(Before you start hunting for the SECRET NUMBER hidden somewhere on this blog, let's get the hunt details out of the way.)
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 hidden my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the RED 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 Oct. 5th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.
Introducing the author I'm hosting....Shonna Slayton!
Here's a little about Shonna:
SHONNA SLAYTON writes historical fairy tales for Entangled TEEN. She finds inspiration in reading vintage diaries written by teens, who despite using different slang, sound a lot like teenagers today. When not writing, Shonna enjoys amaretto lattes and spending time with her husband and children in Arizona.
Learn more about Shonna’s books—including how to download a free one—at ShonnaSlayton.com
The most exciting part of YASH is the exclusive content! Here's a delicious tidbit from Shonna about her latest book, 'Spindle'.
In a world where fairies lurk and curses linger, love can bleed like the prick of a finger…
Briar Rose knows her life will never be a fairy tale. She’s raising her siblings on her own, her wages at the spinning mill have been cut, and the boy she thought she had a future with has eyes for someone else. Most days it feels like her best friend, Henry Prince, is the only one in her corner…though with his endless flirty jokes, how can she ever take him seriously?
When a mysterious peddler offers her a “magic” spindle that could make her more money, sneaking it into the mill seems worth the risk. But then one by one, her fellow spinner girls come down with the mysterious sleeping sickness…and Briar’s not immune.
If Briar wants to save the girls―and herself―she’ll have to start believing in fairy tales…and in the power of a prince’s kiss.
Shonna does her research when she writes her modern takes on old world tales. Here's what she learned about 'Hanging out Victorian Style'
My new historical fairy tale, Spindle, is a Sleeping Beauty inspired tale set in the late 1800s. Think fairies, and curses, and a special spindle, but also cotton mills, boarding houses…and no internet!
Without modern conveniences like smart phones, or places like Starbucks to hang out at, where did all the young people go and what did they do?
They went to someone’s parlor to play games. The boarding houses had parlors for the girls to meet their suitors in a respectable way. Here is a list of some group games from the era. Try these at your next party:
1. Wink Murder—One person is chosen as the murderer (secretly through drawing lots or playing cards) and kills people off by winking at them. The victim waits for a count of five before dramatically dying or leaving the room. Meanwhile, the living are trying to find out who the murderer is before getting killed themselves.
2. I Have a Basket—One person starts of by saying “I have a basket, and in it I’m going to put [something starting with the letter A]” The next person in line thinks of something with the letter B and so on. You are out if you can’t think of something for your letter.
3. Change seats—There are many, many variants on this game, but the basic idea goes like this: Players are seated in a circle. One person is in the middle and calls something out to make the other players change seats. The player in the middle tries to get a seat at the same time. Whoever is left standing becomes the new Caller.
Examples:
Traits: those wearing blue. Everyone wearing blue must get up and find a new seat.
Fruit basket: Everyone picks out a fruit and responds based on that fruit. (all the apples, citrus, yellow, or “upset the fruit basket” and everyone changes.)
4. Shadows—A sheet is hung at one end of the room, and light set up so that a shadow can be cast onto the sheet from behind. Guests walk past the sheet (disguising their identity) while the guesser on the other side tries to say who it is. If they guess right, the shadow person becomes the next guesser.
5. Lookabout—An object is chosen and shown to everyone. Then the guests leave the room while the object is hidden. When guests return, everyone looks for the object. When a guest finds it, he or she sits down and waits for the others to find it.
And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, Colleen Nelson, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 15. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the red team and you'll have all the secret codes to enter for the grand prize!
Guess what? The hunt doesn't end here! You get to keep going! The next author to visit is at http://beckywallacebooks.com/blog/
