The February First Five Pages Workshop will be open starting at noon eastern on Saturday 2/2.
We will begin accepting submissions for the Pitch+250 Contest on Monday 2/4 at noon eastern. Check out the fabulous line-up of judges here.
THIS WEEK’S GIVEAWAY
Homelandby Cory Doctorow
Five Hardcovers
In Cory Doctorow’s wildly successful Little Brother, young Marcus Yallow was arbitrarily detained and brutalized by the government in the wake of a terrorist attack on San Francisco—an experience that led him to become a leader of the whole movement of technologically clued-in teenagers, fighting back against the tyrannical security state.
A few years later, California’s economy collapses, but Marcus’s hacktivist past lands him a job as webmaster for a crusading politician who promises reform. Soon his former nemesis Masha emerges from the political underground to gift him with a thumbdrive containing a Wikileaks-style cable-dump of hard evidence of corporate and governmental perfidy. It’s incendiary stuff—and if Masha goes missing, Marcus is supposed to release it to the world. Then Marcus sees Masha being kidnapped by the same government agents who detained and tortured Marcus years earlier.
Marcus can leak the archive Masha gave him—but he can’t admit to being the leaker, because that will cost his employer the election. He’s surrounded by friends who remember what he did a few years ago and regard him as a hacker hero. He can’t even attend a demonstration without being dragged onstage and handed a mike. He’s not at all sure that just dumping the archive onto the Internet, before he’s gone through its millions of words, is the right thing to do.
Meanwhile, people are beginning to shadow him, people who look like they’re used to inflicting pain until they get the answers they want.
Fast-moving, passionate, and as current as next week, Homeland is every bit the equal of Little Brother—a paean to activism, to courage, to the drive to make the world a better place.
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Homeland?
Before HOMELAND, I’d never written a sequel, nor had I planned to. As with LITTLE BROTHER, HOMELAND sort of materialized in nearly finished form in my brain and then battered its way out of my fingertips with very little regard for my comfort or timetable.
I had never had the experience of living inside my characters for a second time. For me, characters always seemed like war buddies who’d disappeared after an epic battle — people I’d grown impossibly close to, but who I never expected to see again.
Revisiting these characters in HOMELAND was like having one of those war buddies appear on my doorstep years later, weary and bearded, with the most amazing stories of what had happened in the intervening time. Like seeing someone I had given up for dead — and not just anyone, a dear friend who I missed all the time.
So that was my favorite thing. It was marvelous.
The Ruining
by Anna Collomore
Hardcover
Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door.
All too soon cracks appear in Annie’s seemingly perfect world. She’s blamed for mistakes she doesn’t remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she’s always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie’s fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness, or is something sinister at play?
The Ruining is a complex ride through first love, chilling manipulation, and the terrifying depths of insanity.
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about The Ruining?
This is maybe a little strange, but I take a lot of pleasure in the spray-painted tarantula (Chad) that shows up in Chapter Six. I mentioned this to my editor recently with the disclaimer, “I don’t know why;” and she responded with, “I don’t know why either.” The thing is, I had a lot of fun writing that chapter–I think it offered a fun, light break from the darkness that’s pervades the rest of the novel. But it also reminds me of a good memory: the name Chad first came up in a conversation I had a few years back with one of my close friends. She knew a dog named Chad, and we both thought the unironic use of the name for one’s pet was hilarious. She’s since told me she’s happy it found its way into The Ruining.
The Whole Stupid Way We Are
by N. Griffin
Hardcover
What happens when everything you’ve got to give isn’t enough to save someone you love?
It’s Maine. It’s winter. And it’s FREEZING STINKIN’ COLD! Dinah is wildly worried about her best friend, Skint. He won’t wear a coat. Refuses to wear a coat. It’s twelve degrees out, and he won’t wear a coat. So Dinah’s going to figure out how to help. That’s what Dinah does—she helps. But she’s too busy trying to help to notice that sometimes, she’s doing more harm than good. Seeing the trees instead of the forest? That’s Dinah.
And Skint isn’t going to be the one to tell her. He’s got his own problems. He’s worried about a little boy whose dad won’t let him visit his mom. He’s worried about an elderly couple in a too-cold house down the street.
But the wedge between what drives Dinah and what concerns Skint is wide enough for a big old slab of ice. Because Skint’s own father is in trouble. Because Skint’s mother refuses to ask for help even though she’s at her breaking point. And because Dinah might just decide to…help. She thinks she’s cracking through a sheet of ice, but what’s actually there is an entire iceberg.
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about The Whole Stupid Way We Are?
My favorite thing about the book?! EEP! This is a very kindly but very stressful sort of question. It’s kindly in that it implies a body might have *multiple* favorite things about her book to sift through so she has to struggle to pick JUST ONE. But hooboy, who thinks about her own work in a such complimentary way? Like so many of us, I am a tooth-gnashing sort of writer who is always convinced that my work could have been stronger, expressed more exactly what I meant, created more clearly the feel and texture that I envisioned for my story. Gnash, gnash, gnash!
But you know what? In the midst of the tooth-gnashing this question engendered in me, I realized that there is something I love in the book, after all. Two somethings, even! I have multiple favorite things after all! And those multiple things are the protagonists of The Whole Stupid Way We Are, Dinah and Skint. I love those kids. I cherish their lovingness and their nuttiness and the deep connection between them. I cherish how wrong they get things and how right they get things and how earnestly committed they are to their beliefs. I cherish their righteous anger about the world. I loved hosting them in my head and I loved writing about them. And I so hope that my readers feel equally loved by the book.
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Dancing in the Dark
by Robyn Bavati
Paperback Original
North American debut of the Australian award-winning drama
Ditty Cohen is passionate about ballet—she loves how it feels to stand en pointe, to rise and spin across the room. But her Orthodox Jewish parents want Ditty to focus on the teachings of the Torah and to marry at a young age according to their religious tradition. Although her parents forbid her to take dance lessons, Ditty secretly signs up for ballet and becomes entangled in a web of deceit. As one lie leads to another and another, Ditty knows she must stop dancing, but she can’t abandon the one thing that gives her freedom. She begins to question her faith and everything her parents have taught her, realizing just how much is at stake as her two worlds collide.
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Dancing in the Dark?
My favorite part of the book is probably the scene when Ditty is watching her little sister, Gittel, dancing in the living room, and her mother says that she reminds her of Ditty at that age. She recalls one night in particular when Ditty disappeared, and they finally found her “in the middle of the garden, dancing in the dark.” While Zipporah reminisces, Ditty understands that she is still that girl who loves to dance. She wishes she could tell her mother that, but of course, she can’t, and that makes her feel unbearably lonely – realizing her family don’t really know her. And although she hasn’t allowed them to know her – she nevertheless resents them for it. Ditty’s predicament moved me when I wrote this scene, and I hope that it moves the reader too. It’s sad, poignant, and relatable. Most teenagers, I think, go through a stage of thinking that no one, least of all their own family, really knows them – perhaps because they are just starting to become aware of the dark corners of their own psyche and are ashamed to share them – or perhaps because they don’t yet fully know themselves.
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LAST WEEK’S GIVEAWAY WINNERS
The Madman’s Daughter
by Megan Shepherd
ARC
Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.
Accompanied by her father’s handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it’s too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.
Inspired by H. G. Wells’s classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman’s Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we’ll do anything to know and the truths we’ll go to any lengths to protect.
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about The Madman’s Daughter?
I tried to include a little something for everyone in this book: mysteries & suspense, philosophical questions, steamy romance, plot twists to keep people guessing…but my personal favorite part of the book is a minor character named Balthazar. He’s a sweet, unusual, kind man, and I never expected to develop such a soft spot in my heart for a fictional character.
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Unravel Me (Shatter Me)
by Tahereh Mafi
ARC
tick
tick
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it’s almost
time for war.
Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.
She’s finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.
Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.
In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam’s life.
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Gates of Paradise (A Blue Bloods Novel)
by Melissa de la Cruz
Unsigned Hardcover
Schuyler Van Alen is running out of time. The Dark Prince of Hell is storming the Gates of Paradise, intent
on winning the heavenly throne for good. This time he has his greatest angels by his side, Abbadon and Azrael—Jack and Mimi Force, as they are known in the Coven.
Or so he thinks. Even as Lucifer assigns Jack and Mimi the tasks of killing their true loves, the Force twins secretly vow to defeat the Dark Prince once and for all. But how far will Mimi and Jack go to conceal their real loyalties?
Meanwhile, former vampire Bliss Llewellyn has joined forces with Lawson, the greatest wolf of the underworld, to free his people from their imprisonment in Hell. As they struggle against impossible odds, an ancient message, woven into the very fabric of time, reveals just how much depends on the success of their mission.
Lucifer seeks the key to the Gate of Promise, and when Schuyler is taken captive and delivered straight to Hell, she must make an unthinkable choice—the same one the archangel Michael was forced to make during the Crisis in Rome. Will Schuyler find the strength to do what he could not? The epic, heartbreaking Blue Bloods series comes to a close with this final novel about staggering courage, unbearable sacrifice, and the immortality of true love.
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Gates of Paradise (A Blue Bloods Novel)?
The story of what happened between Michael and Gabrielle – the secret of what destroyed their bond is the foundation of the Blue Bloods series – if that hadn’t happened, Schuyler would never have been born and there would have been no story. So we had to figure it out (and I say ‘we’ because my husband and I worked on the series arc together) from the beginning and I’ve always loved it because it was so beautiful and human and tragic what happened to them and I think it’s the classic – ‘everything went wrong’ ‘your greatest strength is also your greatest failure’ sort of thing… If things don’t go wrong, there are no stories. 🙂
What was your biggest surprise in writing this final book, or did you have everything all mapped out in preparation for the next Blue Bloods cycle?
The last chapter with Oliver was pretty surprising, I had no idea really, but it just felt so natural, and when it happened on the page, I remember feeling like I was being pulled out of my seat, it was so exciting. So that was a new twist I didn’t see coming. That’s why you have to listen to your characters. 🙂
Which character ended up being your favorite in the series and why?
Mimi has always been my favorite from the beginning. She’s so much fun and so evil and flawed, but she has her reasons for acting that way. Mimi’s very much a traditionalist and I sympathize with people like that. She likes things the way they were, whereas Schuyler is the revolutionary who is forging a new path. Change is frightening!
If you could go back to the beginning of the series and change one thing, what would it be and why?
Oy. I would fix all the inconsistencies, like when did Schuyler’s mother go into a coma- when she was born or when she was three years old. That sort of thing. I was able to fix stuff in Keys to the Repository, so that was cool. When you write a book it goes through so many changes in each draft, and sometimes you don’t catch all the changes you make.
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IN STORES NEXT WEEK WITH AUTHOR INTERVIEWS
Breaking Point (Article 5)
by Kristen Simmons
Hardcover
After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.
Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….
Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.
Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.
With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about Breaking Point (Article 5)?
My favorite thing about BREAKING POINT is that everything is taken to a deeper level. Chase and Ember dig in with the resistance and begin to fight back against the Federal Bureau of Reformation. More of the dynamics in their relationship are explored (and things get a little spicy between them!). Also some of my favorite side characters have more of a chance to come out and play. I hope people enjoy this story!
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City of a Thousand Dolls
by Miriam Forster
Hardcover
Author Question: What is your favorite thing about City of a Thousand Dolls?
It might sound silly, but one of my favorite things about City of a Thousand Dolls is probably the clothes. I’m a pretty textural person and I loved writing about silks and cottons and cashmere and brocade. In certain Houses, patterns have special meanings, and people communicate through their clothes. It was a lot of fun figuring out what flowers and animals should stand for what, even if it’s not a big part of the story.
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MORE RELEASES IN STORES NEXT WEEK
Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles)
by Marissa Meyer
Hardcover
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison–even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.
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Me, Him, Them, and It
by Caela Carter
Hardcover
When Evelyn decided to piss off her parents with a bad reputation, she wasn’t planning to ruin her valedictorian status. She also wasn’t planning to fall for Todd-the guy she was just using for sex. And she definitely wasn’t planning on getting pregnant. When Todd turns his back on her, Evelyn’s not sure where to go. Can a distant mother, a cheating father, an angry best friend, and a (thankfully) loving aunt with adopted daughters of her own help Evelyn make the heart-wrenching decisions that follow? With the popularity of Juno, Teen Mom, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, this novel has a built-in audience. Gripping, heartfelt, and responsible, Me, Him, Them, and It is not to be missed!
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Midwinterblood
by Marcus Sedgwick
Hardcover
Seven stories of passion and love separated by centuries but mysteriously intertwined—this is a tale of horror and beauty, tenderness and sacrifice.
An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood? From award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick comes a book about passion and preservation and ultimately an exploration of the bounds of love.
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Hysteria
by Megan Miranda
Hardcover
Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can’t remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn’t charged. But Mallory still feels Brian’s presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others. In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda’s masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again.
Cross My Heart, Hope to Die (The Lying Game)
by Sara Shepard
Hardcover
It’s not easy being me.
But my twin sister has no choice.
When I died two months ago, my killer told my twin sister to become me—or else. Now Emma has it down to a T. She tosses her hair with the signature Sutton Mercer flip and can lead a Lying Game prank with the best of them. She’s even repairing my relationship with my adoptive family. The only thing she hasn’t done is solve my murder.
Then our birth mother, the woman who abandoned us, showed up in Tucson. Emma hasn’t seen Becky in twelve years, but Becky recognizes Emma immediately—as Emma. Is it a mother’s intuition . . . or does Becky know I’m already gone?
From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.
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Perfect Scoundrals (Heist Society)
by Ally Carter
Hardcover
Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting—or stealing—whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir—this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.
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Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School)
by Gail Carriger
Hardcover
It’s one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It’s quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.
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