Skip to main content

YA Scavenger Hunt: Kim Briggs hosting May Freighter




Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! 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! 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 72 hours!


Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are eight contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I'm on the PINK TEAM--but there is also a red team, an orange team, a gold team, a green team, a teal team, a blue team, and a purple 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 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 PINK 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. 8, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Before you go any further, add Starr Fall to your Goodreads TBR list! I will love you to pieces!!



Great, thanks! Today, I am hosting May Freighter for the YA Scavenger Hunt!


May Freighter is an internationally bestselling author from Dublin, Ireland. She writes Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Sci-Fi mysteries that will keep you entertained, mystified, and hopefully craving more. Her only pets are cacti. They're the only things that survived. It may be too dangerous to entrust her with an animal while she's engrossed in writing.



Find out more information by checking out May Freighter's: 





Blurb: 
Alexander lives his life for two reasons: to protect his mother and keep his one-sided love for Katharine hidden. He is a servant, incapable of reaching the top of the social ladder without help. Chances like that come at a cost, and he is more than willing to pay for it. 
All does not go according to plan. The woman he loves marries another, the man who tried to kill him becomes his rival, and the fate of his mother changes for the worst. Alexander knows one thing for certain. He cannot turn the time back, just as he cannot become human again. 

You can buy Alexander: Memoirs HERE!

Now, for the Exclusive Content...

We start with the Cover Reveal for 

Cherished 


Gorgeous, right?!?!

Now, what's Cherished about?


Being a human amidst vampires is hard.
Being a woman of a Councilman is harder.
Perri has known that vampires existed long before she admitted it out loud. While suffering the loss of the man who treated her like a daughter and trying to build a relationship with Hans, she is quickly entangled in a plot that may destroy the European Vampire Council from within. 

Hans’ world is falling apart. Lucious and Helena are unreachable, his men are questioning his every move, and he must contain his feelings for Perri to avoid putting her in danger. When he chose to become a Councilman, he never expected that the European delegates would openly declare their defiance. He must find strength within him to protect those close to him. As it stands, his life is not the only one at stake

Exclusive Excerpt: 


1
ALONE
HANS
A position on the Vampire Council brought with it a lot of pain and suffering to those who were entrusted with a seat of power. Hans was no different. Everything he used to enjoy doing had been limited to giving orders that would benefit the vampire kind and maintain some form of balance in Europe. Regardless of his desperate wish to fill his sire’s shoes, he could never become Vincent. His sire was two thousand years old when he perished in the fight against the demons at the Demon Gate. To this day, the Council’s hounds were searching the streets for the stray demons that escaped through the portal. Their presence was, indeed, visible by the number of dead humans piling up in the quiet communities across England. 
Hans buried his hands in his short brown hair and sighed. He was sitting behind his desk at the new Council building. After the revival of the original vampire—Arthemis—more humans had been killed for no reason other than feeding someone’s ego. Hans was glad that the Royals had used the homeless for such a deed, and the mortals did not have enough time to take note of the existence of vampires. Hiding in the shadows had been the only way of life they knew. Being thrust into an open view of humanity who had great weapons of destruction, his kind would perish too quickly. As a Councilman, he cared for his people and had to stick to the original rules that the First Council had transcribed on the ancient scrolls. 
A knock on the door forced him to leave his brooding state of mind and drew his attention to the person on the other side. He twisted the ring that was on his wedding finger, knowing that it was Perri by the pitter-patter of her heart. She waited for him to permit her entry. 
He rushed to the door and opened it for her. “Is something wrong? I thought you were in the middle of unpacking your belongings.”
She smiled at him, drawing his eyes to the bright smile she wore that could light up any room. In the time that they had been away from Scotland to deal with Master Vincent’s funeral and the Council’s restructure, her blonde hair had grown long enough to reach past her shoulders. 
“I don’t have many belongings, Master Hans,” she replied.
Hans frowned at the title she used. He instructed her to use it in the event where they were not alone. Being called that in private had somehow given him a terrible aftertaste in his mouth. They were eternally spirit-bound by a restless ghost who roamed their castle near Aberdeen. Since then, he came to realise how important she was to him. Her existence was like that of a moon in the night’s sky—needed to light his path. She brought life to the saddest moments. Even when Master Vincent had passed away, she was the one who held him together with her cheer and warmth.
Her expression became serious. She reached up to touch his face, and he stepped back. 
“There is no one here,” she whispered, her voice coming out hurt. Her face told him that his dismissal of her touch caused her great pain. 
Contrary to the relationship Lucious and Helena had, where both of them were part of the same soul, he and Perri were different beings. She was the pure, bright, loving human woman he had come to believe he did not deserve, and he was the darkness that fed on the blood of mortals and spent his days negotiating with unshakeable tyrants—the European delegates—about the territorial division and vampire law enforcement by the hounds. Two days ago, Lucious and Helena left to investigate the recent vampire deaths in Italy, and Hans was left to man the entire Council by himself. It was a task too great, even for someone who had observed Master Vincent as a Councilman for over four hundred years.
Perri knotted her fingers in front of her. “Don’t you want me to be here? Would you prefer it if I returned home?”
Hans took hold of her hands and lifted them to his lips, kissing the back of them. “I apologise for my behaviour earlier. I worry about you being here and yet I cannot bear to be apart from you for long. It is selfish of me to keep you trapped in this Council building while Lucious and I attempt to restore the Council’s power and reach.”
She shook her head. “It’s not selfish at all. I want to be with you. You are my…husband.”
He let go of her hands and retreated to his desk where he slid into his leather office chair. “I still believe it would be best to seek a way to break the spirit-bond. We do not know the dangers it may bring with it. And if either of us dies, the other will forever be unable to love another.”
“I am prepared for that!” she countered, striding to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leant in, her brown eyes burning with sincerity. “I don’t think I would ever be able to love another man. You are the only one I need. Unless it’s you who wants to be free of me…”
Hans pulled her down and seated her on his lap. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and listened to her excited heartbeat that thudded in her chest. “Do not ever for a moment think that I would want to abandon you. My duties take precedence, that’s all.”
She combed his hair with her fingers and kissed him on the forehead. “I know. That’s why I haven’t complained and do as you tell me.”
He wound his arms around her waist and kissed her soft lips, allowing her to take control with uncertainty. For now, such a small form of affection would have to satisfy him. He feared to dirty her. She was at a young age of twenty-two. She could decide to leave him or change her mind at any second. If she so wished, and chose a different path to becoming the woman of a Councilman, he would need to give up and support her decision. The life she was trying to live would bring her much sorrow. As the years pass for them both, she would eventually wish to have children or want to be turned into a vampire. He did not know if he could be the one to extinguish her life or if he knew anyone trustworthy enough who would not use their sire-childe bond for malevolent purposes later.
Perri pressed her forehead to his. “We can meet for dinner tonight.” She lowered her head and her voice. “Would you consider spending the night in my room?”
Hans pressed his lips together. Her blushing cheeks and meek voice had stirred his desire, but he had to control it. With her, he could not allow any room for mistakes. 
“I am sorry, Perri. I have a hunt to lead for the possessed vampires tonight. You will have to eat alone.”
She smiled with faux cheer like she always did when he denied her something. “Another time maybe.”
He nodded, and she slid off his lap. With a goodbye wave, Perri left his office. For the next twenty minutes, he brooded over going after her and taking her in her room. She was innocent to the point where he knew not of what to do. His sire would turn in his grave if Hans hurt or upset her. She was like a daughter to Vincent, and Hans watched her grow up from a young age. For many years, he thought of her as a younger sister. And now that they were bound to each other, spirit to spirit, his hidden urges were much harder to conceal.
Letting out another heavy sigh, he returned to his paperwork that was quickly piling up on his desk in Lucious’ absence. There were too many emails and letters arriving from the remaining delegates who did not attend the first summoning and new Council coronation ceremony. They demanded an explanation about what had happened to those who died a month ago and the strange orders that came from the Royals who up and left the second Arthemis was gone. The only one who had stayed behind was Laclia, and she was in the middle of travelling across Europe, meeting with the delegates they had already responded to. She was due to return before the end of the year if things went well. With luck, they would gather another two Council members and restore the Council’s power in Europe that had become as fragile as glass.
He used a letter opener to remove the wax seal of the Cornelli family of vampires in Italy and began to read of their complaints.

PERRI
It was impossible to get Hans interested in her. She tried pretty dresses Helena had suggested, grew her hair out, and wore makeup to bring out her maturity. Nothing worked on the man of her obsession. Hans was an unmovable rock, and it was making her wonder if he wanted to be with her or if he didn’t want to be mean to her because she was Vincent’s favourite servant in Scotland. She had missed Master Vincent and had made weekly visits to the mausoleum where his remains were stored. She knew it was strange but doing so made her feel like he was still there with her, listening to her woes. 
She walked down a long corridor that led to the living quarters of the Council members and their partners. Hans had assigned a room to her in that wing. She had often overheard the hounds whispering about her and Helena’s presence there. They were scared of Lucious and what he might do if Helena was mentioned, so conversations about her friend were scarce, but Perri seemed to be on the tip of their tongue at all times. She was a human with no super powers or abilities unless she counted cooking and cleaning. Vampires could not ingest solid foods, and they didn’t particularly care if someone cleaned the huge castle-like building they were in. With four separate gardens, they definitely would need a gardener or two soon enough.
Should I learn gardening, too?
Her restlessness prompted her to grab the nearest hound—a vampire servant of the Council—and ask him for a dust cloth and cleaning materials. The blonde man seemed confused by her inquiry, so she repeated her request. 
“Master Hans had not mentioned that you would be on the cleaning team,” he said in a bored tone.
“I want to do something to keep busy,” Perri countered.
He raised his hands in defence. “I don’t want to anger a Councilman by doing something that he did not order. Please find someone else.”
Perri blew out a breath. She couldn’t even take her mind off of things by cleaning. How was she supposed to get used to this massive castle and its grounds? Hans had forbidden her to explore without him by her side or her assigned hound, Lotte, who acted as her bodyguard. Lotte was a vampire woman who must have been turned in her late teens. She was friendly and nice on the surface, but Perri heard from Vincent that hounds did not choose to do their job because of their kind hearts. They were either being punished by the Council for some crime and had to serve a sentence by obeying orders or their sire sent them to improve relations with the Council members and gain more influence. Perri hadn’t been able to pinpoint which of the two boxes Lotte belonged in. The only things she knew about that woman was that she was created thirty-five years ago and came from some small town in Netherlands. She knew that Hans would not select someone who would hurt her to be by her side. On the other hand, could she trust a person she knew nothing about? 
Her shoulders sagged, and she made her way to her bedroom. If she couldn’t clean, cook, or do anything without supervision, she would go mad. Then, an idea struck her. She rushed the rest of the way to her bedroom and looked for her phone. She spied it on the bed and dialled Rupert—the butler in the main house in Scotland. Three months ago, he told her about the journals he discovered in the storage room that belonged to Master Vincent. Hans had some of the older volumes sent off to translators in other countries. Maybe if she read through the translations, she could find something helpful that could aid Hans in his work or locate Master Vincent’s favourite place where they could scatter his ashes. After all, Vincent had lived for a very long time. She was sure that he had a lot of stories to tell and advice to give.
When someone picked up, she launched into the conversation, “Rupert, is that you?”
His laughter came through the speaker of the phone. “It has been a while, Perri. How did the service for Master Vincent go? Did the people he worked with give him a proper goodbye?”
Perri licked her lips and held the phone closer to her ear. She couldn’t tell Rupert that Vincent had received barely any attention from the vampires he had worked with for a thousand years. It was as if they didn’t care about his passing in the slightest.
“It was a good send off,” she lied. “I would like to look through the journal translations you’ve received. I may be able to find Master Vincent’s favourite place there. I’m sure he would appreciate us scattering his ashes there.”
“That’s a brilliant idea! You have thought of a good plan. Though, I am certain I don’t have to tell you that you should run this by Master Hans. He is the new head of the family, and we must respect his orders.”
Would Hans agree to take the remains from the Council’s mausoleum and bring them to Vincent’s favourite place? Not like she found its location yet. First thing’s first, she had to get her hands on those translations. 
“Will you please send the documents to our new address?” she asked.
Rupert went quiet for a minute. “There are a lot of them. I don’t think it would be a good idea to send them all at once. So, I will post them out to you in separate parcels.”
“That’s a good idea.” Perri smiled. She was eager to get her hands on the old journals that belonged to the man who was like a father to her. “Thank you, Rupert.”
“It’s not a problem. Take good care of Master Hans while you are visiting him. He must be working hard to fill Master Vincent’s shoes.” 
“I will, and I’ll call again to check in another time.” She ended the call. The rest of the servants at the main house didn’t know about her relationship with Hans.
Then again, she scratched her head, what is our relationship? They hadn’t gone beyond kissing each other. Every time she tried to initiate anything more, he shot her down, claiming he had work or was too busy to keep her company. At first, she accepted his words without complaint until doubts began to form at the back of her head. 
Does he not find me attractive? 
There was no other reason she could think of. And what about the odd question he asked her earlier about breaking the only connection that held them together. Without the spirit-bond, she feared that he would revert to treating her like a younger sister rather than a lover. Not like she was his lover yet. Helena and Lucious were doing fine after they reunited. They slept in the same room every night like a real couple. 
What am I doing wrong?
She fell backwards onto her king size bed and buried her face in her hands. The constant insecurities that were eating away at her sanity were hard to keep hidden. At the same time, she couldn’t allow others to see her being unhappy. It would worry them. Too many things were happening in Europe with the vampires and lack of stability of the Council for others to fret over her silly thoughts. To remain by Hans’ side, she had to act mature and happy. She forced another smile that felt unnatural. Pretending was getting a little easier.
Are you as interested in this book as I am?
Here's how you can get your hands on it!
Buy Cherished here!


In case you want to hook up with me out in the social media world, here are my links:
Twitter | Web | Facebook | Goodreads Instagram 

In addition to my contribution to the wonderful book-package prize for TEAM PINK, I've included a $15 Amazon Gift Card (for bookish purchases of course) and a signed paperback of Starr Fall!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, May Freighter, 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 PINK TEAM and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

CONTINUE THE HUNT
If you'd like to purchase Starr Fall, you can pick up your copy here! To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out Kaitlin Bevis! 

_________________________________________________________________

On the run from the Organization, Starr never planned on falling in love.
Starr Bishop’s the complete package. A perfect smile, brains to match, and a winning attitude. Boys want to date her and girls want to be her. She’s the type of girl you want to hate, if only she wasn’t so damn likable. But don’t worry, she’s not interested in your boyfriend. Boys are one complication she can live without.
When the Organization decides she’s not only the model student but the ideal assassin, Starr’ll need a lot more than high test scores and extracurricular involvement to get herself out of that commitment.
Dark, moody, and dead sexy Christian Evergood is the last person she’d expect—or even want— to come to her rescue. From opposite ends of Webster Highs social hierarchy, their lives collide in one electrifying moment. Christian isnt the Goth loner he pretends to be, hes a part Cherokee, All-American boy who wants to be a hero, Starrs hero. Christian makes Starr forget that the Organization is after her, but nothing will stop the Organization from collecting their top recruit.
By the way, the spot for junior class president just became available.



A Starr falls, and a family is found.
On the run from the Organization, Starr and Christian find safety on the Qualla Boundary with their friends, Ben and Coda, but Starr needs answers. She owes her dear dead friends, Sami and Jody, that much. She forms a team of her own to fight the general and his recruits.
Di, a mutual friend and anti-everything is a no-brainer, plus her Taser will come in handy. Frank, Starr’s BFF, will put his life on the line for her. Ben and Coda, not to be outdone by Starr’s friends, also swear their allegiance. Christian’s the only hold out. He knows what the Organization is capable of. He has the beaten body to prove it, but when Starr wants something, she gets it.
Now that the team’s together, everything should be perfect. Trouble is Starr loves Christian but so does Di. And Frank, well, he’s never been very good at hiding his love for Starr. Will his four-year long crush on her threaten the safety of the team?
Life becomes tense on the Qualla Boundary, sparks fly, and the Organization is about to smash in their door.



A Starr gone. A team betrayed.
You never know who your true friends are until a gun’s pointed at you. One will take a bullet, and the other will pull the trigger. Starr learned that lesson the hard way.
The perfect smile. A killer attitude. General Treadwell wanted nothing more than to turn Starr Bishop into the ideal assassin, but she’s far more valuable as Jessica Chamberlain, granddaughter and heir to Chamberlain Chocolates. Luckily, he’s found two enthusiastic replacements. They lack Starr’s intelligence, but no matter, they possess their own weapons of persuasion along with a flair for the dramatic, and that’s never a bad thing.
Di, along with Christian, Frank, Ben and Coda, are determined to keep Starr safe, but the depths of betrayal crack the very foundation of the team. When Starr becomes a pawn in a game of power, money, and manipulation, Di channels her WWSD (What Would Starr Do) to rally the team. She owes her best friend that much. No... More.


























Comments

Popular posts from this blog

KIM NEEDS YOUR HELP!! Please, oh please!

Today is the day! STARR LOST, BOOK 2 of the STARR FALL SERIES is only... and I need your help. I've purchased ads from some major social promoters, and if all goes well, STARR LOST will make it to the bestselling list.  Amazing things happen to authors and their books when they make the Bestselling list, so if you could purchase a copy or two (or three) for 99 cents it'll help hurl me to the top. So, let's see what happens when we all combine our buying power together. SUPPORT KIM BUY STARR LOST Ebook for $.99 AMAZON USA AMAZON CANADA AMAZON UK AMAZON AUSTRALIA And to thank you for your WRITER LOVE, I'm running a  $10 AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY... to enter, email a copy of your receipt to KimBriggs [@] KimBriggsWrite.com. a Rafflecopter giveaway Write on, Kim

FIRST SNOW by Bomi Park: Classroom Activity and Review

Dear Kim, Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! We had fun with Bomi Park's gorgeous FIRST SNOW last week. We used the book as a mentor text to explore personal narratives and poetry.  We also explored watercolor resist techniques. (We also made a mess-- which is kind of my modus operandi during writing workshop. Sorry, Kelley! ) I used the sentence starter from the jacket copy: Look up. One flake falls, then another. And just like that—it's __ __ __ __ __ __ __ . The kids worked cooperatively at their table groups to discuss what word might fill in the blank. I love hearing them chat.  "Well it is a snowflake because 'one flake'."  Followed by: "No. It has seven letters, snowflake has nine."  And: "It is an action. A-- what's that called-- a verb because it is something falling."  Eventually we filled in the blank by using spelling clues to check our thinking, which might not sound like a whole lot of fun, but spell

INTERVIEW WITH K.M. WALTON, YA FEST & HARRY POTTER

Dear Alison and readers, Have I got a surprise for you...Guess who stopped by to chat? Any guesses? No peeking at the title. Wait, I guess it's too late. Okay, I'll tell you anyway, KM Walton, the YA Author of all of these books... Hi K.M., Thanks so much for stopping by to talk to me. Care for a chai latte or a glass of wine? It’s Friday. Let’s go for the wine. Excellent choice. I’ll have one as well. So tell me, when did you become a writer? Despite my debut novel releasing when I was 44, my stacks of journals from childhood onward prove that I’ve always been a writer. Yeah, it took me a while to figure out what I really wanted to be when I grew up. The bulging folder filled with scraps of paper and napkins of all my “book” ideas and “story” ideas didn’t make me realize my true calling until six or seven years ago. So tell me, what do you love about writing? Possibility. I’m a wildly anticipatory person, always have been. A dreamer for