Here comes another round of fabulous new YA books. If you missed day one, please check out the other books that hit shelves this week. You can enter the giveaway twice to double your chances of winning!
This Week’s Interviews
by - From Goodreads: The spell was simple… Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood). But what do you do if your blood is your enemy? Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds — much less one that reveals she’s a witch with unimaginable power. What’s more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own… Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood’s deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?
How long did you work on this book?
This story has been germinating for years and years. The actual book took me about three months to write – we’re talking about three months for the – in Anne Lamott’s words, the crappy first draft, and then came a few more months of editing, then some time off, then some more editing. It’s definitely been a work in progress.
How was your journey to publication? Long, short, how many rejections?
My journey to publication is an interesting story. Two and a half years ago, when Bloodspell went out to agents, I received 8 offers from top agencies in NY within the first week. I chose one of the 8, which in hindsight turned out to not the most intelligent decision because I went for an agent looking to break in to YA, and not one with already established contacts. Note to new authors – when starting out, go for the agent with the network and the sales in your genre. Needless to say, as much as I personally loved my agent, it didn’t work out quite as I’d envisioned…you know, like writing on a yacht in the Mediterranean. So anyway, after about a year, I separated from my agent, and I decided to look into independent presses on my own. I found a good one, and here we are. I’m looking into some rowboats in the interim until I get to the yacht. As far as rejections go, the publishing business is a tough industry especially if you’re a newbie, so let’s just say that I’m planning to wallpaper a room in my house!
What advice would you most like to pass along to other writers?
The most heartfelt advice I can pass on to other writers is to never give up. Carve your own path. And don’t let rejection hammer you – it’s all part of the process, take in the constructive and make your work the best it can be. And keep going no matter what. Believe in yourself and you can’t fail. Sounds a little preachy, but it’s true.
What has surprised you most about becoming a published author?
It’s surprising how passionate people can become so quickly about a book, my book in particular. It’s overwhelming and very very humbling. I’d only hope to inspire my readers the way that authors like J.K. Rowling and Kristin Cashore have inspired me.
by - From Goodreads: Epidemics, floods, droughts–for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she’s rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can’t continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There’s something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.
How long did you work on this book?
Starcrossed
by Josephine Angelini
- From Goodreads: How do you defy destiny? Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it’s getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she’s haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they’re destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history. As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.
How long did you work on this book?
by - From Goodreads: Fifteen-year-old Felton Reinstein has always been on the smallish side, but in his sophomore year he starts growing…and growing. During gym one day he smokes the football jocks in a 600-yard race. Felton has never been interested in sports, but there’s no doubt-he is “stupid fast.” As he juggles his newfound athletic prowess, his mom’s sudden depression, an annoying little brother, and his first love, he discovers a shocking secret about his past which explains why he’s turning out the way he is.
How long did you work on this book?
I had a weird experience with this book… I saw my cousin walking really fast one day, thought, “He is stupid fast!” Then got all crazy and wrote the first 70 pages in two days and then finished a draft in a couple of weeks (it was like something was falling out of the sky on top of me). Then, of course, I thought it was done. About six months later, after several rejections, I looked again and realized there were huge holes! I spent another couple of months going after those problems and it sold shortly thereafter. You know when you hear you should set aside your manuscript for awhile and revisit it with fresh eyes later? Yeah, that’s good advice.
How was your journey to publication? Long, short, how many rejections?
Once I got it to my agent, I think it was about 8 months. I did have to do that re-write in the middle or it would not have sold, I imagine. There were LOTS of rejections. Many were related to the audience: I saw notes that said something like: Really love this character, but can’t imagine a market (BOYS DON’T READ) for the book. Hopefully, those editors were wrong! Yeah, I wrote the book for boys (because my 13-year-old son doesn’t have enough to read), but I’m seeing enough feedback from girls to know that the book crosses over. I think!
What advice would you most like to pass along to other writers?
Write who you are. I’m a goofy person. When I try to strip the humor out of my work, it is so flat. Know thyself! Then, make sure that’s who you are as a writer. This art is definitely not about hiding or trying to be something other. The truest representation of your vibe, values, aesthetics, etc. will take you to your best material.
What has surprised you most about becoming a published author?
How cool other YA writers are. I was at BEA last week and had an absolute ball meeting with people. I write contemporary and wondered if there would be sort of cliques based on genre, but I couldn’t see any of that. It was like the biggest gathering of excellent dorks of a thousand flavors one could imagine. I also saw very little in the way of competitiveness, which is something writers are famous for. Publishing in YA is comforting compared to the adult literary world.
Drama High: So, So Hood
by L. Divine
- From Goodreads: For Jayd Jackson, a new school takes the drama to a new level. . . With her senior year just beginning, Jayd s drama is going nowhere anytime soon. Although she’s graduated to the next level with her powers, she’s also going head-to-head with her former best friend, Misty. Jayd’s also got to deal with the aftermath of the debutante ball, her boyfriend’s cheating, and her ex-boyfriend/best guy friend Rah’s continuing baby mama drama. Luckily, when her crew gets to be too much, Jayd can turn to her new crush Keenan, a UCLA first draft football pick, for a time out. Jayd’s got to keep a cool head now more than ever because there’s a new enemy waiting to pounce if she lets down her guard. . .
How long did you work on this book?
Additional Releases
The Ivy: Secrets
by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur
- From Goodreads: Gregory or Clint? Clint or Gregory? Matt, anyone? And what is Lexi up to . . .exactly? When we last saw Callie Andrews, she was caught on the horns of a dilemma. Lexi was threatening to expose all of her safely guarded, deeply buried secrets from high school, and Callie had just hooked up with bad-boy Gregory–despite the fact that she had a perfect (sort of) boyfriend and her BFF Vanessa had claimed (sort of) Gregory as her own. Yow. Entertaining, hilarious, addictive, scandalous, sexy, and smart, The Ivy series is an insider’s look at freshman life at Harvard University. This isn’t high school anymore!
The Midnight Palace
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
- From Goodreads: Set in Calcutta in the 1930s, The Midnight Palace begins on a dark night when an English lieutenant fights to save newborn twins Ben and Sheere from an unthinkable threat. Despite monsoon-force rains and terrible danger lurking around every street corner, the young lieutenant manages to get them to safety, but not without losing his own life… Years later, on the eve of Ben and Sheere’s sixteenth birthday, the mysterious threat reenters their lives. This time, it may be impossible to escape. With the help of their brave friends, the twins will have to take a stand against the terror that watches them in the shadows of the night–and face the most frightening creature in the history of the City of Palaces.
Giveaway
In addition to the prizes offered yesterday, you can enter to win ASHES, ASHES, STUPID FAST, and BLOODSPELL! Please fill out the form below and leave a comment on this post to enter to win. The contest is open to US residents. We’ll reveal the winners this Thursday.
Happy reading!
The Ladies of ACP
