Colleen Houck's Blog, page 61
July 27, 2011
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 one day only!
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!
Scavenger Hunt Puzzle
Directions: Copy and paste the puzzle below onto a document or blank email page and fill it out as you proceed through the Scavenger Hunt. Search for keywords, one on each website that will be highlighted in RED, and insert them into the puzzle, then fill out the Google form here.
Rules: To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit this filled in puzzle before midnight on August 1st 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!
W
elcome fans of young adult literature! Don't forget to _______ up in time to join our special event! In _______ you roll the dice and, like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. Our scavenger hunt is very similar. Surprises wait around every corner. Turn one page and you're chasing a ____ through a _____ _____. Turn another and you are being ______ by a _______ which leaves your heart ______. YA ______s are full of ______ heroes who must _____ themselves for the greater good. Some of the characters travel through ______ or have a ______ ______. If there is one thing YA books have taught us, it's that if you leave your ______ keep an eye out for a patrolling ______. They're very dangerous. Maybe not so frightening as a _______, but still you should be careful. Also beware lest you become ______ by vampires. ______ one is a different story. Just remember that bite has _____ ramifications and that afterwards the sun can _____ you unless you get bitten by a glittering type. Whether you like dark, paranormal, romance, fantasy, _____, Sci-Fi, or a combination of those, we've got something for you.
We think that each fan is a _____ and we love you all!
Now let's get on with the HUNT!
I am so excited to be hosting the fabulous TARA HUDSON!
Like me Tara is super smart, gorgeous, and fairly new to the whole being an author thing.
Okay!
So, two out of three?
Fine!
One out of three.
We both published our debut novels this year.
Seriously though she was a pre-med major who ended
up getting a degree in law and then to top it off,
tacked on a career as an author!
Can you say amazing woman?
I'd really feel so much better if she
was just a little bit homely.
But, sigh, she looks like she should be
a model on a book cover.
See what I mean?
I can totally picture her as a ghostly
heroine haunting a graveyard.
Here's her Bio
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Tara Hudson graduated with a degree in law, mostly because she believed all the horror stories about English majors and their careers in the food-service industry. Luckily, she soon remembered how much she loved telling ghost stories, particularly to her girlfriends who liked visiting abandoned cemeteries as much as she did. Tara currently lives in Oklahoma with her husband, son, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets.
Her book is called HEREAFTER
Read this to learn a little more about HEREAFTER
Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.
Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.
HEREAFTER is the first book in a trilogy.
To find out more about Tara Hudson and HEREAFTER check out her website.
If you'd like to purchase a copy, you can find HEREAFTER at
Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Indie Bound.
AND NOW FOR THE TOP
SECRET EXLUSIVE AND
FANTABULOUS BONUS FEATURE!
READ THIS SPECIAL EXTRA
COMING TO YOU DIRECTLY
FROM TARA!
ELI‟S ORIGINAL BACKSTORY Eli Rowland wasn't always a sexy misguided rockstar. In the original version of HEREAFTER, Eli was a fallen man of God. Notice how much more formally he speaks here? I definitely like – or dislike, depending on the scene – the new Eli better!
Eli fell silent once more. But this time, the silence only lasted a few more minutes. When Eli spoke again, his voice was softer than I'd expected.
"The story -- my story -- begins in 1934. The year my wife Dorothy and I moved to this region."
I nearly stopped walking, I was so surprised that Eli had had a wife. It was hard to imagine any woman could have stood to be around him for more than a few hours. Wisely, though, I kept this opinion to myself and continued to listen as we walked. As Eli spoke, his quiet words gained a mesmerizing cadence, a kind of rhythm I couldn't ignore.
"In the midst of a nation-wide Depression," Eli went on, "My wife and I came to Oklahoma San Bois Mountains. For religious reasons, ostensibly. It may shock you to know I was a man of God, already a preacher at age twenty. My particular calling, or so the Baptist Church thought, was to travel around the country, acting as a sort of missionary to the rural communities of America.
Dorothy and I would arrive in each of these communities and set up camp, as it were, for several weeks. Typically, we were given leave to do our mission work in church buildings, although we occasionally had to make use of school rooms or even outdoor tents.
Our settings, however, didn't have much bearing on the events that occurred within them. No matter where I preached, each sermon I gave would be more moving, more fantastic, than the last. Each word I spoke was intended to transport a flock of believers to God, and then return them, a more inspired group of Christians, to their normal Sunday preachers.
Revivals, the gatherings were known as. More like carnivals, really. At least, ours were. We had strings of electric lights, fiery torches, scores of musical instruments. We put on quite the show, week to week, all in the name of God. But please, pay close attention to the word "show."
Because, Amelia -- and you may judge me, if you want, for what I'm about to tell you -- my revivals had little to do with the spiritual message I imparted to people. Instead, the revivals had everything to do with my favorite thing in the world: money.
You see, while other Americans lost their savings, their farms, their very homes…while the rest of the country starved, Dorothy and I thrived. Unbeknownst to the church, we specifically sought out the towns that were on the verge of ruin but had not yet collapsed. Places where people were desperate, but not yet destitute. Places where Christians, wavering on the brink of financial destruction, might give hundreds if not thousands of dollars to a man who promised them salvation."
At this point in Eli's story, I stopped walking and sucked in a hissed breath. Eli paused, too. He even had the decency to hang his head.
"I told you that you'd judge me," he said quietly.
"I'm…I'm trying very hard not to, Eli. I'm trying very hard to just…listen." I stuttered as I spoke, probably because I was trying harder, at this moment, to hide my lie than to listen.
Eli chuckled softly, but it was a mirthless sound. He continued to make his way through the woods, picking back up with his story after only a few steps.
"In 1934, this area of Oklahoma proved to be my greatest find, in terms of flocks to fleece. The area still had a relatively high level of prosperity, due in part to the coal mines that pocked the mountainsides. By the thirties, however, the Depression and Dust Bowl -- both of which had so successfully driven the rest of Oklahoma to its knees -- had finally found their way into this region. Coal alone wasn't enough to keep the fear out of men's eyes, though it still provided a healthy paycheck to some. Even better, a mining accident had claimed the lives of fifteen men, only four years prior. All of these things provide excellent fuel for the fire of desperation.
So Dorothy and I came here, moving from town to town, putting on our great show. And what a success we were! We had never felt richer, more prosperous, than we did in Oklahoma.
And that, of course, is when the worst happened. The morning after our last show in Wilburton, Dorothy discovered she was pregnant. Very quickly, she informed me that we couldn't travel much, not for the duration of her pregnancy. And the longer she remained pregnant, the more adverse she was to leaving Wilburton at all.
With no small amount of anger, I contacted the central authority for the Missionary Baptist Church and sought permission to remain in one place for a while. The Church readily granted the request, but they cut my already-meager salary to a mere pittance.
And that wasn't the worst of it.
To my surprise…to my horror, pregnancy began to change Dorothy. It began to…soften her. She was only eighteen years old at the time -- an impressionable age. So susceptible to change.
Although I sometimes wonder, now, whether Dorothy loved me at all, I could never doubt that she truly loved that child inside her. She spoke softly to it. She crooned to it each night as she fell asleep. She dreamt of its future. A future, she began to realize, which would only be tainted by an association with our way of life.
On behalf of our unborn child, Dorothy grew to hate our lives of deceit. She actually became happy the pregnancy had forced us to settle down in this wretched little town -- a town we had long since fleeced. You see, the point of a graft is to accomplish it and then disappear, before the unsuspecting victims start thinking their pitchforks look more like weapons than farm tools.
But Dorothy's love for that child made her forget all this. Dorothy even wanted me to try and establish myself in the community. To become a settled preacher -- a real one.
And, for her, I tried. I did. But the townspeople of Wilburton, and Talihina, and High Bridge, and Red Oak -- well, if they had been fools before, they certainly weren't fools now. They didn't run me out on a rail, I'll give them that. But they didn't place me at the helm of any church, either.
So, without our extra fleecings, without even our basic income from the Church, Dorothy and I began to do what the rest of the country was already doing -- starve.
Whatever Dorothy could scrounge, she stored for that baby. Whatever I could scrounge, I poured into my mouth in the form of cheap whiskey, which drove Dorothy and I even further apart.
I was drunk the night Dorothy went into labor. I remained drunk throughout that night, into the next day, and then into the following night, as she tried to deliver. Each time she cried out, I took another sip. Even at the sight of my newborn son, I took another sip.
And when the doctor told me Dorothy had died in childbirth, I took yet another sip.
After I buried her, I made a vow to myself that I would stay drunk for every remaining minute of my life. I set about accomplishing the goal with amazing vigor. To this day, I can't precisely remember the face of my son. The blur of that memory has nothing to do with my death; it has everything to do with the perpetual shroud that drink placed over my eyes.
The early months of 1935 were part of the coldest winter I'd ever experienced. The chill only made me drink more. I made no effort to hide my actions, and it quickly became clear to the town that I was in no condition to father my child. The people of the town, who were far godlier than I ever could have hoped to be, took my child from me, to protect him. The night they came for him, I drank myself into a stupor, walked several miles to High Bridge, and then kept walking right off of it."
At this revelation, Eli fell silent.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you all 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 as well as an advanced reading copy of the soon to be published TIGER'S VOYAGE, the third book in the Tiger Saga. Also included in the prize pack is a journal, jewelry, and the most coveted prize I will be giving away, which is an exclusive signed poster depicting concept art for the upcoming TIGER'S CURSE motion picture.
To qualify to win the prize simply leave a comment on my page. Ten eligible people will be selected and emailed at 9 am pacific time on Tuesday August 2nd. Each person selected must have entered the grand prize contest as well to prove they were a participant of the Scavenger Hunt. The first person to email me back at contactme@colleenhouck.com will win the prize pack.
Ready to go to the next website on the Scavenger Hunt?
Click HERE!
If you get lost, here is a complete list of participating authors in alphabetical order. There are actually 23 authors involved. I forgot to add myself =)
JOSEPHINE ANGELINI
TERA LYNN CHILDS
ANGELA CORBETT
KADY CROSS
HEATHER DAVIS
DJ DESMYTER
BREE DESPAIN
LEIGH FALLON
MARLEY GIBSON
ABBI GLINES
COLLEEN HOUCK
TARA HUDSON
ELANA JOHNSON
SOPHIE JORDAN
MYRA MCENTIRE
ALEXANDRA MONIR
LISA NOWAK
AMY PLUM
BETH REVIS
LISA & LAURA ROECKER
INARA SCOTT
JERI SMITH-READY
LANI WOODLAND
July 19, 2011
Goodreads Contest and Bonus Material!
Thanks to all who joined me in my first ever live chat last night on Ustream. It was so fun. As you can see I am perfectly comfortable talking to my computer. =) I prefer chatting when I can see all your faces but this is the next best thing I suppose especially for those of you who live too far away for me to see when I'm out on tour. If you missed it, you can still watch the whole chat but sadly you'll have to put up with commercial interruptions. How you access it is by clicking on the Ustream tab on the left of the Facebook page and then clicking on the picture of me frozen in a very unflattering pose.
In other news, I promised some bonus material if we hit 2500 FB followers and 1000 twitter followers. So scroll down below to find out what happened the first time Nilima met Mr. Kadam.
Our next contest will be on Goodreads. I will be giving away an advanced reading copy of Tiger's Voyage to someone who either posts a review of Tiger's Curse or Tiger's Quest or who votes for any of my books on a Goodreads list or for those who become fans. If you are new to Goodreads you'll have to sign up for an account then search for either my name or the name of one of my books. Your odds of winning are better the more times you vote. While you're there you can "friend" me as well. To vote on a Goodreads list, find a book page like for Tiger's Curse then scroll down until you see the tab that says Lists With This Book. Click on the list you want to vote for (you can do more than one). The next page will take you to the list at the exact point where the book is ranked and you can vote for it. (I think Ren and Kishan deserve to be a little higher on the rankings for swoothworthy romantic heroes, don't you?)
This Goodreads contest will last for two weeks and I'll announce the winner the first week of August. Vote Vote Vote!
While you are on Goodreads you might notice that there is an exclusive edition of Tiger's Voyage. This is not a typo. Barnes and Noble will be releasing a special edition of Tiger's Voyage with a bonus chapter that I just finished writing. It's called "A Dream Forgotten" and it's a special scene from Tiger's Quest showing when and how Ren lost his memory. I'm very excited about this bonus chapter and hope you enjoy reading about what happened when Ren was a prisoner.
Also I wanted to remind you to join me on my website on Aug 1 for the YA Scavenger Hunt. The hunt will be going live all day long so if you work you should still be able to access it but everything will be taken down by August 2 so if you miss it you'll be out of luck! I'm so excited to work with these other authors who are participating and I hope you enjoy the Hunt! I'm very much looking forward to it and its something I hope to be able to do a few times a year.
I will post directions for the hunt next week so make sure you are following me so you know what to do.
I also wanted to share with you a bit about my writing process since I get so many letters seeking for writing advice. I rely heavily on visuals and so from now on, on every blog I want to show you a picture that influenced me when writing. We'll start with Tiger's Curse. When I first began writing I created 3 x 5 cards with information on all my characters, then I searched for images that I thought reflected those characters. One of the first I found is an Indian actor named Amitabh Bachchan. For me Mr. Kadam is half Mr. Roarke from Fantasy Island and half Mr. Spock. I've seen Mr. Bachchan in a few Bollywood movies and I really like him. I even cried in one of his movies when he was giving advice to a young teenage girl and told my husband, "It's him!" Mr. Kadam's physical description is based on this picture.
And....without further ado. Here is my bonus piece. It's called...
A New Boss
Pipes. She tapped the eraser of her pencil on her notepad as she stared at the small trophy perched on the corner of her desk. She'd received it the night before at the Ali Exports yearly awards night. Formed to look like one of the company's double jointed pipes, the award had an attached plaque which said, "Nilima Mehta—In appreciation for outstanding service in Human Resources." Attached had been a short note signed by the President. Since she'd been commissioned to write all the notes, she had the message memorized.
"Employees are the joint that binds our corporation. Congratulations!"
Dev Kumar Ali
Sighing, she shifted in her chair and hoped the twinge in her back would go away. Sitting behind a desk all day and working for a company that specialized in the manufacture of state-of-the-art pipes was not her dream job. She raised her eyes to the window. At least I have a good view, she thought. She worked in an office on the tenth floor that overlooked the Godavari River, but in the five years she'd been with the company she'd been overlooked for promotion three times.
Her supervisor said she was passed over because she was simply too good at her job. He claimed that moving her into upper management would mean too big of a loss for the HR team. Being penalized for efficiency was almost worse than getting demerits. Inwardly, she despaired of ever achieving the career she wished for.
Cracking open the file on new hires, she skimmed through their experience and education mentally comparing her own, as she angrily punched computer keys. She'd graduated second in her class at the Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar getting a Post Graduate Diploma in Management, and then a Ph.D. in Management Science.
She'd originally applied for a job as a junior manager with the company but they selected another applicant. As a consolation prize they offered her a job in Human Resources promising that the moment a management position opened, it was hers. She'd accepted, hoping she'd move up quickly.
Her mother fussed about her attending school so far from home and now that she was working in a distant city and living in an apartment by herself, she refused to live with a distant aunt who lived nearby; she had to put up with nagging weekly phone calls. No phone call this week though, instead she was going home for the weekend. Her mother had set her up again.
She wasn't opposed to marriage but none of the men she met interested her. It seemed that once a man decided to marry he didn't care who he ended up with as long as she had the proper education, career, and political views.
That was not the type of man she dreamed of. She wanted someone…charming—a man comfortable with himself and others, who wasn't ruled by his mother, and was genuinely interested in her and not her wifely qualifications. Settling down and staying in one place for the rest of her life held little interest for her. She wanted to travel, to see the world, to have great adventures. Doing that with a cultured, handsome, exciting man was her definition of perfect.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock. "Come in," she called.
A man she'd never met entered. "Would you be Miss Mehta?"
"I am. Won't you sit down?"
While he made himself comfortable she pulled out the new hire file. He crossed one leg over the other and clasped his hands over his knee.
"Your name?" she asked.
"Kadam. Anik Kadam."
"Right, I don't see your name on the list. When were you hired?" She glanced up and studied his short white beard and hair. Retiree returned to the work force, she wondered?
He laughed softly. "I am not an employee of this organization."
"No?" she replied, puzzled. "Then what can I do for you?"
"I would like to invite you to come and work for me."
Shocked, she sat back in her chair. "Do you make it a habit to enter places of work and nick their employees?"
"Not at all. You are a very rare exception. I've spoken to the company president and he was willing to allow me to make a proposal."
"You spoke to the…who are you?"
"As I said, Anik Kadam."
"Yes, but who do you work for?"
"I work for myself. My company is called Rajaram Industries. Perhaps you've heard of it?"
Nilima wet her suddenly dry lips. Rajaram Industries was the largest conglomerate of companies based out of India. They were notoriously selective about hiring new employees and often only took on new people based on the highest of internal company recommendations.
"What…what is the position?" she asked.
"My personal assistant."
"And you said you're the owner of the company?"
"Yes."
"The elusive CEO of the fortune 500 business? The man TIME magazine featured with a giant question mark on the cover? The person no one has ever been able to interview?"
"Yes."
"And you want me to be your personal assistant?"
"That is correct, Miss Mehta."
"Nilima," she murmured.
He leaned forward. "Nilima. This job involves extensive travel, constant training, and requires the delicate handling of corporate secrets. Daily contact with your family would be difficult, but I will pay you whatever wage you require. You would be expected to remain in residence where I am, but your every comfort would be provided for." He smiled and there was something there for a moment—a hint of fatigue, or perhaps loneliness.
He continued, "I have sought for someone competent and trustworthy to care for the day to day business of managing Rajaram Industries, a person to serve as my proxy in certain situations, for some time. Here is my card. Perhaps you will consider my offer and call when you've made your decision?"
She took his card. It was blank except for his name and number. As he turned to leave, she blurted out, "Why me?"
He paused, hand on the open door. "Because, Nilima, you're perfect for the job." He inclined his head slightly, said, "Until we meet again," and closed the door softly behind him.
She sat, stunned for a time, then a slow grin spread across her face. She'd been wishing to have great adventures with a cultured, handsome man and though Mr. Kadam was much older than the man she'd been thinking of, he was still a dream come true.
Everyone have a great week!
Colleen
July 11, 2011
Live Ustream Chat & Scavenger Hunt
Congratulations to all of my art contest participants! You all did a great job! I'm already starting to get submissions for the poetry contest so as a reminder. If you'd like to submit some poetry send it to me here. You can send me as many submissions as you like. Don't forget to include your name each time. Your poems can be from any character's perspective just make sure you tell me whose perspective you're writing in. The deadline is July 31 and I will post the winner the first week of August.
I have some exciting events coming up, the first one is a book signing in Portland at Powell's bookstore in the Cedar Hills Mall at 7 pm on Thursday July 14. For info or bookstore address click on the link. There will be photo opportunities for you to take pictures with both of my stuffed tigers and I will be giving away some fabulous prizes including an advanced reading copy of Tiger's Voyage!
On Monday July 18th at 6 pm I will be doing my first ever Ustream live chat. You will be able to see me live broadcasting from my computer at home. How you join the chat is to either join from the Tiger's Curse Facebook page by clicking the Ustream link on the left side and then joining the chat from there, or you can create a Ustream account by going here and searching for my channel which is called The Tiger's Curse Series. The really cool thing about the chat is that we can record it so those who miss out can watch it later and if you sign up for notifications you will get an email every time I do a live chat so you'll never miss out.
For those of you who are bloggers. Here are some links and info below so you can spread the news.
Blurb
:
Join author Colleen Houck for a Live Video Chat Monday July 18, 6-7pm PT. She'll be there to chat about her new book, "Tiger's Voyage." Come hang out, ask questions, and share your favorite Tiger moments! Click the "Ustream" tab on the left of my Facebook page to join in.
Sample tweet :
Live Video Chat w/ @ColleenHouck of #TigersVoyage 7/18, 6pm PT http://ow.ly/5BOcY
Other links:
Facebook.com/tigerscurse
tigerscursebook.com
blog entry with details: http://ow.ly/5BO67
twitter.com/colleenhouck
b&n: http://ow.ly/5BO4Q
amazon: http://ow.ly/5BOa2
And last but not least...I am pleased to announce that I will be hosting a YA Scavenger hunt along with some amazing authors who write everything from Science Fiction to Steam punk to Paranormal Romance and more! I keep adding more authors every day but here is a sample list of the wonderful people who are joining me.
Josephine Angelini
Angela Corbett
Her new book Eternal Starling will be released Dec 6, 2011
Andrea Cremer
Kady Cross
Heather Davis
Bree Despain
Clare Dunkle
Marley Gibson
Abbi Glines
Tara Hudson
Elana Johnson
Alexandra Monir
Lisa Nowak
Gregg Olsen
Amy Plum
Beth Revis
Lisa and Laura Roecker
Inara Scott
Sophie Jordan
Lani Woodland
For bloggers- Join authors Josephine Angelini, Angela Corbett, Andrea Cremer, Kady Cross, Heather Davis, Bree Despain, Clare Dunkle, Marley Gibson, Abbi Glines, Colleen Houck, Tara Hudson, Elana Johnson, Alexandra Monir, Lisa Nowak, Gregg Olsen, Amy Plum, Beth Revis, Lisa and Laura Roecker, Inara Scott, Sophie Jordan, Lani Woodland and many more on August 1st for a YA Scavenger hunt. Fabulous surprises wait around every corner. Don't miss out on exclusive access to bonus chapters, news on upcoming books, cover reveals, and much much more! Your special all access pass is good for one day only. All the bonus material heads back into the vault on Aug 2nd so circle the date on your calendars and join us as we celebrate what's new in YA fiction! To join the hunt simply select one of the above authors and start at their homepage, then follow the links provided.
I'm so excited to be a part of this and I will be giving away an amazing prize, so I hope all of you book lovers will join me in checking out sneak peaks from these fabulous authors and signing up for cool prizes. You'll get to read a short story I wrote called All Hallows Eve. Set in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, see a glimpse of Ren in the 1930's at a Halloween Party where he performs for a rich crowd at the famous Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Also find a special announcement about the cover of Tiger's Voyage! You really don't want to miss out on this event!
Have a great week!
Colleen
July 6, 2011
Tiger's Quest Art Contest
I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to post the results from the art contest but the awesome pictures are revealed here at last. I want to say a special thank you to all of my wonderful fans and artists that have sent me such lovely pictures this month. I truly think you've captured the spirit of my characters and I am so jealous of your fantastic talent. Here they are! Enjoy!
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Wow! It was so hard to pick a winner!
Finalists
Runner Up-Best use of a Different Medium-Etching of Ren by Britt Garringer (Very unique!)
Runner Up-Capturing the Emotion-Kelsey and Kishan by Katie Naslund (This one really shows Kishan's love and Kelsey's confusion.)
Runner Up-Best use of Henna-Henna by Alisha Losinno (I love the designs that were chosen for this!)
Runner Up-Made me Laugh-Brothers by Katie Cowan (It's just so cute!)
Runner Up-Most Dramatic-Kishan and Kelsey by Katie Naslund (It's almost like Kishan is watching you to make sure Kelsey isn't stolen away)
Runner Up-Capturing the Character-Kelsey by Haley Le (I love your version of Fanindra and Kelsey's hair)
Runner Up-Best Chest-Ren by Laura Ann Boyll (Need I say more?)
Runner Up-Best Use of Theme-Kishan's Quest by Diana Chao (A great job adding details into the picture)
Runner Up-Best Tiger-Tiger's Quest by Christine Wright (I love the tiger fight!)
Runner Up-Best Use of Color-Kishan's Quest by Monica Rodriguez (the bright red is so vivid!)
Runner Up-Best Blue Eyes-Ren and Kelsey by Betty Delgado (Pretty!)
Runner Up-Best Kiss-Ren and Kelsey by Mariah Elaine Shuster (Very sweet! Beautiful!)
Runner Up-Best use of Thread or Ribbons-Story of Us- Ren and Kelsey by Alisha Monnin (Love how he's holding a lost ribbon)
Runner Up-Best Love Triangle-Crouching Kelsey, Sleeping Tigers by Mary Barren (This picture is very sweet)
Runner Up-Picture I Want to Keep Staring At-Together Forever by Christy Louis (It's wonderful to get this little glimpse of Ren and Kelsey)
Runner Up-Best Shangri-la-Two Brothers by Dana Stanton (Love the world tree in the background)
Runner Up-Best Yin/Yang Theme-Yin Yang by Shyia Magan (Very nice)
Awards
Best use of a Different Medium-Clay Tigers by Sarah Kalaitzidis (These were so creative and detailed. I want some!)
Capturing the Emotion-Forever Was The Deal by Kristen Brewster (There's so much pain in this picture. I can really feel it)
Best use of Henna-Maybe One Last Time by Katie Cowan (I love this picture, especially the henna detail in the background)
Made me Laugh the Most-It Just Proves My Point by Kristen Brewster (Ren dressing like Artie and carrying a TC book. Hilarious!)
Most Dramatic-Maybe One Last Time by Katie Cowan (There's so much going on in this picture-love it!)
Capturing the Character-Kishan by Katie Naslund (You can sense Kishan's sorrow, as if he's giving up on life)
Best Chest-Kishan by Laura Ann Boyll (I can easily see this man and tiger switching back and forth)
Best Use of Theme-Tied by Katie Davis (I love the theme of breaking bonds or a connection between all three characters)
Best Tiger-Ren the Tiger by Mariah Elaine Shuster (What a beautiful drawing!)
Best Use of Color-Kishan and Kelsey by Katie Naslund (The colors in this one are beautiful!)
Best Blue Eyes-Something About the Eyes by Jenna DeTrapani (I could stare at these blue eyes forever!)
Best Kiss-Which Brother by Jenna DeTrapani (Wow. If I wore glasses, they'd be steamed up right about now)
Best Use of Thread or Ribbons-The Threads of Our Lives by Alisha Monnin (Love the threads theme)
Best Love Triangle-The Threads of Our Lives by Alisha Monnin (I love how the two brothers are showcased)
Picture I Want to Keep Staring at-Which Brother by Jenna DeTrapani (I keep flipping back to this one)
Best Shangri-la-Tied by Katie Davis (I love the fairies in her hair and the green dress)
Best Yin-Yang Theme-YinYang by Breanna Kraft (I love the detail on this one)
Top Prize and winner of the Tiger's Voyage galley...
Sakuntala by Jenna DeTrapani!
Congratulations Jenna!
All of the Runners Up will get a signed bookmark!
All of the Award winners will get a special prize which will be either a necklace, a broach, a journal, signed posters or a combination of those if you won twice or three times.
And our top winner Jenna DeTrapani gets a signed copy of Tiger's Voyage along with her other prizes from the other categories.
Thank you all so much for participating! Don't forget to get out your pencils and start jotting down your poems for our poetry contest happening this month. All poems are due in by July 31st and I will post them the first week in August and announce the winners. You can write on any subject you wish or you can pick a theme from the books or write from a character. Make sure you let me know the theme and perspective of your poem so I can categorize them accordingly. Song lyrics will be accepted as well. Good luck to all of you aspiring bards out there and have a fantastic week!
Colleen
PS If for some reason I missed posting your art please let me know. I'd still love to have it and keep it in my file.
June 28, 2011
YA Scavenger Hunt
I'm am home for a brief stop before heading off to Phoenix. I wanted to thank all the fans who came out to see me in Wisconsin, Arkansas, Alabama, and Louisiana! Also warm hugs to all the event coordinators who made my appearances run smoothly.
For those of you who are planning to participate in the Tiger's Quest art contest, you still have this week to send in your submissions. I will put up all your art during the 4th of July weekend and will announce a winner or two! I have to say I am very impressed with your work! I have some fantastic fans who are truly talented!
In July we will be having a Tiger's Quest poetry contest. Sharpen your pencils and get ready! The prize for this one will be audiobooks! At the ALA Convention in New Orleans, I got to meet my audiobook producer Tim. He is wonderful and so excited to work with me on contests! For the poetry contest you will have the whole month of July to send in submissions.
Something I'm very excited to tell you about is a new idea I came up with called a YA Scavenger Hunt. I've recruited several other YA authors to participate. On August 1st we will each be posting some bonus material, or cover art, or something really cool for our fans but you're going to have to search to find it. You will start at my website where I will have the bonus material from another YA author and a link to the next website. You can like the page, enter contests for prizes, read through the material, and then click the link to the next site and keep going until you find mine. It will be a good opportunity to get exclusive peeks at upcoming YA books and you all will be the first to see something new in YA. I keep adding more authors every day so it should be really fun and exciting!
We are on week two of Tiger's Quest being on the New York Times Bestseller list and I am so thrilled and grateful to all of you who got me up there. You are the best and I wish I could hug you all! Hope to see some of you in Phoenix tomorrow night at the
Barnes & Noble @ 7pm
21001 N. Tatum Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85050
Phone: 480-538-8520 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 480-538-8520 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
and on
Thursday, July 14th
7:00 pm
at Powell's Books
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd
Beaverton, OR 97005
Colleen
June 11, 2011
Quest Tour
Here is the info on my upcoming tour. The Quest tour will be a little shorter because many of the bookstores want me to come for an appearance in November after the release of Tiger's Voyage. If you don't see your hometown on my list, it may be because I am coming this winter but if you want to make sure, go to your favorite bookstore and ask them to host me. They can email kids@sterlingpublishing.com to make that request.
FIRST STOP-WISCONSIN
Saturday, June 18th
11:30am-12:30pm
Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books
UW-Waukesha Library
1500 N. University Drive
Waukesha, WI
WRITING FOR YA PANEL
Room: Northview 125
*There will be a 30-minute signing session immediately following MY panel at 12:30pm.
*I'll also try to stop by and sign books at the B&N Bayshore Mall in Glendale & the B&N Mayfair Mall in
Wauwatosa, & the B&N in Greenfield.
SECOND STOP-ARKANSAS
Tuesday, June 21st
7:00pm
That Bookstore in Blytheville
316 W Main Street
Blytheville, AR 72315
(870) 763-3333
www.tbib.com
I'll also try to stop by and sign books at the B&N Wolf Chase Galleria in Memphis, the B&N Carriage Crossing in Collierville, & the B&N Mall at Turtle Creek in Jonesboro.
THIRD STOP-ALABAMA
Thursday, June 23rd
2:00pm-4:00pm
Fairhope Public Library
501 Fairhope Ave
Fairhope, AL 36532
Sponsored by the Page & Palette Bookstore
I try to stop by the B&N Eastern Shore Centre in Spanish Fort to sign books as well.
FOURTH STOP-LOUISIANA
Friday, June 24th
7:00pm
Barnes & Noble Harvey
1601B West Bank Expressway
Harvey, LA 70058
Phone: 504-263-1146
*I'll try to stop by the B & N Metairie store to sign books.
Saturday, June 25th
11am
ALA Show Booth Signing
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
900 Convention Center Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70130-1799
(504) 582-3023
*This event is closed to the public but if you are a librarian and will be there come and see me! I think we're giving away ARC's of Voyage!
LAST STOP-ARIZONA
Wednesday, June 29th
7:00pm
Barnes & Noble
21001 N. Tatum Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85050
Phone: 480-538-8520
*I'll try to stop by and sign stock at as many of the B & N stores as I can in Scottsdale and Phoenix.
EXTRAS
Thursday, July 14th
7:00 pm
Powell's Books
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd
Beaverton, OR 97005
*All my family including my husband will be out of town for this one! So sad but I'll still get to hang out with all of you.
Saturday, August 27th
Lincoln City, Oregon
Book Festival at the Beach
Details to come
Thursday, Sept 15th –Saturday Sept 17th
The Creative Connection Event
St. Paul, Minnesota
http://www.thecreativeconnectionevent.com/
I'll be teaching two classes
Creative Writing for Beginners
You've Got to Start Somewhere
And I'll be doing a book signing too I believe.
I have asked my publisher to be able to give away a galley of Tiger's Voyage at my book signings and since I will be dressing up in Indian clothing for the bookstore events I will probably choose to give the book to the person who comes in the best costume so dress up like Kelsey or Nilima. Braid your hair. Make homemade t-shirts or whatever you like to win! There will be several other cool prizes too. Hope I can fit everything in my suitcase!
I'm getting lots and lots of art submissions for the TQ art contest. You can still submit art until June 30 and I will post them all during 4th of July weekend.
I have the bestest most coolest fans in the world! Thank you all so much for your support and patience!
Colleen
June 2, 2011
Teen Crushes
Thanks to all of you who participated in the fabulous live Facebook chat last night! It was awesome and the support and friendship you all give is overwhelming! I was writing some bonus material recently and this is one we didn't use so I thought I would share it with you. A lot of you have been asking about the upcoming tour. We are still finalizing it so keep checking back on my website for updates. For the tentative schedule look at the blog about the Art Contest.
I've been getting lots of wonderful pictures for the TQ art contest and I'm excited to show you all. There is still time left if you haven't finished. Just make sure you send it to me by posting on Facebook or directly to my email which is contactme@colleenhouck.com. I let my nephew Joshua (Kelsey's real dad was named after him) pick a winner from the previous art that was done for Tiger's Curse. He chose this one. He calls it the fat tiger.
I don't know the name or email of the artist so if this is you, please contact me! So I'll leave you with my article on teen crushes and don't forget to reply and tell me all about yours!
My Teen Crushes
Today's teens have a lot of crush options both in Hollywood and in literature. I definitely carry a torch for Damon Salvatore and Edward Cullen. I've been known to swoon over certain X-Men, I've written gushing fan mail to boy bands, and I used to have posters of hunky heroes hung in my bedroom. Those carefully arranged pictures covered every square inch of space like sheets of sigh-inducing wallpaper.
My big Hollywood crush as a teenager was Superman. Between his blue eyes, dark hair, and his taking Lois Lane on a romantic flight around Metropolis, I fell in love. He never lied, didn't drink or smoke, he took care of his widowed mom, and he always did the right thing—even if the right thing was super-kissing Lois to make her forget him. His dedication to the woman he loved was a foundation for building my own story.
There are all different types of guys to crush on and whether you prefer dark and brooding, a guy next door, a brawny lothario, or a combination of all of them, you'll probably be able to find a literary hero to suit you. When I was a teenager, romance books were something my mother read and, since I wasn't supposed to know about, let alone touch, her secret stash, my perception of what was romantic came more from Fairy Tales.
I loved the idea of a Prince Charming and I often day dreamed of some special guy who would come along, realize that I was his Cinderella, and whisk me away to his castle. If there was a horse involved, a feast, a carriage ride, and fancy clothes—all the better. This idea stuck with me for a long time and still influences my writing today. I knew when I created Ren and Kishan that I wanted them to be handsome princes and heirs to the throne.
In Ren I created my dream prince—the perfect man whose only real flaw was a jealous nature. I've always been attracted to nice men, unlike Princess Leia who says she likes nice men but really likes scoundrels. I was a Luke Skywalker fan and argued hotly in middle school about why Princes Leia should choose him over Han Solo. Nowadays I have a healthy affection for them both. I also enjoyed stories about a white knight charging in to save the day. To me, a white knight is the embodiment of bravery, chivalry, power, and he does it all in the name of the woman whose favor he wears. Wrapping her scarf around his arm when he jousts, symbolizes to the world that he is only successful because she is his. I find the notion very romantic.
In creating my handsome prince, I gave him all of the characteristics that would be found in my interpretation of a perfect man. My dream prince is attentive, sweet, loves to snuggle, gives massages, and is a good dancer. He sacrifices himself for others, is a fabulous gift giver, and writes poetry. My readers might have noticed that he also looks a bit like Superman. What could be better?
In high school I fell for similar types of guys—boys next door who were sweet, handsome, and a bit on the shy side. My husband is this type and he has many of the same characteristics that Ren has.
But then there's Kishan.
I originally wrote him to be the scoundrel of the story.
He's a handsome prince like his brother and he's a bit of a rogue, but I couldn't resist falling for him too. He's a different kind of hero. Kishan is quieter, less prone to expressing what he wants, but when he does share how he feels, the impact sends shockwaves. This prince is steady, determined, and willing to break the rules to get what he's after. It's very easy to sense the passion smoldering beneath the surface and what is exciting about him, is not knowing when that heat will bubble over and consume him. There's something very intriguing about Kishan and I can't wait to explore more of his character.
So whether you like them blonde, tall, strong, or dark, it's raining men in Young Adult literature and I'm leaving my umbrella at home.
So everyone describe your favorite romantic hero!
Have a great week!
Colleen
May 31, 2011
Live Facebook Chat
For all of you who blog this is for you. I'm really excited to let you know I'll be doing a live Q&A/Chat on Facebook on June 1 at 6 PM PT. Below are all the details. Share where you can! Hope you can join!
Sincerely,
Colleen
PS I may even answer some of your burning questions about Tiger's Voyage so don't miss out!
Sample tweets
Chat with author of the Tiger's Series, @CollenHouck on her FB Page on 6/1 http://ow.ly/56Sph
Love Tiger's Curse? Live chat with author @CollenHouck on her FB Page on 6/1 http://ow.ly/56Sph
Blurb
Join Author of The Tiger Series, Colleen Houck, in a live chat on Facebook! Ask her everything from your burning questions about her upcoming book, Tiger's Quest, to her theories on the new season of Vampire Diaries. Chat is (June 1st at 6 PM Pacific).
My Blog post about the chat
http://tigerscursebook.com/blog/post-108/
Links to Tiger's Quest
B&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Tigers-Quest/Colleen-Houck/e/9781402784040/?itm=1&USRI=tiger%27s+quest+tiger%27s+curse+series+2
--
http://bit.ly/jtL3hx
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Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/140278404X/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=143925043X&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0CD26AAZW7AY0FFZ9HZV
--
http://amzn.to/jNsgaY
--
My Site:
http://tigerscursebook.com
May 24, 2011
Art Contest
There are some really awesome artists who have drawn, painted, sketched etc. art for Tiger's Curse and I'd like to do a special feature on my artist fans. I'm going to show a few here and if you've done something and I haven't seen it yet, please post it on the Facebook page.
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If you are the artist that did one of these, fess up! They are really cool! Email me so I can put your name with your picture and I'll pick a favorite to win a prize. Meanwhile, we're going to have a Tiger's Quest art contest this month. Send in your pictures to my email and post them on the Facebook fan page or tweet it to me and I'll send a gift pack to the winning picture. Deadline for submissions will be the end of June. The prize pack will include some fun giveaways and maybe even a galley of Tiger's Voyage so send in your submissions!
I have a few tour dates I can announce.
7:00 pm Tuesday, June 21
That Bookstore in Blytheville
316 W Main Street
Blytheville, AR 72315
(870) 763-3333
www.tbib.com
7:00 pm Friday, June 24th
Barnes & Noble Harvey
1601B West Bank Expressway
Harvey, LA 70058
Contact: Aaron Boyd (CRM)
Phone: 504-263-1146
7:00 pm Wednesday, June 29th
Barnes & Noble
21001 N. Tatum Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85050
Contact: Erica Ashcroft
Phone: 480-538-8520
7:00 pm Thursday, July 14th
Powell's at Cedar Hills Crossing
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR
And I am still planning on attending the Wisconsin Festival of Books June 17th &18th and the ALA Conference June 24th and 25th in New Orleans. I will have a more fleshed out itinerary soon and hope to meet as many of you as I can!
To celebrate the release of Tiger's Quest I will be doing a live Facebook chat on Wednesday June 1st at 6 pm Pacific time. I hope this time works. If it's terrible you can leave me feedback and we can switch it next time we do a live chat.
Have a great week!
Tiger licks to all =)
Colleen
May 19, 2011
Giveaway
You have only a few days left to win a free copy of Tiger's Quest. Go to http://www.facebook.com/tigerscurse?s... and vote for who you think has the most romantic line from Tiger's Quest, Ren or Kishan? Also sign up to follow my facebook page and my twitter because when I hit 3,000 followers on FB and 1,000 on my twitter which is @colleenhouck I will release a bonus short story.
