Winners! Lots of them! + Support David Farland

I've had a lot of contests on my blog lately. Thanks to all those who have participated in any way. I'm sorry to say that at some of the winners didn't actually complete their entries (if you weren't notified, you weren't one of them), so alternates have been chosen (FYI, I always check to make sure people have actually completed the task).

And on to the winners:

Signed paperback copy of Witch Born:  Alisha M Blanchard

eBook of Witch Song: Atmika

eBook of Winter Queen: Jen 

ARC of The Elite by Kiera Cass: Crystal Woodmancy

Winner of a signed ARC of Winter Queen from Goodreads: Sallee Ellen Glickler

Winner of a signed ARC of Winter Queen: Julia Rain 

On another note, my friend and mentor, David Farland, has a son who is in a coma. The medical bills are adding up. To show our love and support, we're holding a book bomb. More on that below: 

A Book Bomb is an event where participants purchase a book on a specific day (in this case, Wednesday, April 10th) to support the author, or, in this case, a young person in serious need: Ben Wolverton. 

David Farland’s young adult fantasy thriller NIGHTINGALE has won SEVEN awards, including the Grand Prize at the Hollywood Book Festival--beating out ALL books in ALL categories. It is available as a hardcover ($24.99), ebook ($7.99), audio book ($24.99), and enhanced novel for the iPad ($9.99). 

My review: Once again, David Farland proves himself a master of words. Nightingale is a book to read slowly, savoring the delicate balance woven between beauty and despair, hope and hopelessness. 

The main character, Bron, seems to be teetering on the edge between master villain and hero, showing the reader how fine the line between good and evil really is. 
You can see the full review for Nightingale here. 

Or for my fellow writers, I can attest to the awesomeness that is Dave's book on writing: 

CAN I JUST DONATE MONEY? 

You can donate money to Ben here: http://www.gofundme.com/BensRecovery 

(Or you could purchase a book as a gift for someone else.)

I WANT TO HELP BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY!

The best way you can help is by spreading the word of Ben’s donation page, and/or this book bomb. Share it on facebook, twitter, pinterest, your blog—anywhere you can. Invite others to the event. 

Thanks for supporting Dave and his son, Ben. 

Witch Song new description

~As the seasons crumble, the last witch must fight to save a world that hates her.~

Reviews:

In WITCH SONG, Amber Argyle makes a riveting debut, creating a fresh new world full of wonder, peril, and splendor. I found WITCH SONG to be positively engrossing from the first page to the last. I'm convinced that this is just the first book in what will be a long and prosperous career! ~David Farland, NYT Bestselling Author

I can honestly say that I haven't gotten this lost in a fantasy world since the Harry Potter series. . . . Amber Argyle for me, has earned herself a rank equivalent to the best fantasy fiction authors of this decade. ~Cory, Antidrug Reads 

Product Review: 

The Witch's songs control nature--everything from the storms to the shifting of the seasons. Or at least they did before the witches were all captured by a traitor. As the echo of their songs fade, the last witch must find the traitor, fight her, and defeat her before nature completely descends into chaos.

Reviews: 

Witch Song is a debut with an engrossing world full of magic, adventure and romance. It's a story that fascinated me with its unique witch lore and rich world building, and introduced me to some great in-depth characters. ~Katie, Mundie Moms

Argyle's ability to create a world in which the power of song is used to create magic, is not only masterful but brilliantly clever. ~Suz, Soul Unsung 

***Brusenna's journey continues with Witch Born, available now.***

What do you guys think? 

{Review} Sweetest Dark (Shana Abe)

Review from Amazon:

Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.

England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.

Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.

Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.

{My Review} 

The Sweetest Dark has some unique lore. The world is very well detailed and I was completely transported. 

The love is a love triangle--but it's not the usual trope of two boys who love me/want to eat me/fight over me, etc. Instead, this story had a unique twist that I absolutely loved. I can't tell you what it is, because that would ruin it. Suffice it to say that what Abe did is very hard to pull off, and she did it beautifully.  

Abe's voice is very poetic and beautiful. I really enjoyed how quickly Lora grew from a waifish character to someone who knows what she wants and who she is, and is completely willing to fight for it. 

I recommend you add this to your reading list. 

PS I love historical fantasies--being transported to a time in history has always fascinated me. Adding magic is just the icing on the cake. We're going to be seeing a lot more like them in the near future. 

YA Scavenger Hunt Spring 2013

Welcome and hello all you treasure seekers! 






I'm Amber Argyle, author of the Witch Song Trilogy, and my new trilogy which starts this June with Winter Queen (you can sign up for the blog tour on the tabs bar above). 

In addition to the amazing prizes offered by the hunt, I'm also offering another signed copy of Witch Born + an ebook of Witch Song + an eARC of Winter Queen + an ARC of The Elite by Keira Cass (keep reading to find out how!). That's 4 books on my blog alone!

Also, Witch Born is on sale for $3.99 the hunt. On a personal note, I turn 33 next year, which I'm pretty excited about!

Confused about anything hunt related? Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. Basically, there are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or both! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM--but there is also a red team for a chance to win a whole different set of twenty-five signed books!

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue 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 April 7th at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Whew. Now we're done with the rules, let me introduce you to Diana Peterfreund! 

Diana is the author of eight novels for adults and teens, as well as several critically acclaimed short stories and a handful of essays on popular children's literature. She grew up in Florida, and lives with her family in Washington, D.C. When she's not writing, Diana enjoys taking long hikes with her dog, Rio, reading, working in her garden, watching far too much Netflix Watch It Now, and being addicted to Twitter. Her website is http://dianapeterfreund.com

For this hunt, Diana is featuring her newest book, For Darkness Shows the Stars. Here's a little more about it:
Fans of Divergent will love Diana Peterfreund’s take on Jane Austen’s Persuasion set in a post-apocalyptic world.

 
In the dystopian future of For Darkness Shows the Stars, a genetic experiment has devastated humanity. In the aftermath, a new class system placed anti-technology Luddites in absolute power over vast estates—and any survivors living there.

Elliot North is a dutiful Luddite and a dutiful daughter who runs her father’s estate. When the boy she loved, Kai, a servant, asked her to run away with him four years ago, she refused, although it broke her heart.

Now Kai is back. And while Elliot longs for a second chance with her first love, she knows it could mean betraying everything she’s been raised to believe is right.

For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking YA romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

Sounds like a fantastic book! Find out more about Diana Peterfreund here or purchase her book here!

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

Diana's exclusive content is an excerpt from the companion novel (out in October) called: Across A Star-Swept Sea. Go here: http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/ya-scavenger-hunters-rock/ and use the password Helo to get in!

For the hunt, add up all the favorite numbers of the authors (mine's hidden somewhere above!) on the blue team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize! And don't forget to enter the two giveaways I'm hosting here

First, enter to win a copy of Witch Song, Witch Born, or Winter Queen below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Next, click here: http://amberargyle.blogspot.com/2013/03/giveaway-elite-kiera-cass.html to win an ARC of The Elite by Kiera Cass.

Lastly, keep going on the hunt by checking out the next author: MAUREEN MCGOWAN

Cast saws CAN cut skin

On Feb. 19th, my seven-year old son broke his femur due to a non-ossifying fibroma. The whole experience was rather traumatic for him, so he was understandably nervous about having the cast removed (he's come to associate doctors with pain). We assured him that cast saws are specially designed not to cut skin. Still, he refused to let the tech near him, and we had to hold him down.

He kept crying out that it was cutting him. The tech assured us that wasn't possible, but I insisted on checking. There were cuts on his leg--like very deep scratches.

She claimed she'd been doing this for 18 years and never cut anyone. It must have been some fluke. When she switched to the other side of the cast, she cut him again. By then, she was to the point she could insert the guard again, or I wouldn't have let her continue.

All the research I did indicated that cast saws couldn't cut skin. That is simply not true.

*edit 8-29-13: I've been told that these are actually burns because the saw became too hot. I'm not 100% sure I believe that, because it didn't look like burns. Also, he did scar.