Hound dog sitting
Jack Russel sitting
Big, fuzzing brown puppy sitting
Golden Retriever sitting
German Shepard sitting
Gray Pitbull sitting
Husky laying down
Cocker Spaniel sittting
Black and white spaniel sitting
Young Husky sitting

Persuasion Fun, Halloweenish Things, and Giveaways

by Martina Boone

Happy book birthday to PERSUASION! I can’t believe it’s HERE. In some ways, it’s been a long time coming, and in other ways, it feels like COMPULSION just came out.

There are so many people who made this book possible, so today is dedicated to them. My amazing critique partners and readers, especially Erin Cashman, Susan Sipal, and Lisa Gail Green, and the incredible and generous beta readers from my street team. To my editors at Pulse, Annette Pollert, Sara Sargent, and Jennifer Ung, to my incredible agent, Jessica Regel. And to EVERYONE at Simon & Schuster and Simon Pulse, for their support, faith, patience, and generosity. To the marvelous team at JKS Communications, and to my blog partners here for being supportive and patient and not throwing things at me when I get too overwhelmed to do what I need to do.

Thanks also to all of you for coming along with me on this journey!

PICK UP YOUR COPY TODAY!

If you’re thinking of getting Persuasion, today’s a great time to do it. It can make a big difference to the book, AND there are pre-order incentives still in place through the end of the week.

IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Book Depository | (free worldwide shipping)

PRE-ORDER INCENTIVES

Get Compulsion AND Persuasion trinket bookmarks while supplies last, plus random winners get a Tiffany-style necklace, oak tree necklace, one of five silver bookmarks or one of five Compulsion for Reading T-shirts. 


LAUNCH PARTY

Launch party and fundraiser for the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia!

Instead of the traditional launch for Persuasion, I’m helping to raise funds for the Literacy Council, a ground-breaking and award-winning organization dedicated to adult literacy.

Join me on October 30 from 5-9 PM at Barnes & Noble in the Tyson’s Corner Mall. There will be fun for all ages, including two age-divided costume contests, face painting, cupcake decorating, bookmark-making, Q&As, two impromptu story writing session where I’ll create a story with the audience on the fly, and more. Lots of fun and prizes, so come out and bring your friends!

Can’t come? Order your holiday gifts online! If you enter the event ID number (#11709870), a percentage of all purchases made that day – online or in store – will benefit LCNV. 

MORE PERSUASION FUN

Three ways to win prizes including a $50 gift card, one of three Tiffany-style necklaces, and LOTS, lots more. Plus there are free downloadable bookmarks, door hangers, wallpapers and more.

In the Heirs of Watson Island books, Barrie Watson has a gift for finding lost things. And since Eight Beaufort’s gift is knowing what Barrie wants, when Barrie needs to develop her gift and test its limits in Persuasion, Eight gives her a book of word search puzzles.

To test your own finding gift, you can play along to win prizes and/or download free wallpapers, stickers, origami bookmarks, door hangers, and more!

Click here to play!


OCTOBER COMPULSION FOR READING BOOK-DRIVE CAMPAIGN

Know an underfunded classroom, school, or library?

I’m so happy to be able to say that the Compulsion For Reading campaign is expanding. This month, we have seven authors and/or bloggers participating, so we’re sending out seven packages of books to the teachers and librarians who not only can use them, but areusing books to reach teens and get them excited about reading.

I need to send out a huge shoutout to Vivi Barnes, Tara Dairman, Sara Jude, Jen Malone, Mary Elizabeth Summer, and Anna Weimer for offering up packages for the campaign this month. Check out the amazing packages they are offering!

Please nominate here:

http://www.CompulsionForReading.com
Want to donate?

Go here

BLOG TOURS

There are two incredible blog tours going on for PERSUASION, complete with amazing prizes and tons of information you’ve never heard or seen anywhere about PERSUASION and the series as a whole.

ROCKSTAR BOOK TOURS

Week One

Week Two

IRISH BANANA TOURS


Week 1

Week 2


PERSUASION EARLY REVIEWS

I have read many generational family sagas, many Southern Gothic tales, many books full of magic and magical realism, and many romances, but Martina Boone’s “Persuasion” takes each of these genres and mixes up a perfectly delectable cocktail!! I could not get enough. This book kept me up late into the night. I was absolutely captivated with her brilliant use of folklore, Cherokee legends, voodoo and various other magical systems. ~ Laura, Malaprop’s Bookstore

Martina Boone’s follow up to last year’s brilliant tale of love and Southern folklore does not disappoint! The Heirs of Watson island are back, and this time with even more magic and hair-raising adventure. Boone keeps the story moving nicely; just when you think you know where it’s going, something unexpected happens. The only bad thing I can say is that I still wanted more!  ~ Maureen, Fountain Bookstore

So much love for this series! Book 2 is very different from ‘Compulsion,’ but still completely engrossing. Martina Boone does an amazing job of exploring more of the characters introduced in the first book–especially Cassie and Seven. We also learn more about the curse and its conditions, as well as the history of Watson Island. It has more of an eerie feel than the first book, and the stakes are definitely even higher in the sequel. And of course, there’s plenty of the stalwart and sassy Eight Beaufort. *swoon* I can’t wait for book 3! ~ Lelia, One More Page Books

REVIEWS FROM BLOGGERS AND READERS


Here are a few more notes from readers!

“Beautiful, lyrical, haunting, mysterious, romantic, rich, thoughtful, dangerous, atmospheric and complex. I love this book.” ~ Andye, Reading Teen

“Just as magical as Compulsion! Martina sure knows how to write a beautiful story with compelling characters, mystery, magic, romance, and southern recipes that make me hungry! I can’t wait for the third book in this series! And I hope we get to see more of Berg! I have a new crush!” ~ Jaime, Two Chicks on Books

“Hold on to the edge of your seat, because PERSUASION takes you on a ride that will leave you breathless. Martina Boone does an extraordinary job weaving together history, magic, mystery, and modern times.” ~ Liza, Who R U Blog

“Amazing, as fantastic, if not better, than Compulsion!” ~ Kristi, The Book Faery

“Dark voodoo magic, southern charm, family secrets, complicated love, southern folklore, buried treasure, and ancient curses. This combination makes for an amazing second book to a wonderful series.” ~ Alicia, Book Lovin’ Alicia

“Guys, I am so excited for you to read this next installment. Boone really knocks it out of the park. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be scared, but overall you’ll enjoy.” ~ Amanda, The Golden Mantle Blog

Barrie and Eight are back along with all of the beautiful creepiness readers adore from Watson Island. Is the binding cost of young love worth it? Must you want what your family wants? PERSUASION is high on fantasy yet grounded in the real life issues teens face every day. ~ Jennifer, The YA Gal

“Loved this book! I was definitely not expecting it to end so quickly. I kept flipping until I got to the very back of the book and realized that was in fact the end. I need more now!” ~ Halson, The Pages Yet Traveled

Martina Boone

Martina Boone is the award-winning author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series, starting with COMPULSION from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse and the Celtic Legends Collection of novels set in Scotland, Cornwall, and Ireland beginning with LAKE OF DESTINY. She’s passionate about improving lives through literacy and the love of books, and she runs the Compulsion For Reading program to distribute books to underserved schools and libraries.

She lives with her husband, children, Shetland Sheepdog Phinney, and Zoey the lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing contemporary romantic fiction with a hint of magic set in small towns and beautiful places. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Post © Martina Boone and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.
Posted: Oct 27, 2015
Category: Imported from AYAP
Tags: Martina Boone

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p> <p>Your main character needs to be:<br /> • Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br /> • Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br /> • Active enough to drive the story<br /> • Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p> <p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />
The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p> <p>But your theme needs to be:<br /> • Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br /> • Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br /> • Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br /> • Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p> <p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />
The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p> <p>In general, your plot should:<br /> • Hook readers fast<br /> • Build tension that a child can follow<br /> • Create page turns that feel natural<br /> • Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p> <p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.
The Arms of your story are the side characters.
The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p> <p>Your setting should:<br /> • Make your character's world feel real<br /> • Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br /> • Connect different scenes and moments organically<br /> • Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p> <p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black. 

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