This summer’s YA Scavenger Hunt–which ended yesterday–was a huge success. According to the organizers, the YASH website got over 25,000 pageviews, and more than 1500 people entered each team’s contest. I’d heard it was a high-traffic event, so I was prepared for a spike in visitors–but wow! On Thursday, the Hunt’s busiest day for me, I received more than ten times my normal daily traffic. One of the great things about the Hunt is that participating authors are allowed to run their own extra giveaway contests. Mine was for 10 signed ARCs of my forthcoming YA historical novel, Passion Blue. Here are the lucky winners, chosen with Rafflecopter’s random entry picker: Gaby Navarro Giedre Sliumba Grace Lo Kristen DeLeonard Molly Nudo Frenzel Natalie Cleary Pam Rosensteel Sarah Kalaitzidis Thalia Anderson Violette Starowicz Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to everyone who participated in the Hunt.

Look what just landed on my doorstep! Lots of lovely Passion Blue ARCs. As much as I embrace the digital revolution that’s transforming the publishing world seemingly by the day, I feel sad for authors of the future whose books may never appear in physical form. There really is nothing like the thrill of holding your book in your hands for the first time. This is my eighth time around, and it never gets old! If you review YA fiction, please contact me to request a copy (publication date is November 6, 2012). Please include your contact information in your email (it won’t be shared, and you won’t be added to any lists) and tell me something about your blog or review publication. I’m also going to be organizing Goodreads giveaways through the summer and fall–check back here, or watch my Facebook page and Twitterstream, for details. Passion Blue: a…

******************************************** The giveaway is closed. Congratulations to the winners: Catherine Stine of New York City, and Brian Bedard of Brockford, MA. ********************************************* I’m proud and thrilled to reveal the gorgeous final cover for Passion Blue! (Click on the image for a larger view. For info about the book, plus reviews and excerpts, click here.) I’m incredibly pleased with the way it came out. Historical novels for teens often have bland, predicable covers that announce  “I’m a historical novel and I’m going to teach you something,” and I hate those interchangeable big-dress  covers you see so often in adult historical fiction, where the models have their backs turned or half their faces missing. But I think the designer, Sonia Chaghatzbanian, did a fabulous job of suggesting the period without pigeonholing the genre. The photo model has a perfect face for Giulia, my heroine–not exactly pretty, but strong, striking, and determined. I love…