Kristi Helvig's Blog, page 3

YA Scavenger Hunt Spring 2016 Announcement

YA Scavenger Hunt Spring 2016 Announcement

It’s coming. . . March 29th – April 3rd, 2016. It’s the YA Scavenger Hunt Spring 2016! You have the chance to win lots of amazing books!

Now that the authors have signed up to participate in this exciting event, we’ve put them into teams of 20 by color. There are nine teams total this round!

Check out the teams below to see which teams your favorite authors will be on and what their featured book will be.

It’s getting close folks!

YASH BLUE TEAM SPRING 2016

Eric Lindstrom

Kate Karyus Quinn

Leah Bobet

Emily Hainsworth

Sarah Ahiers

Sara B. Larson

Alyxandra Harvey

Brendan Reichs

Cate Dean

Julie Eshbaugh

Joy Preble

Ava Jae

Marissa Kennerson

Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Tobie Easton

Jodie Andrefski

Brynn Chapman

Lea Nolan

Emily Ross

Vicki L. Weavil

YASH GOLD TEAM SPRING 2016

Colleen Houck

Jessica Brody

Roshani Chokshi

Matthew Phillion

Livia Blackburne

Christine Fonseca

Patty Blount

Lori M. Lee

Lisa Maxwell

Gina Damico

Sarvenaz Tash

Heather Young-Nichols

Lisa Amowitz

Amalie Howard

Pintip Dunn

Carly Anne West

Julie Reece

Dhonielle Clayton

Deirdre Riordan Hall

Brenda Drake

YASH GREEN TEAM SPRING 2016

Dax Varley

Jenny Perinovic

Jessie Costin

Robert L. Slater

Sarah Neeve

Tanya Lisle

Katie Hayoz

L.A. Starkey

Michelle Madow

Stacy Claflin

Clara Stone

Kimberly G. Giarrantano

Marilyn Peake

Rachel Shane

T. H. Hernandez

Janet Lee Carey

Jennifer M. Eaton

Melisa Giorgio

Cheyanne Young

Lisa T. Cresswell

YASH ORANGE TEAM SPRING 2016

Paula Stokes

Kathy MacMillan

Sarah Jude

Elle Cosimano

C.J. Redwine

Maria E. Andreu

Kathryn Holmes

Daw Kurtagich

Leah Konen

Marieke Nijkamp

Yvonne Ventresca

Melissa Gorzelanczyk

K.C. Held

Sarah J. Schmitt

Rin Chupeco

Amy Christine Parker

Kimberly Sabatini

Austin Aslan

Amy Evans

E. Katherine Kottaras

YASH PINK TEAM SPRING 2016

Stephanie Keyes

Julia Ember

Christopher Mannino

Nina Rossing

Kristi Helvig

Dorothy Dreyer

Dawn Rae Miller

Emily Skrutskie

Catrina Burgess

Karen Kincy

Angela Myron

Kat Ellis

Chanda Stafford

Jessica L. Brooks

Kat Stiles

Amy McNulty

Phillip W. Simpson

Michelle K. Pickett

A. Lynden Rolland

Gillian Bronte Adams

YASH PURPLE TEAM SPRING 2016

Faye Bird

Robin Constantine

Amy Allgeyer

Jolene Perry

Meredith Moore

Natasha Sinel

Caroline T. Patti

Erin E. Moulton

Jennifer Brody

Jenny Martin

Joe Beernink

Joshua McCune

Jennifer DiGiovanni

Kate Elliott

Beck Nicholas

Kassy Tayler

Lori Goldstein

Nina Berry

Michelle Levy

Debra Dockter

YASH RED TEAM SPRING 2016

Amy Plum

LH Nicole

Beth Revis

Joshua David Bellin

Kelly Hashway

Victoria Scott

Becky Wallace

Rita Arens

Vicki Leigh

Michelle Andreani/Mindi Scott

Lisa T. Bergren

Kay Honeyman

Lucy D. Briand

Evangeline Denmark

Jeff Garvin

Madeline Dyer

Christina Farley

Kimberly Derting

T. A. Maclagan

Everly Frost

YASH SILVER TEAM SPRING 2016

Ripley Patton

Hilary Thompson

Eliza Tilton

Delfy Hall

Annie Cosby

Michael Alan Peck

Dale Furse

Gerard O’Neill

Melanie Hooyenga

Anne Zoelle

A. G. Henley

Deidre Mapstone

Ty Drago

CK Dawn

Lisa Voisin

Kimberly Loth

Jessica Hawke

Meredith Zeitlin

B. Kristin McMichael

Shonna Slayton

YASH TEAL TEAM SPRING 2016

Adi Rule

Leo Hunt

Melanie McFarlane

Tera Lynn Childs

Wendy Higgins

Krystal Wade

Sharon Biggs Waller

Kady Cross

Lyne Matson

Liz Braswell

Cynthia Hand/Jodi Meadows/Brodi Ashton

Patricia B. Tighe

Dawn Ius

Darren Groth

Sarah Tomp

Amy K. Nichols

Emil Sher

Alexandra Sirowy

Brianna R. Shrum

Ilsa J. Bick

So authors and readers,

SAVE THE DATE March 29- April 3, 2016!

For more information go to www.yash.rocks

Cover Reveal and Giveaway for Wicked Ink Books!

Happy 2016 to all! I hope the start of your year has been amazing so far. I’m so excited to share my newest book publishing adventure with you, and give you a chance to win a Wicked prize pack! This is the inaugural newsletter of Wicked Ink Books. In this issue: who we are, cover reveal, preorder link and a GIVEAWAY. Read on…

Wicked Ink Books was conceived by a group of Denver-based authors over a few glasses of wine during a writing retreat in Breckenridge, Colorado. We thought, We all write speculative fiction. Let’s publish a series of themed anthologies together.

Today, we’re thrilled to reveal the cover (by talented cover artist Steven Novak) of our 2016 anthology, TICK TOCK: SEVEN TALES OF TIME, featuring seven stories of adventure, mystery, horror and romance.

A serial killer returns years later to finish what was started, by Corinne O’Flynn.

A coffee shop offers a respite for the cursed, by Kristi Helvig.

A hangover masks the horrors of the previous night, by Rebecca Taylor.

A princess’s wedding gift comes with a price, by Sue Duff.

A locked apartment door hides a chilling secret, by Shawn McGuire.

A girl wakes up in an asylum and must survive and escape, by Wendy Terrien.

A young woman must protect the past to thwart a thief from the future, by A.G. Henley.

All it takes is a second… a minute… an hour for everything to change.

If you can’t wait another minute to have it, you don’t have to: pre-order below (paperback version coming soon!) Release date is March 28th.

Preorder Tick Tock: 7 Tales of Time

Want a chance to win a Wicked Prize Pack? A $100 Amazon Gift card and a copy of Tick Tock: 7 Tales of Time signed by all 7 Wicked Ink Authors. Do it below and best of luck!

Contest by Rewards Fuel.

Why I Still Write Query Letters

Why I Still Write Query Letters

I was on an author panel at the 2015 Denver Comic Con this summer and mentioned that though I was thrilled with my agent, I missed writing query letters. Another author agreed with me, at which point mega author Jim Butcher turned to us and said “I think there’s something wrong with you.” That may very well be the case—I personally think that’s true for all writers—but I still adore queries. It’s part of why I gave away tons of free query critiques in celebration when I got my agent, and why I now offer query critiques as a service on my website.

         (Author Amalie Howard and I at Denver Comic Con)

          So why do I still write a query letter before I start each book? Aside from the sheer fun of it (I’m not kidding so I guess there is something wrong with me), whether I’m writing a sequel or a standalone, the query gives me a rough outline of where I’m going and tells me whether the book has all of the elements it needs to come together. As a former panster, the query used to serve as my sole outline before diving into the actual writing. Now that I’ve incorporated a little more planning into my pants-ting, the query is still the first thing I create before I even do a general outline. A great query gives you the essence of the book and highlights the core conflict and stakes that are at risk. My editor for BURN OUT liked my query so much that he ended up using most of it as the book jacket copy. So even though I’m traditionally published, I’m starting to dabble in indie publishing (post coming soon about an exciting collaboration and new book in 2016), and a query is a great tool for creating compelling cover copy.

Also, if you’re struggling with the query, it’s a good indicator that there’s an issue with the story itself, and you’ve saved yourself a truckload of time by starting with the query rather than writing the whole book and THEN figuring out there’s a problem.

Here is the original query I sent for BURN OUT which got multiple offers from agents. It’s not perfect but incorporates the basic elements I emphasize when I provide query critiques.

 

Dear _______,

BURN OUT is a sci-fi YA complete at 60,000 words. The book can stand alone but is planned to be part of a trilogy. I hope you will consider it for representation.

When the sun begins to burn out years ahead of schedule, most people end up dead. They’re the lucky ones. Seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds, one of Earth’s last inhabitants, soon discovers her fellow survivors are even deadlier than the hostile environment.

Holed up in an underground shelter, Tora is alone—her brilliant scientist father murdered, her mother and sister burned to death. She dreams of living on a planet with oceans, plants, and animals. Unfortunately, the oceans dried out ages ago, the only plants are giant cacti with deadly spines, and her pet, Trigger, is a gun—one of the bio-energetic weapons her father created for the government before his conscience kicked in.

When family friend, Markus, arrives with hired guns to take the weapons by force, Tora’s fury turns to fear when government ships descend in an attempt to kill them all. She forges an unlikely alliance with Markus and his rag-tag group of raiders, including a smart but quiet soldier named James. Tora must choose between saving herself by giving up the guns or honoring her father’s request to save humanity from the most lethal weapons in existence.     

I went on to provide a brief paragraph about myself but as I had never been published and had no awards, etc., it was very, very brief.

What I’m Working on Now:

After completing a short story for a cool project coming in 2016, I’m now working on a YA Thriller that I’m really excited about. And yes, I keep the query for this new manuscript open in a tab on my computer and refer back to it periodically as I’m writing. I’m still not a huge outliner, so this one page document keeps me on track and lets me know if I’m wandering too far from the main conflict. I’d love to hear from you as to whether you love queries or have a more love/hate relationship with them, and if you still write them even after you’ve published a book. If you simply want to validate that there is something wrong with me, keep that to yourself.

The Badass Reads Giveaway is Here!

20 YA AUTHORS +  25 BOOKS UP FOR GRABS = ONE BADASS SUMMER

  #BADASSREADS

The awesome (and badass) author Bethany Crandell has organized a huge summer giveaway and it is officially ON! I’ve heard from a lot from readers that they love how badass my main character Tora is from my BURN OUT series, so I was honored when Bethany asked me to participate. You can see all the books below that you can enter to win. Good luck and enter by August 31st!

7 PRIZE PACKS INCLUDING:

IT’S A MAD, MAD WORLD PRIZE PACK  

SPLINTERED, UNHINGED and *ENSNARED (*AUDIO BOOK)  AG Howard 

PLUS an UNTAMED postcard w/three paragraph sneak peek!!!

 

AGAINST THE ODDS PRIZE PACK 

LANDRY PARK, Bethany Hagen

DEFY, Sara B. Larson

GATES OF THREAD AND STONE, Lori M. Lee

NIL, Lynne Matson

 

THE USUAL SUSPECTS PRIZE PACK

PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG, Anne Blankman

MURDER COMPLEX, Lindsay Cummings 

LIARS, INC., Paula Stokes (hard copy) 

 

SAND BETWEEN MY TOES PRIZE PACK

NO PLACE TO FALL, Jaye Robin Brown

SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS, Bethany Crandell 

PLAYING NICE, Rebekah Crane  

THE SUMMER AFTER YOU + ME, Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

 

GRITTY BOYS OF SUMMER PRIZE PACK  

TAP OUT, DARE ME, PRESS PLAY 

Eric Devine

 

SPELLS, SPIRITS and SWOONS, OH MY! PRIZE PACK

INTO A MILLION PIECES, Angela V. Cook

ASPEN, Rebekah Crane

THE ONE THING, Marci Lynn Curtis (hard copy) 

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS, Jen McConnel   

OF BREAKABLE THINGS, A. Lynden Rolland

 

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU PRIZE PACK

EXTRACTION, Stephanie Diaz (hard copy)

BURN OUT, Kristi Helvig

ANOMALY, Tonya Kuper

 

ALL BOOKS WILL BE SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR!

(paperback unless otherwise stated)

*Giveaway is US ONLY*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dear Teen Me

The lovely ladies, Emily and Erika, over at Dear Teen Me invited me to write a letter for their blog. For those who aren’t familiar with this awesome blog, authors write letters to their teen selves. I’m a pretty private person and it’s the most personal thing I’ve ever written (or will ever write).  Check out the link above for my letter and thanks so much to Dear Teen Me for having me over there! Happy Friday!

2015 Denver Comic Con Highlights

I can’t believe the 2015 Comic Con is over! It was super exhausting but incredibly fun. It’s not every day that Lou Ferrigno hugs you, you know? I mean, how can you not love being in a place with costumes like this:

Or signing books with awesomesauce authors like Amalie Howard!

Or having your kids attend their very first Comic Con!

Or being told that the Barnes & Noble booth of Comic Con sold out of your book! Luckily, they found more copies for the next day!

I was lucky enough to be on some amazing panels with authors like Dan Wells, Jim Butcher, Amalie Howard, Sherry Ficklin, Tyler Jolley, Stant Litore, Gail Wagner, DelSheree Gladden, Stephen Graham Jones, Sue Duff, and many more. I met so many fantastic people from fellow authors to fans, to fellow sci-fi nerds, and I already can’t wait for next year! But first…I need a nap.

It’s Time For #ReadorWriteAnywhere

Summer is about to begin and I’m trying to get as much writing done as possible before the kids are out of school!

But just because it’s summer doesn’t mean we should stop reading and writing. I’ve teamed up with the YA Chicks and many participating authors on a global campaign to encourage readers, writers, students, and teachers to share pictures all of the places—both ordinary and extraordinary—where they are reading and writing. This is open to all readers/writers of both middle grade and young adult books!

You can also take part in…

A MONSTER GIVEAWAY!

I’ll be giving away a copy of my new release STRANGE SKIES:

Plus, there’s more! Every author participating in this campaign is giving away books, critiques, swag and/or Skype visits. Win a critique of your first chapter or fabulous YA books!

So are you ready?

Drum roll…

Here are my 5 clues:

1. This place is in the capital city in Colorado.

2. There is a fabulous planetarium here which helped inspire my BURN OUT series.

3. Aside from the T-Rex in this picture, there are currently unicorns, mermaids, and dragons in this place.

4. I would normally do my writing or reading in the cafe area of this place, but the T-Rex made for a cooler picture.

5. My kiddos love coming here, and are especially captivated by the gemstone exit.

Can you guess where I am?

Once you’ve figured out where I’m reading, head over to the YA Chicks site and:

Officially enter the giveaway by inputting each author’s name and your guesses about our locations. Every author location you guess correctly increases your chances to win.

For even more chances, post a picture of yourself reading or writing on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #ReadOrWriteAnywhere (must have the hashtag).

For writer prize packs:

Post pictures of yourself writing in a fun location on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #ReadOrWriteAnywhere. Then follow the directions on the Rafflecopter giveaway to let us know you did it.

For even more chances, gather your writer friends together and post a group shot with the hashtag #ReadOrWriteAnywhere (must have the hashtag). And hey, since you’re already together, why not host a write-a-thon?

For teacher prize packs:

Post pictures of your class reading or writing on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #ReadOrWriteAnywhere (must have the hashtag). Then let us know you did it when you enter the Rafflecopter. If you don’t have a Twitter or Instagram, you can email your picture directly with the picture pasted directly into the email (no attachments–we won’t open them) AND the subject, “Read or Write Anywhere.”

You can also check out the YA Chicks Read or Write Anywhere lesson plan, available on their site.

Now, what are you waiting for? Get out there and READ OR WRITE ANYWHERE!

#ReadOrWriteAnywhere

My Top 5 Fave Scenes from STRANGE SKIES

The awesomely fantabulous (yes those are words) Jaime Arnold hosted me today on her Two Chicks on Books blog where I dish on my 5 favorite scenes I wrote in STRANGE SKIES. It’s the last day to enter to win both BURN OUT & STRANGE SKIES so hurry over there!

Also, I’m still immensely grateful for the reviews coming in this week for my book. Here’s a snippet of reviews below and thank you so much for all your support. Readers rock!

“The sequel to 2014’s Burn Out proceeds at breakneck speed…ever- increasing stakes and a solid cliff-hanger ending will have thriller fans hanging on every word.” — Booklist review

“Wow! What a fantastic second book if I’ve ever read one. I loved Burn Out and Strange Skies keeps up the Sci-FI goodness that Kristi Helvig executed in the first book. It was fast paced and explosive…Kristi Helvig is definitely on my top list for authors of Sci-fi.”— Library of a Book Witch review

“An action-packed and sexy sequel to Burn Out. I can’t tell you how much I love how snarky this book is. It has really sarcastic moments that I just find charming and hilarious. If you haven’t already picked up this trilogy, do it now!” — review from Brittany’s Book Rambles

“STRANGE SKIES was a thrilling, heart-pounding sequel that you don’t want to miss…if you like thrilling dystopians with action and adventure, and a fight for survival, with an awesome cast of characters, then STRANGE SKIES should definitely be your next read, as it does not disappoint!” —Addicted Readers review

Strange Skies Is Here!!!!

It’s finally here!!!! You can grab a copy of STRANGE SKIES today! Where, you ask? Well, how Amazon or your fave local bookstore? Plus, if you get it today, I’m mailing you a signed bookmark…just send your addy to my contact page or email me at kristi (at) kristihelvig.com. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it, and feel free to email your thoughts when you finish—I love hearing from readers. Thanks so much for all your support!

Friday Fun: Reviews of STRANGE SKIES and Giveaway!

STRANGE SKIES is out in a few days!!

The Rock Star Book Tour continues, so check out these links for a chance to win both BURN OUT & STRANGE SKIES! Beth at Curling Up With A Good Book said, “Strange Skies has everything that I love in a sequel…the introduction of new characters, continuing breath-taking romance, and unimaginable secrets that are revealed in the perfect moment.” Read the whole review and enter to win here. Over at Such a Novel Idea, I answer what I’d pack if I were leaving Earth for good (hint: you know chocolate is involved)!

Alicia at Addicted Readers says that STRANGE SKIES is “…action-packed sequel that kept me on my toes and flipping the pages faster then I could read them.”  Another review came in this week from someone who isn’t on the official tour and I have to include it here because the entire review made me smile. Brittany’s Book Rambles called STRANGE SKIES: “An action-packed and sexy sequel to Burn Out. It keeps the same fast-pace that started Tora’s journey and it seems that these characters can never catch a break. Tora continues to be a badass and I love her so much. This book is officially released in 7 days and I’m already dying for the third book.” Brittany asked me to do a Q & A over on her blog and I will do another giveaway there so stay tuned.

Over on my Facebook author page, I’m counting down to the release of STRANGE SKIES with one fun fact per day: some facts so far involve how a Matt Damon movie caused me to have to change my planet name and the song that inspired the series, so check it out for more fun facts and a giveaway next week! And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter on the right for special giveaways and news on what I’m up to next! HAPPY FRIDAY!