POST MASTER LIST - GIVEAWAY BLOGATHON

Post Master-List

Click on the clan's pages above to find the entry forms! 

Keep checking this list, we will update it as new posts go live so that you can find all the clues and win the books!

Clan UNICORN with Ava Jae at Writability *ALL Letters have been Posted!! Enterable. 

       Introductory Post 
       Author Interview Master Post Featuring: Suki Fleet, Becky Albertalli, Nina Rossing, Ellen Wittlinger, Abbie Rushton, Kirstin Cronn-Mills <--- complete anagram.

Anagram Hint:

'Normal' sexuality is a man and a woman ... blergh!

Clan PHOENIX with Cynthia at Afterwritten *ALL Letters have been Posted!! Enterable.

       Introductory Post

       Interview with Lisa Williamson
       Excerpt from Mary Elizabeth Summer's Trust Me I'm Trouble
       Interview with A.R. Kahler
       Excerpt from Will Parkinson's Pitch
       Interview with Kira Harp
       Excerpt from the Five Stages of Andrew Brawley

Clan GRIFFIN with Caroline at QueerYa.org *ALL Letters have been Posted!! Enterable.

     

        Introductory Post
        Excerpt from Sara Gaine's Noble Falling
        Review of Kristin Elizabeth Clark's Freakboy
        Excerpt from Steve Berman's Red Caps
        Review of Jessica Verdi's Summer I Wasn't Me 
        Review of Lydia Syson's Liberty's Fire
        Review of Alaya Dawn Johnson's Summer Prince

Clan HYDRA with Nicole at YA Interrobang *ALL Letters have been Posted!! Enterable.

        Introductory Post <--- complete anagram. 

        Excerpt from Tess Sharpe's Far From You <--- complete anagram.
        Interview with Christopher Hawthorne Moss
        Excerpt from Astor Penn's All Devil's Here

        Interview with Matthew J. Metzger
        Interview with Robin Talley
        Excerpt from Jandy Nelson's I'll Give You the Sun

Clan DRAGON with Vee, Nadia, Nina and Maria at GayYa.org *ALL Letters have been Posted!! Enterable.

       Introductory Post
       Interview with Saruuh Kelsey
       Spotlight on Alex Sanchez's Boyfriends with Girlfriends
       Giveaway Post for Cat Clarke's Undone
       Interview with Suzanne von Rooyen
       Excerpt from Jay Jordan Hawke's Pukawiss the Outcast
       Excerpt from Cat Clarke's Kiss in the Dark

WE ARE LIVE! :D

At long last, it is TIME. The Queer YA Blogathon is live, starting with our magnificent giveaway. We are giving away THIRTY-TWO fantastic Young Adult books, featuring LGBTIQA characters.

Take a look at a few of the awesome prize packs you could win:

In order to have a chance of winning each pack, you must solve the clan's anagram. The clues to the anagram will be concealed (but not too cleverly) in posts featuring the books. To enter a particular clan's giveaway once you've solved the puzzle, click on the team headings above. 

These books are beautiful, and most of them are signed:

To help you out, I will be updating this post with a master list of all the blog posts as they go live by clan. 

Post Master-List

Click on the clan's pages above to find the entry forms! 

Keep checking this list, we will update it as new posts go live so that you can find all the clues and win the books!

Clan UNICORN with Ava Jae at Writability <--- complete anagram. 

       Introductory Post 
       Author Interview Master Post <--- complete anagram. 

Clan PHOENIX with Cynthia at Afterwritten 

       Introductory Post

       Interview with Lisa Williamson
       Excerpt from Mary Elizabeth Summer's Trust Me I'm Trouble
       Excerpt from Will Parkinson's Pitch
       Interview with Kira Harp

Clan GRIFFIN with Caroline at QueerYa.org

     

        Introductory Post
        Excerpt from Sara Gaine's Noble Falling
        Review of Kristin Elizabeth Clark's Freakboy

Clan HYDRA with Nicole at YA Interrobang <--- complete anagram.

        Introductory Post <--- complete anagram. 

        Excerpt from Tess Sharpe's Far From You <--- complete anagram.
        Interview with Christopher Hawthorne Moss 

Clan DRAGON with Vee, Nadia, Nina and Maria at GayYa.org 

       Introductory Post
       Interview with Saruuh Kelsey
       Spotlight on Alex Sanchez's Boyfriends with Girlfriends

ONE DAY MORE :D

As a die-hard Les Miserables fan, I can't resist posting this video: 

Seriously ... watch it and get pumped BECAUSE

THE QUEER YA BLOGATHON IS FINALLY HERE!

Well ... TOMORROW. 

The bloggers are already hard at work on their post and have started posting introductions. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I will post a master list linking you to all the posts and keeping it updated. It's time to win great books! 

Remember: 

The Giveaway will run from June 6-8, winners announced on the 9th. 

The Auction for STONEWALL will run June 8-15. Informational posts will start on the 7th.

Final Notes: 

(1) We will be using the #QueerYA throughout the event. Please use this to promote and chat about the giveaway, the books and the auction. Please RT wherever possible, and spread the word!

(2) It's never too late to get involved. If you're an agent or an editor wanting to contribute, we would love to hear from you. 

(3) The BIGGEST THANK YOU IN THE WORLD to all the authors, bloggers, agents and editors who have made this virtual event possible. 

What's in the BOX - HOW DO I GET ALL THE THINGS

I think many of you are probably wondering the same questions: "What's in the box? What can I buy? WHAT CAN I WIN? HOW DO I ENTER??!"

In this post, I'm going to answer all of those things for you as clearly as possible.

Listed above, you will see links to FIVE TEAMS. These teams will all be featured on different blogs, indicated on the pages themselves.

Each team has a giveaway box and an auction box. Both of the boxes contain all of the books listed on the team's page, as well as some bookmarks, signed swag and humorous magical items. Most of the books are signed. All of these items will be beautifully gift-wrapped -- so you can open your box and experience a fabulous, queer, Christmas-in-June or you could give books away to friends as individual gifts.

All of these boxes have been lovingly donated by their authors, who believe in the mission of Stonewall UK and in promoting Queer YA Lit.

The auction boxes contain special perks wonderfully provided by a group of FABULOUS agents and editors. Each box will contain THREE OR FOUR Wildcards from these magnanimous publishing professionals. Want some professional feedback on your writing or submission package? Writing YA? The cards in each box are listed below.

We are genuinely so grateful to the authors and publishing professionals who have made this possible.

From June 6 - 8, we will run the giveaway. To enter, you can visit the team pages linked above and below. There will be a form for you to complete asking for your email, address, name, etc. -- and the solution to an anagram that will be concealed in the host bloggers' posts. So read them carefully :D

Giveaway winners will be notified on the 9th.

Starting on the 7th, we will open the Auction. This will run until the 15th. All proceeds will be donated to Stonewall to continue the work that they do on behalf of LGBTQIA teens.

TEAM UNICORN 

Box Contents: 

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Hardcover, Signed, with bookmarks and stickers. 

Unspeakable - Paperback, Signed. 

This is Not a Love Story - Paperback, Signed. 

Supermassive - Paperback, Signed. 

Parrotfish - Hardcover, Signed.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children - Paperback, Signed. 

Wildcards (auction box only):

1 x QUERY CRITIQUE with Ms. Maria Vicente at P.S. Literary

1 x TWITTER PITCH CRITIQUE with Ms. Laura Zats of Red Sofa Literary

1 x 5pg CRITIQUE with Mr. Stephen Morgan at Entangled Publishing

1 x 'SKIP THE QUERY LINE' with Ms. Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch

TEAM PHOENIX

Box Contents: 

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley - Hardcover, Signed. 

Martyr - Paperback, Signed. 

Trust Me, I'm Trouble - Paperback, Signed, with bookmarks and swag.

Pitch - Paperback.

The Art of Being Normal - Hardcover, Signed. 

Rainbow Briefs - Paperback.

Wildcards (auction box only):

1 x QUERY CRITIQUE with Mr. Brent Taylor at Triada US Literary

1 x 10pg CRITIQUE with Ms. Patricia Nelson at Marsal Lyon Literary 

1 x QUERY CRITIQUE with Mr. Stephen Morgan at Entangled Publishing

1 x 'SKIP THE QUERY LINE' with Ms. Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch

TEAM HYDRA

Box Contents: 

Shadowplay - Paperback, Signed. 

Far from You - Paperback, Signed

Accompanied by a specially written short story! 

Beloved Pilgrim, Paperback.

Vivaldi in the Dark, Paperback. 

Lies We Tell Ourselves - Paperback, Signed with Swag!

I'll Give You the Sun - Paperback. 

All Devils Here - Paperback, Signed. 

Wildcards (auction box only): 

1 x QUERY CRITIQUE with Mr. Brent Taylor at Triada US Literary

1 x 10PG CRITIQUE with Mr. Peter J. Knapp at Park Literary Group

1 x 'SKIP THE QUERY LINE' with Ms. Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch

TEAM DRAGON

Box Contents: 

None of the Above - Hardcover, Signed with Swag!

Pukawiss the Outcast - Paperback. 

A Kiss in the Dark - Paperback, Signed. 

Boyfriends with Girlfriends - Hardcover. 

The Beast of Callaire - Paperback, Signed. 

The Other Me - Paperback. 

Wildcards (auction box only) 

1 x 10PG CRITIQUE with Ms. Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary 

1 x 'SKIP THE QUERY QUEUE' with Ms. Marietta Zacker at Nancy Gallt Literary

1 x 'SKIP THE QUERY LINE' with Ms. Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch

TEAM GRIFFIN

Box Contents: 

Noble Falling - Paperback, Signed. 

Freakboy - Hardcover, Signed. 

The Summer I Wasn't Me - Paperback.

Red Caps - Paperback. 

The Summer Prince - Hardcover. 

Liberty's Fire - Paperback. 

Wildcards (auction box only):

1 x QUERY CRITIQUE with Ms. Rachel Brooks at L. Perkins Agency

1 x QUERY CRITIQUE with Ms. Maria Vicente at P.S. Literary

1 x 'SKIP THE QUERY QUEUE' with Ms. Marietta Zacker at Nancy Gallt Literary

1 x 'SKIP THE QUERY LINE' with Ms. Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch

There are also a few additional giveaways going on at the individual blogs! In these case, either the author or their publisher has generously provided us with extra free copies to give away! These can be entered via rafflecopter on the blogs themselves. 

Vee at GayYa.org will be giving away a SIGNED copy of Cat Clarke's Undone. 

Caroline at QueerYa.org will be giving away TWO copies of Lydia Syson's Liberty's Fire. 

Ava Jae at Writability will be giving away a copy of Suki Fleet's The Glass House. 

It's almost time!

In a few short days, the Queer YA Blogathon and Scrabble event will finally kick off! Final teams and their hosts are linked via the panel above, so check them out!

Here is the timeline of events for the weekend:

June 6, 6:00AM GMT: By this time, all our participating bloggers will have posted introductory posts detailing how they're going to present the authors working with them, and how you can look for clues for the Scrabble Giveaway!

June 6, 12:00PM GMT: Entries are open! Start collecting clues and trying to solve the anagram associated with each team. If you solve it, you could win a beautiful gift box full of the team's books (many are signed copies), book swag, support swag for Stonewall UK and little gifts to enhance your reading experience (even exclusive manuscripts!)

The Giveaways are open to the following countries: United Kingdom, Ireland, United States of America, Canada,  Mexico, Anywhere in Continental Europe except Russia. Unfortunately, do to the prohibitive cost of shipping, the giveaway/auctions are not open to countries in Africa, South America, Asia or Australia.

June 9, 3:00PM GMT - The Giveaway will close! Never fear, the auction is about to start.

June 9, 3:30PM GMT - Three wildcards from participating agents and editors will be added to the second box for each team. These wildcards range from query critiques to twitter pitch help to manuscript edits. Each box will have a balance of items put inside, appropriate for writers of Diverse YA fiction.

Additional wildcards will be available for a base price (yet to be determined) and the right to first pick will cost £80. All proceeds will be donated to Stonewall UK.

June 9, 6:00PM GMT - Winners of the Giveaway will be notified.
June 15, 3:30PM - The auction will end and winners will be notified.

Saturday Update: May 16th - TEAM PREVIEWS

With one week to go until the deadline for receiving books, we've started grouping authors onto teams. We are expecting quite a few more books in the next eight and a half days, but here where the books we have received so far will be featured!

The idea for naming teams after Mythical Creatures came by accident from Ava Jae at Writability.

 And a few inspiring words of from books that got mailed in this week:

(Also this book has black pages -- HOW FREAKING AWESOME IS THAT??)

Saturday Update #4 - May 2nd

As I promised, this week's update post is going to be *mostly* about the books! As of today, 18 different titles have arrived in Edinburgh, ready to participate.

This is probably going to be the last week I can actually capture all the books in one photo frame. Here they are:

Look how pretty they are!!!!

I really have a serious weak spot for author signatures and dedications. Here are a few photos of cute messages and swag, included by the lovely people who have donated these books:

Next week, we will start announcing teams! When organising the teams of books, I have a couple of goals, so it's not going to be as simple as putting 5-6 books together in a box:

Wide Representation 

The goals are as follows:

1) To include as wide a spectrum of sexuality and gender variance in each box as possible. 

2) To create an appealing selection with a fair and balanced mix of UK/US authors, paperback/hardcover books, signed/unsigned titles and different publishers. 

3) To put titles together that will give bloggers interesting themes to talk about, should they desire, including how gender is represented, portrayal of disability, variance across genre, etc.

Hopefully all the teams can deliver on those goals! One of the key things we wanted to achieve with this Blogathon was full representation for as many groups as possible. It's important that young readers really can see themselves in literature and have access to a full rainbow, not just a few shades! 

We have succeeded on a lot of fronts. 

Books that have either arrived or been pledged represent: gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, polyamorous and genderfluid identities. The books also represent people of colour and characters with disabilities. 

Also Welcoming ... Peter Knapp from Park Literary! 

First 10pgs Critique Wild Card 

I am always seeking middle grade and young adult stories with big questions at their centers, irresistible concepts, and unforgettable characters. I like high concept stories or stories that employ great narrative devices, such as the tapes in Thirteen Reasons Why, the keepsakes and epistolary format in Why We Broke Up and the diary formats of Dork Diaries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I am also always looking for dark psychological suspense and truly scary horror—both in YA and in MG. I want contemporary realistic novels that explore issues of identity, culture and community—conversation starters like The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Wonder, The Fault in Our Stars, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Ask the Passengers, Faking Normal, etc. Other items on the wish list include: historical middle grade fiction such as Gary Schmidt’s Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy;funny contemporary with heart such as David Levithan’s Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares; and stories that play with genre and voice, such as the exceptional works of Nova Ren Suma and A. S. King. Further favorite titles include When You Reach Me, Savvy, Slob, The Secret Tree, The Graveyard Book, We Were Liars, Love Letters to the Dead, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Endangered and of course childhood favorites such as From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Shiloh, Where the Red Fern Grows, My Side of the Mountain, Frindle, Holes, and anything by Roald Dahl (to name just a few). In short, I’m looking for books that wow me—stories that are incredible in both concept and execution.

FAQs 

(1) I am an agent/author/editor/publisher and I want to participate!

That's great! You can email me at julia_ember@yahoo.com ! 

(2) How much shipping time should I allow to Edinburgh?

From the UK, please allow 3-4 business days. When shipping from the US, or further afield, I'd advise that you plan for 7-12 business days. 

(3) Can I get in touch with a representative from Stonewall? 

Of course! Stonewall UK are aware that we are running this event on their behalf, and they are very excited about it. Please contact James.Baker@stonewall.org.uk for any information relating to the organisation. Note that we are running this event for them, so all logistical queries should be directed to the email address above, but if you want more information on Stonewall themselves or the work they do, then please contact James. 

(4) I don't want to wait for the auction! I just want to donate money on behalf of the event and Stonewall. 

We have set up an Indigogo Page for this purpose. Once the auction begins, book boxes and publishing wild cards will be listed for purchase on the page. But if you want to donate from goodness of your heart -- huzzah! 

Click here!

Support Banners

With about a month to go until the launch of the event, it's time to get the word spread out a bit! If you'd like to direct people to the blog, so that they can follow the evolution of the event, use one of the support banners below! Or make your own!