by Kay | Dec 16, 2011 | Cover Alert, News |
Eep! I always get excited when a new cover comes out for Kelley Armstrong’s books – but this one is especially exciting. Everyone, take a look at the UK cover of The Calling!
The Calling by Kelley Armstrong – Goodreads
Maya Delaney’s paw-print birthmark is the sign of what she truly is – a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly anyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents including local bad boy Rafe, with whom she shares a dangerous, powerful secret. Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. After a terrifying helicopter crash, they find themselves stranded in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home. But can Maya really trust her friends? And can she learn how to control the frightening new gift she has discovered before it controls her?
I adore the UK covers of the Darkness Rising series: I love how fierce the girls on the cover are; I love how the cover artists don’t shy away from using a full face; I love the inclusion of the woods and wildlife. Love love love. My only issue with this cover is with the girl… she just looks a bit too Anglo. Which is odd considering how very non-Anglo the cover model of The Gathering was. Perhaps this is supposed to be a different character? Or perhaps they still plan on changing the model? This is clearly a preliminary cover (those editing lines can still be seen) so they may still make adjustments… but besides the model, I really do adore this cover!
Read my OMG-this-book-is-amazing review of The Gathering here!
by Kay | Oct 19, 2011 | News |
Book Notes is a regular feature at Dead Book Darling highlighting bookish news, curiosities and gossip spotted across the blogosphere. May the drama be with you…
New Book Deals
- Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has acquired two books (Arcanum and an untitled novel) by Ransom Riggs, the New York Times bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Arcanum, a new young adult novel, begins in the attic of an old, forgotten rural museum, where secret objects from the distant past lie in dust and in wait. When a group of teens discover this cache of sinister curiosities, they unsuspectingly unleash hell in their sleepy town. Magic, mystery, and evil intertwine in this dark, creepy, and frightening story, which is set for a spring 2014 publication. I haven’t had the chance to read Ransom’s first book yet, but it is on my TBR pile!
- Vicki Pettersson, Sign of the Zodiac series author and one-time showgirl, sold a new series to Harper Voyager/Morrow. The three book deal begins with The Taken, and is scheduled as a paperback original for June 2012.
- Rachel Caine has sold a stand-alone novel to NAL built around the character of Benvolio, from Romeo and Juliet. She’s also sold 3 new books in her YA Morganville Vampires series to NAL. I’m starting to wonder when these books will ever end.
- Bloomsbury/Walker Books for Young Readers bought a new trilogy by recent Columbia-grad Yelena Black; book one is called Diabolical. The book is a tale of a 15-year-old who starts witnessing spooky goings-on at her prestigious ballet school. When she becomes suspicious of the controlling choreographer at her academy, she stumbles upon the fact that he is staging a performance in which the school’s dancers become pawns in a world of demons. The first book in the series will be published internationally in English—in the U.S., U.K., and Australia—in winter 2013.
UK signings and events
- Jeffrey Eugenides. Jeffrey – bloody – Eugenides. Be still my heart. In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, Jeffrey is the world-renowned, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Middlesex (which is one of my favourite novels). He is going to be at Waterstone’s Picadilly, London, on Friday, 4 November 2011, 7:00PM. This is a proper meet-and-greet event, so you do have to buy tickets. They are £5 (or £3 for Waterstones card holders). You can buy them online here.
New Book Covers
- Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells – This is the final book in the fantastic Sabina Kane series. In case you somehow missed it, I am a BIG Jaye Wells fan. She epitomises everything that is brilliant about the Urban Fantasy genre and, in short, rocks.
- Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore – There is a reason bloggers everywhere dedicated posts to the release of this book. Because OMGSDFSHKFHS BITTERBLUE!
- Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan – This is the gorgeous US cover to the next book in Cate’s Immortal Beloved series. I liked the first book but I LOVE this cover!
- Partials by Dan Wells – I had heard nothing about this book until the cover came out… and what a cover! Now it’s way up on my 2012 wishlist!
- Revived by Cat Patrick – Cat’s novel, Forgotten, has gotten nothing but brilliant reviews. Although I haven’t read her work yet, this cover is making me want to run out and buy her work. I just adore the cover of Revived – it’s actually pretty damn original!
- Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock – I found this book on goodreads way back when, and was very excited when it finally got a cover (even one I’m not too keen on!).
See your art on a book cover!
Faber and Faber and The Guardian are hosting a fantastic initiative for artists aged 13 to 16… putting their cover art on seminal novel The Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It’s a terrifying novel, and I can’t wait to see what scary images contestants come up with. Here’s some more detail about the competition (and info about how to enter!):
Faber and Faber and Guardian News & Media are calling on young artists to create a brand new look for one of the world’s most famous books: Lord of the Flies by William Golding. One talented artist will be selected by a team of expert judges and will have the chance to watch as their work is transformed by the Faber design team into a cover for the new educational edition of Lord of the Flies.
The winning illustration will be unveiled at a special exhibition showcasing the best of the entries. The winner and other featured entrants will be invited to the opening of the exhibition at the Guardian’s offices in London in February 2012.
The competition is open to young artists aged 13 to 16, and submissions are welcome in any medium. The closing date for entries is 20 January 2012. The competition is hosted on its own site, which also features exciting additional content for aspiring illustrators. Please visit: http://lordofthefliescover.com/
by Kay | Oct 1, 2011 | News |
This October is packed with some fabulous new releases, but I thought I’d highlight the ones that I am particularly looking forward to! If you want a few more comprehensive lists of October releases, check out Tor’s Fiction Affliction posts for Paranormal Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Urban Fantasy/PNR releases, Tez Says for a list of October releases, and Literary Escapism’s gigantic list of upcoming release dates.
Muse by Rebecca Lim – Oct. 27th 2011 (UK)
Two books by two of my favourite YA authors! I adored
Mercy and
Exile, so I cannot wait to read the third installment in Rebecca Lim’s series. As for
The Scorpio Races… is there anyone out there who isn’t looking forward to reading this one?
Reckoning by Lili St. Crow – Oct. 27th 2011 (UK)
Reckoning is the last book in Lili St. Crow’s
Strange Angel series, and I’m rather sad about it. I’ve had my ups and downs with this series, but even still, I’m sad to see it end.
Just Your Average Princess, on the other hand, is bound to be a fun, light-hearted romp. I really enjoyed Kristina’s
The Espressologist, so I am looking forward to seeing what else she comes up with!
Debut Author! I pimped
The Shadow Reader in a
Waiting on Wednesday post a while back… and now it is finally coming out! Really really looking forward to this one.
So, what’s on your October purchase list?
by Kay | Sep 20, 2011 | News |
Book Notes is a regular feature at Dead Book Darling highlighting bookish news, curiosities and gossip spotted across the blogosphere. May the drama be with you…
De-Gay YA
When I heard the news that a well-respected agency tried to get two authors to “de-gay” their YA novel, I can’t say I was shocked. In fact, what surprised me was that the authors had come out and told their story to the mainstream press. I am sure this kind of thing goes on all the time, we just never hear about it… And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the agency came out denying everything. Which is certainly a new crisis management technique! Aja gives you the full scoop (and a very healthy rant) in her article in The Mary Sue. Read it!
New author deals
In other, less terrifying news, there have been some pretty brilliant new deals signed between authors and their publishers. Here are the ones I am particularly excited about:
- Historical Fiction writer Phillipa Gregory has signed with Simon and Schuster to write 4 YA Historical Fiction novels. The first will be published in summer 2012. I’ve never read any of Gregory’s work, but it is exciting to have her in the genre! More on Dark Faerie Tales.
- Dark Life author Kat Falls will be publishing a dystopian romance trilogy with Scholastic. The first book, The Fetch, will be out in autumn 2012. I loved Dark Life, so I am really looking forward to what else Kat comes up with. More on Presenting Lenore.
- One of my favourite authors, Ann Aguirre, will be publishing an all-new science fiction trilogy with Ace. The books have been pitched as “prison break – in space”, so needless to say that I am desperate to read them! They’ll be out in autumn 2013. More on Ann Aguirre’s website.
- Rag & Bones is a new YA anthology, edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt, that will feature a whole bunch of my favourite authors. Among them: Kelley Armstrong! It is being published in 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (World). More on Tez Says.
New Covers
There are always new stunning and not-so-stunning covers coming out. But these are the ones that have really caught my eye:
- Illuminate by Aimee Agresti – I know, another red dress. But the summary for this book is just so intriguing!
- Insurgent by Veronica Roth – I haven’t read Divergent and I really never planned to… but this cover is just so lovely! I am really tempted to pick up the first book in the series now!
- The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellsion – No idea what this is about, but I find the cover gorgeously spooky. It’s Dexter meets butterflies…
- Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – This cover is so spooky! Maybe I am developing a new love for somewhat terrifying things, because I just find this cover amazing.
- If I Die by Rachel Vincent – I have but one word: F-I-E-R-C-E.
UK Signings!
Some big names are coming to the UK. Some seriously, seriously big names! I really hope y’all can make some of these great signings:
- Christopher Paolini will be at Forbidden Planet on Wednesday 28 September! Christopher Paolini will be signing the first three volumes of The Inheritance Cycle at the Forbidden Planet Megastore. The signing is a lead-up to the publication of the final book in the cycle. I tried to read Christopher’s books, but they aren’t for me. Even still, I find the story of his publication extremely inspiring! For more information about this signing, see the Forbidden Planet website.
- Erin Morgenstern, author of the highly anticipated The Night Circus will be discussing her fin-de-siècle fantasia of magic and mischief at Foyles in Bristol, Monday 10 October. I have been dying to read this book – so it’s extremely exciting that the author is coming to the UK! Read more here.
- Peter F. Hamilton will be signing his short story collection Manhattan in Reverse at the Forbidden Planet Megastore on Thursday 6 October. While I haven’t had the chance to read any of Peter’s works yet, he is an absolute rock star in the SF genre!More details on the Forbidden Planet website.
- Christopher Priest, the multiple award-winning fantasy/SF/horror author will be at London Foyles not once, but twice! He’ll be in the Gallery discussing his career and new book, The Islanders, on 29 September. Read more here. And then he’ll be back for the “House of Fear” event along with Sarah Pinborough and Paul Meloy. Read more here.
- Moira Young and Philip Reeve will be doing a joint chat in Guildhall, Bath on Sunday, 25 September. Tickets are £5, but I am sure the event will be unforgettable! More information is available on the Waterstones website.
The waters of the Avon…
And last but not least, Oxford Dictionaires has a great new online test for you all…
How Shakespearean are you? You just stick a bit of your own writing into a box, and they give you a verdict. Apparently my English is 81 percent Shakespearean. “The waters of the Avon almost lap at your feet.”
Give it a go!
by Kay | Jul 31, 2011 | News |
So the last time I did one of these posts was in August… 2010! Where does the time go exactly? Anyhow, this August is packed with some fabulous new releases – some of which I will literally start as soon as I get them out of the mailbox. If you want a few more comprehensive lists of August releases, check out Tor’s Fiction Affliction posts for Paranormal Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Urban Fantasy/PNR releases, Tez Says for a list of August releases, and Literary Escapism’s gigantic list of upcoming release dates.
Two Books by Two Rebels
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab – August 2nd (US)
Possess by Gretchen McNeil – August 23rd (US)
Both of these books are by YA Rebels. I’ve loved their channel since they started up at the beginning of 2010 – especially videos by Gretchen and Victoria. So excited that I will finally be able to get my hands on their books!
Two Books I Won’t be Able to Read
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead – August 23rd (US) August 25th (UK)
I’ll be buying these as soon as they come out – but I won’t be reading them for a while! I still haven’t finished the Vampire Academy series, which I want to start before I get to the sequel series. And then there is the Jax series, which I love too much to read (I am saving them for rainy days).
Two New Series by Two Great Rachels
Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent – August 23rd (US) September 1st (UK)
Working Stiff by Rachel Caine – August 2nd (US) October 31st (UK)
These Rachels are demi-Gods in the Urban Fantasy world, so it is super exciting to be getting some fresh new series from them! (Although I should probably complete their other books first…)
Two Books I Pre-ordered Months Ago!
Rip Tide by Kat Falls – August 1st (US) August 4th (UK)
These books are radically different from each other, but I really really
really can’t wait to read them!
Rip Tide is the sequel to the fabulous
Dark Life, and
Chain Reaction is the last
Perfect Chemistry novel. I expect wonders from both of them!
by Kay | Jul 14, 2011 | News |
Book Notes is a regular feature at Dead Book Darling highlighting bookish news, curiosities and gossip spotted across the blogosphere. May the drama be with you…
The summer signing season is upon us – and while the UK may not be seeing Maggie Stiefvater drive through in her shiny blue Camaro, we are being visited by some great Fantasy and YA authors! Here are a couple of events I’d be at (if it weren’t for that pesky work business!).
Orbit Books Summer Signing – 4 Authors, 1 Event
Saturday 30 July 2011 15:00 – 16:00
Forbidden Planet London – 179 Shaftesbury Avenue
Nicole Peeler (Tempest Rising) Tim Lebbon (Echo City) Simon Morden (Metrozone Series) and Philip Palmer (Debateable Space and Red Claw) will signing their newest novels at London’s Forbidden Planet. I plan on getting myself a signed copy of Tempest Rising next time I pass by the store – hopefully there will be some left. Cat at Beyond Books is a big fan of Peeler’s series, so I am excited that we are finally getting it in the UK!
More information about the authors and the event available here.
Alyson Noel Signing – This Saturday!
Saturday 16 July 2011 – 13.30
Foyles London – 113-119 Charing Cross Road WC2H 0EB
Alyson Noel is doing a whistle-stop signing at Foyles in their Teen Noir section (yep, Foyles is awesome enough to have a “Teen Noir” section). It’s the last leg of her UK tour, so this may be your last chance to meet Alyson before she heads back to the US for good! There’s not much more info, but you can read the official announcement here.
Well, I hope I’ve sorted your Saturdays out for you. Go forth and get some signed books!
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