Greetings and salutations my blog readers!
Today I have a special treat for you. I am hosting Cyndi Tefft as part of the YA Scramble - which is an awesome collaboration of bloggers and authors who all share a love of YA Lit. Each blog (see list below) will have a guest post from a participant about the YA genre and there will be a HUGE prize if you can figure out the scramble. Most of the blogs involved are also giving away prizes separate from the grand prize - so be sure to visit them all for more chances to win lots of good stuff! So without further ado here is Cyndi's guest post.
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In preparation for the launch of Between, I spent much of my springtime at the computer, contacting YA book bloggers to set up reviews and interviews. Many of them had a Review Policy noted (which I found sooooo helpful) to help authors and publishers know what types of books they'd accept for review.
I came across several (say dozens) that wouldn’t accept books with religious themes or tones.
I found this curious, since I came across only one or two who specifically noted that they wouldn't take books with mature sex scenes. Most of those were tweens who noted that their parents read the blog.
There have been countless blogs about sex in YA (how much is too much, should it happen on the page or off, should there be consequences, what about protection, etc...). There hasn't been nearly as much talk about issues of faith, though I would wager that most kids have to come to terms with where they stand on religion, too.
I'd love to see issues of God, faith, spirituality and religion as a part of a teen's coming of age experience be poured into YA books and accepted by readers (and bloggers). Let's not be afraid of talking about God anymore than we're AFRAID of talking about sex in YA. Everyone will have a different opinion, and that's a good thing as long as we're respectful and kind.
What do you think about the topic of faith in YA books?
Be sure to comment below and be entered to win a Signed paperback copy of Between by Cyndi Tefft.
Between is available in both print and ebook format from a variety of online retailers:
Ebook only: Smashwords, Apple
Print only: Createspace, My website (signed copy)
Print and ebook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
There are a variety of ways to connect with me online: My blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Shelfari, and LibraryThing.
Cyndi Tefft lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest where the weather is overcast and rainy, much like the Highlands of Scotland. So she was right at home when she got the chance to visit Eilean Donan Castle in May 2010.
A self-proclaimed Scot freak, she loved every bit about the trip to Scotland: the people, the kilts, the accents, the fish & chips, the haggis...well okay, not the haggis.
Instructions for the YA Scramble:
1) Visit the first blog (based on list below).
2) Read the guest post.
3) Identify the PURPLE word.
4) Pick out the 3rd letter from the purple word.
5) Go to the next blog.
6) Repeat #3, #4, and #5 until you visited all 14 sites.
7) At the end, take all 14 of the 3rd letters from the PURPLE words and figure out the message near and dear to our hearts.
8) You will enter that unscrambled message ONCE into this form as your official entry for a chance to win some great prizes from fantastic authors and bloggers.Participating Blogs - all must be visited:
✯ Kaitlin Simpson
✯ PJ Hoover
✯ Laura Elliott
✯ Amy Jones
✯ Megg Jensen
✯ T.R. Graves
✯ Melissa Layton
✯ Danielle Bunner
✯ Irish/ Gail
✯ Cyndi Tefft
✯ Jennifer Morris
✯ Kathleen Tucker
✯ Heather Cashman
✯ Cary Cummings
Visit all the blogs and unscramble the phrase for a chance to win the following:
- ARC of The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab (with signed bookmark)
- Ebook of Solstice by PJ Hoover (with trading cards)
- Ebook of The Space Between by Alexandra Sokoloff
- Paperback copy of Perception by Heather Cashman
- Signed paperback ARC of Anathema by Kathleen Tucker
- Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Gift Set (Trade Paperback of Eighth Grade Bites, Vlad Journal, Minion Bling Buttons and Vlad Tote)
- Signed paperback copy of Between by Cyndi Tefft
- Signed hardcover of Clarity by Kim Harrington
- ARC of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
- Signed ARC of Fury by Elizabeth Miles
- Signed paperback of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
- ARC of Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison
- Copy of The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
- Winner's choice of 5 ebooks from a list of indie authors
- Signed paperback of Sleepers by Megg Jensen
- Ebooks of Soul Quest and The Guardians of Souls by Amy Jones
- Kindle copy of Winnemucca by Laura Elliott (plus a guest post spot on her blog!)
- Paperback copy of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Posts
Definitely worth a try. I'm not the best when it comes to unscrambling letters, but it sounds like fun! =^-^=
ReplyDeleteReligion and faith can be a very touchy topic for people, but I certainly think it has its place in YA lit...as long as it is presented in the right way...meaning it can't be done in a preachy manner, because face it, teens hate nothing worse than being preached and lectured at. I also think people, teens included, would be more inclined to read books where faith is a prevalent topic, when discussion of actual and specific religions aren't focused on. G.P. Ching's YA series The Soulkeepers has really taken the topic of faith and presented it in a honest, compelling, non preachy way that I have found most captivating.
ReplyDeleteAeicha
wordspelunker at gmail dot com
Me would love to win Between! :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome post :)
tammyb_2810(at)yahoo.com
Please count me in!
ReplyDeleteJanhvi
justjanhvi at gmail dot com
You know, it really does amaze me that some people are more concerned with faith and religion being represented in book than sex and violence. As a blogger, I'm open to both; however, I will always post a disclaimer if I feel there is material that may be too intense or inappropriate for some. I think God and faith should play a more prominent role in YA. This is the a very significant time for teens, and if they can make their own decisions about sex, drugs, etc. they should be allowed to do the same for faith and religion. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. Love it!
Britney
britneywyatt[at]gmail[dot]com
Very beautiful post! Between has very interesting story and thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteartgiote at gmail dot com
Amazing post! I'd love to be entered! Thanks for the scramble.
ReplyDeleteMera
mirrormera92 at aol dot com
I think people are afraid that faith in a YA book might be preachy. I don't feel that way, but I am sure there are people who steer clear of it because it can be a sensitive topic. I am very interested in reading this book!
ReplyDeletesarabara081
sarabara081(at)aol(dot)com
"Let's not be afraid of talking about God anymore than we're AFRAID of talking about sex in YA. Everyone will have a different opinion, and that's a good thing as long as we're respectful and kind." - I totally agree with your comment!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being part of this giveaway!
widsfam7 @ digis dot net
Looking back at my teen years, which granted were over ten years ago now, my friends and I didn't think about or worry about our faith at all. At the time it was simply there, as we had been raised. It was only as we entered our college years, into our twenties, that those questions began to arise. As teenagers issues of sex, drugs and friendships were far more pressing. not sure it this is why we don't see it more in YA or is its simply that authors don't want to turn of those of differing beliefs.
ReplyDeletejlynettes @ hotmail . com
I think that faith in YA books is okay.... I feel that it adds a bit of a push on the story because we can all relate to a struggle with our faith or losing it, or maybe not even having a sense of it at all. I do have problems with authors that take the struggles a bit to far and end up attacking someones religion. What I have learned to do though is either remain objective or simply not read the book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance.
ReplyDeleteI think it's good to have faith in all of the genres not only in YA.
jmesparza821(at)gmail(dot)com
I think the bloggers who say they don't want religious themes really mean they don't want that to be the main point of the book. If religion is treated fairly in a book and it doesn't send the message that "if you don't believe all these particular things you're going to hell" or even the message that a specific religion is the only way to cope with certain things - which are the two main messages I've seen in books with religious themes - then people will be more receptive to it.
ReplyDeletePeople primarily read to be entertained - and being told that everything you believe is wrong is not entertaining for anybody but YouTube trolls. Yes, there are books with religious themes that are more welcoming, but most people have only seen the ones that are not and it has left a bad taste in our mouths. It only takes one good book to change that though. Maybe that's yours?
sarah.nicolas.ya at gmail dot com
PS: Check out www.siftreviews.com if you're still looking for reviews for Between.
I like reading about faith in YA because people's thoughts and feelings about it and how authors write it will never be the same because I feel that no one has the same exact faith as someone else
ReplyDeletebookishlymalyza@yahoo.com