Heather Davis's Blog, page 4
September 4, 2011
Getting Excited for Wherever You Go!
It's September already! Next month, early copies of my new YA novel, Wherever You Go, will be arriving in bookstores. The official date is November 14th, but you will likely see copies on shelves by end of October.
We're starting to hear some good buzz on the book, including a rumor of a great review by a big, scary literary journal, so I'm getting those butterflies in my stomach. This is my third book, my second in hardcover. It's a lot of pressure, but in a good way.
Before a book of mine comes out, I'm always wondering if people will like the story, if they will relate to the characters, if they will take away something from the novel — a little piece of the story or dialogue to carry in their mental pocket for a while.
That is always my hope – that in reading my books, you will find something that speaks to you, that reminds you of something you'd forgotten, that illuminates some dark area or blind spot in your life. Heaven knows I've had a few of those in mine. It makes me happy to think that at the very least you'll be entertained and find a few hours away from whatever is troubling you.
So, without getting too heavy, what I really want you to take away from the new book is this: You are never alone. You are never unloved.
I think that's a good thing for us all to hear.
Love and Light,
Heather
August 18, 2011
Goodreads Giveaway!
I have two ARCs of WHEREVER YOU GO up for a giveaway on Goodreads. Follow the link below to enter!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Giveaway ends August 31, 2011.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
August 7, 2011
And the Winner is…
Congrats to YA Scavenger Hunter Melissa Layton, who won my giveaway prize pack of The Clearing and an ARC of Wherever You Go!
Thanks to everyone of you who entered — over 200 hunters! — and I hope you'll check back for another contest as we get closer to the November release date for Wherever You Go.
Also, I hear from Colleen Houck, that we'll do another YA Scavenger hunt later this year — how cool is that?
Happy Summer, everyone!
Heather
August 2, 2011
The YA Scavenger Hunt is over…
but there is still t
ime to enter my giveaway for a copy of The Clearing and a hard-to-get-a-hold-of ARC of my fall book — Wherever You Go.
Click this giveaway link for the contest.
I'll accept entries until Friday August 5th. And hey, you guys are readers, so please read the instructions.
Thanks to all the readers who participated in my giveaway so far. It's been fun reading your entries. I love all the places you read – tree houses, kayaks, poolside, and just on your comfy couches. The truth is, any place is a great place to read a book. Well, except for underwater — the pages stick together.
So, thanks for hunting along with me! I loved meeting new YA authors and reading all those Hunt exclusives right along with you. And I have to give a huge shout-out to Colleen Houck, who put this amazing event together. She rocks, obviously. Oh, and the GRAND PRIZE WINNER of the Scavenger Hunt is Anne Liu of Richland, WA. Way to go, Anne!
Happy Summer Reading~
Heather
July 31, 2011
YA Scavenger Hunt!
WELCOME TO THE YA SCAVENGER HUNT!
On this hunt you will be able to gain access to exclusive bonus material, sign up for giveaways, and get an all access pass to top secret insider information. This fabulous sneak peek into what's coming up in YA literature is for one day only — August 1st!
As an extra bonus we've put together a puzzle with one keyword found on each website. Complete it and you will be eligible for a fantastic GRAND PRIZE which will include signed editions of books, signed bookmarks, jewelry, and many more exclusive gifts with at least one from EVERY AUTHOR!
SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE
Directions: Copy and paste the puzzle below onto a document or blank email page and fill it out as you proceed through the Scavenger Hunt. Search for keywords, one on each website that will be highlighted in RED, and insert them into the puzzle, then fill out the Google form here.
Welcome fans of young adult literature! Don't forget to _______ up in time to join our special event! In ____________ you roll the dice and, like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. Our scavenger hunt is very similar. Surprises wait around every corner. Turn one page and you're chasing a _________ through a _________ _____________. Turn another and you are being ________ by a _______ which leaves your heart ________. YA ________s are full of ___________ heroes who must ___________ themselves for the greater good. Some of the characters travel through ______ or have a _________ __________. If there is one thing YA books have taught us, it's that if you leave your ___________ keep an eye out for a patrolling ________. They're very dangerous. Maybe not so frightening as a ____________, but still you should be careful. Also beware lest you become __________ by vampires. ______________ one is a different story. Just remember that bite has ___________ ramifications and that afterwards the sun can ______ you unless you get bitten by a glittering type. Whether you like dark, paranormal, romance, fantasy, ___________, Sci-Fi, or a combination of those, we've got something for you.
We think that each fan is a __________ and we love you all!
***** AND NOW… THE SCAVENGER HUNT BEGINS! *****
It's my pleasure to host debut YA author, DJ DeSmyter.
Here's a little about DJ:
DJ DeSmyter has always loved reading and buys books like some people buy shoes. This love for the written word led him to creating stories of his own that he hopes will captivate and entertain others. HUNTED is his first book and he cannot wait to see where his writing takes him next
Here's a synopsis of DJ's debut novel, HUNTED
Seventeen-year-old Lily Atwater has always kept to herself, living a lonely life with her workaholic dad. Not the most thrilling life, but it's quiet and ordinary, two things she's come to expect from living in Victor Hills, Michigan.
When kind and mysterious Alex takes refuge in her home, she is suddenly thrown into his world of werewolves, a world he wants to keep her safe from. But while the two of them grow closer, a relentless hunter continues his search, stalking the woods with hopes of catching the wolf that got away…
AND NOW — Exclusive Bonus Material:
An Excerpt of HUNTED by DJ DeSmyter
The sound of police cars heading toward the house with their sirens blaring disrupted the silence of the warm summer night. I ran out of the house and fell to the ground shaking. My fear mixed with the sticky air and made it hard to breathe. I could hear the wolves' claws scratching on the wood flooring and I struggled to get to my feet. But before I could, they were on me, their hot breath assaulting my face and their teeth grazing my skin. Drops of crimson blood clung to the fur around their mouths, a painful reminder of my lost love.
The sirens grew louder and caught the wolves' attention. For an instant, I saw a flicker of panic in their eyes. One of them tore off into the woods, but the other remained on top of me. It snarled and clawed at my face and clothes before leaping toward the woods. Wincing, I turned my head and watched the wolf escape. But it was no longer a wolf.
It was a man.
He raised his brows and flashed me a wicked, arrogant smile before turning to disappear into the woods.
The police got there too late, too late to see the impossible truth I had learned. Unable to get words off my tongue to answer their questions, I led them into the house and upstairs to the bedroom.
Blood was everywhere. On the walls, on the floor, on my hands. None of it was mine, though. Just Julia's, the woman I loved more than anything and the woman I failed to protect. But never did I imagine I would have to protect her from such monsters as those that had burst through our front door that night.
While the police took photographs and murmured amongst themselves, I escaped back downstairs and sat on the front steps. A crack of thunder echoed through the night as a summer storm began. Droplets of rain fell from the sky and I couldn't distinguish the rain from my tears. But when a chorus of howls rang over the noise of the rain, my sadness turned to anger and determination.
The next day, I bought a gun.
______________________________________________________________________________
To find out more about DJ DeSmyter check out his website. And, you can purchase a copy of HUNTED here.
There's also a Facebook page set up for HUNTED.
_______________
Thank you all so much for reading along on my website. I hope you're having fun on the YA Scavenger Hunt, collecting those clues, and discovering some new authors along the way.
Before we say goodbye, you may want to CLICK HERE to enter my giveaway drawing for an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) of my next book, WHEREVER YOU GO, which comes out in November from Harcourt.
Here's a synopsis of the book:
Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. But she has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob's ghost is watching over her. He isn't happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, trying to get close to Holly—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. As their uncertain new relationship progresses, the past comes back to haunt Holly and Jason. Her Alzheimer's-stricken grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side?
WHEREVER YOU GO is available for Pre-order now.
******
READY TO GO ON TO THE NEXT YA SCAVENGER HUNT DESTINATION? CLICK HERE!
July 18, 2011
YA Scaveger Hunt Coming Soon…
I'm happy to be participating i
n Colleen Houck's YA Scavenger Hunt that kicks off next month. A bunch of great YA authors in a variety of genres are going to be joining in for giveaways, exclusive extras, and other fun things. The authors range from Sophie Jordan to Beth Revis to Clare Dunkle. If you don't already know these authors, you will soon. They are awesome.
Basically, readers will visit the different authors' websites to "collect" the goodies. I think it will be super fun. Look for more info coming soon, including exact dates.
I'm not sure what I'll be contributing yet — I have to make a decision this week — but it may be some behind the scenes info on either The Clearing or my upcoming book, Wherever You Go. Hmm… going to ponder that with my business manager Harper, while I enjoy this gloomy summer morning!
Hugs,
Heather
July 4, 2011
The Clearing's RITA Award Night
It was a great hono
r for my little book, The Clearing, to be nominated for the RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance of 2011.
Last week, I got to go to New York City to see how it would all turn out. If you've never attended the RWA conference (Romance Writers of America) it's huge and crazy. Speakers included Diana Gabaldon, Jennifer Crusie, Tess Gerritsen, and one of my heroes, Meg Cabot, was the emcee of the RITA awards. It's a very cool conference and a ton of YA authors attend.
Nervously, I went to dinner on RITA night with my lovely editor Julie Tibbott and my champion of an agent, Stephen Barbara. Seriously, even though we were at delicious Becco Restaurant, we could barely eat because we were so excited. Here's a picture of me and Julie with the gorgeous flowers she brought me.
The only great thing about Julie Tibbott, among the many, actually, is that she truly believes in my work. She did an amazing job working with me on The Clearing and on my upcoming fall book, Wherever You Go. Julie was just sure that The Clearing was going to win the RITA. Man, she really wanted us to win. As she got more nervous at the prospect of accepting the award with me in front of 2,000 people, I got more nervous.
Stephen did his best to calm us down, but it wasn't working. Maybe he was a little nervous, too.
At the ceremony, the YA category finally arrived and The Clearing flashed up on the screen as a nominee. Julie and I held hands and prayed. And then– another book took home the award.
The takeaway lesson was this: how wonderful it was to be nominated along with authors I really admire (Lisa Schroeder, come on!) and how much readers love The Clearing.
The Clearing is a book I wrote in the middle of my own devastating heartbreak. A book I wrote when I had to start over in a new place, just like Amy. A book that tells of my own hopes to find a true love — one that can stand through tests of time and tide.
And when readers tell me the places in
the story where they cried, they are usually the ones I cried while writing. The hurt was fresh and present when I went to the keyboard each day.
I think when you are a writer, it is your duty to go deep. To expose the scary places that hurt. To ask the questions you don't have the courage to ask in real life. For me, fiction that moves, that inspires, that takes you somewhere, is the only fiction worth writing.
I am truly grateful The Clearing got just a little of the spotlight last week. And I'm touched by the love I feel surrounding me and my work.
Thank you.
Heather
June 19, 2011
Two Teen Authors in One Apartment!
My 
friend Tera Lynn Childs is visiting me and Harper for a couple weeks. It's been fun introducing her to Seattle and all the things I love about it.
Here we are on my friend Ryan's boat, sailing on Lake Union. It's only fitting that an author of mermaid books gets out on the water. I didn't push her in, don't worry. (It was too cold out.) Tera's new book Fins are Forever comes out in one week.
Hope you're having a great start to your summer!
Hugs,
Heather
June 12, 2011
The Clearing Giveaway!
To celebrate The Clearing's RITA Award nomination for Best YA Romance, I'm giving away a Farmhouse Prize Pack.
Signed Copy of The Clearing
Assorted Fine Teas
Briggs Family Biscuit Recipe
Biscuit Cutters
Cool Fortune-Tellers Tea Cup
*Important!* Here's how to enter:
Click over to BooksBoysBuzz, the YA fiction blog I share with 6 other of your favorite writers and make a comment on any and all posts this week. You can comment once each day. I'll draw a lucky winner on Sunday, June 19th. US and Canada winner only and no purchase necessary.
Good luck!
June 1, 2011
Kindle Version of Sometimes by Moonlight!
It's ALIVE!
I have unleashed the eBook novella sequel to Never Cry Werewolf. I'm so excited, you guys! It's my first ever attempt at publishing my own work electronically and it's been quite an adventure.
The title of the sequel is Sometimes by Moonlight: A Novella
It's a 92 page eBook.
It is available for sale on Kindle now and other e-readers soon.
I wish it was going to be a paper book, but it's eBook only.
Click here to purchase the Kindle eBook, or to download a sample at Amazon.
For those of you who don't own e-readers yet (like me) you can download Amazon's Free Kindle e-Reading Application that works on your home computer. (Ask your folks before you download or buy anything, of course!) Supposedly, if you do get an e-Reader later, you can transfer the books you purchased to read on your computer to Kindle.
Anyhow, just wanted to say thank you guys so much for encouraging me to write this little sequel. I hope you like it!
Hugs,
Heather
