YA Scavenger Hunt: Let the Fun Begin! March 31, 2020 75 Comments [ssba] Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt! Hi! I’m Amy Fellner Dominy and welcome to the most awesome BLUE team. GO TEAM BLUE! In case you’re new to all of this—WELCOME! You’re going to be so glad you discovered YASH. 🙂 This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! On this hunt, you’ll get access to exclusive content from each author, and you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for the grand prize–one lucky winner will receive one ebook from each author on the hunt in my team!But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 120 hours! Below you’ll find everything you need to know, along with some very cool bonus material from an author I’m about to introduce you to. But first, for those of you new to my site: This is me–in my new favorite Baby Yoda hat. I’m a cat person, but we have a dog. This is Finn when he was a puppy. (He’s two now but he still thinks he can get away with anything.) I write contemporary YA and YA romance. Here are a few of them: The novel up for grabs is the swoony, contemporary romance, Announcing Trouble. Somewhere on this blog hop, I’ve shared a deleted scene that I think will make you laugh and sigh and press the computer to your heart. But do it gently or that could hurt. 😉 I’m extra especially super excited to share this story with you because the companion novel, How to Quit Your Crush is coming out MAY 4TH!! Two of you will win a copy here! BONUS GIVEAWAY In addition to all the books you can win on the HUNT, I’m giving away DOUBLE E-BOOK BONUS PACKS! TWO winners will win TWO books: ANNOUNCING TROUBLE and HOW TO QUIT YOUR CRUSH! With safety in mind, YASH is giving e-books this season. So I’ll be doing that as well. Winners will receive Announing Trouble now and How to Quit Your Crush as soon as it’s available, May 4th. To Enter: Click the Rafflecopter Link and leave a comment. Bonus Entry: Sign up for my monthly newsletter down below. (And since every newsletter has a giveaway just for subscribers, you’ll have even more chances to win!) More about DOUBLE BOOK PACKS below along with the links! So let’s get started: You are currently hunting on TEAM BLUE. SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE RULES DIRECTIONS: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number (in blue!) Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on TEAM BLUE, 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 16 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 5th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered. There are FOUR contests going on simultaneously and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM but there is also a GOLD TEAM, RED TEAM and PURPLE TEAM! Check out each team for a chance to win different sets of books! Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to learn more about the hunt, including links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs. Also, find all the books on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/128072.YASH_Fall_2018 Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I’m so excited to introduce you to the author I’m hosting on this hunt: Paula Stokes About Paula: Paula Stokes is the author of several novels, including Liars, Inc. and Vicarious, which both received starred reviews, and This is How it Happened, which was a 2018 Oregon Book Award finalist. School Library Journal called her latest thriller, Hidden Pieces, “a classic whodunit, masterfully played.” Paula has also self-published two novels, including Stronger than Words, the heartfelt story of a teen debate champion rebuilding her life after suffering a stroke that renders her unable to speak. Stronger than Words is currently available free on Swoon Reads and Wattpad. The book Paula is showcasing is STRONGER THAN WORDS! ABOUT THE BOOK Mackenzie Craig is no stranger to struggling. After a childhood marred by poverty and homelessness, she’s worked her way up to the number two spot in her graduating class and secured a scholarship to a great college. But then Mackenzie collapses at the state debate championships. She’s rushed to the hospital where her prognosis is grave–she’s having a stroke. Mackenzie wakes up with right-sided weakness and a language impairment that hinders her ability to talk or write. She works hard to be able to return to school in time to graduate, but when she overhears one of her classmates insulting her younger sister, Mackenzie doesn’t have the words to tell him off, so she punches him. The boy calls the cops and Mackenzie ends up with an assault charge. When her college finds out about the arrest, they threaten to revoke her scholarship. Mackenzie must meet with them to defend her actions before the fall semester starts. Can she re-learn to communicate in time for her hearing? Or will her stroke steal away her entire future? Stronger than Words is an uplifting story about perseverance, hope, and human connection. TOP SECRET BONUS MATERIAL FROM PAULA! Hi YASHers! It’s been a while. I’m happy to be back promoting a book that you can read absolutely free on the Swoon Reads website. If you enjoyed Girl Against the Universe, there’s a good chance you’ll also love hanging out with Mackenzie in Stronger than Words as she rebuilds her life and reevaluates what really matters to her after she suffers a stroke at the Oregon High School State Debate Championships. My bonus content is a mini tour of some of the places in the novel, including excerpts from the book. The Portland Animal Haven is fictional, but the International Rose Test Garden, Voodoo Doughnut, and the Steel Bridge are all real places in Portland, a city I have grown to love deeply. All of these scenes include Mackenzie’s younger sister, Cheyenne. The book includes a romantic subplot, but if sister-ships are your thing, you’ll love the dynamic between these two 🙂 Cheyenne signals the driver to let us off in front of the International Rose Test Garden. A smile spreads across my face. “Flowers!” I haven’t been here since a field trip in eighth grade science class. Portland’s famous rose garden has over 650 species of roses and ten thousand rose bushes. People come from all over the country to see this place, which was created a hundred years ago to preserve species of European roses that scientists worried might be destroyed during World War I. Passing by the gift shop, we descend the steps into the garden’s main level. I pull out my phone and snap a few pictures. There are roses of every color here, and even some that are multicolored—white petals with pink speckles, bright orange blossoms that fade to a soft yellow at the edges. Some of the flowers are smaller than a quarter while others are bigger than my open hand. “So pretty,” I murmur. A cool breeze blows as we stroll toward the middle of the garden. Above our heads, the sun has burned away the clouds, leaving only a wide open swath of blue. We pause in front of a small ceramic fountain. As my sister drags her fingers through the cool water, I reach out to stroke the velvety softness of a brilliant coral-colored rose, the edges of its petals splashed with dark red. A dragonfly zooms by, hovering above the rosebush for a few seconds before disappearing on a current of wind. “We’re going over there.” Cheyenne points to an open area at the bottom of a set of grassy terraces. There’s a circle of people sitting on cushions on the ground. “M-mediate?” I ask. I know that’s not the right word, but it’s close. She smiles. “Meditate.” “Right.” Being just the tiniest bit off is frustrating, but it’s better than giant gaping holes in my mind. I feel like my vocabulary is slowly returning. I remember what Sea said, that the words are all still up in my head somewhere. I just have to find them and practice them. Outside Voodoo Doughnut, the line is about average, fifteen or so people standing between the side of the building and the pink metallic fence that’s set up to keep customers organized. I lean back against the gray storefront and blot a little sweat from my forehead. “Hot,” I say. “It’s getting there,” Cheyenne agrees. When the line advances, Cheyenne and I are close enough to look through the window into the busy shop. Two employees are moving quickly back and forth between the registers and the sheet trays full of doughnuts behind them, occasionally stopping to grab one of the company’s famous cotton candy pink boxes. “You want me to order?” Cheyenne asks. “Let me try.” “Okay. I’ll just be alongside you to help out if you need.” I give Cheyenne a grateful look. My sister is literally the best person ever to have as backup. I’ll never forget the way she calmed both Mom and me down in the hospital, or the way she typed all those helpful messages into my phone, or the way she communicated with me via emojis when I couldn’t speak at all. But mostly, I’ll never forget the way she never once treated me like an invalid or a freak. Someday I’ll be able to find the words again to tell her just how much she means to me. We duck out of the shop and Cheyenne suggests eating our doughnuts down by the river. We’re only a few blocks from the waterfront. It’s not beautiful in this area, not like it is a bit south where the tall glass hotels look out on paddleboat restaurants, but I still like being down here. Plus I love the old Steel Bridge. Instead of splitting apart in the center to let freighters and ocean liners pass through, it has a middle section that simply lifts up like a limbo bar. “Bridge,” I say. “We walk?” “You want to walk across the Steel Bridge? Sure.” To get to the water we have to pass a row of small shops, most of which don’t seem to be open. A couple of tourists lean against a storefront, poring over a laminated map. Back when I could speak, I would have gone over to them and asked if they needed help finding something. A solitary homeless man pushes a shopping cart down a sidewalk, his tent, tarp, and sleeping bag rolled up and tucked away for the day. Someone has painted a giant mural on the bricks behind him. It’s a woman in a pink dress, with wavy brown hair. The words THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE form a halo around her head. Hope is one thing my stroke hasn’t taken away from me. I don’t know why, if it has to do with who I am or if it’s because from the very moment I collapsed I’ve been surrounded by people who love me and want me to get better. My eyes flick back to the man with the shopping cart. I bet it’s harder for people who are alone to have hope. I hope you enjoyed a sneak peek at some of the book’s iconic Portland settings. Read Stronger than Words for free on Swoon Reads or Wattpad! Best, Paula Thanks to Paula for sharing–this book sounds amazing! Check out more on Paula’s Website, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. What should you do now? Enter the YASH contest and my bonus contest! Because who doesn’t want a boatload of free books? 🙂 Check out all the books on TEAM BLUE. To enter, you need to write down my favorite number which is 11 and find all the other numbers on TEAM BLUE, add them up, and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize! Win my DOUBLE BOOK BONUS Contest! + HOW TO QUIT YOUR CRUSH (Cover Reveal Coming Soon!) About the Book: May the worst date win. Mai Senn knows Anthony Adams is no good for her—no matter how hard she might crush on him. She’s valedictorian; he’s a surf bum. She’s got plans; he’s got his art. Complete opposites in every way. Vinegar and baking soda, they once joked. A chemical reaction that bubbled. Yeah, they bubbled. Maybe still do. Good thing Anthony’s got the perfect plan: two weeks to prove just how not good they are together. Whoever can come up with the worst date—something the other will seriously hate, proving how incompatible they truly are—wins. Like taking a snake-phobe to the Reptile House at the zoo (his idea). Or a cooking class where they don’t even get to eat the food (her idea). It’s all meant to help them finally crush their crushes. But it wasn’t supposed to be so hot. Or so fun. And when Mai’s future becomes at stake, will she be able to do the right thing and quit Anthony forever? To Enter: Click the Rafflecopter Link below and leave a comment. In Announcing Trouble, Josie and her best friend Mai watch Jane Austen movies. Tell me YOUR favorite romantic movie. BONUS ENTRY: Sign up for my newsletter HERE: https://amydominy.com/newsletter/ (No junk, no spam, and only once a month!) TWO winners (randomly selected) will receive TWO BOOKS Good luck everyone! Winners will be announced after YASH ends. (Open to everyone with a valid email address. Winners will receive Kindle or Nook ebooks delivered via email.) A RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY Ready to move on to the next link in the hunt? Head over to visit author YVONNE VENTRESCA: Tags: #YAScavengerHunt, Amy Fellner Dominy, Announcing Trouble, Entangled Teen, Giveaway, HOW TO QUIT YOUR CRUSH, YASH20 Comments Tammy V I still have to say Say Anything. Nothing has topped it for me.March 31, 2020 at 10:19 am · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy YES! The glass in the parking lot...the pen...the boombox...some many amazing moments. I've always wanted to write a character like Lloyd but he's a one-of-a-kind. Thanks!!March 31, 2020 at 2:14 pm · Reply Isabella Miles Literally any Hallmark movieMarch 31, 2020 at 12:47 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy LOL! And something about them--even though you know exactly what's going to happen--you can still watch them over again. Thx!March 31, 2020 at 2:15 pm · Reply Lexi The Art of Getting By is one of faves!March 31, 2020 at 12:57 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy I've never seen that!! Adding it to my watch list. Thx!!March 31, 2020 at 2:18 pm · Reply Megan S. I love The Holiday!March 31, 2020 at 1:01 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Forgot about that one--but I really liked it. Now I'll need to rewatch. :) Thx!March 31, 2020 at 2:20 pm · Reply Britt Bryan I have so many! Sweet Home Alabama is for sure one of my favorites!March 31, 2020 at 1:07 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Yep! I had such a crush on Patrick Dempsey...and Josh Lucas. I'm so fickle. ;) Thx!!March 31, 2020 at 2:17 pm · Reply Paige Love Legally BlondeMarch 31, 2020 at 1:29 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy I love that one, too! <3 Thx!March 31, 2020 at 2:16 pm · Reply Gracelyn Deutscher I really love A Walk to Remember. I have a deep connection to that movie.March 31, 2020 at 2:33 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy I forgot about that one! I liked it too except that I'm thinking it had a sad ending...I'll have to revisit. Thx!March 31, 2020 at 4:49 pm · Reply Courtney Pierce I've always loved rewatching Pride and Prejudice (2005) when I'm in the mood for a good romance movie! Mr. Darcy has always been my literary crush and Matthew MacFayden is so handsome in that movie with his portrayal of Darcy <3March 31, 2020 at 2:59 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy P&P is my go-to, and though I do like MacFayden in the sweeping long coat crossing the field, the Colin Firth miniseries version is my fav. I couldn't resist putting in a reference to it in ANNOUNCING TROUBLE and there's more Austen movie references in HOW TO QUIT YOUR CRUSH, TOO. It's fun bringing in personal favs. Thx!!March 31, 2020 at 4:51 pm · Reply C. Lee McKenzie I love a romance with comedy, so You've Got Mail is one of my favorites. Go Team Blue!March 31, 2020 at 3:15 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy A classic! And Meg Ryan is so stinking adorable. Thx!March 31, 2020 at 4:52 pm · Reply Karina Hernandez HitchMarch 31, 2020 at 4:14 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Hitch was one of those movies I didn't watch for a long time thinking I wouldn't like it and then I loved it!! Thx.March 31, 2020 at 4:55 pm · Reply Ashley 10 Things I Hate About You, Keith and of course Pride and Prejudice. But that Tangled scene though, gets me every time.March 31, 2020 at 4:56 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Now I have to go back and rewatch! And I've never seen Keith--super glad for a new movie to try. Thx!March 31, 2020 at 9:33 pm · Reply bn100 the proposalMarch 31, 2020 at 6:44 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy LOVE this one, too. I have to watch every time it comes on. :) Thx!March 31, 2020 at 9:33 pm · Reply Theo A I super have been into "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" and "PS I Still Love You" lately, but I think my all time favorite romantic movie is either "Penelope" or "A Cinderella Story."March 31, 2020 at 9:14 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Awesome movies! Though, I have to come clean. I never watched To All The Boys...though I read the book and loved it. I've heard it's a great movie, too. Thx!March 31, 2020 at 9:35 pm · Reply katerina Bizirtsaki Oh yes, I love "A Cinderella Story"April 1, 2020 at 7:51 am · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Because it is super lovable! :) Thx.April 1, 2020 at 12:54 pm · Reply Hailey Steensen This is my first year doing the YA Scavenger Hunt and I'm so excited! I cant wait to see what the outcome is!!April 1, 2020 at 10:01 am · Reply Hailey Steensen Also my favorite Romance movie is definitely Letters to Juliet!!April 1, 2020 at 10:02 am · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Ooh, thanks for the title. I've never seen that one. Thx!April 1, 2020 at 12:56 pm · Reply Crystal C. Dirty Dancing is my all time favorite movie with Grease at a close second.April 1, 2020 at 10:10 am · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Both of those are favorites of mine, too. <3 Thx!April 1, 2020 at 1:05 pm · Reply Jo Anne V The Notebook will always be my all time favoriteApril 1, 2020 at 1:59 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy The book made me cry! Thx. :)April 2, 2020 at 10:03 am · Reply PamM I like the movie Leap YearApril 1, 2020 at 2:05 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Forgot about that one--adding to me TBW... Thx!April 2, 2020 at 10:03 am · Reply desiree i have been watching the movie on u tube they are greatApril 1, 2020 at 2:12 pm · Reply Cassie My favorite of all time is Gone With the Wind and Dirty Dancing, P.S. I Love You is my go to for a good cry though.April 1, 2020 at 2:20 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Thx! I love that we have our favorites for a good cry, too. :)April 2, 2020 at 10:04 am · Reply Cathy I don't know how to choose! I like The Princess Diaries series a lot!April 1, 2020 at 3:31 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy I feel like my favorites shift around because there are so many good ones! Thx!!April 2, 2020 at 10:05 am · Reply Angie How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days!April 1, 2020 at 5:03 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Ooh, I don't think I ever actually saw that one. Adding it to my list--thx!!April 2, 2020 at 10:06 am · Reply Sarah My go to romance movie is Pride and Prejudice but i also love Letters to Juliet and Sweet Home Alabama.April 1, 2020 at 5:46 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Can't argue with any of those! <3 Thx.April 2, 2020 at 10:08 am · Reply Andrea Carroll The Princess BrideApril 1, 2020 at 6:14 pm · Reply Melissa O’Neill There are so many great romantic movies to choose from. I love When Harry Met Sally!April 1, 2020 at 6:24 pm · Reply Nancy S Gone with the windApril 1, 2020 at 6:36 pm · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy A wonderful classic. Loved the book, too! Thx.April 2, 2020 at 10:11 am · Reply Melissa Williams My favorite romantic movie is Bridget Jones's Diary.April 1, 2020 at 6:39 pm · Reply Jackie Nichols A walk to remember. I have to have watched it more than 100 times and i still bawl each and every time.April 2, 2020 at 7:46 am · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy That one is SUCH a tear jerker! Thx!April 2, 2020 at 10:09 am · Reply Shahna Hopper I don't watch a lot of romcoms, but I do like Pretty Woman.April 2, 2020 at 7:46 am · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Love that one! And it's one you can watch over and over. Thx!April 2, 2020 at 10:10 am · Reply Crystal My Favorite is Five Feet Apart or The Fault in our Stars.April 2, 2020 at 8:41 am · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Thanks for the comment. I'm going to have to watch Five Feet Apart--sounds like it might be a tear-jerker like Fault In Our Stars!April 2, 2020 at 10:10 am · Reply Joleene I love 10 Things I hate about you and Sweet Home AlabamaApril 2, 2020 at 10:47 am · Reply Joleene 10 things I hate about you and Sweet Home AlabamaApril 2, 2020 at 10:49 am · Reply Karen I'm a sucker for a Hallmark movie, but my favorite romance movie has to be Say Anything!April 2, 2020 at 5:34 pm · Reply Tia The NotebookApril 2, 2020 at 7:30 pm · Reply Katherine Paschal A Walk to Remember! It makes me cry but I love it so muchApril 2, 2020 at 9:49 pm · Reply Candice One of my favorites is Music and Lyrics.April 3, 2020 at 2:17 am · Reply Theresa I had to look up romantic movies as I rarely ever watch them. After looking at lists and not recognizing most any of them, I went to romantic comedies. ok I have seen some of those, =) Some favorites - Groundhog Day, The Princess Bride, pretty much anything with Doris Day, Clueless...etc..April 3, 2020 at 6:24 am · Reply Amy Fellner Dominy Love that you had to look them up and glad you found a few you'd seen. :) Old Doris Day movies were awesome!April 4, 2020 at 9:29 pm · Reply Megan Coppadge The Holiday, Pride and Prejudice (Kiara Knightly version) or Titanic lol.April 3, 2020 at 10:58 am · Reply Bethany Baldwin Princess Bride xDApril 3, 2020 at 11:56 pm · Reply Irene Can't get enough of 27 dresses!April 4, 2020 at 3:00 am · Reply Liliana Sweet Home Alabama is pretty cute. And for a long time I really loved The Proposal, though I think that may have been more due to Ryan Reynolds being in it 😉 lolApril 4, 2020 at 10:39 am · Reply Alicia I am quite fond of Pride and Prejudice and The Phantom of the Opera! But, I really love love and romantic comedies!April 4, 2020 at 5:36 pm · Reply Beverly Gordon I dont usually watch many romantic movies love to read romance and the like but i watch horror anyways fav two are save the last dance and 10 things I hate about youApril 4, 2020 at 7:31 pm · Reply Grace I love love love Pride and Prejudice (2005)!April 4, 2020 at 8:54 pm · Reply Carie Notting Hill, Pretty Woman, and Pride and Prejudice for me - too many to choose from!!!April 5, 2020 at 12:35 am · Reply Tammy Hudson I love Dirty Dancing.April 5, 2020 at 3:48 am · Reply Hannah McCormick My favouate romcom is letters to juliet, I also love the BBC adaptation of Pride and PrejudiceApril 5, 2020 at 3:57 am · Reply Click here to cancel reply. Add a comment Δ
The novel up for grabs is the swoony, contemporary romance, Announcing Trouble. Somewhere on this blog hop, I’ve shared a deleted scene that I think will make you laugh and sigh and press the computer to your heart. But do it gently or that could hurt. 😉 I’m extra especially super excited to share this story with you because the companion novel, How to Quit Your Crush is coming out MAY 4TH!! Two of you will win a copy here! BONUS GIVEAWAY In addition to all the books you can win on the HUNT, I’m giving away DOUBLE E-BOOK BONUS PACKS! TWO winners will win TWO books: ANNOUNCING TROUBLE and HOW TO QUIT YOUR CRUSH! With safety in mind, YASH is giving e-books this season. So I’ll be doing that as well. Winners will receive Announing Trouble now and How to Quit Your Crush as soon as it’s available, May 4th. To Enter: Click the Rafflecopter Link and leave a comment. Bonus Entry: Sign up for my monthly newsletter down below. (And since every newsletter has a giveaway just for subscribers, you’ll have even more chances to win!) More about DOUBLE BOOK PACKS below along with the links! So let’s get started: You are currently hunting on TEAM BLUE. SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE RULES DIRECTIONS: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number (in blue!) Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on TEAM BLUE, 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 16 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 5th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered. There are FOUR contests going on simultaneously and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM but there is also a GOLD TEAM, RED TEAM and PURPLE TEAM! Check out each team for a chance to win different sets of books! Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to learn more about the hunt, including links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs. Also, find all the books on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/128072.YASH_Fall_2018 Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I’m so excited to introduce you to the author I’m hosting on this hunt: Paula Stokes About Paula: Paula Stokes is the author of several novels, including Liars, Inc. and Vicarious, which both received starred reviews, and This is How it Happened, which was a 2018 Oregon Book Award finalist. School Library Journal called her latest thriller, Hidden Pieces, “a classic whodunit, masterfully played.” Paula has also self-published two novels, including Stronger than Words, the heartfelt story of a teen debate champion rebuilding her life after suffering a stroke that renders her unable to speak. Stronger than Words is currently available free on Swoon Reads and Wattpad. The book Paula is showcasing is STRONGER THAN WORDS! ABOUT THE BOOK Mackenzie Craig is no stranger to struggling. After a childhood marred by poverty and homelessness, she’s worked her way up to the number two spot in her graduating class and secured a scholarship to a great college. But then Mackenzie collapses at the state debate championships. She’s rushed to the hospital where her prognosis is grave–she’s having a stroke. Mackenzie wakes up with right-sided weakness and a language impairment that hinders her ability to talk or write. She works hard to be able to return to school in time to graduate, but when she overhears one of her classmates insulting her younger sister, Mackenzie doesn’t have the words to tell him off, so she punches him. The boy calls the cops and Mackenzie ends up with an assault charge. When her college finds out about the arrest, they threaten to revoke her scholarship. Mackenzie must meet with them to defend her actions before the fall semester starts. Can she re-learn to communicate in time for her hearing? Or will her stroke steal away her entire future? Stronger than Words is an uplifting story about perseverance, hope, and human connection. TOP SECRET BONUS MATERIAL FROM PAULA! Hi YASHers! It’s been a while. I’m happy to be back promoting a book that you can read absolutely free on the Swoon Reads website. If you enjoyed Girl Against the Universe, there’s a good chance you’ll also love hanging out with Mackenzie in Stronger than Words as she rebuilds her life and reevaluates what really matters to her after she suffers a stroke at the Oregon High School State Debate Championships. My bonus content is a mini tour of some of the places in the novel, including excerpts from the book. The Portland Animal Haven is fictional, but the International Rose Test Garden, Voodoo Doughnut, and the Steel Bridge are all real places in Portland, a city I have grown to love deeply. All of these scenes include Mackenzie’s younger sister, Cheyenne. The book includes a romantic subplot, but if sister-ships are your thing, you’ll love the dynamic between these two 🙂 Cheyenne signals the driver to let us off in front of the International Rose Test Garden. A smile spreads across my face. “Flowers!” I haven’t been here since a field trip in eighth grade science class. Portland’s famous rose garden has over 650 species of roses and ten thousand rose bushes. People come from all over the country to see this place, which was created a hundred years ago to preserve species of European roses that scientists worried might be destroyed during World War I. Passing by the gift shop, we descend the steps into the garden’s main level. I pull out my phone and snap a few pictures. There are roses of every color here, and even some that are multicolored—white petals with pink speckles, bright orange blossoms that fade to a soft yellow at the edges. Some of the flowers are smaller than a quarter while others are bigger than my open hand. “So pretty,” I murmur. A cool breeze blows as we stroll toward the middle of the garden. Above our heads, the sun has burned away the clouds, leaving only a wide open swath of blue. We pause in front of a small ceramic fountain. As my sister drags her fingers through the cool water, I reach out to stroke the velvety softness of a brilliant coral-colored rose, the edges of its petals splashed with dark red. A dragonfly zooms by, hovering above the rosebush for a few seconds before disappearing on a current of wind. “We’re going over there.” Cheyenne points to an open area at the bottom of a set of grassy terraces. There’s a circle of people sitting on cushions on the ground. “M-mediate?” I ask. I know that’s not the right word, but it’s close. She smiles. “Meditate.” “Right.” Being just the tiniest bit off is frustrating, but it’s better than giant gaping holes in my mind. I feel like my vocabulary is slowly returning. I remember what Sea said, that the words are all still up in my head somewhere. I just have to find them and practice them. Outside Voodoo Doughnut, the line is about average, fifteen or so people standing between the side of the building and the pink metallic fence that’s set up to keep customers organized. I lean back against the gray storefront and blot a little sweat from my forehead. “Hot,” I say. “It’s getting there,” Cheyenne agrees. When the line advances, Cheyenne and I are close enough to look through the window into the busy shop. Two employees are moving quickly back and forth between the registers and the sheet trays full of doughnuts behind them, occasionally stopping to grab one of the company’s famous cotton candy pink boxes. “You want me to order?” Cheyenne asks. “Let me try.” “Okay. I’ll just be alongside you to help out if you need.” I give Cheyenne a grateful look. My sister is literally the best person ever to have as backup. I’ll never forget the way she calmed both Mom and me down in the hospital, or the way she typed all those helpful messages into my phone, or the way she communicated with me via emojis when I couldn’t speak at all. But mostly, I’ll never forget the way she never once treated me like an invalid or a freak. Someday I’ll be able to find the words again to tell her just how much she means to me. We duck out of the shop and Cheyenne suggests eating our doughnuts down by the river. We’re only a few blocks from the waterfront. It’s not beautiful in this area, not like it is a bit south where the tall glass hotels look out on paddleboat restaurants, but I still like being down here. Plus I love the old Steel Bridge. Instead of splitting apart in the center to let freighters and ocean liners pass through, it has a middle section that simply lifts up like a limbo bar. “Bridge,” I say. “We walk?” “You want to walk across the Steel Bridge? Sure.” To get to the water we have to pass a row of small shops, most of which don’t seem to be open. A couple of tourists lean against a storefront, poring over a laminated map. Back when I could speak, I would have gone over to them and asked if they needed help finding something. A solitary homeless man pushes a shopping cart down a sidewalk, his tent, tarp, and sleeping bag rolled up and tucked away for the day. Someone has painted a giant mural on the bricks behind him. It’s a woman in a pink dress, with wavy brown hair. The words THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE form a halo around her head. Hope is one thing my stroke hasn’t taken away from me. I don’t know why, if it has to do with who I am or if it’s because from the very moment I collapsed I’ve been surrounded by people who love me and want me to get better. My eyes flick back to the man with the shopping cart. I bet it’s harder for people who are alone to have hope. I hope you enjoyed a sneak peek at some of the book’s iconic Portland settings. Read Stronger than Words for free on Swoon Reads or Wattpad! Best, Paula Thanks to Paula for sharing–this book sounds amazing! Check out more on Paula’s Website, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. What should you do now? Enter the YASH contest and my bonus contest! Because who doesn’t want a boatload of free books? 🙂 Check out all the books on TEAM BLUE.
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