Young Adult Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to 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 our 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 THREE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! We are part of the ORANGE TEAM--

but there are also teams of many different colors for chances to win whole different sets of twenty signed 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 homepage. 

Scavenger Hunt Puzzle

Directions: Below, you'll notice that we've listed our favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the teal 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 April 3, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Scavenger Hunt Post

Today, we are hosting Sara B. Larson for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

Here's some information about Sara:

Sara B. Larson

Sara B. Larson is the author of the acclaimed YA fantasy DEFY trilogy: DEFY, IGNITE, and ENDURE, and the forthcoming DARK BREAKS THE DAWN. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their children, and their Maltese, Loki. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day (while mourning the demise of naptime) and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in “the art of multitasking.” When she’s not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction

Find out more information by checking out Sara's website!

Check out Sara's books here!

And here's a peek at the cover of her new book: 

SPOILER ALERT if you haven't read the series!!

At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian at any moment. Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.

When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?

Acclaimed author Sara B. Larson has woven a stunning, romantic, and evocative finale to the Defy trilogy that is sure to leave readers breathless until the very last page.

Exclusive Content -

Here's the exclusive content that Sara sent over just for you. 

From Sarah: Last spring I did the first half of a bonus scene from the DEFY series - the wedding scene for Damian and Alexa. This time I am doing the second half of the same scene. It is obviously spoilery if someone hasn't read the series, read at your own risk. :-) 

I squeezed Alexa’s hand as King Osgand looked first to her, then me, then to the crowd gathered behind us.

“It is my honor and privilege to stand before you all today, especially King Damian and his chosen bride,” he began, his deep voice resonating all the way to the far reaches of the Grand Hall. I was fairly certain I was supposed to keep my gaze forward, but I couldn’t resist looking down at Alexa once more as King Osgand continued to speak.  She was radiant in the simple but beautiful dress she’d had made to replicate the one her mother had worn so many years before. The perfume from the flowers wreathing her dark hair mingled with that of the soap she must have used that morning to create a heady blend that had me wishing the ceremony was already over and we were alone in—

She squeezed my hand once and I snapped my gaze forward to see King Osgand looking at me expectantly, an amused gleam in his eye.

“Do you wish to declare your intent to go forward with this marriage before your people?” He prompted quietly.

“Yes, yes I do,” I immediately—and loudly—answered.

“Excellent.” King Osgand smiled at me; and though we’d fought side by side in the war as equals, I couldn’t help but feel as though I were a young boy caught at mischief for a brief moment. But then he continued, “Alexa and Damian, you may face each other and recite your vows.”

The moment her gaze met mine I nearly lost the ability to breath—let alone speak. But thankfully, she was supposed to go first.

Alexa swallowed hard, once, a telltale sheen in her hazel eyes as we faced one another. “Damian,” she began, her voice raw with emotion, “you are my safe place in the storms of life. You are the one who loves all of me, good and bad—my other half, and the one I love, more than words can express.” Her voice trembled as she continued and I had to fight the urge to gather her in my arms, hoping instead that she could feel my encouragement and love through our joined hands. “I vow today before all these witnesses that I will forever pledge my heart and my life to you. I am yours, body and soul, until both shall cease to exist.”

Her vow—which I hadn’t heard until that moment—struck such a deep chord in me, I was unable to speak for a long moment, as I tried to compose myself. Her love was the greatest gift I’d ever been given—that and the fact that we had both somehow survived my father’s reign of terror, my uncle’s monstrosities, and everything else that had tried to tear us apart. So much loss, so much pain and hurt, had brought us to this moment. And, in a bittersweet way, that only made our joy more exquisite—more precious.

“Alexa,” I finally managed, my voice nearly breaking, “I loved you long before you truly knew who I was, and I wake up every morning in awe that you somehow came to love me in return.” She squeezed my hands again, her face shining with that love, that I still couldn’t quite believe was for me. “I will spend the rest of my life cherishing you, loving you, and helping you to see how truly beautiful you are—in every way possible, inside and out. You are my dearest friend, my true family, my Queen, and my heart. And I am yours, forever. This I vow, until the end of time.”

She smiled up at me, one tear finally slipping free to slide down her scarred cheek. I tenderly wiped it away, cupping her cheek as King Osgand announced:

“In witness of their vows, I declare you husband and wife—King and Queen! You may kiss your bride!”

A cheer rose from the crowd but I could barely hear a thing over the pounding of my heart as I finally did what I had been wanting to do since I first laid eyes on Alexa walking down the aisle toward me.

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed my queen—my beautiful, amazing wife.

Enter the Contest

That was awesome! Now don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books and more! To enter, you need to know that our favorite number is 3. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the orange team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Continue the Hunt

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author! Click here!