YA Scavenger Hunt (#YASH)

 

 Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt!  

I'm Jodie Andrefski, and you are currently hunting TEAM GREEN.

About Me

I had a horse named Thunder, which leads into my favorite mythological creature...a pegasus.

I am a sucker for desserts. No, I mean SERIOUSLY.

Coffee comes in close second.

I am afraid of heights.

I am a Netflix binge-watcher. Yes, I admit it. =)

I have a sneak peek of my work-in-progess YA novel hidden somewhere in this blog hop. You can find my CRUSH playlist here. CRUSH is a twisty-turny YA thriller...of course, I had to throw a touch of romance in there too. Keep hunting to find the sneak peek! And as part of the GREEN TEAM, you can enter to win a signed copy of my 5-star rated YA Contemporary novel, SUMMER OF HOPE, along with a ton of other fabulous YA books.

So what exactly is #YASH??

This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

There are EIGHT contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the GREEN TEAM -- but there is also a pink team, a gold team, an orange team, a teal team, a red team, a purple team, and a blue team for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!

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

How to Play

Directions: Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the green 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 10/4/15 at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Today, I am honored to be hosting LISA SCHROEDER on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt! 

Lisa is the author of over a dozen books for kids and teens, including the YA novels CHASING BROOKLYN, THE DAY BEFORE, THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU, and ALL WE HAVE IS NOW. Her books have earned spots on state reading lists and have been translated into many languages. You can catch her on twitter at @lisa_schroeder.
Find out more information by checking out her author website or
 Buy ALL WE HAVE IS NOW here.

Are you ready for some EXCLUSIVE CONTENT from Lisa Schroeder??

What do you do with your last day on earth?

There are 27 hours and fifteen minutes left until an asteroid strikes North America, and, for Emerson and everyone else who didn't leave, the world will end. But Emerson's world already ended when she ran away from home last year. Since then she has lived on the streets, relying on her wits and her friend Vince to help her find places to sleep and food to eat.

The city's quieter now that most people are gone, and no one seems to know what to do as the end approaches. But then Emerson and Vince meet Carl, who tells them that he has been granting people's wishes. He gave his car away so a woman could take her son to see the ocean for the first time, and he gives Emerson and Vince all the money he has in his wallet.

Suddenly this last day seems full of possibility. Emerson and Vince can grant a lot of wishes in 27 hours -- maybe even their own.

Now are you ready for something super awesome?? Lisa's book trailer for ALL WE HAVE IS NOW is brand new and hot off the press. (Well, hot off of Stop Motion Studio, anyway!)  =) It's totally unique and you definitely want to check it out.

Exclusive Book Trailer for ALL WE HAVE IS NOW

 

Don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, Lisa Schroeder, and more! 

Remember, time to enter is limited...it isn't like you have 33 days to enter. 

As an extra special "thank you" for stopping by, you can enter to win a $20 gift card from Amazon.com!! After you've learned about all of these awesome YA authors, you can head on over and buy some books. How cool is that?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To keep going on your quest for #YASH, 
you need to check out the next author!

That's it, have fun and READ ON!!! 

Contest Winners!

Congratulations to the following winners! You will each receive feedback on the first five pages of your YA manuscript from one of the members of my Ask a Teen crew!

Drumroll please.....

Pitch Wars Mentee Bio - A sneak peek behind the curtain of ME

First off, a giant THANK YOU goes out to all the mentors and anyone involved in organizing Pitch Wars. Your dedication to the writing community is astounding.

Now, to cover some of the basics about me...

1. I write YA Contemporary. My previous manuscripts focus more on the kissy first love kinda thing--my most recent, THE SOCIETY, doesn't. (This is the one I'm hoping you love for Pitch Wars.) This one is grittier, although there is a romantic sub-plot.

 2. I'm a single mom with a fantastic 15 year old daughter who I am constantly roping into reading my stuff.

This is Hope.  We were on a GISWHES team together last week. We're like Lorelei and Rory, and I love it! =)

The fact that I usually end up with a houseful of teenagers every weekend works well with staying in touch with the teen voice and pysche.

3. Speaking of psyche, I am finishing up my M.S. in Mental Health Counseling, and have my undergrad degree in Secondary Education-English.

4. I love Supernatural. Probably to an unhealthy degree. If you could somehow morph Sam and Dean into one person, I'd make a crossroads deal to marry him.

5. I have experience working as a contracted writer for several websites, and had my work published in Everywhere magazine. I'm also a submissions intern for Entangled, so I get to see first hand what works and what doesn't. I've learned a lot by reading other people's work, and try to take those lessons and apply it to my own writing.

6. I work hard. For real. I can not only take criticism well, but WANT to hear what needs work in my ms. I won't cry or complain or throw tantrums when you tell me what needs changing. I know you're here to help....and this excites me to no end.

7. I'm into photography and have been invited to photograph and review several concerts and vacation destinations. Tons of fun! I've been lucky enough to interview many bands, including Breaking Benjamin, Slipknot (not my cup of tea but..oh well), Toby Keith and more.

8. I'm always coming up with new ideas to write about.

(okay, so this was a gratuitous Dean shot.)

9. I am a tad crazy. I was on a GISHWHES team again this year, and had no problem completing tasks that might make some people run the other way. Self-pride?

10. I will take all your suggestions to heart, and listen to what you have to say without complaint. Did I mention I'll work hard? You won't see any of this...(Well, maybe it will happen a little, but you won't see it.)

11. Coffee, candles, pie, and comfy sweaters are some of my favorite things. (Feel free to burst into song.)


In short....

*Special thanks to Dannie Morin for hosting this mentee blog hop! If you haven't added yours to the list, hop on over here to join in the fun!

On the madness that is Pitch Wars

Since most of you that read my blog are fellow writers, you've probably heard of Pitch Wars. And if you haven't, what in the world are you waiting for? Run...run, I say...straight over to the fabulous Brenda Drake's blog and read all about it. (You can thank me in cookies. Or cheesecake.)

This is my first year submitting to Pitch Wars.  And I am doing it with a brand new manuscript that I have not queried yet. And let me tell you...at first I was all...

Until I went to the mentor websites and read all about their mighty awesomeness. I mean, mighty awesomeness is a good thing, a great thing even. Unless you have to choose from a list of 75 such awesome mentors, and pick just four to submit to. Yes...FOUR. And seeing all the uber awesome mentors to choose from and knowing I could only select four made me all...

Then, to make it more stressful, I see tweets flying all over the place about the dreaded "S" word.

Ummm, no. No...not that one. SYNOPSIS. 


But, even with the angst of trying to pick just 4 to sub to, and hope they love what you send, and even with the horrible "S" word....I'm still stoked. Because so many writers that managed to snag a mentor in previous years in this contest went on to get an agent.  Which is obviously awesome.


And although I'm sure each mentor's mailbox will be overflowing with hopeful mentees (like me!), 75 mentors each picking one mentee and one alternate is still 150 of us being chosen. Which is really great.

And even if I don't get picked, I know even taking part will be so worthwhile. It's a way to meet fellow writers, to network and to learn from all of the wise suggestions of all those involved.

So, to each of you taking part...good luck...try not to stress too much...and remember, take what you learn, shine up those queries and manuscripts until they are like a magic mirror, and go forth and conquer. You can do it. We can do it.

And when we finally get that offer of representation, it will be SO worthwhile.

Ask a Teen about your QUERY!!!

Here's your chance! I have a group of teens (girls AND guys) all ready to look over your query and tell you what they think. Did it draw them in? Make them want to read more? Or was it a little confusing and hard to understand?

Don't forget, Pitch Madness is coming up next month, so you want to get your query as shiny bright and perfect as you can, and here is your chance to get feedback from your target demographic.

If you would like your query looked at, here is what you need to do.

Include your ms title, genre, and word count along with your query  and send it to writegrlja (at) gmail (dot) com. Please put "Ask a Teen" in the subject line. I will post the queries as they come in for commenting.

Each query will be read and a short thought offered from at least three teens. They will be offering honest feedback on their reactions to your query, and say if it would entice them to pick your book off the shelf. Teen Feedback will be posted March 3rd.

Use this chance to read and comment on the other queries...but please, play nice. Constructive criticism only.

That's it! Each month, I will be offering  different "ask a teen" segment. (some will be "ask a girl/guy" or, ask a teen to read your first page.) Feel free to share with your friends.

Pitch On workshop - Destiny

Name: Chrissi Barr

Country of residence: Australia

Title: DESTINY

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Word-count: 94,000

Pitch: Sixteen-year-old Clara Kavanagh learns that the dead still love after destiny is changed, and her family is killed by a wraith within days of returning to their Irish ancestral home. Fueled with courage from her lost family Clara crosses into the afterlife, and sets out, with ghosts of Ireland’s past, to restore mankind’s destiny only to find out that restoring destiny may result in her own death.

Pitch On workshop - Memories of Me

Name: Talynn Lynn
Country of Residence: United States
Title: Memories of Me
Genre: YA Fantasy mash-up of a fairy tale and a myth
Word-count: 70,000
Pitch: For her sixteenth birthday, River learned to erase memories of those with tormented pasts. She writes them in an animated Memory Book, but the memories come alive through her. When terrifying memories cloud her mind, River must find a way to terminate the Book before it wipes out her real identity. She learns some memories are made to live over and over again but some memories are best forgotten.

Pitch On Workshop Begins!

Today is the day folks. It's finally time to start priming to Get Your Pitch On! As I've mentioned previously, Get Your Pitch On is going to be a super chance for any YA writers that would like to be able to skip right on over the slush pile and have their pitch seen directly by an editor. The event is being put together by  YAtopia and Down Under Wonderings, and is happening October 15th.

But, before that, we wanted to give you a chance to get those pitches all sparkly-like. Thus, the Pitch-On workshop. 

Are you ready for some Pitch On?

I am super excited to be involved in this fantastic opportunity for YA writers!! You will NOT want to miss this one, trust me. Find out how you can workshop your pitch right here and get it seen directly by an agent without having to go through slush piles.  (Yes, you read that correctly.)  Mmmmhmmmm. 

The lovely S.M. Johnston is holding a contest called Get Your Pitch On. And starting October 1st, I will be hosting some of the pitches here on my blog, giving you a chance to get it all sparkly perfect before the actual contest begins.

Get ready for something spectacular people! Are you ready to....

 Wanna read more about it?
Well, what are you waiting for? Turn the page!