Thursday, October 1, 2015

Fall 2015 YA Scavenger Hunt - Team Green

Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt!

I'm Lisa Schroeder, your host for this stop in the tour. I'm the author of over 15 books for kids and teens, including I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, CHASING BROOKLYN, IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES and my latest release, ALL WE HAVE IS NOW. This is my first time participating in the hunt and I'm thrilled to be here. So let's get to it!



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! On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author (mine is out there somewhere - can't wait for you to see it!), 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 THREE DAYS.


Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt Page to find out all about the hunt. There are many contests going 
on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the Green Team -- but there are SEVEN other teams which means eight chances TOTAL to win huge sets of signed books!

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


SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. 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, though 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 October 5, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will NOT be considered.


SCAVENGER HUNT POST


I'm thrilled to be hosting Debra Dockter for the fall 2015 YA Scavenger Hunt. 

When her parents told her she could be anything she wants, she took it to heart. She became a ballerina (performing "Swan Lake" 28 times), worked as a magician's assistant, became a child psychologist, and currently works as a college professor and YA author. She lives in Kansas with her family. You can visit her online at www.debradockter.com and twitter: @debdockterYA.

Debra is the author of DEADLY DESIGN which "School Library Journal" calls "an action-packed, page-turning thriller." You can purchase the book at many online retailers including Amazon.

About the book:

Genetically engineered identical twins Kyle and Connor McAdams were born two years apart. Their parents figured it was safer that way, to increase their odds of survival. Connor was born first, paving an impossibly perfect path for Kyle to follow. He was the best at everything—valedictorian, star quarterback etc. Kyle never thought he’d be able to live up, so he didn’t even try.
 
But when Connor, 18, suddenly drops dead of a heart attack, and Kyle learns of other genetically modified kids who’ve also died on their eighteenth birthdays, he’s suddenly motivated—to save his own life. Like Connor and all the rest, Kyle was conceived at the Genesis Innovations Laboratory, where the mysterious Dr. Mueller conducted experiments on them. The clock’s ticking as Kyle searches for answers: who was Dr. Mueller really, and what did he do to cause their hearts to stop at eighteen? He must unravel the clues quickly, before, he too, becomes another perfect, blue-eyed corpse.

Debra is sharing one of her favorite scenes from the book, which requires a little backstory. As you can see from the description above, Kyle and Connor are genetically engineered twins. But the family doesn't realize that the boys have been genetically altered to be superior beings. Connor succeeds at everything he does, while Kyle, being two years younger, doesn't think he can compete with his brother's greatness, so he doesn't even try. Over the years, he starts to resent his brother's almost superstar status in their small town, so much so that he flips off anyone who accidentally calls him by his twin brother's name.

The following scene occurs after Connor dies on his 18th birthday, and Kyle is asked to read Connor's valedictorian speech during, what should have been, Connor's high school graduation. Hope you enjoy!


There is silence, real silence. There are hundreds of people surrounding me.
Hundreds of people breathing and fidgeting and thinking. And staring. The principal has said something. She introduced me, and the gymnasium has filled with the silence of waiting.
        I stand, then walk, taking a second to look at my parents. They’re sitting in the first row behind the graduating students, and while I know they want to give me encouraging smiles, smiles to settle my nerves, they can’t. I reach the podium, look down, and start reading. It’s typical stuff, at least what filters through the haze in my brain. Motivational, fortune-cookie shit. “Work hard and you can accomplish anything. Don’t let the difficulties of life dissuade you from your dreams, blah, blah, blah.” And then there’s a space between paragraphs and a handwritten note. It reads Find Kyle in the audience. Look at him. Don’t say another word until he sees you.
        I glance back at the principal. She nods her head knowingly at me and smiles with trembling lips. I look up at the crowd of faces staring down at me. I’m searching through them, but for a second, I’m not sure if I’m looking for Connor or looking for me. I go back to the words.
        “Kyle,” I read, “I don’t believe in regrets, at least most of the time I don’t. I don’t regret that we were born separately, because the truth is, if Mom had tried to carry us both at the same time, we might both be dead now.”
        Everyone is quiet, breath-held kind of quiet. No one fidgets against the hard chairs; no one fans themselves with their programs or turns through the pages to see how much longer this will take. Even the quivering cries of a discontented infant stop. All anyone can hear are the electric fans moving back and forth to aid the school’s ancient air conditioning system.
        “I guess I do regret a few things. I regret that I didn’t wait for you. I arrived on the path first, and I ran ahead, so far ahead that you couldn’t catch up. I shouldn’t have done that. To make it worse, being twins, I should have figured that people would always be comparing us. It was up to me to set the bar, and I set it too high – for both of us. There’s always been this thing inside me, pushing me to be perfect. And once it started, it was like running down a hill, and you can’t stop, because if you try, you’ll fall, and the hill is so steep you know you won’t survive.
        “I’ll never forget when you were in first grade. We were walking home, and you wouldn’t talk to me because the teacher made you miss recess when you didn’t get a perfect score on your spelling test. She thought that because we have the same DNA, we’d have the same brain, the same likes and dislikes. But the truth is I had to learn those words. Maybe it’s that oldest child syndrome or something. I had to get them right, but you didn’t. You could have if you’d wanted to, but you didn’t, and that’s okay. Hell, that’s great, as long as you know you could have.
        “I regret now that I studied for those stupid tests. I mean, really, who cares if a seven-year-old can spell umbrella or a ten-year-old can recite the fifty state capitals? It doesn’t say anything about who we are. Not really. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t have taken Calc 2 or Spanish 4. I don’t think I would have even gone out for track or football. Not because I don’t think education is important or because I don’t love sports, but because there’s no achievement in my life that means as much as being able to walk the path with you. You are my brother…and I love you.” I say these words slowly because they are for me. They are mine. “Nothing means more than that. And to all of you out there who have ever called Kyle ‘Connor,’ and especially to all of you who ever judged my brother for not learning his spelling words or his state capitals or his quadratic equations, this is for you.”
        It doesn’t say anything else, but I know exactly what Connor intended to do. I look out at the young and old and middle-aged faces. I take a deep breath and, with tears burning in my eyes, extend my middle finger to the crowd.


Awesome, right?

Okay, now, don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books, including books by me, Debra Dockter, and many more. To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 15. Add up all the numbers you find for the Green Team, and you'll have the secret code to enter to be eligible to win the prize

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going, you need to check out Kay Honeyman's website, the next author on the hunt. 

But WAIT, before you go, how about a little extra giveaway (for an entirely separate prize)? Because I LOVE giveaways. This one is open to US residents only, and you must be 13 or older to enter.

Just fill out the Rafflecopter below and voila, you're entered to win a lovely framed print with a quote from ALL WE HAVE IS NOW along with your choice of any one of my YA novels, signed and personalized! 




a Rafflecopter giveaway

52 comments:

  1. This is my first time doing the hunt!

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  2. This is my first time doing the hunt but it is so fun! I love finding all these good books I need to read.

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  3. At least the third time. I like to look at the awesome book covers and enter giveaways.

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  4. It's my third time doing YASH. I loved discovering new authors and books. Thanks for the extra giveaway!

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  5. This is my third time doing YASH! I love discovering new author, new books & going through the bonus material! :)

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  6. This is my second time doing the hunt. I love discovering new authors and books.

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  7. This is my third year doing the hunt so 6th time? lol I love it s much its always a blast. And I love finding new authors.

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  8. This is my 3rd or 4th hunt. To find new books and possibly win them. For example on this page is Deadly Design, never heard of it. I love the cover and it sounds like an awesome read.

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  9. This is my second time doing the hunt

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  10. I've participated in the Hunt for a few years now, and I love it!! Thank you so much for writing and for being part of the YASH ^_^!

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  11. This is my 2nd time and I enjoy it because it introduces me to new authors and books!

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  12. This is my third time doing the hunt - my family knows, when it is hunt time, expect leftovers!

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  13. This is my first time doing it ever! AHHH! I always wanted to do it and I FINALLY willed myself to do it. What I really enjoy about the Scavenger Hunt is that I can find and discover more YA authors that I didn't know about.

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  14. This is my 3rd or 4th time participating in the hunt and I love it because it lets me discover new authors to read. Thanks for participating!

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  15. This is my 3rd or 4th time participating in the hunt and I love it because it lets me discover new authors to read. Thanks for participating!

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  16. This is my 3rd or 4th time participating in the hunt and I love it because it lets me discover new authors to read. Thanks for participating!

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  17. Man, you have no idea how much I want All We Have Is Now. If I don't win it I'm definitely gonna go out and buy it.

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    1. This is my first time participating in the hunt (makes it sound like some neat medieval stuff when we phrase it like that)

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  18. This is my first time on the Hunt! I love it, I'm finding so many books that I HAVE to have! This is so awesome of you guys and looks like it took a lot of planning and work! Thanks!

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  19. This is my 2nd year, and so far it seems to be working much smoother than last year for me!

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  20. This is my 3rd time and I love it. I like the interactive nature of this.

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  21. This is my second time. It's been as awesome as ever!

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  22. This is my third time. I love it because I discover new authors, new reads and I get to read exclusive contents. :)

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  23. This is my fourth or fifth time now? I just enjoy hoping I'll win a big prize and seeing the covers :3

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  24. I've been in this from the very beginning! I can't believe how big it's gotten and how many authors are involved now--it's AWESOME :)

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  25. This is my fourth time and i love finding new authors and books!!

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  26. Thanks for the chance this is my second time on the hunt

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  27. This is Kate Pierson. This is my second time doing YASH. I love it, and my entire family knows to block out the weekend so I can do this.

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  28. This is my first time doing the hunt and I'm having so much fun. My to read list is off the hook now but that's okay with me!

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  29. This is my second time doing the hunt - my first during April- and I love that I get to discover new books to read - like All We Have Is Now!
    Thanks for the bonus giveaway!! :)

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  30. i think i've participated three times now. so much fun to learn about new books and authors.

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  31. This is my second time in the hunt :)
    (ileana A.rafflecopter9

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  32. This is my third time doing the scavenger hunt and I love learning about new books and reading sneak peeks!

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  33. This is my second time doing it. I love finding new authors to read.

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  34. I think I've participated in almost all of them. I love doing it because I found new books all the times, and I love reading the extra stuff

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  35. This is my second hunt. I love hunting down the numbers and the hope of getting some great books.

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  36. This is my first hunt and I'm hooked

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  37. This is the third hunt that I've done. I enjoy doing it because it introduces me to many new authors and gives me a chance to read many great books!

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  38. Second, and because the prizes are amazing! :)

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  39. This is my third time doing the hunt. I like it because I get to know new books and authors that I may not have otherwise. I also think it is so much fun!!!

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  40. This is my first time joining YASH and it's pretty fun to read about all these awesome books. :)

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  41. This is my second YASH, but I've also done the new adult version once :) I love all the extra content, finding new authors, and interacting with some of the ones I already love.

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  42. This is my first hunt, and my first time participating as an author! I'm on the Gold team, and this has been a total blast, so many bonus giveaways to enter! :)

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  43. This is my first hunt, and my first time participating as an author! I'm on the Gold team, and this has been a total blast, so many bonus giveaways to enter! :)

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  44. This is my second time participating in YASH! I am super excited because I am able to discover new books and new authors while entering awesome giveaways!

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  45. Oh, gosh. I don't even know how many times I've done YASH, but I love it! Thanks for the fantastic giveaway, Lisa!

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  46. Yup, this is my first time doing and hearing of the hunt. It's been fun and I'll do it again. I've discovered a bunch of books and authors that I otherwise might not have!

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