I Don't Want to Grow Up...

By Dan Haring

...if growing up means being like you.

The year was 2001. I was 22 and driving tour buses for the summer in Seattle. On an off day some friends and I went to Freeway Park, which is a cool park that happens to sit right above the Downtown freeway. We were running around, enjoying the splendid summer air, when we happened upon a place to play hopscotch. We decided hopscotch was a grand idea and commenced playing. We'd been up to it for a while when a young guy who couldn't have been much older than us walked by and said, "Aren't you a little old to be doing that?" We laughed it off, but from that day on, obviously to today since I'm still thinking about, I've felt sorry for that guy.

Call me crazy, but growing up has some major pitfalls. Sure, I can eat ice cream for dinner if I want to, (as long as the kids don't see me) but there are a whole lot of negatives that come with the territory. Too many to list, in fact.

Last week at work someone put out a huge stack of MG and YA ARCs, free for the taking. A bunch of us wandered over to see what there was to be had. As we were perusing the titles, a guy came walking up and asked his friend what was going on. The guy made some disparaging remark about only checking them out if you liked reading "kid's books."

You know what, Hopscotch Guy and YA Book Guy? There's a reason a lot of growing up sucks, and it's you. What part of growing up says you should stop having fun, stop doing silly things, stop reading about fantastical places and people and things?

Why is it not cool to have childish wonder?

I submit that it IS cool.

If you think you're too much of an adult to play a kid's game or read a book aimed at teenagers, don't do those things.

But don't blame it on growing up. Growing up doesn't have to be staid and stiff and boring.

It shouldn't be.

Blame it on your own lame self, because you're the one who's more concerned with looking cool than having fun.

The rest of us are going to be enjoying both adult and kids books and activities. And eating ice cream for dinner. 

Unlock the Secrets to Splintered

by A.G. Howard

 

This is a crazy month for me, writing to a deadline and also working up posts and interviews for my upcoming Splintered virtual tour. So I'm making it easy on myself and reposting the details of the contest going on at my personal blog, in case any of you haven't seen it yet. ^.^

 

Here's a quick rundown for my Unlock the Secrets to Splintered Giveaway (and yes, it's International!):

 



 

What inspired this contest, you ask? Well, as of September, readers could visit this link to see Amulet's official landing page for our Unlock the Secrets to Splintered campaign.

Here are the five steps to unlocking Splintered:

• September: Unlock the Music...
• October: Unlock the Madness Within...
• November: Unlock Creativity...
• December: Unlock Chrismakkuh...
• January: Unlock Alyssa's Wonderland...

At the first of each month, a virtual key will be provided on the landing page, opening up one secret. September and October are already opened, so stop by and check out those mysteries.

Also, be sure to visit the landing page often and pay close attention, because there will be some big giveaways in the upcoming months, along with some frabjous interactive activities.

Here's just a sample of what's up for grabs in the not-so-distant future:

10 SIGNED Splintered advanced reading copies, an abundance of Splintered and Alice swaggery (including jewelry, posters, playing cards, assorted Alice books, and the list goes on...), 10 SIGNED Splintered hardbacks.


BUT, let's talk about what's up for grabs today in my present giveaway.


1. First Place: 5-first place winners will receive a SIGNED Splintered ARC.

2. Second Place: 1-second place winner will receive: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: "Open Me for Curiouser and Curiouser Surprises" with illustrations by Harriet Castor.

 

This book is gorgeous! And here are just a few of the extra features that set it apart from the pack:

• A pull-tab that makes Alice grow and grow
• A pop-up courtroom scene
• Doors on flaps that open to show an assortment of curious objects
• A special tab that makes the Cheshire Cat magically disappear
• An attached Mushroom Booklet that helps Alice return to normal size

 

3. Third Place: 1-third place winner gets to choose one of these pictures from my fan art page, printed with a matching excerpt from the book. (No worries, each of the pictures were given to me by the artists to use as I please--thank you lovelies!). Click on the pictures to enlarge.

By Riley Redgate

By Amy Hitt

4. Fourth Place: 3-fourth place winners will receieve assorted Splintered swag including: Signed bookmarks, funky and colorful Alice gift tags, and signed bookplates.

 

 

5. Fifth Place: 5-fifth place winners will receive a Splintered secret key necklace.

 

That's a grand total of FIFTEEN winners! I hope you'll be one!

The giveaway will last for the entire month of October, all the way through Halloween.

**WANT TO ENTER? Hop over to my Contests and Giveaways page. There's a rafflecopter that will lead you through the steps to get entered.**

Good luck, and have a fun October!

ARC Giveaway! Win! Win! Win!

by Michelle Gagnon

Hi folks! I'll have a full post tomorrow (on really cool new Cover Reveals, so be sure to tune in for that!) But I wanted to hijack this space today to share a way that you can win a FREE BOOK! That's right: absolutely, 100% free with no further obligation, spam, or other strange requirements/hassles (learned this one the hard way myself- NEVER click on a link for a free iPad! I'm still digging my way out of a stack of unwanted magazine & dvd subscriptions and cosmetics).

HarperTeen is giving away TONS of copies of my upcoming release DON'T TURN AROUND, which has received starred reviews from Kirkus and Voya, and was just chosen for the Autumn 2012 Kids' Indie Next List - "Inspired Recommmendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers." 


And it's super easy to enter! Just RT this on Twitter:

@EpicReads Off the grid. On the run. DON'T TURN AROUND by @michelle_gagnon http://vsb.li/zJ3A8c RT for a chance to win!
 
And/or on Goodreads, Click here to enter.

Good luck! 

And with that, I release this post [runs away laughing evilly...]

Like Free Stuff?

Today through tomorrow, over at my personal blog, A Still and Quiet Madness, I'm giving readers a shot at winning one of these three FAB prize packages:

Young Adult Fantasy Gift Package

Adult Literary Gift Package

Alice in Wonderland Postcard Gift Package

All you have to do to be entered is watch three fabulous book trailers and answer a question about them ... so if you're up for it, hop over for a chance to win!

Surviving the Zombiepocalypse, ADR3NALIN3 style...

by Hans (translated by Franz)

Hans: UUUGG GGRRRRR ug OOOOOR RAAAAAAARR UG GRRRR ROOOOORRR RAAARRR ugg raaaaar RAAARR ROOOOORR uuuggg raaaaaarr rooooorr GRRRRR UUURRRG OOR grrrrr raarrr grrr!!!

Franz: Whilst looking online for brain recipes, Hans stumbled upon a very helpful "How To" video made by the talented fellows at Bad Idea Films. He'd like to share these useful tips for those of our readers who wish to keep their brains intact should a zombie infestation occur within their neighborhood. View at your leisure (but please don't wait until you hear the clawing upon your windows and doors ... that's a bit too late).

Hans: UUG rooorrr raaaaarr RAAAAAAR AHHHH roooorr braaiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnss roooorr ahh uuug AAHHHHH UURRRG ROOOOORRR!!!

Franz: And because Hans is feeling generous this weekend, he'll share one last tip with you. It is a well known fact that zombies like fat, pink brains. But, it is less common knowledge that feeding the brain with books and cheetos makes it healthy, lean, and orange. So by being well-read and cheeto-fed, you're already one step ahead of your neighbors.

Hans: uugg GGRRRRR uggg ooooor AAHHHH UUURRG RAAAAAARR?!?! UUUGG GGRRRRR ug OOOOOR!!!

Franz: You say you're short on books and orange cheesey snacks? You're in luck, for our authors here at ADR3NALIN3 have asembled this marvelous gift bundle chock full of everything you need for a healthy, orange brain:

 Franz: As Hans is now busy gnawing on a stale toe he fished from the cookie jar, perhaps I should be the one to tell you about the prize package. Or better yet, I'll keep you guessing. Watch our blog posts ... details on how to win it will be forthcoming very soon. Have a grand weekend, and don't forget -- a book a day, keeps the zombies at bay. Farewell, happy readers!

*****

For more information on the creative geniuses behind the featured video, or to see more of their work, please visit Bad Idea Films at their YouTube channel.