S.K. Ali’s SAINTS AND MISFITS has touched so many readers and received so much praise, including becoming a William C. Morrow finalist. Today we get to announce there’s lots more to come from @sajidahwrites!
Check out the announcement from Publishers Weekly:
Congrats S.K.!
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You can check out SAINTS AND MISFITS on Goodreads, and pre-order on Amazon, B&N, and Indiebound.
It’s here it’s here! Happy Pub Day to Laura Sebastian and ASH PRINCESS!
It’s rare as an agent to read a client’s work first as a fan. I had that privilege with Laura Sebastian’s ASH PRINCESS, and I am so excited that today readers everywhere can dive into this beautiful, moving, wickedly engrossing series. Congrats Laura!
Get your copy today at Amazon, Indiebound, and B&N.
For fans of Victoria Aveyard’s RED QUEEN and Sabaa Tahir’s AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, ASH PRINCESS is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.
Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia’s family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess—a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner. For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She’s endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside. Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn’t always won on the battlefield. For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.
What folks are saying:
“Tense and imaginative, this story of a diminished yet vengeful princess inciting a rebellion to recapture her rightful place of power strikes a timely chord. Ash Princess is a smart, feminist twist on a traditional tale of a fallen heroine, with plenty of court intrigue, love, and lies to sweeten the deal. Good luck putting this one down.” —Virginia Boecker, author of The Witch Hunter series
“The story leaps and twists like a swordswoman, and its blade carves the characters anew and divides them against themselves. This searing page-turner is a compelling examination of the complexities of both evil and resistance.”—Sarah Porter, author of Vassa in the Night
“Laura Sebastian has created a dark and spellbinding epic in Ash Princess. Brace yourself, because Theodosia Houzzara—wounded, driven, and deadly—is going to carve out a place for herself in your heart.” —Sara Holland, New York Times bestselling author of Everless
“An emotionally complex, breathtakingly suspenseful series starter.”-Booklist
“For fantasy fans, especially those who enjoy strong female protagonists, this book will be an easy sell. Theo is tough, honorable, and relatable in her emotions [and] Sebastian has built a beautiful and complex world.”-VOYA
“Delivering a narrative that crackles with political intrigue, powerful and debilitating magic, and the violent mechanisms of colonization…[Ash Princess will] submerge readers in a turbulent and enthralling plot.”-Kirkus Reviews
You can find Laura on twitter— go give her an e-high five today!
For fans of Victoria Aveyard’s RED QUEEN and Sabaa Tahir’s AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, ASH PRINCESS is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.
Pre-order/Order your copy today: http://bit.ly/2J7nkb4
Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia’s family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess—a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner. For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She’s endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside. Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn’t always won on the battlefield. For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.
What folks are saying:
“Tense and imaginative, this story of a diminished yet vengeful princess inciting a rebellion to recapture her rightful place of power strikes a timely chord. Ash Princess is a smart, feminist twist on a traditional tale of a fallen heroine, with plenty of court intrigue, love, and lies to sweeten the deal. Good luck putting this one down.” —Virginia Boecker, author of The Witch Hunter series
“The story leaps and twists like a swordswoman, and its blade carves the characters anew and divides them against themselves. This searing page-turner is a compelling examination of the complexities of both evil and resistance.”—Sarah Porter, author of Vassa in the Night
“Laura Sebastian has created a dark and spellbinding epic in Ash Princess. Brace yourself, because Theodosia Houzzara—wounded, driven, and deadly—is going to carve out a place for herself in your heart.” —Sara Holland, New York Times bestselling author of Everless
“An emotionally complex, breathtakingly suspenseful series starter.”-Booklist
“For fantasy fans, especially those who enjoy strong female protagonists, this book will be an easy sell. Theo is tough, honorable, and relatable in her emotions [and] Sebastian has built a beautiful and complex world.”-VOYA
“Delivering a narrative that crackles with political intrigue, powerful and debilitating magic, and the violent mechanisms of colonization…[Ash Princess will] submerge readers in a turbulent and enthralling plot.”-Kirkus Reviews
So you may remember I posted about this deal last year. Today I’m so jazzed to share the cover of Sharon Biggs Waller’s stunning contemporary YA debut GIRLS ON THE VERGE.
When 17-year-old Camille discovers she can’t obtain an abortion anywhere near her small hometown, she sets off for a Planned Parenthood clinic in the next state. Accompanied by Annabelle, the one-time star of her high school who has wound up stocking shelves, Camille embarks on a road trip of self-discovery in this coming-of-age story pitched as Going Bovine meets Thelma and Louise.
GOV is coming April 2019 from Holt, so stay tuned for more info about this moving and important story. In the meantime, you can check out Sharon’s historical YA, THE FORBIDDEN ORCHID (Viking Children’s Books) on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, or check it out on Goodreads.
You can also find Sharon at her website, instagram, and on Facebook.
Guys, I’m so excited everyone can now get their hands on Paula Garner’s RELATIVE STRANGERS!
Why is there a gap in Jules’s baby album?
Eighteen-year-old Jules has always wished for a close-knit family. She never knew her father, and her ex-addict mother has always seemed more interested in artistic endeavors than in bonding with her only daughter. Jules’s life and future look as flat and unchanging as her small Illinois town. Then a simple quest to find a baby picture for the senior yearbook leads to an earth-shattering discovery: for most of the first two years of her life, Jules lived in foster care. Reeling from feelings of betrayal and with only the flimsiest of clues, Jules sets out to learn the truth about her past. What she finds is a wonderful family who loved her as their own and hoped to adopt her — including a now-adult foster brother who is overjoyed to see his sister again. But as her feelings for him spiral into a devastating, catastrophic crush — and the divide between Jules and her mother widens — Jules finds herself on the brink of losing everything.
RELATIVE STRANGERS is a wry and beautiful coming-of-age novel about finding the truth in lies, salvaging hope in heartbreak, and making peace with missing pieces.
“This is a fast-paced, captivating novel from beginning to end. Readers won’t be able to put this book down. A must-have for YA shelves.”
—School Library Journal
“Jules’ hard-won insights into what families can give us and what we must find and create on our own make for a moving read.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Garner (Phantom Limbs) weaves a complex story, with Jules gaining her foster family back only to risk losing them again: her former foster mother is dying of cancer. Garner sensitively explores the tensions that can arise between close friends, but she allows questions of what makes a family to remain the heart of Jules’s story.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Garner’s (Phantom Limbs, 2016) novel clearly illustrates the way one’s world can turn inside out in a heartbeat, cautioning readers to be careful what they wish for. Changing friendships, the need for validation, and the desire to be whole will strike a chord with readers who feel a part of their lives is missing.”
—Booklist Online
Congrats Paula!
You can find RELATIVE STRANGERS on Amazon, B&N, Indiebound, and Goodreads.
If the post is a listicle, you know I mean serious business. And I do!
Check it out. PUDDIN’, the companion novel to Julie Murphy’s DUMPLIN’ is coming May 8th!
Here are just a few reasons you should pre-order a copy of PUDDIN before May 8th.
Check out what Becky Abertalli, author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, had to say: “Julie Murphy has created the platonic love story of a lifetime. I am wildly in love with Puddin’.”
And if you haven’t read DUMPLIN, you should! (DUMPLIN’s also going to be a movie this year with Jennifer Anniston and Danielle MacDonald, and an original soundtrack by Dolly Parton, btw).
U.S. readers can preorder from any retailer and receiving a signed bookplate, bookmark, sleepover postcard, and lapel pin set! Just email your proof of purchase and mailing address to juliemurphypreorder@gmail.com.
(Check out Julie’s twitter feed for more details about ordering through Blue Willow, and ordering outside the U.S.)
Pre-ordering is a great way to support any new book by authors you love!
So, if you were planning to buy PUDDIN’, why not pre-order through Blue Willow Books, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, or Amazon today? And if you weren’t, maybe check it out. It’s pretty cool. Just sayin’.
You might not know this, but I play a lot of video games.
I grew up on point-and-click adventures like Curse of Monkey Island and MYST, and when I first played the award-winning game WEIRDWOOD MANOR
, I knew there was a great middle-grade story to be told in its twisty, magical universe.
Paul Pattison and the team at Wasabi Entertainment were looking to bring their imagination and story-telling ability to the world of books, and I was fortunate enough to partner with them in bringing THIEVES OF WEIRDWOOD to life. Now, with the help of the always brilliant Christian McKay Heidicker (THROW YOUR ARM ACROSS YOUR EYES AND SCREAM, S&S), THIEVES OF WEIRDWOOD is coming to the printed page! Check out the announcement from Publisher’s Weekly:
Seriously, these books are going to be so fun, and weird, and puzzly— think a Dickensian WESTING GAME with a bit of THE HAZLEWOOD thrown in.
More WEIRDWOOD news to come!
A huge congratulations to the wonderful and brilliant Gina Ciocca on A KISS IN THE DARK, available today from Simon Pulse!
When folks ask “do you represent romance?” I always point to Gina, one of my first ever clients. Gina’s writing is romantic, deep, surprising, beautiful, funny, and unforgettable, and A KISS IN THE DARK is one of my all-time favorites.
After being kissed by a mystery guy when the lights go out during a football game, Macy is determined to figure out which of three possible boys is the culprit in this funny, poignant, and achingly romantic novel from the author of Last Year’s Mistake.
When the lights go out at a Georgia high school football game, senior Macy Atwood finds herself in the arms of a boy who kisses her senseless—but he’s gone by the time the lights come back on. All she knows is that there was something special—and oddly familiar—about her mystery kisser.
Noah Granger, Ridgedale’s resident bad boy and newest transfer student, has no problem taking credit for the kiss, but Macy can’t shake the feeling that he’s lying. Especially since a photograph of Macy and former star football player Joel Hargrove resurfaced online moments before the blackout, a not-so-random reminder of how hard she fell for Joel last year. And how doing so ultimately sent her lifelong friendships with Meredith Kopala and Ben Collins up in literal smoke.
Soon last year’s wounds begin to reopen as Macy realizes the events that unfolded during junior year are somehow tied to her mystery kisser.
But the closer Macy gets to figuring it all out, the more she starts to worry that the boy who kissed her in the dark and the boy who is stealing her heart might be two very different people.
Congrats Gina!
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Check out Gina’s awesome blog and follow her on twitter.
Find A KISS IN THE DARK on Amazon, B&N, Indiebound, and Goodreads.
A huge high five to Courtney Alameda– today her sophomore novel PITCH DARK hits shelves! If you like sci-fi, horror, adventure…and maybe want something a little different from the usual big beefy white guy hero in a jump suit, I highly suggest you check out this incredibly tense and gorgeously imagined thriller:
From Courtney Alameda, the author of Shutter, this thrilling, sci-fi horror and space adventure will be sure to stay with readers long after the last pages.
Lost to time, Tuck Morgan and his crew have slept in stasis aboard the USS John Muir for centuries. Their ship harbors a chunk of Earth, which unbeknownst to them, is the last hope for the failing human race.
Laura Cruz is a shipraider searching the galaxy for the history that was scattered to the stars. Once her family locates the John Muir and its precious cargo, they are certain human civilization is saved.
When Tuck’s and Laura’s worlds collide—literally—the two teens must outwit their enemies, evade brutal monsters that kill with sound, and work together to save the John Muir . . . and the whole human race.
Praise for Courtney Alameda
“Alameda excels at creating hideous creatures that are the stuff of nightmares. The rapid pacing, advanced technology, and limitless weapons just add appeal for readers seeking a supernatural thriller.” ―Booklist on Shutter
“Alameda makes a strong debut with this fast-paced urban fantasy/horror novel. Alameda’s worldbuilding is strong . . . and her characters evoke shows like Buffy and Supernatural.” ―Publishers Weekly on Shutter
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Visit Courtney’s website, follow her on Twitter, and like her on Facebook. You can also check out PITCH DARK on Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, and Indiebound.
Today we bring you another pink-and-purple inflected cover, this time for the (fabulously titled) new YA by Christian McKay Heidicker coming this September from Simon & Schuster: THROW YOUR ARM ACROSS YOUR EYES AND SCREAM!
As die-hard 50s Sci-Fi schlock fan, I just love this book so much. As with his debut, CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE, Christian manages to take a stock trope from pop culture and turn it completely on its head. Oh, and it’s also funny as hell.
Without further ado, here is the cover…
Phoebe Darrow is a lightning rod for monsters.
She and her mom are forced to flee flesh-eating plants, blobs from outer space, and radioactive ants. They survive thanks to Phoebe’s dad—an invisible titan, whose giant eyes warn them where the next monster attack will take place.
All Phoebe wants is to stop running from motel to motel and start living a monster-free life in New York or Paris. But when her mom
You can find Christian online at http://www.cmheidicker.com/and https://twitter.com/cmheidicker, and get his debut CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Indiebound.
“A plugged-in young adult comedy about the pain of unplugging… perfect for teen gamers and readers who are fans of Jesse Andrews and John Green.” (School Library Journal)
“Heidicker’s debut crackles with twitchy energy… this is a fun, absurdist romp through gaming culture, populated by zany characters and a quest narrative worthy of its own game.” (Booklist)
John M. Cusick 