Author: Cheryl Carpinello
Genre: Middle Grade Adventure/Mystery
Title: Sons of the Sphinx
I don’t see dead people. I hear them. I talk to them. Boy, you should try that. Talk about people looking at you like you’re a freak. That’ll do it.
Take today in math class. We are taking this test, see. I’m concentrating real hard on this problem trying to figure height or something. Then I hear this.
“Hey you.”
I jerk up in my chair, looking around for the guy doing the talking. I glance at the kids on either side of me. Nothing. I look up at my teacher. He’s glaring at me.
“Great,” I whisper. “He probably thinks I’m trying to cheat.” I bow my head and focus on the problem again.
“You, I’m talking to you.”
I shake my head in hopes of tossing the voice out, but it doesn’t work. I should know better.
Every time I rebel against them, I end up in trouble. Just what I need now while I’m trying to take this test.
“Would you be quiet? I’m trying to take a math test,” I whisper fervently.
“Oh sure, that’s okay for you to say. I’ll never take another test again.” His voice broke up, kind of like bad radio reception.
“Not my problem,” I whisper, but putting emphasis on each of the words. I can feel the stares of the kids around me. Great.
“I died too soon, I really did.”
“Look, I haven’t talked to a dead person yet who didn’t say that. Kind of goes with the dead part. I can’t do a thing for you. Believe me, if I could, and if it would get rid of all of you, I would. Now leave me alone. You’re going to make me fail this test.”
I hear him snort, like he has to blow his nose, if dead guys really do that. Then comes the kicker.
“I just want another chance. I promise I’ll do better.”
“I’m going to say this once more. Not my problem. Now leave.” I wrote three exclamation points on my paper just so he would get the picture.
“But it isn’t fair,” he whined. “It just isn’t fair.”
Okay. I’m fed up with this guy. I can’t even remember the formula for whatever I’m trying to find. I am definitely going to fail math if this guy keeps on yapping.
Out loud I say, “Bud, I don’t give a damn if it isn’t fair. Just shut the hell up so I can get this test done!”
Did you get the part where I said “out loud”? Yep, that earned me an F on the test AND a trip to the AP’s (that’s assistant principal’s) office. I couldn’t even defend myself there. What was I going to say? “Excuse me, I’m sorry I blurted out loud in class in the middle of a test, and I’m sorry for swearing, but you see, this dead guy wouldn’t shut up.” Yeah, that would have gone over well. Nope, I just had to sit meekly back and say politely, “It won’t happen again. Had to be the stress over the test.” You get the picture.
He sends me to my next class with several of the same kids. As I take my seat, I see a couple shaking their heads. I just shrug and mumble something like “Idiot dead people.” No one goes out of their way to talk to me. I think they’re afraid whatever I have will rub off on them, or that I’ll go bananas or something.
Understandable.
And when my parents get home, and I tell them what happened...Well, I may be the one shouting
“It’s not fair!”
It would be one thing if I talked to famous dead people. You know like that Elvis guy my mother still drools over? I mean, really? Like the guy would be seventy-something today! Anyway, if I talked to him, I could give my mom a personal message like “Sorry we never got to hook up.” That would be something, don’t you think?
No, the dead people who talk to me are just dead nobodies. Nothing exciting to say. Nothing going down. They’re just hanging out, waiting for I don’t know, to be more dead, I guess. Or, to see how much trouble they can get me in. If I could just ignore them. My mother told me that all the time when my older brother would pick on me. “Just ignore him, Rose.” Yea, easier said than done. I’ve even tried communicating by ESP hoping to keep my temper. That didn’t work either.
So now I sit here in my bedroom trying to work on my history project on ancient Egypt. You know, the kind where the teacher puts you in a group, and then no one in the group does anything. Yep, that’s my luck. The project is due the day after tomorrow, and I’m the only one who has done any work. After what happened today, I’m having a hard time focusing, It’s easier to sit here and daydream.
“Roose.”
OMG! Do the dead have no respect?
And just who is this guy? This isn’t the same voice. That’s nice. Now I have an army of dead people invading my brain. Too bad they can’t do this project for me.
“Roose.”
Who is this idiot?
“Listen. I am done with dead people today. This is my room, my space, and I don’t want you in here. I’m not sharing my things with dead people! And my name is Rose, not Roose.”
Silence. That’s encouraging.
“Look, I’ll make you a deal. You do my homework, make my bed, and clean out my closet, and we’ll talk.”
I wait. Nothing happens.
I must be going nuts. OMG. Who tries to deal with a dead person?
“Roose. Please.”
Will this guy never give up? I cover my ears even though I know it won’t do any good. Why can’t I at least talk to interesting dead people, instead of these whining ones?
Sitting at my desk, I’m determined to get to work. I glance at my King Tut ticket stub on the wall. Now that would be one dead person I’d talk to, especially about this project. At the age of nine he ruled all of Egypt. And his tomb wasn’t discovered until 1922, more than 2500 years later, by that man Carter.
I touch the picture next to it. You know, the one where Ankhesenamun and Tut on the back of the Golden Throne. He is sitting in the throne; she is standing facing him, her arm outstretched, touching him. I’m not a romantic, but when I look at that picture, I can feel their love for each other.
Yep, I could talk to Tut, but I’d rather talk to his wife, the mysterious and beautiful Ankhesenamun. The Lost Queen.
Sometimes I imagine myself as her talking with Tut. Mostly we talk about what’s happening in Egypt, and what we have to do today. I show my support for him with a simple touch of my hand. Other times, we talk about where we’ll be buried. They did that, you know. Had their burial chamber ready sometimes years before their death.
On days when I’m feeling depressed--and today looks to be one of those days--I imagine saying goodbye to Tut as he dies. I assure Tut that we’ll meet in the After Life. Then I go to bed and wonder what it would be like to wander the earth looking for my husband’s spirit or ba. I wonder if he looks for her.
“I do, Roose.”
I turn around and scream. I look at the picture and then scream again.
Monday, 24 September 2012
1st 5 Pages September Workshop - Baccellia Rev 3
Name: Kim Baccellia
Genre: YA Multicultural Sci-Fi
Title: EL COMPUESTO
Uno
Here goes nada.
My hands shook like leaves during a sudden wind storm. It hadn’t been foolish to
keep the encrypted image overnight, it was suicidal. But I had to see it one more time.
I sneaked a glance over my shoulder, checking for security. If I was caught watching the image of the world outside the compound, I’d be thrown into solitary confinement or worse. I’d end up like Papi, disappearing in the middle of the night.
No, I couldn’t do that to Mami but I couldn’t help myself. Deep down I knew it was wrong to question but any clue, lead about what happened to Papi consumed me. Nothing mattered—not my standing in the community or even El Padre. Only my own father’s fate.
The light tapping of combat boots on the smooth auditorium floor meant the supervisor was walking to the other end of the room, giving me some time. It was now or never.
Their vid-monitor devices swept over those closer to the front doors, always on the look-out for floros, those who shirked their responsibilities to el Compuesto. I made sure there was no reason to suspect me. I took pride in doing everything our community expected –from being on time with my assignments, going to bi-weekly youth rallies, and even accepting a choice of a mate. None of this would matter if my latest bout with defiance was found. The hologram had been the last thing Papi had been viewing before he was lead away. I had to watch it, if anything to find the clue to why the leaders had singled out my father.
Still, if they found out…
Guilt nudged the back of my mind, reminding me how stupid I was to push my own standing within our community. I reminded myself I just needed to be careful. Yes. I could do this and it looked like time might be on my side.
I glanced over to the side, looking for my friend Luz but only an empty space stared back at me. I wanted to share my latest ‘find’ with her but the window of time was slipping. For a brief moment my fingers wavered over my monitor, unable to move. Over in the corner my gemela Xochil frowned, shaking her head.
It’s not as if my sister took me seriously as she teased me that I didn’t have the cajones to do anything against the leaders. I was the ‘good’ girl. Her sneaking this vid into my monitor probably meant nothing or was a test.
Right now was all that mattered and that involved finding out the truth. I could almost sense my twin daring me to go through with my defiance, thinking I’d chicken out. If anything that only forced my hand. But still doubt plagued me.
I shuddered. After all these years, the stain of Papi’s disappearance after being vocal against el Padre’s command still followed me. Usually an overhead monitor or two blinked in my direction. But now they were pointed in the other way.
My leg couldn’t stop bouncing with pent-up nervous energy. I wet my lips, waiting for the perfect moment.
Now.
I swiped my hand over my monitor, settling back in my chair. The key to this was to act normal and not show how I really felt inside. I had a lot of practice with this every since Papi had ‘disappeared’. After awhile, tears dried up until a numbness carried me through the day.
The steel backing pressed into my lower back, but I pushed the uncomfortable feeling aside. A hologram circled around my space, seeming to box me in for my own custom performance. The virtual reality image erased the dullness of the classroom with a computerized paint brush, painting everything with bright colors. Magical stokes swept across my perpendicular vision seeming to paint me within the 3D images.
I closed my eyes for a brief second, savoring the flood of emotions that swirled within me. I felt as if a leaded weight had been severed from me, releasing my bruised soul into the heavens. No longer did I blend in with the uniformed oneness which consisted of everything down to the same pair of boots we wore. No, this my own silent way of defiance.
Opening my eyes, I waited.
Then it came.
Jewel-like plumage darted in and out of a group of hibiscus flowers. The vivid coral, pink, lavender, and red petals brightened not only the space in front of me but my whole being. I reached out, stroking the velvet softness of a flower petal. A whiff of sweetness tickled my nose. I wanted, no I craved more.
A chumparosa darted close by my ear. My gaze followed as the hummingbird dipped a long beak inside a flower, hovering for a brief moment before dashing off to another one.
Though I was inside the cold confinement of the school auditorium, it never ceased to amaze me how life-like and real the projected hologram images could be. I continued to watch the dance of the hummingbird once more. Her aerobics fascinated me. Now I know why my ancestors were so enthralled with these small birds.
At first glance, the lone hummingbird’s paper thin wings might seem fragile, unequipped for its mission. I knew better. An insect-like buzzing vibrated around me, teasing me to join her. The tiny bird bounced from one bright hibiscus flower to another before fluttering off into emptiness.
With her passing, the hologram image faded revealing my real world. I sighed. The harsh white plastered walls erased the beauty of the hummingbird into a distinct memory. Once again, I hadn’t found anything. No clue, nada. If anything I was more confused on why this had been so important. Still I felt he was trying to tell me something.
Then another thought came. Was I the hummingbird? Even I knew that the freedom of the tiny creature could never coexist with the iron fist of El Padre. He’d crush it like he did with anyone else who searched for freedom.
Like Papi. Or even me.
I glanced around, nervous. Any slip of composure, hint of rebellion was reported. I slumped down in my chair and tried to push the thoughts aside.
The uncomfortable sensation of someone staring at me caused me to glance over to catch a half smile on Xochil’s face. She mouthed:
“Good going.”
I turned back to my monitor, annoyed but also not surprised. My twin relished subtle attacks against our compound. Right now I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction that maybe I’d been actually listening to her conspiracy stories.
No one else seemed to notice our exchange. Good.
I blinked once, twice, reorienting myself to my class assignments. At least I’d been assigned to botany, which I loved. Still after being engulfed in the holograms, it always took a few seconds to re anchor myself into reality.
El Padre was our true padre
Nadie mas
I hummed part of the national chant in my head and let the words fill me once more with my true purpose and calling. The words came easy enough. I’d heard them since childhood. The leaders had used this message and others to remind us that we were different than those outside of our domed community. Living far away in the desert gave us courage, strength, and unity. The Earth outside our home with their fighting, wars, and hatred was the enemy. Order was our god. Without order, destruction came.
Then I glanced back to Luz’s empty seat. Where was she? A sick feeling gurgled in my stomach reminding me how close I played to the edge.
Luz, hadn’t been in class for two days now, which was unlike her. She’d been my best friend since childhood. We’d done everything together. She’d been the one who didn’t shun me after Papi’s betrayal or added to the vicious rumors that circulated around el Compuesto that he’d tried to kill our beloved leader. No, she’d been more of a hermana then my own twin sister. Though lately she’d also been questioning el Padre.
Just like Papi had done.
Xochil twirled a piece of her raven hair. Her vid was down. Every now and then she’d roll her eyes. Though my gemela at times rambled on with her crazy theories, right now I wished I had her strength to stand up to the leaders without fearing being singled out.
Genre: YA Multicultural Sci-Fi
Title: EL COMPUESTO
Uno
Here goes nada.
My hands shook like leaves during a sudden wind storm. It hadn’t been foolish to
keep the encrypted image overnight, it was suicidal. But I had to see it one more time.
I sneaked a glance over my shoulder, checking for security. If I was caught watching the image of the world outside the compound, I’d be thrown into solitary confinement or worse. I’d end up like Papi, disappearing in the middle of the night.
No, I couldn’t do that to Mami but I couldn’t help myself. Deep down I knew it was wrong to question but any clue, lead about what happened to Papi consumed me. Nothing mattered—not my standing in the community or even El Padre. Only my own father’s fate.
The light tapping of combat boots on the smooth auditorium floor meant the supervisor was walking to the other end of the room, giving me some time. It was now or never.
Their vid-monitor devices swept over those closer to the front doors, always on the look-out for floros, those who shirked their responsibilities to el Compuesto. I made sure there was no reason to suspect me. I took pride in doing everything our community expected –from being on time with my assignments, going to bi-weekly youth rallies, and even accepting a choice of a mate. None of this would matter if my latest bout with defiance was found. The hologram had been the last thing Papi had been viewing before he was lead away. I had to watch it, if anything to find the clue to why the leaders had singled out my father.
Still, if they found out…
Guilt nudged the back of my mind, reminding me how stupid I was to push my own standing within our community. I reminded myself I just needed to be careful. Yes. I could do this and it looked like time might be on my side.
I glanced over to the side, looking for my friend Luz but only an empty space stared back at me. I wanted to share my latest ‘find’ with her but the window of time was slipping. For a brief moment my fingers wavered over my monitor, unable to move. Over in the corner my gemela Xochil frowned, shaking her head.
It’s not as if my sister took me seriously as she teased me that I didn’t have the cajones to do anything against the leaders. I was the ‘good’ girl. Her sneaking this vid into my monitor probably meant nothing or was a test.
Right now was all that mattered and that involved finding out the truth. I could almost sense my twin daring me to go through with my defiance, thinking I’d chicken out. If anything that only forced my hand. But still doubt plagued me.
I shuddered. After all these years, the stain of Papi’s disappearance after being vocal against el Padre’s command still followed me. Usually an overhead monitor or two blinked in my direction. But now they were pointed in the other way.
My leg couldn’t stop bouncing with pent-up nervous energy. I wet my lips, waiting for the perfect moment.
Now.
I swiped my hand over my monitor, settling back in my chair. The key to this was to act normal and not show how I really felt inside. I had a lot of practice with this every since Papi had ‘disappeared’. After awhile, tears dried up until a numbness carried me through the day.
The steel backing pressed into my lower back, but I pushed the uncomfortable feeling aside. A hologram circled around my space, seeming to box me in for my own custom performance. The virtual reality image erased the dullness of the classroom with a computerized paint brush, painting everything with bright colors. Magical stokes swept across my perpendicular vision seeming to paint me within the 3D images.
I closed my eyes for a brief second, savoring the flood of emotions that swirled within me. I felt as if a leaded weight had been severed from me, releasing my bruised soul into the heavens. No longer did I blend in with the uniformed oneness which consisted of everything down to the same pair of boots we wore. No, this my own silent way of defiance.
Opening my eyes, I waited.
Then it came.
Jewel-like plumage darted in and out of a group of hibiscus flowers. The vivid coral, pink, lavender, and red petals brightened not only the space in front of me but my whole being. I reached out, stroking the velvet softness of a flower petal. A whiff of sweetness tickled my nose. I wanted, no I craved more.
A chumparosa darted close by my ear. My gaze followed as the hummingbird dipped a long beak inside a flower, hovering for a brief moment before dashing off to another one.
Though I was inside the cold confinement of the school auditorium, it never ceased to amaze me how life-like and real the projected hologram images could be. I continued to watch the dance of the hummingbird once more. Her aerobics fascinated me. Now I know why my ancestors were so enthralled with these small birds.
At first glance, the lone hummingbird’s paper thin wings might seem fragile, unequipped for its mission. I knew better. An insect-like buzzing vibrated around me, teasing me to join her. The tiny bird bounced from one bright hibiscus flower to another before fluttering off into emptiness.
With her passing, the hologram image faded revealing my real world. I sighed. The harsh white plastered walls erased the beauty of the hummingbird into a distinct memory. Once again, I hadn’t found anything. No clue, nada. If anything I was more confused on why this had been so important. Still I felt he was trying to tell me something.
Then another thought came. Was I the hummingbird? Even I knew that the freedom of the tiny creature could never coexist with the iron fist of El Padre. He’d crush it like he did with anyone else who searched for freedom.
Like Papi. Or even me.
I glanced around, nervous. Any slip of composure, hint of rebellion was reported. I slumped down in my chair and tried to push the thoughts aside.
The uncomfortable sensation of someone staring at me caused me to glance over to catch a half smile on Xochil’s face. She mouthed:
“Good going.”
I turned back to my monitor, annoyed but also not surprised. My twin relished subtle attacks against our compound. Right now I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction that maybe I’d been actually listening to her conspiracy stories.
No one else seemed to notice our exchange. Good.
I blinked once, twice, reorienting myself to my class assignments. At least I’d been assigned to botany, which I loved. Still after being engulfed in the holograms, it always took a few seconds to re anchor myself into reality.
El Padre was our true padre
Nadie mas
I hummed part of the national chant in my head and let the words fill me once more with my true purpose and calling. The words came easy enough. I’d heard them since childhood. The leaders had used this message and others to remind us that we were different than those outside of our domed community. Living far away in the desert gave us courage, strength, and unity. The Earth outside our home with their fighting, wars, and hatred was the enemy. Order was our god. Without order, destruction came.
Then I glanced back to Luz’s empty seat. Where was she? A sick feeling gurgled in my stomach reminding me how close I played to the edge.
Luz, hadn’t been in class for two days now, which was unlike her. She’d been my best friend since childhood. We’d done everything together. She’d been the one who didn’t shun me after Papi’s betrayal or added to the vicious rumors that circulated around el Compuesto that he’d tried to kill our beloved leader. No, she’d been more of a hermana then my own twin sister. Though lately she’d also been questioning el Padre.
Just like Papi had done.
Xochil twirled a piece of her raven hair. Her vid was down. Every now and then she’d roll her eyes. Though my gemela at times rambled on with her crazy theories, right now I wished I had her strength to stand up to the leaders without fearing being singled out.
1st 5 Pages September Workshop - Berendsen Rev 3
Author: Margo Berendsen
Genre: Young Adult science fiction
Title: Startripped
I don’t usually have a problem putting makeup on. But today I keep messing up. My hands are shaking, and every time I touch the brush to my eyelashes it jerks and hits the wrong spot. I’ve had to wash my face off and start over again so many times that I just leave the water running in the sink. My face feels raw.
I’m dreading this party.
As I start another attempt, there’s a sharp rap on the bathroom door. “I’m not ready yet!” I yell. “Go away.”
David pushes the door open anyway. “Mom wants to know what’s taking so long. Everyone’s waiting for you.”
“If you’d stop interrupting me, I’d be ready sooner.”
He doesn’t take the hint. “Why do you bother standing in front of the mirror?”
“Go away, David.” He’s not a little brother. He’s a video-game villain that keeps coming back no matter how many times you shoot it.
“At least you don’t have to see yourself anymore. We still have to look at you.”
“Out!” I reach for the door and slam it, hoping it hits him but he’s too quick. In the process I drop the mascara brush and hear it hit the floor. Wonderful. Now it’s going to take me even longer, feeling around trying to find it. I don’t dare ask David for help – he’s had way too much fun switching my makeup around and mixing up the colors. On the other hand, at least he doesn’t treat me like fragile china, like my parents have been treating me since the accident.
There’s a knock on the door again but this time it’s softer. “Hey. Need any help?” My mom says, using her calm, dealing-with-my-disabled daughter voice.
“No. I think I’ll the skip the party and go out for a drive.” The accident happened just a week after I got my driver’s license. I’ve only ever officially driven by myself two times. What a gip.
“Camria, I know you’re not happy about us planning this party,” she says. “But your Dad and I – we thought it was the right thing to do. Your sister loved these parties.”
No kidding. Liz always went all-out planning our birthday. Last year we had underwater fireworks in the pool, and everyone at school talked about it for days.
This year, a party just feels wrong. If losing my sight in a freak accident three months ago wasn’t bad enough, I also lost my twin sister in that same accident. Today is my seventeenth birthday. It should have been hers, too.
“Anyway,” Mom continues in a lighter voice, “if you skip out, you’ll miss meeting the new guy. I think he said he was a transfer student.”
Great. A party crasher.
“A new guy? And you let him in? What if he’s one of the Black Suits?
“He isn’t wearing a black suit.”
“You know what I mean.” How can she be an ex-astronaut and astrophysicist and be so clueless? The National Security Agency Suits still visit me once a week, asking me the same pointless questions about the accident. Sometimes they use different guises, trying to act all casual, but I always recognize them by their voices. Sharpened hearing and other senses are my compensation for blindness. Not nearly enough compensation, if you ask me.
“He’s a high school junior,” Mom reassures me. “Your friend Bei asked if she could bring him along. I think you’ll want to meet him.”
“Why?” My mom-is-meddling radar starts beeping in my head. He’s probably got a disability of some sort, too, and she’s thinks we’d make a good match. Kill me now.
“He’s… interesting.”
Huh. A vague disability. “You’re scaring me.”
Actually, I’m scaring myself – the fact I have a party crasher intrigues me.
“Here’s your mascara.” I hear her place it on the shelf next to the sink. “Let me help you with your make-up before all your guests leave.”
“Scram. I don’t need your help.” My occupational therapist spent hours teaching me how to count each touch of the brush to my eyelashes, each stroke of color to my lips. But I still have to conjure up one of my brave-face smiles to reassure my mom. It works. She gives me a hug before she leaves, enveloping me in her professorish white-board-marker smell.
I manage to get my mascara and lipstick on without any more setbacks. Before I leave the bathroom, I press my fingers against the mirror’s smooth surface. I imagine Liz’s hand touching my fingers from the other side, from wherever she’s gone, reaching out to tell me she’s still there. “Time for our party,” I whisper.
###
As I walk out into the living room, my head buzzes like it always does when I’m in a crowd, my other senses trying to compensate to figure out who the people are. But there’s something different this time, too. In the din of a more than a dozen people, there is a single person who sets off a clear bell in my senses.
That’s never happened before.
Before I can figure out who is in the room, my parents start singing Happy Birthday and the voices join in. Heat rises up my cheeks. I’m not used to being the center of attention; that was Liz’s place.
“Happy birthday, dear Cam….” The song sounds strange without my sister’s name in it, too. At least it helps me pick out everyone’s voices, so now I know who is in the room with me. Alicia’s voice is missing, no surprise. My ex-best friend. The other voices are familiar, a few of my friends from theater and lots of Liz’s friends, the popular crowd. I’m glad they showed up to remember Liz, though they make me uneasy.
There’s another voice that distracts me. I’ve heard his voice before, somewhere, but I can’t place it. He’s the one that set off the bell in my senses. The party crasher.
“Here’s your cake, Cam,” my friend Bei tells me. I smell sulfur and sweetness from birthday candles. I’m going to make a fool of myself, trying to blow out them out. Bei puts her hand on my back and gently directs me toward the cake. “Don’t forget to make a wish.”
Sure, a wish. I’m still waiting on that pony I wished for three years in a row. But before I can censor it, a longing escapes my thoughts: I want my sister and my sight back. Bei turns me slightly, and my senses pick up the faint heat of the candles. And then – for a moment – I see them.
It’s the first thing I’ve seen in three months. Was it my imagination? No, there it is again, a flickering light. This is too weird, especially happening right after a stranger set off a bell in my senses.
“Go ahead, blow ‘em out,” Dad urges me. I’m not worried about missing the candles now, I blow them all out with one breath. Everything is dark again.
Before I have a chance to process this, someone yells, “Everyone outside, check out the pool!”
I recognize Skizz Fulton’s voice, one of Liz’s friends. Everyone stampedes out the back patio door, letting in the cool evening air. Skizz is the unofficial king of school pranks, and an announcement by him is guaranteed to be followed by something shock-worthy. His crowning achievement (so far) was encasing the microphone in the auditorium in a condom right before the principal kicked off last year’s awards assembly.
Genre: Young Adult science fiction
Title: Startripped
I don’t usually have a problem putting makeup on. But today I keep messing up. My hands are shaking, and every time I touch the brush to my eyelashes it jerks and hits the wrong spot. I’ve had to wash my face off and start over again so many times that I just leave the water running in the sink. My face feels raw.
I’m dreading this party.
As I start another attempt, there’s a sharp rap on the bathroom door. “I’m not ready yet!” I yell. “Go away.”
David pushes the door open anyway. “Mom wants to know what’s taking so long. Everyone’s waiting for you.”
“If you’d stop interrupting me, I’d be ready sooner.”
He doesn’t take the hint. “Why do you bother standing in front of the mirror?”
“Go away, David.” He’s not a little brother. He’s a video-game villain that keeps coming back no matter how many times you shoot it.
“At least you don’t have to see yourself anymore. We still have to look at you.”
“Out!” I reach for the door and slam it, hoping it hits him but he’s too quick. In the process I drop the mascara brush and hear it hit the floor. Wonderful. Now it’s going to take me even longer, feeling around trying to find it. I don’t dare ask David for help – he’s had way too much fun switching my makeup around and mixing up the colors. On the other hand, at least he doesn’t treat me like fragile china, like my parents have been treating me since the accident.
There’s a knock on the door again but this time it’s softer. “Hey. Need any help?” My mom says, using her calm, dealing-with-my-disabled daughter voice.
“No. I think I’ll the skip the party and go out for a drive.” The accident happened just a week after I got my driver’s license. I’ve only ever officially driven by myself two times. What a gip.
“Camria, I know you’re not happy about us planning this party,” she says. “But your Dad and I – we thought it was the right thing to do. Your sister loved these parties.”
No kidding. Liz always went all-out planning our birthday. Last year we had underwater fireworks in the pool, and everyone at school talked about it for days.
This year, a party just feels wrong. If losing my sight in a freak accident three months ago wasn’t bad enough, I also lost my twin sister in that same accident. Today is my seventeenth birthday. It should have been hers, too.
“Anyway,” Mom continues in a lighter voice, “if you skip out, you’ll miss meeting the new guy. I think he said he was a transfer student.”
Great. A party crasher.
“A new guy? And you let him in? What if he’s one of the Black Suits?
“He isn’t wearing a black suit.”
“You know what I mean.” How can she be an ex-astronaut and astrophysicist and be so clueless? The National Security Agency Suits still visit me once a week, asking me the same pointless questions about the accident. Sometimes they use different guises, trying to act all casual, but I always recognize them by their voices. Sharpened hearing and other senses are my compensation for blindness. Not nearly enough compensation, if you ask me.
“He’s a high school junior,” Mom reassures me. “Your friend Bei asked if she could bring him along. I think you’ll want to meet him.”
“Why?” My mom-is-meddling radar starts beeping in my head. He’s probably got a disability of some sort, too, and she’s thinks we’d make a good match. Kill me now.
“He’s… interesting.”
Huh. A vague disability. “You’re scaring me.”
Actually, I’m scaring myself – the fact I have a party crasher intrigues me.
“Here’s your mascara.” I hear her place it on the shelf next to the sink. “Let me help you with your make-up before all your guests leave.”
“Scram. I don’t need your help.” My occupational therapist spent hours teaching me how to count each touch of the brush to my eyelashes, each stroke of color to my lips. But I still have to conjure up one of my brave-face smiles to reassure my mom. It works. She gives me a hug before she leaves, enveloping me in her professorish white-board-marker smell.
I manage to get my mascara and lipstick on without any more setbacks. Before I leave the bathroom, I press my fingers against the mirror’s smooth surface. I imagine Liz’s hand touching my fingers from the other side, from wherever she’s gone, reaching out to tell me she’s still there. “Time for our party,” I whisper.
###
As I walk out into the living room, my head buzzes like it always does when I’m in a crowd, my other senses trying to compensate to figure out who the people are. But there’s something different this time, too. In the din of a more than a dozen people, there is a single person who sets off a clear bell in my senses.
That’s never happened before.
Before I can figure out who is in the room, my parents start singing Happy Birthday and the voices join in. Heat rises up my cheeks. I’m not used to being the center of attention; that was Liz’s place.
“Happy birthday, dear Cam….” The song sounds strange without my sister’s name in it, too. At least it helps me pick out everyone’s voices, so now I know who is in the room with me. Alicia’s voice is missing, no surprise. My ex-best friend. The other voices are familiar, a few of my friends from theater and lots of Liz’s friends, the popular crowd. I’m glad they showed up to remember Liz, though they make me uneasy.
There’s another voice that distracts me. I’ve heard his voice before, somewhere, but I can’t place it. He’s the one that set off the bell in my senses. The party crasher.
“Here’s your cake, Cam,” my friend Bei tells me. I smell sulfur and sweetness from birthday candles. I’m going to make a fool of myself, trying to blow out them out. Bei puts her hand on my back and gently directs me toward the cake. “Don’t forget to make a wish.”
Sure, a wish. I’m still waiting on that pony I wished for three years in a row. But before I can censor it, a longing escapes my thoughts: I want my sister and my sight back. Bei turns me slightly, and my senses pick up the faint heat of the candles. And then – for a moment – I see them.
It’s the first thing I’ve seen in three months. Was it my imagination? No, there it is again, a flickering light. This is too weird, especially happening right after a stranger set off a bell in my senses.
“Go ahead, blow ‘em out,” Dad urges me. I’m not worried about missing the candles now, I blow them all out with one breath. Everything is dark again.
Before I have a chance to process this, someone yells, “Everyone outside, check out the pool!”
I recognize Skizz Fulton’s voice, one of Liz’s friends. Everyone stampedes out the back patio door, letting in the cool evening air. Skizz is the unofficial king of school pranks, and an announcement by him is guaranteed to be followed by something shock-worthy. His crowning achievement (so far) was encasing the microphone in the auditorium in a condom right before the principal kicked off last year’s awards assembly.
Friday, 21 September 2012
YA Books in Stores Next Week Plus THE RAVEN BOYS and More to Give Away
Author interviews are back this week, plus we have some more great giveaways for you. To enter, please complete the form at the bottom of the post by 6:00 PM on 9/27/12. (U.S. and Canadian entries only, please!)
Want a chance to win even more books? Stop by our First Lines Revision Contest. It's open to anyone, and all you have to do to win a prize pack of Amanda Hocking books (I'll be announcing this SOON! :)) is take the first three lines of a well-known book and change it up to be something different--turn dystopian to romance, romance to horror, contemporary to fantasy, whatever. Come join the fun and show us how creative you can be. Click here to enter that one.
And now back to our regularly scheduled giveaway and a round-up of all the new YA Books in Stores next week. There are so many good ones.
Happy reading and good luck!
Martina
View The Raven Boys on Goodreads
Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.
Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.
C.C. Hunter Answers: What is your favorite thing about Taken at Dusk?
That’s hard to answer. I try to show my characters growth in each book. And I know Taken at Dusk had a lot of character growth. However, when I think about the book, my mind always goes to the scenes and what those scenes bring to the story. And there are two scenes in Taken at Dusk that really come to mind.
One was the scene when Perry turned into a dragon because he was jealous of Miranda and then Miranda accidentally turned Burnett into a Kangaroo. I loved the humor in that scene and yet, it was also a scene that showed additional depth of the characters; Perry and Miranda’s affection for each other, Della’s embarrassment when she was hurt, but her need to protect her friends just as much as Kylie, Lucas’s realization that Kylie was a protector, Burnett’s need to be able to keep Shadow Falls going without Holiday, and Kylie’s understanding that her courage came without her needing to think about it.
The second scene I felt added some emotional depth to the story was the when Red gave his life for Kylie. I wanted to show Mario’s complete evilness and at the same time, show Red’s ability to recognize right from wrong. It was also important to show Kylie’s compassion and her awareness that sometimes people make really bad mistakes because they are conditioned to do so, as was Red. It was a scene that brought tears to my eyes when I wrote it.
Thanks so much for taking the time to ask me this question.
Here’s to reading and getting lost in a great story.
Order Taken at Dusk on Amazon
View Taken at Dusk on Goodreads
Jana Oliver's third spellbinding Demon Trappers novel - following The Demon Trapper's Daughter and Soul Thief - brings all new thrills, as Riley Blackthorne takes on demons, love... and the future of the human race.
The days are growing darker for 17-year-old demon trapper Riley Blackthorne. With her father’s reanimated body back safely, Beck barely speaking to her because of a certain hunky Fallen angel, and a freshly-made deal with Lucifer, she has enough on her hands to last a normal teenage lifetime. Though she bargained with Heaven to save his life, her ex-boyfriend Simon has told the Vatican’s Demon Hunters that she’s working with Hell. So now she’s in hiding, at the top of everyone’s most-wanted list.
But it’s becoming clear that this is bigger than Riley, and rapidly getting out of control: something sinister is happening in Atlanta… or someone. The demons are working together for the first time ever and refusing to die, putting civilians in harm’s way. Riley thinks she might know who’s behind it all, but who’s going to believe her? Caught between her bargain with Heaven and her promise to Lucifer, Riley fears the final war is coming – and it may be closer than anyone thinks…
Jana Oliver Answers: What is your favorite thing about Forgiven?
My favorite things about FORGIVEN are the battle scenes. They reveal just how dangerous Riley's life has become and how nothing is the same. Just when she thinks she's about to beat Hell, the odds change. She has to be faster and smarter than the demons or her future is toast.
Order Forgiven (Demon Trappers #3) on Amazon
View Forgiven (Demon Trappers #3) on Goodreads
Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.
But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever…
Jana Oliver Answers: What was your favorite thing about Soul Thief?
My fave thing about SOUL THIEF is that it's a game changer. Everything the readers think they know about Riley, Beck, Ori and Simon will be questioned by the end of the book. I love doing that to my characters (and my readers).
Order Soul Thief (Demon Trappers #2) on Amazon
View Soul Thief (Demon Trappers #2) on Goodreads
A dark, psychological thriller about a boy's search for himself.
Four thousand, three hundred and seventeen stitches, his father had told him once. All the King's horses and all the King's men had put Henry Franks back together again.
One year ago, a terrible accident robbed Henry Franks of his mother and his memories. The past sixteen years have vanished. All Henry has now are scars and a distant father--the only one who can tell Henry who he is.
If only he could trust his father.
Do his nightmares--a sweet little girl calling him Daddy, murderous urges, dead bodies--hold clues?
While a serial killer stalks their small Georgia town, Henry unearths the bitter truth behind his mother's death--and the terrifying secrets of his own dark past.
Sometimes, the only thing worse than forgetting is remembering.
Order Henry Franks: A Novel on Amazon
View Henry Franks: A Novel on Goodreads
But it all teeters on the brink of destruction. Amid rumors that Filius’s goddess mother will soon return from her 15-year exile, Reach, a malign god of urban decay, wants the young prince dead. Helping Filius raise an alleyway army to reclaim his skyscraper throne, Beth soon forgets her old life. But when her best friend is captured, Beth must choose between this wondrous existence and the life she left behind.
Order The City's Son (The Skyscraper Throne) on Amazon
View The City's Son (The Skyscraper Throne) on Goodreads
Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else--two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren't they settling? Why isn't one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn't...
For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she's still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet...for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.
Order What's Left of Me (Hybrid Chronicles) on Amazon
View What's Left of Me (Hybrid Chronicles) on Goodreads
A team of six has been chosen . . .
. . . to infiltrate the enemy's headquarters in the heart of the Australian Outback. The six teens have been modified to look like aliens. They have spent years mastering alien culture so that they can talk, act—even think—like their enemies. But from the start, the recon mission goes terribly wrong. It's only when they are close to discovering the shocking truth of the aliens' plans that the team is forced to ask:
Who among them is a traitor?
Brian Falkner, author of The Project, Brain Jack, and The Tomorrow Code, delivers a page-turning military thriller with his signature heart-pounding action and unique sci-fi twists.
Hand this to teens who love playing Call of Duty and Halo!
"Falkner supplies a tight story that features a strong plot and believable characters. . . . [He] effectively employs the tropes of both survival and war stories to great effect. While an entirely satisfying read on its own, readers can only hope there is a second installment in the works."—Kirkus Reviews
Brian Falkner Answers: What is your favorite thing about The Assault (Recon Team Angel)?
My favourite thing about The Assault is the beginning, when the team of teenage soldiers drop out of the sky into the Australian desert, landing on self-inflating airbags.
This was an idea I had about ten years ago, that I used in an unpublished story.
I remembered the idea when I started writing "The Assault" and changed it a little, so that one of the airbags fails.
To me this was the perfect way to open an action-packed novel, full of danger and excitement from the get-go.
Order The Assault (Recon Team Angel) on Amazon
View The Assault (Recon Team Angel) on Goodreads
Laura Bickle Answers: What is your favorite thing about The Hallowed Ones?
I loved writing from the perspective of Katie – this is my first time writing a book in first person. Katie was an interesting character to write because she's very strong in a quiet, enduring kind of way. She struggles to develop her own moral compass, independent of her parents and community. That requires a great deal of fortitude, just as much fortitude as dealing with the evil creatures in her world.
Order The Hallowed Ones on Amazon
View The Hallowed Ones on Goodreads
Seventeen-year-old Nero is stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of other juvenile delinquents on an "Inward Trek." As if that weren’t bad enough, his counselors have turned into flesh-eating maniacs overnight and are now chowing down on his fellow miscreants. As in any classic monster flick worth its salted popcorn, plentiful carnage sends survivors rabbiting into the woods while the mindless horde of "infects" shambles, moans, and drools behind. Of course, these kids have seen zombie movies. They generate "Zombie Rules" almost as quickly as cheeky remarks, but attitude alone can’t keep the biters back. Serving up a cast of irreverent, slightly twisted characters, an unexpected villain, and an ending you won’t see coming, here is a savvy tale that that’s a delight to read — whether you’re a rabid zombie fan or freshly bitten — and an incisive commentary on the evil that lurks within each of us.
Sean Beaudoin Answers: What is your favorite thing about The Infects?
The first thing that leaps to mind is the fact that it's done. I spent a lot of time with a group of sweaty delinquents, face-eating zombies, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, so I'm pleased to now be working on something entirely different. Which isn't to say that I don't love them all. I do. I'm just one of those people that needs a lot of variety in life. From books to food to music, I like to keep it unexpected. But really my favorite thing about The Infects is the ending. I conceived of the ending even before I started writing the book, because I wanted to do something that I thought no other zombie novel ever had before. To me, the ending is more than just a twist, it's the basis for an entire philosophy. A twisted philosophy, but one nonetheless. And of all the feedback I've gotten, not a single person has said "I saw that coming." Which rocks. I guess I just think it's important, especially when working in genre, to add something new to the lineage. If you're writing a book about space aliens it's perfectly fine to use (and abuse) all the usual tropes, but it seems essential that you add at least one new jewel to the teetering stack.
Order The Infects on Amazon
View The Infects on Goodreads
NOW: It's 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father's death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy? When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can't get him out of her head. She's sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they've never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered. Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from. Yesterday will appeal to fans of James Dashner's The Maze Runner, Veronica Roth's Divergent, Amy Ryan's Glow, Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Ally Condie's Matched.
C. K. Kelly Martin Answers: What is your favorite thing about Yesterday?
I was sixteen in 1985, like Yesterday’s main character Freya, so I loved being able to go back and experience that year again. It was an amazing time for music and I have a long, long list of musical acts from the period in my acknowledgments because they were a huge influence on me. Yesterday was a terrific excuse to listen to hours and hours of eighties music to help me get back into the mindset (my fav 80s radio station is the UK’s Absolute 80s). I also trawled through lists of TV shows and movies on back then and read about events from 1985. I wanted to get all the tiny details of the time right so, for example, I was careful not to have the characters listening to a song that came out in late 85 when the book is set in February. There’s a point during the book where Freya and Garren go see The Breakfast Club and it truly was out in North American theatres at that time.
Order Yesterday on Amazon
View Yesterday on Goodreads
Want a chance to win even more books? Stop by our First Lines Revision Contest. It's open to anyone, and all you have to do to win a prize pack of Amanda Hocking books (I'll be announcing this SOON! :)) is take the first three lines of a well-known book and change it up to be something different--turn dystopian to romance, romance to horror, contemporary to fantasy, whatever. Come join the fun and show us how creative you can be. Click here to enter that one.
And now back to our regularly scheduled giveaway and a round-up of all the new YA Books in Stores next week. There are so many good ones.
Happy reading and good luck!
Martina
THE RAVEN BOYS ARC GIVEAWAY FROM SCHOLASTIC
The Raven Boys
by Maggie Stiefvater
“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.
Order The Raven Boys on AmazonIt is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.
View The Raven Boys on Goodreads
* * * *
THREE-BOOK GIVEAWAY FROM ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFIN
Taken at Dusk
by C.C. Hunter
Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers. Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.
Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.
C.C. Hunter Answers: What is your favorite thing about Taken at Dusk?
That’s hard to answer. I try to show my characters growth in each book. And I know Taken at Dusk had a lot of character growth. However, when I think about the book, my mind always goes to the scenes and what those scenes bring to the story. And there are two scenes in Taken at Dusk that really come to mind.
One was the scene when Perry turned into a dragon because he was jealous of Miranda and then Miranda accidentally turned Burnett into a Kangaroo. I loved the humor in that scene and yet, it was also a scene that showed additional depth of the characters; Perry and Miranda’s affection for each other, Della’s embarrassment when she was hurt, but her need to protect her friends just as much as Kylie, Lucas’s realization that Kylie was a protector, Burnett’s need to be able to keep Shadow Falls going without Holiday, and Kylie’s understanding that her courage came without her needing to think about it.
The second scene I felt added some emotional depth to the story was the when Red gave his life for Kylie. I wanted to show Mario’s complete evilness and at the same time, show Red’s ability to recognize right from wrong. It was also important to show Kylie’s compassion and her awareness that sometimes people make really bad mistakes because they are conditioned to do so, as was Red. It was a scene that brought tears to my eyes when I wrote it.
Thanks so much for taking the time to ask me this question.
Here’s to reading and getting lost in a great story.
Order Taken at Dusk on Amazon
View Taken at Dusk on Goodreads
* * * *
Forgiven (Demon Trappers #3)
by Jana Oliver
Jana Oliver's third spellbinding Demon Trappers novel - following The Demon Trapper's Daughter and Soul Thief - brings all new thrills, as Riley Blackthorne takes on demons, love... and the future of the human race.
The days are growing darker for 17-year-old demon trapper Riley Blackthorne. With her father’s reanimated body back safely, Beck barely speaking to her because of a certain hunky Fallen angel, and a freshly-made deal with Lucifer, she has enough on her hands to last a normal teenage lifetime. Though she bargained with Heaven to save his life, her ex-boyfriend Simon has told the Vatican’s Demon Hunters that she’s working with Hell. So now she’s in hiding, at the top of everyone’s most-wanted list.
But it’s becoming clear that this is bigger than Riley, and rapidly getting out of control: something sinister is happening in Atlanta… or someone. The demons are working together for the first time ever and refusing to die, putting civilians in harm’s way. Riley thinks she might know who’s behind it all, but who’s going to believe her? Caught between her bargain with Heaven and her promise to Lucifer, Riley fears the final war is coming – and it may be closer than anyone thinks…
Jana Oliver Answers: What is your favorite thing about Forgiven?
My favorite things about FORGIVEN are the battle scenes. They reveal just how dangerous Riley's life has become and how nothing is the same. Just when she thinks she's about to beat Hell, the odds change. She has to be faster and smarter than the demons or her future is toast.
Order Forgiven (Demon Trappers #3) on Amazon
View Forgiven (Demon Trappers #3) on Goodreads
* * * *
Soul Thief (Demon Trappers #2)
by Jana Oliver
Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them...Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.
But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever…
Jana Oliver Answers: What was your favorite thing about Soul Thief?
My fave thing about SOUL THIEF is that it's a game changer. Everything the readers think they know about Riley, Beck, Ori and Simon will be questioned by the end of the book. I love doing that to my characters (and my readers).
Order Soul Thief (Demon Trappers #2) on Amazon
View Soul Thief (Demon Trappers #2) on Goodreads
LAST WEEK'S FLUX GIVEAWAY WINNERS
Henry Franks: A Novel
by Peter Adam Salomon
WINNER: Laura PaulingA dark, psychological thriller about a boy's search for himself.
Four thousand, three hundred and seventeen stitches, his father had told him once. All the King's horses and all the King's men had put Henry Franks back together again.
One year ago, a terrible accident robbed Henry Franks of his mother and his memories. The past sixteen years have vanished. All Henry has now are scars and a distant father--the only one who can tell Henry who he is.
If only he could trust his father.
Do his nightmares--a sweet little girl calling him Daddy, murderous urges, dead bodies--hold clues?
While a serial killer stalks their small Georgia town, Henry unearths the bitter truth behind his mother's death--and the terrifying secrets of his own dark past.
Sometimes, the only thing worse than forgetting is remembering.
Order Henry Franks: A Novel on Amazon
View Henry Franks: A Novel on Goodreads
* * * *
The City's Son (The Skyscraper Throne)
by Tom Pollock
WINNER: Jessica Fonseca"Gritty, dynamic, and beautiful.
I can't wait for more."—TESSA GRATTONauthor of Blood Magic
Running from her traitorous best friend and her estranged father, graffiti artist Beth Bradley is looking for sanctuary. What she finds is Filius, the ragged and cocky crown prince of London’s mystical underworld. Filius opens Beth’s eyes to the city she’s never truly seen—where vast spiders crawl telephone wires seeking voices to steal, railwraiths escape their tethers, and statues conceal an ancient priesthood robed in bronze.I can't wait for more."—TESSA GRATTONauthor of Blood Magic
But it all teeters on the brink of destruction. Amid rumors that Filius’s goddess mother will soon return from her 15-year exile, Reach, a malign god of urban decay, wants the young prince dead. Helping Filius raise an alleyway army to reclaim his skyscraper throne, Beth soon forgets her old life. But when her best friend is captured, Beth must choose between this wondrous existence and the life she left behind.
Order The City's Son (The Skyscraper Throne) on Amazon
View The City's Son (The Skyscraper Throne) on Goodreads
* * * *
What's Left of Me (Hybrid Chronicles) ARC
by Kat Zhang
WINNER: Ruth StilesEva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else--two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren't they settling? Why isn't one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn't...
For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she's still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet...for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.
Order What's Left of Me (Hybrid Chronicles) on Amazon
View What's Left of Me (Hybrid Chronicles) on Goodreads
IN STORES NEXT WEEK WITH AUTHOR INTERVIEWS
The Assault (Recon Team Angel)
by Brian Falkner
It's 2030, and humanity is losing the war against alien invaders. A Band of Brothers meets Ender's Game in this sci-fi military thriller.A team of six has been chosen . . .
. . . to infiltrate the enemy's headquarters in the heart of the Australian Outback. The six teens have been modified to look like aliens. They have spent years mastering alien culture so that they can talk, act—even think—like their enemies. But from the start, the recon mission goes terribly wrong. It's only when they are close to discovering the shocking truth of the aliens' plans that the team is forced to ask:
Who among them is a traitor?
Brian Falkner, author of The Project, Brain Jack, and The Tomorrow Code, delivers a page-turning military thriller with his signature heart-pounding action and unique sci-fi twists.
Hand this to teens who love playing Call of Duty and Halo!
"Falkner supplies a tight story that features a strong plot and believable characters. . . . [He] effectively employs the tropes of both survival and war stories to great effect. While an entirely satisfying read on its own, readers can only hope there is a second installment in the works."—Kirkus Reviews
Brian Falkner Answers: What is your favorite thing about The Assault (Recon Team Angel)?
My favourite thing about The Assault is the beginning, when the team of teenage soldiers drop out of the sky into the Australian desert, landing on self-inflating airbags.
This was an idea I had about ten years ago, that I used in an unpublished story.
I remembered the idea when I started writing "The Assault" and changed it a little, so that one of the airbags fails.
To me this was the perfect way to open an action-packed novel, full of danger and excitement from the get-go.
Order The Assault (Recon Team Angel) on Amazon
View The Assault (Recon Team Angel) on Goodreads
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The Hallowed Ones
by Laura Bickle
Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.Laura Bickle Answers: What is your favorite thing about The Hallowed Ones?
I loved writing from the perspective of Katie – this is my first time writing a book in first person. Katie was an interesting character to write because she's very strong in a quiet, enduring kind of way. She struggles to develop her own moral compass, independent of her parents and community. That requires a great deal of fortitude, just as much fortitude as dealing with the evil creatures in her world.
Order The Hallowed Ones on Amazon
View The Hallowed Ones on Goodreads
* * * *
The Infects
by Sean Beaudoin
A feast for the brain, this gory and genuinely hilarious take on zombie culture simultaneously skewers, pays tribute to, and elevates the horror genre.Seventeen-year-old Nero is stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of other juvenile delinquents on an "Inward Trek." As if that weren’t bad enough, his counselors have turned into flesh-eating maniacs overnight and are now chowing down on his fellow miscreants. As in any classic monster flick worth its salted popcorn, plentiful carnage sends survivors rabbiting into the woods while the mindless horde of "infects" shambles, moans, and drools behind. Of course, these kids have seen zombie movies. They generate "Zombie Rules" almost as quickly as cheeky remarks, but attitude alone can’t keep the biters back. Serving up a cast of irreverent, slightly twisted characters, an unexpected villain, and an ending you won’t see coming, here is a savvy tale that that’s a delight to read — whether you’re a rabid zombie fan or freshly bitten — and an incisive commentary on the evil that lurks within each of us.
Sean Beaudoin Answers: What is your favorite thing about The Infects?
The first thing that leaps to mind is the fact that it's done. I spent a lot of time with a group of sweaty delinquents, face-eating zombies, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, so I'm pleased to now be working on something entirely different. Which isn't to say that I don't love them all. I do. I'm just one of those people that needs a lot of variety in life. From books to food to music, I like to keep it unexpected. But really my favorite thing about The Infects is the ending. I conceived of the ending even before I started writing the book, because I wanted to do something that I thought no other zombie novel ever had before. To me, the ending is more than just a twist, it's the basis for an entire philosophy. A twisted philosophy, but one nonetheless. And of all the feedback I've gotten, not a single person has said "I saw that coming." Which rocks. I guess I just think it's important, especially when working in genre, to add something new to the lineage. If you're writing a book about space aliens it's perfectly fine to use (and abuse) all the usual tropes, but it seems essential that you add at least one new jewel to the teetering stack.
Order The Infects on Amazon
View The Infects on Goodreads
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Yesterday
by C. K. Kelly Martin
THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their 21st century textbooks and part of the normal background noise to Freya Kallas's life. Until that world starts to crumble.NOW: It's 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father's death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy? When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can't get him out of her head. She's sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they've never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered. Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from. Yesterday will appeal to fans of James Dashner's The Maze Runner, Veronica Roth's Divergent, Amy Ryan's Glow, Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Ally Condie's Matched.
C. K. Kelly Martin Answers: What is your favorite thing about Yesterday?
I was sixteen in 1985, like Yesterday’s main character Freya, so I loved being able to go back and experience that year again. It was an amazing time for music and I have a long, long list of musical acts from the period in my acknowledgments because they were a huge influence on me. Yesterday was a terrific excuse to listen to hours and hours of eighties music to help me get back into the mindset (my fav 80s radio station is the UK’s Absolute 80s). I also trawled through lists of TV shows and movies on back then and read about events from 1985. I wanted to get all the tiny details of the time right so, for example, I was careful not to have the characters listening to a song that came out in late 85 when the book is set in February. There’s a point during the book where Freya and Garren go see The Breakfast Club and it truly was out in North American theatres at that time.
Order Yesterday on Amazon
View Yesterday on Goodreads
* * * *
Darkwater
by Catherine Fisher
What would you sell your soul for?
Sixteen-year-old Sarah Trevelyan would give anything to regain the power and wealth her family has lost, so she makes a bargain with Azrael, Lord of Darkwater Hall. He gives her one hundred years and the means to accomplish her objective--in exchange for her soul. Fast-forward a hundred years to Tom, a fifteen-year-old boy who dreams of attending Darkwater Hall School but doesn't believe he has the talent. Until he meets a professor named Azrael, who offers him a bargain. Will Sarah be able to stop Tom from making the same mistake she did a century ago?
This is smart fantasy mixed with elements of horror from master storyteller Catherine Fisher. She says, "Darkwater Hall is an image of the power and knowledge we all desire. But what will we pay for them, and are they worth the price?"
Catherine Fisher Answers: What is your favorite thing about Darkwater?
The thing I like best about Darkwater is a tricky one to answer but it is probably the idea of the Faustian pact, of making an arrangement to get what you want but then having to pay for it with your soul. That is at the heart of the story.
Order Darkwater on Amazon
View Darkwater on Goodreads
Order Confessions of a Murder Suspect on Amazon
View Confessions of a Murder Suspect on Goodreads
Skye returns home, but with the knowledge of who she really is, nothing can ever be the same. As she tests the limits of her newfound powers, Skye discovers that she's capable of far more than anyone could have imagined. Both the Order and the Rebellion want her for their side as war between the factions looms. She can't forget the terrifying truth she now knows about the Order, but something holds her back from embracing the Rebellion.
A Fractured Light picks up right after A Beautiful Dark's shocking cliffhanger ending and is perfect for fans of Lauren Kate's Fallen and Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush saga.
Order A Fractured Light (Beautiful Dark) on Amazon
View A Fractured Light (Beautiful Dark) on Goodreads
An isolated island.
Strange dreams
and even stranger
visions . . .
Jack is spending the summer on a private island far from modern conveniences. No Wi-Fi, no cell service, no one else on the island but a housekeeper and the two very peculiar children in his care. The first time Jack sees the huge black mansion atop a windswept hill, he senses something cold, something more sinister than even the dark house itself.
Soon, he feels terribly isolated and alone. Yet he is not alone. The house has visitors—peering in the windows, staring from across the shore. But why doesn't anyone else see them . . . and what do they want? As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy. . . . Or is he?
From nationally acclaimed author Francine Prose comes a mind-bending story that will leave you realizing how subtle the lines that separate reality, imagination, and insanity really are.
Order The Turning on Amazon
View The Turning on Goodreads
Seventeen-year-old Dodger may be a street urchin, but he gleans a living from London's sewers, and he knows a jewel when he sees one. He's not about to let anything happen to the unknown girl—not even if her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.
From Dodger's encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.
Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett combines high comedy with deep wisdom in this tale of an unexpected coming-of-age and one remarkable boy's rise in a complex and fascinating world.
Order Dodger on Amazon
View Dodger on Goodreads
Order The Blessed on Amazon
View The Blessed on Goodreads
Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.
Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of--physical and mental feats that should be impossible--and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.
Order The Paladin Prophecy on Amazon
View The Paladin Prophecy on Goodreads
Everything changes, however, when Perry gets to camp and stumbles into the World of the Other Normals. There he meets Mortin Enaw, one of the creators of C&C, and other mythical creatures from the game, including the alluring Ada Ember, whom Perry finds more beautiful than any human girl he's ever met. Perry's new otherworldly friends need his help to save their princess and prevent mass violence. As they embark on their quest, Perry realizes that his nerdy childhood has uniquely prepared him to be a great warrior in this world, and maybe even a hero. But to save the princess, Perry will have to learn how to make real connections in the human world as well.
Bestselling author Ned Vizzini delivers a compulsively readable and wildly original story about the winding and often hilarious path to manhood.
Order The Other Normals on Amazon
View The Other Normals on Goodreads
Order Scorch (Croak) on Amazon
View Scorch (Croak) on Goodreads
Sixteen-year-old Sarah Trevelyan would give anything to regain the power and wealth her family has lost, so she makes a bargain with Azrael, Lord of Darkwater Hall. He gives her one hundred years and the means to accomplish her objective--in exchange for her soul. Fast-forward a hundred years to Tom, a fifteen-year-old boy who dreams of attending Darkwater Hall School but doesn't believe he has the talent. Until he meets a professor named Azrael, who offers him a bargain. Will Sarah be able to stop Tom from making the same mistake she did a century ago?
This is smart fantasy mixed with elements of horror from master storyteller Catherine Fisher. She says, "Darkwater Hall is an image of the power and knowledge we all desire. But what will we pay for them, and are they worth the price?"
Catherine Fisher Answers: What is your favorite thing about Darkwater?
The thing I like best about Darkwater is a tricky one to answer but it is probably the idea of the Faustian pact, of making an arrangement to get what you want but then having to pay for it with your soul. That is at the heart of the story.
Order Darkwater on Amazon
View Darkwater on Goodreads
MORE RELEASES IN STORES NEXT WEEK
Confessions of a Murder Suspect
by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family . . . and the dark secrets they're keeping from one another.Order Confessions of a Murder Suspect on Amazon
View Confessions of a Murder Suspect on Goodreads
* * * *
A Fractured Light (Beautiful Dark)
by Jocelyn Davies
When she wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings, Skye knows something terrible has happened to her. It's not until she hears Asher, the dark, rebellious angel she fell in love with, that the memories come flooding back. She tries to put the past behind her, but she knows she'll be forever haunted by the ruthless betrayal that almost took her life.Skye returns home, but with the knowledge of who she really is, nothing can ever be the same. As she tests the limits of her newfound powers, Skye discovers that she's capable of far more than anyone could have imagined. Both the Order and the Rebellion want her for their side as war between the factions looms. She can't forget the terrifying truth she now knows about the Order, but something holds her back from embracing the Rebellion.
A Fractured Light picks up right after A Beautiful Dark's shocking cliffhanger ending and is perfect for fans of Lauren Kate's Fallen and Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush saga.
Order A Fractured Light (Beautiful Dark) on Amazon
View A Fractured Light (Beautiful Dark) on Goodreads
* * * *
The Turning
by Francine Prose
A dark house.An isolated island.
Strange dreams
and even stranger
visions . . .
Jack is spending the summer on a private island far from modern conveniences. No Wi-Fi, no cell service, no one else on the island but a housekeeper and the two very peculiar children in his care. The first time Jack sees the huge black mansion atop a windswept hill, he senses something cold, something more sinister than even the dark house itself.
Soon, he feels terribly isolated and alone. Yet he is not alone. The house has visitors—peering in the windows, staring from across the shore. But why doesn't anyone else see them . . . and what do they want? As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy. . . . Or is he?
From nationally acclaimed author Francine Prose comes a mind-bending story that will leave you realizing how subtle the lines that separate reality, imagination, and insanity really are.
Order The Turning on Amazon
View The Turning on Goodreads
* * * *
Dodger
by Terry Pratchett
A storm. Rain-lashed city streets. A flash of lightning. A scruffy lad sees a girl leap desperately from a horse-drawn carriage in a vain attempt to escape her captors. Can the lad stand by and let her be caught again? Of course not, because he's . . . Dodger.Seventeen-year-old Dodger may be a street urchin, but he gleans a living from London's sewers, and he knows a jewel when he sees one. He's not about to let anything happen to the unknown girl—not even if her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.
From Dodger's encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.
Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett combines high comedy with deep wisdom in this tale of an unexpected coming-of-age and one remarkable boy's rise in a complex and fascinating world.
Order Dodger on Amazon
View Dodger on Goodreads
* * * *
The Blessed
by Tonya Hurley
From the author of the New York Times bestselling ghostgirl series, the start to a captivating and haunting teen trilogy about three girls who become entangled with an enigmatic boy—a boy who believes he is a saint.What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them? Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief.Order The Blessed on Amazon
View The Blessed on Goodreads
* * * *
The Paladin Prophecy
by Mark Frost
Readers of I Am Number Four, The Maze Runner, and Legend will love this exciting new adventure series by the co-creator of the groundbreaking television show Twin Peaks, with its unique combination of mystery, heart-pounding action, and the supernatural.Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.
Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of--physical and mental feats that should be impossible--and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.
Order The Paladin Prophecy on Amazon
View The Paladin Prophecy on Goodreads
* * * *
The Other Normals
by Ned Vizzini
Given the chance, fifteen-year-old Peregrine "Perry" Eckert would dedicate every waking moment to Creatures & Caverns, an epic role-playing game rich with magical creatures, spell casting, and deadly weapons. The world of C&C is where he feels most comfortable in his own skin. But that isn't happening—not if his parents have anything to do with it. Concerned their son lacks social skills, they ship him off to summer camp to become a man. They want him to be outdoors playing with kids his own age and meeting girls—rather than indoors alone, with only his gaming alter ego for company. Perry knows he's in for the worst summer of his life.Everything changes, however, when Perry gets to camp and stumbles into the World of the Other Normals. There he meets Mortin Enaw, one of the creators of C&C, and other mythical creatures from the game, including the alluring Ada Ember, whom Perry finds more beautiful than any human girl he's ever met. Perry's new otherworldly friends need his help to save their princess and prevent mass violence. As they embark on their quest, Perry realizes that his nerdy childhood has uniquely prepared him to be a great warrior in this world, and maybe even a hero. But to save the princess, Perry will have to learn how to make real connections in the human world as well.
Bestselling author Ned Vizzini delivers a compulsively readable and wildly original story about the winding and often hilarious path to manhood.
Order The Other Normals on Amazon
View The Other Normals on Goodreads
* * * *
Scorch (Croak)
by Gina Damico
Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby is a teenage grim reaper with the bizarre ability to Damn souls. That makes her pretty scary, even to fellow Grims. But after inadvertently transferring her ability to Zara, a murderous outlaw, Lex is a pariah in Croak, the little town she calls home. To escape the townspeople’s wrath, she and her friends embark on a wild road trip to DeMyse. Though this sparkling desert oasis is full of luxuries and amusements, it feels like a prison to Lex. Her best chance at escape would be to stop Zara once and for all—but how can she do that from DeMyse, where the Grims seem mysteriously oblivious to Zara’s killing spree?Order Scorch (Croak) on Amazon
View Scorch (Croak) on Goodreads
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
WOW Wednesday: Talia Vance on Networking to Get an Edge
Talia Vance is a practicing litigation attorney living in Northern California with her real life love interest, two-point-five kids, and a needy Saint Bernard named Huckleberry. Talia has been writing since she could talk, making up stories for every doll, stuffed animal and action figure she could get her hands on. She grew up hoping to write the great American novel, but her life ran more along the lines of tortured romance and fast paced thrillers, so that's what she writes. Catch her on her website, her blog, on Twitter, or with the fabulous YA Muses.
by Talia Vance
The single most important factor in getting published is the work. No matter who you are, who you know, or where you come from, a great book at the right time will get published, right?
Coincidence? I don’t think so. Because of the interaction at the conference, Brian already knew he liked my writing style and was interested in seeing the manuscript. My agent and I made sure Brian was on the list of initial editors we submitted to because of his interest. It was an opportunity that I might’ve missed if not for that interaction.
NETWORKING CAN GIVE YOU AN EDGE
The single most important factor in getting published is the work. No matter who you are, who you know, or where you come from, a great book at the right time will get published, right? Maybe.
That’s the mysterious and elusive nature of publishing. It’s a subjective business, and often times there is no clear rhyme or reason to why one manuscript gets published, while another, of equal or even better quality does not.
I want to qualify this post by pointing out that I didn’t know the agent I signed with before I queried her. I didn’t know anyone who knew her either. She picked my book straight out of the slush pile. I think the vast majority of writers find agents this way. And, I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of book deals do not involve personal connections. This leads me to conclude that networking is not mandatory.
Still, while it’s true that you don’t have to know people in this business to get an agent or a book deal, a positive experience with an agent or editor can tip the scales in your favor when it’s a close call. I am living proof.
I had some connection to each of the two editors I work with before we sent Silver out on submission. I met Brian Farrey, acquiring editor at Flux, at my local SCBWI conference in Spring 2010. I had just signed with my agent, and was working on a significant revision before going out on submission. I had submitted the first fifteen pages of my work in progress, the manuscript that would become Spies and Prejudice, for a critique. At this point, I had never met an editor.
The night before the conference, I received an email from the organizers, reminding me not to commit conference faux paux like following editors into the restroom or handing them a writing sample.
“Do people really do that?” I asked my husband.
“They must, or they wouldn’t need to send the email, right?”
“I hope I don’t do something stupid.”
My husband smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll probably have editors chasing you down.”
I laughed, but I was still worried about embarrassing myself somehow.
The next day at the conference, I was walking down the hall, oblivious to the world. I was vaguely aware of someone calling “Talia!” but I didn’t turn around, because I was not used to be called Talia in real life (Talia is a pen name I adopted for my work).
Finally, someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned around to come face to face with none other than Brian Farrey. I nearly fell over.
Turns out that Brian had read my 15 page sample, and really liked the voice. He asked me to send him the entire manuscript as soon as it was ready. I told him that I had just signed with an agent and that we would be going on submission soon with a different book, and he told me to have my agent contact him.
I did.
And, a week after we went on submission, Flux made a multi-book offer on the series.
Coincidence? I don’t think so. Because of the interaction at the conference, Brian already knew he liked my writing style and was interested in seeing the manuscript. My agent and I made sure Brian was on the list of initial editors we submitted to because of his interest. It was an opportunity that I might’ve missed if not for that interaction.I have to admit, the best part was coming home from the conference and telling my husband that a editor did chase me down in the hall.
My other publisher is Elizabeth Law at Egmont USA. I made sure that Elizabeth was on the initial submission list for Silver, because I “knew” her from Twitter. As I was revising Silver, I would post updates on the #amwriting hashtag. One day in May 2010, out of nowhere, Elizabeth Law replied to one of my tweets: “Everything you post about your WIP makes me want to read it. Shirtless guys in opening scene, and lots of dead bodies.”
WHA?? Yeah, it freaked me out a bit. In a totally good way.
I started following Elizabeth’s tweets, and participated in a few #AskYAEd chats. I loved that Elizabeth seemed so willing to share information with writers, and I could tell that she really loved books. Just before I left for a trip to NYC, I saw her tweet about an off-Broadway musical she enjoyed about Andrew Jackson. As it happened, my husband and I had been joking about writing a musical about James K. Polk (don’t ask) and I tweeted Elizabeth to find out more about the show. I ended up getting tickets, and when I returned from my trip, I tweeted her again to tell her how much I enjoyed it. This small interaction may not seem like much, but we had connected over an unusual show, and that sealed it for me. I knew I wanted to work with Elizabeth if at all possible.
Flash forward to the submission of Silver. Elizabeth read it and liked it, but was on the fence about it because Egmont already had a healthy amount of paranormal on its list. My agent of awesome knew how much I wanted to work with Elizabeth, so she sent her the first 50 pages of Spies and Prejudice and asked her to read them before she made a final decision. Two hours later, I was on the phone talking to Elizabeth about the direction I planned to take Spies, and an hour after that we had an offer, not for Silver, but for Spies. Elizabeth took a chance on a debut author with an unfinished manuscript. This was an unusual situation to say the least. Elizabeth acknowledges that while she loved Spies, the factor that pushed her over the edge was that we knew each other from Twitter. She even tweeted about it!
So yeah, I do think networking matters. While a relationship alone won’t get you a book deal, it can tip the scales in your favor. And In this business, we need every edge we can get!
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
First Lines Rewrite Contest with Agent Natalie Lakosil
I'm very excited to announce an agent-judged contest and a great learning opportunity with a fantastic agent who is willing to give us all a big chunk of her time. Say thank you to the fabulous Natalie Fischer Lakosil from the Laura Bradford Agency, everyone!
And Now for the Contest
Ideally, the first few lines tell us a lot about the book we are about to read. They are our invitation to go on an adventure, a thrill ride, a steamy romp of a romance. They are also part of our bargain with our readers, our way of saying: this is what kind of a book I'm going to offer you. In last week's post, I went through some great tips about concept from some of my favorite craft book authors, and one of the best tips is to get your concept on the page as fast as you can.
In that spirit, let's give it a try. How well can you convey a concept in just the opening lines of a book?
But in case you think that's too easy--here's the kicker. You have to start with one of the ten books Natalie and I have chosen, and then twist it from one genre to another. If it's a paranormal, twist it into horror, or comedy, or a spy thriller, whatever. Change up the beginning and have some fun with it. See how creative you can be!
You have a week to get your entries in. Just put them here in the comments on this post. Come on, be brave! We'll post the winner in two weeks, and I have a prize pack of the whole Amanda Hocking TRYLLE trilogy for the winner. (See the bottom of the post for blurbs and covers! Amana is an indie sensation who sold millions of copies worldwide before being scooped up by St. Martin's Griffin because she knows how to hook a reader and twist a concept. (MANY thanks to St. Martin's for the prize pack!)
Eligible Books
What's Left of Me, Kat Zhang, Dystopian
Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake, Paranormal
The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater, Fantasy
The Sky is Everywhere, Jandy Nelson, Contemporary Romance w/ Elements of Magical Realism
Divergent, Veronica Roth, Dystopian
The Wood Queen, Karen Mahoney, Fantasy/Paranormal
Happy Families, Tanita S. Davis, Contemporary/GLBT
The Sharp Time, Mary O'Connell, Contemporary
Bitterblue, Kristin Cashore, Fantasy
About Natalie
Natalie is an agent and Laura’s assistant at the Bradford Literary Agency. An honors graduate of the University of San Diego, California, Natalie holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing. After nearly four years at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and a brief dabble in writing author profiles and book reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune, Natalie joined the Bradford Agency in February of 2011.
Her interests include talented, hard-working new authors with a fresh, unique voice and hook.
Her specialty is commercial fiction, with an emphasis in children’s literature (from picture book-teen), romance (contemporary, paranormal and historical), upmarket women’s fiction and select nonfiction. Specific likes include historical, multi-cultural, paranormal, sci-fi/fantasy, gritty, thrilling and darker contemporary novels, middle grade with heart, and short, quirky picture books. She is always drawn to an open and positive attitude in an author, good grammar, and fantastical, engaging and sexy plots.
Agency Website: http://www.bradfordlit.com/about/natalie-fischer-lakosil/
Blog: www.adventuresinagentland.blogspot.com
Twitter @Natalie_Lakosil
Prizes
SWITCHED
by Amanda Hocking
When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.
Wendy's about to journey into a magical world she never knew existed, one that's both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she's meant to become.
TORN
by Amanda Hocking
When Wendy Everly first discovered the truth about herself--that she's a changeling switched at birth--she knew her life would never be the same. Now she's about to learn that there's more to the story.... Wendy shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined--and they'll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who's strictly off-limits...and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.
Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything--and everybody--she's ever wanted...in both worlds.
ASCEND
by Amanda Hocking
Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn’t surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind…even if it’s the only way to save them?
The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn’t the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice…who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life—and now all their lives might be coming to an end.
Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands—if she’s ready to fight for it.
And Now for the Contest
Ideally, the first few lines tell us a lot about the book we are about to read. They are our invitation to go on an adventure, a thrill ride, a steamy romp of a romance. They are also part of our bargain with our readers, our way of saying: this is what kind of a book I'm going to offer you. In last week's post, I went through some great tips about concept from some of my favorite craft book authors, and one of the best tips is to get your concept on the page as fast as you can.
In that spirit, let's give it a try. How well can you convey a concept in just the opening lines of a book?
But in case you think that's too easy--here's the kicker. You have to start with one of the ten books Natalie and I have chosen, and then twist it from one genre to another. If it's a paranormal, twist it into horror, or comedy, or a spy thriller, whatever. Change up the beginning and have some fun with it. See how creative you can be!
You have a week to get your entries in. Just put them here in the comments on this post. Come on, be brave! We'll post the winner in two weeks, and I have a prize pack of the whole Amanda Hocking TRYLLE trilogy for the winner. (See the bottom of the post for blurbs and covers! Amana is an indie sensation who sold millions of copies worldwide before being scooped up by St. Martin's Griffin because she knows how to hook a reader and twist a concept. (MANY thanks to St. Martin's for the prize pack!)
Eligible Books
What's Left of Me, Kat Zhang, Dystopian
"Addie and I were born into the same body, our souls' ghostly fingers entwined before we gasped our very first breath. Our earliest years together were also our happiest. Then came the worries--the tightness around our parents' mouths, the frowns lining our kindergarten teacher's forehead, the question everyone whispered when they thought we couldn't hear."
Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake, Paranormal
"The grease-slicked hair is a dead giveaway—no pun intended.
So is the loose and faded leather coat, though not as much that as the sideburns. And the way he keeps nodding and flicking his Zippo open and closed in rhythm with his head."
The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater, Fantasy
"It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.
Even under the brightest sun, the frigid autumn sea is all the colors of the night: dark blue and black and brown. I watch the ever-changing patterns in the sand as it’s pummeled by countless hooves."
The Sky is Everywhere, Jandy Nelson, Contemporary Romance w/ Elements of Magical Realism
"Gram is worried about me. It’s not just because my sister Bailey died four weeks ago, or because my mother hasn’t contacted me in sixteen years, or even because suddenly all I think about is sex. She is worried about me because one of her houseplants has spots."
Divergent, Veronica Roth, Dystopian
"There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair."
The Wood Queen, Karen Mahoney, Fantasy/Paranormal
"Donna sat up straight in her chair and tried not to look as though the last half-hour hadn't already nailed up her coffin good and tight. Listening to Simon Gaunt drone on as he listed her 'crimes' was almost as bad as being forced to listen to a lecture on Hermetic literature.
Almost."
Happy Families, Tanita S. Davis, Contemporary/GLBT
"The Surge of chattering, pointing, gawking people pours into the massive auditorium, and I feel a shiver crawl up my arms. Rather than stand here, watching the watchers, I'm going to do some torchwork.
There's a table set up at the back of mu booth, covered with a square of galvenized metal and lit with a desk lamp."
The Sharp Time, Mary O'Connell, Contemporary
"Anyone can tell that the pretentious ass who runs the Pale Circus fancies himself an artiste of sorts: a purveyor of poplin and mohair, an architect of nostalgia. A man of his station can't be bothered with the workaday minutiae of references and social security numbers, and so instead of regular xeroxed job application, he gives me a Big Chief tablet and a handful of pastel-colored pencils.(Don't Expect Magic, Kathy McCullough, Fantasy/Paranormal)
'I want to know who you are ... your essence ..., your, your thing ...,' he says, his voice cryptic, trailing off."
"Of course I'm cursed with the most uncomfortable seat on the plane. The cushion's deflated in this bizarrely lopsided way, like somebody with one butt cheek exponentially bigger than the other sat there before me and crushed it. My overhead light's burned out and the bald guy in front of me dropped his diet Dr Pepper, splashing sticky soda all over my backpack, which I had wedged under the seat."
Bitterblue, Kristin Cashore, Fantasy
"When he grabs Mama’s wrist and yanks her toward the wall-hanging like that, it must hurt. Mama doesn't cry out. She tries to hide her pain from him, but she looks back at me, and in her face, she shows everything she feels."
About NatalieNatalie is an agent and Laura’s assistant at the Bradford Literary Agency. An honors graduate of the University of San Diego, California, Natalie holds a B.A. in Literature/Writing. After nearly four years at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and a brief dabble in writing author profiles and book reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune, Natalie joined the Bradford Agency in February of 2011.
Her interests include talented, hard-working new authors with a fresh, unique voice and hook.
Her specialty is commercial fiction, with an emphasis in children’s literature (from picture book-teen), romance (contemporary, paranormal and historical), upmarket women’s fiction and select nonfiction. Specific likes include historical, multi-cultural, paranormal, sci-fi/fantasy, gritty, thrilling and darker contemporary novels, middle grade with heart, and short, quirky picture books. She is always drawn to an open and positive attitude in an author, good grammar, and fantastical, engaging and sexy plots.
Agency Website: http://www.bradfordlit.com/about/natalie-fischer-lakosil/
Blog: www.adventuresinagentland.blogspot.com
Twitter @Natalie_Lakosil
Prizes
SWITCHED by Amanda Hocking
When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.
Wendy's about to journey into a magical world she never knew existed, one that's both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she's meant to become.
TORN
by Amanda Hocking
When Wendy Everly first discovered the truth about herself--that she's a changeling switched at birth--she knew her life would never be the same. Now she's about to learn that there's more to the story.... Wendy shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined--and they'll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who's strictly off-limits...and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.
Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything--and everybody--she's ever wanted...in both worlds.
ASCEND by Amanda Hocking
Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn’t surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind…even if it’s the only way to save them?
The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn’t the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice…who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life—and now all their lives might be coming to an end.
Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands—if she’s ready to fight for it.
Monday, 17 September 2012
Need a Master Class in 1st 5 Pages Revision? See 5 Manuscripts Transformed w/ the Help of an NYT Bestselling Author.
The second revisions for this month's First Five Pages Workshop are up for comment based on the suggestions made by our guest mentor, the wonderful Nancy Holder, and the other workshop participants.
I love watching the transformations in the workshop and seeing what I can apply to my own work. Discovering what different people see in the same few paragraphs, I always learn so much, and it is invaluable to watch the way our guest mentors evaluate what works for them and what isn't quite as successful. Seeing a story from the perspective of an NYT bestselling author who is also an MFA instructor this month is a priceless learning experience.
Come join in! Tell us what you think of the stories as they are now, and then look back to see where they've started. Read the comments to see how they've gotten there and then roll up your sleeves and see where you would suggest the writers go from here. What makes a great first five pages? What pulls you in? What drops you out of the story? What makes YOU buy-in?
She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes.
Nancy has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005. Pretty Little Devils and The Watcher’s Guide Volume 1 appeared in the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age, and The Watcher’s Guide Volume 1 also appeared on the Los Angeles Times Bestseller List in 1999. Saving Grace: Tough Love won the 2011 Scribe Award for General Fiction/Best Original Novel.
She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.
I love watching the transformations in the workshop and seeing what I can apply to my own work. Discovering what different people see in the same few paragraphs, I always learn so much, and it is invaluable to watch the way our guest mentors evaluate what works for them and what isn't quite as successful. Seeing a story from the perspective of an NYT bestselling author who is also an MFA instructor this month is a priceless learning experience.
Come join in! Tell us what you think of the stories as they are now, and then look back to see where they've started. Read the comments to see how they've gotten there and then roll up your sleeves and see where you would suggest the writers go from here. What makes a great first five pages? What pulls you in? What drops you out of the story? What makes YOU buy-in?
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| Some of Nancy's Books |
This week's revisions are posted below The Things That Travel With You When You Write post directly under this one. Just scroll down to read them. Then whether you're still working on writing your own manuscript, or in the process of revising, I encourage you to take advantage of the chance to see what Nancy has to say about the work the five manuscripts in the workshop. Examine her comments on the originals posted last week, and see how the workshop participants applied her suggestions--and the suggestions of the other writers. What would you suggest (kindly and respectfully, of course!) from here that might get the writers up another level in the next revision? Post your suggestions if you're willing, but even if you don't post them, think about what you would say. This is a master class all by itself and a great chance to apply Nancy's expertise to your own writing.
About Nancy Holder
Nancy is an author whose work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A five-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.
She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.)
 |
| Nancy Holder |
Nancy is an author whose work has appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, LOCUS, and other bestseller lists. A five-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times.
She and Debbie Viguié co-authored the New York Times bestselling series Wicked for Simon and Schuster. They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade series, also for Simon and Schuster, and the Wolf Springs Chronicles for Delacorte (2011.)
She is also the author of the young adult horror series Possessions for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes. Nancy has sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, co-edited with Nancy Kilpatrick, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005. Pretty Little Devils and The Watcher’s Guide Volume 1 appeared in the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age, and The Watcher’s Guide Volume 1 also appeared on the Los Angeles Times Bestseller List in 1999. Saving Grace: Tough Love won the 2011 Scribe Award for General Fiction/Best Original Novel.
She teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. She has previously taught at UCSD and has served on the Clarion Board of Directors.
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