Happy New Book Year!

Happy New Year! This is one of my favorite times a year; fat with promise, with hopes and dreams and goals...and fat with BOOKS!

SO MANY good books coming out in the next few months! I've asked the Inkies to help me get my TBR list all nice and corpulent and oozing with stories I can't wait to read. So here goes (I'll start):

In case you missed it, the first book on my list was featured last week on the Inkpot: PROPHECY, by our own super-awesome Ellen Oh. Go read the interview, and then go buy the book!

It's a good thing my signed copy of PROPHECY is winging its way to me right now, because all the other books on my list are SO FAR AWAY. *cries* I fell in love with TYGER TYGER a hundred years ago and have been waiting impatiently for the completion of the series ever since. Only five months to go for the release of WHEN THE STARS THREW DOWN THEIR SPEARS!

Another one that's even FURTHER away *shakes fist* is the second book in Sarah Rees Brennan's unassailable gothic trilogy, UNTOLD (UNSPOKEN, the first book, is made of so much awesome it hurts my brain...it hurts it and then my brain is like THANK YOU SO MUCH I LOVE YOU MORE PLEASE). (and, thanks, Masters of the Book-Release Universe, that's the only semi-coherent link I can find because it doesn't come out until SEPTEMBER)

GRR. Let's move on to what everyone else is looking forward to. I need to be cheered up.

Lisa Amowitz:

Well, mine for starters!

BREAKING GLASS comes out in July 2013 from Spencer Hill Press and I may have another one to sneak in, but that's still up in the air..

But I am also seriously looking forward to the next installment in Laini Taylor's DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE trilogy, PRODIGY from Marie Liu (that's not out yet, is it?) THE GATHERING DARK, by my good friend Christine Johnson, and the next installment of Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Boy series. And anything that John Green puts out--as they say--I will read his grocery list. :)

Just started Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy (SHADOW AND BONE) and I LOVE IT--also loving Will's GOBLIN SECRETS--too much to read!!! Not enough time!!!

TRUTH. Looking forward to more Grishas and Ravens, myself.

More delicious books under the jump!

End of the Year Shamelessness

The end of the world the year is upon us.  Well, almost.  But I figured I'd better hedge my bets just in case the Mayans were right.

I am totally, utterly kidding.

But this is the last Shameless Saturday post of 2012, marking four years that I've been bringing you these updates.  It's still an honor to be able to share the deals and awards, reviews and appearances, cover reveals and trailer debuts of this very talented group of writers.

I'm getting mushy.

*shakes it off*

Anyway, here we go with the last bits of awesome this year, but don't worry, I'll be back January 5th with a whole new list!

THE CABINET OF EARTHS by Anne Nesbet is featured in a School Library Journal list of middle-grade fantasy books, and in some very fancy company.  Go Anne!

Speaking of end of year lists, THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer Nielsen has been named by Publisher's Weekly as one of the Best Books of 2012, to the New York Times Notable Books of 2012 list, and was a finalist in the Goodreads Best of 2012 Middle Grade List. It was also a silver award winner from the National Parenting Publication awards, and is part of the poll for MTV's "Best Novel of 2012." That's quite a rock star list!

And we have several Inkies on the Kirkus Top 100 Teen Books of 2012 list: THE CRIMSON CROWN by Cinda Williams Chima, GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers and THE BROKEN LANDS by Kate Milford!

Even my own little book TEN made a couple of lists this year, landing on the Los Angeles Public Library's list of Best Teen Books for 2012 and the American Library Association's Best Fiction for Young Adults and Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers.  Go me!

William Alexander's GOBLIN SECRETS recently won the National Book Award (I just love saying that!) but he's not done yet.  GOBLIN SECRETS just picked up an Earphones Award for audiobook narration.  Guess who narrated the book?  William.  Show off.  :D

Leah Cypess has some sparkly news. HarperTeen Impulse will be e-publishing a short NIGHTSPELL prequel in July 2013. The novelette is called Buried Above Ground, "in which the ghost of a nobleman's mistress sets out to solve her own murder but is not prepared for the secrets she uncovers." (Publisher's Marketplace)

Anna Staniszeski also has new e-book content: a free short story prequel called My Very UnFairy Tale Life: Jenny's First Adventure, available on Smashwords and Kobo (and it will soon be up on BN and iTunes).

Here's the description:

How does an average girl become a magical adventurer, anyway? Find out in this short prequel to My Very UnFairy Tale Life! (Includes fun UnFairy bonus content!

And it wouldn't be an end of the world the year post without a book trailer, would it? Here's the newly debuted trailer for PROPHESY by Ellen Oh!

HOLY SHAMELESSNESS, BATMAN!!!

Seriously, we are EXPLODING with shamelessness this week: lists, sales, appearances AND a cover reveal.  But you'll have to wait for that one...

This week, books by two Inkies, GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers and THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer Nielsen were named to the 2012 ABC Best Books for Children.

Elizabeth C. Bunce has two books receiving accolades this week.  LIAR'S MOON has been named a 2012 Kansas Notable Book by the State Library of Kansas. This is Elizabeth's third such award - a rare achievement for a Kansas author. In addition, STARCROSSED is one of 25 books for young adults included on Oprah's 2012 Summer Reading List at Oprah.com.

MORE FABULOUS LISTS!!!  Cinda Chima Williams's fall release, The Crimson Crown, was named to Kirkus Reviews' Top Ten Children's and Teen Books for Fall!

I have a small announcement of my own this week, ahem:

Gretchen McNeil's POSSESS, in which a teen exorcist must find a way to stop the wave of demonic possessions sweeping her town, to Sebastian Aloi's La Lune Entertainment and Carly Norris, by Holly Frederick at Curtis Brown.

Hee.

Now, on to appearances!  Lena Coakley will be speaking at two conferences this fall.  From October 19-21she will be attending the SCBWI Fall Retreat in Ottawa, where she will be giving a talk entitled Write the Book That Will Change Your Life about how writers can navigate the fine line between following the market and following their passion.  There she will also be receiving her 2012 Crystal Kite Award for the Americas region.  On November 7th, Lena will be giving an intensive workshop on writing fantasy at the 28th annual CANSCAIP Packaging Your Imagination conference.  She will cover general writing techniques such as plotting and character building, as well as techniques specific to fantasy such as worldbuilding.

Plus Caroline Hooton will be at DragonCon 31st August - 3rd September and I'm doing a number of YA panels, including:

- Whitewashing of YA - A look at minorities and their portrayal in YA;
- Beyond Hunger Games: Dystopias in YA
- Under The Covers - What is an Author's Best Friend?
- My Monster Boyfriend - What is the Special appeal of the supernatural love interest, be it demons, angels, vampires, ghosts or aliens?

Okay, I know you've been waiting.  Ready for the cover reveal?  Here's the much anticipated sequel to Anna Staniszewski's MY VERY UN-FAIRY TALE LIFE, MY EPIC FAIRY TALE FAIL!!!!!

PHEW!  Crazy week, right?  We're so awesome.  :)

TechnoFail Shamelessness

Sorry this post is a day late! Somehow I lost all my files with the shameless updates for this week, and had to beg everyone to resend. But the issue has been resolved, so here we go!

NOTE: We have not one, not two, but THREE amazing cover reveals today. But I'm saving those for last. Because I'm mean like that.

We're going to start with review news this week, and not just because my own book TEN features in. Ha! Kate Milford's new release THE BROKEN LANDS "landed" (see what I did there?) a fantastic Kirkus review:

"Two teens race against time to thwart the forces of evil in this prequel to The Boneshaker (2010).

The Broken Land is a hotel where much crucial action takes place, but it is also an apt description of the United States in 1877. The Civil War has scarred the country, and Reconstruction has ended. “Folks are angry, still,” orphan Sam is told. “Folks are scared and folks feel like punishing each other, and I don’t think many of ’em are clear about what they’re mad for.” It is also a time of technological marvels like the Brooklyn Bridge, although this particular wonder has come with a price for young Sam. After losing his father to illness brought on by work on the bridge, Sam finds himself working as a cardsharp in Coney Island. He becomes the unlikely ally of Jin, a Chinese girl working with a team to provide fireworks at Broken Land, as they find themselves resisting a figure seeking to establish his own Hell. This seamless blend of fantasy and historical fiction is ripe with rich, gritty detail. Best of all, it is populated by a vast array of unusual characters: Along with Sam and Jin, there's Tom, a former member of the U.S. Colored Troops, and Susannah, a biracial woman who may hold the key to victory.

Readers will be captivated."

Kirkus was a busy little beaver this week, because TEN also got a fab review. I'm cutting out some of the more spoilery stuff because I think they added a bit too much plottage to the review, but here's the rest:

A scary gorefest of murder and mayhem, not for the faint of heart.

Clues are just amorphous enough to sustain the mystery, and since mistakes are lethal, the suspense is high.

For murder-mystery fans, there's more than enough horror and gore to sustain this effort (and several more), making for a breathless read. (Mystery/horror. 14 & up)

Yeah, I'm happy. Then right on that review, I found out I was a Top Pick in the September issue of Romantic Times!

TEN
by Gretchen McNeil

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Young Adult

RT Rating

You want to read this book. McNeil incorporates all the thrills and chills of a horror movie into this fast-paced, gripping tale. With its quippy dialogue, it’s like reading Scream. This reviewer got the willies while reading Ten on a sunny afternoon. 

A party on a secluded island has Meg’s (slightly unstable) friend Minnie totally excited. Meg is less thrilled, especially once she finds out that TJ, the crush she and Minnie share, will also be attending. A storm isolates the teens, and even the hosts don’t show. Then, one of the guests commits suicide … or does she? (BALZER + BRAY, Sep., 304 pp., $17.99, ISBN: 9780062118783, HC, 13 & Up)

Hee.

I'm sure you've all seen the NPR short list of Best Ever Young Adult Novels, but did you notice there were THREE Inkies on there? Congrats to THE SEVEN REALMS series by Cinda Williams Chima, ASH by Malinda Lo, and GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers! So go vote NOW!

In foreign rights news, Kate Coombs' The Runaway Princess, has been translated to Japanese and is now available in Japan

I promised cover reveals, and here they are! First, the gorgeous cover for Kate Milford's THE KAIROS MECHANISM. The image is by Andrea Offermann, the artist behind THE BROKEN LANDS and THE BONESHAKER, and our own inkie Lisa Amowitz handled turning it into a cover.

Cindy Pon and Ellen Oh are both featured in DIVERSE ENERGIES, a multicultural YA dystopian anthology published by Tu Books (November 2012).

And William Alexander has a cover to share as well! For GHOULISH SONG!

PHEW!!! So glad I was able to reassemble all that info. See you in two weeks!

Focused Shamelessness

Just a few pieces for today!

Amazon listed their choices for Best Books of the Year (So Far). Included in the teens list were two Inkies: Robyn LaFevers' GRAVE MERCY and Jennifer Nielsen's THE FALSE PRINCE.

Meanwhile foreign rights for THE FALSE PRINCE have recently sold in Thailand.  WOO HOO!

Oh, and one more little thing.  POSSESS is available for e-book download on Kindle, Nook and iBook formats for just $2.99 through the end of the month.  WOO HOO!

That's it.  I'm out.

Pour on the Shamelessness

You know, us Inkies get around.  Last weekend, we descended about New York City for BEA 2012, with signings, meet and greets and cocktail parties galore.  I had an amazing turn out for my signing of TEN, and Grace Lin's upcoming middle grade novel STARRY RIVER OF THE SKY was part of the middle grade buzz panel!  Which is pretty rad.

Next week?  It's Anaheim's turn for ALA 2012!

Cindy Pon has both a panel AND a signing at ALA.  The Not Another Boring Vampire Romance: Going Beyond the Norm in YA Paranormal Fiction will be led by the fabulous librarian, Angei Manfredi where Cindy will be joined by Kendare Blake, Jackson Pearce and Kenneth Oppel.
Saturday, June 23, 8-10am in the Anaheim Convention Center, Room 209B.

Then from 12.30-1.30pm, Cindy will be signing along with Tahereh Mafi at the HarperCollin’s Booth 2558. Cindy will be signing BOTH Silver Phoenix paperbacks as well as Fury of the Phoenix hardcovers.

Nancy Holder is also signing at ALA: 1:00 – 2:00 PM, in the Simon & Schuster (Booth #2600-2601).  And don't forget Robin LaFevers,1pm Saturday at the Houghton Mifflin Booth!

I'll be at ALA as well, roaming around the convention floor Saturday June 23rd.  No signings for me (boo hoo) however, I will be doing a special TEN giveaway.  BUT YOU HAVE TO FIND ME AT ALA TO WIN!  Details coming on my blog next week.

We've got a huge cover reveal coming up next week.  Ellen Oh's PROPHECY reveal will be hosted by the YA Book Central on Monday, June 18th at noon EST.  Don't miss it!

A couple of weeks again, we announced that William Alexander got an amazing blurb from Ursula Le Guin for his upcoming release GOBLIN SECRETS, and now Ursula herself is blogging about the book.  Yes, that scream your heard just now?  Inkie fan girl/boy screams from around the country.

Speaking of blurbs, Miriam Forster has two to share for her upcoming debut CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS:

"A truly unique treasure, Forster's debut is storytelling at its best. With a chilling mystery, a forbidden romance, and delightful characters I fell in love with, I wanted to spend more time in the City of a Thousand Dolls." —Elana Johnson, author of Possession

"With fantastic world building and a wonderful heroine, City of a Thousand Dolls intrigued me from the first page. Forster took me on a fascinating journey full of twists and turns--I can't wait for the sequel!" --Cindy Pon, author of Silver Phoenix

Lastly, Lisa Gail Green has two short stories out in the new anthology JOURNEYS OF WONDER on sale only at Amazon.com now! $.99 or free through the Amazon Prime lending library.

A Dip in the Shameless Pool

Just a few bits of shameless news this week, but no less awesome.  :)

Starting off with a bang, Robin LaFevers's GRAVE MERCY received an amazing review in the New York Times this week.  I mean, how could you resist a book where the review starts off like this?

Getting bundled off to a nunnery is rarely a prelude to adventure.

But St. Mortain is no ordinary convent. The sisters there train young women to be assassins, “handmaidens to the god of death.” The reverend mother puts it bluntly: “We kill people.”

Yes, please. Sign me up. First in line. Can't wait to read this one!!!!

Meanwhile, SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS by Ellen Booraem has been named to the 2012 Best Children's Books of the Year list compiled by the Bank Street Center for Children's Literature.  A much-deserved honor, I must say.

And Kate Milford has an interesting new project in the works. She is using indie bookstore-friendly services to self-publish a novella companion to THE BROKEN LANDS, her follow up to THE BONESHAKER. THE KAIROSE MECHANISM will be available this fall, and Kate has a Kickstarter campaign going to help the process.

So that's it for this week.  But, as you well know, we'll always be back with more shamelessness.