Cover Reveal!! THE FORGOTTEN SHRINE (Bounders 3) by Monica Tesler

A First Look at The Forgotten Shrine (Bounders 3) Cover

I am so excited to share the cover of The Forgotten Shrine, the third book in the Bounders series, my middle grade science fiction adventure series from Simon & Schuster.

One of my favorite things about writing a series is watching my characters grow up in the pages of the books. Their world views evolve, their friendships deepen or take different turns, and they start to edge farther from childhood and closer to young adulthood.

It’s been especially cool to see Jasper and his friends age on the book covers. That part of the process is largely out of my hands, so I’m always excited and a bit nervous to see the finished product.

I adored the cover of my first book, Bounders. It was illustrated by Antonio Caparo, an incredibly talented artist. The first time I laid eyes on the cover illustration, I gasped. It was so moving to see an artist’s interpretation of characters that once existed only in my head. I loved that the illustration included all five kids, the core characters of the series. Antonio really captured each of them. Mira especially is so spot on. Look at the way she’s tuned in to the lights she’s manipulating!

When it came time to illustrate the second book in the series, things took an unexpected turn. The first book was retitled Earth Force Rising for its paperback release, and Bounders became the name of the whole, five-book series. Also, it was decided that the first book would get a new cover.

The supremely talented illustrator, Owen Richardson, was brought in to work on the first two books. I love the sense of action and adventure (and aliens!) captured on the Earth Force Rising Cover. Plus, it’s fun to see Jasper on the move! I really appreciate some of the artistic choices that bring continuity between the hardback and paperback covers of the first book, like the color scheme and the same Earth Force uniform design.

The cover for The Tundra Trials, the second book in the series, features Jasper, Mira, and a space elevator, something I decided to include in the series ever since reading a science article on the concept. The illustration perfectly captures how I conceptualize the space elevator in my mind. I love the color scheme of the cover and the image of Jasper and Mira gazing down on Gulaga. Doesn’t that planet look cool? Also, take another look at Jasper. He’s looking older, right? There’s my guy, growing up.

So that brings us to the cover for The Forgotten Shrine, also illustrated by Owen Richardson. I absolutely adore this cover (and it’s my kids’ favorite)! There’s lots of action and danger and intrigue! In fact, there’s so much intrigue I can’t even tell you exactly what’s happening on the cover. Are they underwater? What are those scary creatures with the sharp teeth? You’ll have to read to find out! Now glance back at The Tundra Trials. See how Jasper and Mira are looking older on The Forgotten Shrine cover? The kids are really growing up before our eyes!

With awesome illustrators and my talented in-house designer, Karin Paprocki, I’ve really lucked out in the covers department. I can’t wait to see what they’ll dream up for the fourth and fifth books in the Bounders series. I guess that means I better get back to writing so I can provide some inspiration.

The Forgotten Shrine releases on December 12, 2017. It’s now available for preorder at IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and many other retailers. You can also preorder a signed copy of The Forgotten Shrine (or order a signed copy of any of my books) from my local independent bookstore, Buttonwood Books and Toys.

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Jasper can’t wait for his sister, Addy, to finally join him at the EarthBound Academy. But as soon as they arrive at the space station, Jasper and Addy are separated when Jasper’s pod is sent on a secret mission to the underwater planet of Earth Force’s shady new allies, the Alkalinians.

At first, Jasper and his friends are excited by the incredible virtual reality technology that the Alks use, but the kids soon realize that this technology might be masking a sinister agenda. Jasper and his friends are certain that the Alks are laying a trap for Earth Force. But with Admiral Eames blind to the danger, Jasper and his pod mates must take matters into their own hands.

Will Jasper’s pod disobey direct orders to uncover the Alks’s true plans? And if so, will the kids be able to stop them before their treachery ripples across the entire galaxy? They need to act fast or it could mean devastation for Earth Force and death for the Bounders—including Addy.

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Monica Tesler lives outside of Boston with her husband and their two boys. She can be found online at monicatesler.com, and on twitter and instagram as @monicatesler.