RUN TO YOU Cover Reveal and Signed THE TESTING Giveaway

by Clara Kensie

Note from Martina:

Guys! No regular Saturday pick and mix today, but I have an announcement instead. Our own Clara Kensie’s book has a cover! Three covers actually, because Harlequin Teen is running it as their very first serial on their digital imprint. How fun is that? I’m not sure if you’ve seen that this is starting to become a trend. Melissa de la Cruz and other authors are leading the charge, and I personally am very excited about it. Some of my favorite writers of all time did serial fiction: Alexandre Dumas with THE THREE MUSKETEERS and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, Harriet Beecher Stowe with UNCLE TOM’S CABIN, Leo Tolstoy with ANNA KARENINA, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Stephen King with THE PLANT, Orson Scott Card with HOT SLEEP… Fabulous, right?

Now, since Clara is my critique partner, I happen to have read RUN TO YOU several times. And I’m telling you, it’s great for the serial format. The action starts rolling and keeps building through these lovely, romantic valleys and then builds again to a cliffhanger, then more of that wonderful hero, and another cliffhanger, and just when you are on the edge of your seat and you think it can’t make you any more tense, BAM. Another cliffhanger. Holy page turner.

Okay, I’m calm again. Enjoy! And congrats, Clara!!! I’m so, so excited about this book!

And Clara says:

Thank you so much, Martina! Being a trail-blazer (well, a modern-day trail-blazer) for YA serials is scary! But it’s also exciting. Serialized novels are like your favorite weekly television series: you get a full episode in one bite, but then you have more to look forward to. I’m honored that Harlequin Teen chose RUN TO YOU for their first serial.

Divided into three satisfying novella-length episodes, RUN TO YOU Book One (Parts 1, 2, and 3) is releasing weekly, starting on February 1, 2014. The adventure continues with the sequel (Parts 4, 5, and 6), with weekly releases beginning June 1, 2014. It will be a fun couple of months for readers of the RUN TO YOU series!

One of the best things about writing a serial? I get a different cover for each part! We recently revealed the three covers for Book One in the RUN TO YOU series, and I’m thrilled to share them with all of you, the readers of Adventures in YA Publishing! To celebrate the gorgeousness of the covers, I’m doing a giveaway of one of my favorite books. Read on for details! But first, let’s take this opportunity to ooh and ahh over the RUN TO YOU covers:

Clara Kensie – RUN TO YOU Parts 1, 2, and 3 – Gorgeous covers!

Oooh! Ahhh!

RUN TO YOU
Part 1: First Sight

RUN TO YOU PART ONE: FIRST SIGHT (available February 1, 2014)
Part One in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Sarah Spencer has a secret: her real name is Tessa Carson, and to stay alive, she can tell no one the truth about her psychically gifted family and the danger they are running from. As the new girl in the latest of countless schools, she also runs from her attraction to Tristan Walker—after all, she can’t even tell him her real name. But Tristan won’t be put off by a few secrets. Not even dangerous ones that might rip Tessa from his arms before they even kiss…

RUN TO YOU
Part 2: Second Glance

RUN TO YOU PART TWO: SECOND GLANCE (available February 8, 2014)
Part Two in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Tessa Carson has unlocked her heart and her secrets to Tristan Walker—but Tristan has secrets of his own, and his might just mean the end of Tessa’s family. Unaware, Tessa embraces falling in love and being herself for the first time since she was attacked when she was only eight years old. But secrets can’t be run from forever, and sometimes love is too good to be true…

RUN TO YOU
Part 3: Third Charm

RUN TO YOU PART THREE: THIRD CHARM (available February 15, 2014)Part Three in the riveting romantic thriller about a family on the run from a deadly past and a first love that will transcend secrets, lies and danger…

Betrayed, heartbroken, and determined to save her family, Tessa Carson refuses to give in to Tristan Walker’s pleas for forgiveness. But her own awakening psychic gift won’t let her rest until she uncovers the truth about her family and her past. And Tristan is the only one who can help her sift through the secrets to find the truth hidden in all the lies…

Add RUN TO YOU to your Goodreads Want To Read shelf,

and pre-order from your favorite e-tailer:

Amazon B&N Google Play BAM Harlequin

Now, on to the giveaway! To celebrate the RUN TO YOU covers, I’m giving away a signed, hardcover copy of one of my favorite books, THE TESTING by Joelle Charbonneau. THE TESTING is currently #12 on the NYT Bestseller list for YA!

It’s graduation day for sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five Lakes Colony (the former Great Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think about—hope for—is whether she’ll be chosen for The Testing, a United Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become possible leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization. When Cia is chosen, her father finally tells her about his own nightmarish half-memories of The Testing. Armed with his dire warnings (”Cia, trust no one”), she bravely heads off to Tosu City, far away from friends and family, perhaps forever. Danger, romance—and sheer terror—await.

Want to win it? It’s signed by the author!! Enter here:

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Clara Kensie

RITA Award winning author of super-romantic thrillers and angsty dramas for young adults, & fun, flirty, feel-good romcoms for grown ups. Fueled by coffee and cookie dough.

Post © Clara Kensie and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Dec 21, 2013

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: Clara Kensie | YA Giveaway Winners

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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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