In Stores This Week (with Interviews & Giveaways)

by Martina Boone

This week has a handful of releases, but make no mistake- there are some awesome books in store. If you’re a fan of Catherine Fisher’s INCARCERON, you’ll be delighted to know that the first book in her new series debuts this week. The latest installments in Lisi Harrison’s ALPHAS series and Ellen Schreiber’s VAMPIRE KISSES series release, as well. Not to mention, there are some other great reads in the mix. Read on to see if something tickles your reading fancy and be sure to scroll all the way down to enter to win some of these books!

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

From Goodreads: Mercy has lost herself. She can’t count how many times she’s “woken up” in a new body, and assumed a new life, only to move on again and again. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct and at night her dreams are haunted by him. Mercy’s heart would know him anywhere. But her memory refuses to cooperate. But this time is different. When Mercy wakes up she meets Ryan, an eighteen year old reeling from the loss of his twin sister who was kidnapped two years ago. Everyone else has given up hope, but Ryan believes his sister is still alive. Using a power she doesn’t fully comprehend, Mercy realizes that Ryan is right. His sister is alive and together they can find her. For the first time since she can remember, Mercy has a purpose; she can help. So she doesn’t understand why the man in her dreams cautions her not to interfere. But as Ryan and Mercy come closer to solving the dark mystery of his sister’s disappearance, danger looms just one step behind. Will Mercy be able to harness her true self and extraordinary power in time?

How long did you work on this book?

From start to finish? Probably a couple of years of actual thinking and writing time, but one of the publishers that was looking at Mercy kind of thought it over for a year, so it’s seemed way, way longer than that …

How was your journey to publication? Long, short, how many rejections?

It’s one of those weird things, but you can’t seem to get published unless you’ve been published before, or have a really pushy agent.

For a long time, I tried to combine writing fiction with a commerciallaw practice and found my creative brain and legal brain just pulling in different directions. So I finally took time off work to try and make a serious go of writing, and was lucky enough to have a four book series of humorous detective stories for middle readers picked up by an Australian publisher. And that was the start of it.

Rejections, I’ve had a few, to paraphrase a certain legendary singer. But you have to pick yourself up off the floor and just keep going.

What advice would you most like to pass along to other writers?

Be yourself. Write as differently as you can. And read as widely as you can, without fear or favour. Don’t just read the fancy, prizewinning things or refuse ever to stray out of your comfort zone. You do your best reading, and best writing, if you’re open minded. I read somewhere that a writer is really only a reader with a pen in their hand, itching to respond, and I think that’s so true.

Be prepared for criticism. Be prepared to yield a little and never, ever sweat the small stuff. Your editor and publisher are not the enemy. They really are there to help you.

What has surprised you most about becoming a published author?

One of the great miracles of our age is that writers can interact directly with their readership. It’s like some of those contestants on American Idol who refuse to believe that they are absolutely tone deaf – a writer needs to get an outside perspective on their writing or they will never improve. But some readers tend to forget that writers are also just people, first and foremost. While all writers should and must expect criticism – because the act of reading is such a personal thing – the worst thing a reader can do is savage a book because it doesn’t accord exactly with their world view / politics / religious beliefs / prejudices.

I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

From Goodreads: Raised by an unstable father who keeps the family constantly on the move, Sam Border hasn’t been in a classroom since the second grade. He’s always been the rock for his younger brother Riddle, who stopped speaking long ago and instead makes sense of the world through his strange and intricate drawings. It’s said that the two boys speak with one voice–and that voice is Sam’s. Then, Sam meets Emily Bell, and everything changes. The two share an immediate and intense attraction, and soon Sam and Riddle find themselves welcomed into the Bell’s home. Faced with normalcy for the first time, they know it’s too good to last.

Top of the Feud Chain (Alphas) by Lisi Harrison

From Goodreads: Alpha Academy: Where the betas get booted.
Skye Hamilton
For Skye, breaking boys’ hearts is easier than one-two-plie. But if she hurts emo-freak Sydney, Shira will send her packing. Skye’s only choice? Make him dump her first! But how can she convince robo-Romeo she’s not his Juliet?
Charlie Deery
Charlie’s brilliant brain designed almost everything on Alpha Island, but her broken heart could never get over Darwin Brazille. Now she has a chance to get him back. But to say hello to true love, she may have to say buh-bye to her friendship with Allie A…
Allie A. Abbot
After being exposed as an Allie J. imposter, Allie A. is as worthless as a five time markdown on the clearance shoe rack. But the real stain on her suede bootie? She still hasn’t found her talent. And with girls leaving faster than you can say “Beta”, will Allie A. be the next to go?
If at first you don’t succeed, you’re not an Alpha.

The Dark City #1 (Relic Master) by Catherine Fisher

From Amazon: Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a secret relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be tested beyond their limits. For there are monsters-some human, some not-that also want the relic’s power and will stop at nothing to get it.

Vampire Kisses 8: Cryptic Cravings by Ellen Schreiber

From Goodreads: The morbidly monotonous Dullsville has finally become the most exciting place on earth now that Raven is madly in love with her hot vampire boyfriend Alexander, and a crew of vampires has taken residence in Dullsville’s old mill. Raven discovers Jagger’s plan to open a new club, The Crypt, right here in Dullsville. But is it her dream come true, or her worst nightmare? Raven and Alexander have to figure out what the nefarious vampire has in store for Dullsville’s teen and vampire population. Can Raven convince Jagger to listen to her plans to make the Crypt the morbidly magnificent dance club it could be? Will it be safe for mortals and vampires alike? And as Sebastian and Luna’s relationship heats up, Raven wonders about her own amorous fate: Will Alexander ever turn her? Does he crave her and does he want to spend eternity together? And what does she really want?

Giveaway

If you’d like to get your hands on a copy of MERCY, I’LL BE THERE, or TOP OF THE FEUD CHAIN, simply leave a comment on this post and fill out the form below. The contest is open to US residents and we’ll announce our winners on Thursday!

Happy reading,
The Ladies of ACP

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Martina Boone

Martina Boone is the award-winning author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series, starting with COMPULSION from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse and the Celtic Legends Collection of novels set in Scotland, Cornwall, and Ireland beginning with LAKE OF DESTINY. She’s passionate about improving lives through literacy and the love of books, and she runs the Compulsion For Reading program to distribute books to underserved schools and libraries.

She lives with her husband, children, Shetland Sheepdog Phinney, and Zoey the lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing contemporary romantic fiction with a hint of magic set in small towns and beautiful places. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Post © Martina Boone and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: May 16, 2011

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: New Releases | YA Fiction Giveaways | YA Romance | Young Adult

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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