Colleen Houck's Blog, page 8

Movie Poster Contest + BONUS Contest **Winner Announced**

The Winner is

Natalie Arroyo

This month we will be creating movie posters for the Reawakened Series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So many popular books are made into movies and we are still anxiously waiting for the Tiger’s Curse movie to start production. (Please start filming we want to see what Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan look like!) So why not help them along and make some movie posters?

 

OLD MOVIE POSTERS FOR INSPIRATION

 

Let’s take a walk down memory lane and check out some awesome posters made for earlier movies we may have seen. 

 

The picture is clear indication of what this movie will be about.  Go swimming at your own risk, right? I didn’t know it, but it was a best selling book before it was a movie.

 

 

 

 

I remember this movie with such fondness.  I cried when E.T. died (spoilers), and laughed out loud when he was dressed up as a ghost for Halloween.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m sure we are all familiar with these books and movies.  These are the books that inspired Colleen to start her writing journey.  How many times have you read the series and watched the movies?

 

[image error]

 












I can’t wait for this movie to come out!  They made her dress into the the Beast’s magic rose, and can you see the Beast’s eyes in the background?
























I loved this book series and the movies!  I just finished FOUR.
















Did you know that Return of the Jedi was originally titled Revenge of the Jedi?






















How to win:
Create a movie poster and pin it on your Pinterest board and paste the link in the comments below.  Include the title, a cool background, some actors you would like to see in the rolls, their names, maybe a tagline.  Have fun.  I can’t wait to see what you come up with.  


What you will win:
Reignited or an advanced copy of Reunited




 






This contest will run the entire month of May 2017

Both contests run for all of May 2017

BONUS CONTEST:

Enter to win an additional book from Colleen just do one or all (to increase your odds of winning)

Pick a 2nd book to win pick some different than the first contest


Follow Colleen on Twitter
Add Reignited to Good Reads “To Read” list
Add Reunited to Good Reads “To Read”  list
Link a review of any of Colleen’s books on Amazon or Good Reads (just follow the instructions below)  This one is worth 5 x more points

On GoodReads

Find the book
Review the book
hover over “My Review” and right click over it to click on and copy the link
paste the link in the proper area on the Rafflecopter

On Amazon.com

Find the book
Review the book
hover over the “title” of your review and right click over it to click on and copy the link
paste the link in the proper area on the Rafflecopter

 

 

Good Luck!

Shara

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Save

Save

Movie Poster Contest + BONUS Contest

This month we will be creating movie posters for the Reawakened Series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So many popular books are made into movies and we are still anxiously waiting for the Tiger’s Curse movie to start production. (Please start filming we want to see what Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan look like!) So why not help them along and make some movie posters?

 

OLD MOVIE POSTERS FOR INSPIRATION

 

Let’s take a walk down memory lane and check out some awesome posters made for earlier movies we may have seen. 

 

The picture is clear indication of what this movie will be about.  Go swimming at your own risk, right? I didn’t know it, but it was a best selling book before it was a movie.

 

 

 

 

I remember this movie with such fondness.  I cried when E.T. died (spoilers), and laughed out loud when he was dressed up as a ghost for Halloween.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m sure we are all familiar with these books and movies.  These are the books that inspired Colleen to start her writing journey.  How many times have you read the series and watched the movies?

 

[image error]

 












I can’t wait for this movie to come out!  They made her dress into the the Beast’s magic rose, and can you see the Beast’s eyes in the background?
























I loved this book series and the movies!  I just finished FOUR.
















Did you know that Return of the Jedi was originally titled Revenge of the Jedi?






















How to win:
Create a movie poster and pin it on your Pinterest board and paste the link in the comments below.  Include the title, a cool background, some actors you would like to see in the rolls, their names, maybe a tagline.  Have fun.  I can’t wait to see what you come up with.  


What you will win:
Reignited or an advanced copy of Reunited




 






This contest will run the entire month of May 2017

Both contests run for all of May 2017

BONUS CONTEST:

Enter to win an additional book from Colleen just do one or all (to increase your odds of winning)

Pick a 2nd book to win pick some different than the first contest


Follow Colleen on Twitter
Add Reignited to Good Reads “To Read” list
Add Reunited to Good Reads “To Read”  list
Link a review of any of Colleen’s books on Amazon or Good Reads (just follow the instructions below)  This one is worth 5 x more points

On GoodReads

Find the book
Review the book
hover over “My Review” and right click over it to click on and copy the link
paste the link in the proper area on the Rafflecopter

On Amazon.com

Find the book
Review the book
hover over the “title” of your review and right click over it to click on and copy the link
paste the link in the proper area on the Rafflecopter

 

 

Good Luck!

Shara

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Save

Save

Ten Authors I’ve Met & Loved

 

During our lifetime we come to idolize those we hold in high esteem or those who make a change in our lives.  Some of those people are authors for me. As a young child I didn’t feel overly intelligent but my mom would take us to the library often during the summer.  I would read and reread the Dorrie the Witch books by Patricia Coombs. I can still remember the smell of those books and where they were located in the library.  Jump forward 20 years and I’m laying on the couch with a white trash can waiting for the next bout of nausea to hit which seemed to be on a twenty minute timer.  I was pregnant with my first child and the only escape I found besides sleep were the new novels by a British author named J. K. Rowling. I can remember the feeling of sitting at the wooden benches in the great hall, and going to potions classes with Rob, Hermione, and Harry while my pregnancy moved forward. One of these days I would love to meet these two women and thanks them for being a part of my life. 

 

 

Being the younger sister of Colleen Houck has afforded me to meet some of my more recent idols.  So not only is she my favorite author, and the person that taught me, if I believed hard enough while jumping off the dresser onto the waterbed, that I could fly, but she is the kindest most generous person I know.  So here is my top ten authors I met & loved in no particular order.

 

 

Colleen Houck manages to merge adventure with young love and it’s intoxicating.  She is not only a great author, but I’ve never met another author who gives as much time, prizes, and attention to her fans.  She is full of great ideas and I don’t think her well of talents will ever run dry. If you haven’t read her Tiger’s Curse series or her Reawakened series you are missing a great adventure and some entangling romances.

 

 

 

Amy Plum is one of those people you just want to hang out with, her Die for Me series take you to Paris and I never wanted to leave.  I’ve always dreamed of  traveling to Paris and this book solidified my wish to visit and eat chocolate filled croissants while sitting outside a tiny  Parisian restaurant. Amy is so sweet in real life and she often brings little chocolate covered caramels from France as a treat for her fans. 

 

 

 

 

Beth Revis has a talent for Sci-Fi.  Her Across the Universe series was addicting. You have alien planets, space ships, ruins, and some pretty scary alien birds. If you need a friend to go to a convention with to geek out with I think Beth is your gal.  She just finished writing a Star Wars book, and I’m so proud of her dipping her literary toes into the Star Wars universe. I’m pretty sure she will automatically get sent a sweet hot pink or teal colored lightsaber for being part of the family.

 

 

 

Sophie Jordan is from Texas and she used to be a high school English teacher.  She writes so many books it’s hard to keep up.  She wrote the Firelight series, and if you like dragons you will love this series. Of course the dragons or draki are hunted and who better to fall in love with than someone who hunts your family.

 

 

 

Bree Despain is the sweetest author I’ve ever met.  When she released her Dark Divine series  I remember her swag was little bottles of nail polish that matched her book covers.  So cute!  I actually used the coral colored one until it ran out.  One cool thing about her is that her family dresses up for Halloween in some awesome costumes.  If I remember correctly her husband is the genius behind the creation of those epic costumes.

 

 

 

 

Stacey Kade is a dream to work with.  I have worked with Stacey and Colleen on a few convention projects and she’s a hard worker and wonderful author.  Did you know she used to be a corporate copywriter?  She wrote the Project Paper Doll series. 

 

 

 

 

Page Morgan wrote the Wondrous and the Wicked series.  This is another series that takes place in Paris and later London.  There are gargoyles, enough said.  Page is sweet and you will never look at a gargoyle the same again.

 

 

 

 

Sweet, sweet Amalie.  Colleen and Amalie almost always sit next to each other at conferences since the author’s sit alphabetically, and so I have spent many hours with her.  Amalie has written a lot of books but my favorite based how much I love the cover is Alpha Goddess.  If you like Indian mythology you will like this book.

 

 

 

 

C.J Redwine has written the Defiance trilogy.  She’s is a strong woman and she writes strong women in her page turning books.  She loves the Avengers and would join their ranks. I can see some of her female characters like Lorelai from The Shadow Queen fighting alone side Black Widow and Captain America.  C.J is smart about how she runs her business as an author and I’ve learned a thing or two from her just listening to her at panels. 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve had dinner with Tera Lynn Childs while she and Colleen talked shop.  It awesome to sit with two such awesome authors and learn about the industry, publishers, and how they carve our success for themselves. Tera is tech savvy and my favorite series she wrote is the Sweet Venom series.  Tera is beautiful and has the prettiest blonde hair. Look for her and all of her awesome books at conventions.

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve seen questioning faces turn to understanding as soon as I mention the books with the dresses.  So if you don’t know her by name you know her by her book covers.  Now if only the Bachelor and Bachelorette T.V. shows would take a page from Kiera’s books and add some adventure and less fabricated drama. Kiera’s books are fun, and she is fun.  I’ve chatted with her and listened to her at convention panels.  Since most of you have seen or read the Crown series, I’ll introduce you to another book she wrote that I just finished and loved titled The Siren.  If you think your life is difficult meet Kahlen who becomes a siren who has to do the bidding of the ocean.

 

Is there an author that you have met or want to meet?

 

Shara

Firelight seriesSave

Save

Save

Save

Save

Spiders and the Webs they Weave

 

 

I am creeping out as I study and look at pictures and videos of spiders for this blog!  Just so you feel some my pain here is a video of the largest spider in the world…just to set the mood.

 

 

Not convinced yet how creepy they are?  Lets see how Frodo, Sam, Harry, and Ron handle large spiders that are intent on having them for dinner.

Frodo vs. Shelob

Sam vs. Shelob

Rob and Harry against Aragog and his family

Fun fact: Rupert Grint aka Ron Weasley has a severe case of arachnophobia. So much so that he refuses to watch this scene.

 

In the mood for more watch a movie from 1990 titled  “Arachnophobia,” a movie of a family who’s house is a breeding ground for spiders.  Killer spiders!

 

In Greco-Roman mythology, Arachne is a mortal weaver who challenged the goddess of wisdom and crafts, Athena, in a weaving contest.  This foolish pride resulted in Arachne being transformed in a spider.  Some versions of this story list Athena as the winner some Arachne is the winner.

 

Athena wins:  “In this version, someone asks Arachne how she learned to weave so well and suggested that Athena taught her and she didn’t know it. Arachne dismissed this and boasted that she could teach Athena a thing or two in weaving. Athena then appeared in the doorway, wrapped in a long cloak, and asked if she really didn’t believe that Athena had taught her to weave. Arachne repeated her boast and Athena challenged her to a contest in which Zeus (Jupiter) was to be the judge. Whoever lost must promise never to touch spindle or loom again. Arachne wove a web thin yet strong with many colors. This was no match for Athena’s weaving, made up of the gods and their glory, shining with their beauty.

Arachne acknowledged Athena’s triumph, but despaired at the loss of her craft. Athena saw that Arachne could not live if she could not weave, so she touched Arachne with the tip of her spear, turning her into a spider so she could weave without spindle or loom.”

Arachne Wins:  “In this version of the myth, Arachne was a blessed weaver of Greece. People asked her if she had been taught weaving by Athena herself, the goddess of wisdom. Although this was meant as a compliment, Arachne became angry. She thought that her skill was greater than the goddess’s. Hearing of her attitude, Athena appeared on her doorway disguised as an old woman in a dark cloak. She asked her to respect the gods and goddesses, but Arachne just laughed, and said that even if Athena herself challenged her, it would be an easy win. Athena then revealed herself and challenged Arachne to a competition. The loser would promise never to weave again.

Athena wove a tapestry of the people of Greece, with Poseidon and Athena over them, deciding whose name should be given to the city of Athens. Arachne wove a tapestry about Zeus, and his seduction of Europa and others. Athena saw that although Arachne had insulted the gods, her work was so beautiful that Athena herself was awed. She realized that Arachne couldn’t live without weaving. To make Arachne realize her mistake and also to teach her to respect the gods and their works, she touched Arachne’s forehead with the tip of her hand. The magic worked only partially, filling Arachne with guilt for her insolence, and she hanged herself. Out of pity, Athena brought Arachne back to life as a spider, so that she and her descendants could weave all their lives.”

 

 

In Ancient Egypt Neith was associated with spiders.  She was the weaver and spinner of destiny.

 

 

 

In North American cultures they have an oral tradition of a spider-trickster figure with several names.  “…in the legend of The “Wasna” (Pemmican) Man and the Unktomi (Spider),[18] a man encounters a hungry spider family, and the hero Stone Boy is tricked out of his fancy clothes by Unktomi, a trickster spider figure.[19] The spider is also present as the deity Iktomi, which is occasionally depicted in this form.”

 

 

 

Spiders are patient creatures that rely on the hunting technique of spinning webs to catch prey.  They are also thought us and mischievous and malicious since they use toxic venom that kills slowly.  Their weaving skills have inspired the origin of spinning, basketry, knotwork, textile weaving and net making.  In fact philosophers use the spider’s web as a metaphor for the Internet to show how everything is interconnected just like a spider web.

 

What a creepy inspiration they are!

 

Shara

 

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

YASH Spring 2017!

Welcome to the 14th YA Scavenger Hunt!

Hello! I am Colleen Houck,

your hostess for this leg of the hunt.

About Me

My 2017 Calendar is “Nightmare Before Christmas” themed.

I just put my home on the market.

My backyard has over 300 daffodils right now.

I love See’s lollipops.

And I’m currently working on a NEW TOP SECRET book!

 You are currently hunting on TEAM PINK.

Looking for my exclusive bonus content? You’ll have to keep searching.

Somewhere on this blog hop, I’ve hidden a sneak peak from REUNITED! Before you go looking for them, check out the amazing author I’m hosting.

But, first, a few rules.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE RULES

DIRECTIONS: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on TEAM PINK, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!)

HINT: THE SECRET NUMBER IS HIGHLIGHTED IN PINK !

ENTRY FORM: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

RULES: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by SUNDAY, APRIL 9th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each participating YA author, you also get a secret number. Add up the numbers, and enter it for a chance to win a major prize–one lucky winner will receive at least one book from each author on my team in the hunt! But play fast. This contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until noon PST on Sunday, April 9th!

There are FIVE contests going on simultaneously as well as a bonus contest and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the PINK TEAM but there is also a RED TEAM,  BLUE TEAM,  PURPLE TEAM, & GOLD TEAM! Check out each team for a chance to win FIVE different sets of signed books!

If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I’ll introduce the author I am hosting on this hunt.

I am super excited to be hosting…

A.G. Howard!

About A.G.:

A. G. Howard is the author of the New York Times bestselling Splintered series and RoseBlood, a spinoff of the classic Broadway musical “The Phantom of the Opera”, which debuted at #1 on the NYT list. When she is not writing, A. G. enjoys rollerblading, gardening, and visiting 18th century graveyards or abandoned buildings to appease her muse’s darker side.

 

The book she is showcasing is ROSEBLOOD! 

ABOUT THE BOOK 

When sixteen-year-old Rune Germain is sent to a boarding school outside of Paris, she discovers that at this opera-house-turned-music-conservatory, phantoms really do exist.
RoseBlood is a paranormal Phantom of the Opera–inspired spinoff in which Rune’s greatest talent—her voice—is also her greatest curse, and meeting her angel of music could either be the beginning of her operatic triumph, or the end of her life.

 

TOP SECRET BONUS MATERIAL!

Sneak peek into Christine Daaé’s secret journal entries,

 

You can now add ROSEBLOOD to your TBR list on Goodreads!

Are you as interested in this book as I am?
Here’s how you can get your hands on it!
You can buy her book HERE!
 Check out more on her Website, Twitter, or Facebook page.

As  a bonus I am happy to host another author,

Amariah Dixon!

About Amariah,

Amariah Dixon was born and raised in the small southern town of Carrollton, Georgia. The fourth of five children, she grew up in a home filled with books and the sounds of laughter and music, encircled by an enchanting hardwood forest. A safe haven where her imagination could run wild – and did.

Being a natural-born storyteller herself, Amariah delighted in the books read to her by her mother as a child. As soon as she learned to read and write, she began to commit her own stories to paper, accompanied by her own fanciful illustrations.

The book she is showcasing is The Star! 

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Riley is an ordinary boy living an ordinary life . . . until something extraordinary happens. One morning, just like any other, Riley wakes up, begins to get ready for school, looks in the mirror and . . . he sees the image of a star around his eye! Why has he been marked with this symbol and for what purpose?
 

TOP SECRET BONUS MATERIAL!

“Where I find Inspiration for my stories.”

I have traveled to many places around the U.S. which have had a great influence in my writing. The Blue Ridge Mountains inspired some of the mountain ranges in my story. The woods around my home have, especially, fed my imagination, where I used to imagine elves and fairies lived among the trees.

The older people in my life (grandparents—particularly my Papaw Crawford), inspired one of my main characters, who is an older individual. Many of my characters are like spawns of family members, and several of my friends. Joseph is pretty much similar to me as a 15 year old.

Kelvin is similar to my younger brother, in the sense that he is assertive. Riley is a mixture of people I know, and myself. Kelly is pretty much me in my more assertive nature.

You can now add The Star to your TBR on Goodreads!

Are you as interested in this book as I am?

Here’s how you can get your hands on it!

You can buy her book HERE!

 

And don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me and many more! Just check out all these books on team PINK,

To enter, you need to write down my favorite number, 77, find all the other numbers on TEAM PINK, add them up, and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Thank you so much for visiting my website! While you’re here don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter bonus contest I am running exclusively during the YA Scavenger Hunt. Five lucky winners will receive the  first book in my Egyptian series, REAWAKENED! Good luck everyone!

Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win,

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

To continue on the hunt, check out author Abigail Johnson!

REUNITED play list Contest + BONUS Contest “WINNER ANNOUNCED”

The winner is

Bethany Keeton

The top five songs entered

(in no particular order are)

One Republic- Let’s Hurt Tonight

Selena Gomez- A Year without Rain

Hunter Hays- Flashlight

Shawn Mendes- Mercy

 

Ruelle- War of Hearts

It’s time to create our own playlists for REUNITED, Colleen’s new book from her Egypt Series.  Songs tie us to moments in our life. That is true for Colleen and her characters as well.   Songs are like points on a map that show us where we have been. We half smile as we drive down the road listening to the radio while lyrics take us back to High School.  We feel temporarily heart broken again as we recall a hard breakup in college.  We slow down for a a good cry when we hear songs that remind us of a lost loved one.  Songs can be a direct link to our emotions.

 

How do you win this contest?

Pick a song and submit it below in the comment section.  You can submit up to 10 songs. (maybe link a YouTube video of the song)

What do you win? 

You win an early copy of REUNITED and one lucky winner gets their song choice put on the official play list.

 

 

 

Here is a summary, for inspiration, of what Goodreads says about the book:

“After surviving her otherworldly adventure, Lily wakes up on her nana’s farm having forgotten everything. Her sun prince, her travels to Egypt, and her journey to the Afterlife are all distant memories.

But Lily is not the girl she once was. Her body is now part human, part lion, and part fairy. And if that isn’t bad enough, she must now harness this power of three and become Wasret: a goddess destined to defeat the evil god Seth once and for all.

With the help of her old friend Dr. Hassan, Lily departs on her final voyage through the cosmos and across the plains of Egypt. On the journey, she will transform into the being she is destined to become.

Reunited is the heart-pounding conclusion to the Reawakened series.

It is time for Lily to find her sunset. ”

 

Contest runs the moth of April 2017

 

Both contests run from April 1st – 30th

BONUS CONTEST:

Enter to win an additional book from Colleen just do one or all (to increase your odds of winning)

Pick a 2nd book to win pick some different than the first contest


Follow Colleen on Twitter
Add Reignited to Good Reads “To Read” list
Add Reunited to Good Reads “To Read”  list
Link a review of any of Colleen’s books on Amazon or Good Reads (just follow the instructions below)  This one is worth 5 x more points

On GoodReads

Find the book
Review the book
hover over “My Review” and right click over it to click on and copy the link
paste the link in the proper area on the Rafflecopter

On Amazon.com

Find the book
Review the book
hover over the “title” of your review and right click over it to click on and copy the link
paste the link in the proper area on the Rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Shara

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

REUNITED play list Contest + BONUS Contest

It’s time to create our own playlists for REUNITED, Colleen’s new book from her Egypt Series.  Songs tie us to moments in our life. That is true for Colleen and her characters as well.   Songs are like points on a map that show us where we have been. We half smile as we drive down the road listening to the radio while lyrics take us back to High School.  We feel temporarily heart broken again as we recall a hard breakup in college.  We slow down for a a good cry when we hear songs that remind us of a lost loved one.  Songs can be a direct link to our emotions.

 

How do you win this contest?

Pick a song and submit it below in the comment section.  You can submit up to 10 songs. (maybe link a YouTube video of the song)

What do you win? 

You win an early copy of REUNITED and one lucky winner gets their song choice put on the official play list.

 

 

 

Here is a summary, for inspiration, of what Goodreads says about the book:

“After surviving her otherworldly adventure, Lily wakes up on her nana’s farm having forgotten everything. Her sun prince, her travels to Egypt, and her journey to the Afterlife are all distant memories.

But Lily is not the girl she once was. Her body is now part human, part lion, and part fairy. And if that isn’t bad enough, she must now harness this power of three and become Wasret: a goddess destined to defeat the evil god Seth once and for all.

With the help of her old friend Dr. Hassan, Lily departs on her final voyage through the cosmos and across the plains of Egypt. On the journey, she will transform into the being she is destined to become.

Reunited is the heart-pounding conclusion to the Reawakened series.

It is time for Lily to find her sunset. ”

 

Contest runs the moth of April 2017

 

Both contests run from April 1st – 30th

BONUS CONTEST:

Enter to win an additional book from Colleen just do one or all (to increase your odds of winning)

Pick a 2nd book to win pick some different than the first contest


Follow Colleen on Twitter
Add Reignited to Good Reads “To Read” list
Add Reunited to Good Reads “To Read”  list
Link a review of any of Colleen’s books on Amazon or Good Reads (just follow the instructions below)  This one is worth 5 x more points

On GoodReads

Find the book
Review the book
hover over “My Review” and right click over it to click on and copy the link
paste the link in the proper area on the Rafflecopter

On Amazon.com

Find the book
Review the book
hover over the “title” of your review and right click over it to click on and copy the link
paste the link in the proper area on the Rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Shara

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Announcing Spring 2017 YASH Teams!

For all of you who love finding new reads, I have just the thing for you. The YA Scavenger Hunt is coming. If you’ve never heard of it, the hunt runs twice a year in the spring and in the fall. During the hunt we showcase new and upcoming YA releases, give out tons of prizes, and release special bonus material. Sound interesting?

This spring we will have one hundred authors split into five teams of twenty. Each team is assigned a color. The blog hop begins April 4th and runs through Sunday, April 9th. It’s easy to play. All you have to do is either start on my blog or head directly over to the YASH website. There you’ll find a list of all the authors participating as well as an answer sheet you can print off to gather the info you’re hunting for and to keep track of any bonus contests you may have entered.

Are you ready to see all the books featured this season? Here they are!

 

Which teams are you most excited about? Are you #TeamBlue? #TeamPurple? Let us know in the comments.

 

Colleen

Modern Ink Society

FEATURING GUEST

Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Genesis of Inspiration

Welcome to the thirtieth session of

THE MODERN INK SOCIETY!

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”

                                                                   — Eleanor Roosevelt

Introducing Jennifer







Bio: New York Times Bestselling author, Jennifer Nielsen, was born and raised in northern Utah, where she still lives today with her husband, three children, and a dog that won’t play fetch. She is the author of The Ascendance trilogy, beginning with THE FALSE PRINCE; the MARK OF THE THIEF series, and the forthcoming A NIGHT DIVIDED. She loves chocolate, old books, and lazy days in the mountains.





Jennifer’s Featured Book

 

 

 

Here’s a little teaser

As a lethal plague sweeps through the land, Ani Mells is shocked when she is unexpectedly captured by the governor’s wardens and forced to submit to a test for the deadly Scourge. She is even more surprised when the test results come back positive, and she is sent to Attic Island, a former prison turned refuge — and quarantine colony — for the ill. The Scourge’s victims, Ani now among them, can only expect to live out short, painful lives there. However, Ani quickly discovers that she doesn’t know the whole truth about the Scourge or the Colony. She’s been caught in a devious plot, and, with the help of her best friend, Weevil, Ani means to uncover just what is actually going on.  But will she and Weevil survive long enough to do so? “

The Scourge” is an explosively thrilling tale of adventure and intrigue, courage and heart from “New York Times” bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen.

 The Genesis of Inspiration


The most common question most writers get is, “Where do you get your ideas?” Although that seems rather basic, it’s always been a hard one for me to answer because my first thought is, “Where don’t I get them?”
The author Orson Scott Card once said, “Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any.”

Personally, I won’t claim to find fix or six ideas every day, but I absolutely believe Card is correct. And I have a theory as to how any writer—or non-writer—can begin to work their way toward daily inspirations for stories.
It’s called, “What If?”

“What if” is a game I used to play with my son when we’d be in a public place and he was bored. I might look around the food court at the mall and say, “Someone here is trying to hide their superpowers. Who is it?” He’d look around and finally identify someone nonchalantly eating their ice cream. “Him!” “Oh yes, I can see it now. But their arch nemesis is here too. Where are they?” He finds a woman waiting impatiently in line. “Her!” “What if they bump into each other? What will happen next?” And the story begins…

Most of my story inspirations begin in similarly humble ways. Lyrics in a song, a story from history, a useless fun fact that catches my attention. An offhand comment in a podcast. This was the genesis for THE SCOURGE. The podcaster was discussing the history of Leprosy (always a fun beginning for any children’s book, no?) and how in the twentieth century, we knew what it was and how to cure it.

Yet it was still legal in many parts of the world to pull a leprosy victim from their home and send them to a leper colony even though we could cure it. There are still people living in some colonies today, cured of their conditions for decades yet they have nowhere to return to.

The injustice of that floored me and I began playing “What If” with that piece of history. What if fear becomes the driving force of a country’s policy? What if the leader of a country is willing to use that fear to control the population? What is the price of segregating a population into groups between the acceptable and non-acceptable people? The answers to those questions became THE SCOURGE.

For writers who are seeking their next idea, or how to flesh out the idea they have, I suggest they play the same game. Do you see a mother pushing a stroller down the street? What if you change the time of day from 3 pm to exactly midnight? What if you remove one character? Mom. What if you walk into the scene to help the baby and at the end of the street, the lights flicker, and a cloaked figure appears, its eyes on you?

Do you hear a politician saying something that is damaging to their career? What if they are being blackmailed? By whom? Do you see an unusual weather condition? What if the cause isn’t natural? What else could it be?
Simple questions like these become the genesis of inspiration. They are the reason why some people find new story prompts every single day where others find none at all. Finding ideas begins with developing the habit of seeing something ordinary and then asking questions. Come up with the most interesting answers you can, and suddenly, the story begins.

Look around you now. What if…

If you’d like to chat with Jennifer and Colleen, there is a Goodreads chat going on through the month of March! Join the book club chat for a chance to win FREE BOOKS!

 

Top Ten Ways to get Luck on your Side

TOP TEN BEHAVIORS THAT MAKE ME FEEL LUCKY

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! Today is one of those holidays where you see shamrocks and pots of gold, little leprechauns and people dressed in green for a spot o’ good luck. You may also hear or have heard at some point in time, the old adage, “the luck o’ the Irish”.

It comes as no surprise that Irish history is riddled with superstitious beliefs involving cats and mirrors and ghosts, so why not have a special day where a bunch of luck shines down on those sporting their clovers of green with rainbows and pots of gold?

While it’s fun to celebrate with clovers, rainbows and gold foiled chocolates, there’s not a whole lot of “luck” that comes from wearing green. At least, not in my experience.

So I thought why not share the things that have created “luck” in my own life. I’ve written ten behaviors (in no particular order) that I know have set the motion for success in life’s pursuits.

-1-

Have a vision. In the book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey talks about always beginning with the end in mind. This way of thinking creates both purpose and focus for any goal you may have. He also says there are two creations for building success There is the mental creation where you envision, plan, organize and design and then there is the physical creation where you act on that vision. This is true with everything if you think about it. If you don’t see yourself going their first, you won’t get there at all.

-2-

Positive mental awareness. Some people are naturally optimistic and happy like the fictional troll character Poppy. There are also those who are more pessimistic and let’s face it, sometimes downright negative or even grumpy. Thankfully, this is a trait you can work on and eventually perfect. It may take time but its possible. Have you ever heard the saying, “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”? The mind is a powerful thing. You can’t physically go where your mind doesn’t go first. If you have a negative attitude, you won’t enjoy the process either and in that case, what’s the point of going there at all. While life may not always be “cupcakes and rainbows”, why not keep the hope that in time, your seeds of effort will eventually grow and blossom?

 

-3-

Get comfortable with getting uncomfortable. Change for the better, whether we like it or not, almost always happens outside of our comfort zone. Our greatest strides in life are from the hardships we face. That’s nature. We just have to decide that it’s ok to be comfortable because on the other side of it, is that thing we are fighting for, that thing we hope and yearn for.

 

-4-

Take advantage of opportunities. Sometimes the only difference between an “unlucky” and a “lucky” person is simply seizing the moment when it presents itself. First, we have to be looking for those windows of opportunity. Second, we have to be ready and willing to jump on it when the timing is right.

If we are too busy complaining about our lot in life, or our focus is too narrow, those opportunities can quickly slip between our fingers.

-5-

Go for it! This one is probably my biggest struggle. I get cold feet when it comes to taking that big leap of faith. It’s easy to say “I’ll do it someday” or “maybe next time” but all too often we keep those dreams somewhere safe…. in our dreams. If we want it, we’ve got to get up and grab it. We can’t wait for permission or for conditions to be perfect because they rarely are. Sometimes life has a way of pushing us in certain directions and that can both enable us to take that first step or it can hinder us. Either way, JUST GO FOR IT!

-6-

Get to work and stay at it. Ok, so you’ve taken that giant leap of faith and you have a vision. You’re positive mental attitude is going strong and you’re plugging away at your dream. Time tick-tocks and you start to lose momentum. This is where you need to remember why you started in the first place and let that be your driving force to keep at it.

Hard work and endurance takes discipline and focus. If you take a break from your project, don’t let it get dusty and left forgotten. Keep at it even if it’s just a few minutes each day.

-7-

Do it from the heart. If there’s one thing you must never lose, it’s heart. If your head gets too busy with the details and ideas, sometimes you can get lost in it and that’s a potentially dangerous place to be. There may be times when pivotal choices need to be made. This is when your heart must lead the way. It’s important not to rush through those big decisions. Learn to listen to how you feel and don’t over think it. Do what feels right and you can’t go wrong.

-8-

Roll with the punches. With all the curve balls life throws our way, it is imperative that we are flexible and learn to work through the problems and compromise when necessary. Stubbornness can be a wonderful trait but it can also keep us from having luck on our side. It can even destroy our chance of success if we aren’t flexible. But remember, be stubborn with your goals but flexible in the methods of getting there.

-9-

Pause and reflect. All too often we become micro focused and lose perspective of what’s most important. I find that this happens very quickly for me. We live in an especially fast paced world that demands more of our time than we physically possess. So how can we combat this? Something I do is have regularly scheduled reflection time every Sunday. This is the day I use to step away from my work week to re-center, re-focus, and restore. This is where we can put ourselves back on track if we’ve drifted off course. This is the time we can refuel if we are weary. This is the time we can gain inspiration or new insights as we look at things with fresh perspective. I highly recommend setting aside one day a week, even if it’s for just a half a day to realign our goals. Then we can feel confidant and start re-energized for the upcoming week.

-10-

Creating a Zen-like environment.  Have you ever found it hard to get inspired, motivated, or positive when you’re in a toxic or less than perfect environment? If you are surrounded by clutter, distractions, certain smells, and certain sounds (or even certain people),  they can detract from your attitude and success. Do you sometimes get irritated easier in certain places more than others?  Have you ever considered why? Do you find inspiration, motivation, or positive mental thinking when you are in certain environments? Is there a way you could incorporate some of that environment into places you typically work/live? Having a place that is clean, pleasant in color, textures, and aroma can make a big difference in your demeanor. Specific sounds can calm, energize, or even anger a person. Try to incorporate changes in your environment that help you feel the right energies you are looking for. See what changes you observe.

And there you have it, my top ten behaviors that help me feel “lucky”. Try these out and let me know what you observe. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!