Time to Vote!

No, it's not election season all over again. *cues seas of relief*

But you guys! Insignia is up against crazy titles like City of Lost Souls for the Best of 2012 poll MTV Crush is having! So go vote here, and spread the word!

Until next time,

Signed INSIGNIA Giveaway!

Hey everyone!

Just a heads up the Epic Reads is giving away FIVE signed copies of Insignia to anyone in the U.S. and Canada! Click here to enter before December 2nd! (I think you have to make an account first, but you can just sign in with your Facebook or Google account!)

And don't forget that there is an exclusive e-book deal for Insignia going on! Click here for more information.

Until next time!

E-Book Deal + Character Origins + Awards Ahoy!

You know what time is it? THANKSGIVING time. Now, I know that the tradition is to eat during Thanksgiving, but if you didn't notice, there's this keyword "giving" in there that I think really means something.

Okay, okay, so what I'm saying is that no matter your excuses, this is it: Insignia has an e-book deal going on from now until December 3rd where you can buy the e-book for just $2.99. DUDE. That's less than three bucks. It costs less than a Jumba Juice smoothie. My point is, this is your chance to give that loved one something truly amazing without having to spend too much money on it! So what are you waiting for? Buy buy buy! ^.^ (Also, I strongly recommend that you buy this e-book from an independent bookstore or small business, like Kobo. The deal is across all e-book devices. High time for us to be supportive of the smaller companies. :) )

Moving on, the amazing S. J. has a series of posts up on her blog that details the origination and inspiration behind many of our favorite characters (*cough* Wyatt and Yuri *cough*). I highly recommend that you head over and indulge yourself in this goldmine you're about to find yourself in.

Lastly, Insignia made it on the 2013 Lone Star Reading List (of Texas)! It's next to titles like Cinder and Wonder, which just makes me so happy, I feel like this:

Go tell S. J. congrats, if you have time! ^.^ (Psst, here's her Twitter and Facebook.)


Until next time!

Winners winners winners!

Hey y'all!

Remember that guess-a-name-and-win-a-mystery-ARC contest we had here a few weeks ago?

Yeah, so, I picked a winner and all, but the draft got swallowed by the TARDIS that is Blogger, so here's the winner announcement in all of its ridiculously late fashion! Sorry! So I used random.org--

BROOKS!

CONGRATS, Brooks!

Oh, and of course, you want to know the prize, right? The prize was an ARC of Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch.

And of course, I need to thank Vicky for letting me know that the winner post wasn't up! Vicky, you get an ARC of Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry.

That's all for now! Keep tuning back for more giveaways and goodies in the works!

Cover Reveal for INSIGNIA #2!

Maybe it's because I'm from California, but this situation seriously deserves a "DUDE".

Yeah. That's right. Ladies and gentlemen, honored elves and goblins, prized readers and fans, enlisted Spire forces....

ARE YOU READY FOR THE TITLE OF INSIGNIA'S SEQUEL?

Vortex
By: S. J. Kincaid
ISBN: 9780062093028
Release Date: July 2nd, 2013 from Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins

The impossible was just the beginning. Now in their second year as superhuman government weapons-in-training at the Pentagonal Spire, Tom Raines and his friends are mid-level cadets in the elite combat corps known as the Intrasolar Forces. But as training intensifies and a moment arrives that could make or break his entire career, Tom’s loyalties are again put to the test.

Encouraged to betray his ideals and friendships for the sake of his country, Tom is convinced there must be another way. And the more aware he becomes of the corruption surrounding him, the more determined he becomes to fight it, even if he sabotages his own future in the process.

Drawn into a power struggle more dramatic than he has ever faced before, Tom stays a hyperintelligent step ahead of everyone, like the exceptional gamer he is—or so he believes. But when he learns that he and his friends have unwittingly made the most grievous error imaginable, Tom must find a way to outwit an enemy so nefarious that victory seems hopeless. Will his idealism and bravado cost him everything—and everyone that matters to him?

Filled with action and intelligence, camaraderie and humor, the second book in S.J. Kincaid’s futuristic World War III Insignia trilogy continues to explore fascinating and timely questions about power, politics, technology, loyalty, and friendship.

-Summary provided by author/publisher

AMAZING, RIGHT?!?!? So darn beautiful! And what an amazing title! And amazing synopsis! Seriously, this is SO UTTERLY MIND-BLOWING.

I don't know about you, but I'm counting down the days.

P.S. The winner of the title-guessing contest will be announced on Tuesday! Stay tuned. :)

Classroom of the Traveling Book

It's no secret here at the Pentagonal Spire that we love S. J. Kincaid to death. (But not, you know, actually to death to death. I can't die without finishing the trilogy first!)

So it's definitely a joy when we see that awesome teachers like Ms. Amy Pine share Insignia with their class.

Nowadays, too many people "don't read" (Seriously. I'll ask around campus if you don't believe me), so it's so incredibly refreshing when teachers go beyond the required books and show kids that there are books out there besides ones to be analyzed, and those are amazing, if you're willing to give them a try.

So yeah. Go congratulate Amy, or if you're a teacher yourself, well... it ain't too shabby to share Insignia as well, eh? ;)

P.S. Don't miss out on the mystery ARC contest that's still going on! 

O JULY, HURRY UP.

We Want YOU To Tell Us What You Think!

Hello ladies, gentlemen, and fans of Insignia! As you may (or may not) know, the second book of Insignia is coming out next July. So loooong, right?! We’ve been on the edge of our seats with anticipation. But! We’ve got some good news. Excellent news!! We are releasing something SUPER exciting this week! And we mean alert-everyone-including-Blackburn-exciting!! AAAHHH, I’m just soooo excited!!

Whoa! Sorry, got a little off track there. In honor of the next book coming out next July, and not knowing what the name is, we want you to tell us what you think about the second book! You can tell us what you think it’s about, what color you think it’ll be, what will happen to Tom and Heather, what you think will happen to Tom and Medusa, and most importantly…what do you think the NAME will be??

(Note from Minerva: SPREAD THE WORD! Whoever comes up with the best guesses will win a mystery ARC. An ARC, in case you didn't know, is an Advanced Reader's Copy, which is basically a book before it's officially released. It's pretty awesome, yo. So yeah, leave us a way to contact you in the comments below along with your guesses. Twitter, Facebook, E-mail--whichever! This contest is INTERNATIONAL, so enter away!)

Welcome!

Welcome to The Pentagonal Spire, everyone! We're stoked to have you here. If you're a fan of S. J. Kincaid's incredible YA debut, Insignia, this is the place for you. If you're not--this is also the place for you, to paraphrase Maureen Johnson. While The Pentagonal Spire is best-enjoyed if you've already read Insignia (and there are spoilers here and there, though they are marked), we welcome potential readers, too!

So grab on tight to those neural transmitters, my fellow plebes! You're in for a fan-girling, crazy, and hopefully awesome ride!