New Adult Scavenger Hunt


Welcome to New Adult Scavenger Hunt! This bi-annual event was inspired 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! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book 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 96 hours!

Go to the New Adult Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the Purple Team–but there is also a Red Team for a chance to win a whole different set of 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 New Adult Scavenger Hunt page.

***THE SCAVENGER HUNT***

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my lucky book number. Collect the lucky book numbers of all the authors on Team Purple, 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 July 1, 2018, at noon Eastern Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

LET THE HUNT BEGIN!

***MEET KELSEY KETCH***



During her high school years, Kelsey Ketch could always be found tucked away in a little corner of the hall or classroom, writing her fantasy worlds and creating illustrations and maps. Today is no different, except now she’s writing in the break room at her office building or at the tables of the Barnes and Noble CafĂ© in Cary, North Carolina. She is also an avid reader, a part-time book blogger at Ketch’s Book Nook, and lives with her two orange tabbies and awesome and humorous flat-mate. Daughter of Isis is her debut novel.

For more information, please visit her site at kelseyketch.com.

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT


Character Profile:

Name: Meriden
Age: 18, going on 19
Hair Color: Auburn
Eye Color: Green
Closest Mates: Matthew Kettlesworth, Rupert Railing
Courting: Gregory Wilson 

Personality: Hot-headed, sharp-tongued, protective, caring

Likes:

The high-seas. Ever since she was a small child, Meriden dreamed of sailing the high-seas, as her father and great-grandfather once had. In her heart, despite the dangers, it is her true home.

Carpentry. Meriden learned carpentry from her father, who learned it from his father, who learned it from his step-father. But Meriden also has a natural gift when it comes to wood work. This is because she can feel the wood’s emotions, such as if it was crafted with love or writhing in pain from damage.

Children. Out of all the people in Meriden’s village, she finds the children the least judgmental about her status and behavior. Perhaps it’s because she weaves amazing adventures and teaches them how to sword fight. In any case, Meriden cares for them as if they were family, even though they are not her own.

Dislikes:

Blake Baker. The man responsible for the disappearance of her father. She would never forgive him for treachery. But when she learns that Baker actually murdered her father, was responsible for Gregory’s kidnapping, and is now pursuing her, revenge slowly consumes her heart to the point of no return.

Disrespect. Don’t show any disrespect for this girl or her friends. Meriden has a very short temper for such things, and one might find a blade whizzing past their ear if you get on her wrong side.

Favorite Scene: My rage unleashed by his final words, I grabbed my knife from my belt, spun on my heel, and hurled the blade toward Scrapper’s head. While his violet eyes widened, several crewmen ducked out of the way of the flying object as it skimmed Scrapper’s ear and sunk itself into the foremast.

“Would anyone else like to comment?” I spat, my breathing rapid. There was nothing but complete silence in reply. “Good! If anyone on this ship crosses me again, I’ll aim lower. Much lower. Do I make myself clear?”

***Book Trailer*** 




To enter, you need to know that my lucky book number is 7.

Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on Team Purple and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

***CONTINUE THE HUNT***

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author, SF Benson!

GOOD LUCK!!

Movie Review Monday

The 15:17 to Paris (2018)

I don’t know if I was living under a rock at the time or what, but I don’t remember hearing about this on the news. The act in and of itself was incredibly brave and amazing, and I’m super glad no one was killed.

To be honest, I never had any intention of watching this film. No reason why. Just wasn’t on my radar. My mother-in-law was visiting, and she had heard it was good, so we rented it.

I think it’s amazing and fantastic that the real heroes had the opportunity to play themselves in the film. With that being said, I knew they weren’t actors, so I wasn’t expecting much in their performances. They are real people with a story to tell, and they had the platform to do that.

Having them play themselves was both a good and bad thing. The good is above, and the bad is that there isn’t much tension in the film. We know that they come out of the ordeal alive. Of course, we would know that through history and knowing the real story also, so this didn’t really give anything away.

The event on the train happened in a relatively short amount of time, yet the film needed to be 90 minutes long. This allowed for Eastwood to delve into the heroes’ history and give us insight into their childhoods and how they were shaped into the men they became. This was fine, but the film felt incredibly long and slow. We kept waiting for the exciting part, the train event, and it felt like it took a long time to show up and was over way too quickly.

While the story is incredibly fascinating, I think a different format would have made it more appealing. I know there’s a book based on the event, and maybe it’s more exciting in novel form. I haven’t read it, so I don’t know. The film just felt dry.

At the end of the day, I learned about these amazing heroes and what they did on a train heading to Paris. It wasn’t the best film I’ve ever seen, but it wasn’t the worst either.

Has anyone else seen this film? What did you think?

Behind the Story: The Ifs Audiobook

It has been another crazy week. I’ve had family come to visit, so my time has been divided between them and work; hence the late post this week. I should probably plan my time better, but I get to it when I get to it.

Today, I wanted to tell you the story behind The Ifs audiobook. It is now available for purchase on Audible. There’s a sample on the side of my blog for you to check out and listen to. I promise, it’s worth your time. The narrator did an amazing job!


I’m kind of addicted to creating audiobooks. It started out a bit rocky, but then things really took off and fell into place. It’s so much fun to hear other people reading my words and bringing my characters to life. One day, I hope to have all of my books in audio form.

The first book I converted was Life After the Undead, my young adult zombie book, and I didn’t exactly have narrators beating down my door to read the book. Not a big deal. The one who ended up doing it did a wonderful job, and I’m happy with how it turned out. I assumed the process would be the same for The Ifs. 


For my middle grade book (which The Ifs is), my narrator parameters weren’t as stringent. I didn’t care if a male or female read it, and it was totally fine if they had an accent. I put the script up and waited for the auditions to come in—although I didn’t hold my breath. Past experience told me not to expect much.

I got my first audition in, and I really liked how the guy read, so I figured he would be the narrator. Then, I got another one in. And he did an awesome job too. After that came another and another.

When all was said and done, I had EIGHT auditions, and my mind was blown. I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t expected that at all. And then I had a tough decision to make.

There were a few auditions that I knew wouldn’t work for the book, so they weren’t in the running. I asked my spouse and my kids for their opinion of who they liked best, then we decided from there. It was agonizing—seriously—because I appreciated everyone taking the time to audition, and it was so fun to hear how they interpreted my work.

In the end, though, Peter J. Taylor did a phenomenal job with the narration. His accent is fantastic, and he does voices. He even adds in a few sound effects—which is really what sold all of us on having him narrate the book.

I can’t wait for you to be able to hear the entire story. I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as I do.

Movie Review Monday

Black Panther (2018)

For a long time, I’ve claimed to be a DC fan. It would take a lot for me to watch a Marvel movie, although I would do it grudgingly. However, after the string of successful films Marvel has put out, I’m debating whether I should be a bit more flexible in my fandom.

Don’t get me wrong: I’ll always be a huge Batman fan, but the heroes of Marvel are finding a way into my heart.

The boys and I have wanted to see Black Panther since the trailers came out. It’s pretty difficult for us to make it to the theater, so we waited (and waited and waited) for it to be available to rent. I think the greatest compliment a movie can receive from my kids is that they re-enact it after it’s over—and that’s exactly what they did after watching this film.

I’m fully aware of the controversies with this film. That’s why I believe we needed this movie. It’s not shy about talking about the issues. It offers a hero and some really strong and smart female characters. It doesn’t apologize for what it is and what it does—and it shouldn’t. It offers a leader that everyone can look up to. It offers the chance of inclusion and starts a dialogue.

I loved this movie for everything it does (including raising social issues) and the hope it inspires. I’m a huge fan of flawed superheroes, those who really want to do what is right but struggle to find that path, and Black Panther falls right into that realm. No one is perfect, and figuring out what is right is challenging, but we all have the power to step up and do our part. Even superheroes with their inhuman powers and strength stumble and fall, and that’s makes them human.

The boys really enjoyed this movie too. Even weeks later, my oldest comments about how much he enjoyed this film. I think it will be one to add to our collection.

The Story Behind The Ifs

Ugh! I’m behind on my posts this week because I had to take my computer into the shop to get fixed. It’s been trying to update since last August without success. After trying to fix it myself and not having any luck, I sent it to a professional. Apparently, they’ve been struggling too. Hopefully the issue gets resolved soon.

In the meantime, I thought I would share with you the story behind The Ifs, my middle grade fantasy novel. Currently, there are three in the series (The Ifs, The Ifs Return, and Undead Ifs), and the first book will soon be available as an audiobook. 





I started writing this series about 6 years ago. I wanted my boys to have a story they could call their own where they got to be the heroes. I knew they were going to be middle grade books, and I wanted them to be filled with action and adventure, along with a little danger.

At the time, my boys were much younger than their counterparts in the book, and I had a lot of fun imagining how they would behave when they were finally that age. I guessed some of their traits correctly, but I was off the mark on others. But it’s not a big deal. These are fiction stories, so I used my imagination.

I think the best part about writing these stories was how the boys reacted when I read them to them. I think they were able to imagine exactly what was happening and put themselves in the characters’ shoes. There was a relationship there that they might not feel with other stories—which totally makes sense if the story is about them!

My oldest enjoys these stories so much he shared them with his classmates. He asked one night if he could take The Ifs to school, and I told him sure. The next day, he told me that the kids had the choice of three books for the teacher to read out loud, and they picked The Ifs.

At parent-teacher conferences, the teacher told me that my oldest would often interject side notes into the story—behind the scenes stuff—while she read. She said he really enjoyed having insider knowledge, and it kept the other students interested.

It makes me swell with pride to know that my boys are proud of these books. I put a lot of work and love into them, and I’m glad they enjoy reading them and having others read them. That’s the true goal of an author: to impact the reader.

Movie Review Monday

Game Night (2018)

This movie was picked at random from the list of available rentals. I had seen at least one preview before and thought it looked funny. I was not disappointed.

This movie had the laughs. It was a great way to spend the night with the family (aside from some language, there wasn’t anything that my kids couldn’t watch—no sex, no over-the-top violence). We all shared some laughs while watching this movie, and everyone enjoyed it.

There were a few twists and surprises that I wasn’t expecting, which made the film that much better, and there were some predictable parts. It was 100 minutes long, but didn’t drag. There was even some action and adventure, so everyone was happy with the film.

If you’re looking for a fun movie with some surprises and laughs, I recommend Game Night. It’s a great movie to unwind to.

Anyone else see this film? What did you think?


Pembroke Sinclair's books on Goodreads
Life After the Undead Life After the Undead
reviews: 55
ratings: 100 (avg rating 3.64)

The Appeal of Evil The Appeal of Evil (The Road to Salvation, #1)
reviews: 38
ratings: 63 (avg rating 3.54)

Wucaii Wucaii
reviews: 32
ratings: 35 (avg rating 4.11)

Death to the Undead Death to the Undead (Sequel to Life After the Undead)
reviews: 20
ratings: 39 (avg rating 4.23)

Dealing with Devils Dealing with Devils (The Road to Salvation, #2)
reviews: 22
ratings: 32 (avg rating 4.00)