Colleen Houck's Blog, page 59
December 15, 2011
A HUGE Announcement
I have been getting tons of emails, tweets, and notes from my fans asking about the latest Tiger's Curse news that came out the other day: that Paramount Pictures has optioned the film rights to the book. Well I can tell you officially that this is true, and I am SO thrilled. As you all know from previous posts and discussions, we have been working on this for a while and I couldn't be more happy with the dream team assembled to bring my books to life on screen. I have no doubt that Paramount Pictures along with producers Mary Parent and Raphael Kryszek will make this into a beautiful, amazing film. Thanks from the bottom of my heart to every single one of you who has continued to read my books. Without all of you, this would never have been possible. We are in kind of a top-secret mode right now as the movie develops but I cannot wait to share more news with you as soon as I can!

Here is the link if you'd like to read more about the announcement. http://url2it.com/klgk
You can also follow my producers on twitter here:
Paramount Pictures Twitter User: @ParamountPics
Disruption Entertainment Twitter User @DisruptEnt
Ineffable Pictures Twitter User: @IneffablePics
This is very exciting news for me and I'm really looking forward to all the exciting adventures to come.
Happy holidays everyone!
Colleen
December 7, 2011
Happy Holidays
The YA Scavenger Hunt was amazing and so much fun! Thank you so much to all who participated! We had over 1,000 entries for the grand prize. The winners of all the hunt contests as well as the winners from the contests I ran during November are listed below. Watch out for our next YA Scavenger Hunt which will take place on April 1st. Mark you calendars now so you won't miss it!
GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF THE WINTER YA SCAVENGER HUNT
Sandra Lin of AUSTRALIA
WINNERS OF THE UK EDITION OF TIGER'S VOYAGE
Roshni P. (Roshni)
Korrine G. (bkgentner)
Tiffany D. (tifferz)
Crystal J. (TwoTigers)
Britney P. (yaytigersaga)
Alexis L. (sweetkisses)
Brandy K. (bkorzep)
Janet H. (jaydream)
Janet B. (JaxomB)
Crystal B. (CrystalBrown)
WINNERS OF THE AUDIO BOOKS
Sarah K. - Tiger's Curse
Veray C. - Tiger's Quest
Jenna D. - Tiger's Voyage
WINNER OF THE RECIPE CONTEST & FOOD PRIZE PACK
Melody M.
THE WINNING RECIPE
I would have had a really hard time choosing a winning recipe if I were judging this contest instead of the random number generator. Every single recipe sent to me sounded so good! I loved the variety. I got drinks, desserts, and main dishes of different ethnicities. Oh, so yummy... I was drooling.
Melody wrote me this: "If I were going to attract a tiger/man, I would make him dessert. If that's not the way to a man's heart, I don't know what is! I recently found this dessert on Pinterest. I've not tried it yet, but I'm not sure how it could be bad. I mean, really."
Oh, and just wait until you read the recipe and see the picture. This is a SEVEN layer cake. It is a brownie, cheesecake, cookie, smores, yummy, drool worthy cake. Because this cake is so in-depth and because I want to give the original blogger credit for it, I am going to link to her post. Seriously everyone, go check it out!
-Suki
All winners have received an email from Suki.
Respond quickly so we can get your prize to you!
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Giveaways
I have two copies of the Brazilian edition of Tiger's Curse, called a maldição do tigre to give away. If you'd like to get a copy, tell me why you think you deserve to have one by leaving a comment here on my blog. Preference will be given to a person who can read Portuguese or who has a family member who can.
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LIVE CHAT

I am going to be doing another live chat on my U-stream channel but I want to handle questions a little differently this time. Send your questions to contactme@colleenhouck.com and my sister will get rid of repeat questions and then email me a good list. This way I can just talk and not have to constantly refresh the page and miss questions. I'll be doing the live chat on Wednesday, December 21 at 6 pm pacific time. In the meanwhile, don't forget to send my sister your questions!
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BOLLYWOOD BOY OF THE MONTH
SHAHID KAPOOR
Born Shahid Kapoor
25 February 1981 (age 30)
Delhi, India
Occupation: Film actor
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Several of you have chosen Shahid as a possible actor for Ren. I can definitely see him playing the role of an Indian prince. Can't you?

Here's a shot of his hair a little longer. Just in case anyone wants to follow him on twitter, here is his handle. @shahidkapoor
Kapoor was born to actor Pankaj Kapoor and actor/classical dancer Neelima Azeem on 25 February 1981. Kapoor's parents divorced when he was three. After the divorce, he lived with his mother and maternal grandparents in Delhi.
As far as his religious affiliation is concerned, Kapoor has stated in an interview that while his father is a Hindu and his mother is a Muslim, both his parents have taught him that he "should look at all religions without hatred and have compassion for every human being whatever his religion may be," saying that he believes that "there is one God up above."
(Huh-that's a little like Ren actually)
He has three half siblings: a sister named Sanah and brothers named Ruhaan and Ishaan Khattar.
Before starting off his career as an actor, Kapoor worked in several music videos and ads, including the Pepsi commercial with Shahrukh Khan.
He joined the Shiamak Davar Institute for the Performing Arts (SDIPA), where he was later seen as a background dancer along with actress Aishwarya Rai.
In 2003, Kapoor played his first leading role as Rajiv Mathur, a carefree young man in Ken Ghosh's moderately successful love story Ishq Vishk.
Film critic Taran Adarsh from indiaFM wrote, "Shahid Kapoor is an actor to watch. He has all the qualities to hit the top slot. Not only is he good looking, but he is an amazing performer as well. Very original as a performer, the youngster has handled the dramatic and emotional moments with flourish. He is an exceptional dancer as well."
(Note: Ren is a good dancer also)
When Shahid played twin brothers in a movie, Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN wrote, "Shahid Kapur rises to the challenge of creating two entirely different characters out of Charlie and Guddu, and delivers a credible performance as each. Breaking out of his chocolate-boy image, he gives evidence of his potential when trusted with well-written roles."
(Note: not sure what "chocolate boy" means but I have to say I'm intrigued)
Kapoor identifies himself as a vegetarian.
He was dating Kareena Kapoor for three years but they've since broken up. According to him, they remained on good terms, with him saying, "I wish her all the happiness in the world. I have great respect for her. She is a wonderful girl."
(Note: I kinda like a guy who speaks well of his ex-girlfriend)

Here are some fun awards he's won over the years:
2004: Sansui Awards, Best Male Debut
2005: Blistex Awards, Best Lips - Male
2008: Annual Central European Bollywood Awards, Best Couple (along with Kareena Kapoor)
2009: Voted as the Sexiest Male Vegetarian In Asia by PETA
2009: Teacher's Achievement Awards, People Achiever Award
2010: Indian Television Awards, Best Anchor - Music/Films Show (for 16th Anuual Star Screen Awards)
2011: Fun and Fearless Awards 2011, Male Actor 2010
2011: Telly Chakkar's New Talent Awards, Youth Icon Of The Year
(Hmm best lips, fun and fearless, likes teachers, youth icon...what's not to like?)

Here he is dressed in white clothing just to give you an idea of what he'd look like as Ren.

Wasn't Ren wearing a blue hoodie at Tillamook with a dragon design? This picture reminds me of that. All in all I'd say he's a pretty good choice. The only think I can't find online is how tall he is.
He has the kind of good looking yet nice guy quality I'm looking for in a Ren actor. What do you guys think? Leave a comment below to tell me if you think he'd be a good choice for Ren or if you have a different suggestion.
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INSPIRATION CORNER
MR. KADAM'S CARS
To make my characters seems a bit more real, at least to me, I wanted to give them little quirks. One of Mr. Kadam's is that he loves pretty much anything with an engine. He has a weakness for luxury cars, luxury anything really. There is a scene that was in my original self-published book that we cut from the current edition of TIGER'S CURSE where Mr. Kadam tells Kelsey all about cars. This scene happened right after they dropped off Ren and before Kelsey and Mr. Kadam toured Hampi.
BONUS MATERIAL ALERT!
Explaining, he said, "There will be too many tourists on the site during the day, so Dhiren can wait here while we walk the grounds and look for clues. We will return for him in the early evening."
I watched Ren out the window as he moved in the tall grass. He turned to watch me as we drove away. Shortly afterwards, we pulled into a dirt parking lot full of tiny vehicles.
"Mr. Kadam?"
"Yes?"
"Why are most of the cars in India so small? Do they have smaller families? Are those styles the most popular?"
"Well, first of all, the middle class in India earns around $2,000 American dollars per year. They don't have nearly as much money as the middle class people of America. The average car in India costs around $2,500 dollars American. The cars here are smaller but much more economical."
"That seems about right, most cars in America can cost about a year's salary."
He nodded, "At present, only a little over one percent of the people in India even own a car, which was fine for many years because they didn't travel very far. For centuries most of the people of India were born, married, and died in their small villages."
"But all that is changing now?"
"Yes. Car manufacturers are targeting India, trying to sell small, economical cars at a very cheap price. They are hoping to take advantage of our rising middle class, as well as the large numbers of young people who desire to have a car of their own. The problem is, the country is so densely populated that the major cities aren't set up yet for that much traffic. For now, smaller sized vehicles are rather a necessity."
"So your jeep is like the Hummer of India?"
He laughed, "Yes, I suppose you could say that. The trunk space in those smaller vehicles will only hold a small duffel bag. When you drive around with tigers, you need something a bit larger."
"I think even the smallest cars in American are bigger than these."
"There are several reasons for that. In the early 1900's Americans were spread out much further and they required a vehicle to help them travel the long distances to town. When cars first started selling, America was a prosperous and rapidly growing nation. The open borders between states gave people the freedom to travel and inspired them to get out on the roads and explore their country. Since the Model T, cars have also been a powerful symbol of freedom and have become a strong piece of American culture. When the middle class started to move out to the suburbs, it forced them to spend hours in their cars commuting and a more comfortable ride was preferable."
"That's true. My foster parents hated the commute so much in Portland that they took jobs in Salem, so they'd spend less time in traffic. When they did that, they actually downsized their cars."
He nodded, "Large vehicles also have a subliminal effect. They make you feel secure, imposing, and denote the driver's personality. In America, the car you drive makes a statement about who you are. I would even say that one of the main themes in American culture is that size matters."
I laughed, "Yes, that's probably true. America doesn't do anything the small way."
He chuckled, "I must confess that I love the large American cars. In fact, I love all types of cars, almost as much as I love airplanes. I have traversed the globe in all manner of accommodations and I have come to appreciate fast travel and enjoy the comfort of not having my head hit the roof as well as the luxury of having plenty of leg room."
I looked across the parking lot, "The little ones here are kind of cute, but you're right, traveling a long distance with your head bent because you're too tall is not a fun thing."
We pulled over and parked in front of the gate. Mr. Kadam didn't stop to purchase a map of the area. He said he remembered it pretty well. He led me to the first and largest structure, the Virupaksha Temple. It was about ten stories tall and resembled a giant upside-down waffle cone.
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Mr. Kadam's Rolls-Royce

The Bentley Zagato Rental Car
(Note: I don't think you can actually rent one of these)
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Mr. Kadam's Jeep
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Another view of the Rolls
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That's it for now. Have a great week and for you Utah fans, see you next week!
Wednesday, December 14th – 6:00pm-8:00pm
The King's English Bookshop
1511 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Phone: 801-484-9100
Fax: 801-484-1595
Excited to see you all!
Colleen
November 30, 2011
Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt!
Welcome to the YA
Scavenger Hunt!
On this hunt you will be able to gain access to exclusive bonus material, sign up for giveaways, and get an all access pass to top secret insider information. This fabulous sneak peek into what's coming up in YA literature is for three days only!
YA SCAVENGER HUNT CONTEST
As an extra bonus we've put together a puzzle with one keyword found on each website. Complete it and you will be eligible for a fantastic GRAND PRIZE which will include signed editions of books, signed bookmarks, jewelry, and many more exclusive gifts with at least one from EVERY AUTHOR!
Directions: Complete the puzzle by unscrambling the 37 words (hint, look for the words in RED text) on each author's web site, and then complete the ENTRY FORM to enter the Grand Prize contest. (Note: You will find the list of scrambled words on the entry form). It's probably easier to copy and paste the scrambled words into a Word document, unscramble them, and then copy & paste the answers back into the form. Don't forget that the scrambled words need to be numbered #1-37 and must be in the same order. Once you submit your entry, you will be eligible to win the fantastic GRAND PRIZE Good luck!
Rules: To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed puzzle before noon on December 4th Pacific Time. All the keywords must be in the correct place, and you must include your full name and address. Entries sent in without name and address will not be considered! The contest is open internationally.
Now let's get on with the HUNT!
I am so excited to be hosting the fabulous BRODI ASHTON!
I have discovered that Brodi
and I have a lot in common
She lives in Utah * I lived in Utah
Her books are on an accelerated time line and so are mine
She loves Diet Coke * I love Diet Coke
Red is my favorite color to wear
I took her Good Guy or Bad Boy Quiz and I like
the Good Guys which we also have in common
We are practically twins!

Here's her bio
Because of two parents who were Greek myth geeks, I grew up thinking the latest fashion trends were inspired by Aphrodite, and a good conversational opener was, "So, which mythological character do you most resemble?" Despite these social shortcomings, I found a great husband who's always my first reader. We live in Utah with our two young boys, who still have no idea why I'm at the computer all the time.
I received a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Utah and a Master's degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics.
Her book is called EVERNEATH
Isn't it gorgeous?
I really want that red dress-smoke included.

Just in case you'd like to know what the
book is all about, here is the description
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...
If that doesn't peak your interest then check THIS out!
Can't wait to buy this book?
You can get a copy on Amazon
or on Barnes & Noble
or on Indie Bound
EVERNEATH is the first book in a trilogy!
Need to know more about Brodi's plans for the EVERNEATH series?
Check out her website at www.brodiashton.blogspot.com!
____________________________________________
AND NOW FOR THE TOP
SECRET EXCLUSIVE AND
FANTABULOUS BONUS FEATURE!
READ THIS SPECIAL EXTRA EXTENDED SCENE
COMING TO YOU DIRECTLY
FROM BRODI!
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Sophomore Year...
"Tell me, friend," Jack said, his fingertips grazing mine as people shuffled past us in the hallway. "Is there more for us?"
I looked at my feet. "There's everything for us."
He didn't answer. The bell was about to ring. I could tell because the hallway began to clear out, and yet Jack remained quiet.
Despite the butterflies that had expanded out of my stomach and now filled my entire body, I ventured a look at Jack.
He had the funniest expression. He smiled in a knowing way, as if he suddenly got a glimpse at our entire future, and it was amazing. I wasn't sure he would ever move from that spot.
I tugged on his hand and said, "We should-"
"Yes," he interrupted.
His fingers closed around mine and he pulled me down the hall.
"Um, we're going the wrong way," I said. "My English class is that way." I pointed behind us.
He didn't let up. With his fingers in a death grip around my hand, as if at any moment we would be ripped apart, he led me around the corner, down a side hall, and finally into a dark nook that held a drinking fountain.
The walk to this point had given me just enough time to wonder what I had agreed to. What I had just done to jeopardize the most important friendship in my life.
He faced me, and I backed against the wall.
"Wait," I said.
"What?" He immediately dropped my hands and stiffened, as if we had been discovered doing something illegal.
I let out a shaky breath. "I just… Your friendship is everything to me."
He smiled and took a step closer. "I feel the same way."
I put my hand against his chest. "But…"
"But?" He raised an eyebrow.
"But…" I couldn't find the words. I couldn't figure out express my concerns, and I'd waited for this moment for so long, I wasn't sure I wanted to. "But…"
His lips turned up in a sly smile. "Becks, can we move on from 'but'?"
I bit my lip, and tried again. "We could go back."
"Back to where?"
"Back to ten minutes ago. Back to before you said anything."
His smile fell, and he backed off a few inches. "You don't want this." It was a statement, not a question.
I leaned my head back until it rested on the brick wall. How do I explain it's all I ever wanted? It was all I'd been able to think about for months now.
I looked at his face again. His bright eyes from moments ago had become dull, his shoulders that could've carried the world two minutes ago now slumped.
What was I thinking? I was thinking too much. That was the problem. That was always the problem.
Before I could think about it any more, I grabbed his shirt and pulled him toward me. I kissed him. Lightly. Quickly.
I sank back, but he gathered me close to him again and his lips were on mine. He pulled me tighter against him, his hands pushing against my back, but he wasn't satisfied with our nearness until he pushed me up against the wall.
I was clawing at him just as much. My fingers tangled in his hair, then grabbed at his shirt, pulling him closer. His kiss became deeper, his lips urged my mouth open.
I didn't care that we'd caught a few stares from students passing by. I didn't care that the bell to begin class rang. I didn't care that everything between Jack and me had changed.
All I cared about was the fact that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get any closer to Jack.
WHEW! That was steamy! Am I right?
If that didn't hook you, I don't know what will.
Brodi is doing a giveaway on her blog
as well so don't forget to sign up when
you reach her site on the hunt!
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Thank you so much for visiting my website and I hope you are all enjoying the tour. While you're here, sign up to win a fabulous prize pack including a signed copy of TIGER'S CURSE, TIGER'S QUEST, & TIGER'S VOYAGE the first three books in my series. Also included in the prize pack is a journal, jewelry, and anything else I can fit into the shipping box! To enter follow the directions below.

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Ready to go to the next website on the Scavenger Hunt?
Click HERE!
November 23, 2011
Thankful

THE TOP TEN THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR THIS YEAR
10) I got to go to the Romantic Times convention and giggle a lot
9) I have been welcomed to the writing world by a fabulous group of colleagues
8) I live in the most wonderful, inspirational place, Oregon
7) I got to meet a lot of amazing fans this year
6) I toured all over the country, ate at fancy restaurants, and was invited to DC by the Library of Congress
5) I was able to meet two authors I've idolized for years-Orson Scott Card & Christopher Paolini
4) I hit the NYT Bestseller's list with all three of my books
3) I have a job doing what I love
2) I've spent a lot of time with my parents and have enjoyed becoming good friends with my mom
1) My family and friends are all healthy and happy
Leave a comment on this blog and tell me what you are most thankful for!
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INSPIRATION CORNER
Fighting Tigers


When I decided to have a rival for Kelsey's affection, I knew I needed the rival to be on equal footing with my hero. I like the idea of circling the plot, giving second chances, and taking the reader back to the beginning again. I wanted to show a tragedy from the past and see if my heroes would handle it differently if they had to do it all over again.
Ren was engaged to Yesubai and his brother fell in love with her too. This led to betrayal and a tragic end for the girl. Centuries go by and again both brothers are in love with the same girl. How would they behave differently? What would change and what would remain the same? I think that both Ren and Kishan were affected by the death of Yesubai but Kishan even more than Ren. As he's put into the underdog role a second time around, it's interested to explore his feelings and his reactions.
Not only is it fun to watch the brothers fight as men but we also have an amazing tiger fight. At the time, Kelsey is unaware that they can heal so in her mind the fight is taking a tragic turn with both brothers seriously injured. She believes they are fighting over the woman in their past, Yesubai, but this fight is actually much more complicated.
Ren fights for Kelsey, yes, but more importantly, he fights because the brother he trusted and loved betrayed him and endangered their people and their home.
Kishan fights because he is deeply disappointed in himself and in some way blames his brother for his own shortcomings. He is jealous of all his brother has and feels as if Ren is handed everything while Kishan has to struggle. As Kishan challenges his brother, he also challenges himself. Secretly, he feels he is less worthy and less able than Ren. He is desperate to prove himself as a man and a prince.
Both men have pent up these feelings for years and the best way to have it out once and for all is a big tiger fight. Though they remain rivals through the series, there is a big change in how they relate to one another after this fight. It is a turning point for both of them.
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For those of you who participated in the last Scavenger Hunt you are in for a treat! This winter season hunt is bigger and better than the first one! For those of you who are new this online Scavenger Hunt is a fun way to learn about what's new and exciting in the world of YA books. I've assembled a group of amazing authors to join me in providing you with bonus material, puzzle challenges, and will be offering fantastic prizes individual prizes as well as a chance at the grand prize which is a huge collection of signed books that these authors are going to be sending to just one grand prize winner! All you have to do is come visit my website sometime between Dec 1 and Dec 4. Give yourself an hour or two so you'll have time to explore the pages of free material offered by all these amazing authors.
Here is a list of the outstanding authors who will be a part of the hunt next week.
Rashelle Workman

P.J. Hoover

Gregg Olsen
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Laura A.H. Elliott

Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Lani Woodland

Beth Revis

Karen Amanda Hooper

Lisa Bergren

Ali Cross

Elana Johnson

Abbi Glines

Myra McEntire

Amy Plum

Inara Scott

Lisa Nowak

Gina Damico

Amber Argyle

C.K. Bryant
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Cynthia Hand

Erica O'Rourke

Brodi Ashton

Kimberly Derting

Leah Bobet

Jocelyn Davies

Angela Corbett

Jessica Shirvington
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Gretchen McNeil

Bree Despain

Josephine Angelini

Tera Lynn Childs
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Leigh Fallon

Marley Gibson

Claudia Gray

Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Alexandra Monir

Jeri-Smith Ready
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Heather Davis

Tara Hudson

Colleen Houck
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We are still attempting to add some more authors but this is a very promising group already! I hope you all are as excited about this as I am. As for me I will be writing some bonus material available only during the Scavenger Hunt. I'm thinking of a Christmas story that I want to write so I'd better hurry and get it done.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I'm so thankful for all of you!
Colleen Houck
November 2, 2011
Voyage is Finally Here!!
Many of you new fans might know that I originally self-published TIGER'S CURSE & TIGER'S QUEST, but what you may not know is that I was just a few days shy of self-publishing TIGER'S VOYAGE when I got a call from Alex Glass from Trident Media Group who asked me NOT to publish the book. That happened in the spring of 2010 so many of my early readers were very disappointed that they had to wait an entire year and a half to get to read TIGER'S VOYAGE.

Luckily for me, I have very supportive fans who have stuck by me and helped promote my books like crazy through the long months of waiting. I love you guys!
COVER LOVE
The cover of TIGER'S VOYAGE surprised many, myself included. I, along with many others, thought we'd see tigers on the cover. Actually, the cover went through several interesting stages. Here is what my self-published design looked like.


To date there is only one copy of this version of the book and I own it. What I really liked about this cover was the tension between the fighting cats. On each of my self-published books there was a symbol that represented the gift of Durga my heroes were searching for. The symbol for the Golden Fruit and the Divine Scarf adorn the first two books. Can you figure out from my old TIGER'S VOYAGE cover what they're searching for in book three?


The big thing my publisher, Sterling, loves about the new covers are that the eyes are focal points. This is a theme I agree with since I love the tigers' eyes as well but how would they incorporate that in the third book? At first, they wanted to put Kelsey on the cover but many people had a hard time with that because everyone has a different idea of what Kelsey looks like.


Then it was decided that we would go for a dragon theme. Here are some early mockups.
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These renditions were nice but as you can see in the first one, we were missing the tigers so we added an Asian version of them into the swirling henna background. Then it was decided that the dragon was too small for the eyes to really pop so we created the version below.

This was the version we were going with. My only concern was that the ice dragon was supposed to have blue eyes. So we went back and forth with this for a while until someone noted that Christopher Paolini's fourth book INHERITANCE had a very similar cover. I love Chris Paolini's books but I still think a tiger on his cover would look nice. =) I met Chris recently and the only copy of the photo I got is online since my phone went dead. I'm going to try for another in Miami.

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So it was back to the drawing board again. We changed the cover palette to purple and were able to give the ice dragon his blue eyes after all.

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TIGER'S CURSE QUOTES
I promised you all that I would post all of the TIGER'S CURSE quotes online when we finished the first book. The suggestion to tweet as various book characters came from a good friend of ours, Doug Stringham. So you all owe him one. =)

Tiger's Curse Quotes
Wheat grass shakes? Seriously?! What I wouldn't give for chocolate chip pancakes and a slice of bacon! #Kelsey
I'm worried about grandfather. He despairs of ever finding the one he seeks. #Nilima
They just moved me. I smell rain...and trees. Would it kill them to put me near a window? #Ren
Spending today in the corner of a bookstore reading. Graduation coming soon and then I'll look for a job. #Kelsey
Raining hard in Dallas tonight. Start job search tomorrow. #Kelsey
Davis finally let me out of my cage today. I must have spent 10 minutes just stretching. #Ren
It's been a while since I checked on the prince. I should make the effort again soon. #Mr. Kadam
Got a job. All those times I thought about running away to the circus and now I'm actually doing it. #Kelsey
Tonight was our first performance in the new town. The troupe is on edge. Funds are low. It doesn't bode well for the tiger. #Ren
Started my new job today. Love the people. A white tiger performed! Wish I brought my sketching book. #Kelsey
There's a new girl working here. She's helping Davis. I find myself watching her whenever she's near. #Ren
Sometimes I feel like the tiger is watching me, I mean more than an animal usually does. #Kelsey
She read me poetry. I devoured each word, repeating them in my mind so I wouldn't forget, then I watched over her as she slept. #Ren
I fell asleep near the tiger's cage last night. It was strange but I felt cared for, like when my mom used to tuck me in. #Kelsey
She was leaving so I made a sound and thought, "Please. Just stay a little longer. Don't go yet." That's when...she touched me. #Ren
I touched the tiger. It was crazy and stupid but I...had to. #Kelsey
Something's happened. I took human form for the first time in this century. I spent my minutes relearning to walk on two feet. #Ren
I think the tiger is sick. He's acting strange. He's pacing a lot and he's messing up his routines. #Kelsey
Today is my 18th birthday. Doubt I'll have a party. Do they make soy cakes? I hope not. Sigh...Nothing exciting ever happens to me. #Kelsey
On my way to see the prince. To take human form again after all these years...I can't imagine how difficult it's been for him. #MrKadam
Spoke with Kadam. We think Kelsey is the girl we've been looking for. I hate to deceive her but I really feel it's the only way. #Ren
The prince is remarkably well adjusted despite his captivity. I worry over the girl. There's sadness in her eyes. #MrKadam
To my great relief the young lady has agreed to accompany us. On our way to the plane now. Nilima is unhappy with me for lying. #MrKadam
There's a fire in the girl. I didn't expect that. And she's totally unafraid of the prince. It's hard to believe the beast is a man. #Nilima
When the back of the plane opened, I lifted my head and smelled the air. India! I was home. #Ren
I have never disagreed with Ren's choices before but today we argued hotly over the decision to lead her haplessly into the jungle. #MrKadam
I was immediately aware of her when she stood at the window but I didn't move at first. I wanted to look at her with my human eyes. #Ren
How did I end up in the middle of the Indian jungle with a tiger? I win the prize for world's worst decisions. #Kelsey
Had to chase off a leopard before settling down for the night to watch over Kelsey. She's handling the jungle surprisingly well. #Ren
Spent the night near Kelsey. I buried my nose in her sweet scented hair and when I woke up, I forgot for a moment that I was a tiger. #Ren
I smell like campfire. I have a sunburn. There are bug bites all over my body. And my hiking buddy is a tiger. What's next?! #Kelsey
As a man, I instantly became aware of the gold in her hair, her height measured against mine, and how easily she'd fit in my arms. #Ren
Dropped off the Jeep with Nilima who loudly expressed her concerns with our plan. She's not wrong. I hope Miss Kelsey is safe. #MrKadam
She set her trembling hand in mine & followed me. In the hut she quickly moved away but I could still feel the press of her fingers. #Ren
I told her who I am, what I am, and she didn't run away. For the first time in centuries, I feel hope. #Ren
Leaning about herbs in a hut in the middle of the jungle. What's going on is too crazy for you to believe. #Kelsey
We're heading to the car. She's overheated and sunburned but she's coming. I wish I could talk to her and take care of her properly. #Ren
Nilima has prepared a room for the girl. I'm unsure if the prince would prefer to eat as man or tiger. I have prepared for both. #MrKadam
She twirled in her blue dress & I thought her the most enchanting creature I'd ever seen & her hair, I wanted to bury my hands in it. #Ren
Miss Kelsey and Dhiren have left for the cave. I did all I could to prepare her. I hope it is enough. #MrKadam
Driving to Mumbai with her chatting away, I felt like a man on a date with a beautiful girl, except I was sitting in the back seat. #Ren
I wove a path through the jungle avoiding hundreds of dangerous creatures that could take her life. It's better that she doesn't know. #Ren
When Kelsey found the opening to the labyrinth I caught the fresh scent of lotus and followed it. #Ren
We made it through the traps. Though dangerous, I'd go back through them all just to have her wrap her arms around me like that again. #Ren
We made it out of the cave only to be stalked by another tiger! I fought her off only to find Kelsey being attacked by a panther. #Ren
We made it out by the skin of our teeth or perhaps the skin in my teeth and we're headed for home. I think the hard part is over. #Ren
Hearing her on the veranda, I used 3 precious min to shower & dress. Opening the door, my stomach twisted with nerves & anticipation. #Ren
I had hoped the curse would be broken after the cave but it appears there is much more that must be done. #MrKadam
Kadam told me that breaking the curse meant more danger for Kelsey. Convincing Kishan to give up his amulet is only way to protect her. #Ren
Ren wants to find his brother. I don't believe Kishan will help him. The tiger seems to have taken over the man. #MrKadam
I was stalking dinner when I came across the scent. After all these years he was still alive. Prey forgotten, I trailed my brother. #Kishan
I watched her standing by the waterfall. She laughed as butterflies rose & landed in her hair. All I could think about was kissing her. #Ren
Led Ren far from his campsite, I want to see what he's protecting out there. #Kishan
She read a poem & I found a summer's day in the blush of her cheek, the sun's glint in her hair, & the peach blossom scent of her skin. #Ren
I had no right to be in love. I had nothing to offer her. But reason drowned in the beat of my heart, & I asked permission to kiss her. #Ren
Blushing, she stammered, embarrassed by my suggestion. I'm a fool. How could I ask her to return my affections when she only knows the tiger? #Ren
I crouched in the trees watching the girl. She was writing something. I was fascinated by the expressions flitting across her face. #Kishan
He tricked me, doubling back to follow his own tracks & when I realized he was headed for Kelsey I ran faster than I ever had before. #Ren
He fought me. I've never seen Ren act this way before. He was always the model son, the diplomat. Has he changed or is it her? #Kishan
I was out of time and as a tiger there wasn't much I could do, other than killing him, to prevent Kishan from sweet talking Kelsey. #Ren
Ren asked me to watch over Kelsey. I can understand his interest in her. She's brave & determined but she's also tender hearted. #Kishan
I can't hunt, can't focus. All I can think about is Kishan either not taking care of Kelsey well enough or taking care of her too well. #Ren
I woke Kelsey from her nightmare and wrapped her in my arms. The thunder of my heart was more powerful than the raging storm. #Ren
A big animal moved outside my tent. Assumed it was Ren and was shocked to see the younger prince instead holding Miss Kelsey's bag. #MrKadam
Circling back, I found the camp deserted. Running fast, I caught up and watched them from the trees. I didn't want her to leave. #Kishan
I was relieved that Kishan loaned his amulet to Miss Kelsey. She seemed...out of sorts upon her return from the jungle. #MrKadam
When we left Ren in the jungle it was like a #Iscrewedupmydatewithadreamyguy + #Iabandonedmypetonthesideoftheroad feeling. #Kelsey
I paced in the jungle and then, suddenly, I just started running. When I found her hotel it was late. I let out a breath and knocked. #Ren
She opened the door & I asked if I could stay. It wasn't proper to ask but she was my light in a dark room & I craved her desperately. #Ren
I didn't expect anything. I just wanted to be near her. The world outside fell away. Melted around us. Then, she kissed me. #Ren
I cupped her precious face in my hands & she trembled. She seemed frightened, fragile at first, but then she clung to me & I was lost. #Ren
She was a perfect bloom. I smoothed the soft petals of her hair, touched my lips to her delicate arched neck, & tucked her into my soul. #Ren
Just before dawn I woke, softly touched her cheek, & headed back to the jungle. My future was undetermined but I wanted her in it. #Ren
I plan to take Miss Kelsey to a temple of Durga today. I chose the one closest to Hampi. It may result in nothing but we must try. #MrKadam
Kelsey had the cutest smudge of dirt across her nose. It was nice exploring the temple with her. Nice until the statue came to life. #Ren
Sensing her fear, I leapt in front of Kelsey and came face to face with Durga's tiger. He snarled & watched Kelsey with hungry eyes. #Ren
The snake headed toward Kelsey & waves fear came from her, so thick it almost choked me. There was nothing I could do except watch. #Ren
I intended to check on Kelsey & Ren in the temple when a strange lethargy came over me. It caused me to sleep until their return. #MrKadam
The golden treasures amazed me. When Miss Kelsey lifted the gada with ease, I realized that I might not be meant to help them. #MrKadam
They spent the day in Hampi. I sat under a shady tree, licked my paws, & sulked, wishing I was the man at her side, holding her hand. #Ren
Kadam sent us into the ruins at night. I could see clearly enough but Kelsey struggled. Then, the golden snake lit up the landscape. #Ren
We couldn't open the passageway that night. Kelsey slept fitfully while I kept watch over the ruins & the woman I couldn't live without. #Ren
The trees attacked. I panicked when I sensed Kelsey giving up and beat the trees with violent desperation until we were safely through. #Ren
When I realized the tiger had no pull over me, I could have wept. Instead, I took hold of Kelsey's hand and walked beside her as a man. #Ren
I raced through the cave looking for Kelsey. I avoided imposters & finally caught her lovely scent. I found her dead & my heart stopped. #Ren
I paced the jungle worrying. Ren obviously wanted her, but I wondered if she felt the same. Why can't I stop thinking about her? #Kishan
I was so thrilled about being human it took half a day for me to realize that Kelsey was nervously pulling away. What am I doing wrong? #Ren
Kelsey slept in my arms. I pulled her close & pressed my lips to her shoulder. She sighed softly, whispered my name & I was enchanted. #Ren
Having Kelsey wake up in my arms was a gift but she seemed embarrassed & avoided me all morning. Something's wrong. Doesn't she trust me? #Ren
Kelsey avoided me all day. The only change in our relationship was that I was a man. Maybe she only cares for the tiger version of me. #Ren
She only loved the tiger. She didn't know how trapped I felt in that form. I allowed resentment to fester & lost my temper. #Ren
I plucked a mango flower from the golden tree hoping to apologize but she moved away again as if she couldn't stand to be near me. #Ren
When the monkeys attacked I tried to divert their attention & headed to the trees to dispatch them quickly so I could help Kelsey. #Ren
Leaving Kelsey in a safe place, I led the Kappa into the needle forest and savagely ripped them apart with teeth and claws. # Ren
Finishing off the Kappa I paused. Something was wrong. I raced back to the clearing like a madman cursing myself for leaving her alone. #Ren
At first I thought it had killed her. In a blind rage I destroyed it, then I heard her gasp & sunk to my knees. She was alive...barely. #Ren
I wouldn't have moved her but I heard the trees & knew more Kappa were coming. Cradling her in my arms, I raced back to the cave. #Ren
When we got to the cave, I treated the wound as best I could but she was still fading and there was nothing I could do to stop it. #Ren
Fear became despair as I watched her suffer. As her life ebbed away, I clutched her fingers & wondered how I'd go on living without her. #Ren
I was resting when the breeze suddenly died. An omen. I raised my head and sniffed the dead air. I shouldn't have let them go alone. #Kishan
I knew she was dying. There was so much I wanted to say but all I could do was try to make her comfortable. Then Fanindra struck. #Ren
I raised the gada intent on killing Fanindra but then I saw her golden venom was actually healing Kelsey. Instead I wept in gratitude. #Ren
She lived and my soul filled with gladness. If she would have agreed, I'd have happily stayed there with her forever. #Ren
She insisted on heading back & immediately pulled away from me. I need to know if what I feel is one sided or if she's just stubborn. #Ren
Something in me snapped when she marched up the stairs. A gentleman doesn't take, he asks. But I couldn't let her walk away from me. #Ren
I wrapped the unyielding woman I loved in my arms & kissed her slowly, hoping that some part of her would sense my absolute devotion. #Ren
She answered with a passion I didn't expect & I was lost. In that moment our hearts beat as one. In that moment I knew she loved me. #Ren
Thrilled with the knowledge that she loved me, it took me a moment to realize that she was angry. I found her tantrum irresistible. #Ren
Kelsey & Ren appeared shortly after sunrise. Seeing Lokesh in my dream filled me with a cold dread that I kept hidden from them. #MrKadam
That she was still angry was obvious, but nothing dimmed my mood until Kadam asked her about the vision & she confirmed what he saw. #Ren
Left in the jungle, I paced, hating my tiger form. In Kishkindha I had a taste of being a man. Now anything else feels insufferable. #Ren
I became a man the instant my body allowed. I waited for the pull of the tiger to overtake me. An hour passed, then two. Am I cured? #Ren
The prince met me as a man & we rejoiced together that he could now take human form for a few hours. It is more than we hoped for. #MrKadam
Ren spoke like the man I once knew. He instructed me regarding Miss Kelsey confirming my suspicions about his feelings for her. #MrKadam
With Miss Kelsey settled in at the hotel, Ren & I went into town. He got a haircut, bought clothes & walked the streets as a man. #MrKadam
The prince wanted to surprise Miss Kelsey at dinner. I hesitated but he assured me that he would be kind and behave as a gentleman. #MrKadam
I watched her enter the restaurant. Her lovely hair hung in soft waves around her shoulders. Needing to touch it, I rose to greet her. #Ren
She refused to look at me so I cupped her chin & her eyes finally found mine. I desperately hoped that she'd see a man & not a tiger. #Ren
She wanted to run from me. Again. Threatening her worked. She lifted her stubborn chin & narrowed her eyes, the frightened deer expression gone. #Ren
The waitress gave me a food list. What does entree, kebab, or marinated mean? Embarrassed, I told the woman to bring one of everything. #Ren
Kelsey was jealous of the waitress. I almost laughed. This beautiful girl was absolutely perfect for me. How could I look at another? #Ren
She announced that she might not be needed to complete the other tasks. I tried to hide the cold wave of panic that swept through me. #Ren
Something happened. I was hidden in the trees in human form watching a group of children kick a ball. An hour passed, then two. #Kishan
I tried to talk about us, but I was a novice at such things and she countered my every word with the ease of a skilled swordsman. #Ren
Our first date didn't go as planned. She was determined to escape-the wrong thing to do with a tiger-it took all my restraint not to pounce. #Ren
We spoke for several hours. It is gratifying to see that despite his years as a tiger, the good man I once knew is still there. #MrKadam
Going from being a man 24/7 in Kishkindha to only getting 6 hrs/day was hard but for the first time in decades I look forward to tmw. #Ren
I stumbled into the village barefooted & asked the first person I met to help me find my friend. She fed me & called the authorities. #Kishan
I was going over the list of forged documents needed to bring the prince back from the dead when I got the call that Kishan wanted to come home. #MrKadam
I growled as I tried to make her a sandwich, annoyed with my inability to compete such a simple modern task. I'd been a tiger too long. #Ren
She said she wanted to talk & I was relieved. In my time a man who felt this way about a woman wasted no time declaring his intentions. #Ren
I parked near the village at dusk & a few moments later the big black cat emerged from the trees. Kishan was finally coming home. #MrKadam
Hearing her on the veranda, my heartbeat quickened. I've mingled with kings & warlords but only with her do I lose my composure. #Ren
The setting sun glinting off her hair & skin made her look like a goddess trapped in human form. I'd never seen a woman so beautiful. #Ren
I took her hand & enjoyed the moment. Six hours stretched ahead of me like a lifetime & my heart was filled with love and gratitude. #Ren
She was nervous so I massaged her feet. Blisters covered the delicate arches. I was determined never to cause her such pain again. #Ren
We passed through a city with impossibly tall buildings and as I marveled, I thought, how was I going to acclimate to this new world? #Kishan
At first I thought she was rejecting me because I wasn't normal. It hurt but I understood it. Then I realized that wasn't it at all. #Ren
She believed she was ordinary? Impossible! Any man with common sense would see what I do. The more she went on the angrier I became. #Ren
She said I only loved her because of the curse & that I only wanted her because I felt pity. Obviously I'd failed in conveying my true feelings. #Ren
When she said she was leaving it was like the wide world, suddenly open to me, shrunk to a pinpoint of light. How could I breathe without her? #Ren
She closed the door & I felt caged, trapped. I pressed my palms against the offensive barrier & tried to stop myself from breaking it. #Ren
Stepping into the massive house was intimidating but I caught her scent immediately & knew I'd made the right decision by returning. #Kishan
I'm approaching this wrong. Maybe Nilima can help. Regardless, before she leaves I need to make sure Kelsey knows exactly how I feel. #Ren
Passing her door I heard water & something else. She was crying. Kadam shook his head and led on. If Ren hurt her, I'd kill him. # Kishan
Though exhilarating to consider the Golden Fruit's power, I worried over our blind leap into a world of seemingly limitless magic. #MrKadam
Tears came as she confessed her feelings for Ren. In the past I'd be overstepping my bounds to counsel the prince but I feel I must. #MrKadam
Kadam wants to let her leave. He was surprised by my defiance but I won't let her go, at least not until she knows exactly how I feel. #Ren
Kelsey went swimming. I rehearsed what I wanted to say, headed outside, & saw her hug Kishan. Insanely jealous, I broke the railing. #Ren
Kadam told me Kishan returned and now I knew why. I didn't react much to his stealing Yesubai, but with Kelsey, he was risking his life. #Ren
I was nervous, but when she put her arms around me I knew I made the right decision. At that moment I truly felt like I'd come home. #Kishan
Kadam told me that Kelsey wasn't betrothed to Ren but still, I refused to make the same mistake again. I planned to ask her outright. #Kishan
We talked and I asked her to accompany me to dinner. She agreed! Kadam will act as our chaperone. Also discovered I like root beer. #Kishan
They left for dinner & I paced. I thought of Kishan taking her hand & making her laugh. Unable to stand it any longer, I called a taxi. #Ren
I should've been out of my element, but as she described the modern world with enthusiasm, I felt as if there was a place for me. #Kishan
I urged the driver to go faster. I felt a strange pressing need to find her & knew somehow that if I didn't hurry I'd lose her forever. #Ren
She danced with Kadam & I couldn't take my eyes off her. Not knowing how to court her or if it was even proper, I asked her to dance. #Kishan
Cold ice trickled through my veins as I stood there watching Kishan & Kelsey dance. I wanted to dash out on the floor & rip him apart. #Ren
I lifted my head when I caught Ren's scent. He was fuming to the point that I thought a vein might explode in his head. Interesting. #Kishan
He was coldly indifferent to Yesubai. He was angry, yes, but with Kelsey my always-in-control older brother became a snarling beast. #Kishan
Kishan left and the moment I touched her, my icy blood warmed. The anger subsided and I felt as if I could breathe again. #Ren
I couldn't let her leave. She needed to know what she meant to me. Guiding her outside, I mentally rehearsed what to say. #Ren
What could I say to make this beautiful girl know how desperately I needed her? Practiced words fled my mind & I shamelessly begged. #Ren
Ren had been enraged & I worried when he took Kelsey outside. I rose to check on her but Kadam held me back & said they'd be fine. #Kishan
I gave her an anklet I'd bought before our dinner date & couldn't help feeling proud to see the girl I loved wear jewelry I'd given her. #Ren
Cage me? Didn't she know I was only free when I was with her? I again cursed my inability to express myself properly in this century. #Ren
After confessing her love, she ran from me. I wanted to stop her but I let her go. If she really loved me how could she leave? #Ren
Miss Kelsey ran into the restaurant with streaming tears. Ah the drama of young love. I'd have to speak with the princes. #MrKadam
When I saw her tears, I took her arm & guided her towards the car. Now I was the one fuming. He hurt her? I'd hurt him. #Kishan
I spoke with Miss Kelsey and then told both of the princes that they needed to let her return to Oregon. In fact, I insisted. #MrKadam
In the shade of a tree, I watch as she drove off. How did Ren mess up so completely that she had to put half a world between us? #Kishan
I couldn't bring myself to watch her leave. Instead, I ran off into the trees as a tiger worried that if I saw her, I'd never let her go. #Ren
At the last second, I sped back to the house, frantic to see one final glimpse of her. I felt I wouldn't survive unless I did. #Ren
I raced alongside the car but they were too far down the road. Brokenheartedly, I roared out in hopelessness and grief. She was gone. #Ren
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TOUR INFO
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BOSTON
Friday, November 4th – 7:00pm
The Odyssey Bookshop
9 College St
South Hadley, MA 01075
(413) 534-7307
http://www.odysseybks.com/calendar.ht...
Saturday, November 5th – 3:00pm
Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
(617) 536-5400
Also while in Boston I will go to these bookstores to sign stock. Watch for tweets with arrival times and I can personalize your books there if you can't make it to one of the events.
Stock Signings
B&N Prudential Center
800 Boylston Street Suite 179
Boston, MA 02199
617-247-6959
B&N Chestnut Hill
170 Boylston Street
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-965-7621
B&N Saugus
Staples Plaza
444A Broadway
Saugus, MA 01906
781-231-4711
Brookline Booksmith
279 Harvard Street
Brookline MA 02446-2908
Tel: 617-566-6660
Fax: 617-734-9125
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OREGON
Tuesday, November 8th – 7:00pm
Powell's Books @Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR
(800) 878-7323
Note: Giving away a fabulous prize bag or maybe bags at this event so dress up in Indian clothes or like Kelsey or you can show your tiger love by making your own tee shirt! I'm expecting a fun crowd in my hometown!
Saturday, December 3rd
TBA-Three Costco signings. I'll let you know where and when after I get the details.
Saturday, December 10th
Barnes & Noble Booksellers Bookfair
Vancouver Plaza
7700 NE 4th Plain Blvd.
Vancouver, WA 98662
Time TBA
Saturday, January 21st - 2:00 pm
Salem Public Library
Teen Scene Event
Phone: 503-588-6083
585 Liberty St. SE
Salem, OR 97301
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MISSISSIPPI
Friday, November 11th – 7:00pm
Lemuria Books
4465 I 55 N # 202
Jackson, MS 39206-6198
(601) 366-7619
Stock Signing
B&N Colony Park
1000 Highland Colony Pkwy Ste 3008
Ridgeland, MS 39157
phone: 601-605-4028
Note: I think I'm doing a school event here too.
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GEORGIA
Monday, November 14th – 7:00pm
Barnes & Noble@Buckhead
2900 Peachtree Road NE Suite 310
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-261-7747
Note: I will do stock signing but not sure where yet.
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FLORIDA
Note: School Visits on the 17th
Note: Depending on when I have free time I'd love to go see Breaking Dawn with some fans either on the 18th or 19th
Saturday, November 19th – 12:30pm
Miami Book Fair International
300 Northeast 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132-2204
(305) 237-3258
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That is all the tour info I have at present. I am still hoping to hit some other places and will let you know where and when ASAP. In the meantime, if your city was missed you can still write my publisher at kids@sterlingpublishing.com and let them know where you want to see me. They would really like to hear from as many of you as possible for the TIGER'S DESTINY TOUR.
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CONTEST INFO FROM SUKI
CROSSWORD PUZZLE WINNERS
Melissa (melissatiger)
Denise (ms.kishan)
Cynthia (TigersWarp)
Hannah (Hannahnut)
TheTrueReader (Victoria)
Congratulations! You have received an email from me. Make sure you get back to me quickly with your mailing address so we can get your signed bookmark sent to you.
HALLOWEEN CONTEST WINNER
It was so much fun to read all (104!) the entries to the Halloween Contest. The most varied answer was what Mr. Kadam would pass out. I saw everything from expensive cars to food from the Golden fruit to king-sized candy bars.
Our winner is Britt! You have received an email from me. Get back to me quickly with your mailing address and we'll get your prize pack sent to you.
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NOVEMBER CONTESTS
Can I get a woot woot?! November is here and that means so is Tiger's Voyage!
Tiger's Voyage is a great third installment to the Tiger Series and I know we are all looking forward to Tiger's Destiny. To help ease the passage of time, we will continue to bring giveaways and contests of all kinds. If you have questions about any contest or giveaway, you can email me (Suki) at contests@colleenhouck.com.
We have two contests for November and they both will end at midnight (EST) on Wednesday, November 30, 2011.
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ALL ABOUT AMAZON

Contest #1 is focused on the Amazon.com website. Before I give you a quick rundown on how you can enter, let me tell you the prize.
PRIZE
We have three audio books: one for Tiger's Curse, Tiger's Quest, and Tiger's Voyage. There will be THREE winners! Each winner will receive ONE of the audio books. Which winner receives which book will be chosen at random.
WAYS TO ENTER
All the instructions are found in Rafflecopter below (click on "Click for Instructions") but just in case you want some extra reading, here you go.
Entries 1-3: Write a review for Tiger's Curse, Tiger's Quest, and/or Tiger's Voyage. Make sure to leave me the URL so I can read your lovely review!
Entry 4: Create a Listmania List. Listmania Lists are lists that you create on whatever topic you want. You can create a list of your favorite books. Or if that list is really long you could create a list of favorite fantasy books. Or adventure books. Or Indian books. Or... you get the idea. Just make sure you include at least one of the Tiger books. And, of course, leave me the URL so I can add a million more books to my "to read" list.
Entries 5-7: Choose tags for Tiger's Curse, Tiger's Quest, and/or Tiger's Voyage. Tags let other people find the Tiger books. You're basically choosing search words so when other people search for "India" or "tigers" they can find these books.
Entries 8-10: Follow Colleen on twitter, like Tigers Curse on Facebook, and subscribe to Colleen's newsletters.
Entries 11-14: Create or participate in a discussion about the Tiger series. For a general sort of topic or to just gush about Colleen in general, you can go to entry 11. Leave me the URL.
Entries 1-10 can be done ONE TIME ONLY. Entries 11-14 can be done one time PER DAY. Just make sure to leave me the URL each time.
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FOOD, FOOD, FOOD

Contest #2 is all about food.
PRIZE
One winner will receive a foodie prize pack.
HOW TO ENTER
There is only one way to enter this contest so make it count!
What do you feed a tiger? Or rather, what food would use to tempt a tiger? Or maybe a handsome Indian prince (or two) that also happens to be tiger
part of the time.
You can choose ANYTHING you want (drink, dessert, breakfast, snacks). It can be from any culture (Indian, Chinese, Mexican). Try to be creative or
I have a feeling I'm going to be seeing several recipes for peanut butter chocolate cookies and peaches and cream milkshake! You CAN submit those
recipes. Just maybe you will get a bonus point or ten for creativity. However, you have to submit a RECIPE. Ingredient list + instructions. If you have a source (a cookbook name or a website), send that along as well.
Email your recipe to me at contests@colleenhouck.com.
I hope you enjoy all these contests! I know that this month my list of books to read and food to make is going to increase and I didn't really need help to add to those lists. But no matter, this is going to be fun! Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!
Suki
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Whew! That was a lot of info to pack into one blog! Okay my friends, don't forget to come find me at one of my events if you can and enjoy the TIGER'S CURSE quotes and reading VOYAGE this month while I'm busy.
Also if you need bookplates (signed stickers) for gifts, email my sister at contactme@colleenhouck.com and she will let you know what to do to get them. Have a great week!
\n/,
(That's I love you in American Sign Language)
Colleen
Voyage is Finally Here!
Many of you new fans might know that I originally self-published TIGER'S CURSE & TIGER'S QUEST, but what you may not know is that I was just a few days shy of self-publishing TIGER'S VOYAGE when I got a call from Alex Glass from Trident Media Group who asked me NOT to publish the book. That happened in the spring of 2010 so many of my early readers were very disappointed that they had to wait an entire year and a half to get to read TIGER'S VOYAGE.

Luckily for me, I have very supportive fans who have stuck by me and helped promote my books like crazy through the long months of waiting. I love you guys!
COVER LOVE
The cover of TIGER'S VOYAGE surprised many, myself included. I, along with many others, thought we'd see tigers on the cover. Actually, the cover went through several interesting stages. Here is what my self-published design looked like.


To date there is only one copy of this version of the book and I own it. What I really liked about this cover was the tension between the fighting cats. On each of my self-published books there was a symbol that represented the gift of Durga my heroes were searching for. The symbol for the Golden Fruit and the Divine Scarf adorn the first two books. Can you figure out from my old TIGER'S VOYAGE cover what they're searching for in book three?


The big thing my publisher, Sterling, loves about the new covers are that the eyes are focal points. This is a theme I agree with since I love the tigers' eyes as well but how would they incorporate that in the third book? At first, they wanted to put Kelsey on the cover but many people had a hard time with that because everyone has a different idea of what Kelsey looks like.


Then it was decided that we would go for a dragon theme. Here are some early mockups.
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These renditions were nice but as you can see in the first one, we were missing the tigers so we added an Asian version of them into the swirling henna background. Then it was decided that the dragon was too small for the eyes to really pop so we created the version below.

This was the version we were going with. My only concern was that the ice dragon was supposed to have blue eyes. So we went back and forth with this for a while until someone noted that Christopher Paolini's fourth book INHERITANCE had a very similar cover. I love Chris Paolini's books but I still think a tiger on his cover would look nice. =) I met Chris recently and the only copy of the photo I got is online since my phone went dead. I'm going to try for another in Miami.

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So it was back to the drawing board again. We changed the cover palette to purple and were able to give the ice dragon his blue eyes after all.

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TIGER'S CURSE QUOTES
I promised you all that I would post all of the TIGER'S CURSE quotes online when we finished the first book. The suggestion to tweet as various book characters came from a good friend of ours, Doug Stringham. So you all owe him one. =)
These are in chronological order but backwards since I didn't have time to switch them all so read them bottom to top. =)

Tiger's Curse Quotes
I raced alongside the car but they were too far down the road. Brokenheartedly, I roared out in hopelessness and grief. She was gone. #Ren
At the last second, I sped back to the house, frantic to see one final glimpse of her. I felt I wouldn't survive unless I did. #Ren
I couldn't bring myself to watch her leave. Instead, I ran off into the trees as a tiger worried that if I saw her, I'd never let her go. #Ren
In the shade of a tree, I watch as she drove off. How did Ren mess up so completely that she had to put half a world between us? #Kishan
I spoke with Miss Kelsey and then told both of the princes that they needed to let her return to Oregon. In fact, I insisted. #MrKadam
When I saw her tears, I took her arm & guided her towards the car. Now I was the one fuming. He hurt her? I'd hurt him. #Kishan
Miss Kelsey ran into the restaurant with streaming tears. Ah the drama of young love. I'd have to speak with the princes. #MrKadam
After confessing her love, she ran from me. I wanted to stop her but I let her go. If she really loved me how could she leave? #Ren
Cage me? Didn't she know I was only free when I was with her? I again cursed my inability to express myself properly in this century. #Ren
I gave her an anklet I'd bought before our dinner date & couldn't help feeling proud to see the girl I loved wear jewelry I'd given her. #Ren
Ren had been enraged & I worried when he took Kelsey outside. I rose to check on her but Kadam held me back & said they'd be fine. #Kishan
What could I say to make this beautiful girl know how desperately I needed her? Practiced words fled my mind & I shamelessly begged. #Ren
I couldn't let her leave. She needed to know what she meant to me. Guiding her outside, I mentally rehearsed what to say. #Ren
Kishan left and the moment I touched her, my icy blood warmed. The anger subsided and I felt as if I could breathe again. #Ren
He was coldly indifferent to Yesubai. He was angry, yes, but with Kelsey my always-in-control older brother became a snarling beast. #Kishan
I lifted my head when I caught Ren's scent. He was fuming to the point that I thought a vein might explode in his head. Interesting. #Kishan
Cold ice trickled through my veins as I stood there watching Kishan & Kelsey dance. I wanted to dash out on the floor & rip him apart. #Ren
She danced with Kadam & I couldn't take my eyes off her. Not knowing how to court her or if it was even proper, I asked her to dance. #Kishan
I urged the driver to go faster. I felt a strange pressing need to find her & knew somehow that if I didn't hurry I'd lose her forever. #Ren
I should've been out of my element, but as she described the modern world with enthusiasm, I felt as if there was a place for me. #Kishan
They left for dinner & I paced. I thought of Kishan taking her hand & making her laugh. Unable to stand it any longer, I called a taxi. #Ren
We talked and I asked her to accompany me to dinner. She agreed! Kadam will act as our chaperone. Also discovered I like root beer. #Kishan
Kadam told me that Kelsey wasn't betrothed to Ren but still, I refused to make the same mistake again. I planned to ask her outright. #Kishan
I was nervous, but when she put her arms around me I knew I made the right decision. At that moment I truly felt like I'd come home. #Kishan
Kadam told me Kishan returned and now I knew why. I didn't react much to his stealing Yesubai, but with Kelsey, he was risking his life. #Ren
Kelsey went swimming. I rehearsed what I wanted to say, headed outside, & saw her hug Kishan. Insanely jealous, I broke the railing. #Ren
Kadam wants to let her leave. He was surprised by my defiance but I won't let her go, at least not until she knows exactly how I feel. #Ren
Tears came as she confessed her feelings for Ren. In the past I'd be overstepping my bounds to counsel the prince but I feel I must. #MrKadam
Though exhilarating to consider the Golden Fruit's power, I worried over our blind leap into a world of seemingly limitless magic. #MrKadam
Passing her door I heard water & something else. She was crying. Kadam shook his head and led on. If Ren hurt her, I'd kill him. # Kishan
I'm approaching this wrong. Maybe Nilima can help. Regardless, before she leaves I need to make sure Kelsey knows exactly how I feel. #Ren
Stepping into the massive house was intimidating but I caught her scent immediately & knew I'd made the right decision by returning. #Kishan
She closed the door & I felt caged, trapped. I pressed my palms against the offensive barrier & tried to stop myself from breaking it. #Ren
When she said she was leaving it was like the wide world, suddenly open to me, shrunk to a pinpoint of light. How could I breathe without her? #Ren
She said I only loved her because of the curse & that I only wanted her because I felt pity. Obviously I'd failed in conveying my true feelings. #Ren
She believed she was ordinary? Impossible! Any man with common sense would see what I do. The more she went on the angrier I became. #Ren
At first I thought she was rejecting me because I wasn't normal. It hurt but I understood it. Then I realized that wasn't it at all. #Ren
We passed through a city with impossibly tall buildings and as I marveled, I thought, how was I going to acclimate to this new world? #Kishan
She was nervous so I massaged her feet. Blisters covered the delicate arches. I was determined never to cause her such pain again. #Ren
I took her hand & enjoyed the moment. Six hours stretched ahead of me like a lifetime & my heart was filled with love and gratitude. #Ren
The setting sun glinting off her hair & skin made her look like a goddess trapped in human form. I'd never seen a woman so beautiful. #Ren
Hearing her on the veranda, my heartbeat quickened. I've mingled with kings & warlords but only with her do I lose my composure. #Ren
I parked near the village at dusk & a few moments later the big black cat emerged from the trees. Kishan was finally coming home. #MrKadam
She said she wanted to talk & I was relieved. In my time a man who felt this way about a woman wasted no time declaring his intentions. #Ren
I growled as I tried to make her a sandwich, annoyed with my inability to compete such a simple modern task. I'd been a tiger too long. #Ren
I was going over the list of forged documents needed to bring the prince back from the dead when I got the call that Kishan wanted to come home. #MrKadam
I stumbled into the village barefooted & asked the first person I met to help me find my friend. She fed me & called the authorities. #Kishan
Going from being a man 24/7 in Kishkindha to only getting 6 hrs/day was hard but for the first time in decades I look forward to tmw. #Ren
We spoke for several hours. It is gratifying to see that despite his years as a tiger, the good man I once knew is still there. #MrKadam
Our first date didn't go as planned. She was determined to escape-the wrong thing to do with a tiger-it took all my restraint not to pounce. #Ren
I tried to talk about us, but I was a novice at such things and she countered my every word with the ease of a skilled swordsman. #Ren
Something happened. I was hidden in the trees in human form watching a group of children kick a ball. An hour passed, then two. #Kishan
She announced that she might not be needed to complete the other tasks. I tried to hide the cold wave of panic that swept through me. #Ren
Kelsey was jealous of the waitress. I almost laughed. This beautiful girl was absolutely perfect for me. How could I look at another? #Ren
The waitress gave me a food list. What does entree, kebab, or marinated mean? Embarrassed, I told the woman to bring one of everything. #Ren
She wanted to run from me. Again. Threatening her worked. She lifted her stubborn chin & narrowed her eyes, the frightened deer expression gone. #Ren
She refused to look at me so I cupped her chin & her eyes finally found mine. I desperately hoped that she'd see a man & not a tiger. #Ren
I watched her enter the restaurant. Her lovely hair hung in soft waves around her shoulders. Needing to touch it, I rose to greet her. #Ren
The prince wanted to surprise Miss Kelsey at dinner. I hesitated but he assured me that he would be kind and behave as a gentleman. #MrKadam
With Miss Kelsey settled in at the hotel, Ren & I went into town. He got a haircut, bought clothes & walked the streets as a man. #MrKadam
Ren spoke like the man I once knew. He instructed me regarding Miss Kelsey confirming my suspicions about his feelings for her. #MrKadam
The prince met me as a man & we rejoiced together that he could now take human form for a few hours. It is more than we hoped for. #MrKadam
I became a man the instant my body allowed. I waited for the pull of the tiger to overtake me. An hour passed, then two. Am I cured? #Ren
Left in the jungle, I paced, hating my tiger form. In Kishkindha I had a taste of being a man. Now anything else feels insufferable. #Ren
That she was still angry was obvious, but nothing dimmed my mood until Kadam asked her about the vision & she confirmed what he saw. #Ren
Kelsey & Ren appeared shortly after sunrise. Seeing Lokesh in my dream filled me with a cold dread that I kept hidden from them. #MrKadam
Thrilled with the knowledge that she loved me, it took me a moment to realize that she was angry. I found her tantrum irresistible. #Ren
She answered with a passion I didn't expect & I was lost. In that moment our hearts beat as one. In that moment I knew she loved me. #Ren
I wrapped the unyielding woman I loved in my arms & kissed her slowly, hoping that some part of her would sense my absolute devotion. #Ren
Something in me snapped when she marched up the stairs. A gentleman doesn't take, he asks. But I couldn't let her walk away from me. #Ren
She insisted on heading back & immediately pulled away from me. I need to know if what I feel is one sided or if she's just stubborn. #Ren
She lived and my soul filled with gladness. If she would have agreed, I'd have happily stayed there with her forever. #Ren
I raised the gada intent on killing Fanindra but then I saw her golden venom was actually healing Kelsey. Instead I wept in gratitude. #Ren
I knew she was dying. There was so much I wanted to say but all I could do was try to make her comfortable. Then Fanindra struck. #Ren
I was resting when the breeze suddenly died. An omen. I raised my head and sniffed the dead air. I shouldn't have let them go alone. #Kishan
Fear became despair as I watched her suffer. As her life ebbed away, I clutched her fingers & wondered how I'd go on living without her. #Ren
When we got to the cave, I treated the wound as best I could but she was still fading and there was nothing I could do to stop it. #Ren
I wouldn't have moved her but I heard the trees & knew more Kappa were coming. Cradling her in my arms, I raced back to the cave. #Ren
At first I thought it had killed her. In a blind rage I destroyed it, then I heard her gasp & sunk to my knees. She was alive...barely. #Ren
Finishing off the Kappa I paused. Something was wrong. I raced back to the clearing like a madman cursing myself for leaving her alone. #Ren
Leaving Kelsey in a safe place, I led the Kappa into the needle forest and savagely ripped them apart with teeth and claws. # Ren
When the monkeys attacked I tried to divert their attention & headed to the trees to dispatch them quickly so I could help Kelsey. #Ren
I plucked a mango flower from the golden tree hoping to apologize but she moved away again as if she couldn't stand to be near me. #Ren
She only loved the tiger. She didn't know how trapped I felt in that form. I allowed resentment to fester & lost my temper. #Ren
Kelsey avoided me all day. The only change in our relationship was that I was a man. Maybe she only cares for the tiger version of me. #Ren
Having Kelsey wake up in my arms was a gift but she seemed embarrassed & avoided me all morning. Something's wrong. Doesn't she trust me? #Ren
Kelsey slept in my arms. I pulled her close & pressed my lips to her shoulder. She sighed softly, whispered my name & I was enchanted. #Ren
I was so thrilled about being human it took half a day for me to realize that Kelsey was nervously pulling away. What am I doing wrong? #Ren
I paced the jungle worrying. Ren obviously wanted her, but I wondered if she felt the same. Why can't I stop thinking about her? #Kishan
I raced through the cave looking for Kelsey. I avoided imposters & finally caught her lovely scent. I found her dead & my heart stopped. #Ren
When I realized the tiger had no pull over me, I could have wept. Instead, I took hold of Kelsey's hand and walked beside her as a man. #Ren
The trees attacked. I panicked when I sensed Kelsey giving up and beat the trees with violent desperation until we were safely through. #Ren
We couldn't open the passageway that night. Kelsey slept fitfully while I kept watch over the ruins & the woman I couldn't live without. #Ren
Kadam sent us into the ruins at night. I could see clearly enough but Kelsey struggled. Then, the golden snake lit up the landscape. #Ren
They spent the day in Hampi. I sat under a shady tree, licked my paws, & sulked, wishing I was the man at her side, holding her hand. #Ren
The golden treasures amazed me. When Miss Kelsey lifted the gada with ease, I realized that I might not be meant to help them. #MrKadam
I intended to check on Kelsey & Ren in the temple when a strange lethargy came over me. It caused me to sleep until their return. #MrKadam
The snake headed toward Kelsey & waves fear came from her, so thick it almost choked me. There was nothing I could do except watch. #Ren
Sensing her fear, I leapt in front of Kelsey and came face to face with Durga's tiger. He snarled & watched Kelsey with hungry eyes. #Ren
Kelsey had the cutest smudge of dirt across her nose. It was nice exploring the temple with her. Nice until the statue came to life. #Ren
I plan to take Miss Kelsey to a temple of Durga today. I chose the one closest to Hampi. It may result in nothing but we must try. #MrKadam
Just before dawn I woke, softly touched her cheek, & headed back to the jungle. My future was undetermined but I wanted her in it. #Ren
She was a perfect bloom. I smoothed the soft petals of her hair, touched my lips to her delicate arched neck, & tucked her into my soul. #Ren
I cupped her precious face in my hands & she trembled. She seemed frightened, fragile at first, but then she clung to me & I was lost. #Ren
I didn't expect anything. I just wanted to be near her. The world outside fell away. Melted around us. Then, she kissed me. #Ren
She opened the door & I asked if I could stay. It wasn't proper to ask but she was my light in a dark room & I craved her desperately. #Ren
I paced in the jungle and then, suddenly, I just started running. When I found her hotel it was late. I let out a breath and knocked. #Ren
When we left Ren in the jungle it was like a #Iscrewedupmydatewithadreamyguy + #Iabandonedmypetonthesideoftheroad feeling. #Kelsey
I was relieved that Kishan loaned his amulet to Miss Kelsey. She seemed...out of sorts upon her return from the jungle. #MrKadam
Circling back, I found the camp deserted. Running fast, I caught up and watched them from the trees. I didn't want her to leave. #Kishan
A big animal moved outside my tent. Assumed it was Ren and was shocked to see the younger prince instead holding Miss Kelsey's bag. #MrKadam
I woke Kelsey from her nightmare and wrapped her in my arms. The thunder of my heart was more powerful than the raging storm. #Ren
I can't hunt, can't focus. All I can think about is Kishan either not taking care of Kelsey well enough or taking care of her too well. #Ren
Ren asked me to watch over Kelsey. I can understand his interest in her. She's brave & determined but she's also tender hearted. #Kishan
I was out of time and as a tiger there wasn't much I could do, other than killing him, to prevent Kishan from sweet talking Kelsey. #Ren
He fought me. I've never seen Ren act this way before. He was always the model son, the diplomat. Has he changed or is it her? #Kishan
He tricked me, doubling back to follow his own tracks & when I realized he was headed for Kelsey I ran faster than I ever had before. #Ren
I crouched in the trees watching the girl. She was writing something. I was fascinated by the expressions flitting across her face. #Kishan
Blushing, she stammered, embarrassed by my suggestion. I'm a fool. How could I ask her to return my affections when she only knows the tiger? #Ren
I had no right to be in love. I had nothing to offer her. But reason drowned in the beat of my heart, & I asked permission to kiss her. #Ren
She read a poem & I found a summer's day in the blush of her cheek, the sun's glint in her hair, & the peach blossom scent of her skin. #Ren
Led Ren far from his campsite, I want to see what he's protecting out there. #Kishan
I watched her standing by the waterfall. She laughed as butterflies rose & landed in her hair. All I could think about was kissing her. #Ren
I was stalking dinner when I came across the scent. After all these years he was still alive. Prey forgotten, I trailed my brother. #Kishan
Ren wants to find his brother. I don't believe Kishan will help him. The tiger seems to have taken over the man. #MrKadam
Kadam told me that breaking the curse meant more danger for Kelsey. Convincing Kishan to give up his amulet is only way to protect her. #Ren
I had hoped the curse would be broken after the cave but it appears there is much more that must be done. #MrKadam
Hearing her on the veranda, I used 3 precious min to shower & dress. Opening the door, my stomach twisted with nerves & anticipation. #Ren
We made it out by the skin of our teeth or perhaps the skin in my teeth and we're headed for home. I think the hard part is over. #Ren
We made it out of the cave only to be stalked by another tiger! I fought her off only to find Kelsey being attacked by a panther. #Ren
We made it through the traps. Though dangerous, I'd go back through them all just to have her wrap her arms around me like that again. #Ren
When Kelsey found the opening to the labyrinth I caught the fresh scent of lotus and followed it. #Ren
I wove a path through the jungle avoiding hundreds of dangerous creatures that could take her life. It's better that she doesn't know. #Ren
Driving to Mumbai with her chatting away, I felt like a man on a date with a beautiful girl, except I was sitting in the back seat. #Ren
Miss Kelsey and Dhiren lave left for the cave. I did all I could to prepare her. I hope it is enough. #MrKadam
She twirled in her blue dress & I thought her the most enchanting creature I'd ever seen & her hair, I wanted to bury my hands in it. #Ren
Nilima has prepared a room for the girl. I'm unsure if the prince would prefer to eat as man or tiger. I have prepared for both. #MrKadam
We're heading to the car. She's overheated and sunburned but she's coming. I wish I could talk to her and take care of her properly. #Ren
Leaning about herbs in a hut in the middle of the jungle. What's going on is too crazy for you to believe. #Kelsey
I told her who I am, what I am, and she didn't run away. For the first time in centuries, I feel hope. #Ren
She set her trembling hand in mine & followed me. In the hut she quickly moved away but I could still feel the press of her fingers. #Ren
Dropped off the Jeep with Nilima who loudly expressed her concerns with our plan. She's not wrong. I hope Miss Kelsey is safe. #MrKadam
As a man, I instantly became aware of the gold in her hair, her height measured against mine, and how easily she'd fit in my arms. #Ren
I smell like campfire. I have a sunburn. There are bug bites all over my body. And my hiking buddy is a tiger. What's next?! #Kelsey
Spent the night near Kelsey. I buried my nose in her sweet scented hair and when I woke up, I forgot for a moment that I was a tiger. #Ren
Had to chase off a leopard before settling down for the night to watch over Kelsey. She's handling the jungle surprisingly well. #Ren
How did I end up in the middle of the Indian jungle with a tiger? I win the prize for world's worst decisions. #Kelsey
I was immediately aware of her when she stood at the window but I didn't move at first. I wanted to look at her with my human eyes. #Ren
I have never disagreed with Ren's choices before but today we argued hotly over the decision to lead her haplessly into the jungle. #MrKadam
When the back of the plane opened, I lifted my head and smelled the air. India! I was home. #Ren
There's a fire in the girl. I didn't expect that. And she's totally unafraid of the prince. It's hard to believe the beast is a man. #Nilima
To my great relief the young lady has agreed to accompany us. On our way to the plane now. Nilima is unhappy with me for lying. #MrKadam
The prince is remarkably well adjusted despite his captivity. I worry over the girl. There's sadness in her eyes. #MrKadam
Spoke with Kadam. We think Kelsey is the girl we've been looking for. I hate to deceive her but I really feel it's the only way. #Ren
On my way to see the prince. To take human form again after all these years...I can't imagine how difficult it's been for him. #MrKadam
Today is my 18th birthday. Doubt I'll have a party. Do they make soy cakes? I hope not. Sigh...Nothing exciting ever happens to me. #Kelsey
I think the tiger is sick. He's acting strange. He's pacing a lot and he's messing up his routines. #Kelsey
Something's happened. I took human form for the first time in this century. I spent my minutes relearning to walk on two feet. #Ren
I touched the tiger. It was crazy and stupid but I...had to. #Kelsey
She was leaving so I made a sound and thought, "Please. Just stay a little longer. Don't go yet." That's when...she touched me. #Ren
I fell asleep near the tiger's cage last night. It was strange but I felt cared for, like when my mom used to tuck me in. #Kelsey
She read me poetry. I devoured each word, repeating them in my mind so I wouldn't forget, then I watched over her as she slept. #Ren
Sometimes I feel like the tiger is watching me, I mean more than an animal usually does. #Kelsey
There's a new girl working here. She's helping Davis. I find myself watching her whenever she's near. #Ren
Started my new job today. Love the people. A white tiger performed! Wish I brought my sketching book. #Kelsey
Tonight was our first performance in the new town. The troupe is on edge. Funds are low. It doesn't bode well for the tiger. #Ren
Got a job. All those times I thought about running away to the circus and now I'm actually doing it. #Kelsey
It's been a while since I checked on the prince. I should make the effort again soon. #Mr. Kadam
Davis finally let me out of my cage today. I must have spent 10 minutes just stretching. #Ren
Raining hard in Dallas tonight. Start job search tomorrow. #Kelsey
Spending today in the corner of a bookstore reading. Graduation coming soon and then I'll look for a job. #Kelsey
They just moved me. I smell rain...and trees. Would it kill them to put me near a window? #Ren
I'm worried about grandfather. He despairs of ever finding the one he seeks. #Nilima
Wheat grass shakes? Seriously?! What I wouldn't give for chocolate chip pancakes and a slice of bacon! #Kelsey
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TOUR INFO
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BOSTON
Friday, November 4th – 7:00pm
The Odyssey Bookshop
9 College St
South Hadley, MA 01075
(413) 534-7307
http://www.odysseybks.com/calendar.ht...
Saturday, November 5th – 3:00pm
Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
(617) 536-5400
Also while in Boston I will go to these bookstores to sign stock. Watch for tweets with arrival times and I can personalize your books there if you can't make it to one of the events.
Stock Signings
B&N Prudential Center
800 Boylston Street Suite 179
Boston, MA 02199
617-247-6959
B&N Chestnut Hill
170 Boylston Street
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-965-7621
B&N Saugus
Staples Plaza
444A Broadway
Saugus, MA 01906
781-231-4711
Brookline Booksmith
279 Harvard Street
Brookline MA 02446-2908
Tel: 617-566-6660
Fax: 617-734-9125
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OREGON
Tuesday, November 8th – 7:00pm
Powell's Books @Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR
(800) 878-7323
Note: Giving away a fabulous prize bag or maybe bags at this event so dress up in Indian clothes or like Kelsey or you can show your tiger love by making your own tee shirt! I'm expecting a fun crowd in my hometown!
Saturday, December 3rd
TBA-Three Costco signings. I'll let you know where and when after I get the details.
Saturday, December 10th
Barnes & Noble Booksellers Bookfair
Vancouver Plaza
7700 NE 4th Plain Blvd.
Vancouver, WA 98662
Time TBA
Saturday, January 21st - 2:00 pm
Salem Public Library
Teen Scene Event
Phone: 503-588-6083
585 Liberty St. SE
Salem, OR 97301
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MISSISSIPPI
Friday, November 11th – 7:00pm
Lemuria Books
4465 I 55 N # 202
Jackson, MS 39206-6198
(601) 366-7619
Stock Signing
B&N Colony Park
1000 Highland Colony Pkwy Ste 3008
Ridgeland, MS 39157
phone: 601-605-4028
Note: I think I'm doing a school event here too.
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GEORGIA
Monday, November 14th – 7:00pm
Barnes & Noble@Buckhead
2900 Peachtree Road NE Suite 310
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-261-7747
Note: I will do stock signing but not sure where yet.
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FLORIDA
Note: School Visits on the 17th
Note: Depending on when I have free time I'd love to go see Breaking Dawn with some fans either on the 18th or 19th
Saturday, November 19th – 12:30pm
Miami Book Fair International
300 Northeast 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33132-2204
(305) 237-3258
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That is all the tour info I have at present. I am still hoping to hit some other places and will let you know where and when ASAP. In the meantime, if your city was missed you can still write my publisher at kids@sterlingpublishing.com and let them know where you want to see me. They would really like to hear from as many of you as possible for the TIGER'S DESTINY TOUR.
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CONTEST INFO FROM SUKI
CROSSWORD PUZZLE WINNERS
Melissa (melissatiger)
Denise (ms.kishan)
Cynthia (TigersWarp)
Hannah (Hannahnut)
TheTrueReader (Victoria)
Congratulations! You have received an email from me. Make sure you get back to me quickly with your mailing address so we can get your signed bookmark sent to you.
HALLOWEEN CONTEST WINNER
It was so much fun to read all (104!) the entries to the Halloween Contest. The most varied answer was what Mr. Kadam would pass out. I saw everything from expensive cars to food from the Golden fruit to king-sized candy bars.
Our winner is Britt! You have received an email from me. Get back to me quickly with your mailing address and we'll get your prize pack sent to you.
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NOVEMBER CONTESTS
Can I get a woot woot?! November is here and that means so is Tiger's Voyage!
Tiger's Voyage is a great third installment to the Tiger Series and I know we are all looking forward to Tiger's Destiny. To help ease the passage of time, we will continue to bring giveaways and contests of all kinds. If you have questions about any contest or giveaway, you can email me (Suki) at contests@colleenhouck.com.
We have two contests for November and they both will end at midnight (EST) on Wednesday, November 30, 2011.
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ALL ABOUT AMAZON

Contest #1 is focused on the Amazon.com website. Before I give you a quick rundown on how you can enter, let me tell you the prize.
PRIZE
We have three audio books: one for Tiger's Curse, Tiger's Quest, and Tiger's Voyage. There will be THREE winners! Each winner will receive ONE of the audio books. Which winner receives which book will be chosen at random.
WAYS TO ENTER
All the instructions are found in Rafflecopter below (click on "Click for Instructions") but just in case you want some extra reading, here you go.
Entries 1-3: Write a review for Tiger's Curse, Tiger's Quest, and/or Tiger's Voyage. Make sure to leave me the URL so I can read your lovely review!
Entry 4: Create a Listmania List. Listmania Lists are lists that you create on whatever topic you want. You can create a list of your favorite books. Or if that list is really long you could create a list of favorite fantasy books. Or adventure books. Or Indian books. Or... you get the idea. Just make sure you include at least one of the Tiger books. And, of course, leave me the URL so I can add a million more books to my "to read" list.
Entries 5-7: Choose tags for Tiger's Curse, Tiger's Quest, and/or Tiger's Voyage. Tags let other people find the Tiger books. You're basically choosing
search words so when other people search for "India" or "tigers" they can find these books.
Entries 8-10: Follow Colleen on twitter, like Tigers Curse on Facebook, and subscribe to Colleen's newsletters.
Entries 11-14: Create or participate in a discussion about the Tiger series. For a general sort of topic or to just gush about Colleen in general, you can
go to entry 11. Leave me the URL.
Entries 1-10 can be done ONE TIME ONLY. Entries 11-14 can be done one time PER DAY. Just make sure to leave me the URL each time.
You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway.____________________________________________________________
You need javascript enabled
to see this giveaway.
FOOD, FOOD, FOOD

Contest #2 is all about food.
PRIZE
One winner will receive a foodie prize pack.
HOW TO ENTER
There is only one way to enter this contest so make it count!
What do you feed a tiger? Or rather, what food would use to tempt a tiger? Or maybe a handsome Indian prince (or two) that also happens to be tiger
part of the time.
You can choose ANYTHING you want (drink, dessert, breakfast, snacks). It can be from any culture (Indian, Chinese, Mexican). Try to be creative or
I have a feeling I'm going to be seeing several recipes for peanut butter chocolate cookies and peaches and cream milkshake! You CAN submit those
recipes. Just maybe you will get a bonus point or ten for creativity. However, you have to submit a RECIPE. Ingredient list + instructions. If you have a source (a cookbook name or a website), send that along as well.
Email your recipe to me at contests@colleenhouck.com.
I hope you enjoy all these contests! I know that this month my list of books to read and food to make is going to increase and I didn't really need help to add to those lists. But no matter, this is going to be fun! Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!
Suki
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Whew! That was a lot of info to pack into one blog! Okay my friends, don't forget to come find me at one of my events if you can and enjoy the TIGER'S CURSE quotes and reading VOYAGE this month while I'm busy.
Also if you need bookplates (signed stickers) for gifts, email my sister at contactme@colleenhouck.com and she will let you know what to do to get them. Have a great week!
\n/,
(That's I love you in American Sign Language)
Colleen
October 27, 2011
Bollywood Boy of the Month
My tour is just around the corner and I'm so happy to finally release TIGER'S VOYAGE. It seems like it's been a long time coming but it's finally here! I will be on the road for most of November so you won't be getting your daily quotes but I do plan to finish up all the TIGER'S CURSE quotes before I leave and post them on a blog so that you can reread all the ones you missed. When I get back we'll start in on the TIGER'S QUEST quotes.
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BOLLYWOOD INDIAN ACTOR BOY OF THE MONTH
JOHN ABRAHAM
I discovered John Abraham back in 2008 when I was writing Tiger's Curse. I was looking for Indian models or actors that would fit the image of Kishan or Ren and came across a few pictures of John Abraham then. While he is too old to be one of my Indian princes I am definitely not ruling him out as a possible actor. In fact, there is kind of a part I wrote in for an older yet still fabulous looking Indian man and he would be perfect for it. John did inspire some of my description for Kishan. Below you'll see a few images that I check out whenever I need a physical description of Kishan. I'll admit though that sometimes I check them out just to check them out.



The first thing you should know about John is that he hates the term Bollywood. ("I refuse the term 'Bollywood'. I find it terribly subservient," he says.) So in honor of him and since he isn't a boy anyway, I am changing the title this month to INDIAN ACTOR OF THE MONTH.
Here's some bio info on him from his website.
Growing Up
I am a Mumbaiite. I have lived in Mumbai (Bombay) all my life. I have grown up here, studied here. I've played hard and rough through my years at Bombay Scottish School and in college. I've earned the respect of friends and the love of a few women. I've had my bones broken a few times, and my heart broken a lot. As a student, I was just a bit above average, always in the top 15 in the class. I loved soccer, and would have loved to take it up as a career, but apparently, the universe had other plans for me.
Career
One day, a model ditched the shoot and my boss suggested that I fill in for him. Well, maybe he knew what he was doing, because modeling was the last thing on my mind. Some time later I landed a gig for the Live-In Jeans brand. I was the first Asian model for Levis. By 2002, I was the highest paid male model in India. I didn't fancy myself as an actor till I was plumb in the middle of it all. In September 2002, I received a call from Mahesh Bhatt telling me that his daughter would like to make a movie with me. I was quite overwhelmed, since this was a starring role in a project that would be all my very own.
Since then he's starred in several movies.
He does commercials.
Also he loves tigers.
So he's pretty much perfect right?
Oh and lest I forget. My favorite quote of his is this...
"Riding a bike is like dancing with a woman. You have to know how she turns and swings. How she rises and falls. You have to understand her body language."
I won't lie, I swooned and drooled just a little bit.
You can learn more about John HERE.
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CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Finish the puzzle and leave a comment on my blog submitting your finish time to win a signed bookmark!
Voyage Crossword puzzle game » crossword maker
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INSPIRATION CORNER
PHET
What's a hero's journey without a strange little monk? Phet is my version of Yoda. In fact he looks and talks a bit like Yoda. His physical description comes from a compilation of a few different pictures but the figure Phet most resembles is Gandhi. Phet's character is a bit of a mash up between some of my favorite wise characters in movies and books with sprinkles of teachers and clergy I have admired through the years. Most of what he says has double meanings and his words should be carefully considered in the series as he often gives clues to things that will happen to our characters in the future.
Though he is missing in TIGER'S QUEST, Phet makes an appearance again in TIGER'S VOYAGE & TIGER'S DESTINY and will be a central character in TIGER'S DREAM.
Interesting fact: Phet's name is not Indian though it sounds like it could be. I created the name by cutting off half of the word Prophet.






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AND NOW WHAT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!
KISHAN BONUS MATERIAL!
Hope
It's official.
I'm an idiot.
Ren left for Oregon weeks ago and it was all because I pretty much pushed him out the door. So it was my own fault that they were together again and seemingly deliriously happy. And how did I know? Did he call? Did she call? No. I was pathetically pressed up against Kadam's door straining my ears to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Most of the time, I pretended not to care about what was going on in Oregon. Kadam usually told me the basics and I would listen and mumble or shrug as if I wasn't dying to know what she was doing and who she was interacting with, but, in reality, I thought about her every day. I wondered if she was safe or if she even remembered that I existed.
The truth was…she was my hope. The only reason I returned to being human at all was because she offered me understanding and kindness. Kadam cared about me. I knew that. But I suspected Ren preferred me to stay in the jungle. Kelsey was the first person other than my parents who seemed to like me for me.
Switching to tiger form, I loped out onto the veranda and hopped up onto the swinging couch outside Kelsey's room. Her scent was still there. It was weaker but if I found just the right spot on the pillow, I could press my nose there and still smell her hair.
It was hard for me to let her leave, but Kadam insisted that she go. Ren went crazy. I'd never seen him act that way before and it bothered me. The day she flew to Oregon he ran around the grounds as a tiger, bellowing plaintively to the sky. After an hour or two, he went into his room and it was a full week before I saw him again as a man.
Kadam began instructing me, giving me lessons on the modern world, and every day he asked Ren to join us, but the white tiger just gave us a look, rolled over, and sighed heavily. It wasn't until Kells started calling Kadam that he finally decided to make an appearance.
I was padding along on my tiger legs to find a snack when I passed the open door of Kadam's room and heard Kelsey's voice. Pausing, I crouched outside the open doorway, my ears flicked forward and my tail twitching slightly, as I listened to the two of them talk about the prophecy.
The click of claws on the floor distracted me. Ren turned the corner. He had just slaked his thirst in the big fountain in the room behind the kitchen where Kadam kept our food and water. We'd both taken great pains to keep the room hidden from Kelsey, mostly because neither of us wanted her to see us as beasts—animals that ate raw meat from the floor or delighted in licking the marrow from heavy bones.
Water dripped from his mouth. He yawned and stretched, then ran his tongue along his chops to catch any remaining water droplets. I sniffed and caught no scent of meat. He still wasn't eating.
As he approached, I rolled onto my side and snuffed then wiggled back and forth as if I'd merely stopped there because it was the best place to scratch my back, but soon his ears pricked forward and he heard what I did. Kelsey's voice.
After that he made it a point to always join me when Kadam gave lessons and he spent every possible moment as a man learning everything he could. The intensity with which he threw himself into his studies was remarkable. He even had Kadam set up a computer with reading lessons in English and a large mouse he could use by pressing on it with his paw to turn the pages.
If Kadam wasn't around he wanted to spar. Kadam had mentioned that he'd changed Kelsey's birth records in all the computers to prevent Lokesh from using modern technology to find her. I was still confused about how a machine would be used to track her down but Ren seemed to understand and that understanding made him fearful.
He started eating, packing on muscle and weight so he would be strong enough to fight off any potential attackers. Physical training was something I understood and excelled at so I was more than happy to get back my fighting skills.
Still, Kelsey was in my thoughts and she was obviously still in Ren's though he refused to talk about her. If I wanted any information I had to ask Kadam. I learned from him that she was alone in the world. Kadam told me of her bravery in entering the monkey city and about facing down the Kappa. How could I not be half in love with the girl? She was a fighter and I respected that. But, she was also warm and giving. Everything I learned about her interested me, made me want to know her more.
To me, she seemed perfect.
Months went by and I was itching to be more, make more of myself. I was toying with the idea of asking Kadam if we could visit Oregon. Ren had heard through the phone that Kelsey was dating someone. She had a suitor. My thought was that we should go and take care of this man. It wouldn't take long to scare him off, I figured, but Ren reacted differently. He became sullen and despondent again.
He'd stay alone in his room and write volumes of poetry. After two days of tolerating his behavior, I punched him. I asked him why he was going to let a wild dog circle around Kelsey. Wasn't it our job to protect her? Shouldn't we go to Oregon and take care of the situation?
He tried to tell me the modern human world was more complicated than the animal world but it didn't make sense in my mind. Our instinct as tigers was to scare off the other predators and any man who came sniffing around Kelsey needed to be made aware that this behavior would result in unpleasant consequences. It was that simple.
I argued that even as princes we took care of our people. That a man with as many honors and titles as he had been given should act appropriately. At the very least we needed to see this man for ourselves to determine if he was worthy of courting Kelsey. He responded by saying that Kelsey asked him to give her time alone and that he wanted to honor her wishes.
After informing him that I had no such limitations and that our parents would be ashamed of his cowardice, I told him that if he wanted to stay behind then I would go take care of the man myself. Mocking my brother, I told him that Kelsey deserved a bold man, a conqueror, not a brooding frightened kitten who just sat in his room writing swooning love poems.
Storming up the stairs with Ren hot on my heels and threatening to kill me, I sought out our advisor. Kadam agreed that it was time to reconnect with Kelsey but absolutely forbade any interference with her new "boyfriend." He claimed he understood the dilemma we faced but sided with Ren, saying that things were different in this century and that neither of us were to hurt the young man. Ren readily agreed while I just folded my arms across my chest.
Boyfriend. I snickered at the term. Clearly if this person designated himself a boy friend then he wouldn't present much of a challenge. Even for Ren. Grinning, I imagined I could take care of him without even hurting him. It was likely I could knock him over with just a flick of my tail. If I roared the boy would probably urinate all over himself in fear. He'd be shamed then and Kelsey could hardly consider him as a possible suitor after that.
Kadam insisted that only one of us could go and when both of us offered, he chose Ren. I fumed as Ren made preparations to go to America. Before Ren left, Kadam suggested we send presents to Kelsey for Christmas. After he explained the holiday, I went shopping with him and wrapped my own gifts for her.
Every time Ren called from America, I listened with rapt attention. Things seemed to be going well at first, Ren was able to dispatch the suitors fairly easily but then he began courting Kelsey himself. Kadam tried to explain that they'd had feelings for each other for quite a while before I came along but I still cursed myself for falling once again for my brother's girl.
Soon it was clear that they were in love.
I stopped listening in on phone conversations. Now I understood Ren's depression, though I'd get a hunter to shoot me before I got so bad as to write poems. Each lonely hour that passed strengthened my resolve to return to the jungle.
I'd been wrong.
Kelsey wasn't my hope.
She wasn't the girl I'd been waiting for.
She wasn't for me.
I had been an idiot. Why did I push Ren so much? I should have kept my thoughts to myself. So what if he was the eldest brother? Who cares anymore about the line of succession? I didn't need his permission or his approval. I was the one who wanted to go. I should have just gone!
But the truth was…I knew.
I knew that he loved her. That what Kadam said was true. I even knew that Kells loved him. What happened in the past with Yesubai still influenced me. I'd handled it badly and I wasn't going to make that mistake again. Yes. I wanted my brother's girl but I wasn't going to sneak around behind his back again.
So as long as she wanted him and he wanted her, I'd do my best to leave them alone. Even if it made me miserable, I'd let him have his shot. I owed Ren at least that much.
Tomorrow, I resolved. I'll leave tomorrow.
I'd let the tiger take over again. The brief glimpse I'd had of the modern world, though interesting, wasn't what I wanted. If I was going to be alone, I'd prefer to give myself over to the beast. The black tiger only wanted simple things. He didn't need a woman to offer him love and companionship. He didn't need machines that made money. He didn't need laced shoes or even a soft bed with comfortable pillows.
He was content with what he had.
And Kishan?
Wasn't.
Lying on the couch that swung lazily back and forth in the breeze, I half napped and let the faint scent of Kelsey circle around me when, suddenly, Kadam opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the veranda.
Sitting across from me, he rubbed his hands together and gave me a long look.
"Kishan?" he said, "They need you. Kelsey's in danger."
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And there you have it. I hope it was worth the wait! Thanks for the suggestions on bonus material topics.
The next bonus material will come after we reach 15,000 Facebook fans and 3,000 Twitter followers.
Hope to see some of you on tour in November! Enjoy TIGER'S VOYAGE and let me know what you think after everyone has a reasonable time to read!
Love Ya!
Colleen
October 14, 2011
ARC Winners
Here are the winners of the Totally Awesome Random Giveaway. Winners receive an advanced reading copy of TIGER'S VOYAGE.
Heather (heathercrook)
Lenae (SeaGlass)
Ruthie (Ruthie)
Kriss (catgurrl)
Ashlee (yin/yang)
Joanna (jwalker1)
If you won a copy please contact my sister-in-law Suki at contests@colleenhouck.com to give her your address. We want to send the books out ASAP! Thanks to all of you who wrote me. It was great reading your entries and I wish I had enough books to give one to each of you.
If you entered the Goodreads giveaway, the winners are posted on Goodreads HERE and if you entered the Halloween giveaway Suki will announce winners at the end of the month.
I know that many of you are getting a hold of Voyage early so thank you for not posting spoilers yet since many others are still waiting until November. I was hoping to announce my tour today but I still don't have the information. Thank you for your patience with that. I will do a blog post as soon as I get all the details.
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Curio
I wanted to show you all my cool new curio cabinet.
My mom has been working non-stop for the last few months to create a Tiger's Curse toy collection. She's done with phase one and we've moved the toys to my house. She is currently working on some things for book four but I thought I'd show you what she's done so far.

On the top floor are the larger sized dragons and the medium sized Ren and Kishan as tigers. One level down you will find all the toys she's finished so far. Most of these are toys that she's painted. For example, "Ren" is actually Flynn Rider with white clothes. Kishan and Durga were once fairies that were modified to look like my characters. The middle shelf has my kissing statue, a large Ren and Kishan, and a large red dragon. The fourth one down has a Barbie collection of dolls from India that I think look like my characters and on the bottom you will see motorcycles, a Jeep, and a Hummer that we haven't painted yet.
Here are some close ups.






And here are the dragons. There are small ones on the toy shelf too but these are fancier.





She did a great job didn't she? My mom is crazy awesome.
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INSPIRATION CORNER
FANINDRA
I knew almost immediately that I wanted to do something with snakes in my book. When I discovered that Durga actually had a snake on one of her arms the idea for Fanindra coming to life took shape. While looking up pictures of golden cobras, I found this picture and thought it would be totally awesome to have Durga's snake become jewelry. It's creepy and cool at the same time.

I came up with the name for Fanindra by looking up Indian baby names. The name is more commonly used for boys than girls but it sounds more feminine to me. The name means "snake guardian" or "Queen of the Snakes."

I have become very attached to Fanindra since Tiger's Curse and I now own lots of snake themed jewelry. My movie producer, Raffi, even named his golden boa Fanindra and I got to hold her when I went to visit last year.

In TIGER'S VOYAGE we learn that Fanindra can change into a sea snake. In fact, she can transform into any type of snake and has power over all the snakes in the world. You'll get to see a little of that later in the series.
That's it for now. Have a great week and don't forget to keep checking back for tour dates!
Colleen
October 4, 2011
102 Contest Ideas
NOTE: CONTEST WINNERS ARE LISTED AND OCTOBER CONTESTS ARE ANNOUNCED BELOW!
I was having breakfast with Beth Revis who wrote ACROSS THE UNIVERSE the other day and we were talking about different contests that we've done and it occurred to me that it would be a good idea to keep a running list not only for myself but for other authors to borrow from. These ideas would work for bloggers too so feel free to borrow and let me now how it turns out. Here is THE LIST.
102 Contest/Event Ideas for Authors
1. Scavenger Hunt with other authors
2. Recipe Contest based on foods in your book-give a restaurant gift card or a cookbook
3. Goodreads Giveaway
4. Amazon Contest-write reviews, create listopias, vote on reviews, create tags
5. Live Author Chat-Goodreads, Ustream, etc
6. Surveys
7. Back to School writing contest-you write a paragraph and they finish it-prizes for most humorous, most romantic, most shocking, etc.
8. Vlog Contest-Fans create and post Vlogs reviews, or talk about why they love your book
9. B & N Contest-Participants write reviews, vote on reviews, & "like" the book pages
10. Best Photo Caption-Post a photo that inspired your book and ask fans to create a caption.
11. Live Text Chat-on Facebook, Twitter, blogs
12. Offerpops on Facebook-participants leave comments under a "do you like A or B?" format
13. Solve online jigsaw puzzles featuring your new book cover or a picture that inspired you
14. Crossword Contest-create online puzzle
15. Trivia Tuesday-Post a five question trivia blog about your book every Tuesday and have fans submit their answers
16. Wordsearch Puzzle-Create online wordsearch for words found in your story
17. Art Contest
18. Poetry Contest
19. Design a (monster, dragon, hero) Contest
20. Valentine's Design a Date contest-Describe your perfect date with the literary hero of your choice
21. Why Do I Deserve Contest-Give away international copies by asking fans why they deserve your book in that language.
22. My Dream Movie Cast Contest-Participants submit their choices a cast of your characters-movie prize pack
23. Slogan Contest-Fans come up with slogans to fit your series-example is "Let the Games Begin" (Hunger Games)
24. Book Trailer Contest-fans create their own book trailers for your book
25. Have an online Birthday Party for one of your characters
26. A Day In The Life Of-Have your editor, agent, producer, publicist, marketing director, and you, etc. write a short summary of a typical day in their life and have fans vote on their fav
27. Make a Wish contest-Each person submits a wish related to your series and you grant one
28. Thankful Contest-Thank authors who have influenced you and ask fans to submit stories of authors who influence them. Give away a basket of books by your fav authors.
29. Trick or Treat contest-Which sections of your books "tricked" your fans the most and which parts are "treats" they read over and over again. Give away a basket of treats.
30. Picture Contest-Fan snap a picture of themselves holding your book
31. The "Guess How Many" Contest-post a photo online and have fans guess how many of something you have IE Steampunk boots, scarves, tigers, etc.
32. Mother's/Father's Day Contest-Talk about a mother/father character in your book and encourage fans to write about those figures in their life-give away a related prize
33. Guess Where Game-Post a picture of you somewhere and have fans guess where you are
34. Favorite Quote-Fans post a favorite quote and the one with the most "likes" wins
35. Storyteller Contest-Post three random pics and ask fans to come up with a short story idea tying them together.
36. "Like" Raffle-Fans "like" one of your comments to be entered in a raffle
37. Tweet-A-Pic Contest-Fans tweet a pic to you of interesting things or places and you can choose one to feature in a short story or a book
38. Merchandising Contest-Ask fans to submit ideas for what merchandise they'd like to have related to your book-good for market research
39. Tweet A Picture of Your Book-Fans send a picture of your book and you choose one to win a signed copy to give away to a friend
40. Patriotic Contest-Submit a patriotic photo or short essay
41. What I Would Most Like to Win Contest-Fans submit ideas for what they'd like to get, a signed book, a signed tee, a charm bracelet, dinner with the author, etc.
42. I Spy Contest-take an up close picture of one of your books, products, or favorite things and have fans guess what it is.
43. Unusual Holiday Contests-http://www.brownielocks.com/may.html
44. Adventure Contest-Describe an adventure you'd like to go on with a character from your book-give a gift card relating to that adventure
45. Name a Character Contest-Names are submitted and one is chosen that will be featured in your next book or short story
46. Dress Up Contest-Participants dress up like characters in your book and submit photos
47. Submit a Song Contest-Fans submit ideas for your playlist-choose one as a winning song
48. Pick a Number Contest-You choose a number and let fans guess. They can only submit a number once.
49. Oldest Fan/Youngest Fan Contest-Prizes are given to your oldest and youngest participants
50. Ugliest Contest-Apply to your book, photos are submitted of the ugliest tree, dog, building, flower or whatever applies to your book.
51. Embarrassing Contest-Talk about your most embarrassing moment and ask fans to share theirs
52. Worst Date Contest-Fans share their worst dates with you and you pick one for a prize
53. Limerick Contest-Choose a theme or use your book as a theme
54. Joke Contest-Submit a joke that one of the characters in the book would say.
55. Character Interview
56. Blog Commentor Contest-Tell fans you'll give a prize to the person who comments most frequently on your blog that month
57. #1 Fan Contest-What extremes have your fans gone to? Ask for a report and select your #1 fan.
58. Celebrate Your Inner Child Contest-What were your favorite books as a child?
59. Fan Fiction Contest-Fan fiction chapters are submitted and judged and a prize is awarded
60. A Picture is Worth 100 Words-Let fans write 100-300 words about a picture you post.
61. Vacation Getaway Contest-Readers write an ad describing a vacation destination from your book
62. Name the Chapter Contest-Participants submit possible names for a chapter
63. Book Cover Contest-Fans submit possible book covers-best one wins a signed copy
64. Back Story Contest-Readers pick a secondary character and write a short paragraph describing his/her backstory.
65. Collage Contest-Fans create a collage inspired by your book and then submit a picture of it.
66. Romance Contest-Ask readers to talk about their favorite literary romantic couple other than your own.
67. Career Change-If you could have the chance to go back again and get your dream job what would it be?
68. Favorite Books of the Year-Fans create a top ten list of favorite books they read this year.
69. Survival Kit-What would readers pack in a survival kit if they had to live in the world of your book
70. Paranormal Faceoff-Would you rather date a shifter, vamp, werewolf, fairy, angel, etc. and why?
71. Audiobook Giveaway-What was the first audiobook you listened to? Why do you like audiobooks?
72. Shifters-If you could shift into any creature what would it be and why?
73. Genre Contest-What is your favorite genre and why?
74. Bad Boys vs Good Guys-Which do you like better and explain your reasons
75. Change the Book Contest-If you could change one thing about my book what would it be and why?
76. Savor the Danger-Which scene of the book had you on the edge of your seat? What scared you the most?
77. Talent Contest-What talent do you have that you wish you could loan to a book heroine? Which skill of any of my book characters do you wish you had?
78. Reading Quiz-What time of day do you do most of your reading and where do you like to read?
79. Pick a Partner-If you were to go on a paranormal adventure what five traits would you like your traveling companion to have?
80. The Major Game-Fans list what your characters would major in if they went to college
81. Inspiring Women-What women have inspired you?
82. Overcoming-Describe how you overcame an obstacle in your past.
83. Pack Your Bags-If you could have an adventure with a handsome stranger where would like to go?
84. Worst Gift Ever-What was the worst gift you ever received from a boyfriend, a husband, for Valentine's etc.
85. Traveling Author-If you were an author packing for a trip what is the worst possible thing you could leave at home?
86. Based on a Book-What is your favorite movie/television adaptation of a book or series?
87. Relationship Tips-What's the best tip you ever heard about making a marriage/relationship work?
88. Battle Contest-If you had to fight a monster, demon, villain from one of my books, which one would you choose and why?
89. Find the Cover Contest-Hide your new cover on your website somewhere and ask fans to find it.
90. Weapons-If you could fight as a superhero using any type of a weapon, which weapon would you choose and why?
91. Create a Character Contest-Describe a new character that would fit into my book. What do they look like, act like, do?
92. Name a Nail Polish-If you could create a series of nail polishes reflecting the themes in my book what colors would you pick and what would they be called?
93. Dystopia or Paranormal-which type of book would you rather live in?
94. Skype Visit-Teachers, book clubs, bookstores, even individuals why would you want to host a Skype session with me?
95. Guess the College-Fans guess where you attended college and prize pack is a college themed gift pack
96. Book Scavenger Hunt-Take a picture of yourself holding not your copy of a book but another one in a library, at a bookstore, or with a friend. Key your friend, the bookstore manager, or the librarian must be in the picture with you.
97. Design a Cake/Cupcake/Cookie Contest-that matches the theme of your book
98. Dress a Character-Fans would pick a character from your book, select clothing for them, and explain why they chose it. Prize gift cert to a clothing store.
99. Flag Contest-Design a flag that would fit the theme of your book.
100. Door Decorating Contest-Fans decorate their bedroom or library door and send a picture.
101. Retweet Contest-The person who retweets my tweets the most in the month gets a prize.
102. Password Contest-Fans search for letters or clues left in different places on your website or social media sites to put together a password that unlocks a secret fan page.
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I know many of you have been asking about the upcoming tour and I still haven't gotten many details. All I know for sure is Portland, OR at Powell's on November 8th, Boston the first week of November, and the Miami Book Festival around the 14-16 of November. Stay tuned for more details. I've heard rumors of NYC, Penn, Atlanta, and Mississippi. I will confirm what I know as soon as I can.
Thanks to all of you for the awesome birthday wishes. You guys are the best! This month is all about editing TIGER'S DESTINY, jury duty, a trip to Arizona to see the family, and attending the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Conference. Sorry this one isn't open to the public but hope to see many of you on tour.
Next Tuesday Oct 11th visit THE BOOK NERD BLOG HERE! I will be doing a live interview and hope to be able to answer some questions! It's at 5pm Pacific Time. Don't forget to check the time in your area!
And now...here's Suki with contest info!
Hugs to you all!
Colleen
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OCTOBER CONTEST INFO!
This month's giveaway is brought to you by Halloween! Up for grabs is a Halloween prize pack from Sterling Publishing!
This giveaway is EASY and FUN. All you have to do is answer the following questions and email them to me (Suki) at contests@colleenhouck.com. That's it! Only one email per person, please!
Giveaway ends October 31, 2011. Winners will be announced soon thereafter. :)

HALLOWEEN SURVEY
1. Which character or monster would you dress up as for Halloween?
2. If Ren or Kishan came to your house, what trick would you play or what treat would you give?
3. Would you be scared if a tiger came to your house to trick-or-treat?
4. Are you hoping that a tiger comes to your house to trick-or-treat?
5. What treat do you think Mr. Kadam would give out if you went to his house to trick-or-treat?
6. Which character would you invite to your Halloween party?
7. Which food or beverage from the Tiger Series would you serve at your Halloween party?
8. If Ren and Kishan were having separate Halloween parties, which one would you crash?
9. Which Tiger Series monster would you hate to meet on Halloween night?
10. If you were in a haunted house, which scene from the Tiger Series would scare you the most?
11. Would you give a special treat or trick for someone who came to your door dressed as a character from the Tiger Series?

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY
This one only lasts until October 7th! Click HERE to win a copy of TIGER'S VOYAGE!

TOTALLY AWESOME RANDOM GIVEAWAY!
I happen to have a few galleys left of TIGER'S VOYAGE and I want to give them away before the book actually comes out so leave a comment on the blog page on my website telling me just why YOU should be the one to get one of my last copies. How many I give out is determined by how many I have left in the box. Good Luck! PS I'm not waiting until the end of the month to send these. They are going out next week so leave a note now for a chance to win!
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CONTEST WINNERS!
Suki here. It's time to announce some winners!
Before I announce them, however, I need to say something. Both of these contests had a specific task you had to do in order for any of your entries to be valid. For the first, you had to do one of several options on the Barnes & Noble website. For the second contest, you had to post a vlog on either Tiger's Curse or Tiger's Quest. Unfortunately several entries were disqualified because they didn't meet the requirements for the contests and didn't email me to get it taken care of. Please read the directions that come with each contest! I want everyone to be able to win the contests they take the time to enter and the best way to do that is to make sure you are doing it right.

Barnes & Noble Contest Winners
Prize is a bell anklet similar to the one Ren gave Kelsey at the end of TIGER'S CURSE!
Cassandra Askelson
Amanda Barnett
Christina Farlow
Marissa
Daely Andersen

Vlog Winners
Prize is an advanced reading copy of TIGER'S VOYAGE!
Awesome Vlogs, everyone! I'm not brave enough to talk in front of a camera but I watched all of yours and I loved them all.
Kelah Cash
Cynthia Garcia
Book Reader Addicts Blog
Jessica Haas
Stefanie P.
Diana M.

Puzzle Contest
The persons with the following usernames won a signed bookmark!
cfarlow said "31102! It took me a few tries to figure out how to select words, but it was so fun. Thanks for sharing your inspiration for Durga...all of her arms sure would come in handy (pun intended!) for me on a daily basis!"
TeamPhet Okay this was my last shot... I hope more than one bookmark is going around because I'm not very good at this game. It was fun anyway though! :) Score:32392
mujhe/tumse/pyarhai Forgot to add on the 32439 score that the time was 59:12
veeney369 I finished at 58:24 and i have a score of 32,183 it was fun especially since you were being timed! Thanks colleen!!!!!!!!!!.)
SeaGlass Is it too late? :) 31533! It didn't tell me the time, but I think it said 56 something? This was fun! Can not WAIT for Voyage.....
Congratulations, winners! If you gave me your mailing address, we'll get your prizes sent out to you. Otherwise, you'll be hearing from me!
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That's it people! Have a great week!
Colleen
September 28, 2011
National Book Festival
Wow. So I just got back from DC which is an amazing place to visit even if they didn't have the National Book Festival, but they do so that makes it even better. It was such an honor to be invited and the reason I was is largely due to the stellar efforts of John Cole at the Library of Congress and my friend Billy Kendrick who got me nominated. Here are the top ten highlights of my trip.
#10-My Entourage
I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by an amazing team—Alex Glass (my agent), Judi Powers (my marketing director, Meaghan Finnerty (my FAVORITE publicist), Frances Gilbert (VP-Publisher of Sterling Children's Books), and Susan Lavington, (the VP of Marketing). When we collected our VIP passes I think the volunteers were surprised that I had so many supporters. These wonderful people also took me and my husband out to dinner at Vidalia. We spent four hours chatting and enjoying their tasting menu. It was unique because we all were able to choose our own dishes. My choices were—Grilled Maine Lobster, Chicken and Dumplings, Shrimp and Grits, the New York Strip, and a Caramel Layer Cake. Just so good and fun to hang out and talk.
#9-The Washington Post Breakfast
I was invited to attend a breakfast hosted by the Washington Post. We heard several inspirational speakers and had an opportunity to socialize with fellow authors. The Washington Post sent their reporters to introduce all of the authors at the conference. I think I was assigned the best of them though. Mine was John Kelly who graduated from the same high school as my husband. He writes a column called "John Kelly's Washington" and just wrote a very interesting piece on a Roadkill Cookoff Contest he attended. He ate squirrel.
#8-Shaking hands with David McCullough
We didn't get a picture together but he signed our books with the organized help of our volunteers and was kind enough to shake our hands though we interrupted his lunch. I have a great deal of respect for him and he's a National Book Festival favorite. His presentation was full to capacity and overflowing. He's like the Bon Jovi of the NBF.
#7-The Author's Program
I was sitting next to Katherine Paterson who wrote BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, and as if that wasn't cool enough, I was able to listen to renowned authors such as Toni Morrison and Edmund Morris and was privileged to hear Leon Fleischer perform Clair de Lune.
#6-The Gala Reception
The Library of Congress was decked out with blue lights, ice sculptures, and a four piece string quartet. We nibbled on delicious treats like gourmet moon pies, pot stickers, risotto, and roasted fish and beef, and mingled with other authors. I tried sushi for the first time and really liked it.
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#5-Hanging Out With Friends
We were able to reconnect with some old friends while we were there and had a great time with them. Several came out to support my presentation or stood in line to get books signed. We went out to lunch with my husband's best friend in high school and were treated to an amazing dinner by a couple we've known for almost twenty years. So fun staying up till one am chatting as if we were all still in college. I also got to connect with some of my awesome fans. I just wish you all could have been there to join the party.
#4-The Author Tent
Sadly, we didn't know this place existed while we were there on Saturday but Sunday morning when we checked in we were all amazed by the organization of the conference. I was assigned my own volunteer who coordinated everything and made sure I was taken care of. She got me to my book signing and drove us around in a golf cart. Inside the tent they provided a buffet, a bar, a fancy bathroom facility, and, most importantly, we were able to languish in the cool blast of air conditioning. If I had known about the tent on Saturday I may have been able to talk more with Cassandra Clare and Sarah Dessen who had already flown out by Sunday.
#3-Union Station
Not only does Union Station have a Barnes & Noble, but I found a Crumbs cupcake bakery, my all time favorite. We brought home some cupcakes but they got smashed pretty badly on the flight home. I also discovered Au Bon Pain which is just the best coolest bakery/fast food place I've seen. We hopped an open air bus there and took a tour of DC. We ate at Bobby Flay's Burger Palace. The burger was the best I've ever had and I loved getting it crunchified which means you eat it with crushed potato chips inside but the fries and the onion rings were not my favorite.
#2-The Library of Congress
During the gala the authors were invited in to see the main reading room. Outside there is a copy of the Gutenberg Bible on display under glass. We were shown where National Treasure was filmed and were allowed to go up to have our pictures taken on the dais. The inside is beautiful and full of symbols and rich history. You can take a virtual tour HERE. There's a King Neptune fountain which reminds me of a scene in TIGER'S VOYAGE. The clock has a statue of Father Time surrounded by his daughters-Spring, Summer, Fall, & Winter. Eight marble pillars surround the reading room and at the top of each is a Muse that represents poetry, law, art, religion, etc. Amazing place.
#1-Cintronelle
This restaurant was the best dining experience I've ever had. It's like Disneyland but with food. It was romantic which was perfect for our 17th anniversary and the waiters are so attentive that we felt like royals. They changed our silverware for every course and brought us some utensils I've never seen before. So I'm going to break down the coolness for you because it's too amazing not to talk about. We decided to go for the 10 course, yes, that's 10 course, tasting menu. We both forgot cameras so the pictures you see come from the internet. If you're not a foodie, feel free to skip the lengthy descriptions.
Pre-Course-Mangalica Ham from Spain
Thinly shaved ham, very chewy, on toast points with olive oil and tomato. Couldn't find a picture.
Course 1-Amuse Bouche
Now I had to look this up. The literal translation is "mouth amuser." In this case we had an oyster shooter with lime and a spoonful of Yellowfin in an Asian flavored sauce with a crispy crouton. The really cool thing is that it was brought out on a lit up sci-fi type of plate. I'm not a big fan of raw fish but I've gotta say that it was A-mazing.
Course 2-Green Onion Gazpacho
Crushed ice was shaped like a bowl and smoothed over on the inside so a dish would fit inside. It was also lit up from the inside so the ice twinkled softly. In the dish was an assortment of very thinly sliced onion, radish, and jalapeno that were fried so they were crunchy and the green onion soup was poured over the top. So yummy! It takes an entire day for them just to make the bowls. Our soup was slightly different, it was onion with parsley and cucumber juice which made our version green.
Course 3-Tomato Tartare
Heirloom tomatoes chopped to look like beef tartar topped with goat cheese and crunchy nubs of something delicious. The green sauce is a basil oil.
Course 4-Sauteed Foie Gras on Tagliatelle
Didn't think I was a big duck liver fan but the little sautéed pieces resting on a bed of homemade one minute pasta with shaved parmesan were so creamy melt-in-your-mouth good that I've changed my mind. I couldn't find a picture of this one.
Course 5-Silver Hake
This one came with a special spoon which is used to flake the delicate fish. The sauce still makes my mouth water. Hake is from the cod family and this dish was cooked in a lobster ginger emulsion with mushrooms and vegetables.
Course 6-Lobster Burger
So this one was all about butter. A lobster slider was melt in your mouth buttery and a paper cone that was actually hot glued onto the plate held baby potato chips. It was so cool to hear the French waiter say, "Zees are zee potaaato cheeps zat ave been cooked in clarified buutair."
Course 7-Short Ribs
So these short ribs are glazed with a raisin peppercorn sauce and are cooked for over 60 hours. I have no idea what they did to the vegetables but they popped with flavor. Soooo good!
Course 8-Cheese Course
We were brought a basket of brown sweet bread with raisins and pistachios and a cart was wheeled out with a variety of cheeses. It was so cool to be able to try different types and they were right that the brown bread complimented them all.
Course 9-Eggs-ceptional Lemon Meringue
So for this one they brought out what looked like a broken egg shell with the raw egg still inside. It was balanced on a bed of crushed pistachios. We were told that the egg shell was white chocolate and inside the egg white was meringue and the yolk, which looked very real, was lemon curd.
Course 10-Rubber Ducky Taking His Bath
We had absolutely no idea what to expect on this one. We worried we might be having duck for dessert but we were brought out a bowl full of white cream with a little orange duck floating on top. He even had eyes and a beak. The white pond was coconut foam and the duck was a crisp orange meringue. Inside was pineapple sorbet.
We also got petits fours which were an assortment of chocolate goodies and crusty bread with salted goat butter.
I so did not do enough walking last week to justify the deliciousness.
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In other news, you only have a few days left to enter the Vlog contest and to write a review on Barnes & Noble for a chance to win a bell anklet. If you have questions contact my sis in law Suki at contests@colleenhouck.com.
I have been told we added a date to the Voyage tour. I will now be heading to Mississippi as well. Thanks to all the fans that made that happen! The tour info is still being finalized. Thanks for being so patient as we try to get all our ducks in a row.
I finished writing Tiger's Destiny last week and I think you'll all really love it. My editor Cindy and I will be trying to get all the editing done before I head out on tour in November so the next two months will be busy ones for me.
I'm excited to see my friends Beth Revis and Melissa Marr tomorrow night at Powell's. I'm bringing my friend Cindy, and my mom, and maybe my sister with me. It should be a blast. Come find me and say hi if any of you are going.
Hugs to all!
Colleen