Amy Plum's Blog, page 19

YA Scavenger Hunt: April 4-7 (winner to be announced Monday)

Welcome to the Spring 2013 YA Scavenger Hunt!
Apr 4 – 7 (noon pacific time)

For you first timers, the YA Scavenger Hunt is an online blog hop created by the lovely and talented Colleen Houck. It’s a chance for you to see bonus material by your favorite YA authors as well as winning amazing prizes.

If you came here looking for my bonus material, a video of me reading an excerpt from DIE FOR HER, you’ll have to keep hunting!

At each stop on the hunt, you not only get to meet a YA author and read their bonus material, but you get a clue to enter for a grand prize–one lucky winner will receive at least one signed book from each author on my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours—until noon PST on April 7!

You can start right here or you can also go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM–but there is also a red team. You can enter both contests!

(If you get stuck as you are moving through the hunt, click through to this page.)

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE



Directions: You’ll notice that I’ve included my favorite number at the end of the post. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).
Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.
Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by December 2, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.
ARE YOU READY??? Here we go…

BONJOUR!

I’m Amy Plum, and these are my two cabana boys, Paul and Ian.

Support for my revenants from a couple of vampires

As my cabana boys are so kindly demonstrating, I’m the author of the DIE FOR ME series, a paranormal romance trilogy set in Paris (which is where I live) featuring supernatural beings of my very own making called “revenants.”

Now that I’ve introduced myself, I’m excited to tell you about the author I’m hosting today:

For this year’s scavenger hunt, I have the honor of hosting the lovely Ellie James!

[image error]

ELLIE JAMES has been writing as long as she can remember, with tragic poems and romantic stories giving way to mystery, adventure, and a fascination with the unexplained. This love led Ellie to the most perfect place in the world, writing romantic YA thrillers for St. Martin’s Press. She resides in Texas with her husband, children, several cats, and Roxie the Big White Dog. She’s also a sucker for chocolate chip cookies.

To find out more about Ellie and her book, visit her website at www.elliejames.net.

About BROKEN ILLUSIONS:
It’s almost Mardi Gras, but for 16 year-old psychic Trinity Monsour this is no time for celebration. Another girl is missing. Tormented by visions she doesn’t understand, Trinity embarks upon a dark odyssey she could never have imagined. She’ll stop at nothing to better understand her abilities, convinced that doing so is the only way she can make sure the terrifying images she sees never actually happen. But it seems everyone else wants to stop her.

BROKEN ILLUSIONS can be bought here:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

For her scavenger hunt BONUS MATERIAL, Ellie has given us a…

Deleted Super Secret Scene from BROKEN ILLUSIONS!

My foot hurt.

Hovering on the edges of sleep, I tried to ignore it, didn’t want to wake up. My body felt heavy, leaden, as if a thick wool blanket pressed down around me. Moving it would take too much effort, and all I really wanted was to sink beneath the gauzy layers of consciousness, and return to—

The dream.

My eyes shot open, finding the cold darkness surrounding me. With no memory of when, exactly, I’d gotten home, I shifted, reaching for Delphi—

Something hard scraped my arm.

Awareness came with the viciousness of ice water, and with it the haze fell away, and I came fully awake.

I wasn’t in my bed.

Heart slamming, I lay very still, moving nothing but my eyes. Little things began to register, like the hard, rough surface beneath my back, and the faint light filtering in through a window at the end of a long hallway. The sharp tingles along my calves. And my clothes…

Wet.

My shoes were gone.

Slowly I wiggled my toes, and felt the sharp throb in the arch of my foot all over again.

Wake up, I told myself. Wake up! It was time to rip away from the horror and let my breath come again, to slide my hand along the pillow and feel Delphi—

Something rough scraped my arm, and with it I realized there would be no more waking up. Because I’d already done that.

A silent scream burned my throat, but I knew better than to give it voice. I could be anywhere, with anyone. My only chance was getting away before anyone realized I was awake.

Carefully, I slid my hand toward my pocket, where my Blackberry—

It was gone.

This time the breath that ripped from me was more like a sob.

No, I told myself. No. Be smart. Don’t freak. There had to be an explanation.

But when I tried to look back to the last thing I remembered, I had no idea what was real, and what had been a dream.

A dream.

It was an ill-advised time to smile, but the quick rush made it impossible not to. I’d dreamed. Finally. I’d found him, just like I’d promised—

I sat up, wincing at the sharp pain in my side, in the exact place I’d been stabbed four weeks before. Gingerly I touched my fingers to damp flesh, and felt the soft stickiness of fresh blood.

That wasn’t a dream.

Help me, I whispered in my mind. Please, help me.

But I had no idea who I was begging.

Except that wasn’t true. I did know—I always knew.

When I’d fallen into the river, when flames had surrounded me, trapped me, two people had emerged to make sure I lived.

But Dylan was gone now, and my mother had been dead for fourteen years.

Around me the small room breathed, and through the rotting silence came the pulse of music, and the rumble of a car engine.

The sharp stab of longing was as ridiculous as it was wrong.

No one was coming to take me home.

Knowing I had to get out, I dragged myself to the side of the small room and used the wall to stand. My body screamed in protest, and my knees buckled, but I ignored the discomfort and shuffled along a narrow corridor, toward the spill of light.

A door, I realized, wooden and warped and hanging on broken hinges. Lunging for it, I eased into the night and grabbed for the rotting railing of the porch, holding on against the slice of splinters.

The sparse light of the moon revealed shotgun houses limping along in both directions, most of them empty and decaying, placeholders from that other time, before the storm. A few dead trees stood among waist-high weeds and shrubs.

Somewhere in the distance, light glowed, but I couldn’t tell the source.

I had no idea, absolutely no idea how I’d gotten there—or even where there was.

But I also knew none of that mattered at the moment, only how I was going to get away.

I heard the rumble of the engine first, the roar of a car coming fast. Twisting around, I saw the truck with the windows rolled down—

I slunk back into the shadows.

But it was too late. The truck slowed in front of the house, and the door flew open. “Is someone there?”

I knew better than going back inside. Hobbling toward the side of the house, I eyed the two-foot drop to the ground.

“Don’t be afraid,” came a voice from behind me. “I’m not going to hurt you—”

I jumped, coming down against the throb in my bare foot. I ignored the jolt of pain, ignored everything, knew only that I had to get away.

Tearing through the overgrown bushes, I stumbled into the waist high grass—and saw the muddy water of the canal.

“Don’t do it, Trinity.”

The sound of my name stopped me. Heart slamming I twisted around, and realized none of this was real.

He stood near an old oak, alive somehow, with the soft light of the stars playing with the dark brown of his shoulder-length hair, and a dragonfly inked along his throat.

But it was his eyes that got me, his eyes that once again reached inside and made me realize I’d never actually woken up.

“This isn’t real,” I whispered, relieved.

He didn’t smile, like Dylan had.

Dylan.

Someday I’d teach myself not to think of him.

Someday I’d quit expecting to turn around and see the burnished gleam of silver.

Someday I’d quit wanting—hating.

But this wasn’t someday. It was a dream and I’d been frightened, and whenever that happened it was Dylan who appeared.

Now I faced a stranger.

The stranger.

The one from before, at the old theater. The one who’d been watching me.

“You’re not really here,” I told him, breathing easier now. Slowly, I lifted a hand to pinch my wrist, but found the soft strip of leather instead.

“Then where am I?” he asked.

His voice was mild, gentle, but not amused like Dylan’s had been that morning in the hotel. Instead the stranger sounded confused, maybe even worried.

“Doesn’t matter,” I told him, smiling now.

God, I’d missed the dreams.

“Probably still at the party,” I added, but as soon as the words slipped out, I had to wonder if I’d really seen him there. Everything was a blur.

“I’m not at the party.”

I shrugged. “Whatever.”

“I’m right here,” he added quietly, with a single step toward me. “With you.”

I had so many questions. “And where’s here?”

Frowning, he looked around. “I’m not sure, about a mile from the theater, not far from the lake.”

“Oh, okay,” I indulged.

“I’ve been looking for you for a couple of hours—everyone has.”

A weird little buzz ran through me.

“Are you okay?” he asked with another step. “Do you need me to call someone, maybe one of your friends?”

The buzz merged with the hard slam of my heart.

“What happened?” he asked, really, really softly now, and with the question, his gaze dropped to my feet.

I looked down at the scrapes and mud, and once again felt the lance of pain in my arch.

“Who did this to you?” he asked.

Mechanically, I lifted my hands to the gauzy light of the moon and saw the scratches, something dark crammed beneath the remains of my fingernails.

“Tell you what. I’m going to call the police and—”

I jerked, looked up. “No.”

“You need help—”

“No, I don’t,” I said, backing away. “I just need to wake up.”

But it had been so long since I dreamed, and I couldn’t remember how.

“You’re tripping,” he said. “I don’t know what you took back there—”

“I didn’t take anything.” But God, how my head swam.

“Then what are you doing here?” he asked.

Swallowing hard, I glanced at the weeds tangling against my thighs, the slightly swollen canal behind me. Beyond ran a street I’d never before seen, lined by houses straight out of post Katrina coverage.

“I’m not here.” I couldn’t be.

“Trinity,” he said cautiously, like a parent speaking to a child. “I know you’re confused right now—”

I backed away, started to shake. “Because if I am, and you’re really here…”

The implications sliced deep.

“You did this,” I realized. It was the only explanation, the only way we could both be in a rundown neighborhood a mile from the theater. “You brought me here.”

His eyes burned with a devastation I didn’t understand. “No, I didn’t.”

“Who are you?” I demanded, buying time. If this was real, if I wasn’t dreaming, then Victoria and Kendall would know I was missing. They’d be looking for me. Someone would have seen something—

“I’m Xander,” he said simply.

“At the party, why were you watching me?”

He kept his eyes on mine. “Because I had to.”

I wanted to look away, to plot my escape—but something about the way he watched held me in place. “Why?”

Now he smiled, only a little, a faint curve of his lips, indulgent-like. “Because you won’t leave me alone.”

It was like getting hit with a glass of ice water. “What are you talking about?”

Slowly, hypnotically, he stepped closer.

I still couldn’t move.

He was taller than I’d realized, thinner, not quite gaunt, but not muscular either. His face was lean, a hint of a shadow at his jaw, his nose straight, his cheekbones sharp.

But again, it was his eyes that held me, the dark, transcendent glow that urged me to step closer, even as common sense told me to back away.

To run.

“I’m talking about you,” he said in careful, measured tones. “And me.”

My throat tightened.

“Night after night,” he said, “I’ve seen you. Sometimes walking—sometimes running.”

And just like that a whole new set of possibilities seeped through me. I stood there, trying to process what he was saying, while deep inside, something slimy and cold slipped through me. I’d felt something for weeks now. Every time I left the condo, I’d felt someone watching. But foolishly I’d thought it was someone else.

Hoped.

“You’ve been following me?” I asked, confused. None of it made sense.

“No,” the stranger—this guy I’d only seen two times in my life—Xander—said quietly. “You’ve been following me.”

How awesome is that? So that deleted scene is our exclusive content from the fabulous Ellie James. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL I’VE GOT FOR YOU! There are 2 contests you can enter.

YA SCAVENGER HUNT CONTEST

To enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Ellie James, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 33. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the blue team and you’ll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

My very own DIE FOR ME Contest

You have several chances to win a fabulous prize pack including 3 signed bookmarks, a signed copy of DIE FOR ME, a signed copy of UNTIL I DIE and…drumroll please…my VERY LAST copy of the ARC of IF I SHOULD DIE! (I know…huge prize pack!!!) (International.)

How to get your points:

follow me on Twitter at @AmyPlumOhLaLa (1 point)
get friends to follow me on Twitter (1 point per friend)
like me on Facebook (1 point)
get friends to follow me on Facebook (1 point per friend)
subscribe to me on YouTube (1 point)
get a friend to subscribe to me on YouTube (1 point per friend)
Leave me a comment here under this blog post telling me how many points to give you. Just leaving a comment counts 1 point. (And if you have done 1-6, give me your user names and your friends’ user names so I can credit your points.) Please leave all of the information inside one comment, instead of a comment per person. The drawing will be random, but the number of points you get determines how many times your name will be put into the hat.

Note: to be eligible to win you also need to submit a valid entry for the YA Scavenger Hunt grand prize.

Ready to go to the next website on the Scavenger Hunt?

Click HERE!

YA Scavenger Hunt: April 4-7

Welcome to the Spring 2013 YA Scavenger Hunt!
Apr 4 – 7 (noon pacific time)

For you first timers, the YA Scavenger Hunt is an online blog hop created by the lovely and talented Colleen Houck. It’s a chance for you to see bonus material by your favorite YA authors as well as winning amazing prizes.

If you came here looking for my bonus material, a video of me reading an excerpt from DIE FOR HER, you’ll have to keep hunting!

At each stop on the hunt, you not only get to meet a YA author and read their bonus material, but you get a clue to enter for a grand prize–one lucky winner will receive at least one signed book from each author on my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours—until noon PST on April 7!

You can start right here or you can also go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM–but there is also a red team. You can enter both contests!

(If you get stuck as you are moving through the hunt, click through to this page.)

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE



Directions: You’ll notice that I’ve included my favorite number at the end of the post. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).
Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.
Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by December 2, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.
ARE YOU READY??? Here we go…

BONJOUR!

I’m Amy Plum, and these are my two cabana boys, Paul and Ian.

Support for my revenants from a couple of vampires

As my cabana boys are so kindly demonstrating, I’m the author of the DIE FOR ME series, a paranormal romance trilogy set in Paris (which is where I live) featuring supernatural beings of my very own making called “revenants.”

Now that I’ve introduced myself, I’m excited to tell you about the author I’m hosting today:

For this year’s scavenger hunt, I have the honor of hosting the lovely Ellie James!

[image error]

ELLIE JAMES has been writing as long as she can remember, with tragic poems and romantic stories giving way to mystery, adventure, and a fascination with the unexplained. This love led Ellie to the most perfect place in the world, writing romantic YA thrillers for St. Martin’s Press. She resides in Texas with her husband, children, several cats, and Roxie the Big White Dog. She’s also a sucker for chocolate chip cookies.

To find out more about Ellie and her book, visit her website at www.elliejames.net.

About BROKEN ILLUSIONS:
It’s almost Mardi Gras, but for 16 year-old psychic Trinity Monsour this is no time for celebration. Another girl is missing. Tormented by visions she doesn’t understand, Trinity embarks upon a dark odyssey she could never have imagined. She’ll stop at nothing to better understand her abilities, convinced that doing so is the only way she can make sure the terrifying images she sees never actually happen. But it seems everyone else wants to stop her.

BROKEN ILLUSIONS can be bought here:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

For her scavenger hunt BONUS MATERIAL, Ellie has given us a…

Deleted Super Secret Scene from BROKEN ILLUSIONS!

My foot hurt.

Hovering on the edges of sleep, I tried to ignore it, didn’t want to wake up. My body felt heavy, leaden, as if a thick wool blanket pressed down around me. Moving it would take too much effort, and all I really wanted was to sink beneath the gauzy layers of consciousness, and return to—

The dream.

My eyes shot open, finding the cold darkness surrounding me. With no memory of when, exactly, I’d gotten home, I shifted, reaching for Delphi—

Something hard scraped my arm.

Awareness came with the viciousness of ice water, and with it the haze fell away, and I came fully awake.

I wasn’t in my bed.

Heart slamming, I lay very still, moving nothing but my eyes. Little things began to register, like the hard, rough surface beneath my back, and the faint light filtering in through a window at the end of a long hallway. The sharp tingles along my calves. And my clothes…

Wet.

My shoes were gone.

Slowly I wiggled my toes, and felt the sharp throb in the arch of my foot all over again.

Wake up, I told myself. Wake up! It was time to rip away from the horror and let my breath come again, to slide my hand along the pillow and feel Delphi—

Something rough scraped my arm, and with it I realized there would be no more waking up. Because I’d already done that.

A silent scream burned my throat, but I knew better than to give it voice. I could be anywhere, with anyone. My only chance was getting away before anyone realized I was awake.

Carefully, I slid my hand toward my pocket, where my Blackberry—

It was gone.

This time the breath that ripped from me was more like a sob.

No, I told myself. No. Be smart. Don’t freak. There had to be an explanation.

But when I tried to look back to the last thing I remembered, I had no idea what was real, and what had been a dream.

A dream.

It was an ill-advised time to smile, but the quick rush made it impossible not to. I’d dreamed. Finally. I’d found him, just like I’d promised—

I sat up, wincing at the sharp pain in my side, in the exact place I’d been stabbed four weeks before. Gingerly I touched my fingers to damp flesh, and felt the soft stickiness of fresh blood.

That wasn’t a dream.

Help me, I whispered in my mind. Please, help me.

But I had no idea who I was begging.

Except that wasn’t true. I did know—I always knew.

When I’d fallen into the river, when flames had surrounded me, trapped me, two people had emerged to make sure I lived.

But Dylan was gone now, and my mother had been dead for fourteen years.

Around me the small room breathed, and through the rotting silence came the pulse of music, and the rumble of a car engine.

The sharp stab of longing was as ridiculous as it was wrong.

No one was coming to take me home.

Knowing I had to get out, I dragged myself to the side of the small room and used the wall to stand. My body screamed in protest, and my knees buckled, but I ignored the discomfort and shuffled along a narrow corridor, toward the spill of light.

A door, I realized, wooden and warped and hanging on broken hinges. Lunging for it, I eased into the night and grabbed for the rotting railing of the porch, holding on against the slice of splinters.

The sparse light of the moon revealed shotgun houses limping along in both directions, most of them empty and decaying, placeholders from that other time, before the storm. A few dead trees stood among waist-high weeds and shrubs.

Somewhere in the distance, light glowed, but I couldn’t tell the source.

I had no idea, absolutely no idea how I’d gotten there—or even where there was.

But I also knew none of that mattered at the moment, only how I was going to get away.

I heard the rumble of the engine first, the roar of a car coming fast. Twisting around, I saw the truck with the windows rolled down—

I slunk back into the shadows.

But it was too late. The truck slowed in front of the house, and the door flew open. “Is someone there?”

I knew better than going back inside. Hobbling toward the side of the house, I eyed the two-foot drop to the ground.

“Don’t be afraid,” came a voice from behind me. “I’m not going to hurt you—”

I jumped, coming down against the throb in my bare foot. I ignored the jolt of pain, ignored everything, knew only that I had to get away.

Tearing through the overgrown bushes, I stumbled into the waist high grass—and saw the muddy water of the canal.

“Don’t do it, Trinity.”

The sound of my name stopped me. Heart slamming I twisted around, and realized none of this was real.

He stood near an old oak, alive somehow, with the soft light of the stars playing with the dark brown of his shoulder-length hair, and a dragonfly inked along his throat.

But it was his eyes that got me, his eyes that once again reached inside and made me realize I’d never actually woken up.

“This isn’t real,” I whispered, relieved.

He didn’t smile, like Dylan had.

Dylan.

Someday I’d teach myself not to think of him.

Someday I’d quit expecting to turn around and see the burnished gleam of silver.

Someday I’d quit wanting—hating.

But this wasn’t someday. It was a dream and I’d been frightened, and whenever that happened it was Dylan who appeared.

Now I faced a stranger.

The stranger.

The one from before, at the old theater. The one who’d been watching me.

“You’re not really here,” I told him, breathing easier now. Slowly, I lifted a hand to pinch my wrist, but found the soft strip of leather instead.

“Then where am I?” he asked.

His voice was mild, gentle, but not amused like Dylan’s had been that morning in the hotel. Instead the stranger sounded confused, maybe even worried.

“Doesn’t matter,” I told him, smiling now.

God, I’d missed the dreams.

“Probably still at the party,” I added, but as soon as the words slipped out, I had to wonder if I’d really seen him there. Everything was a blur.

“I’m not at the party.”

I shrugged. “Whatever.”

“I’m right here,” he added quietly, with a single step toward me. “With you.”

I had so many questions. “And where’s here?”

Frowning, he looked around. “I’m not sure, about a mile from the theater, not far from the lake.”

“Oh, okay,” I indulged.

“I’ve been looking for you for a couple of hours—everyone has.”

A weird little buzz ran through me.

“Are you okay?” he asked with another step. “Do you need me to call someone, maybe one of your friends?”

The buzz merged with the hard slam of my heart.

“What happened?” he asked, really, really softly now, and with the question, his gaze dropped to my feet.

I looked down at the scrapes and mud, and once again felt the lance of pain in my arch.

“Who did this to you?” he asked.

Mechanically, I lifted my hands to the gauzy light of the moon and saw the scratches, something dark crammed beneath the remains of my fingernails.

“Tell you what. I’m going to call the police and—”

I jerked, looked up. “No.”

“You need help—”

“No, I don’t,” I said, backing away. “I just need to wake up.”

But it had been so long since I dreamed, and I couldn’t remember how.

“You’re tripping,” he said. “I don’t know what you took back there—”

“I didn’t take anything.” But God, how my head swam.

“Then what are you doing here?” he asked.

Swallowing hard, I glanced at the weeds tangling against my thighs, the slightly swollen canal behind me. Beyond ran a street I’d never before seen, lined by houses straight out of post Katrina coverage.

“I’m not here.” I couldn’t be.

“Trinity,” he said cautiously, like a parent speaking to a child. “I know you’re confused right now—”

I backed away, started to shake. “Because if I am, and you’re really here…”

The implications sliced deep.

“You did this,” I realized. It was the only explanation, the only way we could both be in a rundown neighborhood a mile from the theater. “You brought me here.”

His eyes burned with a devastation I didn’t understand. “No, I didn’t.”

“Who are you?” I demanded, buying time. If this was real, if I wasn’t dreaming, then Victoria and Kendall would know I was missing. They’d be looking for me. Someone would have seen something—

“I’m Xander,” he said simply.

“At the party, why were you watching me?”

He kept his eyes on mine. “Because I had to.”

I wanted to look away, to plot my escape—but something about the way he watched held me in place. “Why?”

Now he smiled, only a little, a faint curve of his lips, indulgent-like. “Because you won’t leave me alone.”

It was like getting hit with a glass of ice water. “What are you talking about?”

Slowly, hypnotically, he stepped closer.

I still couldn’t move.

He was taller than I’d realized, thinner, not quite gaunt, but not muscular either. His face was lean, a hint of a shadow at his jaw, his nose straight, his cheekbones sharp.

But again, it was his eyes that held me, the dark, transcendent glow that urged me to step closer, even as common sense told me to back away.

To run.

“I’m talking about you,” he said in careful, measured tones. “And me.”

My throat tightened.

“Night after night,” he said, “I’ve seen you. Sometimes walking—sometimes running.”

And just like that a whole new set of possibilities seeped through me. I stood there, trying to process what he was saying, while deep inside, something slimy and cold slipped through me. I’d felt something for weeks now. Every time I left the condo, I’d felt someone watching. But foolishly I’d thought it was someone else.

Hoped.

“You’ve been following me?” I asked, confused. None of it made sense.

“No,” the stranger—this guy I’d only seen two times in my life—Xander—said quietly. “You’ve been following me.”

How awesome is that? So that deleted scene is our exclusive content from the fabulous Ellie James. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL I’VE GOT FOR YOU! There are 2 contests you can enter.

YA SCAVENGER HUNT CONTEST

To enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Ellie James, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 33. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the blue team and you’ll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

My very own DIE FOR ME Contest

You have several chances to win a fabulous prize pack including 3 signed bookmarks, a signed copy of DIE FOR ME, a signed copy of UNTIL I DIE and…drumroll please…my VERY LAST copy of the ARC of IF I SHOULD DIE! (I know…huge prize pack!!!) (International.)

How to get your points:

follow me on Twitter at @AmyPlumOhLaLa (1 point)
get friends to follow me on Twitter (1 point per friend)
like me on Facebook (1 point)
get friends to follow me on Facebook (1 point per friend)
subscribe to me on YouTube (1 point)
get a friend to subscribe to me on YouTube (1 point per friend)
Leave me a comment here under this blog post telling me how many points to give you. Just leaving a comment counts 1 point. (And if you have done 1-6, give me your user names and your friends’ user names so I can credit your points.) Please leave all of the information inside one comment, instead of a comment per person. The drawing will be random, but the number of points you get determines how many times your name will be put into the hat.

Note: to be eligible to win you also need to submit a valid entry for the YA Scavenger Hunt grand prize.

Ready to go to the next website on the Scavenger Hunt?

Click HERE!

TODAY’S THE DAY!!! Julesfest Day 9

I woke up this morning, got out my iPad, looked in my Kindle file, and there it was: DIE FOR HER!!! Written by Jules Marchenoir himself! (Okay, I took dictation, but still…) And guess what appears at the end of the eBook. The first chapter of IF I SHOULD DIE!!! I didn’t know that would be included!

The last 9 days of countdown have been in celebration of the eNovella written from Jules’s POV, which ends between UNTIL I DIE and IF I SHOULD DIE, making it a kind of DIE FOR ME 2.5. If you haven’t ordered it yet, here it is!!!

click to pre-order DIE FOR HER

I really hope you enjoy it! (Let me know!)

Today’s HOT JULES is Chace Crawford. Okay, he’d have to wear brown contact lenses, but I’m sure Chace would sacrifice his baby blues to play our hot Parisian artist.

Up-to-no-good Jules

Saucy Jules

Scoot-over-and-let-me-in Jules

Today Jules will answer 25 more of your questions from Sunday’s contest. Tomorrow he will answer the rest, and then Thursday the YA Scavenger Hunt begins, in which I will be reading the first chapter of DIE FOR HER. (And giving away more prizes!)

So, handing the keyboard over to Jules…

21. Katherine: If Jules could have Kate and Vincent didn’t love Kate and her him, what would he do to win her heart?

I would court her. Big time. Take her to Italy for a weekend. Candlelit meals, romantic walks, maybe book a private museum tour. Kate loves romance and art. I think I could handle that.

22. Geraldine Frost: You have been revenant for a very long time and I am sure it has not been an easy life. Apart from your painting and art, what do you do when things get too much for you?

You’re right—I do escape through my painting. But sometimes that’s not enough, so I’d have to say sparring. There’s nothing like a good, heated work-out with swords in our armory to work off extra stress…especially if I’m up against Ambrose.

23. Enna Penglin: What’s the best and worst dream you have ever had?

I often dream of being human again. And when I wake up I experience this huge wave of nostalgia. Regret almost. And then I remember what I am and why I’m here, and the regret is replaced by a sense of belonging. Of embracing my fate.

24. Nora – Jules, can you show me your favorite places in Paris and maybe we can go to a cafè with the Eiffel Tower?

Absolutely! It’s a date!

25. Kelly V: Jules you said that you have loved many women over the years and now Kate is the women you love. It just seems that you choose women who are unavailable to you, or to whom you don’t get attached so you can’t get too close. Why, who hurt you so bad?

There isn’t one woman who hurt me. I’ve never let myself get emotionally involved enough to risk a broken heart. I just haven’t met anyone worth it. Until now.

26. Vivianna: Jules, have you read the Harry Potter series, and did you like it?

I read the first few books and thought they were fun…imaginative. I go more for biographies, history or historical fiction, though so could take them or leave them.

27. Daisy R – Jules, what is your favorite flavor of Ice Cream?

Rum raisin.

28. Lexi B – Jules, do you believe in true love/love at first sight?

I believe in seduction at first sight, because it happens to me all the time. As for love at first sight? It hasn’t happened to me, at least.

29. Annika Huhtala: I’ve understood you have seen many mistakes humans have done over the years, but also sacrifices people have done for their loved ones. Do you think that if Kate would put herself in great danger while saving the man she loves, you would still sacrifice yourself and Die for her?

It seems like you’ve all caught onto the fact that I have a little thing going for Kate. Okay, maybe a big one. But even if I didn’t feel the way I did, I would die for Kate in an instant. Not only is it in my nature as a revenant, but Kate is an amazing person who deserves a good, long, happy life. Not only would I be saving her, but giving to everyone who comes into contact with her. Kate’s a light in the darkness. She literally radiates beauty.

30. Lea Krnjeta: Besides painting what do you do to relax and what type of music is your favorite?

My answer to your first question is the same as 22: besides painting, sparring in the armory is my favorite way of blowing off steam. As for music I like experimental stuff—”weird” music, as Ambrose calls it. Like CocoRosie, for example.

31. Ashlie Baire: If Vincent had really died and Kate couldn’t do anything about it…what would you do to help/console her…would you slowly form the romance that you want?

That situation is too hard for to think about. If my best friend were destroyed, I would be too. But I would feel a responsibility to care for Kate in his absence. Who knows what might follow.

32. Shelby vonWahl: What is your favorite childhood memory (before becoming a Bardia)? and why?

Going to the Louvre with my mom when I was 7 years old. I was already drawing a lot at that point, and when I saw the paintings section of the museum, I suddenly knew that I belonged. That I too would create works of beauty.

33. CD: What is the funniest piece of ‘art’ you’ve ever encountered?

Marcel’s Duchamp’s LHOOQ – both the painting and the meaning behind its title still make me laugh.

34. Nicola Donoghue: Jules, what is your biggest regret?

Missing the World Exposition of 1900. I was only 3 years old so my parents didn’t take me. The Eiffel Tower was newly erected, and I would have loved to watch people’s faces as they saw it for the first time.

35. Clarisse H.: Jules, what do you love/hate about Paris ?

I love the fact that it’s a city of art, not only what is housed in its museums, but you could take a snapshot almost anywhere in town and hang it up in an art gallery. The city IS art, and not all cities are. As far as hates, I hate it when my favorite restaurants and bars close down and are replaced by the newest, trendiest thing.

36. may: favorite book? Can’t put a finger on an all-time favorite, but at the moment I’m really loving Wolf Hall!

Thanks for those responses, Jules!

And now to today’s giveaway! Since today is DAY 9 of JULESFEST, I have 9 presents to give away!!! Like the last few days, the winner will have a choice of book from the following selection:

as well as all of the gifts from previous days PLUS 2 bars of French chocolate (one dark and one milk)!!!

And today’s question is simple. If you had to stay the same age for the rest of your immortal life, what age would you choose? I will choose randomly from answers to win today’s Paris Prize Pack!

Julesfest: Day 8

Today’s HOT JULES is played by Andrew Cooper, as suggested by Nicola Donoghue. He nails the role with his sexy sensitivity. (Having a 6-pack doesn’t hurt either.)

I-want-you Jules

Sensitive Jules

6-pack Jules

As you know, JULESFEST is being held to celebrate the fact that our favorite revenant artist has his own eNovella coming out tomorrow! If you haven’t yet ordered it for $1.99, you can right here:

click to pre-order DIE FOR HER

I can’t wait for you all to read it and tell me what you think!!

Yesterday you asked Jules a ton of questions, so today he’s going to answer a few of them for you! Enjoy!

1. Tiffany: my favorite time of the year is summer. I like to sit outside and watch people walk by. Especially people wearing little sundresses.

2. Tamara: I am going to live somewhere other than Paris, but you have to read IF I SHOULD DIE to find out where.

3. Ellie: yours is a trick question. I can’t choose. I would have to try to save both of them, and if one perished I would spend the rest of my lifetime mourning their death.

4. Kelly: I’m going to the United States for the first time in IF I SHOULD DIE.

5. JK-17: I wouldn’t trade my fate to go back to being mortal. My existence as a revenant is much more fulfilling than being a mere artist with a 60-year lifespan. This fate suits me.

6. Lindsey: no. But I’ll take you out to dinner.

7. Marilyn: Though Charles Russell’s landscapes couldn’t be anything other than American, his skies remind me in palette and technique of the French Impressionists, especially Monet.

8. airhead: horse-sized duck.

9. Krystal: the answer to your question is fully explained in DIE FOR HER! (I hope you like it.)

10. Jacqueline: I regret not seeing Kate for who she was from the very beginning.

11. Stephanie: Yes.

12. Chloe: you.

13. Tessa: I’d like to go to Rio during carnivale!

14. Lorelai: I don’t watch t.v., but love the movies. Especially Matrix 1, Bladerunner, and other futuristic fantasy films.

15. Doris: I would. But that is not an option.

16. Ree: down to the quays next to the river Seine at dawn.

17. Ems: I find all women beautiful, but personality counts for more than looks to me. I am particularly attracted by independent, strong women who know their own minds.

18. Shanny: I would say, “We all love Kate,” and then change the subject before he could ask again.

19. Carla: all of Edward Hopper’s works. I am in awe of the man.

20. Kristalyn: who wouldn’t want a series written about them? But I think Amy’s done writing about our world. Then again, I could be wrong.

That’s all for today, but Jules promised to be back tomorrow with answers to the rest!

So finally – being Day 8 of JULESFEST, I’m giving away 8 prizes! A choice of one of these books…

And this amazing prize pack:

2 signed bookplates, 2 signed bookmarks, a blue rubber Paris bracelet, a sparkly Eiffel Tower pin and a Paris/Eiffel tower cell phone ornament

On this penultimate day of JULESFEST, I’m asking you to tell me what you hope will happen to Jules at the end of the series (or maybe just after). Give Jules your own happy ever after…or not! I will choose randomly from the comments left below!

Julesfest: Day 7

Yet another competitor for the Hot Jules Shot-of-the-day: Adam Brody.

Pensive Jules

Shy Jules

I-dropped-my-contact Jules

We’re on DAY 7 already!!! Which means only 2 days left until your eReader downloads DIE FOR HER!!! What? You haven’t ordered yet? Jules is very very disappointed in you. Just kidding. He loves you no matter what. But if you do want Jules’s story here’s where to click to buy the eNovella which I wrote from his point of view:

click to pre-order DIE FOR HER

Today I have an interview that Jules did last year. I can’t remember which blog it was for (sorry!), but he gives some tantalizing responses!

So you’re, like, an artist, right? Can I be your muse?

You have the beauty of a muse. If you can sit still for a few hours at a time, I’ll even invite you to be my model. Clothing is optional.

What’s your most favorite piece you’ve ever created? And why?

Well, my favorite paintings are those with women in them, funnily enough. And since you mentioned muses, there’s this American girl one of my friends is dating who has kind of been my muse lately. Although I’ve done several full-length oil paintings of her, my favorite is a little pencil sketch I did when we were in café once. This girl’s face shines with the purity and innocence of Botticelli’s Venus, so that’s how I depicted her. I wonder if she kept it.

(Amy’s note: it’s framed in Kate’s bedroom.)

If you knew that saving the woman you love would cause you to lose her, would you still do it?

Yes. That’s a bit of a trick question, because if I didn’t save her I would lose her anyway. (She’s be dead.) But if you are asking the question “which comes first for a bardia: love or sacrifice?” sacrifice is unquestionably what we would choose. Saving human lives is the reason we’re here. Those of us who find lasting love are rare enough. I don’t even aspire to it. Loving a human is usually forbidden by my clan leader, Jean-Baptiste, and I haven’t yet met a bardia who has swept me off my feet.

What other artists are your greatest inspirations?

Those who I knew during my human life: Modigliani, Soutine, Brancusi, and of course the father of us all, Edouard Manet,

Always, sometimes, never?

- Brush your teeth everyday? Always. (Three times a day to stay minty fresh.)

- Kiss on the first date? Sometimes. If I can tell she wants to.

- Bros before hos? Never. Kindred before outsiders.

- Read a book? Sometimes. Most of my free time is spent making or seeing art. So maybe just a book or two a week.

- Call back within 24 hours of the first date? Always. Even if it isn’t someone I’m going to see again I would always thank her for her time.

Describe your perfect Parisian date.

Go to an art exhibition opening party (they’re called “vernissages”), then on to cocktails at a bar-peniche (one of the boats floating in the Seine), and then on to dinner at an intimate restaurant. After that, a walk in the moonlight—nothing’s so magical or romantic as Paris at night. And then maybe, if I’m lucky, a kiss.

Since it’s Day 7, we have 7 prizes!! The winner gets their choice of one of the following books:

Plus the 2 bookmarks, 2 bookplates, rubber Paris bracelet AND pink sparkly Eiffel Tower pin!

And to enter to win these prizes, all you have to do is leave a comment with your own question for Jules. I will draw randomly from all entries, but tomorrow Jules will answer a few of your questions for you! Ask away!!!

Julesfest: Day 6

Today’s hot shot of Jules is American model and actor, Sean Faris, as suggested the other day by Shanny S. Why, you ask? Just let me show you.

Jules just after shirtless fight (because sometimes that just happens)

Serious Jules

Amused and slightly shaggy Jules

Need I explain any further than that? Good.

Today is Day 6 of Julesfest…only 3 days to go! Today I’m going to give you an interview that Jules did a year or so ago for Novels on the Run. Enjoy!

INTERVIEW Q’S FOR JULES

Amy knows that out of all her guys, for some reason you really stood out for me. I have my own 5 words that describe you *wink*

Q. 1 What 5 words would you use to describe yourself?

Smart. Talented. Handsome. Dashing. Humble. *smirks*

Q. 2 What 5 words do you think Ambrose and Vincent would use to describe you?

Ladies’ man. Jokester. Suave. Generous. Loyal.

Q. 3 Jules is pronounced ‘zhool’ kind of like jewel. Which is rather pretty and perfect, what type of jewel do you think you would be and why?

Tiger’s eye. Why? I don’t know, because it’s the most masculine gem I could think of. *laughs and runs his fingers through his hair, amused*

Q. 4

“’I look beautiful,’ I said in awe, looking up from the drawing to his serious face.

‘You are beautiful,’ he said, leaning over and kissing me softly on the forehead, before turning and striding out of the cafe.” ( Die For Me)

You seemed quite taken by Kate in ‘Die For Me’. Have you ever been in love? Or are you truly the guy you described yourself as , ‘I have several girlfriends that I see on rotation, just to make sure nothing gets too serious.’ Or is it just too hard to have a relationship with a human girl so this is a coping mechanism, quantity, not quality?

I’ve been in love a thousand times. I fall in love with every woman I meet. They’re like the air I breathe—I need their beauty to survive. Why would I limit myself to enjoying only one? But if forced, I would have to admit that…yeah, Kate is pretty special. *looks away* Next question?

Q. 4 What song would you think describes Kate and Vincent’s relationship in Die For Me?

Say Yes by Elliott Smith

Q. 5 What song best describes yourself?

Twenty Girls Ago by David Mead (plus it’s a good song to slow-dance to)

Q. 6 What song best describes Ambrose?

Zombie by the Cranberries. Just kidding. Ambrose loves jazz, so anytime I hear a Louis Armstrong song I think of him.

Q. 7 You are a wonderful artist. You have sketched Kate like a Botticelli Venus when you were chatting and errrr….flirting in the cafe. If you were to paint Kate the way you see her, what setting would you want paint her in?

Birth of Venus by Botticelli

Well, thank you. *smiles his most dashing smile* I think Kate standing on a seashell clothed only in her long hair is pretty much the perfect setting for her.

If you were to paint her the way Vincent sees her, what would the setting be?

Well, I know Vincent is a great admirer of Modigliani’s reclining nudes. *smiles mischievously*

But he’s so chivalrous with Kate, I could see him picturing her as the medieval lady to his valiant knight.

Although I’d probably put her on horseback…nude.

Just kidding.

For more Jules…in fact, for a whole novella full of Jules…you can pre-order my eNovella DIE FOR HER. In the DIE FOR ME timeline, it’s DIE FOR HER 2.5 and is completely from Jules’s POV.

Hope you enjoyed that little slice of Since this is Day 6 of JULESFEST, I have six prizes to give away! Like yesterday, the winner gets to choose 1 book from this selection

- and I’m adding a purple Paris bracelet to the bookmarks and bookplates

All you need to do to enter yourself in this random drawing is tell me what song reminds you of Jules, or what song you would add to the playlist that he uses when he’s in his studio painting.

Julesfest: Day 5

We’re back with Julesfest on the 5th day of our celebration, and today’s hot Jules shot is of British model Sam Way, suggested yesterday by Jeanine. And holy crap, we’ve got to agree because just check this out:

Stripping Jules

Saucy Jules

Bedhead Jules

My Favorite: Teasing Jules

As you can tell – 2 or 3 photos just wouldn’t do in Sam’s case. I just have to ask…are people actually allowed to be this pretty? I’m sure there’s got to be a law against it somewhere.

In any case, on Day 5 of JULESFEST I’m giving you a couple of images by Jules’s friend from back in the day, Amadeo Modigliani. In DIE FOR HER, Jules shares some stories of being out on the town with Modigliani and the other Montmartre artists. And since several paintings by Jules bear a strong resemblance to those of this early 20th century artist, we’ve got to ask…who influenced who?

These are the kind of paintings hanging all over Jules’s studio:

Nude Sitting on a Couch, 1917, Modigliani

…which is why Kate balks about posing for Jules in Book 2: She knows he paints his models in the nude!!

Here’s another Modigliani that bears a strong resemblance to portraits by Jules:

This is actually a portrait of Modigliani’s girlfriend, Jeanne, who upon hearing of her lover’s demise, threw herself out the window to her own death while pregnant with their child. Just to say…drama doesn’t only happen in novels. Too bad Jules wasn’t there to save her.

Since today is Day 5 of Julesfest, I have 5 gifts to give away. The first is identical to yesterday’s gift:

2 signed bookmarks and 2 signed bookplates

with the addition of one book of your choice: either one of my foreign language editions (German, Norwegian or Bulgarian) of DIE FOR ME, or another YA novel from my collection. I will give the winner a list to choose from!

And to enter today’s contest, I want you to choose an artwork that you would want Jules to offer you as a present. I mean, he knows pretty much EVERYONE from the last century in the Parisian art scene. But he also has a lot of good contacts and access to a lot of money! So give me a link to the artwork you would wish him to give you. One that you wouldn’t ever get tired of looking at. (Mine would be one of the two above Modilianis!!) And…go!

Julesfest: Day 4

On Day 4 of Julesfest, I have chosen the drop-dead (ha!) Nicholas Hoult as our Jules-of-the-Day (who was, by the way, suggested by Geraldine in yesterday’s contest).

Broody Jules

Smoldering Jules

Wasn’t Nicholas smoking hot in Warm Bodies? How many times have you heard people say, “I never thought I’d find a zombie attractive,” in conjunction with that role? Which is why he’d be PERFECT for our Jules!

Today in JULESFEST, I’m giving you something REALLY special. It’s a deleted section from DIE FOR HER, which will give you an idea of the tone of the novella. The reason it was cut: I decided to slow down the rate at which Jules fell for Kate…this seemed a little too abrupt/early. But I think you’ll enjoy it anyway!! The scene occurs right after Jules drags Kate away from Vincent’s bed when she finds him dormant and thinks he is dead.

I think about her all night. This girl who has wormed her way into our lives. How could I not have seen it before: her beauty…her bravery? I was so intent on protecting Vincent that I only saw her as an annoyance, not as a woman.

Vincent spends the night beside her, willing her to be comforted—to sleep—until just after midnight when he re-animates. I’m there when he awakes.

“Jackass,” he whispers feebly. “You scared her. You hurt her.”

“I know,” I reply. “I’ve been kicking myself for it all night.” I go work out in the armory, pushing my muscles until they burn as my penance. And when Gaspard calls us all together into Vincent’s room, I walk right up to her and apologize. She magnanimously shrugs it off with dignity. Like a queen.

During the house meeting, I feel almost proprietary about her. When JB tells her off for intruding into our house, I want to frog-march him out of the room. Which would be treason: JB is my clan leader.

But I don’t want anyone to hurt Kate like I did the night before. I don’t want anyone to scare her. When Vincent asks me to, I explain my story to her in the easiest way I possibly can. Sparing any shocking details.

And when she goes to sit next to Vincent on his bed, and I see him passing his calm to her, something visceral moves through me. I want to be the boy this beautiful, strong girl turns to for comfort. I want my hand to be the one she holds. I recognize my jealousy, and I am ashamed.

Vincent has been my friend for half a century. We’ve died side by side, we’ve planned vacations as well as battle tactics, and we’ve gone to war against the numa together. The two of us have spent more hours walking Paris’s streets than can possibly be counted. We’ve literally spent decades together. And now I want what he has.

I know Kate’s not a possession, but he’s the one she was willing to face her fear for last night. He’s the one she watches so carefully, with obvious relief that he’s not dead. Her trust in him allows her to believe the unbelievable: that we are immortal.

I tell myself the feeling will go away—that my jealousy is from having to share my best friend with a human. To watch him be completely consumed with his fascination with her, leaving mere crumbs of personality for me. That my jealousy has nothing to do with the girl herself.

But every time I look at her, I know my justification is ludicrous. I want her body and soul.

I worry about hiding my feelings. Surely everyone can see that I burn for her. Surely she can see it. When JB allows her to leave—making her swear to keep our secret—I volunteer to show her out of the house.

And that’s when I have the revelation: I will be honest. I will say exactly what I think. And everyone, including Kate, will think that I’m kidding. My love of women is so well-established in the minds of my kindred, that everyone will believe I’m just being my “normal flirty self.”

If you liked that, I’m sure you will like Jules’s eNovella DIE FOR HER. If you haven’t ordered it yet for $1.99, you can right here! (I wish I could say that Jules would hand-deliver it, but it’s an eBook, so not technically possible. In any case, he’s a little busy seducing half of Paris and saving people’s lives.)

click to pre-order DIE FOR HER

Since today is Day 4 of JULESFEST, today’s contest boasts 4 prizes:

Two signed bookmarks and two signed bookplates to stick inside your copies of DIE FOR ME and UNTIL I DIE!

And today, what I want to know is where you would want Jules to take you on your first date. (He’s flying you to Paris for the day, of course!) I will choose randomly from those who comment. Can’t wait to read what you come up with!

Julesfest: Day 3

Welcome to the 3rd day of Julesfest, a celebration of that sizzling hot Parisian revenant: Jules Marchenoir.

Tousled Jules

Today’s hot Jules photo is of French actor Pierre Boulanger.

Give him a little razor stubble and a paintbrush and voila—we’ve got another Jules!

In today’s JULESFEST I want to give you more of an idea of how Jules feels toward Kate. This is from a Point Of View piece I wrote for him last year. You can see it in its entirety here. But just to let you know, in Jules’s upcoming eNovella DIE FOR HER (the whole reason for Julesfest), I have changed things around just a little bit: timing, events, emotions. You’ll have to read it to understand. (Ha! How’s that for a marketing ploy! )

So let’s listen to Jules talk about Kate:

I wanted to paint her. If I couldn’t caress her body with my hands, I could paint it with my brushes. Use my fingers to trace her lines. Sketch the curve of her neck, apply the crimson of her lips, form her face into a two-dimensional tribute to her beauty. Mix my oils to the exact shade of her skin, and spread it on the canvas with my trowel. Make love to the image of Kate since I would never have her in real life.

At Vincent’s request, I painted a small portrait of her…but that wasn’t enough. Once I had painted her, I couldn’t stop. She is my inspiration. My muse. My obsession.

I paint like a madman now, with the door locked behind me and curtains closed. I’m afraid one of my kindred will see what I am hiding. That there are dozens of portraits of Kate hanging amongst my still lifes, reclining nudes, and cityscapes.

Kate sitting at the café, nose buried in a book. Kate sitting in a museum, lost in thought in front of a painting. Kate throwing her head back to laugh at something I’ve said—some insane repartee her crazy sister and I have batted back and forth, fighting for the prize of making her laugh.

But I never paint serene, happy Kate. Kate in love. Passionate Kate. Because that’s how she looks when she’s with Vincent. And though I love him like a brother, I have committed the gravest sin of all: wanting what is his. Coveting what he loves more than anything else. Wanting her to be mine. To love me instead of him.

Someone give Jules a hug—quick!

Since today is Day 3 of Julesfest, there are 3 prezzies in the giveaway:

One new and one “vintage” bookmark, both signed, and a signed and dedicated bookplate!

And to enter this random drawing, you just need to give me a link in the comments to a photo of a boy who is your version of Jules. (And if they look like MY version of Jules, I might use your photo during Julesfest!)

Can’t wait to see who you come up with!

Julesfest: Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of JULESFEST, a 9-day celebration of that hot French artist we’d all like to pose for! Each day of JULESFEST the prize will get bigger until the final giveaway of 9 prizes!

Today’s Hot Jules Shot is of a French actor a few of you suggested was perfect to play Jules in a film version of DIE FOR ME. The luscious Gaspard Ulliel.

I like long hair, so this pic’s good for me:

Long-haired Jules

But for those who like their boys cleaner cut, here he is a little more shaved and coiffed.

Clean-cut Jules

And look - here's Gaspard/Jules kind of slightly smiling: it's all in the eyes. *fans self*

Today’s giveaway is 2 signed bookmarks: my brand new IF I SHOULD DIE bookmark and a vintage (okay, last year) UNTIL I DIE bookmark.

You can enter to win these bookmarks by leaving a comment below (and a way to contact you) telling me which fictional character (besides DIE FOR ME characters) you would pair with Jules. Or NOT pair with Jules. For example, I can’t quite see him going out with Katniss. But he could probably charm Elizabeth Bennet right out from Darcy’s grasp! Let your imagination go wild.

And if you haven’t yet ordered Jules’s very own eNovella which comes out next Tuesday (the reason for this party), here it is for pre-order!!

click to pre-order DIE FOR HER

Let me just end with one of my favorite Jules quote (from UNTIL I DIE):

“As Jules kissed my cheeks he whispered, ‘She has nothing on you, of course, Kates. It’s just that you’re so very…taken.’”