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Hello, YA Scavenger Hunters! I am Kate Brauning, the author of YA romance How We Fall–it’s the story of two cousins who fall into a dangerous relationship in the wake of a friend’s disappearance. You can find out more about it here and right now it’s ON SALE for $1.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble! Grab it before the price goes back up!

Today I’m hosting author Betsy Cornwell and an exclusive playlist for her own book, The Forest Queen, for the YA Scavenger Hunt. This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are SEVEN contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the GREEN TEAM–but there is also a RED, BLUE, GREEN, GOLD, ORANGE, PINK, & PURPLE team for a chance to win a whole different set of books! If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

GREEN 18 (1)

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the green team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by Sunday October 7th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Betsy Cornwell is the New York Times bestselling author of THE FOREST QUEEN, TIDES, MECHANICA, and VENTURESS. She started writing feminist fairy tales when she was ten and has never really stopped. Betsy received her MFA in creative writing from Notre Dame in 2012, and after grad school she ran away to Ireland to live with the fairies. She still lives there now.

Find out more information by checking out the author website or find more about the author’s book here!

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

the-forest-queen-new-jacket “An exciting and empowering fairy tale retelling starring a fierce heroine you will love cheering on.” – Bustle

From a New York Times bestselling author, a fresh, female-centered take on “Robin Hood” in which a young noblewoman, like the legendary hero, becomes an outlaw fighting for social justice.

When 18-year-old Silvie’s brother takes over management of their family’s vast estates, Silvie feels powerless to stop his abuse of the local commoners. Her dearest friend asks her to run away to the woods with him, and soon a host of other villagers join them. Together, they form their own community and fight to right the wrongs perpetrated by the king and his noblemen. Perfect for fans of fairy tale retellings or anyone who loves a strong female lead, this gorgeously-written take on the Robin Hood tale goes beyond the original’s focus on economic justice to explore love, gender, the healing power of nature, and what it means to be a family.”

The Forest Queen in music

I always write to music. At a low volume, it keeps me focused, and it inspires the mood I’m trying to set in a given scene. I crafted long playlists for each of my first two books before I wrote them, but I eventually decided I was just procrastinating – now I choose a few key musicians and let YouTube or Spotify suggest new songs from there. I’ve found some of my favorite artists that way: it’s how I first heard Tia Blake, for instance, who became one of the key inspirations for The Forest Queen.

I live in the west of Ireland, which provided a huge part of my inspiration too – I share lots of pictures of my adventures in the Irish wilderness on Instagram. The lush, green, rain-and-sun-dappled landscape and the eclectic music here are both intrinsic parts of this book’s spirit.

Here are nine songs that helped me write The Forest Queen – one of them even made it into the epigraph. I love all of them and I hope you will, too.

https://open.spotify.com/embed/user/1212540389/playlist/0KbB3KNL32wmg7G0Cvur1x

Playlist:

“Now Westlin Winds” Band of Burns
“Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” Florence + The Machine
“Hard Way Home” Brandi Carlile
“This Is A Rebel Song” Sinead O’Connor
“Green & Gold” Lianne La Havas
“Hangman” Tia Blake
“Cherry Wine (Live)” Hozier
“The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)” The Decemberists
“Never Going Back Again” Fleetwood Mac

Thank you for reading! And don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, Betsy Cornwell, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 27. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the green team and you’ll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Enter the giveaway below for a copy of The November Girl by Lydia Kang! Open internationally to any country where Book Depository ships.