A Contest You Don't Want to Miss!

Over on my blog, I'm hosting a contest for a chance to win a spot on the ARC Tour for my wonderful friend Susan Dennard's debut novel, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY!

There’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

Susan is a reader, writer, lover of animals, and eater of cookies. She used to be a marine biologist, but now she writes novels. And not novels about fish either, but novels about kick-butt heroines and swoon-worthy rogues (she really likes swoon-worthy rogues). She lives in Germany with her French husband and Irish setter, and you can learn more about her crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on twitter, facebook, or Goodreads. Her debut, Something Strange and Deadly, will be available from HarperCollins in July of 2012, and you will never believe how happy this makes her!

How does an ARC Tour work? Easy. I'm choosing FIVE winners, lining them up, and we ship the book from one person to the next. So, it’s shipped to you, you ship it to the next in line, etc. After you read it, all I ask is that you take a minute to tell someone about it. Blog it, Tweet it, put it on your Goodreads list, or just exclaim about it to everyone who comes within a three-foot-radius of you. That’s what I do! ;) (The only people seeing your address will be me and the person shipping the book to you, so it won’t be broadcast into the stratosphere.)

So, you want a chance to enter to win? Head over to my blog!

What I am Reading: Bumped and Half-Brother and Contests

If you loved the Jessica Darling series as much as I did, then you, like me, have been (really) looking forward to Megan McCafferty’s next book, BUMPED. Here is the summary:

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

While the premise sounded interesting, what was most intriguing was the fact that the novel was also being referred to as funny. Wait. Dystopians can be funny? I'd never have believed it either! It’s certainly a different sort of dystopian novel than anything out there.

Despite many laugh-out-loud moments, BUMPED does not skim over the more serious issues in the book, such as religion and teen sexuality. The world the author creates is outrageous yet entirely believable, futuristic and yet relate-able, often hitting a little too close to home. And, of course, there's the romance that will have you hoping, hoping, hoping.

Go pick up your copy of BUMPED 4/26/11!

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And if you need a break from dystopians, this is one book you won't regret reading:

Ben Tomlin was an only child for thirteen years. Then his parents brought home a baby chimp.

It isn't long before Ben is Zan's favourite, and Ben starts to see Zan as more than just an experiment. His father disagrees. Soon Ben is forced to make a critical choice between what he is told to believe and what he knows to be true -- between obeying his father or protecting his brother from an unimaginable fate.

A baby chimp for a brother. Interesting, I thought. But as I read, I wasn't just an observer. I was Ben. Set in 1973, readers will experience a wide range of emotions--you'll laugh with Ben one minute and then gasp with horror in the next.

This one came out last year. Fair warning: grab a box of tissues as well. I think given the premise, that's to be expected even before you open the book.

So. What are you reading right now?

Want to read one of these books? Leave a comment and become a follower, and I'll send one randomly selected winner a copy of the book of your choice. (I'll send BUMPED on the release date.) I'll pick a winner on March 27, 2011.

Introductions and Contest Winners

This week on Paper Hangover we introduced our contributors and hosted contests for some pretty awesome prizes! Today we bring you our final introductions and the announcement of the winners from the contests throughout the week.

Before we announce the contest winners we'd like to introduce you to the Writing Tips Crew. Lauren and Michael will be posting on Thursdays bringing you writing tips every week!

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How do you develop the best name for a magical object? How do you create a magic system that's cool, unique, and consistent? How do you create a language that feels real and is easy to read? How do you plan a series?

Michael and Lauren will attempt to answer these world-building questions and more every Thursday! We'll break each topic down into quick and easy steps that we've found useful in our experience. Once you implement these tools you'll no longer feel like pulling your hair out in frustration. Okay, no guarantees on that, but we've been there. Our hair is growing back and we'll be here to answer your questions to help get you going and not go bald.

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Hey guys! My name is Michael. I'm going to help you build your fictional world with fun tips--emphasis on fun. Because if you're not enjoying it, you shouldn't be doing it. (That's not always true, but it rhymed so I'm keeping it.) Even if you don't write fantasy, all fiction requires some level of world-building. I'm going give you personal world-building techniques that have worked for me. I'll scour the Internet for world-building resources so you don't have to. And I'll recommend the best reads and the coolest apps that'll help make the hard stuff easier for you. Let's build!

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Hi everyone! My name is Lauren, and I write fantasy with one foot in the real world. High fantasy is classic, but low fantasy is increasing in popularity. I'm going to offer you tips on how to give your readers a story that's believable, create a language that's realistic and not just a Quenya knockoff, and scrutinize your magic system for internal consistency. We'll also take a peek into the secret goldmine you can ethically steal ideas from--history! As time goes on I also plan to bring you tips on other aspects of writing any genre, from starting a story to revising it. See you in a couple weeks!

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And now on to the contest winners!

Tuesday's Book Giveaways

Haven and Unearthly

Theresa Milstein

Divergent and Like Mandarin

Janet Johnson

Wednesday's Query Critiques

Erinn

Kelly Andrews

Jennifer Pickrell

Thursday's 1st Page Critiques

Rachel Morgan

Carrie

Tiana Smith

Congratulations to all the winners! Please send us an email at paperhangover(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prizes!  Thank you all for entering the contests and joining us in our debut this week. We had a lot of fun and there's a whole lot more to come. Stay tuned.

Introductions and Prizes: Day Three

This week on Paper Hangover we are introducing our contributors, and hosting contests for some pretty awesome prizes! Tuesday through Thursday we have a new prize each day, and Friday we will announce all the winners. To enter? Leave a comment and become a follower. That's it!

Today we'd like to introduce you to Michelle and Emy, who will be posting on Wednesdays and bringing to you fresh publishing tips and news from conferences and around the blogosphere!

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Michelle was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and now lives on Long Island with her husband (who was also her high school sweetheart) and their three young sons. Sitting down to write with so much commotion, in her house, proves to be a daily challenge, but somehow she manages to squeeze several productive minutes into each day, even if those minutes are at midnight and her eyelids are threatening a boycott.

When she’s not taking care of business at home she works part-time as a children’s librarian. Next to writing, getting paid to be surrounded by books is a dream come true. She hopes one day to see her name grace the YA stacks next to some of her favorites.

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Emy is Biochemistry and English student who spends more time watching Asian dramas and refreshing Twitter than memorizing protein structures. Born and raised in Vietnam, she first learned English through reading YA novels from her school library with a dictionary in hands. When she'd learned enough grammar to not completely butcher the English language, she began writing. And the rest, as they say, is history.

When not studying or procrastinating, Emy writes young adult science fiction with logistically questionable time-traveling.

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For today, we're giving away THREE 1st page critiques by our awesome contributors! To enter, please follow us and leave a comment with your email address.

As a reminder, all winners will be picked and announced tomorrow, Friday, 03/04. Please get your entries in by then. Best of luck!

Introductions and Prizes Day Two

This week on Paper Hangover we are introducing our contributors, and hosting contests for some pretty awesome prizes! Tuesday through Thursday we have a new prize each day, and Friday we will announce all the winners. To enter? Leave a comment and become a follower. That's it!

Today we'd like to introduce you to Holly and Pam who will be posting on Tuesdays, featuring interviews with teens.

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Pam: I'm so happy to be interviewing the lovely Holly Dodson! Holly, tell us a little about yourself.

Holly: Well, I'm a mom, a writer, and an incurable Sweet Tart addict. I spend most of my days with my three-year-old, at my day job, and buried in books.

Pam: Lol, sounds like fun...especially the candy obsession. What do you primarily write?

Holly: Mostly I write YA fantasy, I can't seem to keep my head out of the clouds! And in case you haven't noticed, today I am lucky enough to be chatting with the superbly awesome Pam Harris! Pam, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?

Pam: No prob. I've been working as a middle school counselor for the past 5 years, or as I like to call it...Drama Junior High! But I love my students...they're great writing material. When I'm not working or writing, I'm going to the movies and swooning over Leo DiCaprio. Oh, and snacking. I love snacking. In fact, pass me a Sweet Tart.

Holly: *passes Sweet Tart* I also hear you're represented by a pretty fab agent. Care to share?

Pam: Love to! This past December, I was lucky enough to nab the awesome Sarah LaPolla from Curtis Brown, LTD. I was querying for almost a year before I caught her eye. In fact, I was originally a revise and resubmit request. That just proves to "never say never," as the eloquent Justin Bieber puts it. Have you started the querying process yet, Holly?

Holly: I have actually just started querying, and I must say, it's incredibly nerve wracking!

Pam: You don't have to tell me twice! We'll all keep our fingers crossed for you--even though you won't need it. Want to tell everyone what we'll be bringing to this awesome new blog?

Holly: Yeah! Pam and I will be bringing you interviews with real live teens. Right, Pam?

Pam: That's right! Since this blog is mostly devoted to YA writers, I think it'll be interesting to get feedback directly from our readers.

Holly: I agree. It will also give us the opportunity to stay on top of the trends and slang to add a layer of authenticity to our novels.

Pam: That's so true. I'm amazed how something that I think is so cool gets a thumbs down from my students and niece. I think it will be great research for us all, and I can't wait to get started!

Holly: Me either! Thanks for taking the time to chat today, Pam!

Pam: Same to you, Holly. Sweet Tarts for everyone!

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Today, we're giving away THREE query critiques by our awesome contributors! To enter, make sure you're a follower and leave us a comment (and your email address).

Introductions and Contests

This week on Paper Hangover we will be introducing our contributors and hosting contests for some pretty awesome prizes! Tuesday through Thursday will have a new prize each day, and Friday we will announce all the winners. To enter? Leave a comment and become a follower. That's it!

Today we'd like to introduce you to the Book Crew. Hannah and Adrienne will be posting on Mondays bringing you author interviews and book spotlights every week!

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Adrienne is a Toronto native, raised in London, England, and now residing back in Toronto (confusing I know). She is married with four children, six including her husband, and her crazy Labrador puppy Bodhan, who keep her hopping. Adrienne has always been a writer in the closet. A vividly wild imagination and a love of books from an early age led her to pursue her dream of writing. Her first novel is almost polished, but she has said that for a while, and hopes for it to see the light of day outside the closet very soon. Stay tuned.

When not in the closet weaving and writing her stories, she is a freelance writer focusing on Personal Finance, where her education and career in Accounting gave her some great insights.

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Hannah is a Biology major who often scribbles plot points and dialogue on the sides of her notebook instead of listening. She doesn't know what the teacher is talking about, but she will never admit that her grades have suffered for it. She writes young adult fantasy. She wrote her first screenplay when she was twelve, and owns more books than space in her apartment.

She spent most of her childhood years in sunny Australia, but now Hannah lives in Canada where the terms "sunny" and "freezing cold" go hand in hand. She is represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger Literary.

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Two lucky winners will receive:

A copy of Haven by Kristi Cook and Unearthly by Cynthia Hand.

OR

An ARC of Divergent by Veronica Roth and a finished copy of Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard.

Just leave a comment (and your email address) and follow our blog to win. Contest ends on Friday March 4, and is open internationally!