts, and fragrant flowers. Then, guided by a tree nymph named Faunus, Kishan and Kelsey discovered a place she considers her own garden of Eden, the enchanting village of Silvanae.
Kelsey would love to share some of her favorite things about the fairies as well as recipes for the foods she and Kishan feasted on!
Below are some pictures of clothes the fairies wore,
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The fairies' dresses were made from the flowers that grew in the village and matched the soft glow that came from their wings. Their wings were like beautiful butterfly wings ranging from pink, silver, turquoise, orange, yellow and violet. The fairies were beautiful beyond description and smelled so sweet. What Kelsey probably loved most of all was their tinkling giggles that filled the forest skies with music.
Another of Kelsey's sweetest memories of this place is the banquet fit for a princess, no, a fairy princess. The food was displayed on a long table decorated with flowers, pine cone glasses, leaf napkins rolled in ivy, plates carved from white stone and bowls of large pink rose petals. Under foot was lush green grass and above head hung ropy vines with lanterns that draped down from the largest trees. The vision of this place surpasses all description. For fun, why not try setting a table that brings the essence of this enchanting village into your own home or garden. See picture below for some ideas,
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Some of the recipes I'd like to share with you are from the banquet Kelsey and Kishan shared with the silver haired tree nymphs and fairies. They include delicate lace cookies, honey cakes, lemon meringue tarts, stewed fruits in sugary syrups, baby quiches, cinnamon crepes, blueberry scones, pumpkin cups with cream cheese filling, honeyed flower nectar, watermelon spritzes, and much much more. For this week, I'd like to share a modified honey cake recipe. It is perfect for spring time and smells heavenly when coming out of the oven! It is called, Orange Blossom Honey Cake with Fresh Blueberries. Recipe below:
Orange Blossom Honey Cake with Fresh Blueberries
Lavender Simple Syrup
I wanted to introduce you to one of my sisters who will be doing a little blogging for me while I am busy writing. Meet Linda! She is the fifth kid in my family of seven (I am the oldest) and she is an awesome cook, interior decorator, and one of the best moms I know. My first book, Tiger's Curse is dedicated to her and I think all of you will love her ideas as much as I do.
Colleen
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[image error]
Linda's Bio:
Hi everyone! It's wonderful to finally be able to "meet" fans and supporters of Colleen's work! I can honestly say that Colleen is just about the most wonderful person I have ever had the honor or knowing. She is the kindest, most loving and beautiful person in the world to me and I love her! Thanks sis for letting me share a little in your world of writing. I hope to provide you with exciting news, fun facts, insight into some of the character's interests, food for thought (and the tummies), and much more!
To tell you just a little about myself, I am Colleen's little sister as mentioned earlier. I have been blessed with a loving husband and two precious children. They are indeed my source of joy. I have so many interests that it would take forever to list. I have recently been toying with the idea or writing my own story, inspired by the one and only Colleen. But...that may be awhile. I love exercise, hiking, volleyball, tickling my kids, eating out and trying new things, the smell of rain, the sound of strong winds, and watching the sun rays pierce through the grey clouds. I love the smell of smoking chimneys when I take walks and nothing goes better with a movie than junior mints!
Happy reading!!
Contact Linda at lindalouiselotti@colleenhouck.com
or follow me on twitter at Linda Louise Lotti @LindaLouiseLott
If Kelsey could share some of her favorite things with you she would want to take you back to the village of Silvanae, home of the tree nymphs and fairies. In the second novel, Tiger's Quest, Kelsey and Kishan journey to a place where time doesn't exist, a place of healing, a place all together magical. This strange world surrounded them in a lush green forest, vibrant skies, birds and and tame beasts, and fragrant flowers. Then, guided by a tree nymph named Faunus, Kishan and Kelsey discovered a place she considers her own garden of Eden, the enchanting village of Silvanae.
Kelsey would love to share some of her favorite things about the fairies as well as recipes for the foods she and Kishan feasted on!
Below are some pictures of clothes the fairies wore,
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
The fairies' dresses were made from the flowers that grew in the village and matched the soft glow that came from their wings. Their wings were like beautiful butterfly wings ranging from pink, silver, turquoise, orange, yellow and violet. The fairies were beautiful beyond description and smelled so sweet. What Kelsey probably loved most of all was their tinkling giggles that filled the forest skies with music.
Another of Kelsey's sweetest memories of this place is the banquet fit for a princess, no, a fairy princess. The food was displayed on a long table decorated with flowers, pine cone glasses, leaf napkins rolled in ivy, plates carved from white stone and bowls of large pink rose petals. Under foot was lush green grass and above head hung ropy vines with lanterns that draped down from the largest trees. The vision of this place surpasses all description. For fun, why not try setting a table that brings the essence of this enchanting village into your own home or garden. See picture below for some ideas,
[image error]
Some of the recipes I'd like to share with you are from the banquet Kelsey and Kishan shared with the silver haired tree nymphs and fairies. They include delicate lace cookies, honey cakes, lemon meringue tarts, stewed fruits in sugary syrups, baby quiches, cinnamon crepes, blueberry scones, pumpkin cups with cream cheese filling, honeyed flower nectar, watermelon spritzes, and much much more. For this week, I'd like to share a modified honey cake recipe. It is perfect for spring time and smells heavenly when coming out of the oven! It is called, Orange Blossom Honey Cake with Fresh Blueberries. Recipe below:
Orange Blossom Honey Cake with Fresh Blueberries
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1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup orange blossom honey or any you happen to have on hand. Just remember that it is the star of this dessert so pick one that really shines.
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground mace (I used nutmeg instead, forgot to replenish my mace. It was still wonderful!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries (Try to use the tiny wild blueberries if you can find them, which I could not.)
Preheat your oven to 350° and prepare a Bundt Pan[image error] with butter and flour.
Cream together the butter, sugar and honey on medium high speed until light in color and texture.
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Slowly add the eggs, lemon juice and zest. Mix until smooth. The mixture will be very wet at this point.
Add the flour, baking powder, mace and salt with the machine on low.
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Mix until it is all well combined, but no more.
Remove from machine and fold the blueberries into the batter with a spatula.
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Spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Smooth out the top.
Bake for about 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool the cake on a rack for 15 minutes and then unmold.
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Finally, brushed the entire cake with lavender simple syrup OR melt 1/2 cup of honey and 1 tablespoon of lemon to brush over the cake (I thought the addition of lavender would be wonderful). Serve at room temperature. If you refrigerate the cake make sure you bring it back to room temperature before serving.
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Lavender Simple Syrup
**The following recipe can be made with rosemary, lemon thyme, star anise, cinnamon sticks, organic edible rose petals or any other aromatic that you want to flavor your syrup with. I love to have these flavored syrups around to sweeten tea, use as a drizzle over sponge cake, sorbets and lemonade.
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons dried or fresh lavender flowers
In a sauce pot bring the water, sugar and lavender to a simmer. Allow to simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off heat and let sit until cool. Use or store in the refrigerator for up to a month. The longer you let the lavender steep in the simple syrup the stronger the flavor will be. I store it in the refrigerator with the flowers still in the syrup and strain it when I need it in a recipe.
**I hope you enjoy your first recipe shared from Kelsey's favorite things! If you want to revisit this part of Colleen Houck's story, read chapter 18, Good Things, in her second novel Tiger's Quest!
***I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts of your own impressions of Kelsey and Kishan's visit to Silvanae and/or if you'd like to share your own experience and/or pics of the Orange Blossom Honey Cake with Fresh Blueberries I'd be eager to hear what you thought. I tried the recipe without the lavender simple syrup because I didn't have any lavender. Share your comments with me and come back soon for another recipe and more!
February 19, 2013
January and February giveaway winners!
Hey, can we say procrastislacker? (Yes, you can thank my mother for coming up with that one.) Better late than never so here I am with the winners from both the January giveaway (what is your favorite Fanindra scene?) and the February giveaway (Colleen's next writing is set in Egypt!).
Cordelia F. won her choice of a Tiger Saga book or audiobook.
Kristine P. and Amy T. both won autographed hardback copies of Tiger's Quest.
Angel R. won an exclusive edition of Tiger's Voyage.
Krystal won the Egyptian themed prize pack.
Winners: You have all been emailed!
Cordelia F. won her choice of a Tiger Saga book or audiobook.
Kristine P. and Amy T. both won autographed hardback copies of Tiger's Quest.
Angel R. won an exclusive edition of Tiger's Voyage.
Krystal won the Egyptian themed prize pack.
Winners: You have all been emailed!
January 31, 2013
Big Announcements!
Hi Everyone,
I've got some big announcements coming your way today and also a brand new contest that you won't want to miss out on.
ANNOUNCEMENT #1
PAPERBACK VERSION OF QUEST
The first thing I want to share is some news about the paperback version of Tiger's Quest. The expected release date is May 7th and, get ready for it, the bonus material in this book will be the special bonus chapter entitled "A Dream Forgotten" that was only released in the exclusive edition of Tiger's Voyage! I'm very excited that you all get a second chance at this material as the scene is a very important one that answers a lot of questions and creates a few more.
You can pre-order your copy today on Barnes & Noble. Click on the picture and it will take you directly to the Barnes & Noble website.
ANNOUNCEMENT #2
TIGER'S DESTINY BOOK TRAILER
Next, I decided that even though I love the fan made book trailers that you guys made for Tiger's Destiny, I really needed something that looked like the others for when I do school visits and presentations, so I hired the same company that made the other three book trailers to made me a Destiny trailer. It's almost done and I should be posting it this week but I wanted to give you a little teaser screen shot, so here it is.
Note: I know they have ten arms here instead of just eight but it's so pretty and besides Durga has been known to have ten arms anyway so I just left it alone.
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ANNOUNCEMENT #3
A NEW BOOK
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Many of you have been asking me what my next book will be and when will it come out. I haven't been able to answer those questions except to tell you that I'm still writing, but now I can finally share information about a project that I'm very excited about.
Here is the official announcement that came out today on Publisher's Marketplace.
NYT bestselling author of The Tiger’s Curse series, Colleen Houck’s newest YA novel in which a visit to an Egyptian exhibit brings teen Lilliana Young face to face with a recently awakened mummy-turned-handsome-sun-god as she gets caught up in an adventure with more twists and turns than the Nile itself, to Krista Vitola at Delacorte Press, in a two-book deal, for publication beginning in Spring 2015, by Alex Glass at Trident Media Group (NA).
I can't really go into too much detail about it at this time but I can anticipate a few of your questions.
Q: What's the new book going to be about?
A: I've outlined the basics but I'm only in the beginning stages of writing so I don't know a lot yet but it will definitely have all the same action, romance, adventure, and mythology of the Tiger Series plus the added coolness of mummies.
Q: How many books will there be?
A: At least one. =)
Q: What about the tigers? Will they be in it?
A: No. This book is separate from the Tiger Series.
Q: What about Tiger's Dream?
A: I am still writing it but I do not have a release date at this time.
Q: Why do we have to wait until 2015?
A: There is a whole new world to explore in this book so it will take some time for me to research it all. Also, I am at a new publishing house, a very large one, which means I am joining a multitude of other writers and have to turn in my books enough ahead of time so they can plan marketing, editing, design, etc. The great news, though, is that we are planning on publishing at least one short story set in this new world before the first book comes out so you can get a head start and meet my amazingly awesome new characters.
Q: What's the name of the book?
A: I am kicking around some ideas but we haven't settled on anything yet.
Q: Can we watch the progress of the book via Pinterest?
A: Now that Pinterest has secret pages, I will probably be using that as I write, but every once in a while I will post a few inspiring pictures. (Greek Sun God Inspiration? I think so!)
As you can see, there isn't a lot I can tell you right now, but I will for sure keep you updated with information when I can. Make sure you follow me on my Facebook pages, and on Twitter for updates.
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Don't forget to check out my upcoming events this year. I'm headed to Las Vegas, Kansas City, and Savannah in 2013.
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Contest Info
To celebrate the upcoming release of the paperback version of Tiger's Quest & the announcement of my new book, I am going to be giving away 2 copies of the hardback version of Tiger's Quest, one exclusive edition of Tiger's Voyage, and one Egyptian themed prize pack.
To enter, follow the rafflecopter's instructions below.
Note: My sister in-law, Suki, will put in the Rafflecopter sometime this afternoon so stop back here later to enter!
Love Y'all
Colleen
I've got some big announcements coming your way today and also a brand new contest that you won't want to miss out on.
ANNOUNCEMENT #1
PAPERBACK VERSION OF QUEST
The first thing I want to share is some news about the paperback version of Tiger's Quest. The expected release date is May 7th and, get ready for it, the bonus material in this book will be the special bonus chapter entitled "A Dream Forgotten" that was only released in the exclusive edition of Tiger's Voyage! I'm very excited that you all get a second chance at this material as the scene is a very important one that answers a lot of questions and creates a few more.
You can pre-order your copy today on Barnes & Noble. Click on the picture and it will take you directly to the Barnes & Noble website.
ANNOUNCEMENT #2
TIGER'S DESTINY BOOK TRAILER
Next, I decided that even though I love the fan made book trailers that you guys made for Tiger's Destiny, I really needed something that looked like the others for when I do school visits and presentations, so I hired the same company that made the other three book trailers to made me a Destiny trailer. It's almost done and I should be posting it this week but I wanted to give you a little teaser screen shot, so here it is.
Note: I know they have ten arms here instead of just eight but it's so pretty and besides Durga has been known to have ten arms anyway so I just left it alone.
[image error]
ANNOUNCEMENT #3
A NEW BOOK
[image error]
Many of you have been asking me what my next book will be and when will it come out. I haven't been able to answer those questions except to tell you that I'm still writing, but now I can finally share information about a project that I'm very excited about.
Here is the official announcement that came out today on Publisher's Marketplace.
NYT bestselling author of The Tiger’s Curse series, Colleen Houck’s newest YA novel in which a visit to an Egyptian exhibit brings teen Lilliana Young face to face with a recently awakened mummy-turned-handsome-sun-god as she gets caught up in an adventure with more twists and turns than the Nile itself, to Krista Vitola at Delacorte Press, in a two-book deal, for publication beginning in Spring 2015, by Alex Glass at Trident Media Group (NA).
I can't really go into too much detail about it at this time but I can anticipate a few of your questions.
Q: What's the new book going to be about?
A: I've outlined the basics but I'm only in the beginning stages of writing so I don't know a lot yet but it will definitely have all the same action, romance, adventure, and mythology of the Tiger Series plus the added coolness of mummies.
Q: How many books will there be?
A: At least one. =)
Q: What about the tigers? Will they be in it?
A: No. This book is separate from the Tiger Series.
Q: What about Tiger's Dream?
A: I am still writing it but I do not have a release date at this time.
Q: Why do we have to wait until 2015?
A: There is a whole new world to explore in this book so it will take some time for me to research it all. Also, I am at a new publishing house, a very large one, which means I am joining a multitude of other writers and have to turn in my books enough ahead of time so they can plan marketing, editing, design, etc. The great news, though, is that we are planning on publishing at least one short story set in this new world before the first book comes out so you can get a head start and meet my amazingly awesome new characters.
Q: What's the name of the book?
A: I am kicking around some ideas but we haven't settled on anything yet.
Q: Can we watch the progress of the book via Pinterest?
A: Now that Pinterest has secret pages, I will probably be using that as I write, but every once in a while I will post a few inspiring pictures. (Greek Sun God Inspiration? I think so!)
As you can see, there isn't a lot I can tell you right now, but I will for sure keep you updated with information when I can. Make sure you follow me on my Facebook pages, and on Twitter for updates.
___________________________________________________
Don't forget to check out my upcoming events this year. I'm headed to Las Vegas, Kansas City, and Savannah in 2013.
[image error]
____________________________________________________
Contest Info
To celebrate the upcoming release of the paperback version of Tiger's Quest & the announcement of my new book, I am going to be giving away 2 copies of the hardback version of Tiger's Quest, one exclusive edition of Tiger's Voyage, and one Egyptian themed prize pack.
To enter, follow the rafflecopter's instructions below.
Note: My sister in-law, Suki, will put in the Rafflecopter sometime this afternoon so stop back here later to enter!
Love Y'all
Colleen
January 16, 2013
Giveaway: Snakes Alive!
No, no, no. We're not giving away live snakes. Or fake ones even. But we all know our favorite snake comes alive! Fanindra would be the best pet snake ever. How could you not love this beautiful golden creature with green glowing eyes that never leads you astray, heals you, and comes to your aid in time of great need? To honor her (and also because February 10th will start the new Chinese year which is the year of the snake), we're holding a giveaway.
Up for grabs is winners choice! I have a little bit of everything when it comes to Colleen's books. I have signed books (all four + Curse in paperback) and audiobooks (the first three). Whoever wins will get to chose one to have for their very own (or to give away as a gift).
How to Enter
We have one single entry. Leave a comment! Let us know what your favorite scene from the books that Fanindra is in. Make sure you also enter in the Rafflecopter or else your comment won't count in the giveaway.
Got that? 1) Leave comment. 2) Submit Rafflecopter.
This giveaway will close Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at midnight. It is open internationally.
Up for grabs is winners choice! I have a little bit of everything when it comes to Colleen's books. I have signed books (all four + Curse in paperback) and audiobooks (the first three). Whoever wins will get to chose one to have for their very own (or to give away as a gift).
How to Enter
We have one single entry. Leave a comment! Let us know what your favorite scene from the books that Fanindra is in. Make sure you also enter in the Rafflecopter or else your comment won't count in the giveaway.
Got that? 1) Leave comment. 2) Submit Rafflecopter.
This giveaway will close Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at midnight. It is open internationally.
December 18, 2012
A Few of my Favorite Things
Hi Everyone!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
2012 has been a great year for my family. I'll do a special feature on my 2012 highlights for New Year's, for this blog I want to give you a few top ten lists. My first is my top ten gifts I found this year to give to friends and family.
My Top Ten Gifts of 2012
#1 Harry & David
Harry & David is my go to gift store. The website saves my addresses and even the gifts I've sent previously so I can send the same thing again if they liked it or try something different to change things up. If you've never tried Moose Munch popcorn you really need to. It's spendy but just about the best thing on the planet. There is nothing I've bought at Harry & David that I haven't absolutely loved. This year my favorite new treat was the caramel apples I got for Halloween. So yummy I can't even tell you.
#2 Yankee Candle
Several of my friends are getting the Yankee Candle My Favorite Things sampler collection from me this year. The scents are Brown Paper Packages, Whiskers on Kittens, Schnitzel with Noodles, Crisp Apple Strudel, Edelweiss, Bright Copper Kettles, & Warm Woolen Mittens. The set comes in a cute box and it's perfect paired with one of my other favorite gifts that's next on my list. I think the sampler collection is sold out but you can still buy the big jars.
#3 Classic Julie Andrews CD
Who doesn't love Julie Andrews? Great mom and mother-in-law gift. I even got one for myself. I was wrapping presents with my nephew and listening to Disney music on Pandora and the Edelweiss song came on from this CD. He's seen the sound of music before and even though he's only nine he said, "Wow, this singer is so good. The song is even better than the movie." Listen to the samples online. You'll love it.
#4 Ticket To Ride
One of my absolute favorite games. This is one that Kelsey plays with Li and his friends in Tiger's Quest. They have several expansion maps and they keep adding more so there's always something new to check out. It's also a family friendly game that isn't too hard for the younger kids but keeps adults interested too.
#5 Family Car Stickers
This is a fun gift for a hard to shop for family. This website lets you custom build the family with not only body shapes but with favorite hobbies and interests. You can also add in hair color and can choose from a variety of hairstyles and fun things.
#6 Think Geek
This is one of my favorite newly discovered websites for gifts. I have a lot and I mean a lot of Computer Nerd/Star Wars/Trekkie/Hobbitses loving people in my family and I found some really great ideas on this site. It's a good place to shop for those hard to shop for men in your family.
#7 Ebay
I am a huge fan of case lot sales on Ebay. I love buying case lots of Barbie clothes or Barbie shoes, Legos, or Star Wars action figures. I found an amazing set of Star Wars collectible figures with one of the classic C3PO carrying cases AND a Millenium Falcon carrying case with like 50 action figures for about $70 which is a steal.
#8 Holiday Dresses
I have a hard time resisting frilly, girly, fancy dresses. When my nieces are willing, I like to splurge on on them and my feeling is the more tulle and taffeta the better. Really how many times in a girl's life does she get to wear stuff like this? If I could get away with it I would.
#9 Official or Vintage Tees
These make a great gift for the men in your life. They have vintage tees from pretty much every decade. Not always easy to find the right size but if you keep looking you should find something.
#10 Books
Of course I always love to give away books as gifts. Everyone who comes to my house (the landscapers, the pond guy, the window cleaners, etc.) all get copies of my books. In fact, the guy who came to hang my Christmas lights came back a week after and said he and his wife are reading Tiger's Curse together and they're on chapter eight (which is where it gets good in my opinion). Of course I won't complain if any of you want to give away a boxed set of the Tiger Series this year =) Barnes & Noble even named Tiger's Destiny as one of the top teen books of 2012.
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In case you need more book gift ideas...
Top Ten Books I've Read This Year
2012 is not quite over and I still plan to finish up a book or two before year's end but here are my top ten picks for the year.
#10 Eve by Anna Carey
My Review: The title Eve couldn't be more appropriate as the heroine finds herself in a frightening wilderness after most of the people in the world have fallen victim to plague. At first, I was fooled into believing this world had recreated itself in a certain way and then discovered the home Eve knew, which was already bad enough, held even worse secrets.
#9 Everneath by Brodi Ashton
My Review: First of all I really want the dress on the cover. It's amazing! The myth of Persephone is one of my favorites and this was such a creative take on the story. The beginning was so compelling I just wanted to keep on reading to figure out what was going on. Loved the anchor idea!
#8 Origin by Jessica Khoury
My Review: I had the opportunity to blurb this book. Here it is. ORIGIN is a startling mystery played out in the vivid and lush Amazon jungle. In this deadly clash of science and nature, a heroine emerges. Pia clawed her way through the pages and left her mark on the landscape of my imagination as the almost tangible danger left me breathless.
#7 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
My Review: Listened to this on audiobook and loved, loved it. So interesting how Seth twisted a vampire novel between pages of history. I think Abraham would have read it with a smile. The man reading the book was really good.
#6 Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
My Review: Loved this book! Adding it to my Dystopian recommendations list. Can't wait to get my hands on the second book. My favorite part was the the powers that come from being exposed to the ether. So creative!
#5 Legend by Marie Lu
My Review: I really fell in love with both June and Day the main characters of this book. I always admire authors who can create and showcase characters with high levels of intelligence. I wish I was that smart! Really looking forward to continuing this story. I kept going back to it every free moment. Love it!
#4 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My Review: This book is beautifully written. I think one of the best I've ever read. The characters made me reexamine how I think about the universe and death and cancer and even though my fundamental beliefs remain the same, I think they'd be okay with that and I strangely feel like I need them to be okay with that. I find myself wanting to be friends with these characters which means the author must be fascinating. Fantastic!
#3 Divergent by Veronica Roth
My Review: Haunting and creative. Looking forward to continuing the series! Each faction is so unique and different. I'm really excited to learn more about them in future books. It was a bit of Hunger Games mixed with Ender's Game.
#2 Starters by Lissa Price
My Review: Wow! So loved the premise of this book! Creepy and fantastic. My favorite part was the end when she learned...Ha you thought I was gonna share a spoiler. Nope. But still loved the end! Who knew grandmas and grandpas could be so evil! There was some really cool forward thinking technology in here. If you didn't notice it skim through it again because it was really brilliant.
#1 Cinder by Marissa Meyer
My Review: Love love loved this book. It's like 7 of 9 meets Cinderella. Only problem is that I wanted to keep reading after it was over. Love Cinder and Kai reminds me of Ren. Technology so creative! Can't wait to get my hands on the next book!
Now you have ten more book gift ideas!
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Bollywood Boy of the Month
Prateik Babbar
Birthday: 28 November 1986
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Known for the film: Mumbai Diaries
Height: 5' 8"
Before he became an actor he played cricket.
He and his girlfriend, Amy Jackson, have tattoos that say, "‘Mera pyaar, meri Amy" and "Mera pyaar, mera Prateik" which I think means My Love, My Amy and My Love, My Prateik. I could be wrong since my Hindi isn't the best. But still, you get the idea.
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Here is a puzzle with a sneak peek of a picture that has inspired me in a chapter of Tiger's Dream.
[Your web browser does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames. However, you may visit the related page.]
Leave a comment on the page with your puzzle time and Suki will select someone to win a signed bookmark.
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That's it for now my friends. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday with your friends and family. Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite books of 2012 were and tell me what you think of our BBOM of December. Also if you have any good gift ideas please share them with us. We can always use more ideas. =) Happy Holidays to all my tiger fans.
Colleen
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
2012 has been a great year for my family. I'll do a special feature on my 2012 highlights for New Year's, for this blog I want to give you a few top ten lists. My first is my top ten gifts I found this year to give to friends and family.
My Top Ten Gifts of 2012
#1 Harry & David
Harry & David is my go to gift store. The website saves my addresses and even the gifts I've sent previously so I can send the same thing again if they liked it or try something different to change things up. If you've never tried Moose Munch popcorn you really need to. It's spendy but just about the best thing on the planet. There is nothing I've bought at Harry & David that I haven't absolutely loved. This year my favorite new treat was the caramel apples I got for Halloween. So yummy I can't even tell you.
#2 Yankee Candle
Several of my friends are getting the Yankee Candle My Favorite Things sampler collection from me this year. The scents are Brown Paper Packages, Whiskers on Kittens, Schnitzel with Noodles, Crisp Apple Strudel, Edelweiss, Bright Copper Kettles, & Warm Woolen Mittens. The set comes in a cute box and it's perfect paired with one of my other favorite gifts that's next on my list. I think the sampler collection is sold out but you can still buy the big jars.
#3 Classic Julie Andrews CD
Who doesn't love Julie Andrews? Great mom and mother-in-law gift. I even got one for myself. I was wrapping presents with my nephew and listening to Disney music on Pandora and the Edelweiss song came on from this CD. He's seen the sound of music before and even though he's only nine he said, "Wow, this singer is so good. The song is even better than the movie." Listen to the samples online. You'll love it.
#4 Ticket To Ride
One of my absolute favorite games. This is one that Kelsey plays with Li and his friends in Tiger's Quest. They have several expansion maps and they keep adding more so there's always something new to check out. It's also a family friendly game that isn't too hard for the younger kids but keeps adults interested too.
#5 Family Car Stickers
This is a fun gift for a hard to shop for family. This website lets you custom build the family with not only body shapes but with favorite hobbies and interests. You can also add in hair color and can choose from a variety of hairstyles and fun things.
#6 Think Geek
This is one of my favorite newly discovered websites for gifts. I have a lot and I mean a lot of Computer Nerd/Star Wars/Trekkie/Hobbitses loving people in my family and I found some really great ideas on this site. It's a good place to shop for those hard to shop for men in your family.
#7 Ebay
I am a huge fan of case lot sales on Ebay. I love buying case lots of Barbie clothes or Barbie shoes, Legos, or Star Wars action figures. I found an amazing set of Star Wars collectible figures with one of the classic C3PO carrying cases AND a Millenium Falcon carrying case with like 50 action figures for about $70 which is a steal.
#8 Holiday Dresses
I have a hard time resisting frilly, girly, fancy dresses. When my nieces are willing, I like to splurge on on them and my feeling is the more tulle and taffeta the better. Really how many times in a girl's life does she get to wear stuff like this? If I could get away with it I would.
#9 Official or Vintage Tees
These make a great gift for the men in your life. They have vintage tees from pretty much every decade. Not always easy to find the right size but if you keep looking you should find something.
#10 Books
Of course I always love to give away books as gifts. Everyone who comes to my house (the landscapers, the pond guy, the window cleaners, etc.) all get copies of my books. In fact, the guy who came to hang my Christmas lights came back a week after and said he and his wife are reading Tiger's Curse together and they're on chapter eight (which is where it gets good in my opinion). Of course I won't complain if any of you want to give away a boxed set of the Tiger Series this year =) Barnes & Noble even named Tiger's Destiny as one of the top teen books of 2012.
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In case you need more book gift ideas...
Top Ten Books I've Read This Year
2012 is not quite over and I still plan to finish up a book or two before year's end but here are my top ten picks for the year.
#10 Eve by Anna Carey
My Review: The title Eve couldn't be more appropriate as the heroine finds herself in a frightening wilderness after most of the people in the world have fallen victim to plague. At first, I was fooled into believing this world had recreated itself in a certain way and then discovered the home Eve knew, which was already bad enough, held even worse secrets.
#9 Everneath by Brodi Ashton
My Review: First of all I really want the dress on the cover. It's amazing! The myth of Persephone is one of my favorites and this was such a creative take on the story. The beginning was so compelling I just wanted to keep on reading to figure out what was going on. Loved the anchor idea!
#8 Origin by Jessica Khoury
My Review: I had the opportunity to blurb this book. Here it is. ORIGIN is a startling mystery played out in the vivid and lush Amazon jungle. In this deadly clash of science and nature, a heroine emerges. Pia clawed her way through the pages and left her mark on the landscape of my imagination as the almost tangible danger left me breathless.
#7 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
My Review: Listened to this on audiobook and loved, loved it. So interesting how Seth twisted a vampire novel between pages of history. I think Abraham would have read it with a smile. The man reading the book was really good.
#6 Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
My Review: Loved this book! Adding it to my Dystopian recommendations list. Can't wait to get my hands on the second book. My favorite part was the the powers that come from being exposed to the ether. So creative!
#5 Legend by Marie Lu
My Review: I really fell in love with both June and Day the main characters of this book. I always admire authors who can create and showcase characters with high levels of intelligence. I wish I was that smart! Really looking forward to continuing this story. I kept going back to it every free moment. Love it!
#4 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My Review: This book is beautifully written. I think one of the best I've ever read. The characters made me reexamine how I think about the universe and death and cancer and even though my fundamental beliefs remain the same, I think they'd be okay with that and I strangely feel like I need them to be okay with that. I find myself wanting to be friends with these characters which means the author must be fascinating. Fantastic!
#3 Divergent by Veronica Roth
My Review: Haunting and creative. Looking forward to continuing the series! Each faction is so unique and different. I'm really excited to learn more about them in future books. It was a bit of Hunger Games mixed with Ender's Game.
#2 Starters by Lissa Price
My Review: Wow! So loved the premise of this book! Creepy and fantastic. My favorite part was the end when she learned...Ha you thought I was gonna share a spoiler. Nope. But still loved the end! Who knew grandmas and grandpas could be so evil! There was some really cool forward thinking technology in here. If you didn't notice it skim through it again because it was really brilliant.
#1 Cinder by Marissa Meyer
My Review: Love love loved this book. It's like 7 of 9 meets Cinderella. Only problem is that I wanted to keep reading after it was over. Love Cinder and Kai reminds me of Ren. Technology so creative! Can't wait to get my hands on the next book!
Now you have ten more book gift ideas!
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Bollywood Boy of the Month
Prateik Babbar
Birthday: 28 November 1986
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Known for the film: Mumbai Diaries
Height: 5' 8"
Before he became an actor he played cricket.
He and his girlfriend, Amy Jackson, have tattoos that say, "‘Mera pyaar, meri Amy" and "Mera pyaar, mera Prateik" which I think means My Love, My Amy and My Love, My Prateik. I could be wrong since my Hindi isn't the best. But still, you get the idea.
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Here is a puzzle with a sneak peek of a picture that has inspired me in a chapter of Tiger's Dream.
[Your web browser does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames. However, you may visit the related page.]
Leave a comment on the page with your puzzle time and Suki will select someone to win a signed bookmark.
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That's it for now my friends. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday with your friends and family. Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite books of 2012 were and tell me what you think of our BBOM of December. Also if you have any good gift ideas please share them with us. We can always use more ideas. =) Happy Holidays to all my tiger fans.
Colleen
December 5, 2012
Winner, winner, winner!
We have so many winners to announce today (my favorite part!) so the giveaways for December will be posted later.
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For the YA Scavenger Hunt {Winter 2012} , Colleen offered up copies of Tiger's Curse to 10 lucky people. One person would get a grand prize of a collector's edition set of all four books. (You can go to the YASH blog for who won the whole hunt.)
The collector's edition set goes to MaryAnn O. who has already received an email from me. Congratulations, MaryAnn!
The 10 winners of Tiger's Curse are Gabby A, Amanda O, Ashfa A, Stephanie Z, Christy P, Jessica R, Kelsey H, Gabbie J, K, Samantha H. You have all received an email from me. Congratulations!
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Our recent book trailer contest offered up our largest prize pack to date. First you sent us book trailers for Tiger's Destiny that you created. Colleen watched each and every one of them before picking six finalists. We loaded those up on YouTube where you voted for the winner. Everyone did a great job! You all should be proud of the work you put into your creations.
FINALISTS: I do not know your names. :) It is YOUR JOB to email me at contests@colleenhouck.com with your name, mailing address, and which finalist you were. If I don't hear from you, you forfeit your prize. (Although, I will leave a comment on your videos.)
Our grand prize will go to finalist #6. Congratulations!!
All other finalists will still receive a prize so make sure you email me. Congratulations!
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In November we asked you to let us know who your favorite author(s) is(are). The randomly selected winner will receive a prize pack that is somehow book-related. That winner is whitetigerlover101 (who I also emailed) who said:
Some other popular answers were Rick Riordan, LJ Smith, and Cassandra Clare. If you are looking for other authors to try, I suggest you read through the comments because there were so many listed!
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Another great and favorite contest was the Tiger's Destiny Art Contest . As always, I wish I could give everyone a prize for their awesome creations. Our two winners were chosen randomly. Everyone did a great job! We'll be putting everything up on Colleen's Tiger's Destiny Pinterest board soon so everyone can see.
Isabelle F. says
Isabelle N says
Isabelle and Isabelle will both receive an audiobook or signed book of Colleen's (their choice). You have both received emails from me!
Here are some other favorites (mostly chosen by my little one).
Min S. (phoenix)
Giovanni (half Ren tiger face)
Emma H. (amulet made from clay)
Kelsey S. (Ren, Kelsey, Kishan)
Kathryn (a Rakshasa!)
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Congratulations to everyone!! Check back in the next few days for information on our December giveaways.
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For the YA Scavenger Hunt {Winter 2012} , Colleen offered up copies of Tiger's Curse to 10 lucky people. One person would get a grand prize of a collector's edition set of all four books. (You can go to the YASH blog for who won the whole hunt.)
The collector's edition set goes to MaryAnn O. who has already received an email from me. Congratulations, MaryAnn!
The 10 winners of Tiger's Curse are Gabby A, Amanda O, Ashfa A, Stephanie Z, Christy P, Jessica R, Kelsey H, Gabbie J, K, Samantha H. You have all received an email from me. Congratulations!
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Our recent book trailer contest offered up our largest prize pack to date. First you sent us book trailers for Tiger's Destiny that you created. Colleen watched each and every one of them before picking six finalists. We loaded those up on YouTube where you voted for the winner. Everyone did a great job! You all should be proud of the work you put into your creations.
FINALISTS: I do not know your names. :) It is YOUR JOB to email me at contests@colleenhouck.com with your name, mailing address, and which finalist you were. If I don't hear from you, you forfeit your prize. (Although, I will leave a comment on your videos.)
Our grand prize will go to finalist #6. Congratulations!!
All other finalists will still receive a prize so make sure you email me. Congratulations!
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In November we asked you to let us know who your favorite author(s) is(are). The randomly selected winner will receive a prize pack that is somehow book-related. That winner is whitetigerlover101 (who I also emailed) who said:
My favorite authors are Christin Lovell, author of the vamp chronicles series, and Stephanie Meyer, author of the twilight series. Christin Lovell knows how to make her readers stay on the edge of their seats. Her books are full of adventure with a twist of a love triangle in the books. Stephanie Meyer really gets into her books. She is a fantastic writer and I love her books along with the movies that go with it. These two authors are only 2 of my favorites. Some others are Colleen Houck, J.K. Rowling, Lauren Burd, and S.E. Hinton.
Some other popular answers were Rick Riordan, LJ Smith, and Cassandra Clare. If you are looking for other authors to try, I suggest you read through the comments because there were so many listed!
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Another great and favorite contest was the Tiger's Destiny Art Contest . As always, I wish I could give everyone a prize for their awesome creations. Our two winners were chosen randomly. Everyone did a great job! We'll be putting everything up on Colleen's Tiger's Destiny Pinterest board soon so everyone can see.
Isabelle F. says
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I love making some gift to share a meaning and i wanted to give some courage to a friend so i made a bookmark for her with a tiger on it because for me your book was agreat example of what i wanted to give her as a message even with all the obstacles she was facing she was courageous, fiercely protective of her children and cute^^( she took the picture but i've done all the creation)
Isabelle N says
sorry it is a terrible picture i dont have a good camera. i love the books and i hope you love these pictures!
Isabelle and Isabelle will both receive an audiobook or signed book of Colleen's (their choice). You have both received emails from me!
Here are some other favorites (mostly chosen by my little one).
Min S. (phoenix)
Giovanni (half Ren tiger face)
Emma H. (amulet made from clay)
Kelsey S. (Ren, Kelsey, Kishan)
Kathryn (a Rakshasa!)
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Congratulations to everyone!! Check back in the next few days for information on our December giveaways.
November 28, 2012
Winter 2012 YA Scavenger Hunt!
Hello and Welcome to the 5th YA Scavenger Hunt!
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Hello! I am Colleen Houck, your hostess for this leg of the hunt. My likes include cheesy romance films (Team Edward with a side of Jacob), Tillamook ice cream, poodles, and the color red.
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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 signed 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, December 2nd!
You can start right here or you can also go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or both! I am a part of the RED TEAM--but there is also a blue team and if you do the blue hunt you'll have a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!
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If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, see the full list of prizes up for grabs, or if you get lost along the way, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.
Looking for my exclusive bonus content? You'll have to keep searching. Somewhere on this blog hop, I've hidden an entire deleted chapter from Tiger's Destiny. It's called Diwali. There you'll find Ren, Kishan, Nilima, Mr. Kadam, and Kelsey celebrating the traditional holiday. Appropriate for this time of year, don't you think? Before you go on though, check out the amazing author I'm hosting. But, first, a few rules.
SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE
Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the red team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!). Hint: the secret number is highlighted in RED.
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 December 2nd, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.
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...
TERA LYNN CHILDS
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Not only is Tera Lynn a fabulous writer but she's also just cool and a good friend and I'm very excited to be able to introduce her. We had a fun mom moment at the last Romantic Times convention. As authors, it's hard for us not to get up and mingle and buy books so I sent my mom to scout out Tera and get her latest mermaid book while her mom came to find me to get a tiger book.
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Bio: Tera Lynn Childs is the award-winning author of the mythology-based Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp, the mermaid tales Forgive My Fins, Fins Are Forever and Just For Fins, and a new trilogy about monster-hunting descendants of Medusa, starting with Sweet Venom and Sweet Shadows. She has also epublished two fun chick lit romances, Eye Candy and Straight Stalk. Tera lives nowhere in particular and spends her time writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages.
The book she's showcasing on the Winter Hunt is....
Sweet Venom Trilogy: SWEET SHADOWS
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I love mythology based series. Here is some info about Sweet Shadows.
Gretchen has spent her life fighting the monsters that escape the abyss, but can she learn to rely on her sisters or even trust herself to keep them safe? Greer has pressing social commitments on her plate, but her powers of second sight and her fabled heritage seems to be creeping into her fashionable life. Grace has worries closer to home—like why her brother, Thane, has disappeared and if his secret is related to the secret heritage the triplets share? With the warring factions among the gods of Olympus coming for them, the creatures of the abyss pushing into their world, and the boys in their lives hiding secrets at every turn, the three girls must figure out where their fate will take them and how to embrace the shadows of their legacy.
I am putting the first book in the series here too in case you are interested in starting at the beginning. I'm looking forward to book three in the series too, which, (don't quote me on this but I think) is called Sweet Legacy. For more on this series or to check out Tera Lynn's other books, check out her website.
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I went on Amazon to browse through all of Tera Lynn's books and it looks like Sweet Legacy will be her 11 th book! That is an amazing accomplishment!
Now for the top secret bonus material. An alternate scene--the end of Sweet Venom told from the point of view of a different sister.
(Warning: If you haven’t read Sweet Venom yet, this is a spoiler. It is that final chapter—and the first chapter of Sweet Shadows—told from a different character’s viewpoint.)
Scanning the overflowing shelves of Gretchen’s library, binder after binder full of mean, nasty and disgusting monsters, I search for one to share with Greer—with my sister—while Gretchen—my other sister—takes a shower. I grab the one labeled Nuli. I vividly remember the picture of the ordinary looking creatures with feet that face backward. I’d almost snorted my soda when I saw that. Maybe Greer will think they’re funny too.
I drop into the chair and flip open the binder, looking for the image.
As I browse, I think about just how much has changed in the past few weeks—few days, really. My sisters and I have been reunited, I’ve learned about my mythological heritage, and I’ve taken down a handful of evil monsters. I can only imagine how much will change in the next few weeks.
I turn the page and find the drawing of the nuli.
“Look at his feet,” I say, pushing the binder across the table at Greer.
“Gross,” she says.
Not quite a smile, but I’ll take what I can get.
“You should see the panotti,” I say, making a face. “They have ears the size of their bodies.”
“Have you memorized all the binders?” she asks.
“No.” But I kind of have. I lower my gaze to the binder, embarrassed by my blatant display of nerdiness. What kind of girl obsessively remembers mythological monsters? “I’ve digitized most of them, though,” I say, “and the funnier images stand out.”
Greer looks like she’s about to say something more when she gets a horrified look on her face. She pushes to her feet, sending her chair clattering to the floor behind her.
Gretchen walks into the room.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I—“ She leans forward, bracing her hands on the glass table top. “I don’t know. It’s just, all of a sudden, I got this really awful feeling.”
I glace at Gretchen.
“What kind of feeling?” she asks.
Greer looks at our sister. “Like something bad is about to happen.”
At that exact moment, Gretchen’s phone rings. Talk about weird timing. She runs to grab the call, and I turn my attention back to Greer. She looks terrible—pale and nauseous. What can I do? Should I offer her something to drink or—
Gretchen races back into the room, screaming, “Run!”
I’m so stunned by her outburst that I don’t react fast enough. She grabs each of us—me and Greer—by an arm and drags us toward the balcony. I hardly have time to brace myself before Gretchen lifts Greer and tosses her into the water below, then turns and does the same to me.
I have never felt anything so cold. The water is practically ice, shocking the breath right out of me as I try not to breathe in. I have to think clearly. I have to get back to the surface. I force myself still for a moment and then, as soon as my body begins to float up, I point myself that way and start kicking.
Breaking the surface, I suck in a hard breath of salty air.
My entire body shivers, erupting into violent shakes. I clench my jaw and struggle to keep my muscles and my panic under control.
Once my bloodstream has oxygen again—my brain accepts that I’m not going to drown—I start looking for my sisters. Greer is already up, treading water a few feet away. Her eyes widen with relief when she sees me and then we both start scanning for Gretchen. As I turn back toward the loft I see the flames.
Even as Gretchen emerges, safe and sound in the frigid bay, I can’t take my eyes off the blazing building above us. Gretchen follows the direction of my stare and sees her entire life burning to the ground. What happened?
“This is bad,” Greer mutters.
I blink through the tears. “Somebody tried to kill us.”
“You think?” Gretchen barks.
“All those books.” Shaking my head, I say, “Thank goodness I got most of the binders done, but all those resources…”
I can’t believe the library is just gone.
I can’t believe my sisters and I almost died. Again. Clearly, the biggest danger isn’t behind us. I have a feeling things are only going to get crazier from here on out.
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I love bonus material! =)
If you think this series is just what you've been looking for, you can buy your copies at IndieBound or on Amazon.
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Thank you so much for visiting the TIGER'S CURSE SERIES website! While you're here don't forget to enter the bonus contest I am running exclusively during the YA Scavenger Hunt.
I will be giving away ten copies of the first book in my series, TIGER'S CURSE, as well as a grand prize collector's edition set of all my books. This prize pack is something you don't want to miss out on. To be eligible to win, enter on the rafflecopter below.
For an extra bonus entry, leave a comment on my website telling me if you could shift into any animal, which one would you choose and why?
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Ready to move on to the next link in the hunt?
LINK TO NEXT BLOG
November 26, 2012
Authors Revealed
Hi Everyone,
Here is a list of the authors and teams for the upcoming Scavenger Hunt.
The hunt will begin this Thursday, November 29th at noon pacific time and will end on Sunday, December 2nd, at noon pacific. There will be multiple prizes given away and it's a great chance to add some books to your holiday wish list! I know I'm already making my own wish list.
The Blue Team
HEATHER ANASTASIU
JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT
RACHEL CARTER
ANNA COLLOMORE
JULIE CROSS
TRACY DEEBS
LEIGH FALLON
TARA FULLER
MARLEY GIBSON
CYNTHIA HAND
P.J. HOOVER
AMALIE HOWARD
CORRINE JACKSON
STACEY KADE
SUZANNE LAZEAR
S.R. JOHANNES
MAUREEN MCGOWAN
COURTNEY ALLISON MOULTON
LEA NOLAN
AMY PLUM
LISSA PRICE
PETER ADAM SALOMON
JESSICA SHIRVINGTON
JESSICA SPOTSWOOD
RACHEL VINCENT
The Red Team
JOSEPHINE ANGELINI
RAE HACHTON
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TERA LYNN CHILDS
KRISTI COOK
GINA DAMICO
KIMBERLY DERTING
ALEX FLINN
MICHELLE GAGNON
DAVID MACINNIS GILL
NANCY HOLDER
COLLEEN HOUCK
TARA HUDSON
ELANA JOHNSON
JESSICA KHOURY
GINA LINKO
MYRA MCENTIRE
ALEXANDRA MONIR
E.C. MYERS
GREGG OLSEN
JOY PREBLE
BETH REVIS
VICTORIA SCHWAB
J.A. SOUDERS
VICTORIA STRAUSS
EDNAH WALTERS
That's the list. The hunt starts Thursday! Leave a comment and tell me which books you are the most excited for.
We will announce hunt winners as well as the art contest winners and the book trailer winner after the Scavenger Hunt is finished early next week.
Have a great week!
Colleen
Here is a list of the authors and teams for the upcoming Scavenger Hunt.
The hunt will begin this Thursday, November 29th at noon pacific time and will end on Sunday, December 2nd, at noon pacific. There will be multiple prizes given away and it's a great chance to add some books to your holiday wish list! I know I'm already making my own wish list.
The Blue Team
HEATHER ANASTASIU
JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT
RACHEL CARTER
ANNA COLLOMORE
JULIE CROSS
TRACY DEEBS
LEIGH FALLON
TARA FULLER
MARLEY GIBSON
CYNTHIA HAND
P.J. HOOVER
AMALIE HOWARD
CORRINE JACKSON
STACEY KADE
SUZANNE LAZEAR
S.R. JOHANNES
MAUREEN MCGOWAN
COURTNEY ALLISON MOULTON
LEA NOLAN
AMY PLUM
LISSA PRICE
PETER ADAM SALOMON
JESSICA SHIRVINGTON
JESSICA SPOTSWOOD
RACHEL VINCENT
The Red Team
JOSEPHINE ANGELINI
RAE HACHTON
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TERA LYNN CHILDS
KRISTI COOK
GINA DAMICO
KIMBERLY DERTING
ALEX FLINN
MICHELLE GAGNON
DAVID MACINNIS GILL
NANCY HOLDER
COLLEEN HOUCK
TARA HUDSON
ELANA JOHNSON
JESSICA KHOURY
GINA LINKO
MYRA MCENTIRE
ALEXANDRA MONIR
E.C. MYERS
GREGG OLSEN
JOY PREBLE
BETH REVIS
VICTORIA SCHWAB
J.A. SOUDERS
VICTORIA STRAUSS
EDNAH WALTERS
That's the list. The hunt starts Thursday! Leave a comment and tell me which books you are the most excited for.
We will announce hunt winners as well as the art contest winners and the book trailer winner after the Scavenger Hunt is finished early next week.
Have a great week!
Colleen
November 6, 2012
November Contest Info
Hi again! We are officially moving contests to their own separate post. One thing you will notice is that whenever I post, you'll see my name in the "author of the blog post" spot instead of Colleen's.
OCTOBER WINNER
Chelsie S. who would go to Italy.
Tiger's Destiny Book Trailer Update
If you haven't seen it yet, Colleen has chosen her favorites fan book trailers. Now it is up to you to vote for your favorite!
NOVEMBER CONTESTS
Contest 1: Tiger's Destiny Art Contest
The art contest for each book is one of our most popular and favorite contests! We love seeing everyone's beautiful, creative, and thoughtful interpretations for what Colleen has written. Create art based on Tiger's Destiny and email photos to me at contests@colleenhouck.com. Your art can be in any form (water color, clay, pencil, crayon...) but it has to be your own work.
There will be two (2) winners who will each receive a signed book or an audiobook of Colleen's. We'll also choose a few honorable mentions who will receive a bookmark.
Contest 2: Favorite Authors Contest
The prize for this contest is a prize pack that is book related. Maybe a few books, bookmarks, hot chocolate.... Who knows!
There is one way to win. Leave a comment telling us who your favorite authors are and what they (or their writing) have done for you that you are grateful for!
OCTOBER WINNER
Chelsie S. who would go to Italy.
If I could go anywhere, I would go to Italy! It's SO beautiful there, and I have some relatives that I've never met before there, and so I would try to find them while I was there. I would also go for the amazing art museums that they have there too. But most of all, I would go for their delicious food :)
Tiger's Destiny Book Trailer Update
If you haven't seen it yet, Colleen has chosen her favorites fan book trailers. Now it is up to you to vote for your favorite!
NOVEMBER CONTESTS
Contest 1: Tiger's Destiny Art Contest
The art contest for each book is one of our most popular and favorite contests! We love seeing everyone's beautiful, creative, and thoughtful interpretations for what Colleen has written. Create art based on Tiger's Destiny and email photos to me at contests@colleenhouck.com. Your art can be in any form (water color, clay, pencil, crayon...) but it has to be your own work.
There will be two (2) winners who will each receive a signed book or an audiobook of Colleen's. We'll also choose a few honorable mentions who will receive a bookmark.
Remember! Your original work. Email photos to contests@colleenhouck.com.
Contest 2: Favorite Authors Contest
The prize for this contest is a prize pack that is book related. Maybe a few books, bookmarks, hot chocolate.... Who knows!
There is one way to win. Leave a comment telling us who your favorite authors are and what they (or their writing) have done for you that you are grateful for!
November 1, 2012
Book Trailer Finalists & Bollywood Boys
Hello Everyone,
It's been a while since I blogged. My world has been crazy busy the last few months. So the first order of business is to showcase the finalists for the Tiger's Destiny book trailer contest. Before I show off the best of the best. Let me remind you of what the winner receives. The winner of the TIGER'S DESTINY book trailer contest will not only receive an Ultimate Tiger Fan Prize Pack which includes the collector's edition boxed set, the exclusive edition of Tiger's Voyage, a giant stuffed white tiger to cuddle with, a concept art movie poster for Tiger's Curse The Movie, and all the audiobooks, BUT I will also fly to the winner's hometown, do a book event at their local bookstore or school, and take that person and a friend or family member out to a fancy restaurant where I will answer any and every question they want to ask. If the winner is international then the prize, though still fabulous, might not be exactly the same.
With such an awesome prize at stake, there were a lot of people who submitted entries, but I have pared it down to my top six. The ultimate winner will be decided by YOU! Vote for your favorite trailers by liking the video. The one with the most likes by the end of November will be the grand prize winner and will get a very special holiday gift. Each runner up will get a signed boxed set of books. I wish I could give each person a prize, I really do. There were so many good submissions, it was hard to choose.
So in no particular order...HERE THEY ARE!
Congrats to all the finalists! Now go and vote for your favorite. It means a lot to each of them.
______________________________________________________
BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH
September
AVAN JOGIA
Alright, I'm going to give you this one though he's very young and has never been to Bollywood as far as I can tell. Still, I know that some of you are tweens and teens and the guys I've been picking for BBOM are way too old for you to really appreciate.
Date of Birth
9 February 1992, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Birth Name
Avan Tudor Jogia
Height
5' 11½" (1.82 m)
Mini Biography
Jogia was born in Vancouver, He has spent a lot of time in the US, France and England where his mother's family is from. He went to a few different schools in Vancouver, including Killarney Secondary School, as well as being home-schooled.
Maybe he could be a young Ren or Kishan. What do you think?
______________________________________________________
October
IMRAN ABBAS
Birthday
October 15, 1982
(Which makes him a Libra like myself)
Imran is a Pakistani actor and model
Born and raised in Lahore.
He studied architecture at the NCA in Lahore.
He is fond of reading Urdu poetry and writes too in his spare time. (Hmmm...)
He said in an interview that his plan is to leave showbiz in the next few years and pursue his career as an architect.
Is it just me or does he have Kishan's eyes?
_______________________________________________________
November
NARESH K
Height: 6'1
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Nationality: British
Languages: English, Punjabi, Hindi
A Computer Science graduate as well as having had done his Masters from Warwick University, Naresh was born and raised in the West Midlands, North of England. He went on to study at the art of acting at the Birmingham School of Acting, School of Asian Performing Arts (SAPA) and then later to the India’s institution Anupam Kher’s School for Actors in Mumbai. His time in Mumbai, Naresh went on to perfect his dancing skills as well as his Hindi.
Umm...there really are no words. I think he'd be an excellent Ren. What do ya say? Also notice the man is 6'1 which is Ren's height by the way.
______________________________________________
Okay that's it for this time. Hope you all had a great Halloween and are looking forward to a great Thanksgiving. The next YA Scavenger Hunt is coming up in four weeks or so, so leave me a comment if there is anything special you'd like me to write for the occasion. Have a good one!
Colleen
It's been a while since I blogged. My world has been crazy busy the last few months. So the first order of business is to showcase the finalists for the Tiger's Destiny book trailer contest. Before I show off the best of the best. Let me remind you of what the winner receives. The winner of the TIGER'S DESTINY book trailer contest will not only receive an Ultimate Tiger Fan Prize Pack which includes the collector's edition boxed set, the exclusive edition of Tiger's Voyage, a giant stuffed white tiger to cuddle with, a concept art movie poster for Tiger's Curse The Movie, and all the audiobooks, BUT I will also fly to the winner's hometown, do a book event at their local bookstore or school, and take that person and a friend or family member out to a fancy restaurant where I will answer any and every question they want to ask. If the winner is international then the prize, though still fabulous, might not be exactly the same.
With such an awesome prize at stake, there were a lot of people who submitted entries, but I have pared it down to my top six. The ultimate winner will be decided by YOU! Vote for your favorite trailers by liking the video. The one with the most likes by the end of November will be the grand prize winner and will get a very special holiday gift. Each runner up will get a signed boxed set of books. I wish I could give each person a prize, I really do. There were so many good submissions, it was hard to choose.
So in no particular order...HERE THEY ARE!
Congrats to all the finalists! Now go and vote for your favorite. It means a lot to each of them.
______________________________________________________
BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH
September
AVAN JOGIA
Alright, I'm going to give you this one though he's very young and has never been to Bollywood as far as I can tell. Still, I know that some of you are tweens and teens and the guys I've been picking for BBOM are way too old for you to really appreciate.
Date of Birth
9 February 1992, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Birth Name
Avan Tudor Jogia
Height
5' 11½" (1.82 m)
Mini Biography
Jogia was born in Vancouver, He has spent a lot of time in the US, France and England where his mother's family is from. He went to a few different schools in Vancouver, including Killarney Secondary School, as well as being home-schooled.
Maybe he could be a young Ren or Kishan. What do you think?
______________________________________________________
October
IMRAN ABBAS
Birthday
October 15, 1982
(Which makes him a Libra like myself)
Imran is a Pakistani actor and model
Born and raised in Lahore.
He studied architecture at the NCA in Lahore.
He is fond of reading Urdu poetry and writes too in his spare time. (Hmmm...)
He said in an interview that his plan is to leave showbiz in the next few years and pursue his career as an architect.
Is it just me or does he have Kishan's eyes?
_______________________________________________________
November
NARESH K
Height: 6'1
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Nationality: British
Languages: English, Punjabi, Hindi
A Computer Science graduate as well as having had done his Masters from Warwick University, Naresh was born and raised in the West Midlands, North of England. He went on to study at the art of acting at the Birmingham School of Acting, School of Asian Performing Arts (SAPA) and then later to the India’s institution Anupam Kher’s School for Actors in Mumbai. His time in Mumbai, Naresh went on to perfect his dancing skills as well as his Hindi.
Umm...there really are no words. I think he'd be an excellent Ren. What do ya say? Also notice the man is 6'1 which is Ren's height by the way.
______________________________________________
Okay that's it for this time. Hope you all had a great Halloween and are looking forward to a great Thanksgiving. The next YA Scavenger Hunt is coming up in four weeks or so, so leave me a comment if there is anything special you'd like me to write for the occasion. Have a good one!
Colleen
