The Hunt is On!

I'm super excited to be participating in this seasons YA Scavenger Hunt. This is my first time on the hunt, but I know some authors have done it as many as 5 times!

You're currently hunting the Red Team. I have an exclusive deleted scene from my debut novel, Devils Within, a 2018 William C. Morris Award Finalist, hidden somewhere on team Red, you just have to keep looking to find it.

You can find another author's bonus material in this post, but first, you need the rules.:

Scavenger Hunt Rules

DIRECTIONS: You'll find my favorite number somewhere in this post. Collect the favorite numbers of every author on Team Red and add them together. (You can do this for each team).

PRIZES: There will be one winner for each team who will be awarded a grand prize. The grand prize will be one book from each author on the team. Some authors may be giving away a different book as a prize, and some may have their own giveaways going as well.

HINTS: THE SECRET NUMBER IS HIGHLIGHTED IN RED. There are 6 teams and each team has 20 authors.

ENTRY FORM: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, complete the entry form to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

RULES:

• Open internationally
• Only one entry per person per team
• If you win, you must claim your prize within 48 hours or the prize will be re-drawn
• You must be 16 years or older, or have the permission of a guardian to enter
• Duplicate entries will be deleted
• Anyone who blatantly disregards the rules (i.e. purposefully entering multiple times) will be disqualified. (We understand accidental duplicate entries, but last hunt, some people tried to enter dozens of time. All entries of someone who does this will be disqualified.)
• Direct questions can be submitted here, or email [email protected]
• The hunt starts April 3rd. You have until April 8th to complete the entry form. All entries must be turned in by this time to qualify.
  
• Only correct entries submitted through the forms below will qualify as an entry.
• No purchase necessary.

You can enter the hunt with just one team, or with all six! I am a part of the RED TEAM,  but there is also the  GOLD TEAM, BLUE TEAM, PINK TEAM, PURPLE TEAM, & GREEN TEAM! Check out each team for a chance to win different sets 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. And follow @yascavengerhunt on Twitter or at https://www.facebook.com/yascavengerhunt.

Without further ado, I'm excited to be hosting J. Keller Ford!

About J. Keller Ford...

J. Keller Ford is a scribbler of speculative fiction and YA tales. As an Army brat, she traveled the world and toured the halls of some of Germany’s most extraordinary castles in hopes of finding snarky dragons, chivalrous knights, and wondrous magic to permeate her imagination. What she found remains etched in her topsy-turvy mind, and oozes out in sweeping tails of courage, sacrifice, honor and everlasting love.

When not torturing her keyboard or trying to silence the voices in her head, Jenny spends time collecting seashells, bowling, screaming on roller coasters, and traveling. She is a mom of four magnificent and noble offspring, and currently lives in paradise on the west coast of Florida with a menagerie of royal pets, and her own quirky knight who was brave enough to marry her.

Jenny is the author of The Chronicles of Fallhollow series. The first two books, IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGON KING, and RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING, are currently available. The third and final book, MASK OF THE DRAGON KING, is due to release June 19, 2018.

In addition, her short story, DRAGON FLIGHT, is available for free if you sign up for her newsletter found on her website at www.j-keller-ford.com.

About the book...

David and Charlotte paid their dues. They traveled to another realm, battled the Dragon King, recovered the all important magic key to the mage tunnels, and found the heir to the throne of Hirth, as promised. Now it's time to go home. There’s just one problem: the powerful crystals needed to activate the tunnels have been stolen…and David’s parents have mysteriously disappeared along with them. Guess who’s not going home to Havendale anytime soon.

Eric Hamden, squire extraordinaire, survived the poisonous knick of a shadowmorth’s blade, rescued the king of Hirth from the bowels of the dragon's lair, and confronted a heartbreaking betrayal that nearly got him killed. Still reeling from the news, Eric sets his sights on a daring rescue only to wind up in a prison of his own with David and Charlotte at his side. But rescues come in strange ways, and before they know it, the three end up in David's hometown of Havendale...and Eric gets a quick schooling in Modern Life 101. He'd rather fight a dragon.

With secrets, lies and betrayals meeting them at every turn, David, Charlotte and Eric soon discover that Havendale isn't the sanctuary they'd hoped for. Even their best-laid plans can't prepare them for the danger that stalks them. This time, no amount of magic or prayers can save them. War has been declared, and in the final battle, someone must make the ultimate sacrifice. Let the battle begin.

Now, what you've all been waiting for...
bonus material from J. Keller Ford!

Hi lucky readers:

I hope you’re having fun on the scavenger hunt!  Isn’t it fun?

I’m sure by now you’ve come across a lot of books you like along with exclusive material offered up by the authors. Today, I’m sharing with you the original opening chapter for RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING. The book originally was titled TRIUMPH OF THE DRAGON KING, but I hated it so much, I wrote most of it under the title of THE BOOK THAT MUST BE NAMED.

Reading back on this first chapter, I am so glad I had some ruthless beta readers who were willing to upchuck all over it. It was horrible, but I knew it was bad. The main thing I was trying to do is figure out where I wanted to start the story. David wasn’t it, as you’ll see when you read the final version, RAGE OF THE DRAGON KING. In this deleted/revised scene, you will also find typos and weird punctuation. It’s all a process, right? J   I hope you enjoy reading this disaster of an opening.

Jenny
 
*******
CHAPTER 1
David
 
David paced the tapestried floor drumming his fingers against thighs. Every voice, every footstep along the castle’s corridor sent his heart thumping, his nerves skittering. Any moment, Slavandria would knock on his door and take him to meet his parents.

His parents.

The thought should please him. After all, it was what he’d wished for his entire life, to have a mom, a dad, like normal kids. Now that his dream was coming true, the only emotions he could summon were anger and resentment. They’d lied to him, staged their own deaths and abandoned him with no apparent intentions of returning. It didn’t matter they’d left him with his god-mother, Lily, who just happened to be a kick-butt sorceress with magic powers out the wazoo. The point was, they’d left him without the courtesy of an explanation. If it hadn’t been for the sudden appearance of the thrumming tattoo on his chest, the heirloom ring that was destined to kill him if he removed it from his finger, and the mysterious letter from his dead mother, he probably would have never known the truth.  Maybe that’s the way they wanted it, but now that he knew the truth, they had some explaining to do.

His chest deflated, however, as he pictured the reunion — him standing on one side of the room, them on the other with nothing but empty space between them. It was a far cry from the vision he had as a kid where they’d hug and do the whole forgive and forget thing. Now? Now he was sixteen and no longer a stupid, naïve little boy. The last few days he’d seen first-hand in the harshest of ways how the world worked, and it was vicious and cruel, and it would eat you up and spit you out before blinking an eye. Nah. If he was looking for a reunion with his dream family, he was going to the wrong party. The reunion he faced wasn’t with family. Family didn’t leave each other behind. No, this was something foreign, something that didn’t have a name, and his nerves didn’t like it at all.    
A commotion in the courtyard wafted upward toward his room. He moved to the window and swept aside the blue velvet drapes. He squinted as the bright morning sunlight slammed into him.

He sprang to his feet, every muscle, every bone crying out in agony. The brutal battle with Einar had left him broken, almost dead. The particulars of how he escaped the dragon’s clutches remained a fog, but perhaps it was for the best. All that mattered was that Charlotte was safe, and soon, she and David, along with his parents, would be going home.

He shuffled toward the castle window as the door to his suite flew open.

“David!” Charlotte stood in the doorway, her face flushed, her eyes wide. “Hurry! Trog’s being arrested!”

“What?”

They hurried down three flights of stairs and out into the sunlit upper courtyard where a throng of people gathered. David grasped Charlotte’s hand and pushed his way through the crowd.   seven mages, their arms tucked into the sleeves of their sapphire-blue robes formed a half circle around Trog. Surrounding him were five Duwan soldiers. King Gildore was reaming him out.

“Bastian, you’re mistaken and I am tired of your insinuations and accusations.  To suggest Trog is guilty of anything other than extreme loyalty to this kingdom is preposterous!”

“Your Majesty, I understand your affinity toward this man.  He is, after all your confidant and soul protector.  If I were human I’d find it quite touching. As it is, I find your blind devotion and loyalty a threat to your sovereign position and to this kingdom and its people.  It is of the High Council’s opinion Sir Trogsdill was, and may still be, in leagues with Einar, and that he was deliberate in his intent to usurp your authority and title.”

“You have no proof of this because none exists!” Gildore yelled. He pointed an angry finger at all of the mages.  “It is you, all of you, who are guilty of any crime against Hirth.  What did any of you do to stop this massacre?  Nothing, and yet here you stand, vilifying the most esteemed knight this kingdom has ever known, accusing him of sedition.  You make me sick.”   

Bastian merely gazed at Gildore, his eyes expressionless.  “The trial will take place in the Hall of Reflection in Avaleen in two hours.  If Sir Trogsdill is innocent, then the Council will absolve him of all uncertainties.”  He raised his hand and two soldiers marched Trog into the center courtyard.

Eric pushed through the onlookers and approached Gildore.  “Sire, you can’t allow this.  Sir Trogsdill is guilty of nothing.  I can vouch for him.”  Eric’s eyes met with Trog’s.  “I was with him.  You know this.”

David and Charlotte rushed to Eric’s side.  “So were we,” said David.  “For the past four days.”

The tall mage stepped toward David and smirked.  “And who are you, may I ask?”

"Flash Gordon, Savior of the Universe.  Who are you?”

David wailed and crumpled to the ground as the mage plunged his thoughts into him. So much fire. Pain. Seconds later, the mage laughed and released David from his hold. “So, you’re who the heavens sent to us in our time of need,” Camden said.  “Why, you’re no more than a stupid, pathetic bundle of bones swaddled in layers of slow-decaying flesh.  You have no fortitude, no resilience.  A pig runt could offer more.”

 Want more? You can buy the book here.

And you can find J. Keller Ford on her website, blog, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Twitter.

Keep hunting! Check out author Lisa Maxwell.

While you're at it, you can find the other authors on Team Red too. Don't forget to write down each author's number for a chance to win some excellent books!