Colleen Houck's Blog, page 57
October 1, 2012
October Contest Info
Hello everybody! My name is Suki. I manage contests and prizes for Colleen. I know so many of you have been able to meet Colleen throughout her book tour. She has stayed so busy so we decided that I would get the contest information posted. Below I announce the winners from our September contest. You can also find the information for our two October contests.
September Winners!!
We gave you a paragraph from Tiger's Destiny and you wrote the next part.
Original paragraph:
When I crawled into the tent to join Ren and Kishan, they abruptly stopped talking.
"Keeping secrets, huh?" I teased. "I don't want to know anyway. I only wanted to tell you that the trees are all asleep. I think it's just a light's out kind of thing."
Most Surprising: Dallas H (This reads so much like Colleen!!)
They looked at me, confusion on their faces. I nodded.
"Yeah, you know the trees that are right outside the tent door that were throwing apples at us just minutes ago? Kind of like a creepy version of Wizard of Oz. Except instead of a lion and a scarecrow, I have a two tigers." I giggled, my head feeling lighter the more I spoke. But for some reason, I couldn't stop talking. I kept going on and on about the strangest things; books I'd read, movies I'd seen, anything that had anything to do with trees, it spilled out of my mouth.
Kishan's and Rebn's expressions went from confusion to worry, both coming to the realization that something was seriously wrong with me. I'd become hysterical by that point. I talked so much that I couldn't breathe. Kishan and Ren finally realized this fact and quickly scrambled over to me, just in time for the world around me to go black.
Most Funny: Laika V.
"I'll tell you anything you want to know my priya" smiled Ren reassuringly. I always knew I could trust that smile, and I never doubted him for a second that he would tell me the truth no matter what.
"Speaking about the truth," Kishan speaks abruptly before I could even respond. "Why don't you tell us that story about the time you were held in captivity at the zoo, Kelsey tells me this one's an interesting one."
Ren looked at me in surprise, then snapped out of it once he realized that Kishan was looking at hime with a mocking grin on his face. I remembered the time Ren told me he was in captivity while the zoo keepers kept trying to make him breed with a female. He looked at me for a brief second before I hid under my covers to hide my giggles as I drifted to sleep with soft Indian arguing in the background.
Randomly chosen: Jillian O.
Kishan changed into his normal jet black tiger self and fell asleep in a spot near where I was going to sleep. Ren abruptly stood up and walked outside, I followed.
"What do you want Kells?" His voice sounded harsh.
"I came to see if you were okay. Are you?"
"What does it look like Kelsey?" His words were harsh. "I have tried so hard to just leave you and him alone, but you just keep on opening my world back up to you."
"Look Superman I chose Kishan and I plan on honoring that!" I said that a little too loud.
"I love you Kelsey." He moved closer.
"No. No you don't. You just think you do." I tried to back up, but hit my back on a nearby tree.
"Let me show you." He kissed me. At first it was a slow tingling moving up my spine, and soon it was full of his passion and I gave him all he had just given me in return. His hands moved up and down my back, and I played with the hair at the nape of his neck.
"I told you I love you." He said.
Softly I whispered, "I love you too, Ren."
I looked up and his cobalt eyes shone with joy, and he kissed me again. He pulled away when we both heard a rustling from inside the tent. Kishan had emerged, in his human form, a tear was running down his cheek. He changed back into his tiger form and ran off into the nearby forest.
OCTOBER CONTESTS
Contest 1: Tiger's Destiny Trailer
You might have seen that we're running a very special and very big deal contest right now. We are giving fans an opportunity to create a book trailer for Tiger's Destiny. We are extending this out another month since most people didn't read the book until last month when it was published.
THE RULES
1) Your book trailer has to be one minute in length or less.
2) There can't be any copyrighted material used. This means that any music or images that you use cannot be covered under copyright protection.
Submit your videos by the end of October!!
Colleen will choose the top five book trailers and upload them to YouTube. Voting will be open for the month of November--you vote by liking your favorite book trailer on YouTube.
THE REWARD
In Colleen's own words:
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.
NOTE: Before you ask, international fans may participate in the contest but be aware that the prize, though still fabulous, might not be exactly the same.
HOW TO SUBMIT
FIRST STEP--COMPRESS YOUR TRAILER: You might want to compress your video before you submit it. For help, go to Vimeo Help for instructions on how to do that.
SECOND STEP--UPLOAD YOUR TRAILER: Go to tigerscurse.wetransfer.com to upload your video. Include your full name and best contact info in the message section.
Contest 2: Favorite Vacation Destination
Answer me this: If you could go anywhere on a vacation, where would you go and what would you do? I dream of being able to visit other countries but right now I would settle for taking our 3-day vacation to Kentucky to celebrate our 5-year wedding anniversary that happened 5 months ago. :) Enter via the Rafflecopter and tell us where you would go!
Any questions can come to me at contests@colleenhouck.com. Good luck! Colleen will be back soon with an awesome update on how her Tiger's Destiny book tour went.
September 17, 2012
Destiny Trailer Contest
DESTINY TRAILER CONTEST
We are running a very special contest right now. One you don't want to miss out on. Are you ready? You all better sit down. Sterling, my publisher, is not going to be making a Destiny book trailer. I know. I know. It's rough. BUT...I was talking about it with my movie guy, Raffi, and we thought it might be fun if a fan made a book trailer for TIGER'S DESTINY.
THE RULES:
(1) Your book trailer has to be one minute or less
(2) There can't be any copyrighted material, meaning no music or images that are under copyright protection.
THE DEADLINE:
You'll have until the end of September to polish your trailer and then it must be submitted before midnight PST on Sept 30.
After that I will personally choose the top five book trailers and we will launch them on YouTube the first week of October. The trailer that gets the most likes by the end of October will become my official TIGER'S DESTINY book trailer.
THE REWARD:
Are you ready? Are you sure?
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.
NOTE: Before you ask, international fans may participate in the contest but be aware that the prize, though still fabulous, might not be exactly the same.
THE SUBMISSIONS:
FIRST
COMPRESS YOUR TRAILER: You might want to compress your video before you submit it. For help, go to Vimeo Help for instructions on how to do that.
SECOND
UPLOAD YOUR TRAILER: Go to tigerscurse.wetransfer.com to upload your video. Include your full name and best contact info in the message section.
I'm so excited to see your fabulous Destiny trailers! Good luck to all of you and happy book trailer making!
Next stop on the Destiny tour is Las Vegas, then Salem, OR, Salt Lake City, UT, and Phoenix, AZ.
Colleen
September 5, 2012
Destiny Launch Party
DESTINY LAUNCH PARTY
You guys! The Destiny launch party was so much fun! My event coordinator, Renee, said we had 175 people come out. So many, in fact, that we ran out of books! So many that I'm going to have to go back and sign even more books for people who weren't able to get one last night. For those of you who missed it, I wore my red dress from India which included terribly uncomfortable shoes that I promptly removed when I sat down for the signing. My hubby wore his Sherwani coat. I got there an hour early for an interview with Jenna from the MTG blog which she will post later this week.
After that I read from the exclusive edition of Tiger's Voyage, the bonus chapter, then did Q & A. We could've easily gone another hour with Q & A and there were so many good questions. I gave out dozens of prizes that included tiger purses full of books, candles, scarves, candy, etc, a giant stuffed white tiger, and a movie poster with the concept art from my Tiger's Curse movie producers. I also gave out some of the collector's edition boxed sets. I had fans that drove from Seattle and southern Oregon and some that flew from San Francisco, Florida, and New Mexico. I got special little gifts like hand crocheted Ren and Kishan bracelets and hand written cards.
My fans are the best. The staff at Powell's told me that they've never had such a nice group. Even though they ran out of books and the lines were long (I signed books for two hours), my fans waited patiently and happily. What a great kickoff! Here are some pictures.
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So bottom line, the party was just awesome. The only thing we didn't have was a giant plate of Ren's cookies but we'll keep that in mind for next time.
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An announcement from Suki
I have received a few emails about foreign books but here is what I have. They look so pretty on my shelf. I'll be sad to part with them! :-P
2 Slovenia Curse
4 Spanish Curse
1 Spanish Quest
3 Slovakia Curse
3 Poland Curse
3 Czech Republic Curse
3 German Quest
2 Taiwan (Complex Chinese) Quest
2 Taiwan (Complete Chinese) Voyage
4 Portugul Curse
1 Brazil Curse
2 Brazil Quest
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Creature Corner by Heather Lotti
Email: Heather@colleenhouck.com
Relation to Colleen: Sister-in-Law
Bio: Heather is a lover of art galleries, young adult fiction, and has a forced appreciation of legos (thanks to my two young boys who are now finally old enough not to eat them). I am a former school counselor who currently focuses most of my energies on making sure all household members eat their vegetables and have clean laundry. In my free moments I enjoy period romance movies, painting, and going for walks with the fam.
The Kraken
“The Kraken” by Tennyson
Below the thunders of the upper deep;
Far far beneath in the abysmal sea,
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
About his shadowy sides; above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
Unnumber'd and enormous polypi
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages, and will lie
Battening upon huge seaworms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.
What could be scarier than an unknown evil lurking in the water than the mythical Kraken? Well… Kelsey discovers that is not as mythical as she would like it to be. Mrs. Houck writes, ““The monster loomed over me like a fleshy purple cloud in the water, ready to destroy me with the violence of a hurricane.” Needless to say having a giant monster didn’t help our heroine with her scuba diving lessons!
We’ve heard the line from “Clash of the Titans”….”RELEASE THE KRAKEN!”… only to have it bring to mind an octopus-like creature capable of crushing the hulls of ancient ships. Mrs. Houck broadens our scope of dread as the monster lurks in the dark waters.
According to Jenna Bryner’s article “Lair of Ancient 'Kraken' Sea Monster Possibly Discovered” is states that, “A giant sea monster, the likes of the mythological kraken, may have swum Earth's ancient oceans, snagging what was thought to be the sea's top predators — school bus-size ichthyosaurs with fearsome teeth.
The kraken, which would've been nearly 100 feet (30 meters) long, or twice the size of the colossal squid , Mesonychoteuthis, likely drowned or broke the necks of the ichthyosaurs before dragging the corpses to its lair, akin to an octopus's midden, according to study researcher Mark McMenamin, a paleontologist at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.
There is no direct evidence for the beast, though McMenamin suggests that's because it was soft-bodied and didn't stand the test of time; even so, to make a firm case for its existence one would want to find more direct evidence.”
Read more about the Kraken.
An article that lists “10 Scariest Sea Creatures.”
Here are some images of the Kraken:
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SEPTEMBER CONTEST!
Some of you may remember one of the very first contests we did a year ago was a writing contest. We chose a paragraph and you wrote the next paragraph. At that time, we chose a paragraph from an unpublished book so no one knew what would happen next. This time, we are choosing a paragraph from Tiger's Destiny which many of you will read this month. If you have read it, try to write something different than what Colleen did.
There were be a three categories and three winners: the most surprising paragraph, the most hilarious, and a randomly chosen paragraph.
Email your paragraphs to Suki at contests@colleenhouck.com
The prize is a signed book or audio book of your choice.
When I crawled into the tent to join Ren and Kishan,
they abruptly stopped talking.
"Keeping secrets, huh?" I teased. "I don't want to know anyway. I only wanted to tell you that the trees are all asleep.
I think it's just a light's out kind of thing."
_________________________________________________
DESTINY TOUR INFO
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Tuesday, September 11 Exton, PA
Barnes & Noble Store #2086
Event time: 7:00 PM
301 Main Street
Exton, PA 19341
___________________________________
Wednesday, September 12 Marietta, GA
Barnes & Noble Store # 2656
Event time: 7:00 PM
50 Ernest W. Barrett Parkway
Marietta, GA 30066
___________________________________
Friday, September 14 Nashville, TN
Barnes & Noble Store #2701
Event time: 7:00 PM
1701 Mallory Lane
Brentwood, TN 37027
___________________________________
Thursday, September 20 Las Vegas, NV
Barnes & Noble Store #2772
Event time: 7:00 PM
Rainbow Promenade
2191 N Rainbow Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89108
___________________________________
Friday, September 28 Salem, OR
The Book Bin
Event time: 7:00 PM
450 Court Street NE
Salem, OR 97301
___________________________________
I will also be doing an event in Salt Lake City, UT on either Oct 1 or 2
and one in Phoenix, AZ on either Oct 4 or 5. Watch for details.
_________________________________________________
DESTINY BOOK TRAILER
Last but not least, we are going to be running a very special contest. Are you ready? You all better sit down. Sterling, my publisher, is not going to be making a Destiny book trailer. I know. I know. It's rough. BUT...I was talking about it with my movie guy, Raffi, and we thought it might be fun if a fan made a book trailer for TIGER'S DESTINY.
THE RULES:
(1) Your book trailer has to be one minute or less
(2) There can't be any copyrighted material, meaning no music or images that are under copyright protection.
SUBMISSION:
You'll have until the end of September to polish your trailer and then it must be submitted before midnight PST on Sept 30.
After that I will personally choose the top five book trailers and we will launch them on YouTube the first week of October. The trailer that gets the most likes by the end of October will become my official TIGER'S DESTINY book trailer.
NOTE:
We're going to set up a way to submit your video without posting it to YouTube, so don't try to send me anything until I give you more info.
THE REWARD:
Are you ready? Are you sure?
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.
ANOTHER NOTE: Before you ask, international fans may participate in the contest but be aware that the prize, though still fabulous, might not be exactly the same.
Good luck to all of you and happy book trailer making!
Colleen
August 8, 2012
Blog Tour
Hi Everyone!
The first order of business is to announce the YA Scavenger Hunt winners!
WINNERS!
YA SCAVENGER HUNT WINNERS
Grand Prize Winner for the Blue Team:
Asad K.
Grand Prize Winner for the Red Team:
Nicole M.
My personal winners are:
Tiger's Curse Paperbacks:
Louisse
Sabine Goutsmedt
Shialo Chaudhari
Shaina Jachim
Rebecca
Deann Fox
Anna Maria Hinman
Karina
Tarah Richardson
Nomes Hopkins
And the Grand Prize:
Samantha Grizzell
JULY CONTEST WINNERS
Favorite Quote: whitetigerlili
My favorite quote that always makes me laugh is in book 1: Tiger's Curse chapter 5: The plane and on page 58 at the very top. It goes like this: Kelsey: "How on earth do you fit a whale into an airplane?" Mr. Kadam: "One flipper at a time, Miss Kelsey. One flipper at a time." I just love this quote and it always makes me laugh. Especially how he has a serious face when he says it. I can just picture it. Hahahaha
How Many Fish?: Phyllisbuckley who guessed 660
And to all you smarty pants out there, I was counting all fish, not just the GOLD fish. There were 657 fish.
Winners: Email Suki at contests@colleenhouck.com
Congrats to all the winners!
________________________________________________________
BLOG TOURS
We're getting mighty close to Tiger's Destiny. It's been a long, long haul but it's finally time and I couldn't be more excited. There will be two blog tours to celebrate the release of Tiger's Destiny so stay tuned for some exciting things.
The first Blog Tour will be hosted by JeanBookNerd and will run from August 19th-Sept 4th. There will lots of fun giveaways, interviews, and sneak peeks of Tiger's Destiny! Here's a brief overview.
BLOG TOUR, AUGUST
August 19th - Sunday - Interview & Vlog with Jean BookNerd
August 20th - Monday - Music Playlist for Tiger’s Destiny Rose Pryimak
August 21st- Tuesday - Excerpt #1 – Spotlight with Jenna DeTrapani
August 22nd Wednesday – Dream Cast for Ren with Anne Brewer
August 23rd Thursday – Character Interview with Ren. Tiffany Borka
August 24th Friday – Dream Cast for Kishan Ellen Trieu
August 25th Saturday - Guest Post with Colleen Houck Melissa Marie
August 26th Sunday – Spotlight Alice Priday
August 27th Monday – Character Interview with Kelsey Shelley Bunnell
August 28th Tuesday – Excerpt #2 Sabrina Ford
August 29th Wednesday – Spotlight Bella Colella
August 30th Thursday – This or That with Colleen Houck Stacey Clifford
August 31st Friday – Dream Cast for Kelsey Tammy Middleton
September 1st Saturday – Spotlight with Kelly Simmon
September 2nd Sunday – Top 10 Favorite Things with Colleen Melissa Marie
September 3rd – Excerpt #3 with Katie Bartow
September 4th Tuesday – Art work, along with bookmarks, posters & buttons. James Vallesteros
The Second Blog Tour hasn't been finalized yet but here are some of the participants.
BLOG TOUR, SEPTEMBER
Jean Vallesteros: http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/
Katie Bartow: http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/
Tiffany Borka: http://www.wix.com/paranormalreads/pa...
Anne Brewer: http://anniebrewer.blogspot.com/
Shelley Brunell: http://tsktskwhattoread2.blogspot.com/
Stacey Clifford: http://sassybooklovers.blogspot.com/
Bella Colella: http://paranormal-bookclub.com/
Jenna DeTrapani: http://mtgreviews.wordpress.com/
Sabrina Ford: http://paranormalreadsreviews.blogspo...
Melissa Marie: http://beneaththecover-beneaththecove...
Tammy Middleton: http://lissalynnsreviews.blogspot.com/
Jenny Needham: http://madsheepno1.blogspot.co.uk/
Rose Pryimak: http://rosesbookcorner.blogspot.ca/
Alice Priday: http://bestbooks1.blogspot.co.nz/
Kelly Simmon: http://thetigerseries.com/
Ellen Trieu: http://shadowmundane.blogspot.com/
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And next is the first blog from my sister in-law Megan. Megan is married to my brother Mel who was the second born in my family after me. Sadly, Mel was followed by three more girls before he finally got another brother.
Top Ten Literary Couples
by Megan Lotti
Megan Lotti is an 8th grade Language Arts teacher and a happily married mother of three. She is Colleen’s sister in law. She loves to read and write, go to movies, play games, and spend time with her family.
You can reach Megan at megan.lotti@colleenhouck.com
10. Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich from Catherine Coulter’s FBI Series
9. Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
8. Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
7. Yvaine and Tristan Thorne from Stardust by Neil Gaiman
6. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Malark from The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
5. Emma and Knightley from Emma by Jane Austen
4. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley from The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
3. Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter from The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
2. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
1. Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery
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BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH
Zayed Khan
Date of Birth
5 July 1980, Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Brother-in-law of Hrithik Roshan
Married Mallaika Parekh on 20 November 2005.
They have a son, Ziddan, who was born on 18 January 2008.
A second son named Aariz was born on September 22, 2011.
He studied Business Management at the University of Washington and Film Making at London Film Academy.
Most famous for movies: Main Hoon Na / Dus / Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne
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I have three ARCs and one finished Tiger's Destiny book to give away this month. I also got three of the posters that go in the Collector's Edition boxed set sold exclusively at Barnes & Noble. If you'd like to win one of these. Fill out the rafflecopter below.
Have a great week everybody!
Colleen
The first order of business is to announce the YA Scavenger Hunt winners!
WINNERS!
YA SCAVENGER HUNT WINNERS
Grand Prize Winner for the Blue Team:
Asad K.
Grand Prize Winner for the Red Team:
Nicole M.
My personal winners are:
Tiger's Curse Paperbacks:
Louisse
Sabine Goutsmedt
Shialo Chaudhari
Shaina Jachim
Rebecca
Deann Fox
Anna Maria Hinman
Karina
Tarah Richardson
Nomes Hopkins
And the Grand Prize:
Samantha Grizzell
JULY CONTEST WINNERS
Favorite Quote: whitetigerlili
My favorite quote that always makes me laugh is in book 1: Tiger's Curse chapter 5: The plane and on page 58 at the very top. It goes like this: Kelsey: "How on earth do you fit a whale into an airplane?" Mr. Kadam: "One flipper at a time, Miss Kelsey. One flipper at a time." I just love this quote and it always makes me laugh. Especially how he has a serious face when he says it. I can just picture it. Hahahaha
How Many Fish?: Phyllisbuckley who guessed 660
And to all you smarty pants out there, I was counting all fish, not just the GOLD fish. There were 657 fish.
Winners: Email Suki at contests@colleenhouck.com
Congrats to all the winners!
________________________________________________________
BLOG TOURS
We're getting mighty close to Tiger's Destiny. It's been a long, long haul but it's finally time and I couldn't be more excited. There will be two blog tours to celebrate the release of Tiger's Destiny so stay tuned for some exciting things.
The first Blog Tour will be hosted by JeanBookNerd and will run from August 19th-Sept 4th. There will lots of fun giveaways, interviews, and sneak peeks of Tiger's Destiny! Here's a brief overview.
BLOG TOUR, AUGUST
August 19th - Sunday - Interview & Vlog with Jean BookNerd
August 20th - Monday - Music Playlist for Tiger’s Destiny Rose Pryimak
August 21st- Tuesday - Excerpt #1 – Spotlight with Jenna DeTrapani
August 22nd Wednesday – Dream Cast for Ren with Anne Brewer
August 23rd Thursday – Character Interview with Ren. Tiffany Borka
August 24th Friday – Dream Cast for Kishan Ellen Trieu
August 25th Saturday - Guest Post with Colleen Houck Melissa Marie
August 26th Sunday – Spotlight Alice Priday
August 27th Monday – Character Interview with Kelsey Shelley Bunnell
August 28th Tuesday – Excerpt #2 Sabrina Ford
August 29th Wednesday – Spotlight Bella Colella
August 30th Thursday – This or That with Colleen Houck Stacey Clifford
August 31st Friday – Dream Cast for Kelsey Tammy Middleton
September 1st Saturday – Spotlight with Kelly Simmon
September 2nd Sunday – Top 10 Favorite Things with Colleen Melissa Marie
September 3rd – Excerpt #3 with Katie Bartow
September 4th Tuesday – Art work, along with bookmarks, posters & buttons. James Vallesteros
The Second Blog Tour hasn't been finalized yet but here are some of the participants.
BLOG TOUR, SEPTEMBER
Jean Vallesteros: http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/
Katie Bartow: http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/
Tiffany Borka: http://www.wix.com/paranormalreads/pa...
Anne Brewer: http://anniebrewer.blogspot.com/
Shelley Brunell: http://tsktskwhattoread2.blogspot.com/
Stacey Clifford: http://sassybooklovers.blogspot.com/
Bella Colella: http://paranormal-bookclub.com/
Jenna DeTrapani: http://mtgreviews.wordpress.com/
Sabrina Ford: http://paranormalreadsreviews.blogspo...
Melissa Marie: http://beneaththecover-beneaththecove...
Tammy Middleton: http://lissalynnsreviews.blogspot.com/
Jenny Needham: http://madsheepno1.blogspot.co.uk/
Rose Pryimak: http://rosesbookcorner.blogspot.ca/
Alice Priday: http://bestbooks1.blogspot.co.nz/
Kelly Simmon: http://thetigerseries.com/
Ellen Trieu: http://shadowmundane.blogspot.com/
_________________________________________________
And next is the first blog from my sister in-law Megan. Megan is married to my brother Mel who was the second born in my family after me. Sadly, Mel was followed by three more girls before he finally got another brother.
Top Ten Literary Couples
by Megan Lotti
Megan Lotti is an 8th grade Language Arts teacher and a happily married mother of three. She is Colleen’s sister in law. She loves to read and write, go to movies, play games, and spend time with her family.
You can reach Megan at megan.lotti@colleenhouck.com
10. Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich from Catherine Coulter’s FBI Series
A great modern day couple who have to balance their personal lives with their professional lives as FBI agents. Their love for each other comes across as realistic and at the same time, passionate.
9. Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
I know, everyone probably puts this couple on their list. The mystery of Rochester’s wife and the long road of these two getting back to each other is what makes this couple one of my favorites.
8. Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
One of my favorite Shakespeare couples! Their sparring back and forth is so well written and I love that Beatrice is a strong female character. Their story is more interesting and fun than Hero and Claudio’s and I love when both realize that the passion they feel is love for each other.
7. Yvaine and Tristan Thorne from Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Tristan and Yvaine do not start out liking each other—Tristan wants the star to give to Victoria and Yvaine has been knocked out of the sky and been injured. But after journeying together and overcoming a witch queen, they both realize their love for each other.
6. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Malark from The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
I am probably one of the few that never wanted Katniss with Gale. I love how Katniss and Peeta’s relationship evolves over the novels and how Katniss realizes that she loves him. In a dark and sad story, their love is one spot of hope.
5. Emma and Knightley from Emma by Jane Austen
I enjoy the story of Emma, who thinks she is helping everyone find love that she misses what is right in front of her. And Knightley is always there and Emma finally realizes what she has been missing.
4. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley from The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
I love how Ron and Hermione’s relationship begins as friendship. They go through so much together which helps them realize they love each other. And I love their banter: “Always the face of surprise” from Ron when he says or notices something huge before anyone else.
3. Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter from The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Definitely had to include these two after adding Hermione and Ron to the mix. Ginny never gave up on loving Harry. I wish we could see how things developed after the defeat of Voldemort.
2. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Of course I have to include my favorite Jane Austen couple. Elizabeth spends so much of the book judging Mr. Darcy that when she finally realizes what kind of man he is and how she truly feels about him, it is a satisfying and happy ending.
1. Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery
The Anne of Green Gables series is still one of my favorites and a lot of it has to do with their relationship. I love how their relationship evolves over all the books from young love to grown up love.
Well what do you all think? Do you agree with Megan's choices? Have other suggestions? Leave a comment to share which are your literary favorites.
______________________________________________________________
BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH
Zayed Khan
Date of Birth
5 July 1980, Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Brother-in-law of Hrithik Roshan
Married Mallaika Parekh on 20 November 2005.
They have a son, Ziddan, who was born on 18 January 2008.
A second son named Aariz was born on September 22, 2011.
He studied Business Management at the University of Washington and Film Making at London Film Academy.
Most famous for movies: Main Hoon Na / Dus / Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne
___________________________________________________________
I have three ARCs and one finished Tiger's Destiny book to give away this month. I also got three of the posters that go in the Collector's Edition boxed set sold exclusively at Barnes & Noble. If you'd like to win one of these. Fill out the rafflecopter below.
Have a great week everybody!
Colleen
July 28, 2012
Summer 2012 YA Scavenger Hunt!
Hello and Welcome to the 4th YA Scavenger Hunt!
[image error]
Hello! I am Colleen Houck, your hostess for this leg of the hunt. In case you're wondering, I can't dance like Uma Thurman but I have a lot of fun trying.
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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 the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until noon PST on Sunday August 5th!
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 BLUE TEAM--but there is also a red team and if you do the red hunt you'll have a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!
[image error]
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.
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 blue 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 August 5, 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...
ED DEHORATIUS
Not only am I excited to be hosting a male YA writer which is a first time for me but Ed writes a kind of choose your own mythological adventure series which should be very exciting for fans of my books. Before I get into that, though, here's a little about Ed.
Ed DeHoratius has taught Latin and Classics for the past seventeen years in both public and private school, including all levels of Latin, from 1 to AP, and courses in Medieval Literature, Classical Literature, and Greek and Roman Archaeology. He has published three Latin textbooks as well as the Follow Your Fates series. In his spare time, he spends time with his wife and three sons, and he enjoys cooking, woodworking, photography, and coaching, playing, and watching soccer.
He sounds like a pretty cool guy to hang out with and I'd love to take a couple of his classes! Here's his latest book.
The Exile of Aeneas enlists you the reader as the main character in this classic epic of ancient Rome. You assume the identity of the Trojan hero Aeneas, follow his story, and make the decisions he makes. Each decision you make will determine whether or not you continue to follow your fate, or whether your fate will quickly come to an end. Make the wrong choice, and your story ends; make the right choices, and you too can complete his quest.
I am putting up pictures of the rest of his series because the art is just cool! There are lots of interesting videos on his FOLLOW YOUR FATES website too.
Now for the top secret bonus material. An exclusive peek at an upcoming book! Click on the phrase bonus material below to be taken to a special link.
BONUS MATERIAL HERE!
Are you back? I wonder which adventure you chose. Personally, I like to read all the options. One of my favorite Greek myths is Orpheus and Eurydice. Maybe that will be his 5 th book!
[image error]
If you think this series is just what you've been looking for, you can buy your copies at the Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.website or on Amazon.
________________________________________________________
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 set of all my books including the as yet unreleased TIGER'S DESTINY, and a no-longer-in-print exclusive edition of TIGER'S VOYAGE. This prize pack is something you don't want to miss out on. To be eligible to win enter on the rafflecopter below.
____________________________________________________
Ready to move on to the next link in the hunt?
LINK TO NEXT BLOG
July 17, 2012
Summer Hunt Authors Announced!
ANNOUNCING THE SUMMER
YA SCAVENGER HUNT
AUTHORS!
This summer the Hunt will have two teams (RED & BLUE) of 27 authors each. We've added several new authors with some very exciting material. I'm really looking forward to not only getting to know these authors better but adding to my book collection! I will be on the BLUE team.
THE BLUE TEAM
HEATHER ANASTASIU
JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT
GWENDA BOND
TERA LYNN CHILDS
ANGELA CORBETT
GINA DAMICO
ED DEHORATIUS
LEIGH FALLON
MARLEY GIBSON
SHAUNA GRANGER
CYNTHIA HAND
NANCY HOLDER
COLLEEN HOUCK
TARA HUDSON
DENISE JADEN
MIRANDA KENNEALLY
SUZANNE LAZEAR
JODI MEADOWS
ALEXANDRA MONIR
E.C. MYERS
ERICA O’ROURKE
AMY PLUM
CARRIE RYAN
JESSICA SHIRVINGTON
J.A. SOUDERS
VICTORIA STRAUSS
DEBBIE VIGUIE
_____________________________________________________
THE RED TEAM
JOSEPHINE ANGELINI
LEAH BOBET
LISA BURSTEIN
KRISTI COOK
JULIE CROSS
TRACY DEEBS
KIMBERLY DERTING
TARA FULLER
DAVID MACINNIS GILL
JANET GURTLER
RACHEL HARRIS
ELISSA J. HOOLE
AMALIE HOWARD
CORRINE JACKSON
STACEY KADE
JESSICA KHOURY
JONATHAN MABERRY
CLAIRE MERLE
COURTNEY ALLISON MOULTON
GREGG OLSEN
FIONA PAUL
LISSA PRICE
PETER ADAM SALOMON
JERI SMITH-READY
JESSICA SPOTSWOOD
TERI TERRY
LANI WOODLAND
Note from Colleen: I'm so excited about this hunt!
Leave a comment to tell me which books you are the most looking forward to.
____________________________________________________________
CRAFT CORNER
by
Suki Lotti
Email: Suki@colleenhouck.com
Relation to Colleen: Sister-in-Law
I recently reminded myself how to crochet and that naturally gave me the idea for a color scheme for this clutch. Clutches are easy and quick to make. If you added a strap, you could have a hand bag or wristlet. They are also easy to change the look of by varying the stitch you use, the type of yarn, and even the size of your hook.
I call this the Ren Clutch. Original, yes? I'm so glad the store was mostly empty when I was buying the blue yarn. I had pictures on my phone of cobalt blue and walked back and forth between 5 aisles of yarn to decide which blue was the closest. The blue photographed a little bit darker than it actually is.
The side edging is a single crochet stitching.
Isn't that button perfect? The clutch measures approximately 4" x 9.5" and the flap is 2".
My daughter found a few items to put into the clutch. We could have fit more in there without it being too bulky or heavy!
Speaking of my daughter, isn't she adorable? She was so willing to be my model. It is just pure coincidence that she chose to wear her tiger dress on this particular day!
And please, ignore the background in both these pictures. It is almost embarrassing but obviously not embarrassing enough for me to retake the pictures! Such is life. I know you understand.
I made this clutch with worsted weight acrylic yarn in black, white, as-close-as-could-be cobalt blue, and one button. I used a 5.0mm hook (I think) and a large needle to sew on the button and weave in the ends. You can find the directions here.
Note from Colleen: Isn't my niece cute? I named the mermaid Kaeliora after her. The other nieces are jealous. They'd prefer to be mermaids too.
____________________________________________________
COOKIE CORNER
Check out the video created by these Tiger fans making a batch of Ren's cookies. They look yummy!
____________________________________________________
CREATURE CORNER
by
Heather Lotti
Email: Heather@colleenhouck.com
Relation to Colleen: Sister-in-Law
Bio: Heather is a lover of art galleries, young adult fiction, and has a forced appreciation of legos (thanks to my two young boys who are now finally old enough not to eat them). I am a former school counselor who currently focuses most of my energies on making sure all household members eat their vegetables and have clean laundry. In my free moments I enjoy period romance movies, painting, and going for walks with the fam.
Stymphalian Birds
Stymphalian Birds, according to Mr. Kadam’s writings are, “Terrible flesh-eating birds with iron beaks, bronze claws, and toxic droppings. They usually live in large colonies.” That should be enough to make any heroine want to avoid them… but through a series of quests Kelsey must again outsmart a creepy creature. In order to get the “Divine Weaver’s Scarf” Kelsey and Kishan had to roll Stymphalian Bird eggs off of the scarf.
According to Greek legend, Hercules was to drive away a large flock of birds by a city named Stymphalos
(see http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles... for more info).
He first had to use a rattle to drive them out of the brush and then shot them with arrows. "They are described in different ways, but most commonly as voracious birds of prey, which attacked even men, and which were armed with brazen wings, from which they could shoot out their feathers like arrows."
(Apollod. ii. 5. § 2; Paus. viii. 22. § 4; Hygin. Fab. 30 ; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. ii. 1053.)
Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
Stymphalian Birds are later encountered by the Argonauts… so hopefully they are not a creepy creature that Kelsey has to encounter again!
Stymphalian bird by ~DwarvenArchitect on deviantART
dwarvenarchitect.deviantart.com
Huge man-eating creatures with claws and beaks of brass.
reypastor.org
____________________________________________________
DESTINY PUZZLE
Put together the puzzle to reveal a picture that inspired me as I wrote TIGER'S DESTINY. When you are finished leave a comment on my blog with your time and be entered to win a bookmark! You don't have to be the fastest to win. My time was 6 minutes 10 seconds.
[Your web browser does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames. However, you may visit <a href="http://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&..." target="_top">the related page</a>.]
______________________________________________
That's it this week my friends. Have a great day!
Colleen
YA SCAVENGER HUNT
AUTHORS!
This summer the Hunt will have two teams (RED & BLUE) of 27 authors each. We've added several new authors with some very exciting material. I'm really looking forward to not only getting to know these authors better but adding to my book collection! I will be on the BLUE team.
THE BLUE TEAM
HEATHER ANASTASIU
JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT
GWENDA BOND
TERA LYNN CHILDS
ANGELA CORBETT
GINA DAMICO
ED DEHORATIUS
LEIGH FALLON
MARLEY GIBSON
SHAUNA GRANGER
CYNTHIA HAND
NANCY HOLDER
COLLEEN HOUCK
TARA HUDSON
DENISE JADEN
MIRANDA KENNEALLY
SUZANNE LAZEAR
JODI MEADOWS
ALEXANDRA MONIR
E.C. MYERS
ERICA O’ROURKE
AMY PLUM
CARRIE RYAN
JESSICA SHIRVINGTON
J.A. SOUDERS
VICTORIA STRAUSS
DEBBIE VIGUIE
_____________________________________________________
THE RED TEAM
JOSEPHINE ANGELINI
LEAH BOBET
LISA BURSTEIN
KRISTI COOK
JULIE CROSS
TRACY DEEBS
KIMBERLY DERTING
TARA FULLER
DAVID MACINNIS GILL
JANET GURTLER
RACHEL HARRIS
ELISSA J. HOOLE
AMALIE HOWARD
CORRINE JACKSON
STACEY KADE
JESSICA KHOURY
JONATHAN MABERRY
CLAIRE MERLE
COURTNEY ALLISON MOULTON
GREGG OLSEN
FIONA PAUL
LISSA PRICE
PETER ADAM SALOMON
JERI SMITH-READY
JESSICA SPOTSWOOD
TERI TERRY
LANI WOODLAND
Note from Colleen: I'm so excited about this hunt!
Leave a comment to tell me which books you are the most looking forward to.
____________________________________________________________
CRAFT CORNER
by
Suki Lotti
Email: Suki@colleenhouck.com
Relation to Colleen: Sister-in-Law
I recently reminded myself how to crochet and that naturally gave me the idea for a color scheme for this clutch. Clutches are easy and quick to make. If you added a strap, you could have a hand bag or wristlet. They are also easy to change the look of by varying the stitch you use, the type of yarn, and even the size of your hook.
I call this the Ren Clutch. Original, yes? I'm so glad the store was mostly empty when I was buying the blue yarn. I had pictures on my phone of cobalt blue and walked back and forth between 5 aisles of yarn to decide which blue was the closest. The blue photographed a little bit darker than it actually is.
The side edging is a single crochet stitching.
Isn't that button perfect? The clutch measures approximately 4" x 9.5" and the flap is 2".
My daughter found a few items to put into the clutch. We could have fit more in there without it being too bulky or heavy!
Speaking of my daughter, isn't she adorable? She was so willing to be my model. It is just pure coincidence that she chose to wear her tiger dress on this particular day!
And please, ignore the background in both these pictures. It is almost embarrassing but obviously not embarrassing enough for me to retake the pictures! Such is life. I know you understand.
I made this clutch with worsted weight acrylic yarn in black, white, as-close-as-could-be cobalt blue, and one button. I used a 5.0mm hook (I think) and a large needle to sew on the button and weave in the ends. You can find the directions here.
Note from Colleen: Isn't my niece cute? I named the mermaid Kaeliora after her. The other nieces are jealous. They'd prefer to be mermaids too.
____________________________________________________
COOKIE CORNER
Check out the video created by these Tiger fans making a batch of Ren's cookies. They look yummy!
____________________________________________________
CREATURE CORNER
by
Heather Lotti
Email: Heather@colleenhouck.com
Relation to Colleen: Sister-in-Law
Bio: Heather is a lover of art galleries, young adult fiction, and has a forced appreciation of legos (thanks to my two young boys who are now finally old enough not to eat them). I am a former school counselor who currently focuses most of my energies on making sure all household members eat their vegetables and have clean laundry. In my free moments I enjoy period romance movies, painting, and going for walks with the fam.
Stymphalian Birds
Stymphalian Birds, according to Mr. Kadam’s writings are, “Terrible flesh-eating birds with iron beaks, bronze claws, and toxic droppings. They usually live in large colonies.” That should be enough to make any heroine want to avoid them… but through a series of quests Kelsey must again outsmart a creepy creature. In order to get the “Divine Weaver’s Scarf” Kelsey and Kishan had to roll Stymphalian Bird eggs off of the scarf.
According to Greek legend, Hercules was to drive away a large flock of birds by a city named Stymphalos
(see http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles... for more info).
He first had to use a rattle to drive them out of the brush and then shot them with arrows. "They are described in different ways, but most commonly as voracious birds of prey, which attacked even men, and which were armed with brazen wings, from which they could shoot out their feathers like arrows."
(Apollod. ii. 5. § 2; Paus. viii. 22. § 4; Hygin. Fab. 30 ; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. ii. 1053.)
Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
Stymphalian Birds are later encountered by the Argonauts… so hopefully they are not a creepy creature that Kelsey has to encounter again!
Stymphalian bird by ~DwarvenArchitect on deviantART
dwarvenarchitect.deviantart.com
Huge man-eating creatures with claws and beaks of brass.
reypastor.org
____________________________________________________
DESTINY PUZZLE
Put together the puzzle to reveal a picture that inspired me as I wrote TIGER'S DESTINY. When you are finished leave a comment on my blog with your time and be entered to win a bookmark! You don't have to be the fastest to win. My time was 6 minutes 10 seconds.
[Your web browser does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames. However, you may visit <a href="http://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&..." target="_top">the related page</a>.]
______________________________________________
That's it this week my friends. Have a great day!
Colleen
July 9, 2012
Social Media
Hi All,
This time I'm putting contest info first.
JUNE CONTEST WINNERS!
Kelsey's Birthday Party winner: Simin
Mr. Kadam's Birthday winner: Bilauta
Dystopian vs. Paranormal: jbrogot
WINNERS: Email me (Suki) at contests@colleenhouck.com
________________________________________________
JULY CONTESTS
Contest #1
Guess How Many?
Guess how many goldfish are in this container? Yes, I counted them all! Leave your answer in the comments. Whoever has the closest guess will win one of Colleen's books or audiobooks of their choice.
Contest #2
Favorite Quote
I think we all have those little favorite parts of the Tiger books. One of mine is in Tiger's Curse when Ren and Kishan come face to face for the first time in years. Kishan says "There is nothing you could say that would hold any interest for me whatsoever. [...] Unless, of course, you'd like to talk about her. I'm always interested in your women." Makes me laugh, every time!
What is your favorite quote? Leave a comment, let us know!
__________________________________________________________
SOCIAL MEDIA
I am taking a social media class with my mom this week and I'm curious to know what your favorite social media sites are. I'm going to put a poll up on Facebook but please leave a comment and let me know which ones you use to find me. If there is a site I don't have an account on that you really like, let me know. Below is a list of some I found on Wikipedia. The highlighted ones are those I'm currently using.
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Bebo
Flickr
deviantART
CafeMom
Blog
Pinterest
YouTube
Klout
Goodreads
Shelfari
Tumblr
_______________________________________________________________
Bollywood Boy of the Month
Vivek Oberoy
Height 5'11
Birthday-September 3, 1976
Recently married in 2010.
He once broke a leg while filming a movie.
He doesn't smoke or drink alcohol, coffee, or tea.
His nickname is Rockstar.
He reminds me of Ren and Kishan in this picture.
____________________________________________________
We're getting closer to the release of Tiger's Destiny. There is a fabulous blog tour being set up for August which I have a ton of work to get ready for. Watch for news about that because you don't want to miss out on special interviews with Kelsey & Ren, the Tiger's Destiny playlist will be revealed and much, much more. All of it is heading your way in a matter of weeks. Not to mention we are getting ready for the YA Scavenger Hunt which will be happening August 1-4. If you have special requests for bonus material let me know. I'll also be asking permission to reveal some bonus material from the past so if there is something you really want to get your hands on that you missed, leave a comment on my blog and/or on Facebook.
Have a great week everyone!
Colleen
This time I'm putting contest info first.
JUNE CONTEST WINNERS!
Kelsey's Birthday Party winner: Simin
Mr. Kadam's Birthday winner: Bilauta
Dystopian vs. Paranormal: jbrogot
WINNERS: Email me (Suki) at contests@colleenhouck.com
________________________________________________
JULY CONTESTS
Contest #1
Guess How Many?
Guess how many goldfish are in this container? Yes, I counted them all! Leave your answer in the comments. Whoever has the closest guess will win one of Colleen's books or audiobooks of their choice.
Contest #2
Favorite Quote
I think we all have those little favorite parts of the Tiger books. One of mine is in Tiger's Curse when Ren and Kishan come face to face for the first time in years. Kishan says "There is nothing you could say that would hold any interest for me whatsoever. [...] Unless, of course, you'd like to talk about her. I'm always interested in your women." Makes me laugh, every time!
What is your favorite quote? Leave a comment, let us know!
__________________________________________________________
SOCIAL MEDIA
I am taking a social media class with my mom this week and I'm curious to know what your favorite social media sites are. I'm going to put a poll up on Facebook but please leave a comment and let me know which ones you use to find me. If there is a site I don't have an account on that you really like, let me know. Below is a list of some I found on Wikipedia. The highlighted ones are those I'm currently using.
Google+
Bebo
Flickr
deviantART
CafeMom
Blog
YouTube
Klout
Goodreads
Shelfari
Tumblr
_______________________________________________________________
Bollywood Boy of the Month
Vivek Oberoy
Height 5'11
Birthday-September 3, 1976
Recently married in 2010.
He once broke a leg while filming a movie.
He doesn't smoke or drink alcohol, coffee, or tea.
His nickname is Rockstar.
He reminds me of Ren and Kishan in this picture.
____________________________________________________
We're getting closer to the release of Tiger's Destiny. There is a fabulous blog tour being set up for August which I have a ton of work to get ready for. Watch for news about that because you don't want to miss out on special interviews with Kelsey & Ren, the Tiger's Destiny playlist will be revealed and much, much more. All of it is heading your way in a matter of weeks. Not to mention we are getting ready for the YA Scavenger Hunt which will be happening August 1-4. If you have special requests for bonus material let me know. I'll also be asking permission to reveal some bonus material from the past so if there is something you really want to get your hands on that you missed, leave a comment on my blog and/or on Facebook.
Have a great week everyone!
Colleen
June 23, 2012
Hawaii
Hi Everyone,
I just got back from a vacation to Hawaii and instead of writing about it, I made a video. My purpose in going was to take some classes at a conference for interpreters, do a book signing, and then just have fun. It was a bit of a research trip too since I'd really like to explore the mythologies of Polynesia a bit more for future book ideas. Here's my video!
My sister-in-law, Heather, is the first member of my family to join my blog.
She is married to my brother Andrew and
though she lives in Arizona, she's an Oregonian at heart.
She has the prettiest naturally curly hair too.
Here she is!
_____________________________________________
Colleen’s Creature Corner
by Heather Lotti
Colleen Houck’s Tiger Series has many mythological and unusual characters. I found one of the creepiest to be her portrayal of the Kappa. She described the Kappa as a sort of vampiric monkey sea-monster. This particular critter almost killed the heroine of the series with a nasty bite. According to Japanese mythology the Kappa are capable of all sorts of heinous acts. Rape of women, drowning of children and horses are a few of the mischievously evil acts listed (see Kappa in Wikipedia). I found the most frightening aspect in Mrs. Houck’s stories to be that the Kappa had no voice… and no dialogue with the main characters… especially as they were trying to kill them!
For more information on Kappa visit THIS website. To see the links where the pictures below were found, click on the picture.
Pollack, Jessica (Artist). (2010) “Crap a Kappa!” Retrieved June 5, 2012
Could this be where the legend came from?
Soaker, Onsen. (Photographer). (2012) “Snow Monkeys in Jigokudan.” Retrieved June 5, 2012
If you'd like to contact Heather about this or future blogs, you can contact her at Heather@colleenhouck.com
___________________________________________________
KELSEY'S BIRTHDAY
[image error]
Happy birthday to Kelsey Hayes on Sunday, June 24, 2012! Kelsey shares a birthday with my sister Shara and her's is just two weeks after Mr. Kadam's. In Tiger's Curse, Kelsey has a celebration at the circus and even had her favorite brand of ice cream, Tillamook Mudslide, despite the party being organized by her foster parents who are health nuts. Kelsey's birthdays are important events in my series. This first glimpse happens at the jumping off point in the series where Kelsey's journey begins.
At the end of Tiger's Quest, Kelsey celebrates turning nineteen in a tragic way. Before Ren lost his memory, he'd already begun planning a fantastic birthday party for her with peach decorations, cake, and ice cream, but, sadly, he no longer remembers her and though Kelsey is thrilled to have rescued him from Lokesh, she is heartbroken that he no longer seems to like being around her. The poor girl even overhears Ren saying some things to Kishan that hurt her even more. Suffice it to say that this birthday will go down as one she'd rather forget.
Kelsey will turn twenty in Tiger's Destiny and there will be another celebration in her future. Will Kelsey get her wish when she blows out the candle this year? What do you all think?
Help me celebrate Kelsey's birthday by leaving her a birthday message on my comments. One winner will be chosen to receive a Kelsey Birthday Prize Pack and before you ask, no, Ren and Kishan aren't included. =)
Don't forget we have two other contests still going. One for Mr. Kadam and the other one on Dystopia vs Paranormal through the month of June.
_____________________________________________________
Happy Birthday Kelsey!
Love & Hugs
Colleen
I just got back from a vacation to Hawaii and instead of writing about it, I made a video. My purpose in going was to take some classes at a conference for interpreters, do a book signing, and then just have fun. It was a bit of a research trip too since I'd really like to explore the mythologies of Polynesia a bit more for future book ideas. Here's my video!
My sister-in-law, Heather, is the first member of my family to join my blog.
She is married to my brother Andrew and
though she lives in Arizona, she's an Oregonian at heart.
She has the prettiest naturally curly hair too.
Here she is!
_____________________________________________
Colleen’s Creature Corner
by Heather Lotti
Colleen Houck’s Tiger Series has many mythological and unusual characters. I found one of the creepiest to be her portrayal of the Kappa. She described the Kappa as a sort of vampiric monkey sea-monster. This particular critter almost killed the heroine of the series with a nasty bite. According to Japanese mythology the Kappa are capable of all sorts of heinous acts. Rape of women, drowning of children and horses are a few of the mischievously evil acts listed (see Kappa in Wikipedia). I found the most frightening aspect in Mrs. Houck’s stories to be that the Kappa had no voice… and no dialogue with the main characters… especially as they were trying to kill them!
For more information on Kappa visit THIS website. To see the links where the pictures below were found, click on the picture.
Pollack, Jessica (Artist). (2010) “Crap a Kappa!” Retrieved June 5, 2012
Could this be where the legend came from?
Soaker, Onsen. (Photographer). (2012) “Snow Monkeys in Jigokudan.” Retrieved June 5, 2012
If you'd like to contact Heather about this or future blogs, you can contact her at Heather@colleenhouck.com
___________________________________________________
KELSEY'S BIRTHDAY
[image error]
Happy birthday to Kelsey Hayes on Sunday, June 24, 2012! Kelsey shares a birthday with my sister Shara and her's is just two weeks after Mr. Kadam's. In Tiger's Curse, Kelsey has a celebration at the circus and even had her favorite brand of ice cream, Tillamook Mudslide, despite the party being organized by her foster parents who are health nuts. Kelsey's birthdays are important events in my series. This first glimpse happens at the jumping off point in the series where Kelsey's journey begins.
At the end of Tiger's Quest, Kelsey celebrates turning nineteen in a tragic way. Before Ren lost his memory, he'd already begun planning a fantastic birthday party for her with peach decorations, cake, and ice cream, but, sadly, he no longer remembers her and though Kelsey is thrilled to have rescued him from Lokesh, she is heartbroken that he no longer seems to like being around her. The poor girl even overhears Ren saying some things to Kishan that hurt her even more. Suffice it to say that this birthday will go down as one she'd rather forget.
Kelsey will turn twenty in Tiger's Destiny and there will be another celebration in her future. Will Kelsey get her wish when she blows out the candle this year? What do you all think?
Help me celebrate Kelsey's birthday by leaving her a birthday message on my comments. One winner will be chosen to receive a Kelsey Birthday Prize Pack and before you ask, no, Ren and Kishan aren't included. =)
Don't forget we have two other contests still going. One for Mr. Kadam and the other one on Dystopia vs Paranormal through the month of June.
_____________________________________________________
Happy Birthday Kelsey!
Love & Hugs
Colleen
May 2, 2012
HUGE NEWS!
Hi Everyone,
I have some huge news! I've been sitting on it for a couple of weeks now and I finally have permission to share it with my fans. It's so exciting that I've been twitching impatiently because I want all of you to know. The big news is that Disruption Entertainment and Ineffable Pictures have signed a writer to pen the screenplay for TIGER'S CURSE! Are you all sitting down? If not, you'd better do so, because the person writing the TIGER'S CURSE movie is...
Julie Plec!
Julie is the co-creator and executive producer of a little tv show called The Vampire Diaries.
Here's her official bio: JULIE PLEC- A protege of Greg Berlanti, Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven, Julie skillfully juggles work in film and television as both a producer and a writer. Currently in an overall tv deal at WBTV, she is the Co-Creator (with Williamson), Executive Producer and Showrunner of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES for The CW. VAMPIRE is in its 3rd season and is the network's highest rated program. Prior to that, Julie was a Writer and Co-Executive Producer on the 3 seasons of KYLE XY for ABC Family (which she set up while running the Television department at BENDERSPINK). Her other produced TV credits include DAWSONS CREEK and WASTELAND. Past feature producing credits include SCREAM 2 and 3, Greg Berlanti's BROKEN HEARTS CLUB, Wes Craven's CURSED and THE BREED.
The news that Julie was writing the screenplay was leaked a little early and there were dozens of news links. To see them all check out my news tab but here are a couple of the announcements that went out.
HollywoodCrush
HollywoodReporter
If you'd like to follow my production team on Twitter, here is a good list.
On Twitter
@ParamountPics
@IneffablePics
@DisruptEnt
@julieplec
MY TOP TEN LIST FOR REASONS WHY JULIE IS AN AWESOME PICK FOR TEAM TIGER
1) Her villains are multifaceted.
2) She throws glimpses of good in the bad boys and bad in the good boys.
3) Her male characters are swoonworthy but, at the same time, can be respected by male viewers.
4) She writes a show that adults can love too.
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5) Her romantic lines are epic!
6) She always keeps me guessing.
7) The romantic tension is always present.
8) She has lots of experience writing about two brothers in love with the same girl.
9) Julie isn't afraid of a good cliffhanger.
10) The odds of my getting to meet Ian Somerhalder just shot up into the realm of IT COULD HAPPEN! Dang he has the prettiest blue eyes. Sigh.
This reason is, of course, my number one, but which one is the most important to you? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH
SHAHRUKH KHAN
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Memorable Quotes
"I'd rather sink trying to be different, than stay afloat like everyone else."
"I don't look at the figures that my movies make. The only figures I look at are girl's figures."
"I don't kiss on screen. Period."
"You never win the silver, you only lose the gold."
"Togetherness, passion, laughter, faith, trust and jealousy are the essential ingredients of love."
SOME MOVIES I'D RECOMMEND
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Leave a comment below and tell me what you think of this Bollywood actor. Do you see him taking on a role in Tiger's Curse? If so, which one?
___________________________________________________
Barnes & Noble winner: Amy Logg
Amy won a tiger themed prize pack. It is all put together and I may be a little jealous! (My daughter sure is!)
Pinterest winner: Breanne Kraft
Breanne wins her choice of a signed book or an audiobook. I have had so much fun looking through all these Pinterest boards! Sometimes the choices take me surprise and I love that!
WINNERS: Please email me (Suki) at contests@colleenhouck.com
________________________________________
JUNE CONTESTS!
We have a few different contests lined up for different times of the month. Since it's June we couldn't forget to celebrate Kelsey's birthday (June 24th!) so keep an eye out for what we have planned as we get closer to her birthday. And if you're seeing this blog post before Saturday, well, come back because I'll have a contest up then right here in this blog post. Want to know what we're doing? You'll have to come back and find out!
Contest #1
VS 
Which genre do you prefer and why? Leave a comment below for a chance to win either a Dystopian or a Paranormal prize pack!
Contest #2
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Happy upcoming birthday to Mr. Kadam! His birthday is Sunday, June 10th.
Leave a comment below and tell me what you'd buy Mr. Kadam for his birthday and Suki will pick a winner to get a book or audiobook of their choice.
_________________________________________
That's it for this week my friends. I haven't been able to blog as much as I want to so I am enlisting some family members to help me out with some of the segments. We're going to be featuring a cookie of the month and a mythical creature of the month and many more cool things, so stay tuned for that. You'll also get to know some of my amazing family members as well. If you live in Hawaii, come see me on June 16th! Info can be found on my events tab.
Love all of y'all!
Colleen
I have some huge news! I've been sitting on it for a couple of weeks now and I finally have permission to share it with my fans. It's so exciting that I've been twitching impatiently because I want all of you to know. The big news is that Disruption Entertainment and Ineffable Pictures have signed a writer to pen the screenplay for TIGER'S CURSE! Are you all sitting down? If not, you'd better do so, because the person writing the TIGER'S CURSE movie is...
Julie Plec!
Julie is the co-creator and executive producer of a little tv show called The Vampire Diaries.
Here's her official bio: JULIE PLEC- A protege of Greg Berlanti, Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven, Julie skillfully juggles work in film and television as both a producer and a writer. Currently in an overall tv deal at WBTV, she is the Co-Creator (with Williamson), Executive Producer and Showrunner of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES for The CW. VAMPIRE is in its 3rd season and is the network's highest rated program. Prior to that, Julie was a Writer and Co-Executive Producer on the 3 seasons of KYLE XY for ABC Family (which she set up while running the Television department at BENDERSPINK). Her other produced TV credits include DAWSONS CREEK and WASTELAND. Past feature producing credits include SCREAM 2 and 3, Greg Berlanti's BROKEN HEARTS CLUB, Wes Craven's CURSED and THE BREED.
The news that Julie was writing the screenplay was leaked a little early and there were dozens of news links. To see them all check out my news tab but here are a couple of the announcements that went out.
HollywoodCrush
HollywoodReporter
If you'd like to follow my production team on Twitter, here is a good list.
On Twitter
@ParamountPics
@IneffablePics
@DisruptEnt
@julieplec
MY TOP TEN LIST FOR REASONS WHY JULIE IS AN AWESOME PICK FOR TEAM TIGER
1) Her villains are multifaceted.
I love Klaus. He's a really terrible person but, at the same time, you can understand why he is the way he is. In TIGER'S DESTINY, my readers will get to know Lokesh a bit more and will understand what drives and motivates him. I think its important to flesh out your villains.
2) She throws glimpses of good in the bad boys and bad in the good boys.
I really love that Stefan has a dark side and Damon has a good side and the series goes back and forth a bit. I end up cheering for them all. I always wanted to show in my series that things aren't always white and black, good and evil. People ask me about Kishan being a bad boy and I never thought of him in that way. I always considered him to be just misunderstood.
3) Her male characters are swoonworthy but, at the same time, can be respected by male viewers.
After convincing my hubby to watch the first few episodes of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, he was hooked and doesn't see the brothers as cheesy but as manly men. This is very important to me as I want men to be able to watch TIGER'S CURSE and cheer for my heroes as much as the girls giggle.
4) She writes a show that adults can love too.
I love that I have fans of all ages and really want my adult readers to enjoy the series as much as the teens do which is why I'm so excited about Julie. Her writing is fast paced and keeps both adults and teens coming back for more. The adult characters she writes are fantastic and real and the show doesn't have the teen angst feel that others do.
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5) Her romantic lines are epic!
I'm looking forward to seeing how she tweaks Ren's and Kishan's romantic lines.
"Somewhere along the way, you decided I was worth saving. I wanted to thank you for that."
Damon Salvatore, Season 1, Episode 22 - Founder`s Day (Season`s Finale)
“I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it. I love you, Elena. And it’s because I love you that I can’t be selfish with you, why you can’t know this. I don’t deserve you, but my brother does.”
Damon Salvatore, Season 2, Episode 08 - Rose
"I didn`t care I had something my brother wanted. I didn`t even care if I hurt him. I only knew that I wanted her."
Stefan Salvatore, Season 1, Episode 06 - Lost Girls
"After everything I put you through, I'm just honored to be your date tonight."
Stefan Salvatore, Season 3, Episode 20 - Do Not Go Gentle
6) She always keeps me guessing.
Adding the original vampire family was a stroke of genius! Love all the story lines this opens up. I'm pretty good at figuring out where a story arc is going and Julie constantly surprises me. I'm looking forward to seeing how she'll surprise me in the TIGER'S CURSE movie.
7) The romantic tension is always present.
Holy wow this scene was thick with romantic tension and all they're doing is touching hands! I'm a big believer in creating romantic tension in just a look or a simple touch. A few examples are when Ren touches Kelsey's cheek or when Kishan says that it hurts him to be near Kelsey and not with her.
8) She has lots of experience writing about two brothers in love with the same girl.
They each love Elana in their own way and I'm really excited to see what Julie will do with Ren, Kishan, and Kelsey!
9) Julie isn't afraid of a good cliffhanger.
I about died when Damon kissed who I thought was Elana at the end of season one and it ended up being Katherine. TOTALLY did not see that coming! You all know I'm a huge fan of cliffhangers. Which one of my cliffhangers was the most memorable?
10) The odds of my getting to meet Ian Somerhalder just shot up into the realm of IT COULD HAPPEN! Dang he has the prettiest blue eyes. Sigh.
This reason is, of course, my number one, but which one is the most important to you? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
__________________________________________________
BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH
SHAHRUKH KHAN
Named one of Time Magazine's 20 Asian Heroes under 40 (2004)
He has a dog called Chewbacca.
Although his birth name is spelled Shahrukh, he prefers
and signs his name as Shah Rukh.
His first name "Shahrukh" means "face of the king".
Turned down the Quiz Master's (Prem Kapoor) role in Slumdog Millionaire and the role went to Anil Kapoor. 
Marital Status: Married to
Gauri Khan (25 October 1991 - present) 2 children
Being a Muslim man married to a Hindu woman, he and his wife combine both religious backgrounds into their children's education.
Trade Marks
His Dimples
His Smile
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Memorable Quotes
"I'd rather sink trying to be different, than stay afloat like everyone else."
"I don't look at the figures that my movies make. The only figures I look at are girl's figures."
"I don't kiss on screen. Period."
"You never win the silver, you only lose the gold."
"Togetherness, passion, laughter, faith, trust and jealousy are the essential ingredients of love."
SOME MOVIES I'D RECOMMEND
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Leave a comment below and tell me what you think of this Bollywood actor. Do you see him taking on a role in Tiger's Curse? If so, which one?
___________________________________________________
Barnes & Noble winner: Amy Logg
Amy won a tiger themed prize pack. It is all put together and I may be a little jealous! (My daughter sure is!)
Pinterest winner: Breanne Kraft
Breanne wins her choice of a signed book or an audiobook. I have had so much fun looking through all these Pinterest boards! Sometimes the choices take me surprise and I love that!
WINNERS: Please email me (Suki) at contests@colleenhouck.com
________________________________________
JUNE CONTESTS!
We have a few different contests lined up for different times of the month. Since it's June we couldn't forget to celebrate Kelsey's birthday (June 24th!) so keep an eye out for what we have planned as we get closer to her birthday. And if you're seeing this blog post before Saturday, well, come back because I'll have a contest up then right here in this blog post. Want to know what we're doing? You'll have to come back and find out!
Contest #1
VS Which genre do you prefer and why? Leave a comment below for a chance to win either a Dystopian or a Paranormal prize pack!
Contest #2
[image error]
Happy upcoming birthday to Mr. Kadam! His birthday is Sunday, June 10th.
Leave a comment below and tell me what you'd buy Mr. Kadam for his birthday and Suki will pick a winner to get a book or audiobook of their choice.
_________________________________________
That's it for this week my friends. I haven't been able to blog as much as I want to so I am enlisting some family members to help me out with some of the segments. We're going to be featuring a cookie of the month and a mythical creature of the month and many more cool things, so stay tuned for that. You'll also get to know some of my amazing family members as well. If you live in Hawaii, come see me on June 16th! Info can be found on my events tab.
Love all of y'all!
Colleen
April 30, 2012
Not 1 but 2 Bollywood Boys!
Hi Everyone,
This month you get two Bollywood boys because I skipped April. So my April pick was...
BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH-APRIL
Arjun Rampal
Love the hair and the intensity!
Date of Birth-November 26, 1972
Lives in-Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
Height-6' 2" (Ren is about 6')
Marital Status-Married
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Trade Mark
Often plays depressed characters with disturbed state of mind
Trivia
Indian supermodel
He was proclaimed Society's Face of the year, 1994.
Married to former model Mehr Jessia, and has two daughters.
Has two daughters, Mahikaa, born on January 17, 2002 and Myra, born June 2005.
Former fashion model.
Arjun was also featured in the Temptation Tour alongside Shahrukh Khan.
Now I only have one question after reading this...Why didn't anyone tell me there was such a thing as a Bollywood Temptation Tour?!
___________________________________________________
AND FOR MAY OUR BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH IS...
MINI BIO
Often known as Bollywood's "bad boy," his knack of walking into trouble has overshadowed people's perception of him as an actor. He has been featured as the bad guy of the industry several times over. But many-a-common-man claims that this macho hunk has a heart made of pure gold.
TRIVIA
Exercises daily.
Feels the day was incomplete without a workout.
Was voted 7th best-looking man in the world by People Magazine.
Was working as a model before he became a successful actor and television host.
He is fond of Luxury Motorbikes and has a good collection of them.
He is an excellent painter.
Lives in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India with his family.
Wears a Feroza (turquoise) stone bracelet on his right hand wrist. He believes very strongly that it wards off the evil forces around him, and keeps him safe from the evil eyes. He has been wearing it for the past 15 years.
His favorite actor is Sylvester Stallone.
Personal Quote: "For me acting, comes straight from the heart. In that sense I don't act at all. I think that to feel the character's pain I have to be myself. Somewhere audiences see that."
It's pretty cool that part of my job means spending time finding information about good looking actors. I have to say it's one of the nicer things about being an author.
This month you get two Bollywood boys because I skipped April. So my April pick was...
BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH-APRIL
Arjun Rampal
Love the hair and the intensity!
Date of Birth-November 26, 1972
Lives in-Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
Height-6' 2" (Ren is about 6')
Marital Status-Married
[image error]
Trade Mark
Often plays depressed characters with disturbed state of mind
Trivia
Indian supermodel
He was proclaimed Society's Face of the year, 1994.
Married to former model Mehr Jessia, and has two daughters.
Has two daughters, Mahikaa, born on January 17, 2002 and Myra, born June 2005.
Former fashion model.
Arjun was also featured in the Temptation Tour alongside Shahrukh Khan.
Now I only have one question after reading this...Why didn't anyone tell me there was such a thing as a Bollywood Temptation Tour?!
___________________________________________________
AND FOR MAY OUR BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH IS...
Salman Khan
Birth Name-Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan
Height-5' 8"
Birthday-December 27, 1965
Trade Marks
His Dancing Style
His Smile
Removing his Shirt (As can be seen below)
MINI BIO
Often known as Bollywood's "bad boy," his knack of walking into trouble has overshadowed people's perception of him as an actor. He has been featured as the bad guy of the industry several times over. But many-a-common-man claims that this macho hunk has a heart made of pure gold.
TRIVIA
Exercises daily.
Feels the day was incomplete without a workout.
Was voted 7th best-looking man in the world by People Magazine.
Was working as a model before he became a successful actor and television host.
He is fond of Luxury Motorbikes and has a good collection of them.
He is an excellent painter.
Lives in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India with his family.
Wears a Feroza (turquoise) stone bracelet on his right hand wrist. He believes very strongly that it wards off the evil forces around him, and keeps him safe from the evil eyes. He has been wearing it for the past 15 years.
His favorite actor is Sylvester Stallone.
Personal Quote: "For me acting, comes straight from the heart. In that sense I don't act at all. I think that to feel the character's pain I have to be myself. Somewhere audiences see that."
It's pretty cool that part of my job means spending time finding information about good looking actors. I have to say it's one of the nicer things about being an author.
__________________________________________________
MY APRIL NETFLIX RENTALS
Always love Hugh Jackman.
I was scared, I won't lie.
Laughed hard. Really liked it.
Lovely and picturesque.
Fantastic!
Loved the idea more than the execution.
Slow moving. Couldn't get hubby to stay. Loved the guy.
______________________________________________
CONTEST WINNERS
"Why I Love the Tiger Series" Vlog Winner: Ashlee Frame. You can see her video here.
Her brothers are great too! Ashlee won a giftcard to Barnes & Noble.
Youngest Fan: Lila, age 7
Oldest Fan: Bee, age 91
Just because I can be nerdy, our youngest fan won by 10 days! We had 102 entries. 13 were 50 or older. 14 were 12 or younger.
These two fans won a book or audio book of their choosing (one of Colleen's three books).
4000+ Twitter Followers (Special Edition Tiger's Voyage): Kristi Ayers
German Copy of Tiger's Curse: Renate, Melissa, and Lesley
Spanish Copy of Tiger's Curse: Danielle and Clarissa
Polish Copy of Tiger's Curse: Kelly, Ena, and Kristin
Chinese Copy of Tiger's Quest: Kristalyn and Amy
WINNERS: Please email me (Suki) at contests@colleenhouck.com if you haven't already received an email from me.___________________________________________
NEW CONTESTS FOR MAY
CONTEST 1: Barnes & Noble
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There are many ways to enter this contest! Leave reviews, like the pages, and more. Find all the details in the Rafflecopter entry form.
PRIZE: The winner to this contest will win a book or audiobook of their choosing (you know, out of one of Colleen's three books).
CONTEST 2: Pinterest
I've been so excited about this contest. In order to participate in this contest, you'll need a Pinterest account. Email me (Suki) at contests@colleenhouck.com and I will send you an invitation. If you need help navigating Pinterest or understanding how to use it, there are many wonderful blog posts, articles, and YouTube videos about it. Just Google "how to use Pinterest" or something like that.
Here is my Pinterest if you want to take a peek and become a friend. http://pinterest.com/onesneakymoose/
Here's how the contest will work.
1) Create a board that is called "Tiger's Curse" or "Tiger's Curse Storyline" or something like that.
2) Pin the above graphic to your board. (Again, utilize Google if you don't know how to do that.) This graphic MUST be on your board in order to qualify for the contest.
3) For every chapter in Tiger's Curse, I want you to find a picture that relates. It could be a house that looks like Ren's. Or a tiger in a circus act. Or Mr. Maurizio. Or a waterfall. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it somehow relates.
3) Your caption for your picture should tell me what chapter, how it relates, and the hashtag #tcpinterest. So something like this "Chapter 6: Mumbai. I can't get the image of crazy driving out of my head! #tcpinterest"
When you're done, you should have 25-27 images. The above graphic (1), the chapters (24), and if you choose to, the prologue and the epilogue (2).
4) Enter the URL into the Rafflecopter entry form.
BONUS ENTRY: Tweet, Facebook, or Blog about the contest. Make sure to let people know that they can search #tcpinterest on Pinterest to see all the pictures that you're pinning.
PRIZE: The winner to this contest will win a Tiger Themed Prize Pack.
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I've set up my own Pinterest account now that you can follow. You can find me HERE! I'm excited to add in all my pictures for the books that have been inspirational to me. Feel free to leave comments. I love hearing what you all think. I'll create a special Destiny board when we get closer to the release day.
That's all for me this week folks. Have a great day! FYI-the countdown clock on the website is now counting down to the cover reveal for Tiger's Destiny NOT for the book release. Don't forget to leave a comment about the Bollywood Boys. Do you think they'd be a good fit for the movie? If so, which character?
Colleen
