Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Spring 2019 YASH Coming AT YA (See what I did there?)

Welcome to the Spring 2019 YA Scavenger Hunt!





Hello! I am Cyn Balog, your hostess for this leg of the hunt. 

About me? I'm the author of nine YA novels, my most recent one, THAT NIGHT, which Kirkus called "a twisty, engrossing tale", is coming out June 4 from Sourcebooks Fire! 







You are currently hunting on TEAM BLUE.





Looking for my exclusive bonus content? You’ll have to keep searching. Somewhere on this blog hop, I’ve hidden a behind-the-scenes look on THAT NIGHT!

Before you go looking for it, check out the amazing author I’m hosting.

But, first, a few rules.
SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE RULES 

 DIRECTIONS: 

Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on TEAM BLUE, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!) HINT: THE SECRET NUMBER IS HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE!

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 SUNDAY, April 7, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered. On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each participating YA author, you also get a secret number. Add up the numbers, and enter it for a chance to win a major prize–one lucky winner will receive at least one book from each author on my team in the hunt! But play fast. This contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until noon PST on Sunday, April 7!

 There are FIVE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM but there is also a RED TEAM, GOLD TEAM, PURPLE TEAM, & GREEN TEAM! Check out each team for a chance to win five different 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.

Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I’ll introduce the author I am hosting on this hunt. I am super excited to be hosting…


 Yvonne Ventresca! 

Yvonne is a personal friend and the sweetest gal around. I can personally recommend each and every one of her books, especially Pandemic!

About Pandemic:
In Pandemic, only a few people know what caused Lilianna Snyder's sudden change from a model student to a withdrawn pessimist who worries about all kinds of disasters. When people begin coming down with a quick-spreading illness that doctors are unable to treat, Lil’s worst fears are realized. With her parents called away on business before the contagious outbreak, Lil’s town is hit by what soon becomes a widespread fatal illness. With friends and neighbors dying around her, Lil must find a way to survive not only the outbreak and its real-life consequences, but also her own personal demons.




About Yvonne:
Yvonne Ventresca frequently explores themes of trust, deception, and betrayal in her young adult novels. She is the award-winning author of Black Flowers, White Lies (IPPY Gold Medal for YA fiction) and Pandemic (Crystal Kite Award). In addition to her young adult novels, Yvonne’s other work includes two nonfiction books and several short stories selected for anthologies. She teaches writing at her local adult school and often gives workshops about craft-related techniques. You can learn more about her books at YvonneVentresca.com, where she features resources to help other writers.





I heard Yvonne spends 13 hours a day writing, which is why her books are so amazing.

So, are you ready to hear some amazing facts about her awesome book?


Behind the Scenes: Researching Pandemic
My young adult novel, Pandemic, is a contemporary story about a teenager struggling to survive a deadly flu outbreak. Although it is set in present-day New Jersey (what would it be like if a pandemic hit suburbia tomorrow?), I spent time researching the Spanish Flu of 1918, as well as current emerging infectious diseases. 

Here are a few things I learned while researching Pandemic:

1. Because of airplane travel, germs can be transmitted almost anywhere in the world within 48 hours.
2. The influenza pandemic of 1918 is commonly called the Spanish Flu, but it didn’t originate in Spain. In March of that year, known cases occurred among soldiers in Kansas. But in June, Spain informed the world of a new disease in Madrid, and the Spanish Flu was belatedly named as it spread worldwide. It killed more Americans than all of World War I. 
3. In a time before technology, colored ribbons were placed on doorways to indicate a flu death in the household. The color of the ribbon indicated the age range of the dead. White, for example, was used for children.
4. Waterfowl are carriers of influenza viruses. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls them “natural reservoirs.”
5. Too much research can be worrisome and cause excessive hand-washing! I was able to transfer this anxiety to Lilianna, the main character in Pandemic.

To connect with Yvonne:
Facebook Author facebook.com/yvonneventrescaauthor

To buy Pandemic:

 And don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me and many more!

Just check out all these books on team blue, YASH BLUE TEAM SPRING 2019!  To enter, you need to write down my favorite number, find all the other numbers on TEAM BLUE, add them up, and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Thank you so much for visiting my website! Ready to move on to the next link in the hunt?

Then head on over to visit author Amber R. Duell's author page for more fun! Happy Hunting!!


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