Alexandra Duncan Takes the Dare + Short Story Winners

I promise to get around to embarrassing myself in a minute, but first, some important business: the winners of our short story contest. (Drumroll, please!)

The grand prize goes to. . . Leigh!

And our runners-up are. . . Silverpool and Christina.

Congratulations, guys! Thank you so much for playing. E-mail us at fridaythethirteeners[at]gmail[dot]com to claim your prizes.

And now, on to the humiliation. . .

The last time I played Truth or Dare was at my friend Nicole's birthday party during my senior year of high school. Most of our truths involved boys, and I don't think there was a single dare in the mix. What had happened to the halcyon days of mixing together weird things from the fridge and then making each other eat them? Or sneaking out of the house to jump on the trampoline at midnight? So, when I heard about the idea of the Thirteeners, I knew immediately I had to play, and I knew I wanted to start with a really good dare.


Amy Conroy sent in a perfect one:


Read a bit of a story from when you were younger (child to teenager, the youngest piece that you can find).

I'm not sure about the wisdom of letting my 11 year-old self's writing out into the world when I'm trying to have a career convincing people to read the things I write now, but it wouldn't be a dare if it didn't hurt a little, right?

Thanks for the awesome dare, Amy. Since this is my first time playing, you get to choose a prize - a $13 gift certificate or a copy of Booklife, by Jeff Vandermeer (my favorite guide to the writing life). E-mail me at fridaythethirteeners[at]gmail[dot]come and let me know which you'd like.


Thanks again for playing! Check back with us this coming Friday, May 4th, for a post by the lovely and talented Mindy McGinnis.
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Alexandra Duncan is a writer and librarian. Her first novel, Salvage, is due to be released by Greenwillow Books/Harper Collins in Fall 2013. You can find her online at Twitter, Goodreads, and her personal blog.

Natalie Whipple Takes The Dare

Before we get to my impending humiliation, first we need to announce the winners of our very first Friday The Thirteeners contest! Here they are, in no particular order:

Erica and Christy

Claire Dawn

Riv Re

Myrna Foster

Amanda Oliveri

SM Blooding

Jenny S Morris

Tristain

Tiana Smith

Lexie

Hayley Lovell

Chantele Sedgwick

Little Miss Bookworm

If you're on the list, please contact us at fridaythethirteeners@gmail.com with your choice of prize. We'll work things out from there!

Now, on to the dare. I chose Leigh Smith's, and since I did I'm offering her a 30-page manuscript critique (If you're not a writer, Leigh, we'll work something else out.)! Thanks so much for joining in the fun and giving me such a great challenge. Please email me at natalie@nataliewhipple.com to work out the details. I hope you all enjoy the results!



Have a truth or dare you'd like to see us answer next Friday? Submit one now!

Come Join The Bonfire!

Friday The Thirteeners is a small group of YA authors debuting in 2013. Thirteen is a number that marks the beginning of adolescence. It whispers of secret, exciting, and possibly scary things. For us, it says so much about becoming official authors, with all its twists and turns. So we figured the best way to conduct this blog was to host our very own virtual bonfire, complete with prizes and a chance to embarrass us with an ongoing Truth Or Dare.

So welcome! Pull up a camp chair and roast some marshmallows while we get settled in to tell ghost stories and play games. Don’t mind those strange sounds coming from the woods, that’s just Kasie trying to scare us. Hear that giggle between moans? Yup.

The first order of official bonfire business is the Truth Or Dare. Oh yes, my friends, we’re giving you the floor here. We thought this blog would be far more entertaining if we put it in your hands. Your job is simple: Offer up a Truth Or Dare here. Our job is not so simple: Pick a Truth Or Dare, carry it out, and report back. If your Truth Or Dare is chosen, you’ll be getting a little prize from us. Or a big prize, it’s really the luck of the draw (or UNluck of the draw, if we’re being all 13-like).

And who’s the first up on the chopping block? Yours truly, Natalie Whipple. My other daring author friends will continue from there. We are at your mercy. I’d tell you to be kind, but I’m not sure that’s the point.

So send in your Truth Or Dares, and next Friday you could see me fulfilling your challenge (aka: humiliating myself)!

Since this is Friday The Thirteeners very first post, we also couldn’t leave you without some choice rewards. A contest is definitely in order! And, trust me, the prizes are awesome:

Thirteen Winners will be able to choose one prize of their liking:

Prizes:
1. A 13-page crit from one of our authors.
2. An Indie Bound gift card for $13.
3. A black cat pendant made by Natalie Whipple.

To Enter:
Just leave a comment on this post. Following the blog or our twitter feed is much encouraged (so you won’t miss the announcement of winning the contest and/or Truth Or Dare), but not mandatory.

Deadline:
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012, Midnight eastern time. Winners will be announced on Friday (The 20th), along with the results of my Truth Or Dare adventure.
Now, while we await the Truth Or Dares, let’s tell some wicked ghost stories.