Keep Up With Me

Contest!

2011-05-10T12:42:00.001-07:00

Today is the day the Shadow Hills paperback comes out! The lovely Yara at Once Upon a Twilight is hosting an awesome contest where you can take a quiz about Shadow Hills and possibly win a signed copy of the Shadow Hills paperback. (And there are five copies up for grabs.)

December Blog Tour

2010-12-05T17:32:00.000-08:00

Check out this post about the new Shadow Hills blog tour. It's full of extras from the book, character interviews, and awesome giveaways!

Shadow Hills Blog Tour!

2010-08-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

Shadow Hills Blog Tour

1. August 23rd - The Undercover Book Lover

2. August 24th - I Just Wanna Sit Here & Read

3. August 25th - I Heart Monster

4. August 26th - Aaron's Books

5. August 27th - Brooke Reviews

6. August 28th - Karin's Book Nook

7. August 29th - Tinas Book Reviews

8. August 30th - Anna's Book Blog

9. August 31st - Ellz Readz

10. September 1st - The Serpentine Library

11. September 2nd - The Book Vixen

12. September 3rd - Mundie Moms

13. September 4th - Notes in the Margin

14. September 5th - The True Book Addict

15. September 6th - The Story Siren

16. September 7th - Reading with Tequila

17. September 8th - A Fanatics Book Blog

18. September 9th - Only Sexy Books Allowed

19. September 10th - Tales of a Teenage Book Lover

20. September 11th - ReaderGirls

21. September 12th - Daisy Chain Book Reviews

22. September 13th - Confessions of Bookaholic

23. September 14th - The Fiction Enthusiast

24. September 15th - Presenting Lenore

25. September 16th- DJ’s Life in Fiction

26. September 17th - Red House Books

27. September 18th - Shut Up! I'm Reading

28. September 19th - Chick Lit Teens

Last Contest before Shadow Hills Debuts!

2010-07-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

The first 50 people who post reviews of Shadow Hills on Amazon will automatically get a signed poster! (The review can be new or cut and pasted from your blog/Goodread. Just fill out the form---the link below will take you to the form---and I'll email you if you are one of the first 50. P.S. I think the book has to be out before you can write a review, so the earliest you can post it will be right after 11:59 pm on Monday.)

Go here to enter!

Click the link for my newest contest!

2010-07-01T20:32:00.001-07:00

My contest for finished copies of Shadow Hills is up! http://www.hopcusblog.com/display/ShowJournal?moduleId=6517900&SSScrollPosition=345

Two Months To Go Contest!

2010-05-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED---THANKS FOR ENTERING!

I'm heading off for an awesome road trip up to New York for the BEA and then a weeks vacation in beautiful Massachusetts and I'm REALLY excited! Not only that, but today is May 13th which means Shadow Hills is debuting in just two months! I can barely wrap my head around it now---I can't imagine how I will react to seeing it in stores.

So to celebrate I've decided to host my biggest contest yet!

First Prize:
- 1 signed (personalized if you'd like) ARC of Shadow Hills
- 1 signed bookmark, 2 unsigned bookmarks and 2 SH buttons & 1 SH magnet

Second Prize:
- 1 ARC of Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Lightly used---as in, I've read its awesomeness.)
- 1 signed bookmark, 2 unsigned bookmarks and 2 SH buttons & 1 SH magnet

Third Prize:
- A swag pack consisting of 1 signed bookmark, 2 unsigned bookmarks and 2 SH buttons & 1 SH magnet

PLUS, if you are one of the first 200 people to enter and you've pre-ordered Shadow Hills you'll get a free bookmark! Just cut and paste an email/receipt (or portion of an email/receipt) that proves you've pre-ordered a copy of Shadow Hills and provide a mailing address on the form and you will get a SIGNED Shadow Hills bookmark!

Here's how to enter: FILL OUT THE FORM---comment are always appreciated, if you'd like to leave one, but it will not be counted as an entry into the contest.

Details: You have to be 13 or older to enter. This contest is INTERNATIONAL! Contest ends at midnight on June 10th central standard time. Winners will be notified by email by or before June 13th. (That's one month before Shadow Hills debuts!)

The items listed below will get you extra entries into the contest. Do as many of them as you like, just let me know which ones you’ve done. The number next to them is how many extra entries they'll earn.

+ 1 for tweeting/retweeting this contest (add @anastasiahopcus so I'll catch it)
+ 1 for following this blog
+ 1 for following me on Twitter
+ 1 for voting for Shadow Hills on any of the Goodreads lists that it is on. You get an extra entry for each.
+ 2 for posting a link to this contest on Facebook
+ 2 for adding Shadow Hills to your TBR on Goodreads
+ 2 for 'liking' the Shadow Hills book trailer on YouTube
+ 2 for changing your Twitter or Facebook or Goodreads user pic to the Shadow Hills cover image. (For a total of six extra entries change all three!)
+ 3 for posting a Shadow Hills countdown widget on your blog/website
+ 3 for 'liking' Shadow Hills on Facebook
+ 3 for blogging a link to this contest as well as the Shadow Hills trailer
+ 3 for blogging a link to this contest as well as the first chapter of Shadow Hills
+ 6 if you have a blog post that includes a link to this contest, the Shadow Hills trailer and the first chapter!
+ 7 for proof that you pre-ordered Shadow Hills from an online retailer

Shadow Hills' Trailer

2010-04-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

To learn more about trailers by VLC go HERE.

Reviews!!!

2010-04-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

I'm incredibly excited by the reviews Shadow Hills has been getting, and I wanted to show them off a bit! I've paraphrased my favorite parts of each review into a bite-sized blurb, but I've also added a link so you can read the whole review exactly as the blogger wrote it. Please check out all these blogs have to offer, as I love to be able to support these great bloggers who are supporting my book. Thanks again everyone---these reviews make me so beyond happy!

Update 4/10/10: Four reviews that made me jump around and clap my hands like a six year old:

Review from: http://thelifeofateenlibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-shadow-hills-anastasia-hopcus.html

I loved this book. I loved Phe. I loved Graham. I loved Zach. I loved that our heroine Phe (though not perfect) did not fall for a bad boy. *breathes* Okay so this story was so awesome. Witchcraft + mythology + romance + supernatural happenings + teen angst = this story. I loved how all the elements fit together.

At one point in this book I actually got chills, which hasn't happened to me while reading in quite awhile. I really think this is a great step in the right direction with paranormal romance.

Review from: http://justyourtypicalbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-shadow-hills-by-anastasia-hopcus.html

What isn't a book without some romance? I, for one, love it. The character of Zach drew me in from the moment he was introduced. He was a well developed character who did have the mysterious side to him, but it wasn't an over-done sort of thing. All of the characters in this story, whether they're role is small or large, really stood out. What I liked it how easily I could see this group of teens together at the school living in this odd town packed full of secrets.

Basically if you are a lover of the paranormal then you'd be silly to even think about passing this book up in July! Go pre-order it now!

Review from: http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-review-shadow-hills-by-anastasia.html

If you love young adult novels with a paranormal twist you will like this - but be prepared, this isn't your average light young adult novel - this is a little darker and more serious. It's a clean book, I don't remember anything being outstanding as something I wouldn't want my 9-year-old to read (though he is too young for this book).

So check it out - if you like the more serious YA books then this is one for you. I am looking forward to the series continuing and will snap up the next book as soon as it comes out (at least I am assuming it will be a series, while the ending tied everything up nicely it still appears there is more to come.)

Review from: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73339269

With the stunning cover this one has and tagline of "His love captivated her...His secrets might kill her." it's simply a given to say that I was excepting greatness from Shadow Hills, and lucky enough for me, greatness it exactly what I received! Since Shadow Hills was a fast paced and captivating novel that went as far as to show that Anastasia Hopcus is a fantastic new star in the YA world!

Update 3/25/10: Sometimes a review isn't a five star, but regardless, I really love what that review has to say:

Review from: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73190372

Just when you thought the paranormal genre was all out of fresh ideas, along comes Anastasia Hopcus. The supernatural mystery behind the town of Shadow Hills is a delectably unique mixture of Wicca, witchcraft, mythology, and superpowers, wrapped up in a believable contemporary setting. Hopcus reaches back several centuries and even across an ocean to chart the progression of the supernatural element in an entirely plausible manner that I appreciated.

SHADOW HILLS freshens up an oversaturated YA genre with a believable romance and interesting take on the supernatural in the town’s history.

Update (3/15/2010) I'm adding on two more reviews that I'm super-stoked about:

Review from: http://www.theneverendingshelf.com/2010/03/book-review-shadow-hills.html

This novel is breath of fresh air. Hopcus' writing is so fluid that at times it hardly felt like I was reading. While the novel is a little thick at 400 pages, it certainly does not read that way. The pages fly by with entertaining characters and a mystery that you will be dying to find the answers to.

Review from: http://bookchicclub.blogspot.com/2010/03/preview-post-shadow-hills-by-anastasia.html

The storyline gripped me and I found it hard to put the book down. The characters were all interesting, and the ties to history, both ancient and more recent, was intriguing to read about. A fantastic debut from Hopcus- preorder this one!

Review from: http://www.peaceloveandbookreviews.com/2010/03/review-shadow-hills-arc-by-anastasia.html

Shadow Hills is a craftily written love story about a girl who has a destiny that she is trying to understand which also leads her to the boy of her dreams. A story that has a little bit of everything; suspense, mystery, mythology, mild reference on alcohol and drugs, comical moments and anger. Watch out for formidable scenes and unexpected twist and turns. Anastasia Hopcus did an excellent job on weaving her story and characters. It has depth and impressive conceivable meaning and she has left trails of excitement for the next book.

Review from: http://www.bookworminginthe21stcentury.com/2010/03/shadow-hills.html

The divide between the students from town and the students who are boarding at the school is so definite. They don't consort or befriend - but Phe cannot help but keep attracting the attention of Zach and they become more than just classmates as the book progresses.

I really liked the setup of this book, the reason behind which Phe leaves for Shadow Hills, the lurking mystery behind the town, and the interesting characters. After this book, I need more and I hope Hopcus has a few more books in store for us.

Review from: http://theherethenowandthebooks.blogspot.com/2009/11/shadow-hills.html

I read it in one day. I loved it. This book was able to put you into a modern yet out of touch world that will send very creepy vibes your way.

Review from: http://andanythingbookish.blogspot.com/2010/01/shadow-hills-by-anastasia-hopcus.html

If I could describe Shadow Hills in three words, I would say: refreshing, beautiful, and captivating…it will capture your attention through most of its entirety. Phe is now one of my favorite characters all time… I loved this book and definitely will get myself a copy… Incredible debut.

Review from: http://penultimatepage.com/review-shadow-hills/

The back story of Shadow Hills is so deep and well developed that you can’t help but suspect everyone right off the bat, even though you’re not sure what exactly you are suspecting them of. The first chapter is a fabulous opening. It’s informative, visual, and suspenseful. You get a small dose of everything the book has to offer.

A fabulous mix of suspense, horror, mythology, and comedy, Shadow Hills is a fabulous read for fans of any genre.

I might be developing a blurb addiction...

2010-04-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

I have a new quote from---drum roll, please---Saundra Mitchell! She is the author of THE spookiest southern ghost story/coming of age novel that I've read in years. I mean, really, if you enjoy any of those elements you will adore Shadowed Summer. Which is one of the reasons why I was beyond elated to hear that she liked Shadow Hills. The other reason was this awesome quote:

From the unique mythology, to Phe's fresh, modern voice, I savored every single page of this! I really hope there's going to be a sequel, because I need more Phe, Zach, Adriana and smart, sexy sci-fi in my life!

To read her full review of Shadow Hills just click here!

Read the First Chapter of SHADOW HILLS

2010-03-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm very happy to announce that you can now check out the first chapter of Shadow Hills right here on my blog. Yay!

Shadow Hills CH1

Shadow Hills has a blurb!

2010-03-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

Nina Malkin (awesome author of the gorgeous novel Swoon) gave Shadow Hills a quote!

“Hot boys, mean girls, a compelling mystery...Shadow Hills will keep you guessing—and gasping—to the last page.”

And to celebrate I am doing the very first ARC giveaway of Shadow Hills on Goodreads!
Go here to enter---and while you're there you can also add Shadow Hills to your to-read pile or even vote for it on some lists. ;)

***The giveaway is only offered through Goodreads, though, so don't enter in the comments section here.***

Shadow Hills International Book Tour

2010-03-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Go HERE to sign up.

It's the Big Shadow Hills ARC Tour Contest! (You must fill out the form to enter.)

2010-02-01T09:53:00.001-08:00

This contest is now closed. Winners will be announced in 48 hrs. Thanks for entering!

You are now able to sign up to read Shadow Hills at three different tour sites: Other Shelf Tours, 1 ARC Tours, and Around the World Tours. And to celebrate, I am having my biggest contest yet! To enter please fill out the form below; if you'd like to leave a comment as well, feel free, but only form entries will count for this contest.

What makes this contest so big, you ask? I am giving away two different ARCs: The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride and The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell. Don't worry, though, you will win your 1st choice. In fact, your preference is required on the contest entry form. These are both fantastic Egmont USA books that I have been lucky enough to get to read, (though, I promise I was gentle with these ARCs) and really, you can't go wrong with either one.

So two people will win the ARC of their choice, as well as these other prizes that will also go to five other winners:

First Chapter of Shadow Hills (which will not be online until the end of February), 2 signed bookmarks and 3 unsigned bookmarks, 1 Shadow Hills magnet, and 4 Shadow Hills pins.

And that swag will go to all of the seven winners!

This contest is international and will close on February 7th. Tweeting and linking to this contest will also win you extra entries, just fill in the appropriate spaces in the form below.

FormSpring - HTML Form Generator

Wow! (crossposted)

2010-01-28T15:36:00.001-08:00

I'm kind of in shock about the response Shadow Hills has gotten on 1 ARC Tours so far. I never expected so many people to sign up so quickly. Thanks, everyone, for the support---I can't even express how excited I am about all this!

Which is why I've decided that instead of attempting to do that (and failing miserably), I'll just try to make it possible for more people to read it. The upshot of all this, is that Shadow Hills is going to be a two ARC tour on 1 ARC Tours, as well as being available on Around the World Tours. (Thanks, Cindy, for asking to host a tour!)

And for the people who aren't able to get in on these, don't fret, starting February 1st you will also be able to sign up at Other Shelf Tours!

I owe a huge thank you to all the wonderful people who run 1 ARC Tours, Around the World Tours,and Other Shelf Tours; and, of course, a huge thank you to all the enthusiastic bloggers who want to read Shadow Hills.
So here it is: THANK YOU!!!

Tours, tours, and more tours! (Crossposted)

2010-01-27T12:21:00.000-08:00

I've told people from the beginning how incredibly happy it makes me when someone requests my ARC---even though I can't promise that Egmont will be able to get them to everyone---and now there are two more ways to get your hands on a copy of Shadow Hills. You can go to One ARC Tours right now to sign up, and starting February 1st, you can sign up at Other Shelf Tours. I love them both for agreeing to host Shadow Hills tours. The bulk of the ARCs won't be going out until March-ish, but since it can take a very long time to get a tour book, these are getting off to an early start. So please sign up if you'd like to read it---if we have enough people we might even be able to add another copy to the mix!

The Brightly Woven Contest (as promised)

2010-01-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

This contest is now closed. Thanks so much to everyone who entered and a big congratulations to the winners: Angie, Dani, and Jenn!

I was going to put up a contest in celebration of the New Year, but, as usual, I'm a little late; but better late than never. ;)
Here are the prizes:

The winner will receive the following:

One ARC of Brightly Woven by fellow Egmont author Alexandra Bracken

As well as these (which the two runners up will also receive):
One hard copy of the First Chapter of Shadow Hills (which will not be available on my website for another month).
Two Shadow Hills buttons and two Shadow Hills magnets
Three signed Shadow Hills bookmarks.

To be entered for the contest, you have to be 13 yrs of age or older and, like in the last contest I held, you will also need a total of three points. And this is how you get 'em:

You are already a follower of my Keep Up With Me blog or you become a follower= +1 point

You are already a follower of my twitter or you become a follower= +1 point

You become a fan of the Shadow Hills Facebook Page= +1 point

You post a twitter update about this contest= +1 point

You put this contest in the sidebar of your blog= +1 point

The comment you leave on this post is your entry. To enter, just provide your name and email address(so I can contact you if you win), as well as how you came up with your 3 points. The contest will be open until next Tuesday, January the 12th at 11:59 pm and it is international. I will then pick names out of a hat/bowl/mug/golden chalice. (Anybody want to lend me one of those?) The three people's names that I draw will get all the Shadow Hills prizes, and the first name I draw will also get Brightly Woven (which is a truly phenomenal book)! Once I have the winners, I'll email them within 72 hrs, and then they will have 72 hrs to get back to me with an address so I can send them their awesome prizes!

My Very First Contest

2009-12-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

This contest is now closed. Thanks so much to everyone who entered and a big congratulations to the winner, Alyson Beecher!

So I finally got it together and put the Shadow Hills Facebook fan page up, and to celebrate I thought I would have a contest! I'm going to try and keep this as simple as possible, seeing as how I really have no idea what I am doing. I guess the first thing everyone would like to know is: what are the prizes?

The winner will receive all of the following:

One ARC of The Dark Divine by fellow Egmont author Bree Despain.

One hard copy of the First Chapter of Shadow Hills. (Which won't be up on my website until Febuary so you will be in the know. ;)

Two Shadow Hills buttons and two Shadow Hills magnets

Three signed Shadow Hills bookmarks.

To be entered for the contest you have to be 13 yrs of age or older and you need to have a US shipping address (I will be holding some international contests closer to the release of Shadow Hills). You will also need a total of three points, and this is how you get 'em:

You are already a follower of my Keep Up With Me blog or you become a follower= +1 point

You are already a follower of my twitter or you become a follower= +1 point

You become a fan of the Shadow Hills Facebook Page= +1 point

You post a twitter update about this contest= +1 point

The comment you leave on this post is your entry. To make it all official-like, please include your name (or alias, if that is the way you work), what combo created your three points, and your email address so I can contact you if you win. The contest will be open until next Friday, December the 11th. I will either use a random number generator or pick names out of a hat---whichever seems easier to me at the time. Once I have a winner, I will email them within 72 hrs, and then they will have 72 hrs to get back to me with an address so I can send them their awesome prizes!

News!

2009-12-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

I've got two super exciting bits of news to share concerning Shadow Hills.

1. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the amazing writers behind the (even more amazing) book, Beautiful Creatures, gave a great interview on the Page Turners' blog. I love all of their interviews---as I can always use more insight into the minds of the authors that wrote one of the best books I've read this year---but I'm especially partial to this one as Shadow Hills gets a mention! I'm so thrilled. Read it here so that you, too, can be (almost) as thrilled as I am.

2. Even though the majority of the ARCs of Shadow Hills aren't going out until sometime around March, you can win one in this contest, while also supporting a very worthy cause. Thanks so much to Vania from Reverie Book Reviews, Kristi from The Story Siren, and Kami & Margaret for getting me involved in this!

If you can't hear the shrieking, just imagine a Twihard meeting Edward Cullen.

2009-11-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

I got my very first review! I think this has to be THE most exciting stop on the publishing journey. An actual reader really likes my book? Amazing! I'm so elated! If you want to see why I'm acting like a cracked out cheerleader, check out the lovely blog The Here. The Now. And the Books!

Back Cover

2009-11-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

Here is the back cover copy for Shadow Hills, to give you an idea of what my novel is about:

Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

My cover revealed!

2009-10-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

I got my final cover a few days ago and I am in love. And now I get to show it to the world! See it here: at my website or here: on the 10'ers livejournal page.

If you don't ask...

2009-09-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

So I've read a few tweets from bloggers saying they feel nervous requesting ARCs. Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I can certainly say you don't have to worry about that with me. In fact, it totally makes my day when a book blogger wants to review SHADOW HILLS.

Now, I can't promise every person who requests a review copy will get one (in the end that comes down to my publishing company) but I do keep a list of everyone who has asked for an ARC and when they come in I will be using that list to get as many advanced copies out to people as I can.

You can leave a comment here, send me an email, or contact me on twitter (or livejournal or goodreads or my webpage), but please let me know if you are interested. Also, I'm happy to give out swag for contests and the like so if you would like me to send some to you (after I get it in, that is) don't hesitate to ask. This is your chance to indulge in an author approved greed fest, don't pass it up!

Hello!

2009-09-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

I already feel like I have a million different sites to keep up with, which leads to a lot of "Did I remember to post that here, too?" moments. So with this blog I am going to try and keep everything straight by updating only when there is something new and book-related that I think people would like to know about. So basically, it'll just help you 'keep up' with Shadow Hills happenings without a lot of extra info. If you'd like to know more about me personally feel free to check out my twitter, livejournal, goodreads, librarything, and main website.