Alexandra Duncan Takes the Dare

After my last dare, fellow Thirteener Natalie Whipple dubbed me the Nerd Queen and dared me to make a crown out of action figures . . .

Now, I don't know if I'm the Nerd Queen herself, exactly. There are probably people with more Star Wars t-shirts and hours logged playing D&D than me, but I could definitely be some kind of Nerd Duchess or lady-in-waiting. And no way am I going to pass up an opportunity to use my glue gun. So of course I took Natalie up on her dare. 

How does one make a nerd crown, exactly?

Step 1: Assemble your nerd crown components.

Pictured here: two mini-lightsaber key chains (they light up, you guys!), yarn, a hair band, disembodied dragon head, little red ninja dude, the tiger from Kung-Fu Panda, my glue gun, two mini skateboards, a Hot Wheels car, a wind-up robot, and a My Little Pony. Most of these things came from the toy bin at my local Goodwill outlet, since I don't have any small nieces and nephew or children of my own. (Yes, Goodwill will sell you a disembodied dragon head.)

I didn't end up using everything, because some of it was too heavy and I ran out of room, but I'm sure I can find something to do with that My Little Pony. Maybe glue it to one of the skateboards?

Step 2:Wrap the headband with yarn to increase the surface area and stick-ability of the hot glue.


Step 3: Attach disembodied dragon head. Obviously, this is the most important part.


Step 4: Attach fake lightsabers.


Step 5: Ice your finger after you accidentally get hot glue on it and develop a really painful blister.


Step 6: Add little red ninja dude. (Or maybe he's a football guy? I don't know.)


Step 7: Add awesome little blue robot.


Step 8: Go eat an ice cream sandwich while the hot glue cools and dries. Ice cream sandwiches are good for burned fingers.


And now, ladies and gentlemen, the final product. Drumroll, please. . .

 TA-DA! Nerd crown acheived!

The Nerd Duchess bids you adieu. Check back next week to see what the marvelous Erin Bowman has in store for us!
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Alexandra Duncan is a writer and librarian (plus amateur photographer, crochet enthusiast, cinemaphile, and, or course, book fiend). She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and has been a frequent contributor to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. She loves anything that gets her hands dirty – pie-baking, leatherworking, gardening, drawing, and rolling sushi, to name a few.Her first novel, Salvage, is due to be released by Greenwillow Books/Harper Collins in April 2014. You can find her online at Twitter, Goodreads, and her personal blog.

The Way We Were

Okay, so it's my turn to cover a truth or dare this week. And I was all set to tackle the very embarrassing dare of:

Post a picture of yourself when you were a teenager 

And I will, I promise!

(even though it means showing you the bangs of doom. siiiiigh.) 

BUT, I thought it might be extra fun if I dared some of my fellow Thirteeners to join me. So here are the hilarious--and somewhat humiliating--results!

First up: me! (oy)

And since this is technically my week, I figured I should have to share double the humiliation. So here you go--teen Shannon, ugly shorts, bad bangs and all:

 

I don't remember buying those shorts--but there's the photographic evidence....

And the one on the right is um... I guess my "sexy" look? It's especially effective with the giant stuffed bear in the background... (Also don't ask me why I'm holding my friend's leg. I have no idea...)

MOVING ON. 

Next up, Erin Bowman (author of TAKEN and FROZEN) shows us her adorable monkey face:

And Natalie Whipple (author of TRANSPARENT and HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW) shows us her natural hair color (which is way prettier than mine, btw):

Renee Collins (author of RELIC) shows us what a science geek she was: (and um, I DON'T want to know what's in that net)

And Megan Hansen Shepherd (author of THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER and HER DARK CURIOSITY) shows us her wild side (she's the one on the right--RAWRR):

Jenn Johansson (author of INSOMNIA) shows us her love for musical theater--and blonde wigs! (she's the one at the top of the pyramid):

And Brandy Colbert (author of POINTE) challenges Jenn to a battle of sequined dance costumes:

Alexandra Duncan (author of SALVAGE) shows us that sometimes you do marry your high school prom date (no really, that's her husband next to her. Say it with me: awwwwwwwww)

And Ellen Oh (author of PROPHECY and WARRIOR) rocks the ducktail cut. (well, I *believe* the haircut has a slightly less kid-friendly name. But I also write middle grade, so we're going with ducktail!) Apparently there's a whole party in the back we can't see:

And last--but certainly not least--Mindy McGinnis (author of NOT A DROP TO DRINK) proves that she's the bravest of us all:

I actually have equally awkward photos to rival this one of Mindy. But the dare said "teenager" and I was twelve, SO I AM TAKING THE LOOPHOLE AND RUNNING WITH IT!!!

Oh teenagedom--how DID we survive you?

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Shannon Messenger graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she learned--among other things--that she liked watching movies much better than making them. So she left LA and moved to suburbia where she would have time to eat too many cupcakes, own too many cats, and write lots and lots of books. LET THE SKY FALL is her first young adult novel, published in Spring 2013 by Simon Pulse. She is also the author of KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, book one in a middle grade series published by S&S Aladdin. Find her online at shannonmessenger.com.

J.R. Johansson Takes A Dare!

Some of you may have heard about my InsomniaDare I did with Elsie and Ellen last week. We'll be posting about that on Tuesday, but as part of it, I recorded all these little video clips to put into fun vlogs later...then realized that my microphone was broken.

Yeah...

So, I did the only logical thing and made it into a Silent Movie. Because that's what any normal person would do...or not.

But hey, I'm okay with not being normal.

Anyway, here it is...




So yeah...I had fun. You can probably tell... ;-)

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J.R. Johansson loves reading, playing board games and sitting in her hot tub. Her dream is that someday she can do all three at the same time. She is a YA thriller author published with Flux and FSG/Macmillan. She's represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Her debut novel, INSOMNIA, is due to be released in June 10, 2013. You can find her on twitter, goodreads, her website, or her personal blog.

J.R. Johansson Dares to Make Sweet Music

I've been playing around with different creative outlets lately and it's been really fun. So along those lines, for my post today, I dared myself to put together a special Friday the Thirteeners Playlist!

It features one song to represent each of our books. I've been lucky enough to read many of the awesome books on our sidebar and these songs are like a little slice of each! It's a great way to get a feel for our stories in music form.

Here are the reasons we picked the songs we did or you can just scroll down and start listening!

Track 1 - J.R. Johansson - Insomnia: "Letters from the Sky" by Civil Twilight - This song reminds me of Insomnia because it reflects this feeling of Parker's world falling apart around him and somehow finding a way to fight through it anyway. 

Track 2 - Ellen Oh - Prophecy: “Life in Mono” by Mono - This is one of my favorite songs and for some reason it was the tune that always came to me when I thought of my main character, Kira. When I was working on her scenes, trying to figure her out, I’d literally hear this song in my head. So I just started playing it all the time and Kira came to life. I find it perfect for her because it’s a melancholy piece—sad and lonely, but still filled with hope. Kind of like Kira.

Track 3 - Megan Shepherd - The Madman's Daughter: "Seven Devils" by Florence + The Machine - When I listen to this eerie, dramatic song, I think about how the greatest dangers come not always from outside, but often from something within each of us.

Track 4 - Elsie Chapman - Dualed: "Run" by Snow Patrol - I used to listen to this song on repeat when I wrote Dualed. It's sad but really charged, and it's one of my favorites.

Track 5 & 6 - Erin Bowman - Taken: "Love Like a Sunset Part I + II" by Phoenix - These two tracks have always felt like the book’s point of no return to me. Gray makes a choice. This is the moment nothing will ever be the same.

Track 7 - Mindy McGinnis - Not a Drop to Drink: "Rocks and Water" by Deb Talan - Because it's pretty much a perfect feel for my book.

Track 8 - Shannon Messenger - Let the Sky Fall: "Hurricane" by Something Corporate - It was the song that inspired Vane's sorta bratty, easy-going voice. And it has wind references!

Track 9 - Brandy Colbert - Pointe: "Give it Away" by Zero 7 - I don't listen to music while I write, but this is a song that I listened to a lot during the period I was working on my second rewrite.

Track 10 - Renee Collins - Relic: "The Kiss" from The Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack - This is the song that captures the sweeping, historical feel of Relic the most for me.

Track 11 - Natalie Whipple - Transparent: "I Just Wanna Run" by The Downtown Fiction - I picked this because Fiona is all about running—physically and emotionally. :)

Track 12 - Kasie West - Pivot Point: "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas - I picked this because it captures the feel of Pivot Point for me so well. One line says: Our lives are made in these small hours, these little wonders, these twists and turns of fate. That line, along with the rest of the song, says it all for me.

Track 13 - Alexandra Duncan - Salvage: "A Widow's Toast" by Neko Case - It's a hard choice, but I think this just fits Salvage the best.

Track 14 - April Tucholke - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: "Metamorphosis One" by Phillip Glass - Cab Calloway's Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea was the title inspiration for my book, but not really what I listened to while writing it (it's too cheerful). I also really love his Illusionist and The Hours soundtracks.


So, what do you think? Do you have a favorite song from our list? Any songs that remind you of our books or that you think should've made the cut?

Happy Friday!

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J.R. Johansson loves reading, playing board games and sitting in her hot tub. Her dream is that someday she can do all three at the same time. She is a YA thriller author represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Her debut novel, INSOMNIA, is due to be released June 10, 2013 with Flux. You can find her on twitter, goodreads, her website, or her

Shannon Messenger Takes the Dare

Phew--it feels like I haven't posted here in FOREVER! 

*glances at date of last Shannon-post* 

*blushes*

Wow, looks like my deadlines got the better of me for a while. But never fear--I. am. back! 

And apparently I've tweeted a few too many times about a certain frumpy pair of pants I wear when I'm home writing, because when it was my fellow Thirteeners turn to dare me, they jumped right in with a challenge I'd been hoping to avoid: SHOW THE FRUMPY SWEATPANTS OF DOOM. 

*sigh*

All right, FINE. Here they are:

Though I gotta admit: scary as that photo is, it REALLY doesn't capture the true frumpiness of these pants (though it does give me a shocking glimpse of what my bed-hair looks like...)  

Neither did this one--though it was getting a *little* closer:

(Side note: WHAT IS THAT POSE?????) 

You can *kinda* see how the elastic waistband is so stretched out that the pants sag down to like, mid-thigh. But film just couldn't  really seem to capture the full extent of the Shannon Shame. So to make up for it, I thought I'd ALSO share the full range of Oh-So-Fabulous things I wear when I stay home writing. 

I call these my "Work Pajamas" (yes, really):

Basically they're soft, cozy PJs I change into when I wake up, so I get the benefit of staying-in-my-PJs-all-day without the slightly gross side effect of wearing-the-same-clothes-day-and-night. And yes, they have little dogs on them. 

(Side note again: WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY HAIR????)

And let's not forget the lovely stretch pants + husband's-Batman-T-Shirt combo that makes an appearance on warmer days...

Bonus: they're capri stretch pants. But I cropped that part out of the photo because my blinding white, haven't-had-a-tan-in-YEARS legs were too much for anyone to handle. It was also hard to tell where they ended and my wall began...

And I know *some* of you (rather kind people) might be thinking the wardrobe isn't THAT bad. But I promise, it is. Especially when you consider that these three outfits are essentially the ONLY things I wear, unless it's one of those rare days when I actually get out of the house and therefore have to make SOME effort to look cute.  The rest of the time, it's this. 

BE JEALOUS OF ALL THE GLAMOUR!!!!

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Shannon Messenger graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she learned--among other things--that she liked watching movies much better than making them. So she left LA and moved to suburbia where she would have time to eat too many cupcakes, own too many cats, and write lots and lots of books. LET THE SKY FALL is her first young adult novel, coming in Spring 2013 from Simon Pulse. She is also the author of KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, book one in a middle grade series launching Fall 2012 (S&S Aladdin). Find her online at shannonmessenger.com.

Renee Collins Takes the Dare!

Since my lovely cover went live only a few days ago, I knew I wanted my dare this week to have something to do with that. Only trouble was, there were no unused dares that would work relating to a cover. So I went to the Friday the Thirteener ladies to shamelessly ask for one.

Natalie dared me to mock my cover instead of praise it. But how could I? LOOK AT IT!

Definitely not mock-worthy. Though I did come up with a hybrid of that dare. I wondered, what if I staged a re-enactment of that cover? It's a little know fact that the red-rock cliffs near my home helped to inspire the setting for RELIC. So for one day, I decided to be Maggie. These are the results. . .



First, here's a picture to set the scene. These are the cliffs near my house. I can see them from my bedroom window.

GORGEOUS, right? I agree. That's why I wanted to put them in my novel. (I took this picture. Feel free to marvel in the comments section.)

So, with my hubby and kids, we set out on a trail near our house. Note the difference in color. I took the picture above on a different day. For our excursion this time, the lighting was much less flattering. Alas.

 I led the our little party. An intrepid explorer with a vision and dream.

 After hiking a ways, taking in the unseasonably lovely March evening air, we arrived at the perfect, RELIC-eqsue spot. I can see Maggie here. I can see Landon and Ella and Yahn. I can see . . .(Okay, no more teasers.)

 As I said before, the lighting was less than ideal. Look at this sunset! NOT gorgeous, fiery red like my cover.

But, regardless, I was there, and so a picture I must take. Here are the results. What my cover would like in real life. (If Maggie wore jeans.)
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-
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I think I prefer my cover artist's vision. And her artwork around the title, because dude, I clearly have no skills.

 *  *  *

Renee is a YA writer and professional ponderer. She loves historical settings, fantasy, and semi-tragic romance. RELIC is her first novel, coming September 2013 from Entangled Teen!

Mindi Scott Takes The Dare!

Today we have the awesome Mindi Scott, author of the highly praised FREEFALL and her newest YA, LIVE THROUGH THIS, which just came out last week. Here's some info about LTT:

From the outside, Coley Sterling’s life seems pretty normal . . . whatever that means. It’s not perfect—her best friend is seriously mad at her and her dance team captains keep giving her a hard time—but Coley’s adorable, sweet crush Reece helps distract her. Plus, she has a great family to fall back on—with a mom and stepdad who would stop at nothing to keep her siblings and her happy.

But Coley has a lot of secrets. She won’t admit—not even to herself—that her almost-perfect life is her own carefully-crafted façade. That for years she’s been burying the shame and guilt over a relationship that crossed the line. Now that Coley has the chance at her first real boyfriend, a decade’s worth of lies are on the verge of unraveling.

In this unforgettable powerhouse of a novel, Mindi Scott offers an absorbing, layered glimpse into the life of an everygirl living a nightmare that no one would suspect

Sounds amazing, doesn't it? And if you need more convincing, check out the amazing blurbs:

"Live Through This is by turns harrowing, sad, funny, and romantic. I couldn't put it down."

--Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss

"Intensely emotional and beautifully crafted, I savored every word."
--Amanda Grace, author of In Too Deep

"An honest and realistic portrayal of what it is to live with secrets and shame." –Jo Knowles, author of Lessons From a Dead Girl

I gave Mindi a number of evil humiliating FUN options to choose from, and she--brave soul that she is--chose one of the hardest ones. I have watched this several times and only seem to giggle more with each one. Here she is, reading from her old diary. AND THERE'S KISSING!!!!

Isn't she too adorable for words???

*tiny correction: Mindi wanted to make it clear that she meant a WAGE of $3.61 an hour, not price*

Thank you SO MUCH Mindi for being such an awesome sport and stopping by to play our little game! And If you're an author or soon-to-be-pubbed author and want to play, go here (we're booked up for a while, but please feel free to still sign up)! 

Mindi Scott is the author of Live Through This and Freefall. She lives near Seattle, Washington, with her drummer husband. Please visit her online at mindiscott.com.

And you can order Mindi's books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indiebound.

Miriam Forster Takes the Dare!

Today's guest post comes from Miriam Forster, whose debut novel, CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS,  comes out from Harper Teen on Feb. 5, 2013.

Miriam was brave enough to take on the following dare, a dare that involves - dum, dum, DUM! - dancing. And not just any dancing, but interpretive dance.



Here's a little more about Miriam's book:

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

Doesn't that sound amazing? I, for one, can't wait until February.

Check back with us this Friday, when our very own Ellen Oh returns to entertain and enlighten us. If you have a truth or dare for her, click here.

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Miriam Forster learned to read at the age of five, wrote her first story at the age of seven and has been playing with words ever since. CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS, her debut novel, will be coming from HarperTeen on February 5th, 2013. 

In her daily life, Miriam is a wife, a terrible housekeeper and a dealer--and duster--of books. In her internal life, she imagines fight scenes, obsesses about anthropology, nature shows and British television, and reads far too much. She likes to wander the Internet and is usually in one of the following places. 

Blog 
Twitter 
Goodreads

Megan Shepherd Takes the Dare

I am thrilled to be the second Mystery Author revealed here on the blog! When the Friday the Thirteeners first contacted me I thought, what better way to combine my tolerance for humiliating myself with my love of young adult literature? Clearly, it’s a match made in heaven, and getting to know these talented ladies has been a pleasure.

What HASN’T been a pleasure is picking a truth or dare from all the submissions! You guys are apparently a highly creative and slightly sadistic bunch, which makes me encouraged about the future of the YA literary community. So, inspired by Erin’s post last week about her publisher’s cover design process, I chose a dare submitted by Jessica Ball:

Design an original cover for your book.

Let me clarify, in case it's somehow not clear, that this is NOT THE REAL COVER. The real cover won't be designed for a few more months and will be totally awesome, aka, nothing at all like these. Even though, you know, I took a four-hour Photoshop class about two years ago, so clearly I’m totally qualified for this kind of thing.

Get ready. You might need blinders. Ta-da!

Thanks for the great dare, Jessica! Because this was my first truth or dare, and inspired by our Thirteener name, I’m giving you either a $13 Barnes and Noble gift card or (if you are a writer) a 13-page critique. Email me at fridaythethirteeners[at]gmail[dot]com and let me know which you would prefer.

Keep submitting those great truths & dares, everyone! You can submit them here.
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Megan Shepherd is a young adult writer living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Her debut novel, THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER, comes out in early 2013 from Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins, and is the first in a Gothic thriller trilogy. She’d love to hear from you at her blog, Twitter, Facebook, or on Goodreads.

Chris Howard Takes The Dare

Chris Howard is our guest author for Truth or Dare this week. His debut YA novel, ROOTLESS, will be published by Scholastic, November 2012. Chris chose a dare, submitted by one of our own--April Tucholke dared Chris to write a ROOTLESS inspired song, and he did it. Happy Valentine's Day.

Hi! This is Chris, and I'm honored to be included on Friday the Thirteeners this week! Thanks for having me! I hope you enjoy the song I wrote for the main character of my debut novel, ROOTLESS. It was supposed to be a "dare" ... but to be honest I had an absolute blast working up the tune on my acoustic guitar. ROOTLESS is the first in a series of books set in a distant future where nothing can grow. The main character's name is Banyan - he builds trees out of old scrap and salvaged junk, until he finds a clue to the whereabouts of the last living trees on earth ... He's an awesome young dude, really, and he deserves a song - so thanks for inspiring me!



Chris Howard grew up not far from London, but he currently lives in Denver, Colorado. He studied Natural Resources Management in college, and spent eight years leading wilderness adventure trips for teenagers. Chris is passionate about art and the environment, and his debut novel celebrates both those things...and more. ROOTLESS will be out this November, via Scholastic Press, and Chris is currently working on Book 2 of the series. Find him here:

http://chrishowardbooks.com/
http://www.facebook.com/ChrisHowardBooks
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13049305-rootless
http://twitter.com/chrisH0WARD

Next up: the brilliant Erin Bowman. She'll take the stage Friday, Feb. 17. Submit a truth or dare for Erin here.

Shannon Messenger Takes The Dare

I WOULD be excited about my first post here at Friday the Thirteeners--if it weren't for the whole: make the new girl tackle a dare straight away thing! (okay, fine, I'm STILL excited--but I'm also nervous because I KNOW what you're about to see...)

See, here at Friday the Thirteeners, we talk about books. We talk about writing. And sometimes, apparently, we share really really embarrassing things. But that's kind of writing related too--because all that shame and humiliation = EXCELLENT FODDER FOR WRITING ANGSTY SCENES. And thanks to Jaye Robin Brown's lovely dare, I now have PLENTY of angst to draw on.

I really have no words for what you're going to learn about me--except maybe:
BLAME JAYE!



Yeah...

 Thanks a LOT, Jaye!

No really, THANK YOU. We really do appreciate people who submit truths or dares--this blog would be rather boring without it. (so if you're reading this, please, feel free to go HERE and submit some. I mean really, how often do you get a chance to torture a group of YA authors, huh? HUH?)  And to reward you for your efforts, Jaye, I'm going to give you a $13 amazon or B&N giftcard (your choice). Just email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com so I know where to send your prize.

That's all for me for now--I won't be back for a few weeks. But make sure you stop by this Friday to watch another of us get tortured tackle a truth or dare! You never know what we'll have to do/share next!

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Shannon Messenger graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she learned--among other things--that she liked watching movies much better than making them. So she left LA and moved to suburbia where she would have time to eat too many cupcakes, own too many cats, and write lots and lots of books. LET THE SKY FALL is her first young adult novel, coming in Spring 2013 from Simon Pulse. She is also the author of KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, book one in a middle grade series launching Fall 2012 (S&S Aladdin). Find her online at shannonmessenger.com.

Guest Dare: Kiersten White

We are so excited to welcome our very first guest author to Friday The Thirteeners! Kiersten White, author of the PARANORMALCY trilogy, has bravely agreed to do a dare for us, and she chose Amy Garvey's. I hope you find the results as hilarious as we did.

If you didn't know, on top of asking for truths and dares from you, we welcome authors to take up a challenge with us. This blog is all about participation, so keep sending in your ideas, and don't be afraid to sign up to play. We'll be nice. We promise.





Thanks for participating, Amy! As the author of today's chosen dare, you win a copy of one of Kiersten White's favorite kissy books: ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins (if you already own this book, we'll work out a different prize). Our lovely April Tucholke is on the chopping block next so send in more dares! Check back Friday for another post.

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!