CAMP SHADY CROOK Cover Reveal!!

One of the most enjoyable – and nerve-wracking – experiences for an author is the first time you see your cover. With my first novel, THE LAST BOY AT ST. EDITH’S, I was blown away instantly by the cover. I loved the colors, the characters, and in particular the drawing of the school, which somehow looked exactly the way I pictured it in my head.

For my second novel, CAMP SHADY CROOK, I have to admit I was a little nervous. This book has some similar themes to the first – friendship and finding yourself – but it has two main characters who share the story, and a very different plot and tone.

The truth is, I loved my first cover so much I really wondered if lightening could strike twice. I knew the cover needed to be different. I just didn’t know what that would mean.

The process was different, too, for this book. Unlike with my first book, my debut, I was more involved in the cover conversations from an earlier stage. I saw a ton of sketches, and watched as the art director went through several concepts, all very different in style and tone.

As a writer, I’m very used to the creative process for writing a book, but getting a front row seat to the process of creating a cover was a new experience for me. Just like with preparing the text of a book for publication, the cover is a collaborative process as well, with the artist Andy Smith, the art director Laura Lyn DiSiena, my editor, Alyson Heller—and even me, the author -- sharing thoughts and ideas on each draft.

The end result is a cover that captures CAMP SHADY CROOK in a way that I couldn’t have imagined, but one I got to see take shape thanks to a great publishing team.

Preorder the book …

Amazon ~ B&N ~ IndieBound

About the book …

It’s Ocean’s Eleven set in a summer camp as two kids try to one-up each other in a con competition at a camp that isn’t quite what it seems…

For Archie, the start of summer means another stint at Camp Shady Brook, where there is a lot more to the camp than meets the eye—just like Archie and his now blended family. But thanks to a con Archie developed last year, he’s finally somebody…and he’s not going to lose that status to the new girl, Vivian.

For Vivian, thanks to an incident That Shall Not Be Named or Spoken Of, her summer of exotic travels with Mom and Dad has turned into traveling to a dump of a summer camp in the middle of nowhere.

But thanks to perfect timing, Vivian soon finds herself in a ring of kids trying to out-con each other—and discovers Camp Shady Brook is more like Camp Shady Crook. And when one final, massive con could cost Vivian the first friends she’s had in a while, can she and Archie figure out a way to make things right?

About the author:

Lee Gjertsen Malone is a journalist, editor, and author who lives in Cambridge, Mass. with her husband, daughter, and a rotating cast of pets.

Visit Lee’s website at www.leegjertsenmalone.com.

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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.

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NO PLACE LIKE HOME Cover Reveal!

You guys, I absolutely ADORE this cover.

My middle grade novel, NO PLACE LIKE HOME, comes out August 29, 2017 from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster.

Meet Kenzie Rhines . . .

* It’s available for preorder   . . .  Amazon * B&N * My local indie- Monkey See, Monkey Do

* And you can add it on Goodreads!

About the book:

Kenzie Rhines doesn’t have a home—she has too many. Her dad’s job keeps them flying around the country, which means “home” is whatever fancy hotel they’re currently staying in and “school” takes place 30,000 miles in the air. And since it’s just the two of them, she has no choice but to be his travel partner. Kenzie loves the constant adventures, but she wouldn’t mind planting her feet in one place for longer than two seconds, having her own bed, and maybe even finding a best friend she can talk to.

When Kenzie’s dad surprises her with the news that they’ll be in Las Vegas for an extended business trip, she’s thrilled he wants to enroll her in a local middle school while they’re there. And even though it's the longest she’s been in one place in years, Kenzie knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s on the move yet again. So, for the first time in her life, she decides to take some risks: why not let the cutest boy in school know she’s got a bit of a crush on him, give it a shot and audition for the school musical--The Wizard of Oz (her all-time favorite movie), and run for VP of her class?

Thanks to her plan, Kenzie discovers a courage she didn’t know she had—and finally feels like she belongs somewhere. But when things start to get complicated, Kenzie discovers that she’ll have to face the consequences of everything she’s done since her arrival--and that maybe home isn't necessarily a place on a map, but where your heart is.

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LIBRARY JUMPERS by Brenda Drake - Cover Reveal!

Library Jumpers

by Brenda Drake

Release Date: January 2016

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound.

Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Brenda Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the continual new kid at schooluntil her family settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Brenda’s fondest memories growing up is of hereccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales,which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was onlyfitting that she would choose to write young adult and middle grade novels with a bend toward thefantastical. When Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing, she’s haunting libraries, bookstores,and coffee shops or reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Organized by:

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ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT Cover Reveal!

About the Author:

Kristine Asselin lives in Massachusetts and writes Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. In addition to ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT, she is the author of fifteen children's books for the elementary school library market. The most recent, DANGEROUS DISEASES, was published in 2014. Kris is a volunteer with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, and loves Harry Potter, Doctor Who, classic rock from the 70’s and 80’s, and anything with a time travel theme. She is a proud member of SCBWI-New England, the Fall Fourteeners (a group blog of YA debut authors), Sporty Girl Books blog, and #MGLitChat.

Kris presents writing workshops at schools and libraries all over New England and loves talking with kids and adults about their favorite books. ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT is her debut Young Adult novel.

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And here’s the awesome cover!!

Head over to SPORTY GIRL BOOKS and enter to win a Dick's Sporting Goods card, Amazon card, autographed nonfiction book, query package critique, and Bloomsbury Spark titles!

BLURB:

Penelope Spaulding just can't catch a break. Between long hours at the family restaurant, homework, and her parents' plans for her future, it's hard to find a spare moment to breathe. But when she laces up her skates and steps on the ice, everything slips away...

Racing around the rink allows her to blow off steam after yet another fight with her dad about going to culinary school. So when Jake Gomes, the bad boy who lives down the street, dares her to join the Rink Rats, the local misfit hockey team, she surprises herself and joins in silent defiance of her father and his expectations.

The more she plays, the easier it is to keep lying, and soon Pen finds it impossible to come clean. She’s sneaking out to practice—and loving every minute of it. It doesn’t take long for her to fall in love with hockey…and Jake’s not half bad either. But she knows it can’t last. As soon as her dad finds out, she’ll be benched. For good.

She’s absolutely not going to tell her parents until she’s sure it will be worth the inevitable fight. Not only is she skipping shifts at Slice Pizza while a foodie reality show is on the horizon, but her lies are starting to take their toll on her game. It’s only a matter of time before everything falls apart.

With the team counting on her and with her relationship with Jake on the line, will she have to sacrifice the thing she wants most for the people she loves? Or can she step up and take her best shot?

ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT will be available HERE from Bloomsbury Spark on April 7, 2015.

Mark it to read on Goodreads

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