I I'm happy to once again be taking part in the Young Adult Scavenger Hunt, a twice-yearly event during which readers (like you) have a chance to win epic number of YA novels (or at least discover a few new writers!). 

For those of you stopping by the Indestructibles page for the first time... Hi. I'm Matthew Phillion, author of the YA superhero novel series, THE INDESTRUCTIBLES, in which five young heroes, possessing powers they probably shouldn't have, try to figure out their place in the world while at the same time trying to save it. 

But on to more important things: the scavenger hunt! This year I'm representing the illustrious Gold Team--I mean seriously, check out the books on that roster! Each one of us is hosting a fellow team member's bio and exclusive content. And if you're looking for my exclusive content--a preview of the Indestructibles 4th book, LIKE A COMET, due out this spring--you'll have to do a little searching through this roster to find it. I've given out a full chapter of the new book, but you'll have to find it to read it. 

Trust me, it's worth it. Think of all the new authors you'll discover! You don't have to participate in all nine. You could, hypothetically, participate in... SEVEN? (That's a hint, you know. You might want to remember that number for future reference. 

How do you participate in this amazing event? Let me tell you... 

THE RULES! 
DIRECTIONS: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Somewhere. I won't make it too hard to find, I promise.  Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the GOLD 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, April 3rd, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each participating YA author, you also get a secret number. Add up the numbers, and enter it for a chance to win a major prize–one lucky winner will receive at least one signed book from each author on my team in the hunt! But play fast. This contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until noon PST on Sunday, April 3rd!There are NINE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I'm on the GOLD TEAM, but you've got eight other teams--with twenty authors each!--you can also participate in. The other teams are: RED, BLUE, GREEN, ORANGE, TEAL, PURPLE, SILVER, and PINK. 

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.
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Now that all the heavy stuff is out of the way, let me introduce you to the fantastic author I'm hosting... 

Dhonielle Clayton! 

Dhonielle Clayton hails from the suburbs of Washington, DC on the Maryland side. She is COO of We Need Diverse Books, and co-founder of CAKE Literary — a creative kitchen whipping up decadent — and decidedly diverse — literary confections for middle grade, young adult, and women’s fiction readers. She earned an MA in Children’s Literature from Hollins University and an MFA in Writing for Children at the New School. She is a former school librarian and teacher. She is the co-author of Tiny Pretty Things and Shiny Broken Pieces (July 2016) from HarperTeen, and author of The Belles (Winter 2017) from Disney/Hyperion. 

This scavenger hunt Dhonielle is highlighting her book SHINY BROKEN PIECES. 

 Here's a bit about SHINY BROKEN PIECES: 

June, Bette, and Gigi are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose…and no one is playing nice. June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. But being the best could mean sacrificing the love of her life. Legacy dancer Bette is determined to clear her name after she was suspended and accused of hurting her rival, Gigi. And Gigi is not going to let Bette—or the other dancers who bullied her—go unpunished. It all comes down to this last dance. Who will make the cut? And who will lose her dream forever?
 
Grab Dhonielle's first book, Tiny Pretty Things here. And then, dive into Shiny Broken Pieces. And if you're looking for Dhonielle, you can find her on her Website, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and at CAKE. 

Now, if that hasn't caught your interest already, how about a look at Dhonielle's exclusive bonus content? For this scavenger hunt, she's provided a look book for SHINY BROKEN PIECES. 

SHINY BROKEN PIECES: Get the look! 

You loved the drama of the first book – and can’t wait for Shiny Broken Pieces, out July 12th! In the meantime, get your ballet style on with some fashion tips from Gigi, June and Bette.
 
What would the girls wear when they’re not in class? Here’s how you can steal their looks.
 
GIGI: Gigi rocks a San Fran boho vibe -- think free-flowing dresses, metallic flats and a casual but cute carry-all. 

​Links: here, here, and here. 

JUNE: When she’s not in her leotard, June plays up the drama: a twist on the traditional cardigan, and amping up the tulle with a bold pop of color.

Links here and here. 

And lastly... 

BETTE: It’s high end everything for this diva-in-training. Slim lines that emphasize her awesome body -- and her posh Upper East Side roots, of course. 

Links here, here, and here. 

Thanks for the detailed bonus material, Dhonielle! 

So remember, collect the secret numbers from all the authors on the GOLD TEAM and enter to win here. 



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Looking for where to head next? You'll want to visit Colleen Houck's page for the next stage in the scavenger hunt! 

I'd love to hear how you found out about the scavenger hunt in the comments below. Is this your first year? Have you participated before? Who's your favorite author? Favorite genre? 

And please explore the Indestructibles page while you're here--we've got sample chapters and book information at the top of this page. And I love to talk shop about writing and publishing--you and find me on Facebook in two places (facebook.com/whoisindestructible where we all geek out about superheroes and sci-fi, and facebook.com/matthewphillion, where the conversation's more about writing and the arts), on Twitter at @mattphillion, and on Instagram at @mattphillion as well (admittedly my Instagram feed is mostly pictures of my dog, but I swear he's actually adorable). 

Good luck on your hunt, and hope to see you around again! 

Well this is cool. Hat-tip to Geeks are Sexy and GeekTyrant for getting the word out about this, and to Pokies.net.au for this awesome infographic. 

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Today is the birthday of an old friend and mentor we lost a few years back now. I logged into Facebook this morning and there he was, a reminder from the site that it was his birthday. On the one hand, there's a wonder to the way Facebook put his photo in front of me today. I don't know that I would've forgotten, but seeing my old mentor's face right away made me smile. And on his page there are gentle messages from people who miss him, wishing him a happy birthday from this world to the next.
But his career afforded him a little bit of celebrity, and there are people who follow his page still who have no idea that he's gone--and there's no reason they should, really. His passing was quiet and dignified. There were no big announcements. We spread his ashes in the Atlantic Ocean on a freezing January night, a dozen people who knew him from a dozen different ways. But there the comments are, the automatic "HBD!" posts, as if he's still out there somewhere, checking alerts on his iPhone.
Although honestly I think he'd be more than a little amused at this. I can picture him yelling loudly about the weirdness of it all. There'd be swearing involved. He sometimes played movie monsters during his career, and that size, that loudness, was central to his outward image, just as much as the philosopher and painter and speechwriter parts of hi were his internal self. 
So, hey Hines, wherever you are. You're missed, old friend. I know I'm not the only one who still uses "what would Hines do right now" as my barometer for navigating this strange little world. Rare is the day I don't think it. See you again some day, I hope. 

Random admission: I am OBSESSED with haunting, sad versions of "You Are My Sunshine." I'm also obsessed with heartbreaking harmonization. So this is basically my favorite thing ever. 

Full disclosure: back in my misspent youth, I used to be a singer, sort of. I had a few friends I used to record covers with (I was the one without the guitar in those days, because I honestly could never wrap my brain around a proper instrument... I tried but never learned). Listening to this on a cloudy Saturday night tonight brings me back to memories of old friends I lost along the way. Wherever in the universe you are, my old friends, I miss you. I hope you've all found your peace. 

Several authors (including myself!) will be giving talks at Queen City Kamikaze this Saturday, March 12. I'll be talking about building sympathetic villains, writing comic book style stories in novel form, and participating in a panel on world-building, and there's plenty more to listen in on all day Saturday. 

Plus stuff to buy! Everyone loves vendors, right? (I'll have books available too between panels.) 

Been a while since I shared these, so I figured it was worth mentioning where Indestructibles content and such shows up online. 

Facebook: It's all superheroes, all the time at the Indestructibles Facebook page. Meanwhile, because I'm crazy, I also have an author Facebook page... it's a little bit more about writing and less about the genre. I don't double post, either, so if you want to follow Indestructibles news on Facebook, the pages don't overlap (much). 

Twitter: I talk a bit about writing here, but it's mostly discussing pop culture. I live-Tweet (spoiler free!) comic book-based shows like the Flash, Agent Carter, and the Walking Dead. Do you live-Tweet as well? Connect with me there and let's hang out (virtually). 

Instagram: I have no idea what I'm doing on Instagram, but you can follow my bumbling attempts at Instagramming here. If you have any suggestions for who I should be following there, let me know. I'm still figuring things out there. 

Patreon: Here's the big one. I'll be releasing new Indestructibles short stories on Patreon this year (there's already a pair of Doc Silence stories available right now). It's not the ONLY place stories will show up, but there will be exclusive and early content there. How often I post new stories will depend entirely on how many people are reading there.