Scroll down to win $50 in Amazon credit!
We’ve been in Vietnam for ★ 28 ★ days and are leaving to Bali soon for a month of fruit smoothies and ancient temples… here are some travel pictures. I got a lot of writing done this month, and I’m also planning on participating in Camp Nanowrimo and finally getting my vampire dystopia finished (more on that later).
But today I want to share something amazing…
I’m participating in the 2018 young adult scavenger hunt and have the honor of hosting Amy Trueblood. Below you’ll find a never before published deleted scene from her novel Nothing But Sky. Booklist calls it “An exhilarating historical novel with a strong feminist core.” School Library Journal says, “Breakneck stunts and romance lend this novel high action.”
The @YAScavengerHunt starts April 3rd! I’m on #TeamRed. You can start the hunt at http://bit.ly/yashunt
To win the hunt, you need to start at the beginning and visit each author’s website to solve the puzzle. Scroll down for all the rules, which team I’m on, and the next website you need to visit from here.
★★★★★★★★★★★
A Deleted Scene from Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood
The massive buildings along Michigan Avenue cast dark shadows across the sidewalk. Passing cars honked their horns. The jingle of a bell on a passing trolley sang through the city. The Water Tower stood as a white beacon in the distance.
I shouldered past men on the sidewalk. Their heads bent low, briefcases gripped tightly in their hands. Ads for mouthwash, lotion, and laundry soap filled the shop windows. A two-story brick pharmacy on a corner advertised the newest brand of soda pop. The haberdashery next door displayed the latest fedoras, patterned ties, and leather belts. I walked for blocks and couldn’t find a women’s dress shop. I scanned the passing crowd until a willowy woman met my gaze. Her sleek black hair was clipped to her chin. The rich fabric of her red dress skimmed her body, accentuating her figure.
She stopped mid-step and her warm brown eyes studied me. A smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. “Honey, you look lost. Do you need some help?”
“Can you tell me if there’s a woman’s dress shop nearby?” I asked.
She gave me the once over again. The torn lining of my coat hung to my knees. The wrinkles in my hat screamed second-hand. I waited for her to laugh at me, or turn away, deciding I wasn’t worth her time. Instead she flashed me a film star smile.
“You can always go to department store which is just up the street.” She pursed her lips and shook her head. “But you don’t seem like a department store type of gal. May I suggest Landon’s just down the block. A friend of mine works there. They’ve got some wonderful things to fit a woman with a figure like yours.”
She was too polite to say boyish and thin.
“Thank you.” I started to walk away when she moved in-step beside me. “If you don’t mind me asking, are you…are you all alone?”
“Yes,” I said, picking up my pace. All I wanted was directions, not a companion.
“I’m Elsa, by the way.”
“Grace,” I said as we continued down the sidewalk.
Her heels clicked along the cracks. The feather in her hat bounced along with sway of her hips.
“I’m somewhat of an authority on fashion. And Anna, my friend who works at Landon’s, has got quite an eye, too. She looked me up and down again. “Are you looking for something special?”
“You could say that.” I ran my hands through my tangled knots and smoothed down the front of my dress. Next to her I looked like a weathered scarecrow moving next to a screen goddess.
When we reached the store, I stopped in front of its enormous picture window. Four mannequins stood side by side each draped in organza and silk in jewel-tones of sapphire, emerald, and ruby. French lace Mary and Ethel swooned about covered the scalloped hems. Cloche hats adorned with feathers or ribbons sat atop the heads.
A fierce pounding flared in my head. How could I decide which was the appropriate dress for this party? Should I wear green or blue? Should it skim my knees or be floor length?
“Some gorgeous dresses don’t you think?” Elsa motioned to the mannequin draped in a cherry-red satin gown.
“Yes,” I replied no louder than a whisper.
“Would you like me to come in and help you pick something out?”
I paused. How long it would take me to get back to the hotel, track down the boys, and tell them I’d changed my mind? An image of Henry filled my mind. A dark suit hugged his broad shoulders. His hair was slicked back, and a wide smile covered his face. His hand reached for mine.
“Would you like some help, honey?” Elsa repeated.
Letting the image slowly fade away I gave her a simple nod.
“Well then come on; let’s find something that will knock his socks off.”
I inched away from her. “I didn’t say anything about a man.”
“Honey, you didn’t have to. That love-struck look in your eyes tells me all I need to know.”
Read more or get the book!
★★★★★★★★★
The Hunt Continues… join me on the Red Team!
Events like this are a fun way to bring authors and readers together, so I look forward to getting to know my teammates and also introduce my writing to some new readers (if that’s you, welcome!) here’s the full list of books and authors. You can pick a team to root for or play all the teams and rack up prizes. Many of us are also running contests and giveaways, including me (keep scrolling if you like vampires).
I think dividing the teams into colors is a fun idea, and I’m happy to be on the same team as Lisa Maxwell – I read The Last Magician recently and thought it was great. I’ve also had design envy for Julie Reece’s The Paladins, and am obsessed with Jessica Bucher’s Notes of Magic (because I just finished Orpheum, which also has music and magic and Eastern European cityscapes).
I set up a giveaway to win these books + $50, sign up to win!
Click here for YASH rules and entry
>>>To find the next clue in the YA Scavenger Hunt, you need to visit Carly Anne West. <<<
Do you like vampires?
I’m getting close to finishing a vampire dystopia novel that’s been called “Hunger Games meets Shade of Vampire.”
If you haven’t read the first six chapters yet, get them for free HERE for a limited time.
I’ve also published a BRAND NEW sneak peak of the book, it’s on one of my teammates websites so make sure you go through the Red Team’s sites to find it. It’s LONG, I hope you like it!
After the full book is finished, hopefully next month, I’ll delete the free chapters and republish the whole story.
To celebrate the book launch, I’m giving away 10 print copies of the book and 100 ebooks. Someone will also win this awesome vampire hunting kit and a pair of high quality fangs. Click here to sign up!
PS. Here are some of my favorite YA vampire books.
WORK IN PROGRESS...
