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#AuthorApril: U is for Universal Themes used by Authors #AtoZChallenge

Dear Alison,

It's the home stretch of our #AtoZChallenge, and Thursday starts the New Adult Scavenger Hunt. (I forgot to mention I signed up for the event back in March--was it wrong to reveal this information to you through social media? At least, you can't scowl at me via twitter. Wait, can you scowl via twitter? I'm not worried though because you love me;)

You'll post about the letter X and I'll post about the New Adult Scavenger Hunt. A double posting kind of day--our faithful readers won't mind. (Can you believe we have faithful readers?!?!) I'll be revealing A.G. Howard's cover for her book, The Architect of Song, and the trailer. (It's an exclusive!!! Can you believe we've got an exclusive reveal?!?!) I'll also reveal my lucky number and the link to S.D. Wesley. She's the next leg of the hunt. We're all on TEAM RED. Go RED. Participants in the New Adult Scavenger Hunt...hint, hint faithful readers, that can be you, will have the opportunity to win ALL of TEAM RED's books, plus loads of extras! (I LOVE extras.) Here's the link for the New Adult Scavenger Hunt but it won't go live until Thursday, April 28, at noon. I'll blab about it several more times before then, but take a look at this:

TEAM RED
Team Red S2016
Gorgeous right?!?! You're sooooooo in love with TEAM RED, aren't you? I know I am. 

The letter U presented an unique challenge. There's not many authors who's first or last name begins with U, so I decided to talk about some of my favorite writers because their works revolve around Universal Themes, whether it's an anthropomorphized pig and elephant, a teenage girl who slips into other people's nightmares, a convent filled with Death's handmaidens, or a brother and sister who climb into a treehouse.

LOVE

Stephenie Meyer

Twilight came out in 2007. In the world of Young Adult Literature, the book and the rest of the series are ancient. Positively, cane ridden, but I still love the books. I really do. After all, Stephenie Meyer is the reason I finally sat down and wrote. Sure, I always thought about writing, but it wasn't until I read that Stephenie had three young children when she wrote Twilight that I decided to give up sleep to weave stories of my own.

The Twilight Series revolves around love. Bella and Edward. Bella and Jacob. Bella and Edward and Jacob. Romantic Love.

But also the love of place--Forks, Washington.

The love of family both immediate and extended. Bella's dad. Her mom. The Cullen's. Her friends at school. Jacob Black and his dad.

The love of people outside of her race and species. Vampires. Werewolves.

Love, Love, LOVE appeals to us all.


THIRST FOR ADVENTURE

Robin LaFever


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I am obsessed with the Fair Assassin series. I've been waiting to write about the series in one grand review, but I had to just mention LaFever and her books Grave Mercy, Dark Triumph, and Mortal Heart, for LaFever clutches her readers by the throat and doesn't let go until one of Death's handmaidens slices it. I've journeyed to castles, battlefields, and convents along with Ismae and Sybella.

LAUGHTER

Mo Willems.

I was torn between LAUGHTER and FRIENDSHIP because Mo writes and illustrates about both in his Elephant and Piggie books. Alison, you know I've been known to spontaneously shout, "BANANA!" and here's why...





Any book that makes people laugh is a book worth cherishing. If you're ever feeling sad or lonely or frustrated, just read a Elephant and Piggie book or just shout out, "BANANA!!!!!" Works every time.

FRIENDSHIP

Mary Pope Osborne and Claire Caterer

Mary Pope Osborne is the well-known and adored author of the Magic Treehouse series.


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Claire Caterer is the on her way to becoming the very well-known and adored author of The Key and the Flame Series.

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Image result for claire caterer book images

You can find out more about Claire Caterer and her books here. 

If you're familiar with these books at all, you'll know that a brother and a sister travel together to extraordinary places in search of something...There's action, there's adventure, there's friendship. These characters are brother and sister, but that doesn't mean they're friends. The authors skillfully guide the characters to friendship through trust, hope, and the insatiable thirst for adventure.

LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, THIRST FOR ADVENTURE, LAUGHTER: UNIVERSAL THEMES used by some of the very best authors and illustrators.

Sharing the writing love one letter at a time,
Kim


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